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About Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 1906)
I Ulii Matcfc , / One of the very few occasions on flrhlch Rufus Choate , the famous .lAmeri&an lawyer and statesman , met ? hls nnrtch was when he was examin- tog one Dick Barton , chief mate of the ship "Challenge. " Choate had -cross-examined him for over an hour , ( hurling questions with the speed of a * apid-fire gun. "Was there a moon that night ? " / "Yes , sir. " "Did you see It ? " t "No , sir. " "Then how did you know there was eft moon ? " . "The 'Nautical Almanac * said so , And I'll believe that sooner than any lawyer In the world. " "Be civil , sir. And now tell me in fl7hat latitude and longitude you cross- ted the equator ? " , "Ah , you are joking. " i "No , sir , I'm in earnest , and I de- Blrc ananswer. . " "That's more than I can give. " "Indeed. You a chief mate and un Ifl to answer so simple a question ! " 'Yes , the simplest question I ever asked. I thought even a fool of ) a lawyer knew there's no latitude at * the equator. " in Knprllsh Prisons. Flogging is still allowed in English 'prisons as a punishment for mutiny or violence , but recently published statis- jj ics make it doubtful whether even in 'these extreme cases corporal puuish- iinent serves the purpose for which it } is intended. It is shown that since the fHuniber of prison offenses for which flogging was allowed was reduced in 1S9S , the number of offenses against prison discipline has decreased from [ 147 to 131 per 1,000 prisoners , while tthere has been an increase in the nuui- j'ber ' of those offenses for -which the * < 'cat" is still the penalty. A curious butterfly exists in India. Tha -male has the left wing yellow and the .right one red ; the female has these colors reversed. " INTERESTING CONTEST. Heavy Coat of Unpaid Postage. One of the most curious contests ver before the public was conducted ,1)y many thousand persons under the coffer of the Postum Cereal Co. , Ltd. , of Battle Creek , Mich. , for prizes of 31 boxes of gold and 300 greenbacks to tthose making the most words out of Tthe letters Y-I-O-G rape-Nuts. i The contest was started in February , " 1906 , and it was arranged to have the { prizes awarded on April 30 , 1906. I When the public announcement ap peared many persons began to form Tthe words from these letters , sometimes - | times the whole family being occupied evenings , a combination of amusement nd education. I After awhile the lists began to come In to the Postum Office and before long the volume grew until it required wagons - j ons to carry the mail. Many of the contestants were thoughtless enough to send their lists with insufficient postage and for a period it cost the jCompany from twenty-five to fifty- jeight and sixty dollars a day to pay jthe unpaid postage. ] j Young ladies , generally those who jbad graduated from the high school , jwere employed to examine these lists jand count the correct words. Webster's Dictionary was the standard and each list -was very carefully corrected ex cept those which fell below 8,000 , for It soon became clear that nothing be low that could win. Some of the lists required the work of a young lady for solid week on each individual list fThe work was done very carefully and accurately , but the Company had no [ idea , at the time the offer was made , that the people would respond so gen erally and they were compelled to fill every available space in the offices \vith these young lady examiners , and notwithstanding they worked steadily , It was impossible to complete the ex amination until Sept. 29 , over six months after the prizes should have been awarded. This delay caused a great many in uiries and naturally created some dis- atisfaction. It has been thought best make this report in practically all , of the newspapers In the United States iaudj many of the magazines In order to } Bl2 : p clear to the people the condi tions of the contest Many lists contained , enormous num- fbers of words which , under the rules , [ bad to be eliminated 'Tegger" would { count "Peggers" would not. Some lists -contained over 50,000 words , the great ( majority of which were cut out The largest lists were checked over two and in some cases three times to Insure 1 accuracy. The $100.00 gold prize was won by TJ. D. Reese , 1227 15th St , Denver , Colo. , with 9941 correct words. The - highest $10.00 gold prize went to S. K. Traser , Lincoln , Pa. , with 9921 correct -words. I A complete list of