The Falls City tribune. (Falls City, Neb.) 1904-191?, September 23, 1910, Image 5
WHAT cq 1 OF WATE.Y.VAYd liY.PAOVE MENT MEANS TO FARMERS. FIGURES TO SUPPORT FACTS On Shipments cf Grim Alone the Di retii Return We L id Mein M1 " NC'O, CCO, and Proportionately All Other Products Would 3e Affected. in a former article we gave facts and figures to prove tint, if tl>e e unpre heusive plan of waterway improve ment advocated by the National Riv ers and Harbors congress were car ried out, the direct return to the fann ers of the country, on the t ingle item of grain, would certainly bo $t00,000, 000 a year—and probabiy would be more than twice that sum. But grain is not the only item on which th$ farmers would receive a benefit. The fact is that for the farm ers—and everybody el»e, for that mat ter—the cost rjf transportation influ ences practically everything he buys, sells, eats, wears or uses in any way whatever, except water, air and sun shine. The average man is Inclined to laugh when told that he pays out more for transportation than he does for taxes or because of the tariff—but his laughter does not alter the fact in the least. There are three principal methods of transportation, the wagonway, the railway and the waterway, and there Is so great a difference In the cost of transportation by these different meth ods that It is worth while to study the matter a little. The experts of the good roads bureau estimate the cost of hauling a ton of freight one mile by horse and wagon on the average road in tlfe United States at 25 cents. The cost on a thoroughly good, smooth road might be reduced to 10 cents. Poor's Manual gives 7.82 mills per ton mile as the average price received by the railways in 1907, while the official records kept at. the Soo show that, the average rate on the freight carried into and out of Lake Superior in the same year was only .8 of one mill. Facts in a Nutshell. You can better understand what these figures mean if they are stated in another way. They mean that if you have a dollar to spend in shipping a ton of freight you can send it 4 miles on an average road, 10 miles on a first-class road, 127% miles on a rail road, and 1.250 miles on a lake vessel. It is very easy to see that good roads are a lot better than poor roads but that transportation by horse and wagon is too costly at the best to be used except for small loads and short distances. So far as interstate traffic is concerned the wagon road must be left entirely out of consideration. It is just as easy to see what a great benefit would result from the building of a railway into a region* where there was none before, and that a still greater benefit would result from so improving a river that it is made dependably navigable when it was not so before. Waterways increase prosperity in three principal ways, viz: direct sav ing. indirect saving, and by what may be called a creative effect. The direct saving is that which occurs on goods actually carried by water, and some facts which indicate how great this di rect saving is, will also make more plain the vast difference between the cost of transportation by rail and by water. Through the Soo canal at the out let of Lake Superior there were car ried in 1907, 58,217,214 tons of freight. This was carried an peerage distance of 828.3 miles at an average cost of .8 of one mill per ton-mile. If this had been shipped by rail at the aver age railway rate for that year (7.82 mills), its transportation would have cost $338,633,304 more than was paid for its carriage by water. The total freight carried on all lakes that year was, in round num bers, 100,000,000 tons. This vast ton nage was carried for $550,000,000 less than it would have cost to send it by rail, and the improvements, which pro duce a saving large enough to pay off the national debt in less than two years, cost only $S5,OOQ,000. Proof of Good Results. Wouldn’t you call that a pretty fair dividend on the investment? And don’t you think it would pay to improve all our waterways as fast and as far as we can? "But,” says some one, “what reason is there to suppose that improved riv ers would give anything like as good results as have been obtained on the lakes?” That is a proper question and is entitled to an answer. The only waterway in this country which has been improved as a whole is composed of the four lakes above Niagara Falls, but there are many im proved rivers in Europe. From a care ful study of the results obtained on these rivers the army engineers esti mate that when the improvement of the Ohio river is finished, freight can be carried thereon for one-half mill per ton-mile. That means that the dollar which will carry a ton 127Vi