Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 May 1918 — Page 2

Activity of Psychologists

One of the Youngest of Sciences Is of Especial Aid to the Government

1 "*" . l*sychology, one of the youngest of the sciences, but nevertheless one equipped with standardized, methods of experimental procedure, is steadily answering the call to the colors. Eminent scientists from almost every field of knowledge have been summoned to give expert advice or to render continuous service as commissioned officers in the tinny. So heavy has been the levy that several of the Eastern universities have been compelled to cancel all their courses in psychology; other Institutions are offering only a bare minimum ot courses. The University of Illinois has been more fortunate in this respect. While several of its psychologists have been called away, the work of the department is pursuing a nearly normal course. Capt. Madison Bentley of the department of psychology has forjsojjie time been president of the Cleveland aviation board. His work consists mainly in selecting aviators and examining them for color blindness, certain spatial perceptions, dizziness and general mental capacity. Prof. G. M. Whipple has also been asked to assist in formulating suitable mental tests for the selection of drafted men and for men in special lines of training. • In addition to the recognition of necessary abilities for the service, problems concerned with’’the localization of sounds in the air, discrimination of projectiles by sound, and the effects of high altitudes upon the memory are being worked out. Prof. Christian Ruckinick. also of the University of Illinois, is serving upon the committee for localization of sounds coming from any point in the air, under water or in the ground. Since few people have a sensitive ear to determine the position of an enemy gun by noting the sound of the projectile in its course, apparatus is being worked out for such detection. -Work in the cantonments consists in the apprehending of mental defectives ' and in noting special aptitudes of the men. In this way much waste of time and money for special training can be eliminated. Psychological problems of Incapacity, shell-shock and re-education occupy the attention of another committee, and collaborating with them is a group of psychologists who are studying problems of vocational guidance a'nd advice. Still another group has already done important work in determining and devising means to arouse emo-, tions which result In maximum service from the men. • •

Saving Foodstuffs

By MRS. LUTHER BURBANK

Wife of Noted Plant Scientist ►

Did it ever occur to you that bating, sleeping and the large consump-

Mrs. Burbank.

look into the life and habits of the ancient Greeks, and you will find that the nations which used the plainest, simplest and most meager fare were among the strongest, while those who descended to stable habits bordering upon gluttony rapidly retrograded. Why? Because the mind of the glutton is a dead ipind. He cannot think, his Whole body is sluggish, the organs are so clogged that they are unable to function properly and the result is physical and mental decay. Eating is a matter of habit. We In America, the great land of plenty, c have been accustomed to eat what we wished. For generations it has been the same •’until, from simplicity of eating, we have bordered closely onto excess. This is not true of everyone. America, is not a nation of gluttons, but I do maintain that, on an average, we Americans consume perhaps twice as much as is necessary to sustain life, and that this very overconsumption has been the cause of more illness, more doctors’ bills and more suffering than any other one cause. In all life we are creatures of heredity. When Mr. Burbank wishes to produce a new flower he looks back Into the past ages and finds all about the ancestors of that flower. He discovers that a flower which had once been fairly hardy and able to withstand rigorous winters, has become a delicate plant which must be tenderly nourished, or It will die. This condition is brought about through centuries of pampering. It has been artificially cared for, well watered, and thoroughly fertilized with the result that nature has not been called upon to give it protection. And so it is with us. We have been reared in a land of plenty; a land of vast crops and rich food and, we have become soft. The savage who depends on his acute sense of smell, keen vision, and fleetness of foot for his dally food is a wonderful animal. Nature provides him with all these essentials to sustain life. Take that same savage from his wild environments and daily struggle with life, place him in surroundings of plenty, and in two or three genera- - tions his descendants will have lost all 'of those wondrous senses their ancestor had developed. The American Indian IS the most striking example of this we have today. With these few facts before us let us .ndw look into those little practices of saving which we all believe In trying to put Into effect but which many of us deem impossible, because habit has made Us believe that we cannot live without certain things to eat and a certain quantity of each.

