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About The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 1886)
, * NEWS AND NOTES. -i Record-of ProceedingslmJJotli Branchel of the U. 8. Congress. SENATE. Tn tho senate on tho 5th tho following bills were introduced : By Mr. Miller To increase the pension for loss of both arms or both legs , or the sight of both eyes , or other injuries resulting in total helplessness. 3y Mr. Jackson To define and regulate the jurisdiction of the courts of the United States. By Manderson Pro viding thnt privates and non-commissioned officers who have served thirteen years fiay be placed on the retired list , with 75 'ttfr ccnfc ° * t-ne'r PaP a tho time of retire- VBent , and further providing that persons who have been honorably discharged alter thirty years' service shall be included in its provisions. The Utah bill wnfe briefly con sidered and laid aside. A message was re ceived from the president transmitting a draft of a bill to provide for the allotment of lands in severally to Indians. Mr. Teller introduced a bill to provide for the compulsory education of Indian children. It authorizes the secretary of the interior to take any Indian children between the ages of 8 and 18 who belong to tribes re ceiving annuities from the United States and place them in government schools for the education of Indians , to bo kept there lor five years. This is not to apply , how ever , to the five civilized tribes , and not to the Osage Indians of Ind'an ' territory. The secretary is authorized to withhold rations and annuities from parents who refuse to comply with these provisions. All such' schools are to be manual labor schools , and to include the teaching of agriculture and stock raising to boys , and housework to girls HOUSE. In the house , after 'reading of the journal the Hoar presidential succes sion bill and the senate resolution propos ing certain joint rules were referred to ap propriate committees. Mr. Blair intro duced a bill declaring forfeited lands granted to railroads on which the cost of surveying and conveying has not been made ; also , to prevent acquisition of prop erty by aliens ; also , to increase the effi ciency of the infantry branch of the army ; also , a resolution calling on the commis sioner of the general land office for infor mation concerning the suspension of the issuance of patents to lands taken by set tlers pursuant to law. Bills were intro duced for the erection of public buildings at Beatriceand Hastings , Nebraska. Mr. Laird introduced a jointresolution author izing thepresident to callouttwo volunteer regiments of cavalry in the territories of New Mexico and Arizona , to be enlisted and officered from citizens of such territo ries , for the suppression of hostilities therein ; also , a joint resolution instructing the commissioner general of the land office to pass to patent all pending homestead and pre-emption claims against which a specific charge of fraud is not pending or proved , and also calling on such officer for & statement in detail of the reason for issu ing his order of April 3d suspending the issuance of patents ; also , a bill to estab lish a soldiers' homo in Nebraska , Iowa , Wisconsin or Minnesota. SENATE. The chair laid before the senate a letter from the postmaster general com plying \ \ ith the call of a recent senate reso lution in respect to the appointment of postmasters in Maine , alleged to have been procured through the influence of S. S. Brown , chairman of the democratic com mittee of that state. Referred to the com mittee on civil service reform. The senate -A then took up the Utah bill , the pending question being to strike out the section that would disfranchise the women of Utah. The motion was rejected yeas 11 , nays 31. The section disfranchising women re mains. therefore , a part of the bill. An amendment proposed by Edmunds was agreed to. providing that marriages within , but not including , the fourth degree of con sanguinity , should be deemed incestuous and punishable by imprisonment. Van Wyck offered an amendment dispensing with the Utah commission , so-called. Re jected. Further consideration of the bill was then postponed. Senator Van Wyck offered a petition of the national labor league praying that Lieut. Gen. Phillip Sheridan be made a full general. He asked that it be printed in the Record and also be referred to the committee on military affairs. So ordered. HOUSE. Bills were introduced : By Seney , of Ohio To repeal the civil service law. By Wilkins. of Ohio To provide for the issue of circulating notes to national banking associations. The speaker laid before the house the senate joint resolution tendering the thanks of congress to the gov ernor of Ohio for a statue of 'James A. Gar- field , and accepting the same. There were 882 bills introduced to-day. During the greater part of