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About The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19?? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 1910)
T1IK NORFOLK WEEKLY NEWS-JOURNAL , FRIDAY , DKl'KMHKH ' 1(5 ( , 1010. North Nebraska's Soil Richest in the World By Hon. George Coupland ElRln , Xcb. , Doo. 2. Editor News : Having known yon for u long term of yearn and your deep Interest In things wlilcli concern the people of north eastern Nebraska , I WIIB not surprised when n few weeks ago yon naked mete to propiiro for your rcadorH n short article giving the result of sonic of my personal observations relativeto the fertility of this wonderful Loess soil which covers most of the counties of this portion of the state. It Is now over thirty years IIRO slneo ' I took up a pamphlet Issued by the Burlington railroad company , which purported to give a description of the J I lands they owned In the county where 1 now llvo and some of the adjacent comities. 1 well remember being at tracted by the report of Professor Aughcy of the state university as to the composition of the soil and Its ev | ident usefulness for all round fanning purposes , and It only seems like yes terday that Hald down the little book let which had reached my home across the Atlantic , saying to myself , "If It Is only half as good as he snys , It Is good enough for me. " A few months later I decided to leave the old homo to como to the place which had such promise for one who desired to settle In a goodly land. Well do I remember after my arrival on the place where I hnvo lived since that time , taking up a handful of the kindly soil which It has been my pleas ure to own and till during these years , and after examining it , saying "This is the best soil I over saw or handled. " I And now , after thirty years of experi menting , cultivation and examination , you ask mo the question , "What do you think of It now ? " I am sure you are not prompted by n merely curious inquiring spirit , but you want to know the facts for the benefit of your read ers , and I shall endeavor to answer your Inquiry in as plain and practical way as I possibly can , avoiding the technical and having In view that which you arc anxious to know what the soil in this portion of the state Is worth for practical farming purposes , and If it has the qualities which arc lasting as to its future fertility. Yet I must confess that in endeavoring to answer your questions I shall be large ' ly governed by the thought of impressIng - 1 Ing my follow citizens with the idea that the possession of such a heritage as wo enjoy should arouse in us a spirit of prldo and appreciation , that is , knowing the value of this soil. We should be proud and appreciative of It and anxious to care for and conserve BO goodly a possession. The study of the poll and the plants which grow upon it , has always at l tracted the thoughtful and Inquiring mind. Since the dawn of history we find that men were anxious to find out the operations of nature's laws and to co-operate with her , If perchance they could 'assist to a larger usefulness. The history of Investigation along ag ricultural lines is a very interesting and fascinating one. and it seems as the years go by and we get in closer touch with the natural laws which govern the machinery at work in the soil , and the plants which we plant and cultivate , we realize more and more the necessity of an intelligent co-operation with these laws and the in dividual operators which carry on the business of providing and supplying plants with food. This machinery and these operators which do this work do not perform their functions in a haphazard way. The machinery is wonderfully and in geniously constructed , and the operat ors are expert and industrious , but it is a very easy matter for man to in terfere with the operation of the ma chinery and Impede the forces \vnieh keep It In motion. During the past 100 years some of the keenest observers and scientists have been busy trying to find out the best methods of co-operating with the forces at work in the soil. The result has been that wo are acquainted now with the fact that a certain combination 1 tion of elements go largely toward the making of food for growing crops. If t all these elements are present , conditions ' ditions are favorable for plants to ' grow , providing sufliclent moisture and warmth is supplied. If any one | of these essential elements is lacking , | trouble arises , and it is like a machine minus a cog wheel , the machine can 1 not work. Every Essential Element Present. Now hero let me say that In this wonderful l.oess soil of ours there has been provided In great abundance every element and condition