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HEX frosts com', and the rail-,
ways begin to be occupied In
transporting the products of the
Amrlfn farmers to the markets, ao that
the $.(KV00'V0' of carh which la pireumM
to be the value of the,e products! real
ised, then we begin to have proof of the
arrurary and Judgment of some of the
big. tut to the public unknown, men wha
axe occupied for six months or more every
yar In forecasting; the crops and their
markets.
Rvery one of America's staple products,
whether of farm-, forest or mine and also
' lfcoe foreign producta whach are Intense
ly Interwoven with American life Is
made a study by men whose special bust
nesa It is to get Information concerning
them. In the Spring and early Summer
these men travel all over the United
States, and some of them go across the
sea. in thefr exhaustive search of data.
Tnv have thousands of correspondents.
Thy trlean all possible Information. And
when they have obtained it they report,
some of them to James J. Hill, others to
those who are managing the Harriman
railroads, others to the great flour man
ufacturers. still others to thoKe who are
preparing to sell the fMMJOO.oW pounds of
coffee that Americans buy each year: to
the smelters of copper ores; to the great
manufactories of cojp?r apparatus, and
so on.
In each one of these . great activities
there stands one central, commanding fig
ure, known the world over te all wlm are
encac?d in making or marketing; these
priHlncts. All over the world where cof
fee is raised for foreign marketing no
American, excepting Colonel Roosevelt. Is
so well known by name as Is Herman
Slacken. In the great smelting works
and in all the copper mining districts of
tii- I'mted States and South America,
tne name and personality of John Robert
Stanton in a familiar as Is the "name and
p-rfonalitv of J. Plerpont Morgan in
Wail street. All over the United States
snd Onada. where wheat Is raised the
farmers pay to Kgbert X. Falrchild great
er need than they do to any politician or
railroad magnate, because he is presumed
to know more about ti.e qualify and quan
tity of the world s wheat crop than any
other man. And the humble hay crop.
hih hn,ir tn the farmers of the Unltud
Slates each vear about half a billion dol
lars, has its high authority In Theodore
I". Huffman. Jut so the planting, grow
in and marketing of cotton as watched
ncer bv Theodore J- Price, while the
gret foreign exchange market, which
makes it possible to convert these prod
ucts instantly into cash. h.is as one of
its great authorities on authority unsur
passed iri his line a modem young banker
of the name .of Krrd I. Kent.
Herman Slclt'kcn a Hoy .Soldier.
When the Ute Carl Schuri nnd the
other brilliant young revolutionists wore
att-mptlng to do grent thkigs in what
is now the German Kmplre. there was
a little boy who. on the streets of Ham
burg, was fc-reatly lmprejso.1 with the
spectacle of the German army pursuing
1,e revolutionists. It seemed to him as
though nothing could be finer than to
wear a uniform, have epaulets, carry a
sword, be a soldier. But In due course
of time he learned from experience that
It Isn't all feather and gilt to serve as a
soldier ld. for when he was In his late
'teens, Herman Slelcken became a soldier
In the German army.
That occurred at about the height of our
own Civil War. The boy was old enough
and joldicr enough to listen with keen i
interest to the storiea that Teached Ger-
manv of the baltles In the United States..
and of tiie great generals like Grant and
.l.ierman on the Union side, and Lee and
Johnston upon the Confederate. Listen
ing to these war tales, he made up Ills
mind that the army was no career for
Mm. and tllat Germany offered no op
portunities to Ihj compared with those
which he would be sure to find upon the
American continent. So, in some way
the history of which Is hi own private
army, and out of Germany,
army, and out of Germany. But in
stead of beginning a career in the United
States, he found his first Xcw World ex
perience in Costa Rica.
Revolutions and funny little parodies of
Republican government were constantly
In progress there, but these did not In
terest young Slelcken. He had had enough
of soldiering, and his eyes were all on
the coffee plantation of the country.
He was a handsome young man, of
short stature, thick-set, powerfully built.
