Freeland Tribune Established 1888. PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY, BY TUB TRIBUNE PRINTING COMPANY. Limited OI7JCE: Main Street Above Centre. FREELAND, PA. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One Year 11.50 Six Mouths 75 Four Months 50 Two Mouths 25 The date which the subscription is paid to la on the address label of each paper, the ohaiiKe of which to a subsequent date be comes a receipt for remittance. Keep the figures ill advance of the present date, lie port promptly to this ofllee whenever paper la not received. Arrearages must be paid when subscription is discontinued. Male all mumy orders, checks, etc.,payable to I tee Tribunt J'riuhnj Company, Limited. It is estimated tVat there are 30,000 pupils in the agricultural sohools of the United States. The "YanPee drummers" are cap turing large slices of the iron and shoe trade in England, France, Ger many and Russia. This is a sort of reciprocity that Europe does not like. The California state board of prison directors has adopted a rule that here after, when a convict is found with a deadly weapon in his possession he shall he kept in solitary confinement for the rest of the term, even if it be for his natural life. The great sources of wealth in Canada are four, viz., fisheries,mines, forests, and farms. The amount an nually derived from them is, in round figures, §20,000,000 from the fisheries, $30,000,000 from the mines, SBO,- 000,000 from the forests, and $600,- 000,000 from agriculture. A little Swiss canton with socialis tic tendencies has lately adopted a law of free burial, by which the state is the chief patron and employer of the undertakers. Two purveyors of cof fins are elected in each district; all orders are sent to one daring the first six months of the year, and to the other during the remaining six months. The coffins are delivered gratuitously. Notwithstanding the efforts of the government to he fair, the greatest complaint and dissatisfaction have arisen. The maxim that time is money could not receive a more pertinent il lustration than in the proposition to build a tnunel between England and Ireland at a cost of $30,000,000. The tendency toward public ownership of methods ot transit is also shown in the proposition that the English gov ernment shall be the constructor. Such a tunnel would materially lessen the time of carriage between New York and London and is expected to make an important port of Galway. If ever racial distrust permit the construction of a tunnel beneatli the English Channel, the Continent will be brought appreciably nearer in time of travel to the United States. The ad vent of the twentieth century is her alded by promised wonders that may knit the hemispheres together in new and closer bonds. Electricity has been the promotor of many new words and phrases. An electrical dictionary of the humblest proportions must contain thousands, and the number grows yearly. Some of these words grow, others are se lected arbitrarily, but one can never tell which the public will seal with Its approval. Marconi and other workers in telegraphy without wires are trying for the adoption of "etheric teleg raphy," because the impulses are conveyed by the other, but the preva lent expression in conversation and the newspapers is "wireless telegra phy," anil it is ready to stick. An electrical journal opened its columns lately to a competition for a good word to describe electric carriages, and "electromobile" has been selected,but it iH doubtful if it will "stick." An other electrical journal contains some suggestions for new electrical nnits.of which "septerg" and "decifiu" may be quoted as graceful examples. The public, which has not yet mastered its volts, amperes, watts, and henrys, may bo excused if it looks askance at these latest efforts of the word-maker. Disposing of Rim. "This man is too belligerent to suit me," said the German emperor thoughtfully. "He's always ridicul ing the idea of peace and declaring that war Is inevitable. He is stirring things up altogether too much." "Couldn't you get him out of the coun try for a while?" "That's a good idea. 11l send him to the peace conference." —Wash i ngton Star. Apothecary Humor. Mrs. Leary—"l want to git some quinoine pills." Clerk—"Those with ooats on them, I suppose?" Mrs. Leary ."No; thim wid thor coats off." Clerk—"Oh, I understand. William, bring out some of those quinine pilla In their shirt sleeves." I A COTTAGE TRAGEDY. J BY ELLA RODMAN CHURCH. W mmsmmsik UR house was k" unique au d so p r Ti£n\.pretty, as we told - -*' jlmffiiH'. 