THE OMAHA DAILY BKK; SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 1003.
15
f
MISSOURI RIVER HISTORY
Captain Chittenden Writes Interesting Book
on Bteamboating in Early Pajfc
NAME DOES NOT MEAN THE BIG MUDDY
om Fart In Connection with the
Great stream that Was Bo Lobs
the Principal Artery- of North
Bfilfri (omnrrcc,
Again has Iconoclaum overtaken tradition,
and this time the downfall of tradition will
be welcomed by a host of people, (or the
change relieve a mighty and majestlo
stream of a slanderous appellation and
places Its name In the category of the
beautiful and poetic. In his latest work,
"llJstoiy of Early Steamboat Navigation
on the Mlnsourl River," Captain Hiram
Martin Chittenden says:
The name of the river comes from the
tribe of Indians Just mentioned (the MIs
ourls), who once dwelt at Its mouth, but
who were driven from this position by the
Illinois Indians. The woid means dwelling
near the mouth of the river," and hns no
reference to the muddy quality of the
water.
That the epithet "Big Muddy" Is not al
together undeserved, however. Captain
Chittenden makes plain In paying a fur
ther tribute to the mighty stream with
Which he Is so familiar. Ills book deals
principally with the life and works of Cap
tain Joseph LaHarge, the most famous of
il the Mlnsourl river navigators, the rea
son being, as set forth In the chapter at
present quoted from, that for more than
too years the history of navigation on the
Missouri Is the history of the country It
Winds its way through. The might and
majesty of the great stream Is thus de
scribed by Captain Chittenden:
Of all the rivers on the globe the longest
Is the Missouri-Mississippi. On the summit
of the Rocky mountains, above the upper
Red Rock lake, some forty miles west of
the Yellowstone National park and directly
on the boundary between the states of
Idaho and Montana, the Jefferson fork of
the Missouri finds Its source. From this
point by a continuous water course to the
Gulf of Mexico the distance Is 4.2LT miles.
The river is formed by the confluence of
three fine mountain streams which unite at
a point fifty miles south of Helena. Mont.
They were named by their discoverers,
Lewis and Clark, the Jefferson. Madison
and Gallatin rivers, in honor of the ad
ministration which set on foot the expedi
tion of these explorers. Two of these
streams rise In the Yellowstone National
park and the other, as we have seen, a
little distance to the westward.
e
The river In Its unrestrained rambles
from bluff to bluff performs some curious
freaks. It, develops the most remarkable
bends, varying In length from one to thirty
miles, with distances across tho necks but
a small fraction of those around. In time
these narrow necks are cut in two, and the
river abandons its old course, which soon
fills up near the extremity of these bends
and leaves crescent-shaped lakes In the
middle. This process Is a never-ending one,
and the channel distances along the river
nre In a state of never-ending change.
There Is one bend in the upper river known
from the earliest times as the "great
bend," which vbs not formed In the way
lust described. The course of the river
here Is comparatively permanent, and is
evidently that of the original stream bed.
The distance around It nearly thirty miles,
while that across Is only a mile and a half.
It was a regular custom with trsvelers,
when the Indians were not too dangerous,
to leave the boats at the beginning of this
bend and walk across, going on board at
the other side.
Value of the Bends.
The existence of so tnany bends increased
the length of the channel, but this draw
back was more than offset by the reduc
tion of the slope which made the current
less strong and enabled steamboats to
overcome It with greater ease. The river
is like a spiral stairway leading from the
ocean to the mountains. A steamboat at
Fort' Benton is 2,60 feet two and one-half
times the height of the Eiffel tower In
Paris above the level of the sea; yet so
gentle Is the slope nearly all the way that,
in placid weather; the water surface re
eeinbles, that of a lake. This wonderful
evulng up of the slope of the river Dy
' the extreme sinuosity of Its course Is a
fact not only interesting as a natural phe
nomenon, but of tho utmost importance in
the behavior and use of the stream.
Not only does the general course of the
river have these larger windings, but In
periods of low water they are multiplied
manifold. When a large proportion of the
river bed between Its banks becomes ex
posed, as It does In the low water season,
the St i earn flows buck and forth across
this bed until Its length Is largely In
creased over that at high water. Here
again is to be seen the wixilom of nature's
methods. In periods of high water, when
it is Important to move the floods rapidly
down the valley, the river straightens out,
shortens Us length. Increases its slope and
accelerates the velocity of Its flow.
Of the Immense carrying power and po
tential energy of this stream It is difficult
to form an adequate conception, it yearly
carries into the Mississippi 550.000,000 tons
of earth, which has been brought an aver
age distance of not less than 600 miles.
