Lower coast gazette. [volume], July 31, 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 AND COMMERCE.
VOLUME I. POINTE-A-LA-IIACHE, LA., SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1909. NUMBER 31.
LOUISiANA IEVNTS
All Around the State During the Past
Few Days-What is Going On
and Where and Why.
Bulletin on Bean Growing.
Baton lIouge.-The Louisiana State
Experinlent Station has issued a bul
letin on the "Pod Disease of Beans,
which gives ihe information tha. the
station has found a remedy for this
disease. The bulletin says in part:
"The greatest drawback to the grow
ing of beans in Louisiana is thei trou
ble that is called spot. Probably
there is no state in the Union that
grows beans to any extent not famil
iar with the appearance of t!he pod
spot. Beans are profitable crop
when the disease is absent, but when
it is present the financial returns are
very apt to be negative. Consequent
ly it Is not surprising to hear of the
reluctance of the truckers to grow
more of the crop. The experiment
station has been working on this
trouble during the past two years,
and it is believed that the control
of the disease rests in the hands of
the grower. Plant the beans, if prac
ticable, so that the plants will not
touch each other when grown. We
have found three beans to the hill,
and the hills 18 inches apart, very
satisfactory. After the beans come
up, stay out of the field until the
large, thick seed leaves drop off.
This will only take a few days. This
disease is carried on these leaves,
and on walking through the field
the disease is liable to be carried
from a diseased plant to healthy ones
on the clothing. After the leaves
have fallen the plant may be culti
vated, or hoed, as desired, taking the
following precautions. Do not enter
the field when the plants are wet,
either from dew or from rain. Only
enter the' field when the plants are
perfectly dry. The germs of the dis
ease are very sticky, and are easily
carried from plant to plant when
moist. However, when they are dry
it is very difficult to rub them off
from the diseased plant. Do not
by any means try to cultivate or hoe
the plant when wet, as you are sure,
if this disease is in tbL field, to carry
it to all the plants."
' Road Improvement Plans.
Hammond.-An adjourned meeting
of the Hammond Progressive Union
was held recently to further consider
ways aBd, means of securing a more
equal division of the funds budgeted
for road purposes by the police jury
of tae parish. At a former meeting
it had been decided to petition the
police jury to divide the seventh
ward, in which Hammond and Pon
chatoula are located, as the best
means of relief, which would put
each of the towns in a ward by it
self, and each would receive the
amount of taxes paid by them. The
people of Ponchatoula, fearing this
to be a move of the whisky interests
to once more force saloons upon
them, sent a large delegation to the
meeting here to protest againpt the
proposal to divide. After a thorough
discusasion of the subject by promi
nent business men of both towns, it
was finally decided to drop the prop
oasition to divide, and all work to
gether for the common good. A com
mittee, composed of the following
representative citizens, was selected:
J. R. Abels, F. W. Sherman, John La
Vigne, H. P. Mitchell, E. W. Vine
yard of Ponchatoula; Howard Saint,
L. D. Spencer, T. W. Cate, J. C. Far
ley and B. H. Brooks of Hammond
and the police jury will be asked to
turn over the sum allotted to the
seventh ward for road purposes to
these gentlemen, and give them the
supervislon of building and keeping
in repair the roads of the ward. If
necessary, a road district will be
formed and a special tax levied to
furnish funds for their use in this
work,
Negro Will Pay the Penalty.
Natchitoches.-After being out all
night, the jury in the case of Bud
Zeno, a negro, charged with murder,
rendered a verdict of guilty as charg
ed, condemning the prisoner to death.
The crime for which Zeno will for
feilt his life is the killing of two wo
men and the serious wounding of a
third in December, 1907, when he was
farming just below this city. He be
came angered with the woman, Mary
Fobbs, with whom he was living, and
told her not to visit her two sisters,
who lived on the same plantation, or
he would kill her. She disobeyed,
and he, leaving his mule and plow
standing in the field, went to a near
by house,borrowed a gun on-the pre
teat Of wanting to kill a snake, went
to the'hosae of Liszzie and Carrie
Fobbs, and without warning shot
down Lizzie and then shot Carrie,
and turning upon Mary Fobbs shot
"her to death. Zeno made his escape
and for more than a year masquerad
4 ith woman's clothing until finally
giten away by a woman.
