4
THE BEE: OMAHA. MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1917.
The Omaha Bee
DAILY (MORNING) EVENING SUNDAY
FOUNDED BY EDWARD ROSEWATER
VICTOR ROSEWATER, EDITOR
THE FEE PUBLISHING COMPANY, PROPRIETOR.
Entered at Omaha poatoffiea at saeond-claas matter.
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OFFICES
omaha The Bf Bulldint. hiro pwrle's Oaa nulldint.
S.uth Omaha-318 S St Nrw Jork I'M Kiftti An.
Council WufTa 14 N. Mala St. St.. fouls . New B'k of Commtrce.
;. Dl-oIb LIUla BulMln. Wihlntoo 131 1 O 8t
CORRESPONDENCE
t-Mraal Bomirunlradma rrlituu to uiws and editorial matter to
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NOVEMBER CIRCULATION
58,715 Daily Sunday, 51,884
derate ctrrnlsUon for tha month, lubacrlbed and sworn to by DWaht
Williams, ClrculaUoo Muager.
Subtcribtra laavlnf tha city should hava Tb Baa mailed
to them. Addrata changed often raquaated.
' Tis the week before Christmas.
Did you do it early? If not, speed up!
Speed up for the Christinas-shopping homestretch.
Light-less, but not fight-less,
not right-less.
Fright-less but
Beware of the Greeks bearing gifts also of
the kaiser proposing peace.
Lightless signs down town occasion
worry where the home lights burn.
little
The industry of automobile stealing appears
wholly immune to the ravages of war.
What has become of the old-fashioned shopper,
who invariably apologized to the clerk for trying
to match a sample?
uugicssuiau rviiciim neneves tne proper
teatment of the people is "to tax so it will hurt."
How will exempted congressmen know when it
"hurts"?
The prospect of "lightless nights" is not as
cheerless as it seems. The owl family may dis
cover, even in the darkness, that home is more
than a place to sleep in. 1
The practice of auto drivers rushing past
street cr stopped at crossings continues piling
up trouble for those who take the risk. Better
lose a minute than win a damage suit.
Senator La Follette explains that absence
from the senate prevented him from voting
against the Austrian war declaration. But why
explain? The country understands and knows
why.
More caution and less haste in auto driving
insures arrival at the destination without the ex
pense and subsequent worries of financing hos
pital cases. The deeper that truth sinks in the
greater the safety.
But every question propounded to General
Crozier by the senate carried a back-hitting
boomerang on the vaunted champion of the
kaiser's bill to make it impossible for our army
to get guns at all by putting all our munitions
factories out of business.
Judging by the volume of publicity, defiance
of fuel regulation prevails to larger degree in
Philadelphia than in other large cities. Operators
whose policy centered in taking all the traffic
would bear experience real hardship in loosen
ing their grip, even to win the war.
Supporters of the volunteer system see in the
present rush to recruiting offices an argument in
favor of their pet system. So it would appear
by ignoring the impelling motive. The volun
teers, foreseeing the inevitable, choose sclectivj
service and head off selective draft.
Certain canners of food products have been
called on the official carpet to explain why they
hoard their goods. Officials suspect the reason,
but prefer first hand knowledge. Moreover, since
Commissioner Murdock added a can opener to
his tools, all Washington eagerly awaits a try-
out.
Ccunty Bonded Indebtedness.
The repo. t of the state auditor touching the '
bonded indebtedness' of Nebraska counties pre- j
! sents some interesting phases. It reveals the !
I fart that two-thirds of tile counties of the state j
have no bonded indebtedness and that the debts
j of only five exceed a hundred thousand dollars
! each. Five others show bonded indebtedness of
eighty to ninety thousand, while the rest have
mortgaged their property for various amounts
down to a minimum of six thousand dollars.
Nearly every county having voted bonds for
public improvements is very productive and rich
in natural resources and, computed upon the ba
sis of the actual or assessed valuation of taxable
property, every one of the counties is well able
to support the debt incurred and to liquidate it
in good time.
A cursory analysis of the statement indicates
the taxpayers of Nebraska counties have exer
cised unusual moderation in the matter of mort
gage indebtedness. The showing is very good
evidence of the antipathy of the farming element
to the specter of debt, be it public or private.
