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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 1901)
T3he Sco\irge I A Story of | I >vv the E<8Lst.» o/Dotmascus BV SYLVANUS ~ COBB. JR. 7* ___ Copyrighted 1891 by Robert Bonner’s Sons. CHAPTER XI. ! Horani is Caged. Carefully the three men emerged Trom the dungeon; and when Osmir had closed and bolted the door behind them. Selim went on ahead with the lantern. They were armed with good stout swords, and the blacks wore daggers in their sashes. “In what direction must we pass out?’’ asked Julian, as they came to the end of the first valuted passage. "We must pass up where a guard is always kept,’’ answered Osmir; "and our only hope is that we may be able to fall upon the sentinels, and over come them, without creating disturb ance enough for a general alarm.’’ “Whatever can he accomplished by strength of arm, we will accomplish,” said the robber; "and I think we can be shrewd enough not to strike until we see that the blow shall fall sure ly." “You can depend upon us.” added Osmir, stopping while Selim opened a door. “We have already placed our lives in jeopardy, and only a success ful exit from the palace can now save us. But. as I told you before, there is danger in the way.” “You have counted the chances?” “Yes.” “And are you ready to bide the rc .sult?” “Yes.” “Then let us meet the worst. If you, to set me free, are ready for the risk, I should be much more so.” At this juncture Selim, who had opened a door, and gone on a few steps in advance, came hurriedly back, with a look of alarm in his face. "I bear footsteps in the passage overhead.” he said, in a whisper. “Are you sure?” “Yes. I heard them very plainly.” “What is the passage of which you speak?” asked Julian. “It is one through which we must pass,” replied Osmir, "and one in which we had expected to find no ob stacle.” "It may be,” suggested Selim, “that a new guard has been set there." “That cannot be,” asserted Osmir. “I came through there only a short time since, and the place was empty. Hark —I hear the steps from here—and I think they are coming this way. Hold, a moment. Remain where you are, and I will find what this means.” Thus speaking. Osmir glided away into the darkness, towards the point where the stairs led down from the upper passage. After an absence of a few minutes he returned, and his first exclamation told that he was excited. “The king is coming!” “The king!” repeated Julian, in a quick, deep whisper. “Yes—and two of his guards are with him. Some one else came as far as the nead of the stairs with them, but I think only the king and the guards are descending.” “He must be coming to see me,” said Julian. “ii must be so,” answered Osmir; “for there is nothing else here for him to see, save oare damp walls and toads.” "Hark! Here they come. I hear their voices, and can see where the rays of their lantern breaks in the gloom.” It was Selim who said this, and as he spoke he drew back, and hid his own lantern beneath the skirt of his tunic. uur adventurers, trom where they stood, could see the foot of the steps at the far end of the passage; and presently they saw two men descend, the foremost one bearing a lantern, and wearing the robes of the king, while the other seemed to be an of ficer of the household. "I see now,” said Osmir, as he gain ed a view of the approaching men. “I was mistaken. The guards have been left behind, and this is Benoni, one of the captains of the guard, who comes with the king.” The robber chieftain was for a mo ment undecided as to the course he should pursue. Once his sword was half drawn from its scabbard; but Osmir, who heard the movement, seemed to have a better idea. “My master,” he whispered, touch ing Julian upon the arm, ‘‘let us draw back out of sight, and allow them to pass. They will certainly keep on to the dungeon we have left, and we will follow them thither.” “You are right,” replied the chief tain, “They will be completely in our power when they have passed us.” Just back of where our trio stood was the door by which they had last passed, and upon one side was a deep niche in the wall, which had evidently been constructed for tht reception of rubbish. Into this they quickly glided, Selim so effectually cloaking his lan tern that not a ray of light escaped. In a little while the king came near to the hiding place, with his lantern held carefully before him, and his head bowed, as tnough he was fearful that