1907. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
EVENTS OF THE WEEK. 
DOMESTIC.—In the United States District Court at Los 
Angeles, Cal., November 7. Judge Olin Wellborn fined the 
Santa Fe Railroad $330,000 for rebating. The company 
was convicted on (50 charges of granting rehates to the 
Grand Canon Lime and Cement Company on shipments of 
freight from Nelson, Ariz., to Los Angeles. The fine is 
$5,000 on each of the 60 counts. The rehates ranged from 
35 cents to $15. The railroad’s defence was that these pay¬ 
ments were in settlement of claims for damages to goods 
shipped. In imposing sentence the Judge said that lie was 
not convinced that those amounts represented bona fide set¬ 
tlements of claims. . . . Capt. Tilton, of the whaler 
Herman, which arrived at San Francisco, November 8, from 
the Arctic, reports that a severe earthquake occurred at 
T’nalaska about a month ago, and that McCulloch Peak, 
which was created by an earthquake nearly a year ago, and 
extended 3.400 above the sea, lias dwindled to almost nothing 
as a result of submarine disturbances. McCulloch Peak re¬ 
sulted from a volcanic eruption in Bogoslov Island, and was 
discovered by officers of the United States revenue cutter 
McCulloch. The place was visited by Boston scientists, who 
recently reported that the peak was increasing in height. 
The earthquake shock which is believed to have caused its 
sudden shrinkage was felt for miles around Bogoslov Island 
and Una la ska, and at one place a wall of water was thrown 
up nearly 35 feet out of the sea. . . . The Roman Cath¬ 
olic Church at Longue l’ointe, probably the oldest church in 
the Province of Quebec, was burned to the ground November 
8. the loss being placed at $75,000. The origin of the fire is 
unknown. The church contained a valuable sacramental 
service in silver brought over from France at the time the 
church was built in 1720. and this was lost in the flames. 
Attorney General Davidson, of Texas, filed suit No¬ 
vember 0 against the five alleged subsidiary concerns of the 
Standard Oil Company in Texas for penalties, for forfeitures 
of charters and for a' writ of injunction restraining the de¬ 
fendants from removing any of their property from the 
State. The appointment of a receiver is also asked. Dam¬ 
ages to the extent of $6,000,000 are asked in each case. 
. . . A wholesale roundup of Yaqui Indians is now in 
progress upon the ranches and in the mountain villages in 
the State of Sonora, Mexico, in pursuance of a policy which 
has been adopted by tin- Federal Government of deporting all 
Yaquis from their native territory. Since the new order 
was given the Mexican troops have taken into custody several 
hundred Yaquis who were found pursuing peaceful occupa¬ 
tions. Men, women and children are included. It is as¬ 
serted that these Indians gave secret support to the war 
faction of their tribe and that the only way to restore peace 
is to clear the whole region of Yaquis. The transport 
Oaxaca lias left Guayamas with 600 Yaquis, who are being 
deported to the hot region of Yucatan, more than 2.000 miles 
from their native territory. Another lot of about 400 
Indians has been sent to Guayamas for deportation. 
