The Saint Paul globe., December 20, 1897, Page 7, Image 7

About The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
:STS OF FIBERS
ORTANT WORK OF ONE BU-
I IKVL OP THE AORHIIVI'IRAIi
I DEPARTMENT.
RESULTS PRACTICAL
H IS DONE TO FOSTER THE
CULTURE OF THE VARIOUS
. PLANTS.
11 Ni:i:i> OF NEW MACHINERY.
iiiraßement Given to Inventors
Of Labor-Saving De
vices,
lal to the Globe.
-ASHINGTON, Dec. 18.— The divl
of fiber investigation of the ag
k> ltural department, of which Mr.
' rles R. Dodge is chief, is one of the
t important branches of that great
iirtment of the people.
xperiments for the development or
•nsion of vegetable fiber industries,
>r govermental auspices or direc
, have been instituted at different
es in many countries, and such ex
ments date back fully 100 years. In
i' instances these have been confln-
I to testing the strength of native
mis substances for comparison with
ilar tests of commercial fibers; for
mple. the most exhaustive experi
lts of Roxburg in India early in the
-ent century.
4 nother direction for government ex
.l indentation has been the testing of
If .-nines to supersede costly hand la-
J in the preparation of the raw ma
|l al for market, or in the development
|L chemical processes for the further
Wparatlon of the fibers for manufac
i c, or a microscopic and chemical in
timation. The broadest field of ex
iment, however, has been the culll
i.m of the plants, either to introduce
v industries as sources of national
i;th,or to economically develop those
leh require to be fostered. The in
■ 1 notion of ramie culture is an ex
( pie of the first instance; the foster
of the almost extinct flax industry
our grandfathers' days an lllustra
i of the second.
he nations of the globe have been
-rested in recent years in one way or
-ther in investigating the resources
the different countries in the line
fiber production, or in connection
h mechanical processes for prepar-
j 1 the fibers for utilization in the arts.
way in which the importance of
! ; interest has been made manifest,
\ to a marked degree, has been by
large collection of raw fibers tli.it
V c beeen shown at the various inter
\ ional expositions, and particularly
V c that of the London exhibit of 1562,
fl-l-ther with the interesting published
j .rial which has accompanied th^m. j
/he United States government has
\9 iucted experiments or instituted
uiries in the fiber interests at va
-1 is times in the last fifty years, but
I is only since 1890 that an office of
w u-tical experiments and inquiries
■p been established by the depart
-7 "nt of agriculture, that has been con-
Cued through a term of years. This
■3 known as the office of fiber inves
ation.
"he work of this branch of the de
rtment of agriculture has been main
directed towards the development
introduction of those fibers which
do not produce commercially., but j
; : are capable of cultivation in the j
ited States, and which will add to
r national resources. The subject
s been prosecuted by the importa- I
n and distribution of the seeds of
■i plants; by encouraging and di
•ting field experiments; by testing
er machines, and by affording gen
tl information, both through per
iai correspondence and through a
•ies of publications.
'robably the most important work of '■
'.. •.-■■ office is that of investigation!
1^ 'Per, the object being to obtain a I
KK'tieal knowledge of every phase of !
(■particular industry, as it relates to
Mr country o v to a particular section
iff the country, in order that any sub
p|iuent information that may be af- j
• -(led the public by the government I
.'ll be both reliable and exhaustive. I
'o illustrate, take the subject of
al hemp culture in Florida. This sub
let has been before the public, in a
/til way, ever since Dr. Perrine grew
Of the plants on Indian Key, sixty
I ars ago, but nothing was known of
•tieal nature, save that the plants
| \uld thrive in Southern Florida.
I no ut IS9O the department was be
■ ged for information regarding the
ability of establishing the culture, |
f starting plantations in Florida, i
F ilil of Florida fiber, preparing and !
,'ing the fiber, etc. A preliminary
! voy of the Keys was made in the
I :■ of LS9I by the department, and
cts of wild plants, from the old I
rrine experiments, located. In 1592, '
ichinery was taken down to Riscayne j
Iy. an experimental factory was es- I
)l!shtd. and o fast sailing yacht put I
commission for exploration and j
th which to secure the leaves to be
ed in the factory experiments. The \
tire question was thus studied on the
ound, and a mass of indisputable !
•ts collected, which formed the basis I
the most exhaustive report which'
.is issued shortly after, and in which ■
i'eral other Florida fibers were as
•fully treated. This entire experi
nt, running over several months,
-jits conducted at a cost to the gov
ment of less than one thousand
j liars.
in the same manner the department
nducted its flax experiments in the
liget sound region of the state of
:.shington in 1895, the result of the
periment bringing out the fact that
c have in that state a flax region
iual to any in the world. A ton of
ix straw from this experiment, sent
ie next year to Ireland for expert
anlpulation, returned scutched flax
SOUR STOfHAGH;
id every form of stomach weakness, cured
the new discovery. STUART'S DYSPEP
_A TABLETS. Pleasant to take: full size
ckages. 60 cents, at druggists. Dook on
omach troubles a:id thousands cf testl
onlals sent free by addressing Stuart Co..
(rEliell. Mich.
RST k RRATT FAIR
.ASS ft DD \l I 1 PRICES
S COMPANY^
Official Slate Historical Photozrapher.
) AND 101 EAST SIXTH STREET.
