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About The Nebraska advertiser. (Nemaha City, Neb.) 18??-1909 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 1906)
Editorials OPINIONS OF GREAT PAPERS ON IMPORTANT SUBJECTS "EimSbsbssssbsbhDbw SECRET SOCIETIES IN SCHOOLS. I ECUET societies In high schools nnd other secondary schools nro scathingly criticised In a report to the National Educational Associa tion by a committee appointed to investigate their effects. "Factional, and stir up strife and contention," "snobbish," "dissipate energy and proper ambition," "foster a feeling of self- importance," "expensive and foster habits of extrava gance," "weaken the elllciency of the school," "detract In terest from study," are some of the grave charges made against these organizations. The indictment Is severe, but not too severe. Children .from 13 to 14 to 17 or 18 years of age aro not mature enough to derive benefit from organizations of any kind which are not supervised by older persons, but are mature enough to receive from them much harm. They are then at tlio age when they are prone to imitate all that is bad or foolish In the conduct of adults, and the only way they can bo kept from following this tendency is by restricting their opportunity. School secret societies enlarge the op portunity. This Is the main reason why pupils fight so stoutly to prevent their suppression. The teachers, who should know their effects best, aro practically unanimous In condemning secret societies, and there Is no reason to doubt that In doing so they aim at the good of the schools. The National Educational Association will not abolish school "fraternities" by hearing reports or ndoptlng reso lutions. Children are persevering. They are especially persevering when wrong. They are most persevering when they think they are spiting the teacher. Nothing gives the average boy so much unqualified satisfaction as to think he Is making the schoolmaster sit up nights and rack his brain over the subject of school government. As long as boys' fathers have clubs and college young men have "frats," high school boys will want "frats," and probably they will usually have them, no matter how often they may be put down. If teachers could enlist the hearty sup port of parents In the contest the result might bo different The romedy for secret societies and other follies In second' ary schools is for parents to toll children to obey their teachers, and, if they disobey, to punish them. Chicago Tribune. that the ofllclals should bo proTented from engaging In other business and from using the company's funds to fur ther their private interests. All of those propositions arc manifestly Just and unde niably expedient. Washington Post. THE POST GAUD NUISANCE. UNITED STATES Judgo at Trenton lot us I give his name Judge William M. Lannlng, has I charged the United States grand Jury to look through tlio mails. It is high time that some olllclal took notice of this growing evil. Any Chicagoau who walks State street or other avenues of trade must notlco that week by week the mulling cards exposed for sale In shop windows ure progressing from mero vulgarity to abso lute Indecency. Some aro of a sort that Bhould promptly bring their seller or tho man who sends them through the malls beforo a criminal court. Tho matter is ouo of more than ordinary importance. A society exists for tho purpose of stopping the sale of indecent books and pictures. But tho purchaser of such articles is usually a degenerate seek ing them for tho gratification of his own vulgar and de praved taste. Against tho evil of tho indecent or vulgar post card there is to-day no defense.' Tho purest-minded maidon, tho most refined wife, may at any time have delivered to her by tho government of the United States a card carrying an indecent suggestion, or a vulgar innuendo, open to all to read, exposing her to the rldlculo of all who see it In pass ing. The Postoillco Department Is now doing something to stop this. Let tho censorshp bo rigid. Chicago Examiner. fL SUGGESTIONS ON LIFE INSURANCE. 1IFE insurance In New England has for many years been managed with exceptional efficiency and honesty. In New York that kind of man nirnint'iit has too often been lucking. Many persons now far advanced in years can recall the time, some thirty years ago, when a num ber of New York life Insurance companies went to tho wall. Some of these had many policies outstanding In all parts of the country, and their failure was so com plete that the policy holders did not receive a cent. And the well-founded report that tho receivers of the defunct companies fattened on the spoils wrung from widows and orphans did not mitigate the anger with which outsiders f-looked on that carnival of diabolism In tho Empire State. T$jt Is because the record of New England Is in happy con trast with all this that advice from that quarter on the trouble In the Equitable Life of New York has a special Interest. A committee of New England policy holders In the Equitable has spoken words of truth and soberness. This committee declares that no matter what may lie the result of the various Investigations now In process, the policy of tho company should be