Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 116, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1915 — Page 2

UTTLE MARGARET

By HAROLD CARTER.

(Copyright. ISIS, by W. O. Chapman.)

Mooney remembered me when I stepped Into his cab. though It was four or five years since we had met. At that time I rode with him a good deal. I was getting up material for a aeries of articles upon the railroads. Now I was merely a claimant upon his hospitality for the sake of old times. I had had a longing to feel the sweep of the wind from the inside of an en-gine-cab and see the lights flash by. And the man in charge of 64 was Mooney. He knew me, as I said, and pres* ently I began to recall the old route we had traversed so often. I recollected that Mooney’s cottage stood two miles down the track,' and that his wife, a pretty young woman, and their little girl of five used to stand in front and wave to him as the train flashed past. I waited. Sure enough, the woman was there, but the child at her side could not have been four years old. - -I lost her—my little Margaret,” said Mooney. *Tm sorry,’’ I answered lamely. -Yes, we both felt it pretty hard even though the other came,’* he answered. “I guess she felt it most. We don’t talk about it now. didn’t much anyway—but that sort of thing hurts deep enough, especially when you don’t believe in a future life." What answer could I make to that? I did not attempt to. Mooney’s state of mind must have been hopeless indeed. "I said when you don’t believe in nothing more.** went on Mooney aggressively. ■ "Yes," I answered. “Well, I do now,” retorted Mooney sullenly, and suddenly clasped my hand “Man, you don’t know what It means to me now to think that I haven't lost her forever. It makes everythin&dlfferent, somehow. “You see, the wife used to bring her down to the edge of the cutting when

There Stood the Little Girl.

it was growing dark, so that I’d be sure to see them. The run, as you remember, ends seventeen miles from here, and often I wouldn’t get home till it was beginning to be morning. And that seeing them used to be a sort of comfort while I was coaxing the old 64 up Geddes hill and over the old wooden bridge. "It was diphtheria took Margaret away, and after that I asked the wife not to stand at the door, because I didn’t feel like seeing her alone. She understood my feelings. And so I wouldn’t see her, and I'd fall to brooding as the old engine went on her way. Then the night come when I saw her again.” "Margaret!** I exclaimed. He nodded and turned his eyes pathetically cm mine. “You can’t believe that, can you?" he inquired. "1 don’t know,” I answered, watching his face. I saw only seriousness there. “I have heard of such things, of course.” “Odd thing was,” he burst out, “that when I saw her it seemed so natural like that I clean forgot she was —she wasn't with us any more. I saw the wife and Margaret at her side, and I seemed to see them more clearly than Td have expected to, for it was a bit Hark that night. There was Minnie, standing by the roadway, and little Margaret at her side, and both were waving to me. . “Of course there isn’t time to see very much as the engine goes by, and my mind was pretty well occupied that night, because I had Vice-Presi-dent James and a party of his friends in one of the coaches, and naturally I was bent on getting the best out of the old 64. But. I did see them, and. as I looked, I saw Margaret leave Minnie’s side and dart toward me, holding up her arms. And even then it all seemed perfectly natural “The child ran straight into the cutting and toddled upon the Hue plumb fa front of the engine. Well, sir, my heart fairly stopped beating. And the worst part of it was that Minnie wait on smiling and waving to me, fart as if she didn’t know, «r,. tt she fesew as though she didn’t care. "'Minnie!' I yelled. ‘Saveherl’ There

