The Birmingham age-herald. [volume], July 14, 1915, Page 4, Image 4

About The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950

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THE AGE-HERALD
E. W. BAHHETT.Editor
Entered «i tne Hiuningtoam, Ale..
fo.toffice ae second class matter uu
ier act of Congresa March 3, 18i9.
Uaily and Sunday Age-Herald,
ye&r ♦ O.vK
Daily without Sunday .• •• • •
Daily and Sunday, per month....
uaily and Sunday, tnree month*., ldu
Weekly Age-Herald, per annum.. .*»«
Sunday Age-Herald. per annum.. ^
O. B. Young, L. D. Griffis and W. D.
Brumbeloe are tne only authorized trav
eling representatives of The Age-Hera
in its circulatitm^depa^
No communication will be puoimned
without its authors name. Rejected
manuscript will nut be returned un
less stamps are enclosed for that pui
pose.
Remittances can be made at current
I ate of exchange. The Age-Herald wjil
Dot be responsible for mouey sent
through the mails. Address,
THB AGB-HBRALD.
Birmingham, Ala.
Washington bureau, 2Ut Hibbs butld
ing.
European bureau, 6 Henrietta street.
Covent Garden, London.
Eastern business office, Rooms 48 to
ftO, inclusive, Tribune building. New
y ork city; western business Office,
Tribune building. Chicago. The S. C.
Beckwith Special Agency, agents for
eign advertising.
TELEPHONE
Bell (private exchange connecting "■>
department*) Main 4900.
Wise men ne’er ait nnd w*il their
loes,
But cheerly seek how to redress their
harms. —Henry \1.
BK(>I\M-M> THE DAY—“Be no
ble, mid 1 he noltlrnrM which »leep*
In <i t he tm will rUe tx* meet thine
own.” Menftiiren have not yet been
Invented by which to reckon the
worl<l Influence of one noble life.—
H. M. E.
Situation in Russia
The woeful incompetence and mis
management shown by the Russians
during the war with Japan were said
to have been due partly to the disad
vantages of conducting war at a great
distance from the base of supplies,
with inadequate communication, and
in part to indifference, the conflict
with Japan having failed to arouse
any national enthusiasm. Perhaps the
full details of Russia’s disastrous war
with Japan will never be known, so
far as corrupt practices were involved,
and it is hard to explain the reverses
she has suffered at the hands of the
Germans, when it seemed that noth
ing could stop the onrush of the
Czar’s troops.
A shortage of ammunition is al
leged as the chief reason why Rus
sia’s armies have been driven back
on Warsaw, where they are now mak
ing a determined stand, but there are
rumors of other causes which may be
more discreditable than a lack of
shells. It is said that incompetency
among Russian officers is widespread,
although Grand Duke Nicholas is a
great soldier. Russian officers, like
English officers, get their commis
sions through political or social in
fluence. As a result many of them are
totally unfit for their duties.
The most serious charge made
against the Russians is that they are
amazing grafters and do not hesitate,
even at a time of national peril, to
bleed their own government. From
time immemorial the purchase of war
\ supplies has resulted in grafting, but
it is alleged that the Russians outdo
all their predecessors in this form of
thievery. The “rake-off” is almost a
national institution and it may be
true that the present war is making
a new crop of Russian millionaires.
Such conditions are a sad commen
tary on human nature, but the army
grafter is not unknown in the United
States, although far less apt to be
tolerated here than in Russia.
Labor of Love
Up at Oilton, Okla., a bent little
woman has set up a big tent in which,
from early morning until late at
right, she and a number of assistants
bend over wash tubs and ironing
boards.
The patient figure at work will tell
you she is a widow, Mrs. Margaret
Taylor, and her face will light up with
pleasure as she explains that she has
four daughters in college whom she
is educating by her work over the
wash tub.
Not content with giving her daugh
ters an ordinary public school educa
tion, Mrs. Taylor has sent them to
college—one daughter being at Bryn
Mawr and is master of eight
1 languages, including Chinese.
\ Mrs. Taylor has accomplished this
\j»y her fine laundry work. She follows
life pioneer into booming towns, and
chWrges "boom prices.” Besides edu
cating her daughters she has bought
a lot in Oilton.
