86B 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 2, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Herbert W. Collingwoou, Kdltor. 
I)r. Walter Van Fleet,! AKSOOiafcpH 
Mrs. k t. Hoyle, ( Associates. 
John J. Dillon, Business ManaRer 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, 
equal to 8s. 0d., or 8 Vi marks, or 10% francs. 
“A SQUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper Is 
hacked by a responsible person. But to make doubly sure 
tve will make good any loss to paid subscribers sustained 
by trusting any deliberate swindler advertising in our col¬ 
umns, and any such swindler will be publicly exposed. We 
protect: subscribers against rogues, but we do not guarantee 
to adjust trifling differences between subscribers and honest, 
responsible advertisers. Neither will we he responsible for 
the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must be sent to u’s within one 
month of the time of the transaction, and you must have 
mentioned The Rural New-Yorker when writing the adver¬ 
tiser. 
Name and address of sender, and what the remittance 
Is for, should appear In every letter. 
Remittances may be made in money order, express order, 
personal check or bank draft. 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1905. 
TEN WEEKS FOR 10 CENTS. 
In order to introduce The R. N.-Y. to progressive 
intelligent farmers who do not now take it, we send it 
10 weeks for 10 cents for strictly introductory purposes. 
We depend on our old friends to make this known to 
neighbors and friends. 
* 
We are asked when the prize essays on the farmer’s 
garden are to be printed. They were so practical and 
useful that it was decided to make them the foundation 
for a book on gardening, which will soon be published. 
'I his book will, we are confident, prove a real help to 
all who desire to make a good garden on the farm. It 
is a good companion volume to “The Business Hen.” 
* 
1 he so-called “Good Roads” amendment received a 
majority of the vote cast in New York at the last elec¬ 
tion. Few people in the cities seemed to care much 
about it, while a fair vote was recorded in the rural 
counties. This means the spending of $50,000,000 for 
good roads, and, what is of more importance, it fixes 
the principle of State control over and interest in public 
highways. 
* 
The article by Mr. Eldredge was crowded out of our 
Thanksgiving issue, but it is like a piece of white meat 
with plenty of gravy and dressing at any time. Some 
of these Yankee farmers are wonderfully ingenious, and 
the things they will do with a single horse are astonish¬ 
ing. Here we have the wind harnessed and the elbow 
and back raised to about the fifth power. Put such a 
man as this anywhere and he will make a home and a 
competence. What he says about the children of to-day 
wanting to begin where their fathers left off is pretty 
close to the core of one great big social trouble. 
* 
The State of Ohio passed a law aimed at gambling 
which gave the right to sue the owner of a gambling 
place for money lost therein. A woman brought suit 
to recover money gambled away by her husband. She 
won, under the State law, but the decision was appealed. 
The United States Supreme Court has now upheld 
the decision, thus making the law constitutional. This 
is right. The gambler is a criminal, and has no moral 
right to his winnings. He now has no legal right to 
them under certain conditions. Now the owner of prop¬ 
erty where liquor is sold ought to be made responsible 
for losses sustained by those who drink there. 
* 
A Chicago seer wearing the title of “professor” has 
been reading the stars and casting horoscopes at $3 each, 
but the stars failed to warn him against the malign in¬ 
fluence of Uncle Sam’s stripes, and he is now barred 
from the mails by a fraud order. This “astropathic 
professor” sent thousands of letters each week to persons 
whose names appeared on mailing lists, which every 
scalawag in the mail-order line may purchase in the 
open market. Upon receipt of the hour, day, month 
and year of birth of the proposed customers he sent each 
a horoscope. He had 12 stock horoscopes, one for every 
month, but he interjected into each one the information 
that the recipient was suffering from a dangerous ner¬ 
vous disease. The horoscope, valued at $3, was sent 
free, but the afflicted recipient was asked to send $4.80 
for medicine. Thousands of victims are said to have 
responded; where they appeared unmoved by the evi¬ 
dence of the stars other letters were sent out, and some¬ 
times the price of the medicine was reduced. The un¬ 
scientific minions of the law refused to be moved by 
astropathic influence, and recommended a fraud order, 
which was promptly issued by the Post Office Depart¬ 
ment. No doubt many a household is $4.80 short on 
some home comfort, as a result of this vulgar swindle, 
hut we doubt whether members of The R. N.-Y. family 
are among them. It is always well to remember, how¬ 
ever. that the family doctor, even when an ordinary, un¬ 
pretentious general practitioner, knows more about your 
health than the long-range faker who heals by corre¬ 
spondence even with the stars thrown in as side part¬ 
ners. Furthermore, when you give your name to one 
of these frauds you give it to many, since they sell and 
trade mailing lists, and you thus invite into your letter 
box all that is fraudulent, debasing and obscene. And 
the active partner of tip’s unholy crew is the publisher 
who gladly welcomes them to his advertising columns. 
