The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Value of a Community Center 
order that_ the world may be fed and 
clothed. You and father and grandfather 
and hundreds like you have sent your 
very blood and sweat out of this valley, 
down the little streams and rivers to the 
big cities, and you have had little or noth¬ 
ing back. Money and power and the pleas¬ 
ant things of life do not seem to roll back 
up the hills. We must go after them and 
bring them back. I see too many women 
who are unworthy of brushing off your 
apron enjoying as every-day necessities 
what to you have always been impossible 
luxuries. And when this scrap is over, 
by God I’m going to be one of those who 
see that you get what other women have!” 
“That’s what he said, as near as I can 
remember,” said Uncle Nathan. “It 
sounds like swearing, but I don’t think it 
was. Rut I don’t rightly understand it. He 
talked like a soldier, but he couldn’t have 
been with that suit of overalls on. I saw 
him go down the road, and he never came 
back.” 
The old man fell into a brown study, 
with his chin down on his breast. Over 
the hill came .Tohnnie, carrying the wood¬ 
chuck by the tail. Around him danced 
Spot, a very proud little dog. 
“Gome, grandpa,” said Johnnie, “time 
to go home!” 
But Uncle Nathan looked at me with 
half unseeing eyes as he asked his old 
question: 
“Where’s John Henry atf” 
And I could think of no better answer 
than that given by the hired man as there 
rose before me a picture of a crowded field 
in France—crowded with little white 
headstones: 
“God known!” H. W. C. 
Treatment for the Grippe 
I have been very much interested in 
the Hope Farm man’s experiences with 
his Satanic majesty, the grippe, alias in¬ 
fluenza. alias catarrhal fever. I have had 
three epidemic experiences with the demon, 
and I must say you have described his 
features so accurately that he should be 
recognized on sight, or rather, on touch. 
It has been 55 years since I began the 
practice of medicine, and in 1873 bad my 
first tilt with the scamp, and I was 
knocked out in the first round, though 
this was in the last days of his reign. In 
my opinion that was the worst epidemic 
of the three: indeed, it was so bad that 
the horses almost universally had it; at 
least medical authorities and the veteri¬ 
narians said it was the same thing. It 
was at first called the pink-eye, and 
finally the epizootic. It was, if possible, 
more prevalent than among the people. 
Farmers owning a dozen or more work 
horses in some instances did not have a 
single horse that was workable. 
Then in 18S9 it came again. Many 
cases this time were complicated at the 
latter end of the attack with meningitis 
of rather a light grade. Then came the 
last epidemic, in which there were many 
cases, of so-called pneumonia. All of 
these I saw were rather a passive con¬ 
gestion of the lungs, rather than a pneu¬ 
monia. though not a whit preferable nor 
less dangerous than though caused by 
pneumonia. 
We had some hearty laughs over your 
first ai'tiele. Indeed, there were some 
things so exceedingly funny that I began 
to wonder if you had turned to be a high- 
class humorist. In your last stab at the 
demon you mention strychnia as a reme¬ 
dy. I think, after much experience, it is 
an excellent remedy as part treatment in 
that last stage of exhaustion which you 
picture out so vividly and correctly. 
However, in my practice I always com¬ 
bine it in those cases of extreme exhaus¬ 
tion with a small dose of nitro-glycerine 
and a small dose of quinine; for instance, 
1/100 grain each of strichnia and nitro¬ 
glycerine and also two grains quinine, 
given once every three hours. This pre¬ 
scription, of course, follows the initial 
treatment, which I am now going to give, 
and this from one of the best authorities 
in the world, Dr. William Hanna Thom¬ 
son. formerly of New York, now dead. 
He was one of the greatest clinicians in 
this country or any other, and is so re¬ 
cognized by leading physicians today. Tn 
1019 the second edition of his work, 
known as “Thomson’s Clinical Medicine,” 
came from the press. On page 114. un¬ 
der the head of “La Grippe-Influenzie.” 
after describing its leading characteristics : 
“I have found a true specific against this 
infection, which consists of this prescrip¬ 
tion : Phenacetin, 3 gr.; sulphate of 
quinine, 2 gr.; extract of aconite, 1/12 
gr.: Dover’s powder, *4 gr. made into one 
pill: six of these pills to be taken the 
first day, one pill before each meal and 
two at night. In the majority of cases 
the disease subsides on the third day.” 
Dr. Thomson then says: “I am sure this 
combination is quite as specific against 
the influenza bacillis as quinine in ague 
and mercury in syphilis.” After this 
treatment has broken the backbone of the 
malady then I come in with toy tonic 
treatment, as mentioned above if it is 
needed. 
