River Falls journal. [volume], April 17, 1902, Image 6

About River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019

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A FARMER FATHER’S ADVICE.
Dear Son: Your letter of the 10th came In
the mail to-day.
.And ho you want to manj ncd jouv»Gxmer
what we’ll say!
Well, Joe, your mother here and I have
read your letter through,
And .she seems to think that I’m the one
who’d better lecture you!
For,' though !n most affairs, of course,
’ there’s nothing quite so nice
As a mother’s letter, still it takes a man «.o
give advice.
Your letter says: "She s, beautiful and
handsome as a queen.”
1 hope so, Joe, and hope you know just
what those two words mean.
A beautiful form is one which tells of a
beautiful soul within;
A handsome face is one which wears no
damning brand of sin;
Beautiful eyes are those that with the fire
of pure thought glow;
Beautiful lips are those which speak for a
trutiiful heart below;
The handsomest hands are those not
ashamed the Master’s work to do—
Hands that arc patient and brave and kind,
gentle and strong and true;
Beautiful feet are those which go in an
swer to duty’s call;
And beautiful shoulders are those which
bear their daily burdens all.
lb me mber this maxim true, my boy, wher
ever you choose a wife;
"The handsomest woman of earth is she
who leads the handsomest life.”
I. therefore, trust that the woman you wed
(if you really love each other)
May be the handsomest one in the world—
excepting one —your mother.
—Frank 8. Pixley, in Christian Advocate.
| ACCORDING TO *
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SAND.
Everywhere dazzling’, white and
glaring hot sand, smoothly level for
little distances, then billowing softly
in breast-like mounds. But always
the same blinding white stretch; no
cactus, no bunch-grass—just sand.
And a brassy-blue sky-ring with a
retting of copper sun, blazing infer
nally.
The American spoke first.
“Well, you’ve got me dead to rights
out here. What are you going to do
about it?”
The Mexican’s only reply was to
point silently ahead. His big jaw
was set immovably and his heavy
eyelids dropped over a gaze colder
than ice. His companion watched
him furtively in growing apprehen
sion.
Since dawn they had ridden over
maddening miles of this interminable
desert, without the exchange of a
single word. The American’s pride
of race in not “knuckling” to a dirty
“Greaser” by speaking first had been
gradually but, inexorably borne down
in part by the terrifying stillness
sind monotony of this blistered
waste, but much more by the un
natural silence and immobility main
tained by the other. He had always
reckoned himself a fairly brave man,
but the uncanniness of the whole
situation was getting upon his
nerves.
What a fool he had been to ride
out, absolutely unarmed, into this
pale sea with this granite-faced devil.
He felt, savagely, that he would give
all he possessed to mash that grim
mouth, to crush the light from those
narrow, steely eyes. Presently he be
gan to speak rapidly, thickly, as one
hurried on by an uncontrollable
something apart from himself.
“Look here, now, 1 blame you.
T know that I kept after the girl un
til she gave in to me. But how was
I going to know that she would kill
herself because 1 had to go away?
Of course, I knew you loved her, but
I didn’t see any reason for that
stopping me. Oh, I know you’d have
married her where I couldn’t; but
that’s just the point, I couldn’t. I'm
engaged lo a girl up in Nevada, and
all my prospects depend upon my
marrying her; so you see how I was
placed, don’t you?”
The Mexican gave no sign that he
had heard. His left hand, holding the
thin reins that ran to the dejected
mouth of the weary mustang, rested
on the high pommel of the “buck”
eaddle; and his right hand clasped,
‘■s Irf :
~~ ------
/ ~~~~
_
IMMEDIATELY BENEATH THE AMER
ICAN'S EYES.
with quiet significance, the butt of
the heavy revolver in its stamped
leather holster. Not a muscle of his
face relaxed its fixed strain. It made
the American's jaws ache to look at
him.
He waited mechanically for the
answer he knew would not come;
then burst out again in a frenzied ef
fort to batter down the stony ram
parts of the other’s deadly silence.
