20 TJIK OMAHA DAILY JIKH/MONDAY : , DEOJiMIllflR 15 , 181)5.
i ITPHVP pii/ni pvniMiii'v rv
11SSONS HIOM LXPLRlLuL
The Value of Irrigation Jomonlratotl in
Central lf bnukft.
THE GOSPEL OF ARTIFICIAL MOISTURE
Ilir Uri'iul < if llriiitlli inul
it llnr cxt A ttllnlili *
< lf Ml | | ll > Till1 I II-
lllliil Iti'MciM ulri.
"And lhi > J ard Owl plant d o frnrden faM-
trrd In ttitcn and a liver wont out
of IMen to walcr th * pardon. " Gen. 2'8-tO.
\\crif the- rainfall throiiRhoiit Hi ? rpglons
occupied by nKilcnltmnl peoples always
abundant and oTlaln , It might tint tc > m
straiiRc that they should lie ront'nt to de
pend entirely on the bounty of nature to
st'l ply tlio moisture necessary for tliclr crips
illtect frnni tlie clomlp. but ilnc till Is no
torious ! ) not the case , It Appears almost In-
coniprehenolhle tliat such Implicit trust ami
dependence sliould bp plari'd In an .irr.itle
factor for tlie proper development and per
fection of that on which not nnly the pros
perity and hiipplneRB , but even the lives of
Mlicl. conimomvealths depend ,
I'iniii the pnrllp.it Hottluntnt of the Ameri
can colonlcM the known portlufs of the con
tinent have l > : ni siihjfct to visitations nf
occasional or frequent tlroulh , n'id It may
lie Rifely snld that mor ? or leas inconven-
Itnco , If not actual illt-tress , on nccotint of
IrtCKUbr or Insufficient precipitation has been
cxperlrne d by every agricultural community
from I'lymouth Hock to the OnlJen Rate ,
and In vluw of ths wealth of facts that \\lll
readily occur to any mind , we may pafely
draw the broad but Incontestable conclusion
that the richest soil on the face of the
glob : Is capubKi of making nothing but n
desert without the presence of vvatfr.
The boason of 1894 , both cast and west ,
was one of severe and protracted drouth.
Not only vv re cnsttrn cities dfpendlnR on
HprliiK-fcd leiorvolrs for their water supply
limited to a itiantlty | much below the line
fo- fire purposes , to say nqthlng of the wreat
diniculty of obtaining milllcUnt for mere
domestic uses , but worse than that , the till
ers of the soil , on whose success the pios-
perlty of tlio country BO fimitly depends ,
were compiled to content themselves with
the KarnerlnR of dcllclent and scanty har-
ve.Ms , and a country that h often RrcanliiR
with lavish abundance was cumbered with
reluctant fields , fruitless orchards and crop-
less meadows. Th ? ev rclso of additional
ccoi.omy , even with the moat frugal , became -
came a necessity , while In the aggregate
the Income of the agricultural classes was
ieduced untold thousands , nil of which had
Its necessary icllex action on mercantile In
terests and the Ken'ral prosp ° rlty or rath r
unprusperlty of the commonwealth.
Hut If the drouth of 1SOI thus affected the
older settled portions of the country where a
prudent conservation has learned to garner
wisdom from generations of experience , It fell
with the force of a cilamlty on the farmers
of the transmlsscurl region , where condi
tions Incident to and Inseparable from the
limited period of lettlement , the heterogeneal
character of the population and the neces
sary lack of Indigenous traditional standards
placed the tillers of the soil , to a certain
but definite extent , at a manifest disadvan
tage. It Is , perhaps , only natural In a region
where Providence Is wont to smile so bounti
fully on the labors of the husbandman that
habits approximating prodigality are engen
dered In a larger measure than can be the
case In localities where more/ / arduous toll on
less fertile acres receives but a meager re
ward , and the Immediate and unavoidable
result of these conditions Is that when a
time of undeniable scarcity , like the season
of 1894 , Intel venes , Instead of Its lmvln ;
found the voemanry of the country luxuriat
ing on the stored surplus of former and
abundant years. It found them largely with
out visible resource and depending entirely
for support on current crops crops In that
case that withered and fell before the cutting
breath of the simoon , but felt not the knife
of the reaper and when the late autumnal
sun began to cast his weakening beams over
the beautiful but bllghtc-d land his summer
rays had cursed they fell on many a prairie
homo where stout hearts quailed as they
thought of their empty barns and grainier
bins. Active measures of relief by our own
people and the highly commendable and
even lavish generosity of kind friends and
philanthropists In more favored localities for
tunately averted the keen edge of calamity
which the victims had no power to forestall.
THE FLIGHT AN'I ) RETURN.
Some temporarily turned their hacks upon
the rich but blighted heritage that Uncle
Sam had given and lied to the homes of rel
atives and friends In other and supposedly
more favored states to spend the winter and
avoid the hardships that all degrees of desti
tution bring. Large numbers of this latter
class , after a beason spent In farming among
the stumps and stones and ague , mlfts and
mud of Missouri and other states , have gladly
returned to their first love , satisfied that ,
while Nebraska has not quite all the bless
ings that the earth can afford. It has at le-ist
as large a pliaro as any other locality , and
abundantly cotroborate the cft-cxpress-ed opin
ion that thoio who once become accustomed
to our pure air and cloudless heavens find It
next to Impossible to live contentedly beneath
the murky skies of other climes.
