OPINIONS OF GREAT PAPERS ON IMPORTANT SUBJECTS
Germany and Tramps.
lERMANY has solved the trainp problem. It
j is announced that she is reasonably free from
vagrants , and that such as are slinking about
the byways are a relatively harmless lot , -who
seldom commit robberies and assaults of inag-
Initude. And the way she hag settled the diffi
culty Is this : She arrests all tramps and puts
them at work. She makes the work so much harder than
the work of decent men that , after a trial of it , the'tramps
reform and quit the road. In our own country we have
an army of the useless and vicious , from which is annu
ally recruited a considerable addition to the ranks of the
active criminals.
There is not so much In vagrancy itself which con
duces to crime. Indeed some men would be in better
health and morals if they occasionally allowed their legs
to run away with them and carry them into the country ,
where they would renew the physical life that grows
anemic at the bench and the desk. It is not the free and
open air life that demeans ; it is the effort to live without
work ; to get all and give nothing ; to shift and sneak and
steal in order to obtain food , instead of toiling honestly ,
even for an hour or two a day. Many of the tramps that
are now idling along our highways and "hooking" rides
on freight trains could pay for their meals by sawing a
little wood , or weeding a garden patch , but they are ex
tremely unwilling to do it , although not infrequently they
work as hard at robbery as other people do at honorable
employment.
Tramps carry moral corruption as they do physical
contagion. Although mentally sodden and representative
of a class that gradually eliminates Itself , since it is an
easy prey to the diseases that are invited by meager , ungoverned -
governed life , with spells of dissipation and periods of ex
posure and hardship , they exert some influence over young
people whose minds and habits are still unformed , and
iwhen a boy is found in their company prison authorities
assure us that it would be better for him if he were dead.
The boys who drift into the reformatories and gaels of the
land , after a season on the road , are among the most de
praved that the authorities have to deal with. Our tramp
army , then , is a missionarycompany that is going about
the land preaching and practicing the most detestable of
vices and often involved in crime. Brooklyn Eagle.
Time to Close the Gates.
ONDON newspapers are gloating over the fact
that the slums of that city are being depleted
by reason of the § 9.00 steerage rate , which
enables the riffraff of Europe to come to the
United States. As a result this country is
threatened with a d-eluge of the offscourings
of the world. AVe are menaced with an over
flow of the scum and dregs of pauperized humanity. The
managers of the transatlantic steamship Hnes engaged in
this despicable traffic apparently have no other thought in
the matter than of the income it brings. Having landed a
shipload of the refuse of Europe's population on our shores
these steamship agents practically say : "Now , you beg
gars , shift for yourselves ! "
The situation demands immediate and energetic action
on the part of the immigration authorities at our Eastern
ports. There ought to be a thorough sifting and winnow
ing of this horde of. newcomers , a niajority of whom arc
chronic beggars and professional criminals.
T.he _ steerage rate war , which has brought the emigrant
fare from Liverpool to New York down to $10 , is the kind
.of a rate war which no thoughtful American citizen can
regard with satisfaction. On the contrary it suggests a
deluge of pauper immigrants of the most undesirable type.
It is easy to see how , under a possible continuation of
these rates , several of the old world governments can well
afford to pay the passage of countless hordes of their pov-
erty-stricken , ignorant and turbulent subjects to America ,
.making this country a dump for the refuse of continental
"Europe. Here is a subject which should arouse Congress
to speedy action. "SVhen a person can travel from the Rou
manian provinces to New York for $15 , it is time to set
about putting up the bars in earnest.
This country welcomes thrift , intelligence and loyalty to
law and order from whatever land they hail. But our
republican institutions are already taxed to the danger
ACCURATE RAILROAD WATCHES.
Companies Require Employes to Ad
just Their Timepieces to Standard.
Absolute accuracy In timepieces is
" "uc/sriere else so vital a matter as in
the operation of railroad trains. If
watches vary no schedule or time table
is of any value. AViiere so many thou
sands of watches are in use it has been
found necessary to adopt some system
whereby perfect uniformity may be
insured. All watches are examined at
close intervals and kept in order by a
staff of experts especially engaged for
the purpose. There is no reason why
a railroad man's watch should keep
inaccurate time. It costs him nothing
to have it regulated and it is part of
his duty to see that it is in order.
