Loup City Northwestern
GEO. E. BENSCHOTER, Ed. and Pub.
LOUP CITY, - * NEBRASKA.
What is news? Anything the reader
wants to know.
The rational man carefully abstains
from doing anything rash.
The average man firmly believes
that he is above the average.
Favorable comment has but one leg
as a rule, but slander is a centipede.
It is capable of proof that many a
lean baby grows up to be a big, fat
man.
Chronic loungers should not treat
their busy friends' private office as a
public snap.
Mrs. Nat Herreshoffs husband
seems to be the only man able to beat
Nat Herreshoff.
Conscious that he is not an Adonis
Oom Paul has taken to repulsing cam
era fiends with a club.
Colorado has discovered a cowboy
poet. And now the west knows where
to look for its poet-lariat.
These contradictory dispatches from
Somaliland leave one in doubt whether
the Mullah is mad or glad.
Designer Watson of the Shamrocks
has Just married. Which shows that
can win something, anyway.
It may be that Lynbomir Zsixkovits
was one of the leaders of the Servian
revolt, but we suspect the linotype.
The latest scientific dictum is that
' the mustache is unsanitary. So is
the corset, but the girls Insist on
both.
Going, going—two German counts
and a French marquis. Now, girls,
who will close the sale by saying
••Gone”?
Mr. Gates says the worst has been
reached in the stock market. This is
not consolation to the man who
reached it.
According to a dispatch from St.
Petersburg Russia and Japan now
agree. Korea may well be alarmed
if this is true.
King Peter now has an opportunity
■to decide whether or not he will sleep
in the room in which his predecessor
was assassinated.
A Pittsburg doctor has received a
fee of $34,000 for treating a man who
died. He will never need to take any
thing for his nerve.
M^iry MacLane announces that she
w ill w’rite another book. Then Mary
will probably discover that she struck
twelve some time ago.
Mr. Idncoln Steffens, the Asmodeus
of American cities, has got around to
Philadelphia, and taken the lid off in
h!s usual masterly style.
One of the most important elements
of successful humor is surprise, and
it was not missing in comical little
Marshall Wilders marriage.
"If the price of potatoes goes too
high,” says the Boston Globe, “eat
rice.” Was there ever a more painful
example of disloyalty to the home food
staple?
If impatient lovers would only wait
a few days it is possible the appeal to
carbolic acid would not be required,
but love is blind and very, very foolish
at times.
People are beginning to wonder
what the next get-rich-quick scheme is
going to be. All of ihe old avenues
to hasty wealth seems to have been
successfully plugged.
It Is announced that Clyde Fitch Is
going to spend the winter in Wash
ington, and will probably dramatize
either the department scandals or
the Congressional Record.
As the navies of both powers are
now in prime condition France and
England feel that this is an excep
tionally opportune time in which to
entertain proposals for permanent
peace.
Two elderly parsons deserted their
wives and eloped with young girls.
And the strange thing about it is that
with neitner of them had marriage
been a failure. One had five children
and the other eighteen.
Jeremiah Buckley, whose poem or
Shamrock was so thoroughly appro
elated by Sir Thomas Lipton, is one
of those ready writers who can tear
it off by the column without stopping
to measure lines or count feet,
Mr. Gourlay, M. P., of Nova Scotia,
says he would rather live iu Algiers
than in the United States. Donkeys
, do most of the work, in Algiers, and
Mr. Gourlay prefers to lire where he
would be sure of regular employment
The Queen of England, with a bon
net on her head, looked over the gar
den wall the other day. and it ts now
reported that bonnets are coming into
fashion again. The king may make
ue wear white vest slips, but only a
queen could possibly turn the women
back to bonnets.
j RAVAGES OF THE BOLL WEEVIL
I THREATEN AMERICA'S COTTON CROP
If there were a national industrial
ledger kept, the page for the cotton
industry of the state of Texas in 1902
would contain an item like this:
Paid to the cotton boll weevil, $20,
000,000.
That would be moderate. Repre
sentative Slayden, in asking for an
appropriation to fight this insect, said
in the house last January:
"The amount of damage done by
the cotton boll weevil during the cot
ton growing season of 1902 is various
is leading the fight against the boll
weevil in Texas, the acting chief of
the division of entomology is Mr. C.
L*. Marlatt, who regularly has charge
of entomological field work,
“Bulletins have been issuing em
bodying specific recommendations for
fighting the boll weevil,” says Mr.