Albert Boardman. representing the United States Express 
Company before the Public Service Commission in the Sec¬ 
ond District of New York. November 11. questioned the right 
of the Legislature to regulate the powers of the seven direc¬ 
tors of the company, a joint stock corporation. He con¬ 
tended the duties of the board were prescribed in the articles 
of association. Certain admissions were also made showing 
a community of interest between the great express compan¬ 
ies. The hearing was requested by certain shareholders in 
the United States Express Company, who claim to represent 
more than one-half of the stock, and who ask the commission 
to determine the advisability of recommending to the Legis¬ 
lature amendments to the law relating to joint stock cor¬ 
porations conducting the business of common carriers, so as 
to bring about the election of directors, when desired, by a 
majority of shareholders. Attorneys for the petitioners said 
the board of directors of the express company was a self- 
perpetuating body : that no meet ing of the stockholders had 
been held since 1862; that although the board had been 
requested by a majority of the shareholders to call a share¬ 
holders’ meeting for the election of directors, it refused to 
do so : that the United States Express Company is controlled 
by the Adams and American Express Companies, and that 
neither one of the last two companies lias had a meeting of 
stockholders in years to elect officers. . . . The Supreme 
Court of New Jersey decided November 11 the validity of the 
bishops’ law regulating the saloon business by issuing through 
Justice Hendrickson an alternative writ of mandamus com¬ 
pelling the Hoboken Common Council to issue an order com¬ 
pelling the screens in front of saloons to be removed on 
Sundays so that passersb.v can see the interiors. The issuing 
of the alternative writ gives the Hoboken Council the right 
to demur and show cause why the screens are not ordered 
down, and the Cpurt then will pass on the matter when it 
comes up for review. Justice Hendrickson holds that the 
functions of Council in ordering screens down is a matter 
of public right, and involves the performance of a duty which 
affects the public generally. . . . Ouster proceedings 
were instituted in the Supreme Court of Missouri by Attor¬ 
ney General Hadley November 12 against the International 
Harvester Company of America under the anti-trust laws 
of the State. In his petition Hadley says that in order to 
maintain a monopoly of the business in this State the com¬ 
pany has compelled retail dealers to agree to sell for no one 
but the International company. . . . The British tramp 
steamship, Earl of Douglas, which arrived in New York No¬ 
vember 12 from Mosauito Bay British Columbia, with the un¬ 
precedented cargo of 3,478,000 feet of cedar cut into planks, 
joists and shingles, had covered more than 44,000 miles 
since she was last at this port. She sailed hence for 
Shanghai, thence to Australia, to San Francisco and to 
British Columbia. She covered the last 15,000 miles of her 
voyage in 75 days, which is good going for a tramp. A 
big section of Erie Basin was reserved to receive her colos¬ 
sal cargo.One hundred and ninety-nine saloons 
were voted out of business at the recent Chicago election. 
Of the 160 precincts which voted on the question 140 voted 
against license There were 260 saloons existing in these 
precincts and 100 are wiped out by the ballots. The prohibi¬ 
tion question bobbed up locally in the Chicago City Council 
November 12. when the Aldermen, by a vote of 40 to 28, 
passed an ordinance making “dry” a' section a mile square 
in the southwestern part of the city. An ordinance for an¬ 
other local prohibition tract in the northern part of the city 
was put over for a week. More than half of the area of 
Chicago is now “dry.” 
FARM AND GARDEN.—-The sixteenth annual meeting of 
the National League of Commission Merchants will be held 
at the DeSoto Hotel. Savannah, Ga., January 8. 0, and 10, 
1008, for the election of officers and the transaction of any 
business that may come before the meeting. 
Pennsylvania Day was celebrated at the Pennsylvania 
State College November 22, when the new agrlcultral build¬ 
ings were dedicated._ 
SEASON OF 1907 IN MONMOUTH CO., N. J. 
The season of 1907 will ever lie remembered by the farmers 
of this section. Tt began here with a very warm period the 
last week in March, followed by cold, frost, rain, snow and 
blow, continuing till .Tune 15 before any real signs of Sum¬ 
mer. During all this cold and frosty period nothing could 
grow, and lamentations on all sides were heard. The poor 
man saw poverty staring him in the face, and his children 
crying for bread. The fairly well-to-do farmer could see his 
finish. The business man, the mechanic, the rich man, and 
the professional man all had discouraging expressions to 
utter. One heard it at every hand, along the highways, in 
public gatherings, at the blacksmith shop, and even at the 
close of service at church on Sundays the same cry went 
out: “Are we to have any crops at all this season?” Even 
the Hope Farm man appeared at one time to be losing 
his courage. All that is past: Summer came and is gone, 
and the harvest is gathered and now what a contrast! It 
would be hard to say which class of our farmers inis been 
most favored. There is seldom a season where all classes 
or branches of farming have been so well favored as this. 