to make a perfect and lasting'fertlllty ' machine , and these elements arc not confined merely to a surface foot or two of the poll , but to a depth in most places of fifty feet , and many places much deep er do we llnd an abundant supply of the elements which are convertible into plant food. Plants as well as animals , if they are to grow and produce generously , must bo provided with a balanced ra tion , that Is , food adapted for their requirements. The four essential elements neces sary to a vigorous plant growth are nitrogen , potash , phosphoric acid and lime. If any one of these things is lacking in the soil , or perhaps of lim ited amount , it is Impossible to suc cessfully raise crops. Of the elements I have Just named , three of them are rock particles , but the nitrogen has been gathered from the air and fixed in the soil , and before it can bo used as food by plants must bo transformed or changed into nitrates , and when U Is thus changed It becomes soluble in water and the plant can use it. The rock particles 1 have named , to become available for plant food , they too , must be made soluble , and this Is partly accomplished by the carbon dl- oxide , of which a largo percentage of the body of plants Is constructed. This , too , has been gathered by the plant from the air , and where the plant dies and decay commences , this element is released in the mill and it attacks the minerals just spoken of 'and makes a poitlon of them available - able to succeeding generations of plants. I may sny hero that all this . ' fixation of nitrogen and Its transfer- ' inatlon Into nitrates Is done by minute J I ' organisms which llvo In the soil , and j also that the release of the carbon dioxide in the dead plant Is through the efforts of other busy little work- ers whose business it Is to break down plant tissue. In fact , these are what we may well term the operators of | I the fertility machine , and If these operators - orators are to do their work effectively - ly , conditions in the soil , both as to mineral supply , moisture and heat , ' must be so blended together as to reni der It a congenial place for them to live , multiply and do their allotted tasks. So , In arriving at an approx1 1 imate estimate as to the present and future ability of our Nebraska farms , ' we must ask the questions : What is [ now present in the soil ? What , It any , I peculiar ability does it have to store up moisture for future use ? What are the conditions as to warmth and other things which make It a happy home for the Industrious little work ers I have spoken of ? If from an examination of the soil 1 wo find that It does contain the minerals 1 erals necessary In abundant supply , that it does have unique ability to store up moisture and that It is a hap py place for benignant bacterial life to multiply and operate , then wo can say with assurance , this Is a goodly land , whoso agricultural future is se cure. In arriving at an accurate con clusion , \\'e must apply the scientific test as to what these farms of ours actually consist of , and hero I wish to say that In applying this the severest of all tests , I do it because I am most deeply anxious that those who live upon and > own our lands and those who inhabit our towns and may per haps have pecuniary Interests in the country that they shall be advised as to the actual value of what they pos sess. So that a spirit of pride of pos session may be theirs and an anxiety to use their possessions judiciously aroused. I wish here to acknowledge my great indebtedness to and apprecation of the assistance of Doctor Alway , soil chemist , and Doctor Walte , soil bac teriologist of the state university , both of whom are devoting their splendid abilities to the service of our state. The laboratory determinations arc theirs , so the figures I shall give tell the exact story of the soil as we have found It. Contents of North Nebraska Soil. The land upon which I live and it is typical of northeastern Nebraska soil the most of it has been under cultivation about thirty years , and a record of the different croppings has been kept. The surface foot of each acre of the original prairie contained about 122,500f , pounds of organic matter - tor , 7,03. pounds of nitrogen , 18,000 pounds of potash , 1,500 pounds of phos phoric acid , and from twenty to as high as eighty tons of lime. During these years on the fields that have been cropped there has been no ap preciable depletion of this mineral content. In the second foot there is 3.600 pounds of nitrogen , 21,000 pounds of potash , 2,400 pounds of phosphoric- acid , and also a great Increase in the lime. There is a decrease in the nit rogen down to the seventh foot , when It reaches 