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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1906)
Gleaned at the Capital Interesting Gossip from Washington by Onr Special Correspondent —To Make Alcohol from Corncobs—Rare Act of Army Friend* ship—To Suppress Bell Ringing. WASHINGTON.—The manufacture of alcolioi may be revolutionized as the result of experi ments which have been completed by the depart ment of agriculture. The officials of the depart ment have Succeeded in making alcohol, from corncobs and cornstalks at a cost so small that they believe it will prove of large commercial value and develop into a new industry. It is proposed at first to manufacture the alcohol as a byproduct in connection with corn-canning fac tones. In investigations which the department is mailing at Hoopeston, 111., it has been proved that the large quantities of corncobs which every year go to waste can be converted into alcohol in sufficient quantities to justify the erection of a distilling plant. The department sent two chemists to Hoopes ton to make experiments at a large cannery there. They have succeeded by simple methods of fcjriiirotation in getting a yield ol 11 gallons ot aiconoi irom a ton or green cobs and by similar methods in getting six gallons of alcohol from a ton oi green cornstalks. A statement concerning the experiments by one of the scientists of the department reads: "At different times during the last 25 years the department has con ducted experiments along the same line, but with common field cornstalks. These tests show that there are 240 pounds of fermentable substance in a ton of green field cornstalks, which will yield about half of their weight in absolute alcohol. In round numbers a ton of stalks will produce 100 pounds of alcohol or 200 pounds of-proof spirits. As a gallon of alcohol weighs nearlv seven pounds, there should be 15 gallons of alcohol in a ton of stalks. "Not only are the cobs a waste product but the irregular and spoiled ears of corn as well. Hand labor is as yet employed in the husking and all ears are put in, as the wage is based upon a measureful. As the measures of ears are emptied upon the conveyors the ears unfit for use are culled as they go by. These culled ears also are waste. The expense of bringing them to the point where they are cast aside is quite as much as the perfect ears. The addition of the corn on the cob adds further to the possibilities of alcohol obtainable from a ton of cobs and will have its influence in bringing the quantity to a greater figure.” THE SACRIFICE OF GEN. BELL. In sacrificing promotion to the rank of major general in order that a friend may have the coveted honor. Brig. Gen. J. Franklin Bell, chief of staff of the army, has done an act unparalleled in magnanimity and generosity in American mili tary records. .Brig. Gen. Jesse M. Lee, a civil war veteran, the. only one left among the higher officers of the army, is to be retired by law early next Janu ary.-' There was a vacancy among the major gen eral* when Lieut. Gen. Corbin retired the other day and Maj. Gen. MacArthur was promoted to succeed him. Under the usual operation of the regulations Gen. Bell would have been advanced to fill the vacancy, thus giving him rank equal to that of any other officer assigned to departmental duty at Washington, a condition extremely desirable. But ueu stepped aside m tavor of Gen. Lee so that the latter might retire with the higher rank. Gen. Lee has an excellent record, but has always refused to allow influential friends to intercede to hasten his promotion. BELL RINGING MAY BE SUPPRESSED. Shall church bells continue to peal in the national capital as in the good old times, or shall they be suppressed, is a question which the dis trict commissioners have decided to take up for serious consideration, and all interested in it pro and con have been requested to submit their views. The Koran says that bells hang on the trees of Paradise and are set in motion by wind from the throne of God as often as the blessed wish for music. Many of the Christian churches of Washing ton have dispensed with steeple bells, and now nervous citizens are complaining that their peace and comfort are disturbed by those that remain. Commissioner MacFarland, who Is himself prominent in church affairs, has taken the initia tive of bringing the issue for decision. He be lieves the time has come to enlarge the police regulations prohibiting noises, and in these days, when a timepiece can be found in nearly every house hold' he can see no good reason why notice of the