Nebraska Newspapers

    PART TWO THE OMAHA SUNDAY EE.
TWENTIETH YEAR O3HAHA SUNDAY MOKNING , JAiSTUAEy 18 , 1801.-SIXTEEN PAGES. NUMBER 214
IRRIGATION IN NEBRASKA ,
The Subject Illustrated by the Successful
Experience of Colorado.
\
HOW WATER IS APPLIED TO ARID LANDS ,
OpcratloiiH In tlio South Plntto Coun
try , Just Aorrns the Htato l/tno
How tlio Stnto Assists
the AVorlc.
( Third Article. )
The arid rculon of Nebraska adjoins the
itnto of Colorado on the west nnd south. On
both sides of this Imaginary linn the sol ) , the
climate nnd nil natural condltiohs are the
samo. But on ono sldo thcro is agricultural
prosperity of a high nnd growing order. On
the other sldo there Is poverty nnd distress.
On ono mdo lies the garden , on the other Mdo
the desert. During the past season the farm
ers living In the valley of the South Platte in
"Colorado raised train loads of potatoes and
sold them for fabulous prices. In the same
period the farmers living In the valley
loy of the South Platte in .Nebraska
raised scarcely anything , and irnny of
them nro now receiving food and clothing
from the state nnd they must look to the
earno source for the seed of future crops.
Nebraska had the advantages of earlier
settlement. She hns a larger population and
moro xvcnlth In the aggregate , but in the
matter of irrigation she Is but an infant to a
man when compared with Colorado. And ir
rigation In Colorado has only begun.
These facts arc not , however , as discredit
able to Nebraska as at flnt appears , Nobody
over pretended that Colorado coulil depend
on rainfall. Western Nebraska , with the aid
of unscrupulous land agents , was persuaded
that she could. Experience is a bard mas
ter , but wo are learning the lessson at
last , nnd the lalo severe drouth may turn out
to bo n blessing in disguise.
As the best possible means of Illustrating
how irrigation can bo accomplished hero , this
paper will undertake to trace how it has been
accomplished In Colorado in the face of simi
lar difficulties.
I. BnaisxixoB ot THE WOIIK ix (
The total area , of Colorado is 00,500,000
BCICS. Of this vast domain 20,500,000 ,
acres Is mountain land , hopeless for agri
culture , but rich in minerals and
timber. The balance , of 40,000,000 , acres ,
Is composed of plateau , plain and valley , nnd
has a soil fit to grow any crops that will
thrive In this latitude and altitude. But it
Is perfectly arid.
When the first pioneer settler pushed his
way , * net Oss1 the plains and into Colorado ,
iV > aver thirty years ngo , ho found only a few
thousand of these millions of acres uudor cul
tivation , and these only by monns of mdo
ditches constructed by unskillful Mexican
farmers. Now , according to the latest stalls-
tlon of what is locally known as the "English
company , " an association of Scotch capital-
bts. Their first undertaking was the con
struction of the Larimer and Weld canal ,
which takes its source In the Cnctio
a 1'oudro rlvor , two miles north
west of Fort Collins , and runs
cast acrosi Larimer and Weld counties for a
distance of forty-flvo mlloi. It is twcnt.v-fl vote
to thirty feet wldo and from live to seven foot
deep , it has a capacity sufficient to irrigate
iOOW , acres , almost all of which are now In a
High state of cultivation. This largo canal
tins now been in operation nearly ten years.
Thrco small reservoirs are used in connection
with this enterprise.
The success of this canal led the same capi
talists to undertake a larger and more diffi
cult project. This was to tap the Platte
river as it leaves the mountains and develop
the lands lying around Denver. The scheme
liad been long- talked of and for
years had waited only for the assist-
nco of capital. Tlio construction oi
this "High Line canal , " as it Is called , was
bceun early In * the spring of 1SSO and con
tinued without cessation till 1833. It is a
fine piece of engineering , with its dam in the
river , its tunnel at the head of tho' canal , its
fluma In the canon , and its. numerous flumes
across the creeks that Ho in Its course. Tlio
mnln canal is seventy miles long , nnd forty
feet wide for a larro part of Its length. It
has n branch about twcnty-flvo miles long
and of smaller dimensions. It waters be
tween fifty and sixty thousand acres. It cost
This was the beginning of irrigation In
Colorado. It demonstrated that if water
could bo applied to the arid soil the
desert would blossom ns the rose. It
converted timid , unbelieving capital
into an aggressive ally of the state's devel
opment. With the suceoss of these two
undertakings of the English company , Irriga
tion was established as a great and promising
factor in the life of Colorado. Capital cimo
from England , from Holland , from New
York , from Chicago and St. Louis , to seek
investment whcro returns were assured. And ,
Denver itself a hint for Omatm readily In
vested in irrigation enterprises the capital it
had accumulated with phenomenal rapidity
in mining and real estate. Nebraska stands
today where Colorado stood ten years ago.
II. JS KOUTHKUK COLORADO.
From a Nebraska standpoint the most in
terestlng part of irrigated Colorado is that
portion lying between Denver and the Ne
braska line , and especially in the valley of
the Souzh Platto. The accompanying map
shows the developments in this legion at a
glance.
This part of Colorado Is precisely like our
arid region. It has the same soil n.id climate
and draws its water supply from ono of the
sources which wo must utilize. The stnto
line that separates Nebraska from Colorado
is only Imacinary , but the line that runs be
tween irrigated prosperity and arid dlstrcs
is n real line , plainly marked on the surface
of the earth.
