Willmar tribune. [volume], May 03, 1905, Image 6

About Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931

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D'ri and I
By 11VING BACHELLEI
Author of Eben Hoktan." "Oarral of
th« Blessed Istes." Etc.
(Oapyrifht,1M,by Lothrop PublishingCoapaay.)
CHAPTER VI.—CojfxiNiTna.
We ate crackers and cheese while the
landlord was telling of the west roads
and the probable location of the Brit
ish. He stopped suddenly, peered over
my shoulder, and blew out the candle.
"We could hear a horse neighing in
the yard.
"Some one et the window," he
whispered. Then he ran to the door
and drew the bolt. "Ain' much idee
who 't is," he added, peering out of
the window. "By §osh! more 'n a
dozen folks out here, soldiers tew,
most uv em on hoiseback. Come
quick,"
We followed him upstairs, in the
dark, as they began to pound on the
door. From the yard a light flashed
up. They were evidently building a
fire so that they could have better
shooting if we came out
"May set the house afire," said the
landlord.
He quickly unwound a big hose that
ran up to a tank the peak above
us.
"Plenty o' water?" D'ri whispered.
"Rivers uv it," said the landlord.
"Tank 's connected with the reservoir,
o' the lead-works on the hill up there.
Big wooden pipe comes in the gable
end."
"Turn *er on," said D'ri, quickly,
"an* let me hev that air hose."
The landlord ran up a ladder. D'ri
stuck the hose out of the window.
The stieam shot away with a loud hiss.
I stood by and saw the jet of water
leap forth as big as a pikestaff. A
man went off his horse, sprawling as
if he had been hit with a club. The
Det leaped quickly from one to another,
roaring on man and beast There was
a mighty scurry. Horses went head
long down the hill, some dragging their
riders. In the silence of the night,
bedlam had broken loose. The shout
ing men. the plunging horses, the
stream of water roaring on rock and
road, woke the village. Men came
running from behind the house to see
what had happened, then rushed after
their horses. Some fell cursing as the
water hit them The landlord put his
mouth to my ear
"Mek fer yer hosses." he hissed
W* were below-stairs and out of
the door in a jiffy. Two men fled be
fore us at the stable, scrambled over
the fence, and went tumbling down
hill. We biidled our horses with all
speed leaped upon them, and went
rushing down the steep road, our
swords hand, like an avalanche.
They tried to stop us at the foot of the
hill, but fell away as we came near,
could hear the snap of their triggers
in passing. Only one pistol-shot came
atter us, and that went high.
Guess their ammunition 's a leetla
Wet." said D'ri. with a shout that
turned into laughter as we left the
British behind us.
A party of four or five mounted and
gave chase but our powder was a bit
drier than theirs, and for a time we
.raked the road with our bullets. What
befell them I know not*, I only know
that they held up and fell out of hear
Ing.
Crossing a small river at daylight,
we took the bed of it. making our way
slowly for half a mile or so into the
woods. There we built a fire, and gave
the horses half the feed in our sad
dle-bags, and ate our mess on a flat
rock.
"N«ver hed no sech joemightvful
time es thet afore." said D'ri, as he sat
down, laughing, and shook his head.
"Jerushy Jane! Did n't we come down
thet air hill! Luk slidin' on a greased
pole."
"Comin* so luk the devil they did
n't dast git 'n er way," said Thurst.
"We wus all rippin* th' air *ith them
•Jr joemightyful sabers, tew," D'ri
went on. "Hed a purty middlin' sharp
edge on us. Stuck out luk a haystack
right 'n* left"
He began bringing wood as he sang
the chorus of his favorite ballad:—
L.I toorul I oorul I oorul I ay, etc.
Thurst knew a trail that crossed the
river nearby and met the Caraway
Pike a few miles beyond. Having eat
en, I wrote a dispatch to be taken
back by Thurst as soon as we reached
the pike. Past 10 o'clock we turned
into a rough road, where the three of
us went one way and Thurst another.
I rode slowly, for the horses were
nearly fagged. I gave them an hour's
rest when we put up for dinner. Then
we pushed on, coming in sight of the
Chateau Le Ray at sundown. A splen
did place it was, the castle of gray
atone fronting a fair stretch of wooded
lawn,'cut by a brook that went splash
ing over rocks near by, and sent its
velvet voice through the wood and
field. A road of fine gravel led through
groves of beech and oak and pine
to a grassy terrace under the castle
walls. Presently a tall, handsome
man, with black eyes and iron-gray
hair and mustache, came down a path,
clapping his hands.
"Welcome, gentlmen! It is the
Capt. Bell?" safd he, with a marked
accent, as he came to me, his hand ex
tended. "You come from Monsieur the
Cen. Brown, do you not?"
'I do," said I, handing him my mes
sage.
He broke the seal and read it care
fully.
"1 am glad to see you—ver' glad to
tee you!" said he, laying his hando
upon my shoulders and giving me a
little shake.
