Lower coast gazette. [volume], May 01, 1909, Image 1

About Lower coast gazette. [volume] (Pointe-a-la-Hache, La.) 1909-1925

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The Lower Coast Gazette.
DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF THE LOWER COAST: AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, FISHERIES ANDICOMMERCE.
VOLUME I. POINTE-A-LA-IACHE, LA., SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1909. NUMBER 18.
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NEWS OF OUR
COMMONWEALTH
Louisiana Events That Are of Interest
to This Section of the
State.
Schools Have Good Record.
Lake ('harles.-The parish schools
will close May 21, after one of the
most successful sessions ever held.
Three graded schools, De Ridder,
Merryville and Lake Arthur, qualified
for high schools, making five in the
parish, and the graded schools of
Vinton, Oakdale and Welsh will qual
ify next year, bringing the total up
to eight. Figures given by the parish
assessor in 1907 placed the number
of children of school age throughout
the parish at 11,582. Figures for the
year ending December, 1908, place the
number of children actually attending
school at 11,377. Of these 9,194 are
white and 1,383 colored. The city
schools embrace 2,021, of whom 1,510
are white and 511 colored. For the
year ending December, 1908, there
were 168 schools in the parish and
210 teachers. At present there are
170 schools and 220 teachers.
Order Issued For Militia Encampment.
Baton Rouge.-The following order
for the National Guard encampment
to be held at Alexandria July 12 has
been issued: (1) The National Guard
of Louisiana is ordered into a camp
of instruction, near Alexandria, La.,
July 12 to 21, inclusive. Officers and
men participating will receive the
same pay, subsistence and transpor
tation as is provided by law for the
officers and men of the regular army,
the same to be paid out of the appro
priation under section 14 of the act
of Congress, approved January 21,
1903, R. S. 1,661, as amended. (2) Fur
ther detailed orders will follow, with
announcement of details of general
and staff officers, which are limited
by the appropriations. The state of
Louisiana will request the United
States 'War Department for three
standing army instructors, one for
cavalry, one for infantry and one for
rifle practice.
High School Completely Destroyed.
Arcadia.-The Central High School
building caught fire and was burned
to the ground last week. The fire is
supposed to have caught from elec
tric wires in the belfry. The value
of the, building and equipment was
about $20,000, with insurance of $14,
000. Before the fire had exhausted
itself it was determined by all citi
zens to erect a building that would
surpass the one just destroyed,
which was already the handsomest
and most modern in this section.
School will open at the September
term in a building modern and up-to
date in every particular. Tyhe school
will be continued in the pdblic read
lag room and in the churches. There
will be ten graduate*, who will re
ceive their diplomas May 21.
Prevent Damage From Overflow.
Crowley.--Dr. Francis B. Martin,
Street Commissioner Toler and Su
pierintendept Durio have started a
movement to prevent disastrous over
flows of the Crowley Drainage Canal,
which occur after every heavy rain.
Sdestroying property and affecting the
health of the community. It is pro
posed to divert the drainage of about
2,000 acres of land east of the cdity,
which now flows through the drain
age canal, so that it will flow north
before it strikes the canal. Surveys
are being made. Since the proposal
of the city qouncll that the city
build cdncrete sidewalks in front of
private property in certain parts of
the city, many citizens are putting
down concrete without waiting for
the city to act.
Body Found; Fout Play Suspected.
Alexandria.-The body of a negro
girl, probably 15 years old, was found
In the Red river swamp about three
miles fromt this city. C. W. Atwood,
who was hunting for catrde, found the
reihains in the swamp. Nothing but
the skull bones and clothing remain
ed. A plough line wah found tied in
a number of hard knots, which is
evidence that the girl had been tied
with it and probably outraged and
murdered. Blood stains on the rope
indicate that her throat was cut, or
that she was stabbed. It is thought
that the deed was committed more
than a month ago. Sheriff Kilpatrlck
and deputies are at work on the
case and hope to fld some clew to
the pllty tartr.
Will Furnmish Ample White. Labor.