The association of foreign capltilists al
ready alluded to undertook the development
NORTHERN COLORADO.
Showing how the Smith Platte and other streams are linrncsicil to systems of Irrigation
tics available , Colorado has 4,001,409 acres
under ditch , for which she has paid , through
the investment of private capital , $11,150,003.
Better than this , she has organized all
the public and private force * , enacted
comprehensive laws , nnd done various
other things to secure the further develop *
meat of irrigation on the grandest scale.
How has all this been ilonoj It is a story of
persistent energy and untiring efforts directed
against diQIcultlcs , but aiming at great and
certain results.
The flrjt attempt to build a Inrgo ditch in
Colorado was undertaken in 1800 by a few
citizens of Denver. They spent flO.OOO nnd
managed to make a com pie to failure of It ,
owing to tbo lack of experience nud thu un
fortunate fact that their verdant engineer
Nhad omitted to glvo any fall to hi * grade lino.
Both the citizens and the engineer retired
from the business , but the spirit of cntorpriso
kept on. Two years later the Platte
water company's ditch was built with bolter
success , and it still furnishes Denver with IU
irrigating water. Between 1S < W and 18SO tbo
Irrigation movement got well under way.
Numerous nmnll ditches wcro inudo , fully
demonstrating the feasibility of the project ,
and a systematic effort begun to Interest
largo capital , Colorado had first to ovcrcoma
the skepticism of capltil , as Nebraska still
S has in some measure.
The real development of the arid regions in
the Ccutonnlal state begun with the forma-
of the wido-strotching plains in the northern
part of the stato. The Platte valley canal
takes Its source In the Platte river , about
thrco miles north of Lupton , a town twenty-
six miles north of Denver. The canal has an
appropriation of 400 cubic feet per second
and can Irrigate 20,000 acres. The construc
tion cost about $ -13,030. There is a substan
tial dam In the river , 200 feet long , which
cost about $ J,000. , From the fart that there ,
nro no flumes nor any timber work of any
kind on the canal , with the exception of the
dam , its maintenance is comparatively Inex
pensive.
The Lovcland nnd Grceloy canal is another
of thrfenterprises wltn which this same com
pany is connected. Its bend Is located on the
Big Thompson near Lovcland. It is thirty-
ono miles long , twenty-six feet wide and Ilvo
feet deep , with a variable grade. Its appro
priation of water U 410 cubic feet per second ,
nnd it Is capable of irrigating 23,000 acres , of
uhlch nearly one-third is under cultivation.
This canal cost about 8150,000. ! Thcro are
two reservoirs near its head , which hnvo
cacti n surface area of nearly fifteen hundred
acres. A reservoir 1ms also been constructed
at Its lower end , on th hill overlooking
Grcelcy , which is capable of holding2,000,000 ,
cublo foot of water.
The North Poudro canal is worthy of men
tion in this connection. It is a private en
terprise and presents some engineering fea
ture j of moro thuu usual interest , The canal
takes iU water from the north fork of the
Cucho Ja Pouilro rlvor , In tha northwestern
portion of Larimer county. The dam in the
canon is ns good a specimen ot this class of
work ns U to bo found in the state , The dam
cost7,500.
These are the largest irrigation enter
prises In the portion of Colorado nearest
Nebraska , though ttiero nro hundreds of
smaller canals and ditches of great value to
tbo region.
in. SOME Iui01:11 : cowiiVDOKXicnrmsns.
In other pirU of tlio state , especially in tto
San Luis , tbo Gunnison nnd the Arkansas
valleys , thcra are still larger works of Irriga
tion.
Prominent among thorn Is the Empire
canal , in the San Luis valley , which takes
water from the Hio Grande fourteen miles
nbovo AUmosn and extends southward to the
Hio Concjos. This is thirty miles long , sixty
feet wide at the head nnd five and n half feet
deep ; discharges 1,400 , cubic feet per second ;
noor , wbo should Imvo the oversight of all
these enterprises nnd sco that they con
formed to the wlso laws of the state , Tbo
provisions of these laws will bo moro fully
dwelt upon in n subsequent nrtlclc.
In his message delivered to the legislature
during the past week Gover
nor Uoutt admirably summed up the
present relations of the stole to this subject.
Ho said thnt Irrigation was the most vital
and pressing subject thnt would como before
the legislature ; that the people wcro holding
mass meetings la various parts ot the state
to discuss priority of rights nnd the use of
water fordomcstiopurooses ; that this matter
called for nn early and decisive opinion from
the sunrcmo court , aud that the legislature
should pass effective Inus on the subject. Ho
also advocates the establishment of reser
voirs , and urges the legislature to cull upon
congress to assist In this work by speedily
donating the aild publtelands to the states.
Besides the assistance directly obtained
from the state , various foroUry , agrleultura
THE METHOD OF IRRIGATION.
Tlio water enters the lateral from tbo main canal when the gate Is raised , nnd runs into a dis
tributing dltcb nt tbo head of the Hold. It Is then diverted to tlio plow furrows , which
nro dammed at frequent Intervals , oaiisliij } the water to distribute ItAulf over tbo entire
field
covers 120,000 acres , of which the company
iwns 74,000. , It has cost $170,000 and promi-
ics to bo a most profitable investment.
