-".nnWc
'"jW- "Uj-j
MANY NEBRASKA BOYS COM
PETED IN 1912.
533
S.H.KISER
3780 IN PRIZES' TO BE GIVEN
ffljWAIS
KNOWLEDGE
Winners In County Contests Will
Compete for Prizes In State
Contest
OS
GORN CONTEST
1 Airship Startles African Cave Dwellers 8
fin
' ' CrO-1 ' ' " - "
DOzrmaK a yizzjigj? or clzmbziyi? 2OGZozr7Z&
VIATION Iiiih undlhor feat
to ItH credit Flying High
over thn (InHortH of north
ern Afrlcu, a dlrlglblo bal
loon, ono of tho newest of
tliu wondurful Inventions
of man, Iiuh just afforded
nnothcr ultra-modern contrivance
tho camera Its first chnnce to snap
n group of dwellings iih old In stylo ns
any Hint innn over hullt for hlniRolf.
It vnn tho Italian dlrlglblo balloon
"P 2" that accompllshedho feat and
gave tho Italian Invaders of Tripoli
additional reason for putting them
selves f n tho back and fouling llko tho
vanguard of progress, VVhllo tho bal
loon hovered high over tho arid wasto
that Uis bade of thn Mediterranean
coast of northorn Africa, tho pho
tographer tralnod his camora on a lot
of holes In tho desert appurenty bur
rowed by animals. Instead of being
that, howovor, they woro all that was
visible of villages toemlng with hu
man beings, of troglodyte villages,
whose Inhabitants dig deep Into the
onrlli to find n homo Just as their
forefathers did Ihousandfl of yearn
ago, when tho dlrlglblo balloon and
tho camera and tho Italian nation
wero things undreamed of
TIiIh unique picture of underground
dwellings lakon from a point far up In
tho air by tho latest European visitor
to tho cavemen has arousod renewed
interest In theso African troglodytoB.
whom only a few travolers have ovor-
behold
This most rocent visitor sojourned
among tho cnvo-dwollora of Matmata,
hack of tho Mcdltorranoan coast of
Tuiiiula, and from theso struck still
further Inland to tho places whoro tho
"climbing troglodytes" -dwell and the
nomads of tho desert store their grain
and other valuables In storehouses
which, though built nbovo the ground,
aro fashioned exactly like tho under
ground lioinoa of their neighbors, thus
loading scientists to hollovo that
their ancestors burrowed Into tho
ground.
Curious, indeed, aro tho talos brought
back by this latest advonturer Into tho
land of tho troglodytes. Whon ho ap
proached (ho underground dwellings of
Matmata all tho womeu whom ho en
countered ran away, covering their
faces as they wont. Ho was taken
Into homos dooj) down in tho earth, yet
furnished with carpets hanging from
tho earthen wnlls, with modorn tublos
ami benches.
Hut those who wont boforo him
havo given us mora minute dotalls ns
to this extraordinary poplo. In 191J
an American, polntod out on ovory
oldo ns tho first of his raco to venture
Into tho Matmata region aud tho des
ert spaces hidden behind It, sojourned
for soma tlmo with the kald, or chief
tain, of Matmata, traveled with guides'
provided by UiIb local potontato far
lilto the hinterland and gnthored tho
materials for a long account of hlo
wnndorlngs, to Bay nothing of a Bplon
dd series of plcturos. Previous to
this visit tho troglodytes had enter
tained two French nrchueologlstB and.
ntlll oarllor far back In tho nineties,
whou they woro scarcely known ut
all to tho outsldo world they oponod
their curious abodoB to llruun. a Dan
ish explorer, who also lived with tho
kald of his dny and gave an Interest
ing account of what ho saw.
Prank Edward Johnson ts tho man
who can lay claim to being tho only.
