davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-08
THE KITE AS A REPORTER,

The news that weath,r predictions
have been advanced twelve hours
seems to have been met, in general, by
the cynical thought that the weather
and the predictions were quite far
enough apart as it was. In fact a
most important step has been taken in
the progress of much-abused, very
useful and rapidly advancing science.
From the time when the data of train
ed observers. telegraphed from hun
dreds of widely scattered stations, be-
gan to supplant the weather lore of the
oldest inhabitant who looked at the
clouds and made shrewd guesses that
were generally wrong, there has been
intelligent and constant effort to make
rience the ratio of probability to real
ity steadily increased, but the bureau
did not attempt a similar advance in the
matter Of forecasting for increasing
periods of time. 1t was content to say
what the temperature, wind direction
and precipitation would probably be
for the next twenty-four hours, anu
allow the succeeding day to take care
of its own evils. The knowledge upon
which 1t is now expected that predic-
tons can be made thirty-six hours in
advance is the result of what may be
called a scientific accident. In study
ing the problems Of aerial navigation,
kites built on new principles were sent
up to heights that would have dazed
Benjamin Franklin. The idea occurred
to some predetermined men to send up
self-recording instruments with the
kites and study the results. A short
time served to show that at the alti-
tudes reached weather changes were
indicated some twelve hours before the
observers in the tallest Of the sky
scrapers suspected what was coming.
With a little imagination the future
loses itself in a meteorological millen-
mum, 1t is only a matter Of kites and
time The Sunday school superintend-
emit OF the next century, planning his
annual picnic along In May. will re-
/ 5eet the Sth Of August as the dates for.
/ by reSeFNlNg to the official forecast for
! the year 1883 he viii see that a heavy
/ thunder shower will prevail in Zion
Grove AetweSa the hours Of 2>sF and
/ 1>tS p M on that day. No one viii Ns
surprised 10 SO the town Of Joplin,
Mo, SNSgwASSag en- @SsSe some Sae
summer afternoon, because a tAOaSAt
VIII reoaM the fact that at SSsS the fol.
] lowing morning a through cyclone from
III Paso TO Lafayette, Ind, is seAea,
Olea TO turn the place into a mixed coli
4 lection OF scrap iron and tooth hicks.
Even a more unitarian aspect presents
itself, The farmer Of North Dakota will
plant his wheat two weeks late in the
spring, to evade coming showers that
would interfere with seeding at the
proper time, and will rest in comfort
assured in the knowledge that the
first frost is not scheduled until two
weeks after harvest time, II the sum-
mer promises badly for wheat, when he
looks over the prediction early in JAN
uary, he will prepare to put in crop
Of pineapples or potatoes as the ease
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-08

carding of Puritanism. If we would
find the heritage to which we all should
cling we will have to leave the land of
rhe Puritans and go down into the val
ley Of Connecticut to find it. We will
md Hooker there, who rebelled against
the theocracy Of Massachusetts; and,
carrying his sick wife on a litter. Jour-
neyed there through the wilderness
with colony of those who agreed with
him that Sin matters that concern the
common good, general council, cho-
sen by all, 1 conceive most suitable to
rule, and most safe for relief Of the
whole" 1t was there, at Hartford, in
1889, that "alI the freemen of the three
towns" gathered and framed "the first.
written constitution known to history
that created a government"
One heritage that came out of
those Beginnings Of New England"
that is one every American should
cling to with unwavering tenac-
ity Is that individualism that inspired
<Aiidll V dle anu Anne flOS-
er Williams and Thomas Hooker; that
found expression in the answer of the
last to Cotton and in the constitution
framed at Hartford. The heritage Yer
monters should cling to came not from
Puritanism, but was from its own soil
1t was the resistance Of Matthew Lyon
one of Vermont's first representatives
in congress, to the Infamous alien and
sedition act, that heritage of Puritan
ism in our federal organization, who
went to Jail because he dared criticise
John Adams in language that was mild
beside that of our Tillmans and Nor
gans, and who made the first protest
against the early practice of congress
of carrying it's answer to the presi-
dents message to that officer in body,
because it did not comport with the
dignity of the eighty thousand voters
whom 1 represented" But one can be-
lieve that such a heritage is not es-
teemed zone of your greatest gifts and
that the paternalism of Puritanism is
to one who denies to American freemen
the right of freedom Of trade
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-08
500 Is HEARD FROM.
VIII Sell Tickets to Buffalo and Re-
turn BeIOsv the Lowest.


