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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 10, 1912)
4i .A l' "' .. A W HEROISM OF SEAMEN Records of the Navy Reveal Nu merous Instances. BRAVERY IN FACE OF DEATH How the Trenton's Band Played In Samoan Tempest Story of Sink ing of the War Sloop Oneida In Sea of Yeddo, Dy GEORGE CLINTON. Vn3hlngt0n. Stories havo been told of tho heroism of American and Urlt ish passengers and seamen at tho tlmo or tho wreck of tho great steam, ship Titanic. Tho navy departments of two countries have records to show that American and British discipline almost always has been maintained In times of troublo at sea. It is held sometimes thnt In tho faco of death supposedly bravo men turn cownrds and that occasionally tho supposed cowards turn bravo men. At my officers and naval otllcers In Washington say the records show that when the;iiprcme moment cornea al most all men or proper birth", upbring ing, and somo of them add "natron allty," provo themselves to bo mado of tho right stult. In tho archives of tho navy there aro stories of hero ism which infrequently seo tho light. Tho Diindsmen or the Titanic went down to death playing. When the tempest of 1888 struck the Samoan coast and tho wreck of tho American man-of-war Trenton, Cnptaln Furquhar commanding, was Imminent, the mem bers of tho Bhip's band took to tho rigging of tho old wooden ship and wore lashed thero by tho sailors. Tho bandsmen played tho "Star Spangled llanner" and tho music was heard abovo tho storm, heartening tho sail ors who were battling with death. Heroism of Oneida's Crew. Tho story of the sinking of the Brit ish troopship with tho soldiers drawn up In lines upon tho deck and going to death unflinchingly and In parade formation, Is known to every school boy of whatever land. How many are thero who know that this act of hero Ism has a parallel in tho deeds of tho officers and crow of an American man-of-wnr? In January of tho year 187U tho United States steam sloop-of-war Oneida went to tho bottom of tho Sea of Yeddo carrying with her twenty four ofllcers and 152 men. It was a dark, foggy night. Suddenly out or the gloom loomed the prow ot a great steamer. Before oven the discipline of tho man-of-war could do anything to avert a disaster the stem of the ap proaching stoamer crushed into the stern of tho Oneida and carried away its whole quarter. For a reason unex plained to this day tho vessel which struck tho Oneida, and which after ward was found to bo tho British steamship Bombay, did not stand by to learn tho results of the collision or to offer needful aid. A largo number of tho Oneida's boats were smashed In tho collision and made useless. In tho boats that were left thero was room for only thirty men. These boats wero low ered, and then Capt. E. P. Williams ordered tho sick brought upJrorn bo low. These men wcro placed in ttio uninjured boats, completely filling them. Captain Williams then ordered tho surgeon to go with tho Invalids. Ho demurred, saying that ho prererred to stay by tho ships. "Your placo is there, doctor," said Captain Williams; "inino Is hero. 1 order you to go." Tho surgeon took his place In ono of tho boats and cast off, tho con valescents acting as oarsmen. Captain Williams and his ofllcers went to the bridge Below them stood tho men In groups, calm and motionless. The sick stood by In their boats and saw the last scene of that tragedy at sea. Tho ship's lamps threw a faint light upon the bridgo and over tho for ward deck. Tho Oneida slowly set tled. Soon Us docks wcro awash. Thero was one last throb of the en gines, a trembling of tho whole ship's structure, and tho sea claimed 176 gallant American souls. Wo Successor to Butt. President Taft does not, Intend n present to appoint a personal military aid to succeed MaJ. Archi bald W. Butt, who went down to his death In tho sea at tho time of tho Titanic dlsastor. It Is Mr. Taft's Intention to call on one of several young army ofllcers or .naval officers from tlmo to tlmo for service. It may bo that later he will choose one per sonal atdo who will accompany him