THE STAR
BEYNOLDSVILLB - PENNA.
TILLING THE SOIL IN AFRICA
Agricultural Operations Are Carried
on Extensively In All Parts
of Country.
Extensive agricultural operations
are carried on In all parts of Africa.
"In the Zambesi valley," Livingstone
Bald, "It was no uncommon Bight to
see men, women and children hard at
work in the field, with the baby lying
close by beneath a shady bush." He
found the people In this section rais
ing large crops of sorghum, millet,
beans and ground nuts. They also
had patches of yams, rice, pumpkins,
cucumbers, cassava, sweet potatoes,
tobacco and hemp. Maize was grown
the year round. Cotton was generally
cultivated. Three varieties were ob
served, two foreign and one native.
Every family of any importance had
a cotton patch carefully cultivated.
Bishop Mackenzie came Into this sec
tion of the continent as a fellow mis
sionary of Livingstone. When the
good bishop beheld how well the
fields of the Manganja were culti
vated, he remarked, "When telling
people in England what were my ob
jects In going out to Africa I stated,
among other things, that I meant to
teach these people agriculture; but
I now see that they know far more
about It than I do." Early travelc.s
In South Africa were amazed at the
wonderful proofs of industry and the
extent of the cultivated land sur
rounding the great towns of the
Bechuannas. In 1813 a Mr. Campbell
paid a visit to LIthako, the great
place of the Balatpln. As he ap
proached the town he passed through
extensive corn fields spreading on
both sides of the road. His Hotten
tot companions were amazed at the
extent of land under cultivation.
Monroe N. Work in the Southern
Workman.
How Victor Hugo Wrote an "Ad."
It may not be generally known that
Victor Hugo used to draft the adver
tisements of his own books instead of
leaving the task to his publishers. His
correspondence with his Belgian pub
lishers gives the following example of
the great novelist's advertising style:
"After the middles ages, the present
time: Such Is the subject of Victor
Hugo's double story. What he did for
Oothlo art In 'Notre Dam de Paris'
that he has done for the modern world
In 'Lea Mlserables. The two books
figure In his scheme of work as two
mirrors reflecting the whole human
life."
An encouraging example to those
poung authors who cannot make up
their minds how much modesty is
enjoined by the best literary tradi
tions! Got Wrong Impression,
They were man and wife, says the
Cleveland Leader. They were also try
ing to catch an East Cleveland car as
It rounded the turn In front of the Wil
liamson building. She was the first to
see what she took to be their car and
started In hot pursuit. But her hus
band saw that 'twas a Shaker Lakes
car, and began to yell lustily: "Shaker
Lakes!" the woman seemed to run
faster than ever Instead of slowing
down. "Didn't you hear me tellin' you
that was a Shaker Lakes car?" he In
quired, breathlessly, and a bit grouch
lly. She looked at him and gasped:
"I thought," she said, "that you were
trying to get me to hurry. It sound
ed as If you said: 'Shake your legs!'"
Faint Praise.
Allan A. Ryan, the well-known ex
pert on flying, condemned, In a recent
Interview In New York, the new type
(Of monoplane the dangerouly frail
monoplane to which Is harnessed a
Gnome motor of enormous power.
"These machines," said Mr. Ryan,
"are killing oft so many young men
that, really, if you wanted to praise
them, you'd have to balance your
words as cautiously as the man with
the two-cent cigar.
"This cigar,' the man said, regard
ing It closely, 'has one very good point
and one very bad one. The good point
is that it contains no cabbage. The
bad one is that it contains no tobac
co.' "
In a Sick Room.
Don't whisper.
Don't wear squeaky shoes.
, Don't wear starched clothing", or stiff
silks.
i If the nurse cannot wear rubber
oles, an old pair of shoes will at least
Snake less noise than a new pair.
; DlBhes containing broth or medicine
brought Into a sick room much be ar
ranged so that they will not rattle.
The only exception to this Is the
clinking of ice in pitcher or glass,
fwhlch is nearly always pleasant to the
(ear of the sick person.
J But a spoon hitting against a plate,
a saucer rattling in another dish, are
jharrowlng to the ears of the Invalid.
When Not In Use.
Mrs. Yeast And so you use this
foiling pin every day?
; Mrs. Crlmsonbeak Oh, no; not
every day. You see, some days I
don't cook, and some days my husband
behaves quite decently.
Why They Didnt Sell.
Christopher Did Loomls sell any of
his patent mustard plasters?
1 Randall No; they were so hot that
jevery druggist refused to carry them;
(they increased the fire risk 60 pel
loant .
