A * Agricultural Surprise.
"Eastern visitors to the West arc
generally prepared for any phenomenal
showing in the line of agriculture ,
stock raising and the like , " says a Colorado
rado man , "but once IE a while they
are taken by surprise. A New Hamp
shire man who was spending his vaca
tion on a ranch of a relative in Colorado -
do wont out one morning to inspect a
largo incubator in which the young
chicks were hatching. In one corner of
the incubator a neglected peach seed
encouraged by the warmth of the at
mosphere had burst , and a tiny sprout
< sevc > ral inches long was growing ou
of , it.
" 'Suffering Caesar ! ' exclaimed the
JCow Hampshire nam as this raught
This eye , 'Do you hatch cut your pcachet-
in this country'- ' " Kansas City Inde
-pendent.
Only One "nUO.MO
That I" LAXATIVK HKOMO QUININE , ! / >
Sfor ih signature of E. W. GROVK. Used tv
World over to Cure a Cold In One day. >
Tljf Villain :
"Yon wish to employ ono of our >
< tectives to watch your husband ? "
"I do. "
"May I ask what has aroused you.
< ausplion of himV"
"He snt niCj a bunch of violets an
a hex of randy" fntm town yesterday. "
Kansas Pity Tir.iop.
jLsirtji ? Conlrat't.
"What are 3-011 soin ; ; to do now , cole
sel ? " inquired th intimate friend.
"I expect to spend the remainder of
cny days , " said th < > retired statesman.
"living down the lies that have boon pub
lished about one in fourteen political cam-
gwigus. " _ _ _
VOLUMES MIGHT BE WRITTEN
the Sncee.ss Tlinv Aivait.i tlae
I * a rmer in "Western Canada.
The story of wheat farming in West
4rn Canada ( that portion of Canada
lying north of Dakota and Montana i.
< hus been frequently told , but it will
-stand a lot of telling , and still retri-i
its touch of interest. During the j
Just closed 277,370 persons made their
homes in Canada as compared witli
.215.912 for the year 390G , an increase
-of 01,404. Those from the United
.Slates numbered 50,551.
A writer in Industry recently said.
"To-day the Dominion of Canada i >
witnessing a mightier movement o.
'Population than ever \ stimulated : .
r.iblical writer to pen a chapter of
Scripture. " The same writer says
"From the Rhine and the Rhone rher
valleys ; from the port cities of Ger
many and the farms of the Father
land ; from the peasant soil of Rus
sia ; and out from the grimy Lin
cashire and over-populated Yorkshire
the discontented and ambitious o.
every clime are seeking to take advant
age of the opportunities afforded by tlu
fertile soil and exhilarating climate of
the toiipirc of the North. "
Continuing , the same writer says :
"While a million human beings throng
the shores of the United States over ; ,
.year , the smaller number arriving in
Canada come with a more well-deli nod
purnose. " The question has been ask
ed , why. do these people come to Can-
jada : The available land between the
Mississippi and the Pacific has been
exhausted , and the farmers within that
territory find that their sons have tc
-seek newer climes. Canada offers one
iiundred and sixty acres of land fret
to each. This land yields from 2C
to 40 bushels of wheat to the acre
In Southern Alberta , the winter whoa
fcelt of Canada , ns high us 00 bushel ;
per acre have been harvested. Les ;
yields than the one mentioned hav <
tietted the farmer as much as $35 pei
acre. There are no words that tel
the tale so effectively as those of thi
farmer himself , the man who has
ploughed the fields , sowed the s in
and with folded hands rests , whili
nature , bounteous in that country , ii
less than three months , placed at hi :
hundreds of acres of ripenec
now waiting the arrival of tin
Teaper. and therefore we reproduce tin
following letter. Any agent of th <
.Canadian government , whose adver
'iscuu-r.t appears elsewhere , will b
k : ? od to give information regardin ;
Jie district mentioned or any othe
lu t niuy be in mind :
* : . T. Holmes , Ksq < Tanadinn Government
mont Agent. St. Paul. Minn. :
Dear Sir In 1005 I located on ;
laiui about 30 miles from the tow !