The two servants went away with
D'ri and Seth and the horses.
"Come, captain," said my host, as he
led the way. "You are in good time
for dinner."
We entered a great triangular hall,
lighted by side windows above the.
door, and candelabra of shining brass
that hung from its high ceiling. There
were sliding doors of polished wood
on each side of it A great stairway
filled the point of the triangle. I
was shown to my room, which was
as big as a ball-room, it seemed to
me, and grandly furnished: no cas
tle of my dreams had been quite so
fine. The valet of the count looked
after me, with the offers of new linen
and more things than I could see use
for. He could not speak English, I
remember, and I addressed him in the
good French my mother had taught
me.
The kind of life I saw in this grand
home was not wholly new to me, for
both my mother and my father had
known good living in their youth,
and I had heard much of it. I should
have been glad of my new uniform
but after I had had my bath and put
on the new shirt and collar the valet
had brought me, I stood before the
long pier-glass and saw no poor figure
of a man.
The great dining-hall of* the count
was lighted with many candles when
we came in to dinner. It had a big
fireplace, where logs were blazing, 'for
the night had turned cool, and a long
table with a big epergne of wrought
silver, filled with roses, in Its
center. A great silken rug lay un
der the table, on a polished floor, and
4he walls were hung with tapestry. I
sat beside the count, and opposite me
was the daughter of the Sieur Louis
Francois de Saint-Michel, king's for
ester under Louis XVI. Therese, the
handsome daughter of the count, sat
facing him at the farther end of the
table, and beside her was the young
Marquis de Gonvello. M. Pidgeou. the
celebrated French astronomer, Moss
Kent, brother of the since famous
chancellor, the Sieur Michel, and the
Baroness de Ferre, with her two wards,
the Misses Louise and Louison de
Lambert, were also at dinner. These
young ladies were the most remark
able of the company their beauty was
HE BROKE THE SEA.L AND
IT CAREFULLY.
READ
so brilliant, so fascinating, it kindled
a great fire in me the moment I saw
it. They said little, but seemed to
have much interest in all the talk of
the table I looked at them more than
was polite, I am sure, but they looked
at me quite as often. They had big,
beautiful brown eyes, and dark hair
fastened high with jewelled pins, and
profiles like those of the fair ladies
of Sir Peter Lely, so finely were they
cut. One had a form a bit fuller and
stronger than the other's, but they
were both as tall and trim as a young
beech, with lips cherry-red and cheeks
where one could see faintly the glow of
their ycung blood. Their gowns were
cut low, showing the graceful lines of
neck and shoulder and full bosom.
I had seen pretty girls, many of them,
but few high-bred, beautiful young
women. The moment I saw these two
some new and mighty force'came into
me. There were wine and wit a plenty
at the count's table, and other things
that were also new to me, and for
which I retained perhaps too great a
fondness.
The count asked me to tell of our
journey, and I told the story with all
the spirit I could put into my words.
I am happy to say it did seem to hit
the mark, for I was no sooner done
with our adventure than the ladies
began to clap their hands, and the
Misses de Lambert had much delight
in their faces when the baroness re
told my story in French.
ence in the campaign of the north,
and no doubt those in authority there
were instructed, while the war was on,
to take special care of his property.
"And will you please tell me," I said
at length, "who are the Misses de Lam
bert?"
"Daughters of a friend in Paris,"
said the count. "He is a great physi
cian. He wishes not for them to mar
ry until they are 21. Mon Dieu! it
was a matter of some difficulty. They
were beautiful."
"Very beautiful!" I echoed.
"They are admired," he went on.
"The young men they began to make
trouble. My friend he send them
here, with the baroness, to study—to
finish their education. It is healthy,
it is quiet, and—well, there are no
young gentlemen. They go to bed
early they are up at daylight they
hsve the horse! they have boats they
amuse themselves ver' much. But
tbey are impWent they long for
Paris—the salon, the theater, the
opera. They are like prisoners: they
cannot make themselves contented.
The baroness she has her villa on a
Iake*back4n the woods, and, mon ame!
it is beautiful there—so still, so cool,
so delightful At present they have a
great fear of the British. They lie
awake they hear a sound in the night,
and, mon Dieu! it is the soldiers com
ing."
The count laughed, lifting his shoul
ders with a gesture of both hands.
Then he puffed thoughtfully at his cig
arette.
"Indeed," he went on presently, "I
think the invasion is not far away.
They tell -ne the woods In the north
are alive with British cavalry. I am
not able to tell how many, but, Dieu!
it is enough. The army should inform
itself immediately. I think it is bet
ter that you penetrate to the river to
morrow. If you are no afraid, to see
Dinner over, the count invited me
to the smoking-room, where, in a cor
ner by ourselves, I had some talk with
him. He told me of his father—that
he had been a friend of Franklin,
that he had given a ship and a cargo of
gunpowder to our navy in '76. Like
others I had met under his roof, the
count had seen the coming of the Reign
of Terror in France, and had fled with
his great fortune. He had invested
much of it there in the wild country.
