Every Tree a Wireless
Potential Telegraphy in Natere'i Growth b Revealed bp Army Officer
Discovery that every tree is a potential wireless tower was announced
recently by Major General Squier, chief signal officer of the army, reveal
ing another war secret and telling the story of how, while hostilities
were on, the American army, with a string of stations using tree tops
as antennae, read messages from ships at sea and the principal European
radio stations.
General Squier made his disclosure in a paper Tead before the Phys
ical Society of America, meeting in Washington, D. C., at the United
.States bureau of standards.
Afterward he took the scientists out into the woods near the bureau
and demonstrated a portable field laboratory erected there for experi
ments in development of the discovery.
He showed how nature’s wireless tower was nothing more than a
tall tree, preferably eucalyptus, with a small wire netting spread below
and an insulated wire hanging from a spike driven near the top.
“From the moment an aeorn is planted in fertile soil,” said General
Squier, “it becomes a ‘detector’ and a ‘receiver’ of electro-magnetic waves,
and the marvelous properties of this receiver, through agencies at present
entirely unknown to us, are such as to vitalize the acorn and to produce
in time the giant oak. In the power of multiplying plant cells it may
indeed be called an incomparable ‘amplifier.’”
MY CATBIRD
Prime cantante!
Scherzo! Andante!
Plano, pianissimo!
Presto, prestissimo!
Hark! are there nine birds or ninety and
nine?
And now a miraculous gurgling: gushes
Hike nectar from Hebe's Olympian bottle.
The laughter of tune from a rapturous
throttle!
Such melody must be a hermit thrunh’s!
But that other caroler, nearer.
Outrivaling rivalry with clearer
Sweetness Incredibly fine!
Is It oriole, redblrd or bluebird.
Or some strange un-Audubonned new
bird?
All one, sir, both this bird and that bird;
The whole flight are all the same catbird!
The whole visible and Invisible choir you
see
On one lithe twig of yon green tree.
Flitting feathery Blondel!
Usten to his rondel!
To his lay romantieal.
To his sacred canticle.
Hear him lilting.
See him tilting
fits saucy head and tail ore fluttering
While uttering
All the difficult operas under the sun.
Just for fun!
Or In tipsy revelry.
Or at love deviltry.
Or. disdaining his divine gift and art,
Hike an lmltable poet
Who captivates the world's heart.
And doesn’t know It.
Hear him lilt!
See him tilt!
Then he suddenly stops,
Peers about, flirts, hops,
As if looking where he might gather up
The wasted ecstasy Just spilt
From the quivering cup
Of his bliss overrun.
Then, as In mockery of all
The tuneful spells that e’er did fall
From vocal pipe, or evermore shall rise,
He snarls, and mews, and files.
—William Henry Venable.
$15,946,000 Lent to Farmers
During the Month of March;
Total of 185.643 Ask Loans
During March $1 . r »,040,000 was lent
to 4,630 farmers by Federal Land Banks
on long-time first mortgages, accord
ing to the monthly statement of the
farm lon»*. hoard. The Federal Lend
hank of Omaha leads In amount of
loons closed. HNS, with the Fed
eral Land hank of St. Paul running sec
ond In amount, $1,803,200.
The other hanks closed loiins ns fol
lows: Houston, $1,838,000; Spokane.
$1,528,000; Louisville, $1,142,000; St.
Louis, $1,125,000; Columbia, Si C..
$923,000; Wichita. $775,000; New Or
leans. $711,000; Berkeley, $547,000;
Springfield, Mass., $325,000, and Balti
more, $330,000.
On April 1 the total amount of
mortgage loans since the establish
ment of the federal land hanks was
$108,600,000, with 70,940 borrowers. Al
together 185,643 have applied for loans
under this system, aggregating $402,•
000,733.
Gets 125 Bobcats and 200
Coyotes in Three Years
With a record of 126 bobcats nml
JOO coyotes to tin* credit of a North
Yakima (Wash.) government trapper
operating in the mountains and valleys
of that region, It is estimated by
ranchers that he has saved them 24,-
000 head of sheep and 80,000 game
birds in the past three yenrs. Basing
thejr estimate on the known destruc
tiveness of these wild pests, the money
value of me stock saved Is computed
by them at $240,000. The fur of the
beasts killed or trapped was worth
SIO,OOO.
