THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
685 
isos. 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—The old war between the cattle raisers and 
sheepmen has broken out again in the Big Horn basin, 
Wyoming, and the first clash resulted in the killing of 8,000 
sheep in one herd, the property of L. A. Gantz, whose range 
is on Shell creek, information being received August 30. 
It was the worst raid in the history of the war between the 
two factions, and further trouble is anticipated, as both the 
sheepmen and cattlemen are guarding their herds. The sheep 
camp was visited at night by a band of masked armed men, 
who first captured the herders, burned the camp and equip¬ 
age, killed the horses of the outfit, and then began shooting 
and clubbing sheep to death. Large numbers were driven 
over a high precipice and others were drowned in the river. 
The entire flock, consisting of 8,000 sheep, were killed. Cat¬ 
tlemen in the district have complained of Gantz for some 
time, claiming that his sheep were destroying the home cattle 
range, and insisting that he move them into the mountains. 
After the killing of the sheep the herders were given two 
days’ food and freed. They were warned not to disclose the 
names of the destroyers even if they knew them. 
The planters of Grimes Co., Tex., and several others cotton¬ 
growing counties have organized to prevent cotton pickers 
from being lured away at this critical period of the season. 
I.abor is unusually scarce, and agents have invaded the sec¬ 
tions and induced over 300 negroes to desert their employ¬ 
ers. Three of these alleged agents were caught and marched 
under guard across the county line with threats of death 
should they return within six months. In another section, 
two other employment agents were arrested and put to work 
on the county roads for attempting to engage laborers to go 
to Arkansas. Planters say the scarcity of labor threatens 
several thousand dollars’ damage, and their organization of¬ 
fers a reward for the conviction of every person attempting 
to secure pickers for other sections. Warnings have been 
posted on the county roads. . . . September 3-4 great 
damage was done through central New York by floods and 
cloudbursts. Damage at Cooperstown will reach several 
thousand dollars. The reservoir at Sherburne burst under 
the terrific pressure and swept away fields of vegetables, 
bridges and roads, and left the village without a water sup¬ 
ply. The cloudburst is one of the most costly and damaging 
in the history of the Lackawanna and Ontario and Western 
railroads. The Chenango River was at its highest point in 
fifty years. Many miles of track and roadbed on the elec¬ 
tric railroad running between Mohawk and Oneonta were 
washed away. The damage in the Sauquoit valley will he 
upward of $(>0,000, while the total damage to railroads and 
other property in the strip of territory between Utica and 
Norwich will exceed $300,000. The cloudburst swept down 
upon Schuyler Lake, near Richfield Springs, at midnight. 
Herkimer Greek overflowed its boundaries and flooded the 
village to the depth of three or four feet. A so-called cloud¬ 
burst in the farming country south of Fort Plain caused 
damage to the extent of many thousands of dollars. Ots- 
quago Greek, ordinarily an insignificant stream, suddenly 
became a body of water of dangerous proportions. Its banks 
were overflowed for miles, several bridges were destroyed 
and many were badly damaged, highways were washed out, 
a few buildings were demolished and carried away, orchards 
were uprooted and great damage was done to growing crops 
of grain, hop yards and gardens. Debris of nearly every 
description was brought to the Mohawk Valley by Otsquago 
Greek and was jammed into the openings under the bottom of 
the Erie Canal, which permit the creek to reach the Mohawk 
River. This caused the water to rise so high that it over¬ 
flowed into the canal. Some of the townships will lose a great 
number of highway bridges, and to replace them would he 
almost an impossibility unless the towns get county or State 
aid. In many places'streets and roadways are washed out 
to a depth of 10 or 12 feet, and fine houses now stand on the 
banks of great canals where none before existed. Thousands 
upon thousands of acres of garden produce have been washed 
away and scores of houses and barns wrecked with enormous 
loss of live stock. Scores of towns in Otsego and Chenango 
counties were cut off from all communication with the out¬ 
side world, telephone and telegraph lines being down and 
railroads still tied up. The trouble on the Lackawanna 
Railroad was south of Norwich, where the Chenango River 
worked havoc with the railroad bed in many sections. Forty- 
two miles of this company's tracks were washed away. In 
the village of New Berlin there was grave danger of an epi¬ 
demic following the cloudburst. A horrible stench prevailed 
and there was no water with which to clean up the terrible 
mess. The water mains were broken by the cloudburst. The 
village presented a dismal picture: the streets filled with 
goods. Little could be done toward cleaning up on account 
of the difficulty in getting water. The stores and houses 
were reeking with slime. The reservoir at Sherburne having 
burst, that village was in straits for a water supply. Re¬ 
pairs to the embankment that went out are in progress, but 
until these are completed wells in the village will have to he 
used to furnish a supply for drinking and cooking purposes. 