The small farmer with but limited means and few acres 
pays his obligations promptly and feels that he is a man 
among men. The trucker and small fruit grower seems to 
feel that he is one of the chosen few, and wonders why any¬ 
one can bother his time with general farm crops. The 
potato farmer says by his actions that his is the only calling 
on earth. The hay and grain man openly says he lias housed 
a larger Crop this season than any previous crop for six 
years past. The apple farmer stands on his throne and 
amuses himself turning down buyers who think him an easy 
mark, and says he holds all trumps in his hand. Was there 
ever a season with such a discouragirg outlook at the be¬ 
ginning that turned out so bountifully at the end? Some say 
it was not the volume of crops that has made the farmers’ 
pockets bulge, but the high prices received for what he did 
have. In a measure this is true; some crops were not quite 
up to the standard, while many others are more than up. 
Hay has turned a heavy crop and prices are also high. Po¬ 
tatoes have done equally as well, the crop yielding in many 
instances from 115 to 125 barrels per acre. The tomato 
crop has not been as good for some years as the one just 
harvested. Berries and small fruits, while not quite up to 
tlie average in bulk, more than made up in price what they 
fell short in volume. As a whole the farmers of this sec¬ 
tion have no cause to complain and are not doing it. The 
year 1907 will go on record as a red-letter year; one to be 
remembered till another comes that beats this season. 
Monmouth Co., N. J. c. c. hulsaut. 
“WALL STREET " AND THE COUNTRY. 
Those neonle who think Wall Street is the entire financial 
story in this country should get out into the country for 
a while. The Spokane (Wash.) Review recently printed the 
following: 
“Out in the sagebrush region, where a few years ago even 
a coyote would have had to pack his provender, the train 
rolled into an oasis, which irrigation had turned into a 
paradise. It was one of those enthusiastic villages, fairly 
teeming with wealth, that are springing up all over Wash¬ 
ington. Of course, it had a bank, and there was a mighty 
intelligent banker in charge of it. We were sitting down in 
his mahogany-finished office, when he got a ’phone message 
from the telegraph operator down at the railway station. 
“ ‘H’m : he tells me that call money is around 10 per cent 
in New York,’ the hanker said, as he hung up the ’phone. 
•It’ll be going up to 60 or 70 per cent in a few days, and 
when it does, we’ll lend $50,00 or $100,000 back there. We 
generally keep that much money working in New York every 
Fall. We can’t lend it here. The ranchers have been sell¬ 
ing their fruit and hay, and they have more money than 
they know what to do with. They would buy more land if 
they could get it, but usually their neighbors, instead of 
being willing to sell, want to buy, too.’ On a day when 
J. P. Morgan and James Stillman were adding more gray 
hairs to their heads than at any time in 20 years, and Secre¬ 
tary Cortelyou was straining every resource of the United 
States treasury to prevent a terrific panic in Wall Street, 
here was a country banker down in a Washington village 
waiting for a demand money rate in New York to get up to 
60 or 70 per cent so that he could lend $100,000 of his 
community’s cash on the New Yoi’k market.” 
Another evidence that the “financial center" of the coun¬ 
try is moving is the fact that rural people know what they 
need and are ready to demand it. While the Government 
was rushing money to New York to help the banks millions 
of bushels of grain and bales of cotton were stored in the 
West and South. Money was needed to move them. When 
once at the seaboard ready for shipment they would have 
been as good as cash for foreign credit. In the South banks 
refused to advance more money on cotton stored in ware¬ 
houses just as the New York banks refused to advance 
money on stocks and bonds of railroads or manufacturing 
concerns. The Government money was rushed here to pre¬ 
vent the “sacrifice” of these stocks and bonds, yet the wheat 
in the West and the cotton at the South was in many cases 
“sacrificed” through lack of ready cash. If the Government 
can come to the rescue of the stock jobbers, why not help 
the farmers? It is a good thing that this question is com¬ 
ing home. _ 
A CELERY REPORT. 