The time by which the watches of an
entire railroad force are set is tele
graphed from Washington. At a cer
tain time the operator at the railroad
headquarters receives the time , records
it at his own station and at the same
instant sends the information to every
"train-order" station along the line. It
is the duty of the operator at the train-
order station to set the clock right by
Washington time and from this clock
every employe attached to that station
must set his 'watch. -
At every station there is a clock that
records standard time. At the larger
stations there is a clock that records
the correct time to a second. If it
varies from the standard time a notice
is affixed to the clock stating the ex
act variation. Upon returning from a
trip or before beginning the return trip
, after a run , the trainmen must com
pare their watches with this carefully
regulated clock. If it is found that the
? vatch has lost or gained during the
trip the timepiece must be handed in
to the time-keeping department.
Here the railroad man receives an
other watch for temporary use while
his own is being regulated , and the ex
pert employed by the company over
hauls the condemned watch and re
turns it later to the owner. With the
watch is given a certificate showing
that the department has regulated it
point in the effort to assimilate the legions of illiterate
immigrants that are coming to our shores from southern
and far eastern Europe. There is a general feeling that
the time has come to impose greater restrictions upon the
importation of this class of persons.
Those who , assert that this would bo a violation of the
tradition that this country is the asylum for the oppressed
of all races should remember that with natidns as with
individuals , self-preservation is the flrst law of nature.
Chicago Journal.
"Passing of the Country Church. "
HE Passing ofthe _ County Church" is the title
3f an interesting article In the Outlook by James
E. Boyle. From this article we learn , if TC do
not already know it , that the country , upon
which we have been accustomed to look as the
stronghold of organized religion , has lost ita
character as such In recent years. According
to Mr. Boyle , the decay of the rural church is due chiefly
to the tendency to schisms and divisions. The congrega
tions divide and subdivide over some new religious fatl
or some difference in dogma , and with -each division the
amount of tr ie religion decreases. '
"The rural church , " says Mr. Boyle , "seems doomed.
Each time it changes name now Baptist , now New Light ,
now Saint it loses in membership and vitality. Its fire
smay bo relumed temporarily , but its ultimate extinction is
inevitable. Soon the little church stands by the wayside
forsaken. The doorstep decke3 with tall weeds , the windows
dews broken. Then it becomes a granary or a corn crib
for some thrifty fanner , or is torn down and carried away.
This process may take years , even decades , but it is in
evitable. "
Mr. Boyle does not think that the decline of the rural
church is accompanied by an increase of vice and crime
in the rural districts. The country school house Is better
and more influential than ever. The rural free delivery
mail box is fast appearing at every front gate. Intelli
gence is more widely disseminated than formerly. There is
less ignorance. The people are no longer interested by the
kind of preaching that used to appeal to them.
The higher order of rural intelligence vdemands a better
church than the old country church ever'was or could be.
In the future Mr. Boyle thinks the church people of the
country will belong to strong and ably conducted churches
in the towns and villages. Thus the building of good roads ,
the introduction of rural free delivery , the building of
suburban trolley lines and the popularization of the auto
mobile Avill have a good effect religiously as well as mate
rially , for they will strongly tend to give the rural com
munities a better religious connection than they ever had in
the old days of small country churches. Minneapolis
Journal.
What Kills Men in War.
N the last issue of the Army and Navy Journal
some data are given as to the number of
wounds actually inflicted by the bayonet and
saber as compared with firearms and artillery.
Of all wounds treated by medical ofllcers of
the Union armies In the Civil War about four-
tenths of 1 per cent , or 022 out of 240,712 , were
saber or bayonet wounds. In the Crimean War the English
and French had 2y2 per cent of such wounds ; in the Schles-
wlg-Holstein War about 3 per cent , while in the Franco/
Prussian War the records show that the Germans received
less than one-third of 1 per cent.
