648 
September^ 21 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Hekbeht W. Collikgwood, Editor. 
Dr, Walter Van Fleet, j 
H. E. Van De-man. VAssocIates. 
Mrs. E. T. Uoyle, \ 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries In the Universal Postal Union, 12.04, equal to 
Ss. (id., or 8!^ marks, or lOJs francs. 
“A SaUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that every advertisement In this paper Is backed bv a 
responsible person. But to make doubly sure we will make good any 
loss to paid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler 
advertising in our columns, and any such swindler will be publicly 
exposed. We protect .subscribers against rogues, but we do not guar¬ 
antee to adjust trilling differences between subscribers and honest 
responsible advertisers. Neither will we be responsible for the debts 
of honest bankrui)ts sanctioned by the courts, jvoticeof the complaint 
must be sent us within one month of the time of tue transact on, and 
you must have mentioned The Ki'ral New-Yorker when writing 
the advertiser. 
Name and address of sender, and what the remittance Is for, should 
crpear in every letter. 
Remittances may bo made In money order, express order, personal 
check or bank draft. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1901. 
Just outside a window of a New Jersey house a 
large black spider has spun a web about the size of 
a dinner plate, and is making an effort to handle 
his end of the mosquito problem. The window at¬ 
tracts the mosquitoes. They evidently expect to fly 
into the house, but land in the web instead, and their 
long legs and wings are quickly tangled up in its 
meshes. On warm evenings the spider has to work 
overtime to handle his victims, and he is certainly a 
high liver in every sense of the word at present. The 
inmates of the house consider him a public benefac¬ 
tor, and will not brush away his web until the mos¬ 
quito season is over at least, it is to oe hoped that 
the mosquitoes will not give the spider a touch of 
tne malaria. 
One of our readers says that he spent a good share 
of Labor Day chasing thieves and hunting police and 
constables to arrest drunken rascals. No wonder he 
says: 
This is “Labor Day,” and withal a legal holiday. 
Selling whisky on legal holidays is in our State a crime 
punishable by a heavy line, as is also selling it to minors. 
Yet with all these boasted bulwarks of safety thrown so 
protectingiy around us, i was obliged to call the police 
to arrest a boy apparently not more than 1« years old, 
and naked except tor pants and shoes, raving like a 
madman and threatening everything in reach. A part 
1 suppose of the boasted liberty and civilization of the 
twentieth century. 
Why, yes—when law and its enforcement fair into 
the hands of politicians a good share of the “liberty” 
seems to go to rascals and rogues. 
• 
Many references are now made to the so-called 
“grandfather clause” in the new constitution which 
is to be submitted for ratification to the voters of 
Alabama. This clause gives the right to vote to ail 
men of legal age who are descendants of soldiers who 
fought in the Colonial, Indian, Mexican or Civil wars. 
The object is to save illiterate whites from the gen¬ 
eral requirement that no person shall be allowed to 
vote who cannot read and write any Article in the 
Constitution of the United States. The “grandfather 
clause” is generally regarded as an unjust discrimi¬ 
nation against the negro, and it is also held by some 
eminent men that the creation of a class of Heredi¬ 
tary voters is contrary to the basic principles of our 
Government. The question is arousing a great deal 
of controversy, and is likely to be carried to the 
United States Supreme Court to settle its constitu¬ 
tionality. 
« 
A THOUGHTFUL business man once said that the 
neglect to pay small bills is the unpardonable sin. 
Such neglect certainly does at times cause serious 
annoyance, if not embarrassment, but to our mind 
it is a much greater wrong to dispute the bill on 
technical grounds, after the service has been ren¬ 
dered. One may excuse the man who, with an honest 
purpose to pay his bills, neglects for a time to do 
so, but there can be no excuse for the wilful dodger. 
