THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRA8KA.
I The Old Order
I Changeth
I By DeLYSLE FERREE CASS
B J"--"-.---.......l
(Copright)
FIFTEEN minutes of twelve I
A brief quarter of tin hour later
mid nil the town helix would ha
madly ringing; the factory whis
tles would bo tooting; horns would
Bhrlll raucously; the restless crowds
surging nlmlcssly through the streets
would rulso voices In the hysterical
pandemonium that ctistotuarlly wakes
tho dying year Into extinction.
"Then," said Myrtlo the telephone
girl to herself, "then my busy time
commences. Every lunatic In town
will begin trying to get his or her
friends on tho wlro to yell 'Happy
New Year!' everybody will be wunt
lng their numbers at once and all soro
becauso the telephone company hasn't
put In 0,000 extra wires for their es
pecial convenience tonight."
The metal loop with tho receiver at
her car had grown Irksome and heavy
on Myrtle's head. Her hand raised to
adjust It Wore comfortably Just ns
ono of tho little whlto lights flashed on
beforo her.
"Number please" (plugging the holo)
. . . Grand 4364 . . . What did you
Bay . . Yen, I know I 'have a sweet
voice,' but my nnmo don't hnppen to be
Klddo' . . . Tlidro you nrc."
Just then nnother light flashed in
Myrtlo's section.
"Number please . . . Itlvervlow 4107
, . . Thank you . . . What? . . . Oh, I
beg your pardon . . . 4111."
"Why don't you listen ns you're paid
to do?" growled back a man's voice
over tho wire. Ills articulation was
thick, hoarse. Evidently ho was labor
ing under some tremendous strain.
Howovcr It Is not for tho mero tele
phono operator to resent, whatever her
provocation.
"4111, thank you," Raid Myrtlo In
tho samo pleasantly modulated tone ns
beforo and mndo tho proper connec
tion. Hut not even then being certain
The Ugly Revolver In His Hand.
that sho had correctly understood tho
man's thick directions, sho cut In on
tho lino to listen for n moment and so
forestall further complaints from htm.
With tho receiver clamped tight to
her ear sho cquld hear tho 'phono hell
buzzing faintly across tho city in a
house, Myrtlo Judged, becauso tho Itlv
ervlow exchange lay in tho aristocratic
residential section, Buzz Buzz-zz is l
Then camo. n woman's voice soft,
sweet and low.
"Hello . . . Oh, Is that you, Jim? I
had gotten qulto anxious about you. I
expected you homo to dtnnor tonight.
You promised, you know. . . . And
Bndokums' was so disappointed when
I had to tuck him in bed without kiss
ing his papa good night, llo was so
excited by nil tho nolso on tho streets
and kept asking mo If his bud daddy
wouldn't corno homo early to him on
Now Year's eve. I really think you
might linvo, Jim, because "
"Oh, 1 know I I know I" Interrupted
tho man's volco Impatiently, although
ho evidently was making a strong ef
fort to conccnl his distraught condition
from her, "Business detained mo at
tho oliico later than I anticipated. Ed
nn, nnd afterwards , , . afterwards
Harry Forbes dropped In and wo wont
out for n blto to qnt together."
"But you'll be. homo right away now,
won't you, dear?" pleaded tho woman's
volco couxlngly. "Pleaso don't ty
any later. 1'vo promised 'Snookums'
that you'll bo homo to wish him u Hap
py Now Year while tho whistles aro
still blowing." '
"If can't possibly make It now . . .
lhoro'8 n big deal wo'ro talking over."
"Jlm"reproachfuIly "I thought
you assured mo you uover would dab
Mo in tho market again after fhut last
time when you risked all wo Had In tho
world simply on tho chnuco of making
n low dollars without really onrnlng
It."
"Edna, I I"
"Jim, your very volco sounds queer
ly. Nothing has gono wrong ut tho of-
lice thero today, bus ihere, dear?"
"No ... No, nothing," camo tho
man's voJco wearily, soothingly. "Don't
IPui ill' '
worry now ... No uso any more. Ex
cuse me If I spoke sharply, little girl.