HERE AND THERE
P Fools begin a lot of things
that wise men finish.
Cash is the password to many
a secret organization. f
A A man-of ripe experience is A
A too wise to monkey with green A
9 fruit. 9
9 Every time u bu.tlc Is fought 9
9 another scrap of history is made. 9
9 When a man is up and doing, 9
9 much depends on what or whom S
E he Is doing. E
E Don't get the idea that dls- E
E tnnee lends enchantment to E
E man’s view of pay duy. E
Inexperienced Man Can
Make Good as Manager
of a Big Baseball Club
A couple of years ago the dope
sters generally were of the opinion
that an inexperienced man could not
step in and make a success as mana
ger of a major league club. Hugh
Bezdek proved an exception. He
didn’t know much more about han
dling a baseball club than a rabbit
does about Sunday, but he knew how
to hnndle men and he knew baseball
players by reason of scout work and
Hugo Bezdek.
studying the game. Bezdek was fa
mous ns a gridiron conch nnd last fall
handled the Penn State squad.
Bezdek’s appointment as manager
of the Pirates was one of the sur
prises of baseball. In 1917 the team
finished last. In 1918, after fighting
along most of the season in third
place, Bezdek finished in fourth place
with an average of .520. This sea
ton the club Is considered a danger*
ouj one In the fight for the pennant.
Several stars have returned from
army service and with one of the
strongest staffs of hurlers in the Na
tional league the Pirates nre picked
by many dopesters to finish In the
running.
KEEPING BOOKS
ON THE HENS
These days, knowing the hen’s ex
act hoard hill Is next In importance
to knowing her exact production of
eggs In a given length of time. Some
testing work carried on by the Ohio
experimental station with a flock of
24 Leghorn hens for three years has
furnished valuable data on the amount
of feed consumed by u flock of layers
when kept until three years old, and
no less Important Is the number of
eggs these hens laid during the three
years of their lives.
This flock of Leghorns was fed a
fairly well-balanced ration of mixed
grains ami dry mash, containing meat
scraps, also green feed, shell and grit.
The hens consumed an average of
174% pounds of grain and mash dur>
lng the three years, from November
24, 1912, to October 6, 1915, which dur
ing that period cost $2.27 per lien. The
hens laid an average of 351 eggs each,
or 117 eggs per hen each year, and
yielded a total profit of $4.18 per hen.
The feed cost of the eggs was 7%
•cuts a dozen. At the end of three
vears there were 17 of the hens still
alive, the mortality having been 29 per
cent.
If we triple the feed cost per hen
to approximate present feed prices,
and make the average price of eggs
35 cents a dozen, hens of same aver
age quality would return an annual
profit above feed cost of netter than
$1 each for three laying years. On the
same basis, 1,000 hens would return
to the poultrymun a fair living above
expense of Investment, depreciation,
interest, etc.
PERSONAL MENTION
Fred Belcher came up from
Denver Wednesday evening.
Geo. L. Hamllik went to Denver
Wednesday afternoon to take
charge of the funeral of Mrs. Nel
son Bishop.
Sam Thomas went, to Denver
this morning.
Mr. and Mrs. James Johns left
for Denver this morning. Mr.
Johns has been sick and went to
the valley to recuperate.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cudahy
went to Denver Sunday.
Miss Martha Davidson went to
Arvada Saturday. She returned
Monday evening with her sister.
Miss Lulu.
Miss Laura Trenoweth and
mother arrived from Boulder Mon
day evening.
Mrs. Richqrd Fraser went to
Denver Tuesday morning to see
Mr. Fraser who is in the hospital
but is getting along nicely.
Prof. W. H. Wolfe left Tuesday
afternoon for Kansas, where he
has a farm.
Mrs. John Lemltuhl returned
Monday evening from a visit to,
Denver.
Sol Bacharach was in Denver
this week.
