THE OMAHA DAILY HEE: TIIUJRSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1901.
BABY HERRINGS PUT IN OIL
Maine Fishermen Build Up a FrcfiuV.e
Indnitrj Picking Itrdini
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE BUSINESS
Cn n u (i I L'umiiL-li! lti lliu hit I'1 1 1) i Iff
iluxtry of Frnuuf, hut It Him All
tlir Mnrltrt It Ciui
Sup
Few people realize tho magnitude of the
sardlno ludustry, or the position tti.it the
American sardine hold in our markets to
day us a food product.
Dotted along tho Mitlnc coast, from Bar
harbor cast for a dlsluncc'of 100 mile, ro
utes the lioston Herald, are a number of
small towns and villages whrro tho prin
cipal Industries arc the catching and can
ning of f)h. The largest factories for this
purpose are located In Mlllbrldgu, Jouea
port, Maohlasport and Kantport. Krom the
waters along this 100 miles of seacoast
thero were taken In 1890 over 100,000 hogs
heads of herring, each hogshead contain
ing seven and a half barrels, or a ton of
fish, and realizing upward of 1,000,000 caica
of sardines ready for the markets of tho
world.
It must bo further borno In mind that
theso 100,000 hogsheads of herring were
caught between May 15 and December 1, as
that Is the maximum season for catching
tho herring to be used for sardines, and
tho season was really much shorter. Tho
first run of herring was solncd on August
10 at Kaatern harbor, South Addison, thero
not having been a horrlng seen previous
to that date, and tho tlshermeu were la
menting loud at their "fishermen's luck."
Tho first thought that arises when this
wholesale destruction of the herring Is
considered Is that some law should bo
passed to protect this llsh from total ex
tinction, but scientific observation nnd sta.
tlstlcs show that while locations may bo
temporarily affected, yet thero hi tto' up-
, parent Impression mado on tho great ma
' of tho ocean. The fishermen are careful
never to placn their nets or wclrs near tho
spawning beds, and as the herring Is a very
prolific Den, tho supply Is novcr in danger.
This Is further proven by tho fact that
In 1899 the price paid to tlshermen by tho
factories was $1 per hogshead, while today
they can sectiro ujl they rfcqulro for $2
per iiogshcad. If the supply had fallen off
tho prices would have Increased Instead of
decrcused. The great herring fisheries off
tho coast of Norway havo been In existence
for 250 yenrs without any npparcnt Im
pression being madu upon tho supply In
that locality.
Kxporlmcnts were made In America In
canning horrlng for sardines as early us
1866, but Its existence as a business datet
from 1875. Today thero arc over 200 vessels
pursuing this business for nearly six
months In tho year and It ranks first among
,the shore fisheries of the United States. The
fish aro caught by the local fishermen In
weirs and nets and sold to the vessols.
v Trnvrl In Sohmili.
Every Maine fisherman knows the habits
of tho herrlug, as It Is most necessary In
tho construction of his weir, for In that
.construction Ilea tho success of his busi
ness. The horrlng aro thu prey of every
other fish that swims nnd for protection
for thomselvcs they travel In Jarge schools!
or shoals, so that they may dodgt' IrT nndl
out among thomsolves when pursued. It
is recorded that some of theso shoals aro
so vast that 1,000 barrels havo bocn taken
1n a single haul of tho seine. Thuso schools
"Tftway3 swim with tho tldu, coming to; tho
shores to search for food with the incoming
tide, returning to deeper water with tho
ebb tide.
In many countries tho fishermen stnud on
sboro at somo high point on tho coast and
watch for theso schools. When ono Is
sighted they row out with a net, one end
of which Is fastened to tho shore, nnd row
ing directly around tho school back to tho
shore tho entire school Is thus Inclosod
and drawn In. In order to do this tho
bottom must bo smooth nnd largo and ex
pensive nets are necessary nnd somo ouo
constantly on tho lookout for schools. This
Is too slow for tho Ynnkco llshermnn, to he
constructs a trap or wolr (pronounowl
"ware" by tho natives) and goen home to
his comfortable cottage nud waits for tho
fish to como and bp caught. A wolr is built
entirely of stakes nnd brushwood.'' Tho3o
Htakcn or spiles nro driven firmly Into tho
bottom nt low tide, nbout eight feet apart
nnd from twenty to forty fpet long, accord
ing to the depth of water. Theso uprights
arc then ribboned horizontally with long,
slender saplings cut from tho forest nearby.
