davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12

a student Of electricity, md the boy has
made playthfngs Of electrical devices since
babyhood. His father claims tina he should
have the credit for numerous valuable sug-
sestions given in the course of planning
the details of the wireless telephone.
The nature Of the apparatus used BY the
inventor Is not known He positively de-
clfnes at this time to give out either tech
snical descriptions or diagrams Of the vital
part Of his apparatus. All that IS exposed
to view while his apparatus IS IN working
transmitter and receiver. Within q bright
ly polished box, which is not opened in
public. the inventor conceals his secret He
says he will not disclose the apparatus I'M
til It has been perfected to the smallest de-
tail. Up to this time he has devoted his
entire attention to the construction of a
transmitter. He VIII now occupy himself
with the completion of an improved re-
ceiver which has been partially outlined.
In speaking OF his invention Mr.. Stubble-
field said: Il am confident I have solved .
great problem. and I will now devote my
self to perfecting my apparatus. I want ft
to be complete when given to the public
Il think that my device would be invalu-
able in the matter Of sending out the
United States Weather Bureau predictions.
In directing the movements of q fleet at
sea- ana In numerous ways which appeal to
one at first thought. I am in hopes of get
ting a Government appropriation to aid mo
in carrying on my work or at least the
promise of tn adoption when perfected. Tho
possibilities OF the invention seem to BE-
practically unlimited. and II Will be no
more than q matter Of time when CONVEX
country will be carried on daily without
wires" -.'.-
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12
Tramways of London.

Since the London County Council took to
buying and managing their OWE tram cars
they have materially assisted the taxpayers
with the profits therefrom. The report for
the workings OF the municipal trans ~for
the past twelve months shows that TIE
rates" as local taxes are generally called
in England. have been assisted" to the eN-
tent OF $345.00 by the profits Of the past
year, an advance of sl4a.ocp over the assist
ance given from the same source during the
previous twelvemonth. At present the
London County Council, which is made up
Of delegates from all sections OF the great
metropolis. and legislates on matters which
are OF greater scope than mere district ques-
tons, owns all the tram lines on the north
Tor StIand) side Of the Thames and those
on the south tor Surry) side as well.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12
Ships of Columbus's Time.

1t is stated that a ship dating from the
time of columbus is still. trading between
Spain and America. The condition of the
Anita-which, Is said to be her name-must
resemble that of the ancient sloop Lively.
wrecked at Bacton, near Cromer, England,
described as follows in the Whitby Ga
zette. July 1855: 1.-THE Lively was built by
Mr.. Spence in 1856, and is therefore more
that 1p years old. and was the Oldest Whit
by built ship afloat. . We believe that
she had but one of her original blanks in
her, having beel partially rebuilt once or
twice" Another ancient ship was the LIB
erty. wrecked in 1856. 1t was built at Whit
by, England. in 1850. and was employed in
the coal and Baltic trades. The Russian
admiral at Cronstadt inspected her in 1850
and expressed surprise at her age and build,
remarking that he had commanded a ship
of 100 tons. but never q ship 100 years old.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12
Longest WAY Around,

Here IS an instance which illustrates the
intelligent telegraph service as It Is con-
Quoted under Government supervision in
rural England: A telegram was sent from
Dunwich to Wessleton. Suffolk. villages
about two miles apart 1t took one and a
half hours In transit. Inquiry showed that
It was first telephoned from Dunwich to
Southampton. four miles as the crow flies;
then telegraphed from there to Lowestoft,
eleven miles. From Lowestoft, which lies
in the extreme north of Suffolk. It was tel
egraphed to Ipswich. in the South. a dis
lance in a straight line of thirty-eight
miles. From there 1t was transmitted an
other eighteen miles to Saxmundham: then
a few miles to Dursham. whence it was
sent by foot messenger to Wsssleton. A
boy could have walked the distance in
about q third Of the time.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12
HOMER g. MIILAARp,
Young nan who IS managing largest ginseng plantation