Indifferent to the heat of that very hot
Central American country, and his big
black eyea were constantly occupied with
tiie study of the coffee fields and the
various' statistics and reports that told
of the export of coffee how many pounds
the United States was taking each year,
what was paid for it, etc. And when he
was told that In the United States the
people consumed every year several hun
dred million pounds of coffee, the young
man aai dto himself: "Herman Sielchen.
here Is your chance to make a name and
a. fortune for yourself." At that time he
had neither. His only possessions were
good health, tremendous earnestness and
energy, and very good habits.
After a year In Costa Rica young Slelc
ken departed for San Francisco. He still
had coffee In his mind, but he had got to
do something which would either bring
him capital or put him In touch with cap
ital, so that he would be able to work out
hi plans, which. If he were successful,
would make him the great captain of the
coffee producing Industry. Ho went up
Into Oregon on ji business trip, for he
was something of a commercial traveler
at that time, and a very successful one In
a am ail way. Then, one day, while pat
ronizing one of the not very well built
Oregon railways of that period, there
came a sudden crash, and a moment later
he found himself all mixed up In a wreck.
Rut fate. was In his favor, and although
passengers all about him were injured,
some fatally, yet he. as ho lias ulways
thought almost miraculously, escaped any
serious injur;.
After a year or two upon the Pacific
Coast young Sielcken found his way to
New York, and got employment with a
mercantile and bunking house which al
ready hud established considerable trade
relations with South- America, and was.
In fact, importing a good deal of coffee.
Here, at last, was the opportunity he had
been looking for, and he lost no time in
cultivating it. ,
Sljlt-kcu IWx-omes a World Figure.
He studied geography, so that he coold
know exactly the lay of the land in an
tho5e countries where coffee is grown.
For some months he made a special study
ft various kinds of transportation the
lallroad. the steamboat, the flatboat, the
mule. Then he visited the great coffee
plantations of the world. Ha went all
over Brazil, and mapped out thoroughly
every coffee plantation, so that at last
he wnek ' the number of acre seach
planter hud. the number of laborers he
employed, wliat kind of coffee he pro
duced, what kind of soli was necessary
for the profftittf ion of the best coffee.
Then he went again to Central Ameri
ca, and thoro was pot a single coffee
plantation In the whole length, and
breadth of the Central American states
of which he did not Harn every detail;
the majority of them he visited. For
he was laying the foundations for ab
solute information respecting the coffee
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cultivation of the entire world. He knew
that If he was to be the master of this
business, he must first of all learn ab
solutely everything about the production
end of It. Last of all. he went to Java
and the various hot countries of the
East where coffee is produced. i
Well. In a short time, the black labor
ers of South America, the brown labor
ers who work bare-headed, hare-armed
and bare-legged In the coffee planta
tions of Java, and the half-breeds who
are very listless and laxy workers on
the Central American plantations, and,
of course, the planters themselves, be
came very familiar with this curly
Jiaired, black-eyed, swarthy-complex-ioned
young man. who seemed to'them
to be really the owner of all the plan
tations. He made himself x,as well
known In Arabia personally as he ,was
afterwards In the coffee exchanges of
America. When employers and em
ployes saw him coming to the planta
tions of Costa Kica they wanted to
make a fete day of It.
Now, when you remember that sta
tistics show that In the United States
there are consumed every year 800,
600,000 pounds of cofTee, and that 'this
coffee costs almost one-third as much
as It does to carry on the entire govern
ment of the United States for a single
year, then you will get some idea of
the magnitude of the operations of Her
man Sielcken. He is no monopolist ex
cepting that, by his methods of training
himself, and obtaining information, he
has obtained a monopoly on informa
tion respecting the entire cofTee prod
uct of the world each year. For ex
ample, he can tell you three months be
fore Braxil harvests Its coffee exactly
how. much of the berry tjie Braxillian
planters will harvest. He knows, too,
all about the consumption of coffee In
the United States and in every other
nation. Therefore it ia possible for
him to get a good Idea of what the
market price of coffee Is to be. For
this reason he is a great authority In
the world's coffee exchange.
For the same reason coffee planters
the world over accept his word as au
thoritative and final. When Brazil at
tempts, by certain taxes or rather pe
culiar political methods, to control the
coffee market Herman Sielcken watches
this politics for a while, and when he
thinks It has gone far enough he holds
up his finger or conveys a delicate hint
to Brazil, and that Is enough. The
planters there know that it la In" his
power to Bhlft to Costa Rica, Central
America and Northern South America
much of the American market for the
cheaper grades of coffee, and that he
will do It if Braall is too obstinate.
