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About Ashland tidings. (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1913)
PAGE SIX ASHLAYD TIDrSCS HUNTING A STILL By KATHLFJLN . M'CL'RDY It was in the days of illicit distilling In Kentucky. A nian riding along a road iu the eastern part of ttiat slate, reaching n snug farmhouse, drew rem. "I'm looking for a farm to buy." he 6aid. "Do you happen to know f any Rood hit of laud about here witli some buildings on it?" "No: I don't." said the woman, who vas Iwtn young and comely. "Thfre ought to lie good fanning ' .. here." "Stranger." said the woman, "you hain't looking for farms. You're a rev enue man alter stills." The man wasnstonishod. He had supposed he was playing u very suc cessful game. "If you'd root out the stills the peo ple about here would go to farming Instead of making whisky." "I can't root out the stills," replied the man. "unless you people help me." "What kind o' help do you want?" "Information." "Well, come in nnd have a snack. Perhaps tuy huslmnd'll he coming along soon, and he may do something for you." The revenue man dismounted, led his horse to the stable in the rear nnd en tered the house. He chatted with the woman freely about the illicit distill ing, said that it helped t tie few nnd wronged the many. A district where it was notorious never prospered. It was under a ban; no credit; no pro duction of crops; no comfort for any one. She appeared to agree with him and when he had fin is lied said: "Did you ever hear of Joe Com stock's still?" "No. I'm a new man; just put on to this district." "That's the only one we could pot you on to here. If my husband don't eonie home purty soon I'll tell you all about it." Her husbnud didn't come home. She said she supposed he had been de layed. So after supper she said she would tell him where the Comstoek etill was, and if he liked he could go and clean it out. It was the only one left in that immediate vicinity and most of the people thereabout would be glad to see It shut up. The wom an after she had cleaned away the supper dishes sat down lcside the stranger aud on u piece of paper drew a diagram of the route to Coiustock's. It was rather a zigzag course, extend ing over several miles. The stranger nsked if there was no more direct route, nnd she told him that there wa none that could lie made plain to one who was not familiar with the couu try. When It was dnrU he got out his horse, mounted and. thanking the woman for her hospitality, was about to ride away when she asked: "You goitig to take Joe Comstoek alone?" "That's Just what I'm going to do." 1 "You're a plucky one." The man rode away, following the route exactly as It had been laid down by the woman. lie was most of the time climbing a mountain side. and. though the distance was but a feV miles, he was two hours getting to a point Just beyond which he had lieen told he would find the Comstoek still, lie was to recognize It by the crossing of two mountain roads, a peculiarly shaped oak tree on the point of one ol the angles. Prom the crossroads h was to pass through an openlug be tween the trees, go over a stone wall, follow a tunnel a short distance down the mountain and he would come upon th still. lA'i'.ving the crossroads, h? moved on as directed. lie was moving very quietly down the stream when he dislodged a stone1 that betrayed his approach, lie paused, but. hearing nothing, moved forward again. Suddenly he heard the words come out of the darkness, "Hands up!" He knew that he was on an elevation that showed the sky line beyond hlni aud that doubtless his enemy could see him, while he could not see his enemy. He held his revolver in his hand cock ed and. hoping to at least disconcert his opponent, fired into the darkness. The only response was a bitter laugh. It sounded like that of a woman craz ed. Then came a voice which sounded distinctly feminine: "Drop your weapon. I can kill you If I like!" The 'revenue man hesitated a mo itient. then thought It best to do as he had been bidden. Suddenly a bullseye lantern was (lashed In his face. "Y'ou're not the coward the other one was to come here and surround the place nnd kill my Joe. You're h brave one if you are a revenue. I'm Miss Joe Comstoek, the woman who sent you Jiero. I knew you were a revenue right off, aud since I've been wishing for a chance to get even with you gov ernment men I gave you a roundabout way. coming myself straight up the mountnlns. I intended to kill you, but conldn I. You're too plucky." "Well, then, since there Is to be no killing, suppose we shake hands and nay no more about It." "You go your wuy aud I go mine. Good night." The next afternoon the stranger Again rode up to the Widow Comstock's bouse nnd after a long Interview per suaded her to give up a still that she bad been running ever since her hus band had been killed. 