X*
I
MISS HELEN CANNON.
When Congress is not in session,
MADE FORTUNE IN WORMS.
Miss Cannon is mistress of her father's
home at Danville, Illinois. There, as
One of the First Ladies of Official In Washington, she is always prepared Huge Mountain of Ice Towed From Maine Florist Returns to Sweden
for company, for the Speaker’s married
Society at National Capital.
daughter with her children, spends Grand Banks of Newfoundland.
After Breeding Bait.
much time at the Cannon home, and
By far the most popular bait for
She Often Graciously Presides at relatives and friends always feel free The Strenuous Work of a Tug’s
all kinds of fishing in Maine are liv
War Councils of the Nation’s to “drop in” at almost any time.
Crew—One of the Strangest and ing earthworms, which have the odor
Chiefs.—Democratic in Manner and
Official Feminine Calls.
Perhaps the Most Valuable Prize of the ground about them and which
a Famous Housekeeper.
seem to be choice tidbits, not only tor
In the social life of the national cap Ever Taken by a Ship.
trout andi landlocked salmon, but also
ital,
Miss
Cannon
occupies,
by
virtue
The distinction of being the best- of her father's position, a unique posi In order that the city of Philadel tor pickerel, perch, black bass and, in
posted woman in America on politics tion. Possibly not all our readers are phia might be rescued from an ice fam deed, every species of food fish that
and statecraft, is generally accorded aware of the many unwritten laws that ine a powerful ocean-going tug has ac swims in fresh water. As the Maine
complished the almost impossible feat
is deficient in humus and lacking
to Miss Helen Cannon, daughter of govern the exchange of calls between of capturing a huge iceberg, and tow soil
women whose husbands or fathers oc ing it into port. Never in the world’s in decaying vegetable matter, angle
the Speaker of the U. S. House of Re cupy
worms are not plentiful.
prominent positions at Washing
presentatives. Speaker Cannon who ton. For Instance, official etiquette history has this wonderful achieve More than ten years ago Carl Beers,
ment
been
duplicated,
and
contrasted
a florist of Bangor, went into the busi
is genial and democratic in manner, prescribes that the wife of a newly
with it the fascinating exploits re ness of rearing earthworms for the
is a man of many close friendships, but elected Senator or Representative counted by the marine historian* Sin- purpose
of selling them to the local
make the first call upon the wives
no one is so close to him as his only must
of all those Congressmen who are her bad, the sailor, appear commonplace fishermen, as well as for shipment to
unmarried daughter who has presided husband’s seniors in service. Miss and trivial.
Boston. He imported a breed of dark
its mountain of ice in tow, the purple worms from Belgium, which
over his household since the death of Cannon, however, in accordance tug With
passed up the Delaware River were
prolific
breeders,
though
with these same unwritten laws, is not creating
his wife, many years ago.
among the float' course ai^l strong flavored, and later
compelled to make a “first call” upon ing world consternation
Miss Cannon emphatically disproves any
on
the
stream,
as
observers
he secured a box of giant angleworms
ladies in Washington, save the
the theory that a woman cannot keep wife of the President and the wife of could not imagine other than that the from India. In the course of a few
floating
mountain
was
being
driven
up
a secret. As the confidante of the the Vice President. All this fuss as to the bay by some freak of wind and cur years he was able to supply live
worms by the million to his custom
official, who, next to the President, is who shall call first may appear ridicu rent, to the great danger of shipping. ers.
to persons who are not brought Its approach was responsible for some
the most powerful man in the United lous
Those shipped to Boston were sold
In contact with life at our seat of gov
States, she probably learns more of ernment, and possibly Miss Cannon frenzied telegraphing, which threw the in job lots of 75 cents a pound. To
interests into a panic. Orders the home custome'rs he sold worms of
what is going on “behind the scenes” who is thoroughly democratic may re- shipping
were issued to hold up the sailing of average size for 10 cents a dozen.
every vessel due to leave, and mes Though his green house was a small
sages were dispatched to lower Dela one, and though his trade in flowers
ware station to intercept several’ out was never extensive, he made money
bound steamers and warn them to seek rapidly from the sale of worms, un
anchorage out of the berg's path.
til last year, when he retired and
went to his old home in Sweden, a
Maritime Interests Excited.
wealthy man.