he might make a misstep. He walked slowly, and his frame shook with a perceptible tremor. When he reached the door he stopped, and turned to wards his companions. “Benoni,” he said, “I think you may remain here. This is the last passage, and I will go the rest of the way alone.” I had better accompany you to the end, sire.” “No—I prefer to go alone.” “But,” urged the captain, “the way is rough and dubious, and you may miss your step.” “Out upon thee for an ass!” cried the king, indignantly. “Do you think my step is growing feeble? I tell thee it was never stronger. I will go the rest of the way as I have said. I shall find Selim at the door of the dungeon, and he will render me such assistance as I may need there. I must see this pris oner alone. He possesses a secret which I must fathom before he loses his head.” “I beg thee, sire, be careful.” “Peace, good Benoni. Don’t fret on my account. I know what I do. I'll find out the story of this robber's life, and then his head shall come off right quickly. Stay you here, and await my return.” Thus speaking, the king moved on. and when the sound of his uncertain, stumbling footfall could be no longer heard. Julian reached forth until his hand touched one of his companions. “Who is this?” he asked, in a hush ed whisper. It was Selim. “There is no time to lose. The cap tain must be disposed of quickly. Un cover your lantern, and I will throttle him.” Selim did as directed, and as soon as the rays of light fell upon the captain, the latter started to gaze about him. But his free-will movements were quickly terminated by a blow from the first of the robber chieftain, w'hieh felled him to the door, and before he could move or cry out. he was securely bound, and Osmir’s sash passed over his mouth. “Now,” cried Julian, “for the king. He will be an easy subject to dispose of.” “And how will you dispose of him?” asked Osmir. For an instant a dark thought strug gled through Julian's mind. Here was an opportunity to put his worst enemy out of the way, and, at the same time, free the world from a ruler who had ceased to do justly. But the thought was not long entertained. The soul of the chieftain was above the doing of such a deed. Osmir noticed the hesitation, and tremblingly asked: “Will you kill him?" “No, no,” was the quick reply. “That would be too cowardly. He is a poor foolish old man, whose continued life must be the greatest curse. We will put him where he put me, and let his slaves find him after we are gone. Come—I will lead to this event, and then you shall lead to the next.” Without further remark the robber moved on towards the dungeon where he had been confined, Selim going by his side with the lantern. Pretty soon they saw the king ahead of them, whereupon Selim was suffered to go on in advance. Horam had reached the door of the dungeon just as Selim came up. “Ha, Selim, is this you?” “Yes, sire.” “I did not see you when T came. Where have you been hiding?” “I have not been hiding, sire; but have been doing my duty.” “And the prisoner?” “He is safe.” “Open the door. I would speak with him. He is securely chained?" “No mortal man can break the chains wherewith he was bound, sire.” “Then open—quick. His arms are bound?” Like iron, sire. “And lie cannot move from liis place?” “The chains all center upon the holt in the floor.” “Then you may remain without, Se lim. I wish to speak with the prisoner alone.” Selim had no particular understand ing with his companions touching this movement; but he understood that Julian would act when he saw fit, so he proceeded to unbolt the door and throw it open. “We can shut him in and leave him,” whispered Osmir, when he saw the king about to pass into the dungeon. “No, no,” quickly returned Julian. “I have another thought. I may find use for „ those royal robes which he wears.” "By the gods!" cried Osmir, “the prize is worth ten thousand times more than I had thought. If you don those regal robes, Selim and I can lead you in safety from this place. By the blessed star, it is a lucky thought. Ha! He goes in. Shall I accompany you?” “You may remain close at hand.” CHAPTER XII. A Royal Disguise. Until the present time Julian had thought of overcoming the king with out a word—of felling him to the pave ment and binding him, and leaving him in ignorance of who had done it; but a different fancy seized him as he saw the monarch enter the dungeon. The temptation to face his deadly enemy, and let him know to what