The Democratic advocate. [volume], June 12, 1908, Image 3

About The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972

Image provided by: University of Maryland, College Park, MD

                
“The Least
Of These”
By LULU JOHNSON.
Copyrighted, 1908, by Associated 1
Literary Press.
Betty shuddered as the heavy iron
gates clanged behind her and she real
ized that she was actually within the
prison yard. It was her first visit to a
penitentiary, and, though she found it
not half so forbidding as she bad an
ticipated, the atmosphere sent a chill
through her whole girlish figure.
Instead of rock piles, with convicts
monotonously breaking the stone, here
wore flower bordered walks and
swards of softest green. But for the
pHi walls and the barred windows sbe
might well have imagined herself in a
municipal park or on a million dollar
estate.
When she reached the office her bas
ket of delicacies was consigned with
others brought by loyal friends for the
delectation of other convicts, but the
keeper looked curiously from the tag
on her basket to Betty’s face.
“No. 11,800 hasn’t had a visitor since
he came here five weeks ago,” com
mented the man significantly. “Are
you a relative?”
“Xo,” said the girl simply. “He was
just good to me when I needed help.”
“Ho was good to lots of folks,”
the warden, “but somehow
they seem to have forgotten it. He’s
in the hospital.”
The warden made a sign to a trusty,
and with fast beating heart Betty fol
lowed the man in the direction of the
great gray building, In one wing of
v-hioh was located the hospital.
Moreton, ex-boss of the th district,
was propped up in bed, and at sight of
Bessie Yynne be smiled radiantly.
Five weeks he had lain there fighting
grimly for the life that he had begun
to think was hardly worth the saving,
for Moreton had Indeed been through
the valley of political humiliation.
Less than two years before It had re
quired two husky men to guard the
door of his headquarters and keep
back the crowd of Importunate callers
•n-ho wanted financial help, influential
word or perhaps just the chance to
fawn upon the powerful political
leader.
Moreton had been the boss of his
district, ruling with a rod of iron. He
had controlled the machine through
sheer force of will power.
His enemies both without and with
in the party had fought doggedly to
break his sway, but the boss had
gritted his teeth the harder at each
fresh attack and beaten the malcon
tents into submission.
But there had come an end to his
rule, as to almost all one man control.
The opposing party had secured the
services of a political revivalist. “In
the interest of good government,” they
had explained, but the whole city
knew that it was a ruse to rid the dis
trict of its dominating boss. It meant
turning the district over to another
clique as bad, but less experienced in
mimicipal villainy.
And the political world had sat back
and watched the warfare with grim
smiles. Perhaps, after all, the boss
would win again. But in this they
were wrong. By a mere quip of fate
the wheel spun the other way.
The boss lost, and after loss of power
came scandals and lawsuits. The lat
ter took most of the fortune he had
filched from the city, much of which
he had spent on the care of those who
needed it more desperately than the
taxpayers from whom he had filched it
so remorselessly. In reality the boss
when the blow fell could have counted
his fortune only in thousands when
his enemies ran It up to tens of thou
sands.
When ho left the civil court room al
most penniless he found himself face
to face with criminal charges. Stoic
ally ho had accepted his sentence of
five years In the penitentiary. Stoic
ally he had accepted his desertion by
those who had fawned upon him in
prosperity and power. A child of the
streets who had started carrying the
water bucket for the marching club,
he had become a ward heeler, a lieu
tenant and finally the boss without the
aid of family ties or family influence.
Stoically he had accepted the decision
of the hospital staff. He had an incur
able disease. He probably would not
live out his sentence.
Yet at sight of Betty Vynne’s face
his stoicism vanished, and after the
radiant smile of welcome came a ten
derness almost pathetic.
“What are you doing here, child?” he
a sked as he stroked the hand that
clasped his. “Sing Sing’s a good way
for a girl to come who’s only making
her eight a week.”
The girl laughed, but her voice was
shaky.
“Just listen to the man! And I’m get
htig ten-right in this town. I read in
the paper—about— about your being so
onesome”— The man smiled grimly.
So the papers were commenting on the
ac t that ho was a deserted as well as
deposed leader of men. “And I saw
the ad. of a lawyer up here who waut
®d a stenographer, and I came and
Set the place. I like It much better
ere than In town. And I can come
0 see y° u once a week.”
-ioreton, deposed boss, leaned over
into her face.