In spite of the cold frosty Spring, a Summer’s drought, 
and an August freeze, our crop lias been the best ever 
grown; three crates on same ground where we heretofore 
got only two. Prices until recently very low and expenses 
sky high. No celery blight this year, even on pieces which 
were si total loss in 1906. No one in this section had any 
blight in their crops. Some growers had a heavy loss on 
early stock from “seed heads,” the most ever had in my 
knowledge of the business. We never saw as large celery 
as grown this year, and so much of it. I shipped carloads 
of it that would weigh from 20 to 25 pounds per dozen 
stalks, and many would go from 28 to 30 pounds. Mind 
you, that is stripped down r.eady for shipping to market. 
This made it very expensive, as it increased cost of handling, 
crating, freight and drayage. Extra heavy celery running 
six dozen per crate does not bring in returns equal to eight 
dozen size; too large and coarse for general use. Hay and 
oats are nearly double in price ; crate material 20 per cent 
higher, ice $2.50 per ton, and so it goes. A. K. nii.es. 
Tioga Go., Pa. _ 
THE NATIONAL GRANGE. 
The annual meeting was held at Hartford. Conn., beginning 
November 13. The following covers the chief points in the 
annual address of Master N. J. Bachelder : 
The membership of the Grange throughout the country 
has made a net increase of eight per cent for the past year, 
which is larger than for over 30 years past. The financial 
condition of the order is good. The total assets of the Na¬ 
tional Grange a year ago were $94,671.94. on October 1, 
1907, $102,921.44. which is a net gain of $8,249.50. Al¬ 
though the work of organization has been more than usually 
successful the Order should lie still further built up in the 
States of the Central West. The whole total volume of the 
crops may be slightly less than the crops of 1906, but their 
cash farm value will be greater. The farm products in their 
original form, or In the form of cattle, sheep, hogs and 
horses, have overflowed the great granaries, clogged trans¬ 
portation facilities and brought gold from foreign countries. 
These facts warrant the statement that agriculture is not 
only the great industry of the country, but the most import¬ 
ant of the nation’s industrial prosperity. Agriculture pros¬ 
pers, not because other industries prosper, but other indus¬ 
tries prosper because agriculture prospers. The promotion 
of agriculture embodies the highest type of statesmanship. 
It is eminently proper to inquire the effect of all proposed 
public policies upon agriculture when under consideration in 
any legislative body. 
On the subject of Grange mutual life insurance the Worthy 
Master had this to say : “There has been a demand for sev¬ 
eral years for some form of fraternal life insurance within 
the organization to cover the national field as local companies 
cover certain States. Sound, reliable, full legal reserve life 
insurance furnished by a society and controlled by its own 
members, operated on the fraternal system with the officers 
directly responsible to the members, is the foundation to 
build upon. What is wanted is the best at the cheapest 
price; not cheap life insurance, but good life insurance 
cheap.” The special committee appointed at the Denver 
meeting a year ago will report and recommend a definite 
plan during the session. Concerning the publication of the 
National Grange paper the speaker remarked that the Exe¬ 
cutive Committee had made arrangements for the publication 
of a weekly journal upon terms acceptable to the Masters of 
the State Granges. He emphasized the fact that its publi¬ 
cation will not come in competition with agricultural papers. 
Its editorial policy will be dictated solelv by a desire to 
promote the organization. It is to be the official organ of the 
Grange. 