"A striking commentary this upon the advance of mod
ern military science , showing that with the general adop
tion of long range firearms the saber and bayonet are
r-ipidly falling into disuse , and the limp is cominsr. if it
has" not already arrived , when those o/l ! and honored
weapons will become obsolete. "
But it is not the bullet or the artillery fire which strikes
down the largest number of men. It Is disease. In the
Civil War one man out of every G.7 was wounded in action ;
one of every 3S died of h'is wounds ; one of every 42.7 was
killed in action. Of the total mortality among colored
soldiers 90 per cent was from disease. Of the total mor
tality among the white volunteers , 70 per cent was owing
to disease ; among the white regulars , GO per cent. Chicago
cage Tribune.
and it is again a good railtoad time
piece.
Besides the watches of the train
crews , there are still the timepieces of
all the station employes , the signal
tower men , the thousands of hands
working along the tracks and in the
shops , to be looked after.
For these special force of experts
is employed to travel up and down the
line , stopping at all stations. To the
expert come the railroad men , watches
in hand. From constantly visiting the
various points the watch repairer
knows the timepiece as well as he
knows the men , and a short examina
tion determines whether or not the
watch is ticking to proper railroad
time.
Part of the duty of the repairer is to
see that the station clocks and the
clocks in the signal towers along the
line are ticking according to railroad
time. If they are not doing their duty
he halts in his progress long enough to
make them register time according to
the Washington standard.
The railroad company will not per
mit the employe to carry any watch
his fancy suggests. He must purchase
a watch that meets with the favor of
the management If a certain watch
comes again and again to the repair
department and proves to be always
behind or ahead of the time it Is con
demned finally and the railroad man
must provide himself with one to the
liking of the company , or carry a
watch that the company will provide
at his expense.
DANCES A DAY AND A HALF.
Somali Woman Infected with Religions
Frenzy in l nglish Town.
A Somali woman has astonished
Bradford holiday-makers by dancing
without a stop for thirty-six hours.
It w is no part of her business thus
to exert herself ; she simply entered
with excessive and unexpected hearti
ness into the spirit of the great Whit
suntide festival.
A number of women of the Somali
tribe are proving a great attraction nt
Bradford exhibition , and it was ex
plained to them that Whitsuntide is a
grea' . religious celebration , correspond
ing in importance with their Muhar-
rarn , also an occasion of rejoicing.
The festival proved infectious , for
one of the women broke into what is
termed "the mad dance. " Her com
panions unconcernedly became passive
spectators of the woman's frenzied ex
ertions.
A quick , eccentric and yet at times
rhythmical step was maintained for
the long period stated. Not for one
moment did the dancer pause for r -
freshinent or rest
She collapsed at the close of the
thirty-sixth hour. After an interval
she was housed by the other Somali
women , who , by beating their tam
bourines and by cries of exhortation ,
succeeded in encouraging her to an
other effort.
The second dance , however , did not
last long and the woman again fell
exhausted.
Following this bad attack another of
the natives a man lost his head and
frantically threatened the holiday-
makers , who were startled by his wild
conduct. He was taken in hand by the
police , however , and eventually calmed
down. London Express.
Andrew Gleeson's Eloquence.
For twenty years Andrew Gleesoa ,
contractor and builder , was a mem
ber of the Republican National Com
mittee for the District of Columbia.
He controlled the Irish vote , and Per
ry Carson controlled the negro vote ;
and they were very successful , politi
cally.
Carson , the negro , was a natural
orator , but Gleeson , rich and powerful ,
could not make a speech. One even
ing at a political meeting , where one
hundred Irishmen mingled with about
two thousand negroes , Perry Carson
did not appear , and the crowd called
on Gleeson for a speech. He hesitated ,
shook his head , but finally arose and
shouted : '
"God bless the Irish , both white and
black. "
It was his first , last and , only speech ;
bnt it pleased the crowd all right
Special correspontfence :
The old Ilomnns used to say that Gaul
was divided into three parts ; so is the
Canadian Northwest. Gaul's divisions
were political ; those of the Western
Canada's prairies are created by the un
erring hand of nature.
Chiefly because of the elevation of the
country , the absence of large lakes and
rivers , and the operations of the "Chi
nook" or Pacific ocean winds , which
readily cross the Rocky Mountains in
Southern Alberta through paps and
passes , the southwestern portion of the
Canadian provinces is regarded as some
what arid , and less fertile than other portions
tions of the country. Although this has
been a prevailing idea in the past , it has
beenleft ( for American settlers , who have
invaded this district within the past two
or three years , to prove that splendid
crops of grain can be grown on the laud ,
wliich had hitherto been the feeding
ground for the herds of cattle and bands
of horses that ranged there.
