Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 February 1910 — TWO OF TURNER'S CUSTOMERS [ARTICLE]

TWO OF TURNER'S CUSTOMERS

Innocent men and bluffers court lnvustlcatioa. But how can 1910 be a banner rear. It It ends In naught? Sarah Bernhardt has Joined the great majority. She tried to write a play and (ailed. Erery town has them, bat the best way to get even with the knockers is to make good. One trouble with opportunity is that K knocks at a man's door when he hasn’t any money to invest. Latest is the "auto knee.” As the cure does not call for any expensive surgical operation the lad will soon run out. It is generally admitted now that the coat of living is higher than it used to be. But this doesn’t help to pay grocers' bills. The railroads are to despatch trains by telephone. Think of "central” talking to her beau while two trains are approaching, head on! Authorities on the subject say that drugs are not bringing nearly as much money as they did ten years ago. Neither are mules. Not much of either of them sold. Already some of the people of Belgium are beginnings to refer to their new king as Albert the Good. Here’s hoping that Albert will do his best to Uve up to it. Mrs. Thomas A. Edison is in a sanatorium suffering from nervous trouble. Bhe probably fears that she may be asked to live in one of Mr. Edison’s poured houses. -, - # "In live years from now,” says an eminent physician, "it will not be respectable to be ill.” Does ne think all the vermiform appendices will have been removed in the meantime? - One of the astronomers succeeded reesntly in obtaining a fine photograph of the rings of Saturn. The photograph fails to show that there are inscriptions of any kind on the rings. In view of the conspicuous and important additions to the world'B stock of knowledge during the last year, Dr. Eliot may feel Justified in adding an Inch or an inch and halt to his Five Feet of Books.

Andrew Carnegie Is credited with having expressed a willingness to give 130,000,000 tor the purpose of establishing permanent peace in Central America. It ought to be possible with g fund of that size to furnish a pretty fair police force for Central America. “In what respect," says the Pittsburg Dispatch, "is the world better off for the pole having been reached?" The question comes unexpectedly, but If an answer is demanded Immediately, we believe Dr. Cook is about SBO,OOO better off than he was before Peary discovered the pole. A new hotel called the Taft House Is to be built across the street from the Yale campus in New Haven. Fame, according to Byron, used to consist in being killed in battle and having your name spelled wrong in the gazette. Nowadays it seems to consist in being elected to the presidency and having a hotel or a cigar named after Ton. The report that Kermit’ Roosevelt has killed, a bongo has stirred natural history to the depths. It appears that the bongo is almost a fabled animal. The bongo is a relative of the bushbuck, is a 3 large as a polo pony and twice as Intelligent. It appears that the bongo has a hide as beautiful as that of the zebra, and is quite as careful of it. He lives in the deep forest, emerging only at a presidential election or some such overwhelming event. The demise of this one appears to be due to the fact that he came out in an off year, excited, no doubt, by the conflicting reports about the north pole.

Darius Ogden Mills, who has recently ended his earthly career full of years and honors, was a man of large affairs, broad sympathies and diverse interests, but by the majority of men he will long be remembered chiefly by the unique “hotels" he was far-sighted and humane enough to found. "The Mills Hotels” exemplify philanthropy of the healthiest and best kind. They have served as models for other cities and other generous men of means, and Bo industrial community of any Blze can afford to remain Ignorant of the principles upon which they were founded or of the methods of administration which have assured their success. A Mills Hotel is an institution at which ''a poor man who is seeking employment can be warm, comfortable, ieTf-~ respecting for a very small expenditure per day. It Is not a charitable Institution, since it yields a modest return on the capital invested—about 4 per cent. It helps me» to preserve Heir dignity, to escape the 01th." physical and moral, and the degradation of some of the notorious lodging houses While getting acquainted in a strange •Mgr and obtaining work. Such phlian-

thropy elevates instead of pauperising, and society cannot have too much of It. Here is another important subject for the Secretary of Agriculture to investigate. In the Chicago stock yards recently hogs brought prices which were practically the highest Since the civil war. To make matters worse, the supply in the west was said to be 40 per cent less than it was a year ago. This will sadden the frugal housewife. When beef went up she has fallen back on fresh pork, bam or bacon. If they, too, are to get beyond her reach she will have to resign herself to a vegetarian life. If hogs shall remain scarce and dear the American export trade in hog products, of which lard is not the least Important, would suffer. The foreign demand for them would decline as the prices advanced. The Englishman would go elsewhere for the bacon he now buys of the United States. For the sake of the domestic consumer and the foreign trade Secretary Wilson ’ should find out why hogs are scarce and prescribe a .remedy. There ought to a profit in raising them at present prices, even if corn does cost so much more than It used to. That is a sufficient explanation of an advance in the price of hogs, but not of a declining supply in the face of an Increasing population and demand. Burely the secretary of agriculture, who is so much concerned over the higher cost of living, wiirpay solemn attention to one of the ways of bettering matters. That is the replenishment of the American pig pens. Fill them with plump porkers, and ham and bacon will not be the luxuries they bid fair to become.

The great artist. Turner, is said to have been peculiar in his way of selling his pictures. At times nothing could Induce him to part with one of them, and at other times he would receive a customer with the greatest affability of voice and manner, and readily settle upon the sum to be paid for one of his treasures. On one oocaslon, when he was offered one thousand pounds apiece for some old sketch-books, he turned them over leaf by leaf before the eyes of the would-be purchaser, saying, ‘‘Well, would you really like to have them?” Then, Just as the man proceeded to take possession of the books, Turner, with a tantalizing “I dare say you would!" suddenly thrust them Into a drawer and turned the key in the lock, leaving the customer dumb with Indignation. On another oocaslon a rich manufacturer of Birmingham managed to secure an entrance into the artist's house, after considerable parley with the disagreeable janltress whom Turner employed. He hurried up-stairs to the gallery. In a moment Turner dashed out upon him with anything but a hospitable air. The visitor bowed politely and Introduced himself, saying he had come to buy some pictures. "Don’t want to sell," said the artist, 'gruffly. "Have you ever seen our Birmingham pictures, Mr. Turner?" Inquired the visitor, blandly. "Never heard of ’em,” returned the artist. The manufacturer now took an attractive package of crisp Birmingham bank-notes from his wallet. -—"Mere paper,” said Turner, contemptuously. "To be bartered for mere canvas,” retorted the visitor, ealmly, waving his hand in the direction of some paintings. This ready wit and tone of cool depreciation had the effect of putting the erratie artist in a good humor at once. He changed his manner immediately, and not long after his visitor departed, having bought several fine paintings, and leaving the comfortable sum of five thousand pounds behind him.