Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 March 1915 — Page 3

HUGE GUN FOR CANAL ZONE

This huge 16-inch gun, the biggest single piece of armament in the world, was on its way to the United States arsenal at Watertown, Mass.,to be mounted preparatory to shipment to the Panama canal for zone defenses. The gun. which weighs 284,800 pounds, had to be shipped on a specially constructed steel bridge car, which alone tips the scale at 192,420 pounds and which required a carriage of 32 wheels.

YOUNG SOLDIER PROVES A HERO

Carries Colonel to Safety and Returns Under Fire to Rescue Englishman. SUCCORS A DYING GERMAN French Boy's Thrilling Deed That May Win the Victoria Cross of Great Britain —Cyclist Wins French Decoration. London. —The Daily Chronicle publishes the following from its special correspondent at Angers: “Jean Berger, ‘simple soldat’ of the Second regiment of infantry, should, after the war, be Jean Berger, V. C. He is a Frenchman —yes, but listen to his story. "He, a boy of about eighteen years of age, lies in hospital here, wounded badly, but not dangerously, in the side and also in the hand. • “Jean joined the Second regiment of infantry, which was soon under orders for Upper Alsace. "It was during one of the almost innumerable fights which, battles in themselves, are making up that Homeric struggle of the nations on the River Aisne that the colonel leading the gallant Second was shot down. Machine guns were raking the quickly thrown-up trenches; showers of rifle bullets were falling everywhere around. With that heroism which takes account of nothing save the object in view, Jean rushed out of his shelter to carry his colonel to safety. “Through a rain of leaden death he passed scatheless, reached his colonel, and carried him to safety. Back Through Hall of Lead. "As he was performing his glorious act he passed an officer of the Grenadier guards wounded severely in the leg, who called out for water. “ ‘All right!’ cried Jean, ‘l’ll be back In a minute or two.’ “He put the colonel in the shelter of a trench where the Rfed Cross men were at work, procured some wine from one of the doctors, and set forth again to face the bullet showers. And again he went out untouched. “Reaching the English officer, Jean held up the flask to the wounded man’s lips, but, before he could drink, a bullet struck the young Frenchman in the hand, carrying away three finders, and the flask fell to the ground. Quickly, as though the flask had merely slipped out of one hand by accident, Jean picked it up with the other; and, supported by the young Frenchman, the English officer drank. “While he was doing so a bullet drilled Jean through the Side. Yet, In spite of the Intense pain, he managed to take off his knapsack, and, searching in it, discovered some food, which he gave to his English comrade. “As the guardsman was eating, he and Jean discovered that near them was a wounded German soldier, who, recovering from the delirium of wounds, was crying out for food and drink. The Englishman, taking the flask which had still some wine in it, and also the remainder of the food from the Frenchman’s knapsack, managed, though suffering great pain, to roll himself along till he reached the spot where the German soldier lay. There, however, he found he was, by himself, too weak to give the poor fellow anything. “So he shouted to ,’ean to come to his assistance, and, though movement could only be at the cost. of great pain, the young Frenchman managed, too, to reach the place, and together, Englishman and Frenchman, succored the dying German. One held him up while the other poured wine between his parched lips. All Fall In a Heap. ” “Then humap nature could stand no more, and all three : fell, utterly exhausted, in a heap together. . All through the long night, a night continuously broken by the roar of cannon, death watched over that strange sleeping place of the three comrades of three great warring nations. "In the morning shells bursting near them aroused the English officer and the French soldier. Their German neighbor was dead, and for a long