“You hound you! You’d have done
the same thing in my place. You’d
have done worse if you could. Why
don’t you say something, you dirty
Greaser dog? You’re a filthy cow
ard! Get down oft’ that horse and
fight me like a man. No, of course
you won’t. Ugh. What a beautiful
fool I was to think that you would
help me to get away from her rela
tives. You would show me a safe
way across the desert and over the
frontier would you? Yes, you would.
Yah! You dog, you! What 1 want to
know, is what are you going to do
with me? Answer me that. Answer
me. What are you going to do with
me? Hey? Say something, can’t
vou! Say something.”
His voice had climaxed to a furi
ous yell; but now he fell quiet aud-
denly, watching with fascinated eyes
the phlegmatic mask of the utterly
unmoved Mexican. His burst of rage
had been but a sorry cloak for the
cold terror that was clutching at his
heart. He realized this with increas
ing alarm; and worse —he knew that
the Mexican knew it. In spite of the
terrific heat his face and hands were
clammy cold, and he shivered fitfully.
They rode on through the long
afternoAn in clammy silence that
was unbroken save for the muf
fled shuffling of the mustangs’
feet on the pillowy sand. The
American had fallen into a dull ap«
at by, and rode like a sick man, his
head drooping lollingly upon his
breast. The Mexican did not change
his attitude by so much as a hair:
riding erect and elastic, his sac
stone, and his eyes—ice.
Presently the sun dropped abrupt
ly over the far edge of the sand
bank", and there succeeded a brief
twilight of the blanched grayness of
death. The Mexican swung himself
lightly from the saddle and with a
gesture to his companion to do like
wise began to loosen the “bellyband”
from his sweating mustang. This
new move was viewed by the Ameri
can with suspicion and alarm; but,
seeing that no immediate danger was
imminent he alighted slowly on the
further side of his fellow traveler,
and cautiously unsaddled the animal.
The Mexican, in the meantime had
staked out his horse with his riata.
and was now busying himself with
the preparation of some coffee over
a small spirit-lamp. When this was
done he spread a blanket upon the
sand, and, motioning the other to be
seated opposite, they ate a slender
meal of crackers and canned corned
beef, washed down with the steam
ing coffee, and topped off with a spar
ing drink from the water-bottles.
Dinner over, the Mexican stretched
himself at ease upon the blanket, with
a brown paper cigarette between his
slender fingers; fixing the American,
between the smoke wreaths, with a
sustained, impersonal regard under
which the latter soon found his eyelids
drooping with irritating persistency.
The significance of this over-mastering
drowsiness did not dawn upon him un
til, in a moment when he had wrenched
his gaze from that impenetrable, idol
mask of a face opposite, with the cig
arette smoke curling above it like
streamers of incense, his eyes fell upon
the other's tin coffee cup. It was full.
In the act of rising to shake off the
deadly lethargy which was overcoming
him, he swayed unsteadily for a mo
ment, and then fell heavily back upon
the blanket.
When the American next opened Lis
eyes, his gaze rested on a strange
sight. Far down near the horizon’s
rim, a cold, glittering moon was flash
ing a pale radiance over a frozen white
sea, At least this was the first im
pression on his confused senses, from
which the numbing effects of the drug
he had swallowed had not yet disap
peared. The weird appearance of the
desert was further heightened to him
by the fact that his eyes were nearly
on a level witii the sandy surface; and
he had much the feeling that a swim
mer in a heavy sea, and out of sight
of land, might experience.
His gaze roamed dully over the
bleak expanse, and finally rested on a
dark blotch a few yards in front of
him.
He watched it in a puzzled way, his
fogged mind struggling vaguely tc
shake itself clear of the mist-weight
that lay upon it. Suddenly the blotch
stirred, and the marble face of the
Mexican gleamed like a white cameo
in the moonlight. Recollection and
physical sensation returned to the
American in a bound. His muscles
tautened in their preliminary to at
tempt movement, but his frame re
fused to respond. His glance dart
ed downward and encountered —sand.
He. was buried to his neck.
In an ecstacy of madness and fren
zied terror he strained every muscle,
nerve and fiber of his imprisoned body
until the blood literally burst from
his nose and mouth. It was useless.