3f Wadena , on the Canadian Norther :
Railroad , have lived on my claim mos
of the time since. I consider this t
toe ono of the bert districts in th
country for grain growing. In 100
wheat averaged from 30 to 51 bushel
acre on some of my neighbor :
within 4 miles of my. clain
-Oats go from 75 to 100 bushels. It i
also a good country for stock. AVhor
I am there is plenty of fuel. Hmm
stf.-uls nearly all taken , the setth
ment being largely Germans and Aniei
well-to-do. I left Waden
: uis , all - -
.11 February. 1907. returning April 2-
, - . < tjat ! I missed part of the winte ;
\vhli-h the old settlers tell me was on
. f the worst they ever saw. but thcr
was no suffering , as the people ar
irt-tty well fixed , and there are n
Ulizzards in that country , at !
there flavor has been known to be < > .
Wild la id sells at from § 10 to $1.
-closer to town it is higher.
In the summer we have all sort
of wild fruits very plentful. and
oiever saw better vegetable , and pin ;
4 * PO plentiful a man need not stan
for wunt of something to eat Plont
of goud water , too. You need nu
to recommend this district , bt :
horiesteads are nearly all takei
most ' .f the himiesteaders are liviu
/right on their claims. .
FRANK MORIiSZ.
J elviugton , Sask.
FEBRUARY 22.
No country's had a hero
More steadfast , true , and great
Than Washington ; a captain
To guide the ship of state
With hand more .strong and steady ,
Or eye more true and keen
Long live his name , his deathless fame
Let memory keep green.
In onr love we set apart
Ilis birthday every year.
With rev'rence tell the children
His history so dear ;
"Tis for him we bow alow
And bend the willing knee ,
For him we fly our banner
Upon the land and sea.
So lot the honored name survive
Of our great Washington ;
To onr country he was father ,
Yet America's best son.
Of all the holidays in the calendar
Washington's birthday is dearest to pat
riots , for on a bleak 22d of February , in
the year 1732 , was born the man with
out whom the American commonwealth
would have been impossible , or , at the
host , a century delayed. It is even a
hotter day than the Fourth of July , for
that is but the celebration of the day
P ell announced that
\\hen the Liberty >
independence had been proclaimed. It is
easy to say fine things it is only a lit
tle more difficult to think them ; but to
live them ah. that is another matter.
SHADE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON : "HEAVENS ,
CAN THIS BE MY LITTLE SON SAMUEL ? "
Washington was .1 man who made his
Ideals into realities. II was the first
American unquestionably the greatest
Sue. No President since has excelled his
lofty patriotism. Here is a man greater
than kings a man who declined a crown
and who set the finest example in history
nhon he toasted President-elect Adams at
U farewell dinner and retired to Mount
Vernon. genuinely glad to relapse into
private life again.
It is not merely as a conqueror of
tyrants that Washington still lives in the
hearts of good Amei icaus. In all his
tory there is no character so fine or rare.
Those who read faces say that Washing
' of the most
ton's mental make-up was
violent and dangerous passions , all under
perfect control. From a youth he was
inarked , for he came of a masterful moth
er and had inherited her traits to a de
gree. No other could have pulled the
"altering , bedraggled Continentals through
* he .yruggle with the P.ritish and their
aired mercenaries as did this strapping
Virginian , who was. indeed , the Father
or his Country , since he and he alone
vras its creator.
It is a common thing in thesa later
days to glorify our Revolutionary fore
bears. Everybody who wore the blue
and buff is presumed have been run
ning o\-er with patriotism and a desire to
defend home and country. The patriot
farmers have been much sung , but tha
songs never tell how they went back to
their farms after having been "embat--
tied , " and proceeded to watch the cam
paign from afar and criticise its every
move. Students of Continental history
know how the militia fled at the first fire ;
how the innkeepers kept their paint
brushes ready changing George III. on
their signs into George Washington , ac
cording to which troops were the nearer.