ti o n of certain foods is more of a habit than a necessity to sustain life? The man or woman who has been used each morning to his or her ham or bacon, with eggs, will undbubtedly consider it prac- - tlcal starvation if asked to forego these habits, yet there are today millions of people on the earth who eat less in two days than you and I consume in one meal, but who are among the healthiest on earth. , Study history,

Kite Balloons Form Very Important Part of Naval and Military War Forces

“The observation balloon has been one of the important discoveries of the year,” observes a writer in Aviation, who continues: “Its value is indicated by the rapid growth of both personnel and” craft. It is found today on every front, and almost every mile of that front, for the excellent reason that it has proved indispensable to the modern army in the field. “The observation kite balloon, as at present used, was the invention of Captain von Sigsfeld and Major von Parseval of the German army, and the craft was constructed by the Parseval Airship company. The British army got its first idea of the kite balloon from the Belgians. Early rn 1915 Squadron Wing) Commander Maitland was so much impressed by the excellent service it was giving the Belgian artillery that he laid a proposal for similar equipment before the board of admiralty. This was adopted, orders for the construction of the craft were placed and the British K-B made its first appearance in the war area in the early spring of 1915. “As then constructed by the British, the balloon was found to be considerably more reliable than the spherical, being steadier and more airworthy, and therefore more accurate in observation. . w - “The great success of the first craft led to a demand for more, and the British naval authorities made experiments with them on ships at sea. More and more urgent grew the demand from both branches of the service, until today kite balloons form an important part of both naval and military forces. “The work of these craft js too widely recognized to need repetition, further’than to mention the danger to which a captive balloon is exposed from hostile airplanes. There is often not time enough to draw the balloon to th,e ground when an enemy machine appears, and the only, protection is a friendly airplane, or the ever-ready parachute.”

Short and Snappy.

Misery may love company, but that’s the last reason in the world for wanting to be welcomed. The easiest thing in the world to do is to make another man believe that he is the victim of the world’s injustice. The man who pays as he goes is always asked to make return visits. Some people make themselves as vague as possible and then wail that they are misunderstood. If liberty is worth dying for it is also worth chipping in for.

When the Sun Seems Big.

We all know an optical illusion makes the setting sun seem larger and often of an oval shape, but a recent explanation by W. F. Badgley in Popular Astronomy of some of the causes which bring this about is interesting. The atmosphere near the earth’s surface, when hot and dusty, acts as a magnifying glass, s’o distant objects on the horizon are seen through a thick layer of air, which increases its size many times. Looking upward, we see through more rarified air, which does not possess the magnifying power.

Insect Language.

Insects, like birds and animals, have their calls, naturalists say. But the sounds they produce include the rubbing together of their limbs or wing covers and the vibration of their wings, so they cannot always be spoken of as voices. Flies and bees unudoubtedly mean something when they hum louder and louder. —Exchange.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. IND.

THE NATIONAL ARMY MAN

I’m a National army man; My name and number in the van Was call of fate to serve the state As a National army man. Take notice, Regular and Guard. W 8 pledge that nothing shall retard Our effort great to emulate Your just fame, sung by every bard. For what is the great U. S. A., Whose call to colprs we obey, . » But hearthflre ray, and old church gray, And the friends we meet every day? And what is the flag of our cjioico. At whose Mutterings we rejoice; v But mantel fair, fit for the wear Of the lass with gentle voice? Sans the fire of the volunteer, We pay with all good will and cheer. One duty more, to meet the score We owe to those whom we hold dear. As a National army man I’m sure that all my people can Say, when I die. In pride, that I Was a National army man. -Courier-Journal