It was long hoped and honestly believed
that evidences of the Increase of the rainfall
could bo seen , and every year of maximum
precipitation was heralded as an evidence of
this supposed fact The seasons cf IS'IO ' and
1891 , however , did much to dlbpol this hy
pothesis , and It Is now more generally felt
than ever before tint Irrigation In BOIII ?
foim ninl to some extent Is absolutely neces
sary for universally successful farming over
a wide- extent of country , where It was for
merly hp'rlto'lly ' argued that agrlculturo
mlfi'nt be carried on safely nutl profitably un
der natural conditions , The ndvsntag 3 that
central Nebraska possesses for Irilgatlon have
been until comparatively recently strangely
overlooked. Here , thcugh the agriculturist
can and frequently does produce notuble
crops , the Irregularity and Insufllolcney of the
rainfall have prevented th ; country from at
taining that advanced Rtntc cf development
which othcnvlie Is Its due. Thoug'.i ' not as
well supplied with running surface streams
as many other countries , whnt It has are re-
mtrkahly even and regular In character , tlio
Loups , the Cedar and others , for Instance ,
flawing approximately the- same * at all Ben-
soil ! . This apparent anomaly Is explained by
thti fact that they are fed by the water ac
cumulated In the tertiary grit and other
similar deposits , which underlie thousands of
miles cf the country whcrs these' rivers taka
their rise nml from which they may be said
to seep from year to year with remarkable
constancy , iiullo regardleis of whether the
weather bo wet or dry. More Important , per
haps , In the light of the eminent Mircess at
tained with windmill and pumping plants In
Kansas recently , la the further fict that al
most the entire country IH underlaid with so
far as It known , an Inexhaustible reservoir
of water , which may be reaphod at from
fifteen tc eighty feet from the- surface by
merely bating to the required depth with an
earth augur , und tills great underground ECU
IB of unknown depth , and when conditions
elmll ! > > huch as to justify Investment In
proper pumping machinery the highest up
lands , the soil of which Is c < | inlly productive ,
can readily be converted Into garden spots
whose fruit shall fall not and the harvests of
which shall bo far moro certain than In tha
most favored climates on the glob- , Future
generations , If not the present , will prob
ably mid that this will ba the most Important
factor In redeeming the country and invlng
the way for the great populations which the
region will , at some future day , nur
ture and sustain.
THi : UNDRHOUOUND SlM'l'LY ,
The rivers above mentioned are good typc-i
of th rivers cf the plains and the sail of
the country through which they flow U > rich
In all the chemical elements which maUo agrl-
culture a success , The soil ami rtibioll to
the depth of many feet ( frcm ten to e'gh'y ,
according to location ) U of the same almost
uniform character , free from utone * and giv
ing analyses closely upincxImilliiK thote of
the deposit * of the Nile. After exhaiit'tlm ;
the capacity of thu surface strNnu which
may occur earlier than Is now Renerally
thought It only remains for the agriculturists
of tlie region to draw on the underground
fctipply. es will be done on the uplands at no
dUtaut day , by means of proper pumping
machinery. In order to turn the remainder
el the country into a veritable paradise and
t > nnkc UK fruitful p < > ' | support ft popula
tion of the density of which om ? would now
vilely dare to dream. The climate I *
ftlultriniK DIP tn | It fren fr in the dlsad-
vnnUK-s tliit ninfo th > ? lite of the- agri
culturist T burden In the rnsf < ind , under
fa\oral > lc weather condition * . It is capnble
nf retarding tlis ton of th > hurbandniAn , In
propartlnn to th Uber expended , with more
rich return ! than ttr * poll of any other land.
The pre > * npu of tUnshhe Is ft necessary
and Indispensable factor I" vegetable growth
and , other thing ; being equal the constancy
itnd aiminlnnre of that factor n an lnd x to
the prnbtble rapidity and | > erfett'on of the
samp. Careful records kept for the psst * e'n
years show tint the smiles ? days seldom
number ( ilKive ten for the entire calendar
Ji'flr. A very large percentage of the time ,
both winter anil summer , the * l.y Is apt to
he almost entirely clear. When the rainfall
Is abundant , ns In ISItl , wnen the somewhat
abnormal amount of thirty Inches fpll , the
results are nurprlslni ; . So bountiful were
the crops that season that many of the farm-
era who were almost hopelessly In debt came
very m-a-ly paying for their farms from tlie
proceeds nf the harvests of n tingle year !
t.'nhap.illy , however , the rainfall Is often
much below tlr > abate ami/tint and when , cs
In Hid season of IS'Jl , the ( UsMccUlng winds
fH In from th south with a temperature of
100 and upward , uml-r n spotless sky and a
tlcrco and relentless sun. Is It to be won-
deicd at Uiat struggling pastures left dry
at the clos ? of n enqwl ss winter hould fade
and fall , and that fields of already drooping
co.n should wither und fade within a few
bouts/ / During the prevalence nf these hot
winds water cxpotcd In a glass vessel four
feet from the ground showed a maximum
e\.iporatlon of one and three-tenths' Inches
per dny and reached a total of nine eJn.
Inches during the month ot July alone. Is
Inlgntlon capably of warding off a tcpell-
tlon of tills dradful visitation ? \Ve answer-
Vc.s. In the very midst of the sltocco It was
found that Irrigated veg-Utlon remarkilily
llouilshed ; corn tluiu 'rcatcd was not only
uninjured , but made a growth of three to
four Inchex per day.
TIIK LOW KXPKlll.MKNT.
