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THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE
A Synopsis of Proceedings in Both Branches of
$ the Twenty-Eighth GeneraJ
j Assembly.
OAAftA
SENATE.
At the morning session of the senate
on the Gth the following bills were pass
ed: S. F. US. limiting the time in which
to revive a dormant Judgment. S. F
"H9, providing for a time when injunc
tions may be brought. S. F. 8. pro
viding that in counties of 123,000 popu
lation commissioners shall be elected by
vote of county. S. F. 132. providing for
the destruction of weeds along the high
ways. S. F. 21C. 218. 213. repealing law
relating to salary of deputies for treas
urer and secretary of state and secre
tary to gevcrnor. S. F. So. brick sale
law. H. R. IS. providing for a county
treasurer's seal. S. F. SO. providing for
the supersedeas In cases appealed to the
supreme court. The senate went Into
committee of the whole to consider bills
on ircncral file. S. F. 133, taxing the
costs in criminal cases upon trie defend
ant If he Is guilty, and If the prosecution
be malicious, the prosecuting witness:
ordered engrossed. S. F. - -If there are
remonstrances against granting of sa
loon licenses, appeal may be had to tho
courts, providing that rcmonstrator give
bond for 1300 for cost; indefinitely post
poned. S. F. US. providing for the an
nexing of territory to cltle3 and villages
situated In two or more counties: or
dered engrossed. S. F. 1C0. providing
for the appointment of a truant officer
by school boards; ordered engrossed. II.
It. 1CT. favoring the election of United
States senators by popular vote; recom
mended for passage. A large number of
bills were introduced.
In the senate on the 7th the following
bills were reported back by committees,
with the recommendation that they be
placed on the general file. S. F. 233.
amending the criminal code to strike out
the death penalty: II. R. 132. to appro
priate to the use and benefit of the Uni
versity of Nebraska the moneys known
as the agricultural experiment station
fund, also the Morrill fund and the uni
versity cash fund: II. R. 202. to appro
priate money !elonging to the state
normal school fund for the purchase of
books for the librray of the state nor
mal schools and to provide for their
maintenance: S. F. G2. relating to appeals
in equity; S. F. 100. repealing the section
in the criminal code relating to grand
juries: S. F. 101. relating to the selection
of juries: S. F. 91. authorizing judges of
district courts in vacation to parole and
discharge persons convicted of felonies
and misdemeanors. The following bills
were read the third time and passed:
8. F. 70. providing that it shall not be
necessary to serve notice on minor child
in case of adoption, unless the child Is
over 14 years Of age: S. F. US. provid
ing for the annexation of territory by
cities and towns located in two or more
ccuntics; S F. 9. authorizing the gov
ernor to appoint a board of pardons con
sisting of three members; S. F. 123. pro
viding how amendments may be made
to articles of incorporation. The follow
ing bill was Introduced by Senator How
ell: S. F. 290 An act to declare all tel
ephone companies in this stats to be
comon carriers: to prohibit the making
of unreasonable charges and providing
a remedy In case thereof; to declare cer
tain charges to be reasonable charges
and provide a penalty for the violation
of the provisions of this act.
Governor Mickey on the 9th vetoed his
first bill.. The measure was S. F. 29. pro
viding for the payment of fees to the
commissioner of public lands and build
ings. Governor Mickey stated his objec
tions to the bill to be that the measure
was unconstitutional in that it provided
for the payment of fees to the commis
sioner, while the constitution provides for
payment of all fees to the state treasurer.
"Warner of Dakota moved that S. F. 301.
recommended by the governor, be read
r first time. This was done. Mrs. Lou
ise Bowser will not get the $2,000 asked
of the state for the erection of a sod
house at the Louisiana Purchase exposi
tion. The senate indefinitely postponed
the bill. II. R. 119. providing for the re
ports of teachers and county superintend
ents, was passed. II. R. 167. a joint res
olution memorializing congress to pss a
bill for the election of United States sen
ators by popular vote, was passed. Com
mittees reported as follows: S. Fs. 100
101. providing for a grand jury system,
was recommended for indefinite postpone
ment. The report was concurred In and
ths bill was placed on general file. S.
F. 14! providing for the erection of grain
cle-ators and warehouses, was placed on
general file. S. F. 240. defining cultivated
lands, placed on general file. S. F. 117.
nn act for opening and maintaining roads
to bridges across streams separating two
counties, amended and ordered engrossed.
S. F. 113. providing for appeal bonds,
amended and ordered engrossed. II. It
64. providing penalty for carrying con
cealed weapons, ordered engrossed.
The resolution offered by Senator Har
rison, which provided for the appoint
ment of a sifting committee, was taken
uj on the 10th. Senator Harrison mov
ed that Senators Hastings and Saunders
be added to the committee. This com
promise was accepted to save the reso
lution. The resolution as amended car
ried. Committees recomnicnled the fol
Icwlng bills for indefinite postponement:
S. F. 241. which provides the governor
shall have general supervision of the
soldiers' home: S. F. 242. relating to the
management of the soldiers' home at
Mllford: S. F. 194. providing for the
government and maintenance of the
school for the deaf; S. F. 59. relating to
the management cf the deaf and dumb
asylum: S. F. 193. providing fcr the gov
ernment of the school for the blind, and
S. F. 232. providing for the filing of
transcript of evidence In cases of appeal.
