Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 24, 1916)
THE 8EMI.WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA iMiirDrinuaiiT BALBOA HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Aa fMTSi n if 71 Tl Tl Tl II Tl if .11 (f m yy oe mercirai urao us, aimo mess us; amo cause ras irace tco some upon 2. ; Selak That thy way may be known uPob Earth, thy among a, praise e nations. Lett the people praise Thee, O God; let Then shall the Earth yield her increase; and God, ee. even urr own us. us; the Earth shall fear him. a From the 67th Psalm. 4 4 PMI5E nmjor ThisHoyt Precious Giftr- " " N AN qvcnlng of thin week It occurred to a man, sitting nlono In un upper room, that Thanksgiving duy was right tit bund. So ho bestirred his mind to consider those things for which un Amorlcnn might sensibly offer un gratitude to God. lie reflected that across tho Atlantic inllllonH of human beings wero at thnt very moment en gaged in tho drendful tnsk of killing other human beings with every Invention which Ingenuity and skill could bring forth from tho laboratories of science and the workshops of Industry. In other lands nt that very moment tens of thousands upon tens of thousands of helpless folk feeble, aged men and women, mothers with babes clinging convulsively to their breasts, little children sobbing In terror, n vast army of tho In nocent nnd tho anguished wero enduring tho ex tremities of exposure, of hunger, and of despair ns thejf (led from their wasted farmsteads and burning vlHuges, escaping from tho pltltess cruelty of savage men only to Ho down to Buffer and die under tho pitiless skies of God In tho winter and tho bitter storms. At that very moment moat drendful war hid Jmlf tho world In the blackness of Its darkness and from that horrid cloud rained destruction upon unhappy Europe upon her ancient capitals, upon her pleasant cities, upon her villages, her Holds, her temples, her treasures of art,' upon all tho accumulations of a thousand yenrs of genius, of learning, of Industry, of skill nnd of patient advancement of tho happiness and tho civilization of tho race of man, So ho that considered nil this wickedness that was being done under tho buh, thlH drunken dnnco pt death nnd hell above the fetid corpses nnd tho multitudinous graves, this awful nightmare of In describable woo and wrath, snld In tho bitterness at his heart that no God ruled over bucIi n mnnlnc world and thero was no thanksgiving duo to tho Giver of Gifts thnt were not good, but overyono Altogether ovlt. And when tho man had mndo nn end of his thinking, Us went and stood In a window nnd looked out upon the evening, because It was fair to see. t Ho how In vision nt thnt Instant tho vnstness Df tho republic nnd tho multltuda of tho good and linppy folk who llvo under tho shelter of Its strength. He reflected how brief a tlnio had thus magnified tho works of our pioneer fathers and our pioneer mothers, those brnvo and stmplo men nnd women whose names should never bo men tioned with nuythlng but profound gratitude. And to this American, glad with n great prldo In tho deeds of his people and tho story of his country, and grateful to the Goodness which has giddcd and Bbcltcred his fathers and his folk, lifted up his eyes to the night, to tho quiet stars, to the brooding Immensity above, nnd said In his heart: "Thank God that I mri an American t" And, citizens, thnt Is tho ono outstanding, splendid fact for which ench one of us should Soberly und most gratefully thank God on Thanks giving day this year. Tho finest thing you possess or ever can pos sess Is Just your American citizenship. It la neither noccusary nor becoming, on this clay or loo any other day. to cheapen this birthright of ours by brag or spioadeaglo declamation. nut It Is highly becoming on this Thanksgiving May to feel a deep grutltudo nnd a mailly pride in this herl'nge. And mi we llnnly believe you do feel. . Wo ull hear It repeated that patriotism Is a thing of tho past; that our peoplo have become commercialized; that the masses have no deep rooted loyalty to tho country; that our rich men put dollars above tho obligations of their citizen ship; thnt our poor folk euro ltttlo for tho Ideals of free