constantly as did Major Butt, but for somo tlmo yet tho duties of military aldo to the president or tho United States will bo divided. Aa as been told boforo In these dis patches from Washington. President Taft has said his word of apprecia tion of the services and manhood ot Major Butt, 'it also has been told how keenly tho loss of tho army officer hns been felt among all rankB, military nnd civil, in tho capital. The proba bilities aro that n monument: will bo erected to tho major's memory, but ho will bo only one of those whoso brav ory In tho last hours will bo so com memorated. If congress appropriates monoy for tho mcmorlnl, It will bo to raise a shaft In liouor of all bravo men who, with Major Butt, stayed on tho deck of the Titanic loyal to duty nnd to American tradition and gavo up their lives that others might live. Odd Psychological Condition. For days In Washington thoro wqb a curious condition; some porsons probably would call It a psychological condition. No ono believed that Ma jor Butt would be found among those survivors who found refugo In tho life boats. Tho only hopo for his safety held by men who know him and know army traditions, was that ho might havo been picked up after tho ship had gono down. Nelth6r did any man believe thnt Archibald Oracle, who was a follow passenger with Major Butt on tho Titanic, would bo found among those saved except undor tho samo chanco of rcscuo that others would havo after tho steamship bad gono down. Archibald W. Butt was not a West Pointer. Archibald Oracle Is not a graduato of West Point, but ho was at tho academy for somo years and his father was a graduato of tho year 1854. Army men knew Butt and know Grade, nnd when tho nows came that Grade was saved somo of his friends wcro glad In a way and deeply sorry In nnother way. Tho first re port had it that Grade had a placo In ono of tho lifeboats with tho wom en nnd chlldron, and somo few men believed this report. Relieved by the Truth. When tho story came of tho way In which Oracle's life n3 saved Wash ington residents, army and civilian, wcro relieved. Ho wns saved by ono of those rare "accidents of chance" which ono finds In Clark HusseU's sea tales Grade stood with tho men while tho women wero saved and, like Butt, faced willingly what seemed cer tain death. After It was learned thnt Archibald Graclo had been saved somo army mon who did not know him shook their .heads, but seemed willing to wait un til news came which might clear tho matter up. There are West Point classmates of Grade's In Washington who In the face of tho story that ho was In a lifeboat with the women and children stuck to their faith in him. At tho Metropolitan club the matter was under discussion. A brlgrfdlor general who was at West Point wltr Graclo said: "Walt, ho was bred game and he Is game; he'll come out of this squarely." Archie Butt was well known In Washington In both army and civilian service. Grade was less well known. but It was tho feeling In tho service that the spirit of tho soldier In both men would sustain them In manifest duty. Mon wanted both Butt and Graclo to dlo rather than to learn that cither had been saved at the expense of a fellow being. Grade's rescue was of tho miracle kind and has apparently nothing about It to show that ho did not llvo up tho best army traditions. Many Capital Fans. Congress takes a deep Interest In base,baK that is not represent ee1 alone by an effort to Investi gate so-called baseball trusts. Thero aro fans In" tho senato and fans In tho house nnd, to get away from congress, there are fans In tho Whlto House and In all the departments of government President Taft Is a fan and frequently attends the ball games on the grounds of tho Washington American Leaguo club. Tho greatest fan in Washington is tho vice president of tho United States, James S. Sherman. Ho has been missing somo games this year because ho has had to miss them, not becnuso ho wanted to. Last year ho attended nearly every game that was played on" tho baseball grounds. Senators Smith and Townsend ot Michigan and Senator Culberson ot Texas aro fans of high degree. Thero