Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1917 — Page 2

Raise More Sheep-Alarmng Shortage of Wool

Robert H. Moulton tells why farmers should give serious attention to production of this valuable live stock-Profits sure to be large for many years-demand exceeds supply

S_l F ALL the wool grown In the United States"lnst year were made into ■ pare, ali-wool cloth,' and ti>e cloth * T were cut and divided equally among ij the men and women of the country, gs tliere would he about 44 square 0 Inches of such cloth allotted to each Hf person ; and if the present decline in 1 J wool production continues for a few years longer there trill not be enough cloth to make a respectable breechcloth per capita. Such was the declaration of a speaker before the recent wool and textile conference, held in Philadelphia. In a short paragraph this sums up, not alone the situation which we as Americans face, but which the whole civilized world is facing. The impending shortage of clothing is at hand. For every 1,000,000 acres of land in the United States in 1900 there were 67 sheep, while today,

with a steadily Increasing demand for wool and mutton, the same area can boast of less than 60 sheep. The decline in numbers during tills riod has amounted to something like 9,000,000 sheep, although our population during the same period has increased 16,000,000 souls. Last season we clipped slightly Over 42,000,000 fleeces, as against 44,000,000 for 1899, or a reduction of 2,000,000 In 15 years. Our population then was calculated to be 75,994,575, whereas it stands today far above the 100,000,000 mark, or a gain of about 26 per cent. In the past 15 years the wool production has decreased 4 per cent, thus leaving a difference between production and in-"

creased population a chasm of 30 per cent dividing it. There are more than 20,000,000 men in Europe under arms, wearing out six times their normal consumption of wool. As the war progresses the available wool of the world is certain to be consumed to the last ounce. Cotton, linen, and other fabrics may be used, but wool will be used as long as it is possible to secure it for the fighting forces. But there is no real substitution for this. Cotton may serve the purpose during the summer; for winter campaigning, especially lu Russia and the mountain districts, wool is necessary. Aside from the tremendous demand for wool for warriors, which has been responsible for the present shortage, and which has brought the wool shortage down to hand-and-mouth proposition, there is a shortage in production. Australia, chief among wool-producing countries, is nearly 40 per cent short of her normal sheep supply _he-_ cause of a drought that killed sheep by the tens of thousands. But this, country still has twice as many sheep as we have in the United States. People living in regions demanding woolens

YUCATAN IS THE AMERICAN EGYPT

Scattered all over the Yucatan peninsula are monuments to a civilization that nourished thousands of years ago. Just how many thousand nobody knows and scientists differ very materially in their ideas on the subject. The prevailing belief, however, is that this civilization was in full swing as late as the beginning of the Christian era. Other scientists assert that the ruins antedate those of Egypt. Yucatan can well be called “The American Egypt.” The ruins of 172 cities, big and little, have been discovered and not a quarter of the territory has been explored, that is, carefully explored, for the tropical werdure makes the finding of them very difficult. You might pass within a hundred feet of a wonderful old temple or pyramid a hundred times and not discover it, so effectively does the jungle screen these crumbling monuments of the distant past and shield them from the prying eyes of thlis inquisitive and presumptuous age. Of the 172 clusters of ruins discovered, two sets represent what were once large and prosperous cities, of about half a million inhabitants each. Doubtless at different times each one of these two cities was the capital of the country. One of the cities is Uxmal, pronounced “Ushmul,” situated in the southwestern part of Yucatan, and the other is Chiehen Itza, in the eastern part of the state. One is six miles away from the railway’s end through thejungle and the other 18. In both cases the road leading out is little better than a trail and without question the roughest road that a wheeled vehicle was ever pounded to pieces on. '■ - To my mind the most interesting ruin of alPis “The House of the Dwarf” at Uxmal. It Is a pyramid, with a temple on top where the priests made human sacrifices. The steps on one side are fairly well preserved. A double chain is run down them so that it ip possible to reach the top if you have a cool head. Once there you crawl through a hole knocked in the temple wall and come out on a platform which was the sacrificial altar. On that platform the priests stood «»d with knives of-ftlnt cut out the hearts or living victims and held the gruesome objects aloft, still throbbing, for the populace below to gaze at. In the great quadrangle at the foot of that side of the

also reside In the greatest sheep-raising zones. In fact, sheep are raised In every region where wool is in demand, save in the polar regions. It is natural that the woolen industry should spring up in primitive communities and among people who are too poor to afford purchased material for clothing. Therefore, wool growing and manufacturing ns an industry has a place in practically all countries. As a country increases in population. however, the lands must bq utilized for intensive agricultural purposes and the. range for sheep is reduced in more recent years as a consequence. In our own West this is very apparent. The wool-growing Industry in Europe and America has not kept pace with that in newer countries. Nearly one-half of the world’s present commercial supply of wool is produced in Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. Notwithstanding the fact that the production in the Uuit--ed States is not increasing materially, wool is produced in every state-of the Union. The varied and wide adaptation of sheep in the United States is one of the promising features of the future, if farmers will but appreciate the wonderful sea-

