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About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 13, 1923)
rv-iVVVWM RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF The "Broum Ttlouse Brj HERBERT QUICK (Copyrldht by Ths Dobbt-Mcrrlll Company) "JIMMINY, DE GAMEl" BTNOI'HIH Ji'iinlo Woodruff rofiiHcs to innrry Jim Irwin, young farm liitntl, bccnuso of IiIh financial comlllloii nml poor irou pects. lie Is Intellectually nbovo 1ib station, nml lias nilvnncoil Ideas concerning tho possibilities of hcIiooI tuucliltiK anil funning, for which bu Ih rluieulol by many. In Hliort, JIM Ih nn off ox. Ho Hocks by hltnnolf and rendu boohs mid Iiiih il phlloBopliy of bin own. Hut there aro Intent poworH In lilin unmiHpccti'il even by lilniBcIf anil Opportunity eoineB knocking nt. bin door. CHAPTER I Continued. Jim picked It up und showed him the nodules on ItH roots little white knobs, Hiiiuller tliuii plnhemls. "Ever lienr of the use of nitrates to enrich the soil 7" "Ain't that the stuff the old man used on the lawn last spring?" "Yes," said Jim, "your father used Homo on his lawn. We don't put It on our Holds in Iowa not yet; but If It weren't for those white specks on the clover-roots, we should he obliged to do tut as they do hack east." "How do them white specks keep us from necdln' nitrates?" "It's a long story," said Jim. "You cee, before there were any plants hit; enough to he visible If there had been nny one to Bee them the world was full of little plants so small that there may he billions of them In one of these little white specks. They knew how to take the nitrates from the air" . "Alrl" ejaculated Newton. "Nitrates In the alrl You're crazy I" "No," said Jim. "There ure tons of nitrogen In the nlr that press down on jour head hut the big plants can't get It through their leaves, or their roots. They never had to learn, be ciiubo the little plnnts bacteria lo- atiHl on those roots and tapped them for the sap they needed began to get t heir hoard and lodgings off the big plnnts. And In payment for their hotel bills, the little plants took nitrogen out of the air for both themselves and their hosts." "Whnt d'ye mean by 'hosts'?" "Their hotel-keepers the hlg plants. And now the plants that have the hotel roots for the bacteria furnish nitrogen not only for themselves, but for the crops that follow. Com can't get nitrogen out of the nlr; but clover can and that's why we ought to plow down clover before a crop of corn." "dee!" said Newt. "If you could get to teach our school, I'd go again." "It would Interfere with your pool plnylng." "What business Is that o' yours?" Interrogated Newt defiantly. "Well, get busy with that shovel," suggested Jim, who had been working steadily, driving out upon the fill oc- occasionally to unload. On his return from dumping the next load, Newton seemed, In n superior way, quite amiably disposed toward his work fel low rather the habitual thing In the neighborhood. "I'll work my old mnn to vote for you for teacher," said he. "Those school directors," replied Jim, "have become so bullheadcd that they'll never vote for any one except the applicants they've been voting for." "The old man says he will have l'rue Foster ngaln, or he'll give the school a darned long vacation, unless l'eterson and Bonner Join on some one else. That would . heat l'rue, of course." "And Con Homier won't vote for any one but Maggie tillumrtln," added Jim. "And," supplied Newton, "Iliinkon l'eterson says he'll stick to Herman I'aulxon until the Hot Springs freeze over." "And there you are," said Jim. 'JYou tell your father for me that I think he's a mere mule and that the whole district thinks the same." "All right," said Newt. "I'll tell him that while I'm working him to vote for you." Jim smiled grimly. He had re mained n peasant becauwe the Amer ican rural teacher Is placed econom ically lower than the peasant. He gnvo Newton's chatter no considera tion. Hut when, In the afternoon, he hitched his team with others to the big road griuler, and the gang became concentrated within talking distance, he found that the project of heckling and dialling him about his eminent fit ness for n scholastic position wns to be the real entertainment of the oc cnslon. "Jim's the candidate to bust the dendlock," said Columbus Hrown, with n wink. "Just like (Jartleld In that Republican convention he was nom inated In eh, Con?" "Con" was Cornelius Homier, an Irishman, one of the deadlocked school board, and the captain of the road grader. He winked back at the path- master. "Jlm'B the gray-eyed man o' des tiny," he replied, "If he gets two votes lo that board." "You'd vote for me, wouldn't you, Con?" asked Jim. "I'll try nnnythlng wance," replied Homier. "Try voting with Ezra Bronson once, for True Foster, suggested Jim. "She's dono good work here." "Opinions differ," said Honner, "an' when you try nnnythlng Just for wance, it shouldn't be an Irrevocable htlp, me bye." "You're u reasonable hoard of public servants," suJd Jim Ironically. "I'd