The Del Norto is the largest irrigating
canal in the United States. It is sixty-five
'cot wide on the bottom nt the headgato , car
rying water five nnd a half feet deep , with
side slopes thrco to ono , making the top width
nt water line ninety-eight foot. Pour miles
from the head Ills bifurcated : the larger
branch being forty-two foot wide at the bet
tom-nod the smaller branch thirty-elgbtKfeot"
ivlde. Thcro are about fltty miles of main
channel. It carries something over
2,400 cubic feet of water per second and
Is circulated to Irrigate over 200,000 acres. It
is located In the San Luis valley in southern
California , takes its supply from the Hio
Grande river nnd covers the land in the
northern end of the valley. It cost ? 300,000.
The peculiar feature in the construction of
this canal was the rapidity of its completion ,
the cntlro work being accomplished within a
period of four months.
The Citizens' canal Is in the snmo neighbor
hood , taking its supply from the Rio Grande
river , eight miles below the Del Norto and
on the opposite sldo of the river. It Is de
signed to irrigate the lands In the southwest
ern part of the San Luis valley. It covers
120,000 acres and cost $200,000.
ThoUncompahgro canal , in the west cen
tral part of the state , covers about sixty-fivo
thousand acres of the lauds of the Uucom-
pahro valloy. The entire valley has a consid
erable fall to the north , abdut sixty feet to
the mile , which gives the canal the nppcar-
nnco of having an ascending grade , and ne
cessitates the frequent use of drops or over
falls. The entire cost of this canal was $210 ,
000.
000.Tho
The Grand river canal system , in the ox-
trcmo western part of the state , is a combi
nation of three canals , projected and largely
hu'.lt by the farmers of the Grand river vnl-
loy , but purchased nr.d united by the present
owners. The combined appropriating capac
ity Is CSO cubic foot per second. There are
about sixty.fivo miles of main channel , cov
cring some forty thousand acres. A striking
feature is numerous overfalls or "drops , "
ranging from four feet to thirty-six feet in
height.
The Fort Morgan canal , in the northeast
ern part of the state , takes it supply from the
Platte river , about ninety miles below Den
ver. It is twenty-eight miles long nnd thirty
feet wldo at the bottom ; carries water tnreo
nnd one-half feet deep and has a slope of ono
In ! ) ,800 ; capacity something over three hun
dred and forty cubic foot per second. It irri
gates 20,000 acres nnd cost about S'J. > ,000. ,
Besides these largo eatorpriscs many oth
ers nro under way nnd irrigation is still iu
the full tide of development.
IV. HOW THE STATE 1'OSTEHS IllllIOATIOtf.
It Is neither possible or necessary within
the limits of this article to describe moro
fully the progress of Iriigation in Colorado.
The object Is to show thnt our neighbors have
successfully overcome every dlfllculty which
wo nro now facing , and thereby point the
way to the speedy and complete reclamation
of our arid lands. For this purpose , how
ever , it Is very essential that the work done
by the state should bo understood.
In his report to Governor Adams of Decem
ber , 16S3 , J , S. Greene , stnto engineer ot ir
rigation , used these words ; "IJut , however
cnorgctlo her people may have been , how-
vcr skilled In construction or fruitful in
resources , It was in the legislative halls and
the court rooms that they fostered best Col
orado's wonderful development in Irrigation
enterprises , " In otuor words , thcro would
have been no capitalists , no grand undertak
ings , If the executive and legislative ofllcors
of the common wealth , and all manner of pub
lic associations , had not united in en effort
to Dush the agricultural development of the
state. That Is the point which the people ol
Nebraska must nomprohcnd at this juncture
In the first place , Colorado has given great
attention to her laws bearing on tbo subject
of Irrigation. She has constantly broadonoO
them to meet the growing demands of the
subject nnd only recently has appointed a
commission to completely revise them , The
object has boon to encourage cnpltnl , to pro
tect the water supply , to guarantee equal op-
pQrtunltlca to all parts of the stnto , A very
Important step in reaching these ends was
the appointment of a competent state cugl
and irult growers' ' associations nro giving
their influence systematically to the de
velopment of Irrigation in all directions ,
and nro runrding from every stand
point , from the preservation of the
water supply on the mountain tops to the
fertilization of the farthest aero on the edge
of the nvld belt.
It was by means of this deep nnd earnest
conviction of the vnluotof Irrigation that the
work has been broughtjtojllts pro3Oiitstago ,
a Colorndo.iHIt'Is'iby ' riSilnWKC'.no'd81InTcc ? ? ?
operation with private capital and local en
terprise , that n great empire west of the 100th
meridian in Nebraska can bo inudo prosper
ous.
ous.Colorado
Colorado ranks high among mining states.
It abounds in silver , gold , Iron , coal mid other
minerals. But , without a slngio foot of natu
rally arable land , its agricultural product
In the year 1890 exceeded in value the output
of all its mines. Could there bo a moro elo
quent tribute to irrigation ?
In closing this sketch of the progress m
Colorado I leave untouched a mass of mater
ial on the subject for lack of space. But
enough 1ms been said to provo the truth of an
old proverb , wnlcb , revised for the occasion ,
would read : "What-Colorado lias done , Ne
braska can do. " ,
Next week's article will deal with the irri
gation laws of Ncornska and the urgent de
mands for their revision nnd enlargement , a
subject rendered timely by th J approaching
convention nt McCook.
E. SMITHE.
CO XXUflJA CITIES.
