AUG A BLUFF
WELL-MEANING CITIZENS WHO
WORK ALONG WRONG LINES.
KNOCKING THE HOME TOWN
Her Commercial Clubs Fail in Work
Undertaken for the Improvement
of Local Conditions.
Ir. a western town not long since a
General Call was issued to citizens to
hold a Meeting for the purpose of or
ganizing a Business Men's Association,
or as the papers announced, a Com
mercial club. According to the News
paper Reports of the event the meet
ing was a Grand Success, and some 40
or 00 prominent citizens enrolled their
names as members. Thus the Com
mercial club was started on its Career.
Among the active citizens and those
who were foremost in advocating the
Club as an Important Thing for the
welfare of the Town, were a Minister
and a Lawyer. The good clergyman
was made the Secretary, a Banker of
the town was elected President, and
the Lawyer Treasurer. As is usual
with such clubs, a Constitution and
By-laws were adopted; an Executive
Committee appointed, and also a Hus
tling Committee to add Push to the
club. It was outlined that by harmony
and co-operation the town could be
Boomed and made much Better. One
of the Things desired was a Public
Library. Among the other Things
were Manufacturing Enterprises, a
Creamery and another Elevator for the
town, to compete with the one Eleva
tor already located there.
Six months of careful labor on the
part of the Commercial Club devel
oped the fact that the efforts towards
securing any of these Things were
without results. There was no Library,
the Creamery Proposition was consid
ered unfavorable, as the farmers could
secure more by shipping their cream
out of Town than the Creamery could
afford to pay, and as to the Elevator,
only a part of the Stock necessary for
its start was subscribed. An investi
gation revealed that out of this very
same town each day an average of
more than S2OO was being sent to Out
side Cities for Goods that might as
well have been purchased at the home
stores. It was discovered that the
Minister, who was the Secretary of
the Club, all the while he was Advo
cating Town Improvement, was quiet
ly Working among the Members of his
Flock to secure Orders for Groceries
and other goods to send to a Chicago
alleged co-operative concern. He was
receiving five per cent, commission on
all Purchases made. The Lawyer of
the town, who was made the Treasurer
of the Club, was sending away for the
Clothes he wore, and even the Banker
■could not find Carpets sufficiently good
in his home town, and sent away the
money to a foreign place for rugs, and
also a Piano that ornamented his
-home.
These misled Enterprising Citizens
were working all along the wrong
lines. While they were Anxious to Im
prove the Town, to start the Creamery
—that, perhaps, would keep a few
thousand dollars a year in the town —
an Elevator that was almost unneces
sary, as the one already located in the
Town was capable of handling all the
grain produced in the neighborhood,
and would result in no saving or the
bringing in of greater income, they
overlooked the importance of devising
means of retaining Business to the
Town that was going away from it.
The very ones intrusted with the
IBuilding Up of the Industries of the
Place were foremost in turning over
to other communities the Dollars that
should be retained to improve the
Home Trade, and make Wealthy the
community.
Moral —It would be well for mem
bers of Commercial Clubs to take heed
that the most important action for the
Club to take is to Devise Means of
Protecting Enterprises already estab
lished instead of gaining new Enter
prises of Doubtful Utility.
FOR MAIL-ORDER TRADE.
Factories Where Adulterated and Mis
branded Goods are Put Up.
\ visit made a short time ago tfj
the health officers of Chicago to a fac
tory where canned goods were pre
pared for the mail-order trade, dis
closed the fact that it was a rank
artificial food factory. Tomato cat
sups were made from pumpkin pulp;
tine strawberry and raspberry jam was
made from glucose, starch and the
only evidence of fruits were a lot of
dried apple peelings and cores, which
were used as a base. The seed sup
posed to the berry seeds, was grass
seed; the natural coloring was coal tar
dyes, .. nd in the whole thing wa3 a
fraud factory from start to finish.
Several thousand cans of fruit were
found. These were old, several years
perhaps, and the labels dirty showing
their ago. From these the labels
were removed and new ones put on.
These goods were dead stock on the
manufacturers' hands, until bought for
a mere song by the mail-order con
cern.
Roof Gardens for Berlin.
It is proposed to introduce roof
gardens in Berlin. A good many doc
tors and professors are doing all they
can in favor of tho scheme, and are
agitating for the gardens, particularly
in the narrower city thoroughfares
Tho idea would not be difficult tc:
carry out, the houses being mostly all
of one height, and it is already pee
sible in many parts to walk from ont
Street to the next along a good broad
roof track. ,
LOCAL PRODUCE MARKETS.
How Agricultural Towns Can Assist In ;
Preventing "Corners" in Produce.
