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THE RICE BELT JOURNAL WELSH PTG. CO., LTD........Pubs. WELSH : : : : : LOUISIANA THE HAY FEVER PEOPLE. Ti"hreF is a national hay fever assocl ation whiih meets lup in New flamp shire- in August. Of course it will dis cuss the causes of this aristocratic dis tress, and one of the causes that will ibe considered relates to the effect of arious plants, says the Ohio State Journ±al. Amlong these are the golden rod, the ragweed and the Indiain corn, all of whi(ch are accused of this griev ois assault on the human race. This discussion is particularly interesting because each of these flowers has its Fturdy advocates for the honor of be ing called the national flower, and against them all, the hay fever associ ation is preparing to utter its most urgent protest. 'l'he hay fever people have no candidate for this honor, for tlhey look with suspicion upon all flow ers while the dogstar rages. Some affirmative action they will doubtless take, and that is in favor of p)utting on the free list all manufactured handker (hiefs, and all raw material used In their production. A long account whic'h tells of theose things and many ior:e, says the association, will open with the singing of the anthem, "lIlow, bugles, blow, set the wild echoes fly ing." Careful observers in the great crop states agree with opinions that have been expressed as to the outlook for wheat. The generai L'e!!ef appears to be that, with no serious setbacK, rite chances are favorable to a larger yield than last year. The estimate of the New York Journal of Commerce that the output is fairly certain to reach £:5,(00,000 bushels, and may go to 700.000,000 bushels, is much within bounds, according to such. judges as the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, which, taking the latest report of conditions made to the department of agriculture, figures therefrom a possible crop of 705.000,000 bushels, against 664,000,000 in 1908. If these figures shall be veri lied after the harvesting has been com pleted they will mean that the 1909 wheat crop has been equaled but twice in the history of the country-in 1901, when the total was 748,460,000 bush els, and in 1906, when the aggregate was 735,260,000 bushels. The corn crop, the greatest of all, and which last year beat all records, is still to be heard from, and necessarily will en counter more risks than wheat, which matures earlier, but so far the outlook is promising. A foreign historian, who has been visiting this country, and is naturally writing about it, says that the ex posure of financial scandals in the Uni ted States is not to be taken as evi dence of general corruption, but, on the contrary, as a moral upheaval. He says that the revelation of this corrup tion and the outbreak of public opin ion, leading to a regeneration of con ditions, would be impossible in Europe, where the corruption would be Ig nored, if not required to be exposed for political or grafting means. Conse quently, what looks like a national scandal is really a credit to the under lying morality of the American people. To be so written about by a returned visitor is so unusual that this writer deserves a Carnegie medal. g New York Is about to build a 31 story hotel that is to be the highest in the world, but, as most visitors to that town can painfully testify, in one important respect its hotels were ale ready the highest. A general feeling of security is said to have followed the new sultan's proc lamation, but a loaded six-shooter in one's hand doubtless adds weight to the ulase. Seveeteen pairs of shoes have been ordered from America for the Dutch royal baby. Somebody in Holland real. izes how fast children wear out shoes. The Chinese in China have organ ized what they call "The Chinese American Friends society." Bully for old friend China.'. 'N-- - " A dosen new ge -,n ,ve been dis covered in a $10 bill. We'li have to give up that habit of kissing ou. mi ey good-by. Students of the University of Cali fornia have an epidemic of engage ments, but they cheerfully endure its ravages. The debt the world owes to its noble mothers is one that can never be repaid. We suppose there'li be just enough change in new straw hat shapes to put your last summer's lid out of style. One of the sweet things about a monarchy is the rejoicing when the king's horse wins the Derby. French poets talk of going on a strike. The public views the situation with some complacency. No baseball fan considers the crops when rain is interfering with the na ,tional sport. SERIAL STORY THE VANISHING FLEETS By ROY NORTON ILLUSTRATED BY A. WEIL Cpipyriht, 19Ui, by The A..IaLted Sunday MaiazIut. SYNOPSIS. "Vanishing Fleats." a story of "what hnight Ii;ave happened, " ope.ns in Wash Ington w ith the I'nited States and Japan near war. (;uy lilli-ir, secretary of the l:ritish embassy, anl Mliss Nornma Rob erts, clhif aidte of Illvlltor Roberts, are lntrodeIrd as lovrs. . Japan declares war anri] takes the Philipliut-s. Guy Iltither starts for Ilngland. Norma Roberts leaves Washina tou for the Florida coast. Hawaii is captured by the Japs. All ports are closed. Tok'yo larns of missing Jap antese tflet alt W\hole world becomes con vined that I 'tiit Staties has powerful war agency. ioglsanid decides to send a fleet to Amlllrin swaters as a Canadian protection against what the British sup pose is a terrible submarine Ilotilla. Iil lier is sent with a Im.ssage. Fleet mys teriously disappears. The kaiser is miss ing. King Edward of England is con fronted by Admiral Ntevins of the United States. The Dreadnaught, biggest of Eng land's warships, is disc overed at an im passable point in t!;e Thames. The story now goes back to a time many montlhs before the war breaks out, and Inventor Roberts visits tihe president and cabin(t, telling of and exhibiting a metal produc tion. This overcomes friction when elhc trifled and is to be applied to vessels to Increase speed to ove'r 5 miles an hour. A city for the manufacture of the mys terious discovery is built on the coast of Florida. IDr. Roberts' first attempt to elec trify plates proves at failure. In a second effort Norma Is knockeld unconscious. but the mystery of true levitation is solved. making the most important discovery of centuries. Roberts evolves a great flying machine, rendering warships useless. CHAPTER XVI.