Tlie turncoat farmers were as willing to
sell feed and forage to the invading red
coats as to the ragged Continentals
more willing , in fact , since the redcoats
were backed with good red gold , while
the Continentals had only the depreciat
ed currency of the gasping Republic. Oh ,
it is great history to read , the splendid
fight of tlie infant Republic against a
mother country strong and proud and
fighting for prestige , as she is fighting
now. But there are pages in it , torn
and blood stained , and not so fine pages
where , if you be a good American , your
own tears blot the pages that are thick
with Buffering. These are the chapters
that tell of a weak-kneed and divided
Congress , full of bickering , full of poli-
ticiaas , as Congresses were in the begin
ning , are now and evermore shall be a
Congress that halted and stammered and
hesitated , that voted confidence but no
provisions , and allowed men to pledge
their private fortunes for a cause that
should have been dearer than their Hfo
blood. There are chapters that tell of
the schemes and machinations of Wash
ington's enemies of the men who covet
ed his place and desired to supersede him.
You cannot read dry eyed how he begged
for stores for his dying men at Valley
Forge , how he walked'among them , freez
ing for lack of houses and blankets , and
dashed the tears from his own eyes as ho
saw the blbod tracks over the snow. Such
a man was the Father of America. Cor.
San Francisco Chronicle.
How "Wn-sIiiiiHTlou Looked.
George Washington was exceedingly
tall , and , when young , quite slender.
Ji ii UHA. \ . / '
\\i\m
T A iW 111 i'11 '
i ll : i R IM M ' - t > ui fl
" ' ' 'V ' % I 14 IB
, .
% JO
l.cdrC : ' > v H / /
4y l A i
- \
! N -
' -Sioux City Journal.
lie had enormous hands and feet. Ilis
bouts were No. 13 and his ordinary
walking shoes No. 12. He was a man
of muscle. During his service in the
army he weighed 200 pounds , and was
so strong that he could lift his tent
with one hand , although it usually re
quired the strength oi' two men to place
it on the camp wagon. 1 mean , of
course , \vhcn it was folded up and
wrapped around the poles. Washing
ton could hold a musket with one hand
and fire it. lie was a good shot and a
good sworusiiKUi. The pictures of the
father of our country make you think
that Washington was a brunette. His
facs is dark and somber. The truth Is
he had a skin like an Irish baby , and
his hair was almost red. He had a
broad chest , but not a full one.
Married couples in Norway may
travel by rail for one fare and a half ,
GEOBGE WASHINGTON UP TO THE MINUTE.
I CANKOT
LIE , 5UV 1
JN5ANC AT
THE TV : ! . . . .
a
CHICAGO.
Conditions of trade in the Chicago dis
trict are summarized in the weekly re
view issued by R. G. Dun & Co. , as fol
lows :
Trade activity felt the check imposed
by the severe weather and the marketing
of farm products was restricted , but the
general conditions toward recovery re
main encouraging and a healthier tone ap
pears in the leading branches. Much at
tention is devoted to the course of dis
tributive dealings in mercantile lines , and
thus far the indications are mainly sat
isfactory.
Good headway is made in reducing bott
local and country stocks , although clear
ance sales are yet in evidence.
The markets for wholesale staples sliou
a large attendance of visiting buyers ami
increasing selections ave noted in UK
textiles , footwear , furniture , clothing ant
hardware. Road salesmen' report more
numerous orders and the outlook is bet
ter for spring and summer wy < ' * . but
there is some hesitation due to a feeling
that cost may yet go lower.
Agricultural conditions remain excep
tionally good , antf with a continuance ol
high values for grain the prospects be
come brighter for wider consumption ol
necessaries.
Financial affairs reflect gratifying re
action from the depression , and mon
funds seek investment. Money is ii
greater suyply , with the discount rate
easier.
Additional resumptions in the iron in
dustry and further decrease of idle work
ers furnish the main developments in tin
principal lines of production.
Woodworking is more extensive thar
a month ago , and this imparts a bettes
tone to lumber dealings.
Failures reported in the Chicago dis
trict number 32 , against o7 last week am
25 a year ago.
NEW YOKK.