American who has lived among tho
cavemen or unrtnern Africa
i .. ... r..i
While
ho was In Tripoli some years ago he
became qulto chummy with tho kald
of Matmata, nn Intelligent native,
whom tho French masters of tho land
had appointed to rulo ovor nn Inland
tribe ThlH native later became kald
of Matmata and, happening to rend
In Homo American magazines an ar
ticle by Mr. Johnson on troglodytes,
ho wroto to tho author at hlB homo In
Norwich, Conn., that ho would Im
provo his knowledge of tho subject by
paying IiIh old friend a visit "I am
a troglodyte mysolf," tho writer of
tho loiter romarkod. So Mr. Johnson
(eft his Connecticut home, sailed
across tho sea to Tunis, transforrod
to a' small coasting steamboat, which
landed him at tho desert port of
Gsbes, and after a woarluomo Journey
over tho sands, found himself within
view of tho village ot Matmata. Or
rather, ho didn't find himself withlu
tvJew of it, It was there, but ho
couldn't soo It,
"linnglno arriving at a town of 5.000
Inhabitants nnd not Booing a houso
only a picturesque mosquo built since
tho Fronch occupation," ho mild, In an
artlclo which ho wroto for tho Na
tional Geographic Magazlno after his
roturn to tho. United Statos.
When ho finally looked groundward
and located the village, ho slipped and
stumbled down tho sldos of a hugo
hole dug in tho ground, and found that
it waB a courtyard of his friend, tho
kald, from which othor openings led
Into living rooms and store rooms.
Every houso in Matmata in built in
Just this way ono largo hole, left un
covered, for a courtyard, und every
thing else leading out of It deep Into
tho earth.
Tho big holes vary In dopth nnd
width, averaging ubdut nine ynrdB
deep and fifteen yards in clrcumfor
enco. In the mlddlo of each court
yard Is a square masonry trough
which pipes rainwater Into a large
cistern. This Is a most Important
home adjunct, as water is very scarce.
Every drop of rain Is carofully pre
served so carefully that tho unfor
tunate homos, goats, sheep, and don
keys bolonglng to the natives are wa
tered only onco In twenty-four hours.
Tho kald's dwelling ts a suporlor
sort of place with Us entranco walls
whitewashed and sevoral articles of
Europoan furnlturo disposed about tho
various holes that servo as rooms. An
other high-class dwellings of this un
derground village Is that of Sheik
Ferdjanl, who courteously Invited Mr.
JolniBon to pick hl3 way down tho
stoop wnlls of tho "courtyard" and
pay him a visit, Ho describes the
visit thus:
"A young man burned a handful of
dried esparto grass, which flamed up
brightly aud showed us tho stejis and
turns down tho tunnel, I nlmost fell
over n donkoy eating Us hay. Great
oyco glared at mo from out of tho
blackness. On coming Into tho largo
round courtyard ono would think tho
sheik tho fnthor of at least twolvo In
fants, for children from two to ton
years old aro curiously watching us,
They aro very fond of bonbons and
soub. Whatever money ono gives tho
shotk is divided among tho children."
Ho mot tho sheik's beautiful little
slx-yoar-old daughtor, who liked to bo
photographed with her playmate, little
Ayoslm, and her little brothers. Aftor
gratifying this taste for her a door of
palm leaf boards was pushed noldo nnd
tho American was UBhored Into tho
sheik's prlvato room or rather cavo
cut out of tho solid rock, In it was
an old wooden chest, many guns, and
a bodstend hown out of rock, but pro
vided with comfortahlo-looklng natlvo
mattresses filled with wool and with
natlyo blankets. Thero whs also an oil
lamp made Just like thoso tho Greeks
and Romans used.
Tho kald of Matmata was vory po
llto to Mr, Johnson. Whenever tho
latter traveled about In tho neighbor
hood to look up othor burrowing com
munities ho was provided with knives,
spoons, forks, and nankins by his hos.
pltable host. Ho protested against this
vehemently, as he wns quite willing to
"rought It," but tho mon accompany
ing htm had received Iron-clad In
structions and refusod to dovlato from
thorn tho least hit,
Undor such auspices tho American
had amplo opportunity to 'study tho
customs of tho country, and ho haa
mucu mat is interesting to say about
them. Of tho kald's vlllaco lie writes:
"
"Matmata has Its special coda ot eti
quette. Nover approach near enough
to another man's dwelling to look
down Into the groat circular court
yard and see lib women. It Is not
only bad form, but It Is dangerous.