(Oppoall* Metropolitan Opera House.)
special X '■ AS <-<iil<il*ca Kates.
CHRISTMAS PHGTOGIHNW.
J ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPH/
Telephone 1071.
worth at the rate of $250 per ton, and
hackled flax worth $500 per ton.
So with hemp, ramie and a long list
of fibers of Jesser importance, or of
no importance, that have been Investi
gated and reported upon, in the ten
special reports and in the consecutive
annual reports Issued since 1890.
The curse of the new fiber industries
has been the "promotor" or "boomer,"
who seizes upon some new fiber Indus
try of which the public knows nothing
as affording an opportunity to fleece
capitalists and line his own pockets.
By talking glibly, showing fiber sam
ples that may have been produced ex
perimentally at a cost of a dollar a
pound, presenting marvelous figures of
assumed possible profits, without a
word regarding the obstacles to suc
cess, and displaying a list of names of
people who have ignorantly lent them
selves, but not their cash, to the en
terprise, he is able to "organize a com
pany," and even incorporate it, as this
is a mere form. Then stock is sold to
whoever can be gulled. The bubble
bursts in a few months or a year, and
the promoter rushes to new fields leav
ing the "company" to ssttle or go into
bankruptcy.
But it is not always the capitalist
who is fleeced. Sometimes it is the
farmer who is induced to go into culti
vation of a flber crop, that at present
has no money value. Sometimes it is
the "small investor"— the clerk who
saves his money, or the widow who has
had a few thousand left to* her— who
is induced to purchase "stock" inone
of these companies.
When the office of fiber investiga
tions was first established, such pro
motion schemes were very common,
and they were able to thrive because
there was no literature relating to past
experience that could be consulted.
With the existence of a government of
ficer, where reliable information can
at all times be secured, these, concerns
have practically gone out of business,
though a bubble rises occasionally,
and attempts have been made recently
to work congress to a lively tune. It
will be seen then that the office of
fiber investigation helps the public in
two ways; by giving on the one hand
most reliable information regarding
the practical cultivation and prepara
tion of certain fiber plants; and on the
other by holding out a danger signal
and a warning, to "keep off," thus
preventing the paople from throwing
away their money. The good that the I
department ha 3 accomplished in this I
latter direction is incalculable, and it j
is often appealed to for this kind of
information.
Another way 1n which the govern
ment apsisls the flber industry is in its
study of machinery for treating the
raw material. It is no common thing ;
for inventors to go over their plans
with tho special agent in charge, when
ready to begin building their ma
chines, the matter, of course, being
considerpd strictly confidential. In
some instances the inventor has been
shown sii Hearty the weak points, or
impracticability of his proposed con
struction that the machine has been
abandoned, and a money loss avoided. |
This office also tests fiber machines
that are offered to the public, in order
to officially demonstrate what the ma
chines are able to accomplish. Com
panies have put forth claims for ma
chines that an official trial has shown
were utterly false, resulting in the
abandonment of manufacture. One
of these machines which was offered
to warmers as a practical device, and
which proved a failure, was never
taken away from the testing ground
after the trial, but lies today in a
fence corner, a mass of old iron and
decaying wood work, while the "com
pany" went out of existence Imme
diately.
Not only does this office test and give
opinions regarding fiber machines, but
the fibers themselves are sent to the
department to be reported upon, and i
opinions given as to their utility for ■
manufacture. Among such specimens \
may be named the straw and scutched j
flax from experimental culture, sam- !
pies of hemp grown under new condi
tions or prepared by now processes or
new machines, specimens cf ramie pre- '
pared by new degunmin? process?.'), j
and even unknown fibers extracted
from indigcous weeds, or found float
ing in the wind from old dead stalks,
in the field, by the farmers. All of
these native species have been reported !
r.pon, and thousands of letters have >
been answered giving their history and |
presenting statements concerning their j
merits or demerits as flber plants, or
as the sources of new industries. Re
cently a so-called new cotton was
boomed to such an extent that, it is |
said, six bushels of the seed vvere sold !
for $1,100. The fiber spcial agent hay- j
ing been asked for information con- I
cerning this cotton, the matter was in- !
vestigated, and by a demonstration of
the strength and spinning value of the
lint alone it was shown that the cot
ton was inferior to many well known
varieties already in cultivation.
The office of fiber investigations im
ports seed of fiber plants, for pnrlicu- I
lar experiments, and at the present I
time has some 400 pounds of Jute seed
for distribution next year. It will alao '
import over 5,000 pounds of flax seed i
for Pacific coast and other experiments !
next season.
The office also assists technologists '
by furnishing them samples of identi
fied fibers for examination, and n.ids
colleges and schools by sending out
class-room specimens. It prepared the
magnificent official collection that has j
been exhibited in the Field Columbian '
museum, at Chicago, and the similar !
beautiful collection of the prominent
world's fibers, shown in the United
States museum.
During the past three years it has 1
prepared a dictionary of fiber plants of !
the world. Avhich has been placed in !
the world's botanical and scientific li
braries, being the first complete work
of the kind published in -my country.
As an illustration of the apprecia
tion of the work that has been aceim- !
plished in the fiber investigations in
this country, by foreigners, it may be
stated that inquiries for information i
and demands for the published litei- i
ature on the subject, are received
from every portion of the globe; so
much .so that the United States fiber \
reports have come to be considered
the best authorities regarding the fiber
industries of which they treat.