Now and then complaint is heard of
how the large packing houses and
handlers of produce manipulate ibices
of eggs and poultry. These concerns
are enabled to do this through their
facilities for extensively handling
goods and preserving them in their
mammoth cold storage plants. Their
system Is to buy in the lowest market
and hold the produce until the demand
is such tint prices reach the top notch.
it is evident that were the business
men of small towns to follow out to
some extent the plans of these large
houses, the home market would be ma
terially improved. In the agricultural
towns merchants are the most exten
sive handlers of farmers' produce.
This business is incidental to the mer
cantile business, and few merchants j
have proper facilities for the storing
and proper care of perishable goods, |
therefore, immediately upon receiving
supplies from the farmer, consign-1
nients are made to the commission
houses in the large cities, and thus are
the large commission men enabled to
obtain control of the markets and to
manipulate prices.
Each agricultural community pro
duces enough poultry and eggs and
miscellaneous dairy products to sup
port a prosperous exclusive produce
house. Rut when the articles that the |
farmers have for sale are distributed I
among a dozen or more stores, each '
acting independently, it is evident that j
highest market prices cannot be paid. [
The plan proposed for the organiza- |
tion of co-operative produce companies |
in each town has many desirable |
points in its favor. At small expense j
a coldstorage pla.it of adequate capac- I
ity to handle all perishable products j
of the community can be putin order. |
A plant of this kind, if rightly man- |
aged, would greatly improve the con-1
ditions of the local markets and higher ;
prices could be paid for produce than
the merchants could afford to pay for j
the same.
A number of towns in the middle j
west have adopted this system, and
with success. Not alone have the j
home markets been greatly improved, !
but a greater volume of trade has 1
been brought to the merchants. Should !
this plan be universally followed, in !
agricultural districts, it would lessen j
the opportunity for the manipulation j
of prices of produce, and the "corner
ing of the market" by the large com
mission and packing houses.
THERE MUST BE MERIT.
Drawing the Line in the Matter of
Patronage of Home Institutions.
While it is the duty of every homo
loving and patriotic citizen to encour
age and support home enterprise, it
should be part of the principle <hat the
home enterprises should be such as to
merit support. The matter of service 1
and of competition are important. It !
must be a public spirited citizen, in- ]
deed, who will willingly pay home mer- !
chants exorbitant prices for what is
needed, when the same goods can be
purchased in some nearby town at
lower prices. The local bank should
be patronized, if well conducted, and
those in charge of it men of integrity
and enterprise. Hut ofttimes there
are illustrations of local industries be
ing conducted in such unbusinesslike
ways as to not win the confidence of
the people in the community. Under
such circumstances little censure can
be given those who will seek foreign
institution when they hare money to
deposit.
While it may be true that the small
er towns and cities do not afford un
principled schemers the chance tu con
duct business, illustrations sufficient,
now and then, present themselves to
the people to make them cautious and
perhaps prejudice them against pat
ronizing some home institutions.
Too often it is found that insurance
companies, investment concerns, banks
and mercantile establishments put
forth the plea of being home institu
tions and thus should bo patronized,
wUile in fact their methods of conduct
are such as to not win the confidence
of the people. Merit is an important
factor in the home trade matter, and
no argument can be made that will
justify the people of a community giv
ing support to institutions that are un
sound, or which are managed in a way
as to impose upon the residents of the
community.
HELPING ALONG THE TRUSTS.
Sending Money Away from Rural Dis
tricts Assist in Making Them.
It appears as if the trusts are in the
country to stay. The legislative ac
tion of the government seems to
merely mean a little more regulation.
Trusts generally have their starting
point in Wall street. It Is to Wall
street that the money earned by them
goes. Each trust industry means so
much more for the coffers of the mul
ti-millionaires. It is a sorry fact that
the people of the country have been
for years bamboozled by trust mana
gers, and unknowingly have been
compelled to donate toward their sup
port. That the great mail-order con
cerns in Chicago have been backed
up by Wall street capital has just be
come evident. Within the past few
months Wall street financiers have
decided to build up even greater in
tho mail-order business, and one con
cern lias had its capita! increased to
$40,000,000. It has been toward such
a monster enterprise the people of the
west have been turning their trade
the past several years, and by so do
ing have kept western communities
from advancing.
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1907
I j
j
HEAD OF WESTERN UNION
OTfTfi Lieut. Col. Robert C. Clowry, president of the !
J Western Union, is charged by O. D. Hanks, of j
j ' Salt Lake City, with being "The meanest man in I
| the world," and President Small, the strike; leader, j
quotes the charge approvingly. lie says that the j
| agreement ente d into after the last strike was
willfully violated, l>y Col. dowry's subordinates, j
III! 112, fyj and that many of the operators were never taken j
I j n £j back, or were so harassed that they had finally
| |
' • ''W I Col. Clowry may not be popular with the •
1 \ JIJ strikers, but he certainly is with the directors cl
the company. It is 55 years ago that he entered j
1 v*\ x?'' / the oiflce of the company in Joliet, 11!., and asked
~\V y^SVyJ( I » for a job as messenger, offering to work for six
K Vt Tf months for nothing, in order to learn telegraphy.