the day Speaker Carlisle was absent from the chamber , tho chair being occupied b ; Springer or Wellfern , and the impression" as that the speaker was en r gaged in the final revision of his committee list. list.SENATE. . The resolution offered by Sena tor Manderson was agreed to , calling on the secretary of the interior for information as to whether any surveys of public land had been made within the last two years in Ne K braska ; whether there are any unsurveyed public lands in that state ; what recom mendations have been made within the last three years by the surveyor-general of that district as to the continuance of said office and whether it is advisable to discon tinue the office of surveyor-general. Utah bill came up and Senator Morgan ad dressed the senate in support o ! an amend ment offered by him providing for the dispo sal of the prop'erty of the Mormon church according to the rules and principles of common law as in the case of the dissolu- lutionof a corporation. "Hefelt , " hesaid , "that we ought to strike the Mormon church organization out of existence. " Senator Voorhees sent to thedeskvand had the cleric read a telegram from Salt Lake City which , he said , in justice to the Utah commissioners , ought to be read. It was a dispatch from the Hon. A. S. Paddock , say ing : "Van Wyck is mistaken about the clerks of the commission. The average permanent clerks from the beginning to date do not exceed three , possibly four , in cluding a temporary clerk. Only one clerk , is now employed. " Senator Van Wyck thought it extraordinary that the commis sion did not know how many clerks it had. He did not like that expression , "three , possibly four. " Perhaps if they employed another clerk they could probably find out exactly how many clerks they had. ( Laugh ter. ) Taking into account the distance , and allowing for the mistakes of the tele graph , he guessed it wjould turn out after all that they had about the number of clerks he had stated , namely six. ( Great laughter. ) Without concluding considera tion of the bill the senate adjourned. HOUSE. Bills were introduced : To repeal the internal revenue tax on tobacco. To levy a tax on oleomargarine and collect the same through the internal revenue bureau. Calling on the secretary of the interior for copies of the correspondence between his department and the governor of Arizona on Indian matters. For the admission of the "State of Dakota ; " also , for the ap pointment of two additional justices of the supreme court in Dakota. For the ap pointment of an additional justice of the supreme court of Idaho. For the admis sion of the "state of Washington ; " also to forfeit the unearned Northern Pacific land grant ; also to secure a more eTllcient civil service reform. For the construction of the Henepin Carinl. To establish a depart ment of commerce. To prevent the sales of Pacific railroads before certain United States bonds , with interest , shall have been , fully paid. For tho erection of public build ings at Ushkosh , Milwaukee , Superior , and Eau Claire , Wis. and Fremont , Neb. HEN ATE. The Utah bill was taken up and quickly brought to vote. While the bill was on the final passageMr. . Van Wyck attempted to fix the duties of the proposed fourteen trustees upon the members of the present Utah commission , but was ruled out of order. Ho asked Mr. Edmunds whether ho had any objection to such an amendment , to which the senator answered that he was. The bill then passed yeas J8' nays 7. The nays were Messrs. Blair , Call , Gibson , Hampton , Hoar. Morgan and Vance. Mr. Hoar , explaining his vote , said he voted against the bill only because of the section disfranchising women , but even with that section in he would have voted for the bill had his vote been necessary to its passage. THE DOLLARS OF OUR DADDIES. Ex-Congressman Horr Thinlts tlte Number of Them in Circulation Has a Suspicious LooJt. Washington special : Ex-Congressman Horr has given out some very sensational theories on tho silver question. He takes for a text the statements in the president's message and the last report of the secre tary oe the treasury , that only about 50,000,000 silver dollars are in circulation in the United States. This is an average of less than ? 