Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1917 — Page 2

The Giant Snowball

By FLORENCE LILLAN HENDERSON

(CopyHghC 1917, by W. G. Chapman.) • .'.Regularly once a year Jed Burson “celebrated,” and that was upon his birthday. Ho did it in what Im* considered to be a quite respectable way. He lived at Bowesvillo, but it was at Milton that lie went through bis annual program. Abstemious and walking a straight chalk line for three hundred aud'sixty* four days of the year, upon the other about dusk Jed presented himself at the tavern tit Milton, and hircdtheiittle card room at the rear of the bar for the exclusive use of himself and his friends. These friends were never the same on succeeding occasions. Jed simply picked up half-a-dozen of the loungers about the place, and, with a table supplied fully with edibles and drinkables, locked all hands in the room with himself and proceeded to celebrate. The little party of convivialists were given their fill of cigars, eatables and flowing bowls. Except for the latter, it was only a mildly dissipated group. It was an occasion for Jed to spread himself and he about monopolized the function. Ordinarily Jed was a mildIhannered, composed young man, never boisterous, always reliable in a business way. On the occasion of his birthday festivity he vividly recalled' two points tin his life and let loose on *them. Once he had been appointed the local orator in a mild political campaign. He believed he had found

Gaining Momentum Each Succeeding Moment.

his mission untila rival expert in the same line squelched him completely, both as to argument and eloquence. Later, in a sneaking sort of a way, Jed did some amateur dramatic work with a stalled tragedy company. It proved a dismal failure, but the taint of this histrionic effort never quite -left him. So, shut up in a little tavern room with an obliging audience, jed detailed his past glories as orator and actor. He recited all of his former speeches, he spouted half of Hamlet in bringing in the several' few lines he had spoken on the stage. Faithfully at midnight the drowsy conclave broke up. Jed went to bed and reappeared in his Jiorne town the next day, with a slight headache, but fully satisfied to pursue the straight and narrow road until another twenty-first of February had rolled arounfl. Now Jed had become quite an important and trustworthy person about Bowesville. He did a, little real estate business and a good deal in the way of mortgage loans ,jpd collections. He went to and fro as to several towns in the district, acting as a sort of special messenger for the hanks. On the especial birthday occasion where In* met his- Waterloo, he had transacted considerable business that day and its results crowded a -time-worn wallet in an inner coat pocket Jed went through his regular program, political and • histrionic, but somehow the occasion was dull. It was growing so monotonous - and by’ ten o’clock his guests were filled to repletion and began to depart one by one, and, although dazed and unsteady in his walk, Jed decided not to remain at the tavern all night, as was lils wont on these birthday occasions, but to walk home to Bowesville, seven atfiaidißtfiht. „ He paid the bill, took g parting -4rihk and started on his lonely way. Tltere had been a deep snow, but the roads were broken by teams, and with, a few upsets Jed got started on hts ■way. \ “It’s the last one that soliloquized the dizzied wayfarer. - “Need the .bracing air to clear away the fog.” 4.8 he neared his home village Jed 'Was conscious that wits were still clouded and his wobbly. The direct road was level, but rtfas'there was light In a bouse at the hoi tom of a steep bill inclining from : s- ■ rf'i ‘ -'tv . ■ Jlgr—. -- ''l ..o ■ , ,

the west. Jed knew the house well. It belonged to old Gideon Lang, and he had n daughter, Mirabelle. “I wouldn't have the Lang* set* me in this plight for money,” mumbled. Jed. “I’ll not pjjgg the house, for fear of it. I'll climb the liiH’ und cut around, into town that way.” The weather was pretty cold, hut Jed had puffed along and stumbled along until he was perspiring freely. Half way up the hill he took off his coat, toiled to the apex of the hill and slowly made Ids way home by a roundabout route., Jed did not get up the next morning. He had a bad headache and was weak and remorseful. The thought of business even failed to arouse him. It was full dusk before he summoned up the courage and strength to get up and dress himself. It was to make a bloodcurdling, a crushing discovery—his wallet was gone! Had someone eojne into the room \vh%e he slept it,? No, doors and windows Jed found securely locked. Had he been robbed at Milmnr be distinctly remembered having looked to its safety as he left the tavern, buttoning tip hts coat tightly. Abruptly the memory returned-to Jed of having carried his coat over his arm in climbing the hill. In feverish haste he decided to retrace liis course of the night previous. When lie got to the head of the hill he found it all tracked up, and on the apex an immense snowball the boys had roljed that day, using it as a shelter fort against adversaries storming it from below*. “It’s no use!” groaned Jed. “If I dropped the wallet here, it's either tramped under the snow or found and appropriated," but he started down the hill. He was intent on looking all nlong the course in the snow, and not until a. swish warped: him did he torn and run. At the top of the hill were scurrying boyish forms. Coming towards him, gaining momentum each succeeding moment, was the giant snowball.