These are In turn Interlaced with brush,
so that no very lnrgo apertures remain.
They nro so constructed because jhey mu.it
stand tho Htrnln of heavy storms, which
would scon destroy a net. Thero . Is from
twelve to fifteen foot rise and fall of the
tldo along this part of thu Malno coast,
which allows such structures to bo built
easily, while tho uso of brushwood obvlatefi
the fxponso of n net and hoops off tho
sharks. Theso weirs nro constructed o
conform to tho conditions of tho currents
and coast line, harbors nnd tho mouths of
rivers being tho favorlto locations. Many
of them arc modols of Ingenuity and aro
often patented.
Dritn liiK In I In- '(.
When tho tide Is about half out tho fisher
man Jumps into his dory nnd rows out to
sea it there aro any fish lu his trap. If
ho bo lucky, tho white bellies of tho her
ring ns they dart about In the wolr' Tell
him that ho has a "rntch," and he pre
pares to secure It. Near every weir may
be noticed a largo raft, with an enormous
reol, upon which is wound a very largo
net, and near this raft aro anchored two
or three large scows or flat-bottomed boats
that will each hold fully twenty tons of
fish. About one-half hour beforo low tide
this not is unwound from thu reel Into ouo
of the scows, nnd the latter Is rowed into
tho pound of tho wolr. One end of tho net
1b secured to the weir. Thcu tho scow Is
pulled directly ncross the wolr, allowing
tho net to run out ns the boat progresses
the weir being thus divided In half by the
net. The scow Is then pulled around In
sldo very close to tho weir Itself, until tho
whole clrclu Is encompassed nnd the fish
aro entirely surrounded by thu net. This
net is a lung, straight not, kept in a ver
tical position when in tho wnter by hav
ing the lower edges weighted with lead
while tho upper edge is buoyed up by means
of large corks or floats. Along the bottom
edge of this net. which Is called n purso
net, are many rings, through which n rope
Is run In such a manner that tho lower
part etn be drawn together tightly, so as
to form an immense pocket or purse.
After tho fish are tairroundcd by the
not me uraw string is pulled nnd the on-
tire eaten U secured. The upper edge Is
then drawn toward tho scow and the fish
aro dipped out Into tlio scows with a dlpnot
Three men nre required to handle thi dfn.
net, one wields tho handlo and the united
strength of the other two is required to
haul it Into the scow.
The writer was Invited to see tho weir
seined, and, donning n suit of oils and a
"sou'wester," ho jumped Into a boat nt
i;Z0 a, m. prepared with camera so as not
to miss ths valuable opportunity. The
catch was not as largo as usUa.l, but (he
process was as Interesting, nnd In this
tingle haul of the net sixteen hogtthea'ds
of 120 barrels were secured.
During tho dipping of the fish frora tha
lif wm
mWWm WW1JMI ' V VX UD,WjllJr I Ml M S I ll 111 lilsMl
She J see Mint Mr. I'arvtnoo has blossomed
I wonder how he got his entree Into society?
Ho Ona Chllcott PaM, I think.
largo purse nets Into tho scow the fisher
men , stood ubnvii their knees In herring,
nnd the settles from the shining little fel
lows, .lighted ujj by (he sun, which had
Just nppearcd nbove the horizon, titled the
nlr with n silver shower, while tho fisher
men themselves appeared to bo clothed In
.silver spangles.
Hit ci't .on tin- Npot.
Outside the weir,, the fishing smacks
and snrdlnc bents aro anchored, waiting
for the catch. Tho bargain Is soon made
nud the llsh arc on their way to the can
ning factories tn be converted into sur
dities. If no smack or sardine boat Is lu
sight a Hag Is hoisted on a nearby smoke
house or wharf to notify passing vessels
that herring aro ready for shipment. Un
less a boat should cull In n few hours the
entire catch becomes unmarketable, but
this does not often 'happen, because the
fishermen located near tho factories con
tract with them to have their boats call
dally. Those more remotely situated ar
range their weirs with an additional pound
connected with tho weirs by gates, through
which the 'fish aro driven and the gates
closed after each catch, in this way they
are kept alive until wanted for the market.