is in baseball a hit which Is known ns a "Texas leaguer" which Is a base bit rather of tho pop fly naturo which lands Just bnck of one ot the basemen too far In tho rear for him to get It and too far to tho front for an out fielder to get It. It Is not much of a hit for length or strength, but It Is safe Senator Culberson does not like tho name Texas leguer as applied to this hit. Ho says the state of Texas is so big that homo runs can bo made thero without danger that the ball will fall outside tho state boundaries, and that moreover Texans believe in long, hard drives. He wants some one to account for tho name Texas leaguer as applied to this safe but compara tively feeble hit. Vreeland's Wonderful Scoring. Representative Vreeland of New York state Is a banker and a baseball fan. Ho goes to every game which It Is possible for him to attend without interfering with his house duties. Mr. Vreeland was a member of tho groat monetnry commission which framed the currency reform bill which Is now ponding before congress. He knows figures and finance ns he knows his baseball. It Is said that the score card which he keeps Is a marvel, be ing a detailed account of the game covering many moro points than the official scorers ever think of putting down. Representative Nicholas Longworth of Ohio, who is a son-in-law of former President Theodore Roosevelt, Is an other of tho house baheball fans. Whon thero are no pressing legisla tive da-tlz-Mr. Longworth leaves his seat lnrj'yyort of nonchalant way Tibout thrco o'clock In ihe afternoon and saunters out Into the corridor. As soon as ho gejs up It Is noticed that a good many fellow members rise from their seats and saunter down tho aisles In equally nonchalant manner. It might bo supposed that this goodly company was simply going out Into tho corridor to get a drink of water Tho Illusion Is lost, though, whon the corridor Is reached. They strcnk It for a car which goes to tho corner of Florida avenue nnd Seventh street, and the rest of tho afternoon they spend wntchlng tho greatest gamo the sun over looked on. Its Characteristics, "Tho principal characters In that play are a baby and a horse." "That dramatist Is evidently doing things with mite and mane." nam &- - FARM D-ftc Mttm &r r wy BK&V Screen alfalfa seed. Destroy the little weeds. Good dntrymon koop no dogs. Horses can be pastured on alfalfa. Tho right kind of seed Is half tho crop. Kill tho small woods and thero will bo no big ones. Chicks rnlsed In brooders aro not bothered with llco. Grass was never moro welcorao to cows than this spring. Broiler prices are somowhat better than they wero last month. It la well to assume -when chickens aro dying that tho disease Is conta gious. Put a slatted frame over tho drink ing trough and tho water will be kept cleaner. The early spring chicken catches the good price. Raise early spring chickens. Plant good seeds. Poor seeds are dear, no difference what price you pay for them. Got the incubntor at work on tho broiler crop as early as possible. De lay means loss. No Incubator can mako good hatches from poor eggs, that is, those lacking In fertility. Moro Incubator hatches are spoiled by the anxiety of the operator than from any other one cause. Lard, vaseline and enough sulphur to mako a pasto makes a good rem edy for sorehead In chicks. Vegetables delight In having a warm, deep, iich and mellow soil, and will pay generously for tho privilege. Lice feed on tho young chickens that is ono great reason that they fall to make tho growth they should. Carefulness In dressing poulCry pays for the extra pains taken. Tho pin fenthers must all be removed. Thero Is genuine satisfaction In own ing thoroughbred stock and thoy cost no moro to feed. Go In for tho best. Worry along without a trap nest, but keep your eyes open for tho best layers, and set their eggs next spring. A little ground charcoal mixed with tho chicks' feed now and then will help keep away digestive troubles. Three rules for success in garden ing are: Freedom from weeds, thin ning out, and keeping tho ground mel low. With reasonably good seed and a fairly well