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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 1913)
A Man tn)th&Open V \ c > C Illustrations bg Ellsworth Young ^cgyrBBatfvw'trME Bcq8»$»ftEg»tuu Wg; JrcTrWt/iW SYNOPSIS. The story opens with Jesse Smith re lating the story of his birth, early life In Labrador and of the death of his father. Jesse becomes a sailor. His mother mar ries the master of the ship and both are lost In the wreck of the vessel. Jesse becomes a cowboy In Texas. He marries Polly, a singer of questionable morals, who later Is reported to have committed rulclde. Jesse becomes a rancher and moves to British Columbia. Kate Trevor takes up the narrative. Unhappily mar ried she contemplates suicide, but changes ner mind utter meeting Jesse. Jesse res cues Kate from her drink-maddened hus band who attempts to kill her. Trevor loses his life in the rapids. Kate rejects offers of grand opera managers to return to the stage and marries Jesse. Their married life starts out happily. Kate suc cumbs to the pleadings of a composer to return to the stage and runs away with him. She rescues Widow O’Flynn from ner burning house. Is badly burned her self and returns home, where Jesse re ceives her with open am CHAPTER VI. Robbery-UndeivArms. Kate’s Narrative. We have started a visitor's book It opens with press catlings of inter views with Professor Bohns, the fa mous archaeologist, who came to ex amine the paleolithic deposits at South Cave. Next are papers relating to a pmnmons for assault, brought by the late Mr. Trevor against J. Smith. But the gem of our collection is a letter of lengthy explanation from an eminent Italian cur, who spent a whole month at the ranch last winter. Nobody is more hospitable, or more hungry for popularity than my dear man, but I think that special prayers should be offered for his visitors. He has a motto now:—"Love me: love my bear, not my missus.” My jealous hero has told the story of an old admirer, once my fellow-6tu dent, who brought me a dumpy piano Cor which I so starved, told me the news, talked shop, and would make me a prima donna—my life’s ambition The trap was well baited. Lonely, and terrified by the dread majesty of win ter, I craved for the lights, for the crowds, for my home, for my people, for my art And there are little things besides which mean so much to a woman. Salvator turned out to be a cur, his mission despicable, and yet no woman born can ever be without some little tenderness for one whose love mis leads him. And I who sought to read a lesson to poor Jesse, learned one for myself. I am no longer free, but fettered, and proud of the chains, Love’s chains, worth more to me thA that lost world. One morning, it must have been the twenty-sixth, I think, we had a caller, destined, I fear to entry in our visi tor’s book. Jesse had ridden off to Bee how his ponies thrive on the new grass, Mrs. O'Flynn was redding up after breakfast, and finding myself in the way, I took my water colors down to Apex Rock, to see if one sketch would hold winter, spring, summer, as viewed from the center of wonder land. Now our house being in full view from the apex, and sound traveling magically in this clear atmosphere, I heard voices. Mrs. O’Flynn had a visitor, and I was in such a jealous hurry to share the gossip, that my Bketch went over the cliff as I rose to ruB. A rather handsome man, In the splendid cow-boy dress, stood by a chestnut gelding, such a horse aris tocrat that I made sure he must sport a coat of arms. Moreover, in a gin gerly and reluctant way, as though nnder orders, he was kissing Mrs. O’Flynn. She beamed, bless her silly old heart! Mrs. O’Flynn looks on her truthful ness as a quality too precious for every-day use, and so carefully has it been preserved that in her fifty-fourth year it shows no sign of wear. Hence, on reaching the house I was not sur prised to find that her visitor was a total stranger. Judge by signs—chivalry, reticence, courtesy—Mrs. O'Flynn's guest was not a cow-1 oy. His florid manners, exaggerated politeness, and imitation of our middle-class English speech Stamped his as a bounder, but not of the British breed. Later, in moments of excitemeqt, he spoke New York, with a twang of music-hall. Even in eo lonely a place it is cu rious to remember that such a person should appeal to me. Still in ills common way. the man had beauty, car ried his clothes well, moved with grace. So much the artist in ine saw and liked, but I think no woman could have seen those tragic eyes without being influenced. “Ah! Mrs. Smith, I believe?’’ He stood uncovered. “May I venture to isk if your husband is at home? I thick 1 had the pleasuah of knowing him years ago down in Texas.” “He’ll be back by noon.” “Thank you, madam. Fact is, we were very much surprised to see your chimney smoke. We thought this ex quisite place was quite unoccupied. Indeed!” "Who's 'we’?*’ "Oh. we’re the outfit riding for Gen eral Schmidt. We’ve come in search of the spring feed. We were informed that Ponder’s place was unoccupied, open to all. Am I mistaken in sup posing that this is Ponder’s place?” "It is.” “Er—may I venture to ask if your husband holds squatter’s rights, or has the homestead and pre-emption?” "You may ask my husband.” “Thank you, madam. Our foreman instructed me to say that if the place proved to be occupied, I was to ask terms for pasturage. We’ve only two hundred head.” “Mx. Smith will consider the mat ter.” "We're camped in a little cave at the south end of the bench, deuced comfortable.” Of course I know I’m a fool, and expect to be treated as such. But this man claimed to have camped at the South Cave without passing this house, which was impossible. “Camped at South Cave?" said I. "In that event I need not detain you. Mr. Smith no doubt will call on you after dinner. Good morning, sir.” But this was not to his mind, and I gathered vaguely that my husband was not really wanted at the Bay Y camp. I even suspected that this vis itor would rather deal with me than see my husband. It required more than a hint to secure his departure. Jesse returned at noon. He re ceived the story of our caller with the noises of one displeased. “That visitor, Kate,” he summed up, “would make a first-class stranger. Knew me, you say, in Texas?” Hearing from her kitchen Mrs. O'Flynn’s sharp grunt of dissent, I closed the door. "You’ve left the key-hole open,” said Jesse, rising from the table, “come for a walk.” “Now, Kate, dear,” Jesse sat down beside me on the Apex Rock, “this morn you got your first lesson in rob bers. How would yov like a visit to old Cap Taylor at Hundred Mile?” My voice may have quivered just a little. “Danger?” I asked. “I dunno as there’s actual danger, but if I jest knowed you was safe, I’d be free to act prompt.” “Tell me everything, Jesse.” “Up at the north end of the bench, there’s maybe two hundred head of strange cattle. One pedigree short horn bull is worth all of twenty-five hundred dollars, and there’s a Here ford stud I’d take oft my hat to any wheres. There’s Aberdeens or Angus —I get them poll breeds mixed—and a bunch of Jerseys grazing apart, purty as deer. Anyways, that herd’s worth maybe two hundred thousand dollars, every hoof of ’em stolen, and if you raked all them millionaire ranches in California I doubt you’d get that value.” “No stock owner needs that amount of stud cattle. We don’t raise such in the north, so they’ve been drifted in here from the States. They’re gaunt with famine and driving, and it beats me to think how many more’s been left dead crossing the Black Pine country. The Bar Y brands has been faked. The parties herding ’em w-alts till I’m away, and tries to make a deal with you for pasturage. The gent with the sad eyes is sent dressed up to fool a woman. ”-5Jow, Kate,” his great strong arm closed round me like a vise. “The hull country knows you’re clear grit, so there’s no shame in leaving. For my sake, dear—” “Do you think I’d leave you in dan ger?” He sighed. “I knew it. I cayn’t help it, and, Kate, it’s the truth, I’d rather see you dead than scared. There's Madam Grizzly, and Senora Cougar, there’s Lady Elk, and even Mrs. Polecat, brave as lions. I’d hate to have my mate the only one to run like a scalded cat.” "The program, Jesse?” “Do you remember, Kate, how we lost five dollars finding out that Dale and me is signalers?" “And Captain Taylor gave ns the signals to raise the district: one fire for feasts, two for help, three for war!” “That’s it, little woman. By dusk I'll be on top of the cliffs, and make my fires back from the rim-rock, where them robbers won't see the glare. CHAPTER VII. The Round-Up. Jesse’s Narrative. While I made signal fires on the top of the cliff, Mr. Robber came to find out from my wife why for I hadn’t called to leave my card at the South Cave. He’s picturesque, says she, hair like a raven’s wing, eyes steel-blue, scarf indigo striped with orange, shirt black silk, woolly shaps out of a Wild West show, gold and silver fixings, Cheyenne saddle, car bine of some foreign breed, or maybe a Krag, manners fit for a king, age thirty-four, height six feet two inches, chest only thirty-eight, and such a sad smile—all of this will be useful to the police. He tried all he knew to get out of being photographed, which I wisht I’d been