government; that wo Americans aro de cadent In tho virtues nnd valor which marked our fathers. . Thnt Is not true. If thero bo nny power In the world which plots war against us Americans nnd promises Itself vic tory over us on tho assumption of our dccndcnco In loynlty, that power will find how terrible was Its mistake when our country calls her sons to bnttlo In her defense. Wo have, It Is truo, In our capacity as a col lective people, left undone things thnt should havo been done nnd done things which should hnvo been left undone ; and thero Is more truth than there should ho In much that Is Jeerlngly snld' by thoso who hato us. Wo acknowledge that much of our politics of fends common decency. Wo see, hero nnd thero, painful ovldenco of cor ruption among lawmakers and oven among tho judges, who should know only justice nnd In tegrity. Wo see rich men who do betray their country and foul tbctr hands and soil their souls with most Infamous dealings and most shameful promts. Vo "see Americans who do put the dollar abovo every consideration of right and duty, abovo tho claims of our common humanity. But while these things aro true, It Is truo also that tho heart and conscience of tho American people, tnko them as a nation, are sound nnd fnuo nnd wholesome. Tho blood of our fnthcrs still runs In tho veins The most responsible cducntlonnl position In Pnnnmn Is held by Miss Jessie Daniels, principal of Balboa high school. All tho students of tho graded schools, except that at Gatun, come under her jurisdiction nnd she hns proved herself to be n powerful link connecting thoso serving under the Isthmlnn government with all they havo left nt home. Miss Daniels is young for her re sponsible position and una n prepos sessing personality, ns well as execu tive ability. She first went to Pana ma to "visit a Bister who was married to ono of tho zone officials nnd, feel ing a desire to tench, sho took n posi tion In the graded schools nt Ancon, where sho tnught for n time before re ceiving her promotion. Sho is n daugh ter of Andrew Daniels of Cnnton, O., nnd wns born In the city made famous as tho residence of the martyred pres ident, William McKlnlcy. Sho received her education In the high schools at Canton and tho Western Iteservo uni versity, graduating with honors to spare. The new building for the Balboa high school is not yet completed, duc when it is it will compare favorably with any In tho States. Ik is being con structed of cement, tho Bnmo ns was used In tho construction of the famous locks nt Gntun and elsewherd along the Cnnnl nnd will cost more man $ajv,- 000. It Is of pure Spanish type, with n patio to bo filled with rare plants and flowers, nnd into which everyone of tho classrooms win open, uniy ennuren of American citizens are permitted to enjoy gratis tho educational benefits of the school, but more than 200 students have enrolled in the new Institution. BETHIV1ANN-HQLLWEG A GREAT WORKER j deed seem to slumber lu the soft bed of long enjoyed peace nnd security. But let wnr come against the land nnd no man need doubt thnt that spirit will spring up instantly nwnke. We can rightfully be grateful thnt It hns fallen to our happy lot to llvo In this most wonderful of nil 'nges and to be citizens of this most wpn derful of all the nations. Let your hearts swell with Just pride as you contcmplnto your country, so august, so splendid, so renowned In tho earth. Look upon your flag as It streams Its bright folds yonder nbovo your heads with proud and linppy eyes. Remember how honornble Is Its story, and forget not how mnny thousands of bravo and good men died thnt It might wnvo yon der, the ensign of n free people. Tell to your children the story of their fore benrs, of those men nnd women who, nmld tho wilderness and forests thnt stood where now stand mighty cities nnd stretch cultivated farms, erected, with hardships and endurance nnd most heroic faith and valor, tho noble edifice of out republlcnn liberties. Spenk to them of Bunker Hill nnd Vnlley Forgo nnd Saratoga nnd Yorktown, nnd of tho great Declaration thnt most fnmous Charter of Hu man Freedom. Tell them to thnnk God for their fathers' and mothers' hardihood nnd courage, for tho wars they