10 - - THE SUNDAY OBEflOyiAX. rOTtTXAXP. XOVE3IBER 12. 19117
DEMONSTRATION TRAIN BEARER OF WELCOME MESSAGE
Farmers in Central Oregon Beceive Instruction on Agricultural Topics From College Experts With Grateful Thanks. ,
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BT APPISOX BENNETT.
EVEUT O.-W. R. N. official, every
aurirultursl rollpe lrcturor and
vry othtr Individual who eccom
I anted the demonstration train that re
turned from a tour or Central and
Kaatern Oregon lat Sunday la con
fident that the trip will be fruitful of
remit.
The tour was a rractlcsJ and effec
tive attempt to preach soil conserva
tion, crop rotations. Intensive farming
and livestock ralslna- to those portions
of the state that are either undeveloped
or that have not progressed as rapidly
a other sections with equal oppor
tunities. Thousands of farmers heard
the advice either from the mouths of
the expert of the agricultural college
or had It Impressed upon them by
viewing the exhibits on the train.
Party la Lanre. '
It may be well to recapitulate the
party accompanying . the train on Its
return, practically the same as made
the entire trip. The lecturer, repre
senting the Oregon Agricultural Col
lege, were the following: James Withy
combe. F. L. Kent. James Iryden. E.
U Potter. Robert Wlthycombe. H. I'm
berger. Orau Beaty. C. E. Robinson. O.
R. Hyslop and V. W. Harris. The rail,
way party and guests follow: R. B. Mil
ler, traffic manager; F. Robinson,
general freight agent; William JlcMur
ray. general passenger agent: Hugh J.
O'Neill, traveling freight and passen
ger agent for the Deschutes line: H. C
Oliver, traveling freight and passen
ger agent. Oregon division; F. L. Crey
kendall. assistant superintendent: J. A.
McLood. secretary to Mrs Robinson: J.
B. Olover. agent at Portland station;
IX O. Lively, of the Portland I'nlon
Stockyards, and Mrs. Lively; Byron
Hunter, of the Department of Agri
culture. George M. Welster. official
photographer: Addison Bennett, of The
Oregonlaa: Phil S. Bates, of the Pa
rifle Northwest, and Colonel A. a
Jlnrse. asocial represenlatlre of the
traffic department, who was In Imme.
elate charge of the train and the party.
la addltloa there were two fuU train
crews, a chef and two porters, mak
Ine: about 43 passenger alltold.
The arrangements were a6out as near
perfect as one could wish for. There
were no hitches or Jars or accident of
any kind. The train was usually on
time, the meals were good, especially
those served on the car. A to tha
other It may not seem proper to ln
gle out any Individual case, but the din
ner given by the Commercial Club at
Culver on a notice of only a little more
than two hours, was a marvel for va
riety and toothsomeness, reflecting
great credit on Mrs. W. P. Myers, of
the "ulver House, where It was served.
rt la Great.
But these things are but the settings,
the Incidentals. The train was sent out
by the O.-W. n. A N. Co. to do mls
stonary work. The expense to the com
pany was very great, for they did noth
ing half way. The seeds they gave
away cost money, but that was only a
small Item compared to the other costs.
And the whole question now Is. Was
the trip one that will cause enough peo
ple to adopt better methods of farming
to eventually repay the company for the
outlay?
There I no way to get at the an
swer save by the Interest which was
displayed by the people of the various
section visited: but. taking thla as a
criterion, and comparing It with the
interest of the six former similar
trains sent out by the same company.
It Is certain that something haa oc
curred to arouse the people who came
out to meet the train, for never at a
religious revival even was there a
greater desire for more knowledge evi
denced by the convert than that
hown by the farmers who listened to
the lectures on this trip.
It la a matter of general knowledge
that the settlers and land owner jf
the four counties visited have traveled
a rather rocky road for the last three
TC&r. That Is no secret, and had tot
ought to be. And no one know better
than these men who have suffered by
short crop that something must be
done to change conditions or there will
be still greater flamnelal troubles
among them than at present. And It
seems evident that they are now tak
ing hold of the matter with a firm
desire to profit by those sent to teach
them, the best teachers In the North
west the staff of the Oregon Agricul
tural College.
Instructors Practical Hea.
These teachers are not merely the
orist. Every man of them has kept
close to the soil, haa learned the piac
tlcal as well as the theoretical sldeaof
the buslnesa he Is trying to better by
his teaching. And the settler, know
this, therefore have faith In tfm. At
least their conduct on this entire trip
showed that.
Take the last meeting at Madras,
which was merely typical of the oth
ers. It differed only in point of num
ber from the others because the train
was a mile or more from the town, up
a steep hill, and very few townspeople
and carcely any children came out.