The work thus represented Is equivalent to
376,000,000,000 mile-tons, or -tons carried one
mile. The railroads of the United States
carried in tho year 1901 141,000,000,000 mlle
tons of freight.
That such an exercise of power should
leave its Impress deep upon the country
through which the river flows is not to be
wondered at. Every year thousands of
acres of rich bottom lands, are destroyed.
Forests, meadows, cultivated tieUi. farm
bouses and villages fall before Its tre
mendous onslaught, and the changes that
have been wrought in the topography of
the valley during the last 100 years almost
defy beller.
In support of this latter statement. Cap
tain Chittenden gives the following:.
A curious Illustration of the great changes
wnirli nave taKen place along tne Missouri
valley occurred a few years ago. In lWi
a farmer was diggrng a well near the
mouth of Grand river, in Missouri, several
miles from the present channel of the
Missouri. A Bible was found In the ex
cavation, and on Its cover was the name
Naomi. The book was sent to Captain
lBarge to see If he could suggest any
C 3
voa
man
Of the periodic pain which many women
experience with every month it makes
the gentleness and kindness always as
sociated with womanhood seem to be
almost a miracle. While in general no
woman rebels against what she regards
as g natural necessity there is no woman
who would not gladly be free from this
recurring reriod of pain.
Doctor Pierce's Favorite Prescription
makes weak women strong and sick
women well, and gives them freedom
from disease. It establishes regularity,
dries weakening drains, heals inflamma
tion and ulceration and cures female
weakness.
Sick women are invited to consult Dr.
Pierce by letter, free. All correspond
ence strictly private and sacredly eonfi
dentiaL Write without fear and without
fee to Dr. R. V. Pierce, Buffalo, N. Y.
Mr. T. DoUn. of Madrid. Perkini Co . Krbr .
write : 1 wSk cured of psioml period, by tht
Me of Dr. Hrrc', Favorite PirtcnpuoB, snj
his Componnd Hitrsct of biuart-Wred. 1 think
lit. I iei medicines the bct la the world.
Favorite Prescription has the testi
mony of thousands of women to its
complete cure of womanly diseases. Do
not accept an unknown and unproved
substitute in its place.
I The sluggish liver nude active by tha
M oc Vi. i-tcrce-a ncasanl reueu,
explanation of Its presence where It was
unn. ine captain recalled perfectly tne
fact that the steamer Naomi was wrecked
at that precise spot fifty-six years before.
in incise aays the missionaries always lert
Hlble on board the various boats, attached
by chains to the tables or other parts of
the cabin and lettered with the names
of the boats to which they belonged.
Beaatles of the River.
Captain Chittenden devotes some atten
tion to the efforts of the government to
restrain the propensity of the river for
wandering, saying: "In recent years the
government has seriously undertaken to set
metes and bounds to the migratory habits
of the stream, but It has found a most re
fractory subject to deal with. Even with
the expenditure of vast sums of money In
the construction of the most powerful
dikes and improved bank protection known
to engineering, it can never feel certain
that Its prisoner will not break its bonds
at any moment and escape." A further
tribute to the river, and one which would
suggest itself to the casual observer, is
thus set forth:
From an esthetic point of view, the Mis
souri river has an unenviable reputation.
People who never see It except In crossing
railroad brldses. from which they look
down Into a mass of muddy, eddying
water, are name to compare it untavoraoiy
with other Important streums. But to him
who is fortunate enough to travel upon It
ana stuay it in an Its phases, it is not oniy
an attractive stream, but one of great
scenic beauty. As seen In its more placid
periods, near morning or evening, when
the slanting rays of the sun show the
water mainly by reflection, robblbg It of
its muddy tinge and replacing It by a
crimson hue or sliver glimmer mat
stretches away toward the horizon, cut off
spaln and again by the bends or tne river,
but ever and anon reappearing, until lost
In the distance, there are few scenes In na
ture that appeal more strongly to the eye
of the artist.
Am in. In Its less Deaceful moods, when
the persistent prairie winds blow day after
day with ceasing, there Is a peculiar at
tractiveness about the weird scene. In
all directions, as far as the eye can reach.
the air Is filled with clouds of sand, drift
ing along the naked bars and changing
tlielr forms almost as rapidly as does the
water those In the bed of the river. The
willows and cottonwoods bend complain
lngly before the blast. The river is lashed
Into foam, and often becomes so tempestu
ous that row boats cannot live In It, while
larirer craft, making a virtue of necessity,
lie moored to the shore until the wind has
abated Its fury.
