Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1917 — Page 2

The Chance Guest

By GEORGE ELMER COBB

(Copyright, 1917, by W, G. Chapman.) “HI ’sprise mamma. She’ll be tired and hungry.. U-ura I I’d like to taste the pie. But I mustn’t, not even a wee tiny smidge.” Arline Ross, age seven, queen of the little kitchen of the humble Ross home, assumed a grand important air as she smoothed out the table cloth and proceeded to set in turn on its worn surface a pie, half a dozen doughnuts and-some sHced boiled -ham.Then she looked into the steaming coffee pot. The aroma arising was satisfactory. “And I earned it all!” pronounced Arline proudly. “Isn’t it queer, me earning money? I heard Mrs. Dawson telling a neighbor she couldn’t leave the children alone, and I stepped up and said l’d be glad to watch and amuse them. Then, when she came home, she gave me half a dollar, and I— marketedand Arline chuckled gleefully. A full table had been a rarity at the Ross home for some weeks past. Dire trouble had fallen on gentle, patient Mary Ross. Her husband, Edgar, had one fault. Ever so often he fell in with drinking comrades at the mill where he was a bookkeeper and a night of revelry ensued. Mary had borne this sorrow meekly, for when sober, Edgar Ross was the soul of.

kindness and consideration. ; Then one night there came terrible news. Ross had been dissipating all ( the evening. There had been a number of robberies In the town and the Ipolice were on the lookout for the perjpetrators. According to their story, They had met Ross escorted by a stranger. They were suspicious of strangers. Only an hour previous a house had been broken into and some valuable jewelry stolen. At sight of the stranger they had halted him, questioned him and searched him. They found nothing suspicious on his person and the officer, knowing Ross, took him in charge to see him safely home. The stranger went his way. AS Ross neared home something fell from his pocket. It was a watch and some diamond rings done up in a handkerchief. The officer identified them as the articles stolen from the burglarized house. Ross in his condition could not explain their

“Poor Man!" Whispered Arline to Herself.

possession. A week later he was sent to the penitentiary for ten years as a common burglar. Then came sorrow, hardship for Mary. The trial took all of their savings. She was called on to support herself and her little girl. Only nfew were willing to employ the wife of a convicl as a seamstress. The shoe pinched sorely, and well might little Arline regard the unusual meal that was the result of her own diligence, as a spread quite royal. Arline got tired waiting for the return of her mother. She went out on the street and peered far down its length. There was no longed-for mother in sight. And then, about to return to the house, she became interested in watching a man with a cane who limping came out of a near yard. “We’ve enough of our own to feed,” its owner was shouting roughly, “without wasting good victuals on tramps and loafers!” J The mendicant came down the street till he reached a horse block. Arline regarded him pityingly. He was thin, pale and convulsed with a racking cough. He bowed his head dejectedly. Arline atoie up to his side. She placed a gentle hand upon his arm. “Are you hungry, mister?” she asked. Me looked up in a surprised yet hopdess way. The pure, innocent face of the child abashed him. “Go away!” he said in choking voice. “I don’t deserve anything. I’m a bad man.” “You’re a poor man, I guess,” insisted Arline. “And you look hungry. And I’ve Just got sqpper ready. I earned it all myself,” proudly declaimed Ariirer- “There’s pie, and ham, and cdffee. and doughnuts, and it’s all mine to give, and you’re welcome. Come Into the house and see, won’t you?” The hard, bitter face of the stran-

