Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 1910)
aax. ut: tt 'T. L' "" "''- - .. 'NT J1 L"-""iJr'"lf' ,r"?'T j '' " ' "'y Si i ,-ruiiCe5fc:crs- rtBrwm-i iw SEU A Columbus goitrual. Columbus, Netir. Consolidated -with the Columbus Times April 1, 1904; with the Platte County Argus January 1. 1905. Entered at the Postoffice. Colambu, Hebr., as seooad-claas mail matter. TBBMB OrSDBSOSIPTIOB: Ona Tsmr, by mall, poatace prepaid fLM Biz aosUba .. .75 Three aoataa.... 0 EDNKBDAY. DECEMUEK 7. 1810. 8TROTHEB & COMPANY. Proprietors. BklSEWALS The date opposite your name on your paper, or wrapper shows to what time your subscription is paid. TLce Jan05 showo that payment Las been received np to Jan. 1,1905, FabOS to Feb. 1, 1905 and so on. When payment 1 made, the date, which answers as a receipt, will be changed accordingly. DldCONTINUANCEU-Uesponsiblo subscrib ers will continue to receive this Journal until the publishers are notified by letter to discontinue, when all arrearages must be paid. If you do not wish the Journal continued for another jeer af ter the time paid for has expired, you should previously notify ua to discontinue it. CHANGE IN ADDHEBS-When ordering a change in the address. subscribers should bo sure gi'a o their old as will as their new address. PREHISTORIC STAMP FOUND. One of the most lemarkable arch aeological and ethnological discoveries made in Mexico since Prof. William Niven found the famous clay tablets of life and death down in the jungles of Guerrero, has been made amid the buried pile of petrified idols uncovered by the sand diggers of Atzcapoalco. This find consists of nothing less than an official seal, or stamp, used by some prehistoric emperor or king in affixing his O. K. to papers of state. The discovery was made about eigh teen feet beneath the surface of the old river, or lake bed, which exists near the pretty suburb above named. This stream or pool has long been dead, the waters having been diverted by Nature in another direction, so that now it is merely a basin of gravel overlaid with sand. The artifect, which is about two inches in diameter, and in a perfect state of preservation, is remarkable for the fact that it contains on the side used for stamping, several concentric circles at the margin, then a ring of hieroglyphics much resembling the characters of the ancient Russian alphabet, and around the ceuter three more concentric rings. The center itself is a corrugated hole, evidently used for the insertion of a wooden or stone' handle. The upper surface of the seal, which is, of course, circular in shape, is rounded, so that the entire object forms almost a perfect hemisphere. On the top are other marks, evidently carved in the seal after the clay had hardened, and possibly intended to represent the signs of the zodiac, as they were known to the primitive astronomers of Mexico. When found, particles of some black substance, evidently either wax or some ink-like fluid, were still clinging to the face, showing that the seal had not been subjected to very great action by the waters. Mexican Herald. LAYMEN FOR THE BENCH. One of the peculiar forms which criticism of the courts has recently taken is disclosed in the suggestion of Lieutenant Governor Strange of Wis consin, who declared that laymen rather than lawyers should be called to the bench for interpretation of the laws. He made no exceptions, con tending that laymen should fill the judicial chairs in the United States court, and in all other courts. This suggestion is quite contrary to the conventional idea. The presump tion has always been that judges were selected largely for their judicial tem perament and knowledge of the law. Everybody knows that the presump tion is a violent one in possibly half the cases. It has not escaped notice that some very bad lawyers have made very good judges. They may not have disclosed much judicial erudition or literary excellence in their opinions, but there has been justice, palpable right and respect for good law. Too often the learned lawyer, when elevated to the bench, is seemingly bent on determining causes that come before him on laws that are quite sur prising and wholly inexplicable to the layman. Too often the learned judge seems ambitious to show the unlearned just what manifestly ridiculous things can be done according to certain law and precedent of which they may not have previously heard. Possibly the non-professional would always be able to get away from law and precedent long enough to admin ister justice, especially where the re quirement of justice is plain. From many decisions of courts it is quite easy to conclude that the trained lawyer could not adhere to justice if it entailed a rejection of the "weight of opinion." Then it is possible that a layman, if elected to the bench, might realize how important time is in litigation. A. o - - i Vi and actually hurry important cases to I trial. Or he might manifest some con ception of how expensive the services of lawyers are, and seek rather to free the litigation