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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 1903)
THE OMAHA DAILY SATURDAY, FK11RUARY 7, 1!K3. A. V K DIRECT PRIMARY NOMINATION Propyl Eefona Meuura Frainttit) th Wiroonsin Legislature. Af PROVED BY STATE ADMINISTRATION "tIs)s Oiiae Amur with mm All Officers, Loral, State aa4 Sa tloaal, to Be woaalwated Dlrert Vat. After ft month' consideration the elec tions committee of the Wisconsin assembly bas drafted and reported bill for pri mary election reform along the line laid down tr the atate administration. Tb bill provide for the nomination of all atate offlrera, congressmen, county and city offlcera and member of the legisla ture by the primary system, the first pri mary to be held the first Tneaday In Sep tember, 1904. and biennially thereafter.. It also provides for the nomination of Vnlted States senators at the primaries, though It Is recognised that the obligation Imposed on the legislature would not be a binding but a moral one. The prorlalon of the 8tereca bill of two year ago regarding party platfortna Is adopted, the platform to be promulgated at a meeting of candidate for state offices and the legislature. A new feature Is that the candidates at this meeting ebsll also elect the state central committee, two from etch congressional district. At a recent aeaslon of the assembly the resolution requesting Vnlted States sen ators to cse their best efforts to secure an amendment to the federal constitution pro riding for the election of senators by di rect Tote waa adopted, 69 to 9. The lan guage waa changed from an Instruction to a request. PraTlaloas of the Bill. The primary bill provldee that all candi dates for eleotiv offices. Including candi dates for Vnlted States senator, ahall be nominated at a primary election to be held the first Tuesday In September, 1904, and biennially thereafter, excepting candidates for state auperlutendent. of Instruction, town. Tillage, school district and judiciary offlcera and justices of the pesce. The secretary of state at leaat sixty days before the September primary shail notify each county, city and Tillage of the offices for which candidates are to be nominated. Each clerk must within ten dsys publish this notice at leaat one time. A form la provided for the uae of candidates, which must be uaed in order to Insure the plac ing ot a name upon the official ballot. Mast Swear to Electors. Signers of nominating papers are pre cluded from signing more thsn one petition for any one office, and must attach resi dence addresses. The affidavit of an elector la required to each paper aettlng forth that he la personally acquainted with all the persona who have signed it and knows they are electors. There may be any number of auch affidavits if necessary to Identify all signers as electors. Nomination papers for state officers must bear the signatures , ot 1 per cent of the . totul Tote of the party In the state, com ing from six counties. RepresentatlTes to congress must secure the signatures of 1 per cent of the Toters, and pipers must be circulated In at least one-tenth of the dis trict precincts. Candidates for county offices must secure S per cent of the voters sig natures. Separate Party Tickets. Provision Is made for a separate part? ticket if the nominees receive 1 per cent of the total vote east at the laat general election. Nonpartisan candidates must se cure the signatures of 2 per cent of the total Tot ot the laat general election, to be obtained In the same way aa other can didates tor the ssme offices. Nomlnstlons tec city office must be filed with the city clerk; for county offices with the 'county clerk, and all others with tba secrets ry ot state. Twenty-five days before the prlmsry the secretary of state ia to submit the list ot candldatea to county clerks who twenty days before the primary must publish It at leaet once In two newspapers. Publication muit contain names and addresses of all candl datea, the date of primary and all necessary Information relative to the opening and closing of polls. Town, city and Tillage clerka within forty-eight hours after re calving notices from the secretary of state hall poat copies In conapicuoua places, The Official llallof. I Provision I msde for an official ballot for each Toting precinct, on which the namea of all candidates for whom nominating pa pers have been filed shall be printed. Re garding the preparation and distribution of ballota the bill provides that sample offl clal ballota ahall be prepared by each county clerk at least twenty dsys before the September primary containing th names of all candidates arranged alphabet lcally and printed on colored