TlIE NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
BelgkmSketches
In Government
Service
By Katharine Eggleston Roberts
(Copyright, 1920, Western Newtpaper Union)
The striped cat sat on a broken
stone In an old Flanders battlefield.
She fluffed her tall and glared across
her whiskers at Blbl. the pup. "Every
body's nhvays talking about n 'dog's
life,' as though It were the hnrtlest
In the world. Huh I I wonder how
they'd like to be a government cat out
here In this devastated country. The
rest of you animals don't have any
thing to do except sit around."
The gloomy dog didn't attempt to
answer. Ills drooping eyes stared
down the street of newly built huts.
"Oh, stop It, Mlnu; you're always
fussing." Slskn, the goat, wrinkled
her nose In disgust. "Why do you
suppose the government gives all of
us animals to theso people who've
come back to rebuild Dlxmude and
other places If we nren't good for
something?"
"It's all very well for you to talk,
Slskn. There's no effort In merely
giving milk; and as for Bib!, all he
does Is bark If he hears a stranger
coming at night."
Blbl got up and turned nround n few
times and dropped down on another
spot. lis was tired of being respon
sible for everyone's safety, but he didn't
feel like arguing about It.
"When I was drafted," continued
Minn after a pause, "my mother said:
'MIna, It's a tine thing to serve your
country, but I hate to see you going
to live In those awful places.' Even
then she thought I'd get a little milk
once In a while. Hut no! No I" Minn
S.l HI ?1
mm
fiiTrffiBu JL P Hill m fmm
cioats Reconstruction Animals Read y for Great Task.
grow oratorical. "Slska gives all her
milk to the people. There's none for
n poor, hard-working cat. Hard-work-Ing
that's It I I'm overworked. Do
they expect me to catch all tho rats
and mice In Belgium? These shell
holes are full of them. Talk about
their underground tunnels. I don't
know which has mnde the most of
them, tho rats or the Germans. And
tho homes they've made In those dead
trees! I mean the rats. I tell you
I'm Just worn out, working night and
day."
"Well, at least you can cat them.
You don't hnve to live on what little
food people can give you, as we do,"
Blbl finally spoke. "You're not always
hungry."
- "Eat them !" Mina snarled. "They
are all I get to eat. I'm sick and tired
of mice and such poor quality, too.
Ugh! You've no Idea."
"Yes, yes. I know. It's the same
with what little grass I find. It's rank
nud weedy. The best kind grows on
the edge of the shell pits, but even a
.
Where He Used to Live.
goat has trouble to keep from slip
ping over the brink Into the water.
The ground Is so loose around here.
I wish they would raise some vegeta
bles, but with all this Iron cluttering
tho mrth, I guess lt8 Impossible. How
I would love n good cabbage ! As for
work you talk about working ! Don't
you know Tin supposed to help clean
up the place, ns well as give milk?
Ilnck home I used to ho uwfully fond
of shirts and shoes, Hut I simply can't
make myself uwalldw those I find otft
here."
"Now d6n't go gottlug morbid. You
always get morbid. As'If things aren't
'bud enough without taiklhgnbout them
all the time. Have 'you "seen theisevv
pigs that came yesterday?" Blbl be
gan a new conversation.
"No; how many?"
"Five."
"I wish they'd send more goats,''
moaned Slskn miserably. "I'm lone
ly. There's no society nt nil. It's hard
on a well-born gont."
"Well, I like thatl" Minn's strlpoi
stood but. "I'll tell you, I'm not used
to nssoclatlng with goats. I hope the
next obus you nibble Is loaded. Cer
tnlnly "
"Now, Minn, you know I didn't menn
that. I'm really fond of you and Blbl ;
but n goat's different, that's all. Ther
are certain things peculiar to n goat "
"Thank heaven, yes," Interrupted
Minn.
"Ob, let Slska finish what she's say
ing." "Well, ns I was saying, I hnve Ideas
and desires with which vou hnve no
sympathy, because those things hold
no Interest for you. Now another
goat would tmderstnnd my attitude
townrd those red flags that mark tho
ammunition piles. There's an Irresisti
ble fnsclnntlon In them "
"I heard the captnln of the camp
over there say thnt tho next time you
ate one, and left the explosives un
marked, ho was going to feed you a
grenade," Blbl warned.
"That's just It no one understands
a goat. I'm homesick." Slska bowed
her head.
"Poor old Slska ; so am I," Blbl con
fessed, the tears running down his
long brown nose.
"Oh, well, I guess that's why I'm
grouchy. I simply can't forget my
home, and be content." Mlna blinked.
"I henrd Jan Str'uyf say that's why
he came back here. It's where he
used to live. His homo was down
there where tho old tank stands."
"Uh-huh, I know. He's clearing up
tho place to build again. Imagine be
ing homesick for this scrambled land !"