like to tell tho whole board what I think of them." "Come down tonight," said Honner Jeerlngly. "Wo're going to have a board meeting nt the schoolhouse and ballot a few more times. Come down, nml he the Oarlleld of the eon vlnllon. We've lacked brains on the board, Hint's clear. They ain't u man on the board that lver studied algebra, 'r that knows more about furmln' than their Impl'yers. Come down to the Hchoolhouso. and we'll have a llelu hand addrlss the school hoard and begosh, I'll moye yer miction mesllf! Come, now, Jimmy, me bye, be game. It'll vary tho program, annyhow." The entire gang grinned. Jim (lushed, and then reconquered his calmness of spirit. "All right, Con," said he. "I'll come and tell you a few things and you can do ns you like about making thu motion." hand of Jim a V V 1 CHAPTER II Reverced Unanimity. The great blade of the grading miir chine, running diagonally across the road and pulling the earth toward Its median line, had made several trips, mid much persiflage about Jim Ir win's forthcoming appearance before the board had been addressed to Jim and exchanged by others for his bene fit. To Newton Hronson was given tho task of leveling and distributing the earth rolled Into the road by the grader a labor which In the Interests of fitting a muzzle on his big mongrel dog he deserted whenever the miu'hlno moved uwuy from him. That there was some mystery about the muzzle was evident from Newton's pains to make a secret of It. Its wires were curled Into u ring directly over the dog's nose, and Into this ring Newton had fitted a cork, through which he had thrust u large needle which protruded, an Inch-long bayonet, In front of I'onto's nose. As the grader moved nlong one side of the highway, a high-powered auto mobile approached on the other, mak ing rather bad weather of the newly repaired road. A pile of loose soil that Newton had allowed to lie Just across the path made a certain maintenance of speed desirable. Newton planted himself In the path of the laboring Jim Countered With an Upper Cut. Awkward car, and waved Its driver a command to halt. The cur came to a standstill with Its front wheels In the edge of the loose earth, and the chauffeur fuming at the possibility of stalling a contingency upon which Newton had confidently reckoned. "What d'ye want?" he demanded. "What d'ye mean by stopping me In this kind of place?" "I. want to ask you," suJd Newton with mock politeness, "If you have the correct time." The chauffeur sought words appro priate to his feelings. Ponto and his muzzle saved him the trouble. A pretty nolnter leaped from the ear, anil attracted by the evident friendli ness of Ponto's greeting, pricked up Its ears, and sought, In n spirit of canine brotherhood, to touch noses with him. The needle In I'onto's muz le did Us work to the agony and hor ror of the pointer, which leaped back with a yelp, and turned tall. I'onto, in an effort to apologize, followed, and finding Itself haynnetted at every con tact with this demon dog, the pointer definitely took filght, howling, leaving I'onto In a state of wonder and hu miliation at the sudden end of what bad promised to he a very friendly acquaintance. The pointer's master watched Its strango (light, and swore. Ills eye turned to the boy who had caused all this, and he alighted pale with anger. "I've got time," said he, remember ing Newton's Impudent question, "to give you what you deserve." Newton grinned and dodged, but the bank of loose earth was his undoing, ami while he stumbled, the chauffeur rn tight and held him ly the collar. Again l'oulo Intervened, for as tho chauffeur stood holding Newton, tho dog, evidently regarding the stranger as his master's friend, thrust Ids nose Into the chauffeur's palm. The chauf feur behaved much as his pointer had done, except that the pointer did not swear. The grading gang laughed. Newton grinned even while In the fell clutch of circumstance. I'onto tried to smell the chauffeur's trousers, and what had been a laugh became u. roar. Cau tion and mercy departed from thu chauffeur's mood; ho drew back his list to strike the boy und found It caught by the hard Irwin. "You're too angry to punish thk boy," said Jim gently, "even If joti had the right to punish him nt nil 1 The chauffeur, however, unhesitat ingly released Newton, und furiously delivered u blow meant for Jim's Jaw, which miscarried by n foot. In reply, Jim coutitered with an awkward swinging uppercut. It landed fairly on the point of the Jaw. The chauffeur stuggered and slowly toppled over Into the soft earth which hud caused so much of tho rumpus. "Oh, cut It out," unld a fat man In the rear of the car, who had hither to manifested small Interest in any thing save I'onto. "Get In, and let's be on our way I" Colonel Woodruff, waiving toward him In his runuhotit, held up by tho trallic blockade, asked what was going on here, and the chauffeur, rising groggily, climbed Into the car; and the meeting dissolved. "Good work, Jim," said Cornelius Homier. "I