The aggregate bonded debt of the counties named
is $.1,778,887, which is a small sum compared with
that which these counties are able to sustain
should they desire to do so.
Thus we see that the financial condition of
Nebraska counties as political entities is excel
lent. The presumption is that most of these
debts were incurred for the promotion of pub
lic improvements, including public buildings,
good roads and drainage projects. It is to be
predicted that Nebraska counties will continue
to put more money in the improvement of the
main highways of the state from year to year,
since the farmers as well as the townfolks are
advocating better roadways. This subject, by the
way, was discussed recently in a convention of
the State Association of County Commissioners
and Supervisors, which for the first time invited
the state engineers to become members in or
der to facilitate the joint plans of the state and
county for the betterment of roadways.
The auditor's report shows, too, that the vot
ers who control the policy of counties respecting
the matter of going into debt are able to hold
tight reins upon public officials, thus keeping the
limits of debt within reason. The net result
should not be lost upon the voters of our cities
and towns which have often shown a disposition
to plunge the people into heavy bonded indebt
edness until the legal limit is not only reached,
but exceeded.
Keys to the Mysterious House
By Frederic J. Haskin
Washington, Dec. 15. So far Colonel E. M.
House is known to the public chiefly as a man
of myaery one whose thoughts and motives
are unknown, whose movements are secret or
obscure. This quality of reticence lias brought
him more fame than could volumes of lan
guage, because it is so rare. Most of our pub
licists have made something of an art of self
explanation, sometimes even drawing upon his
tory to help the common man to an under
standing of their characters. likening themselves
modestly to Jefferson or Lincoln.
Colonel House seems to resemble no one but
himself. His unique place in the public mind has
been gained largely by the simple expedient of
keeping his mouth shut when so many others are
open. Most of the sketches of him so far have
been elaborations of tin's fact, with the added
information that he lives in Texas, where he
deals in lands and "makes" governors, senators
and cabinet officers for recreation. These things
he apparently accomplishes by thel same silent
and inscrutable method that he applies to the
problems of European diplomacy. He wants
nothing for himself, and gets it. He has noth
ing to say, and says it. He is quiet as a rub
ber heel, elusive as a lost collar button. Inci
dentally, he does not seem quite human, as
limned by most of his recent biographers; he
stands forth as a selfless image of cryptic reticence.
I TODAY I
Right in the Spotlight.
Sir Robert U Borden, the fate of
whose administration is at stake in ,
the Dominion elections today, has j
been premier of Canada since 1911. j
.Sir Robert was born on a farm at ,
historic Grand. I're, Nova Scotia, in
154. He is a descendant of a family
of New Enplanders who left Connecti- j
cut at the time of the American revo- i
lution, being loyal to England, and
went to settle in the Province of Nova I
Scotia. The future premier was edu- !
eated in Nova Scotia, made law his j
profession, and In 1 S 9 6 made his de-
but in the Dominion parliament. In
lHul he became leader of the con- '
servative opposition and continued as j
such until he succeeded Sir Wilfred ;
Laurier in the premiership. Since the
beginning of th" war Sir Robert has j
worked unceasingly to keep Canada
to the front in loyalty to. England.
Politics Makes Postal Inefliclcncy,
Omaha. Dec. 15. To the Editor of
The l;ee: Washington dispatches in.
The Ree of December t inform us i
My produce, and of givinsr the recipient
the true happiness of ultimately pel
ting something that wiil give him real
pleasure. There are. of course, ways
and ways of giving, but there is n..
r-.-iKon whv moncv cannot be present-
I r.A i rra..i.iiw :in1 Hiveotahle a way
that none of the sentiment of the trift
is lost. M EAVNE.
tit)1);- Corbv.
Editor's .Von : Most merchants
..nivi.i.- f.-r tins wry thing by issuing
1 1 ,!., ,.V, - lMllH
o nu-fc 1:1 IdM' ItM liili ill'. V ' ' -
that Postmaster (general Uurieson is; ... a ,nlivhase ,.f anything in
ion inruuij lu lauoi ui.juur, aim uai ; fm-k
he suggests to congress the need of
withdrawing rights now possessed by
postal employes. In his zeal to make
a good case against the unions the
postmaster general is very loose and
therefore very weak in his charges.
He states that postal employes re
ceive now tbrte times as much money
as the boys in the trenches. Con-
WAR-TIME LIFE IN BRITAIN.
