IZbe Conservative.
AU1IOIIIOUI.TUIIK.of Nebraska , which
has been nptly named "the tree planters'
state , " are now in session. They per
fectly understand the importance of
encouraging the growth of groves and
forests. Therefore the following rough
draft of a terse and comprehensive en
actment for the stimulation of arboricul
ture iu this commonwealth is respect
fully submitted to their consideration
for revisal , improvement or amendment.
It is hoped that something practical and
beneficent may bo accomplished for
forestry during the present session of
the legislature.
AX ACT FOU THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF
FOUESTUY.
SECTION 1. That upon any tract of
land hi the state of Nebraska , there may
be selected by the owner , or owners , as
a permanent forest reservation , a portion
not to exceed one-eighth of the total
area of said tract , which shall be ap
praised for taxation at one dollar per
acre.
SEC. 2. If such selection is an ori
ginal forest , containing not less than
170 trees in each acre , it shall become
subject to this act upon filing with the
clerk of the county in which it is sit
uated , a description of such selection as
is hereafter provided.
SEC. 53. If any land owner shall
plant not less than 170 trees on each
acre of selected forest reservation , and
shall cultivate and maintain the same
for three years , then it shall become
subject to this act , as herein provided.
SEC. 4. Upon any tract selected as
a forest reservation which contains 100
or more original forest trees on each
acre , the owner may plant a sufficient
number of forest trees which shall make
up the required 170 trees per acre , when
the same shall become subject to this
act , as in Section ! J.
SEC. 5. No laud owner shall receive
the benefit of this act who shall permit
cattle , horses , sheep , hogs or goats to
pasture upon such reservation.
SEC. 0. Whenever any tree or trees
shall be removed , or die , the owner shall
plant others , which shall at all times
maintain the full number required by
this act.
SEC. 7. Not more than one-fifth ot
the full number of trees iu any forest res
ervation shall be removed in any one
year , excepting that such trees as may
die naturally may be removed , when
other trees shall bo planted.
SEC. 8. Ash , maple , pine , oak , hick
ory , basswood , elm , black locust , honey
locust , Kentucky coffee tree , chestnut ,
walnut , butternut , larch , tulip tree ,
mulberry , osage , orange , sassafras and
catalpa shall be considered forest trees
within the meaning of this act.
SEC. 9. It shall be the duty of the
clerk in every county to keep a record
of all forest reservations as the same
' * ? > T
shall bo filed with him , and he shall re
quire the owner or agent to subscribe
under oath the extent and description of
the land reserved , and that the number
of trees is as required by this act , and
ihat ho will maintain the same accord
ing to the intent of this enactment.
SEC. 10. It shall bo the duty of the
assessor to personally examine the var
ious forest reservations when the real
estate is appraised , and to note upon his
return , the conditions of the trees , in
order that the intent of this act may bo
complied with. And if the reservation
is properly planted and continuously
cared for , he shall appraise the same at
one dollar per acre.
HEAVY INSUKANCK ON KX-SKNATOK
HIUCK.
It is reported that the late ex-Senator
Calvin S. Brice of Ohio carried about
$500,000 insurance upon his life , $ { ] < 50-
000 of which was taken out last spring ,
and upon which he had only paid one
premium. The rest of the large amount
had been written since , so that on all his
life insurance he had paid but one annual
premium. The Travelers' of Hartford
loses $20,000 , re-insured for the Union
Central , which carried § 100,000 on Mr.
Brice's life. The other companies in
which the $350,000 insurance was placed
are the following : Northwestern Mu
tual , $30,000 ; Mutual ( N Y. ) , $100,000 ;
Equitable , $100,000 ; New York Life ,
$20,000. The Standard , December 24 ,
1898.
A century begins
A OKNTIIUY.
with one (1) ( ) and
ends with one hundred (100) ( ) . The first
year therefore of the nineteenth century
was eighteen hundred and one (1801) ( )
and the first year of the twentieth cen
tury will be nineteen hundred and one
(1901. ( )
Silver is sixteen times less popuhu
now than the one ( gold ) with which it
was proposed to establish forever a
ratio.
A Spanish writer is sorry for the people
ple of Cuba and Porto Rico , "in the
hands of a race which may properly bo
called the 'grand exterminator. ' "
In certain parts of Germany expur
gated editions of the Bible are publisher
for children's reading. "The entire
Bible , " some German educators say
' 'is not a book which should be in the
hands of the school-children. "
The espousal of the debts of a bank
rupt and the subsequent election of thai
bankrupt to office with the distinct un
derstanding that political patronage may
and will liquidate pecuniary obligations
is a dangerous thing to a county , state
or republic.
MAJOR CILAUI.KS MOKTON , OF T1IH S , !
FOUKTH CAVAIUY.
Major Chas. Morton arrived at Walla
Walla on Tuesday night and has as
sumed command at the fort. The maier -
ior has been in the service ! J6 years and
is every inch a soldier , and a Missourian -
rian by birth. Ho entered the volunteer
service in 1861 and was honorably dis
charged in 1804 , commended for his
soldierly qualities , and was recom
mended for a medal of honor for gal
lantry at Shiloh. Ho was presented
with a revolver in 186' } by his division
commander for leading a charge on a
guerilla camp. After discharge ho or
ganized the militia in his neighborhood
to repel the invasion of his state by
General Price and was presented by the
district commander with a revolver
found on the body of Bill Anderson , the
rebel leader who was slain in the action.
He was appointed to West Point in
18(35 ( , graduated in 18(59 ( , and appointed
a lieutenant of the Third cavalry , a
particularly active regiment , for the
next 25 years , serving in Arizona
where the citizens presented him with
two revolvers for gallantry in a series
of engagements with the Apaches , and
for which ho was complimented in
general orders by the department com
mander and brevetted. Ho was recom
mended for promotion by the com
mander of the cavalry forces for his
conduct at the battle of the Rosebud in
1876 , and he commanded the cavalry that
drove the enemy from its line of in-
trenchments at San Juan , July 2 , 1898 ,
and seized and held the most advanced
line of the position , and protested
against the proposition to abandon it.
The Associated Press dispatches sent
from before Santiago , July 18 , speak
of him as follows :
"Captain Chas. Morton , commanding
a battalion of the Third cavalry , when
he finally approached the open space
across which the dash was made for the
right of the San Juan position , found
himself surrounded by men of two or
three different regiments , mostly , how
ever , of his own. Ho did not hesitate.
It was not a moment for hesitation.
Mauser bullets and shrapnel were flying
thick and fast through the air and men
were falling on every side. Morton put
all the men near him into line , and
gave the order to charge , led the for
ward movement and quickly took the
most advanced position on the right ,
driving the Spaniards from a hacienda ,
which ho found there , back upon a bat
tery of theirs down under the walls of
San Juan barracks. Ho hold this posi
tion against superior odds for along time
before relief was sent him. Had he
waited to separate his men from those of
other regiments who had become mixed
up with them in the scramble through
the brush , this movement might have
been far less successful , as every moment
of delay in the advance meant loss. "
Walla Walla Statesman.
i