Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 148, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 July 1917 — Page 2

How if feels to Ride Beside fireman on fast Passenger Locomotive

The sensation is exciting and offers some special thrills to him that makes the trip at night—Engine men need strong nerves

LEAR and vibrant rose ■ the song of the engine as it waited impatiently for the shrill signal which ’ would send No. 11 on Its way, stalking across two states to Omaha. The piping whistle sounded, the engineer slid out the

reverse lever, opened the throttle, and with a series of staccato throbs the train was off. In the tense hurry 'of starting on time, I had forgotten myself as I sat on the fireman’s side of the cab. The black studded end of the boiler protruded into the cab, a tangle of pipes, gauges and valves across its face. Between the clinks of the fire doors at the bottom, the flames within sent a faint streak of light hack on the dark tender in the rear. The fireman, “Dock,” seated himself on the Seat with me, where he might look out on the track ahead. From the murky, smoke-filled shed of the depot, we entered the yard, weirdly lit by the great arc lights. A curve turned us off past the brightly illuminated building in which the dispatchers at work in shirt sleeves watched our departure. On the signal bridges above, mysterious red, green and white lights blinked at the seething activity in the mputh of the great Union station. To me the lights meant nothing; to Dockery and the engineer, M. J. Demmer, they told a story as clear as though printed in words. But always, like a beckoning star, a green light stood above our way. “All right.” Dockery shouted. "All right,” answered Demmer. “All right,” cried Dockery, as we came to another signal. “All right,” responded the engineer. “Green,” said Dockery. “Green,” checked Demmer. Soon the hum of the yards grew fainter and the green lights came farther apart. No. 11 began to go through the city, first along a lane of many tracks, which gradually merged into four open lines. The engineer opened the throttle wider, set the reverse lever two more notches, and, as the engine responded, the cab began to rock and sway with the increased speed. From the cab window a glimpse of Interrupted city streets was caught. Dwarf street cars waited in several places, the conductor standing out in front to signal his petty way clear to the motorman. The hum of the city hovered around us, rising above the deafening roar of the engine. Strings of box cars stood silent and dark on the sidings along the way. Two of the main lines curved off to the south. A roundhouse went by, where some engines were being groomed after their day’s work, and others had steam up ready for a night’s toil. We have made two stops at accommodation stations in the city, and finally the buildings melted away, leaving us in the country. • * * • • • • Shovels Coal Incessantly.

Dockery was engaged incessantly in shoveling coal into the mouth of the furnace beside us. And when he had a minute to spare he perched on the seat behind me. peering out for the signals which he checked with Demmer. Picking the way through the scattered houses of the country we swung along all along for a space of many minutes. Jhen Demmer shut down his throttle a little and we rounded a long curve. Ahead gleamed a deep green light on the right side of the track. i —— ■ “Green,” said Dockery. “Green it is," checked Demmer. “That gives us the St. Charles bridge,” Dockery yelled into my ear as Demmer opened the throttle again, and I perceived we were mounting the long trestle of the approach. A sweeping curve brought us round gradually and the searchlight centered finally upon the girders and iron works of the long bridge before us. We entered the bridge and an interminable number of cross-pieces passed the cab window like shadows. Before us, the searchlight threw Its rays down the vista of steel. Bitt we had passed the headlight’s reach as soon as we could visualise what it showed us. Framed in by the net of steel, the bridge was more than a mile of darkness, a hundred feet above the muddy river. Beyond, the little city spread itself out on the hillside, illuminated by blue arc lights which were interspersed with the yellow lights of the buildings. As Demmer brought the train to a stop Dockery scampered up over the

Digging Their Own Graves.

The British food dictator’s statement that nine people out of ten are digging their graves with their teeth includes those who are constantly chewing the rag as well as those who overKansas City Journal.

It Can't Be Done.

