The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917, May 11, 1916, Image 6
BUREAU’S TASK IS TO FIX STANDARD FOR ALL SORTS OF THINGS •Not Only Weights and Measures, but About Every Detail of Every Public Utility Passed Upon by Federal Bureau of Standards— Idea Is to Present Well-Tested Methods Which Will Commend Themselves to All States. Washington.—Ever since the advent ®f the new year the bureau of stand ards of the department of commerce has been deluged with inquiries from all corners of tbe country concerning standards of everything from electric and gaslight brilliance to the strength of a water pipe. And most of these re quests are pouring in from public serv ice corporations and their old enemies, the public utilities commissions. Primarily the bureau of standards was charged with the duty of testing and determining standards of exact measurements of every kind and na ture. A steel yardstick which may be a yard long in June will be something less than a yard in cold December, and It is the bureau’s task to find out what constitutes a real yard under all con ditions. Naturally, in pursuing this chase for elusive constants, the bureau branched off, more or less, into meas uring things other than yardsticks, and among other details it became inter ested in learning what amount of elec tricity should go into an electric light. As this was only a step from learning what constitutes a real gaslight candle power, the bureau learned that also. Several years ago, it appears, those who planned for the future of the bu reau anticipated that eventually they would be called upon to referee the constant clashes between public serv ice corporations and those state and municipal commissions appointed to regulate the corporations. They felt that the day would come when the word of the bureau of standards must settle such controversies, and they set to work to rig up their administrative plant to provide for it. And just as they planned the need arose, and they were prepared. For a while the public utility experiments and decisions of the bureau were car ried along as a rather unclassified por tion of its administrative burden, but as the demand for information in creased along public utility lines it was finally decided to set aside a cer tain part of the bureau's force into separate quarters and put them to the task of working out the destiny of those corporations which serve the public. Some Knotty Problems. Electric light and gas companies and street railways furnish most of the knotty problems the bureau is called upon to solve in the public utilities field, and perhaps no problem has giv en the bureau more study and trouble than the process of electrolysis of un derground pipes in cities where the streets are honeycombed by pipes of all sorts. Most of the street railways are op erated on the single, overhead trolley plan, with the electric current passing through the car into the track, via the wheels, after it has passed through the car motors. Most of the current is properly conducted back to the gene rating stations, but some of it escapes and menaces gas and water pipes in the vicinity. These stray currents produce what is known as electrolysis, which eats away the pipes. This leads to constant wrangling between the i street railway companies and the cor- i porations whose pipes have been in jured. While it has so far been almost impossible to completely prevent the corroding of pipes thus exposed, the I bureau has been able to advise public utilities commissions how to compel the various corporations involved to mitigate this current wastage and the consequent evi! effects. As a result of tests made during the past year at St. Louis, Springfield, Mass., and Springfield, O., the bureau has been enabled to lay down some • definite rules which will prevent a , great deal of damage from this agency. : Bonding of the joints of rails to give ; greater conductivity to tho rails, was one plan. Another was embodied in radical roadbed changes, to lessen the connections between tho earth and the rails. At present the bureau is con ducting tests to show the extent of electrolytic action on pipes of all kinds and this is expected to throw addi tional light on the question. The bureau gets every assistance from the gas and electric companies and from municipalities, while the street railway companies usually give but scant attention to the matter. The reason is obvious, as the results of the work tend to increase the cost to the railway companies through the neces sary installation of safeguards, where as railways themselves are not con cerned in the matter of damaged pipes owned by other parties, unless a Law suit results, and the courts have been able to get very little action here. Gas Service Standards. Determining service standards of gas, both for heating and illuminating, is