Hence the meeting was almost entire
ly made up of farmers, tillers of the
soil. And their eagerness for the new
gospel of rotation and cultivation, se
lection and diversification wa almost
pathetic even tragic Think of 100
tanner sitting for three hours listen
ing, questioning and telling their trou
bles to those spreading the priceless
Ideas for their future success. And
when the train pulled out many of
them tlll stood there watching the
lecturer and exhibit with hungry
eyes.
There is one thing certain; if the
trip does not result In much good
then tner U no longer any faith to bo
placed In human nature, for hundreds
and hundreds of those who listened to
the teachers averred that they would
try and follow their Instructions. And
they will. They are intelligent men.
honest and Industrious men and they
have spread to their homes with a
grim determination, a set purpose, to
do better, farming in the future than
they have In the past.
So much for the elders; how about
the children? There Is not a particle
of doubt that the young- people who
listened to the lectures will become a
mighty force for good. . It will take
years for this good, to all come out.
but it is as sure as the sun shines and
water runs that many of the youths
who beard the stories from the college
experts will have their whole
sweetened by the teachings.
Children Travel Fsr to Hear.
One of the touching Incidents of the
trip occurred at Culver. There Is a
district school some eight miles east
of that town called the Red Rock
School. There are 24 scholars In the
district and every one of them came
over to listen and Jearn. Their teacher,
lues Olive H. Mortimer, a Portland
woman, had them In charge. They
were on a large farm wagon, gaily
decorated, with four stout horses as
the motive power. As they came near
the train they halted and gave the fol
lowing yell with a spirit and vim In
describable: Red Rock. Red Rock, who are we?
Future pupils of the O. A C.
They had a fine lunch with them
and had a regular picnic on the plat
form of one of the Culver warehouses.
In talking with Miss Mortimer later
Bhe said that she believed the desire
to become a pupil of the college would
never die out of those young- minds,
and that many of them would live up
to their yell.
Taking a narrow view of the trip. It
Is sure that the railway people have
made many friends and patrons by It.
The communities visited are beyond
doubt very grateful for the visits paid
them. In MiiMiller's talks he showed
how Impossible It was for his com
pany to prosper unless the people were
successful, explaining tkat to all In
tents and purposes the railway and the
people of the communities through
which It passes are partners and both
must go up ,or down together. The
farmers seem to feel that that view
Is true, and they are very grateful for
what the company has done to show
them the light and their feeling for
the Oregon Agricultural College, or
rather their love, will likewise 'be ac
centuated and strengthened.
Italy's Historic Crown.
Harper's "Weekly.
The historic iron crown of Italy has
played a romantic role In the history of
the peninsula. It was made In the year
S4 by the command. It Is said, of Theo-
dolinda, the widow of a Ijombard King,
on the occasion of her marriage ' to a
Duke of Turin.
The crown is of iron overlaid with
gilt. Its significance was supposed to
lay In the fact that the weight of roy
alty could never be lightened by Its
splendid exterior. The Iron of the
inner portion was traditionally held to
be one of the long nails used at tha
crucifixion.
For a long time the crown was in
the keeping of the famous monastery
at Monza. In 774 it was brought forth
to be placed upon the head of Charle
magne as "King of the Lombards," and
on later occasions It figured In the
triumph of Frederic IV and Charles
V. Finally, in the presence of all the
representatives of state, the foreign
envoys and princes and officers. Na
poleon Bonaparte solemnly united It t
the crown of France.
The crown belongs to the state, and
the custodian of it is the legitimate
representative of the basilica of Monza,
The title of "grand custodian." how
ever, pertains to the head of the Order
of Cavaliers.
A Sarcastic German Allegory.
Llppincott's.
On a recent trip to Germany, Doctor
Harvey Wiley, the Government's pure
food expert, heard an allegory with
reference to the subject of food adul
teration which, he contends, should
cause Americans to congratulate them
selves that things are so well ordered
In this respect In the United States.
The German allegory was substan
tially as follows:
Four flies, which had made their way
Into a certain pantry, determined to
have a feast. , .....
One flew to the sugar and ate heart
ily; but soon died, for the sugar was
full of white lead.
The second chose the flour as his
diet, but he fared no better, for the
flour was loaded with piaster of Paris.
The third sampled the syrup, but his
six legs were presently raised in the
air. for the syrup was colored with
aniline dyes. - -
The fourth fly. seeing all his friends
dead, determined to end his life also,
and drank .deeply of the fly-poison
which he found in a convenient saucer.
He Is still alive and in good health.
That, too, was adulterated, -
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