♦ 
A large part of the programme at the New York 
State Dairymen’s meeting, held at Binghamton, Decem¬ 
ber 13. will be given to a discussion of “certified milk.” 
T his society tries to be up with the times, and probably 
no phase of dairying is now attracting more attention 
than this production of high-class milk. People have 
learned that milk is a necessity, and also that filthy or 
infected milk may be dangerous for the family. There 
is therefore a growing demand for some sort of guar¬ 
antee of purity and health. This is one of the best 
things that has ever happened for enterprising dairy¬ 
men, because it will give them a sure market at a higher 
figure. 
* 
Some weeks ago we mentioned the case of a milkman 
in New Jersey who had trouble with milk inspectors. 
1 hey claimed that his milk was below standard, and the 
judge fined him $50. We felt sure it was a ease of 
gross injustice, and we advised this man to refuse to 
pay the fine and demand a trial by jury. He would not 
do it, feeling that a poor man would have no chance. 
T he papers now tell of a Jersey woman who had more 
spunk. The milk she sold was declared inferior, but she 
fought for her rights in the courts and won the victory. 
We know little about this case, but we respect anyone 
who is willing to fight for iiis legal rights. One reason 
why farmers have lost some of their old-time rights is 
because they do not like to stand up for what belongs 
to them. 1 hey owe it as a duty to themselves and to 
their business to object when others attempt to “walk 
over them.” 
* 
Dozens of letters contain expressions like the follow¬ 
ing—this one from the Pacific coast: 
I have been much Interested in subjects that have been 
ventilated In the columns of your valuable paper, especially 
the parcels post and wire fence question. Keep at them ; 
you are bound to win, and he a public benefactor. 
The prospect of becoming public benefactors doesn’t 
deprive us of sleep. What agriculture needs most of 
all is an army of 500.000 private benefactors who will 
cut some of those hard knots with a postage stamp. 
Take this very man—has he written a dozen letters him¬ 
self. or is he waiting for us to do the work for him? 
Can he not see that we have no real power unless he 
and thousands of others do personal work? 
* 
We have had much to say about the game laws in 
the Eastern States and the way they affect the farmer. 
Here is a new story taken from a Massachusetts paper: 
A farmer in Riverton, Conn., ran to his house to save 
bis life when a buck deer attacked him in his field, and the 
animal followed him to the door. The farmer then said he 
thinks it is time for the repeal of the law which protects 
deer and makes the farmers run away from their own land. 
He stayed in the house and watched the deer devour his 
crops, and did not feel in the mood that makes a man want 
to go to prayer meeting. But this country must have its 
sport, and farmers should not bo afraid of deer. 
The man who sends the account adds: 
From all accounts, it looks as if we must soon adopt the 
custom of our remote ancestors, viz: take to the tall timber 
and climb trees. 
No, we would better adopt some other customs of our 
ancestors; pull up timber not so tall and use it for 
clubs. We would never permit that buck to keep us 
penned in the house while we had a charge of coarse 
salt or fine shot! 
♦ 
A Tennessee reader suggests the following as a new 
reform to fight for: 
I inclose a dollar hill, the microbes in which I will not 
venture to number, hut this prompts a suggestion, which 
has been advanced by a Tennessee Congressman; namely, 
that our Government take in hand the matter of redeeming 
these filthy old greenbacks in whatever part of the country 
they are found. You seldom have such dirty money In New 
York City, hut it is with us. like the poor, always. Your 
paper generously fights for some needed reforms, that will 
surely in the end benefit all farming communities. Could 
you not add this to your list and help to add one more 
comfort to the farmer’s existence? 
That bill certainly looked as if it might be full of 
microbes. Still, we will take the risk on 10,000 of them 
if eacn will lead a new subscriber in. With many farm¬ 
ers the problem of getting hold of a dollar is harder 
than that of killing the microbes in it. Still, there can 
he no doubt that disease may easily be carried in paper 
money. It ought not to circulate after it becomes greasy 
and foul and every time it strikes a hank it should he 
rep aced by new bills. Merchants, ticket sellers and 
t iers who handle money ought to help in this, and hold 
such filthy pieces of paper out of circulation. They caif 
do it if the Government will, provide new currency in 
exchange. 
