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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1917)
THE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. farmers h I i nave fcjjfefei ownuu Jerlc fowl COfYWOIIT IYVHTHM HIVIPAKR WHOM It is a place of comfort arid conven ience for country people who do their trading at Seymour, Indiana : : Similar enterprise would benefit any community in the , nation 0V It's a city clubhouse for farmers I When they come to town to trailo they may go to a well-appointed building to meet their friends, wash up, have lunch, wrlto letters, enjoy telephono service and lounge around If they wish. And their wives may, besides having these privileges, leavo the children In tho euro of a com potent nurse whllo shopping or call ing upon friends. Quito a sensible, long-needed, mod- cm convenience, don't you thlrik? Seymour, n southern Indiana city of about 7,000 population, has a farmers' club with a membership of more than 1,000. It has been In operation since October, 1014, and Is n thorough success. During 1010 tho nvefago dally number of visitors to the club wns about 100. Tho existence of the club Is due tho plain truth must be told to tho public spirit and generosity of two business men of Seymour, and not to any special enterprise on tho part of cither tho farm ers or tho citizens of the town. Tho Bllsh broth ers own n large (lour mill and grain elevators. They arc grandchildren of Cnpt Meedy V. Shields, founder of Seymour, himself a farmer of energy and vision, whose fortune, It seems, wns tho nest-egg of the Bllsh estate. For many years tho Bllsh Interests hnvo dealt constantly nnd prolltnbly with the farmers of Jnckson county. Why, reasoned tho flour mil lers, wouldn't It bo n line thing to establish n club here In town for the farmers? They thought It would be decidedly so and out of their estnto camo funds which made tho Idea n fact In pleasing archi tecture .and real convenience. Not only that; tho malntcu- nnco or tiia club Is assured by imiu-up income Insurance a policy. So tho farmers should worry I Much of Seymour's prosper ity depends on tho farmers liv ing within a radius -of 12 or 15 miles of tho city, which Is tho metropolis of a county that Is ono of tho most fertllo In southern Indiana. For near ly three-quarters of n century tho "tolling plowmen" and their wives have brought grain, fruit, vege tables, butter, eggs, nnd poultry totho town that Captain Shields started, and hnvo taken homo With them In tho aggregate, a mighty pllo of sup plies during threescore years. Such n mighty nllo, you might sny, that tho legltimato profits on It hnvo helped to make n vigorous and protty llttlo city. But until tho time that Seymour's lending busi ness men decided to recognlzo tho vnluo of farmer trado by putting up n clubhouso for tho mar keters, tho country pcoplo certainly didn't enjoy tho hospitality that good, steady customers In most lines of commerco may expect nowadays. In fino weather they brought their lunch with them and nto It in their wagons pnrked In sldo streets, nnd In bad weather they bought crackers nnd cheeso nnd bolognn and munched it ns they stood around tho stoves or hot-air registers In iho back of the stores whero thoy sold butter and eggs. That wasn't bo bad for the menfolks, but It was mighty Inconvenient for tho fnrm women, especially If thoy brought tho children along to town, and often they did po, ' Is It any wonder then that slnco tho Farmers' Club of Jnckson County hos been receiving guests tho morchnnts of surrounding towns within n tench of 12 nnd 15 miles In every direction nro complaining that Seymour Is getting tho best of tho country trado? Especially slnco tho most prosperous fnrmors,. and thercforo tho most profltnbio customers, own motorcars nnd can go fairly long dlstnnces over tho woll-plkcd roads? Tho Farmors' club Is good to look nt. It Is Just ns handsomo In tho faco ns tho public li brary nnd tho government building, and better looklngthnn tho city hnll nnd tho newest railway Nation nt Soymour. You step Into n paneled vos tlbulo from tho street when you enter thoclub. Tho vostlbulo gives Into a largo lounging room. Flanking tho lounging room nro two nurseries, t t-illot rooms, n lunchroom and kitchenette. If you nro n farmer who enjoys sliding down to tho small of his bnck In a hugo