10
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1909.
rOBTLAXD, ORKGON.
Entered at Portland. Oregon. Postofnce as
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IORTLAMI, WEDNESDAY. DEC. S. 1909.
READJUSTMENT.
In the future time, as wheat becomes
scarcer and dearer, the rice product
of our South Atlantic and Gulf States
will become more important. Rice is
e.n excellent partial substitute for
wheat. Cultivation of rice in South
Carolina and Florida, in Louisiana and
Texas, may be pushed to an extent
that few now can imagine. With In
crease of population in our country,
tind new demands for food, the culti
vation of rice in our states about the
roasts of the South -Atlantic and Gulf
of Mexico will become an Industrial
interest of enormous importanoe, add
ing a steady increasing revenue to the
wealth and prosperity of the country.
Rice Is a very Important product of
ithose states, even now. Our produc
tion of rice in 1908 was 608,000,000
ounds which was more than the
'quantity of our domestic consumption.
I'.u't with increasingly high prices of
wheat, rice surely will come Into more
general use. Indeed the use Is in
creasing now year by year. Rice is
nearly equal to wheat, as a nutritious
food. It can be cooked in ways in
numerable! that will make it as taste
ful and nutritious. The area In which
It can be grown Is small. Indeed, in
comparison with that of wheat; but
that area may be expanded Indefi
nitely, ibeyond its present limits.
It should not be overlooked that rice
forms the chief cereal food of one
third of the earth's population. Of the
whole group of cereals It is one of the
most healthful and nutritious. Even
now it is chief of agents In keeping
down throughout the world the price
of wheaten bread. High as the price
of wheat flour is now, it would be
very much higher but for the use of
rice not only by the millions of the
Orient, but all round the globe. Ex
haustion of wheat lands and continual
advance of the price of wheat will di
rect increasing attention to the use of
rice, and to growth of rice in all dis
tricts where it can be grown. China
lives largely on rice; so does India;
and with rice as its chief food, Japan
fought Russia, first to a standstill and
then to victory for Japan.
Rice was not native to America '
except a wild rice, so-called, of little
value for human food. Lack of rice
vao aiiuiuri ii inn Ilcl fill ICil ps Ul primi
tive man, in the Western Hemisphere.
He had neither wheat nor rice, nor
horse nor ox, nor sheep. Long before
America was discovered by Europeans,
man in the Western Hemisphere had
reached his limit of industrial develop
ment, and consequently of civilization.
Indeed; in the New World, without the
Introduction of new forces from the
Old World, ' civilization wouTd have
been forever Impossible here. It is an
Impressive lesson of man's dependence
on Nature.
And yet man, through want of true
interpretation of Nature, and through
failure of the development of moral
ideas in connection with economic
conditions in which he may be placed,
often makes terrible mistakes. Our
own country presents, perhaps, the
most remarkable illustration of this
fact ever witnessed in history. In our
Southern States production of cotton
had been pushed to an extent hither
to unknown among men. The phrase
became current in our country that
cotton was king. Our cotton was pro
duced by slave labor, and the idea
grew that slave labor was absolutely
necessary to the production of cotton.
On this fallacy there was attempt to
found a nation, and the Confederate
States of America came forth; bring
ing our Civil War. But the states that
attempted to found a nation on this
error now produce with free labor
three or four times as much cotton as
they ever produced with slave labor,
and the principles of political and civil
freedom,' and those of moral and In
dustrial freedom, have been vindicated
together.
It 1s certain that our Southern
States are destined to rise to far higher
position in our political and industrial
system than they ever have yet at
tained. The beginnings already are
great. Increased production of coal
and iron and steel, of cotton and rice,
development of water powers and of
manufacturing Industry In every line;
trrowth of every branch of agriculture,
in mild climate, whose products in
fruits and vegetables reach the early
and. therefore better markets in the
Northern cities, make increasing prof
its for a dozen great states, and fore
cast for them an immense future. Of
many Northern States the population
has reached nearly the full limit, and
industry In them can do little more
than hold Its own. But in the
South Industry and population are des
tined to enormous increase; and the
states ot that section, with those of
the Pacific Coast,, are but Just now on
the threshold of a development that,
within this century, will bring about
a readjustment of the political and In
dustrial forces of the United States.
The plan of Secretary Knox for im
proving the personnel and efficiency of
the diplomatic service by obtaining
an Improved class of secretaries is an
excellent one. Under this plan, merit
and not the strength of a political pull
will determine the result In appoint
ments and promotions In the service.
As outlined, however. It would seem
that some difficulty would be encoun
tered In securing available timber for
use In the manufacture of diplomats.
Among other requirements, the appli
cant for a secretaryship in the diplo
matic service must have a knowledge
of International law; diplomatic usage;
at least one modern language other
than English; natural, commercial and
industrial resources of the United
States; American history, government
and institutions; and the modern his
tory of Latin-America and the Far
East. A man possessing all of these
requirements might easily find better
pay than Is offered by the Government
In the diplomatic service.
SALEM'S DKSTINY.