Sielcken Outwits Country's Bankers.
So great a power h-s Mr. Sielcken be
come the one really great power In the
coffee industry of the world that he Is
now regarded in something of the liffht
of a supreme arbiter. He has -nothing
to do with the retail "coffee business
roasting and grinding and packaging
coffee for the consumer. His whole vo
cation Is that of a merchant who com
mands the great coffee markets of the
world and who puts the raw material
upon the markets. The business of his
house aggregates nearly $50,000,000 a
year, and its head has become one of
the multimillionaires of the United
States.
How quick Mr. Sielcken Is. and how
ready to assert himself, is illustrated
by the following incident? The govern
ment at Washington had made an ar
rangement with a syndicate of bankers
to sell government bonds to the bank,
and to receive in payment for the bonds
about iSil.OOO.ono In gold. "As a part of
the bargain the bankers agreed that
they would prevent the exportation of
gold for six months. They were going
to do this by selling foreign exchange
with all the exchange dealers parties to
their agreement.
But suddenly it was announced that
there had been an export of gold from
the United States to London of a million
dolars in all. and there was very lively
stepping around in Wall street when
the announcement was made. Who had
done It. and why? Had anybody broken
faith? These were questions that were
asked and speedily answered, for It was
discovered that the firm of bankers
with which Mr. Sielcken was associ
ated had secured the gold and export
ed It. .
At once the syndicate went to Mr.
Sielcken and complained.
"But we are not in your syndicate,"
Herman Siecklen the One Great Figure Known
to the Coffee Plantations of the World How
He Made Himself the Master of Coffee Produc-
tion and Coffee Markets After
Jslef World as An Immigrant
E. NFairchild, Master of Wheat, iPersonallyr
ICnown to
Continent Theodore Huffman and Theodore
Price, Masters of Hay and Cotton How a
Young Banker Gets the Farmers the Money
They Want for Their Crops,
4 V) ' . ..
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was the reply. "We are not bound by
any promises." I
"But we will take you Into the syn
dicate now."
"Oh, no," answered Mr. Sielcken. "you
have cut and carved the turkey and
taken all the meat, and we don't care
to come in to feat on the bones."
Then it was represented that It would
be a grievous embarrassment to the
Government if there were further ex
ports of gold, and there were none.
Herman Sielcken had simply shown his
power and Independence, and that was
enough for him. .
Mr. Sielcken is practically a citizen of
the world. Kansas City New York--he
has lived and worked In both cities. He
has spent. years of his life on the great
coffee plantations, although nowadays
he does not travel to them every year,
as was fornif rly his .custom. But the
spot that probably dearest to hiro
his real home is a wonderfully beauti
ful place which he calls Maria Hall. It
lies In the outskirts of Baden-Baden:
on it he has spent a great deal of
money; and there, with his family, he
spends three or four months df the
year, which include the Summer seaston.
And he Is one of the few men of whom
It may truthfully be said that there Is
no photograph of him in existence
Master of Wheat Production.
The United States does not grow any.
coffee and never will; unless the men of
agricultural science in Washington dis
cover some way in which it can be done,
as. they did discover that tea could be
profitably grown in South Carolina. But
the .United States is the great wheat coun
try of the world, and from some points of
view E. M. Falrchild. of Minneapijlis,
bears the same relation to wheat produc
tion and marketing that Mr. Sielcken
does to that of coffee.
There was a time when the State of
Iowa" was expected to beoome a great
wheat state. Many of the farmers In the
J middle of that state plowed up the im
mense prairies, expecting to garner mag
nificent wheat harvests. But Mr. Fair
child went down there, and Itls quick eye
speedily discerned that the soli of Iowa is
corn soil, and he went back to the North
west firm in the conviction that the great
wheat fields of the United States were to
be along the lines of the newly opened
railways stretching from the Great Lakes
northwesterly, as well as upon some parts
of the Pacific Coast.
