Nebraska Newspapers

    Loup City Northwestern
J. W. BURLEIGH, Publisher.
LOUP CITY. - - NEBRASKA
New Immigration Act.
On July 1, 1907, the new lmmigra
tioo act of February 20, 1907, went
into effect. As this law is to repre
sent, for the present at least, our pol
icy with regard to the admission of
alients to the United States, it is wail
to see clearly at this time what
changes the new act has made in pre
vious legislation, -and what the prob
able effects will be. . . . The new
act is weak, remarks Robert DeC.
Ward, in North American Review, in
that the excellent “poor physique”
clause is largely nullified by giving
the secretary of commerce and labor
authority to admit physically defec
tive alients under bonds (except in
cases of tuberculosis or loathsome and
dangerous contagious diseases). All
past experience goes to show that such
bonds are useless. All common-sense
goes to show that a physically defec
tive and degenerate alien is undesir
able, whether he be a public charge or
not Better to have 100,000 aliens
spending all their lives in American
almshouses, insane asylums or prisons
than to have 500 physically weak, de
fective and degenerate aliens spend
ing their lives in sweat shops or fac
tories, and reproducing their kind, to
hand down these qualities of degen
erancy and of poor physique to suc
ceeding generations. We might estab
lish a physical standard for admission
to this country like that of the United
States army or navy. That would be
too high. We might require every
alien to have a physique sufficiently
rugged to enable him to work at hard
manual labor, whether he be a clerk
or a painter or a farm hand. That,
also, might be too severe. The very
least we can do is to establish a phys
ical standard such that any one so
weak, degenerate or defective as to
have his ability to support himself
thereby interfered with should be ex
cluded.
The conservative element in China
has been greatly upset by two inci
dents which occurred almost simulta
neously. The "holy duke, Yen,” who
is a lineal descendant of Confucius in
the seventy-sixth generation, visited
Peking for the express purpose of op
posing the government plan for a
memorial university to his great an
cestor. He expressed his belief that
the institution should teach modern
languages and modern science, as well
as the Confuscian sacred books, which
are the pillars of the old Chinese
learning. The other incident, even
more shocking to tradition, was the
visit of Count Otani, the abbot of one
of the most famous Buddhist mon
asteries in Japan. He represents the
advanced wing of the sect which advo
cates the marriage of the priesthood,
tolerates meat eating, and accepts
modern science. He has his countess
with him, and traveled in that most
dangerous of “foreign devil wagons,”
an automobile.
Our attention has Just been called
to the case of a diabolically clever
young man in Iowa who invented a
nevel method of discontinuing a love
affair. He hit upon the scheme of
pretending to be dead. He got in a
coffin and had himself photographed
with a border of flowers around him,
and sent the photograph to the be
trothed. She believes that he is in
his grave and eaten by worms—and
we congratulate her upon her sorrow
ful condition, for it is nothing to the
sorrow she would suffer if married to
the unscrupulously inventive genius.
The very large number of drown
ingB now being reported brings out
the familiar counsel as to the im
portance of learning to swim. It hap
pens, however, that in many of the
more notable cases reported the vic
tims were good swimmers and suc
cumbed to their daring in tempting
fate. The reckless swimmer exposes
himself to more dangers than those
who cannot swim at all. The land
lubbers cac at least keep ashore.
Most of the fine American vessels
that fought the Spanish war in one
round without loss of wind have been
sent to the scrap pile or the museum
as back numbers, or at least are in
the repair shop, where the govern
ment expert is looking them over and
shaking his head. In building a mod
ern warship the work must be hurried
along as much aB possible lest the ves
sel be out of date before it is com
pleted. _
A duefto the death between auto
mobiles must not only interest our
numerous leisure classes who are al
ways waiting around in anticipation of
a dog fight, but also afford an impres
sive exhibit in our unparalleled pros
I perity.
A Denver woman who said she
“could die eating cucumbers” was
found by the coroner lifeless, but with
a cucumber in her hand and a happy
smile on her face. Her record for
veracity is unsurpassed.
