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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (March 28, 1907)
BUSY SESSION COMING FOR SECRETARY TAFT WASHINGTON.—It is a busy season that Secretary Taft will have from (this time on. To discharge what may ibe termed his political duties the sec retary will make two graduating day addresses, one to the graduating class of the University of Iowa and the other to the students who will go forth from the University of Minnesota to grapple with, throw and hog-tie the various problems of our complex civil ization. These he will give oil some time in June—if he gets back from a trip to the canal, to Cuba, Porto Rico and Santo Domingo. Why he is going to the isthmus everybody ought to know. No matter whether the work hereafter is to be done by contract or by the government without the intervention of such an agency Taft will need to be on the iob. The troubles of Cuba in themselves speak the excuse of the secretary for going to that island. Porto Rico would like to see the secretary just for the sake of having a look at him. Santo Domingo, by the time Taft is rolling aver the deep blue Caribbean, will be under the control of this government and Taft is the minister for the col onies, so there is no need of a long dis HOW may an ambassador keep the wolf (not to mention the social sheep) from his official door when his miserly government grants only a nig gardly pittance of, say, $40,000 a year in our coin? Anybody who knows Washington knows that the task of keeping the expenditures of diplomatic households inside the diplomatic limit requires more fine figuring thah would be needed to repair a dozen shortages in treasury branches. There is James Bryce, for instance. He had the forethought to suggest that £2,000 be added to the annual stipend of the British ambassador (himself), because of the constantly increasing cost of living at the Ameri can capital. The German ambassador cried for help a year ago. The envoy from Vienna spent almost six months ■wheedling the equivalent of 10,000 a year from the imperial budget of Austro-Hungary. When the pitiful tales which emanate from the diplo matic corps become public it seems a miracle that the men are able to wear boiled shirts, even on Sundays. It has been said that soon only mil lionaires will be able to accept diplo matic missions, since only that class can afford to accept a first-class post on the present salary. It looks as if this condition were fast overtaking the cabinet set. The pace ordained for the counselors of the president is one which would deplete a fat pocketbook. Recent additions to the cabinet are men of large means, but the majority of the members are RETURNS TO CONGRESS AFTER LONG ABSENCE JUST 34 years ago Gen. I. N. Sher wood was elected to the house by the Toledo (O.) district. On Monday, March 4, he emulated the cat that came back. As the owner of a hiatus in public life Sherwood is the premier. The late Galusha A. Grow, of Pennsyl vania, came back after he had been out for 31 years. J. Warren Keifer, also an Ohioan, was out for 24 years, but Sherwood has the pas over them all. The general is not such a terribly old man at that. He is only 72—ten years younger than Senators Whyte and Morgan and 12 years the junior of Senator Pettus. Although a Democrat, Sherwood bears the unique record of never having been defeated for any office for which he was a candidate. There are a number of statesmen in the Toledo district who hope he will get as tired of Washington durikg the two years for which he was elected last fall as he got 30 odd years'ago, when, after two years of life in con gress, he decided that he had l\d & MRS. NICHOLAS LONGWORTH may well be called “a chip of the old block/’ for she certainly inherits her father's taste for outdoor life in all sorts and conditions of weather. Let the day be ever so stormy, neither wind nor rain can defer the president from a tramp over the country ways and byways. In fact, the more beast ily the weather is the more he seems •to enjoy being out in it, battling kagainst the elements. The same de jsire and will to face a storm is in herited by his strenuous daughter. A soft bpt heavy snow falling ithrough night and all day has covered •Washington with a mantle of white [beautiful to look at, but decidedly isloppy under foot. Through slush and a drizzling sleet and > rain, Mrs. Longworth, accom panied by Miss Isabelle May, walked [briskly up Connecticut avenue the Other, afternoon. The young women sertation on why he in going there. It's simply necessary that he should see. Having performed his duties there the secretary is at liberty to return to his home and take his flying (figura tive, of course) trip to the north and west to make those