The natural enemies of the fisherman
nro storms and dogfish and a visit from
either of these destructive ngenclcs not
only destroys his cntlro catch before it can
be secured, but often seriously damages
his weir. Hut a fisherman Is at all times
a philosopher, he Is always expecting
trouble and Is, therefore, novcr disap
pointed, except pleasantly. His very ex
istence Is based on chnncc. Ho may find
$150 worth of fish In bis weir at every turn
of tho tide In n month, or ho may not
mnl:e. a single catoh In a' month. Ho Is
accustomed to this llfo of uncertainty and
ho enjoys It. "It has tho same fascination
for- him that the gambler finds In his play,
yot you will find the Maine fisherman hon
est, contented, hanjiy and brimful of genu
lno oldrfashloucd hospitality.
Hut tho tardlno boat has arrived, tho
bargain has been concluded and we aro
on our wny to tho factory with our pur
chase. Theso factories, large and small,
are' loeuted In engh town directly on the
shore, with plenty of wharf space at
tached. The .larger factories hold their
employes during tho entire day throughout
tho fishing season. The employes who
work in tho smaller factories come from
all parts
of the surrounding country nnd i
live in small cottages, most of them con
joining but two rooms a living room on
thu ground floor and a sleeping room above.
These cottages are all located near the
factories and when a sardine steamer ar
rives It toots Its whistle as many times
as it has hogsheads aboard and' tho help
rush from their cottages to tho fnctory
and are ready for business. If ten whistles
sound, announcing ton hogsheads, onlv a
part of the' cottages are vneated: at twentv
whistles, more respond, nnd nt forty
whittles tho entire 'fdrco hasten to their
Work.
In the smaller nnd older factories the
herring nro baked In gcat ovens, within
wnicn is a sort or "Ferris wheel" of .
volvlng shelves. On these shelves the fish
are placed In wire trays or "flakes" and
there they remain until cooked.
fluent In tlir World.
A- Jonosport factory Is the finest aardlno
Plant In the world. It Is sixty-two feet by
165 feet nnd Is entlrely.of mill construction.
It hns Blono doors nnd Is lighted by elec
tricity mado on the premises. It employs
one steamer, two sailing smacks and several
outside boats and packs from 500 to 600
cases of snrdluci per day during tho season.
At this factory tho procoss of converting
herrjng Juto snrdlncs Is nearer the forolgn
process. Tho herring arc boiled In oil, in
stead of belug linked In. ovens, ns was the
custom under the old process.
Whon a vessel arrives, unloading nt onco
begins Into n long chain of buckets that are
suspended from nn overhead railway and
nro carried tho length of the wharf to tha
cutting room of tho factory. Hero thoy nre
dumped upon long tahlc, where thoy are
sorted, the largo herring or "smokers"
boing thrown nsldo for salting and smoking.
The medium nnd smaller sizes are cut to the
required length for sardines. Hoys are em
ployed in this room.
After the fish are cut the required length
they go to the pickling vats, where they
are allowed to remain until properly sea
soned. They are taken to the finking room
and placed upon "Hakes" or wooden-slatted
trays, then, conveyed to tho dry house.
where all superlluous moisture Is romoved.
They nro now placed In wire frying baskets
nnd plunged Into boiling oil and thero
cooked for ten minutes.
Whllo this process Is boing undergone
workmen are busy on largo piles of sheet
tin, which by their deft workmanship, as
sisted by Improved machinery, aro rapidly
converted Into tin cans or boxes of different
sizes. These are carried to tho packers,
who arrange them In rows on long tables,
ono tier above another. Neatly attired
women nnd girls were busily engaged at
these tables dipping Into theso boxes some
sort of liquid mystery In which the fish are
to bo packed.
.Methods of l'licklnu,
Tho general superintendent stated that
tills factory had' four different m'etheds of
packing fish, vlz.f in oil, mustard, tomnto
catsup and souse, the latter being a syrup
composed of white wine, vinegar and sugar
The dippers or Indies used by these packers
contain Just enough of the liquid required
for each box1.
The fish wero thn hurried out of the fry
ing- b-Jskets to these tables and there rapidly
packed Into the boxes-the larger size Into
KWSHMI
K9E
full-IIcJgcd society man.
mustard and tomato sauce, the smaller ones
Into oil atid souse. The boxes nre then
taken to tho sealers, whero they are sold
ered, and then they pass to the bath pro
cess, which Includes exhaling the nlr In the
exhaust bath and rcsolderlng. From here
they are fcent to tho shipping room, where
they secure their nttractlvo labels and arc
ready for tho market. They can be pur
chased at retail stores nt from 5 to15 cents
per box.
The Imported nrtlclo Is much more ex
pensive, as the fish are packed In the boot
ollvo oil nnd are of a much more delicate
llnvor, although of the herring family. They
nro caught In tho Mediterranean sea near
tho Island of Sardinia.
