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About Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1904)
OPINIONS OF GREAT PAPERS ON IMPORTANT SUBJECTS The Caress. iSPLAYS of affection among members of fam ilies are largely matters of temperament The members of some families never meet or part without ardent demonstrations of love which I are delightful to themselves and pleasing to I every sensible observer. Who can witness , without a wanning of the heart , the cries of Joy , and the embraces with which children welcome the return of father or mother from a temporary absence , or the affectionate parting and meeting of husband and wife ? A person who finds in Oils proper display of pure family affection only an occasion for ridicule is to be pitied. There are other families , however , in which outward demonstra tions of love are almost never scon. The members of such families reserve any show of affection for extraordinary occasions when the deepest feelings of the heart are stirred , and even when betrayed into an exhibition of their love , have a feeling of shame as if they had shown a weak side of their nature. There is no reason to suppose that the love of these persons for their family and friends is not as strong and deep as that cherished by those who are more demonstrative , and they would without doubt do as much in case of need for their comfort and pleasure. The repression of the expression of feeling is peculiarly an American vice. The actions of many foreigners when even slightly moved seem to us extravagant and amusing. We cover our deepest emotions with a joke and a laugh. But those who are so chary of displays of proper emotion rob themselves of much pleasure. While demonstrations of love among friends may go so far as to be indecorous or insincere , reasonable exhibitions of affection are both proper and pleasurable. Especially repression by any one of a show of love from a child or a companion is a cruel blow at one of the sweetest and most precious things in life , sincere affection in the heart of a friend. The Watch man. The Spirit of Tolerance. E would fain believe that men are gritting more tolerant of each other's opinions , political , religious and otherwise. In our own country , at least , it is easy to discover a growing dispo sition to minimize differences of belief and to find for the betterment of mankind. 'Coleridge .somewhere says that there are errors which tu > wise man will treat with rudeness , while there is a possibility that , there may be the refraction of some great truth as ypl below the horizon. * - * * Sir Thomas Browne , a sectarian of the strictest order , rejoices that he never divided himself "from any man upon a difference of religions opinion. " It is only by the recognition of the manhood beneath the opinions , preju dices , preconceptions , perhaps misconceptions , with which we invest ourselves that we can dwell together happily in this world. * * * Our opinions may come from birth and early environ ment and may not be the result of inquiry , study and conviction , however firmly one may believe that we have worked out the problem for ourselves. We should , there fore , extend the greatest charity to those who refuse to go our way. Bishop Taylor , writing on friendship and gen eral benevolence , observes that a good man is a friend to all the world , and he is not truly charitable that does not wish well and do good to all mankind In what he can. This all-embracing friendship , benevolence and tolerance over leaps the confines of sects , creeds , parties and social dis tinctions. It emanates from " the Deity. "The greater our friendships are , the dearer we are to God. " We do not all attain this catholicity of friendship , for we are im perfect beings at best , but we should strive for it Were the world imbued with this spirit , it would be transformed , and oppression , poverty , a thousand woes would be re moved. Philadelphia Ledger. Forestry and Irrigation Must Go Together. HAT the time has come for an important , ag T gressive movement for the reclamation of arid and semi-arid lands in the western part of the United States Is plainly indicated by the verv large representation of States and Territories at the eleventh national irrigation congress re cently held at Ogden , Utah. For many years the friends of irrigation worked earn estly and hopefully for Federal aid in carrying forward projects for the reclamation of arid lands. They were retarded , but not discouraged , by persistent opposition final enactment of a national irrigation law by the DRAINING A TREASURE LAKE. Columbia Is the empire of El Dorado = so named by the Spanish conquer ors. At this very moment the exploi tation of some of its hidden treasures is the object of an engineering enter prise directed by British energy , writes Benjamin Taylor , F. R. G. S. , in Cham ber's Journal. A London syndicate is