another factor in the work of the bureau. Most city and state utility commissions rule rather uniformly on the matter of meters, meter testing, heating value and candle powen of the gas product, degree of chemical purify and amount of pressure required, the bureau experts have been able to formulate a set of uniform regulations. It is the aim of the bureau to make the gas requirements of San Francisco as near those of New York as possible. A fairly uniform meter regulation, for instance, would remove a great ob stacle to meter manufacturers. At present a meter acceptable In San Francisco might not do at all in New York. The bureau, thanks to the experts, could furnish at this moment a set of rules for the government of public utilities anywhere, which, with possi bly a few minor alterations, could be put into effect with marked benefit to the community and without serious hardship to the corporations affected. For instance, three sets of model elec tric ordinances have been prepared— one for large cities, one for medium sized cities, and one for smaller cities and towns. Big-city requirements are inclined to be more stringent than those applicable to smaller communi ties, and to enforce these requirements upon electric power companies in small towns would be more or less of a hard ship. Then there is a different set of model regulations, suitable for adop tion by state utilities commissions, which strike a happy medium between the stricter regulations of the large cities and the laxer rules applicable to the smaller communities. In formu lating these tables of measurements the bureau has received support not only from utilities commissions throughout the country but from elec tric companies as well. It frequently happens that represen tatives of the bureau are asked by pub lic utilities commissions to attend hear ings on matters of more than usual importance. In such case an expert is sent, and usually he supplies data of vast benefit in enabling those in terested to reach a definite conclusion. Safety Codes. One important phase of the bureau’s work is its plan to formulate and have adopted a national gas and electric safety code for the protection of both workers and consumers. The idea is to have the code uniform throughout all states. This work, however, is not completed. Sometime this year a con ference will be held in Washington to consider the bureau's national elec tric code, and if adopted by the con vention its adoption by the state leg islatures will be urged. The same method has been followed in the preparation of a gas safety code for all the states. To investigate the telephone as a public utility it has been necessary to make some survey of telephone transmitting and receiving apparatus, as well as switchboard equipment. So far this work has been slight, but from now on the bureau will devote itself more energetically to this task. In the opinion of the bureau telephone stand ards are in sore need of fixing. Public service commissions through out the country are noting increasing frequency of petitions for permission for connections between telephone sys tems under different ownerships and the question is constantly arising as to whether an impairment of service would result. ANCIENT HEAD CAGE Thomas Mott Osborne, former war den of Sing Sing prison, posed for the Survey in the old iron head cage which he found in the cellar of Auburn prison. The head cage weighs eight pounds, and was used as recently as 18 years ago on refractory prisoners. $1,000 for Nine Lives. Des Moines, la.—W. O. Allen, a West Des Moines high school teacher, has received a Carnegie hero medal and $1,000 in cash for bravery in saving nine person* from drowning at Athens, O., in 1907. Allen was a stu dent at Ohio university at AthenB, when the Hocking river overflowed and carried everything before it. Al len and a companion, using a small skiff, rescued nine persons. leady for Big Flood. Drayton, Mo.—Foreseeing a flood to cover the whole earth, John Rule, a farmer, living on Red river, has built an ark in which he expects to save himself and his family. GIRLS FOR POLICE WORK Organized to Clean Up New York’s East Side and Keep It Clean. New York.