there, for it must have been plumb comic, but we all submits when Kate gets after us. That reminds me that if he can't capture the camera and plate, we’re apt to be burnt out by accident She led him on and made him talk. If his boss knew how much Kate has down in her note-book, this guy with the sad eyes would get kicked all round the pasture. When I axed if the rpbber made love to her, my wife just laughed, and turned away, telling me not to be a fool; but the blush came around her neck. I dunno. Perhaps it’s my liver, so I’m taking the only medicine I have, which it tastes like liniment Is it liver, or am I getting to dislike this person ? n. So happens, while I was writing, Billy O’Flynn comes along with the pack outfit on his way to Sky-line. He wanted to know why I made them fires, so I explained I was making a clearing up thar for Kate’s spring chrysanthe mums. (She spelt that word, which had me bogged down to the hocks.) It may be liver, or my squeam in flamed, but my mind ain’t easy, and the Sky-line folk may think I’m only joshing with them fires. I can’t leave Kate to ride for help, I can’t shift her, I can’t send Billy to Yxwg— Kate's Face Was Dead White With Rage. the constable without breaking my contract with the Sky-line, and I don’t divulge nothin’ to William O’Flynn, Esquire, who talks to the moon rather than waste conversation. If I make a letter for Dale, and slip it into the pouch, Billy won’t know, or gossip if he happene to meet in with stray robbers. I’ll get him up and off by midnight to the Sky-line, in time for the supper pies, and the boys will be surging down to the ferry be fore midnight. Now I must make up some lies to hasten Billy’3 timid foot steps along the path of duty. III. Billy hastened away at midnight to tell Dale that pigeon's milk is selling at eighty-four and three-fourths. He believes that if he can get that secret intelligence to Iron in good time, he’s to share the profits. Fact is, that Iron’s late wife made him the laugh ing-stock of the plains over some joke she put up' on him connected with pigeon’s milk, so that Billy's share of the profits will be delivered on the toe of Dale's boot. He's breaking rec ords to make the Sky-line quick. Nothing happened this morning, ex cept Bull Durham, calling himself Brooke. He, the gent with the sad eyes, who came to make love to my •MIGHT NOT SAMPLE BY TASTE Darky Willing Enough to Listen to Praises of His Cider, But Was Not Giving It Away. Few of ths negroes In the southern states are inclined to be thrifty and saving, though many of them are dis posed to industry and live in consid erable comfort Some, however, have acquired the saving habit and are not only not wasteful, but are iu the local Idiom extremely “nigh." A case in point is ad old man. once the slave of the Randolphs of Virginia, who has become the owner of one of their plantations, and is quite rich. He converts Into cash everything that is not necessary for the maintenance of the household and gets profit from many things that few negroes ever think of selling. Incidentally he makes cider of all the unsalable apples on his place and sells it, and though he ie very fond of the beverage himself, he jaever drinks with any of his neigh bors, unless they pay for the cider. • A young man of the neighborhood, who had been away for several yean, . coming back home, remembered the famous cider and dropped in to see Uncle Wash. After some general talk he casually observed, "I suppose, Uncle " ash, you still make that good cider, you used to make in old times?” “Oh, yes,” replied Wash, “I still makes my apples mos’ly into cider.” Then he called to Aunt Dinah, his wife, “Dinah, fetch out a go’d of dat bes’ cider." The visitor naturally expected that he was to sample the drink. But not | so. The old man took the gourd and drained every drop. Then he handed the empty vessel to the visitor. "Ef you don' b’lieve dat am good cider,” he said, smacking his lips, “you jes smell dat go’d.”