time they could only wonder how the day of battle was going. When the forenoon was well advanced they saw Germans advancing. “Jean, who can speak German, called out, ‘We are thirsty; please give us something to drink.’ He was heard by some officer of uhlans, who rode up, and, dismounting and covering them with his revolver, asked what was the matter. " ‘We are thirsty,’ replied Jean. “The German looked at the little group. He saw his countryman lying dead with an empty flask beside him, and guessed what was the scene of comradeship and bravery which the spot had witnessed. He gave instructions to an orderly, and wine was brought and given to the two wounded men. Surely, that is a scene and a deed which will wipe out many a bitter thought and memory of war! “Just then the cannonade burst forth again with tremendous fury, and the German force which had come up had to retire. Shells soon bursting all around, and fragments struck the English officer.*' He became delirious with pain, and the young Frenchman, stiff, feverish, and weak himself, saw that it was necessary to do something to bring the officer to a place where he would be safe and would receive attention. “Jean tried to lift the Englishman, but found that he had not sufficient strength left to take his comrade on his shoulder. So, half lifting him, and dragging and rolling him at times, the gallant little plou-piou brought the wounded English officer nearer and nearer to safety and help. The journey was two miles long! . . . But at last it was over. May Get Victoria Cross. “The two men came upon seme trenches occupied by the allied forces; they were recognized and taken in charge by an officer of the English Red Cross. They bad both lust enough strength left to shake hands and say good-bye. “ ‘lf I live through this,’ said the officer of the guards, ‘I shall do my best to get you the British Victoria Cross.’ “For the two nations have become one by bloodshed and bravery dis-

COMMANDS BIG ARMY

Gen. Sir lan Hamilton is in command of the home amy of Great Britain. He has a force of 566,000 men drilling in defense work all around the islands in readiness for a possible German invasion.

WHEN PASSION TAKES HOLD

Terrible Spectable When Fury Supplants Dull CoM*age in the Soldi*. Paris.—The following scene was described by an officer who took part in its “For long hours the soldiers have lain in sodden burrows exposed to terrible fire. Nerves are unstrung, tempers on edge. At last they are upon the enemy; they can now prove their valor with cold steel. At last it is man to man. “Suddenly the sound of loud and continuous laughter is heard. One of the soldiers has passed the border of

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

played, and, in addition, a little incident which I can relate will show that there is a precedent for a union of honors as there is evidence of a complete union of hearts. “In the British expeditionary force there is an English soldier, a member of a cyclist corps, who is proud to wear upon his breast the ’medaille mllitaire* of the French army.;™- 3 ?— “The story of the stirring incident has been told to me by Henri Roger,- a young soldier of the Fifth infantry, who saw it from the trenches and wfco is now lying wounded in hospital here. “During one of the engagements last week on the River Aisne, the Fifth was holding an intrenched position and was faced in the distance by a strong force of the enemy: ' .To the right and left of the opposing forces were large .clumps of trees, in one of which a force of English troops had taken up a position, a fact regarding which the Germans were unaware. In the other wood, it was soon discovered, lay a considerable body of German infantry with several machine gun sections. Cyclist Wins Decoration. “A road ran beside the wood in which the enemy lay hidden, and along It a force of French infantry was seen to be advancing. How were they to be saved from the ambush Into which they were marching? That was the problem, and it was a difficult one. “Every time the French troops in the trenches endeavored to signal to' their oncoming comrades, hidden German sharpshooters picked off the signalers. Soon the position seemed to be almost desperate; every moment the intrenched French soldiers expected to hear the hideous swish of the Maxims mowing down their unsuspecting comrades.

“Suddenly, however, something happened which attracted the attention of the French and German trenches. From the wood where the English lay hidden a cyclist dashed —the English, too, had seen the danger, and a cyclist had been ordered to carry a message of warning to the advancing French column, several hundreds strong. “The cyclist bent low in his saddle and darted forward; he had not gone a hundred yards before he fell, killed by a well-aimed German bullet. A minute later another cyclist appeared, only, in a second or two, to share his comrade’s fate.

“Then a third—the thing had to be done! The bullets whizzed round him, but on he went over the fire-swept zone. The Frenchmen held their breath as they watched the gallant cyclist speeding toward the French column. v

“The Frenchmen could not resist a loud ‘Hurrah!’ when they saw the daring cyclist dismount on reaching the officer in command of the troops which he had dared death to save. “The officer heard the message and took in the position at a glance. He gave an order or two instantly, and turned, to the Englishman. “Then was there a fine but simple battle picture which should live. “The French officer saluted the gallant fellow standing by the cycle. Then, with a simple movement, took the ‘medaille militalre’—the Victoria Cross of France —from his own tunic and pinned it on the coat of the Englishman. "‘I am glad,* young Roger told me when he had finished relating the story, ‘to have lived to see that deed. It was glorious!’ ”

restraint. He is transformed, a very figure of destruction; it is no longer dull courage, but a blaze of fury that sweeps the ranks of the enemy like a fire. “Machine guns have no reply to such zeal of passion; no machine conceived could oppose this living flood of wrath. The sound of that terrible laughte will ring in my ears as long as I live.”

HE IS SOME CORN HUSKER

Michigan Man Claims Championship and May Do Husking Act In Vaudeville. Grand Rapids, Mich. —P. E. Thomai of this city claims the championship of Michigan for corn husking. He established a new record this year on the farm of R. G. Brumm, near Nashville, in Bary county, when he husked 146 bushels in ten hours, an average of 14 3-5 bushels per hour, or one bushel <o each 4 2-7 minutes. His best time during the day was 15 bushels in 40 minutes. Mr. Thomas’ grandfather was an expert busker and at one time did even better than the grandson’s best record, husking 168 bushels in ten flours. His father husked 147 bushels in ten hours. Mr. Thoms ß has made a business of husking corn for 17 years. He says the corn in Mr. Brumm’s field is ths best in which he ever worked, ’the corn Is of the Folsom yellow dent variety, which was introduced into this locality by W. H. Burd. Mr. Brumm’s field contains 8 1-6 acres and the total yield was 1,143 bushels, an average of 140 bushels per acre. There is no question about the correctness of Mr. Thomas’ record, as accurate time w»s kept on his wort and on the meeeure of his com bf Mr, Brumm. Mr. Thomas says he expects to beat hi? own record and that of his grandfather next year. He maj go on the vaudeville stage with a corn husking act next fall.

Grow Irish Potatoes.

Berlin.—The Germans of Berlin aro to grow Irish potatoes. A society has been organized to cultivate them so waste places of the city which caaao/ be teed for other purposes.

ICED COFFEE OR CHOCOLATE

Ideal Beverages to Be Served at Card Party or Other Informal Entertainment. To serve between games at a card party, try iced coffee or chocolate. For the coffee, make enough of what is known as clear black after-dinner coffee to fill at least two wine or sherbet glasses for each guest. Sweeten this while it is hot and set aside to cool. Then pour It into a large bottle or pitcher and set in a pall or deep kettle, packing ice around IL When ready to serve pour into glasses three-quarters full and heap on top either sweetened and whipped cream, or a tablespoonful of ice cream. Iced Chocolate. —Melt two squares of chocolate in a double boiler and add a cupful of granulated sugar and a cupful of water. Let this mixture cook from the fire, add a teaspoonful of vanilla and set away to chill in a pitcher. When ready to serve half fill a large mixing glass with chopped ice, add two tablespoonfuls of the chocolate sirup, fill up the glass with good sweet milk, cover with a shaker and shake thoroughly, strain into glasses and put whipped cream on top of each. Do not mix more than a large glass of this at a time. It will make three small glasses. This method is much better than boiling the chocolate and milk and then chilling, which usually forms a sediment.

WOVEN TABLE MATS POPULAR

For Use Under Hot Dishes Nothing More Satisfactory Has Ever Been Put on Market. Nothing has ever been found , more satisfactory to put under hot dishes than the old-fashioned woven table mats, and of late there has been quite a revival in their favor, especially as it does not require any great-amount of ingenuity to learn how to manipulate the frames upon which they are woven. These frames come in a box containing several sizes, so that a set for meat dishes and several sizes in vegetable dishes may be made. After being woven on the frame crosswise, the points where the crossed threads pass each other are caught and knotted with either white or light-colored twist. In cutting the finished mat off from the frame, a fringed edge is formed and the mat not only launders well, but literally lasts forever. The writer has a set of these mats made quite ten years ago by a deft old lady. These have been in constant use, some of them washed each week and they have scarcely yet begun to show signs of wear. —Exchange.

Creamed Apple Tart.

Line a small, deep pudding dish with a rich pastry, peel and slice in carefully one and one-half pints of tart apple, with just a dust of nutmeg, three-fourths cupful brown sugar and' grated rind and juice of one-half lemon. Cover with crust and bake until done. Lift the crust and pour in pint of rich boiled custard. Replace crust and serve cold. This is a very oldfashioned Dutch dish and is delicious. Whipped cream is very nice in place of the custard, but if cream is used heap it up high and do not replace the upper crust.

