1909. 
EVENTS OF THE WEEK. 
DOMESTIC.—In the Supreme Court of the District of 
Columbia Dec. 23 Samuel Gompers. John Mitchell and 
Frank Morrison, president, former vice-president and sec¬ 
retary respectively of the American Federation of Labor, 
were denounced in scathing judicial language by Daniel 
IT E. Wright, the presiding Judge, and sentenced to jail. 
Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison were found guilty of hav¬ 
ing disobeyed the injunction of Judge Gould, which en¬ 
joined them from prosecuting a boycott against the Buck’s 
Stove and Range Company of St. Louis, and for this con¬ 
tempt of court Gompers was sentenced to serve one year, 
Mitchell nine months and Morrison six months in jail, 
just before sentence was pronounced Gompers was per¬ 
mitted to address the Court, and he did so briefly, declar¬ 
ing that the opinion of the Court formed a curtailment of 
free speech and a free press and drawing a comparison 
of individual freedom under the law in England and this 
country to the great disadvantage of the United States. 
The three men were released on bail pending an appeal, 
notice of which was given by counsel. . . The Con 
tral Federated Union receiv'd from President Samuel 
Gompers of the American Federation of Dahor a letter in 
which he notified the unions that on account of the appli¬ 
cation of the Sherman anti-trust law to the unions in the 
decision of the United States Supreme Court in the Loewe 
ITat boycotting case and the imposition- of a fine of three 
times the supposed damages he had decided to discon¬ 
tinue, by advice of counsel, the “We Don’t Patronize” list 
in future numbers of the Federationist until an effort 
could be made to get Congress to amend the Sherman law 
in such a way as would eliminate the labor unions from 
its anti-trust provision. ... A fine of $.1,000 was 
imposed Dec. 23 by Judge Chatfield in the Criminal 
Branch of the United States Circuit Court at New York 
on Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co., hardware dealers, who 
were indicted by the Federal Grand Jury last October on 
the charge of misrepresenting goods delivered for inter¬ 
state shipment. The specific charge was the shipment of 
piano tuning pins as “iron screws.” The pins were des¬ 
tined for Chicago and La Porte, Ind.. over rhe lines of 
the Lehigh and the Lake Shore. The published tariff to 
Chicago for screws is 35 cents and for tuning pins 50 
cents. The tariff to La Porte for screws is 34 cents and 
for the tuning pins 4S cents. The shipments were made 
last August. The firm pleaded guilty. Four similar 
cases under the Hepburn law are pending against other 
merchants. 
FARM AND GARDEN.-—Thirteen stallions purchased in 
Europe a short, time ago by the New Jersey Live Stock 
Commission for the purpose of elevating the standard of 
sto' k bred in that State have arrived and in a short time 
will he placed at the disposal of any breeder who wishes 
to avail himself of the advantages of the foreign strain. 
Colorado will put into effect on Jan. 1. 1909, the new 
law to prevent the spread of injurious insects and plant 
diseases. Prof. C. P. Gillette becomes State Entomologist. 
All nurseries will be required to maintain a structure 
for fumigation of nursery stock with hydrocyanic acid 
gas ; every package must bear a certificate of fumigation ; 
a list of nurseries whose stock can be sold without fur¬ 
ther disinfection will he furnished; and a fine is fixed for 
violation of the law. 
'1’he New York State Commissioner of Agriculture an¬ 
nounces that the Federal authorities will modify their 
quarantine against this State on account of foot and 
mouth disease, the modification taking effect Tuesday, 
December 29, to permit the interstate shipment of hay, 
straw, bides, hoofs, etc. (not cattle, sheep, goats or 
swine) from any part of New York State except the 
counties of Erie. Niagara, Orleans, Genesee and Monroe. 
The State authorities have issued a formal order prohibit¬ 
ing the shipment of hay straw, hides, hoofs, etc., from 
the five counties named. The Federal quarantine, in so far 
as it relates to hay. straw, hides, hoofs, etc., will be 
changed from the State as a whole to only those counties 
in which foot and mouth disease has been found. Large 
quantities of bay in the central and northern part of the 
State can now leave the State, provided this is satis¬ 
factory to the authorities of the States to which it is 
proposed to make shipment. The products which cannot 
be sent out of the five counties may be sold within that 
area, and this makes the Buffalo and Rochester markets 
available to all parts of the live quarantined counties 
except infected districts within the counties which are 
closely quarantined by the State authorities. The Federal 
authorities also permit the shipment of live stock from 
any point in the State outside of the five counties named, 
to any other point in the State, over railroads traversing 
other States, provided there is no unloading outside of the 
State except in pens specially designated therefor by the 
National authorities. 
