1905. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
477 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—Slugging methods of union labor organiza¬ 
tions were again exposed May 27 by the arrest and confes¬ 
sion of George Mellor, former president of the Chicago Car¬ 
riage and Wagon Workers’ Union, Local No. 4, and also 
the arrest of four other j^uen who admit they attempted to 
beat non-union employees of the Wells-Fargo Express Com¬ 
pany. Mellor.presided at the meeting of the executive com¬ 
mittee of the Carriage and Wagon Workers’ Union the night 
of April 0, when sentence of death was pronounced on C. J. 
Carlstrom, who was slugged by Charles Gilhooley and his 
band of thugs. Carlstrom died two weeks after being beaten. 
In the confession made by Casey he implicated nine mem¬ 
bers of the union, who acted as the executive committee 
when funds were voted for slugging purposes. Mellor suc¬ 
ceeded in eluding capture by going to St. Louis, but on his 
return to Chicago the police got trace of him through a 
woman for whom he deserted his wife and four children. 
. . . May 27 the Chicago Brotherhood of Teamsters re¬ 
moved President Shea, their strike leader. One reason why 
the high union officials apparently are anxious to put the 
president aside in a measure as soon as possible and bring 
the governing board of teamsters more into the public eye 
is believed to be connected with recent disclosures regarding 
Shea's past, and the probability of more to follow. Shea's 
Boston career shows lie has been a general disturber of the 
peace, and a frequent figure In the courts as a result of 
cases of assault. The slugging of strike breakers con¬ 
tinues. James Spencer, employed as a driver by a depart¬ 
ment store, was reported to the police May 31 as having been 
attacked by three men and left unconscious on the prairie. 
According to Spencer, the men forced him to board a Went-- 
worth avenue car. He protested and called to the con¬ 
ductor for assistance. The conductor, however, refused to 
aid. At the end of the car line the trio took Spencer from 
the car and beat him into insensibility. Sensational dis¬ 
closures of attempted bribery of labor officials by prominent 
employers were made June 1 by President Shea of the Broth¬ 
erhood of Teamsters and Albert Young, former president of 
the Teamsters’ National Union. Before the Grand Jury 
Shea testified that in October, 1903, he had been offered 
$10,000 by John C. Driscoll, former secretary of the asso¬ 
ciated teaming interests, to call a strike against the firm of 
Sears, Roebuck & Co. At the time the offer was made 
Robert J. Thorne, of Montgomery Ward & Co., was pres¬ 
ident of the associated teaming interests. Shea and Young 
have been arrested for criminal libel as a result of this 
charge. President Shea and the other labor leaders who 
were arrested under the charge of the last Grand Jury ac¬ 
cused of criminal conspiracy to ruin the business of Siont- 
gomery, Ward & Co., were reindicted June 3. In all 20 in¬ 
dictments were returned against union leaders. A plot to 
kill Judge Jesse M. Holdom and D. M. Parry, former pres¬ 
ident of the Citizens’ Industrial Association, came to light 
June 3, and as soon as sufficient evidence can be obtained 
it will be laid before the June Grand Jury and indictments 
asked for. There was considerable violence throughout the 
city. In some cases shots were fired on both sides, but no 
one was seriously injured. At a meeting of the Chicago 
truck drivers June (5 the proposal to deliver to strike-affected 
stores and express companies was defeated. The vote was 
a hard blow to the associated teaming Interests who have 
contracts with boycotted business men and who have taken 
a neutral position so far. It means either a -spread of the 
strike or a backdown of the team owners. They have said 
that if this action was taken by the truck drivers they would 
order deliveries and force a lockout. There are 0,000 truck- 
drivers. Destitution has entered the ranks of men thrown 
out of work on account of the teamsters’ strike. Hundreds 
of families are reported to be without, support. Benefits paid 
by the unions in many cases are said to be inadequate to 
keep up large families. Added to the thousands of strikers 
are many who lost their positions because of business de¬ 
pression traceable to the labor troubles. Scores of' men 
brought to the city as strike breakers are in want. “Sup¬ 
port” cases, which receive attention from the County Attor¬ 
ney. are reported to have increased 100 per cent since the 
strike. These cases have to do with husbands who fail to 
provide for their families. In one day 78 of these were 
brought to the attention of Assistant Coiinty Attorney Ander¬ 
son. . . . May 30 a cave-in buried 23 men In the Gunni¬ 
son tunnel, near Montrose, Col., where the Federal reclama¬ 
tion service is digging a tube to carry the water of the Gun¬ 
nison River into the TTncompahgre Valley. After 54 hours 
of ceaseless toil the rescuing party released the last of the 
imprisoned men, Fred Groff, June 1. He had been lying on 
his back, an iron rail under his neck and a huge timber 
across his chest, with earth and rock packed tightly about 
the rest of his body for over two days. The last day the 
rescuers got near enough to pass him a tube, through which 
milk was given to him, and it is believed this saved his life, 
as he was so exhausted that he could not have lived long 
with the pain he was enduring. Three hours before Groff 
was taken out, Ben Taylor was dragged out of bis prison. 