from professional entan glements than to multiply them about him. In short the layman on the bench might seek to make of courts avenues wherein differences may be speedily adjusted with fairness to all concerned, rather than fee mills for lawyers and laboratories for judicial experimenta tion. Lincoln Star. TRUTH ABOUT ANANIAS. "Who was Gamaliel?" asked Profes sor James Russell Lowell of a student in his Dante class. "A little moun tain in Judea," came the prompt ans wer. In these days when the Bible stands duaty on the shelf every one knows of the Ananias club and its founder, who, being also the committee on admissions, has modestly declined election, although many, including such prominent persons as Mrs. Storer, Judge Parker and Baldwin, Mr. Dix, and the late Mr. Harriman, have con sidered him eligible and urged his claim to membership; but astonishing ly few know who Ananias was and how he achieved his fame. The prevalent impression is that Ananias was a notorious and unmiti gated liar. History does not depict him. It gives us only these facts: The primitive Christians adopted a scheme of socialism, which was quick ly abandoned, as all such .schemes have been. But when it was organiz ed enthusiastic believers sold their possessions and put them into the com mon fund, administration of which was centralized in apostolic hands. These contributions were free will of ferings. In this respect they differ from taxes, which they resembled in that they were payments by individuals for the uses of the community. Possi bly Ananias did not believe in the "square deal." Perhaps bis wife, Saphira, was thrifty, believed in laying by, and exercised the influence a pru dent wife should have over an extra vagant husband. It may be that both doubted the eventual success of the socialistic plan; if so, the events justi fied their prescience. However this may be, they evidently wished to keep up appearances with the socialistic and progressive party of their day. Even now some politicians are "regular" with mental reservation. So they also sold their possessions and put part of the proceeds into the com mon fund, but they kept back some thing for a rainy day. It does not appear that either made an affidavit, or that one was necessary. So far it appears, they were only guilty of that secondary and very common form of lying, suppression of the youth. Very prominent, pious, and wealthy persons of our own time who on general prin ciples loudly decry dishonesty in the abstract do every day what Ananias did. He simply dodged his taxes. But when this transpired to the clair voyant vision of St. Peter, that impetu ous saint hotly rebuked theequivocator who was so ashamed that he didn't answer a word. He retained no astute counsel to argue that there was no intent to deceive, and to demonstrate that "truth is this to me and that to thee, and whether truth or falsehood, let it be." "He fell down and gave up the ghost, and the young men arose wound up and carried him out and buried him." Then, although wound up, he nevertheless stopped going on. The incident shows that history does not always repeat itself, and that some folks are luckier or cleverer than others. There is precendent that allows a citizen of New York to escape taxation here by saying in an affidavit: "I have been, and am now, a resident of Washington," and subsequently to explain that residence and domicile are very different, that the former depends upon intent, and that the phrase "I am a resident" is susceptible of the construction "I am domiciled." New York Sun. His Sarcastic Friend. He was very proud of his new aato mobile talked automobile, dreamed au tomobile, read automobile. Finally M his friends lie became a nuisance, ani each to himself swore softly that he would bide his time and at the prop er moment give him a little verbal thrust. Finally uue Ions suffering individual was asked to so for a ride. Excuses were of no avail. lie was bundled into the machine and taken for a spin through the parks and over the boule vards. In due course of time, without any serious mishap, they pulled up at the Automobile club. The auto crank and his guest were soon surrounded by several of their friends. "How did you enjoy your ride?" was asked of the auto crank's friend. "Until today I never thought an automobile could go so fast." was his reply. (Here the auto crank was all attention. That was some praise for his car. Right out in public too. That would silence some of the scoffers who said his machine should be called Snail.) '"Why, do you know there was a car went by us at such a clip that I could hardly see it." The auto crank glared, and under his gaze the group melted away. They bad had their revenge. Pittsburg Gazette-Times. SIDELIGHTS ON MEXICAN RE VOLUTIONS. To any of the very few Americans who have real knowledge of the type of Mexican that represents the great mass of the Mexican nation, the pres ent uprising against the Diaz govern ment is not surprising. The surprise is that such manifestation has been so long