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About The Nebraska advertiser. (Nemaha City, Neb.) 18??-1909 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 1903)
BETTER ROADS WANTED. Passing of. a Gi?eat Generation of Statesmen The Recent Death of Lord Salisbury MarKs the End of a Distinguished Coterie of Diplomats. fHEN Lord Salisbury died there passed away not merely a great statesman and a commanding person ality, but the lust of tho dis tinguished croup of diplo matists of European reputation who inn do modorn Europe, Boaconsfleld, Gladstone, Russell, Bismarck, Gorte chakoff, Crlspl and Andrnssy these were his contemporaries, and one lookB for successors with such wide-reaching inlluonco. Tho great Influence- wielded by Lord Salisbury in a democratic ago and through tho medium of a system with which ho had scant sympathy Is a striking Illustration of tho power ex ercised by high character, lofty mo tives and ardent patriotism. Without nny of tho flexibility of political con viction which distinguished Mr. Glad stone, and wholly devoid of the nrts of tho demagogue which often temporar ily command public success, Lord Sal isbury yet managed to And a following nt tho polls larger than any English Htntesman ever enjoyed before, and to secure a degree of confldenco at tho hands of tho nation which has scarce ly nny parallel. Ills great rival, Glad- LORD SALISBURY. stono had a stronger porBonal follow- j Ing It Is very likely, but Lord Salis bury's strength lay in, tho confldonco which ho Inspired when any interna tional' question arose. Ho' was the survivor of a day when tho grand manner ruled in politics and great personages steered the ships of state. Ho had witnessed the last great dramas of European history, and was regarded as a sort of Nostor rlpo with wisdom, rich in experience and, abovo all, imbued with that groat senso of responsibility which Is so conspicu ously absent from tho mediocrities produced by tho present democratic resimo in England. Born on February 13, 1830, Lord Uobort Cecil was tho second son of tho second marquis, who was himself a statesman of somo note, having twice held ofllco as cabinet minister. Mo wont to Eton and to Oxford, and took his B. A. in 1849. Ho did not offer him self as a candidate for honors, but ho acquitted himself so well in tho pass examination thnt ho was awarded an "honorary fourth." Ho took an actlvo part in the dobates of tho Oxford union, and then, leaving Oxford, un dertook a long foreign tour, visiting many of England's colonies and gain lng at flrst hand a knowledge of men and countries which at that tlmo wns considered nn all-essontinl part of tho training of thoso who aspired to polltl cal honors. On his return to England in 1853 X.ord Robert Cecil was elected a fellow of All Souls and very shortly entered parliament, being returned unopposed for Stamford. For 15 years he repre sented that constituency, and then, on -the death of his father, succeeded to Iho title, and forsook tho commons for tho lords. As a young member he quickly made his mark in tho house, ven as outsldo his trenchant writings and forcible stylo at once attracted at tention, for at one time ho practised Journalism with somo assiduity. At 25 lie was a prominent person, and In 18G7 ho attempted to Introduce a bill which should encourage pcopio to voto by providing them with voting papers to All up at home, instead of enforcing tholr uttendanco at the poll. In 18GC Lord Cranborno, as ho then, was, his elder brother having died in tho pre vious year, for tho flrst tlmo received ofllce, being appointed by Lord Derby to bo secretary for India in tho con servative government which was formed by him after Mr. Gladstone's reform bill of that year had been de feated. f j, JIo wayiotln ofllco lops, for with churactcrlstic Independence he re signed In tho following year with Lord Carnarvon when Lord Dorby and Mr. Disraeli tried to tako tho wind out of tho sails or tho liberal party by Intro ducing a sweeping reform bill, of tholr own. Subsequent events showed that. ho was by no means apposed to re form; Indeed that simjcct and tho wel faro of tho church were the two ques tions which occupied him most of tho days before ho became known as a great fo'relgn minister. With regard to the church, he must havo had many points of resemblance to his son, Lord Hugh Cecil. Tho subject that most fired his enthusiasm was church de fense. From Whatever direction tho church was attacked, ho was ready to defend ler with hot, uncompromising speech. When, after Lord Boacons- fiold's death in 1881, ho had become leader of the conservative party, ho was largely instrumental in throwing out In tho lords Mr. Gladsone's great franchise act of 1884; but It was tlio way It was Introduced more than tho bill itsolf which excited his opposition. and a comprodmlso on tho bill was subsequently arrived at Lord Salis bury putting on one sido his openly avowed distrust of a democratic elec torate, in order to secure a peaceful solution of a dangerous political con flict. "For ovor 49 years Lord Salisbury's parliamentary career extended, and in many ways his I last periods of ofllco W.cro the most notable. The skill with which ho handled many crises subse quently will only bo known when tho full history of our tlmos is written. Tho Venezuelan dispute required most careful handling; tho Fnshoda quus lion, referred to before, needed beyond anything a Arm hand on tho reins; the siege in Poking developed internal questions of tho gravest importance whllo, last and greatest of all, the South African war was a, sovero and protracted strain on the statesman In his old age. There Is a story which may or may not bo true, that when tho Gorman emperor sent his famous telegram to President Kruger Lord Salisbury was giving a dinner party at Hatfield. An urgent message was put into his hands, and ho excused hlmsclt for somo time. IIo afterwards ex plained to a friend tho nature of the news received. "What did you do?" said his frlond. "I acted Instantly," was tho reply, "and ordered n flying squadron to bo called together ready for any emergency." Two millions of London's inhab itac ts never go to church. 