Outcry For Immigration 8tation.
Jew OrleanS--The statement of
Iawigrstio Commissioner Daniel 3.
K ees that in his opinion no immi
asoat station was needed in New Or
-lesa has raised a cry that almost
algants to a storm of indignation
M ttea city government, commercial
brSi- and exchanges sad steamship
 are 3oanlgfh I voicdt a pr
test tht wil reach the national gov
Iir *it M khingtpn and which,
Poisoning the Boll Weevil.
Plaucheville.-The experiment sta
tion agent for this precinct was here
recently to see the result of the cot
ton which has been poisoned. 1He
seemed to be satisfied that great
benefit can be had in making cotton
Paris green as used here. The re
sults so far are very good. Although
Mr. Perrin seemed at first to have
had no faith in the poisoning, it
seems as Ihough he has changed his
n!uild and will advocate the poisn,n
ing. Cot on that looked a:, though it
would not bl+om here at first has
now from twenty to twenty-five bolls
to the stalk and blooming at the
rate of six blooms to the stalk a
day.
Want Normal Schools.
Baton Rouge.--State Superintend
ent Harris is in favor of the etab
lishment in one of the country par
ishes of the state and out in the
country of a normal school for negro
teachers. M r. Harris has been
brought to this decision by the good
work that has been done by the ne.
gro teachers in the summer normals
that were conducted during the past
two months. The superintendent be.
lieves that to raise the standard of
the negro teaching force that the
establishment of a normal is essen
tial. What is wanted is a normal in
which instruction can be given in
agriculture and the domestic sciences.
Want a Woman Janitor.
Napoleonville.-An important spe
cial meeting of the Mothers' Club
was held recently at the rooms of
the Bank of Napoleonville. The en
tertainment which was to have been
given jn the next few days was post
poned owing to the death of the
young daughter of Prof. C. J. O'Far
rell, principal of the high school.
Among other subjects discussed at
the meeting were the securing of a
woman as janitor for the coming
session at the high school and the
improving of the play grounds.
High Schoop Building Plans.
Kentwood.-The committee ap
pointed to select plans for the new
Kentwood high school building met
recently. Nine plans were submit
ted. Those of R. H. Hunt of Chat
tanooga, Tenn., were decided upon.
The plans .of W. L. Stevens of New
Orleans were second in favor. The
building will be three stories and
basement, with well arranged class
rooms and large auditorium. The
complete plans and specifications are
to be gotten out jat once.
Electric Lighting For Houma.
Houma.-All of the machinery and
electrical apparatus has been install
ed in the power house for the new
electric light plant, the wires are up
and connections are now being made
to qomplete the plant. It is expected
that in about ten days a trial run
will be made. This will give Houma
an up-to-date electric light plant, and
its streets will be as well lighted as
any town in the state.
Two Motor Cars Received.
Covington.-The St. Tammany and
New Orleans Railway and Ferry
Company have received two hand
some motor cars from the Hotchkiss
Blue Company of Chicago, and will
in a few days place them in commis
sion between this place and Mande
ville. The cars are very elegant and
compact, and in many ways resemble
the motor busses in use in Eastern
cities.
Young Boy is Drowned.
Lake Charles.-Charles Martel, a
14-year-old negro, got beyond his
depth in the lake last week and was
drowned. A crowd of older boys of
his own color were with him, some
of whom could have waded out and
saved him, but the only helping hand
he got was from a 10-year-old white
boy, who was almost drown@$ him
self while attempting to rescue Mar
tel.
Aged Veteran Dies Suddenly.
Alexandria.-Clint R. Haworth,
aged 75 years, a prominent planter
of the Bayou Rapides neighborhood,
and a Confederate veteran, died sud
denly while on his way home, after
spendpg the day in the city. He
was In a buggy with one, of his
daughters when an attack of heart
failure seized him.
Charbon Case Developed.
Lake Arthur.-Euzeb Durspeau,
from Brown's Island, came up to this
city to be treated for charbon. Mr.