For several hours maritime inter
Sidney Cook, of Presque Isle, the
ests were intensely excited by the un inventor of several diving appliances
heard-of presence of an iceberg in the used by men who work in deep wat
bay. Later, when the true story of the ers, was the next man to attract at
wonderful feat was flashed over the tention as a public benefactor in the
wire, it seemed so utterly incredible bait line. Mr. Cook says his inven
that the excitement, if anything, was tion was made possible through hav
increased. It was not until one of the ing watched the Indians of Canada
fastest tugs ip the harbor had steamed when they sought worms for bait.
down the bay and wired verification of
“All earthworms come to the sur
the story that the panic was allayed. face at night,” said he, "and feed on
Only the providential co-operation of the grasses and rotting leaves neat
the winds and tides, and the most fa the entrance to their burrows. While
vorable weather conditions enabled the worms were busy eating, the In
the tug to accomplish the feat. In spite dians of Canada had a habit of drag
of the almost inconceivable risks at ging a blanket with its under side
tendant upon the berg's capture, not a smeared with bird lime along the sur
member of the tug’s crew was injured. face of the land, thus picking up the
fat worms together with sticks and
Two Men Frost-Bitten.
lumps of earth and small pebbles.
Two men suffered from bad frost “After dredging the land for a time
bites, but this was due to their own the Indians carried the blanket to the
carelessness in braving the arctic tem camp, picked off the worms, and add
perature in the berg’s vicinity without ed another coating of bird lime.
proper clothing. Their experience was Though I have been praised very
a warning to the rest of the crew, and much for my invention, it is not mine
when the tug with the prize passed the by rights, as I gained the idea from
Breakwater every man aboard was Indians.
muffled as if for a Peary relief expedi
tion.
The length of the iceberg was 500
feet, and it is estimated that it will
yield fully 500,000 tons, which is nearly
sufficient to make up the shortage in
ice crop due to the mild winter. The
work of cutting up the mountain of ice
will have to be pushed because of the
rapidity with which it will melt under
the spring sunshine.
The monster berg was captured off
the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.
It was made fast at great risk by the
daring men on the tug, who, in small
boats tied staunch ropes around the
mountain of ice, and then let out a
long tow-line from the tug and, with
grappling hooks, secured a fastening
which held firm after several attempts
MISS HELEN CANNON.
had resulted in failure. The crew of
the tug will share in the money the
DAUGHTER OF THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
prize will yield, As icebergs are brok
en off portions of glaciers, the ice
gard
it
in
that
light
too,
but
the
fact
in official life than any other member
that the enforcement of such yielded will be of good quality.
of her sex, yet never so much as once remains
recognition is due the dignity of her
has she let her tongue slip when father’s position, and she is too good
School Garden Education.
"mum” was the word, and this is more a politician not to insist upon the
Every child likes to play in the mud
than can be said of some men of exalt Speaker of the House enjoying all the
prestige which is due him. Should Mr. and dirt, to make sand houses and ’
ed position.
Cannon one day be President of the caves, mud pies, and even to plant a ;
Moreover, Speaker Cannon's confi United States, as is by no means im garden, breaking off the twigs of trees
dence in his daughter’s discretion and possible, bis daughter will by reason and pulling weeds, which are carefully
common sense is shared by the leaders of her kindliness and democracy, make planted and watered, furnishing diver
sion and pleasure for the day. It is
in the lower house of Congress who an ideal First Lady of the Land.
an easy matter to direct the youthful
have occasion to confer frequently
mind a little further along this line i
URGES EASY SPELLING.
and Interest it in a real miniature gar
with the presiding officer. Many of
den. It is not an untried theory, but
these confidential confabs are held at
fact, abundantly proven in all the
the unpretentious vine-covered brick Supreme Court Justice Joins With a large
and many of our small cities.