paper. County clerks are required to aubmlt the ticket ot each party to the county chairman aud mall a copy to each candidate. Primaries In cities are to be open from ( te 9 o'clock, and In the country from ft a. m. te p. m. The Australian ballot la to be used, made up of several party and non partisan tickets, all fastened together at top and folded, the namea of all candidates to be argn-ed alphabetically under th proper party designation. In case a per son is nominated on more than one ticket be must file a written declaration stating ssss Matchless but Matchable Though design, quality and wnrkmanahip render it match -leu, there U one particular in which Gorham Silver warrants the seeming paradox. Despite the apparently inexhausti ble variety of styles any pattern of tableware can be matched at any time. A complete serv ice, therefore, can be acquired by degrees and to suit the conven ience of the individual purchaser. tsooeosibls Jewelers keep fTtauNa the party obsignation under which hli nam has to be printed oa the official ballot. 4 Pllllas; of VaeaarlM. I t Vacancies occurlng after the primaries shall be filled by the psrty committees. No person Is entitled to Tot st the prl msries unless he Is an elector of the pre cinct and duly registered. Primary day and the Monday preceding are designated registration days. Persons registering after the primaries must appesr personally be fore the Inspectors. Provision la msde for the appointment of two challengers by the party committee in each precinct. The canvass of Totes Is to be conducted In th rsme manner as at present. The person recelTlng the grestest number of Tstes st a prlmsry shall be the candidate of the party for the office to which he la nominated. As soon as a primary ahall be certified, to the aecretady of state he ahall publish In the offlctM stste psper a rertlfki statement of the result aa to can dldatea ifor atate offices. Vnlted State sen ator, representatives In congress and for legislative offl res which Include more than one county. The aecretary of atate must certify to the county clerka the candldatea nominated for county officer. The return of a city primary ranvaaa shall be made by the mayor, city clerk and treasurer, who are to meet and eanvaaa the returns the day following the primary. The Mob at Blufftown Short Story by KATHERINE IT DONALD. (Copyright, 1902, by Katherine McDonald ) Stephen Ballantyne was th youngest man who had ever been elected sheriff of Lewis county. H had carried oa a manly and good-natured campaign and even hla op ponent were not unanimously In sympathy with the Weekly Pocket when It attacked him for going off on a week' Tacatlon at Ibe very beginning ot hi term. For the baea had begun to bite In Anderson and the governor and a party of atate poli ticians had Invited him to their camp at the "Old Stone Mill," a favorite rendeivou for fishermen of southern Indiana. Mra. Ballantyne did not approve of hi going, even when he urged that "the gov ernor, auditor of state and a coup ot congressmen are not to be fished with every day." Bat. knowing that her baa band' ambitions only began with th shrievalty, and that acqualntanc with In fluential men would be necessary to his future, she did not oppose him. The jail was well filled with prisoners and she was not yet need to living la close touch with crime, so It was arranged that ah ahould take Baby Stephen and spend th week ot her huaband' absence with a dear old frlei.4 living about five mile out of town. Aunt Charlotte Pulling waa the moat generou and practiced hostess of the county and Mrs. Ballantyne enjoyed her hearty Joviality and constant mothering quite as much a her husband his genial companions and phenomenal luck on Ander son. Lewis Is a prosperous county. In every direction telephone wires are stretched along the well kept roads and all day long goastp and message, grave and gay, flash over them from on farm house to another. One morning It chanced that Mrs. Ballan tyne, being alone In the house, answered a call and received a message so horrify ing that she paled ,ss she listened. Uncle Joshua Phlllpson. one ot the best known and moat respected farmer of th county, had just been discovered lying dead In his own house from a knife wound, and near him, her old gray head crushed by aom heavy Instrument, lay hi wife everybody' Aunt Becky," one of the best beloved of the dear old helpful, atrong-hearted Hoosler women, of th pioneer generation. - After the first call the telephone bell kept up a constant ringing, a neighbor or. perhaps, some accommodating merchant In town, sending on every bit of new or rumor aa It cam out. By 10 o'clock It waa known that the