approach of a service in church should be given by the loud ringing of bells. All fire alarm bells liaye been suppressed with the exception of one In the business section of the city, and its doom is sealed. Curfew has not rung for years in the shadow of the capitol and the commissioners will, unless the representatives of the churches can offer some unexpected good reason, re strict the ringing of bells upon those edifices to strict compliance with the ritual of the churches. STEVENS’ UNAPPRECIATED PUN. , John F. Stevens, chief engineer of the Pana ma canal, has been in various limelights in the capital during the investigations, but he carried his point and has been told at last to go ahead and build the kind of canal he has advocated. He is a man to carry points when he makes | them. He is an ideal engineer, rugged and strong. , and every motion indicates unlimited reserve power. His face is rather handsome, but de termination dominates, from the thick, dark hair and heavy eyebrows to the brief, strong mus tache, over lips which close like a punctuation mark when he has said his say. He missed it once, however, and told the story as though he lather enjoyed it. He was sitting on the counter in a western grocery store when a cowboy came in, and taking him for a clerk, said: “Gimme some raisins!” i nere naa just Been a couple of impromptu hangings in the next town, and looking up without moving the young engi neer asked: “Do you want the same kind of raisin’* they had over yonder?" The next instant he was looking into the business hole in the cowboy’s shooter. He says that it was as big as a cannon, and he was getting ready to sade off and hunt for raisins when the proprietor came to the rescue, beg tonapok>gizeVb0)r t0 spatler up his I,lace- He took advantage of the pause MAKING A “CITY BEAUTIFUL.” I ARCHITECT More than $50,000,000 is now being spent upon buildings and bridges of a public character in and around Washington, and when work al ready undertaken has been completed, Washing ton will be without a peer as a city of architec tural beauty. In addition to the projects amount ing to more than $50,000,000 now decided upon and under way, improvements costing an addi tional $20,000,000 are projected. When the senate and house office buildings are completed the plaza east of the capitol will be almost surrounded on its four sides by one of the most magnificent groups of public struc tures in the world, built of granite and marble. The north and south sides of this plaza will be bounded respectively by the senate and house office buildings, which together are to cost $7,000 - 000. The west will be bounded by the imposing structure of the capitol. the eastern front o'? which *s to be extended in marble at a cost of $1,330,000. The eastern side will be partially bounded by the library of congress building, which has cost the government $6,920,000.( The other blocks of ground east of the capitol plaza and just north of the library of congress, will ultimately be occupied by a splendid structure for the supreme court of the United States. The capitol and its proposed extension, the senate and house office build ings and the library of congress will represent an expenditure by the gov ernment of $32,321,849, and this will make these structures the most costly marble frame in the world for so small a rectangle of foliage and grass Not far from this splendid series of buildings will be the new union rail road depot, which will front the plaza from Delaware avenue on the north at a cost-of $12,000,000, with its approaches, making the five structures in this vicinity cost upward of $45,000,000. Came Back on the Doiible. “I believe,” said the cheery philoso pher, “that for every single thing you give away two come back to you." “That’s my experience,” agreed Pham ley. “Last June I gave away my daughter and she and her husband came back to us in August” Too Much to Expect. “Does that man really believe all he says?” “Believe it,” echoed Senator Sorg hum, “why, he doesn’t even under stand it.”