As many of these have undoubtedly become contaminated 
the danger from a spread of infection is great. 
There were three deaths from yellow fever and 16 new cases 
at New Orleans September 2. A general order has been 
issued to the funeral directors by the health authorities, re¬ 
questing co-operation in fumigating houses immediately after 
death and before funerals. Although there have been oyer 
300 cases of yellow fever at Leeviile. where the population 
is 800. according to the health authorities, there have been 
only 28 deaths to date, or at the rate of about nine per cent. 
The matter of holding a general convention of Southern 
States to consider whether or not all quarantines shall be 
put in the hands of the Federal Government will probably 
be held in a short time. The situation is that a law has 
already passed placing quarantine restrictions in the hands 
of the Government, but the Public Health and Marine Hospi¬ 
tal Service bureau has refused to take hold of the matter 
excepting at the unanimous request of the Southern States. 
The total number of cases September 1 was 39 and deaths 
four. There have been altogether 2,142 cases and 298 
deaths. A case of yellow fever was reported September 2 
from Maysville, I. T., 70 miles north of the Texas line. A 
case of vellow fever, brought from Pensacola, has been dis¬ 
covered 'in Atlanta, Ga. The authorities have been expect¬ 
ing vellow fever for some time, as Atlanta does not quaran¬ 
tine’and the city is sheltering 7.000 refugees. The most 
serious development in the country parishes of Louisiana 
came September 5 from Tallulah, where 20 new cases were 
reported, one death being added. The fever at Tallulah, 
which is 150 miles north of New Orleans, is confined largely 
to Italians. Lake Providence, north of Tallulah, reported 
nine new cases: Patterson, 11 new cases and two deaths. 
The total number of new cases reported outside of New 
Orleans is 58, and of deaths, three. Five of these new cases 
are at St. Bernard, a suburb of New Orleans. . . . ■Alex¬ 
ander Buchanan, secretary of an alleged “get-rich-quick 
concern known as the Northwestern Trust Company, was ar¬ 
rested at Council Bluffs. Iowa. August 24 on a State charge 
for conducting an unlawful business. The office of the 
company was closed by the sheriff and its records are in his 
possession A number of the contract holders In the concern 
filed a petition for the appointment of a receiver. The vic¬ 
tims several hundred in number, live all over Iowa, Nebraska 
and South Dakota, as well as in other States. . . . At 
Greenville, Ohio, August 31 an aeronaut was blown to 
atoms by the explosion of six sticks of dynamite 
while in his airship 1,500 feet in the air. His wife and 
two children were among the 25,000 persons who were wit¬ 
nesses of the tragedy. He bad been giving daily exhibitions 
at the county fair. He would ascend several thousand feet 
in the air and explode dynamite at intervals. 
ADMINISTRATION.—President Roosevelt announced Sep¬ 
tember 4 the appointment of Robert Bacon of New York to 
succeed Francis B. Loomis as Assistant Secretary of State. 
Mr. Bacon was until about eighteen months ago a junior 
member In the firm of .T. Pierpont Morgan & Co He Is a 
Harvard man and a college friend of Mr. Roosevelt. During 
the strike in the anthracite coal regions in 1902. when the 
President was endeavoring to put an end to the trouble, Mr. 