This man, after having received honest and worthy 
service, disputes the bill for the evident purpose of 
forcing a (compromise which the creditor will often 
consent to rather than go to the trouble and expense 
of a lawsuit. A favorite trick of this class of debtors 
is to propose an arbitration. He offers to choose a 
man, the creditor to choose another and, in (case they 
do not agree, they to choose a third. This is an 
alluring and deceptive proposition. It would be fa’r 
enough if an honest difference of opinion existed, but 
the debtor is simply working to scale down his just 
obligations. He has nothing to lose and everything 
to gain. The representative of the creditor can de¬ 
mand only his just dues, while the debtor’s man, 
sometimes with a promised share in the spoils, can 
demand a large reduction. Of course, they no not 
agree, and the natural thing for the third man to do 
is “split the difference” and close the dispute. A 
strictly honest man may neglect his bills for a time, 
though the habit is a bad one, but no one but a 
trickster or a rascal will attempt the other course of 
“compromise” with intent to steal 1 
• 
The most remarkable thing about the muraerous 
attack upon President McKinley is the folly anu use¬ 
lessness of such a thing. A man of singularly pure 
private life, remarkably free from public scanual, is 
shot down in the most cowardly manner under cir¬ 
cumstances that should make the blood of every true 
American boil with indignation. What could the 
cowardly rascal who did tnis foul deed expect to win 
by it? How could he hope, in this country, to improve 
his own condition or tne lot of any honorable body 
of citizens by committing murder? Here in this land 
apparently set aside by a divine Providence as a 
place where men should work out the great problems 
of human liberty, thrice within a single generation 
the ruler is laid low by the assassins bullet. What 
does it mean? There are many sides to the question 
—one being the fact that most of the bloodthirsty 
king-killers have been driven out of Europe, to find 
a refuge here. They take advantage of the very free¬ 
dom of thougnt and action granted them here to keep 
up their murderous work. The time has come to 
squeich them with a heavy hand. Down with them, 
'iney have no place in a republic! 
The death of the President causes sincere and 
heart-felt grief throughout the entire country; politi¬ 
cal strife or personal feeling is alike hushed in the 
presence of a great sorrow. All classes unite in af¬ 
fection and respect for the memory of one whose pri¬ 
vate life and character represented all that is best in 
American citizenship. In the solemn moments of a 
National calamity which binds us together in sym¬ 
pathy for the bereaved, we are the better able to 
judge of the purity of life and loyalty to country 
which brought our late Chief Magistrate so close to 
ithe plain people. There is no need to eulogize the 
dead; half-masted fiags and costly trappings mean 
little, for they are lavished on worthy and unworthy 
alike, but the real and enduring monument of Will¬ 
iam McKinley will remain in the heart of the great 
American people, whose respect for an honored Ex¬ 
ecutive is now merged in earnest sorrow for the man. 
Of the hundreds of millions of people who have 
lived in this world, not a thousandth of one per cent 
have been known outside their immediate neighbor¬ 
hood; fewer have done anything sufficiently out of 
the ordinary to attract much attention; and still 
fewer have gained any considerable amount of money. 
It is evident that, if a name, great deeds or wealth 
are essentials of a successful life, most people have 
failed. The fame of many has been infamously bad, 
and their wealth ill-gotten, so that the number who 
have been famous for their good deeds, or have be¬ 
come rich without dishonesty or oppression of oth¬ 
ers, is exceedingly small. On thinking over these 
things some people become depressed. They give up 
ail idea of attaining anything great, and are wretched 
because they can’t, thus adding misery to discourage¬ 
ment. Take these three things: gOQd character, 
money, and fame. The first lasts, is witnm the reach 
of all, and should be looked upon as the one essential. 
Of the two latter it is safe to say that one should get 
as much as he can with due consideration for others, 
and the fact that so few have attained these two 
much-to-be-desired things should spur him on to 
great, yet intelligent effort. 
* 
Rumors reach us that the oleo people will endeavor 
to capture the National Farmers’ Congress, which 
meets in Sioux Falls, S. D., next month, through at¬ 
tempts to convince the cotton growers of the South 
and the fat-stock men of the West that oleo is essential 
to the success of their respective interests. Governor 
Odell, of New York, has done well to appoint a strong 
delegation from this State to help refute these argu¬ 
ments. We could suggest no men better qualified to 
represent the great dairy interests of New York State 
than those named in this delegation, 'rhere is just 
one man, however, who should be added to the list. 