As to what we may expect from Irrigation
so far at least as central Nebraska Is con
cerned , we are no longer compelled to rely
on visionary theories or the perhaps more
or less biased reports ot Interested pirtles
In othtr s ales , where the system of tillage
has been long In vogue. In the winter ot
1S9.1 n numhpr of the residents of North
Loup became Interested In the mibjjct of
Irrigation and met together to discuss ways
and means to secure. If possible , absolute
Immunity from the embarrassments hidden
to rcciU'lonnl scanty harvests by supplement
ing the rainfall by artificial water. The
efforts thus made culminated In the Incoi-
poratlon ot the North Loup Irrigation and Improvement -
provoment company , the objec' of which waste
to build nn Irrigation canal , ( eking water
from the North Loup river twel\e mll s
nbovo the town and distribute the same over
a territory home 10,000 acres In extent. As >
this wan the pioneer sn'erpMsi1 In central
Nebraska It may be Important to record u
few facts In relation to the wmo , which
prqmlEo to be of lcnefi.t to the people of
other portions of the n ft contempla'lm ; Irri
gation where similar condltluna prevail. The
Idea of Irrigating to far cast as the geographical
graphical center of the state wao at llrst met
with ridicule and derision , bu' the experi
ment. If ? 3 It may be called. In richness of
results more than fulfilled the expectations
of Its promoters the past season. While the
rainfall wan slightly greater for the growing
season of 1893 than the average , its distribu
tion was not as seasonable as
could have been desired , resulting
In deficient crops. Though the
application of water to the soil was entirely
new to all the farmers who used It , this be
ing their first season , the results were un-
exceptlonally satisfactory and the returns
were In direct proportion to the car ? and
Intelligence expended In the watering and
cultivation , thus pointedly emphasizing the
fact that with this system the farmer can
always raise a maximum crop If he will
but give It ths proper attention ; a fact at
once stimulating to the more dilatory and en
couraging to the more Industrious. As a
sample of the results obtained , we may cite n
few cases , which might be multiplied Indefi
nitely. A portion of a wheat field , undr rain
fall , yields eighteen bushels * to the acre , a
very fair yield ; the Irrigated portion , with
same quality _ of land and Identical tillage In
other respecff , yields forty bushsls. Irri
gated oats measured from abcut sixty to 111
bushels to the acre. No "dry" fields averaged
a third ao much. While unlrrlgated corn has
been hu'klng out but five to ten bushels to
the * acre , the Irrigated has. In some cases ,
measured eighty to 100 bushels. Potatoes ,
this season almost a failure outside the ditch ,
yielded excellently wheie well tlllel , and some
fifty cirs were sold by farmers In this vicin
ity and whipped out by rail and otherwise.
As to the results of Irrigation with alfalfa ,
gardsn vegetables , etc. . It Is , perhaps , sufll-
clent to say that "the half has not been told. "
These results , be It remembered , were ob
tained by men having no previous experience
with the use of water ; In some cat > 5s apply
ing It In a half-hearted way , doubtful of Its
benefit' , derided by their neighbors und com
miserated by thein friends. Under these new
and raw conditions we ought not , of course ,
to expect all to obtain maximum results. As
to the success ot the pybtem. however , the
Is no longer the shadow of a doubt. The
sliorgst , objections of the former most radi
cal "nntls" are no longer heard. The land
lying nbovo the ditch Is of no less actual
value than It has been In part years , but
the lands lying below arc four times mcra
valuable for all purposes of tillage and the
horn ? .
CERTAINTY VS. UNCERTAINTY.
With the < experience cf the past to warn
and guide us Is It not now pertinent to In
quire whether or not It Is wise to longer
depend upon the rainfall any further than Is
absolutely necessary ? No one fully ac
quainted with the wonderful results obtained
by Irrigation would willingly return to the
shiftless methods Involved In depending for
success on a factor so fickle and uncertain as
that of the rainfall , and a woeful st p back
ward Is taken In civilization whenever this
great safeguard IP neglectel or Ignored , A
recent United States senate report on this
subject , an excsllent authority , ttfltes : "Over
two-fifths of the area of the- United States
requires Irrigation to Insure regular crops ,
and In at least four-fifths nf the arid region
Irrigation Is a necessity for th ; production
thereof. The soli Is exceedingly fertile and
the cllmato salubrious , and In tlia eastern
portion of It , while Irrigation Is Important ,
farming can be prosecuted , except In seasons
of drouth , without Irrigation , Still for a
portion of each summer a supply of water
under the farmer's control would be of great
importance , "
The great nations of antiquity depended on
the artificial Morlng and distribution of their
mighty rivers for the bounteoin supplies on
which their teeming populations foil. It
would almost i > eem superfluous to offer any
cbs-ervatlcns In favor of the general revival
of this almost lost art , which was to Im
portant a factor In the Kteatnets und pros
perity of ancient people * . Ilibylon the great ,
with her t ° emlng millions , "the glory of
kingdoms and the beauty of the Cluildcrs'
excellency , " had a tributary country thor
oughly netted with a Ejtlein uf artificial
waterways , fed by the great rivers I3uphrates >
and Tigris , und the advent of rulers who
loved war better than agriculture and who
knew moro of conquoit than of Irrigation ,
marked the period of her decline. The hungry
lion now reams In sentch of scanty prey over
desjrts which once were rich In corn and oil
and wine ,
While- the topography of the country and
other somewhat dlffsrlng cnutlltlonu gave rlas
to a dlffcient i'"t m In Hgypt. the general
iTKUlt was the eamo as In .Mesopotamia ;
csreful and systematic Irrigation co-existed
with dons ? populations and powerful com-
iniiiiUloi. while Us neglect lesulted In fam
ine , d clmallon and decline. The leswn to
lit.- learned from the Island of Ce > | on U na
less Instructive. The ruins of at leist thirty
colossal r eervJrs and about 703 smaller
one * In htr mountains , with their corresponding
spending canals the work of rulers who
built cities w'th utr.cts twenty-six mlls In
length are new decayed and overgrown with
forttts , and iho population , ones reckoned
at over 20,000,000 , Is now not over one-tenth
of that numb'r , and her nncl'nt metropolis ,
rollannarrim , though still t'hbwlng ' ruins hun
dreds of f et In height , U almost loat In
Inaccessible Jungla and without an Inhab
itant.
ANCIENT DITCHES.