1 apiece for the total number of people in the country. But , says Mr. Horr , it cannot be possible that there are only as many dollars in circulation-aa there are thrust upon you constantly in making change. From observation and inquiry , Mr. Horr concludes that there are at least 100,000,000 silver dollars in cir culation , and perhaps 200,000,000 , not withstanding that of the § 215,000,000 manufactured by tho government since 1878 all but $50,000,000 are piled up in the treasury vaults. Having proved to his own satisfaction that there are a great many more silver dollars afloat than the government has sent out , Mr. Horr next looks around to see where the extra dollars came from. He can account for their existence in only one way. Somewhere in the country there must be crooked mints at work like the crooked whisky stills in the mountains of Tennessee that is , private parties have established secret mintswhere millions of silver dollars exactly like tho dollar made at the government mints and worth exactly as much , as being made unlawfnlly and then put in circulation. Nobody can tell the difference between tho straight dollar and the crooked dollar , sim ply because there is no difference. The in ducement to run illicit mints lies in the fact that the Bland dollar contains only 80 cents worth of silver , leaving 20 cents mar gin for cost of making and profit. All this is a very pretty theory. A super ficial observation might lead one to the conclusion that there are a good many more dollars than people abroad in the land. But a close examination shows that it is unlikely. Let the assistant treasurer of the United States testify. "So Horr thinks he has found a mare's nest , does he ? " says the assistant treas . ' 'Well I think his urer , jocosely. , strange conclusions altogether unfounded. Fifty million silver dollars make a big showing in the country , notwithstanding that it is an average of less than a dollar apiece for the population. Just consider how many farmers , mechanics and laborers at any given time have no silver dollar , to say nothing about the women and children. Besides , money circulates so rapidly that the same dollar may be found in twenty different places on the same day. The mere fact that silver dollars are so plenty at the banks and in the tills of merchants does not prove that there are any more in circu lation than the treasury books show. " Now let us inquire if the director and other officials of the bureau of the United States mint about Mr. Horr's second theory , that standard dollars containing 80 cents worth of silver can be profitably manufactured at private , illicit mints. We learn that the process of coining silver dol lars is costly and intricate. The plant cost many thousand dollars. Imitations of the silver dollar , made of soft , base metal , can be cast in moulds. But silver is too hard , and standard dollars can be made only as the government makes them , by the use of rolling , cutting , stamping and milling ma chines. Only a skillful assayer can prepare the alloy properly. Evidently no private mint can dc tho work more cheaply than the United States mints , and the cost of coinage at the Carson City mint last year was over 9 cents for each dollar. It would almost certainly cest more than a dollar apiece , even after theplantwasestablished , to buy the silver and other metal for the alloy and coin standard dollars in secret mints. PERSONAL AND IMPERSONAL. Gertie EeVin , a Pennsylvania girl of 10 years , sent President Cleveland a Christ mas turkey. Senator Hawley recently paid a bill of § 10 for 1m own schoolin6 when a boy in North Carolina. Adelaide Rudolph , a niece of Mrs. Gar- field , has been elected Latin professor of the Kansas state university. The cost of King Milan's dagger and bul let-proof case was $250. He would like to trade it off for a cat and then shoot the cat. Mr. Parnell probably receives the largest mail and sends the fewest rep/ies of any similar conspicuous politician in the world. Roscoo Conkling is said to give annually much legal advice to poor women in dis tress and to give frequently large sums ol more material assistance. Chauncey Depew says that Mr. Vander- bilt was often in need of small change. II gets to be irksome for real rich men to run their hands into their trowsers' pockets , too. too.Mr. Mr. Tennyson again causes his publishers to announce through the London Times that he cannot answer the "innumerable letters" that reach him ; nor can he under take to "return or criticise the manuscripts sent to him. " An Arkansas school teacher , John T. Mortonwho happens to bp a colored man , has passed an excellent examination undei the civil service rules , and the clerks of the postoffice department are agitated over hit probable appointment. George William Curtis says of Parnell "He is , indeed , an uncrowned king , and should he die there is no one to take up hii sceptre. No fabulous monarch of Tara'i Hall , no lord of the round towers , no wile Celtic chieltain was so powerful a ruler. " . DAKOTA'S SENATORS. Ex-Chief Justice and Senator-elect Edger- ton , Gov. Mellette and Congressmen-elect Knnouse arrived in Washington on the 8th and were met by Senator-elect Moody. They held an informal reception in their rooms during tho evening. They are confi dent that Dakota will be admitted at this session. The two senators will call , with the Dakota delegation in the city , to pay their respects to the president. On" the 13th , Senator