didn't think 'twas In ye I" "It's beastly," said Jim, reddening. "I didn't know, either." Colonel Woodruff looked nt his hired man sharply, ga.ve him some In structions for the next day and drove on. The road gang dispersed for the afternoon. Newton Hronson carefully secreted the magic muzzle, and chuckled at what imd been perhaps the most picturesquely successful bit of deviltry In his varied record. Jim Irwin put nut his teum, got his supper and went to the meeting of the school board. ' The deadlocked members of the board had been so long at loggerheads Jii it their i editions had swayed back to something like utility. Jim had scarcely entered when Con Honner ad dressed the eliuJr. "Mr. I'rlsldent," said he, "we have wld us t'nlght, a young man who nude no Introduction to an audience In this place, Mr. Jim Irwin. He thinks we're bullheadcd mules, and that all the schools are bad. At the proper time I shall move that we hire liim f r teach er; and plnding that motion, I move that he be given the fioor. Ye've all beared of Mr. Irwin's ability as a white hope, and I 'know he'll be lis tened to wld respect 1" Much laughter from the hoard and the spectators, as Jim arose. He looked upon It as ridicule of himself, while Con Honner regarded It us a tribute to his successful speech. "Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Hoard," said Jim, "I'm not going to tell you anything that you don't know about yourselves. You are sim ply tnuklng a farce of the matter of hiring u teacher for this school. You know, and 1 know, that even If your silly deadlock Is broken by employing u new candidate, the school will be the same old story. It will still be the school It was when I entile Into It n little rugged boy" here Jlm'B voice grew a little husky "und when I left It, a bigger boy, but still as nigged as ever." There was a slight sensation In the audience, as if, as Con Honner said pbout the knock-down, they hadn't thought Jim Irwin could do It. "Well," said Con, "you've done well to hold your own." "In all the yeurs I attended this school," Jim went on, "I never did a bit of work In school which was economically useful. No other pupil ever did any real work of the sort farmers' boys und girls should do. We copied city schools and the schools we copied are poor schools. We made bad copies of them, too. If any of you three men were making a fight for what the Country Life commission called a 'new kind of rural school,' I'd say fight. Hut you aren't. You're Just making Individual fights for your fa vorite teachers." Jim Irwin made a somewhat lengthy speech after the awkwardness wore off. lie adjuied Hronson, Honner and Peterson to study his plan of a new kind of country school In which the work of the school should be corre lated with the life of the home and the farm a school which would be In the highest degiee cultural by be ing consciously useful and obviously practical. Sharp spats of applause from the useless hands of Newton Hronson gave tho final touch of absurdity to a .situation which Jim had felt to he ridiculous all through. Had It not been for Jennie Woodruff's "Humph!" stinging him, had it not been for the absurd notion that perhaps, after they Imd heard his speech, they would place him In charge of the school, and that he might be able to do something really Important In It, he would not have been there. As he sat down, h( knew himself a dreamer. The nodding board of directors, the secretary, actually snoring, the bored audience restored tho field-hand to a sense of his proper place. "We havo hud the privilege of lis t'nln'," said Con Honner, rising, "to a great speech, Mr. Prisldlnt. Mukln' i. i good spufhe Is one tiling, and teach lug a good school is another, but in or der to bring this matter heloro tht hoard, 1 nominate Mr. James I). Irwin the Hoy Orator of the Woodruff dls tilct, and the new white hope, fr the Job of teacher of this school, and I move that when he shall have received a majority of the votes of this board, the secretary and prisldlnt be In stliructed to enter Info n contract with him fr the cumin' year." v - 9. IV m 1 T f tX 1 1 i ivmttea logs ror rwiacues; 2 V I 8 School Hats Are Jaunty s ft XttZZZKXW SINCE "comfort first" Is baby's plea, small wonder Ik It that the softest and daintiest of knitted garments oc cupy the place of honor In childhood's realm. It Is generally conceded that for baby's tender skin there Is noth ing so "comfy" us knitted wool, lack ing, as It does, the Irritating qualities of tho harder woven fabrics. Then, too, with Inlttod art responding so generously to childhood's needs, ono readily appreciates why doting moth- lars, others with storm collar which can bo worn down or up. Hoth ribbed and brushed effects continue In favor, while plain coats with brushed trim mings are greatly featured. Combining utility with good looks, tho new styles In school hats havo made their appearance and It should ho a simple matter, consId'Tlng their variety, to choose a smart and becom ing model for