It U alcp Interesting to note ths Infinite
palm taken < o preserve and distribute water
by ancient and primitive- peoples on our own
continent who , betfr than we , appreciated Its
vvcsth , and also to consider th compara
tive magnitude of some ot their works which ,
with the cruJo means ) at thMr disposal , must
have required a remarkable degree of In
dustry und persiaverance. In the Kalailo val
ley In AiUoui are the remains of at Uast
I ISO miles ot large main dltchcj. tome rf
I which lead away from the river a dlr'anc-i-
of fourt'"ii miles. Though well wirthy of
Imitation by the moJ rn engine I. thfy must
h \o been excavated by the crud-it me.tn *
The great antiquity of dimeof these r -
malns Is , tven K ologlcally sp nklng , very
grctitj so grent , Indeed , that they nnte-date.1
nt least the last great lava outflows who * ?
deposits have. In some caics , filled them
with rock. Prom changes In tl-va'lon and
eth r causes , occurring perhaps ages and
ages ngo , these gr.Mt Improvements fell
Into dlsrepilr and the race ot corn and
cotton planters who built them has pasted
bejond th ? pal ; of history , but In these
ruins they haw I'ft nn tvldencs of their
agricultural skill atiJ patient Industry which
Is well worthy cf emulation.
When we consider that a vast section of
our country not by any means conflnej to
the limits of our own state with the gen-
eial Introduction of Irrigation nml n more
Intensive agriculture , may be made to sus
tain In comfort and luxury populations vasvly
In exc ss of the most thickly settled portions
tions of today ; when we consider that n
diwith of no greater magnitude than that
of 1S04 may put n temporary quietus on
all progress In largs anas of the nati > nal
domain ; when we consider that all such
drouths dishearten Industry , discourage en-
t rprlse. check Immlgrnt'on ' and reduce the
birth rate from 30 to CO per cent , and when
we further consider that the safeguards rf
our nation consist not of the number of
mercenaries It can hire In cvont of a foreign
war. but In the Industry nnd virtue of Its
cltlz us nnd the mimbcn cf Its prosperous ,
coi'tentcd nnd happy homcsi. It clearly ap-
plars that th's Is not merely a local , hut
a national question , nnd one to which nnr
statesmen and thinkers may well give earnest
heed.
heed.When
When wo p rmlt ourselves to look forward
to the grand possibilities of the future of
cur country with the eye of fclcntlfic faith
wo may srce a population which has well
nrned ths great s crets of agrlcultuic
more dense than that of China or India
with every man dwelling nt quiet and s-cure
under his own vine and undir his own fig
tree. All lands will then hav ? become al
most equally productive : Iho ilch and stona-
less valleys shall hurst forth with ii'\v wine ;
the teiraced hills , clos > dot'cd with happy
homes , shall be fat with corn nnd oil. II r
gteat rnllrcad centers and river marts shall
be widened and swelled by dense popul.i-
tlcns attracted by the necest'l'les of manu
facture and tli ? advantages of profitable traf
fic ; their colleges and schools of learn'ng '
lncrcasci.1 nn hundred fold shall Income vast
and Inllucntlfil belts of culture , of sclenc-
and of art. Her rural citizens , reared b -
yond the remotest fear of want , with sufilc-
lent toll to Insure abundant sustensnc mil
with ample lelsura to secure abundant cul-
tme , shall press ui toward th > mail ; of the
high calling or human destiny with patriotic
soi gs to country and joyous anthems to the
.Woi-t High. n. \ \ ' . UhvcK.
North Loup , Neb.
, HKI.KJKH'S.
Sam Jcnes , the evangllst , has been Invited
to hold a series of revival meetings In At
lanta ,
The hymn book of thj Episcopal church It
known is the hymnal , but In vieiw cf the fact
that so many Individual whims have to b :
recognized In making It up tllshop Williams
-f Connecticut says It might fitly be called
the "whlmnal. "
The church of St. John thei Blessed Dis
ciple at Hasbrouck Heights , N. J. , has forced
Its ) rector , ll-v. Wlll'am r. Dlckinsvin , to re
sign because ho d'sapproved ' of a "pancike
icclabla" as a means of raising money. The
parish Is wealthy , but In four months' time
U ftndu the minister "lacking In soc'ablllty. "
Rev. Or. George Thomas Dowllng of Ilrook-
llne , Mass. , Is a polyglot man. Ho has been
at times lecturer , llteratcur , Dnptl't , Re
formed nnd Eplscopalean. He has been much
criticised f'r his ) frequent changes of faith
and works , but presents n logical ilcfcny .
Dr. Dow ling has received a call to the assist
ant rectorship of Grace church In N.w York ,
which ho has under consideration. '
UroDklyn is no longer the city of churchera.
Philadelphia now lays claim to that distinc
tion. Deslde ? , In rrcportlen to ths population ,
both Chicago and Baltimore pass Hrosklyn.
With a population of about l.OOD.OOO the city
of Brooklyn has about 310 churches , though
there are 4.0QO salooas. Chicago hrta n popu
lation cf 1,500.000 , with 52j churches. NEW
Ycrk , with nearly 2,000.000 picplc , has but
322 church's. Philadelphia , with Its 1,250.000
Inhabitants , has G2S churches , and niltmor ! ? ,
with COO.OOO souls , has 21S houses of wo'snlp
Rev. Dr. Fatince , formerly of Springfield ,
Mass. , has lately been to Germany and tells
an Interview sr this story of the intollec'ual
and stomachic prowess of a German pastor :
"I found a pastor In the Ilartz mountains
who prepare J for his Sunday's work as fol
lows ) : Ho ate an cnrly supper on Saturday
night , consisting of four milk , and grated
cheese , blood sausages and black bread , and
lastly , the ctoalcst kind of German cheese.
Ho then lighted his huge pp. ! , filled with
strong tobacco , and at 0 o'cloclt In the even
ing , with a bottle cf black bas" under cither
aim , entered hlo t > tudy. By 4 o'clock on Sun
day morning his sermon would be written and
committed to memory , or ho would thn rc-
tlro for two or three hours of sleep. Tills
man preach ? . ! good sermons , and culd d's-
cuss ably any question relating to philosophy
or science. "
At a certain English church a pair of
spec acles wers recently put on the tfferlory
plate. The chinch warden courteously
bunded them back , supposing them to have
been put there In absence of mind , but the
dcnor again deposited them on the plate , and
not wishing to make PJ soene , the ofilcial
flnltihed nls collection and the spctacles
were duly presented with the ether alms.