—Washington Star. Improvement in Photography. An inventor has succeeded in evolv ing a novel improvement upon the or dinary celluloid film used for cinemato graphic purposes. The pictures are taken in a spiral manner upon circular glass plates, thereby enabling a long' series comprising several hundred pic tures to be obtained in a small space. The diameter of the plate is 15 inches, while the photographs themselves do not exceed half an inch in length. In this way it is possible to record a story lasting about four minutes upon one plate. i M The Anarchist at Work. The Anarchist’s tools are of the most rudimentary kind. He has to take what comes readily to hiii hand, for he dare not excite suspicion by purchasing an expensive installation. For the most part the bomb3 that have come into the authorities' hands have been ridiculously crude; but that flung at the King and Queen of Spain seems to have been more elaborate,, for the case was of polished steel. THE PROGRESS OF CHINA. EARNEST EFFORTS TO RAISE PLANE OF ORIENTAL EMPIRE. English Language Coming Into Use and Modern Schools Being Estab lished—Empress Joining in Civilizing Movement. Shanghai. China.—No nation on earth has made more progress in the last five years than China. Even Ja pan, which has sprung to the rank of a world power from the seclusion of an oriental despotism, Is not excepted by . the high authority who makes this statement. He admits that China has not made such advance in iron and coal produc tion as has the United States, but he contends that China has made a wider and more profound change in its whole attitude toward western civilization than has any other nation. The latest proof that China’s face Is set toward progress is found in the imperial decree, issued last month, promising a change of laws. While this decree does not promise a con stitution, as careless readers have In ferred, nevertheless, It points in that direction. A more vital indication of progress is found in the recent imperial decree making some mastery of western learning a condition of future employ ment in the government service. This decree does not affect existing office holders, and doe3 not apply to candi dates for office who have already com pleted the prescribed course of Con fucian learning and have received the first and second degrees. But the significance of the decree Is found in the fact that it prescribes the Identical condition for future candi dates for office which the young em peror prescribed eight years ago, and which led to the boxer uprising. It is significant that the dowager empress, who then retired the young emperor for his radicalism, now issues in his name the Identical decree which pro duced the revolution. A still more striking sign that this decree is found in the fact that Yuan Shih Rai, the leading Viceroy o£ the empire, has already established more than 5,000 primary and sec ondary schools in the Chili province in order to prepare the young people of his province for the new govern ment courses. He is attempting to in troduce western learning, and, indeed, the English language into these schools as rapidly as possible. This creates a strong demand for American teachers, but the pay is too low to justify young people coming from the United State? to accept these minor positions. In lieu of American and English teachers, the Japanese are being employed to teach western learning, and in some cases the Eng lish language. The “pidgin” English which Is taught by some of the Chinese schol ars would indeed be laughable were it not for the fact that the introduction of the English language may possibly become general, and, if so, may carry with it the introduction of western civilization. An indication pointing to the influ ence of Japan in China is found in the fact that 11,000 Chinese students are now in Tokio striving to secure from the government institutions and pri vate schools the western learning. • The Manclico court has always been opposed to bound feet, and compara i tively few women who gain access to the court have submitted to this early torture. A few months ago, however, an imperial decree was issued exhort j ing parents not to bind the feet of ; their daughters. On the dowager empress being in 1 formed the other day that the decree i relating to bound feet was having no influence among the provincial au | thorities, another decree was Issued saying that in the future no men will be taken into the employment of the Chinese empire whose wives or daugh ters have their feet bound. A more striking indication of the adoption of not only western civiliza j tion, but of Christianity, is found in | the decree just issued by Chang Chih lung ordering the New Testament to ! be introduced into all the schools of I the Hupeh and Hunan provinces, over I which he rules. These provinces have 58,000,000 population. Perhaps the most striking indication of the Chinese desire for western prog ress is found in the recent imperial decree attempting to establish the Christian Sabbath. The decree makes Sunday a legal holiday. It is not prob able that the decree will be largely fol lowed throughout China, as, indeed, it is not probable that Chang Chih-tung’s decree in regard to the New Testa ment will be largely observed. These decrees, howver, show the aspirations of the Chinese for western civilization. COWS HAVE STOMACH ACHE. Cattle Eat Green Apples and Milk Famine Results. New Haven, Conn.