In reply to my query ns to why the Amer
icans could not equal the foreigners In the
packing of this food product, I was told
that, although the American sardine is
packed In cottonseed oil which costs about
40 cents per gallon and the olive oil In
which the Imported nrtlcte is packed costs
upward of $2.50 per gallon, that Is not the
secret of the pecullnr and delicious flavor
r of the Imported sardine. Experiments have
neon mado in packing tno Americnn herring
In the best olive oil with no better results
thnn now obtained with tho cheaper oil, nud
the conclusion Is .regretfully reached that
the peculiar flavor of our b6rrlng makos It
Impossible to compete nt present with the
foreign article. This docs not troublo those
In the New England Industry, as theirs t
a different market, and at the prices at
which they sell their goods and yet realize
i a profit the demnnd is fnr greater than the
supply.
OUT O' Till: OKDI.NAIt V.
A Paris lawyer has Just been beaten in
an attempt in court to stop the playing, of
n piano in a bourdlng school opposite "his -ottlce.
Tho tribunal pronounced plnno
plnylng n social Institution.
The old Patterson home on Patterson
street, In Loxlngton, Ivy., Is to be removed '
to Dayton, O., by Thumas II. 'Patterson, a
grand.son of the lounder of Lexington. The
home is one of tho historic spots which
make tho Kentucky town fuinous.
The main staircase In William C. Whit
iiiys New Yoik residence. Filth nvenue
and Sixty-eighth street, Is of whlto murtilc.
nnd Is curved after a 8talrca.su in the
Doge's palace In Venice. Mr. Whitney
brought the design to this country und tho
work took six months lor completion.
Jlumklu s island, near Hull, .Mass., was
Klun in ! tan aril college oy Samuel Ward,
not be sold outrlulit. It has. however, lio.-m
leased to A. C. llurrnge ot lioston for 399
years, and he will build n hospital on It
and make It u free summer home for the
crippled children of Hoston.
A mob u .Vichlla, Kur.., wrecked the
tent of ill Kl, n wild man, becuuso he
Uldn'. eat rnw liver, us tho bills said he
wojul do. And a local pollcu Judge upheld tempt to tone down the adjectives) Iloer
the net, on the ground that when people nt0 his confidence Tho culvert south of
pay out good money to sou n man cat ruw ,,!'",,. coul'u"cu- jno cujveri souin oi
liver thoy have tho right to see him cut 1 tno B'd'ng had been blown up, he said, but
ruw liver or know tho reason why. jhad been repaired; he was now having It
Texns' cupltol Is tho largest granite 'carefully guarded. He did not Intend hav
bulldlnB in thu world. Thu state produces ing the other culvert, which was north of
inn. uium va tait tnv mmni itiin i in ini;
United States nnd one-fourth of nil the cot
ton raised In thu world. It Is tho seventh
state In population. Settled ns thickly as
Massachusetts It would contain the popula
tion of all tho United States and still have
plenty of room left for good citizens from
Europe, Hew W. II. Clngott. president of
thu trustees of tho Texns Presbyterian uni
versity, said; "If thu population of tho rn
tiro globe, estimated at l.JOO.ouO.OOO. wn
.divided Into families of five each. Texas
could supply them all with a home, allow
Ing a halt-ucre lot to each family, and still
havo homes enough of the same size for the
Immigration of 6U,OW),000 iainllles from tho
other planets."
Dutch Oyster Culture
Tho industrious nature of the Dutch
women has long been proverbial, and this In
various departments pf human activity. Not
only are they expert In all kinds of femlnlno
accomplishments, but also lu manual labor
of the heaviest sort, and tho fathers and
husbauds look on with the utmost com
placency at tho tolllngs ot their women folk.
Thus, women are employed on a large bcale
p thu Dutch oyster fisheries, where they
perform the work which In other countrlos
'Is the lot of thu strongor sex. Owing to this
fact and the quaint costumes and primitive
customs of the Dutch flshor folk in general
the oyster culture In The Netherlands is of
more .merest and offers a larger 'clement
of tho plctuiesque than any other in the
lowlands.
