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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 13, 1911)
STIMSON NEW WAR SECRETARY 4 N (ho estimation of most people, in this country at leant, who tako nn Inter eat In tho subject of homo ornamentation by means of lawns and Bar dons thoro Is nothing moro nttrnctlvo and ap pealing than n colonial garden. That this moth od of displaying naturo's bounty Appeals to pcoplo who havo tho means and facilities for Indulging a tasto for any sort of ornamental gar" doning Is eloquently proven by tho fact that a colonial garden litis been ft conspicuous feiituro at tho Whlto IIouso for a number of years past. Mrs. ItooBovoIt had this garden laid out Just south of tho presidential mansion, and Im mediately under noath tho win dows of nor pri vate apartments, and MrB. Tnft was so impressed 'with Us beauty when she" bo camo First Lady of tho Land that she not only con tinued tho gar den but had It ex tended and Im proved. By n colonial garden Is meant, It will bo under stood, tho form of flower plot that was tho ap proved and ac cepted fashion In the days of our (great grandfa thers before tho R e volntlonary war. In many respects n colo nial garden Is not so very dif ferent from an equal area of flower beds of the average Bort, Inasmuch as most of tho flowers that have place In a colonial garden aro of tho old-fashioned hardy sort. Thoro aro, howovor, Bomo features of tho lay-out of tho flower beds that rondor tho colonial garden distinctive, nnd particularly Is this tho also with tho neatly trimmed llttlo hedges that servo ns bordoro for thq vnplous flower beds and- In many Instances supply screens and boundary markers, for tho gardon, In the caso of many of tho older gardons all or a portion of those hedges aro formed of. tho richly tinted and Bwcot Bcolitod box. Indeed It is tho presenco of this shrub which Is likely, to distinguish a genuine colonial garden from tho newer sort of floral sotting. For bo It known tho box Is very difficult to transplant successfully some say lmpoaslble and It Is of very Blow growth, So much so, Indeed, that a handsomo hedge of box Is more likely than not to represent the fruits of a century or more of caro and atten tion. Withal tho box will grow fairly welt it loft to Itself and only given tlnio, but tho watchful care of a gardener la required If It Is doslrod to restrict It to certain limits, as, for Instance, tho borders of flower beds. In tho days preceding and following tho Revo lution there wero colonial gardens In all tho -thirteen original states, but tho finest of theso woro located In Virginia. Nbr was this to bo won dered Ht, for tho Old Dominion waB nt that tlmo the seat of the most notablo country seats In tho now world. History tolls of tho magnificent cs tatoa maintained by Qeorgo Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Madison, Monroo and other prominent Virginians of that porlod, but thoro woro 'dozens of othor wealthy landed proprietors who, though porhaps not nationally as promlnont, lived In. the same baronial stylo on their cxpanslvo planta tions and had the slavo labor that contributed so much to tho development of such estates. -A co lonial gardon was not only an Inevltablo adjunct of a Virginia estato In thoso days of lavish llv , Jng, but It wbb In many Instancea tho apodal prldo and hobby of tho lord or mistress of tho manor, houso. Now, Btrango to say, n surprising number of theso old colonial gardens retain to this day much of tholr old-tlmo splendor. We suy surpris ing, because It must be romembored that when tho devastating 'tldo of our great Civil war swept over Virginia It played havoc with many an an cestral estate and It would bo too much to expect that, tho gardons should not suffer as did tho ' xnanalons. Furthermore, many of tho old Vir ginia families lmvo been In greatly reduced cir cumstances uluco tho war and havo not had tho means to maintain tho old gardons In tho man ner that their ancestors did. That In spite of these conditions tho colonial gardens In tho stato known as "Tho Mother of Presidents" rotuln bo much of tholr boauty and fascination Is a tributo to tho advantages of this form of gardening. There are some formal gardens In old Vir ginia, but for the most part the gardonajiro what are known as Informal, or suggestive of nature's own arrangement rather than masterpieces of the fancy gardener's Ingenuity, Only In tare In stances de we see the box or other hedge shrubs tefanmed and