Bacon represented J. P. Morgan & Co. and capital generally, 
in the negotiations. The new Assistant Secretary will take 
hold next month. The resignation of Mr. Loomis has been 
in the hands of the President some time. Rumors have 
been floating about that Mr. Loomis would be America s 
diplomatic representative in Mexico or Brazil, but every time 
one of these rumors is referred to the proper authority for 
confirmation it is denied. 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.—No discrimination 
In the work of tlie meat inspection service and exoneration 
of Dr. D. E. Salmon, chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry 
of the Department of Agriculture, of charge growing out of 
business connections here are the findings by Solicitor Mc¬ 
Cabe of that department as the results of his investigation 
of charges against that branch of the department. Solicitor 
McCabe's work has been approved by Secretary Wilson. The 
report says that Dr. Salmon’s connection with the local busi¬ 
ness firm, while not ideal for a government officer, did not 
involve any wrongdoing and that he never benefited from the 
government contract with that firm. In summing up the 
findings concerning criticisms of the meat inspection ser¬ 
vice, Solicitor McCabe says: “The matter of a grant or 
refusal of meat inspection to establishments applying there¬ 
for has received careful consideration. I find that during 
1901 20 applications for inspection were received, of which 
16 were granted. In 1902, 13 applications were received, 
of which 10 were granted. In 1903 27 applications were 
received, of which four were granted and 23 refused. In 
1904 27 applications were received, of which 10 were 
granted. During 1905 to this date 12 applications have 
been received, of which one has been granted, and two are 
pending. I find that the refusal to grant inspection has, 
in a majority of cases, been based on the fact that the ap¬ 
propriation lias been entirely inadequate to cover the inspec¬ 
tion of all meat used in interstate trade and the depart¬ 
ment policy appears to have been to grant inspection where 
the outlay of money would cover the inspection of the larg- 
est number of animals. I do not find that there has bee.n 
any discrimination.’’ ... If recommendations now 
under consideration by Secretary of Agriculture Wilson are 
adopted, a radical change will be made in the manner of 
publishing reports on cotton and other speculative crops, 
and such scandals as were the result of the operations of 
Edwin S. Holmes, Jr., former Associate Statistician of the 
Department, will be obviated. It lias been suggested by 
brokers in New York, particularly those that deal in cotton 
that the Department should no longer take estimates of 
cotton or other crops. Instead, they propose that the De¬ 
partment continue, as heretofore, the collection of informa¬ 
tion as to the crop conditions, and if possible strengthen 
its force in the field. The plan submitted to Secretary W II- 
son provides that, the Department shall stop with the col¬ 
lection of crop conditions, but that all data relating to crops 
shall be made as fast as received, the estimates of pro¬ 
duction then to be made by those interested, this would 
prevent the fluctuations in the market which always follow 
the publication of crop reports and would make it impos¬ 
sible for anyone to profit by what is known as ‘inside in¬ 
formation.” As everybody concerned would have access to 
the department returns, the juggling of figures would not 
be possible. Secretary Wilson has taken the matter under 
consideration and has promised to make announcement of 
his decision in a few days. 
THE PEACE CONFERENCE.—The treaty of peace be¬ 
tween Russia and Japan was signed at Portsmouth. N. II., 
September 5. The terms are those formerly announced, 
with modifications. Russia flatly refused to pay an indem¬ 
nity, and this demand was withdrawn by Japan. Russia is 
to pav the Japanese the cost of maintaining her prisoners, 
deducting the expenses of the Japanese prisoners. Japan 
receded from her demand that Knssia transfer to her all 
Russian warships now interned in Pacific waters. .Japan 
also waived the article compelling Russia to limit her naval 
force in Pacific waters. Russia yielded to Japan fishing 
rights on the Siberian coasts. It was agreed that Japan 
should guarantee the integrity of Corea and be the predomi¬ 
nant influence in that country, all Russian subjects there to 
enjoy the privileges of persons under the most favored na¬ 
tion clause. No fortifications are to be built by either Japan 
or Russia near the Russo-Corean boundary line. Both ltus- 
sian and Japanese troops are to quit Manchuria as soon as 
possible. Russia is to transfer to Japan leases obtained 1 
from China for the occupation of the Liaotung Peninsula. 