miles by rail and 1.250 miles by lake, will carry it £.000 miles by river. Cost of transportation will vary on different rivers with depyi, width, swiftness of current, etc., but the es timated cost on a completely improved Ohio river can be Increased by 00 per cent, before it will equal tho average cost on the lakes in 1007. and there is still a margin of nearly 400 per cent, before you reach b rate one-haif as high as that by rail. It will pay to Improve our rivers. IMPROVEMENT OF NATION’S WA TERWAYS OF INTEREST TO EVERY CITIZEN. / VITAL FACTS ARE PRESENTED Cost of Getting Gra:n to Market Mate rially Reduced Through Shipment by Water—Benefits Distributed All Over the Country. You may not know it—you probably don't—but it is a matter of importance to you whether the waterways of the United States are improved or not— and this is true no matter who you are, what your business is, or what part of the country you live in. It may lie that you are a farmer and you tell me that it is nonsense to say that it can make any difference to you whether the waterways of the country are improved or not, because you live away out west, miles away from any river which is navigable now or' ever will be. Well, 1 admit that It Is not as easy to see as the grain elevator down at your railway station, but the benefit Is there just the same—a real, sure enough, dollars-and-cents benefit.' Wa terways have already been of tremen dous advantage to the farmers of the country and their further improve ment will put more money Into your pockets and those of your neighbors. Take grain for an illustration^ A large part of the grain raised 1n the country Is shipped away from the place where it Is grown, some for use in the eastern states and some for ex port to Europe. Under these condi tions the price of grain is not fixed at the nearest railway station. Your wheat, for Instance, Is worth just what It will bring in Liverpool—less the cost of getting it there. You can see at once that it makes a whole lot of difference to you how much it costs to send your grain to New York or Liverpool—and there's where the waterway comes in. Where Economy Comes In. In 1908 the average cost of carrying wheat from Chicago to Buffalo by lake was one cent a bushel, while the cost by rail to New York was 11.7 cents— almost twelve times as much, although the distance is the same. But grain which is to go all the way by water must be transferred to canal boats at Buffalo. Little canal boats drawn by mules cannot carry stuff as cheaply as big ships driven by steam, so the through rate by water was six cents a bushel, a little over half as much as by rail. For the twenty years end ing with 19u8 ilie water rate, on tho average, was lower than the rail rate by 0.2 cents a bushel. On the ship ments from Lake Superior the differ ence was greater still, since Duluth is less than 100 miles farther from New York than Chicago Is by water and nearly 500 miles farther by rail, but no comparative rates are published. The beneficial effects of the water way, through lowered cost of transpor tation, are not confined to. the grain shipped from cities on the lakes, but extend to practically all the grain produced. The total production of the five principal cereals—wheat, corn, oats, barley and rye—during the past 40 years, was over 120,0 -0.000,000 bushelR. If the average addition to the value of this vast volume of grain was five cents a bushel, and that seems a moderate figure in view of the facts stated above, the total is more than $0,000,000,000—nearly all of which has gone Into tiie pockets of the farmers. But while the beneficial effect, of the waterways extends to a surprising dis tance, a waterway close by exerts a very much more direct and powerful influence than one a long way off. If the Great Lakes and the Erie canal have Increased the value of grain all over the west, what do you suppose would happen if the Mississippi, Mis souri, Arkansas and Red rivers were so Improved that boats could run ev ery day In the year unless hindered by Ice? Money Needed for Work. The National Rivers and Harbors congress is working for the improve ment of the rivers, harbors and water ways in all parts of the United States. Chairman Alexander of the rivers and harbors committee, says that $339,000, 000 will complete every project which has been begun or has been recom mended by the army engineers. Five hundred million dollars would prob ably finish up all of these and all the new projects which will he surveyed and adopted within the next few years. The average annual production of the five principal cereals, which dur ing the last ten years has been 4,151, 000,000 bushels, has been steadily in