Corvallis gazette., December 09, 1902, Image 1

SEMI-WEEKLY,
TJKinx Katab. Jaly, 1897.
GAZETTE Katab. lee. 1862.
Consolidated Feb., 1899.
CORVALLIS, BEFTOX COUNTY, OHISGOCT, . TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1902.
VOL. III. NO. 33.
J --
V
(Copyright, 1902.)
CHAPTER IX.
Rescued and Lost.
The trapper followed along at the
foot of the rimrocks occasionally halt
ing to rebait a trap which he would
draw from its hiding place from be
neath the sands or wire grass. He
was not infrequently rewarded by find
ing an animal in the jaws of a trap,
cowardly gnawing at its own impris
oned limb and attempting to skulk
away at his approach. These pelts,
which were usually carried to a safe
hiding place, added to the luggage on
bis back containing fresh baits for
his traps and food supplies, made hij
burden quite a heavy one, but it did
not cause him to abandon his Win
chester, revolver and knife, which
were his constant companions and
they were not caried for ornament.
Toward night he decided to climb
to the top of the rimrocks and take a
survey of the country. Away to the
west he saw the moving forms of Fol
lett and his companions, as their
horses jogged along, leaving a cloud
of dust behind them. He brought his
field glasses to his eyes and surveyed
h men for a moment and the thoueht
ran through his mind: "Wonder what
kind of deviltry that Dan Follett is
out on for his master this time?
Hammersley had beheld the victim
of these two men too long not to sus
pect every move they made to be a
wicked one.
"If you knew how hot your trail is
getting, Dan Follett, you would hunt
a colder one, but I hope to see the
same rope hang you and your mas
ter." said the trapner half audibly.
The trapper looked down at his
Winchester and shook his head nes
Itatingly saying, "No, no, let ven
geance come in the proper manner.
As he turned in disgust his eyes
fell upon another obiect, far away
on the opposite side or the rimrocKs.
A great cloud of dust rose behind it
and the word "Snakes" escaped his
lips. Bringing his glass to play, he
was no time in making out the char
acter of his party. After surveying it
carefully he remarked. "Old Egan has
been at work again." Then he ex
claimed, as he looked through his
glasses. "A girl captive, as sure as
I live. Ah. Egan stealing horses has
become too tame for you, has it? You
are not satisfied with providing your
stomaches and means of locomotion,
and the hazard of occasionally killing
a man who resists you, but now you
have gore and taken some innocent
white girl."
"I am not the law, neither should I
attempt to punish you for your num
erous crimes, for I rather like to see
you harass the Lord of The Desert oc
casionally he deserves it, but I pro
pose to look into this caper of yours."
As the trapper watched the course
the Indian party was taking he saw
at a glance that it was making for the
watering place that night, near the
picture rocks. He was first to arrive
at the place and secrete,! himself in
a crevasse of the rocks near the top
and watched their approach, having
selected a place from which he could
observe the camping grounds about
the watering place.
The reader is familiar with what
took place from the time of the ar
rival of the Indians until the inter
ference of the tranoer. for it was he
who assailed Old Egan when the lat
ter laid his wicked hands upon the
person of Bertha Lyle.
Old Egan was strong and firm but
the trapper was active and wiry.
With the advantaee, too. of having
taken the Indians bv surprise he soon
tore him from the girl and hurled him
to the ground. But as the cry made
by the warriors as they cams to th
rescue of their chief warned him tht
he had not the time to finish settline
accounts with his antagonist, if he s-
desired, he seized the girl by the han l
and led the way into a crevasse in the
rimrocks with which he was familiar.
As they passed into the recesses of
the rocks, he heard exclamations
from the Indians which alarmed hin;
as to his immediate future course
with the girl. They had recognized
him and knew where he lived, and to
approach his home with her would be
difficult should the Indians attempt to
guard it. He was not long in doubt
ou this point, for he heard Egan give
directions for them to go immediatelv
to the trapper's place and guard it
until he came.