Mr. Falrchild had mastered every detail
affecting the production and marketing
of wheat even before he became the great
executive manager of the largest flouring
mills in the world. He knew some years
ago that the time was coming when the
American farmers would be demanding a
tariff for wheat, because they would dis
cover that their Canadian neighbors were
raising wheat In such quantity as se
riously to affect the markets. . With the
actual details of manufacture of wheat
Into flour, his familiarity is said to be not
so great as it Is with tne wheat fields
of the world how much wheat they are
producing in any year, where the new
wheat fields He, how many emigrants will
bo tempted from the old farms to these
newer regions. i
Mr. Falrchild was the first man ta
prophesy that farmers would be raising
wheat almost as far north as the Arctic
Circle, In the western half of British
North America. He predicted the vast
emigration from the United States to
those virgin wheat fields. Ha was one of
the first to announce that the American
people were Increasing- more rapidly, than
their wheat production. And he feels
certain that. If not In his own genera
tion, yet probably In the next one, when
transportation to the uplands of Interior
South America have been completed, "all
of those magnificent millions of square
miles back of Peru and Chill that have
never been cultivated since the days of
the Incas will be open to wheat cultiva
tion. Mr. Falrchild is known personally to
every one of the treat wheat farmers of
the United States. They accept his state
ments as to the probable harvest of wheat
In any year as even more reliable than
those of the governmental statisticians.
And It Is his Information and generalship
Every Great Wheat
wr in
-e. JtZ.-
that enable the great flouring mills of
Minneapolis to prepare abundantly for
meeting the world's demands for-American
flour.
Hay, Cotton, Copper.
Sielcken in coffee, Fairchllfi in wheat,
Theodore Huffman In hay, -an humble
crop which annualr yields as much to
the farmers of this country as the king
of the South cotton.
Mr. Huffman, who declares that this
year's hay crop will probably reach a
value of about 600.000,000, Is recognized
the world over as the leading American
expert on hay harvest. Born in the State
at New Jersey, as a boy he was especially
Interested in the meadows which in June
and early July In that state used to yield
bounteous harvests of hay. So, when he
came to mature 'years, it .was natural
enough that he should take up a business
which permitted him to follow this early
Inclination.
He demonstrated his great authority at
the time of the Boer War. The British
commissary department was complaining
that It could not get hay enough to feed
the horses. Telegrams and agents were
sent tq the United States, and Mr. Huff
man found himself busy as he had never
been before. In meeting the enormous de
mands of the British commissaries. , He
knew exactly where to go In the United
States-and . In Canada ..for . hay. He in
slated that it ' be ' so baled that If a
lighted match were applied to it It would
not. burn. He showed how. by packlntr
in this way, thousands of tons of hay
could be sent in one steamer to South
Africa.
If you were with Mr. Huffman In the
early Spring, you woultj find him making
personal Investigation of the great hay
fields of New York. Michigan and Can
ada, "getting a line." as the saying is,
on the prospective crop. By mid June he
Is able to tell anyone who has the right
to ask where the droughts or the exces
sive rains are- doing damage, and where
the promise of crops Is abundant. Thus,
Arriviite in the
From Germany u
Grower on the" N
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even before the scythe or the' mowing
machine has been put to the crop. Mr.
Huffman is able to furnish what is re
garded as the best estimate of the num
ber of tons of hay that will be harvested;
and he also is the first to discover what
the demand in other parts of the world
for American or Canadian hay Is.
As Is pretty generally known, the Huff
man of cotton production is Theodore H.
Price, who became Interested In cotton
production when he was still a young
man and at a time when, he was passing
through North Carolina. His great hobby
Is the perfecting of an organization not
a corporation, but a voluntary association
by means of which the planters of the
cotton belt will be able vastly to increase
their product, to produce the higher qual
ity of cotton and perfectly to command
the markets. -
In copper the great authority Is the
son of the man who in his day was- the
great authority in this specialty.
A good many years ago John Stanton
made a curiosity excursion to a little
town In Northern Connecticut, Granby
by name. ' He was ' anxious to see the
first important- copper mine worked in
the Anieaican colonies. Much of the cop
per, used In the Revolutionary War was
mined there. The miners had dug great
subterranean caverns, and, afterwards,
when mining proper - .was "- abandoned,
these caverns became the dungeon which
served Connecticut for a state prison for
many years'. '
John Stanton died about a year ago.
