1905. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
4i3 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC. August Lenth must'servo 10 years for one 
of the most remarkable crimes iu the annals of Iowa as 
a result of (lie affirmation of his sentence by the Supreme 
Court at Dos Moines May 2. lie was convicted on a charge 
of kidnapping a wealthy farmer and his wife and secret¬ 
ing the woman in an abandoned schoolhouse near Tipton, 
while ho sent the farmer back to the bank for a ransom 
of $50,000. The woman escaped and her husband returned 
with a sheriff's posse. . . . Wisconsin has just passed a 
law which prohibits the manufacture or sale of firecrackers 
more than five inches in length and five-eighths of an inch 
iu diameter. it also forbids tlie use of any explosive in 
crackers except ordinary gunpowder. The penalty for vio¬ 
lation of the law is severe, being a line of from $50 to $100 
or imprisonment of from six months to a year, or both fine 
and imprisonment. ... A decision which will result 
iu the completion of hundreds of drainage ditch enterprises 
in Iowa was handed down May 4 by Judge Gaynor of the 
District Court, who declared the new Iowa ditch law to be 
constitutional. It is expected work will lfe begun on the 
Monona-Harrison ditch, which calls for the expenditure of 
$.‘{00,000 and will drain some hundreds of thousands of 
acres. . . . Three hundred and six indictments have 
been found by the United States Grand Jury at Jackson, Miss., 
against the whitecappers in Franklin County. There were 
fiied previously fifteen indictments. In all of which the 
prisoners were found guilty, and it is understood that there 
are between 25 and .‘{0 more indictments still to be found. 
It is admitted by all that the energetic course of Gov. 
Yardaman in dealing with whltecapism in southern Mis- 
sisippi has broken up the lawlessness prevailing there. The 
whitecappers voted almost unanimously for Vardanian, be¬ 
lieving that because of his extreme views on the negro 
question lie would not interfere with them. He announced 
in his inaugural speech his intention to break up lawless¬ 
ness of all kinds, and especially that directed against the 
negro. . . . Judge Hunt, in Federal Court at Helena, Mont., 
May 0, Issued an order directing the Anaconda Copper Com¬ 
pany and the Washoe Company, which operate the largest 
smelter in the world at Anaconda, to appear before him there 
on June 5 and show cause why the smelter should not lie de¬ 
clared a nuisance in accordance with the petition tiled by 
counsel for 54 ranchers in Deer Lodge Valley, who assert 
that their ranches, worth $200,000,000, have been rendered 
worthless because of tlie arsenical and sulphurous fumes 
emitted by the smokestack of the smelters. Only a year 
ago the smelter company erected a new stack in the belief 
that its height would enable currents of air to carry away 
tiie obnoxious gases. The ranchers in their petition assert 
that it has proved a failure. . . . Reports from various 
points in Indian Territory say that a number of persons 
were killed and many Injured in a fierce storm which swept 
over the territory May 5. There was much prooertv dam¬ 
age. At Owl, twenty-five miles southwest of South McAl- 
ester, eight persons are said to have been killed and a 
dozen Injured. In the central and northern part of the 
Territory the worst rainstorm in years was experienced. 
Crops were ruined and many homes in the low-lying coun¬ 
try were flooded, their occupants fleeing to the hills. . 
The Delaware and Hudson Company, the International Puln 
and Paper Company and tlie Santa Clara Paper Company 
have adopted the system on. reforestation, witli which New 
York State, under the direction of Col. William F. Cox, has 
been experimenting for several years, tin . nave taken steps 
to plant many thousands of young trees on timber land 
which these corporations own in Franklin and St. Law¬ 
rence Counties. Several hundred trees have been Imported 
from Germany for tills purpose. . . . May 8 three men 
were fatally hurt and many others Injured in the Chicago 
strike riots. Big stores had many employees sworn In as 
deputy sheriffs, to aid In the protection of their wagons. 
