6
THE FARMER: DECEMBER 27, 1913
BRIDGEPORT EYEH1NS FARMER
'CFonnded 1T0.
.1
5THB FARMER PtnSIJtSEtma CO.,
Farmer Building, 177-17 Fairfield
Are-. Bridgeport. Cons.
TELEPHONES
Editorial Rooms, 1287
Business Office, 130S
REPTJBLICAjr FARMER,
Published Fridays.
Dally Edition SS per annum
Weekly Edition t per annum
Entered In Post Office. Bridffeyort.
Conn., as Second Class Matter.
FBIDAT, DEO. 26, 101S.
EDITORIAL NOTES
People like to receive useful Christ
Huut tfts, Dutitney don't seem to en-Joy-
giving them.
Some peoples find their 'New -Tear's
Resolutions, strongly fortified by lib
eral 'doses 'of liquid Dutch-courage.
X popolar way of . making New
jXearaieaolntlons Is to swear' off on,
everything: ' yot don't want to do.
Ifcidoesntteeeravto make much dif
Keren.ce what'' the telephone-and tele-,
graph lines "woul accost, so long as the
ajovernmentcaniborrowsthe money,
A train loadof 29 cars of hats has
just been eenti from New Tork to St.
PanV and Minnesota. did-;not elect a.
governor last Note:mber'rither.
The nljWo persuade people
totbuy their-gifta early would be to
make them think" the stores would be
'empty' Just-before the ' holiday.
No--wonder the cost of living is high,
when so many of our 'reckless and ex
travagant people are seen reading the
advertisements of winter vacation
trips.
President Huerta. has declared a
series of bank' holidays, but he can
not expect to become the idol of Mex
ico as long as he lets people work
In the factories.
The new Wisconsin eugenics law
requires health certificates from men
who want to get married, but per
sons are permitted to go courting in
spite of pronounced symptoms of
heart trouble.
The paper weight, blotter holder,
and desk pad, that your women
friends gave you litter up your desk,
but it will be perfectly safe to chuck
them Into the waste basket in a week
or two.
Judging by appearances the Chi
cago school board cannot be made
up of married men, or they would
have known they couldn't put Mrs.
Ella Flagg Young out of her posi
tion. In spite of the liberal provisions of
the new currency law, those soulless
and grasping leeches, the bankers,
continue to ask to see a man's col
lateral before loaning him any
money.
The enlistments to the army have
rapidly increased, presumably be
cause some people think the pursuit
of Mexicans may be substituted next
fall for the annual deer hunting sea
son. EVOLUTION.
The first development of1 Darwiii's
epochal and revolutionary theory of
the origin of species through natural
selection resulted from his memorable
voyage on the brig Beagle, which sail
ed away from England eighty-two
years ago to-day. Capt. Fitzroy, of
the Beagle, asked that a naturalist be
supplied to accompany the expedition
of exploration to South America, and
a young man who had just graduated
from Cambridge, Charles Darwin, by
name, volunteered for the place. For
five years the Beagle cruised about
Eouth American waters, and the
youthful naturalist, by the accumula
tion of a vast mass of scientific data
and a close observance of the mani
festations of nature, laid the founda
tion for his life work, which was to
overturn many of the accepted no
tions of science and religion. On that
trip Darwin discovered a new world
of thought, and, like another Colum
bus, returned to Europe to startle
and confound the world. Modern
evolution was born when the Beagle
sailed on Dec. 27, 1831.
DLKE OF NORFOLK.
England's peer, the fifteenth Duke
of Norfolk, was born sixty-six years
ago to-day. The man who heads the
roll of the British peerags with a fam
ily tree that had its roots in the
twelfth century, is the "worst dressed
m?.n in England" by right of being
Karl Marshal, and is the head of the
Heralds" College, a quaint and medie
val crew which is mustered only when
king dies or is crowned. The Duke
has many titles besides that of Nor
folk. He is Sir Henry FitzAlan
Uovard, Earl of Arunshal, Surrey and
Norfoiii, Earon KltzAIan, Clun, Os
waldestre and Maltravers, Earl Mar
shal and Hereditary Marshal of Eng
land, Premier Duke and Premier Earl,
Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulo
rum of Sussex, Knight of the Noble
Order of Christ, and honorory com
irfander of several military organiza
tion. For five years the Duke was
I Veteran Policemen Marked For
Wholesale Retirement Because
I Politicians Want More Jobs
MAYOR WILSON is evidently destined to go down to history
as the inventor, or the visible proxy of the inventor
of wholesale, involuntary pensions.