Harrison's report on the ad mission of Dakota will be submitted , and it is expected that tho Dakota senators will be admitted to seats on the floor of the senate pending the admission of the territory. MSeaass THE PENNSYLVANIA FLOODS. More Buildlngs'Caee in at Boston 'JRim. Shenandoah ( Pa. ) dispatch : The excite- , ment at Boston Run , where a block of miners' houses were swallowed by Mine branch yesterday was renewed this after noon , when another large area of surface upon which are located eight blocks of houses , began to settle. The people fled from their houses in terror , leaving all their effects behind. The ground has settled about four feet and the houses are twisted out of all shape and are expected to give way at any moment. The bridge between Boston Run and tho village on the oppo site side of the valley has been swept by tho flood and it is only by along , circuitous route that the homeless people can convey their household goods to where they can find shelter. About twenty-four families have been driven out of their homes by the cave in. A Tamaqua ( Pa. ) dispatch says : The dain across Wabash creek at Reevesdale burst this morning. A passenger train from Pottsville was just opposite when it broke. The back-water struck the cars and ran into the heaters under them , caus ing a vast volume of steam to arise and envelope the entire train. The passengers were much frightened. Tho engine , how ever , escaped the flood and pulled the train safely through the water. The tracks of the Philadelphia and Reading were much washed and completely inundated , delay ing all trains. The burst was caused by the breaking of an old tunnel in an aban doned colliery. THE PENSION ATTORNEYS. Tliey Are at Their Old TrleJcs Again. A number of pension attorneys have de vised a new scheme by which to collect ad vance fees and notarial and other small expenses. Recently the second comptrol ler made a decision that $100 bounty was due a very small class who enlisted previous to July 22 , 1861. Soon after letters of in quiry , inclosing circulars of a number of Washington attorneys , began to pour in from all sections on tho second auditor's office asking whether the circulars were true. In , nearly all cases they were false , and were framed so as to induce'applica- tions from all soldiers who enlisted during the first three years of the war. The fol lowing is a specimen : Dear Sir : By a recent decision of the second comptroller you are entitled to $100 bounty , provided you have not re ceived it , and enlisted prior to December 24 , 1863. Claims arising under this de- cis5om\ill be adjudicated in the order in which they are presented , hence an early reply to this letter will be to your best in terests. Please send me the names and postoflice addresses of all officers or their heirs that you can. All who receive such circulars will save themselves from being swindled , if they will note that not a solitary case falls under the decision to which reference is made in these circulars where .the enlistments took place after July 22. 18G1. PROGRESS OF THE ROCK ISLAND. The report has been confirmed that the Itock Island road has decided upon an importr ant addition to its system , namely , an exten sion of its main line into Kansas , and the con struction of short lines from Larkin , Atchison and St. Joseph , so as to make riwer connec tions at those two points. The number of miles of new trunk line projected is about 400. The extension will be virtually a complete line , and in its charter , which places the capital stock at $15,000,000 , the company is named the Chicago , Kansas & Nebraska. The above is regarded as highly important , as it will put the Rock Island road in competition with all the bice lines west of the Missouri. Sappy on the Anniversary. Emperor William has issued an order re specting the twenty-filth anniversary of his succession to the Prussian throne , in which he says : ' 'What touches mo most is the unshaken confidence of my people in me , and their faithful and unaltered affection. " His majesty returns thanks for the numer ous expression of attachment and venera tion for him , not only from all parts of Germany but from places far beyond the German frontiers , wherever the German language is spoken. HE BLAMES IT TO POKER. J. H. Me3"ers , teller of the Pullman na tional bank at Pullman , 111. , was arrested for cmbez/lemcnt. He was suspected some weeks ago , and Mr. Pullman engaged Maj. Brticklcy. a New York expert accountant , to go through Myers' accounts to quietly see what the shortage was. The expert found a discrepancy of several thousand tlollars. Meyers was confronted with the figures and confessed , but said he could fix it up. He was given a chance , but when lie was discovered starting his wife and child to Canada was arrested. Poker s cause. THE MARKETS. OMAHA. WHEAT No. 2 . BARLEY No. 2 . RYE No. 2 . COICN No. 2 mixed . OATS No. 2 . BUTTER Fancy creamery. . BUTTER Choice roll . EGGS Fresh . CHICKENS Dressed per Ib. . . TURKEYS Dressed per Ib. . . . DUCKS Dressed per Ib . GEESC Dressed per Ib . LEMONS Choice . 