draining the sacred Lake of Guatavita , which lies about twenty miles from Bo gota , the capital of the republic. It was in 1535 that the Spaniards heard of the lake. As the story reach ed them , the Cacique of Bacata the Indian predecessor of the modern city of Bogota was "always covered with powdered gold , fixed on his body by means of an odoriferous resin. " Every night he washed off the gold in the sacred lake , and every morning he was gilded an-w"which ; proves , " wrote Ovicdj , the annalist of the conquerors , "that the empire of El Dorado Is in finitely rich in mines. " So it was , and is , and there Is no .doubt that the lake was the principal and general place of worship , that rich offerings were.continually made to it , and that many a cacique , with all his wealth , was buried ben.ath its waters. Moreover , when the Spaniards came , great quantities of treasure were sunk In the lake , that they might not fall into the hands of the Invaders. Possi bly when the country became moro p.-icful some of it was recovered ; but a'French writer not Jules Yerne has tstimated that gold and jewels to the \alue of five billion dollars still lie at iho bottom. The lake , which is about a quarter uf a mile in diameter , and has a max imum depth of about forty-five feet , lLis in a cup-like depression on the .summit of a' mountain , its surface be ing .about ten thousand feet above the last Congress , the fruit of long agitation , makes it incum bent upon these advocates of Federal aid to co-operate with the Government in planning a comprehensive irri gation project for the upbuilding of a great agricultural empire in the western zone of the republic. It is esti mated that there are in the semi-arid zones about 600,000- 000 acres of vacant public lands with sufficient water available under the storage system to irrigate one-sixteenth of it In his address to the congress President Clark stated his belief that if the Government would expend $10,000,000 annually- for thirty years in providing reservoirs sufficient to reclaim 20,000,000 acres , the land reclaimed would pro vide homes for 12.000.000 to 15,000,000 people. As this sum might be easily realized from the sale of reclaimed Government land a magnificent contribution to the wealth of the nation could thus be made with but small outlay. Development and reclamation of the arid West , to bt of permanent value , must have its foundations laid in a system of forests for protecting the sources of water sup ply which will be forever protected by the Government from destruction. Chicago Record-Herald. What Fast Train Operation Means. HEN the "Twentieth Century Limited" train recently made a run on the Lake Shore Rail road of 133.4 milcn , from Toledo to Elkhart in 114 minutes , probably none of the passengers gave a thought to the real meaning of such a magnificent speed performance. In order to accomplish the fe-at a speed of fully 85 miles per hour had to be maintained for considerable portions of the distance. With a modern passenger train such speed can be attained with safety only when roadbed , track , equipment , discipline of employes and other operating con ditions are about as perfect as human skill can make them. The train consisted of six Pullmans , each weighing 55 tons , or a total of 330 tons , one combiration baggage car weighing 30 tons and a locomotive 133 tons. To hurl a mass weighing a total of 495 tons , or 990,000 pounds , along steel rails weighing only 85 pounds to "lie yard means a sustained shock of tremendous force , and a strain to track and roadbed which would search out the slightest weakness or defect One revolution of the engine drivers , which were 84 inches in diameter , curried the train forward about seven yards. In running one mile the piston rod must go back ward and forward 247 times. A speed of 85 miles per hour means 1 % milts per minute , so that the piston rod would have to go back and forth , and the large drivers revolve six times each second , which is almost too rapid for the eye to follow. Experiments have shown that a train weighing as many tons as the 'Twentieth Century Limited , " when running at the rate of 85 miles per hour , cannot be brought to a stop within 3.000 feet. An "emergency" stop would be very likely , therefore , to mean disaster to such train a , and only perfectly opera ted signals and the highest art in train dispatching can insure the train against such stops. When it is realized also that a slight defect in any portion of the equipment or imperfect inspection of the same is almost certain to be followed by dire results , the wonder grows over the degree of perfection attained In the various arts and in discipline which have united in making modern train operation possi ble. Chicago Record-Herald. What Constitutes Riches ? HE New York Times has been printing the ideas of many contributors given as answers to the question : When