He loved America, and had given free
ly to equip the army for war. He
was, therefore, a man of much influ- "the wood's edge ana saw one
rss^c
what Isbetween, and to return by the
woods. I shall trouble you* to take a
letter to Ihe^ Gen. "Brown,"* It will be
ready at any hour."
"At six?" I inquired.
"At six, certainly, if you desire to
start then," he replied.
He rose and took my arm affection
ately and conducted me to the big
drawing-room. Two of the ladies were
slngiug as one played the guitar. I
looked in vain for the Misses de Lam
bert. The others were all there, but
they had gone. I felt .a singular de
pression at their absence and went to
my room shortly to get my rest, for I
had to be off early in the morning. Be
fore going to bed, however, I sat down
to think and do some writing. But I
could not for the life of me put away
the thought of the young ladies. They
looked alike, and yet I felt sure they
were very different. Somehow I could
not recall in what particular they dif
fered. I sat a time thinking over it.
Suddenly I heard low voices, those of
women speaking in French 1 could not
tell from where they came.
"I do wish she would die, the*hateful
thing!" said one. (It must be under
stood these words are more violent in
English than they seem in French.)
"The colonel is severe to-night," said
another.
"The colonel—a fine baroness in
deed—vieille tyran! I cannot love her.
Lord! I once tried to love a monkey
and had better luck. The colonel keeps
all the men to herself. Whom have
I seen for a year? Dieu! women,
grandpapas, greasy guides! Not a
young man since we left Paris."
"My dear Louison!" said the other,
"there are many things better than
men."
"Au nom de Dieu! But I should like
to know what they are. I have never
seen them."
"But often men are false and evil,"
said the other, in a sweet, low voice.
"Nonsense!" said the first, impa
tiently. "I had rather elope with a
one-legged hostler than always live in
these woods."
"Louison! You ought to cross your
self and repeat a Hail Mary
"Thanks! I have tried prayer^ It
is n't what I need. I am no nun liko
you. My dear sister, don't you ever
long for the love of a man—a big,
handsome, hearty fellow who could
take you up in his arms and squeeze
the life oat of you?"
"Eh, bien," said the other, with a
sigh, "I suppose it is very nice I do
not dare to think of it."
"Nice! It is heaven. Louise! And
to see a man like that and not be per
mitted to—to speak to him! Think of
it! A young and handsome man—the
first I have seen for a year! Honestly
I could poison the colonel."
"My dear, it is the count as much
as the colonel. She is under his or
ders, and he has an eagle eye
"The old monkey. He enrages me!
I could rend him limb from limb!"
I could not help hearing what they
said, but I did not think it quite fair
to share^their confidence any further,
so I went to one of the windows and
closed a shutter noisily. The voices
must have come from a little balcony
just under my room.
"My dear sister, you are very ter
rible," said one of them, and then the
shutter came to, and I heard no more.
A full moon lighted the darkness. A
little lake gleamed like silver between
the tree-tops. Worn out with hard
travel, I fell into bed shortly, and lay
a long time thinking of those young
ladies, of the past, of to-morrow and its
perils, and of the farther future. A
new life had begun for me.
CHAPTER VII.
The sun was lifting above the tree
tops when the count's valet called
me that morning at the Chateau Le
Ray. Robins were calling under my
windows, and the groves rang with
tournaments of happy song. Of that
dinner-party only the count was at
breakfast with me. We ate hurriedly,
and when we had risen the horses were
at the door. As to my own, a tall
chestnut thoroughbred that Mr. Parish
had brought over from England, I
never saw him in finer fettle. I start
ed Seth by Caraway Pike for Ogdens
burg with the count's message.
Mine host laid hold of"my elbow and
gave it a good shake as I left him,
with D'ri, taking a trail that led north
by west in the deep woods. They had
stuffed our saddle-bags with a plenty
for man and horse.
I could not be done thinking of the
young ladies. It put my heart in a
flutter when I looked back at the cas-
of them waving her handkerchief in
a window. I lifted my hat, and put
my spurs to the flank with such a
pang in me,that I dared not look back
again. Save for that one thing, I
never felt better. The trail was smooth,
and we galloped along in silence for
a mile or so. Then it narrowed to a
stony path, where one had enough to
do with slow going to take care of his
head, there were so many boughs in
the way.
"Jerushy Jane!" exclaimed D'ri, as
he slowed down. "Thet air 's a gran'
place. Never hed my karkiss in no
sech bed as they gin me las' night
softer 'n wind, an' hed springs on like
them new wagins ye see o\er 'n Ver
mont Jerushy! Dreamed I was flyin'."
I had been thinking of what to do
if we met the enemy and were hard
pressed. We discussed it freely, and
made up our minds that if there came
any great peril of capture we would
separate, each to take his own way
out of the difficulty.
