1906. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
521 
ANOTHER "SEEDLESS " SCHEME. 
The Spencer Seedless Apple Co. has 
taken up a new dodge and assumed a po¬ 
sition that cannot be maintained. They 
have offered for sale the Seedless Sul¬ 
tana grape in the catalogue that is issued 
from their office in Buffalo N. Y. and 
publicly state that it is to cover the 
northeastern territory including New 
York and the New England States. The 
following is their published statement and 
offer of cuttings for sale: 
SEEDLESS SULTANA. 
This new and absolutely seedless grape 
can now be grown successfully in our cli¬ 
mate. Good size, rich , stoeet flavor, very 
prolific and a strong grower. 
Write us for full particulars as to 
method of propagating this new and re¬ 
markable variety. 
Now the Sultana grape is by no means 
“new,” for it has been known in the Old 
World for centuries and been growing in 
America for many long years. I saw- 
vineyards of it in California about 20 
years a^o. where it is a most excellent 
grape. Nor is it suitable to any part of 
the Eastern States much less the ex¬ 
treme northeastern part. It is one of the 
varieties of the Vitiifera species and none 
of them has succeeded east of the Rocky 
Mountain Divide, except in a portion of 
western Texas. The price which they 
ask for cuttings of this grape, $1 each, 
is enormous and positively extortionate. 
They can be had for from $3 to $4- per 
thousand in California, or imported from 
Turkey or anywhere that the variety is 
grown in Europe or Asia for about the 
same price. Rooted plants, .which are 
worth far more than cuttings, can be 
bought for less than 25 cents each, de¬ 
livered postpaid, to any address, and I 
would guarantee to see that this is done, 
but would not advise anyone to plant 
them east of New Mexico and Utah. 
Perhaps these “seedless” people will 
next offer the Washington Navel orange 
for sale (because it is seedless), in Illi¬ 
nois and adjacent States, where it would 
meet the same fate as the Sultana grape 
in New England. And why not the 
“seedless watermelon” for Alaska? 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Elephants at Labor.- In The Commoner 
W. .T. Bryan speaks of some elephants he 
saw working in a lumber yard in Burma : 
“In Burma the elephant is simply an every¬ 
day beast of burden and earns his food as 
faithfully as the horse or the ox. We saw 
three at work in the lumber yard which we 
visited, the oldest of which is more than 
three score and ten years and has labored 
industriously for more than 50 years. A na¬ 
tive rides upon his hack and directs him by 
word, sometimes emphasized by an iron- 
pointed stick, -and the huge fellow lifts, 
pushes and twists the logs about with al¬ 
most human intelligence. The elephant has 
an eye for neatness, and one would hardly 
believe from hearsay with what regularity 
and carefulness he works, moving from one 
end of the log to the other until it is in 
exactly the right place. In lifting he uses 
his tusks, kneeling when his work requires 
it. In carrying large blocks of wood he uses 
both tusks and trunk. Sometimes the ele¬ 
phant pushes a heavy log along the ground 
with one of his forefeet, walking on the othei 
three, hut generally the logs are drawn by a 
chain attached to a broad breast strap. An 
18-year-old elephant, working in the same 
yard, was thus drawing heavy timbers and 
went about his work uncomplainingly so 
long as he was permitted to draw one at a 
time, but when two of these timbers were 
fastened together, he raised his voice in a 
pathetic lament which grew more touching 
when he received a pointed suggestion from 
his driver. These trumpetlngs were really 
terrifying to a stranger, but did not seem to 
alarm the Burmese. The ears of the old ele¬ 
phant showed signs of age; in fact, they were 
thin and frayed with flapping, and looked 
like drooping Begonia leaves. The elephants 
which we saw weighed about two tons each, 
and consumed about 800 pounds of feed per 
day. When I was informed that an elephant 
ate regularly one-fifth of hts own weight 
per day, I could understand better than ever 
before what it means to “have an elephant on 
one's hands.” The fact that they can be 
profitably used in business shows their ca¬ 
pacity for work. The old song that credits 
the elephant with eating all night as well as 
all day is founded on fact, for the animal re¬ 
quires but two hours’ sleep out of 24, and 
when not otherwise employed, he puts in his 
time eating.” 