Mistress—How do you manage to jmake such a noise here in the kitchen? Cook—Well! just you try to break .four plates without making a noise.—

tender and caught the giant water pipe, fitted it to the tank, and loosened the flood of waters which poured over the iron sides of the coal car and onto the track below in a pool of mud pnd cinders. The engineer took his torch and oil can and went over the engine. “Here’s Sam, Dock,” Demmer shouted, as a figure came up from the train behind us. It was the conductor bearing the dispatcher's orders for the enginemen. “We’ve got a passenger of our own, Sam,” Demmer boasted, and called me down from the cab to introduce me to the train conductor. The latter handed over the dispatches to Dimmer and spoke to me about my ride in the cab. When the time was up Demmer climbed back, set his levers, and we pulled away from the station. I watched the conductor swing aboard the middle part of the train, and St. Charles became only an incident. The cities and their outlying districts shaken off, Demmer became more daring with his throttle, opening It wider and wider and balancing the reverse lever the while. The rocking of the car became a lurch, as the roadbed flooded by underneath us in everincreasing velocity. The headlight sent a shimmer of light ahead over the track, figuring the steel rails gingerly as we flew past.

Faster and faster grew our pace. Imperturbable, Demmer sat on his perch making the endless adjustments of levers and valves until the steady rate of 60 miles an hour had been attained. Like a giant wave sliding into us, the track from the end of the searchlight’s reach, seemed to bulge up and come veering down under tfs. We could never mount to the crest of the wave, and we could never gain on it. A few lights marked a little bystation. In a minute we were upon it. and the few people there huddled against the wall to shield themselves from the rush of air as we smashed past with a roar of connecting rods and drivers. The fields were flooded with the light of the spring silhouetted the rows of corn sheaves, the hay stacks, and the horses roaming about the farmers’ fields. Overhead the stars raced evenly along with us in the clear, crisp April sky. and underneath the roadbed was going by in an endless roar. His hair, tinged with gray, prompted me to ask Demmer how many years’ work was necessary before a man obtained a fast passenger run. He replied that at least 20 years of a man’s life went into preparation for passenger work, that such long seasoning was necessary for the hard and rigorous work of pulling the through passenger trains over the line. “How long do you work each day?” I asked him. “This run takes about eight hours,” he replied. “But let me tell you that eight hours is enough to work in this business. “Why, I have worked sixteen hours a day and it is too much to expect that a man can do his best work on about five hours of sleep daily. What do you think about it?” Just then, far off in the distance, a red lamp appeared in our path. The engineer pulled the cord over his head and the steam whistle emitted a long blast. Presently, the red changed to green, and Demmer relaxed again, settling back into repose, if it might be called repose, in the jolting, swaying cab. ~ ~ T ~ 1 “That means,” he said, forgetting

Practical Patriotism.

“Every time you put up an American flag,” says Dan Beard to the Boy Scouts, “plant beans at its base.” Symbolism and sense. Beans love a flagstaff and they climb toward the light.” —New York World.

Not Like a Bear.

Patience—He’s very nice to his wife, when they are out in company, but at home he acts like a bear. Patrice —Oh, no, he doesn’t She aays he never hugs her. 1

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, INb.

the eight-hour controversy in the fascination of his work, “that we have a clear block between the next two stations.” Soon we were upon the green light, and as we thundered by the little station I could see the dispatcher, at work over his keys, look out through the window at us. “He is telling the next station that Number Eleven has just passed,” said Denfmer. In these men along the way, then, we trusted. If one of them forgot to tell the next that we had passed, a shambling string of freight cars might be let into the block from the other end. There were a thousand “ifs" which might mean death for us, but Demmer trusted the silent, isolated men at the keys. And back in the coaches, men and women were slumbering in warmth and safety through the same trust. In the city, the chief dispatcher was watching our flight, mile by mile.. A flash from him and we could be stopped almost anywhere along the route —unless the flash came too late. “Remember that cyclone we had last summer that caught one of our trains?” Demmer asked. I nodded, and he said: “Well, she struck the train—Number Five, I think it was —just down the line a way. I’ll show you the place in a minute.”