That ranching is carried on most suc
cessfully in other portions of the prairies
West , just as agriculture is to a limited
extent conducted successfully within this
boundary is fully established , but takeu
as a whole it constitutes a territory above
all others most admirably adapted to this
particular industry.
The buffalo , bunch and other grasses
that grow in profusion in this district
and retain their nutritive properties the I
year round , and the moderate climate of j
mid-winter rendered such by the Chinook |
winds preventing any considerable depth
of snow at any time , especially fit the '
district for the peculiar methods of the
ranchers raising his herds the year
round iu the open country.
While there are no large lakes or riv
ers in this whole country , there are
numerous fast running streams fed the
year round by melting.snow in the moun
tains , furnishing an abundance of the
coolest and purest water , the best for
beast as well as man. The country lias
at once an abundance of the best of
food and drink the year round , a clear
sky , but little wet or stormy weather and
a favorable climate the year through.
This makes Southern Alberta more es
pecially the most favorable ranch
ing country in the known world ,
and the enterprise is making most unpre
cedented headway. Ranchers , however ,
as well as others , learn that it pays best
to raise thoroughbred stock and accord
ingly the wild herds of scrub horses and
cattle are fast giving way to better ani
mals through the importation of thor
oughbred males. Just how many ranch
ers , ranches and horses , cattle and sheep
els of spring wheat off 837,234 acres , an
average of 19.04 bushels per acre ; off
440,002 acres of oats there were grown
14.170,705 bushels , an average of 32.17
bushels per acre : GOGG7 acres produced
1,741,200 bushels of barley , 24.03 to the
acre , and 32,341 acres produced 292S. > 3
bushels of flaxseed , 0.03 to the acre. As
but 1,383,434 acres , or a little better than
one per cent of the entire wheat growing
area of the territories , was under ciop.
a little figuring shows 13 per cent of the
entire country under -wheat will rai.-o the
200,000,000 that Great Britain annually
requires from outside countries. It is a
fairly safe statement to make that in 12
or ! . " > years the Canadian prairies will be
supplying the entire demands of the
mother country.
In this part of the country wheat is
king , and here it is raised in the greatest
possible perfection by a combination of
soil and climate in its favor , and the ten
dency has been to neglect the more lalxir-
ious branches of husbandry for which the
country is equally well adapted.
Free Homestead .Lands.
There is yet a large quantity of government -
ernment land for homesteading in this
Tll'ICAL Wt&TEKN CAJ.AIM. TOW.V.
country and as in everything else , "the
early bird catches the worm. " Thotie
who come fir t are first served. When it
is preferred to purchase railway or other
company lands they can be got at from
, " > per acre up. This section cannot be
better closed than by showing practically
what is made by wheat growing in this
district. The average from the first of
operations is 20 bushels per acre. Break
ing the prairie , as first plowing i Called ,
i % of course , an exceptional expenditure ,
as when it is once done it is done for all
time. This costs about $3.oO per acre.
After the breaking , plowing and seed
ing , harvesting threshing aaid marketing
all expenses combined amount to about
$5-23 per acre , that is , if a man likes
everything done it will cost him $5.25
per acre. If he does the work himself
SCIIOOLJIOrSE AND V U * MS , MORDEN. MANITOBA.
there are in this district of country at
the present time , it is hard to say , as
there are no positive statistics available.
It is known , however , that the country
is settling up fast.
Englishmen and Americans in the
western territories are bringing in their
herds as fast as they can and leasing
or purchasing land in lots from 1,000 to
20,000 acres from the Dominion Govern
ment. An idea of the growth of the in
dustry will , however , be gathered from
the fact that ic 1SOO there were but
41,471 head of cattle shipped and sold
from the ranches , these figures ran to
53,129 in 1900 , and to 100,000 in 1903 ,
averaging $40 per head for the owners- .
But it takes a great many ranchers and
a large number of cattle to cover an area
or 200,000,000 acres , the area available
for rauching in the Canadian Northwest.