Baton Rouge.-The Commissioner
of Agriculttire and Immigration has
received a letter from Oscar Van der
Mheersch, Richmond. Va., offering to
a supply the state with white labor for
farm, lumber camp or domestic work.
:: T'he state, however, is not now sup.
plying labor direct, The White labor
that can be' imported is Swedish, Da
alsh, German and French.
Depet Building Entered and Robbed.
lodieoche.-Some unknown person
. ero an- entrance to the Texas and
k Pailfle depot at this place recently
, ou- tlhe warehouae, taking several
: p-·k·es ,trom the qpress room,
.A)Itto abott P0 No cler has
that will iead to the
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,'.- as~oi;
Beautify City Square and Streets.
Marksville.-A number of public
spirited men and women have organ.
ized a town improvement league. The
league intends to take up the matter
of beautifying the Courthouse Square,
which is situated in the center of
town. It is proposed to level the
square and plant shrubberies, flowers
and trees at uniform distances, mak
ing it an inviting place for summer
evenings and affording a playground
for children. The league will start
a campaign for clean streets and pri
vate premises. The planting and cul
tivating of more flowers and green
shrubs on home plots will be encour
aged. A large membership has al
ready been enrolled.
Land Owners Hold Meeting.
Houma.-The committee appointed
by the land owners of the parish of
Terrebonne to consider the possibili
ty of placing their oil and gas prop
erties on the market met here. There
were present a number of the largest
owners of this parish, and the sub
ject was discussed and the land own
ers declared that the articles publish
ed in the newspapers recently refer
ring to their initial meeting were mis
leading, for the reason that they had
decided to handle their own proposi
tion and that no person or persons
are authorized to talk for them other
than the members of the committee.
Steamboat Line Being Considered.
New Iberia.-The Board of Trade
has under consideration the proposi
tion to establish steamboat service
between this city and New Orleans.
via the Plaquemine Locks, by the
completion of which a vessel is en
abled to leave here Monday and reach
New Orleans at noon Tuesday, as
compared to a ten-day round trip
before the new waterway was con.
structed. In 1889 a steamboat line
was operated, and gave good service,
carrying sugar, cotton and molasses,
and bringing miscellaneous freight on
the return trip.
The State Summer Schools.
Baton Rouge.-The Department of
Education has issued a notice to the
d!fferent high schools and others of
the state that especially efficient ar
rangements are to be made for con
ducting the summer schools for teach
ers this year. Special facilities are
also to be accorded students who de
sire to become teachers. Correspond
ence from all persons interested in
these schools is solicited by the state
Department of Education.
Levee Building is Being Pushed.
Washington.-The levee contractor
passed through.town with 30 mules,
wagons, scrapers and levee-building
implements for the Union Irrigation
Canal, one mile south. The' levee
builder has the contract to build the
Union Irrigation Company's levees
and has started active work. This is
the second batch of levee builders
employed on this canal, the other
being some six or seven miles west
of the pumping plant.
Bees Put Thieves to Flight.
Crowley.-A local banker recently
lost two hives of bees, but recovered
them in a few hours. They were stol
en by two young men, who carried
them away in a buggy. The bees
became aroused and attacked the
thieves, who were obliged to abandon
them, together with a part of the
buggy equipment and several articles
through which the identity of the
marauders was established by the
chiel of police.
ust Be Provided With Maps.
Baton Rouge.-The parish assessors
of Louisiana have been notified by
the traveling auditor that their offices
must be provided with maps showing
the lands within the limits of their
parishes. Act 38 of 1884 provides that
every police jury shall furnish this
map. In makling his investigations
of the sheriffs' and assessors' offices
the auditor has failed to find a single
parish assessor who had this map on
file in his office.
Young Engineers Are Wanted.
Baton Rouge.-It is reported that
the Standard Oil Company will take
the entire graduating engineering
class of the Loulsiana State Univer
sity if the members are anxious to
go to work after the session ends.
The company will need a number of
young assistants for building the re
finery.
A New 011 Company Organized.
