The Idaho Springs siftings-news., June 08, 1917, Image 6

About The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??

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American Farmers Will
Win The Great War
Without food for all,
neither the United States
nor her Allies can
crush the enemy::The
great corn crop may j
\ be the real life /
saver for us J
by ROBERT H. MOULTON
T
HE farmers of the United States
are on the firing line of the great
war today. Their plows are worth
many cunnon. The seed they sow
Is worth regiments of men.
For no army can fight without
food and no nation can sustain war
without food. The allies, our allies,
are beginning to feel the pinch of
want, not in the same degree as the
people of central Europe, but that
will come unless America puts forth all her ener
gies to supply them.
But It is most essential to feed America first.
Even now a large class of our people are feeling
the weight of food shortage. Food riots and par
tial famine are threatened by crop failure In the
United States. So it Is up to the American farmer
to do his best.
Many conditions have contributed to bring about
the situation in which there are hunger riots in a
land so rich naturally. Much of the shortage of
food is primarily due to costly habits of eating
which for many decades have been holding all
classes In their clutch. The time is at hand when
the nation will appreciate the many valuable ar
ticles which before Columbus came the Indians
were developing. There nre many food products
native to the Western world which have been unac
countably neglected.
The most striking examples of unused value In
foods is the corn crop. Every other nation in the
world is eager for American corn, and yet this
cheap and highly nutritious cereal is neglected in
the land which Is its main source of supply. Whnt
wheat was to the armies of old. corn could be to
the forces of the United States.
The legions of Hnnnlbal nnd of Caesar sub
sisted on the whole wheat; Gaul’s conqueror in his
“Commentaries” tells how soldiers chewed fru
inentum ns they marched. To this day Roman and
Punic skeletons are unearthed on the old battle
fields of Europe nnd the skulls are firm and hard
because of the valuuble salts nnd bone building
constituents which came from the wheaten diet of
the ancient soldiery.
Corn is no less valuable ns n builder of brave
and sturdy men. The favorite ration of Davy
Crockett was parched and ground corn, which he
carried with him into the depths of the forest. It
was a saying of his that If a man had a gun nnd
ten pounds of parched corn he could easily live a
year. Ills diet was a trick learned from the In
dians. who were able to withstand the fatigues of
warpath and hunting trail because of this simple
nnd quickly assimilated fond. The corn, rich in
starch and protein, parched until It was made
quickly digestible, was mixed with water. A cup
ful of this most simple of all the elixirs had the
effect of almost Instantly strengthening the tired
body.
The government of the United Stntes urges upon
the people of this country that at least one-fourth
part of commenl be added to wheaten flour in the
making of brand. As a matter of fact, corn has
been used In the form of a fine flour for centuries
by various tribes of Indians, nnd when well enough
ground It is fully ns palatable as the wheaten
product.
The coarse cornrnenl bears little resemblance to
the Impalpable powder of corn which the primitive
races of this continent made by grinding between
stones nnd thnt by hand. The outer covering of
the kernels is scraped off after soaking them in
hot water to which a little lye has been added.
Thin flour Is mixed with water at times, nnd the
white liquid resulting Is quaffed with much relish.
It Is an emergency ration of the highest food value.
Whittier has sung the praises of the dish of
samp and milk by homespun beauty poured. The
hominy block In the time of Daniel Boone was an
adjunct of the cabin of every settler. It stood at
the edge of clearings as a mark of the diet to
which those steel-thewed pioneers looked for
strength.
The Johnnycake and the corn pone of the
hardy mountaineers of the South bear abundant
testimony to the body building qualities of the
Staple from which they are derived.
t Corn enters Into the composition of patent break
fast foods, but long before the days of cartons and
bright labels the Indians were making corn dishes
which for delicacy of flavor nnd dietetic value put
the products of this modern day to shame. They
also constructed flapjacks which literally melted
In the mouth.
The tortillas of the Central American countries
are a form of com which appeals to travelers. The
tortilla Is made of com flour and is a first cousin
of the pancake. Before it cools it is rolled up and
u surprise party put inside it, usually a little high
seasoned meat. It Is then kept for future use. A
favorite breakfast in the Central American coun
tries consists of two tortillas which have been
heated before the fire. They and a cup of coffee
ore enough to satisfy even the hungriest Indian.