fought, for the victories they won. Toll them to snTuto their flog with high and proud hearts. Toll them to thank God this Thanksgiving day thin they are Amcrlcnns. And then do you soberly, gratefully, proudly thnnk God yourself that you uro on American, Oh, dear and mighty motherland, whnt better gift or moro to bo desired could Gqd glvo than to bo born nnd to die, strong Dnughter of Liberty, between thy shining feet I From the Chlcngo Amerlcnu. Bcthmnnn-Hollweg, chancellor of of tho German empire, Is n prodigious worker. lie has vigorous health and n tough, wiry body, and few men can spend mor'c hours a dny at n desk. At seven o'clock overy morning ho taKes n rldo of an hour In the park. Then follows the simple German breakfast, and the long day's work begins Imme diately after that. But the day's work is with him a rather Indefinite expression, according to a writer In tho Century, for ho often returns to It In the evening, and is sometimes kept nt his desk till mid night. He Is so absorbed In his work, nnd has withal so little liking for public functions and ceremonies, that his critics have sometimes seized upon this fact to blame him for being something, of a recluse nnd showing himself too seldom in public. In fnct, the chnncollor hns never utilized the spcctnculnr possibilities of his posi tion to ndvertiso himself and thus strengthen his hold upon the people. Ho never even goes to theaters and concerts now, but ho did nllow himself beforo tho wnr tho occasional treat of a concert of good classical music. At tho wnnrnl nrmv honflntinrtors In tho wist vhoro ho hns Rnnnt much of his time since the wnr begnn, In order to keep in close personal contact with the kaiser and the military authorities, his labors aro less arduous. Thero ho hns time to visit the troops along the front. Such outings are no less a pleasure to him than to the soldiers, with whom ho Is very popular. of their sons. Tho spirit of tho nation may In a ww - i.nwwwwwwwvxAMwwwyywywuwii J U. S. TROOPS MAY USE CACTUS FOR WATER f TRIES TO RETURN TO WAR In tho pursuit of Villa and his laudlts through tho arid regions of northern Mexico tho United States troops truvorsod a region whoso only vege tation Ib the barbed and forbidding cactus. To any but p. cowboy or a trained plainsman of tho Southwest, inhabitants themselves of tho "cactus belt," this plant seemingly hns nq tnord value than tiio veriest weed, but it may well bo thnt it mny prove of grout vnluo to tho troops In tho absence of water, fodder, or even food for humnu beings. In tho punhlvo expedition thero nro many cow punchers of tho "cactus belt" serving ns scouts, and in tho cowboy and tho Indtnn of the South west tho Jowly cactus has its greatest admirer, for they know what a game struggle for llfo this plant hns to mnko against an uulavcd desert soli. Even their ponies and cuttle nnd tho poor beasts of tho desert know of these uses of tho enctus for wntcr nnd fodder, snys tho Now York Herald. There aro some thousnnd varieties of this mon strous vegetable family, not co'uhitng tho 300 va rieties of the ngavo, or century plant Incorrectly Included by mnny in northern Mexico. Tho va rieties of tho yucca pnlm and nil other forms of vegetation known to tho arid region hnvo tho same fuculty of sucking up from tho soil every drop of tho all too little moisture In it nnd storing it up in tficlr tough nnd leathery leaves nnd roots. Of the mnny varieties perhaps tho most remark able Is that member of tho family known to thoso schooled In desert croft as tho "water barrel." This plant is shaped somewhat like a beer keg nnd is about tho same size. Through nil tho years of Its growth it has been sopping up what moisture tho famished enr(h contained and retaining it. It Is tho nolo reliance of desert dwellers lu time of drought, nnd tho troops, far from water holes and with wii' ter Hcarco, may yet ho obliged to drink from It The "water barrel" is tapped by slicing oft tho top with n sword or machete nnd pounding the pulp until tho water contained in it wells up into tho snucor thus formed. The pulp Itself Is pure and the water stored In It Is llkcwlso puro nnd re freshing. Not nil tho water-bearing cacti aro ns gracious to famishing