The merciIess rate slashing which
mas characterized the efforts OF Inc
Western roads IN competing for Official
recognition as the route for Mimi
sofa pilgrims to the G. A. r. encamD-
ment at Buffalo in Septmber. was yes
terday finished of 70 the queens TASTE.
There will be CONSERVATION when the
decision of General Passenger Agent
Galloway is learned today. He has
authorized a tariff naming SI6 as the
price OF a round trip ticket 10 the CON-
ing encampment.
The significance Of this move can
only be appreciated when il IS known
that the SIS rate named by the St
Louis road, and since met by Compel
ing Chicago lines. represented q cent
annie fare But the comparison Il
even the official fare is astounding
when il is recalled that a single Trip
ticket from Minneapolis 10 Buffalo M
other times is $3.50. These figures
furnish simple evidence Of the terrific
contest now in progress between the
passenger departments Of Western
roads and further illustrate how fright
fully demOralized are the conditions.
The developments Of yesterday COM
ment powerfully upon the efforts Of
Chairman Caldwell. Of the Western
Passenger association. During his
visit TO Minneapolis. Friday. he
dropped in upon General Passenge
Agent Galloway. it was understood. to
demonstrate with him concerning the
cheap rate recently named by the 500
to New York for the merchants.
There Will be a double surprise tins
morning when the Chicago papers are
opened. The news concerning the cut
was not known about the railroad Of
fees of the city yesterday. The tariff
sheet Will be issued Monday.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-08
ROADS ACT ALONE
WESTERN LINES MEET THE CUT
OF THE 500 FOR THEM
SELVES.
NO PROFIT is EXPECTED.
ICISED FOR THEIR REFUSAL
TO HELP.
Says His Line Is Blamed for All
Trouble Irrespective of the
Real Cause.

Notwithstanding the refusal of the
lines Of the Central Passenger COM
mittee and of the Joint Traffic associ-
alton to take any part in meeting the
reductions necessary to enable the Chi
caso-St. Paul lines to meet the low
rates made by the 500 line to the East,
the western roads have determined to
take matters into their own hands and
meet the rate on their own responsible
NY Iney have decided upon this
poilcy, not because they have any idea
mat they will reap any profit from
the business. but because they propose
TO snow the 500 line that 1t cannot
take any action it likes and carry off
all Oh the business. The Northwestern
mes are very much irritated with the
Jclnt Traffic roads for their refusal to
help them against the 500 line. They
claim that they deliver to the Eastern
roads ten full-grown passengers where
the 500 line delivers 2. small how and
YET the Eastern roads have always re-
luseu TO pro-rate with them on any
reouctlon, but will take this action with
the 500 line when they decline to take
1t with the Western roads which give
IhC4lI 1dT more business,
An animated correspondence has for
some time zen going on between Chair
man Caldwell, of the Western Passen-
ger association, and General Passenger
Agent Galloway, of the 500 line The
latter has offered an objection to the
action of the Northwestern lines. which
ne says, are too prone to misrepresent
the 500 line and place upon it the blame
Tor every small piece of disturbance
That comes to the surface. The chair
man has admitted that in some in
stances the 500 line might have been
mlsrepresented, but asserts that If It
would consult with the other roads
when a question Of joint interest ia
involved, the chances are that it would
not De greatly misrepresented. 1t has.
ne says always refused to consult anv
OF the other roads, or advise with them
IN any way, and it must not complain
II the Northwestern roads lay upon It
the blame for decentralization.
Some time since the Nebraska mem
oers OF the Grand Army decided thar
they would not patronize the Grand
Iruhk on their way to Buffalo, because
Ihat nne was a Canadian road. The
Grand Trunk announced today that the
boycott had not injured Il in any way.
ana that 1t had secured all Of the busl-
ness that 1t could handle, and thar IL
would nave its full share Of the traffic.
Notwithstanding the action OF the Ne
braSka veterans
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-08
AN INTEREsTING EXPLANATION.