As to the cost of this work to the \
people, the total annual appropriations
excepting for the first year, have been
but $50,000, and in but few years has
this all been expended. For several !
years past over a thousand dollars each i
year has been turned back into the
treasury. —Smith D. Fry.
tlitircss of the Pacific.
Thongb Japan's nnval activity is primarily
significant of a purpose to secure general pre
dominance in Oriental seas, and though as I
have suggested, there is no immediate reason
for or prospect of trouble between Japan and
the United States involving naval armaments,
yet, in the broad sense of dignity on the sca[
our country can by no means safely ignore or
be inattentive to the progress of our Oriental
neighbor toward tho rank of a first-class
sea power in the Pacific ocean. The comple
tion of Its fleet now building will, inside
of three years, give Japan that rank, and the
future programme already laid out will ac
centuate it. The superior quality of Japan's
new navy Is even more significant than Its
enormous quantity. She ha 3no useless ships,
none obsolete; all are up to date.
Meantime, the attitude of the United States
seems quite as supine as that of Russia. It Is
not necessary to go into minute cetalls on
this point. Suffice It to say that, taking
Russia, Japan and the United States as the
three maritime powers most directly concern
ed In the Pacific ocean, and whose interests
are most immediately affected by its com
mand. Japan at her present rate of naval
progress, viewed with relation to the lack of
progress of the other two. must in three
years be able to dominate the Pacific against
either, and in less than ten yeara against
both. — North American Review.
Her Bent Impression.
I met a woman the other day who has met
Rud>ard Kipling. Not only has she met him,
but she has broken bread with him and she
has heard him talk. I asked her what im
pressed her most about him— think of the man
who wrote "Tho Gadsbys" and "The Seven
Seas" and "Soldiers Three." She said she
was most deeply impressed by the fact that
Mrs. Kin.ing calls him "Ruddy.dear."—Wash
ington Post
THE SAINT PAUI, GI,OB3: MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1897.
BAP GOOSE fllJliT
CAPT. THROCKMORTON'S EXPEDI
TION UP THE MISSOURI IN
THE GENOA.
10,000 GEESE ON ONE BAR.
WHEN TIIE BAND PLAYED THE
GEESE HONKED IN GREAT
GLEE.
WHEN THE BAND CEASED
They Attacked the Iluat— Rtyw With
the Government at Leaven
-worth.
WESTON, Mo., Dec 18.— "Hunting
wild geese with a steamboat and brass
band is about as interesting sport, I
reckon, as a man can have."
One of the patriarchs of the Platte
Purchase made this observation to the
only arrival in the town today, at the
drug store, where the arrival had en
tertained some of the old constituency
of George Belt, former Sheriff Sam
Gilgert, political leader of the congres
sional district, Col. Jim Burnes, and
John Doniphan. The only arrival had
been talking about deer hunting in
Maine and Long Island. The patri
arch, without urging, continued:
"It was in 1851, on the Missouri river.
Passenger traffic had lightened, and in
those days few boats went up the river
very far after Nov. 1. I remember that
old Capt. Throckmorton, of the Genoa,
asked his freight clerk how much car
go was aboard the day before sailing,
and the reply was not encouraging. The
next morning in the steamboat adver
tisements the announcement was made
that the Genoa would leave her wharf
in St. Louis that afternoon for the wild
| goose grounds of the Missouri as far
■ north as Omaha, and that special rates
would be made to sportsmen. A band
of music was aboard. Some of you deer
hunters may think this would be a good
place to stop the story. But there are
other incidents. When the Genoa pull
; ed out she had more guns and ammuni
tion and hunters than she had cargo
"The Missouri river was at low stage
in the fall. I want to say to you deer
hunters who hunt in a country the
topography of which is so accurately
described that you can travel
with your eyes shut, that there
is no map, and there never
I has been one made of the Mis
souri river which will enable a man
who is not a civil engineer to bet on
its course. I was looking at a map in
my grandson's geography only the
other day, and I saw that the Missouri
river was put down just as it w&.s in
that boy's father's geography, and as
it was in my own. I don't know why
it is, but people never doubt a map.
Same way about railroad time tables. I
"It was the continued shifting of the j
current of the Missouri river which
caused the sand bars to be the greater
part of the scenery along the course.
There were miles and miles of these
bars at certain points. The further up
the river you traveled the more sand
bars you saw. First on one side of
the river and then on the other. The
only trees that ever grew on these bars
were cottonwood, and about the time
they got their start the river would
wash the bar away or leave it so far
from the moisture of the river that the
trees would die.
"On these sand bars, in the. fall, the
wild goose stopped in its southward
flight. I wonder why we never see any
of the flocks of geese we used to see
in those days along the river. Is it
because there are more people or fewer
getse? The sand bars are still there,
more numerous than ever. I have seen
wild geese so thick on these bars that
when they rose in a body they darken
ed whatever they passed over and the
rattle and flap of their wings sounded
like far-away thunder. As one flock
would disappear another took its place.
And 1 have known these migrations to
continue long after the trees were bare,
when the sands Avere white with snow,
and ice clogged the river.
