1903 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
889 
Events of the Week. 
DOME3STIC.—The western Missouri Court of Appeals has 
upheld the right of cities to enforce Fourth of July fire¬ 
cracker ordinances. The decision says: “The notorious 
fact that fires, frightening of horses and serious acci¬ 
dents to both actors and spectators commonly follow 
such amusements provides ample and reasonable ground 
to justify the exercise of the restraining power by the 
municipality.’’ The point came upon an appeal by G. W. 
Smith, of Centralia, Mo., who was convicted of letting off 
firecrackers in his back yard.Pour boys were 
burned to death at North Coventry, Conn., December 9, 
in a fire which destroyed a dwelling. The children had 
been put to bed and left while their parents called on 
a neighbor.The coasting schooner Clarence H., 
25 tons, trading between. Shallotte, N. C., and Wilmington, 
capsized off the coast in a gale of wind December 9, and 
five persons on board were drowned. They were the cap¬ 
tain, two sailors and two passengers, all of Shallotte. 
.... The schooner Sailors’ Home was driven ashore 
in a .fierce gale at St. Mary’s Bay, Nova Scotia, December 
14, and the entire crew of six persons perished. 
The Louisiana Supreme Court December 15 gave damages 
for $5,000 each to Peter Warner, Reuben Brown and Ed¬ 
ward Warner against 30 citizens of Dodson, Winn Par¬ 
ish, who had whitecapped them. The jury in the District 
Court gave each of the victims $500. The Supreme Court 
increased the amount of damages and expressed in em¬ 
phatic language its opinion of whitecapping and similar 
acts of violence. Several business houses were burned 
recently in Dodson and there were threats that the en¬ 
tire town would be destroyed, Peter Warner, Rube Brown 
and E'dward Warner were suspected of being implicated 
in the fires. A committee decided to punish the men. It 
was divided into three branches, each of which was au¬ 
thorized to punish one of the three suspects. They were 
taken to a lonely place in the woods, beaten, abused and 
maltreated, and hanged until unconscious. Confessions 
were extorted from them and they were then ordered to 
leave the town. What particularly incensed the Supreme 
Court was the fact that the Grand Jury of Winn Parish 
was in session at the time these outrages were committed 
and was engaged in investigating the Dodson fire. The 
whitecappers not only refused to await its action, but 
prevented witnesses who were summoned by the Grand 
Jury from going before the body, taking the law entirely 
into their own hands. 
administration.—A ttorney-General Knox resumed 
before the Supreme Court December 15 his argument in 
the Northern Securities case. He held that the Govern¬ 
ment did not have to show an intent to restrain com¬ 
merce, if such restraint was the natural effect of the 
arrangement. He asserted that the power to suppress 
competition had actually been exercised by the promo¬ 
ters of the Northern Securities Company. In sum¬ 
ming up he said “My contention that Congressional power 
extends to this device carries with it the proposition that 
in the exercise of the power Congress is at all times ac¬ 
countable to the people whence it came. The defendants’ 
contention that no such power exists affirms their abso¬ 
lute unaccountability and is a request to have your 
Honors confirm their avowal that men who own property 
may do with it as they like, notwithstanding its nature 
or the Interests of the public.’’ Attorney-General Knox 
asserted that the Northern Securities arrangement 
brought two competing railroads into such relations that 
their independence as competitive factors in Interstate 
commerce was destroyed. The thing that had been done, 
said Mr. Knox, was declared illegal when brought about 
by the methods pursued in the Joint Traffic and Trans- 
Missouri cases. These cases were cases of contracts or 
agreements between independent and competing lines of 
railroad for the regulation of traffic charges. The Gov¬ 
ernment charged that these agreements restrained inter¬ 
state commerce, and this court sustained that conten¬ 
tion. The Court heard the cases patiently, and the argu¬ 
ments thrice presented by the railroads failed to disturb 
the Court’s conclusions that the contracts or agree¬ 
ments in question violated the law. The great questions 
settled by the court in the Trans-Missouri and Joint 
Traffic cases, he said, were these: First—That to shut 
out the operation of the general law of competition be¬ 
tween competing interstate railroads is to restrain inter¬ 
state commerce. Second—That to bring the operations 
of two or more competing interstate railroads under the 
control of a single body shuts out the operation of the 
general law of competition and constitutes a restraint 
upon interestate commerce. Third—That Congress is com¬ 
petent to forbid any agreement or combination among 
companies competing for Interstate commerce which re¬ 
strains commerce among the States by shutting out the 
operation of the general law of competition. Fourth—That 
in order to maintain a suit the Government is not obliged to 
show an Intent to restrain commerce, if such restraint is 
the natural and necessary effect of the arrangement. Con¬ 
tinuing, the Attorney-General said: “The language of the 
law is ‘combination in the form of trust or otherwise’; 
that is combination in any other term. Combinations 
in the form of trusts were well understood at the time 
of the enactment of this law. They were invariably 
formed by transferring the stocks or property of the con¬ 
stituent units to a holding trustee, whose will was thus 
dominantly enthroned over the whole; and against the 
stocks or property so transferred the holding trustee 
issued certificates to the transferrers, representing their 
respective proportions of the whole. This form of combi¬ 
nation wap evolved from the experience that a ‘gentle¬ 
man’s agreement’ to control competition works better 
when the collateral is up. Any combination that has 
these features is a combination in the form of a trust 
and is specifically invalidated by the statute.’’ 