While retail trade in some lines o
wearing apparel has been helped by tin
coldest er stormiest weather of the win
ter , other branches of trade and Indus
try and transportation have been inter
fered with sufficiently to make the weel
as a whole a rather quiet one the country
over. Wholesale and jobbing trade ha :
been rather quiet , and. while : here an
signs that improvement along conserva
tive lines is making progress , the cautioi
as regards spring buying is as market
as ever. From the Southwest come re
ports that some canceled orders are be
ing reinstated. From the South comi
advices of slow trade and collect ions , bti
some lumber mills are reported resuming
with stocks reduced by the recent shut
down. Eastern trade reports are of quiet
except where helped by special weather
born demand. Business failures in tin
United States for the week eudini : Feb
6 number 272. against . .o' ) last week. ! : '
in the like week of VJ07. 201 in ] ! HX' . 2' ' '
in 1905 and 202 in 1901. Canadian fail
ures for this week number , 0 , as agains
4.4 last week and IS in this week a yea :
ago. Bradstreet's Commercial Report.
Chicago Cattle , common to primp
$ 1.00 to $ ( U"i ; hogs , prime heavy , $ l. K
to 9-l.So ; sheep , fair to choice , $ o. < !
to $5.00 ; wheat , No. 2 , Ule to iG-- ;
corn , No. 2 , "iSc to , " 30c : oats , standard
50u to 52c : rye. No. 2 , S2c to S4c ; hay
timothy , $0.30 to § ir..OO ; prairie. iS.ti !
to $12.oO ; butter , choice creamery. 27.
to 33c ; eggs , fresh. 22c to 2jc ( ; potatoes
per bushel , G2c to 73c.
Indianapolis Cattle , shipping. SH.n.
to $0.75 ; hogs , good to choice heavy
$3.50 to1.05 ; sheep , common to prime
$3.00 to1.50 : wheat , No. 2 , 9-lc to U5c
5-lc to 55c oats , No. :
earn , No. 2 white , - ;
white , olc to 52c.
St. Louis Cattle , $4.50 to $0.00 ; ho
$4.00 to1.50 : sheep. $ :5.00 : to $5.50
wheat , No. 2 , 0c to $1.00 ; corn. No. 2
55c to 50c ; oats. No. 2 , 4Sc to 50c ; rye
2STo. 2 , Sic to S2c.
Cincinnati Cattle , $ -1.00 to $5.50
hogs , $4.00 to $1.05 ; sheep. $3.00 t <
$5.00 ; wheat. No. 2 , 07e to DSc ; corn
No. 2 mixed. 55c to 5le ; oats. No. :
mixed , 50c to 51 c ; rye , No. 2. hoc to SOc
Detroit Cattle. $4.00 to $5.25 ; ho-s
$4.00 to $4.05 : sheep , $2.50 to $5.0U
wheat , No. 2 , 07c to 9Sc ; corn , No. , '
yellow , 57c to 5Sc : oats. No. 2 white
52c to 5-lc ; rye. No. 2 , Sic to We.
Milwaukee Wheat , No. 2 northern
? 1.0J to $1.0S ; corn. No. 3. 54c to 5t5c
oats , standard. 52c to 5."c : rye. No. 1
81c to S3c ; barley. No. 2 , 99c to $1.01
pork , mess. $13.50.
Buffalo Cattle , choice shippin : ; steers
$4.00 to $0.00 ; hogs , fair to choice , $3.51
to $4.95 ; sheep , common to good mixed
$4.00 to $5.25 ; lambs , fair to choice
$5.00 to $7.75.
New York Cattle.1.00 to $0.10
hogs , $3.50 to $4.90 : sheep. $3.0.0 t
$5.50 ; wheat. No. 2 red. $1.00 to $1.02
corn , No. 2 , 02c to 03c : oats , natura
white. 5Gc to 5Sc : butter , creamery. 28
to 32c ; eggs , western , 22c to 27c.
Toledo iWheat. No. 2 mixed , 9-lc t
mixed. 50c to 57c
90c ; corn. No. 2
oats. No. 2 mixed , 50c to 52c : rye. c
2 , 7Sc to SOc ; clover seed , prime , $11.4.0
INTERESTING NEWS ITEMS.
The Merchants and Shippers' ware
house in Buffalo was buried. Loss $200
000.
000.The
The school of commeive of New Yor
university has announced a course i
practical advertising.
Fire destroyed every building in Twi :
Lakes , -Minn. , the population of over tw
hundred being made homeless.
"The Toilers" is the name of a clu
launched in New York at a meeting c
eighty of the city's hotel clerks ;
WANTS BIG ARMY.