I'm tired out thnt's all . . . Yes, yoe
. . . Good-by, dearest one."
Tho receiver clicked sharply and the
listening Myrtle experienced a senso oi
physical relief, tho exact reason foi
which sho would have been at a lose
to explain. How strangely tho man
had Intoned his good-bye almost at
If ho never exnocted to bo able to sav
It again to the wlfo ho loved. It was
as if
"Yes, number pleaso . . . Oh "
It was the volco of the same man
speaking crossly over tho wire.
"Get mo Grant 0212 quick 1" he
growled. "I'm in a hurry."
She plugged the proper hole com
ncctlng him and listened for n mo
ment.
"Hello 1 Grant 0212? the Morcue!
Well, this Is James P. Thornton talk
ing. Yes, J-A-M-E-S Thornton of J
P. Thornton. Inc. I'm about to com
mit suicide In my ofllce at 1478 Stock
Exchange liulldlnir. If voii'll Kpnil vnnr
Inen over here within 15 minutes
they'll find my body here . . . Door's
unlocked, reudy for you. Slntcment
for the newspapers will be found on
desk. I'vo Just completed It. . . . Was
smashed In collapse of market on the
board floor this afternoon ... No,
that's and then, Ironically nil . . ,
Happy New Yearl"
Ills receiver clicked dmvn on the
hook, severing the connection In the
midst of horrified objurations from the
other end of tho wire. Simultaneously
Myrtle, tho telephone girl, Jerked the
metnl loop from her head and sprang
down the nlsle, disregarding the sur-
pnseu exclamations of her fellows und
tho imperative call of the supervisor.
She grabbed her lint nnd slmhliv lltilo
Jacket from their peg on the locker
room wall ns sho fled.
A BUlcldo? ... ho was about to din
by his own hand . . . And with thnt
sweet-voiced wlfo waiting for. him
tliero n.t homo with tho dear little kid
dlo tucked un In bed nnd rrvlnf fnr lila
daddy's good-night kiss I It was wrong
all wrong I ... To stop him I Ah,
it only sho could cet thero In time!
Thero was a chance a slim chance,
for it happened that tho Stock Ex
change was directly next door to tho
big gray telcphono building.
Fortunately tho n cht elevator- mnn
had his car waitlug there on tho main
floor, while ho leaned ncnlnst tho nldn
of tho cago gossiping with ono of tho
Bcrun women. Myrtlo bounded In, star
tling both nearly out of their wits.
uuickj" sho minted, seizin? hln nrm
with tenso Angers, "Tho fourteenth
floor . J . Not nn Instant to spare i"
"Jiut it's against rules to lot von en
up thero nt this unholy time of night
unless you've got a permit," expostu
lated tho bewildered elevator man.
"You can't"
MyrtlQ drOVO thO motlvn lnvnr lmtnn
herself and tho iron cngo shot swiftly
upwards beforo tho mnn could stop
her. It was n Blckening breathless riso
. . . Ah I tho fourteenth floor nt last I
Precious moments wnstod fumbling
wun tno mcchnnlsm of tho elevator
door . . . Then through it and out . . .
tho stuccato clatter of llttlo high heels
racing down tho long dim, empty cor
ridor to whero a blotch of light showed
tnrough tho transom of Suite 1478.
For n brief second Myrtlo's heart
suspended Us pulsation nnd sho hesi
tated with her trembling hnnd out
stretched to turn tho knob. Whnt if
sho should And should find him al
ready tho victim of his own mud act
lying thero on tho rlchlv.nni-ni.tnfi iinm-
of tho sumptuously furnished olllces
wun n pooi or mood slowly coagulating
around tho bullet holo In bin
If
But Myrtlo, tho tolcphono girl, wait
ed to conjecture no lomror. sii
her Weight against tho unlocked door.
it gave suddenly and precipitated her
inwnrds colncidontly with her frenzied
cry of:
"STOP I"
Tho mnn sitting at tho long mahog
any desk wltli tho ugly revolver al
ready In his hnnd half started to his
feet, his faco ashen; stared at this
most unexpected Intruder, hm
Ho seemed unablo to rniiwr ha
thoughts; only passed his hnnd over
his mouth two or threo times, mutter
ing In n hnlf-wlttod way: "Who. . .
who . . . what . . ."