"The first big flock of geese we saw,
the first worthy the attention of such
an expedition, was on the bars just
above Glasgow, and near the mouth
of Chariton river. The bend in the
Missouri at that point was about seven
miles in extent— l don't know what it
is now. When the Genoa rounded that
bend the geese, ten thousand if there
was one, gave us a reception. Every
geese spread his wings, stretched his
long neck, and honked. Think of 10,
--000 honks, all alike, and all at the same
moment.
"Capt. Throckmorton protested
against firing. He said It would be bad
luck; that the survivors would send
messengers to the flocks further up the
river and they would disappear. Be
sides, he said, the geese had given the
Genoa such a reception that it would
be the worse for us if we failed to ap
preciate it. The captain's suggestion
that the band should play was adopted.
My recollection is that the music of
that band consisted of 'Pop Goes the
Weasel.' 'I Went Down to Lucy's
House,' 'Wait for the Wagon,' and
'Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow.' The
geese stood silent during the first p'ecr>.
Then, when it was over, they honked
for more. When the band responded
they stood still again, and when that
was over they honked and flapped their
wings. The Genoa by this time had
to blow off steam. When the go-ahead
bell jingled the boat started and the
blow-off made the infernal noise it al
ways does. I looked to see the geese
demoralized by this. But they seem
ed to like it. It seemed to me they all
rose at once. Anyway, most of them
did, and they flocked to the boat. They
covered the hurricane deck, lit on the
pilot house and flapped on the guards.
"Capt. Throckmorton ordered the band
to play.but the leader.in fighting an o'd.
goose, had made a miscue and lost the
horn in the river, and the leader was '
'I^^*^V ('^ "V " lis*.
Spick— My cousin sent me a box of cigars and I want to get even.
Span— Send her boy a drum.
rattled. If you know anything about
a brass band you know that when the
leader geta rattled it becomes conta
gious, tho rattle does. Then the cap
tain signaled to the pilot to signal to
the engineer to shut off the blow-off , and
he did. That niade the engineer mad
and he came up 6tt i*J£ hurtlcane deck
and remonstrated with. CapL Throck
morton, who ordered him below.
"The geese kept on. coming. They 1
weighted the Genoa, and
when the most of them flocked to one
place or tried to, the little boat careen
ed in the water. The wind .was blow
ing around the bend and coming down
upon us like a pack of wolves. The air
was thick with a gallopling snow, which
blinded the pilots. Then Capt Throck
morton pulled the whistle, wide open and
the first mate was ordered to ring the
bell. I never heard such an Infernal
racket in my life. The gees« rose, cir
cled, and came down again upon the
boat. There were no womefl or child
ren aboard, and It was 1 lufcky there
were none. Why, we mm were rattled,
and some of us had been in, the Mexi
can war.
"The command to put on full speed
was given, and the trim little steamer
shot ahead through the slush ice like
an arrow. But the geese were good
stayers, and those that had not lit fol
lowed close in the wake. I looked back
at the bar, and it seemed to me there
were more geese on the sands than when
we came in sight of it. I looked up, and
there were as many geese in the air, It
seemed to me, as there were snowflakes.
Still Capt Throckmorton said it would
not do to hurt one, and then he told me
about an ancient mariner who killed an
albatross, and how the sea was filled
with dead things afterward, and how
the sky was copper, and a lot of other
calamities that followed. I have
learned since that the Anclnet Mariner
is nothing but poetry; but none of us
knew that when the Genoa had her
fight with the wild geese of the Mis
souri. The Ancient Mariner was sur
rounded by water, but was perishing
for a drink. We were surrounded with
game, game everywhere, but dassent
shoot.
"At last Capt. Throckmorton ordered
the bar open and invited everybody to
take something, especially the band.
When the band was filled up It was
persuaded to go aloft and play. I
never knew what the band played, and
it never did, I am sure. But after it
had played, or tried to, for awhile the
geese began leaving the boat. They
went back to the sand bar. The band
kept play' g, and the Genoa, under full
head of steam, finally rounded the
bend and proceeded on her way. It
was dark by that time, and I reckon
that had something to do with the
exodus of the geese from the Genoa.
When the boat got to Miami the next
day the band mutinied and Capt.
Throckmorton paid it off and put it
ashore. I never heard whether it got
back to St. Louis or not.
"We saw plenty of geese on the bars
as we steamed up the river, but saved
our ammunition for the great bar near
Leavenworth. Capt. Throckmorton
said that more geese flocked on that
bar than on any in the river. There
was nothing but sand for miles and
miles, up the river and down, at that
point. Leavenworth, at the time of
this goose hunt, was the metropolis of
that section. The fort made it. W r hen
the Genoa touched there she tied up
for a day for repairs and commissary
goods. The commanding officer of Fort
Leavenworth came to the boat with
his staff, and we gave them a blow
out. Of course the Glasgow experience
was retold and colored up, and the
commander and his staff enjoyed it.
Then the commander asked Capt.
Throckmorton what he was going to
do, and after the captain told him that
we were going to tackle the sand bar
In front of Leavenworth and the fort,
the commander of the fort replied that
in such an event he should be com
pelled to train the guns of the fort on
the boat. He explained that the aand I
bars belonged to the government, and !
that geese on the bars were govern- I
ment game, and that his orders were to
allow no hunting on the reservation.
"Old Capt. Throckmorton was In a rage.