Baton Roige.-The Tucker Oil Com
pany of Eakhary has been organized
The company has a capital stock of
$200,00 and will sink a well at once
on their property in the new Deer
ford oil field.
STATE BRIEFS.
The New Orleans Presbytery, at
their session at Slidril, celebrated
the anniversary of the birth of John
Calvin,
A Philadelphia ship line has an
nounced a weekly freight service to
New Orleans.
A recent excursion by the fire de
partment of Opelousas was very suc
cesstful.
A negro has been arrested at Natch
ltoches accused of burglarizing a shoe
store.
The New Orleans School Board has
decided upon three new high school
bidibaags, adding 100,000 and the
proceeds of four building to the city's
A new hardwood mm Is betag erect
e6 st Alegantria.
L~~FrOrrt will 'soon have a new
~U L -
WILSON FREES TAYLOR
POSSIBLE END OF THE GOEBEL
MURDER CASE.
Henry Youtsey the Only Man to
Buffer for the Murder of the
Kentucky Governor.
Frankfort, Ky.---Gov. Willson cleared
the Kentucky court records of all charges
growing out of the murder, in January,
1900, of Senator William Coebel, who
was declared to have been electedl gov
ernor, except those hanging over state's
evidence witnesses in the alleged con
spiracy, by granting pardons before trial
to former Gov. W. S. Taylor and former
Secretary of State Charles Finley, who
have been fugitives in the' state of In
diana for nine years; to John Powers,
brother of Caleb Powers, who is be
lieved to be in Honduras; to Holland
Whittaker, of Butler county; John Da
vis, of Louisville, and Zach Steele, of
Bell county, under indictment, and who
did not flee the state.
Those over whom the indictments are
left hanging are Wharton Golden, of
Knox county, now in Colorado; Frank
Cecil, of Bell county, now a railroad de
tective in St. Louis, and Win. 1I. Culton,
of Owsley county, said to have died in
the \Vest a few months ago.
These cases, with the possible excep
tion of Cecil, will be dismissed, leaving
henry E. Youtsey, now serving a life
sentence in the state penitentiary, the
only person to suffer for the taking off
of Goebel.
FIGHT ON TOP OF CARS.
Detective Wins Desperate Battle
With Four Robbers.
Chicago.-A robber was shot and killed
by Detective Prindiville, of the Chicago
& Great Western railroad, in a desper
ate pistol duel on top of a moving
freight train, near Forest Home, Ill.,
Friday.
The battle was a most thrilling one,
in which Detective Prindiville was pitted 4
against four desperate men. To add to
this handicap, the robbers threw a flash
light on him, almost blinding him, and
making him a splendid target for their
aim. Despite this advantage, none of
the bullets took effect. The detective,
who stood on an adjoining car, poured
a deadly volley of bullets into the rob
bers. During the fight the train was
going at a high rate of speed, and the
combatants had to balance themselves
to keep from being pitched to the
ground.
ARMOUR SUCCEEDS PATTEN
Reported That Patten Has Changed
to Bear Bide.
Chicago.-That J. Ogden Armour had
taken up the wheat -corner where
"Wheat King" Patten left off was the
report on the Board of Trade.
With James A. Patten trout fishing
on his partner's ranch near Vermejo
Park, N. M., and apparently giving no
attention to the wheat market, bears
became bolder in their predictions for
further decline in prices.
It was even prophesied in some quar
ters that Patten himself, who led the
bull campaign in May wheat, was about
to join the bear camp, and that the next
important development in the market
would be heavy short selling for July
delivery.
That is the plan the bears expect him
to adopt to get rid of the actual wheat
which will be delivered to him on his
May contracts. By selling the July
option short he will be enabled to pass
the grain on to the bulls in this option.
FLORIDA FOR PROHIBITION.
Anti-Pibhibitionists Make/ Strong
Fight, But in Vain.