Ono Year Ago Today in the War.
Von Mackensen's army forced Rou
manians back over broad front in
eastern Wallachia.
President Wilson transmitted the
pofcee notes of Germany and Austria-
Hungary to th'e entente powers with- j
out comment. I
Food profiteering is risky business in
Groat Britain. Kvaions of fixed priecs are
admittedly numerous, but those who "get
away with the goods" are mer sure of
holding the money. A London firm of pro-
A., u Ullinir ill potatoes last
gress doe- not contain a single mem- ' , ' , ,,., ,h i. .),..
May nnu iirtu ii-iwi.t.t ..... . --
. summoned to answer charges of excess
i prices. The court assessed tines totaling
!!,20U, which swallowed the profits of the
1 May deal and some over.
ber that can accept such a statement
I if he gives it one moment's thought,
and I venture many members will see
in it a reflection on their intelligence.
In 19ut congress, composed of .".00
fairly intelligent professional and
business men, decided, after an ex
haustive investigation of the wage
problem, that $1,200 per year was
necessary to maintain the average
family In decency and comfort, and
British bankers do not ta'e seriously the
Sinn Kein 'hope of Ireland a nation under
German auspices. They believe Ireland will
remain where it is and win prosperity un
der home rule, statutory or constitutional.
Kviriem-e of their confidence is indicated in
But if the man will not talk of himself, his
friends will occasionally talk of him, and there
is beginning to grow up a little body of House
legends, which are passed from mouth to mouth
and occasionaly blossom into print. These
stories reveal the suprising facts that House
is a great story-teller, an enthusiastic hunter,
and a typical Texan, who regards Texas as a
special province of God, proves every argument
by a Texas example, and uses a Texas date line
on his letterhead even when he is in Rerlin or
London.
Under these rays of light, the House image
begins to look more human, but several more im- j
portant facts have gotten into circulation, which j
seem to be keys to at least some parts of the i
House mystery. Thus, starting at the begin- j
ning. we learn that Ins father, Thomas William
House, was an Englishman, who settled in Texas,
built a manorial mansion, and lived like an
English country gentlemen, devoting his time
to farming and sports, for which the Texas wild
erness was then a virgin field. On this Texas
estate, modeled after an English manor, were
entertained many .Englishmen and other for
eigners, and there Colonel E. M. House first
met many of the British officers and diplomats
with whom he is now dealing in Europe.
In Omaha Thirty Years Ago.
The Orchard Hill Terrace building
association is the title of an incor
poration which was also tiled.
W. T. Pennington, David 1 1. Walker.
Harry H. Miller. Louise Neese and
Harry W. Hewitt of Omaha, and
Abraham A. Rrubaker of Stuart,
Neb., filed articles of incorporation
if th,s sum were needed 10 years ag o h he banking interest,
oMVTd",1;'-" h 18 the country and establishing branches to
As to the ,,, r of strike
harvested in 50 years. The farmers are salt
ing the money, while the Sinn Feiners are
talking.
MIRTHFUL REMARKS.
SAD IflO CO J
(
postal employes, owing to nfliliation
with outside labor bodies, anyone so
disposed could inform himself in 10
minutes that postal employes in union
have absolute control over their own
affairs, and that no outside body has I h d,,, ,.ou ,av ,our wss;- ha
the right to order or dictate what they ,.,.,,., rk..(t b.tween .la'nei .
shall do in any given case. Tjie ;,,ei "Well, 1 ilidn't say,' smartly returned
reason for their affiliation is that "In, the girl', "but I've just reached 21."
union there Is strength" and this af- j that po-"lu- rauin-d consolingly,
filiation w.o-- forced on them through j "whllt ,' 'nod you?" Punch '
the conviction of the utter uselcssnws ,wrj,.h (t0 properMv( utleM-A hun
of workers looking for redress to the ' ,lrvd dMms, a ,.,cnth? Why. that's nil I
pay my bookkeopf-r.
liutler I'ut 'e doesn't 'avr fo hassoeiate
hevery day with your family, sir.TrBoston
Transcript.
One of the girls In a cookinK class wan
.ked: "Kid "U wash that fish before you
i baked it ?"
1 "No; what's th- use ?' was the reply,
j "It has lived in the wat'-r all its life."