If once hidden In the home in the
same room as that occupied by the in
Talid. he never feared for the danger
of her rescue, for the passage to this
room was so secret that no one had
ever been able to find it. though in his
absence his home had been visited by
Indians and whites, and ransacked
many times.
It was easy to discern from the
shouting of the Indians that while a
part of the hand, headed by Old Ega
were on their way to the trapper's
home the others were recklessly try
ing to follow his trail, for knowinsr his
marksmanship the man who trifled
with him knew the risk he was taking.
But the Indians knew that as long as
he could prevent it he would never
fire a gun. while the girl was in his
company: that this would endanger
her life by drawing the fire to her.
After going a long distance through
the crevasse made by nature's great
npheavel In the long past. Hammers
ley led the way into a secluded place
which he thought was unknown to any
except himself.
As he and his companion seated
themselves the shouts of the Indians
came to their ears from the distance.
The girl was the first to break the si
lence. "Do you live in this country, my
dear preserver?" she inquired.
When he informed her that he did.
she said: "I have an uncle some
where on the desert: his name is
Lyle. Martin Lyle. Do you know
him?" The trapper nodded In the af
firmative. "Oh, If we could convey word to
Aim," she said, "be would come Im
- T -1.
'nr. - nnh T7 l"? A'MBY
mediately to our rescue."
Strong as was the trapper's bod7
and steady as was .his nerve, he felt
his whole frame yield, with a shudder
I when he learned that his companion
was Bertha Lyle, and of the narrow
escape she had had. When she had
! hurriedly told him her history and
the incident of her capture by the In
dians he felt relieved tnat she had
fallen into no worse hands than Old
Egan's.
To take her to his home that nigh
through the Indian searching party
would be too hazardous. He could
make it alone, but he doubted the
girl's ability to climb among the rim
rocks and keep her footing in the
crevasses, although she had shown n
wonderful spirit of coolness and
strength during their recent adven
ture. The trapper was quick to come
to a conclusion. He decided to go
and get his rifle and secrete his lug
gage, and steal into his home with
the girl the following day, making as
much of the way that night as pos
sible. So leaving her in the cavern
he went on his mission, at the same
time avoiding the savages who were
skulking among the rimrocks and
making a diligent search of every
nook and corner.
The trapper was not gone more
than two hours, though his course
was a round-a-bout one, and to his
surprise and dismay on his return the
girl was not to be found.
CHAPTER X.
A Surprise and a Fight.
Egan rose from the stunning blow
given him by the trapper and quickly
comprehended the situation. When
he ascertained that his late antagon
ist had escaped with the captive, he
knew that he had a difficult task be
fore him. The Indians knew of Ham
mersley from one end of the desert
to the other and his prowess struck
them more forcibly than any other
characteristic of the man. While
they had never come in contact with
him before in cunning they knew that
he was familiar with every trail of
the desert and with every crevasse
and cavern, among the rimrocks. And
now that they were in the vicinity
of his home they knew that he was
still more familiar here than they, and
that it would take quick work to res
cue the captive before he reached his
home among the rimrocks. If once
there he could stand out against a
larger band of Indians than Egan's
present detachment, and Indian sa
gacity suggested proper tactics in
stantly. Egan ordered four of his best
scouts to attempt to follow the fu
gitives while he and seven of his war
riors made straight for the trapper's
quarters to get possession, intending
when the trapper arrived with his
prize, in case they were not appre
hended by the trusty scouts, to cap
ture the two.
Egan had left his horses in care of
a warrior, and the chief and his com
panions had proceeded on foot. He
knew that the trapper cared nothinsr
for the horses, and that he and his
men could make better time on foot,
and. besides, they had to cross the
wall of rimrocks in order to reacn
the trapper's place of abode. They
moved off in a trot, traveling in this
way until a late hour in the morning.