He was as immovably fixed as if he had
been in a bed of cement, Then he
raised his bloodshot eyes in mute ques
tioning to the silent figure seated in
the moonlight. The response came
quickly.
The Mexican rose deliberately, and
releasing the re-saddled horses from
their tether, he led them in front of
the helpless captive and stood for a
moment looking coldly and specula
tively down upon him. Then his face
seemed to break up as a mirror is
starred in breaking, and he smiled a
frosty, devilishly malignant smile.
Still smiling, he drew from his saddle
bag a paper-wrapped parcel. Care
fully unrolling this,he disclosed an open
book which he deposited face down
ward upon the sand immediately be
neath the American’s eyes. The print
ed space was heavily blackened over
with ink. all but one line, and this
stood out, easily readable in the daz
zling light from the desert moon.
The line’ran: “Ocho por ocho, O'Dente
por dente.’” (An eye for an eye, and a
tooth for a tooth.)
The unhappy American was quick to
grasp it all.
He ran his glance to the top of the
page: “Del Neuva Testament©.”
The Mexican mounted his horse and
grasped the reins of the companion
animal. His smile had broadened and
there was cool amusement in his eye.
“What you call —ah—some Screep
ture —No?” he said gayly. Then, lead
ing the American's mustang, and with
out one backward glance.he rode placid
ly back in the direction from which
they had come. —Overland Monthly.
Mixed on His Vowels.
He was a short, corpulent, impor
tant-looking man, and as he walked
down the aisle in the church in which
he was a much-respected and honored
member he seemed fairly to radiate
self-love and self-approval. He
stopped a few paces from pew No. 5
to allow his matronly-looking wife and
three stunning-looking and blooming
daughters to precede him. when, to his
disgust and amazement, he discovered
that it was already filled to overflow
ing with some strangers. Hastening
to the back of the church, where the
negligent ushers were engaged in an
animated conversation concerning the
spring styles, he demanded in a voice
filled with indignation and ire: “Who's
occupewing my pie?”—N. Y. Commer
j cial.
Society’s* Cure for imo.nnia.
Drug-taking for insomnia has be
come a craze among certain sections of
‘ London society.
Dalny, the Russian Commer
cial Seaport in North China
QESQaawHEKSEsmEEa&aasflnßaEaimau
A Description of Conditions in the Coming
Commercial Metropolis of Manchuria
®N JULY 30, 1899, the czar of
Russia, in rn imperial edict,
authorized and directed the
building of the city of
Dalny, as the terminus of
the Chinese Eastern rail
way, and its connections, the Central
Manchurian and the Great Siberian
railways. To-day the city is a reality,
and offers a free port of entry for the
commerce of all nations into Manchu
ria and northern China. Dalny is to
Russia’s commercial interests in the
far east what Port Arthur is to her
military and naval interests —a head
quarters.
With the present interest in the far
eastern question, and the coming of a
possible conflict between the nations
interested there, the wording of. this
imperial edict that authorized the
building of a free commercial port is
of timely interest. It is addressed to
the minister of finance of Russia, and
says:
Our empire, which comprises immense
territories in Europe and in Asia, has been
summoned by Divine Providence to con
tribute toward the friendly intercourse of
the people of the Occident with those of the
orient. In attaining this historical object,
we have had the friendly cooperation of
' *• 4 * v ’ v <
jgaji*
the emporer of China, who has ceded to us
the use of the port Talienwan and of Port
Arthur, and has opened to us through his
possessions an outlet for the great line of
railway from Siberia to the Yellow sea.
Thanks to this wise decision of the govern
ment of his majesty the bogdokhan, the
extreme limits of the two continents of the
old world will soon be united by a continu
ous line of rails, which will secure to all
nations the incalculable advantages of
easy communication, and will bring new
regions into the general development of
trade.
In our constant solicitude for this under
taking of such general usefulness, we have
carefully considered what a position of im
portance the starting point of this line,
Talienwan, will occupy when the road has
been constructed. As we declared at the
time of its occupation, that this port should
be open to the commercial fleets of all ra
tions, we have now decided to begin the
erection near to it of a city, which we shall
call “Dalny.”