—Five hundred organized 'police girls, with badges, clubs, blue cans and jackets are the latest thing In the campaign to keep the East side ClThe girls, bedecked with glittering badges recently swooped upon the residents of the district and informed _' ’" l">:’ them that banana peelings and the like should not be thrown from windows into the streets and that rubbish must not be permitted to accumulate in the corners of the room. The girl police has been organized by Harry S. Schiacht, president of the East Side Protective association. The captain of the squad is Cecilia Goldberg, thirteen years old. The girls have given pledges to keep their own homes clean. They are intelligent school children between the ages of twelve and eighteen. SINGS HIS WAY TO FREEDOM Boy Wins Release of Parents Who Were Prisoners of Villa’s Band of Cutthroats. Philadelphia. — Little four-year-old Harry Joline of this city sang to Vil la's ferocious guerrillas and brought about the release cf his imprisoned parents. This youthful traveler is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Joline. With his father, who is a mining engineer, and his mother he has traveled during the last 45 days a distance of 14,000 miles, passing through the United. States, Canada and Mexico. At the time of the Columbus raid he and his parents were in Juarez, Mexico, and were subjected to considerable affront Harry Jolinu. anil finally were incarcerated in a bull pen. Young Harry was allowed to roam about, and soon succeeded in capturing and holding the affections and imaginations of Villa's fierce sol diers, who showered him with Villa currency and released his father and mother and saw them safely to the border. Harry is also a young hero in the eyes of traveling men and doctors who consider his feat of traveling 14,000 miles in ever-changing altitudes with out becoming sick, a truly remarkable achievement. He has imbibed ail kinds of spring, soda and mineral wa ters, and has changed his clothing on some days, twice, and occasionally three times, to suit the climate through which he was passing. Changes vary ing from freezing to summer heat, traveling on 23 railroads and sleep iuj on railroad trainsjind in different hotels each night have left no ill ef fects upon this youngster. INDIAN STUDENT IS GRATEFUL Nez Perce Urges All Redmen Who Can to Go to the Carlisle Indian School. Carlisle, Pa.—Superintendent Oscar H. Lipps of the Carlisle Indian school, is in receipt of a letter from Stephen Reuben, a Xez Perce Indian, who left the school 33 years ago. Mr. Reuben says he has nc escaped the tempta tion of the reservation, but he is thankful that he has been given strength and courage to rise when he fell and “stand like a man.” He urges the pupils to make use of their oppor tunities here, for they will be thank ful some day, as he is today, for what Carlisle is doing for the Indians. He says among other things: “I allowed not my hair to grow below my ears. I wear still the stiff head collar on my neck and I wear a good suit like I had on while at Carlisle. I am living on a farm, raise grain, vege tables and fruit, and drive six horses with train wagons just like I did in Buck county, Pennsylvania. I built a house for myself from what I learned of the carpenter’s trade at Carlisle. I have 1,524 fruit trees, one half bearing fruit now.” AUTO AID IN COAST DEFENSE Seven-Inch Howitzer Carried Thirty Eight Miles in Three Hours Over Hilly Road. San Francisco.—Officers of the coast artillery here expressed satisfaction over a test made to determine the value of the automobile as a factor in coast defense. The Thirteenth company was rushed from Fort Miley to Half Moon bay. The artillerymen took with them a seven-inch howitzer, weighing four tons. The distance is 38 miles, over a hlily road, and the trip with horses would take, army officers estimated, about a day and a halt. The artillerymen cov ered the distance in 90 minutes in mo tor cars. The gun was only three hours on the way. Knocks His Customer Down. Portersville, Cal.—W. S. Beller, a carpenter, employed at a local mag nesite mine, was prevented from com mitting suicide when he was knocked down by a clerk in a local drug store just as he had thrown back his head preparatory to tossing into his mouth sufficient poison to have killed a regi ment of men. He bought the poison with the state ment he was to use it In poisoning gophers, and his actions aroused the suspicions of the clerk. GREATEST NUMBER OF RUNS DRIVEN IN [ C7ZA VX7?f~^~- tJJLCK rOLTZXZET^ Batters Who Make Their Hits Count. “Gavvy" Cravath of the champion Phillies holds the 1915 record for the greatest number of runs driven in in one game. He hit home eight in the contest with Cincinnati on August 8, twice sending three men over the plate by doubling. The last major leaguer to turn this trick was Harry Davis, who did it in 1890 against Brooklyn. Harry then was with the Giants. Fournier of the White Sox set the American league record for the year when, on July 6, he batted in six tallies. BEST BALL PLAYER OF YEAR George Sisler of St. Louis Browns Can Play Any Position on Diamond— Is Hard Hitter. "How long do you think it will be before baseball produces another player like Ty Cobb?” someone asked of a crowd of old-timers in the press box during a recent fanning bee. “Looks to me as if it had already produced one.” remarked George Tlavis, scout and former manager of .he Giants. He was looking at Sisler, the versatile young athlete of the