The following bills were placed on the
general file: S. F. 237. providing for the
building of wagon bridges on county
lines; S. F. 230. regulating the crossing
of wagon bridges by traction engines,
and S. F. 243. fixing a maximum com
pensation to be drawn by county com
missioners .and members of boards of
supervisors. The following bills came
tip for final reading and were passed:
S. F. 130. providing for the use of water
for irrigation purposes; H. R. 64. fixing
a penalty for the carrying of concealed
weapons: H. R. 76. providing for a stay
of execution after judgments are ren
dered; S. F. 113. providing for appeal
bonds: 8. F. 155, providing when judg
ment shall be rendered; S. F. 160. pro
viding for the appointment of truant of
ficers; 8. F. 5S. defining the boundaries
of Nebraska, and H. K. 46. providing
method of giving notice of annual school
meetings.
The senate committee on accounts and
expenditures, instructed to examine into
the workings of the state printing
boards, thinks the expense of the state
printing Is entirely too much and in
its report on the 11th made recommen
dations to overcome the evil. Following
this report. 8. F. 273. providing for the
purchase of legislative supplies and the
care of the same by the state board of
public lands and buildings, and 8. F.
276, providing that this board shall con
sist of the secretary of state, treasurer,
attorney reneral and land commission
er, were placed at the head cf the gen-
eral file and then ordered engrossed.
S. F. ISO. providing for the appointment
of a -state accountant at a salary of
&.809. was ordered engrossed. This bill
was the result of a recommendation
mate by the commissioner of public
MUCiags fa Us report, it
'
was later recommended by Governor
Mickey in his message to the legisla
ture. The original bill provided that a
salary of $2,000 be paid the accountant,
but this was cut down by the senate.
It shall be thi duty of the state- ac
countant to check up the books of the
various state Institutions and to insti
tute a systematic method of bookkeep
ing. H. R. 1S7. providing that the legis
lature memorialize congress to enact
legislation providing for a constitutional
amendment providing for the election
of United States senators by popular
vote, was amended by the senate and
passed. After adding another long list
of bills to the general file the senate
passed the following: S. F. 177. relating
to the commitment of girls to the state
industrial school. S. F. 103. relating to
boys under 18 years old convicted of
crime and their commitment to the in
dustrial school. S. F. 237. providing fo:
roads to bridges across streams on coun
ty lines.
HOUSE.
Instead of. taking up bills on first read
ing on th3 Cth, the house, on the forti
eth day of the session. Immediately went
Ir.to committee of the whole and launch
ed Into the ocean of bills on general file.
The first two measure3 on general file
were II. R. 1 and II. R. 2. both of which
were, at the author's requests, passed
for the day. A spirited debate ensued on
a bill by Nelson cf Douglas between
Nelson and Looml3 of Dodge. The bill
compels a mortgagee appealing from a
decree of foreclosure by a lower court
to furnish bond for the rent of the land
pending the continuance of the action in
the appellate court. Loomis attacked
the bill as a measure calculated to work
serious hardship upon property owners
and should not be allowed to pass. The
discussion resolved Itself Into a heated
controversy between the two debaters.
Loomis secured tho adoption of amend
ments destroying the effect of the bill.
Sixty-five bills were Introduced durlnp
the day, but very few were read. It was
the last day on which bills could be reg
ularly introduced.
By previous agreement the representa
tives did not expect any business on
the 7th and only a bare quorum attend
ed. As soon as roll call was completed
nearly a dozen members left the hall
and departed for their homes. The bills
Introduced on Friday were read for the
first time and after receiving the spe
cial comunlcation of Governor Mickey
on Insurance of state buildings, the
house adjourned till Monday at 2. p. m.
The house convened at 2 o'clock on the
9th and entered at ones on bills on second
reading. Sixty-four measures, completing
the list, were thus disposed of. The house
took a recess at 4 o'clock until 7:20. when
the revenue bill was taken up. At the
first night session of the house to con
sider the revenue bill held friends of the
measure proved sufficiently numerous to
prevent the adoption of any material
amendments to the first twenty sections.
Sections 19 and 20. providing for tho elec
tion of county assessor and for the
appointment of deputies by the county
assessor with the consent of the board,
occasioned the greatest debate. At the
ccnclusion. however, the committee voted
not to amend cither section. Section 13.
enumerating property exempt from tax
ation, was amended to include "fruit" in
the list. On motion of Sears of Burt
section It. relating to tax liens, was
amended that taxes should be a "first"
lien. Junkins of Gopher moved to amend
section 12 by Inserting that property
should be assessed at 25 per cent Instead
of 20 per cent of its value. This the com
mittee promptly killed.
Proceeding to bills on their final pas
sage, the house on the 10th passed sev
eral measures of importance. H. R. 23ti,
by Gilbert of Douglas, was among this
number. The bill provides for more
stringent registration laws In Omaha.
H. R. 123. by Douglas of Rock, removing
the two-thirds limit of indebtedness for
railroads and alowing them to Increase
their liabilities to any amount, was pass
ed. H. R. 210. by Jouvcnat of Boone, in
creasing the salary of the secretary of
the state banking board to J2.000. that
of the state bank examiner to $1,000, with
$600 per annum for expenses, and prohib
iting the use of commercial paper by a
banking concern as part of the capital
stock, was passed, as was also II. R.
323. by Hathorn of Red Willow, giving to
Russell F. Loomis of Red Willow county
a deed to a quarter section of land on
which he settled in 1S72 and for which
hi has been unable to obtain a title
from the national government, which,
subsequent to his homestead filing, do
nated the land to bo held to the school
fund of Nerbaska. The house concur
red In the senate resolution to have the
committee on accounts of expenditures
act with the senate committee to inves
tigate whether W. II. Clock Is custodian
of the store room by appointment of
the legislature or secretary of state.
The house went into committee of the
whole to consider, first. H. It 271. by
Riggs of Douglas, providing a reduction
in the number of the South Omaha
school board members from nine to five.