O’Connor Cites History in Connection With Troubles of the People of Ireland

If the Irish rebellion had not been folloVeT-hy its sequel it would have been by this time forgotten and condemned by the vast majority of the Irish people; but, as a.matter of fact, writes T. P. O’Connor in Cartoons Magazine, when the rebellion was put down by one of those extraordinary blunders so often committed In the management of Ireland by England, dictatorial powers were given Into the hands of a soldier of not particularly marked intelligence. He declared he was going to put down sedition and rebellion in Ireland forever. Well, if he had read any Irish history he would have known that that had been said for six centuries. He then proceeded, in secrecy, in the darkness of cells, convicting on, evidence not yet published, these unfortunate young men, and then taking them out in batches in the cold, bleak morning and executing them in the back yard of a jail. One of them was so severely wounded that he had to have planks put on each side of the chair on which he had to sit while he was being shot. All these executions produced a profound revulsion of feeling In Ireland and in America. Now, that is the beginning of the - trouble in Ireland.. If you read history you will find that there has never been anything so incalculable in its effects upon the human soul as an execution for an ideal.

FOR A LAUGH

Talked Too Much. First Club Member—What happened to Hallowerby, the expressman? I don’t see him around any more. Second Club Member —Oh, we had to put him out; he expressed himself too much. Another Definition.

* No Royal Cracks. “I wonder why they call golf the ‘royal and ancient game?’” “I don’t know. I never heard of a king who could drive worth a cent.” L'Enfant Terrible. “Your sister’s a long time about making her appearance,” ventured the young man who was calling. “Well,” answered the kid brother who was temporarily entertaining, “she’d certainly be a sight if she came down without making it 1” Looking Into It

Mr. Stonibroke —Yes, we’ve lost all our money, but it was an act of providence. His Wife—Don’t pass the buck. It was your acts of Improvidence.

His Part. “My former maid has not been married a year yet, and already she is taking in washing.” “What is her husband doing?” “Oh, he’s taking in the proceeds.” Hist! “I guess we’re on the trail," declared the great detective. “Yonder is a shepherdess.” z “Eh?” “Now for the crook.”

Cost of Locomotives.

According to a calculation made by an official of the Southern Pacific, the increase in the cost of a Mallet locomotive over what it was two .years ago would buy a 160-acre farm at $125 an acre, build a $5,000 residence on it, provide for $2,500. worth of implements and farm machinery, 25 dairy cows at $75 each, S7OO for teams and wagons, a $1,500 automobile, and still leave $l5O for incidentals —and this represents the increase in the cost of only one locomotive. —San Fraud* co Argonaut. \

“What’s an egotist?” asked T h r e e-Fingered Sam. “An egotist,” replied Broncho Bob, “is a man that ’ud #top a regular card game and ask all hands to admire the way he plays solitaire."

Alive with the War Spirit

Giri Students of Farmingdale Agricultural School, Long .sland, Felling Trees

Female' students are laboring industriously at thplr work, agriculture, to aid the country in carrying out an effective prosecution of the war. Young women are doing a good share of the work while the opposite sex-is lending all energy in patriotic endeavor.

WAR POULTRY PROGRAM

Early hatching, so as to produce fall and winter layers. Careful selection of breeding stock to reproduce a greater percentage of good types and profitable producers. To confine mother hens to brood coops for at least two weeks after the chicks are hatched. To provide free range for both growing stock and layers in so far as possible to stimulate the growth and production and conserve food consumption. To preserve eggs when cheap for winter use. Production of infertile eggs as soon as the breeding season Is _ Disposing of surplus cockerels as broilers to conserve grain. To discourage the marketing of all profitable hens of the general-purpose class until the end of their second year, and of the Mediterranean class until the end of their third laying year. To discoiirage the marketing of all thrifty pullets qs broilers. To encourage backyard poultry keeping, especially among city and suburban dwellerSj thereby utilizing table scraps for the production of fowls and eggs for home use. To encourage when conditions permit the feeding of a wlieatless ration. The assistance and co-operation of all poultrymen is earnestly desired in order to make this campaign effective. Those interested are requested to correspond with their county advisor or with«the poultry representatives in the state for definite information as to how they can assist.