Marlatt. “These recommendations
have been evolved from the actual
work of the observers in the field. As
fast as anything new is learned it is
given to the cotton growers for their
produces one-fifth of*the cotton of the
world. Therefore when in one year—
1902—at least one-tenth of her product
falls victim to the boll weevil the
seriousness of the situation is appar
ent.
The government scientists are now
trying to find out if the insect or its
larvae can be carried in the cotton
bale, as it is taken eastward through
Ixmisiana and Mississippi and other
cotton growing states. Most of the
cotton Is shipped by boat from Texas
ly estimated by those who have stud
ied the situation to have been from
fifteen to twenty-five million dollars.
It was certainly as much as the small
er sum named, and it is possible that
It may have exceeded the larger. But
great as was the disaster to the crop
of 1902, it was nothing compared to
that which threatens the crop of
1903.”
The insect gets its name from the
fact that it Is a weevil, a species of
beetle, with a peculiar habit of punc
turing and laying its eggs in the
squares and t>olls of the cotton plant.
The insect is about a quarter of an
inch long and the larva measures a
little over three-eights of an inch in
length when grown, and lives within
the buds, feeding upon the interior
substance. The squares attack gener
ally drop, but most of the damaged
bolls remain upon the plant and be
come stunted or dwarfed, except late
in the season, when they dry or rot.
The dangerous thing about the cot
ton. boll weevil is that it Is a travel
ing scourge, it was Introduced into
this country from Mexico, creeping
across the Rio Grande after having
ravaged the cotton regions of the
neighboring republic until the culti
vation of cotton, which had formerly
been a profitable crop in Coahuila and
Michoacan, was entirely discontinued.
Now few cotton producing counties in
Texas are unaffected; the advance
guard of the pest is on the Texas
banks of the Red river, apparently
ready to invade the cotton regions of
Arkansas and Indian Territory, while
the states of Louisiana and Missis
sippi have good reason to fear it, al
though thus far its progress has been
almost straight north rather than to
the east
In the absence of Dr. Howard, who
■
MAP SHOWING SPREAD OP BOLL-WEE'/JL SCO URGE IN TEXAS
\ SINCE 1895
guidance. One of these bulletins will
show you the present status of the boll
weevil, another the life history of the
insect and another the methods of
combating the pest.”
While the department of agriculture
is doing a good work In Texas there
is a strong feeling among the cotton
planters that their predicament should
be thrown open to the best scientific
talent of the country outside of govern
ment service. Congress will probably
at its next session be asked for an ap
propriation large enough to enable the
government to continue Its work, but
also to employ able men outside
of the department of agriculture.
The Texas cotton crop and Its “by
products” of seed, meal and oil Is
valued at $150,000,000 a year. The boll
weevil has imperiled it.
Leaving out China, which Is a rather
unknown quantity In the cotton produc
ing world, It is safe to say that Texas
ports, but some of It goes by rail.
Left alone the boll weevil may be
expected to prevail throughout the cot
ton raising section within twenty
years, and to impair the volume and
the value of the product at least twen
ty per cent.
That would mean a loss of countless
millions to the flourishing new south.
There is another serious phase to the
question, a phase removed from the
domestic side of the proDlem and one
affecting the foreign markets, r.ow be
coming more important than ever to
the United States. The cotton indus
try of the United States is imperiled
at a time when the government of
England and Germany are making un
usually vigorous efforts to promote the
cultivation of cotton in their colonies,
and when Central and South American
countries are seeing in the cotton In
dustry a great and growing commer
cial opening.—New York Herald.
ONLY CREMATORIUM IN CANADA
The only crematorium in the Domin
ion of Canada is the one in Mount
Royal cemetery, Montreal, which has
been opened a little more than a year.
In that time there have been five
cremations. It is a significant fact1
that in the city of London during the
first year of the existence of the cre
matory, there were but three crema
tions.
The crematorium is of the English
gothic style of architecture, with mas
sive oak doors and constructed of
Montreal limestone. It la fireproof
throughout. A stately porch is passed
jn the way to the large conservatory,
with its sides lined with plate glass
windows, and the floor beautifully de
tigned in different colored marbles.
