Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Hemingford herald. (Hemingford, Box Butte County, Neb.) 1895-190? | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1898)
TSii "V' Z3mr V X ,-fcris' MM' '' . EDTURE GOVERNOR OP NEBRASKA WHo and What IIo Is, Ofllclally and Privatolyno Is a Farmer and 1b Identified With tho Producing Glass. , A. Man of Education and Wldo Itango of Business Exporlonco His Homo Life For Twenty Years on His Beone County Farm. Abfon, Nebg Aug, 9. Between the " aaybreak and sunrise oa lost Wednesday morning 2,500 dele sates, representing more than 125,000 voters of the state of Nebraska, rose to their feet as one man and acclaimed W. A. Poynter their choice for candi date for governor of the state. Within less than fifty hours after ho had ap peared before the delegates to the three conventions in Lincoln and acknowl edged the applauso which shook the three houses, a visitor to William A Poynter's farm, who came upon him without warning, found the candidate clod in blue overalls, attending- to tho morning work of the dairy department of his farm, having Just milked the cows in .the barn, and running the ma chinery of the butter-making plant with his own hands. The two situa tions would seem Incongruous with some men, but to one who knows W, A. Poynter, and knows hln daily habits of work, tho appearance of tho candi date for governor In overalls had noth ing about it that suggested the out of place. Tho same man was there watch ing the work of the farm, as he has for twenty years past, that had stood before the applauding multitude in Lincoln. A PLAIN MAN. That W. A. Poynter Is a man who, as those who know him best Bee him, surroundings have but little effect In detracting from, and mere outward conditions are of too little relative lm portanco to add to the Impression made by him. Those who have lived with htm longest nnd know him best will bear this In mind. Tho homo of tho fusion candidate for governor of Nebraska Is on the quar ter section of land Where he settled In 1879. It was then merely a qunrter sec tion, ICO acres of prairie land. Now It is ii farm whoso tillage will comparo favorably with the best models of the land. When It Is said that the owner takes chlefest pride in saying that overy tree that now grows there and every post that has been set upon the land was done with his own hands it will be appreciated how he only went from the nominating convention back to the dally avocation that has been his for nearly twenty years at the sumo place. A FARMER GOVERNOR. On the walls of the ante-room of the governor's oftlce at Lincoln are por traits of the past governors of the state. These are Butler, Furnas, Gar ber, Nance, Dawes, Thayer, Boyd, Crounse and Holcomb, the latter being entitled to a place because the portrait is usually hung at the close of the first term. These cover the time since the state was admitted Into the union and though It i. and always has been, a distinctly farming community, there has been no governor since Fur nas who Was an actual farmer; that H, one who had made farming his chief life business. When W. A. Poynter's portalt is hung there beside those named it will be entitled to the desig nation at farmer governor. He will be entitled to this both because for nearly twenty years he has worked on his farm with his own hands and because he has done that work well. In all the years when the rough, hard work of breaking out the prairie and building the farm and home was In progress there was never a hired man kept on the Poynter farm up to four or five years ago. DOWN IN OLD ICAINTUCK. William A. Poynter was born on a farm near Eureka. Woodford county, Illinois, in 1848, and attended the village schools until ho was 16 years old. His father was a minister of the Christian church and William united with that rganlzation at an early age, and he and his wife are now communicants of that church. When he was 16 years Id he entered Eureka college, from which he graduated after taking the full course, when he was 19. For two or three years he taught school, his first employment being as principal of a village school in his neighborhood. About this time, in 1869, he was married to Ulss Marian McCorkle, herself the daughter of a minister, and like her husband, she traces her ancestry back to the Blue Grass state. Poynter's father and grandfather were born within a few miles of the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. For a short time young Poynter engaged in mer cantile pursuits, and then farmed until In 1879, when he moved to his pres ent home and settled upon the land which is now his farm, eight miles northwest of Albion, In