Browns. "There's about the best ball player we've seen in years.” This brought on quite a discussion, and after going all the way down the line of new stars it was the unani mous verdict that Sisler is by far the : rreatest ballplayer discovered in recent years. And this is not due entirely to uis versatility. Though he can play any position on the diamond except behind the bat he is a star in any placp they put him. Sisler is a great pitcher, a dandy first baseman, a corking good outfield George Sisler. cr and can play either second, short or third as well as 90 per cent of the men in the league, in addition to that he hits well over .300. PLAYERS FROM NEW ENGLAND Among Others Developed for Majors Are John Tener, Christy Mathew son and Larry Lajoie. The New England league goes out of existence with a record to be proud of in the way of developing talent for the majors. The following are a few of the men who started with the New England league: John K. Tener, president of the National league; Christy Mathewson, Larry Lajoie, "Rabbit” Maranville, Hugh Duffy, Charley Farrell, Harry Davis, “Stuffy” Mclnnis, Martin Rergen, Jack Doyle, Harry Lord, Ainsmith, Larry Gardner and Henriksen. Proud of His Pitchers. Manager Herzog is particularly proud of his pitching material, princi pally youngsters, including Dale, for merly of Montreal; Fred Tony, Schneider, McKenery, Mitchell, Dowd, Earl Mosley, formerly of the Indian apolis and Newark Feds; Schultz and Stanley Douglas. Makes Pitchers Work. “Chick” Gandil reminds one of George Stovall In one way. He makes the pitchers cover first, and if the In dian hurlers fail to improve in fielding it will not be “Chick’s” fault, for he absolutely declines to scoop a ground er and dash for the pack himself. Indians Are Fast. Manager Lee Fohl makes the pre diction the Cleveland fans are going to see the fastest base-running team this year that has represented that city since the days of Jack Powell. Jimmy Callahan, leader of the Pi rates, says that Joe Schultz, once with the Brooklyn, will fill the gap at sec ond base. Cal is trying to build up a team of youngsters. * * * The struggle for the second-base po sition on the Reds is all over. Bill Rodgers will play the position. * * * The Pittsburgh National league club has asked waivers on Infielder James Smith, Catcher Fred Blackwell and Pitcher Douglas. * * * Beall, Killifer and Griffith have about been decided on as the Red out field this season. * * * Players of the Yankees believe that before June 1 Frank Gilbooley will be a more-talked-about tosser in Gotham than Benny Kauff. Outfielder Shorten of the Red Sox is said to be one of the best young players ever signed by the Hub cham pions. * * » Connie Mack has forbidden golfing be cause he believed it spoiled the batting eye of some of his Athletics last sea son. * • * Clark Griffith has unearthed a prom ising young catcher named Gliarrity, who played with Minneapolis last year. Gharrity may till the shoes of Catcher Ainsmith of tho Washingtons, as the latter is troubled with his eyes. * * * "Ollie” O’Mara of the Brooklyn Na tionals has rounded into great shape. It will take some tall hustling on the part of any recruit to oust the peppery little shortstop from his regular job. * * * "Jimmy” Callahan reports the Pi rates are in great shape. “Honus” Wagner will be his able lieutenant, and from all accounts the athletes will surely be on their toes this year. * * » George Maisel, brother of Fritz of the Yankees, has won the job of utility outfielder with the Detroit Tigers. * * * I.efty I.eifield, former Cub hurler. is a member of the St. Paul A. A. team. * * • Clark Griffith has a youngster who he thinks will bo the talk of the cir cuit. He is Charley Jamieson. * * * Hap Meyers, former Brooklyn out fielder, is now a member of the San Francisco SeedA * • * Manager Herzog of the Reds has re leased Pitchers Dowd and Caporal. | Waivers have been obtained on both i men. Dowd goes back to Montreal j and Caporal returns to Elmira, in the ' New York Staf:e league. * * * Terry Turner of the Indians started ; out with the Columbus team 19 years j ago, and he is still an artist in his line. * * * If Elmer Jacobs makes the team. Pi rate fans will see Heine Zimmerman's double. Jacobs carries a physique and facial expression which greatly re semble the eccentric Zim • * * Ira Thomas. Bush, Wvckoff and Schang agree that Rube Bressler will come back in great shape this season. * * • Bill Martin, recruit shortstop of the Giants, who was with the Braves last year, has suffered three broken legs in his short athletic career in college and professional baseball. • * * Some of the experts are expecting great things from Karl Adams, one of Moran's young pitchers. They figure the youngster as a regular slabman before the season is far advanced1.. STOP PASSING