The old town of Ooes, writes a corre
spondent of tho New York Tribune, is tho
center of the oyster Industry in Holland
and Is as qualjt and primitive a pla.co as
can be found In the lowlands. Situated on
the Island of South Ileollnnd, In tho province
of Zealand, Ooes l entirely off the beaten
route of tourists. Tho whole population,
with few exceptions men, women and chil
drenare engaged In fishing, and more par.
tlcularly In tho oyster Industry. Entiro
families are engaged In the cultivation of
oysters during tho whole year, for tho
oyster beds demand unceasing work. Tho
oyster women nre a queer sight when at
tired In their costume especially adapted
for tho purpose tight-fitting red flannel
knickerbockers, black stockings, a shirt with
sleeves rolled up to the elbow and a quaint
sunbonnet which thoroughly protects tho
head and neck.
Though the Inhabitants of Ooes are en
gaged all tho year round In the oyster In
dustry, It Is In April that the roost Impor
tant part of their work Is don. It Is
then that tho "collectors" aro placed In tho
oyster "parks" These "collectors" aro
curved tiles about a foot long, which after
being carefully washed are covered with a
layer of mortar. Thus prepared, the "col
CHASING THE ELUSIVE BOER
Tall Yarni Spun by a Gorrsspoudint in
South Africa.
WILD NIGHT RIDE ON A HANDCAR
ScnrchliiK for Stick of I)nniulte
AloiiK the Hnllroml A Mint
tlmt Tulil nnd n I. nip
for Mfe.
A correspondent of the London Mall
writes from Vlljcon's. Drift, South Africa:
It Is early morning and bitterly cold.
Only the stars frozon spangles of light In
tho heavens; only a white rime of frost on
the ground, aud between frost and stars an
empty silence, save that from tho engine of
the mall train that has been held up alt
night at tho little veldt siding como the
hiss and roar peculiar to Its kind. A
feather of steam shakes Impatiently at its
safety valve, for tho wakeful engine and
the sleepy passenger coaches behind are i
ready ns soon as light shall como to re
sumo tho Interrupted Journey to Pretoria.
nut much may have happened in the
night. Urother Iloer may have crept down
lu tho darkness and lifted a rail, or worse,
left a packet of some unpleasant mess art
fully hidden between rail and ballast, with
tho object of reducing the rolling stock of
tho Imperial military railways. So, we aro
going down the line on tho ganger's trol
ley to noso out these modest destroyers
that hide coyly behind sleepers and retire
unobtrusively to the 'shelter of fishplates,
Ilefore heaven 'and n critical public I
dsclaro I am no hero, although tho men
who were with me wore. They know tho
rlak they ran I did not. Perhaps If I had
known tho risks 1 was about to take 1
should not havo gone; certain It Ib I will
novcr go again.
Three full privates, ono corporal of en
gineers, one war correspondent of the Dally
Mall that was the trolley's passenger list;
and as the plglit thought of her sins nud
paled eastward two of tho Tommies gavo
tho machine a shovo and wo were off on
our ten miles' voyage of discovery. Tho
"road" was down hill nnd oasy going for
a mile, and the enemy's country did not
begin until wo reuched tho foot of the
elope. There wo passed the advanced post
of tho siding guard a solitary Tommy hid
den somewhere In tho semi-darkness, who
challenged and was allent.
Then the search commenced. On the
outer edges of tho trolley tho corporal and
a man stretched themselves full leugth
along a wooden platform, their heads Just
overreaching the fore end of the trolley,
their faces about twenty inches above tho
rail. The other two men trundled the car
nlong; now running Alongside, pushing
heavily; now sitting on tho back of the
platform propelling the little truck forward
with an occasional kick at the ground.
was seated amidships facing forward and
tno cam nir came to my mouth and nos
for nil the world like a dry Ice spray, If
such a thing could be. There was now Just
enough light for the two watchers to see
protty clearly twenty yards ahead and the
uncnnnlness of the experience was passing,
Atkins, who pushed on tho right, had a
fine taste for gruesome anecdote, more par
tlcularly In tho matter of exploded mines,
and his conversation was not cheerful. His
repertory included the stories of the in
Judicious, corporal, the inquisitive loyalist,
the unfortunates goat and the circumspect
Doer.