Durspeau developed the disease on
his neck, and is resting easy. lHopes
are entertained for his recovery. This
is the second person here who has
contracted charbon.
Baukruptcy Proceedings Begil.
Shreveport.-Involuntary bankrupt.
cy proceedings have been filed
against H. and J. Borstein, merchants
of Arcadia, by the Davis Hat Com
pany of Dallas and other creditors.
Italian Wishes to Collect Damages.
New Orleans.-The parish of Tan
gipahoa, Sheriff John Saal and his
bondsmen, John H. Ellis, Henry S.
Weigel, Charles Stewart and Andrew
J. Alford, have been made defend
ants in a suit filed in the United
States circuit court as a result of
the riots of July 1908, wherein the
property and persons of the Italians
of Natalbany Ia that parish were at
tacked by san armed mob. The peti
tioners in the present suit is Colage
ro Pa)rrla who saus for oo000.
NOT ENOUGH MOISTURE
e COTTON CROP MADE GAINS IN
t SOME SECTIONS.
Plant Small But Well Cultivated.
Picking in Southern Georgia
and Southern Texas.
t
Memphis, Tenn.-Rainfall in the cot.
t ton belt throughout the month of July.
has been light. This has been favorable
to tihe extent that it has prmitted thor
ough cultivation, but now that sucti
cultivation has becen accomplished, the
need for rain is becoming general. Out
side of Texas there has as yet been nc
acute suffering.
The' plant has not made rapid growth
and is still small everywhere except it.
Oklahoma, hut it is stocky and would
readily respond to the stimulation of
abundant moisture.
In l'xas reports covering the week
show that abundant rains fell in south
ern and western parts of the state, and
that the crop, although it had suffered
severely, was much benefited. In cen
tral and northern counties sonic rains
fell, with great benefit to the cotton,
but many districts in these sections had
very light showers or no rain at all, and
are still dry.
The most marked gains during the
week were made in Alabama, Georgia
and the Carolinas, where the crop in
many instances now makes better prom
ise than was at one time thought possi
ble.
f Mississippi-Where rain fell in this
state the crop looks much better.
Throughout the delta it is quite dry,
and although the crop is now in a good
state of cultivation, it is not growing
rapidly.
Tennessee-The crop in Tennessee is
doing well. Some correspondents say it
is quite promising and above an aver
age. It is rapidly being laid by. A
good general rain would be beneficial.
Alabama-The cotton crop is another
week gone toward maturity. Weather
was very favorable, showers being bene
ficial, and since the crop is clean it is
growing rapidly. Farmers now expect
to make much more cotton than was at
one time thought possible.
Arkansas-There are complaints that
the plant needs rain. Showers which
fell were only local, and there are sec
tions which have been dry for weeks.
The plant, as a rule, however, is
thrifty.
Georgia-The crop in Georgia is in
the best condition of the month. In
central and southern counties its con
dition is excellent. A few locally heavy
rains fell, but the damage was not ex
I tensive.
Louisiana--The crop improved during
the week. Such rains as fell in the cot
ton territory were beneficial, while the
hot weather is holding the boll weevil
in check.
Texas-In the territory south of a line
L drawn from Navasota to Burnet and
west of a line from Burnet to Vernon
abundant rains have fallen. In most of
this territory the crop will be greatly im
proved by reason of the moisture, al
though in the southwest it is impossi
ble to regain all the loss. Elsewhere
Ssome good rains have fallen in localities,
while other localities not far distant
have had very light showers or no rain
at all. Around Dallas and in Northern
Texas it is becoming quite dry.
HARVEST OF THE HURRICANE
thirteen Additional Victims-Re
ported-Lors $*,000,000.
New Orleans, La.-With 'definite re
ports today of thirteen additional
deaths not heretofore recorded as the
result of the hurricane which swept
portions of Texas and Louisiana last
Wednesday, the death list tonight totals
forty-one, with six persons previously
reported missing still unaccounted for.
While the various towns and cities
which suffered damage in the hurricane
have reported property losses aggregat
ing in the last reports over $2,000,000,
the vast area swept by the hurricane and
the absence of estimates as to crop
damage, makes impossible anything like
a correct estimate of the total damage
done. Many rural sections in which
many residences and barns were dam
aged or destroyed are also believed to
be absent from the list of losses.