900 pounds , an'd.frOm there to the twelfth foot It remains about the same. The total nitrogen con tent of the first twelve feet per acre being 21,600 pounds , the mineral con- tent of the soil shows a large increase In the lower depths , there being In the third foot 27,000 pounds of potash and 3,000 pounds of phosphoric acid , and from the fourth to the twelfth foot 28,500 pounds of potash and as high as 33,000 pounds , the phosphoric acid averaging 3,900 for each foot from the fourth to the twelfth , the total potash for the first twelve feet | being 348,500 pounds , and phosphoric acid 42,000 pounds and the Hmo con tent being especially rich. The mar ket price of all this fertility matter , if we had to purchase it from the com mercial fertilizer manufacturer , in the first founfeet of each acre of our land would be for the nitrogen $2,300 , potash $4,725 , phosphoric ncld $648. Totalling $7,673. This is to a depth to about which the corn roots went down In my fields this yast year. But the total value of the elements I have just named in the first twelve feet I of each acre is $23,370 , and all this for1 1 tllity matter is contained within the area that the alfalfa roots penetrate , In fact they go much lower than this. The actual value of the lime Is not given In this calculation. Sufllce it to say it would add very materially to the totals I have given. These esti mates only cover the available fertil ity matter contained in the minerals I have named. If wo were to take the entire amount of these elements pres ent it would bo about two and one- halt times as much potash and over one-third more phosphoric acid. Now comes the other sldo : What have and do wo take out of the soil by cropping , and what can wo add to the soil by planting certain crops ? Thirty-two crops of wheat averaging twenty bushI els to the acre , assuming that grain , straw or stalks nro removed from the field , would take 1,120 pounds of nltroE gen , 1,120 pounds of potash and 640 pounds of phosphoric ncld , of a total value of $281. Thirty-two crops of corn at sixty-five bushels to the acre would take 2,400 pounds of nitrogen , 1,920 1 pounds of potash and 640 pounds of phosphoric acid , totalling $534. Two 1 tons of clover hay would take 2,112 pounds l of potash and 896 pounds of phosphoric I ncld , of a value of , $159. Four I tons of alfalfa hay would take I 4,096 -1 pounds of potash and 1,312 pounds I phosphoric acid , the value be- Ing I $284. It Is questionable whether these t two latter crops remove any nitrogen t from the soil , and this I will discuss a little later on. I So far I have shown what this soil 1 of ours contains , what proportion of it l Is removed by a series of croppings , and perhaps here I ought to say that only ( about twelve pounds out of every 1,000 i pounds which enters Into the composition of plants and cereals comes out of thp soil , the source of the 1 other 988 pounds being air and water , , the carbon and the nitrogen being i taken out of the air , and it is most ] interesting to know that that which is so Important to and so largely - ly i used by plants Is held in the air about and above us in such abundant supply s , for it. is estimated that there are 30,000 tons of nitrogen hovering over each acre of our lands waiting to be trapped and transformed into plant food , and where it is that local condl- tions are favorable for the utilization of this great ocean of fertility matter then we can say we live in a rich farming country. As I have before intimated , heat and moisture are controlling factors in the production of plant food. We may possess every element necessary which goes to the making of this food , but if the soli in which it is contained does not have the ability to store up the rains and snows which fall upon it , the forces which transform and pre pare these different things which plants require to nourish them cannot perform their functions properly. And now I will give the results of some very Interesting investigations which will show the peculiar ability of our soils to bottle up and take care of the moisture which falls. Moisture Nearly All Retained. First let me say that the soil par ticles are neither too large or too small. If they were too small , there would not be much room for water to accumulate between them and they would pack close together and could not take up much water. If they were too large , the water would rapidly drain away , but our soil is of such a texture and character , also depth , that practically our loss of water Is very small. I think Professor Barbonr , our state geologist , estimates the loss by run-off to the streams to be about ten percent , whereas In some of our east ern states more than