You see he had given the dinner to the of
ficer and his staff for the purpose of getting
whatever privileges he might want.
'How do you locate a sand bar in the
Missouri river?' he asked. 'How do you
make these sand bars government property
when they were not here last year, and may
not be here next year?'
"The commander said it was not his busi
ness to decide such matters. 'These sand bars '
he said 'belong to the government this year,
and I must obey my orders.'
"That was all. The commander withdrew
In a creditable manner and his staff followed.
As the Genoa proceeded on her way old Capt.
Throckmorton ordered the flag hatf-masted
as we passed beneath the guns of the fort,
and the commander of the post showed his
quick appreciation of Capt. Throekmorton's
evidence of displeasure by firing a salute.
We were all so damned mad at thi3 ant
of the government and sore' over our
disappointment that we stayed in the cabin
and hunted other game until the boat reached
St. Joseph, or, as we call ft out- here, Sent
Joe. The weather was turning colder every
minute, and the ice in the river was run
ning heavier.
"The Genoa was revictuajled amd repaired
at Sent Joe. We remained in port two days,
and in that time we got Armstrong fieafie,
Jeff Thompson, Bill Ridenbaugh. and Van
Riley on the boat. BeatTte was mayor of the
town, Redenbaugh was clerk of the circuit
court, Riley of the county couft and Jeff
Thompson was a surveyor. He niade himself
famous ps a general In the Confederate army.
He was the man who Issued a proclamation
for volunteers, In whloh he said: 'Com.-» on,
for the cattle on a thousand hill's are ours."
when he hadn't a mees of beans and sow-belly
in his army. j t
"It was decided to. turn the gose of the
Genoa down stream after her two days and
nights In pert at Sent Joe. If we hadn't
there wouldn't have been enough of her left
to float down. That Sent Joe crowd simply
took everything in sight. Talk about high
stakes and fast playing. What a merciless
crowd it was. and they were so damned nice
about it. too.
"The Genoa made no stops on her return
trip except to wood up. We had game al! the
way down. We kept tab on the I. O. U.s on
a stateroom door. The ice chased us into
St. Louis. Capt. Throekmorto-ii had credit in
the Lucas market, and he went out ther» and
bought a wagon load of wild geese and dis
tributed them around to his friends. We
were all sworn to secrecy. They thought
we killed 'mi. And I don't think the st^ry
of the hunt of the G^-noa for wild geese was
ever told before in detail."
■»
A Matter of Pride.
Mrs. Greener— Mercy! What are you doing?
Putting a lfl-eent stamp on the letter when a.
2-cent stamp wl'l carry it?
Mrs. Pncumoney— l know, but It Is vp'l
enough to give people to understand that we
are possessed of ample means. — Boaton Tran
script.
Never Ruffled a Feather.
Sportsman (who has just shot at a duck)—
I think he'll come down, Duncan.
Duncan — Ay. sir, he'll como doon— when
he's hungiy.— London Punch.
GOOD PLAX.
big m* of imp
SEVERAL RAILWAY MANAGERS
TELL STORIES ABOUT FAST
SPECIALS.
SCHEME ~lfth% ABANDONED.
HOW A FIRE MAX SHOWED HIS
SERVE AND THEREBY GAINED
PROMOTION.
QUICK WORK ON A DOWN GRADE.
One Dismal Failure In Connection
With a Special Train in
Jersey.
Some three weeks since a group of
about fifteen railroad officials, compris
ing presidents, g-eneral managers, su
perintendents and passenger agents,
assembled in "Washington to arrange
the winter schedules, which went into
effect Nov. 14. says the St. Louis Globe-
Democrat. They represented the rail
roads of the East, and are undoubt
edly the brightest men in the business.
After a particularly hard day's work
in the matter of arranging a schedule
to suit all parties concerned, about a
dozen of these gentlemen gathered
around a window at one of the big up
town hotels and, of course, talked
"shop." After going over the day's
work and several minor subjects, the
group fell to discussing fast runs on the
different roads, and then took up the
subject of special trains. This subject
Is a favorite one with the heads of the
different roads, as they generally figure
as the most important personages con
nected with the runs. The special train
that carried the Vanderbilt party from
Cleveland to Buffalo recently in record
breaking time came under discussion,
and considerable of the glory connected
therewith melted away as the circum
stances were dissected in the nature
of an ideal country and an almost per
fect roadbed. If the same locomotive
and cars were placed on the roads that
cross the Blue Ridge or Alleghanies.
It is a safe assertion to make that the
time per mile would be increased by
at least a dozen or more seconds.
"Of course I don't mean to detract
from the merits of that run," said a
prominent official from Philadelphia,
nodding to the representative of the
Globe-Democrat, "but we frequently
make time equally as fast-as that when
we strike good sections of the road
and the engineer can let his locomotive
spread itself. I have been out on spe
cial trains that have made time that
would make your eyes open wide with
astonishment, but It has frequently
happened that our advertising agent
was not along, and the world at large
heard nothing of the performance.
"About the most dismal failure that
I can recall in the way of a special
train," continued the official from the
quiet city, "was started from Jersey
City some years back. At that time
there was considerable speculation as
to how far a train could run without
stopping for coal or water. The gov
ernment was desirous of making con
tracts for the transportation of mail,
I and we inaugurated the limited ex
! press trains for its benefit. To develop
| still better service the idea of continu
i ous runs was discussed at great length
in railroad circles.