speeches to the collegians. Then he will be off on a trip to the Philippines, those far-off, dark, choco late-colored islands where he left his heart. If there is one thing above all others that Taft desires it is to see those islands formed into a strong autonomous government. September 15 will be celebrated in the islands. That will be Taft's birthday. To the islanders it will be about the same as February 22 is to continental Ameri ans. Taft will be there to advise and comfort the little brown brothers that appear to be getting a degree of civil ization that is not injected with a Krag. Taft, therefore, for one who is said to have presidential aspirations, will have about as much opportunity for looking after his political prospects as a Patagonian has of platting the next transit of Venus—if the lady has a transit. WASHINGTON DIPLOMATS STRUGGLE WITH EXPENSES considered poor men or only moderate ly well-to-do. There are those in Washington who assert that they cannot comprehend how the president can afford to enter tain as he does. They believe he is living up to every cent of his salary, and may go beyond it. If the British ambassador cannot make ends meet with $-12,500 a year, and another 10,000 added for emergencies, what can the president accomplish with less? The British ambassador can curtail his ex penses at will. Sir Mortimer Durand was a thrifty individual, and he must have put by a goodly amount for a rainy day. He never ^five but one large ball in his three years’ service here, and his dinner parties could be counted on the fingers of one hand. The British embassy is furnished in sumptuous style, having finer silver, china and general possessions than the White House. The linen of every description is sent yearly by the gov ernment, and a large amount is sent to repair and renovate the interior every season. All this and no ques tions asked. Now, the president of the United States receives 50,000 a year, the use of the White House, the furnishing, heating, lighting and decorating the same on festive occasions. The 30 servants are paid by the public money, except, of course, the maids, valets, nurses, etc., that the presidential fam ily might need. The only dignified procedure in Washington at present is for those who cannot keep up the pace, to retire gracefully. enough. Sherwood was twice secretary of state in Ohio, having been elected in 1868 and 1870; twice probate judge of Lucas county, once mayor of Bryan, O., and once prosecuting attorney for Williams county, and twice a represen tative In congress. To get back to congress this time he had to overcome a Republican ma jority of 18,600. To do that he had to earry Wood county, the home of his Republican rival, by more than 900 majority. The year before the county had given a Republican majority of 2,300. Sherwood is a sport. He is the owner and editor of a horse racing pa per published at Cleveland. He has been running that paper for 11 years. Before he bought it he owned the Can ton News-Democrat. It was discour aging work to run a Democratic paper in McKinley's home, so he sold out and returned to Toledo, only to get back into the business again via the sport lng sheet route. \ ALICE BRAVES ELEMENTS Y)R OUTDOOR EXERCISE evidently were out for a good tramp, and watted with the air and determi nation okthose who wal k for the pleas ure of it\ In short Vcirts and wi :h no umbrellas they wereVmite free to get the full benefit of treir exercise, and the fact that they had the street almost to themselves oiw lent additional zest to the sport. • % Mrs. Longwoi^wore the short skirt affected by the BKton girl, who dares to shorten it a »le more than the girl of any other town this side of the Rockies. Her lighfWtown skirt was fully four or five Jkbes from the ground. Above this sSjSlble skirt was a little jacket to mat|k with which she wore a turban to (jk'espond and brown furs. Many a man fails to re^B the top because every time he stoj^to rest he falls asleep. Castle of Mad King. from stereograph, copyright, by Underwood A Underwood, N. Y. Neuschwanstein from the heights in the Bavarian Alps, the magnificent creation of the unfortunate King Ludwig II., of Bavaria. WILL HONOR CUSTER. MONROE, MICH., TO ERECT MONU MENT TO ITS SOLDIER HERO. Famous C2valry Leader Was Born in Ohio, But Always Regarded Wolverine Village as His Home. Monroe. Mich.