creasing and will probably continue to increase for some time to come. The complete improvement of all our waterways would increase the value of every bushel of grain pro duced by at least five cents—my own opinion Is that it would be more than that, But let us be on the safe side. Sup pose we spend a billion dollars on waterways instead of a half-billion; suppose that the production of grain remains as it is Instead of increasing; and suppose that the price of grain is increased only 2% cents a bushel in stead of five. 1 Even so, with production stationary, the expense doubled and the benefit cut in half, the whole $1,000,000,000 would be returned in less than ten years in the increased price of grain alone. y¥W-'yAv:',^ ri *.< .»«* |™ i, i I i , f ’• H H • fj L fa ' ’ f v- / '?!►" V_/ t j\y , iioN-, » V'"'J > J i^ru (L. > - ML. IN I Nctu g In Tit' n.y Poising Pays Bet tv r—Better Results Obtaine.1 When 3!re i are (SbiViinet!. Nothing in turkey nrrult'cfbwi pnvr bett. ■ than F ••ri'ug'i t. • t<’■ • ?- and that. r a number of rearons. First more y< ini i are obtained, aud tliut at a minimum coat. Ft out lour to six pounds ltu y I e easily added to the weight of a s x meuths <d ! bird, nti.l these added 'minds, being mostly fat, are more cheaply made than simple flesh and bone. Second, belter prices are obtained. A plump, fat bird will bring more per pound titan a thin, lean one, and is in better demand, so that there is a double gain. Third, It is more gratifying. There is always a pleasant satisfaction in offering for sale something first class in every re spect—in knowing that one can and has produced something really good and worth while. To fatten a lot of turkeys properly it is necessary to begin some time In advance of the market for which they are to be prepared, writes Mrs. Millie Honaker in Wisconsin Agriculturist. This is especially true of young tur keys, not yet fully developed. For these fattening is also a rapid finish ing process whicli must round and fill them out and which takes considera ble time. For such a month to six weeks is none too long to feed with a view to putting into best marketing condition. Many turkey producers do not con fine their flock during the fattening period, but better results may usually be obtained by doing so, especially towards the last. However, for young birds which are to be simply forced for a time previous to actual fatten ing it is not necessary ut least to con fine closely. Yet these will do much An Aristocrat. better if not allowed to range too free ly, when so inclined. Many flocks, if fed regularly from the first, will prac tically give up ranging on their own accord as soon as put on full feed, but where they do not it is advisable to confine in some large, open lot, or yard, such as exists on most farms and could be easily utilized for the pur pose. By clipping one wing the birds may be easily kept where wanted. Towards the last, that is from two weeks to ten days before killing, they should be more closely confined, pre ferably in a shed or other building where they can obtain little exercise, and which may be partially darkened. This last is to prevent the young gob lers from fighting, as they sometimes will with disastrous results, when closely confined under ordinary cir cumstances. Corn In some shape, preferably ground, should be the main food dur ing the fattening period. However, for young birds being prepared for the real fattening process, other things in connection are advisable. Wheat bran or shorts mixed with corn meal, or or dinary ground feed in which there is a large per cent of corn meal, wet up with warm milk or water is excellent. All kinds of boiled vegetables mashed up with corn meal or ground feed are also good. Barley and rye ground up with corn make an ideal ration for this stage. Care should be taken, how ever, not to feed too wet, or to feed too generously at first. .Just wet enough to crumble nicely, and just what will be eaten up clean at once is about right. Whole grains of all kinds may be also fed, and are espe cially advisable at first. For the last week or two, or after being placed in close confinement, there is nothnv better than coarsely ground corn meal wet up with scalding milk for the main ration. To this may be added, for variety’s sake, a little shorts, a few boiled potatoes or whatever else is at hand. But whatever else is or is not supplied an abundance of sharp grit should be, even when practically all the food is soft. Also plenty of fresh water should be constantly within easy reach. Satisfaction in Thoroughbreds. There is a fascination about breed ing thoroughbred fowls that gives one satisfaction. When we see the