"The tanks holding water in the md
dle of the tracks had proved a great
success, and the matter of stopping
for water had been done away with !
This permitted a run of a hundred miles ;
continuously, but then came the change
of engines and crews. Several of the
bright young men of our road, and we
had a few, put their hands together
at that time and determined to try and
make a continuous run from Jersey
City to Pittsburg. An extra large ten
der was provided, and the car next to
it was load*.! with coal. Rubber tubing
was run from the fli.or of the cars to
the axle boxes carrying oil, and other
little contrivances provided to lessen
the chances of a stop as much as pos
sible.
"Everything looked lovt ly for the run
on the morning that the train started
out of Jersey City, and as I saw the en
gineer oiling up the finest engine our
company owned, I knew he would do
his part to make the experiment a suc
cess. The plan was to have the en- '
gincer go to the end of the division he
was familiar with, drop off, and an en
gineer that knew the division they
were entering thoroughly take charge.
Everything passed off smoothly on the
New York division, and the time made
was something remarkable. As we
passed through Philadelphia the weath
er-beaten engineer left us and the new
man grasped the throttle for his race
against time to Harrisburg, the other
terminus of the division.
"Out near Bryn Mawr, a pretty su
burb of Philadelphia, our special was
simply shattering space, and everybody
was offering congratulations and pre
dicting that records would be made
that would stand for years. A little |
defect then developed in the oil tube
running to the axle box of one of the
cars, and Charley Douglass, one of th?>
brightest young men in the employ of
our company, grasped the handle alorg
side the steps and, leaning far over, en
deavored to repair the break. At the
moment Douglass was deeply engross
ed in his work the special dashed
around a short curve, and the next
instant poor Charley's head came in
contact with a milk stand alongside
the track. He never knew what struck
him, as his death was instantaneous.
A3 the body was dashed from the steps
I pulled the bell cord, and after run
ning a quarter of a mile the train stop
ped and backed up to where the re
mains lay.
"Everybody knew Douglass well, and
it took the heart out of every one on j
that train. The object of the special
was lost, as a stop had been made, but
for the rest of the run to Pittsburg the
different engineers made records that
stood for several years. That was the
most dismal failure of a special train
that has ever come to my notice, and
to this day the experiment of making
a continuous run from Jersey City to
Pittsburg has not been repeated. Yet
you fellows here would laugh at me
if I hinted that officials as well as em
ployes of railroads are superstitious."
"I can recall a run made by a special
train about three years ago," said a
member of the group, whose road
winds in and out of the Lehlgh coal
region, "that comes into my mind with
out the least trouble to my thinking
apparatus. The special was made up
of an engine and two cars, and the
distance covered was only ten miles,
but, although no record was kept of
the time made, I am positive it was a
record breaker for the distance.
"We had been up In the mining re
gion Inspecting the road, and were re
turning down the hill at an easy rate.
As we neared" a little telegraph office
stuck in the side of the mountain, our
engineer noticed the young operator
running toward the special like a wild
man. The engineer lost no time in
pulling up to meet him, and was more
than frightened when he called out:
" "Three loaded coal cars have brok
en loose up near the mine and are
coming down the hill like h — ; pull
out for Sldell for your life!'
"White officials are averse to having
their employes use profanity while on
duty, I doubt If either one of us ever
thought of the breach of the rules by
the little operator. Sldell was ten
WANT ADS.
Hay be left at the follorrlnc loca
tion*) fop Insertion In the Dally and
Snndar Globe, at the same rate* am
are charged by the main office.
DAYTON'S BLUFF.
Sever Westby 679 East Third st
ST. ANTHONY HILL.
EdU Bull Grand ay. and St Albana
W. A. S^gst &Co Selby and Western ays.
Straight Bros.>». Rondo and Grotto sts.
A. A. Campbell /Trt>> 235 Rondo st.
A. T. Guernsey .^..->. 171 Dale at
Brackett's Vlctofl* and Selby ay.
. .• ~, MERRIAM PARK.
A. L. woolsey. . . .St Anthony and Prior SvC
_ - ARLINGTON HILLS.
U. R. Marellus Cor. Bedford and Deeatur
A. & G. A. Schumacher 854 Payne ay.
__ LOWER TOWN.
William K. Collier Seventh and Slbley
Joseph Argay Cor. Grove and Jackson sta.
M. D. Merrill 442 Broadway
WEST SIDE.
The Eclipse. S. Robert and Falrfleld ay.
George Marti Wabasha and Falrfleld ay.
Concord Prescription Store.. State and Concord
A. T. Hall South Wabasha and Isabel
WEST SEVENTH STREET.
A. ft O. A. Schumacher.. 499 West Seventh st
J. J. Mullen.. Cor. James and West Seventh st
UPPER TOWN.
S. H. Reeves Moore Block. Seven Corners
C. T. Heller St. Peter and Tenth sts.
B. J. Witt« 29 East Seventh st.
F. M. Crudden 496 Rice st
W. E. Lowe Robert and Twelfth sts.
Ray Campbell Rice and Iglehart sts.
UNION PARK.
C. A. Monchow University and Prior ays.
NO AD. LESS THAN 2O CENTS.
