Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-12-05
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.

iSSsSSc VI Sps0O
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12.-The annual re-
port of Acknowledgement Sheridan has
been made, covering the period from his as
signment to the command Of the army No
vember /, 1888, to November l, 1884. He
says that during this time the entire terri
been unusually free from collision, resulting
inthe loss of either life or property, but that
the services of the military in the West
can not be safely dispensed with for
many years to come. Much thought and
attention had been given to rifle firing, and
for army prizes the past season attest graft
flying progress in this vitality important
branch of military instruction. 1t would
now be impossible for a close line of battle
to stand up before a skirmish line composed
of our qualified marksmen. The Lieutenant
National Guard, and thinks Congress
should designate the number of men each
State should have and provide for them
arms and camp and garrison equipage In
der some wise method of accountability for
this property whenever the State Govern
ments themselves appropriate substantial
sums of money for the support of their
respective military systems, in such a man
ner that these sums can not be affected by
party legislation. Excepting for our ocean
commerce and for our scaboard cities, he
does not think we should be much
alarmed about the probability of wars
with foreign powers. since it would re-
quire more than a million and a half Of
men to make a campaign upon land
against us. To transport that number of
soldiers, with all their munitions of war,
their cavalry, artillery and infantry, ever if
not molested by us While in transit, would
demand a large part of the shipping of all
Europe. He earnestly invited immediate
attention to the defenseless condition of sea-
board cities, and recommends the early be-
ginning of a general system of sea-coast
Notifications. General Sheridan then said:
This Nation is growing SO rapidly that there
are signs of other troubles, which i hope will
not occur, and which will probably not come
upon us il both capital and labor will only be
conservative. Still, it should be remembered
pnd that banks, United States sub-trcasurics
public buildings and large mercantile houses
can be readily demolished and the commerce
of entire cities destroyed by Infatuated people
with means carried with perfect safety to
themselves in the pockets Of their clothing"
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13.-W. w. Dudley,
Commissioner of Pensions, submitted his
annual report to Secretary Teller yesterday.
1t shows that at the close of the year there
were 1922, 75G pensions classified as follows:
a1S,95G army invalids; 1886 army widows,
minor children and dependent relatives;
2,6l6 navy invalids; 1,93S navy widows,
minor children and dependent relatives;
$3.50 survivors Of the war Of 1912, and 49,
5l2 survivors of those who served in that
war. During the year "a, 1872 new names
were added to the rolls, and the pensions OF
1,221 soldiers whose names had been
dropped were restored. There were 16, 315
dropped from the rolls, leaving a net in
crease of 19,09S. The average annual value
Of the pensions is $1OG.T5. and the total
value of all pensions is S34,456, 600, al in.
crease OF S2,211,40 over the preceding year.
The amount paid in pensions for the
year was S56, COS, 597, the excess over the
annual value of pensions being due to the
arrears and first payments i'll new cases.
There remain in the hands of pension agents
1908 adjusted claims on Which there is to
be paid So, 949, ZOO. The total number of pen
sions claimed since the war is 927, 1922, of
which 545, $50 have been allowed at a cost of
S67S.34G,S34. at the present rate OF increase
the aggregate will reach l LOCO, 900 claims by
1856. or the cases in hand at present SO pei
cent. are pending the action Of claimants OF
their witnesses, one per cent that of the wal
Department, and fourteen per cent. that Of
the pension Office. The balance are detained
for special examination or the attention OF
surgeons. About fifty per cent. of the cases
carrying arrears have been adjusted. This
class is the most troublesome of all, and the
commissions recommends remedial legisla-
ton to relieve the claimant from burdens
which virtually deny his claim.
ADVICE TO FARMERS.
WASHINGTON, Nov. ia long report
upon the contagious diseases of animals has
been submitted to the Commissioner of Ag-
riculture by DR.. ID. e. Salmon, Chief Of the
Bureau of Animal Industry. Considerable
space is given to the detailed history Of the
recent outbreak among cattle in Kansas and
to a description Of its symptoms. DR.. Sal.
mon reaches the conclusion that the disease
was ergotism, due to eating fungus known
as ergot. Upon the treatment and proven
ton of this disorder he says:
When the first signs of disorder appear the
most important point to be attended to is to
make a complete change Of food and to see
from ergot. It would disc be proper to give a
dose Of physic in order to remove, as much as
OGSASAS viz PolSSA Quiz III luC III
gestive organs, and to follow this with soft
1000; In the most severe cases-those in
r wnieH Palr ess-t 1f the Lin limb ovd is n al;
little. The greater number of cases, however,
have not advanced to this stage when lame
ness is first noticed, and these will be greatly
benefited by removing the cause and placing
the animal under conditions favorable for re-
sisting poison. Another condition believed
by some to have much influence on the devcl-
opment OF crgotiSm is the water supply. With
plenty OF water always at hand it is believed
larger quantities of ergot may be taken for q
longer time than when the water supply is
deficient. In cold winters, which occur over
so much Of our cattle-raising country, it is
difficult to induce the animals to take
q sufficient amount OF water. Holes cut
through the ice soon freeze over, and
the weather is frequently SO severe
that cattle will drink only a few swallows OF
water before they will leave to seek shelter
from cutting winds, and when, later in the
day, they try to obtain more water, the drink
ing holes are frozen over. Where ergotism
prevails the watering should receive close at
tcntlon: Ergotism can probably be entirely
prevented by cutting hay before the seeds
have formed. Both in Missouri and Illinois
saw the %clearcst examples of this.
Hay, composed of the same kinds of grass
and cut upon the same land, was free from
ergot or largely infested with it, according
as II had been cut green or ripe. This matter
is worthy OF careful consideration. Hay cut
moro valuable than that which is showed to
become ripe and woody, and the lattcris much
more liable to produce severe disease, such as
iD6ipoStinO iponaatinp and orpotiS,, This