Celery Fritters.

Beat one egg until very light; add one-half cupful of sweet milk, two teaspoonfuls of butter, one saltspoonful of salt and enough flour to make almost a drop batter. Beat it thoroughly and let it stand an hour or more to swell the flour. Beat again before using. Cut the celery into inch pieces and cook in boiling wated (salted) until tender. Drain and stir it into a fritter batter. Drop by spoonfuls into deep fat.

Cheese Salad.

Rub the yolk of a hard-boiled egg smooth with a tablespoonful of olive oil and then add, one at a time, mixing thoroughly, a teaspoonful each of mustard, sugar, salt and a bit of cayenne.- Add half a pound of grated cheese and a tablespoonful of vinegar in which a slice of onion has been standing for half an hour and serve on lettuce leaves.

Coffee Mold.

Scald one pint of milk, dissolve two heaping tablespoonfuls cornstarch (I prefer flour) in a little cold milk or water, add two tablespoonfuls sugar, pinch of salt, one-half cupful strong fresh coffee. Stir this into the scalded milk and cook until it thickens. Turn into a mold and set it aside to cool. Serve with cream and sugar.

Yum Yum Pudding.

One cupful of cooked cereal, onehalf cupful of molasses, one-half cupful of milk, one-half cupful of seeded raisins, two well-beaten eggs, one-half teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon. Mix all the ingredients together m a basin until perfectly smooth. Pour into a buttered pudding dish and bake for 40 minutes.

To Save Sugar.

When making cranberry jelly use a pinch of soda before straining the cranberries. It will take only about half as much sugar and does not hurt the flavor or keep it from jellying. Stewed apricots, rhubarb, etc., may be handled the same way. “■ . ,

When You Spill Paint.

Should fresh paint be spilled on the floor, pour some vinegar on it at once and wipe up with a soft cloth.

OPERATING UNDER DIFFICULTIES

Digging Down to the Railroad Through 40 Feet of Snow.

ON ALASKAN RAILROAD

PROBLEM TO KEEP LINE CLEAR OF BNOW AND ICE. Despite Its System of Road la Frequently Blockaded and All Trains Stalled for Weeks, or Even Months. Keeping the line cleared of snow and ice is the biggest problem in the operation of the railroad that * runs from Cordova, Alaska, to the Bonanza copper mines. Although snowsheds have been built along the most dangerous places, it is not an uncommon thing for this railroad to become blockaded with snow so that trains are stalled for weeks, and on one occasion there were no trains for nearly two months. Rotary snowplows are in almost service during the winter, but when the snow drifts to such depths as 40 feet, as it sometimes does, even these powerful machines are unable to keep the line open. On one occasion the fuel was used up and the rotary was caught in a snowdrift. The conductor managed to reach a relief telephone and notify the Cordova office of his plight. Oil and several dog teams were sent out on a relief engine. When this engine was stopped by the snow the oil was loaded on the dog sleds and taken over miles of drifts to the stalled rotary. The railway follows a river bank for much of its length, and during seasons when there is alternate freezing and thawing, the overflow from the river forms over the track a solid sheet of ice that can be removed only by dynamite.—Modern Mechanics.

MAKES FOR FURTHER SAFETY

Automatic Train-Stop System for Use In Connection With Block Signals on Railroads. This train-stopping apparatus is adapted for use in connection with a block-signal system, whereby a train is automatically stopped or slowed down or a signal given when a train

Automatic Train-Stop System.

enters a block already occupied by another train and a stop signal is disregarded, or when the train travels at excessively high speed or when part of the circuit is interrupted or deranged for any reason. —Scientific American,

Dead Year for Railroads.

The year 1914 was the deadest in a generation for the railroads. Mileage construction fell from an average of 4,450 miles during the preceding 15 years to 1,531 miles. Only 3,691 steel passenger cars were constructed, as against 4,246 in 1911, 4,412 in 1910 and 5,457 in 1909. Only about half as many freight cars, 104,541, were built in 1914 as in 1913, when the number was 207,684. The number of locomotives constructed in 1914 was only 2,235; in 1913 the number was 5,332 and in 1912 it was 4,915. This loss in constructive business meant a difference in expenditure of many millions of dollars and it meant thousands of men idle.