It is not at all necessary that large
investments should be made at the out
set. Many men commenced with small
capital and small herds , and have worked
themselves into large herds and great
CORN CUTTING IN CANADA.
wealth. There is still in the country
plenty of room for those who desire to
go and do likewise.
The Second Part.
The second , psvt of the Canadian prai
ries embrace the great wheat growing
belt of the country , which is easily a
half larger than any other in the world.
it includes about 130,000,000 acres. As
it is comparatively free of broken land ,
large lakes and rivers about 125,000,000
acres of it can be brought under the
plow. Placing a fanner on every half
section (320 ( acres ) it can comfortably
locate 800,000 farmers or 4,000,000 of
an agricultural community. A glance
now at what the farmers of the territo
ries are doing will give the reader a
better idea of what can be done in this
great wheat growing zone. The territo
rial government reports show that in
1903 there were raised 1GG29I49 bush-
he is earning wages while producing at
that figure , now as the average yield is
20 bushels , and the average price GO
cents $12 per acre the difference be
tween the result and cost , $0.73. is the
p/ofit of grain growing year in and year
out in the gieat wiieat belt of the Cana
dian prairie country. If a man has a
half section of land and puts half of it ,
ICO acres , under wheat , which is a very
common occurrence , he makgs Sl.OSO on
wheat alone , and should make , if he la
a capable farmer enough , out of other
crops , sale of cattle , dairy and other pro
ducts , to keep himself and family the
year round besides.
The Third Division.
The third division of this great coun
try lies to the north of the wheat belt ,
between it and what is known as the for
est country. As wheat growing implies
the raising of all cereals , that can profit
ably be raided in the country , the remain
ing branches of mixed farming are dairy
ing and the raising of farm stock. It
must not be supposed that dividing the
prairies in this way is saying that any
one portion of the country possesses bet
ter soil than another , for such is not the
case all districts are equally fertile , but
the topography and climatic influences ,
etc. , differ , as well as the conditions for
production. Ranching and grain growing
are carried on quite successfully in this
northern zone ; but it is found more profit
able to combine all the features of the
industry. On account of the land being
more broken than in the southern district ,
though the soil is equally fertile , there
are not the same opportunities for exten
sive operations ; and while cattle raising
is as profitable here as elsewhere , differ
ent methods have to be adopted for their
protection , especially in the winter sea
son.
son.An authority on the subject has stated
that agriculture in any country never
reaches the minimum of development un
til the farmers engage at least proportionately
tionately in dairying , though the sur
roundings must always determine the ex
tent to which any feature of the industry
may be prosecuted. It is a certainty then
that of the agricultural possibilities of
this portion of the prairie country be es
timated by its adaptability to dairy farm
ing , even the most skeptical must acknowledge -
knowledge they are unsurpassed in any
country in the world. As intimated above ,
even dairying may be successfully carried
on in any corner of the territories , but
this zone has everything to recommend
it as the ideal spot for this branch of the
business.
EARLY FROSTS NIP CRANBERRIES
Corn Suffers from Drought , While Hast
DaunKea Sprinjf Wheat.
The weather bureau's weekly sum
mary of crop conditions Is as follows :
The weather conditions during the
week as a whole vvere less favorable
than in the previous week. The central
and east gulf and Atlantic coast dis
tricts , except northern New England ,
suffered from excessive rain , while
drouthy conditions in the central val
leys and portions of the upper lake re
gion have become more serious. Gen
erally sufficient rainfall has afforded
relief in Texas. In Wisconsin , Min
nesota and the Dakotas the week has
been too cool , while Idaho , Washing
ton and Oregon have suffered from er-
cessive hc-at and dry ness. Killing
frosts occurred in the cranberry re
gion of Wisconsin.
In the Ohio valley corn , the late
planted especially , is suffering more
or less seriously from drouth , and rain
is needed for this crop in portions of
the central Mississippi and lower Mis
souri vallej's. Over the central am
? stern portions of the corn belt con
has advanced favorably and continues
promising. In the upper lake region
districts lack of warmth and absence
of rain have checked growth , the crop
being generally backward. In the At
lantic coast districts corn has made
vigorous growth and generally is in
excellent condition.
