Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1899 — Page 3

DEWEY'S GLORIOUS VICTORY

sending up a reek of smoke, not of battle, but of abject helplessness and surrender—this republic of ours sprang at one bound from a naval power of the sixth class to an acknowledged equality with the most powerful on the .globe. The name of George Dewey, some time of Vermont, had been placed along with those of Drake, Nelson, De Ruyper, Collingwood and Farragut. When Dewey, theretofore almost unknown, hoisted the signal to “Remember the Maine” the American Jackies took it to mean the same as the words of Nelson’s famous sentence. They cheered the flag and cut loose with a smothering fire which made it impossible for the Spaniard to serve his guns with any accuracy. When the fight was ended the Spanish fleet was not surrendered to the victors; it had ceased to exist. The commander had little to surrender but himself and the few remaining uninjured men under his command. The victory was a glorious one and was won without damage to the victor. Six men in all that fleet received injuries, the most serious being a broken leg. When day dawned in Mirs bay, a little land-locked inlet on the eastern coast of China, thirty-five miles north of Hong Kong, on the morning of April 27, a mist hid the face of the sun. Heavy batiks of clouds covered the gray hulls of the fleet resting at anchor there for the coming of the news of the outbreak of war. A cold frizzle soon came to add to the discomforts, to increase the gloom of the anxious watchers. Every moment of delay meant so much grace and so much preparation in Manila. Would the news never come? Morning mess had hardly been sounded when a sudden call to quarters roused every man aboard ship. A faint smudge of smoke had been made out at the mouth of the bay. Was it a tug with the important news, or had the Spaniard anticipated the Yankee? Men sprang to their positions, guns were scaled and. everything cleared for instant action should it be needed. Up to the gray Olympia steamed the little vessel, which proved to be the long-looked-for tug. Consul General Williams went aboard the flagship and soon the signal waq bent on the halliards calling ship commanders to a conference with the commodore. Soon the signal, was seen to up anchor and drop in the wake of the flagship. Out steamed the Olympia, followed in turn by the Baltimore, Raleigh, Petrel, Concord and Boston in one line. Abreast of the flagship the little cutter McCulloch steamed on, followed by the Nanshan and Zafiro in the second line. The formation for the descent upon Manila had been made. No matter if it did rain, apother kind of rain would soon envelope that little fleet of warships. Silently, in regular order, with a way of but six or eight knots, the fleet put to sea. Then a strange ceremony was enacted on the decks. Each crew was piped to general quarters. When all had assembled the executive officers stepped to the front and informed officers and men that the commodore directed that the proclamation of war issued by Spain be read. Slowly and impressively the words were read. Then hearty cheers rose on the heavy air as the men dispersed to their several positions. On speeded the vessels, now divested of almost everything needless in a hot fight. Six hundred miles away was Manila, but who could tell where Montejo and his fleet might be lurking? What land is that to the south and east? That is Bolmoa cape. It is a part of the island of Luzon. Manila is on that island. See it Is about six miles off. It is a bright morning, this April 30, what will to-mor-row be like? One thinks of the green shores and broken headlands of the south Atlantic looking at that dim line off there. See the Boston and Concord have put on steam and are far in advance. What is their mission? They go to explore Subig bay. The don may have a vessel or two there and if so he can come up behind and smash the transpbrts Nanshan and Zafiro. The commodore will smash him first. Hot, hot beyond belief. The vessels roll lazily along, seeming to make no way. At this rate it will be late in the afternoon before the inhospitable shores of Corregidor are sighted. Now the Baltimore gets up speed and disappears in the wake of the two gunboats which have gone forward as scouts. It needs her big eightinch guns to add to their lighter ones to give the possibly waiting enemy an object lesson. Big guns count in naval warfare now; just wait and see until the clash when the hostile armadas meet. But what of the rapid-fire guns, the little fellows? Good to keep off torpedo boats; they won't be needed. Wait and see. The afternoon is long and very hot. Why so slow? Manila is but thirty miles away. See, there is Subig bay and there the smoke of one of the scouts, or is it that of a hostile vessel? Scarcely the latter, or we would have heard the guns. The scouts will not giVe in without a hot fight, mind you. Here come the Boston and Concord; that is the Baltimore behind. What? Stop the engines? Yes, the old man slants all commanders to come aboard to consult. So here off Subig the fleet must lay until the final plans are adopted. All right, as well here as anywhere else. Six o’clock and once more under steam. Battle ports are taken out and all lights aboard ordered extinguished. The line is Iffhcu U)' uvauiCf *’ c Vl * ‘“v** *v#uui|s and the Boston dosing the main line. Only tike following ships may not foul the for-

