TUB NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TItTHUNE
NEBRASKA li BRIEF
Timely News Culled From All
Parts of the State, Reduced
for the Busy.
SCORES OF EVENTS COVERED
Public schools nt Oninhn, Lincoln,
"Ncbrnsku City, Crete und numerous
other places In the state bnve been
dosed because of the coal. strike. Then
iers have been closed at Omaha and
business generally curtailed; the state
university at Lincoln was ordered
closed Inst Monday. The drastic regu
lations Issued by the government for
bidding fuel to all Industries save es
sentials, nro expected to cause a gen
eral paralysis of business In this state
and to close virtually all schools and
.places of amusement until after the
holidays at least.
Hastings Is tightly closed by the
fuel order. Theaters and the library
are shut down. All meetings, lodge
gatherings and public entertainments
ure prohibited. All school and college
activities have been suspended. Coal
deliveries are limited to 1,000 pounds,
to be made on olllclul permit only.
In a field of eight contestants for
the privilege of submitting plans for
the new Nebraska $5,000,000 state cap
Itol, John Latenser & Sons of Omaha,
Kllery Davis of Lincoln and John and
Allen MacDonald of Omaha, presented
plans that were selected by the cnpltol
commission In Lincoln.
A municipal wood yard was started
Inst week by 50 business men at Su
perior. They contributed $25 each as
a working fund. It Is reported 51,000
loads of wood can be got by the wood
choppers along the Republican river
to help cut the coal shortage.
In the book of estimates for the 11s
eul year ending June 110, 1010, Secre
tary of the Treasury Glass asks for an
appropriation of $.102,500 for the Ge
neva Indian school, and 51,000,000 for
the North I'latte reclamation project
in Nebraska.
L. C. Christie, county agent for
.Dodge county for the last two years
.lias resigned and will go to Seward
county to take up similar work. Mr.
Christie has leased a farm of 52 acres
near Seward, which he will operate
Iong lines he advocates In his work.
The republican state central com
mittee will take ho part In the contests
liotween Individuals In the republican
primaries, according to a statement Is
sued by Robert Devoe, chairman of
the republican state central committee
ait Lincoln.
Lund values In Saunders county are
Increasing. Six years ago Ell Keiser
liouglit 10 acres of unimproved land
tiij)rth of Ashland for !?G,000. Three
.yours ago he erected a modern home,
and has just sold the property for
$25,000.
Formation of co-operative associn-
tlons throughout tlio state soon will
1)0 started. Governor McKohie Is hav
ing printed some pamphlets containing
the laws regarding the forming of as
sociations of this kind which will bo
distributed to the public.
Two hundred "buck privates," who
served under General I'ershlng over
seas, will 'meet him nt the Nebraska
state line and escort him t Lincoln
-when be arrives in December to spend
Christmas In the Capital City.
r.usluess men of Rcntrlce have
shortened business-hours from 10 a. in.
to .'5 p. m. All display signs and resi
dence street lights have been turned
off. Many people are reported burn
:lng wood with their coal.
With three of last year's team back
In school and some excellent materlnl
to choose from, Midland College at
Fremont, will have a fast basket ball
team to represent ft In the conference
.games this year.
A Marsland colored boy was nr
Tested for robbing the bank at that
place and locking the cashier in the
vault. The money stolen from the in
stitution was found In the hoy's pos
session. Governor McKelvIe directed Adju
tant General Paul to take charge of
the enrollment of Nebraska volunteers
for work In the coal mines, pursuant
to bis proclamation for such service.
It is estimated that approximately
45,000 packing house workmen at South
Omaha will bo benefited by the In
creased wage scale announced by
Judge Alscbuler of Chicago'.
Timber along Muddy Creek Is being
used as fuel by the people In Stella
mill vicinltv. The coal supply was
exhausted last week.
Actual suffering from lack of fuel
was reported to the Nebraska Railway
commission In a telegram from Js.li
gore, which said the village had been
without coal for ten days.