—William E. Hunter, a milkman at Naugatuck, sent word to his customers the other day that he could not furnish them with milk as usual, because his herd of cows had stomach ache. A milk fam ine In the town resulted, and hurry calls were sent to this city for milk to supply the babies and children. Hunter has a fine herd of 40 cows, j and usually they are well behaved, ‘ but some of the frisky leaped the pasture fence into an apple orchard cn Mr. Hunter’s farm, began feasting on the windfall apples, and soon were suffering from pain under their belts. The remainder of the herd, unable to withstand the temptation, tore down the fence, and not only cleaned the ground of fallen apples, but ate all in reach on the trees as well. When Mr. Hunter went out to drive them to the stable all were in a sad state because of too much apple juice. As a result, the milk was unfit for use, and Mr. Hunter says “It may be several days before he can resume business.” wn f»nw yiwwww wm t WED WITHOUT KNOWING IT. Couple Thought Ceremony Was Part of Procedure In Getting License. Nashua, la.—The fact that Judge Budahl, deputy county clerk, is also empowered to solemnize marriages, coupled with his willingness to assist the young couples who come to him for licenses to wed, caused a peculiar predicament when he performed the ceremony so quickly and smoothly that the young couple, George Meyer and Rosaline Schulz, from near New Aibin, never felt the binding of the knot and were supremely ignorant of the fact that they were man and wife. The couple went to the courthouse to procure a license, which they re ceived from Judge Budahl. He then asked if they wished to be married also. They replied affirmatively, and in their Innocence, thinking it was part of the procedure necessary to ob tain a license, at the judge's request stood up, clasped hands and took their vows. When their friends wished to see their license, they brought forth a certificate of their marriage. This created great consternation, as invi tations were out for a big wedding at the Eitzen church. There was mount ing in hot haste and another license procured, and the marriage took place as originally planned. Want Brains for Dissection. All over the civilized world there is a strong demand for brains that are a little above the average in quantity for purposes of dissection. Scientists have for the most part nothing better to dissect than the* brains of paupers and lunatics. These, however, leave much to be desired, and it is to the interest of the human family that the brains of cultured and learned people should be placed at their disposal. A certain number of such brains are forthcoming. In the great majority of cases they are bequeathed by their re spective owners. WIVis Cheated and Lost Bride. Coatesville, Pa.—The accusation of cheating at a game of cards has broken up a happy international mat rimonial alliance, and the bridegroom elect, Joseph Snuofsky, a workman in one of the local iron mills, has sold the furniture, etc., he had bought for his bride-to-be and left town. The sweetheart, pretty 22-year-old Mary Anskoitz, came from Russia on pur pose to wed Joseph, and he paid her ocean passage with that end & view, and engaged a house in which they were to have made their home. The marriage license was secured and the wedding was to have occurred next Sunday. But last night the lovers played “a friendly game of cards,” and Mary, alleging that Joseph had cheated, said she did not want him for a husband. So all their rela lions were declared ofT, and the pretty lass from Russia has no engagement even to tie her to the Land of Liberty, When others bore you, the churnes are that you bore them. Be cautious of your criticism, since it includes yourself. The Abduction of a Justice By PHILIP VEEEILL MIGHELS Dressed in her brother’s clothing as siie was, "Cowboy Maggie" vault ed again to her saddle with familiar ease. "Seven miles we’ve come,” she mused, as she rode by “the widow's,” and guided her horse into Tarnahan road. “Then it’s 30 more to make, j I’ll beat them yet!” Fifty yards beyond the fork of the roads, her broncho suddenly shied at a dimly seen object in the brush. Maggie recognized a white calf. She assured her horse with a touch and a