Tallahassee, Fla.-Florida took a long
and unexpected step toward state-wide
prohibition. The house of representa
tives, by an overwhelming vote, adopted
the McMullen joint resolution providing
that in 1910 a constitutional amend
ment shall be submitted permitting the
voters to decide whether they wish to
have forever prohibited in the state of
Florida the "manufacture, sale, exchange
and barter of all intoxicating liquors
and beverages." The story of the un
expectedly strong fight by the prohibi
tionists is told in the count of the tell
era in the legislature during the past
two days. The vote in the senate on
the McMullen resolution stood 24 for
and 7 against; the house vote was 53
Sfor and 16 against.
BIG LIBEL AGAINST MANN.
New York-A federal jury in the libel
case of Samuel Dempster, of Pittsburg,
against Col. Wm. D. Mann, brought in
a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for
$40,000. Judge Howe denied a motion
to set aside the verdict, but said he
would consider the question whether it
is or is not excessive.
MONUMENT TO FORREST.
Rome, Ga., Erects Granite Shaft to Con.
federate Cavalaryman.
Rome, Ca.-A handsome granite shaft
Sto the memory of Gen. Nathan Bedford
SForrest was unveiled here Friday. It
Swas ereeted at a cost of $1,500 by the
SN. B. Forrest.Chapter, Daughters of the
Confederacy, in honor of the man who
eaptured Gen. Streight and. saved the
oity from destreuction at the hands of
S-the Federal troops. Theoration w'as de
toered by former Congressman Jolh W.
IS MR. MARRIED MAN MAKING GARDEN?
i ri i
l ODnnepolis Joa .I l
NO! HE IS JUST DIGGING FOR WIFEY'S SPRING HAT.
MRS, CROSBY'S STORY
PULLED TRIGGER WHILE HER
HUSBAND HELD GUN.
Husband Had Wife Decoy McShann
to Lonely Spot, Where the Two
Blew Top of His Head Off.
Hattiesburg, Miss.--Mrs. Minnie Cros
by has confessed that she pulled the
trigger which sent the contents of a
double-barreled shotgun into the head of
J. R. McChann, whose mutilated body
was found in a secluded spot near the
Bowie street bridge in Leaf river swamp.
G. L. Crosby, husband of the woman,
held the gun in his hands, took deliber
ate aim at M~Shann's throat, while she
reached over his shoulder and pulled
the trigger.
Between sobs Mrs. Crosby repeated
the grewsome details of a tragedy abso
lutely without a parallel in the criminal
annals of Mississippi.
She admitted that she had been inti
mate with MeChann, that she had met
him near the Bowie street bridge time
and again during the several weeks pre
ceding the tragedy. With her own lips
drawn and perspiration dropping from
her pretty forehead, her bosom heaving
with emotion, she/told how her husband
had intercepted the correspondence be
tween McShann and herself and the
threats which he made at the time, how
'under threats of death she had agreed to
assist in decoying McShann into the
swamp in order that he might be mur
dered.
She said that Crosby stood over her
with a revolver in his hand and dicta
ted a letter to McShann, in which she
begged the young man to meet her at
the bridge, and to "come alone." This
letter was mailed by her husband, who
received and opened McShann's reply, in
which he promised to comply.
ANGRY HUSBAND GETS BLOOD
Kills Wife, Shoots Mother-in-Law
and Daughter, Kills Self.
Chicago.-Harry L. Summers shot and
killed his wife, Henrietta, shot and seri
ously wounded his 10-year-old daughter,
Gladys, and his mother-in-law, Mrs. An
nie McKenzie, and then killed himself.
Mrs. Summers, after repeated quar
rels, had fled a week ago from her home
to that of her mother, Mrs. McKenzie.
Wednesday Summers entered the kitchen
of the McKenzie home, where he found
Gladys and the two women seated at
dinner, and opened fire with a revolver.
Mrs. Summers fell dead at the first
shot. Mrs. McKenzie and Gladys fled
from the room and up a stairway, with
Summers in pursuit. As they neared
the top he fired four shots, wounding
Mrs. McKenzie in the back and arm and
the child in the back. They staggered
several steps to the second floor and fell
unconscious.
Prohis After Nebraska.
