1C05. 
THE RURAL' NEW-YORKER 
493 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—The preliminary hearing of Jesse James, 
son of the bandit and a pawnbroker and salary money lender, 
who is charged by Joseph England with exacting usurious 
interest on a loan of $35, began before a jury at Kansas 
City, Mo., June 5. England, a young married man, testified 
that he had lost his position as motormau for the street 
railway because .Tames obtained a garnishee against his 
wages after he had paid 10 per cent a month interest on 
$35 for 15 months, or a total of 150 per cent. . . . W. 
IV. Karr, the disbursing officer of the National Museum at 
Washington, which is operated as a bureau of the Smith¬ 
sonian Institution, was arrested June 7 on complaint of 
Samuel P. Langley, secretary of the institution, on the 
charge of embezzlement. Karr admitted his guilt and con¬ 
fessed to having stolen about $46,000. His peculations, he 
admitted, began about 15 years ago. . . . The postal 
officials have issued an order debarring from the use of the 
mails Dr. Winfield & Co., of Richmond, Va., who advertised 
a compound which would turn the skin of the blackest of 
negroes to a lily white. The story is related that several 
years ago Dr. Winfield met a celebrated French scientist, 
who gave him his discovery, “marwin,” with which he guar¬ 
anteed to change red, black, blue, green or yellow to a beau¬ 
tiful pinkish white. Department chemists say “marwin” 
is composed of bichloride of mercury, benzoin, glycerin and 
distilled water. “While the compound has a temporary 
bleaching effect, it is not permanently beneficial, but is 
ultimately injurious,” says the Department fraud order. 
. . . The large carpet mills of (he J. W. Dimick Carpet 
Company, of Rifton, Ulster County, N. Y., have been closed 
down owing to differences of the company with its employees, 
and will not be opened until the principle of the open shop 
becomes established there. The blow is a severe one to 
business men of Kingston and Rosedale, as about 500 men 
and women, with a payroll of over $200,000 a year, are 
thrown out of work. The trouble grew out of differences 
among the members of the weavers' union, the printers’ 
union and the carpet workers’ union, and the 23 printers 
quit work without giving notice, which necessitated the 
closing down of all the departments of the mills. Notice 
has been given by the company that when the mills open 
it will be only under the open shop principle. . . 
Judge James M. Leathers, sitting as Special Judge in the 
Indianapolis Criminal Court, June 8, acquitted William W. 
Lowry, an attorney of that city, on the charge of violating 
the new anti-cigarette law by “unlawfully owning and keep¬ 
ing a certain cigarette.” Mr. Lowry admitted that he had 
cigarettes in his possession at the time the indictment was 
returned, but Judge Leathers held that inasmuch as lie had 
obtained his cigarettes in original packages from outside the 
State lie engaged' in interstate commerce and was protected 
by the interstate commerce clause of the Federal Constitu¬ 
tion, which, he held, is a shield against prosecution under 
the new anti-cigarette law so long as the receiver of the 
cigarettes does not peimit them to pass from his possession. 
. . . Fire in the Granite Linen Mill, Wortendyke, N. J., 
June 8, caused a loss of $150,000. ... A fierce fire in 
a New York auto garage June 11 caused a loss of machines 
of $350,000 and $75,000 on the building. . . . Damage 
estimated at $3,000,000 was reported from Keokuk, Iowa, 
June 11, as the result of an unprecedented rise of eight feet 
in the Mississippi River in less than 12 hours. Hundreds of 
families were driven from their homes and bridges were 
swept away, railroad tracks were washed out, trains tied 
up and thousands of acres of crops destroyed. Back of 
Alexandria, Mo., 100 square miles of farming country were 
flooded. The Egyptian levee on the Missouri side broke. 
