davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1907-06-13
DISASTROUS FIRE
AT WILLOW CITY
HALF OF BUSINESS SECTION BUKNED- SECOND one
WITHIN A YEAR-LOSS OVER $l25,0OO
WILL Be REBUILT AT ONCE

Bottineau, N. d., June 7-Over
half Of the business portion Of
Willow City is in ashes. The fire
caught in the Lazier butcher shop
about 3 o'clock this morning and
the flames soon spread with the
stiff breeze to the adjacent build
ings on both sides of the street.
The Bottineau fire department was
called up and drove with their en-
gines the distance being twenty
miles but the flames were we'll un-
der. control before they reached
there. In the two blocks along
Main street, west of the depot,
everything is burned except Critics
implement house and Tanquay's
brick hardware block.
The loss will reach probably
$115,0OO with insurance of less
than one half the amount. A very
strong wind was blowing from the
southeast at the time. Both the
local and the Bottineau depart
ments did excellent work. This is
the second disasterous fire Willow
City has had in the past Is months.
Most of the burned buildings will
be rebuilt at once.
Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1907-06-13
DINNlE STARTED WORK

Contractor D. A. Dinnie of Mi
not started work on the excava-
walton for the Heffernan block
Saturday. Mr.. Dinnie has erect
ed bridge on the rear of the lot
and dumps the dirt into a wagon
under the bridge. This saves
shoveling and much time. The
building will be two stories high
thirty two feet wide and one hun
dred feet long. When completed
Mr.. Heffernan will have one of
the finest brick blocks in the city.
Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1907-06-13
CAUGHT ROBBINC
G. N. BOX CAR
Two MEN EMPLOYED IN ROUND HOUSE ARE
CAUGHT IN The ACT OF ROBBlNC
BOX CARS

Great Northern Detective Mckay
and Agent Merritt arrested two
men Saturday night for robbing a
Great Northern box car. The men
were Leroy and Ray Larsh and
had been working in the round
house. They waived examination
and were bound over to district
court for trial.
Agent Merritt and Detective
Mckay had discovered that goods
had been removed from the box
cars upon two different nights so
Saturday night they decided to
stand guard. 1t was raining all
the time but they stuck to their
work and were awarded late in the
night by seeing a light in one Of
the cars. They rushed up and
pulled the door shut. Mckay then
stood guard while Merritt went
for help to the round house.
When he returned the men were
taken from the car and numerous
articles were found upon them.
Their shack was also examined
and missing articles found there.
Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1907-06-13
new PROOF BLANKS

The Department Of the Interior
issued a new form of Notice for
Publication some time ago and
,they insist that it should be used.
TheIe are number of the old
blanks being used yet and this
causes a great deal of unnecessary
labor at the land Office. When
ever an old form of notice is sent
in the land office force has to copy
this over again as the department
will not accept them. The Graph
ic has the new form on hand and
will be pleased to fill all orders.
Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1907-06-13
COMMISSIONERS WILL MEET

The county commissioners will
meet in regular session on the first
of July. AS there has been some
question as to what the work of
the board will be for the first week
we will state for the benefit of our
readers that they will meet during
this time as board Of equaliza-
tion. The regular routine work
of the board will therefore not be
taken up until the second week of
the meeting.
Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1907-06-13
TEACHERS RECEPTION

On Monday evening June II, a
reception will be given at the
Court House to the teachers of
Mckenzie and Williams Counties.
After an informal gathering, a
short musical program will be rem
dered. Let our people come out
and give the teachers hearty
welcome.
Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1907-06-13
DISTRICT COURT NEXT WEEK

Judge Goss will be in the city
next Monday and will convene a
term of the district court Monday
morning. Several important cases
will be tried at this term of court.
Among the criminal cases to be
tried will be those Of the two box
car robbers.
Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1907-06-13
EASEMENTS FLOODED