was not time to stop the train, and the engine was bound to run straight over the little tot, but somehow I thought Minnie might Just manage to snatch her away. But she didn’t move, sir, only Just stood there waving to me smiling. I could see that she was smiling, thpugh It was nearly dark and she was a hundred feet away from me. And in the center of the track stood little Margaret, with her_ arms stretched out to me. “You know, sir, she’s used to play at signaling, and as I looked I saw her stretch out her arms sidewise, as though she wanted the train to stop. That used to be the ‘halt’ signal tn the old days when I played with her. I'd be the engine, and I’d go choolng up to her, and when she held her arms out like that I’d have to pull in. Then she’d let one fall, maybe, and I could go past on that side. “Well, all this was the work of a few moments, though I’ve taken time enough to tell it to you. There stood the little girl in the middle of the line, and before I could even begin to slow down the engine had struck her and gone—right through her! Ran through her without a tremor. And then I realised that it hadn’t been my child of flesh and blood I’d seen, but only a wraith. And then I thought my Imagination had played fast and loose with me, and I cursed myself for a fool, because when once a man loses grip of himself he's no use any more in the cab of an engine. “And of course that would mean the end of my Job, and I didn’t know what would happen to Minnie. _ “I was so scared I set the brakes, and the train slowed down. She’s come most to a stop before I got control over myself again. I thought of Vice-President James on board, and I opened up again. But I looked back as we rounded the bend that leads to the top of Geddes hill, and the line was clear, perfectly clear. I seemed to have double vision that night; I could see through’ the darkness in a way I’ve never been able to explain. And there wasn’t anybody on the line. “I opened up, as I was saying. But we’d Just got to the top of Geddes hill, ready for the quick run down to the old bridge. And suddenly a red light sprang up and lit up the -sky. And In front of me, at the bottom of the half-mile of grade I saw the old bridge in flames, ... “I pulled in then, as you can understand, and, though we’d started on the steep descent I managed to get the train to a standstill about a dozen yards this side. The bridge was burned clean through, and under us was Rock Gorge, some seventy feet or more. Then I knew why Margaret had come, and what she’d meant when she put out her arms like that. “Well, sir, Vice-President James was naturally pleased, but what I wanted to say was about Minnie. It seemed that when she stood there smiling to me she said she’d felt just as though Margaret wasn’t very far away from her. And when I told her she wasn't surprised, somehow. I guess that's the way it is. We know the truth, if we close our chattering minds and open our hearts. But there's the new bridge of steelwork. Ain’t she a beauty?”

CAN CARRY ENORMOUS LOAD

Korean Coolier “Packs” Five Hundred Pounds, sind Thinks Little of the Burden. The Korean of the poorer class is born to a life of pack-horse servitude. He is a beast of burden and little else. From the moment he can stand steadily upon his legs and bend his back to a poise of iron-like rigidity, the burden is rolled upon him. He is only a little leather-skinned man, more often under five feet in height than over-it,’ and rather insignificant in build, but when it comes to those muscles up and down his back, he’s a wonder. Once the load is in place, which he stoops camel-like to receive, he can carry 500 pounds upon his back and trot with it With a rack made of forked sticks, known as a “jiggy.” having a basketlike receptacle, he can carry a perfectly paralyzing load of stones or of other building material. The “jiggy” is supported by means of straps over the carrier’s shoulders and others secured about the hips. It is both cart and wheelbarrow. The Korean coolie takes to no other kind of vehicle. What was good enough for his forefathers 300 years ago is good enough for him.

Peculiarities of Light

No influence of any form of attraction on light had ever been noticefl until some years ago, when Zeemann showed that a powerful magnet visibly altered the position of certain lines in the spectrum. Now it appears likely that gravitation has a similar, though not the same, effect. Magnetism splits up the spectral lines, exerting a broadening effect, while gravitation shifts them all alike in one direction. For instance, in the solar spectrums, whose rays at their origin have passed through the powerful field of gravity in the sun’s vicinity, all the lines appear shifted toward the red, as compared with similar lines from terrestrial light

Germans Using Esperanto.

The German government is using Esperanto, probably the best of the invented “universal” languages, to spread the German propaganda in neutral countries. Official communications, speeches of the kaiser, and a pamphlet entitled “The Truth About the War,” have already been published In Esperanto, and sent by German Esperantists to their correspondents abroad.—Youth’s Companion. j

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

PADEREWSKIS WORKING FOR POLAND

ignace Paderewski, the famous pianist, and his wife photographed on their arrival in this country, where they are carrying on a campaign for the raising of funds to relieve the distressed .people of Poland.