The committee recommended the bill for
passage. The remainder of the day was
consumed In consideration of the reve
nue bill, an evening session also being
held to deliberate on this matter.
McCIay of Lancaster on the 11th In
troduced In the house II. R. 4SS. In ac
cordance with the request preferred by
Governor Mickey In a special message,
to appropriate $10,000 for the paving of
the south and east sides of the capital
square. The house then went Into com
mittee of the whole on the general rev
enue bill. The committee amendment
reducing the tax on the gross receipts
of foreign surety companies from 2 per
cent to 1 per cent was not adopted. The
committee amendment exempting from
taxation of Nebraska insurance compa
nies tho amount of reinsurance and can
cellations was opposed by Mockett on
the ground that the same exception had
not been made in the taxes of outside
companies. Loomis defended the amend
ment as a perfectly fair one. and It was
adopted. The bill as prepared provides
for the taxation of all Nebraska insur
ance companies "except fraternal ben
eficiary associations, and mutual com
panies that operate on the assessment
plan, have r.o capital stock, and make
no dividends." Loomis offered an
amendment to strike out the words
"that operate on the assessment plan,
have no capital stock and make no
dividends." Mockett and Sears spoke in
opposition to the amendment, as did
McCIay. and- Loomis vigorously defend
ed It. The amendment was adopted.
Nelson of Douglas offered an amend
ment increasing the tax on foot ped
dlers from $5 to ?10, on peddlers with a
one-horse vehicle from $15 to $25. and
on peddlers with a two-horse vehicle
from $25 to $10. The peddler question
was debated for an hour along the old
familiar lines, after which the amend
ment was adopted. Rouse followed this
with a substitute fixing the tax for
foot peddlers at $25. peddlers with a
enc-horse vehicle at $30. and with two
horse vehicles at $75. This is the tax
Itvied under the present law. The sub
stitute was unanimously adopted. Hun
ter ottered an amendment to assess and
tax grain, brokers on the amount ot
train on AOd. & on other tangible, i
property. Instead of on capital invested.
The amendment was lost. Gilbert of
Douglas offered an amendment to tax
street railways, water works, electric
light companies and gas companies on
the basis of tangible property and gross
receipts instead of on the basis of tan
gible property and the full value of the
franchise. The amendment was, after
discussion, declared lost.
THE PRINTING INVESTIGATION.
Following Is the report of the com
mittee appointed to Investigate workings
of the state printing board:
Your committee on accounts and ex
penditures, instructed to investigate the
workings of the state printing board,
have duly examined tho records of said
board and find that only a portion of
the prjnted supplies contemplated by
law to be purchased by and through
the printing board have been so pur
chased, and this not only during the
last blennium. but during the biennium
preceding it. Questioned by your com
mittee as to why all supplies had not
been purchased by said board, the offi
cials of the board stated that it was
due to the failure of heads of depart
ments and state Institutions to furnish
quarterly estimates as is plainly requir
ed by law. Inquiry from the officials
of the board prior to the last blennium
elicited the same Information. The
board was of the opinion that if the
law should be observed by all state offi
cials and the officers of state institu
tions, and the entire printing supplies
of the state be purchased and contracted
for by the printing board, as directed by
law. the costs of same would be mate
rially reduced.
Your committee visited each depart
ment of state and by the heads of each
In turn It was admitted that during the
last biennium the heads of each depart
ment, from the governor's office down,
and the heads of each state Institution,
had purchased stationery and their
needed office supplies as they saw fit,
aiming to place orders to the best ad
vantage possible. Their attention was
called to the law governing the pur
chase of such supplies, and by each it
was admitted that the provisions of the
statutes had been disregarded. Ignor
ance of the law was given by some as
tho reason for such disregard, while
others stated that they were familiar
with the law. but had simply followed
In the footsteps of their predecessors.
All agreed that the law should and
would be strictly adhered to hereafter,
and each was of the opinion that such
a course would result in a great savins
to the state.
A further conference was held with
the printing board and it was agreed
that hereafter the bord would Insist
that all printing and printed supplies
must be furnished through and by the
printing board as contemplated by law.
LEGISLATIVE NOTES.
Belden of Richardson has Introduced
in the house another bill cutting off the
fat fees of the clerk of the supreme
court. It goes farther than the other
measure and fixes the salary for the
reporter, clerk and librarian of the su
preme court, who is the same individual,
at $1,500 a year for all services rendered.
It allows the clerks two assistants, one
of whom shall be a stenographer, and
receive not more than $1,200, and three
additional clerks at $600 each a year.- Mr.
Belden said it is the same bill he intro
duced two years ago. He thinks that as
the session is so near an end there will
be little chance of the bill's passage.
Close on the death of H. R. 330 is born
another measure contemplating taxation
of railroad terrminals for municipal pur
poses, constructed on the same funda
mental principle as both house rolls 171
and 330. This new bill was Introduced
in the senate by Saunders of Douglas.
Douglas county members assert that this
is their first step In renewing the fight,
and that it will be followed by others
calculated to force the sanction of this
proposition upon this legislature. The
Saunders bill merely provides that tho
railroad property shall be assessed and
taxed on its fair cash value for city
purposes the same as other property,
and that in fixing the standards of as
sessment and taxation the figures as re
turned by the State Board of Equaliza-.
tlon shall not be taken by the city tax
commissioner, except for school pur
poses. A bill has been introduced by Roberta
of Dodge providing for the creation of,
the new state department of architec
ture. It provides that the governor shall
be the official head of the department
and may appoint a deputy at a salary
yearly of $2,000; that this deputy shall
be a competent architect and have
charge of the erection and repair of all
state buildings and be allowed additional
help at modest prices.