6 APPLES Choice . 3 ORANUES Mesina . 4 BEANS Navys . 1 ONIONS Per bushel . POTATOES Per bushel . GREEN APPLES Per bbl. . . . 2 SEEDS Timothy . 2 SEEDS Blue Grass . 1 HAY Baled , per ton . 5 HAY In bulk . G HOGS Mixed packing . 3 BEEVES Butchers . 3 NEW YORK. WHEAT No. 2 red . 02 WHEAT Ungraded red . 75 CORN No. 2 . 48 OATS Mixed western . 34 PORK . 9 87M LAKD . 6 30 CHICAGO. FLOOR Choice winter . 440 @ 485 FLOUR Spring extra . 3 70 @ 4 00 WHEAT Perbushel . 82 % @ CORN Per bushel . 36J @ OATS Per bushel . 28 @ PORK. . 10 05 1007 LARD . 6 00 G02M ' Hoas Packing feshipping. 3 80 410' CATTLE Stockers . 2 50 415 SUEEP Medium to good. . . . 220 360 ST. LOUIS. WHEAT No. 2 red . 9.3 CORN Perbushel . 32 % ® 33 OATS Per bushel . 27 2SJ HOGS Mixed packing . 3 GO 380 CATTLE Stockers& feeders 250 390 SHEEP Common to choice 2 50 350 KANSAS CITY. WHEAT Perbushel . 71X CORN Per bushel . 27 OATS Per bushel . 25 2Gtf CATTLE Exports . 5 00 525 HOGS Good to choice * . . . . . . 3 80 400 SHEEP Common to good. . 1 00 300 FAEM MANAGrEMENT. The Part Which OxenHave Play- erlin the Development of the Country. The Influence of Agricultural Litera ture on the Production of Drops anfl Animals , Tlio Patient Ox. To the ox the credit of subduing the soil in all the eastern and many of the southern states must be given. Oxen not only plowed'and harrowed the land , but they drew the stones for the erection of walls , the lumber employed in the construction of fences and build ings , and the fuel wanted for warming houses. They hauled all the crops to market and did the teaming of the coun try. They also made the roads'and kept them in a condition for travel dur ing the winter. Many of the early set tlers of all the western states and terri tories reached their destinations by the aid of ox teams. Good teams they were. They were not quick , but they were sure-footed and very strong. They " "drew heavy loads over places where horses would not go or where it was very dangerous for them to pass. At night they were released from their yolk , and were allowed no food but the wild grass the prairie afforded. Still they kept in fair condition and often performed a journey of a thousand miles without accident. After a rest for a week they were often put to "breaking prairie , " for which work they are better fitted than any kind of draft animals. Oxen have "been the making" of most , parts of the country. They aided in building towns as well as in improving farms. They hauled logs to saw-mills and the stone from quarries. In those old days the ox was used for all sorts of labor and the horse was em ployed for promoting pleasure. Until about the period of the break ing out of ' the civil war oxen performed most of 'the work on farms. Then several circumstances combined to cause horses to be substituted. There was a demand for all the grain crops that could be produced. As. horses were quicker than oxen they were pre ferred. As so many men joined the army , machines operated by horses were employed for sowing small grain , planting corn , cultivating various crops , cutting grass , and harvesting grain. About the time of the close of the war there were large importations of heavy draft horses from Scotland , England , and France , and their crosses were em ployed for doing work on farms. Farm ers who had become wealthy during the war generally kept fine teams , mostly for pleasure. Soon the disposition to. use horses exclusively for doing farm work became general in the northern states. The few farmers who continued to use oxen were regarded by their neighbors as old-fashioned , "slow-go ing , " and behind the times. The own ers of small farms were obliged to keep a team of horses , and in many cases they had not a sufficient amount of work to do tomake it profitable to keep an ox team in addition. Horses were ac cordingly put to work at the plow and used for drawing stone , manure , and building materials , though oxen would have done the work quite as well , and would have been much cheaper to keep. It is likely that the horse will always retain its place on most farms for do ing work that requires speed. Horses will continue to plow old ground , to prepare it for seeding , to cultivate growing crops , and to draw the har vester , mower and rake. For many kinds of farm work , however , oxen are superior to horses. They are better for plowing uneven , hilly , rocky , and swampy ground. Oxen"are not as ex citable as horses and will pull steadier. They will go over stonesaround stumps , and through boggy places better than horses. For hauling out manure , draw ing a stone-boat , and hauling hay they are better than