in coming and that the minor manifestations of similar interest and purpose has been so few and far be tween during the more than thirty years of Diaz supremacy. The man who knows Mexicans knows well that there has not been a single year in all the years since Diaz, as a revolution ist himself, overturned the govern ment headed by Lerdo de Tejada in 1870, when an element just as numer ous, strong and eager as backed him in that enterprise has been awaiting the chance to overthrow him and his government in turn. That he has been strong enough to prevent the change and to place a veneer of mod ern civilization over the Mexico of to day, that has impressed the world with the belief that the day of revolutions is over in Mexico forever is proof of how great a man he is, but to accom plish such reality as he is generally credited with, he would have had to change the character, instincts and habits of the Mexican race, and that he has not done. The Mexican of to day is the same who has revolted and overthrown every ruler since Mexico became independent with but three exceptions, Victoria, the first presi dent; Juarez and Porfirio Diaz, and who rebelled often and at last success fully against the rule of Spain. The great bulwark, the middle class, that prevents in the United States such movements as Mexican revolu tions is practically nonexistent in Mexi co. There is but the upper and lower class in the Mexican republic and the latter comprise the great majority of the people and are pure Indian in blood. Out of the 12 million of Mexi cans less than a million are in any part of Spanish or other foreign descent. It is the humble "hombre' of the masses, the Indian, who supplies the material for Mexican revolutions, who by instinct and character is always against authority and existing govern ment and ready to take part in its overthrow and just ready to in turn overthrow the power he has establish ed. The common, every day Mexican, such as one can see every day along the Bio Grande border working as laborer, is type of the masses all thro ugh the republic. Indian, as he is, he loves to raid, plunder and loot, and opportunity for these always comes with such uprisings. It is this kind of a people which the Diaz govern ment has kept under restraint for so long a time. But the average Mexican is not of himself inclined to take the initiative in revolution or anything else, but his instinct is to follow anyone who leads, and there are plenty of these as the present uprising shows. The leaders are almost entirely of the upper class, who have disappointments, unrealized ambitions and grievances against gov ernment. It is easy for any of these to collect a following. The owner of a great hacienda of thousands and hun dreds and thousands of peons on his land who hold allegiance to the master the same as vassals to a feudal chief, and will follow him in any enterprise the same as a Highland cateran of old times followed the head of his clan. It seems strange in this age that this should be true anywhere, but it is true in Mexico. Let that master be in ex ile for years and his reappearance in revolt against the government is hail ed with welcome, and in turn the suc cessful leader finds that the outs have the same disposition to overthrow and the same elements to assist It is all because of the Mexican character, so different from that of the American of the United States, that the one furnish es no standard for estimating and judging the other. This writer has mingled much and for years with the common Mexicans along the Rio Grande, has worked with them and over them, has eaten their frijoles and their tortillas with them in their jacals and slept there with them and he has reason to like them, but so strong is their revolution ary propensity and instinct that speak ing from experience, every little bunch of such Mexicans have within them a cabal against the Mexican government and a disposition to resent government al authority of any kind. In time when there is no opportunity to take to the larger enterprise their nature finds vent in cattle stealing and plund ering raids across the border. That Rio Grande border is fifteen hundred miles l'ing, a country sparsely settled, rough and most difficult There are stretches of it over which an eagle, flying so high that the earth below looks like a map, cannot in all the vastness below see a single human or human habitation. In such a country it is easy for a body of raiders to as semble, raid to one side or the other, return and dispose of their loot before word of it gets to the rurales of Mexico on the Texan rangers, vigilant, brave and alert as they are, and such bands are always the nuclei of Mexican re volutions. They attempted to start against Diaz in 1908, captured a Mexi can border town, raised the revolution ary flag, were routed by the rurales and dispersed to the American side to plot and plan again. They comprised what there was of reality to the Garaza revolution some fifteen years before. At this very day the chief