The plan to pick out many of the most competent men in
the police department, retire them on half pay, and put others
in their places on full pay is the recourse of men desperate to
keep election promises.
Young men in a police department are necessary and excel
lent. None but young men in the pink of physical condition
should be appointed. Because the city DOES PENSION super
annuated patrolmen, it his a right to ask that those whom it
employs in this business shall be young, strong and vigorous.
It wants a long term of service before the pension becomes due.
But the young men are not the back bone of the police force;
more than they are of an army.. The veterans of a force are its
back bone, those of ripe experience and gray hairs.
Superintendent Birmingham, Captain Arnold, Captain An
derson and Lieut. Quinlivan still have good work in them. They
have not asked for retirement. When the public pension
scheme was created it "was not the purpose that men should be
thrown out of the service against their, will, in order that other
men might be put in their places, as a reward for political ser
vice. Recently Mayor Wilson caused to be added to the force
some 50 men. He best knows the conditions under which those
men were named and it is enough to say that there are those
among them who will be unable to do police duty long before
the veterans who are to be the victims of involuntary retirement
will have ceased from usefulness.
The people of Bridgeport will do well to ask what sort of
business methods reign where police are added to a force with
out the usual safeguards to obtain men who will be long in the
service without having to be pensioned, while at the other end
veteran and competent men are forced out of the service, while
they still have good work in them.
How does the police service of Bridgeport sufferiy the
presence of these veterans? Has crime increased? What has
happened?
How much better off is Bridgeport with its fifty additional
police, than it was before? Has crime decreased? Is the cit
izenship wealthier, happier or better off in any way?
These veteran policemen should stand upon their rights.
They should refuse the tyrannical demand for their resigna
tions. If they do so, and are afterward persecuted or deprived
of justice because they have stood upon their rights, they may
depend upon the people of Bridgeport to protect them.
The proposal to create these vacancies with a corres
ponding increase in the expense of operating the city is the last
word in political impudance.
i It is time enough to retire policemen, wholesale when they
ask to be retired.
' i : : ; .'
BANKS WILL
SOME 400 National banks and a number of trust companies
have ..applied for '.admission to the government's cur
rency system already. All National Banks, with here and there
perhaps an exception, will come in. The banker's have made a
complete surrender, even those who opposed the measure.
MARRIED TEACHERS EFFICIENT.
SUPT. MAXWELL has shown by the records that the married
teachers in New York city schools are superior in ef
ficiency to the unmarried. The disclosure would not have been
unexpected. It has long been known that married men as a
group are more devoted to their employment than unmarried
men. They have given more hostages to industry. Youth is
new in the world. There are many things to attract the atten
tion'of the young, which are the major part of the unmarried.
But Supt. Maxwell's disclosure will not necessarily change the
minds of New York's board of education, which has declared
motherhood an offense sufficient to cause the dismissal of a
teacher, prejudice yields but slowly to reason.
FEDERAL SUPERVISION
THE SUPERVISION of securities of railroads ought to be in
control of the Inter State Commerce Commission. The
alternative is control by state commissions, which will with dif
ficulty be effective over lines that transverse several states.
' The swindling operations which railroads have carried on
through those entrusted with their management for seventy-five
years have for the most part been possible only because these
managers were able to issue securities at their will. Most con
solidations have been accomplished, not with the use of cash,
but by an exchange of the stock of one company for the stock
of another.
Had the New Haven company been obliged to find cash for
its merging transactions, many of them would not have been
made. But these mergers were easy to bring about, because the
directors had merely to authorize an issue of stock or bonds for
the purpose, and the trade was accomplished. N
Thus we have the paradox of a railroad enjoying the most
prosperous and most profitable year in its history unable to pay
a dividend upon its stock. The reason is as plain as can be.
A man may have a house worth $5,000, and it may yield an in
come sufficient to pay five per cent, upon its value. But if the
man turns himself into a stock company, mortgages his house
for $10,000, and sells stock in his house to the amount of $20,000,
the income will barely pay interest on the mortgage, and noth
ing on the stock.
.This simple illustration describes pretty accurately the sys
tem of finance by which railroad investors have been looted in
New England and elsewhere.
Postmaster-General in Lord Salis
bury's cabinet. " He is a Roman Cath
olic, and England's leading Catholic
layman.
NEARLY 80 YEARS
WITH ONE PAPER.
Hon. Sir Mackenzie Bowell, Cana
dian Senator, former Prime Minister
of the Dominion, and for nearly 8 0
years, connected with the Belleville,
pnt.,Intelligencer, was born in Suffolk,
England, ninety years ago to-day, Dec.