YEAR ago, when the smoke of battle rose from the surface of the Bay of Cavite, when nothing remained of the proud Spanish fleet but a few smoking hulks of junk—some so far "beneath the waves that they will remain there to rust and rot forever, others still burning and

the ships are lost in its impenetrable gloom. But 400 yards part them, yet one cannot see the vessel in front, nor the one directly aft. Quietly, with not a sound on board, the fleet approaches the entrance to Manila bay. The old man has determined to £ass Corregidor, the dreaded island which guards' the entrance, to the south. What does he care if the passage be mined and filled with torpedoes, he will pass the island in the secrecy of darkness or fight his way by if need be. He goes to Manila to fight the Spaniards and such little things as mines and torpedoes will not stop him. He does not send in the little gunboats to blaze the way and hunt for torpedoes—a duty they might well undertake from their lighter. draught—but he leads the way with the biggest skip in his eommand. The huge Olympia, with over 1,000 tons greater displacement than any other vessel in the fleet, is in the van and the old man is on the bridge. The Olympia, Baltimore, Raleigh, Concord and Petrel are well beyond the island as midnight chimes. The Boston and McCulloch are still under the fire of the land batteries on either side. Success for the commodore’s plan of slipping by in darkness seems certain. But just as this thought enters the mind a column of fire rushes from the funnel of the little cutter. For a couple of minutes it hisses and roars, then subsides. The after 3-inch gun is manned and loaded, and the crew stands by to fire, but no shot comes from shore. Once more upward shoots that column of flame. Over on the shore a light flashes for a moment and then! A flash of fire, a puff of white smoke and a shell screams over the little cutter. The order to return the fire is about to be given, but is withheld for a moment. Once more the dull report is heard and once more a shell flies over the little vessel. “After bridge, there,” calls the commander of the Boston. “Aye, aye, sir.” “Clear away those after turret guns.” “Aye, aye, sir.” Silently but for the sharp words of command the men work on the big guns. Cartridges are sent home, breech locked and

the officer reports all ready. Then comes the order to fire. Oat from the muzzles spring the first big shells of the battle of Manila; the war has commenced in earnest. But the projectiles do no damage on either side and sodn the lines of ships are oat of range, seventeen miles from Manila. All bands go below and take a sleep, for in the morning we fight the don. Day dawns clear and bright May 1. The fleet is standing past Cavite for Manila, looking for the enemy. While the men are waiting for the morning mess call the Spanisfl fleet is seen snugly ensconsed in behind the arsenal. The Reina Cristina la in front The Castilla is nearly abreast of her and ia protected by barges so shells cannot pierce, her sides. So the don was ready. Well, so much the better. Although the Americans are four miles away a puff of smoke comes from the forward 1 turret of the flagship of the enemy and the fight commences. Dewey turns the prow of the Olympia sharp to starboard and bears directly down on the enemy. The cruisers and gunboats follow in order excepting the which steams in toward the point and engages a shore battery. Not a shot is fired in reply as the vessels still steam rapidly toward the enemy. Shells are shrieking all around them. At last the Olympia sheers up and crosses the line of fire. The commodore, sedately standing on his bridge, still preserves his reputation for placidity and silence. In the conning tower Captain Gridley peers out at his superior in an agony of desire to get into action. When the line has swept almost dear across the admiral —he flies the flag of that rank—turns to the impatient commander of his flagship and remarks slowly: “Yon may begin as soon as yon are ready, Gridiey.” “Aye, aye, sir,” ia the grim response. big eight-inch forwsrd guns belch forth fiasne and smoke. The battle of'Manila