Jon-come—up— here—to be near
me?”
The girl nodded her head.
And I’ve got the nicest boarding
*ace with a widow, and you ought to
Se J her flower beds’’-
ust then a physician in white uni
“ came toward them.
8 . ou can stay only five minutes,” he
d without waiting for the formality
an Introduction. “I cannot have mj
unduly excited. In a few
s we shall have him in fine trim,
m ope ’ but we don’t want our treat
upset by too much company.”
yo ° reton ’ s Ups set in grim lines. The
thnf l,, doctor evidently did not know
this was his first visitor.
f L l Q dsay, this Is one of my best
comin ’ iliss Vynne, and her
C hurt me - Wh *’ s *y. i
v rt-if two *year-old right now.”
hear t e h rtheless the young doctor stood
utea Tf 6 r ’ an< * wb en the five min
warri *** Up he led from the
“You can come again, as often as the
rules permit, but do not stay too long."
The next time he made the rounds
Dr. Lindsay found Moreton oddly
quiet, his fever reduced, his pulse nor
mal.
“Doctor,” he said, with a smile, “that
girl’s coming did me more good than
all your dope. It’s good to know that
there’s one person that hasn’t forgot
you.”
And then the young doctor saw that
something more than an organic dis
ease was aiming for the old boss’
heart.
“Daughter of an old friend?” he
asked casually.
“Not much—just a kid I picked up in
a tenement; took her from a sodden
old thing who was beating the life and
spirit out of her. I turned her over to
the sisters. They did the rest.”
Lindsay smiled, but he understood.
It was the ex-boss who had paid the
sisters for the girl’s care and put her
through a business school and set her
on her feet, saving a girlhood like hia
own boyhood from the slums and the
glitter.
After that Moreton slowly but surely
began to mend. There was no curing
the disease, but there was every chance
to prolong his life for years If he want
ed to put up the fight. And every time
that Betty Yynne came to the hospital
he seemed stronger for the fight
For a time Dr. Lindsay watched the
case with purely professional interest,
but gradually this feeling became dis
tinctly personal. He generally met
Betty in the reception room of the hos
pital, lingered near Moreton’s bedside
during her stay and escorted her to the
entrance when she departed.
And, oddly enough, he found many
excuses for sitting with Moreton and
learning more about “the kid’s” plucky
fight for education and self support
Before the first year of his sentence
had passed the ex-boss read young
Lindsay’s secret, and one night after
Betty had paid her usual call the two
men talked It over.
“Mind you, she ain’t anybody. Nei
ther she nor I know where she sprung
from. So it’s up to you,” said Moreton
warningly and yet with loving anxiety
In every word.
Young Lindsay studied the cracks in
the flooring for a few seconds, and then
he turned resolutely to his patient.
“She’s true blue. There are not many
like her, no matter what sort of blood
was behind her, and I’m going to take
chances if she’ll have me. And, what
is more. I am going down to see her to
morrow when I’m off duty.”
“Is it all right, Betty?” inquired the
ex-boss as he stroked her hand tender
ly the next time she came. “Is it all
right, little girl?”
The girl smiled into his anxious eyes.
“Oh, Mr. Moreton, do you think I’m !
half good enough for him?”
“Mind that, will you?” inquired the
invalid, as if addressing an audience;
then he drew the girl close. “Let me
tell you something, Betty. He wouldn’t
let mo tell you before for fear you’d
think you owed him something. He
wanted you to love him for himself.
See? But Dr. Lindsay’s got some of
the boys started, and it looks like a
pardon, Betty; it certainly does.”
She sank on her knees beside the
bed.
“Oh, that is too good to be true.”
“And that ain’t all, Betty. I had
some shares in a gold mine; thought it
was a dead one, but Lindsay he’s been
looking into it, and mebbe—well, just
mebbe I can take you and Lindsay on
a wedding trip over to Germany. Lind
say says the springs over there would
do wonders for me, and Lindsay needs
a change, and—well, Betty, I’d been
dead by this time if it hadn’t been for
your coming.”
He looked up to meet the shining
eyes of young Dr. Lindsay.
“Say, Lindsay, ain’t there something
in the good book somewheres about the
least of these? I want to find that
verse. I’m going to learn it. I cer
tainly am. Ah, there is so much for
me to learn and so little time!”
The Bible’s Good Use of Words.