leather chair mid toasting his shins beforo a grent fireplace ; who likes breathing spaco and dark oak paneling und n pile of mngozlncs nnd books nnd somo liottcd plants; who thinks It makes llfo more worth living If he can meet peoplo of hts own lclnd for n chat now und then, you would rldo many miles to Seymour for hulf or three-quarters of an hour of loafing In thnt lounging room. And If you nro n farmer's wlfo who knows the drudgery of dragging small children around for hours from store to storo; who knows what It 1 to seek lu vain for a place of decent privacy wjfero fretful toddlero can bo cared for, weary feeC rested and nn aching back rcllovwt with n lrlcf rest on n lounge; who appreciates n place wHiro n letter mny bo written In quiet, whero a U'lcphono Is nt hand, whero n crib waits to wel come baby for o nap; who longs for no appor ninlty to tnlk with other country wrmen, you would bring pressure to bear on tho tmsbund to k his marketing nt Seymour. For the nurseries offer these comforts of women reclining chairs lounges, cribs. onouse mm rmm HishSRP 'ill ' itt UiJ l. W 1 , "SSJ ARMY'S ELECTRICAL EXPERT Gcorgo Owen Squler, lieutenant colonel In tho United States army, who already has an International reputa tion for discoveries In tho fields of electricity nnd chemistry, Is by tho war department officially declared to hnvo made an epoch-marking discov ery In sea telegraphy. Experiments Initiated and carried out by him hnvo shown that Morse signals In cable communication can be read audibly, Instead of visually by flashes, as at present. The device employed Is nn audlon cnble receiver. Experiments have been cnrrled on between points In the United Stntcs and Alaska. Colonel Squler Is n soli of Michi gan, whose proficiency In physics and chemistry, when a student at West Point, led to his going to Johns Hop kins university, after his graduation from tho National Military academy In 1887. He originally entered tho artil lery service, but nfter 180S ho waS connected with the signal corps, nnd he Is now of the aviation corps. During 1001-1002 he wns busy supervising the Installation of tho Philippine cable telegraph system. In 1012 lie was sent to London ns military attache at tho embassy, and was there when the war began. Later ho was sent for to organize tho aviation corps of the United States army, In which work ho accom plished remarkable results, no organized schools for Instruction of aviators and lnld foundations which promise in time to make this part of the service thoroughly cfllclent. , Ills writings on tho sine-wave systems of telegraphy nnd ocean cabling, multiplex telephony, absorption of electro-mngnctfc waves by vegetable organisms, and on electro-chemical effects attributed to magnetism, have given him fame, now to bo. enhanced by this latest application of Ingenuity to n .detail of intercontinental communication, which has large significance financial and social. 9 KjbMsSBBLmmu Meals nro not served at tho club. Guests aro expected to bring their own food, which they un doubtedly prefer to do In most Instances. But the pantry contains shelves whero lunch packages may bo checked. In tho kitchenettes Is a multiple electric heater, where food nnd drink mny b wnrnied, and hot and cold water faucets. In tho lunchroom nro dinner tables nnd chairs with hlghchnlrs of course for tli llttlo ones. And tho comfort-stntlon facilities offered at tho club? Well, stlroly nobody Is In a position really to ap preciate this convenience more thnn tho fnrm peo plo. There Is n matron In constant attendance. Tho'clUb has been Incorporated under tho laws of the state nnd tho organization Is self-porpotunt-Ingr The trustees charged with tho management of the ulub are tho presidents of the three leading bnnks ol Seymour. Whoever happens to bo pres ident of either of these bnnks becomes ono of tho trustees. Tho treasurer of tho club is chosen from among tho threo cashiers of theso samo banks, preference being given to tho cashier of tho bntik having tho largest surplus fund and undl Mldx'd profits nt tho Inst preceding report for tho yonr. There aro no fees or posts nttnehed to club membership. Any legal voter In tho county who Is engaged In farming or who derives his sup port wholly or pnrtly from tho farm Is eligible to membership. Anyone thus qualified mny apply for membership