However , after the close of the service he
tcolc them down to the donor , who wi.s a
stranger to the place , and said ha feared
they were given by mistake. Judge of his
surprise an being assured that It was In
tentional , nnd no mistake ; that the rsader
of tlie prayers had made so many blunders
m tending that the donor presumed ho could
not see , and 60 presented him with a pair
o spectacles.
Dr. Chalmers , the eminent British divine ,
waa Jond of tell ng the following story :
"Lidy Betty Cunningham , having had sums
difference of opinion wl'h the parish minis
ter , Instead cf putting her usual contribution
In the collecting plate , merely gave a stately
liow. This having occurred several Sundays
In succession the elder In charge ot the
lilato at last lost patience and blurted out :
'Wo cud dae vvj1 less o' yer manners an'
malr o' yer Blllar , ma leddy , ' Dining on one
occasion at the house of a nobleman ho hap-
l > cncd to repeat the nnecdnte , whereupon ths
liost , In a not over well-pleased tone , sal-1 :
'Ars you aware , Dr. Chilmers , that Lady
Betty U a i elation of mine ? ' 'I was not
awaremy lord , ' replied the doctor , 'but with
your permission I ( hall mention the fact tlio
next time I tell the story. ' "
A friend of Bishop Wllmer of Alabama
lost a dearly beloved wife , and. In sorrow ,
caused these words la be inscribed on her
tombstone : "Tho light of mine , eyes has
gone out. " The bereaved married within a
year. Shortly allot ward the bishop was
walking through the graveyard with ano her
gentleman. When they arrived at the tomb
the latter asked thebli'hop what bo would
say of the present state of affairs , In view
of the words on the tombstone , " 'I think , "
said the bishop , "the words , 'But I have
struck another match , ' should be added. "
Mamma How thankful you should be ,
Johnnie , that you live In a peaceful era.
The early eettleis ( n Massachusetts always
took a gun with them when they went to
the meeting hout > e. Johnnie And did t'a-
minister make his sermon real short , BO
they wouldn't shoot ?
"Why are you looking so aerloup , Bobby ? "
asked th9 fond father.
"Thlnkln1 about the preacher. Ho went
and told us wo should not covet other
people's things , and then tried to get all the
pennies wo had. "
The supreme court of th ? United States
has rendered n dec'slon ' In the car coupler
case cf considerable- Importance to owners
ot patents. It Is to the effect that every ei < -
u ntlal part of a patent article 1st protected
by the patent , and that therefore worn-out
parts cannot be replaced by the- purchaser
under the pretext of repairs. If this were
nut s-o , It U argued , every part might bo
r.plac = d as It wore out , and thus the pat
entee would never be able to cell moro than
one article or cat of articled to the same
person. v
THE FIRM ) OF ELECTRICITY
Prospective Abeflilonmcnt of Mule Power on
Eric Oaiml ,
TEST OF W. TRAVELING TROLLEY
Uri-nl SiMhtin < ( > mill I In * Hi i 'rt
iornKt | * llnllory
r < ir ; lim ; to ( lit * l < 'roii ( Oilier
loiinn-nl- . .
The development of electrical power ap
pliances , coupl'd with the voting of $9.000.000
for the deepening and otherwise Improving
the Itl ? ° canal , an deitlncd to rcvolutlonl/o
the mean ! ) of traction , as well as the trafflc
of New York's great canal. The money to
bo expended by the state will Increase the
depth cf the canal by three feet , making It
nine. Instead of six feat. Stone walls arc
to be built u litre-the banks wash , new locks )
are to be put In , and other Improvements
made , all of which will substantially Increase
the utility of the canal as a commercial
highway. These Improvements are rendered
necessary by icason of development of elec
trical power , which will nt nn early day sup
plant the mule on the tow path.
With an abundance of power ready for UPC
at Niagara Kails , electric skill fias bcn en
gaged In developing dovlc . to apply It tn
moving of canal boats. Various devices have
been brought out and tried , but were aban
doned because applied to screws or paddles ,
which caused too prtat u v.jsh of thc , > canal
banks. Another plan was tested recently ,
and results obtained Justify the claim that
the dayu of the mule ns n canal motor aio
numbered. This system , ns adapted to canal
purposes ) , requires the election of a line of
poles on clttn/r / bank of the canal. These
arc placed 123 feet apart and bland sixteen
feet above ground. Upsn them Is strung n
cable of gieat strength , which bears upon
It a traveler carrying an electric motor nnd
n motorman. Three feet below the upper
cable Is placed a smaller one , which makes
three- turns about a horbontnl shaft oper
ated by the elcctilc motor. The whole bur
den of the traveler and motor , together with
moot of the strain exerted In towing a fle-t
of canal boats. Is upon the upper cable. The
lower cable , tcge'hcr with the siliaft , fur-
nlthc ? the actual motive power. The motorman -
man operates the equipment In very nuirh
the same way that a trolley car Is operated.
The electricity is communicated to th motor
through the upper cable , and Is discharged
from the motor through the medium of the
lower one. The baa t men have only to throw
tliulr lines to the motonnan , nnd they will
bo promptly carried to their destination. Any
desirable rate of speed can be attained.
The experimental line was 1 ll ! miles long ,
and the motor lowed a larg' canal boat , h av-
lly lad = n with Invited guests , up the canal
against wind and current , at the rate cf tlree
ar-rt three-fifths mlley pr hour. In the run
dcwn live lo.Jd beats were towed at tue
rate of four and seven-tenths mllej pr hour
The cost of this system compared with mule
power Is thus y > t forth by a writer In L s-
I'o'i' ' : "It now costs 12. cents per mile p r
horse or mule boa propulsion In the Krle
canal or $42.24 per beat for the 332 mile ?
from Buffalo to Albany. Allowing a rate not
to cxco'd two miles an hour. In the proj'nt
cji'il , the cost -electrical power will not
c\cecd $7.97 per boat frcm Buffalo to Albany.