Omaha, Neb.--Nebraska is to be the
next battleground in the general cam
paign for prohibition, according to Mrs.
Lillian M. N. Stevens, national president
of the Women's Christian Temperance
Union, who is in the city conferring
with officials of the State and local
unions. Mrs. Stevens said Omaha was
chosen as the convention city of the na
tional organization for this year princi
pally on the ground that conditions in
this State are regarded as ripe for the
submission of a prohibition amendment.
Storm Does Heavy Damage.
Lexington, Ky.-Thousands of dollars
of damage was caused by a tornado
which passed over Mackville, Boyle coun
ty, Thursday night; No one was killed,
but several residences were partially
wrecked, many barns demolished and a
great amount of fencing was blown
down. The roof of the brick bank build
ing was blown off, but the walls were
I not damaged. /Reports from Valley View,
Snear here, where a flood occurred after a
'|.cloudlurst Wednesday afternoon, say
three persons were injured, but all will
reover.
WHIRL IN WHEAT PIT
WILD SCENES ENACTED-PRICE
DROPS WITH CRASH.
Patten Sold at Top and Bought at
Bottom and Rakes in
Another Fortune.
Chicago, Ill.--At the tap of the clos
ing gong four hundred bruised, battered,
husky'voiced men disappeared hurriedly
from the floor of the board of trade
Tuesday and went in search of refresh
ments, rest and rubdowns. They were
the relies of a maelstrom in the wheat
pit, which, for fury and intensity, quite
surpassed any whirl experienced there in
years. Wheat quotations rose and fell-
mostly fell-in billows that no one could
keep track of.
James A. Patten, Neptune of the pit,
tossed his trident on a rock and let the
forces of the deep make merry to their
heart's content. Then, at the psycho
logical moment, he picked it up again
and waded into the breakers. The quan.
tities of deep sea treasure he swept into
his caves only he and his brokers know.
but it was enough to make a Capt. Kidd
turn over in his grave.
In point of black and blue spots, num.
ber of derbies crushed and broken, nerv
ous forces expended and volume of sound
produced, it is maintained by some vet'
eran traders the day's session saw new
records, regardless of the Leiter deal of
1898. The amount of energy expended,
if transmitted into electricity, would
keep Chicago's electric fans running all
summer. ,The number of dollars lost and
won, if collected in one sum, would
make a colossal fortune. Some of the
"relics" had voices that were torn to
shreds and others had eyes that looked
like saucers. That is the way of the
wheat pit.
HARRIMAN OFFERS A BRIBE
Hoke Smith Does Not Want $10,
000,000 Spent in Georgia..
Americus, Ga.-The recent offer of E.
HI. Harriman to spend $10,000,000 on
his Georgia railroads if the legislature
would repeal certain laws was denounced
by G'ov. Hoke Smith in an address to
the board of trade at this place. Gov.
Smith declared the offer was in the na
ture of a bribe, and that Harriman evi
dently thought $10,000,000 was enough
to pay for the privilege of doing as he
pleases in Georgia.
"We desire," said the governor, "the
investment of foreign capital in Georgia,
but it must not take from the State ex
cessive rates of interest. In that event
it would impoverish rather than enrich
the State. To what legislation does he
refer when he demands a repeal by the
people of the State? Does he wish to
tear the railroad commission bill to
pieces?
"Does )Mr. Harriman mean that we
must abandon the reduction in passenger
rates made in the fall of 1907? By the
reduction the people of Georgia are sav
ing a million dollars a year. He can
make a fair interest on his $10,000,000
at present, but he evidently wants Geor
gia to pay him annually $1,000,000 ad
ditional interest."
Find Rich Vein of Silver Ore.
Siloam Springs, Ark.-Reports come
to this city of the Afinding of a rich
vein of silver ore on an Ozark mountain
farm, located about fifteen miles west of
this place in the State of Oklahoma.
Annul Steel Merger.