Perhaps the most frightful scenes on the
river are the violent summer storms of
thunder, hall and rain, with the character
istic tornado tendencies so common In the
central prairies. When these black storms
gather, and the Incessant lightning seems
to bend the clouds to the earth and the
rolling and agitated vapors disclose the
terrible play of the winds, the river man
discreetly makes for shore and loses no
time in gaining the shelter of some friendly
bank. The fury of these storms, as they
brenk Into the valley, pouring down wind
and rain, with terrific violence, until the
river yields up clouds of spray, like the
vortex of Niagara, forms one of the wildest
and most sublime manifestations of the
forces of nature. It cannot be truly en
joyed by an eye witness, because of the
element of danger which is present, but the
Impression produced upon one who Is fortu
nate enough to pnss safely through re
mains ineffaceable In the memory.
Steamboat vs. Railroad.
Commerce made the Missouri river a
great artery, and brought It Into promi
nence before the world, and then commerce
bandoned the river and allowed It to
lapse Into all but forgotten disuse. Dealing
with this phase of the matter. Captain
Chittenden writes:
The great enemy of the Missouri river
steamboat was the railroad. The impres
sion now exists that the river has ceased
to be a navigable stream. It has ceased to
be a nevlgated stream, but It Is as navi
gable as It ever was. Let it be known that
all railroads In Its valley will cease run
ning for a period of five years, and thore
will be 1,000 boats on the river In less than
six months. Ii Is not a change In the
stream, but In methods of transportation
that has ruined the commerce oi tne river.
The ntruerele between the steamboat and
the railroad lasted Just about twenty-eight
years, or from 1859. when the Hannibal A
St. Joseph reached St. Joseph, Mo., to
1887, when the Great Northern reached
Helena, Mont. The Influence of the rall
rnarla had been felt to some extent before
this on the lower river. The Missouri Pa
cific railroad,- which parallels the river
from Bt. ljouls to Kansas .;iiy, was openea
to Jefferson City March IS, 1866, but did
not reach Kansas City until ten years
later. This road did not have much effect
on the steamboat business of the river.
Most of the boats ran rar Deyona ine
points reached by the roads, and would
have kept on the river, whether the rail
roads wore thare or not. Being there, they
secured a large part of the freight, even
along the line of the railroad.
When tne tiannitwi x oi. joerpn nuiruau
reached the Missouri river at St. Joseph,
In 1859. that point became an important
terminus' tor river commerce connociaa
with the railroad. A llae of packets, ln
eliidlnr three boats, ran south to Kansas
City and north to Sioux City, with an oc
casional trip to Fort Randall. The first
service of Captain LaBorge's boat. Emille,
was in this trade, in wnicn ne remained lor
two years. . ...
The next point on the river reached by
the mil maris was at Council Bluffs and
Omaha. Qv the 16th of March, 1867, the
Chicago & Northwestern railroad reached
the former place and on March 16, 1872,
the t'nlon Pacific bridge was opened across
the river. Omaha largely supplanted tit.
Joseph In the upper river trade, and still
further restricted the business from Bt.
Tho 6loux City & Pacific railroad entered
Bloux C.lty in law! irom Missouri vaiiey,
ihiu cnnnnc.tlnr with Omaha and Chicago.
In 1870 the Illinois Central reached the
same place, directly across the state, Sioux
City became and for a long time remained
a more Important river port than either
Bt. Joseph or Omaha. All during the period
or tne inaian wars in me uoimuj uum
1870 to 1H80, It was a great shipping point
for the army in all its worn on ine upper
river. Even the trade to Fort Benton was
In great part transferred to this point nd
the St. Louis trade with that port suffered
another severe falling off.
Passing- of the River's Glory. .
And now Its bold antagonist attacked the
steamboat business on every side. The
Union Pacific railroad was opened to og-
den In 1869. and a freight line was at oma
established through to Helena, thus divert
ing south a large part of the business
which had before gone to the river. In
1872 the Northern Pacific reached Bismarck
and cut off nearly all the uptier river trade
from Bloux City. In 1880 the Utah North
ern entered Montana from Ogden and cap
tured a large share of the trade from
that territory. In 1883 the Northern Pa
cific leached the valley of the upper Mis
souri, and virtually controlled all the busi
ness that had hitherto gone to the Missouri
rlv 3T, except the small proportion w men
originated at Fort Benton and below to
Blwmarrk. The final blow was delivered
to the river trade in 1!87, when the Great
Northern reached Helena.