It was almost daybreak when they
ascended the rimrocks. surveyed the
horizon and descended to the oppo
site side. They saw the rocks that,
overhung the trapper's home and
placed themselves Ps sentinels at a
safe distance from the entrance and
"uarded every path that led to the
place. Indian courasre was not great
enough to indue1 them to enter this
place bv nio-ht. While they had mae
n quick trin from the scene of thp
previous riffht they knew that it ws
possible that tbe trapper had made
a quicker one. They had. from a lack
of knowledge of the country, been
compelled to take a round-about way.
while the trapper could have come p
5traighter course, doubtless. and ar
rived first. They doubted this, how
ever, as he was burdened with his
companion, provided the Indian
scouts had not overtaken them, and
they had great hopes of finding the
place vacant on tho following
rooming, and either take the two
prisoners before or after they
should enter the place. It wa
Egan's intention to enter the
place if it proved to be unoccupied the
following morning, provided the trap
per did not fall into their hands before
that time, and then surprise him upon
his arrival. If his scouts should suc
ceed in capturing the girl, for this
was all they desired, they were to
signal the chief's detachment at the
earliest opportunity. Thus Egan and
his men concealed themselves among
the rocks in front of the trapper's
cave and waited for developments.
The sun rose above the level
horizon as if it had popped out of
the sands, and soon peeped over the
rimrocks. Old Egan and his war
riors, cold and still as the rocks
among which they lay, were eagerly
peering through the sage brush to
discover if there was any life about
the trapper's home. For some mo
ments everything was quiet and the
old chief was planning for a more de
finite reconnoiter. It was still shad-
owv about the entrance of the cave
nd nothing could be but dimly seen.
The door at the entrance was closed
and the marauders were coming to
the conclusion that they had out
traveled the owner. They were soon
surprised, however.
The door opened suddenly and a
stalwart man of the desert walked
out carelessly, and uncovered, as if
he had never thought of danger. A
hist, passed down the line of war
riors, unconsciously, but almost loud
enough to be heard by the frontiers
man. But not suspecting danger he
strolled out into the sage brush, sur
veying the country about him. One
common thought took possession of
the Indians. Quickly every man
reached to his quiver, drew an arrow
and placed It to the string of his bow.
Carelessly the white man strolled on.
Nearer and nearer he came. ;
Indians in the bitterest warfare pos
sess some policy and some sense of
reason. The . first thought of all
was to shoot' the man down, and then
rush into the cave-house, secure the
girl and proceed on their journey.
But Old Egan reasoned. To kill the
tiapper, who was the friend of every
body, and had not an enemy on the
desert, and who had never crossed
his path before, did not seem to him
exactly right. To rush npon him and
capture him by force and then bind
and leave him so he could not pur
sue them after they had retaken their
captive was the plan that suggested
itself to him. '
But wise plans are often thwarted,
when the frontiersman had ap
proached a little nearer to the left
there was a "swish," and he fell to
the ground pierced through the heart
by an arrow. A young warrior near
whom he had approached could rot
resist the temptation and fired the
fatal shot; and quick as he had fired
the shot he rushed upon his victim
with scalping knife in hand.
A loud "Ugh" rose from the Indians
and they rose from behind the rocks
and rushed to the scene of death,
some exulting and some showing
signs of disapproval, while old Egan's
face wore a sign of disappointment.
But before they had reached his site
the young murderer clinched his vic
tim's hair and was already twining
a scalping lock about his fingers.
Before the knife had touched tho
scalp, however, a rifle rang out a
sharp crack, and then another and
another. The young warrior and a
companion fell full length for their
last fall, and in the midst of crackling
shots the others sought refuge be
hind the nearest rocks.
The shots had come from the loop
holes in front of the trapper's home,
and the Indians could plainly see the
dark muzzles of rifles still in the
small openings, and every time that
the slightest exposure was made on
the part of the red men, a puff of
smoke, a sharp crack and a whistling
bullet warned them to keep under
cover.
It had continued thus for more than
an hour when a keen whistle was
heard from the summit of the " rim
rocks in the rear. The dim form cf
a man was seen upon the topmost
rock, rifle in hand. He could see
the skulking forms of the Indians
among the rocks beneath him, and
at the same time observe the en
trance to the cave. He signaled the
beseiged to cease firing and mo
tioned the Indians to depart. The
white men withdrew their rifles and
the Indians gladly accepted, the ar
mistice. CHAPTER XI.