It costs not less than r cents. ' a mile per boat
a- present by steam power , or $17.03 frcm
Uuff-'lo to Albany , ns compated with $7.87
by electricity. This Is estimated on twenty
horse-power per bca' , which was tlie amount
required to tsw fie sK : Cleveland steel
cinal boats t the rats of three miles an
hour , and , morover , It Is stated that an
electrical horse-power is about 33 per cent
stronger than n steam horse-power.
"The voters ef the state having approve' ]
In the recent election the bill to Improve the
canals , three miles an hour will be practl-
cibliTIn the Hrlo canal , nnd with even less
horso-rowsr tli oia .now-required. Miking
m rtr.luc'.IcnSiti'theresent reijulrcd horse
power , however , the cost per bo-U will then
hi ? 31 per cent lass than at present , or but
$3.31 from Buffalo to Albinv. This will effect
a saving of S per cent to horse and mill :
boatmc.n . , and 70 per cent to steam boatmen
below present cost. It Is more than likely
that light boats can be moved from Albany
to UulTjlo at the rate of six miles nn hour ,
and witl. no more power than Is now re
quired , anl fnr only half the time , thus ef-
fec Ing a still further saving In the Improved
canal of GO per pent , or making It possible te
tow a light boat from Albany to lluffalo for
$2.6' ' ! .
"Tho effect won canal transportation that
such savings will accomplish Is Inconceivable.
It will not only revolutionize canal trans
portation methods , but will effect enormous
reductions and afford such an Increase of
trips as to probably belittle any prediction as
to benefits wh'jh ' may at this time be made. "
TUB STORAGE HATTERV.
The electric storage battery , In whose de
velopment lies lh hope of emancipation from
electric light wires , trolley wires and other
unsightly obstructions , haa rachcd a point oj
perfection , as shown by an exhibit In Phila
delphia , which ma'.ces U a commercial posrsi-
b'llty. ' and promises a large extension of tlr
usefulness ) cf electricly ! In everyday life.
With a further development In the direction
of cheapnes. It may ba posjlbk to reproduce
in townu unprovided with cheap means of
mot'vo power th ? conditions existing In Great
Fall : ' , Mont. In that town electric power
produced economically at a water privilege
doei all the mechanical work. It propels ,
lights i > nd heats the street cars , runs th ? ele
vators , tl-o printing presses , the cranes ansl
all kinds of iracMmry. and ID used for pumpIng -
Ing , for excavating , and for rock crush'ng , It
IE ovn applied In the building trader. It not
b-lnn ; unusujl to sc ; on the u'.reets a mortar
mixer nt'ac'ied to an electric wire leading
down frcm n polo. Th3 lej'tauiants cook by
electricity ; the butcher employs It to chop hip
sausag c , and the grocer to- grind his coff.o.
Tne liousevvlvas run their sewing machines
and heat their llatlrons by electrlcl'y ; they
bake their cakes In wooden electric cake
ovens that can bo ret away on ths- shelf like
pasteboard boxe. > . They have electric boilers ,
Lrclicra and tea Kettles.
That the Btcrago battery will accomplish
what the trolley does Is not to bo doubted ,
Numbers ot street oar lines are tlnw equipped
and the scrvlca Is first-class. AnionK the
litest ( o adopt the storage battery system Is
the Fourth avenue surfaceline - In Now Ycrk
City , The batteries are located on the truck ,
and do not orcaslcn the Jolting thst proved
so objectionable- when the weight was placed
In the body of tie | car.
'The controlling1 devtc ; and the reversing ap
paratus are the same as on the trolley lines ,
and the cars ? oia to b : under perfect con
trol. They caiijjijwl over twenty miles an
hour If neces-EaHJj
Ordinary ralbj.uiiy beused. . The electricity
is grounded li/uiieJlatoly after It lias served
Its purpose. A'ir vlll run sixteen hour * after
Us battery lSMChlirg d. The batteries are
charged In tliaoe.\Jar. \ When a car runs Into
the depot It In stopped over a trap to the cel
lar. An elcvatcc comes up and carries ) down
the exhaiilted buttery. It IK sent up with a
charged battery , The operation takes one
minute.
SIXTY MILKS AN HOUR.
The ColumTJIa" and Maryland Railway
company has uadtrtaken the enterprise of
constructing an .electrlo railway between the
cities of Daltliaeru and Washington , and the
road will prebably be completed In about a
year. The flnitaala ) and business manage
ment of the project Is under tha charge ot
Mr. W. Kei' y Sahoepf of Washington , and
Mr , S. W. Hull ) lo electrical engineer. The
company's oiliest -are located In Daltlmore ,
In many way a the- railway , which will ba
approximately forty miles In length , will beef
of special Interest. In the construction stand
ard steam railway practice Is to be followed.
About l.COO men are now at work on the
track , which U being constructed at both the
Baltimore and Washington ends of the- line ,
The company hag had many obstacles to
contend with li > obtaining rights' of way. In
the construction of the line a numbir of ex
pensive bridges ar to be constructed. When
all the preliminary dllllcultles have been
overcome , It Is elated that a very largo force
of men will at once bo set to work.
Trains ! of four cars each will b ; operated ,
and It Is estimated that a loaded train will
weigh about fifty tons. The motor car sys
tem will 1)9 adopted , and specification will
call for a spaed of CO miles an hour on the
level etrctchev. The earn art * to be built with
CIOBS benches and center aisles. , and the
general arrangement will ressmble cloiely
ordinary passenger coaches. It Is the purpo
USEFUL GIFTS : :
We suggest a few that are sure to please ,
LADIES' DRESSING TABLES.
A most ornamental and desirable piece of furniture , all
woods , $12.00 each , and up to $17,50 and $25.00. Some
special large ones at $40,00 and $50.00.