Story of the'' InqiilnltlVc Lonllt
The story of ?fi'& inquisitive loyalist was
about a Doer whi lived on a farm. And
when tho Engllshrcanie along this 'ere Doer
discovered that hf. had never been In favor
of the war from tho very first; so was al
lowed to llva on his farm, provided ho gavo
In tils, arms. So this 'ere somethinged lioor
handed In the Tower musket with whlcb he
had been plugging Tommies at 2.000 yards
nnd upwurd, and tho flintlock, which was, so
to speak, his socond barrel, and was allowed
to Uvo peacefully in sight of the camp
And an every day pnsscd his love for tho
British increased, so that the nmtablo cump
commandant allowed him to visit the camp
nnd hell the brutal fcoldlury milk and vege
lauies. uiu me aminnie commandant was
not the fool his aycglass nnd his drawl led
you to believe, ami ho had a notion that the
now convert to imperialism was In the
habit and a disgusting hnblt it is of com
municating with outside pals. And once a
culvert was mysteriously blown up and
nobody av. the Iloers who did It. So the
commnndnnt took that (I wou't at
tho siding, watched, as ho did not think
tho nocra would experiment on that, and.
besides, he couldn't spare the men. And
the Doer was touched by tho confidence
tho guileless Phlllstlno reposed In him and
wept. That night the commandant sent for
the farmer and held him In conversation
for two hours on agricultural prospects,
1 what tlmo two engineers laid down a
devilish contrivance near the northern cul
vert. And this Is the way It was made, They
dug a hole and placed therein a camp ket-
lectors" aro able to retain the oyster ova,
known to fishermen as whito spat, or
nalssalns, as they are termed In Holland.
These embryos are very minute and lloat
about on tho surface of the water Until tboy
becomo atllxed to tho "collectors." They
nre then gathered Into boxes eight feet long
by two feet In breadth and the tiles are
so arranged as to be constantly bathed
by tho sea water. From 300 to 400 larvae
aro attached to a single "collector."
In August the "collectors" are removed
from the "beds" and taken on land to be
put through a first period of cleansing.
This operation, whloh is performed by
women, is destined to cteanse the young
oysters from all kinds of Impurities nnd
also from the small shells which, becoming
atllxed to the young oysters, might hinder
their growth. Onco thoroughly cleansed
tho tiles are replaced In tho boxes, where
they remain until autumn. The "col
lectors" arb then once more removed and
tho oysters, which are already the slzo of
a 25-cent piece, nre sufficiently strong to
live alone without being atllxed to any
thing. To remove the young oyster from tho
"collector" a special kind of scissors Is
used. For this purpose tho "collectors" are
placed In the middle of a large table, around
which tho oyster men and women aro gath
ered, The women, who aro far,more dexter
ous than the men In this matter, hold the
"collector" In one band whllo with thn
other they carefully remove tho raollusks
and throw them into baskets, This opera
tion requires considerable skill, for, If per
formed too hastily, the thin shell of the
young oyster would be Injured. But, not
withstanding all the .care that Is taken,
there Is always a loss of from 20 to 25 per
cent,
Thus removed from the "collectors." tho
oysters begin the second period of their
existence an Intermediate period of youth,
so to speak for, though sufficiently de
veloped to exist alone, they aro not yet
I Me. Within that camp kettlo wero lU een
j pounds of dynamite. Inserted In that camp
I kettle was the muzzle of a loaded Martini
carbine and attached to the trigger of
that carbine wero wires that th foot of
tho most careful walker would not fall to
catch. Weil, that night
Tho etjry stops suddenly, two pairs of
hands jrlp the rlghthand brake anl the
trolley iars to a standstill.
A Xnrrotr Kncupe,
We are off In a second and the corporal
Is gingerly scraping away the earth plied
round a thing that looks like a bottle w"h
the neck protruding. It Is placed by the
side of the rail, the bottle raised to the
rail's level and had the truck gone another
dozen feet It would have smashed the neck.
"This," tald the corporal, speaking with
great nlcencss, and picking his words as
though some discordant phrase wouU be
sufficient to agitate the content, "Is a new-
fake. I'm not goln' to take this along with
me. Here, What's-your-name, take this
bottlo out about 300 yards and stick It on
a rock where we can see It."
"What's-hls-name tucked the bottle under
his arm with as much unconcern as If It
were a bottle of beer and strolled to tho
required distance. I fancy it was halt that
distance, for the bottle was quite distinct
In the broadening light. When What's-hls-
name had got back tho four men .took up
their rifles from the trolley floor and, tak
Ing steady aim, oponcd fire. The third
shot took effect. The little black object,
Just visible, became Instnntly a broad white
fan of angry flaming light. Only for a
second and then smoke was where flame
had been and tho earth shook with the
roar of tho explosion.
"One," snld the corporal, laconically, and
the Journey was resumed. Back to tho
charge came the anecdotnt Tommy.
Woll, this blank, blank llocr was found In a
dozen different places the next morning, he
having profited by tho commandant's con
tldenco to walk around tho unguarded cul
vert In tho early morning with n dynamite
cnrtrldgo and a wicked smile. Tommy
lapsed Into fiction at thU point to sketch
the Doer's glee as he walked to his work
of destruction.
