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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (March 18, 1899)
THE COURIER. and the profits should revert to the regiment. All officers whoso opinion on this subject I have seen quoted are In favor of the canteen system which will not sell an Inordinate amount of liquor to anyone soldier, and whoso prollts return to the regiment and are used to provide extra rations, a read liiK room, and periodical literature, an well as other delicacies for the private soldiers. Before the time of the can teen the forts and camps were sur rounded by the lowest dives, and a drunken soldier was a common sight. Thh Commit is in favor of regula tion of the evil where prohibition ie im possible. An army of men will drink, and that system which has reduced theamountof li(Uorconsumcd, driven dive keepers out of camp and returned the profits of drinking to the army in an improved cuisine and a comfortable well-stocked reading room, enjoyed by the temperate at the expense of their convivial comrades, is better than the one that is threatened by the law di rected against the canteen. From the first, the canteen has been bitterly op posed by storekeepers and saloon-keepers, whose grievance is that the post near them does not trade with them bHt at the canteen. The opposition to the latter expressed in this bill was in cited by this feeling. The prohibi tionists in the beginning had little to do with it. The result of the republican pri maries is gratifying to members of all parties, especially in the mayoral nomination. Dr. Winnett has the confidence of the cltizensof all parties and will be elected in all probability by a very fluttering majority. A good record is better than promises or speeches and the doctor has made no promises and few speeches. He was nominated on his record in the coun cil and he will be elected because of the republican majority in this city and because of the confidence he has inspired by his work in uhc council. The Illinois federation of women's clubs at a recent session condemned the use of a woman's face and figure to advertise soap, tobacco, patent medicines, etcetera. It is an ungrateful task to be for ever finding fault, but there is no par ticular point in praising the sun, moon and stars the only created things from an earthly standpoint which are all right and perform their functions faultlessly Every thingelse needs attention and American news papers occupy the position of moni tors in calling the attention of the people to the constant infringement of their rights by money-makers and dollar Idolaters. Some of the most flagrant indecen cies are sent out by patent medicine companies and pasted on the city bill boards; six or seven feet high and four or five f jet wide, it is impossible not to see them as you pass along the street. There is an ordinance against allowing such signs as the no to-bac manufacturers have had pasted up all over the United States. The bills are Indecent and a conscientious street commissioner would order them ob literated at the first glance. Protests against such signs arc frequent but the passers by forget that they are walking on their own property and that such signs are a tresspass on their rights and their children's. If they would immediately appeal to the street commissioner he would be forced by the volume of the com plaints to order the removal of the objectionable bills. Most of the bill board pictures are harmless enough and Introduce a bold splash of red and yellow into the neutral tints of the winter streets that Is not unpleas ant to the writer. But if we wish to bring up our youth decently such signs as the one mentioned should be prohibited, as well as several others now on exhibition. Members of the woman's club could do immediate good by protesting against such coarse impertinences. Patent medicine mak ers have no interest in Lincoln except for the few dollars worth of their con coction they can sell to the citizens thereof. In making the sale they in sult our taste and morals. Nobody who loves his town or his kind ought to encourage such enterprise by buy ing the stuff they advertise, .; The Inferior quality of the canned meat has been established by the tes timony of the American soldiers who appeared before the session of the court of inquiry held at Chicago. Many of the witnesses testified that only about one-fifth of each can was good meat, the rest was fat and scum. These four-fifths it was quite impos sible to cut and it was thrown away. From u standpoint of patriotism the offcers, and in particular General Miles, who have been blamed for in juring a great American industry by telling what was really in the cans, arc not in so indefensible a position as the contractors who sold this meat to the United States to be eaten by United States soldiers in the field. Some newspapers call it a senseless clamor calculated to injure a great American industry. Great American fiddlesticks! Several thousand Amer ican stomachs rejected the cheap fatty contents of the cans which a careless commissary general provided for them without previous inspection except by the cans sent his agent by the packers. The celebrated Mr. Shoddy, who secured the government contract for providing the union sol diers of the Rebellion with uniforms, is said to have made the same plea, namely, that any charges and investi gation into the quality of the cloth his uniforms were made of would be bad for the reputation of American manufacturers. It might have had that effect too but the charges gave the government agents the courage to inspect more carefully the goods fur nished the government by the wool manufacturers and the soldiers had cause to be thankful for what Mr. Mr. Shoddy called an unwise attack on the American wool trade. And Mr. Shoddy had to change his name an'! move. Never having been a stu dent of language or literature, it is said he was surprised to find that his name supplied u word that bad been lacking to the language ever since the Yankees reached the coast of North America. Shoddy means something which will neither wear nor wash, but will drop to pieces and fade when used. There l no denying the fact that canned roast beef and canned corn beef are in bad odor on account of the charges made by General Miles and the Investigation by the court of in quiry. It is assorted that the beof sold by some of the packers was just what it pretended to be, prime beef, of good quality. Unfortunately the honest men have to suffer the odium incurred by dishonorable members in the eame business. The eventual re sult, when this fuss is over, will bo the improvement of the product, and the more rigid investigation of their purchases by commissary generals, whoso "honah" is better preserved by precautions before an investigation than by objurgations afterward. Audubon societies are growing in numbers and