We halted by a small brook at mid
day, feeding the horses and ourselves
out of the saddle-bags.
"Ain't jest eggzae'ly used t*- this
kind uv a sickle," said D'ri, as he felt
the edge of his saber, "but I '11 be
dumed ef it don't seem es ef I 'd orter
be ruther dang'rous with thet air 'n
my hand."
[To Be Continued
He boat.
A lady who gave particularly dull
parties, on one occasion Invited two
young officers stationed In the neigh
borhood. Only one attended, the other
being on duty.
"Oh!" cried the hostess, "where is
your friend?"
"Well, we had »to toss up which
should come/'
a
"And you won!" she said, archly
"No. I lost',"—Smith's WeeUfe
MATRIMONIIRUII
WH WEDDED LIFE SO OFTEN
PROVES FAILURE.
Business, the Professions and Politics
Can Claim as Great a Proportion
of Failures—Don't Choose a Man
for Bi Fascinating/ Mustache or
His Deferential Manner Don't
Marry a Man to Reform Him—
"Treat Each Other White."
BY KATE UPSON CLARK.
(Copy-light, 1905, by Joseph U. Bowles.)
The subject "Is life worth living?"
became rather stale some years ago.
There seems to be danger that "Is mar
riage worth while?" will soon grow to
be equally trite and unattractive. In
the appalling mass of testimony from ap
parently embittered witnesses against
the institution of matrimony, one would
seem to be almost reckless to attempt
to advance the other side of the con
troversy. One deeply-religious woman,
when asked if she were going to speak
in favor ot matrimony, replied with a
look of lofty scorn: "You will be asking
me next to defend the divinity of my
Maker."
But there seems to be no such im
pregnable faith in the wisdom of the
central institution of modern society.
Even taking into consideration the
feverish desire to say a new and start
ling word and the similarly feverish
passion to make everything ridiculous,
no matter how sacred, there is evident
ly a widespread dissatisfaction1 with the
results of marriage.
You may reply that this is an age of
discontent. The chronic grumbler is'a
recognized institution nowadays. Dur-
MRS KATE UPSOM CLARK
ing the recent terrible "blizzard" in New
York, several residents in suburban sec
tions, where the sidewalks were not
broken out for eight days afterward,
sent complaints to the post office that
"the postmen were late in delivering the
mail on the day after the storm!"
Such people are capable of address
ing written expostulations to Provi
dence upon its conduct of affairs, and
there are many who are quite as un
reasonable and as little worth serious
attention. But when reverend clergy
men, and leading doctors of literature,
begin to show a tendency to think that
the idea of marriage is not sound, it
seems as though there were really a
basis for a genuine discussion and, as
though everybody ought to "take an in
terest" and contribute his point of
view.
Well, suppose a good many marriages
prove to be failures. Is there any sort
of business in which there is not a
large proportion of failures?
We are told that 96 per cent, of the
men who set up in business for them
selves, fail one or more times, which
is one of those misleading statistics of
which we hear so much for the same
man gets counted every time he "sets
up" and fails. Therefore one man who
has a constitutional aptitude for failure
may contribute a frightful proportion of
that 96 per cent.
Granted, that in commercial life fail
ure is the rule, and success the excep
tion. In professional life, no doubt the
proportion of sufferers is quite as great.
Ministers, doctors, lawyers, musicians!
artists, actors, writers—how many, com
pared with the whole immense number,
can be said to achieve success?
Then as to our political institutions.
How many cities have we, the finances
and offices of which are administered
honestly, which would be the same in
this sense as "successfully?" Mr Stef
fens would probably reply that there are
none at all. Even the departments of
the federal government are full of scan
dals, and their history has been far more
that of failures than or successes, while
who shall dare to speak of the unwrit
ten disclosures one or more of which
have come to the ears of us all?
The trouble seems to be with human
nature. It does not seem to be able to
do anything perfectly. The average hu
man being seems to be an untidy, selfish,
hypocritical, lazy, untrustworthy crea
ture—a sort of a cross between a sheep,
an oyster, a bear and a treacherous
leopard or tiger. When you really stop
to think of it, the wonder is, not that so
many married couples are divorced, or
live on, jangling, profoundly tired' of
each other, or merely in dumb, patient,
uncomplaining misery but that the
proportion of truly happy couples is as
high as it is.
A'young woman recently confided to a
friend that she ardently loved a certain
young man, but that she would never
marry him until he should entirely re
form his course.
"I have told him this," she said, sadly.
"He knows perfectly well that he can
have me if he will behave himself. I
never expect to like anybody else so
well as I like him. But I have sense
enough to know That a man who does
not keep his word, who contracts debts
which he does^iot propose to pay, who
drinks too much wine once fn awhile,
will never make me a good husband. If
we should have children, what sort of a
father would he make?"
"But your influence might reform
him."
