Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 154, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 July 1918 — Page 2

Feathering His Nest

By WILLIAM HAMILTON OSBORNE Of The Vigilantes

i Bardshell Hopper is an unpatriotic cynic. He admits he is, himself. It’s only recently he came into the limelight. Old Hezekiah Hopper died a year or so ago and left two million dollars. He left half his fortune to his nephew, another young man of the name of Latimer Cobb, and the other half he left to his other nephew, Hard- , Adi. Hopper. Hardshell is called that ' because he’s got that kind of a shell, er so it would seem. The testator had ’ ibis money all nicely invested in good | paying five and six per cent securities, about a year the young man dipped their coupons and collected their dividends. The war was in their midst, and young Latimer Cobb subscribed to everything in sight, and got his name in the papers and kept it - there. He must have given up as much as fifty thousand dollars out of his million, to the Liberty loan, the I Bed Cross, the Red Triangle and other things that came along. “But what I really want to do,” said Latimer Cobb, “is to double or treble my money—then I’ll give twenty-five per cent of all I make to furthering * our Interests in the war.” E He looked about him. He picked out a good likely looking munitions stock. Ts money had to be made out of the war by munitions concerns he might as well make some of it, then, as he said, he would turn around and give a lot of it to the war, and get his name in the papers and keep it there, right along. He was a patriot, he knew he was a patriot, and he kept saying so. He was proud of it, In fact But Hardshell Hopper wasn’t —he admitted that he wasn’t A friend of Hardshell’s who was going around sell* lag Liberty bonds went to see Hardshell about buying some of the bonds. “Now, that’s a pity," groaned Hardshell Hopper, “but fact is, Steve, just this morning I Invested my whole pile in first-class, gilt-edged securities. I ain’t got a dollar left Now, if you’d been around here yesterday—’’ Next night Steve, his friend, came around again. Steve shook him earnestly by the hand. “Why, Hardshell,” he cried, “you’re the biggest patriot in this town. You’ve invested all your ■money —a million or more in the Liberty loan. You’re the biggest man we’ve got—the foremost of our patriots.” Hardshell Hopper shook his head. “Don’t get off your trolley, Steve,” he said, “I ain’t a patriot. My cousin, Tatlmer Cobb—he’s a patriot—everybody says so. But I ain’t Why, bless you, man, I’ve only been feathering my nest” “You’ve put one million dollars into this war,” said Steve. “I’ve tucked one million away where its safe and sound,” drawled Hardshell Hopper, “where I don’t have to worry about it I got a security that won’t be taxed, and that’s as giltedged as they make ’em, backed by about three hundred billion dollars’ worth of assets —and that’s enough for me. But don’t you go calling me names I don’t deserve. I ain’t ho patriot Rm only feathering my nest If you want a patriot you go to my eiwwdn, Latimer. He’s the boy for

Steve went around to see Hardshell’s cousin, Latimer. “At any rate,” he said to Latimer, “I can sell some bonds to you.” T*timer glowed with patriotism. “Steve,” he said, “I promise you you’ll be the boy I’ll buy ’em of. And Fm going to buy a lot But just now I haven’t got a dollar to my name. Tve plnnged on some munitions stock — there’s been a’flurry—it’s gone down on me, and I can’t get out without a most tremendous loss. All I can do is to bang on like grim death. But the minute that I make a handsome profit Steve, Fm yours. There’s no man for five hundred miles around that’s got a warmer feeling for the old flag than Latimer Cobb. I can tell you those.” But Latimer didn’t make a handsome profit—he didn’t make any profit Instead, one fine morning his shares of stock turned worthless on his hands. The concern whose stock he’d bought was as worthless as the stock. > As In a flash, one day, he found himself penniless. He had to turn to and earn his living. Hardshell Hopper gave him a job that kept body and soul together. But one day something happened.' It must be remembered that Latimer Cobb, like his cousin. Hardshell Hopper, had received for one year at least the Income on those five per cent securities that their dead unde had invested in. So Latimer Cobb had had an Income —and he had filed an Income tax return. His income had been about fifty thousand for the year—and the present income tax on fifty thousand dollars is considerable. But Latimer Cobb, the young patriot, whose Intentions had been so ..good, and who was going to do so wen by the government, found himself without money to pay this tax He was a patriot, and he had had a large income —but he couldn’t pay his income tax The government jailed him—a very proper thing to do. Hardshell Hopper raised some money on his liberty bonds, and went around and got Latimer Cobb out of jail. Then he took him back to his office. "Latimer, son,” said Hardshell Hop* per, taking a sheaf of Liberty bonds