he owed his disgrace, was too strong to be resisted. The thought that he could now place his foot upon the neck of the king of Damascus, and grant the poor life which he had the power to take, was not to be passed by. And ! then the robber chieftain had an other reason for wishing to speak with the king, since the opportunity had thus unexpectedly offered itself. Ho ratr. had come on purpose to see him, to learn some secret. Our hero had a curiosity to know what this meant. "Stay a moment where you are.” he said, addressing the blacks; and thus speaking he passed into the dungeon just as the king had discovered that no prisoner was there. “Ho! Selim!" shouted the monarch, turning his face to the door. "What is the matter here? Is not this the—” He stopped, for the light of his lan tern. falling upon the face of the man who had followed him in. revealed an other face than that of Selim. "Horam,” spoke the chieftain, “you find the Scourge of Damascus not quite as powerless as you had expected.” “What ho! Selim! Selim!” “Easy, old man. Selim will not come at your bidding. Let me inform you that I am master, for the present, of this lower region, and Selim is my slave.” “Mercy!” gasped the terrified king. “What ho! Benoni! Benoni!” "Benoni is in my power,” said Ju lian. "He is bound hand and foot, and cannot help you. And, thou base, false man—thou, too, art in my pow er. Down in this deep dungeon, where the light of day cannot come, and where the noise of the upper world cannot penetrate, here I have thee as thou did'st hope to have me. Ho ram. I am thy master!” The king's knees smote together, and the lantern dropped from his hand. Mercy! lie cried. And then, as though remembering that he was king of Damascus, he clenched his hands, and tried to speak with the voice of authority. “Vile miscreant,” he said, “let me pass! If you dare to oppose me, you shall be torn limb from limb!” “Easy, old man. I am your master now. and if you give mo occasion, I may do you harm.” There was that in the look, tone and bearing of the stalwart chieftain which caused Horam to quail. The lantern had fallen in an upright position, and its light revealed quite plainly the features of the two men. “You will not kill me?” whispered the king. “No,” replied Julian. "I should scorn the deed; and I should despise myself if I did it. I wish simply to do this. I must leave this palace tonight, and you must remain here in my place. Some of your slaves will find you in the morning. You must strip off that purple robe, and that golden chain; and 1 must have the jeweled crown from your head. Come—I have no time to waste.” “Ye gods of heaven!” ejaculated Horam. “how can this thing be! Who ever heard of such a thing! Who dares to disrobe the king?” “I dare to do it!” replied the rob ber, sternly and quickly, at the same time taking a step forward. “Remove the garments instantly, or I shall tear them from you.” "No, no; you dare not rob your king.” “Peace, poor fool! Hesitate another minute, and I will smite you to the floor! Off with the robe!” The trembling monarch cast one look into the face of the man before him, and then shrank back against the wall. He was as a mere child, and for the time, while unable to do evil, he seemed an object of pity. “If I give you these things will you spare my life?” “I told you once—yes. And once more I beg you to remember that my time is short. You will save yourself some trouble if you obey me.” This was spoken very slowly, each word dropping from the robber’s lips with the weight of a death sentence; and the lowering of the brow, the swelling of the broad bosom, and the nervous working of the hands, told too plainly that the edict must be obeyed. (To be continued.) HOME MADE HONEY. A Restaurant Man Captures a Stray Swarm of Rees. Ralph Gushee, the lessee of the Park Department restaurant overlooking the Hudson at the upper end of Riverside drive, tells a remarkable story of how he obtained the honey which is one of the "specials” on his daily menu. "Two weeks ago,” said Mr. Gushee to Corporation Counsel Whalen, who was the host of a party of politicians at Claremont, "I noticed a swarm of bees under the tree down there overhanging the drive just where the carriages stand at the dinner hour. 1 offered $10 to anybody who would remove them and nobody wanted to take the offer until one of the policemen detailed to guard Grant's tomb heard of it. He said he knew all about bees and 1 told