1914. 
RURAL NEW-VOR.v^ 
786 
EVENTS OF THE WEEK. 
DOMESTIC.—May 14, C. S. Mellen, 
former president of the New York, New 
Haven & Hartford Railroad, testified be¬ 
fore the Interstate Commerce Commission 
as to the financial deals of that road, 
which resulted in heavy loss to the stock¬ 
holders. He gave the name of former 
Police Inspector Thomas F. Byrnes, of 
New York, as the distributor of a $1,200,- 
000 “slush fund” with which the New 
Haven railroad expected to purchase 
enough influence to modify to its satisfac¬ 
tion the franchise held by the New York, 
Westchester & Boston Railway. In his 
testimony, May 19, Mr. Mellen declared 
that the “Westchester deal,” in which 
more than $11000.000 of the New Ha¬ 
ven’s money was expended, was managed 
by the late J. P. Morgan and William 
Rockefeller, hut chiefly the former. 
Through Mr. Mellen’s testimony it be¬ 
came apparent that the Billard trans¬ 
action, through which the New Haven 
apparently lost $2,700,000, was put 
through for the purpose of avoiding a 
Massachusetts law. He referred to vari¬ 
ous political influences consulted, includ¬ 
ing the Administration then at Washing¬ 
ton. 
Ten men, most of them chemists, were 
killed by the explosion of acid and chem¬ 
icals in the mixing room of the Mexican 
Crude Rubber Company, at Detroit. 
Mich., May 15. The company manufac¬ 
tured imitation rubber, and it is under¬ 
stood that ether and other explosives were 
used in large quantities. 
Captain Edward F. Carson, Troop A. 
Colorado National Guard, admitted on 
the witness stand before the court-martial 
at Denver, May IS, that the soldiers 
looted the Ludlow tent colony on the 
night the colony was burned, causing the 
death of two women and eleven children. 
Carson added that he saw soldiers and 
civilians bearing away all kinds of prop¬ 
erty. He saw soldiers carrying off suits 
of clothes, miscellaneous clothing, umbrel¬ 
las, jewelry, blankets and grips and satch¬ 
els filled with all sorts of stuff lvdonguig 
to the strikers. Even trunks were taken. 
Twenty firemen were overcome by ac : d 
fumes May IS in fighting a fire which 
destroyed the six-story brick building at 
463 Greenwich street, New York. The 
loss is estimated at $150,000. Fumes 
from muriatic acid stored in the building 
trebled the difficulties of the fire fighters. 
The trial of Becker, formerly police 
lieutenant, for the murder of the gambler 
Rosenthal in New York, still continued 
May 1S-20 to bring out testimony damag¬ 
ing to the defense, the widow of one of 
the executed gunmen being a big witness 
for the prosecution. 
May 19, there were serious forest fires 
in 19 counties of Michigan ; 5.000 men 
were out fighting them. Iron River was 
reported wiped out by the flames. 
After 14 days of terrible suffering in an 
open boat, five survivors of the freight 
steamer Columbian were picked up in 
the North Atlantic May 17 by the United 
States revenue cutter Seneca. One died 
at the moment of rescue. Eleven others 
of the boat’s crew, which left the Colum¬ 
bian when she was burned just south of 
Sable Island on May 3, succumbed in the 
meanwhile to injuries and privations, and 
their bodies had been cast overboard. 
The death roll of the lost freighter now 
stands at fifteen. The survivors had lived 
on only a few ship’s biscuits and a cask 
of water, which had long since been ex¬ 
hausted. 
Fairbanks, Alaska, cabled May 17 that 
Circle City, Eagle City and scores of 
woodcboppers’ and mining camps with 
many native villages along the Yukon 
above Fort Yukon have been destroyed 
by the worst flood in the history of the 
north. Flood marks on the Yukon show 
that water in the past rose more than a 
hundred feet when ice jammed in the can¬ 
yons. Circle City and Eagle City are 
only thirty feet above the Yukon’s normal 
level. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The greatest 
tulip exhibit ever possible anywhere out¬ 
side Holland will be a part of the national 
exhibit of the Netherlands at the Pana¬ 
ma-Pacific International Exposition at 
San Francisco in 1915. Two acres will 
be devoted to the tulip beds. 
The test case of Ralph Miller, county 
treasurer, versus the George H. Melleu 
Co., of Springfield, Ohio, has been as¬ 
signed for hearing May IS in the Court 
of Appeals at Springfield. This is the 
case which is to determine whether or 
not the growing crops in the greenhouses 
and nurseries are assessable for taxation. 
A decision adverse to the trade interests 
has been given in the lower court, and the 
case has been carried up by the Spring- 
field Florists’ Club, with the aid of cash 
subscriptions by many other florists 
through the State. Able counsel has been 
engaged and a vigorous defense has been 
prepared, as the outcome will be of far- 
reaching importance to the florists’ trade. 