A report from Alexandria, Mo., said the water was rushing 
through the streets like a mill race. The water was from 
one to three feet deep on the floors of houses. . . . With 
a mass of evidence of graft accumulating against labor 
leaders through the investigation of the Chicago Grand Jury 
John C. Driscoll June 13 declared that he was ready to go 
before the inquisitors and give the names of labor leaders 
to whom he has paid money in the last two or three years. 
Driscoll said that he was labor dictator of Chicago. lie had 
settled or averted about 400 strikes, he said, and had paid 
about $50,000 to labor officials for that purpose. There was 
absolutely no change in the strike situation June 13. No 
conferences were held and the employers declare that busi¬ 
ness lias almost resumed its normal condition. Police pro¬ 
tection has not been withdrawn from the wagons, however. 
. . .Grave charges have been made against officials of 
the California State Land Office by Francis J. Ileney. This 
Government attorney has reported to Washington that con¬ 
ditions in California are worse than those in Oregon, in 
connection with which United States Senator Mitchell and 
Congressman Hermann were indicted by the Federal Grand 
Jury. He has made accusations against men in California 
offices, asserting they have been in league with speculators 
such as Benson and Hyde, who have fraudulently acquired 
vast tracts of public lands in California. . . . Fire 
which started in a casket factory in Williamsburg, New 
York, June 10, spread to a tin factory and nearly a dozen 
dwellings, and caused a loss of $325,000. . . The New 
Jersey Supreme Court, in a decision rendered by Justice 
Fort, June 12, sustained the constitutionality of the law 
which prohibits the shooting of live pigeons as a test of 
markmanship. The case was before the court on review of 
the conviction of Charles W. Davis in the Burlington County 
Court for violating the law. Ltavis is a member of the River¬ 
ton Gun Club, and his violation of the law was planned for 
the purpose of providing a test case. The Supreme Court 
holds that the law is a proper exercise of the police powers 
of the State. 1 . . Warren W. Dickson, chief postoflice 
inspector in Philadelphia, has been suspended pending an 
investigation into his conduct of the office. For several 
weeks Inspectors Ryan and Cortelyou have been looking into 
Dickson’s management Chief Dickson’s suspension is di¬ 
rectly due to the recent investigation by the inspectors into 
the get-rich-quick schemes in Philadelphia. The Depart¬ 
ment at Washington is said to have become convinced tbat 
Dickson did not report bis former investigations into these 
concerns to Washington in as prompt a manner as the regu¬ 
lation required. Chief Dickson was also responsible for the 
action of his subordinate, George W. Holden, who was sus¬ 
pended recently because of his acceptance of a loan of $1,100 
from the head of the Storey Cotton Company when he was 
investigating that concern. 
ADMINISTRATION.—The Government is having trouble 
in bringing to trial the politicians who are mixed up in the 
land fraud cases. A remarkable state of affairs exists out in 
Oregon, where Senator John H. Mitchell and a member of 
the house from that State have been indicted for conspiracy 
to defraud the Government in land deals. It has been nec¬ 
essary for President Roosevelt to take extreme measures with 
several Federal office holders in Oregon as a result of their 
attempts to prevent the punishment of the indicted land 
“grafters.” Former United States District Attorney Hall 
was peremptorily removed by order of the President because 
he showed no disposition to’ bring Mitchell to trial. A few 
weeks ago United States Marshal Matthews, at Portland, 
had his head chopped off by an order of the President. The 
reason given was that Matthews was hindering the prosecu¬ 
tion of Mitchell, whose campaign manager he used to be. 
Senator Mitchell will make a desperate attempt to free him¬ 
self from the charges of wrongctoing. He has engaged ex- 
Senator John M, Thurston, of Nebraska, to defend him. 
Thurston is one of the b’est men in the country at this busi¬ 
ness. Local feeling runs high in Portland. Mitchell has 
many strong friends who are standing stanchly by him in 
his present difficulty. Public sentiment is divided on the 
question of his guilt . . . The Postoffice Department 
has called the attention of postmasters throughout the coun¬ 
try to a regulation forbidding carriers to sell tickets for 
picnics to families on their routes, or to have any negotia¬ 
tions which are, in effect, asking for sums of money, which 
it would not be pleasant for the recipient of mail to refuse. 