The statement that farm women are
driven to hospltnls for Insane by conn
try life gains no support from facts
announced by J. O. Rankin, of the Ne-
hraskn College of Agriculture at Lin
coln. From every 100,000 of their pop
ulution. the rural communlUes send
ll.-l persons to asylums, while the cit
ies send 80. or more than twice as
ninny.
Loss of stock, snowbound mulls, and
KUft'oiing among the poor resulted in
Arthur county from the blizznrd last
week.
A handsome Partridge Wyandotte
cock, owned by Fred Knrre, of Cotes
Held, was awarded the sweepstake
prize at the Omaha Poultry show. The
bird Is valued at $a,500.
The contract for -11 blocks of brick
pavement In David City has been lot
10 an Omaha firm, at a total cost of
S1S0.000. When this Is completed
David City will have Go blocks of good
pavement.
George E. Johnson, secretary of the
Nebraska department of public works,
told delegates to the state convention
of county clerks, registers of deeds,
commlssolners, supervisors and high-1
way commissioners nt Omaha that ev-)
ory county in the state will bnve state ,
aid roads next year. lie said his do-
pnrtment has 220 trucks and B0 trac- j
tors for tho work.
The suddenness of the blizzard '
which swept over northwestern Ne
braska early last week caught many '
ranches of Hooker and surrounding
counties without sulllclent brushwood
and cobs to last through the bad
weather. One rancher Is reported to
have torn down a half mile of fence In I
order to get the posts for fuel. I
Rnrtos Brothers, Wilbur, attorneys, I
charged with Illegal practices In their
profession during the war, havo filed
an answer In the supreme court In Lin-,
coin denying nil charges. The com- J
plaint was filed by the county nttor-;
ney or hniino county with tho Idea
of having them debarred.
A Hooker county rancher offered
$20 a ton for coal tho other day at
Mullen, but was obliged to go home
with an empty wagon. Two cattle
cars, remains of n wreck', at Mullen
three weeks ago, are bare skeletons,
every bit of removable lumber having
been torn off.
At n special meeting of the county
board In Kearney, Chairman George
Conroy was authorized to sign a lease
with the Union Pacific railroad for
fit) feet of their right-of-way through
Ruffaio county for use as a federal and
state aid highway.
Since farm bureaus of the state havo
boon so successful In combating hog
cholera, grasshoppers and other de
structive pests, attention Is now turned
to ridding Nebraska of the gopher pest,
which is threatening alfalfa produc
tion. Several deals relating to a tract of
land In Platte county, chronicled re
cently In a Columbus paper, shows
that the land was bought thirty-nine
years ago for $:!,150, a'nd was sold the
other day for trie euin of S1S0.000.
Gravel Is to be used as surfaclug on
the latest federal anil state aid road
project designated for Ruffaio county.
Tills Is the Lincoln Highway, work on
which will be started In the spring and
completed before fall.
The War department at Wncl.lngton
refused Governor McKelvle's request
to cut national guard companies from
100 to 05 men, basing Its contention
that the hitter would be too small for
a peace time state military unit.
Nebraska is the largest potash pro
ducing state in the union, according to
the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. The
state produced 2S,85-t tons of the 54,
502 tons of polish In the United States
in 10 IS.
The state department cf finance has
bought seventy twelve-foot graders
for road construction in the depart-
ment of public works, pa.vlng !?1S,7I)0
on a contract calling for deliveries by
March 1
Father F. B. Tomanek dedicated the
new Sacred Heart hospital at Lynch,
which was immediately opened under
tho supervision of the Sisters of St.
Rcnedict from St. Vincent hospital,
Sioux City.
The annual convention of the Ne
braska State Lnundrynien's associa
tion,, scheduled to be held In Fremont
Inst week, was Indefinitely postponed
because of the fuel shortage.
Geo. A. Williams, head of the state
bureau of markets, plans to tour the
state to encourage formation of, co
operative enterprises, as a means of
reducing living costs.
That Sarpy county land prices havo
liot .et reached the top was evidenced
when the Olderog IGO-ncrc farm near
Gretna was sold at referee's sale for
$50,000 cash.