Boone county. The Boone county of that day was not the succeslon of well tilled farms It Is today, and it is remembered by old residents that the Poynter house was the only frame structure for twelve miles up and down the valley of Plum creek. All there were of any other kind were built out of the native sod Mrs. Poynter recalled the other day how on one Sunday afternoon, soon after they had erected their first house, she and tier husband walked up to the top of a ridge half a mile or so from their home and looked out over the beautiful roll ng pralrte as it stretched away for miles on every hand, and there was not a human habitation except their own in sight. Hera the young couple lived and worked at their self-imposed Ufo' task of making a home in th wilderness, and at the same time ex tending, a helping hand and words of encouragement to others who came after them. Their life work was that of thousands on the western prairies for many years. After a time the neighbors and fellow settlers of tho vigorous young farmer came to know and appreciate his qualities of mind and heart, and they sent him to the legislature, and then again they re elected htm. This wan In 1882 and 1884, nnd then in 1888 he was the candidate for state auditor on the democratic ticket In 1890 he was elected to the slate senate, and In the session of the succeeding winter he was, as the recog nized leader of the populist forces of that body, made president pro tern, of the senate. In 1894 he was the populist candidate for congress in the Third congressional district, the democrats and populists each having a cnndldate, George D. Melklcjohn, the republican, was elected, though he received only a little over one-half of the votes cast. In the meantime, W, A. Poynter, al though he had, in addition to his parti cipation In politics, as shown, taken active Interest in tho vurious farmers' organizations, had become well known In the management and active work of the State Agricultural society, of which he is stll a member, nnd as such holds a position on tho board of state fair managers, he had taken active part In tho State Dairy men's association, and is ono of the board of directors, and besides this he has given much time to lectures before agricultural Institutes on dairying. On this topic he Is quoted ns an authority wherever known, and his reputation as a dairy farmer Is not confined to Ne braska. MB. POYNTEB AT HOME.' In local agricultural affairs in Boone county W. A. Poynter has been one of tho leaders, and for six years Just past lie was president of the Boone county fair association, and he and his associates made It not only known all over the state, but one of the few finan cially successful Institutions of its kind. Here would appear to be enough work to fill tho time of any ordinar ily busy man, but In nddltlon to this ho has, as sad before, tilled with his own hands the 1G0 acres of land on which he nnd his family live. Since his san has come to age to be of assist ance he has been a valuable ally In thu management of the farm, and dur ing the time of vacations It Is mostly In his hands. A BUSY LIFE. There is, after all of this politics, local public matters, state associations and farm work Is attended to, still leisure tlpie In the Poynter home, and this by no means wasted time, but Is utilized by parents and young people. There Is a daughter, Miss Josle, aged 18, in the family. Parents and chil dren have for years, and do today, keep abreast of the times in all that Is of Interest n the scientific, commer cial, political and literary world. Book shelves filled with the standard works on those subjects which are occupying the students of the day, and tables strewn with the latest magazines at test this to the casual visitor. The head of the family takes delight in try ing to keep abreast of the young thought of the day as It la exemplified In the son and daughter, who are both state university students and hard workers, and good thinkers. The cul ture which came to W. A. Poynter ns the result of his college course has not been lost, but through all these years his wits have been kept sharp and his Ideas up to date by the hardest kind of study. One of his neighbors, Presi dent Mose Thompson of the Albion Na tional bank, said of htm that Poynter'. chief characteristic which distin guished him from most men was th thoroughly up-to-date and accuratb knowledge which he possessed on all matters In which he was Interested. AN IDEAL HOME The home of the Poynter family Is the Ideal home of the farmer. It Is not a lordly mansion. It Is what would be at once called a comfortable home. A part of the one-Btory frame house was