Then ho toppled suddenly nnd fell
flat oh his faco to tho floor.
"Dead I" gronned Myrtle, horror
Btrlcken, dropping to her knees besldo
tho lnamlnato form.
"Nawl" gruntod tho olovntor man,
who JiiBt then Joined her. "Ho's fnlntcd
that's all, kid. Better go git mo n
wet rag to Bop his faco with. That'll
bring him 'round In n Jiffy."
But Myrtlo was nlrcnilv nontiwi nt
tho adjacent telephone, calling tho
uuiuuur buo so wen remembered:
"Yes, yes, operator . . , Thnt's It,
Itlvervlow 4111. . . . Hello I . . . hel
lo I Is tills Mrs. Thornton talking? . . .
No, you don't know me, but that
doesn't matter. You hurrv nnd wnlr'n
up 'Snookums;' put on all his things
and hurry down hero to Mr. Thorn
ton's office. Ho uccds you . . . Asked
mo to call you up. . . . Says ho wants
to begin u Happy Now Year with you
and tho baby right down hero. . . .
You'll como right awuy . . . All right,
thank you . . . Yes, I'll vynlt horo too"
And Just then n deafenlug racket, of
horns, whistles und bells burst forth,
whlio hundreds of llttlo whlto lights
began to flash hero nnd thre along
their grout switchboard in tho nearby
telephone exchange, and tho girls'
ltnuds (lew to tho connections. Aud, ns
Jumes Thornton slowly revived under
tho tender, solicitous ministrations of
tho 'phono girl nnd tho grimy elevator
man, n whlto light Illumined hla soul
also.
"Where's 'Snookums?'" ho queried
weakly.
MULES AS MUNITION TRANSPORTS
Scene on the western front, showing
backs of mules, the roads being virtual
NO MOOSE EVER
"TREED" A MAN
Old Maine Guide Declares Ani
mals Never Attack a Hu
man Being.
EXPLODES POPULAR FABLES
Takes Little Stock In Birch-Bark Horn
Calls In Mating Season Bulls
Will Respond to Any
Noise.
Bangor, Mo. According to old Ben
1'ork, u famous hunter and guide In
Mnlno for CO yenrs, no mooso over wa3
known to "tree" a man In tho senso In
which tho term Is generally under
stood, numerous reports to tho con
trary being fublus or nt best exaggera
tions. "In my day," said Ben York, "I have
seen thousands of mooso and killed
hundreds of them. I have followed
them days and nights, at all seasons. I
have watched them for days at a tlma
to leurn their tricks ; I havo kept them
In fenced lnclosures near my camp for
years at n time, aud have turned and
driven them to harness all alongthe
West Branch. Moro thnn nil this, I
havo questioned reliable hunters nnd
woodsmen who wcro alive and active
when, thero were as many mooso in
Maine ns thero aro hedgehogs now,
nud I hnvo never known or learned
from nny reliable sources of a slngloj
msianco or a numan ncing ucing
'treed' by ono of tho animals.
Act Strangely at Times.
"During tho mating season," says
York, "tho bulls act very strangely ut
times, rushing about In an n I nil ess
manner, climbing , steep hills, swim
ming furious streams nud placing
themselves In peril of their lives. In
many ways. Whllo tho fury for com
bat is on an old bull ho will crash
through tho woods, running his head
against rocks and trees and often In
juring himself seriously. If n man
should get in tho bull's way nt such a
time, why, very likely ho would be
como n candidate for tho hospital. At
Buch a time tho bull uover stops to
noto how much damage lie lias done.
Ho keeps racing right along nt top
speed until ho gote all fagged out or
meets a rival for tho object of his af
fections. "Tho stories that some guides tell,"
said York, "about mooso driving
hunters Into trees nnd standing guard
over them nil night, pawlug tho
ground nnd bellowing with rnge, aro
Inventions of nature fakers to awe
greenhorns. I am convinced that no
mooso over deliberately attacked a
human being, unless wounded nnd
crazed with pain, in which condition
tho meekest of animals often become
dangerous; and whoovor tells of be
ing treod by n mooso nt any tlmo or
under any clrcumstnuccs Is drawing
upon his imagination.