—Though he was per haps the most famous soldier who has ever called Michigan his home, there is as yet, *31 years after his death, no memorial within the bor ders of the state to Gen. George A. Custer. To remedy this the citizens of Mon roe are now agitating the erection of a handsome monument to this dash ing cavalryman who, from his later boyhood, always looked upon Monroe as his home. Though Gen. Custer was born in Ohio and though his parents contin ued to live there, with the exception of one year, Custer himself went to school at Monroe and spent much of J his time there with his sister, Mrs. Reed, who had married a Monroe ! man. His appointment to the military ; academy at West Point was given him by an Ohio congressman, but it j was always to Monroe that he re turned for his furloughs during his academy course as well as on his ! later leaves of absence during the war. There he was married to Miss Libbie Bacon, daughter of Judge Ba con, one of the most prominent of the town’s citizens, and there was the sorrow greatest when the dread news came on that Fourth of July of cen tennial year of the annihilation by (he Sioux under Sitting Bull of the gallant, general and his whole com mand of the Seventh cavalry on the Little Big Horn in Montana, eight days previous. Since that day the federal govern ment has made the site of the "last battle” a national park, marked the PENITENT PAYS FOR FREE RIDE. Gives Railroad Price of Ticket He Saved by Borrowing Pass. Springfield, 111.—“This money has been hurting my conscience for more than six months, and I am glad of an opportunity to refund it.” With these words, a man the other day tendered $4.75 to John H. Lord, city passenger agent of the Illinois Central. He explained that it was in payment for a ride which he had taken last July from Chicago to Springfield on a borrowed pass. The matter, he said, has been troubling his conscience ever since, and he finally concluded the only thing to do was to turn over the money to the railroad com pan}'. After a little questioning he gave bis name as T. E. Timmus, but de clined to say who the holder of the pass was or what occasioned his re pentance. Mr. Lord was somewhat at a loss as to what to do with the money, but finally accepted it and gave the man a receipt for the amount. He has re mitted it, with an explanatory letter, to the general passenger agent of the road at Chicago. The city passenger agent of the Chi cago, Peoria & St. Louis railway re ceived a communication from a man in Kansas City, asking the amount of the fare from Pekin to Granite City. He stated that he had stolen a ride over that route, and his conscience had troubled him so much ever since that he wanted to pay the fare. “Newsboy” 79 Years. William H. Hyde of Rockland, Me., said to be the oldest newsboy in the 3tate of Maine, is 79 years old. He was born in Portland, but has lived for most of his life in Rockland, and has been delivering newspapers to customers continually since 1888. In that time he estimates that he has handled upward of 750,000 newspa pers. WEALTH GOING TO WASTE. Cornstalks Contain Enough Alcohol to j Run tl'e Country's Machinery. Washington.—Professor Wiley of the department of agriculture says that inasmuch as every 100 pounds of cornstalks will yield six and a half pounds of absolute alcohol it is ob vious that the ignorant agriculturist has been allowing an enormous amount of wealth to go to waste. Say that one acre will yield from ten to 12 tons of grain stalks, or about 20,000 pounds, and you have a quan tity of raw material which will pro duce 1,300 pounds of absolute alcohol, or 216 gallons. Alcohol at the present time is worth 40 cents a gallon. Ground in a wet condition and dried, cornstalks may be kept indefi nitely, and are ready at any time for conversion into alcohol. Professor Wiley says that the alcohol derivable from the cornstalks that now go to waste in this country would not only drive all the machinery of the fac tories but would furnish the requisite power for all the, railroads .and steam* Charles R. Van Hise. President of the University of Wisconsin. route of the Seventh’s last march, and erected a handsome monument on the site where Custer himself fell. But Michigan, on whose name he shed luster by his command of the “Michigan brigade" during 1863 and 1864, has done nothing toward pro viding a memorial to his deeds. It was Custer and his “Michigan brigade” that during the civil war restored the cavalry arms to the place it had occupied in the days of Napo leon, when the dashing cavalry charges at Murat were an important factor in almost every battle. Appointed brigadier general wheD but two years out of West Point for gallantry in small actions as an of ficer on the staff of Gen. Pleasanton commanding the cavalry corps of the Army of the Potomac, Custer was as signed to the “Michigan brigade,” composed of the First, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Michigan regiments ol cavalry. At this time the cavalry was rather looked down upon by the other branches of the service, but the tactics of Custer and his “Mich igan boys” soon changed all this. In stead of depending