Manchester Democrat. [volume], April 26, 1905, Image 3

About Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930

Image provided by: State Historical Society of Iowa

                
YESTERDAY.
bhlp
•Ip of.To-dnyl I watch you sail
Across the lessening hours to me
Whst storm can tboso brave wings assail-
What tempest toss that peaceful sea?
iA.ll happy things you seem to bring,
A cargo of long-sought desires,
Beblrth of joy, glad songs of spring,
And subtle hints of hidden fires
it
'et stand I' silent and apart,
Unwelcoming your fair array,
.With eyes turned toward you, but with
LCentury.
heart
Still with the Ship of Yesterday 1
1
BORROWED BABY
Ctp ED pulled his cap down over his
II ears and drew on his mittens.
7* Ho hoped he would not have
rery far to go, He was out to borrow
a baby, and although he was rather
particular as to what kind he wanted
he did not anticipate any difficulty in
Ending one.
I He did rather wish It was summer,
(or he remembered that lie had seen
a lot of babies In the park In the warm
feather, and It would have been easy
•work to borrow one of these. Now, he
thought, he would have to go to some
bouse and ask for one.
He had heard the nurse say that If
the baby bad lived his pretty step
mother might have rallied, but as it
was they had very little hope of sav
ing her life.
Ted had not cared particularly for
the baby, but he loved big new sweet
mother very much he had been with
out one a long time and to be- a ltlttle
boy without a mother Is very sad.
So he reasoned that If it was on ac
count of the loss of the baby his moth
er might die—he would go out and
borrow one for her, so that she could
get well_,tte
Luck r$B*"surely with-him, for be
had not liime very far when he saw a
woman come out of a bouse with a
baby In her arms. She stood as If un
certain which way to go. She was not
a very nice woman, Ted thought, but
the baby looked nice, so he stepped up
to her and said: "Please, ma'am, could
I borrow your baby for a while?"
"Lord love It, what's this?" said the
woman, and sat down on the steps.
"Yer want to borrow the baby, do
yer?"
"Yes, please, ma'am, I need a baby
very much."
"Ho, ho, ha, ha! If that don't beat
the Dutch! Yer need a baby—well, I
don't I was ]ust wondering what
place I'd better take this one to—the
'sylum or the station house. Its moth
er lodged in my house, and she went
to the hospital and died." "Well, Bhe
•aid, half to herself, "if It wouldn't
be an easy thing to get rid of this
kid to give It to that other one. Here,"
she said suddenly to Ted, "take the
baby and run along with It" And she
hurried Into the house and shut the
door.
"Here, nurse, I've brought a baby for
her so she won't die," said Ted when
be marched home, very tired, but very
bfPPy at his success.
When the nurse beard his whole
atory she took Ted In her arms, to
gether with the "borrowed baby," and,
with a mingling of smiles and tears,
•aid, "I'll try it."
Bhe dressed tho baby In the pretty
clothes of the little one that was gone
and took It upstulrs to the sick wom
an. With a sigh of content the invalid
claspeJJt to her and went to sleep—a
quiet deep sleep which spoke of re
covery.
"I 'spose, father," said Ted one day,
when his mother was pronounced out
of danger, "I 'spose It's time to return
the baby." He looked troubled as he
•aid It, for the baby had won a large
place In Ills heart.
"No," said ills father. "I think, Ted
—I think we'll keep your 'borrowed
baby'—forever!"—Indianapolis Sun.
PA FINDS A GAS LEAK.
Ma'« Sensitive Olfactory Nerve Bends
Henry on a Nocturnal Hunt.
"Henry," cried Ma Jones, arousing
the slecpful Pa some time between
tlie dead of night and early the next
morning, "I smell gas."
"Well, don't do it Mnry It is a fool
lsh habit" replied Pa, as he turned
over and started to snore again.
"Henry Jones, do you hear me?"
shouted the alarmed Ma, "there Is gas
escaping In this house, and I want you
to get up and see what Is the matter!"
"Madam," returned Ta, Irritably,
"your fancy Is taking another flight!
Your Imagination Is working on
wheels! What yon smell Is the soft
coal smoke from a locomotive running
twenty miles out ou the Main Line!
Forget it and go to sleep."
"Henry, I teli you It Is gas," said
Ma, earnestly, "and if you don't get up
this instant I will go downstairs my
self, even if I am asphyxiated on the
spot!"
"Mrs. Jones," returned poor Pa, as
be climbed out of bed and started for
bis shoes, vest and suspenders, "you
milke mo weary of tills terrestrial life!
You make me yearn for some hallowed
place where the angels know enough
to fold their wings and sleep Instead of
smelling around for the fumes of gas!"
"What 111 the world are you doing?"
demanded Ma, looklug at the slow
moving Henry. "Are you going to put
on a full dress suit, slilue your shoes
and comb your hair Just to go down
stairs and look for a leaking gas pipe?"'