At the end of six months he was given an office
in Lockport, and from that time his rise lias been steady, till he completed
his fiftieth year of service by rising to the position of president of the com
pany. His rule has always been to do more than the company paid him for,
and it is a rule he applies to others as well as himself.
When the civil war broke out he offered his services to the government
and was given charge of a department with the rank of captain. His work
commended itself to the government and he retired from the army at the
close of the war with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Col. Clowry has always been a lonely man since his wife died in early
life,' leaving him without a single child. He gave up society then and has
never taken to it since. He finds his pleasures among men of his own age
: nd tastes and in business.
SECURED DIAMOND FOR KING
l!li!!llil[||liiilllllll'l!i ill!i!ID '' ouis Hotha, the rugged Boer leader
IjjJuiiilijJ] lil (I who is now premier of the Transvaal colony of
jr it! *' !o empire, has attracted the attention of
> II! II the world again bv his act in securing a $1,000,000
jUllWWl gift for King Edward.
The Transvaal assembly, by a vote of 42 to :
10, passed a resolution introduced by Botha, au- !
•nMiilXi thorizing the colony to purchase the $1,000,000
'I liX M diamond, the largest in the world, and the pre
i( jlmt li ' sentation of it to the king as a thank offering be
-1 l l ! callse lle granted a constitution and self-govern
jj]_[|j rnent to the South African colony conquered by
Britain less than ten years ago.
| e - j This resolution of Premier Botha recalls the j
stirrfng times of the Boer war. Premier Botha as
•' Gen. Botha was one of the bitterest foes of the
English government during that terrible struggle.
His fighting and management of his troops at Colenso and Spion Kop, two
of the most serious reverses suffered by the British in the South African
war, made him a great hero, lie succeeded Gen. Joubert in command of
the Transvaal army on the death of the old hero of Majuba Hill, and was at
that time mentioned as a possible candidate for the presidency, though he
was then but 36 years old. After the British had defeated the Boers Botha
attended the colonial conference at London and he was the hero of London,
partly, no doubt, from a genuine sentiment of admiration such as made the
Russians acclaim Osman Pasha the defender of Plevna. The granting of
self-government, which later followed the ending of the war, was bitterly
opposed by a majority of the London press. During the colonial conference
Botha expressed his loyalty to the British government, and he was severely
criticised in South Africa by De Wet and others forgoing to the conference
at all. However, subsequent developments have shown that he was working
solely in the interest of the people of the Transvaal.
Botha had no military experience when the war broke out, but he rose
from the ranks to commander-in-chief within six months after taking the field.
He had been a sheep raiser, but became a soldier by necessity and a success
ful tactician by instinct. He was the youngest general In the ranks of the
Boer soldiers. Daring allied with caution was his motto.
MOORISH PRETENDER
f?H — Smm Mulai El Hafid, brother of the sultan of
_ Morocco, and viceroy of several provinces, has
jwr '' "SHU j been declared sultan by the Arab tribes now in
J tcNtl revolt in the African kingdom and is recognized
| as the leader of "holy war" on the foreigners.
\/ 11 I Several important chiefs are marching their
y g forces to join his command. The whole country
U Vr * S ' n excitement the real ruler is cooped up
N M i J ' n Fez between the pretender to the throne, who
I 'lf( J- ' V /I ® s confining his fighting to the coast, and
I K 'f Raisuii, the bandit, who is on the other side in
**/''/ i ill. the mountainous country.
The situation is becoming serious on account
! of the success of these two warring factions and
| l[ a cablegram to the war department at Washington
advises that Raisuii has completely defeated the
larfee force sent against him by the reigning
sultan in an attempt to secure the release of Kaid Maclean, who is com
mander-in-chief of the entire fighting forces of the sultan. Several times it
has been announced that Maclean had been released by the notorious bandit,
but subsequent developments proved this to be untrue.
The capture of Maclean and the fighting of Mulai el Hafid may cause the
downfall of the empire of Moroccb. The army always looked upon Maclean
as the only leader, and his inability to free himself and aid the sultan's troops
in putting down the outbreak of these two powerful forces is having a telling
effect on the situation.
With Raisuii winning against the sultan's large forces and Mulai el
Hadfi's forces being gradually increased in numbers, the situation suddenly
has become acute. Should the empire fall there seems to be little doubt that
j Mulai el Hafid will take the throne a* ruler. He has always been an insurrec
tionist and a pretender to the throne.
