THE HKSPERIA N.
lias been one of great complexity an'd magnitude. In this
country, however, the lowering of prices was an important
element in the trouble. Yet the overproduction complained
of by the woodcutters is alone sufficient to cause great trou
I tie. It looks like a mountain in the way out of 'darkest
England." Only one solution of the difficulty seems possible.
It will be necessary for the army men to work at something
other laborers arc not to any great extent engaged in produc
ing. America, however, has not yet lound what that some
thing is. Probably thce will be trouble in producing any
one thing largely.
Enterprises of great magnitude and of wonderful possibil
ities are the order of the day. The latest and largest u soon to
Vie brought prominently before congress. Several western sen
ators and representatives are pushing the project to have con
gress estnblish deep water communication between the great
lakes and the Atlantic. The proposition made by Senator
Davis of Minnesota is to cut a canal around Niagara Falls,
widen and deepen the canal from Oswego to Syracuse,
enlarge the Erie Canal from Syracuse to Troy, and finally
dredge the Hudson from Tioy to New York. His idea is to
have a channel twenty feet deep from Duluth to the Atlantic.
Thus will be secured for the western states a .'ontinuous water
route to Europe. No plan that has been broached in late
years is so lull of promise to the west as this. It is far better
than the Galveston route because it is so much shorter. The
travel by rail is shorter, and by water also. The item of
expense is larger than by a southern route. It is well to
remember, though, that this water communication with
Europe is necessary to the continued advancement of the
west and hence, when established, will be permanent.
Expense, therefore, is a matter of minor importance. The
important question to settle is, what is the most feasible and
direct route. First, cost should not be allowed to decide the
route.. Two hundred million dollars, the estimated cost o
constructing a deep water harbor on the Texas coast to be
admitted into the calculations. The carrying trade from the
west is already so large and is destined to become so tremen
dous that the first cost will soon dwindle to insignificance in
comparison with the value of the traffic. It is, of course, not
expected that this congress will do anything decisive in this
matter. It is a subject of too vast importance to be treated
hastily. There arc great difficulties in the way of consructing
such a water way, difficulties not only physical but legal.
There will be great opposition from those whose interests
will suffer, as for instance from ihe elevator owners of Buffalo.
Then the state ol New York will have to be induced to turn
over the Eric canal to the United States. No matter what
I ho difficulties are, the west will see tha the project is finally
consummated. This country is bound to be the richest section
of the nation. The cost, therefore, is not an item that should
or can cause much hesitation.
EXCHANGE.
Again has the supposed to be cx-man of the Niagara
Index spoken. Again has he tried to ridicule The Hksi'KK
IAN and in so trying he has placed himself in a very ridicu
lous plight. We have always thought thai he belonged to
the genus honor, but in the last issue of the Index he has given
away his identity and we find we have been mistaken. lie
does not belong to the genus homo. He is one of the order
I'sattati. In fact he is a rara avis. In his rambling discourse
of unquoted .sentences on two of TllK HESI'BRIAN editors he
closes his remarks by saying, "Does Polly want a cacka?"
Thus does he give himself away completely. He objects,
and righMy too, to our calling him cither a witty child or an
uld man. We certainly hope to be foiiiiven for makine such
a blunder. NVc had some admiration for this rara avis
belorc he threw off his mask, but now, although he repeats
things quite well and accu'atcly, we can have only pity for
him. We are sorry that he is now trying to imitate an editor.
We think Polly that "for the the sake of college journalism
you had better put a hole in your head and let all this stere
otyped' stuff ooze out at once." Then come, off -your perch
and try to be a man instead of trying to impersonate one. It
will be very hard for you to do this. I doubt not that if you
make the attempt your utterances will be in part like the fol
lowing: "Are you in it you're out of sight you've blown a fuse
your trolley's off where did you get that hat Annie Rooncy
Johnnie get your gun down went McGinty comrades and she
winked the other eye come off." Of course this will be but a
small part of all you will say, but, as I said before, for the
sake of college journalism and. and as I say now, for the sake
of yourself, Polly, and lor the sake of i.umanity at large, go
off to some secluded spot and say all you !now then come
back and oegin life anew and Till-: Hesperian will aid you
in any and evsry way possible.
Many of our exchanges were unusually attractive when
they reached our table clothed in holiday attire. The Owl
from the University of Ottawa was especially noticeable.
There was no change in the cover except the color. The
cov.r was of a glossy (or "flossy" if you like) golden hue.
Other papers deserving mention are the Kansas university
Courier , the Iowa college (nil, the Epsilon from Bridgeport
Connecticut.
A Owe of "Headrcdtty."
I had been in this country but a few weeks anu was not
very well acquainted with American customs. Consequently
when I was walking the other day, and heard some one call
out, "Where's the white horse?" I turned around to see who.
had been run away with. I did not know but that the white
horse was' used for some certain purpose. I found out after
wards that this was true, but that it was for a very different
purpose from what I had imagined. I noticed when I turned
around that every one was laughing at something. I wished
that I knew at what, so that I might laugh with them. No
one seemed inclined to give me any further information ,
though I am sure that I showed by my face how sympathetic
I felt. I wondered more and more as the laughter continued,
for I could not see a sign of anything ridiculous. All at once
an old woman jumped out of a doorway. "You poor child,
you shan't be made fun of," I heard her say, and then 1
found myself out of the street, in a narrow hallway. I could
hear the crowd jeering outside. Putting my hands up to my
cars to keep out the noise, I turned inquiringly to the old
woman. She said nothing, but led me into a large sitting room
and placed me in an easy chnii.
I knew by this time that I had been the cause of the mer
riment outside. What had I done to merit ridicule? What
was there about me that caused people over here in America to
point their fingers at me? I could not imagine. 1 had always
heard what nice people the Americans were, so gentle towards
women. Why! over home the men used to take off their hats
and keep them off when I went by. The morning I came
away they all cheered, threw flowers in the carriage, and
wished me a prosperous voyage. Everybody was so merry
that morning. The) told me that over here women could go
around alone and never be molested. I'll never believe that
again! I have had Km) much experience.
While I sat musing, the old woman busied herself in mak
ing me a cup of tea "to steady your nerves" she said.- That
H
