Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 117, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1919 — Page 2

INTERESTING ITEMS FROM THE CITIES

Has Canon City a Ghost in Dead Man’s Canyon? CANON CITY. COLO.—Natives of the region along “Dead Man's canyon," on the Canon City Colorado Springs automobile highway, are firmly of the belief xb-it :• ghost on n white h»»rse nightly frequents the canyon. Person®

with good reputations for veracity fitate that they have seen this phantom rider, and one person Is'said to have lost his reason after an adventure with this mysterious stranger. Fifty-sixyears ago this spring an old man named Harkins oja-rated a sawmill in this canyon on the Little Fontaine creek in El Paso county. His body was found with the head split open with an ax or hatchet. From that day to this the place has been

called Dead Man's canyon. The tnys- ' terious killing of Harkins began a reign of terror In south central Colorado. The sparse!v settled region from South park to the New Mexico border became panic stricken on account of a series of murders, in which it is estimated that upward of 50 people lost their lives. Each crime was shrouded in the deepest mystery. Travel stopped on the highways, mail carriers never ventured forth except under heavy guard and families abandoned their lonely ramhes. Gradually the fact became established that the perpetrators of these murders were three brothers. Mexicans, known as the “Bloody Espinoslas.” As a climax to a long series of murders in South park they killed two prospectors named Leyman and Seyga. These two men were citizens of California Gulch, now Leadville. Under command of Capt. John McCannon a posse of 17 volunteers dime upon two of the brothers in a canyon about 20 miles north of Vunon City. In the tight one brother was killed by Joseph Tjtmli and the other escaped. The survivor joined the third brother in the San Luts valley.«. Tom Tobins, a noted mountaineer, trailed them with soldiers, who killed them both. ■ ~

Doughboy Snapshots a Tornado; Then Dodges It OMAHA.— It has just transpired that the recent tornado which battered this city, damaging 400 houses and doing about half a million dollars’ damage, was photographed and that the photograph is undoubtedly the most wonderful

was made by Ralph Rolph. Rolph had been In the army, in b rance and was familiar with ttLrror For that reason he stood his ground for a few moments while the Uif-ng.Mfns coming toward him. . Rolph had been out photographing all that Sunday. He was returning with just two films left in his camera. When ho reached Fiftieth and Center streets he heard a tremendous roaring off towsyd the southwest. In another moment the tornado was upon him. He turned the lens high uj. In the'air and snapped the shutter. Quickly turning the film, he snapped again, this time with the lens pointed horizontally, trying to catch that part oi the tornado which he had missed in the first-snapshot. Scarcely two second* elapsed between the two snaps. After Rolph made the snapshots, he leaped into a deep gully beside th( road. Tly* tail of the tornado made an upward movement and passed ovei him without injuring him. Tim two negatives, when developed, fitted almost exactly.

What a 22-Caliber Rifle Bullet Did to Two Men • '■■■' • HICAGO. —August Ehlers, sixty-one years old and a carpenter, quarreled V with his wife 12 years ago. They separate*!, and last November his wanderings brought him to live on the first floor of a little two-story frame house

at 1529 North California avenue. His wife and children are living on Irving avenue near North avenue. Soon after Ehlers’ arrival, Thomas Fisher, sixty-four years old, a wire worker, rented the second floor apartment. Fisher had been separated from his family two years, leaving them at the old home at 1721 North Kedzie avenue. The loneliness of the two old men and the similarity of their family estrangements occurring so late in life

made them great friends. In front of the little house is the three-story bric£ apartment of the landlord, r rant McClellan. His foitrteen-year-old son John wanted a rifle. But Mr. Met led ar refused to buy John a rifle. So, unknown to the parents. John “worked” 41 newspaper route and managed to save s<>. John sent to a Chicago mail order house for a 22-caliber rifle. At last it came. * f ; “Hey. Elmer.” he shouted to his companion, thirteen-year-old Elmer Ruper tus, who lives upstairs. ‘-‘lt’s here- Let’s try it I” The boys had only two cartridges—one shot apiece. The cellar window of the little' ho,use in,the rear was the target. John fired and hit the window. So did Elmer. The rifle was thett' hidden under John’s bed. The next day the “Little House of Shattered Homes” smelled of gas. The gas company was notified- and at 7 p. in. an inspector came. Both aged men were found dead. Theories of suicide vanished when a bullet hole was found in the gaa meter. Then the boys confessed.