Bobbins of Gage. In the house, wants a
building erected at Beatrice for the Ne
braska Institute for Feeble Minded
Youths at a cost of $23,000. and he intro
duced a bill asking the legislature to
set aside this amount.
PETITION FOR REVENUE BILL.
The following petition was presented
from Richardson county:
"To tho Honorable Charles I. Norrls,
H. S. Belden. W. H. Hogrefe and Cass
Jcncs. senator and representatives. State
house. Lincoln. Neb.:
"Whereas. The stock of one of our mer
chants Is taxed for city purposes $17,SS;
his store building. $31.00. and one of our
banks $111.50. and all other property on
the same basis, except the railroads; and,
"Whereas. The Atchison & Nebraska
railroad pays only $39,43. and the Mis
souri Pacific railroad $75.30, for the same
purposes upon all of their property, con
sisting of right of way from 1O0 feet to
330 feet wide, together with three-fourths
of a mile each of main line, side water
tanks, semaphore, besides our proportion
of the rolling stock and Intangible prop
erts. aggregating in our estimation a
sum much greater than the value re
turned by the state board of equalization;
and which by law we are entitled to as
sess within our limits, making the taxes
greatly disproportionate to our property:
and,
"Whereas. S. F. 248 would give our city.
In common with all others of the state,
the right to assess railroad property for
municipal purposes on the same basis as
all other property In the city without re
ducing of affecting taxes paid by rail
roads for other purposes:
"Therefore. W"e. the citizens of Falls
City, here respectfully request you to use
al honorable means to have said measure
enacted Into law."
ENFORCING MAXIMUM RATES.
Kennedy of Douglas, author of the
house resolution providing for the en
forcement of the maximum freight rate
law. introduced a "bill constituting the
governor, commissioner or public lands
and the state treasurer a board to have
charge of these rates.. They shall raise
and lower them as provided by law. At
present this function is vested in no liv
ing body. The law vests the duty in the
board of transportation, which Is a mis
nomer, since this board has ceased to
exist. Mr. Kennedy's object is to secure
every means and facility of strengthen
ing his movement to Insure the en
forcement of the maximum freight rates,
which he contends have not been en
forced. GUARD THE SLOCUM LAW.
The alacrity with which the senate in
definitely postponed a bill to change
the Slocum liquor law Friday was pleas
ing to the friends of high license. Glffin
ot Dawson, Wall of Sherman, Warner
of Dakota. Hasty of Furnas, O'Neill of
Lancaster. Jennings of Thayer, Ander
son of Saline, and half a dozen others
from al! parts of the state emphatically
resisted a"ny attempt to better the law.
on the ground that It bad been tried
since 1SS1, found to work well and was
jealously guarded by the people. Pem
bcrton of Gage sought to show that a
slight amendment would prevent black
mailers frcm making; annual raids on
the treasury.
My Day's A-Coming
I know my "saying's common,
But it's no less wrong for that ij
(It's like some other -proverbs
That we rattle off. so pat).
It's not a healthy doctrine.
For ft brings too little cheer..
Don't say. "My day's a-comin "
Why, your day is always here!
None of the days is labeled.
They are every one for you;
Your day. If you'll but use it
For the best that you can do.
Your day and the one who gave It
Every night your strength restores.
Don't say: "My, day's a-comlng"
For the one that's here is yours.
In God's last grand accounting
'Twill be asked of you and me
Just how we used our day-store
In the place where mortals be.
Then. If you spent them waiting.
All the wasted days you'll rue.
Your day was never "coming"
You'll find they were all for you.
Col. Kneffier's Regiment.
The Seventy-ninth, commanded by
Col. Frederick Kneffler Is memorial
ized on the battlefield of Chlckatnauga.
An eagle grasps a laurel branch above
To the Seventy-ninth Indiana,
the state seal. This regiment cap
tured the only confederate battery
captured and held.
Getting Whisky Into Camp.
"The first Christmas I spent in the
army was a very dismal one," remark
ed Lieut. Crate of the Northeastern
district the other day. Lieut Crate
saw hard service in the Confederate
Army during the Civil War.
"I remember how the authorities got
next to the fact that a lot of whisky
was being smuggled into the camp and
how the boys managed to outwit them
and get the liquor anyhow in time for
Christmas.
"There was a baker who furnished
the camp with bread. After a short
time it was noticeable that every time
the baker visited the camp there was
a large number of the boys who were
forced to do penance for being drunk,
an offence that was strictly prohibit
ed. The authorities set a watch, with
the result that one day when the baker
arrived his stock of bread was in
spected and a number of bottles of
good old whisky discovered baked in
several of the loaves. The entire load
was confiscated and sent to headquar
ters, where, no doubt, it was deeply
appreciated.
"For seme time the boys were at
their wits end to contrive some
scheme to smuggle the whisky into
the camp without being detected, and
at last one of the crowd, who liked his
little nip so well that he could not
forego the pleasure any longer, con
trived an ingenious plan that was a
howling success from tho start and
lasted for a long time before it was
eventually found out. When one of
the boys went down into town he
would buy a common earthen jug and
a number of hog bladders. The blad
ders Y.-ere placed in the jug in such a
way that the openings hung outside.
The nest visit was made to where the
whisky was obtainable.