horses. For breaking sod and for plowing very heavy old ground they are at least as good as any team of horses. On a farm on which a hundred head of cattle are kept it will pay to have -good ox team for no other purpose than to haul manure from the stable to the fields. An ox cart is better than a wagon for this pur pose , as it is easier to throw the load from it. Most large farmers now prac tice drawing manure from their barns and stables as fast as it is made , instead of allowing it to accumulate. For drawing wood , coal , and fencing , espe cially when the roads are in bad condi tion , a team of oxen is better than one of horses. They are less likely to be injured , will draw heavier loads , and will make quite as good time. It costs much less to raise a pair of oxen than one of horses , and the cost of their feed , care , and shelter is less. Yokes are much cheaper than har nesses , and will last much longer. A horse that has become slow on account of age is of no value to the owner. The ox , however , can be converted into good beef and sold at a fair price. Oxen can be trained to walk or to draw a plow as fast horses. If fed as well as horses are they will move as fast in the field as the plowman cares to walk. During very long journeys oxen will make as many miles in a given time as horses , and at the end of it will be in better condition. The art of training steers to walk rapidly , to plow a straight furrow , and to obey the voice of the driver was practiced by farmers a few years ago , and brought to a high degree of per fection. It is an art worth reviving at a time when it is necessary to practice farm economy. The majority of young farmers do not know how useful oxen may be made. The Devon , which is to other cattle what the Arab horse is to ordinary horses , is capable of being made a most useful draft animal. It combines docility with strength , beauty , and quietness. For any kind of work requiring a speed no faster than a walk it is the equal of the ordinary farm horse. Agricultural Heading Clubs. It has often been remarked that farm ers are not a reading class , and that they derive less information from books and periodicals than persons engaged in most other pursuits. This statement is undoubtedly true. It is also true that many farmers have a prejudice against what they are.pleased to call ' book- ' and " . " fanning1' "newspaper farming. They think that everything pertaining to agriculture , horticulture and stock- raising should be learned by experience. It is certain , however , that every branch of husbandry in ancient or modern times has been best developed in coun tries that produced the most agricultur al literature. Home surpassed all tho nations of antiquity in agriculture , hor ticulture , stock raising , and the produc tion of fowl and fish. It also surpassed all the nations of antiquity in tho pro duction of works on these subjects. The most learned and gifted of the Latin authors wrote on different branches of husbandry , and some of them , like Vir gil , produced finished poetical composi tions on these subjects. There is good reason for believing that these works were productions of much good not only in Italy , but in all the countries in Europe and Asia that were conquered and colonized by the Komans. The great improvements in British agriculture commenced after the publi cation of the works of Mechi , Lawes , and Guilbert. The reports of the Eoyal Agricultural society have exerted a great intluence on the agriculture of Great Britain. All the great London dailies devote much space to accounts of im provement in the management of farms , the introduction of new crops , the pro duction of fruit , the destruction of in sects and the breeding of domestic ani mals. Most of the recent improve ments in agriculture , horticulture , stock- breeding and dairying in this country have been the result of publications on these subjects. Many who have never read these publications have derived great benefit from them in an indirect manner. They have followed the ex ample of the men who followed the teachings of the authors of books. If one man in every county reads a new and valuable work on any department of husbandry , all the farmers in the county will be likely to derive benefit from it. They will visit his farm or see his dis play at the county fair , and will come to adopt his methods. It is certain that many of the works on agriculture , horticulture , and stock- raising published iii this country have been of little value. Their merits or demerits were very well portrayed by Artemus Ward , Mark Twain , and Josh Billings. Still it is true that we have had many admirable pablications on these subjects. It is to be regretted that the price of most of these works is very high when compared with that of works of the same size that are devoted to other subjects. It is stated