Washington.-Representative Champ
Clark introduced a resolution, which, if
passed, will open up the question of the
Tennessee Coal and Iron Company's ab
sorption by the United States Steel Cor
poration. The resolution requests the
attorney-general to inform the house
"what steps, if any, have been taken by
him to annul the contract of purchase or
acquisition of control of the Tennessee
Coal and Iron Company by the United
States Steel Corporation."
MILLIONAIRES LYNCHED
CATTLEMEN SAID TO HAVE
HIRED MARSHAL'S SLAYER.
Mob Met Quietly, Marched to Jail
and Broke Open the Door When
Refused Admittance.
Durant, Okla.-Four men were taken
from the jail at Ada by a mob at an ear
ly hour Monday morning and lynched.
But very little is known, or at least lit
tle is divulged, regarding the formation,
the place of meeting, or the personnel of
the mob, and almost equally as little re
garding their operations, further than
that they accomplished their mission in
the quietest manner possible and then
dispersed without molesting or even
awakening any one not directly con
cerned.
The men upon whom the mob vented
its rage were J. P. Miller, of near Ada;
Joe Allen, of New Mexico; Jesse West,
of the same locality, and B. 11. Burrell,
of Fort Worth. The three latter were
wealthy cattlemen, reputed by some to
be worth $1,000,000 each.
The lynching was the result of the as
sassination of (;us Bobbitt, a prominent
cattleman, who resided southwest of
Ada. The killing occurred several
months ago, and it is said to have been
caused by trouble of long standing. Bohb
bitt was shot while en route from Ada
to his home, his assassin passing him in
the road and firing both barrels of a shot.
gun at him. Circumstantial evidence led
to the arrest of Miller. Later evidence
showed he was but the tool of others and
that Joe Allen and Jesse West were in
reality responsible for the crime. B. B.
Burrell is said to have been the agent
who negotiated with Miller for Allen and
West.
TILLMAN CALLS ON TAFT
Booker Washington Was Caller at
Same Time.
Washington.-Senator Tillman of
South Carolina paid his first visit to the
White House Tuesday in about seven
years, and received a cordial greeting
from President Taft. In his long official
capacity the senator never before had
called upon a president and his appear
ance in the executive offices created a
sensation.
The senator walked to the White
House unaccompanied, but left with Sen
ator Beveridge of Indiana, riding to the
capitol with the latter in his automobile.
Booker T. Washington was waiting to
see the president when Senator Tillman
arrived. The South Carolinian was im
mediately shown into Mr. Taft's private
office. The call was purely of a social
nature, it was declared.
"I came," said Senator Tillman, "to
see if the office-seekers had fried any fat
off the president, but they have not fried
a pound.
PLAN MEMORIAL HALL.
Directors of Jeff Davis Home Meet
at Louisville.
Louisville.-A meeting of the local di
rectors of the Jefferson Davis Home As
sociation was held Tuesday, at which
several amendments to the articles of
incorporation were approved. The meet
ing then adjourned until next Monday,
at which time several reports will be
read showing the progress made toward
the construction of a permanent memo
rial hall on the Jefferson Davis farm.
The property includes eighteen acres
of ground, the home in which he was
born and a little Baptist church. The
price paid was $7,500.
LOSES LIFE TO SAVE HUSBAND
Woman Rushes Back Into Fire With
Babe in Arms.
Cincinnati.-Mrs. Alice Regan, who
was injured during a fire in a double
tenement building, died at the city hos
pital Wednesday. Mrs. Reagan forfeit
ed her own life to save that of her hus
band, Win. Reagan. She had rushed
down three flights of stairs, carrying
her eight-months-old baby in her arms.
Looking back from the street, she did
not see her husband, and with the baby
still in her arms rushed up the three
flights of stairs again and awoke her
sleeping husband, but she and the baby
and her husband were severely burned
before firemen raised ladders to the room.
The baby may die. The husband will
recover.
CORN MARKET WAS HIGHER
Corn Meal Up--Glueose and Clorn
Syrup Advanced.
Memphis, Tenn.-The advance in corn
and corn products was the feature of the
grocery market Tuesday. Local mills
advanced cornmeal 10c per barrel fol
lowing one on th prcvious day of 5c.