turn. according to the figures, is doubled,
trebled. even Quadrupled.
The practicability OF ginseng farming on
the lines indicated IN this article. and the
certainty that the return will be as stated.
depend wholly, of course, upon the accu-
racy of the figures, and the stability Of the
market. The latter can hardly be doubted.
as ginseng commission merchants of New
York, San Francisco and Cincinnati have
been selling the wild root to the almond
eyed race for years, and are now soliciting
to secure the product of the few persons
who cultivate the plant The figures are
based partly upon the experience of the
Millards, partly upon deductions drawn
from that experience.
Reviewing the whole subject, It seems
probable that "Po' Ole Mizzoura," by viz
tue OF. ginseng, will not be 50 po', and that.
SO far as ginseng is concerned. It cannot
be said that We had to be shown" but
rather that We did the showing.
HASTINGS MACADAM.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12
frances DepOpulatiOn.

The official report Of the French Mints-
ter of on the census Of 1880 II ac-
companied by tabulated statistics Of a de-
tailed character. The population of Franc.
is 3S.517.9i5. There were $780, s4 marriages in
1900. I.15I divorces. 81 2S7 births and $751;
deaths. This gives a diminution of 25, 9sS In
the population. Striking an average for
births and deaths for the ten years I@o-s9,
y appears there was an annual increase of
22,15. From comparisons made of quin-
S%nenniai periods during the last fifty years.
has been established that during the last
tw! mt. years the excess of births over
deaths has been much less than during The
previous periods. -
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12

spr,'7' rc-ss?oadenoa q Tie Sunday Republic
Houston. Mo. Jan 5-While driving.
humpety-humu along the twenty miles or
rough road from the railroad at Cabooi.
No, to Houston, ! asked my driver. n
Jative OF these parts ii lead had been
iornd in paying quantities in the county.
"\tw." he said. But / guess there car
FsIuc. fer there's uowthlu' above ground
Nrrc.houts '1nut scrub oak. Somethin
ought To- ur down below
That was before I reached Houston. Hero
! found that Tie driver had forgotten gan
scur. the rare herh. bod by the Chinese In
Fgparstiiio.- vru.:.'ing as the medicine
a. medicines. ihe htlS4m of haisams. almost
a. the elixir "f litC-ihe herb whose root.
prepared in various ways. l. used 10 tt great
~ .- less degree by the ieh.oo1.on Cinnamon
II tho Orient and for the finest grades of
which fabulous prices are paid by the
wealthirr chinese.
Ginseng is cultivated here. and above
ground, IN "a fashion, FOR the shrinking plant
hides IL dark shadows and IS grown under
cayeruous arbors Of l"uEhs. Its delicate
leaves and scarlet berries. which contain
valuable seeds. never drink of the sum
light. living always and only In dampness
sud dauk shade. II grows, and for lis cui-
tUro there is one genuine pllntItion, as
large as all others Of the kind in The United
States confined. and one of the largest in
the world. ~ ths present time the planta-.
zion Is valued at considerably raure than
10000. and there are ginseng roots within
ite limits valued at s5e.oA.
Remember. this is about In the center Of
the Ozark upiift. the locality which doubt
less gave rise 10 that compassionate eX-
preston, "Po' ole Mizzoura." Ard remem-
her. as I can never forget, twenty miles
from a railroad across the most tortuGus
Tcck-strewn road in the State. Yet here
has a discovery been made and n business
developed which depends for its existence
on China, tina. great yellow blot on the
map of Asia quite at the other end of the
world
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12

