Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-11-21

out of every hundred for the benefit of
army. navy-all for the material sup
port of the man who lives i'm town.
For generations he has seen the city
man receive his mail two to ten times
n day. And 1t was only the other day
that Congress began to correct the in
justice and give part of the farmers
one mail day. Isn't It the farmers
turn now? lie is beginning to think
so. That free rural mail system set
him to thinking. And when the post
Office department replies to his petit
ton for free delivery that he cannot
have it until he builds better high
ways. he is inclined to turn on Uncle
Sam to say: whats the matter with
your helping to build the roads! Isn't
the country Il part of your domain?
Has the farmer 10 rights his govern.
nlcnt IL bound to respect! I've been
stole long enough. If you demand
better roads for decent service to
country people help build Them And
your Uncle Sam Is more or less non
plussed for reply.
~e
1t Is natural that the people of the
arid regions which are to he placed un.
der irrigation through the operation Of
the bill enacted by the last Congress
should regard with some apprehension
the speculatiOns of scientists upon the
outcome of the irrigation experiment.
for irrigation IL still an experiment as
TO certain kinds Of land. As a general
proposition irrigated land has proved
productive at first. In few years
however. 1t Is found that In some re.
gions It becomes unfruitful. 1t is ex-
planned that this Is due to the alkali
gradually coming to the surface. Water
II fed to u soil which has never been
leached by rain; thus 1t dissOlves and
holds in solution the alkali of the
earth which. in rainy regions. has been
drained of by thousands Of years of
rainfall. Capillary attraction draws
to the surface the alkaline water, and
as 1t evnpOrntes the ground Is covered
with "the hOar frost Of the desert
a rhine Of sulphate Of magnesia, rock
salt ana other minerals which. In ex.
cess, IRE fatal to all vegetation. The
pessimistlc scientists declare that 1t
was thus that MesopOtamia. the era.
die Of the human race. was ruined, and
they maintain that. as a general rule,
irrigation In a perfectly arid climate
sooner or later renders the soil perma.
nently unfit for cultivation. 1t Is point.
cd out that there nre sections of irri.
gated land In the Southwest which IRE
already beginning to revert to desert
because of this tendency Of the alkali
to come to the surface and kill of
everything save the plants indigenous
to the desert. but while science IL
thus disposed to be gloomy she still
holds out some hope. Experiments by
experts connected with the Agric,,l.
tural Department and by representa-.
tives Of State and Territorial farming
organizations encourage the belief
TINT u chemical treatment may be de.
vised which will neutralixc the alkali
and even render 1t positively benefi.
cial. In this view Of the case, there.
fore. the situation IL fur from hope.
less. 1t remains to he seen. however.
whether time will verify the predlc.
tons of the expermcnters. In the
meantime the boom In the districts
embraced In the government irriga.
ton zones IL likely to assume more
reasonable proportions. which will DC
no bad thing for the region even II the
alkali problem IL satisfactorily solved
1t will save Il good many people from
misfortune u the experiment proves II
failure.
The demonstration before the New
York MicroscOpical Society that lazi-
ness Is a disease caused by the insld-
i0us germ known us hOokworm. anky.
listOmm, duOdcnale. and uncinarlasis,
will no doubt set many people plying
themselves. Ruth Mcl;nery Stuart. In
one of her inimltable Southern sketch.
Us. tells the story Of n negro who dc.
clares himself to have been marked
for rest" ana who acts on that theory
all his life. while his wife supports
him and the rest of the family. 9th.
ers who like to stop work better than
to begin 1t, but who have not been
able to excuse laziness rs anything
more than habit. will probably utilize
the loOpholc offered by the New York
mlcrOscOpists. No doubt the lazy
mans respect for himself will go ul
amazingly, and self.pity will also be In
evidence when he realizes that he IL
In reality suffering from disease. II
Is to be hoped. however, that the mi.
crOscOpists will follow up their re.
searches and discover the cure for the
hoOkwOrm Of laziness. 1t IL said there
Is no germ without It's destroyer, just
us there is 10 poison without Its anti
date, and the discovery Of the nemesis
of the hOOkwOrm will simplify the
worlds affairs amazingly. II all lazy
people can be successfully treated. the
dynamic force of the human race will
be increased about 80 per cent. 1t ID
inspiring to think what vast increase
In Americas industries will Occur
when all the tramps rush eagerly Il
meet the work which they now side
step so adroitly. The lazy youth OF
high society, whose hardest work to
day is keeping his cigarette lighted
will be u captain of industry, and al
avenues of business will feel the reju
yenatug Influences of the tl-luZlneSs