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Conservative. 9
OUR CAPTAIN.
To Theodore Ledyard Cuylor. Read at n cele
bration of his eightieth anniversary.
BY CHARLES LEMUEL THOMPSON.
Fill fill up your glasses with Croton 1
Fill full to the brim , I say ,
For the dearest old boy among us ,
Who Is ten times eijjht today.
It is three times three and a tiger-
It is hand to your caps , O men I
For our Captain of captains rejoices
In his counting of eight times ton.
Foot square on the bridge and gripping
As steady as fate the wheel ,
He has taken the storms to his forehead ,
And cheered in the tempest's reel.
He has seen the green sea monsters
Go writhing down the gale ,
Out never a hand to slacken ,
And never a heart to fail.
So it's Hoi to our Captain dauntless ,
Trumpet-tongued and eagle-eyed ,
"With the spray of the voyage behind him ,
And the Pilot by his side.
Together they sail into sunset-
Slow down for the harbor bell ,
For the flash of the port , and the message
"Well done"-It is well-It is well.
So it's three times three and a tiger I
Breathe deep for the man wo love ;
His heart is the heart of a lion ,
His soul is the soul of a dove.
It is Hoi to the Captain wo honor ,
Salute wo the man and the day ,
On his brow are the snows of December ,
In his heart are the bird songs of May.
Brooklyn Eaglo.
PLANT TREES.
J. Sterling Morton , oue of the most
eminent citizens of Nebraska , former
ly secretary of agriculture in the cabi
net of Grover Cleveland , has been in
strumental in the planting of more
trees in his state than any other man.
Not only has he done this , but he has
been influential in creating a senti
ment for tree-planting that has ex
tended all over the United States.
This influence is lasting , and
the hope is that it may save
and restore the forests that
were once the pride of the middle and
western states. Mr. Morton is editor
of The Conservative newspaper at Ne
braska City , and not a week goes by
without several excellent articles be
ing published in this paper of forestry
and the importance it bears to a sue
cessf nl agriculture. In a recent num
ber of this paper there is a reference
to an interview with John P. Brown ,
who has just completed an inspection
of the Panhandle country in Texas , at
the instance of the Fort Worth & Den
ver railroad , and it is possible as a re
sult of his examination , that that rail
road will fall in line with several
other transportation lines which al
ready have adopted the plan , and go
in extensively for tree planting.
Mr. Brown has made a life study of
forestry , climate and kindred topics ,
and ho supports his conclusions with
evidence which is most convincing ,
that forests bring rain.
He traces historical facts , showing
that the mountains of Canaan and of
Palestine proper , were denuded of
forest treesand instead of being fruit
ful , the lauds became arid on account
of the absence of rain. Ho also al
ludes to the Ohio valley , which at one
time was noted for its extensive for
ests and its fruitful hills and valleys ,
but has degenerated since the forests
disappeared. The lands have become
rooky and require expensive fertiliz
ing in order to maintain the popula
tion.
These instances could be multiplied ,
but it is sufficient now to say that the
world has come to the conclusion that
the forests must be restored , in a
measure , in order to preserve the fer
tility of the soil. The reasons why
the great prairies of Iowa and Illinois
remained fertile so long is on account
of the great depth of soil , but each
year there is an increased tendency to
ward drouth , and the time will come
when even these plains.once so fruitful ,
will become like the great plains of
western Kansas , eastern Colorado and
western Nebraska , arid and subject
each year to hot winds and drouth.
All these observations are' prelimi
nary to the main object , which is to
call the attention of the people of
Iowa to the necessity of planting trees
to the observance of Arbor Day , or
Tree Day , when each owner of land is
to plant trees. It is a profitable busi
ness. As an example , the sou of a dis
tinguished citizen of Iowa , ( recently
deceased ) is reported to have said that
among other valuable legacies left by
his father was a body of several thou
sand walnut trees , planted by his father
over thirty years ago , that are now
over eight inches in diameter. The
value of such a legacy within a few
years can scarcely be overestimated.
Iowa has already groves of trees in
the prairie country that are of in
estimable value , but there are not
enough of them. It would be better
for the farmer who owns 160 acres of
land to devote forty acres of it to trees
than to risk drouth and no crop in the
years that are to come.
In contrast with the true economical
spirit of the Iowa statesman who
planted thousands of walnut trees , we
have hero in Wapello county , and
especially in the southern part there
of , the opposite policy. Thousands of
trees have been cut down simply for
railroad ties , and the ground is left
idle because very little of value will
grow upon it. Since the trees have
been sacrificed , the soil washes down
into the ravine , and is then carried to
the river. Thousands of acres have
also been denuded of trees for the pur
pose of fuel , and this has been hauled
to town and sold at $3 a cord. It is ,
of course , necessary to use wood for
economic purposes , but there should
bo some system that will preserve
enough of growing trees to equalize
and temper the climate.
Finally , and in the language of the
dying laird of Scotland , ( immortal
ized by Sir Walter Scott , ) to the son
who was to succeed to his estate :
"Plant trees , Jock ; they will be
growiu' when ' ! " -Ot-
you are dyin'Ot -
tumwa Courier.
AW EXTRACT PROM HER LETTER.
"If you could only be here \this winter
morning and see for yourself , you would
no longer doubt me. Roses are bloom
ing in our front yard , and all nature is
as far advanced in this lovely Ameri
can sutninerland as it will be in your
cold eastern home in June.
"We made the trip from Omaha to
California via the Union Pacific to
avoid the detour routes.
"As less time is consumed on The
Union Pacific in reaching your destina
tion , there are fewer incidental ex
penses en route.
"If you want to reaeh California
without suffering any of the inconven
iences of winter travel , be sure that
your ticket reads over the Union Pa
cific. It is the only line running through
trains from Omaha , ( competing roads
have just one car , going over four or
five different lines once a day , only ) .
We rode on that great California tram ,
The Overland Limited , ' which sur
passes any train traversing the Ameri
can continent. "
For further information call on or
address E. L. LOMAX , G.P. &T. A. ,
Omaha , Neb.
EXCURSION TO FLORIDA.
The Burlington Route is organizing a
personally conducted excursion to Flor
ida and Cuba , to leave Nebraska points ,
Wednesday , January 29. The route
will be via St. Louis , thence to Jackson
ville , Fla. , through scenes which have
been forever made historic by the dra
matic events of the civil war.
An exceedingly low rate has been
made , and members of the excursion
have choice of several attractive trips
after they arive at Jacksonville.
This opportunity of escaping the most
unpleasant portion of winter and en
joying in its stead the delights of a
semi-tropical country will appeal to
every one who has the money and can
spare the time to make an extended
pleasure trip. J. FRANCIS ,
General Passenger Agent , Omaha , Neb.
This signature is on every box of the genuine
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