Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 202, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1916 — Page 3

IS HANDY WORKBAG

The most useful workbag for the housewife Is that attached to a screen shape that has a handle running along the top of it These articles made up cost a good deal of money, but one can easily be made at home. If there should be an old one-piece fire screen at hand like that in the illustration, there is no difficulty whatever, and even if there Is not, one can often be picked up for a few coppers at a second-hand store. Just a little paint or enamel will make it like new again and excellent for this purpose. If there is a panel in the screen, just take it out neatly, as only the framework is required. If the wood needs renovating, do it before making the bag; stains and varnish can be bought combined and they are quite cheap. Simply brush on the frame and leave to dry. The size of bag will depend upon the size of the frame. It is a good idea to make It from some material that

Handy Workbag.

has been left over from covering the chairs, etc., then the workbag screen will not look out of place in any room, even when it is not in use. The bag is just made from two places of material seamed together to about six inches from the top; make a heading along the top two sides of the bag, and run a piece of elastic through. < ’ s ‘‘ Now secure the back of the workbag to the top bar of the screen; this can be done by using brass-headed drawing pins, they are quite secure and ornamental. Then the front side of the bag is left free and open; the elastic prevents it gaping open ns it might do otherwise, and yet it can easily be widened by pulling it a little. Where there is a lot of mending to be done, these bags are splendid; the busy mother can just grasp hold of the screen handle and take her work with her wherever she goes—upstairs, in the garden, in the kitchen, etc. A saving In time is also effected, and thetooms are kept free from the litter of stockings, woollens, etc., such as is bound to happen if there is not a roomy portable workbag.

CUSHIONS THAT ARE NOVEL

Bow Variety Seems to Have the Preference for This Summer, at Least. There are many novelty cushions this summer. Some of them are for garden chairs and hammocks, some for divans and lounging chairs and some-for the floor. One that is very attractive is shaped like a big bow. The cover is made of beautiful silk and velvet, and is perhaps four feet long and a foot wide, when finished. It is filled lightly with soft down and is tied with a band of velvet ribbon through the center. It is really a most comfortable shape to tuck behind the back, and could be made of -less expensive materials — thin silk or cretonne. Smocked cushions afe another pretty novelty. They are covered with silk, smocked into shape. These are made in light colors for the bedroom or boudoir. » For the hammock perhaps the most serviceable cushions are those covered with black and tan cretonne, in small blocks or checks. It is sold especially for cushions for outdoor furniture, as its colors make it show dust very little.

NEW ACCESSORY TO BOUDOIR

Pretty Table Boxes Are Much In Demand by the Fashionable Woman of Today. The cult of the box is growing apace, perhaps becausk the modern woman has more fal-lals to keep In order than her grandmother had, or perhaps merely because box adornment Is an Interesting art. Incidentally it calls for a fair amount of Ingenuity, and it entails no little time and trouble in searching out suitable trimmings, most of which belong to bygone periods, and can only be found In old curiosity shops or among heirloom bundles of quaint embroideries, old laces and rich old-world brocades. Either plain or quaintly shaped boxes, by the air of rich fabrics and scissors and paste, are skillfully converted into things of beauty—and often of value, for, bbey are covered not only with rare brocades, but with everything old and interesting. For instance, a miniature chest of drawers, covered with pieces of heirloom silks that belonged to bridal gowns of a long, list of ancestors, jwlth imitation knobs and handles

made from buttons and gold lace cut from old uniforms, is to be seen deeorating the room of one woman, who not only uses her latest handiwork as an ornament, but uses it as a receptacle for all letters written to her by Important people.—Chicago Record Herald. — —r

BEST USE FOR EMBROIDERY

Transparent Cotton Materials May Be Trimmed to Advantage When This Method Is Employed Waists and dresses of transparent cotton materials are trimmed with hand embroidery done in mercerized floss in Oriental colors, often outlined with black. This embroidery is quickly done and is very effective if one is careful to make a good selection of the colors to be combined. Small wooden or china beads are frequently combined with these embroideries in this way, carrying out further the Oriental idea of embellishment. An easy way to pad embroidery is to take a spool of darning cotton and fasten one end to the work and let the spool run at will in making scallops on children’s dresses and other fancy work, such as simple doilies, centerpieces or scarf covers. The work just flies as one holds the darning cotton down and buttonholes over it all at one time.