pyramid the inhabitants of the city gathered to watch these festal doings. Fifty thousand people could stand In it. Around this huge court runs a palace, two stories high and beautifully carved, which was the home of the nuns, for whose special delectation these sacrifices were made. The nuns were the aristocrats of ancient Maya society. On all four of the inner sides of this palace are carved two huge snakes, whose bodies are entwined as they twist around the structure. These snakes Ijaye human heads and tassels for tails. In I'iAf. the ruins the carvings are of the same peril! in r design. 'The patterns of The borders and - the general ornamentntion strongly suggest the Egptian. What is most wonderful of all Is how they were able to cut those huge blocks of stone and then carve them so beautifully without metal hammers or chisels. There is no iron or other metal in the country and so all they had to work with was flint. How they raised the blocks Into place none can explain. That remains as much of a mystery as the Pyramids of Egypt. This Is used , as an argument to prove that the same race of people did them both. I There are many more ruins .standing at Chiehen Itza than at Uxmal, but in both cities all the smaller structures and private houses have disappeared. The ages have worn them away or earth-Vpjijl-PB shaken them down and thejungle has covcred all- The natural accumulation of soil for cen-i luWffitoas also covered them many feet deep. The bases o£, the big buildings still in sight are, of course, below the present surface. Not much has been done in the way of excavating, for the government is only just turning its attention to these > wonderful relics of the past. —'-fr— The ruins have several feats in mason work that nre beyond our twentieth century architects, such as arches without keystones, leaning walls, round corners, hanging terraces, and so on. The walls are all enormously thick and the rooms rather small, even; tn the houses of the governors or kings, or whatever they Were called. Most of these rooms are now inhabited by bats and are not at all pleasant places. There are no flat, ceiling to be found. All are finished with pointed arches.— George Miner, in the Mexican Review.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

demanding wool. In the consumption of wool the United States is far and away in advance of either of tl# other great nations, for although somewhat behind the United - Kingdom in the quantity required for her factories, all that is hprf> la rpfnlnpfl for ClothjQS — other uses of our people, and, in addition, vast quantities of woolen fabrics are imported from abroad. A large percentage of the wool consumed in the factories of other countries is manufactured for export and sold for use beyond their borders, giving the United States pre-emi-nence as a wool-consuming nation. The Mercado Central de Frutos, located at Buenos Aires, Is the largest wool market in the world. This port and Bahia Blanca, the great. southern Argentina port, handles practically all the wool grown in the republic. At shearing season wool arrives on ships and trains. In 1873 the world’s sheep population was something like 400.000,000 sheep, whereas today the number is approximately 630,000,000, of which Argentina has about one-sixth, being exceeded in numbers only by Australia, which has 83,000,000 to Argentina’s 80.000,0Q0. The United States has something like 55.000,000 sheep, Asiatic Russia 30.000.000 and Great Britain and Ireland about 25,000,000. South America, all told, has more than 100.000,000 sheep, of which two-thirds are in Argentina. There are ten sheep to every man, woman and child, or an average of 50 sheep per family. Western Canada is coming to be a great sheep "country, and here, where millions of acres of grazing land adapted to shbep raising are found, exists one of the finest natural sheep-raising sections close to centers of mutton and wool consumption to be found in the world. Hie part Canada will play in answering the world's demand for woolens is certain to be important in the near future, for farmers have caught the inspiration resulting from steady prices and a heavy demand for meats and wools. Our department of agriculture recently gave out a statement which reveals the real situation in facts and figures. This statement was to the effect that the production of wool in the United States In 1915 was 288,777,900 pounds, as compared with 290,192,000 pounds In 1914, and 296,176,000 in 191$. In other words, while we seefn to have lost little in production as against 1899, we dropped off 7,000,000 pounds In these two years. ' Promotion of Increased production of sheep undodbtedl.v is our great economic problem. One of the paramount features regarding, the present shortage in clothing is due to the universal lack of proper grading and caring for the wool from farm to factory. Although the United States ranks as one of the leading wool-producing countries off the wdrld, thousands off pounds of good wool annually are permitted to go to waste because of the farmer’s slackness in grading;and preparing his clip for the market; The present educational program of the bureau of animal husbandry tends to remove this loss. This means that the amount of wool Imported annually by American manufacturers Is equal to more than one-half of the home-grown clip. Foreign wool growers, Australians in particular, maintain a uniformly high-grade standard in the handling of their wools. This care in preparation for market has served to give that country a wool hacked by a reputation that readily insures It full value at the time of selling, to the manufacturer. Our modern agriculture ) needs sheep, more sheep. We need sheep to meet modern practical conditions. Farmers can positively do nothing better than enter sheep breeding with a strain, say, like the Shropshire, which have gained the reputation of being adapted to any sheep-raising region of the continent, and being the “farmer’ssheep, a rent-paying sheep, a tenant’s sheep, a monev-making sheep, wool-producing, muttoncarrying. quick fattening and hardy sheep.” This breed is not only an economical feeder, but, like other Improved breeds, good soil conveyors. They are adapted to the most Intensive system of agriculture. Self-Defense. “Going to takte a vacation this year?” “I guess so. I can’t afford to, but I think I’d better knock off work for a week Just to get rid of the people who insist on asking me when I’in going to, and where I’m going, and if not, why?"