Now, wo are nt the top of tho "bank,"
nnd there Is a clear run down to tho next
siding. Day is here now, ami as wc rattle
down tho steep grade wc disturb the thou
F.md tiny creatures of the sun that aro wak
Ing to actlvlt).
"Steady with that! Put the brake on, you
silly fool!"
This from the corporal, for wc arc mov
Ing at a great rate and tho watchers
stretched at full length, put their hands
up to turn the wind from their eyes.
The brake falls on the wheel, but we havo
gained too great a momentum and tho pace
Is not percoptlhly slackened. The corporal
looks eagerly forward; tho growing llgh
has Increased his range of vision, hut the
speed of tho trolley has lessened Its useful
ness. Suddenly:
"Drake! Drako! For God's sake!"
He baa seen something on tho line a
something snuggling close to the mil an
ominous shapeless something that has no
right to lie there. In a moment you sea
there Is not time to Jump for It; you can
hnrdly rise to your feet In time. Then a
swift hand snatches up a rifle, the rltle Is
poised for a moment before tho whirring
wheels of the trolley, then dropped cross
wise onto tho metals.
There Is a Jump, a bone-racking thud,
thud, thud, as the wheels kick up agalnnt
tho sleepers; the next minute there Is nn
overturned trolley, with wheels still run
ning nnd five human beings sprawling un
hurt upon the veldt, but the five little sticks
of dynamite with the upturned percussion
cap arc untouched.
Only a broken rifle a few feet from them
shows where the trolley left tho line.
LAIlOIt AND INDUSTRY.
The value of the raw cotton products
exported during the last fiscal year was
more than Jl.ouo.ooo for every day In the
year, Sundays Included.
A memorial tablet has recently been
placed by the Berlin branch of the German
Association of Engineers on the house in
Heilbron where ltobert ilnycr, who tlrft
announced the law of conservation ot
energy, was born In 1S14,
Potatoes have ceased to be tho principal
root crop of Ireland, if they uru to be com
pared with turnips by weight or yield
last year, for example, only nbout 1,M2,IW0
tons, against 4,42G,utio tons of turnips.
Statistics of textile mill construction in
the United States for six months ot 1MU
show 251 new mills, forty-llvo of which
wero built In North Carolina. Georgia ha
thlrty-Blx, South Carolina thirty-one nnd
Alabama twenty-seven.
Ono of the most Interesting facts brousht
to light by the attention which has recently
been turned to the American Invasion of
England Is that England has utterly tailed,
after many trials, to produce a Mnglo ua
ccs.sful typewriter or typewriter manufac
tory. One-fourth of the excavation of New
York's rapid transit tunnel was completed
last week. Thus far $7,319,000 hai been paid
out on the $35,C07,CK.O contract. Thi ii.ost
ticklish part of the business la to l.e p
the big water mains from jprlnglng leaks
ns the digging proceeds. Trnli.s aru ex
pected to run through the finished tunn.l
early In 1901.
The returns of the American Iron nud
Steel association show that the productlrn
of pig iron In this country for the first h'lh
of tho current calendar year amounted t
7.612,569 tons, or at the rate of nhnut 14,
250,000 gross tons of 2.240 pounds per annum.
This product exceeds that for the lust six
months of 1P00 by 1.49I.S9S gross tons. Not
withstanding the enormous output of the
furnaces tho stock of pig Iron In mahers'
hands on the 1st of July was only 374,12)
gross tons, or less than two weeks' proi
pct, as a reserve.
Picturesque Scenes In
the Lowlands.
strong enough to resist tho attacks of their
numerous enemlos. They are therefore
placed for a few months in an apparatus
called an "ambulance." These "ambu
lances" arc flat boxes about ten tnches high,
the bottoms of which are of wire grating.
Thus Isolated the young oysters are com
pletely protected by a box Identical with
tno one in which they are enclosed, but
reversed, so as to constitute a kind of cage
in which the water can circulate freely
wunoui allowing fish or crabs to enter
'ine doxcb, which contain no fewer than
3,000 oysters each, are arranged aide by side
and dimly affixed to tho bottom of the
park by means of stakos. In this mannur
tho young oysters can thrive In peace and
without fear of being attacked by any of
tnoir numerous enemies, who appreciate
oysters fully as much as man appreciates
tnem.
