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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 1898)
!.. ?3g5r9gg e ", g-"-; Afif THE COURIER ie ft- - - W F7. I 'jb' p : ii& Be t w.. R lt s&t- a er lV X would tbe citizens do in case of a large Are if that pump (evidently a third pump, is "that pump" has 'not been previously mentioned) should break down and that pump should have no other pump to take its place?" There are four pumps in Mr. Woodward's mind. Whether the last phrase refers to the third pump's feelings or to the consternation of the citiseas 1b case of fire, unless they can be assured of four pumps in each station at the very least, cannot be definitely stated. On further consideration Mr. Wood ward must have transferred bis sym pathies somewhere between the begin ning and tbe end of tbe sentence from the citizens to tbe third pump, be caase he, as a councilman, recollected that tbe citizens in general are not in the habit of doing anything at all "in case of fire," and even if a pump should break the police would keep the citizen's back with a rope in ac cordance with their usual custom. Tbe exhortation is only considered here because Mr. Woodward is a coun cilman and represents a fourteenth part of the city and aspires to be aajoror ueadof a city in such diffi culties that its general manager should be a man who can think clear ly. Words are the signs of ideas and a speech or essay containing pronouns without antecedents, singular verbs with a plural subject or decapitated sentences lacking a subject or predi cate, is tbe work of a man who only thought he was thinking when he wrote it. Extravagance is not absolute, but comparative. For instance George Gould's yacht, though it may have cost a million, and though it may require a hundred thousand dollars, more or less, per annum, to run it, is not an unwarranted outlay on Mr. Gould's part, because it does not bear an embarrassing relation to his in come. On the other hand, it might be reckless for another man to set up a donkey cart because tbe keep of tbe donkey would be too large a fraction of his weekly earnings. In like man ner what is a measure of economy for a larger and wealthier city is unwar ranted extravagance on the part of the municipality of Lincoln, which is now paying out a hundred dollars a day more than is received in taxes. The city expenses must balance with the income or tbe catastrophe of the de struction of the city's credit will over take us. A householder's first meas ure of economy is to discharge super numerary servants. Lincoln taxpay ers are supporting ornaments in the city treasurer's office, on tbe police force, in the fire department and in the street commissioner's service that might be dispensed without dim inution of municipal comfort or safety A mayor, city clerk, city treasurer aad heads of police, fire and water departments, as well as a police judge aBd a smaller city council, we must have. But the rest of the cityhold we keep because other cities have them. If dismissed they might begin productive work and thas increase the wealth of tbe city instead of mak iag monthly inroads upon it as they do sow. Unless municipal outlay and iBcome can be made to balance real estate in Lincoln will never regain the value which it one? bad and should have by virtue of legation, character of the citizens and railroad facilities. The prosperity of tbe country at large will avail nothing against the depres sion caaeed by local misgovernment. It is useless to talk about the attrac tkms that nicely paved streeteTuae Bttblic huildiBgs. schools, etc, have for strangers. So stranger is so confid iBg aBd witless who will not inquire before he buys an office building or Mock, what proportion its earning capacity bears to the taxes and insur ance. Tbe willingness of owners of real estate on the corner of Eleventh and O to sell at prices very much be low it normal rating is not an in dication thai, values have recovered their tone. The loss of value by the disproportion between earning ca pacity asd taxation of various proper ties is greater than the annual taxa tion itseli Yilue is an elusive quality but it is determined, especially in real estate, largely by its saleableness. If values were entirely governed by the desire of others to purchase what we have our property would be worthless. As It is tbe recently published tax lists do not include all the lots and laBd iu the county. The voters, upon whom fina'ly, however indifferent they may be, rests tbe responsibility for extravagant executive officers, are soon to have an opportunity of declar ing their approval or disapproval of the regime which has cost a large number of the freeholders of Lincoln their property. A populist or an old line democrat will not vote, however disgusted, for any but a populist or democratic can didate, but the average republican is a man of courage, experience, determ ination, and when thoroughly dis gusted he will consent to a temporary defeat of his own party. lie is will ing tuafc the other party should take the places in order that his own party may be disciplined. Such men will not suffer the character of republican ism to be altered because of a few offces and it is these men who may next week inflict a punishment long threatened. A storv in the November Black Cat by Miss Martha Pierce of this city, is one of the best of the short, short stories of the month. The scenery of the Big Horn