half of the mois ture which falls is not retained by the soil , but passes off to the water courses. About the beginning of last Sep tember I dug two pits on my land. One in an eight-year-old alfalfa field , and the other about thirty steps away from it , in an adjacent corn Held. The cornfield has never had any le guminous crop grown upon It. These pits were dug to determine several things I had in mind , viz : the mois ture content of the two fields , what the alfalfa had added to or taken from the soil , and whether nitrifying bac teria operated at a lower level In the alfalfa field than they did in the co-n field , and how far the alfalfa and corn roots penetrated. There having been a very great shortage of rainfall during the past growing season , these moisture inves tigations speak with peculiar force. The first foot in the cornfield con tained 14 i/i percent of water , the second end foot 17 percent , and the third about 19 percent , and averaging about the same amount down to the twelfth foot. In all , there was enough water to equal thirty-two Inches of rainfall. The corn roots had penetrated down in this field about three and one-half feet and never once during the summer - mer was there any indication that the corn was suffering for lack of mois ture. Of course , the water that was in the surface soil had been conserved by good tilling , and what had been used up in June , July and the early part of August was replenished by the Inter rains which came. Now , what had happened In the alfalfa field ? This crop is a great user of water and not only does it get its supply from the store near to the surface , but It digs deep and draws up its water supplies rfom far down in the earth , that Is , where conditions nro favorable for it to dig and the storage capacity for taking care of water Is good. 1 There was a difference in the amount of water In these two fields In the first twelve feet equivalent to ten Inches of rain , or 1,130 tons of water to the acre. The alfalfa having dur ing Its life there used up what had fallen and drawn upon the available reserve which was bottled up In the lower levels. These moisture determinations show beyond doubt the wonderful ability of our soil to store up the moisture which falls upon It and hold a reserve for f n deep-rooting plant like alfalfa , which has such remarkable value as a restorer i of the nitrogen which has been I used up by preceding cereal crops. And hero follows the very Im portant l question as to the nitrogen supplies which plants require. Can we supply this Indefinitely without calling upon the commercial fertilizer manufacturer i ? This is a serious question , for unless natural | conditions ) are favorable for us to t do this Inevitably there Is only one tiling t before us these supplies will have ) to be brought from somewhere else If they cannot bo manufactured on the land. On my own farm thirty-two crops of ceieals have used up one-third of the nitrogen j which was In the original prairie. Doubtless what Is true ou my t land is true on other farms wlfero there ( has been no other rotation except - cept corn , oats and wheat. The query now arises , Is there a crop we can plant which will replen ish j or at least maintain without do- pletlon our nitrogen supplies ? And are our soil and moisture conditions favorable ( to grow that crop ? I say without hesitation they are , and I can also ; say that unless we plant this j I crop ( there Is trouble ahead for us. Crop to Replenish Nltroacn. As I have already stated , the nltro gen ! that plants require and use has j to < be obtained from the air , and that wo have a limitless supply to draw upon. ' How this transference from air to < soil or plant took place , and how this ' gas was transformed Into a substance - stance which plants could use to nour ish ' and develop their bodies , puzzled Investigators ' for many years. Men in England ] , Germany , Franco and in other ' European countries , as well as our ' own , tried to find out just how the thing was done , and through the years , especially ' during the last ten years , many important discoveries along this j line have been made , so that now wo know that It is through the agency of minute bacterial life which exists in the soil , whose business it is to take hold of the nitrogen gas and fix It In the soil ; and then there are other little fellows who live with them , who convert it into ammonia , then to ni trite , and finally into nitrate , in which form the plant can use It , but there are other little chaps whoso home is in the soil and who have a peculiar liking for clovers , alfalfa , vetches and other legumes , and when these plants send out their small rootlets , attach themselves'to