China is to recover the civil administration of Manchuria 
in accordance with the Russo-Chlna treaty of April IS 
1902. After a stubborn debate that for a time threatened 
to break off the peace negotiations Sakhalin Island was di¬ 
vided equally between Russia and Japan, the latter country 
to take the southern part. No objection was made by the 
Russians to the transfer of the docks, magazines and other 
Government works in Port Arthur and Dalny to Japan, inas¬ 
much as the Japanese had already captured them. I hey 
only insisted that the rights of private property be respected 
Russia will transfer to Japan the Eastern Chinese Rai way 
from a point some miles south of Harbin to Port -Arthur. 
She will retain the main Manchurian line to Vladivostok 
After the signing of the treaty a thanksgiving service was 
held in Christ church. Portsmouth, clergy of the Greek and 
Episcopal churches officiating. 
A WESTERN MAN LOOKS SOUTH. 
Let me know, if you can, of a place in Virginia or Ohio 
that I can rent for one year and buy afterwards if it suits 
me: 100 acres is what I want. I can come with tools and 
$1,000 in money and can give bank reference. I have ™ 
family three boys and five girls and wife, all are good 
milkers: been in dairy business here for five years. I want 
to leave, for the town is only 1,700 and there are at glass 
time 40 or more cows in town and all sell milk. 1 am 
milking now 20 cows and sell only 15 gallons of milk a day . 
the rest I separate and feed the hogs, selling the butter 
at 15 cents a pound. I think there are better places for 
me. Land that is not too badly worn will not scare me 
if the buildings are so I can do for one or two years. 
Illinois. u - n - s - 
It is Impossible to recommend properties and give a fair 
idea to an intending purchaser who has never seen the 
country. The State of Virginia stands in great need of just 
such people as this correspondent describes himself to he, 
and offers splendid advantages to them. There is no better 
grass country on the face of the earth than can lie found 
on either side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, within 50 miles 
of Washington Citv. and in this whole section the dairy 
business is practically undeveloped. The only thing for your 
correspondent to do is to come down to our country and look 
it over and I am sure he will abide with us. In my imme¬ 
diate section, Shenandoah Valley, where fruit raising is 
being made a specialty, very little land is for sale, but I have 
no doubt that your correspondent could find a farm for rent 
that would suit him, as nearly all of our land not planted 
to fruit is in the hands of renters, the land owner usually 
furnishing all of the farm stock and equipments and the 
renter furnishing the labor, each receiving half of the pro¬ 
ceeds This to a working man with a family of boys to help 
out on a farm Is a sure road to a comfortable competency 
and the ownership of a good farm. s. l. i„ 
sible. where the fruit will be gathered, graded, packed and 
branded with the Association's brand. When it is not possi¬ 
ble to handle the fruit in this way, other arrangements can 
be made. Further in formation will be supplied by the 
chairman, Thos. W. Campbell, 26 Produce Exchange, New 
York. _ 
POTATO CROP NOTES. 
From observation and what limited information I have I 
doubt whether Green County potato yield will exceed .><> 
per cent. Producers are free sellers at 50 cents, our local 
price, as much rot is likely to develop. K. a. hill. 
Greene County, N. Y. 
Early potatoes are small on account of dry weather. Late 
ones are affected with leaf blight, so that on the whole they 
cannot be counted more than half a full crop. They are 
not grown largely in this section for market purposes. Per¬ 
haps one-half of the crop will be sold this Fall. 
Lackawanna Co., Pa. george sisson. 
As we have made no special effort to gather data in regard 
to the potato crop in this district we can only make a rough 
estimate, based mostly on our own field. There is from 6o 
to 75 per cent of a crop. On our field there is no rot, but 
reports are current locally that rot is quite prevalent, per¬ 
haps 20 per cent more. Therefore, by the time the potatoes 
are ready for the market there will be not more than 50 
to 60 per cent of a good yield. The crop will probably be 
sold early. s’, H. Thomson. 