1 ea °h other every L, hour in the day. I furnished I principally with //aWii y—8 ( packing boxes with :I" ■' the additiou of a C- & few such trifles as cretonne, small mattresses, Swiss muslin, pink and blue ribbons, etc., and thereby developed a gift for up bolstering that, but for the circum stance of going to housekeeping with next to nothing to spend for furniture, might have kept company with that i countless array of gems of purest ray i serene, and flowers that are born to blush unseen. It was really exciting to take old kitchen chairs and paint them a bright vermilion, putting in seats of broad scarlet and white worsted braid; or to convert a fossil remain from some one's great-grandmother's parlor into an ebony affair, with a stripe of dead gold. But dabbling in vermilion is almost as dangerous as a tiger's taste of blood, and we found it difficult to refrain from giving everything a coat ' of melted sealing-wax. Shellac, too, is a delusion and a snare; and one of us was found walk ing in her sleep, with the varnisli bottle and brush in hand, just about to try its virtues on the countenance of her unsuspicious relative. Aside from our creative faculties our cottage may be said to have beeu furnished from other people's garrets; and while collecting together our household goods, we found ourselves casting covetous eyes on every piece of furniture that looked at all out of the (ooiiiioQ way. The possessive pronouu, applied to a local habitation, was particularly fascinating to Bohe mians like ourselves, who had hitherto haunted city boarding-houses, until the obliging demise of a distant rela tive somewhere in the western wilds put us in possession of an elegant in sufficiency, on the strength of which we became lauded proprietors; for the cottage was offered to us for "a mere song," aud we had strong hankerings after a roof of our own. So, after singing the song, which meant making quite a hole in our bank stock, we set about transforming our purchase with such womanly energy that we were soon regarded as the eope eial torments of all the shiftless men in the neighborhood, who professed to do odd jobs. They did not like being interrupted in the amusing occupation of twirling their thumbs to do things right off, or not at all. "Just like women!" they grumbled; and with an injured expression of countenance, they crawled about their tasks, and ac complished about as much iu a day as we could have done iu two hours, had we beeu gifted with the physical strength. But things got done somehow; and having worked like bees inside of the house, and provided ourselves with the traditional "respectable woman," who seems to be the indispensable ap pendage to such households, we were ready to stop existing and begin to live. Bo delicious was that first meal under our own roof, though it consisted of bread aw.d butter and round hearts, yaten off a packing-box; and we felt very much like children playing "baby house." By and by visitors came; visitors from palatial mansions, who assured us that our little nest was charming; "so like things one sees abroad." But j>ne lady, an envious sort of person, af ter glancing rather supercilliously at our rockery and ferns, aud other rural belohgiugs, asked, carelessly: "And you don't feel afraid here, with all these dark woods so near?" "Afraid!" We laughed at the idea. We never thought of such a thing. Everyone told us that it was a particu larly safe place. "Every place is safe," replied the visitor, seuteutiously, "until some thing happens." Now, wasn't it hateful of her? We had very little peace after that; aud although one side of the cottage was close upon the road, we could not for get that the other was in the shadow of the woods. It was a one-storied af fair, too. Our sleepiug-room was ! downstairs, and upstairs was only an attic, where the respectable \7oman ea | joyed the sound slumbers of the un j imaginative. ; On the night of the very day when I wo had beeu aroused to a sense of | our unprotected state, our fears cul i minuted. Dot pooh-poohed them, ! to be sure, and pretended not to be j disturbed iu the least. But the con fiction that we were destined to have our throats cut in the silence of the night was gaining upon mo. I glared About, uneasily, in the moonlight; •at the trees only cast quiet shadows Tver the road, aud the vines trembled I little in the night air. I was roused, finally, from a half jHeep by a subdued sound of voices under the window, and an ague-fit im mediately took possession of me. I shook aud shook; the very bed was shaken under me, and I wondered that it didn't waken Dot. The wretches outside were probably discussing the easiest means of effect ing an entrance, of course, with the object of plunder, and I immediately ran over in my mind an inventory ot our available possessions. "Your silver, or your life!" would, doubt less, be the war-cry; aud I thought, with a groan, of our great-grand mother's tea-pot, that had been anob j©3t of worship in the family ever since I could remember; and a hide- ous-looking idol it was. There was not much else beside spoons, forks, aud u few trifles. But if the worst came to the woist, we could make a staud upou that tea-pot. Perhaps we had better follow the example of the lone lady, who nightiv placed her sil ver iu a basket ut the foot of the stair case. with a note requesting burglars ! to decamp quietly with their booty, aud uot molest the inmates. If we could ouly