Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-07-30

citation who regret so much the fact that the bible il
less read than it should be will rejoice to hear tina
the editor of weekly paper in Christian county Ill
inOis intends to bring the bible home to his sub
scribers by publishing it in installments. His pa
per is not large one, and the weekly installment
will be short so that it will take fifty years to ge
from Genesis to Revelation. Happily, If reade
is afraid be will die before the fifty years are up b.
can buy copy of the bible for tTife and read i
at 1t will be all the better for him il he does
1t is surprising that the author of this latest plan
iamiliarize the people with the bible should be
resident of rural county. 1t is is generally takel
for granted that the bible is more read and studied
by country people than by city people. The cOun
try people are supposed to be religious and the cit!
people to be lrreligiOus. In the the percentag
of church attendance is high except in the harvest
ing time. In the other it is low at all times On
may go into city homes and not copy OF the bi
BILE. In country homes one is almost always il
plain sight. 1t may be that the people Of Christian
county, Illinois have bibles, but do not read them
Not long before the civil war began "JOsh" AleI
made speech down in Egypt in which he said i
was plain that the Egyptians at least were max
ing no preparations for war. 81 go into you
peaceful homes" said he, "aud see the dust lynj
place as it does upon the family bible" 1t may b.
that the dust is thick upon the Christian county bi
bes and the enteTprsing editor OF the Assumption
Independent thinks he can Iremedylthe sad stat
OF affairs by inOculating his readers with taste
bible reading. 1t is the excellent custom of tn
cOuntrymaa to read his paper thoroughly. He be
gins at the upper left hand corner of the first pag
and goes to the lower right hand of the las
page without skipping anything. II he meets few
chapters of the bibe in his onward march he vii
read them. The editors plan is an ingenious one
The potato is assuming powerin Germany hardl
to be es.ized by the friends Of that humble vege
table in other days. The farmers are raising it 70
the alcohol that it contains and the alcohol that
contains is being used extensively not as a stimu
liant or intOxicant, bat in the mechanical art EX
peTiments with potato alcohol have been carried o.
in Germany since 1887, at which time law wa
passed putting high tax upon it when used as
beverage and practically exempting it from all taxa
tiOn when denaturalized and prepared for ndustria
use. In 1901 some 30 642, 700 gallons of it dis
titled and consumed in the arts. Among the chic
uses to which potato alcohol is put abroad is tina
OF creating power for machinery of all kinds. Al
c0hol power has been applied to motor wagons 10
the army, to wagons in general, to motor plOws, an
to all manner of stationary machines 1t is used i
cooking, heating, Illuminating. For motor puI
poses this alcohol is supposed to be twice eicien
as petroleum and its by-prOducts. Sometime
about % per cent of benzOl is mixed with it, whic
further increases its power It's use is not danger
Ous, and the positive assertion is made that whe
used in automobiles it gives off no OdOr The pOtat
plant has always been popular in Germany, but no
until the scientists began to look into its industriS
uses was anything remarkable expected of it. 1t
now regarded, however, as one of the most usefJ
and profitable products OF the farm, and has bee
elevated, therefore, far above its former cassfcs
ton as mere garden truck.
Mr.. William Norman Guthrie has been tellin
the students at the University Of Chicago that "
take life too seriously, that we are saddest when
drink and that there would be less drinking theI
Wp unnr at Ia uok
have liked laughter less than they have seemed I
! like liquor more, and it is with view to invitin
hilarity that they have, as the phrase goes "take
to drink" Yet there is no doubt that America
people are too grave, though it is of no use to te
them so, for if anything is calculated to make ma
melancholy it is to be requested to cheer up and b
lively. And, on the other hand, the funny book
are the most popular books of the da
and the comic plays the best attended. TheI
never was a time when the melancholy Dane was
put out of eountenance by his merrymaking riVa
the vaudeville hero, and perhaps one might find
reason for the recent Dickens revival il the likn
for the fun Of that author, which seems to exist
even the most unlterary breasts. To be sure,
watching an American audience one could not a
i ways be sure whether il was "Hamlet'' or a vaud
performance that held the boards, and the create
eniOyer Of Dickens humor is often careful not to Il
his face betray his Joy. And perhaps American
are too eager in their desire to be amused and hui
the comic god too seduousy There is nothing thi
gives more gravity to the cOuntenance than Il
ardent pursuits OF some object, even when tn
object i the unstrained quality Of gayety.
-Four Of the Republican representative Of Mich
gan who opposed the Cuban reciprocity bin becau
otheii devotion to the beet sugar interests have ai
ed to receive denomination.
King Edward, it is said, viii never be a well ma
again. How could one expect him to be with thr,
doctors looking after bis healtni