Just then we roared across a long trestle over a deep, marshy ravine. “This trestle was picked up by that storm,” Demmer said, “and set down there in the lake a hundred yards from here, just after the train had crossed. And here’s where the train was when the storm struck. Every window in the cars was broken; the engineer and the fireman had to lie flat on the bottom of their cab, while the wind took the windows clear out. I’m glad •we don’t have many cyclones on the road. “The officials are very careful about that,” Demmer added, with a chuckle. “In a storm, or when the snow piles up ahead of you and you’ve got to get through it and make your schedule is when we catch it. Or when it is pouring. rain and we can't see two* feet ahead into the mist, we can’t tell when a freight train or a. stalled pasesngef trahrmay appear ahead —and we have to know just where to pick out the sidings, too.” The miles poured by us. An occasional farmhouse loomed up along the way, and slipped silently into oblivion again as we leaped along. Freight cars, and even strings of passenger cars stood by the main line again, all dark and empty. Green, red and white lights began to appear in confusion, and we slowed down little by little. It was the end of the run. Demmer became absorbed in his brakes and levers, and I crossed over to the fireman’s side again. He sat there, calm and controlled, bringing the train into the last mile. Dockery opened the doors again and the yellow-white light of the fire threw Demmer into relief against the cab window. I looked back at the trailing train, the lights of the window’ making pale shadows along the tracks. Dockery went to a cabinet in the door of the tender and took out a big jug of water to drink. He with his water, and Demmer with his pipe—a very human pi ctu re, I thought, and what a charge they had. We parted, I to be taken by the train, which we met there, back to the city—to be one of the passengers in the soft-cushioned, easy-riding cars, trusted in the green star and the watch ers in the cab.—J. H. Kinsella, in St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

Bolivia Has 153 Autos.

Bolivia, South America, the country of Andean heights, torrid valleys and freezing plateaus —a South American Switzerland that perhaps never will be liberally provided with hotels for tourists —has a total of 153 automobiles.

Provoking.

“And how dp ypu like Mr. Flubdub, girlie?*’ “I hardly know. He’s so pleased with himself that he doesn’t seem to notice my good points at all.”

SIMPLICITY IN CLOTHES SOUGHT

Women Eliminate Appearance of Waste and Extravagance in Their Frocks. ECONOMY HYSTERIA SUBSIDES Idea Now Followed Is Not to Deprive Seamstresses of Their Livelihood • but to Avoid All Unnecessary Display. New York. —-In talking- to a dressmaker of importance, whose bills to the rich women run into thousands each season, anent this current topic of economy in clothes, she said that she had found less economy among all classes than a strong desire to wear clothes that did not express money. Simplicity may be very costly, as we all know, was her further explanation, and women were paying good prices for their summer apparel, but they made a strong demand that

Here is an artistic negligee. It is of lapis lazuli crepe, with an overdrapery of ecru lace arranged into full sleeves held by a bracelet of blue beads.

it should take upon itself the appearance of costing little. A black satin dinner frock, for instance, built in draped lines, with a bit of good lace at the neck, or merely a distinctive turnover collar of black and white tulle arranged in a modest decolletage, may have cost as much as a black and gold brocade of last season, trimmed with tulle and metal and draped in a daring way that focussed the attention. But the effect of economy was there. The majority of women think that any undue display of apparel is in bad taste. They feel that the amount of money they pay for their clothes is a private and personal matter; but that any visible and outward display of the high cost of the gown is a public matter, and one that the public has a right to criticize. The question of food is handled in much the same way. If you have been to anyone of the three-course dinners given by the rich women of the country, you may have had to go home and take soda mint to forestall indigestion. There are three courses; against that there is no discussion. The quantity of food that can be put into three courses forms the interesting part of this subject, but, mind you, the food is not expensive and it is not elaborately prepared. The effect on the one who dines is that the inner man is satisfied with nourishing food perfectly cooked.