"I havo scon two bull mooso light,"
ho says, "while I stood within n few
rods of them, and xeep up tho battlu
for half an hour without becoming
nwaro of my presence. At other times
I havo paddled up to a mother moose
when sho was feeding on tho roots of
pond lilies with her head under water,
and drawn oft half a pint of her milk
without alarming her. . I havo seen
mooso tight with wolves and benrs,
nnd havo observed their exrrcmo so
llcltudo for their young; but never
yet havo I seen or known of u moose
trcclug n human belug.
No Use for Moosehorn.
"Whllo I'm talking about moose,"
York said, "I want to suy that I take
no stock In tho so-called moosehorn
for calling bulls to their destruction
la tho mating season. Tho cow moose,
whoso cry Is said to bo closely 1ml
tated by tho blrch-bark horn, utters
n loug and dolorous wall nt times
whatever tho tlmo of year. I have
stood closo by soveral times whllo
cow mooso wero making such cries,
but nover know a- bull to respond, rl
though I hnvo waited for linni-a. aii
through tho mating season tho hulls
shells being rushed to the Hues on
quagmires.
nrc very nlert to catch the slightest
ound, and let a twig snnp or an ux
nnnuio Dent n tattoo on n hollow
stump nnd the bull Is mvny In the
direction of tho sound, bellowlnc his
defiant chnllenge. I have used tho
uircn-uurK nom with some success In
cnlllna moose, but I hnvo done ns well
or better by rapping the butt of my
rlllo against the trunk of n tree or
urouKing a twig in tho thicket. It is
rny belief thnt the dominant passion
in tho mind of a bull moose In mating
time is to meet nnd defeat every
rival, and that tho dolorous cry of
the cow neither attracts nor repels
the male."
Many of the oldest hunters nnd
guides agree with Mr. York concern
ing tho treeing of men by moose, but
most of them believe that the birch
hark horn Is very useful to tho
hunter.
"TANKS" FIGHT IN PAIRS
Known as Males and Females, Says
Officer of Nova Scotia
Battalion.
Klngsport, N. S. A description of
tho operation of British "tanks" was
given by Lieut. Harry W. Hlltz of the
Nova Scotia battalion on his arrival
here.
"Thero are two types of tanks,
known ns the male and female tank,"
he sold. "They fight In pairs, n male
and n female. "The male tank carries
two heavy guns nnd six mnchlne guns
and the fomalo has two heavy guns
and flvo machine guns.
"They certainly proved n great sur
prise to the Germans, and I might add
to us as well, ns they came lumbering
nlong during the fight for Courcclettc.
They of course did better work then
than they hnvo accomplished since, for
tho Germans have become nccustomed
to them nnd know better now how to
light back. Nothing but a direct hit
by a heavy shell will damage them In
tho least."
Lieutenant Hlltz says tho now Brit
ish war machlno travels about two or
three miles an hour nnd when it comes
to n trench the front part draws up
after tho manner of a caterpillar at
tempting to get oyer an obstacle. At
night when tho tanks are used n whlto
tnpe Ib run out ahead from the nm
chine and serves as a guide for It.
WASHINGTON DEBUTANTE
Miss Margaret Fuhnestock, .laughter
of Mrs. Gibson Fuhnestock, wus Intro
duced to Washington society at a bril
liant dinner and danco recently. Miss
Fahnostock's Nowport debut was
staged last summer.
48,798 SUICIDES
M mi YEARS
Self-Destruction an Increasing
Hazard in Life Insurance
in This Country.
MOST NUMEROUS IN THE WEST
Statistics Show Suicide Rate Has Ap
parently Reached Stationary Level
Highest Rates In Years of
Great Business Depression.
New York. An Intcnslvo study oi
suicide in the United States, with sta
tistics utulyziug self-destruction from
almost every possible angle, Is pub
lished In the Spectator, a weekly la
surance pnper of this city.
