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About Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1907)
FOR GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP. * 7nloni t UrRTG Consolidation of Tel egraph with Pontal Sytcm. President Small of the Commercial telegraphers' Union has called on the United States and Canada to take over the control of the telegraph lines now owned by the Western Union and Postal Telegraph companies. At the ame time he began a campaign to se- curc a congressional Investigation of 'the conduct of those companies in this country. To this end the union has es tablished two funds one for the direct support of the strike and the other to .pay the expenses of the government owner-ship campaign. He asks tnat trade unionists in general and telegra phers In particular begin at once to Braise § 2,000,000 for these purposes. The strike was further strengthened t > y the calling out of leased wire op erators In many brokers' offices , and it was expected that the cable operators -would also join. On the otht * hand , ithe telegraph companies claimed to be 'taking care of all business offered , and isay that the strike is a closed incident 350 far as they arc concerned. Wash ington heard that Commissioner Neill was about to submit a report regarding the telegraph strike to the PresfUent. "The strikers charge that the companies -are taking most of their business sub ject to delay , and that the dispatches , instead of being put on the wires , are 6ent by messengers in suit cases from -9ne cit " to another , t be copied and delivered by local messengers. , Jl is said that a bill is to be Intro duced at the coining session by Con gressman Samuel Smith , of Michigan , which will authorize postal telegraph systems operated by the Post Oflice De- jpartinent. Congressman Smith says : "We pro vide for carrying the mails by the swiftest known method , steam , electric railways and pneumatic tubes. Why deny the right to the use of the tele graph ? We carry the mails at a loss. Why not use the telegraph not only as * 2. convenience and blessing to all our jjpeople , but to help wipe out the an nual postal deficit ? Who doubts that -the telegraph is an essential part of an efficient postal service ? " The constitutional right to establish ia postal telegraph system is unques tioned. The government started out by Downing the telegraph system. In 184,5 the government had built a telegraph ' NELSON MORRIS DIES. Pioneer Chi en pro Packer and Millioa * nlre I'a.sse * Away. Nelson Morris , pioneer Chicago packer and multimillionaire , died Tuesday. 1TW- son Morris was the third member of Ore famous "big four" packers. Philip D. Armour and Gustavns F. Srrift preceded him to the grave , and Michael Oodahy is the only survivor o the city's piooer3 in the packing industry. Mr. Morris' death was due to chronic Affection of the heart , with a kidney compJkxtion , had its origin some time ago. Nelson Morris was born in the Black Forest , Germany , Jan. 7. " ISiO. His fath er originally waa a wealthy cattle dealer , but he became reduced to poverty after joining the revolutionary movement to unite the Black Forest to Switzerland. The father was an exile until the son paid his ransom twenty years ago.- Carl Schurz was a fellow exile of young Mor ris , jvho , whenliejande in Philadelphia penniless' vvalTll years old , The young man walked to Now York , \yhere he hired out to haul charcoal in Lakeville , Conn. , for ? 5 a month and board. Later he worked his way on a cnnalboat to Buffalo , thence walking to Chicago. Here he went to work in the old stocl ards. Five dollars a month was his salary the first year , increased to $40 the second year. All he saved from his earnings he sent to his relatives across the ocean. He began to buy hogs when he was 15 , making enough to start himself in tlie cattle business a year later. The packer used to tell how at first he killed and dressed his own cattle. He slept on the slaughter house floor at night in order to be on hand early in the morning with his beef aud perk. His first financial reverse came when h \vas IS years old. When lie was 25 years old Morris suffered another reverse. He indorsed papers for creditors who went back on him. Within a year , however , lie had recovered from his loss. lie started his packing house in 1SG2 and during the latter part of the war sup plied the army of the West with beef. Mr. Morris was the first to export