davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28
WONDERFUL cRor FIGURES.
Features Of the Report Of the Depart
ment OF Agriculture.

Minneapolis Journal
All the good things that were ptorilseu
In the earlier reports OF the condluoh VI
the countrys crops have been more thau
realized. The final report OF the Depart
ment OF Agriculture issued late THURSDAY
shows Yields of principal crops even sreater
than expected in notable instances. Inc
country began TO feel the stimulating erect
OF good harvests some months ago when
the winter wheat was cut The good news
kept coming after the harvesters turned
uorthward to the spring wheat, and hnally'
when the corn crop came along TO ma
turity. there were the best reports OF all.
Now that there is sufficient data in hand
to enable the government statisticians to
mako up final figures. the outcome is found
not to have been overestimated at all. but
on the contrary to have been viewed con-
servatively. So much of our prosperity,
therefore, as is based upon the crops OF
1906. is not only wholly legitimate, but even
more. 1t represents expectation more than
realization.
The wheat crop at 500. 97a a67 bushels looks
big beside the 552 100000 bushels OF 1904 The
crop of that year was cut by bad weather
I'm the winter wheat fields and rust in
spring wheat. Hence part OF the gain 10
only a return to normal conditions Of pro-
duction II one goes back to 1902 for
comparison a crop close to the present big
total appears. or 67OCoO,OO0 bushels, while
1901, a year OF all-around bumper yields.
on big acreage. gave the country 7S.On,-
90 bushels The wheat crop therefore, Is
not the greatest, but II is a very good one.
In corn. nothing like the present total was
ever before produced. The greatest corn
year known in the United states was that
of 1902. when ?,52S, 10000 bushels was the
total The present yield is estimated at
2,7O7, 9O354O bushels.
Corn, wheat, oats and rye. make up
total OF 1881. al, 23l bushels, figures never
before equaled. and when the barley figures
are included. and the fax total determined,
there will be a lineup greater by millions
of bushels than anything in previous years.
The big yields have not reduced prices
materially. The average is lower than
last year, in some cereals, but all prices
are high enough to be remunerative to the
producer.
1t will readily be seen that the present
business activity which finds expression in
all lines. and has worked also for advances
in stocks and other securities, is based
upon something real 1t may be that there
has been little OVERRIDING of it in some
instances, but there can be no doubt of
the legitimacy of the general rise.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28
Personal NOTES.

Herbert IL. d. Pierce, our new minister
to Norway. is a native OF Massachusetts,
and a relative by marriage of Senator Lodge.
Ex-Governor Leedy of Kansas is now
mayor of Valdez, in Alaska. He is prac-
ticing law there, projecting a railroad and
has copper mines in prospect
Senior Don Felipe Pardo the new Peru
Wan minister to the TN, . States, has ar
rived in New York. He is a brother of
the president of Peru, which shows how
much that ruler appreciates the necessity
of having at Washington an able repre-
sentative.
Members of the faculty and friends of
Prof. Frederick Starr, al the University Of
Chicago, fear that he has met with disaster.
No word has been received from him since
he left Gibraltar for the heart of the
great central African forest two months
ago for the anthropological research.
John b. Moran, who is perturbng Boston
by his insistence on the enforcement of the
law to it's letter, is a victim of one of life s
little ironies He himself has violated
a law in not filing his statement OF election
expenses within the prescribed time. He
was five days late and is liable to fine
of 1900.
General Saussier. recently numbered
among the dead soldiers of France, was In
twenty-four campaigns, great and small
including the Algerian, Crimean, italian,
Austrian. Mexican and German wars. He
was with Bazaine a the surrender of Metz
and was one Of forty-two regimental ON
GERS who signed protest against the ca
pitulat!on.
William Jenkins Emmett granddaughter of
Robert Emmett the martyr Of the Irish
rebellion Of 9S died in New Rochelle Fri
dav at the age OF 80. He was son of Judge
Robert E Emmett. eldest son Of Thomas
Adds Emmett brother of Robert. His son.
Robert, possesses the seal ring which the
Irish patriot took from his finger before
mounting the scalffold, desiring that 1t
should be an heirloom TO be held by the
Emmett who should bear his name VIII
liam Emmett was business man and the
only one among the grandsons OF Thomas
Adds Emmett. He leaves five sons all well
placed. and three daughters, all OF whom
are artists, and one, Mrs. Rosina Sher-
wood. noted in her work. The family is a
nrolIfic one: when williams brother. Rich
ard stockton Emmett, was buried three
years ago, nifty persons bearing the name
attended the funeral.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28
THE TOYS OF YEsTERYEAR-