hero of the Mexican population at Brownsville, Matamoras and the country along the lower Rio Grande is old Cortina, bandit and freebooter, who ruled that district just after the American Civil War in defiance of both the United States and Mexico and whose memori al health this writer has drank many a time along with convivial and en thusiastic Mexican friends. There are but instances that go to prove the manner of man that is the type of the great mass of the Mexican people, kindly in their way, possessing many fine qualities but with an ingrained spirit of lawlessness nowise unchanged by modernity. For some reason, the sources of which are a mystery in greater part, there is in every Mexican a profound conviction that the United States in tends to make war on their country, to subjugate it, to turn its resources, its railroads, eta, over to American capitalists of the kind described by the socalled muckraking magazines and make slaves of the Mexicans in like manner as did the Spaniards and the Mexican is determined to desperate resistance. In every Mexican revolution Ameri cans have taken part and in every in stance their experience has been that of the traditional man who interfered to prevent a husband from beating his wife, both man and wife turned upon the interloper. The healthiest thing in the world for an American to keep away from is civil war in Mexico. Kansas City Star. THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR'S. A woman living on an income of 81,000 a year recently paid mt of it an annual tax of 8425 nearly half. Another living on an income of 81,200, paid 8250 one fifth. Asiatic Russia? some may ask. No. New York. They live in New York City and paid these taxes there. The first is the wife of a paralytic. The disease impaired his mind, he be came incapable of managing his affairs, made ducks and drakes of most of his property and finally the courts ad judged him incompetent. A trust company God save the mark! took over the remnant and invested it in corporation Bonds. Under the New York law these are taxable, and his wife had to pay. She did not know the difference be tween taxable and non taxible invest ments. Few small investors do. The trust company knew, and was guilty of plain misfeasance for not investing her money otherwise. But she was small fry, and the company probably did not waste much thought on her or her affairs. At all events, between the New York tax law and the trust com pany, she was knaved out of half her income. The second woman is a widow whose whole capital is invested in mortgages on New Jersey real estate. Her law yer had given her a curbstone opinion (she also being small fry) that these were not taxable, and he was wrong. They are exempt if the holder lives in New Jersey, but not if he lives in New York. Ignorance again, coupled with professional carelessness, cost that woman one-fifth of her income. We are told that Russian taxation sometimes takes away all a man's income, but as far as I know it has never tried to take any more. New York taxation, however, has done just that, and succeeded. Some years ago a farmer and his wife, advanced in age, sold the farm for 85,000, and let the money stand in a mortgage, intending to live on the interest They discovered, too late to do any good, that the mortgage was taxable. In the first year, local cir cumstances put up the tax rate above the rate of interest. The poor man did not get enough out of his invest ment to pay his tax, and had to go out to day's work to raise the balance. We will now look at the other side of the picture. In the stringency of 1007 Mr. August Belmont, finding that a little ready money would come handy, proposed to mortgage the Park Row building to the Rothchilds. The tax on this mortgage would amount to 840.000. Now Mr. Belmont is not small fry. His lawyers are never careless and never give him any curb stone opinions. So among them they arranged the following plan. Mr. Belmont deeded the property outright to the Rathchilds, and had the deed recorded deeds arje, of course, exempt. At the same time he drew up a "gen tlemen's agreement" with the Roth childs' representatives, calling for the return of the property when the con ditions of payment should be fulfilled. This agreement wa marked "private." Bat by tome oversight of the Roth childs' attorneys, when the deed went down to the registrar's office for rec ord, a copy of the agreement went along, too. The recording clerk is paid by the folio, and copies whatever is set before him. He entered agree ment and all into the record of the deed. Nobody in the office noticed the peculiarity of the transaction; but one day an outsider leafing through the records saw it and showed it to the authorities. Perceiving at once that the' instrument was no true deed at all, but really a mortgage, they tried to have the mortgage tax collected; but for some reason the state's attorney, Mr. Jackson, did not see his way to move in the matter, and Mr. Belmont never paid. Just such iniquities are perpetrated