FEBRUARY 16, 1912
13
The Commoner.
r f
3
1 i Msv CJix
ermmonor
-
Everyday Heroes
'Let those who would sing of the
Klory
' Of carnage and pillage and hate;
Of battlefields corpse-strewn and
T. gory,
Of war honors blood bought and
great.
FBut if I may sing, let my sincing
Bo such that the public is stirred
I To honor the man, working best as
ho can,
As one of the common herd.
Let those who would sing loud the
praises
Of forum and pulpit and pen;
Of men who attract the crowd's
gazes,
And. play on the passions of men.
But if I may sing, then I'm voicing
My praise of him who, all the
while,
Js plugging away, just the best that
he may,
As one of the rank and file.
ELet those who would frame verse
and canto
In honor of genius for gain;
II freely confess I don't want to,
Though fortune and fame might
attain.
H3ut if I may write, let my verses
Concern that man faithful and
strong,
Hio, grimy of face, is just filling
his place
As one of the common throng.
Let those who would frame song
and story
Of empires so often blood-bought;
Of heroes who've won fame and glory
Because of the woes they have
wrought.
But if I may, then I am framing
My stories and songs of the man
Who never does shirk, howe'er
humble his work,
But does just the best that he can.
incident occurred, but I often think
of it, and never without the cold
chills creeping over me. To this day
I haven't been able to decide which
was the worst frightened, me, John,
or the snake.
WILLIAM J. VANHORN.
Say, Brer VanHorn; that reminds
me of the old catch conundrum:
"What's the difference between an
orange and a box of axlegrease?" Of
course the one asked usually replies:
"I don't know." Then you say:
"Well I'd hate to send you to the
store to buy oranges for me." - Not
referring to allusions at all, at all;
but isn't there more difference than
that between the feel of a fishhawk
and the feel of a blacksnake?
by thirty to got the interest for one
dav. then multlnlvlnir bv twnntv-
seven to get the interest for the frac-1
tlonal month. So doing we find that
one day's interest amounts to 27
cents and 68-100 of a cent, plus.
Naturally and of course, if that is
one's day's interest, twenty-seven
days' Interest would bo twenty-seven
times that, or $7. i7, plus. Now
we add the interest for twenty-seven
days to the interest for nine months,
securing and attaining a total of
$82.49 plus. You see, my dear, how
very simple it all is. I hope I have
made it clear."
"Well, It Isn't very clear, papa;
besides, you haven't got the right
answer."
By this time the floor is littered
with paper covered with figures.
Dad's face is red and damp, and
mamma is hurriedly preparing the
rest of the kiddies for bed, fearful
lest Dad make some remarks.
START A GOLD MINE
A Boyhood Experience
Fossil, Oregon. To the Architect:
Tour page in The Commoner is very
interesting to me, and in looking
backward, as we old boys are in
clined to do so, I am reminded of
one of my own boyhood experiences.
I have a twin brother, John, and we
wero raised on the banks of the Jor
dan, a small creek in Indiana. One
day in our rambles we saw a fish
hawk go into a hole that had been
tunneled into the bank of the creek.
Being of an inquisitive turn of mind
we proceeded to investigate what we
felt sure was a fishhawk's nest. The
bank being about ten feet high and
perpendicular, we found it difficult
to get to it. John proposed that he
stand in the water at the bottom of
the bank and I should let myself
down from the top and stand on his
shoulders. After placing ourselves
in this position wo were not long in
finding out what a young fishhawk
looked like. I forced my arm into
the hole to my shoulder and felt
something soft. Thinking I had hold
of the old bird I yelled to John to
look out as I was fetching her. But
when I pulled her out, Instead of an
old fishhawk I had grasped in my
hand a blacksnake about six feet
long. John and I landed in a promis
cuous heap in about two feet of
water, and the snake hurried away.
So did we. As we walked along the
homeward path, single file and with
chattering teeth, John said: "Well,
Bill; you fetched her out, all right.
It has been forty years since that
One of Many Evenings
"Papa, will you help me with my
'rithmetic?"
"Yes; for a little bit."
It was the 13-year old girl that
asked, and when Dad replied in the
affirmative he piled up trouble for
himself.
"What's the first problem?"
"What is the interest on $1,667
at 6 per cent from April 16, 1906, to
January-13, 1907?"
Easiest thing in the world. Hasn't
Dad paid enough interest to know
how to figure that out? Sure,
Michael!