Through the conservatory, banked
with flowers and plants, the visitor
passes through an ante-room to the
.•rematorium hall, which has {in arch
id roof and walls lined with marble,
vhlle the floor, like that of the ecu
servatory, is laid in marble. In this
hall the religious ceremony preceding
the cremation takes place. Adjoining
is the incinerating room, reached
through large bronze doors. The floor
Is paved with white tiles and the
walls lined with white marble. Here
there is space for four incinerators.
They are made of fire brick with steel
castings. The fuel used is kerosene
oil and the incineration of a body re
quires about two hours.
To secure cremation it is necessary
for the person whose body is to be cre
mated to have expressed such a de
sire in writing. He must also have
been over twenty-one years of age.
After a religious service in the hall
the body is passed into the receiving
chamber, where incineration begins.
The ashes are taken from the furnace
on the morning following cremation.
Toronto is now applying to the On
tario Legislature to have a crema
torium erected in St. James cemetery,
and the request will probably bo
granted.
At one time al! the great nations
of the world, with the exception of
the Egyptians, Persians and Chinese,
practiced cremation, including the
Greeks and Romans.
For centuries the practice lay dor
mant, but in 1797 it was agitated in
France, and in 18G6 in Italy, out it
was only in 1891 that in Italy a man
was given the right to decide that
his body should be burned.
In England the history of cremation
dates from 1874, when a society ad
vocating cremation was formed. In
1879 the first crematorium was con
structed at Woking, but was only U3ed
first in 1885.
Cremation in the United States
dates back to 1873-74, and In Germany
to 1878.
In 1900 the number of bodies cre
mated in the United States was 2.414,
an increase of 418 over the previous
year.
AND FOR A WEDDING, TOO.
Old Gentleman Objected to Sentiment
On Floral Emblem.
Whether It wag a mistake or a Joke
or simply an example of bad taste is
a question that is still puzzling most
of the passengers. But no matter
about that; it ceralnly was a floral
masterpiece. Full four feet of it stood
from the ground, in the form of a
cross. Roses white and roses red
composed the body of the cross, and
dainty white blossoms and green
leaves formed the trimmings. In the
center the word "Peace” was spelled
out in rosebuds.
Everybody In the car admired the
offering, and when the boy set it down
on the floor all leaned forward to ex
amine it more closely. At length one
gentleman stood up and readjusted his
glasses in order to get a better look
at It.
"That is a mighty pretty posy
you’ve got there,” he said. "Who, may
1 ask, is dead?”
The boy giggled. "Nobody't I know
of," he said. "This ain’t for a funeral;
it’s for a wedding.”
The old gentleman sat down heavily.
‘‘Good Lord!” he said. ‘‘What idiot
ever ordered 'Peace' inscribed on a
wedding floral decoration?”
The rest of the passengers smiled,
and many of them, being married,
wondered as well; but nobody ven
tured an explanation.—New York
Press.
WHAT OUR SCHOOLS COST US.
Immense Sum of Money Well Spent
in United States.
It is probably not generally known
that the United States spends annual
ly cn elementary education about
$227,000,000—the exact figures for
1900-1901 were, according to
the report of United States
Commissioners of m hration, $22,043,
236. Europe spent during the same
period approximately $246,000,000. The
enrolment In the elementary schools
of Europe is, however, in the neigh
borhood of 45,000,000, while in the
United States it is not much more
than 16,000,000, although it is esti
mated that there were in 1901 almost
22,000,000 children of school-going age
in this country. Our yearly expendi
ture per pupil averages $22.
Some profit may be gained from a
comparison of the amounts spent year
ly by representative American cities
for the maintenance and operation of
their public schools. New York spent
in a single year $19,731,629; Chicago
follows with an outlay of $8,203,493;
Philadelphia's expenditure was $3,319,
064; Boston’s, $3,043,640; Baltimore's,
$1,417,392; Cleveland’s $1,257,345, and
Washington’s, $1,182,916. New Or
leans is at the end of the list with an
expense of $478,025.—Harper Weekly.
BREAK IN THE SOLEMNITY.
Little Maine Girl Enlivens the Pro
ceedings of Her Sunday School.
This “true story” comes from Water*
ville. It occurred at a meeting of the
Sunday school in one of the Water
vllle churches. Just before the classes
were to be excused the superintend
ent asked If there was any one present
who would like to make any remarks
or ask any questions. All was still for
a moment, and then a little tot of 5
years said: “I’d like to speak a little
piece.” The little girl walked slowly
down the aisle, and, taking a posi
tion directly in front of the altar,
made a neat bow and said:
Thera was a jolly wobbln who kept his
head a-bobbin*
As ho gobbled up a big fat worm:
And he said: ''I've eat forty-two brothers
and half a dozen others.