No more negroes are being imported to take the place of 
strikers. May 9 there were numerous clashes In the 
streets between non-union men and the police and union 
teamsters, who attempted to block the passage of the 
wagons of the Employers’ Teaming Company. There were 
also a number of attacks made on non union men by work¬ 
men in buildings, who pelted them with all sorts of mis¬ 
siles from a safe distance. Coal teamsters in the business 
part of the city were the especial objects of attack by work¬ 
men. As soon as they were discovered missiles of all sorts 
were showered upon them, and In several Instances It was 
necessarv for the wagon guards and the police to send a 
volley of bullets toward the windows. Nobody, however, 
was shot. The taking of evidence relative to the granting 
of the injunctions issued temporarily by the United States 
Circuit Court in favor of the Employers’ Association and 
the seven express companies commenced May 0 before 'Mas¬ 
ter in Chancerv Sherman. The first witness was Robert 
.1 Thorne, assistant secretary of Montgomery Ward & Co. 
He described the opening of the garment workers’ strike, 
which was the original cause of the present trouble, and 
told of the boycott which had been placed against his firm 
and of numerous assaults on teamsters and others, com¬ 
mitted almost at the doors of the Ward & Co. building, 
lie was interrupted repeatedly throughout his testimony by 
the attorneys for the labor men. who objected to his an¬ 
swers on the ground that mobs and riots had nothing to do 
with the defendants in these cases. . . . The Ontario 
Government has refused to ratify the agreement between 
the Electrical Development Company and the Niagara Falls 
i»ark Commission, by which tlie company was to be allowed 
to develop an extra 125,000 liorsepower at Niagara Falls. 
The company already has an agreement permitting it to de¬ 
velop 125,000 horsepower, but it was found that there was 
sufficient water available to develop twice that quantity, in 
Parliament, May 0, Adam Beck said that no further Indus 
trial inroads on Niagara’s beauty or further diversion of 
water, would be allowed until a royal commission, which is to 
be appointed, had gone thoroughly into ae cpiestion of what 
power was available. . . . Goodwin & Co., or John D. 
Goodwin & Co., with offices at No. 1,135 Broadway, New 
York, and the Dexter Building, Chicago, who offered Its cli¬ 
ents 6 per cent profits weekly on all the real money they 
cared to Intrust to the obliging gentlemen constituting the 
concern, have been denied the use of the mails under a fraud 
order issued May 9. The advertisements, which were in¬ 
serted in a number of small country papers, spoke encourag¬ 
ingly, but vaguely, of a string of “winning race horses,” of 
tremendous profits made of bookmaking and urged prospec¬ 
tive investors to hustle their money into the Goodwin till 
before the scintillating opportunity was gone forever. Post- 
office inspectors who called at the Broadway "office" failed 
to find Goodwin & Co. A man named Canfield called for 
the Goodwin mail occasionally, but had not been seen re¬ 
cently. The plan is practically the same, the Assistant At¬ 
torney General for the l’ostoflice Department says, as that 
so profitably employed by Arnold & Co. and John J. Ryan 
in the earlier days of tlie get-rieh-qulek investment com¬ 
panies. ... A tornado wrecked part of Marquette, 
Kan., May 9, and did great damage to tlie surrounding 
country. Twenty-six persons were killed and 44 injured. 
The tornado struck the southern end of the 'town and cut 
a clean swath 100 yards In width through its entire length. 
Coming, as It did, in the night, the people were caught 
Without a moment’s warning. A sultry day, followed by 
a heavy rainstorm, preceded the wind. The tornado seems 
to have formed three miles west of town. It wrought its 
terrible havoc within a few minutes, and, continuing on 
into the farming country to tlie north, caused further 
damage there. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The U. S. Civil Service Commis¬ 
sion announces an examination on May 24, to secure eli- 
gibles from which to make certification to fill a vacancy 
in the position of gardener, experienced in growing plants 
under glass, at $780 per annum, in the Bureau of Plant 
Industry, Department of Agriculture, and vacancies as 
they may occur in any branch of the service requiring simi¬ 
lar qualifications. Only persons who are thoroughly experi¬ 
enced in handling plants under glass should apply for this 
examination. The examination will consist of the subjects 
mentioned below, weighted as indicated Age, 20: physical 
condition. 20; experience, 60. Age limit, 20 years or over. 