Inc news reports have contained &C
counts recently Of several serious accci-
dents resulting from the use of the
Roentgen rays. These all take the form
OF severe burns. appearing some time
after the exposure Of human flesh to
the light of the Crookes tube, which
1t is exceedingly difficult or impossible
TO heal. In some instances the hair has
tallen out of the head upon which the
X rays were cast. and burns and scars
great danger of using the new discov-
cry, except under competent direction
and with scientific care. The occasion
OF these accidents has been supposed,
popularity, to be shrouded in mystery.
Not until we discovered something
further about these electrical vibra-
lions could we know just how the in
jury resulted. A very simple eXplana-
ton has been furnished by theory of
Mr.. Tesla, which seems to cover the
case intelligently and is perfectly COM
prehensive:
II will say that the Roentgen tube acts ex-
actly like source of heat. If one places the
hand near a red-hot stove he may be in
stantly injured. If he keeps the hand at
certain small distance he may be able to
Withstand the rays for a few minutes
more, and may still be injured by prolonged
exposure; but if he recedes only little fur
ther where the heat is slightly less, he may
Withstand the heat in comfort for any length
OF time without receiving any injury, the
radiation at that distance being too weak
to seriously interfere with the life process of
the skim
Mr.. Tesla says that he is absolutely
certain that this is the way in which
the bulb of the Roetgen tube acts. 1t
is a source of impalpable heat. If kept
at certain distance from the flesh, no
perceptible injury results. If brought
closer. it produces burns of a peculiar
character, such as might be expected if
any one were to hold his hand or arm
close to a red-hot surface without COM
ing in actual contact. He suggests
that some kind Of protective screen,
such as a wet cloth, be employed when
ever the x rays are used. The obvious
warning to the public is that the new
discovery is not a thing to be fooled
with or used lightly in experiment. 1t
has dangers of, its own, and should not
be employed except in competent
hands.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-08
THAT puritan HERITAGE

President Mckinley is not a fisher
guest of a fisherrnen's club, near Platts
burg, but across Lake Champlain and
in Vermont. There were, of course.
an address of welcome by the local sill
ver-tongued genius of oratory and a
short response by the guest, in which
he duly and properly praised Vermont,
admitted the Indebtedness of civiliza-
ton to it and closd by fervently i'm
ploring them to ''cling to your Puritan
heritage assuring them that sit is
one of your greatest gifts" 1t is, at
dent of the United States adjuring an
audience of Vermonters, probably not
half a dozen of whom could trace their
ancestry back to the Puritans, to cling
to heritage which the descendants of
the fathers have been disowning and
discarding until not a trace of it re-
mains.
There is a legend that the Pilgrim
Fathers came to New England's ''stern
and rock bound coast" that they might
have freedom to worship God" but
their subsequent course for a century
indicated that they came only to find
a place where they might worship a
creation of gloom which they called
God and to prevent the admission of
their God in their way. Would Mr..
Mckinley have fin de steele Vermonters
cling to that Puritan heritage of intol-
erance that dashed Quakers at the
carts tail naked through the village
streets and drove them out into the for
ests and the mercies of the red men:
held the doctrine of the freedom of the
will to be a mortal sin, ur that burned
witches at Salem? Again, the govern
ment that these Puritans established
provided franchise for members of
their church only, DISTINGUISHING all
others; yielded to popular government
house of deputies, but kept the
church in power with the upper house
the board of assistants. with it's veto
power on the lower one; held with Cot
ton, that democracy was no fit gov
eminent for either church or state;'
and with Winthrop. that ''the best part
is always the least. and of that best
part the wiSest is always the lesser
and held this concept 50 stOusly
that those who disagreed with them.
who wanted some voice in the share i'm
the governing, packed Up their goods
and moved on to CNnnee0cat, Would
Mr., Mckinley have that heritage el0ns
To by the NesaNOnteTS2
New England has moved steadily
away from everything that was dis
tinctly Puritan, Not a trace remains,
From Puratanicar Calvinism, with its
repulsive deity, to Emerson and Chan
ming there is an the distance between
theological poles Of thought. From the
board Of assistants" TO the general
court is a far crys and from a suffrage
restricted to members Of the one
church to universal suffrage is a lons
march, In church ana government
nothing remains of the fabric the Pu-
ritan Fathers built on Plymouth rock
and whatever there is of civilization
and good government, of freedom to
| think and speak and write and teach
that exists today. is due to the dis
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-08
KANSAS AS SHE Is.