"Now, my dear; you first find how
much time has elapsed between the
date first mentioned and the date last
mentioned. To do that you put the
lesser year and its accompanying
dates under the greater year and its
accompanying dates, after which you
proceed to subtract. As sixteen days
can not be subtracted from thirteen
days it is necessary to borrow thirty
days from another month, making a
total of forty-three days, from
which, after taking thirteen days
we have twenty-seven days re
maining. April is the fourth
month and January the first month,
but as four can not be subtracted
from one, we must borrow twelve
months from a year, adding to the
one month, making a total of thir
teen months, and four months from
thirteen months leave nine months.
Having borrowed a year wo now find
that we must take it into account,
therefore we pay it back by adding
it to 1907 and then subtracting the
total, or 1907, from 1907, which
leaves nary a year."
Having proceeded thus far Dad
wipes the perspiration from his fore
head, sharpens his pencil and looks
hopelessly at the Little Woman.
The interest on $1,667 at 6 per
cent for one year is $100.02. But
we do not have a year's interest to
pay; only nine months and twenty
seven days. It beats all why they
don't make the months come out
even instead of making us figure in
a lot of fool extra days. Now nine
months' is best found by dividing
$100.02 by twelve and multiplying
by nine, which being done gives us
$8.33 as one month's interest
"Dear, I wish you'd shut off the
furnace. It's getting beastly hot In
here
" and $75.01 as the interest
for nine months. Now we must find
the interest for twenty-seven days
and we do that by
"Mamma, if you don't make the
baby be still I can't work this prob
lem and explain it in such simple
language that Rena can readily
understand it.
" as I was saying, we do that by
dividing the interest for one month
What o' the Night?
The days are getting longer now,
which means, of course, that the
evenings are getting shorter. Funny
how things work out that way, Isn't
it? But it has been a long, hard
winter, with many of us grayhaired
little boys cooped up in the house
and often hard put for something to
while away the time. The Architect
isn't going to tell how he whiled
away the winter evenings, 'cause he
ain't going to brag about how much
ho worked. People wouldn't believe
it, anyhow, so what's the use. But
he would like to know how his com
rades of the gray hairs and the easy
chairs and the reminiscent moods,
passed their winter evenings. Write
and tell him; making your stories as
brief as the evenings were long
that is, don't make 'em as long as
the evenings, but as short as the
days. Tell your stories In your own
way, for the Architect is paid an
enormous salary (this is supposed
to be an humorous department) for
getting the letters and the commas
and the periods and the quotation
marks all in their right places. Come
on with the stories, boys. And when
the Architect says "boys" he
wouldn't bo understood as ignor
ing the- girls. He would embrace
them all.
Kiddies Six, Not the Six Kiddies
A friend from far away writes:
"Not having any kiddles of my own
I want your 'Kiddies Six.' " That's
all right. She can have the "Kiddles
Six," but nary a one of the six kid
dies. Bless 'em; I've got a lot in
vested in 'em, and I'm investing more
every day, but they're the biggest
dividend payers any man ever had.
Another faraway friend sends me
a picture of his six kiddies, all of
whom are perched on the back of a
mighty sedate and gentle looking old
horse. The accompanying letter says
the horse Is only 27 years old. But
those six happy youngsters perched
upon that horse's back make a
mighty fine picture. Although I
wouldn't trade my six for my friend's
six, yet I confess that if I just had
to trade I wouldn't ask any boot.
Sure!
"Jobson is always immersed in his
business."
"I should say so. It beats all what
interest he takes in It."
"What does he do, anyway?"
"He loans money on salary assign
ments, household furniture and live
stock."
Limerick
There was a young fellow in Dallas
Who longed to reside in a palace.
But the lazy young lout
Justjkidled about
And neviLhad more'n one gallus.
Orcat Western" Gtinrnn
Ipcil Incubators aro uol
Mines. Hut one and mako
inoner. Kveri 1 1 to chicle
noon worth a dollar'G rent
'Wii!trn,,lintcliM uvery
fcrtllo ejrir. Thounilln
una. F.Terr ikxIy In (attuned.
40 JJiVYMniliKTIUAL.
Lw wH(Jiv'a
v . ?. .... v .... rial.. '
run: jiooic tua about Metal Hatcher mt
our Now linprorcd lndeatructlblo Flro-Proof "Metal
jiatcncns." neat incubator made. Writ at Mice.