man, howovcr, as tho "water barrel," for most of them hnve protected themselves against tho maraudings of thoso who would drink and llvo by Imparting a bitter tasto to tho water they con tain. Tho "poyote" especially, which abounds in the plains and deserts of Arizona, has n trick of discouraging depredations upon It, for Its plump nnd Juicy pulp secretes n bitter and poisonous Juice. , In the Inst dozen yenrs scientists hnvo Interested themselves in tho study of the enctus for its possi bilities ns food, fodder nnd economic by-products. Dr. Leon E. Landone, foremost lu the study of this desert plant, several years ago conductod extenslvo experiments in Los Angeles to ascertain tho valuo of tho thornless enctus ns an article of food for human beings. In an effort to provo Ids conten tion that It contains food properties suflldent to enable n man to work 18 hours n day, ho nnd his two secretaries for two weeks lived on a dnlly diet of tho leaves and fruit of tho enctus, tho former being served green or fried .and the latter either raw or cooked. Whllo tho "cactus squad" sur vived the experlenco nnd professerto havo en Joyed their novel diet, it Is a fnct that tho cactus never has attained the popularity of a filet mlgnon. In the whole vegetable kingdom probnbly thero Is not another plant family having so many dif ferentiations of form as tho cacti, For It Is pos sible to llnd among them species that crawl and creep like vines, other than stand erect In a slnglo unbending ntnlk, like u green living monument of tho desert ; still others thnt nro rooted to tho spot, with their highest growth close to tho ground nnd bearing almost no rcsemblnnco to usual forms of vegetation, and others, again, that branch out In thick unblooinlpg branches. , ' f 1 It WAS PRftTFfiF OF GRANT IUi mnm w iTrmn- nrnrif - .1 n Having already lost a leg in tho service of the allies, Lieut. Theodore Mnrburg, Jr., of Baltimore, son of thof former American minister to Belgium, applied to tho state department for n passport In order to return to his post as an officer of tho Royal British avi- ntiou corps. His application was re jected on tho ground that ho bad for feited his American citizenship. Lieutenant Marburg has been in this country since last April, when ho returned to recuperate from his wounds, which wero received whllo ho wns flying over the German lines in France. He wns accompanied to this country by his bride, who wns Bar oness Giselle do Vavarlo of Belgium. Young Marburg, who Is twenty two years of age, had met tho bar oness shortly before tho outbreak of the war, whllo his father was still representing tho United States at the court of King Albert. Tho young man had been at tho front only a month when ho wns wounded. Ho was ordered into active service on November 0, and on January, 1015, was assigned to tho Itoynl British aviation corps. At the time wnr wns declnred he wns n student nt Oxford university, England. Renr Admiral Thomas B. Howard, who retired recently, had held many of the most Important posts of the nnvy on both sen nnd lnnd. Admiral Howard Is proud of tho fnct that ho owes his naval career to a compact ids father mndo with Grant when tho two went to war in 1801. If either failed to return from tho war, tho survivor pledged himself to watch over thoso left behind. Captuln noward raised his com pany, and was killed, with most of his men, in n rail rot,.! accident on his way to the front. After tho war Grant Interested himself in Howard's two sons. Ono was sent to West Point. The other, Thomas B., received nn appointment to Annapolis. When ho graduated Grant sent him n sum of money. "Buy wliii'. you will," ho snld. 'Tvo been a boy at graduation time and I know how mnny things you'll need." Ono of Admiral Ilownrd's most cherished possessions today is the sword ho bought with Grant's money, nn npproprlate purchase for a military "grad." In tho service, Howard lias been known ns n strict disciplinarian, bat ho hns never fulled to win tho affections of his men in whatever post ho has served. Whenever ho changed ship an avalnncho of requests flooded tho navy dopnrtmcut from tho men who hnd como In personal contnet with tho admiral und wished to follow him.