The little widow has been happy,
she says, through her toil, for she
knew it was the means of providing
her girls with an education and the
means of supporting themselves with
less labor than their mother has done.
So the song of the tubs has been
music in the mother’s ears.
But what of the daughters? Will
they make for themselves 3ucces6 com
mensurate with their opportunities?
It is doubtful if any one of them, foi
all of their familiarity with ancierii
and modern languages, will ever ac
complish as much in a practical way
'as has the little, uneducated mother
with her wash boards.
There may be honor in the college
degrees of the daughters, but there
should be some specially high degree
conferred upon the mother—graduate
from the school of toil and experi
ence.
Birmingham Tax Amendment
The legislative judiciary bill con
tains the Birmingham tax amendment
authorizing the city commission to
submit to the qualified voters a propo
sition to increase the municipal tax
rate, not exceeding 50 cents on
the hundred dollars. This, as all
other amendments to the con
stitution, must be ratified by the
people of Alabama at an election to
be held after the adjournment of the
legislature before becoming effective.
There should be no opposition to
this measure. It was recommended
by the special committee of citizens,
alj of them taxpayers, appointed to
consider the best means of affording
Birmingham permanent financial re
lief. It is certainly reasonable and it
is the only way by which the people
of Birmingham can meet present re
quirements in the conduct of the city’s
affairs. The existing tax rate of $1
on the hundred is wholly inadequate
to supply the revenue that a large
and rapidly growing city like Bir
mingham needs.
As to whether the tax rate should
be increased 25 cents or 60 cents
would be optional with the people.
The lower amount would help, of
course, but a 50-cent “raise” would
be better, for it would yield ample
revenue for the city to go ahead and
'make improvements and maintain im
portant operating departments that
must, in our straightened condition,
be abolished.
Yet, despite the fact that the re
trenchment which has become neces
sary will seriously cripple the schools,
the health department, the fire de
partment and the police department, to
say nothing of minor departments,
the tax amendment feature of the
judiciary bill will, it is understood, be
opposed by two members of the Jef
ferson county delegation.
It behooves the citizens of Birming
ham—property owners, merchants,
manufacturers, wage workers and all
other classes—to unite in a determined
effort to have the amendment carried.
Even with the submission of the
amendment to the voters of Alabama
it would be sometime before Birming
ham could have the opportunity of
increasing its tax rate; but with per
manent relief assured the people
would wait with patience and with
buoyant spirits look forward to the
day when this city would be able to
maintain itself properly.
Now is the time for everybody who
has the interest of Birmingham in
mind to “get busy.”
--
Joseph A. Holmes
In the death of Dr. Joseph A.
Holmes, director of the United States
bureau of mines, the mining world
sustains a distinct loss. Dr. Holmes
was a native of South Carolina and a
graduate of Cornell.
Previous to his government service
he had been professor of geology and
natural history at the University of
North Carolina, and few geologists
in this country have been more widely
known. He was the “father” of the
bureau of mines in the technological
branch of the United States geological
survey and had done experiment work
of inestimable value in connection
with mine explosions. As a result of
his tests and his "safety first” cam
paign the death toll has been largely
reduced.
Dr. Holmes had visited the Bir
mingham district several times and
he was greatly esteemed by all Ala
bama coal operators and coal miners.
Corporations had tendered him high
positions with salary much larger than
the government paid, but these offers
never tempted him. His heart was in
his work and he felt that he could
accomplish the most good in the line
of his profession by remaining at the
head of the bureau of mines. All
honor to his memory.
The Romans are said to have introduced
trench warfare in Europe when they
built in southwestern Germany a line of
trenches to defend themselves from the
barbarians. These defenses were the pro
totype of the flenches which extend today
front Switzerland to the North sea. A
writer In the New York Sun sava the
'northern palisade ditch" of the Romans
j extends from the east bank of the Rhine,
ineat Bonn, across the Tnunns mounlagts
• in a southeasterly direction to a point near
Stuttgart. it constated of an earthen
wall, topped by a palisade. The ditch was
In front. There were towers at inter
vals. occupied by small bodies of troops
who patrolled the intervening sections. At
wider Intervals there were stone re
doubts for housing larger bodies of troops,
i The uther half of the limes Germanicus,
as the Roman trendies were called, ex
tended from a point near Stuttgart In
a southeasterly direction to the Danube
at Regensberg. This included a rampart
of stone and was also defended by forts.
