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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (March 23, 1901)
THE COURIER. : - r?:l Maximilian because be was a for eigner, but because he was emperor. President Diaz has been, through out bis administrations a cordial friend of tbe United States. He rec ognized tbe eventual intimacy and possible identification of tbe two na tions. It was by bis order tbat Eng lish is made compulsory in tbe public schools of Mexico. It is said tbat he believes tbat another generation will bring the English 'tongue into equal prominence with tbe Spanish, that still another will make English tbe common speech of the country, that in the fourth tbe people will inter mingle on a common basis, and tbe fifth will see the amalgamation of Mexican and American. Ths mother tongue bas a more tenacious bold than five generations, although tbe English supremacy is demonstrated, no more positively and conclusively than by the adoption of the English-language by India. Ire land, Australia, and by tbe inhabi tants of tbe numerous islands of the sea. Tbe official adoption, tbat is. for the Indians speak their own lan guage at home and there is no evi dence tbat the savages of Australia have given up their undeveloped language for English. Tbe Irish still speak Gaelic but it is dying out and tbe old tongue is spoken only in tbe remote parts of Ireland. President Diaz prediction, therefore is notlikely to be accomplished in five generations. Especially when it is considered that Spain has a rich literature and that Spanish is a most melodious, highly developed language. Beg Culture. A few years ago newspapers were advising tbe multitude of people who wish to make money at borne, to raise chickens. Contemporary newspaper council says money can be made rais ing bees. Tbe seductive descriptions of the tameness of the bees, their in dustry and honey-making propen sities have already influenced a large number of people to engage in tbe industry. It appears tbat there are bees of a wild, blood-thirsty tempera ment, who can not be tamed. The "Carniolans" are gentle, unsuspicious, and do not- sting unless very roughly handled or imposed upon. They were introduced into this country years ago from Carniola, Austria, and their jjopularity is growing induced by their amiable disposition, fecundity, hardiness in cold climates and honey getting qualities. The cost per col ony for pure Carniolan or Italian bees is from six to eight dollars. Besides, the honey they make is very white and pretty, commanding, therefore, a good price in tbe maricet. So indis posed to sting are the Carniolan bees that they may be handled with the utmost freedom, and they will never volunteer an attack when their hives are approached. They are for this reason more profitable to keep, be cause tbe owner is able to work with tbem at all times without hindrance. Bad bees tempt neglect. A colony of bees one hive, that is to say should yield, under fairly fa vorable conditions, fifty pounds of ex tracted honey or thirty pounds of comb boney in a season. Xbe ex tracted honey should fetch from ten to fifteen cents a pound, and the comb honey fifteen to twenty cents. In most cases the crop is readily sold to neighbors, but grocers usually buy it at a fair price. Honey, however, is not the only valuable product of the hive. Each hive should yield annual ly, about a pound of beeswax, worth from twenty-five to twenty-eight cents, and this is an article always in demand. It is utilized in tbe manu facture of comb foundation, for pom ades, and largely in .be making of magophone cylinders an industry which has created an Important mar ket for the substance, according to the Evening Post. One newspaper reader who lives in the city near a large park keeps his bees on the roof and pastures them on the public demesne. Aside from tbe profit the study of and association with bees is very interesting. Their community life and habits has many of the characteristics of organized so ciety and close students will discover secrets yet unrecorded. Tbe fasci nation of getting acquainted with bees, of being admitted to tbe inti macies of a community, that al though unchangeable is complex, bas attracted a great many people who wish to increase their income and also possess the student's curiosity and devotion. . jt Inherent Dignity. Some Americans believe that we should provide a career for an ex-president, so that a man who bas been for four or eight years, the most ex alted personage in the world, may not suffer tbe indignity of becoming just a plain American citizen. When a man must bold an office or bear any other title than ex-president, to pre vent bim from being lowered in the esteem of tbe people it is a sure sign tbat in electing him, we made a mis take. Since bis retirement. General Harrison, with only past honors to distinguish bim bas continued one of tbe most honored of men. So inherent was his dignity and upright ness that no one of his neighbors or friends ever approached him without feeling themselves in a presence. Emperor William has never doubted that he is God's annointed, divinely appointed to extend the German boundaries and unite the German people into a homogenious country speaking Berlin German, and ignoring the dialects and jealousies which still devide north Germany from south Germany and the east from the west, rhis consciousness of a destiny and a mis sion inspired President Harrison. The exaltation of spirit which mustde velope in a man who has been elected to represent seventy-five million peo ple was experienced by President Har rison and president or ex-president, he moved with a dignity, seriousness and temperamental aloofness that made strangers think him cold. So president has left a more ad mirable record in and out of office. His name has been added to the list of great and wise Americans whose administration was brilliant and whose council was sound. Municipal Plants. The only question to be considered in the establishment of a city plant for lighting the streets and city build ings is that of cheapness to the city. It is contrary to human nature and to experience to expect that a super intendent appointed by tbe mayor or elected by the citizens will manage the plant as economically as though the expenses and profits were his ex penses and profits. Not for many thousand years when politicians shall have attained a more sublimated essence of man than the contemporary sample will a superintendent, receiv ing a salary for management, keep ex penses down as carefully as though it were his own business. Lincoln, at tbe present time, is in good hands. None of the officers fig ure on robbing the city. But the offic ials of tbe various offices, habit ually get down to business in tbe morning a long time after other busi ness men. They are