shotguns. The younger Mr.. Willard, q
years old ard graduate of the State Uni
versity. who is banking his future upon the
ginseng business. explains that there be a
few unprincipled gentlemen In Texas Coun-
ty who nave learned the value of ginseng.
These latter might help themselves to $500
or S1,Oe9 worth Of roots by a half hours
work with q spade.
It struck me that this would be pretty
good digging. and l said as much to Mr..
Willard.
He laughed.
It's best to take precautions" said he.
W have lamps under our arbors every
night, and the watchmen can see distinctly.
We've had no trouble yet, though the
night man thought he had shot somebody
once. 1t proved to be a 'possum."
How to Raise
Ginseng From Seed.
Young Mr.. Willard has studied his bust
ness two Years under his uncles general
supervision. He has found that the most
satisfactory arbor consists of heavy foliage
supported on a scaifulding, formed Into a
kind of roof, through which all rain can
seep, but under which Is continual shadow.
The plants will grow and the seed germi-
nate in any fertile soil. but It is best to
sift and harrow the surface earth to a
depth OF one foot After planting, the
ground should be covered with mulch de
cayed dead leaves. For eighteen months
nothing further is required, save to be GER
tain that the earth does not become dry
during a drought.
The planting always takes place In the
fall. The beds are arranged into rows three
inches apart. and seeds in each row are
placed only one and one-half inches apart.
At the end of the second year the young
plants are transplanted. and a distance of
six inches each way should be allowed be-
tween them. This method effects the great
est possible economy of space.
Like the Famed
Mandrake of the Bible.
The actual basis of the ginseng business
root to the Chinese. In Chinese history
The knowledge OF 1t and belief in its powers
Is hundreds Of years old. and, as is %
frequently stated. the Chinese as a people
have not changed In a thousand years. Ac-
cordingly. the likelihood that they may
abandon the use of ginseng is very remote.
At present the chief sources of supply are
Korea, Manchuria and Japan, and the Ko-
rean root Is held In highest esteem. But.
as all literature on the subject and consular
reports state. the demand is in excess of
the supply. High prices are paid for Amer
lean root in good condition. and the duties
are not SO prohibitiye but that a handsome,
even an unbelievably large. profit seems as
sured.
In brief, United States Consuls nave in
vestigated and written that ginseng root
can be disposed of in any Chinese port at
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12
Little Land Required
for Cultivation of Roots.

Now-and this is a stunner-our ginseng
plantation. SO large. comparatively, and val
ucd at such a figure. occupies. all tod, about
one and one-quarter acres.
The land upon which it stands originally
want wuth shucks," in the vernacular of
Texas County
About $500 has been spent to develop It.
No more.
To date one full harvest has been reaped,
with n net profit of s3o,GJ0. The manage
CT the plantation and the business dep
Tccates this figure. He announces that IL
present prices maintain the plantation ought
to earn. in time. about as much as Presi-
cent Roosevelt, or SN,61 a year.
The foregoing is a mere snap shot at the
ginseng culture near Houston-a business
unique in the State, involving n discovery,
and almost unique in the United States;
profitable to one family. and. apparently,
with profit 10 many other enterprisins
American farmers or investors.
How the discovery OF the method to cult
vate ginseng was made: how the herb is
reared; how the harvest IL secured: how
the profits are computed; what is the mar
ket; what are the chances for the small
turner and outsider in the business.
These are all matters very familiar in
IioGs;on-particularly to George F. Mil
lard, who conceived the idea of and estab-
lished the plantation. and to Homer g. Mil
lard. a young man and nephew of the
former. The flrst-named is the founder,
the latter is in active management of the
business.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12
Aged Mans "Hobby"
Was Culture of Ginseng.