Totopztll tastes much better than it sounds. It
Is a very thin, light wafer made by the Indians in
What the Insignia
On Uniforms Means
In times of pence by means of the amount ot
gold braid nnd shiny buttons displayed the aver
age man could usually guess the runk of an officer
within a few grades, but in the stern days of war.
when officers and men are clad alike in business
like khaki, there is little to tell a private from a
major. There Is, of course, a method in this, for
it would not do In modern warfare to make offi
cers conspicuous to the enemy.
In nil branches of the service. Infantry, cavalry
and artillery, the same symbols or insignia of
rank are used. The corporal, at the bottom of the
scale of officers, Is distinguished from the private
by the chevron, consisting of two bars on the right
sleeve. In the case of the sergeant, next highest
In rank, the chevron is of three inverted V-shaped
bars. All enlisted men. including these non-com
missioned officers, wear on one side of their coats
or blouses a bronze button with the number of
their organization, and in relief crossed rifles for
the infantry, crossed sabers for the cavalry and
crossed cannon for the artillery. Coast nnd field
artillerymen may be distinguished by the fact that
In the case of the former In addition to the can
non there Is a shell at the point of intersection of
the cannon.
The second lieutenant, lowest in rank of the
commissioned officers, may be distinguished from
the enlisted man, despite the fact that he wears
no insignia on his shoulder straps, by the gold
marking on his collar. This symbol, as In the case
of the enlisted men, Is of crossed rifles, sabers or
cannon, according to the branch of the service,
and Is worn by all regimental officers. On the
other side of the collar are the letters “U. S.” in
gold. Infantry officers may be distinguished by
the fact that the latter wear canvas leggings, while
the officers have tan leather leggings.
First lieutenants have a silver bar on their
shoulder straps, white captains have two bars. Of
the field officers, the major wears a gold leaf, and
the colonel a stiver spread englo. The brigadier
general has one silver star, nnd the major general
THE IDAHO SPRINGS SIFTINGS-NHWS.
the southern part of this continent. The corn from
which the cake is made is figst slightly parched
and then pounded to a fine dust. The cakes are
flakelike nnd not much thicker than wrapping
paper. They nre carried In small bags thrown
over the shoulders of the hardy Indians.
Totopztll Is dry and crumply and yet delicious in
flavor as well as sustaining in its qualities. Tin
biscuit nnd crackers of civilization nre tame in
flavor ns compared with this nboriginnl provender.
Corn flourishes In the fertile bottom of tin* mid
dle West, under the lee of the mesas of Arizona,
and even in regions of the Northwest, where until
recently It had a hard time to escape the frost.
One of the greatest gifts which the Indinns be
stowed upon the world was this grain of gold.
The general impression Is thnt the redskin was
merely a hunter, when In reality he was a walking
experimental agricultural station. It Is one of the
favorite outdoor pastimes of the Indians of the
Southwest to laugh at the government agricultural
experts who have from time to time been sent out
there to teach them how to grow corn.
The Indians profess grent Interest, nnd not to
appear unappreciative, they used to plant corn
patches alongside those of the federal apostles of
modern farming. The government corn came up
bright and green nnd soon withered away, while
that of the Indians flourished like weeping willows
by the river’s brink. The Indinns In order to
avoid the killing dryness often lodged the kernels
three and four feet below the surface In the bottom
of holes made by their planting sticks. Hence the
devel<»p ,nent deep-growing corn which often
raises only Its ears above the surface. The corn
or maize is essentially a tropical plant which had
Its origin In Mexico nnd was adapted to this
Climate by the Indinns.
The agricultural secrets of the Mandan Indians
have recently been applied In the Dakotas with
such success thnt the domain of the tassel
crow ned King Corn has been much extended. The
Introduction of the Indian methods have made It
possible for the farmers to grow a corn which can
be harvested within 60 days after it Is planted and
thus escape the frosts which would ruin it even
in Its maturity.
Com, therefore, should be an Ideal food for both
the soldiery and the civil population, for It now
may he raised abundantly In practically every part
of the country. Vast tracts could be devoted to the
grain nnd many crops could be harvested. In win
ter the Americans could learn the value of the
hog nnd hominy, of the flavor of thnt delectable
compound of cornrnenl and pig’s head, known as
scrapple, and could eat with zest fried mush and
corn cakes. The summer would bring them corn
flour nnd polenta and many other foods derived
from the yellow cereal.
the highest officer In our army at present, has two
silver stars.