may a man in New York City be considered rich ? The notion of ricaes is always a variable one. The question related : o the amount of money one must have to be /eckoued a rich man according to New York standards. Well , New York standards are various. To some $100,000 , to others $500,000 , to others a million or fen millions seems necessary. One's idea of riches de pends largely on his ideas of luxury ; that is , of what would seem luxury to him , the power to satisfy all his wants. But wants grow with the ability to supply them. There is always something beyond the present power of acquisition that seems desirable. Most men refuse to admit that they are so rich that they desire no more. Riches might be defined as. something more than one has. As might be expected , there are the usual philosophical an swers , as , for example , "good health , freedom from debt and anxiety , and tastes corresponding to one's income. " This is a definition of happiness rather than of riches. Boston Herald. sea-level and several hundred feet above the surrounJiug plain. A tunnel eleven hundred feet in length is being driven thiough the side of the hill at a level of about seventy feet below the surface of the water. A vertical shaft is being sunk from a point near the edge to meet the tunnel , which is driven from both ends. When the tunnel and shaft are com pleted , an open cut will be made from the shaft toward the center of the lake , and the water will be siphoned off through the shaft and runnel as the works proceed , both to avoid any un due rush , and to enable the men work ing in It to keep dry. The mud and ailt in the bed of the lake will then be treated for the recovery of the gold and precious stones they are believed to contain. In the course of the operations many curious articles of gold and pottery have been found on the margin of the lake and about its shores. These ob- 'ects are net only of great antiquity , but they appear to be Imitations of the products of a still earlier age. Some of the vases and ornaments re covered are very similar to objects found In the tombs of the Incas in Peru and Ecuador ; others have a sug gestion of Egyptian craft or teaching. The finding of these empty vases which are believed to have held treasure leads to the supposition that many treasure-seekers have l.een there already ; but what has been got out can only have been by dredging , and as the appliances available for work of that kind must have been very ineffi cient , the London treasure-hunters ex pect a rich reward for their own labors. It sometimes happens that the world thinks a man is wise simply because he doesn't take the trouble to explain his mistakes. "Know thyself , " says an old adage. A man can find out quite a good deal about himself by running for office , t WIT IN TOASTS TO WOMEN. Some Examples that Are Famous Be- cauas of llieir Point. A banquet with a list of toasts as a r part of its program almost necessar s ily includes one "To Lovely Woman. " To omit such would be lese-majeste of t the most ungallant sort Many of these toasts have become famous for their wit or sentiment or sarcasm , and ' among them may be recalled the following - lowing : "Woman , the fairest work hi ell cre ation. The edition is large and no man should be without a copy. " v This is fairly seconded by a youth 2J who , giving his distant sweetheart , 2Jh said : "Delectable dear , so sweet that honey would blush in her presence Qn Qk and.treacle stand appalled. ' k Further , in regard to the fair sex , p we have : 5J "Woman , she needs no eulogy ; she speaks for herself. " "Woman * the bit ter half of man. " In regard to matrimony some bache lor once gave : "Marriage , the gate through which the happy lover leaves his enchanted ground and returns to earth. " At the marriage of a deaf and dumb couple some , wit wished them "un speakable bliss. " At a supper given to a writer of comedies a wag said : "The writer's very good health. May he live to be as old as his jokes. " From a lay critic : "The bench and as bar. If it were not for the bar there would be little use for the bench. " A celebrated statesman while dining with a duchess on her SOth birthday , in proposing her health , said : "May you live , my lady duchess , un til you begin to grow ugly. " "I thank you sir , " she said , "and may you long continue your taste for antiquities. " Towels and eggs can never ba too fresh. tt HEADGEAR IN MEXICO. Silk Hata Now Worn by Officials In- lead of Sombreros. Among all well-bred people great at tention is paid to the hat of the mascu line visitor , says Modern Mexico. Tha emblem of graudeeship , as Ilichaic ford called it , Is taken at once am 'jarefully placed on a chair quite as it It were a person. It must be treated with respect A table is also a proper place for it , but a chair is better. Especially is the top hat distinguish ed in etiquette ; it Implies that the