Cigarettes as Anesthetic For the Wounded Soldiers

There is much difference of opinion as to the effect of cigarettes upon the soldiers who smoke them. A scientific investigation is said to show that cigarette smoking has direct effect on the heart, decreasing the smoker’s ability to do hard work and to resist fatigue. On tile other hand there is evidence that cigarettes keep the men up to their tasks. Mrs. Charles H. Farnam, a Long Island womaq, who has just returned from Serbia, where she spent several years in hospital work and where she earned the rank of sergeant, delivered a lecture one night recently in Brooklyn, in the course of which she said! “The soul of life in the Serbian army is a cigarette. The men go through the greatest agonies if they have cigarettes in their mouths and never think of the pain. In most of x the hospitals there is a’shortage of anesthetWhen a soldier is brought in to be operated on they simply give him a cigarette to smoke during the ordeal and he goes through it happily.” It is probable that both views as to the effect are correct; the excessive smoking being bad for the heart, and the use of the cigarette being soothing and strengthening. In time of excitement, trial and pain. The wounded soldier is always given a cigarette, and seems to be helped thereby to bear his trouble with patience—Mobile Register.

Oyster Farm in Salt Lake.

Plans have been made to begin the propagation of oysters in Bear River bay, Salt lake, Utah, this spring, says Popular Mechanics Magazine. Analysis has shown that the percentage of salt in the water Is practically the same as in ocean oyster beds. *

Government Reserves Coal Fields in Alaska to Have a Certain Supply of Fuel

Through the work of the genera, land office and the bureau of mines, government reservations have been designated in certain coal fields in Alaska. These reservations are intended to cover such ground as will provide coal for government use, protect the public from individuals attempting to monopolize coal lands or extort exorbitant prices for coal, and still offer equally good areas in the best-known parts of the fields for exploration bjl private enterprise. - Experts of the bureau of mines, having to do with this work, state that the leasing units were laid out in comparatively small blocks, which can be worked individually or combined into larger tracts up to the maximum acreage permitted by law. Attention was given to the amount of probable coal of workable thickness In each of these areas, the relationship of the area to possible transportation lines, the quality of the coal and the general conditions mining. The future of the Alaska coal fields, it is asserted, is still somewhat problematical. Along the entire coast the output will come in direct competition with California oil, the coal fields of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, and with hydroelectric power. Both the Bering river and the nuska fields contain high-grade, bituminous coal suitable for coking and for use in the'navy, and the Nenana field contains an excellent lignite, suitable for power or domestic uses, or as a powdered fuel in furnaces. Experiments have proved that coals from other states on the coast have not proved satisfactory for use by the -navy.

Some of Many Notable Things That Have Occurred on Friday

Washington’s birthday anniversary fell on Friday this year, the day of the week on which he was born. A few ether notable things occurred on Friday, among them the following: Shakespeare "was born. America was discovered. The Bastille was destroyed. Queen Victoria was married. Napoleon Bonaparte was born. Julius Caesar was assassinated. The battle of Marengo was fougltf. The battle of Waterloo was fought. The Mayflower Pilgrims were landed. The battle of Bunker Hill was fought. - ■ The battle of New Orleans was fought. The Declaration of Independence was signed.

Letters by Air Next Summer.

An airplane mall service is to be established between Washington, Philadelphia and New York next summer. The post office department already is calling for blds for five planes. Trips are to be made dally. First-class mail only will be carried In the beginning, and this is only a beginning. The end of the war will see a.tremendous application of the airplane to commercial and other uses, and this will provide employment' for the large number of aviators that peace will release from service. . ,- ;1 .(/ '; K s .. .

Light-Heat Cure.

An officer in .the Medical Reserve corps states that he has found that light and heat, combined alleviate pain better than heat alone.’' Hence he prefers an Incandescent bulb and reflector to a hot water bottlfe as a means of temporarily relieving suffering.