The Summer meeting of the State Hor¬ 
ticultural Association of Pennsylvania 
will be held at State College, Pa., June 
17 and 18. The Association will be the 
guests of the Department of Horticulture 
and Experimental Pomology. At that 
time the experimental plats on the college 
farm will be in splendid shape and will 
afford interesting studies to all who are 
interested in experimental fertilizer work. 
The cover-crop and fertilizer work in the 
College Experimental Orchard will at 
that time show up the growth which each 
treatment is producing. A trip over the 
entire plant of the college will be ar¬ 
ranged. Dean Watts. M. G. Kains. Pro¬ 
fessor-elect of Horticulture; I)r. J. P. 
Stewart and Professor II. A. Surface of 
the State Department of Agriculture, and 
others will speak at the meetings. 
MEXICO.— The United States will 
permit the Constitutionalists to use Tam¬ 
pico for the purpose of getting war sup¬ 
plies to carry on the fight against Iluerta. 
* * * The peace conference between 
representatives of the United States, 
President Huerta and the A. B. C. en¬ 
voys began May 20 at Niagara Falls, 
Ont. It is believed that one month will 
be occupied in thrashing out the various 
suggestions from delegates looking to the 
avoidance of war. * * * Rebel forces 
are reported to have dashed into San Luis 
Potosi and seized the main plaza of the 
city, routing the garrison with heavy 
losses. * * * Belief that United States 
Consul John R. Silliman has been killed 
by the Federals is growing. Constitution¬ 
alist agents on the border assert this is a 
fact. The arrival of a train from San 
Luis Potosi at Mexico City without Mr. 
Silliman has reawakened fears in Wash¬ 
ington about the consul’s fate. * * * 
Villa’s main army engaged 5.000 of the 
Federal garrison outside Saltillo May 19. 
The Federals were repulsed with heavy 
losses. The rebels took SOO prisoners and 
captured 600.000 rounds of ammunition. 
* * * At Paredon a desperate battle 
was fought May 19. At Ramos Arispe 
there had been desperate fighting for two 
days. Throughout the country lying be¬ 
tween and in the district near Saltillo 
skirmishes, which are in reality battles of 
lesses magnitude, are being waged con¬ 
stantly. Details of the Saltillo campaign 
indicate that Saltillo may be in practical¬ 
ly every respect a second Torreon. The 
Federals are not surrendering an inch of 
ground without a battle. Every move 
toward Saltillo made by the rebels is met 
with determined resistance by the Fed- 
era Is. 
Eg tT s were 50 cents each, meat $3.50 a 
kilo, bay $15 a bale, and other prices are 
in proportion in Guaymas, Mexico, ac¬ 
cording to advices received May 15. The 
people of the west coast port are literally 
starving. Only the rich can afford to buy 
the few food articles purchasable, and the 
poorer people are dying by scores daily 
of starvation. Because of the siege of 
the city the people fear to attempt to 
get away. Even fish are prohibitive in 
price, all of the fishermen having either 
been impressed into the Federal army or 
having joined the rebels. 
NEW YORK STATE NEWS. 
Madison County Farmers. •—• At a 
meeting of farmers of Madison County 
recently a cooperative organization was 
formed under the new State laws, and the 
following were elected officers for the en¬ 
suing year : Levi Timmerman, president; 
J. H. Wilson, first vice-president; E. O. 
Messenger, second vice-president; K. M. 
Harsh, secretary; A. II. Root, treasurer. 
The meeting was held at C ange Hall in 
Canastota, and representatives of the 
State Agricultural Department were pres¬ 
ent. Those interested in agriculture and 
in truck crops especially, fully realized 
the importance of cooperation and the 
plans presented by the representatives of 
the department appealed to them with 
great force. 
Records Broken.— Four world’s rec¬ 
ords are said to have been broken last 
week at the TIolstein-Friesian sale at the 
Liverpool pavilion near Syracuse. At pri¬ 
vate sale $25,000 was paid for a half in¬ 
terest in King Segis Pontiac Alcartra. 
An unnamed son of the same bull brought 
$11,300 at auction, the highest price, it is 
said, ever paid for a bull calf. It went 
to Fred J. Karlin of Illinois. Another 
record went down when Mr. John Arf- 
man of Middletown, paid $3,000 for the 
cow, Lyndon Alcartra Polkadot. She is 
a 32.67 pound animal. The world’s record 
price for a three-year-old was paid by the 
Lawson company in giving $1,050 for the 
cow Finderne Pontiac Twisk. with a rec¬ 
ord of 30.60 pounds. Briar Daisy, a 31- 
pound cow, was sold by F. W. Scott of 
Granville for $1,400, and her yearling 
d..lighter went at the price of $535. The 
average price paid at this sale of IIol- 
steins on more than 100 head, was $1,400. 
