The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-17
Revival of water Transportation.

1t is gradually coming to be recog-
nized that we are about to enter upon
For a generation the railroads fought
every proposal for the Improvement
of internal navigation. Suddenly this
attitude has changed. The reason for
found it impossible to handle the traf-
f1c of the country. Complaints of con-
gestion and inability to secure cars for
the shipment of perishable freight
have gone up from every part of the
country. 1t has been borne in upon
the railway managers that If it were
possible to ship the cheaper and less
profitable forms of freight by water
the roads would still have all the bust
ness they could handle and would
make more money, because it would
be business paying higher rates.
There have been numerous illustra-
tons of the changing public attitude
toward waterway improvement. The
first of these was the organization of
the National Rivers and Harbors Con-
gress, with a membership extending
all over the country and pledged to
the platform of annual river and
harbor appropriations of at least $780,
100000" AS a result of the interest
awakened by the campaign of this as
voted $685. 900, 600 for waterway i'm
provements-the largest appropria-
ton ever devoted to this object-and
President Roosevelt followed this ac-
/
waterways commission to study and
make recommendations for the COM
prehensive utilization of our water
way resources.-Franklin Wood, in
Moody's Magazine.
A Faithful Cat.
Golightly, the office cat, is waiting
impatiently for the completion of his
new building on Fourth street. In the
meantime he is leading a precarious
0EyfCf 20 nil
office is in about the same fix as a
fish out of water. Golightly is no
beauty. Six months ago he was the
official feline of the Warner Building,
at Fourth street and Nicolet. He was
not a favorite, but he was faithful to
his trust. One day while he was hang
ing around the rear of a nearby res
taurant, some inconsiderate employe
neck. and it has been bare ever since,
giving him an exceedingly bizarre as
pect. When the wreckers pulled down
the Warner building, Golightly lived
structure grew smaller and smaller. |
But he lived up to his light as an Of |
flee cat and stuck by his post till the |
last bit of his old home had disap- |
peared. Then the stonemasons came, |
the cellar was enlarged and the foun-
dalton for the new Palace building |
was laid. Now the structural steel |
men are erecting the frame, and Co |
rfvets that go sailing through the air. |
He can't make out what it all means |
but he sticks. Once in a while he gets |
a bit to eat from sympathetic work
man, but as a rule the men speak of |
him with shocking disrespect How
ever, his fidelity is making some i'm
preston, and the men are now talk
ing of having a fur boa made for his |
denuded neck.-Minneapolis Journal. |
Puzzles for TeIegranIlers
What a layman doesn't know about |
teiegraphy would fill an encyclopedia, 80
SAID John L. Mcoague,. who was an
operator in the days of his boyhood |
Now Alex Charlton there, one of my |
partners doesn't know any more about |
telegraphy than cat, and I'll prove it. |
once l had him prepare code for use
in our correspondence, both for secrecy |
and to decrease telegraph charges. |
When he handed it to me- 1 found the |
word sheep and directly opposite it |
the meaning, money received and deed /
given
Look here. Charlton I said. The
operator who receives that sheep viii |
get a regular b-r-r-r-r. He can't tell |
Don't you know that Sheep is a |
string of IA dots, without a dash to |
relieve the monotony. IS" is three dots.
III is four dots. ''e" is one dot, and |
p is five dots.'"
That's nothing" said a telegra pher
at strike headquarters. when Mr.. Nc
Cague's story was repeated to him. IF |
you want a string of dots 45 feet long.
you two dashes to start with, and then
you get 80 dots in succession The fell
low who receives it can't tell whether
he is getting 80 dots or so. He doesn't
know whether it is the Lords prayer or
the Declaration of Independence."-
Omaha Bee.
A Gift to Dog.
I'm recognition bray and |
ligence,' massive silver collar has
been presented by the London Canine
society to JOSH" black retriever be-
longing to Mr.. H. Tickle, of Hope street.
Leigh. Josh" playing on the banks
Of the Avenue lake, Leigh, saw peram-
bulator. in which was a child, roll down
the embankment into the water While
1t, shrieked in terror, the dog plunged
into the lake and brought the baby
safely ashore. After rescuing the child
Josh" went in again and recovered 1he
Evening Standard.
Peace Delegates Socks.
The Hague correspondent of the
Fra nkfort Gazette says that the other
wise unimportant fact that one of the
peace delegates wears red socks is be-
ing forced into public attention by
law case to which they have given rise. |
When the socks were sent to the wash !
the dye ran, with the result that the !
linen of one of the foreign journalists
attending the conference was imbued
with rose tinge. The journalist is SUI
ing the washerwoman for 800 forms
7amage and the washerwoman is seek
The result of the litigation is ,
lwited with keen interest.-London
Daily Graphic.