house which constitutes Speaker Can Other Well-Known Men—Carnegie Philadelphia has what are called
Gives
Fund
to
Aid
Cause.
non’s Washington home, and many
"Municipal Gardens;” Boston has a
times a newcomer at such a conference
Associate Justice David J. Brewer of dozen “School Gardens;" Chicago.
has been surprised to see the wheel the United States Supreme Court is Detroit, Washington, Cleveland, Los
Angeles, in fact, almost all cities have
only change I have made is
horses of our national legislature freely deeply interested in the adoption of a successfully worked out either the. to The
go out with a light giving forth a
telling state secrets before the hostess. scientific regulation of English spell school garden or the vacant lot culti violet color and allowing it to shine
vation idea, two separate propositions, for a few minutes upon the land to
ing.
joy» of Good Cooking.
Justice Brewer is a member of the it is true, but closely allied? The be visited with the smeared blanket.
garden idea opens up an easy Most lights frighten earthworms and
Incidentally it may be noted that board of which Brander Mathews, of school
and agreeable avenue to what proves drive them underground, which is the
Mi«s Cannon is largely responsible for New York, is chairman. About 750 more of a diversion than a task to the reason why they feed in the dark, but
so many of these political star cham have agreed to adopt for customary young. New York has only one such a light that carries a blue or a violet
ber sessions being held-at the Cannon use in their own personal correspond farm, garden, but on its one or two ’ blue shade seems to soothe the crea
ence the following twelve simplified
residence instead of in the Speaker’s spellings, heretofore recommended and acres, the children plant and raise both \ tures and makes them careless of
flowers and vegetables, while in an danger.
private office at the Capitol or some used by the National Educational So extemporized cook-house they prepare
"Or perhaps the worms are hypno
ciety,
namely,
program,
catalog,
deca
where else. Few readers of this need
the vegetables for the table and enjoy tized by the strange glare and cannot
log,
prolog,
demagog,
pedagog,
tho,
al-
the flavor of the fruits of their labor get away. That is the way a dash
be told that the average man sets
tho, thoro, thorofare, thru and thruout. Besides this Instruction In the culinary lamp acts upon deer at night, and I
great store by good cooking, and the
In May and June, 1905, many distin art, a bedroom In miniature furnishes think a deer should know as much as
popularity won by Senator Hannas guished scholars, literary men, and an opportunity for the girls to learn an angleworm.”
famous “hash breakfasts” goes to scientists signed the promise, and now how to care for rooms. In Phila
prove that the President and other the committee has been permanently delphia the relation of the municipal ( IN RO< KI. I■F.I.I.UR’S CL IM
organized, under the name of the Sim
high officials of the nation are no ex plified Spelling Board. Funds ade gardens and the schools is Intimate
Chief Quanah Parker, of the Co-
But to see this idea worked out, per
ception to the masculine rule.
quate for the purpose have been given haps,
mancbes. has all the great man's hor
at
its
best
one
must
study
it
as
Well, just here one haa a hInt a* W by Andrew Carnegie, the justice It Is in Boston. There, a private organ ror of the camera. While waiting for
to the amount of 115,000, the
the magnet which helps to draw many thinks,
known as the School Garden a train at Stanton, Okla., a young
income of which is to be devoted to the ization
Association, for six years or more has man began making photographs of
mPn of affairs to the Speaker’s home interests of the organization.
developing little centers where
Instead of to his office Miss Cannon
Among the members of the board been
the children delight to plant and cultl him. The Indian grew angry, opened
are
E.
Benjamin
Andrews,
chancellor
Is a splendid fcousekeeper. and Is an ex
his pocket knife, and threw It at
the University of Nebraska; David vate, furnishing object lessons of the
pert in preparing or superintending of
J Brewer, associate justice of the Su utility of such work which It is hoped, the camera man. As this did not de
'he preparation of those plain, whole- preme Court of the United States; may lead to Its addition to the school ter the latter, Parker went indoors,
some dishes which never fail to make Nicholas Murray Butler, president of curriculum, and with this idea in took a revolver from his valise, and
mind these school gardens are located
shit with men who are wearyof hotel Columbia University; Andrew Carne quite
generally on land adjacent to started on the warpath The police
gie
Samuel
L
Clemens
(Mark
Twain),
cooking. In things to eat. a Mn dre^ Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Will school-houses, some of the regular had to disarm him.