The campaign hats —broad-brimmed felt hats
with stiff brims —afford another clue to the arm
to which the wearer belongs, The hats of all en
listed men are alike, but the hat cord around the
crown reveals by Its color the branch of the serv
ice to which the man belongs. A blue cord signi
fies infantry, a yellow cord cavalry, nnd a red cord
artillery, either coast or field. The men of the
quartermaster’s corps have huff, the engineering
corps red and white, the signal corps orange nnd
white, and the hospital corps maroon and white
hat cords. Officers of all branches wear gold nnd
black hat cords, the Insignia on their collars being
the only Indications of rank.
The Insignia of the quartermaster’s corps Is a
winged wheel crossed by a key nnd sword, of the
engineering corps three turrets, nnd of the signal
corps crossed flags. There are a few other em
blems, hut these are the most important.
In addition to the hat cords used iii the service
there nre frequently seen on the streets the red,
white and 4 blue cords of the men who have been
at I‘lattsburg or other camps, but who are not
actually in the service. The home-defense men
wear green and white hat cords and slate-colored
uniforms to distinguish them from the regulars
—New York Sun.
“Is BUggins a patriot?”
“I don’t know. He says he loves his country.”
“Thnt ought to settle It.”
"Well, he says he loves his family, too. If he
doesn’t treat his country any better than he does
his family I doubt whether his love for country
will make much difference.”
“Old Bostely says he has a mllllon-dollar brain,"
observed the man who was always picking up
choice hits of Information.
“He’s quite right,” ansiwwd the other; *it
would cost him fully that much to find out what's
the matter with It.”
PROTESTS OF ESTEEM.
EXPENSIVE INTELLECT.
INTERESTING ITEMS
FROM THE CITIES
Took Freak Ordinance to Set Matters Right
ANSAS CITY. —Something new in the way of freak special ordinances
was discovered in the council docket. The ordinance. If passed, would
. _ .11 . . . * _ t . _ . .. . <» . T- . m „ C' W Ul >111*f fl n ii n
K
have the council settle a private dispute over a $200 police court fine —a
matter which ordinarily would be
Joseph F. Keirnan. Mrs. Bicknell
paid the S2OO. Later Mrs. Marrs complained to Burr N. Mosman, assistant
city counselor, that the money with which the fine was paid had been realized
from the sale of some diamonds belonging, not to Mrs. Bicknell, but to herself.
Mrs. Marrs wanted the S2OO. There had been no Intention on the part of
Judge Keirnan to collect the fine, he having levied it merely as a club to keep
Mr. Marrs in order. Consequently, when Mrs. Marrs had succeeded in interest
ing Mayor Edwards and several others in her case Mr. Mosman drew up and
recommended the passage of the special ordinance.
The ordinance, introduced by Alderman Townsend and approved by the
ways and means committee, provides that the S2OO be taken from the city
and given to Mrs. Marrs.
Marrs is a traveling salesman. It is said he and his wife have settled
their matrimonial troubles and are living together again.
Unable to Enter Army, Youth Will Work Farm
E\V YORK.—The patriotic spirit of the youth of this country has mani
fested itself again and again among the undergraduate student bodies of
N
the universities in this city. Each day brings stories of heroic deeds per-
formed on the battlefields of Europe
by New York college men and of the
students here forming into fighting
units in preparation for the conflict.
Now comes the tale of a group of
young men eager to serve their coun
try, but who because of physical disa
bilities may not go Into the “first line.”
Their patriotic endeavor did not end
there, however, and now having failed
In their attempt to arm they will farm.
Mr. H. H. Van Aken, a senior in
the New York University School of
Law, was one of the first applicants to present himself at the offices of th&
Training Camps association after that body issued its call for men to enlist
in the Plattsburg camp. The rigid physical examination prevented Mr. Van
Aken from becoming an officer in the United States army. His application
for enlistment in the regulars was also rejected and it then became necessary
for Mr. Aken to turn his mind to other channels In order to serve his country.
He decided to utilize a farm which had recently come into his possession.