Tho oysters remain three months in theso
boxes, during which time they are Jealously
rareo ior, nemg watered frequently to re.
movo thu Impurities and sea weeds which
have gathered among them. At the end nf
the three months they have reached n
diameter of from two to two and one-half
Inches, They are now of sufficient size for
sale, but not yet largo enough to bring n
much profit. They aro therefore thrown
along the bottom of tho "park," whero
they continue to grow, their shells being
of sufficient strength to withstand tho at
tacks of fishes. The oysters rontlnuo to
grow until the nge of two or three years,
when they reach the size of four Inches In
diameter- After the age of three they stop
growing and there Is no advantage In allow
ing them to remain any longer In the beds.
The oyster fisher-people of Ooes, who
form a community by themselves, live In
small wooden huts facing the oyster beds.
Though the oyster Industry demands con
stant oare, the life ltd by the good people
of Ooes Is free from the hardships of most
seafaring people.
HERE ARE A FEW
OF
Timely Articles
By Eminent Writers
that have appeared in The
Twentieth Century farmer
during the first six months ot 1901.
"What the Government Hns Done for the Fnrmre," SEO
HETAKY OF AUMCULTUKE JAMES WILSON.
"The Advnncc Made in the Study of Insect," Prof. LAW.
HENCE BKUXEIt, State Entomologist of Nebraska.
"Some Leading Features of Kansas Agriculture," F. D.
COBUKN, Secretary of the Kansas State Board of Ag
rlculture.
"Why Live Stock Men Oppose the Grout Bill," J. W.
SPKINGEK, President of the National Live Stock As.
sociation.
"Arguments in Favor of the Grout Bill," J. B. RUSHTON,
Ex-President of the Nebraska Dairymen's Association.
"New Department of Agriculture in Iowa," G. II. VAN
HOUTEN, Secretary of the Iowa State Board of Ag.
riculture.
"Review of the Last Century in Dairying," Prof. D. H.
OTIS of the Kansas Experiment Station.
"Redeeming the Semi-Arid Plains," C. S. HARRISON,
President of the Nebraska Park and Forest Association.
"Pertinent Facts About Seed Corn," N. J. HARRIS, Sec
retary of the Iowa Seed Corn Breeders' Assocaition.
"Question of Feeds for the Dairy Farmer," E. A. BUR
NETT, Animal Husbandman of the Nebraska Expert
ment Station.
"Proper Care and Treatment of the Soil," R. W. THATCH
ER, Assistant Chemist of the Nebraska Experiment Sta
tion.
"History of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture," E
Gov. ROBERT W. FURNAS, Present Secretary am
First President of the Board.
"Irrigation and Farming," GEORGE n. MAXWELL, Ex
ecutivve Chairman of the National Irrigation Associa
tion. "Making Winter Wheat Hardy," T. L. LYON, Assistant
Director of Nebraska Experiment Station.
Articles on Soil Culture and Conserving the Moisture in
the Semi-Arid West, H. W. CAMBEL.L
Special Articles each week, JAMES ATKINSON, of the
Iowa Experiment Station at Ames.
Letters of Travel FRANK G. CARPENTER.
Other writers contributing to The Twentieth Century
Farmer, are:
Chancellor E. BENJAMIN ANDREWS, of the University,
of Nebraska.
Prof. CHARLES E. BES8EY, State Botanist of the Uni
versity of Nebraska.
R. M. ALLEN, President Standard Cattle Company. "If'
C. R. THOMAS, Secretary American Hereford Breeders
Association.
B. O. COWAN, Assistant Secretary American Shorthorn
Breeders' Association.
Prof. H. M. COTTRELL, Kansas Experiment Station.
Dr. A. T. PETERS, Nebraska Experiment Station.
Hon. J. STERLING MORTON, Former Secretary of Agrf.
culture Father of Arbor Day.
Prof. A. L. HAECKER, Nebraska Experiment Station.
E. F. STEPHENS, President Nebraska Horticultural So
ciety for five years.
E. WHITCOMB, Friend, Nebraska, Supt. Bee Exhibit at
Nebraska State Fair.
O. H. BARNHILL, Shenandoah, Iowa, Secretary South'
western Iowa Horticultural Society.
Women's Department conducted by Mrs. NELLIE
HAWKS, of Friend, Neb.
Veterinary Department in charge of one of the best veteri
narians in the west.
What other Agricultural paper can match this?
Every week in the year for one dollar.
Send you name on a postal for sample copy and club-
bIng li8t' sfc.
Twentieth Century farmer
OMAHA.
THE