"If I had not seen that tried in the
case of Rosa ,»• naming a well
known society girl, who had married a
gay society fellow, with ajarge fortune
and a choice assortment, of bad habits,
and who had had to come, home to ber barb
father^ with ner two small children, "I
might have more faith in it. Rosa said:
'Oh, I know Jack is a trifle wild. But wait
till we are married. He will sober down
then and make a model husband.' I be
lieve Rosa did her part. She is as good
as gold. But he could not 'change his
spots/ and she might have known it.
Once in a great while, a man does that
sort of thing, but a girl is a fool to count
on it."
The young woman, a brilliant girl of
24, much courted and flattered, meant
what she said. Her good sense con
quered her personal preference, strong
though it was. The prospect now is that
she will never marry but how few there
are who would have argued as wisely as
she does!
Have you tried the young man whom
you are beginning to love, and who
seems to love you, to see whether he is
strictly honorable? Is he careful in
keeping every appointment? If he does
not regard his word now, be sure that
he will regard it still less after mar
riage.
Does he drink too much occasionally
now? If he does, the chances are that
he will drink too much considerably
oftener after marriage. Do you ob
serve that he is careless with money
now? Do you see indications that he is
in debt? Be sure that he will hardly
manage his finances better after mar
riage.
The trouble with most girls is that if
a young man is good looking and de
voted and full of compliments, they shut
their eyes to everything else. They
want to get married, and as soon as pos
sible. They marry without any adequate
idea of the sort of real character which
is hidden under that fascinating mus
tache and that deferential manner, and,
then, the mask drops off, and there is
misery. Of course, many an honest man
finds the same sham and mockery in his
wife. Young people put the best foot
foremost during courtship, and the hid
den foot may prove to be very bad in
deed.
Your ideal husband must, first of all,
be a man of honor. Find out to your
satisfaction that he is this. He will pre
tend that he is, but get unprejudiced
opinions. If he is an honest man, and
you do your best to live up to everything
which you have professed, then, if you
truly love each other, your married We
will be happy.
There is a slang expression which the
street boys use. It is not literary nor
refined, but it conveys its idea impres
sively. If anybody treatsthem square
ly and magnanimously, they say "He
treated me white" If human beings
would only "treat each other white,"
generously, nobly, unselfishly, we should
hear no more of the "failure of mar
riage." It would still have its trials, but
they would seem as nothing beside the
true, steadfast love, and the honest de
sire husband and wife to do each his
or her rightful part, and a little" more.
THE BABY'S SUN BATH.
Modern Hygiene Calls for Plenty of
Sunshine and Air for tlie
Infant Human.
Sunning the baby is the latest thing
in baby culture, says an exchange. No
household is too poor to possess one
of these patent adjustable sun parlors.
They are made of some kind of hard
wood and are built by the carpenter to
extend beyond the window. The top
and sides of the little platform are cov
ered with glass, and strips of carpet
are laid on the floor, to stop up any
cracks there may be. No matter how
fiercely the winds may blow or how low
the thermometer may sink the sun par
lor is always ready for the baby. A
pillow is placed on the carpeted floor,
then the baby is warmly dressed and
well covered for its morning or after
noon nap. Mothers who have tried this
method of sunning the baby are boast
ing of the gain in weight and health,
and have the proud satisfaction of
knowing they are strictly up to date.
FANCIES OF THE MOMENT.
Daintiness is the essential feature of
the correct separate waist.
It is rumored that moire silk is to re
turn to favor as the season advances.
Tucks in a variety of different widths,
from the minutest pin tucks, are very
much employed'to trim the gowns of
to-day.
Fine cords are run through the trim
ming of smart sleeves, sometimes just
below the shoulder and again just be
low the, elbow.
Quaint, square, stiff bows of velvet,
preferably black, are used down the
front of a high corsage or on the chemi
sette of a Louis bodice in most effective
fashion.
The latticework garniture of flowers
forms once again an important part of
the evening dress up to date. Natural
ly, small flowers are required for the
purpose, such as daisies, bachelor's but
tons and small button roses.
The Nervous Baby.
Nervous mothers make nervous ba
bies. Suppose a child is fretty and
nerved up either by pain or after excite
ment of any kind. What does the av
erage mother do? Rock, toss, shake,
rattle, show a light, anything to keep
the baby awake and excited. It is voted
"cruel indifference" to "let a baby cry."
It is true that sometimes the jumping
and joggling operations will enable a
child to throw off the wind that causes
pain in the stomach—the result of im
proper digestion or overloading the
stomach. Aside from this it is hard to
think of any emergency which requires
that familiar jouncing, joggling treat
ment so much in vogue. After you have
made sure that there is no colic (colic
is bent relieved by teaspoonful sips of
hot water), or that there is no tigh
garment or an irritated place where thi
clothing chafes the little body, or no.
wicked pin, it usually does no harm to
let the baby cry. It is often a relief
to overwrought feelings, in the same
way in which the mother, overwrought
and wearied, feels better if she has her
cry out. A healthy baby kept in a rest
ful atmosphere and properly disciplined,
will rarely cry.
