The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1907-12-27

now on it's way will present thirty
two arguments of equal length for
speed on the Panama canal. And
unlike most long arguments-they
will be read.
There have been and still are many
and various opinions as to II Wis
dom of sending this great squadron
on this long practice cruise. There
is no division among Americans IN
wishes for the fleet, now that it Is
off. We want them to have the best
voyage ever known, to arrive In San
Francisco in the best OF condition, an
not bury a single jackie on the way.
And we hope that, while ready for a
fight, they will be introduced to noth-
ing more dangerous than frolic. This
last wish, indeed, is practically GER
tain lof ,~fulfllment. There is no
longer a war cloud on the horizon, In
either ocean Japan has accepted the
inevitable; and America has no
quarrel with any people.
So. here's luck to the fleet. May 1t
be in the Pacific as it has been in the
lAtlantic, the true representative OF
a nation that wishes only for peace,
but is able and ready to take anything
that fate may send.
Santa Claus Letters.
The p~ostoffice department has de-
cided that letters addressed to Santa
Claus shall be properly forwarded to
persons likely to be interested IN
them instea dof being thrown into
the heap of dead letters that bur-
dens the department every day.
Some time ago 1t was announced
that the Santa Claus letter "nui-
sance" would be discontinued and
that such epistles, addresse dby
childish hands to the patron saint OF
The holiday, and bearing no postage,
would be disregardcd and thrown
away. But the department was a
victim of an injustice when such an
announcement was made or it's heads
have had their hearts turned by the
protests and pleas which followed
the cruel announcement.
The SantaClaus letters will be
cared for, and they should be. Tos-
sing into a pile of dead letters the
little notes scrubbed by pens held
in chubby, childish hands, merely be-
cause Santa Claus does not exist in
a form that would make it possible
for him to pay the postage due,
would be more than outrageous.
Long live the Santa Claus letter.!
May it always fall into the hands of
some one who will see that it is
tenderly treated and faithfully an
swered. Lincoln Star.
There will be three weeks inter
vening between June 16 and July z,
the dates for the holding of the re-
ppblican and the democratic conyen-
lions. Three Weeks" as We have
but just been told in fiction, may
hold all the significance of life. Ger
talnly these three weeks, during
which the. republicans will know
what they've got-something they
!. nan anticipate with no degree OF
%ssureness today-and during which
ttime the democrats will. attempt
10 consider how to meet what the
republicans offer, will be surcharged
..with momentous effects. They
I, popular is a problem that perplexts
;. the east much more than the west
: where many men have grown, wealth,
: upon the produce of their farms
Consequently the preparation o
young ,zmen for successful farming
careers is a matter that deserves tn
: serious attention of all interested Il
i education. The president, in a pub
lie address the other day, said tina
: the agricultural colleges ought to b
supplemented by agricultural .hig1
schools, such as have been %establishe
!. promise to. he without question tn
: most, important three weeks whic
political. history in the United State
5 has sspanned for considerable tim'
IS At the moment the guns OF At
/ miral Evans feet were roaring on
r their farewell salute at Fortress MOI
y roe the first keel plate of the gres
batt1eship North Dakota, the large!
b battleship in, the world with the e,
r ception Of her sister ship, the Delt
ware, was laid in the yards of tt
n Fore River shipbuilding compan;,
ut A fourth larger than the largest ehi
now in the American navy the aotu'
TO construction OF. the North Dakot
w may now be said to have begun. TT
p first plate laid was No. 10. There al
lg twenty of these plates, each invent,
" four feet long and each weighir
es 1000 pounds. AS soon as the fir
r. plate was laid frames were attache
us to 1T. The contractor has three yea
ct In which to complete the building
the. ship, but the officers OF the cor
10 pany say they will be able to col
In plete the North Dakota, provided Il
material is not delayed, 80 that h
launching may take place in t,
" menths.
a. Political parties In Texas ha
heretofore been free to place in the
~ platforms anything which tn
AZ wished. They are now restricted