them , make a nodule on the root , begin to multiply rapidly and in some mysterious way feed the plant with the nitrogen It needs In fact , seems to supply , at least for a while , all that it does need , so that the soil upon which these different legumes grow is not further depleted of its nit rogen , but it is rather Increased. Now to raise such crops as alfalfa and clover successfully , these small organl isms must be present , and so that they can be present , conditions In the soil must be congenial for them , if the proper mineral elements are not In the soil , they cannot live there , and if they do jiot have moisture and warmth they cannot live and multiply and do their tasks. Now It Is unquestionably n fact that we have all the necessary elements in this soil of ours to make it a very happy and congenial place for these valuable little workers to pursue their trade , and the earth takes care of so efficiently the moisture which falls , that this Is certainly an ideal place for this wonderful combina tion of legumes and bacteria to carry on the perpetuation of our soil fer tility. Value of Alfalfa. , To Illustrate : On the field I have referred to which has been In alfalfa eight years and this Is the oldest one I have , other fields having been plowed up which show a very great ability to raise crops the weight of the alfalfa roots to the acre contained in the first foot was 5,069 pounds , containing 105 pounds of nitrogen , worth in the mar ket $17.50 , equivalent to ten and one- half tons of fresh barnyard manure. In the first ten feet of the field there were 9,459 pounds of roots , containing , 172 pounds of nitrogen , worth $28.67 , | equivalent to seventeen tons of fresh j barnyard manure. Now this Is not taking into account the amount of leaves that had fallen from the alfalfa stalks , which adds very materially to the store of fertility matter , and not alone does the alfalfa dig down deep , I but In filling up the tunnel which it j' I digs with organic matter , it adds. ] largely to the soil's ability to store up 11 I moisture , and It doubtless obtains a _ considerable amount of its mineral' supply in thp lower depths , where it is so abundant , also the breaking up of the subsoil by Its great root system , which makes It easier for succeeding crops to root deep , and I hope to find out next year how much deeper corn will go down In nn old alfalfa field than where alfalfa has not been grown. In summing up the question as to the potential and future ability of this eastern Nebraska soil ( and the same thing is true of a large area of our state ) I say that there is no doubt that if wo ar * > wise enough to judiciously till , crop and husband Its resources , It has a long and great future before It agriculturally. Tested by every known scientific test , it has unique lasting qualities. Its undeveloped potential richness Is very great , and I never talk or cor respond with men who have made soil studies a specialty but they always refer to the remarkable wealth of our soil and Its deep-seated accumulation of the elements which are necessary to support plants and also which make It congenial to and an Ideal place for the bacterial life which operates the fertility machine. Let me in conclusion make an ap peal for a higher appreciation of these rich possessions of ours , so that wu will seek to use judiciously and care fully the fertile lands given Into our charge. That our efforts shall bo to assist rather than Impede nature's laws. That wo shall not bo robbers , who either selfishly or Ignorantly ex ploit the soil. If the people who live upon these fertile valleys and uplands do this they will bo at the end of the centuries what a graciotfs providence evidently Intended them to be , one of the most favored portions of this globe. Theiu are quite a number of other things . which are suggested by what I have written , but space forbids me referring to them. Perhaps at some j future time 1 may have something more to say. However , let mo urge the young people who live on these eastern Nebraska farms to seek a lib- oral education along agricultural lines , for , there is no department in our na tional life demanding a better equip ped mind or inml than that of the man who is to he the conservator of the bask- 1 wealth of the nation , and who doubtless will have to supply In the future j as In the past the virile blood necessary i to keep alive the activities of letters and commerce in the more congested centers of our country. Need of Better Educations. I am sure you will permit me to most earnestly call the attention of the men of mature years , those who live upon the land and those who live in our towns and cities , to the great importance