prepared seed bed, about 20 pounds of alfalfa seed Is required per acre. It Is claimed by somo onion grow ers that carbolic ncld omulslon gives satisfactory results in lighting the onion maggot. Nltrato of soda Is tho most quickly available source of nitrogen for plants, but buyers should stoer clear of low grade nltrato. Crimson clover makes fairly good ensilage, but, llko all plants rich In pro tein, It develops a strong and rather objectionable odor. Government reports state thnt moro up-to-dato agricultural machinery has been ROld tho Inst ton years than dur ing any previous ten yearn. It Is not snfo to pasture either cat tle or sheep on alfalfa, as they aro li able to bloat when It Is fed green. Feed them tho hay or practice soiling. As the price of land Increases tho 'ondltlon a', '.he mancer of farming must change, provided, of' course, ono has to moire Interost on tho money vnluo of tho lnnd. Tho young chicks which nro to mako our winter inyers should bo hatched from the mlddlo of March to tho mlddlo of May, depending on tho breed. Whon a man does not mind tho bleat of a sheep that wants moro feed, salt or wator ho haB not tho truo spirit or tho shepherd'. Neither Is ho wor.thy of tho namo of shophord If ho does not do at once those things which should bo nttended to, but says ho will do them tomorrow or some other day. '" Tl 7 KUfpt: -L. If VV Alfalfa ts a poronnlal. A puro bred bull Is best. Mongrel fowls nro cxpenslvo. Light In tho barn Is cssontlal. Horses with tender foot need much attention. Tho wheel hoo saves a lot of back breaking hoeing. Good roads lncrcaso values becauso they mako values. Good pasturo Is Invaluablo In grow ing pigs successfully. Cut strnw Is tho best for bedding, If you snvo tho manure. If zinc Is burned with tho coal It will clear tho chimney of soot. Aro tho plow-lays sharp, and all tho tools In llrst-clnss Hhapo? Two litters of pigs a year la nbout what tho best sows will do. Ho that abusoth his coltB mny ex pect to be kicked by his horses. Sifted coal ashes aro better than plaster for tho striped squash bug. Jerking tho bit and yelling confuse a horso and advertise a blockhead. Out-buIldlngs, unpnlntcd fencos nnd rubbish heaps may bo hidden behind vines. t Equal partR of corn and oats nro hard to excel as a grain feed for sheep. Provide plenty of puro wator, sun shine, range and green forago crops for sheep. A flock that gots bono meal and oy ster shell will have few cases of leg weakness. Look out for the yearling colts. Don't lot them got a setbnek ns spring approaches. Soro mouth will sometimes attack sheep In pens and run through tho entire flock. During an extra cold Bpell of weather add a little corn to tho sow's grain ration. Small seeds nnd finely cracked grain are a better feed for tho small chick than wet mashes. Never breed a nervous, hlgh-Btrung sow Hint Is ready to Jump and run at tho drop of a hat. Tho fewer sows kept together dur ing tho breeding season and until far rowing time, tho bettor. Of all fowls ducks aro tho easiest to raise. Tho egga aro moro fertllo than tlioso of any other fowl. Cold weather is not much of a detri ment to chickens, providing it Is dry cold nnd tho ntmosphoro pure. Tho geeso should bo laying nt thcii best now, and this is, also, tho month In which turkeys begin to lay. For tho majority of vegetables, soil of a sandy nnturo ia best, provided thero Is a good sub-soil for drainage. If all tho Implements woro cleaned nnd painted lust fall, a groat deal ot tlmo will bo saved when you muBt "get busy." A good way to disinfect a broodcT is to open it wide, tako out tho hover and let the sun get at the lnsldo through tho day'. Making the drinking water slightly red with pcrmnngnnnto of potash has often been found to prevent tho aprcuding of roup. Poultry mnnure should be partially dried beforo storing in order to pro vent fermentation netting in, thus avoiding tho escnpo of tho ammonia. There Is no bettor or cheaper wny of growing hogs than to pasture them on alfalfa. Ono acre will furnish pas turage for from ten to twenty hogs per season. An old horseman says thnt tho chlet causo of