the 331 winners -with their borne addresses will be sent -Jto any contestant enquiring on a postal card. Be sure and give name and address clearly. This contest has cost the Co. many -thousand dollars , and probably has not been a profitable advertisement never theless perhaps some who had never ibefore tried Grape-Nuts food have 3een Interested in the contest , and 'from ' trial of. the food have been shown Its -wonderful rebuilding powers. it teaches In a practical manner that scleoififically gathered food elements -caO le selected from the field grains , ' which nature will use for rebuilding the nerve centers and brain in a way that Is unmistakable to users of Grape- "There's a reason. " Carcal Co. , Ltd. . Battle Creek , Mich , J The course of trade sus Chicago. tains aa encouraging out look , returns testifying to healthy expansion in bank ex changes , production and distribution of commodities. October activity open ed up auspiciously in the leading local retail branches , attractive fall exhibits stimulating the demand for fashion able apparel. Country merchandising proceeds satisfactory , urgent calls for prompt forwarding .of belated ship ments indicating that the buying en ters into cold weather lines earlier than expected. Dealings in the wholesale and Job bing markets maintain a large aggre gate , textiles , footwear and other sta ples being ordered freely for various interior points by numerous visiting buyers. An unprecedented consump tion of seasonable needs is evident , and It is clear that the transactions of a year ago are already surpassed in dry goods , clothing , boots and shoes , mil linery , furniture , food products and hardware. Shipping-rooms never be fore have been so fully taxed. The in creased cost of necessaries had to be considered , but this has not dissuaded the confidence of buyers. Discounting of bills is a feature of the dealings , and while money is at a high figure to borrowers , mercantile collections are reasonably prompt , and trading defaults comparatively low in this district. Raw material markets reflect sustained strength in both the buying and prices , this being indica tive of continued activity in manufac turing. Car builders booked additional or ders for delivery late next year , and current inquiries for motive power and other equipment portend the early placing of substantial railroad orders. Plate mills have been further drawn upon , making an extra rush of work on hand , while the shipyards cannot undertake new construction required before 190S. The general run of fac tory output has a better aggregate than a year ago , particularly in heavy ma chinery , hardware , farm implements , electrical supplies , furniture and boots and shoes. Demand for building ma terials , woodwork and lumber exhibits no diminution , and there is much new construction in prospect. failures reported in the Chicago dis trict numbered 25 , against 19 last week and 29 a year ago. Dun's Review of Trade. Trade is still of record volume for the season , and industry is active beyond precedent. TMs , too , despite bad weather and serious crop damage at the South and delayed movement of Western crops to market A silver lin ing to the Southern cloud , however , is found in the advance of lc a pound in cotton , and cooler , more settled weather at the West evokes improve ment In retail trade. Car shortages are charged with some responsibility for the rather slow movement of grain , but the firmer tone of cereals Is large ly due to reports of improving export demand. The three most important general lines of the country's trade textiles , iron and steel , and building show unprecedented activity. Pig iron has again advanced , the increases ranging from 25c to 50c per ton. Prices are now approaching the levels that prevailed in the latter part of 1903 and the first portion of 1902. Bradstreet's Commercial Report. Chicago Cattle , common to prime , $4.00 to $7.25 ; hogs , prime heavy , $4.00 to $0.75 ; sheep , fair to choice , $3.00 to $5.25 ; wheat. No. 2 , 71c to 72c ; corn , No. 2 , 4-ic to 45c ; oats , standard , 32c to 33c ; rye , No. 2 , G4c to G5c ; hay , timothy thy , $10.00 to $15.50 ; prairie , $6.00 to $14.00 ; butter , choice creamery , ISc to 25c ; eggs , fresh , 22c to 25c ; potatoes , S3c to 43c. St. Louis Cattle , $4.50 to $6.50 ; ihogs , $4.00 to $6.60 ; sheep , $4.00 to § 5.50 ; wheat , No. 2 , 75c to 77c ; corn , No. 2 , 44c to 45c ; oats , No. 2 , 32c to 34c ; rye , No. 2 , 59c to 60c. Cincinnati Cattle , $4.00 to $5.35 ; hogs , $4.00 to $6.80 ; sheep , $2.00 to $4.65 ; wheat , No. 2 , 7oc to 76c ; corn , No. 2 mixed , 48c to 49c ; oats , No. 2 mixed , 34c to 36c ; rye , No. 2 , GGc to 69c. Detroit Cattle , $4.00 to $5.00 ; hogs , $4.00 to $6.50 ; sheep , $2.50 to $5.00 ; wheat , No. 2 , 73c to 75c ; corn , No. 3 yellow , 4Sc to 49c ; oats , No. 3 white , S4c to 36c ; rye , No. 2 , 65c to 67c. Milwaukee Wheat , No. 2 northern , 74c to 78c ; corn , No. 3 , 43c to 45c ; oats , standard , 33c to 34c ; rye , No. 1 , 62c to 64c ; barley , standard , 53c to 54c ; pork , mess , $15.00. Buffalo Cattle , choice shipping steers , § 4.00 to $6.00 ; hogs , fair to choice , $4.00 to $7.00 ; sheep , common to good mixed , $4.00 to $5.35 ; lambs , fair to choice , $5.00 to $8.10. New York Cattle , $4.00 to $6.10 ; liogs , $4.00 to $7.00 ; sheep , $3.00 to $5.50 ; wheat , No. 2 red , 77c to 7Sc ; corn , No. 2 , 53c to 54c ; oats , natural white , 3Sc to 40c ; butter , creamery , 18c to 25c ; eggs , western , 20c to 23c. Toledo Wheat , No. 2 mixed , 73c to 75c ; corn , No. 2 mixed , 47c to 48c ; oats , No. 2 mixed , 34c to 36c ; rye , No. B , 62c to G3c ; clover seed , prime , $8.15. ADVENT OP THE NEW HEEO. Cincinnati Post. TOTAL GRAIN YIELD BIG. Department of Agriculture IHSUCS Figures on Conditions. The government crop report for Oc tober shows that this country has rais ed a cereal crop of 7,264,000,000 bush els , divided as follows : Bushels. Spring wheat 252,587,000 Winter wheat 493,034,000 Total wheat 743,221,000 Corn 2,725,000,000 Oats 86:5,000.000 : Rye 29,000,000 Barley 148,000,000 Grand total 4,510,221,003 Exhaustive reports compiled by agents of the 'Department ' of Agricul ture bring out the fact that the total of the leading grain crops of the coun try falls but 35,000,000 bushels below the stupendous yield of last year , when the corn crop went into first place in the history of this or any other coun try , and oats followed close to the high record. The important development of the ast month was in oats. Close and spe cial investigation has been made to as certain the real facts which last month placed this crop so far behind that of last year , the shortage , according to the September figures , being 160,000,000 bushels. The investigation discloses that the unfavorable oat crop condi tions that were a month ago thought to be important have been found to be confined to comparatively limited areas of the leading productive States. S ort straw often disclosed heavy grain , this fact having been brought out in the thrashing and marketing. These and similar facts warrant a raising of the estimate of yield by 70,000,000 bushels , thus bringing the yield within 90,000- 000 bushels of the big 1905 crop. Losses to the spring wheat crop Northwest and beyond the Rockies have served somewhat to offset oats in the effect on the grand total of grains. De spite the reductions in the estimates of spring wheat , the total wheat crop stands but little short of the bumper yield of 1901 , when the total yield was 748,000,000 bushels. The winter wheat crop , however , must be given the credit for the big aggregate , as the spring wheat yield is only moderate , fully 16- 000,000 bushels behind last year's. The corn crop shows but little change during the last month , the weather having been in the main favorable for bringing the new crop on nicely. The weigh-up of the smaller crops shows a gain of 8,000,000 bushels of barley and of nearly 3,000,000 bushels of rye. In the report on spring wheat the shortage is shown to be not an unmixed evil. As will be seen by the table be low , the three leading States that are tributary to the big mills that supply a good part of this country and Europe with flour will have to draw on the ple thoric winter wheat crop for supplies to re-enforce their needs if they are to keep up their former records. It is claimed that these mills will grind about 150,000,000 bushels of wheat an nually , and that the seeding require ments are 21,000,000 bushels more. This -would leave a reserve of only 5,000,000 bushels for farm , mill , eleva tor and other stocks. A Court Rebukes the Kaiser. At a recent socialist meeting in Ger many a speaker named Buechel argued that parents should so educate their chil dren that if they became soldiers they would on no account obey if commanded to shoot their own parents , a proposition which has been advanced by Emperor William. Buechel was arrested on the charge of having urged a violation of the law , but at the end of his