murder had been committed by two farm handa who had lived upon the Phlllpson plsce. By 1 In the afternoon one of them had been found hiding In an empty corn bin In the "bot toms" near town. At 4 hs was safe In jail at Blufftown, and there was hope ot getting a conteaalbn which would lead to the arrest of hla accomplice. About 4:10 o'clock Roso Rawdon. Mra. Ballantyne' sister, called her from th telephone ex change, where she waa employed. "I am so glad you are out there," ah said. "The toVa Is awful! They say there are fifty mea here from Kentucky, and more crossing the river all the time. And ever so many down from Riverbend. and In from ' Athens, and th "Fair Fight" neighborhood. I gueaa every farmer for ten mile round ha come to town. Th 1:10 train from Spring Orov waa crowded. They aay when th packet gets In and th evening train there'll be J. 000 stranger on (h streets. And, say, Alice" dropping her toIcc "Truman Wallace is trying to swear la a lot ot men to help guard the jail a mob, you know. 1 am so glsd you aren't here! Tea, I'll keep you posted. Goodbye." ' After supper that evening the Pulling nd their guest sat en the front porch. Mr. Pulling dosed; Mrs. Pulling Jounjed little Stephen back and forth In a rocker- less chair and sang the old camp-meeting tues that had soothed eight luaty son ot her own. Some on called from b sitting room: "Mrs. Bfellonns, there's a long distance call for you'' She tock up the receiver In trembling anxiety, and exclaimed at once: "Oh, Stephen! where are your "At Boone," he aald; "Just got here after the hardeat riding I ever did." "How did you know about It?" "One of the boy brought the new to the camp. Say, Alice, star right where you are. I'll send tor you tomorrow." "You are not coming home, Btephen?" "Hush; no one must know by midnight, I think." .- ''How can you? It ia Impossible!" "But I will; only promlas to stay where you are. Get word to Truman i that be must hold out It there la trouble 'till I come. Goodby, dear, I haven't a moment. Ooodby!" Mra Ballantyne went back to the porch and aat quiet, though her heart was torn with anxiety. The bird were twittering among the cedars In the front ysrd. The first fire flies were dsrting over the meadowa, tba sweet-breathed quiet of the country even ing enfolded them. Suddenly it waa torn away like gauxe by a long, low, blood curdling sound. Mr. Pulling sprang to his feet. "Good Lord!" he gssped, they've got the bloodhounds after that fellow!" The telephone bell rang. 8tmoa Martin, living near town, called up the Pulllnga to aay: "They're trailing him with hounds. Com ing right out the big road. Ain't In sight, but you can hear 'em. Coming right your way!" George John Mason, a still nearer neigh bor, called a little later: "The hounds are In eight over Bacoa'a hill, coming lickety-aplit! Mast be twenty mea faltering In buggies and hr-seback. Going myse'f. Be by your wsy pretty soon now." Another ring and Jske Dowdy, wheeling with ssthma and excltmcot, managed to say; "Them hounds Jest passed her. Waah't Nervy would a let me gone! But night sir ala'l the best la th world tor me. It Coplee of the returna are to be delivered to the respective city chairmen. Precinct party committees sr to be nomlnsted at the primaries, each "lector writing the name of three electors on h's ticket. The three receiving the highest number if votes shsll constitute such com mittee, the number receiving the largest vote to act aa chairmen. City and county party committees are to be msde up of the party chairmen of each precinct In the city, county or diatrlct, the state eenstorisl committee of the chairmen of the assembly district committees In such senatorial dis trict, the congressional committees of the psrty chairmen of the senatorial district committees. The Party Platforsas. Fsrty platforma are to be made up at a meeting ef the candidates for state offices and for senste and assembly, to be held at the capltol on the fourth Tueaday of September after the primarlea. The candidates are to elect a state central committee consisting of two members from each congressional district, together with a chairman, and to .perform "such other business as msy properly be brought before ssld meeting." The platform ot each party ahall be formed at such time thst it shall be made public rot later than I o'clock ft the fol lowing day. makes your flesh creep to see them darned dogs!" Later still Jasper Pulling called his mother: ' "Say, ms, let pa be ready to get In the buggy with me. I'll see to him all right. We'll neither of ua ever get a chance to aee anything like this again please, mammy!" Mrs. Pulling chuckled. "Lljah," she aald, "you get your sack