live cattle from this country to Europe. He received the first contract ever given to supply a government with beef. He ob tained important and profitable contracts with France , England and Germany. . Uestriclecl IJirtfi Rate Desirable. Prof. Edward A. Ross , head of the So ciology Deportment of the University of Wisconsin , in a lecture to the students , said that "restriction in the birth rate Is a movement which at the bottom is sal utary , and the evils in its train appear to ) e minor or transient or self-limiting or curable , " thus taking direct issue with President Roosevelt's well-known idea aa -i ' IT'S COMING TO THIS ? iine between Washington and Balti- .unore , costing $30,000. Two years later , under a notion of -economy , it was turned over to pri vate ownership. Among the public . .statesmen who protested against this . course were Henry Clay and Cave . .Johnson. Prof. S. F. B. Morse also prophesied the evils of private owner ship. Justice Brown , of the United States .Supreme Court , has said : "If the gov ernment may be safely intrusted with the transmission of our letters and papers - ; pers , I see no reason why it should not ialso be intrusted with the transmis sion of our telegrams , as is almost universally - versally the case in Europe. " of Seagrulls Found. John B. Watson , professor of psychol ogy in the University of Chicago , has .just returned from the Dry Tortugas "islands , off the lower coast of Florida , where he carried on investigations at the .Andrew Carnegie station. He says that .he has found that the sea gulls ihave a language of their own -which can be imi tated by a human being. He finds that they live in family groups in houses con sciously built for their purpose , and he "believes that they have politics in their .governmental affairs. For several months Prof. Watson has lived in a hut of boughs . on these tropical islands , taming the great - ocean birds and getting close to them. He thinks that these birds converse with each , other by means of the volume , tone . and duration of their vocal sounds. Board Favors Octupus. ' The Naval Submarine Board , which . conducted competitive tests at Newport , has reported unanimously that the Octu- pus is the superior of the boats tested and - the equal of the best now owned by the United States or under contract The - opinion is also expressed that a boat simi lar to the OctupiK , but larger , would be a - superior naval weapon. The Oregon Trust and Savings bank , ? ; Portland , with deposits of $3,200,000 and Pliabilities of $3,200,000 , closed its doors. to race suicide. Prof. Ross says he is 'with those who liate famine , war , saber- toothed competition , class antagonism , degradation of the masses , wasting oi children , dwarfing of women and cheap ening of men , " and asks if the time will come when the mother of more than three is "regarded as a public benefactor and placed on the pay roll of the State. " . Prof. Ross himself is the father of three children. Free Employment Agencies. I The Massachusetts Labor Bulletin , digested in American Industries , shows that fifteen Strtfes now have free public employment agencies in operation , as fol lows : California , Connecticut , Illinois , Kansas. Maryland , Massachusetts , Michi gan , Minnesota. Missouri , Montana , Ne braska. Ohio , Washington , West Virginia and Wisconsin. Eleven of these have State systems , with twenty-eight offices in twenty-six cities , and five States have eight municipal offices. The motives advanced " vanced to justify these agencies are the belief that State competition would drive unscrupulous private agencies out of busi ness , the need of assisting the unemployed , and the bringing together of laborer and employer with the result of reducing tha army of unemployed. Is Sliort Ne va Notes. A girl bab\ was born to Gov. and Mrs as Charles E. Hughes at Albany the other day , it being their fourth child. P William W. Presser , St. Louis , city t3W passenger agent of the Clover Leaf ilute , t3a died at Laporte , Ind. , while visiting rela a tives. Three Japanese belonging to a traveling acrobatic troupe have been arrested in Russia with plans of fortifications and other secret military documents in their P < possession. A foreign government , supposed to be bi Russia , says the London Chronicle haa awarded to a British firm of shipbuilders , a contract for several battleships , cruisers and gunboats. Nelson Morris , the Chicago