LADIES' DESK ,
You know a ladies' desk is her office , it's a necessity of
civilization , They arc here in great Christmas variety , price
$5.00 for solid oak , They go up and up in price. $6.00.
$8.00 and $10.50 for a beautiful mahogany any lady would
enjoy having. So with
MUSIC STANDS.
Starting at $2.25 , $6,00 and up to $25.00 for a solid
mahogany oval from , with drawers and shelves.
ROCKING CHAIRS AND EASY CHAIRS.
Cane , leather and upholstered scats as well as the fancy
polished woods.
We are showing a good line of rockers , polished wood or
leather seats at $2.50 upholstered spring scats , $3.50.
Large leather library chairs , a positive luxury for any
gentleman.
S-Save You
Everything new , all the late things for children
and at prices much lower than ever known.
Hundreds of styles of dolls at half the usual price
for such dolls. Iron and mechanical toys at the price
of cheap destructible gdods. Minaturc furniture ,
stoves , clishesfolding beds , etct Send the children
to see for themselves ,
THE PRIZE DOLL will be given away Christmas Eve.
T
" Q' C P < * © S 5D I2fl ' ' * ' V fl
t
You Poor
. , l
9 r
9 Indigestion keeps men poor. It 6
muddles the clearest brain. You
? think it is something else , but nine A
times in ten the trouble is in the 4
? digestive tract. One Ripans Tabule &
J gives relief , and their occasional J
§ use keeps you right.
A 6
A
ntpan's Tabules Sold by drugclio , or by mall
If Itic price ( & ) cents a box ) In iont to the Ill-
pans Cl'omlcnl Compnny , No. 10 Kr-uco tt , , N. Y.
a -a > -
of the company to operate both local and
cxpiess trains , and a very heavy trafllc Is
expected. _
SUBURBAN ELCCTIUC TRAINS.
The Illinois Central Railway company will ,
Itulds of elgnteen months. ' , change tlu motive
power on Its Chicago subuibin service from
lecomotivcs to clccttlcliy. The importance
of this prospective movement , eays the
Times-Herald , can be fully appreciated b >
these who are working to make the Lake
Ficat park tlio most attractive breathing
rpot in Chicago. The smoking locomotives
ot the Illinois Central arc a menace to the
. The substitution
Huccesu o any plans yet suggested.
stitution of electricity will remove thlo on *
obstacle , and It may now be stated posi
tively that the change will have been made
by the time the new park la dedicated to the
uses of the people.
U Is not generally known tht-t the Illinois !
Central fully Intended to use electricity on Its
World's fair service , which wm Installed In
May , 1B93 , The engineers of the road , after
making a thorough examination of the varl-
CUL- systems then in usIn. . the United States
nnd Europe , reported the feasibility of the
project , but It was found that the work
could not be compleied In time. The com-
piny then Icld two new tracks , and devoted
them excluslvsly to an express service be
tween Randolph Wieet and the exposition
grounds. Thu wonderful success of this asrv-
Ice and Its popularity with the public , vvut'
not lost to Iho railroad clucluls , who saw In
It a suggestion which has resulted In the
establishment of a permanent suburban ssrv-
Ice which , In some respects , Is not excelled
by any In this * country or abroad ,
It may safely bo ussfrttd that no' only tha
Illinois Central , but all oilier rallroadu op-
eratlng a suburban * ervl . will ba compelloJ ,
on the ground of economy to discard locomotives -
motives and adopt electricity.
ELECTRICITY IN COAL MINES.
lu the present position of power distribu
tion by electricity such that wo may use It
with confidence for the whole of the power
required at a colliery ? asks a writer In Gas-
sler's Magazine. The author's answer to this
8The' largest engine at a colliery Is the
winding engine , and suppose this to require
to be capable of developing power at full
opecd of 1,000-horse power , which Is nn out-
u'do figure , This could bo well replaced by
two motors of dOO-horse power , one on each
end of the shaft of the drum , without gear-
Ing. There arc numerous cases of dynamos
and motors of this power working with case
and satisfaction and giving no difficulty
whatever , und operated by ordinary mechan
ics with no more trouble- than an ordinary
steam engine. Motors of smaller slzo are In
us > 3 all over the world with universal satisfaction -
faction ,
Are ttie claims made fcr efUclency of elec
tric distribution of power realized ? On this
point the author hasi exanrtned carefully testa
made by himself nnd by others on t-lectrlc
power plants , and has arrived at this conclu
sion while- the cfilrUncy of distributing elec
tric power and Its utilization In the motors
does come up to that claim , the eillclency
of the production ol electricity U not , as a
Searles &
Searles
SPECIALISTS IN
Nervous , Cliroaic
und
Private
SCXIIAM'Y.
All 1'rhiitii DlKiii *
unit DlminhTitof .111)
rrt'.itiiirnt l > y ma
coimiltiillnn frou.
SYPHILIS
Cured for life und Iho poison tliuroutfluy
clanatd from Hie .v tein. I'II.i:3 : , 1'lSTUIjA
and HKCTAI , ULCKIW , HYDIlOCni.i : AND
VAniCOrni.U permmently nnd iucce fully
rurril , Method rc\r and unfalllnR.
STRICTURE AfJD GLEET
.jy new method without pain or cuttles.
Cnll on or addrcm with ttamp .
Dr , Scarles & Searles , Ulilitliu lUll , St. ,
rule , as high as Is claimed , or as high as
may bo realized , and the reason U that Hiilll-
cicnt account IH not taken of the fact Hint
the average * load Is considerably Pis than the
maximum icquliement. In one known c.rji > ,
whcio the clllclency of electric generation ,
that Is , the proportion lutwecn the electric
power delivered to the cjblen and the Indl-
cited home-power of the engine , IH an high us
80 per cent at full load , It falU to 71 per
cent at half load , und to about CS per cent nt
one-quarter load. The reason for this Is to
bo found In the power the. engine takes to
drive Itself , The rnglne Is generally arranged
to work with an economical cutolt at the
full load or maximum power , and consequently
quently Is biger than necessary for all
Etnaller loads ; , Jt Miould l > i arranged to work
with an economical cutoff at the average
power. The moral Is to use engines with au
tomatic expansion valves , permitting the en-
glno to work with a cutoff as Into as half or
live-eighths of the total cylinder volume when
developing the maximum power , and working
with a more economical grade of expansion at
the average load.