transformed in tho fu ture. It believes and who will deny? that tho company belongs to the policy holders, and should be managed by them; that the surplus should not accumulate beyond tho Just needs of tho society, but should go to tho policy hold ers In the form of reduced premiums or. otherwise; that provision should be made by law, if necessary, to prevent a needless surplus; that the funds of the Equitable should be regarded as those of savings banks, and their invest ment should be surrounded by the samo legal safeguards; ygy THE DECADENCE OF THE DANCE. ANCING, It seems, Is not what it onco was and even tho waltz has deteriorated. People romp and call it dancing, to tho disgust of those whoso memories recall the grace and stately dignity of tho movements of former times. "To-day," says "Professor" Howen at the convention of the American Professors of Dancing, "dancing consists mainly of jumps and Jerks. Grace and dignity have vanished from it and the two-step Is responsible." It Is proposed to abolish tho odious two stop and bring back the minuet; but this we fear, Is as Im practicable as It Is to bring back the "grace and dignity" that characterized tho manners of serious people 100 years ago. Tho present age Is averse to many things that pleased tho fathers and grandfathers. It takes life In a hurry and takes Its amusements in a touch-and-go spirit. The drama, the poem, the novel all aro said to bo decadent. Like manners, they have been abbreviated. The two-step may bo sad enough, but It has the merit of being in accord with present tendencies. Baltimore Sun. jwj THE HELLO GIRL. E have all felt, at times that tho telephone still lacks a great deal to be a perfect machine, that there is inattention, poor connection, needless delay and sometimes almost Impudence In tho telephone service, but how few over feel that It is not an automatic machine that they are using, that tho voice they hear answering their Impatience Is not a part of the machine, that there Is a personal equation to be considered, n woman away off somewhere In the unidentified "central," who has feelings and fclf-respect, Just as otler women have; a woman who will recognize a cross tone Just as quickly as If she were visibly present, and a woman entitled to respectful treat ment, Just as much as If she were In her own home. The fact that you can stand miles away and talk Into her ear does not detract from the right to tho kind word and civil treatment. .Terser City Journal. L SKILLFUL HUNTING. 8S$SJ$S$S Five minutes of thorough, systemat ic search for a lost object Is often more effectual than half an hour of desul tory hunting, which, in Its excited flurry, often passes In plain sight the Article which it seeks. An example of this prlnclplo Is often seen In tho enso of tho small boy, who, when tho family have scrambled vainly about for tho dropped thimble, announces that he will look for It "Indian fash ion." He lies quietly down on tho floor, and bringing his eye on a level with the carpet, soon spies tho missing object. In "A Girl In tho Karpa thians," Miss Dowio gives another in stance of letting brains do tho work of tho muscles. Tho party was riding up a steep mountainside when suddenly the au thor discovered that she had lost her gold watch. It was an heirloom and much valued; there was nothing to do but to turn back on tho trail. About two miles before she had made tho discovery her horse had slipped, and she had rolled off. It must have been then that her watch was dropped. Tho little party returned on the path, wildly searching hero and thore. When they reached tlio place of the tumble thero was a grand hunt, which lasted A long t'lmo. Then, tired out and heated, tho Bcarchers returnod to whore the horses wero tethered and acknowledged them selves beaten. "I've turned up every fern leaf and grass blade," said one. "It's no use," exclaimed the author; and sho declared she would not look Again for all the watches In tho world. A young artist In tho party had stayed with the horses while the rest were hunting. Now he announced that It was his turn to try. The oth ers laughed, but they willingly sat down to rest while the young man went off down tho hillside. It was not long beforo they heard a "Hur rah!" and tho artist appeared, holding up tho watch in triumph. "I almost always find things," ho said. "I search like a dog. I lay clown on my face and listened, and I heard tho ticking when the watch was a meter away. Then I crawled on my hands and knees until I found it." ELEVATED RAILWAY. Any Ilnte of Speed Can He Attained Mfth I'erfeet Safety. Several of the larger cities In the United States aro In need of an ele vated railway to accommodate tho ELEVATED 1IOAI) AND CAIl. heavy railway truffle in tlio more densely populated sections which tho surface lines are unable to handle. Because of tho unslghtllness of ele vated railways at present In use, their further use has been discontinued In favor of tho underground road. An Ohio engineer has Invented an ele vated railway built on entirely now Ideas. This structure is made of n series of individual posts, firmly set In tlio ground and imbedded in cement to make them permanently rigid. These posts aro formed of a number