by the publishers that these books have a some what limited sale , and that a long time is required to dispose of an edition. Farmers have more time to read works on the business in which they are engag ed than most persons have. They can devote nearly all the winter season to reading and stud } ' . It is likely that the time devoted to books would result in as freat profit as that spent in hard work , number of farmers in the same neigh borhood could effect a great saving in the matter of buying books by organiz ing a reading club. A discount will be made in the price of books when sever al are bought at the same time. The books purchased by the club can be owned in common , and form a library open to the members , or each member can own the book or books he pays for. The latter plan has some advantages , as the books retained at home can be used for reference. The club can meet at the houses of the members as often as is pleasant and profitable and is consistent with thei other engagements. One chapter or a certain number of pages can be read and discussed at each meeting. It is sometimes advantageous to read several books on the same subject in succession , so that an extensive knowledge of it may be acquired. Sometimes it is best to read all that several authors have written on some subject before com mencing any new matter. It is not ad visable to attempt to go over too much ground in the course of one winter. The subject of the breeding , general care , and fattening of animals could be made to profitably employ the time of a club during one entire winter. The planting , cultivating , and harvesting of field crops could engage the attention of the club during another winter , Gar den management , a subject generally neglected by western farmers , might be taken up with great profit. Farmers' club organized for reading and study are promotive of intelligence , refine ment , and good neighborly feeling. Their value is not to be entirely restrict ed to an increase of crops , Hocks , and herds. They serve to improve the in tellect as we'll as the soil and the ani mals it supports. Chicago Times. AEesult of Education. Jim Webster was heard calling across the fence to a neighbor's" , a colored vouth , who goes to school on Robinson lull. "Look hyar , boy , you goes to school , don't yer ? " "Yes , sir , " replied the boy. "Gettin' eddvkasun , aint vcr ? " "Yes , sir. " "Learnin' 'rithmetic and figurin' on a slate , eh ? " "Yes , sir. " "Well it doesn't take two whole days to make an hour , do it ? " "Why no ! " exclaimed the boy. "You was gwine ter bring dat hatch et back in an hour , wasn't yer ? " "Yes , sir. " "An' its been two whole days since you borrowed. Now what good's eddykasun gwine ter do you , when you go to school a whole yar an den can't tell how long it takes to fetch back a hatchet. " The boy got mad , and slung the liatchet over the fence and half way through the ash barrell. Texas Sift- ings. Quintessence of Snobbery. There is a good deal of shallow , silly nonsense about the ambitious embryo society snob of the present day , as may be illustrated by a remark made by one of them not'long ago. "Oh , dear me , " he said , "I never go to the theater , because the best seats in the house are only $1. I don't care if the perform ance is the best in town , I couldn't think of going , because , you see , any body can aflord to spend $1 , and I should never know what sort of a per son was sitting beside me. " Here cer tainly was the quintessence of idiotic snobbery. Philadelphia Bulletin. f ; . A TALK ABOUT REPTILES. How Some Fgretcll tno "Weather Peculiarities of tho Chameleon "What to po If Bitten by a Snake. Yesterday , before the Parker Memo rial Science Class , Mr. Samuel Garman talked about "Reptiles and Batrach- "ians. " He brought to the class room a variety of specimens and very court eously answered a multitude of ques tions , thereby destroying some of the popular opinions concerning the ani mals of which he has made a special study. He first referred to the table , which he had placed on the blackboard , and said that in the Devonian period fishes appeared. Some say they ap peared in the Silurian. The ancestors of the present batrachians toads , frogs and salamander appeared in the sub- carboniferous time , while the croco dile appeared in tho Triassic , and the turtle in the Jurassic. In the Permian lizards appeared and were numerous in the Triassic. Two birds , supposed to be ancestors of the birds proper , ap peared in tho Cretaceous. The land turtle was selected from among tho specimens , and a slight explanation of its structure was given. It is a lung- breathing animal , and undergoes no transformation. Tho sea turtle's toes are united in the form of a paddle. It makes lon < voyages , sometimes cross ing the Atlantic. The sea turtles are immense , some of them attaining a