At the same time, in view of the com
mercial development of the future city, we
confer upon it for the whole term during
which that’ territory has been leased to
Russia by China, under the agreement
dated the 15th-27th of March, 1898, the rights
of free trade which belong to free ports,
upon the following conditions:
1. The right to import and export mer
chandise of every description free of cus
toms duties is established in the city, in
the por x t, and in the adjacent territory up
to a fixed boundary line, which may be
changed by the minister of finance.
2. The right of free trade thus established
Shall not affect the tolls for carriage or for
anchorage or such other taxes of various
kinds which usually obtain in seaports.
3. Quarantine regulations for the exclu
sion of contagious diseases shall be applied
in full force to ships entering the port.
4. Merchandise imported into Russia and
coming from the territory to which the
right of free trade is thus extended shall
be examined and shall pay such duties upon
entering the limits of the empire as are
provided for by the general laws which gov
ern the importation of foreign goods.
Invoking the blessing of God upon this
future undertaking, so truly peaceful, I
take upon myself the care of building the
new city and its port.
This is the second city Russia has
builded by royal decree, and, like the
IN THE ADMINISTRATION PORTION OF
DALNY.
■first, St. Petersburg, Dalny is builded
to stay. It is all there on the shores
of one of the best harbors in China,
Talienwan bay, in substantial brick,
stone, iron and mortar, and there Rus
sia proposes it shall remain, a monu
ment to her progress, a headquarters
for her far eastern commerce, and a
terminus for her vast railroad sys
tems. despite the protests of any and
all powers. Nor does she foresee any
difficulty in keeping the city. True,
she has not protected it with for
tresses and great batteries, but. in the
simple regulation in which she an
nounces to the world that it shall for
all time remain a free port, open to
the ships and commerce of all the
world, she believes she has builded a
better protection against the guns of
an enemy’s warships than the largest
and strongest of fortifications could
afford.
The city consists first of the admin
istration portion, in which are located
railroad shops for making cars, etc.,
repair shops, steamship construction
and repair shops, port, steamship and
railway headquarters and offices, resi
dences of mechanics and general em
ployes, together with parks, hotels,
churches, schools, clubs and places for
amusements. This contains a great
area of well-constructed streets and
substantial brick buildings.
Immediately back of this adminis-
tration city, which is built on a small
peninsula is located the godown, ware
house, large hone, and general whole
sale section. This portion extends to
the docks and piers, and, together
with the administration and Chinese
section, covers the entire water front.
Joining this is the retail and general
mercantile section, and farther off
toward the hills and on gradually
sloping higher ground that commands
a beautiful view of the bay lies the
foreign residence section, where
ground is now leveled and streets
graded and paved.
Back of this lie the nursery green
houses and gardens for propagating
flowers, shrubs and trees for parks,
lawns and streets. A competent horti
culturist is in charge, and he has many
acres under cultivation with flowers,
shrubs, fruits and ornamental trees.
The Chinese section faces on the bay,
and is distinctly separate, with docks
and junk shipping adjoining. Electric
lights are already in operation, and a
complete system of electric tramways
is in course of construction.
About three miles from the foreign
settlement, to the southeast, is an ex
cellent sea beach that is to be arranged
>A VIEW OF A PORTION OF DALNY.
for a summer resort. Already an ex
cellent highway is nearing - completion
that will connect it with the town.
Dalny has one of the finest deep
water harbors of the Pacific, as it is
free from ice and ships drawing 30
feet can enter at low tide without any
difficulty and, even without the aid of
a pilot, sail or steam up alongside of
immense docks and piers, well pro
tected by breakwaters, where their
cargoes cap be loaded directly into
cars that run direct for 6,G00 miles or
more into the great city of St. Peters
burg. The surface of the bay com
prises many miles, and the deep-water
area is sufficient to handle the ship
ping of all China. The rise and fall
of tide does not exceed 12 feet.
The port is to be absolutely free, as
no custom house is to be established.
Even the moderate rates of Chinese
customs will not be charged on goods
landing or to be exported from here.