The regulation is sweeping and comprehensive. Reports have 
come in of late regarding various enterprises of this sort 
which, it is assumed, had been started because the law has 
been so little invoked of late. . . . The complaint of the 
leading cotton manufacturers of the Southern States and 
of various export associations throughout the United States 
against the Chinese Exclusion law was brought to the atten¬ 
tion of President Roosevelt June 12 by a delegation of about 
25 men, representing all the interests concerned. The dele¬ 
gation was headed by John Foord, secretary of the American- 
Asiatic Association. A printed address was presented to the 
President, in which it was represented that a serious boy¬ 
cott against American goods in China is threatened because 
of the oppressive features of the exclusion act. The visitors 
told the President that insulting and humiliating treatment 
of the privileged classes of Chinese by our immigration offi¬ 
cers should cease, and they declared that China has the best 
of reasons for resenting our treatment of her subjects. They 
proposed that the unfortunate effects of the exclusion law 
should be neutralized as far as possible by suitable treaty 
arrangements, but the President, without saying so in so 
many words, rather discouraged this view of the matter. He 
advised the visitors to talk with the Congressmen from their 
several districts to the end that relief might be obtained 
from the National Legislature. 
NORWAY-SWEDEN.—The Storthing (Norwegian Parlia¬ 
ment, at Christiania, June 7. declared the union between 
Norway and Sweden dissolved and affirmed that the King 
of Sweden is no longer King of Norway. A resolution was 
adopted unanimously empowering the present members of 
the Norwegian State Council to exercise until further notice, 
as the Government of Norway, the power hitherto apper¬ 
taining to the King. An address to the King was adopted 
declaring that no ill feeling was entertained toward him, 
the dynasty or the Swedish nation, and asking his Majesty 
to co-operate in the selection of a young Prince of the house 
of Bernadotte to ascend the throne of Norway. In political 
circles it is not believed that King Oscar will' agree to allow 
a member of the house of Bernadotte to accept the crown of 
Norway. If the Norwegians hold to their action Norway 
will be an independent nation for the first time in more than 
five centuries. In 1376, when the crown of the little Norse 
kingdom fell to a Danish ruler, she passed under the sway of 
that country and was only a Danish province, although an 
unruly and independent one, until 1814. when she was passed 
over to Sweden. The family of Bernadotte, to which King 
Oscar belongs, is of comparatively recent origin. It was in 
the reign of Charles XIII., who yielded up Finland to Rus¬ 
sia, that the Swedish Diet passed one of the most curious 
acts of succession in history. It was the age of the Napo¬ 
leonic wars. Napoleon’s most serious rival in France was 
Jean Bernadotte, a marshal of the empire. The son of a 
country lawyer, Bernadotte had risen from the ranks to be 
the second soldier of the Grand Army. He was made Min¬ 
ister of War during Napoleon’s absence in Egypt, and in that, 
capacity he reorganized the army. Napoleon feared him 
more than any other man in France. Swedish noblemen tak¬ 
ing part in the Napoleonic wars had encountered this Berna¬ 
dotte. Ilis ability, personality and ambition made a great 
impression upon them. Ilis rivalry with Napoleon was a 
matter of common knowledge. Charles XIII was childless. 
The succession became a matter of concern to the Diet. The 
collateral branches of the royal line had no strong candidate. 
A coalition of nobles startled Europe by proposing Berna¬ 
dotte, a Frenchman, who had never even seen Sweden, as 
Crown Prince and successor to the throne. They won their 
point. Bernadotte accepted, and became at once virtual 
ruler of Sweden. He silenced those Swedes who feared that 
he would hand them over to Napoleon by joining a coalition 
against France. With the help of England, Bernadotte 
forced Denmark, in 1814, to hand over Norway to Sweden. 