SHOP-GIRL
?? DlWSui
ttwriri
N an excellent short
II story published not
I long ago, O. Henry
I gave to his shop-girl
neroine a coiossai cnar
acter, emphasized that
in her' were combined
the notable attributes
of Hercules, Joan of
Arc, Una, Job and Lit
tle Red Riding Hood.
And at this season of
the year "glad Christ
mas days" It easily
might seem to a less
s y m p a t b etlc person
than the regretted O. Henry that the
shop-girl most stands In need of the
strength of Hercules, the heroism of
Joan of Arc, the truthfulness and oth
er singular excellencies of Una, the
patience of Job. Think what It must
mean, from eight to six, or eight to
ten, as the case may be, to face and
serve the rattled throngs that are now
Surging through the shops, tblnk of
the strain on endurance and nerve, on
temper and manners. The wonder Is
not that she often comes up to the de
mands on her, but that she ever does.
Some of the veterans, survivors of
many hard-fought Christmas battle
fields, are marvels; may be seen at
fag-end of day still alert, though droop
Ingly so; still clear-headed, though
with conscious effort; still with cour
teous attitude In their serving, though
those they serve have lost the "last
shred of any politeness with which
they may have started out.
Compare the manners of some
spoiled darling, some Indulged, arro
gant child of wealth, with the dignity
and patience and sweetness often
shown by the girl behind the counter.
The one self-centered, of most restrict
ed vision, captious, petty; the other
self-effacing, far-seeing, charitable,
big. Caleb in search of a wife might
well pursue bis quest along the aisles
of the big stores, find womanly Ideal
standing there behind the counter.
They are not all caricatures of fash
ion, with hair tortured Into latest ex
aggeration, frocks cheap copies of
showy splendors; not all more given
to powder and rouge than to soap and
water. And in the attainment of the
bo blghly-deslrable neatness and trim
ness heroism again has to come to the
fore, it is no easy matter after long
hours of labor to labor more, take
pains for personal cleanliness, sew and
darn when eyes are heavy, back is
aching. Heroines every one of them
that make a good show.
I know a girl in a fashionable candy
shop that every other night washes
and Irons that she may be presentable
the next day. Her moderate wage Is
the chief part of the family Bupport
there Is not enough money for enough
blouses to last the week, and so the
midnight laundrylng Is done as a mat
tor of course. But how pretty and
sweet and fresh the girl does manage
to look In her snowy white and well
brushed black; much better dressed,
she seems to me, than the woman of
fuss and feathers.
What little mothers they are, a lot
at them, simple affectionate, domestic
creatures though so often character
ized as vain, shallow, foolishly am
bitious, thinking only of dress and
"dates." I know one girl thnt worked
In one of the department stores which
keep open evenings at Christmas time,
who the night before Christmas did
not leave the store- until midnight,
then after traveling an hour on the
street cars to her home stayed up
hours to trim a wonderful Christmas
tree for the children of the family, the
bunch of little ones the poor seem al
ways to have with them. I know an
other girl that at this season goes
down unusually early mornings to ar
range "stock," comes home unusually
late evenings: but after dinner cheer
fully dons kitchen apron and helps
with giant plum pudding and other
Christmas preparation that yearly is
repeated in honor of old England and
the home left behind when there was
made search for fortune in the rich
land of America, These are Just two
instances, the one quite commonplace,
unherolc, but you may pick up a few
for yourself by eavesdropping a bit in
your shopping; observing among the
buyers the many shop-girls purchasing
toys and sliver "pueher," children's
THE IDEAL WORKSHOP.
And the jolliest and best old work
man In the world.
brt$ina$ Day
To rule and rtign with gentle
svay.
The King of Love was bom
today.
No palace wills enclosed him
round,
tBut in a manger was he fomndt
That so ihe boastful world
might see
The greatness of humility.
He came, a child, in lovely
' grace,
Thai so a child might seek his
facet
So poor was he, the humblest
born
Might come, 'without a fear of
scorn.
To alt mankind be shewed the
way,
And ushered in the dawn of
day.
And so, tufth grateful love
and praise.
We hail this blessed day of
days.
The children's foy, the poor
man's feast.
The star of hope to great and
least;
When holy angels come to
earth,
And sing anew a Savior's
birth!
gloves and sweater, or gray dress for
mammy, muffler for daddy.