"Madam," returned Ta Jones, "I may
have to go all the way to the servolr
before I find that leak, and I certain
ly do not care to be mistaken for a
somnambulist, not to speak of tlie dis
comforts that I would experience from
an unkindly temperature."
A few minutes later tlie procession
started in quest of gas, Pa murshal
lng the assembled forces, whlc!l by
that time Included Norah and dear lit
tle I''ldo Ma was sure that It was es
caping from Motlier-in-Law Smith's
room, and thither they went.
9 "Mother, are you dead?" asked Pa,
In a hopeful sort of voice, as he pound
ed on the old lady's door.
"Not dead, my son, or even sleeping,"
returned Mother Smith, "but I think I
smell gas."
Next, they went to Willie's room and
Johnny's room. No gas. Then to Sis'
boudoir and Edythe's boudoir. No gas!
"Are you satisfied now, Mr*. Jones,"
said Pa, "or do you wish to keep up
the Mummer's parade until we have
gonp over the entire route, and passed
the grand stand In the cellar?"
"No, -1 am not:satisfied," was the
emphatic reply. "I smell gas, and I
am not going to give up the search un
til I find out where It eoiilps from."
The procession then countermarched
to the head of the stair, passed down
•Ingle file, and reconnoltered In the
parlor. No leak was found In the
chandelier, but Pa admitted that the
ptmo«pher» was little fro
way, and
NEW RUSSIAN COMMANDER IN MANCHURIA.
GENERAL LINEVITCH.
General Nicola I Pctrovitch Llncvltch, who succeeded General Kuropatkln
as supreme commander of the Russian forces In the Manchurlan campaign, Is
an active man, despite his seventy years. He Is called by his men Papa
Llnevltch, because of his extreme age, which might well entitle him to the
sobriquet of "grandpa." Grizzled and gray, Ills long years of service have
Riven him a countenance that bespeaks the typical fighter. He did not, as
has often been stated, rise from the ranks. Sucli a thing Is scarcely a possi
bility In the Russian army, most high commands being given only to officers
of the Guard. He won his spurs by hard service and active campaigning.
To-day, despite his many years, he endures all the hardships of a strenuous
campaign with as few signs of fatigue as the most hardy of his men. As
a leader he bids fair to become as well beloved by the rank and file of tho
army as was his predecessor. He knows no fear and has always been nt the
front
thought It might possibly be due to an
exposed gas bill.
In the dining room It needed no
searchlight nose to detect It, and seem
ed to be rolling under the kitchen door
In large bunches.
"I told you so," cried the trumphant
Ma.
"But you didn't produce any direct
evidence to prove it Mrs. Jones, re
plied Pa, "therefore the gas was enti
tled to all reasonable doubt.** Norah,
get me a candle!"
"What are you going to do with a
candle?" asked Ma, showing some
symptoms of agitation.
"I am going to locate that leak,"
was the assuring answer "did you
thiuk I was going to use it to anoint
my corn?"
"You don't strike a light In that
kitchen until I get a half-mile start"
said Ma.
"Shure, an' It's tlier same at tills
lnd," announced Norah.
"Bow-wow!" barked little Fid"
"Madame, Norah, dog," rejoined To.
majestically, "I will have you one and
all understand that I know what 1 am
doing. The only logical, the only sci
entific way to locate a gas leak Is to
look for it and since there are neither
electric lights In the kitchen or owl
optics In my lieud, 1 presume you will
admit the necessity of recourse to a
caudle."
With this Pa opened the door and
struck the fatal match. Hut It went
out the next instant, and so did the
gentle Ilenry, for there was a flash
like a twenty-five horse power dia
mond, a rumble like Japs throwing
Russians over Tie I'ass, and sundry
yelps from Ma, Norali and little Fldo.
"Well, I guess you are satisfied?"
exclaimed Ma, glancing at the smoking
kitchen.
"Not entirely Mrs. Jones,' was Pa's
calm reply. "I am a little curious to
know how many feet of gas it took to
kick an able-bodied man, two howling
women and a dog across a dining-room
table."
The next day the gas man came and
some time later Pa Jones got all the
Information he desired.—Philadelphia
Telegraph.
FOR CROSS KEY RAILROAD.
Millionaire Flagler's Plan to Connect
Key West with the Main Land.
Key West Is to be hooked to the
mainland by 140 miles of railroad, und
the island city will soon become the
most important port in the Southern
States, says the St. LouIh Post-IJis
putch. Such Is the program announced
by Henry M. Flagler, whose engineers
are at work pushing tlie double line
of rails southward from Miami, across
the keys thut stretch to the southward
from the homestead country. Along
100 miles of keys and forty miles of
water the road will be run and in
three years Key West will be the
southern terminus of the Florida East
Coast Itallroud.