Sir'Francis Drake Was Great, but His Estate— SPRINGFIELD, ILL.—Branding the selling of “shares” in the so-called Sit Francis Drake estate as “h fraudulent scheme designed to enrinch the promoters at the expense of the ignorant and credulous investors therein,” the

“fake." Its principal promoters, th< bill alleges, have been Lewis, Sudie B. Whitaker, Oscar M. Hartsell and O. F Peterson, they peddling, the “shares" in the estate to persons in Chicago, St Louis, Kansas City, Monmouth, Galesburg, Peoria, Bloomington, Des Moines and Oskaloosa, Ta., and various other places. It is claimed that within the last two years Lewis’ share from the Scheme has been in excess of $20,000, among his alleged victims being Margaret Glen dening of Monmouth, 111., who contributed $2700; Elsie Reedfe, also of Monmouth. who paid sl,ooo.’and Adeline andUlalph Gorham of Avon, 111,, who not only were induced to part with $10,900 cash, but mortgaged tligrr farm fbt $15,000. »’ ’ k. iThe bill recites that it Jias been represented by the promoters that Sii Francis brake left a large estate in lands in England and that the real estate has increased in value to $200,000,0b0, It is claimed that the direct heirs ant lineal descendants of Drake became extinct riiqre than 50 years ago, and since there are bo direct heirs the real estate passed to collateral heirs, about 25( Of whom, the promoters claim, settled in the United States. -•

photograph of a tornado ever taken. The tornado struck Omaha about eight o’clock in the evening. It went through the suburb of Dundee, Omaha’s finest residential district, literally “like a whirlwind.” The long, slender tail shot along the ground, throwing itself this —way arid that way. * It waved around like the trunk of Jt giant elephant. When it hit a house, that house disappeared. It. cut a swatli through Dundee from lbo ieet to UK yards wide —that’s all. The photograph

Chicago Bar association filed a petition in the state supreme court asking that Milo F. Lewis, a Chicago lawyer, tn disbarred, charging 1 that his actions have been “Unprofessional, unethical and criminal. The action is the result of a lengthy inquiry by the grievance committee of the bar association. Its-find' Ings are that the Drake estate, which has been held out as a scheme for jnore than 40 years, is 8

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

RELATIVES BRING FOOD TO BOLSHEVIK PRISONERS

A scene outside the city prison at Ekaterinburg. Russia, where political prisoners, bolshevik!, are imprisoned. Scenes like this can be seen daily, the women bringing food and notes to the prisoner®. The feeding of the prisoner® has become a serious problem on account of the shortage of food in Russia.

17-Year Locust Is Slowly Going

Causes Leading to Disappearance Outlined by Department of Agriculture. TO BE EXTINCT IN TIME Circular Gives Succinct History of Insect and the Protective Means That Can Be Taken Against it. Washington.—Have you an ideal in the absolute In hopelessness? Well, let it be said that the house in which you live is comparatively new—built within the last 17 years. The ground on which it stands was originally woodland. In the summer of 1902 all the trees thereabouts were full of 17-year locusts. Eggs were deposIted in the branches, the larvae came out, dropped lightly to the ground, and dug in. The long period of subterranean existence is almost ended. In May the Insects will start toward the light and'air —and Will come in contact with the concrete floor of your cellar ! There may be another situation as hopeless, but certainly none more so. That clearing up of woodland for the building of houses and for cultivation is the principal agency that is making the 17-year locust, name is the periodical cicada, a vanishing species. Dr. Gideon B. Smith, one of the earlier scientific observers, allowed rather a melancholy note to creep into his Invaluable manuscript when he wrote that future generations, if they read his writings at all, would shake their heads and think of him as a romancer.

Being Slowly Exterminated. In the same note, also, C. L. Mariatt, one of the latest systematic observers, writes in his bulletin, “To the lover of nature there is something regrettable in this slow extermination of an Insect which presents, as does the periodical cicada, so much that is interesting and anomalous.” Thus, the present-day experts of the United States department of agriculture agree with the early observer that the time will come when there will be no periodical cicadas left. That time, however, is a long way off. There will be multiplied millions of them this year and in other years to come. For many persons the cicada will be as. new a sight as it was to the first observers w’hen they came from Europe to the American forests. Modern writing on the subject is done, of course, in the light of all the observations ‘that have been made through more than 200 years. They lack the freshness of the writings of men who saw the cicada before a literature of the Insect had been built up. Those early writings, therefore, possess an unusual interest. In 1669 Nathaniel Moreton, who lived at Cambridge, Mass., wrote “New

