EE VA FYE Sa Demorvatic atm Bellefonte, Pa., February 14, 1919. Te [Correspondents —No communications published unless accompanied by the real name of the writer. P. GRAY MEEK, - : Editor Terms of Subscription.—Until further notice this paper will be furnished to sub- scribers at the following rates: Paid strictly in advance - = Paid before expiration of year - Paid after expiration of year - $1.50 17 2.00 The Womans’ Land Army. During the week Miss Marian T. MacIntosh, field secretary for Penn- sylvania, of the Womans’ Land Ar- my, has been at State College and Bellefonte making a survey of the farm labor problem in Centre county with a view to planting a unit of the army here. Believing that the grad- ual development of the purposes for which the organization was called in- to being will reveal some avenue through which it can serve a very useful purpose here Miss MacIntosh is anxious that Centre county women will at least organize in order that they may keep in touch with the ac- tivities of the Army elsewhere and be ready to go forward when the adapt- ability of its endeavors become ap- parent. Explaining the movement Miss MacIntosh gave the “Watchman” the following interview: “Called into existence by the desire of patriotic women to help in the winning of the war, and intended to meet an emergency, the Woman's Land Army finds itself at the close of its first year called upon to meet the responsibilities of a permanent or- ganization under Federal direction and control. The change brings with it in- creased opportunities for usefulness and development—opportunities which may be seized, if cnly the women of the country and the women of the town, alike, stand behind the move- ment. The first intention of the Woman’s Land Army was to contribute some- thing, however small, to the need for increased food production. Shortage of unskilled labor had assumed threaten- ing proportions, and in this State, the counties near to Philadelphia were in desperate straits. When the farmers of Chester county declared that there was no labor to be found, some patri- otic women belonging to Garden clubs decided to make an experiment, call for recruits, and establish units of the Land Army to help the farmers. Discouraged on all hands, they per- sisted none-the-less, and as the de- ‘mand increased established other units until in different parts of the State there were twenty-seven working units employing between 950 and 1000 women. The same work was being done in twenty-two States, and in all 15,000 women so served their country. The fundamental idea of these units was three-fold: Proper supervision, proper housing, proper treatment and payment. So long as they maintain- ed the required standards in these re- spects they could vary as the situa- tion demanded. They varied in size, in character of work, and in the type of workers; but all fulfilled the pur- pose for which they were established, and all gave satisfaction to the far- mers employing them and helped by months of steady work to increase the supply of food. Experience in these units, and ob- servations made at different points in Pennsylvania leave no doubt in one’s mind that there is work for the Land Army in Pennsylvania, but that inno State is the necessity for variety, for wise adjustment and adaptation so necessary, nor so many unexpected forms of service, and kinds of unit possible. Properly used the Woman’s Land Army could co-operate with all the existing organizations for rural betterment. Properly used and adapt- ed it would be a part of the American- ization work in rural districts. Prop- erly used it could help to bridge the gulf between city and country; but to do all this it must have the support and confidence of the people of the whole State, and have in each charac- teristic rural district, a group of ac- tive, efficient, but above all practical and broad-minded workers.” Will Prohibition Decrease Crime? Quite naturally one of the big ar- guments in favor of nation wide pro- hibition has been that it will result in a great decrease in crimes of all char- acter. The fact that the day of pro- hibition is apparently drawing quite near is justification for a brief retro- spect of the highest crime in the cal- endar—murder. Prior to the enactment of the law substituting electrocution for hang- ing as the mode of capital punish- ment the writer has no statistics to show how many men paid the penalty for murder each year in Pennsylva- nia. The law providing for electro- cution went into effect with the be- ginning of the year 1915, the first electrocution at the new penitentiary taking place on