Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 249, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1917 — Page 2

SINGING IS LOST ART TODAY

In Thk Age It la Largely Confined to ths Professional Performers, Even In the Churches. Ringing, as far as most people are concerned, is a lost art. Thousands attend operas, recitals and musical comedies, but, as for singing themselves Informally at their work or splay, they have forgotten how. In times past people of all ranks sang together as a matter of course. Sailors sang at their work; peasants, shepherds, cowboys, all had their favorite and appropriate songs? The songs of children at games, the lullabies of mothers, are In tlfe collected ballads and folklore of many peoples. “The pastimes and labors of the husbandman and the shepherd.” says Andrew Lang, according to the Indianapolis News, “were long ago a kind of natural opera. Each task had its own song; planting, seeding, harvesting, burial, all had their appropriate ballads or dirges. "The whole soul of the peasant class breathes In Its burdens as the great sea resounds In the shell mast up on the shore.” Nowadays the whirl of machinery makes all the noise. The workers in mills might find It unsatisfying to sing at their work, but it Is doubtful if they would sing even if their voices could be heard, while singing in an office or store would pretty surely be stopped by the “boss” or the police. Thousands congregate every night in the silence of moving picture theaters, and even in the churches where singing by the congregation used to be customary, the attendants now usually listen in silence to a paid singer. Singing In this age is largely confined to the professional performer.

WOMEN WEAVE STRAW HATS

All People of Island Depend Upon Earnings of Few Cents a Day Each for Their Living. Next to the transshipment activities of Mount Pleasant, the weaving ot straw hats Is the chief source of Income of the people, says Commerce Reports. The hats woven are of a cheap quality, the standard selling In 1916 for from $1.30 to $1.43 per dozen. The straw for these hats is at present Imported from Venezuela and Colombia, but the Dutch government Is attempting to raise it in Dutch Guiana. The hats are woven by the women and children in their homes, and by moderate Industry a woman can complete a hat In one day. All over the Island from early morning until after sunset the weaving goes on. The Syrian purchasers, who collect the hats from house to house, pay about ten or eleven cents each. Although the straw for a hat costs the weaver from five to seven cents and the amount realized from a day’s work Is very small, many of the people depend entirely upon their meager earnings from this industry. In the government school hat weaving is taught and some of the natives attain a high degree of skill, producing hats said to equal the best made in Colombia. The better grades do not enter Into the export statistics of the colony, as they are bought by tourists; the quality of the standard hat does not improve.

Humoring People Isn’t Pleasant

“Humoring a man” sounds like a pleasant and comfortable thingy but when one links humoring with the question of who makes the money, It does not seem very flattering to the humorer or the humoree. And what a lamentable sight is that of the humoree, what deep inequality it implies and what an absence of any real respect or understanding between two people in whose lives humoring Is a part of the dally routine. When the one to be humored is a woman, it may mean that a man has been forced into the craven part of doing anything for the sake of peace. There are few concessions some men will not make to avoid a domestic storm. Some unfortunate men there are who even give wp vital friendships, legitimate forms of recreation and even their own individualities in this unworthy cause.— Woman’ Home Companion.

Putnam’s Gamp.

About two and a half miles southeast of Bethel, Connecticut, by a road that winds through rolling farm country and then plunges into a succession of tight little wooded valleys, lies Putnam Memorial camp, better known as Putnam park. During the summer and fall this is more or less a resort for folk from Danbury, Bethel and Redding. But In December It lies well nigh deserted and still as it did when, In 1778, “Old Put” selected it and two neighboring sites for a winter quarters of the weary right wing of the Continental army. Though this park was begun In 1887 and practically complete by 1890, it is much less generally known and visited than Valley Forge park. In Pennsylvania, which was not begun until 1893."

Navigation.

A ship at sea is constantly changing it* position on the earth’s surface, and it requires some skill to keep It In It* prescribed path to its destination. The oldest navigators were the Pheniclans. These hardy voyagers sailed from one end of the Mediterranean sea to the other and out into the open Atlantic without compass or chart, guided by the sun by day and by the Great Dipper at night In those days the dipper was much nearer the pole than It is now and indicated the true north fairly well. ■ < .