This examination is open to all citizens of the United 
States who comply with the requirements. Applicants 
should at once apply to the United States Givi I Service 
Commission. Washington. D. G., for the application form 
1093. No application will be accepted unless properly exe¬ 
cuted and filed, in complete form, with the commission at 
Washington prior to the hour of closing business on May 24, 
1905. In applying for tills examination the exact title 
should lie used. 
To relieve the scarcity of farm laborers which has grown 
to lie one of the severest handicaps with which the far¬ 
mers of the State have to contend. Commissioner Wiettng. 
of the New York Department of Agriculture, is arranging 
to carry out a plan authorized by a 1)111 passed by the last 
Legislature and just signed by the Governor. For many 
years the department lias observed that foreign farm hands 
and small farmers seldom settle in the East, but travel 
straight through to the West. In former years the great in 
ducements there were Government farm homesteads, but 
now that such lands are almost entirely settled, an effort 
will be made to bring these desirable immigrants to New 
York State. The Department of Agriculture considers Hint 
this may be accomplished best by spreading information 
of the farm and dairy advantages which New York offers, 
and tlie new law authorizes the Commissioner to collect 
such information through town authorities and disseminate 
it as he sees fit. The law makes the expense of furnishing 
such statistics a town charge, while an Item In the general 
appropriation bill, now awaiting tlie Governor's approval, 
provides for the cost of spreading the Information. 
TRANSPORTATION ABUSES IN MICHIGAN. 
That the fruit growers of Michigan are suffering a “hold¬ 
up” at the hands of the Armours and their “private car 
line” system no one will doubt after reading the following. 
The first refrigerator car, fruit laden, to leave Michigan was 
sent out in 1893. Initial icing was paid for by shipper and 
re-icing was charged for by the ton at stations where 
needed. This arrangement was carried on for three years. 
For the following two years, 1897-8, the Michigan Central 
Railroad furnished the initial icing free, and only charged 
shipper for re-iclng as necessity demanded. In 1899-1900 
a charge of $6 per car was made for initial ice, and for 
the vears 1901-1902 this price was raised to $10 per car, 
with re-icing at stations where needed charged for by the 
ton, Now notice the difference: The Armour contract 
was entered into with the Michigan Central Railroad In the 
year 1903. This contract bound the rallronds to use no 
other refrigerator cars than the Armours, even liar- 
ring them from the right to use their own: and from the 
date of contract shippers were confronted by a well planned 
monopoly. Rates for initial Icing of cars were suddenly 
raised from $10 per car,-as under the railroad schedule, to 
$25 under the Armour contract. This was for the short 
haul from South Haven, Mich., to Chicago, or a distance 
of 130 miles. When it is understood that there would be 
no need of re icing in this distance the exorbitant differ¬ 
ence in the two systems is plainly seen. For Mississippi 
points the rate is $37.50, and points beyond are from $40 
lo $50. while points east are as follows: Pittsburg, $35; 
Philadelphia, $50; New York City, $55. 
Armour claims to guarantee perfect refrigeration to des¬ 
tination under their contract, thereby relieving the railroad 
company of all responsibility in case of damaged fruit iu 
course of transit through lack of proper refrigeration, but 
not for delays in transit; and right at this point is where 
the shipper often loses track of his profits, as no one is 
ready to shoulder the blame in case of damage. The Armour 
cars have tankage for from 8,000 to 10,000 pounds of ice, 
or one-half ton: which is charged up to the shipper, if 
sending car to Chicago, at the rale of $50 per ton, this 
being an excess over former charges made by the Michigan 
Central Railroad of about $12 per ton. Present conditions 
are as given above, with the exception that recent: press 
reports are to the effect that the Michigan Central people 
have refused to contract with the Armours for 1905, and 
that they will build their own refrigerator cars to be used 
in the Michigan fruit belt. The Pere Marquette system 
will stay with the Armours; thus, a warm Summer is ex¬ 
pected in the Michigan fruit region. E. r.. k. 
