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About The Alliance herald. (Alliance, Box Butte County, Neb.) 1902-1922 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1917)
Official Organ Nebraska Stock Growers Association and Nebraska State Volunteer Firemen's Association 16 Pages 2 Sections Leading Newspaper of Western NEBRASKA The Alliance Herald Tell 'm You Saw it in The Herald VOLUME XXIV ALLIANCE, BOX BUTTE COUNTY. NEBRASKA, NOVEMBER 1, 1917 NUMBER 48 CAR SHORTAGE HURTSPOTATOES LACK OF SUFFICIENT TRANS PORTATION AFFECTS POTATO MARKET unsettled. The inquiry was light nnd there was a tendency on the part of the trade to hold back. Thursday the market was weaker and the price fell off a little. Friday the market was about unchanged. NEED REFRIGERATOR CARS One Hundred Thousand Bushels in Box Butte County Should Be Re moved From Field Pit The potato market over the entire United States is being seriously af fected by the shortage of freight cars in which to move the spuds to mar ket. In Box Butte county alone over one hundred thousand bushels of po tatoes are lying in the fields, pro tected only by coverings of paper, straw and earth. These spuds must be moved quickly or they will all be lost. The storage bins and cellars im the county are packed to capacity an dhave no room for more. Box Butte and Sheridan county farmers, in the potato districts, must immediately begin to build storage cellars on their farms if they want to save future crops, says a well known potato expert. It is too late now to build the cellars for this year's crop, but future crops should be cared for by work done now. Saturday morning the special com mittee appointed at the Community Club meeting Friday night, consist ing of Charles Brittain, A. T. Lunn and Lloyd Thomas, accompanied by a number of potato men, called at Burlington headquarters to see what could be done towards securing one hundred and seventy-five refrigera tor cars to move the potatoes which are lying out in the fields in these "pits". The committee was very courteously received by General Superintendent Young and Superin tendent Weidenhamer, both of whom are putting forth every effort to as sist in saving these spuds. Definite results are expected very shortly. The North Platte valley irrigated district is, according to reports, In very serious shape also. They have asked for seven hundred cars in which to move their spuds. They have also appealed to the state food director and other authorities in their effert to get relief. Some Alliance and Hemingford shippers are endeavoring to get their spuds to the eastern markets by using box cars which they are lining with boards and heavy paper, leaving spaces between the car floors and wallB for warm air from the stoves which are placed therein to circulate. It is necessary for a caretaker to ac company the cars to see that the stoves are kept going. The railroad company returns the car without charge to the shipper. Report From Other Districts The following reports on the potato situation are taken from the Kansas City Packer of last week: Denver. Have had sold weather all through the potato sections of Colorado and Idaho. Considerable damage iB shown in stock dug and which was left in field, but don't think much damage has been done to stock in the ground. The car situa tion is critical. There are absolutely no cars for potato loading in North ern Colorado or Idaho and very few on the Western Slope. Greeley, Colo. We estimate the freeze caught 30 per cent of potatoes undug, or about 2,500 car loads in the Greeley section, of which 10 per rent are frosted. Weather condi tions are now favorable and by Satur day, October 27, harvesting will be finished. Palisade, Colo. Practically no damage has been done to potatoes in the Grand Valley by frost. Alliance, Neb. It is impossible to tell accurately the amount of damage to Western Nebraska potatoes from frost, but the loss Is very small, due to the fact that most of the crop was already harvested. Telephone mes sages to growers this week elicited the information that not more than 15 per cent of the crop was left in the ground when the freeze came. Many were covered well and not more than one-third of these were frozen. The total loss from freezing will not be more than 5 per cent of the total crop this season. Boise, Ida. Have had only a very light freeze in Southwestern Idaho and potatoes were not damaged. Eastern Idaho has had a heavy freeze with the estimated damage to pota toes fully 15 per cent. Southern Idaho is threatened with heavy loss through possible freezing of potatoes because of inability to se cure freight cars for their transpor tation, according to telegrams sent this week to the Food Administration in Washington, asking that steps be taken to relieve the situation. WOULD ESTABLISH POTATO EXCHAN6E Nearly One Hundred Attend Smoker of Alliance Community Club Friday Evening The establishment of a potato ex change at Alliance, for the purpose of getting the producer and the buyer together, was recommended by a number of people interested in the potato industry, at the Community Club smoker held at the city hall Friday evening. The idea would ln- liningB 'elude the renting of a room with wall