ger softened. Arline. had hold of his hand now and insisted on gently but resolutely bringing him along. “There!” she cried triumphantly, .is she led her guest into the kitchen. “What do you think of that?” The stranger sank to a chair, from sheer exhaustion, it seemed. He listened to the gay babble of the child," sounding like joy bells in his willing ears, but soul famishing for kind words and charity. She poured out a steaming Ctip of coffee, she cut the pie and loaded his plate and her guest devoured the repast with the ardor and zest of a man truly hungry. Arline ran out to the shed to get some wood. When she returned the man jsat back in his chair, his eyes closed, his body relaxed and limp. ‘Toor man !” whispered Arline to herself. “I suppose he’s just about all done out. Sh-sh!” she spoke suddenly, gliding to the door, finger warningly on lip. as her mother appeared. “Why, Arline! what is all this?” asked her amazed mother, “and who is thisstranger?”- - ——— Arline recited her story. ThWmother’s eyes dwelt fondly upon her as she recognized the generous instinct of humanity in that gentle soul. Arline went up to h,er guest and pulled his sleeve. He did not respond. Then Mrs. Ross, gazing more closely, looked grave and alarmed. “He is unconscious,” she uttered. “He looks ill.” She felt his hands. They were very cold. “Arline. run next door for Doctor Prescott. There is something the matter with this man.” _ ’ ; - ——-—'• There was, indeed. When he came the doctor looked grave and puzzled. They carried the man Into the next room and placed him on the bed. “He is very ill,” announced the doctor. “His vitality is low and he seemsto have a chronic affection of the heart. I do not think, he can live. You can scarcely afford to care for_a_. stranger, Mrs. Hoss, but it would be unmerciful to turn him adrift. I will see that you are repaid for the expense he may be to you.” “Oh, he is welcome to all we can do for him,” declared warm-hearted Mrs. Ross. The Invalid rallied a few hours later. Slowly he recognized his surroundings and the incidents leading up to his present environment. He held little Arline’s hand, his eyes full of tears. He tried to express his fervent gratitude to her mother. “And I am so undeserving?’ he said, and and stared fixedly at a framed portrait of Edgar Ross hanging on the wall. “Who—-who is that?” he asked, almost sharply. A spasm of pain of the—intensest

emotion crossed hisfaceas~in a subdued tone., Mrs. Ross told of their misfortune. The patient roused up almost frantically. “Send for some one to witness my -confession !’’he cried; —“Oh, madam! yopr husband is an innocent man.” and then his story came out. He was a burglar whose deed had caused the conviction of Edgar Ross, and, that night long past, seeing the police approaching and knowing he might be searched, he had slipped his spoils into the pocket of the wayfarer he pretended to be helping home. He had got out of town at once and since then had been falling in health until he had become homeless and moneyless. “It was retribution,” he declared, “but now I can make atonement.” The contrite man died the next day, hut not until he had paved the way through his confession to insure the restoration of Edgar Ross to his longing family. So, the generous impulse of a brave little child brought about the rehabilitation of the father she loved.

Dog Worth While.

“I noticed when you passed our house last evening.” said the fat plumber, “that you had q hound dog with you.” “Yes,” the thin carpenter returned, “and believe me, that is some hound.” “Where were you taking him?’’ “Out in the woods to give him a little training.” “Is he .learning anything.” “I should say so. After I had'been working him out for an hour or so he took down the road after a piece of newspaper that the wind was blowing.” ~ ' “That was a fool trick, wasn’t it?” “I thought so until I learned my mistake.” “Mistake.” _ “Yeh. When I finally caught up with the dog I learned that I had greatly misjudged him.” “In what way?” “He had been doing his duty as he saxv it.’’ -- ....... “Doing his. duty?” -L/ “Yes. When I picked up the piece of paper he had been chasing the first thing my eyes fell on was a half-page advertisement of a butcher shop with rabbits for sale.” —Youngstown Telegram. -

Wholesale Bakery.

The man climbed on a Columbus street car and took a seat. He had a bucket with him. and as there was a stool in the vestibule of the he placeci the bucket on jfie stool. Suddenly the motorman saw something on the track and applied the brakes in a hurry. The bucket fell off'the’stool and a considerable amount >of oeer went to waste. “I was just taking it home to use in yeast for bread/’ (he owner of the fftivhvc exphiined.- as be fought down the rising color in his face. “It’s the first time I ever knew you conducted a wholesale bakery.” one of the passengers replied.—lndianapolis News. r

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER. IND.