" ! Branson a slngio manl"
"Not quite. Uo's about half a man. "
The average wife hates to oak her husband
for money and in most cases ho hates to have
her.
her."So
"So your wife has left you ? " "Sho has. "
"What wore her last words on leaving you ! "
"Is my hat on straight ! "
InBachelor Docs your wife always have the
Qst word ?
Benedict ( sadly ) Never ; I Invariably get
ll
Grand Rnplds leads the world In Its per
centage of divorces to marriages. This year
the ratio was ono to flvo and lost year ono to
six.
Somehow papa tells his fairy tales to
mamma instead of to the little ones. And
mamma is generally not enough of a little on ate
to swallow thorn nil.
Ho Are you intimately acquainted with
Mr. Wilson ?
She ( from Chicago ) Only slightly. Iyas
married to him once.
Mem frau is gon'o , divorced away
I tolls you dot is funny.
I haven't ' got zwcl doilnr left ,
And she got alimony ,
A Now York husband was so insanely
jealous thnt ho would take his wife's shoes
with him when ho went to work so thnt she
could not go out in h-is absence.
Ho What rome'dy uould you suggest for
the deplorable cond ition of the marriage laws ?
She Appropriate penalties. FiratoiTcnee.
short sentence ; second , for Ufa 1
Hicks Maria , I dlon't bellovo you would
wako up if Gabriel Were to How his horn I
Mrs. Hicks You would ; the faintest sug
gestion of n horn would rout you out early.
Judge You are charged with bigamy , Mr.
Smith. Hnvo you suythlng to say to the
chargol
Prisoner No , sir. I'm not fool enough to
talk against two women.
Mrs. Grumps If that stranger you were
talking to said nothjng about his wife , how
do vou know ho Is married i
Mr. Urumps Oh. be. looked so sort o' sym-
pathntlo when I tuld him I was.
Bingo Dear mo , I'm ' tired. My wife got
mo up at 0 o'clock tlm'mornlng ,
KIngley What did the get you up so early
for !
lllngo She wanted to catch the noon train.
For sovcn years a Hooslor named I'cto
Dayton had obliged his wife to support the
family by washing and ho had loft un aver
age of &J per-week In the saloons. TlioVhlto
Caps took him out and thrashed him and in
less than eight months ho had earned $200
and kept sober every day.
It is tbo women who do the proposing in
Dahomey. When ajiirl reaches the ngo of
eighteen sbo is eligible for matrimony nnd
she at onca sots out to find some ono willing
to marry her. Frequently stio takes n hus
band on trial for a month or two before choos
ing him for better Or worse.
James Paris , a TcniiosseAn , was going out
to bunt , and his good wife loaded his gun for
all day. When bo drew a bead oh a squirrel
thcro was a crash and a bane1 , and , while the
squirrel escaped , Mr. Paris' returned homo
with a broken jaw , five tooth gouo nnd two
finger * ready for amputation.
A DAY IN DARKEST 01AHA ! ,
Experience of The Bee Reporter iu the
Homes of the Need ; .
THE STRUGGLE FOR MERE EXISTENCE ,
Talcs of SufTcrliiR Wliloh Should
Touoli the Hearts and Purses
of the Happy anil
1-rospcroiiB.
Whatever of Just cause the ice dealers may
hnvo hid for complaint regarding it , the mild
weather that hns characterized the winter
thus far hns certainly been a God-send to the
tfoitunatopoor.
In a city the slzo of Omaha there nro many
uch , and the amount of suffering that has
xcn averted by the merciful tampering of
, ho wintry blasts is not to bo caculatcd.
There are , within the limits of this happy ,
irosperous , well-lighted and well-fed city ,
cores of cheerless and forbidding places
ivhero poverty and hunger are constant
.hough unwelcome guests. The needy ones
i\ho , from necessity nnd not from choice , nro
ivont to call these places "homo" find In
, hem no reall/ation of the comforts
ind enjoyments that , to the majority of the
liuman family , arc so closely associated with
.hat sacred word. After visiting thorn , ono
loubts the sentiment of John Howard Payne ,
bat hns found n responsive chard in so many
: iearts , nud Is will nigh convinced that whe-n
lomo becomes so humble as this there are
ithcr places far moro desirable.
True , no cases of heartrending destitution
have been discovered this \vlntor , nnd It is
wsslblo that the cases that have been ro-
iiorted do not meet with so ready nnd gcner-
> us relief because of the absence of this
'cnturo. When the details nro particularly
igoulzlng , thcro is u tendency on the
part of everyone to give spontane
ously to relieve such abject want ,
and the object of the charity is amply pro
dded with necessities nnd oven luxuries ,
which will last until the case hns entirely
lipped from the mind of the greater number
if ttio givers.
The scores of cases that demand attention
and assistance this winter present their needs
"in a general call for charity and the response
is neither ns prompt nor as generous as would
bo the ease if harrowing details wcro pres
ented to awaken the sympathies of these who
nro naturally charitably Inclined.
Thcro are undoubtedly manv cases whcro
nil needed assistance is given by kind-hearted
neighbors , nnd all knowledge of them is
withheld Irom the public , but whcro the case
demands constant support the strain is too
heavy for a few to bear , nnd it is then that
an nppcnl is made to the general public for
systematic giving.
Comparatively fowof the citlzensof Omaha
o accustomed to bestowing their charities
systematically. The nearest approach to n
board of relief outsldo of thoolllcq of tlio
county poorraastcr Is that in connection with
St. Timothy's mission and superintended by
Missionary Reedy.