THE GOVERNMENT AND NITRO-CULTURE. 
In the National Stockman Alva Agee gives a very clear 
and useful statement about “nilro culture" and the National 
Department of Agriculture. As is now pretty well known. 
Prof. G. T. Moore, of the Department, devised a method 
for keeping the bacteria which work on the roots of legu¬ 
minous crops and sending them safely through the mails. 
In brief, this method is to saturate cotton with the .liquid, 
in which the bacteria swarm, and then dry the cotton and 
seal it airtight. This is all very simple, but the Depart¬ 
ment permitted the most extravagant stories to be told 
about the “discovery” in magazines and papers. After 
creating great interest in the matter the Department stopped 
sending free samples of the “cultures,” and private con¬ 
cerns began offering it for sale. One concern offered enough 
of the culture to inoculafe the seed required on an acre for 
$2—another offered much the same for $1.50. We have ex¬ 
pressed the opinion that the Department should not be ex¬ 
pected to give such things away except for experimental 
purposes. Having demonstrated that the plan of inocula¬ 
tion is worth trying the Department should leave the busi¬ 
ness of selling to private parties. What are the cultures 
worth? The Virginia Experiment Station offered to send 
packets for 25 cents, estimating that this would about pay 
the cost. Naturally the price must be higher if the fair 
expenses of business and a profit are to lie added. From 
the results we have obtained with the cultures we were 
well satisfied to pay $1.50 for the material for one acre. 
The only semblance of success we have had In seeding 
Alfalfa 1ms been where we used the cultures. Where far¬ 
mers buy soil for inoculation they usually put on 300 
pounds to the acre—the average price being $3, with freight 
added. For a fair experiment at the hands of a man who 
knows what he is doing we do not consider the advertised 
price excessive. The trouble is that the Department has 
permitted wild, if not absurd, stories about the value of 
these “cultures" to be printed, and this is leading many 
astray. The It. N.-Y. has, again and again, pointed out tb« 
limitations of this method of inoculation and the condition! 
under which It will surely fall. it is, however, impossible 
to talk moderation In the face of such enthusiastic stories 
as the Department lias permitted to get into print. We 
know that at least one company offering the cultures has 
honestly tried to set people right, though it has had a 
chance to sell “bacteria" for roses, Chrysanthemums, Tim¬ 
othy and corn! It seems to us that Mr. Agee makes it 
very clear that the Department is responsible for much of 
the misunderstanding about these “cultures.” It is claimed 
that the Department has tried to glorify itself in order to 
influence appropriations and secure public recognition. 
There is no evidence of any sort that anyone at Washing¬ 
ton has profited by the sale of “nitro-euiture.” Our own 
experience justifies us In advising renders to experiment 
with the cultures in a conservative way. It is a nice ques¬ 
tion as to whether the Department should decide that the 
retail price is too high and give awa.v the cultures in order 
to compel a cheaper price. That would establish a prece¬ 
dent. that would lead the Government into trouble with a 
number of monopolies. It is useless to conceal tlie fact that 
th're is bad feeling between the Department of Agriculture 
and the experiment stations. Secretary Wilson has been 
accused of attempting to magnify the Department at the 
expense of the Stations. It is certainly true that whenever 
any class of public men become so airy that they fly over 
the heads of the common people the time has come for 
wing clipping. _ 
DELAWARE NOTES.—Tt has been very cool here, but is 
warmer now. A good deal of corn is planted, about ail ex¬ 
cept the late crop after Crimson clover. Strawberries, both 
newly set beds and old ones, look well. Uotatoes are up and 
coming up, and sweet potatoes are being planted. There 
are some peaches on old orchards, but very few on young 
ones. The latter were in bloom just in time to catch the 
frost, while the old ones were past this stage. o. w. 