RED BACK TO CAB

RAILROADER TELLS 6f EXPERIENCE WITH “GHOST.” Turned Out to Be Harmlese, but He Admits It Gave Him Just About the Prize Scare of His Life. ‘ Ghosts? Why, yes, we have them along the railroad; lots of them. Get Under the skin of the boys on the night runs, and if they like you and you are properly qualified, well—possibly they will tell you, who knows? Blit it will be necessary to hav’e their confidence, for they are very reticent about discussing their friends of the sliadows',. for these ghosts are usually rattling good fellows whose ( society is rather enjoyed, remarks a railroad man, tn the Buffalo Express - Sometimes, however, they fail us, and—tftit I’ll tgll you. T Whs Tomlng up fFoTn “New "York last fall on the Chicago express No. 5. I turned in early, but the car was

hot and stuffy, and after tumbling around for an hour or so, findiug it impossible to sleep. I dressed and swapped stories with the train crew until we reached Wilkes-Barre, when I went ahead and climbed on the engine, thinking that the night run up the river would straighten me out. I was -awakened, however? by the fireman who. entering the cab at that moment, began to unfold a weird tale concerning a headless man with a luminous body who, on nights like this, haunted the woodlands of the* river bluffs below Glendon's -eddy ; how the apparition had appeared to many of the boys on the night runs, and was known to have on one occasion, raised a glowing arm-in-saiute as the train swept past him ; how he had been repeatedly seen leaning against an old stump near the entrance of a small ravine, and at another time, how the enof a Symbol Liner found him sitting on a rail, only to disappear in mist as the pilot point touched him.

You can rest assured that I lost all desire for sleep as he continued to relate the various doings of this ferocious goblin, and I was mighty glad we were traveling so fast that even a vigorous, ill-mannered ghost couldn't catch us with a handicap. But it was another case of the unexpected The airbrakes were suddenly applied and speed was gradually reduced until we came to a full stop, not far, as r best jl-could judge owing to the darkness, from the long sweep near Primrose creek at Fenton’s ferry. Something had gone wrong with the engine and the engineer, fireinau_and myself were soon on the ground, looking over the big machine. It was only a trifling matter —a lost pin from one of the big siderods —which -was promptly located and neatly repaired, when, chancing to glance behind me, what’ did I perceive, to. my horror, standing on the bank, not a dozen feet away, but a phosphoresceiitpersorrage, to my imagination at least ten feet high, with long legs and arms, but lacking a head, showing out in bold ’relief, glowing and brilliant against the intense blacjc background like a set piece of Fourth of July fireworks.

And when it shook itself together and slid down the bank, started for the engine, stood ’tTie cmgTneer and watched the repairs being made, my hat simply went up about four inches and I had urgent business right back in the cab of that locomotive with every window and door closed-tight to keep out the night air. just- as the first fairrt streaks of tag with the river mists and the feathered songsters were caroling forth their welcome to the early morh, from, every tree and bush along the river, as we rolled across the long bridge at Towanda, I came to and glanced across the cab at my companion of the night, and although I knew that my expression demanded an explanation, none was forthcoming, a bland smile being his response; and it was not until we reached the end of the run. on time, and were seated together on an old box in the roundhouse stall, that he loosened up. And what do you think? Why, that terrible headless monster was only a poor, old, innocent German who had unearthed a small vein of radium in the immediate vicinity of where we had stopped, and while working the same during the night time to avoid meddlers and interference, permitted his clothing to become Impregnated with the - “radiant stuff, to the consternation of the night-liners, unintentionally becoming, for a short period, the Shining Spirit of the Susquehanna.

Straight Railroads.