CAPTAIN’S MAIN DUTY NOT TO LEAD CHARGE

Keeping Men Cheered Up Is the Vital Point, as French Officer Tells It. SOME “SOCIAL EVENINGS” Artillery Lieutenant Ventures to Say the Famous “75” la “of Little Use” —Fire la Too Direct —Surprise Ahead for the Germans.

By GABRIEL DELAGARDE.

(Correspondent Chicago Daily News.) Amiens, France. —He is a captain who comes to Amiens from time to time for a few days of rest. Here he has comfortable quarters, where his wife Impatiently awaits him; in the small village near Albert all he has to go to is a subterranean cabin, the ceiling of which is of earth. This, his permanent residence, is on a crest 500 yards from the enemy. The narrow space, with its wall of clay, measures perhaps four _ yards in length by one in width. Entering and seeing the owner of the place, his back to the wall, a shapeless bundle of animals’ skins, one might imagine, were it not for a telephone in the corner, that one had been carried back to prehistoric times. Sleeps, Eats, Works in Cave. It is here the captain sleeps, eats, writes and gives and receives his orders. It is here that, through the embrasure which overlooks the plain, he constantly surveys the little wood to the left, and, in the distance, those narrow lines of yellow earth, the enemy’s trenches. It is from this cave that he the firing of the French batteries so that their shells will hit the real trenches filled with men, not the counterfeit ones which are masses of earth. A narrow, zigzag passage connects the small hut with the first line trenches. Three or four times a day the captain splashes through It In spite of the trunks of trees, with which the bottom is covered, the wet clay is slippery. “This is why my coat is so threadbare," he says. “Constant brushing of the mud wears away the cloth. And what is more annoying even than falling flat in the elay is being splashed on- the head by wet earth hurled by a shell.” Thus slowly and cautiously one arrives at the advanced trenches. Real Duty of a Leader. “Do you know the most difficult part of a chief’s duty?” the captain asked me. “It is not so much directing a combat At times attacks are rare; we have not had a single one for two months. The real duty of the chief is to sustain the morale of his men; watch over them; talk to them familiarly of their families, their affairs, as it Is that which interests i them most. It is to improve the quality of their food, prepare what I hardly dare call a social evening, when they can drink a cup of tea and eat a few cakes ordered from Amiens. In short, one must be constantly watching them, talking to them, encouraging them. “For instance, recently, one of our sentinels at the entrance to a small wood was killed one night Our patrol found him at the foot of a tree with his throat cut A second sentinel met the same fate. A third likewise. Captain Called to Calm Men. “At once my men became uneasy. What was to be done? No one had heard anything. Sentinels are stationed there at night only, to prevent a surprise In the trenches. They are stationed near an isolated oak. whence they survey the path which is the only outlet practicable through the

growth of shrubs in which the shells have hollowed out unapproachable quagmires and so entangled the branches that even in a high' wind it would be impossible to pass through without making a noise loud enough to attract attention. “I was sent for. To place several sentinels there would be all right but, on the other hand, for these three deaths we were determined to exact payment from the slayer, who probably would not dare attack two or three men at a time.