Onions and potatoes may cost a good deal; rice may have gone up in price; chops may be much higher than mushrooms with a French sauce; but who can gainsay the effect of severe simplicity in the serving of this type of- food? Just what the women who serve three courses have done to their cookery Is what the women of wealth have done to their clothes. See Effect of Economy. After the first hysteria of war economy was over, women saw its foolishness in regard to apparel. A few facts sufficed to give them a different attitude. When several dozen seamstresses had their engagements canceled for the spring season and were at their wits’ end to know how to pay the rent food, the women who engaged these seamstresses to come to their houses each season, quickly saw that it was better to pay wages than to give to charity. When hundreds of gowns were thrown back on dressmakers’ hands, on the plea that there would be no money to pay for such extravagance, and the dressmakers were compelled to hold sweeping sales that undervalued whatever clothes the rich women had already bought, a new idea concerning economy was born in the brains of wealthy women. Th-< second movement on the part of masses of women was then directed toward providing money for those who worked, and at the same time eliminating the appearance of waste and extravagance. " The sane idea worked welf in both directions; it kept the workers em-

ployed and gave them sufficient money on which to live; and it did not offend. the public. No one wants to appear frivolous or unthinking in a crisis like this. When women are dressed in gold or silver, in jeweled trappings and in precious gems, that vast public that Ms thinking only of how to live and how to sacrifice, might begin to murmur those terrible sentences of the French people tn the revolution. It is the appearance of extravagance, therefore, that women should avoid in these times of stress. Let them spend rfs liberally for apparel as they can afford, but let all women follow the lead of the wealthy and conservative set and see to it that their clothes reflect this great hour in dignity, seriousness and simplicity. It is interesting, to know that Germany is the first of the belligerents to put a restriction on the amount of wearing apparel for each person. The imperial clothing office has fixed the amount of garments that each man or woman may buy or possess during the year. This , office also limits the amount of material which may be used in the making of a gown or a suit No one may purchase a yard of material or a single garment without a special permit. It is also interesting to know what imperial Germany thinks is sufficient in the way of clothing for one woman —two everyday frocks, one Sunday frock, one separate skirt, two blouses, one coat or cape, one shawl, one dressing gown, three aprons, one pair of gloves, a half dozen handkerchiefs, four chemises, three nightgowns, three combinations or bloomers, three petticoats and four pairs of stockings. Clothes That Appear Well.

It is the comment of all dressmakers that they are compelled to sell gay clothes at half the price of solemn ones. This should be a guide to all those who are preparing to plan the summer wardrobe. There is no idea of- substituting black for all colors, as there was in France at th? beginning ot the war, for we’re not facing an invading army and burying masses of our dead. Yet, women are choosing frocks with only a bit of white, or Chinese brocade, to enliven them; and beige, sand, white and dull plaids are preferred to red, blue, green and purple. The woman who may have chosen a cloth of gold brown with a tunic over it for last summer, will today choose a frock of white satin with a bit of black tulle at neck and arms, and a girdle of ribbon velvet with a rhinestone buckle. She may pay as much for the one as for the other, but she takes her place in the world with more dignity in the latter than in the former frock. Women dine and dance at restaurants as much as they did last season, but instead of choosing the excessively decollete gowns that have been fashionable, they prefer to be seen in frocks of silk and tulle, or lace, that are high at the back and transparent, and have long, transparent sleeves. There is a woman who pays $25 apiece for her gingham frocks made at an excellent house, and for that high price she could get satin or embroidery jersey; but she wants to do

In this chtrry-rlpe frock for a flirt the skirt is of white pique, the waist of thin white lawn, and the red cherries that dot the, surface are made In cross-stitch design. —

her bit toward that dressmaker by keeping the young girls on salaries during the summer and, at the same time, giving the appearance of simplicity. ' ' A number of smart women who lead the styles have taken up striped outing cloth for sports suits, and they have succeeded in giving it character and dash. This ordinary material is made into a plaited skirt and blouse and trimmed with bands of scallops overcast with a buttonhole stitch. There is a turnover collar of white cambric, and a high, soft belt of colored suede. They are also' making sports Jackets of this outing flannel, trimming It with broad bands of linen ot taffeta, to match the color of the stripes. (Copyright, 1917, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.)

To Clean Gloves.