A Dr.u reporter accompanied Mr. Heedy on
ono of his trips to note the condition and sur
roundings of some of the families who nro do-
pendeat for support on their moro fortunate
fellows.
It was found that the majority of them ex
isted la ono room hovels , some of thorn fairly
\\lndond weather proof , and others offering
but little resistance to the encroachments of
the elements.
The first place visited vfM the little hut
near the corner of Twentieth and Castcllar ,
otfcOptciabyWrs8tuart11Reod.'ji ! Vato- ! . ! )
whoso case was recently published In Tun
BKB , when her husband was sent to
the hospital for the Insane nt Lincoln.
Previous to that time the destitution of the
family was not known , but when TiicBnr.
called public attention to It a number of
charitably disposed indies and gentleman in
terested themselves in the case , and it was
nter taken In charge by Mr , Reedy. The
mother of the family of five children is al
most helpless , suffering from nn organic
trouble , to remedy which a surgical opera
tion is required. The operation is provided
for , together \\ith the necessary medicines ,
and it is stated that $ -0 will furnish such ap
pliances nnd bandages as may bo needed.
Two of the boys and ono girl are now largo
cnouph to bo of some service , nnd the family
would bo self-supporting with the mother's
health restored. Airs. Heedis , a very enor-
getlo and intelligent woman , nnd appreciates
keenly her dependent position.
The next case investigated was out among
the hills south of Hanscom park , whcro a
family by the name of Taylor reside in n
rough board cabin. Sickness was the causa
of their destitution , and the medical nelp
that has been donated has put them on tliolr
foot again , and it is not probable that they
will need further help.
A family named Miller was next visited.
They llvo In a 10x13 box near the corner of
Twenty-seventh and Mason. Tlio ground is
leased for3 a month , and the occupant owns
a few hundred feet of lumber that entered
Into the construction of his humble abode.
Just now , in addition to other cares , ho is
worried because of a notice to quit the prctu-
jscs. All of the surrounding property has
been raised to grade , r.nd the wretched little
crib Is down in a nolo ton feet deep , so that
the roof scarcely rises above the level of the
adjacent street.
This , of course , is another ono room affair ,
nnd the furniture consists of.two beds , two
chilli's , n three logged chair bucked up In one
corner , a badly cracked cook stove and twc
children. A few dishes momentarily threaten
to Jail from a narrow shelf over the table ,
and two or thrco show bills and advertising
calendars servo as brlc-n-brno and cover long
cracks in the walls at the same tlmo.
The head of the family who was formerly a
canvasber in the employ of the Metropolitan
company Is very low with consumption , anil
looks ns though the end might comii at any
time. His cough seems to shako the house
from foundation to rlago polo. Mrs. Miller
Is energetically endeavoring to support the
family by washing , but the cost of medicines
makes it almost hopeless work. Ono child
was burled about two weeks ago nnd churltablo
people defrayed the funeral expenses. As
sistance Is being rendered tbo family , but the
outlook for the bravo little woman who is
struggling along against such overwhelming
odds is nnythtng but encouraging.
The next stop was at the habitation of Jens
Larsen , a day laborer , who resides wllli n
constantly increasing family on Fourteenth
street Just noth of Nicholas. Larspi ) is
"away up" compared with some of tho"fami
lies visited , la that ho baa two rooms in
which , to divide his poverty
His rent bus been paid bv the Danish so
ciety , and free medical assistance has brought
him through ascvcro case of blood poisoning.
With a litilo moro help Larsea will bo able to
again provide for his famllv.
AIw. Slsso Is a widow with thrco children
who rcsltlo in n primitive little hut on Locust
street , east of the railroad tracks. Ono boy ,
aged thirteen year3 , is a cripple , with a false
Joint in ono log below the knee , nnd the
mother Is nililctcd with n running sere on ono
hip , that renders her helpless much of the
timu. Sim makes an attempt to oka out nn
existence for herself and children over the
wnshbonrd. The family is sadly In need of
continued assistance , nnd a physician who
has examined the case says that a brace
ought to bo secured at once tor the crippled
boj.Assistance
Assistance was asked by a family named
Ruby living near the corner of Ninth and
Garttolii avenuo. The father is Bovonty-slx
years of nge , and is suffering with asthma.
There are five children , all plrls , the young
est only two j cars of age. Missionary Kecuy
intimated that a man with the apparent vigor
of the held of the family ought to contribute
moro to their support. A little clothing nnd
a few provisions together with places for the
older girls to woik will probably bo all they
Will require.
Tbo most pltlulilo case that was found was
that of Mrs. Ralph , ut the corner of Thirty *
third and Maple streets ,
Her husband was addicted to driiik and
finally run away nnd deserted tier , leaving
her with four small children and no menus
of support. The oldest child is under five
years of ago , nnd the youngest is about six
months old. The mother is nursing the two
younger children , being forced to thus nour
ish tbo older of the two because ol her inabil
ity to provide for it In any other wnv , The
house is n dilapidated brick , with ono win
dow entirely gouo , and several panes of glass
mlsilng from the others. Ono of the door * is
badly demoralized nnd is little leis than n
relic. The neighbors IMIVO been contribu
ting for the relief of the family. The case
was brought to the nttontlon of the landlord.
who was not nwuro of the slnto of
llalrs , and who finally offered to lot
lie family have the house free of rent for tlio
inlanco of the winter. A fuel merchant ,
, -hoso attention \\ns called to tUo c.ise ,
romptlv sent half a ton of coal. Food must
o supplied nt once. Mrs. Ralph Is sadly in
.ceil of clothing , both for herself and her lit-
looncs. Medicine will be supDllcd through
ho free dispensary connected with St.