I Kverybody's .Magazine.
The depressed state of the bond market struck
the Board of Education of St. Louis in a tender
spot Building projects under way necessitated
the sale of $300,000 of an issue of $3,000,000 of 4
pe cent school bonds, and the best price ob
tainable was 90.53. The interest rate accounts
for some of the slump, but gilt edge issues carry
ing 5 and 6 per cent sell below par. These
conditions applaud the wisdom of the Omaha
school board ;in keeping out of the bond market.
Two Rival American Kings
Baltimore T-rlran
Way back before the civil war the contest
,07 """St. place in the farm industries of the
United States between cotton' and corn began.
, The contest is not yet decided. There have been
years when corn looked an easy winner, but
wnn King Cotton convinced the United States
and the rest of the world concerning the immense
food value of the cottonseed there was a moveup
m the cotton score, and, notwithstanding the
bigness of the corn yield this year, it is by no
means certain that the 1917 corn crop represents
Keattr n-round value than the 1917 cotton
yield. Each of these crops has a value far be
yond what is apparent on the face of the returns.
From the cottonseed is made a table oil that is
substituted for olive oil and a cooking fat that is
substituted largely for lard. Also, there is the
cottonseed cake, prized highly as a cattle and pig
food, thousands of tons of which are exported
to cattle-growing countries. It is said, also, that
cottonseed meal is being used extensively as a
mixture with beef in the manufacture of hot
dogs, and that ginger snaps are being made of
cottonseed flour.
But corn also has a by-product commodity
that scores into millions of dollars for the side
line values. This refers not alone to the foods
prepared from the grain, but mainly to the value
of the corn leaves or blades, as a hay crop.
Corn fodder is the main fare for cattle dur
ing the winter months ' wherever corn is
grown. This fodder has as great food value for
horses and cattle as timothy hay. Beef, milk,
cream, butter and cheese are, to an extent not
commonly known by city consumers, but trans
mutations of corn fodder. .It is an abstruse
question as to whether corn or cotton is king.
The Study of German.
While every intelligent and patriotic Amer
ican must agree that our public schools, and our
private schools, too, for that matter, must not
be used to propagate subversive alien ideas or
promote disloyal sentiments through the teach
ing of the. German language, common sense does
not prescribe complete cessation of the study
of German or refusal to use the German lan
guage where it can be put to good and desirable
use. All languages, we must remember, are but
devices for communication of thought and it is
only the evil use of the German language, its
abuse to build little kaiser-worshiping Ger
manics in free America, that must be stopped.
The best discussion of the study of German
in the light of present war conditions that has
come to our notice is this from the annual re
port of President Butler to the trustees of Co
lumia university:
"For a generation past the German language
and literature have been widely taught in the
schools and colleges of the United States. In
some parts of the country the study of Ger
man has been given a preferred position by
law or by municipal action. A first effect of
the war has been to arouse a shrp antagonism
to the study" of German, for obvious reasons.
At a time when passions are stirred, and justly
so, by the shocking outrages that have been
committed by German agents in the name of
the German government and the German peo
ple, it is not easy to reason calmly about a
matter of this kind. Nevertheless, there are
certain ruling principles which should be
pointed out.
"No country can have a homogeneous or a
safe basis for its public opinion and its insti
tutions unless those rest upon the foundation
of a single language. To protect the national
unity and security no community should be
permitted to substitute any other language for
English as the basis and instrument of common
school education. Instruction in a foreign
language should, however, always be provided,
since, as Goethe subtly said, to know but one
language is not to know any. Whether that
foreign language should be French, or Spanish,
or German, or Latin is a matter to be deter
mined in accordance with varying circum
stances and differing needs. So far as German
is concerned, it is unfortunately true that its
study has been urged and emphasized in some
parts of the United States, not because of the
intrinsic value of the German language and its
literature, but rather as part of a persistent
political propaganda intended to wean the
American people from their Anglo-Saxon and
Anglo-Critic origins and to. divide their na
tional interest and national sympathy. Wher
ever thi propaganda has been attempted, or
wherever it may again be attempted, it should
be ruthlessly stamped out as a wrong com
mitted against our national unity and our na
tional integrity.