framed In Illinois and brought along when the young man and wife, with their Infant boy, first moved out there It has been since added to, and today fron the outside the visiter sees a white painted cottage nestled among shade trees, with a grassy yard, and here and there bright hued flowers sur rounding It. Inside there Is evidence before the threshold Is passed that re flnement, such as only a cultured gentleman can Impart, has done more to give character to this home than the mere builder of walls and putter on of roofs. MRS. WILLIAM A. POYNTER. The wife who has stood by the hus band in the work of breaking out the farm has impressed 1er personality on every room, and every article of furni ture. Mrs. Poynter Impresses the most casual acquaintance by the quiet dig nity of her presence and It is quickly seen that her Intellectual husband and bright son and daughter give her def- erence not merely from affection for the kindly, gracious spirit that lends n soft light to her eyes, but as much be cause they see and admire In her learn ing and culture the deal after which they tnemselves strive. Side by side with her children and husband, she goes in all the studlea which Interest them, and only one who has known th helpfulness of such a wife and mother ran appreciate what a factor sho must be In her quiet way In the success of husband and of children. Mrs. Poyn ter, like her husband, takes an Interest In bettering the methods of farm worl' as It touches the housewife. At meet ings of farmers' wives her papers on poultry raising and household topics are as eagerly looked for and received with ns much deference as are her hus. band's on dairying. The rule In the Poynter household Is that the greatest part of tho evening Is devoted to chats on subjects which have been brought up by recent reading or havo presented themselves n the course of the day's work, The father makes It a rule of his life to study the science of things touching farm matters and to apply this and alt knowledge practica ble to his dally work. In the free par liament tho mother Is the arbiter of all disputed points, and the soundness of her Judgment Is attested by dozens of tho neighbors, who know her well. One of these, a man who has mixed with the world, said tha other day: "It will bo a pleasure to sfce Mrs. Poynter In tho position of wife of the governor of tho state of Nebraska, because we who know her best know how gracefully sho will meet all the requirements of the position." v "" A SUCCESSFUL MAN. W. A. Poynter Is whnt Is known as a general farmer, and ho has a spe cialty In tho shape of a dairy" herd. How successful he has been In thW work need not bo told further than has already. That success has been of the highest order. One of the characteris tics of the man is his thoroughness in whatever he goeB into, This Is illus trated by the testimony of an expert,- who told the writer that Poynter's herd of hogB would rank with the two or three best herds In the state. Now. the hogs on his farm are merely-an In. cldent to the herd of dairy cattle, but the rule, to make of everything tho best possible has brought the hog herd up to the frotit rank of those whose own ers make of that branch of stock breed ing a specialty. The rule on the Poyn ter farm Is to have no scrubs, and everything Is thoroughbred Hereford, Poland China and Plymouth Rocks., A POYNTER STORY. It Is told of W. A. Poynter that when he first talked of coming out to Ne braska his neighbors In Illinois thought It was foolish for him to do such a thing as to bury himself on the un broken prairies, as they thought. One ' of these called his attention to the well known fact that his (Poyn ter's) father was well-to-do and would help him to a business start and on his death the property would naturally be divided so that William would be comfortable In his old age. Why would he leave all this and go off to the barren, or at least untried, western frontier. William listened to the talk and then plainly told why he was going to make the change. "If I stay here I will always be the son of my father. It I go out there whatever of success may come to me will be mine and I will be known as W. A. Poynter. How ever small that success may be and however circumstanced the life I may have to lead, the feeling that I am Indebted to no one's influence, but only to my own exertions, will fully com pensate me." This waB the key to one side of W. A. Poynter's character. A sturdy independence that scorned ease and competency as the result of being "the son of his father" la Just like W. A. Poynter. IS A GOOD NEIGHBOR, One of the things In which W. A. Poynter takes pride is that In the