William Krleger Post No. 120, Am
erican Legion, lias been organized by
over 100 ex-service men In Butler
county with headquarters at David
City.
The will of the late Frederick Krug,
pioneer Omhaa brewer, filed In county
court at Omaha, shows he left an es
tate valued at $500,000.
The annual convention of the Ne
braska Farmers' Educatlonnl and Co
operative union will be held In Omaha
January 1!1 to 10.
Farmers In the vicinity of Imperial
and Belfast are reported to bo burn
ing ear corn, due to the Inability to se
cure coal or wood.
The Lincoln Commercial club sent
a request to the government urging the ,
nnn W tlii n'tll itllil till iiWll llllwit tn I
work coal mines.
Members of tho midwest retail Im
plement dealers' asociatlon will meet
nt Omaha January 0 to 8.
The first airplane taxi line In tho
world Is the claim of Lincoln, where
tho Ensign company, pioneers In tax
Icnb service In that city, havo purchas
ed a plane, hired a driver and selected
it landing Held for the new branch of
their business.
Shortage of coal has led to the pos
sibility of the state board of control
beginning a wood horvost on some of
the trees near the Soldiers' Home at
Mil ford. A natural growth of timber
along the Blue river will Insure the
institution sulllclent fuel to keep tho
veterans warm.
Farmers' unions all over Nebraska
and Iowa are preparing to combat tho
reduction of hog prices, say members
of various organizations In this state.
Weather records In u number of Ne
braska cities show that the lust few
days of the past month were the cold
out for November In more than ten
years.
I.ostor Klttorlng, who returned In
Juno from France, was killed at Grand
Island by the explosion of a bomb
which he picked up on tho battlefields
of France and brought back with him
us n trophy.
CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION NOTES
Lincoln. Permanent organization of
the Nebraska state constitutional con
vention was effected Dee. 2 by elec
tion of Arthur J. Weaver of Falls City
as president; George Jackson of Nel
son as vice president; Clyde Rurnurd
of Table Rock as secretary, and Craw
ford Kennedy of Lincoln ns sergeant-at-arms.
There will bo no ono-mnn rule In
the convention, according to actions
of the delegates during the first two
days.
Hotel lobby gossip Indicates that a
number of changes la the present con
stitution will be made with very llltlo
If any opposition. Among these are
increased salaries for "State olllclals,
for supreme court Judges, and prob
ably for district court Judges; a pro
vision whereby stockholders In co-opor-
i ntive enterprises may be limited to one
! vote, regardless of the amount of
stock held; elimination of the section
i providing for a state census every ten
years and elimination of the section
making drunkenness cause of Impeach
ment and removal from olllce.
At least one resolution has made Its
appearance, brought In by a delegate
who proposes to ask the convention to
Insert in tho new constitution a pro
viso that will permit the parochial
school system to be entirely divorced
from state supervision or control, anil
which will, In effect, make It a law
unto Itself.
Tho rules comniitteo through Its
chairman, Mr. Meserve, reported the
rules prepared by the committee. Tiey
provide some stringent methods to
hold members from getting off of the
reservation. The members may be
reprimanded, censored, or by a two1
thirds vote expelled for disorderly be
havior, and tins president Is given au
thority to have the gallery cleared In
case of disturbances there. Only the
delegates, olllcers and employes of the
convention, federal and supreme
judges, state executive officers and
duly assigned members of the press
nreVallowed upon the lloor unless upon
Invitation of some member of the con
vention.
Ictor ilosewaler or Omaha, as
chairman of the constitutional conven
tion survey committee, presented the
report of that hotly to the convention
and furnished copies of the document
honiul with a blank page alternating
for reference work. The committee
had gathered Information regarding
recent constitutional conventions in
other states and submitted a mass of
statistics and Information for the use
of the delegates.
I '
If
Farmer members of the convention"
jro expressing open dissatisfaction
witli the personnel of the committee on
rules which were selected by the dele
gates from the various congressional'
districts.