PANAMA.—Gen. Rafael Reyes, the Colombian Special 
Plenipotentiary in Washington, has definitely decided that 
it will be useless for his government to attempt an in¬ 
vasion of the Isthmus of Panama, in view of the deter¬ 
mination of the United States to preserve the peace of 
the Isthmus and the Independence of the Panama Repub¬ 
lic. He will devote all his endeavors to that end, hoping 
to bring about an amicable adjustment of the differences 
between Panama and Colombia, with the best terms pos¬ 
sible for Colombia. It is understood that Gen. Reyes will 
make an effort, through the good offices of the United 
States, to secure from Panama a recognition of Colom¬ 
bia’s equities in the Panama canal, with the object of 
obtaining for Colombia part of the $10,000,000 to be paid 
to the new republic upon the exchange of the ratifica¬ 
tions of the canal treaty now before the United States 
Senate. He will endeavor to have Panama consent to 
assume a portion of Colombia’s foreign debt. Gen. Reyes 
will probably suggest to the United States Government 
that the question of its right to prevent the invasion of 
the Isthmus by Colombian troops under the New Gran¬ 
ada treaty of 1846 be submitted to arbitration, but he 
knows in advance that a request of this character would 
be refused. In making the suggestion his object would 
be to place the United States Government, which has 
been foreipost among the nations of the world in uphold¬ 
ing the principle of the settlement of international dis¬ 
putes by arbitration, in the position of declining to arbi¬ 
trate. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The annual meeting of the 
Shetland Pony Club was held at Chicago December 15. 
’fhe meeting to form a Plant and Animal Breeders’ As¬ 
sociation will be held in Room 309, Central High School 
Building, St. Louis, Minn., December 29, and remain in 
session two days. A good programme, participated in 
by practical breeders and by those interested in the 
science of heredity, is promised. Those interested are 
invited to attend and should apply for programme to 
chairman of the organization committee, W. M. Hays, 
St. Anthony Park, Minn. 
The Pennsylvania State Grange in their convention at 
Wilkesbarre December 10 took active measures to fight 
the effort to repeal the pure food and dairy laws of the 
Stale. Every Grange in the State was called upon to 
compel the legislative candidate in its district to pledge 
himself to support the laws. 'Phe pure food commission¬ 
ers were also requested to continue their active prosecu¬ 
tion of the violations of the laws. 
Resolutions adopted by the Illinois State Grange in 
their annual session at Springfield demand that automo¬ 
biles be classed as traction engines and that the same 
law apply to both, compelling them to stop when meet¬ 
ing teams on the public highway; favor the bill advanc¬ 
ing the salary of rural mail carriers, and demand that 
the State Board of Agriculture abolish immoral shows on 
the State fair grounds during the week of the fair. 
The thirty-second annual session of the State Grange 
of Illinois was brought to a close at Springfield December 
10 with the installation of the following officers: Master, 
Oliver Wilson, Magnolia, reelected; overseer, W. J. Mil¬ 
ler, Belleville; lecturer, George F. Bell, Lostant; steward, 
E. S. Helms, Belleville; assistant steward, E. R. Sim¬ 
mons, Jerseyvllle; chaplain, Katherine M. Stahl, More, 
reelected; treasurer, D. O. Trotter, Jerseyvllle; secretary, 
Jeanette Yates, Dunlap; gatekeeper, Eric Linstrum, 
Bishop Hill; Ceres, Florence Given, McNabb; Pomona, 
Lelia M. Eyerly, Canton; Flora, Mary M. Zoll, Table 
Grove; lady assistant steward, L. B. Seller, Sugar Creek; 
member of executive committee, Robert Eaton, Joliet, 
reelected. Thomas Keady, of Dunlap, was elected sec¬ 
retary, but he declined to serve. He has filled the of¬ 
fice 18 years. At the closing session he was presented 
with a gold watch by the Grange. 