However, the old Roman defenses were
intended as a barrier, while the purpose
of a modern trench Is chiefly to conceal
troops and protect them from shell Are.
One thing Is certain. Germany is inter
fering with President Wilson* game ol
golf
Growing sugar cane is an tnaustry tnat
antedates the Christian era. Sugar cane
is found nowhere in a wild, state and
scientists admit that they don't know
where it originated. It is first mentioned
in the sacred books of the Hindus. It
is believed that sugar cane was well
known in India prior to 320 B. C., as fol
lowers of Alexander the Great observed
it growing there. The first known sugar
w as concentrated cane Juice caned “gur ’
In India. It is thought this was used as
a food from prehistoric times. In the
early ages the Egyptians and Arabs
learned how to purify raw sugar by re
crystallization. They manufactured a
great variety of sweetmeats and candy.
Sugar cane was introduced into Sicily by
the Arabs in 703, from W'hence it was
taken to Spain and along the coast of
the Mediterranean sea. and to the islands
and borders of the Indian sea. The
Crusaders found large sugar cane planta
tion? in Tripoli, Mesopotamia. Syria,
Antioch and Cyprus. By the fourteenth
century it was being cultivated in all
parts of the known world where the cli
mate permitted. The Portuguese intro
duced it into Brazil and it soon spread
I to nearly all the South American coun
tries. The first sugar cane in Louisiana
was sent to the Jesuits in 1761 from Santo
Domingo, where it was said to have been
carried by Columbus. Cuba is the great
est producer of cane sugar in the world
and the United States is the greatest
sugar consuming country.
A real matador was gored by a real bull
in the “staging’’ of a picturized version
of “Carmen.” Under the circumstances
a slight advance in the price of admis
sion seems justified.
At any rate, we are having an agree
able rest from the simplified spellers, al
though a simplification of many war
names would be a real help.
Train robbers who are believed to have
stolen $600,000 from a Louisville and Nash
ville train have catapulted themselves into
the realm of high finance.
Germany’s colonial possessions have fal
len into enemy hands, which may make
the Kaiser more determined than ever to
have a slice of France.
German diplomats, Jn their correspon
dence with the American government, at
least, seem to have forgotten that there
ever was a Lusitania.
Colonel Roosevelt plans to make but
three or four speeches on the Pacific
coast, which to an active man is equiva
lent to a complete rest.
The post of Secretary of State is an
honorable position, but Secretary Lansing
is not at present envied by offitfeseekers.
While Great Britain may be short of
soldiers, English pounds are proving a
great help to her less wealthy allies.
Observers declare th^; the reading
habit is on the wane, but baseball extras
continue to sell like hot cakes.
The true beach ‘‘confection” is the kind
of bathing suit that a summer shower
would put out of commission.
The Frenchman may wrear a dinky little
mustache and look like a fop, but he
goes to his death a hero.
The prevalent drouth in Alabama makes
a vacation trip to a “wet” center impera
tive for some people.
The European struggle has become a
war of annihilation, with the manhood of
Europe as the forfeit.
A little more common sense and a little
less “soul” would improve the Upton Sin
clairs.
PINK TEA PRISON RESULTS
From the New York Press (Prog.)
Rocco Scalzo’s escape from Sing Sing
and the way it happened will go far toward
confirming thinking New Yorkers in their
judgment of the menace which lurks in
Thomas Mott Osborne's pink tea rule. The
warden tells how’ he gathered his “boys’’
together after they had seen a movie
called "The Heart of a Painted Woman,"
find told them he would not resign; that
if he quit it would be because he was
“kicked out."
The prisoners have become politicians.