Six of the 28 men imprisoned are dead.Judge 
Floyd Estill, of Hamilton County. Tenn., declared June 1 
that snoring in church is a breach of the peace, and fined 
Charles Shubert. a well-known young man of Chattanooga. 
.$20. Shubert fell asleep in a leading church and his snor¬ 
ing disturbed the congregation. lie was arrested on the 
complaint of (he pastor, and although the young man pro¬ 
tested that his actions were without malice. Judge Estill 
declared that the worship had been disturbed. The case 
may be fought out in the Supreme Court. . . . One of 
the largest seizures of lace that has been made at New York 
in some time, was reported June 2 by Inspector Morrison, 
who sent the stuff to the public stores. The lace was seized 
on the steamer Lombardia, of the Italian line from Naples. 
It was concealed inside of five mattresses, which came over 
ostensibly as “passenger baggage.” It was Syrian lace, and 
there were 335 pounds of it altogether. It is customary 
among Government officials to estimate Syrian lace by the 
pound, but even at this measure, the lot in question was 
quite valuable, ranging in value from $1 to .$4 per pound. It 
was said. Altogether, the stuff was worth probably between 
.$2,000 and .$3,000. The lace had been carefully concealed 
In the mattresses, with a layer of wool on each side of it, 
and thus the mattresses were regularly made up. with cords 
or thread thrust clear through at regular intervals, and tied 
on the outside. . . . Noah Webster Anderson was arrest¬ 
ed near Brvant. Ind.. May 31, on the charge of altering 
paper money. The method he Is accused of using in making 
money out of the Government was a bit out of the ordinary, 
for instead of raising the bills he is said to have torn them 
in pieces and (lien pasted the pieces together in such a man¬ 
ner as to make seven bills out of six. Between the various 
pieces he is said to have pasted together he left a small 
space, concealed by strips of paper. The work on bills he 
was accused of treating in this way was a bit clumsy, how¬ 
ever, inasmuch ns the composite bills were made up of .$5 
bills of different issues and the discrepancy was detected 
without much trouble. An attorney in St. Louis was arrest¬ 
ed, some time ago, for a much better executed piece of work 
along (lie same lines. It was noticed that lie was passing 
a number of $20 bills that were uniform as to length in 
regard to one another, but were a bit shorter than the regu¬ 
lation bill. Secret service operatives rented an office in a 
block across from his rooms and watched him carefully, cut¬ 
ting $20 hills into narrow strips and then pasting the strips 
together, leaving a small part out in each case until lie had 
enough strips to make a couple of new bills. He used no 
strips of paper to fasten the strip of bills together, but cut 
them so uniformly that he could paste the edges together 
with' what is known as “forgers’ paste.” Only in close 
examination could the missing narrow strip on each bill be 
noticed. He had gone to the trouble of getting new bills 
of the same issue for ills work. . . . Snyder, Okie., 
which is just recovering from the effects of the tornado 
which swept hundreds of homes to ruin a few weeks ago. 
was flooded June 3 by a cloudburst which has turned the 
wreck strewn town into a lake. Scores of people, who a few 
weeks ago lost their homes and families, were battling 
against the water, and women and children were being res¬ 
cued from floating houses and taken to places of safety. Tt 
is not yet known whether there has been any loss of life. 