And golly, how It tickles when they
squirm:
The little girl bowed, and amid
laughter and applause returned to a
seat beside her mother.—Lewiston
(Me.) Journal.
Not Terrified by Nudity.
At Bayport, L. I., the firBt bather
of the season put in an appearance
about two weeks ago. As the regular
bathing houses were not open he
sought a secluded spot and proceeded
to divest himself of his garments, all
the while softly humming that classic
ditty:
When Pop was a little boy like ire
He went in swlmmln’ where there was no
wlmmin.
He stopped suddenly at the sight
of an ancient dame sitting on a near
by heap of stones.
“I'm going to bathe, ma’am.” he
shouted by way of a gentle hint.
“Well, dear, I hope you’ll enjoy It,”
she said, without moving, whereupon
ae said more emphatically, “I’m going
In swimming!”
“Who’s stopping you?” she retorted,
settling herself into a more comfort
able position. “Sure, the water’s as
free to you as it is to me!”
Making Over the World.
At rest lay stretched the simple lea—
A region elemental.
When- life for nil the folk was free
No bird nor beast paid rental.
A dreadful state of waste. I know;
’Tis hard to understand It.
Except the facts would go to show
That only God had planned It.
But man stepped in and built a town—
He tore its peace to flinders;
He plowed it up and cut It down;
He tilled It blue with cinders;
Pressed brick supplanted shrub und tree
And further he revised It
XU1 scarce the air Itself was free—
And thus he "civilized” It.
—Four Track News.
Some Hope.
Whiting—“Since my son has been
’tt college the things he has learned
are perfectly marvellous.”
Biting—“I've no doubt of it; but I
wouldn’t worry. He'll forget them all
after a few years.”
Rome’s Immense Cemetery.
The biggest cemetery in the world
'.s the catacombs at Rome. They con
tain six million bodies.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON V., AUG. 2—SAMUEL
ANOINTS DAVID.
Golden Text—“Man Looketh on the
Outward Appearance, But the Lord
Looketh on the Heart."—1 Samuel,
16: 4-13—David’s Exaltation.
I. “First Step In David’s Exaltation.
Samuel turned from the Past to the fu
ture.”—1 Sam. 16: 1-3. It was natural that
Samuel should be bowed down with Kr‘e*
after Saul's disobedience and hypocrisy
had disclosed the fatal weakness of his
character, and God had uttered the sen
tence of condemnation. But at this sad
dest hour of the prophet’s life God came,
us he always does come to his children In
their distress. The Lord bade Samuel to
cease mourning for Saul, fill his long
horn with anointing oil. and go to Jesse
at Bethlehem, one of whose sons was to
become king in Paul’s stead.
II. “Second Step in David’s Exalta
tion. The Sacrifice at Bethlehem.”—Vs.
4, 5. Resigning ills wlll> and sadly aban
don In g the king who dad so won his af
fection. the obedient prophet followed
Jehovah's Instructions, 4. "And came to
Bethlehem. And the elders of the town.”
The magistrates, probably with Jesse
among them. "Trembled at his coming.
Ami .said, Comest tnou peaceaeuy i
Illustration. “Hundreds of years after
this, when the heavenly light was seen
In the same place by the shepherds, they,
too. were 'sore afraid’; but there was as
little to fear In the one ease as in the
| other; for in both there was a provided
sacrifice, and in both the mission was one
of peace; yeu, as Samuel came to anoint
David to be a king, so the angel-her
alded Jesus appeared 'to make us kings
and priests unto our lxird and his Fath
er.”—William M. Taylor.
5. “To sacrifice unto the Lord." The
sacrifice consisted of a feast, oertain por
tions of which were s» t aside and conse
crated to the Lord, In token of his com
munion with his people, "Sanctify your
selves." "That is. wash your whole per
son and put on clean clothes.”—Cleikie.
The ceremony was symbolic of Inward
purity. "And come with me to the sac
rifice.” “Probably the sacrifice was not
till the next day.”—Cook. “And he sancti
fied Jesse and his sons."
Illustrations. God s children may some
times think thut his providences are
working against them; but his ways, says
Richard Sibles, are like the wheels of a
Autch, which move contrary one to an
other, some backward, some forward, yet
the watch as a whole is constantly mov
ing forward.