February 20th, 1915. Since that time, or all told in four years, there have been forty-seven electrocutions, an average of one a month. And these in a population of over eight million people. While it is a deplorable fact that it is necessary to take any man’s life as a penalty for a crime committed, it is the law of the land and cannot be avoided. And the number of men who have thus paid the penalty during the past four years will be a basis for comparison during the ensuing four years as to whether crime will in re- ality decrease under total prohibition. ——Subscribe for the “Watchman.” i A Heart-to-Heart Talk With Soldiers, hundred feet the plane toppled and | Sailors, and Marines. Before you leave the service and re- turn to civil life, your government wishes to tell you directly and simply ant for you to know. : You have answered your country’s call and done the bidding of your gow=- ernment. The nation and the people are grateful for what you have done. Your government, therefore, gives you the right to keep up your insur- ance with the United States govern- ment after you leave the service. More than that, you can keep it up for the rest of your life. Because of your service in the war, you can have permanently for your- self and your family the protection of United States government insurance —the strongest, safest and most lib- eral insurance in the world—govern- ment insurance at government rates. You can have this, but only if you hold on to your present insurance. You can keep up your present in- surance at substantially the same low rate you are paying now—for five years after the end of the war and during this time, if you pay your pre- miums regularly, you car change this present insurance into a standard form of government insurance good for the rest of your life. You can keep up your present in- surance and change it without medic- al examination. The new government policies are now being prepared for you—ordina- ry life insurance, twenty-payment life, endowment maturing at age of 62, and other usual forms of insurance. You will be notified when these new policies are ready. They will be writ- ten by the United States government —government insurance at special government rates for soldiers, sailors, and marines. Meantime, all you need to do is keep up your present insur- ance. After you leave the service, send your check or money order to pay for your premium every month to the disbursing clerk, Bureau of War Risk Insurance, Treasury Department, Washington, D. C., making same pay- able to the Treasurer of the United States. Give your first, middle, and last name, your full address, your ar- my serial number, and the number of your insurance certificate, if it is known to you. Remember, Uncle Sam is staying in the insurance business for you—be- cause of what you did for him. News Notes of Soldier Boys. Allison Martin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Martin, of this place, return- ed home on Tuesday of last week, hav- ing been honorably discharged from service at Camp Knox, Ky., where he had been in training the past eight months. Lieutenant Melvin J. Locke Jr., of Bellefonte, a member of the Senior class in the school of liberal arts of The Pennsylvania State College, is a promising candidate for the Blue and White wrestling team. He is a heavy- weight grappler of great strength, having won honors in the recent in- ter-class wrestling tournament at Penn State. He was one of thirty men taken to the training table this week. Lieutenant Herbert Gray Fos- ter, son of Rev. and Mrs. W. K. Fos- ter, of Jenkintown but who were for- merly of Centre county, expects to re- turn to the States from France in the near future, and may now be on his way across. One of the happy events of his home-coming will be his mar- riage to Miss Marjorie Bradshaw, a daughter of Capt. John Bradshaw, of the British transport Lapland. Miss Bradshaw, who is a thorough English girl, is now in New York doing volun- teer hospital work. Lieut. Foster graduated from the Unjversity of Pennsylvania law school in 1918. When war was declared on Germany he went to the first officers’ training camp at Niagara where he won his commission. He was assigned to the quartermaster’s corps shortly after he completed his course and his prin- cipal work in France was making up estimates for the gigantic drive plan- ned for the Yankee troops this com- ing spring, but the armistice put an end to his work. During his college career Lieut. Foster was prominent in athletic circles. Sergt. Gervis E. Stover, one of the first Centre countians to be wounded in the European war, arrived