and imperltive necessity of providing the means to give a suit able education to the young people who are to llvo upon the lands which I have described , so that they shall be able to put this undeveloped poten tial wealth to Its greatest test and use. I know of no more Important or ur gent matter , and one which is so far- reaching in its influence for the good of the state , than the preparation of our young men and women for an in telligent and useful life upon the land. Our state university , with Its agri cultural school and college , has been trying to do the best it could with the means at hand , and we are now asking that this school of the people shall be generously supported by the people , for personally I feel It Is one of the best dividend-paying investments the people of our state can make , both morally and economically. George Coupland , Elm Grove Farm , Elgin , Neb. SATURDAY SIFTINGS. Mrs. Schriner of Pierce was here. Mrs. Herman Reckner of Hoskins was in the city. M. Nichols of Foster was here trans acting business. Mrs. Otto Fliers t of Madison was a visitor In the city. George M. Fowler of Fremont was a visitor in the city. Mrs. John lluebner of Hoskins was a visitor in the city. Mrs. Otto Miller of Hoskins was heroc ailing on friends. Miss Ella Neuman of Battle Creek was a visitor In the city. Mrs. Carl Albert of Hoskins was in the/city visiting with friends. Mrs. D. C. Whitmore of Oakdale was hero calling on friends. Mrs. L. W. Schlote and daughter , Ida , of Tilden are visiting her daugh ter. Mrs. John Schmidt. Fred Pilger and daughter , Miss Luella - la Pilger of Plainview , were in the city visiting with relatives. Sheriff C. S. Smith of Madison was In the city on business. U. E. Durnham returned from a business trip at Omaha. R. G. Rohrke of Hoskius was in the city transacting business. D. Baum returned from St. Paul , where ' he attended the funeral of his nephew. i County Attorney James Nichols of Madison was In the city transacting county business. Mrs. C. R. Reed went to Lincoln Saturday noon to remain until after Christmas at the home of her parents , Mr. and Mrs. F. L. Estabrook. J. I. Custer was at Wayne working up ' Interest In the poultry show which will ' be hold in the Taylor building bore Tuesday , Wednesday and Thurs day. < Ferdinand Kell is suffering from an injured eye as the result of a cinder. W. H. Blakcmnn has purchased the fine horse owned formerly by P. A. Woods. The Woman's club will meet at the homo of Mrs. Vlole on South Eighth street .Monday afternoon at 2:30. : Constable A. W. Finkhouse Is suf fering from an injured back as the result of falling Friday , when ho slip ped on some Ico. C. II. Park of 806 South Third street , a Northwestern fireman , is suffering from a sprained wrist as the result of shaking the grates on his engine and his hand slipping. William Howe of Galesburg , III. , in charge of the sales force of the Pur- Ington brick company , Is in the city looking over the progress of the Nor folk avenue paving. Mrs. B. W. Barrett has returned from South Dakota , where she secured a good homestead , near those taken by thn-o. membtTH of the Humetto family , In Huttc county. R. C. Deinmou , a Northwestern brakeman , Is suffering from a bruised foot us the result of dropping a heavy roll of foil roofing on that member. Ills right lee WUH badly bruised. W. J. MeNatneo. a Northwestern en gineer. Is suffering from u strained imeh as the result of the shaker clip ping when he was engaged In shaking the giutea for his fireman at Atkin son. son.Dr. Dr. A. B. Tashjean wont to Fort Smith. Ark. , where he will give med ical treatment to Arthur Koonlgstelii , who is suffering from a slight attack of pneumonia. Mr. Koonlgsteln's con dition IK not serious , Norton and Walter Howe were lucky hunters Friday. Walter , In company with Carl ICorth , killed sev en rabbits , while Norton , who was at Spring Branch for rabbits , brought home three fine mallard ducks. The clerks Friday night organized their basketball team and it now re mains to the inllltlii to line up their players and complete the league. The members of the clerks' team follows : Elmer Might. James Delaney , L. B. Seymore , Mlllard South , Charles Hu la c. There was a birthday party at the homo of August Brauu last Sunday afternoon. A number of the neighbors were Invited to share In the joys of the day and help eat the good things that were served by Mrs. Braun. Rev. Otto Bergfelder was also among the guests. Or. C. F. W. Mnrqunrdt of Omaha , for many years a Norfolk business man , Is in the city on business and visiting old friends. Ho says that Norfolk , with its paved street , looks good to him and this seems more like homo than a big city. He