Shaping One's Own Destiny.

We all shape our own destiny. There is no use in blaming our parents, or the life around us, for what we are. On the other hand, we should keep in mind the well-worn adage, “Any dead ash will float down stream, but it takes a live one to swim against the current. Every one of us can improve ourselves mentally and thus lit ourselves for better work If we but make an honest effort to‘do so. Competition Is pretty keen these days, hence ►he Indolent and the “I wish I were type stand absolutely no chance for a hear! ng.—Exchange.

Solitude Has Its Value.

I Proofs of growth due to solitude are , endless. Milton’s greatest work was ' done when blindness, old age and the death of the Puritan government forced him into completes* seclusion. Beethoven did his best work in the solitude of deafness. Bacon would never have been the great leader of sclent title thought had not his trial and disgrace forced him from the company of a grand retinue and stupid court to the solitude of his own brain.

Sirens Ancient and Modern.

According to ancient Greek legends of mythology, the sirens were a sort of sea nymphs, beautiful creatures with musical voices, who frequented a certain locality in the Mediterranean sea, and by melodious song turned the heads of mariners and lured them to their destruction. Hence, by a figure of speech, the turn has come to be applied to bewitching females who charm men by their musical voices and fascinating ways.

Famous Brazilian Seaport.

The first of the Important seaports of Brazil that are accessible from New York is Belem, the capital of the state of Para. It ranks as the fifth in size, but to the tourist it Is of surpassing Interest because It is situated on the Para river, the southern or commercial mouth of the Amazon, “that mightiest and most majestic of all the rivers of the world.” writes Harry Weston Van Dyke In his “Through South America.”

Baby Born on a Shetland Island.

Some years ago a bonus was paid to a baby In extraordinary circumstances. The new arrival w’as born at Balta, one of the outlying Islands of the Shetland group, and it seems that it was the first baby to be born on the island for, two centuries. The proprietor of the island forthwith sent $125 to Its mother, a w’orking woman, who was employed on the island in connection with a fish curing station.

To Cleanse a Wound.

If a wound is greasy, cleanse with a pledget of the absorbent cotton moistened in benzine, or the antiseptic soapsuds. Cover the wound with several thicknesses of iodoform gauze if you have it —as you should have —In your first-aid kit; pad with a little more absorbent cotton, and bandage In place. Unless necessary to stop bleeding, do not bandage too tightly.

Delays In Congress.

“How will you explain to your constituents,” we chldingly asked, “your action in delaying the business of this great nation by indulging in long-wind-ed oratory while matters of tremendous importance wait?” “Of tremendous importance?” naively answered Senator Slush. “Why, what can possibly be of more Importance than my speech?”—Kansas City Star.

Wesley’s Retentive Memory.

Samuel Wesley reproduced from memory after a lapse of 25 years an oratorio covering upward of 300 closely written pages which he had composed early in life. He said that he saw the score in his “mind’s eye” as accurately as if It lay before him.

Pleasant Field.

“Let me make the songs of a nation and I care not who make its laws." “Well, it is a more enjoyable job," admitted Senator Snooks. “You can make songs right along without offending any Important Interests.^—Kansas City Journal.

Justified Advance.

A friend of mine was playing store with her little boy, and when she protested for paying 25 cents for lettuce the little storekeeper promptly met her objection with: “But, madam, you must remember that lettuce up.”—Chicago Tribune.

Michael, First of Archangels.

Michael, the first of the archangels (Daniel 10.18, Jude 9.) is described in Daniel 10:21, as “the prince of Israel,” and in 13:1, as “the great prince which standeth” inr time of conflict “for the children of thy people.”

Cold Julce.

Alice was eating her first piece of Ice, when she suddenly exclaimed: “Say, mother, the juice of this ice 1* awfully cold.”

Basle of Alt Friendship.

“Know this, that he that is a friend to himself is a friend to all men.**—Selected.

Optimistic Thought.