Two Villains and a New Plot.
All is astir at the stone house. The
employes have returned from the an
nual round-up and the place, which
had borne a deserted appearance for
the past few weeks, is now all bustle,
and men are seen here and there
feeding the horses, mending bridles,
saddles and harness, shoeing horses
and doing everything that Is required
about a great stock ranch. Night
comes on and finds them still busy,
but they change their work to the
finishing touches preparatory for the
night and one by one they come and
prepare for supper.
The Lord of The Desert is alone In
his accustomed place. None enter
his quarters except on business and
only his foreman and superintendents
have business with him, for all busi
ness is transacted through these. His
glass sits upon the broad arm of the
old chair, and now and then his hand
roes mechanically to it, and brings
it mechanically to his lips, and he
swallows draughts therefrom me
chanically.' With mechanical regu
larity his face grows redder and his
countenance sterner, while his eyes
'ake on a wilder glare.
A knock at the door and to the re
sponse of welcome, Dan Follett en
ters. "How is it?" inquires his Lordship.
"All is completed," replied the
Frenchman.
"Get a glass there and fill it to the
brim," exclaimed Martin Lyle.
Partially emptiying the glass Follett-
seats himself and relates the par
ticulars of the transaction with Old
Egan, drawing forth the woman's
scalp from- his pocket and passing it
over to the Lord of The Desert.
"-Did you see the corpse?" inquired
Lyle.
"No, but I deemed this evidence
sufficient." replied Follett.
"Old Egan is a treacherous old
scoundrel and would deceive us if he
could, but the evidence seems straight
enough."
"Oh, you needn't doubt that," re
plied Follett, "the old scoundrel
would never lose an opportunity to
commit murder, especially when so
many ponies and mules were to be
gained."
"But they will never do him much
good," replied Lyle, as he placed the
slass to his lips. "I have a plan,
r oiieti, aim you are me man 10 car- j
ry it out. jviy men report Bgan ana
his men camped at the foot of Ash J
Butte. Tou are a pretty fair looking !
Indian anyway, and I want you to
leave tomorow morning for the camp
of the Warm Springs tribe, lead the
warriors on Old Egan's trail, and take
every animal in his possession."
"What about the deed," inquired
Follett, "remember this is dangerous .
work and it has been a long time J
since our accounts have been ad
justed." I
"Tut. tut. man. don't worry about
that. I'll have all that arranged for
you by the time you return. Take a
drink, order an early bearkfast and
be off with the rising sun. I shall
depend upon you, Dan, I shall
depend npon you."
Martin Lyle sat and drank and
thought. For many hours he was
in deep meditation. " i
"With my brother and his daughter :
dead and out of my way, nothing can
ever disturb my rights here," ran
through his mind.
Dan Follett left with the mornin
sun to perform his mission.
(To be continued.)
1 v i- i fi&afeK
'L:ok Over the Harness First."
When old Uncle John starts off to town .
He looks at the straps with care;
"For you never can tell," says Uncle
John,
"What trouble there may be there.
I've saved a runaway many a time
Where worst might 'a' come to worst
By simply not forgettin' to just
Look over the harness first."
Is there not a lesson that he who starts
To scatter wild oats away
May learn from the plan of Uncle John
Which will stand him in stead some
day?
In setting forth on the long trip where
There's many a break and burst,
Make sure, as nearly as mortal may
,"Look over the harness first." . -
.nd for him and for her who take the
step
That must lead unto joy or woe
The plan that is followed by Uncle John
Is a good one on which to go.
There are many weary women and men
Y no are counting themselves accursed
Because they didn't, before the start,
"Look over Jie harness -first."
For him and for her who have come to
the place
Where the ways appear to part, w
The lesson we learn from Uncle John
May well be taken to heart.
The joys they have lost may lie ahead;.
