--r y.-- , iu. Mtn. u ihc-nsc ,,-tki ar ltJ"l Jjpiufwuw WFBeBJ"ft ifrff"nrr' ji t:i-3e- irWr; RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, 0R1EP I fr " .- I m v. r IDE ROCKY FORD MELON FAMOUS Wonderful Career of Hiram Woods, the Nervy King of Cantaloupes. CREATED A GREAT INDUSTRY Trying To 8ave Hit Gambling Busi ness, He Becamo Interested In "Netted Gems" Grew Wealthy and Disappeared. By RICHARD 8PILLANE. Of ttaoso who enter the port of missing men few emerge. The .harbors aro deep and dark. They kU ,t. 1I..I. - .1 -L.-.. J it.. .1 1 U1UU II1U living UUU B11IUUU WIU uuuu. They draw In tho rich and tho poor. tho clover and tho dull. Tho port war den keeps no records, asks no ques tions, gives no information. Wonderful stories somo of those who tail into tho port leave 'behind, tales of adventure, tales of tragedy, tales of passion and tales of disaster. Rarely has thero entered tho port a voyageur with a stranger story than Hiram Woods. From tho Atlantic to tho Pacific the man 1b known. From ditch digger ho roso to wealth and power. With llttlo education and bur dened somewhat with a record as a gambler ho promoted a small agri cultural experiment Into a great in dustry. Then, one day, ho asked his wife, with whom ho was attending a theatrical performance In Chicago, to excuse him a few minutes. Ho arose, walked out with $500,000 in his pocket and entered tho port of missinc wen. On a farm near Plattsburg, Mo., Hiram Woods was born about forty years ago. Ho might never havo been heard from outsldo tho Plattsburg neighborhood but for tho fact that his lungs were weak and ho had to go to Colorado. Lcadvillo is high and dry and someone recommended that city as a good place to livo in. Ho had llttlo money and could get no other work, so bo took a Job with pick and shovel working in tho streetB. It was frightfully hard for a youth who coughed a good deal and who weighed only 120 or 130 pounds, but what .bo lacked in strength ho mado up in de termination. So he stuck to it, did his sharo of tho labor and when he got his pay ho held on to a portion of It In Leadvlllt and Denver. Leadvllle always has been freo and easy. Tho men aro reckless. They wero moro reckless in the days when Woods was a ditch digger than they are in theso times. Occasionally they got embarrassed for money. Somehow it becamo known that tho little "lung er" who was working In tho ditch had cash. A man with a fair hole In tho ground, one in sight and a reputation for honesty could borrow from Woods. Tho Missouri boy charged a stiff In terest, but that did not matter. It was not much that ho had to lend, but lie was able, after a time, through the Interest and through his profits in buying oro from small miners or high graders to stop tho hard and back breaking work' of pick and shovel. Ho got tired of Leadvllle and moved on to Denver. Ho wanted to bo out In tho open as much as 'possible to heal his lungs, so ho started a llttlo fruit stand in Curtis street. It was very small and tho stock he carried represented less than $100, but ho did a fair business. The profits of tho fruit stand were not sufficient to sat isfy him. He had a sporting streak through him. He liked good clothes and Jewelry. He liked to drop into the gambling houses. It was early In tho '90's when Woods floated Into Denver. He had only about $600 .when he arrived, but within six months, In addition to his fruit staud, he had an Interest in a keno game. Interference With Keno Game. Woods' health Improved, his twp businesses prospered and life was get ting to bo reasonably easy for him when a most distressing thing hap pened. Somo interfering persons start ed an agitation to put an end to open gambling in Colorado. Everything had been wldo open, the gamblers had been In clover and, naturally, the keep ers of tho faro games, tho stud estab lishments, tho keno room and such were horrified. It meant a serious cur tailment of their profits if a measure before tho legislature happened to pass. They mado a secret canvass of the legislature and found that the vote was going to be very close. Ono of tho doubtful members