twenty years he has lived at his present home he has never had a disagreement with a nelghbor.and there is not one, no matter what his politics is, who would not do all he could to help him in a neighborly way. The story has been told around the state for some time that when the drouth of 1890 left the most of the farmers without seed grain Poynter furnished his neighbors with what he had and only asked them to return him bushel for bushel from the next crop. Certain It is that the owner of this farm which has never seen an approach to a failure In the twenty years, except in 1894, when all the state suffered, Is held In the highest esteem and regard by his neighbors. A witness of this was seen when the people of Albion and sur rounding country turned out to give their hearty congratulations to their neighbor and friend upon his nomina tion for governor. Republicans, demo crats, populists and all political parties were represented In this gathering. -REPUBLICANS TESTIFY TO HIS WORTH. Moses Thompson, republican, and president of the National bank of Al bion; F. M. Sackett, grain dealer, re-, publican in politics; J. D. Brewer. lum ber and coal dealer, and other citizens of opposite politics joined in the heart iest commendation of the character of W. A. Poynter. Brewer said "he will make, If elected, the best of governors. Nebraska never had a more fit man In the office. He Is far and away superior In education and general equipment ti the ordinary politician. I will prob ably not vote for him, but I know him to be a first-class man and citizen." ' The general sentiment of the part of the community opposed to W. A. Poyn ter In politics is reflected in the follow ing from the pen pf A. W. Ladd, editor of the News, the Albion republican paper: W. A. POYNTER FOR GOVERNOR. "The News always rejotoas at the good fortune of honorable recognition of any citizen of Boone county. It is thus we can truly say we rejoice at the honor which was bestowed on our fellow citi zen, W. A. Poynter, In being nominated for governor on the triple-alliance ticxet. ii tms state must nave a popu- i list governor, we believe Mr. "Poynter will make the- best one of any of the names mentioned for that office. Lay- J Ing politics aside, Mr. Poynter is one 'of our county's best and most enterprising citizens, and if elected will be a credit to our county, it is to oe regrettea tnat he did not receive this nomination two or four years ago, when he could he elected, ns It would be quite a valuable acquisition to our county to have a sure enough governor in our midst. It Is t,oo soon to Judge how his nomination will be received by the different conflicting elements of the several parties parttel- , patlng in his selection, but the unes- I pected strength he showed on the flrat oauoi was a surprise to everyoooy. While It is not probable many repub licans will feel inclined to vote for him, we predict that the vote of Boone county will be reasonably tiatUfnctory , to Mm. D, H. is. w JOE OF WASHOE. How Ho Kept Ills Promise to n Woman. At 3 o'clock In the afternoon the horn at Tin Pan Diggings began to blow, and 400 men threw down pick nnd spade and hastened to what was called the public square. As they came running in all directions they found half n dozen men surrounding a camp mate, and the cause of the alarm was soon explained. The prisoner, who was known as Jim Rodgers, was a hanger on. That meant a speculator and a gambler and a general blackleg. He had been "warned" two or three times, but he stuck to tho camp, and that afternoon, having been detected In cheating at cards, he had drawn his gun and attempted to kill. The horn had been sounded and the men called In to give tho man a trial before Judge Lynch. He was defiant until he looked around upon the hundreds of stern faces and caught the mattered words of menace. Then he grew pale and silent. The president of the diggings acted as judge. It didn't take over thirty minutes to settle the case. "Prisoner at the bar," Bald the judge, when the Jury had returned a verdict of guilty, "we ar' goln' to hnng you. We ain't no wolves thlrstln' for blood, and we nln't anxious to make no rec ord in the matter "of haste. Yourwllf be duly executed arter breakfast In the mornln'." That was all. The prisoner had noth ing to gay, and most of the miners went back to their work. The man was put under guard In one of the shanties, and there were none to de fend or plead for him. At sundcjVn Joe of Washoe arrived on horseback Nearly everybody at Tin Pan knew him for the "squarest" man In all the diggings, und he was warmly welcom ed. He learned of the trial and sen tence, of course. Indeed, the Judge suld to him: "Joe, I'm powerful glad you ar' here. We've got to hang a critter in the mornln', nnd I wnnt things jeg'lar and shipshape. 