at his home in Penn township on Tuesday. The young man lost his left eye and sustained a bad wound in his left hip. He returned to the States six weeks ago but has been in the hospital at Elizabeth City, S. C. He is now home on a ten day’s furlough which he will spend with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. G. Stover, at the expiration of which he will return to Elizabeth City for further treatment. Raymond R. Jenkins, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry E. Jenkins, who was in service with the 488th engineers and stationed at Washington, was giv- en an honorable discharge on Decem- ber 23rd, and after spending several weeks with his parents in Tyrone is abain back in his old position as sales- man in the Philadelphia office of the General Electric company. Killed in a Seaplane Accident. David Blair Mingle Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. David B. Mingle, of Tyrone, was killed in a seaplane accident at Pensacola, Florida, on Friday after- noon. The young man was an ensign in the aviation section of the naval re- serves stationed at the above place. Friday afternoen, in company with two other reserves, he went up in a large naval seaplane and when they had attained a height of about eight a few things which it is most import- | fell to the ground. The three young and Mrs. Millard Hartswick, on How- Hoffer—Wetzel.—The home of Mr. . : men were killed instantly and as the | ard street, was the scene of a pretty | i plane was badly wrecked it was im- | possible to determine the cause of the | accident. : Mingle was born in Tyrone and was within a week of being twenty-two years old. He was a graduate of the Tyrone High school and prepared for college at Kiskiminetas. He was a student at State College until his en- listment. At college he took a prom- and president of the college athletic association. to Tyrone for burial. Noted Experts to Attend State Col- lege Farmers’ Week. Both state and national workers in the field of agriculture will address the farmers of Pennsylvania at State College, February 24th to 28th, in connection with the thirteenth annual farmers’ week at the school of agri- culture. Frederic Rasmussen, Secretary of Agriculture, will be heard Wednes- day, February 26th, when he will dis- riculture. church and rural construction. Editors of the leading agricultural papers also will be present and will discuss timely topics. KE. S. Bayard, editor of the National Stockman and Farmer, will talk about the future of the livestock business on Wednesday, February 26. Post-war activities in Pennsylvania agriculture is the sub- ject assigned to W. J. Spillman, edit- or of the Farm Journal, of Philadel- phia. H. W. Collingwood, editor of the Rural New Yorker, is scheduled to speak on the relation of the agri- cultural college to the agricultural press. F. H. Stoneburn, president of the Pennsylvania Poultry association, will explain the work of the organiza- tion, as well as talk about the chick- en crop of this year. The story of how he bred up a herd of cows will come first-hand from George M. Put- nam, of Contoocook, N. H., and W. S. Beach, of Bustleton, will tell of his experimental work with lettuce and celery diseases. PY ee! Farm Bureau Notes. In an effort to form a wool associa- tion in Centre county to co-operate with the State organization the Farm Bureau has made arrangements for three meetings as follows: Wednesday, February 19th, 7:30 p, m., Pine Grove Mills, at school house. Thursday, February 20th, 2:00 p. m., Bellefonte, at Farm Bureau office, court house. Thursday, February 20th, 7:30 p. m., Spring Mills. At these meetings we will have a wool and sheep man with us to ex- plain formation of such an organiza- tion and the value to be derived from it. This will be the time for the wool men to get together and to talk over the proposition as to whether they wish to organize or not. If you have any sheep be sure to be present at one of these meetings if you wish to know how we are to get the most out of our wool. FARMERS’ WEEK. Farmers’ week at State College will be held February 24th to 28th inclu- sive. The program for this year is exceptionally good and every farmer will do well to attend at least a day or so. If you wish a program write the Farm Bureau office of School of Agriculture at State College. R. H. OLMSTEAD, County Agent. Jerome Confer, of Yarnell, is suffering with a splintered rib and torn muscles in his side sustained in a fall at the home of his son, Seymour Confer, on the Jacksonville road, about two weeks ago. He was help- ing his son handle baled hay and in