out of his safe, “here are the bonds that your million dollars bought” “Your bonds, you mean," moaned Latimer, “bought with your million.” “No,” returned Hardshell Hopper, “bought by your million. And they’re yours, but with a string attached to them. You plunged on Wall street and went broke. I knew you would. I knew it had to be. So, to save your money for you, I engineered that munitions stock deal that you tangled yourself up in—you see?” “You?” exclaimed Latimer Cobb. “Yep,” returned Hardshell, “I -knew, you’d get trimmed—so I thought T mipht as well do the trimming—and I did. I wanted to feather your nest for you, Latimer. So I bought Liberty bonds with the money that you lost—and there’s the bonds, all standing in your name.” “You bought ’em in my name?” faltered Latimer Cobb. “In your name,” echoed Hardshell Hopper. “Chiefly because I couldn’t get anything better,or sollder to buy —and then, you won’t have any trouble any more with that Income tax. But that ain’t all, Latimer,” went on Hardshell. “I want to ask you how much it costs you now to live?” “You’re paying me two thousand a year,” said Cobb. “And you’re living on it,” went on Hardshell, “and I’m living on another two thousand. And yet our combined income from these bonds ’ll come near to being seventy-five thousand dollars a year. So I’m giving you these bonds with the idea that you and me ’ll keep on living on our two thousand a year apiece—and the rest of the Income we’ll hand over to the Red Cross and the Triangle, and buy War Savings stamps, and such. “Not so you can notice it," yelled Latimer Cobb, “what’s mine is mine." “Oh, well,” said Hardshell Hopper, thrusting back the bonds Into the safe, “as a matter of fact I haven’t put ’em in your name—they’re only yours if you’ll consent to what I said.” “Well,” finally conceded Latimer Cobb, “if you’ll put my name in the paper as a big subscriber so that folks will know what kind of a good patriot I am.” “You ain’t a patriot, Latimer,” said Hardshell Hopper, “get that through your head. We’re only protecting our own Interests In loaning this money to the government. /We’re doing not a blamed thing but feathering our nests." You can’t knock that queer idea out of Hardshell Hopper’s head.

WHERE BELGIUM STANDS

By HON. E. DE CARTIER, Minister of Belgium. His exceUency, E. de Cartier, Belgian minister to the United States, has sent the Vigilantes the following expression of the attitude of his countryl , The principles which you have always stood for, and for which you are again fighting, are the principles which have always animated my little country and for which we, too, are fighting, shoulder to shoulder, with your own brave boys. We are fighting for freedom and Independence. Your soldiers will not come back until it is all over, over there; neither will ours lay down their arms until the world is made safe for honest people. Germany offered us a shameful bargain. She offered to spare our country and to indemnify us, if we would let her pass through to accomplish her crime against our neighbor and her neighbor, France. She wished to make us an accomplice in her crime, and she gave us twelve hours in which to make up our minds. That was eleven hours and fifty-nine minutes too much. We spurned her base offer. We have suffered, but we have no regrets. Having tried in vain to bribe us by offers of immunity, the Germans resorted to violence and intimidation. You all know the story, although many of the details cannot be told until our witnesses are freed from the menacing claw of the German eagle. I say to you that whoever undertakes to write the history of the horrors com,mitted by the Huns of the twentieth century will have a task that will turn his soul sick. One of the greatest of the crimes of Germany was to attempt to enslave our workmen and to force them to work for our enemy and against their own brothers. .Tens of thousands of honest workmen were torn from their wives and families, loaded on trucks like cattle and deported to Germany. There they were tempted by offers of high wages to work for our enemy and to sign a so-called “voluntary contract” to engage in such work —but they would not sign. They were subjected to starvation—but they would not sign. They were tortured but they would not sign. ' The Germans tried to divide our honse against itself —but they “Imagined a vain thing.” In the early part of the war, after having ravaged and massacred in Flanders as well as in the Walloon district, after finding that our people could not be intimidated, the Germans sought to separate Flanders from the rest of Belgium by flattering the Flemings and pretending to be their special protectors. But the only result of the effort to divide Flanders from the rest of our country has been to arouse the most Intense unity throughout the land. All our people immediately rallied in defense of the unity of our country, whose motto is like your own. You have the motto “E Pluribus Unum”—“One Composed of Many,” and ours is “Union Fait la Force”—“ln Union There Is Strength.”