tures of these historic animals. Not only are-wool values certain to increase* hut maintain a steady and heavy market demand from all sides for a generation to come. The reasons are very apparent, namely: First, the wool-using population of the world has of late increased more rapidly than wool production. Second, wool’s greatest competitor, cotton, has been in short supply relatively dearer than wool, especially coarse wool. Third, employment at high wages has been so plentiful that »he masses have been In a position to buy clothes, and clothes made mostly of wool instead of cotton and shoddy. There aye nearly 50,000,000 fewer sheep in l ' the world today than 15 years ago, and more than 100,000,000 more people

Battles Which Made the World

, « THE AMERICAN VICTORY AT SARATOGA «■*»—S3 A 3TK Brtu, ‘ Colonial Militia Proved Lew Resolute.

As the skirmish at Bunker Hill becomes a great battle of history in that it decided the American colonists to fight the Wur of the Revolution, so the victory over Burgoyne at Saratoga takes similar rank, because for all practical purposes it decided that- contest and determined the establishment of the American republic. Its consequences were utriklngly direct quite as much for the inspiration they gave the American party in the British parliament as for the effect they produced in determining the French to join with us. * The Americans having suffered defeat at White Plains, Long island, Forts Washington and Lee, Brandywine and Germantown, reverses which outweighed the successes at Trenton, Bennington and Princeton, the "British ministry determined to strike the decisive blow by splitting New England from the rest of the country. To this end command of the Hudson river was to.be gained by the simultaneous advances of an army from Canada and one from New York, the two to meet at Albany. The British authorities were still of the belief that no raw troops could or would stand against trained British regulars in the open. The plan was ably formed. Had it succeeded there Is every human probability that the submission of the colonies must have ensued. Strong re-enforcements were sent to Canada, while in.command of the Invading army was assigned General Burgoyne, This able interesting officer is the individual who appears in Bernard Shaw’s play, “The Devil’s Disciple,” as “Gentlemanly Johnny.” Of regular troops, exclusive of artillery, he had 7,200, half of them Germans. He had also an auxiliary force of some 2 t 500 Canadians. Incidentally he summoned to his aid the Indians of tho lnlre region, by reason of which he was excoriated in America and condemned in England, where Burke pictured him, as addressing “My gentle hyenas ; my tender-hearted wolves.” Advancing down Lake George, he forced St. Clair to evacuate Crown Point and its fortifications on July 5, 1777. Driving opposition before him, he reached the left bank of the Hudson on July 30. To oppose him congress hurried up its pet, General Gates, while as an assistant Washington sent Arnold, one of the most fiery and valorous of leaders. To their standards flocked the provincial militia of the .northern states, while Burgoyne made further preparations at Fort Edward. Now, however, there befell the British two severe disasters. St. Leger had been sent from Canada across Lake Ontario to take Fort Stanwix, after which he was to join Burgoyne on the Hudson. Instead of accomplishing his mission, St. Leger ran into a disastrous beating and scurried back home. Almost simultaneodsly a large force of Germans, under Colonel Baum, sallying forth to capture American supplies at Bennington, were attacked and utterly routed. Lieutenant Colonel Breyman, hurrying up with 500 more Germans to support Baum, was also attacked and driven back. In these two actions the British lost more than slKihundred able soldiers. Yet because he coulcL no longer keep open his line of communication Burgoyne was forced to push forward. He crossed the river, advancing then to Snrntoga, which the Americans had evacuated. Here he waited for the aid of Sir H&nry Clinton, who embarked at New York with 3;000 crack troops, but who didn’t embark soon enough because somebody in the British war office mislaid a letter, in consequence of which Clinton’s re-enforcements did not reach him until September. Burgoyne, becoming impatient, meanwhile took out his right wing under his personal command, encountering Gates and Arnold about four* miles from Saratoga. At nightfall he . was master of the field, but he had lost 600 more men and the Americans had cheered themselves by demonstrating again their ability to stand against his regulars. While Gates’ force was continually growing, Burgoyne was suffering from desertions on the part of his Indians and Canadians. He was now reduced to less than six thousand men. Incidentally all of these were hungry. It was this, as much as anything, which determined Burgoyne to attack even in the face of a much superior enemy. The American right, resting upon the river, he recogmzed as too strong for him. The left he believed he could force,. And against this he headed once again In person a column of 1,500 with six gurs and Generals Phillips, Reidesel and Frazer as his seconds. This was <n, October 7. On the preceding day Clinton had forced the American forts on the Hudson and had destroyed the American fleet He was now only 156 miles from Burgoyne, who, had he known of this approaching assistance, never would have risked As It was, he presumed himself; compelled to go on. 1 Oates did not wait for him. As soon as the British were In line he charged the grenadiers on the left of the advancing enemy. The one of the best bodies of their kind In the \ , i - U--'-