1'rnnn-! IkkImnIppI Coinmerelnl Cob E'reNM Fitvornl)!- ImprcftfttMl liy Urounlow 11111. Tlic Trans-Mississippi Commercial congress, which hold its fourteenth an nual session at Seattle, Wash., not long ago, took up tho subject of good roads for consideration for tho flrst time. It was a noticeable fact that whatever dif ference of opinion there might have been as to other questions under con sideration, there was absoluto unanim ity prevailing as to the good roads ques tion, nnd tho necessity for a general cooperation between tho United States and tho different states or civil subdi visions thereof, to hasten their perma nent Improvement. Tho subject was thoroughly discussed by R. W. Richard son, of Omaha, Neb.; James W. Abbott, of Nevada, Col.; Hon. Martin Dodge, di rector of tho ofllco of public road in quiries, Washington, D. C, and many delegates from different states and ter ritories. Director Dodge has just returned to his desk In Washington. In an Inter view with a representative of the press Mr. Dodge has tho following to say re garding tho sentiment for better roads at the Trans-Mississippi congress: "The point was clearly mado that many of tho Interior states and terri tories, especially In the mountain dis tricts, have no navlgablo rivers and harbors, and that, therefore, they re ceivo only rcmoto and indirect bene fits from the expenditure of tho vast sums of money appropriated for tho Im provement of rivers and harborB, and that It would bo Just and equitable If tho general government should lend Its assistance to tho building anil main taining certain public highways through such states and territories. It was not v contended that tho United States government shoufd bear the total cost of building such roads, but that they should pay a contributory share not to exceed one-half, as pro vided for in tho Brownlow bill. This was thought to bo more Just on ac count of tho fact' that the burden of raising tho enormous revenues of the United States government rests as much upon the people in- the rural states and districts as upon .all other classes com bined. Tho revenues of t he general gov ernmewt approximate ten dollar per capita per annum, whereas the rev enue of tho state governments Is only about one dollar per capita. The rev enues of the general government are so large, and are raised In such a man ner by Indirect taxation, that there would be neither hardship nor Inequity if the United States should bear a con siderable portion of the costs of Improv ing somo of the principal highways in tho various states and territories. It would seem that thchest and most equi table method would be to require the United States to pay a portion of tho cost, tho state a portion, tho county a portion, and tho property owners In tho vicinity of the road i portion." A STONE FENCE POST. Whore I'ermnttent Improvement Ik ' Desired It .Ml5it lie AVell to tilve It n Trial. Tko Idea is worth trying. A stone fencepost will not rot. On ground alternately wet and dry, wooden posts do not last long. Make nn open box for a mold, of tho shape and size de- T1U3 MOULD AND THE WALIi. sired for the posts. Bore holes in tho bottom where holes aro desired In tho posts. Insert long wooden pins, as shown. Make the sides and ends of tho mold slightly flaring, that tho post may bo gently turned out. After the boxhaa been filled ami the cement has "sot," the pins can bo pulled out, lcav ing the holes in the post, through which fenco wire can bo passed to bind tho boards or stakes, as shown. Dry grad ually, out of tho sun, to prevent crack lng. Farm Journal. Improvement tu Vonltry. The value of tho Improved fowls over tho common stock of the country is seen In tno beauty, symmetry, uni formity nnd utility of the former, says Fruit World. As tho tendency of the offspring is to rcsemblo the average of tho parents, grandparents and oth or rcmoto ancestors, the more alike tho ancestors tho more harmonious nnd decided influences they exert over the progeny. And there is still a great advancement In this method of improvement, every season, showing liner specimens, in greater number among almost ell the bettor known varieties, o LINCOLN SAVED A LEE Civil War Incident That Is Well Remembered by Some Appreciative Southerners. President Lincoln's magnanimous dis position and kindly nature were never better exemplified than in a case during the civil war in which two sons of the confederate chieftain, Robert E. Lee, were involved, sayB tho Washington Post. As narrated by one of tho moot hospitable Virginians, himself a scion in a family noted for the brave dedB and heroic sacrifices, the story of Lincoln and the Lees reveals a depth of fraternal affection, chivalry and heroism of which Americans may Justly bo proud, no mat ter what state may claim their allegiance. ' "There Is a piece of history which seems to have escaped some northern writers," remarked the host, "and that Ib an incident Involving Lincoln and two sons of 'Marse Robert,' as Gen. Leo was fjfintliarly termed in the nrmy. I have been an omnivorous reader of his tory connected with the civil war of 1861 05, but nowhere have I encountered any mention of the incident I am about to relate. "It was after the battle of Brandy Sta tion, in which Brig. Gen. W. II. F. Lee, called by his father and family 'Rooney' Lee, was not only badly wounded, but captured by the