him to go ahead. He went down in the basement and got an empty sugar bar rel. Then he demanded a sheet and bor rowed a pair of buckskin gloves from a gardener. He spread the sheet on the drive under the tree and set the barrel, from which he had removed a couple of staves, on its side. Then he climbed the tree and gently shooed the bees down to the sheet, whence he gathered them up into the barrel. This was covered with the same sort of mos quito netting with which he had en veloped his own head and taken back of the hotel. There must have been tkree or four quarts of bees, and they settled into their new home as natural ly as though they had come to River side Park for that purpose. They be gan to hive at once, and for the last two weeks I’ve been getting four or five pounds of honey right along and the bees are still at home and at work.” Mr. Whalen remarked laughingly that as the bees were evidently taking sweetness from the blossoms in the park it would be in order for the city to increase Mr. Gushee’s rent. It is sup posed that the bees came across the Hudson River from New Jersey. MM AUK ABLE SHOW ING. HOW WE COMPARE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD. In Wealth, Product Inn mill Connumptloil the I’nitcd slut os, with fl Per Cent of tli« Population, KijuhIh Half of tlio Itcmutmlcr of Mankind. A comparison of the t'nlteci States with the rest of the world as regards annual production, consumption, pop ulation, wealth and many other Items relating to the question of comparative prosperity, shows some remarkable facts. With less than 5 per cent of the population and only 7 per cent of the area, yet In many ways we equal or surpass all the rest of the world com bined, and taken as a whole, we are equal to one-half of all the remainder of mankind besides ourselves. We equal or surpass all the rest of the world in corn, cotton, eggs, petroleum, leather products, copper, forest and products. We produce two-thirds as much as the rest of the world In coal, pig iron, steel; three-fifths of the total food and agricultural products and manufactures; one-half as much In silver, iron ore, fish; one-fifth as much In p^ld, wheat, oats, hay, butter and chosue; one-fourth as much In hops and beer; one-fifth to one-tenth as much in barley and wool. Reckoned In value, we consume twice as much corn as all the rest of the world, one-half as much wheat, one-third as much oats, one-third as much cotton, one-fifth as much wool, one-third as much sugar, one-half as much fish, nearly as much coffee,ione fourth as much tea, and about three fifths as much meat. We have lone third as much wealth, one-thlrn as rnuqh gold, one-fifth as much silver, one-tenth as many sheep, one-thliil as many cows, two-thirds of the railroad mileage, twice ns much life insurance, one-half as much savings bank depos its, one-fourth of the export trade.tone tenth of the revenue and expenditures and less than one-thirtieth pf the world's debts. We are today practically Independent of the rest of the earth. In a few years we shall raise our own sugar, silk, all fibers, tea, coffee, wines, and, in fact, everything used by mankind. The conclusion then, is warranted that in another generation if the pres ent system of Protection is continued, the people of the United States and Territories will equal or surpass in production, consumption and wealth, the peoples of the rest of the world combined. Comparison of Present Status, Annual Production, Consumption, etc.. Between United States and Rest of World. Figures are approximate. Where possible, official; otherwise, from most reliable authorities, dating January 1. 1901. or last fiscal or calendar‘year. Where last an nual iigures are abnormal an average is taken of recent years. • —Per cent— United Rest of Status ami commodity. World. l'nlted Slates. Rent of world. States.world Population . 1,600,(810.000 77.000,188) 1,623.000,000 1.8 66.2 Area .sq. miles. 52,000,(88) 3.603,(88) 48,367,00(1 7 93 Wealth .$400,000,000.0(8) 100.000,000,000 800.0(8),000,000 25 .5 Gold production .$ 320,000,(88) 80,000,ooO 240,000.000 25 io Stock of gold .* 4,841,(88),000 1,020.200.0(8) 3,840,800,0(8) 21 .9 Silver production .(.**)$ 100,1819,(88) 33.(881.(88) 07,(8)0,000 33 to Stock of silver .$ 3,820,000,000 650,000.000 3,170,000,000 1. 83 Paper money .* 3.I88).000.(HHI #40.000.060 2,660,000,000 11 89 Corn production .....bu. 2,800,000,000 (b)2,100,(88),(88 ) 700,000,(88) «5 *-.