In return, Sweden ceded parts of Pomerania, her last pos¬ 
session on the mainland, to Denmark. Norway’s Diet for¬ 
mally refused to submit to the change of rule. Bernadotte 
led an invasion at once, and conquered Norway with very 
little trouble. When, in 1818, Bernadotte, came to the 
throne as Charles XIV. he established the union of the two 
countries. Each kept its old code of laws, with a few slight 
modifications to make the joints fit. Each kept its national 
assembly, with power to legislate for its own territory, sub¬ 
ject to royal veto. Both were represented in the Cabinet 
From the very first Norway was independent and sullen. 
A strong liberal party arose, in which there grew up an 
undercurrent of sentiment for independence. Norwegian leg¬ 
islation has always been more liberal than that of Sweden. 
Norway had a constitutional government from the first 
Sweden gained its full constitution only in 1860. In Nor¬ 
way all adult males and all adult females having an income 
of more than 300 kroner are voters. In Sweden the fran- 
chinse is so limited by property qualifications that the pro¬ 
portion of electors is small. King Oscar has sent a letter 
to the Storthing in reference to the secession of Norway 
from Sweden. He declares that the oath he took when the 
became Norway’s King prevents him from passing over in 
silence the action of the Norwegian Government in breaking 
the bonds tbat united Norway to Sweden. He contends that 
when he vetoed the bill providing for separate Consuls for 
Norway he acted within the prerogative conferred on him 
by the Constitution. Indeed, it was a duty demanded by 
consideration for the union. He points out that it is not 
compatible with the fundamental principles of the Norwegian 
monarchy that the King should become a mere tool in the 
bands of the State Council. Moreover, he is not only King 
of Norway, but of the union. Consequently he is also King 
of Sweden, and if the Norwegian nation demands the right 
to force him to give a decision which, in his opinion, is con¬ 
trary to the interests of the union and Sweden, the logical 
conclusion is that the King’s decisions must be dependent 
wholly upon the will of the Norwegian nation and Council. 
CROP NOTES FROM ILLINOIS. 
I have not traveled much this Summer, but locally the 
prospect for apples is good, with the curculio and scab yet 
to be counted in. Spraying is not general here, except with 
those who make fruit growing a business. Bears were in¬ 
jured badly by a freeze in early April. Peaches a failure, 
same cause, riums as usual will be plentiful and cheap. 
This is not a popular fruit here, as we cannot raise the bet¬ 
ter kinds. Both the Domestica and Japanese, from one 
cause or another, fail on the black prairie soil of central 
Illinois, and the same may be said of sweet cherries, English 
gooseberries and quinces. Anthracnose is the bane of the 
raspberry here, and many, if not most, of the small fruit 
men have dropped it. Cherries, such as Early Richmond 
and some of the Montmorency succeed, and the crop this 
season is an average one. Strawberries have given an av¬ 
erage crop that ripened a week early and brought an average 
price of $1.50 per 24-quart crate. This price applies to the 
average berry; fine, large ones were a dollar higher. The 
blackberry crop will be plentiful. More Snyders are planted 
than all the other varieties combined. Gooseberries were 
injured by the early freeze before spoken of, and the crop 
is not large. Houghton and Downing are most planted, but 
the first is too small and the last not productive enough 
here. Pearl does not seem to differ from Downing here. 
The Champion, which I received from Oregon 20 years ago, 
is the best all-around gooseberry we have here. Locally 
the currant crop was ruined by hail. Hail is more destruc¬ 
tive to the currant than any other fruit I know of. There 
are many good varieties. London Market, Wilder, Victoria, 
White Grape, etc. Some of the newer ones T have not 
fruited sufficiently to pass an opinion on. The currant 
needs a cooler Summer than we have here. Some varieties 
blight, some are subject to the borer, as the Fay and others; 
some to the leaf aphis, as the Long Bunch Holland. Per¬ 
simmons and papaws promise well. The former I have 
sharply headed back this year to find ff it is possible to 
keep them within step-ladder bounds, as we may the peach 
and plum. 