Slska wagged her beard from side to
side.
"Still they're all alike," Blbl went
on. "They work from dawn till night,
and we reconstruction animals were
sent here to help. I suppose wo
shouldn't fuss. Wasn't It some old
Greek who said, 'The world Is only my
Idea.' If that's the case"
"He's getting philosophical; I'm go
ing to leave." MIna stretched her long,
slim body.
"Oh, look!" Tho Joy of living re
turned to Siska's eyes. She flirted her
short tail and ran. "It's a nice new
red flag I"
"Do you know," observed Mlna to
the pup, "sometimes I think that Sls
ka must be Russian."
GRAVE HUNTERS STILL BUSY
Gangs of Searchers Wander About In
Quest of Overlooked Bodies of
Fallen Heroes.
Ypres Is today as she was In 1018.
To the east, south and north stretches
an ugly, shell-chopped lifeless terrain,
where gangs of "body snatchers" (the
Tommys' name for grave hunters) are
still wandering. Now and then, in
some out-of-the-way, grass-sfuffed
crater they still find a weather-soaked
uniform, grny or khaki, with a human
.keleton Inside it. They gather the
bones together In a sack and enrry
them back to headquarters.
Or, they find a forgotten grave, prob
ably marked by a little rain-blackened
wooden cross. The battle area Is dot
ted with these crosses the only epi
taph, on some being a rusty trench hel
met. The "body snatchers' " job Is to
dig up the bodies, put them in sacks,
too, and bring them away for reburlal.
"Wrecked tanks, wagons, trucks, am
munition dumps, pill boxes arc scat
tered Up to the horizon. Four miles
down the Menln road from Ypres many
British tanks He In one field, called the
"tank cemetery."
Shortage of American Leather.
There Is much complnlnt on the pnrt
of Belglun shoe manufacturers because
of the recent heavy purchases from
abroad. At the same time local manu
facturers are greatly handicapped be
cause of a shortnge of all materials,
particularly of American leather. With
a view of ameliorating the situation
tho Syndicate of Shoe Manufacturers
of Belgium has taken up with the gov
ernment tho question of producing n
national standard shoe at n stnndard
price. It Is thought thnt In this way
the homo manufacturer may be able
to produce an article to sell at not
more than 50 francs, thus fulfilling an
urgent public demand and nt the same
time stimulating and'tfrotectlng the na
'tionul industry.
FEDERAL, STATE AND COUNTY AGENCIES
ASSIST CATTLE GROWERS IN MARKETING
Selling Surp'us Animals From a Herd o'f Purebrcds Under Favorablo
Circumstances Listing Purebred Stock With County Agents Puts the
Owner In Touch With Many Buyers.
(Prepared by the United States Depart
ment or Agriculture.)
Yes, raising of purebreds Is nil right
for tho fellow who has lots of them,
but how are tho chaps who have only
u few animals to sell going to get rid
of them? Tho big fellows have rep
utations, and know the big buyers per
sonally, but "farmers like me who
have a small surplus of purebreds for
sulo are often up against It."
This Is substantially what William
Brown told his county agent one after
noon while discussing dllllcultics he ex
perienced In getting n fair price for a
few of his fine Herefords. Fortunately
the County agent was able to tell him
of a marketing service designed to
make the selling of purebred animals
easier for the large and small breeders
alike. Tho agent showed Brown thnt
the United Stntcs department of agri
culture, In co-operation with the state
agricultural colleges, county agents,
and local co-operative associations, hns
undertaken the task of Introducing
breeders buyers and sellers to each
other. And the Introductions are not
confined to stockmen In the snme coun
ty or state.
Listing Purebreds In Counties.
Alrendy In a number of counties
the location, age, number and breed of
purebreds Is tabulated and placed on
file In the olllce of the county agent.
In some cases monthly reports are pre
pared, showing tho number of nnlmnls
tor sale and these are published by
die state agents in marketing. An
essential to the plan Is the co-operation
of breeders within the county.
Usually the farm bureau or county
agent's office is the headquarters for
the local co-operative association and
the county ngent acts as Its secretary.
Thus a working unit is formed which
-an be rendily fitted Into the state and
nitional system of listing all purebred
mimals. Many a farmer living in u
lommunity where such Information
hns not been collected is unaware of
persons within a comparatively short
radius of his farm who are engaged
'.n raising purebred stock.
Tho state field agents of the bu
reau of mnrkcts, co-operating with the
nnlnml husbandman of the statu col
lege, are n second Importnnt factor In
the general plan. They aim to nsslst
buyers either Inside or outside the
tnte. They also aid county ngents in
finding animals for club members and
arrnnge trips for out-of-town buyers,
ESSENTIALS LISTED
FOR STOCK RAISERS
Means Outlined for Bringing
Down High Cost of Meat.