The sections in which the grentcst
number of suicides occur, tho uges at
which the greutest number of persona
end their lives, the relntlve number
of self-killings of the present day as
contrasted with other periods, are all
analyzed by tho writer, Frederick L
Hoffman.
Tho chief conclusion reached is that
the suicide rate In this country, while
fairly high, has apparently reached
a stationary level. That is, It has
Incrcnsed hut a tiny fraction during
the last five years over tho Ave years
preceding.
An uncxplnimible, or unexplained,
fact tihout American suicides is thut
they nro far moro numerous In the-
western, Rocky mountain and ccrftrnl
regions than In the East. The further
Weft the Investigator looks, the moro
suicides he finds.
The Statistics.
Tho following table is based on tho
percentage of self-destructions ner
100,000 of population during the Ave
years ending with 1014:
Section. Cities. Suicides. Per Ct.
Eastern 55 10,119 10.5
Central 17 7,393 23.0
Rodky Mountain.. 3 540 28.C
Pacific Coast 9 3,082 34.4
San Diego, Cal., has tho record of
tho highest suicide rate in the coun
try, it being 03.3 per 100,000 of popula
tion. Snn Francisco Is not far behind,
having a rate of 55.7. Sacramento Is
also a place conduclvo to suicide, ap
parently, for Its- rate Is 51.2. These
figures aro for tho year 1915, consid
ered separately, and In each of those
cases show Increases over the percent
age for tho previous flvo years.
Tho figures for 100 American cities
show that the general suicide rate foi
1015 was 20.7, as against 20.3 forie
period between 1010-14. The trifling
Increase throughout the whole coun
try is caused by tho grent Increnso
which tho far Western cities had,
Snn Diego's Increnso was 20.1, Sacra
mento's 10.0, Snn Francisco's 8.0.
Manhattan nnd the Bronx, which
nrc analyzed together as a city, had a
suicide rate during 1015 of 19.4 pet
100,000, ns against 18.G during the five
years before, an Increase of 0.8. Back
In the yenrs between 1000-04 tho rate
was 21.7.
Augusta, Ga had the lowest roto
of all American cities which were in
vestlgnted, tho record in 1915 being
four persons per 100,000. Mobile, Ala.,
also was low, with 5.3. Auburn, N.
Y., had a record of 5.4.
High suicide rates,, tho Spectatoi
points out, have to a certain extent
been connected with years of bad
business and years when business
houses failed, as in 1894, following the
1893 panic, when the general rnto was
15.3, and 1008, following the Inst panic,
when the rate reached the highest
mark in tho country's history, 21.0.
Tho smnller tho city tho fewer tho
suicides, tho Investigator found. Of
tho 100 cities considered, 70 were un
der 250,000 population. These showed
a self-destruction rate of 18.2 per 100,
000. Tho 24 cities above tho qunrter
1111111011 mark showed an aggregate
rate of 21.1.
More Men Than Women.
Many, more men thnn women end
their lives. Tho tables show that tho
highest rato for tho male sex Is 21.5
per cent and 'that tho period of Ufn
at which this number of men commit
suicide Is between the nges of forty
llvo and fifty-four. Tho highest rate
for women Is 13.0 per cent, nnd tho
fnvorlto ago for self-destruction Is be
tween flfty-fivo nnd sixty-four.
Two boys between tho nges of flvo
nnd nine aro on record as linvlng
killed themselves in tho period be
tween 1910-14. Ten wns tho most
youthful ago at which there Is record
of girls having committed suicide, 09
having made awoy with themselves
between ten nnd fourteen yenrs.
There wero 48,708 suicides In the
country between 1010 and 1014.
As to seasons, tho grentest number
of suicides appear to hove occurred
In May and Juno, tho rate for those
months being 9.3. The smallest num
ber occur In January 7.4.
Firearms were tho favorlto method
during tho period under nnnlysls, 14,
432 persons having shot themselves.
Polsolilng was next, with 18,995. Then
camo hanging, with 7,007: nsnliyxla
tlon, 5,834; cutting Instruments. 3.142;
drowning. 2,710, nnd Jumping from
high plnces,834.