They say tho naming of fifteen law
fers and only five farmers on the two
committees was not a fair deal to the
agricultural Interests of the stute.
Tho convention decided to Ignore the
inundate Issued In the fall of 101
when the voters approved (he call for.
u constitutional convention. Accord
ing to the convention call approved by
the .people, 25 per cent of tho conven
tlon was given the power to demand
Ihe separate submission of any const!
tutloual amendment.
If the convention adopts the rules
.'onnnlttee report, each proposal must
hiss twice through the convention
; committee of the whole, and must be
formally approved two separate times
by at least llfly-one of tho 100 dele
gates before tlioy can be submitted to
tho people.
Amendments to the present constitu
tion and all proposals Introduced by
delegates will be passed upon four dif
ferent times before their final adop
tion, according to a report submit
ted to the convention by the comniitteo
dii rules.
The convention adopted a rule that
provides for all standing' committee
bearings to lie open to the public and
prohibiting any final action by any
oinmltteo except at a regular meeting
if such committee.
Invitations to address the conven
:lon will be sent to John L. Webster of
Omaha and J. D. Hamilton of Fill
more, said to be the only men living
who sat In the 1875 convention that
drew up the present state constitution.
There was but two absentees In the
.'onventlon delegates, Hlgglns of Col
fax county and Osborne of Scotts Bluff
when Secretary of State Amsbury
called the meeting to order.
Among the changes in the stnlo con
stitution since Its adoption by the last
convention In 1R75, Is the creation of
the State Railway Commission and the
Hoard of Control.
The City of Omaha has petitioned
the convention to make it possible to
either consolidate the governments of
the City of Omaha ami tho County of
Douglas, or form a new county to con
form to the city limits of Omaha.
w
Secretary of State Ainslniry says
(here will be no interruption in (lie
convention deliberations due to tho
foul shortage. In case the state should
run out of coal, which It Is not likely,
us It has a pretty good supply on hand,
It might be necessary to take a recess
mi waiting for somebody to dig coal.
HER IDLE HOUR
Dy HORTENSE CALDWELL. 1
Gladys Carter called It her Idle hour,
but all her friends called It her busiest.
The hour was supposed to be from five
to six, spent at the Soldiers' and Sail
ors' club, but many nights the hands
of the clock were long past seven when
she left the building.
Every night, except Sunday, for 18
months, she had covered her typewrit
er, put on ncr coat ami uni ana gono
to the club, Arriving (hero she had
busied herself making sandwiches and
coffee for the men who would nrrlvo
shortly for the social hour. Because
of her cordiality, she was n great fa
vorite with the men In service, making
no distinction between tho home boys
and the strangers.
One night as she was busy mnklns a
delicious looking salad, she chanced to
observe n man In uniform Just enter
ing the door. In a glnncc she could
see ho was a stranger, probably some
poor lonely fellow who had never been
In that city before. Hurriedly sho
dropped the fork she had been using,
and went to where ho was standing.
"How do you do." she said, cordlnlly,
as she extended her hand.. "You aro
very welcome."
The fellow smiled his gratitude. Evi
dently he had been afraid of tho re
ception he would receive.
"Come over here," Glndys contin
ued, "and I will mnko you acquainted
with some of the other men."
Smiling pleasantly, she led the way
over to where three boyish looking fol
lows were standing.
VThls Is Mr. . Why. I don't be
lieve you told mo your name."
"My name Is Jenks, Hnrold Jcnks."
the newcomer snld.
"Oh, yes, Mr. Jenks. Let me pre
sent you to Mr. Grant and Mr. Lynn.
Now, Paul," Gladys snld, turning In
the direction of Mr. Grant, "you can
see that Mr. .Tcnlc Is made perfectly
nt home."
After Glndys had turned nwny to
greet more boys, Hnrold turned to
Paul. "Why not Introduce me to tho
lady?" be asked.
"Why, I thought you knew her. Sho
Is Miss Gladys Carter, much beloved
by every man In service."