Perhaps when the bond is burst
The eyes that are sad may brighten but
"Look over the harness first."
In war and in love there are many de
feats
Which lead to shame nnd despair.
That never had come if the buckles and
" reins
Had only been kept in repair.
Whoever you are. if it's glory or gold
Or power for which you thirst, -Try
Uncle John's plan, when it's time to
set out -?-
"Look over the harness first."
Leslie's Weekly.
Fire's M aht.
A piece of money is wrapped In a
piece of muslin and tied with thread, as
shown in figure. I hold the coin wrapped
in muslin near a
burning candle. But
too" ' bad! I came
a little too near; the
trick has been suc
cessful only "In one
way. The coin is free
through the Influ
ence of the heat but
the muslin i s d e -stroyed.
What can
we do to repair the
damage? I hold the
burnt part of the
a coin trick, muslin once more
against the candle, rub it between my
hands, pull and smooth It, and the
muslin is whole; the burnt place has
disappeared.
Solution: I have not put the muslin
in the flame of the candle, but, in its
stead, a small piece of white linen that
I have smuggled In the piece of muslin.
I have laid the coin on it and wrapped
it in it. Then I held it In my hand, as
shown in figure, while the piece of mus
lin is inside of my hand, the ends hang
ing down. By burning the small piece
of linen the coin drops out. To repair the
muslin, the performer has to rub it, and
secretly hides the piece of burnt linen
by smuggling it in the hand. Then he
shows the muslin, with no sign of a
burnt place.
Boys of Long Ago.
. The London Academy gives a transla
tion of oue of the documents which com
pose the Oxyrhyuchus Papyri, just is
sued by the authorities of the Egyptian
Exploration Fund. It is a genuine let
ter from a boy to his father over sixteen
hundred years ago.
"Theon, to his father, Theon, greeting.
"That was a Sue thing in you not to
take me with you to the city! If you
won't take me with you another time
to Alexandria, I won't write you a let
ter or say good-by to you; and If yon go
to Alexandria I won't take your band
or ever greet you again. That is what
will happen if you won't take me."
' After dwelling longer on the alarm
ing consequences to his own health If
he is left behind again he relaxes, and
confesses:
"It was good In you to send me pres
ents on the day you sailed. Send me a
lyre, I implore you. If you don't, I won't
eat, I won't drink! So there now!"
In all ages of the world boys have
been boys. On an "Etruscan tomb In
the museum at Rome two warriors are
sculptured, preparing for combat, while
a mischievous little lad, peeping from
behind a corner, is tickling the calves
of one of them with a ling straw. The
figures were carved before Christ came
into the world; but the scampish lad's
face and trick might be those of any
American boy to-day.
The most pathetic proof that both
children and parents were the same in
every age is found on a tomb in the
Cataccjubs of of St. Agnes near Rome.
The traveler, carrying a dimly burning
candle, follows his guides through the
moldy underground pasages lined with
human remains laid there to rest cen
turies ago. In one passage is the door
of a tomb, carved with unusual care,
and on it is a name and the words:
"O dearest son that ever mother had!"
That cry from a breaking heart comes
down through the ages, and makes the
whole world kin.
Funeral for Cat.
With more pomp and ceremony, per
haps, than ever marked the obsequies
of any animal buried in New Haven,
Conn., the pet cat of Mrs. William
Gay, a wealthy woman, was recently
interred. Laid out in a pink silk-lined
coffin," with catnip spread around the
remains, a big pink silk bow at his
throat and fastened to the collar with
silver bells. Sonny was buried in a
grave dug in the garden by the janitor
of the apartment house. Mr. and Mrs.
Gay, who believe their pet was pois
oned, by some one in the neighborhood.
attended the ceremony.
In life Sonny was cared-for like a
baby, being given the best of food and
sleeping in a little bed. snugly tucked
In between specially made sheets, with
blankets of the same size and with
downy pillows for his head. Given a
bath and combed every evening by
Mrs. Gay, his shiny fur was soft as
down.