packer , haa ill leased 750,000 acres of grazing land in be the Standing Rock reservation , South Da kota , comprising one of the finest cattle tracts in the Northwest. IE : IT you have anything to say to a mule , say It to his face. Chicago Dally Nervs. Anthropology Instructor What effect has the climate on the Eskimo ? Stu dent Cold feet. Harvard Lampoon. Officer Seen anything of my bag gage , sentry ? Sentry She's"waitin' hwmd the corner for ye , sir ! Regl- merit "Did I tell you the story of the old church bell ? " "No. Let's hear ML" "Sorry , but it can be tolled only on Sunday. " Cleveland Plain Dealer. , He So they got married and went off in their new motor car. She And where did they spend their honey moon ? He In the hospital. London Tit-B'its. Foote LIghte Has your sister a strong part in the new piece ? Miss Sue Brette Why , yes ; she has to carry around one of those heavy spears ! Yonkers Statesman. Mrs. Kelly 'TIs another of thim soovyneer post cyards from me darter Maggie the foorth this month , be- gerry ! Bhe slnds me wan every toime ahe changes her place. Puck. Anxious Mothe ? ; .hope you axe not thinking of marrying young Clarkson. He spends every cent he earns. Pretty Daughter Oh , well , he doesn't earn very much. Chicago Daily News. MDo you ever talk back to your wife ? " asked the solicitous friend. "Sometimes , " answered Mr. Meekton ; Ma very little ; Just to show her that I have not gone to sleep. " Chicago Daily i News. j Tommy Does it make any difference If baby takes all his medicine at once ? Baby's Mother ( In horror ) Good heav ens ! Of course it does ! Tommy But It hasn't made any difference. Punch. Mrs. Wickwire If you go first , you | will wait for me on the other shore , i won't you , dear ? Mr. Wickwire I suppose - j pose so. I never went anywhere yet ! without having to wait for you. Illustrated - ' trated Bits. j "Any accident iu your motor trip through Italy and France , Morgan ? " i "Nothing worth mentioning. My wife , was thrown out and bruised a bit , but J the machine never got so much as a scratch. " Life. j "So Jack's been made secretary and ' treasurer of the company , has he ? " . "Yes. He has to copy all the letters , ' and take all the deposits to the bank , ' and , oh , Mary , I'm so proud of him. " Harper's Bazaar. Church I like to see a man who can forget an Injury. Gotham Well , there's that neighbor of mine ; he's suing the railroad company for an injured leg , and every once in a while he forgets to limp ! Yonkera Statesman. j A kind old gentleman , seeing a small boy who was carrying a lot of news papers under his arm , said : "Don't all those papers make you tired , my , ' boy ? " "Naw ; I don't read 'em , " re- piled the lad. Canadian Courier. i "But to my mind , " said the clerical , tourist from the East , "a plurality of ; vrlves Is unspeakable. " "Huh , " snorted - ( ed the good-natured Mormon. "I never even heard of one wife that was uhfl speakable. " Philadelphia Press. ' ti Young Lady -You are a wonderful ( master of the piano , I hear. Professor p von Spieler ( hired for the occasion ) tL I blay aggompaniments zometimes. "Acpc 'companlmenfs to singing ? " "Aggom- panknents to gonversations. " Tattler. ' Walter Mr. Brown's left Lis umbrella - m la again , sir. I do believe he'd leave te his head If it were loose. Robinson Is I dare say you're right. I heard him tv say only yesterday he was going to Is Switzerland for his lungs. Ally Sloper. th Church See that man going along th with his head in the\air , sniffing with BE his nose ? Gotham Yes ; I know him. v . Church I suppose he believes in taking t In the good , pure ozone ? Gotham No ; go he's hunting for an automobile garage , believe. Yonkers Statesman. w "I cracked a lawyer's house the otnbr er night , " said the first burglar , disgustedly - gustedly , "and the lawyer was there fct with a gun all ready for me. He ada rised me ter git out. " "You got off easy , " replied the other. "Not much I FC didn't ! He charged me $25 for de adJo ) vice. " Philadelphia Press. i > u "In the summer , " remarked the obese passenger with the big diamond stud , "people should eat nothing but cold food and drink the coldest water ob- tainable. " "Ah ! " exclaimed the rail- ivay detective , "you are evidently a doctor - tor ? " "Not me , " replied the o. p. "I'm an Ice dealer. " Chicago News. * Parson ( on a bicycling trip ) Where the other man who used to be here ! keeper ? Park Gatekeeper He'f ! dead , sir. Parson ( with feeling ) Dead I Poor fellow ! Joined the great major- , eh ? Park Gatekeeper Oh , I wouldn't like to say that , sir. He waa good enough man , as far as I know , W Punch. The Book and Its Contents. 