Fine weather for thrashing prevailed
over most of the wiuter wheat belt ,
harvesting of winter wheat having
been completed in the more northerly
directions , except on the north Pa
cific coast , where it is nearly complet
ed.
Reports of rust in spring wheat con
tinue general in the Dakotas and in
portions of Iowa and Minnesota , and
indicate that the crop has been great
ly damaged , except in Minnesota ,
where only a portion of the spring
wheat arena has been seriously affect
ed , a good crop being promised in
other portions of that State- .
Harvesting is in progress in South
Dakota and southern Minnesota , but
has not begun in North Dakota , where
the crop is ripening slowly. Very
high temperatures on the north Pacific
coast have hastened maturity of spring
wheat and caused premature ripening
and shriveling of the grata in portions
of Washington.
Harvesting and thrashing of oats
have continued under favorable condi
tions. Rust is reported in the more
northerly sections and has proved very
injurious in North Dakota and portions
tions of Minnesota.
Generally well distributed rains have
benefited cotton in Texas , but in the
central and eastern portions of the cot
ton belt the crop has suffered from
excessive moisture , many fields being
grassy , and too rapid growth , rust and
shedding are reported from nearly all
States east of the Mississippi river.
West of the Mississippi , with the ex
ception of Louisiana , the crop is in a
good state of preservation and com
plaints of rust and shedding are less
numerous than in other districts.
In Atlantic coast districts and in
Tennessee tobacco continues promising.
Plowing for fall seeding has become
more general , but tht ? soil is not in
vorable condition for this work in the
Ohio valley and much of the lake re
gion.
HAY ON WAR CONTRABAND.
Secretary of State Defines America's
Position in the Matter.
"The recognition in principle of the
treatment of coal and other fnel and &
raw cotton as absolutely contraband of
war might ultimately lead to a total in R
hibition of the sale by neutrals to the
people of belligerent States , of all arti
cles which could be finally converted to
military uses. Such an extension of the
principle by treating coal and other fuel
and raw cotton as absolutely contraband
of war , simply because they are shipped
by a neutral to a non-blockaded port of
a belligerent , would not appear to be in
accord with the reasonable and lawful
rights of a neutral commerce. "
This is a summary of a declaration by
Secretary Hay on the right of neutral na
tions during war. It was embodied in a
circular to American ambassadors in Eu
rope which was issued from rhe State
Department June 10 last , but for -ome
reason was withheld from the public ,
although certain shippers who inquired
at the department for the right were sup
plied with copies. The circular is based
on a declaration by the Russian govern
ment that coal , naphtha , alcohol and
Drther fuel have been declared contraband.
British sentiment is declared to be ia
complete accord with this declaration.
BJG DECLINE IN WHEAT CROP.
Loss of GOOOO,000 Bushels In Kansas ,
Nebraska and Oklahoma.
Reports from nearly 300 grain men
and millers in Kansas , Nebraska and
Oklahoma indicate a wheat crop of 00-
000,000 bushels less than in 1003. The
following table shows the crops of the
two years :
1904. 1003.
Kansas 5S.OOO.OOO 04,000,000
Nebraska 32,000,000 42.000,000
Okla. and Ind. Ter. 13,000,000 27,000,000
Total 10uXK,000 1C3,000,000
Fully half of the deficiency is the di
rect result of the excessive rains in June
and July on fields that "were ready for
harvest or on wheat in the shacks awaitfc
ing the t'.reshers. The Kansas crojj
July 1 promised to exceed 80,000,000 *
bushels. The loss during the month in
Oklahoma was 3,000.000 bualiels and in
Nebraska nearly 7,000,000 bushels.
Notes of Current Events.
Pennsylvania Railroad may allow em
ployes to farm its land along its right ol
way.
way.The
The Duluth and Iron Range car shops
at Two Harbors , Minn. , were destroyed
by fire. The loss is $50,000.
Ellen McCloskey's 3-year-old daughter
fell leO feet down , mountainside , Mahoney -
honey City , Pa. Child was bruised , but
not seriously hurt.
Supreme Court of District of Columbia
says Dewey and his men are entitled ta
half of the property they captured at
Manila. It was valued at $1,657,355.