trial was ac quitted. Less Poverty In Xc\v York. That extreme poverty is growing less in New York City despite the -great increase in population may be proved in various ways. In the matter of the number of arrests for vagrancy the figures are start ling : In 1897 such arrests numbered 8,500 ; in 1898 they fell off to 7,000 ; in 1899 they were but 5,100 ; there was a slight decrease in } 900 and in 1901 the number fell to 4,600 ; in 1902 only 4,300 unfortunates were gathered in for vag rancy and the number gradually decreased until last rear , w cn it was but 4,100. NAVY TO GUARD PRESIDENT. Strong Convoy \Vill Escort Him to the Isthmus of Panama. A squadron of war vessels more formid able than the entire maritime strength of several South and Central American re publics will convoy President Roosevelt when lie visits the Isthmus of Panama. Two big battleships and a cruiser are to be detailed as the President's special escort cert or bodyguard or whatever it may ba called ; and the chief magistrate of the United States and the commander in chief of its army and its navy will enter the port of Colon with all the majesty and imprcssiveness pertaining to his high of fice. fice.Xo Xo real danger to the President is ap prehended as a reason for sending a squadron to Panama with him , for the bonds of good will between this govern ment and our sister republics to the south have been immeasurably strengthened within the last few months and should the President make the tour of all Central and South America he undoubtedly would be received everywhere with great acclaim. The President of 80,000,000 of people , however , it is pointed out , owes it to his country to surround himself with every protection , especially when making a jour ney by water that will take him farther away than any other executive has ven tured during his term of ofEce. There al ways are present the natural dangers of the sea and should anything befall the vessel in which President Roosevelt em barks there will be the other ships close at hand to prevent calamity. Furthermore , it is explained , the Pan ama trip takes on an official character that fully warrants a demonstration which some might call display , but which really is in keeping with the dignity at taching to the executive office. For tlie President of the United States to pay even a semi-official visit beyond the boun daries of the States without as much of an escort as would accompany a flag offi cer of the navy on a similar errand would , it is declared , appear picayunish in tha sight of other world powers. Trying : to Corner Collee Market. Three States and the federal govern ment of Brazil have authorized a scheme for the valorization of coffee in the hope of stopping the downward movement of the price of that commodity which has been going on for the past three years. The object is to maintain the price to tha grower by establishing a minimum quota tion , at which it is to be upheld by pur chases of coffee on account of the Statea concerned and by fixing the value of the standard coin. The interest on a loan of $75,000,000 to be used for these purchases is to be guaranteed and paid by a tax on every bag of coffee shipped , and the proceeds of the loan are to be held In gold against f.'hich paper money is to ba issued. The scheme has not met with tha approval of the Rothschilds , who are the chief financial .resources of the Brazilian government. Lord Rothschild , in an in terview , says it is 'a most impracticable scheme for raising the price of a world product , and that even if coffee could ba cornered , a few consecutive good crops in Brazil itself would destroy the effect of it Taft's words carry some weight. Soon Senor Palraa will join the great army of the unemployed. Senator Platt thinks he has enough trouble outside of family circles. The suicide of the "Policy King , " A ! Adams , reminds us that , after all , honesty is the best policy. Lightning struck a magazine in New England last week. Unfortunately , itvaa a powder magazine , and not one of the pesky , 10-cent , muck-raking variety. Defaulting Banker Stensland got into his new striped suit a's quickly as he could change his clothes. The fact that Zion City owes more than $6,000,000 may account for Brother Dowie's layin' low and sayin' cothin' . An American balloon won the interna tional race in Paris. Which shows that we even excel in locomotion by hot air. Banker Stensland says he was glad to see the Stars and Stripes again , but it is rather certain that , in