CORN CAUSES PELLAGRA.
Disease Caused Many Deaths and
Insanity in Italy.
Washington, D. C.-In view of reports
of pellagra in some parts of the South,
and the investigations which have fol
lowed, a report just issued by the pub
lie health and marine hospital service
bearing upon the spread of the disease
in Italy is of special interest as showing
the methods that country is following
to stamp out the contagion.
Deteriorated maize and corn smut are
regarded as the special etiologic factors
in producing the specific poisons. Pels,
grins in Italy, it is stated, number about
50,000, and during 1906 and 1907 the
disease was the cause of 1,873 deaths
and 1,293 cases of insanity.
Improved Variety of Coffee.
Brazilian scientists have succeded in
developing a new variety of coffee,
with unusually large, fine berries,
which ripen very early.
Get BusLI
"Good in everything, eh?' snorted a
gardener. "Well, just demonstrate to
me the good in a potato beetle, will
yout"
S Hard Work All Along.
"It's purty hard work gittin' to the
top, but them who her been. tere say
-ts .halder work .a-holdia' 6n."
THE GAME OF BOWLING
(Copyright. 190 .)
a/7
Is Again Becoming Popular Across the Water.
TAFT COMING BY RIVER GALE AT GALVESTON
WILL JOURNEY FROIM ST. LOUIS
TO NEW ORLEANS.
Will Be Guest of Deep Waterways
Association-Meeting With Pres
ident Diaz Set for Oct. 18.
Washington.-Presiddnt Taft's plans
for his Western and Southern trip in
the fall are gradually taking definite
shape. He has decided that he will
make the trip down the Mississippi river
from St. Louis to New Orleans late in
October, as the guest of the Deep Water
ways Convention, which will be held in
New Orleans upon his arrival there.
The date of the president's meeting
with President Diaz, of Mexico, at El
Paso, Texas, has definitely been set for
October 18. The president will spend
October 18 at San Antonio, Texas, and
then will make a four days' visit to the
ranch of his brother, Charles P. Taft,
near Corpus Christi.
Leaving the ranch, the president will
stop at Houston October 24, and go
thence direct to St. Louis to begin his
trip down the Mississippi.
President Taft added Columbus, Ga.,
to the list of places he will visit. He
made this promise to a committee from
the board of trade and city council of
that city, who were escorted to the White
House by President Adanson.
COUPLE MARRY THREE TIMES
Same Woman Bride of Joshua Ste
phens, Now 79 Years Old.
Joplin, Mo.-After being twice mar
ried and twice divorced, Joshua Steph
ens, 79 years old, of Memphis, and his
wife, Mrs. Hattie Stephens, 74 years
old, of Lyons, Kan., were married for
the third time in Joplin today.
The couple were first married in Ten
nessee on June 8, 1855, the wedding be-,
ing the culmination of a romance which
began when they were residing on farms
in the same neighborhood. When the
war broke out between the States, Ste
phens entered the Confederate ranks.
After serving two years he returned.
Thirteen years afterward they quarreled
and obtained a divorce. Five years later
they were married again. After their
second marriage they moved to Iowa,
and later to Kansas. In 1902 they again
quarreled and separated. Mrs. Stephens
secured a divorce. By agreement, she
remained on the farm in Kansas with
one of their married sons, and he re
turned to Tennessee to live with a son
there.
Through the efforts of the Kansas son
a third marriage was planned, and they
arranged to meet Mrs. Stephens' sister
from Canada here when the ceremony
was performed.
RESCUED CHILDREN-DIED
Calloway County Woman Horribly
Burned in Explosion.
Paducah, Ky.-After saving her two
children from burning to death and her
home from destruction by fire, Mrs.
Noah Parks, a resident of Calloway
county, blistered from head to foot, noti
fied her husband over the telephone of
what had happened, and died as he en
tered the house.
Mrs. Parks had been ironing with a
patent gasoline iron. Leaving it for a
few minutes, her two small children over
turned it, and an explosion followed, set
ting the room on fire. She rescued the
children, who were painfully burned, and
in quenching the flames her clothing ig
nited, fearfully burning her about the
body, limbs and head.