re sults of our trouble we do not regret the care and attention which good poultry raising demands. EXCELLENT NEW TRAP fJEST One Recently Designed Doe: Away With Bad Points of Other Stylos—Is Simple. A new nest ha. been designed by F. D St rry of the Maine experiment station whieh it is 1- Ii veil will elim inate *1- bad points of other neats. It Is both sinp! ■ a ad i.iire to look ns ; <h . a a bin nt< - When built of good material it Is durable and can oa:ii\ be clia.m 1 and whitewashed The nest is a box-like structure, without front, ends or cover, 2s inches long. 13 inches wide and 1C inches Side yiew, Showing Construction. deep. Inside measure. A division board with a circular opening 7V6 Inches in diameter is placed across the box 12 Inches from the rear end and 16 Inches from the front end. The rear section is the nest proper. Instead of having the partition be tween the two parts of the neBt made with a circular hole, it Is possible to have simply a straight board parti tion extending up 6 inches from the bottom, as shown at c. The partition with circular opening Is, however, recommended. There are several reasons why the circular opening appears to be better than the straight board across the bottom of the nest. Experience has shown that a hen is less likely to go back and forth between the two com partments after she has laid when there Is only the relatively small cir i cular opening between thorn, than when there is a larger opening. This reduces the likelihood of broken eggs. The front portion of the nest has no fixed bottom. Instead there is a movable bottom or treadle, 1>, which Is hinged at the hack end to c. To this treadle is hinged the door, a, of the nest. The treadle is made of i^-lnch pine stuff with 1%-in. hard wood cleats at each end to hold the screws which fasten the hinges. It is 12 inches wide and 12*4. Inches long. Across Its upper face, just behind the hinges holding the door, Is nailed a pine strip 4 iuches wide beveled on both sides, as shown. The door of the nest Is not made solid, but Is an open frame, to the inner side, of which is fastened (with staples or cleats), a rectangular piece of %-lnch mesh galvanized screening (dimensions 8 by 9 inches). 1 Tho sides of (he door are strips of %-inch beech stuff 12 inches long and 1 inches wide halved nt the ends, to join to the top and bottom of the door. The top of the door is a strip of hard wood 13 inches long and 1% inches wide, halved in 2% inches from each end. The projecting ends of this top strip serve as stops for the door when it closes. The bottom of the door is a hard wood strip IO14 by 4 inches. Tho side strips are fitted into the ends of this bottom strip in such way as to pro ject slightly (about 1-32 inch) above the front surface of that strip, for a reason which will be apparent. When the nest Is open the door ex tends horizontally in front, as show'n by the cut. In this position the side strips of the door rest on a strip of beech inches wide beveled on the inner corner. This beech is nailed to a board 4 inches wide, which forms the front of the nest box proper. To the bottom of this Is nailed a strip 2 inches wide into which are set 4-inch spikes from which the heads have been cut. The treadle rests on these spikes when the nest is closed, as shown by the dotted lines. _ Young chicks need grit as well as their seniors. We are apt to neglect the hens dur ing the late summer months, particu larly in August. Never allow incubator chicks to be come chilled. One-half the Ills of young chickens arise from this cause. Nature does not provide green feed during the winter months, but occa sionally cabbage or green alfalfa hay is beneficial. No use to try to raise turkeys un less the poults are kept free from lice. They should be examined at least ev ery ten days. At the first sign of droopiness In a chick, separate it from the rest of the flock; and if it does not quickly re cover, use the ax and burn the body. It is a busy time now In the poultry yard, but It means some good meat for the table, some valuable stock for sale and some good winter layers coming on. Even a warm rain is bad for very young chicks. and arrangements should be made so they can get to shelter quickly when the showers come. For sorehead, use a tablespoonful of bluestone to a quart of water, and bathe the parts thoroughly once or twice. You might dip the entire head in in bad cases. CEL'NDA 13 ENLIGHTENED Importance of Right Start Is Pointed Out by Her Wise Brother. "Isn't It funny." said Bellndft, prno Using at (he piano, “you start playing a thing wrong and you play it all wrong?" "Why, not at all," said Belinda's wise brother; "that Is true of many tilings