THE ITALIAN EARTHQUAKE.—The earthquake which 
shocked all the southern provinces of Italy and the east¬ 
ern half of the island of Sicily, Dec. 28-29 has caused 
one of the greatest disasters of modern times. It is 
known in general terms that out of a population of 
1.750.000 in the devastated area of southern Italy and 
Sicily at least 200.000 perished. The news that the city 
of Reggio di Calabria has been totally engulfed by the 
sea may make it necessary to largely increase that esti¬ 
mate. The destruction of property cannot be so great as 
at San Francisco, for Messina and Reggio, the two prin¬ 
cipal cities destroyed, were not rich or magnificent from a 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
metropolitan point of view. As a great cataclysm of 
nature, however, this disaster is on a far vaster scale 
than the California phenomenon. The whole face of the 
country and the coast line have been altered. Even Scylla 
and Charybdis have changed the positions they occupied 
since the legendary voyage of Aeneas. The three provinces 
where the greatest damage was done are Messina and 
Catania in Sicily and Reggio Vli Calabria on the mainland. 
They comprise about 4.4(H) square miles. The earthquake 
was of unprecedented violence, not only throwing down 
buildings, but wrenching their foundations from under 
them. Following the earthquake came a tidal wave thirty 
feet high, which badly damaged the shipping in almost all 
the Sicilian ports. The most disastrous part of Messina's 
experience was caused by this terrific wave, which, fol¬ 
lowing the earthquake, engulfed half of the city, sweeping 
away houses and scattering ruin and death. Mount Etna 
seems to have been the center of the' disturbance, and the 
surrounding portion of the island within a radius of forty 
miles seems lo have been completely laid in waste. Con¬ 
currently with the first shock the sea rose abnormally at 
Catania, carrying several fishing boats and other small 
vessels ashore. Soon afterward it suddenly retreated and 
again as suddenly returned, drowning at least four per¬ 
sons, swamping the merchandise on the quays, wrecking 
many small vessels and damaging three steamers, which 
narrowly escaped foundering. Messina experienced a 
similar disaster in 1783. She had the same preliminary 
warning during the previous four or five years that she 
had recently in 3005 and 1907. Both Messina and Reggio 
are on the seismic boundary or line of contact between 
the primary and secondary formations which separate 
Mount Etna and Mount Vesuvius. Mount Etna is in the 
eastern part of the province of Catania. Sicily, and is 
the largest active volcano in Europe. Much larger than 
Vesuvius, il rises from a circular base about 87 miles 
around, 10.840 feet above the level of the Mediterranean, 
and can be plainly seen from distant parts of Italy. Its 
height is so great that its slopes are practically divided 
into three distinct climatic zones, the lowest covered with 
cultivated fields, olive groves and orchards, the middle 
zone with forests, and the third a desert region. Covered 
with huge blocks of lava and scoriae and terminating in 
a snow-covered plain. From this rises the central cone. 
Continually - sending up columns of steam and sulphur 
vapor, the volcano every now and then starts in eruption, 
throwing out large quantities of lava either from its 
central crater or from some of the 200 smaller cones 
occupying portions of the slopes. One of Etna’s features 
is an immense chasm rent in the side of its greatest cone, 
known as the Val del Bove. by which it is possible prac¬ 
tically to enter almost to the heart of the great volcano. 
The Val del Bove is a great pit five miles in diameter, 
with almost vertical walls, some from 3,000 to 4,000 
feet high. _ 
THE FARMER’S SIDE OF FARM PRODUCE. 
I am a farmer, and hack of me is a long line of an¬ 
cestors who for more than a century have wrestled from 
an unwilling soil a living. These farmers were noted 
for their honor and integrity; strict honesty and the 
Golden Rule was their motto. Did they and do their 
descendants now meet with strict honesty in business 
methods? Is not the hand of all buyers against the 
farmer? Will not each and every one whose interest 
it is to procure produce cheaply do everything in their 
power to beat down the farmer’s price? If you do not 
believe it, go out in the highways and the byways and 
he who runs may learn. Unfortunately the farmer up 
to date has been unable to make a contract with the 
Creator to grow bis crops perfectly; thus the farmer has 
not only the insects and poor labor to contend with, but 
also the weather conditions over which he has seldom 
any control. This is of no interest to city people. The 
farmer’s place is to produce food perfect. Every 
ear of corn alike, every bean of the same length, every 
apple of the same size, with its rosy cheek of the same 
perfect tint ; failure to do so, it is his place to consign them 
to the hogs and ship to our dearly beloved city cousins 
(who are in many instances too poor to pay for offal, 
much less the choice produce) only the host. A farmer 
should, when selling to a customer, give good measure 
and a little more: you know I am a good customer. 