Spring Diet.
The diet for spring should Include
plenty of green vegetables and salads,
such as spinach, watercress, lettuce,
turnip-tops, and dandelion leaves, as
well as fruit of all kinds, raw and
stewed, particularly apples "and rhu-
State Auditor Iverson says that un
der the Leech Lake forestry reserve
resolution in the legislature the state
would have lost land easily worth $1,
500,000.
•J335
MINNESOTA HAPPENINGS.
Short Items Showing What has Hap»
paned Throughout Confines
of North Star State.
May 11 is set for the St. Paul jubilee.
A national ski association is pro
posed at St Paul.
The painters of St Paul will ask for
an increase in wages.
The factory owners will hold a state
convention in St Paul.
Hiram D. Brown dies at his lionae on
Portland avenue, St. Paul.
Five companies of infantrymen from
Fort Snelling start overland to Lake
City.
The Johnson-Smith sash and door
factory in Minneapolis was destroyed
by fire.
The western automobilists will make
their endurance race from Chicago to
St. Paul.
An interesting book on poultre rais
ing is being distributed from the state
farm school
Carleton college was awarded vic
tory in the joint debate with the Upper
Iowa university-
Pietro Villella, a Ramsey county
prisoner at Stillwater, was pardoned
by the state board of pardons.
The quality of the milk sold in the
Twin Cities improves rapidly as the
work of inspection progresses.
The war department orders that the
historic towers at Fort Snelling be re
stored to their original condition.
Ramsey county will have a license
inspector to round up alleged blind
pigs outside of the limits of St. Paul.
John P. Schmidt was appointed post*
master at Ferrie, Hubbard county,
in place of M. M. Nygeard, resigned.
Lizzie E Colley has been appointed
postmistress at Bergman, I'ine county,
in place of August Bergman, resigned.
Charlotte Anderson is appointed post
mistress at Huntington, Kittson coun
ty, in place of Isabel Doupe. resigned.
Ed. Peterson, deputy assessor of
Ramsey county, was appointed to the
position of deputy insurance commis
sioner.
Twcnt3'-one young- men of St. Cloud
joined the United States navy during
the week's stay of the recruiting offi
cers in that city.
Bell, a milk dealer in St Paul, was
fined $25 for selling milk and cream
that did not come up to the require
ments of the law
Harvey Rogers was found guilty of
using the mails for fraudulent pur
poses by a jury in udge Lochren's
court in Minneapolis.
The application to convert the Se
curity Bank of Luverneinto the Farm
ers' National bank is approved by the
controller of the currency.
The department of commerce takes
an interest in the fight on trusts which
is being waged by the independent oil
dealers in the Twin Cities.
J. W. Taylor, 35 years old, a carpen
ter living in Minneapolis, was proba
bly fatally injured by a fall from a bi
cycle and a kick by a passing horse.
Matt Gannon, who was murdered at
Beaudette, made a sworn statement to
the public examiner -in which he pre
ferred charges against the county at
torney.
The South St Paul school board re
eeived two bids for the proposed $25,
000.issue of school bonds, but rejected
both bids. The board declined to re
advertise.
Col. H. jGiaves, of Duluth. the
newly appointed minister to Stock
holm, was tendered a banquet at the
Duluth Commercial club by the Scan
dinavian Americans.
The Business Men's Protective asso
ciation at New Richland elected C. A.
Newgard, president C. B. Johnson,
rice president Charles Spillane, secre
tary, and A Anderson, treasurer.
At a largely attended barquet of the
Commercial club of Pelican Rapids,
committees were appointed to estab
lish a park in the center of the city,
plant trees and boulevard some streets.
With the $350,000 appropriation by
the legislature and the insurance from
the burned building, the university re
gents will have $403,000 with which to
erect a new main building on the cam
pus.
A fire of unknown origin destroyed
the downtown warehouse of the Keller
Manufacturing comoany at Sauk Cen
ter. Several thousand dollars' worth
of cutters and fine lumber was con
sumed. Partial insurance was carried.
Citizens of Pelicaji Rapids have or
ganized a Commercial club for the
purpose of civic improvement. A
banquet is to be given soon. Officers:
O. M. Carr, president F. J. Cockinj*,
vice president S. O. Diffendorf, sec
retary C..R. Frazec. treasurer.
The efficiency of the St. Paul fire de
partment and the general stability of
St Paul buildings have been com
mended in the annual report of In
surance Commissioner T. D. O'Brien
relative to fire insurance companies
doing business within the state.
The members of the Berglund Lum
ber company, whose plant at White
Bear was destroyed by fire, announce
that it is very doubtful whether the
plant will be rebuilt. They place
their loss at $50,000, with but $2,500
insurance.