J. R. Rule went to Greeley yes- 1
terday and will bring his family
back with him.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Becker
came up from Denver Friday af
ternoon to visit relatives and
friends. i
Mrs. E. L. Clark went to Den
ver Sunday.
Misses Faith and Dovey Plum
er left Sunday afternoon for Min
nesota.
Dick Rodda and wife and Har- j
ry Garlick and two sisters drove
up from Arvada Sunday to visit
the Morgan family.
Geo. L. Hamllik, Neil McKay.
R. I. Hughes and Dr. G. N. Tow
ers went to Denver Monday to ap
pear before the Highway Comis
sion to protest against the wretch
ed condition of the Guy hill road.
Will Gdhbel arrived from Den
ver Monday evening. He came
over with the 59th, after seeing
service in France. He was gass
ed, but is getting over it all right. |
Jas. E. Cody and wife came up
from Denver Friday night. Mr.
Cody was with the U. S. troops
in France and was then placed in
the Army of Occupation. He en- I
joyed his experience and will be |
Johnny on the spot when the next
war breaks out.
Mrs. C. I. Parsons and children
arrived from Boulder Friday
morning, after visiting two or
three months with the Henderson
family.
Mrs. Will Zeigi went to Denver
Sunday to visit her daughter, Mrs.!
Wm. Mitchell.
Miss Jane Grenfell and girl i
friend came un from Denver Sun- j
day to visit Mrs. Edith Williams. |
Mrs. M. Ross left Wednesday i
for a two days’ trip to Estes park ]
with her sister-in-law, Mrs. E. T.
Perry, of Wyoming.
C. D. Hughes left for Denver
Monday afternoon and may locate
permanently in the valley.
Wm. Brenton was in Denver
Sunday to get a lease on a good
mine.
H. J. Teller went to Denver!
last Friday to attend the funeral i
of his aunt. Mrs. Willard Teller.
South African Timber.
It Is not so very long ago that
South African timber was, taken all
round, considered of little value. Now
tlint Imported timber has gone up In
the market, many virtues have been
discovered In the nutlve timber which
previously were unknown. In conse
quence, South African timber has
come to the front, so thnt It flgureß
prominently In mnny Instances, Saw
ing timber, such as Cape pine, poplar,
yellow wood, blue gum nml other va
rieties. cut Into standard denis of 3
by 0 Inches, Is quoted nt 10<4 pence
to 1 shilling per foot. This limber Is
used mostly for boxes and packing
cases, ns well ns substitutes In the
mines and buildings for the Imported
Baltic woods.
Russia’s Greatest Ruler.
St. Petersburg, the modern capital
of Russia, now known ns Petrograd,
was founded !n 1703 by Peter the
Great, who died 194 years ago. Pe
ter first built u small hut for himself
anti a few wooden hovels. The ma
jority of nobles, however, preferred
that Moscow should remain the seat
of government, hut Peter was deter
mined to build a new capital, and In
1711 he laid, with his own hands, the
foundation of his palace, which was
built of brick. Peter was an extraor
dinary character and Russia’s rise to
a great power was entirely due to bis
genius.
| The Observer—£2.oo a year.
TBZ OXLHQr OBSERVER.
RED GROSS NOTES
Colorado Home Service sections
of the Red Cross have just sub
mitted to Division headquarters
in Denver figures that show 1,399
American soldiers have returned
to this state, more or less disabled
as a result of their big adventure
abroad. Practically every county
in Colorado is represented in the
list. One county alone has 700
sick or disabled Yanks, one has
178 another 92.
With the same indomitable
courage and will that marked
their assault on many a German
stronghold the majority of these
Colorado heroes have begun an
assault on the trenches of the
future —they have commenced
training for new professions or
trades. The Red Cross figures,
compiled with the assistance of
the Federal Vocational Training
Board, indicate that Colorado
Yanks are not of the calibre that
is content to sit around with fold
ed hands, feeding on war memor
ies.
An even larger proportion of
the men would now be in training
for new vocations, if more of them
could be shown the advantage and
opportunity that the government
is offering. The Red Cross, thru
its Home Service sections, of
which there is one in virtually ev
ery town in the state, is now en
gaged in the effort to enlist the
balance of the sick or otherwise
disabled men. The Red Cross is
not appealing to the men alone;
rather it is trying to prevail upon
the relatives and friends of the
men to induce the latter to take
up training.