"When this point is guarded there can be
no reasonable question not only as to the
desirability, but as to the necessity of contin
uing the study of the German language, Ger
man literature aiid German history when this
war shall end. There are, perhaps. 1 .'0.000,000
people in the world who speak German. They
constitute an intelligent, a highly organized
and a powerful group, and they will continue
to do so even when defeated. It will certainly
be the hope and the purpose of the American
people to live in peace and concord with them
when thev shall have admitted their wrong
doing in fomenting and in carry on this war,
and when they shall have accepted those ideas
and ideals of political life and social progress
"which animate the rest of the world. More
o:r, should Germany again go wrong, wo must
be prepared to appeal from the materialistic
and force-worshiping Germany of today to
the Germany of Herder and of Kant, of Goethe
and of Schiller. We must be able to appeal
from the modern German barbarism to earlier
German poetry, and from modern German
hymns of hate to the beautiful music of her
masters of song.
A prophet with ministerial connections in New
York takes his outgivings seriously enough to
print and mail out a sheet warning the world to
prepare for three and a half more years of war.
Looks like a pretty tough sentence for human
ity, but since the prophet prophecies the death
oMhe kaiser and the devil at the finish doubt
less the spectator will patiently bear the delay
for such an admirable climax.
While the chase for "slacker dollars' is on
wastage of good money in political campaigns
deserves attention. The fusion campaign in New
York cost over $1,000,000 and two rivals for the
mayoralty of Pittsburgh burned up $170,000. A
turn or two of the conservation roller in these
localities or a dollar-for-dollar war tax would
contribute mightily to public morals and safety.
, Young House was a crack shot, a daring rider,
and loved the outdoors as do all westerners.
His youth and young manhood, his formative
years, were spent largely on the prairies and in
the mountains with summer visits to London
and the continent. The roots of whatever quali
ties a man develops may usually be found in his
early manhood, and perhaps Colonel House may
be interpreted as a westerner, who has spent
much of his life in the great outdoors, and has
acquired the calm and reserve which such a life
nearly always inculcates. Talk did not count
for much in the west 40 years ago. A- man was
called upon to keep his mouth shut and do
tilings. Colonel House seems to be still using that
formula.
House was educated at Cornell university and
maue a special study ot economics. He has I
remained a student all his life, lames Hryce,
long British ambassador to the United States,
and an author of note, is credited with the state- j
ment that House writes "as pure Addisonian
English" as lie has ever read. House seems to
have used this faculty chiefly in his correspond
ence, although he has been accused of writing a
book.
This is all the direct evidence that we can j
find as to the man's intellectual attainments.
'"or in nu uiic in puunc me wno nas so
sedulously refrained from putting himself on
record. But certainly he has identified himself
with progressive men and measures. He is cred
ited with a Warwick influence in the framing of
the Interstate Commerce commission law, and
much progressive state legislation in Texas. Of
millionaires who are the most typical product
of our present social and industrial order, he
is said to have remarked that he does not like
their smell.
with the county clerk of the "Self
Heating Sad Iron company," with
Omaha as principal place, of business.
A board of survey has been ap
pointed to meet at the headquarters
of the Department of the Platte to ex
amine into, report upon, and tlx the
responsibility of the loss of certain
property.
Mr. Hernia is in receipt of a letter
from Mr. Train asking that cuts of
the various public buildings be sent
to be printed in connection with an
article in the Record booming Omaha.
M. M. Marshall, president and man
ager of Iho Omaha Barb Wire com
pany, gave . most pleasant banquet
and dance to employes at Hotel Es
mond. Mr. and Mrs. K P. Woodworth.
Teacher kept me In today because wh"n
she sked me who held the world on h's
shoulders I said -Map "
"You little fool, it was Atlas."
"Ain't no little fool. Ain't map and atlsa
the same thing"" Baltimore American.
from their honeymoon. Thev are at i
home at 2219 Ohio street. " j
Miss Alice Godd, who has been at
tending the Fairfield luminary during
the past term, is at home for the
holidays. I
Dr. E. A. Simmons has just returned j
from a four months' tour of the west. I
national administration of the post
ofliee.