L'lmothy's ' mission.
.All packages contributed for tlio use of the
'oor ' may bo left nt M. 0. Maul's , orlll bo
lalled for In any part of the city if Mr. Kcedy
s notified at telephone 'J ! , " > .
IAJJ ixi > & .
The cotton crop of Alabama Is valued at
00,000,000.
Thcro are 15,000 brass bands in this conn *
ry , with 150,000 performers.
The rails In the Unttod states would go
round the earth twelve times.
A largo oak trco known to bo 140 voars old
us been felled at Flint , Mich.
The deepest hole over bored into the earth
the artesian well nt Potsdamwhich is 6,500
ect deep.
Lake Maltlnnd , Orange county , Fla. , hns n
ornot band composed of thirteen young la-
les nnd two gentlemen ,
Sixty thousand people are out of work in
ho city of Berlin. Ninety thousand nro out
f work in tlio cast end of London alone.
The deepest ocean in the world Is the Pn-
Ific. Near the Ladrono Islnnds a depth of
,475 fathoms , or over five miles , was found.
The numbcrof telephones now undorrcntnl
y the iicll telephone company is 478.7. ! . ' ) , an
icreusoof 8SSS5 over the same tlmo last
car.
Mary Eddy , colored , of Cincinnati hns sued
bookbinder to recover her family bible ,
vhlch she claims she placed with him to bo
obound.
But OHO letter is duplicated In the follow
; ig sentence , which contains nil the letters
f the alphabet : "Quiz Jack ; thy frowns
ox G. D. Plumb. "
A Chicago man , who for ilvo years had
Icpt with n revolver under his pillow us n
rotcctloa against burglars , found It was not'
ondcd in all that llmol
South Carolina seems to have n fondness
oss for the old soldiers of the rebel 11 on.
Dvcr ono hundred ex-con fed era to soldiers are
n the legislature ol that state.
A jeweller says thnt It Is n rare thing for
im to sell a cold watch clitdn. Everybody
iuys the plated article nowadays , oven these
icoplo who are well able to afford tbo bolld.
Cicsar Hornbock , colored , who died at
lontgomery , N. Y. , last week , was known
o bo over ono hundred years old. Ho claimed
0 bo about ono hundred aud ilvo years of
igc.
igc.Animals
Animals nro kept on the roofs of the houses
n Lima , Peru , audit frequently happens thnt
1 cow passes her whole life on a roof , being
, alten there as a calf and brought down finally
as fresh beef.
Oliver Wendell Holrr.es has just invented
, wo moro admirable words "psemlopnthy"
nnd "pseudothernpy , " ono signifying the
quack science of disease and the other the
quack method of healing.
A sweet potato -weighing twenty-seven
rounds , raised nt Wutuliachlo , Tox. , and a
obstor weighing twenty pounds , raised out
> f deep water oft Atlantlcvlllo , Ij. I. , nrb the
atost chamulon heavy Weight pdibos. (
Different classes of substances have been
'ound to _ altccttbo _ . . . organs _ of-taste . la the fol
v * * M * * - * vt t1 * " _ * _ ' 1 J J.r * . . . * , . „
stances , sweets and alkalies. The taste
nerves nro nearly 2,000 times as sensitive to
quinine ns to sngar.
The strength of spider silk is incredible.
Size for slzo It Is considerably stronger than
a bar of steel. An ordinary spider's thread
is capable of bearing a weightof thrco grains ,
whllo a steel thread of the same thickness
would support less than two.
M. L. Levi , near Nowtonvillc , Ind. , had
an apple tree which bore three croiu In ono
season. Tills led to newspaper comment , n
paragraph fell under tbo eye of Mrs. Lou
Clifford of McCordsvlllo , his sister , whom ho
had not seen nor heard of for thirty years ,
and they wcro reunited ,
The orange was originally imported to this
country years ago by tlio mission fathers ,
who brought the bccds from Spain. They
wcro planted about , the old missions , the
fruit being used for domestic purposes , nnd
the crop being simply suitable or larco
enough for these mirposes.
It is said that college journalism originated
at Dartmouth in IbOO , Daniel Webster being
editor of the paper. There nro now 18U col
lege papers In tlio United Ktatosnnd only ono
in England. The four dallies nro the Cornell
Dally Sun , Dally Crimson , Yale News , and
the University of Michigan Daily ,
A negross named Caroline Jenkins , living
near Houston , Tox. , is n veritable Samson.
Four police ofilcers wont to arrest her , when
she took them ono by one , threw them out of
the house nnd locked the doors upon them.
She can break a half-inch rope with ease by
stretching it from band to band.
It is not always the coal oil or gasoline
steve that burns to death. Mrs. George
Rcdpath opened n steve door ut Alarcngo , 111. .
with an apron , which caught lire nnd burnoif
her so badly that she died in a few hours. In
attempting to put the lira out nor husband
burned Iho ends of his fingers off.
Mr. f i d Mu.W. Strong of Ottawa , .
