Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-12-29

Chinese village at the Chicago Faie.
They were carefully examined and trans.
ferrsd under guard TO the train fog
Chicago. But only about one-third OF
the number that left San Fsancisco
showed up in the village at the Fair, and
in the closing days of the Fair but thirty
could be mustered there. It is time, &C.
cording to the schedule, for the three
hundred factors" to re.embark fog
China, but nothing has been seen OF
them in San Francisco. II now trans
pires that each of the alleged actors paid
. Hong Kong firm of Cinnamon $3.50 for
the privilege Of belonging to the village
party. IL any succeeded In elu1ing the
vigilance of the United States officers
and settled safely in this country, the
$3.50 was to belong to- the firm; u COM
PEELED to return the money was to be re-
funded. The firm, Kowong, Hong, On
& Co., has $64, 900 ON deposit, aud 40
mono of the alleged actors seem likely to
re embark, the firm 10 reasonably well as
sured of its ultimate possession.
The people of San Francisco boast that
their Midwinter Fair will excesd in
point of exhibits and attractions any
fair hitherto held in the United States,
with the exception, of course, of the
Columbian Exposition. Work il being
rapidly pushed on the grounds and the
buildings, and application for space on
the eighty acres reserved for the fair are
coming in so fast that it is now said
there will not be room enough for the
exhibitors. As nearly every county in
the state wishes to erect special build
ing, the assignment of space is giving
the executive committee u great deal OF
trouble. Among the attractions already
decided on are an ostrich farm. an Indian
village, an electric theatre, tamale vii
lage, and . castle of Heidelberg, which
is to be erected by the counties in the
northern citrus belt of the state. The
main buildings arc now far advanced,
and watcr-pipes are l,eing laid for i'm
mcdiate use in case of fire. Every de-
partment is naturally being modelled ON
the lines of the successful fair at Chic
ago. Contracts with the Columbian ex-
hibitors are being made daily. aud the
Midway Plaisance is to DO duplicated.
The amount of money in the treasury Of
the exposition will soon be quarter of .
million dollars. All of this, however,
has not been given as subscriptions.
Thousands of dollars of it have been re-
ccived in payment of concessions.
British Columbia has been interested in
the fair, and British Midwinter Fair
Auxiliary has been formed In San
Francisco.
STATISTICS have been furnished tho
Agricultural Department at Washington
showing that the introduction of the
Russian thistle has damaged the crops Of
the Northwest this year to the extent of
81, 900, 900, and is reported that the as
sistant botanist of the department. act
ing under orders from Secretary Morton,
has been despatched to that section to
make further investigation. 1t appears
to the Trenton IN. J.) True American
country about seventeen years ago in fax
seed brought from Russia and sowed near
Scotland, in South Dakota. A few pco-
pie noticed it at the time. but gave it but
little thought until it became too abund-
ant to l,c easily checked. Now it 10 be-
lieved that If measures are not speedily
taken to eradicate it. it promises to DO
spread over the entire country. 1t is
described as an innocent looking little
Seeding which in May or June sends
up a tender branching shoot with mar
row succulent leaves. 1t makes its best
growth in July and August, and by Sep
tcmbcr has changed into vigorous
spreading weed two to six feet in di-
ameter and half as high. making dense.
bushy mass of rigid branches, offering
an effectual barrier to the passage Of
man or beast. The full grown plant,
shaped like an inverted saucer,
two to six feet in diameter. ali
grows from single root less than
half an inch thick. When the ground
is frozen in November, and the prairie
brcczes begin to blow, this small root is
twisted off, and the whole plant turns
up an edge and goes off before the wind.
scattering seeds in every direction. IL
has already gained foothold in six
States, and there is nothing in the ma
ture of the plant to prevent it from
spreading as far south MS Texas, and
proving u very serious enemy to turner's
in all the drier regions throughout the
entire country. It takes complete pos
session of the land, choking out the
wheat aud other crops, often makes it
impossible to run harvesting machinery
and sometimes even stops plows. 1t is
often necessary to bind leather or other
protection on the horses legs before
they can be driven among the spiny
weeds. Trains have been stopped by
the thistles bank king up on the tracks.
Prairie fires are carried long distances
by the burning thistles blowing across
fire breaks. In many other ways this
terrible weed causes serious damage.