blackboards on which quotations and bales would be posted; the charging of a membership tee to pay the ex penses; the establishment of an offi cial scales; and other things of bene- Kansas City. According to tele- j tit to the potato industry. Mr. Justison of the Nebraska fo lato Company was the first one to spring the idea on the packed and interested gathering in the city hall. He was backing up the plan proposed by the traveling men of Alliance sev eral months ago when they recom mended, by resolutions presented to the County Commissioners and the Community Club, that a potato and bean exchange be established. S. W. OVER THE TOP graphic advices to The Parker this week, the cold wave a few days ago, accompanied by freezing weather, caused quite a little damage to po tatoes which were not under cover at the time. The principal damags seems to have been felt in the Rocky Mountains, although field frost is showing up to some extent in North ern potatoes. Reports from Colo rado are to the effect that a good ton Uhrlng, of Hemingford, county commissioner, told of the appoint ment of a county road superinten dent by the board of county commis sioners. The hotel proposition was then taken up. Secretary Fisher read two letters from the Nebraska Hotel Company of Lincoln who proposed that local capital to the amount of $50,000 be subscribed for stock in their organization, after which they would build a hotel. After the let ters were read and their contents dis cussed by several, opinion seemed unanimous that the city needed a hotel but that it should be financed and built by local people, rather than by an outside company. J. W. Mil ler, proprietor of the Alliance Hotel, made a short talk in which he stated that if given only part of the assist ance asked by the outside company, he would build a one hundred and twenty room building and operate it himself, control to remain at home. The serious shortage of potato cars and the consequent jeopardizing of the potatoes which are lying out in the fields, covered with dirt, was the subject of much discussion. On mo tion, a committee was appointed to bring the matter forcibly to the at tention of the railroads and govern ment officials, if necessary, in order to secure relief, if possible. The committee consisted of Charles Brit tain, Lloyd Thomas and A. T. Lunn. Potato buyers and commission men were asked to assist the committee in every possible way. J. W. Guthrie spoke strongly in support of the Liberty Bond cam paign and urged that all those who were present and who had not sub scribed to do so at once and that all give of their time on Saturday to the campaign. Mr. Guthrie and others took an active part in the Liberty Bond campaign. At the close of the business ses sion refreshments were served by the I, nil. 's in the Fire Department club rooms. The refreshments were de licious and the ladies were given a vote of thanks. The local patriotic spirit was much in evidence and pre sages much for the public welfare of the city. many apples on the Western Slope Thompson, the live-wire good roads not yet harvested have been lost, but booster, was the prime mover back potato operators in that state Bay the of the idea. loss in these is not very heavy. ) Mr. Justison slated that the grad- The car situation is serious at this, ing of potatoes from this district was writing. Neither Northern nor West- a prime necessity. That frequently em shippers can get enough rolling I from fifty to two hundred bushels of stock to carry crops to market. A small potatoes culls are Borted wire from Denver says there are no cars in Northern Colorado or Idaho and few on the Western Slope of Colorado. from carloads when shipped to mar kets in Kansas City, Chicago, or other points. This holds the price of western Nebraska potatoes down I when, on account of their quality, Minneapolis. There has been some ' tney should bring more money than damage to potatoes in the North from i Uiey do now. field frost within the last two or three weeks, more loss being shown in the Red River Valley than in the sand land sections. Temperatures reached 12 degrees Monday night but snow protected what, potatoes were still in the ground. Operators are refusing to take frosted stock until it has been sorted. Potato shoppers say the car situa tions is serious. The roads operating in the principal districts are furnish ing only a very few or no refrigerator cars. Box cars also are scarce and the shippers in using these cars are doing it at their own risk. The rail roads are also asking that the ship pers load the cars so heavily that it makes it almost impossible to use stoves for heating. The railroads are promising no Immediate relief from tbe present situation. The car short age is retarding the movement of the potato crop from tbe Northern states to such an extent that considerable loss may result unless a solution of the difficulty is found. It la a gen eral opinion among the operators that tbe present prices are due to some extent to the car situation. The market early in the week opened firm, with demand strong from the outside. Monday and Tues day sacked white stock was bringing $2.25 to 12. SO per cwt. and Ohio's $2 40 to $2.45 at loading