The Bible as a standard for the cor
rect use of words has been urged upon
readers by Professor Lounsbury of
Yale, writing in Harper’s Magazine.
“Make up your mind,” says Professor
Lounsbury, “that the Bible is a guide
to be followed grammatically as much
tis it is morally. The language of our
version belongs to the sixteenth cen
tury. It therefore naturally contains
expressions which, though proper at
that time, are not in accord with the
common usage of our day. When it
was originally translated, which was
generally the relative pronoun refer
ring to persons. Hence we say, ‘Our
Father which art in heaven.’ More
than this, the subtle distinction found
in the employment of shall and will
had not then become established in the
language But these do not affect the
correctness of its procedure In regard
to expressions still met with every-
Avhere. In such cases accept its au
thority without question and conform
your practice with it.”
Pointed With Scripture.
A bachelor rector of a western
church was alone In his study when
his housekeeper brought him the card
of one of his parishioners, a spinster
of means and charm.
When the lady was seated on the op
posite side of his study table the rector
looked at her inquiringly, expecting to
hear something concerning parish
work, in which she was active. To his
surprise an embarrassed silence en
sued, during which he vainly sought
for something to say.
“Dr. Blank,” began the lady at
last in faltering tones, “do you think
can you fancy conditions under which
a—a woman is—justified in proposing?”
“Why, yes,” said the rector, after
some deliberation.
“Thou art the man!” said the lady
resolutely.
She was right.
Rough on the Doctor.
One night as a Canadian doctor who
lives in eastern Ontario was driving
into a village he saw a chap, a little
the worse for liquor, amusing a crowd
of spectators with the antics of his
trick dog. The doctor watched him
awhile and said: “Sandy, how do you
manage to train your dog? I can’t
teach mine to do anything."
Sandy, with that simple look In bis
eyes, said, “Well, you see, doc, you
have to know more’n the dog or you
can’t learn him nothing.”
THE DEMOCRATIC ADVOCATE, WESTMINSTER, MD.
I McGinnis Pure Rye i
Maryland's Perfect Whiskey. c
A. McGINNIS CO., Distillers, f
Carrollton, Carroll Co., Md. )
Our Whiskey complies strictly with The Nation - C
a/ Pure Food Law. It is a Straight, Pure Rye C
Whiskey, a product of one of the Finest Dis- V
Itilleries in the State of Maryland. r
Sold in same condition as received C
from the distillery. )
i> ■ •
• BOTH PHONES. ... BOTH PHONES.
a • 11
ai 1
|| Doyle S Magee
28 and 30 W. Main St.,
WESTMINSTER. MARYLAND.
ii f ■ ■ i
• > •
111 I ;
i • Having bought the stock of Lynch & Steele, we are now carrying the ■ j
• ’ largest and greatest assortment of stock in the state. We not only have JJ j
11 the lines of ~ i
• i i>
I! Vehicles, Farm Machinery, Threshing %
Machinery and Household
Furniture
■ • that we have carried, but have added to the already large lines the different !!
1 1 makes of machinery that have been sold by Lynch & Steele since they have i• j
11 been in business on Liberty street. Remember, we have everything for J\ \
i • the farm. Do not forget the fact we are headquarters for FIELD AND • •
11 GARDEN SEEDS. All new seeds. We just received anew supply direct • •
11 from the seed farms. Thanking you for your patronage in the past, and J |
• asking for a continuance of same, < ■
DOYLE (SL MAGEE.
COME HERE FOR YOUR
SHOES, HATS AND CENT’S FUDNISHIHfiS.
We have by far the largest stock and greatest variety of Men’s,
Women’s and Children’s Shoes and Oxfords in this city.
We have them in Patent Leather, Vici Kid, Gun Metal, Russet and
White Canvas, from the cheapest to the best grades.
We can show you the largest selection of Straw and Felt Hats we
have ever shown, at the right prices. Come in and look them over be
fore buying.
Remember, we have all the new things in Neckwear, Hosiery,
Shirts, Underwear, Suspenders and Collars. Give us a call.
22 W. MAIN STREET. WM. C. DEVILBISS, •
Lumber, Coal & Supply Co.