besides playing 11 piano. Did you never hoar It said of a man who seemed to ho making heavy weather of it In some undertaking, who seemed to bungle and take wrong steps and noi to he sure of what he was doing, who was struggling along and trying hard but not to very good purpose— did you never hoar it said of a nmn In such ease that he got in wrong? "Why, certainly; everything de pends on making a good, that Is to say a correct start; on knowing your ground and being sure of yourself, on starting right. “That’s ono sort of good start. When we say of a man that he had a good start in life we mean that he started with advantages, in favoring circum stances of with friendly surroundings, under conditions likely to promote his success; but when we say of a tnan that he made a good start we are speaking of what he did himself; we mean that he was alert and keen, looking out for things, seeing that thlngB were right and making sure; knowing the course, so that he could keep In the channel and go ahead without doubt or confusion. “Ihe man who makes u good start can go ahead with confidence and cer tainty, without fear and consequently without danger of getting twisted and tangled up oil the way. It's Just the same as It Is with your practising. See? Belinda didn’t say whether she did see or not; but her brother’s dis course having here apparently come j to a full stop, her fingers fell heavily . on the keys of the piano. THE POETRY OF MOURNING Interesting Effects In Jewelry Shown During Mourning Days In Eng land's Metropolis. Jewels are always of interest and these days of mourning In London have produced some very beautiful j articles of jewelry for mourning. The agate and onyx are most prominently | used In this connection. The agate j Is a semiprecious stone, and a curious ! mixture of minerals. It has a touch of jasper, quartz, amethyst, ehnlco dony, and cornelian In Its composition. And It appears In several forms—In clouded yellow, in a beautiful Binoke shade, and In the black variety known ns riband agate These two last are used for mourning. And tho onyx is really an agate, formed of alternate stripes of dark and white chalcedony. At a noted Jeweler’s nmong some exquisite ornaments were seen a brooch In the form of a hollow circlo formed of onyxes set In small dia monds; an inch-wide, pliable bracelet had one row of onyxes between two | rows of pearls, and an oval shaped j clasp of diamonds. And best of nil was a long necklace, made of the . finest oxydized steel and jeweled' at Intervals with large, round amethysts alternated with pearls, each pearl hav ing a hand of small diamonds. There were other ornaments composed of j black enamel, pearls, and diamonds; and the neekehalns on view were formed either of oxydized steel or of platinum. Such things as these are the poetry of mourning. Writing In Bible Times, i Prof. Flinders Petrie says that there ts nothing abnormal, nothing to be questioned, In the general outlines of the Itible story of the exodus. He | contends that the spread of writings in those days has been enormously un ! derestimat.ed. “It is my firm conviction,” he says, "that the Kurope of a century ago was far more brilliant than the eastern world in Itible times. We have for in stance, a papyrus containing a cook’s accounts scrawled in a very clumsy hand, with the reckoning all wrong, but it shows Hint even a common serv ant of those days knew how to write. Wo have another containing a petition from a peasant. These things are ex tremely important, as showing the probability of documentary records of a historical nature existing at the time.—Jewish Chronicle. — Girl Guides in England. Miss Agnes Baden-Powell, daughter of Gen. Sir Baden-Powell, is president of the B. I’. Girl Guides, the object of which is to teach girls “to do a good turn daily.” The girl guides are ; taught gardening and housework, and will be ready to go to the colonies i If needed, and are taught first aid to the injured and other hospital work. They are enrolled between the ages of 11 and 18 and eight girls form a pa trol. 'he leader to be more than 15. Three patrols form a company, with a captain and lieutenant each over 21. j Local committees of ladles will train i the girls, whose parents- must consent. As Directed. A widow called on a maker of monu ments to arrange about her husband’s tombstone. "And I want iirto say ’To My Hus band,' in an appropriate place,” she told him. "All right, ma’am,” answered the mason. This is how it read when put up: "To my Husband. In an Appropriate Place.”