BATTER RULE SUGGESTED TO MAKE EASEE3ALL MORE INTERESTING. Free Pass Evil Is “Booed” by Every Fan Who Really Loves Game— Batter Always Anxious to Boost Batting Average. Whenever a batter receives a base on balls, or is hit by a pitched ball, the manager of the team at bat may have the alternative of permitting the batter to take first base, as has been customary under the present rules, or he may put a base runner on first base and permit the batter to continue at bat. The base runner substituted shall be permitted to re-enter the game at any other time as a base runner, and the batter shall not be forced out of the game as is the custom under the present rules when a man runs for him. The rule above will accomplish many things, make the game more speedy, make lot more control on the part of the pitchers, make more and better base running, make it necessary to keep at least one lightninglike run ner on the squad and do away with intentional passes. Perhaps where it will make the big gest hit with the players is that it will make for bigger batting averages. When a batter is hit by a pitched ball or passed by being given four balls, he is not credited with a time at bat, it is true, but, on the other hand, it is a time he does not have a chance to make a hit, and every batter wants as many chances to boost his batting averages as possible. The free pass evil is “booed” at by every fan who really loves the game. To not permit a brilliant hitsmith like Cobb to get a fair chance at making a hit, when a hit means runs and per haps the game, is something the fan frowns upon. He wants to see his hero stride up to the plate, pick out one to his liking and smash it out for a three-bagger or a homer and send in runs ahead of him. : BODIE DISLIKES BIG LEAGUE Demon Fence Buster and Macaroni Consumer Was Kidded Out of Majors by Paragraphers. The humorous sport paragraphers never did appeal to Ping Bodie's sense of humor. They grated on Ping's nerves so long that they finally succeeded in driving him from the big leagues. Ping is on the coast now and doing well, and according to reports from that western extreme of the continent. Ping Bodie. Ping wouldn't return to the big show even if he got the opportunity. Out on the coast the demon fence buster and macaroni consumer is quoted as saying: "No more big league stuff for mine. They kidded me out of the majors and I’m through with them. I'm content to play in the minors, because here the fans are kindly in their treatment toward me. So arc the players. The sticks are good enough for me." NOISY COACHING IS POPULAR Jimmy Callahan, New Manager of Pi rates Disagrees With Former President Taft. Professor Taft's idea of voiceless coaching, as expressed by the former president at the recent National league banquet, seems unpopular. Jim my Callahan, new manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is one manager who has announced his stand against quiet coaching. “Noisy coaching may not suit men of a sensitive nature, but I believe the fans generally in the I’nited States like it,” said Callahan in reply to Mr. Taft. “Half of the sport in the game would be taken away by stop ping the noise in connection with the sport and I don't believe the men who make baseball rules will ever legis late out loud coaching. “Nerve is a vital essential for a ball player, and if he has it the coaching doesn't bother him. If he hasn’t, then he is one of the few who will object to the loud coaching.” Tigers’ Official Jester. The Tigers are to have an official jester this season, provided Rube Mar shall stays with them, and they are going to have one second to none of the baseball clowns who already have established big league reputations. For some reason, the Jungaleers have been blessed with very few of the funny fellows. McGraw Sweet on Palmero. Hank Palmero, the Cuban wonder, is banking on making the New York team this year. Palmero is bigger and heavier than he ever was before, and his pitching has improved with his strengia. McGraw likes his actions this spring and believes that he will fill the shoes' of Rube Marquard nicely. ART TREASURES IN SAFETY ^ Priceless Tapestries and Paintings Were Removed From Paris When the German Army Advanced. M. Henri Marcel, French director "~9y general of national museums, has just reported to the government details of the transfer to Toulouse of the art treasures of the Paris Louvre, says the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The occasion of the report was popu lar rumors that some of the most val uable paintings had been scratched or otherwise damaged. M. Marcel relates how he had op posed the government’s order to re move the treasures at the time of Von Kluck’s drive to within twenty miles from Paris, and how he finally consent ed to pack them, as well as the most famous tapestries of Reims, Chantilly and Compiegne. Each painting was wrapped in oven dried wax paper, with a layer of cotton over it back and front; special boxes were made with copper spirals holding the frames in position and protecting them against sudden shocks. And final ly 900 of the most valuable paintings, with an even number of less value, were taken to a special train in the Midi station; the cars were padded thickly; two guards were in each car. That train, says the report, carried over $200,000,000 worth of treasures. 