Of course there Is any number of
pert. Incompetent girls that wait on
hapless customers, rather keep hap
less customers waiting, but they have
been pictured with enough frequency,
this sort repeatedly held up as typical,
thereby obscuring the virtues of the
many worthy ones following the pro
fession of "waiting on." For some time
past I have been gathering data, ma
king experiment; and have found it
the rule rather than exception that
courtesy meets with courtesy. "Soft
and fair go far in a day," not only on
highway but In the miles of space In
a huge department store. t
A man said to me recently: "How
little of church Is brought Into the
Christmas of today." And how sadly
true this la "church" in this connec
tion standing for whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are good, of
full Import to all religions. And bully
ing and bullyragging a shop-girl at
this season seems about as far from
"lovely and good" as one may wander.
Put yourself In her place, remember
Ing previous failures of your own
when bodily weariness snapped
strained nerves, broke down poise.
Ye gods and little fishes, in what
condition Is the shop-girl to "enjoy"
ChrlBtmas! I am sure if 1 were she
Sew and Darn When Eyes Are Heavy.
all I would ask of good Saint Nicholas
would be a dark, airy room far, far
away from people (from man, and es
pecially woman) ; a great, soft bed
where I could stretch out long and
wide; silence and sleep forever and
forever. No dreams to disturb that
sleep; no vision of past haggling, no
vision of wearisome "exchanges" to
come.
But the reality Is a long way from
this that I would ask. Do you suppose
such a proud wage earner as she
would be content to let Christmas day
go by without displaying wealth and
power? No, every dependent In the
household must partake of her bounty,
every pensioner be given good proof
of what It means to have her dress up
and go down town every day. Noth
ing of niggard is the shop-girl at
Christmas, she is as much a Lady
Bountiful as any millionairess of them
all.
What a creaturei A "Hercules, a
Joan of Arc, a Una, a Job" and a
Lady Bountiful on eight dollars and
less a week!
(Copyright 1010.)
Agnes' Prayer.
Our little five-year-old Agnes, hav
ing been reprimanded by her mamma
for some slight misdeed, a went and
knelt by a chair and prayed as fol
lows: "Oh, Lord, make me a good little
girl. I want to be a good little girl,
but I don't know how. But, If I am
naughty, please send Santa Claus Just
the same.'"
Christmas Time. '
I have often thought of Christmas
time, when it has come round, apart
from the veneration due to its "sacred
name and origin, If anything belong
ing to it can be apart from that as a
good time, a kind, forgiving, charif
able, pleasant time. Charles Dick en.
NEW ERA Hi FINANCE
ACCURACY AND PUBLICITY
PR0VE8 TO BE A POPULAR
MOTTO.
Prompt Response to Bold Move ot
President Vail. "Accuracy" Redue
ed Western Union's Surplus $13,
000,000. "Publicity" Restored Con
fldencs and Its 8tock Went Up.
Are the great financiers of the
country beginning to see a new light V
Time was, until recently In fact, when
the men at the head ot the big cor
poratlons "kept their business to
themselves," as far as the law would
allow. Capable men at the head of the
big concerns, long realized the weak
ness of their position, but what was
seeded obviously, as In all great re
forms, was an unmistakable occasion
and a courageous man. The occasion
arose In the purchase of the Western
Union Telegraph company by the
American Telephone and Telegraph
company, and the man appeared n
Theodore N. Vail, President of the
purchasing corporation.
It was last December when public
announcement was made that the
Gould holdings of Western Union had
been taken over by the Telephone
company.
On account of the high esteem In
which the management of the tele
phone company Is so generally held,
great things were predicted as a re
sult of the absorption of Western
Union. By the press of the country
the "deal" was most favorably com
mented on. It being widely pointed
out that under the direction of such
men aa Theodore N. Vail and his as
sociates, the telegraph company was
bound soon to work Itself into a po
sition where it could offer the public
far more efficient service than It had
ever before been able to offer.
But a very few months had elapsed
when it became apparent to the new
management that a modern and up-to-date
appraisal of the company's
assets would make possible a far
greater degree of efficiency of oper
ation. "Here," they said to them
selves, "we've bought control of this
property and we know It's immensely
valuable, but we don't know Just
how valuable. These appraisals ol
real estate and securities owned were
made a long time ago. If we have
a complete Inventory made of every
thing we've got we can announce the
facts to the public, start a new set of
books, and begin our responsibility
to stockholders right there."
How Inventory Was Taken.
The moBt expert accountants and
appraisers to be had were put at the
task. Their labors lasted over eight
months. Their report and its publi
cation by the company marks an ep
och In finance.