The proposition has been broached
by several of the prominent automo
bile owners of Minneapolis to set
aside a day during the warm weather
to come and Nave every person in the
city who is willing- to contribute the
u«e of his auto and services unite in
giving all the orphan children a day's
outing.
Nine suits against six St. Paul whole
sale liquor, houses were commenced in
the United States circuit court by W.
A. Gaines & Co., of Frankfort, Ky., in
which the Gaines company charges the
defendants are using the copyrighted
trade marks of that company on other
whiskies.
Henry Crandnll recovered a verdict
for $1,000 against the Soo road iu the
district court at St. Paul in the suit
for $25,000 damages for injuries to his
9-year-old son, who fell from one of
the company's trains near Sault Ste.
Marie, Mich,, and, it is alleged, was
permanently injured.
""*|*i»*3S*.
TRAP.
Home-Made Device Which Will Catch
the Most Wary and Cun
ning Rodent.
The only kind of trap proved to the
writer a complete success is the dead
fall shown in the accompanying cut.
It has been used in his family for near
ly half a century, catching, during that
time, an aimy of rats. Simple in con
struction, it is, nevertheless, so swift
and deadly in its action that any rodent,
having once sprung it, never escapes.
Wonderful to re
late, as many as
eight rats have
been caught in
such a trap at
one time, which,
though it did not
kill them, held them prisoners until
they could be dispatched, says Fred O.
Sibley, in Epitomist. The platform A
should be about 20 inches square, and
the drop consist of hardwood plank
with two holes bored through exactly
middle-way, so that it will slide readi
ly up and down the posts supporting the
crosspiece H. Through the center of
this is a hole for the similar action of
the circular post D, which is securely
embedded into B. A piece of light band
iron is G, which, when the trap is set,
rests on the support and, being loose
ly fastened to at I by an iron pin, thus
holds up the plank B. The rat enters
and begins nibbling at Indian meal
sprinkled in the groove of the platform
at J, and finally reaching the spindle,
hidden beneath it, agitates it enough to
displace the bottom E on the outside
this, in turn, releases both the string
and band-iron G, the latter of which,
owing to the weight of the plank B, is
drawn upward into a groove, sawed
middle-way through by its sliding
down the. hole in the center of and
as the motion of is then exceeding
ly fast, the victim, ere it can scramble
over the sides round the platform, is
caught and killed. Provided the affair
is nicely adjusted and made so that it
operates easily, there is no patented
trap on the market,to my knowledge,
half as good, for it has such an innocent
appearance that the oldest and most
cunning rat will ultimately be caught
by it. To work well the spindle
should have a little play, and the more
lightly the button E ests against the
notch cut in it and yet will hold, the
better. Made on a smaller scale, this
kind of trap is also most excellent with
which to catch mice.
HOME-MADE ROAD SCRAPER
It Will Do as Good Work as the High
Priced Grader, and Is Very
Durable.
In the illustration a a are
3x12x8 feet long, bottom" edge
beveled with its hoe of steel %x4
Inches, bolted on cutting edge as shown
at g. The crosspleces, e, are bolted
with inch bolts in mortises 1x8, two
ROAD GRADER.
Inches from the top of a a, and made
out of Ix4x30-inch iron, which has holes
in front ends to fasten draft chain to,
also a hole in at the right-hand end
to bolt brace, f, on, which is also bolted
to the rear a at h. The guider, f, is 1x2
inches and six feet long, with holes in
back end so the rear a can be changed
at any time so it will properly follow
front a. A seat board, b, is bolted to a
a at when team is hitched at for
ditching, and at when smoothing up
the roadbed. The right-hand ends of
a a are sloped back 45 degrees to pre
vent catching in the bank of side ditch.
If properly made of good material, this
is very durable, and does almost as good
work as a costly grader.—Farm and
Home.
RYE MAKES GOOD PASTURE
How One- Farmer Manages to
Good Feed for His Live
Get
Stock.
I draw the manure on the sod ground
plow and harrow well, then plant to
corn and cultivate well, writes a New
Ybrk farmer in the Farm and Home.
The next spring I plow the corn, top
dress with stable manure and sow oats.
As soon as the oats are off. plow and
top-dress again, then sow to rye. In
six weeks I have big feed and pasture
the rye until it ferezes.
The last of May I cut the rye as soon
as it heads, and the stock like it and
do well on it. In the spring I seed on
the rye with equal parts of clover and
timothy. I pasture this in the fall, and
the rye will be headed out the second
time.
I cut the grass for hay three years,
and plow again and follow the same ro
tation. I manage a piece of land this
way every year, have nice fall feed
and never fail to have big crops. Last
fall I got first and second premiums on
my corn at our fair. My rye was very
stout and five feet tall, the grass so
stout that I could not cut it with a ma
Vhine until I cleared a place for it to
run.
Low-Wheeled Wagons.