' Cuba is thinking of adopting our
American currency. It would be con
venient for American travelers if all
the rest of the world would do the
game.
! Now that fashionable women have
taken to going up in balloons in Paris,
high society is getting higher than
before.
There were fewer strikes in thfe
country in 1905 than in any year since
1 1892, if that is of any interest to you.
--N
Coal Rates Complained Of.
The state railroad commission has
filed a complaint with the interstate
commerce commission charging that
interstate rates charged by the Union
Pacific railroad on coal shipped from
Rock Springs and Hanna, Wyoming,
are exhorbitant. It is charged that a
blanket rate of $4.50 a ton is charged
in Nebraska on Rock Springs coal
and a blanket rate of $3.50 on coal
shipped from Hanna. Rates to Kan
sas for a greater distance are $4 a
ton on Rock Springs coal. In addition
to the complaint the commission sub
mits to the interstate commerce com
mission proposed rates. It is said
that very little Wyoming coal is now
used in Nebraska because the com
pany will not ship the product of the
mines which it controls to this state,
and that the railroad has made lower
rates to the west, and for this reason
the coal is all going in that direction.
The Union Pacific road also consumes
a large amount of the product on its
lines.
The complaint of the commission
states that the following rates are now
■charged:
Rock Springs to Cheyenne, 293 miles,
$2.30; to Pine Bluff, 328 miles, $3.75;
to Smead, Neb. (near state line), 341
miles, $4.50; thence on to Omaha, 809
miles, and all intermediate points,
44.50.
To Kansas points f rom Rock Springs:
Cheyenne to Denver 400 miles, $.230;
to Kansas-Colora.do state line, 592
.miles, $3.75; Weskan. Kan., 592 miles,
and intermediate points, to Salina, 856
'miles, $4.00.
, The following are the rates proposed
by the Nebraska commission on coal
from Rock Springs: To Kearney, Neb.,
and all branches north and south, and
to Omaha, $3.25 on lump; $3 on pea;
$2.75 on slack; from Hershey to Elm
Creek, $3 lump; $2.75 on pea; $2.25 on
slack; from Smead to Sidney, $2.50 on
lump; $2.35 on pea; $2 on slack.
The proposed rate on Hanna coal is
as follows: From Grand Island east,
including the main line and branches
north and south, $2.75 on lump; $2.50
on pea; $2.25 on slack: from Cozad to
'Alda, $2.50 on lump; $2.25 on pea; $2
on slack; from Brule to Smead, $3 on
dump; $1.75 on pea; $1.50 on slack.
y Railroad Brought to Time.
C. N. Carpenter of York has won
a signal victory against the North
western and Missouri Pacific rail
roads and got possession ot a carload
of coal which had been lying in the
Northwestern yards at York for a
month with demurrage charges piling
up against some one.
This carload also had a charge of
$5 which the Missouri Pacific placed
against it for reloading the coal from
its own car into another. The coal
was shipped from Indian Territory
and was transferred to the North
western road. Carpenter refused to
accept the carload and pay the extra
$5, and the railroad agents, with their
'usual assurance, declared he would
pay the $5.
Carpenter came to Uncoln at the
time the coal arrived in Y<yk. He
appealed to the state commission.
The commissioners took the matter
up with the Missouri Pacific, but the
road declared it would do nothing.
Carpenter went home, but came back
and filed a formal complaint. He
stated in his complaint that he knew
more about the methods of the roads
than they would care to have made
.public. He insisted that he would not
pay the $5 and the demurrage charges
and he asked for a peremptory order
to compel the railroad to give him
the car of coal.
The commission heard the com
plaint, and when about to make the
order desired were informed by the
attorney for the Northwestern rail
■road that the matter would be fixed
up between the Missouri Pacific and
ythe shipper. Carpenter thanked the
icommissioon and went home to unload
yhis coal.
.. He paid out a great deal more than
the |5 in fighting his case, but he
won out and will not be bothered^by
similar charges after this.
i
Profit on Butter Fat.
