Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1916 — Page 3

AT THE OPEN BRIDGE

By FLORENCE LILLIAN HENDERSON.

“I’ve made the mistake of my life!” announced Gerald Dyke. spat with Clio Barrett, I suppose?" intimated his close friend, Will Hampden. “Quite the reverse,” declared Dyker “There’s no more Clio Barrett for me. That dream is ended- It’s her father who has come upon the scene as the indignant and Immovable destroyer of my life's happiness!” Will Hampden looked interested and sympathetic. - ° “You see, I made a bad break in supporting our mutual friend, Dodd, for mayor. The progressive element felt that two terms for one man, even as good a man as Mr. Barrett, was enough. They put up Dodd. I electioneered for him, as you know, Will —one little speech.” “But Barrett carried the day.” “Yes, but by so small a majority that he feels piqued. Somehow he heard of my campaigning effort. That settled it. Just as Clio and I became engaged, he ordered me from the house —Clio in tears, myself in despair.” “What are you going to do about it?” Interrogated Hampden. “ T t’s what he will do. He’s an unforgiving, pig-headed man in his likes and dislikes. I’m blacklisted in his books and he’ll carry Clio away, or hide her away, but he’ll outwit me. She is practically under guard. I believe he has emissaries watching me. It’s taken me a week to get a note to Clio and a reply.’,’ "She’s true blue?” “Yes. but terribly despondent.” “Want my advice?" inquired Hampden deliberately. ■ "What la- it?" “Run away with her.” , Dyke had thought of that. So had Clio. He thought of it more than eVer as he started oft on a lonely meditative stroll. It was so easy, however, he realized. He was satisfied

They Were Through the Town and Beyond It.,

that Mr. Barrett was keeping an eye on him. He knew that Clio was under the constant gaze of a trained chaperon. He had never yet passed the Barrett grounds but the gardener, or the steward, or the hostler was visible. A bridge swung by steam power spanned the broad Vermliiom river and the Barrett home was on the west side of the stream. From its center the Barrett home was in pretty clear view and Gerald had the doubtful consolation of posting himself there occasionally, to mournfully survey the spot where he had formerly been a welcome visitor. On this especial day he strolled to the bridge. His heart fluttered as he made out in the distance a white-robed form among the distant flower beds. He had just written a note to Clio. He took it out of his pocket wondering how he would get it to her. A hand touching his shojulder, he looked up with a start. “Excuse me,” said the bridgetendef, for it was he, “but I want to thank you.” “Oh yes—you are Fenton. Got the job, did you?" “Yes, sir, and your recommendation it was that did it.” Fenton, a rough and ready young fellow," had been sent by a friend to Gerald and he on account of his activity in the mayoralty campaign^had been able to exert some influence with the county board. Now, it seemed, his recommendation had borne fruit. “Glad you got placed,” said-Gerald heartily. “Yes, sir,” spoke the man humbly, “Will you exuse me if I say something?” > Gerald nodded agreeably. “Well, sir, I’ve, got eyes and I’ve been hearing things. You know this bridge appointment is county business, so the mayor has nothing to do with it. I was again the mayor: He’d fire me if he could. He hates me and I don’t like him. He’s treated you mean and that makes less Ifking between us. That pretty girl of his is a jewel, though. Say, could I venture to guess," pursued the shrewd fellow,” that you want a letter taken to the little miss? Oh, sir, you can trust me.” Now that was just what Gerald