wearer is a real senor , a true cabellero and it is honored with careful treat ment See that it Is allowed to repose on a chair safe from casual knocks or jars. In common parlance , the top hat Is "una chistera , " a facetious woid and , speaking seriously , It is "un som brero de copa , " or , "de copa alta. " It is an emblem of social rank and lawyers - yers often wear it from morning till night The sombrero de paja , or straw hat may be of many degrees of fineness. Sometimes it has a gold or silver cord and is worn by well-to-do rancheros or great haciendados on proper occasions. Women on horseback in the count 1-3 and formerly In the city wore hand some sombreros. The sombrero of felt , with , its ornaments , may cost any where from $10 to $1,000. It is the gala hat for horseback on days of fiestas and in the countiy regions is affected by the prosperous. Remembei that the hat , in any form , is somethinj. to respect It is taken off as a sign of regard and deference or of mere courtesy. The sombrero calanes is the Andalu sian hat of low crown and broad brim , the hat of the bullfighter on the street , where he receives the homage of the admiring populace , especially of tht small boy. It has its epochs of coming into quite general use , and it is far more picturesque than the staid and prim derby. The latter hat is much af fecled by the city youth of Mexico , but it is foreign , alien and an exotic. It is ridiculous when worn on horseback under the ardent sun of Mexico or An dalusia. In old times Mexicans , as well as Spaniards of social rank , wore tht cocked hat , immortalized in Alarcon's story of the "Sombrero de Tres Picos. ' The three-cornered hat , properly speak ing. affected by the people in times agone. was called the "sombrero detres caudiles. " Boys of the lower classes wear cheap straw sombreros to school , and tht marvel is that they ever distinguish them , for they are as much alike a $ peas in a pod. But to return to our muttons , so tc say , the hat as a symbol of grandee ship. It is nowadays the tall hat , th < "topper , " the silk hat , stovepipe , 01 what you will. "Goberuadoers" weai it'sena'ors and deputies and lawyers of course , though in Mexican cities the young lawyers affect jaunty straw hati in warm weather , and often derbies. The grandees of the first class ol Spain have the privilege of remaining covered in the presence of their sovereign eign , and the other day the young Kina Alfonso , receiving a party of noblemen of high degree , who approached him uncovered , said , after a moment. "Cov er yours'lves senores , " which is the an cient etiquette. Thus the hat plays in Spanish tradition and actual life a cer emonial part differing from usage in Anglo-Saxon countries. An Old Acquaintance. The prophet Is not always without honor in his own country , but if thai G country happen to be New England he is sometimes without the perquisites of honor when he is at home. I see Hubby Locke- has come on n vacation to his grandfather's , " said Miss Martin , as she unrolled her apron and took her pincushion , scissors , thim ble and measuring tape out of her bag. in the sewing-room of the Widow Far siCl rar. 'Yes , Judge Hubbard Locke has u come for a fortnight" said Mrs. Far rar ; , with careful and meaning empha sis. : * Miss Martin's bright eyes shot a quick glance at her. "I'll leave it tc them ] that haven't snapped his fingers jff the wheels of their sewing-machines with a thimble to call Hubby Locke 'judge , ' " she remarked , as she tied on her pincushion and began to stab it. Satisfied with His Job. A Philadelphia clergyman recently visited an old schoolmate who is lo- sated in Montana. One Sunday they held revival services in a large camp of Swedish miners , and at one of the meetings the minister from the Qua ker City , looking straight at a big , a " powerful-looking man who sat in front , said to him : In "My friend , don't you want to work for the Lord ? " The Swede thought a few seconds and replied slowly : "No , I tank not ; de Norden Pacific falters Is party good to work for. " Phildelphia Ledger. An Obedient Boy. "Did you deliver my message to Mr. Smith ? " asked the merchant who had sent his office-boy on an errand. m "No , sir ; he was out , and the office was locked up. " "Well , why didn't you wait for him , I told you ? " The practical boy , says Stray Stories , had his reason ready. "There was a notice on the door say ing , 'Return at once , ' so I came back as ? guick as I could. " w wa Utmost Deliberation Necessary. 