Valley in Wyoming is a part of the structure of the tale. The strokes are as few as in one of Whist ler's etchings, not a line is wasted. The little girl and her rancbero dad in the startingly clear Wyoming atmos phere are remarkably- well composed. Miss Pierce's work is fast being recog nized as desirable bj magazine pub lisher's. The Courier has received an open letter addressed by Mr. Burkett to Mr. Manaban explaining why he does not accept his challenge to a series of joint debates. The letter is evidently intended for publication, but because, on tbe whole, we still hope for repub lican success in this congressional district, Mr. Burkett's letter is not published. It consists of sixty type written lines in which the ffrst per sonal pronoun is repeated thirty-six. times, or oftenertban once every other" line. Tbe eminent botanist, Prof. Charles E. Bessey, of tbe Nebraska State Uni versity, very kindly writes the follow ing in correction of the sunflower Mormon theory republished in these columns last week: Lincoln, Nebr., Oct. 29, 1898. Editor of The Courier: That little item, "Whence the Sun flowers Came," in today's Courier (page 3) repeats an often exploded theory of the non-botanical as to tbe origin of the sunflower. There were sunflowers all over tbe western coun try ages before the Mormons came. They are native from the Saskatche wan river on the north to Texas and Mexico on the south, and from Min nesota, Iowa and Arkansas on the east to Washington, Nevada and Cali fornia on the west. In all this vast region wherever man breaks the sod, as by trail or camp, tbe sunflower grows up taller and more luxuriantly than on tbe tough wild sod, and so becomes noticeable. Mother nature, not the Mormons, planted the sun flower in this great area, and did it much longe ago that the writer of the item supposes. Charles E. Bessey. K A A 1 m i CO., 1224 O St., Lincoln, Neb. This fall we .are showing a very strong" line of medium furniture, carpets, curtains and draperies. Here are two of our leaders in dining- room furniture. - - " tm "'' Pw Solid oak dining1 table, top 42 inch square, very heavy and will last a life time. Six foot length, $6.50;eight foot length $8. - Solid oak dining chair, cane seat, brace arm. A very good thing. We sell six of them for $5. FREIGHT PAID ONE HUNDRED MILES. fc THE FUGITIVES. As September fast disappears and the thought of gentle frost is no long er a mere shadowy hope, but an ap proachingg hSstorical fact, tbe bay le verflte returns. As he greete once more his accustomed companions he open his eyes wonHeringly. Is it ntoit a sensation- of pleasure be is experiencing? Hbw strange, how very strange! Not locg since all mankind were this ene infieb. Ugh! low he hated tbe world. It is true that even now he says some what -timidly. "How do you do." But remember, only a week ago tits face was a woe-begone landscape and) his eyes acqueducts, overflowing. What bits of energy he couW gather he em ployed in) mveofcrng a mystic web whereby there might be instantaneous disappearance, on his part, should! an uctettaated i& nay fever appear. Even sn thte lowest, depths of despondency, over his affidtion, he was not entirely without ambition. What gtory if he dbouM perfect his invention. Would nob the hay fever conventions all over this happy Band rise up and praise bis name? How crfep and cold the air to to niglrti. The moon' has come out and the house roofs, in order to greet her properly, Wave powdered' themselves lavishly. Thank heaven. The hay feverite smiles. Mil he is glad to be alive. Once he could onffy pity Ms fellow sufferers, bu now the can even philosophize a KOfcfe about them. For instance, there is Jane, a long time epinister of "the old school," who thinks an the world again her. He shudders as he thinks of her long fiis citations upon remedies she (haft "hried three hundred in ose year. How often bad the clan begged for mercy which was never granted! Tears, hys terics, were unavailing. But one other subject aroused her enthusiasm, and that a bit of prose she hod matte, which she said proudly twentby-slx. editors refused.' Sweet young girls there were and children already among the afOartuL Strong womem and hardy ment meek ly and otherwise accepted their fiwe. Others too, whom he wouM rather not mention, whose faces ttremfbled and whose hands shook. Men who had! not the courage to meet Vixis disagreeable inevitable and must needs find comfort in thait evil of evils Cocaine. The hay feverite ponders a manube." He feels so well that he is actually in doubt over the question of whether the hay feverite or his relatives are the more to be pitied. Then he sighs and bites his mustache. He is positive ly fond of that girl agaiim whose rooms are festooned with goWenlrod; and who wears a sprig or two im her belt Pre posterous, bat then The moonOigtet streams down the trees and floods the gross. It recalls another night on a lake Michigan boat when the moon roso i- all her glory and searched) the deck from bow k stem. She discloses to view a mourn ful hay feverite, huddled in a corner.. The captain-, standing nearby, turned, "You one of 'em too?" he asked. "Yes," humbly and sadly repCied! the hay feverite. "Well, it does beat oill," exclaimed the captain. HELEN v.. HARWOOD. Willk A. pin factory in" Jersey turor out 1,000,000 pins a day. I wonder what bscoaaea of them all? Hills I guess tbat sooner or later my biby swallows tbe moat of them.