Major General Bell Says Uncle Sam
Should Have 250,000 Men.
A United States army of 250.000 m a
That is what Maj. Gen. J. Franklin
Bell , chief of staff , says Uncle Sam
would need if involved in war with
any first-class power. "We should not
allow ourselves to nurse a false sense
of security. " says this man , who is in
charge of the United States army , in
his annual report , "or continue to en
tertain the illusion that a brave , but
untrained , unorganized people can grap
ple successfully with another nation
better trained and organized. "
This is from Gen. Bell's report , in
which he asks the government to con
sider important facts , recommending an
increase in the army and the restora
tion of the canteen.
"It is a modest assumption , " says
Gen. Bell , "to say that the United
States will , if involved in war with
any first-class power , require tlie im
mediate mobilization of 250,000 men.
to be speedily followed by as many
more , with a possible ultimate addi
tional increase of four times that num
ber.
"One division. 1S,00 troops , is. of
course , not suflicieut to meet any need
at a time when isolation has become
a thing of the past , and we have points
of a possible friction in so many di
rections. That we can first in any
popular outburst raise volunteers in
great numbers may be admitted. We
GEX. J. F. BELL.
have the men. the money , etc. , but
we will not have the time to convert
these men into soldiers able to cope
with the trained soldiers of other na
tions. It can be safely relied xipon
that the remoteness of war largely de
pends upon preparation to meet it. Un
less other great nations are wrong
and wasting time and money , they are
giving us an object lesson which
Americans will some time Lave to
learn by costly and humiliating experi
ence , and which it is the urgent duty
of professional soldiers to point out ;
namely , that time and training are
both necessary to convert an untrained
volunteer into a soldier , whether for
infantry , cavalry , artillery , engineers'
or signal corps. The last great war
clearly demonstrated that the side
which is ready and acts promptly gains
a decisive advantage.
"The engineer force as now organ
ized is insufficient for the needs even
of proper peace training of the army.
During the pat two years , on not less
than ten or twelve occasions , actual
necessities for engineer troops have
arisen which could not be met. because
of the relative smallness of this branch
of the service. "
Reports are to the effect that the Wis
consin Central is securing a through route
between Chicago and Winnipeg by the
way of Dulutli.
The management of the Pennsylvania
road has issued instructions that wher
ever possible business shall be transacted
by train letters instead of telegraph. The
order is in the interest of economy and
has resulted in reducing the daily num
ber of messages sent from the Broad
street station , Philadelphia , by nearly
2,000.
On New Year's eve culminated a
unique movement for industrial temper
ance when a pledge of total abstinence
signed by 2.1.0(10 ( employes of the North
western railroad went into effect. It
started among the employes after it had
been made known that the management
was selecting the drinking men for dis
missal in reducing the force.
The railroad companies doing business
in Missouri have about decided not to con
test the State 2-cent fare law , becaus (
they are now confident that the reductiot
of traffic shown by their figures since tlu
law went into effect will satisfy the courts
that it is inequitable and confiscatory. J
Missouri Pacific official said the receipts
had declined 30 per cent in the last niuetj
days , and a Wabash man said that th <
combined loss to all the roads in passengei
traffic alone was ? U.OOO,000.
It is estimated by members of the ca :
service committee that between $7(50.000. (
000 and § 1.000.000.000 worth of ! equip
ment is idle in the country and that i
5s therefore costing the railroads nvarl ;
$4.000.tHK > a month in interest charges ti
maintain it in idleness. There are 375 ,
OO'J freight cars standing idle on side
tracks throughout the country. It is stat
ed that for every thirty freight cars whicl
have become idle an engine has been pu
in the shops , which would mean that full.
12,000 locomotives are without loads t
baul.
Officers Deeply Concerned Over
Future if Men Are Not Given
Adequate Compensation.
MORE INFANTRY IS NEEDED.
Half-Filled Hegiments Result of Low
Wages for Work Enlightening
Article by General Carter.
Washington .Correspondence :
One could not exaggerate if he would
the spirit of actual hopelessness with
which the officers of the American ,
army will view the future if Congress
fails at the present session to pass the
bill granting a increase of pay to thu
rank and iile. At some of the posts
there are barely enough soldiers to do
guard duty as it ought to be dne. .