The Truth "ir Mutual Life 
T HIS is a matter of great interest to the public, and of still greater 
interest to thousands of individuals. People with the fairest 
minds—and that means most people—have been disturbed and 
unsettled by the developments and denunciations of the past 
few months. What these people want is the truth—the plain 
unvarnished truth. To give them this truth is the object of this announcement. 
The Mutual Life Insurance Company was organized in 1843, the first 
of its kind in America. In 24 years it had become the largest in the world. 
For 39 years, in spite of the keenest competition, it has held the lead, passing 
unharmed through panics, failures, strikes and wars ; meeting with promptness 
its every obligation and having over 470 millions of assets to-day; this being 
73 millions in excess of the 392 millions required by law as a reserve fund for 
paying all the Company’s insurance risks, as certified by the New York 
Insurance Department; and all other legal liabilities. 
The recent Insurance agitation was unique. The investigation certainly 
was thorough. As every one knows the Mutual Life was on the firing line. 
The smoke has now cleared away. What do we find? 
In the first place we find that the Mutual Life is still the largest and 
staunchest Life Insurance Company in the world. Without defending or in 
the least belittling the abuses and extravagances recently brought to light, 
everybody should keep in mind the fact that the solvency of this Company 
has not for a moment been affected thereby. Concerning the work of the 
finance committee which has been attacked in the press, this Company’s 
auditing committee consisting of Messrs. Truesdale, Auchiuclo&s, Fish and 
Dixon stated on February 15th, 1906: 
“ The Committee certify that the investments of the Company are of 
the highest order and well selected , ” and “have found the valuation given 
safe and conservative, in many instances less than the market value, and in 
none in excess of such value." 
In the next place, extravagance has been stopped, and those responsible 
for it have gone ; a new management has been installed, and retrenchments 
have been affected that have already saved vast sums of money and will save 
much more as time goes on. Legislative reforms have likewise been antici¬ 
pated, and the Company is now as sound at the circumference as it always has 
been at the core. 
In the next place, the ending of the first quarter presents an excellent 
opportunity for comparing this year with last. 
The amount paid policy holders is $9,608,4.36.50, an increase of 
$1,070,835.26. The receipts for premiums were $15,082,484.57, a decrease 
of 857,995.29 for the period. This is a shrinkage of less than 5 per cent. 
The amount paid for expenses was $2,955,552.44, a reduction of 
$G5t7> 2 79-3 6 - 
This remarkable showing is a good thing to be kept in mind by every¬ 
body—those now insured in the Mutual Life, and those who should be. It 
cannot be accounted for by the smaller amount of new business written. 
Of the saving for the quarter, the sum of $390,961.52 is in items not connected 
with the obtaining of new business. 
In the next place we find that this Company is doing business—more 
business than any other company in the world with one exception. Far from 
being paralyzed or demoralized it is forging right ahead. Policies by the 
hundred are being written each day; honest trustees, keenly alert, are directing 
its affairs; faithful and experienced men are doing its intricate work; loyal 
agents are explaining its advantages and discriminating people are obtaining 
its protection. 
In the next place we find that there need be no question as to the future. 
A policy in the Mutual Life is just as good as gold. No obligation could 
possibly be better. A bond of the United States Government is no safer. 
It will, therefore, be a misfortune if any one is misled by the writer who prints 
for revenue or for notoriety, or by the attorney who is out for his clients, or 
the competitor who is out for himself, or even by the gentlemen who have 
organized themselves into committees under an honest misapprehension of 
the facts. Such incidents may tend to hinder business, but need deter no 
one who needs insurance. 
With economy, which means rapid improvement in regard to earning 
of surplus for dividends, everywhere at work in the Mutual Life; with its 
immense size as the basis for moderate general expenses ; with smaller liability 
for renewal commissions to agents than any other Company ; with the cost 
of new business limited by law for all Companies, how can any one possibly 
better provide for the uncertainties of the future than through a policy in 
the first Insurance Company in America, and the strongest in the world— 
The Mutual Life 
Insurance Company of New York 
New York 
The Mutual Life issues a policy at a notably low rate, which provides most far -reaching 
protection. Send your address and let us inform you as to the particulars. 