I have not examined the nuts closely, but notice that the 
Ridgely chestnut is tasseling out bountifully, and a large 
seedling hazelnut that I have is as usual setting quite full. 
Grapes are in good shape, but rather late. Just why the 
grape should be late and the strawberry early I do not 
know. Nor can I explain why peaches should have endured 
a temperature of 30 degrees below zero and still promise 
a good crop (until our April freeze) when by all rules 20 
degrees below should have killed them all. Although not from 
Missouri, I still have to be “shown.” I fought the Apple cur¬ 
culio last Fall with fire, burning the leaves and trash cleanly 
wherever the fire would run, and I think with some good 
results. As to other farm crops, we always raise corn here 
if they do anywhere. Much replanting has been done, be¬ 
cause of a cold April and May, but we expect a good crop 
yet. We do not raise wheat. Oats are in good shape and 
potatoes also. The ground from some cause broke up last 
Spring unusually mellow and free from clods, which is quite 
a point in favor of all crops. Gardens, because of recent 
dry weather, have lost more of their weeds than usual, which 
is not saying much. I think Timothy meadows are some¬ 
what shortened lately from lack of rain, but still hay will 
be an average crop. But little rye and no barley is sown 
in this part. Not many side crops. Central Illinois lives 
on corn, hogs, cattle and pasture. b. bgckman. 
Sangamon Co., Ill._ 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
The weather here is wet and cold. Wheat, oats and grass 
are almost too rank in growth ; corn nearly a failure; gar¬ 
dens backward and poor. All hot weather crops slow and 
small. Fruit, in general, medium in quantity. Potato plant¬ 
ing not finished. o. t. w. 
Fairport, N. Y. 
Although great damage was done to the fruit industry in 
eastern and southern Virginia by late freeze, yet the main 
fruit sections of the State suffered but little. Therefore we 
have every prospect of a good crop of both peaches and 
apples, especially the latter. Thus far we have had a re¬ 
markably good season for all manner of crops, and Virginia 
will thus continue to have “good times.” h. l. p. 
Blacksburg, Va. 
The outlook for a fruit crop is not as promising as last 
year. Apples will not be over 40 per cent of a full crop ; 
pears a failure; plums very light crop. Peaches set well 
and may reach a full crop in favored locations, but were 
somewhat damaged on low land by the frost In May. Cher¬ 
ries are a very uneven crop, perhaps 30 to 40 per cent. 
Wheat promises a full crop. Oats are doing well; also corn 
and potatoes. g. w. h. 
Callery, Pa. 
Raspberries are sometimes harvested by batting them upon 
a light canvas covered frame, carried in front of operator, 
supported by straps from shoulders. Fruit to be gathered 
by this process must be fully ripe. The dried product is 
run through ordinary fanning mill to remove leaves, or some¬ 
times hand sorted. Two cents per quart is usual price for 
picking, and is cheaper than “batting” when possible to get 
operators. Ben Davis promises a record-breaking crop. Hub- 
bardston and Twenty Ounce average. e. w. c. 
Wayne Co., N. Y. 
The outlook for fruit in Orleans County, N. Y., is very 
good; with the exception of the Baldwins it is equal to the 
crop of last year. All small fruits will be a full crop. 
Meadows show well, especially new seeding, which has not 
looked better in years. Wheat, oats and barley are looking 
first class; there is a large acreage of potatoes and beans 
planted this year. Sweet corn and tomatoes are getting to 
be quite a leading crop for canning factories, which is prov¬ 
ing to be profitable for the farmers; everything seems to be 
favorable for the farmers this season, and they are feeling 
well over the prospects for the season’s crops. j. b. 
Albion, N. Y. 