Thi was iractically the end of tho
stennhoat business on the Missouri river, j
and the doom or tne oia fori uenion. a j
new town arose at Great Falls, under the
fostering care of the railroads, absorbed
most of the former trade of Fort Benton,
and grew Into one of the largest towns
of the state. Fort Benton dropped rapidly
Into a condition or oecaaence irom wnicn
It has never recovered. In the meantime
nil the regular steamboat owners with
drew from the river except the Benton
Transportation company, whlcn nas main
tained to the present day a very small
fleet of boats at Bismarck, N. D. It was
a sad day for the marine insurance com
panies, when the fate of the river com
merce was settled by the railroads. Ac
cidents occurred with astonishing certainty
whenever It was found that the boats were
no longer needed, and It was left to the
underwriters to close up the final account
of this record of disaster.
The last commercial boat that ever ar
rived at Fort Benton left thsSJ port In 18.
Missouri River Coasmlssloa.
Captain Chittenden naturally adverts to
the efforts the government made to keep
the river open and safe for navigation, and
gives somewhat In detail the history of the
work, telling of the organization of the
Missouri River commission, and its con
tributions to the task of confining the re
bellious stream to a defined course. He
concludes this section of his book in these
words:
For seventeen years the Missouri River
commission dragged out an unnecessary
existence, and was Anally abolished by act
of oongress June 13, imtt. But the lesson,
If a costly one. has been well learned. So
far as government work on the Missouri
river la concerned. It will. In the near future
at least, be confined to two purposes. On
the lower stretches of the river it will 1
devoted to the protection of property along
the banks; In the upper course to the
building of reservoirs and canals for the
utilisation of Its waters in Irrigation.
Thus the battle between the railroads on
the one band and the steamboats, with
their government ally, on the other, has
resulted iu overwhelming victory for the
former. It Is a victory not to be regretted.
It Is In line with progress. The country
has psssed beyond any use that Can come
from transportation methods like those of
the Missouri river steamboat,
Omaha la the Book.
Omaha figures Incidentally In the narra
tive of Captain LaBarge, several little
affairs being recalled that necessitates the
mention of this city, although In the main
Council Bluffs is referred to as the port.
These references are of a date when Omaha
was but a struggling camp and Council
Bluffs was a "metropolitan" station on the
river. Later the conditions were reversed,
but the flow of Incidents has removed the
narrative Into another direction. One of
the stories connected with Omaha Is the
tragedy of Captain Fpear, an English offi
cer who was murdered by an United States
soldier on board a boat commanded by
Captain LaBarge. At Bt Louis General
Sherman had arranged to send some troops
from Omaha north by the boat Ootavla.
The stoiy goes on:
Octavla left Bt. Louis Tuesday. May 7,
1867, on the most Important trip I ever made
up the river. There were no Incidents of
note until the boat reached Omaha, where
the troops were tsken on board. We also
received at. this point a passenger in the
person of Captain W. v. Spear of tho
Seventy-ninth Royal Rifles, an officer of
the British army, on furlough from India.
He was on his way to Salt Lake City by
way of the Missouri river, and was going
thence to California. He seemed to be a
man of means. This embarkation of the
troops and of this officer was the prelude
to one of the most distressing tragedies
that ever occurred on the Missouri river.
The troops were mostly Irish Fenians, and
the lieutenant in charge was an Irishman,
all Intensely hostile to the English. This
fact may in part explain what subsequently
transpired. Spear, himself, felt doubts for
his safetv, and one day remarked to me
that he would be lucky if he got out of this
scrape without accident. I did not know
what he meant, for he was a very fearless
man, going on shore frequently In spite of
danger from the Indians. Just after mid
night on June 7, or more precisely, about
12:30 a. m., June B, as Captain Spear and
Joseph ('. LaBarge, my son, were going up
the steps to the hurricane deck. Captain
Spear being u little ahead, a sentinel, Wil
liam Barry, stationed near there, fired at
Captain Spear, the bullet passing through
his head at the base of the brain, and kill
ing htm Instantly. The following day an
Inquest was held by a committee of the
passengers, consisting of Thomas E. Tutt,
Greene Clay Smith, Sam McLean, Richard
Leach, T. H. Eastman, George W. McLean
and W. J. MnCormlck. secretary. Several
of the passengers and crew were sworn and
thnir ipntlmnnv tnken. No motive could be
discovered for the deed. The sentinel's
orders required him to challenge only
parties approaching the boat from the
shore, and it was expressly tgreed with roe
bv IJeutenant Hnrrigan as a condition of
permitting sentinels to be poxted on the
hurricane deck that they should not lntr
fere In any way with the passengers. The
finding of the committee was that "the
shooting was not In accordance with any
Instructions given to said sentinel, and that
he deserved the most rigid punishment
known to the law." There was Indeed a
strong pentlment among the passengers In
favor of lynching him, but the military
could enstlv have prevented it. and every
one believed that he would meet with due
punishment In regular order.
Murderer Goes Unpunished.