"Well, I'm glad I'm a member of thnt
society," Hnrold answered with a smile,
Paul crossed the room nnd laid his
hand on Miss Carter's nrm. "Mr. Jenks
would like to meet you If you will
come over here a minute."
, Gladys went to where Mr. Jenks was
standing. Paul glnnced at them both
,n little doubtfully nnd then introduced
tlic-m. Never once nfter that did Har
old take his eyes from the graceful
Gladys as she moved deftly about the
room.
His stay In that city was but nlno
dnys, but during that short tlmo ho
wns a frequent visitor at the club. At
last came the day when he had to say
good-by, nnd sorting out Gladys, led her
to a seat.
"You have no Idea how much you
have done for mo here," he begnn, "and
I want to thank you for It nil. I'm
not going to tell you just how much
you menu to me, ns I am going to
France. But I want you to think of
me, nnd write to me, will you?"
Glndys readily consented, and with
tenr-dlmnied eyes she gave him her
ban I. "I will think of you now, nnd
after you've gone. Harold, and I may
be still here when you come back."
Harold took the hand gravely, smiled
and went out.
A month after that the letters bud
begun to fly over the ocean thick and
fast. She. at home doing her lilt at the
club, was thinking of him, while he, do
ing his bit In the trenches, saw butono
smiling face he had left behind.
At Inst, he returned home, to find
her still keeping her place of mercy,
Smilingly he reassured her be was per
fectly safe, and glad to be home again;
but the clear-eyed Gladys noticed one
side of his head wns badly scarred
"I feel as If I hnd known yon nil
my life, Gladys," ho said, "and your let
ters were so like you, I could fairly
see your eyes and feel your touch."
"Your letters were wonderful, too,"
sho replied, "and T nlways read them
during my Idle hour."
"Your Idle hour," he repented
thoughtfully, "Gladys, you will never
realize your vast amount of work In
'your Idle hour.'"
"It was mere plensuro for me," she
answered, "and T hnvo never been so
happy as I was during those hours.
"I still want you to be happy, Gladys,"
but don't you think you might spend
those few minutes with mo In our
home?"
Two weeks later Mrs. Harold Jenks
sent curds to her friends saying her
'nt home' would bo from five to six on
Wednesdays,
(Copyrlslit, 1910. by tlio McClure Nbwb
paper synuicnio.j
Talkln' About It.
A farmer snld to his negro servnnt:
"Jim, have you fed the horses?"
"Ynsslr."
"What did you feed om?"
"liny."
"Did you feed the cows?"
"Ynsslr."
"What did you feed 'em?"
"Hay."
"Did you feed tho ducks?"
"Ynsslr."
"What did you feed 'em?"
"liny."
"Did they eat It?"
"Nawslr; (ley didn't exactly eat It,
so far as I saw, but they were talkln'
about It when I lef." Brooklyn Cltl-
MD5
EWORLD
"PUSSYFOOT" JOHNSON RIDES A PLANK
" 'Pussyfoot, Pussyfoot,' where
hnvo you been?" "I'vo been to Lon
don to preach against gin." "'Pussy
foot, Pussyfoot,' what saw you thero?"
"Some medical students put Hour In
my hnlr." Also "Pussyfoot" wns rid
den on a plank. Moreover, ho got a
black oyo which may result In tho
loss of ita sight.
All of which happened to William
E. Johnson, a mild-mannered American
antlsnloon crusader who has scared
Merrlo England half to death with
his prohibition campnlgn. Ho hus
oven scored great success tn Glasgow,
whero the canny Scots bollevo with
Robert Burns that "freedom and
whisky gang theglther."
Johnson was a student In tho Uni
versity of Nebraska something llko 0
years ago. Ho engaged In business In
Lincoln for a time. In tho enrly nine
ties ho became connected with tho
government as an agent for running
down men selling liquor to Indians,
many controversies and once nearly lost
connected with the work ho adopted
him the nnrao of "Pussyfoot," nnd put
the service.
Ho left the government sendee nnd
man for the Antlsnloon lengue. Tho success of tho national prohibition move
ment encouraged tho lengue to begin
sent to London to open an olllce.