27, 1823. In 1834 he entered the In
telligencer office as an apprentice or
"devil," thus forming a journalistic
alliance that was destined to continue
COME IN.
OE RAILROAD SECURITIES
until all past records for long service
with one newspaper were broken. Sir
Mackenzie's parliamentary record is
scarcely less noteworthy, since he en
tered the Canadian House of Com
mons in 1867, the year of the launch
ing of the Dominion government, and
remained there, holding several cabi
net portfolios and the Premiership,
until his elevation to the Senate.
About a year ago Sir Mackenzie de
livered a remarkable speech in the
Canadian Senate, and some of his
friends, in congratulating him, be
came rather effusive over the wonder
of a man so aged manifesting so much
energy.
"There was nothing wonderful
about it all," asserted the veteran
statesman and editor, "and my only
trouble resembled that of an old gen
tleman of whom I have heard. He
was very old, but still active, and
one day he walked to a neighboring
town, distant several miles from his
home. When he arrived there his
friends exhibited great astonishment,
and asked him how he had managed
to perform such a pedestrian feat at
his age. 'Oh, I got along all right,'
was the reply, 'until I came to a warn
ing sign which says, "Slow Down to
Fifteen Miles an Hour." That held
me back some.' "
PRESIDENT WILSON,
DEVOTEE OF SPORTS.
Because he wears spectacles, and
has been the president of a univer
sity, and has written a number of
books, many people imagine that
President Wilson is a hopeless high
brow and without any "red gore" in
his.vejns or sporting instincts. Such
persons will have to guess again. The
eminent occupant of the White House
who will celebrate his fifty-seventh
birthday to-day, is and has always
been a "fan" in regard to all manly
outdoor sports and pastimes. Any
body who labors under the mis-conception
that President Wilson is what
one of his eminent predecessors would
call a "mollycoddle" had. better guess
again. In his youth, when he was
assimilating learning and lore at Da
vidson College, Princeton and the
University of Virginia, "Tommy" Wil
son was'to be found right out there
flinging the pill over the pan and in
dulging in other sports popular among
college undergraduates. It was in
baseball, however, that the future
President of the United States was
most proficient. As an athlete he
was stronger on brain than on brawn,
and the diamond pastime, in which
rapidity of action of mind and mus
cle is more important than mere
strength, naturally appealed to him.
When the bicycle was invented Prof.
Wilson was one of the first to adopt
it as a means of getting from where
he was to where he wasn't, as well as
affording a healthful exercise. Row
ing was also one of the favorite sports
cf his youth, and at a later period he
took up golfing. President Wilson i-i
not so proficient in golf as Prof. Taft,
nor as good an all-around sportsman
as Col. Roosevelt, but his abilities in
those lines are not to be despised. He
3s still an ardent fan, and during the
last season he attended every ' ball
game in Washington when the affairs
of state would permit. Naturally a
iittle reserved in bis demeanor, on the
bail field he proceeds to "forget it",
and roots as heartily as the next man.
The President has declared that he
will not consider his administration an
entire success unless Washington
wins a pennant and a world's flag be
fore he quits lhe -White House.
MESSINA, 5 YEARS
AFTER QUAKE, BEGINS
WORK OF RESTORATION
Five years ago on Dec. 27, 190S,
the inhabitants of Messina, Reggio,
and half a hundred smaller cities and
towns, went to sleep in fancied secur
ity. In the dark hour that precedes
the dawn few who were awake heard,
a singing sound, as of some giant
chanting a wordless dirge. The sing
ing, grew louder, until it rose to a
shriek, and ended in a rumble and a
roar as the earthquake reached the
doomed cities of the strait, rending
apart the solid earth and tossing it up
into waves and billows, on which the
houses and their inhabitants were but
as wreckage tossed about on an an
gry sea. Messina became a heta
comb, Reggio a ruin, and the other
towns mere heaps of brick and wood
and stone. Then a tidal wave rear
ed itself over the ' Calabrian and Si
cilian shores, and completed the work
of desolation and destruction. In
Messina alone a hundred thousand
died that awful night, and in all the
earthquake and tidal wave claimed
nearly a quarter of a million victims.
The whole world stood aghast art the
most appalling catastrophe of modern
times.
Five years after the earthquake
Messina is still in ruins, and the work
of restoration has barely commenced.
Labor troubles have1 hindered the Ital
ian government in its project for the
restoration of . the harbor works. In
all the churches of Calabria and Sicily
special memorial services for those
who died in the disaster will be held,
and it is hoped that the anniversary
will mark the inauguration of real,
earnest work on the rebuilding of
Messino.