was a farmer who had a bit of land down La Junta way. Woods was In tho gam blers' conference when this farmer's name was mentioned. Tho keno man, who is a bundlo of nerves, quick of speech and quick of thought, said ho thought Jio could handle that member. "He's got a bug on a new kind of melon," ho paid. "I've been handling some of his melons. I'm tho only ono that has bandied the stuff. If you fel lows will stand tho expense, I'll go down there and talk melons to .him and when I've got him all worked up It won't bo difficult to got him to voto right on our bill." Swlnk and the "Netted Gem." Woods went down to Rocky Ford, ono of tho first placeB extonslvely irri gated in Colorado. That was tho placo tho melon man hailed from. A man named Swink had been experimenting with various cantaloupes). Ho had crossed all sorts of varieties In an effort to got what ho culled a "Netted Gem," Ho hnd succeeded. Ho had sent somo )f his melons to Woods In Den ver to dlspoRO of. Swlnk was first class in experimenting, but below par in merchandising. Ho sent his mel ons In dry-goods boxes, tubs, barrels or any old thing. Woods talked cantaloupo to tho gon tleman ho visited and then adroitly brought In tho other topic, but ha went away unsuccessful If not chagrined.' Ho was more chagrined later when tho legislature put an end to open gam bling In tho state. His keno gamo withered and his rather expensive habits began to flatten his bank roll. Ho had to mako moro money or there would bo trouble, so ho determined to pay moro attention to his fruit stand. Ho liked tho melons ho got from Rocky Ford. Ho was a good sales man. Ho went to all the hotels In Denver and to all tho restaurants and urged them to try tho melons. Then ho got after Mr. Swlnk and the others in tho Rocky Ford neighborhood and urged them to pay moro attention to ., ., , ... , n" h pp ng of the , . lutt. Ho built up a fair trado In Denver and tho big idea took possession of him that if enough of theso melons could bo grown to supply tho country thero would be a great fortuno in the mar keting of them. He got to work on Mr. Swlnk and his neighbors and mado a deal with them to handle nil their produce. Then he started East to introduce tho fruit. Dumped In New York Bay. It Is a fino thing to havo enthusiasm, to mako a grout fortuno in your mind and to havo all tho Joys of triumph, but the road to succss is a mighty bumpy one. Mr. Woods hnd lots of bumps. Ho talked Rocky Ford melons to fruit people In Chicago, and fruit peoplo in New York until he had them quite enthusiastic. Tho samples he He Asked Her to Excuse had to offer were real good. Ho ar ranged for a great shipment of thirty six cars to be sent to New York. This was the first great shipment from Rocky Ford. It was the pride and the hope of Rocky Ford. But alas, something happened on the railroad, to cause delay, and when those 36 cars arrived In New York the stuff waB taken out, shipped down the bay and dumped into the Atlantlo ocean. It had spoiled en routo. This experience was enough to dam pen tho ardor of the ordinary 'man, but It did not stop Woods and it did not stop tho people In Rocky Ford. Woods had lots of common sense. He studied out tho shipping queBtlon. It was ho who designed tho box now the standard ono throughout America In tho shipping of melons. It was ho who originated the wrapping of each pleco of fruit In tissue paper. A lot of other things that lent class to tho shipments were of his creation. After tho Rocky Ford people had re covered from their sorrowful experi ence of tho 36 car shipment Woods acted as their New York agent for qulto a while. Thero are not many of the old produce men of New York who do not remember him. Ho used to be 05 tho piers whon tho melon trains arrived from tho West and ho sold to tho best advantage. Not only that, but ho did somo clever advertis ing around tho hotalo and in the news papers. Ho boosted tho Rocky Ford melon as no other ono man did. Ho mado money, but not enough to satisfy him. Ho saw way beyond Rocky Ford and ho started out to tako advantage of his breadth of vision. Tried Various