1904 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
3i5 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—Fire and flood at South Beloit, Wis., 
March 22, made 300 families homeless. Are damage being 
$150,000, and flood loss $250,000. ... A tornado passed 
over northern Indiana and Illinois March 24. Much 
property damage is reported, and three persons were 
killed. . . . Fire in an express office on lower Broad¬ 
way, New York, March 26, caused damage amounting 
to $250,000, and was subdued with great difficulty. . . . 
United States Senator Joseph Ralph Burton, of Kansas, 
was convicted March 28 of violating the statute forbid¬ 
ding any member of Congress from accepting compen¬ 
sation for rendering service before a Federal department 
in a matter in which the United States is interested. He 
is the first Senator of the United States to suffer such 
disgrace. ... In the tornado which swept Pemiscot 
County, Mo., March 26, six persons lost their lives. 
Four members of the Shuemaker family, living at Port¬ 
age ville, Mo., were killed and their nome was demol¬ 
ished. Wesley Miller and his wife were likewise killed 
and their home was blown away. Their bodies wore 
found 200 yards away from the house and $1,500 in notes 
were scattered. Timber was blown for miles. Two per¬ 
sons were killed by the same storm in Faulkner County, 
Ark. . . . The floods in northern and central Indiana, 
which -were receding March 28, drove 1,200 families from 
their homos in Indianapolis, and caused a total loss in 
the State of $S,000,000. Only two persons lost their lives. 
In Michigan the flood damage was up in the hundreds 
of thousands; at Grand Rapids 14,000 persons were in 
distress, and at Saginaw much of the business part of 
the city was flooded. . . . The members of the Pana¬ 
ma Canal Commission sailed March 29 for Colon. They 
will inspect the entire route of the canal, and will look 
over some of the documents of the canal company, pre¬ 
paratory to the delivery of the property to the United 
States Government. . . . Ephraim J. Dean, a pioneer of 
Waverly, March 29, filed a claim of $100,000 with the 
State Legislature against the State of Iowa for alleged 
false imprisonment 28 years ago. Dean claims to have 
been falsely confined in a lunatic asylum, after which 
he was wrongfully compelled to spend seven months in 
a Blackhawk County jail. The alleged perjury of a 
weathy and prominent citizen of Blackhawk County, 
who, Dean says, sought to secure his property, is sup¬ 
posed to have led to the imprisonment. 
ADMINISTRATION.—The Plouse passed the Post Office 
Appropriation bill March 25 after a tumultuous session, 
in the course of which there were numerous lively pas¬ 
sages at arms between various members. Most of the 
debate concerned the paragraph dealing with the salaries 
and perquisites of rural free delivery carriers, which an 
attempt was made to reinsert in the bill. After a pro¬ 
longed discussion the original paragraph brought in by 
the committee was agreed to. It provides a salary of 
r.ot to exceed $"20 per annum and prohibits the solicita¬ 
tion of business or the reception of orders by rural free 
delivery carriers from any person, firm, or corporation, 
but permits the carriers, under certain restrictions, to- 
carry merchandise for hire for and upon request of 
patrons residing upon their respective routes. A similar 
amendment regarding the paragraph appropriating $5,000 
for the salary of a purchasing agent for the Post Office 
Department, which went out March 24, was reported by 
Mr. Grosvenor. He referred to the proposed legislation 
as wise and in the best interests of a reformation of the 
matter of purchasing supplies for the Post Office Depart¬ 
ment. On the Democratic .side, Mr. Williams said the 
office of purchasing agent centralized responsibility and 
made one purchasing agent under bond responsible to the 
department and the country for the purchase of supplies 
and for the honesty and propriety with which it is done. 
The resolution was agreed to unanimously, after the 
purchasing agent’s salary had been reduced to $4,000. 
The House took revenge on the Postmaster General for 
the recent postal graft report by inserting in two or 
three items of appropriation the proviso that no part of 
the appropriation should be available until the Post¬ 
master General published the rules and regulations 
under which increase of clerk hire and office rent are 
apportioned by the department. 