The typhoid fever situation at Salem
speaks for Itself. There are, or have
been, more than one hundred victims
of the dread epidemic within two
months, and nine deaths. It is not
worth while for any one In Salem, in
face of the deadly consequences, to
say that the "water is pure," or to
urge that "Portland also has an epi
demic of typhoid." Portland has no
typhoid epidemic, and has not had,
since the Bull Run water system was
established. Pure water' is typhoid's
effective enemy and the only one.
There Is no course open to Salem
but to take Immediate steps to get a
wholesome water supply. It is Salem's
concern only, we suppose, if it shall
prefer to be careless or indifferent of
the health of its own citizens; but it
happens that the state at large has a
particular Interest in the state capital
and Its government. Many people
have business there from other points,
and must go at Salem and drink Its
water, eat Its food, and stay at Its
hotels.
Are these visitors and transient resi
dents to be considered? If they are
not, an Irresistible agitation to move
the state capital elsewhere is bound
to follow. Salem's destiny, so far as
the state capital is concerned, is -now
in Its own hands; but negligence, or
inertia, or disregard for the rights and
welfare of the state. In this grave mat
ter, may speedily place it in other
hands.
WOMEN AND THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.
If there Is any public office in which
women may work effectively, the dairy
commissioner is certainly one. Given
a woman of sound health, good Judg
ment and an interest that amounts to
enthusiasm In dairying as an Industry;
a woman who assesses cleanliness as a
cardinal virtue; who Is progressive
In the sense that she Is willing to let
go of good old methods for those that
are newer and better; who knows a
good milk cow when she sees one; and
wh5 knows, by intuition possibly, that
to get the best results in milk produc
tion and butter fat, cows must not only
be well fed and sufficiently sheltered,
but that they must be humanely
treated; who has the courage of her
convictions and is able upon occasion
to voice them and we have material
that cannot be improved upon for a
deputy dairy commissioner or for
that matter, for the chief of that of
fice. The records show thathere are a
number of women In Oregon who take
an active interest in dairying. There
is one at least, Mrs. S. A. Toakum, of
Marshfield, who has for a number of
years served as deputy dairy commis
sioner of Coos and Curry Counties. If
,all the stories told of unsanitary
dairies are true, or even half true,
there should be more women of Mrs.
Yoakum's type commissioned to do
this work. Cleanliness is the chief
factor.
MR. TAITT'S FIRST MESSAGE.
President Taft's first message to
Congress is an urbane discourse. He
manages to express the opinions on
most subjects which concern the Na
tion without vituperation .or heat.
Even in condemning the state guar
anty of bank deposits, which he de
tests, he speaks "with deference" to
those who think the other way. They
are mistaken hut their error does not
make them vile or criminal. Mod
erate as the President is In stating his
views, he does not leave us In doubt
as to his meaning. The message does
not "trim," as some have anticipated
that It would. There is a crisp and
clear recommendation at the close of
every section. He does not content
himself, for example, with a disap
proval of the state guaranty scheme,
but goes on to urge the establishment
or postal savings banks as something
safer and better. The principal argu
ment which Mr. Taft makes for the
postal banks Is that they would en
courage thrift among the poor. This
is the weightiest thing- that can be
said for them, and it ought to dicide
the matter with Congress. The United
States has too long neglected those
provisions for safeguarding small sav
ings which every other civilized nation
has adopted.
The President well remarks that
there is not the slightest occasion for
postponing the subject of postal banks
until the monetary commission has re
ported. The question of currency re
form is entirely distinct from that of
husbanding the earnings of the thrifty
and poor. The latter can and ought
to be settled on Its own merits. What
ever a few short-sighted bankers may
say or think, Mr. Taft Is right in de
claring that postal banks are desired
by the people- and that "they will do
the utmost good." European nations
have found no great . difficulty In
maintaining them, side toy side with a
centralized banking system, and our
experience would probably be similar.
The President displays , broad
minded humanity in recommending
pensions for aged employes of the
Government. To retain these men in
their places embarrasses the work or
the departments, and Mr. Taft does
not want this -work embarrassed. He
Is strongly In favor of making it ef
ficient by thorough-going reforms. On
the other hand, to discharge an em
ploye when he is disabled by old age
is just as inhuman for the Govern
ment as for a corporation. Mr. Taft
recalls the excellent pension systems
which the better managed railroads
have established and sees no reason
why the Government should not do
something of the same sort. En
lightened public opinion will agree
with him in spite of the expense. Jus
tice Is preferable to parsimony, while
so far as rational economy goes, no
body who reads the message- can ac
cuse the President o'f scorning It.
In pursuit of the new plan marked
out by Congress Mr. Taft and the Sec
retary of the Treasury have prepared
something like a budget for next year's
expenditures. In this he lops off 4 5,
000,000 from the Army's appropriation
and $38,000,000 from the Navy's, tell
ing them In effect to wait until there Is
less danger of a treasury deficit. He Is
hopeful that next year's revenue will
he adequate for the bills of the Gov
ernment, especially if Congress con
sents to a bond Issue for the Panama
Canal.