ORIGINATORS OF THE LONG TON WEIGHT OF
2240 POUNDS CLEAN COAL FOR A TON - -
Our summer schedule is now in Dealers in Lumber, Slate, Sash,
force and it would be to your in- Doors, Blinds and all High Grade
terest to get our prices and place \y or k; at Lowest Prices,
your orders at once. We handle
ONLY the Philadelphia & Reading We carry Bass, Cypress, Poplar,
Anthracite Coal, which is the Q ak chestnut, White and Yellow
best on the market. , . ■. ,
Pine, from £ inch thick and up.
BITUMINOUS COAL.
The Genuine Big Vein George’s Also the California Redwood.
Creek Coal for Smithing, Steam- Estimates cheerfully given,
ing, Cooking and Heating Pur
poses. “A satisfied customer is our best
‘ ‘Seldom equaled, never excelled’ ’ advertisement.
Yours to serve, LUMBER, COAL & SUPPLY CO.
may ß Congo Rubber Roofing a Specialty.
IHaveyjii ever worn tfje I
mi ~
H When |
■ comfort IlMj^uT^c^r'Knw- 1
K Iw&pjdr to-day 2 _ I
Insurance! Insurance!
FIRE AND LIFE.
CHAS. E. HERINC, 14 Wee* Main Street.
Westminster. Md. special agent mass, mutual
o. p. Phone 83 F. [au*3—] LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY.
Western Maryland College
WESTMINSTER, MARYLAND.
FORTY-SECOND YEAR OPENS
SEPTEMBER 16th, 1908.
PERFECTLY SAFE, where your sons and daugh
ters are surrounded by the best moral and
religious influence: where pure mountain air
and water keep them healthful; and where j
new buildings equipped in modern fashion |
house them in comfort.
WISELY PLANNED for both sexes, but reciting I
in separate classes: making education its I
great business, and keeping athletic and
social matters incidental: reducing the cost I
so as to reach the largest number, but toler- J
ating no student who will not study.
THOROUGH, offering three separate courses for j
the degree of A. 8., one with Greek and two !
without: well equipped Scientific Building: |
good Library; Gymnasium, and a Faculty of
twenty-one specialists.
OF GOOD REPUTE. You will find our students
everywhere, ask them. Without large en
dowments or splendid gifts from the rich we
have slowly built up a College whose only
claim is the good work it does, and this has
kept it growing for forty years.
Rev. T. H. Lewis, D. D.,LL. D., President.j
WE know your wants in the coal line
and will endeavor to supply them.
Smith & Reifsnider.
LOOK TO YOUR HEALTH.
BUSS NATIVE BEBBS.
The Great Blood Purifier, Kidney
and Liver Regulator, Sure Cure for 1
Constipation, Indigestion, Dyspepsia,
&c. 200 doses for SI.OO. Mailed to
any address upon receipt of prices.
Also
BLISS NATIVE OIL
for Burns, Cuts, Catarrh, &c., and
NATIVE BALSAM
for Coughs, Colds, &c., at 25 and 50
cents per bottle. Not sold in Drug
Stores. Prepared exclusively by the j
Alonzo O. Bliss Co., Washington, D. C.
H. B. GRAMME B. Agent,
Westminster, Md.
He refers, by permission, to the fol
lowing persons who have used the Na- i
tive Herbs, and testify to their efficacy
as a reliable family medicine.
Rev. P. H. Miller, H. H. Harbaugh,
Joel S. Fisher, Mrs. Wm. F. Helm,
M. E. Campbell, Jacob F. Eigen,
John E. Eckenrode, Abram I. Geiman.
Joseph S. Witter. Mrs. Rebecca Wagoner,
Mrs. Elizabeth J. Stoner, Carroll N. Lockard.
jan 3-Iy
LOWSSACHS,
IMPORTED AND DOMESTIC
Wines and Liquors,
73 E. MAIN STREET,
Westminster, - - Md.
You may pass the East and you may
pass the West,
But when you pass Sach’s Liquor
House in Westminster you pass
the best.
All the leading brands of Whiskey
sold here at the lowest price, and the
best $2.00 Whiskey sold in Carroll
county. Also a complete line of
Wines, Gins, Bnms, Brandies and Cor
dials, and a full line of Cigars
and Tobaccos.
All out of town orders will be
promptly attended to and with the
greatest courtesy.
73 £. Main street,
Both Phones. Westminster, Md.
'l' *♦ ■!■■!' 'l' ■!■ ♦1 1
I WEDDINGS, ii
-
I ll
J | Have you purchased that J J
WEDDING RING? If not, I*
II I I
.. come in at once and get ..