The principal observance of the an
niversary will center in the old
church of San Niccolo, in Messina.
This ancient edifice, built in the four
teenth century, was condemned by the
authorities as unsafe shortly before
the earthquake, and yet', strangely
enough, it was the only church in the
city that escaped destruction. The
famous Messina statue of Neptune
also escaped unscathed.
Messina was one of the wealthiest
cities in Italy and millions of dollars
have been recovered from the ruins,
while other millions still lie buried in
the debris. The people of Messina,
having scant faith in banks, were giv
en to hoarding their money, and
nearly every house contained secret
ed hoards that represented the sav
ings of years. In a small safe in a
small store there was found $400,000
in cash. The old Norman cathedral
held art treasures worth $10,000,000,
the jeweled altar alone being worth
nearly a million. The last report
showed that $140,000,000 had been
recovered from the ruins. Soldiers
constantly guard those sections of the
city which have not yet been search
ed. It has been alleged that the
money recovered by the government
from the ruins of Messina was used
to finance the war for the conquest
of Tripoli, but this has been officially
denied.
About 70,000 of those killed in Mes
sina have been buried, but the re
mainder, more than 30,000, will bo
forever denied that last tribute.
Thousands were burned to death, and
the charred remnants of their bodies
mingle with the ruins of their homes
which are now covered with vines.
The old Messina is very much as it
was on the day following the earth
quake, but a new Messina, a city of
wooden huts built with money sup
plied by all the peoples of the world,
has sprung up. About 17 5,000 peo
ple now live in the new Messina t.t
wooden bungalows. The Italian gov
ernment has promised to expend
$120,000,000 in the rebuilding of Mes.
sina, and it is likely that within a
few years the work will be complete.
In the meantime, the people of the
wooden city, with little or no rent to
pay, are prospering as never before,
as is shown by the fact that the Mes
sina postal savings bank now has
nearly double the amount of deposits
that it had five years ago, while the
government pawn shop's business has
shown a great decrease.
NEWTOWN
Mrs. B. McNamara and daughter.
Miss May McNamara, went to Dan
fcury Christmas Day to be present at
the first mass of Rev. William Kil
coyne in St. Peter's church, Danbury.
at 10:30 a. m. The reverend father
is connected by marriage and blood
with many other Catholic families- in
this vicinity.
Miss Marilla George of St. Mar
garet's school, Waterbury, is a guest
of Rev. James H. George at Trinity
rectory for the holidays.
Mrs. Margaret Egan and daughter.
Mass May Egan are guests of Mr and
Mrs. M. J. Donohue, New Tork, for
the season's festivities.
Assistant Town Clerk Edward Pitz
schlar is visSting friends in Flushing,
L. I. He will return Monday.
Rev. Father Sinnott surprised the
St. Rose Sunday school with a Christ
mas tree in the afternoon of the feast
at St. Mary's hall. P. H. Gannon acted
the part of Santa Claus acceptably,
and the children and teachers were
made happy.
Among the "shut-ins" who were
cheered on Christmas Day by friends
was Mrs. James Turner wQio took
great -delight in a Christmas tree at
her home with Miss Mary Harrigan,
furnished by thoughtful people.
Patrick. Clasby and Henry Smith',
employed by the O'Brien Construction
company on state road work were ar
rested Wednes night by Sheriff Blake
man, Constable Carlson and a posse' of
citizens on the Bethel road near the
Harris home. Their team collided
with another and was overturned in
the darkness. Neighbors recognizing
the horse as the property of Jeremiah
Maroney in the hands of strangers
notified the authorities. It took the
combined efforts of five citizens, in
cluding officers to apprehend the men
and lodge them in the lock-up where
they took Christmas cheer from Con
stable Carlson. Yesrday they were
brought before Justice P. H. McCar
thy, found guilty on intoxication
charges and fined $5 and costs, all
other charges being dropped. Both
think they have enough money due
them from their employers to make
good so they are kept in custody
awaiting the arrival of the cashier of
the construction company with the
money. ...
A large number of our Jewish citi
zens will attend the Chanukah festival
at Cutter's hall. Long Hill, Sunday,
Dec. 28, given under the auspices of
the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fairfield
County Jewish Farmers association.
Bridgeport musical talent will assist
in the musical programmer
At the Congregational church, Sun
day, the minister will preach on the
theme, i "Time It's Value And .Use"
with special application to the closing
of the . old and the beginning of' the
near year, at the 11 a. m. service. In
the evening at 7:30 the Christian En
deavor meeting. "Our Church At
Work For the World." References
Mark 15: 14-20 verses in charge of
the Missionary committee. The an
nual meeting of the church has been
set for Thursday, Jan. 8, 1914.