Kan. , had arranged to celebrate the fifty-first
anniversary of their inarrlugo recently , nnd
relatives wcro present from various parts o
the state to participate In the festivities. Ii
the morning Mr. Strong died and In the
afternoon Airs. Strong passed away.
The greatest moat oatcr.s in the world are
the pcoplo of America , whoso average con
sumption is IT.'i pounds per annum. The
English coma nnxi with an avoragoof u little
over 110 pounds. Tbo French cat only half
as much meat as the English and the people
of Germany , Austria and Italy still less.
In the mayor's court at Anthony , Fla , ,
few days ago n Ind for violation of an ordi
nance was lined $3. The court irruntcd the
boy's mother the privilege of paying the fine
or whipping the lad in open court. She ac
cepted the lattx > r and the mayor had to check
her to prevent an unmerciful whipping.
Spectacles wcro Invented just 000 years
ngo. The UEO of glass to aid tlio sight of de
fective eyes Is , however , much older. Nero
looked througti u concave glass in watch
ing the gladiatorial games , and many
other historical mon of ids dav wcro de
pendent on similar devices for lent'thonlng
their sight.
Following Is n scientific description of
what happens when you lleht n tire : The
phosphorous on n match is mlsod by friction
to a temperature of 1WJ3 farenhelt , at which
U Ignites. It raises the tcmperaturo of ttio
sulphur , if itbo n sulphur match. r < 00 = , when
the sulphur begins to burn , The sulphur
raiser the heat to 800 = , when the wood tunes
up the work and produces n tcmperaturo of
1,000 , ° , at , which the coil ignites ,
Air. James Fnlrflold , who Is the author of
"Tho Coney Island \VnlU , " "Sunset Iluvoml
'
the Missouri , " "Omaha Exposition Wn'ltz , "
lias just finished n now musical composition
entitled "Governor IJoyd's inaugural March1
shortly to bo issued by Oliver Ultson com
pany. Critics who have heard the march de
clare it is the author's bos t work and written
in his h'ipplcst ' vein.
"Noah's Ark , " the now play which is to
follow the season of the pantomlnoof "Hubos
in the Wood , " ntNlblo's , New York , Into In
I'obruary , Is not nt all descriptive of the days
of the Hood , but deals wltn llfo in the big
city. Noah , in Hits ease , being n pawn
broker , and the "Aik" the tltlo by winch his
loan bureau is known ,
The 100th performance of "Tho Last Word"
was reached at Daly's ' last night , and the
comedy will hnvo achieved ono of the
best of nil thu successes nt this house , Tim
ensuing Tuesduv "Tuo School for Scandal"
will bo revived in u form varied by Mr. Daly.
VERDI'S ' LAST GREAT OPERA ,
A Humorous Exposition of Sir John Fal-
staff's ' Doings ,
ARRIGO BOITO , THE BOOK MAKER ,
The Crowning Composition of tliO
Great Mni'htro Hemly for tlio
Op'iilng of I.n Koala Diirlnc
tlio Season of 18(11 ami 'Oil.
At Intervals , for many years put , tbo Ital
inn composer , Vonll , has revealed to Ills ncatf
friends it dcslro to write 11 conilo opera or , as
ho phrases it , musical comedy ns apart from
oponi luufTo. Hut the difficulty In finding a
good libretto deferred tlio nttotupt so long
Hint tlio possibility of success passed from
ttio minds of those around him and after
vainly repeated searches through ttio plays ,
of Golilom , Mollcro anil ottior noted pluy
wrlghu , tlio maestro himself apparently
abandoned the idea , mid produced "Othello"
asthoilnalo of his life work ,
Hut evidently fate , or providence , or what
ever people la general nut their faith In , decreed
creed pthorwlso , for In tlio summer or 18S9
Verdi apoko of his cheated hopes to Arrlgo
Holto , his colhiborotor and the clover eom <
uosor of "Mcllstofclo" who , pomtorlug , retired -
tired to Nervl Liguro , near Genoa , nud nftcr
forty-eight hours'closo meditation nud woilt
( so it is said ) , put Into Verdi's hands n bmi
iout sketch of the libretto of "Falstuff , " and
urged tno immediate olnborntlon of thothoino ,
Verdi is a jealous guardian of his privacy ,
and grasping the ninmiscrlnt with
eager hands enjoined upon Holto the
greatest secrecy , forbidding oven the men
tion of the tnsk to Hlcordi , his publisher ,
who incurred his dlspicusuro before tlio pro
duction of "Othello" by giving certain hints
to the press without receiving permission to
Uoso.
Such was the composer's caution upon Jthli
occasion Hint , to avoid exciting suspicion , lid
sent to Venice for his score paper. Apropos
of this , It is n fuel that Vordl niiikos use of
more paper than any other musical author ,
not infrequently writing n few bars upon a
'minimi sheets , only to toss tlium aside con *
lecuttvcly with nervous disgust , as unlucky
mil vain attempts.
Vordl Is lavish In genuine nrnlso of Hollo's
Ibrelto considering It a chef d'oovra and of
so thoroughly comical n nnturo * ns to afford
the greatest amusement to himself and the
author whllo working upon It.
liolto has made as much as possible of the
character of Falstaff not confining the npi
jicarauco of the "Comical Gallant" to
that ' 'Most anil
pleasaunt excellent con ,
ceiled Comcdlc of Syr lohn FnlstalT anil the
Mcrrlo Wives of Windsor , " but touch *
ing ns well upon the role ho bears
In the first and second parts
of King Henry IV.