Staggering to the telephone, she in
formed her husband of what had taken
place and her condition, and fell to the
floor. Mrs. Parks died on her husband's
arrival.
ROOSEVELT FOR MAYOR.
Former President Will Be Back for New
York Campaign.
Paris.-John S. Wise, Jr., of New
York, says that former President Roose
velt, just prior to his departure from
New York on his African hunting ex
pedition, pro.. ed him and other e-.
publicans in kew York that he would
return in dime for the mayoralty cam
paign. Mr. Wise says he has not given
up the hope that M]r. Roosevelt will head
the mayoralty ticket in New York this
atumt.
WIND ATTAINED VELOCITY OF
69 MILES AN HOUR.
Ten Perish on Pier Six Miles From
City-Sea Wall Prevented Rep
etition of 1900 bisaster.
Galveston, Tex.-Ten dead is the total
of death claimed as far as is known in
the hurricane which swept over the Gulf
of Mexico and struck Galveston Wednes
day morning and continuing until after
midday. While the city of Galveston
was held safe against the fury of the
storm by the new government $2,000,000
sea wall far out in the gulf, on the tar
pon fishing pier, seven miles from the
city, where the storm whipped over the
jetty into the bay, ten persons were
washed from the rocky promontories in
the gulf.
The first intimation that the storm
was approaching the Texas coast came
Tuesday evening, when about 8 o'clock
the wind, which had been blowing from
the northeast, began to increase in ve-,
locity, and it kept gaining in force unti
at 10:50 o'clock Wednesday morning it
had reached a velocity of sixty-nine miles
accormmg to the report of the weather
bureau.
With the increasing wind, the barom
eter began to drop, falling slowly until
9:30, when it took almost a sudden shoot
downward, reaching 29.56 at 10 a.m. At
this time the storm was at its height,
the wind blowing a gale, and the streets
were filling with water, backed up from
the bay front through the sewers. It
was during the time between 9:30 and
10 o'clock that the resorts on the beach
gave way, and with this disaster came
the wildest of reports of other damage
done on the beach.
The Galveston sea wall, that magnifil
cent structure designed and erected by
the greatest engineering skill of the
country, proved that it was capable of
doing all that was promised of it, and
it is conceded by all that had it not
been for its protection lives and prop
erty would have been lost. The waves
disturbed by the influence of the tornado
reached above the riprap work and struck
on the wall with tremendous force,
where they were broken into spray and.
after being thrown into the air fully
50 feet, were hurled back into the gulf.
The wall stood without a shake, and
proved that it has made Galveston safe
from a repetition of the calamity" of
1900.
In the eastern part of the city, where
the grade-raising canal is yet incomplete,
the northeast wind drove the water ur
into the canal and the waves overlappec
the banks and came into the streets, but
only for a short time.
As soon as the wind changed the wa
ter in the canal at once subsided and
the water in the streets ran back into
the gulf. In the western part of the city
several buildings in course of consrne
tion were also damaged and several
buildings that were raised above the
grade-raising canal were blown from thein
foundations.
Although a high tide is running or
the bay side, the damage is practically
confined to a number of small launches
which broke loose from their moorings
and drifted away. It is impossible at
this early hour to secure the names of
any of the craft that will doubtless hb
wrecked on the jetties or drift out t
sea.
Georgia Peach Crop Large.
Atlanta, Ga.-The Georgia peach erop
the largest of any state in the South
this year measured over 2,000 carloads
The movement of Georgia peaches t:
Northern markets is practically comrn
pleted, and totaled more than 1,900 car
loads. This amount did not include the
peaches used for home consumption.
Say He Is Unfit to Teach.
Montgomery, Ala.-Because he has al
ligned himself with the organizatior
who are opposing the prohibition section
in the state constitution, Leon C. Me
Cord, prominent as a lawyer, was asked
by the Dexter Avenue Methodist Sunday
school to resign his place as teacher. Thiu
action was taken after a session of thi
church officers in which it was held thai
the associations of Mr. McCord were
such as to render him unfit to furthel
conduct the class, which is made up o
young men, and is one of the largest is
the citg.