> Corn consumption .bu. . 1,900,000,000 188),()00,000 08 3 Wheat production .l>u. 2,5(8),(881,(88) (b)630,000,000 1,870,000,0,0 25 e> Wneat consumption .bu. 4S0,000,(881 2,0*0.000,(88) 1, S3 Oats production .bu. 3.100,000,000 (b)S00,000,000 2,300,000.1881 26 A Oats consumption .bu. 770,(88),(88 ) 2.830,000,000 25 o Rye production .bu. 1,380,000,000 26.000,(88) 1,364,000,(88) L ,)8 Parley productio)) .bu. 760,000,000 90,000,000 660,000,0(8) 12 8S Hay production .tons. 250.(881,0(8) 65,000,000 185,(88),(88) 26 A Potato production .bu. 4,(810,(88),(88 * 210.000.000 3.760,000,(88) h ,)4 Hops production .bales. 1,050,0(8) 2(8),(88) 860,(881 20 80 Butter and cheese.tons. 2.600,(8)0 700,(89) 1.900,0(8) 2« <3 RKlf8 . 20,000,000,000 10,000,(88),000 10,000,000.000 50 50 Cotton production ....bales. 13,500,000 (b)16,500.000 3,000,000 78 22 Cotton consumption . baies. 3,500,000 10.(88),(88 ) 26 A Wool production .lbs. 2,700.(88),000 300.000,(88) 2.400,(8)0.000 It S9 Wool consumption .lbs. 450,000,000 2,250,000.020 17 Spindles In operation . 105.(88),(88) 21.(88),0(8 ) 84,000.000 *.0 HO Number of sheep . 7881,000,000 45,(881,000 455,000,000 .) .1 Number of milch cows. 62.(8)0,000 16,000,000 40.000.000 26 A Sugar production .tons. 8,550,000 210,(88) M40.000 2.5 9t,5 Sugar consumption .Ions. 2,100,(88) M40.000 Coffee consumption .lbs. 1.700.1810.0(81 790,000,000 1.210,000.000 4h M Tea consumption .lbs. 450.000,000 86,1881.0(8) 36t),(M8).OOo 19 8t Food production .tons. 350.000.(68) 150.000,(89) 200,000,000 4 3 6i Food consumption .tons. 1*28.000,000 222,000,(84) 3, 03 Agricultural products . $ 16,(881,(881.000 7.000.188),000 9,000,000.(88) 44 50 Meat products .tons. 26.(881.(88) 10,000,(88) 16,000.188) 38 62 Leather and products .$ 600,000,000 350,(8)0,(88) 250.000,0(8) 58 42 Fish products .tons. 3,250.000 1,(881,0(8) 2,250,(38) 31 69 Forest area ..acres. 1,336,600,0(8) 700,000,000 636,000,000 53 47 Forest products .* 3.(881,(881.(881 1,7381,018),0(81 1,500,000,000 50 & Beer' production .gall. 6,550,(8)0,00(1 1.221.(881.1100 6,329,000.(88) 19 81 Wine production .gall. 3.000.000,000 26,500,(88) 2,974,000.0(8) .9 99.1 Petroleum product . . . gall. 5,000,000.000 2,5(81.(88),(881 2.500.000,000 50 50 Coal production .tons, 750,000.0(81 3(81.000,018) 450,01X1,(88) 40 60 Copper production .tons. 468,500 280,00(1 £ Iron ore .tons. 90,000.000 30,000,000 60,000,(881 33 (i. Pig iron tons. 4(1.000,000 15,(88),(98) 25,000,(88) 37.5 62.5 Steel .....7.7. tons. 27.(8)0,000 11. (881.(88) 16,000,000 4ft 60 Steam horse power. 70.(881,(89) 26,000,000 45.000,000 3*5 64 Manufactures' .$ 40,(881,(88),(9)0 15,000,000,000 23.(100.000.(88) 37.6 62.5 Railroad mileage . 475,(98),000 ( 0196,000,000 280,(881,(88) 40 60 Spent for public education..! 500,000.0(8 ) 200,000,(88) 300,(981.(881 40 60 life insurance in force. ...$ 18,000,000,000 12,(88),(8i(),(88l 6.(8)0,000,(88) 67 33 Savings bank deposits.$ 7,(88),00ft,(881 2,500,000,(88) 4,7810,(88),(88) 36 (54 Shinning .tonnage. 30,(881,(88) (d)5,500.000 24,500,(88) IS 82 Revenue .. .$ 5,600,000,000 600,000,000 5,000,(88),0(8) II 89 Expenditures $ 5,900,(DO,000 525,(88),mm 6,375,000,(8X) 9 91 Fxnorts ■ 3 7,750,000.(98) 1,5(8), (88), (881 6,250.000,000 20 SO Imports " } 9,(89), 000,000 87,0.(881,(891 8,160.000,000 9 91 Debt 7.7777.$ 33.1100,(891,(98) 1.050,0(10.(98) 31.950,1881.000 3 97 (a) Commercial value*, coining value somewhat more than double these amounts. (b) Average recent years, (c) Total truck, 2(50.6(91 miles, fd) More than four-fifths engaged in lake and coast trade. COMMON SENSE. Every Producing: Country Cuts l’rlrr» on Its Surplus Oootln When Exported. Referring to the circular issued by The American Protective Tariff League, urging a general response to the inquiry of the industrial commis sion relative to domestic and export prices of American-made goods, a well informed correspondent writes: Your circular No. 171 is acknowl edged. 1 am not a manufacturer, but have purchased and shipped goods to a Mexican railroad. It was then the universal practice to give a discount on goods shipped to that country. This practice, I believe, is common in all countries, and some of the British railways are, I am told, by their char ters forced to give lower freights on goods for export. Sir Bernard Samuel son, M. P., F. R. S., in his report on “Railway Goods Tariffs,” December 22, 1885, gives these British rates among others: COTTON GOODS. Export. Domestic. Manchester to London... .21. 