colic in horses, or the causo of the largest per cent or tlieRO cases, Is brought through long abstinence from water. Men of moderato meons should start Hie improvement of their cattle through the purchnso of a pure brod bull and gradually grow Into tho breeding of puro bred animals. No one can afford to raise pigs that refuse to fatten or Unit aro frequently oft feed. In this case the correction may often bo made beforo the pigs nr farrowed. It Is very apt to lio with tho handling of tho brood sow. To mako alfalfa hny cut In tho fore noon nnd. lot It wilt; then rake Into windrowH. It should be cured In windrows nnd cocks, and stacked nnd put In barns with as little handling as possible before the vnluablo loaves becomo too dry nnd brittle. Tho garden with a row of trees or somo shrubbery nlong the north will bo somo days earlier In the spring but in dry' countries this cnrllnoss may bo paid for later. Trees along tho edgo of a garden are apt to sap the mois ture for a long dtstnnco on cither Bldo. 'PRUNING AND TRAINING OF GRAPE VINES OF IMPORTANCE No Other Fruit-Bearing Plant Responds So Gonerously to Attention, Adjusts Itself to Conditions, or Is Used ibr So Many Varieties of Purposes Many Methods of Grafting. (By QEOUan C. HUSMAN.) By nnturo tho grnpevino Is a great rnmblor. Forms of it nro found In our woods striving to overtop tho tall est treos, and slnglo planto over spread large areas. Again, other forms nro grown as moro bushes, two or tlirco feot high, producing crops ranging from 1V6 to 22 tons of fruit to tho ncro. No other frult-bcaring plnnt responds so generously to atten tion, ndjimta Itself to so ninny condi tions, or la used for such a vnrloty of purposes. For theso reasons Jts cul ture has nlwayB kopt paco with civil isation. Grnpes aro often grown on Bolls too poor for other purposes. Nntlvo species of tho grnpo aro found In nearly all parts of tho world, nnd no country In blessed with n greater number of them than our own. It Is theroforo reasonable to concludo that grapes can bo successfully grown nl most overywhoro In this country, re sults with them depending largely upon tho selection of varieties of tho species suited to tho respective condi tions. In ordinary practlco grapovlnes aro propagated from socd, from cuttings, by layering or by grafting. For orlg- 1. Pruning Grapevlno Roots Ready for Planting. 2. Vines Grafted Ac cording to the Cleft-Graft Method, at tho Left With Two Scions, at the Right With One Scion. inntlng new varieties, Boedllngs must of course bo used. Tho Individual seedlings differ so widely thnt they aro seldom used by tho Intelligent planter even for grafting stock. Thoro aro many Bo-called mothodB of grafting. Tho mechanical opera tions performed nro similar and tho underlying principles aro tho Bamo, tho essential difference being tho placo whoro tho 'work Is done ns im plied by tho names bench, nursery nnd vineyard grafting. Bench grafting is dono on benches pr tnblcs, usually Indoors during win ter. Tho grafting of vines growing In tho nursery Is callod nursery grafting. Rooted cuttings of other varieties nro grafted in tho nurBory nnd tho result ing vines planted In tho vineyard. In vineyard grafting tho vines growing whero thoy nro to remain nro grnftod. In cleft grafting, tho vlnoB nro cut off nt a smooth placo near and profor hbly n llttlo nbovo tho aurfaco of tho ground, unless it is desired to havo I tho grafts establish thomsolvoB on their own roots, as It mnkcB th,o re moval of wator sprouts nnd roots Btartlng from tho scion much easier and lessens tho dnngor of Injuring tho scion beforo it Is thoroughly knitted to tho stock. To pruno intelligently, tho nge, bIzo nnd condition of tho plnnt, tho loca- Vines Growing In Vineyard the First Year, Showing Single Shoota Tied to Stakes. tlon, cllmato, soil and other fontures of Ub environment, and tho principles governing its life must bo considered. ' A statement or somo of tho moro Important ot theso life principles fol lows; The sap flows with grcatoBt forco to tho outer oxtremltles; tho moro upright a branch Is, tho moro sap flows into it; tho sap