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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (May 25, 1906)
V p v -urt Tijrvw rr-- " t Y4& rwr " v r.f 4 WAY 25, 190C The Commoner "FYyfWW'-'rrimji PP"- "F Some Interesting Stories of Men and Beasts To teacli children to be kind toward birds and beasts is important not only for the protec tion of the rights of helpless creatures but as a part of man's education. Below are printed sev eral stories that are worthy of being read to the children and to the grown folks too. The London Daily Mail prints a Belgium dis patch as follows: "The present strike in the bakery trade in Antwerp, which is causing much inconvenience in that town and the surrounding district, is due, in part, to the demands of the owners" of bread carts drawn by dogs for special payments, in addition to their wages, for the maintenance of the dogs. They demand pay ments of 16 francs a year for each dog they use, to counterbalance the 'deterioration' of the dogs, the payment of the dog tax by their employers, and two loaves of bread free for the food of each dog. Their demands will probably be acceded to, for the dog service is too useful and inexpensive to have any substitute for it tried. The number of dogs in use by bakers, milk vendors, vegetable merchants, and the like in Belgium is immense. In 1901 there were, according to carefully pre pared statistics, 150,000 working dogs in Belgium." A reader of the New York Herald writes to that paper to say: "Personally I have owned dogs ever since I can remember, and think they are largely responsible for my love of the country and outdoor exercise, for many is the walk I have taken, instead of lounging with a book by the fire, because a small four footed friend has looked first at me and then at the door with such appeal ing eyes that I have felt obliged to take him for a scamper, to hunt the hedges for rabbits and the pond for water rate. And after all, who in the world is a more faithful and true friend than a dog? He is always delighted to ,welcome you, no matter what you have done; it makes no matter to him whether you are rich or poor, young or old, all he asks is to be allowed to follow you wherever you go and to curl up some where near you at night. I know a collie in Eng land who snapped at one of the children, and his master felt rather nervous, so he gave him 'to a friend who lived two hundred miles away. A few days afterward ho appeared at homo, very thin and footsore, as he had run the whole dis tance. How ho found his way I can not imagine, as he was taken by train. I need hardly add ho was forgiven and allowed to remain. Perhaps their strongest fault is jealousy. I can well re member, when wo were small children a very disreputable black and tan followed our 'carriage home one day. My father lot us keep him, and for two years ho went everywhere with us; then my sister was given a small black Pomeranian, the first we had over seen, and wo made a great fuss about-it Our old dog stood it about a week, and then one day disappeared and we never heard of him again. I firmly believe ho could not stand sharing his place with another dog." The Denver News recently printed a dispatch from Greeley, Colo., as follows: "After the nar rowest kind of an escape from death Stephen O'Grady and J. Lucas, two of a party of hunters, again -risked their lives to save their dog, a fine setter. Michael O'Grady and H. S. Emrlch, tllo other two members of the party, aided in the daring rescue of tho canine. The four started Sunday morning for a hunting trip of several weeks down the Platte, which at this time of the year is a raging torrent. Yesterday afternoon, a few miles from town, their boat struck part of an old bridge pier and upset. They had a small boiler in the boat, which carried it to the bottom at once. The four men were thrown into the water over their heads but all are strong swimmers, and they made their way to the bank. They were congratulating themselves on their es cape, when they heard a dolorous howl, and looking back they saw their dog, which had been tied to a pine box in the boat. The box had con tained provisions, -and was floating down stream rapidly. The current: was go strong the setter was unable to swim to the shore with the box. The poor dog would strike out for the shore, and then realizing the futility of trying to save himself would swim back to the box and rest his fore paws on it, meanwhile howling appeals with all his miglft. Stovo O'Grady and Lucas did not heal lato a moment. Thoy ran down tho banks of tho river until, thoy got below tho dog r.ad his box prison. When tho two mon got far enough below they swam out into the stream, and wero just In tlmo to catch tho box as it camo down tho swift current. Lucas had a knife in his hand, and he cut the rope that hold tho dog fast to tho box. When tho dog saw thorn start back for the shoro ho too, made anothor attempt and easily reached the bank. Both men wore numb with cold, but their companions helped them to a campfire thoy had built". - A pretty story is told by tho Omaha World-Herald in this way: "Do you think ho will die?' sobbed a twelve-year-old boy Tuesday at Sixteenth and Douglas, hugging his pony's neck with ono arm, while with the other hand ho tried to hold tight shut a gash in tho animal's chest from which tho blood spouted In torrents. The red fluid poured over tho boy, but he refused to relinquish his grip, and had to bo actually forced out of tho way when tho crowd gathered and moro experienced hands sought to see what could bo dono. Tho lad was Ray Byrne son of the president of tho Byrne-Hammer Dry Goods company. Ho had been riding his spotted pony down the street, and turning from behind a street car that ho was following ho rodo tho animal squarely upon tho tongue of an express man's wagon. Tho Iron-tipped pole tore its way into the pony's chest to a