some way slipped and fell. At the time he thought nothing about it and it was not until almost a week later, after he had returned home, that he began to feel the effects of his fall. Last week he was quite bad but this week he is considerably improved. Mr. Confer is about seventy-eight years of age and an injury of the above nature is more serious than it would be to a younger man. a A ee ——An unfortunate and deplorable accident occurred at Potters Mills on Saturday when Kenneth Slack, the eight-year-old son of Mrs. George Slack, had all the fingers on his left hand cut off in a cutting box. Just how the accident happened is not def- initely known but it is the supposition that the boy was playing about the box and unthinkingly got his fingers under the knife. He was brought to the Bellefonte hospital for treatment. The accident is unusually distressing to Mrs. Slack, who occupies the D. R. Foreman farm, as she only recently lost her husband, who died as the re- sult of an attack of influenza. ——Easter this year occurs on Sun- day, April 20th, and this is within two days of being as late as it can possi- bly occur, or on April 23rd. Easter is a movable feast-day and is govern- ed by the moon. It occurrs on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. It will be five years before Easter will again be as late as this year, and then it will occur on the same date, April 20th. ——Motion pictures these days must have quality to attract and hold the attention of the public and that is the kind the Lyric is showing night after night. Manager Brandman makes a specialty of the Paramount Artcraft films and they are now re- garded as among the very best pro- duced. Don’t fail to see them at the Lyric. cuss the outlook for Pennsylvania ag- On the same day, H. N.' 05 for o brief wedding trip east | Morse, of New York, will speak on the | x s.r | i { i | { i The remains were sent | bouquet wedding on Tuesday afternoon when | Mrs. Hartswick’s sister, Miss Sara | Elizabeth Wetzel, was united in mar- | riage to George Earle Hoffer. Only the immediate relatives were present to witness the ceremony which took ; place at 2:30 o’clock and was perform- | ed by Dr. Ambrose M. Schmidt. The | young couple were attended by John | Harper and Miss Veda Wetzel, cous- | inent part in athletics, having been | ins of the bride. captain of the baseball team one year | The bride wore a gown of gen- darme blue georgette crepe with a | of sun-burst roses. The! ——Just fifty-nine more days until the opening of the trout fishing sea- son. ——Beginning March first editor J. Fred Kurtz’s Lewisburg Journal will be issued as a tri-weekly instead of a weekly publication. Mrs. Eli Stare, of Milesburg, is suffering with a very sore hand sus- tained when she tripped on a board and fell last Friday. In attempting to break her fall she struck her left hand on a stone splitting open the thumb from the tip almost to the base and badly injuring the palm of her hand. Efforts are now being made tc | bride’s maid wore a gown of soft | keep the hand from becoming infect- i | { | { | { i i | { | brown crepe and carried a bouquet of | sweet peas. The wedding was preced- | ed by a dinner served to the immedi- | ate relatives. | The bride is a daughter of Mrs. J. | Henry Wetzel and for some time past | has been engaged as a clerk in the | | State-Centre Electric company store. ! The bridegroom is a son of Mr. and | ed. ¢ > If you have not been a regular attendant at the Scenic this week you have missed some wonderfully good motion pictures. The week’s program had been arranged by manager Brown with an eye to giving his patrons the very best pictures obtainable. But at | Mrs. I. O. Hoffer, of Germantown, but | that, it must not be supposed that the | during the past two years or more | pictures next week will not be up to | has been a clerk in Mingle’s shoe | Standard, because they will. In fact, | store, making his home with the fam- | it is manager Brown's determination ily of Mr. Mingle, who is his uncle. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffer left on the 3:10 | and returning will take up their resi- | dence in one of the flats in the new : Kelley building on the corner of Al-! legheny and Bishop streets. Rook—Stare.