Refuse to Let Captain Go. "I listened, then said I would go as sentinel. Not one of the men volunteered. They looked at one another searchingly. It was evident they did not wish me to risk my life. Finally they must have cast lots. “Chance selected a sergeant He departed at night I had a searchlight set up, ready to operate, so that he should have light and assistance at the slightest attack. He surrounded himself with a wire netting, mounted on small stakes to which bells were attached. Our lines were a little way back of it. This was how he discovered the ‘boche,’ who had probably arrived by q» fox track, preparing his way during the day, and, when all was ready, cutting the throats of our sentinels. “Next day his cap was raffled off, which is never permissible, but there are times when a rule may be infringed. I had the sergeant proposed for the rank of adjutant.” The captain was thus conversing with me in a case when his orderly entered and asked to speak to him. “Excuse me,” the captain said, after getting the message, “I have to go.” As he departed, his subordinate, a robust, blue-eyed Breton, whose childish figure contrasted with his strong, almost fierce appearance, exclaimed: “For him we would willingly die. Ah, monsieur, the ‘boches’ may do their best; they have no chiefs like ours.” As a matter of fact, I think one could not have gained a better idea of the best type of French officers than from this captain, so full of energy and courage, intolerant of any serious breach of discipline; unforgiving toward cowards certainly, but at the same time thoroughly understanding and ready to excuse certain weaknesses, and constantly endeavoring to lessen them by being thefriend of his men as v*ell as their leader. And is it not a slight but sure proof of his influence that he Is dressed as they are, neglecting the prestige of his uniform, just as he eats, sleeps and dirties himself as they do? 202 Days Without Undressing. An artillery lieutenant, with whom I talked, mingled most Interesting speculative reflections with amusing recollections of his life at front. After having explained to me the difference between percussion shells, which explode on striking an obstacle, and fuse shells, which burst in the all., at regulated distances, he confessed to me while consulting a small calendar that he was much pleased when shower baths were finally installed his trench. They were wonderful*’ subterranean. establishments, he said. “And I assure you," he added, "they seemed very comfortable, as I had been exactly 202 days without undressing once, sleeping always in the same barn, in my same hole* in the hay.” ‘ Dares to Criticize the Famous 75. Suddenly he changed, the subject. And as a variation from the usual French attitude, he actually criticized the famous 75-millimeter guns. “Much trouble has been taken for nothing," he said. “The 75 is a good cannon, but it was created too exclusively for direct firing. In fact, in this war, where one has to hit men hidden behind obstacles, it is of little use. What is needed is a means of throwing projectiles which, after describing a widely curved trajectory, will fall on the heads of the occupants of the trenches, without first striking the trench walls. “That is why we have bomb slingers, which do not carry farther than 200 or 300 yards at most and the howitzers and mortar pieces, which must not be confused with the cannon. The

cannon are long and narrow and ak moat horizontal when firing. The howitzers. which fire at angles of more than 30 degrees, and the mortar pieces, which at even greater angles fire heavy projectiles loaded with enormous explosives intended to crush such things as cupolas of forts, are short and massive and stand almost vertically. Why Gome Guns Are Short. "By the way, do you know the reason for tlje difference in the lengths of artillery pieces? For instance, the 305-millimeter Austrian howitzer, a very short gun, fires a greater charge of powder than the French marine gun of equal caliber, which is 12 yards long?” I had never tried to find the reason of this difference. "And yet ft is very simple,” the lieutenant said. "The marine gun Is designed to £re the shell at its maxi* mum speed, so the combustion of the powder must be complete before the nrojectlle leaves the barrel. This requires a fraction of a* second, during wnlch the shell covers exactly 12 yards—the length of the piece.- This will give you an idea of how difficult it is to make the exact calculations necessary in the operating of these destructive machines. Thus, when the combustion is complete, the pressure developed by the gases is also maximum. As a long trajectory is not required of the howitzer and mortar piece, It Is not necessary to have a barrel of this length, which Is inconvenient. Surprise Ahead for Germans. “The largest mortar, as you know, is the famous 42-centimeter. The huge guns of this caliber have all the same drawback; they are difficult to handle. It is almost useless to think of transporting them by anything but rail. "And I may tell you, we have no longer any reason to envy the Germans. Right now, in France, we have achieved the construction of mortar pieces still more powerful, which, for our adversaries, will be a cruel revelation the day they are brought out ready to fire.” As the officer did not wish to tell me more on this subject, I spoke to him again of his life in the trenches, and he humorously related how, on the parapet facing the enemy, his soldiers had planted radishes, which grew very well. "Come and pay us a visit,” he said, “and you can gather them under the noses of the ‘boches.’ And you will see that the presence of the Germans gives them a very special flavor.”

SUPPLIES FOR BRITISH ARMY

Scene at Southampton, Eng., where supplies are being rushed to Kitchener’s army in France. The picture shows the hoisting of an ambulance and fodder aboard a steamer.