'Pears to me like there or ter be Eome slngln' or readln' from tlii bible, or suthln'. It don't look right to hang a man same's as you kill a dog. Jest think It over nnd help us out." "I'll take a look at him and see what's to be done," replied Joe, and half ar. hour later he was admitted to tin shanty where the man lay bound. Joe looked at him long and keenl., and then drew a deep breath nnd said. "1 was afraid of it when they told me nbout you. I was on your troll, and If I could have got here before noon It would have been nil right." "You you have seen her!" stammer ed the ma.i, "For sure. She's over at Sand Hill." "And looking for me?" "And looking for you. She's been looking for days and weeks. You must be the meanest, low-down critter on the fnce of the earth." "I've been a bad man," sighed the prisoner. "And you'll deserve being hung." They conversed for an hour or more and when Joe of Washoe left the sban ty he left a bottle of whisky with the miner who had Just come on duty to stand sentinel for the night. To the president Joe reported: "Yes, It'll be more ship-shape nnd civilized to pray or sing suthln', and I'll think It out during the night." When daylight came the sentinel was found In a drunken sleep, and the pris oner was mlpslng. Joe's horse was also found to have vanished during the night. Nobody could say what hour the man had escaped, but it was certain that he was safr- from any pursuit by the miners. There was a loud outcry and general lndignaton, nnd when the drunken sentinel was at last aroused there were a hundred men who de manded that he be hung in the other's place. Down under the "hanging troe" there was a barrel on end with a noosed rope dangling from a limb While men wtre crowding and shout ing and demanding Washoe Joe un buckled his guns, removed his hat and Jacket, und making his way through the Jam. mounted the barrel and slipped the noose over his head. The whole camp followed and surrounded him, and presently a great hush fell upon the crowd. Then he looked calmly about him and said: "A week ago a little woman reached Sand Hill by the stage the first wo man ever seen In that town. She was little nnd sho was purty, and her heart was breakln". She had come a thousand miles she had braved the Injuns and the hardships she had dared mor'n a man Jest to hunt up that critter you was calculatln' to hang this mornln'. He Is her brother." ' Thre was something almost appall ing In the silence around the speaker, and he was paler as he continued: "No matter what he was, she didn't know It. She Jest looked upon him ns a hit wild and a wanderer. There was an old mother back In the states who was grlevln' and weepin', and who wanted to see her boy again before death came. When that little woman told me the story when she told me of her long Journey and how she had sarched and sarched and been disap pointed when she appealed to me to aid her, I gin her my hand an my prom ise. It was the hand and promise of Joe of Washoe, and he never goes back on either." There were murmurs of applause on every side, but no man spoke above his breath. "You were goln to hang him," re sumed Joe, as he lifted a hand to the rope above his head. "I don't say he didn't deserve it, but I'd promised that little woman to hunt him up and send him over to her at Sand Hill. He'll gc back to the states with her. He'll go. because he ain't so bad way down in his heart, and has still got a fcelln' for his mother nnd sister, and he'll go because I'll hunt him down and kill him If he don't. That was the under Btandln' before I helped him off. Yes, I helped him off. I cut his bonds and told him to take my horse and ride like the devil, and by this time he's Jlned his sfster." There were nngry shouts from a nun. dred throats at the admission, but Joe waved his hand for silence and said: "8he was a woman, and I felt sorry for her and gin her my promise. I had to play Tin Pan Diggings low down to keep my word, but I didn't run away from you. No, I stayed right yere to explain matters, and to say that you shan't be disappointed in a hangin. I'd a heap rather died with a gun In my hand and for a better man, but she was a little woman, nnd she was breakln' her heart. Gentle men, let the hangin' proceed!" No man moved or spoke. "I'm up yere with the noose about my neck, and If some of you will kick the bar'l away I'll make as good a show as the man who got awny." They began to fall back. They kept their eyes on the man, but they fell back and melted away from him and never uttered a