The man who said the harvest of
Kansas would average about forty
thousand words to the acre, if tetanus
did not interfere with the crop, it now
appears was humorist. The idea that
the Sunf1ower state is the home of the
calamity. bowler alone would also seem
to be a mistaken impression. This in
wolves the assumption that Mr. Will
lam Allen White, who describes "a Typ
ical Kansas Community" in one of the
popular periodicals. is as candid as ap-
pears upon the surface of his breezy.
but nevertheless keen analysis of con-
difficult to accept the simple statement
that Kansas towns are not greatly dir
ferent from those in other states, where
the people are fairly we'll to do, care
less of the rules of social caste and
happy and contented. The impression
given by the comic weeklies is firmly
fixed. Nine men out of ten. if they
shut their eyes and think of Kansas,
will see, in imagination. a gaunt farm
er with cartoon clothes and chin Whis-
kers of the approved Populistic cut, sit
ting on a rail fence and talking finance.
Possibly in the background may ap-
pear few bankers dangling from con-
venient trees, and half a dozen women
conducting a women's rights-Prohibi-
i.
and only the central figure is fixed.
1t is this dream that Mr.. White rude
ly skaters. Kansas, in fact, he insists,
is not at all like the popular picture
He robs the typical town of all its pic
turesque trappings. and makes it a
rather commonplace collection of peo-
pie, such as might be found in the more
rural parts of Ohio or even New York.
He sketches village where petticOat
government exists only in the influence
which refined women have always over
leading citizen. both in the business
and the social world. The people read
new books and hear new music; main
tain a good library and are proud of it.
The professions, law as we'll as medi-
cine, command respect and a respecta-
BILE living. The interest taken in poll
tics is only that essential to good citi-
zenship. and it is not dangerous to ex-
press views which are not those OF the
majority The farmer who knows more
about finance than the secretary Of the
treasury and who is more familiar with
the crime of '7S~ than with the daily
market reports is not the idol Of the
rising generation
From all OF this IL may be argued
that the country owes Kansas a cCIEec-
tive apology II Is a pleasure TO be
told that the state Is not 80 green and
hlzaa and yellow As IL has been panied
But the question a-zsRs- who Il n
blame for the general 2s2RPrshsns50n2
The answer is not far 70 find The
great mass Of the people Of Kansas
have made no impression either upon
the fears of the nation OF its sense Of
honor. One Jerry simpson. one M
Peffer and one Mrs, Lease have given
the state. by talking long and loud. a
distinctive character which perhaps il
does not deserve. The typical town
may be. and probably is. the pleasant
place which is pictured; but for a long
time to come it cannot hope to be any
thing but a part OF the vague back
Thanks to Simpson ct al, the rail fence
farmer viii continue to hold the center
of the stage.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-08

may be, and allow the grangers of
states down for wheat weather to look
after the bread supply. Or it may be
that along about Christmas time in
every cross roads store there will be
posted weather map tinted in all the
colors of the solar spectrum. Then the
farmer will look up his own quarter
blue, plant sweet potatoes or peanuts
in the early spring, while red farms
will show waving corn fields, and the
pink ones clover hay, when the harvest
time draws near.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-08