of tubular sections united at tho joints by collars, the latter made with sock' ets which receive tho supporting braces. Upper and lower tracks aro supported by these braces, tho whole being further braced and supported by a span mechanism. All of tho braces, arms and other parts are made of tubes or pipes. The rallB aro car ried on the outer extremities of tho horizontal crossarms, and aro arranged In parallel pairs one above tho other, so that an upper and a lower rail con stltuto a track for a car. All tho con tral posts are equipped with lateral arms for ono or more lines of cars at each side. It Is claimed that by this construction it is possible to build an elevated structure which will stand perfectly rigid and which needs no speclnl provision for expansion or con traction in its frame work and track and lias tight Joints In all tempera turos. Furthermore, It occupies tho minimum of surface room possible In an elevated road, and being tubular throughout, obscures light less and Is less objectionable to tho eye thnn any other now in use. Any speed can bo atalned with perfect safety. More than I3ven. "Flow can you shako handB so cor dially with that man when you know ho hates you?" said Jagd. "You see I have tho bettor of him," replied Wags, "no doesn't hate mo half as bad as I do him 1" Detroit Free Press. Some of those days sober, serious business men will ceaso from thoir labors long enough to tlo a big ribbon bow In tho hair of the man who has no higher ambition than to movo in what ho regards as oxclusivdjociety. and chase him off the streets. Emilio Poulsson, whoso noted book, "Fingor Plays," goes steadily through edition nfter edition, and who has long had a loading namo In tho kindergar ten work of this country, is ono of tlio few who can write really musical and well-liked rhymes for children, nnd her new book, "Tho Runaway Donkey nnd Other Rhymes," proves 1L "'If: a Guldo to Bud Manners," is un amusing little volume of burlesque verses and Illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg. A number of pop ular but mistaken weaknesses and ways of humanity are caricatured in ts merrily sarcastic pages, and though a little of this sort of thing goes a ong way, thero aro u number of hearty laughs in Uie book. "Marriage," by .Tano Dearborn Mills, represents a new, enlarged oud entire- rewritten edition of this little vol ume. Prettily bound aim printed, it nlms to help toward higher happiness, through spiritual marriage. There Is no doubt of tho writer's lino Intent or enthusiasm. "Marriage is character growth and Is gained through service" s tho foreword that opens Uie book. "Glad Tidings: How to Obtain Hap piness nnd Health," is the tltlo of n book concerning which the author, who wishes to be known simply as "a re tired business man of Chicago," says that It has been written "to do good, not to make money." Evangelical but nonscctarlan In character, It alms to point out "the way to happiness nnd health by following tlio teachings of Jesus." "Reading tlio 'Pepper Books' Is Just llko having tlio fun yourself," Is tho unique expression of a girl of 12 after reading theso famous books, and no one has over better expressed tho true secret of tlio charm and enormous pop ularity of tills series, the tenth vol ume of which, "Ben Pepper," Is now ready. Other members of the family had had books named after them, and it was only fair that Ben, tho "quiet, steady-as-ii-rock boy," should have sim ilar attention. Miss Braddon, the novelist, enjoyed her first triumph more than forty years ago, but at 08 years of age her birth day fell a few days ago she Is still able to weave plots with the best of them. "Lady Aud ley's Secret," tho most notable piece of fiction which she devised, was her second long story, and she was only 2-1 when It wos pro duced. There Is a slrango story of Its origin. John Maxwell, tho publisher, had determined to start a magazine. By an unfortunate accident tho serial story was not forthcoming. The pub Usher and editor wero at their wits' end. Miss Braddon heard of the dlfll eulty, and went to see tho editor. There wero only twenty-four hours to spare. "What Is tho latest time you could glvo me?" asked tho young novelist. "Well," replied the editor, "If tho man uscript of the opening chapters wero to be on my breakfast tablo in tlio morning that would bo In time." Next morning when the editor went down to his breakfast, he found among his let ters the first few chapters of "Lady Audley's Secret." The plot of it Miss Braddon had had in her mind; tlio writ ing had been dono at fever heat in a few hours. "Tho Speculations of John Steelo," by Robert Barr, recently published In parts serially and since elaborated Into a book, Is an absorbing story of ono man's struggles In tlio financial world Tho first, and by far best, part of the story is takon up with his oxporlenco In tlio railroad business, in which Steele, as station master and genera utility man nt un obscuro way station IUtchen's Siding shows wondcrfu capacity and judgment In nn emergen cy and rises from obscurity to oml nonce in railway circles, sometimes over the hoads of older officials. Ho Is left a fortune by nn uncle, loses most of It through those