'Cbe Conservative *
towards tlio encampment of the main
body , whore wo arrived a little after
dark , having completed our * excursion
within the time prescribed. ' '
* * * *
This was really all that was accom
plished by the expedition. They
missed the stream they were look
ing for altogether on their way
home , lost their papers , and reached
the states without any glory what
ever , save the credit oC ' having
climbed the great peak to which they
gave Dr. James' name , but which
soon acquired that of Lieutenant
Pike , which it has borne ever since.
A. T. R.
AGAINST THE TRUST.
Nature and art are both in league
against the beef trust.
The ocean is doing its level best to
furnish in quality and quantity its
quota of provision.
The mackerel catch this season is
reported to bo the best ever landed in
the same length of time. So many
mackerel vessels are arriving in
New York they cannot be accommo
dated at the Fulton market docks and
must land elsewhere. At Newport ,
at Martha's Vineyard , at Gloucester ,
the reports are that the catch is im
mense and the quality exceptionally
good.
What is true of mackerel is true of
halibut. Heavy shipments have been
made from the Pacific coast and the
receipts on the Atlantic shores have
been so large that enormous amounts
have been sold to smokers.
, With this good news from the east
and far west report comes from
Minnesota that a new food product
has been discovered.
Dr. Anderson of the University of
Minnesota claims to have found a
way which promises to revolutionize
many branches of industry having to
do with starched foods.
He began with the theory that all
starch-bearing food can be made to
"pop , " as corn pops , when subjected
to heat. Ho found ho could pop rice ,
potatoes and a number of other food
and that'several of the
products , re-
y sultant foods embodied many advan-
tages lacking in the natural product.
i After potatoes are popped they can
bo compressed into small cakes auc
transported. When desired water or
milk is added and they are converted
into mashed potatoes ready for
eating.
Some sixty distinct now foods have
been added by Professor Anderson to
the list of foods hitherto used. One
of the most important is flour am
water "popped" into biscuit. These
are said to bo light and feathery , jus
the thing for healthy or weal
stomachs.
With these promises in view the
beef trust is not an unmitigated evil
Necessity is the mother of invention ,
and who knows what now and exool-
eut article of food may "pop " up at
any moment ? There are also good
fish in the sea , with over-increasing
'aoilitios for propagating and catch-
ug them.
If President Roosevelt can do
lothing to relieve the situation the
wits of the people will como to the
rescue and down the price of beef.
Chicago Chronicle.
SALT LAKE DRYING UP.
According to several scientific men
Salt Lake will soon bo a thing of the
past. Prof. W. G. Me Gee calculates
; he life of the lake will probably be
ended in twenty-five years.
According to these gentlemen the
reason for the rapid acceleration of
the drying up of the great Salt Lake
is the diversion of streams formerly
feeding it for irrigation. This cause ,
ihey say , will be further added to by
the construction of the numerous
mountain reservoirs now planned to
liold storm water.
The scientists prophesy that the
result of the drying up of the lake
will be a salt and alkali desert.
These gentlemen do not apparently
figure on one of the results of irri
gation that we know about in Cali
fornia. This is the percolation of ir
rigation water after it has been ap
plied to the laud. The experience of
Riverside and Fresno , and especially
of Fresno , demonstrates the import
ance of percolating water from irri
gation. In Fresno this seepage water
has become a serious problem that
can only be solved by an effective
drainage system. It is , therefore ,
within' the probabilities that the
Great Salt Lake will not rapidly dry
up , as prophesied by the scientists by
reason of irrigation diversion of its
feeders. The utilized water there
also is likely to find its way back
underground to the lake. It takes
often a number of years for seepage
water to show itself , on account oi
the slowness of underground perco
lation. Those who love salt air and
those who hate alkali deserts may
therefore take courage in doubting
the prophesied catastrophe of Sail
Lake rapidly drying up , even though
it may start on this process and for a
time continue it. Los Angeles Satur
day Post.
TRANSFERRING THE STARCH IN
DUSTRY TO CHICAGO.
The reported movement to transfer
the starch factories of the country to
Chicago and to erect in this city a
factory largo enough to care for al
the starch business of the United
States- will direct public attention
once more to the modern tendency o
all manufacturing industry to get m
closer to the raw material.
For 'a half century or moro the
cotton of the South was woven into
sheeting and other fabrics in the N
cotton mills of Now England.
During the last decade there has been
a general movement of the cotton
mill industry from Now England to
; he cotton fields of the South.
It is in the line of industrial evolution
lution that the starch industry should
move from the East to the center of
; he great corn-raising territory.
When Oswego became the center of
; he starch industry of this country
New York was a great corn-growing
state. For many years past , how
ever , the corn for these factories has
been shipped from the western "corn
belt , " on which the consumer paid
the combined cost of lake and rail
haul in addition to elevator charges
at Buffalo.
The few small factories in Indiana
and other western states were ab
sorbed by the starch trust a few years
ago , and the plants have been idle
ever since. With the starch business
in the hands of one combine it will
bo an easy matter to concentrate the
entire industry in Chicago , the cen
ter of the corn growing district and
the natural point for the manufac
ture and distribution of starch.
Chicago Record-Herald.
KINDLY MR. EVANS.
Several months ago Commissioner
of Pensions Evans was at Chattanooga
for a few days' rest. One day while
he was in the corridor of a leading
hotel , talking with a group of
friondp , a maimed old man , dressed in
tatters , hobbled up and begged per
mission to speak to Mr. Evans. His
request was promptly granted. He
poured out his story to the commis
sioner , and ended his pathetic recital
by declaring that ho thought himself
entitled to a pension. A tear sprang
to the eye of the gentle hearted com
missioner as he replied , with evident
emotion : "Yes , I believe you are
entitled to a pension but there is a
link of proof lacking in your case ;
and while it is hard for mo to do it ,
I must refuse to grant your claim ,
because it would establish a precedent
that would let down the bars for
thousands of unworthy claims. "
Drawing the veteran aside , the com
missioner slipped a crisp bill into
his hand , and slapping him familiarly
on the shoulder , said : "I am sorry
for you , but I have resolved that it is
bettor that a few deserving ones
should suffer rather than that the
public treasury should bolooted. . "
New York Tribune.
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