Who punishes one threaten* a hundred

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. IND.

IS MOST VENOMOUS SNAKE

Echls Carlnata of India, Found In ’ Nearly Every Part of Peninsula, 'ls Death Itself. '■* k The most venomous of snakes la held to be the Echls carlnata of India. It is about 18 inches long and of a gray color. The creature is death itself, and carries in its head the secret of destroying life with the concentrated agony of all the poisons. • This snake is tolerably common in Lidia, being found in nearly every part of the peninsula. Fortunately, however, for man, it is not, like the cobra, a house-frequenting snake, for its aggressive habits would make it Indefinitely more fatal to life thaq, Its dreaded relative. This king of the asps does not turn to escape from man as the cobra will, or flash into concealment like the koriat, but keeps its path against its human assailant, and pitting its 18 inches of length agalns't its enemy’s bulk, challenges and provokes conflict » | A stroke with a whip will cut it In two, or a clod of earth disable it; but such is its malignity that it will Invite attack by every device at its command, staking its own life on the mere chance of Its adversary coming within the little circle of its power. At most, the radius of this circle is 12 inches. Within it, at any event, lies certain death, and, on the bare hope of hand or foot trespassing within its reach, the Echls throws its body into a fig-ure-of-eight coll. Then it attracts attention by rubbing its loops together, which, from the roughness of the scales, make a rustling, hissing sound, erects its head In the center and awaits attack.

GIVE HIRED MAN A CHANCE

Tjreat Him a* a Human Being and the Result Will Be Profitable, Dedares Writer. Give the hired man’s family a chance to go to places —to go to town once a week, to attend church, to take part in the neighborhood socials and meetings. It will mean planning and foresight, and In some cases a little sacrifice on the part of the farmer’s family, but it is worth the cost, says a writer in Farm and Fireside. “A good many farmers hate to make Improvements in the tenant house and the result is that it often gets terribly uninviting and even uncomfortable before repairs—and -improvements are made. We try to paint and paper our tenant house often enough to keep it looking fresh and neat, and we consult the taste of the hired man’s wife when we do it. It pays In the added care she gives to her housekeeping. We see that the windows are well screened and that she walks are kept In condition.

“There are a good many things that I like to do in partnership with the hired man’s wife. Canning is one of them. Canning is a good deal more fun If two people work at it than if just one is doing it. I have a good canning outfit, and we really get a lot of pleasure out of our day’s work besides exchanging knowledge on the subject. . Since we have a power washer, the hired man brings his family laundry over every Monday and on Tuesday morning, bright and early his wife and I do the laundry.”

Import Mosquitoes for Birds.

The delicate vocal organs of song birds respond magically to special care bestowed upon the diet. For this reason, says Popular Science Monthly, birds that are cultivated, In captivity are fed specially prepared foods designed to furnish maximum nourishment with minimum labor of the digestive organs. A food which has been found especially valuable to bird breeders has for its principal ingredients Japanese mosquitoes and ants’ eggs. It is prepared by an expert on the care and feeding of birds. 'i ,%he reason the Insects are imported from Japan Is that the Japanese have a method of catching them in large quantities which as yet Americans have not discovered.

Evolution of the Table.

The beginning of the nineteenth century saw the disappearance of the “hundred-legged” dining table, and the plllar-and-claw table made its bow, as the most comfortable of tables; and with this the modern table has arrived. Of the strangely uncomfortable, clumsy types evolved during the Victorian period, the least said the soonest forgotten. They came with the glass flowers, the haircloth furniture, and the marble tops and twisted, spindling legs and veneer finish. Today the beautiful in all that is past Is being reproduced lil the “American renais-sance-of art," to suit the rapidly growing demands for greater beauty in form, color scheme and line in the Interior of the home.

• “I had a fine deal today.” “That so, my dear? What was it?” “You know Jlggs and Jogg’s store, where I always pal# cash for everything I bought?" “Yes.” “Well, they let me open a charge account, and now I shall have more money to spend on myself.”