upon the carbine, as the cavalry had done in the civil war up to that time, Custer placed his trust in the saber and in the effi ciency of the sweeping mounted charge to dismay his enemy. That the cavalry came to be looked upon as an effective force from that time on was due as much to Custer and his actions as to any other single in fluence. For a year he commanded the Michigan brigade and then was ad vanced to the command of the Third division of the cavalry corps. His ex ploits there attracted the attention of the whole north and that of the south as well, and his generalship during the closing campaign which ended in the surrender of Appomattox left him with the highest individual fame as a cavalry commander of an/ man, either northern or southern, with the single exception of Phil Sheridan. After the war, when the principal duty of the cavalry, to which he was assigned as lieutenant colonel of the Seventh, was Indian fighting, Cus ter’s success was as great as it had been against the southern legions, and in not a single instance did it fail, except in the "last battle.” And even there the claim, made at the time by Custer’s friends, that his defeat and annihilation were the di rect results of the failure of his sub ordinates to obey his orders has never been disproved, so that there is nothing from his first action in 1861 until he was shot down in the midst of his men on the Little Big Horn in 1876 to tarnish his fame as a brave man, a gallant soldier and a brilliant commander. The citizens of Monroe have taken up in earnest the matter of a monu ment to be erected in the city of his adoption and will probably go to the legislature with a request for assist ance in raising the money neoessary, which it is figured will be about $25, 000. Two sites are being considered. Makes Metal Teeth to Chew Jail Fare. Columbus, O.—“Iron Teeth John” is the name J. W. Rheam, an inmate of the penitentiary serving three years from Perry county for horse stealing, has earned from his fellow prisoners. Rheam is an old man, and at one time worked at the jewelery trade at Somerset. He has but two good teeth in his head, and found the prison fare rather hard to masticate. With an old file and a piece of soft iron Rheam supplied the deficiency making a plate to fit over his two re maining molars. John can chew any thing now, for he has a set of “store teeth” that he will match with those turned out by any expert dentist. At a home wedding it is faux pas for the groom to be mussed up by sticky children until the big doings are over boats, run all of the automobiles, heat j and illuminate ail the houses and light the streets of every city in the union. Toes Are Worth $722 Each. Green Bay, WIs.—A jury here has fixed the price of toes at $722 each. William Gussart, who lost three toes while working for the Greenleaf Stone company, brought suit to recover dam ages and the jury awarded him $2,l&u. Canine’s Grave Next Hers. Milton, Pa.—Miss Sadie Laform, who died here, left a bequest in her will that her dog Charlie be cared for out of her estate, and then, if ceme tery rules permitted it, that he be buried in a fine casket beside her. Locks of Washington’s Hair. Lancaster, Pa. — Mrs. Margaret Snader, an aged woman, living in New Holland, has several strands of the hair of George Washington, given | to ber mother many years ago by a I member of the Custis family. American Honored by Czar. J. A. L. Waddell, a bridge engineer, of Kansas City, Mo., has received from Czar Nicholas of Russia notification that he has been chosen to member ship in the Society of Benefices, an or ganization recently founded by the czar's sister, tjie Grand Duchess Olga This distinction has been conferred because of Mr. Waddell’s connection with preparing plans for the Trans-Si berian railway. Years ago this same engineer was made knight commander of the Rising Sun by the Japanese mikado. This followed Mr. Waddell’s sojourn of four years in Japan, where he had been an instructor in engineer ing at the Imperial university at Tokyo. Interruption to Meditation. Ye editor of ye Banner fell over a cow lying down on the sidewalk as he was returning from church Sunday evening and the result was a skinned nose and several bruises. Cows have their rights as well as human beings but we think it behooves the village council to take some steps in the mat i ter.