dential talk with his new ally. He felt confidence in his protestation of fealty. He was surprised to find the man full of Clever suggestions, and when he left the bridge an hour later he was sure that the letter would reach Clio safely, and found himself the center of a deep laid exciting plot. “You see, the bridgetender had said,' “I run up to the Barrett place often. The steward is an old friend ot mine. I’ll see that little miss gets your letter. And, say, wfien you want to loiter around ’up there, drop into my watch house here and slip on some togs there that will disguise you like a high-class detective.” Thereafter for two evenings a slouching figure, suggesting some tramp wayfarer looking for free lunch and lodging, meandered by the Barrett home. On the first occasion Clio, in the garden, managed to slip a note over the fence. On the second she was near enough to the stroller to* catch the words: “Be on hand,” asp her pretty lips whispered the agreeable response: .“Every evening at this hour.” . .. So it was that those two had a pfetty thorough understanding of the situation, when, one evenlng just at dusk, Mr. Barrett drove up to the curb in his automobile. He was an active public officer and attentive to his duties, and was bound back for his office as soon as dinner was over. Mr. Barrett attended all fires, courts ; and public meetings so as to keep in touch with everything affecting the civic interest. He had a regular-alarm bell attached to his machine, its tones sb familiar to the general public that the people cleared the way promptly when its signal tones echoed out. What happened two minutes’ after Mr. Barrett had left the car, was that Gerald sprang into the vacated driver’s seat from behind a tree. At the same moment Clio squeezed her way through the hedge. Just as she got into the rear seat of the machine her father appeared unexpectedly. He had left a package of papers in the auto and had returned to secure them. Gerald with a leap sent the machine forward, disregarding the amazed and threatening shcuts of the infuriated mayor. By the time the bridge was reached, Mr. Barretthad rushed to the stables, secured a horse and was in hot pursuit of the fugitives. “Good!” shouted the bridgetender, as the machine whizzed past him and his keen wits took in fully the merits of the situation. Then he stared back the road and made oat the chief official of the town in the near distance. “This won’t do,” decided the bridgetender, and then —the instant the horse reached the end of the bridge the loyal friend of the lovers touched the lever and swung the bridge open. The mayor raved, the mayor scented complicity. In vain he menaced the bridgetender, who feigned the necessity of an oiling process in connection with the swinging apparatus. Clang! clang! clang! not knowing all that had happened behind him, and taking no risks, fearing that a telephone warning might head them off right Industriously Gerald plied the alarm bell on the auto. In five minutes there was a clear course. they were through the town and beyond it. “Regular wedding bells!” he chortledTgayly", as they shot down a smooth country road in the direction of the home of the nearest rural minister. (Copyright, 1916. by W. G. Chapman.)

SUBMARINE OF QUIET POND

Snapping Turtle Often Sinks a Swimming Duck and Makes Leisurely Meal. Ever see a duck, swimming along a pond quite peacefully, suddenly disappear beneath the surface of the water? You may have suspected that the duck had some enemy submarine lurking in the pond—and you were right. The name of the attacking submarine is snapping turtle. He lives in rivers and lakes throughout the United States, usually in deep water. He has a big head and a long tail—the long tail providing a very safe and convenient handle to pick him up by. At least, you’ll find it safest if you ever come in contact with his jaws. The snapper’s jaws are fitted with apair of sharp blades which come together with a click like a steel trap. A large snapper has sufficient power in his jaws to amputate a man’s finger. As for the duck, she hates him like poison. A snapper will sometimes seize a duck by the leg ahd draw her completely under water to eat at his leisure. A common size for snappers is about fifteen inches, including head and tail, with a shell about nine inches long. They lay their eggs in a hole scooped out in the sand. Both the eggs and the flesh of this turtle are excellent food—so good that they often masquerade on restaurant menus as “terrapin.”

If They Told the Truth.

"How, homely your wife grows!” “My dear, what do you suppose my score was this morning? One hundred and for eighteen holes,” “I won’t be home till late tonight, darling. I’m going to paint the town red with * a couple of old cbllege chums:” ’ “Yes, sir, the hotel is pretty full, but I can give you what we consider the worst room in s it for a little more than the same price you would pay for a good one if we weren’t so crowded.”—Life.

Unpleasant Thought.

A man, may be judged by the company he keeps; but it might be ungenerous to judge some of us by the kind ■ t ■ ” ■ , ~- ■ ..■ ' .. s v, t5i...... '.J,. ti.. ■ -fr,~ ST-i-.rriC^,, .TjWCT--pwr-- Ti ■■ "TiT i' A

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

This picture, which has just reached America, was taken at the mouth of the Danube on the Russian Roumanian frontier. The men are all veterans of the Polish campaigns, and to say the least they are hardy, rugged They are part of the huge Russian army which has been mobilized at this region presumably for the Invasion of Bulgaria.