interest in birds is in creasing to Judge from the letters re ceived from the secretaries of bird so cleties in Washington and elsowhere. One of the largest of such societies is in Massachusetts, whose membership liBt Is printed on fifty-six pages. Ne braska was the first state to propose the establishment of a bird day In the schools. Other states took the hint and set apart a bird day for the pub lic schools. But Nebraska has not done much for the birds or carried out the suggestion made in this stale first. Though individual teachers are trying to cultivate a knowledge of and sympathy with birds. The biological department at Wash ington sends out, on request, some very interesting books on birds. Two at hand are "Hawks and Owls from the Standpoint of the Farmer," by A. K. Fisher, M. D and "Four Common Birds of the Farm and Garden'' by Sylvester J udd. Mr, Fisher says only a very small proportion of the hawk and owl species destroy young birds and chickens. He divides hawks and owls into four classes, based on their appetite, as follows: Species which' are wholly beneficial, those chiefly beneficial, those in which the benefi cial and harmful qualities about bal ance, and the harmful species. Of the raptorial birds Mr. Fisher says: The rapacious birds are slow breeders, roaring only one brood a year, though of course if the first set of eggs is destroyed another will be deposited. The young grow slowly, and need a relatively large amount of food to develop properly. To satisfy their enormous appetite requires constant foraging on the part of the pa rents, and the strain of bringing up the family is probably twice that of any of the other land birdB. Even the adults are large eaters, gorging to the utmost when the opportunity presents ; and as digestion is very rapid and assimilation perfect, a great quantity of food in rela tion to the body weight is consumed each day. Taking more food than is nec essary for immediate wants enables them to store up force for future emergencies, for they are often required to withstand great exposure and long protracted fasts, especially during inclementweathcr. Hawks and owls are complementary to each other. While hawks hunt by day and keep diurnal mammals in check; owls, whose eyesight is keenest during twilight and the early hours before dawn. capture nocturnal species which the for mer are not apt to obtaiu. Again, the owls are less migratory than the hawks, and duricg the long wintry nights they remain in the land of ice and enow to wage inceEsant warfare again? t the little enemies of the orchard, garden, and har vest fields. Although much may be learned about the food from observing the habits of the live birds, the only way to And out the full range and relative percentages of the food elements, hi by examination of the stomach contents. Sometimes, in the case of birds of prey, a moderately complete and reliable index to the food can be obtained by examining the "pel lets." Hawks and owls often swallow their smaller victims entire, and tear the larger ones into eeveral pieces, swallow ing each portion bb it in detached . After the nutritiouB portion of the food baB been absorbed, the indigestible parts, euch as hair, feathers, scales, bones, and other bard partB, aio rolled into a solid bail by the action of the muscles of the stomach. These massei, known as "pel lets," are regurgitated before fresh food is taken. The movements of the stom ach so shape the M pellets" that the sharp pieces of bone which might otherwise injure the mucous membrane are care fully enveloped in a felty covering of hair and feathers. The pellets contain everything necessary to identify the food and in the case of some of the owls tbat have regular roosting places the vast amount of pellets that collect under neath give an almost perfect record of the reiulls of their hunting excursion i. I MMMMMMMMMMMIM LliBS- MMMIMUMMMt LOUISA h IilOKETTS. Following are the officers of the Gen eral Federation of Women's clubs: President Mrs. Rebecca D. Lowe, Atlanta, Ga. Vice President Mrs. Sarah S. Piatt, Denver, Colo. Recording Secretary Mrs. Emma A. Fox, Detroit, Mich. Corresponding Socrotnry Mrs.Goorgo W. Kondrick, Philadelphia, Pa. Treasurer, Mrs. Phillip N. Moore, St. Louid, Mo. Auditor Mrs. C. P. Barnes, Louis ville, Ky.. State Chairman Mrs. Louisa L. Rick etfs, Lincoln, Nebr. Officers of the State Federation of Women's clubs; President Mrs. 8. 0. Lang worthy, Seward. Vice President Mrs. Anna L. Apppr son, Tecumseh. Recording Secretary Mrs.F. H. Sack ott, Weeping Water. Corresponding Secretary Mrs D. G. McKillip, Seward. Treasurer Mrs. H. F. Doane, Crete, Librarian Mrs. G. M. Lambertson, Lincoln. Sorosis met, Tuesday afternoon, with Mrs. A. S. Tibbets. The subject for the afternoon was' "Australia ' Mrs. McGahey, the leader of the afternoon, gave a very interesting review of this country and its government, explaining the proposed Australian Federation, which will result in a government simi lar to our own. Next meeting will be with Mrs. H. H. Wheeler, when Mrs. Munger will lead on "The Government of Colonies." The child study department of the Woman's club wil hold its regular meet ing this afternoon, at the club rooms, at 2:30 sharp. The general subject for the afternoon will be "Habits." Superin tendent J. F. Saylor will speak on "The Formation of Habit : .Its Importance and Influence on Character." Dr. Inez Philbrick will talk on " Detrimental Habits," from the standpoint of a physi cian. There is important business to come before the department, and each member is urged to be prerent. The parliamentary department of the Woman's club, with Mrs. Nellie M.Rich ardson as leader, gave a unique and en. tertaining program at the club rooms, rooms, Monday afternoon. The depart ment was organized into a senate, with the leader bb president, and if the amount of business transacted and the general good feeling prevailing is an ear nest of what we shall have when women take their rightful place in the law-making bodies of our land, then we say, for the good of the commonwealth, all hail to that day and hasten the coming of the good time. The majority of the members of this department are versed in parliamentary practice, which added muuh to the inter est of this meeting. The program was preceded by a phort buBinesa session and a cornet solo, Ver di's "Ah! I Have Sighed to Rest Mo," by Earl Wehu. Mrs. Richardson then called the senate to ardor. In the ab sence of the chaplain she fluid there would be no devotional exercises. The chief clerk called tho roll, Thorn was the reading of the journal and collect, ing of bills by little girl pageB and all other features of the Nebraska Benate. The bills themselves were decidedly. a credit to the wit of the ladies. One bill favored the prohibiting of the sale of celluloid hair pins and combs unless marked very explosive," on account of y r' iMBHWMJ