These keys are nil rich, low lying
hummock land. They are black with
richness and fruits anil vegetables
thrive. Coeoanuts, pineapples and all
kinds of tropical fruits grow lustily iu
the soil, and as the laud is absolutely
Bafe from the effects of lmrrlcnnes and
cyclones, they are highly desirable
farm lands. Already extensive farms
and plantations are laid out and being
worked on Jvey Largo, the first key oil
the Florida coast. The key Is forty
miles long and Is separated from the
continent only by a shallow channel of
some miles In width. Then the keys
extend on In a eliuin farther and
farther south and all of the same de
scription. They are rich and fertile.
They are well covered with foliage and
trees, and they form a perfect set of
links for the railroad that Flagler will
build.
Key West Is 104 miles from Miami
and 138 miles from Homcstoad, which
Is the largest town In the southern end
of the peninsula. The road, which has
already been built ns far us Cape
Sable, forms the first of the links of
the chain.
Starting from the mainland the road
will go by trestle to Key Lurgo, where
a solU rock roadbed will be filled In
for nearly forty miles. From Key
Lnrgo-the track will go by trestle from
key to key until It reaches the Bahhi
Honda, which is just north of Key
West. Here a long trestle with draw
bridges will be built and the last link
of the' line will be complete. Alto
gether 100 miles of solid rock roadbed
ou the keys and forty miles of trestle
and bridge work will be needed for the
completion of thp line.
The tremendous advantage that this
remarkable plan has Is that it demands
no special* or laborious engineering
work. Tbtr«
ara
no intricate problems
or feats of great difficulty in the way.
It is merely a question of good roadbed
construction for most of the way and
careful trestling for the rest. The keys
are high enough above the water line
to be amply protected in case of
storms or winds. There Is nil outer
line of coral reefs for the whole ins
tance which acts as a sort of brenk
wuter, so that when the storms heap
tlie Atlantic up against tlie shore the
keys are protected at all times. Trees
along the whole way afford another
protection 011 the keys. .Most of the
channels arc only five or ten feet deep
and the bottoms nrc of good clay or
soft limestone, which make ideal hold
ing ground for the piles where perma
nent trestles are needed.
FATHER HAS AN AWAKENING.
Find, the Ways of To-day Arc Not
Those of Forty Years Ago.
Unlike the nmn who shirks all re
sponsibility In shaping Ills son's career,
there Is occasionally one who causes
just ns much trouble by an overdose of
parental Interest. A case 111 point Is of
a successful business man, who umde a
large fortune In a well-established busi
ness, which he hoped his son would
take up at the proper age.
In the meantime the son was sent to
college, where he becuine much attach
ed to the profession he had elected to
study. Hut after his graduation the
son, much against his inclination, was
persui^led to enter bis lather's husi
ness. The elder man hail worked up
from a poor boy anil believed that
young married people should exercise
something like the rigid economy that
had started Ills fortunes forty years
ago.
The son married a young woman
who knew liotliing of work anil didn't
want to learn and they set up mod
est home with one servant. This was
too much for the father, who remon
strated with them for their extrava
gance, lie said that they were begin
ning wrong and by way of tcnclilng
them to get along on a small amount
of uitmey he reduced Ills son's salary
to a sum that would not allow the
luxury of a sen-ant.
The son said nothing, but not long
after that the father found a note on
Ills desk in which he said that he had
accepted a position In his profession
that would enable lilni to live the way
he wished to anil that he had moved
bag and baggage to city in the East.
The elder man realized that the meth
ods of forty years ago are not those of
to-day.': lJut it was too late.—Detroit
Free Press.
'I'dinus Said So.
A bank president called one day on
Governor John SlcL'ullough, of Ver
mont.
"Governor," ho said, "I want to rec
ommend to your notice Sebastian 8u
tro. This young man would till a place
of trust with discretion and Integrity."
"He is a good man, eh' the Gov
ernor asked.
"lie is one of the best of men," said
the bank president, solemnly. "Moral,
high-inlnded, generous to a 'fault—"
With a laugh the Governor inter
rupted tlie bunk president.
"This fervid praise," he said, "re
minds me of a case wherein I appeared
In San Francisco."
He laughed again. Then he went Mi:
"It was will case. We were trying
to break the will of an elderly gentle
man who, ignoring his relations, had
left the bulk of Ills property to a total
stranger. It was part of our case to
prove that the dead man had been
eccentric. Irregular, cruel, dissipated,
and, after we had proved tills point,
the defense summoned a witness In the
rebuttal.
"The first question put to the de
fense's witness wns: 'What do you
know about the character of the de
ceased?' und tlie man answered, sir,
In words like these:
'"He \ynsji man without blame, be
loved and respected of men, pure In
ull his thoughts, and—'
"But I interrupted tlie witness.
'Where,' I said, 'did you learn all
that?'
'I got it,' the man answered, 'from
the tombstone.' "—Boston Advertiser.