They knew all about the friction between
the warden and his superior, the superin
tendent. of prisons. And they knew that
fourscore of them were to be removed
from Sing Sing to other penitentiaries. Sc
one of their number, his mind full of pris
on politics and burning, no doubt, with
the injustice of possibly having to serve
the rest of his term under discipline, sac
rificed his “honor" and walked away.
"Both the warden and his deputy agree
that it has always been possible for trust
ed men to escape from prisons and always
will be," says a friendly account. Quite
so. Prisoners have escaped from Sins
Sing before and doubtless will again. Bui
perhaps not because they were fed up bj
wardens on stories of injustice about tc
be done them through having to submil
to discipline.
And, at any rate, a more interesting
and significant fact is the warden’s ad
| mission that he believes one of his sub
j ordinates erroneously reported the mar
within the walls at the 5:30 o'clock rol
call, while the warden believes that as
a matter of fact Scalzo took his leave a
about 2 o’clock. Scalzo had nine hours
start, because under the free and easj
God bless everybody" regime, officers
as well as convicts become lax, and i
o’clock roll call was “scamped." How
many times before have such essentia
duties been neglected recently? And w'ha
• will happen next in Sing Sing? A trag
edy?
JEWS ON THE FARM
From Farm Life.
There’s a labor bureau in New York
where they furnish Hebrew farm hands
Often these Jewish immigrants hav«
never seen a farm. They are most up
promising material, so far as looks count
undersized. oddly dressed, and "green" it
a ridiculous degree.
i Yet there is something about the Jev
| that impels him to "make good" w hereve:
j you put him on the job. He is intelligent
! tireless, sober, and kind to animals. .Leon
lard Robinson, manager of the Jew is!
Agricultural society, says he has secure*
farm jobs for 5000 Jews, and "the farm©
who has once tried the Hebrew labore
is certain to want the same kind again.’
The children of Israel were farmers it
Abraham's time, and there is some, dee]
seated instinct in the race that cause;
them to turn easily from trading to agrl
culture.
i
| IN HOTEL LOBBIES |
Liked the Kettli? Intmlew
"it is safe to say that no feature of
Tuesday's Age-Herald attracted as much
attention as Mr. Kettig’s interview on
the cotton situation," said Leo K.
Steiner. "Mr. Kettig is right. The Wash
ington government can and should in
duce Great Britain to modify its block
ade so as to allow cotton to be shipped
to the continent. With the embargo on
our staple lifted, the price of cotton
would jump up and the south would
then boom as other sections of the
country are now booming.
"The people of the cotton states
should bring the matter forcibly to the
attention of President Wilson. The
President, I feel sure, would act.
“As Mr. Kettig says, this is the time
when all southern people should be
pro-south."
On Driving nil Automobile
"My chauffeur was ill today, and I es
sayed to run my car,*’ said H. N. Long
fellow with a sigh. "It has been ‘some
day,’ believe me. It looks awfully easy
to see a chauffeur drive a car, but when
"ne attempts to manipulate the levers and
pedals and wheel at the same time one
is apt to get up in the air and do the
wrong thing with the result that the
engine is stalled.
"I have watched my chauffeur drive so
long and have been told so many times
how to work the gears that I felt confi
dent I could manage the machine without
difficulty. I took my seat behind the
wheel nonchantly and started the en
gine. Then I pushed the clutch in,
shifted my gear low, as I thought, and
let my clutch ease in. The engine choked
and looking down, I discovered that the
(ar was still on high gear and of course
would not start.
"The next time I got my lever into low
speed all right, but I was so absorbed
in the working of the levers that I forgot
the steering wheel, and when I looked up
the car was almost into the curb. Then
I had to stop the car, and in doing so
choked the engine again.
"I finally got so that 1 could operate
the car with a minimum of speed, but I
have been on needles and pins the entire
day. Believe me, the chauffeur hasn’t
as easy a time as it appears."
Activity in Hutldlng Operations
"Last spring there was very little
building here, but it is different now,’
>«aid Charles M. Allen, the contractor.
"W ithin the past few weeks work has
been started on several handsome
houses, and before the summer is over all
builders will be very busy. The
outlook becomes brighter every day.”