In a letter to the state railway
’Commission D. B. White, government
•expert on dairying, stated that the
net profit on butter fat is $7.40 a
hundred pounds. He claims the
creameries make this profit and his
estimate is based on an estimate of
18 cents a pound for the product and
an expense of $5.85 for manufactur
ing. The price estimated for butter
in these calculations is 25 cents a
pound. Mr. White also includes -cop
ies of telegrams exchanged between
Eld Webster, chief of the dairy bu
reau.
Terminal Tax in Tennessee.
Henry T. Clarke, member of the
State Railway commission and of the
legislature last winter, has received a
marked copy of a publication showing
that the state of Tennessee is going
to adopt the principles of the terminal
tax law in the distribution of its rail
road property. The article states that
Attorney General Cates has given an
opinion that such a distribution is le
gal and his opinion will be followed
by the State Board of Assessment. Mr.
Carke fathered the terminal tax bill
in the house.
Grain Rates to Be Lowered.
The Nebraska Railway commission
will nnter an order reducing the freight
rates charged for transportation of
grain in Nebraska 10 per cent This
will be the first formal action of the
new board in the rate controversy.
The law specifies that when an order
affecting rates is made, the roads shall
have a space of thirty days in which
to file their objections for the informa
tion of the commissioners, after which
the rate goes into effect unless taken
into the courts or the hoard makes
amendment of the order.
Special Rate Orders.
A number of special orders were
authorized by the state railway com
mission. Two contractors of Blair,
Gilbert C. Himes and Herman Shields,
had complained of the 3%-cent rate
from Fremont to Blair on the North
western. That road was ordered to
put into effect a 2-cent rate. Permis
sion to put in the following short dis
tance passenger rates was granted the
Burlington: Crawford to Omaha. $9.46;
Ord to Alliance, $4.18; Hoag to Lin
coln, 80 cents; Beatrice to Lincoln,
Burnham and Benton, 80 cents; Put
nam to Lincoln, Burnham and Benton,
94 cents; Blue Springs to Lincoln,
Burnham and Benton, $1.08; Wymore
to Lincoln and Burnham, $1.07; Garri
son to Lincoln, 88 cents; Bellwood to
Lincoln, $1.06; Fremont to Lincoln,
$1.04; Columbus to Lincoln, $1.26. The
Burlington was also authorized to
make a rate of 5 cents per hundred
on ice from York to Kearney, and a
rate of 6 cents on stone from Blue
Springs and Wymore to Central City.
Land Office Report.
The report of the southern section
of the United States land office of this
state in its report for the month of
July shows that there were fourteen
entries for homesteads, under the Kin
kaid act mostly. Only four final
proofs were made. Two entries were
cash entries, two were for 560-acre
tracts each, four were for sections as
allowed undenr the Kinkaid act, and
two others were for 480 acres each.
All these homesteads were in the four
southwest counties, Hayes, Hitchcock,
Dundy and Chase. The two cash en
tries were relinquishment claims that
had been bought out. This can be done
and the land paid for at the rate of
$1.25 an acre, provided it has been
resided on continuously for fourteen
months. This law will only apply
under the old homestead act, the Kin
kaid act especially denying the right
to pay in advance. There were no
pubic sales of isolated tracts. In
June there were several of these, but
none were applied for in July. Under
a new ruling these tracts cannot be
bought for purposes of speculation.
Oath must be taken that the buyer
intends to live on the land. As a man
can only make application once for
the sale of these isolated tracts there
is little incentive to ask for a public
sale.
Complain of Lumber Trust.
Elmer E. Brown of Harvard called
on Attorney General Thompson to
bring him evidence concerning an al
leged unlawful combination between
two lumber dealers in his city—the J.
H. Yost Lumber company and S. J.
Rice. Brown claimed that these men
sold lumber at exactly the same price
and that lumber dealers in neighbor
ing towns refused to sell him lumber
at all, though he offered the spot cash.