It Is worthy of note that Barry was
never punished. He was held under arrest
for a time by the military authorities and
finally sent back to his company. On rep
resentations from the British government
he was finally taken to Yankton to be tried,
where a verdict, written by the Judge, was
returned by the Jury, acquitting Barry of
the charge of murder.
Another Important episode mentioned in
the book is the visit of Abraham Lincoln
to Council Bluffs in August, 1869. Here Mr.
Lincoln first met with Grenville M. Dodge,
and It Is to the conversation then held that
Captain Chittenden ascribes the location of
the terminus of the Union Pacific at Coun
cil Bluffs Instead of at Omaha. The In
exorable logic of events has since reversed
this decision.
Duping; an Indian Agent.
Crie of the Incidents of the early days of
commerce on the river, when the affairs of
the, American Fur company overshadowed
all else In the northwest, concerns the run
ning of a cargo of alcohol past the watch
ful Indian agent at Bellevue, in the summer
of 1844, and Is thus recounted:
The new Indian agent at Bellevue was a
former Methodist minister of the name of
Joseph Miller as xealous In his new role of
Honor inspector as he had ever been In the
regular practice Of his profession. It was
his boast that no liquor could pass his
agency. He rummaged every boat from
stem to stern, -broke open the packages
overturned the plies of merchandise, and
with a long, slender, pointed rod pierced the
bales of blankets and clothing, lest kegs of
alcohol might be rolled up within. The per
sistent clergyman put the experienced
agents of the company to their wits' e,nds,
and It was with great difficulty that they
succeeded In eluding his scrutiny.
The urgency of the problem, however,
R reduced Its own solution. Captain Sire
ad the alcohol all packed In barrels of
flour. But he knew that even this device
would not alone be enough, for the ener
getic agent would very likely have the bar
rels burst open. The captain, therefore,
had them all marked as if consigned to
Peter A. Sarpy, the company's agent at
Bellevue, and they were labeled In large
letters "P. A. 8."
Tbe moment the nose of the boat touched
the landing at Bellevue the captain, as was
his custom, ordered the freight for that
point placed on shore, and the barrels were
promptly bowled out upon the bank and
carried into the warehouse. The agent
never suspecting this freight, went on
board, and after a most rigid search, found
nothing wrong. The boat was permitted to
proceed, but contrary to its usual haste In
getting away as soon as the loading and
unloading were complete, It remained the
rest of tho day and rave out that it would
nit sail until the following morning. The
extraordinarily good character of the boat
on this occasion, and the unusually long
delay In departing, roused the suspicions of
the agent who stationed a man to watch
the boat and to whistle if he saw anything
wrong.
Everything remained quiet until some
time after midnight, except that a full
head of steam was kept up In the boilers.
Presently there was great activity on the
boat, although with an ominous silence
about it all. The pilot Captain La Barge,
was quietly engineering the reloading of the
barrels. He had spread tarpaulins on the
deck and gangplank to deaden the noise,
and the fuM crew of the boat were hurry
ing the barrels back in a most lively
fashion. "What does this mean?" one of
the deckhands asked of another. "We un
loaded these barrels yesterday." "Why,
don t you see?" was the brilliant reply of
another, "they're marked "P. A. 8.;' they've
got to pass."
The work was quickly over and every
barrol wrs on board, when the agent's
sleepy guard awoke to the fact that some
thing was going on. He uttered hlo signal,
snd the agent made haste to turn out and
see what was the matter. La Barfte and
Captain Sire, who knew full well what the
whistle meant, did not linger to make ex
planations. Captain La Barge seized an
ax and cut the line. "Get aboard, men!"
he shouted: "the line has parted!"
The boat instantly dropped nacK into tne
current and then stood out Into the river
under her own steam. She was already out
of resign or tne ranK wnen tne reverend
Inspector appeared and wanted to now
why they were oir so early. It was about
1 a. m. "Oh. the line parted." replied Can
tain La Barge, "and It was so near time to
start that It was not worth while to tie up
again."
This was a little too much for the aarent.
who could not understand now It hap
pened that the boat was so thoroughly pre
pared for such an accident, with steam up.
pilot at the wheel, crew at their places, and
all at so early an hour. Next day he found
that the barrels consigned to Harpy were
gone, ana saw now completely ne nail been
duped. Mortined and Indignant, he re
norted the comimnv to the authorities and
a long train of difficulties ensued, with In
effectual threats of canceling the com
pany's license. Meanwhile the alcohol
found Its Intended destination In the
stomachs of the Indians, and the company
reaped tha enormous profit which traffic
In that article always yielded.
Hero of the Book.