Each dwelling bus a numbor of whlto
Kabylo dogs that keep u constant
watch, and on our approach would
lly out at you and Ilka to tear you
Into pieces Nover enter n passage
way to a dwelling without sending In
a Binnll boy or girl to lot tho worn
on know that you aro coming In"
From Matmata tho Araorlcau trav
eler wont Inland to Medcnlno. a town
Of most singular appearance, com
posed of thoiiBaudu of "rhorfas," or
cave-flhaped dwellings, built above
ground, and piled up on top of oach
othor. Tho only way to reach tho up
per ones Is by moans of projecting
stones worn smooth by iocs centuries
of uso, Tho Inhabitants leap from ono
to another of Jlhoso with tho agility
of monkeys, but to a stranger the up
por layers of housos aro practically
1 M at '- ...., ,, .h
inaccessible. It Is of Medcnlno that
a French traveler said that Its stylo
of architecture Is due to tho fact that
tho forefathers of Its present Inhabi
tants were cave-dwellers and be
queath to tholr descendants their
Ideas of homo-bulldlng, which tho de
scendants proceeded to carry out,
omitting only tho mero detail of bur
rowing into the giound.
Medcnlno is only partly Inhabited.
Most of tho houses uro UBed for stor
ing grain by tho tribesmen of tho
neighboring desert. It Is n silent,
molnncholy place, like n graveyard
out in the desert.
Beyond It nro numorous villages
peopled by whnt are known ns
"climbing troglodytes" cave-dwellers
who dig Into hlllBldes. They havo a
partiality for tho most lnacccsslblo
eminences. "As soon ns I saw a par
ticularly stoep crag, n verltablo
eagel's nest, I felt Btiro that It was
honey-combed with troglodytes'
homeB," wrotes one French explorer,
"and1 It usually was." Tho reason Is
that tho French havo only recently
been able to Introduce order and safe
guard llfo In tho sandy stretches
whero the cavomon live. Before the
advent of French rule tho district
was tho sccno of continual and san
gutnary faction fights between tho
various tribes, of sudden raids by tho
nomads of the Sahara, who desolated
any village that they caught unpre
pared, massacred Its fighting men and
carried tho rest away to slavery.
Therefore tho natives tunneled and
scooped out every peak they could
find and stationed sentinels on the
top most vantage points that tho ap
GREAT MEN IN
Models by G. A. BEATY
ORVILLE
Tho critics called him crazy when he said he would daro to tako a little
ilyor nnd navlgato the air, thoy laughed when constant mishaps to nil his
craft occurred, and chortled when he hollered Bonio day he'd bo a bird. But
all things havo a climax, ho kept on sawing woodanil cutting .aerial didoes
and finally made good. Ills froak machines went aoarlng athwart tho skyline
cloar, no mora was heard the horse-laugh, tho hoot nnd mocking Jeer. Tho
critics crowded round him and thumped him on tho back, each ono said he
had praised him who., everything looked black. And now he takes it easy
nnd lets tho othors fly, ho seljs to aviators and sees them sailing by, Tho
dollars pour In swiftly, ho bears an honored name, and thus rests well con
tented with fortuno and with fame. Old Earth now suits him plenty, ho
Bcoruo tho dizzy flight, tho hero bunk looks phony to Mr. Orvlllo Wright.
(Copyright, 1911, by Universal Press Syndicate.)
proach of tho enemy might be slg
naled in good season.
One of the most striking of these
eyries is Doulrat "a beehlvo moun
tain perched high over a deep ravine.'
It consists of countJeSB caves and
niches, dug in tiers nlong the moun
talnsldo, and surmounted by a "ksnr'
or citadel, now In ruins. "A hugo.
human anthill," tho American traveler
calls it,
Among tho cave-dwellers of north
em Africa is a sprinkling of Jews,
who do most of the business In the
underground villages. In their hands
is an extensive whip trade, for, though
the cavo-men, ltko other Mohamme
dans, aro supposed not to drink the
Julco of the grape, they aro lax In their
observance of this rule laid down by
tho Prophet.