36. Manchester to Liverpool.. 6.10 10.6 GENERAL MACHINERY. Export. Domestic. Leeds to Hull.12.6 25. Leeds to Newcastle.11.6 14.2 A like discrimination seems to be made in Belgium. It seems to me the Industrial Com mission should extend their inquiry, unless they wish it to be inconclusive and unrelated to well known facts governing the foreign trade of all producing countries. Unloading man ufactured commodities on foreign mar kets seems to me a patriotic proceed ing. It keeps mills running regularly. Hence the power to purchase in this country Is increased by the consequent steady employment, and the increased production makes it difficult for for eigners to pinch our markets, as, for instance, in 1880, when they caught ns short on steel rails, and for two months held the price at $82 per ton. Yours truly, EDWARD P. NORTH. New York, July 25. The instance cited by Mr. North of a systematic reduction by British rail ways of carrying charges on export goods is very much to the point and entirely conclusive as showing the commercial policy of our greatest trade rival in placing a premium on export business. The same policy is pursued today in Great Britain and by all the leading export nations on the conti nent. A recent consular report to the state department tells of the marked disparity between domestic and export prices In certain lines of iron and steel production in Germany. It is the regular practice of the Germans to work off their overproduction by means of cut prices on goods for ex port. Cut price goods from every country would now be dumped on the American market if the free traders and tariff revisionaries had their way. It is the certainty of this result of tariff tinkering that prompts the busi ness interests to vigorously oppose any and all meddling with the existing schedules of the Dingley law. They do not want this country flooded with cut price stuff from all creation, to the infinite detriment of American pro ducing interests and American labor. They very much prefer, and so does every level-headed, right-thinking man to keep American labor employed at high wages, and. when necessary to secure outside markets, work off their surplus production on somebody else. That Is the common-sense of the mat ter. What Not lo Do. According to the Winona (Minn.) Herald of July 10 Congressman Bab cock objects to being classified as a Free-Trader. He is quoted as saying in a recent letter to a personal friend in Wisconsin: "Some of the papers try to make me out a. Free-Trader, and claim that I indorse the Democratic idea that all trust-made goods should go on the free list. This is simply ‘rot,’ and I write this that you may know just what my views are.” It would have been interesting and very much to the point if more of the letter had been quoted, to the end that light be thrown on ‘ just what my views are.” Enough, however, is made known to indicate that Congressman Babcock's ferocity as a smasher of Tariffs and trusts has undergone some amelioration since he introduced his famous bill last, winter. He has had time to think it over, and while he probably doesn’t understand the ques tion any better than he did six months ago, he is at least better informed con cerning what not to do. “Muscadine” is a disease to which silk worms are liable. It consists of a fungus growth in the body, which breaks through the skin and speedily kills the insect. Poultry Briefs. In the presence of the writer one farmer said: ‘'I have the fattest hens in the country and they lay the tew-| est eggs of any; they have the run of my corn cribs.” Too many hens1 have the run of the corn cribs, and! are not only spoiled for present use fulness, but are likely to transmit the same quality to their offspring. * * * It Is certain that more nitrogenous material should { be fed. As one ex perimenter says: "It Is quite probable that no general rule applicable to all cases can be determined, for possibly the ration best suited for the produc tion of broilers, which are forced as rapidly as possible until they reach a suitable market size, may not be best for the production of breeders in which vigor and strength are prime essentials.” In other words, it is possible to feed to bird3 destined as broilers more corn than to a bird des tined to produce eggs. • * • A correspondent asks how roup af fects birds. The principal symptoms are fever and watery secretions about the eyes and nose. The fever will not naturally be noticed