TO GUAFID WARSHIPS

Floating Shield Suggested as Protection Against Torpedoes. Carried Outboard, It Is Figured, a Sub-, marine’s Torpedo, Striking It, Would Explode Harmlessly**---™ Advantages Over Chain Net. Washington. —The battleship of the future may plow her way through the seas towing on either side an immense steel shield which will parallel the vessel from bow to stern and which will form a defensive bulwark from waterline to keel-level. Such is the plan of a Philadelphia inventor, who has filed with the navy department plans for thus safeguarding American battleships from torpedo attack in case of war. These steel shields would give a battleship much the appearance of a man carryinging a window shutter under each arm. In the case of the battleship, however, the long tubular float which would support the upper edge of the torpedo-shield on the surface would be the only part of the shield visible. The shield, as proposed, is remarkably simple in construction, and while the navy experts have not passed upon its practicable features it promises to supersede the old chain nets used with many war vessels at the present time. The advantage claimed for the shield is that it is towed on edge through the water and cuts down the headway of the towing vessel but little. This cannot be said for the chain nets, which seriously impede the vessel. The idea of a steel shield, carried from "twenty to thirty Teel out from the side of the vessel, is based on the fact that a submarine usually has a chance to fire but one torpedo at a ship. The shield would receive the blow of the torpedo and cause the projectile to explode far enough away from the vessel to make the explosion practically harmless in so far as the battleship itself is concerned. Of course part of the shield would be hopelessly demolished, but the whole shield, long as a battleship, can be furnished, it is estimated, for $50,000. These shields need only be carried when the battleship enters a war zone where submarines are known or are expected to be operating. One of the clever features of the plan is to disguise the floats, supporting the shield in the water by its upper edge, as submarines. The float, under ordinary circumstances, is a long tube of steel, which is but little wider, comparatively speaking, than the width of the shield itself.

Assuming tha.t these floats are made larger and painted to resemble submarines, an enemy submarine, rising for observations to port or starboard, probably would be deceived by the looks of the “dummy” on either side of the vessel, and, if she attacked at all, would attack by torpedo only from a distance, which would greatly diminish accuracy of aim. Should the torpedo strike the defense screen it would appear that a submarine itself had been struck and the attacking craft would, in all probability, escajjb before discovering the mistake. Particularly, however, is the shield adapted to protection of vessels in harbors, where submarines have occasionally penetrated and wrought great havoc to vessels of all sorts. When a vessel equipped with one of these shields goes into action the shield dm be cast adrift and packed up after the engagement. Another plan suggested is to equip these shield floats with life lines, which, when the shields are cast adrift $ the beginning of an engagement, would serve as a support for survivors of vessels which might be sunk. The greatest objection to the torpedo nets carried on vessels at the present time is their tendency to rise to the surface as the vessel gains speed, besides materially reducing the speed of the towing vessel.

Enlightened.

"Did you ever write a tragedy?” we asked lhe famous dramatist. “Yes, once,” he replled, “but I thought it was a comedy up to the night it was produced.”. .

RUSSIANS ON THE ROUMANIAN FRONTIER

CZAREVITCH IS NO WEAKLING

Mystery Surrounding the Illness of the Heir to the Russian Throne Is Cleared. London. —The mystery which for more than three years has enshrouded the injury and illness suffered by the czarevitch, heir to the throne of Russia, has been cleared Try Right Rev. Dr. Bury, bishop of northern and been in close touch with the czar and who recentljt returned from Petrograd. In a lecture at York on “Russia and Siberia,” Bishop Bury said the rumors circulated in England and elsewhere at the time of the czarevitch’s illness were without foundation in fact. He declared the czar personally had informed him that there is no reason to suppose the czarevitch will not grow up to be a strong man. The czar’s son suffered from nothing more serious than a skin affection, said Bishop Bury. The fact that no official cognizance was taken of the rumors, because they were groundless, led in some sections to a belief that there was some portion of truth in them. The czarevitch, said Bishop Bury, was a very ' high-spirited boy and would climb trees and indulge in games when he could get away from his tutor. The almost trifling nature of his illness was well known in Petrograd, but all sorts of stories were told in London clubs.