The flood will cause much suffering, as the commissary de¬ 
partment established for the relief of the tornado victims 
has been flooded and the food supply is ruined. ... A 
fraud order was Issued at the 1‘ostofflce Department June 3 
against .T. L. Frazie Mining and Development Company, 412 
West 124th street. New York. This concern appears to 
have acted as an agent in the exploitation of the Me- 
Crusky Gold Mining and Milling Company, with properties 
alleged to be located in Georgia, it was using the mails 
in the sale of stock, which sales, the Department held, on 
account of the nature of the scheme, were in violation of the 
fraud provisions of the postal laws. The B. Franklin Rem¬ 
edy Company, 519 Third avenue, New York, has also been 
denied the use of the mails. A fraud order was also issued 
against Ilaring DuBorue, Box 29, Grey Court, New York. 
DuBorne advertised that he was about to put a breakfast 
food on the market and he invited everybody interested to 
suggest a catchy name, promising to give as a prize a hand¬ 
some automobile to the one who satisfied him. Everybody 
who wrote was told that he had won the prize and was 
invited to send $20 to pay the freight on the machine. No 
machines appearing, many complaints were made to tlie De¬ 
partment. lienee the fraud order. Here is the letter sent 
by DuBorne to one of the “lucky” persons: “I have decided 
to use your idea of ‘U-Auto-Eat.’ The automobile is yours. 
I will ship it to you on receipt of the freight ($20). Ex¬ 
cuse brevity, but I am rushed to death.” 
ADMINISTRATION.—-Charles J. Bonaparte, of Baltimore, 
will be the next Secretary of the Navy. This announcement 
was made officially May 31, soon after Secretary Morton had 
declared his final decision to retire from the Cabinet on 
July 1 and associate himself with New Y'ork City transpor¬ 
tation Interests. The selection of Mr. Bonaparte will prove 
a surprise to many of the leaders of the Republican party, 
and may be an unwelcome appointment to some politicians, 
although the majority have learned to respect the rugged 
honesty and fearless determination which are his chief char¬ 
acteristics. He is a man of abundant means, and will be 
in no way dependent on the meagre remuneration of a Cab¬ 
inet officer. Ever since he was graduated from the Harvard 
Law School, in 1874, Mr. Bonaparte has been waging a fight 
for better municipal government, and has received hard 
blows and won some signal victories. Charles .T. Bonaparte 
was born in Baltimore on June 9. 1851. lie is a grandson 
of Jerome Bonaparte, once King of Westphalia and brother 
of Napoleon Bonaparte. The romantic story of his grand¬ 
mother, the beautiful Elizabeth l'atterson, of Baltimore, has 
been told many times, although Mr. Bonaparte himself al¬ 
ways deprecates any reference to his distinguished lineage. 
His line old Baltimore home Is noted for containing the most 
extensive collection of relics and souvenirs of the First Con¬ 
sul and Emperor of France in this country. ... Ac¬ 
cording to tables prepared in the division or rural free de¬ 
livery, which have just been laid before Postmaster General 
Cortelyou by the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General, there 
is no perceptible abatement in the demand for the rural free 
delivery service. There are pending 4,708 petitions for new 
service, against 5,470 similar petitions on tile one year ago. 
The work of establishing the service is proceeding as rapidly 
as possible. Rural routes are being ordered into effect at 
an average rate of about 600 a month. With the beginning 
of the next fiscal year, July 1, when the new appropriation 
for rural tree delivery becomes effective, a large number of 
routes will be established, the service to start on August 1. 
It is found necessary to give at least sixty days’ notice of 
the intention to start a new service. New York has 1,630 
active routes, many counties being entirely covered by the 
service. Only 78 petitions from that State are now pend¬ 
ing. The greatest pressure for the continuation and exten¬ 
sion of the service comes from the Southern States. 