On the subject of bonds to pay for
permanent works the President agrees
with all philosophical statesmen, that
It is best to make the future contrib
ute to the expense. To make this gen
eration bear the entire . cost of an
Improvement which the whole Nation
will enjoy for centuries, is unjust.
Upon the whole, thoughtful readers
will be impressed with the weight and
serious candor of Mr. Taft's first mes
sage. In spite of its formal, arid and
sometimes slovenly literary style. It
Is deeply interesting. It is interesting
because it gives -the honest opinions
of an enlightened thinker upon a num
ber of great questions, and still more
so, because it reveals the President
as a National statesman. Instead of the
narrow partisan of special Interests.
AN ANNUAL, STATE FRUIT SHOW.
Mr. H. C. Atwell's proposal to hold
an annual fruit show in Portland at
which every part of the state shall be
represented. Is wise and timely. As
president of the State Horticultural
Society he is In a position to estimate
the benefits which would flow from
such an enterprise andto enlist co-operation
to promote It.
No doubt the various localities, such
as Hood Rver, Albany, and 'Medford,
would still keep up their own annual
exhibits. They could not be expected
to forego the advantages derived from
them, which are very- great, but the
local shows need In no way Interfere
with a great state exhibit in Portland.
Perhaps in a short time it would ex
pand into a National fruit show. That
would depend, upon the energy and
ambition of the managers.
Nobody who has studied the situa
tion doubts, that In the long run, fruit
growing and dairying will be the lead
ing industries of Oregon. Even today
they pay better returns to intelligent
effort than any other enterprises a
man of small means can engage in,
and as time passes they wHl yield still
larger profits. This will come from
wider markets and the extension of
co-operation methods.
For the fruitgrower. on a small scale
the key to success Is co-operation and
the first step in co-operation is the
fruit show. The local show brings
harmony among the orchardists of a
single neighborhood. A state-wide ex
hibit,, kept up year after year, would
initiate co-operation among all the
fruit men of Oregon. This Is a highly
desirable purpose to work for. It
means more and better fruit and
larger profits for the producer. But
the finest effects of co-operation can
not 'be measured in dollars. They are
seen In the Improved social conditions
of rural communities.
NEPTUNE'S HEAVY TOIL.
The new steam schooner Majestic
makes the third disaster since the
present series of Winter gales was un
leashed about a fortnight ago. For
tunately the wreck of the Majestic,
unlike that of the Matterhorn or the
Argo, was unattended by loss of life;
but it has piled another $100,000 on
the losses which underwriters have
suffered in the North Pacific withiri
the past thirty, days. These three
wrecks! together with the burning of
the steamer St. Croix, represent a'
property loss of fully $500,000, and
offer a fairly conclusive evidence that
man is still taking unnecessary
chances with the forces of nature.
The master of the Majestic places the
blame for the loss of his ship on a
broken propeller, which disabled the
vessel to such an extent that she
could make no headway against the
gale and was gradually forced to the
beach.
As it Is inferred from the master's
story that the propeller was damaged
on a previous trip, "contributory neg
ligence" in failing to have It attended
to will undoubtedly cut some figure
in the Insurance adjustment. Per
haps, however, a course farther out
at sea, even with a broken propeller,
would have kept the vessel safe until
the gale exhausted its force.- The
Matterhorn wreck, alone of this quar
tette of sea disasters, comes nearest
being In the "unavoidable" class. De
pendent to a great extent, at all times
on the whims of the wind, the sailing
ship Is absolutely at their mercy when
a hard gale sets aside the skill of .the
navigator, and the Matterhorn was
pounded to pieces by a force1 she
could not withstand.
As the day of the deep water sailer
Is nearly over, there will be a lessen
ing number of this class of disasters,
but until more caution is shown in
building, loading and handling small
steam craft, there will be a lengthen
ing list of wrecks. These Winter dis
asters are not confined to any partic
ular part of the world, for every sea
son brings with it a new list . of
fatalities on every ocean. All of the
safeguards which human Ingenuity
could throw around life and property
at sea might properly bo looked for
on vessels plying out of such a home
and headquarters of shipping as Liver
pool, but among the "missing" ships
reported within the past few days is
a regular packet steamer running be
tween Liverpool and the Isle of Man.
Money and skill have enabled build
ers to construct monster liners for the
transocean trades- which ,'aro prac
tically immune from loss by any gale
that sweeps the seas; tout the day is
probably far distant when underwrit
ers will not 'be called on to pay heavy
damages for losses of coastwise
steamers, sailing vessels, or overloaded
freighters.
PRACTICAL METHODS NOT WANTED.