-Continued. There where the heart of the Amer ican government beat was nothing but anxiety and suspense. Each succeed ing day's events had made it more certain that Japan would force the is sue to war, and, like an athlete, was stripping and training for the fight. The men who had taken upon them selves the tremendous responsibility of intrusting the nation's defense to a single discovery, and were backing it with funds for which they must ac count some day, saw the days slipping by, and grimly realized that they were Irrevocably bound to the success or failure on the key. It was too late now to attempt other projects, and glory or defeat hung suspended on the issue. No reports had been received, and no news had come from that deter mined little army that had sailed away to the south. Hence it was with some thing of a shock that the first word received was to the effect that the dry dock could not be utilized. It seemed like the first dread handwriting em blazoned on the wall, foretelling fail ure, disaster, disgrace and war, and the president as he read It quoted with inexpressible sadness: "Mene, Mene, Tekel-" and his half-opened lips framed the rest. Then followed the requisition for supplies, and once again before any detailed report had been received came another demand. The Island in the solitude seemed an insatiable monster, devouring national funds and giving back nothing in return. More days went by, bringing nothing save distressing stories from the orient, where a clash had taken place at Che mulpo between Japanese sailors and American marines. This was of such serious nature that apologies were tendered the Japanese embassy, and then from the entire country burst a storm of protest and reiterated criti cisms of the administration, which was contumaciously accused of showing the white feather. From the western coast came appeal on appeal, the whole Pacific seaboard calling atten tion to its unprotected state and the imminence of Its danger. Distressed and irate at the dearth of Information, the secretary of the navy was on the point of sendnld a message to Brockton dema=artis news, when he received from .Miami the terse message that in two nights more the admiral would re)rt in person. That he bore notIi'g but a tale of disap pointment was surmised from the closing .~ords of the admiral, who re quosted that all those who had been party to the project should assemble secretly as before at the White House after nightfall. Haggard and worn, they came to gether, read the brief dispatch and waited. The president, his melan choly face set and grave, looked at them from cavernous eyes; but could offer no consolation. There was noth ing to do but wait-sit and wait-for that messenger of ill omen who was to sound the knell of hope and tell what letters had been combined to spell the word "failure." In hushed voices they discussed the situation, and tried to evolve some( project for its alleviation. And then without preliminary an noulncelment the do(or 'swung open un delr the hand of the president's private secretary. and there stood framed in it the huge form of the admiral, his hand at salute, his eyes shining in triumph. and back of him stood Norma, her fa ther and Jenkins. Brockton advanced to the president's desk, and faced him and the secretary of the navy. "I have come to deliver my report in person, and with me are those who have given this nation the greatest engine of war that science has ever known." The room was electrified; but the president sprang to his feet and threw up a restraining hand commanding si lence. "Well?" he queried, inviting further words; but Brockton's place had been taken by the shriveled figure of a diminutive old man, who put a trem bling hand out to his friend and in a voice of affection, hushed but exultant, exclaimed: "Paul, Paul, we've made good!" The other's hand came out to meet his, and the only sound heard was the president's fervent, "Thank God! Thank God!" The gates of repression and emotion were down. These men had been tried to the breaking point, and now, when in one moment their skies had cleared, they gave way. They hugged each other, repeatedly shook hands, and in the eyes of some there were un restrained tears. They crowded round the little group from the key and admonished each other to silence. "Gentlemen," said the inventor, "we have rendered warships useless. We need no armor! Increased speed on the waters is of no value to us. W'e have created a machine that flies, not a thing of gas, of planes, or a kite. We cannot explain here as well as if you were to go with us and see it, and what use we have made of your money." The secretary of the navy looked disappointed. His mind was too in tensely practical to jump to happy con clusions. "Can a flying machine whip a battle ship?" he asked, and would have