.. ■ •
11 same. If you will do your 11
II # * •
1 • part I will mine in selling •
a. i
I i the PRESENTS in every- I I
•i i •
\ J thing that is nice. J J
1 ' —i—
::CASSELL,the Jeweler,::
i; WESTMINSTER, MD. il
; ; C. &P. PHONE 196 R. \ \
£XXXXSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOg
| 100,000 Feet of Boards |
§ and Framing Timber for g
| Sale, Apply to g
§ DAVID E. WALSH or |
I JAMES WALSH, |
| f its Westminster, Md. |
OyOOqOOqOOOGOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Franklin’s Livery
Having bought the entire Livery out
fit of Benjamin Dorsey, and improved
same by adding some first-class
horses and vehicles, would like
\ y u b\i tn serve you when a team of
any kind is wanted. Will board your
horses by the meal, day, week or month
at a fair price. Give me a trial.
JOS. L. FRANKLIN, Prop.,
At the Old Thomson Stand,
dec!3 tf Westminster, Md.
New Sales Stable Opened
Having opened a Sales Stable in the
rear of 92 West Main street, will have
at all times a number of first
class horses for sale or ex-
Tjur v ~hrmg~ Call and inspect stock
before purchasing.
E. H. COPPERSMITH,
apr24 Westminster, Md.
TO THE PUBLIC.—If you want
Fire Insurance, Life Insurance,
Accident Insurance, Windstorm In
surance, Steam Boiler Insurance, give
me a call. Lowest Rates. Best Stock
Companies. No Assessments. No
Premium Notes. Quick Cash Settle
ments.
JAMES E. SMITH,
General Insurance Agent,
Main and Church streets,
Westminster, Md.
THE DENVER AUDITORIUM.
Seating of Delegates to the Democratic
Convention.
Denver, Col., June 7.—Costing $500,-
000, seating 12,500 people, containing
probably the most perfect heating and;
ventilating system of any public build
ing the world, Denver’s monster Audi
torium will throw open its doors June j
27 to welcome the long list of con
ventions to be held in Denver this |
summer.
The seating arrangements, decora
tions and other arrangements for the
Democratic National Convention,which I
will convene in the Auditorium July j
7, have been completed and accepted j
by the national committee. The hall >
will accommodate more than 12,000 i
people and the first floor alone will I
have 6,000 regular seats. The Audi-1
torium is constructed so that the huge j
stage is near the center of the build- j
ing. Being built on this plan, one- j
half of the structure can be used as
a theater, the other half being en- \
tirely shut off by the flies and wings |
of the stage. On the occasion of a big i
convention the stage scenery and;
equipment can be elevated to a stor- |
age roof and the entire building con
verted into a huge convention hall,
with a balcony circling the whole
structure and a large gallery at both
ends.
The building is 266 by 200 feet in
dimensions and is of the height of a
five-story building. Its seating ca
pacity is larger than Madison Square
Garden in New York, which holds 12,-
000 people; the great Coliseum in
Chicago, where the Republican Conven
tion is to be held in June, which holds
11,011 people, or the Mormon Taber
nacle in Salt Lake, which seats 10,-
000. There are 24 exits, including 240
linear feet of exit space, and the build
ing can be emptied in two minutes.
In preparation for the convention
the rostrum and platform will be
erected at the west side of the Audi
torium, with the seats for the dele
gates and alternates extending along \
the floor of the stage proper. Upon
the platform will be 445 seats, which ■
will be reserved for the members of
the national committee and for the
guests of honor. The number of seats
on the rostrum will be 101. Directly
in front of the chairman’s platform i
on the rostrum will be four seats'
and tables for the noiseless telegram
instruments of the news services. Ad
ditional room for these news services
and for the telegraph companies is |
arranged in the basement.
Desks and seats for the newspaper
correspondents and special writers
will be arranged in a half circle about |
the rostrum in such a manner as to!
give each writer an unobstructed view:
of the speaker and within easy hear
ing distance. There will be 303 seats j
in this section, each seat having a \
space 24 inches wide.
Seats for the delegates, in front of |
the rostrum are arranged nearly in
the center of the building. The exact
number of seats is 1,005 and immedi
ately behind this section are the seats
; of the alternates, also 1,005 in number.