word. He looked down upon them with folded arms and a queer smile on his face; ancT by and by only one man wus left the presi dent of the diggings. "What's the matter, Tom" queried the man on the barrel. "No hanging, Joe," was the laconic reply. "But why?" "Because she, was a purty little wo man who had come a thousand miles, and he was her brother!" Tricks in the Uaundry Business. "Many people have never known how the laundries of Denver worked the bunco racket on patrons while they were running cheap prices," said a mnn jesterday who was driver of one of the wagons, says the Denver Post. "For months it has cost qnly five cents to hnve n white shirt rendered fit for further hervice In some of the laun dry offices. During the same period other laundries have been charging 10 cents for shirts, and they have been explaining that the ten-cent was the superior to the one thnt cost five cents. "This Is where the men were fooled, but they did not know It. hence It Is all the same in the end. Many people would be happier If they knew less of many things. The fame laundry houses have been keeping different offices, some for the cheap trade and some for the high-priced trade. The latter ex ifets because It thinks when It pays bigger money It receives better service. When the shirts from the cheap olflces and the high-priced offices come into the place where the laundry trust does all its "work, they are dumped Into the same vnt, containing a decoction which bleaches them and tnkes out all the dirt. The same Is true of collars and cuffs. Subsequently all such articles are placed upon the same Ironing and smoothing apparatus, and the five-cent hhlrts emerge looklnc Just as well as the ten-cent Milrte. Also, the collars which were taken In to be wnbhed and Ironed for two cents appear as nicely finished as those for which perhaps four or five cents was collected. "This Is one of the tricks of the laun dry business in this city that has been exceedingly successful In Denver. Un der the new schedule of prices I sup pose it will continue. All the short, collar and cuff ironing in the laundries Is done by machinery, and bosoms and cuffs and collars cannot be varnished until they shine except by hand. The Chinese excel at this. They were given a hard blow when the American laun dries Inaugurated the scale of cheap prices. The new schedule Js not raised enough to put much work back Into the hands of the Celestials." English Jacobite Society. To Judge from the list of Jacobite clubs and associations given In the "Le gitimist calendar for 1895." which In cludes the orator of White Rotes, the Devon White Rose Club, the Legitimist Jacobite League of Great Britain and Ireland (ponderous title), the Eastern Counties' (shade of Cromwell!) White Cockade club, the Forty-five club of Grimsby, the Glasgow Jacobite club, the Oxford University Legitimist club, t.e Jacobite Restoration league, the Surrey White Rose league, the Mary Stuart club of Lanmark, the Legitimist Reg istration union, the National Royalist and Jacobite association, the Order of St. Germain and the liemlngford Grey Royal Oak club, not to mention our old familiar Thames Valley Jacobites and two or three foreign legitimist bodies, it ought not to be difficult for the sup porters of the lost house of Stuart to put several hundred adherents In tho field (or even Ludgate circus) If they so decide. A cow Is the last creature one would expect to see with ear rings, yet every cow In Belgium must wear tticm now. The director general of ngrlculture has Issued a regulation that all animals of the bovine bpecles are to wnar ear rings as soon as they have attained the age of three months. Breeders are obliged to keep an exact account of the ani mals raised by them, and the ring, on which 1b engraved a number, Is fasten ed In the animal's ear to prevent the substitution of one animal for another. "Everything seems to be against me," I be eald. ! i No doubt he exaggerated, but there was certainly a good deal against him, for the girl who sat by his side find pillowed her head on his manly breast weighed not less than 250 pounds. j TIIKONE FOB MARY IiEITEIl Chicago Girl May Become Itulci Over India. Before the year ends a Chicago girl may be sitting on tho most magnificent throne In the world, assisting In ruling the destinies of the most densely popu lated country on earth. In plain words, the brilliant young woman who war, Mary Letter of Chicago, now the wife of George N. Curzon, will probably be vicereine Of India. Lord Elgin retires next November as viceroy. The offico is the grandest ap pointive position under the British gov ernment. His successor will be one of three men