coat. Tou ain't going out In the night air with Jasper In your ablrt aleives." For aome time they sat In alienee on the porch. Now and then, ever nearer, the deep and horrid bay of the hounds came to them. Presently the thud of hooves and roll of wheels could be hesrd in th Inter val. The Pulling and Mr. Ballantyne Joined the other member of th household at the front gat and stood waiting with them In alienee. Suddenly two long, dark, gliding figure appeared In the moon-lit road. Steadily they came on, one altghtly In advanc ot th other, neilher swift nor low, but moving with a horrid rhythm. Nearer the beastly outlines defined them selves and as they swept psst the gste their panting breathe, their low-hung heads, their hanging tongues, the gleam ot their whit fanga and fiery eye sent a strange terror to the hearts of th on looker. "God help the poor creature!" Aunt Charlotte whispered. A few pace behind th dog cam th deputy sheriff and hi poaae. followed at a distance by a long procession of men. In buggies or wagona, on horseback or on bicycles. Behind these struggled a lot of hot, dusty and excited boys from town and country. Truman Wallace, the deputy aherlff, stopped to talk with Mra. Ballantyne: "I wish to goodness Steve was here!" he aid. "Th town's full of toughs, and If we get th other 'ua tonight they'll be a mob sure!" He mopped his brow. "Jest look at them devilish dogs; they're on the scent all right, ain't never changed that trot since we left Phlllpson'." Jasper Pulling took hi father Into his buggy- The two hired men came out of the barnyard on horseback In time to Join th procession, the young people strolled over to a neighbor's. When Mrs. Ballantyne was alone with Aurt Charlotte, she an nounced her Intention of going to Blufftown and begged for a horse and buggy. Finally her hostess aald: "Well, I guess th road Is as aafe tonight as It will ever b In thl world, only, I wish you'd let me go with you. We'll have to hitch up old Joe ourselves, I guess." With little Stephen lying asleep on her Isp Mrs. Ballantyne drove along to BluY town. Arriving at the aheriff' residence she had no difficulty in entering, although th place -was clearly In a state of siege. In th hall which separated the dwelling from the jail shs cam upon a man with a gun, and was surprlaed to recognise Bar nett Crane, a handaom. reckless young camp, whose reputation waa built upon lawleaaness. He understood her surprise st seeing him there and explained humbly: "Truman had trouble getting help. Seem like most of the boy would rather see this thing from th outside." "But I should hsve thought." Mrs. Bal lantyne began. "Ye, I guess most anybody would think I'd be more likely to help a mob than to guard prisoners unless It waa your hus band; he alway think the beat of a fellow and I gueaa he'd trust me." "And so do I," she answered simply. "I wish I weren't here, Mrs. Ballantyne, or that 8tev was not that anybody will hurt you, but you may e a sight you will never forget." "But there must be no such sight! My husband's honor I at stake. We muat hold the jail until he comes at midnight! They hsve the first man her safe?" "Yes, and are trying to get him to con fess before they get here with the other." "They haven't caught him?" "Yea, aalecp In a cabin on Nose worthy's farm. The door wasn't faatened and the dogs went straight to the bed where he lay! Truman telephoned from Long's." "Tell Mr. Wallace that he muat hold the Jail until Mr. Ballantyne comes." She carried little Stephen to her own rooms. When she had put him to bed aba stood for a moment at the front window ot the parlor, which waa in the aecond story, The summer night brooded as peacefully here aa In the country. The streets were deserted save for shadowy figures that emerged now and then from the black gulf ot the atreet which dips between the bluffs to the river. Men were sitting about the doors of the hotel opposite In thst sociable quiet which always characterised th group to be found there of summer even ings. But presently she became conscious of an ominous stir outside. From the river and the side streets groups of men appeared and Joined others who must hsve been waiting uoder the treea In the court bouse yard. In a few moment th street waa filled with them. She sprung the shades to ths top of the windows, turned on all the lights, snd, drawing a small table to the center of the room, sat down beside It to sew. The sound of wheels told her thst the deputy sheriff wss bringing the second murderer, 8b could not know thst he really came through back atreets and alleys while the cltiseas and farmer who had followed the man- hunt came directly down Mala street to