Brown had already written the attor
ney general and the latter referred
the case to County Attorney Stiner of
Clay Center, who wrote the state legal
department that he would investigate
at once. Brown also claims these men
sell coal as they do lumber and that
last winter john Bain, an independent
coal dealer, could not buy coal from
C. B. Havens at Omaha, though he
had been buying from him for years,
because he sold coal 60 cents cheaper
on the ton. Bain got his coal from
Denver, though others, Brown said,
bought of Havens.
Band for State Fair.
“The first band in the world, better
than Innes,’ said C. H. Rudge of the
board of managers of the state fair
when he was asked about the Liberati
band of New York that had been en
gaged to give concerts at the state
fair. This famous band promises to
be one of the best drawing attrac
tions the state fair has ever had. In
addition to a band of fifty pieces the
organization has with it several grand
opera singers. The fair management
feels that it is fortunate in being able
to present this attraction to the peo
ple of the state.
Dead Man on Ticket.
The primary ballot for use in the
coming state primary will contain the
name of a dead man, W. W. Elliott of
Center. Mr. Elliott filed as a candi
date for district clerk in his district,
and on the 7th he was drowned. Sec
retary of State Junkin has finally con
cluded to leave the name on the ticket
as he does not know what else to do.
Mr. Elliott had no opposition.
Uniform Reports Wanted.
S. L. Lupton, representing the Inter
state Commerce commission, will
shortly be in Lincoln to confer with
the State Railway commission regard
ing a uniform report to be demanded of
the common carriers. The commission
notified the local commission of the
coming visit of Mr. Lupton.
Motion to Remand Express Case.
Attorney General Thompson has filed
a motion in the federal court to have
remanded the suit against the express
companies involving the Sibley law.
Mr. Thompson claims the state has
jurisdiction in the matter.
New Game Birds Imported.
Chief Game Warden George L. Car
ter has ordered one hundred pairs ef
Hungarian partridges and will parcel
them out over the state wherever
money can be raised to pay for them.
These birds are quite similar to the
ordinary, “Bob White” quail, only they
are about twice the size of the quail.
The birds will cost Mr. Carter $4.60 per
pair and he will do the work of ship
ping them out for nothing. The peo
ple of Gordon have ransed $150 for se
curing part of these birds and at Mer
riman residents have raised $100 more.
Lumber Dealers Pocket Profit.
The complaint is being made that
the law providing for a 15 per cent re
daction in freight rates on lumber and
other commodities has not resulted in
any decrease in the price of lumber
sold to the consumer. One of the large
lumber dealers said he did not Intend
to make any reduction because of a
lower freight rate, but would take ad
vantage of the law to fatten up hla
own purse. When this bill was passed
by the legislature it was argued that
the consumer would get the benefit of
any reduction in freight rates.
v ‘
NEW i
HONGS
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fDEM" TO/LETTE WITH f iv. -~M/ ■ -T
l K/MOMO SLEEVES WEWMAT W/T& 1
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' o I, ELOWER'S c
The demi-toilette for evening wear
is of the first importance at this time.
The French demi-toilette resembles
a tea gown only in so much that it Is
picturesque and old-world. It is not
in the very least untidy or floppy, and
even an expert in such matters would
find it difficult to clearly define the
difference between it and a dinner
gown suitable for ceremonious occa
sions. The difference is very subtle
and yet—ever present! Possibly it
is a distinction which owes much to
the arrangement of the hair and to
the ornaments worn. Some wonder
fully lovely gowns of this order have
been made this season of fine silk
gauze enriched with ribbon embroi
deries, or with borderie Anglaise car
ried out in delicate pastel tints. The
latter is a distinct novelty and en
tirely satisfactory when designed and
executed by a master hand. For exam
ple, take a flowing skirt of creamy
gauze, lavishly decorated in panels
with broderie Anglaise worked in fine
silver threads. On either side of these
panels there were shaped insertions
of Maltese lace—of exactly the same
tint as the muslin—and at the ex
treme hem of the skirt five flounces of
Valenciennes; whil^ the bodice was
arranged in picture fashion, having a
large flschu of Valenciennes, which
crossed in front and tucked away in
the folded waistband of palest lib
erty satin. The wide Japanese sleeves
were made of the Maltese lace, and
underneath there were the daintiest
little puffings and frills of Valen
ciennes. The peach-colored waist
Dana Doastea two very iong ends at
the left side, and these ends were
drawn through a handsome buckle of
gun metal set with small diamonds.