It S a present condition with whirh
the army officers are- concerned first ,
and it is a future- condition over \ \ hu-h
they are concerned second. The fu
ture condition is the more serious , be
cause it means that if things go on a3
they have been doing the country and
its island possessions will be detVn > e-
Il'SS .
.Men who have worn shoulder knots
Cilice the days of the civil \\ar s.iy
in all seriousness that unless the peo-
: > Io bring pressure to bear upon Con
gress to provide adequate pay for the
soldiers the people will find them
selves , as far as the regular army en
ters into the matter , practically with-
ut defense , and reduced almost to the
-stage of having no seasoned foive .n
a nucleus of efficiency for untrained
national guardsmen and green volun
teers. Post libraries , recreation ronms ,
field athletics , comfortable quarters- ,
good food , good clothing , free nn-di. il
attendance and plunge and shower-
baths all avail nothing to attract UH-II
to a life which wotdd draw them by
allow.-jii'-o
the thousands if a decent
of pay for the service they reinler in
peace , and alwaj's have been willing t < J
render in war. were added to the in
ducements.
Joint encampments of the reiriil.jrs
and the national guardsmen will I"1
held next summer. The regul.irs < 'i-
joy camp as well as garrison sen. ' ,
though the duties are harder. 1. > s
the belief of officers of the arm > tl. it
these encampments , into wln > st > i , . .1-
tary life the national srat * soIdiVii -
ter. would induce onlistuK'iits ir ii
the national guard by thf hun.lr oS > f
the inon knew that their pay wom-l
cojimuMisurato with the- work tln-\ .a >
willing to do for their country.
In a recent nnnil * r of the NorMi
American Review General William II.
Cartci. % commanding the Departin nt
of the Lakes , has an enlightening ar'i-
cle under the strongly suggestive rir o ,
"When Diplomacy Fails. " It i < ; written -
ten by an ollicor not given to somcr-i. ;
trumpet alarm notes and who for -tie
worth of his service was made a IJi 4-
adier General yars before th" " i'
when under the ordinary rule of pr -
motion he would have- been entit --i * >
wear his star.
Army officialsbelieve that if the es
tablishment were enlarged po r : fo
would be far more attractive ! - . . : - , (
of the greater nnmber of soti- ! ! ' - . * i
the garrison. Tf the proposed . . < 1\ -o
in pay is passed by Congress tl
oers also believe that there will ! H >
trouble in keeping the ranks filt ! 1. I
that re-enlfctuirnts will be ti r
rather than the exception , as jii--
to-day.
MISSOURI BANK E03EED.
Five Bandits Wreck Building aad
Terrorize Tovm of Bich. Kill.
Taking $2. , /K } < > after dynamiting . :1
wrecking the building of the I".r : n- ' - sand
and Manufacturers * Bank in Illrh II ,
Mo. , five bandits , hravily arm. .1. ' r-
rorixed citizens early the otlu r n. rn-
ing and after exchanging shot . u Ii
the sheriff's posse escaped to the rou h
country south. No one was injun-d
A terrific explosion caused by rh < >
dynamiting of the vault of the b..uk
iwakt-ued the town half an hourr
midnight and the population hurried to
the two-story brick bank in th" nu ref
of the city. Many arrived in t'.a.e to
see the robbers riding away. SOIMO of
the citizens opened fire on th < > nV iug
bandits and the latter returned the fire.
Cashier J. W. Jamison said that all
the available cash in the bank was
token by the robbers. The building
was ruined and several other bull iiius
were damaged by the explosion. The
sheriff organized a po.sse , but the ro. > -
bers had a good start.
I4 n ; "Women liiitcr.s.
A jury has decided that Mrs.
Stanton lilatch cannot compel th- Hoff
man House of New York to -r\e m als
to her after ( ' in the evening , ulna she
is unaccompanied by a man. Mrs. ISIatch
at onee apijealod the case , and -h.- \\ill bo
supported in carrying the matter to the
highest court by the Consumers' League
and the Federation of Women's Clubs. A.
bill to prevent the discrimination against
women by hotels in this way has beea
introduced in U' ° . legislature.