The Oldest Metal Things.

The oldest metallic objects are thought to be those found in a royal tomb in Egypt, supposed to have been that of King Menes. In one of the chambers were some bits of gold and a bead, a button and a fine wire of nearly pure copper. These objects are believed V be 6,300 years old.

Improved Railroad Gates.

The Canadian Pacific railroad is erecting seven gates that will be operated by electricity to safeguard traffic across its tracks along the waterfront in Vancouver., They are of the portcullis type, and the pressure of an electric button will lower or raise th e m

Stalled In an Alaskan Snowdrift.

Rotary Snowplow* Like Thl* Are In Almoat Constant Use on Alaekan Railroad* in Winter for Keeping the Line Open.

HAS MADE ITS SLOGAN GOOD

Eastern Railroad Able to Regard With Pride the Success of Its SafetyFirst Movement. Safety first is more than a phrase, at least on one of the leading Eastern railroads. In the last two years this line has transported, without an accident fatal to one of them, passengers to the number of 370,000,000 over its 26,000 miles of track. In four of the last seven years the lines east of Pittsburgh carried 558,000,000 passengers without a fatality. Moreover, these records are not the result of good luck. They are the fruit of intelligent efforts to safeguard life, and to redeem, so far as one railroad may, the generally bad reputation of American transportation companies for disasters and loss pf life. Not only have the roads devoted study and time to the protection of passengers, but their officers have endeavored, with increasing success, to save the limbs and lives of their employees and of trespassers who intrude on their rights of way and endanger themselves. Throughout New York one prominent company has carried on a campaign of education for its own employees and the public generally to bring about the observance of necessary caution and the enforcement of laws and ordinances Intended to keep the right of way clear. Other important roads have aided notably in the conservation of human beings. If the public would contribute as much as the companies do, the death toll would be reduced far below its present aggregate. Prevention of a great number of accidents is beyond the power of the railroads. It rests with their employees and the public. When train hands, shopmen, travelers, motorists, drivers and pedestrians learn to take care of themselves, the list of maimed and dead will soon shrink to inconsiderable proportions.

ICELAND LINE IS ASSURED

Project That Has Been Contemplated for Many Years Soon to Be Accomplished Fact. For years the people of Iceland have been planning to build a railroad on their island and at last their hopes have been realized. The althing, or Iceland congress has passed the bill, and at no very distant date the steed of steel will worm its way between the glaciers and among the hot springs of Iceland. The main line of this railway will run from Reykjavik, the capital, to Thorsjaa; here the road will divide, with one branch to the geysers and the other to Oerbak. The total distance to be covered by rail is about 100 kilometers, or about 62 miles, and the system is to cost approximately $1,000,000. At the present time the facilities for traffic and trade are still most primitive. Travelers are obliged to ride on any animal which may be available, while freight Is moved in rude carts. The roads are for the most part very bad and they are often made impassable by mountain torrents. —Scientific American. ■' 'J

Trespassers on Railroads.

A state law forbidding trespass on railroad property may at first seem like a hardship to a good many persons who have been in the habit of using such rights of way as public highways, but there is sound sense in Judge Tuttle’s plea for legislation. The loss of life and limb through trespass is enonpous all over the country, running up into the thousands and scores of thousands annually, and quite putting in the shade any real or fancied advantage which comes to the public as a result of its assumed right to amble all over railroad property.—Detroit Free Press.

Rapid Railroad Development.

To show how rapidly railroads developed in the United States, in 1828 there were only,three miles; in 1830, 42 miles; tn 1840, 2,800 miles, and in 1850, 50,000 miles. The present railroad mileage in the United States is upward of 356,000 miles, or equal to several tracks around the globe, while the total mileage of the world is more than 640,000 miles, aU built in less than one hundred years. to to

Naming Tunnels After engineers.

A well-deserved and too seldom ao corded honor fa to be given to engineers by the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. The four tunnels on the Magnolia cut-off between Orleans and Little Cacaton, W. Va., are to be named —James L. Randolph, J, M. Graham, D. D. Carothers and Francis Lee Stew.