A Prejudiced Taste
My little cousin, aged two and one-
half years, takes very violent likes and
dislikes to people at first sight On
Christmas Day he made the acquaint
ance of two small boys, Johnny and
Rudy. The former found no favor in
his eyes, but with the latter he struck
up an immediate friendship. A short
time ago he saw some johnny cake on
the table and asked what it was.
. "That's cake," said mamma. -"What
kind of cake?" he asked.
"Johnnycake," was the reply. After
a moment's reflection he answered:
"I don't like johnnycake, I only like
Rudycake." Little Chronicle.
Its Prouer Function.
When I was a very small girl, I fell
down one day and of course ran cry
lng to my mother.
"If I were you." said mamma. "I
would stop crying and not think any
thing more about It"
"But, mamma," I said, "I must think
obout it. Don't you know I have a
think thing to think with ?" Little
unronicie.
Natural Hist or r Notes.
Little Genevieve had been to see a
circus parade, and when she got home
her mamma was asking what she saw.
"Why," said the child, "the elephants
was the funniest thinsrs. Thev hadn't
any feet but Just walked on the ends
of their legs, and they had tails od
their faces, too."
HOW TO SEND FLOWERS.
If Carefully Packed They May Be
Bent a Long Distance.
How often, In the blazing city, one
receives a letter from some happy
friend in the midst of the green fields,
which says, "I wish I could share with
you some of the sweet country flowers
which fill my cool room!" And, in
deed, country flowers, old-fashioned
country blossoms, are a boon and a
blessing when they come and tell the
city dweller of the cool nooks and
shady roads where they were born.
It is quite practicable to send flowers
a long distance if the following rules
are obeyed:
Never use cardboard boxes, but al
ways send flowers in a tin box. Line
it with a sheet of damp moss and
above this a sheet of florist's paper. If
you have it or tissue paper, taking
care that it fits into the corners and
around the sides. The flowers should
be placed In row after row, until there
is a layer of flowers fitting one Into
the other all over the bottom of the
box. Never crowd nor put one layer
on the top of the other. The rows
must be as close together as possi
ble; the flower heads of each row
should be on the stems of the row
immediately preceding it so that when
the box Is finished only flowers are to
be seen, and no stems. They must be
closely packed or they will tumble
about Place on top another sheet of
paper and then damp moss, but do
not press the flowers.
Always gather the flowers in the
evening and then place in water some
hours before they are packed, and in
the dark, so that the flowers may have
time to suck in sufficient water to
keep them fresh. One drop of florist's
gum is sometimes put In the middle
of a flower, care being taken that it
does not touch the petal itself. Some
times a little collar of tissue paper
and wool slipped beneath the petals Is
a good thing. One of the safest ways
to send delicate flowers, says a writer
In the Washington Star, is to cut slits
in potatoes and insert the flower stems,
taking care that they are firmly fas
tened in and supported by a little cot
ton or paper. Flowers wjll keep for
a long time in this way.
Good Diet for Gamblers.
On a certain occasion a Monte Carlo
the decorous quiet which usually reigns
in the salon d'or was amusingly ruf
fled. Just about the beginning of a play
a genetleman walked up to the tables,
deliberately counted out a lot of bank
notes. In value about $2,400, and placed
them on the black.
This somewhat nnusual occurrence
of staking a maximum before the play
for the day had begun naturally at
tracted attention, and a bystander re
marked! "Rather bold play, sir."
"Well," said the player, "I dreamed
last night that I saw this table ex
actly as It is now, and on the first
coup black won."
The cards being duly cut the tail
leur proceeded, watched by the on
lookers with unusual interest, to deal
out the cards for- the first coup, and
black won.
"A suppressed "Oh!" from the by
standers greeted the announcement
says the Detroit News-Tribune, and
then from across the table came in
tones of agonized entreaty a lady's
voice:
"What did yon have for supper last
night? Do teU mer
Cider Making.
I own my own cider mill, operated by
steam power, consequently it is possi
ble for me to keep it in good condition.