One of the admirable features of the
1 arrangement of the building is the
| plan for entrances and exits, 24 in
i number.
The front rows in the balcony and
i gallery will be reserved for the families
|of the delegates, alternates and the
convention officers. The sergeant-at
arms will have his desk and seat just
inside the section reserved for the
newspaper correspondents. The act
ual seating capacity of the balcony
will be 3,626 and of the gallery 1,889.
This makes a total of 11,521 seats but
at least 600 more people can be ac
commodated in an emergency. The
auditorium is constructed without
pillars or posts to obstruct the view
and the acoustic properties will be so
perfect that a speaker can be heard
! from any part of the building.
The Auditorium will be fireproof,
|no wooden metal of any sort being
j used in its construction, even the
sashes in the windows and the lath
I being of iron.
I Two 15-feet fans at one end of the
building send air between steam pipe
coils throughout the house. Each
coil contains 1,800 feet of pipe. Mid
way in the Auditorium two fans 10
feet in diameter will send the air
through the remainder of the house.
An exhaust fan will draw the foul air
from below, where it lies on the floor,
and expel it from the building. In
summertime heating apparatus is
turned into a cooling plant by filling
the coils of pipe with cold water in
stead of steam. This system of ven
tilation, heating and cooling is said
to be the most perfect of any public
t building in the world.
PARROT LAYS AN EGG.
Said to be First Event of the Kind In
United States.
How old does a parrot have to be
i before it will lay an egg?
j This is the conundrum Merchant W.
L. Maurer ,of Blue Ridge Summit
I would like to have some one solve.
Fifteen years ago Mr. Maurer paid
■ a visit to Baltimore, and while there,
; he came across a bird dealer who had
! several fine parrots for sale. He was
much pleased with one of the number
I and made a deal and took “Polly” to
' his home.
j “Polly,” as it seemed was much
| pleased with his new master and, at
i the same time, mistress, and after a
very short stay, strutted around the
j house as though it owned the whole
j business.
“Polly” has figured in several “flit
j tings” and never showed any signs of
! being the worse for the change of
| location.
Mr. Maurer brought the bird to
| Blue Ridge Summit with him, and for
i several years it has been the “pet”
; of the family—being the only “child”
I in it.
Wednesday “Polly” began to act as
though she was suffering from a well
developed case of hysteria and at
tracted considerable attention when
she began to tug away at the linoleum
on the floor of the kitchen. She be
j gan to pick it into bits, and,shortly
thereafter she began to pick up all
the newspapers that were lying
around the room and pulled them over
into a corner. These she began to
I pull to pieces and, after tearing a few
of them into bits, made a nest and got
thereon.
When either Mr. Maurer or his wife
would go near, “Polly” would make
equally as much fuss about it as an
old sitting hen.
The owners of the parrot could not
account for her strange actions and
patiently waited for “Polly’s” next
move.
Shortly afterward, they were sur
prised to see the parrot get off the
nest and, more so, to see an egg that
“Polly” had laid. It was about the
size of a pigeon egg and white in
color.
Thursday “Polly” again took to the
nest but did not stay long. It is be
lieved that she will lay again today.
The most remarkable feature in
connection with the parrot and the
egg is that this is probably the first
time in history that a parrot was ever
known to lay an egg in the United
States. The birds are brought here
when quite young and they never as
much as mate.
Then for this bird to get into a
class all to itself after reaching the
age of nearly sixteen is greatly puz
zling all the citizens in the vicinity
of Blue Ridge Summit.
Again, can any reader of this paper
tell us how old a parrot must be be
fore it lays an egg and,why this should
be an instance without a parallel in
this country? t
THE SPLIT LOG DRAG.
How and When to Use it to Get the
Best Results.
One of the latest publications issued
from the office of Public Roads of the
United States Department of Agricul
ture treats of the split-log drag, an
implement which numerous experi
ments have conclusively shown to be
the greatest possible boon to keep
earth roads smooth and passable. Be
cause of its simplicity, its efficiency
and its cheapness, both in construc
tion and operation, it is destined to
come more and more into general use.
With the drag properly built and its
use well understood, the maintenance
of earth roads becomes a simple and
inexpensive matter.