'Gracious ! " exclaimed Mrs. Schop. Bi pen , "I've lost my pocketbook. ' an "Never inind , dear , " replied her hue- Hy band. "I'll , get you another pocketbook and you can easily collect -more dresi [ joods samples. " Philadelphia Press. wl When the visiting team wins , about' the credit It gets Is a reputation for telng lucky. Every old timer will tell you thert bo > : sn't much grace In the , modern done * "Y t "Cheer - -dl * " up . . , " advised the good- latured man. "You look as if you lidn't ] have a dollar or a friend on arth. What's the matter with you ? " "Oh , nothing much , " replied the lu- ubrlous individual. "I've got a lit- le neuralgia that5s kept me In agony or the last few days and It's Just omlng on again. That's all. " "Well , well , " said the good-natured mn , sympathetically. "Too bad ! In- snuittent , eh ? It's a good thing it > n't : troubling you all the time. That rould be even worse , eh ? D.ucky it > n't toothache , too. I generally find lat neuralgia yields to treatment , but iiere's no cure for toothache. Don't Qcourage it by looking dis nal , any- ray. ; It may pass off. I thought when saw you that something had been oing. wrong with your business. " "Something's been going wrong 'ith : it for a time , " said the lugu- rious individual. "It's going to the Ickens. Where we sold a carload bout ten years ago we aren't selling couple of crates today. " "You save on freight then , don't on ? " said the good-natured man , cularly. "I guess you're making it it a little worse than it is. But you now what goes up conies down and ya. may be doing business on a car- tad basis again in a month or two. " "There wouldn't be much in it if e were , " said the lugubrious indi- xiuaJ. "Competition's too keen. Ifs itthroat , by Jinks ! But we've got to ieet it if we don't make expenses , alk about competition being the life business ! It's going to be the death mine. " "Anybody in your line's doing Jghty well if he does pay expenses , " lid the good-natured , man. "I know 70 or three aren't doing that and 1cks has gone into the hands of a sceiver. How'd" you like that ? I less you'd have some excuse for eking if you had got into that shape , race up , old man. Sell your crates id be thankful. How's your fam- rr "Wife's sick , " replied the lugubrious dividual. She's been threatened 1th nervous prostration for the last sar and she's killing herself now irslng our little girl through the hooping cough , " "There's scarlet fever In our neigh- rhood , " said the good-natured man. You're fortunate that the little one uwx't got that Yes , sir ! I met oar OPINIONS OF GREAT PAPERS ON IMPORTANT SUBJECTS I THE END 0 ? THE LOTTERY. vBATII-beds are not usually places for re joicing , nor it is often that the old rule about speaking noting but good of the dead may be broken. A recent scene in the United States District Court for the South ern District of Alabama gave a fitting oppor tunity for making exception to both these rules. It was the death-bed of the old Louisiana Lottery , and the decedent is befieved to have left no heirs , few mourners , and a memory that it is most charitable to forget The end came through the acceptance of a plea of guilty offered by thirty-seven defendants , from several different States , to the charge of conspiring to cause the Interstate carriage of lottery advertising. This is the culmination of a legal fight which the gov ernment has carried on for forty years , and a moral fight which the American people have carried on for a much longer time. The mails were closed to lotteries in I860. The companies turned &t once to transportation by express , and it was not until .1895 that a law was secured which forbade interstate transportation of lot tery tickets or advertisements. Tkis drove the Louisiana company from the United States to Honduras , and caused 8 cfcaasa ia its ttam * > . The constitutionality of the law was at once attacked , and Vaa foujat through the courts until 1906 , when the Supreme Court decided against the lottery company. Since then the .business of distributing tickets and advertisemeats has been by messenger , but agents of the government were able to present BO strong case of conspiracy to use the