Tonnage dues, dock charges and
wharfage and warehouse charges will
all be maintained at the lowest point,
with the view to encourage and de
velop commerce: all of these features
will be modeled on the methods of
Japan.
The low-priced coolie service, the
small labor required to move goods
from the great ocean vessels to the
cars, the ease of entrance into the har
bor at all seasons of the year, and the
announced policy of low charges will
combine to make this the most eco
nomical shipping port of the orient;
and the enormous trade which a wise
and honest policy of railroad adminis
tration is sure to develop will create
here one of the greatest commercial
points on the Pacific.
There are 23,000 men daily at work
in the construction of the port and
town, and the total population is about
50.000, mostly Chinese, many Japan
ese, Coreans and Russians, and a few
of other nationalities.
Already something over $6,000,000
are said to have been expended in pur
chasing the plant and constructing
harbor and city, and it is stated that
it is the intention to expend $12,000,000
more in completing it, or a total cost
of $18,000,000.
it is intended that the city should be
free to people of all nations. Land is
being sold at auction to the highest
bidders as fast as lots are graded and
streets, etc., completed. Many people
have already erected buildings on
land, under an arrangement to have
the first right to purchase or to have
all their improvements paid for by
other purchases.
The city is to be managed by a coun
cil to be elected by the ratepayers.
Two of the council must be Russian
subjects, and not more than two Chi
nese or two Japanese can be elected
so as to sit in the council at the same
time. The water, light and street-car
service is to be apart from the control
of the town council.
No matter what the fut ure may have
in store for Russia in China it is fairly
safe to say that Dalny will remain to
perform that purpose for which it has
been builded—a free commercial port
for all nations. DANIEL CLEVERTON.
Not So Bad an It Misht Be.
“For a defeated man you seem to
be rather happy.”
“Yes,” replied the politician, “we
went down to defeat, of course, but
when I see the other fellows trying
to make the 14 offices that are out
side of civil service do for 840 clam
orous men somehow I can’t feel so
awfully unhappy about it.”—Chicago
Post.
Serene Superiority.
“Mr. Loftibrow takes himself very
seriously,” remarked Miss Cayenne.
“In what way?”
“He asked me if I thought I could
be happy with him. As if his pres
ence could make the slightest differ
ence one way or another! —Wash
ington Star.
ItS
Advantages
Open io
the Trade
of the
World.
UNKNOWN ARCHIBALD CARY.
Revolutionary Hero Who Was Con
■picnous as a Member of the
Virginia Legislature.
Few readers of history remember,
and many have never known, how
near the revolutionists may have been
at one time to a dictatorship, a cen
tralized and arbitrary form of power
diametrically opposed to the declara
tion of independence, under which the
patriots were at war with Great Brit
ain. The history of a man and a vital
episode that may have stood between
the revolutionists and a desperate re
sort to this form of government, is
set forth in the Philadelphia Record,
primarily to do credit to a historical
personage whom the encyclopedias of
latest publication are giving but mere
mention or omitting altogether.
Archibald Cary, revolutionary sol
dier, advanced to the rank of colonel,
was a conspicuous member of the Vir
ginia legislature. lie was the first
president of the senate of that state.
At that period when the American
patriots were most depressed, when
New York and Fort Washington were
in the hands of the British, when the
commander in chief was sorely pressed
in New Jersey, there was a temporary
lack of adhesion and unity in the ranks.
It was at this time that there was news
of a proposed dictatorship, eminating
from Virginia. There is little of his
torical record to support the tradition,
but there is enough to show that such
an extreme expedient was under con
sideration at that time, and that it was
even revived two years later. Jeffer
son’s “Notes on Virginia’’ mention the
movement, but no names are given,
doubtless because, as Jefferson says,
all of them meant well.
The importance of the proposa l can
scarcely be realized at this late day
when the originally designed republic
has advanced in scope, in riches, in
power and in security far beyond the
dreams of its founders. Bujt it was
vitally significant at that time. Vir
ginia was the foremost common
wealth, in both men and measures, and
actually directed many of the affairs
of state. The plan of a dictatorship
was advanced in the Virginia house
of delegates. That body was di
vided on the subject, and feeling ran
high. The proposed dictator was nc
other than the great patriot, Patrick
Henry, who, although he is not said
actually to have sanctioned the
scheme, is not on record as having
opposed it until after its enormity
was brought before him with start
ling emphasis.