Jed started to run. A light in the Lang home was his guide. He nearly reached it when something struck him. It was the snowball. It knocked him down and passed over him and he lay senseless. The great white sphere then crashed through the fence of the Lang yard, demolished a trellis, some of the splinters of which broke,some -windows in the house, and came to a halt against the front of the house.* When Jed Bursey opened his eyes again he found himself in bed in the Lang home with a broken leg, which a doctor, hastily summoned, had. just set. Flitting about the room, a willing T&TirSe, was fair Mirabelle: Bespite all of his troubles Jed experienced a certain blissful sense of dependency and comfort. He had always had a sneaking fondness for Mirabelle but had,never been able to summon up the courage to confess it to her. The doctor delivered the dictum that Jed was not to be moved for a week. The one worry on Jed’s mind was the loss of "the wallet. He found a charming confidante in Mirabelle. In fact, before TfvO days had passed by he had confessed all his shortcomings, including the unnual birthday celebration. Mirabelle and her father started a thorough quest for the lost wallet, but with no results. This meant a loss of several hundred dollurs in actual cash for Jed. What was most important, however, was the notes, deeds and the like, the loss of which might later lead to troublesome legal complications. “Guess, 1 ’ spoke to tlm'room~where the convalescent sat, her hands hiding something behind her; and then she held before the amazed and delighted eye of her patient the missing w allet. * ■ “What do you think?” cried Mirabelle gleesomely. “I found it where the great snowball had melted. You see, the boys who rolled it must have gathered it up in the snow without' noticing it.” Jed clasped and held the hand proffering the precious wallet .in a fervpr of courage and love. “Mirabelle,” he said, “it’s up to me to build your father a new* trellis.” Then, drawing her still nearer, he added; “And I’ll build you a new house, if you’ll sTisFreTt’with me.” “And what about those dangerous ‘celebrations’ of yours?” intimated Mirabelle archly. “There will be only one after this,” pledged Jed. “Gar wedding day, with nothing stronger than lemonade.”

Misunderstanding.

They stood beneath the-stars, silent as the- heartbeats of the night, looking ri irtTT--~rtHP~tltamoml-studdetLz shirtf rant of tlu* sky. “Is it Mars?” lie whispered as he siipped his arm around her taper walst and gazed upon a glittering orb in the distant blue. “No, it isn’t!” she exclaimed, jerking away. “It’s mine, and if you can’t tell the difference between my waist und mother’s after eight years’ courtship—well, we’d better part!”—Pearsou’s Weekly.

Circumstantial Evidence of It.

She —Do you officers have regular times to beared? He—Of course not. Why do you ask? She—Then why do you have to wear fatigue uniforms?

Speaking of Countries.

The United States continues the best country to stay in, but as to which is the best to keep away from a dozen we could mention might draw straws. J —Buffalo Times. I . '*■ '.-A, S'- V **‘ : 'V ' ‘ '

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, INP.

Capibbean Lands

NEW MARINA STREET MARACAIBO

, COMPARATIVELY few travelers T who have made the long tour of the South American coutinent care to “continue the voyage to the several countries bordering on the Caribbean without a period of rest. - They usually return to "thg. United Stales directly from Colon, and possibly visit the Caribbean nations on one of the many winter tours so extensively advertised by steamship and tourist companies. However, to Continue our sightseeIrfg in South America Ave shall proceed from Colon to Colombia and Venezuela, and -from the latter country voyage homeward via the Leeward islands to New York; writes William A. Reid in the Bulletin of the Pan-American Union. From Colon there are in normal times sailings of passenger ships once a week- or oftener, touching at Cartdgena, Puerto ~ Colombia, Santa Marta-,—Puerto Cabrtlo, La~ Guuira, Trinidad and Barbados. Service to these ports is maintained by Italian, Spanish, French, Holland, English, and to some of them by American lines;