Situations Wanted, Male and Fe
male Help, Business Chances, Horses
and Carriages, Lost or Found, Real
Estate, For Rent, Ktc,
ONE CENT PER WORD
EACH INSERTION.
Personal, Clairvoyants, Palmists,
Mas. natcr, Medical, Etc.,
TWO CENTS PER WORD
EACH INSERTION.
NO AD. LESS THAN 2O CENTS.
HELP WAKTBD-Ual*.
KLONDIKE— The Minnesota Canadian Mining
Company, of St. Paul. Minn., will send
eighteen men to Alaska and the Klondike
during the conning winter. We offer in
vestors an honest chance for Investment In
the gold fields, as all money will be spent
in actual operations there. $2.".,000 of our
capital stock of $50,000 we offer for salo in
shares of $5. Write for prospectus to
Howard T. Smith, Secretary, Room 40, Oil
flllan Blk.
WANTED— Six men that understand dlstrlb
utlng advertising matter from house to
liougf. Aildn-ss T 17. Olnbo.
SITUATIONS WANTED— FemaIe.
DRESSMAKERS— Wanted, first-class 'dress
makers: none others need apply; come
prepaml to work; also operator on Wheel -
er & Wilson machine. 10 West Sixth st.
HOUSEKEEPER— Wanter.a position as hous>
keeper, wher* other help is kept- under
stand buying and nrvt afraid of work- good
city references. Address "Mrs. M. A Clark
General Delivery. '
DRESSMAKING.
DRESSMAKING— StyIish and rapid dress
maker will work In families; perfect fit
guaranteed; best references. Address 41)9
Selby ay.
BUSINESS CHANCES.
FOR SALE— A retail butter store, well lo
cated, doing a cash business of $80 per
day; price, $1,500; good reasons for selling
Address T 10, Globe.
miles away, and was, trie nearest sid
ing, and away we flew. If the worst
came we knew we could slow up a
little, jump, and save our lives, but
the engineer was true blue, and put
forward his best efforts to save his
engine and the two cars he was haul
ing. Sometimes I think these nervy
knights of the throttle care more for
the equipment of a railroad than they
do for the officials."
This little sally on the side created
considerable merriment among the
group of old gray-bearded railroad oi
ficials, but the story teller was com
manded to continue his tale.
"Well, that engineer simply nulled
the throttle wide open and after tho
special had made a tremendous start
he closed her up, and we drifted down
the mountain like the wind.
"When we started for Sldell we had
about half a mile the b^st of thost
runaway coal cars, and I don't believe
they gained an inch on us. I was on
the point of crying out a couple of
times for the engineer to reverse the
lever and put' on the air brakes so
we could jump, as I was hanging on
to the side of the engineer's cab for
dear lif^, because at every curve we
struck I thought we would leave the
rails, but as he and his fireman stuck
gamely to their posts without a quiver
I knew it would never do for me to
weaken first.
"We finally reached that siding. T
thought it was about a month from the
time wo had received the warning, and
in about twenty-five seconds the three
cars dashed by with a rush, and were
caught as they stalled on a heavy up
grade near the ttase of th*» mountain.
There were a half dozen attaches or
the road in the rear car during thai
run, and I must say, wilh the excep
tion of a little paleness, they went
through the ordeal like game men."
"The nerve displayed by that en
gineer is met every day in railroaa
life," chimed in a gray-haired veteran;
"but, speaking of special trains, I ran
across a nervy display— this time by *
fireman. About two years ago our
division received a new locomotive >r
very peculiar pattern, bring exceeding
ly large and equipped with many new
patents whereby great speed was to be
attained.
"I was superintendent of the road
then and determined to take the engine
out myself on a special schedule and
ascertain if the new ideas were practi
cal. I selected a first-class engineer
and fireman to accompany me. The lat
ter particularly I want to call atten
tion to, as he plays a very important
part in my story. He was six feet tall
and built in proportion, and as he stood
in the glare ot the open firebox pre
sented a picture worthy of the finest i
artist.
"The locomotive proved to be all the
builders claimed for her, and ran the
record up to sixty-one miles an hour,
which is quite a speed for our road,
being possessed of many sharp curves
THE BEST RESULTS j.
OBTAINED BY USING ~
The Daily and Sunday
Globe Want Columns...
£ £ 4. TRY THEM ALL WEEK
" ~ ~ TRY THEM on SUNDAY
WANT APiS
AUCTION SALES.
A. G. Johnson.
FINE HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE AT AUC
tlon—l will sell at public auction In tho res
idence No. 537 Olive street, on Tuesday.
Dec. 21, at 10 a. m., all the furniture, con
sisting of parlor suit, fine leather coui'h and
rockers, elegant oak dining room set. with
leather seat chairs, fine bed room suits, iron
beds, center tables, chiffonier, one very fine
Swiss music bos, all the silk ar.d chenille
draperies, curtains, etc.; also the carpet 3
throughout, of Moquette, Brussels, ingrains,
rugs, ono gas stove, one six-hole cooking
range (with water front), refrigerator, cook-
Ing utensils, dishes, etc. These goods are
first-class and are almost as good as new;
p*~tlea looking for bargains cannot afford
to mis* J-fc' 3 sale. A. G. Johnson, Aujt!on
eer, 419 atla *gl Jarkson st.
FOR Rfc^T.
Itoonia.