An electrically controlled machine for sorting coffee beans has been invented by a native of Munich.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

YANKEE TROOPS WIN HIGH PRAISE

French and British Impressed by Splendid Enterprise and Initiation. HEROIC DEEDS ARE PREDICTED General Says American Spirit at Critical Moment Served to Maintain Morale of French at Chateau Thierry. London. —The behavior of the American troops at Chateau Thierry has demonstrated more than anything that has happened on the American front the splendid initiative and enterprise with which Hie American army Is endowed, and nothing has aroused the keener enthusiasm of the commander, says the Dally Mail correspondent with the American army In France. He quotes an unnamed French general as saying that the American spirit and enterprise at a critical moment served to maintain the morale of the French troops around Chateau Thierry. Among the Incidents of the engagement the correspondent mentions is the steadiness and persistence of the American machine gun fire in the streets of Chateau Thierry. Company after company of the enemy marching four abreast, repeatedly tried to advance, but recoiled sorely shattered before the fire of the American gunners.- The streets were strewn with German dead and wounded and the American officers estimate they Inflicted at least 1,000 casualties.

Predicts Heroic Deeds. When a bridge across the Marne was blown up, the correspondent adds, the Americans were left on the northern bank with the enemy in front of them and the river at their backs. Carrying their guns, the Americans descended to the lower banks of the river, and under enemy, machine gun and artillery fire succeeded in reaching the next bridge. The correspondent predicts that much will be heard of the deeds of the Americans in the next few days, and adds: “American troops fresh from the United States continue to arrive with regularity and in numbers more than sufficient to justify renewed confidence in the ultimate triumph of the entente. The Americans at this moment are distributed over a very wide front “In some sectors entire American divisions form one unit holding a certain extent of line, while elsewhere they are brigaded with French and British regiments. In the Luneville apd Toul sectors the Americans hold very difficult salients—in the Toul sector completely dominated by the German artillery on Montsec. The Germans recently have been drenching these positions with gas, but the Americans stood firm and won the ready appreciation of all observers.” The spirit and morale of the American soldiers wounded in the Cantlgny battle, 90. per cent of whom will recover, is wonderful. The first question they ask the surgeon is: “Doc, when will I be able to go back after the Germans who fixed me?” Two young privates were wafting their turn to enter the operating-room of a large American hospital in Paris. One said: "I have been over the top three times, and it Is the greatest sport I ever had. Fix me up quick because I want to go back after the Boches again.” The second soldier, who had a serious wound in the thigh, said: “If I do not return to the trenches I have the satisfaction of knowing

BRITON PRAISES "YANK DOC”

Officer of Essex Regiment Says Lieut C. T. McCarthy Is Brave and Beloved. London, England.—An officer of the Ninth Essex regiment, in a letter Written home, pays tribute to an American officer serving with the regiment “Lieut C. McCarthy, medical officer of our regiment” says the letter, "is one of the first Americans serving in France to obtain the British military cross. He Was attached to our regiment last December. Our ‘Yank doc,’ as we call him, is one of the best of men. He is loved by all the officers and men. "He is strict but never has anybody been wounded dr sick without the doctor going to him, no matter what the shelling or other He obtained the military cross for magnificent work in the recent Albert fighting. He went to the front, with our regiment in motor busses to meet the Hoche and during the worst period our regiment has known he was always in front , with his medical aid. At one time he had his aid post in a quarry right in our front line and always where the fighting was worst he was with the wounded. In slack times he made tea and carried it to those who could not make it themselves. Never does he miss an opportunity of performing a kind act. Here’s to our ‘Yank doc.’”

that I fixed three —two bayoneted and one shot lam satisfied.” The soldier probably will recover, but be will never cross bayonets with the Germans again, as he will lose his leg. Show Great Daring. Many American officers and privates showed great daring and fortitude in withstanding the German attacks along the Marne at Chateau Thierry and Jaulgonne. Capt. John R. Mendenhall of New. Rochelle, N. Y„ went without sleep for three days and remained steadily at the head of his company during that time. Corp. Jules Mangold of McDonald, Pa., was sent out to investigate German Snipers under a heavy fire from the American line. He found the snipers, pointed them out to his comrades and the Germans fired no more. Capt. George Wakerlne, the French liaison officer with the American unit, stood by the Americans in the thick of the fight, encouraging and cheering them. The Americans, he said, showed most wonderful fighting spirit and were jolly, even laughing and joking while a perfect hell raged around them.