Localities. There was another man, too, who had tho same foresight. That waB Nat. C. Wetzel, president of tho Western Gamo and Produco company of St. Louis. Tho two men got Rocky Ford seed and began experiments with a vlow of raising tho Rocky Ford melon In all parts of tho country. Woods turned to tho Imperial valley. Ho got farmers in that section Inter ested and thoy had decided success. Ho stirred up agriculturists In Florida, in -tho Curollnas, in Georgia, in Texas. i ImH iiili II ii I II ISfiiffi B IU JMvI flfltm lull llllllilnHlllfllilM Jtu 3j!xTJjil LoiLi af II iJllliinillUilfiiitl II Ll ll Itlli 11 li It llliiltifilvl 1 1 lSflflaiiiiiiiiVBliBiilHEiBU In i tJl-il-Jil fiLll ll 1 1 tf vUilllllllilllilili BSSH 111 II IIIH fflillllNra At tho same tlrao ho did his very bes to control the marketing of nil the cantaloupo crop. He kept tho prlccj up and regulated supplies In a verj clever way. Ab an orgnnlrcr ho dem onstrated that ho had raro ability. Made Money Very Fast. Whon tho production end waB Ir. good shape Woods went to Chlcagc and established himself thero at No 121 South Water street. Ho worked up a tremendous business and he made money hand over flBt.. It Is doubtful 11 any ono produco man or fruit man in this country stnrttng from meager ba sis over mado moro rapid progress or larger profits. He was a lavish spend er. Ho had a tin-horn gambler's lovo for Jowclry and as wealth poured in upon htm ho sprinkled hlmBclf with' diamonds. They used to call him thcj Ico trust in Chicago. Ho oven rivaled; "Diamond" Jim Urady. When ho lintf all his gems aboard ho was worth) JGO.OOO Just ns ho stood. Rut with his oxtravaganco ho had a cool head for business. Ills health, was not any too good, but his ncrvourj energy waB great. Ho talked thcj Rocky Ford melon morning, noon nndl night. Although he wrote a lettor like! that of a schoolboy In tho primary; grade, ho had a better grasp of es sentials than most collogo men. Pros perity did not bring happiness to him. Ho had married whllo In the Rocky mountain country, and had several children, but in Chicago ho broko loose from wlfo and family, and thero was a dlvorco. Woods was lavish. Ho gave '$50,000 to his wlfo, settled $10, 000 a year on her nnd then bo got I marrlod to another woman. Apparently tho second marrlago was happy. For two or threo years ev erything went on swimmingly. Woods Btlll prospered, loaded himself with moro Jewelry, spent aB freely ns ho desired, but suddenly ho decldod that he had done about as much business Him fcr as he should. He was only about 40, He weighed less than 130 pounds, and was a bit tired. So, ho drew $500, 000 out of his business, turned tho management of his affairs over to one of his employes and, thereafter, gave more time to the pleasures of life. He did not sink this $500,000 away where he could not get hold of it read ily, but put it In easily negotiable pa per. He also waB in the habit of car rying several thousand dollars in his pocket. He loved the theater, so did his wife. There was hardly a show that appeared in Chicago that they did sot Bee. Entered Port of Missing Men. One day in 1910 ho took his wife to a matinee in a Madison street play house. At intermission time he asked her to excuse him for a few minutes bb he wished to go out to see a man. He did not como back. Next morning Mrs. Woods received from him a check for $15,000 and a transfer to her of his entire Interest in his busi ness. From that day to this sbo has not hoard from Hiram Woods. Nelth er haa anyone of the thousands of melon growers and thousands of "pro duco mon throughout America to whom he was a conspicuous figure. There nover la a fruit or produce convention In which tho strango case of Hiram Woods Is not discussed. All sorts of stories are circulated ito ex plain his disappearance. Thoro have been rumors that ho 1b living In North Africa, in a balmy land where his weak lungs will not distress him. There havo beon reports of a man a good deal llko him who is cutting quite a dash in far-off Japan. Travel ers tell of a lively llttlo American who is the wonder of Valparaiso, Chill. And