Specialists of United States Depart
ment of Agriculture Give Some
of Most Essential Items
in Raising Cattle.
Genernl Improvement In the type and
quality of beef animals the country
over Is one of tho means urged by the
United States department of agricul
ture for bringing down the high cost
of ment to the consumer nnd, at the
Bnme time, Increasing the profit of the
producer. Some of the most essential
Items In growing beef on tho farm,
specialists of the department say, are:
Plenty of pasture and feed.
The right kind of cows those thnt
will produce good calves regularly.
A good, purebred registered bull
one thnt will sire good calves persist
ently. A largo cnlf crop. This means that
ull cows shall drop calves, and that
ihe calves shall bo properly cared for
ut birth.
Proper care of the breeding herd
and the calves.
Selection of good heifer calves to
replace old or Inferior cows.
Prevention of dlsenso nmong the
breeding herd and tho youngw stock.
Shelter sufficient to protect the cat
tle from both severo cold and ex
tremely hot weather.
A practical knowledge of fattening
enttle for mnrket.
Marketing to ndvnntnge.
There Ib a Farmers' Bulletin, No.
1073, on growing beef on the farm
imt nmv bo hud free on application
to the division of publications, United
States department of agriculture.
that they may examine n Inrge number
of Hiilninls nt the least expense. The
benefit of this system Is enjoyed by
breeders, lnrge and smnll, nnd will In
crease as a larger number of county
and community organizations ally
themselves with It.
A Near-By Market Overlooked.
A Florida stockman desiring to pur
chase some Herefords, after making
what he considered nn ndoquato In
quiry Indicated his desire to buy a
carload of these cattle In central Mon
tanii, 2,500 miles nwny! Later he
found from Information supplied by
the burenu of murkcts ho could secure
cattle sired by an lnternntionnl grand
chnmplon bull within ISO miles of his
home. Purchnse of nnlmnls from the
latter herd would hnve meit'it not only
n great saving In freight, but acquir
ing cuttle more acclimated to the
South. Furthermore, the risk Involved
in transportation would hnve been con
siderably less.
With the aid of tho dnta regarding
purebreds and it is being added to
continually tho burenu of markets Is
able to give valuable assistance to
prospective foreign, as well as do
mestic buyers, of purebred animals.
This branch of tho United Slates de
partment of agriculture recently dem
onstrated tho vnluo of Its Information
by aiding a group of South Americans
In locating herds in various parts of
the country, and also in arranging for
tho exportation of the cattle pur
chased. Not the least valuable fen
turo of their assistance was due to
thofnet that the bureau represent!!
tlvos understood the methods of South
American marketing as well as those
of this country.
More Associations Should Help.
While In many counties co-opcrntlvo
breeders' associations are nlready ac
tively sharing In compiling data re
garding tho location of purebred an!
mills, muoh remains to be done. Coun
ty live stock associations are urged to
keep definite, up-to-date Information
on file and to Inform the state field
agents In marketing and, through them,
the Washington olllce of the bureau of
mnrkcts, United Stntes department of
agriculture, of this fact. In this way
they will render a much-needed serv
ice to their members, to the live stock
Industry ns n whole, nnd to foreign
buyers who come to this country for
purebreds to Improve their herds.
WEANING FALL-BORN CALVES
Young Animals Should Be Taken
From the Mothers After Being
Placed on Pasture In Spring.
Fnll-born calves should be weaned
after they have been placed on pasture
In the spring, and then a gradually In
creasing allowance of grain should ,ho
given them, with hay and silage added
later In the summer, according to tho
United States department of ngrlciil
ture. For baby beef they should go
Into dry lot for finishing at the end of
the pasture season, and be ready to
market In December or January.
CROWS ARE SERIOUS MENACE
Green Poisoned Almonds Found
Be Satisfactory Bait for Ex
termination of Birds.
to
In Klickltnt county. Wash., wheni
crows have been a serious menace to
the almond crop, green almonds poi
soned with strychnine were found to
bo n most satisfactory bnlt In exter
minating tho birds, by a representu
tlve of the biological survey In that
section.
The hog Is the most Important ani
mal to raise for meat and money.
Straw for hog bedding In the winter
Is the best thing a man can have on
the farm.
Straw stneks nfford n good bedding
material nnd this is a use for them
far more profitable than burning.
w .. . . ...
i.uKiimu nays contain a high per
cent of lime and protein which makes
, them especially vnl'inble in the owo'm
ration.
1 LVl JLvJ3
SWEET, OF THE NEW
JSPSlM
iQ'M IhJ?
VIill tit I ' 1
done themselves great harm through
There has come a time when these
be permitted to form n part of n natlonnl progrnm In dealing with our ene
mies. Support of this understanding is found In the nctlon of tho nssembly
of tills stnto whose position n fow weeks ngo, in Joint pnrty declaration.
resulted In the suspension of five nssemblymcm, members of tho Socialistic
party, accused of acts as Individuals and In conjunction with their organiza
tion which were felt to bo inimlcnl to the best Interests ot tho state and
federal government."