That Wax l)l(Teronl. .(,
Mrs. Tittle—What benutlfiii'world
it must huve been when tliero were
only Adam und Eve in it! There wns
nobody to say nasty tilings about tiiein.
Mrs. Tiittle—But, then, tliey liud no
body to talk about.
Mrs. Tittle—Well, I guess, after all,
the world has Improved since their
time.—Boston Transcript.
Some men die hard and others ara
dead easy.
NOWTHENEWFARMEB
WHAT 8CIENCE 18 DOINQ
AGRICULTURE.
Finding Ont the Secreta of the Soil
ond Adapting Plants Thereto—Intro
ducing New Planta and Improving
Old Ones*
After thousands of years, agriculture
is becomlug in our time a well-organ*
ized nnd scientific Industry requiring
tfot so much physical strength ns It
(loos skill and trained intelligence. It
has acquired dignity and for this the
Department of Agriculture of the Unit*
cd States is principally responsible. In
four ways the department has worked
for the remaking of agriculture: By
finding out th.e secrets of the soil and
adapting crops thereto by seed selec
tion and by the breeding of plants and
animals by Introducing new crops suit
able for particular localities by ester*
mlo'atlng Insect pests. The Improve
ment of faim machinery has also aided
in the change which has been brought
about, but for this the department
claims no credit, though it has helped.
The typical farmer of forty years
ngo, says Clarence H. Toe in the
World's Work, was wasteful of the
soli. Seemingly unlimited areas of vir
gin land lay before him and he rioted
recklessly. If an old field failed him,
he abandoned It and took a new one.
The euterprislng farmer of to-^py
Is careful to preserve his capital un
impaired. He knows how to plow to
as to conserve moisture -and prevent
washing, lie knows what each crop
draws from the soil and how to rotate
crops so as to prevent constant drains
on any one element of fertility. Nitro
gen, the most costly of these element*,
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE WILSON.
he has learned to draw from the air
through leguminous crops and in peas,
clover and alfalfa -he has found the
means., Through feedlug his crops to
stock and through the purchase of
commercial fertilizers he provides, or
makes available, ti.e needed supplies
of potash and phosphoric acid, study
ing carefully the needs of different
soils and crops to avoid waste in the
purchase of unnecessary ingredients.
Getting Soil Secrets.
A few years ago the department sent
out parties of trailed youug men who
took samples of soils in various parts
of the country and examined them, to
ascertain their chemical composition,
their texture aud their water-holding
capacity. Colored maps were made,
showing at a glance the characteristic
types of soil In each vicinity. Knowing
the prevailing types of soil in various
parts of the world and what they pro
duce, the department was enabled to
make experiments. For Instauce, it
was found that Connecticut soil was
like that of Sumatra, where the cele
brated tobacco of which we import au
nually $0,000,000 Is grown. Tobacco
was planted and to overcome climatic
difficulties, the tobacco was grown un
der cheese-cloth. The industry prom
ises to beconio fixed and profitable.
Texas, South Carolina aud Alabama
furulsh similar examples. Witn soil
maps as a basis the department will
also soon undertake a scheme of soil
inoculation.
What can be done by Irrigation
a matter often told of in priut Suf
fice it to say that Just now the govern
ment Is reclaiming 0,000,000 acres of
land in the Southwest, worth $000,000,
000. By the application of nitrogen,
lands which have hitherto been aban
doned are preserved, refertlllzed and
made profitable. By the application of
principles discovered by the govern
ment's agricultural scientists
Plants Are Being Bred
to produce larger varieties and quan
tities. Animal breeding is also giving
us improved live stock. The scientists
uf the department say that by proper
seed selection our corn crop, worth iu
the last census year $828,000,000, our
wheat crop, worth In 1000 over $370.
000,000, and our cotton crop, worth
now one-lujlf billion dollars ca'u be In
creased 50 per cent. Perhaps no branch
of agriculture has within the past few
years shown such marked Improvement
as cotton growing, which has been
made easier and more productive by
new methods. The elimination of the
boll weevil seems about to be accom
plished. This is to be done by mak
ing the cotton weevil-resistant.
The Introduction of new plants Is to
aid the American farmer largely. A
few years ago a man brought'back
from Russia a typo of macaroni wheat
peculiarly adapted to the semi-arid re
gions west of the Dakotas and Texas.
During the past year 15,000,000 bush
els of this wheat were grown on land
which had been considered of little
value.
There stand In the grounds of the
bureau of plant industry the two par
ent trees of the groat navel orange in
dustry of the West. These trees wen
brought from Brazil, nnd It Is slngu-'ai,d
lnr to find thein still standing, with
the fame of California oranges extend
ing around the world, and the number
of trees in thnt State more than double
the total number in all other State?
combined. The Smyrna flg Industry
threatened failure until success came
through the Importation of an Arabian
Insect needed for fertilizing the blos
soms. We have been Importing nearly
a half million dollars' worth of dates
yearly, but promising experiments in
growing the fruit are being made In
southern California and in southeast
ern Arizona.