forced Canada as an unwilling bride
into the arms of the imperial suitor
who, at last realizing the danger of our
competition, assents to betrothal. Great
Britain has given notice of the abroga
ton of commercial treaties with the
German Zollverein and with Belgium
containing what is called 1.-The most ia
vored nation clause" BY these treaties,
common among all nations, the coun-
tries concluding them agree to give to
way of commerce as they give to the
most favored nation with which they
have treaty arrangements. The Do
minion of Canada, despised and reject
ed by us and practically excluded Who'll
ly now from traffic with us, has offered
to alter her tariff in such way as
to give a preference to imports from
Great Britain, and is to receive COM
pensating benefits in turn. To avail
herself of this manifestly beneficial Of
fer, Great Britain has denounced her
treaties with Germany and Belgium.
This means that she is prepared to give
specially favorable terms to imports
from Canada on condition that her ex-
ports to Canada go in at a lower rate
of duty than those of other nations.
We can see at a glance that this
contains, aside from the death of all
hope of political union of Canada
with the United States. a menace to
our industrial future greater than that
against which all our tariff acts have
been aimed. England is our best GUS
TONER The great bulk of all our ex-
ports of provisions and breadstuffs go
to Great Britain. Canada is admira-
bly, adapted to supply that demand,
and the new impulse of market in
which she will always be the most ia
vOred seller will stimulate her produc-
ton Of breadstuffs for export. We,
therefore, by our narrow, selfish policy
of isolation, have, at one blow, severed
the natural tie that would have been
drawn closer year by year with Can
ada, and have exalted her to the rank
of a dangerous competitor for our larg-
est and most profitable business. In
doing this we have incidentally played
into the hands of Great Britain's states
men, and have made possible that uni
fication of imperial interests, that COM
mercial alliance, offensive and defen-
sive, between England and all her colo
MES which otherwise must have re-
MANNED a hopeless task.
The example of Canada will no doubt
be followed speedily by similar action
on the part of Australia and all the
other dependencies of Great Britain
throughout the world. 1t will be the
most formidable trade combination that
the globe has witnessed in modern
times. 1t will rebound to the glory and
profit of England, and it will be con-
summated at our expense. Politically
and industrially, We have struck down
the most brilliant possibility of terri
torial, political and commercial eXpan-
sion that ever has been or ever can be
opened to US. This is one item in the
long expense bill that our people pay
for policy of national eXclusiveness,
breeder of monopoly at home and
slayer of trade abroad. 1t will be the
capstone of the monument to our ina
bility as nation to realize our des-
tiny.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-08
DANGERS OF THE THIRD RAIL

1t has seemed strange from the out
set to those who have noticed the adop-
ton of the third rail electric system by
important railway lines that no men
ton was made of its attendant dam
gers. The third rail system consists of
an iron rail laid midway between the
ordinary tracks, slightly rounded and a
little elevated above the roadbed, some
what after the fashion of the slot rails
on cable line. This midrail is the
medium by which the electric current
is transmitted, and the power is con-
Veyed from it to the motor by a. shoe
winch runs along the rail- The me-
chanical working of the system is said
to have proved very satisfactory.
Where it has been put into use in New
England heavy trains are run with
ease by electric motors at largely re-
duced cost. 1t is much more con-
venient than the trolley system.
abandoning as it does the use of poles
and the network of wires which it
would be almost impossible to operate
in railroad yard. Practical railroad
men are quite enthusiastic over the re-
suits of the third rail system as an
Piled to suburban trains and to traffic
over short distances, where travel is
heavy and stops are frequent.
1t at once occurs to the ordinary
man that the use of the third rail must
involve great danger unless the road
bed is absolutely guarded against hu-
man approach. The peril is precisely
the same as that of running a live wire
along the surface of the ground where
any casual passer might touch it
IN such way as to make his body a
part Of the circuit Accurately sneak
ing, it is much greater, because side by
side with the third rail run the other
two; and, if some portion of the same
body comes in contact with the two at
the same time, the current will mass
through it. While devices have been
adopted for carrying the tracks over
road crossings without the third rail,
yet the whole roadbed cannot be thus
guarded. That the danger is not i'm
aginary is proved by an accident that
occurred recently in Connecticut. A
number of children were crossing a line
fitted with the third rail- and a little
girl stumbled and fell She lay across
the rail conveying the electric current
and one of the outer irons, and would
have been killed in a minute had not
her companions dragged her away in
stantly. Even then she was so fright
fully burned that she will bear the
scars all her life
1t is evident that this is likely to oc-
cur at any time where the third-raiI
system is in use. A railroad track so
fitted cannot be crossed without peril.
except by one who understands the
risks he takes and carefully avoids con-
tact with the metal bearing the death
dealing electrical energy. If the third
rail system is to come into any extern
sive use. it ought not to be permitted
by the laws of the community unless
the roadbed and right of way are to be
shut off from public access as carefully
as they are in England Not until the
railway runs practically through a tuR-
mel of its own, shut in by high walls
and closed by gates at every crossing.
can the third-rail system be admitted
without the DrOSDect of ir6s6ScrirDfnsta
slaughter