Hle'TbimSiFYrffae of Europe. One may cross from Colon to Cartagena, 280 miles and about one day’s sail, by the steamship line and later continue eastward by vessels of the other lines. Cartagena, with a population of about 30,000, is one of the oldest cities of Colombia, and its harbor ranks as the best of the country. Passengers aye landed at piers instead of by small boats. One of the interesting sights is the famous wall that once surrounded the city; it is sufficiently wide m places to admit a carriage and horses. Coaches are available at about $1 an hour for sightseeing in or near Cartagena ; and this drive should • include Manga, Espinal, Cabrero and Pie de la Popa. Automobiles are growing in number, but the excessive cost of gasoline makes their use expensive. Other places which the stranger should see are the ancient fort of San Felipe, La’ Popa castle, the tombs, Government palace. Palace of Inquisition And—the several cathedrals. Santa Marta and Curacao. From Cartagena or Puerto Colombia, preferably the former, the traveler may pursue his journey to Y£O pzuela by taking passage on a steamer of the lines already mentioned. If the boat selected calls at the ports of Santa Marta, Curacao and Puerto Cabello, the better of course are one’s chances for observations of peoples and customs. At thtf former the traveler sees phases of banana development which has grown to large proportions within a few years. Santa Marta itself* is an ancient town of 9.000 people. The H utch islrfnd of Curacao, 50 miles off the mainland of Venezuela, has at times belonged to tions; it is often a port of call for large steamers. Spauish-American history is closely interwoven with this island. Willemstad is the port and capital, and the governor of the Dutch West Indies resides there. A peculiarity noted by the stranger is the inclination or bending of trees and vegetation toward the condition attributed to thereon* stant fhide winds from the east. As in many other parts of the tropics, the nights are delightfully cool, while the heat of midday is tempered by breezes. -Curacao is a port of call for a Veuezuelan line of steamers plying to Maracaibo. Maracaibo has 50,000 population, Is located on a fine harbor on the northwestern part of Lake 'Mftfgcaibq, and has an extensive commerce with interior regions, whose products reach the various ports of the lake by several short railroads, river boats, etc. From Puerto Cabello (port of the hair) the traveler may leave the ship, and proceed inland by rail to Valencia, 34 miles; thence to Caracas, 137 miles from -Valencia. Puerto Cabello, the railway terminus andport, has 20,000 population and lias the most modern customhouse of the country. The placid natural harbor suggested the name, as so little resistance is offered that «hips are proverbially anchored by hairs. Eastward, 65 miles from Puerto Cabello, lies LaGualra. This port is one of th.e world’s picturesque harbor?*, with a beautiful, background of moun-

tains. Macuto, a bathing resort several miles eastward, Is connected by electric line. There is a good hotel and many aristocratic .Venezuelans and foreigners frequent the resort. If the tourist is fond of climbing he may follow the course taken from this point in 1586: when the buccaneers scaled the mountains and descended on Caracas. Through the Islands. Steaming out of the harbor of La Guaira on one of the larger east-bound vessels, we pass Along the Venezuelan, coast for several hundred miles, occasionally catching- a glimpse of the fo-liage-bedecked, shores but without a stop until Port of Spain, Trinidad, is reached. The island of Trinidad lies only 16 “miles offthe coast of Venezuela and almost opposite the delta of Orinoco, It is $ British possession and, together with Tabago, near by, forms a joint colony. Port of Spain is the chief shipping center ftnd has a population of 60,000; in recent years there have been many immigrants from India amL other oriental lands. About 20 miles northeast of Trinidad lies the island of Barbados, another English possession and one also offering the tourist, in addition to interesting sightseeing, pleasant hotel accommodations. Excellent highways lead from Bridgetown, the capital, to all parts of the island. The old-fash-ioned windmills to be seen in every direction. are some of the picturesque features in connection with sugar production. Codrington university, the oldest college of the West Indies, is 14 miles away; Boiling Spring, another sight visited .by tourists, is 16 miles from the capitul. During our winter months there is usually a large quota of tourists from the United States to be found at Barbados, the climate being especially inviting and salubrious. A number of the northbound vessels after calling at Bridgetown pass eastward of the group known as Leeward islands. Frequently the ship is near "enough ?or a good birdseye view of the towns and settlements. The first island passed is St. Lucia; an hour or two later the ship passes Martinique in full view of the remains of St. Pierre, the town destroyed by the volcano Mount Pelee a few years ago; the next island is Dominica, with its quaint little capital, Roseau; Guadeloupe, St. Kitts, and other Islands are passed in turn. In order to stop over at the various islands the traveler avails himself of the sailing service maintained, which has regular sailings of steamers from Bridgetown.

GROWING OF COCA LEAVES

•vt*-"'*-Maintenance of an Extensive Plantation Demands Much Care - and Work. The cultivation of coca leaves Is very similar to that of tea. The bushes ate kept at a height of four to six feet by severe pruning. Under the most favorable conditions of growth, such as the island of Java affords, it is possible to Collect the leaves at short intervals throughout the entire year. Nevertheless the maintenance of an extensive coca plantation demands much care and-~-wprlc keeping out weeds and pests, thereby raising the production price of the leaves consld-. erably. r-- — The general view of one of these plantations is especially pleasing. The light-green luxuriant foliage of the coca bushes, that carpet the rolling hillsides for miles around, contrasting with the dark green foliage of the trees of adjoining rubber estates, while all is surrounded by dark depths of virgin forests, makes a landscape that is beautiful Indeed.

Hopeless Case.

The leap-year maid had Just pror posed, but'bad been handed the frosty digit. never thought,” she sighed,-“that you* would have the heart to turn me down.” ' , i--‘*l haven’t,” he replied. “My heart belongs to another at the preseat writing.”