"The production of several kinds of
tea in the United States is now an as
sured fuct," says Secretary Wilson
"tho profits average from $30 to $40
per acre, nnd experts pronounce our
domestic product equal Jn flavor ami
aroma to the best Imported teas."
Formerly nearly all American rice
was grown in the Carolinas and
Georgia, but now 90 per cent of our
product comes from Louisiana and
Texas. Several years ago the depart
ment brought over from the Orient a
special variety, the Ivlushu, peculiarly
adapted to tills section, and about the,
same ttoue greatly Improved methods
of cultW«tion and harvesting wera
adopted. The result is that the Amer
ican rice production has grown from
115,000,000 pounds In 1808 to 500,000,
0C0 pounds, estimated, for 1004, while
Imports have decline^ from 154,000,000
pounds to tea* tmm tialf this quantity.
"Demonstration farms," operated un
der the direction of the department
and In charge of the most progressive
available farmers of different sections,
are to be established throughout tho
country, these farms to be object les
sons in the most approved methods of
fertilization, tillage, crop rotation, and
general farm management. Here the
teachings of the department will be so
exemplified that he who runs may
read.
FOR
All this means the coming of the
new farmer. Within the lifetime of
many who read this article he may
double or treble the average yield of
an acre of land and quadruple the pro
fits of fanning. It means, too, the
continued commercial supremacy of
America. Nowhere else is land so plen
tiful and fertile and farmers so intelli
gent and enterprising. And the farm
er is still the basis of our prosperity.
Three million more people are engaged
in farming than in manufacturing and
mechanical pursuits, and the fixed cap
ital of American agriculture Is four
times that of American manufactures.
The area of our corn fields in a year
would cover England, Ireland, Scot
land, Wales, Holland, Belgium and
Denmark and leave room for a half
dozen little States on the edges our
1904 wheat fields. If combined Into one
great plot, would bo larger than the
six New England commonwealths and
our cotton patch Is bigger thau seven
of the smaller States.
YOUNQ ITALY'S PHILOSOPHY.
Schoolboy's Explanation of the Real
Cause of the Coal Strike.
The glowing sun was streaming into
my school room one bright November
morning iu the year of grace 100*J. The
golden rays Hooded tlie room, darken
ing tlie fire in the stove, but brighten
ing the old desks and well-worn chairs
and benches, and rested lovingly, ca
ressingly, on the dusky heads of the
dark-eyed sons of young Italy assem
bled In tlie room. Young Italy, truly,
although many of them were New
Yorkers by birth, their birthplaces be
ing In the Immediate neighborhood,
Thompson or Sullivan street In no
class of children does thp foreign par
entage claim Its own so markedly as
In the descendants of Southern Italy.
My class boys (young street arabs,
there Is no disguising that) were hav
ing their morning lesson in spelling.
The word "coal" was given out, and
then followed the usual exercise of
giving seutences using the word just
spfelled. "Telling stories about the
word" the children call this exercise.
During this story-telling process, of
course the subject of tlie coal strike
Inevitably came up for discussion. T&e
boys came out strongly on that theme,
telling me eagerly, in their picturesque
newsboy Jargon, the awful results
which they knew would arise from the
scarcity of coal. Pasquale informed
me in solemn tones that he feared
there would not be a feuce left stand
ing, adding In almost tearful earnest
ness: "Then, Miss Satterie, the theay
ters can't put up their posters."
Exclamations of horror followed this
harrowing statement.
Giovanni added his fears in a ghost
ly whisper: "if the strike keeps up we
won't have any desks and benches left
In the school rooms."
This sad possibility was received
with mitigated grief. Evidently tfce
gamin group considered burning tlie
desks aTid benches not nearly so great
a calamity as destroying the fences,
because there would be no posters
worth speaking of.
Antonio then suggested a probability
that no one could wear shoes this win
ter, as we should be obliged to use all
shoes for fuel.
Lulgi, with a sorrowful shake of
his head, broke the sad news to my
listening ears that a "feller" had told
him all the doors and the window
frames and the entire Inside of houses
would be used In place of the much
wished-for coal. Lulgl then sadly
opined we would ail be obliged to live
In tents.
A calm meditative mood settled upon
the boys for nbout five seconds. Then
Francesco bent forward. His beauti
ful black eyes had lost all their wlclced
mischief, and In Its place was a serious
look that greatly enhanced their beau
ty. He said: "Miss Satterie, I know
just why we had this coal strike."
Thinking I was going to hear the
opinion of an embryo anarchist, I said:
"Well, Francesco, why did we have tlie
strike?"
The boy's voice became almost sepul
chral as he made the following aston
ishing statement: "The whole blame
of the strike Is on Adam and Eve, be
cause, you see, If they'hadn't gone
wrong, everybody would have had ev
erything for nothing. We would have
had cakes and pies aud shoes and
clothes and books and desks aud eveu
coal, and uot pay one cent for any
thing!"