—New York Eve ning Post Powerful Searchlights. The new electric searchlight projec tors made by the Allgemeine establish ment of Berlin are among the most powerful yet to be produced, and their candle-power, which is too high for measurement, can only be reckoned in kindreds of n ilions. What is striking is the new method of regulating the arc. The large carbons are now moved back and forth by small electric mo tors and suitable gears, current being applied to the motors by a set of re lays which work according to the cur rent taken by the arc, thus securing an automatic adjustment of the arc length In the best way. The base of the projector contains other motors for all the searchlight movements, and a distant lever control is so designed that turning the lever in all directions makes the projector also follow these same directions for pointing the beam. These searchlights will carry several miles and still give light enough to read by. Wanted One of Her Own. , Dorothy loved her baby sister dear ly, and takes it quite hard that she is not allowed to play nurse oftener The other day, being asked what mam ma should bring her back from a visit to the city, she made a gentle request: "Please, mamma, a great big doll dressed like a veal baby. I want one of my own to play with, since you won’t let me have any fnn with yours." wife. He paid me one hundred dol lars for pasturage. Then I axed him to stay to dinner, and Kate says she never seen me so talkative. Bull found out which weeks the Cariboo stage carries specie, and how many thousand dollars a month in amalgam comes down from the Sky-line camp. He even dragged out of me that old Surly Brown, the miser, has fifteen thousand dollars burled under the dirt floor of his cabin—which reminds me that if Brown’s home becomes the scene of a mining stampede. I’ll have to keep shy of his rifle. Yes, Bull showed a great gift of faith, and got both his photo and the negative to show there was no ill feeling. I’m pastoral, harmless, simple, raised for a pet. Leaving Kate hid in a ruined shack, half-way to the ferry, I was down by eleven p. m. to the bank of the river, hailing old man Brown. So soon as he’d brung me acrost, I sent him to ride for all he was worth and collect our constable, which cost me eighteen dollars and a horse. The money is severe, but I’ll get even on horse trades. From midnight to one a. m. I put in the time cussing Dale; from then till two a. m. I felt that nobody loved me; from two a. m. to half past, I was scheming to take the robbers single-handed. At two thirty-five Dale rolled up with nine men from Sky-line, mounted on Billy’s ponies, besides O’Flynn, and Ransome, Pollock, who may be good for a burnt offering but isn’t much use alive. Of course, having raised the coun try, I’d got to make good, producing a business proposition and robbers to follow. Iron has no sense of humor anyhow, and can't see jokes unless the prices is wrote plain on their tickets. He’s come to this earth after dollars. If a batch of robbers Is liable to cost him fifty dollars a day, and only fetches fifty-one dollars a day on the contract, his mine is better money, so he rolls his tall and takes away his men. That’s Iron Dale seven days in the week. He’s right smart, too, at holding a business meeting, so when I’d ate cranberry pie, which is a sort of com pliment from the mine, and the boys has some of Brown’s tea as a donation from me, the convention sits down solemn to talk robbers. Moved and seconded that hold-ups ain’t encouraged in her majesty’s do minions, and we hands these robbers to the constable as his lawful meat, but we got to get ’em first. Resolved that there’s money in it. The owners of them cattle had ought to be grateful and show their grati tude, ’cause otherwise the stock is apt to scatter. Proposed that we hit the trail right away, with Iron Dale for leader. Carried, with symptoms of toothache disabling one of his men Dale told off O’Fl^W and Brans combe to stampede the cattle just at glint of dawn, sending ’em past the cave, and shooting and yelling as if there was no hereafter. That should interest the robbers, and bring them out of the cave which overlooks our pasture. Looking down at a sharp angle, they weren’t likely to hit our riders, whereas our posse, posted in good cover with’ a steady aim could attend to the robbers with prompt ness and despatch. Crossing the ferry our main outfit left Billy and Branscombe to start drifting the cattle southward, while we rode on to take up our positions around the care. In the ruined shack, half-way to our home, Kate was to have a candle, screened so that it could only be seen from our trail. We passed ray fence, we crossed the half mile creek, we gathered speed along the open pasture, and then Kate’s yell went through me like a "knife. The robbers must have had a man on night herd, and found her by that light! Dale’s hand grabbed my rein, and with a growl he halted our whole outfit. “Steady.” says he, “you fool!” Then in a whisper, as his men came crowding in: “Dismount! Ransome, hold horses! Sam, take three men afoot round the rear of that cabin. I take the reet to close in the front. Siwash, and Nitchie Scott, find ene my’s horses and drift them away out of reach. No man to whisper, no man to make a sound, until I lift my hand at that cabin window. After