depth of several inches. Tho shock threw both horso and rider. Several yards of cloth were procured from a store close at hand, and half a hundred exceedingly crude equine nurses proffered their services in render ing first aid to tho Injured, while a messenger was dispatched for a veterinarian. Tho boy re fused to bo comforted until positively assured that his horso would be all right again after be ing sewed up, though it would take some time to replace the several quarts of blood lost. The animal was decidedly wobbly from weakness as it was finally led away, with tho boy sticking to him like a long-lost brother." Sixty Forms of Railroad Kate Discrimination "The Heart of the Railroad Problem" is a book written by Prof. Frank Parsons and pub lished by Little, Brown & Co.. of Boston. A writer in the Columbus Press-Post, reviewing this book, says it gives a list of more than sixty forms of railroad rate discrimination that are now in use, many of them constantly and others' as occasion may demand. The following are some of the forms: ' " Passes. Ticket brokerage. Private passenger coaches. Gifts of stock. Tips on the market. Secret rates. Rebates. Elevator and compress fees. . Commissions to favored shippers as though they were agents of the company, to secure for" it their own freight. Salaries to favored- persons as nominal em ployes, or fees for nominal services. High salaries or commissions to real traffic agents who divide with favored shippers. Cash contributions to shippers In the guise of payments to "encourage new industries." Paying "transfer allowances" to some ship pers for carting their own goods. The "strawman" system. "Expense bill" abuses. Loans to dealers and shippers or consignees to increase shipments or divert them from other roads. Combination rates of which informed shippers may take advantage. Making the published rate, cover the price of the goods as well as the freight for some ship pers. Plying rates, or "midnight tariffs." Terminal or private railway abuses unfair division of rates, etc. Private car abuses big mileage rates, ex cessive Icing charges, exclusive contracts, etc. Espionage giving some shippers Inside in formation of the business of other shippers. Maintaining or paying for the maintenance of tracks or other property belonging to the ship per. - . " - r The long and short haul abuse. , Unjust differences in the rates accorded diff erent places in favor of certain localities, or In dividuals who have business Interests located there. Unduly low rates to "competitive points" in general, as"" compared with local rates, building the cities at the expense of the country. Unfair classification. , Use of different classification for local and for through traffic. Laxity of inspection In cases of special ship pers, enabling them to get low rates on mixed goods in carloads billed at the rate appropriate to the lowest product in the mass. Intentional mistakes in printing tariffs, a few copies being run off for favored shippers, after which the mistakes are discovered and cor rected for the ordinary shipper, and the inter state commission. Fictiitious entries In the "prepaid" column of the freight bill. Instructions to agents to deduct a certain percentage from the face of the bill when collect ing for specified shippers. Payment of fictitious claims for damage, de lay, or overcharge. Making a low joint rate (or single rate either) on given commodity when shipped for a purpose" confined to a few shippers, while other shippers using the same commodity for other purposes have to pay much higher rates. False billing. False weighing underbilllng. False number billing a larger number of packages than are sent and claiming pay for the difference. False description putting goods in a lower class than the one to which they belong. Also destination billing for export and changing destination in transit. Not billing at all carrying goods free. Excessive differences in tho rates for large and small shipments. Unfair discrimination between shipments In different form barrels and tank for example. Charging more when the freight is loaded In one than when It is loaded In another way practically identical so far as the railway is con cerned. Favoritism in switching'' charges, demurrage, etc. Direct overcharges causing loss through de lay and expensive litigation, or through excessive payments. Withholding cars. Delay in carriage and delivery. Refusal to deliver at a convenient place. Difference in time allowed for unloading. Refusing privileges accorded others Milling in transit. Division of rates. ' -t ,' Credit or payment of freight at destination. Station and track facilities. Special speed. Selling or leasing terminal or other right or properties to favored shippers so as to exclude others absolutely. Refusing shipments to or from certain places. Falling to run advertised trains or taking other special action in order to interfere with plans of an opponent, o. g. to keep people from going to mass meeting at which he is to speak. Unfair difference In the service accorded different places. Cutting off part or whole of a customary ser vice. Side tracking cities and towns, or depriving them entirely of railroad facilities. Arranging stop-overs so as to drive business to other cities. Arbitrary routing of shipments. Payments for routing. , Guarantee by railroad against loss upon ship ments over its line. Unreasonable differences in the commodity rates on different articles. Prohibitive rates on special commodities or special shipments, , Unreasonable differences between the rates on the same goods going and coming between tho same places. Special rates on goods for export. Special rates on imports. "Even this long list does not cover the whoK field," adds Prof. Parsons. "The cases on record .do not exhaust the possibilities of discrimination. X r . i 41 l u 1 f ! - i j AUatv , ft 1 -A !, .. X gdUi-