MOB DOES ITS WORK
LYNCHING WITNESSED BY A
LARGE CROWD.
Mob Overpowered the Officers-Town
Calaboose Broken in and
Negro Executed.
Paris, Tenn.-Tuesday night at 9:;t0
o'clock a irob of about tilt teen iimaid
Incli marched to the city cala ooie, and
in the presence of perhaps 1,500 people,
who seemed to be largely in sympathy
with them, battered down the dooru of
the calaboose and took out Albert Law
son, a negro, who sholt Sherit t {. 11.
(Compton on SIunda morning, and
hanged him to a tree, about lifty feet
ftono the cell. Theyl then dispersed with
out a single shot or any rowdyism to
mark the work which was done with
such care and dispatch.
Fromi the time of the shooting of
Sherilff ('onpton excit ement has, been in
tense. Crowds congregated on the streets,
vehicles and armed imeni on ihorses dashed
to and fro. Siquads of lhen could be seen
at all times asselmbling on the Court
Square and on the street corners, and at
every rumor anxious and angry citizens
collected, anxious to learn soi-tilhing of
the assailant's whereabouts. The sher
ifft's condition was also a subject of
much inquiry, but only a few of his per
sonal friends were admitted to see hinim.
The above was the order of aTffairs each
hour for three days.
SAVED BY HIS CORK LEGS
Remarkable Story of Cripple Caught
in Galveston Storm.
Galveston, Tex.-William Davies, of
Groveton, Texas, a legless man, 39 years
of age, furnished the most thrilling
experience of any of the storm victims
so far recorded. liHe was a guest at the
Tarpon finishing pier, located on the
north jetty, six miles fromu Galveston,
in the gulf, and with others was thrown
into the sea when the big building was
demolished by the hurricane.
Before the building collapsed, Davies
discarded his two cork legs and, catch
ing some of the debris, was carried sea
ward on the storm tide about fifteen
miles, washed time and again from the
raft. It finally broke up, and he was
sent adrift in the gulf. Searching about
for debris to catch on to he was as
tounded to see his cork legs floating with
the current, and grabbed them. With
these supports, under his arms he swam
back into the bay and was carried by
the tides into Galveston upper bay, thir
ty miles from where the pier collapsed,
and was picked up by a boat. Iie was
in the water thirty hours, twelve of
which he was battling with the storm
waves.
Hook Worm in Navy.
Washington.-The hook worm, or
"lazy bug," as it has been shown to
exist in the Southern States, according
to investigations of the physical condi
tion of army recruits, will form an in
teresting chapter in the forthcoming re
port of the surgeon general of the army,
and probably will lead to a widespread
effort on the part of the boarus of
health in thire Southern States to eradi
enate this disease.
Through the very careful and thor
ough methods that have been adopted
in the United States army through the
selection of recruits and in the care of
men after their enlistment, this disease
has been shown to exist to a large ex
tent.
-WestVirginia, Virginia, North Caro
lina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
Alabama and Tennessee all supplied re
cruits that were infected.
PATTEN DONE WITH CORNERS.
Announces That He Is Going to Europe
for Rest.
Chicago.-JJim Patten announced that
he was again through with corners and
grain manipulation. He is going to Eu
rope for a long rest.
He dumped 4,000,000 bushels of July
wheat in the pit Wednesday and smashed
the price about 3 cents a bushel.
Hlie has been selling out since hIe put
the price to $1.29 a week ago. Today
the close was weak at around $1.15.
Patten has also been a heavy seller of
cotton. lie took on a long line around
9.50 cents and is said to have over
stayed his market. All his cotton still
shows a big profit. According to persons
in close touch with the plunger he has
made $4,000,000 on his May and July
deals.
Kemp Gets Medal at Last.
Ann Arbor, Mich.-Capt. Joseph Kemp,
a Ci Vil War pensioner, has just received
from Washington a bronze medal author.
ized by congress in 1864 for bravery at
the battle of the Wilderness. As a mem
ber of Company F, Fifth Michigan vol.
unteers, Kemp dashed into the ranks of
the enemy and captured thd' flag of the
Thirty-first North Carolina regiment,
tearing it away from the staff, which the
Southern color hearer held securely. HIow
the delivery of the medal came to be de
layed so many years is not known.