THE EASTERN WAR.—Official announcement Is reiterat¬ 
ed from Tokio that the annihilation of the Russian fleet was 
accomplished with slight damage to the Japanese warships, 
only three torpedo boats being lost. The surrendered Rus¬ 
sian officers have been released on parole and Rear Admiral 
Nebogatoff has been permitted to send a report to the Czar. 
Admiral Rojestvensky has been taken to the Sasebo Nava! 
Hospital. He has a fractured skull. The report that an¬ 
other admiral, supposed to be Voelkersam. was captured with 
him, was an error. Another Russian torpedo boat destroyer 
has reached Vladivostok with about 209 survivors of the 
battleship Oslyabya. No official estimates of the number of 
Russians lost in the destruction of the fleet has been made. 
Allowing lor 3.000 prisoners in the hands of the Japanese 
and the possibility that the few ships which escaped carried 
survivors from other vessels, it is computed that the loss of 
life in the Russian fleet was probably about 5,000 men. 
June 3 three fugitive Russian cruisers arrived at Sual, 
Luzon, about 125 miles from Manila. They will remain in¬ 
terned there until the end of the war. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The Illinois State Fair will be 
held at Springfield. September 30-0ctober 7; W. C. Gar¬ 
rard, secretary, Springfield, Ill. 
Prof. \\ . F. Lafta, of Purdue University, who is superin¬ 
tendent of farmers’ institutes in Indiana, has arranged a 
schedule of about 35 Summer Institutes, to be held through¬ 
out the State in June and July. The special object of ithp 
institutes is to afford helpful and practical instructions for 
the women and boys and girls of the farm. Two prominent 
features of instruction will be those in domestic science by 
Miss Mather, of Normal, III., and in poultry raising and gar¬ 
dening by Prof. George Stiitzer, of Lafayette, who formerly 
was connected with Purdue. President W. E. Stone, Profs. 
W. C. Latta, J. Troop and II. E. Van Norman and Dr. R. A. 
Craig, of Purdue, also will give lectures at some of the 
meetings. _ 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
The apple crop in southwest Missouri will be very light 
again : do not think it will be any better than last year. 
Northwest Arkansas will have a light crop: probably one- 
fourth crop, a little better than last year. I have no definite 
report on north Missouri yet. The continued rains have re¬ 
tarded growth in corn crop, which is late and much in need 
of cultivation. Wheat'promises fair crop. Oats will not be 
up to average unless it quits raining soon. 
Missouri. geo, t. tippin. 
The outlook for fruit in our section is very good at pres¬ 
ent, for all kinds, and promises a heavy yield. Peaches were 
very light last year. This season they are heavy. Pears 
were very light, almost a failure; this year a good crop. 
Strawberries look fine, with a good load of bloom: last year 
they were a light crop. Grapes are about tlie same as last 
year. Apples are 50 per cent better than last year. No 
farming in this section to speak of. j. f. w. 
Marlboro, N. Y. 
The apple outlook is not so encouraging as last season. 
We grow the Baldwin largely, and they have blossomed very 
light this season. Greenings, Wageners and Fall fruit have 
blossomed full. Pears, plums and peaches blossomed well, 
and the trees seem to be in good shape for a crop. The 
weather has been too cold for grapes so far, but the vines 
wintered well, and we look for a crop equal to last year 
Spring grain and grass have started well, but need rain. 
Corn is nearly all planted, but the weather has been too cold 
for it to start much. t, m. c. 
Lakemont, N. Y r . 
The Winter apple crop will be comparatively short in this 
section. Everyone I have talked with will have fewer apples 
than last year. Baldwins especially light, but Summer and 
Fall varieties promise a full average yield. Our own crop 
will be about half as much as last year. All other kinds of 
fruit promise well. Weather conditions have been favorable 
all through the blossoming period. Seasonable rains have 
occurred up till now. when the need of rain is beginning to 
be felt. Less spraying has been done than usual, owing. I 
think, to the dry cool Spring. The blossom ends are closing 
up fast now with a good dose of poison inside, and it matters 
little this year whether it lie Disparene or Paris-green, as no 
rains have occurred to wash it off. w. a. b. 