'Do ' you mean to tell me that you ivould deliberately buy votes ? " 'Of course , " answered Senator Ser o fhum. "That's the only way to buj them. The man who buys votes inipul- ively Is almost sure to get the worsi the bargain. " Washington Star t cience p fvention A The using of electric light in bath rooms , either public or private , so it is asserted by an English engineer. Is dangerous in many cases. Writing to the Government Gazette , he says that the electric light switches most usu ally employed have brass covers and brass knobs , and it is quite possible that this metal work may be in un suspected contact with the electric supply wires. In such a case a person standing on a dry wooden floor , and using the switch , would not notice any defect , but anyone in the act of taking : i bath , or standing with bare feet on a wet or metallic floor , and at tempting to turn on the light , would receive a very severe shock which would probably prove fatal even at the comparatively low pressure of20 volts. " Some twenty-five years ago mon gooses were imported into Barbados to drive away the rats which ate the sugar canes. Now the sugar planters have petitioned the governor to au thorize the destruction of the mon gooses because the latter , instead of confining their attention to the rats , have driven out many useful animals , including lizards , which were the enemies - omies of the moth-borer caterpillars. The caterpillars are now left free to penetrate the sugar canes , thereby af fording holes for the lodgment of de structive funguses. Thus in the con tinual struggle for existence nature herself Is often found to have estib- lished the best system of equilibrium , interference with which always brings more ills than it drives away. lias radium any practical uses apart from its value to pure science ? It has been reported that cancer has been cured , or at least that the patient was benefited , and that partial sight has been restored to the blind through the agency of radium. But these alleged uses for the wonderful substance have not yet been finally demonstrated. There is another direction , however , in which it is regarded as possible that radium may prove useful , and that is in the production of light Prof. Oliver Lodge has pithily said that a knowl edge of the firefly's secret would en able us to produce light without heat The source of the energy which the firefly uses , like the source of the en ergy of radium , is unknown. Through the study of radium , it has been sug gested , we may discover a cheaper and better method of illumination than any we now possess. Last summer Dr. Horace C. Hovey conceived and tested a new method of measuring the height of some of the great dome-shaped chambers in the Mammoth Cave. He called to his as sistance the toy balloon , and after some preliminary experiments had his balloons made of a special pattern , with thinner and more elastic rubber than that usually employed. Then , with five balloons tied in a cluster , and each Inflated with hydrogen to a di ameter of ten inches , he began his at tempts at measurement in the cave. An acetylene light furnished illumina tion in the great chambers sufficient to reveal the balloons when they touched the ceiling. The measuring tape was a light silk thread. The Rotunda was found to be just 40 feet high , and the Mammoth Dome 119 feet inches. But in the vast temple called Gorin's Dome wandering air currents rendered the balloons unmanageable when about two-thirds of the way to the ceiling. How to Read. Edward Everett Hale , in his exceU lent little book , "How to Do It , " dis cusses the matter of reading. The sub stance of what he says may be given in the form of the following ten rules : 1. Don't try to read everything. 2. Read two books on the same sub ject , one solid , one for pleasure. 3. Don't read a book for the sake of saying , I have read it. 4. Review what you read. 5. Read with a pencil in hand. G. Use a blank book. 7. Condense whatever you copy. 8. Read less and remember it. 9. One hour for light reading should have one hour of solid reading. 10. Whatever reading you do , do it regularly. A Pair Question. A hypochondriac who visited Sir Conan - nan Doyle hi the days when he was practicing physician' complained of "a very bad side. " He told his story great detail , says the London Chronicle. He put his hand above his waist line , and said : "I get a sharp pain here. Doctor , r whenever I touch my head. " % "Why oa earth , then , do you touch your head ? " Dr. Doyle asked , mildly but drily. J or Be Done. bli bs "By Jove , Reggie , I don't see why liI my tailor should dun me. It's positive I nsolence s .1 "Dear b'oy , perhaps he's afraid o you've done him. " Boston Globe. n P J3realcra it Cynic. "The woman who picks out a hus band because he is a good dancer , " aid the breakfast cynic , "is on par with the man who picks out a wife be cause she can make fudge. " Opinions should be formed with caution and changed with still to greater caution. When a man does a fool thing , he thinks it's smart , or he wouldn't do MM * STORY OF A CHILD BANK. When Father Lame to X < eave He Ha * Mo Money. The tank belonged to the child , and it had all the interest of a ne-w toy. In an effort to show the child how -worked and the object