PORTO RICO.—President Gompers of the American 
Federation of Labor, who has just returned from a 
fruitless errand to Porto Rico to reconcile the rival labor 
factions there, says that economic and social conditions 
in consequence of the prevailing business depression are 
deplorable. Men. in sugar refineries were working for 40 
cents per day. “Women and girls work from 12 to 16 
hours a day for from 15 to 20 cents a day,” he said; 
“laborers receive 30 and 35 cents, and sometimes 40 cents 
for a day of 11 or 12 hours of labor; skilled bricklayers 
get $1.25, carpenters 75 cents, tailors $25 per month, 
cigarmakers $3.50 to $4.50 per thousand, and they are 
capable of making from 200 to 250 cigars a day.” 
BUSINESS BITS. 
The Melrose Silver Co., of Hartford, Conn., are offer¬ 
ing silverware direct from factory to our people, and at 
prices which seem to us to bo an exceptional bargain. 
The serving set is an excellent suggestion for a weddmg 
present. 
The most extensive growers and potato specialists in 
the world are users of Aspinwall machinery, many indi¬ 
viduals owning from six to a dozen Aspinwall planters. 
A free catalogue containing much of interest to the 
potato grower as well as an up-to-date spraying table 
for all crops mav be obtained by addressing the Aspin- 
wall Manufacturing Co., Jackson, Mich. 
Thfre are doubtless manv readers who will want to 
try “inoculation.” in their Alfalfa fields this year. As 
most people now know, this means using soil from a 
field in which Alfalfa thrives when seeding. The theory 
is that this soil introduces the bacteria which are so im¬ 
portant to this crop. Those who wish to try the experi¬ 
ment will be able to obtain such soil from F. E. Daw- 
ley, Faye.tteville, N. Y. 
Do you know why your face is irritated and has a 
drawn, biting feeling after shaving? Only one reason— 
poor soap. Trv Williams’ Shaving Soap and note the 
difference. The soft, rich, thick lather makes shaving 
easy, and the after effects make it a pleasure. Send 
two cents for sample to the J. B. Williams Co., Glaston¬ 
bury, Conn., and you'll agree with us after you have 
tried it. 
A very bright little book that will be appreciated by 
any housekeeper is “Kitchen Experience,’’ by Christine 
Terhune Herrick, the widely known writer on domestic 
topics. It embraces the best of her experience of years, 
and suggests manv ways to do kitchen work better; 
incidentallv she gives a good description of a wonderful 
new ware—“Royal Granite Steel Ware”—which she finds 
has so manv advantages for every home use. The book 
is published by The National Enameling and Stamping 
Co., of 81 Fulton Street, New York, and will be sent free. 
There seems to be little probability that a substitute 
for horse power in the operation of farm machines will 
be adopted bv modern farmers in their field work. The 
horse still pulls the binder, the mower, the reaper. The 
far-seeing, practical farmer takes the best care of his 
field power. Real economv is to get the most actual 
work out of a horse for the longest possible -period of 
time. The McCormick harvesters are known to be re¬ 
markably easy on the horses, and thousands of farmers 
have purchased O. K. machines because they knew it 
meant the saving of their horses. 
One of the modern conveniences wmch every house¬ 
keeper will greatly appreciate is an oven thermometer 
for cook stoves and ranges. It is a little dial placed in 
the oven door, so arranged that it indicates at all times 
the temperature of the oven, without the necessity ot 
opening the door. Bv a carefully prepared table the 
cook can tell at just what temperature to keep the oven 
for baking or roasting various articles of food, and just 
how long at such a temperature is required for cooking. 
It makes baking sure and easy and effects a great saving 
in fuel. This patent oven thermometer is used on all 
Kalamazoo cook stoves and ranges—a line of goods 
which is sold exclusively from the factory to the user, 
thus saving the purchaser all traveling men’s expenses 
and all middlemen’s profits. Send for catalogue. Address 
Kalamazoo Stove Co.. Manufacturers, Kalamazoo, Mich. 