—Hiram A. Rook, of. Reedsville, and Miss Dora G. Stare, | of Milesburg, were married at the Methodist parsonage in Lewistown at four o’clock on Wednesday afternoon of last week by the pastor, Rev. Dor- sey Miller. The bride is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Stare, of Miles- burg, and is a prepossessing young woman. The bridegroom is a son of Mrs. Sarah J. Rook, of Reedsville, and only recently returned from France where he served for more than a year as a member of the famous Rainbow (1st) division, which had a record of being the first in the battle front of the great war and the last in it when the armistice was signed. Although the casualties of the divis- ion were unusually heavy Mr. Rook went through his year’s service with- out a scratch. Mr. and Mrs. Rook came over the mountains on Sunday to the bride’s home at Milesburg, where Mrs. Rook will remain a week or ten days while Mr. Rook returned Monday after- noon, intending to go direct to Milroy to take personal charge of his meat market which has been in other hands since he has been in service. Houck—Johnson.—John Houck and Miss Annie Johnson, two well known young people of Spruce Creek valley, slipped away to Cumberland, Md., where they were married last Satur- day. The bride is the accomplished daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Johnson and for several years has been one of the most popular and effi- cient school teachers in the valley. The bridegroom is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Houck and is engaged in farming in Spruce Creek valley, where the young couple will go to house- keeping in the spring. Smith—Miller.—Nevin R. Smith, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Christie Smith, and Miss Nellie R. Miller were married on Tuesday evening at the Presbyterian manse by the pastor, Dr. W. K. McKinney. STINE.—Claire Euge:c Stine, a former resident of Bellefonte, died at his home in Jerome, Cambria county, on February 1st, as the result of blood poisoning, the result of a sore on his right hand which became infected. Deceased was a son of James and Isabelle Stine and was born in Boggs township on December 31st, 1870, making his age 48 years, 1 month and 1 day. He went to Johnstown in June, 1889, at the time of the Johnstown flood and worked as a teamster for the Cowdrick contractors through the period of rebuilding that city. Later, he went to Holsopple and during the past five years he had been employed by the Jerome Coal company. He was a member of the L. 0. O. M., of Holsopple and an industrious citizen. He never married but is survived by his father, three brothers and one sister, namely: Harvey, of State Col- lege; Allison and J. Ellis, of Belle- fonte, and Mrs. Miles Heaton, of Port Matilda. J. Ellis Stine went to Je- rome and accompanied the remains to Centre county, funeral services being held in the Advent church in Boggs township, at two o’clock last Friday afternoon by Revs. T. Hugh MacLeod and C. C. Shuey, after which burial was made in the Advent cemetery. ll : | SHELDEN. — Allen Shelden, well known in Bellefonte, died at his home in Short Hills, N. J., last Friday. Last fall he had a serious attack of |. influenza which developed into heart trouble which finally caused his death. He was a son of Henry and Nora Allen Shelden and he was born in Philadelphia about forty-five years ago. Practically all of his life was spent in that city where he of late years has been in the insurance busi- ness. A sad circumstance in connec- tion with his death is the fact that he leaves four little children, a girl and three boys, to his second wife, who prior to her marriage to Mr. Shelden ten or more years ago was a Miss Shull, of Philadelphia, and who died several months ago of influenza. He also leaves a son by his first wife, Gregg Shelden, now a student at the naval academy at Annapolis. Mr. Shelden was a member of the Matthi- as H. Henderson Lodge No. 661 F. and A. M., and the lodge had charge ! of the funeral which was held at two | o’clock on Tuesday afternoon, burial | being made in the South Laurel Hill cemetery, Philadelphia. to give the public the very best that can be obtained, and that is what makes the Scenic so popular. BIRTHS. Immel—On December 29, to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Immel, of Spring township, a daughter, Hannah Louise. Rossman—On January 4, to Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Rossman, a son, Harry Rossman Jr. Benzi—On January 11, to Mr. and Mrs. Mike Benzi, of Benner township, 2 son, Mark Benzi. Shuey—On January 13, to Mr. and Mrs. James Shuey, of Spring town- ship, a daughter, Hazel Lillian. Mitre—On January 16, to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mitre, of Spring township, a son, Steve Mitre. Breon—On January 17, to Mr. and Mrs. William Breon, of Benner town- ship, a daughter, Margaret Eloise. Beck—On January 18, to Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Beck, of Spring township, a