Tho people of Matmata and tho rest
of tho troglodyte villages are mlsor
ably poor. This Is true to such an
extent among some of them that they
look forward with Joy to a flight ol
locusts, slnco by capturing plenty ol
these pestB they can be assured ol
having something to cat for qulto a
while.
Strange as It may seem to ono of
tho Western raco, imbued with cer
tain set ideas about the East, those
who havo traveled among tho troglo
dytes assort that their women, instead
of being oppressed as Inferior beings
by the mon, possesajjreat Influence In
the community. They do a good deal
of tho burden-carrying, to" be sure, but
this Is because they pride themsolvcs
on their Btrength nnd Insist on exert
ing It. Many havo fine figures, clean
cut features and beautiful eyes.
COMMON GLAY
Words by GENE MORGAN
WRIGHT.
Lincoln. $709.00 In prizes will bo
offered for the largest ylolds of good
quality corn grown by Nebraska boys
under tho following conditions and
rules. Tho prizes aro offered by tho
South Omaha Stock Yards company
of South Omaha. Neb., through tho
Department of Agricultural Extension
of the University of Nebrasku, at Lin
coln. COUNTY CONTEST.
The following prizes are offered In
oach county whero a6ounty contest
Is held under tho direction ot tho
county superintendent:
First Prize $10 in cash.
Second Prize $5 In cash.
Thlid Prlzo $3 in cash.
STATE CONTEST.
Tho winners at tho County Contests
will competo for tho State prizes.
The Eastern division is composed of
all countleB east of a line drawn
straight south from the western
boundary of Knox county. Tho
Western Division is composed of all
counties west of this line.
Eastern Division.
First Prize, $50 In cash.
Second Prlzo $25 In cash.
Third Prize $10 In cnBh.
Five Fourth Prizes of $5 each; $25
In cash.
Ton Fifth Prizes of $2 each; $20 in
cash. ""
Western Division.
First Prize $50 In cash.
Second Prize $25 In cash.
Third Prize $10 in cash.
FIVe Fourth Prizes of $5 each; $25
In cash.
Ten Fifth Prlzes-of $2 each; $20 In
cash.
Rules.
1. Boy must be between 10 and 21
years of age.
JL. All work must bo dono by tho
boy.
3. Acre must bo measured, husked
and weighed In presence of two dis
interested (freeholders, selected by
tho County Superintendent and" Stato
Department of Agricultural Extension.
When tho corn is harvested an af
fidavit must be sent to Huldah Peter
son, University Farm, Lincoln, Neb.,
and a copy to the County Superintend
ent. 4. A complete record must be sub
mitted on blanks furnished.
5. Ylolds must be given In pounds
por acre as per Instructions sent out
by State Department of Agricultural
Extension.
J. Prizes will bo awarded on fol
lowing basis: Yield, 80. Quality,
20.
7. Ten ears of the corn must bo
exhibited at tho County Contest, and
at tho State Contest,
8. In counties whero no County
Contest is hold, growers are eligible
to stato prizes, but not to county
prizes.
9. Entry Ib free, but boy must bo
an active member of tho Nebraska
Boys' club. Wrlto" Huldah Peterson,
University Farm, for particulars.
Thero Is no membership fee.
10. Do not wait to organize a club
In your locality now; arrangements
for a local club In your community
will bo made latery Send your name at
onco. Thin enters you for tho con
test. Then go to work and win tho
prize.
Ono hundred and twenty-five Ne
braska boys between tho ages of ten
and twenty-one entered the Acre
Corn Growing Contest in 1912. For-ty-sovon
ot this numbor completed
tho contest and sent In their affida
vits of yield nt the end of the year.