Prosperity In the North
"Judging from the briskness of trade
in many northern cities, the promised
era of prosperity s«*ems to have ar
rived," said Charles P. Lepps of Chi
cago.
"Industrial centers are scenes of ac
tivity that remind one of the boom
days of 1906. And as for the west,
all branches of business are reaching
new high records.
“1 P to a few weeks ago business
in Chicago was ‘spotty.’ Conditions
were not normal. But today we arc
in the boom procession. The ending
of the builders’ strike was a great
thing for Chicago. The building trades
are now rushed and the real estate
market, long dull, is once more full
of life. More new buildings will be
erected in Chicago within the next 12
months than in any like period for
several years past."
Experts to Take Western Trip
"Since leaving St. Vincent's 1 have been
gaining my strength slowly but surely and
expect to be well enough to attend the
convention of the supreme council of the
Knights of Columbus, which meets soon i
in Seattle." said M. E. Linnehan of Lin
nehan & Maeherg, who was seriously ill
for many weeks.
"I have been doing office work for sev
eral days and have reason to hope that
I will have no backset.”
^ Splendid Executive Ability
"Much credit, is due Oscar C. Turner
for his work and leadership in bringing
the Birmingham Newspaper club member
ship campaign to such a successful termi
nation." said E. C. Robertson, who piloted
the winning team of the "Flying
Squadron” to victory.
"Never has Mr. Turners spiendld ex
ecutive ability shown to better advantage
than in this grueling campaign. We had
an uphill undertaking from the begin
ning. While it is true that the news
paper club is the most magnificent in
stitution of its kind in the worm, it is
also true that the field had been well
worked before our campaign began. The
Young Men's Christian association, the
Athletic club, the Country club, the
Southern club and finally the Roebuck
Springs club had offered special * attrac
tions to secure additional members with
varying success. This naturally affected
to some extent our chances for success.
All obstacles were surmounted and the
campaign under the leadership of Mr.
Turner came to a triumphant close Mon
day night, with 345 news memberships.
Such success speaks for itself." 1
At Home and Abroad
"I find business here very much im
proved within the past few months,"
remarked J. A. LaPointe. in charge of
sales for the American Radiator com
pany in the Birmingham district.
"Our Birmingham plant has been
operating five days a week almost all
the year and is at this time well sup
plied with orders. There has been
scarcely any letup at aU in our line
here this summer, ancl we anticipate
exceedingly heavy local orders In the
near future. I keep in touch with arch
itects here and visit their offices oc
1 taslonally. Things look good now* and
my recent report to headquarters re
ported a bright outlook.
1‘As is generally known, my com
pany operates a number of large
plants in different sections of the
country. It was only about three
years ago that, our large factory was
erected at North Birmingham and this
plant supplies the south with radiation
equipment.
"The American Radiator company,
by the way, also has a number of
plants in Europe—two in Germany, one
In Austria, one- or two in France, and
one in Italy. Our European interests
are at this time in a rather exposed
condition, especially those located in
Germany and Austria, which would,
perhaps, be confiscated in the event of
L war with this country. However, if
1 the European war will only come to an
end these plants will certainly be
flooded with orders.”
WE HAVE
> From the Louisville Courier-Journal,
i "Nothing is more contrary than human
nature,” observes the Birmingham Age
1 Herald. Ever drive a mule?
|
Troy Messenger: The merchants should
aid the farmers in their petitions to the
President to force England to give up her
cotton blockade.
Gadsden Evening Journal: Announce
ment has been made that Alabama has
returned to Uncle Sam the 15,000.000 which
she borrowed last fall. Times are bettor.
• -
Dothan Eagle: Probably the best way
to make the courts do less work is to ed
ucate the people.
Anniston Evening Star: It*’s quite un
natural that there should be two wings to
the liquor question in Red Wing, Minn.,
as we understood that we prohibitionists
had a monopoly on the wings.
Gadsden Tlmes-News: Conditions in
Mexico grow worse. The people are starv
ing even in the capital and there is r.o
telling what is realy happening in the
several war zones.
• -*-X
WORSE THAN THE GERMANS
From the Nashville Banner.
