The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1882-05-18
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
LOTS WIFE

LOTS WIFE
EDITOR ADVANCE: I noticed in
my last ADVANCE that r. Simmons
calls Bennett il fool for thinking to
find Lots wife without a guide. Mr..
Is. had guide that does nothing but
conduct pilgrims through that DESC
late, rocky and barren place called the
"Holy Lands" They have to ride on
horseback. There are no carriage
roads.
Now, do not suppose that Mr.. Sim
mons really believes that old Mrs. Lot
still stands there AS we used to be
taught in Sunday school, and that if
one of her salt fingers or toes were
broken off it would immediately grow
right on again.
Yes, Mr.. Bennett had guide who
was very particular to show him all
the holy places. Besides, there are
two orthodox ministers in company
with him and if they had found any
thing that looked one bit like the bible
account of the Old lady, they would
have gone into ecstacies over it and
sent the proof of the divine origin of
the bible all oyer Christendom.
Your correspondent says lie is sorry
some people say the bible is false. /
would say in answer that it is such
stories rs this one concerning Lot
which makes people disbelieve. What
sensible person could think /: God of
wisdom and love would slnite the life
out OF Mrs. Lot who had, according to
the account, maintained good char
acter, and net so much us mildly re-
proved the villain Lot who got drunk
and committed such il disgraceful
crime with his own daughters. In
Gods bible he is called righteous Lot.
and often referred to by religious
teachers as 4 good man, so good that
God would not destroy the city until
he WAS hurried out OF it. You can get
no other idea than that God upheld
crime and punished virtue. Fer ac-
cOrding to our notion Of things it WAS
commendab|e in Lots wife to show
sympathy for the sufferers she had
left behind. We wish Mr.. Simmons
would 60 at it and fix this story up and
make it tally with the advanced views
of the nineteenth century or give up
that the bible is not a perfect rule Of
faith and practice. l.. ~. G.
THE YELLOW COTTONWOOD.
EDITOR ADVANCE: My attention
has been called to an article published
in your issue of the 18th inst, headed
Tree Planting," by G. Farmin. 1 do
not know how mach experience the
writer has III tree planting OH cur
northwestern prairies, but rs he states
at the close or nearly the close of the
tree planting season, that las the sea-
son for tree planting is ut hand" leads
me to the opinion that his experience is
very limited, and further when he ad-
viseS the planting Of white cottonwood
and not the yellow OF Missouri valley
cottonwood. The writer referred to
;sdyises the planting OF white cotton
wood for the following reasons: They
(the Whitley are more hardy, vigorous
and not SO liable to insect depreda-
tions.' After twenty years experience
III tree planting on our western prai-
RIGS would urge the planting of the
yellow cottonwood and | would do so
on the very reasons given by the gen
tleman referred to. with the single ex~
ception Of injury from bark lice, and
for the further reasons that the yellow
cottonwood is far more valuable when
grown, makes Il solder timber. grows
much more rapidly and is almost ell
tirely free from wind shakes twhen
grown, and is entirely free from bark
lice or any other insect enemy rs is the
white cottonwood when set in 4 good,
healthy condition. And here let me
say that the great loss in prairie tree
planting is in not getting trees in a
strictly healthy CONDITION. Let the
planter buy of reliable men who know
how to handle trees and there will lie
but very little loss.
In support of what I have said in
favor of the white cottonwood. I quote
Judge Whiting, of Monoua county:
IF I was to have but one kind Of
trees to plant would choose the yell
low cottonwood: as would get better
results from it than from any other
one variety Of trees known to succeed
Oh orr prairies.'
Again | quote from that veteran
tree planter, Hon. l.. b. Hodges, of st.
Paul, 4 man who has done more to
encourage forest tree culture in your
noble State OF Minnesota than any
other six men:
In the New York Tribune of Janu-
airy Is. 1882, page II: Always plant
the yellow cottrn wood III preference to
any other varietips."
Ont of 100000 trees that I have
sold this spring have had but one
application for white cottonwood and
advised the applicant to plant yellow
cottonwood, and he did so.
GEO. II. WRIGHT,
| Sioux (,itV Iowa.