That man is Commissioner Charles A.Wieting. It would 
add strength and force to this already strong delega¬ 
tion if it can be led by the head of the Agricultural 
Department of the State. The other delegates, con¬ 
scious of the task before them, and confident of the 
strength which the Commissioner’s name would add 
to the delegation, are making efforts to secure his at¬ 
tendance. No doubt so long a trip at this time would 
be a severe tax on his already crowded time, but 
since there Is a demand for his service we believe 
that he will not shrink from the responsibilities, no 
matter at what sacrifice of either personal or other 
official duties. The Commissioner should head the 
delegation from the Empire State. 
m 
This year we have been overrun with insect pests 
of all classes. Those injurious to farm and garden 
have been most perniciously active; so, too, were ail 
the indiscriminate beetles, worms, flies and bugs 
whose apparent mission in life is to rasp the nerves 
of mankind. Several persons have remarked to us 
that the caterpillars now skeletonizing both shade 
trees and garden are merely a temporary trouble; 
that they would be destroyed by the first frost. Such 
persons are, of course, quite ignorant of the life his¬ 
tory of insects, but doubtless there are many others 
who take the same view, and ignore any means of 
lessening the plague. It is true that Nature herself 
takes a hand, and restores her balance sooner or later 
by plague or parasite, which thins the ranks of in¬ 
jurious insects, but that is no reason why we should 
adopt a let-alone policy. Every community should, 
unite in the light against insects known to ue of in¬ 
jurious character. Tent-caterpiiiars and Hessian liy 
appear to have no redeeming qualities wnatever, and 
the present season has shown us forcioly that a 
united policy of extermination is needed. Don’t let 
them alone. Don't adopt an open-door policy to¬ 
wards these insect criminals! 
* 
What shall be done with the anarchists? That is 
a vital question just now while the Fresident of this 
Republic lies on his bier, their victim, it has been 
the boast of Americans that in this free country, 
free speech is permitted if not encouraged—as it 
ought to be. It is evident that this privilege has been 
abused. The man who tried to kill ^resident Mc¬ 
Kinley was inspired by the frenzied speech of a half- 
crazed anarchist. The people who give sucn murder¬ 
ous advice regarding the use of the knife and torch 
would not themselves carry out their own threats. 
They either lack the courage to do so, or are merely 
talking for effect. fcJome poor, weak-mmded person 
listens to their wild talk and carries out tneir sug¬ 
gestion. We have in this country a class of men, 
writers and speakers, who are dangerous Because they 
are reckiess in their public advice, and statements. 
Probably without meaning to do so they lead men to 
thoughts of hatred and revenge—sowing the seeds 
which in time will produce lawlessness and murder. 
The country to-day is in no mood to play or experi¬ 
ment with those who preach murderous doctrines. 
The anarchists who would send half-crazed men to 
assassination must shut up or view the inside of a 
prison! 
* 
BREVITIES. . 
Why are bees winged merchants? Because they keep 
stores and cell honey. 
Let the fat hen bring back lier love for eggs by laying 
for concealed grain with her legs. 
We consider that the work done by T. V. Munson has 
been of great value to horticulture. 
An English ship just starting for the polar regions is 
to be lighted by electricity—generated by means of a 
windmill placed in front of the mast. 
1:N some parts of the West farmers turned out with 
other workmen in the Labor Day parade. Why not, 
since the workmen are the farmers' best customers? 
Every time a human being is lynched without due pro¬ 
cess of law, every time human life is cheapened by greed 
or carelessness, seeds are sown which will one day 
spring up into an attempt at public murder. 
Long Island pickle growers are having a prosperous 
season. More than the usual number have sprayed their 
vines with Bordeaux, and the result is that the blight 
has done but little injury. It is said that some fields 
are yielding 100,000 pickles to the acre, which are selling 
at from $1.50 to $2.50 per 1,000. 
Confidence men have hatched up a new form of 
swindle in the shape of bogus gold dust and nuggets, 
w'hich have been palmed off on Klondike dealers. Brass 
filings in small quantities have been mixed with the gen¬ 
uine dust, and it is said to be very hard to detect the 
deception. In one case a large nugget was found, which 
proved to be brass and copper thinly washed with gold. 
Edwin Van Alstyne, the efficient manager of the dairy 
contest at the Pan-American Exposition, would hardly 
be taken for a poet, yet we are told in a press report 
that he was recently heard humming the following origi¬ 
nal song: 
“How doth the little busy pig 
Improve each shining hour. 
By gathering sausage all the day 
Prom every opening flower. 
When the shades of evening fall. 
He hies him to his sty 
And sings his pretty evening hymn. 
Root, pig or die.” 