fashioned Into faataatio shape to counterfeit walls, arches nnd oven mlnlnturo cas tles such as Is common In tho famous formal gar dens of England and which has latterly been copied In eomo of tho newer estates of our mul timillionaires In tho vicin ity of Now York( In Now England and elsowhoro. Whereas this form of horticultural oculpturo 1b lacking tho Virginia gardens aro embolllshcd by many an artistic touch. For Jnstanco, tho grassy or flower-banked torraccB which can bo rendered so offoctlvo havo boon Introduced whonevcr the chnractor of tho sito Bcomod to ronder It advisable and foun tains, stono gardon seats, etc., aro to bo found Just as In tho gardens laid out In moro prcclso fashion. Tho gardens of tho Old Dominion nlso disclose n'wldo variety of pergolas, arbors and Bummor Iiousqb. Somo of theso aro of rustic construction and nlmost nil of them aro unpre tentious In character compared with tho orna mental buildings to bo found In twentieth cen tury gardonB whero money has flowed llko water, but for quiet repose and tho charm of Bylvan sol ltudo and as trystlng places for thoso who dcslro to exchange confidences In a sympathetic though secluded environment it Is doubtful If thoro Is In tho entlro country anything to compare with these vine-covered nooks. Perhaps tho Ideal tlmo to visit an old Vir ginia garden Is in tho spring or early Bummer when tho prim box hedges havo tips on every branch, giving them n now coat of soft greon and Imparling tho touch of fenthors when tho hand Is passod ovor the soft Burfaco. Hobo tlmo Is bound to bo a favorlto season bocauso roses woro over ono of tho most cherished charges of tho MMNOUfl PlANTtD Jir tiOUfir VERNON 0Y LffrlYCTie- tlonal prominence, It was tho custom a hundrod years ago or moro to Invito distinguished gucBts to plant trees, shrubs or floworn as mementoes of their visits. Wc boo tho fruits of thlB custom In tho historic plantings which havo been perpetuated at Mount Vernon tho trees planted by Laiayetto nnd Thomas Jefferson and tho roso bush planted and named for his mother by Oen. George Washing-, ton. It Is tho outgrowth of this same custom which has prompted many of our presidents and distinguished for eign visitors to plant trees in tho Whlto Houbo grounds at Washington. Attached to tho flower garden proper on many an old Virginia estate is a series of terraced beds which were used In the old days, if not at pres ent, for growing small fruits and veg etables for tho uso of tho household. In many Instances theso kitchen gar dons wem screened with box and the gravel walks woro neatly bCr dercd with tho Bamo rlch-hued shrub so that tho general ef fect was almost as pleasing as that of tho po soy beds them solves. Not tho least of tho factors that go to mako up tho beauty of a colonial garden In Vir ginia Is, found In tho stately old trees that in most every InBtnnco surround or overshadow tho spaco allotted to flowers tho limbs trimmed to a sufficient height from tho ground to allow tho cntranco of plenty of sunshine. Such trees aro, nllko to tho box, only to bo attained ns tho herltago of tlmo and consequently they aro lack ing In many, a newly established garden upon which money has been expended without stint All tho summer houses, tho trellis, etc., which one sees in theso old Virginia gardens aro of framo construction, tho wood usually being paint ed whlto, and tho garden walls which on oomo ostatea supplement tho' hedges nro of brick. , Tho gardens yoro established too long ago to admit of tho Introduction of tho concrete products which havo done so much for tho embellishment of tho latter-day garden. Almost without excep tion, however, garden structures aro bo heavily vino clad that tho matorlal of their construction makes very llttlo difference In appearances. Out side tho strictly tropical vegetation thcro aro faw flowers or trailing vines that will not grow lux uriantly in tho kindly Virginia cllmato and this fact accounts for tho variety of vegetation in tho old gardens. ? Paris Siege Bread I ? ti A collector of curiosities In Boston shows with prldo a plcca of bread that was baked In Paris during the slogo. Of course! It Is now harder than a brick, and looks unpalatable Emtio Borgorat, tho son-in-law of Oautler, la writing his moraolrs and tho first volume "Sou- old-tlmo gardeners In this favored clime and vonlrs d'un Enfant do Paris Los Annces do Do- hero one may find In all their glory h numbor homo," has Just been published. Itecolloctlng of