* 
I he American people are lining up on the question 
of regulating the rates charged by railroads. The ques¬ 
tion is whether the Interstate Commerce Commission 
shall have power to enforce its rulings. As it is now 
this Commission can hear complaints when shippers 
consider that rates are unjust, and, after hearing testi¬ 
mony, decide whether such rates should be changed As 
the law now stands such a decision by the Commission 
is little more than a suggestion. It has no power to en¬ 
force its decision—-that can only he done by Congress. 
It is proposed that Congress shall give the Commission 
power to enforce its own rulings. Objections of two 
kinds are made. One is that such power cannot be 
delegated by Congress, but the Supreme Court seems 
to have decided that it can. 1 he other objection is that 
such power would he used to injure the railroad busi¬ 
ness so that all connected with it would suffer. The 
railroad employees seem to fear that their wages will be 
cut, and they have gone to the President with a protest. 
I lie Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, said to num¬ 
ber 250,000 members, have issued a long statement in 
which the following appears: 
I lie membership of thPse organizations is now a liitle 
more than 250,000 and there are still behind ns another full 
million of laborers in the railroad world who would l.e 
similarly affected by any reductions in the earning capacity 
of the railroad lines of (his country; and what Impresses 
ns with more force than any side of the issue is this: Why 
have the railroad interests in particular been selected for 
lids attack? \\ hy is the Interstate Commerce Commission 
or some similar commission not to lie clothed with the same 
absolute authority to fix the maximum prices on beef, pork, 
oil, clothing, butter and eggs. etc.—in fact, everything which 
one lias to buy every day? 
The answer ought to suggest itself to anyone. No , 
"attack" is to be made upon the railroads. They will 
simply be compelled to permit fair competition, give 
up unfair rebates and treat all shippers justly. After 
the evidence already before the people no sane man- 
will claim that the present laws are adequate. The rail- . 
roads are essentially public properties. They do a public • j 
service and depend upon public franchises. Many or • | 
most of them owe their very existence to gifts or special; i 
privileges from the public. They have stifled competi-- 
tion, and in some cases even prevent the extension of' I 
electric lines which would give good service to farmers.-. 
It is nonsense to compare the railroad business with the> 
production of butter, cheese or cotton. As to “corners”’ j 
or deals to prevent fair competition in necessities, we* 
already have laws aimed at such practices. Possibly it 
will be found later that a commission will enforce tliemi 1 
better than Congress could. 
BREVITIES . 
Give the hen meat. 
Frost eats fat from the bones of the slocks 
A scent (tainted) spoils the face of a doUar.. 
Ok course the hotbed soil lias been made ready. 
Are you in business for what runs away from It? 
About the last chance to get road dust for the poultrr ' 
house. 
Do you still believe in fumigating nursery stock before 
planting? 
Make the hens dance for their greens by hanging the 
cabbage up above the floor. 
You can raise the Lame of a calf without milk but not 
the picture of a good animal, 
Has anyone ever used a cyclometer on a mower or binder 
to measure the work done? Is this fair measurement? 
We recently saw a traction engine in a peach orchard 
pulling out old trees. They were cut off at the crotch_a 
chain fastened (o the top, and the engine walked off with 
them as a man would pul! up a tomato vine! 
She was a new cow, and bless your heart, how she could j 
eat, and everything seemed to taste so good to her! Gould 
you ask for a better sign, provided, she didn’t put her food j 
into fat? Ever see a real good cow that wasn’t a good 1 
feeder? We want more of the big eaters. . 
The American “quick lunch” restaurants, which were Ur J 
introduce Ihe London public to “sinkers” and similar robust / 
delicacies, have failed after brief hut costly experience. | 
As the result of long experience with the American “quick I 
lunch” in all its deadly forms we are inclined to endorse 
the Londoners’ judgment. 
Cotton from Rhodesia. South Africa, has been tested in 
Liverpool. England, with very satisfactory results. It is 
said to be practically identical with Texas cotton, which is 
largely used in Lancashire. The British Cotton Growing 
Association has been disappointed in Its West African ex- 
perlments, but it is believed that Rhodesia can produce 
three-quarters of a million bales a year, the only difficulty 
being the labor supply. 