America Buying Feathers From China, Proving to Be As Good Customer as Huns

Although the export of feathers, (duck, fowl, etcj from China as a whole has decreased somewhat during the past few years owing to the elimination of the German buyers,, says a Shanghai newspaper, ■ the export ot ’ feathers from China to America has shown a great increase since the outbreak of the war, America having stepped in to take almost the identical quantity that Germany had previously taken. <• - About a million dollars’ worth of feathers are exported from -Chinese ports yearly, America last. year taking about one-third of this quantity, whereas two years previously the American purchases were inconsequential. The customs figures show that Kowloon (opposite Hongkong) is the principal port "of export for feathers from China, but as the feathers from Kowloon are merely transferred to the British possession of Hongkong, a few miles distant, there is.no means of knowing what the ultimate destination was of the very considerable quantity of more than $200,000 worth exported from the City of the Nine Dragons (which is what the. Chinese name means). ' ’ Shanghai Itself produces over SIOO,000 worth of feathers for export, while the Yangfse port of Wuhu furnishes not far short of $200,000 worth. The buyer of feathers In China' must use extreme care or else he will find what has been sold him ostensibly as duck feathers will contain feathers from chickens or other fowls whose feathers are of an inferior quality.

Mother’s Cook Book

The bravest battle that ever was fqpght j Shall I tell you where and when? On the maps of the world you will find It not; -s . It was fought by the mothers of men. \' , Seasonable Dishes. When ideas seem to be scarce as to food combinations and one does not know what to serve try some of these: Corn California Style. Mix a can of corn with a chopped green pepper and a half cupful of thick white sauce, well seasoned with salt. Turn into a buttered casserole’ and cover witll strips of bacon. Bake in the oven until the bacon is brown. Cornbread. Take one pint of white cornfneal, one pint of buttermilk or sour milk, four eggs, one teaspoonful of soda, and one-half teaspoonful of «ait» Mix well and bake in muffin pans. The yellow cornmeal may be used as .well, and the food content is equally-geod in yellow and white. Mexican Rice. Put one-half cupful of rice into a hot frying pan with a tablespoonful of olive oil. Cook until, the rice is brown, then add four sliced tomatoes chopped or equal quantity of ednnea ones with two teaspoonfuls of chilli pepper pulp. Pour in a cupful of vegetable water or tomato juice and simmer until the rice is soft. M Spaghetti, Meat and Apple Casserole. Cover the bottom of a buttered baking dish with well-conked spaghetti; . over this put a layer of sausage meat well seasoned, then a thick layer of chopped apple slightly sweetened. Cover with buttered criimbs and bake until the apple and sausage are cooked. A bit of onion added improves the seasoning. Beef With Vegetables. A piece of meat from the coarser cuts if cooked slowly with a tablespoonful- of vinegar in the water used to baste it while roasting will result in a tender piece of meat. Take a few pounds, brown in a little fat, then add the vinegar and water with a clove of garlic, a clove or two, a small chopped' onion and salt and pepper to season. Potatoes parboiled may be added long enough to cook well before serving time. Baste the potatoes with the gravy In the pan so that they will be brown. s 'Hexoic

First U. S. Soldiers Killed.

The first three American soldiers killed'in action in France after the arrival of the United States expeditionary force were Corporal James B. Gresham of Evansville, Ind.; Private Thomas F. Enright of Pittsburgh, and Private Merle D. Utile .of Glidden, la. In the official report of .their funeral sen ices, sent by General Pershing, December 28, Corporal Gresham heads the list, therefore history will record that this Indiana corporal was the first soldier to lose his life in action In the war with Germany. The persons named were killed in a night raid on the trenches and the French paid military honors- at their funeral services.

Wisconsin's Oldest House.

Green Bay, Wis., has the oldest frame house In the state. Renowned as the landing place of the first white man to visit Wisconsin, and prominent in state history for the number of Influential men who have lived there. Green Bay is preserving a home of one of its most distinguished citizens. The famous old house was built in 1795 by Jacques Porller, a Frenchman— Later! it became the property of Nils Ottoi Tank, but recently it has been re-j moved to Union park and is/used M| a branch library. /