As I was as ignorant as the boys
themselves were of the real reason of
the coal strike. I allowed the blame
to rest upon Adam aud Eve.—St. Nich
olas.
Hoiiae Is Burglar Proof.
From a burglar's point of view, prob
ably the most'remarkable house In
the world Is the Morosiul mansion at
Itiverdale, N. Y„ says the New York
Herald. Many of the handsome places
in that neighborhood have been en
tered successfully by the light-fingered
geutry, Mr. Moroslnl's among the num
ber. Determining to make himself im
mune from such attacks, he called a
well-known electrician Into his service
tlle
rcsl.llt
ls llouse
wl'k'h
RUSSIA'S GREATEST TROUBLE.
ls
Commander Peary has been very
busy supervising the completion of his
vessel In Maine. The vessel was
launched at IJucksport on March 23
aud as she slipped down the ways
Mrs. Peary broke the conventional bot
tle and christened her the Koosevolt.
All that experience and the skill of
the naval architect can suggest are
combined In the new ship. Armored
with strength as was never Arctic
craft before, it Is believed that she
may force her way through the Inter
fering ice to within striking distance
of tlie topmost poiut of the globe.
The intention is to force her along
the frigid zone of Grant Land as far
north as possible, and from this poiut,
this utmost land base, to sledge across
the great polar pack. The power of her
engines and her strength lu all details
of construction are relied upon to en
able her to cleave a way where others
have failed. The new ship is not large,
but she is big enough for the work she
has to do, and everything about her is
handy and serviceable. Iler principal
dimensions are: Length 011 load water
line, 101 feet: length over ail. 185 feet
.beam, maximum at load water line,
34 feet: beam, over all. U" feet 3 Inches
mean draft. Hi feet: full load displace
ment, about l.r.OO tons. To take the
worst of tlie rub of passing ice, the
ub"
Solutely burglar-proof.
The same electric light plant which
heats and lights the house ls used to
operate the electric currents which
guard the house, so the cost, independ
ent of the tirst outlay, is trifling. Elec
tric wires connect every door nml win
dow In the house, nnd when the cur
reut ls turned oil no entrance can be
made without both houses and grounds
becoming Instantly illuminated by 500
electric bulbs.
When these lights blaze out set of
deep-toned *bells 111 the north tower
send out a babel of sounds which can
be heard a distance of several miles.
Gongs also clang In the servants' quar
ters and in Mr. Moroslnl's sleeping
upartment. None of the doors or win
dows is locked. Should a burglar,
knowing these safeguards, try to nvohl
them by cuttting through a pane of
glass, the result would be the same.
The windows nre formed of leaded
panes and In these lends the wires nre
hidden. A test of the system Is made
once week to make sure that it is
lit working order.
About the worst nightmare that
comes to an elderly woman Is to dream
that she has to raise tier family over
again by modern way.
bow, the stern and the waterline have
been heavily armored with steel plates.
The living spaces will be comfortable
but very simply finished, and the ship
will be lighted both by electricity and
oil lamps.
The vessel has all the qualities of
shape which will Insure her lifting un
der heavy ice pressures. She will have
the raking sleatn and ramming quali
ties of the largest .Scotch whalers and
power greater thau the most powerful
ocean-going lug in New York harbor.
Peary believes he lias the ablest ship
ever built for polar work.
ltidiciilnu* Man.
"If your Dorcas society really wants
to accomplish a good deal of work,
why don't you buy a sewing machine?"
he asked.
"Why?" she asked, in surprise.
"Because one machine could do as
much as half a dozeu women, at
least."
"Nonsense^ A sowing machine can't
gossip."—Philadelphia Press.
Look llofore You Shoot.
The true sportsman may be defined
as oue who looks before he shoots.
Amateur Sportsman.
A polished gentleman Isn't neces
sarily a smooth article.
By Rmbbl Emit 6. Hlrsch.
In the word "graft" ls contained a
large measure of the explanation of
the present situation in Russia. That
little, weak, pitiable figure on the Rus
sian throne, tlie Czar, in a puppet In tlie
handa of the grand ducal clique. That
clique, which lives off graft, with a
nation at Its mercy and as Its prey, will
light to the last ditch to remain 111 com
plete power, and it will stay in |unvei
ls long as the army remains loyal.
While the Cossacks are blindly devoted
to the Imperial family and probably
wl"
do ns commmnnded by their supe
rlor officers, the hope of the friends of
freedom lies In refusal oil tlie part of the army at large to
continue obedient.
Discontent has been spreading In Russia for a long time
ind has resulted naturally. Russia is an anachronism. It
is a country founded originally on an agricultural basis,
with the people as a whole settled in tdie country nt large.