the course of time , he will grow rather tired of the stripes part. SWALLOW THE BAIT. GULLIBLE PUBLIC EASY PREY FOR SWINDLERS. In Two Y * ar 45O Fraudulent Firm * Have Been Raided In Chlcnjjo $15OOOOOOO Dropped Yearly In "Get-RIcli-Qulelc" Schemes. Chicago correspondence : HERE are more "get - rich - quick" concerns in Chicago cage than in any other city in the world. Despite the activity of the police department and the postofirce authorities , which has resulted in the raiding and exposure of 450 firms of fraudulent character during the last two years , every office building in the city contains companies which are operating in the hope that they will be overlooked for a few weeks or months so that the nets that they hxve cast can be hauled in full. A walk down the hallways of the big buildings , even those demanding high rental , will reveal the presence of these business leeches. The offices are fur nished in luxury and with an eye tc- dazzling the man from the smaller town < md the country who is lured there by the huge promises made in the adver tisements. There are many stenogra phers , clicking away busily. Men are rushing to and fro from rooms marked "private" to the cashier's desk. The telephones are ringing , and an occasion al glimpse of the "president's office" reveals a dignified gentleman sitting at an expensive table and surrounded by imposing books and correspondence. It is a setting that works like a charm. The tentacles of the great system which has centered in this city for so many years have swept out into the farthermost regions of the West , n.ade desolate homes , scattered hard earned savings , and dashed bright hopes. The method is simple ; the bait alluring. Most of the men in the well organ ized companies that prey upon the public are well educated. They have the fever in their blood as thoroughly as their victims. Tiey have been known to bite on the hook cast out by some of their disguised "pals. " If they would turn their intellects and energies to legitimate business they would make respectable fortunes and be safe. But the lure of the game IB as strong as that of the underworld or the wanderlust. Persuasive , clever , picturesque writing forms the main asset of the companies at the start. Literature is the first necessity an * the money to buy the stamps to mail it. Then an office with a high sounding firm title on the door and a large bag to hold the coin. The last year has overturned several pinnacles of graft Here is the way the money has been dropped in Chicago within a year : Matrimonial bureaus , $1,000,000 ; employment agencies $200,000 ; turf commissioners , $7,500- 000 ; charity homes , $300,000 ; wildcat insurance $10,000,000 ; home building associations , $0,000,000 ; bucketshops , $5,000,000 ; wire tappers , $200,000 ; book agencies , $1,000,000 ; mines and oil wells , $8,000,000 ; medicine compa nies $500,000. A well-informed official says the American public drops annu ally $150,000,000 in these "get-rich- quick" concerns. Detective Sergeant Clifton R. Woof- dridge says : "Were the census enumerators of the United States to compile a list of the 'sucker' public the gullible ones would aggregate tens of millions. There is not a township in this great nation that does not contain its portion tion of confiding persons who are ready to believe anything from the rankest catch penny advertisement tea a fallacy in theological dogma. My investigations for years past into the innermost secrets of swindlers impel the belief that their faith passes into the domain of imbecility. Thousands of men are willing to throw money to the man who proclaims that for a few pennies he will impart the secret of raising the dead , or how to make one dollar make a million , or how to bat tle the savants of science after a day's research. Every mail car out of Chicago cage groans under a burden of 'get- rich-quick' mail to be scattered in ev ery direction. The operatives of these schemes are the most dangerous of criminals. They are received with open arms in social and business cir cles. They contribute to the churches and their wives and daughters visit in automobiles and dazzle at social func tions by their silks and diamonds. "Every time a 'get-rich-quick' bub ble bursts there follows a long , dreary story of misplaced confidence. But as soon as active publicity ceases the dearly bought lesson is forgotten and the 'sucker' is ready to spring to the next tempting bait. The victims are numbered among all classes , from the laundress to the lawyer , the merchant to the clergyman. " Building operations in Washington , D. C. , and vicinity are threatened with an early tieup. Unless there is a quick set tlement of the lockout of the plumbers , who have been out for many weeks , the Allied Building Trades will be forced to suspend operations. They will have no choice in the matter. Percy Bowmaster , aged 33 years , a saloonkeeper loon-keeper of Allegheny , Pa. , committed suicide by shooting himself in the head after attempting to kill his wife. Jeal ousy was the cause. iTHE WEEKLY lip' ' * Mai ,1 1137 Forces led by Saladin took pos session of Jerusalem. 