sometimes thinks of coming back. Archie T. Row has just completed painting a number of beautiful scenes for the A. L. Killlan display windows , and some of them have already been put on display. Mr. Gow Is a student of nn art Institute In Des Moincs , In. , and has received many compliments for his beautiful work. City Engineer H. II. Tracy made two tests of the newly arrived Purlng- ton brick. The first test showed 18 percent weight and the second test 20 percent weight. The test allows the brick a 22 percent weight. The property owners' committee were pres ent at the second test and declared themselves well satisfied with the Purington brick. Railroad mail clerks of Norfolk have organized n local branch of the National Association of Railroad Mail Clerks and elected H. B. Sannders as their president ; Frank Nelson , vice president , and George Surber secre tary and treasurer. The local organi zation has a membership of fourteen. The meeting and organization was held In the federal building. Norfolk mail carriers had but two hours left to work Saturday morning when they called at the postoffice for the mail. "Some of us will get a holl- day today , " said one carrier. "I have but two hours left to make my forty eight houis and I am not allowed to work overtime. Some of the other carriers have not more than three hours' work left thorn this week. " Unusually heavy mail Is said to he the cause of the carriers having worked - ed extra long hours. Considerable interest was manifestt ed in Battle Creek Friday afternoon when a stranger paid in court to Charles Fonske the value of a dog he I had Killed and the costs of the suit , j The stranger on December 1 shot Mr. ' Fenske's dog , an animal of much val- ' ue. The stranger was arrested by the officers and a lively legal fight was looked for when a satisfactory adjust ment was made by the parties inter ested. A Bohemian whose name was not known lost ono of his legs and the other was badly Injured when he fell under the Union Pacific passenger train at Platte Center Friday night. The man boarded the train at Colum bus and told a number of passengers In the smoker his home was at Platte ] Center. When that station was leached he delayed getting off until | the train was in motion. It is believed i ] when getting off he fell backwards' ' under the wheels of the cars. t II. II. Wakefleld of Crookston , Neb. who came to Norfolk Wednesday to j celebrate , paced into the arms of in | toxlcatlon and at the same tlmo into the arms of the police. Saturday mornIng - ' ( Ing he argued In Judge Eisoley's court that he had no money. His honor , j i Judge Elseley , Wakefleld was sure had n the required $7.10 , for which amounl g lie was assessed , but a search of n Wakelleld's clothing did not reveal the c coin. When It seemed evident that he would have to spend another night in r the Jail , he produced a $10 bill from his sock. There will be no judging of chick ens on December 13 , the opening day of the first annual poultry show of < the fancy poultry association In the' ' Taylor building in this city. The first t day's work will bo taken up In ar- j i ranging all show coops and marking | c the various breeds of chickens. The ' c show rooms will bo open every evenIng - t Ing mitil 9 o'clock. On the second c day of the show Judge George A. Ileyl t of Washington. 111. , will begin to pass f judgment on the poultry. On the night of December 14 the members of the association will hold nn annual t meeting In the show . rooms. Out-of- town entries arc now being received. "I want to have the privilege of signing the first petition for the pav ing of North Fifth street from Norfolk avenue to the Union Pacific depot , " says D. Rccs , who has about 200 feet of property along that street. Not InI eluding the Union Pacific Railroad I company there are but two other property - c erty owners In the section mentioned 1 by Mr. Rees. Those nro the Verges estate and C. F. Shaw's property , who have agreed to have the street paved us soon as posxlblo. "Wo would Ilku to have the privilege of paving the street ourselves , " said Mr. Rees. "If wo should obtain this right , wo would biro our own contractor and hnvo tin- street paved with ronmito of seven inches thlckncsu. This would give the wii-reto paving a good try-out for ser vice on a street on which heavy traf fic Is can led on. " He Could Box Some Himself. Councilman E. B. Kauffnmun , who Is known as one of the most Interest ed men In Norfolk In any sport , from baseball to boxing , declares he was at ono time somewhat of an athlete * himself and , In fact , could outhox oiiy man In his town In Iowa where ho had charge of a bakery shop , lie also explains , however , how ho was out- boxed