from year to year under the rickety, shambling, inhuman anachronism called the general property tax the idea of which is that taxes should be levied equally on all kinds of property. Not in proportion to one's ability to pay, nor in proportion to the benefits received from government, but equal ly, at the same rate, upon all aggrega tions of property. The United States is the only civil ized country that adheres to this insane idea of taxation. England, Continental Europe, Canada, all have abolished general property tax as unsound in theory and outrageous in practice. The United States retains it Nearly all the states have as bad a tax system as New York some worse but New York does very well for an example because it is conspicu ous. Albert J. Nock, in the Decem ber American Magazine. Burma's Gilded Pagoda. Rangoon, the principal city of Burma, grew up around the sacred spot on which is built the great Shoay Dagon pagoda, one of its principal wonders. "Rising to a height of SCO feet, its size is greatly enhanced by the fact that it stands on an eminence that is itself ItiG feet above the level of the city," says a writer. "It is covered with pure gold from base to summit, and once in every generation this gold is complete ly renewed by public subscription. Yet throughout the interval the process of regilding goes on perpetually. Pious people who seek in this way to express their veneration and to add to their store of spiritual merit climb up daily with little fluttering packets of gold leaf, which they fasten on some frac tion of its great surface. There is no more picturesque sight offered by it than that of a group of these silken worshipers outlined high against its gold in the act of contributing their small quota to its splendor. The pago da itself has no interior. It is a solid stupa of brick raised over a relic chamber." Old Man of the Mountain. The title "Old Man of the Mountain was first applied to Hassan Den Sab bal. who founded a formidable dynas ty In Syria A. D. 1090. He was the prince or chief of the sect of the Mo hammedans. Having been banished from bis country, he took up his abode In Mount Lebanon and gathered round him a band of followers, who soon lie came the terror alike of Christians. Jews and Turks. They paid the most Implicit obedience to his commands and believed that if they sacrificed their lives for his sake they would be rewarded with the highest joys of paradise. For 200 years these "assas sins," as they called themselves, con tinued to be the terror of the country. Whenever their chief, the "Old Man of the Mountain," considered himself Injured be dispatched some of his as sassins secretly to murder the aggres sor. This is the origin of our use of the word assassin for a secret murderer. Serpents and Music Barnard concludes from his personal observation of cobras in Ceylon, says the Scientific American, that the ser pent's traditional love for music is a pure fable and that the only effect of music is to arouse the reptile's curios ity, which is excited by any loud and acute sound. The cobra protrudes its head from its burrow alike on hearing the snake charmer's flute, the rattling of a chain or the sounds made by beating the ground with a switch. It appears to perceive only sounds of high pitch, for it pays no attention to the low notes of the flute or the beat ing of the drum. Barnard also con firmed in Ceylon the results of obser vations made in the London zoological garden on the supposed power of fas cination exerted by serpents upon birds, and he concludes that this pow er of fascination is also purely imag inary. Arms and the Men. "I see you have your arm in a sling," said the inquisitive passenger. "Bro ken, is it:" "Yes, sir." responded the other pas senger. "Meet with an accident? "No. Broke it while I was trying to pat myself on the back." "Great Scott! What for:-" "For minding my own business." "I see. Never could happen to me. could it:-" "No." "And If it did I wouldn't be blame fool enough to tell it." Then there was silence in the car. Chicago Tribune. Music. Of all the fine arts, music Is that which has most Influence on the pas sions and which the legislator ought the most to encourage. Napoleon Bo naparte. In Portions. Host (at Tillage Inn. entering bed room at 3 a. m., to occupant of the bed) Beg pardon, sir, but two more tourists have arrived. Have you slept enough? V f 7jdpa RflHNMsRRLSeRtflBRKLT EStav I ITrr I rRfleLfl Not many years ago telephone service was confined to the larger cities, but now twenty millions of people throughout the country are at the other end of every Bell Telephone. Twenty millions of people, day and night, up in Maine or out in California, connected by eight million miles of wire, await at the far end of your line. That is why your Bell Telephone is valuable. nAn Solon's Answer. "What is the most perfect form of government?" was once propounded at the court of Perlander, king of Cor inth, one of the seven wise men of Greece. His six fellows were present, and of them Was answered