If. as seems likely. United States cuIti-
waited ginseng becomes a materially large
export to China, it will be chiefly due to
Mr.. George +. Willard, who is now 20
years old and an invalid Due to Mr.. Mil
lard IN a way, but more directly due 20
the fact that. in the opinion Of his neigh
bors, "Ole Man Millard' had a hobby.
He allus wuz dead stuck on his own
notions say they.
He had a hobby, several perhaps. but enc
was ginseng. He read In agricultural pa
pers of the commercial value of ginseng
root. He read of the series of unsuccessful
attempts by the Agricultural. Department
ct Washington to grow the herb. Then he
said 10 himself that, the Agricultural De-
partment's verdict be hanged. the plant
could be cultivated; and, what Is more i'm
,portant. he said to himself. that he would
do what Uncle Sam failed to do. He has
now been at work twelve years. and 1t is
only within the last three or four that
any success has greeted his efforts. Mean
time his ~neighbors continued to remark
about his devotedness to hobbies. Now
most who have grinned as he pegged away
are silent. The others have taken to rais-
Ing ginseng.
The elder Mr.. Millard. as he must be
called out of respect to n man who set
his mark and banged away until he hit
the bulPs-eye, had been a merchant most
of his life. At middle age he found him
self comparatively wealthy. and developed
mobiles; he looked for more worlds TO
conquer. lie tried stock raising. but this
proved what We of the city call a bore.
AS a hunter. he had roamed the Missouri
nils, and he knew that ginseng was ma
tive TO them. He knew. too. the wild
plants hone-on the north side. at the
base of a bluff or cliff. near water. where
decayed vegetation and drift have sodded
the ground with a layer of rich earth.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12
Wild Root Was Dug
for Chimes Market.

Ginseng as an article OF trade between
this country and China, he knew. The
roots have for years been dug by shift
less class called sang" hunters. who
hawked them to commission dealers. who In
turn sold to others. who sold IN China.
The wild root was, however, of poor quality
and gradually became SCARCE under the on
slaughts of hunters. These facts indicated
the value of cultivatinG it. So Mr.. Willard
set to work.
He found that the ginseng, sensitive plant,
rchelled against artificial restraints. and
appeared to have as many queer kinks I'm
its character as there are cpnvulutions in
the twisted bluffs beside which it grows.
Setback after setback he met with. But
the chief of all obstacles was cleared away
and the rest made but a matter OF time,
when he discovered that the time of ger
miration for the seed was eighteen. instead
of six months. Seed plants in the fan OF
1901 will not sprout until the spring O.
TQ1,
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12
She Did.

"Tll get even with 'em for dischargin'
met mumbled the cook lady. lifting up
the register and dropping a pair of her old
shoes down the hot-air pipe just before she
went away
And those old shoes avenged her for near
~ a week before the family found out what
was the matter.-Chicago Tribune
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12

ing a good margin for cultivators. This
cannot be done for several years. and un-
til it is done there will be considerable
skepticism among American farmers, or
average culturists. as to the financial pos
sihilities of the business.
AT present, for seeds, the nursery valua-
ton is 3 cents a seed. At prices Represent
iLg one-tenth the present values of the nur-
sery stock. So. Geo worth of the same stock
can be grown upon an acre of ground every
two years. at an expense not exceeding
81, 800"
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12
The Field From
the Outsiders Viewpoint.

The problem of %cultivating ginseng. from
the standpoint OF the farmer or other in
vestor. with the purpose of selling dry root
for the Chinese market, now involves a
chief item of expenditure which the Mil
lards, being pioneers IN the field. did not
have to Dient. This item is the amount
necessary TO buy seed or slip roots with
which to begin n plantation.
1t Is possible. no doubt, to follow exactly
in the footsteps of the senior Willard
search out the wild plants. obtain seed
from them. start with a small bed and in
crease the scale of operations from year to
year. Many difficulties will beset the Gull
turist who adopts this plan, among which
are the present scarcity Of the wild plant.
and the time required to obtain tangible
results. No roots or seeds could be spared
for sale as nursery stock for four or five
years. and. as the dry root is not fully de-
veloped until the plant is five years old. it
is inevitable that at least ten years Of effort
would he necessary before any appreciable
quantity of the root could be marketed.
Therefore. In ~endeavoring to give esti-
mates of the cost of ginseng culture, the
expenditure for seeds or slip roots must be
taken into account. The estimate In the
following paragraph is intended to fit the
case OF a man who is able to put some cap
ital into the business. and is based on fig
ures given by Mr.. Willard. TIL scale can
be reduced or Increased, however. In the
same proportions, and from all appear
ances ginseng culture should be most at
~tractive to the small farmer. whose land Is
in a rough country. He has the ground to
spare; his only expense would be for seed.
An income Of. say. $500 a year from a GIN
seiSg patch would not be sneezed at by
him. At the present price of 5 cents a seed.
1900 seeds could be bought for $3.50. In five
years time, calculating the price of the root
at So a pound, he would have considerably
more than 5000 worth Of root. and would
have obtained seed from his own plants to
extend his patch.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12