"Each bladder was then carefully
filled with the liquor, the neck tied
up and let drop into the jug: After
the jug was filled with as many blad
ders as was necessary, the next call
would be made to a grocery, where the
space between the bladders and the
of the jug would be filled with mo
lasses. Coming back to camp the man
with the jug would be halted by the
sentry, who would dip his finger in
the jug to see what it contained, and,
finding nothing but molasses, would
permit the owner to pass. When quar
ters were reached tho molasse3 was
carefully drawn off, after which the
jug was broken and the bladders of
whisky distributed to those who had
contributed toward the purchase. It
was many a long day before it was
found out where the soldiers secured
their drinkables." Baltimore Sun.
Revisits Old Battlefield.
Forty years had passed away
since I took part in the stirring scenes
of the eventful and fateful Seven
Days' battles, writes Harrison Hume
in the Boston Herald. On a bright
winter morning I left Richmond to
traverse once more those bloody
fields. Traveling by the Wiliamsburg
road I came to Seven Pines, the scene
of a desperate but indecisive contest.
Thence by the Nine Mile road to Fair
Oaks. I was here reminded of the old
days, for the mud was knee deep.
Here I tcok the same road leading to
Chickahominy over which Sumner
passed when he came to our rescue
that terrible afternoon of May 31,
1862.
I called at the Trent house, McClel
lan's headquarters. This once famous
house and plantation is now rapidly
going to ruin. The trees, however,
under which his tents stood, are yet
alive. Approaching the river" I found
it the same capricious, uncertain,
treacherous stream as forty years ago.
It had rained two days before, and as
In '62 it had overflowed its banks. . I
thought my old but trusty mule would
have to swim for it. for. although the
stream In normal condition Is only
about three rods wide, the road was
overflowed for nearly half a mile.
Once across, however. I came very'
soon to the historic field of Gaines
Mills. Historic, because upon the
same ground, virtually, was fought
two very Dloody battles of the war
Gaines Mills and Cold Harbor. In '62.
upon this ground, Lee attacked Mc
Clellan. In '64 Grant attacked Lee.
The intrenchments of both battles are
still plainly to be seen, and 'in some
places are near each other. I was,
therefore, enabled to visit both fields
on the came day.
Stopping for a glass of water at the
McGhee house, I was served from the
same well, where so many- wounded
1I,
and dying men quenched their thirst
that battle afternoon. It was served
also by the owner, who fought over
his own land that day.
Veteran's Proud Record.
Joseph Levoy ofCiaremont, N. H.,
Is believed to be the heaviest barber
in the world. He weighs 350 pounds.
He is 5 feet 7 Inches tall, wears a No.
8 shoe, measures fifty-six Inches
around his waist and fifty-four inches
around the body under the arms, but
in spite of his great size and weight
gets around easily.
He Is, withal, a very powerful man.
At the second battle of Bull Run in
a charge across the railroad he shot
one rebel, then ran forward, grasped
the next man. and started with him
toward the rear On the way he met
another rebel, took him' in the same
way and brought both into the fed
eral line.
For this he was commended In
orders read before the regiment at
dress parade and was named for a
commission, but he failed to pass at
the examination, having only a lim
ited education.
At Brandy station his regiment,
the Second United States Cavalry,
charged a regiment of rebel cavalry
and while hotly engaged he saw a
rebel about to cut djSwn one of his
comrades. This he prevented. The
rebel then tried to run him through
but he warded off the thrust and then
shot the rebel with a revolver. Gen.
Merritt, seeing this, wrote a letter
of commendation, which is carefully
preserved and cherished by Mr. Le
voy. He was ordered before a board
of officers to be examined for a cap
taincy in a colored regiment.
In 1864, while his regiment was
guarding a supply train coming from
the Luray valley it" was surprised by
Mosby's men. It retreated a short
distance then rallied and soon had
Mosby's men flying back into the
mountains and here Mr. Levoy took
another prisoner.
Refused Money From McClellan.
An old soldier of the name of
Sprague was in the city a few days
last week, says the Ohio State Jour
nal, and he told a pleasant story of his
war experience. He was a skilled
blacksmith when the war came on, but
dropped a profitable trade to enlist,
landing at last with his regiment
down in Gen. McClellan's army.
The army made a forward move
ment, and McClellan's horse cast a
shoe. The horse could not travel, and
the general was in a fix. AH such
baggage, as army forges, was away
behind, and there was no blacksmith
to be found near. Officers were dis
patched in every direction to find a
man who could shoe a horse. Sprague's
captain asked him if he could shoe a
horse. Sprague replied:
"Yes, but there is nothing to do the
vork with."
The captain .said a rebel blacksmith
outfit had just been captured, and
Sprague undertook the job. McClel
lan and his staff stood around Sprague
and watched the job with great inter
est. Sprague in telling the story said:
"I found the hoof had been split, but
I trimmed it up nicely and put on a
shoe in the best style I could. When
the job was completed McClellan
pulled a 5 gold piece from his pocket
and offered it to me, but I declined
it, thinking the honor of shoeing the
general's horse was sufficient. I was
young then; it wasn't long until I
wished I had taken that goldpiece, for
I went hungry several times soon
after, when that money would have
helped me out. I never would be
guilty of such a trick again."
Shrewdness: of Gov. Tod.
"Gov. Tod of Ohio was a wonderful
mobilizer of troops," said a veteran
recently. "When Cincinnati was in
danger in 1862 he ordered the farmers
of certain counties to provide them
selves with quilts or blankets, squirrel
rifles and ammunition, and, after or
ganization into companies, take the
trains for Cincinnati. The farmers,
old and young, did as requested, and in
less than a week 15,000 men who
knew how to shoot were in Cincinnati
or in Kentucky ready to shoot. These
were the famous 'squirrel hunters
and Gov. Tod always believed that
they and their squirrel rifles scared
Kirby Smith and led to his retreat
Certainly the 'squirrel hunters' of Ohio
in tfinf iA4r1r roennnco tr ttin ovwor.
nor's appeal demonstrated that Tod I
knew something of the men who had !
voted him into office."