Maurice Smiley in Golfers Weekly.
Pray, where are the toys of the Yesteryear:
The jumping Jack with it's faring red,
The fuzzy dog and the antlered deer.
The drum with its sticks and tunenll
head,
The Noah's ark with its wooden crew
The building blocks with the letters on.
The child has toys that are bright and new
But whore, pray where, have the old
friends gone:
Somewhere in the attic i'm corner dark
The jumping jack and the split drum lie,
The wooden crew of the Noah's ark
And the tin of the battered infantry.
There, half by the rubbish and dust con-
cealed,
The fuzzy dog and the wooden deer,
The building blocks with their colors peeled
Half on; and the stringess top is here.
Pray. where are the toys Of the Yesteryear
The gaudy dreams with their colors gay
The castled hopes that were passing dear
The Joys of our boyhood's merry play?
The man has toys that are bright and new
On the wreck Of dreams new dreams
uorear,
But where are the hopes Of the raring hue
That were our toys of the Yesteryear?
Somewhere in the darkness the dead dreams
fade.
The broken idol and shattered vase
The castled hopes in their ruins laid
Come here to common trysting place.
Half hid by the rubbish and dust of days
The wrecks OF unnumbered dreams arc
That made us glad in a hundred ways,
And these are the toys OF the Yesteryear,
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28
nRNAMENrAL nIREcrnRS.

The publicity given to the fact that
in many corporations the men who
figure as directors do not do any direct
ing. but are merely ornamental, though
generally we'll paid for the use of their
names. which carry more or less intlu-
cncc with the public. is likely to lead
20 legislation that will change this state
of affairs. The Philadelphia North
American observes that with the in
creasing multiplication Of corporations
in this country we need some new and
intelligent legislation on this subject. II
thinks the man who lends his name
to an enterprise ought to be compelled
in considerable measure to stand
for 1t. IF he is not ready to do that
then II will be better for everybody
that his Endorsement should not be
given. He has no more right to permit
rascal to use his good reputation for
the plumber of the people than he has
to allow thief to use his hand to
pick a pocket" 1t is the opinion of that
pdptI lubl pubil' sentiment, Sudpch ny
the harsh experiences OF recent years,
will before long insist upon legislation
which will make the dummy director
and the decoy director merely dis
agreeable memory.
Undoubtedly there is already a very
strong public sentiment favorable to
such legislation, but whether it will
ever find such expression as will he
productive of practical results is a ques-
ton. The difficulty is to induce the
general public to take such an active
interest In the subject as will lead to
the selection of men for legislatures
pledged to vote for the needed legisla-
ton. The average citizen knows little
or nothing about corporation manage
ment and methods and it is not easy
to induce him to give the matter serious
thought Still the effort to cnighten
the public in this direction must be
made and If made earnestly cannot fail
to have good effect. A remedy for the
conditions shown by recent disclosures
must he provided by tie states and
doubtless some Of these will in the near
future give the subject the serious con
sideration which its obvious Importance
demands.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28
THE SAN DOMINGO TROUBLE.