beautiful varieties, such as tho Nolly CustlB, which will not bo encountered elsowhoro unless thoy havo boon transplanted from Virginia soil. But In reality It Is lnjustlco to pralso tho roso ucason above othor Intervals In tho prolonged blossom tlmo, Tho chief ambition of tho ownor of a colonial garden in tho Old Dominion has over boon to so select and arrango tho flowero that tho gardon will bo n continual mass of bloom from tho advent of tho magnolia, tho snowball nnd the lilac In tho early spring until after tho passing of tho Vlrglnln creepers, tho Jessamines, tho passion vines and tho hardy chrysanthemums of tho waning season. ovonts of tho slego ho has much to sny about tho broad. "I think somo persons must havo kept theirs, for 15 yenro aftorward I saw pieces of bread In n glass caso. I was stupefied for two roasons. In tho first place, In tho sovorest days and after Jan uary 15, thoro was for each month only n mouse's ration, 300 grams. ThlB was utter starvation. Tho Parisian, as is -well known, 1b n great bread oater; ho can deprive himself of anything olso, but ordinarily ho must havo at least his 450 grams." , Dorgorat, In tho second placo, does not believe that tho substance could survive tho armistice Chemistry could do nothing with it. Dortholot as- Th& amount of caro noceasary to keen a Vlr- sured aautlnr that ho ntn thn hrnmi without nn. glnla garden In proper condition would bo likely derstnndlng It. to surprlso n resident of a moro northerly Btuto not familiar from cxporlonco with tho rapidity with which things, grow In this favored cllmo. Even tho box hedges norhans two hundred "This broad wnB Dantesquo and not to bo an alyzed. If I had boon Jules Favro at Forrloros, I should havo simply thrown a biscuit on tho tablo in front of Ulsmarck and said; 'Smoll It. Tho city yours old must bo trimmed back overy year tf Is youra.' " tnoy aro to Do Kept loss than shouldor high so No ono know what this bread was mado of, that thoy will not prevent visitors to tho garden BayB tho Dakora Wookly, or If anybody know ho from obtaining general vIowb of tho labyrinth of did not daro to toll tho socrot Tho animal king- groeuory. Tho nvoiago colonial garden which dom supplied material aftor tho vogotable was has been mnlntnlnod In anything approaching Ita exhausted, and tho mlnoral succeeded tho animal, old-tlmo glory has a greonhouBo attached In In tho bakery onco kept by Dorgorat's father a which plants may bo glvon a favprnblo start blacksmith forged bread. Duyers broko tholr early In tho spring and later transplanted to tho teeth on unlls. Tho report was clrculatod that flower beds. Many of the old gardons also havo boues from tho catacombs woro at last used In ono corner of tho plot a tiny ornamental building used as a sood houso nnd tool houso, whoroaa In not n tow of theso ancient floral do- " SIMPLE SYSTEM, mains tho llmo-honorod sun dial has been mado "How did Drown como to be so highly e- the central object in the garden and the flower teemed as a weather prophet?" beds have been arranged around It as a pivot. "By his optimism. When there Is a drought At many of the estates In Virginia, partico- he keeps predlclng rain, and when it's rainlag he larly those which were the home of men of na- says It is going to clear off." Henry Lowls Stlmson, tho now sec retary of war, Is a progressive Repub lican of tho Roosevelt stripe and has been considered nB Roosevelt's right hand man In politics. Stlmson Is forty-three Ho comes bf a Knicker bocker family and wns born in New York September 21, 1807. At Yalo ho was a membor of Psl Upsllon and Skull of Bonos. Aftqr ho" graduated from Yalo In 88t ho wont to Harvard and received his master's degree In '89 nnd his law school diploma In '90. In 1893 he became n member of tho law firm of which Ellhu Root was a member, and In 190ft Presldont Roobo velt took him from a lucrative prlvato practlco to mako .him United States district attorney for tho southern dis trict of Now York. Durjng tho threo yenrs that followed Stlmson distin guished himself In tho prosecutions of tho sugar trust, diaries W. Morao and railroad robaters. Lnst fall Roosevelt nominuted him for governor of Now York nnd Stlm- son nnd tho colonol stumped tho stato, going down to dofent In tho Demo cratic landslide, ator a spectacular campaign. in person, Stlmson In tall, slender and imprcssivo. Ho has dark hair nnd wears a small mustnclo. Ills diction is prociso and his delivery much llk that of nn attorney reading a brlof