there even havo been stories of a peri son much llko Hiram Woods cutting qulto a dash in "gay Pareo," but noth'j lug haa been proved. Whether ho is living or dead, no ono seems to know.1 Ho and his diamonds and his $500,000, in cash aro gono. Dut ho left some thing very tnnglbla behind, and that; is a record of achievement. (Copyright, 1914, by tlio McCluro Newspa per Syndicate) a Few Minutes. SILOS ESPECIALLY ADAPTED TO DAIRIES Wooden Form for Silo construction has undergone a groat chango slnco tho first ones wero built, all the early ones being built In tho ground, whllo tho modern silos ate constructed almost entirely abovo ground. Resides, tho first silos wore comparatively shallow structures, which resulted In a largo amount of spoiled silage on account of tho lack of sufficient prcssuro, says Farmers' Dullotln 689 of tho United States de partment of agriculture. Silos havo increased rapidly In num ber, until now thoy aro extensively UBed, especially In thoso regions do voted to tho dairy Industry. So useful have they become that many farmers consider them lndlspcnsablo. Tho silo Is adapted to all parts of tho United States whoro corn or tho sorghums can bo successfully grown. Its use at present Is confined principally to farmB where cattle aro kept, although sllago Is a good and cheap feed for both sheep and horscB. Somo danger, however, attends Its ubo for horses, ns it is essential that sllago fed to horses bo mado from fairly maturo corn, properly stored In tho silo nnd that it bo not moldy or frozen. Dairy farm ers, especially, havo appreciated tho valuo of sllngo bb n milk producer. To mako the silo a profitable Investment, however, the farmer should havo at least ten cows, or tho equivalent In other stock. A well-constructed concrete silo will last Indefinitely, and thoro Is no dan gor of Its blowing ovor or burning, rot ting out, or being attacked by vermin. Its first cost Is, as a rule, greater than Complete Silo With Chute. a home-made stave or Wisconsin type silo, but after it is once built little at tention is required to keep it in good condition. The stave or tub silo has become very popular in late years because of the cheapness, ease and quickness with which it can bo built. Generally speaking, the stave silo excels in these three particulars, although there may be sections of the country where sand and gravel can be obtained at a nominal cost and where the price of lumber Is prohibitive Under such conditions the concrete silo may be cheap. Stave silos last for from flvo to flftfcen years, depending upon tho kind of material used and the care given them. Unless well anchored or guyed, they are apt to be blown down whon empty. The average cost for a concrete silo of 100 tons capacity Is $220; from one to two hundred tons in caplcity, $348. The average cost of the modified Wis consin silo of about ono hundred tons capacity Is $186, and that of the stave type of 100 tons or less, $118. Tho cost, of course, varies with tho local cost of labor and material. There aro some features which aro essential to the construction of all bUob and without which sllago cannot be kept In perfect condition. 1. Tho walls should bo atr-tlght, alnce the successful keeping of sllago depends upon tho exclusion of air. Largo knots in tho lumber should bo avoided, and the lumber should be well matched. In concreto silos a wash on tho inside with cement and water or with raw coal tar thtnnod with gasoline Is effectlvo In making tho walls Impervlousto air. Tho tar treatment is also advlsablo for stavo silos, as It proscrvea tho wood. Caro should bo taken that tho doors fit closely Into tholr frames. 2. Tho walls should be smooth and fc M SSmi J Concrete Silo. plumb, bo that tho sllago will not ad hero to them In sottllng nnd thut cuuso air spaces botweon tho silage and tho walls. Furthermore tho walli should bo capablo of standing consid erable lateral strain without cracking or bulging. This Is ono reason why rectangular silos aro so frequently un successful. ' 3. Tho silo must bo deep enough so that tho prcssuro from abovo will thoroughly pack tho sllago nnd forco out tho air. Tho greater tho pressuro tho less air Is loft In tho silo nnd tho less will bo tho loss of sllngo by for inqntntion. 