continued; but the admiral brought his fist down on the desk with a mighty bang. "This one alone might do it! The others we'll have ready before they are called upon can whip the world." He stopped as if abashed by his own enthusiasm and lack of etiquette, looked at the president and the sec retary apologetically, and then in a less tempestuous voice went on: "All we ask is that you come with us-so no one may see you, of course-and then you'll have no cause for com plaint." His request was reasonable; but they were curious. After brief discus sion and arrangement they decided to go in motor cars, which many of those present knew how to drive, and within half an hour the entire party was whirling away through the side streets of the city, out into the resi dence sections, through long avenues of trees, past suburban homes, and finally to their destination. The night was lighted only by the stars, which failed to disclose that strange monster of marvelous metal and unprecedented power which loomed up dimly before them in the field. It stood there on the stubble, dark and inert, massive and without grace, like some gigantic turtle of a prehistoric age. Sentries halted them as they approached even as in time of strife, and compelled them to expose their identity. They went aboard while the admiral stood at the door waiting for the guard to come within, the last one explaining a slight delay by saying he thought for a moment that he had heard a noise as of some one creeping over the field, but had found nothing. "Sorry we can't illuminate," the in. venter explained; "but we shall a lit tle later after you have seen how it works." Jenkins threw a lever, and the heavy doors over the port came to with a dull metallic clang and were clasped. Within a little hooded space for ward a-dim light exposed great bani, of levers, switches and diats, and by its faint rays they found seats im provised for the occasion. Roberts threw out a nand, and the hum of gre,* sa amos told that machinery jad been set in motion. Back of them, in another apartment so closely screened that no streak of light might expose their presence to the outside world, they saw Jenkins and a junior engineer watching the play of the wheels. Norma took her place beside her father. They felt vibrant shocks as the great airship throbbed and quivered, and then, save for the song of the machinery, all was serenely quiet and motionless. There was no sensation whatever, and they began vaguely to wonder when the flight was to take place, if that was the intention of their hosts. The voice of the ad miral, pent with elation, called: "Mr. President and gentlemen, if you will all lean over back of you and look down you may see something." They obeyed with a promptness that suggested some nerve strain, and saw that they had been seated over broad glass plates of great thickness, while far below was an unanticipated picture. They had left the earth with that first preliminary jar, and now saw on its surface, pricked out by the lights, the streets of the national capi tal. They were already a mile above it and rapidly gaining higher altitudes. the horizon where other lights shone in the far distance expanding saucer like while they gazed. The sea, with here and there a slow-moving ship, came before their vision, and a little dotting of fire exposed a railway train crawling along on its journey. It was as if the earth had fallen away into space and they alone were in a posi tion of security and solidity. "We shall require four hours of your time at least," the admiral called, and with starts of surprise they looked to where he stood outlined against the light of the hoods, finding it hard to realize that they were not addressed by a being of another world. The of ficer leaned over to the secretary of the navy and added: "I am going to give you our preliminary report, which will save writing it." Sessions made no reply, but turned to his interrupted scrutiny of the pan orama on which the others were intent once more. They were being lifted higher and higher, and in this recession of the earth, its lights, which only a few moments before had been far apart. now appleared as spangles on a vast field of black. Above them through a transparency in the roof the stars in the clarity of the rarefied atmosphere gleamed brighter, throwing outward into the pall long scintillating arrows of fire. The strange creation of an abnormal old man and his daughter, the Magic Carpet of fable realized, swept upward into the dome of the sky, veering outward over the silent reaches of the ocean, and then, like a A Clash Had Taken Place at Chemulpo. great auk in homing flight. swung off in a wide tangent toward the south western void, carrying them at a speed which they could not reckon. Below was nothing more to claim their atten tion; so, silent and spellbound, they turned to discover what they might within this shell of mystery. Forward, where the hood was glow ing dimly, they saw the inventor stand ing calmly attentive to his task and scanning the faces of indicators be fore him, some of which they con celved must tell of altitudes, direction or forces under subjection. In the glare immediately betore him, bring ing out his face in Rembrandtesque relief, he seemed a patriarch whose superior knowledge had elevated him above the common paths of men and placed him on such an exalted plane of intelligence that he wa8 beyond a standard of comparison. The consciousner- that they were far above the taveled paths of all time lost its terrifying sense of strangeness x.nd uncertainty, and they learned to