SURGEON GENERAL
Dr. Hugh S. Gumming, (portrait
herewith) succeeding Surgeon General
Ilupert Blue, becomes head of the bu
reau of public health service of the
treasury department nnd not the sur
geon genernl of wnr depnrtment, thnt
position being filled by Mnj. Gen. M.
W. Ireland.
The act approved August 14, 1012,
changed tho name of the public health
and marlno hospital service to the
public health service, uul consider
ably increased its powers and func
tions. The bureau of the service at
Washington comprises seven divisions.
Tho division of scientific research
conducts tho scientific Investigations
of tho service. Intensive studies of
discuses of man, Including hookworm
disease, malaria, pellagra, trachoma,
typhoid fever, and tuberculosis, of
school, mdntnl, nnd Industrial hygiene,
of rural sanitation, of public health
administration, of water supplies and
sewage, and of coastal waters are carried on from special hendqnarters In
tho field in co-operation with state and local health authorities.
Through the division of marine hospitnls nnd relief professions caro Is
tnken of sick and disabled seamen nt 22 mnrlne hospitnls nnd 123 other relief
stations.
Through the division of domestic (Interstnto) qunrnntlne Is enforced tho
lnws relating to the prevention of the spread of contagious or infectious ills
eases from one state or territory Into another.Tlils Includes the suppression
of epidemics nnd the snnltntlon of lnterstnte carriers.
JOHN BARTON PAYNE SUCCEEDS LANE
dropping several hundred employees nnd saving thousands of dollnrs.
John Burton Puyne, a native of Virginia, Is sixty-five years old, and hns
been prominent In Chicago life for many years. lie was Judge of the superior
court from 1803 to 1898, has been president of the board of south park com
missioners since 1011.
HOWZE CONSIDERS
Conditions In Mexico were de
scribed as Intolerable by Gen. Robert
Lee Howzc, communder of the Hi Paso
district, when he testified before tho
senate subcommittee investigating the
Mexican situation. Ho expressed
opinion that affairs In that country
had grown steadily worse in tho last
ten years, and that, "left solely In tho
control of the Mexicans," the future
of that country was "hopeless." He
said, among other things:
"The intolerable conditions which
have covered a period of nearly ten
years have contlnunlly grown worse
nnd I mil convinced the apex of shame
fulness and horror ns viewed from the
Amertcnn conception of Justice nnd
decency wns reached Inst fnll, n con
dition which still exists.
"The Mexlcnn government during
this ten years of critical time has
never, ns far us I can determine, done
one genuinely friendly thing toward
our government. On the other hnnd. the Mexican government, or Its peo
ple, has done no end of discourteous, contemptuous and offensive things ot
large importance toward our government nnd our people. The result lias
been nn Increased estrangement and uu Increased hatred, against the peo
ple of tho United States."
AB0WT
YORK ASSEMBLY
Thnddous O. Sweet, speaker of
the New York nsscmbly and the man
responsible for the suspension nnd
"trial" of the five Soclnllst members,
entered n long defense of his attitude
nt n New York city public banquet.
Mr. Sweet not only condemned
tho Socialists nnd defended the nctlon
of tho nssembly, but ho referred to
t" ctl0 of Charles 10. Hughes In
tlie cnrly stages 1,10 c,,s0 ns "l"ty
11,1(1 Ill-advised." Ho said there Was
no room In this country lor "traitors
and that ho could find no difference
between the Socialist party nnd tho
Communist party, and referred to the
Socialists ns "these five undesirables."
Ho also contended that tin? proceed
ings at Albany had been misrepre
sented to the people. Speaker Sweet
in part said :
"I have always held to the belief
that the time to smash n riot Is at
its inception. Americans hnve always
their leniency. It Is a national falling.
splendid qualifications can no longer
HUGH S. CUMMING
John Barton Payne of Chicago, Is
doubly In the limelight or, In two
spotlights. Ho Is to bo President Wil
son's now secretary of tho interior,
succeeding Franklin K. Lnne. Mr.
Puyno hns served us chnlrmnn of the
shipping hoard since Inst August, pre
viously being genernl counsel of the
rnllrond administration.
Mr. Payne's appointment came as
a surprise uud attracted more than
usual attention because of the manner
In which he has been brought Into the
limelight In connection with tho sale
of former German passenger ships.
Mr. Payne said that he would, or
course, accept tho appointment If con
finned by the senate, but thnt ho had
requested the president to nlloW him
to remain where he was until tho Ger
man ships were sold. He also de
sired to complete the reorganization
of the shipping board and Emergency
Fleet corporation which was then.
1
MEXICO HOPELESS