The book in question has for Its hero
the late Captain La Barge, of St. Louis,
probably the moat famous of Missouri
river steamboatmen, and the story of his
life and adventures constitutes both a val
uable history and a dramatic narrative of
absorbing fascination. The recttal was die
tated by the old pioneer rlverman himself
to Captain Chittenden and was thoroughly
revised and corrected by Captain La Barge
shortly before his death.
The typical ancestry of Captain La Barge
descended on bis father's side from French'
Canadian stock and on his mother's from
the Creoles of the south. Is dwelt upon at
some length by Captain Chittenden as sig
nificantly Illustrating the strain of blood
which took such an Important part In the
exploration, settlement and development of
the Mississippi and Missouri valleys.
At the close of this ancestral review the
author appends the following Interesting
acknowledgment:
The data for the sketch here given of the
ancestry of the La Barge family are
mainly derived from letters by Doctor
Philemon Laherge, sheriff of the district
of Beauharnols, Quebec, to Captain La
Barge.
Doctor Laberge had chanced to come
across a onpy of the St. Ixnils Republic of
January t. IS98.. In which there were a
biographical sketch and photograph of
Captain La Barge.
Knowing that there was but one family
of the name In America, he set about to
trace the relationship, and presently sent
to Captain La Barge a complete geneal
ogical table of the family from Robert
Laberge down.
The data relating to the maternal line
are gleaned from Scharff s "History of 8t
Louis."
There Is scarcely a page to be found In
the two volumes that does not contain
some record of peril or adventure or bold
achievement characteristic of the life of
that period and of the brave men who so
triumphantly dared the dangers of those
pioneer days.
Francis P. Harper, New York, Is pub
lisher of the work, which Is In two vol
umes, handsomely printed and appropri
ately illustrated. It is No. 4 of the Ameri
can Exploration series.
PRATTLE OF THE YOClf GSTERS.
Johnny Mb, aren't they using kerosene
oil to get rid of the mosquitoes?
Mamma Tea, I believe so.
Johnny I wonder why they don't give
them castor oil?
His Teacher Don't you know. Tommy,
you should not let your left hand know
what your right hand does?
Tommy Yes'm, but you've Just got to
take both hands when you want to tie a
tin can to a dog's tall.
Sunday School Teacher How many com
mandments are there, Willie?
Willie Ten.
Sunday School Teacher And suppose you
were to break one of them?
Willie Then there'd only be nine.
"Now, children," said the teacher,
"which little boy or girl can tell the mean
ing of the word 'humidity? "
Johnny Wise elevated his hand.
"You may tell us, Johnny."
"Humidity Is when your clo'es sticks."
A 4-year-old boy, noticing for the
first time a lock of gray hair on his fath
er's head, asked:
"Papa, why are some of your hairs
gray?"
Thinking to drive home a moral lesson,
the father answered: "Papa gets a gray
hair every time his little boy 1s naughty."
The child seemed lost In thought, but
after a short pause said naively:
"Well, then grandpapa must have had
awful naughty boys."
RELIGIOUS.
The Episcopal diocese of Georgia has
voted to place In Christ church. Savannah,
a tablet fn memory of Rev. John Wesley,
who was the first rector of Christ church.
Rt. Rev. Julius A. Cnatron, the Roman
Catholic bishop of Ozaka, Japan, who has
uvea ana laoorea in tne orient tor thirty
years, Is visiting and lecturing In this country.
Princeton's Theologl seminary is to
receive 32,130,391 as a request from Mrs.
Mary J. Wlnthrop of New York City, who
died last year.
Rt. -Rev. Thomas M. A. Burke. blshoD of
the Cathol:o diocese of Albany, announces
that the $40,000 recently willed to him by
Mgr. McDermott would be disposed of by
the establishment of scholarships for the
education of young mew for the priesthood.
Rev. C. at. Sheldon of Toneka. Kan., nro-
poses the organization of a life Insurance
company that will only Issue policies on
the lives of Christians and total abstainers.
All the churches of the United Slates, it is
stated, are to be asked to assist the organisation.
It is estimated that at least 1.500.000
women are studying India this year In the
United Mission study course. Forty differ
ent missionary boards have reported the
use or tne siuoy in societies connected: with
their denominations and 32,000 copies of
"Lux Christl," the text book, had been sold
prior to March 1.
Rev. Morton C. Andrews, rector of St.
Paul's Episcopal church of Oshkosh,
wanted' to run a restaurant In order that
he might utilize the surplus of his chicken
farm and grocery store to advantage.
Bishop Grafton forbade the enterprise and
now Mr. Andrews has withdrawn from the
church. Mr. Andrews has been an extreme
ritualist He drew no salary from the
church. Insisting upon the right to support
himself by bis business undertakings.