that, kill any man who tries to escape. Get a move on!” So, with me at his tail, he crept along from cover to cover, waving hand signals to throw his squad into place. The enemy’s five horses at the door were led off by Billy's Siwash arriero. and Nitchie Scott, so gently that the robbers thought they were grazing. By that time Dale and me was at the window gap on the north side of the shack, but the candle was in our way, we couldn’t see through its glow',, and it wasn't till we got round to the door hole that we’d a view of what was going on inside. My wife stood in the nor’west, right, far corner". A man with a gray chin whisker and a mournful smile, with his gun muzzle in her right ear, was shoving her head against the wall. Bull was talking as usual, explaining how his tact was better'd Whiskers' gun at persuading females. Ginger was trying to assuage Bull. The greaser was keeping a kind of look out, although he couldn’t see from th* lighted room into the dark vyhere he was. Ginger clapped his paws over Bull’s mouth before the proceedings went on. “Now,’’ says Whiskers sadly, “are you goin’ to scream any more?” Kate’s face was dead white with rage. "You cur,” said she, “I Bcreamed because my—you’se hurting me, you brute! Leave off if you want to hear one word from me. Leave ofT! That’s better. No, I won’t scream again.” The gun sight was tearing her ear as she screwed her head around, look ing him full in the eyes. “If you do me any harm.” she said, "my hus band’s friends won’t let you off with death. They’ll burn you. Stand back, you coward!” He flinched back just a little, and I saw his hand drawing slowly clear of her head. "Get your horses,” she cried out sharp, “you’ve barely time to escape!” Then I fired, the bullet throwing that hand back, so that it contracted on the gun. His revolver shot went through the rear wall. The hand was spoiled. “Now, hands up, all of you!” Dale yelled. "Hands up! Drop your guns!” One of the robbers was raising his gun to fire, so I had to kill him. The rest surrendered. “Kate,” said I, sort of quiet, and she came to me. CHAPTER VIII. The Stampede. Jeste’s Xarrative. Which these robbers we got in the cave is a disappointment. This old man what leads them with a plume on his face, ought to have more deport ment, for screwing a gun in Kate’s ear ain't no sort of manners. Even after J’d shot his hand to chips, he grabbed Ransome’s gun with his left and tried to make me lie down. There’s some folks jest don't know when you give them a hint And Bull, with the sad eyes, claims on me his ancient friendship. While we lashed his thumbs behind him, he told us he’d been educated at Oxford and Cambridge. “What!” Kate flashed out, “after leaving Eton and Harrow?" "Yes, and I’ve enough education to guess this ain’t no way to treat Amer ican citizens. You’ll hear of this,” he shouted, “from Uncle Sam!” “Thar,” says Dale, "I knew there’d be rewards for you, dead or alive. How much? Two thousand dollars a head?” Then old Whiskers ordered Bull to shut his head. He’s a curious, slow, mournful voice, like a cat with the toothache. "I demand—" "Shut up.” So Bull shut up w'hile we lashed him, likewise young Ginger and the greaser. Seeing the feliow I’d killed might want an inquest, we laid him straight in the ruined dhack, and then marched our prisoners off to South Cave, where they’ll wait until we get our constable to arrest them. II. Jsow on the second day after we cap tures these ladrones, along toward sup per, the depositions of the various par ties is as follows, viz.: Up to the ruined shack two mile north of my home, lies the remains of one robber expecting an inquest Two miles south, right where the up per cliff cuts off the end of our pasture there’s our cave full of captured ban dits, to wit: Whiskers, Bull Durham, Ginger, and the dago. Down on the bench In front of the cave is our guard-camp with Iron Dale in com mand, and Kate with the boys having supper. Right home at the ranch i house is me finishing my chores, and ' the widow spoiling hash for my sup I per, because she hates me worse nor snakes for being a Protestant. Away off beyond the horizon is old man Brown cussing blue streaks ’cause he can’t find much constable. Such being the combinations at sup per-time, along- comes the widow’s or phan, young Billy O’Flvnn, who handles my pack contract with the Sky-line. He’s supposed to be on duty at the guard-camp, and his riding back to the home ranch completely disar ranges the landscape. I’m busy, hun gry, and expected to take charge of the night guard at the cave, but some how this Billy attracts my attention by acting a whole lot suspicious. Instead