murmur. Her quick eyes then dis covered a number of other calves. She knew the little band at once. There were nine small heifers, the property of Mrs. Jordan, "the widow.” “They’re all I’ve got in the world,” Mrs. Jordan had told her, smiling through tears as she spoke, “for Hick ey bought up the undertaker’s bills against me and took all my cows. He’d have taken the calves, too, only the lawyers made him stop.” “Hickey—the miserable thief!” Mag gie sputtered. “And to think of Ed. j Hickey daring to marry Carrie Downs! I don’t see how she ever thought of saying yes. But she shan’t—she shan’t —not if 1 have to steal her myself and run away! They must have made her take him. . . . Get up, Brutus! What are .you doing?” Almost on the moment, a curse and a shout indicated that two or more riders had discovered the calves, doubtless through the shying of their bronchos. “Here, Skete, hoid on,” cried one of the liders behind her; “ain't these them Jordan cattle?” The girl recognized the nasal snarl of young Hickey. What answer was made by “Skete” she could uot determine. A murmur represented the conversation of the men, who had evidently halted in the road. “Branded?—like hell!” came the high voice of Hickey again, in dispute; “I tell you I saw ’em two days ago, and net a one of ’em Ironed. Can't nobody svvear to a calf unless it’s Dressed in Her Brother’s Clothing. branded? This is tbe softest snap I ever seen. Here—round ’em up—send ’em along.” "Can’t do it alone,” growled the oth er. "You better come and help on the job. it you want it done up so sud deu.” “Me?” snarled Hickey, as he swung his vicious horse toward a loitering lieifer. "I’ve got to git a move on now to git to my wedding. I told you be fore it’s coming off at daylight, it’s got to—we’ve got to catch that train. Bite ’em! bite ’em! Hey there! Kush ’em lively!” The scurrying hoofs beat up a cloud of col 1 dust, felt rather than seen. Maggie was tingling with indigna tion. She had caught.Hickey fairly in the ac; of robbery; she had heard him confirm tbe maddening story tnat he meant to marry Carrie Downs at day light. She was thrice more anxious than before to fly to Tarnahan’s and save her friend, but Hickey would now be there as soon as she. She Would have to resort to some other plan to stop the wedding. Maggie fancied she could see old Justice Carey cross as a badger, thin as a knife, gray as the desert, standing before Carrie and Hickey snapping out the words of the sacred ceremony. He was the only man within a radius of 100 miles who could perform the rite. If he would only refuse, the trick would yet be won! But she knew old Carey. She knew he would not refuse, not for love nor money. He was crazed on the subject of marrying anyone to anyone else. He seamed almost to take a devilish delight in tying together ill-assorted couples. Then, like lightning, a thought struck in her brain. It almost made her ree! with its force. But her whole horizon was cleared. She vaulted up into the saddle. Not a moment did she have to spare. Brutus leaped at the dig of her spurs and started madly down the road. Late as she had started, and consid erable as the distance was, over hills and through swales, Maggie a little before two o’clock in the morning rapped on Justice Carey’s door. "You noisy idiot,” chopped the voice of the justice, who thrust his thin lace out into the darkness, “ ’taiu’t time— ’tain’t time! What do you mean? . 'Taint time, I say! What do you want? You don’t want me now. you young scoundrel?” "Yes—cow,” said Maggie, as roughly as possible. “Hurry up, or we’U be too late!” He disappeared and slammed the door. Magie feared he had returned to his bed. She took out her pistol and was about to batter the door again, when the man came out, fully dressed. He ' chattered in the chill air. "Where Is m-m-my horse?” he I demanded. "Didn’t you fetch me a | k-h-horse? Do* you expect me to j get out the b-buckboaid alone at this—’’ “Get up on my horse—it’s the beat’ we can do, and the quickest way," in terrupted Maggie. She boosted the man astride the sad dle In a hurry, sprang up behind him. with the reins in her hand. “Where you — heading, young — man?” he said, disjointedly. “This ain’t the way to Tarnahan’s, Bar!" “No, it isn't,” assented Maggie. “Then what—what—what—what do you mean? What are you doing? Here, you, Jet. me—” “Be still!” commanded the girl. “You can feel my pistol against your back. You are not going to the Bar this morning.” “But the wedding,” pried the old fiend; “the wedding this—” "There will not be any wedding,” she told him, shortly. He