stations. Wednesday the market was a little In the loading and unloading of freight cars he adds capacity to tbe freight cars of the country. Danger of serious car shortages can be re duced. Cars ought to be loaded to capacity so long as the abnormal de mand for shipping facilities con tinues. Where cars carry but half u load the efficiency of the railroads is destroyed. Co-operation between shippers and railroads will lessen the burden of the roads and add to the effectiveness of our part In the world war. Salt Lake City Herald. CORPORAL LIEDTKE WRITES A LETTER Former Alliance Boy, Now at Camp Greene, N. C, Writes to E. G. Idling at Alliance Corporal J. M. Liedtke, former Alliance railroad man, now a mem ber of Battery F, 146th Field Artil lery, Camp Greene, North Carolina, recently write a very interesting let ter to E. G. Laing of Alliance. Friends of Corporal Liedtke in this city will read his letter with much interest. It is as follows: Camp Geene, N. C, Oct. 16, 1917. Friend Burt: A few months ago 1 happened to be in your store when a recruiting officer made some patriotic sugges tions to me, which were awful hard for me to disregard. As evidence of the veracity of the above statement 1 need only to call your uttention to the post mark on the envelope. So here in an atmosphere of cigarette smoke, rookie quartettes and boxing bouths. 1 am trying to concentrate my hind on some things that would interest you, knowing that you have had service in the army of the Stars and Stripes. The noise Ib all new to me, but I like it fine. Now. what do you think about that. I enlisted at Billings the 17th of July; was sent to Spokane and after a delay of two weeks on account of not having my father's citizenship papers, I enlisted in the Never before in history has the j Spokane Battery of Field Artillery, LOAD CARS TO CAPACITY AND KEEP THEM MOVING numerate the other articles of food hat went with the corned beef and uard tack, towlt : coffee, black and aweet, beans and tomatoes, and a mall portion of good butter. Our battery just left for the hospital to got shot, as previously mentioned. I lie stable sergeant, myself and squad were left to guard our equip ment. Myself and one man are sta tioned in the kitchen and dining room and since 1 have finished do ing things to a nice double-deck roast beef sandwich I will endeavor to pro ceed, etc. At Spokane we had three old run ning gears for caissons and guns nnd at the commands, action front, lim bers front and rear, cannoneers post, etc., we brow-beat those old running gears into submission and pointed them toward the east In the direction of the kaiser and it looked so foolish, but this morning we had the privi lege of seeing a whole battalion of artillery string over the hill toward the range for practice. We have only been here about 2.4 hours but since our arrival a whole lot of new frame structures have come into existence, llko so many mushroons, on the hill across from our street. All these things seem to prove to me that Uncle Sam Is not so slow and that when he puts his shoulder to tbe wheel something's going to move. As I sit here writing and listening to the sound of artillery practice three miles away I feel sure that the sequel of It all Is going to be the downfall of that Hohensollern dynasty and the reduction of William from Kaiser to buck private in the rear rank. I feel the cold determination of every loyal American aa expressed by our President when he said, "The time has come when we must conquer or submit. There is one choice for us. We have made it." Would like to be with the Alliance boys, but we can't have our own way about everything and I am getting along fine. If you know of any of my friends at Camp Greene let me know and I will look them up. Kind regards to Mrs. Laing, Gene and Verna, and the boys. Very truly yours for a captured Kaiser, dead or alive. CORP. J. M. LEIDTKE, Battery F, 146th Field Artillery, Camp Greene, N. C. COAL PROGRAM OF FDEL ADMINISTRATION Administration to Give Railroads Adequate Supply of Fuel to Prevent Tieup FEATURES POT ASH INDUSTRY MTATE JOURNAL DEVOTES NEAR LIT PAGE TO WRITE-UP OF POTASH DISTRICT WRITER HERE WEEK A60 Interest in Potash Fields of Nebraska Increases Known All Over United State Washington. The Fuel Adminis tration is giving immediate consid eration to the problem of dlstribu-'ed by Metz brewing Interest of Oma A week ago Sunduy, H. T. Dob bins, feature writer on the Lincoln State Journal, one of the leading daily newspapers of Nebraska, and the favorite in many homes, visited Alliance and it potash district In search for information regarding tbe potash Industry. Mr. Dobbins met a number of men who are well posted on the potash situation. The result of hia trip here was an illustrated article, occupying nearly a page, in the Sunday oJurnal of October 28th. The article written by Mr. Dob bins was, in, part, aa follows: Companies Now Operating Potash Reduction Company, Hoff land. Takes brine from Jesse lake. Eight men interested, all now resid ing in Omaha. Producing approxi mately 100 tons per day. Soon to produce 200 tons. Nebraska Potash Company, Antl och. Financed principally by Colo rado capital. Small amount of stock held by Alliance people. Takes