It would be impossible to describe
the poetic charm of this gown, and
the dark buckle, with its brilliant
frame, supplied just the right note.
The sleeveless coat of tafTetas is
entering a successful reign. This
picturesque garment is almost always
worn with muslin or lace gowns, and
nine times out of ten the silk is of
a dark and rather somber color. These
silk coats are a short three-quarter
length and semi-sack, back and front,
and they are rarely closed in front,
but are confined by chenille or silk
ornaments, or, in some cases, they
are lightly laced from throat to
breast.
The most conspicuous of Fashion’s
new edicts will be the long coat, long
er than they have been. These coats
look equally well in both cloth
and linen, and have charm when sup
plied with the square sleeve, the el
bow sleeve, or the ordinary coat
sleeve. It is, indeed, a highly adapt
able garment, upon which we propose
to bestow our very best attentions
from now until October at least, and
this I prophesy as other wise people
would have prophesied, because I
know.
But I am forgetting the novelty of
the hour, and the like, being rare,
should be treated with greater re
Bpect. White flowers allied to white
leaves, and looking for all the world
like the conventional decoration of
the conventional wedding-cake, are
upon the hats which express the last
word of Fashion. White .lilies of the
valley allied to white rose-leaves I
have mpt forming a thick wreath
round a bell-shaped hat of brown
straw lined with white chip; large
white garden lilies with white leaves
upstand in bold relief from a shape of
purple straw, and white roses and
white leaves encircle the broad brim
of a hat of dull green lined with black
glace. Here is novelty indeed—and
for so much, and no more, I commend
it.
Apropos summer hats—very high
crowns are slowly but surely creeping
toward us. Just at present these high
crowns are chiefly arranged in flow
ers, but a little later we shall see a
revival of the high ‘ flower pot” crown
which used to be fashionable when
the “Grecian bend” afforded fruitful
topics for music-hall singers! It
seems a thousand pities that we
should think of adopting such a fash
ion as this, the hat crowns of this
year are so ideal and so infinitely be
coming, and the “flower-pot” crown is
so peculiarly inartistic. Unhappily
it is no use to protest against Fash
ion’s dictates, but let us hope that
this revival, when it comes, will be
short lived, and that there will be
fouud leaders of Society with suffi
cient taste and courage to protest
against an ugly mode just as they
protested against the meaningless
short waist which is already dying the
death.
It is quite certain that nine women
out of ten look best when something
rich and dark is placed near, the face,
not an entire black, or dark, hat nec
essarily, but one with a lining of full
tone and in a becoming tint. The
very newest and most popular idea
with regard to cloche hats is the flat
lining of black, or dark hued, satin.
As a rule, this lining does not reach
quite to the edge of the hat, an inch
of light straw being left plain. Black
satin or taffetas is wonderfully effec
A Novel Serge Costume.
tive in an ivory straw cloche or one of
Tuscan; rich bottle-green satin is
used in the same way, and also dark
Lancret blue, nut-brown and dark vio
let, the latter color being quite a
rage of the moment For example,
take an ivory straw cloche which
boasts a wide, rather high, crown, and
a large drooping brim, the front of
the latter being shorter than the back.
And now just another word about
the new circular veils of which we
spoke in a former letter. The new
blue spotted net—the blue which is
exactly like cornflower-blue dusted
over with ivory powder—is delight
fully flattering to a clear complexion,
when the veil is edged all round with
an inch-wide band of ribbon velvet.
These veils ought to be quite long—
at least three yards—and of the finest
and lightest net. They are pinndd
round the cloche hat and thrown back
from the face, making the most per
fect frame it is possible to imagine.
His Trouble.
A small, quiet-looking man, smoking
a large cigar, sat by the side of a me
dium-sized automobile that was drawn
out of the road as a large touring car
came along, driven by a man with an
interrogatory aspect.