every little mlsn who must return to the classroom with tho A universal custom that benefits every body. Aids digestion, cleanses the teeth, soothes the throat. After Every McaL WRIGLEYS a good thing to remember Scaled in its Purity Packago Knitted Things for Children. era acquired the habit of planning their little one's outfits along the Hues of the myriads of pretty things creat ed from supple yarns and zephyrs. For babies' wear, white naturally bolus sway with pink or blue trim mings. An attractive yoke distin guished from the ordinary, the little crochet sucque hero pictured and the fact that It Is a dainty pastel shade with lower ripple Hare In pure white, adds to Its loveliness. Contrary to expectation this adorable little gar ment fastens in the back with two pearl buttons, while u little pink (or blue If occasion demands) bow adorns Hie front. Tho cap Is crocheted In astrakhan atltch and. in the language of bnb7 fashion lore, this looplike ""n w.)i smmww 4J$T WW 25sy inc,f3 "3 THE5 FLAVOR LASTS BJ Copied Monarch In Wearing Wigs. It was In the Seventeenth century that the wig found Its maximum de velopment In the peruke. The Abbe Lit IMvieie, It appears, started It all by attending the court of Louis XIII In a wig. The king, who was prema turely bald, thought It an excellent Idea, and, In adopting It for himself, made It obligatory among discreet courtiers. Hall's Catasfrli local and Internal, and has been success ful In the treatment of Catarrh for over forty years. Sold by all druggists. V. J. CHENEY &. CO., Toledo, Ohio SEEKINGKIND HUSBANDS beginning of September. School hats, of course, should be severely plain and the hats shown In this group dem onstrate that they may be designed with this Idea In mind and still havo u Jaunty charm that Is all their own. For the high school girl the hat shown at the top Is made of braided ribbon with a ribbon trimming in the form of rosette and cascade at the right side. Helow ut the left is shown h little model of plcot-edged ribbon sewed row on row und trimmed with a tint rosette of the same ribbon In a lighter tone. The two huts shown nt the right nnd below reflect the popularity of knitted goods In Junior outfits. These nre ol knitted brushed wool in contrasting Young Women of Holland Understand That Americans Treat Their Wives Well. Thirty-five young women from Hol land stepped foot on American shores the other' day admitting they aro seeking "kind husbands because they heard that American men are good to their wives." Some American wives may lie inclined to enjoy a silent laugh over this Innocence displayed by the Hollanders, but after the first humor ous aspect of the situation bus passed, most of those who have enjoyed the comedy will he- Inclined to hellevt after all that there Is much merit in what these foreign women say about the husbands of America, observes the Hunger Commercial. When one Kits down and considers the lot of women in many countries of Kurope. and reflects upon the limited opportunities which they possess for enjoying life, It ought to he a source of mutual satisfaction both to hus bands and wives In America that they are living In a country where a higher standard of marital relationship ol tains than in many foreign nations. ILJirs&9WftM ' Why Glove Is Removed. Taking oil the glove when slinking hands Is a link with the time when this was .done to show that no knlru was concealed. Lines to Bo Remembered. Honor honorable people, respect th rights of all and do not bend the knee to anyone. Japanese Maxim. Misfortunes often put us wise to onv own carelessness. imr4 tho Practical mode tills .i Jw-n School Hats. "What scoffed Mouse!" do you mean, pa," Jennie "a Brown (TO HIQ CONTINUED.) The wise guy who knows It usually the first to got stung. ull h stitch Is particularly season. Proof against wind and weather aro the cunning knitted suits which shield little llve-yenr-olds, perhaps oiuer, perluips younger, from head to foot. Just as this plcturo sotB forth. Tho lovable llttlo "Snow Sprite" of our Il lustration If clnd In n particularly handsome wblto wool knitted infant's net. The leglnettcs hnTO slip cord nt the waist, with tassels. The sweater coat boasts belt nnd collar nnd, prldo of prides, two patch pockets. Thcro are plenteous pearl buttoM, two of them finding tholr way to the cap, posed one on each side flap. Ono may tako choico of double breasted nnd single-breasted conts In tlicso sots, some with turn-down eol- colors and provide the Ideal headweur for use with the sweater and skirt combinations that are nt present so popular, or they may be '.iad In hat and scarf sets to ba worn with school frocks or suits. The hut shown below combines the knitted crown with n brim of angora. Materials used in ranking lints for very llttlo girls Include cumels hnlr fabric, hcauvette, broadcloth and An chinchilla. It Is quite the last word to have the hut match tho coat In ma terial, color and trimming. (. lilt, WatTD Ntwipsptr U .) jffjgjll jl I (y B I II j! V u. fV . r