when abund ant and actlvo produces wood; tho moro abundant tho flow of sap, the Unpruned and Pruned Vines, 8howlng the Method of Training by the Modi fied Munson System. larger and later tho fruit; tho ascend ing sap grows richer tho farther It flows; checking tho flow of sap makes tho plant bear earllor und produces moro nnd richer fruit. Tho vino usu ally bonrs Its fruit on now shoots growing from the wood ot tho pre- vlous year. Tho tJmo for pruning ia in wlntor, when tho vinos aro dor mant Thoy should not bo cut when frozen or whllo tho Bap is flowing rapidly. Summer pruning is practiced on tho young growth to rogulato tho quantity of fruit and the shnpo of the plant. In pruning, ono or moro of tho fol lowing objects nro usunlly nccom- Grafts Ready for Healing In. pllshod: Parts of plants removed, re nowod, promoted or retarded; wound ed nnd diseased plants cured; tho shnpo nnd habits of plants modified; the slzo and quantity of tho fruit In creased or dlmlntshod; tho quality ot tho fruit improved; tho fruit mado to ripen earlier or later; a regular suc cession of fruit secured; nnd tho spraying, training, cultivation nnd gathering of fruit facilitated. Around tho city homos, whoro there la only room for n fow vinos, grapes aro ofton trained on porchea, fences, outbuildings, trees, nrbors nnd stumps. In vineyard practlco somo growers uso only n atako or post, and others usn oxtcnBlvo systems of training tho vines. Tho spur, tho fnn, tho four-arm sys tem, tho two-arm knlflln, tho Munson, umbrolln, overhead nnd enno systcma nro a few of tho mnny methods of training adopted by vlnoynrdlsts. Tho( writer considers tho Munson system of training tho best all-round Bystom for uso in localities -whoro rains and storms occur during tho growing senson. It protects tho fruit and plnccB it in tho most advantageous Vines Headed Back for Different Sys tems of Training; A, the Spur and Fan Systems; B, tho Four-Arm Re newal System; C, the Two-Arm Knlffln, Munson, Umbrella and Over head Systems; D, a Pruned Vine In Its Fifth Year, Showing the Method of Training by tho Cane System. nurroundlnga for tho best results. It mnkos . practicable, and . facilitates spraying for fungous diseases nnd in sect posts nnd, after tho original out lay for tho trollls hns been incurred, lessens tho cost of nil opernttona and makes them easy and pleasant. In Callfornit tiolllsos aro compara tively rare. Stakes only nro used. Theso give tho vines tho necessary support and allow tho vineyard to bo cultivated crosswlso as well as length wise SECURE HEALTHY PLANT GROWTH Proper Regulation of Moisture la Groutoat Fuctor-Gtve Water Only When Needed. Proper regulation or molsturo Is tho": greatest factor in securing healthy' plant growth. Whilo plants can with stand great oxtromes In tempornturo,, corresponding extremes In molsturo will Burely tend to ruin If not kill oven the strongest. Wator should be given only when, needed, and then in such copious' quantities that the soil 1b thoroughly soaked. Whon potting plants spaco should always bo left at tho top ror pouring in water. An inch and a half will BUfllCO. Consider tho kind or plant you aro wnterlng. Sort-stemmed kinds, espe cially thoso with largo leaves, will ro qulro much moro water than hard wooded, Blow-growing klnda. While tho former easily recover rrom drought, tho hard-wooded Buffer per manently from extremes. Tho chnractor or tho soil should al so regulate watering. Heavy clay soils sour easily, whllo very light loam aolls dry out quickly, nnd unless euro fully wntcbed plants In them will wilt. In elthor caso It Is better to water thoroughly nnd lesu frequently than to water sparingly and often. Tho Boasonn and tlmo of day should also bo watched. Plants not In nctlvo growth Bhould bo watored sparingly until they have regained their foliago. Watering In tho ovoning Just bet'oro dnrk greatly nlds fungous dlsoases.'as tho foliago remains wet through the night. Curing Lemons. Curing lemons in the Bweathoupea by exhaust from gasollno englnoa In stead of by coal oil stoves is being tried In California. ' 2 jKreSiz AjinSwv ;2Jjfti& .3355S&