It began by recommending an ad
justment of the difference between
the appraised and book values by a
charge of $5,595,089 against sur
plus. Book values of securities held
were reduced to market values, bad
and doubtful accounts were "charg
ed off," an allowance of $2,000,O0C
was made for "depreciation," another
of $500,000 for "reserve," and so on.
until the old surplus of $18,867,000
came down to $5,136,000.
It required courage, the publication
of this statement to stockholders, say
ing In effect: "The property ol
your company has been reval
ued: the surplus Isn't nineteen mill
ions, as you have been led to be
lieve, but five millions," but It was
the truth, and President Vail did not
flinch. "Accuracy ana publicity," he
declared, was essential. "The stock
holder has a right to know. The
shares of this company are scatter
ed from one end of the Union to the
other. This Is more than a private
corporation. It is. a great national
enterprise. The public Is entitled to
the facts."
The report was ordered published
forthwith. Financiers of the old
school and speculators generally were
aghast What would happen? Would
the bottom drop out of Western
Union when the shareholders realiz
ed that their propetry was worth
$13,000,000 less than they had sup
posed? But the amazing thing
happened.' The stock went up and
stayed up. The public had respond
ed to this remarkable display of
frankness and confidence; to the new
motto, "Accuracy and Publicity."
" The full significance of the action
of the new board Is stated concisely
by Harper's Weekly In these words:
"Is this policy of publicity and of
open-handed dealing with sharehold
ers and public the forerunner qf .a
similar movement on the part of oth
er big corporations? Certainly It is
to be hoped that It is. In the case
of these big companies, dependent
upon public patronage and doing busi
ness under public franchise, can
there be any question of the right of
the people to know?
"That right is being recognized.
It Is recognized now in this epochal
act on the part of the telephone and
telegraph interests. It Is the dawn
ot a new era in corporation finance.'
Timeliness.
All measures of reformation are ef
fective In exact proportion to tbelt
timeliness1; partial decay may be cut
away and cleansed; incipient terro
corrected; but there is a point af
which corruption can no more b
stayed, nor wandering recalled. I
has been the manner of modern phi
antbropy to remain passive until tba
precise period, and to leave the slcl
to perish, and the foolish to stra
while it spent Itself In frantlo exer
tlons to raise the dead, and reform tb
dust Ruskln. .
( Y-TTrnrs n rr A n m tin kv C
me oesrwervc submarim:
EVER since submarines were first
introduced brainy men have
been at work devising methods
by which dangers to their
crews can be reduced to a
minimum. Those who are used to
serving in these deadly little craft
will tell you that these dangers are
not so great as Is usually Imagined,
and that the loss of life from acci
dents has really been comparatively
small.
The two great dangers are colli
sion and explosion, and special at
tention has been given to methods
that will prevent loss of life In case
of accident from these two sources.
1 When the submarine Is submerged
it is really half blind, for the perl
scope is only a makeshift eye, but
even this has been greatly Improved.
Formerly the lens In use only allowed
half the horizon to be examined, un
less the periscope was turned round.
It could therefore happen that a ship
might come up unnoticed and Btrlke
the submarine before It could dive
to safety. Now, however, a new lens
has been devised which gives a com
plete view all round, so that an ap
proaching vessel can be seen from
whatever quarter It comes. The peri
scope Is the eye of the submarine.
Its vertical telescopic tube looks like
a very thin smokestack, extending 15
feet above the submarine's bridge
and its top part contains the so-called
eye, which sends down Images of the
outer world to the Interior of the sub
marine, either by reflection or refrac
tion. One system Is almost as good
as the other. The reflection apparatus
has two mirrors at 45 degrees at the
two extremetles. The apparatus by
refraction has two prisms of total re
flection, as In a camera. Behind the
top one a mirror sends down the
Image that can be enlarged like the
telescope attachment to a camera
but both systems have the disadvant
age of looking on the world thrdugh
a pinhole.
Suppose the "eye" be fixed north.
Those In the submarine get a glimpse
due north. To glance a few degrees
on either side the whole tube must be
turned or else the eye alone. In the
first case If the tube does not twist
or grip the image turns with It and
observers have to move arouhd the
table. If the eye alone be turned the
lower prism or mirror remains fixed.
The Image, consequently, shows all
objects Inclined at the angle of the
eye's turning.
- For years past the French admir
alty has never ceased to hunt for
something better. The navigation
of submarines under water absolutely
demanded an apparatus capable of
disclosing simultaneously the whole
circle of the horizon plus a tele
scopic magnifier for the object to be
carefully examined.