Many men are not aware they
will receive a minimum of $75 a
month while taking this training.
Many men are not even aware
that they are entitled to compen
sation during the period of their
disability. Many do not know
that the government insurance
that they, perhaps, allowed to
lapse can be reinstated. It is these
things and a thousand other ser
vices that the Red Cross stands
ready to render to the soldier or
his family.
There is a Home Service repres
entative in this jurisdiction. Sol
diers and their families should
communicate with it on any and
all problems.
Advertise in the Observer and
overcome the impression that |
seems to prevail on the outside,
that the place is dead.
Salvador Is to have a presidential
election without contest, ns the volun
tary retirement from the rnce of Dr.
Tomas Garcia Pnlonin, thnß leaves the
field to Dr. Quinones Molina alone.
That little republic has recently ap
peared to be carefully studying how to
avoid all Internal controversy, that It
might be the better prepared to take
advantage of external opportunities,
opportunities which, by the way, have
been grently Improved ns a result of
her open and pronounced sympathy
with the United States nnd the allies.
The Inndlng of a cargo of sand for
trench work In the Egyptian desert by
command of somebody high up In the
British war office recalls the story
of tlint cnrller order to a British ad
miral to sail up the Bronx river with
his squndron nnd give battle to the
Revolutionary army.
The Gormnns still cherish hopes
that America will stand their friend
at the pence table. The sinking of
the I.usltnnln nnd the hnmlilug of
American Red Cross hospitals are. of
course, strong nnd convincing rensnns
why we should feel kindly townnl
them.
Norway wants 1.000,000,(100 crowns
indemnity from Germany for ships
sunk. It looks like a solid claim to us.
One of the chief embarrassments about
; defeat Is to settle for the furniture
that was smashed during the height of
the spree.
Von Bethmnnn-Hollwpg Is disloyal
enough to declurc that his former mas
ter, the kaiser, did not tell the truth
In what he said about the cruise In
Norwegian waters. The lion must
truly be dead 1
It la said thnt the former crown
prince of Germany spends most of his
I time with his favorite greyhound, show
! Ing thnt a greyhound has not enough
i Judgment to take advantage of Its su
perior speed.
Cheer up. citizens, there'll be a new
bond Issue soon, and In the meantime
there are thrift Btnmps, Red Cross
contributions nnd other attractive In
vestments In humanity.
Send the Observer east.
MERELY GIVEN LONG NAMES
Decoctions Prescribed by High-Priced
Physicians Made From Familiar
Wayside Herbs.
Many of the secrets hidden under
the thatch of the wattle and daub cot
tages can be found In the pharma
copeia of either the allopathlst or the
homeopathist, observes the London
Daily Express.
Willow tea is but a crude form of
the salycllateß which have long been
recognised as the orthodox anti-uric
acid nnd anti-pyretic remedies.
Common mallow, called “pick
cheeses” by children, provides a taste
less mucilaginous liquid, which is
worked up in various shapes and given
for coughs. The leaves of the colt’s
foot, horehound and balm are all used.
In liquid form mostly, for coughs and
?hest affections.
Foxglove cordial Is given to old peo
ple suffering from palpitation of the
heart, and docs as much good ns when
It Is called “tine, digitalis.”
Camomile and dandelion broths or
teas are sold as tonics by the wise
women who would be at a loss to snv
what was meunt by Anthemis nobills
or Taraxacum.
Beautiful comfrew is used, both
plant and root, as a poultice for can
cerous and other growths, and a broth
Is made from It for kidney affections.
This has obtained official recognition
under the name of Symphitum offi
cinale.
The “cure” for measles Is saffron
ten. This is prepared by pouring boil
ing water on the dried stigmas of the
purple autumn crocus. An infusion of
llixweed cleanses and heals wounds.
Self heal has cured quinsy; sage has
many valuable qualities.
FIRST KNOWN USE OF CIGARS
Mentioned by Name in Book Published
in 1740, but Were Smoked Be
fore That Time.