Mr. Winthrop L. Marvin, who seems
to have succeeded Alexander Smith
as chief publicity man for the ship
subsidy seekers, has written a letter
criticising the plan suggested by Frank
Waterhouse, of Seattle, for increasing
our merchant marine af small ex
pense. Mr. Waterhouse, being a prac
tical steamship man, quite naturally
presented views on the subject much
at variance with those of the theorists
who have had the most to say about
the subject. His letter, which was
printed in The Oregonian a few days
ago. recommended passage of a law
giving Americans the right to buy ton
nage where it could be bought at the
lowest price, and enabling them to reg
ister it under the American flag. By
actual figures, Mr. Waterhouse proved
that the original cost of the foreign
ship, as compared with that of an
American-built craft, was so much less
that It would toe practically impossible
for the Americans to secure a subsidy
of sufficient size to equalize the dif
ference. Having demonstrated that the only
method by which the Americans could
overcome the handicap of original cost
was by affording them the opportunity
to purchase tonnage In the markets
that were open to all other nations on
earth but the United States, Mr. Water
house offered as a means of overcom
ing the handicap of higher wages on
American ships a plan of mileage sub
sidies that Was less nhlectlnnohlo thi.
any yet proposed. Mr. Marvin, admits
f that "such an expedient would un
doubtedly be effective for the purpose,"
but expresses the fear "that Congress,
which has shown itself reluctant to
grant bounty or subsidy outright to'
American-built steamships, would be
a great deal more reluctant to grant
this to steamships foreign built, though
of American register. The difference
In first cost, between American-built
and forelgn-bullt steamships would be
so large that under such a plan as you
suggest American owners would have a
strong inducement to prefer foreign
built to American-built steamers."
In that paragraph, Mr. Winthrop
exposes the fallacy of the entire ship
subsidy scheme. It Is not, as claimed
for it, a measure for promoting the
trade of the country by increasing the
number of ships flying the American
flag. It is not a plan for effecting a
saving In freight money which is now
paid to foreigners. It Is simply a bold,
shameless scheme for adding one more
to the long list of trusts to which this
country must pay tribute.
Wheat shipments from Portland and
Puget Sound to California ports for
the first five months of the current
cereal year have reached a total of
2,702,014 bushels. This compares
with 1,708,359 bushels for the same
period five years ago arid 116,934 bush
els for the same five months In the
season of 1899-00. Ten years is a brief
period of time In which to bring about
such a remarkable economic change
as has taken California out of a prom
inent place In the ranks of exporting
countries, and placed her with the
heavy importers of the premier cereal.
It has required, however, but . one
decade to accomplish this wonderful
change in our neighboring state, and,
as the change has been to' the advan
tage of California, toy releasing the
wheat land for more profitable crops,
no regrets are felt by the new cus
tomers for our surplus wheat.
The decision of the citizens of
Ferrell, Kootenai County, Idaho- to
move their town across the line into
Shoshore County, In order to escape
the effects of the local option law,
offers a possible solution of a vexed
question. It demonstrates that, if the
men who are In favor of the liquor
trafflc do not care to live in a place
where restrictions are placed on their
calling, they can move on where con
ditions are more to their liking. By
following this system to a logical con
clusion, we might eventually find the
lines closely and clearly drawn be
tween the liquor Interests and those
who are opposed to it. This would
enable" all to do pretty much as they
pleased In their respective districts,
and the present friction and endless
discussion would be In a measure
avoided.
Prince Miguel of Braganza, who mar
ried Miss Anita Stewart, of New York,
has been sued by a syndicate of cred
itors for $1,000,000. The prince bor
rowed the money on his prospects for
marrying a rich girl, and, now that
he has succeeded, he declines to pay
anything extra for the risk accepted
by the men who supplied the funds.
The money which made Miss Stewart
so attractive to Braganza and the
brigands who backed him in the mat
rimonial race was accumulated or in
herited by the late "Silent" Smith. If
that gentleman should have any con
nection spiritual or otherwise, by
which he keeps In touch with things
earthly, the news of Anita's matri
monial alliance might well be ex
pected to cause him to lose his earthly
reputation as "Silent" Smith.
The policy of ship subsidy is recom
mended by President Taft. It is a
recommendation with which The Ore
gonian does not agree. It is a species
of special legislation, for -enrichment
of the few at the expense of all. It
will add, moreover, to the riches of
those already rich; since only the rich
are shipowners and only the rich can
avail themselves of the subsidies. But
more weighty than all Is the objec
tion that we ought not to complain
that foreigners are carrying our com
modities . too cheap, and from this
point of view grant subsidies to drive
them off and Increase the rates. Yet
we may expect Congress to adopt this
proposition.
In the matter of pensions for old
employes of the Government, in the
civil service. President Taft writes
with caution; for he knows well
enough that pensions of this descrip
tion should be very sparingly allowed.
No person is obliged to remain in this
service. But great numbers seek it
because It Is easy and good pay. In
fact they are less entitled to old age
pensions . than private workers, who
have littfe or nothing for old age.
Magazine literature, mostly of little
value, or no value at all, is shown by
President Taft to be an excessively
heavy burden on the Postofflce De
partment. He "thinks rightly, that
Congress should abate the evil, or
mitigate it, at least.
President Taft can write nearly as
long messages as any of his prede
cessors. But the work of a President
Is not In writing his messages tout In
reducing the materials furnished him
from the departments.