4. Tho only form of silo to bo rccom monded Is ono which Is round. This form Is genornlly tho cheapest, ca pacity considered, and tho walla aro moro rigid than thoso of tho rectangu lar or octagonal forms. Tho round form results In moro porfoct preserva tion of tho sllngo. Location of the 8llo. Tho Bllo should bo placed outsldo rather than lnsldo tho barn. As a silo ordinarily does not need tho pro tection of a barn, it is not economical to uso barn spaco for this purpose An exception to this rulo mny bo mado In tho case of tho round barn. A silo In the mtddlo of a round burn serves to support tho suporstructuro as well aB to placo tho sllago in position for con venient feeding. A silo so placodt however, is llablo to bo very Incon venient to fill. Tho most popular lo cation Is a few feet from tho barn and opening Into a sopnrato feeding-room. Tho door of tho barn can then bo closed and tho sllngo odors kept out of tho stablo at milking time. ' Tho diameter of tho silo will depend upon tho amount of sllago to bo fed dally. Tho sllago should be removed from tho top at tho rato of ono and one-halt inches per day, depending upon climatic conditions. Tho wnrmcr tho weather tho more sllago must bo romoved from tho surface daily in or der to provent spoiling. For tho win ter feeding season It Is safer to flguro upon romovlng two Inches dally than upon a smaller amount A common error in building Is to mako tho diam eter too largo for tho slzo of tho herd. Tho practice of using silage to sup plement pastures during tho summer droughts and in tho early fall, instead of soiling crops, is becoming moro gonoral, and it should bo encouraged. For such feeding tho dnlly ration por cow may bo as low as ten pounds, Copending upon the amount and qual ity of pasture or othor succulent feeds available. For the same herd the silo for summer feeding should, bo of smaller diameter than the ono. used for winter feeding, since threo Inches instead of two are to be removed dally. In order to provide for this summer feeding an additional silo of smaller diameter should be con structed. The foundation of the Bllo should receive special consideration, since a large proportion of the silage aa well as the weight of tho walla must be supported by the foundation. It haa always been assumed that the founda tion supports only the walls of the silo, but recent investigations have shown this idea to be erroneous. The foundation should havo its baso on firm soil, and it should extend below frost line. If the earth in the bottom of the silo is firm and comparatively dry, no provision need be mado for dralnago, and a floor is unnecessary. Still, a concrete floor will mako tho silo eas ier to clean and make It impossible for rats to burrow underneath thi foundation wall and gain access to th silage. If, however, tho earth in the bottom of the silo is Inclined to be soepy, a tile drain should be laid In 11 nnd a concreto floor laid abovo the tllo. The tiling should open Into the floor In tho center, and tho flooi should be made to drain to it The tiling should extend boyond the silo wall and havo Its outlet lower than the floor. Tho entrance of the tllo drain should bo stopped wjth n loose wooden plug when tho silo la about to be filled an should bo opened when the silo Is empty. The drain will carry off the water which tends to seep in as well as any' rain water that may collect on the floor, In caso the silo has no roof. Tho doorways should bo of such a size aB to permit tho ready entrance of a man, and they should bo closo enough togothor so that tho sllngo will not havo to bo lifted any consldornblo height when It Is being removed. Tho usual slzo is about twenty Inches wldo and 30 inchos high, and tho spaco be tween tho doors two and ono-hnlf to threo foot. Tho lowest door should not bo moro than flvo foot abovo tho bottom of tho silo; less than this Is desirable. IN ALL OUR NEIGHBORHOOD There Is Hardly A Woman Who Does Not Rely Upon