manipulations peculiar to railway magnates of his own system, too and goes off to Eu ropo In a huff. A remnant of good stock nets him a tidy sum on tho riso, and ho returns to America to pursue a series of exciting but fruitless specu latlvo contests, wherein ho Is nlwuys worsted by ono opponent moro shrewd thnn he, with almost boundless re sources, nis fortune is swept away but through a certain poetic Justice he gots It all back and more In marry Inar tho daughter of his late business enemy. John Steele Is a vitally realis tic character and the history of his speculative enterprises Is absorbing in tho extreme, but tlio effort to develop a convincingly sentimental side to him In vain. Womankind enter more or loss Into his misfortunes, but the flna Ioyo opisodo Is merely grotesque, a ro grettablo lupse from tlio otherwise ar tlstlc work In the book. FREED FROM LIVING DEATH for the Famous Itunln Ilevolutloalat Bmtm to VInU Tkta Country In n short tlmo Michael Nioolie Itch Trlgonl, ono of tho most famous of Russian revolutionists, will arrive In this country, hnvlng boon re leased from prison on Saglmllon Isl and. Ho has served 24 years' imprison ment in the fort ress of Potcr nnd Paul and on Sa- ghallen Island complicity in assassination MICHAEL tjuuojti. Alexander IL Trlgonl's career Is roploto with ro- mnnco and adventures. He wai the son of an aristocratic family, and had studied In tho University of Odessa. He was a very handsome young man, always dressed neatly, and hla man ners wero charming. Instead of lead ng tho pleasurable, peaceful life of an nrlstocrat he devoted himBelf to a ifc full of danger In order to work for tho overthrow of tho bureaucracy. In 1881 ho was ono of tlio Important member's of tho famous Executive Commltteo of tho party that was known as tho Norudnoya Volya (The Will of tho People), tho samo com mltteo that undermined tho tracks over which tho Czar's train was blown up. The Czar was not hurt ns ho waa not in tho train nt that time. Thon followed tho famous explosion that occurred in tho Czar's dining-room In tho winter pnlaco. Alexander II. would surely hnvo been killed thon iad tho bomb not exploded a few minutes too soon. Other terrorlstlo deeds were committed. At last the remarkable conspiracy that brought about tho death of Alexander II. waa organized. Tho loader of this con spiracy was tho revolutionist Zhclla- bov. Trlgonl was ono of Zhollnbov's closest friends. Tho work was thor oughly well organized. A strcot through which tho Czar's carriage was expected to pass was mined, and in order to niako sure of tho uttaclc four revolutionists wero placed with bombs on four different corners. Shortly before this Trlgonl wos sent by tho Exccutlvo Commltteo on a mis sion to Berlin. Tho German police wero moro watchful than tho police of St. Petersburg. Tho German spies soon found out that an Important rev olutionist was there nnd Immediately notified tho Russian government. When Trlgonl returned to Russia spies followed lilm to his homo on Nevski Prospect, in St. Petersburg. On Friday, Fob. 27, 1881, Zheliabor took farewell of his sweothcart Sophia Perovskaya, and went to tho chocso store from which tho mlno was laid under the street to blow up tho Czar. From there he went to vlBit TrigonL That evening while the two revolu tionists were holding n conference they wero arrested. Tho conspiracy was at onco taken chnrgo of by Sophia Perovskaya. Everything was arranged in n hurry, and on tho next day Alex ander II. was killed by a bomb. Zhe llabov and Perovskaya, together with three other Nihilists, died on the gal lows. Trlgonl was "burled allvo" In tho dungeon of tho Fortress of Pets nnd Paul. Three years ago he waa exiled to Saghalicn Island. AN OLD MASTER. Tho Rev. Russell Day, an Eton mas ter about 40 years ago, was very strict, and to gain bis approval In "snylng lesson" was almost an Impos sibilityat least the author of "Mem ories of Eton and Etonians," says he found it so. "Little Day," or "Parva Dies," as ho was generally called, nev er prompted a boy, and at tho very first mistake, or if tlio boy forgot a word, ho was dismissed at onco with "Write It out, my friend." As tills samo writing out took twen ty minutes nt least, most of tho boys were in tho habit of writing it out beforehand, in preference to spending a long time trying to learn it, and then being called upon by "my friend" to wrlto it out at tlio first breakdown. Mr. Day used to suffer from gout or neuralgic pains, nnd there is a story tlmt once, having ordered a boy to "write It out," and thon having a sud den twlngo, followed It up with "twlco, my friend," nnd when tho boy showed Bomo surprise, he continued, as an other twlngs camo on, "and once In tho Greek character!" Ho was a clovor and accomplished man, and when not suffering was amusing and full of fun. Ono day a boy cume into his room to summon a boy who had boon committing some offenso to "stay after school" a form of command prognosticating a "swish ing." "What may your name be?" Mr. Day asked of tho preposltor. "Colo, sir," replied tho boy, "Then, my friend," said Mr. Day, "I think you had better scuttle." Just because talk Is cheap, Is no', ronton why anyone should use lot o2 It