In regard to spraying, it has as a rule been very imper¬ 
fectly done in this section in ray oninion. In fact, those 
who know the importance of thoroughness in the work, my¬ 
self Included, are too apt to neglect, owing mostly to the 
pressure of other things. We have found it quite laborious 
to handle so much water in snraying, and this season Mr. 
Eastman and myself are testing the dry powder process, 
which is applied with a machine made expressly for this 
nurpose. Apply when the leaves are wet to trees and 
bushes. I will report the result this Fall. In regard to the 
prospects of the fruit crop. I can only sav that the bloom 
is coming out now, and in ail of my life I think I have never 
seen the bloom so immense and perfect, from the largest 
trees to the smallest shrub or plant. The fields look like 
fields of gold, the dandelions are so profuse. Judging from 
indications in this section there will be an immense crop of 
apples, currants, gooseberries, strawberries, etc., should noth¬ 
ing Interfere. a. n. b. 
Dexter, Me. 
Up to the middle of April prospects for fruit of all sorts 
were exceptional. At that time we had some very severe 
frosts, which destroyed the greater part of tne fruit. Includ¬ 
ing strawberries, which are the poorest crop I ever knew. 
This is one of the greatest fruit and truck sections of the 
West, thousands of acres being planted to different fruit and 
vegetables. The San Jose scale has not yet made its appear¬ 
ance in Union County, but I expect it to come soon, if fruit 
growers continue buying trees from nurseries in infected 
localities. I recently noticed shipments of trees from New 
Jersey and Virginia. How is it that this pest has been 
spread broadcast over the country, and yet every nursery 
catalogue contains a certificate of Inspection, stating that 
their nurseries are free from the pest? From my experience 
with scale insects I believe that if it is once introduced into 
a locality it is there to stay, requiring most thorough work 
to hold it in check, something the ordinary farmer will not 
have time nor inclination to do properly. M. L. b. 
Dongola, III. 
Thermometer at 28 a week ago yesterday (May 22), with 
apples in full bloom, yet they do not seem to be injured. 
Strawberries badly hit, and my plums, blooming heavily, have 
dropped. Cherries too far advanced to be hurt. April was 
the driest I ever knew, and a cold month, yet almost every¬ 
thing was as far along as last year, that is, blooming period. 
1 think the drought hastened bloom. We have had two good 
showers in May. but no steady fall, and ground is in bad 
shape; hay in this neighborhood will be very poor. This is 
“off year” in New England for Winter apples, but the Kings, 
Ilubbardstons, Russets and most of my Baldwins are in bet¬ 
ter show than a year ago. Later I may find a different 
state of things. Last year in the old orchard there must 
have been 140 barrels—old neglected trees—that certainly 
responded well to a little care. I should also say that R. I. 
Greening, Danvers Sweet and Porter are overloaded. The 
only trees not heavily set are some Maiden's Blush, a Golden 
Pippin and two large neglected Baldwins. 
Weston, Mass. _ 
BRIEFLY ANSWERED . 
Mixing Clover Seed. 
Will it be wise to mix several kinds of clover seed? Crim¬ 
son clover was winter-killed here. j. h. 
Orange Co., N. Y. 
We think it desirable to mix one part Alsike clover seed 
with four parts of Red clover, especially where the soil Is 
damp. We have not mixed other clovers with Crimson, 
though some farmers report great success in sowing equal 
parts of Red with Crimson in the late Summer. Of course 
the Crimson dies out, but the Red often lives. 
Getting Rid of Bats. 
Give a remedy or remedies for destroying and removing 
bats from buildings. c. H. c. 
Germantown, NT Y. 
Bats do no particular harm in buildings. It is a common 
notion, however, that they sometimes introduce into houses 
tlie human bedbug, but this is not true. They may be in¬ 
fested by the true bat bedbug, but this insect does not attack 
human beings, and is a distinct species from the one which 
lives on man. I think the bats could be killed if the build¬ 
ing were closed tightly and thoroughly fumigated with sul¬ 
phur; then keep the bats out by closing up their entrance 
holes. M. V. SLINGERLAND. 
Cloth or Glass for Plant House. 