“Old man Butts is always running down his son’s school, and I believe It is because the boy is always at the foot of his class.” , “At the foot, is he? Then that is where the shoe pinch**.”

A Fine Deal.

Naturally.

American Books In Russia.

The single American book most widely read in Russia Is “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Some of Irving’s works were translated for the Muscovite public, and the boys have been thrilled by th£ doings of Leatherstocking and Uncasr Mark Twain is quite popular beyond, the Niemen and the Beresina. All in all, It seems that Russians know more American books than Americans know Russian books. Ben Franklin's audience was the world, so it does not surprise one to learn from a Russian critic that the first American book translated into Russian was the product of Poor Richard’s pen. That was 18 years after he died.

Treatment for Dog Bites.

A dog bite is not always followed by hydrophobia. Wash the wound with an antiseptic promptly and rinse with a solution of water of ammonia—a teaspoonful to a cupful of boiled water. Further to Insure safety, the wound may be sucked out, but this should not be done until It has been cleansed and rinsed. Anything sucked out should not be swallowed, and the mouth should be rinsed. Of course, a surgeon should be consulted.

Willing Work Always Prized.

That man will be a joy to his “boss" who will give willing obedience under any and all circumstances. Whatever work falls to his lot will be performed in the best possible manner, even when it is not the kind he chose. An army of such workers would win anywhere against much larger numbers. The pity of it i's, that compared with the host that works under protest, the faithful are pitifully few. —Exchange.

Concerning Hay Fever.

There is no such thing as a rose cold. That affliction of early Summer comes from various grasses, such as Johnson grass, mut grass, Bermuda grass,' and oats, and some trees, particularly red cedar and black walnut. These grasses and trees are pollenated only by Insects, and It Is the rule In hay fever science that the disease is usually caused by the pollen that goes by breeze rather than by bees, .. ——

Something of a Compromise.

Mina was greatly attached to a neighbor a few blocks away from home, and agreed that she was his little girl, whenever he questioned her about it. One time he said: “Well, if you are really my girl, come home with me to live. Go on and get your hat” Mina hesitated a moment, gazed around the familiar room, and then replied : “I’ll be your little girl,, but I’ll stay here with mamma and papa.”

Cut Glass Is Fragile.

Out glass probably would break more easily than uncut glass. The pattern in cut glass is cut by means of grinding wheels. Uncut glass patterns are usually molded. The angles in cut glass are better defined and sharper. The cutter also may, in some cases, drive his wheel a little deeper than in other spots. Obviously, the glass at such points would be thinner and more fragile.

Arabs Still Eating Manna.

The manna with which the children of Israel were fed in the desert was the honey dew of tr species of mealy bug which lives on the tamarisk. These bugs secrete it in just the same w T ay that the aphids secrete the honey dew thatis the food of the ants. The Arabs still eat the “manna” and their name for it today is “man.”

The Individual.

The initiation of all wise or noble things comes, and must always come, from individuals—generally at first from some one individual. The honor and glory of the average man is that he is capable of following that Initiation; that he can respond internally to wise and noble things.—John Stuart Mill.

Possibly This Explains It.

"“T nm not surprised at the general willingness of the people to adopt the safe and sane Fourth idea,” volunteered the cynical boarder. “Aviation meets and motorcycle races furnish enough accidents to satisfy the popu-' lar appetite for horrors nowadays.”— New Haven Journal.

Proof Would Be Forthcoming.

1 “My publishers say I have written a great novel and that they will publish It for only $500.” “Maybe that stuff about its greatness is just talk, girlie.” “No; they say they will send me the proofs when they get the five hundred.”—Louisville Courier-Journal.

Lesson In History.

The young lady across the way says women have done their part in every great war in history, and she doubts if Napoleon would ever have won the battle of Waterloo if it hadn’t been for Joan of Arc. —Cartoons Magazine.

Ono Good Point

“Dar’s one thing ’bout a man dat sits wlf his feet on his desk,” said Uncle Eben. “He aln’ writin’ no letters dat’s gineter git him Into trouble.”

Optimistic Thought.

People who have no priest* are comi manly barbarian*.