So few are the railroads which are absolutely straight for more than a few miles that there is some justification for the comment when specific instances can be cited. The principal example in Englandis that-be tween Paddock Wood and Ashford, on the South-Eastern and Chatham railroad, Avhere 22 miles of perfectly straight line are seen. The impression created when one travels over this section on the footplate is peculiar, as the rails stretch away in front of the train for mile after mile without a curve in sight. . ■ 1 America possesses a few exceptional stretches of direct railroad, and the claim is made Zealand vides the -railroad without u curve—a distance pf 136 mUeg- • * •■ -- -—' ; '

ALERT AND KEEN OF SIGHT

Men at the Throttle Realize the Grave Responsibility Which Goes With Their Position. The engineer’s figure is immobile, but his mind is alert. His touch upon the throttle is as light as that of a child. His face, half hidden behind - his great goggles, is expressionless. Yet behind those same protecting glasses the winCjMys of his soul are open— and watching/watching, forever whtching the curving track. . Sometimes the track curves away from his Side of the and then file fireman climbs up on his seat behind and picks up the lookout. But he does not pick up the engineer’s responsibility. I recall hearing once of an engineer who used to pull a passenger train up in Wisconsin. Midway on his run the road crossed a small creek which the rivers and harbor bill had declared a navigable river. It spanned the waterway by a drawbridge. The drawbridge was protected by -automatic home and distance signals —and a lazyslgnaltender. Despite the fact that the draw was rarely ever opened, he habitually set the distance signals at danger and the home signals—at the very portal of the bridge—at safety. That relieved him of labor. One day the draw was open the United States government inspectors were at work upon it. But one of the engineers, with a contempt for that lazy sign of danger at the distance hoard, came down upon it with a long freight at 40 miles an hour. It took ten minutes to fish him out of the river, and ten hours to get the locomotive out.—Sunday Magazine of the Washington Star.

NEW LOCK FOR CAR DOORS

Fluid Fres«ure _Dgyje.e Which is Said to Be About as Good as Any Yet Invented. A fluid pressure releasahle lock for 'freight car doors has been patented by George V. McGill of Cranesville, Pa. The device is of simple construction and is said to be easily attached to the car door. Figure 1 shows the lock as adjusted. Figure 2 is the longitudinal section view of the lock. Figure 3is thetop plan and Figure 4 is a detail illustrat-

ing the retaining lock after it has been shifted to release by fluid pressure. Secured to the-door-is a bracket carrying a spring-controlled hasp, the latter having an opening for the passage of the locking bolt. , The hasp projects upon-The" door frame within the path Of tile Tocklng holt! AftachecTTo'the door frame in a vertical manner is a cylinder.

Railroads In Germany.

The .first railroad in Germany was opened to traffic SI years ago—December 7, 1835. Railroad building in the German states made little progress until the'middle of the century, and it was noUuntll after the formation of the empire that the great era of railroad construction commenced. All of the lines built since then have been designed to facilitate the movement of troops in case of war. and the facility with which the kaiser’s forces have been moved from one front to another in the present struggle has been a result of this foresight. At the outbreak of the war Germany had about 38,000 miles of raib road, of which 35,000 miles are owned by the state. Germany’s ally, Austriahas about 28,000 miles of lines, with 22,000 miles state owned. In the matter of passenger rates Germany leads the world in cheapness, the first-class rate being 2.74 cents per mile, secohd Ciass T. 74 cents, and third class 1.16 cents. The great majority of middle class Germans and many of the wealthy and noble classes usually travel second class.

Too Far Off.

“Diplomatic language,” said Secretary Lansing, “is all very well, but it won’t work miracles. “It’s like the young woman’s case. She refused the old gentleman most diplomatically, but I’m sure that, nevertheless, he was very much put out. k“<l told old Gobsa Golde,’ suid the young woman, ‘that his age compelled me to refuse hirn.’ . - “‘What!’ said her companion. ‘YoU told him to his face he was too old?’ ” “ ‘Oh. no! I managed more "'diplomatically than that.. He said he’d love and cherish me till death, and I told him he was too young.’”—SL Louis Globe-Democrat,