Bone or ivory rings used for fancy work may be dyed with common dye that is used for cottoh goods, following directions carefully. White rings may be dyed any shade desired, and also buttons. When embroidering the turn-over part of flower leaves, especially when the turnover is large, after the padding is done, keep a needleful of the thread with which the work is done and mark the stitch direction all the way across. This helps to keep the stitches straight, The woman who uses stiff canvas for cross-stitching will find that her fingers will be less harmed if, upon finishing her stitching, she dampens the canvas and presses the material on the wrong side with a hot iron until dry. She can then remove the threads with greater ease,'for they will have lost their stiffness.

COSTUME FOR THE SURF

Pretty Bathing Damsel in Quaint Bathing Suit at Atlantic City, N. J. The Bathing Costume is Black Silk With S White Pencil Stripe. The Hat and Parasol in Contrast With the Suit Is White With a Wide Black Stripe. Two Large White Tassels Are Draped From the Belt. The Suit Is of the "Comfy" Style, Plenty or Room to Move About In, Good for All Beach Sports.

For the Hair.

Here’s another suggestion for a dry shampoo. Part the hair into separate strapds, then brush in a mixture of corumeal and orris root, equal parts. Get the powder thoroughly/rubbed into the hair, allowing it to remain there for an hour or so. It may then be brushed out with long, even strokes, holding the body of the brush in the palm of the hand to give force. This keeps the hair from becoming too oily in hot weather, as the head is likely to perspire and cause oiliness.

In Blue and White.

A charming lawn blottse in a blue and white stripe, with ample collar of plain blue, finished with a black silk tie, was seen the other day. It was worn with a blue linen skirt, plain in the front but pleated at the sides, the pleats being held down by large patch pockets. A big round bat of blue linen, tied round with a striped rlhhon. In hlne. white and black, completed the costume.

Rusty Black Lace.

If black lace has grown old and rusty-looklng it can be improved, as far as the color is concerned, by soaking it for a few hours in vinegar and water. Then it must be dipped la coffee and ironed while damp, with a piece of flannel laid over it.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

Capital of the Canal Zone

HAVING acquired a narrow strip of land through foreign territory and built therein the great Panama canal, Uncle Sam quite naturally felt that, as the work neared completion, there also should be a capital city from which the strip could be governed and the canal managed. 1 Therefore he built Balboa. Balboa is she permanent town at the southern end of the canal, is the seat of government, the residence of the governor and the headquarters of canal construction and management. In short, it is to the Canal Zone what Washington Is to the United States.

Balboa was named In honor of Vasco Nunez de Balboa, who, “silent, upon a peak in Darien,” first saw the distant waters of the Pacific ocean and thus became known to history as its discoverer, writes H. H. Updegraff, in the St. Louis Republic. The town of Balboa is not the first village that Uncle Sam has built along the route of the canal. It probably will be the last, however. But, unlike these others, which were no more than wooden construction camps, Balboa is permanent in character. It is to last as long as the canal, which, indeed, is as long as time itself. There is another difference between this new town, this capital of the Canal Zone, and the other canal villages, and that is that much more money has been and is being spent to make it the most attractive place of residence on the entire isthmus. In fact, it is Uncle Sam’s model town.

An American Community. Notwithstanding its wholly unamercan name, Balboa is a thoroughly American community. Its inhabitants are all American, for it was built with the intention of giving the American canal workers and operatives an ideal spot .In which to have their homes, in which to rear their children under proper American surroundings, and where it would be possible to have a wholesome American atmosphere. The only foreigners who are part of the life in Balboa are the West Indian negro servants, most of whom, however, live elsewhere. While Balboa is wholly American, it is yet quite unlike any American city or town of its size “back home” in the states.—lt absolutely no poltticat atmosphere. It is difficult to conceive an American town, no matter how small, that has no mayor, no city council, no political boss and hence no politics. Balboa has none of these. The Canal Zone is prohibiton territory ancL therefore, Balboa has not a single saloon within its limits. In this respect it also is different from a majority of the cities and towns “back home.” The “poor man’s club” is wholly unknown, not only because there are no poor men on the Canal Zone, but also because they are prohibited. The occasional tippler must either maintain his own private little bar in his own home or journey to the neighboring city of Panama, where the “cantinas” are both numerous and well stocked and where everything is wide open and the bars never close. In place of the “poor man’s club” of the cities “back home” there is the spacipus building of the Young M&n’s Christian association which fills all the needs of club for the men, meeting place for the women's societies and playhouse for the children. A separate, as well as general, room or rooms is reserved for each. Not far away is the 25-acre athletic field which is now under construction with a lavishness and detail such as no politically selfgoverned city in the United States can boast of. It was all done without expense to the population for there are no taxes to be paid in this model town of Uncle Sam’s. Site Was Once a Swamp.