INDIANS USE A GRABHOOK

Have Unique Outfit Which They Use In Pishing for Salmon-Poles Are Twenty Feet Long.

The Indians for salmon with a “grab-hook,” a large iron hook fastened to a pole by a loose cord three or four feet long. A hole at the blunt . nd of the hook that slips over the tip of the pole keeps it in place until 'he fish is hooked. Then the hook is pulled off the pole and the cord gives ,he fisherman a chance to play his fish if necessary before dragging it ashore, says the Southern Workman. The hooks are made by the blacksmith. but the poles, about 20 feet In length. the Indians make themselves of red fir. Taking a rough piece of ’ dry wood of the required length, they patiently work at it with drawshave and knife until it is the right size and tapering to suit the workman. Then it is usually hardened in the coals before putting on the cord, which they braid themselves. If a pole breaks, as often happens, the broken parts are lashed together with string, pitch is smeared over and melted by being rubbed with a hot stone, which makes the' pole as strong as before. The Indians generally fish from the bank or from platforms Aiullt over the water. They thrust the long pole out across the river as far as they can and let the current carry It down and into the bank, trusting to chance and a quick jerk to hook the fish if they feel one in the water.

DRUG STORES USE MANY EGGS

Furnish Medium Through Which Poultryman Can Dispose of Produce and Obtain Valuable Advertising. “The farmer is missing a market for his eggs by overlooking the drug store, v says the Farm and Fireside. “The drug store represents a splen did chance to work up a direct to the consumer trade. One New England poultryman started supplying the leading drug store in a city of 20,000.' His farm, carrying several hundred layers, was In an adjoining town on a car line. He produced infertile eggs. Through the publicity the drug store gave him, opportunities by the score came to him to sell direct. Now d large portion of his production the year round Is sold at retalLprices. Numerous customers come to his farm to buy eggs for invalids. “In the spring he does a large business in eggs by the case for waterglassing, obtaining for his infertile eggs a premium of 3 to 5 cents a dozen. Institutions are good customers. He caters to this trade, believing there is going to be a tremendous Increase in the use of waterglass. “ *A drug store is one of the best customers a poultry keeper can have,’ declared this man. ‘Besides yielding an additional profit, this trade makes a reputation for you quicker than a large amount of self-inspired paid advertising.’ ”

Luck Was With Him.

In Gold Hill, Nev., in 1877, one of the mining bosses —Tole by name —had trouble with some of the laborers in his mine. One night three of them attacked him in a barroom. Two of them pinned him down, while a third stood over him with a revolver. The muzzle almost touched his stomach. Once, twice, thrice, a fourth and a fifth time the weapon snapped. Tole closed his eyes. Each moment he expected to be his last. The disgusted ruffian threw his disappointing weapon on the floor with an oath and, Joined by his aids, left the place. Tole wiped the cold sweat from his brow, mechanically picked up the discarded weapon, went to the door and fired off every charge, remarking that it was just his luck.

Where Coconuts Grow.

Coconuts are one of the largest money-makfng crops of the Philippine islands. While they will grow in al most any province, there are localities that are especially known for theli great nut production. There was until recently no system for planting thesh trees, as plantations were usually sold after the old. The object was to get as many trees on a given area as was possible to grow. These plantations were then sold for so much a tree. When it was -pen that the trees would not bear the quality of fruit they should, more pains were taken in the planting and some definite planting scheme adhered to. This has greatly increased the size the nut and the quality of the meat.

Their Excuse for Theft.

It was stated at Brentford police court that two men charged with burglary got away with a bag containing ISO farthings and left behind a note which read: “We are two poor ,rejected men who are doing this toTTeep us out of the workhouse.” —London Daily Telegraph.

Rewriting the Lines.

Th Maid—Hah ! I know you in spite of those colored glasses. You are Piffles, the gentleman yegg. Piffles Girl, you. speak falsely, i rue, I am Piffles, but this is pot a pair of colored glasses. It is a mask and no une except the audience can recognize in uh. *

Her Question.