distract attention. But ahe beard the angry murmurs of disappointment from the crowd In front and realised that they were bent oa aom awful deed. The sheriff's wlfs wss a delicate, eeasl- tlv girl. As she bent over her work the hot blood surged Into her face and her blue eyea brimmed with tear ot shame. "What might not these men think or say ot her?" She held herself In her chsir by sheer will force. The voice of someone speaking .from th court nouses steps Boated Into lb room. , Why Syrup. of Fijs tiVbfst family laxative It is pure. It Is gentle. It is pleasant. It is efficacious. It is not expensive. It is good for children. , It is excellent for ladies. It is convenient for business men. It is perfectly safe under all circumstances. It is used by millions of families the world over. It stands highest, 'as a laxative, with physicians. If you use it you have the best laxative the world ' produces. . Li I " I til i fi- : i now In Jail, and that they were on the point of mak'ng a confession, and the county auditor, who was with them, had sent out to sik that the crowd make no demonstration which might defeat that end. An hour passed more or less quietly. Then began a clamor for "Deacona." Thia gentleman, who was the auditor, mounted the steps snd appesled to the crowd to respect the Isw, but, divining that there had been no confeaslon, they yelled him down. He made his wsy to the hotel and dropped Into a chslr, spent and trem bling. When he saw the lighted parlor and the sheriff s wife sitting calmly . at her sewing, he sprang up with now cour age. "Look at that woman!" he cried. "She's never doing that for fun! She's heard from Steve, and Is trying to hold them back. Boys, we've got to get out and help her! A number of law-loving citizens who had been dejectedly wstchlng events, fol lowed him out to mingle In the crowd. Little Stephen awoke and cried. The mother ran to him eagerly, finding fresh courage In the companionship of her baby son. She carried him Into the parlor and stood at the window with him In her arm. He was a fin boy, and looked bravely out upon the stringe scene. An admirer under the window whistled at him, ha understood the friendly overture and began to kick and crow, holding out hi chubby arm and laughing merrily. The pretty domestlo picture hung abova th muttering crowd appealed to many. "They won't do much long's that woman Is there," one farmer remarked to another. But there were desperate men In that crowd, and blood-thirsty enough to turn It Into a mob. This1 v softening . Influence might delay the lynching,, but could not prevent it. Mrs. Ballsntyhe saw small parties ot men slip furtively through the yard and knew they were sent to guard th back exits. She heard the blow of axe and guessed that the big telephone pole at th corner was being cut down to bo uaed aa a ram. She sa,r It waver, and turned trembling from the window. The clock truck the half hour. "Half-past eleven!" she sighed. "Oh, boy, what can we do next?" Stephen aignlfled hla eagernesa to play "peek-a-boo," and they began the game. Meantime the pole had fallen and twenty mea were carrying It toward the jail. Aa they passed the window a burly Kenjuck- lan. who led them, looked up. "Stop bean, bo ye," he said good naturedly; "less rest ouhse'ves. Let the Hoosle'hs finish this job." Laying it down they crowded close to ths window and watched the mother and child. Th delay in forming another squad to carry the pole was considerable gain. "Peck-a-boo" had glTen way to "Thl little pig went to market" when Mrs. Ballantyn heard the ordera: "Clear a space there! Further back, boy! Further yet!" "O, get back, can t you, out of their way?" "Give them room for a run!" "Now! Come with a rush tne, two, three, four!" There was a splintering crseh. a shout from ths mob, one long, terrified shriek from inside the jail tba door, was down! The sheriffs wife buried her face on the shoulder of her child she had fsiled to protect her husband's trust. The tumult Inside the jsil drowned the ASK YOUR GROCER FOR Walter Bakers BREAKFAST Tba F1KEST COCOA in ths World Costs Less than One Cent a Cup Forty Highest Awards in Eurcpa and America." Walter Baker & Co. Ettibasbtd ma Dorchester, Mass. DOGOA noise without. Above the voices of ex cited men and the din of trampling feet came the cries of prisoners locked In tbelr cells and uncertain what waa happening. Some shrieked "fire" in mortsl terror, all pounded the cell doors and begged to be let out to die like men. To the horror of all this footsteps In the private hall added for Mr. Ballantyne the thrill ot personal fear, but it waa only Barnett Crane, come, he explained, to "stay with her and the baby." A