Years ago I used to take my apples to
a cider mill In the neighborhood. The
person running It was not especially
cleanly and I became so disgusted that
I decided to purchase one of my own.
Cider intended for vinegar should be
put in cleaa barrels," which have not
been used for anything else. Old vine
gar barrels will answer fairly well, but
it is advisable to burn sulphur in them
a few days before they are to be used,
then .rinse out thoroughly. New bar
rels, of course, are best Cider should
never be put in a barrel which has held
oil or anything but cider or vinegar.
When the cider is to be kept for vine
gar, the barrels should be placed in the
upper story of a barn or fruit house.
There they will be practically free from
the little borer which makes holes in
the barrels and causes cider to leak out.
Where only a few barrels are made,
and no house is available, simply put
the barrels on blocks under a tree. Cov
er the bung with a piece of cheese
cloth or muslin, agitate every few days
by rolling the barrel backward and for
ward. By the middle of the next sum
mer, or at least by autumn, the cider
will have turned into first class vinegar.
I have often done this and have been
uniformly pleased with results. Amer
ican Agriculturist
For Lifting Wagoa Boxes.
Ivan Densmore of La Salle County,
Illinois, sends Iowa Homestead a
sketch of a device which he uses for
lifting off wagon boxes and racks. An
ordinary cedar post was peeled and
made smooth so as to answer for a
windlass, which is put in the wagon
shed as shown in the illustration. Holes
have been bored through the post
through which are thrust hickory levers
for doing the lifting.' A system of ropes
is adjusted as will be seen in the illus
tration, and when the two swings are
arranged under the box, one. at the
front and the other at the rear, a wind
ing of the windlass will lift the box off
FOR LIFTLffQ WAGOJJ BOXES.
the wagon and up out of the way. The
box is held in position by leaving one
of the levers in place.
Progress on the Farm.
There is no progress being made in
any line Which is more noticeable than
that being made in agriculture. The
old slipshod, hit-and-go-miss, back-
breaking type of farming is rapidly
giving way before the newer and bet
ter way of doing things. There is a
demand for scientific information on
soils, crops, breeding, feeding, an awak
ening to the value of the improved
breeds of stock of all kinds, a remark
able Interest in the farm institute work
and a growing appreciation of the fact
that agriculture offers as wide a field
and as rich returns for a man with
brains and education as any of the so
called professions. Invention has rob
bed the farm of " most of its pitiful
drudgery and made it possible to do
farm work with dispatch, economy and
pleasure. Farmers' Guide.
Keeping Seec" Potatoes
American Gardening tells how some
have iept their potatoes intended for
seed. Selecting them when digging,
they store them in a dry shed or barn
until the weather gets cold. About the
middle of November they sort them;
rejecting all that show signs of decay.
They then spread a layer of straw eight
or ten inches thick upon the ground,
and place the potatoes on this. The best
results are from mounds about three
feet wide at the base and rising like a
cone to about the same height. This is
covered with straw, and then by a layer
of soil from six to eight inches thick.
Before the weather gets too severe
more soil may be added, and when the
ground Is frozen put on more straw or
strawy manure. They seem to winter
much better than in cellars or when put
in mounds or pits as soon as dry.
Advice to Planters.
Select thrifty young trees in prefer
ence to old or very large ones; the
roots are more tender and fibrous.
they bear transplanting better and are
fair more apt to live. They can also
be more easily trimmed and shaped
to any desired form and in the course
of a few years will easily outstrip the
older ones in growth. Choose good
rich soil with sufficient slope to the
north or northeast if convenient Avoid
sandy bottoms or knobs and points.
Prepare the soil thoroughly, laying off
in rows north and south with the plow.
as deeply at possible: it will save half
the digging. Every sixteen to twenty
feet in the row dig a hole deep enough
to set the tree a little deeper than it
fitnwl In tfio nnraarr an lanra AnAnh
to admit all the roots spread out in
the natural position. Green's Fruit
Grower, -w " -
It may seem strange for a poultry
man to Interpose any objection to the
high prices that prevailed throughout
the past year for eggs, and yet in one
respect at least It has not been an
unalloyed blessing. Last spring very
many of us yielded to the temptation
of turning our eggs into ready cash
instead of putting them in an incu
bator, or under hens. The result is a
very perceptible shortage of fowls.