Johnson had the ropututlon of being
wns nn athlete, and he has a way with
GLASS LEAVES TREASURY FOR SENATE
elected to congress in 1002 nnd served thero continuously as representative of
tho Sixth district of Virginia up to tlio tlmo of his appointment as secretary
of tho treasury.
PERSISTENCE, THYNAlViE IS UPTON
Sir Thomas J. LIpton, Bart., jolly
old sea dog, arrived In New York the
other day bound on tho same old er
randto lift "tlio mug," ns ho calls
the America's cup. This will bo his
fourth attempt persistence, thy namo
Is LIpton. Ho names Shnmrock IV us
challenger and wants to sail over tho
snmc old sunny iiooic course, uo
does, however, specify June Instead of
September so tho Jersey skeeters
will will not eat him up; also because
ho thinks there will be more wind.
Sir Thomas Inaugurated his fourth
attempt to lift the America's cup In
10111 with a chnllenge for a raco tho
following yenr. The challenge was ac
cepted and tho challenging yacht,
Shamrock IV, wns cn route to this
country under Its own sails when war
was declared. Tho Shamrock IV put
Into Bermuda and Inter reached Now
York after the danger of capture by
German ships hnd passed. With the
beginning of tlio world war tho International yacht race was abandoned und
the Shnmrock IV wns placed In drydock In Erlo basin. Tho Amerlcnn yachts
Resolute and Vnnltle wero also withdrawn from the races tho following season.
Lust December Sir Thomas renewed his challenge through tho Royal
Ulster Yacht club for a scries of races to bo held tho fall of 1010, but the
Now York Yacht club asked that It be withdrawn or held In abeyance for at
least a year, In view of tho uncertain outlook existing at that time. Sir
Thomas ucqulesccd to this view.
WH1TLQCK: AMBASSADOR TO BELGIUM
The Irony, some might call It tho humor, of his situation und services
vvus In his having been appointed after a custom of an earlier day chiefly In
recognition of tho fact that ho was a writer of some distinction.
WHO'
and while in this work ho engaged In
his llfo. On account of tho danger
quiet but effective methods that gnvo
him well at tho head of this branch of
becamo general agent nnd publicity
work on tlio other side, nnd Johnson was
n fighter, and whllo In tlio university
him.
Carter Glnss, secretary of tlio
treasury, was appointed by Governor
Davis to succeed tho late Thomas S.
Martin ns United States senutor from
Virginia. Secretary Glass consulted
President Wilson and then announced
thnt ho would accept tho appointment.
Tho term of Scnntor Martin would
hnvo expired In 1025.
Mr. Glass was a representative In
congress from tho Lynchburg district
of Virginia nnd was chalrmun of tlio
commltteo on banking nnd currency
when In December, 1018, ho wns un
pointed by President Wilson to suc
ceed William G. McAdoo as secretary
of tho treasury. Ho Is owner of tho
Dally News of Lynchburg nnd tho
Dally Advance, an afternoon? paper of
tho same city. Ho Is slxty-ono years
of ago.
Mr. Glass was a member of tho
Virginia stnto scuato for six years be
fore going to congress. Ho was
To raise Brand "Whltlock, who has
been minister to Belgium for six years,
to tho rank of ambnssudor und roturn
him to Belgium Is a deserved compll
pient to a man who has served his own
country and tho ono to which he was
accredited with so much tact and nbtl
lty thnt King Albert's government has
desired his reappointment, nnd tho
president's compllanco is satisfactory
to Amerlcnns of both parties.
No American, diplomat hud a moro
difficult place to fill. Boforo wo en
tered tho war It was necessary for him
to remain on formally courteous terms
with tho Germans who assumed con
trol of Belgium. 13ven beforo our gov
ernment declared war, ho had joined
with tho Belgian relief comniitteo In
helping to aid tho sinning und Buffer
ing people driven from their homes,
und to tho end of tho vvur ho was ac
tively engaged with Mr. Hoover In ad-miniKtoi-im?
the Amorlciui Relief fund.
.eu.