brine from Palmer lake. Produces approx imately eighty tons of salts per day. American Potash Company, Anti ocb. Financed by English and others of Omaha. Takes brine from Krauss lakes exclusively. Ed Marks inter ested in It. Produces about ninety tonB per day. Alliance Potash Company, Antioch. Recently organized and plant now building. Financed by Alliance cap ital. Will take brine from Krause lakes owned by another Krauss brother in Wisconsin. Hord Alkali Products Company, Lakeside. Takes brine from lakes on ranch land owned by Hord Interests. Financed by Hord and associates. Produces about eighty tons per day. Proposed Potash Companies Burns A Morrisey of Colorado Springs, Colo., have leases on strong lakes north of Antioch. Plan to build at Antioch soon. Haynes A O'Brien of Omaha bare leases on lakes south of Lakeside, on Berk ranches. Supposed to be back- tion. The program is briefly as fol lows: 1. To provide an adequate and regular supply of fuel to the rail roads, which is in?dicat"d by the order issued in connection with fuel supply of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which has been extended to include the Baltimore & Ohio Railway, and will shortly be applied to other roads as obviously the railroads cannot be expected to move the enormous amount of freight which they must handle, unless they are provided with ha. Brewery plant to be moved and made into potash plant. Richards & Comstock may build plant on Spade ranch north of Ells worth. Bunch of lakes south of Alliance on Sturgeon, Graham and other ranches. New plant may build at Alliance to use water from these lakes, financed by Hofflnnd capital. The Romance of Potash The golden thread of romance runs through the story of the potash In dustry in Nsbrasks, which is pouring sufficient fuel with which to do so, a flood of dollars into the pockets of and it is in the interest of the con- several small groups of men, most servation of equipment that this sup- 1 of them residents of Omaha, some ply be obtained regularly from mines living in Central City and others In in close proximity to where the coal ' Denver. must be used. I in the wake of the industry three This will avoid the necessity as is ; new towns have sprung into being, now the practice, of holding several Two of these were mere dots on the George Neuswanger, county agri cultural agent, told of the necessity of properly caring for potatoes to keep them from Iosb by freezing. He told how that in Colorado, Indiana and other states every furm is pro vided with a potato pit, dug-out or cellar in which the potatoes are put to keep them from freezing. The potato show, to be held on November 15th and 16tb, was men tioned. Chairman J. S. Rhein, who proved a very capable presiding offi cer, mentioned the fact that the con vention meetings will be held in the court house court room and that C. A. Newberry had very graciously grant ed the use of the large second floor In his store building for display of potato machinery, of which there will be a large display. Secretary Fisher told of tbe need of action In order to get "on tbe map" with tbe federal aid roads and of the present condition of trans state roads leading to Alliance. Dr. George J. Hand, chairman of the "potash road" committee, told of the need of much work on the road lead ing to H off la nd, Antioch and Lake side. The doctor told of the work done by bis committee in getting this work lined up and suggested a good roads day. Others talked on the good orads proposition and there was a general volunteering when assist ance was asked for road woik. An- United States felt the need of her railroads and their equipment so much as today. The task assigned them in the conduct of this war is a big one. Without the undivided sup port of shippers throughout the coun try it will be difficult of fulfillment. The crops of this season are the which has since our arrival ut ( amp Greene been changed to Battery F, 146th Field Artillery. From Spokane we went to Walla Walla, Washing ton, and after staying there three weeks and being mustered into tbe federal army we left " for Camp Greene. After a very pleasant trip of greatest in history on account of in- seven nights and six days we are creased acreuge and stimulated pro- now at Camp Greene, squad tents duction. Under normal conditions, 1 pitched, straw ticks filled and ready they would tax the facilities of the for six shots in the arm and another roads. Producers and consumers examination, which will be the fourth alike count on the railroads to trans- for me. port these products from the point of production to the point of storage or consumption. Larger cropB mean increased demands for transporta tion. That is the smallest part of the service to be performed by the railroads for a country at war. Our transportation systems have yet another problem to meet In the movement of troops and supplies. The draft army, comprising 600,000 Yesterday was a busy day for all of us. We detrained at 7 a. m. and from then on we hit the ball all day, policing the grounds, picking up rocks, pulling up weeds and cotton plants, digging trenches and grub bing stumps. At Fort Wulla Walla, guard mount and retreat were done with field music, but