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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 1911)
Uncle Sam s Cflmwion Prom PLT mm i vmt icwvetwe um urowcra BY WA1JJON rAWCeiT Ca3 HE United States govern ment Is now at work upon ono of tho most am bilious and, by. tho by, ono of tbo roost interest ing projects It has over undertaken. It ifl noth Ing short of a ochomo for moving tho "com bolt," Or porhaps it would bo moro accurato to cull It d crusado for extending tuo corn belt," for thoro Is no do- aire to Intorforo with tho growing of our greatest agricultural Btaplo In that broad section of tho country wlioro corn has long been tho princi pal standby of tho farmer. Tho now plan of tho department of agricul ture for of courno that is tho branch of onr government machinery that has chargo of this now activity is simply in offoct to mnko two blades of grass grow whoro only ono grow before Although all tho world has boon gasping In astonishment thoso many yen past at tho bumpor crops of cera this country turns out each year, the exports of tho govornmont somo time 'since caino to tho conclusion that great as was tho national corn yield It was not as big as it ought to be. Furthermore, thoy thought thoy foresaw a tlmo whon, with our rapidly growing population, tho corn crop would not bo any too big for our own American appptito and, of courso, if that camo to pass, wo would loso moro or less of our foreign tradp, for a vast quantity of Yankco corn products now Und thoir way to dlnnor tables over seas. On tho theory of a stitch in tlmo the agricultural sharps proceedod to get busy over this Impending prob lem. FIrflt they sot about Increasing the yield of corn per aero and lntterly they havo entered upon tho oven moro pjifjUMivltll. UiiOOlUil Ul I'AlUtlUlllg UJO com growing arba. As our readers are aware most; of tho corn crop has been grown heretoforo in tho mlddlo nfe 9apz2 , "v.- . in,".' wirv;.' rf uJ-)VAri!;r 1' a....HiMmssssssyfwiBi v, 1 st i a. y - mttsvumm m mt i 4s mi m iir i w iwkumf't'wik 's ; t rrnaaa ttt it ssrn i rr POLICE JUDGE A SOLOMON VtMrfiiCllf MOST KONOMICIL CORrtGROHCR aro known as corn clubs. Thoro nro great numbers . of township clubs all ovor tho land tho township being tho wwrt In states such as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska. But tho government expertB contlng around soon camo to tho conclusion that as good or better corn than America had vw known could bo raised in prolific quantity la tho south If only the pooplo south of Mason and Dixon's lino could be aroused to tho pos sibilities lying dormant at their doors. "Waking up theso southern farmora to their neglected opportunities is tho proBont work of one of the most efltclont organizations in Undo' gam'a agricultural corps. It was nothing short fit an Inspiration that tho exports hit upon tho plan of proving that tholr corn "fairy tales" eenld come true through the medium of tho Xarmer boys of tho south. Tho lads woro onlistod " 1h Ihta country wldo "doraonatration work" and 46,60 of them havo lately boon giving tholr fa ta objoct lessons right nt homo. What Is moro, Many of tho fathers havo taken tho lesHons to Heart and nftor seeing with tholr own eyes what phenomenal yields can bo mndo It corn bo cul tivated na tho, "book chaps" nt tho agricultural department prescribo thoy havo bocomo converts to the new ldcns and havo announced that honco forth thoy will cultivate corn tho way their sons Tknva been doing thoso past few months. It will weaa only a fraction morq tlmo and work and It means production doublod or troblod or quad rupled. 'Of course tho govornmont gavo Instructions to these lads as to how to till tho soil In thq most advantageous manner, but tbo enthusiasm which resulted In corn harvests that havo mado tho whole world sit up and tako hotlco was Inspired y competltlvo contests for tho winners In which xR sorts of prlzcsworq offeredtownship prizes, tillage prizes, county prizes, utato prices, and geodnees knows what, all In tho way of trophies eliminating In each stata In a "grand prize" In the form of a sightseeing trip to Washington, all expenses paid, for ono boy. Of courso, tho gov eminent did not offer theso prizes. Undo 8am has no money available for such purposes, hut the department of agrlculturo onglnoored tho whole scheme and got tho public-spirited citizens et mere than a dozen Btatea so Interested that they put up thd prizes