find only deliberately: Men cannot handle the enormous shells, so steam winches are used. But the Petrel and Concord, with their small-bore guns,, can fire with dazzling rapidity. The smaller calibers on all the vessels in the fleet are hot at work, sending out a continuous hail of projectiles. A six-pounder shell is not big to look at, but It travels nearly as far as a six-inch. When it reaches its destination it expands into a peck measure of hurtling missiles, busily looking for victims. Over into those vessels of the don these peck Pleasures are bursting at the rate, of several hundred to the minute. Small wonder then that he is unable to handle his guns with any degree of accuracy. Slowly the American ships move in the form of a wide ellipse. Turning, they put'their port batteries into action, giving the boys on the other side of the vessels a rest. Rut it is but a brief moment, for once more the starboard batteries swing into range. Thrice the ships wheel in the ellipse, drawing ever nearer to the enemy. Flashes of fire are seen emerging from hatches on several of the ships of tike latter. At 1,500 yards the American fire riddles the enemy. The Cristina steams out to ram the Olympia, but, receiving the concentrated fire of the whole fleet, is glad to retire to cover. As the attacking fleet turns to steam out and take a rest the Olympia pumps an eight-inch shell into the flagship of the dpn and rakes her fore and aft. The huge fabric goes up in smoke and flame as a magazine explodes, rending her into pieces. Dewey draws off his ships after two hours’ fighting to take account of damage. In all that fleet after these two hours of fierce conflict none is hurt. In all the crews but six men have been injured, not one dangerously. A marvel in sea fighting has been accomplished and a nation scorned and reviled is now feared by all, for she has a navy and men who can fight it. A couple of hours resting that the men might breakfast follows the first battle. Then the little Petrel, which had dodged in and out, fought at short range with vessels superior in weight and armament, flashing here and there, is sent in behind the arsenal where her heavier consorts cannot go. In goes the stanch little craft while the others resume the battle. But it is no longer a battle, for the enemy, though bravk and defiant, has been so fearfully crippled that longer defense is fruitless. But for a couple of v hours the shells hiss and explode over the sunken, burning remains of the Spanish fleet. Then again the Americans draw off. By noon the fighting is all over, the opposing fleet utterly wiped out and not a vessel of the Americans injured above or below. No commander ever put to sea with the purpose of seeking a fight who did not ex-

THE HERO OF MANILA.

pect to get a run for his money. Dewey did not underestimate the strength of his enemy, for he sailed slowly and took every possible precaution all the way from Hong Kong to Cavite to avoid surprise. Hl« daring has never been excelled, for he dashed into n narrow channel commanded on both sides by heavy land batteries and mined -throughout, its extent, as he supposed. That this was not so takes nothing from his fame. He did not know it. Had it been true he in his flagship would have been the first victim of what a few have been hardy enough to call his recklessness. But to fight he must get within striking distance of the enemy. His passage of Corregidor under cover of night wag but a proper precaution to avoid possible crippling before meeting Montejo. What a difference in the estimation of the world of the republic of America between sunset of Saturday, April 30, and the dawn of Sunday, May 1. As the ships drew near the mouth of Manila harbor the world watched with eagerness, fearing and some hoping that the daring American commander would be whipped. He attacked a force stronger than Jus—on paper—and could at beat, the critics said, make it a drawn battle. But with the smothering fire of bit rapid-fire guns, the accuracy of aim for which Americans on land and sea are noted, he bore down on the Spaniard and not only won, bat annihilated him in less than half a day of fighting. That battle changed the face of the globe. That battle taught the scornful lords of Europe with their enormous military and naval establishments, to respect the starry banner. With fewer ships than most other nations, a few Deweys and a few such men behind the guns as fought at Cavite, would be formidable opponents to the mightiest fleet under sail. Nations fell over each other In their desire to express their wondering admiration for man who dared and the men who executed # « i a « .* « .