It is entirely probable, however, that if Mulai does become sultain he will
be a figurehead, like the khedive of Egypt, for France is not likely to leave
the country now and take chances on its soon returning to its ordinary
state of unrest, brigandage and revolution.
SAYS MARS "TEASES HIM"
{(('!! iI lillilHLI!li!!''ll!lll)l! I Prof. Edward Charles Pickering, Harvard's
I I UJ4 SJrWul I astronomer and scientist, lias startled the
11)1 I world of astronomy and astro-physics by declar-
I ing that "Mars teases" him and that he has "aban-
If i doned any further investigations" of that much
jjr \ Vyi n,oot( ' fl P' anet .
\y Prof. Pickering has been connected with Har
f j \ V var( ' since 1877. He was born in Boston, July 19,
J <'li' VTi M 1846. He is one of the best-educated men of the
I wnfi time, and established the first physical laboratory
Ij j Wit '?- 3 full in the United States. The study of light and
I '| J y) li 1 spectra of the stars have been special features
I •(( « V'llwV/ |*> of his work. He made more than 1,000,000 meas
fj | U "'S of the light, of the stars. By establishing
JLr MJ> li * S an auxiliary station at Aroquipa, Peru, southern
' --stars also are observed, extending the work from
pole to pole. He is the author of "Elements of
j Physical Manipulation" ami 50 volumes of annals and other publications of
i Harvard college observatory.
He received the appointment of chairman of the Carnegie institution at
Washington, a fitting tribute to the valued work he has accomplished in
astronomy and the s< i<'n<<»*i. In ISS6 he was honored by the It. A. S. with
its gold medal lor his photometric researches, and lie is an associate member
of the society.
His measurements of the lijht of Jupiter's satellites wlyle in process of
eclipse Bint of the satellites fit Mars and other very faint objects, make up
some of the most delicate work done in this branch of science. lih< develop
ment of tho Harvard observatories has made them renowned throughout til*
world.
I Balcom & Lloyd, j
WE have the best stocked
general store in the county |
and if you are looking for re- m
j liable goods at reasonable B|
prices, we are ready to serve
® you with the best to be found. I
Our reputation for trust- *
1 worthy goods and fair dealing
is too well known to sell any
but high grade goods. !g|
Our stock of Queensware and |gS
Ohinaware is selected with 0
great care and we have some
of the most handsome dishes
ever shown in this section,
both in imported and domestic
makes. We invite you to visit
" a look °"' ooa " ot "- I
Balcom & Lloyd. |
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LOOK ELSEWHERE BUT DON'T FORGET
THESE PRICES AND FACTS AT gJ
TUSAFSTI
We carry in stock * . |J
the largest line of Car- '.. ||
pets, Linoleums and ' 1 jßttr)lfT^rnTnTi■ !
Mattings of all kinds ; »-I
ever brought to this ' |[H}lolllfi]B
town. Also a big line fyvf Si
A very large line ot .FOR THE 1 |]
Lace Curtains that can- ~r , t m , J!
wmm mm u
felt
Art Squares and of fine books In a choke library
rj Rugs of all sizes and sdect the Ideal pattern of Globe- PI
Pi kind, from the cheap- Wernicke "Elastic" Bookcase. pja
JMH est to the best Furnished with bevel French ||
|| plate or leaded glass doors. ||
M Dining Chairs, I ,OB •* L * o * I ||
Rockers and GEO. J. LaBAR, JU
Eg High Chairs. sole Agent for Cameron County. I hJ
A large and elegant ■■
H line of Tufted and
|| Drop-head Couches. Beauties and at bargain prices. Cj
fed |3O Bedroom Suite, C.OC |4O Sideboard, qnar- CQA
■olid oak at 4>ZO tered cak jjOil Pi
M S2B Bedroom Suits, COI $32 Sideboard, qaar- ttOC it*
pf solid oak at tered oak p?
«f$ $26 Bed room Suits, (On |22 Sideboard, quar- tf|C W|
|| bo lid oak at tered oak, J/IU ||
M ▲ large line of Dressers from | Cb ffoniers of all kinds and |M|
|| $8 up. all prices.
M J M
fcj The finest line ot Sewing Machines on the market, gj
|| the "DOMESTIC" and "ELDRIDGE.' All drop- |J
>*3 heads and warranted. £3
1 A fine line of Dishes, common grade and China, in £2
sets and by the piece.
15 As I keep a full line of everything that goes top*
M make up a good Furniture store, it is useless to enum- H
£3 erate them all. ||
M Please call and see for yourself that lam telling ||
y you the truth, and if you don't buy, there is no harm gjj
done, as it is no trouble to show goods.
|3 GEO. J .LaBAR. !j
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