One day Archibald Cary, at that
time president of the senate, and
one of the most potential figures
of Virginia, met Col. Syme, a step
brother of Patrick Henry, and gave
him this message:
“Sir —I am told your brothei
wishes to be dictator. Tell him from
me that the day of his appointmen
shall be the day of his death, for
he shall find my dagger in his heart
before sunset of that day.”
The incident caused a great sen
sation. The news reached Patrick
Henry, and he hastened to deny the
ambitions attributed to him, and in
his denial had the support of all his
friends. But the supposition of his
acquiescence had fired Cary of Ampt
hill, also called “Old Iron,” and the
latter, with his tragic emphasis, had
awakened the house of delegates to
the gravity of the danger to which
they had exposed the cause of liber
ty. The scheme of establishing a
dictatorship was denied on every
hand, and even those who had open
ly advocated it hastened to make
amends. Public temper, which had
been in a fair condition to be recep
tive to delusion; but whatever the
danger, it was averted by Archibald
Cary, whose services, even if only
presumptively of a life-saving char
acter, make him worthy to be ranked
among the great revolutionary he
roes.
HOW GAMBETTA DIED.
Stranße Persistence of tlie Legend
of Violence and How It Was
Started.
Once more the recurrence of Gam
betta’s anniversary, has revived the old
question. Did he die of the effects of a
bullet wound inflicted by another per
son? The legend, it may be stated at
once, has no foundation in fact, but it
has survived in spite of denials and is
probably the most notable illustration
on record of the confusion which may
be produced by ingenious inference on
one side and mystifying reticence on
the other. The completeness, however,
with which the baselessness of the
story has this year been demonstrated
should prove final.
It appears that Gambetta, while
handling a revolver, wounded himself
slightly in the hand. Almost simul
taneously he became confined to his
room by intestinal inflammation and
among the servants of the housethcre
arose strange rumors of a bullet
wound in the abdomen. These rumors
got among the townsfolk of Ville
d’Avay and came to the ears of a jour
nalist, who lost no time in subjecting
everybody connectedi with M. Gam
betta to a close cross-examination.
The net result was that while nobody
would admit the fact, nobody would
point blank contradict it and all main
tained such an air of reticence, sug
gestive of a “soinething behind,” that
the journalist, sure of his ground,
launched his article.
From that moment a legend was cre
ated which has defied both time and
authority. And yet there has existed
all this while, says the London Pall Mall
Gazette Paris correspondent, not only
the official report of the autopsy,
signed by the most eminent surgeons
and physicians, testifying that death
resulted from inflammation set up by
appedicitis, but there is also preserved
the “appendix” itself, which is in an
ulcerated and perforated condition.
These facts are made abundantly clear
by M. Guinard, a sugeon of the Paris
hospital.
Sever Came Back.
Cawkins (to man he’s just met) —
My clients always return to me
again after Ere served them once.
Danks—You’re lucky! Mine never
do.
Cawkins —Too bad! Er —are you a
la wyer?
Danks—No, sir; I’m an undertaker.
- Judge.
FENCES IN SPRING.
How to Care for Them in Ca»e They
Have Been Overthrown by-
Winter Frost*.
There are rods of fence on almost
every farm that are thrown down
every spring when the frost conies out
of theground. Stakes cannot be driven
into such soil with any assurance of
permanency and a fence once thrown
out of the ground is very hard to get
back into place. The cut shows a way
——
HOLDING FENCE IN PLACE.
to build a fence upon the surface of
such ground. Enough stones can be
put in to anchor the fence very solidly.
If the ground heaves and inclines the
fence somewhat, it will come back into
place when the ground settles.- —Or-
ange Judd Farmer.
FERTILITY OF SOIL.
Some Authorities Believe That Green
Manuring la the Beat Way to
Maintain It.