express companies , too , that the re cent conviction resulted. The lottery , then , Is dead. Let us hope that It will stay dead. It was conceived in the falsehood that a few should profit at the expense of the many. It robbed the wldew and the orphan , and fattened on the work man's slender wages. It bred false hopes , broke down self-reliance and steadiness of character , and furnished a convenient cloak for dishonesty. Youth's Companion. ADVISING THE GRADUATES. y HE baccalaureate a-tklresses to college grad uates were attuned to one key that the young men going forth to battle in the world should find it imperative to take part in and elevate the standards of political life. There is too much laxity In office-holding ; there Is some dishonesty , and there is too much Indifference among the people. From these causes ecandals arise which are a reproach to our system of government , and which are costly to those levied upon for Its support The youths who have devoted four years to acquiring a classical education have by this very training fitted themselves to become leaders In the parties to which they elect themselves. They can be of marked service in making these agencies serve the people what they were called into being for instead of being perverted to base ends to become the tool of selfish politicians In ad vancing personal Interests and thereby preying upon the people. The univerglty or college graduate knows that honesty in politics is quite as necessary as in the other walks of life. The dead-beat Is here as he Is In tradeTo get a living without paying for It , which , means possessing a sinecure , is the role of the worthless hanger-on In poli tics. His presence is proof that graft holds a strong hand in the game and that the taxpayers are belnj fleeced by dishonest guardians of the public funds. To drive out these cormorants ought to appeal to tbo well-educated man leaving his books to make a record be fore men. By voice and pen he can aid in the overthrow of conscienceless officials. It Is a noble work to engage in. To do good in the community ought to be the aim of every man and woman. In the sterner field of politics there Is need for all the watchfulness and energy possible to prevent Incompetent and dishonest office-holding. After finding a place in the community where he can be assured of an honorable living , the next step in the career of the educated man is to dedicate himself to the cause of the people and see to It that , as far as his Influ ence extends , the taxpayers are not imposed upon by officials intent solely upon their own enrichment UUca Globe. SAFETY IN RAILWAY TRAVEL. HE National Union of Railway Traekmea has filed complaints before the railroad com missioners of various States In regard to dangerous conditions the trackmen some times contend with. This question has re cently become more urgent on account of the serious increase in railroad fatalities. In the last three months of 190G there were In the United States , according to reports published by the Interstate Commission , 1,739 derailments , with a list of 146 persons killed and 1,517 injured. Recently the average of derailments and casualties has been far be yond the former figures. In four years the derailments and tragic list nave grown beyond the expansion of rail road systems &nd the population. Proportionately , there are more accidents and greater resulting damage to life and property. It is represented by the trackmen that In some cases the rails and roadbeds are defective , and that the force maintained to watch and repair them Is Insufficient. They state that more rails are broken on account of Im proper support by ties than by faulty manufacture In the steel mills. It is further claimed that the patrol of tracks by day and night is not enforced as thoroughly aa in former years , and that government or" State Inspection of tracks has become a necessity. As the trackmen are in close touch with roadbeds physically , their statement , it may be assumed , will be carefuly weighed by railroad officials , who desire , as much as any class , that tracks , and all branches of the service , shall be safe and efficient St. Louis Globe-Democrat doctor this morning and he told me of three cases he had. That's a bad thing , scarlet fever. Whooping cough isn't pleasant , I know , but it's some thing all children have some time. " "And our cook has left right in the middle of it , " said the lugubrious in