weight of 1,200 pounds. They graze on the grasses at the bottom of the sea. Crocodiles are represented by alliga tors. Their tales are used for swim ming , and their legs aid in lifting them out of the mud. They build nests of leaves and vegatation before it has be gun to decay ; a layer of eggs , a layer of vegetation. The heat of the vegetation hatches the eggs. The crocodile differs from the alligator by having no long separation between the nostrils. It has a valve in the throat for keeping out water. The crocodiles of the Nile and of the Ganges are most dangerous. called cold-blooded be Alligators are - , cause of their inability to develop much heat in their bodies. Lizards are very nearly the shape of crocodiles , and are covered with a skin which has a semblance of scales , not like the scales of a fish. A specimen of the house lizard was shown. This liz ard is found in Asia , Africa , South America and in other countries , but not in the United States. It is useful in destroying vermin , and can easily climb walls. It lays its eggs under rafters , in the thatches and under leaves. It is a mistake to think of scorpions as very poisonous ; they are a little venomous. Bird spiders are somewhat venomous. Large toads , which have been called poisonous , have no venom. Among all the lizards there is only one , a Mexican , which is venomous , and there is some doubt of him. Most of these animals , when irritated excrete a venomous saliva , and even frogs will attempt to bite when troubled. Toads can tell the weather better than the weather bureau. When it is dry they go down into the ground for moisture ; in damp weather they come out of the ground. Lizards stow themselves away when the sun goes under a cloud , and at such times turtles will hide. A real chameleon was next exhibited. The tail of this animal is prehensile ; the toes are divided into groups two on one side , three on the other side of his leg. He is able to take on every color on which he alights. The pig ment underneath the skin enables him to make the changes , which are made by the expansion of the lungs , or by rays from the sun striking him , or other causes. Fear will spot him all over. A Hying lizard was shown. It has ribs ex tending out , covered with a membrane and forms a parachute ( not like the winged lizard , which has become ex tinct. ) This lloats in the air. The lit tle Florida lizard or scorpion ( incorrect ly called chameleon ) was exhibited. Some lizards are bipeds. The animal commonly called the glass snake is re ally a lizard. Its jaws are tied together so it cannot expand them. The tail is fragile , and may be broken up to the body , then another tail grows. A spec imen , which had a new tail , was shown. Snakes are divided into four groups worm snakes , non-venomous , poison ous , and clawed snakes. Then there is a sub-division those living on the ground , those that climb trees , and tnose that live in the water. The real sea serpent is extinct. A rattlesnake was shown and its characteristics dwelt upon. The rattlesnake sounds his rattle as a warning of his approach , but will not attack unless driven by fear to protect himself. He usually coils himself and strikes. But he some"- times strikes four or five times in suc cession without coiling. After a few strokes the venom is exTiausted , and the snake has to wait for two or three hoars for a fresh supply. Snakes are timid , , and not aggressive. The cobru is said to be aggressive , and is the most deadly of all. An action of the h'mphatics in a case of poisoning is all important. Venom has no effect upon the digestive organs , but works in the blood. Mr. Garman said if he were bitten on the finger , and had no sore in his mouth or on his lips , he would suck out the poi son rapidly spitting out the saliva , not swallowing any : tie a string tightly at the base of the finger , another at"the wrist , and another on the arm below the elbow and possibly one above the elbow. He thought he would cauterize the wound. He recommend ed freely bathing the wound and drink ing a few drops of ammonia in water. Before ending his talk lie showed a salmander , and said they don't stand fire at all. Boston Transcript. The Editor's Revenge. Kentucky State Journal : Run around and see how old Blowhardisnow , " eaid the editor to the office boy. "We zflay get him yet for to-day's issue , " Boy geis back. "Well , is he dead yet ? " "No ; the doctor was there , and he said he was getting better. " "I don't believe a word of it. The old rascal never did like our paper , and he is-holding off to die until after we issue , so the morning papers will get the news first. Til fix him. I'll sus pend publication for a few hours and see if I can't beat the oldson-of-a-gun. " It Is estimated that there are now in Arizona 650,000 head of cattle , or an Increase since last year of cer 25 per cent.