He was known the world over as the
greatest authority not merely upon the
production and marketing of copper, but
upon the copper fields of the world. He
was himself a miner and producer of
copper, arid gained a great fortune in
that vocation. But he was' better known
to the world as an authority on copper
production. His mantle has passed to
his son, John Robert Stanton, who
learned all that his father knew about
copper fields and, copper production, and
who, in addition has become an officer
if , f
sir-.
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s ' 1
and operator In eight. copper mining com
panies. But copper isn't the only thing with
which John Robert Stanton is Identified.
The famous Seventh Regiment of New
York look upon his as one of the most
popular officers. He is a strong sup
porter of the greatest of American for
esters, Gifford Pinchot, and he is partic
ularly fond of yachting. These, however,
are merely Incidental to his persistent,
zealous work In locating the various
copper fields of the world, and discover
ing what the future markets for copper
are to be.
The American who knows more than
any other of his countrymen about the
mines of the world which yield precious
stones is George F. Kunz. In fact, among
the gem experts of the world he is held
to be without a peer. No spurious gem
ever deceived him; and he is the cus
todian of the largest diamond ever
brought to the United States. Show him
almost any kind of gem and' he will be
able. to tell you instantly where it was
mined, and probably he will add the
name of the very mine from which It
came. Some years ago there was placed
before him specimens of a beautiful col
ored mineral and without hesitation he
replied: : "That is turquoise from the
mines of New Mexico." A graduate of
famous Cooper Union, a self-made man.
Mr. Kunz Is the authority upon whom not
J only those who mine, but also those who
i market precious stones, ret. iui buiulo
Information as to the output ana me
prospective market for these jewels.
Fred I. Kent, Foreign Exchange
Expert.
Not the least interesting or Important
of those who ate hadling the leading
American agricultural products, and who
are recognized" as expert authorities upon
them, is Fred I. Kent. His relation to
this production is that of facilitating the
world's exchanges.
Every farmer wants to turn his prod
uct into cash, not so much at the earliest
possible moment as at the moment when
he .can get the best prices. But in order
that this exchange of products for cash
may be facilitated, it is necessary that
there be ready , purchasers at all times
i ' I
The Child's Mid-Day Meal
jkDST small children take their heav
1 I lest meal at mid-day; and this
meal should, of course, "contain one
-hearty dish. Broiled chops, roasted
lamb and beef, smothered chicken and
broiled fish are' nourishing, digestible
and good to the taste. But many less
expenslve'meats may be alternated with
these comparative luxuries: and If they
are carefully prepared they taste Just
as good, and are Just as nourishing.
,
Prone Fruit should take a promi
nent place on . the little child's table; and
there is really no healthier and bettefc
fruit than good, old-fashioned prunes.
For some reason, probably because they
are generally served just "boiled." many
children think prunes are too "plain to
tie good. But when properly prepared,
they can be formed into many dainty
desserts.
In the first place, buy good prunes
the California product is thought by
many to be better than those from Ger
manythen wash them thoroughly. Then
soak them until they have doubled their
weight by absorbing water that is to
say, for 10 or 12 hours in cold water. If
they are not sweet enough, add sugar to
the water when they are soaking. Then
cook them. On any account, don't boil
them, for that spoils them; but simmer
them until the" skins are ready to break.
Then they are ready for use. They may
be served just as they are, or chilled and
served with a little whipped cream. Or
they may be jellied by pressing them
through a collander, and adding them,
with a little lemon juice and sugar, to
wafer and gelatin-in the proportion of a
pint of prune Juice to a box: of gelatin
soaked In a cup of cold water and added
to a cup of boiling water.
Creamed FUk Although the old the
ory that fish is "brain food" is pretty
thoroughly exploded excepting that all
food -which makes good muscles makes
good brains good, fresh fish should form
no small part of a child's diet. When
fish suitable for broiling are out of
reach, either because of the season or
the pocketbook, buy a piece of fresh cod
two or three inches thick. Boll it until
It Is thoroughly cooked, then remove
skin and bones, and flake the meat care
fully, with a fork. Put a tablespoonful of
butter over the fire In a skillet, and when
It bubbles stir in a tablespoonful of flour.