On December 30 at the Town hail
the" Dramatic club will present the
play, "The County Minister" for the
play loving public of Newtown. The
cast of characters ' show names
familiar to the public in the past and
are a sufficient guarantee of a good
presentation of the play. A good
house-should greet them.
The- news that a canning factory
in the Philippines has begun to man
ufacture roselle sauce is of interest
as marking the initial commercial
stage of an industry possessing great
possibilities. Roselle was introduced
a few years ago into the far southern
United States from the West Indies,
and has just begun to be cultivated
in the Philippines, says the Scientific
American.
Until recently the only edible part
of the plant was supposed to be the
fleshy calyces, from which can be
made a sauce exactly resembling
cranberry sauce in appearance and
flavor, as well as syrup, jelly and
wine. Lately it has been found that
the leaves and young stems of ' the
plant also yield palatable products,
and the exploitation of - roselle has
been furthered by publication of the
United States department of agricul
ture and the Philippine bureau of
agriculture.
GOODYEAR
: RUBBERS
The only way for us to con
vince you that
"WALES GOODYEAR"
Rubbers are the best made is
to sell you a pair.
Child's . 45c
Misses' 55c
Youth's GOc
Boys' 75e
Women's 68e
Men's 98c
MEN'S FELT BOOTS
$2.25 up
MEN'S ARCTICS
98c up
MEN'S RUBBER BOOTS
$2.98 up.
THE ALLING
1126 MAIN STREET
Syndicate Stores
" m
Farmer Want Ads. One Cent a Word.
Established 1857
After Christmas Sales
Tempting Values in all Departments, that
allure the economic shopper.
The Semi-annual Clearance of Trunks
Bags and other Traveling Paraphernalia
Now in Progress.
20 per cent Discounts in Order
In addition to this discount are specially priced
pieces, Suit Cases, Trunks and Travel
ing Bags marked very low.
A fortunate time to buy baggage.
Tailored Gowns at Clearance
Generous reductions have been made on
every Tailored Suit that remains in the depart
ment. There are embraced fine gowns of wool
ratine, Bedford cord, zibeline, and novelty wor
sted, made up with the best tailoring.
Suits that have been $28.00 to $30.00, $40.00
and $50.00.
at $25.00
Suits that nave been $25.00 to $28.00.
at $18.00
Suits that have been $22.50 to $25.00.
at $15.00
Clearance of Elegant Dress
Tunics and Garnitures
On lace net and chiffon, white and crystal,
elaborately applied, some.exceedingly dainty ef
fects in white and blue.
Black Tunics with applications of steel and
jet, also some fine styles with ribbozine embroid
ery on black net.
Persian designs on black net.
Garnitures of jet, steel and crystal.
Every one marked half-price.
Prices $5.00, $7.00, $7.50, $8.00, $8.50,
$9.00, $10.00 up to $25.00.
A Tunic, it will be remembered, is almost a
gown of itself. All that is needed is the silk
lining or slip. It can be seen readily that very
inexpensive dancing frocks and dinner gowns
can be arranged with this offering to help.
Trimming Section, main floor.
Odd China and Brica-Brac
Tables have been arranged bearing price
tickets at 25, 50 and 98 cts. Visitors will find at
tractive bargains on-these.
In the Basement.
Stationery Jewelry, Leather, Goods and
Holiday Novelties, on the Main Floor
It just pays anybody to walk through the
store several times a day, for it seems as if fresh
values were put out every hour. One cannot
make lists, for alas, before the type could cool
the values might be gone. The tables have each
their tickets,
I2V2, 25, and 50 cts. to remain the rest of the
month. One comes, is surprised to find what she
does, and buys.
Center Aisie, Main Floor.
The D M. Bvead Company.
RADFORD' go MITjj
1072 Main St. DEPARTMENT STORE, 89 Fairfield At.
"The Store to find scarce articles" and the store that pays the oarfnrf.
Monday, Dec. 29th
Last Day at Our Old Store
Move Tuesday
A marriage licence inscribed "I've
found out some things and have
changed my mind" was returned to
the Washington authorities by Mr3.
Catherine McConnel. It was obtained
by Harry Mills, who was "not em
ployed anywhere."
Second floor.
Phya ProMiakaravonsa is the ne;y
appointed Minister from S;am at
Washington.
An annual tax is to be pia'-ed on a.'
musical ' -rfrumcnts in Ticino, Switzerland.