The cold rains and frosts of April 17-21 injured the 
apples very badly wherever they were in bloom. The south 
half of the State will not have over 35 to 40 per cent of a 
crop ; the north half in some cases a little better, possibly 
40 to 50 per cent. There is still danger from dropping. 
The peach crop is a failure. Pears are about one-third crop; 
plums will be full crop; cherries also; raspberries one-half 
crop; blackberries two-thirds; grapes full crop. Meadows 
and pastures never were better. Corn backward, but grow¬ 
ing nicely now; oats a fine prospect; wheat looks fine and 
prospect 95 per cent. l. a. Goodman. 
Missouri. 
Fruit of all kinds has blossomed very full, with the 
exception of the Baldwin trees that bore heavily last year, 
and also the Greenings. Other varieties have blossomed 
very full, and if we are to judge by the blossoms I would 
think the prospect nearly as good as last year at this time. 
Pears, plums and cherries I think promise to be fully as 
good a crop as last year. Wheat and rye are very promis¬ 
ing. The season up to June 5 has been rather dry, but fine 
weather for getting in crops and for work of all kinds. We 
have had a fine rain this week; the ground is thoroughly 
wet, and crops of all kinds are looking well. 
Ontario Co., N. Y. p. e. v. e. 
The fruit prospect on the whole is average. Apples one- 
half of full crop; pears 35 per cent; peaches 150 per cent. 
I do not think I ever saw peach trees so full of fruit. 
Cherries just harvested, and the yield was far above an 
average. Plums of all kinds 25 per cent of full crop, 
grapes 100 per cent. We will have three times as much fruit 
this season as we had last year; short crop last season. The 
prospect for oats was never better. The crop was sown early, 
and it has been wet all season so far, just ideal for oats. 
Grass and pasture fine. The wheat is ripening and promises 
an average crop. Harvest will be a week or 10 days earlier 
than usual. w. w. s. 
Salem, Ind. 
I believe that apples will be a rather short crop in central 
and northern Ohio. The trees that bore heavily last season 
are resting and those that did not bear have but a- light 
setting of fruit. The promise for peaches at the station is 
better than usual, quite a number of varieties showing a fair 
setting of fruit. There will evidently be another heavy 
crop of the native varieties of plums. A few of the Japanese 
sorts are also promising. The European varieties which 
bore so abundantly last year are now resting. The straw¬ 
berry crop has been materially decreased by imperfect polli¬ 
nation caused by cold, wet weather and a succeeding frost 
that cut from 50 to 75 per cent of the flowers that were 
out at the time of its occurrence. Prospect for blackberries 
and raspberries good. F. h. b. 
Ohio. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Ebtel’s hay press book is yours for the asking. The 
man who is to spend money for a hay press should learn all 
about it beforehand, and this book is intended to answer all 
bis questions, showing him what is necessary in a good hay 
press. Send a postal card to George Ertel Co., Quincy, Ill., 
who will send this 80-page book free. 
The Tapec Machine Co., of Lima. N. Y., manufactures 
the I’apec pneumatic silage cutter and guarantees that it 
will cut and elevate more silage with less power in less 
time and with less trouble to the operator than any other 
blower silage cutter made. Write to this concern at above 
address for their free catalogue and investigate before 
you buy. 
The Manson Campbell Co.. Ltd., of Detroit, Mich., makers 
of the Chatham fanning mill, have perfected a device by 
means of which perfect separation of wheat and oats is 
made. It is in the form of a new riddle with an ingenious 
jumping attachment, and has 4,500 different parts. This 
will supply the extensive demand from all parts of the 
country for an oats-from-wheat separator, and the new style 
Chatham fanning mill will have this improvement and a new 
corn screen, which grades corn perfectly. All interested 
should send to the Manson Campbell Co.. Ltd.. 40B Wesson 
Avenue, Detroit. Mich., for the new Chatham T Jook. 