A Metal Abdomen.
Gen. Snowden Andrews, who died in
Baltimore the other day, enjoyed the
distinction of being the only man in
the 'world who possessed a metal ab
domen. Being punctured below the
belt he rattled like a tin pan. His en
tire bay window was shot off in the
war and his bowels were spread upon
the ground. "Here's another dead
one," said the surgeons, gathering up
the intestines dong with a few band
fuls of sand and piling them back into
the body. The wounded soldier show
ed signs of life, and they sewed him
up with a piece of tarred string. Later
on he got a metal front, which h
wore to the day of his death.
World's Supply of Gold.
It is anticipated that the world's
supply of gold will be doubled in the
next ten years.
Pressure on Boilers.
Water tube boilers are now made to
stand a pressure of 350 pounds to the
square inch.
The Old Piano.
With tarnished keys, once white as
milk.
And candles that for light did duty.
In bravery of fluted silk.
Pathetic In its faded beauty.
Our gentle household god! It stands
Past any miracle of tuning;
Dumb to the cost persuasive hands.
Dead, with its dear and dead com
munity. And yet. when summer nights are long.
A hand seems searching through it;
treasure
Of peaceful Sabbath evensong
And stately chant, or warlike measure.
Those dear old tunes our mothers knew!
That fell so lightly from their fingers;
Sweet spirits! Far away they flew.
But still their music with us lingers.
Of soi;'s incarnate mystery
The very home, with memories throns
ing: Xot passive wood and ivory.
But rife with human love and long
ing. So lovingly we guard its fate.
Well may the sternest cynics falter!
By such sweet gifts unconsecrate
No aUen sods shall have its altar.
BfffaBfBfffffffffffffffffH iV "ffffffffffffffffffffffjet 9mJ
' Facte on Michigan Live Stack.
The January report of the Secre
tary of State of Michigan gives the
following information on the condi
tion of and prices for live stock in
that state:
The average condition of live stock
in tho state Is reported as follows,
comparison being with stock in good,
healthy and thrifty condition: Horses,
cattle, sheep and swine, each 96 per
cent The average price of fat cattle
was 4.03 per cwt, of fat hogs 5.69
per cwt, and of dressed pork $6.13
per cwt The average price of each
class of horses was as follows: Under
one year old 30.72; between one and
two years old. $48.90; between two
rod three years old, $73.03; three
years old and over, $101.06. Milch
cows were worth $35.41 per head. Cat
tle other than milch cows, under one
year old, were worth, per head $11.22;
between one and two years old, $19.32;
between two and three years old,
$29.29, and three years old and over,
$37.90. The average price of sneep
under one year old was $2.69, and one
year old and over, $3.39, and hogs
not fatted wer.e worth $4.98 per cwt
The prices of all kinds of live stock
are higher than one year ago. Fat
cattle and fat hogs are worth 20 cents
more per cwt while dressed pork is
worth 63 cents less than one year ago.
Best Horse-Breeding Section.
Dr. C. D. Smead of New York state
cays: Where are the best locations
for horse breeding? I will say that
there are good locations in nearly all
the states of the Union, and there are
also bad ones. The New England
states where there are pasture lands
are by far too rough and rocky. The
danger of accidents with resulting
blemishes is a serious drawback in
pasturing colts upon steep hill sides
or the rocky pasture lands where
sheep and cattle may do well. The
level lands of all the eastern states are
far too valuable for the owners to use
them as horse pastures. And the same
can be said of many sections of the
central states. Kentucky, with her
rolling lands and blue grass pastures,
has in the past and can in the future,
produce fine horses. So can New
York and Ohio; also parts of Pennsyl
vania. But let these states produce
all they can and they cannot supply
anywhere near what the future de
mand will be for first-class horcss.
The horse breeding section of the
United States must be west of the
Mississippi river. That Is where the
great ranges are found, covered with
both the wild and domestic grasses,
the essential thing in growing horses
cheaply.
Prolificacy of Swine.
Prof. Thomas Shaw: That the
bacon types of swine are more pro
lific than the lard types will be ques
tioned. The only uncertainty regard
ing it is the percentage of the In
crease in prolificacy. It Is Impossible
to get exact figures on such a ques
tion. But the claim will be moderate
which assumes that while the aver
age litter from the lard types will not
be more than six, the average reared
litter from the bacon types will not be
less than eight This means, there
fore, increased productiveness in the
bacon types to the extent of 25 per
cent In other words, the man who
winters over 200 brood sows of the
lard types to accomplish a certain
result will only have to winter over
15 bacon sows to accomplish the same
result He will therefore effect a sav
ing of the food of maintenance for five
brood sows for a whole year, while
the result in production will be the
same. Apply this to the millions of
brood sows in the United States and
the sum will run up into the millions
every year, and owing to the intimate
relation between prolificacy and good
milking qualities the bacon sows will
feed their offispring better during the
.nursing period.
Of Interest to Importers of Live Stock.
A bill has been introduced Jn the
house cf representatives at Wash
ington to amend the act under which
animals imported for breeding pur
poses are admitted free of duty. Un
der that act, as recently construed
by the board of general appraisers of
New York, duty must be paid on breed
ing animals imported for sale. The
ruling of the board of appraisers has
been contested and the case will prob
ably be carried to the supreme court
In the meantime the amendment has
been proposed which, if passed, will
make tho act read: "Any animal im
ported especially for breeding pur
poses shall be admitted free, whether
intended to be so used by the importer
himself, or for sale for such purpose."