It would be much easier for some
persons in America to run the Brit
ish government than to manage their
own affairs. Just as It is easier for
them to run the government of their
own country.
Is the Prairie the only vessel In the
United States Navy? Then, indeed, we
are In a sad way. Nicaragua Is likely
to send a fleet of war canoes up this
way and devastate the whole coast
line.
One learned Salem . doctor thinks
the water supply could not have
caused the typhoid epidemic; and he
"cannot (understand what it is." Why
the comet, of course.
' -
Whenever the big stick is needed,
the ofher fellow Is the proper ( one to
give the soft answer. President Taft
found this out In dealing with Pln
chot. Question Is whether two Americans
who mix up in a Central American
revolution should expect the United
States . to avenge their skins.
Heney will now sue for libel. That
ought to minimize the seriousness of
any projected suits against Heney for
libel.
By Its vote on McLoughlln House
Oregon City showed It had forgotten
neither history nor gratitude.
INHERENT RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE.
Ores-on la Not Debarred From It, De
spite Mr. TT'Ren's Efforts.
PORTLAND. Dec. 7. (To the Editor.)
The local Democratic paper has time
and again declared that the hold
ing of an assembly by the Republicans
for the purpose of dlscusing the merits
of the prospective candidates for dif
ferent official positions would be "un
lawful," that it would be proceeding
in direct opposition to the primary law,
which measure, it Is said, "prohibits"
such action.
But at no time has that paper indi
cated In what maner It would be un
lawful for two men, or 10 or 200 to as
semble anywhere and at any time for
the purpose of considering the qualifi
cations of men for positions In govern
ment. In the grange or other possible
function.
The primary law makes no such pro
hibition, and, even if it - should, suoh
effort would be clearly unconstitutional,
from either a Federal or state view
point. The right to hold such gathering
is Inherent in every representative
government, and must be. '
There .is no other state in the Union
which has a primary law that does not
provide for an assemblage of the rep
resentatives of every political party
excepting only Oregon. Its omission in
Oregon was thought to be an oversight
by1 the framers of the law. but Mr.
U'Ren once told this writer that It was
not the case it was done purposely.
Yet the primary law itself plainly de
clares its object to be the strengthening
of political parties, evidently meaning,
according to this Interpretation, the
upbuilding of the minority, in any
state which tries it, out of the material
supplied by the dissolving forces of the
majority organization. And U'Ren
claims to be a Republican!
AMERICUS.
STOCKS WIDELY DISTRIBUTED.
Railway Shares In Small Holding's as
Investments.
Hartford Times.
Payment of the Pennsylvania Rail
road's three per cent semi-annual divi
dend calls for the distribution of $9,
735,508.50 among 52,270 stockholders
a pile of money and a pile of stock
holders. - Somebody who has a fond
ness for mathematics figures out that
since the road was chartered three
score and three years ago it has dis
bursed in dividends $329,733,437.
The stock of .the Pennsylvania Is
widely diffused. Other railroads have
Immense lists of shareholders, but none
of -them equals the Pennsylvania. The
average number of shares held by each
Pennsylvania stockholder is 115, a com
paratively small figure. Nearly 49 per
cent of the stockholders is women. A
large number of the stockholders owns
less than 25 shares each.
Hereafter the Pennsylvania road divi
dends will be paid quarterly Instead of
semi-annually. The Pensylvanla and
Atchison both have decided to adopt
the quarterly system, which is more
satisfactory to the bulk of the stock
holders. The number of owners of the shares
of the great railroad and great in
dustrial corporations has greatly In
creased during the past two years. The
distribution of these securities is now
wider than ever before. The fact ought
not to be ignored by the politicians
who make a specialty of ' lambasting
corporations and who like to prejudice
people against the corporate method
of doing business. .
TRUSTS AND INDIVIDUAL, CONTROL,
Despite the Perfection of "System" the
Man More Important Than Ever.
Wall Street Journal.
Our tendency has been to create a
better machine In industrial production
and commercial expansion, and to do it
we have had to educate a distinctly
higher type of intelligence. The ma
chine is something, but when all is said
and done the Intelligence is everything!
We can formulate economic laws or
trace clearly economic tendencies, but
so far from creating a situation where
the economic law will decide and the
individual become merely a part of the
machine. The exact contrary has been
the case. Never wa sthe individual so
important as he is today.
For the old cut-throat competition
which was the commercial and Indus
trial ideal of the Manchester school of
economists of the last half of the nine
teenth century, we have substituted a
system of regulating production and of
systematizing the law of supply and de
mand In a way which John Stuart Mill
could never have conceived, to say
nothing of earlier economists. The
laws are still there, but increasing In
telligence has converted them from re
lentless engines of destruction to effi
cient Instruments of progress and pros
perity. We are all too apt to see the evil In
what we call the "trusts." We are all
too slow to realize how beneficent their
work may be, under enlightened admin
istration. .
A Slight Mistake.
Everybody's Magazine.