When it is charged that postal or
ganisations are a menace to the gov
ernment business, we point in answer
to the testimony of every postmaster
general for the past 20 years, ac-
i knowledging publicly and with grati-
i tude the material assistance :uch
bodies have been to them in their ad-
; ministration of the Postonice depait-
! ment. The idea f contrasting postal
employes with soldiers in the trei" -lies
is not worthy of a man occupying the
exalted position of -postmaster general
of the I'nited States. Postal em
ployes as far as I am able to let rn
have no apologies to offer and no fv
etises to make for their conduct in
our country's hour of stress. They
are at the front as volunteers and
drafted men. They have furnisher!
their full quota in proportion to the i
rest of our citizenship and it smacks
u little of hitting below the belt to at
tempt to set them apart in the minds
of the public from the other workers
of the country. The postmaster gen
eral evidently has overlooked the fact
that only officials are exempt from
draft as well as from taxation, lrre-
i
This mornlne I woke me at daybreak.
'I-l,.-. ,.,.4 .....k -.11 ....-..r.l ii-ltl, ItlOI..
lintie to do our full duty as employes l ti,,,, snmvflak-s Vame down so peacefully
and as citizens. , u Wasa wonderful sicht:
A RCNKOED DEMOCRAT.
: Two sparrows huddled for shelter.
The Chri-tinas Iesent Problem. I fl"" to my window- pane;
.i-..,!.., t-. i- , . ,,.. .1 Hut my thoughts strayed to the battle
Omaha, Dec. 15. To the Editor of ftoUl
The Bee: It is time to turn our ' And looked at the wounded and slain.
"Girlie, you are neglecting your appear,
anee. Why is this?"
"Algernon doesn't care for me."
"Well, don't bito off jour nose to spit
your face. Powder It up ami ko after soul
other young man." Louisville Courier-Journal.
side of your faca
shown In tl.e pie-
rhotoKrapher Which
would you ratln-r have
ture ?
Girl The outside, of course. I'd look nlca
distributing X-ray pictures of myself around,
wouldn't I? Louisville Courier-Journal.
A CHRISTMAS PRAYER.
who were married in Cincinnati the j n "'" tne tacK ot appre.uat on on
wit, nr iat mH. ,..,. i ' 'ne Part of our officials, we will con-
T he meeting of House and Wilson, according
to Harry Wilson Walker, who is a friend of
both, was the result of the search by House
for a man of national caliber who had the cour
age to be progressive. He had observed the
struggles and enterprises of Wilson in New
Jersey politics, and remarked to Colonel Bryan,
who has long been his- friend and hunting com
panion, that Wilson seemed to be a real pro
gressive. "How docs he strike you?" House asked.
"Every time he gets a chance," replied the
great Ncbraskan with a rueful smile. He was
thinking of the famous "cocked hat letter," of
which he was already aware, although the pub
lic was not. Nevertheless he gave House a let
ter to Wilson, and they met at the Gotham hotel
in New York. This meeting took place on the
same day as that row. famous in political gossip,
between Wilson on the one hand and Colonel
Harvey and Marse Henry Watterson on the
other, and which 'has resulted in so much bril
liant editorial writing in the North American
Review and the Courier-Journal
This Day in History.
1734 William Floyd, a New York
signer of the Declaration of Independ
ence, born at Brookhaven, N. Y. Died
at Weston, N. Y., Aug. 4, 1821. I
1760 Deborah Sampson, a heroine
of the revolutionary war, born at
I'lymton. Mass. Died at Sharon,
Mass., April 27. 1827.
1771 Littleton W. Tazewell, gover
nor of Virginia and I'nited States sen
ator, born at Williamsburg, Ya. Died
at Norfolk, Va May 6. I860.
1S17 Henry R. Worthington, steam
pump inventor, born in New York
city, Died at Tarrytown, N. Y., Dec.
17. 1880.
1 S70 Black Sea treaty conference
opened in London.
1892 Gen. Henry W. Ililliard, con
federate soldier and United States
minister to Brazil, died in Atlanta.
Horn at Fayetteville, N. C, Aug. 4,
1S0S.
1895 President Cleveland sent to
congress his memorable message on
Venezuela.
1914 Berlin claimed an important
victory for the Germans in the region
of Warsaw.
1915 Washington sent a second
note to Austria on the Ancona matter.
The Day We Celebrate.
George N. Roberts, former manager
of the Bemis Bag company of Omaha,
is 43 years old today.
Prince Joachim, the youngest of
the German emperor's six sons, born
at Potsdam, 27 years 'ago today.