Concerning the denatured alcohol law which took effect 
January 1. 1907, the National Master said that the com¬ 
paratively small consumption of denatured alcohol during the 
past six months had been chiefly due to the fact that our 
manufacturers were not ready to furnish the alcohol-using 
apparatus, such as,stoves, lamps, etc. None being on sale in 
this country there was no demand for the alcohol. The 
question of utilizing alcohol as a fuel for motor vehicles, 
boats and farm engines is engaging the attention of manu¬ 
facturers and it is believed that this alcohol will be made 
available for use as a motor fuel in the near future. 
On Federal aid for the improvement of public highways 
the speaker said that the Grange had inaugurated a campaign 
861 
of education, having for its object the enactment of legis¬ 
lation by Congress providing for a Federal appropriation of 
$50,000,000, to be divided into five annual appropriations of 
$10,000,000 each, to be expended for the improvement of pub¬ 
lic highways. The legislative committee has given close atten- 
lion to this work and believe that the time has arrived when 
tlie movement should be prosecuted vigorously witli the view 
of securing legislation at the present session of Congress. 
On the ship subsidy question the National Master said that 
there was an urgent necessity for the members of the 
Grange to keep a vigilant watch over their representatives in 
Congress, and for advising them in no uncertain manner 
that they are uncompromisingly opposed to subsidy and 
bounty legislation in any form. On trust and the tariff it 
was remarked that the present tariff rates on articles pro¬ 
duced by trusts are much higher than is necessary to cover 
the difference in labor cost as between ■ home and foreign 
manufacturers, and that material reductions could be made 
on the duty of such articles, and amply provide for liberal 
wages compared with the wages abroad. If these criticisms 
are well founded there would seem to be good reasons for 
legislation that will correct the evident defects on the pres¬ 
ent tariff schedules without injuriously affecting our agri¬ 
cultural or manufacturing industries. These facts can best 
be secured through a non-partisan tariff commission whose 
duty it shall be to examine carefully into all phases of . the 
subject. This commission should include representatives of 
the agricultural, labor, manufacturing, transportation and 
commercial interests. 
On the parcels post question the National Master remarked 
that the postal reform had received a new impetus within 
the past few months owing to the fact that it had a powerful 
advocate in the new Post Master General. Mr. Meyer, who 
had endorsed what to all intents and purposes is the Grange 
plan, and who is using his influence to arouse public interest 
in its support. lie advised an active campaign in Congress 
on this subject. The address also favored postal savings 
banks, currency reform and pure food legislation. 
FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT. 
THE CHILDREN’S EDUCATION.—How much of what the 
children are learning in school is to he of real use to them 
in after life, and how much are they learning merely to 
forget again? They come home and try to repeat the names 
of various bones in the body, names utterly meaningless to 
them, and indeed to the rest of us unless we chance to be 
Latin scholars. We learned these names once, and forgot 
them, as other people do. We do happen to remember that 
there were said to be three bones in the ear, the malleus, 
the inchus and the stapes, and that this meant the hammer, 
the anvil and the stirrup. This bit of information is a 
rather interesting curiosity, hut we do not remember that 
it ever helped us to appreciate a sermon or a lecture better, 
and doubt if it affords any material aid to one whose hearing 
is defective. Suppose that instead of trying to store our 
memory with some .of these things we had been taught a 
good sensible system of shorthand writing, not one designed 
to make court reporters, necessarily, but one easily read. 
This would have been of constant use to us in later life, 
and of the greatest advantage at times. Those who have 
tried to master this method of writing in mature years have 
discovered that it requires very decided exercise of the 
memory to do it. Why does something never to be used give 
so much better training than something of value? Can our 
educators answer this question? They will probably say that 
teachers cannot be found to teach these things! Why then 
are they not being trained? 
TRYING TOO MUCH.—One of the commonest failings of 
humanity is that of attempting too much. This tendency 
is no more applicable to farmers than to other men. but the 
farm may sometimes show it more plaintl.v than other things. 