I have about one acre of fine sandy land adjoining citv 
on sidehill of 35 or 40 degrees), sloping to soutn. and well 
protected by Hill and woods on north, northwest and 
west. I think of building a small vegetable or plant house 
or both. Would a three-quarter span facing south with 
north one-fourth covered with good protection cloth answer, 
using glass on south span? Also, may I use good protection 
cloth on cold frames, say every alternate sash to be glass, 
and tacking cloth to frames 3 x 6 feet, using one glass and 
then one of the cloth, and so on? We have a good market. 
There is a running stream on side of hill. a. s. k. 
Jackson, Tern. 
Plant cloth will give very good satisfaction for a short 
time: it soon becomes rotten and worthless. I would not 
use it on plant house; it serves a very good purpose for cold 
frames, when the season is so far advanced that we do not 
get heavy snow or frosts. It is very convenient for shading 
newly transplanted plants. Plant cloth was very popular a 
few years ago, but is not used to any extent now, except 
for cold frames. By all means, use glass; it. is the cheapest 
and safest in the end. JOHN j rankin’, JR. 
ATTRACTING BUSINESS.—Some farmers use letters or 
circulars to attract private trade. The following neatlv 
printed circular is sent by the Locust Farms, Eatontown, 
N. J. : 
“If you are interested in having fresh eggs—never over 
twenty-four hours old—eggs that have a rich flavor, we can 
supply them. Perfect sanitary conditions in poultry houses, 
intelligent feeding with best of grains—clover hay and green 
foods—give us these fine eggs. It costs more to produce our 
kind. Test the difference between so-called fresli eggs and 
those of Locust Farms. Ours are not eggs with a past. The 
white egg of the Leghorn or the brown egg of the Plymouth 
Rock.” 
BUSINESS BITS. 
One of the standard lines of silage machinery which it will 
be well for any dairyman who intends purchasing an outfit 
this season to look into carefully Is the “Belle City,” man¬ 
ufactured by the Belle City Mfg. Co., Racine Junction, Wis. 
The cutters are made with either blower or carrier at¬ 
tachments, and are guaranteed to give satisfaction in 
every way. Catalogue and full information will be sent 
on request. 
Haymakers will note that the Eli hay press advertising 
makes its appearance for the first time this season in tills 
issue. Haymakers are all familiar with the Eli presses. They 
have been long in use, and they have a good name. The 
makers, the Collins Plow Co., of Quincy, III., have presses 
doing duty in about every corner of the country. Anyone 
about to buy a press should not think of doing so without 
first investigating the Eli line. It consists of some 38 styles 
and sizes, both horse and belt power. The Eli catalogue 
will be gladly mailed on request. 
For fencing poultry there is nothing better than the 
Union Lock Poultry Fencing, manufactured by Case Bros., 
Colchester, Conn. It will not sag, will withstand all tem¬ 
peratures, will keep in small chicks, yet is heavy enough to 
use as a division fence against small animals. An extra 
heavy fence is made which will turn both stock and poul¬ 
try. (including small chicks. It is superior to all other 
kinds of fence in that it can be used on uneven ground 
without sagging or buckling, simply by placing the posts 
on highest and lowest places. • This fencing is shipped di¬ 
rect to farmers and poultrymen from mills in Connecticut, 
Illinois and California. Note the advertisement in another 
column. 
Dr. David Roberts, the noted cattle specialist of this 
country, lias recently made a very remarkable report on 
the prevalence of abortion among the herds of the United 
States. The magnitude of the loss sustained will be a sur¬ 
prise to the great majority of farmers and stockmen. The 
loss is so great as to make it wise for every stockman to 
examine into the condition of his herd. Dr. Roberts has 
established beyond question the fact that abortion among 
cows is due to a germ, and is contagious, not only among 
cattle but other stock as well. This eminent doctor has 
been so remarkably successful as a cattle specialist that 
stockmen will lie pleased to learn that he has written five 
little books treating on the diseases specified and their 
cure. Every farmer and stockman would do well to write 
for these books befoie the edition is exhausted. Address 
your letter to Dr. David Roberts, Cattle Specialist, 431 
Grand Ave., Waukesha, Wis. 