'There was some thing persuasive In his mnkeup. some thing that took hold of the widow's better side, and Instead of hunting (Hills he hunted for -her heart- He rap tured It In tlnip. and tlyy are now jvell to do farmers. SMALLEST BEAST OF PREY. It Is a Trua Weasel, but Is Only About Six Inches Long. The smallest carnivorous animal in the world is an American weasel which is numerous ill northwest Canada and Alaska and Is occasionally seen about Hie great lakes. It is a true weasel, but only six inches long, with a tail only one Inch in length. All its upper surface is In summer pure umber brown, but the throat, abdomen aud inside of the legs are pure white, and. unlike any other weasel, it has no black at the end of the tall; hence, although the animal turns white iu the north iu winter, it does not show the black j tipped tail which characterizes an er mine pelt, aud so it is not sought by trappers and fur traders. This fact, with its small size and se cretive life, has made its habits very little known, but they seem to be much like those of other weasels. It feeds on insects, which it finds alive in sum mer and in winter digs out of rotten logs; upon small birds, etc., but lives mainly on mice. These it can follow iuto their narrowest holes and run ways, for it is scarcely larger than a field mouse itself, or, striking the trail of one, it will trace all its wanderings and as soon as it catches sight of its prey will spring after it with amazing and fatal rapidity. It is frequently caught by naturalists In their mouse traps. An old Indian told W. II. Osgood of the biological survey, who thus captured one in south ern Alaska, that it was a promise of rare good fortune. His brother, he re lated, had taken one when a boy nnd had in consequence become a big chief. A good name for this least of the car nivores would be "mouse hunter." It is known to science as Putorlus rixo sus. Harper's. SCIENTIFIC PUZZLES. Some Queer Things One Learns In the Study of Chemistry. Every one knows that the diamond is only charcoal crystallized, but there are a great many other things in na ture that, though possessing widely different properties, are composed of exactly equal quantities of the suine elements. The white of an egg and rattlesnake j poison are formed of identically the I same amounts of the same elements. The oil of roses uud common coal gas are each formed alike, both being com posed of four atoms of hydrogen and four atoms of carbon. Sugar and gum arable are likewise brothers of the same weight aud tex ture. All the hydrocarbons, known to sci ence as a combination of sixteen atoms of hydrogen and ten atoms of carbon, are alike in their composition. To enumerate some oil of orange, lemon, cloves, ginger and black pepper. The suggested explanation of these peculiarities is that the atoms are plac ed differently toward one another in the molecules of the different sub stances. Other things just as peculiar are evi dent when certain substances are unit ed chemically. Thus hydrogen gas. which Is odorless, and nitrogen gas. which is also odorless, when united go to make ammonia, which lias a very strong odor. Copper, which has no odor, and zinc, which also has none, when melted aud mixed to give us I brass, produce a substance with a very characteristic one. Chicago Itecord Herald. An Easy Tongue For Poesy. Burns, of course. Is untranslatable, for when he attempted common Eng lish he was commonplace. But he took his opportunity with the Scotch poets who have the delightful language that has no consonants. Y'ou can rime anything with anything. Scotch Is the easiest language for rime. Among the most beautiful of Burns' poems is "Mary Morison," with Yestreen when to the trembling string The dunce went through the lighted ha' To theo my fancy took its wing; I sat, but neither heard nor saw. But saw doesn't rime with hall un less you speak Scotch and omit the consonants. You will perceive that a Scotchman cannot help writing poetry when he can make anything rime with anything. London Chrouiclo. Queered Himself. The detective had Just congratulated the housewife for bringing about the arrest of a noted sneak thief. "Oh, 1 knew he was a crook the minute he opened his mouth." slio replied smil ingly. "How did you spot him so quickly?" "Why. he told me the gas company had sent him to examine our meter nnd see If we were not entitled to a rebate." Argonaut. The "Inthemis.' "Well. James Henry William, did you enjoy yourself at the seaside?" "Yes, teacher, very much. 1 liked the sea. but I couldn't find the inthemis." "The what. James Henry William?" "The Inthemis, teacher; where It says in the Bible. The sea and all that In them is. "London Chronicle. Unfair Comparison. Tn. when is a man well to do?" "When he cau afford to spend as much in a year for his clothes as his wife does in a month for hers." Chi cago Uecord-Ilerald. Luckily It Is No Worse. If half the exceptionally sninrt ba bies were to develop Into smart men and women there would he sharper competition in every walk of life. Judge. It Is far better to grow noble than to be burn noble. IMPROVE SYSTEMS OF Unclc Sam Proposes (o Assist in Both the Producer Systems of marketing farm prod ucts and the demand for them at trade centers are the subjects of a special report to congress by the sec retary of agriculture, recently pub lished. The report was made by special direction of congress