arouse Matilda in lier attic! And what a desirable sleeping-place that attic seemed to be just then! But I dared not attempt to move. Presently Dot whispered. "Are you awake?" "Yes." I replied, with chattering teeth, "I have been awake for un hour." "So have I. What can we do?" "Bid each other farewell, like the Babes in the Woods," was my cheer-' ful reply, as I drew the bedclothes over my head, "and depart this 1/fe with what grace we may." "Priscilla Driftwood!" exclaimed Dot, bouncing up in bed, with flash ing eyes, "I'm perfectly ashamed of you! Depart this life iudeedl After all we have douo to get settled in a home of our owu. Let them take the silver, and welcome: it isn't at all like ly that they want us. But anything is better than this suspense." And Dot was fairly out upon the floor and at the beaufet before I could stop her. The moonlight showed everything distinctly, and I felt, as I layed there, shaking and helpless, that I was living in a story, and that all these incidents were purely imagi native. I read lately of a heroine who was described as "a graceful young lady, with a wealth of golden hair." My sister Dot was all this, and much more, as she flitted about with the softeuing grace of moonlight upon her face; and, wrapping herself in a scar let shawl, she grasped the teapot and ran to the window. Two men were there, and a wagon —they were fully equipped for their outrageous spoils—and with a spasm of courage Dot threw up the sash,and tlr usting the teapot at them, gasped out: "Take it quickly, and bo off! There is nothing else in the house worth takiug." One of the burglars immediately raised his hat aud came nearer; the other stared at the apparition with a vacaut grin on his face. "Sure, an' it's crazy she is, intire ly," he muttered, with a decided brogue. "Go this instant," continued Dot, getting very iudiguaut. "I toll you we have nothing else for you, and you have nearly killed my sister!" "We are really very sorry," said the taller of the two. "But wo are in considerable trouble, aud would be glad to know if there is any gentleman about the house?" "None that is awake," replied Dot, with great caution, as she looked steadily at the speaker. But he began to laugh and to my great amazement, Dot laughed, too. i "There certainly is a mistake here," said the gentleman, who had changed his opiuion as to her being a lunatic. "We have met with a serious accident in the breakiug down of the wagon and were discussing the propriety of asking for help, not knowing that your house was occupied ouly by ladies. Pray, pity the sorrows of a poor young man, and forgive the alarm that I would not, for worlds, have caused you." Here 1 came to the rescue, having poetically attired myself in a disrepu table wrapper that should have been in the rag-bag long ago, and with my hair screwed into an ugly little knot on top of my head; but of all this I only became conscious wheu it was too late. It did uot seem enough that I had beeu named Priscilla. I was fated always to appear at a disadvan tage; while the name of Dorothy could not crush my more favored sis ter. We finally came to an understand ing; and now that the veil of terror was lifted from our eyes, our burglars resolved themselves into a very nice looking young gentleman, and bis Iliberniau charioteer—the formor of whom had lost the night-train a mile or two off, and had engaged tho latter to drive him to his father's residence, about ten miles distant. But Pat rick's vehicle gave out unexpectedly, aud retired on tho disabled list just in frout of our domicile; and after discussing the matter awhile, and al most preparing to spend tho night in the road, they had just decidod to pull our bell, when Dot made an un expected onset upon them with the silver teapot. Mr. Irving expressed his thanks for the article so generously offered, but could not see that it would bo partic ularly useful iu this emergency, and Dot retired in great, confusion. The travelers were directed to a house of entertainment for man and beast, about half a mile off, aud with many thanks and apologies, our new acquaintance departed. "I declare," exclaimed Dot, as we sought our couch again for what re mained of the night, "I have a great mind to throw that horrid old teapot out of the window; such au absurd figure as I must have cut with it!" "You ueed not mind tho teapot," I groaned. "Think of my wrapper! The first rag-man that comes along shall have it." In a day or two Mr. Irving came aud brought his mother—a charming elderly lady, who seemed to take us at once under her wing, and condoled with ns in the most motherly fashion on the fright we must haVB suffored. Bat all this was to Dot, of course. I only came in as make-weight; for my hair didn't "ripple to my waist" on that eventful night, nor did I have presence of mind enough to put on a picturesque shawl. Such a picture, Mrs. Irving said, had been drawn for her; but I didn't sit for the portrait. Our fascinating visitor went into quite an ecstacy over