trust this structure of metal whose great enlivened masses, en trailed with machinery, was hurtling with them through the night. The QoJde within was not sufficient to pre vent easy conversation; but they sat as men stricken dumb, being carried away into captivity by some dread ma gician of more singular power than was ever portrayed in Persian tales. "Stand clear of the shutters, gentle men!" the scientist called, turning his face in their direction, and they leaned forward just as Norma pressed a button. A sharp clashing noise smote their ears, and when next they looked at the ports they were shut off by metallic slides. Again the girl touched a button, and instantly the interior of the radioplane was flooded with sil very light. It was a disappointment, for sight gave no elucidation of the secret. A low roof of unpainted metal arched above them. In one end were ordinary electrical dynamos, a motor, and a polished electrical apparatus which they could not understand, and beyond this, outside the hoods, there was nothing whatever; only the signs of hurried work, rough, unpainted, and unpaneled, Rude benches, evidently pli.rd t~t this oea:.'on only, couM prised all the trappings and fnrnish ings of this monster that was the van guard of mlodern tra;ns)port ation, and in whose keeling rested the nation's strength. They had expected in tricaeies of construction; but before them was simplicity. They had pdc tured strange manifestations of elec trical scince; but only a compact mass of brass rods and gleaming tubes was visible. The admiral read their un worded curiosity. "I can't explain it quite," he said. "Dr. Roberts will tell you all about it pretty soon, when he can get away from piloting the ship. Look oirt for the shutters again. Norma is going to open them and shut off the lights. We are at our journey's end." A clash, a flash, and again they were in darkness, and with one accord they turned to the reopened ports. Beneath them now glittered the arc lights of the plant on the lonely is land which they had peopled. The great blast furnace was spouting to ward them showers of glowing sparks and sheets of writhing flame, and be fore it, dwarfed by height into squatty gnomes, were those who incessantly fed it. The windows of the machine shops were limned in squares of white, and out to one side, throwing its searchlight to and fro, there steamed a gunboat, while afar on the other boundary of the key its sister ship kept equally vigilant patrol. Industry was spread before them-industry be tokening that night and day were be ing devoted to the country's need; telling through the hum of wheels and the roaring of the blast that the eagle from his lone aerie was sharpening his talons for the impending struggle, a,,d preparing for a resistless flight into the red sun of war. Dumfounded and unable to com prehend that in so short a time they had been transported a distance which by all known methods would have taken a couple of days to trav erse, they stared at the scene opening to their view, and while this bewilder ment continued the radioplane began a rapid descent in wide. sweeping cir cles, daintily picked out an open spot immediately in front of the plant, and gently came to rest. CHAPTER XVII. To Meet the Enemy. A great ribbon of light from the watchful Columbia perforated the night, and as they emerged from the flying monster they discovered in this flaming pathway of white a line of shells similar to that which had con veyed them to the island. From the one nearest came the steady resound ing beat of hammers and the voices of men who were equipping it within, pre paratory to transforming the dead, in active mass of metal into a thing of ebullient life and incredible activity. "Completing them at the rate of two a day now, gentlemen," informed Brockton, as he led the party toward the machine shop, which was the near. est building. And this they were to learn was the story of the camp: Ac complishment, accomplishment-every. thing sacrificed to accomplishment! There was no recess from industry when they entered the shed-like build, ing, and go where they would they saw nothing but men working like mad, who merely looked up from their occupations, saluted, and then resumed their tasks as though the president of the United States and his most emi nent advisers were not of sufficient im portance to excuse delay. Here was a little army of men, expert in their sev eral lines, comprehending the neces sity for haste, and imbued with only one Idea: That their efforts were for their country. Soldiers were they who in other times would have shut their jaws and grimly stormed through shot and shell; but were now doing no less valiant acts when with every turn of a wheel or every blow of.a hammer they threw mind, muscle and heart into the uprearing of the nation's de fense. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Responsiblity. Some one has said truly that respon sibility walks hand in hand with ca. paclty and power. Little is expected of the incapable. The very mention of duty, task, responsibility weighs like a burden upon the minds of weak men and women. Every one must have met men of good parts who will sedulously dodge anything like a re sponsibility. They shun everything like responsibility though high re wards may be offered. The mere thought of being held to strict acoount ability dismays them, and no remuner atlon and no honor are great enough to tempt them to leave the pleasant ways of peace to undertake a course which involves contention or strife, or even serious prolonged attention. Vocation. Every man has his own vocation. There is one direction in which all space is open to him. He has facul ties silently inviting him thither to endless exertion. He is like a ship in a river; he runs against obstruc tions on every side but one; on that side all obstruction is taaen away, and he sweeps serenely over a deepening channel into an infinite sea.