Seme people are beginning to believe
that what happened to the Rheims ca
thedral wasn't a circumstance to what
happened to the Nashville city hall.
NOT MEANT FOR HUMOR
From the Atlanta Constitution.
The answers of school children in their
examination papers are not to be taken
humorously. While there may be ama
teur humorists among the pupils, it is
presumed that they are perfectly seri
ous when it comes to writing themselves
down for a promotion record.
That is why there has been such general
comment on an article by a writer who
says he examined the papers of certain
pupils of a public school in Philadelphia,
in which the following answer to various
questions were given:
Benjamin Franklin is the founder of
electricity.
George Washingon was a land savory.
Lord Raleigh was the first man to see
the invisible Armada. (English.)
Tennyson wrote “In Memorandum.”
Tennyson also wrote a poem called
"Grave’s Energy.”
Louis .XVI was gelatlned during the
French revolution.
Lincoln had a woman make him a suit
of homespun from rails which he had
split. They were hickory rails, hence
hickory Phlrts.
Franklin produced electricity by rub
bing cats backwards.
The minority is composed of the. minors.
The spoils system: The place where
spoiled things and waste are kept. The
board of health has largely taken the
place of this.
However the above answers may strike
the reader, similar ones have been given
by pupils of other cities, notably not long
since by children of a New York city pub
lic school district, where there was evi
dence of even greater “darkness of ignor
ance.”
Naturally, the towns where school chil
dren make such Illuminating answers do
not like the publicity of print, but that is
the best'thing that could happen for them.
Their school teachers will doubtless take
care that/the youthful mind is more accu
rately informed in future in the various
departments of school instruction.
HOW MEN MAINTAIN MATRIMONY
From the Chicago Daily News.
In defense of the second best sex one
may serenely submit the findings of the
sage and philosophical marriage license
clerk of Detroit, who says that more men
than women make a second venture into
matrimony. This fact speaks well for one
sex. Which one, it is not expedient to say.
But it shows that the matrimonial institu
tion has the unqualified support of the sex
that is popularly supposed to disregard its
ties.
Dr. Samuel Johnson defined a second
marriage as “the triumph of hope over
experience." But the cynical doctor, de
spite his first happy matrimonial venture,
never essayed a second, so his saying
must be put down as one of those epi
grams that are too clever to be true.
However, it moves one to thought. It
may. after all, represent the sentiment
of the lovelier rather than the more lov
ing sex. Dr. Johnson may have spoken
for the widow, whose axiom, according
to the Detroit statistician, is “Once bitten
twice shy.” It is the men, we are re- 1
minded, who remarry.
Thus speculation takes a wider flight.
Do the men who remarry choose inexper
ienced girls because the widow's know
better? Are girls more attractive than
widows to widowers? Do the widows
sternly refuse to take a second chance?
It is a large subject and on it there is
no one, perhaps, to speak authoritatively.
Still, consider the remark of an elderly
and wealthy citizen of Iowa, who, after
long hesitation between the twm, chose
for his bride a comparatively unattractive
spinster rather than a young and buxom
widow. Explaining his course to a confi
dertfial friend, he said: “I decided that
it was better to he a surprise than a dis
appointment.”
WHY IT COSTS TOO MUCH
From Farm Life.
Could anything be more wasteful than
the method of delivering milk in the city?
It takes on the average nine wagons to
carry the bottles to each block, when one
could do the business just as well, and so
much easier.
In Washington, where the government
has just completed an investigation, the
retail milkmen drive about 5000 miles a
day. wrhen there are only 500 miles of
streets. Each one of the 250 wagons drives
over 18 miles a day. If they could divide
up the territory, to avoid duplication of
routes, each wagon would need to drive
only two miles a day to cover the city.
This practice is about as sensible as
having a farmer hitch 10 horses to a
buggy, or for a ralroad company to put
10 conductors on a trolley car.
No wonder the cty people complain that
milk is high, while the farmer complains
it is low'. When it takes 250 men with
wagons to do the work of 25 or 30 in one
city—with conditions probably averaging
no better over the country—it certainly
costs too much to deliver milk.
We like to see good healthy competition.