unless attention Is called to it by the other symptoms. In some cases the head swells and the eyes are closed by the swelling of the lids. There are at least two distinct diseases we call roup. One of them is of a caturrhal nature and occurs in the winter, spring and late fall. This dis oase is successfully doctored, so some poultry men report. The other occurs during any part of the year, but is often most destructive during the hot weather. In this disease few of the birds show a swelled head or little symptoms about the head. In fact many birds we have seen die from this kind of roup, indicated it only by a very high fever and diarrhoea. It is a very contagious disease, and can be fought best by prevention. Little attention is paid to poultry farming as a business in the West. This may be largely accounted for by the fact that prices in Western cities do not reach the height of those in eastern cities. The farms of the West are generally quite freely supplied with poultry whose keeping costs the farmer next to nothing, at least in the summer, when foraging is the rule. The products of these farms go onto the marketB at a low price, and the general buying public is satisfied with the quality enough to buy and use it. During the entire year dressed poultry can be purchased In Chicago at from S to 13 cents per pound. At this time (August 3) dressed hens are selling at retail at 10% cents per pound, and they are of good quality. Poultry farming Is Increasing In the West ag<^ there are now hundreds of establish ments scattered through Illinois and adjacent states; but there are near our big cities no such poultry farms as we find around the large cities of the East, where prices for poultry are relatively high. As an Illustration of this dif ference In prices we note that a South Water street (Chicago) firm reships a very largo part of Us game birds to Philadelphia, because they can pay the freight to that city and get enough for their birds to return a handsome profit over the price they would get in Chi cago. • • Alleged Frocois of Preserving Butter. In the endeavor to find something that will save time, be cheap, and neu tralize the effect of dirt in the milk, many milk men are hoping and wish ing for a preservative that will be cheap, chemist proof and, sure death to bacteria—a most impossible combina tion. If every handler of milk would tack up in the northeast corner of his memory the fact that any compound that will poison bacteria will also poi son man, there w'ould be more pure milk, less court fines, and a general im provement all around. The following is an official report on a much lauded and wonderful compound that was go ing to revolutionize the dairy business, a few months since: Consul Freeman, Copenhagen, under date of April 22. 1901, says: “I am in receipt of so many inquiries from the United States in regard to thp reported discovery of a new and suc cessful process for preserving butter, meat, eggs, etc., that I am led to sug gest that notice be given in the Consu lar Reports that the so-called discovery is a failure. The alleged inventor ap plied for a patent, but his application was rejected. The sealed package of butter which was presented as a test of the process bore a notary’s certifi cate as having been sealed up In 1900, but it was proved that the butter had been preserveed only a few weeks the date. February, 1901, having been sur reptitiously changed to read February, 1900.”—Hoard’s Dairyman. The Pmnnjlvanla Fight on Oleo. The battle over oleomargarine in Pennsylvania seems to be going in favor of honest goods, at least in the domain of legislation. The oleo bill recently passed is about as stringent as the New York law. Whether or not it will be enforced is another question. In the past the State officials entrusted with the enforcement of the law neg lected it to such an extent that they were accused of beins- in the employ of the oleo makers. The scandal growing out of this alleged connection resulted in a change of officials, and it may be that the effect of the agitation on the new ones will prove salutary. It is pretty well accepted now among horticulturists that in replanting transplanted plants the earth should be packed as hard as possible over and about the roots. This packing brings the earth into close contact with the feeding roots and the air spaces are ob literated. With a little moisture the plant can soon get into growing con dition again.