fierce, wild animal cry went up from the waiting crowd outside. The murderer were being brought out one sbrleklng ilk a msnlae, one silent and obedient. They were dragged across the ysrd to a msple tree which shaded th sld windows of the sheriff's parlor. It was near the electric light, and, gently ahaken by th night breeze, all It tender new leave twinkled and ahone. It waa a beautiful tree a little peculiar in form because of the great alxe of two lateral branches which spread Its shsdow widely snd recom. mended It tonight as a natural gallows. The leadera of the mob halted under it, and a boy climbed It with a rope In his hand. Bsrnett Crane watched them from a little balcony which hung under the aid window. Then he went in to Mr. Ballan tyne. "Can't you lng?" he asked. "It might put thsm oft a moment or two." "It la too late," she whispered In de spair. -. "Twouldn't be If Stevs could get hsre," he answered confidently. His faith In her husband gave her cour age. Sb stood against th Iran ratling ot th balcony with llttls Stephen In .ier arms. while Barnett Crane called out over the heada of the crowd: "Boys, stop a moment! Tou've got those fellow and can do what you please with them; give them a minute or two to repent In. for Mr. Ballantyne' aake." From the street came a voice. "Don't give them an Instant! We don't want them to repent." ' But there were other who were faith ful to th mother and child. "Five minutes, boys! Give .'em thst long!" But It might not have been don had not Alice begun to sing. Her voice wss the pride of the county. Many in that crowd had heard it before at public meeting and entertainment, from the church choir or at funerals, and tonight It glorious notes were more thrilling than ever before. Th sheriff, riding breathlessly toward his duty, heard It swelling on the soft night air and recognised it. The boy who had taken the ropa up th tre with aucH a lively sense of th honor lid down the dsrk side of the trunk and dlaappeared. The masked desperados lis tened to the heart -searching melody Jesua, lover of my soul. Let me to Thy bosons fly and more than one of them brushed away the tears. By some occult power the singer knew that she wss melting them and ssng on by angelic inspiration. And, thrilling with triumph, sb ssw, already inaide th yard and making hia way Impetuously to hla prisoners, Stephen. By the time her song was Unshed he had taken his plsce. Hia back wss sgstnst ths tree; his right hand extended over the murderers, who grovelled at his feet, held a revolver. The leader saw In hla blue eyes that startling fire which ahowa the man at white beat, the point beyond which death may lie but never aurrender. He faced the aeethlng mob without a doubt ot hia power to control it. "Tboae are my prisoners," he said, qui etly.' "I command you In the name of th law to dlsierBe." ' Already many had allpped away, and the mob was every moment diminishing. But the desperate and the criminal' re mained, and they rallied the wavering leadera. ' "Don't be cowed by one man!" they cried. "Get out ot the wsy, aherlff; you're too late!", "Don't act like a fool, Steve; you're one againat a thousand." and aom on shouted, "He can't hold out mora'n a minute any how." "I'll be aherlff of thla county for that minute, all right," he anawered, grimly. "Whoever lay hi hand on on ot the prisoners dies right here!" Perhaps It waa the sheriff's reputation for marksmanship, perhaps It waa his per fect confidence in his own mastery ot the situation; at any rate, no jnatt approached the prisoners. On the contrary, th circle round them quietly widened'. The burly Ksntucklan broke th alienee. "Boy," h cried. Jovially. "Reckon we ain't needed heah. Thia county's pretty well fixed to get along the sheriff csn shoot neshly ss well's his wife csn sing. Less be gettln' ovah the rivaa." Sheriff Ballantyne' face brightened and hia boyish laugh rang out. "Tra-la, gentleman!" he said. "Tou Kentucklans are th best Judge ot shooting In th world, and I'm Battered." "We know a fin woman, too, aah. W surTeodeh to th song, sah, not to th gun." And with gallant lifting of alouch hat toward th balcony he and hi com rades twenty or mora turned into th black throat of Mala atreet, where it de scends between the bluffa of the Ohio. After thl tb mob melted rapidly away. Twenty minute later tba atreet were de serted, and th aummer night ao still thst Mra Ballanrya heard the Kentucklans singing "Jesus, Uover of My 6o.il." ss Because Its component parts are all wholesome. It acts gently without unpleasant after-effects. It is wholly free from objectionable substances. It contains the laxative principles of plants. It contain the