Creamery Burned. — The Thousand 
Island Creamery, located near Alexandria 
Bay, was burned to the ground on May 
18, loss $10,000. The building carried an 
insurance of $3,000, and the machinery 
contained therein was valued at over 
$4,000. It was not insured but was ren¬ 
dered useless; also 1,500 pounds of but¬ 
ter and 10,000 pounds of milk were de¬ 
stroyed. About 300 pounds of cheese 
were carried out and saved. 
Legislature Adjourns. —The special 
session of the State Legislature adjourned 
on Wednesday afternoon. May 20. The 
appropriation bills commanded the atten¬ 
tion of the legislative leaders and commit¬ 
tees, and several conferences were held 
to see if an agreement could be reached 
on several items before the bill was again 
submitted to the two houses. When the 
members gathered for the final session it 
was found that the appropriation bills 
totaled over $35,000,000. The revenues 
of the State from indirect resources 
amount to about $42,000,000. Special 
appropriations amounted to about $0,000.- 
000,and it is intended to keep about $2.- 
000,000 in the treasury. The Governor 
was asked if he would sign a hill levying 
a direct tax of on«-tenth of a mill to make 
up the deficiency. He would not. And he 
told the conferees if they didn’t cut out 
or cut down some items he would. They 
then reduced the amount called for to 
$34,445,000. The reduction cut out $200,- 
000 for the elimination of railroad cross¬ 
ings ; $10,000 for the School of Forestry ; 
$10,000 for improvements at Cornell; 
$30,000 for a new building at Alfred Uni¬ 
versity; $10,000 for heating State fair 
buildings; $10,000 for Geneva Experi¬ 
ment Station; $35,000 for printing the 
session laws, beside several others. The 
date of holding the primary election was 
changed so as to accommodate Jewish 
voters, Atonement Day falling on the date 
first set for the primaries. j. w. D. 
NEW ENGLAND MILK SITUATION. 
Much milk legislation has been agitated 
th ■ past few months by interested parties, 
among this several bills recommended by 
former Mayor I tzgerald to define pure 
milk, or what would be recognized as such 
by health boards and under the law. 
These last were all turned down by the 
Legislature, while some others have not 
been reported from committees yet. The 
one most noticeable and most heard of is 
the former so-called Ell bill, now recom¬ 
mended under a new name, and also 
changed somewhat from its former shape; 
yet the general features and objects of 
this bill remain the same. It does not 
look at present as if any legislation of 
any importance would be passed at this 
session for reason of a contemplated 
change in the State Board of Health, 
which now consists of several members, 
all having about equal authority, to do 
away with these altogether, and have all 
authority vested in one head, known as 
Health Commissioner. The present idea 
is to appoint one for five or six years 
and have an advisory board of perhaps six 
members to assist him, all these to be 
physicians of good standing. 
Governor Walsh is a strong believer in 
the plan, and is working to bring the 
change about. As it would be bad policy 
to pass a bill on milk requirements, etc., 
that would conflict in any way with the 
above changes at this time, a general un¬ 
derstanding exists to rest easy and let 
present laws and regulations suffice until 
we know just what we are at. So many 
mistakes have been made in the past on 
these matters that “be sure you are right | 
before you go ahead” is the best and 
safest policy, and this will be followed at 
this time. 
Two interesting notes show some light 
as to the matter of profit made by milk 
contractors. In this case it is the II. P. 
Hood Co. which is reported to be paying 
producers in a certain section in Massa¬ 
chusetts the following price for milk: 
For April, 2.98 cents per quart; A lav, 
2.05; June, 2.07; July, August and Sep¬ 
tember, three cents, an average for the 
Summer months of less than 2% cents 
per quart. These are net prices at the 
farm. The same company has just been 
awarded a contract to supply the Boston 
City Hospital 1,200 quarts daily at 6% 
cents per quart. I should like to see this 
company figure this difference in price to 
make good their claims in the past of only 
a fraction of a cent per quart staying 
with them as profit. I know they employ 
experts to do their figuring. Here is a 
chance to keep them employed to make 
the right showing on paper. Can they do 
it? It does not seem possible that present 
low prices paid for Boston wholesale milk 
could long continue, as we are advised 
that some dealers are not getting enough 
for their wants (at present time, which 
is the flush time of all the year) but are 
looking for new dairies to add to the 
present supply. I also know of many 
producing dairies in the surrounding 
towns which have sold a large part of 
their cows this Spring, and some of these 
will sell the rest as soon as buyers can be 
found. These facts and other causes 
which will be heard of in the next few 
months must bring a better price; all 
signs point that way. Also the Massa¬ 
chusetts Railroad Commissioners reports 
show a falling off of 726.1S4 quarts in 
March of 1914 from March of 1913. 