III. “Third Step in David’s Exaltation.
The Seven Sons Rejected."—Vs. 6-10. The
lads were hastily summoned from their
various tasks—all but David.—and passed
in review before the prophet.
6. "He looked on Elinb and said.”
speaking, of course, to himself. "Surely
the Lord’s anointed is before him."
7. "Rut the Lord said unto Samuel,”
That Is. God spoke, not audibly, but none
the less really, within Samuel’s soul. ”1
have refused him. For the Lord seeth
not as man seeth.” Saul was the king
that men would choose, but David was a
man after God’s own heart.
S. "Abinadab" was next called, and
similarly rejected.
9. "Then Jesse made Shammah to pass
by."
10. "Again" (or. as it may better he
translated, "so") "Jesse made seven of
his sons to pass Ik fore Samuel." The
seven included the three already named,
hut not David. "And Samuel said unto
Jesse The Lord hath not chosen these.”
IV'. "Fourth Step In David’s Exalta
tion. The Anointing."—Vs. 11-13.
11. "Are here all thy children? And he
said. There rcmalneth yet the youngest."
Evidently too little considered to be sent
for. to take part In Samuel’s review.
Children are likely thus to be under
estimated by their elders; but Clod looks
more wisely upon them. "And. behold,
he keepeth the sheep.” Often in the
world’s history, the greatest leaders of
men have been drawn from the lowliest
origins.
"We will not sit down till he come
hither.”
Practical. It often happens that men
neglect the very person, young or poor or
obscure, whom God has chosen for high
est honor; but whomever men may choose
to crown, the real feast cannot proceed
till God’s candidate has been discovered.
12. "lie was tuddy.” With auburn
hair and lair skin. In southern lands,
where skin and hair are dark, these are
Considered especially handsome. "Of a
beautiful countenance.” "Literally.
‘Beautiful-eyed and goodly in appear
ance.’ ”—Oamb. Bible. "Arise, anoint
him." “Christ" signitk s “the anointed
one.” he being our Prophet, Priest, and
King.
13. "Then Samuel took the horn of oil
Hnd anointed him in the midst of his
brethren." That Is, in their presence.
The later history shows that they did
not understand the real meaning of
Samuel's act. It is not told us that even
David or Jesse comprehended what
8amuel was doing.
Note: The i ffect of the anointing:
"The spirit of the Lord came upon David
from that day forward." “The Hebrew
for ‘came upon’ describes a sudden and
pervading impulse.”—Camb. Bible. Just
ns with Saul upon his anointing (I. Sam.
10: 6, 10). so Dnvtd received a supernatural
exaltation for his lofty destiny.
"So Samuel lose up, and went to
Hamah." his home.
v. ''Mfth Step in David's Exaltation.
David’s Introduction to Saul's Court."_
I. Sam. IK: 14-23. The remainder of the
chapter describes the providential manner
In which David was introduced to the
household of the king whom he was to
succeed. Saul's disobedience was pun
ished by n mental disorder, sent from
God. a form of melancholia akin to vio
lent Insanity. Such maladies are often
bettered by the influence of music, nnd
at the suggestion of Saul’s attendants
David was sent for. since his skill upon
the harp, as well ns his courage, pru
dence. holiness, and wisdom, were well
known. He at once won the affection
of Saul, and proved himself so skillful
In soothing the frenzied king that tie
was often sent for afterwards. jn this
most unexpected and marvelous way did
God begin to work out his great design
for David and the kingdom.
Note in all this the fifth step in God's
exaltation of Davld.-thc steady move
ment of providence as the young man
developed his gifts naturally, and as op
portunities for exercising those gifts
opened out before him The climax of
Golbuh’rtwM !, H ' r‘m" in ,h" wl l
Go lath which vie study next Sunday.
Theie is nothing in David's advance
ment which may not be essentially true
°f .b,,y or **r,> if he or she will be
obedient to the anointing of duty.
Every Day Occupations.
The occupations of every day
seem often trifling, we may do them
without thinking as ordinary things,
yet they are the scenes of our ap
pointed lot—appointed by God for
you and me. The ordering, the appli
cation of these ordinary occupations
Is the appointing of the Divine pur
pose; it is for ourselves to carry
them out. And secretly our character
forms according as we handle them
3ive thy heart to God Eternal, since
thou art thyself eternal.—T. T. Car