Acts at once , never falli , One Minute Cough
Cure , A remedy for asthma and that fever-
Isih condition which accompanies a severs
cold. The only harmless remedy that pro
duces Immediate results ) .
What are claimed to be the largest flro on-
glncs In the world are the two built recently
In London. One Is capable of throwing 1,400 ,
the other l.SOO to 2,000 gallons of water per
minute , The machines weigh three and one-
half tons each , and cm readily be drawn at
full gallop by tour horses.
II > iiuroliiiNlni ; K < nil mil do nt ( lie fol-
InMlnur \ < > liriiNUti filL'torlcM. If yiiu
l-nilllUl Illlll 1\Illlt J oil VMIIlt CMHIIIIlllIlI-
vntc vtitli < ! < iniiiiiifiifliiriTN UN to
driller * liaiiillitliclr uood * .
JIACJS , HLItl.AP AX1 T1VIXI3.
OM A 1 1 A tt AGCa
Minufncturrrfl of nil kinds nf cotton nml burlap -
lap bags , rntton Hour packs nnd twlno a gnoc-
laity. G14-G1G-G18 S. llth St.
OMAHA liKKWINR ASS'N.
Car load shlpmenta innde In 0111 own ruffle-
erntor cms. llluo Itllilion , I'.lllc i\uoit : Vlrnniv
Import , mid Family IJxpoit , dellvcicd to nil parla
of city.
CAIUII.\ < ; IS AMI WAUO.VH.
A. J.SIMPSON.
H09-I1 DodRO St. The best nnd choipp t pnc !
to uiiy a flood HiiKKj' . CnrrhiKO or WHROII Agent
for the bert rubber tin ; In use.
DRUM MONO CAKKIAGi ; CO.
put rubber tlr < * i nnd hitl-henrlng nxlrt * on their
own mulct ! vehlclcH , nnd wll n tnp hUR y for
(5004 betides. M'lltc them 18th nnd Ilnincy.
coiwisn , hi'icK.s , ii.uvi.vi ; iMuvnnii ,
*
CONSOLIDATE ! ) COFFHH CO.
Coffee Hoasteiu , Hjilce OrfndeiH , M.inufnctuiora
Ciernmn Halting I'trndei uiul ( Iriiniin liy Hop
Ycnet , HH nnd 1410 llnrney Kt. , Onmiin , Nth.
KI.OUIl.
S. F. ( J I L.MAN.
Manufacturer of Gold Mcdul I'lour
C. U. lllnclc , MniuKcr Oninln.
FUlt.MTUti : IMCTOIUKS. ,
OMATlT Ul'HOLSTKU IN CO.
Mimufuctuicrs of Tailor Fiirnlluie. l.o
nlntTiilikH nnd Toldlnglli'ds. . 2Slh AM' , ,
] ! 3 > d to Shaler Hts.
ion AM > COAI- .
SOUTH OMAHA ICIi iV COAL CO.
DomPfltlc und Hltam Cual. Wo hn\o thn bent
Olllra lbO | rnrnnm Kt. Telephone ; Olllco 373 ,
> nid , 17CO , J. A. Die , Ocnfml
IIK..V WOIIK.H.
INDUSTHIALK IKON WOKS
Muiufncluilni ; and Uppaliliiu of nil klndn nf
irnthlnc'iy , enKlnea , | iuui | > i. elcsnlois , printing
IIHSI-PH haiiKem , fliaftluK anil coupllni ; HOC und
HOS llonuid HI. . Oinahn
PAX'FONA ; ' VlljiTlJNiFiHONW'KKS
Mnmifaclmcra of Aichllcc tuinl linn \Voil <
Ocneinl Foundry. Mmhlnc und iiaU : ( mllli Work.
KnuliUMTH uml C'ontrnttori , for Plto Proof
HulldliiuH Olllco und woiku : II I1 lly and
tin. nth Blitet , Omaha.
Mf.iiT WATUII , Kim : HimviuK.
" '
" AMERICAN lIHTIUCT riJLl" .
CliAPII.
The only peifcct pr tecllon to pioncity Ilxtimlno
It licet tiling tin cnilh lie.luce * Ituurnrico
rnt ( 1301 KouelRH 8t
( ) ViitAIl : , KACTOHIHH.
KAT/.NHVINS CO.
ilnnufac'iiieia of Men's nnd lloy.V Clothing ,
I'nntu , KlilitH undOernll _ 2J2-21S H lllh HI ,
I'AI'KIl IIOVUH.
" "
"Tllli : OMAHA PAPHKJJOX CO.
Minufntturcts ot all kind * fit I'aiivr lloxrt ,
fihelf lIoxc-B Hamiile fa ej , Mailing Tablo. etc
\\V.MIm : caUo mill fancy rnndy huxr * . ilrufil ; t
nnJ jewelry boxen , 18)8-10 Jone Ht. , Omaha.
hlllllT
J. n.KVANS-Nl'lMASKA SI ! HIT
COMPANY.
KtclutUe custom tlilit taller * . .U5 I'arnain.
DR. S. 13. GOL.UIIMS'
PAINLESS © P8UEV1 ANTIDOTE
ORIGINAL AND ONLY GENUINE REMEDY ,
Discovered In 1068. "THERIAKI" Dock Frei.
Ollice3l2 , 70 Monroe Street , puipAnn III
ILL.
p.o eHAwmiti. bnluHUUi