—Tit Bits. TO PREPARE SPANISH OMELET Many Methcc'*-. Are Used, but the One Here Given Is Typical of Them All. Spatil di omelet Is n tooths ome dish that seems to appeal particularly to members of the stronger Bex, nnd Is therefore worth noting In the interest of the men of the household It Is variously prepared, but the following recipe Is representative of all: Heat (but only slightly and without separating), four eggs. Afterward stir In four tablespoonsful of milk, one half teaspoonful of salt nnd a third teaspoonful of pepper. Put Into the omelet pan two tablespoonsful of but ter ami turn In the eggs. "Pick up” with a fork to make It light and creamy. Brown quickly underneath nml fold with the sauce given below. In the fold nnd around It. on the dish. Cook two tablespoonsful butter and one of finely chopped onions until yel low. Add one and three-fourths cups of tomatoes and cook until much of the moisture evaporates. Then stir in an ounce of chopped mushrooms, the same quantity of capers, a quarter t'haspoonful salt and a small piece of finely chopped red or green pepper. Cook the latter first In butter into which a little chopped oulon has been 6haved. Rlced Oyster Soup. Wash one cupful of Carolina head rice and put over the Are In plenty of water to keep It "tumbling” until tender but whole. Drain the water. (Tills water can be used as nutritious drink for children or Invalids In place of milk.) Cover the rice with milk Hnd place In covered pan of water to steam or In steamer a half hour. Take one quart good sized oysters and fork singly Into a shallow dlBh with cover. Salt, pepper (red. preferably), and dot generously with butter. Pour the oyster liquor Into a double holler and ndd three pints of milk. When this Is quite warm, uot hot, place the cov ered oysters over slow fire and shake gently two or three minutes, or until plumped. Turn Into the hot milk and ndd the steamed riee. The oyster fla vor will be different from the usual soup. Fruit Rolls. Three cupfuls of flour, six table spoonfuls of baking powder, one-half teaspoonful of salt, one-third cupful of butter, one cup milk, two tablespoon fuls sugar, and one half teaspoonful of cinnamon. Mix and sift the dry Ingredients, rub In the butter with tho tips of the fingers, add tho milk grad ually, cutting with a knife to a soft dough. Turn the dough on a floured hoard, and roll Into a rectangular sheet about one-third Inch in thick ness. Brush over the sheet of dough with melted butter, then sprinkle with ■the cinnamon and chopped raisins. Roll up the dough compactly and cut tho roll in pieces an Inch In thick ness. These are delicious. Strawberry Pudding. Bent the yolks of four eggs very light with a cupful of powdered sugar, add a quart of sweet milk and a table spoonful of melted butter. Beat In thoroughly a cupful of tine dried bread crumbs, and pour all Into a buttered pudding-dish. Set In the oven and hake until set. Remove to the door of the oven and spread over the top of the pudding a layer of ripe, sugared strawberries, and cover these with a meringue made of the whites of the four eggs beaten with a half-cupful of sugar. Return to the oven to color light brown. Kat with powdered sugar nnd cream. Harper’s Bazar. Help the Farmer'3 Wife. Therefore, give the women of the family plenty of help and all neces sary conveniences for expediting household labor and let the housewife urge system in every department and prompinoss In the performance of every duty; for with proper resources at command and competent help and system the domestic machinery will run smoothly and time for rest and recreation lx* provided and the tired housekeepers take a new lease on life. Cream of Tomato Soup. Take a can of tomatoes or fresh ones. Rub through' sieve. Heat to the boiling point; thicken with corn starch. Make a cream sauce by rub bing a large spoonful of flour in a spoonful of butter, cooking over the fire till it is smooth and bubbles up. Add milk to make it thick. Mix the two together, season with salt, butter and a little bit of sugar. (Team toma to soup made this way will never curdle. Green Peppers. The flavor of green poppers gives an acceptable variety. The seed should always be removed. The peppers should be chopped and added to chopped meat or other meat dishes. Moat mixed with bread erumbs may be baked in the pepper shells and the stuffed peppers served as a separate dish. Whipped Cream. Re sure that the cream is rich. Pour it into a chilled bowl, and, with a wire egg whip, beat steadily until thick This is the simplest and easiest way of beating cream. Add sugar and flavoring to taste, and keep in the loe until wanted. No Egg Cookies. One cup sugar, one tablespoon lard or butter, one cup sweet milk, pinch of salt, one teaspoon soda, two of cream of tartar, one-half teaspoon flavoring. Flour to stiffen.