by a professor of a "manly art" school of Emmetsburg , la. , who was. brought to Kaun'munn'H town Junt for the purpose of giving him a surprise "I was , I will admit , too confident. " says the councilman. "I had outboxed all the boys In town and as I under stand It they wore going to maku me- 'come down. ' A new barber arrived In town ono day and I was about thf first man he shoved. Ho lost no time in advising me that he had already heard I was a clever man with tln gloves and asked that I he his in structor. I agreed. Wo had a gymna slum in the loft of a livery stable and my pupil and I were soon stripped to the waist with an unusually large- crowd around. My pupil was clumsy He would Insist on leading with his right , but I was patient and so told him all I knew about the advisability of leading with the loft. This accom plished , I taught him the mysteries of dodging and hard hitting. Soon I came to the point and told him , 'Now you try to hit me in the nose. ' Ho tried and he hit. I went to the floor , but I was soon up again. He asked me , 'How was that1 It was a terrible jolt and it felt as If it came from a fighter , but I was not sure so 1 said , 'that was all ' right. Now you try again and try'to hit mo In the jaw. ' He missed the jaw and hit my sore nose. I went down again , but this time I was positive I was up against It. I got up all right and went after him. Ho knocked mo down again and again , but I happened to get in a good one and the minute ho struck the- ground I got on top of him and com menced pounding. It seemed five min utes , but I afterwards heard it was a half minute in which my time was taken up pounding Mr. Professor. His fact was in bad shape and so was mine. During my pounding he told mo who he was and after the crowd pulled me off we shook hands , but it was a joke on both of us. " THE RADIUM WEDDING NOW. Frenchman and His Wife Celebrate Their Seventieth Anniversary. . Paris , Deo. 10. The "radium wed ding" Is the newest thing and perhaps the rarest. It commemorates the sev entieth anniversary of marriage. Such a wedding celebration was held re cently in Paris by M. and Mine. Fer dinand Dugue. Duguo Is the oldest dramatic author in the world. His /IS ago Is 95 and his wife is 92. The Dngues were married Novem ber 22 , 1840. Dugue is in excellent health . and has lived so long and writ ten . so much that he is not quite cer tain whether ho has turned out forty- two or forty-three plays. Mine. Dugue Is j , in bed with a broken leg , but is cheerful and happy. "My bones are too old to mend , " she told her guests on the day of the ! j radium wedding , "but that is all the matter | ; with mo. It was my own fault that I broke my leg. I fell on the stairs of u railroad station as I was running to oatch a train. " CAT PLAYS THE PIANO. The One Whose Place it Fills , How- ever. Hated Music. At the home of A. H. Viele there is much concern over , the new cat which was taken in by the household. This cat insists on playing the piano at all hours i of the night , and keeps the fam ily disturbed when during the wee hours ] of the morning It jumps on the keyboard of the piano and makes the air hideous by i mining up and down the keys. The new oat is not only a surprise to the family on account of its great liking for music , but only n few months ago the old family cat , which abhorred the tune of the piano , died. ] That cat , when hearing the pi ano , would almost cry and go into a lit ; , then run under the houvo and re main there for almost an entire day. Surprise was given the Vlele family after the cat's death when the new one arrived and introduced itself by giving concerts on the piano which , its predecessor so much disliked. Electricity for Dallas. Dallas , S. D. , Dec10. . Special to The News : The greater Dallas boost vcommltte held the first of a series of luncheons at the Lakota ho- tel. There were about fifty citizens present and many things for the good of Dallas were taken up and discuss- ed. Among them was the need of an electric light and power plant. A committees was chosen to take steps to secure one. On the evening of the following day $5,300 had been sub scribed by citizens of the city , and a purchasing committee has already gone to purchase a suitable plant. Since that tline over $2,000 additional has been subscribed , articles of in corporation drawn and all necessary stops taken to perfect a plant which \ will be Installed as rapidly as possi ble. ble.The The citizens and committee are busy preparing for the big farmers' Institute which will bo held here De cember 16 and 17. More than 600 has been subscribed In purses and prizes for this event , and It in expect ed that a very largo crowd will bo In attendance.