Now give me this apple for Johnny and that peach for 
baby. Why should the farmer be held up for these petty 
annoyances' and graft on the part of the customer? Thou¬ 
sands of farmers every day in the year meet with just 
such experiences. 
Eggs strictly fresh and guaranteed ; yes. madam, every 
egg is just as I say, and if you should find any bad I 
will replace with good ones the number. Chickens, why 
yes, I have some of the best that my wife raised, and 
j know to the day how old they are. Corn, some as 
sweet as grows, and fine and young, too. Does our far¬ 
mer make a sale? Well, I guess, and next week; oh, my! 
Mrs. Jones is the first on his route. Say, you old hecker, 
two of those eggs were rotten and you’ve got to give 
me two good ones or T will neVer buy another cent’s 
worth from you. Mrs. Brown says, old man, that chicken 
was as tough as wang, and you must throw off 25 cents, 
you know yon guaranteed it, or I needn’t pay for it. 
That butter, too, you said was fresh, went strong before 
the week was out, and as for your corn, it was miserable 
old stuff. How many farmers have met with such experi¬ 
ences when guarantee accompanied the sale? If the 
C3 
farmer had honest people all along the line to sell to 
he would not always be placed upon the defensive; but. 
as long as the conditions are as at present, when the 
vast majority of our honest housewives think it is nec¬ 
essary to take advantage of and browbeat every farmer 
that stops at their doors, just so long will a certain class 
of farmers try to even up. It is a fact that some women 
will sink to any low petty scheme to secure a few cents 
off on a purchase and then brag about it to their neigh¬ 
bors. The majority of city people are entirely ignorant 
of anything pertaining to the country, and they are ex¬ 
cusable in thinking that every ear of corn should be 
the same; sensible people know this is impossible; that 
as the first ears ripen the corn is at its best and after 
a few days passes by that planting is done. A corn 
grower must have continual plantings; thus his corn 
might not be up to the average to-day and to-morrow 
might be of the finest. Should he throw all of the poor 
away? Yes, if the consumer can stand the bill. Farmers 
are not perfect, and they and their help make mistakes. 
Are they to be given a chance to rectify them or not? 
City people as a rule do not think so. The gist of this 
whole matter of the farmer selling only his best and 
perfect stuff comes down to the final queslion. will the 
consumer foot the hill? The consumers may rest assured 
that if only the best and perfect produce is to be mar¬ 
keted that they will have to pay enough for the best 
to enable the producer to keep the poor at home. This 
campaign of The R. N.-Y. for honest goods and pure foods 
•is the best thing ever got. up for the producer; but one 
can hardly see where the poor consumer is coming in. 
That, however, is a question for our city cousins to take 
care of. This is dedicated with best wishes to L. B. S , 
page 890, and hoping that some day they may own t'-at 
farm. a. j. HODGSKN. 
Pennsylvania. _ 
THE EXPRESSMAN’S SHARE. 
An Awful Charge. 
I am sending you under another cover a bag I received 
from a point about 50 miles away. The bag held cast¬ 
ings for me. I ordered it sent by express, but I did not 
think the cost would be what it was. The gross weight 
of bag^and contents was 514 pounds. You can see where 
the bag was tied about in the middle. I send you the 
card I received as notice of its arrival in New Haven, 
with the cost, GO cents, marked on it. I am writing this 
to show how everyone is being done by the express com¬ 
panies. But I deserved all I got. I knew better than to 
have that package come by express; it is not the first time 
by any means that they have greatly overcharged me. It 
is not the amount that it costs me but the thoughts of 
thousands that they are overcharging that makes me so 
angry. How long will the people of this country stand 
it? Shall we never have a parcels post? N. J. P. 
New Haven Co., Conn. 
R. N.-Y.—The postage rate in this country is one cent 
for each ounce of this material. Four pounds is the limit 
for one package. By mail two packages would have cost 
you 84 cents. In England. France and Germany the pack¬ 
age would have been carried by mail for less than 10 
cents, under a parcels post such ns we ought to have in 
this country. This gives us a good chance to see how the 
express companies are able to keep up their outrageous 
prices. They head off the attempts at postal reform and 
then claim they carry goods cheaper than the Govern¬ 
ment will. Yes, we shall have a parcels post in this coun¬ 
try, just as soon as we wake up and demand it with 
power. 
Parcels Posts, Help! 
I have just paid the expressage on a package of books 
from Albany. N. Y., to this place (24 miles from Phila¬ 
delphia), 85 cents for a little less than eight pounds,_gross 
weight. Such outrageous charges by the express com¬ 
panies are compelling people to seek a possible means of 
transportation. That is a higher rate per pound than 
would carry me from here to Albany and back and pay 
all cab and meal bills besides. a. s. h. 