carminative principles of plants. It contains wholesome aromatic liquids which are agreeable and refreshing to the taste. All are pure. All are delicately blended. All are skillfully and scientifically compounded. Its value is due to our method of manufacture and to the orginality and simplicity of the combination. To get its beneficial effects buy the genuine. Manufactured by tfALiroRrfiA ITg SvriJ San Frr.rtclaco. Cat. LoulavlUe. Ky. New fOB SALS BT ALL LKAPtSO DS COLORADO IRRIGATION LWS Bute Engineer at Head of Fnblio Ad- miniitrttitn of Ditches, DISTRIBUTION OF WATER A BIG TASK Stat Divides! lata Districts with m Water Cosasalssloaer tat Charge ( Dlteh Rider Keaalato . Iy to Coasaaser. H. A. Crafts of Fort Collins, Colo., in an article on "Irrigation Admlnlatratioo in Colorado." written for The Twentieth Cen tury Farmer, says: There are two function to Irrigation ad ministration In Colorado public, and pri vate. At th head of the public function-) arte atanda the atate engineer. The atate engineer ia appointed by the governor. The ditchee, ot course, are owned by either individuals or corporation, but still are under state control. There is on ditch In the atate, however,, that Is owned by the state. It waa built to Irrigate state landa. Then the general government haa already begun to act under th law recently passed providing for the construction ot storage reservoirs. The first government reservoir will probably be la the northeast corner of the state and will be filled by the flood waters' of the South Piatt river. When that Is complet and in operation another element will be added to Irrigation admin istration In the atate. The state of Colorado Is divided into five grand- divisions,-, kaowa as Irrigation dis tricts. Each division Is under the super vision ot a superintendent of Irrigation. This functionary Is also appointed by th governor. Then each irrigation district Is subdivided Into commissioners district, according to the extent to which Irrigation is carried on In the district. There i somewhere between fifty and alxty commis sioners' districts in th state. A commis sioner is called a water commissioner. He is appointed by the governor upon recom mendation of a majority of th county com missioners within whose Jurisdiction the water clstrlct Ilea. A water commissioner has charge of the distribution ot the irrigation water within his dlatrct. He has a printed record of the tandlng of each Irrigating ditch and ator ag reservoir in hi district, the dates of construction, the priority of rights std the number of cubic feet of water per second each ditch Is entitled to v law. These are points that hsve been settled by the court.' A ditch owner, in order to hsve a standing In law, muat make proof before a duly appointed referee of the facta con nected with th dat of construction, of enlargements, the Mite of the ditch. Its lo cation, the grade upon which It ia bull; and the number ot cubic feet of water It will carry per second of time. The report of the referee Is submitted to the Judge of the district court in the district tn which th ditch Is located. When the referee's report has been examined and approved the court laauea a decree, which la entered of record in the archives of the court, and standa Inviolate, unleaa overruled by aome reopening of the caae, or an appeal to soms higher court. This decree serres aa a guide end basis in the public adminatratloa of the affaire of the ditch in queation. Questions of administration that cannot be nettled en tirely by th water commissioner, the sup erintendent of irrigation or tb atate engi neer are brought Into court, where they are fought out until finally settled. Con tests In some esses sr carried to tb L'nlted State supreme court. The amount of irrigation litigation in the stste is some thing enormous, and is exceeded only by the mining litigation. These two branches of litigation make a perfect harveat for the lawyera. The prlvat administration of irrigating ditchrji ia another affair. Each Irrigation company holda on regular meeting each year at which It electa a board of director and a set of officers president, aecretary. treasurer and superintendent. Ths laal named ia the executive officer of the com pany. He look a after the care and repair of his ditch and the distribution of wster during the Irrigating season. When nec essary the superintendent appolnta an as sistant or a deputy. L'nder the auperin tendent ar tb ditch rider. A ditch rider I th man who rides up and down aa ap pointed part of the ditch, regulating the amount f water turned out to each con sumer. The headgate of each farm lateral I now under lock and key, and th key la held by the ditch rider. , Each stream of any considerable else ' .1 11 1 Established 1023. 