In order that information might be at hand concerning the establishment of a di vision of markets in the Department of Agriculture. The secretary speci fies various items of service that could be performed by such an of fice, with recommendations that they be adopted, if It ij created. The er port covers 391 pages and is crowded ; with information with regard to the subjects treated. By Producers to Consumers. The report treats of the movement of farm products from the farm to consumer through a great variety of channels. The simplest distribution is the direct one of delivery by farm er to consumer, and next after this is the delivery by individual farmers or associations of farmers to individual consumers or associations of consum ers. In these direct form of distri bution the middleman is eliminated, although of course intermediate ser vices are performed either by produc ers or by consumers or by both par ties. Intervention of Middlemen. Among the varieties of middlemen concerned in the marketing of farm products are the traveling hucksters who go from farm to farm gathering eggs, butter, poultry, calves, and other commodities, which they sell to shippers, jobbers .or retail deal ers. The country merchant is often the first receiver of such products as eggs, farm-made butter, poultry, wool, hides, cotton, and sometimes grain and hay. In regions where grain is the staple product the ten dency has been to displace the coun try merchant by the grain buyer and the local elevator man. Farmers commonly sell through commission merchants and to some extent directly to wholesale dealers and also to retail dealers. The farmer who employs a trustworthy commission merchant who will han dle his products honestly and hon orably will get the current prices for them within the range of the commis sion merchant's business, but the farmer often finds himself in the hands of a commission merchant who falsely reports that the products were received In damaged condition or that they were of a grade lower than they were in fact, or he reports receiving prices lower than those act ually received by him for the prod ucts. Worse than this, it is by no means rare that the commission merchant has sold the products and failed to return the net proceeds. Samples of transactions in which only one middleman intervenes be tween producer and consumer in clude the commission man at a large market who receives consignments of live stock from farmers and sells to packers; the factor to whom the planter consigns his rice or cotton and from whom purchases are made by millers; the warehousemen who manage the sale of a Virginia plant er's tobacco. The intervention of two men be tween producer and consumer is a common occurrence. Fruits and veg etables are often marketed through the aid of two middlemen, the city commission dealer and a retail mer chant. .More Than Two Intermediaries. A series of three middlemen may include first the local buyer of the shipper; second, the commission dealer or the wholesale merchant; and third, the retail merchant. In the sale of fruit by auction, which Is common in large cities east of the Mississippi river, the auctioneer Is an additional middleman. He may sell for a commission dealer, to whom the consignment may have been made by a country buyer; and the purchaser at such an auction may be a jobber, who in turn sells to a retail merchant. Five middle men are thus concerned in such a transaction. Onions raised in Kentucky are sometimes bought by a local mer chant and shipped to Louisville; here they may be put into Hacks and consigned to a New York wholesaler or a commission man who in turn sells to a New York retailer. Eggs and poultry frequently pass through the hands of at least four middle men. - The marketing of clover seed Is an example of a transfer from one farm er to another through a number of middlemen. The first middleman may be an Indiana jobber, who con signs to a commission dealer in To ledo, Ohio; here the seed may he purchased by a merchant and shipped to a wholesale dealer in a distaut city. The last middleman in this course of distribution is a coun MARKETING FARM CROPS Solving Problems Confronting and Consumer. try storekeeper or a city dealer in t agricultural supplies. Market Places and Warehouses. j Public market places are estab-l lished in a number of cities anfl towns, and in these places consumers may buy such articles as fruit, vege tables, dairy products, poultry and eggs direct from farmers as well as from dealers. Another institution which aids the producer to dispose of his crop is the public warehouse. Illustrations of this are afforded in the marketing of tobacco in Virginia and North Caro lina, wool from the northern Rocky mountain states, and to some extent rice in Louisiana and Texas. The growers or their representatives, with their produce, meet the buyers at these warehouses. Diversion in Transit. While farm products are in transit by mail, there are pertain imiiito at . vu..a ' u 1 11 I o tl L which the consignor may designate a I final destination. The purpose of I this practice is to enable the con signor to find