here they are done with full military bands. Last night when mess blew we thousand cars of coal under load for fuel purposes. It will also eliminate the necessity of transporting coal from one district to another, which will result in a saving of both cars and motive power, of which the rail roads are short. It will further avoid confiscation of coal, which has been necessary in some instances in mop a year ago, while the other was evolved from out of the air just as a skilled magician whisks Into view ob jects out of nothingness. The new town is Hofflnnd. twelve miles east of Alliance. It is the site of the orig inal potash development plant, now operated by the Potash Reduction Company. There are probably 600 order to provide the railroads with J asonls in the town, which is a little men, will be moved by the railroads, were all dog tired, and although hun- Transportatlon of the regulars and gry, it was a corry looking mess kit the national guardsmen also is to be j line, the older heads somewhat re accomplished. The roads must han- sembled soldiers, but the high school die all of this business for the gov- ; boys and clerks looked awfully bum. ernment in addition to the commer- i You have no doubt heard of a lot of cial traffic essential to the welfare of j 111 tempered mutterings yourself In the country. It must be accomplish- similar lines and probably have been ed without additional equipment in-! guilty of some yourself. I know I asmuch as the government must also j wouldn't want the captain to hear commandeer railroad equipment un- i some of the things I said last night, der construction for use abroad. In Yes. our "Crack Troop of Artillery" view of these conditions we are bound ! looked pretty bad and felt bad, too, to admit that railroads are valuable , until, thanks to some superior officer, assets at this time. a big military band marched up from We ran see the Importance of keep- I somewhere In the dusk and surprised ing these cars moving st all times. I us with the sweet strains of Back They must do double duty If the rail roads are enabled to handle the In creased traffic, due to the entry of the United States Into the world war. Here Is where the shipper can per form a lasting service to the railroads and tbe nation. By avoiding delays Home in Tennessee. The music at once changed the gloom into glad ness and we marched into the mess hall and took our corned beef and hard tack with a smile. Not wlsh- suttlclent fuel. 2. When the adequate and regular supply of fuel has been accomplish ed, we expect to issue a rule confin ing coal cars to the coal trade, with such exceptions as are proven neces sary, and to compel the return of empty coal curs to the originating line. 3. The matter of preference In movement of coal cars, both loaded and empty, over other slow freight is receiving consideration, and it will undoubtedly be necessary to Issue a rule at an early date that preference Is to be given food and fuel. The situation today is the railroads are congested, and are unable to move to the market the coal which is offered them for transportation. This is due to the enormous amount of freight which they are called on to handle. We believe the program thus briefly outlined, when put into effect, will result In an increased car supply to the mine, and will accomplish an in creased production sufficient for nec essary requirement. SON-IN-LAW OF SWIFT ARRESTED IN CHICAGO Chicago. Count James Minotto, son-in-law of Louis V. Swift, presi dent of Swift A Co., (.ackers, has been arrested by federal authorities for alleged pro-German activity. The Count, who was married to Ida May Swltf about two years ago. at present Is at liberty In Chicago on Ing to leave you with the Impression la $50,000 bond signed by Lis father- that this is all we had to eat, I will in-law. over two years old. The townsite and all the houses in it belong to the company. Aside from the barracks the houses are all alike, looking for all the world as thOttgh cut out of gigantic sheets of cardooard. Antioch has been on the map longer, but a year ago all It contained was a store and two houses. Today it has 1,000 population, two banks, a newspaper, a theater and all the other appurtenances of municipali ties. Antioch architecture runs largely to the staff or cement cov ered. Tw oplants are in operation there and a third one is being built. Lakeside, still further to the east, and on the eastern edge of the potash area, is a symphony in yellow. It was originally the headquarters of the T. B. Hord ranch, which covers two whole townships. T. B. Hord, now dead, was worth a million, made in feeding cattle, banking and grain elevators. Yellow was always the Hord color. It is repeated every where on bis ranch in his buildings and on his old home at Central City. Hord left two children, a son, Heber Hord, and a daughter. Mrs. Will Richardson. Most of the town Is owned by the Hord heirs, but there, asln Antioch, several Lincoln men have Invested heavily in the small houses, which are architectural cous ins to the bouses in mining towns. Where Romance Enters Years ago Lawrence McCarty was a ranchman in the sand hills. In his youth he hsd studied chemistry, (Continued on Page 6)