The Kalamazoo Carriage and Harness Co. sells goods 
at wholesale prices to retail buyers. Those who buy of 
them are not buying department store goods, made to 
sell. They buv the raw material and build the vehicles 
offered, in their own shops. Every job sent out is as 
finely finished as it woud be if made to order. No dipped 
painting, but six or seven coats rubbed down and fin¬ 
ished in the best style. No second-grade material, for 
every bit of lumber, every scrap of iron must stand a 
severe inspection before it is made up. A comparison ot 
their prices with those made by dealers shows how much 
profit is made bv buggy dealers who sell in the regular 
way. Any vehicle is sold on 30 days’ tree trial, and on 
all the sales there is given a two-years’ guarantee. The 
catalogue of this firm is sent free to anyone asking for 
it. Address Kalamazoo Carriage and Harness Co., Kala¬ 
mazoo, Mich. 
$5 SERVING SETS FOR $3 
“ EMPIRE PATTERN 
Direct from the factory to you at less than half the cost at any retail store. This set will be appreciated by 
any lady who loves fine table-ware. We manufacture these beautiful and serviceable articles of the best 
White Metal) Nickel Silver and plate them to stand the wear of 25 years. Finjshed in bright, or French Grey. 
This set contains 1 Cake Server, which can also be used for serving pie, or ice cream ; 1 Preserve Spoon, for 
— serving fruit, berries, jellies or jam, and 1 Cream Ladle. 
These are all gold-lined, and we put them up in a 
fine lined leatherette case. Thpy will make an excel¬ 
lent wedding present! These sets sell at $5.00, but in 
order to introduce our goods to ‘‘The Rural New- 
Yorker” readers, we will offer for one week only this 
set for $3.00 and will include this beautiful Silver 
Tea Strainer, absolutely FKEE. For anyone desir¬ 
ing it, we will substitute 1 set of Knives and Forks of 
same pattern in place of serving set and the Silver 
—Tea Strainer free. If, on receipt of goods, they are 
not all we claimed for them and all you could hope for in every way— return them at our expense and 
we will cheerfully refund your money. 
THE MELROSE SILVER COMPANY, 255-259 High Street, Hartford, Conn. 
NEW 
AMERICAN 
MANURE SPREADERS 
hold from 50 to 100 bushels. Spread just as thin or 
thick, fine or coarse as ground requires. Don’t have to 
stop team to make change. Most substantial, largest,, 
capacity, lightest draft. 
FINE ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE FREE. 
American Harrow C 
JfcJLULOJU 
1.1589 HASTINGS! 
A Never Failing Water Supply, 
with absolute safety, at small cost may be had by using the 
Improved Rider Hot Air Pumping Engine and 
Improved Ericsson Hot Air Pumping Engine. 
Built by us for more than 30 years and sold in every country in the world. Exclu¬ 
sively intended for pumping water. May be run by any ignorant boy or woman. 
So well built that their durability is yet to be determined, engines which were sold 
30 years ago being still in active service. 
Send stamp for “ C4 ” Catalogue to nearest office. 
RIDER-ERICSSON ENGINE CO., 
35 Warren St., New York. 539 Franklin St., Boston. 
40 Dearborn St., Chioago. 692 Craig St., Montreal, P. Q. 
40 North 7th St., Philadelphia. 22 Pitt St., Sydney, N. 8. W. 
Teniente-Rey 71, Havaua, Cuba.___ 
You get most for your money in Walter A. Wood Machines 
Grain and 
Corn Binders 
Mowers 
Reap 
ers 
The rough work—the bad seasons—the trying times that come to all—are 
what bring out the real quality of machines and show the great difference 
between those built to sell and others built to give satisfactory service. A 
breakdown in the midst of harvest or haying can easily cost you more than 
the price of several machines. Ilou cannot get tools that are too good. 
Honest work and honest material have distinguished Walter A. Wood 
machines for 52 years. Buying them at the same prices as the ordinary kind 
means a big saving for yon in cost of repairs and in time and in trouble. 
Walter A. Wood machines for 1904 are nearer perfection than any others on 
the market. Some wise dealer in your vicinity is making friends by selling 
them. See him or write us direct for our new 32 pp. illustrated catalog. It s 
free to all interested farmers. Repairs furnished for Walter A. Wood Ma¬ 
chines of any date. Stocks carried at central points all over the country. 
Hay Rakes 
Hay Tedders 
Knife 
Grinders 
WALTER A. WOOD MOWING & REAPING MACHINE COMPANY, HOOSICK FALLS, N. Y. 