federal forces. Upon being taken to the headquarters of the union army his Identity became known, nnd there nre consequent great rejoicing over such a capture. Subsequently a fd tral officer who had been captured by tho confederates was shot under peculiar "TO SAVE MY circumstances, and the captors of Rooney Lee determined that he should bo executed by way of retaliation. A day had been fixed when he was to be shot at sunrise. In some manner Maj. Gen. Washington Parke Custls Lee, who once awned tho Arlington estate, which was subsequently made a national cemetery by the United States government, learned of his brother's peril. By means of a flag of truce, Custls Lee appeared at the head quarters of the union commander, who cordially received him and Inquired the nature of his visit. " 'To save my brother's life, If possi ble,' was the reply, 'and return him to his wife and children. You muBtknow, general,' continued Custls Lee, 'I am a bachelor, and not only that, but I out rank my brother, who is a brigadier gen eral, whllo I am a major general. If any one Is to suffer for tho unfortunate occur rence by which one of your officers for feited his life, let the blow fall upon me, There will be no one to grieve and worry about mo, for I am a single man and a soldier, able and willing to abide by the arbitrament of war. With my brother It la different, for he is a man of family, with a wife and four little ones awaiting him at home. Ho knows nothing of my vislt, neither does our father, Gen. Robert E. Lee. Knowing both of them as I do, It Is my conjecture that If my pur pose had been communicated to either of them, they would have endeavored to dlssuado me from Buch an undertaking Consequently I have come to your head quarters of my own volition, and wlth- What Army Training 1VH1 Do. "Talking of dogs," said tho colonel, "a friend of mine has a Gordon setter. She's the most sympathetic dog I over heard of. Sho has the maternal instinct so strong that she has brought up a lit ter not her own." "I'vo known of such cases," said a listener. "Therp was a hen had a chicken. TheNhen died and the chicken was in 6ore distress. This dog took pity on it and brought up that chicken." "Yes," said another, "that's curious, but it's not uncommon." ' "And now,"- said the colonel, solemn ly, "that chicken barks!" Stray 8torIes.0 0 0 out any advice whatever, cither from, my family or friends. Give mo my broth er's life for his family's sake and tako mine as a means of retaliation for a re grettable and unlooked-for act of war and its misery.' "Moved by this appeal, tho union gen eral pointed out to his visitor that what he asked was not in his power to grant. 'Lots were drawn for the execution,' he said, 'and fate willed it that your broth er should draw the fatal number. A tlmo has been fixed for tho execution, the nec essary orders have been given, and It only remains' to carry out tho details. There Is nobody to help you In your ex tremity unless President Lincoln at Washington sees lit to Interfere.' "This suggestion, coming from the source it did, aroused a gleam of hope within the bosom of Custls Lee, and ho Inquired of tho federal commander whether it would bo possible to stay the execution of the death sentence until President Lincoln could bo informed of the circumstances. " 'Most assuredly,' was the reply. 'and, furthermore, he shall 'bo informed of your heroic and brotherly offer of sacri fice immediately.' "This officer kept faith to the letter," continued the narrator, "and sent a de tailed account of the interview with Custls Lee to the president of tho United States Abraham Lincoln. Within a few , hours after tho message was received at BROTHER'S LIFE. Washington there came a reply from President Lincoln to the federal com mander, saying: 'I know Custls Leo means what he says. Defer the execution of his brother until you receive further orders from me.' "Theso orders never came," concluded the host, "for shortly afterward W. H. F. Lee was exchanged for a federal officer of tho rank of a brigadier general, and at once set out to rejoin his family. His devoted wife in the meanwhile, learning the story of his capture and Hentenoe, and having no means for ascertaining his subsequent fate, had pined away and died. Scarlet fever carried off his four children, so that it was to a darkened and desolate fireside that1 Rooney Lee re turned out of the jaws of death. IIo knew nothing at this time of tho offer, mado by his brother to take his place, and it was not until long after tho civil war had ended that he had learned what a, big-hearted man Abraham Lincoln was and what ho had done. "Is it any wonder," continued the nar rator, "that men of the south rovero tho' memory of Lincoln? It was the darkest day in our history when ho fell by the assassin's act, and none deplored his un timely end more than bravo 'Old Marse Robert' and his sons Custls' and Rooney Lee, tho last named afterward a con gressman at Washington. A son of Rooney Lee by a subsequent marrlago' is ,now a member of tho Virginia legis lature, and as he bears tho name of -his grandslre -worthily he Is an ideal Vir ginian, brave, chivalrous and gallant." IticnnilcMcent I.nmnn. Attention has been called by E. Bohm to two new forms of Incandescent lamps. In both, the lower half of the bulb is of fluted glass, which, acting as a row of lenses, concentrates the light down wards, and gives tho special advantago of strong illumination directly beneath the lamp. One form has tho ordinary filanjent with the upper half of the bulb of opal glass, while the other has a zig zag horizontal filament and a top of clear glass. " 3omethlnpr I.iteklnir, H Ho Why do you think I don't lova you? y o She It's tho way you toll me you uo.r-ijeiroit i ree Press. ' c o i