V'V < ' 7W
Conservative * 9
POLLY MAKING TOAST.
When wintry winds pipe loudest tones
And round the chimney cry ,
And twilight brings mo tender thoughts
Of all the years gone by ,
Among the pictures of the past
That come in thronging host
The fairest mirrored in the fire
Is Polly making toast.
My Polly ! Bless her ! There she kneels
Before the andirons tall ,
Whoso shining gold reflects the sparks
Of embers as they fall.
The children have put apples down
Upon the hearth to roast
And Polly turns them when she stoops
To brown the fragrant toast.
One hand is held to shield her cheek ,
80 near the backlog's heat ,
And one's outstretched before the coals ;
Her watchful eyes are sweet.
Outside the boys adown the hill
Are shouting as they coast ;
The pussy purrs , the kettle sings ,
While Polly makes the toast.
Just by that hearthside's warmth and light
Lies all the dearest part
Of strength and love and joy ol life.
My lonely , eager heart
The quaint old farmhouse kitchen seeks ,
That picture charms me most ,
Where Polly by the chimney fire
Beside me makes the toast.
Now blessings on the wintry winds
That hush their voices strong
To sing sometimes of memories
Or chant a true love's song.
And blessings on remembered scenes
That pass in countless host !
Best blessings on the one that shows
My Polly making toast !
-MARY FRENCH MORTON.
In Twentieth Century Farmer.
The cost of pro-
POOR MAN'S duciug a pound of
BUTTER. oleomargarine i s
from 11 to 18 cents.
Add to this the tax of 10 cents and
the colored product will cost at the
factory , from 21 to 23 cents , and after
passing through various hands , will
be sold over the retailer's counter at
a price considerably beyond the means
of the average laborer.
Producers of high-grade butter in
other words , dairymen , who do an
honest business need have no fear
that butterine will ever compete with
their product ; in fact it enhances the
value of the pure product because a
generous amount of the very best but
ter is used iu the manufacture of
oleo. The competition is between the
product of the butterine maker's art
and the rancid , offensive , germ-breed
ing process butter , which not long
since was the only fat which graced ,
or disgraced the poor man's b'oard.
The laws of health and the laws of
common sense unite in recommending
the substitute as the superior article
in flavor , nutritive qualities and hy
gienic composition.
Those who are disappointed at the
recent action of congress , need not feel
utterly discouraged. 'It took the world
hundreds of years to learn to use even
the very choicest grades of butter for
any other purpose than as an ointment
for the body after bathing ; and , while
blind prejudice and selfish hostility
may combine to retard the forward
movement , oleomargarine will no
doubt eventually take its proper place
among the wholesome and palatable
foods.
The hearts of all
DREAD CARNAGE , true Americans go
out in sympathy
to poor Venezuela struggling in the
throes of a devastating civil war. In
the very latest engagement the bril
liant strategy of General Mates , and
the unparalleled devotion and courage
of tlio army under his command re
sulted , after a hard day's fighting , in
the-infliction of two ghastly wounds
in the sombrero of the opposing officer.
This signal success created a sensation
at Caracas , ' ' where great consequent
commotion prevails ; " it also taught
the world that the war is no farce but
a grim determined struggle for supre
macy. War ! war ! to the hat-brim !
The people of this country await in
breathless horror the tidings from the
next awful field , for . who can draw
aside the curtain which hides the des
tinies of nations and say that iu the
next encounter some Venezuelan may
receive three , or even four , gaping
wounds iu his head-gear , or , worse
yet , lose his cravat ? Horrible !
Horrible !
Mr. E. P. Stoph-
NEBRASKA ens , of Crete , Ne-
APPLES. braska , has duly
received the bronze
medal awarded him for his display of
apples at the Paris Exposition. On
one side is inscribed , "Exposition
Universolle Internationale , 1900 , E.
P. Stephens , " and on the other ,
' ' ' '
Republiquo Praucaise.
This hard-earned honor , no doubt
justly conferred , gives notice to the
real ' ' land of the
world that the big
red applo' ' is bounded on the north by
South Dakota , on the cast by Iowa
and Missouri , on the south by Kansas ,
on the west by Colorado and Wyoming.
The dairyman who
OVER-REACHED , champed so im
patiently for a race
with the butterine maker has had his
whirl and won the heat , but has sadly
over-reached.
In his tearful plea from protection
from competitors , he went to suoK
length , asked so earnestly that the pub
lic stomach be protected , that , in order-
to test his sincerity , an amendment pro"2
viding for the inspection of all process
butter the only real competitor of
oleo was offered in the house and duly
J
adopted. Bight there is where the
dairyman stopped on his own halter-
rope and caught a nasty fall. The
action so far , taken as a whole , is
probably more of a hindrance than a
help to the dairyman , which is only a
repetition of the old , old story of greed
over-reaching itself.
NOTES FROM MEXICO.
Mexican Mines.
There is now , and , there prom
ises to be , great development
iu mines in Mexico. American capital ,
intelligence , and industry threaten to
establish a mining boom in that republic
that will startle the world. A very
prominent mining engineer one who
has frequently represented the Roths
childs recently made the statement
that in his opinion Mexico would make
the mineral wealth of South Africa
look very small within the next few
years. It is the opinion of the Conservative
vative that there is to be a great pro
duction of gold in Mexico and
with it may come a sold standard ,
although the miners , manufacturers and
others who employ labor prefer the
silver basis for reasons which are patent.
Chihuahua , Mexico.
Americans visiting this enterprising
Mexican city , the capital of the state
of Chihuahua , are surprised at its
activity. On every hand is seen evi
dence of growth and development new
factories , new houses , and new mines of
fabulous wealth coupled with a sur
rounding country which is equal , if not
superior to , any other in the world for
cattle-raising , is sure to make Chihuahua
one of the most important cities of
Mexico. The many indications of wealth
all go to show the prosperous condition
of the better class of residents , although
there seems to be little but adversity for
the peons or common people , and yet
: they seem happy and contented. The
climate during the winter months is
superb.
Aguas Calientes.
Pronounced Ah-was Calients , is a pro
gressive town in Central Mexico , and
is noted for its hot baths. The Mexican
Central railroad has selected this point
as the location for their principal shops , '
and quite a boom is anticipated on this
account. It is at this place that most of
the.fine Mexican drawn-work is made ,
some of which is exquisite in design
and marvelous in workmanship.
Aguas Oalientes possesses one of the
largest smelters in the world , owned
and operated by the Guggerheims , who
now control the American Smelting and
Refining Company.
It is well worth a visit by Americans ,
and is a very interesting city. >