In our recent bout with this disease I 
had at least two typical cases, one my 
daughter, 19 years old, who had an ending 
much as you described yours as two black- 
eyed peas could be. Another similar case 
was a brother-in-law, 60 years old, quite 
similar. 
Dr. Thomson was more than a great 
physician. He was an eminent scientist 
and author of several books on related 
scientific subjects: “Brain and Person¬ 
ality.” another “What is Physical Life?” 
and a third, “Some Wonders of Biology.” 
Illinois. A. W. FOREMAN, M. D. 
If farmers could realize the benefit of a 
community center they would not be with¬ 
out one. A few years ago the writer 
moved from a city to a farm. Neighbors 
were very narrow in their views. They 
would ride past each other without a look 
of recognition. Criticism of each other 
was their specialty. Each had a grouch 
against all others. Every evil character¬ 
istic of a neighbor was magnified, every 
good trait passed over in silence. The 
brotherly spirit which should prevail in 
all communities was absent. About this 
time the school authorities consolidated 
all schools. That left school buildings 
for sale. A few neighbors saw in this 
an opportunity to improve the neighbor¬ 
hood. A charter was secured, a school 
building with its grounds purchased, 
money _ was borrowed on mortgage, and 
an equipment purchased for a community 
center. Sheds were erected, kitchen and 
equipment for same bought, a first-class 
player-piano and pool tables were in¬ 
stalled, and many other games secured. 
A set of cooking utensils, dishes, silver¬ 
ware, etc., were procured, so that sup¬ 
pers could be prepared and served in our 
own equipment. The news spread. Every¬ 
one desired to join. 
It was not long before everyone for 
miles who would be accepted was a mem¬ 
ber. It was made clear that all kinds of 
people would not be admitted. All with 
good records were welcome. Dues were 
levied at .$1 per year. They are the same 
now. Moving pictures, interesting and 
instructive, were shown; lectures were 
given, debates started to make the young 
people do some independent thinking. A 
stock of such things as are in demand 
where people congregate was installed, 
such as cigars, tobacco, candies, etc. 
We were listened to by the State of¬ 
ficers when we wanted the State to do 
some necessary improvement. In unity 
there is strength. The young people at 
first would sit around with nothing to 
say. They feared the sound of their own 
voices, but at last they were the most 
active members. It is surprising the lat¬ 
ent talent of the country which is not 
utilized. We found fine singers, as good 
actors as ever faced an audience, and 
soon we had stage plays, concerts, a mu¬ 
sical company and a new maple dancing 
flqor on the entire hall. 
Now we are enlarging it to double its 
former size, and are out of debt. Con¬ 
certs, dances, suppers and other activi¬ 
ties soon brought people for twenty miles. 
Ample shed room was erected. The na¬ 
tional colors fly from a large metal flag¬ 
pole. It was not long before united buy¬ 
ing and selling was a feature. Propo¬ 
sitions were made by canners to have a 
large acreage planted in tomatoes, at good 
prices. We had committees on many 
things ; legislation, good roads, etc. These 
committees worked in conjunction with 
town authorities to have town approaches 
made better by united effort. The ladies 
organized their own association. They 
are now as one family. Those who do a 
special thing better than others give their 
761 
knowledge freely. The suppers they set 
out at intervals brought people with ap¬ 
petites for 20 miles. City people sought 
membership. Auto parties would come 
to suppers at which ice cream, melons, 
berries, etc., formed a part. 
The by-laws permitted disputants to 
present their cases to the board of direc¬ 
tors for adjudication. This saved law¬ 
suits. As the hall fronts a main pike, 
with very great travel, it could have been 
utilized for the sale of peaches, apples, 
etc., if desired. A comic feature of the 
debates which were held occurred when 
woman suffrage was the subject. All 
married men sidestepped when asked to 
argue on the anti-suffrage side. The suf¬ 
fragettes had their regular lecturing baud 
to represent suffrage. The atmosphere 
was very tense when the debate began. 
It looked as though the anti-advocates 
would surely be mobbed. But those who 
talked anti were judicious in their choice 
of language. Their most telling points 
were delivered as jokes, and instead of a 
riot we had a very good time. Even the 
suffrage representatives enjoyed the fun. 
But, best of all, that neighborhood has 
been redeemed. Everyone there is as 
good a friend of all others as though all 
belonged to a very fraternal secret so¬ 
ciety; no one entertains a grouch now. 
Any rural' community can improve its 
condition and remove all unpleasant fea¬ 
tures by a little tact, and by selecting of¬ 
ficers who are well balanced mentally, 
who will not listen to any move which 
breeds factions. joiin gormly. 
FI RE^DEATI 
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George E. Thompson 
Lightning Rod Engineer and 
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Lightning Waits for No Man! 
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