THE SAN DOMINGO TROUBLE.
The new trouble in San Domingo may
prove to be less serious than now appears
sumo proportions that may cause some
embarrassment at Washington, in view
of the fact that it is reported to have
it's incentive in opposition to the treaty
between the Dominican government
and the United States, which provides
for the control by our government Of
the customs revenues of San Domingo
According TO the advices there is now
practically no government in the black
republic and the revolutionary element
may come into control at any time and
ment between this country and that re-
public.
In that case, what course would our
government adopt? 1t is said that there
will be no interference in Dominican
affairs unless conditions arise affecting
Americans and American interests and
involving the collection of the Domini-
can customs by this government. OF
course all proper measures will be taken
to protect the interests of American
citizens. but if a new government
should be installed in San Domingo
which refused TO recognize the fiscal
arrangement-would our government
have any right to use force to compel
recognition? Only the executive de-
partment of this government is com
mitted to the arrangement The treaty
providing for its continuance is pending
! in the senate and has encountered a
| strong opposition. Under such circum.
stances 1t would seem that the eXecu.
| tive department would be stretching its
powers good ways if it should inter.
| fere so far as to use force against even
revolutionary Dominican government
| which should refuse to abide by al
arrangement entered into by its prede
>ceSsor.
When the president wrote that the
! fiscal arrangement had completely dis
couraged all revolutionary movement, il
is evident that he was familiar Will
only the surface of affairs. Meanwhil,
the interesting question is as to wha
effect the Dominican uprising aGains
the fiscal convention will have upon th'
senate. 1t does not seem probable tina
it will increase support for the treaty
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

work and providing suitable rest
periods. but these rules often appear
to he very poorly enforced. The state
mcnt is made that it often happens
as has been shown in the accident
records. that new men. admittedly less
competent for their duties on that ac-
count. are the very ones who have been
put 10 the additional test of working
OverhOurs
This is a matter Of very great I'M
portance TO the public. The number
Of railroad accidents this year is con
siderably in excess of the previous year.
What proportion Of these was due to
overworked employees is not noted In
the commissions report and probably
could not be ascertained. but doubtless
overwork played a large part II COW
gress can properly deal with this de-
feet 1t should promptly do so. The APP
palling record of casualties on Ameri-
can railroads makes a strong appeal
for preventive measures.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28
DwINDLING PROPERTY IN LAND.
PrcssinR Need of SafeGunrdiuR the
Public Domain.

Chicago Chronicle.
There appears to be grave need ~ a
/ complete ovcrhauling Of our national laws
] covering the disposal OF the lands which
/ belong to the whole people.
! Setting altogether aside the criminal and
! quas-crminal land operations which un-
! der Secretary OF the Interior Hitch
/ cocks persistent Investigations and prose
/ cutlons have already resulted disastrously
/ 10 some Of those implicated. a glance at
! conditions revealed in publicly reported
! facts and figures indicates the necessity
! FOR amending the laws
/ The people are all equally owners Of
these lands and It is to their interest that
when they pass ont OF public ownership it
shall be, primarily for the purpose Of
| being devoted to the making OF homes
and adding to the productive power OF the
| nation
| II is commonplace truth that we have
! been too much in the habit OF regarding
tho public stock Of lands as inexhaustible.
! II is beginning to appear that the end
is within sight
! The congestion OF population In cities is
one Of the noteworthy phenomena of the
past thirty or more years Naturally, we
would expect It to be accompanied by a
diminished flow toward private ownership
| Of lands. and for some years in the latter
part OF the last century this was true.
| In 1898 only about $4,000 acres OF public
! lands were sold to private purchasers.
| BY 1901 the number OF acres sold had
doubled and in 1903 1t rose to nearly 5000
| coo acres. The reports of sales for last
year and the current year are not at
hand, but from great variety OF private
sources, within this year especially. there
have come accounts OF a rush of land seek
over the western portion OF our country
where only public lands are for sale.
So far as these land seekers look in good
faith to making homes and putting the
lands to individual use in production this
| Is hopeful and helpful process for the
! whole people. but it is believed that a very
large part OF tho inquiry is in the interest
| of projected railways or among tho re-
! gions known as arid or semi-arid, in the
interest OF specializing companies looking
! TO the realization of great profits through
the carrying out OF vast irrigation plans
| on which the government has entered or
| will enter or that these and other COM
panies may undertake.
The nation has left now less than $50,
100000 acres. no small part of which is
mountain and desert and swamp. Twenty
five million acres of yearly sales will
soon make away with all of this.
! Is it not quite time for the United
States to withdraw what is left OF the
public lands from all sale except for home
stead uses in good faith and keep it hence
! forth for such use alone?
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28
American Millions for Gems.