Low wagon wheels are useful for hay
ing when a loader and horse fork arc
used, also for stacking grain, as the
wheels do not cut into the land. Also
to haul manure, gravel and dirt. In this
county low wheel wagons are exempt
from taxes. I have four-inch wooden
wheels 36 and 42 inches in diameter,
also a set of narrow, high wheels
which are used for hauling hogs to mar
ket. High wheels run easier on stony
roads. If I could have but one kind it
would be low ones. If all farmers used
Wide tires the roads would wear longer.
THE APPLE MAGGOT.
Something About This Orchard En-.
emy, and How It May Be fine- JJ
tjr
cessfully Combated
The Maine experiment station, Orono,
Me., has just issued bulletin No. luy, up
on the apple maggot and other insects.
The bad work of the apple maggot is
done while it is in the larval stage, or
just after hatching from the egg. The
adult insect is a fly, somewhat smaller
than the common house fly, and is read
ily distinguished by four dark, irregu
lar bands across the wings. It is found
in orchards from July until frost, during
which time the females are engaged in
piercing or stinging the skin of the ap
ple with a sting-like ovipositor and
leaving in each wound an egg, buried in
the flesh of the apple. Each female can
lay from 300 to 400 eggs. After hatch
ing the maggots tunnel through the
flesh of the truit and feed upon it until
they are full grown. These tunnels
often lie directly beneath the skin and
on the light-colored varieties, thus giv
ing the insect the popular name "Rail
road worm." But although th« mag
got comes close to the skin it never
breaks through and is thus always pro
tected and cannot be affected by spray
ing.
Remedies.—The presence of the mag
got hastens the ripening of the frtut
and much of that attacked drops as
windfalls. Thus the destruction of
windfalls is one of the most effective
steps in the destruction of the pest.
Hogs or sheep should be kept in the or
chard to eat the windfalls All canning
refuse should be destroyed The pupae,
or insects in the shell form, that remain
in the bottoms of boxes and barrels in
which apples have been stored should
be destroyed. Orchardists ho pasture
their orchards with hogs and sheep re
port light losses, while others in the
same locality, who do not do so, nor
destroy the windfalls in someother way
report heavy losses.
HANDY PICKING STOOL.
Device Which Will Prove of Great
Service in the Orchard Daring
Picking Time.
Onr illustration shows what is called
a "go-devil" or picking stool. It is all
made of basswood except the front leg,
upon which the basket hangs. This is
made of a buggy or cart shaft, which
can be had from any hardware store.
The platform is 4 feet long, 15 inches
broad and 1% inch thick. The cor
ners are sawed off, and the ends made
double thickness, to allow two tag
screws on each leg. and are thoroughly
braced. The small brace on the un
der side is iron, with two screws at each
end A small iron hook is put on the
PICKER FOR LOW-HEADED TREES
under side ••"the crane's-bill" to hang
the basket on. The-spread of the hind
legs is four feet and four inches, and
from the hind to the front leg is five
feet nine inches.
The stool is three feet high. To get
up catch the thing by the neck with one
hand and put one foot on the horizontal
brace near the hind leg, and with a
little effort you are mounted on some
thing that will not fall over, as three
legs always adjust themselves to the
ground even if on a slope. Place either
end of the stool up or down, and you
and it are all right. This is my own
invention so far as I know, and it is
the best thing to pick apples from up
to nine to eleven feet high, that I have
ever seen or thought of. I have a young
orchard of 1,200 trees, eight years old
last spring, from which the fruit was
picked almost entirely withthese stools,
very rapidly and without any danger of
mutilating the branches. We do not
use any stepladders in the orchard. We
abandoned them many years ago as
neither safe nor satisfactory. The
stools and the ladders are all that we
use to get in reach of the fruit.
FUMIGATING GREENHOUSE.
How the Small Plant May Be Easily
Sid of Several Destructive
Pests.
Take a large flower pot, place it upon
two smaller pots to allow the air to
pass into the hole
of larger pot.
1£
ii
Place shavings in
the large pot and
on top put some
slightly dampened
tobacco leaves (c)
apply a match un
dershavings. Place
a lid (a) on pot,
with a hole in cen
ter for escape of
smoke. Close door and ventilators
tightly and leave for half an hour.
Spray plants with water. This will
destroy thrips, a small insect found
on under part of leaves and aphis or
greenfly.—"Farmand Home.
FARM FACTS AND FANCIES.
Farming is* a poor business when the
farming is poor.
Wire fencing is nioie durable and
cheaper than wood.
A farmer without plans is next to a
ship without a rudder.
What per cent, of that seed corn do
you think will grow? If you havent
tested it, you don't know.
The greatest saving of time is mado
by the use of the best tools in the prep,
aratlon of the ground, planting the seed,
and after cultivation.
It is much more profitable tokeepland
in good condition than to get it out of
such condition by one-sided fertiliza
tion and then try to bring it back.
Time will be saved and you will be
apt to- bo more careful in your selection
if the seed corn is selected this month
If you intend buying seed, place your
order now.
Stat*
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3 1