Pennsylvania. 
R. N.-Y.—Here is another case w.hwe in Europe the 
books would be carried for about 12 cents. In this coun¬ 
try books are rated as third class matter, and carried at 
the rate of .one cent for two ounces. The eight pounds 
of books would be carried by Uncle Sam in two packages 
for 64 cents. Our friend in this case should not have 
patronized the express company. We are glad to make 
record of these awful charges. Bring the facts home to 
the people and they will act. 
AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY.—The committee appointed 
by President I’oehlmann, Messrs. Simpson, May and Pier¬ 
son, met in New York City December 21. They dis¬ 
cussed plans to revise the exhibition schedule; one plan 
was to incorporate all the latest American roses as spe- 
1 ,.»rl to en/iontmcro fhn ♦’net nnc'jihli' 
Gel A NEW HOLLAND 
Feed Mill 
From Your Dealer 
On Free 
Trial 
,Irect To You—At Reduced Price—A 
maker City Feed Mill 
B aa wr . nmi_ O a Jr J D a 44 41«f ci A/non tlion 
The price is low 
but the mill Is the 
best oue made. To 
prove that, we ar-“ 
range with good 
dealers to sell it on 
trial. Ask your 
dealer. If he does 
not keep It, write 
us. Wo will give 
you the name of- 
another nearby dealer to see, or ship you th_ mill 
you want from our factory or Western branch to 
save time and freight. 
One of them will just fit your ease. Wo want to 
prove to you that the Kew Holland grinds faster, 
runs easier and does better work than any other 
mill, regardless of price. 
Adaptable to all kinds of power. Furnished with 
or without elevator and bagger. Grinds all grains 
fine or coarse, makes best corn or cob meal or line 
table meal. 
FIVE STYLES, SIZES AND 
PRICES 
Our hard, sha rp, non-clogging grinding plates are 
a special feature. 
CDCC Trt vnil. Valuable book “The Right 
rntt t U lUu! Way To Feed Grain” — 
Send us your name and address today bo we can 
mall you a copy. It gives the tests and experience 
of experts boiled down. We will send you our com¬ 
plete catalogue, our prices and trial offer, too. 
Write us NOW. 
NEW HOLLAND MACHINE CO. 
Box 13 New Holland, Pa.j 
MS* 
m 
On FREE TRIAL 
No Money Down 
40 Years The StandardTand Better this Year than Ever Before 
Write for the book now and pick out the one you want 
to try. Convince yourself that it grinds faster, does better 
work, needs less power, less attention, and' meets a 
greater range of requirements than any other grinder at 
any price. From grinding ear corn to making Graham flour 
—grinds soft and wet as well as dry corn—you’ll find a Quaker 
City superior. If not, send it back at our expense. I’ry all 
mills, if you like, and keep the best. That’s all we ask. 
We Pay Freight 
You will agree that this is the most 
liberal o-'er ever made— 
But what we want you to note particularly 
is that this offer is on Quaker City Mills —the 
grinders that have been the standard of quality 
more S- QUAKER!31™}!}$ 01’ GR,^TLS 
SEES ^°e”ut h “ 
See Our Improvements 
Although Quaker City Mills 
have been given added 
together—the mills 
that have never 
been sold before at 
the close manufac¬ 
turer’s price. 
We have cut out 
the Jobbers, Deal¬ 
ers, all M iddlemen, 
3 
G 6* 
E 13414" 
010 &ll 
C8 4 H 12 
11 Sizes—22 Styles 
From Hand to 20-Horse Power 
3a5 
—., — - —i 
and give you the benefit of saving their profits. 
You can prove, too, at our risk, that the Quaker City 
is all we claim, that it is the mill you want, before you 
pay us a penny 
improvements re- 
cently, which put 
them still farther 
ahead of any other 
mill — although the 
price would have to 
be higher than be¬ 
fore if sold through 
■ dealers—yet you can 
get one now for less, 
much less, than ever. And we pay the freight, remember. 
Write today for Free Book, and get our Trial Offer, guaranty 
and factory prices. Specify Feed Mill Catalogue. One of the 
Quaker City Family will just meet youF needs and fit your 
pocketbook. Write today—now. 
THE A. G, STRAUB COMPANY 3737 Filbert Street Philadelphia, Pa, 
HUBBARD’S FERTILIZERS 
Made By THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO. 
TVTTTVnT .TITO \A7 3XT, CONN. 
FOR 1909 ALMANAC TELLING ALL ABOUT THEM. 
SENT FREE TO ANY ADDRESS. 
SEND 
