Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-12-27

10 Il j
lifted hat and formally acknowledged
the words of greeting, after which the
two shook hands and other command
ing officers arrived for the farewell re-
ception. TO all the president spoke the
cordial and familiar words, "Goodby,
and good luckw and expressed his
pride in the fleet and the sailors.
The Mayfower led the four mile pro-
cession of fighting vessels from Hamp-
ton Roads to the Horseshoe Bend Of
the Chesapeake, flying at its masthead
the blue eagle crested presidential flag,
and there turned aside and came to
anchor while the white clad ships
passed in review and out to sea, their
guns roaring, bands playing and sail
.ors singing. The feet carries II, O00
officers and men and $4,000, 600 pounds
Of explosives. The first stop will be
Trinidad, where the torpedo feet,
which started in advance, already
awaits the coming of the battleships.
Prior to the departure Admiral Evans
had given to the press In writing
farewell message to the people Of the
United States, conveying his apprecia-
ton of the interest shown In the fleets
movements and referring to the trip
as great practice cruise to visit our
friends and supporters on the Pacific
coast" In closing he gave some hint
about possible diversion to the far
east by saying that If the commander
in chief should decide to send them
ION mission Of peace and good will
to the nations of the other hemisphere
there. Later wireless message said
the admiral had made known orders
to return via Suez.
Letters to Santa Claus.
The postmaster general has mad,
public his annual proclamation con
corning Santa Claus. In past year
letters directed to Santa Claus hay
been sent to the dead letter Office an,
wherever practicable returned to tn
senders. He now directs that thes
letters may be turned over by any re
ceiying postmaster to any regularl,
organized charity society in the cit,
or town of address to be used exclu
siveiy for philanthropic purposes. Th,
terms of the order confine these di
Fections strictly to letters addressed
to Santa Claus, as 1t is found that thu
Z name Kriss Kringle appears in Yariou.
city directories.
A 10000 Tpn Battleship Begun.
At the yards Of the Fore River Ship
building company, Quincy, Mass, Dec
i6 was laid the keel of what is planned
to be tbs largest battleship yet added
to the United States navy, the North
'Dakota, OF 10000 tons displacement
1t is expected that within a month
there will be 1000 men at work on
the vessel, and 1t will be completed in
three years.
100000 Christmas Trees Year.
In discussing the effect on the for
csts of the country by the use OF
Christmas trees, of which 1t is estimat
ed that 100000 are used each year
Clifford pinchot, United States forest
er, says that the effect is infnitesima
compared with the destruction caused
by forest fires and wasteful lumber
Ais. - p'tblSst Acul ASCI dpuEL lucSt
trees would be grown on less thar
9,400 acres. He says that trees suit
able for Christmas trees do not grow
In the old forests where reproduction
As most important, but in the open
and there is no more reason for nj
cutlery against using land to grow
Christmas trees than to grow flowers
According to Mr.. Pinchot,. the cente
of the Christmas tree industry lies i,
the big cities of the east. New Yorl
city aud the New England states con
sumo 100000 trees. or nearly one-hal.
OF MI the output. Maine, New Hamp-
shire, the Berkshire hills in Massachu-
sets and the Adirondacks and Cats
Kills in New York are the sources of
SUPPLY for New York, Boston. and
Philadelphia and even for Baltimore
and Washington. The swamps of
Michigan. Wisconsin and Minnesota
furnish the markets Of Chicago, st.
Paul, Minneapolis and Detroit. while
the local demand throughout the cen
tral west is me.nlg supplied by nurs-
cry grown Norway spruce.
Army to Boy Balloon.
The si.slsal CORPS Of the var depart