Toward the close of a recent law
suit in Massachusetts the wif of an
eminent Harvard professor arose and
with a flaming face timidly addressed
the court.
"Your honor." said she, "if I told you
I had made an error in my testimony,
would it vitiate all I have said?"
"Well, madam." said the court, after
a pause, "that depends entirely on the
nature of your error. What was . it,
please?"
"Why, you see," answered the lady,
more and more red and embarrassed. "I
told the clerk I was 88. I was so flus
tered, you know, that when he asked
my age I inadvertently gave him my
bust measurement."
A Woman Who Dared.
Boston Journal.
The woman who stopped a runaway
horse yesterday on Columbus avenue as
the frenzied animal was tearing along
toward a file of school children remarked
afterward that-she wasn't aware that she
was doing anything heroic. Of course
not. If she had stopped to think about
it she might not have done it. Heroes
and heroines act first and stop to think
about it later.
Not Easily Eradicated.
New York Press.
The "white slave" evil may be dimin
ished in its extent and especially in Its
obviousness, In 'the way It meets the
public eye may be diminished at once
but it will not be extirpated or essen
tially decreased until by an indefinitely
great advance In civilization, brought
about in a million different ways, there
have been great changes wrought In
our entire social fabric.
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.
Philadelphia Press.
There Is food for thought In the sug
gestion of a Canadian statesman that
suffrage be granted only to women who
are mothers. Race suicide might get a
check under such a law.
To the Stay-at-Homea.
Boston Herald.
The skies are full ot leaden gray.
The flshln' lines are put away;
The poles are stored In the shed,
The Fall hex come, an' Summers dead.
The hunter bangs out in the woods.
An' echoes wake the solitudes;
The ducks they want a chance to light.
But do not dare till comes the night.
i
The partridge drums out his alarm.
And tries to hide his head from harm;
The wily farmer does ths same.
For fear he'll be mistook for game.
An while these things are in the air.
The only safe place, I declare.
Is in the city's bang" &n' throb,
A-tendin' to your dally Job. -
BUIL.T ON A . LEFTOVER STRIP
This Two-Story House In New York:
Only 3 Feet 8 Inches Wide.
New York Sun.
A building, remarkable because it is
only 3 feet S4 Inches wide, stands at
the northwest corner of Melrose avenue
and East One Hundred and Sixty-first
street, the Bronx. It is occupied as a
tailor shop by Its owner, Henry Ubel
hor. It Is 22 feet long and two
stories In height. Its upper story con
tained In a French roof.
When Melrose avenue was planned.
Mr. Ubelhor's father owned a plot of
northerly side of East One Hundred
and Sixty-first street across the pro
posed avenue's line. When the ave
nue was opened all this land was taken
excepting a narrow strip along its
westerly edge, this strip having a .front
of 3 feet 84 Inches on One Hundred
and Sixty-first street and a front for
Its entire length along the west side
of the avenue. It might have been
supposed that all that could be done
with this harrow piece of land would
be to sell it to the owner of the land
which it adjoined, but about a dozen
years ago the present Mr. Ubelhor put
up the building that now stands on it.
The entire street end of the buildins
Is taken up with a show window, which
is extended around on the avenue front
The entrance is at the middle of the
avenue front; a storm door built out
from the entrance serves as a vesti
bule. On entering the door you scarce
ly realize at first how narrow the
building is, for immediately In front
of the entrance is a mirror.
The building is of steel frame con
structuon, so built In order that the
walls might be made as thin as possible
to save interior space; but as they stand
the walls are three Inches in thickness,
making six Inches to be deducted from
the Interior; so that the Inside width
of this building on its ground floor is
only three feet two and a quarter inches.
To the right from the entrance is
found the only room on this floor; it is
about nine feet in length. To the left
from the entrance is a stairway lead
ing down into the basement, which is
lox25 feet, the additional space being
gained by utilizing the vault space un
der the Melrose avenue and One Hun
drd and Sixty-first street sidewalks.
At the front is a room for customers,
while partitioned off at the rear is a
workroom, both being amply lighted
by sidewalks lights.
The upper story of this building In
the French roof is used for storage
purposes, a folding stairway giving
easy access to it.
WOMEN AND DOMESTIC SERVICE.
Housewives JInve Never Acted In Con
cert to Achieve Reforms.
Indianapolis Star.
Echoes from women's gatherings and
from domestic circles that find their
way to the editorial consciousness con
vey the information that the servant
problem is causing more than the usual
trouble to Indianapolis housekeepers.
It Is more difficult than ever before to
find capable cooks and housemaids, it
appears, and they are likely to prove
arrogant and disobliging when found.
The situation here is the same as that
found In other cities, according to all
accounts.
It is a matter for some wonderment
that with all their progress in an in
tellectual way, and with all their many
activities, women have done nothing
toward solving their own greatest
problem, that of getting household ser
vice properly performed. They hive
demonstrated their ability to transact
well many kinds of business outside of
their homes: they have proved their
possession of executive skill in the
management of large undertakings and
some of them at least can discuss pub
lic questions In an intelligent and even
masterly way, but they have not found
out how to run their kitchen machinery
smoothly, large numbers are demand
ing political rightsand privileges and
It may be that they should have them;
but the right to vote will do nothing
toward increasing the supply of good
cooks.