The man in the touring car slowed
up and leaned over.
“How long have you been here?”
“About two hours.”
“Can’t you find out what the mat
ter is?”
“No.”
“Trouble with spark plug?”
“Think not.”
“How are your batteries?”
“O. K.”
“Haven’t got a short-circuit, have
you?”
“Oh, no.”
"Got any gasoline in your tank?”
"Plenty.”
“Would you mind telling me, sir,
just what’s the matter with that ma
chine of yours?” ■
In answer, the man pointed to a
large red farm house in the dis
tance).
“See that house out there?’’ he
asked.
“Yes, sir."
“Well, sir, there isn’t anything the
matter with this machine, but since
noon my wife has been in that house
kissing her sister’s first baby good-by.
When she gets through, if you are
not over a thousand miles away, and
will leave your address, I will tele
graph or. cable you the glad news
at my own expense.” — Collier’s
Weekly.
Why They Don’t Speak.
First Saleslady (disguising her
pleasure) — What do you think,
Mayme? A gentleman friend o’ mine
sent my photo to that newspaper
that’s running the beauty contest!
Didn’t he have the nerve, though?
I Second Saleslady—And the worst of
it is them practical jokers never apolo
gize.—Puck.
Would Mean Immense Saving.
Two hundred and fifty million dol
lars a year wouid be saved if electrici
ty were to supplant steam entirely.
ARE PHYSICIANS’ PRESCRIPTIONS
NOSTRUMS?
To one not qualified, and few lay
men are, to discriminate intelligently
between physicians’ prescriptions, pro
prietary medicines and nostrums, it
may seem little short of a crime to
hint even that physicians’ prescrip
tions are in any manner related to
nostrums; nevertheless, an impartial
examination of all the facts in the
case leads irresistibly to the conclu
sion that every medicinal preparation
compounded and dispensed by a physi
cian is, in the strict sense of the word,
a nostrum, and that the average,
ready-prepared proprietary remedy is
superior to the average specially-pre
pared physicians’ prescription.
What is a nostrum? According to
the Standard Dictionary a nostrum is
“a medicine the composition of which
is kept a secret.” Now, when a physi
cian compounds and dispenses with
his own hands a remedy for the treat
ment of a disease—and it is authorita
tively stated that probably 60 per
cent, of all physicians’ prescriptions
in this country are so dispensed—the
names and quantities of the ingre
dients which constitute the remedy
are not made known to the patient.
Hence, since its composition is kept a
secret by the physician, the remedy or
prescription is unquestionably, in the
true meaning of the word, a Simon
pure nostrum. Furthermore, the pre
scription compounded by the average
physician is more than likely to be a
perfect jumble—replete with thera
peutic, physiologic and chemical in
compatibilities and bearing all the ear
marks of pharmaceutical incompe
tency; for it is now generally admitted
that unless a physician has made a
special study of pharmacy and passed
some time in a drug store for the pur
pose of gaining a practical knowledge
of modern pharmaceutical methods,
he is not fitted to compound remedies
for his patients. Moreover, a physi
cian who compounds his own prescrip
tions not only deprives the pharmacist
of his just emoluments, but he endan
gers the lives of patients; for it is
only by the detection and elimination
of errors in prescriptions by clever,
competent prescriptionists that the
safety of the public can be effectually
shielded from the criminal blunders
of ignorant physicians.
Nor can it be said that the average
physician is any more competent to
formulate a prescription than he is to
compound it, When memorized or di
rectly copied from a book of “favorite
prescriptions by famous physicians,”
or from some text-book or medical
journal, the prescription may be all
that it should be. It is only when the
physician is required to originate a
formula on the spur of the moment
that his incompetency is distinctly evi
dent. Seemingly, however, the physi
cians of the United States are little
worse than the average British physi
cian; (for we find Dr. James Burnett,
lecturer on Practical Materia Medica
and Pharmacy. Edinburgh, lamenting
in the Medical Magazine the passing
of the prescription and bemoaning the
fact that seldom does he find a “final
man” able to devise a prescription
even in “good contracted Latin.”