of bringing me some message from Dale, he rides straight to the lean-to kitchen, steps off his pony, and whis pers for his mother. I sneaks through the house to the kitchen in time to see this widow with a slip of paper, brown paper what we used to wrap up the prisoners’ lunch. At sight of me she gets modest, shoving it into the stove, but I becomes prominent and grabs it. "Shure,” she explains, “an' it’s only a schlip av paper!” (TO BE CONTINUED.) Busy Days. “Why have you been evading me?” inquired the city official angrily of a man whom he met in the street. “Evading you!" replied the other man. warmly. "Why, confound it. I’ve been calling at your office every day this week.” “That’s just it. What were you look ing for me in my office for?” HATS ONLY 500 YEARS OLD! Custom of Covering the Head, Except in Battle, It of Comparatively Recent Origin. Once in a while we do seem to come across something which ancient people did not possess. Hats apparently figure among this number. For hats we are told, did not become a well-established custom until some 500 years ago. In the year 1449, when Charles II. entered Rouen after is re capture by the French from the Eng lish, the people there had never before set eyes on a hat Their amazement, therefore, can be pictured as they gazed upon their king riding past them in pomp and on his head a gorgeous hat lined with vari-colored silk and gaily bedecked with huge plumeB. Of course, every one followed his ex ample. Hats began to make their ap pearance in shop windows and women and men alike labored over the con structing of elaborate headpieces, each one attempting to surpass his neighbor, if possible. But they were expensive and it was a long time be fore they could be worn except by &e prosperous classes. In the course of time, however, they became a more commonplace thing and people of all classes were able to af ford them. Pleasures of Imagination. “I thought you said you were going fishing.” “Yes,” replied the man who spends ten hours a day at a desk; “I have made some experiments in that line and I think I can derive great pleasure from a fishing trip, it I can strike the right place in the right kind of weath er. I’m going to lure the wary prize from the shadows of the fern-bordered pool. I'm going to listen to the bird songs that drift with the shimmering sunshine through the leafy arches and then forget all my cares as a flash of silvery animation trembles at the hook. I'm going to find a place where anxiety and discomfort cannot in trude.” “Yes, but when are you going?” “Oh, I’m not really going fishing at all—what’s the use of spoiling a pleas ant dream?” PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR FARM WORK Champion Clydesdale Stallion. (By M. COVERDELL.) If the American farmer would make more use of the fanning mill, his live stock would get more real susten nance from pure grain, our grass and grain crops would be of a purer grade, and our fields would not be seeded down to weeds every year by the weed seeds passing through the animals and being deposited in their manure; then hauled out and scat tered in this rich, seed bed over the fields. If the farmer’s cows sleep on a frozen or snowry bed at night, and are given a single roughage ration throughout the winter—what will the cream harvest be? Don’t be too liberal with feed where a whole herd of stock is fed together, as some of them will mince over and waste it, while others will eat enough to overload their digestive systems, which also may be regarded as a waste, as well as a danger to their good health and proper growth. Sifting snow makes it mighty easy for dampness to creep into the nest ing in the hog-houses, and this, to gether with the chill of wintry weath er, is sure to wield a most deteriorat ing influence on the good health and profit-producing qualities of the herd. Don’t hitch the colt to a vehicle the first time he is in harness. If he wants to cut any antics, let it be while he is hitched to a small log, a sled, or something he cannot damage and at the same time imperil some one’s life and limb. Don’t forget to make a note of all the trees that have died and been removed from the orchard, so that the same varieties may be ordered with which to fill up these places. If our farmers would but visit the schools more, and thus see what prog ress the boys and girls are making, and help co-operate with them and their teacher, we might reasonably expect some beneficial reforms in our present school system. A cheap, effective and lasting horse blanket may be made by joining to gether three large, close-woven sacks In which oil-meat or some fine bought en feed-stuff