of it , the mother had sacrificed all her available change , after which the child had picked up a few pennies that had becc carelessly left on a table , and these had followed the rest Then she had waited to make a financial assault oa her father. "Money , " she said to him as soon as he was settled in his favorite chair. "Say ! she's beginning early. " he commented , laughingly. "Oh , I've got a savings bank for bar. and she's been crazy to put money to it all day , " his wife explained. "Well , as long as she puts it in tfc bank it's safe , " he remarked , as ke gave her a nickel. Her eyes sparkled and she laughed sp joyously that he was enraptured. She was a happy , graceful child , with very pretty and captivating ways of expressing her pleasure. J "That was worth more than & nickel , " he laughed , as lie gave her a dime. "But you mustn't humor her too much. " his wife cautioned. "Oh. this is in a good cause , " h urged , with the blind indulgence of a particularly proud father. "It's teach ing her lo save money , and that's something every child should learn. It isn't like spending it. you know , which would be wasteful. " So he gave her a quarter , and in two minutes he was laughing as joyously as she was and getting as much run out of her as she was out of the bank. But after dinner it was different. "By George : " he exclaimed , "the bank's got all my money , and I've got to go uptown. I'll have to 'oorrow some change from you. " "What little I had , " she explained , "was used in showing Tottie what the bank was for. " "Well , a bill , then. " "Haven't one. I told you this morn ing you'd have to bring home some money to-night. Did you forget it ? " His blank look showed that he had. "We'll have to open the bank , then. " he said. "I've got to have some money. " "The only way thit : bank can be opened , " she told him , "is by taking it to the savings bank that issued it , and then they'll i lace the money it contains to the credit of Tottie. " He swore ; not th re in the house , but later , while he was taking a nice , brisk , three-mile walk to keep his ap pointment for that evening. And it was a week before he could be In duced to look at the little bank again , which he has classified as a sort of aa Inanimate confidence man. Brooklyn Eagle. INDIAN AS FOOTBALL PLAYER. , He Is Unsurpassed in Kimjiinsr and Tackling -F"nd of Game. As a matte * or prosaic fact , these hard-working and well-behaved wards of the nation at Carlisle have been from the start models of disciplined and educated conduct on the football field us well as off , and only their shocks of black hair and their swarthy faces mark them as unusuai or odd when they line up against the "palefaces , " says a writer in the Il lustrated Sporting News. These lads are intensely fond of football , and they have left in them an inherited indifference to hurts and a toughness of fiber that are their strongest qurlities whin added to swiftness and agility of movement I have seen them 'play through a hard game without one call for "time out ; " because of injury , and nearly everyone who has seen them play must have noticed the fierceness of their tackling and their fashion of breaking out of a scrimmage on the rebound like so many rubber balls. In running , tack ling and aggressive line-breaking the Indians are unsurpassed. Their weakness is an argument to favor of the claim that football in a question of tLt trained mind as much as the powerful body. It is mental alertness and adaptability that the Car lisle players find themselves lacking when they meet the first-class teams. To analyze and meet the unexpected , and to solve the problems of a sclem- tific attack and defense of a style to which they are not accustomed puzzles the slower and less effectively trained mind of the Indian , and he cannot make as quick a change of mental base as the white youth. This is to be expected , and the astonishing feature of it is that the Indian player is able to make the showing he does. Ha comes to Carlisle from the reserva tion a little savage and in perhaps a. half dozen years he is fashioned ini the clean , alert , self-respecting young man who delights those who know good football , played with ardor , yet with self-control and intelligence of a high order. While his opponents shout and rave in moments of great stress he plays the game In silence , without a show of emotion , whether he wins or loses the type of the true sportsman. He is a vindication both of the whole some training of football in the development - opment of young manhood and of the magnificent work accomplished by the policy and life work of Col. Pratt at Carlisle. Nor Asked Yet. Tess So she's to be Mrs. Roxley , 6X1 * Jess 1 don't know. TessWhI'm I'm sure it was you * self who told me she had determined marry \ tn. Jess Wei' ' that's different Phila. delphia Press. Patriotism always stands in with\ha government.