the best market for his goods. This is the plan followed in shipping fruits and vegetables by rail from California to the east and from southern states to the north. Associative Marketing. The secretary o agnculture has , much to say concerning associative marketing by farmers, and the eco nomic advantages are stated in de tail. "A survey of the systems of marketing farm products clearly dis covers what the farmers can best do to their advantage. They must asso ciate themselves together for the pur pose ot assembling their individual contributions of products, of ship ping in carload lots, of obtaining market news at places to which it is practical to send their products, to sell in a considerable number of mar kets, if not in many markets, and to m secure the various other economic gains of associative selling." To carry out this suggestion, it is recommended that if congress estab lishes a division of markets, a corps of traveling field agents be main tained to assist, farmers to form as- I sociations for marketing their prod ucts. Estimate of Fruit' and Vegetable Supply. It is also recommended that esti mates of the prospective supply ol fruits and vegetables, and perhaps other products not now represented in the quantitative estimates of the department's crop-reporting service, be made a short time before harvest, so that the farmer may "have in mind a fairly definite idea of the vol ume of the crop throughout the country in order that he may occupy a place In the market that is fair to himself or, as the case may be, a place in the market that is fair to the consumer." General market news service is not recommended. If such service were derived from telegraphic reports, the expense would be enormous. One farmers' marketing association - -- - - - - - U.HHI1 1(1 IHJ spends $25,000 a year in telegraph lnS aolne and a fruitgrowers' oruan- ization spends $75,000 for this ser vice. Field Agents and CoiTesMiidents. It is proposed that a corps of trav eling field agents and a large corps of local agents and correspondents be established for the following ltein8 0f service: To help producers organize for associative marketing; to examine and remove local difficul ties in the way of such marketing; to help producers to find markets; to report the current descriptive con dition of crops, in addition to the: work already done by the depart ment's crop-reporting service; to es timate the probable production of crops a short time before harvest; to report the beginning and ending of the shipping season; to report the crop movement from producing points through "gateways" to princi pal markets. Mr. Meretaef No matter how large your stock nor how many beautiful and attractive - articles you have to offer, your effort in procuring your stock is lost unless you succeed in convincing the buying public of these facts. This can not be properly done without newspaper ad vertising. The newspapers of your town reach practically every home in the city and for miles around and this is the quickest, cheapest and most effective means of inform ing the people of these facts Good advertis ing, backed by the right kind of goods, al ways signals success. Ashland Tidings Subjects for Investigation. Among the subjects whose investi gation is suggested are 'the storage of farm products either on the farm or elsewhere pending their sale; the business of commission dealers; the various costs of marketing properly itemized, and compared with prices of products at the farm and with consumers' prices; a description or principal markets and of chief pro ducing regions; and some problems of transportation. Some information with regard to foreign markets, it is advised, might be made useful to producers. It U proposed also to keep an elaborate record of prices of farm products in which prices at the farm shall be par alleled by wholesale and retail prices. Among the other recommendations are the maintenance of a list of mar keting associations and the collection of statistics concerning the business done by them; the investigation of systems of marketing farm products in other countries, with special at tention to those features which it may be assumed might be adopted beneficially in this country. ProHsal to Aid Consumers. The secretary of agriculture closes his recommendations by making one concerning the participation of con sumers in the solution of marketing problems. "A cheapening of farmers costs of marketing will naturally re sult in gain to the producer rather than to the consumer. If the con sumer is to gain by changes in the costs of distribution, it seems prob able that he' must do so through cheapening or eliminating costs at his end of the chain of distribution. The consumers can cheapen the costs of farm products by co-operative buy ing and by reducing the expenses of retail and other local distribution. The consumer's aspect of the prob lems of the distribution of farm products is a conspicuous one at the present time, and problems in dis tribution that are concerning the con sumer rather than the producer may well be included within the service of a division of markets." J