The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-03-03

+ you can't boost don't knock" is a
maxim which should be taken to
heart by a good many of our fellow
residents.
HE man with the Hoe" was talked
of d great eeal at one time, but
now that we are to dig the Panama
canal some poet might take "the man
with the shovel" for his theme. This |
humDle laborer is worthy OF immor-
talization. With his shovel he will
make great contribution to the worlds |
progress.
| WHEN Alaska was bought by this
government in 1867 there were
those who claimed that the money was
thrown away. Yet this territory has
proved to be one of our most valuable
possessions. The same is said now in
regard to the amount paid for the
Philippines. Will history repeat itselfp
1t is to be hoped SO.
/ IT is really wonderful to think of the
great strides that have been made
in the art of shoemaking. The first
American shoemaker came over in the
Maydower. His only tools were lap
stone, waxed thread and an awl. These
have all been replaced by machinery
which enables one man to turn out as
much work as twenty men by old
methods.
WHATS the matter with the writing
I arm of our friend III. j. B.? In
that optimistic corner of THE MIRROR
called Odds and Ends he can jnggle
large figures with the best of them; in
fact, he never makes bet under five
millions. But preserve us from any
more statistics of Rockefeller's wealth
and Carnegie's libraries! Such matters
come under the head of ancient history,
the quality so much deplored in the
Chautauqua papers. Come again Mr..
B. but let it be something not quite SO
new.
I~AR is-well it must be just what
Sherman said it was and in addi-
ton to the vicissitudes of the campaign,
the old warrior must have had in mind
the number of poets brought out by
, these great conflicts. [ have just
learned that America had no poets up
! to the time of the Revolution and that
it was the heroic deeds of our continen-
tai soldiers that inspired our first
rbymsters. But they were far away
from the battle field and took no active
part in the great struggle for liberty,
. and the thought strikes me that these
( fellows, like Watts hymn books would
have made good wadding for the
American guns.
IN striking the first blow at their
: powerful enemy, japan made a
dash which was as bril- liant, gallant
and successful as anything in the
. history of our own country. And it is
to be hoped that they also will con.
tinue to make things lively for the
Russians. If they could only repeat
: their first victory few times they
might have the big bear trimmed down
. to size where they could lick him
v The war is not one between man and
o man, but between civilized men and
!. barbarians. 1t is the spirit of progress
battling the retrogressive ideas of an
autocracy. AS such the Japanese
: should have the moral support of every
believer in progressive civilization
81 While Japan will undoubtedly be
a overwhelmed by numbers in hel
9 struggle for Asiatic supremacy, it will
in any event add greatly to her prestige
as nation. Good luck to the plucky
Y little Japs and may they wipe Russis
. off the face of the earth!
o|WASHINGTON'S birthday Away!
" brings to mind that old, old story
y that we learned in our youth of, "wht
chopped down the cherry tree, an6
father, cannot tell a le." While thu
i story has served good purpose, it il
probably pure fiction. l do not believs
. that the man was ever Lorn who die
n not tell a fib during his boyhood days
}, However we can still say of Washing
o ton, 'sa character of virtues So happily
tempered by one another and so who'll!
: unalIayed with any vices is hardly tt
be found on the pages of history" 1
Il has been said that he was an aristocrat