New York World.
American imports of gems for the year
drawing to close will exceed in value
100000 Nothing like these figures has
ever been known before. Last years i'm
ports were 81, OOC. 900 behind them. In 1890
the entire product of the jewelry factories
in this country fell 100000 short OF the
value of this years importation. Amazing
orders for precious stones are placed in the
middle west, showing that not all the
great corn crops are turning into telephone
and trolley stocks. Diamonds are pur
chased surprisingly by people of moderate
means. The prevailing love for things that
glitter has at least this justification in
thrift: 1t preserves the reasonable assur-
ance that dollars put into gems may be
found again. The interest may he lost, but
the principal is in form for ready realiza-
ton.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28
ENFORCING ANTI-REBATE LAWS.
Railroads Themselves Agree to Aid
In the Work.
San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Chronicle.
Executive officials of all the western
railroads are said to have agreed 10 aid
in the enforcement OF the interstate com
merce act by promptly notifying the COM
mission of all violations. In the case of
shipments passing over more than one
line the way bills give to all connecting
lines evidence of the improper rate IL
openly made by the initial line. II made
by allowances from the general office the
way bills prove nothing. In respect to
rebates thus secretly made nothing but
expert examination will disclose tho facts.
II the railroad executives are in earnest
in this movement, they will, without wait
ing for any law to require II, prove their
sincerity by freely opening their books TO
the expert accountants of the commits
sion.
There are never any rebates OF import
ance made by any railroad company which
are not almost Immediately known to its
competitors. The normal course of traffic
is known. All deviations from the normal
must have a cause. If that cause is not
apparent, il is almost certainly some illegal
advantage given TO induce shipments, and
it is assumed to be such by the competi-
tors, who Immediately proceed to prove
II by meeting the cut, which usually
restores traffic to its normal channels, ex.
cept when the cut is deep enough to de,
| feet It in new direction. II this agree
ment of executives means anything OF
| importance, it means that instead OF
| meeting any assumed ,ut they will a.
| once report the facts to the commission
! for investigation. Such a course will prob
ably stop rebating, but it will in many
/ cases compel railroad men to report facts
| which, when proved in court, viii senC
| personal friends TO Jail. However vigor
| ously railroads compete railroad men
| are, as a rule, personally very friendly
with each other, members of transports
| ton clubs or similar social organization!
and in many ways so associated in per
sonsl friendly relations that they are lotl
! TO report" Illegal acts of each other
| And there is quite a general feeling tina
! Informing" is not good form. But sucl
| considerations ought not TO prevail WheI
there is public duty to be done the cod
] OF thieves ought not TO prevent it. Sc
| cret favoritism OF all kinds by railroads
| will have TO cease II railroading is 10 con
tinue as a private Industry. All railroad
men owe IL TO themselves, the companies
| which employ them and to the industr!
in which they are engaged first, TO ODE!
the law, and. secondly. 10 expose all VIII
1 violate it.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28
Rights of Witnesses

SprlnsHeId fNVpuUIIVdI
Does the constitutional right of an indi-
vidual to refuse to be witness against
himself extend to a corporation? This is
a question which is being raised in the
governments prosecutions under the anti
trust law. Some corpora ton lawyers con-
tend that the right does so extend and
that the chief officer of a corporation may
refuse to testify on this ground when only
the company is being prosecuted-the courts
having held in a number OF cases that
corporation is a person" But the fed
eral Department OF Justice maintains a
contrary position. 1t evidently views the
corporation in the traditional light OF
having neither a body to be kicked nor a
soul to be damned. That accords more
closely to the fact than the! other view.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

Admiral Dewey has now struck blow
which even the thick hide of Annapolis
tradition will hardly be proof against.
When he says, Il can conceive nothing
more cowardly or more brutalizing than
the hazing of one man by dozen others, y
it is rather difficult to imagine even the
youngest of second-year men at the acad-
envy sneering at this as the talk OF a
softly or molly -coddle. Admiral Dewey
declares that hazing has reached the limit
of liberation. and that is just about the
conclusion that the country at large has
come to.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

With railway freight traffic managers
making an especial visit to the Inter
state Commerce commission to get in
formation as to how they can operate
their lines it would seem that the com
mission has more real power than some
courts are willing to admit
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