1240 Original St. Paul's cathedral in London dedicated. 1394 Richard II. landed in Ireland with large force. 1470 Henry VI. of England released from the Tower and again proclaim ed King. 1552 City o Kazan capitulated to Ivan IV. , Czar of Russia. 1535 Publication of the first edition of the whole Bible in the English lan guage. 1573 Spaniards abandoned the historic siege of Leyden. 1594 Scotch defeated the English forces at battle of Glenlivet. 1664 Dutch and Swedish colonies on Delaware Bay surrendered to the English. 1675 Springfield , Mass. , attacked by the Indians. 1690 British force under Sir William Phipps arrived before Quebec and de manded surrender of the French. Fleet dispersed by storm and expedi tion failed. 1691 War between the English and Irish ended by the fall of Limerick. 1693 French defeated the allies under Victor Amadeus of Savoy. 1710 Conquest of Port Royal completed by British and colonial forces under Col. Nicholson. 1746 French East Indian squadron de stroyed at Madras by hurricane. 1702 British stormed and took Manila , capital of Philippines. 1777 British defeated Americans at bat tle of Germantown. 1780 Women marched on Versailles. 1789 Henry Laurens committed to tha Tower of London for high treason. 1794 British , surrendered Guadaloupe to the French. 1795 Count Allessandrodi Cagliostro , whom Carlyle described as the most perfect scoundrel in. the world's his tory , died. 1800 Treaty of Ildefonso , by which Spain ceded Louisiana to France. 1804 War declared between Russia and Persia England prepared to resist invasion by Napoleon's army. 1811 First newspaper issued in Buffalo , N. Y. 1812 British attacked Ogdensburgh , N. Y. , and were repulsed. 1813 Battle of the Thames in Canada , French defeated by Prussians at Wartenburg. 1820 Henri Christophe , ruler of Hayti , shot. 1829 First Sunday school in Texas es tablished at San Felipe. 1832 Otho of Bavaria proclaimed kins of Greece. 1841 Santa Ana entered City of Mexico and established himself at the head of the government. 1842 United States sloop of war Con- coed lost on rocks in Mozambique channel. 1848 Hungarian diet dissolved by Em peror of Austria. . . .Insurrection forced Austrian Empe/or to flee from Vienna. 1849 Hudson River railroad opened to Peekskill. 1851 Hudson River railroad opened from New York to Albany. 1853 The Great Republic , largest mer chant vessel in the world , launched at Boston. 1854 Steamer Yankee Blade , from San. Francisco to Panama , wrecked ; 15 perished. . . .Academy of Music , New York , formally opened. 1861 Confederates evacuated Lexington , Mo . Steamer Monticello shelled the Confederates at Chicamacomico. 1862 Battle of Perryville , Ky Con federates defeated at battle of Co rinth , Miss Confederate troops at tacked Murfreesboro , Tenn. 1864 Cyclone and tidal wave struck Calcutta , Incfia ; 60,000 lives lost. 1866 Disastrous cyclone in the Baha mas ; many ships lost. 1867 Whisky riot in Philadelphia. 1871 Fenian raid ; capture of Canadian custom house. Brigham Young ar rested by the United States marshal- for Mownon proclivities. . . .The great fire by which Chicago was desolated * started at 10 o'clock at night. . . . Mayor Wells of Salt Lake City ar rested by United States authorities for practicing Mormonism. 1878 Waterloo and Charing Cross bridges , in London , freed from toll. 1881 Thousands of lives lost by typhoon at Haifeng , China. 1890 McKinley tariff act went into ef fect 1894 Great loss of property resulted from cyclone in Little Rock , Ark. 1898 American and Spanish peace com missioners met in Paris. 1903 The Ancient and Honorable Artil lery company of London visited tha Honorables of Boston , Mass. 1004 Frederic Auguste Bartholdi , de signer of Statue of Liberty , died Triennial general convention of Prot estant Episcopal church met in Bos ton. . .Thirteenth International peace conference opened at Boston.