In Ulster county just south of Kingston, N. Y.
As soon as his decision to return to the farm had been made, Mr. Van
Aken announced his intention to his classmates, and in less time than it takes
to tell, enough men to work the farm all summer had volunteered their serv.
ices. In each instance they were men who had endeavored to enter either the
army or the navy and had been rejected because of physical disabilities.
Beans and potatoes will be the principal articles grown, and chickens
will be raised.
Visitor Tempted Fate, and Retribution Was Sudden
lETROIT.—Well, he is dead, and I killed him, and it serves him right! He’d
been hanging around my desk all evening, doggone him! —and I was busy.
D
o n »- Ol “..V* * 11 UO UU^J,
too, trying to find out who did what at the Irvington ting raising, and needing
all my natural acumen for the busl-
wasted on him. He hung around and
hung around. I said, still with the courtesy due a guest: "Dern you—l told
you to beat It. Now, you beat it or I will heave a lead slug at you and squash
you flat.”
Still he did not go. He hung around and buzzed around, and I couldn't
think, or anything, and I said to the city editor that It was something awful
the way anybody was allowed to come loafing around the city room and
bother the reporters when they were trying to work, and he said something
about how we always gotta be polite to visitors, without exception, because
some time mebbe they will have a scoop and give It to us, or something.
So, for awhile I tried to ignore this party that kept bothering me, and
tried to keep on writing, nnd even moved a paste pot so he wouldn't sit 'in it,
and never said a thing when he wiped his feet on my coat, and then. Just as
I was chasing an elusive adjective up the tree of rhetoric, and all but had It
treed on the tiptop limb, this guy starts in to sing!
Did you ever try to write something when anybody is singing? Well it
cannot be done. I glared at him horribly, but he kept on singing. I said to
him, "Don’t you know any better than to sing around here at ten o’clock at
night. Just before the bulldog is going to press, and sing?"
And he got up right by my ear and began to sing again.
And then Is when I did it. He was the first mosquito!
Bean Like Rare Gem Adorns Senator’s Tie
ASHINGTON.—Senator A. A. Jones of New Mexico, formerly first as
sistant secretary of the interior, has recently been presented with prob
w
- - i-.vovuicu min jiruir
ably the most unique article of jewelry known to the craft. A little spotted
bean, known throughout the South- _
western states —the only section of the
country in which it thrives —as the
Pinto, Is now being worn in the cravat
of Senator Jones. It has been hand
somely mounted in a solid gold setting
and was received by the senator with
the accompanying letter:
“You will find in the mall of
early date a registered package con
taining a true specimen of the New
Mexico Pinto bean mounted on a tie
pin. A few months ago It might have
seemed ridiculous to exalt the lowly bean to the realm previously decupled
by the diamond, the pearl and other precious gems, but In view of the present
prices which the legumes are now bringing, and their Increasing scarcity I
have deemed them good material for the Jeweler’s art.
“Twenty-two million pounds of these beans were raised last year on th®
dry farms of New Mexico. This year we are working hard to double this
smount, for there is no better food for the soldiers or the civilian than th®
bean, and we believe there la no betterr bean than the New Mexico Pinto
Should our senator, even for a moment, show his Interest In our efforts by
giving this little spotted bean a place In his cravat, our farmers learning of
the honor bestowed upon It, would get busy and raise the largest and best
crop of Pintos in the history of New Mexico, or break something In the eflbrt
“M. R. GONZALEZ,
„ _ “County Agricultural Agent
“Las Vegas, N. M , Mav 10."
threshed out In the criminal court or
before a justice of the peace.
The dispute Is between Mrs. Arch
ibald A. Marrs, 3841 Wabash avenue,
and Mrs. E. T. Bicknell. At the in
stance of Mrs. Marrs. her husband was
arrested and later Mrs. Bicknell was
also warned in the charge. They
pleaded guilty to the charge against
them in the South side court
and were fined SIOO each by Judge
ness at hand.
Then in he comes!
At first I was inclined to be nice
to him, because he was the first of his
family to honor our city room with a
visit this year, and I took his coming
as an omen that spring couldn’t be
more ’n six weeks off now. So I was
almost polite. I said:
“Beat it—can’t you see I’m busy?”
Well, politeness was altogether