MAKES INDIANS RICH

Developments in Southwest Net Them Big Returns. Oil and Coal Add to the Fortunes of ~ the Aborigines in Oklahoma. Washington.—There are 300,000 Indians scattered throughout the 48 states of the Union; many of them, the Osages, Creeks and Quapaws, are rich in natural resources; rich in oil, gas, coal; asphaltum, zinc and other minerals that not alone make wealth for themselves, but for the country of which they wefre the original occupants. Oklahoma ranks first of all the states of the Upion in Indian popula- ' lion. The Interior department, through Cato Sells, commissioner" Indian iffairs, leased during the last fiscal year 1,653,620 acres of land for oiL Ehls vast estate is being administered

England's Memorial.” In it he told of “a kind of a pestilent fever” that had prevailed _in 1633 and “carried off many of the whites and Indians in and near Plymouth.” “It is to be observed," he says, “that the spring before there was a numerous company of flies, which were like for bigness unto wasps or bumble-bees, they came out of little holes in the ground, and did eat up the green things, and made such a constant yelling noise as made all the woods ring of them and ready to deaf the hearers.” The old gentleman is to be excused for believing that the cicadas “did eat

Saved By U. S. Food

Destitute People of Roumania Are Grateful to America. Tfmgly Arrival of Supplies Prevents Growth of Bolshevism and Revolution. Bucharest. —American flour and clothing are saving the Ilves of thousands of destitute people throughout Roumania. The United States food administration has already brought into the country nearly 20,000 tons of flour, while the American Red Cross, which has a large mission established here, Is distributing clothing and general relief supplies of all kinds among the needy population. The flour from America arrived at a time when conditions were at their worst and when local supplies for the Roumanian people were almost exhausted. It was feared that the want

Form Squad to Sell Blood for Transfusion

Santa Barbara, Cal. —A “blood transfusion squad," composed of physically perfect men and women, to hold themselves available at any time their services are needed, is being formed here. The Santa Barbara County Medical society has issued a call for a dozen volunteers. The merit of the plan, it is pointed out, is that physicians will have names of persons who can be called on immediately in emergency cases, whereas by the old plan valuable time was lost in examining volunteers. When one of the members of the “perfect squad" is called upon to give blood for some patient he or she, as the case may be, will be paid S2O for the red corpuscles given up to save someone else. '

through the Indian office in Washington, through the commissioner of the five civilized tribes at Muskogee, and through the several Indian agencies scattered throughout Oklahoma. The total number of barrels of* oil produced from these rich fields during the last fiscal year is 24,193,267. - The value of tliis oil in dollars would aggregate $50,000,000. f / The royalties alone during the last fiscal year actually paid to these Indian tribes approximated $8,050,098, and for the six years preceding there was derived in royalties alone and actually paid to the Indians for their benefit in oil royalties $26,000,000. The total .amount of oil taken from these Indian lands in- Oklahoma, all told, since oil was originally disco®? ered, aggregates ’383,000.000 barrel?. The total amount of royalties and bonuses paid the Indian? by Oil Operators during this development Is $39,000,000. ' ' . ■. .

up the green things.” The appearance of the dead and withered branches doubtless was such as to justify such a conclusion. One “T. M.,” supposed to be Thomas Matthews, son of Samuel Matthews, governor of Virginia, who observed the cicadas in 1675, fell Into the same error. For nearly 300 years, then, the written record of the cicada has been piling up, undergoing corrections now and then, receiving new discoveries from time to time. As nearly as can be judged it is complete now. The latest addition is a circular, “The Sev-enteen-Year Locust In 1919,” by Dixon Merritt of the ofllce of information. United States department of agriculture. It does not pretend to present new facts, but it gives a succinct history of the cicada and the protective means that can be taken against it The circular will be available to interested persons in the 21 states where the periodical cicada will appear this year.- ■ '

of food would result in a state of bolshevism and revolution. This American flour has been a tremendous factor in preventing the unrest. From Its relief stations established at Bucharest, Jassy, Constanza, Galatz, Focsani and Pitesti, the American Red Cross is distributing its supplies, and in every important village an American Red Cross soup kitchen is helping to feed the population. Queen Marie, who has taken the greatest interest in this relief work, has assigned Prince Carol to co-oper-ate with the American Red Cross. Col. Henry W. Anderson, Red Cross commissioner to the Balkans, said that three large consignments of relief supplies had already arrived in Roumania, and that the fourth was already on its way from Toulon, so that the American Red Cross would soon be able to care for every destitute person in Roumania.