The Wisconsin State Grange closed its thirty-seventh 
annual convention at Appleton December 10. A resolu¬ 
tion was adopted indorsing Governor La Follette’s freight 
rate commission. The following officers were elected: 
Delegate to the National Grange Convention at Portland, 
Oregon, A. C. Powers, Beloit. Master, A. C. Powers, Be¬ 
loit; overseer, J. J. Whipple, Eau Claire; lecturer, S. C. 
Carr, Milton Junction; steward, F. A. Pace, Hammond; 
assistant steward, Ed Werner, Greenville; chaplain, Mrs. 
Alice Carr, Milton Junction; treasurer, George Harwood, 
Chippewa Falls; secretary, George R. Schaefer, Green¬ 
ville; gatekeeper, Ed Brehm, Colby; Pomona, Mrs. Lottie 
Whipple, Eau Claire; Flora, Mrs. Alice Pace, Hammond; 
Ceres, Mrs. Mary Powers, Beloit; lady assistant steward, 
Mrs. Mary Tubman, Hammond; member of executive 
committee, S. H. Joiner, Janesville. 
The State Grange of Indiana in session at Warsaw De¬ 
cember 10 elected these officers: Master, Aaron Jones, South 
Bend; overseer, G. W. Sawdon; chaplain, Isaiah Imler, 
Kokomo; steward, John Lyckowynski; secretary, Almo 
Spray, Clinton County; treasurer, J. W. Holmes; gate¬ 
keeper, J. E. Bear,, Columbia City; Pomona, Ida Reeber, 
Warsaw; Ceres, Leon Savage, Clinton Countv; lady as¬ 
sistant steward, Anna Hayes, DeKalb County. 
The Missouri State Commission to the Louisiana Pur¬ 
chase Exposition has appropriated $100,000 in aid of the 
World’s Fair live stock exhibit from that State. H. H. 
Gentry, of Sedalia, has been made the Commission’s rep¬ 
resentative in charge of the live stock exhibits. He has 
secured the cooperation of more than 100 leading stock- 
men, forming 24 committees, each in charge of the in¬ 
terests of a breed. 
Advices from Tacoma state that cranberry growing is 
being started on an extensive scale along the coast of 
Washington between Gray’s Harbor and Willapa Harbor, 
and between Willapa Harbor and Columbia River. Along 
these coasts are found hundreds of acres of wild cran¬ 
berry vines, giving large yearly yields, and for a num¬ 
ber of years one company has cultivated the berry with 
excellent results. The cranberry bogs are now being 
extended and new companies will be organized to con¬ 
vert wild cranberry marshes into cultivated ones. Ex¬ 
pert cranberry growers are to be brought from Cape 
Cod, and systematic effort will be. made to supplant New 
England cranberries west of the Ilocky Mountains. Cran¬ 
berry marshes also extend along the Oregon coast, giving 
a field for similar operations there. 
THE BEN DAVIS APPLE FOR EXPORT. 
What the Exporters Say. 
It is sometimes claimed by those who grow the Ben 
Davis apple that our export shipments are made up 
largely of that variety. In order to settle the matter we 
have asked prominent apple exporters for the facts. 
Here they are: 
It is quite true that the Ben Davis is a very favorite 
apple on the foreign markets; in fact, all well-colored 
apples are in strong demand over there, and next to 
Baldwin, it is probably the most popular variety of apple. 
The Ben Davis is perhaps the best in Nova Scotia and 
Canada, that is, the best for export, because the more 
rigorous climate makes the variety more hardy and there¬ 
fore better able to stand shipment. We have found it 
in our experience a most satisfactory apple to handle, 
and next to the Baldwin the most in demand on the Liver¬ 
pool market, where we do practically all of our business. 
Shipments of Ben Davis are most in demand about Janu¬ 
ary and February. d. crossley & sons. 
Boston. 