The Star can only humbly suggest
that so far as It is aware no experi
ments of any kind have been tried
by Indianapolis ladles in a systematic
and concerted way, and that some
thing might be done in this direction
possibly through co-operative house
keeping, perhaps through a refusal to
pay high wages to any but competent
workers, perhaps through training
schools for maids and cooks.
Ed Howe's Philosophy.
Atchison Globe.
Good manners do more for a man than
good looks.
Too many men are given credit for
being as good as their talk.
We don't believe much in good luck,
but we believe there is such a thing as
bad luck.
The older a man grows, the greater his
wonder that there were only ten com
mandments. Nearly every unsuccessful man claims
to be responsible for some other man's
success.
It is eiisy to say to a man, "Be sensi
ble." But ljalf the time a man does not
know what is sensible.
Our experience Is that an artist who is
not appreciated is Just about as dis
agreeable as it is possible for a human
to be.
Much of the clamoring now going on
has a tendency to make industry and
honorable achievements almost disreput
able. If a man is as faithful to his employer
as the employer thinks he should be, his
wife is mighty jealous of her husband's
business interests.
So much sympathy Is given the women
that It Is a constant surpriseome woman
doesn't sue her husband for tlO.000 dam
age, because he spoke cross to her.
Every time a woman pickB up a plate
or a spoon she won at bridge, she won
ders If her husband appreciates how
much she contributes to the home by her
efforts.
Ever know how the term "horse sense"
originated? It Is said that horses were
once able to talk, but talking got them
into so much trouble that they quit It.
Wise "Mamt Henry."
Rochester Herald.
Colonel Watterson says he is unable
to name the next Democratic candidate
for President. The wisdom of Marse
Henry Increases- with age. He would
not even undertake to name the things
which go Into a mint julep, nowadays.
CCRRENT SMAil, CHANGE.
Upgardson It goes without sarins;
Atom Then suppose we let it go that way.
Lovely afternoon. Isn't it? Chicago Tribune.
"Miss Chatter Is a sort of talking; ma
chine, isn't she?" "No, not a perfect ma
chine; she lacks the 'exhaust.' " Baltimore
American.
Blobbs I don't like one-man power in
politics. Slobbs Oh, what's - the difference?
If It isn't one man. It's another. Philadel
phia Record.
"A clear conscience is a fine thins In
publio life." "Yes," answered Senator Borg-
hum. "and next to that is a talent for ex
plaining;." Washington Star.
Belle How silly men act when they pro
pose. Why, my husband acted like a per
fect fool. NelUe That's what everybody
thought, when your engagement was an
nounced. Cleveland Leader.
"She insists that her paternal ancestor
came over on the Mayflower." "But I
thought they proved to her that there was
no such name on the Mayflower register?"
"They did. And now she says he was a
stowaway." Cleveland Plain Dealer. .
"Some of our prominent men," suggested
the photographer, "like to have their pho
tos taken in a characteristic attitude."
"Suits me." responded the subject. "Photo
graph me with my nose against a grind
stone. Got one handy ? Louisville Courier
Journal. "
Life's SunnySide
Representative Flood, of Virginia, tells
a good story, in which one of the charac
ters was General Reuben Lindsay Walker,
of the Confederate Army. On one occa
sion the general was waiting for his
breakfast and his faithful negro servant
had gone to catch some fish for the feast.
When the servant was away an unusu
ally long time the general called to him
impatiently: "Why don't you" come here
with that fish, Sam?" Sam in the mean
time had caught a flounder,, which Is
white on one side with a whiteness that
looks like raw fish meat. "All right.
Massa Reuben!" called out Sam. "l'ss
comin' de.s ez soon ez I kotch de uvver
half o' dis here fish."
Last Winter Mrs. Clifford A. Neff, who
resides In that part of Bratcnahl still
known as Doan street, sorted out her
husband's cast-off clothing. To the first
applicant who came along she handed a
complete suit . of clothes which she
thought had seen enough service, and the
man went off rejoicing and volubly
thanking hes.
This week he reappeared at the Neff
home, where ho was immediately recog
nized. . "Last year, madam." he said, with a
bow, "you were kind enough to give me a
suit of clothes. In the poc ket of the coat
I found a dollar bill, all crumpled up,
and "
"And you waited all this time to return
It?" Interrupted Mrs. Xeff.
"No, madam," replied the panhandler,
with another bow. "I called to ask you
if you hadn't another coat to give mo."
Cleveland News.
A rector of Eltham once gave out the
words, "Who art thou?" and. as ho
paused for a moment, an officer in uni
form, who bad just entered the church,
suddenly halted, and taking the question
as personal, promptly replied:
"Sir, I am the rocrultintr officer of the
Sixteenth foot, and, having my wife and
daughter with me, should he glad to make
the acquaintance of the clergy and gentry
of the neighborhood." London Globe.