BALZAC’S HOME IS RESTORED

Includes Trap Door Through Which Famous French Author Escaped Creditors. Paris. —The home of the famous French author, Honore de Balzac In' the Rue Raynouard at Passy has been reopened as an artists’ center. The house had been sadly neglected, but has been restored to present the appearance it had in Balzac’s time, with its vestibule painted blue and the original oak carvings and dark red tapestries decorating the apartment where Balzac wrote his masterpieces. On the table stands the big china coffee pot from which the author was wont to refresh himself, for Balzac was a mighty drinker of coffee. Old wood cuts and original printing proofs adorn the walls. In the garden the vine that Balzac tended still grows and his beloved lilacs have been replanted there. In one room there is still the trapdoor through which Balzac used to dis-, appear when importunate creditors called.

With the coming of the white people to the state and with the marvelous improvement going on In the construction of railroads, wagOn roads, schoolhouses and churches it will be seen that the Indians are fast becoming assimilated into society, taking their place-and assuming the role of citizenship.

Sppport Health Work.

Washington.—“ Public is purchasable,” says the United States public health service, and adds that a first-class health, protection service can be for one dollar per bead per year. In fact some city health departments render excellent service at a cost of 75 cents per head. Let’s all get together and give better support to health work in this community- ’

Tot Breaks 17 Bones.

Pittsfield, • Mass. —Charles Furrier, four years old, sat down too hard and fractured his left thigh. Previous to that he had broken 17 bones in various parts Of his body.

HOME TOWN HELPS

REFUGE FROM SUDDEN STORM l— Easily Constructed Shelter Which Should Have Place on Every Public Picnic Ground. There ,is not much pleasure to be had in the woods if no shelter is near when rain threatens at any minute. Many picnics are broken up by showers which last but a few minutes, simply because there is no way to protect the food or to keep dry until the squall passes over, writes C. L. Mell er, Fargo, N D., in Popular Mechanics Magazine. A shelter, such as illustrated, will take the discomfort out of walks and picnics, and will Induce people to tempt the weather moro often, since they know that protection Is within easy reach. ' A dead tree, the trunk of which is still quite sound, makes an excellent start for such a shelter. It should be cut off about ten feet from the ground, care being taken to make the saw cuts as even as possible. It may be necessary to erect scaffolding to make this cut properly. After the cut surface is worked smooth, eight rafters are fitted into the top of the trunk, The rafters are 12 feet long, four of them being two by four inch timber, end four, four by four inches. They are supported at the outer end by four by four inch posts, driven into the ground afid extending eight feet

Picnickers Have Little Fear of Passing Rainstorms When a Substantial Shelter Is Near to Protect Clothing and Food.

above IL The four by four inch rafters should be fitted into the log first, the two by four inch being added later. Upon this framework, which forms an octagonal, umbrella-shaped structure, seven-eighths inch boards are nailed to form the roof. This may be covered with shingles or some roofing material. For greater comfort, a seat built around the trunk may be added, and other seats may be built near it. The whole structure should be finished in a dark, neutral brown, with just a touch of white trimming. If the roof Is stained a moss-green, the color scheme will be in harmony during all seasons of the year, with the prevailing colors throughout the surrounding woods.

BUILD TO SUIT HOUSEWIFE

Designers Appreciate Importance of House Construction From the Standpoint of the Women.' The average citizen, supported by the women of his household, is demanding improved home building and this will, of course, influence all future building operations. From now on consideration of the housing question must be primarily-from the point of view of the housewife. Consequently, labor-saving devices will be Increasingly stressed. Landlords have learned that it can be just as profitable to own well-kept properties as ,it is to own dilapidated tenements, or vacant lota filled with rubbish or billboards. The United States Housing corporation, however, has not adopted any Utopian building scheme. It has simply recognized that the efficiency of the workman is seriously depreciated If he and his family must live in unsanitary dwellings. It has been proved that if he is to work to his best capacity he must be not only well housed, but housed adequately and comfortably within reasonable distance from hie workshop and at a rental he will be able to pay. Industrial housing is a comparatively new proposition in America. It Is an old one in England, and in many ways it has been adequately solved. The problem there is now' largely dealt with from the woman’s angle.

Need for City Planning.

The need of city planning and th* pushing of public work is greater today than ever before* said Walter D Moody, managing director of the Chicago plan commission, in an interview with a representative of the Christian Science Monitor. Not only Is this true because public work needs to be done to aid in the solution of the laboi problem, continued Mr. Moody, but the cities In the United-States have grown so rapidly in the last twenty year* ahd the problems of city life are sc complex that the new conditions cannot be coped with for the well-being of the people in them Without a definite city Plan to work to. The problems of parks, better housing, sanitation, ample means for recreation, and facilitation of the relief at traffic congestion, must be given spa cial attention.