Rev. C ii. Jones has shocked rn con
servative element of Oswego, N. Y., by
making a contract with a billposter to bill
tne city, advertising nis sermons in tne
tnorougn and effective manner of a circus
manager. Mr. Jones Is pastor of the First
Presbyterian church and through the sum
mer months he is to hold daily services
which are called "twilight meetings."
These are the services he is advertising
and some of the specialties announced are
twelve-minute talks on sucn taking sub
Jests as "A Cure for the Blued," "Antisep
tic Christian" and "The Sixth Sense." The
city billboards will be hung with three
sneets ana nan sneets will be pasted In
windows, street cars and other public
places. "Why should Satan have a monop
oly of publicity?" says Mr. Jones In reply
to criticism.
"The principal value k of mission work?"
repeated a home-coming missionary who
had grown gray In the Held. "Well, some
times I'm Inclined to think it's the broad
ening, humanizing process the workers
themselves undergo, we see human na
ture, the heathen human nature we have
been sent out to teach, at first hand, and
from an utterly different point of view from
tnat gained in any otner way. we see the
beauty, the nobility, heroism of even
heathen character, and while I am no
less a Christian than when a quarter of a
century ago i sianea out in ine wont witn
a seal that was ready to burn every other
thing but my particular form of religion
off the face of the earth, still," with a
smile. "I am able now to see what really
good Christians Confucius and Buddha and
the rest or tnem really were."
..rchard & WHIielm.
rE'RE BIDDING for your trade and offering; Inducements that will bring; the Jim:
buyers here, for this is a progressive store, one whose stocks are aler; and active
each day We have prepared to fill the season full of keen buying; opportunities We
keep the trade coming; by right prices flanked by proper qualities j Stronger values than
ever for June buyers, and then every item is new and fresh, every value the kind that
pleases careful buyers. j jt
Parlor Tables
(Like cut.) A new lot Just
received, made of select quarter-sawed
golden oak or ma
hogany finish, carved rim, Is
24 inches In diameter, highly
hand polished you can't find
its equal for less than SS.OO
while they last each
3.30
Porch and Lawn Furniture
Special designs at special prices. Our new line
of the choicest selections of porch and lawn goods
oium price to be round anywnere.
Porch Chair or Rocker, hard maple frame,
double reed seat special each
Arm Porch Rocker, maple frame, double reed
seat special
Arm Porch Rocker or Chair, strong and substan
tial, double reed seat special each
Settees double reed seat, maple frame special-each
Porch Chair or Rocker, solid wood, painted In dull 2 2s!
dark green, very pretty design, extra special, each..
OLD HICKORY Desirable for the porch or lawn use
Rustic, substantial comfortable and durable. We have
Chairs, Rockers and Settees, In a variety of shapes and sizes,
all of which are sold at factory prices, ranging from 32.75,
33.00, $1.00, 35.00 and up.
consists
of me-
1.25
2.25
2.50
5.00
Moodji Matts
Woven In
The very best rug for porch or lawn
Indln, dyed with pure vegetable dyes.
18x30 1.00
2x4 1.73
2 0x5 2.75
3x6 - 3.75
4x7 5.75
6x9 11.00
7-6x10 6 15.00
9x12 22.00
10x13 28.00
Chiffoniers
A' carload of Chiffoniers on
special sale. Chiffonier like
cut, made of solid select oak,
highly golden finish, richly
trimmed with brass handles,
has five large drawers, thirty
three Inches wide, eighteen
Inches deep,, worth $7.00. Spe
cial sale while they last
5.25
Chiffonier with bevel mirror;
18x12 inches, made of solid
golden oak special Efi
each M OU
'--vr'.v' I
S-Ji r-rr.i. 'X (
to-a-6Si'.V-5Sri 1
Chiffonier, large else, too 2.1k
19 Inches solid cast brass handles, .worth $12.00 Q 1S
special each ,0. iJ
Chiffonier, solid golden oak, swell top drawers, fine finish,
top 20x34 Inches, French bevel mirror 24x14 Inches, fy C(l
value $17.00 special lA.Otl
Sixty other pattern Chiffoniers, ranging up to $75.00 each.
Dressers
The largest assortment of Pressors we have ever shown.
Solid Oak Dressers, new lot. $9.90, $12.2 $13.00, $18.60 and up
to the rich, hand-carved piece In solid mahogany, bird's
eye maple and curly birch.
Kashmer Rugs
A body brussels weave very suitable for dining room,
bed room and library.