—Hometown (Cal.) Banner. For the Homeseekers’ Benefit | By Theodore Wiaters Jf (Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.) “Did you know, Hocky," remarked Mr. David Gimbold to his partner, Mr. Israel Hochheimer," did you know that just previous to his death, Ros well P. Flower was planning a corner in zinc?” “No, I did not know it,” replied Mr. Hochheimer, reflectively, gazing out of the window of their Wall street of fice. “I’ve been thinking, Hocky,” went on Mr. Gimbold, “that we might take up the matter where Flower laid it down. I have a notion that we might corral the necessary funds simply by modifying Mr. Flower's methods. In fact, I believe we could get the gov ernment to help us. “Nearly all of our zinc comes from Arkansas and Missouri. There is a trust., but it is a puny affair, down at Joplin, with a paltry half-million at stake. For a peculiar condition ex ists. Most of the land in the zinc country is government land, subject to the homestead law. The govern ment charges a fee of about $14 for every 160 acres of land, but every ap plicant must live five years on the land before he gets his title. Now, if we could get that government land we would be able to control almost half of the zinc output of the district. And we could force the trust to buy us out.” “Very good,” said Mr. Hochheimer, as Gimbold paused for breath. “But since no man can secure more than 160 acres, and since each applicant must swear that he intends to estab lish a home, and is not taking the land for purpose of speculation, how are we to get around it?” “Hocky,” replied Mr. Gimbold, wav ing his hand around comprehensively, ‘there are many poor fellows in this city who would be glad to own land in Arkansas or in Missouri. You know a great many, and so do I.” “Well, then, if we showed those poor fellows how to get land free in Arkansas and Misouri—if we paid the government fee for them, and bought them railway tickets to their new “I Guess You’d Better Give Them Up,” Said the "Plain-Clothes” Man. homes, don't you think they would be grateful enough to assign us the right to mine whatever ore might be under the surface of the land?” "Davy,” said Mr. Hochheimer, feel ingly, “you are a wonder.” “But that isn't all,” said Gimbold. “I believe there are many benevolent old persons in this city who would be delighted to subscribe to a fund which we would be glad to manage, and which would be used to transport those poor fellows to their new homes.” “Beautiful," said Mr. Hochheimer. “Simply beautiful.” “Of course, it would not be neces- ! sary to say anything about the option on what is under the surface, either to the benevolent old persons or to the f poor fellows, until after the latter had started on their way.” “But how would we hold them, in case they refused?” asked Mr. Hoch heimer, anxiously. “Well, you see," replied Mr. Gim bold, “as managers of the fund we would go to the railroads and secure I transportation in bulk. There ought ! to be a good commission in that. Of ■ course, those poor fellows will want \ their household goods sent on ahead. '■ We will be glad to do that for them, ! but we will not give each one a ticket ! until just before the train starts. I i am sure that not one of them would ; object to signing the option on the i spot. In case any one refuses, it will ! be very easy to have one of our ‘in- j vestigators’ suddenly find that under > the rules of the benevolent fund the ungrateful fellow is ineligible.” Gimbold went into the churches and the charity bureaus and among the old gentlemen, and appealed in the name of all that is kindly and true for the relief of the suffering poor. From the moment it got fairly launch ed, the scheme began to take care of itself. “Great Caesar, Hockey, look there!” It was the morning after that mem orable Sunday when the three color prospectus had formed the basis of so many sermons. Hochheimer and Gim bold had come down town together somewhat late. They went up to their office in a crowded elevator, and when they got off at their floor the crowd went with them. The corridor was jammed from wall to wall with an indiscriminate mass of humanity— male, female, respectable,disreputable, well-dressed, unkempt, native, for eign—pushing and crowding, bab bling and gesticulating. There was no turning them away, those poor fellows, for not only were there clergymen among them, as Gim bold had seen, but reverend gentlemen were in many cases leaders of special contingents of home-seekers, and many others in. the crowd carried letters Sram contributors to the fund which were not to be ignored. It waa late in the daj- before the last application was received, the last dreary explana tion made, the last golden promise ut tered. Day after day the crowd surged into the office and out again. And it grew not only in size, but in its ex actions, for humanity in general it very insistent in the matter oi its rights when they involve free-for-al schemes. Then the notoriety which the newspapers gave the scheme not only increased the size of the crowds but it brought in a couple of govern ment inspectors, who wanted to know if it was being thoroughly explainec to