APRIL 4, 1907. 12 THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT folurr. They would have laughed in their sleeves had he done otherwise. In their hearts they know they are fortunate, and the country too, that tlie task of driving them back to ttv-Ir reservation has fallen into the hands of a president so unswerving and so un fanatlcal s the present one. TIIR MKIIIT SYSTEM. Foreign critics of American manage ment in the Philippines, Panama, Porto Rico and Cuba unite in pra'se on one point. Plenty of fault Is found with the ways of officials appointed because "of party service at home to govern subject people abroad; but the efficiency of the sanitary departments Is not seriously questioned. The feat of turning Havana into a health re sort, the more difficult task of reducing the death rate in Manila, and tho triumph of Major CJorgas in the canal lone are pretty generally acknowledged to be achievements unsurpassed of their kind. Hut one explanation for he notable efficiency of thl department is apparent, the fact that Its work was done by 'men chosen for that purpose. Men chosen to do other forms of work worked a hard and as conscientiously, perhaps, but they had been chosen with reference to their ability to manipulate a. convention or "bring,jn" their ward, and that kind of ability does not carry far in dealing with Malays and problem:-; of tropical administration. The country will be interested to observe whether the new policy of appointing consul to foreign cities with'referencj to their fitness for their duties .vill eventually give our consular service tho reputation now enjoyed by other departments whose membership Is e cruited by like methods. The first con sular examination has been held, with the result that the 100 applicants for sixteen positions yielded ten eligibles. It requires only a glance at the new Matilda Zieglcr Magazine for the blind to show that it is a costly publication to produce. The sheets are twelve inches wide and fourteen inches long, and the fifty pages of heavy, pulpy pa per make a thickness of nearly an inch. The paper is printed wet and hardened to withstand the pressure of the read ing fingers. Mrs. Zeigler, who has en dowed the magazine, is anxious that a copy be placed in the hands of every blind person m the United States. As no list of such persons is available, a general appeal for names is made through the press. Such names should be sent to Walter (. Holmes, 1931 Broadway, New York, with a state ment whether New York Point or Braile type is desired. The magazine will be sent free to blind people who cannot afford to pay for it, but it is expected that a nominal sum will be paid in order to insure interest of the reader and to keep the subscription list in a live condition. The actual cost of producing the magazine is about $3 a year. The inception of this beniflcent work was a letter sent to a New York news paper by Mr. Holmes, a former news paper man of Memphis, Tenn., calling attention to the pressing need or more abundant and cheaper literature for the blind. While an edition of Ben Hur can be bought in type for a dollar or less, tho blind must pay $10.50 for a copy. Other works are also at almost equally prohibitive prices.' Mrs. Ziegler was interested because she has a bund son, and is determined to use some of her wealth in meeting this great need Millionaire Rudolph Spreckles made possible the rout of the grafters In San Francisco oy underwriting the ex- ner.se of the anti-graft investigation. It is respectfully submitted to money burdened men everywhere that here is a way to do good with their surplus wealth which can b adopted and no honest man impugn their motives. Why does the public look with distrust upon the gifts for charitable vt educational purposes of some of our great million air" For the reason that these men are believed to have profited from and helped to create bad or inefficient gov mnient. bv the special privilege meth od. and that in making gifts to ths public v.rTulIy abstain from giving for any purpose that would tend to jeopardize their special ami unjust ad vantage. They have the appeai.imt of ( jeorge .F.lllot's character who never stole a K's but he nave the nlhlets to the poor. Tho motives luliind J. Pietpont Morgan's gift to a New York charity may be doubted, but a sin of funds to be used In flushing the city of thrt onV1.il Kraft through which It h believed his publie htvIc corpora tion retain their gtaq on New York city politic and people, would bs sub jK t to no much suspicions. Railroad wrecks as a rule conatituU flue ttdvt'rthementd r th Pullman loping tar service. Thin was the rttth Hie OUon wreck In Cali fornia Thursday. In which twvnty-odd I .,!":'. only two of whni w nbout l"' Injuud more or w.r imtslv. Thne were elhty Pullman car MWMU'-r. -nly I wo of h Jaliifd injuries worth noting. lhl wm M tartly to h neuter tontrue ,i, , of th inihn-an ram. and partly M thrlr ros.itl.in at lh Tt of the train. No doubt the long observation of this rule by the traveling public has had something to do with the abil ity of the Pullman company to turn Its monopoly to the pleasant task of paying eight per cent dividends on fifty millions or so of hydraulic stock. Two courses. suggest themselves to the public in connection with these mat ters. One is to demand ordinary pas senger coaches built to withstand shocks as are Pullman coaches. An other is to reduce Pullman