When the two are well blended, add a
cup of warm ' milk double this recipe
when more fish Is used. Have ready
some smoothly mashed potatoes. Place
the flaked fish in the middle of a dish,
pour over it the cream .sauce, flavor with
salt and pepper, and around the edge of
the dish make little irregular mountains
of the mashed potato. Slip the dish in
for foreign exchange. When a farmer
sells wheat, or a planter coffee or cotton,
he may draw a draft against the pur
chaser. Drafts of this kind are regarded
as the very best security, because the
product Itself stands behind them. These
drafts are then discounted or sold at tha
bankirs. The farmers get their money,
and the banker in due time collects it
from' the purchaser.
Fed I. Kent, while still a very young
man. gained an enviable reputation as
a master of the very difficult science of
foreign exchange. There are only three
or four very great masters of this de
partment of International finance, and
Fred I. Kent la one of them. J. Plerpont
Morgan is another.
A few years ago. while Mr. Kent was
trading with one of the greatest of Chi
cago banks, some of the express com
panies of the United States began to sell
their own drafts upon banking Institu
tions the world over. The business grew
to enormous proportions. In one year it
Is said that one company sold $30,000,000
of this exchange-.
The American Bankers' Association be
gan to complain. Its members looked
upon this- as an advent into the proper
field of banking. Therefore, they deter
mined to hegiri true competition with the
express companies, and not to give battle
to them through the Interstate Commerce
Commission. In order to do this It was
necessary that there be sent to the great
financial centers tho world over a man
competent to make arrangements involv
ing the yearly disbursement of as much
as 1100.100.000 if that were necessary.
Mr. Kent was delegated to undertake
this important commission. He has re
cently returned from this work. In bank
ing circles he is said to receive the larg
est salary paid to any banker In the
United States, with three or four excep
tions. The common report is that his
salary equals that received by the Presi
dent of the United States before the re
cent Increase.
What tho great masters of Information
respecting the leading agricultural prod
ucts are to their vocation. Sir. Kent Is
to the ultimate financing which makes it
possible for American farmers and the
coffee planters of the world to exchange
their products at any tlmo for cash.
(Copyright. I!i09, by E. J. Edwards.)
the oven, and let the potato mounds turn
a rlph golden brown.
Stuffed Apples The children crave
sweets, and many a hurtful taste for
candy and soda water Is the outcome of
a too plain diet at home. Seeded raisins
are a good substitute for candy, and a
few of them at a time are not hurtful.
Served in desserts, they are also well
liked bv most children. To make stuffed
apples," which don't at first seem to hav
much to do with raisins, take large green
apples and, core and paro them. Then
chop some raisins, and fill them into the
core spaces of the apples. Top each ap
pie with a hit of "butter and sugar, and
bake them slowly in a. moderate oven. It
rightly baked, they should be almost
JeJIy-like when they are done. Serve cold
with cream.
At the Grave of Keats.
Eden Phlllpotts in the Westminster Re
view. I.
Where silver swathes of newly fallen hay
Fling up their Incense to the Roman sun
Where violets spread their dusky leaves
and run
In a dim ripple, and a glittering bay
Lifts overhead his living wreath: wher
day
Bums fierce upon his endless night and
none -
Can whisper'to him of the thing he won.
Love-starved young Keats hath cast his
gift of clay.
And still the little marble makes a moan
Under the scented shade: one nightin
gale. "With many a meek and mourning mono
ton. '
Throhs of his sorrow; sings. how oft men
fail
And leave thelf dearest light-brlngcrs
alone
To shine unseen and all unfriended pale.
' IT.
Oh, leave the lyre upon his humble stone.
The rest erase: If Keats were come at-iit:
The quickest, he. to blot this- cry of pain.
The first to take a sorrowing, world s?
atone.
'TIs not the high magistral way to moan
Wrhen a mean present leapw nnd sweeps
amain
Athwart the prophets' visions: not one
groan
Escapes their souls and lingers not one
stain.
They answer to their ideals; their good
Outshines all flare and glare of futile
marts.
They stand beside their altars while the
flood
Ephemeral rolls on and roars and parts.
It shall not chill a poet's golden blood.
It cannot drown the masters' mighty
hearts.
A