montlonod. Individuals sen as bankers and merchants and organlza tlens such as boards of trado, county superin tendents of education, chambers of coram orco, etc, contributed to Uio list of prises which In tho grand total footed up to more than $10,000 This wholo movement, alike to other similar ednoatlonal crusades, has been under the direc tion of the division of farmers co-oporatlYa dem Miration work of the department of agriculture t the fluid officers of this Institution have Iwweglit about systematic effort on the part of the youthful corn growers by organizing what, stnndnrd unit of organization and thoro nro county clubs in about 600 different counties. ClrculnrB of Instruction, prepared by Dr. S. A. Knapp, tho govornmont export, who Is tho Sol omon of thiB movement, aro propnrod nnd sent sovoral times during tho year to each in dividual boy who Is enrolled in this work. Seed Boloctlon and tho preparation of tho soil nro taken up first In theso courses of In struction by mall (supplemented by tho advlco of tho field workors of tho department who aro continually traveling about to suporviso and glvo practical instruction.)' All tho boys who won tho biggest prlzea pnld vory caroful attention to tho Instructions on this scoro and plowed tholr ncros from eight to sixteen inches deop and thoroughly pulvorlzod their Bcud bods. Even moro careful advlco Is given tho boys on the very vital subject of fertilization and ono rea son why so many of theso lads havo at the first go off gotten better corn crops thnn tholr fathers havo over boon nblo to produce with all tholr ox porlonce back of them Is that tho youngstors havo none of tho contempt of tho old fogies for now-fnngled ideas and havo been not only willing but eager to master u general knowlcdgo of nitro gen, potash, phosphorus, etc., as agricultural aids and tho effect of leaves, wood mold, barnyard manuro, etc. Tho wholo plan of computing nnd comparing yields lrt this country-wldo corn-growing competi tion Is dono In tho most systematic and business llko manner. With swarms of keenly Interested boys watching each other's -crops llko hawks thoro is not much opportunity for deception of any kind, but in addition to this Insurance of pub licity of methods and yields tho department of agrlculturo has Us own ofTlcors In tho flold all tho whllo and thoy rigidly Investigate any sus picious reports just ns tho flold workers of tho , United States ccubub have boon probing Into tho ' enumeration. In nny town or city thnt seemed to show an unduo Increase In population Blnco tho last censuo. Do It Bald to tho credit of tho boy corn growors that almost nono of thom havo fallon under suspicion on any scoro. In making up tho records of tho young corn growers and awarding tho prizes that aro offored tho govornmont officials tako Into consideration other things than, tho moro crop ylold, rogardloss of coat of cultivation and ovcry othor factor. Indoed, in making awnrdB thoro aro considered in addition to yield, tho cost per bushel, tho best ten oars of corn raised and tho written history of tho crop proparod by tho boy who raised it. Not all tho boys who won tho big prlzcB and woro personally- congratulated by President Taft in tho Whlto House at Washington mado tho largest yields In their states. Tho economical sldo was ayways taken Into 'consideration In giving out tho prizes and in apportioning tho diplomas of merit whloh Secrotary Wilson porsonally pro sontod to tho boys who called on him at Wash ington. Tho boys' who have won rank ns Uncle Sam's champion corn growors In every Inatanco "made good" by exhibiting their prlzo products at their respcctlvo county fairs whoro tholr neighbors could soo with tholr own eyes what thoy accom plished by tho now method of tilling tho soil. In many countlos tho distribution of tho county prizes for corn growing was mado a red-letter event this past autumn and as many as 1,000 to 1,500 persons havo assembled at a county scat Tho author of tho famous Pollard Pledgo Is William J. Pollard. Ho was magistrate of tho Dayton Street ,po lco court in St Louis, whon ono day n man was brought before him on tho charge of having beaten his wlfo. Tho caso against him was clear and ho was Bontoncod to six months to tho work house Then tho wlfo began to cry and to pload for tho man sho had brought beforo tho court. "Ho Is tho- solo support of my six children and myself," Bho Bald. "If; you sond him to all, Judgo, wo