WRIGHT MAKES TRIAL TRIP.
Made Rate of Speed Estimated at Forty.
Five Miles an Hour.
Washington.-Orville Wright remained
in the air eleven minutes on his second
flighrt at Fort 3lyer, encircling thire field
twelve times. lie attained a rate of
speed estimated at forty-five miles an
hou&. He descended of his own accord
at 8:48 o'clock, evidently not desiring to
attempt a record flight. On his first at
tempt he was in the air only a minute
and a half, when the motor stopped and
ha was obliued to descend.
"THE GREAT SEAL"
Affixed Only to Papers Signed by
the President.
History of Its Development Down to
the Present Time-Franklin's Ob
jection to the Eagle as the
National Bird.
Washington.-Gaillard hunt, chief
of the division of manuscripts, has
just completed a historical sketch of
the Great Seal of the United States,
the sketch telling of the various stages
of development through which the seal
went before the one now in use was
finally adopted.
When the continental congress
made the obverse of the great seal the
national arms It intended that the de
vice should pass into common use
among the peoplý, as the flag had
done, and, like the flag, the arms at
first met with general approval, which
soon gave place to an acceptance of it
as an emblem of the power and sov
ereignty of the United States, which
placed it above criticism.
Not all the fathers of the republic,
however, were pleased with the selec
tion of the eagle as the national em
blem. When the badge of the Order of
the Society of the Cincinnati was
made. in France in 1784 it was object
ed to by some because the displayed
eagle resembled a turkey.
"For my part," wrote Benjamin
Franklin, January 26, 1784, to his
daughter, "I wish the bald eagle had
not been chosen as the representative
of our country; he does not get his liv
ing honestly; you may have seen him
perched on some dead tree, where, too
lazy to fish for himself, he watches
Gal;lard Hunt.
the labor of the fishing hawk, and,
when that diligent bird has at length
taken a fish and is bearing it to his
nest for the support of his mate and
young ones, the bald eagle pursues
him and takes it from him. With all
this, injustice he is never in good
caste; but, like those among men who
live by sharping and robbing, he II
generally poor* and often very lousy.
Besides, he is a rank coward; the lit
tle kingbird, not bigger than a spar
row, attacks him boldly and drives
him out of the district. He is there
fore by no means a proper emblem
for the brave and honest Cincinnati
of America, who have driven all the
kingbirds from our country."
The seal itself has, of course, a very
limited use, which is strictly guarded
by law. The secretary of state is its
custodian, but even he has no authorl
ty to affix it to any paper that does not
bear the president's signature.
In 1803 Chief Justice Marshall, In
delivering an opinion of the supreme
court, used the following language rel
ative to the seal. It may be consid
ered applicable to all instruments to
which the seal is affixed:
"The signature (of the president)Is
a warrant for affixing the great seal
to the commission, and the great seal
is only to bd affixed to an instrument
which is complete. It attests, by an
act supposed to be of public notoriety,
the verity of the presidential signa
ture.
"It is never to be affixed till the
commission is signed, because the sig
nature which gives force and effect to
the commission is conclusive evidence
that the appointment Is made.
"The commission being signed, the
subsequent duty of the secretary of
state is prescribed by law, and not to
be guided by the will of the president.
He is to affix the seal of the United
States to the commission, and is to
record It."
At the present time the seal of the
United States is affixed to the com
missions of all cabinet officers and
diplomatic and consular officers who
are nominated by the president and
confirmed by the senate; all ceremo
nious communications from the prul
dent to the heads of foreign govern
ments; all treaties, conventions and
formal agreements of the president
with foreign powers; all proclama
tions by the president; all exequators
to foreign con3ular officers in the Uni
ted States who are appointed by the
heads of the governments which they
represent; to warrants by the presi
dent to receive persons surrendered
by foreign governments under extra
dition treaties, and to all miscella
peous commissions of civil officers ap.
pointed by the president, by and with
the advice and consent of the senate,
whose appointments are not now es
pecially directed by law to be signed
under a different seal.