Sneaker Cannon does not go in for lam Dean Howells, Prof Lowusbury school teachers gladly acting the part
J. Pierpont Morgan. John D. Rock
tthe wav of "frills", but no man of Yale. Prof. James of Harvard, Ben of instructors. The effect upon the efeller, H H Rogers, and others
much in th
for h(|n
jamin B Smith, editor of the Century little workers In these plott is in every doubtless have sent messages of ap
Wt° a^ritnes an invitation to dine at | Magazine W’ H Ward, editor of the way happy and should lead to tboir I proval to be big Comanche.
more general use.
ever declines eu
I Independent, and Andrew D. White.
ICEBERG IN DELAWARE.
I
| remedy for the evil which la being
done, and one which Is not dependent
on Canadian cooperation.
This
remedy could be accomplished by New
Joint Resolution in Congress For York State alone, and would be to so
deepen the river channel south of
Their Preservation.
Goat Island, between that Islaud and
the New York State bank, that tlie
Proposal to Unite With Canada In American Falls would divide with the
an Effort to Stop Further Depre Horseshoe whatever water was not
dations Which Will Destroy the diverted from its natural bed. The
Treaty of Ghent places the American
Scenic Orandeur.
boundary at a imlnt well out Into the
At last the national law-makers deep
of the river channel and
have come to a realizing sense of the affords part
opportunity to make
danger which threatens Niagara Falls, necessary ample
excavations.
the most beautiful of all the world’s
natural wonders.
By a joint resolution of the Senate
and House of Representatives the
International Commission, created un
der the River and Harbor Act of 1902,
was requested to report to Congress,
at an early day, what action was, In
their judgment, necessary and desir
able to prevent the further depletion
of water flowing over Niagara Falls
and were further directed to exert,
in conjunction with the member« of
said Commission representing tho
Dominion of Canada, if practicable,
all possible efforts for the preserva
tion of the fulls in their natural con
dition.
NIAGARA FALLS IN DANGER
Report of Committee.
This Commission promptly reported
that if any benefit was to be derived
by legislation, Immediate action was
necessary and outlined a plan which
it believed would have the desired
effect, providing Canada would unite
with this government in curbing the
greed of promoters and speculators.
The report says, in part: "As a step
In that direction we recommend that
legislation be enacted which shall con
tain the following provisions, viz:
“The Secretary of War to be author
ized to grant permits for the diversion
of 28,500 cubic feet of water per
second, and no more, from tlie waters
naturally tributary to Niagara Falls.
* * * All other diversions of
water which is naturally tributary to
Niagara Falls to be prohibited, ex
cept such as may be required for
locks in navigation of canals.
The foregoing prohibition to remain
in force two years, and then to be
come the permanent law of the land,
if, in the meantime the Canadian
government shall have enacted legis
lation prohibiting the diversion of
water which is naturally tributary to
Niagara Falls in excess of 36,000 cubic
feet per second.”
(From sketch tn Ladle*’ Home Journal. >
HOW THE AMERICAN FALLS MIGHT AP
PEAR IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
If anything la to l>e accomplished
in the matter it is necessary to act
at once, for if more corporations ob
tain control of the water rights It
will be impossible for either the nation
or New York State to repurchase them
without an absolutely enormous ex
penditure of money.
Lack of Interest.
It Is certainly to be regretted that
the American people have so long
neglected the most beautiful f»H of
water in the world, and have allowed
any part of It to be converted to pri
vate gain or corporate greed.