will starve I would rathor tako his boat ings and have food for my littlo onos. Pleaso, Judgo, let him go." Judgo Pollard was In a quandary. Ho looked at tho brutal faco of tho prlsonor, and ho gazed at tho tearful wlfo, Ho picked up his pon and wroto n fow lines on a shoct of paper. "I havo wrltton horo aplodgo by which you promise to abstain com pletely from tho use of intoxicating liquors for ono year from dato," said tho Judgo to tho prlRonor, "nnd you will roport to mo nt my home two ovenlngs onch week, that I may Judgo whether or not you aro keeping tho plodgo. If you sign thiB plodgo I will withhold sentence upon you, but If you over vlo Mo this pledgo within tho year, I will Bend a policeman after you and Bond you to tho workhouso for six months." Tho prisoner Bigncd tho plodgo and- left the court room with lils wlfo. So wan born tho famous "Pollnrd Pledgo Plan" thnt han swept around tho wprld. Tho man who had bonton his wlfo nlno years ago when tho plodgo was created becamo a model citizen. Ho kept his word with tho Judge, who was willing to glvo him a chanco. Tho Pollard Pledgo plan of dealing with unfortunates whoso bosettlng Bin Is strong drink 1b now followed In many cltloa boyond tho municipality In which It originated, nnd has' beon oven enacted into law in England by on . net of parliament. Vermont has Incorporated It among her lawB and oven In Australia and Now Zealand tho plan Is In operation. "JIM" MARTINE OF JERSEY to bco prlzea awarded to lads who aro pointing tho wny to increased averagos of corn produc tion in tho south, and Incidentally .to a partial solution of tho increased cost of living. And no old-tlmo farrnor can snoor that tho showingB mado in this twontioth-contury corn growing nro Bpurta of no practical significance On tho con trary tho government officials havo applied mod' orn bookkeeping methods to tho business sldo of tho proposition and tho roported costs of produc tion can bo accepted as fair actual costs. Tho yields mado during tho past season by theso young corn growers havo been truly aston ishing and Bomo of them aro almost past tho bollof of farmors who havo been getting an aver age of, say, 32 to 40 bushols of corn per aero in cholco corn country In tho mlddlo west. In ono Mississippi county 48 boys avoraged 92 bushels per aero. In ono South Carolina county 20 boys produced 1,700 bushels of corn on 20 acres. In another county In that samo stato 142 boys averaged 62 bushels per aero. Ono lad mado $1,000 from a slnglo aero of corn. Jerry Mooro of Winona, S. C, tho champion corn grower of tho world, got the amazing ylold of 228 bushels to tho aero. Stevo Henry of Louisi ana carried off tho highest honors for economical farming, producing on his aero nearly 140 bushols at a cost of only 13 cents per bushel. Joo Stone of Georgia, youngest and smallest of tho national prlzo wlnnors, Is only olovon years of ago, but' ho produced 102 bushels to tho aero at a cost of 20 cents per bushel. Next season tho scopo of tho corn-growing competition is to bo greatly extended and tho government may also strlvo to get tho country girls of tho United States into a similar competition, only, of course, It will not bo corn growing but vegetablo gardening with canning and preserving nB a "sldo lino." Those Church Suppers! Church sales, dinners, teas and tho llko aro not only means for promoting social onjoymont and Incidentally ,of roplenlBhlng tho trcaBurlos of tho organizations which provide them. These functions sorvo n real and valuable economic purpose as is indicated by tho lady whom Edna K. Wooloy quotOB In tho Toledo Illndo. This lady, weary of tho work of providing throo meals a day for her family, consisting of hersolf, her husband and her daughter, finds a now Joy In living at thiB tlmo of year, and oxplalns-why: "Last night wo went to a roast boof dlnnor. To night wo nro going to a Mothodlst progressive supper. My husband hates thoso progressiva sUppora, bocauso wo start with soup at tho church, you know, then go to Bomo hpuso for tho moat courso and finish up nt somo other Iioubo for the dessert. Ho Bays whon ho sits down to a meal ho likes to finish tho Job on tho spot, in Btead of getting up ovory littlo whllo, putting on his hat nnd coat and galloping out into tho cold and cruol world to resumo his cats at somo other stand. But I think It's fun. It's a blessed chauKO, Tomorrow night wo go to a PrcBbyterlan church Buppor. That's