AGRICULTURAL

Swing! Both Ways. The gate shown In the illustration 1 have used for years and find it safe and cheap, writes George James, in an agricultural exchange. The horizontal boards, a, are six inches wide and 14 feet long. The uprights, b, are 2x4, three of them 4% feet high, and the fourth, c, 7 feet Mortise the boards into the uprights to a depth of one inch. For a brace use two lx4’s, 16 feetlong, g. Bolt to top of 7-foot upright ,and at the bottom of the front one, b. Nail a board over the back ends of the gate plank. Thta makes the whole thing stronger and I prefer it to a 4x4 for a hinge timber. Get your blacksmith to make a pair of hinges. The post hinge at the top must be long enough to go clear through so that a burr can be

OUTLINE OF GATE.

placed on the end. As the gate sags, this is tightened. The bottom one can simply be driven Into the post It should have a shoulder to rest against ; Getting: a Stand of Clover. The reason more farmers do not raise clover, says a correspondent in the Orange Judd Farmer, Is they persist in sowing their clover with grain, usually oats. The result vis that the grain so shades the clover that when it is cat the direct sunshine kills the clover by drying it up. I have not missed a crop of clover for thirty years. I prepare the ground in the fall and sow the clover seed alone the first thing in spring. I do not, however, harrow the field until the ground Is so dry that the dust will follow the harrow. I have done this for thirty years, and have not failed to get two crops a year, which proved to be more profitable than any grass or grain I could have raised. At the approach of winter a firm sod is secured which does not winter-kill, while if it is sowed with grain it will not form a sod, because it Is so shaded. The frost then throws it out of thp ground. This is what is called winterkilling. By sowing the clover in the above mentioned way I never fall to get two crops the year it is sowed," and the same number each year thereafter. To make good hay, clover mast be cat when the dew is off. After cutting, pat it immediately into heaps, and in two days fork it over and let the air get to it; then heap or shock as before. In two days open it agfrin, and again put it into heaps. After two or three days it is ready for the barn. I have had it come ont in the winter looking as green as it did before being cut

Improved Corn Marker. There are bat few farmers who now plant com by hand, bat I know of some who do so. For those the Improved marker shown herewith will be helpfnL The illustration explains the manner of construction. The materials needed are one piece of wood, a, 2x4,

THE IMPROVED COBS MABKER.

about 9 feet long; one piece, b, 2x4, about 4 feet long; two pieces, d d, each 2 feet long; two pieces of scantling, c c, about four feet long; two old plow bandies, an old pair of buggy shafts and three or four old cultivator shovels. Set the shovels at proper distance apart to make row of the required width.—J. G. Alehouse, in Grange Judd Fanner. Keep •• mall Tools Sharp. All the hoes and other small tools used ih cultivating soil, including cultivator teeth, should be sharpened at the beginning of the season and kept sharp thereafter. In stony ground, a hoe will need a little touch of the grindstone nearly every day. This may seem a small matter, but the time used In keeping small tools sharp is not wasted, as it enables the workman to work more effectively for a day thereafter. Lsjr Two Hundred Kate a. How can we produce hens that will lay 200 eggs per annum? By scientific breeding, as for a good butter cow or a cow milker, as for a good trotter or high Jumping horse. Experiments have been made to increase the number of rows of Kama |g JDOllcable to TXHlitrv 1 w 111 tort