son, John Edward. Henry—On January 18, to Mr. and Mrs. Albert L. Henry, of Spring town- ship, a daughter, Lena Jane. Baney—On January 20, to Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Baney, of Spring town- ship, a son, Bruce Ransler. Poorman—On January 21, to Mr. and Mrs. S. H. Poorman, of Belle- fonte, a daughter, Jean Zettle. Political Calendar for 1919. Only four political parties are en- titled to nominate candidates at the fall primary to be held Wednesday, September 17th. The old line-up has returned—the Republican, Democrat- ic, Socialist and Prohibition parties. The general election this year comes on Tuesday, November 4. Every vot- er in first, second and third class cities must be registered in order to vote at $e primary or the November elec- ion. Personal registration days in third- | class cities are Thursday, August 28; Tuesday, September 2, and Saturday, September 13. In the first and second class cities the registration days are Thursday, September 4; Tuesday, September 9, and Saturday, September 13. According to the little pamphlet issued each year by George D. Thorn, chief clerk of the State Department, the first day for securing signatures to candidates’ primary petitions to file with the Secretary of the Com- monwealth is Monday, June 30. The last day to file petitions of nomina- tion with the Secretary of the Com- monwealth for the primary is Friday, August 8. The first day to secure signatures on petition to be filed with the County Commissioners is Friday, Ju- ly 11. ¥ Fhe last day for filing petitions with the County Commissioners is Wednesday, August 20. The last days to be assessed in bor- oughs and townships for the Novem- ber election are: Tuesday and Wed- nesday, September 2 and 3. Assess- ors sit at polling places on these days. The last day to pay tax to qualify for the November election is Satur- day, October 4. : The last day when candidates whose petitions are filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth may withdraw before the primary is Friday, August 15, 4 o'clock p. m. No voter can receive and vote a par- ty ticket at the primary unless he is enrolled as a member of the party whose ballot he asks for. Voters liv- ing in townships and boroughs can be assessed and enrolled at the same time by applying to the assessor at the polling place on Tuesday and Wed- nesday, September 2 and 3. Voters in all cities can enroll as members of their parties on registra- tion days. The Brains and Wit of Mark Twain’s Family. The following story of Mark Twain is told by his cousin, Katherine Lamp- ton Paxson, of Richmond, Mo.: “After his fame was spread abroad over the whole world and he was tour- ing the country in company with George W. Cable, lecturing and read- ing extracts from his books, he came to St. Louis. Father, of course, went down to the old Sothern Hotel to greet his kinsman, and found him as usual at 11 o’clock in the morning sit- ting up in bed reading and smoking. Had he ever been compelled to make his living any other way than by his wits he would have been a dismal fail- ure, but his head fairly teemed with ‘wheels,’ and an unbelievable imagin- ation saved him from the fruits of la- ziness. “After talking with my father for a little while he called out to Mr. Ca- ble, who occupied an adjoining suite, ‘Oh, George, come here.” Mr. Cable entered, and Cousin Sam said: ‘I want to introduce you to my cousin, Major James J. Lampton. He's the brains of the family and I’m the wit.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch. ——A church bell has an empty head and a long tongue, yet it is dis- creet enough not to speak until it is tolled. With the Churches of the County. Christian Science Society. Christian Science society, Furst building, High street. Sunday service 11 a. m. Sunday school 9.45. Wed- nesday evening meeting at 8 o’clock. To these meetings all are welcome. A free reading-room is open to the pub- lic every Thursday afternoon from 2 to 4. Here the Bible and Christian Science literature may be read, bor- rowed or purchased. Subject, Febru- ary 16th, “Soul.” St. John’s church (Episcopal). Services for he week beginning Feb- ruary 16: Septuagesima Sunday, 8 a. m., Holy Eucharist. 10 a. m., church school. 11 a. m., Matins and sermon, “The Sacred Year Turns To- wards Easter.” 