Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1916 — SCRAPS [ARTICLE]

SCRAPS

Platinum has been recently discovered in the southern part of Spain, and ihe government has taken possession of the property and will devolop it. 0 As one result of the “see-America-first” crusade consequent to the European war, more people visited the Yellowstone park last year than in any previous year in its history. The camerderie between Canadian troops and their officers, frequently commented on, is the subject of an amusing story brought from the front by an American physician. It was in a Flanders trench. Lord Kitchener was about to arrive for inspection, when the agitated young officer drew up his men in line for the following brief address: “Boys, Lord Kitchener is going to review us. Be sure to have vour guns and buttons shiny. And boys, for heaven’s sake don’t call me Alf.” Crust throwers, those strangely clever beggars who carry dry bread, throw it into the streets at the psychological moment and hurl themselves on it with wild cries, object, sympathy and alms, have rivals in the soap eaters, who are said to ruin their health by the diet for the purj pose of gaining sympathy and undeserved charitable assistance. Twc soap eaters recently arrested in New York were asked what ailed them and each shoved forth a feebly held card, one reading “a victim of tuberculosis” and the other, “help, dear, dumb and starving.” *Their pockets were well lined with small silver coins.

The largest load of logs ever drawn bv a team of horses hitched to a sleigh was recently hauled 15 miles from a lumber camp in Beltrami county, Minnesota, to the town of Fine Island, where it was shipped on nine freight cars to the nearest sawmill, Six horses were required tc haul the monster load, which consisted of 200 12-foot, logs, weighing approximately 250 tons. When sawed up these logs produced over 50,000 feet of lumber, The 15-mile trip was made in a little more than eight hours, with occasional breathing spells for the horses. In winter logs are always hauled on sleighs, which is a much easier method of transportation than by wagon, inasmuch as the runners of the sleighs do not sink into the ground. Francis Neilson, M. P., now on a lecture tour of the United Stales, is a kinsman both of the historian, David Hume, and of William E. Gladstone. He bears a strong resemblance to Gladstone in being richly endowed with the gift of spontaneous and brilliant oratory. Distinguished also as a author, editor and parliamentarian, he is one of the most striking figures in English public life. He might almost be said to be an American member of the British parliament, for he lived in this country, traveling it over, from 1885 until 1897. He is a successful playwright, a captivating lecturer, a newspaper man, and in British politics an advanced Liberal. As a land value taxer he was for three years president of the English league for the Taxation of Land Values, and one of the ’’Land Values” group of parliament, where he has sat since 1910 as a member from Cheshire.