William Lyon Mackenzie King, for
mer minister of labor of Canada, and
more recently assistant to Secretary of
AVar Baker at Washington, born at
Berlin, Ont., 43 years ago today.
William Gilsott Farlow, professor of
botany at Harvard university, born in
lioston, 73 years ago today.
Bear Admiral Richard ("Fighting
Dick") Wainwright, V. S. N.. retired,
boru in Washington, D. C, 68 years
ago toduy.
Ennis T. ("Rebel") Oakes, former
well known National league base ball
player, born at Homer, La., 31 years
ago today.
thoughts to the annual Christmas gift
puzzle. What does the coming of I The world was a Kiav
before me;
Christinas mean to us? Do we greet
. the. approach of what should be the
I occasion of unclouded good cheer with
I happy and joyous anticipation? No,
I let us be honest with ourselves. One
I and all we herald its advent with
sighs and misgivings, aye, with resent
I ment, at the looming spectre of the
j troublesome and perplexing problem
of selecting gifts to be bestowed upon
j people whose wants we do not knw
, and whose needs we cannot ascertain.
If so many of us do not do our Christ
mas shopping early, but defer it until
I he last moment, it is mainly for the
reason that we do not know what to I
buy and dread to mlertake the aim- i
less search, winding up finally in des-
peration with the haphazard and ill- i
i advised purchase of a miscellaneous
assortment of articles which in the i
majority of cases will prove to be to ;
the recipients nothing but disappoint
ing; pieces of useless j link.
It is hard to break down the bar
riers of tradition. Why, in the name
of all that is sensible, should there be
any delicacy about giving to those
whom we wish to remember a gift of
money with which they may purchase
what they really want and would en
Joy, some little luxury, some special
thing which they very much desire,
but the expenditure for which they ;
have not felt justified in making out j
of their ordinary income or resources? i
Money thus received will be regarded ,'
as a special fund, given with the very i
object that it may be utilized in ob- j
taining those, things which the person I
to whom it is given would be happy to
have, but which he otherwise would I
be unable to obtain. Such a gift has I
the double advantage of keeping the!
giver's heart free from the rancor
which the necessity of performing an
unwelcome task with little prospect
of a satisfactory result must invuria- 1
I The ground was strewn with dead
Whilst mothers' tears fell upon them;
And little mouths went all unfed.
I leaned my cheek aBatnsf the frost.
My hands were numbed with fear;
For cuddled cluse within my breast
Was all a mother should hold dear.
I looked l.;iek into years gone by ;
How dilfen nt u.'-s it then"
In place of all this cruel ficlit
Was 'Teao-' on i'.arth, Guod Will Towar
.Men."
I must have s!e;it, for wlp-n I wok
The gray had sped Into the nlsht;
And on my bended Knee I asked
That God would soon set things aright.
MILDllLD GOODMAN SITZEI!.
Shenandoah
la.
r .y7 - " ."'
. ) ) 1 ;
Locomotive Auto Oil
The Best Oil We Know
55c Per Gallon
GRAIN EXCHANGE BLDG. Preaidenl.
(
Timely Jottings and Heminders.
The American Red Cross Christmas
membership drive opens today and
Next to his silence, the thins which Has
rendered Colonel House most incomprehensible v will continue until Christmas ev
to a rnnl i,-,-,, etn,MAJ t.' .-t..- vja.,i.nin .... M. .1... t,..l,A,l,,.
r !'- uvMiaiumiu iu ?cii-sci-Mng politicians,
is his apparent unselfishness. It is said again and
again, with surprise bordering upon incredulity,
that he has never held an ofliee, though he might
have had many.
" - i
Austria and Her Loot
Brooklyn Eagle..
The proposition that a robber ought to be j
clubbed, but that the robber's title to the loot '
he has stored away in a cellar or a cavern must ;
be held forever inviolate, is a joy to students of
vaudeville major premises and minor premises
and conclusions. The identity of a horse chest- '
nut and a chestnut horse, the trinity of a sheet !
of writing paper, an ink-lined plane' and a slow !
pup or lame dog belong to the same category. I
Perhaps nothing better or different was to 1
have been expected from the operations of the !
mighty mind of Battle Dob La Follette workin? I
on the question of a declaration of war against ! 'our latit Pla
Austria. True. La Follette is not distinguished ! )vhen s.hu
Secretary MeAdoo is scheduled to
speak in Philadelphia today at the
! tirst of the series of "war conferences"
1 to be held throughout the country.