WANTS NATIONAL BIRD DAY

Miss Katherine' Minnehan has opened headquarters at Orange, N. J., for the'inauguration of a series of bird days in our national calendar and for the establishment of organizations throughout the country which shall advocate better protection for the fastdisappearing feathered creatures of our hemisphere.

DAKOTA BOY IS FINANCIER

Lad Fourteen Years of Age Makes Good Profit in Sheep in One Year. Ipswich, S. D.—Gerald Pershin, fourteen years of age, gives promise of being one of the financiers of the country. On September 5, 1914, the boy went to M. A. Slocum, a friend, and told him that he had a chance to buy 25 old ewes from Robert Jones a bargain. Mr. Slocum went with the boy to the bank and signed a note with him thereby enabling the boy to get the funds. > This week the boy entered the bank, paid over >83.60, his note, with Interest, and remarked that he had cleaned up >IIO.BO clean profit on his sheep during the year. He had sold >2B worth of wool and had sold his original purchase and their increase, less five sheep the coyotes had killed, for >166.40.

She Killed a Deer.

Virginia, Minn.—Mrs. E. V. Pittkanen .Virginia woman'to kill a deer. Mrs. Pittkanen is home from a hunting trip in the country about Markham... She shot, a buck weighing about 150 pounds. Hunting licenses have been issued to 15 Virginia women since tEe big-game season Opened,

FIND MANY SUCKERS

Post Office Inspectors Amazed at Credulity of People. Ordinarily Clever Persons Fall for All Sorts of Fake Schemes—Stock Swindle Favorite Bait "*"terlhe "Gullible. Washington.—The records of the post office department, and more especially of the head of the post office inspectors, show that a large part of the American people still love to be humbugged. The inspectors marvel at the credulity of Some citizens who give up their hard-earned savings in one wild grab for riches. Only on rare occasions are banks, even the smaller ones, caught in the crush which follows the exposure of a fraudulent concern. Some of the schemes are extremely clever, while others are crude, but somebody always “falls” for them, clever schemes frequently attracting intelligent persons whose credulity is amazing. Not long ago a bunch of postal cfbbkq were on trial In Kansas City, charged with operating fake mining companies. They had ten or twelve different companies going at one time. One of the witnesses was a Virginia farmer who thought he was pretty smart. “Yes,” he said to an inspector, “this company is a fake all right. I admit I was stung on its stock, but I’ve got right here certificates of stock in several other companies that I know are all right. Their stock is increasing in value right along.” . - _• The credulous Virginian was asked to display his wares. He did so. He was horrified when informed that the men on trial were promoting all of the companies in which he was a stockholder, that all were fakes and existed on paper only. A favorite scheme with the fake stock concerns is to start the sale of their stock at ten cents a share. After a time, when the “suckers” begin to bite well, the price is boosted to 15 cents. This convinces them that there is something in the company, and they buy more. The stock keeps rising to perhaps 30 cents, when-an announcement is forthcoming to the effect that the company has secured all the moiiey it requires for capitalization.

Shortly afterward funds are required for “promotion,” and another scheme is started on its way. Not infrequently the “promoter” of one fake concern will advise persons who are seeking to purchase more stock that the lists have closed, but that he has been able to purchase a block of another stock which some concern was forced to let go of and can sell it very Cheap. This usually brings in the “long green.” One scheme of the Kansas City bunch was to send out in advance letters soliciting shares of a certain stock at 20 cents each. Persons receiving such letters had nibbled before, of course. After a short time another letter would come along, ostensibly from an entirely different concern, offering to sell this same stock for, say, ten cents. Having a week or so before received an offer of 20 cents for this identical stock, persons receiving the second letter sent in their subscriptions, receiving in return a bunch of worthless certificates. After the receipt of the fake certificates they would get into communication with the concern or individual offering to pay 20 cents per share for it, only to learn that all the stock desired had been secured from other persons meanwhile. The only explanation which postal experts can advance for the degree of credulity shown by persons who get into the tolls ot mall fakers and frauds is that most of them probably have worked hard all their lives and, seeing what appears to them to be a rainbow of promise pointing to ease M>d plenty-for old age, take one grand. leap after another —the number depending on how hard they are hit each time and how much money they bavin,

London’s Inns and Hotels.

it is stated that of London’s 650,000 buildings, 500 are inns and hotels.

HARMONY WITH GOD

i Retribution, Education and a Loving Lifjt Turn Men and Nations Right Way. What will bring us into complete harmony with God? Retribution. One hates to think that the world will not learn to keep step with the Infinite except from terrible experience. Though one should rise from the dead and tell the world its true interest, it would not believe him; it would have to plunge its head into the furnace of fire before it would learn. We see this in Europe as we have never seen and realized it before. The great war had to come in order to lead the world to a great peace, writes Rev. Henry R. Rose, D. D., In the Unlversahst Leader. It is the same with the individual man. He discovers, sooner or later, that he cannot have his own way; he must go as God goes or go under In the wrestle. What a parable the story of the prodigal son Is! To how many men and situations its lessons can be applied! The man who sows wild oats will reap wild oats. The man who wastes Ms money will reap poverty. The man who yields hip purity will suffer remorse. It Is the certainty of retribution and. the experience of retribution that turn men and nations the other way; they come to themselves, at length, and return to their God. It looks to me as if God bad planned this world so that every sin is a path that leads to a stone wall, and there is nothing else to do but turn about and start in anomer direction, albeit with bleeding feet.- Uncover the breast at many a - man and woman today who are living the better life and you will find the letters “I. H. S.” written there in scarlet: “I have suffered.” They know, and, thanks be to God, they have learned their lesson. Education will also bring mankind into unity of life and activity with God. It is playing a larger and larger part in this direction. Education is slowly opening the eyes of the masses to the great truth that they live in a universe of laws, that there are no accidents or miracles, that for everything that happens a cause can be discovered. So that if they want to live and live long end prosper they must learn the laws of life and heed them from the cradle to the grave. The school systems of our land are teaching our children and our youth the physical laws of the world, and driving home the fact that the laws of electricity, of gravitation, of digestion, and all the rest, are universal laws and make no allowance for ignorance or rank. Obey them and prosper; disobey, and suffer. Education is also leading the people to perceive and believe that there are spiritual laws which are just as real, just as binding and just as Inexorable as the physical laws. We cannot break the Ten Commandments, and laugh over it very long. Let the merchant fall to give -sixteen ounces to the pound or thirty-six inches to the yard and his customers will soon begin to patronize another merchant. Let the politician declare that the decalogue in politics is "an iridescent dream” and we send him up Salt river. Let the artist or dramatist or author claim exemption for his art from the teachings and principles of morality and he is soon execrated by the world, as he deserves to be. You and I cannot refuse our ear to the still small voice within us called conscience, and go very far without finding that instead of being a still, small voice it has become a tone of thunder which rocks and rocks our very soul! The third facto? is a loving life. We come to love God, not only because he first loved us, but because we begin to love our ■'fellow men. The age in which we live is a loving age, more than any other in the history of mankind. I say this in spite of the temporary Insanity of Europe and the awful hatred that has sprung up between some of the nations in this frightful war. I mean that more appeals are being made to us to do for others, and more opportunities are given to us to do for others than were ever known, and more of us are therefore putting our morality and our religion into practice than used to be the.case. We have passed the time when we could go to church and then shut ourselves away from the needs ot our fellow men the rest of the. week, or when we could really have any standing in society if we were known to take no generous and personal interest in some organized charity or philanthropic movement We are living In a time when we must show our faith by our works, when our lives must square with our religious professions or whatever other professions we make to being decent citizens. My argument is this: that as the loving life grows within our souls we will feel and find ourselves being drawn more and more into harmony with the loving life that fills the soul of our God. We will discover that as we love, love will meet us, and return us such blessings in joy' and satisfaction, in deep, rich friendships, in high communlngs and in lofty aspirations, that we would no more think of ever getting out Of harmony with God again than we would think of turning away from a pleasant experience that went time we came into contact with it Retribution, education and a loving life are the three agencies that are allthe time bringing men into greater and, greater harmony- with the will oC, God.