7:30 p. m., evensong and sermon, “Laborers for the Har- vest.” Friday, 7:30 p. m., Litany and instruction. Visitors always welcome. Rev. M. DeP. Maynard, Rector. Methedist Episcopal Church. At the morning service, on the ap- proaching Sunday, the Rev. Dr. Mor- ris E. Swartz will be the preacher. Dr. Swartz is a native of Bellefonte, started in the ministry from this i church, and has risen to a place of | great prominence. He is now the Ex- | ecutive Secretary of the Methodist | Centenary campaign for the Wash- ( ington area. Let a great congrega- { tion hear his message next Sunday morning, in his native town. The | pastor will conduct the evening serv- ice. | A revival meeting of great interest i and promise is now in progress at the Methodist chapel at Coleville, under | the direction of Dr. Yocum. St. John’s Lutheran church, corner Allegheny and Linn Streets. Rev. Wilson P. Ard, pastor. Pulpit will be supplied by Rev. A. M. Lutton, of Se- linsgrove. Sunday school at 9:30 a. m. Morning worship at 10:45, sub- ject: “Waiting for the Bridegroom.” Evening services at 7:30, theme: “Happiness, Whence Cometh It.” All are welcome. A Northland Mystery. You have seen the rich dark brown fur set that the stylish lady next door wears, and you know that the fur is marten, captured by a hardy, mack- inaw-clad trapper far in the north country. But did you know that con- nected with the marten is one of the unexplained mysteries of nature? Could we sit in our trapper friend’s cabin of an evening after he has re- turned from walking many miles over his trap lines through the snow-bound pine forests, and listen to him talk, as he rests before the cracking fire, he would tell us how, for many winters, the martens will be plentiful, and how he will take many furs. Then he | might tell us how there comes a win- | ter when, as though by magic, the | martens disappear. How he will go to his traps morning after morning and find them empty. The few mar- tens that are left will scarcely touch | bait. There seems to be a providen- | tial instinct in this by which the de- struction of the whole race is pre- vented. If we should ask our trapper i friend the cause of this strange hap- | pening, what becomes of the martens, he would shake his head. He does not know. He knows only that per- | iodically the phenomenon occurs | throughout the Hudson Bay territory. i It is, and we may safely say, will al- ! ways remain, one of the mysteries of | the strange Northland.—Ex. A Curious American Tree. i We hear many stories of wonderful : plant life in foreign countries, but | right here in America, in Idaho, we have one of the most curious trees to | be found anywhere. This strange | tree, a species of the acacia, which ! grows to a height of about eight feet, lat sunset every day closes its leaves | together in the shape of pigtails. i After the tree has thus composed | itself, it will, if touched, shake and ! flutter in an agitated and impatient manner; if the foliage be much dis- turbed the branches will shake more violently, and should the shaking be long continued, the tree will finally emit a nauseating odor which will cause a headache in the case of the person disturbing it. This tree, called the “angry tree,” was discovered by a party of campers who, on pitching their tent for the night, placed one end of the canvas over one of the bushes for support. The tree at once commenced shaking its branches and emitted a sickening odor, which in the end compelled the campers to vacate. The Jewish Troops. The reference to Jewish troops, in a communique on the fighting in Pal- estine, not long before the close of the war, has thrilled the Jewish communi- ty with pride. Not only have the Jewish soldiers earned a name for themselves as good fighters, but the fact that they have fought at all in Palestine is a great event in the his- tory of the Jewish nation. The last previous time that an organized body of armed Jews ever fought in the Ho- ly Land was in A. D. 135, against the Romans.—Christian Science Monitor. Alaska Walrus Weighs a Ton. The average sized Alaska walrus is as big as an ox and often weighs more than a ton. A walrus was re- cently killed by some whalers near Point Barrow whose head weighed eighty pounds, and skin, including flippers, five hundred pounds. The animal had a girth of fourteen feet, the skin was from an inch to three inches in thickness, and the blubber weighed five hundred pounds.—In- dianapolis News. \ Blue Heron Worth Protecting. The great blue herons have no in- jurious feeding habits except for the few fish—usually not species of com- mercial value—which they consume; they are a distinct attraction in the localities which they frequent, and, thanks to the wise regulations recent- ly put into effect by the United States | biological survey under the provisions | of the federal migratory bird law, are now rightly protected throughout the United States.—Our Dumb Animals. Wy