Now that Hartman and Hill have re.
sumed the fight, we may confidently
look for the construction of more rail.
roads, on the same principle that when
the fur flies among the cats there are
more kittens. While the irrepressible
conflict lasts in the far west, the people
of the corn belt will not 90 hungry. but
their trouble will begin when peace is
declared.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

With cabinet meeting held during the
holiday week it is probable that the
strenuousness of the chief executive Is
not entirely pleasing to members OF
his official family. but they can take a
rest while he is looking after affairs
on his Virginia plantation.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

The abolition of the bar docketS at
the expense of the county does not
necessarily mean the abolition of bars
in Douglas county, although the bar as
sociation may have TO take hand in
the bar business just to keep posted
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

BY fixing four day as the probable
life of the present trouble at Moscow
the Russian government does not de-
sire TO be understood as promising to
quit fighting at the end of that time,
but from this distance this seems TO
he the only way of fulfilling its proph-
eSV
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28
4 Common wonder,
Phila delphia Press.

IIllduelpHld IltSS'
After reading the evidence of the New
York insurance superintendent and his as
sistant, revealing what they didn't know
about the business Of the insurance COM
panles, people must wonder what the in
surancc department is maintained for.
Some of the companies officials themselves
were not more ignorant of what the com
panies were doing.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

The removal of Commissioner Lafon-
taine in Canada is proof that the gentle
art of political manipulation by crooked
capitalists is not bound by the line
which separates the states from the
dominion.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

The Nebraska farmer is not so deeply
interested in the route over which his
grain travels to the east as in his ability
20 draw the highest market price in
cash; nevertheless il looks bad 10 see
concession of s cents a bushel Ia Kansas
ca even If il be only on paper
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

An Omaha railroad man accuses the
grain exchange of playing politics."
something ineXcusable from railroad
standpoint which considers politics real
work at all times.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28
Promises 10 Reform.
Springfield Republican.

INVTVINIIN'1TI'
The railroads arc again pledging them
selves to observe the anti-rebate laws, and
to inform against each other in case OF
failure. This is not the first effort of the
kind, followed by proclamation that at last
the evil has been rooted out, but 1t Is the
most promising-especially in view of the
reviying activity of federal prosecution.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28
OPERWoRKED RAILROAD EMPLOYEES.

OE ERNORhED RAILhOAD bhFLOl fS'
In his annual message President
Roosevelt called attention to the eXces-
sive hours of labor TO which railroad
employees in train service are in many
cases subjected and expressed the Opin-
ion that it is II matter which may well
engage the serious attention of CON
gresS. He said that both the mental
and physical strain upon those who
are engaged in the movement and opera
ton of railroad trains under modern
conditions is perhaps greater than that
W aich exists in any other industry, "and
if there are any reasons for limiting by
law the hours of labor in any employ
ment they certainly apply with peculiar
force to the employment of those upon
whose vigilance and alertness in the
performance of their duties the safety
of all who travel by rail depends"
The report of the Interstate Com
merce commission refers TO this matter,
remarking that enginemen, conductors
and other trainmen, telegraph opera tors
and signalmen are constantly charged
with delicate and responsible duties and
should never be on duty except when
in good physical and mental condition.
The report states that evidence of over
work appears frequently in the accident
reports. Resides those cases of men re-
naming on duty because of wrecks or
snowstorms OF other emergencies there
is much irregularity in everyday train
service. \ number OF railroads have
prescribed rules limiting the hours OF
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

When the police board gets through
exercising its judicial functions as an
excise board. by the end of this week,
It will enter upon the exercise of its
nonpartisan political functions on behalf
OF its preferred candidate for mayor.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

The epidemic has reached Santo
Domingo, too. The president of that
great republic did not wait to resign.
Who swings the big stick in that super
heated region?
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-28

Two thousand men participated in a
wolf hunt down in Kansas on Christmas
day. This is a prelude to the revival
of the wolf bounty scalp industry and
the presentation of several hundred
bounty claims to state auditor. As all
wolves look alike to him, whether they
hail from Nebraska, Kansas or Wyom-
ing, the bounty warrants will have to be
issued