Mrs. Finletter and her husband had
just moved into a $15 seven-room house.
The first Sunday morning there, as Mr.
Finletter sat with his newspaper on his
little porch,, and all the neighbors on
both sides of the street rat with their
newspapers on their little porches. Mrs.
Finletter suddenly came to the front door
and shouted at her husband In a loud
vexed voice: "Hilary Finletter, will you
or will you not come in to luncheon? The
champagne is nearly flat and you know
how soon a dish of terrapin gets cold!"
Finletter tossed down the comic section
and hurried indoors with a dazed srntle.
"What are you kidding me. for?" he asked
as he looked at the rump steak and po
tatoes on the dining table. "It's not vim.
Hilary, I'm kidding," said his wife. "It's
the neighbors."
A certain retired coal dealer of Pitts
burg is. in the old phrase, as tight as
wax. but has a passion to be considered
a "spender" and good liver, never neg
lecting an opportunity to refer to his
"wine cellar," etc. A short while ago he
snared a well-known clubman and had
him at his house for dinner. A bottle of
sherry was produced' with considerable
ostentation and the glasses filled. The
hot held his to the light, then drank,
and smacked his lips., "What do you
think of that, hey?" he suggested. "Why
er very good." the guest commented,
setting his glass upon the table. "But. I
say, old man," he added in a confidential
tone, "I know a place where you can get
wine even cheaper than this!"
The old gentleman had prospered in
business, and took his son Into partner
ship. The young man appreciated the
move, but In his newly add,'d dignity be
came Just a little bit too much inclined to
take things In his own bunds. So his
father resolved to remonstrate.
"Look here, young man," ho said, "let's
have a little less 'I' and a little more 'We'
In this business. You must remember
that you're the junior partner."
A week later the son appeared In his
-father's office looking a little anxious.
"I say dad," he said, "we've been and
done it now."
"Done what?" snapped the parent.
Well er we've been and married tha
typist." Tidbits.
INTERESTING OLD DOCUMENT.
In School Board Referred to Rail
roads as "a Device of Satan."
Alexander Wells, an old citizen of
Wellsville, O., has a copy of an inter
esting and novel document issued by
the school board of the town of Lan
caster, O.. in 1S28. says the Illinois
Central Employes' Magazine. The ques
tion of steam railroads wa then in its
incipient stage, and a club of young
men had heen formed for the purpose
of discussing the points at issue. They
desired the use of the schoolhouse for
purposes of debate. This was looked
upon by the members of tha School
Board as an innovaton bordering upon
sacrilege, as indicated by the reply of
the Board to the request, which Is the
document in the possession of Mr.
Wells. It reads as follows:
"You are welcome to the use of the
si-hoolhouse to debate all proper questions
in. but such things as railroads and
telegraphs are impossibilities and rank
Infidelity. There is nothing in the word
of God about them. If God had de
signed that His intelligent creatures
should travel at the frightful speed of
15 miles an hour, by steam, he would
clearly have foretold it through his
holy prophets. It is a device of Satan
to lead Immortal souls down to hell."
Such sentiments possibly reflected
the feeling to some extent "in the days
of 65 years ago, but they sound strange
at the present time, when the "device
of Satan" Is daily carrying people over
the land at the rate of 60 or 70 miles
an hour. The world has progressed
somewhat since 1828.
Uncle Sam's Employment Bureau.
Circle.
Uncle Sam has opened a free employ
ment bureau which may develop into
the largest institution of its kind ever
attempted. Four million postcards were
recently sent by tha Department of
Commerce and Labor to the various
postmasters with instructions to dis
tribute them among small factory man
agers and farmers in search of work
men. The cards are returned to Wash
ington, stating the number and kind of
men desired, and' are placed on file.
The plan is to turn them over to immi
grants and the unemployed men of the
great cities, with the view of aiding
both the small industry without work
men and the workmen without jobs.
POLITICAL COMMENT.
Watterson says he can't pick a Democratic
President. Neither can Mr. Brvan. but ho
doesn't know It. Detroit Journal.
Speaking of Alabama, was Mr. Bryan a,
little too hasty In selecting prohibition a
his newest paramount issue? xew York
World.
Mr. Sherman's whimsical references to his
Vice-Presidential obscurity are untimely.
Did he not accept the nomination with his
eyes open? Providence 'Journal.
It is perhaps to Mr. Bryan's credit that
he reserves the right to make up ills own
mind as to political enter-prises Instead of
protesting that he is in the bunds of his
friends. Washington Evening Star.
"I will die." Speaker Cannon said in his
speech to the Knife and fork Club, "with
out ever having turned rny back on a friend
or my face from an enemy." Which seems
to present in a sentence the thooi-v on
which the Congressional organization framed
the tariff bill, and on which the Speaker
sought to reward his friend. ex-Representa-tlve
I.lttauer. with an Increased duty on
gloves. Kansas City Times,