The site of Balboa, between Ancon and Sosa hills, originally was a swamp which was filled in. It was chosen because.of its proximity to the huge machine shops and other canal activities at the southern end of the waterway. It also/ was chosen because it would be near the capital city, Panama, of the Republic of Panama and would, therefore, place the two capitals into quick communication. This was necessary because of the varied interelationship Detween the two countries due to the building and*operation of the Panama canal. Only g small portion, however, 1b

THE NEW ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

built on the former swamp and this is made up of what might be termed the civic center. On Ancon hill, behind the handsome new administration building, is really the best and prettiest section. Here are the official residences clustered about the governor’s house around which the social life of the community in time to come will revolve. Across the former swamp toward the west in Sosa hill on which many of the new concrete two and four-family houses have been built. At the foot of Sosa hill and facing the administration building are the huge Y. M. C. A., the new commissary and its companion refrigerating plant. When the town was planned it was the intention to. so construct the buildings that all would harmonize in architecture. This has been carried out with so rigid a resolve that perhaps the uniformity in a measure spoils the effect of the whole. There is nothing along the Prado, for instance, to relieve the eye of the sameness of the eight concrete houses that face the central parkway. They are all alike, in design, in size and interior furnishing. They were cast in the same concrete mold. There is a stilted formality about them that jars', but which undoubtedly prevents the jealousy which would be aroused were there a possibility of choice. Balboa Heights Attractive.

The town of Balboa is virtually divided into four sections.- East of the new administration building, which naturally dominates the business life of the town, on the sloping side of Ancon hill, is the official residence quarter. This section is frequently referred to as Balboa Heights. It is here that the real beauty of the village is to be seen. In time, no doubt when nature has completed its work, the other sections will equal and, perhaps, surpass it In attractiveness. Its present advantages are due to having been planned and constructed first and Its natural advantages regarding location. South of Balboa Heights is another flat hilltop which has in recent months become known as Quarry Heights, or sometimes Military The latter is used because it is the site of the large and handsome home of the commanding general of the United States troops and Hs staff officers. Farther south still is the permanent camp of the provost guard or military police. At the foot of the hill on which the new administration building stands, and also near the bottom of the hill on which is the governor’s house, which overlooks the tract, there is a large flat bottom land that, too, formerly was a huge swamp. It comprises about 1,000 acres and was filled in by the spoil from the dredges excavating the inner harbor of Balboa. The salt water has killed all the vegetation, which, however, was neither plentiful nor valuable. A top dressing of rich soil will eventually be given this tract and then it will grow anything. When money is available it is planned to transform this bottom land into a large, handsome park. Between Ancon hill and Sosa hill Is Balboa Flats, so called from the fact that It xvas built on the only level part of the new town. A part of the flats, however, is on the slope of Sosa hill and overlooks the Prado and flats proper from the west. The central feature of the flats is the Prado. which forms a wide double roadway down the center. On it are the commissary, the Y. M. C. A., the dispensary, fire and police stations and the high school. Also there are eight four-family houses. A large part of the flats is to be utilized for the magnificent new athletic field now under construction.

Why Orchestras Tune Up.

“Why,” asked a visitor to the theater the other day, “do members of the orchestra always worry people possessing nerves, like myself, by tuning up their instruments?” It Is all a matter of thermometer, according to a musician. The temperature in different parts of the building is different and the instruments have to be tuned in which they are played. As a rule, the air in a theater becomes warmer as the performance progresses and so the instruments have to be tuned several times. •

DIVERSIFICATION TELLS STORY OF SUCCESS OF FLORIDA FARMER

When Frost Killed His Orange Trees He Turned His Attention to Good Pastures, Live Stock, Leguminous Crops, Large Plows and Strong Teams—lmproved His Herd of Cattle by Purchase of Purebred Shorthorn Sire.

(By G. H. ALFORD, State Demonstration Agent, Maryland.) 8. H. Gaitskill, Mclntosh, Fla., came to the state in 1884 and began growing oranges, but did not sell his Kentucky farm for some years after he came to Florida. He was quite well satisfied with his orange-growing venture until the freeze of 1895 killed ail of his trees. This freeze was a great shock and the orange grower did not know what to do. Mr. Gaitskill started to rebud and build up his grove, but did not feel that It was advisable to rely upon oranges for everything and began to grow corn, hay and other crops for man and beast. Prior to the freeze he made no effort to grow feed, but used some of his orange money to buy everything he needed. He soon learned that he could grow very fine crops of corn, hay, oats, peas and other general farm crops and finally decided to raise good live stock to consume the crops grown. Having decided to go Into the live-stock business he sold his Kentucky farm and bought an old sugar plantation adjoining his farm/and proceeded to make the growing of pork and beef his main work. Bought Purebred Shorthorns. Mr. Gaitskill was not satisfied to

