1904 



GLEANINGS TN BEE ClTT/rrRE. 



1171 



As an illustration, the month of November 

 has been almost unprecedentedly fine weath- 

 er, and good roads, in consequence of little 

 or no rain (the dryest ever recorded by the 

 Weather Bureau) over a very large area. 

 The automobilists have been rejoicing (and 

 I hope thanking God) for an almost entire 

 November with good smooth roads. There 

 has been just enough rain to lay the dust, 

 and nothing more. Now, friends, turn to 

 your fake almanac. The prediction is, of 

 course, for usual November weather— cau- 

 tions about caring for stock, etc., but not a 

 word about a dry November* . Nobody has 

 as yet applied for the $1000 offered for one 

 pound of manufactured comb honey. Like 

 the editor of the Country Gentleman I am 

 not at all afraid anybody will come for this 

 last $1000 offer. Hicks is just now "giving 

 himself away, " as I take it, by heaping abuse 

 on the Weather Bureau, because they de- 

 nounce him as a fake, although he admits 

 they do not call him by name. It looks to 

 outsiders as if he not only recognizes the 

 "coat," but even makes haste to "put it 

 on." 



FURNISHING TOBACCO FOR JAILS, INFIRMA- 

 RIES, ETC. 



A subscriber sends us the following from 

 the Terre Haute Tribune: 



TOBACCO NOT ON PARIS JAIL FARE. 



Paris, 111., Dec. 9.— The county board of supervisors 

 does not propose to encourage the use of tobacco by 

 allowing each prisoner of the county jail, addicted to 

 the habit, ten cents a week to satisfy his craving. This 

 custom, which was first introduced at the State peni- 

 tentiaries, has been in effect here many years. The 

 county board balked when a six-months' tobacco bill 

 was presented, and decided to abolish the custom. 



The above looks like progression. I never 

 could exactly understand how our people ex- 

 pect to make bad men better by allowing 

 them ten cents a week, or any similar sum, 

 for tobacco. Most men, when they turn to 

 serve the Lord Jesus Christ, cut off tobacco 

 at the outset. Some years ago an inmate of 

 our infirmary, with whom I was somewhat 

 acquainted, came around in a new suit of 

 clothes, making calls on his friends. When 

 I congratulated him he said he petitioned to 

 have the amount in cash that other inmates 

 were allowed for tobacco. This cash bought 

 the suit of clothes, and he felt so proud of 

 them that he was granted his liberty to go 

 and see his friends. The ten cents a week 

 may be all right. In fact, I like the idea; 

 but in this age of progress can not our pub- 

 lic officers think of some better incentiye to 

 hold up before these poor unfortunates than 

 to suggest to them this sum is given to pur- 

 chase tobacco with? I congratulate the 



* We notice by the papers that the drouth during 

 the latter part of November is so severe in Kentucky 

 that several of the great distilleries have been compel- 

 led to shut down for want of water. (How sad it is to 

 think that the supply of " Kentucky whisky " is likely 

 to be curtailed!) Now, why did not Bro. Hicks tell us 

 of this remarkable and wide-spread drouth during the 

 latter part of November? He might at least have said, 

 "Something very remarkable" will happen about this 

 time. And. come to think of it, it is ' something re- 

 markable" that he did not say it. 



managers of the Paris jail, and hope others 

 may be moved to follow their example. 



THE ARMY CANTEEN. 



We clip the following from that grand 

 agricultural home journal, the Rural New- 

 Yorker: 



The so-called "army canteen" or government rum- 

 shop comes up for discussion frequently. Congress 

 abolished the canteen several years ago, not because 

 the army authorities or congressmen generally wanted 

 to, but pressure from temperance people becam.e too 

 great to be resisted. Now there is an effort to compel 

 Congress to change front and re-establish the "can- 

 teen." The New York Times puts the case as follows : 



If one asks why, then, does not Congress authorize what 

 all the experts agree to be so desirable, the onlv answer is 

 that Congress goes in fear of a number of misguided per- 

 sons who know nothing about the matter, and who have no 

 right to an opinion upon it. If these people would kindly 

 mind their own business, and refrain from trying to impose 

 their Ignorant views of the subject upon the law-making 

 body, the canteen would be restored without opposition. 



We are not arguing about the canteen now. We do 

 not need to. It is surrounded by the worst collection 

 of human hornets' nests that ever waited for a stirring- 

 up. Whoever touches it will need the longest pole that 

 a politician ever tried to handle. The way Congress 

 was forced into this action on the " canteen " question 

 is a good object-lesson. When farmers were fighting 

 against the oleo fraud they were told in much the same 

 way to mind their own business, and not " impose their 

 ignorant views upon the law-making body." Somehow 

 these "misguided persons" kept at it, and the "law- 

 making body " found that it must listener be cut up 

 and put together again. It listened and acted ! So it 

 was with rural free delivery of the mail, and so it will 

 be with a parcels post and the exposure of the wire- 

 fence humbug. What a world this would be if the 

 common 'misguided people" would only mind their own 

 business, and let the politicians run things to suit them- 

 selves ! Somehow the people are coming to see that, 

 among other " ignorant views '' of public matters, one 

 worth thinking about is the fact that this " law-making" 

 body is the servant, not the master, of the people ! The 

 postage-stamp is the weapon of freedom in this coun- 

 try. 



Good for the Rural! If this thing keeps 

 on, we shall soon have a government "of 

 the people, by the people, and for the peo- 

 ple. " 



A TESTIMONIAL TO THE GOOD WORK THE 

 ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE IS DOING. 



The Wine and Spirit News says, "The Anti-saloon 

 League has accomplished more than any other organiza- 

 tion formed in a similar time. It will capture the 

 church, the church will capture the state; then God 

 have mercy on the rest of mankind, if we are permitted 

 to live at all." 



We are exceedingly obliged to our friends 

 the enemy for this splendid tribute paid to 

 our organization. I suppose no one will for 

 a moment doubt its truthfulness, coming as 

 it does from the very worst enemy the Anti- 

 saloon League has. Dear brethren, we do 

 not propose to let saloon-keepers live at all 

 as saloon-keepers; but we do propose to give 

 them all the assistance we possibly can in 

 some honorable business that is for the bene- 

 fit of humanity in general. 



THE NEW SPENCER SEEDLESS APPLE. 



_ I notice our agricultural papers are cau- 

 tioning their readers about paying big prices 

 for a tree of the above apple. In some 

 cases they have been sold as high as $3.00 

 each. Of course, we are glad to welcome a 