HE WAS FOR GERMANYGOT TAR AND FEATHERS

Vicksburg, Miss. —“I am for Germany and I am awaiting the day—and it won’t be more than two or three years at most—when Germany Invades the United States. Germany will make a real country out of this slipshod, grafting nation.” This statement, accredited to W. M. Wilkerson, caused him to be taken from a passenger train and treated to a coat of tar and feathers. He was then committed to jail.

THREE SONS ARE FIGHTING

Mother Wants to Engage In Some War Work That Will Take Her to France. St Paul, Minn. —Mrs. P. Holstrom of No. 690 Conway street has three sons fighting for Uncle Sam, and she herself is planning to go into some kind of war work that will take her to France. Enoch Holstrom, a graduate of Cornell university, went to France with an engineering unit, and during a phase of the present German offensive twentytwo American engineers were killed around him, but he came through unscathed. He was promoted for his bravery under fire from second to first lieutenant. Harry Holstrom, twenty-two years old, is on the ocean somewhere chasing submarines. Ben Holstrom, twenty years old, who joined his brother in the fight against the kaiser, though he is npt of draft age. Is in. the aviation section and now is awaiting orders. All of the boys graduated from Mechanic Arts High school. The two latter attended Cornell university.

GERMAN PRISON CAMPS WHERE YANKS ARE HELD

Bureau cC Prisoners’ Relief American Red Cross. Of these 27 German prison camps in which Americans now are held, Tuchel, near Danzig, is the chief prison camp for our captured boys in uniform, according to advices reaching the American Red Cross. In each of the camps shown by a black square on the map and in one small camp which cannot be located, there are either captured soldiers or else American seamen taken from submarined merchantmen. The Red Cross had direct reports from 231 men in these camps at the beginning of June, and to each is sending through its prisoners’ relief warehouses at Berne, 20 pounds of food a week and is supplying clothing, comforts, tobacco, and, in fact, everything the men need. In supplying captured soldiers and sailors the Red Cross acts as the transmitting agency for the army or the navy, which furnishes the supplies. In addition to the prisoners actually on its records, the Red Cross believes that there are some '2OO additional American prisoners in Germany who have not yet reached the prison camps where they are to be located permanently. The Red Cross, however, is already prepared to care for these ns soon as reported, and in fact has stored in Berne or in transit supplies enough to maintain 22,000 prisoners, if necessary for six months. Awaiting American prisoners sent to Tuchel is a stock of Red Cross package, of food and clothing in charge of three of our captured boys, who are appointed toe M Sos«Uefcommittee for that prtaon camp, stellar reserve storks win other prison, « It become, evidentthat the, centers for Imprisoned Americans, who thus wIU be fed and clothed imme-

HAS FIVE SONS IN FRANCE

Kansas Town Presents Parents With Fine Flag at Public Celebration. , Hays, Kan. —A silk service flag of five stars was formally presented by the City of Hays to Mr. and Mrs. Anton Gross at a celebration here recently which packed the largest theater. Five of their sons are already in the army and a sixth will enlist as soon as the school where he is teaching closes for the summer. This will make six of the eight Gross sons in the service of Uncle Sam. One is already in France and another is supposed to have sailed. Mrs. Gross, the mother, responded to a speech -of presentation. She thanked the people of Hays and said she deemed it a privilege to have been the mother of the men who would help to make the right more powerful than force and aggression. Martin Gross is with the 137th infantry. John is in France in the heavy artillery. Theodore is at Jefferson barracks. Paul is supposed to have sailed for France, and Jacob is at Camp Greene, N. C. r - '

ETHER MAKES QUICK CURE

Negro, Trying to Avoid Draft, Forgets About Baek Disease When He Comes To. Camp Gordon, Atlanta, Ga.—A Georgia negro selectman was being examined by the medical officers and developed a strange case of spinal deformity. He declared he had been afflicted for years. When tried at drill he was so drawn and bent In the back that military service seemed an impossibility. He was taken to the hospital and told an apparently straight story of his affliction. A light dose of ether was administered. When the negro returned to semiconsciousness he raised up, stretched himself perfectly straight, walked about the room, and acted normally. Reminded that he was thought a cripple he again lapsed into a horrible looking deformed soldier, but this time It did not work. “Boss,” he said, “dat medgun you-all glmpie sho’ cured me quick.” , ,