-R. W. Emerson. They're All Suffragettes. 'Don't you wish you lived in Eng land ?" "Why?" "They imprison suffragettes over there." "How would that help me?" "You have a mother-in-law, haven't you?" As a Rule. "Pa, what is the high sign?" "The price mark on a woman's hat." "The Red City" of Bavaria I The numerous entrances to the old' town of Rothenburg are guarded by beautiful watch towers, which are in habited by impoverished old women, who rent their airy lodgings for a nominal sum. The red twinkle of their lamps high over the dusty streets of Rothenburg at night-for it is as medieval in its lightings as in many other ways-is very charming in effect. The walls of Rothenburg are a constant delight to visitors, who, by dint of much squeezing through narrow passageways and groping in darkness, are able to make a circuit of the city, getting glimpses, on the way, through loopholes, of the green country outside. Wondrous views of the town are also to be had from many of the distant hills. At sunset the sight of its graceful towers and cluster of red roof tops is like a fair vision of romance. The city blazes for a moment in a fiery mist, then suddenly melts, mirage-like, in the gathering dusk, leaving a sense of siomething born of dream, the illusion of an enchanter's wand.--From a Roth. enburg Letter to Vogue. --------- Mental Cure. "Do you think bee stings cure rhea. matism?" "No," answered Grandfa ther Stubbs, "but they're mighty like. ly to make you forget you've got it." TAKES LONG DROP ESGCAPES DEATH NEBRASKA AERONAUT HAS A THRILLING EXPEHIENCE IN TESTING FLYING MACHINE, USED BALLOON TO ASCEND Then Cut Loose and with His Newly Invented Air Craft Dropped 3,500 Feet in One Minute-Not Even Injured. Broken Pow, Neb.-.\ft:pr tumbling nearly three-quarters of a mile to the earth with his flying machine, Ur_ Sorenson is going to try it again. Sor. enson is the village blacksmith of Ber. wyn, Custer county, and the only liv. Ing aeronaut who has tried to ride 4 flying machine that he had cut loose from a balloon back to earth. back in 1904 a California a,:ronaut tried it three times. The first two times he escaped injury. The third time he was killed. Sorenson is the townt's mechanical genius. Down at his blacksmith shop he has been reading up for the last five years on aeronautics and has closely followed the exer!iments of Zeppelin, the Wrights and the others who have endeavored to conquer the air. For almost as many years he has been working on models of his own. Last week he llni~ted a machine which he believed would fly. On the afternoon of the test more than a thousand men, women and chil. dren, some of whom had driven 30 miles across the prairies to be pres. ent, gathered on the village green be. hind Sorenson's workshop to witness his ascent. To accustom himself to flights, Sorenson learned the trick of ballooning with parachute attachment, and for the last three years has had engagements at neighboring fairs. The balloon he used was inflated with hot air. At a signal it was let loose, and Sorenson, holding the para. chute, ascended with it until he reached the proper height. Then he automatically cut loose his parachute The Next instant it began to Whirl it opened and he floated gracefully to the ground. Sorenson got the idea that the same principle could be worked in connec tion with a flying machine. He built a machine on much the same plan as the Wright aeroplane. He inflated his big balloon, tied the machine to it with an attachment similar to that used with parachutes and gave the signal to let go the balloon. It shot up rapidly, and when about 3,500 feet above the earth he cut loose with the automatic knife. He expected that it would float, that he could guide it at will and ride safely to the ground upon it. He guessed wrong. In making the ascent he had to pull the machine up in a different position from that which it was expected to take when floating in the air. The moment before it left the earth the end of the machine thrashed upon the ground and the rudder and both wings were broken. He had three parallel bars running the length of the machine. One of them he straddled and the others were foot rests. Before he could reach the levers it was necessary for the ma chine to right itself. This it did after it had dropped a few hundred feet, but when he got hold of the levers he found they would not work. He realized in an instant what had hap pened, but he was helpless. A moment later the machine began to dip and duck and'then turned three complete somesaults. The next In stant it began to whirl at a rate es timated by Sorenson at about a hun dred times a minute, and continued It until it crashed upon the ground. The lapse of time from the cutting loose from the balloon until he struck the earth was about a minute. Sev eral of the spectators had pulled stop watches to ascertain how long he could remain in the air, and all caught it at 60 seconds. Sorenson retained his grip tron the poles and came down in a sitting ps" sition. Everyone expected to find him dead, but instead, he crawled out of the wreckage, and, beyond a limp, showed no injuries. Sorenson is not disheartened. He will try it again as soon a- he has gathered money enough to Lild an other machine.