ROOMS — For rent, nicely furnished ro^*n3>
steam heat, with bath and gas; rent reason
able. Call at 234 West Fifth st., second
floor.
FOR SALE.
FOR 810 BARGAINS in slightly used house
hold goods, don't overlook the Town Mar
ket. 26-27 South Fifth St.. Minneapolis.
J. T. Ranger. Manager.
RELIEF SOCIETY
Employment Register.
Office 141 East Ninth Street Telephone 183.
We want work for the following worthy
persons:
A YOUNG woman stenographer and type
writer; tho support of an Invalid mother.
AN EXPERT penman to address envelope*
or Invitations.
A MAN to put out calendars.
A MAN to attend furnaces.
A BOY to do chores or drive; tho only sup
port of a widowed mother.
WOME..N to do washing, liou.-h- leaning and
earing for the sick.
MKN to saw wood; clean off snow, and do odd
Jl>hß.
HORSES AND CARRIAGES.
HOKSES! HORSES I— Lumbermen take notice!
200 bead of heavy logging horses weighing
from 1,500 to 1,800 lbs. for sale at low prices
at Barrett & Zimmerman's stable*. Minne
sota Transfer. St. Paul, Minn.; part time
given If desired; take interurban car from
either city.
AIKDICAJ*.
ANNA MACK, from Chicago; baths of all
kinds; select massage. 186 East Seventh at.
DR. M ARGUE R ITE DE LAlTTßE^Maasag
lst, manicuring. '>fi Bnat Seventh Bt.
BOARD OFFERED..
BOARD— Furnished rooms, with good table
board, five minutes' walk from business
center: location desirable. 630 St. Peter St.
TO EXCHANGE.
TO EXCHANGE— New goods exchanged for
second-hand. Cardozo Furniture and El
change Company, 232 East Seventh St.
Sheriff* Sale.
NOTICE 13 HEREBY GIVEN THAT ON
the 31st day of December. 1897. at 10 o clock
a m at the main front door, on Fourth
street" of the Court Houso of Ramsey County
in the City of St. Paul, in the County of
Ramsey and State of Mlnnesotn, I will sell
for cash, at publlr auction, six certificate*,
iiKen-iratint,' 411! shares of tho Capital Stock
or tht- MrtTOPOtltaß Opera House Company,
a .orporatlon doing business at bt. 1 aul
Mliini'sota. each of the face or par value of
$100 per Btaan-, for the purpose of satisfying
tho amount due on a JudcniMtt and deeme
of tho liUtrict Court of Ramsey County
Minn., wherein Loui. N. Soott is pla ntlff and
Robert I. Miller and othcra art; defendants.
Tho same will be sold In blocks to «ult
purchasers.
Dated December mhMW..
Sheriff of Ramsey County, Minnesota.
and grades. When the engine #ai go
ing her best and had just rounded a
sharp curvo 1 notice. l dire.-tly afaefed a
little girl half way across a single-track
bridge that spanned quite a body of
water.
"There was no room for tho rhild
and eng'ne to pass on the structure,
and In despair I pulled tho whistle,
and tried, although I knew It was a
hopeless task, to stop the locomotive.
As the shrill shriek of tho whistle
reached the little girl's ears she turned,
and. seeing the engine bearing down
r.r. ?>er. ran ahead a few steps, and
then, realizing the Impossibility of
roa« hing the other side bef,,rr> the en
gine would bo upon her, she sprang
to the side of the bridge. *>ml wth a
scream jumped into the deep water
twenty feet b-low.
"My revising the engine startle,!
the half dozen railroad men in tho sin
gle coach I was hauling, and they at
once rushed out on the front platform
to ascertain the cause In time to wit
ness an act worthy of the bravest
man.
"As the 'ittlo girl's form sank be
neath the dark water another figure
went whirling through the air. It was
that big fireman of mine. Tie had
seen the child simultaneous'v with me.
and. acting instantly. had Jamoed
down on the st>-[> between the cntrlne)
and tender, and as the girl sprang i f|tr)
the water h*-- leaped after her. owing
to the velocity of the train his body
whirled around like a ball before strik
ing tho water. Th«* stream had become
rpiito swolten by recent rains and the
current was swift. Tho fireman had
hardly disanoeaTcd under the water
than the chiM was seen several yardfl
in front of th" place where he stiii.k,
but he Q-trickly came to the surface
and struck nut manfully aflor her. The
little thing went under a second time.
I)ut as she rose mv fir»-m«n -was at her
side, and. grasping h°r firmly with one
arm, he turnod. and after a hanl strug
gle, managed to reach the shore, al
most exhaust >il.
"While tho struggles in tho water
were going on, T was fiirhtinc th° pes
ky engine, and finally brought It to a
standstill a short distance from th*
<--nd of the bridge. We immediately
deserted that special and all of us
rushed down to tho bank of the river
and yelled encouragement to the brave
fellow. As he earn" out. puffing likft
the air-brake on a locomotive, we gave
him three elvers and p tiger, but he
only replied to it with the remark:
" 'Christopher Columbus, that water's
cold.'
"Of course wo made up a nice little
purse, but I wasn't through with £im.
I sized him un this way: A man with
his nerve and self-possession was out
of place shoveling coal into a locom
tive and belonged upon the s-rtt allot
ted to engineers. a nd the next pay roll
he slcrned was as one of the knights of
the throttle."
7