The good business man does not per
mit his stock in trade to depreciate by
neglect or careless handling; neither
will a thrifty farmer let his land run
down. If the farm is to be a paying
one, the fertility of the soil must never
be lost sight of. Our grandfathers
and fathers practiced enriching their
farms by scattering the manure from
the barn and barnyard. From actual
experience, without know ing the cause,
they knew that profitable crops of
grain followed where clover sod had
been plowed under.
Commercial fertilizers were used to
some extent, but they were expen
sive and little was known regarding
the varying needs of different soils
and crops.
The farmer of to-day has the bene
fit of all the fertilizer investigations
made by the various state experiment
stations. The experts of these sta
tions. realizing the great need there
is for knowledge of soil fertility; have
given this subject exhaustive study.
The subject of green manuring
should be most carefully studied by
farmers.
T. B. Terry attributes to plowing
unde; heavy coats of green clover the
high degrees of fertility of his farm.
This method enables the farmer to
speedily add humus to the land. A
crop of cow peas will in a few months
be ready to plow under for a grain
crop to follow.
If your land is not yielding the re
turn it should try green manuring as
a fertilizer. Sow cow peas. If sown
early a first crop may be harvested
and a second one sown to plow under.
A rye crop may be sown in the late
fall which will furnish some late fall
and winter pasture. The rye will net
as a winter cover and will prevent the
leaching of the land. The advantage
of rye covering is in its saving of fer
tility. The thrifty farmer will study
every phase of this problem. There
are times when commercial fertilizers
are profitable, but above all will the
farmer study how to make the farm
produce its own plant food. Rural
world.
LITTLE ODDS AND ENDS.
Instead of staking tomatoes put
straw around them. This will keep
them moist and clean.
Elder bark scraped off and fried
in fresh lard or mutton tallow makes
a salve that will cure burns and
sores.
For earache dissolve asafetida in
water. Warm a few drops and drop
into the ear, then cork the ear with
wool.
For catarrh take one-half ounce
of borax, and one ounce of loaf sugar
pulverized. Mix and snuff five or six
times a day.
For cabbage worms dissolve one
half teaspoonful of saltpeter in one
quart water. Sprinkle on the cab
bage in the cool of the day.
For roup in chickens mix together
a half ounce of carbolic acid, one
ounce of sweet oil, and one ounce of
Jamaica ginger. Swab out the throat
two or three times a day, confine the
sick chicken by itself, and feed soft
food. Put iron into tne drinking wa
ter. I clean my hen house with
whitewash and sulphuric acid, and
am never troubled with lice.—Mrs.
Annie Baker, in Epitomist.
Grawn Mixture for Meadow*.
There is much evidence to show
that a judicious mixture of grasses
for permanent meadows is better
than one or two varieties. The
chinks are better filled, and in the
event of one or two species dying
out there is a chance for others to
fill the space. The following has
been found very good for average
upland. The quantities are for one
acre: Four pounds red-top, 16 tim
othy, 4 tall meadow oat-grass, 5
sheep fescue, 1 white clover, 6 red
clover, 4 i.lsike, making 40 pounds
an acre. Any first-class seedsman
can make up the above mixture. The
clovers should be mixed and sown
separately. —Rural New Yorker.
Bad Roads Hinder Traffic.
The marketing of hogs, of corn and
wheat and other products of the
west is at present greatly hampered
by the bad condition of country
roads. A little of the abundant
wealth of the country districts, if
applied to the construction of good
roads, would greatly facilitate trans
portation and cheapen its cost, re
turning J.irge interest for the invest
ment. There are railroads enough,
but traffic is hindered because coun
try roads are so bad as to be al
most impassable at times in seasons
of heavy rain.—Country Gentleman.
BETTER ROADS NEEDED.
Government, Thinks This Writer,
Should Have Supreme Control
Over Hiarhvray Building.
The season again approaches when,
superior to all questions of education,
politics or religion, “How shall we get
where we want to go through this
mud?” engrosses the attention of a
large portion of the population of the
United. States. Even in the longest set
tled portions of our country, one would
suppose time, population and wealth
has given opportunity to establish
proper foundation for comfortable lo
comotion for the wet as well as the
dry season, we find the condition near
ly as deplorable as in more recently set
tled areas.