the cottage, but said that she did not think it right for us to live there. Her son proved to be of the same opinion; but a great many shadows were cast by the event which resulted iu the breaking up of our cosy nest. Having a fa'al gift for overhearing things not intended for the publio, i ono afternocu caught the words: "You told me at our first meeting, Dot, that there wa3 nothing in the house wrrtli taking but the silver tea pot. I quite disagreed with you, but I did r.ot dare to say so then. Will you give me what I think the greatest valuable of thein all?" Of course he carried off Dot and that ended the tragedy. CINCINNATI'S CHEAP CAS. Interested Persons Say Tliat It Costs Nothing to Manufacture It. It cost 3 nothing to make and sell gas. The Cincinnati Gas Company can sell it at seventy-five cents a thousand feet or five cents a thousand feet, and the price it charges will all be profit. The by-products, chief of which is coke, more than pay the cost of producing the gas. These startling facts have been re vealed in the gas agitation in Cincin nati, and they come from the books of the Cincinnati Gas Company. They have been unintentionally set forth by Attorney Warrington, the chief coun sel for the company, and M. M. White, President of the Fourth Na tional Bank, and generally reported to be the heaviest individual holder of gas stocks in Cincinnati. The statements which prove that gas costs nothing were made by Warring ton in his speech before the Board of City Affairs, and by White in an inter view in a Cincinnati newspaper, in which he said the city should adopt General Hickenlooper's seventy-five cent gas proposition. White said: "At the prices offered by the gas com pany the stock would probably pay eight per cent, on 89,000,000, which, on a 200 basis, would make the stock a four per cent, non-taxable security, which in these days is about as good as anyone can get. It would be a very happy solution of the entire question if the city accepts the offer of the Cincinnati Gas Company." Attorney Warrington, in an argu ment before the Board of City Affairs, held that the consumption c>f gas is in creasing 8.7 per cent, each year, and that the consumption next year would be 961,050,809 cubic feet. A third of this, he estimated, would be at the fuel rate of fifty cents, the rest at the rate of seventy-five cents, making the nverage cost to the consumer sixty six and two-third cents, aqd the in come to the company 8041,300.58. The explanation is that the valua ble coke, tar, ammonia and other by products more than pay for making and distributing the gas. An expert in municipal affairs said: "This accidental contribution by White and Warrington to the truth about gas manufacture will surely traveled! over the country, and every where it goes it will be a tremendous argument for gas at fifty cents or even a lower figure." An Australian Killing Ontflt. The Australian's outfit is an adapta tion of the Briton's. The colonial saddle grows a peaky pommel and a high protecting cautle; the mild Eng lish knee-roll becomes in Australia a firm, deep, six-inch pad, and even the back of the thigh is iieid in place by a solid flange sewed upon the saddle flap. As with his saddle, so with the rest of the stock-rider's equipment— it is as the Englishman's, but moulded and strengthened to sterner usage. The mild—and mostly ornamental hunting-crop becomes a ten-foot—and terribly effective —stock-whip. The chain, the curb, the double rein, and all the more or less fancy attachments are stripped from the bridle in favor of the simple suaflle and a head-piece and single rein of leather, so substan tial as to defy the roguery or terror of any ordinary horse to break them. Crupper, breastplate, martingale— these are used or left aside, according to the build, tricks and temper of the mount, with a single eyo to useful ness, and no thought of the ornamen tal. I speak of a workaday attire and saddlery, not of the ileetiug glories of a holiday rig-out; and speaking thus, it must be said that the Australian's outfit is planned with a single eye to utility.—Harper's Magazine. Sir Henry Irving'* .loke. Sir Henry Irving is always Sir Henry Irving, whether on or off the stage. So marked is his individuality that during his latest visit to this country a New York practical joker addressed a letter to him, the envelope of which contained merely a pen-and ink portrait of the actor and his hotel address. The letter w..: promptly de livered by the hotel clerk, and a re porter to whom the wag confided his joke followed to learn the effect. "A-a-a-h!" mused the actor, "this deserves an answer." Thereupon ho seated himself at his desk and indited an ironical letter of thanks and inclosed it in an envelope. "You don't know the address?" "It does not matter," returned Sir Henry. "I think this will reach him without difficulty." On the envelope ho had drawn the face of a donkey with a pair of enor mous ears, the ends of which covered the paper from corner to corner.