Lydia E. Pinkham's Veg etable Compound. Princeton, III. "I had inflammation, hard headaches in tho back of my neck and a weakness all caused by female trouble, and I took Lydia E. Pinkham's Vogotablo Com pound with such ex cellent results that I am now feeling fino. I recommend the Compoundand praise It to nil. I shall be glad to have yoa nublish my letter. Thero 1b scarcely a nciRhbor around me who docs not uso your medicine "Mr. J. F. Johnson, U. No. 4, Box 80, Prince ton, Illinois. Experience of a Nurse Poland.N.Y. "In my experience as ft nurse I certainly think Lydia E. Pink ham's Vcgctnblo Compound is a great medicine. I wish all women with fe mulq troubles would tako it I took it when passing through tho Chango of Life with great results and I always re commend tho Compound to all my pa tients if I know of their condition in time I will gladly do all I can to help others to know of this great medicine." Mrs. Horace Newman, Poland, Her kimer Co., N. Y. If you aro ill do not drag along until an operation is necessary, but at once tako Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound. If you wnntppcclal advice write Lydia 12. Plnklinm Medicine Co (confidential) Lynn, Mass. The Wretchedness of Constipation Can quickly be overcome oy CARTER'S LITTLE LIVER PILLS. Purely vegetable act surely ana gently on tho liver. iuro Biliousness, Head ache, ncss. and Indigestion. They do their duty. SMALL PILL, SMALL DOSE, SMALL PRICE. Genuine must bear Signature liMfMlMinf'aaHR!! FOR WEAK SORE EYES The Psychology of It. Stuyvesant Ogdcn, a San Francisco millionaire, said In Washington the othor day: "Tho present buslncsB depression If, Indeed, thero bo a business depres sion Is psychological. Thoro Is, I mean, no smallest oxcuso for It. It is born of tho nightmare fearB of men'a minds. In a word, It reminds mo of a music hall girl. "Tho stago manager of a music hall rushed to tho proprietor tho othor night and said: " 'Turn 14 refuses to go on with her tralnod mlco. Sho says she's been completely unnerved ever since that young student waB oaten In Chicago." Important to Mother ... Bxamlne carefully every botue ot C ASTORIA, a safe and sure remedy for Infanta and children, and see that it Signature of l2LAtX&&&1 TI.m 4I.M In Use For Over 30 Years. Children Cry for Fletcher's Ositoria A critic should have a good memory. At least ho Bhould never forget that he has faults of bis own. Don't give advice that you wouldn't take yourself. Too Dangerous to Overlook nd too often neglected. Iliit tbe kidney sire early slenals or distress that should Kjaney trouuie is wo men oer,aw not be mistaken. Backache, beadaokee, iiinv anella. rhenmatlo Dalns. too fre quent, scanty or painful urination are all signs of kidney weakaess and should not be mistaken. When torso warnings appear, oseDosn's Kidney Fills, the reliable, successful, strongly recommended kidney remedy. Help tbe medicine bar drinking water freely, bold to Rood habits and a serious attack of kidney disease way be arolded. PubUo testimony Is tbe best proof of merit. A Nebraska Case. Mrs. Martha Woods. 701 Tenth St., Aurora, Neb., says I "I was a mere shadow and so weak from kid ney ailments mat I couldn't walk. Sharp pains went all through my body and I had awful nervous spells and head aches. My ankle; and feet swellod and my bladder was Inflamed. I was laid up In bed . fniirt..n waeka. Doan's Kldnsy Pills relieved me as soon I took thsm and befors Ung, tney cured me. Dunns; ine post nve years have had no further trouble.' Get Doss's at Any Store. Me Bo DOAN'S ViDi&7 FOSTER-MILBURN CO. BUFFALO, N. Y. cVAftkErVA HAIR BALSAM A tolUt preparation of tntrlt, JltljM to eradicate dandruff. Beauty to Gray or Faded Half. 60a. and I I.Wat Drnsclita, I W. N. U LINCOLN, NO. 37-1914. ii 1 1 .ii, i '"vv '.'I' pPVp .iaBBBBADfPfft .BBBBBBBBWTBBBBBBW Bssss 111 L.E. .BBBBBBBBBS IVCD BBBBBBBBW DILLS. vUS YlnlFiaaaaaaaaaaiasKissr' El yd h f i i r I I l ,,' V ft I '.. p r A i ( i i 'i t' 1 1 i I m )i i V m A '' a ( . .12 'VI I'JT-IKIZ lr,p!uJ.X,Ji- ,fii i'Jff V. I.. -... ,,-.. :. ij rirriiimiiSii thi ,mXuj.iA?Pfa.f.ijL,j, mm&i&zs