New white kid gloves may be cleaned by rubbing with a cloth dampened with milk and rubbed on with soap. After gasoline has been used on the gloves this method falls, 7

FARMS THE SOURCE OF WEALTH

Careful Tillage, Good Management and a Beneficent Soil. Reading the reports of the managers of chartered banks in Canada, one Is struck by the wonderful showing that they have made during the past two or three years. They are careful in their statements, and while they attribute the success that they have met w ith, together with that which has followed other lines of business, they are careful to emphasize the fact that the condition of big business may not continue. On the other hand, they point out that the material- and fundamental source of wealth is the farm. While other lines of business may have their setbacks, and while care and scrupulous care, will have to be exercised to keep an even balance, there is but little risk to the farmer who on economic and studied lines will carry on his branch of industry and endeavor to produce what the world w’ants not only today, but for a long distance into the future, w v ith a greater demand than ever in the past. Speaking recently before a Canadian bank board at its annual meeting, the vice president, once a farmer himself, said:

“The farm is the chief source of wealth. We have now three transcon-_ tinental railways with branches running through thousands of miles of the very best undeveloped agricultural land in the world. In the natural course of things, these must attract Immigration. The products of the farm are now commanding the highest prices ever known, and in my opinion even after the end of the war, high prices for foodstuffs must continue to prevail. With the mechanical appliances now available for farm work, tho farmer needs no considerable supply of extra capital, but should be helped to the extent needed upon good security. The food supply of the world is short, the demand is likely to increase rather than decrease. Development of mines, extension of factories and the reconstruction of devastated Europe must all call for supplies for the workers. On the whole, the farmer' has been helped rather than hurt by the w’ar, and will continue to be, at least for a long time to come.” Many men of authority and intelligence support what the vice president has said, and their statements are borne out by the facts that readily present themselves. The different grainproducing countries of Europe have been robbed of the man power that developed their agriculture, the farms have been devastated and laid waste. Full and complete reliance will have to be placed on the United States and Canada, and from what we see today, it will take the combined forces of these two countries to come anywhere near meeting the cty' that will go out for food. The •warnings and appeals sent out by the heads of these two countries are none too soon nor too urgent. Therefore, it becomes necessary for those who can produce to exert themselves. Secure land, rent it, buy it. Get it somewhere, some way, and have it operated. The Canadian Government, Sending out its appeal, is not selfish In this matter. Thousands of acres in the United States await the tiller’s efforts, and none of it should be Idle. Canada, too, offers wonderful advantages, with its free lands and its low-priced lands, to those desirous of helping the nation, and improving their own condition at the same time. Many are taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity.— Advertisement. L__ ' - -

HE CALLED THE DEAL OFF

Prospective Purchaser of Diamond Decided Not to Buy After Getting Owner's Opinion. ’ "Will you please examine this diamond,” said a man Who had stepped into a jeweler’s shop, “and tell me what you think of it? If it is a good stone I think I will buy it” The jeweler took the gem, which was unset, and looked at it critically. Then in confidential tones he said: ' “Well, to tell you the truth, that Isn’t a very good stone. It hasn’t much “fire, it is badly cut, and there is something here very much like a flaw.” Then he held the diamond under a microscope and examined it carefully, finally observing: “No, it isn’t exactly a flaw, but I shouldn’t call it a perfect stone. Now, if you want something really fine I have here —” “Excuse me,” the other man interrupted. “I don’t think I’ll buy a diamond today. This Is a diamond that one of your assistants let me take on Saturday on approval.' I deposited SSO on it Please let me have my money and we will declare the deal off.”— London Answers.

Vegetarian Nuptials.

“It must have been a very expensive wedding.” ■- ’’ , “Why?” “The maid of honor carried a bouquet of sweet peas and the brideemalds baskets of sweet potatoes.” \ It is easy for a man to get rich quick if he meets a lot of others who want to. If a theatrical performance doesn't make a woman cry she thinks she isn’t getting Ker money’s worth. ... ■ ■ I I . — 1 It la not easy to get a Job on Easy street.: :