And here we are on the delicate
ground of a state secret. They have
found their apparatus. It Is known,
too, that they got upon Its track by
seeking to utilize an annulary prism
devised by Colonel Manjln for the
taking of circular photographs qf the
horizon from a captive balloon. This
Is all we really know of the construc
tion of the machine that Is to put
French submarines on a footing of
such enormous superiority that the
mind does not at first grasp the
meaning of it. But the effects pro
duced by the machine have not been
kept so secret.
In Brest three submarines and
three submerglbles were fitted with
the apparatus at once for experiment
and extraordinary tales are told of
exploits under water.
Up to within a mile of Its prey
the submerglble floats on the surface
like a simple torpedo boat Then,
fearing to be seen, it sinks and con
tinues navigating six feet under wa
ter, with the aid of the admiralty's
perfected periscope. Within 800
yards of the doomed ship they pull
In the telescopic tube and navigate
a short time by the compass.
When they Judge they are within
500 yards they push the tube into
the air again just high enough to
let them see their prey. It is prac
tically invisible to people unsuspi
cious of its presence in that particu
lar spot At 300 yards the torpedo is
shot and what happens is what hap
pened to the Russian fleet o often.
These are submerglbles, 112 to 220
feet long, semlseagolng and furnished
with both steam and electric engines.
Their normal plane of travel being
on the surface Just like a torpedo
boat, their primary motive power is
the steam. These steam engines run
Vie dynamos to renew the motive
power ol the electric engines and. all
mm
details of their construction are kept
a dead secret.
Serious danger Is escaping petrol,
which may lead to an explosion. By
the regulations the engine must be
stopped as soon as an escape Is no
ticed, a bad accident being caused a
year ago by neglect of this precau
tion. Two engineers employed at
Portsmouth have Invented an ap
paratus that registers the escape of'
petrol or other gas, coming Into ac
tion long before sufficient can have
escaped to form an explosive mixture.
By an Ingenious contrivance a red
light Is substituted for a white one
and a bell Is rung when there Is a
leaknge of gas. .
Sometimes sea water will pene
trate Into the accumulators, a very
serious danger, as chlorine Is thereby
evolved which , may suffocate the
crew. A safety helmet, somewhat re
sembling those worn In mining ex
plosions, has been designed by a
couple of naval officers. Attached to
a water-tight canvas jacket that
straps round the waist Is a big hel
met with a glass front, not unlike
that of the ordinary diver.
Just below tbe front of this is a
magazine containing a special sub
stance called "oxyllthe," which ha
the power of giving off oxygen and
absorbing the carbonic acid In the air
when It comes In contact with water.
In this manner the wearer of the
helmet has always a good supply of
air to breathe, so that In case of tbe
evolution of chloride the crew would
wwnr or rnt Ftvacopjr
hastily don these Jackets, which are
kept in all submarines.
They have still another use, for, be
ing full of air, they serve as life
buoys. Thus, In the event of a sub
marine being struck by a passing
ship and holed, these dresses would
be put on at once. Then the hatch
could be opened, and the men would
float to the surface.
Air always seeks the highest point,
and as soon as a submarine leaks the
water fills the bottom and pushes the
air to the top, where a certain' quan
tity Is always held In any odd little
corner near the roof. Therefore, thin
steel partitions, depending a foot or
two from the roof In places where It
slopes or forms corners, are being
fitted In order to form air traps in
different parts of the interior.
Thus, when - a bad leak occurs,
filling tbe submarine with water,
the air Is pressed into these
traps. The crew Immediately seize
their helmets and stand with heads
and shoulders above tbe water In the
air traps, so that they can breathe
while putting on the Bafety dress.
Another invention that has been
tried In one or two of the underwater
craft consists of a long flexible tube
attached to the outside. At one end
is a float, while the other communi
cates with the interior. In the event
of an accident this tube is liberated,
and Is at once borne to the surface
by the float, to which Is attached a
flare, to give notice to any ship near
at hand. Until- the submarine Is
raised, the crew can breathe through
this tube, or food might even be
passed down.
At least one American vessel is
fitted with a door through which the
crew can escape if necessary. This
door opens Into a chamber, which In
Its turn communicates with an air
lock. If it is desired to leave the sub
marine, a diving dress Is donned and
the air lock entered. The door com
municating with the Interior of the
vessel Is closed, and then the diver
goes into the outer compartment,
closing the door of the air lock after
him. Water is then allowed to enter,
and when it is full he merely opens
the door and steps out The door la
then closed and the water pumped
oat again, so that others can follow.