And what, it may be asked, is the
status of the written prescription—the
prescription that is compounded and
dispensed by the pharmacist—is it,
too, a nostrum? It may be contended
that the patient, with the written
formula in his possession, may learn
the character of the remedy pre
scribed. So, possibly, he might if he
understood Latin and were a physician
or a pharmacist, but as he usually pos
sesses no professional training and
eannot read Latin, the prescription is
practically a dead secret to him.
Furthermore, the average prescription
is so badly written and so greatly
abbreviated that even the pharmacist,
skilled as he usually is in deciphering
medical hieroglyphs, is constantly
obliged to interview prescribers to
find out what actually has been pre
scribed. It may also be contended,
that inasmuch as the formula is known
to both physician and pharmacist the
prescription cannot therefore be a se
cret But with equal truth it might be
contended that the formula of any so
called nostrum is not a secret since it
is known to both proprietor and manu
facturer; for it must not be forgotten
that according to reliable authority,
95 per cent, of the proprietors of so
called patent medicines prepared in
this country have their remedies made
for them by large, reputable manufac
turing pharmacists. But even should
a patient be able to recognize the
names of the ingredients mentioned in
a formula he would only know half
the story. It is seldom, for instance,
that alcohol is speciflcally mentioned
In a prescription, for it is usually
masked in the form of tinctures and
fluid extracts, as are a great many
other substances. It is evident, there
fore, that the ordinary formulated pre
scription is, to the average patient, lit
tle less than a secret remedy or nos
trum.
On the other hand, the formulae of
nearly all the proprietary medicines
that are exploited exclusively to the
medical profession as well as those
of a large percentage of the proprie
tary remedies that are advertised to
the public (the so-called patent medi
cines) are published in full. Under
the Food and Drugs Act, every medi
cinal preparation entering interstate
commerce is now required to have the
proportion or quantity of alcohol,
opium, cocain and- other habit-form
ing or harmful ingredients which it
may contain plainly printed on the
label. As physicians' prescriptions
seldom or never enter interstate com
merce they are practically exempt un
der the law. And if it be necessary
for the public to know the composi
tion of proprietary remedies, as is
contended by those who through ig
norance or for mercenary reasons are
opposing the sale of all household
remedies, why is it not equally neces
sary for patients to know the compo
sition of the remedy prescribed by a
physicianf Does any sane person be
lieve that the opium in a physician’s
prescription is less potent or less like
ly to create a drug habit than the opi
um in a proprietary medicine? As a
matter of fact, more opium-addicts
and cocain-fiends have been made
through the criminal carelessness of
ignorant physicians than by any other
means.
Unquestionably, there a»-e a number
of proprietary remedies on the market
the sales of which should be prohibit
ed, and no doubt they will be when
the requirements of the Food and
Drugs Act are rigidly enforced; many
are frauds, pure and simple, and some
are decidedly harmful. Of the aver
age proprietary remedy, however, It
may truthfully be said that it is dis
tinctly better than the average physi
cians’ prescription; for not only is its
composition less secret, but it is pre
pared for the proprietor by reputable
manufacturing pharmacists in magnifi
cently equipped laboratories and un
der the supervision and advice of able
chemists, competent physicians and
skillful pharmacists. It should not be
considered strange, therefore, that so
many physicians prefer to prescribe
these ready-prepared proprietary rem
edies rather than trust those of their
own devising.
JUST THE SAME AS CURRENCY.
Third Son Felt He Had Nothing to
Reproach Himself with.
William Knoepfel. of St. Louis, has
invented and hopes to patent a secret
plowing method for the cure of bald
ness. “A genuine cure for baldness,” -j|
said Mr. Knoepfel the other day,
should make a man very rich. Why,
men grow rich on fake cures. It is
amazing, it really is, what fakes some
of these cures are. Yet there’s money
in them.” Mr. Knoepfel gave a loud,
scornful laugh. "In their crookedness
they remind me,” he said, "of the
third son of the old eccentric. Per
haps you have heard the story? Well,
an old eccentric died and left his for
tune equally to his three sons. But
the will contained a strange proviso.
Each heir was to place $100 in the
coffin immediately before the inter
ment. A few days after the interment
the three young men met and discuss
ed the queer proviso and its execu
tion. ‘Well,’ said the oldest son, ‘my
conscience is clear. I put my hundred
in the coffin in clean, new notes.' ‘My
conscience is clear, too,’ said the sec
ond son. I put in my hundred in gold.’
‘I, too, have nothing to reproach my
self with,’ said the third son. ‘I had
no cash at the time, though; so I
wrote out a check for $300 in poor,
dear father’s name, placed it in the
coffin and took in change the $200 in
currency that I found there.’ ”
PUSHED THE BEAR ASIDE.
Surveyor Tells of Experience He Does
Not Care to Repeat.
To walk right up to a monster bear
and try to shove it out of the way and
then escape without so much as a
scratch is an experience of a lifetime.
Harry I Engelbright found it so a few
days ago in Diamond canyon, above
Washington, says a Nevada City cor
respondent of the Sacramento Bee.
The young man, son of Congressman
Engelbright, has just returned from
the upper country, where he has been
doing some surveying, and relates his
thrilling experience. It was coming
on dusk, at the close of the day’s work.
In the brush-lined trail he saw pro
truding what he thought were the
hind quarters of some stray bovine.
He walked up and gave the brute a
shove. It came to its haunches with
a snort that made his hair rise and
caused him to beat a hasty retreat.
The big brute looked around and then
shuffled off into the woods. It was
either asleep or else so busy eating
ants from an old log that it failed to
hear the young surveyor, whose footr
steps were deadened by the thick car
pet of pine needles. Later It was
learned that the same bear, a monster
cinnamon, had killed a dog earlier in
the day. The dog ventured too close
and with one blow of its paw the big
beast sent it hurtling yards away,
dead as a doornail.
Magnifying Choir Leader's Voice.
In the old village of Braybrook in
Northamptonshire, England, is a mon
ster trumpet, five six inches in length,
and having a bell-shaped end two feet
one inch in diameter. The trumpet is
made up of ten rings, which in turn
are made up of smaller parts. The
use of this trumpet—only four of the
kind are known to exist at the present
day—was to magnify the voice of the
leader in the choir and summon the
people to the church service. At the
present time neither the choir nor
the service is in need of this extraor
dinary “musical instrument,” but the
vicar of the church takes care of the
ancient relic and is fond of showing it
to all visitors.
Painfully Exaot.
A New England man tells of a pros
perous Connecticut farmer, painfully
exact in money matters, who married
a widow of Greenwich possessing in
her own right the sum of $10,000.
Shortly after the wedding a friend met
the farmer, to whom he offered con
gratulations, at the same time observ
ing: “It’s a good thing for you,
Malacbi, a marriage that means $10,
000 to you.” "Not quite that, Bill,"
said the farmer, “not quite thaL”
“Why,” exclaimed the friend, “I under
stood there was every cent of $10,000
in it for you!” “I had to pay $2 for
a marriage license,” said Malachi.
Diplomatic Salesman.
An elderly woman entered a shop
and asked to be shown some table
cloths. The salesman brought a pile
and showed them to her, but she said
she had seen those elsewhere—noth
ing suited her. “Haven’t you some
thing new?” she asked. The man
then brought another pile and showed
them to her. “These are the newest
patterns,” he said. “You will notice
the edge runs right round the border
and the center is in the middle.” “Dear
me, yes. I will take half a dozen of
them,” said the woman.
Wit.
A witty man is a dramatic perform
er; in process of time be can no more
exist without applause than he can
exist without air; if his audience be
small, or if they are inattentive, or if
a new wit defrauds him of any por
tion of his admiration, it is all over
with him—he sickens and is extin
guished. The applause of the thea
ter on which he performs is so es
sential to him that he must obtain
it at the expense of decency, friend
ship and good feeling. — Sydney
Smith.