200 or better are the result. At the same time, it is just as essential to breed out of males from prolific layers as it is the females; in fact, it Is more so. If we look after the breeding of the females only we will introduce on the male side blood which Is lacking in proficiency, and thus check every attempt In progress. It Is just as essential that the male should be from the ben which lays 173>ggs and from a male that was bred from a hen that laid 150 eggs as it is that the hen should be from one that laid 175 eggs ant whose mother laid 150 eggs.—Poultry Herald. Small Farm* Profitable. For several years prices have, quite generally, been unremuneratlve and production consequently limited. Farmers have Refrained from hiring help and have contented themselves with what could be produced by the family. I know of no farm that is yielding to its fullest capacity; yet some are producing more than twice as much per acre as adjoining farms equally good. To illustrate: A farm of 200 acres, 160 of which are improved, receiving careful treatment and above the average condition of farms in the vicinity, has a cash income of from S6OO to S7OO yearly as the result of the work of two men. An adjoining farm of forty acres, with the same labor, averages about SSOO. A “river” farm of forty acres, with a little more work, gives about SI,OOO. Small holdings, diversity of crops and profitable prices will more than double our production without any increase in the area of improved land. France, with nine times our population to the square mile, produced over eight bushels of wheat per capita for the five years ending with 1897. Our production for the same period was but little more than seven bhshels per capita.—North American Review. ’ Feeding Large and Small Chicks. Where large and small chicks run at large in the same riot the feeding of them becomes a difficult mater, as the larger crowd the weaker and take most of the food. Get one or more big but low dry goods or grocery boxes and remove a part of each side, as shown in the cut, making the opening just high enough to permit the smaller chicks to enter. Stretch a wire from side to side at the top and throw feed inside for the younger broods. They will quickly

learn to start for their own quarters when the feed dish appears.—American Agriculturist How He Salted the Calf. A Jefferson County farmer hired a very inexperienced boy out of the reformatory to help abont the place. One morning he told the lad to go and salt the calf in the pasture. The boy took abont a quart of salt rubbed it all over the calf, working it into the hair. A gang of colts In the pasture scented the salt and got after the calf. They licked the hair all off the calf's back and tried to lick the hide off, too. The farmer tried to catch the calf and wash it off, bat the creature, thinking he wanted to lick, too, kept out of bis way. The .boy, calf and farmer are all unhappy. The colts are the only ones that got any fun ont of it.—-The “End Man,” In Denver Field and Farm. A Garden Feet, Plant lice are everywhere and on every plant, even yonr boose window plants are not exempt. These Hce work nearly entirely on the under side of the leaf, and no effort so far tried has been. any relief, nor seems to disturb them.' By keeping the soil clean and fine if we have frequent showers daring their period of work, the ander side of the leaves will get covered with mud, which greatly checks their destruction, bdt if the weather Is dry the crop is doomed to destruction. There is a large class of plant lice which feed on the outside of the leaves. These can be killed by the use of tobacco in various forms, dost, smoke and spray with tobacco tea.—F. S. White. Xoaozna* on Apples. A French fruit grower turns out apples with monograms inscribed on them by nature. Anybody’s crest or monogram can be secured. When the apples are the size of walnuts they are covered with paper bags, which keep them green. When the maximum size Is reached the first bags are replaced by others, which have the crest or monogram stenciled into them. When a stencil is used the monogram comes ont red on a green ground. If yellow or green on a red ground is desired, the monogram is ent ont and pasted on the apples. Grafting: Cherry and Plan Trees. Most of the failures in grafting cherry and plum tapes come from cutting the grafts too late. These trees swell their buds earlier than any other fruit trees, and if the buds swell before be- || Jg best t 0 SOt ttiO I gnu.l9 Dulwto UIV LAAWA" I

THE HOUSE HOLD

A Boston War* - 'jjM Daring the coarse of tbe trial In 1m ton tbe other day of a woman rest** rant keeper who was charged wttSIH fng milk “below standard” the fad ting developed that no Bostonian Afamjam fled with his milkman can change oil less the new milkman be ready to Bd|| mit to a fine of |SO from the Milk Dei# era’ Association. The defendant tMI fled that upon finding tbe milk she wai getting was poor she tried In vafnjlj bay from other milkmen, hut fha feared the SSO fine of tbe trostlgH refused to sell to her. She finally *Nm| ceeded In getting better milk by pdif chasing from another dealer in the name of her janitor. J