from S to $40 a pound. Sang hunters here
have sold as low as So n pound to commits
sion dealers in this country. The price paid
for hfeh-srade root here varies between
$ and $40 a 'pound.
Business Now Rests
on Nursery Basis.
Upon the above general facts rests the
business. But 1t has not yet settled Town
upon this basis. so far as the cultivation is
concerned, in the United States. The sale
of the seed or plants to others who would
enter upon the culture has as yet been the
source Of profit The Willard plantation has
been. and IS now. only a nursery for gin
seng. though Mr.. Willard expects to ship
the dry root direct to the Chinese market
as soon as the demand for nursery purposes
is exhausted.
The object with the American culturist
and with Mr.. Willard has been to gain a
foothold. 1t has not been policy to dig the
seed-bearing roots. as the nursery market
has Been most attractive. Previous to 1850
aesmall quantity Of nursery stock was mar
Eeted at different prices. In that year the
Millards sold seeds and Plants 10 the value
of S25,Gp. One dealer of New York took
sl6,G0 Of this amount. Last year all the
seed was diverted to increasing the size of
the plantation, and no attempt to dispose
of nursery stock or roots was made. Next
year. Mr.. Homer Willard stated that he
expected to sell $4,000 worth of nursery
stock.
Duration Of Nursery
Demand Is Problematical.
AS to the duration of the demand for
nursery stock, Mr. Willard said:
THE, ratio of increase of cultured gin
seng shows that within a limited time the
production of seeds is certain to be far in
excess of the demand. 1t would not be
worth while, in my opinion, TO enter on
the culture of ginseng upon a large scale
solely upon the nursery basis. Still, there
Will be. l think. a market for several mil
lion dollars worth of nursery stock.
1.-The ultimate of the business Is, of
course. the trhde with China. No great
quantity of Anferican-cultured ginseng root
has ever yet been marketed. However, small
quantities of the cultured root have been
sold for experimental purposes, In order to
ascertain definitely whether it was market
able in China, and also to determine what
price it would bring. None of this cultured
root was shipped direct to China. 1t was all
disposed of to American exporting firms,
and the price represents, not what it sold
for In China, but what American commits
sion merchants paid for it in the United
States. The lowest price brought by any OF
this root was $3.50 a pound, while the best
lot brought SO a pound.
THE real demand which I expect for
nursery stock will not reach its largest
proportions until considerable quantities of
American-cultivated root shall have been
sold in the Chinese, market at a price leav-
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12
Began the Cultivation
on a Very Small Scale.

TIL present acre and a quarter pIanta-
ton began in 4 little plot of ground about
Sy12 feet. A few plants, transplanted from
their native dcl!s. were carefully reared
there under an arbor of oak boughs. Seeds
were thus obtained. and were largely cx-
perimented with. When the termination
period was discovered. good results were
obtained and engagements made from year
TO year. The little bed of 12xS prospered.
Two large beds were prepared on land adj
Joining the Willard home in Houston. ana
they also prospered. Then. four miles from
Houston, at the foot of n huge bluff and &C.
side the Little Ptsey River, the plantation
was established.
To 20 from Houston. which to the travel
or seems like the last place on earth, out to
the plantation encourages the impression
that one has jumped OFF the map altogeth-
er. The hills are as razor-backed as the
famous wild hogs of the name, many or
which can be seen in the Texas County
woods. Arrived. however. and there is sign
of human activity.