privileges nt cither of tho trusteo bnnks. All ono need do Is to tako enough Interest to nsk for privileges; then ho and his family may participate In tho club. Because It was an untried experiment some thing that hadn't been done beforo, nnd all that the business men of Seymour probably wouldn't luno put up tho money for establishing tho club and maintaining It perpetually If tho matter had been proposed to thenu Now, If thjy were nsked to reimburse tho donors fully and mako provisions for maintenance, they'd Jointly Jump nt tho prop osition simply ns a pleco of flrst'clnss civic In vestment; what you might call n trado magnet. Thoy know that it Is drawing now farmer trado steadily, und reaching out farther nnd farther to ward rival markets as ronds aro Improved and tho prlco of thpso handy llttlo buzz-wagons comes down. Tho socretury of tho SoymoUr Commercial club will tell you for promoters have to put n squirt of tho poetic nnd n liberal pinch of sentiment Into business talk that tho Farmers' club 1b "strik ingly progrcsslvo because It Is n concrete expres sion of tho Ideal relationship which should exist between ovcry town ami tho funning community adjacent." And furthermore, ho'U tell you "It was certainly a. happy conception, a JUtlug recognition of tho appreciation which tho business men of Seymour have for their farmer friends, that led tho Bllsh brothers to do this thing for tho farmers of Jack son county nnd at that samo tlmobulldamcmorlnl In honor of tho founder of tho city, Captain Shields, who was a f unit or and whoso dealings with tho farmers around Seymour crcnted tho basis of his fortune." One of tho Indlnnn colleges, which has nn Im portant agriculture department, has shown much Interest In tho Seymour enterprise. This school sends out special trains nnd agents and emis saries nnd whatnot all over Indiana in lino with Its policy of mnklng Hooslerdora a paradlso of scientific farming, nnd these ngents don't often overlook tho opportunity of telling about Sey mour's Fnrmors' club and what It is doing to mako tho city and Its rural customers real busi ness associates. Tho word Is going farther, too, thnn tho farth est reaches of Indlnnn. Grnngo organizations, commerclnl clubs nnd agricultural colleges hero and there all over, tho country nro making ln qulries of Seymour about tho club. So besides making it easy for tho rural neighbor to enjoy himself whllo trading there, Seymour is gather ing to itself n stack of advertising valuable be yond computation. What has been done In Seymour can be dono In any other agricultural community In tho United States. It isn't necessary that the club should bo n memorial to anybody; nor that It should bo n monument to tho generosity nnd pub lic spirit of ono or two men; nor thnt It should bo housed In n specimen of classic architecture. Four or six rooms would servo tho purpose nicely, If converted properly to club uses. These rooms might bo found In a detnehed residence or on tho second or third floor of n business block. Tho expenses might bo prorated among the business men, and tho farmers themselves might pay a modest Initiation fee and nomlnnl dues. Whero there's a will there's a way as tho fellow said. Anyhow, it sounds pretty peppy nnd up-to-dnte, doesn't It, to overhear ono farmer say to his neighbor on a Saturday morning In town: "Well, Ed, let's run over to tho club and have a talk."? REMARKABLE TREE 8URGICAL OPERATION. Edward Fontaine a treo surgeon of Charlottes vlllo, Vn., has, according to Inland Farmer, com pleted tho greatest treo surgical operation over nt tempted anywhere, nnd this has been dono for Mr. John Armstrong Chnloncr- of Merrlo Mills. Tho treo Is red oak nnd Is possibly three hundred years old. It Is 24 feet In circumference, two feet above tho ground, with n dlnmetor of eight fcqt, four Inches in Its widest part. Tho cement filling was carried tip the tree 83 feet from tho surfnee oud n cement leg or root was Imbedded five feet . Into the ground to support tho treo in heavy winds Tho material used was six wagonloads of sand, VI loads of Held stone, ts bags of cement, 14 Iron straps to re-enforco tho concrete, 44 eyebolts nndn roll of galvunlzed wire. So far tho operation hns been successful. NOT LIKELY TO BE POPULAR. A citizen of Columbus, O., hns appeared on the streets lately with nn outfit