— Philadelnhia Saturday Evening Bosk rnsuLTiMi. n Set Milk Quickly. In order to get the best creanl from the milk, and the most of it, the milk should be set as quickly as possible after milking, and the temperature reduced at once to prevent the forma tion of what is known as hbrin. It is with this object in view that nearly all improved methods are put in use. Fending Stock lit Pasture. It is often desired to feed grain or some soiling crop to animals at 1 pasture. A convenient way to accom plish this without crowding on the part of the stock, or waste of feed by the animals setting their feet upon it, is shown iu the cut. The middle Hjflc APHBTPF.ES IX FENCE FOR FEED BOXES. board in the pasture fence is taken off and upright boards nailed to the top and bottom boards, as shown, Bailing these upright boards upon the side occupied by the animals, so they cannot press them off. The feed can then be putin boxes, or ou the ground, outside the fcuee, when each animal will take an opening and eat without ! quarreling with its neighbor.—New York Tribuno. To Prevent Swannini;. When the apiary is located out of the sight of a residence there is al ways more or less dunger of the bees swarming and going away unseen by the owner, and for this reason the apiary should be located in as plain sight of a dwelling as possible, so that wheti the bees swarm they may be readily seen. This has always been a troublesome matter with the bee keeper, and different methods have been used to prevent this loss. The method now adopted by extensive apiarists is clipping the wings of the 1 queeus. This always prevonts swarms from flying away, as the swarm will not leave unless the queen accom pany it, but this does not relieve all the trouble in connection with swarm ing by auy means, for it will uot pre vent the swarms from issuing from I the hive. The swarm simply come 3 out of the hive iu its natural way, but as the queen does not take wiug with them they will, ou missing her, return to the hive. The trouble with this method is that tho queen thus issuing from tho hive frequently becomes ; lost, or if she is fortunate enough to I get back to tho hive, everything being :iu the same condition as before, they will repeat the swarming, and may keep it up daily, and the result is the J queen geuorally becomes lost. In this case the bees will not again at tempt to issue until the young queens begin to hatch out in tho hive, when they will again swarm, and as the young queens are not clipped they, of course, fly with tho swarm, aud the j colony is in the same condition as it would be if tho first queen bad uot been dipped. It certaiuly is not in as good condition, for the old queen \ was an important factor. I I much prefer to prevent swarming I by keeping the queen cells cut out of the hive. If this is done regularly ! the colony will not swarm or at least ' the exception to this rule is so small that it is not worth considering. Once a week will answer to examine for queen cells, although they may be , looked after more frequently, and all ' queen oells hunted up and removed. ;It is also vory important when col : onies become very strong that they be 1 accommodated with pleuty of surplus store room. This of itself will go a I long way in the prevention of swarm ing. If we have but one colony, and I wish to increase the number of col onies, aud at the same time do not want them to swarm, we cau divide the colony, and this will prevent swarming.—A. H. Duff, in Farm, Field and Fireside. llmill' ISuttcr Making. I Those home butter makers who wish to realize a neat profit from their labor for the ensuing season should interrogate themselves somewhat as follows: "Why will it pay me to buy the best brand of dairy salt obtainable when it costs me more than a medium grade?" Because of its perfect solubility and freedom from foreigu earthy matters. When a perfoct dairy salt has been worked into butter it dissolves wholly ami evenly, permeates the whole product after being properly dis tributed by the ladle. As a result a uniformly saline flavor is imparted to every atom aud the preservative quali ties of the salt fully established throughout the'mass. This adds both keeping qualities aud au improved flavor to tho butter so treated, results that enhance its market value many more times over the increased cost of the salt. A second-class grade of salt is not wholly soluble, and also contains foreign earthy matter lacking in preservative force. In eating butter where such salt is used it is not un common to feel the gritty particles under the tongue, and they nre even porceptible to the eye in the grain of the butter. "Why will it pay to use a cool dairy room exclusively dedicated to milk aud butter, and iu which nothing foreign to the dairy shall ever find a resting place?" Beoause a low temperature is as taeoessary to preserve milk ani aid In extracting tbe cream from it bb ahign in necessary to boil water. Unfortunately, a great deal of dairy butter is produced under Conditions where no particular