The earliest known mention ot
cigars is in a book published in 1740
under the title of “Distresses and
Adventures of John Cockburn.” It ap
pears that Cockburn was cast on a des
ert island in the Bay of Honduras,
from which he swam to the mainland,
nnd thence traveled afoot to Porto
Bello, a distance of 2,C00 miles. Here
he met some friars who gave him
some “seegars” to smoke. “These,”
he says, “are some leaves of tobacco
rolled up in some manner that serves
both as pipe nnd the tobacco Itself.”
Though this is the earliest date at
which cigars appear to be mentioned
by that name, so far back as 1493
two soldiers sent by Columbus to ex
plore Cuba told their companions on
their return liow the natives carried
in their mouths a lighted firebrand
made from the leaves of a certain
herb, rolled up in maize leaves. The
description of an Indian method of
snicking given by Lionel Wafer, in
his “Travels In the Isthmus of
Darien,” in 1699, shows that they
then smoked cigars made just as we
make them now. The manufacture
and consnmption of cigars In northern
Europe only dates from the close of
the seventeenth century.
Music and Thinking.
About 1000 A. D. a monk In an
Italian monastery had been thinking
about the long, laborious task of train
ing singers for the church service. Ten
years were required for a singer to
memorize words and music of the va
rious chants nnd hymns used! There
wits no system for learning n new
tune Independent of the words.
And while he was thinking he heard
his choirboys practicing one of their
lessons, u hymn that rose In pitch with
the first syllable of each successive
line, just us the scale series was
formed.
Thought flushed!
And the result of his thinking was
the use of the syllables ut (changed
to do Inter), re, ml. fa, sol. la. si to
facilitate scale learning. The Imme
diate result was thnt Guido’s choirboys
learned ull their tunes —and could take
new ones—ln six months us against
ten yenrs In the old way.
And the Indirect result Is that hoys
nnd girls In the schools of this country
learn the scales by u process similar
to that thought out by a monk lu Italy
nearly 1,000 yenrs ago.
Aegean Islands.
Tho Aegean Islands are Thnsos, In
the extreme north, off the Macedonian
coast; Snmothrace, Imhros, and Lem
nos, near the Dardanelles; Euhncii.
the largest of nil. lying close along
the oust const of tile Greek peninsula :
the northern Sporades. Including Skin
those, Skopelcs, nnd Skyros, near Eu
boea; Lesbos, Ohlos, Samos, nnd the
large group of other Sporndes, such as
Rhodes, Cos, nnd Patinos, ndjncent to
tho const of Asia Minor; nnd, finally,
the Inrge group, the Cyclades, extend
ing southward from Euhnen toward
Crete nnd Including Andros, Delos,
Nnxos, Paros nnd Melos. —Literary Di
gest.
Military Correspondence.
"Why did you reject Col. Puffersby?"
“Too much military efficiency."
“How wns that?'
“His last letter to me started off
something like this: ‘From Col. Puf
fersby, To Miss Glorfn Piffle. Sub
ject, Love.’ ” —Birmingham Age-Her
ald.
Flatterer.
She (relating experience)—Really, for
a time I wns quite beside myself.
He—You had a charming companion.
—Boston Evening Transcript.
WERE MARVELS IN CHILDHOOD
Thosa Whom tho World Has Recog
nlzod as Msn of Qsnius Rsmarfe
ablo for Prseocity.
One character common to genius
and to insanity, especially moral in
sanity, is precocity. Cesare Lombroso,
professor of legal medicine. University
of Turin, relates that Dante, when
nine years of age, wrote a sonnet to
Beatrice; Tasso wrote verses at ten.
Pascal nnd Comte were great think
ers at the ages of thirteen, Fornler at
fifteen, Niebuhr at seven, Jonathan
Edwards at twelve, Michel Angelo at
nineteen, Gassendi, the Little Doctor,
at four, Bossut at twelve, and Voltaire
at thirteen. Pico de la Mirandola knew
Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldean and
Arabic, in his childhood; Goethe wrote
u story in seven languages when he
was scarcely ten; Wielaud knew Latin
nt seven, meditated an epic poem nt
thirteen, and at sixteen published his
poem, “Die Vollkommenste Welt.”