We are opposed to monopolies. But we
wish for everybody's sake that the retail
milk dealer could inaugurate a more sen
sible system of delivering his goods.
OLD FEUD REVIVES
From the Chattanooga News.
There is a report abroad that the old
feud between Lord Kitchener and Sir
John French has broken out afresh. The
war minister has furnished the general
commanding nearly 2.000,000 troops, but
he makes no progress along his short
30 miles of front in France. Joffre Is
restive over the delay. France has brought
up its last man. The French are holding
over 300 miles of front with but few more
men than the British. It is said in Eng
land that either French of Kitchener will
have to go. No doubt it will be the for
mer. He complained bitterly about be
- -- ■ ..... --
HAND IN HANDj
adrift"with the times "
AN OUTING.
Close by a river rolling
On its journey to the sea,
Some happy-hearted morning,
Is where I’d like to be,
The sunshine all around me
And a bird’s song in a tree.
Above the blue sky bending,
Below a tranquil scene.
And perfume of wild flowers,
And plots of grasses green
And groups of sighing willow’s
That o’er the waters lean.
The fish might not be biting—
I should not greatly care,
Just so sw’eet sounds and odors
Were wafted to me there
And still my glad eyes roving,
Saw brightness everywhere.
SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE.
"Pa, what is poverty?"
"Poverty, n.v boy," said the Struggling
father of nine, "is a standing invitation
to the stork.”
SPARING HER FEELINGS.
"I never see Miss Gadders without her
summer furs."
"She’s determined to be fashionable at
all costs.”
"Yes. Her thoughtful parents have hid
den the family thermometer so she can’t
see how hot it is.”
NO DOUBT OF IT.
"Here's an interesting pamphlet en
titled. ’How to Play Golf Without Pro
fanity * ”
"Just so.”
"I presume it is intended for people
who never take anything seriously.”
THE INCOMPLETE GARDENER.
A garden isn't hard to make.
You get yourself a hoe and rake.
And then read books until at last »
The time to plant the stuff is past.
—Washington Star.
A plant that suits me wondrous well.
The reason why I fain would tell;
One does not then both toil and fret
And Just a crop of blisters get.
A NICE DISTINCTION.
"Mr. Chlgley!" said the professor of eco
nomics in a sharp tone.
"Er—yes. sir," replied the startled stu
dent. whose eyes had been glued for 15
minutes on the profile of a fair co-ed.
"The subject for this morning is femin
ism, not femininity.”
LOCATED.
"I wonder if there really is such a thing
as matrimonial felicity.” mused the phi
losopher. )
"Certainly,” replied the cynic. "You
svill find the substantive in the dictionary
under 'F' and the qualifying adjective un
der M.' ”
MISTAKES WILL HAPPEN.
“Is this a genuine antique?" asked the *
prospective victim.
"Why, yes," answered the dealer. "It is <
more than 600 years old.” j
"Remarkable! It Is dated '1912.' "
"Let me see. Hum! That's the fault
of my careless assistant,, who put the
numerals on wrong. It should be 1219.' ”
ing supplied with the wrong kind of
shells, but despite this costly mistake
Kitchener seems to have the confidence
of the British government and people.
A good many resignations of command
ing officers already have taken place. In
one respect Kitchener has shown great
ability. He seems to know the advertising
game, though he would never talk for
publication to a reporter.
THE PRICE OF CAPITAL
From- the Philadelphia record.
With enormous amounts of the
world's wealth burning up, and thrown
away, and worn out on European bat
tle fields It is inevitable that the price
of capital should rise. The rate at wnich
capital Is destroyed is bound to in
crease as the war continues. The Brit
ish government is paying 4 Vi per cent
for money instead of 3Vb per cent early
in the war and 2 Vs per cent before the
war. The needs of the belligerents have
led to the sale of American bonds, not
in great amounts, but to an extent large
enough to affect the supply, and there
fore the price. The world is likely to
feel the shortage of capital for a long
time after peace shall be restored, and
higher rental values for capital are to
be expected.