Then came the attempt of Russia to fit modern Inventions
to tlie old system. On the agricultural bnsis came rail
roads, factories nnd the other agents of machinery. Under
Financial Minister De Witte Russia has tried to become
ail Industrial state, and, while something has been accom
plished, yet to make Russia produce benefits to the whole
country under a factory system the nation should liavo
a flexible constitution. The constitution of Russia Is not
flexible, and even the right to move about freely, is denied
Its people. Unrest has followed.
Again, there is a reason for the unrest of Russia In the
fact that there is no system of education, and tlie head of
tho department of enlightenment has the real duty of see
ing that the people are not enlightened. While there nre
some excellent unlvers!ties, the real spirit of university life
Is lacking, for the students nre denied the right of free
thought and free speech. Only a small fragment of tlie
trained Intellect of the country has been able to fliul a field
for itself. The clergy are the most Ignorant and, It has
been said, the most immoral of all clergy, and the church
has not proved attractive for men of keen ami trained
intellects. Tlie press offers no outlet, for it is muzzled,
although a few of the trained minds hnve been absorbed
by the government. Here they merely have become a part
of the governmental machine.
Thus the intellectual classes find there is no place In
Russia for them, and they accordingly want an eruption
and a rebuilding of the structure. Russia has been detined
as an autocracy modified by assassination. It ls the
b-ireancracy which has prevented all attempts at granting
reforms.
A WOMAN IIAS A RIGHT TO BE AN OLD MAID.
Br
Ellen Thorncycroft Fowler.
There is a growing tendency nmong the girls
of the present day not to marry. In our grand
mothers* time every woman considered spinster
hood as au unmitigated calamity but nowadays
many women deliberately prefer to renin in single.
Aud there Is much to be said In favor of the single
life, with its Independence and its freedom from
anxiety and responsibility. It has fewer joys than
the married state, but also fewer cares. And a
single woman has a far better time now than she ever had
before, owing to her Increased liberty and freedom. Never
theless, this present reaction against marriage is not al
together a good thing.
It Is all right for a woman with menus and position of
her own she can afford to please herself but there are
numberless daughters of middle class men who have com­
PEARY'S NEW SHIP.
By Which He ICxpccta to ficnbli tlie
North Pole.
Early iu .July Commander Peary will
sail from New York and make the at
tempt to cross the vast waste of sea
Ice necessary to reach the North Pole.
It covers an area as large as the Unit
ed States. 11c expects to succeed, for
no Arctic explorer ever started out so
well equipped.
jTOfrim.S
•r-1•-w.
"4t,
fortable homes and a good time during their father's life
and refuse suitable offers In their teens and then—when
the old home 1s broken up—they And themselves left in
their thirties or forties alone nnd unprovided for, and with
no further chance of changing their state.
Sometimes they make this mistake because they prefer
the pleasure and Independence of a single life and some
times they do it In the hope that if they wait a little some
thing better will turn up—something, in short, which they
consider more worthy of their choice. Hundreds of girls
spoil their lives by expecting too much. And the absurd
tiling is that while they demand so much, they offer so
little What nre they, forsooth, that they should expect
ideal perfection of mind, body and estate In a husband?
I would advise those fastidious youug ladles to remember
the story of the Scotch beauty who, on being asked why
she had never married, replied: "I wadnn look at the
walkers, and the riders a* gaed by."
THE SCANDAL OF CHARITY. "-w
A magniticent memorial and a gem of architectural beauty is to bo
erected In Caleutto, India, lu honor of the late Queen Victoria. The build
ing is to be of white marble and the height from the pavement to the top
of the great central dome will be 220 feet. The plans for the magniiUcent
monument to tlie llrst English empress of the great Oriental land were drawn
by a London architect and have the approval of King Edward
OTHER NOTIONS OF DR. OSLER'S
Tnx on liuchclora Kecotmticiidcd and un
Kxpnrt Duty oti Catuidtuii Girls.
Dr. William Osier, according to the
Canadian Practitioner, addressed the
Canadian Club of 'Toronto 011 Dec. 21),
says the New York Medical Journal.
The reception to Dr. Osier by the -100
members who were present was most
cuthusiastic.
Prof. Osier, who was Introduced as
one who had become the first physl-
T11E GOOD S1I1P ltOOSEVELT.
chin within the Urltish empire, was
received with loud dice.He ad
dressed Ills hearers as tellow country
men, and said It always gave liini great
sntlsfactlou to return to his old town,
where he had received his early educa
tion and where he had so many friends.
Taking up the serious part of his sub
ject, lr. Osier said as Canadians they
had three relations to consider—the
country to the south, the motherland
nnd their own Canada. Fortunately or
unfortunately, the nation to the south
wns one of the most powerful on earth.
A Briton should be proud of it. for no
other nation, ancient or modern, ever
had such a child.
A very serious and important Intlu
ence" was that of gravitation, the at
traction of the larger body upon the
smaller, which cnused an Incessant
dribbling over the border of their
young men. A million Canadians were
111 the States, many in prominent posi
tions iu finance and in the professions,
particularly In medicine and theology.