Sussex Co., Del. 
WILL YOU DO IT AGAIN? 
Buy and eroct a flimsy woven wive fence, when you 
can buy the "FROST” at nearly the same price that 
will last three times as long? Pay yotir money for a 
good article. lt*05 Catalogue free. 
THE FROST WIRE FENCE CO . Cleveland, Ohio. 
Wire Fonce 90 c 
4S-in. stock fence per rod only * 
Best high carbon coiled steel spring wire, 
Catalog of fences, tools and supplies FREE. 
Buy direct at wholesale. Write today. 
MASON FENCE CO. Box 67, Leesburg, 0. 
ANCHOR FENCE 
means fence satisfac¬ 
tion. It means a fence 
easy to put up, that is 
made right and that 
lasts, Sold to you at manufac¬ 
turer’s price. Send to-day for Catalog 
ANCHOR FENCE & MEG. CO.. Cleveland. O. 
From Furnace to Field 
The greatest care is exercised in 
the manufacture of Page Fences. 
Every furnace charge is tested, 
every wire carefully drawn, uu- 
nealed and galvanized, every loom 
operated by skilled labor und every 
piece of fence properly erected. 
PAGE WOVEN WTKE FENCE CO. 
Bo* 764 ' Adrian, Mich. 
Union Lock Poultry Fence 
A Fence—Not a Netting 
The distinctive features are— 
STRENGTH— Cables of two steel wires twisted together and single wire pickets securely fastened 
where tlioy cross by the patented "Union T<ook. r We make our own wire, galvanize it heavily and 
weave into fence. 
ECONOMY—Top rail and bottom boards are unnecessary, and half the number of posts used for 
netting are sufficient. Union Lock Fence (JO inches high, successfully meets all requirements. The 
mesh is IH x 3 inches at the bottom and gradually increases to 4 x 3 at the top. This prevents the 
escape of chickens large or small. 
UTILITY—Union Lock Fence may be stretched tight without buckling or sagging and conforms to the 
inequalities of the ground without cutting. May safely be used as light stock fence. 
DUKA HI LITY — Testimony of those who have used Union Look Fence proves that it will last longer 
and better than any other fence or netting. 
Thla Trade Merk in colors appears 
on every roll. 
‘‘Is Poultry Raising Profitable?” — “The Popular Breeds in 
America” — ‘Food and Feeding of Poultry"—“Hatching and 
Raising Chicks” — “Poultry Houses" — “A Few Suggestions 
About Poultry Fencing”—are the titles of the chapters in the 
new and enlarged edition of our booklet D, “A Short Story fo 
Poultry Raisers.” It is more than interesting—it is valuable. 
We will be pleqsed to tend it to you free vpon request. 
UNION FENCE COMPANY, 
J14 Liberty St,, New York, 
Mills at Now Haven, Ct,, De Kalb., Ill., Oakland, Cal. 
RUBEROID 
‘ * 'irenep 
OOFING 
TRAPt MARK RCOliTgtfeP 
STANDARD 
FOR 14 YEARS 
Ruberold was the first weath r-proof and elastic 
roofing.placed upon the market, and there is more '4 
of it sold to-day than of any other roofing. It is and 
has be n for fourteen y ars rnanuf etured • oh ly by 
us. It is the only prepared roofing which outlasts 
metal and shingles. Positively weather-proof aud fire- 
resisting, Any handy man can apply it. 
To protect you against imposition by would-be imita¬ 
tors, we stamp the registered trade mark “HUBEROI l>” 
on the unders.de, every four feet. Send for samples 
and Booklet “K.” 
Have you seen 
Ruberoid Red Roofing? 
A permanent roofing with a permanent color. 
THE STANDARD PAINT COMPANY 
Sole Manufacturers 
100 William Street, N.Y. 