New York has just made a sale of
$71,000,000 in bonds. They pay 4 Vi per
cent and brought a small premium. The
return to the investor was 4.437 per
cent in the ease of the 50-year bonds
and 4.297 per cent in the case of the
serial bonds.
In 1907 that city sold 4Vi per cents at
prices that netted the investor 4.39 on
one issue and 4.46 on another issue. In
1908 and 1909 the city sold 4 per cent
bonds; in 1910 to 1912 the sales were of
4 Vi per cents, and from 1913 to tlie
present the bonds have been 4 Vis, except
one issue of 4 ^ s. The return to the in
vestor declined from nearly 4 Vi to less
than 4 foTiSix issues in 1908 and 1309.
In one case* the return was as low as
3.S2 per cent. For the past five years
the return to the investor lias been rio
ing from 4.155 to 4.437 for $46,000,000
of the bonds sold on Tuesday. One issue
tw’o years ago gave a return of 4.40.
but. apart from this, the increase was
tolerably constant.
[ The increased value of money, there
fore, is not a new' thing. It has been
going on for five years. The fowrest
return was during a period of serious
depression, when men were afraid to
risk capita-1 and the safety of bonds
was especially alluring. But the return
of 4.437 on the part of the bonds soid
on Tuesday may be contrasted with
4.18, the return on bonds sold a year
ago last April, as indicating some in
fluence of war finance.
The increase is not large. But money
has been over-abundant In our markets
because of the interruption of trade by
the war and the lack of inviting oppor.
tunities for investment. We are only
beginning to feel the effect of the war
upon the demands for capital; and it
must also be recognized that business
has been Improving here, and that the
industrial demand for- capital at home
Is Improving. But the result of the war
can hardly be other than to increase
rates of interest for a considerable
period.
KILLS FLIES WITH ELECTRICITY
William Semmler, in Farm and Fireside.
A quick method of killing flies and
other insects is to exterminate them with
electricity. Anyone who has electric
power can make an effective fly destroyer.
To make the contrivance one selects
a fair-sized dish or pan which is covered
by a nonconducting substance, preferably
of wood having an elliptical hole cut
across the center. Lengthwise of this
hole a coil of wire wound on a core of
wood is placed. This insulating core is
made preferably three-cornered or pyra
mid shaped, the apex uppermost so the fly
or insect which is shocked when it comes
into contact with the wire wound core1 #
drops off Into the pan below. The core is
wired closely, and Just as soon as a
fly touches the wire a connection is made "
and the insect killed.
The wires of the core are extended by
cord to any electric iight socket. No
current is used u*til a connection is made
by the insect touching the wires. 4
In order to attract the fly or Insect to
the fly killer the dish underneath is partly
filled with glycerin mixed with denatur
ated alcohol, which gives off a sweet
odor. \
Any insect not killed at once by touch
ing the charged wires is drowned when it
lands in. the dish.
WHY WOMEN HATE THE WAR
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
About 900 colors are known to dyers, and
only 100 of these are made in the United
States. One can’t blame the women for
hating a war that makes them get along
with a measly hundred colors.
HEFERRED TO TIRPITZ
From the Chicago Dally News.
A Turkish armed transport, the Nagara.
was held up in the Sea of Marmora and
examined by a British submarine before
being sunk. Respectfully referred to Ad
miral Von Tlrpitz.
VERY SURPRISING
From the Mobile Register.
“Holt was in New Orleans."—New Or
leans Times-Picayune. That doesn't mat- /
ter. The surprising thing is that it has
not been claimed so far that Holt was in
Atlanta.
THE PROPER POSITION
From the Arkansas Gazette.
Uncle Joe Cannon is going to help work
the roads at Danville next week. We sup
pose the overseer win put him In charge
of the steam roller.
A PRAYER
By Antoinette Kinney Harman.
As I lay me down to rest.
Pillowed head upon Thy breast.
Slumber sweet will come to me,
While my spirit turns to Thee.
Thou refresheet mind and soul.
Helping me toward lift's goal; J
I leave my burden, labeled ' care'’
To my God. who hears my prayer.
I commend all those I love,
To my Father, we say “above,”
But I know he le right here, X,
And I sleep without a fear. .......