attention is paid to temperature, but the result benefits nobody, as itis bought, sold and eaten under protest, and then only by those who are looking for "cheap butter." A temperature in the dairy room above sixty degrees to sixty-live de grees is antagonistic to good milk, cream or butter quality. Above all things remember that low temperature is to butter quality in summer what a rudder is to a ship. Thus, yon see that it is very profitable to maintain a cool dairy room. "Will it pay me to use parchment paper in wrapping my butter in pound bricks, or employ any other means to make tho packages look neat?" Yes, most assuredly it will pay, as this is one of those eases where you can kill two birds with one stone. Packages of butter thus made neat in appearance not only please tho eye of the fastidious customer, but protect the flavor and general quality of the product from outside contamination. So this process returns compound in terest on tho money invested^ "As a butter maker, if I expend dol lars and cents now in keeping my dairy apparatus at a high degree of ef ficiency, will I have as pay for it at the end of the season a greater num ber of dollars than I would otherwise have possessed?" Most certainly you would. I know of no greater extravagance for a do mestic butter maker to indulge in than to retain in commission a rusty milk pail, an old worn-out churn, or a broken butter worker. Buy utensils that are necessary aud up to date, but do not indulge in fancy articles. The dairy utensils one uses have a great influence on the quality of tho stock turned out, aud quality either good or bad decides the market value of tho butter.—George E. Newell, in tho Cultivator. A Cheap Conven eut Coop. Tip a large packing box on one side, making the open spaao or original top tbe front. Nail boards, A, ncross this space half way down, letting the top one, B, extend nearly its width above the top edge of the box, and several inches beyond the ends. Nail a simi lar one, C, on the hack, leaving this a couple of luehes above the top. Two side boards, D, are now added, sawed slanting to make a smooth slope be tween the front and back for the roof. A PACKINQ-BOX COOP. As they are six inches beyond the ends of the box, it makes a protection from the weather, besides leaving space for circulation, while to make this of value to the interior a square must be sawed from the top of the box before the roof is put on, as this top floor lias been left whole. This makes the ventilation good without danger of leaks, and tho roof is now added. Beturning to the unboarded space in front we nail a strip four inches wide down tho center and tack fine wire netting, F, over one side. A second trip is put over the first to cover the edge of the netting, aud to leave room for a groove for tho sliding door, G, on the other side. This may be either of wood or a skeleton frame made aud, covered with netting. A groove must be made in the box for tho other side of the slide. Nearly all the boxes come with well-stayed corners, so this is not difficult. Paint the outside, roof a-id all, to prevent the cracks from spreading. Or tho roof may be covered with roof ing paper or cheaper still with tarred paper, which will last a season or two. These boxes vary somewhat in size, but they will hold from fifteen to twenty-five chickens till they are pretty well grown, and as they are strong and well built they will last raany years.—American Agriculturist. Farm and (iurtlen Note*. Corn is good for bens, but should be used with judgment. Clover hay is one of tbe best things for balancing the rations. In some German experiments to test the desirability of large, small aud medium tubors for seed, it was shown that large tubers gave decidedly the best yield. Good butter can only be made from good milk, and good milk eau ouly be bad from healthy cows kept in well ventilated, clean stables aud given wholesome food. It has been pretty clearly shown that stockmen can prevent loss from cornstalk disease by feeding a grain ration and not allowing animals to live on cornstalks alone. Sheep are inveterate tickers of salt, and it is conducive to their general health. Next to grass, there is hard ly anything more essential. It is cheap; put it where they can have it at will. Separate the layers from the others. You cannot keep old hens, pullets, fat hens and lean hens together any more than you can keep dry cows, heifers not yet in milk, and fresh cows to gether, for they do not require tike same food. Baspberry roots grown by Professor E. S. Golf, of Wisconsin experiment station, extended horizontally a dis tance of four foet from lire main stem and vertically frequently more than five teet. The main roots, however, are quite near the Burface, which I points to tho desirability of giving this ; crv j shallow onltivation. 1 GOOD ROADS NOTES. § fcIQIOtOiQiCIOIOIOIQI(NC^CJCIQC^CiCJ' r N(&/f(, i tCfClc Views of an Expert. Martin expert in the De partment of Agriculture has a report iii the department year-book upon fctee!