27x54 $1.25
jKxra 1.K5
Sxl0- 11.00
9x12 12 50
12x12 17.50
Special Sale on Tapestry Brussels Ruga
xl0- $12.00
8x12 15.00
Special for flonday Only
A line ex-super all wool regular
price 76c Monday
50c
Odd Lace Curtains
We Lave selected all the numbers that will not run next season and marked them fur
about half price. They are in odd lots of 1 to three pairs, and if you are a prosjieetive cur
tain purchaser it" will pay you to look over this special lot.
Irish Foiut, Brussels, Domestic Arabians and French Cluneys all the latest styles
in colored curtains.
Curtain Swiss for bed sets special per yard
15c
Hammocks, One-Four th Off for the Entire Week;
!ir
PI
118
BOTTLE
8KtrER M ft
Pure palatable perfectly aged invigorating
wholesome refreshing after the entertainment
finishes off the evening delightful try it at cafes
use it at home.
Delivered te any part of Omaha, Council Bluffs or South Omaha.
Order a case from the JETTER BREWING CO.
OMAHA Telephone 142 SOUTH OMAHA Telephone
or LEE MICH ELL wholesale dealer, council bluffs Telephone'
i rr,v Keneves Kidney
mm)
& Bladder
trouble at once.
Cures in
40 Hours an
URINARY
DISCHARGES
Fach Ct
ule beam the
name if"
Hrwir of ii-Hm rnnnterf riri.
pOKiYnOYAt. PILLS
EJ.Xfjfk ' CHICHESTER'S ENULMH
CfVfct ! ltBB UM ... -
TH TlJ sSru k.Ul.U... u4 Imllo
I I Vf MM fr i-i-
1 M, T It
-A. v. mr
U. 1 nti A T M .. u.i. u
TWENTIETH. LENTURY FARMER
Address Omahf, Neb.
VARICOCELE
A Sale, Painless, PermanentCore 0U12ACTXID. ;
80 years' experience. No money aoospVud until
patient Is well. OONSULTATION and val- ;
Uable BOOK FBSS. by mall or at office.
DR. CM. COE, 915 Walnut St. Kansas City, Mo. :
For Menstrual Suppression ':
PEN-TAN-GOT;
a box ; S bM SS. Soli la Omaha bj Bharraaa A '.
MoOmmmII Dntt Oe. Mall ortar tiled. Trad supplta -
Citicaoo, III., 222 South Teori Street, Oct. 7, 1902.
I cheerfully (five an endorsement for Wine of Cardui for the sake of suffering women who may read these lines. Eight months
ago I was so ill that I was compelled to lie or sit down nearly all the time. My stomach was so weak and upset that I could Keep noth
ing on it and I vomited frequently. I could not urinate without great pain and I coughed so much that my throat and lungs were raw
ana sore. The doctors pronounced it Iiright's disease and others said it was consumption. It mattered little to me what they called it
and I had no desire to live. A sister visited me from St. Louis and asked me if I had ever tried Wine of Cardui. I told her I had not
and she went at once and bought a bottle. I really felt no better the first week after using it and had little hope that it would help me,
dui aner a two weeas trial l began to slowly improve ana f
I took nineteen bottles in all and believe that it saved my H
life. Can you wonder then that I am trratef ul to Wine of T2 Xf
rdui when I owe that medicine so much? f f Jl G J
irh ' ' wa--y s-
I believe many women could save much
suffering if they but knew of its value.
llffV vAtr-Ai 1 lJUttVl . Ca
Contrast the healthy and happy condition of this well-known woman when she "cheerfully'VroU this letter and her piti
able state when she cared little whether she had the dread consumption or the fatal Bright'! disease, having no desire to live,
and you will get an adequate idea of the benefit Wine of Cardui is to any woman who takes it as faithfully as Mrs. Dunbar took it.
Wine of Cardui often makes auick cures. In fact it is known as an instant relief for menstrual suffering
and bearing down pains, but there are deep seated troubles that it takes time to cure. Wine of Cardui does not
simply benumb the nerves by anaesthetic actiea, but goes directly to the root of the trouble, building up the tissue
and thoroughly eradicating disease.
The cures that Wine of Cardui effects are lasting becauxe this great woman's remedy does its work thor-
ougmy. n e couia puousn letters telling oi l.oUU.UUU strong minded women wbo wantea nealtn and
when Wine of Cardui was put within their reach they grasped it and their ef ort were crowned with
success. Don't you want freedom from pain ? '
Do not be an object of pity ! Take Wine of Cardui and make the one supreme effort to be well.
You do not need to be a weak, helpless sufferer. Ton can have a woman's health and a woman 'i work
in life. Why not secure a bottle of Wine of Cardui from your drugpst today?
It is a terrible sl ir sa mm
thing to suffer so when l fl rP.Vn fTTr"r fl f R
0