Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-12-26
CATTLE DISEASE COSTLY
Million Dollars Would Be Only Beginning
shOuld it Spread.
WAR OF WINE MEN GETS INTERESTING
Many Interesting stories Told OF
Public Men who Frequent the
Capital of the Ma
tiOn.
(From a stan CorrespondentO

While the Importance of the subject is not
generally appreciated It is still fact
that no other has come up in congress at
| this session which is OF greater moment
than the proposition to spend 900 in
/ an attempt to stamp out the cattle disease
which has broken out in New England.
| Thus far the foot and mouth disease, as it
is called, is practically confined to Massa-
| chusetts and Vermont. II was, without
| doubt, brought TO Boston from Europe in
the fodder OF a consignment of horses.
Just as soon as the Department Of Agri-
! culture learned Of the outbreak prompt
steps were taken to prevent it's spread.
! But II is estimated that there are at least
! $4,000 cattle suffering from the disease in
/ the states named. Many affected animals
have been transported from place to place
| in railroad cars and these cars doubtless
| contain the germs which may readily be
| carried to every state in the union. 1t will
| cost the federal government more than
/ 100000 to pay for the cattle which must
| be slaughtered and buried In New Eng
land alone. Should the disease spread, ten
times that sum would scarcely pay a 1.-THE
Of the cost which the government will incur
in enforcing the provisions Of the law ap-
| plicable 10 cattle disease.
Fifteen years ago pleuro-pneumonia was
epidemic, to all intents and purposes, in
the north and central Atlantic states. The
Department of Agriculture at once took
| vigorous steps toward stamping out this
disease. So effective were the methods
employed that pleuro-pneumonia has been
substantially driven out. Foot and mouth
disease is OF European origin. 1t is one
\ of the worst complaints from which meat
cattle suffer. because one siege Is no safe
guard against another. An animal may re-
| cover and become affected again and again.
Fortunately the herds of the United States
have been immune from the. disease for
many years, but II the New England
epidemic is not stamped out promptly there
Is danger OF its spread to every state in
the union. Therefore the necessity for
| prompt preventive measures is recognized
by the Department of Agriculture and con-
| gress.
i War of the Wine Men.
! Washington is the battle ground of war
| ring wine merchants. Tho fight for su-
premacy in the fields of the hot bird and
cold bottle, which was started last winter,
has grown in intensity until bon vivants
are now wondering where It will stop.
| The agents who handle the wines have
| worked themselves into frenzy over the
| competition to supply the tables OF those
| In high places and to derive from their
victories the fruits in the form of effee-
! tive advertising. All Of the wine houses
have representatives here. whose business
It is to see that their brands reach the
tables Of the president. members Of the
cabinet, senators and others prominent in
the social life of the capitol. They spare
! no expense In their efforts to establish
| their goods in the homes of the official
| and social leaders and then to get the fact
/ haf aunrAadad pnnapipnnnalv
before the public, who are invited to imi-
| tate the example of those who set the pace
in eating and drinking.
At the dinner given in honor Of Associate
Justice Harlan of the supreme court at
| Willards' Tuesday night three brands OF
champagne we're served and the ehterpris-
| ing representative OF the wine house sue
ceeded In getting the name Of each brand
printed on the menu card. This surprised
no one as II has become a custom to pre-
| sent the name of the brand in that way.
Last February when the president gave the
dinner to his royal hlghness Prince Henry
Of Prussia at the White HOUSE the menu
cards were the most expensive that could
be obtained. They we're hand-painted and
the supply was limited to one for each
guest The champagne agent got the name
of his wine on the card and then had photo
graphs OF the card taken and distributed
copies for an advertisement. The other
| wine merchants were thrown into q panic
! over the victory of their rival and since
then they have been doing their best to in
| troduce their wines by furnishing them
| without cost, and in some instances they
have been known to pay large sums of
money to the men who served the dinners
for the privilege OF supplying them. All
they ask in return was that the name of
the brand be printed on the menu cards
and that consent be given to print as an
advertisement the announcement that their
wines had been supplied exclusively at the
dinners. This has opened up an entirely
new field to enterprising caterers and also
to buffers who possess the commercial
spirit. Both classes have scored heavily in
a financial way.
Depew Ia shy.
Senator Chauncey M. Depew, whose fame
as an after-dinner speaker is world wide,
has been an especial object OF attack by
the wine agents. but so far he has. escaped
their wiles for his name has not appeared
| among those Of hosts who are advertised
as partial to a brand Of champagne. The
senator has been approached repeatedly by
agents who have endeayored to persuade
him to permit them TO present him with a
Of course, about an endorsement of the
| brand in case It pleased him, but it was
understood by the senator that such an en-
dorsement was expected and that the real
purpose OF the agents was TO obtain 1t. The
senator has invariably declined to receive
the wine. Mr.. Depew is very absteInious in
| his eating and drinking and he attributes
his excellent health 10 that fact. He re-
| Gently told a friend in the senate that It
was his custom to dine at home before GO
\ ing to a formal dinner and that he never
J departed from this rule. He added that ne
/ always drank the same brand OF wine and
( when that brand was not served he did not
| drink at all. When he takes dinner at the
home Of a friend he makes inquiry as to the
wine that will be served and II IL is not the
brand he usually drinks he does not hesi-
/ tate TO express his preference and request
| that It be supplied. In this way he is en-
abled to stick to that which best agrees
with him. The wine agent has not sue
ceeded in obtaining Mr.. Depews permission
to advertise his preference for his brand.
Stories Told of Reed.
Stories Of Mr. Reed are still being told