This puts the jobber's basis to $3.55.
There was an advance also in glucose
and corn syrup, the rise in the former
being soye Sc.. Corn syrup has had sev
eral successive rises within the past few
weeks. Glucose is coming into more
general use in molasses and syrup at
this season.
College Gets Donation.
Lexington, Ky.-President William G.
Forst of Berea College, at Berea, Ky., re
ceived a letter from Dr. D. K. Pearson, a
Chicago philanthropist, announcing that
he had donated $25,000 for a boys' dor
mitory at the college. The new Iilding
will be erected during the summer by
student labor and will be ready for use
in September. This is the tliird libera'
gift made to the school by Dr. Pearson,
his first being $100,000, some years ago,
for extension work, another, the second,
5 0,000, for a water works plant.
IRRIGATION OF OLD MEXICO
Primitive Methods of Lifting Water
from Wells Still Employed in
Sections of Country.
Mexico City.-The policy recently
adopted by the Mexican gvrernment
of lending financial aid to irrigation
enterprises is having the effect of
strongly stimulating land reclamation
work in different parts of the coun
try. An irrigation subsidy law was
passed by the Mexican congress near
ly a year ago and an appropriation of
$75,00)0,000 made to. pay as bonuses to
persons who put lands under irriga.
tion. As a means of still further en
couragiug this development of the.)
natural resources of the republic an
Primitive Irrigation Plant in Mexico.
agricultural bank was created through
which loans may be made on the most
reasonable terms to individuals and
concerns for the purpose of construct.
ing irrigation works.
In order that promoters of irriga
tion enterprises may obtain the bene
fit of the subsidy law they must op..
erate under a government concession.
Since the new law went into effect
there has been a flood of applications
for concessions for the establishment
of irrigation work in different parts of
the country. Many of these applica
tions have been granted and the work
of carrying out the projects is in prog- p
ress. The fact that the law permits
the government to pay a subsidy of
$25 per acre for such land as may be
reclaimed makes it especially attrac
tive to men who t.re seeking safe in
vestment for their capital.
In the plateau region of the more
no'thern part of the country and ex
tending all the way to the United
Staes border, irrigation has been Ar
ried on, in a way, for centuries. There
now are a number, of large an4 mod
ern systems of water distrib'ltion; but
for the most part the .wOrk is accom
plished by natives, who still cling to
the ancient methods of lifting the
water from wells, streams or reser
voirs by various kinds of cumbersome
wheels. These primitive implements
are made of wood, roughly hewn and
usually put together with wooden
pegs or tied with fiber. They are op
erated either by man or horse power.
In most cases one or two natives to
each wheel do the water lifting by the
exercise of their legs and arms..
IWOMAN WIRELESS OPERATOR
Mrs. R. H. Tucker Has Charge of the
Instruments Aboard the Steam
ship Indianapolis.
Spokane, Wash.-Mrs. R. H. Tucker,
expert aerogramist and telegrapher,
until recently a resident of Spokane,
Mrs. R. H. Tucker.
and who claims to be the first womnan
wireless operator in the world, is sta
tioned in the steamship Indianapolis,
plying between points on the sound.
Mrs. Tucker is a small young
woman and has been married only a
short time. Her husband is also a
Swireless telegraph operator. In con
Snection with their marriage there is a
wireless romance, but Cupid is dis
creetly silent about this, and the few
friends who know the circumstances
t are not talking.
The little woman is a wireless en
thusiast. She knows the business
from start to finish. She is an expert
with the Morse and Continental codes,
and there is little going on in the air
athat she doesn't know about. Her
husband is in charge of the United
Wireless stationoat Tacoma, and it is
in that city they live. Mrs. Tucker
Smakes four trips daily between Seattle
Sand Tacoma and spends the nights in
eTacoma. She has been in charge of
several wireless stations on the Pa
, cific coast and has always been found
, competent to send and transmit aero
L* grams as well as to keep the Ipstil,
meats in good working order.