An example which recently attracted our arrentlon consisted 
of a badly neglected young orchard. This orchard stands on 
a large farm, owned by a man noted as a hard worker. The 
main business of the farm is dairying. This with the neces¬ 
sary adjuncts is in itself more than can lie properly managed 
as the farm has always been conducted. But it seemed wise 
to the owner to add this fruit-growing venture. It is not 
a large undertaking, perhaps six or eight acres. Peaches, 
plums, apples, and possibly some other fruits were inter¬ 
mingled. At the beginning they received pretty good care 
and some peaches were obtained. Borers have now claimed 
nearly or quite all of these trees, and many of the apples. 
’I'he trees stand in weeds and sod. untrimmed and forsaken. 
Where can the profit be? Had the same effort been spent in 
increasing the efficiency of the linps of work already under 
way the results would probably have been good. The fault 
lies not with the business of fruit-growing, nor yet with 
the climate, but in attempting too much. The error runs 
through life, in the office, the store and the factory, as well 
as on the farm. It may be in keeping too many cows, 
planting too many acres or attempting too many lines, yet 
the result is generally the same. Still men cannot learn that 
this is so. 
WHICH SORT OF FARMING?—Two farms which we 
recently passed presented a striking contrast. They lie side 
by side and in general are about equally desirable. The 
owner of one endeavors to make money from sidelines of 
work. He owns a thrashing and silage outfit and spends 
the Fall in doing work of this kind about the country, and 
doubtless makes many a day yield him excellent returns. 
In a way the farm shows this. In passing we noted a 
grindstone, four wagons, a harrow, a bobsled and two saw 
tables or similar articles, scattered along the road and about 
the buildings. On the other farm the buildings were no 
better and there was apparently no more room for housing 
the implements than on the first farm, yet not an implement 
was to he seen, except a loaded wagon which had been in 
immediate use. A basement was under way for the erection 
of a new barn in the near future. A good woodpile was close 
to the house, and the surroundings had been made neat and 
tidy. The owner of this farm is a younger man. and he is 
paying for it from the proceeds of the farm itself. If the 
receipts and expenditures of these two farms could be laid 
before us for examination they would prove interesting 
reading. We feel confident that there is little question as 
to which one shows the better aggregate return. The one 
man may seem to gather in money rapidly while away from 
home, but the other will make the most real progress. We 
have never yet observed a farmer who undertook outside 
ventures of this class who made much of a financial success. 
THE NEW EDUCATION.—Boston has taken some steps 
in the matter of education which are worthy of attention 
everywhere. Beginning with the present year the course of 
study has been materially changed. One less year is to be 
required before reaching the high school, some of the less 
important things having been dropped out. English is made 
especially prominent throughout the course. The arithmetic 
of the school is to hear some relation to the arithmetic of 
everyday life, a thing much needed. In geography less stress 
is to be laid upon learning the names and locations of p'aces, 
rivers, mountains, etc., and more upon the geography of 
commerce and industry, and its relations to history. Spelling 
is to receive greater attention, a move which every teacher 
of experience will recognize as needed. Instead of piiysiologv. 
consisting largely of the memorizing of meaningless names 
of various parts of tli body, especial attention is to be given 
to hygiene. The child is to be taught how to care for his 
own body, the right use of food, what kinds are useful and 
what harmful, the value of exercise and the kinds most use¬ 
ful, how to sleep, how to carry the body and other things 
directly connected with his personal health and efficiency. 
In the higher grades things having to do with the health of 
the community are considered. Every thinking man and 
woman must approve such a movement as this. But why 
need it be limited to Boston? Boston may well lead, but 
why should not the country school follow? The unit is 
smaller in the country and more easily influenced. Perhaps 
you are a school director. Most bodies of men are willing 
to be led if an intelligent man puts before them a straight, 
sensible proposition. Are you willing to act tor the good 
of your school and your children? You cannot do all that 
Boston can do, but you can do something to make the teach¬ 
ing in. your community better and more useful. f. w. c. 