RED GUM FOR GUN STOCKS

British Agents Seek Estimate of Available Supply in the South. Memphis, Tenn. —Owing to the scarcity of Circassian walnut from Russia since the outbreak of the European war, the British government is making tests of quarter-sawed red gum for gun stocks. The gun lumber manufacturers’ association of Memphis has been asked by English agents to estimate the total available supply of dry two inch, two and a quarter inch and two and a half Inch first and second quartersawed red gum in the southern field. In the event the test proves satisfactory the greater part of the available supply will be bought outright by the British government Memphis manufacturers of red gum lumber are preparing to give the prospective order immediate attention.

WOMEN AS CAR CONDUCTORS

Glasgow Tries an Experiment to Release Men—Will Get Same Pay as Men ■ Glasgow. —Woman street-car conductor? are being tried in Glasgow. The uniform includes a neat blue skirt and coat edged with gold braid. If the trial squad of woman conductors proves efficient, a considerable number will be employed at once. For the present the woman fare-collectors work only four hours a day, running between University and Dumbreck. They will be paid the same wages as men—s6.2s to $9 a week.

AN INDIANA MAN TELLS OF WESTERN CANADA

He Is Perfectly Satisfied, and Tells of His Neighbors Who Have Done Welk Walter Harris, formerly lived near Julietta in Warren township, Indiana. He now lives at Hussnr, Alberta. In writing to his home paper in Indiana, he says that the failure is the man who always blames thA country. He fails to see his own mistakes, has missed his calling and is not fitted for farming. The two seasons just past have been entirely different In 1913 plenty of rain came in June and a good crop followed, but the fall was dry and but little snow in thr winter followed by a very dry summer, and a short crop. Only those that had farmed their land properly were able to meet expenses. For example, last year the Crowfoot Farming Company, south of here, threshed from 1,250 acres 38,000 bushels of wheat. One-half f ection made 26 bushels, the poorest of alt This year on 1,350 acres they thfeshed nearly 26,000 bushels. Last year’s crop sold at 75 cents from thetr own elevator. What they have sbld of this year’s crop brought SIOO at threshing time. Eight thousand bushels unsold ‘ would bring now around $1.25. The manager and part owner was raised in Ohio and farmed In Washington several years. He and his wife spent last winter in Ohio. She told me a few days ago that the climate here was much better than Ohio. A man by the jiame of George Clark threshed 75 bushels of oats, 45 bushels of barley and 35 bushels of wheat to the acre He had 15,000 bushels of old oats as well as wheat and barley In his granaries that have almost doubled in price. He came from Washington, where he sold a large body of land around S2OO that he bought around $3.00 per acre. He then refers to a failure. A large company In the eastern states, owning a large farm near Hussar pays Its manager $3,000 a year. The farm has not been a success. Probably the manager’s fault. Mr. Harris says conditions are not as good as cduld be wished for, but on the ending of the war good crops, with wsr prices, will certainly change conditions, and it seems to me that the one who owns land that will raise 100 bushels of oats, 75 bushels of barley or 40 bushels of wheat Js the one who "laughs last” The above yields may seem exaggerations to many, and are far above the average, but you should remember that the man who fails is counted in to make the average, and there are instances on record here that would far exceed the above figures. Nor is grain the only profitable thing that can be raised here. There are many fine horse ranches, some of them stocked with cayuses and bred to thoroughbreds, and others imported from the old countries. They run on the range nearly all the year. The owners put up wild hay to feed them if the’snow should get too deep for them to get the de&d grass. There are several hundred in sight of here most of the time. There are several cattle ranches north of here that have from 500 to 7,000 head of cattle. One man I know sold $45,000 worth of fat cattle this fall. He winters his cattle on farms where they have lots of straw and water, paying 75 cents a month per head, or iF there is enough, straw to winter 400 or 500 head they buy the straw and water and have a man to look after the cattle. —Advertisement

A good many spirit manifestations come after visits to the bar.

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Florida Lands For Sale to Settlers In tracts of ten acres and upwards, in Volusia County, adapted to cultivation of citrus fruits, vegetables of all kinds and general crops. Situation healthful. Send for circulars. Write in English. Railroad runs through tract Will sell on monthly payments. Agents wanted Address Florida Land & Settlement CoCm Ata. St 05-19 Dnl-Upctarch facta***.