The only way to make up the shortage 
is to ship in more long-distance milk, 
which must be treated to be safe for use. 
and yet in the face of these facts the 
Meaney hill to label this milk as to source 
of production was turned down last year. 
Does it mean people do not care where 
their milk supply comes from, or how old 
or how much or what treatment it may 1 
have received? Do not the consumers 
want nearby fresh Massachusetts milk? 
It certainly looks as if they were not 
particular about it. All these things 
should be looked at and studied by the 
new Commissioner when that change is 
made, and any new laws passed should | 
consider these points, and the blame 
should be put where deserved for letting 
this state of affairs get where it is. 
Around four cents per quart, wholesale, 
seems to be about the average price paid 
for Summer milk in different cities in 
New England. I know of a very few 
cases where producers are receiving five 
cents per quart. I wish there were more 
of these as* a profit, for anything less is 
out of the question under our conditions, 
and yet too many producers are willing 
to sell for less. In some cases their cir¬ 
cumstances are such they can’t turn to 
anything else, and must sell at practically 
what is offered; but some who sell at 
these prices are not obliged to. but they 
do it. Another case for education; let 
the good work go on, and keep it moving. 
A. E. P. 
For 15 years the One Best 
Silo. Big, sensational 
1 improvements this 
year, making the 
Harder Silo better than 
ever. Of massive 
strength, anchored 
fast, solid as an oak, 
perfect fitting doors, 
highest grade material 
and construction—per¬ 
fect in every detail— 
that’s the Harder Silo. 
More durable, less 
expensive, than 
concrete and tile. 
The kind “Uncle Sam” 
uses. Big free catalog 
describes the new 
spline-dowel, the new 
intermediate ladder 
rung, the anchor, and 
scores of other dis-^| 
tinctive features. .-'If 
It tells why 
you need a 
Harder Silo. W 
Write today. V\y> 
h aiTnvRMFG- CO.. Box 11. Coble skill, N. Y. \ 
™ Elbert Hubbard “■ 
(Fra Elbertus) 
Recently took “time off” long 
enough to write a message to 
fanners on the subject 
“The Silo and Which is Best” 
The article, which is sort of a history 
of silos generally, is penned in Elbert 
Hubbard’s unique and interesting style, 
with all the quirks and quirls and 
homely philosophy that have made the 
Sage of East Aurora famous. 
Through an arrangement between Mr. Hub- 
hard and The Canton Culvert Company, makers 
of the famous 
“ZYRO” Galvanized 
A NTI- CORROSI YE 
No-Co-Ro METAL SILO 
The article has been published in booklet form. 
A free copy is yours for the asking. 
The Canton Culvert Co., Box 440, Canton, 0. 
U NAD ILL A 
Was Chosen 
New York authorities demanded 
durability, preservability and econ¬ 
omy, found all three qualities in the 
UnadillaSiloanderectedloonState 
Industrial farms. Same reasons led 
the Borden Milk Co. to equip their 
model farms with Unadillas. Send 
for catalogue and conclusive proof 
of superior construction and new 
features. Liberal discount for early 
orders. Agents wanted. Address 
UNADILLA sn.0 CO., Box C Unadiila, N. Y 
8x20 $64.72 
10 x 24 92.23 
12 x 26 118.25 
14 x 28 144.65 
16 x 30 173.89 
Other sizes in proportion. Ask for Catalogue. 
GRIFFIN LUMBER COMPANY, Box 11, Hudson Falls, N. Y. 
HARRIS 
iOVERNOR 
PULLEY 1 
A high-grade, reliable, durable 
governor pulley at a price even- 
one can afford. No need of pav¬ 
ing $9 to §13 when you can buy 
11 
e ;;±5.i 
m » F-O. 9. 
FACTORY 
the HARRIS for S5.45 complete. 
INCREASES CREAM PROFITS 
Runs separator at a steady, uniform speed. Starts 
it slowly, gradually increases speed, takes up all jerk 
and jar of engine. Saves wear and tear on separator. 
Quickly l>ays tor itself. Adapted for faninng-mill, 
enurn, or any other light machinery. Your dealer 
LEVIN PRUNER 
'T'HE best Printer. Cuts %-inch 
dry branch. Quick, clean, 
easy cut. We will send it post¬ 
paid for one new yearly subscrip¬ 
tion at $1, or for club of 10 ten- 
week trials at 10 cents each. 
These articles are not given with a sub¬ 
scription to The Rural New-Yorker, but 
are given to the agent as a reward, in 
place of cash, for extending the subscrip¬ 
tion list of The Rural New-Yorker. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
333 WEST 30th ST., NEW YORK. 