Vordl declares the opera to bo moro thna
mlf completed , and his friends add that that
slgnlllcs its immediate consummation. Al
though a lyilo comedy In the broadest signi
fication of the word , and with no grand massIng -
Ing of chorus , yet It is adapted to tbo Scald ,
where It will bo n supreme attraction during
tlio season of lS'Jl-3. ]
"Falstaft" is divided into three nets and
flvo scenes , and. as would boom appropriate ,
the title role is to bo sustained by a baritone ,
and n baritone , moreover , possessed of a
rociono. as the Italians say , proportionate la
strength to the "waist two yards about , " of
which tbo reckless knight was used to boast.
, The DumoDf.Kuschm ( > un of European fnmd
is whispered ustUo'posslblo .hcroj'DUt'VorJl
Is not to bo Influenced by any ono in the se
lection of his artists , i'hero are many im.
portnnt personages in the opera and but fcv )
chorus singers llftcen men and thirty
women , but of superior oxccllolicc. Asldo
from this , children will pose before the foot
lights in the bullet.
It was at a dinner party nt the Hotel MI-
lane that Verdi and lioito llrst miule their
work known. Verdi's guests were
Uo publlslicrs , Ktcordl and his beautiful
\vlfo Glnditta their daughter and son-in-law.
When the champagne appeared , Bolto rose ,
glass In band , gave n toast to the success or
the "I'anclono" ( bltr fat fellow ) . Each gucsb
gnzod Inquiringly at the other without com
prehending. Then ho gave a toast to "ITal-
staff , " and Signora Hlcordi was the first to
divine that I'anclono incantFulstalT , uud that
"F.ilstulT" was tbo title of a now opera by
Vordl.
Verdi then gave a brief sketch of the plot ,
showing that Bolto had clung as closely to
the Shakespearean text as ho hud In his composition -
position of "Othello. " Kicordl then brought
to mind the fuct Hint twenty-five years ago
Verdi announced to him tie intention of re
tiring upon his laurels and , Indeed , for
several years the fertile and vivid imagina
tion seemed nt rest. Uut , fortunately for all
music-loving people , tlio genius that gave to
tlio world "Trovatoro" and "Trnviiitn" had
not Mulshed its course , mid further efforts re
sulted in the production of "Aidn , " "Don
Carlos , ' "Munzoni's Kcmiieum , " ' 'Simon
Iloceancgrn , " and "Othello" the latter ot
which was not begun until Verdi had reached
his seventieth year.
The grand old man ot Italy , as a contem
porary culls him , Is halo and hearty and la
wonderfully good spirits hoping oven to
witness a gala performance of "KalstafT" on
his eightieth birthday , which will occur la
ISO I.
It is strange almostlncongruous to think
of a comic opera from the composer of"Aida"
and "Othello , " but no moro extraordinary
than it seemed to the admirers of Wupner
that ho should contemplate a comlu opera
after the uroduction of "Tristan and Isolde"
in 1S05 , However the success of the "Mels-
tcrslugor" n year Inter moro than justified
the attempt. Tlio latter masterpiece is ns
harmonious n ? ills comical , defending really
upon n study of character. Not at all the
"comic wotk" that French composers take in
hand. And Verdi's "Fulstaff" la of n similar
nature.
Tlieso freaks of genius bring to mind Romo-
thhiB I once heard Modjoskn afllrm a belief
she held that artists Invariably fancied them
selves especially pif led in an opposite line ot
work to that in which they had gained their
greatest HUCCOSSCS , adding that bo had al
ways imagined herself pniticulnrly suited to
Koubrctto parts , and Booth had neverdoubtcd
his gicat but dormant ability to enaut the
low comedian.
In appearance Verdi strongly resembles the
photographs of Longfellow with shlninir ,
wavy hulr , dreamy oycs and n senaitlvo
mouth and chin. Almost shabbily dressed
and tnnld and roth Ing in manner -
ner , ho positively suffers when attention is
drawn to him inlpubllo places where , ns a
natural consequence lie is rarely to bo found
and the sight of his evident distress when ,
dragged repeatedly upon tlio stage of La
Scula , after the triumphant performance ot
"Othello" In I8S7would certainly have ap
pealed greatly to a loss clamorous and excited
crowd.
Ho spends most of his tlmo nt his country
pluco , and works for hours each day over his
vegetable garden , which Signora Verdi In
sists takes only second place In his affections.
The peasants around nro devoted to him , and
never grumble If tlio "niaostro's" tomatoes
or tuinlps bring better prices than theirs.
Holto in two ways slightly resembles "Wag-
nor first , In his problematical writings , and
second , in nlinmg ills two-fold faculties ( for
ho Is both clover librettist and musician ) at ,
the generation of now form ami original
natter , Ills successful and beautiful opera '
"MoIUtofclu * ' to bo followed
by another entitled "Nerono. "
which was to have been a novelty of the
Milan opera season this year. Hut lie chcer-
lully hud It aside , unwilling to permit escape
of the opportunity of writing a libretto for
Vordl.
It Is known that Bolto , though so
young and zealous has qultu lost
faith in lliu Illusion of fame , and is moro
happy to work quietly with Ids venerated
friend , or. baton In hand , lead his well
drilled orihestra in an artistic Interpretation
of Verdi's creations , than seek now honors
for himself in the uauui field.
field.Miuuu
Miuuu C. FOIID ,