each applicant that the non-specula tive clause in the government con tract would be rigidly enforced. It also brought in a “plain-clothes man” from Mulberry street, who caused the part uers additional concern. They set out upon their task with callous disregard of the consequences They were sending a horde of unfor tunates thousands of miles away from familiar associations, to mountain fastnesses which in many cases would yield nothing to the plow, and in re turn they were exacting the only prod uct which made the land worth the acquiring. Summoned to their office, the home-seekers came one by one. and in the private room the question was put to each. Some of them, poor innocents! were eager and willing to do anything in return for the boon ot a promised home. Some had to be coaxed, some wheedled, some threat ened, and a few, who saw through the whole business, placated. But on the morning of departure Gimbold and Hochheimer had secured signed op tions on mineral rights from three fourths of the home-seekers. The rest were considered too risky to approach. On the morning of the departure they went over to the railway station. Nothing but the fascination of seeing the last of their handiwork took them there. in the depot they were given a rous ing reception, and they beamed from one to another of their dupes, and went among the mothers and their children, helping them to seats in the train and bidding them Godspeed with a benign courtesy that was beautiful to behold. In the end they were compelled to make a speech—Gimbold made it from the rear platform of the train—a speech so inspiring in its patriotism, so tender in its pathos, that the en thusiasm invoked was tremendous, and the people struggled with one an other to get to the orator, who was forced to retreat into the car. There he met the government inspector face to face. Back of the inspector stood the “plain clothes man" from police headquarters. “And now, Mr. Gimbold,” began the inspector, without preamble, “and now that you have excited those inno cents until their feelings are at the breaking-point, what do you think they would do to you if I were to tell them that those options of yours rendered their homestead claim invalid?” “Why, I—I—” stammered Gimbold. taken aback, 'T—I—don’t know what you mean.” "Oh, yes you do,” replied the inspec tor, calmly. “You have with you signed options on all the ore bodies underlying the claims of these people. Suppose I tell them they have invali dated their titles?” “I don’t believe it,” blustered Gim bold, hotly. "It’s a point of law—it would have to be proved!” “Granted,” said the inspector; “but those fellows wouldn’t wait for the law to settle it if 1 told them of m> doubts.” “Well, what are you going to do about it?” demanded Gimbold, revert ing to that time-worn defiance. “Why, I’m going to tell them, unless you hand over those options." “Never!” “I guess you’d better give them up. Gimbold,” put in the “plain-clothes man.” "I d*n’t believe the chief would like it to be found out that you had disregarded his advice.” Gimbold thought a moment. Then the futility of resistance must have struck him, for with an imprecation hp pulled a thick wallet from his pocket and handed it to the insDec* tor. • The crowd outside surged up the steps and into the car, calling loudly for Gimbold and his partner. The peo ple wanted to see more of the men who had done so much for them. While the enthusiasm was at its height the conductor called 'all aboard.” The crowd instantly forgot its gratitude and rushed for their places in the train. “Well, what do you think, Hocky?" asked Gimbold at last. “I think,” replied Mr. Hochheimer. bitterly, “I think we have been work ing for the benefit of the poor.” Horses Saved by a Dog. A Xew Jersey farm laborer went to Egg Harbor City to do some shopping and when he emerged from a store his team had disappeared. Xo one had seen the driverless horses go and it was thought that they had been stolen. The man walked home and discovered that the house dog was also missing. Some days later the dog returned to the farm, got some food and drink and started away, bark ing furiously. He was followed and in a piece of woods several miles away the team was discovered. The horses had wedged the wagon between two trees and there they had stood live days without food or drink. They had gnawed the bark from the trees. Peculiarly Unfortunate. “Darn that bore!” exclaimed Sal lery, after the-caller had gone. “I was just beginning to write an article when he came in and began to talk and he made me lose my train of thought.” “That's too bad,” said Spacer, w-ho was hammering away on a typewrit ing machine at the next desk. “Your next train, you know, may not come along tor a week.”—Chicago Tribune.