-track roads. Mr. Dodge savs in part: "It was not until the fall of 1897 that public authority was given to test the value of the steel-track wagon road. At that time the Commission ers of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, au thorized the writer to lay 500 feet of steel track near Cleveland. "The Secretary of Agriculture de- I termined to undertake through this office a test as to the utility of the steel track, made and laid so that ve hicles without flnUgod wheels might have the advantage of a smooth track. " The writer began preparations to build a sample steel-track wagon road. For this purpose ho secuied a suitable space ou the gronuds of the Trans - Mississippi Exposition at Omaha. "These steel plates are not sup ported by cross-ties or stringers, but are provided with flanges projecting downward and outward. "The road, when properly finished,, contains no perishable material, but forms a smooth, firm and compact mass, harder and more durable than road can be made by any other known material. "Three great advantages are found nexv roadway, demonstrating: 1. That the steel-track wagon road can be bnilt without greater cost in most eases, aud probably with less cost in many cases, than any other hard and durable road. "2. That it will last many times as long as any known material for roniV purposes and with much less repair. "3. That, the power required to move a vehicle over the steel-track road is ouly a fraction of tho power re quired to move tho same vehicle over any other kiud of road. "The cost of constructing tho short section of steel track road ulreadv built was about $1 per foot, but this is much in excess of tho cost when built in longer sections. "With a smooth track and a light vehicle, placed upon roller bearings, it is possible to substitute inanimate power for auimal power on all dis tances of five miles and upward, with a saving equal to four-fifths of the present cost of auimal power aud at the same time give a great increase in the speed of the vehicle." National Prosperity anil I'.outl*. Chairman Otto Doruer, of the High way Improvement Committoo of the League of American Wheelmen, makes the following interesting remarks on the good roads movement: "The country road is the neglected step child of the Legislatures. Kail roads, canals, rivers aud harbors and steamship lines have been encouraged aud lavishly subsidized with bonuses, Imt practically nothing is done to help the farmer in building his coun try roads. Yet those uro equally im portant with railroads. "We are pre-eminently an export ing agricultural nation, aud whatever benefits the farmer benefits the whole country. Our grain products must compete, in European markets, with the crops of Bussia, South America and India, raised on cheap lauds, with cheap labor. We can meet this competition only with invention and enterprise, the liberal use of machin ery and the reduction of the cost of transportation to a minimum. "The cost of shipping grain from Chicago to New York has dropped to one-fifth of what it was at the close of the Civil War; we can ship it from there to Liverpool for four cents, where we formerly paid ten and one half cents. But the cost, in time and effort, of man and beast, in hauling wheat from the farm to the railroad can still be reduced by two-thirds through good roads. That this should be done is as essential to the uontin ueil success of American agriculture as the reduction in railroad rates. "Some of the older Eastern States, recognizing the logic of the situation, are eueonrngiug country road build ing by paying part of tbe cost out ol the State Treasury, provided the im provements are substantial. "The great grain-growing States of tbe West, whose roads have hardly passed beyond the jiioneer stage, should adopt the State-aid system as the only plan by which the great cities can be made to share in the cost ol road building." New Jersey Has the Best Itoaris. According to bulletin No. 95, issued by the Department of Agriculture, Now Jersey is building more roads and better roads for the money than any other Stnte in the Union. The roads being bnilt there will last and can be kept up to a high standard at c minimum expense. Bulletin 95 is devoted exclusively to good roads. Iu it tbe opinion is expressed that all the important roads in the United States will hi macadamized or otherwise improved within a few years. The bulletin ad vises the building of stone roads where ever it is possible and condemns dirt roads as much more expensive in tht end. The Anti-Kut Agitation. Mud is highway robbery. O, but those motor-carriage folk! will be "holleriu' " for good roads pretty soon. Horses like to be well stalled, but not in a muddy highway. Now is about the time of year when mud-holes are converted into job-lots of dust. Any iu front of your house? The horse wanted good roads, the bicycle has tried to get good roads the automobile must have good roads.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers