Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 106, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1916 — Page 2

THE WHITE FEATHER

By FRANK FILSON.

Geoffrey had his eyes on the girl, like the rest of the passengers in the London “tube.” She was a remarkably pretty girl, In a big hat and wearing costly furs, and she held a feather of snowy whiteness in her hand. And then she handed it to the young man who sat two seats away from her, remarking: “I think this belongs to you, sir.” The young man flushed crimson, opened his mouth, gaped, and began to stammer. “I tried to enlist, but they wouldn’t take me." “Then why are you not wearing an armlet?” inquired the young woman. The young man, as the train stopped opportunely at a station, got up and darted from the car, followed by the amused laughter of the passengers. The girl walked into the next car end Geoffrey, now interested in this incident of English life, followed her. Presently she sat down opposite a very stout man with a flaming tie. “Please let me present you with this feather, sir,” said the girl. The man’s mouth opened, Just as the other man’s had done. He blustered. » - “I’m over forty and I don’t have to enlist They wouldn’t take me.” “Forty-one is the limit,” answered

Shook His Fist in the Girl’s Face.

the girl decisively, and with astonishing deftness she actually succeeded in placing the feather in the stout man's Buttonhole! The stout man tore the feather from his buttonhole, angrily shook his fist in the girl’s face and dashed from the car. The passengers, including Geoffrey, roared. Five minutes later, when Geoffrey’s thoughts were wandering, the girl turned and held out the to him. “Will you not take and wear your badge of honor, sir?” she asked. Geoffrey was utterly taken aback. He had never dreamed of such an indignity.He saw the eyes of all in the car on his. “Will you please give me your card?” he asked, ignoring the feather. “What do you mean?” she demanded angrily. “I mean that you are a public nuisance,” said Geoffrey, “and I intend to prosecute you.” “I shall do nothing of the sort.” “Then I shall accompany you until we meet a policeman,” said Geoffrey. He had turned the tables, for the girl sat back in her seat with a face as red as a peony, and the laughter that followed was decidedly at her expense and not at Geoffrey’s. . She did not deign to answer him, but when she rose the young man followed her. She stopped and swung angrily upon him. “You had better not molest me,” she snapped. 4’Ah! Suffragette, I presume!” said Geoffrey caustically. “I am!” flared out the girl. “And you are intolerable. Go away, now.” “When I have your card,” said Geoffrey doggedly. “You may as well learn that you cannot insult a stranger with impunity. I am an American, and I have been in your country exactly two days." • ... “Well, I suppose that excuses you,” said the girl. “And I am going to call upon some English relatives, and I hope I don’t find them like you,” said Geoffrey. “You have made me sick of England already.” “Dear me!” mused the girl. “I suppose you mil go away now and cease to annoy md ?” . “When 1 have your card or an apology.” “Why, you are positively insufferable!" exclaimed the girl furiously. “Have me arrested,.then! I dare you! It won’t be the first time.” “Nor the last, I hope,” said Geoffrey, with equal anger, j The girl entered the lift without jl word and Geoffrey followed her. They got out at the top and found themselves in the suinry street. “Well, are you going now?” inquired the girl. “When I have your card or meet a policeman,” answered the young man. “Well, have me arrested” snapped the girl. "But oblige me by not speaking to me again, or walking beside me."

Geoffrey fell into place behind fcet and followed her. The girl, with her head held very high, marched through the streets. Geoffrey, whose anger gas fast abating, began to feel sorry for her. No doubt he had been hasty —still, she was a public pest. Finally a policeman appeared in sight, lounging at a street corner. The girl swung round and faced Geoffrey defiantly. But just then the policeman strolled into a shop, and — Geoffrey went on. The girl entered a large hotel. Geoffrey followed her. He knew by now that he could not put her to shame by a public conversation with a policeman, but at least he could learn — or pretend to learn her name and address. She went up to two middleaged ladies on the central sofa, who rose to greet her. Then, as Geoffrey hesitated, a man came up, and the girl, suddenly bursting into tears, to point to her follower and denounce him angrily. The man came toward Qeoffrey and shook his fist in his face. He was a stocky Englishman of about fifty, and he looked as if he meant business. Happily the hotel hall was almost empty. “How dare you molest my daughter!” he demanded. “How dare your daughter offer me a white feather in a public place?” demanded Geoffrey. “I’m going to have this thrashed out in a court of law. lam an American, and you can’t Insult an American without paying for it.” And, pulling out his card-case, he laid down his card upon a table. The man picked it up very coolly and examined it; then he smiled and handed Geoffrey his own. Geoffrey read it and looked more sheepish than the stout man had done. “Uncle William!” he stammered. “Well, you’ve made a good beginning, young man,” said the other with evident amusement. He turned to one of the ladies. “Tilly, my dear, this is our nephew from New York who has come over to study our methods for a year or two in my office, and he has begun well —very well.” “Why—why —” stammered Geoffrey. “Well, do you still intend to drag us into a court of law?” demanded his uncle. “I’m sorry,” said Geoffrey humbly. Suddenly the girl began to smile, and then she stretched out her hand and put it in his. “I’ll forgive you if you’ll forgive me, then,” she said. And Geoffrey decided that it was certainly a good business proposition. (Copyright, 1916, by W. G. Chapman.)

AT TOMB OF A WRESTLER

Gloomy Epitaph That Marks an English Athlete’s Resting Place. _ Until the early part of the nineteenth century, says the Badminton Magazine, wrestling was the favorite sport in Devonshire, and many notable champions of the ring were produced by the county. As a result of the prominence of this sport another epitaph is added to the long list of those that are notable on account of their unconscious humor or naive directness. In the churchyard at Marytavy, near Tavistock, is a tombstone to the memory of John Hawkins Blacksmith (1721) and his two wives and five children, among whom we learn was One Thomas named, whose fate was such To lose his life by wrestling much. Which may a warning be to all How they into such pastimes fall! A gloomy and depressing epitaph indeed, worthy of the prowess of the departed Thomas, of whose career we should have liked a fuller epitome.

Fit the Command.

Alkali Ike is dead. He died with his boots on, as befitted a man of his brave and strenuous character. It happened in a little silver mining town in Nevada. Since his arrival, several weeks before, the residents had been on tenterhooks. No one knew what he would do next. His stunts were as varied as they sometimes were deadly—and life insurance was at a premium. The nerves of all of them being so strained, it was a dangerous and significant fact that they should all carry their guns where they were handiest. Alkali Ike decided that as nothing new had been done in the town for 24 hours, it was up to him. Sd he went to the Metropolitan hotel, Eind went up to a room on the second (top) floor. Going to the window he stuck his head out and shouted:“Fire!” And everybody did. A pleasant time was had by all at the funeral. —Kansas City Star.

World’s Future Fish Supply.

The sea beats upon 26,000 miles of Alaska shore line, a distance greater than the circumference of the earth. All of that vast stretch of waters Is teeming with the most edible fish on earth. Every bay is a harbor where these. fish can be prepared for the markets of the world, and the greatest ships afloat can anchor in safety while taking on their cargo of food for the hungry of all climes. In a few years Alaskan fish will be famous wherever ships sail and men exchange the products of their toll. This IS but one of" Alaska’s sources of wealth. The pioneers now opening up this vast wilderness for the glory and enrichment of the republic are laying foundations the magnitude of which is not even dreamed, of by those back home.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

GERMAN FLEET WAITING FOR A CHANCE TO SLIP OUT

First photograph te arrive In this country showing a portion of the German fleet It is believed the photograph was taken at Wilhelmshaven. but the exact location was w ithheld by the censor.

PENS PICTURE OF VERDUN BATTLE

Correspondent Gets a Glimpse of the Great Struggle in France. TELLS A TALE OF HORROR French Artillery Batters Down Dikes of the Meuse, Flooding Field of Fallen Germans—Grim Fight for Life. In the Village, Northwest of Verdun. —Yesterday I witnessed a great battle, the climax of the Verdun struggle, writes a special correspondent of the New York Times and the Chicago Herald. What a fury of charge and coun-ter-charge of two nations at grips on the blood-stained slopes among the Bhell-torn trenches these words could convey! In reality It is very different. Imagine yourself In the dark cabin of a ship, the whole fabric of which shudders in the tumult of her mighty engines as you peer through a narrow slit at a quick-changing cinema on a distant screen. For that was Verdun battle as I saw it, save that those rapid glimpses revealed horrors no producer would dare feature. Captain A. had led me through a maze of trenches to an observation post buried deep in a hillside due -south of-Gumieres-villager - Two officers and some soldiers are at work regulating the fire of a battery two miles In the rear upon the German trenches down to our right, near the river, where the enemy is massing for an assault. At the same time they directed a searchlight whose rays illuminates their field of vision. “Follow the searchlight and you will soon pick out the German trenches and see the effects of our fire,” says my guide. It Is a patch of field, streaked diagonally by a dark line, which is the German trench. Clouds of smoke obscure it at intervals, stabbedby swift flashes. I watch interminably. Nothing changes. Then the observer throws another order into the telephone and a second ray doubles the field of view. He turns' toward his companion at the table and reels off figures in a

POPULAR IN ARMY SET

Miss Helen Hotter, daughter of Jay E. Hotter, -U. S. A., Is one of the most popular of the socially active army contingent in Washington.

Jailed for a Laugh.

New York. —Because he laughed when Magistrate Groehl imposed a one-dollar fine, John Oste, charged with dlsordorly conduct, ,was sent to Jail for three days.

Duck Makes Record.

Veronr. N, J.—“ Peggy,” a duck, has laid 325 eggs in 343 days, and is said to hold the record.

level, unhurried tone. The latter transmits more figures to the soldier, who has resumed his telephoning. Suddenly the field patch Is covered with scurrying dots, like a mass of excited ants, rushing forward across the light, out of the picture into the darkness. It is the enemy charging at last. Then a dense thunder-cloud covers everything. The searchlight’s rays beat vainly against its yellowish walls. The glass trembles In my hand. Like a nightmare vision, conjured by magic amid the smoke, a horrible scene Is revealed; first dimly, then clearer and finally very distinct, In the sharp white light. The field, the dark line and the rushing ants have disappeared. In their place a ragged hollow, wherein blocks of earth like huge tree trunks roll and quiver. Among them the tiny dark things are writhing like fallen leaves fluttered by the breeze. Those shapeless objects are German soldiers. As the smoke cleared I distinguished arms raised in agony or supplication. Some try to crawl upward; they form heaps, sliding back together as one mounts another and drags him down. Meanwhile from the right of the scene what seems to be an immense blacksnake creeps forward. In the ray of the light it glimmers, and the observer beside me muttered: “My God!" It reaches the lip of the hollow and the mass of crawling men quiver with a new agitation. It is the water* of the Meuse overwhelming the Germans by the same concentration of melinite that ruptured the river’s dikes. With frantic gestures the Germans fight up-

E-7’S EXPLOITS IN SEA OF MARMORA

British Submarine in 24 Days Sank 23 Ships and Destroyed Two Trains. ALSO FOUGHT A GUNBOAT Returned Safely Through Traps and Mines Set to Catch Her In the Dardanelles —Receives Great Reception. New York.—The story of how the British submarine E-7 entered the Sea of Marmora and operating for 24 days sank 23 ships, shelled two railway trains, and did other damage, is told in a letter received in New York. The letter was written by a young officer who was on the E-7. The Cochrane who is referred to as “absolutely splendid” is the commander of the E-7. He says: “We returned safely after 24 days up the Dardanelles in the Sea of Marmora. It is hopeless to try to give a detailed account in a letter, but you can take it from me it was a fine show. We broke all previous records. Cochrane was absolutely splendid. The tale of our doings is the sort of thing one reads of In the old days. We went around the Sea of Marmora, leaving a trail of sunk and burning ships. We fairly shook things to the core. “We are the first submarine In history to bombard a place on shore under fire. I think we were under fire about three times a day on an average, and penetrated into all sorts of places and destroyed shipping. We even shelled a railway and destroyed two troop trains. We shelled the embankment and blocked the line and then caught the trains as they came along. It was the funniest thing you can Imagine to see the trains try to hide behind trees, but we caught them and smashed them all to blazes. The ammunition all blew up with a terrible explosion. The soldiers, of course, got out and took cover and fired tons of ammunition at us. but we were out of range. “Altogether we sunk one gunboat, five steamers (one of 3,000 tons), and 17 large sailing ships, and hit two trains, ode railway- pro hrln km ent, and a few villagers who fired on us°hnd got it In the neck for doing so. We also dived up to Constantinople and fired a torpedo at the wharf at the arsenal. where there were a lot of ammunition lighters, and there was a

ward. There comes a flash and another cloud-patch, half veiling the chaos of earth and water and drowning men. Then the shellß begin to fal® rapidly and the searchlight abandons the struggle against the smoke, swinging higher along the bare hillside. A few moments later it returns I see a placid pool glimmering beneath the ray, save where a glimmering spot of blackness is floating motionless. I look at my watch. Three hours have passed since we entered the post- That is what I saw of the greatest battle for Verdun.

LONG JOURNEY OF AN EGG

Consumer Paid Twenty Cents a Dozen More Than Producer in Kansas Got. Russell, Kan—A. J. Olson, a Russell county farmer who sells hundreds of dozens of eggs annually, on February 9 wrote on an egg a request for the consumer to write him and inform him where the egg was purchased at retail and what the Cost was. Olson sold his product to a Russell dealer for 25 cents a dozen. The eggs were then shipped to Ellsworth, from where they were shipped to Pendleton, Ore., by express. The Oregon retail merchant paid 34% cents a dozen, and they were retailed at 45 cents, that being the price paid by the woman in Oregon who broke the egg bearing Olson’s letter. Olson received a letter from her recently, and she gave the details of the egg’s career and end in the far Northwest.

most terrific., explosion, which shook the boat although we were one and one-quarter miles away. What happened I don’t know, but something must have got it in the neck. Judging by the bang. We had a small duel with a small gunboat one day on the surface and drove her off, although she fired 200 rounds from her two guns. After that we were left alone and everything ran like blazes when we got anywhere near. “The only drawback was that we all had dysentery, and Halifax, the second oflacer, and a seaman got badly burned setting fire to a steamer, so Cochrane and I had to keep watch all the time, and by the time 24 days were gone we were absolutely done up. What Halifax went through with his burned feet for three weeks below I don’t know. “We had no trouble in diving In the Sea of Marmora, but when we came down we had an awful time, as the Turks had rigged up all sorts of nets and things to catch utr, and we got mixed up in them and also were fouled by mines three times. “The reception we got in the harbor was great. The whole fleet and everything manned the rails and cheered us madly. Just imagine us—all dirty and unshaven, and the flag with bullet holes all over it, and conning tower all dents from bullets and Tusty —steaming through the lines and thousands of men cheering like mad. Battleships, cruisers, torpedo boats, transports and the captains leading the cheers. It was great! I have heard cheers before, but this was the real thing. Poor old Cochrane’s eyes were full of tears as he saluted to the cries of ‘Are we down-hearted?’ and ‘Well done, E-71’ ‘‘At present I am resting on land and basking In the light of popular favor. It Is very nice- to be a hero among one’s own cloth, you know, because they really mean it, and they really understand.”

KILLS THREE BIG WOLVES

Lives of 525 Deer Estimated to Have Been Saved by Work of Oregon Hunter. Portland, Ore. —Three gray wolves killed by Jake Dumont of Tiller, Ore., will net him 375. The state pays a bount of 320 each and the county pays 35 additional. ..I The pelts were received at the office of the state fish and game conlhilSßion and showed the wolves to have been of unusual size. One was fully seven feet from tip of nose to tall and the two others were not more thaa jig. Inches shorter. Carl D. Shoemaker, state game warden, estimates that the death of the woMfos saved 525 deer. Be says that oneHvolf would kill an average of 175 deer a year

HOME TOWN HELPS

FAULT IN CITY PLANNING

Standardization of Streets Can Be Carried to Excess, as California Journalist Points Out. One of the greatest folließ practiced In modern city-building, particularly where the topography is broken in character, lies in standardization of streets, more especially regarding the width, says the Los Angeles Times. The writer lives on a “cross street,” that is, one crossing at right angles a main thoroughfare Avenue Sixtyfour —that carries at least several hundred times as much traffic as the one first noted, yet the widths of the two are the same. The one is three blocks long, “blind” at each end, having no possibility of a direct outlet at either extremity. The other is the main highway from Los Angeles to Pasadena by way of Colorado street, and to Eagle Rock by the Bame “feeder.” There is no question but a greater width is needed on Avenue Sixty-four, as is the case with scoreß of streets similiarly situated. It-is equally certain that the crossing streets are twice as wide as need be. .The miserable parkways are but 42 inches wide, an area so restricted that good street tree growth is impossible. Every property with whom the writer has talked on the subject would be pleased to have several feet on each side added to the parkway, yet majority does not rule, even in Los Angeles. No traffic Is^seen on such streets except the daily routine of the milkman, baker and vegetable peddler. Yet the width is the same as that of the one great highway running through the district. The case cited is used merely because the writer has intimate personal acquaintance with it, having resided on this specific street for ten years. No personal grievance inspired this article, for the residents on the street have never sought to have it changed. All concede a widening of parkings, with a correspondingly narrower driveway, would make a more beautiful street, give it a more pleasant aspect, allow of fine parkway gardening, etc. But did they know that when the street is to be paved the cost of the useless strips erf width in paving would pay for the change and new curbs, they might petition the properofficiais ter make such change • As all streets are of the same width, and all at right angles as well, the planning and platting of such districts may safely be turned over to our children. And some of the latter would be better than their parents.

Economy In Fireproof Qualities.

While fireproof qualities and permanence of materials are Items apparently increasing the cost of the new house, the home-builder will find in the end that economy lies in these qualities; and applying the old adage of the chain, hlsJiouse will be as lasting as its weakest part. Hence the ratio between the life of different materials should bo consid- - ered and permanence in the walls of a building should be duplicated in its foundations and roof. As for instance: a house of brick to be consistently permanent, requires concrete or stone foundation, and a slate roof. The depreciation of a housa of this type is said to be about 1 per cent a year, reckoning its life to be 100 years. But the permanency of materials is not restricted to brick alone, and that frame houses can be constructed to last 100 years, though not immune of course from the accident of fire, is typified in the numerous frame houses of historical interest standing in a state of' good preservation throughout the country. Among these are the old Cushing house at Higham, Mass., built in the early part of the eighteenth century; the Wadsworth house in Cambridge, built in 1728, and the Fairbanks house in Dedham, probably the oldest house in America, built about 1636. White pine was used extensively in these houses, which fact is testimony to the lasting qualities of that wood.

How to Keep a City Clean.

To make a city cleaner and neater and to substitute beauty for ugliness is to enhance the value of both public and private property. As to public property, this work can be easily controlled. But the city authorities can be expected to act only on the insistence of the general public. Unfortunately, however, no matter how careful a city may be about structures erected on ptiblic property, the general effect at street and open places may be spoiled by ugliness in surrounding st ructures and private property. Billboards, signs, ugly, garish or unkemm buildings, buildings out of repair, untidy yards anß vacant lots — all may/ counteract whatever the city Aay do to make public property attractive. The only way to keep the and to make it look as though it were really self-respecting is for all citizens to co-operate in insisting on private as well as public neatness and attention to good design. —From the Report of the City Plan Commission, Newark, N. J.