1 Arrived at Toulouse, the most seri ous operation, that of unpacking, was Y successfully undertaken in the pres—' ence of the entire Louvre board, and each item was checked in after thorough examination. Not one pic ture suffered on the way or in pack ing or unpacking; and all are stored y in an “indestructible” building, which has been tested as to dryness; in fact, is under continual surveillance, so that harm cannot come to the pictures or tapestries. They are not now on exhibition, but only stored for safety. Mr. Marcel thinks that it would be quite safe to take them back to Paris now', “as they will never be disturbed there now.” General Galieni, however, the military commander of Paris, has refused per mission to bring them back before the end of the war. The works of sculpture and minor pictures have not been removed from the Louvre; and since March 1 the gallery is open to the public daily, ex cept Sundays and Mondays. But the military authorities have insisted on getting ready places of safety even for the remaining art stores, which can be removed in a tew hours should It be come necessary. Poesy in Wall Street. “To me your Wall street is one of the most poetic spots in America,' said a young woman out of the West on a trip through the narrow canyon. “That sounds rather odd, I know, espe cially to those who are accustomed to associate Wall street with common gambling and fortune-wrecking. But I have never met any literary people, k painters or musicians more highly v. strung, as we sar, than the typical men of ‘the street.’ They have, too, the most wonderful imaginations. The way they talk about piles of bonds and gold and cotton and wheat is per fectly fascinating. And they believe, to a large extent, that what they tell you about business is true. They are carried away with the idea, just the same as a novelist who is outlining his next book to his publisher is car ried away with his theme and plot. They all love their work, and I do not think they would take half so much interest in making and breaking them selves and other people if Wall street were not hard and cruel and full of excitement and humor and pathos.’’ Banker’s Keen War Vision. An English army officer was starting for the front last year and he called upon his London bank to settle up cer tain affairs before departing. "You'll be back soon with a wounded hand,” said the- bank manager. He was. His wound healed, the officer made i ready to go back to the front. Meeting i the bank manager, he inquired: "Any ; more predictions?” “You’ll be gone longer tbi3 time," said the manager, “and when you do return it will be with quite a bad wound in the leg.” This also happened. The officer was much surprised. Hunting up the hank er, he inquired. “Since you know so 1 much, why can’t you tell me when the war will end?” “It will end,” said the manager, “on June 17, 1916, but I shan't live to see it. i’ll just about live until New Year’s day and not much more.” He died January 2. The London Financial News, a very sober, unimaginative newspaper, vouches for this story. Fertilizers From Municipal Waste. A survey of the nation’s resources in fertilizer materials has drawn atten tion to the large supply of these to be found in the accumulation of garbage in cities. This waste material con tains nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, which are recognized as essen tial to the production of large crops. Valuable as these elements are to the farms of the country, the garbags in which they are found is a source of trouble and expense to the cities. It seems, therefore, that this garbage can be disposed of most advantageous ly by returning it to the soil in the form of fertilizer. Not Qualified Yet. “I saw you out in your new car yes terday.” “Did I look like a motorist?” “Well, no. You had an air of re sponsibility that gave you away, but that will disappear in time.” Changed Conception. "What’s your opinion of Bommas ter?” “Well, when I first met him, he impressed me as being a leader of men, a ten-thousand-volt human dyna mo, a clarion-voiced czar who would brook no opposition; but when I met him the second time, in his office, I sized him up for a pusillanimous mouse.” “Where did you meet him the first time?” “On the telephone." And a Sure Harvest. The seeds of rust and decay bring a harvest of loss.