“When your father and I were marled, he was getting only sls a week." “Was pa trying to dodge being i/tuied for military service?”

Argumentative Woman.

The argumentative woman Is a social blight and an enemy to her own charm, be she otherwise as attractive as It Is possible for a body to be. Argument in Itself is a dignified mental process—one absolute necessity for the world’s Intellectual development, but it ceases to be a thing desirable when It enters every-day verbal Intercourse more than an exceedingly rare every so often. Plain common sense*’’ should tell us the reason why.—New York Evening Telegram.

First Newspaper Woman.

It Is-sald-- that -the- first -newspaperwoman was an American, Mrs. Anne Royal 1, who was not only the first woman journalist, but the first woman to own and edit a newspaper. It is also curious that she Is said to have originated the Idea of “interviews.” She was born in Maryland in 1709, put her first printing press on Capitol Hill in Washington. D. C., and published a small weekly, first called the Washington Paul Pry and later the Huntress.

Ink Spots in Books.

Anyone who has been unfortunate enough to get Ink on a favorite book, or, worse still, a borrowed one, may be interested to know how one housekeeper removed such disfiguring marks. She bought a little oxalic acid, diluted it with cold water and painted It over the ink spots with a fine camel’s hair brush. Then she applied a sheet of blotting paper to the stained part, and absorbed the stain with the liquid.

Value of Honey.

“Honey, one of the most nutritious and delicate of foods, should be eaten more than-it Is,” writes a cooking expert. “Bought in the comb, it is bound to be unadulterated, ahd will keep one tree from sore throat and bronchial troubles. Honey has been used as a cosmetic. The result is a finer textured complexion, a glowing color, a young, fresh look.”

Male Wasps Not Hardy.

There lim’t a male wasp in existence when winter ends. Late the preceding fall the wasps mate. The coming cold weather kills every worker and male, while Mrs. Wasp hies herself to a convenient place and hibernates, ready to come forth in the spring and lay eggs to replenish the race.

Operating Sewing Machine.

There is no exercise so tiring as lumping, and yet this is just what most women do in operating the sewing machine. Try pressing down the toes of one foot, then the other, as though pedaling. You will be much less tired after a day’s sewing.

Straw Used by Ancient Hebrews.

Both wheat and barley stray were used by the ancient Hebrews, chiefly as fodder for the horses, cattle and ;amels (Genesis 24:25; I. Kings 4:28; Isaiah 11:7; 65:25.) There is no intimation that straw was used for Utter.

Turning the Other Cheek.

“De trouble ’bout fohglvin’ an enemy,” said Uncle Eben, “is dat he’s liable not to ’predate yoh fohgiveness, an’ go on double-crossin’ jes’ de aame.”

St. Paul In Macedonia.

Macedonia was the first part of Europe which received the gospel direct from St. Paul. The account of this Journey through Macedonia (Acts 16:10; 18:15) is marked by copious ietail and well-defiped IncldenL

Solomon's Chariots.

Solomon maintained a force of 1,400 chariots (I. Kings 10:25) by taxing certain cities. Jewish chariots were Imitated from Egyptian models, or, perhaps, Imported from Egypt.

Where Looks Count

Lawyer (to handsome female defendant)—“Sob a whole lot, hut shed no tears. Nothing will prejudice a jury against you like a red nose and watery eyes.”

Cut It Out.

Tn ordinary conversation don’t be too tree with the question. Most persons , aren’t fond of being quizzed, and if there were less prying there’d be fewer Uars. —Buffalo Times.

Going to the Dickens.

People accustomed from Infancy to lie on down feathers have no idea how hard a paving stone is without trying It —Hard Times.

Aggravating.

Nothing makes a woman so mad as to have something to say and no one to listen.—Boston Transcript.

Might Be Worse.

“Nothin’,” said Uncle Eben, “is as bad as It might be, specially a cold storage alg.”

Be Reasonable.

Its all right to be optimistic, but • man should not whistle while lighting his last match. —Toledo Blade.

Optimistic Thought

A woman who has never been prattf has never been young.