Tho ylolds ranged from ten bushels
to ono hundred and nlno bushels per
acre. Tho ave'rago yield made by tho
boys completing tho contest was fifty
eight biiBhels por aero. The average
mado by tho twelve boys winning
prizes In the Western Division waa
fifty-sovon bushels por acre, and by
tho twelve boys In tho Eastern Di
vision, eighty bushels per aero.
From Information furnished by tho
boys wo find that eight grew corn
on ground which had been In somo
leguminous crop for one or moro
years previous to tho contest. They
secured nn average yield of soventy
sovon bushols per aero. Thirteen of
tho boys applied manure in the spring
of 1912 and secured nn average yield
of Blxty bushels per acre. This
makes a total of twenty-ono boya
growing their corn olthor after a lo
gumo or on ground to which mnnuro
had been applied, securing an avorago
yield of Blxty-slx bushels per acre.
Twenty-six boys did not apply ma
nure and tho land thoy used for their
corn had not tho advantage of a le
guminous crop In previous years.
Their avorago yield was flftynmo
bushels per aero, or fifteen bushels
por aero less than was secured by tho
boys using farm manure or ground
previously seeded to somo legumi
nous crop, such ns alfalfa or clover.
Tho department will conduct anoth
er contest during 1913. Sevorr hun
dred dollars In prizes will be offered
by the Union Stock Yards company
of South Omaha.
He doesn't know that Homer ever sang a.
thrilling sonjr,
Ho doesn't know who won at Waterloo;
Hodocsn't know that Caesar ever swayed,
a qheorlng throng',
Or what It was that Quy Fawkes tried.
to do;
But he can tell you quickly, if you havq
the. wish to know.
Who have led the leagues In battlnff for;
a dozen years or so.
He doesn't know an-adverb from a pro
noun or a noun,
He mixes up his tenses When ho speaks;
He doesn't know who Byron was or that
ho won renown.
Or what rango has tho highest mountain
peaks;
But he can give you quickly and with
out a moment's thought
All the details of the battles that old John
L. ever fought.
Ho couldn't name a dozen of this coun
try's presidents,
Ho doesn't know who lost at Blinker
Hill; ..
Onco he saw displayed a copy of "Poor
Richard" for ten cents,
And he bought it, but regrot Is with
him still,
"For," he says, "I looked alt t'rough it
and dere's nuttln' dere at all
Like dero Is in Spaldln's guide book wit
Its records of baseball."
Wholly Unnecessary.
... f!' -r- r "
- "r :
"I wish" said tho
guest, "to leave a
call for C:30. I've got
to catch a train."
"It won't be neces
sary 'to call you,"
replied tho night
clerk. "Tho man In
tho room next to
yours has asthma so
badly that- he makes
a noise ifko a steam
siren."
Suggestion Concerning William.
"Our son William has Bucceeded In
writing tho Declaration of Indepen
dence on a postalCUfd."
"Ho must bo a wonder. Why don't
you let tho furnace flro go out somo
day for the purposo of learning wheth
er ho will bo able to start It again?"
Anxious That She Should Know.
"Just think, papa," said little Al
bert, "a hundred years from now
peoplo may be celebrating your birth
day." "Hero, my child, Is a dime. Run
and tell your mother that."
Proof of Fraud.
"You wero born in tho sign ot
Sagittarius," began tho astrologer.
"Stop right there," exclaimed Mrs.
Nowrlch." "You're a fraud. I wasn't
born whoro you Bay I was. I waa.
born in Keokuk."
A Sign.
Whon a woman can meet ono of her
husband's former sweethearts and
treat her courteously or kindly It is
a sign that tho formor sweetheart has
either grown very Btout or has faded
terribly.
Not to Be Held Back.
"Ah," he declared, "you aro aa beau
tiful as a dream."
"Do you really think Bo?"'Bho asked.
"Of course I do."
"Thon I shall Insist on going upon
tho stago."
A Word to tho Unwise.
Tho man who bollovos hl3 friends
will support hlra in his adversity can
keop from having his faith shattered
by not becoming tho possessor of an
adversity.
The Stage.
All tho world's a stage, and every
body Ib trying to wrlto for it.
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