comprehended with pain, then, that he, the high and mighty justice of the peace “in and for said county and township,” had actually been ab ducted bodily. In polyglot moods, of rapid succession, he threatened, rant ed, reasoned with his captor, and en treated that she permit him to go and perform the wedding. Maggie was as grim as she was firm. Her horse was in a reeking perspira tion, but she could not afford to spare him cow. Straight away into the mouutttins she rode. Three miles from Nicholls she came upon the (Mm form of a shanty, in a lonely ravine, far from the traveled trails. It was all that remained of a mining excitement which the hills had enjoyed. Here she forced her prisoner to dismount, after which she tied his hands behind him, compelled him to enter the shanty, and there secured his feet, in a manner highly satisfactory to her self. Eor the binding she employed a slender tethering-rope which she car ried in addition to her braided lasso. Then she shut the door on a mixture of threats, life sentences and pleadings and started for Tarnahan’s Bar. She arrived there some hours later dressed in her own clothes. * * * * * “They had a great old time at rfe Bar,-’ said the girl, concluding her story to her mother the following day. "Ed. Hickey rode around after poor old Mr. Carey like a rooster without his head, got horribly drunk, and you never saw Carrie cry so much in all your life when I told her about Llr3. Jordan’s cattle. She cried and laughed together. I wouldn’t have believed a girl could be so happy to give it all up—after getting all those lovely dresses and presents. Poor dear Carrie —it*3 funny she didn’t know better herself, at first.” “But,” said Maggie’s mother, “I hope everybody hasn’t left poor, dear Mr. Carey up there all this time, pining that cabin.” “Oh, no,’’ replied the girl, “he go\ loose and came In to Tamahaji’s Bar by himself late in the afternoon. Aft er he told his story, they got up a wonderful romance about a daring young fellow who rode 70 miles, from Pizen, in the night, and stole the jus tice to save his lady-love from Hickey. Some call him Hickey’s rival, and some call him Carrie's mysterious lover.” (Copyright, by Josech B. Bowles.) NORTH DAKOTA WHEAT CROP. Will Lead Sister States by Yield of 100,000,000 Bushels. Minneapolis, Minn.—North Dakota has this year the unprecedented total of 100,000,000 bushels of wheat, a record never before made by any state. Minnesota, though growing in wealth and importance with every passing year, with bountiful crops of wheat and other cereals, must surren render the preeminence in wheat she long held to her sister state. The northwest showing is as follows: North Dakota, 100,000,000 bushels; Minnesota, S0,000,000 bushels; South Dakota, 50,000,000 bushels; total, 230, 000,000 bushels. The Jones-Inglis report of whear production is in part as follows: “We estimate the wheat crop of the three states at 230,000,000 bushels and the total spring crop of the United States at 301,000,000 bushels The winter wheat production is esti mated at 435,000,000 bushels, giving a total for the United States of 726. 000,000 bushels, or the largest yield of spring and winter wheat the United States has produced. The govern ment overestimated the crop of 1901 by 50,000,000 bushels. BUILT BY DISSENTERS’ FINES. Mansion House in London Begun Un der Ingenious Law. The Mansion house in London was partly built out of money unjustly wrung from dissenters. By an act of Charles II. no one could take office under the corporation with out taking the sacrament according to the rites of the established chu’-'-h. By another act a sherifT who declined to serve was rendered liable to a fine of $2,000. A dissenter was elected sherifT, and, as he could not take the sacrament, he declined to serve and paid $2,000. A second was elected, with the same re suit. This ingenious method of taxing dissenters was repeated until 45 had successively paid the fine. No. 46 was a stiff-necked gentleman and he declined to either serve or pay. He was sued for the fine, but the judge held that the disqualifying act relieved the dissenter of the duty o? service. The $90,000, however, already se cured was voted by the corporation to the building fund of the Mansion house.—Stray Stories. Her Bill Was All Right. A prominent physician of Dorches ter. Mass., is noted for his ready wit. He sent a bill for services in his line to “Miss Sparrow.” When she called to settle it she remarked: “My name is not Sparrow, but Swallow.” The doctor replied: “Well, your bill is all right, is it not?”