Oneida" Co., N. Y. 
Through central northern Ohio the late potatoes will be a 
short crop. This year I planted Carman No. 3. Sir Walter 
Raleigh and Whiton’s White Mammoth. I planted a few in 
May, another lot June 12 and 13, the remainder June 20 and 
21. For some unknown reason they set but a few potatoes 
to each plant; while the vines look healthy the tubers are 
not as large as they ought to be. I sprayed the vines four 
times during season to prevent blight, which I think has im¬ 
proved the color of the vines. Most of the potatoes in this 
section are blighted: there are not as many as usual planted 
this year, and I look for the growers to sell at digging time. 
Huron Co., Ohio. w. w. whiton. 
Judging by the vines, as there is none of the regular field 
crop dug yet, I would call it a light crop. Acreage is less 
than common ; would put it at half of an average crop in 
this section. I have traveled through 50 miles of potato 
country, between Waterloo and Rochester and again judging 
bv the vines, which are slim and spindling, and entirely 
killed out in spots by the heavy rains occurring in the fore 
part of the season, should judge the crop there would also 
be light. This section is considered the best potato district 
in the State. Most of the farmers here hold their potatoes 
until the middle of the Winter or early Spring before sell¬ 
ing. As to plans this year, I could not say, as digging does 
not begin for some four or five weeks yet. 
Seneca Co., N. Y. george a. bonnei.l. 
The outlook for even a fair potato crop in this section is 
not favorable. The excessive wet weather has caused blight, 
followed by rot. I don't think potatoes were over half 
grown when the top began to show blight, and growth of the 
tuber seemed to stop. Five applications of Bordeaux Mixture 
have had but little effect in keeping the vines green. I do 
not think that Wisconsin can be placed at over 50 per cent, 
and even that may be lowered before the crop is secured 
unless the rains let up. As to selling from the field, I think 
farmers will be guided bv the condition of the crop. If they 
show rot badly they will be hauled at once to the factory, 
but if fairly free from rot a goodly number will be stored. 
The rot is the brown rot, perfectly hard, and hard to sort 
out, but soft enough and easy enough to he found after being 
stored a month or two. e. h. c. 
River Falls, Wis. 
GRANGE MATTERS IN NEW JERSEY.—The National 
Grange is to meet in Atlantic City November 13-28. This is 
the first time Hie National Grange has ever met in New Jer¬ 
sey, and G. W. F. Gaunt, the hustling wideawake State Mas¬ 
ter, is using every endeavor to make it the largest and best 
meeting the order has ever held. The Grangers in South 
Jersey are seconding his efforts. Field days have just been 
held in Gloucester. Salem, Burlington and Cumberland counties, 
which were largely attended and very successful. At two of 
them, the farmers were addressed by D. II. I.ovell. Superin¬ 
tendent of West Jersey, who stated that the 1*. It. It. and its 
branches are anxious to help the farmers to sell tlielr 
products to advantage, and that in order to do so, the rail¬ 
road lias opened up communication with 26 cities having 
good markets. lie advocates the organization and co-opera¬ 
tion of tbe farmers to send their products in carload lots, 
and thus secure higher prices. The Sweet Potato Growers 
Union of Vineland, has adopted this plan for years, shipping 
their sweets to some of the western markets with satis¬ 
factory results to all. When the farmers and railroads can 
work together for mutual good, we shall see tbe millenimn 
approaching. c - M - B - 
OUTLOOK FOR ITAY.—F. Williams, a well-known hay 
dealer of this city, makes the following statement about hay 
prospects: , . 