Even now, in the face of all that
has been said and written on the
subject, there ««suns to be an attitude
Dependent on Canada.
of half-heartedness on the part of
It will be noted that unless the the people to act, which Is well Illus
trated
by the fact that Senator L’Hom-
British government unites with this
country in its effort to save the natural medieu, of the New York State legis
lature, has asked the Senate to kill his
bill restricting the taking of water
from Niagara River above the falls for
power purposes and says in defense
of his action, “I cannot find any senti
ment in favor of protecting Niagara
Falls, and I’m tired of being attacked
on the subject of my bills relating to
this subject”
MAMMOTH INCUBATOR.
A Hatching Machine That Does the
Work ot One Thousand Setting
Hens.
The largest incubator in the world,
with a capacity of 15,000 eggs, has
just been completed by W. P. Hall ot
Pembroke, N. Y. It is 102 feet long,
and 4 feet 4 inches wide. Partitions
divide It into 100 compartments, each
accommodating two trays. The traya
have wire bottoms, and bold 75 eggs
each. To fill this Incubator a single
time with common—not thorough
bred—eggs woud require an expendi
ture ot *6,000, for eggs of the requis
ite freshness would cost forty cents a
dozen. As one hen covers fifteen eggs
for hatching, the incubator does the
work of 1,000 fowls, or has the capa
city of one hen sitting constantly for
nearly ten years.
The incubator is heated by means
of a coll ot eight steam pipes passing
over the top of the egg chamber on
one side and returning on the other.
These pipes are connected, at one end
of the structure, to a water tank and
heater. The water flowing through
the pipes is heated to exactly the
right temi>erature, a thermostat at
tached to the stove opening and clos
ing the drafts to make this possible,
lienuty of Niagara Falla little cnn l»e j The only attention required by the
accomplished, and from past experi heater is supplying it with coal night
ence it seems more than doubtful that Ì and morning. The thermostat is an
such will be the case. In the matter 1 xpansion tank, 10 by 18 inches,
of the it ternational boundary and the which stands over the heater. The
seal controversy, Canada certainly did | tank is filled with oil, In which is a
not show an over friendly spirit and float. As the heat of the furnace
there is no reason to assume that her | warms the water, the water in tho
attitude has changed in the least, but I Jacket surrounding the heater ex
it would seem probable that she will rands, and the float In the oil rises.
use all her great Influence with the I'hls movement closes a throttle at
mother country to defeat any friendly tached to the floatarm, and shuts the
agreement that might be pressed.
draft of the heater; another lever at
This conclusion of Canada’s probable the same time opens the cold-air draft
attitude is not reached entirely on ac of the furnace. In this way the tem
count of any unfriendly feeling, but perature Is regulated automatically,
because of two very important facts ; with extremely little variation, the
one of these is the greater width and eggs being kept at 102 degrees F.
depth of the channel on the Canadian
A second novel feature is that the
side, which would Insure a splendid heat of the eggs is regulated by rais
flow over the Horseshoe Falls after ing or lowering them in the egg cham-
the American side is entirely dry.
ber, which is nearly a foot high In
It Is asserted that Ontario Province side, burlap separating it from tne
now receives from the Commissioners pipes. The egg trays rest on double
of Queen Victoria Niagara Park, a frames hinged by galvanized arms
minimum annual rental of *«X>,'M)i» for or levers. As the chicks develop, the
the water rights granted there, and trays are lowered on these supports,
when the plants for which these the first drop being made in six days,
grants were made are In full operation, and others at Intervals, until, on the
the annual rentals to the government twenty-first day, the trays are rest
will amount to over *300.000.
ing on the bottoms of the chambers.
It Is further assorted that additional All Infertile eggs are tested out on
water could be granted by Canada the seventh day.
which would produce an annual rental
Mr. Hall built small Incubators at
of another *300,000, and still not seri first, but the oil bill for forty of his
ously affect tlie Canadian side of the «mall incubators, with 8.000 eggs ca
Falla, while the American Fall« would pacity, was 1150 for a season, while a
be entirely drained long before this large incubator was run three months
"iiormonw rental was due.
at an expense of less than 18 for
There would seem, however, to be a . coaL