Lord Balfour of Burleigh,., now secretary of state for Scotland; the earl of Jersey, who held many dip lomatic posts; or Curzon, who IB under secretary of Btate for foreign affairs and Salisbury's right hand man... Predictions are freely made that Cur zon will be appointed. He is 39 and has had a brilliant career. The most re markable feature of the situation, how ever, Is that his American wife will be one qf thestrongest reasons forap pointing him. It will testify In the highest possible way England's regard for an Anglo-Saxon alliance. It would be the finest compliment the English nation could pay America. This fact Is seriously taken Into consideration by Queen Victoria and the ministry. The court of Calcutta and Simla is far more magnificent thanthat of St. James or any other European power. The viceroy and vicereine alike rank as Imperial sovereigns to countless mil lions of people In the far tust. The vicereine is a modern Queen of Sheba. In reality she bows to but one other woman, Queen Victoria. Rightly or wrongly, Simla believes England fails to realize the imperial importance and grand magnificence of the viceroy of India. His actual stipend is 20,000 rupees a month, his allowances countless. The pay of a viceroy Is five times greater than the pay of a prime minister In England. The viceroy of India rules 300,000,000 men. His sway extends from the shores of Arabia to the borders of western China. Persia is on his frontier, nnd restless Afghan istan, savage Thibet and uncertain Slam on his borders. Weak officials are a constant trouble to him. Russia, with hungry glare, looks down from the north, eager to mark his smallest fault. France, Jealous of her far eastern reputation, keeps a watch to the south for the least occa sion of offense. The viceroy of India rules over 300, 000,000 men. The population of the British isles is, say 40,000,000, of the United States 70,000,000, so this mod ern king of Hlndostan has the power of life and death over people numbering almost thrice the total population of the two great nations of the Anglo Saxon blood. The golden howdah and earth-shaking elephant play but a little part nowa days In viceregal pageantry, but let It not be supposed his magnificence has departed. The viceroy rushes across his vast dominions in a private train, which is nothing more or less sumptu ously appointed than a palace. Where the train halts barbaric splendor waits their excellencies. All that wealth can supply, alt thnt Oriental taste can suggest to render their visit a brilliant and noteworthy pageant is presented and the night Is made brighter than day with the illuminations. The Indian mall tonight brought a most interesting letter on this possibil ity of an American queen for India, From the United Service club of India, one of the old-timers in the Indian ser vice writes under date of July 6: "The next viceroy is the question of the hour. All agree that the next rulei must be a strong man, a man of affairs who can keep a level head in a crisis. But another point on which all opin ions coincide remarkably touches th personality of the viceroy's consort. "We don't talk of this too seriously, because for some occult reason White hall deems It a matter of no Import ance. Goodness knows why. Whj should a mere man all suffice as a rep resentative of the queen-empress ol India and no notice be taken of the woman who must preside over the vice regal courts of Calcutta and Simla. "I might dilate on the Importance ol her being a grande dame who can en tertain regally, who can enter joyously into the life of our society, give It tope and set the fashion in all things both great and small. These matters to English readero may sound IHvJalltlcs They are not. They make for the peace and prosperity of the empire. But the fact on which I would lay special stress la the sacred reverence in which the womanhood of the queen empress is held by the princes and people of India. This divine womanhood can only be fitly represented by a woman, and I and many more who think with me desire to see the new viceroy accom panied by a vicereine beautiful, gra. clous and accomplished; one who will place all her gifts, all her talents un reservedly at the service of India. "Mrs. Curzon Is an American woman wealthy, accomplished, charming. Anglo-Indians pride themselves on their freedom from insular prejudice, and we should accord the warmest of welcomes to an American vicereine. Two days ago it was Independence day one heard the wish expressed on all sides that the day might be signalized by a great American victory. So It had been, though we wrongly anticipated victory bv land and not bv sea. .J- 1 r V Y