The Spring Barden. ■ !si “Take up the white man's burden*”' His neighbor heard him say, “Go, bind yourself to serve in The old-time vernal way, 'I By all you will or whisper, || By all you leave or do, You cannot ’scape the burden This season brings to you.” ; » “Take up the white man's harden, | No iron rule of kings To lowest serf in thraUdom Such measly labor brings;” Then forth he brought the carpet And hung it on the line, And thumped its grizzly texture From three till half past nine. —Boston Courier. J'MM i

Macaroa&rtgpij^ Good macaroni should be cream-egg ored, and when broken should not split After boiling In water equal to eight times its bulk, turn into a colander and run cold water over ft to prevent the pieces sticking togetbm In scalloping put a layer of mallljj in the buttered pudding dish, then Ow of grated cheese and one of wt*w| sauce, salting and peppering each Mp er of macaroni and cheese. Bepen until the dish is full, then cover wltfcwi tablespoonful of bread crumbs stirt» In a teaspoonful of melted butter. 4f| low half the amount of grated chiMM that you have of macaroni. To Fasten a Picture Mall. In the grand spring cleaning, Wt|l nails and screws refuse to fasten securely in the plaster, and life i.wk* dark and drear by reason of their obj stinacy, look up and try this simp£§ remedy, given by a professional pic-ture-hanger. Enlarge the hole made by the screw, says this genius, asm thoroughly moisten the edges of JH plaster with water. Then fill the spaci with plaster of paris and press tho screw in the soft plaster. When hardens the screw will be found to hold firmly. P - Mttmbnrg Steak. . ■ Chop one pound of lean beef ema fine, mince an onion and mix with i together with a little suet Season tffjj pepper, salt and a dash of summer savory, make Into flat cakes and f*7 f hot lard, butter or drippings, !■ onion may be omitted. Many butebefjl sell the meat already chopped. Iff better tp select for yourself, and thin you are assured of what yon arf ge£j ting. Good Coffee, To make good coffee use one spoonful of ground coffee for each person and one more for the pot beim dropping in a little beaten white of egg and cold water just to moisten; shii|| and pour on boiling water, aboto |BH thirds of a pint for each spoonful ■«| coffee. Let this come to a boil, sf£ down and keep Just below the boiling point until needed. * '■ ’llM Meat Ball* with Tomato DrenateH Two pounds of the upper part bf round chopped fine, half & pound <fl salt pork chopped. Mix with jornSk catsup and make into balls and ; jl| slowly In butter. When browned al both sides add a sauce made of onehalf can tomatoes and a of flour mixed smooth In water, wmk salt to taste. Simmer the meat sauce until done. W Spiced Corn 'Bee*. After using corned beef for while warm, chop the fat andleaafß gether, not very fine, but so they, bm be well mixed; then stir in enough made mustard or French mustard m spice sufficiently, and place it in w open pan that will take in ah Invertwl plate on the top. It may be sliced wheg cold. * jjnfclgl Ha lain Cake. One cup sugar, one-half cup buttoig two eggs, one-half cup milk, two teaspoonfuls baking powder and twocaM of flonr. Jelly to put between the jjjß ers; one cup raisins, one cop of soghil one-half cup water and one egg. 'Beflj water and sugar together; stir the sins and egg in when cool. Potato Puff. Take two cupfuls of cold mashed |||j tatoes, stir into it six teaspoonfuls i melted shortening, beating to a whitw cream; then put with this two eggs whipped very light and a cream or milk, salting to taste; l* well, pour into a deep dish and fcpH| in a quick oven until brown. c-filM Boil twenty-four raisins, cut in quant ters, in water enough to cover x he«» twenty minutes, when plump and of milk, when boiling shh tljen with a Uttle cold milk ndd^Si well-beaten White of an eza il