rates to within hailing distance of the cost of service. There is at present a disposi tion to do both. Rumors that Emperor William has definitely decided to enroll his fifth son, Prince Oscar, at Harvard next September have been confirmed. One reason given for this decision is a de sire on the part of the emperor to have his son grow up with a son of President Roosevelt. The president will have two sons at Harvard next year. This is, of course, not the broad reason. That Is no doubt found in the general Ger man policy of getting acquainted with the manners and habits of thought of other countries and as far as pouslbio? to win their good will. This is the deliberate policy of every ambitious na tion except, perhaps, the United State. This country is full of Japanese stu dents, whose knowledge of American ways and institutions will be invaluable to Japan in her future dealings with us. Just so the future of China lies very much with the 13,000 Chinese stu dents now in Japan seeking for the secret of Japan's power to hold her own with the Occident. Spain's twenty-year-old king is still, it seems, verv much of the boy. Every once In a while he drops unexpectedly Into the unconventional in a way pro ductive of much embarrassment to his entourage. Ills latest prank was played in the great cathedral at Leon, to which, with bis niippn he recently Daid an un official visit. He had gone alone into the organ-loft, and had begun to piay a chant for Alfonzo's education has ntade him an organist of ability as well as a linguist when with no warning whatever he switched off into a sharp military march, at the same time call ing out in a loud voice: "Attention! Quick step! Forward!" Priests and suite were for the instant too surprised to do anything but gasp nnd the next minute there was the solemn strain of the chant again, with the laughter of the king heard beneath it. If the common report can be trusted, when Secretary Taft reaches Cuba he will find eighty per cent of the voting population eager to convince him that the American protectorate should be lifted and elections called at once -under the suspended constitution. Hx will find on examination that eighty per cent of this eighty per cent expect an office when the new arrangement is effected. There is nothing remarkable in that to an .merlcan, but the trouble is that a Cuban office seeker is not gifted, like his American brother, with the power to take defeat peaceably. The leaders of the majority party real izing the Impossibility of creating an office for every man who wants one, hope to induce Mr. Taft to leave the American troops in- the island for j, time after tho i&publlc is re-established to protect them from the vengeance of disappointed patriots. A New- Yorker who nas just re turned from the south was most strik ingly impressed by the vagaries of the southern railroads, and he offers this illustration: When he arrived at the stntlnn he was much surprised to find that the 11:15 started promptly on time. '"Well,' said he to the conductor, "thev libel you up north, where they . . . . say your trains are never on ume, either eomintr op cointr." "The northerners are right," was the nnexneofed response of the conductor. "We never got a train off in time in nur lives." "Why, this train got off on time. It's the 11:15". isn't it?" "Yes, my friend, it's the 11:15, but It's last Tuesday's 11:15. Today's 11:15 won't start much befo' Monday, I reck on. According to the census bureau the growth in population In the United stt.. from 1905 to 1S0 was 1.367.315. A glance at tho Immigration records shows that 1.100,735 of these were ti.i.i.,,1 i,v immigration. This leaves for the natural increase a trifle over a quarter of a million, about a fifth of one per cent. With Immigration ntonnd that would be a near approach to equilibrium. Wnrewcn is revealed by the recent troubles In a state of hopeless Houmanla U bchavtaff abominably vmi for n Balkan Ute. Th t to In Central America threat ens to prtad to all th nt.ites of that region. All thrf ar orrering excellent ti-uae for Dome netlatd tlir nelKh i.rtr in hind thrrn over to kefD ths Pc. Franca U already n th way ta Moroctcu. Tests For Shoppers' Use 1 1 1 " Points About Buying Silks, Linens and Woolens. Shopping tests for linens, silks and woolens rtre simple and easily applied: In purchasing linen for sheets, pillow cases, napkins and tablecloths, fineness is to be desired. A linen tester, a small magnifying glass, by means of which the threads in a given space are count ed, is essential to determine this point. One can tell the quality, perhaps, as much by the feel of linens as by any more complex method. There is a crisp feeling to pure linen that is unmistak able. When crushed in the hand It. yields with a crunching sensation which denotes its purity. It has also a slippery feeling quite different from cotton, which is dead and uneiastic when run through the hand. If linen fabrics are frayed at the edges and the threads pull out it will be found that they will unravel with out break! ig, while cotton threads will break or snap In two. Another test for linen, and one In vogue with old fashioned housekeepers is to dampen the hnger and hold It beneath the material. If the moisture appears on the surface it is a pretty good test that the material is linen, but if there is no dampness visible then one may be pretty sure that the mate rial is cotton. Cotton