Gaitskill Home— Shorthorn Heifers in Foreground.

work with the native stock, but went to Kentucky and bought some purebred Shorthorn bulls and a few purebred females and bred the native cows to the Shorthorn bulls. Improvement was very rapid and he now has a very fine lot of cattle, as the picture shows. In the meantime he continued the work of rebuilding his orange groves and now has big trees in his large orchards. He has indulged in some truck-growing for the northern markets and has made quite a bit of money from his shipments. He grows some cabbage and watermelons, but he does not advise the average farmer to attempt truck on a large scale and do general farming at the same time. He Bays that vegetables must be given the best care and attention at the proper time. He is gradually quitting all truck crops except watermelons. He plants from*’4o to 60 acres every year and plants velvet beans in the melon field at the last cultivation. The velvet bean is a fine crop for fattening all kinds of live stock and transfers large quantities of nitrogen to the soil. Peanuts for Hogs. He plants peanuts for the hogs to harvest after eating? the small and badshaped melons. ‘ He plants corn and

Cattle on Gaitskill Farm, Near Mclntosh, Fla.

sftor filling the silo breaks the land from which the silage corn was cut snd sows cow peas. The corn, ripens In August and he gathers it In September, and turns the hogs in. He uses the hogs to clean up crops that would otherwise go to waste. He puts the hogs in the velvet bean field in which he plants corn and the bogs fatten rapidly on the beans and corn. He plants large fields of corn, and velvet beans in alternate rows. He says be can make more corn by planting in five-foot rows with a row of beans down each middle than he can get in three and a half or four-foot rows. The corn is gathered and the bOans grazed by all kinds of live stock. The grazing season is long and the cattle do well on native grasses until about December 1. The cattle are then turned on a field of velvet beans and fatten very rapidly. The velvet beans make beef of a very fine quality. Large numbers ml his cattle usually go

through the winter with very littla feed, except what Is obtained from the fields. Silo Is Useful. He built his 8110 for the cows and calves when the grass does not prove sufficient to keep them in good condition. It Is not a winter or summer silo, but Is used at any time during the year when the silage is needed. He grows a great variety of crops and has good grazing crops for his live stock 12 months In the year. He uses no fertilizer on his land. He grows leguminous crops to feed the live stock, and the live stock spreads the manure over the farm. The growing of leguminous crops fills the soil full of nitrogen, adds immense quantities of humus to the soil and furnishes the most valuable grazing for all kinds of live stock. Mr. Gaitskill uses large plows and strong teams and turns under large quantities of vegetable matter to furnish humus. He does not abuse his land by burning off the vegetable matter and plowing with a one-horse plow. He is planning to get a tractor, plow deep, turn under vegetable matter and grow better crops each year. Good pastures, good live stock, legu-

minous crops, large plows and strong teams tell the story of Mr. Gaitskill’s success on the farm.

MILK IS GOOD FOR CHICKENS

One of Most Valuable Poultry Feeds Available on Farm—Encourages Hens to Lay. The most valuable poultry food available on most farms is milk. Many farmers feed all their surplus milk to the hogs. Milk, when fed to the hogs, makes flesh that sells for seven or eight cents a pound. When fed to poultry, especially during the winter months, it makes eggs that sell for 25 cents a pound, and flesh that brings twice price ordinarily offered for hogs. And besides, in discriminating markets, milk-fed poultry always sells for a premium. Given all the milk they will consume, hens will lay well in season and out of season. One cannot overfeed of milk. It is safe to keep it before the hens always. The vessels in which the milk is fed should be washed and scalded daily. Earthenware crocks are the best for the feeding of milk since they are eas-

ily cleaned. If wooden troughs or vessels are used, they will, in a very short time, become so fouled that thorough cleaning is almost impossible. IP only a limited quantity of milk is available for the hens, the better way of feeding it is to use it in moistening the mash. When used for this purpose the milk will .be evenly distributed to the flock.

SECURE GOOD YIELD OF CORN

Selection, Curing and Testing Aro Three of Most Important Factors to Be Considered. A good yield of corn depend«i upon a number of factors, of which three of the most important are the selection, the curing and the testing of the seed. Under average farm conditions, the proper amount of care taken in securing the best seed will be more than repaid.