Unrestricted Immigration of Japanese Would Give .S. a New Race Problem

Ou of Framer* of Anti-Alien Legislation in California

The people of the Pacific coast, of California in particular, are naturally opposed to wholesale Japanese immigration. If the na'tives of Japan, the working class especially, were permitted to emigrate to any particular* section of\ the United States unrestricted, and if they were allowed to possess land on exactly the same terms as do the citizens of this country,.it would be a matter of grave concern to the entire nation. In am pot opposed to Japanese immigration in California through any fear that these people will not become good citizens, i. e., law-abiding and industrious citizens. My objection rests on a gGnYLCtion: that the yellow races of the‘Orient can never be assimilated by-the Caucasian race. # Should we permit these nationalities to come into our country unrestricted, giving them the privilege of purchasing land on the same basis as native Americans now hold it, we would only be loading ourselves down with the responsibility of another race problem, similar to the one we are-confronting in the South today. . . . It was to avoid the possibility of any such contingency that the alien land law of 1913 was passed by the California legislature. This measure provides that no alien not eligible to citizenship has the right to own land in California. The stability of our democracy rests on the elimination of class, cohesion of races, and a united" purpose regarding ideals. If a race totally different from our own is allowed to gain a footing in this country, to own our land on equal terms, and is yet unable to meet us on equal terms socially and economically, surely we are victimizing ourselves and fostering a condition in which lurks the direst peril to our nation as an institution. Such a condition would strike at the very foundation of the republic. The gentlemen’s agreement, by which it is understood that Japan will not give passports to its coolie or laboring class, has the effect of protecting us from an influx of cheap laborers and undesirable yellow men. And the California alien land law gives the Japanese already in this country exactly the same privileges which are extended to Americans in the empire of Japan. Americans are not permitted to own agricultural land in Japan; therefore why should the Japanese be given the right to possess farms here ?

League to Enforce Peace or Domination by One Nation Alone Will Stop Warfare

Under present conditions it is easy to see that wars in the future are likely to become more rather than less barbarous, if the world is to go on with great nations standing armed against one another, each planning or fearing an attack, and each preparing to the utmost for the shock. Mankind is brought face to face with the alternative of losing its civilization in the blast of war, or of contriving some means of stopping war; and there would appear to be only two means of stopping war, either-a league of the nations of the earth for that purpose, or the domination of the whole world by one government. The latter does not come within American philosophy, for we would not be that nation if we could, and if we did, we should lose in the process all in the way of political principles that we have stood for; and we certainly cannot contemplate a domination of the world by any other nation. The alternative, then, is a league of nations for the prevention of war. Of all the plans proposed for common actiqn among nations to prevent war, the only one which seems to have a chance of success is that of the League to Enforce Peace, because it proposes the use of force. Utopian ideas of a millennium based upon a belief in the progressive moral improvement of men are all very well, but they do not remedy thb disease from which the present organization of mankind into hostile nations suffers. To leave force out in regulating international affairs, on the theory of thb eventual perfectahility of man, would be lUce~disßanding the police force of a large city on the same ground. Mankind needs the policeman not only because many men are bad, but because many are timid, more distrustful than they are untrustworthy, ready to strike for fear that others may do so first —for fear is no less a source of violence than is evil intent. The experience of the world has shown that when anyNiuthority is set up, backed by force, men cease to carry arms, hut are ready, if necessary, to support those to whom force is intrusted. The time has come when we mustguLJorce behind International law, as we do behind every other kind of law that is obeyed.

History Indicates That Prosperity and Not Panic Will Come at the End of the War

Tn every case the post-bellum history of former great wars records a continuance of the business activity which the wars themselves had stimulated. After Waterloo England entered upon the greatest era of industrial and commercial expansion she had ever known. The British empire of commerce was, in fact; made possible by the Napoleonic wars. After our Civil war the-United States and the entire American continent, north and south, had a boom which lasted until 1873. After the billion francs she paid Germany, became more prosperous than ever in _______ • —— l ! \ ■ her history. * . . . The reason for this seeming paradox is that the activities of reconstruction are more stimulating than those of destruction, because they, are inspired by hope rather than by vindictiveness or revenge. People work more eagerly to live than to die. In so far as America is concerned, I cannot see that we have anything to regret or fear if peace should come tomorrow on terms that would guarantee the future integrity of international law. _ A ievf mushroom munition plants w'ould be dismantled and there would be some relocation of labor, but the more important and permanent business of the country would probably boomThe money which the war has provided us will permit of the prises upon a scale that will be adequate to our present development and the amount of money thus put in circulation will far exceed any profit • that we may reap from a continuance of the war.

By FRANCIS J. HENEY

By A. LAWRENCE LOWELL

President of Harvard University

By THEODORE H. PRICE

Editoi of Commerce and Finance