efficient and honest, but they do not have to hur ry. Their salary is just the same, whether they accomplish much or little. The merchant or manufacturer whose business is profitable or not as he is energetic or lazy sometimes re deems a business from bankruptcy which under the management of this or that city official would have result ed in a deficit. Lincoln people are no better than New York or Chicago people. Yet millions are stolen annually in those two cities and nothing, not even cor responding hundreds, is now stolen in this city. The point is, the temp tation is not great enough to tempt able financiers like Richard Croker to settle here or in any small city. A man with the ability to steal millions has tbe judgment to select a victim city with a patronage worth several millions to be detlected into his pock ets. Municipal lighting, heating, transportation, etc will increase the attractions of Lincoln to tbe politic ians. Instead of the coal dealers be ing interested in the city elections on account of the coal used in pumping the water into the city reservoirs, they wqgld have an extra interest in elections. And such self-interest in elections has been demonstrated in imical to a pure city government. If men were not men, public ownership of public utilities would pay, because prices to consumers would be based on the cost of running the plant, salaries etc, and would not include a profit on tbe investment, which a private man agement of public utilities generally receives. In the case of tbe city of Lincoln, tbe establishment of any more agencies for the employment of men is a mistake, for that way lies corruption and the slavery of the cit izen to the politicians looking for a job. A good bargain such as the present mayor and council are quite capable of making with the president of the gas company would, in the end, be very much better politically and financially for the city. There is another consideration. The government's business is governing and not running this or that plant. When the city government with meney collected from a tax on all, competes with one, the propriety of such a venture should be clearly dem onstrated. General Harrison's Will. Those who have forgotten the un dutiful and ungrateful conduct of General Harrison's children when he broucht his wife home are surprised by tbe contents of his will which al most ignores his oldest children and his grandchildren. General Harrison was a proud man and he had reason to be proud. He was a good father and up to the time of his second marriage his son and son-in law had drawn upon him as a matter of course. All tbe honors and most of the income which came to his children were be stowed by the father. Yet when he chose to get married again his chil dren rebelled. When he brought his bride to his own home in Indianapo lis, the house was found denuded of various articles tbat the poor General thought belonged to him. Mrs. Mc Kee publicly humiliated her father beyond forgiveness. The will is the instrument of a man whose daughter has subjected him to scandalous gos sip. And. there are not many people who, considering the circumstances, do not agree that it is just. St. Patrick. "On the seventeenth day of March," says tbe old chronicle, "in the one hundredth and twentieth and third year of his age, departed St. Patrick forthofthis world. Felix bein,: tbe pope, in the first year of Anastusius, tbe emperor: Aurelius Ambroses ruling in Britain, Porchernus in Hy. beria, Jesus Christ reigning in all things and over all things. Amen! Here end tbe acts of St. Patrick." These are the words of Jocelin. the Cistercian monk of Furnes, who Hour. ished in the early part of the twelfth century. They are from the transla tion of his life of the patron saint of Ireland, which was published in Dub lin one hundred years ago. According to Jocelin, St.Patrickw as the son of a good Briton named Cal phurnius, who lived near the Irish sea. Before the boy was well on in his teens he had built a bonfire of cakes of Ice, had healed a blind man and had raised his nurse's husband from the dead. At the age of sixteen Patrick was carried off to Ireland by pirates and sold to the pagan Prince x Milcho. He was released through the agency of an angel, who revealed to him where he might find gold for a ransom. 'Therefore," says Jocelin, "being by tbe aid of Mammon released from his servitude, he started home ward.' The saint was not yet out of tbe woods, however. He tell into the hands of an evil man who sold him into slavery for a kettle. "How small a purchase for eo precious a merchan dise," comments the devout monk. But the Lettle proved obstreperous. Water froze in it instead of boiling, so tbe new owner traded back, and Patrick finally reached home. He had not been there long before he beard in a vision tbe voice of gener ations of Irish yet unborn calling: "Oh, holy youth Patrick, we beseech thee come unto us." In obedience to this vision the young man went to France to be trained in theology, and thence to Rome, whence Pope Celes tine sent bim to Ireland. The conversion of the Irish was no holiday task, and the saint went at it in earnest. If the people treated him courteously and accepted his teach ings, all well and good. But he al lowed no trifling. Soon after he land ed, some pagan fishermen refused him fish which they had caught ia a river. "Whereat,"' cries Jocelin, "the saint being displeased, pronounced on them this sentence, even bis maledictions, tbat the river should no longer pro duce fishes from the abundance of which idolaters might send empty away the worshippers of tiie true God." The monk describes with mui-li pleasure the visit of the saint to the "Infidel Murinus" of Castle Cnoc. When the missionary tried to convert him the ungrateful man pretended t be asleep. "Let him sleep, let him sleep,' quoth St. Patrick, "nor until the Day of Judgment let him awaken or arise." 'Then," continues Jocelin. "the saint departed and the wretched man sunk into the sleep of death. Therefore, even to this day, it 1 among the Irish a frequent impreca tion on a feigned sleeper, 'mavet thou sleep, as at the word of St. Pat rick Murinus slept.'" There is one disappointing thinn about Jocelin, tbe monk of Furne. Apparently he had never heard uw St. Patrick drove out the snakes fr"iu Ireland. He covers everything else with convincing fullness. His nearest approach to the snake legend is his description of the saint's expulsion of the demons. "But Patrick made the sign of the Cross," he says, "and drove far from him those deadly birds; and by the continued sounding of in Cymbal. utterly banished them f riru the island. And being so driven they lied beyond the sea. But from th it time forward even unto this time, ail venomous creatures (can these be the snakes?), all fantasies of Demons hau-