JOHES, POST & CO. "ftggaS.fe,
.GENTSIBlMFiTS
r-H
Tho only
Stropper that
strops any
Mror
diagonally
Ilrnndt'H patented auto
matic itnzortroi nor. Auto
inatltally put a porlcct den on any
rn7or. Old Mjk or Milrty Hlg
Mlir. Kory innii wititMiiti'. Wrllo
iii ck for term, prlcf. territory.
A. W. Brandt Cutlery Co., 84 W. BroidwMy, M. Y
MmM
I Want: Hlth-clajs Salatman
to act at Ornrrat ArnU for the
loof myfLOilUUUm Woe,
pcriencenecefiarr. Nocr'tk
quired. Good mm earn (100 to
9&00wMfclr Sldellnemrnaatllr
rnakof 0 to $200 weklr Hnl
toT"Vonfltlential Circular to
atncralAorntB,"niX"itlllng
Manual." Both fro.
K. C. IIOWE
707 It.rtf.rd Hid., CHICAGO
RIDER AQEHTS WANTED
in each town to ride and eihlMt lamplo
191a Bicycle. Writtftr tteitl t'fftr.
We Ship on Approval -wttheut a tent
dtftiit, allow 10 DAYS FREE TRIAL
and frtfiay frttght on crcry Mcycle.
FACTORY PnlCCBonblcvcies.tlrea
and sundries. Do not buy tint! I you receive our cat
tioztiadcztnoux unAeariicHfet and marvfUut Jtiaffftr,
Tlroa. coaster Imke rear wheels, lamps, sundries, halfrictt,
MEAD CYCLE CO., Dept. Ci77 Chicago, III
afilfnislr
nBfo I l ft jltXlrii Hd I HilTm 4 3
LOW PRICES
for thU
handiomo
PENCE
lOOotheratrlM. Uanyolieatertlianwoo! allLrtlr. KorLnwof,
Churches, Parkf, eti. Wrlto for Pattern Dvolc and s pi-elaloftVr.
THE WARD FEHCC CO., Box 803 DECATUR, IHD.
RELIABLE SERVICES
of any kind and rioprmlnldo ndvlc, Information or
data on any subject ftirnfuliod nt, or from Welli
ngton. I). C, at nominal cost to you. Addnwi:
Government-Information Bureau,
Lock Box 603, Washington, D O
Rvrlo Pure-bred
OD DreeaS Chickens. Ducks
Clncse, Turkey, also Incubatora, Sup
plier, and collie Hogg. Send 4c for largo
Poultry book, Incubator Catalog, and
prlro IlKt. H. II. I1INJKEK, Uox 73,
Maukato, Minn.
LADY WANTED
To Introduce Dress Goods, Hdltls. and Petticoats. Make
110.00 to 130.00 weekly. Beit line lowest prices sold
through agents only. No money required. New prlie
Batirrns now reaclv. Samples and case frcr HftXIIAKD
KES3 OOOU.4 COMI'AXV, Vnk 4811, Illtucliataton, ,N. Y.
Asthma
HEMKDY tent on KltFI'. TIUAU It
It cures send SIM; il not. don't
GWe Kxpres Oflic. Kal'l Chcralf at
Company, BID Ohio Ac, HIiImt, 0.
FITS
oiher words you do not
pay our small proreemonai iea
ftffnrn ho cure ho pay-w
iinfll nttrtftn nnfl KAtlflftff. n.rmafl.
ArnrUaalnatituto,Q02 QrandAvo.,Kanaaa City, Ma.
Books, fitatlouory ami Sundries, send 2c In
rtampt for catalogue. Jno. A. Dalil A Co. 32t7
Potomac Avonuo, Chicago, 111., Department O
FAULTY METABOLISM
AS A COMMON CAUSE OF DISEASE,
it tbc subject discussed in Bulletin
No. 1 of tbc Sbafer Pathological
Laboratory. Tbc Dnllctin ii sent
free on request and will prove inter"
estint to ereryone in Pain and
Poor Health.
Address: John F. Shafer, M. 0.
214 PennAvc, Pittsburg, Pa.
NEW RUPTURE GURE
Don't Wear A Truss.
UmokB Appliance. New dis
covery. Wonderful. No obnox
Ioub springs or pads. Automatic
Air Cushions. JJImln nnd
druwH the broken parts
tojcetl'-er oh you would a
broken limb. Noualvw. No
lyinphol. No Ilea. Durable,
cheat . Sent on trial. TatSopt,
10,1001.
CATAL.OGUI5 FREE,
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STREET, Marshall, Mich.
J, .
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