I certainly should not call the Ben Davis the most 
popular apple for export. More Baldwins are exported 
than any other variety, and generally speaking, this is 
the apple of commerce upon which prices of all apples 
are relatively based. The Ben Davis may be in demand 
in some parts of Europe in preference to Baldwins, but 
in the more important markets, the demand is not urgent 
when Baldwins are obtainable. Owing to being late 
keepers, Ben Davis are usually held to be shipped when 
Baldwins are finished, but at that time only a moderate 
quantity can be handled to advantage. A few years ago, 
Maine Ben Davis were shipped late in the season in small 
quantities, and realized high prices, but owing to new 
orchards coming into bearing, the' supply has so Increased 
that extreme prices are no longer to be depended upon. 
Boston. ALFRED W. OTIS. 
ous markets Other varieties might be more popular in 
other markets, still, on the whole, we feel safe in advis¬ 
ing you that this apple would get the preference provid¬ 
ed, of course, it is clear and of first quality. 
New York. george r. meeker & co. 
The exporting of apples this season has been larger, 
we think, than any other _season in the history of Uie 
business up to this date. It has included in its ship¬ 
ments apples of almost all varieties, and grown in all 
parts of the United States. It is a fact that the Ben 
Davis, especially when good, and those grown in the 
Middle West, has usually taken quite a high place in 
the European markets. "When that variety is at its best 
in the Middle West it is of good size and fine color, usu¬ 
ally smooth and clean, possesses good carrying qualities, 
and in consequence has sold, we think, higher than most 
any other varieties that have gone to the foreign mar¬ 
kets, except possibly Baldwins, Newtown or Albemarle 
Pippins. This year the crop in the Middle West is of 
inferior quality. j. d. Hendrickson. 
Philadelphia. 
I have never heard that the European markets de¬ 
manded the Ben Davis apple in preference to other varie¬ 
ties. The fact Is, that on account of the excellent keep¬ 
ing qualities and the good appearance of this variety. It 
finds a ready market late in the season when other varie¬ 
ties are scarce. It Is far from being the most popular 
variety, and if it realizes high prices it is because of the 
above mentioned reasons, and not because of its flavor 
and quality. It Is not true that the Ben Davis consti¬ 
tutes a large proportion of the exported fruits. In this 
respect, the Baldwin holds the record for quantity. It 
is a difficult question to state which is the most popular 
variety, but perhaps the Newtown Pippin ranks first. 
Northern Spies, Kings, York Imperial and other first- 
class red varieties realize good prices, but good Green¬ 
ings also find a strong demand in nearly all the markets. 
New York. w. M. french. 
Ben Davis used to be one of the very best for export¬ 
ing, but now I do not class it above the average. Several 
years ago there were comparatively few of these apples 
exported, and on account of their carrying qualities and 
appearance they sold at exceptionally high prices. I have 
had Ben Davis apples myself to sell within the last 10 
years at 33 shillings for a carload when Baldwins were 
not selling over 24 shillings. Now Ben Davis do not sell 
for any more than Baldwins, and sometimes less. The 
only way to ship Ben Davis now is to include a'few in 
each carload, and not ship straight carloads of this va¬ 
riety. When the West is exporting heavily a large pro¬ 
portion of the fruit is Ben Davis and this is also true in 
the case of Maine shipments, but outside of these sec¬ 
tions the shipments are mostly Baldwin. Whereas Ben 
Davis used to be one of the most popular varieties,"! t 
certainly is not at this time. The Baldwins continue to 
hold as the most popular apple and probably will as long 
as the apple trade lasts. If there were only as many 
Baldwins shipped as there are Ben Davis, Baldwins would 
sell very much higher than Ben Davis. I suppose for an 
off-hand statement, that there are three barrels of Bald¬ 
wins shipped to one of all other varieties. 
Boston. CHESTER R. LAWRENCE. 