There they had been successful by rea
son of two special qualities, Industry
and thoroughness, the only qualities
worth anything In the uinke-up of
young man. If it were only in the
matter of draining away tho young
men, it would make no difference, as
Mm
ft
By Sir William Trelror.
How Is It, I was asked the other day,' that In
a country where charity occupies a quarter of
our news columns, nnd Is beliig constantly prac
ticed, thousands are on the verge of starvation?
Men give to-day as they never-gave before. but
the beneficence Is lost. The Intention ls laudable
the act, alas, Is suicidal. The ranks of the de
serving poor nre being swelled nowadays by rank
Impostors, and tliey succeed where others fail.
We want hospitals, convalescent hollies, Institutions for
the blind nnd crippled. Our mniined nre on the Increase,
but rich men persist In making provision only for the strong
and most Intelligent, if half the money sunk In libraries
in recent yenrs was devoted to the proper housing and edu
rntlon of fortune's footballs, we should probably see how
nature compensates the seemingly unfortunate.
Learning ..Is the brightest jewel In the casket of man
kind, but it Is not all.* Tnles of diseased bodies and bril
liant minds stud the pages of history, yet wo refuse to be
lieve thnt they go together. We negleet the body and de
stroy the brain by commencing operations on the mental
instead of the physical faculties.
1 know a way to revive dying Interest nmong tlie chnr
Itable. It ls to wander on foot through the slums, fast.
Ing, nnd be given a library seat Instead of dinner
HUMOR AS A HELP TO LIVING
r:
S
By
Wallace Rice,
Life, It lins been observed occasionally, Is a
pretty serious matter, ft mankind were com
pelled to go OI1 living and do nothing else. If there
were nothing in the world but earning tin- money
needful for necessaries, it would be more serious
than It is. If there were not a smile or a laugh
behind most things that men and women do, If
childhood had not the laughing habit formed be
fore life becomes so deadly serious, the world
would be a mere adjunct to the infernal regions, with the
choice for happiness oil the side of hades. A jest In sea
son, a smile when tears might be encouraged to come, a
laugh for the really funny things thnt are continually hap
pening. all these make life better worth living—for your
self nnd for all about you.
It has been observed that, while an occasional jester
has been known to regret Ills habit of fun-making, no
serious person lias ever been known to regret his serious
ness. But this is for tlie same reason that no idiot was
ever known to regret his idjocy—von ean't miss what you
hnve never had. The really significant fact Is, since \ve
do uot live for ourselves alone, that others regret the se
rious man's seriousness, while everybody welcomes the
humorous man's humor.
MEMORIAL TO QUEEN VICTORIA.
plenty were left to run the country.
Ilut more serious loss was that of
the young women, lie had a patient
once, a neunisthcnlc young man or "0
or so, whose heart was not settled
l)r. Osier asked liini whv he did not
get married. "ISecause all the girls
wanted have gone to the States," win
the reply. Of tijl women engaged In
nursing in six of the greater Hastern
hospitnls, P.ti were Canadians an enor
mous proportion, almost one-third
'^Something should be done," said
Dr. Osier, "to stop the loss of tho
mothers of the conntrv." lie suggest
ed two ways. Introduce ta\ on
bachelors. At or liii tho man who
had not a family to support ought to
be helping the other fellow, and such
a tax would be a reasonable and ra
tional political measure. The other
way was an export tax of $100 ou
every girl who left Canada.
"She's worth more,'* Die doctor re
marked, while the club hilariously as
sented. She was worth $1,(100 to the
country, and it would pay to give her'
family that to keep her at home.
Better Klood.
Ix: the home of a New England farm
er there are two small heirs, bright
little fellows, six and seven years old,
named Will and Eugene. Like most
other lads, both of them dislike work,
especially "chores," and when these
small services are required, each fre
quently evinces a desire to have the
other take the laboring oar.
A short time ngo it chanced that the
family physician was calling at the
house. III attendance on the mother,
whose health was not good. As ho
was putting 011 his gloves to go uway,
he ran a professional glance over tlie
two youngsters.
"Mrs. Fuller," he remarked, "tho
younger of your two boys, Eugene, ls
more robust than Will. He has greater
vitality. Ills lilood is better."
This remark was uot lost ou tho
lads.
About an hour later, as the dusk was
falling, the mother said, "Will, y0„
must llll the wood-box for morning
Ketch In four armfnls."
"I don't want to!" whined will
"Make Gene go. Ills blood's better'n
mine."
Stringer—There was a time when I
lived at the rate of $30,000 year
Swallows—Indeed! And now long did
you keep It up? Stringer—Oh, nbout
U0 seconds.—Chicago News.
If you want to see your absurdities
illustrated, have a 3-year-old child in
the bouse a few days.
Mr, -r
"V. A