The indications are that eggs will be
still higher this winter than last year.
The storage houses are short and all
provisions rule high. The wise poul
tryman, therefore, will make an extra
effort to produce eggs this winter. He
can do this most successfully by care
ful attention to his feedings rations.
Eggs are largely a question of diet
Feed the hen the right kind of food,
and she cannot help but lay. It is a
pretty well established fact that fresh
cut green bone is the cheapest of all
poultry foods, and at the same time,
the greatest egg producer. The man
who wants to produce eggs cannot do
better than to get a green bone and
vegetable cutter, and give his hens
the food that makes them lay. Hunt
ington Farmers Guide.
An Emergency Gate.
Here's a sort of emergency gate
through a wire fence through which a
person may go where stock is kept. A!
couple of posts are set in the line of
CONVENIENT GATE.
fence and properly braced to hold- the
wire taut and in this opening made
between the posts has been made a
semi-circle composed of some . lath
fence, which is staked to the ground
and made fast One can pass through
the semi-circle and thus keep out any
of the stock that is in" the pasture.
Popularity of Silos.
Reports from some of the dairy sec
tions say that silos or silo stock is
coming in by the carload and that tho
number in use will be largely increased
this year and in future years. This
feeling in favor of the' silo is increased!
by the fact that in many cases those
who feed ensilage are getting at the
creameries credit for more butter fat
and a better price for their milk than
those who feed hay and do not expend
any more for grain, though they may
balance their rations a little better, and
the good price paid for hay may have
some Influence, for dairymen would not
object to having a few tons of hay to
sell and yet be able to keep as many
cows and sell as much milk or butter
as they do when they feed out all of
their hay. Exchange.
A New Corn Hnsker.
Many attempts have been made to in
vent a machine that will husk the -corn
direct from the standing stalk, none of
them particularly successful. Among
the recently patented machines is one
invented by a Nebraska man. By means
of two large spiral coils on either side
of an elevation projecting beyond the
wagon tongue the corn is gathered from
the stalk or from the ground if the ear
happens to be down, and is run into a
husker In the front end of the wagon
box, which deposits the ears in the
wagon and blows the husks through a
pipe to the rear, where they are saved
In bags if desired.
A Practical Fruit Drier.
A practical fruit drier that can be
ordered at any tin shop is made of
desired size of ordinary galvanized iron
with provision for holding several
trays. These trays are made of wood
in the shape of a shallow box, 6en at
the top and the bottom formed of
wooden slats, to allow the heat to rise,
but sufficiently close so the fruitwill
not drop through. For drying corn cut
from the cob, spread a piece of cheese
cloth over the bottom of each tray.'The
drier is set upon a cook stove. Field
and Farm. -
Old Plow-Point Proverbs.
Don't let the noon hour eat up the
other ten.
Keep a cat for the rat and the pig
may get fat. -!
Rats in the crib give the teams pains
In the ribs. -.. '-
One fat cow Is worth a poor coatoh
and scrubby six.
A big farm sets too many chairs to
the dinner table.
A razorback hog is a bad beast, to
ride to dinner on.
The corn row will not be straight, if
you look behind you. . "
A little salt on the farm helps'to
put salt in the dish.
Elbow-grease and self-denial will
make a farmer rich on trial. -. i
The best coddling-moth trap has not
been patented. It is the jaws of a pig.
The farmer that burns much gun
powder will soon find a hole in his
pocketbook.
Waste leads to want, and want leads
to woe; before you start consider whch.
way to go. ....
Double the manure pile and you may
double the crop. It is better than buy
ing a ircw iolui.
If nine-tenths of the dogs' tails were
cut off to the ears, the country would
be better off a thousandfold.