it is grown. In Canada and New York State, owing to 
climatic conditions, the Ben Davis apple does not get 
the color that it does in the Middle West, and it is not 
an apple that I would advocate planting except sparingly 
in New York. The tree is a vigorous grower and comes 
into bearing early and in some countries carries a heavy 
crop that I think is its only redeeming feature. It is an 
apple that Is thought a good deal of in Missquri, Kansas 
and Illinois, where it commences to bear fruit the sixth 
year, but at 16 to 18 years of age it dies. In those warm 
countries it is supposed to be the best commercial apple 
they have, on account of Its productiveness and early 
maturity, and it becomes very bright good-looking fruit, 
and for those who eat fruit by the eye and not by the 
palate it answers the same purpose. But, if everyone 
was to start growing the Ben Davis the consumption of 
apples would decrease considerably; in fact, one writer 
last year choicely put it that “the man who ate a Ben 
Davis apple stopped eating apples for the remainder of 
the season. By this he meant that there was no In- 
ducement to come again for more apples, and every fruit 
merchant knows unless the taste of the public is looked 
after it will not come back and ask for more. A few 
Ben Davis sell In some piarkets, and the Ben Davis from 
Kansas, Missouri and Illinois sell in the German market 
and also in the southern part of the United States, but 
peaking from my own knowledge of what Is wanted In 
England, I say that If the exportation of Ben Davis 
apples were to Increase to that country it would cause 
^ apple business. The best apples for 
the English market are Newtown Pippin, Baldwin, Green- 
•ng, Russet and Spy, all of which should be of good 
quality, free from fungus and worms, and if the New 
York State grower would adopt the same care In cultiva¬ 
tion as is done in Colorado and California, viz., keeping 
their trees clean, using proper fertilizers, spray three or 
four times a yet^, they will always have a good market 
for their fruit. Where orchards are neglected as I have 
seen in some parts of the State, some farmers, thinking 
that because they have planted the tree. Nature should 
do the rest. And to their sorrow that their orchards have 
gradually dwindled away, becoming useless. Such re¬ 
sults can be seen in certain parts of Virginia this year 
where a lot of fruit has not paid the trouble of being 
put lu barrels. w. n. white. 
New York. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
The movement for the “gun education” of the Amerl- 
was^^gun by the J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co., 
Falls, Mass., makers of the famous “Stev- 
firearms. The catalogue of this company is a mine 
of Information on gun owning and makes excellent "Win¬ 
ter night reading for grown-ups as well as for the boy. 
It will be mailed free. 
We are In receipt of a copy of Studebaker’s Farmers’ 
Almanac and Weather Forecast for 1904. with a litho¬ 
graphed copy of a water color by Geo. Fred Morris, en¬ 
titled “Tynlcal American Horse Show.” These will be 
sent to any of The R. N.-Y.’s subscribers who simply 
sent address to Studebaker Bros. Mfg. Co., So. Bend, Ind. 
This company is the largest manufacturers of wagons 
in the world. 
A GOOD deal of interest has recently been awakened 
abradent or grinding material. Carborundum, 
which has eight times the efficiency of an emery stone 
and grinds 20 times as fast as the ordinarv .sand grind¬ 
stone. It Is of interest just now to our readers from th« 
fact that the Luther Bros. Company.of Milwaukee, have 
secured the exclusive right to use Carborundum in mak- 
fiig hand and foot-power grinding machines, that being 
^5® excellent combination machine, 
the Bi-Pedal sickle and tool grinder. A free sample of 
this grinding material with a booklet setting forth its 
powers and use may be had by addressing I.uther Bros 
Company, Milwaukee. Wis. 
We do not believe that the larger proportion of de¬ 
mand of the English is for the Ben Davis apple. Our 
experience leads us to believe that the King apple of 
first quality is by far the most popular. Naturally this 
is not exported in very large quantities, as it is rather 
scarce, still we believe that on the whole these apples 
are the most sought after in the European markets, with 
the possible exception of the A-No. 1 New York State 
Newtown Pippin, which commands a very fancy price 
around the holidays. Probably the variety of apple 
which is shipped in largest quantities is the Baldwin, 
and is of course a very popular apple over there, and 
perhaps from the fact that it goes in such large quanti¬ 
ties, it might be considered one of the most popular. 
The Spitzenberg, Spy and Greening are also among the 
best-liked apples in Great Britain, but all In all, we be¬ 
lieve that the King would have first choice in the vari¬ 
r 4 . 1 . iiguimg oecomes an interesting one 
for the rural household, and nothing has so nearly ap¬ 
proached its proper solution as the system of gasolln^e 
been produced in the last year or two. 
1 he light which is produced from the gasoline or hydro¬ 
carbon lamp is very clear and white, and is beautiful in 
Us unusual brilliance. It does not accumulate grease, 
and it does not smoke. The cost of running a gasoline 
lainp is less than one-fourth of a cent per nour The 
cost of maintaining a 100-candle power light by the gaso 
hne lamp for a month is therefore less than 25 cents 
The safety of the gasoline lamp is acknowledged bv the 
large insurance companies, and is permitted bv them 
without Increasing the rate of insurance. A very effleierif 
gasoline lamp is made by Superior Mfg. Co.. 218 Secon.i 
St. Ann Arbor. Mich. Write them for full ’inforSo 
anil special offer for (irst order from your post office. 