absorbs the water while the linen does not. A very good test for linen is to unravel a portion, taking a couple of threads, one of the warp ande one of the woof, and to touch a match to them. If cotton Is present In the weave the thread win burn quickly, leaving a charred bit. If linen, it will be longer in burning. In drawing threads from both fabrics it will be found that the linen ones will hold their body, while cotton will draw the material awry and usually snap off quickly before the thread is half pulled out. In buvine handkerchiefs one can pull them cornerwise. If the threads draw evenly it is good proof of the material being all linen, while if cotton the hand kerchief will pull unevenly. Linen hand kerchiefs of the best quality should have at least 2,800 threads to the inch. This, however, relates only to those fine sheer squares of linen which retail ror several dollars each. Those of good quality which retail at 50 cents or 75 cents eacn snouia show from 1,300 to ,1.400 threads. It is probably in the buying or siiks that the greater number of women are taken in. Frequently it is their own fault; they are tempted by bargains, and good silk is always expensive. in one or tne large ary gooas snops in New York city there Is a man who has presided over the silk counter for more than fifty years. By simply running the silk between his fingers he can tell where it comes from, its purity, its quality and its cost. This is the result of long ex perience. Once a woman becomes ac customed to the feel of pure silk she never forgets it. There Is a slipperiness and crusnanie- " tv. Different from other oil stoves. Superior because of its economy, cleanliness, and easy operation. The MEW PEEffECHftRI Wick Blue Flame Oil Cook-Stove saves fuel expense and lessens the work. Produces a strong working flame instantly. Flame always under immediate control. Gives quick results without overheating the kitchen. Made in three sizes. Every stove warranted. If not at your dealer's, write our nearest agency for descriptive circular. JtoS) nra U tin Wit Ump lot ill.rousd hcMiMhold um. Made el brut tkrouchout tad beautifully aicktUd. Perfectly tocrtructed ; absolutely tale; unexcelled U lifht.ftvinf pwer: an ornaaaeot to aay room. Every limp vmaated. If aot at your dealer's, write t our nearest agene. . STANDARD OIL COMPANY DiixarMUT& ness about -pure silk that stamps It as the real article. There is also an unmis takable swish about pure silk. Then if one takes the material in both hands and snaps it there is a report like a pistol shot from a pure silk which will aid in the selection. Materials in which the threads running both ways are silk are springy and to the touch full of life and electricity, while those part silk,, with cotton admixtures, are dull and heavy, or perhaps lifeless is the better term. In taffeta there Is a high sheen and lustre in the best qualities which is convincing, while pongee has a dull finish. With louisines the softer and finer the more to be desired they are. To determine if silks are mixed with cotton set a lighted match to a sample after ravelling the threads out. If there Is cotton present in the fabric then it will burn rapidly, curling up almost in a flash into a crisp, while the silk will hardly have started to burn. , This same test may be applied to woof materials in which is suspected that cot ton may be woven. Cotton burns very rapidly, while the woolen threads smoke and smoulder. Then there is an unmis takable odor about burning wool . If one takes up a piece of wool cloth and a piece in which cotton is present the former will feel very soft and yield ing to the touch, while the latter will be hard and rather smooth than otherwise. A wool surface when rubbed is rough. In ravelling out woolen materials when the threads are untwisted, the wool will fray and the ends curl up, while cotton will break off evenly without any ends. A chemical test which can be employed a i. home is the application of muriatic or nitric acid to woolens. If a sample of wool goods Is dipped into one or the other of these chemicals it will turn a reddish yellow color If no foreign threads are present. If cotton is present the chemical eats it away immediately, leav ing behind the yellow warp or woof. Women have often been subjected to disappointment in buying jetted laces for handsome reception or dinner gowns. . There will be advertised a beautiful look ing robe gown for, say, $25, and along side another for $125. To all appearances there Is very little difference, and a wom an purchases the cheaper of the two only to find to her sorrow the first time she wears it that she has left behind her a trail of paillettes to mark her path. In the cheaper gown the jets are simply run on without being fastened securely, and as a consequence when the thread breaks they all go. So if one desires to be economical In the buying of jetted robes it is well to go over the entire pattern with strong silk and knot each piece securely. Black silk, nets either in allover or in edgeings that have cotton in them pres ent a gray look when the materials is. held up to the light on a level with the eye. There is such a thing, of course, as having a lace all silk but yet not a good black, but the difference between what Is termed a good black and that peculiar gray appearance is the test the buyer should apply when investing in these finer grades of goods. Hlne New Oil Lamp