for seeing tho time without removing his watch from his pocket. Great surprise was nt first created by what was con' sldcrcd extrcmo singularity of comfort, and it took n good deal of explaining on his part to restore to himself public confidence. It seems, however, that tho devlco Is perfectly practicable, as it has been accepted by tho patent ofllco. Notwithstanding, most pcoplo will cling to tho idea that a man who is too lazy to tnko out his watch to uco tho time deserves on general principles to bo shot and It is very unlikely that tho now Invention will worm Us way Into popular favor. Exchange HE UPSET A TRADITION Forty-two years ago a German Jewish boy, fourteen years old, land ed In New York from Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, with $13.40 in his pocket. He did not tarry In New York, but went West nnd stopped at Salt Lake' City, Utah. Today hc'ls ono of the wealthiest men of the state, a pioneer in railroad building; and on January 1 ho was inaugurated gov ernor the first non-Mormon and tho first Democrat to bo elected to that high ofllco. Ills name Is Simon Bam berger. "You people of America you ntr tlve-born do not know what splen did opportunities your country offers," says Governor Bamberger. "Nowhero else In the world could I have found the opportunity given me to rise In life, and I am the proudest American citizen in this country. I am an American, not a hyphenate, but nn American. It has been an unwritten law for twenty years In Utah that no one should be governor of the stnto unless he was n Mormon nnd a Republican. That I, a foreigner, should hnvo overturned tradition Is gratifying beyond expression." Governor Bamberger was nsked to what ho attributed his success In the United States. "The fact that I have always tried to be honest and square with my' fellow beings," said he. MISS, BOARDMAN WAS SHOCKED Miss Mabel T. Boardmnn, presi dent of the American lied Cross, Is what Is known In impolite parlance ns a "crank" for sanitation nnd cleanli ness. She believes as firmly In this principle In peace as In war and her friends declare Miss1 Boardman be lieves cleanliness Is not only next to godliness, but comes nenr being first. Her horror can be pictured then when on n recent visit to the South, she was obliged to view tho shiftless stnto of personal cleanliness In which tho darkles, many of them, revel. She finally caught a grny-linlred old negro smoking a villainous corn cob pipe on the steps of his cabin nnd prepared to do bnttlo with hltn on tho spot. "now In the world do you expect to go to henven with a breath like thut?" sho sniffed, congratulating her self on having struck a weak point In the pious old fellow's nrmor. "Hee, heo," snickered tho darkey, rocking back and forth In his mirth. "When nh dies, lady, ah 'spects to lose mah breaf." - 7 s: HONORED BY THE SENATE SOLDIERS MAY TRIM HATS. Hat trimming Is not generally required of young soldiers who go to war, yet mnny wounded soldiers nt tho Canadian sports day held recently nt Grass mead Meadow, near Orpington, Kent, proved them selves so tntcnted In tho handicraft that after Uio victory Is won, Instead of going back to the land, somo of them may set up millinery establishments In Cnnndluu towns, equal to any branch of the fa mous Mulsou Lewis of Now York, London and Paris. Toronto Globe. . Senator Wlllord Saulsbury of Delaware, who was selected to bo president pro tern of Jho senato to succeed tho late Senator Clarke of Arkansas, Is a -son of 4ho Into Senator Wlllnrd Saulsbury, and belongs to tho family In which tho Delaware senator ship has run for generations, nis term will expire in two years, and, ns Del nwaro Is normally Republican, It was felt by his Democratic colleagues that his election as president pro tern would aid his chances for re-election. He is an nctivo politician, nnd be lieved to bo n very skillful manager. By marriage ho Is related to tho DuPont family. Ho was born April 17, 1801, was graduated from tho University of Virginia, was admitted to tho bar, took a high place among tho Delnwuro lawyers and extends his activities In many directions, no, Is vlco president of tho Delaware Antl Tuberculosis society, belongs to tho Sons of tho Amerlcnu Revolution, Colonial Wars, etc,, nnd has been n mem ber of all tho Democratic state und untlonal committees since 18.2.