“Through correspondence received and personal visits In 
many sections we figure that in the principal States tribu¬ 
tary to eastern markets (New York, Pennsylvania. Vermont, 
Ohio, Michigan and Indiana) there is a full average crop, 
larger than a vear ago in many sections of the West. The 
quality will not average as good as last year, there being a 
heavy growth of clover mixed and clover hay in many sec¬ 
tions of Ohio, Michigan and western New York, whereas 
clover was light a year ago. Rainy weather prevented a 
satisfactory hnrvest in many sections. Judging by these 
general conditions shippers should be cautious about buy¬ 
ing low grades of hav, including clover, clover mixed and 
weedy hay. This clas’s of stock should be secured at very 
low figures; better grades should also be secured at moderate 
figures. We believe the farmers who realize the true condi¬ 
tions, namely, that there is a large crop of hay throughout 
the country, and are willing to accept reasonable figures for 
their goods, will be acting wisely. About the first of Au¬ 
gust old hay was cleaned up closely in our market, and the 
result was prices advanced: but since that time there has 
been a gradual weakening owing to increased receipts. From 
now on there will be very little old hay forwarded, as it is 
all practically shipped out. Present prices for old hay range 
from $11 for shipping hay to $16 and $17 for No. 1. New 
hav has been arriving more freely during this week, most of 
it in good condition, and it. is now meeting with ready sale. 
It will only be a short time before all the old hay will be 
sold up and only new for sale on the market. We have 
disposed of considerable this week for $14 to $16 per ton for 
Timothv However, the market has not been established on 
new hay as yet. Prices may go lower than they are at the 
present time.”_ 
CO OPERATIVE FRUIT PACKING. 
For some time it has been felt by the members of the N. 
Y State Fruit Growers' Association that the growers them¬ 
selves should take some active steps to better tbeir conditions 
in regard to the sale of their fruit. In pursuance of this 
object a special committee on plans for marketing was ap¬ 
pointed to investigate tbe various systems of marketing, and 
to advise the members as to the most advantageous methods. 
The committee presented a report at the Summer meeting of 
the association, and it was resolved to make an effort in 20 
or more localities to secure the packing, under competent 
local supervision, of not less than a total of 50.000 barrels 
of apples, to bear the brand of the New York State Fruit 
Growers’ Association, and to be placed on the market through 
the American Cold Storage & Shipping Company, and a com¬ 
mittee of five was appointed to determine whether the nec- 
essary Quantity can he secured for this season, and if so, to 
perfect and carry out the arrangements for packing, in¬ 
specting, branding and shipping. In accordance with this 
resolution, the following committee was appointed to attend 
to all the details connected with the operation of this plan: 
T. W. Campbell. Albert Wood. S. W. Wadhams J. B. An¬ 
derson. W. C. Rogers, and T. B. Wilson. This is the first 
time fruit shippers have been offered satisfactory facilities 
for marketing their products in England and Europe. No 
other companv or individual is in a position to do what 
the American’ Cold Storage & Shipping Company will do 
for members of the Association. It is tbe desire of the com¬ 
mittee to establish as many central packing houses as pos- 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Rex Flintkote Roofing is absolutely fire-resisting, the 
gest and most expensive buildings at the World’s Fair 
re all roofed with it. J. A. & W. Bird & Co., 70 India 
eet Boston. Mass., are the underwriters: they make Rex 
ntk’ote and to all who will send their name and address 
>y will send a handsome free roofing booklet giving all 
The gasoline engine is becoming more and more a neces¬ 
sity as the reliable power for the modern farm. The very 
best engine for this purpose is probably the Stoddard gas¬ 
oline engine manufactured at Rutland. Vermont, by the 
Stoddard Mfg. Co. It is so simple and controllable, and 
performs such a wide range of work with such ease and at so 
little expense, that it earns more clear money for the farmer 
than half a dozen hands. 
The kind of work that farmers have to do in tbe Fall 
suggests anew the great usefulness of a low platform 
wagon. The Electric Wheel Company. Quincy, Ill., makes 
the Handy wagon, probably the best type of that kind of 
wagon on the market. Nothing could more perfectly meet 
the farmer’s needs in the cornfield. But corn gathering is 
not the onlv us“ of such a wagon. There is no end to the 
jobs where’it serves better than the old style, high-wheeled, 
narrow-tired wagon, and these jobs continue throughout the 
year Any reader may get all needed information at first 
hand by writing direct to the company mentioned above. 