The Philippine problem will be the
i chief topic of discussion at the IMh
I annual, meeting of the Anti-Imperial-j
ist league to be held today in Boston.
; Hearing on the western railroad ap
plications for 15 per cent Increase in
t freight rates, originally scheduled to
I take place before the Interstate Com
j mercc commission in Washington to
day, has been indefinitely postponed.
; "Butch" Maseia, the New York gun
j man who is alleged to have fired the
j shot that killed Detective George A.
Eppley on last primary election day
i in Philadelphia, is to be placed on
i trial today.
"Why
Kturyrtte of the Day.
The children happened to be pres
ent when mother received an appli
cant foj the position of nursemaid.
were you uis"nargen irom
coV" asked the mother,
had ascertained after much
ingenuity that the applicant had not
voluntarily left that place.
"Well, ma'am." said the girl, very
frankly, "to tell the truth, I sometimes
forgot to wash the children, ma'am."
Whereupon there came from the
children In chorus, "oh. mother,
please engage her:" Philadelphia
Ledger. '
l Koad J
HERE AND THERE.
The , oldest
I'nited States
woman
is Mrs.
preacher in the I
Mary Goddard of
as a champion of the vested rights rstahlkheH
by time. But he is a perpetual non-sequittir,
just the same.
The Wisconsin senator retired to his com
mittee room to draw up an amendment to the
resolution, which, if accepted, would make it pos
sible for him to give an affirmative vote. He
formulated his amendment. It was a distinct
disclaimer of any intention to participate "in
any proposals to alter the boutiflaries of the
enemy country." But, alas, while La Follette
was cogitating and writing and interlining and
rewriting, the bell had been rune, th'e vote had ! Hrunawtck. -M. Mrs. Goddard. tliPuith 10
been taken, the resolution had been n.lnnted bv I ye"" ol(1- continues to rreach occasionally
1 iminimeMfi .t . - i- ! to CO
..,,u,,.,.,v.,n .nit, aim sunjiijiifiu procecumgs I
interested him no more. i
loles. tzechs, Bohemians. Hungarians are
virtually ruled from Vienna by a power thev
hate. Two-thirds or thereabout of the population
of Tricst and the Trentitio arc speakers ot Italian
and love Italy. The stealing of Bosnia and
Herzegovina is fresh in everybody's mind. So
much of their population is really Serbian that
Prof. Pupin was not far wrong when he said that
of 100,000 Serbians in the United States 99.000
had fled from life under Tie Austrian flag. Aus
tria is the one power in the war that has no rea
son for existence as, a power if races arc to 'de
termine their own national allegiances
congregations of Friends.
William Hallier of Mauch Chunk. Pa.,
who is a fearless snake catcher, but is
deaf, owes his safety to a peculiar condi
tion of the calves of his legs, which al
ways set up tremors when snakes are about.
His lej,-s are especially valuable to him
when a ratWer gives warning, as he can't
hear.
Thirty-one bills, including the "literacy
test" bill, have been passed over a presi
dent veto. No bill ss passed over a
veto until Tyler- administration. Except
ing the "literacy test-' there have been
only four in the last 3tl year- one each
in Arthur' administration, Cleveland's,
Harrison's and Taft'i.
AN appetizing dinner
i uponleavingOmaha
at 6:02 p.m. a good
night's rest in a "longer,
higher, wider" berth -a breakfast that starts the day
right and you step off
The Chicago Limited -"No. 6"
at 7:45 a. m. in Chicago ready for business. Your jour
ney, is over the shortest line, double tracked, protected
by electric safety signals via the
Chicago, Milwaukee 4 St. Paul Ry.
Three other trains for Chicago leave Omaha at convenient hours.
Tickdt and tlettxng cm taenaliom at
407 S. 15th SL (E.ilway Exchante Bldg.) Eugene Daal. General ent
cnti
Name.
THE OMAHA BEE INFORMATION BUREAU
Waihington. D. C.
Enclosed find a 2 -cent stamp, for which you will please send me,
rely free, a copy of the book: "The Cornmeal Book."
Street Address.
City.
.State.