first, giv ing as his opinion, "Where the laws have no superior." Thales of Miletus, the great astronomer, declared. "Where the people are neither too rich nor too poor." In his turn said Anacharsis. the Scythian. "Where virtue is honored and vice detested." Said Pittacus of MItylene. "Where dignities are always conferred upon the virtuous and never upon the base." Said Cleobulus. "Where the citizens fear blame more than punishment." Said Chilo. the Spartan, "Where the laws are more regarded than the orators." Tim Incf tn rwnlir wne tlira vmifi"Pif ' but wisest of them all. Solon of Ath- " sat throughout the meal commun ens. who said. "Where an injury done ' 'K w" ,,,s 'u bas,,ul sou, ata to the meanest subject is an Insult to I by speaking he betray his soplus the whole community." tication. Dessert being served, he felt I he must have some of the candied .. j fruit at the other end of the table. is rurpuii. r They stood in front of one of Wash Ington's leading furniture stores. The windows were full of beautifully in laid pieces of furniture, such things as arc only within the reach of the rich and are meant to lend an additional touch to the already perfectly appoint ed home. Among them was an after noon tea table. It was a frail, deli cately constructed piece on rollers and brought to mind an artistically gown ed hostess serving tea to a select co terie, while the conversation dealt with nothing more heavy than the latest fiction and comic operas. With a long icawn out sigh the woman contem plated it. The man, following her gaze, saw It and was unimpressed. She hastened to explain. That there is a tea table. It's just grand to use when you ain't got no cook in the house and have folks in." Washington Star. IN THE. SUNNY SOUTH: Every first and third Tuesday very low home seekers excursion rates ate in effect to the South with 25 day limits, and every day the winter tourist rates are in effect with all winter limits. TO CALIFORNIA: Daily excursion rates with attractive conditions, Iimit9, atop-over privileges, side trips, etc, are in effect. The annual winter move ment to Southern California by thousands of Americans who desire to escape the rigors of the North is now under way. COLORADO: A two or three weeks sojourn in the winter climate of Colorado is recommended by physicians as one of the best up-bnilding tonics available. The great National Western Stock Show is held at Denver, January, 16-21. The Burlington takes excellent care of on to California, either in through standard or through tourist pleepers with conductors in charge; via Denver, Scenic Colorado and Salt Lake Oi'y. WESTERN LUND PRODUCT EXHIBIT will be hi Id in Omaha, January 18 to 28th. All new western localities should be represented; all farmers and prospective farmers should see this instructive exhibit. L. F. RECTOR, Ticket Agents Columbus. Nebr. L. W. WflKELfcY. Gen'l. rssener floras. Omaha. Nekr. Hjfl Magazine Old Books Rebound In fact, for anything in the book binding line bring your work to Journal Office Phone 184 Nebraska Telephone Co. rery Bell Telepkem is a Leag Diataace-Static DANIEL J. ECHOLS, Local Manager The Change of a Name. How family names change in the course of many years is illustrated by the conversion of "Botevile" iuto "Thyune." An Kuglish deed bearing date in the closing days of the fifteenth century shows three brothers then flourishiirz-.I)hn liotevile or Botevile and Thomas and William Botevile. The trio are distinguished from all oth er Uoteviles by the explanation "of the Inne." or family residence, the title to which had come to their joint posses sion. John's grandson was known as Ralph Botevile-of-the-lnne, from which the transition to Ralph Thyme is easy. Ms descendants have been Thyunes ever since. Ho Wanted Figs. At a small stag dinner the on!y I voung and unnoteworthy person pres- Clearing his voice, he fixed the nearest , waiter with a glittering eye and. amid J a sudden total silence, peremptorily called out at the top of his voice, "Pigs, fleas!" Exchange. PROBATE NOTICE. Ktnte of Nebraska. Platte county. 89.: la tlio County Court, in and for raiil county: In tlio matter of tli" ttttateof Hannah Davit, deceased, late of Mtiil county. At a sesHion of the County Court for wiM county, hohlen at the County Judge's otKce in ColumbuH. in said county on the Ittth day of November. A. !.. 1910, present John Ilattenimn, County Judie. On reading and filing the duly verified iietition of (eo. E. Dnvi. prayinc that letters of administration tie itiued to Ilaniel Schram on the estate of said decedent. Thereupon, it is ordered that the 10th day of Deremlter. A. !., 1910, at 2 o'clock p. tn.. Iw aftsiinieil for the hearing of said petition at the County Judge'it office is said county. And it is further ordered, that due legal notii he given of the pendency and hearing of t-aid tietition by Dublication in the Columbus Jour. ml three consecutive weeks (A true copy of the order.) tSeal) JOHN KATTKKMAN. County Judge. Dated. Columbus, Neb.. November 21st, MO. Binding