has been shipped, lining it with a cheap grade of canton flan nel to add warmth. Keep dow’n the too rank growth of the grape vines by fertilizing them With common wood-ashes. They fur nish the necessary muriate of potash for developing the highest quality of fruit, with little danger of rot occur ring. The application of poultry droppings, along with the ashes, will supply sufficient fertilizer of an en riching nature Get the calf to eating the milder grains and boughten feed-stuffs as early as possible. It will not only mean saving of milk, w'hich may be fed to something else on the farm, but the little fellow will grow more rapidly by getting him accustomed to eating such rations as oats, shorts, bran. etc. These, with a very small quantity of skim-milk and the grass he secures, cannot fail to promote a | healthy development of bone and muscle, the prime requisites to a profitable calf. Grain and cold water are two ar ticles that Dever should be given the horses immediately after hard work . i I or a warm drive. First let their cir culation get back to normal, thus avoiding the sudden shock of taking water into their heated systems or grain into their disturbed digestive organs. There are just two extremes to be avoided when providing ventilation for stock or poultry in close quarters during the winter months. The first and most common is insufficient air, the other is too much. We mush not get the idea that it is necessary to close every opening in a building in order to keep the stock warm and in good health. Provide an aperture by which the fresh air may enter each building, and one that will allow the foul air to pass out as it is breathed and poison-laden;-then regulate the size of the openings as the weather changes. In ordinary weather, the size of ven tilating holes will need to be practi cally the same, but in case of a storm, extremely severe cold or windy w;eath \ er. there w-ill be need of much less ventilation, lest the beneficial effect of fresh air be more than counterbal anced by the chilling influence of the passage of air. which is either too strong or too cold. HINTS IN CARE OF POULTRY AND PIGEONS Feeding Problem Is Greatly Sim plified if Hens of Same Size Are Kept Together. Never feed oats to pigeons, young or t old. Orange boxes make good nests foi pigeons. If you want big squabs, breed from big hens. The, homer is considered the best bird for squab profit. Study the wants of each customer, and plan to meet them. Pigeons must have clean bathing water at least three times a week. When pigeons are a day old they are called “peepers,” and when three weeks old “squealers.” A tablespoonful of baking-soda placed in the water two or three times a week will prevent bowel trouble. Few men understand the possibil ities of two dozen hens when work ed up to the limit of their capacity. If your breeder produces small, mushy squabs be sure there is some thing wrong. Clean out the lot and start anew. Keep a close watch for the most thrifty and earliest maturing pullets and mark them for your next year's breeding pens. Give the turkey hen a feed of grain at night. If fed heavily in the morn ing. she will not range so far with the youngsters as if she starts out to find her own breakfast. The feeding problem is greatly sim plified if females of about the same age are kept together. What is an ideal ration for old hens may be en tirely wrong for pullets. Separate them so as to obtain approximate re sults while feeding. MULES ON DELIVERY WAGONS IN COUNTRY A matched mute team. The general-purpose mule is often observed wherever heavy hauling is being done and is also being used more and more on delivery wagons on the country routes. Under every condition he is found equal to the occasion. Worms in Pigs. The Veterinary college at Ames, la., has announced the following formula for the eradication of worms in pigs: “Santonin, one grain per 30 to 80 pound shoats; areca nut. one-half grain per pound live weight; four grains antonin is the maximum dose for a large hog. Keep the hogs off feed for 24 hours. Mix enough of the medicine in a thin slop for 20 hogs. Feed in a clean trough. Repeat treats ment in 30 days, as eggs of worms in the intestines will not be affected by this treatment, and a new crop of worms will result.” Curing Goose Feathers. Goose feathers are often treated in th:'3 manner: After being spread in some clean, dry, airy place they should be turned over with a fork every few days until thoroughly dried. If placed in bags and well steamed, they are more valuable, as the steam has a tendency to purify them, removing much of the oily odor they naturally have.—E. V. B.