By CAPT. ROLAN F. ANDREWS

< Copyright, 1917, by MeClnre Sew«paper Syndicate)

service, fought gallantly under Adw land, but Gates hurled in more troops and the action became general. That Germans in the center could give th« grenadiers no aid, but the British light infantry and the Twenty-fourth, however, managed by falling back to support the grenadiers. Arnold came rushing up with three new regiments and plunged against the British doublw line. With the Twenty-fourth and the light infantry checking the fury of the onslaught in the center, Burgoyne was able to retreat to his camp, but he lost six guns and many men in the process. Moreover, the Americans delivered ■ a most furious attack against the camp itself, Arnold Anally forcing his way* into the works, where he fell with at wound in the same leg which had been hit at Quebec. Brooke also forced the intrenchments on the right, where Breyman died in defense of his post. This gave the Americans an abundance of supplies as well as turning the British flank and securing command of the rear. Burgoyne extricated himself by retreat to the heights, where he was! completely hemmed in and where Gates sat himself down to wait the work off famine. Of Burgoyne’s host there remained but 5,000, less than half off whom were English, all In pitiful condition and opposed by twice their number. At length the 13th of October having arrived with no aid in sight—for Bur-f goyne was still unaware of Clinton’Sf successful advance—the British opened parley. On the fifteenth the articles were signed. That very evening a messenger arrived from Clinton —too late. On the seventh the entire British army* laid down its arms in surrender. At once the tide of events was turned. The British ministry lost its confidence, the French were decided to join arms with the Americans, the sueeessoftbnßevoluttonwasassured.

WANT TO BE A CARD SHARP?

Here's an Easy Trick to Be Performed! With Four Kings and Two Jacks. Select the four kings from Ae pack,, also two other court cards —preferably" jacks—and spread them fanwlse, be-* lng careful not to show the jacks. Inti adjusting these cards place the twoi jacks back of the first king. As thesei jacks are hidden behind the king theyi are Invisible to the audience, who* must be satisfied that the cards are all kings and nothing else. The cards* are placed on top of the pack. State that you are about to distribute the four kings in various parts ot the pack. Take up the top 'card, which! is really a king, and exhibit it, if be. The next card, being a jack, should' not be shown to the audience, but] should be taken up carefully andj placed anywhere In the pack. Thej -aest—eard—is-ahso—a jack, and .It Ist plficed in another part of The next card can be taken up careless and replaced on top. Three kings) will be at the top and one at the bottom of the pack. When the cards are cut the four] kings will be in the center.— Plain Dealer.

Your Watch and the Sun.

In addition to telling you the time off day your watch may be used for keep-* ing track of the sun. When the orbof day‘finishes its day’s journey and disappears in the West note the time by your watch. Then draw a horizon-i tal line (imaginary, of course) from) the point of the hour hand to the opposite side of the dial. The time indi- 1 cated by the line on this side will b&| the time at which the sun rises in the morning. Thus if the sun sets at ft at night the line shows that it will risen at 4 in the morning; if It sets at 7 itj will rise at 5; if at sit will rise at 7*' and so on.'

Treasures of Tours.

One of the most interesting medieval' treasures of Tours Is the Cathedral ofy Saint Gratin, begun in 1170, but not completed for nearly four centuries. Two other famous structures fare the towers of St. Martin and of Charlemagne. The first commemorates the deeds of the great apostle of Gaul, patron saint of France, who aided Clovis against Alaric and who in return received maby rare gifts for his Tours church the grateful Frankish leader. The Charlemagne tower is S» called because it marks the burial place of that monarch’s third wife* Luitgard.

What Webster Sald.

America has proved that it is practicable to elevate the mass of mankind—the laboring or lower class—to raise them to self-respect, to make them competent and to act a part in. the great right and the great duty off self-government; and she has proved that .this may be done by education and t)ie diffusion of knowledge. She holds out’an example a thousand times more encouraging than ever was presented before to those nine-tenths off the human race who are born without hereditary fortune or hereditary TWfc —Daniel Webster. ~ '