As the adverse ruling is based on a
technical point which has never be
fore been raised, we have no doubt
legislators will make any amendments
needed to carry out the spirit of the
law.
Wisconsin Pear Region. -W.
J. Moyle: On the west shores
of Lake Michigan, extending the en
tire length of the state, is a belt of
land reaching from ten to twenty
miles inland, where the pear seems to
thrive equally well with the apple.
The high, rolling lands of eastern
Racine county can be classed among
them. In traveling up and down this
territory one will come across many
small- orchards and individual trees
that have paid the planter well for the
ground they have occupied. Surpris
ing cs it may seem, nevertheless it Is
true, that with fifteen years' experi
ence in growing the pear I have found
it as hardy in the tree and fruit buds
as our best apples, for during the
severe winters that we have recently
passed through, when fruit trees of all
descriptions were killed, my pear trees
pulled through and gave me a fair
crop of fruit every season, a very
valuable feature with the pear, as
after the trees once begin to bear you
can always expect some fruit every
season; at least this has been my
experience.
Preventive Measures.
A mother was sitting by the fire one
evening, rocking her little three-year-old
boy, and singing, "My Country,
'Tis of Thee." When she came to the
words, "Land where my fathers died,"
the little one's lip began to quiver
and the brown eyes fiiled with tears
and looking up in the mother's face,
he asked piteously:
"Why didn't they give the 'Fathers'
a pill?" Little Chronicle.
George Stephenson's father vas fire
can in a colliery
Opportunity generally knocks dur
ing office hours.
Why Poor Cattle Are Marketed.
From Farmers' Review: In reply
to your inquiry: Why are there so
many immature, half-fat cattle being
sent to market? I would say: In the
first place a good number of these cat
tle were bought last fall on 90 day
paper. That paper has matured.
Those holding that paper ask payment
or renewal at higher rates. Many of
these feeders have not confidence in
the markets justifying them in hold
ing and feeding to ripeness, so they
send them in. Others who have been
feeding soft chaffy corn have not had
the gain they looked for. Their corn
has not held out as they expected.
They do not feel safe in buying and
feeding on the present prospects. So
they send the cattle In. Still there
are others who would like to continue
to feed but they see the efforts put
forth against the meat combine, the
object of which is to lower the price
of meat to the consumer. They see
nothing from this but the lowering of
the market to the producer. They
know that to sell now will incu a
loss, but they feel satisfied that to
continue to feed with a lowering mar
ket would be to face a greater loss
still, so they, too, send their stuff to
market in the shape it may now be in.
So we have increased demand for
money, higher rates of Interest, dis
appointment in the feeding value ot
soft chaffy corn and lack of confi
dence in the markets for a few months
hence. But there Is another class ot
feeders who reason differently. They
see, or think they see, fewer cattle
on feed than usual, and these being
rapidly becoming fewer. The whole
continent of Australia, which has in
the past furnished a large supply ot
meat to the European market, is now
short on home supply, leaving the
market they formerly filled to be sup
plied from somewhere else. Never In
the history of this country has the
working class been so generally em
ployed and at so good wages. The
ability of the laboring class to live
well was never greater. This should
make an increased consumption of
meats as well as the other foodstuffs
and also a demand for clothing. The
home demand that should have the
most effect on our markets should be
the very best And those of us whe
hold these opinions are satisfied to
hold our cattle and feed to a finish,
and all we ask for Is that we get a fall
deal, an honest market under the con
ditions as they exist and feel satisfied
we will not then have labored foi
nothing. David Brown, Dodge Coun
ty, Nebraska.
Skimmilk Milk for Pigs.
Too often the value of the so-called
by-products ot the farm is not fully
realized by the farmer. The dairyman,
for instance, whose first object is to
produce as much milk as possible that
he may sell the butterfat. may over
look the value still remaining in the
skimmilk and buttermilk after the fat
has been taken from them. As a mat
ter of fact from 10 to 20 per cent ol
the value of milk lies In the skim
milk when it is properly fed to grow
ing young animals. Below is given the
average composition of milk and its
by-products skimmilk, buttermilk
and whey as given in Prof. Henry's
work on feeds and feeding.
Digestible nutrient
in 100 pounds.
B4
!
Kind of milk, i S
m
c
a
o-o t. -
r ii n a t:
t-" w ej
Q G4 O H
Cow's milk... 12.8 3.C 4.9 3.7
Skim milk,
gravity 9.6 3.1 4.7 0.8
Skim milk,
separator .. 9.4 2.9 5.2 0.3
Buttermilk .. 9.9 3.9 4.0 1.1
Whey 6.6 0.8 4.7 0.3
An examination of this table shows
that skim milk contains more than 7?
per cent of its original solids, as
amount of solid matter equal to that
I in pumpkins and some of the root
crops, and more valuable in its com
position. While butterfat has a much
higher commercial value than the oth
er solids in milk, it is less essentia'
as a food for young animals than
what remains and may easily be re
placed by a cheaper feed. Arizona
Station Bulletin.
A Good Example.
One great reason why men do not
do better than they do with dairy
cows is that the cow keeper does
not know what he is doing. C. V
Goodrich, cf Wisconsin, tells of one
incident connected with his cow cen
sus reported at Menomonie last year
The herds were numbered, and ir
making the report only the nurabers
were read, it being fully understood
teat the men with poor herds would
not care to have that fact advertised
The poorest herd of all was numbei
4. This herd actually lost money or
the feed cost of maintenance, though
evidently its owner did not mistrust
it. After the close of the meeting a
young man sought out Mr. Goodrich
and asked him the number of his owe
herd in the report The questioner
was astonished to learn that his here
was number four. He said that he
would either improve or go out ol
business. During the year that young
nan has been disposing of his poor
cows and getting better ones, besides
feeding better. His report this year
shows that he has made a good profit
on each cow, his total receipts beinj:
more than double this year what they
were last, on fewer cows.