only 25 cents, too, and I don' seo how thoy do It for tho money. Tho next ono after that is an Episcopal turkey supper, and tho next la also a turkoy supper at tho Unitarian churoh. Then como tho DIsclplo and Conm-cxa tton church suppers, nnd by that tlmo you'll seo my choeks sticking out with rich living. What would wo poor homo cooks do if It wasn't for tho church BuppersT Thoy glvo us a rest from tho eternal routine of planning and cooking tho dally meals. Nouoay mat nasn't tried that threo-meal n-day business knows what a grind It gots to bo I don't bellove there's a man on earth would stand for lu Ono of tho plcturesquo figures In tho next United States scnato will bo James E. Martlno of Now Jorsoy. "Jim" Martlno Is now Jersey's first Domocrntlc senator In 1C yenrs. Ho Is a man of many mannerisms that havo caused somo porsohs to call him eccentric, but it Is claimed that Mr. Martlno Ib not an eccontrlc porson by any means. Tho fact is, In his homo . you would tako him to bo a southern er of tho old days. On tho streets of Plalnflold you will seo him stroll-. Ing along, wearing his fedora hat (Kentucky colonel Btylo) shading -his oyes, and calling to first ono man, and then nnother. i Llko all men who enjoy mingling with tho public, Mr. Martlno has his, hobbios, and his pet ones are polltlcsA farming, and oratory. Tho last-nnmeaA camo to him as a birthright. Ab for politics, Mr. Martlno 1b a politician for tho Iovo of it. Of his CI years 43 havo actually been engaged in politics. As a political sticker, Mr. Martlno has an unusual record. Defeat nftcr dofeat has followed his battles, but nothing daunted mm, and ho at least had tho satisfaction of running ahead of his ticket Ab a farmer, Mr. Martlno not only fell Into that occupation by Inheritance. but ho loves to bo known ns a tiller of tho soil. When his father died tho older Martlno loft ono of tho finest and most valuable ostatos in Plalnflold, and of course, tho responsibility of Ub caro foil upon thp broad shoulders of "Farmer Jim," wno has always taken tho greatest prido in keeping it up. Tho houso at Cedar Brook Is ono of tho oldest In Now Jersey and has a history that any American family might bo proud of. NEW FEDERAL JUDGE NAMED Tho recent appointment by PresI dent Taft of Itoprosentatlvo Walter Inglowood Smith of ( Iowa to bo a Judgo of tho eighth circuit of tho fed oral court to succeed Judgo Van Do vantor, promoted to tho supromo court bench, has created considerable stir In political circles. Ono of tho principal reasons for political interest in tho appointment of Judgo Smith Is connoctod with tho . fact that a candldato presented by progressives for tho samo position was rtoprcsentatlyo Georgo W. Nor rlB of Nebraska, Insurgont leador, who directed tho revolution last March which resulted In tho ouBtlng of Speak er Cannon from tho rulos committor Judgo Smith has beon In congress slnco 1900. Judgo Smith waa born in Council Bluffs, July 10, 1862. Ho recplvod n common Bcnool education, studlod law was admitted to tho bar. In Docombor, 1882, and was olocted Judge of tho Flf' tcopth Judicial district of Iowa In 1890, nnd ro-olocted In 1894 nnd 1898. Ho was elected to congress In November, 1900. Ho has beon in tho houso of rep rosontatlvea continuously slnco that tlmo and was ro-olocted last Novomber TOGA FOR TENNESSEE EDITOR Luko Lea, practical owner of the Nashville Tennossoean-Amorican, and youngcBt leading politician in Tennes see, has beon named by tho general assombly to succeed to tho seat In tho United StatoB senate hold by James B. Frazlor. His oloctlon Is the last ocho of tho tragedy In which ex-Unltod States Senator Carmack was killed. At tho tlmo' Carranck was shot ho was odltor-In-chlef of tho Tennessee nn. Lea Is generally opoken of as tho man who mado Governor Patter Bon" In tho Hrst place, and tho ono who contributed moro subsequently han any other In defeating him, after ho had pardoned Colonol Cooper im. prisoned for tho Carmack killing' Loa is 32 yearB of ago, a craduatn of tho University of tho South at SS wanee, and Is tho second Luko Loa to attain promlnenco in tho riii Tonnessee. He Is tho boii of Overton Loa, a descendant of Andrew Jack Ho camo into promlnenco locally In 1905 when ho tooif m,,. ,n" Homo Telophono company's fight against tho Cumberland Tolonhonn for a franchise In Nashville In 1007, whon the county unit nrimnrv ni rfmiA,1 T.nn 1,nnnrt,1 Ronntnr r.rmU ' WK "nmary Plan W03