SHEARERS ASK $60 A DAY

Are Now Making S4O a Day Trimming Sheep in Idaho, but Want More. Boise, Idaho.—Sheep shearers in Idaho are making S4O a day, and If their demands for more wages are met they will make S6O a day,, according to J. B. Whitson, a sheepman, In a complaint to the state council of defense. Sheepmen declare they have Information indicating a state-wide sheepshearing combination has been built up. Shearers are getting 15 cents a head and by using machines each man can shear from 200 to 300 head of sheep a day. The shearers have made a deman for an increase to 20 cents a head. In addition, the boss of the crews Is paid for boarding his men, which would bring the charge to about 28 cents a head, say the sheep owners.

A Case for Hoover.

Albany, N. Y. —Heeding only spring with its blossoms and bird songs, Thomas Farrell, eleven, and Frank Redmond, nine, followed the call of the road. They were found asleep in a haystack six miles away from home, holding closely six eggs.

Salvation a Gift

By REV. J. H. RALSTON, D. D.

Sacrttary of Comapoadenc* Department. Moodyßlbla Lutltut*. Chicago

TEXT—And I- give unto them eternal life.—John 10:28. Jesus Christ said that he had come into this world that men might have

life? Jesus himself gave an answer In his great Intercessory prayer, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent!” With the ordinary student of the Bible, the idea of eternal life Is a life of endless duration, the word “eternal” being "made synonymous with “everlasting.” But eternal life Is not altogether a question of duration but of quality. The (proper conception of eternal life embraces both quality and quantity. Terms of Inherent value and time measurement must be In mind. The man who possesses eternal life then has something that is far raised above anything that the earth has to offer. It is a life that may be realized this side of death and has Its thousands of Illustrators in all the world and among all classes of persons without respect to age; race, pecunls»y condition, education or social standing.

Now the question arises, presuming the man does not possess this eternal life. How is he to get it? The rich young ruler thought it was by doing something to inherit it, or rather merit it. Probably the vast majority of people have that idea. It is thought man must do something to win eternal life, as a kind of trophy of his efforts, or make himself a worthy recipient of IL Unfortunately, the nobility of man Is often appealed to, as if man had something of merit to offer God. Precisely the opposite is the situation. Man must come to the place where he will see his utter helplessness and accept salvation as a gift Man is not in a position to have eternal life offered to him, and to accept it or reject it, as in any true sense an equal of the offerer. He is not in a position to deal with God. His standing before God is one of hopeless need. He stands before God as one guilty, unworthy and hell-de-serving. The only thing that he can do is to look upon God as offering to him salvation out of his mercy. The comparison of eternal life with what the best man could do to merit It would be ridiculous. Some conclusion might be readily arrived at with respect to what eternal life means in this life, but as before stated, the value of eternal life beyond is far more than man can calculate. Besides this, there is already an adequate equivalent to eternal life presented to man in the infinite merits of Jesus Christ himself, the Son of God, the infinite one, who lived a most marvelous life and died a most wonderful death. It would seem to be something almost amounting to direct insult to God to make any suggestion that man could merit eternal life, when it is clearly proclaimed in the Word that Jesus Christ has already merited it, and stands offering it to us. As the text says, Jesus Christ gives this life, and this because he purchased it with a surrender of his .own precious life. The Word of God emphatically and categorically teaches us that eternal life is a gift Support to our text is given in that remarkable saying in Isaiah 55:1: “Ho, every one that thlrsteth, come ye to the waters; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Certainly John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he.gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life" is In place, as also the words of Paul, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The text itself says, “I give unto them eternal life.” And another consideration is that those who give evidence of possessing eternal life, Are those who concede that what they have has been the gift of God. This great fact of the Gospel may seem to humiliate man, but nothing is needed more. We are living in an age when men glory In their shame. They demand notice on the ground of merit, and nothing is needed more than something to make man feel his absolute dependence upon God; indeed, feel that he is deserving only of God’s wrath and the visitation of his judgment Whether men think it or not they are dally recipients of God’s gifts. The atmosphere they breathe the sunshine, the continuation of life, the health they possess, are all the gifts of God, for which man can give nothing in return.

eternal life. The bestowal of eternal life was, therefore, the purpose of his coming. A certain young man asked, “Good sir, what must I de to inherit eternal life?” Christ’s disciples had some conception of eter* nal life for thej , said to Jesus, 1 “Thou hast the words of eternal life.” What is eternal