dividual. "Didn't give us a word of warning. Packed her trunk and then came downstairs with her hat and Jacket on and said that her family wanted her back and would we please pay her wages and let the expressman take her baggage when he called. " "We had a girl played us a worse trick than that , " said ( the good-natured man. "Then don't tell me about If snapped the lugubrious Individual. "I don't want to hear it" "I didn't mean to be unsympa thetic , " said the good-natured man. "I was only trying to show you that things might be a great deal worse. " "But you don't seem to realize that they might be a darned sight better , " said the lugubrious individual. "That's what makes me sore. " Chicago Daily- News. Tne Hygriene of Underwear. The average person wearing two sets of underclothing a week , says the Youth's Companion , will make tfoe change in the middle of the week , but it would ibe far better if the two sets were kept going the entire week on al ternate days. With the bi-weekly change , the clothes worn during the d < ay are aired only for seven or eight hours in the twenty-four and never have the .purifying process of a sun ning. With two sets going on alter nate days , one set can ibe aired two nights and one day , and , if possible , should -be hung up where they can re ceive the direct rays of the sun for some ihours. They should not -be kept in a dark closet "What's His "After all , you know ; " said Dubley , ' "a man/Is only as old'as he feels. " "Yes ? " replied Wise. "How about the fellow who feels like a 2-year- old ? ' " Philadelphia Press. Many a man who hasn't a good horse now will pat his old family horse on the back , and say : "I tell you , this old plug has been a mighty fine horse in his time. " Sometimes a man loses his head at the same time his heart is captured. PLAGUE OP BIRDS IN ENGLAND 1 Result of Crusade for Protection - | Battues of Sparrows and Finches. , Tne protection of birds In England ; has reached such a stage that they hava becprne a _ nuisance and now it Is ix # unlikely that a systematic war will be waged on them. The complaint lsnoti _ of the gameTirdsT ) which p1fy 5 spoH : and in the market It Is the little' feathered creatures that are bothering the farmers and gardeners. " 7 Of course , the sparrows are the' ' worst. They have grown to millions in the southern part of England nr fj' the Kentish farmers have had to organize ize battues to reduce their numbers , a34 they were devouring seed and grain and destroying fruit to a ruinous extent Tens of thousands of them have been shot or caught with birdlime. In Herefordshire , Just north of Lon don , the bullfinches are the worst of fenders , swarms of them darken the air and settle down on the fields and In the orchard. The statement mada is that they absolutely denude the trees of fruit Each apple or pear has only a little peck taken from It , but It is thrown to the ground and rendered totally unmar ketable. The farmers and fruit rais ers here talk of organizing formal hunts to thin out the flocks of birds. Starlingi nave also become extremely numerous and are badly In need of slaughter , the country people say. The' pigeons are the only birds con stantly shot all the year around In England , and In spite of this their num ber never seems to diminish. In one farm outside of London the proprietor reports that he shot recently 340 pig eons in a single day. Farmers and gardeners and fruit growers are proposing to memorialize the government for the establishment' ' of a scientific system to combat the In crease of sparrows , finches , starlings , crows and pigeons in the interest of husbandry and horticulture. New York ; Sun. A Wonderful Cataract. The falls of Iguazu , situate near where Argentina , Paraguay and Bra zil meet , form one of the most wonderful - , ful cataracts In the world , being great er in extent and more varied in charao- ter than the better known falls of Ni- ; agara. The first plunge of the Iguazu , falls is 210 feet followed by two others - ' ers of 100feet each , while ibetween the two series of falls there are cataracts ! and rapids covering a vast expanse and ! surrounding .picturesque Islands. When a woman Is superstitious , it , doesn't mean anything , but if a man ! is superstitious it usually means that his business undertakings become fail ures. The first step toward a widow's second end trip to the matrimonial altar is her announcement that she will never ry again ,