17ILS0U WHISKEY. That's All! WTLaOl PTBI ILLTWa CO . eaiUavera, Ha. : :t .'if; fill !,! B ! York. N. Y. I'V .1 rG GISTS. from which water Is taken for Irrigation la rated by the state engineer and provided with a measuring weir. Each morning during the Irrigation season the reading of this weir la taken by the water commis sioner, who la turn notifies each ditch su perintendent in his district, or upon a given stream. Just bow much water his ditch Is entitled to for the ensuing twenty-four tours. This Information la handed along to the ditch riders, who then figure out the amount ot water each consumer within his division is entitled to. In times of violent furtdstlons In the flow of streams th rating Is tsken twice in the twenty-four hours. But as a general thing one rating per day is sufficient. The number of ditch riders employed upon a single ditch depends upon the sire of the ditch. The larger ditches In Lari mer and Weld countlea employ from four to alx each. A ditch 1 divided into sec tions and each section I In charge of a ditch rider. One ditch rider I usually ablo to attend to about ten miles of ditch. There ia a pathway constructed along one bank of every main Irrigating ditch for thn uae of tb ditch riders, end such other offi cials aa are called upon to occasionally In spect the works. The ditch, rider usually mskes hla rounds with a horse and cart, but aometlmea he goea horseback. There la another life connected with ditch administration that is much mora arduous the life of th overseer of the high line ditches that are built away up on th divide of the Rocky mountain to bring water from one watershed to another. Some of the cross the Contlnentsl divide Itself, bringing water from the Pacific to ' the Atiantlc alope. These are at an slti-' tude of some 10,000 feet above sea level, where It is winter about two-thirds of the year. Of course there-are no individual consumer to deal thla water out to, but tb ditches being built in such precarious altftudes need constant watching to pre vent breaks and wssbouts. These ditches are from seventy-five to 100 miles' from the ditches on the plains, and the over seers are obliged to establiah their homes In these mountain heights for several months esch yesr. tsklng their families with them snd living In rude log cabins nesr the scene of their duties. The life, however, la not devoid of Its plcssant fea tures as ths sir Is delightfully pjre and cool in those high altitudes during the en tire summer, and mountain trout and wild game are fcund in great tbundance. The water commissioner is also ca !ed upon to aend deputies to superintend these high-line ditches. The deputy must keep sn exsct record of the amount of water measured info the main stream from these i4lt.li.. an ( K.t 1 1 mow Lnn-n t,w th. commissioner Just how much to measure out of the stream to the main irrigating ditch down below on the plains. And again there are i.umerous small i'rtgatlng dltcbea found all through the lower moun tain altitudes that are used for the irriga tion ot hay landa upop the mountain ranches, and these hsve to be watched to see thst they tske no more wster than they are entitled to. So the water com missioner appolnta deputlea to look after these as well as the high-line and the plains ditches. Tb filling ot storage reservoirs can be supervisee: ss a general ining Dy ine water commissioner himself, as this work Is done outside ot the busier part of the Irrigating sesson. Ths Isrger ditches and. In fart, many of the smaller dltchea, have con nected with them separate aystems of telephone rommunlcation, ao 'hat the labor of supervision hss been greatly simplified. The News froas Home. The following brief but expressive note, reports the Atlanta Constitution, was re ceived by a Billvlllo parent from his son In New York: "Dear Dad: I am here. In New York, an" the doctor saya I've got the appendicitis." The old man was equally brief and ex pressive in bis reply: "Dear Bill: You orter be thankful. Dowa here we ain't got nuihin' but the measules an' th long-auffcrin' rheuma tism!" A Partlaar shot. "Good rcornlng," said the eld gentle man. "I'd liks to look ovrr some cf your spectacle." "Yes. air," replied the clerk. ho had been given notice to lrtve, "that 'a what moat of our cuatomera do. It'a just as good as looking through them." Philadelphia Press. Tell This to loir Wife. , Electric Bitters cur female complaint a surely and safely; dispel headaches, back aches, nervousness or to pay. fcOc. For aale by Kuhn 4 C. 11 Ebs could hear tlwt both prisoners were they rowe4 horn ward acrota th river.