Why is it that with fine farms, with
substantial buildings for man and
beast, with railroad lines cutting the
country in every direction, and with
billions added each year to the perma
nent wealth of the country, there is so
little in the permanent improvement
of our roads? We vote in this county
as high as five mills for road purposes,
and at the end of a decade after spend
ing SSO out of every SI,OOO there is lit
tle permanent improvement.
After failure from the time of set
tlement of this country till now it
would seem as if we should be ready
for some change, especially when wo
reflect that nearly every civilized por
tion of the old world has successfully
established proper highways. Under
the system prevalent here the citizens
of many districts spend their time and
occasionally some misdirected energy
on the roads, when they run out of a
job at home, regardless of the voire
of the “road” to “come and mend me
and I will be your benefactor.” The
ordinary individual would much rath
er make two dollars to jingle in his
pocket or add to the value of his pri
vate wealth than to moke ten dollarsjn
public improvements, even for his own
benefit, so he seeks every advantage
to make dollars for himself and rare
ly hunts work for the public, and his
neighbor, the supervisor in the circum
scribed' road district, often disregard
ing his official duty, fails to call out
his men at the proper time, and when
called out fails to work them in the
proper manner, and we call this a road
system and howl because we have poor
roads.
With any system that depends upon
the material through which the road
passes we cannot have good roads all
the time, but they can be vastly im
proved. In my judgment, after large
experience, I am convinced that, the
township is about the proper unit for
a road district—that, is, for 1 he build
ing and mending of our common dirt
roads. The size and amount of labor
to be performed in this area gives a
man a permanent position and takes
him away from local influences, and
much more competent men can be se
cured to fill the position of supervisor
than if the district, is small.
But this country is much too enlight
ened and wealthy forever to be subject
to a halt of its traffic during prolonged
humid conditions, and we must, soon
make a start for permanent roads.
How? By the inauguration of a rood
system by the government of the
United States and the yearly appro
priation of not less than $50,000,000,
this money to go to localities which
would supplement it with an equal
amount, t he whole to be spent under
the direction of government engineers.
—-Thomas Gay, in Chicago Record-Her
ald.
STRONG STAKE PULLER.
How to Make an Effective Implement
Which Enables One Man to Ho
the Work of Two.
The illustration shows a simple, ef
fective and very convenientimplement
for pulling up stakes when removing
an old fence. A stout pry has two
round iron arms attached to its end,
a., shown. The non has its end*
SIMPLE STAKE PULLER.
turned in and drawn to a point so that
it can be driven into the stake, when
the latter can be pulled up with ease.
If the stake is large, the arms can eas
ily be sprung apart so that the points
can be driven in on each side. —Orange
Judd Farmer.
Food Stuffs from Tree*,
Chestnut groves, with full-grown
trees, produce six times as much food
per acre as any cereals, and Hum
boldt estimates that a banana or
chard will feed 25 human beings,
where a potato field of the same size
would support two and 3. wheat I aim
only one. A time may come when .he
Staple of human food will be chiefly
derived from treet, thus increasing
the life-sustaining capacity of our
planet more than five-fold, not to
mention the saving in drudgery, nor
the beneficial climatic influences of
tree plantations. No plowing, hoe
ing and mowing, no worrying about
winter food for hungry cattle, no
deserts overspreading vast areas of
tree-deprived territories.
Guard tbe Public Road*.
A rich Philadelphia syndicate prf>-
poses to buy the bankrupt trolley
systems of nothern Ohio. Safe to as
sume these shrewd capitalists wdl
look out for their own interests it
the way of liberal or utterly free
franchises through country districts
traversed by the railways. With the
rapid spread of the trolley systems
in our eastern states the greatest
care should be exercised that the
farmers’ rights in the matter of ap
propriating public highways are tally
guarded.—Farm and Home.
Government Farm Report*.
During the fiscal year ending June
’0 1901 the total number of publica
tions issued by the United States de
partment of agriculture was 606 differ
ent kinds, with a total number of
copies of 7,899,281