American Manufacturers and Merchants Know Little About Their Own Easiness

Are we to have America first or America flabbergasted at the close of the European war? The answer depends' on whether we are willing to learn anything about our own business. A farmer can write to the department of agriculture and find out how mucii hay was produced in the country last year, how much is left over from the previous year, and what the market price is, but there is no department of the government to which the manufacturer of steel can go for the same information about his industry. We know less about our own business than any nation in the world. Ninety per cent of the manufacturers don’t know what it costs them to produce their goods. They base their prices upon those the turer around the corner has.fixed, and the man around the corner maj be headed toward bankruptcy at the rate of sjxty miles a minute. Talk about making two blades of grass grow where one grew before I Without a cost-accounting system manufacturers and business men are literally competing for. blue ribbon. Not one business man in ten knows when he is losing money. If he did, he would stop the leak and confine himself to tjie profitable end of the business. That is what a cost-accounting system will do. You hear a lot about our export trade, which now amounts to $5,500,000,000. Do you realize that our domestic trade is valued at $45,000,000,000, and that if there were no lost motion, we could double it in the next ten years ?

Limitation of Executive Power Tends to Hamper State and City Governments

Head of American history Department of Harvard University

We have a thoroughly articulated system in Washington which presents vast advantages over our system of state government. It is remarkable that the states have not done more to imitate federal concentration. At Washington great executive power is vested in the president, who appoints the heads of important state departments. The president has power to remove departmental heads. In state government the governor does not name the heads of departments. Boards and commissions are created which result in oyerlapping of activities and increased expenditures, —These-Wies are. noL responsible to the governor or to the heads of departments. The authority of the state is subdivided and packed away in little boxes which have no relation to one another. It is amazing what good service we get from In city governments the mayor is often mayor in name only. Common councils often appoint committees which usurp the power of the executive. The remedy for the evils in our present system of government is greater belief in and attention to men; a broader and fuller support of men. We need character, ability and positiveness at the head of our governmental affairs. Democracy might as well make up its mind that it cannot get what it wants through a thousand channels.

System of Scientific Taxation Needed to Eliminate Evils of Present Methods

Taxation should be fegafde<Uas’a7.'sii<Ted right. 7 here has never been a time in the history of this nation when the problem of meeting the burden of excessive taxation has pressed more heavily upon the people. It seems to me that both federal and state governments ought to in justice .should wt-bfr.xwifcL tinned. When taxation is easy, extravagance increases. If a. state or—municipality reaches hew sources of income each year, in its search for taxable wealth, the chances are that it will soon become committed to forms of extravagance which would hot be attempted if the poor taxpayer was not a shining mark and an easy vicfim. The railroads are taxed almost to death, and the wonder is that they can render the service that they do, Tinder conditions as they are. Our taxation systems each year are becoming more involved, and in these days of thrift campaigns, when the whole nation, is trying to practice economies, our attention should be turned to readjusting our facilities of taxation, so as to lighten the burden rather than to increase it. In these days of enormously increased living expenses it behooves us to develop a system of scientific taxation which shall be free.from the growing evils of the present movement to make the few carry the burdens of the many.

Idea That Nation Must Engage in War or Lose Its Virility Is Mistaken One

By D. JACQUES LOEB

The biology of which the war enthusiasts make use is essentially antiquated, and the statement that a nation, by not going to war, will lose its virile virtues is not supported by our present knowledge. Enthusiasts maintain that unless a nation engages occasionally in war, it will lose its courage, which is essential to its survival. There is a wide difference in the development of instincts and fn the powers of inhibition in different individuals, and these differences may be hereditary. *, Individuals with a strong homicidal mania, who just manage to suppress their tendencies, will welcome war, since it removes for them the burden, of constant inhibition. Unfortunately, such poorly balanced individuals have rather too frequently been the leaders of governments. - U' ' Since at present the making of War has been left in the hands of statesmen, it may be well to mention that the exact sciences have paved, the way for the replacement of the present type of statesmanship by a new we. The new statesman will apply the xesults of the exact sciences to the improvement of the lot of humanity. We shall then diminish the danger of war.

By EDWARD N. HURLEY

Former Chairman of Federal Trade Commission

By PROF. ALBERT BUSHNELL HART

By JOHN G. LONSDALE

Preiident National Bank of Commerce, St. Louis

of the Rockefeller Institute