At the present time there are ap
proximately 2,000,000 miles of earth
roads in the United States. Some of
the most important of these roads will
eventually be improved with stone,
gravel, and other materials. Many
others which are equally important
cannot be improved on account of lack
of funds or suitable materials, while
still others will not require such treat
ment because of the light traffic to
which they are subjected. For these
reasons the majority of our roads
must be maintained ns earth roads for
many years to come. This must be
done by inexpensive methods and the
split-log drag will be a powerful aid
if economy is the criterion demanded.
The best results have been obtained
by dragging roads once each way after
each heavy rain. In some cases, how
ever, one dragging every three or
four weeks has been found sufficient
to keep a road in good condition.
When the soil is moist but not
sticky the drag does its best work.
As the soil in a field will bake if
ploughed wet, so the road will bake
if the drag is used on it when it is
wet. If the roadway is full of holes
or badly rutted, the drag should be
used once when the ground is soft and
slushy. This is particularly appli
cable before a cold spell in winter,
when it is possible to so prepare the
surface that it will freeze smooth.
Not infrequently conditions are met
which may be overcome by a slight
change in the manner of hitching.
; Shortening the chain tends to lift the
front slab and make the cutting slight,
1 while a longer hitch causes the front
j slab to sink more deeply into the
| earth and act on the principle of a
1 plow.
i If a furrow of earth is to be moved,
the doubletree should be attached
| close to the ditch end of the drag, and
| the driver should stand with one foot
ion the extreme forward end of the
| front slab.
Conditions are so varied in different
I localities, however, that it is quite im
possible to lay down specific rules.
{ Certain sections of the roadway will
i require more attention than others,
because of steep grades, wet weather
! springs, soil conditions, exposure to
| sun and wind, washes, etc. There is
j one condition, however, in which
special attention should be given.
! Clay roads under persistent draggings
frequently become too high in the
center. This may be correctedby drag
ging the earth toward the center of
the road twice, and away from it
once.
There is no question as to the
economy of the roadmaking imple
ment, either in first cost or in oper
ation. In six counties in Kansas in
1906 the cost of maintaining ordinary
j earth roads, without the aid of the
I split-log drag, averaged $42.50 a mile.
These figures were furnished by
i Professor W. C. Hoad, of the Univer
} sity of Kansas, who secured them from
official records of the counties.
Some figures furnished by E. P.
Sanborn and R. H. Aishton, General
Manager of the Chicago and North
western Railroad, have revealed the
wonders of this simple device. Mr.
Sanborn said “the least expense per
mile per annum for split-log dragging
was $1.50, the greatest a little over
$6, and the average expense per mile
for 5% miles a little over $3. I have
lived along this road all my life, and
never in 40 years have I seen it freer
from mud and dust, despite the fact
that during the season we have ex
perienced the extremes of weather
conditions.”
The testimony of Mr. Aishton is
equally strong. Learning that a
township in lowa had been making an
investigation of the split-log drag and
had been experimenting with it for a
year on 28 miles of highway, he sent
an agent to secure information. It
was reported that although the town
board had paid the cost of making
I the drags and hiring men to operate
I them, the total expense for one year
averaged but $2.40 a mile, and the
roads were reported to have been
“like a race track” the greater por
tion of the year.
>'o Third Term for Roosevelt
Another significant point in con
nection with President Roosevelt’s
determination against a third term is
; that the President is making definite
i plans to leave the United States in
April next year for Africa, where he
will spend a year hunting big game.
At the White House today It was
stated positively that Mr. Roosevelt,
with his son Kermit, would sail from
New York for Cairo in April, 1909
[ just as soon as the necessary arrange
| ments could be made after the 4th of
! March. It is the desire of the Presi
dent to bring back at the end of the
year from the wilds of Africa speci
mens of every species of big game to
be had on the Dark Continent. He
will visit no other country, it is stated.
The outfit for the expedition will be
obtained on reaching Africa, but an
active corespondence in this connec
tion already is under way.
Buffets in Church. j
Atlantic City, N. J„ June s.—“ Four
buffets from which refreshments will
be served will be used next Sunday
at the service of the Men’s Church,”
said Rev. Sydney Goodman, the pastor.
“Last Sunday one was used and it
made a hit. We are going to have
the buffets, from which soft and cool
ing drinks will be served, located
around the building.”
The church is crowded at every ser
vice. Next Sunday soloists from the
cafes will sing hymns and lead the
congregation in singing, and the snr
pliced choir of Ascension Episcopal
Church is to be there.