Schiller was only nineteen when he
wrote “Rauber.” Victor Hugo com
posed “Irtuinene” at fifteen. Pope
wrote his ode to solitude at twelve,
and Byron published verses at eight
een. Moore translated “Anacreon” at
thirteen. Meyerbeer at five played ex
cellently on the piano. Claude Joseph
Vemet drew very well at four, and at
twenty was a celebrated painter. At
thirteen Wren invented an astronom
ical instrument, nnd offered it to his
father with a Latin dedication.
Raphael was famous at fourteen.
Beethoven composed three sonatas at
thirteen. Eichorn, Mozart and Eybler
gave concerts at six. Weber was only
thirteen when his first opera, “Das
Waidmarchen,” was presented. Bacon
conceived the “Novum Organum” at
fifteen. Charles XII manifested his
greut designs at eighteen.
RIDICULOUS FAD OF FASHION
Description of Head-Dre3s Worn by
Women Some Centuries Ago Ap
pears Almost Incredible.
Fashion plays constant pranks with
a woman’s hair. Addison says in the
Spectator of 1718: ‘There is not so
variable a thing in nature as a lady’s
head-dress; within ray memory I have
known it to rise nnd fall above 30
degrees.” In the reign of Henry VI,
ladies wore horns, having en each side
ears so large that when they would
pass through the door of a room it
was necessary to turn sideways and
stoop. It was judged necessary to en
large the doors of the Chateau de
Vincennes. The correct angle for the
hair was 46 from perpendicular, which
entailed great strain upon the hair
growing from the forehead. Little
thought of what we calf cleanliness
or even decency was present at the
hairdressing of that day. Not only
was the hair left untonched for a most
revoltingly long time, but materials
were used In the dressing of the hair
and making the rolls (ns Anna Green
Winslow related), which were most
Incredible. The Boston Gazette of
May, 1771, tells of a young woman
driving In Boston streets who was
thrown from her carriage nnd her high
tower partly torn off. It proved to be
stuffed with yarn, tow, wool, curled
hair, and even hay.
Solidified Alcohol.
Solidified alcohol has proved one of
the most convenient forms of fuel, and
Is largely made use of nt the pres
ent time for many purposes. There
nre many forms of cookers making
use of this fuel, and the latest de
vice of this character Is a sterilizing
apparatus to be made use of by doc
tors and nurses. The sterilizer con
sists of two containers, one to ac
commodate the Instruments to be
treated and the other for the gauze,
blindages nnd similar material. A
small quantity of water In tho lower
chnniber Is heated liy the flame from
the alcohol nnd the stenm therefrom
passes around the Instruments, thor
oughly cleansing them and then pass
ing to the upper ehnmher, where it
has the snme effect on tile contents of
that compartment Tile sumo princi
ple Is made use of In the construction
of n food kettle for the use of aero
nauts. The food Is packed In the In
terior of the kettle and u small alco
hol burner stowed nwny In the bottom
Is Ignited nnd the heat from It will
keep the food hot for several hours.
Explaining Knockout Blow.
When the lower Jnw Is struck on Its
point, especially with an uppercut, the
bony portion of the ear Inside Is
driven forcibly upward Into the glen
oid cavity of the skull, above nnd be
hind which is Rltunted the delicate
labyrinth of the Inner ear.
The jawbone strikes laird upon the
thin plnte of hone that supports these
sensitive organs nnd gives a shock
to the seml-clrculnr canals thnt Is In
stantly transmitted by them to the
bulb, producing dizziness, nausea nnd
momentary paralysis.
This explains why n sideways blow
on the Jaw Is more effective ns a
knockout than one delivered directly
upon the point of the Jaw, For the
shock of a sideways blow la received
In one glenoid cavity, that on the side
opposite the one on which It la struck,
while the shock of a blow In the cen
ter Is divided between the cavities on
the two sides.
Willie's Joke.
*'Pa, what a funny word
la."
“What's funny abont It?"
"Why, take away the whole of It and
you have some left”—Boston Tran*
script