A young farmer, Mr. Schley, stood
up and said that last year he had a
herd of cows that averaged only $13
per cow in receipts for milk at the
creamery. He had sold all of those
cews and bought grade Guernseys.
During this last year his receipts for
milk at the creamery had averaged
$63. per cow. He also gained in cost
of maintenance, as it cost him three
cents less per day to feed the good
COV.-S than the poor ones.
Thos. H. Mills. St. Clair county,
Michigan: Prices for poultry and
poultry products have been higher this
winter than in previous winters. The
cost of feeding poultry has been about
the same as in previous winters.
Wheat is from 60 to 70 cents per busa
el and oats from 25 to 33 cents per
bushel. Eggs sell for 25 cents per
dozen. Dressed chickens" at 13 cents
per pound.
Prosperity has come to a pre.y
pass when the railroads have so much
freight they cannot move it Xow ii
they could only turn it into passen
gers they might make it hang up by
the straps. Saturday Evening Post
-
Destroying Two Common Orchard
Scales.
At the last meeting of the Illinois
Horticultural Society, S. A. Forbes,
state entomologist said: The two
common orchard scales the scurfy
scale and the oyster-shell have been
regarded as difficult insects to destroy.
They winter In the egg. each scale on
the tree in winter having beneath it
a collection of these eggs, maroon
red for the scurfy scale and yellowish
or whitish for the oyster-shell, which
were laid there by the female In fall,
she afterwards perishing and drying
p beneath the scale, which continues
a twit totaled wkk
i with Bill scales ; e. fesuls
"aale Kate-Bach ealargta. '
as a protection for the eggs. These
Insects are two-brooded in our lati
tude the first hatching early in May
and the second mostly in July. Wo
have no practical means of killing tho
eggs. Indeed, insects' eggs can rarely
if ever be destroyed by chemical ap
plications which will not injure tho
tree. These scales are more suscep
tible to Insecticides while very young
than at any other time, and conse
quently applications intended to de
stroy them directly may best be made
during the first week or two of May,
or, in more northerly latitudes, late
In May and early In June. Used at
this time they must, of course, be
harmless to foliage and fruit a fact
which limits us practically for theso
Insects to applications of keroseno
mixtures of low percentage. An ordi
nary kerosene emulsion diluted to
contain ten per cent of the oil is the
mixture usually recommended. There
Is very good reason to believe, how
ever, that the California wash of lime.
salt, and sulphur, applied in late win
ter, will effect this purpose even more
certainly although more slowly.
Growth Habit of a Tree.
Prof. E. S. Goff : In the first place.
we have the root system which absorbs
water from the ground and brings
this water together at the base of the
trunk and transmits it to the trunk.
The roots have an absorptive system
of their own and their nature is to
draw in water with more or less vig
or. Then when the water is taken
to the trunk, the fibers of the trunk
tend to lift the water by capillarity,
and the buds above are not only ex
pending the water above, but they are
filled with protoplasm which has an
affinity for water, and so we have a
force that draws the water from thu
roots into the top. It is a principle
well known in physics that when
water passes through a tube it will
pass with more force through a
straight tube than it will through ;i
crooked tube, and that every bend we
make in the tube would reduce tho
force to that extent It follows that
the buds of an apple tree, or any
other tree, that are in the most direct
communication with the axis ot
crowth. with the trunk, are the ones
that will receive the most water.
Every time the branch grows, that
branch does not receive quite as much
water as the branch before it turns,
and if that branch subdivides, the sec
ondary branch receives less than the
primary branch, and so on, the more it
branches the less water it receives,
and the less vigor it has and the less
it grows; it is this principle that de
termines the form of the tree. You
know, as the tree tends to grow up
right, the terminal buds receive more
water than any other buds, because
they are in the most direct line with
the source of water: every branch that
grows loses somewhat in vigor. By
and by, when the tree attains a height
so great that the distance from the
roots is so great that it over balances
the fact that the terminal buds are
in direct communication with the axis
of the vigor, the uppermost branches
will dominate, and after a time the
tree will come to an equilibrium, tho
branches will grow just as much as
the terminal shoots, and we will have
a full grown, developed tree.
Mistakes Will Happen.
Some interesting examples of
inaccuracies committed by authors
are given by the New York Times.
In "Ivanhoe" a knight of Richard I.
holds converse with a contemporary
of William the Cchqnerer, who was
Richard's great-grandfather.
In "The Newcomes" Ciivc, in a letter
3a ted 283 asks "Why have we no pic
ture of the sovereign and her august
concort from Smee's brush?" The rea
son was probably due to the fact that
there was no Prince Consort before
18-10.
The moon seems to be a very dan
gerous planet fcr writers to trifle with.
In "King Solomon's Mines" Rider Hag-
;ard makes an eclipse of this satellite
.ake place at the new instead of the
Cull moon an astronomic impossibil
ity. In the "Children of Gibeon"
Walter Besant has caused a new moon
:o rise in the east at two o'clock in
me morning. The most casual ob
jerver has without doubt noticed that
.he new moon appears in the western .
sky and sets from the moment it be
comes visible.
Trollope makes Andy Scott come
"whistling up the street with a cigar
in bis mouth."
At the ciose of "Around the World
is Eighty Days" the hero arrives
triumphantly at hi3 club just as the
clocks ot London strike ten minutes to
twelve!
Imm o H
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