In court When Mr. Dickinson, tho retiring aocretary, took tho war portfolio, hq gavo up tho position of general solicitor for tho Illinois Central Railway sy torn and a salary of $35,000 a yoar to ontor tho cabinet. Ho was born In Co. Iumbu8, MIbs., In 1851 and studied nt tho University of Nashville. Columbia college Lolpzlg unlvorslty and In Paris. Ho was counsel for tho Alaskan Boundnry Commission In 1907 and 1908. From 1895 to 1897 ho was assistant attorney general of tho United Statos. For oomo years he has mado Chicago' his homo and in politics Is a Democrat THE ORIGINAL INSURGENT Representative Honry Allen Cooper of Raclno, Wis., Ib declared entitled to tho distinction of being tho tlrst In surgent In congress. Mr. Cooper was an Insurgent before tho word "Insur gent" camo Into use. Ho has bcon In congress 1G years, and ho has bcon an Insurgent 16 'years. Beforo -tho "stalwarts" In Wiscon sin had Robert Marlon La Folletto to trouble thm, Honry A. Coopor of tho First Wisconsin district was inclined to muss up tho program of tho regu lars. Ho was elected first to tho Fifty-third congress. Onco or twice nn effort wns mado to defeat him for tho nomination, and nftor that they tried to defeat him at tho election, but ho has been rcturnod to oach suc ceeding congress. When Cooper went to congress for bis first torm he wns placed upon tho commlttoo on Pacific railroads. ThjB Pacific railroad funding bill was bo- foro tho committee and tho young man from Raclno proceeded to raise a row, which was an Innovation for that committee on that particular hill. Ho was "sent for" a numbor of times, and somo of tho big lobbyists for the -railroad labored with him to got him to "see tho light," but Coopor refused to boo It. He fought tho claim of tho railroad and spoiled tho pfogrnra. At th next Bosslon ho was removed from tho committee bb a punlshmont for hli lmpudonco. At tho opening of tho session of congress In 1907 tho Democrats undoi tho leadership of DeArmond, of Missouri, made tho first assault upon tin rules giving tho spenkor such great power, nnd Coopor wns tho only Ropub Hcan who Joined with tho Domocrats. IS NOW PULLMAN PRESIDENT Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abra ham Lincoln, presented his roslgniw tlon as president of tho Pullmau Sleep ing Car company tho other day, and John Sumner Runnolls, vice-president and goneral counsel of tho company, was elected president. Mr. Lincoln, who Is retiring from active ofllco on account of ill health,' has beon presldont of the car com pany sinco Oeorgo M. Pullman died In 1897. Ho Ib now 08 years old, and has beon away from his ofllco on ac count of poor health much of tho tlmo for several months. Mr. Runnells meanwhllo lias administered the office, duties. Mr. Runnolls has beon general coun sel of tho $120,000,000 Pullman com-: pany since 1887, nnd has been vice president sinco 1905, Ho was born In! Efllnghatn, N. H July 30, 1844, grad uated from Amherst collego In 1865,' nnd after studying law nt Dover, N. 1 T romnvpfl tn Tntvn nnrl Hnnnmn tm.!.' vato secretary to tho. governor of tho state. From 1881 to 1885 'he was, United Statos district attorney for Iowa. CARNEGIE GETS GOLD MEDAL What ho called his groatest mark of honor was received the other day by Androw Carnegie, when 21 Amorlcan republics bestowed upon him a gold medal bearing on ono eldo the words "Bonofnctor of Humanity," and on tho othor "Tho American Republics to An drew Carncglo." It was the first time In history that bucIi a tributo from so many natlonB had been paid to an in dividual, and tho scene, which took placo at Washington, was highly lm prosslve. Sonpr do Zamacona, tho Mexican ambassador, mado the presentation spoech. Secretary of State Knox pro olded and President Tatt spoko In eulogy of tho gifts which Mr. Camo glo has mado for tho cause of peaco on this homlsphero and throughout tho world. Membors of tho diplomatic corps and men high In oulclal life filled tho hail of tho Pan-American Union building, whero tho ceremonies wero held and for tho eroctlon of which Mr. Carncglo gave $1,000,000. In nccopttng tho modal Mr. Carneglo told of his deep feelings on being Informed last autumn of tho honor conferred upon him by tho Pan-American conference at Buonoa Ayrea, when 160,000,000 peoplo, forming 21 sovereign nations, through their representatives voted to bestow upon him this signal honor. The great steel master was visibly moved by a powerful sense of tbte remarkable evidence of appreciation.