Dcsplto the virtually stationary rate
of suicide, tho writer regards self-destruction,
In his summing up. as an
"increasing hazard In life Insurance."
PROFITS IN DAIRY BUSINESS
Unfortunate That Farmers Can Make
Living Even When They Are
Losing Money on Herd.
It is unfortunate for dairy farmers
thlit they cannot nlwnys tell how
much they nro making or losing with
out n grent deal of study and.lnvestl
gntlon. It is also unfortunnto that
they are losing money on their herd.
If It wcro possible to Immediately de
termine tho profits nnd losses In the
dnlry business farmers would not con
tinue to lose money when they think
they nro mnklng n little. Men who
care only for n living ure usually sat
isfied if they get It some way or other
nnd such men nro slow to realize what
they arc losing by maintaining an un
profitable herd of cattle.
The remedy for the situation Is to
chnrgc up the products of the farm to
tho cows who nrc eating tho products.
Test every cow nnd know what she
can do, breed to n purebred dairy bull
nnd Improve tho herd nnd then dis
pense with tho bonrdcrs. Tliero Is no
mystery about how a man can lose
money on tho dnlry business and still
make a living. Ho docs not make the
living from dairying.
URGE REGULARITY WITH COW
Does Her Best Only When Milked at
Equal and Stated Periods of
About Twelve Hours.
The cow can do her best only when
milked at equal and regular dally pe
riods of nbout twelve hours each tho
year around. The full supply of milk
Is not In the udder ready to bo drawn
out before milking time comes, but
some of It is produced by the glands
during the operation of milking. The
tidder, however, is usually filled nnd
tho cow becomes accustomed to this,
but If the operation of milking Is de
layed nnd glnnds ceaso to some ex
tent to secrete milk, they will then
not be stimulated to good activity dur
ing the process of milking; This in-.
Jures the glands nnd produces n de
crease in the milk flow-
SOURCE OF DELICIOUS MILK
Under Ordinary Conditions Only Dirty,
Diseased Product Is Obtained
From Family Cow.
(By PERCY WEUNBR, JR., Missouri
Collcgo of Agriculture.)
The family cow should be n con
stant source of cheap, pure and dell
clous milk. Such may be the case, If
a few precautions nro taken. It Is fre
quently observed, however, that under
tho conditions surrounding the fnmily
cow only dirty, diseased milk can bo
produced.
A cow may bo suffering from tuber
culosis, the worst disease to which she
is subject, and still show no signs of
It to tho proud owner. For the sake
Cows and Calves Thrive on Abundant
Pasture.
of the children who drink tho milk
n qualified veterinarian should bo
called upon to Inspect nnd test each
cow every year.
With the assurance of a healthy cow,
she should be housed in a clean, well
lighted shed and provided, with a clean
yard In which to exercise. The mflk
should bo drawn lute a clean, small
topped milk pall nnd kept cool until
consumed.
Milk sours nnd spoils because of tho
bacterid which enter It with dirt from
tho cow and from palls not thoroughly
washed. Keeping those bacteria out,
of tho milk nnd preventing their
growth by keeping the milk cool, aro
easy nnd efficient means of procuring
tho best of milk from the family cow,
provided Ehe Is free from disease.
Gentle cows are tho result of train
ing and kindness.
Mottled butter Is duo largely to un
even distribution of salt.
9 '
Tho dairy farmer raises more grain
nnd better grain and gets si higher
price than nnybody.
Dairy cows that freshen In the fall
should receive some extra feed six to
eight weeks previous to calving.
Tho best cows are never cheap nnd
Beldom for sale; bo It Is up to every
dnlrymnn to glvo tho heifer calves the
most intelligent care.
Test your cows for yield und butter-
fllt. You Ilinv lin Riirnplsa.il tr Innm
that some aro only loafers while oth
ers aro pioutauie workers.
When a cow becomes accustomed to
being fed and milked nt n certain
time sho becomes resile. and uncom
fortable when the hours are changed.
DAJBTNOIES
V t