The heavy rains of Saturday did
greet deal of damage in the city
by flooding the Easements of bust
ness and residence houses. Pro-
badly the one to suffer the most
damage was the Bruegger Mercan-
tile store. The water flooded into
the bitches of the water mains and
from this into the basement along
the ditch for the connection. The
basement Of the Bruegger Mercan-
Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1907-06-13
A BUSY WEEK

Next week will be busy one
for Williston, there will be the
Teachers institute, District court
and Farmers Institute. The city
will be crowded and everyone will
be called upon to open their doors
to one or more visitors.
Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1907-06-13
new MAIL WAGON

Paul Field, who is handeling the
mail on rural free delivery num-
Der one was furnished with fine
new U. S. Mail wagon the first of
the week.
Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1907-06-13
ENCAMPMENT OFFICERS

The Williston Encampment, |.
O. O. F. at their meeting held last
Friday evening elected the follow
mo Officarc
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

This frank recognition of Korean in
seemed to be exceedingly
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

pack Whenever he is hard pressed
by the Japanese he stops the game,
shuff1es the cards and deals the kings
and knaves around to the various min
istries so as to make a new com bina
ton. In the course of the last eigh teen
months vi Chi Yong has been minister
of foreign affairs, minister of agricul
ture, minister of justice and minister
of the interior PAX Che Sun has been
minister of agriculture once, minister of
foreign affairs once and minister of JUS
tice twice. vi Yong TX. an uneducated
cody who does not even keep his body
clean, has recently been director of the
mint governor of North Kyungsapg,
commissioner to buy Anam rice, min
lister of finance and minister of war.
Every time the cards are shuff1ed and
dealt the same old knaves turn up, but
in new places. Just as you have laid
your plans to capture the jack of spades
in the foreign Office the emperor grabs
and shuff1eS the cards, deals them
afresh, and the jack of spades appears
in the ministry of agriculture or smiles
at you blandly from the ministry of
home affairs. / have taken the trouble
to make a list of recent changes in the
Korean cabinet. and find that thirty
one ministers resigned or were shifted
from one department to another last
year and that there have been forty
six designations, dismissals or transfers
so far this year. Persons who are in a
position to know assure me that my list
does not comprise half of the changes
that have really been made, but seven
ty-seven shuff1es and deals in eighteen
months will answer my purpose"
In forming just estimate of Japan's
effort to reform Korea all of these
things must be taken into considera-
ton. When the mikado and his advis-
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

and they met the Japanese ADVISERS
with intrigue, obstruction and passive
resistance in every shape. The Koreans
seem to have been more than a match
for the Japanese in political trickery.
For Instance,
An example of the way in which Ko-
rean state affairs ere conducted is fur
nished by a bright American who was
formerly adviser of the foreign office
of that empire He says that he was
accustomed to go again and again to
the office of the minister of foreign af
fairs to urge on him certain measures
of reform which he regarded as abso-
lutely essential. After repeated inter
views and almost endless discussion the
minister would apparently agree to
what he proposed. The next thing the
adviser heard from the office would be
the news of the resignation of the min
lister who had been brought with such
infinite labor to commit himself favor
ably and the appointment of success
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

generous under the circumstances, and
it was so regarded by the civilized world
in general. At the time, however, vet
eran diplomats of almost every country
shook their heads doubtfully The the
DRY was attractive. they admitted but
putting it into practice would be quite
another thing. The effect of this gen.
erous scheme was to create a sort of
dual government composed of Korean
officials and japanese advisers, with
divided powers and responsibilities.
1t didn't work. 1t was a miserable
failure from the very first. If the two
sets OF rulers had -teen equal in mental
equipment and experience and if they
had been endowed with the same aims
and ambitions they might possibly have
worked together after fairly satisfac-
tory fashion, but they had nothing
whatever in common except hearty dis
like and distrust. Under those circum-
stances the whole scheme was practi-
cally unavoidable from the start. The
Korean officials did not want reform.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

along that their aims and intentions
were good. but recent developments do
not indicate that they have made much
progress toward the realization of the
popular hOre.
The plucky little islanders went to
work a their difficult job with a right
good will. The reforms planned were
sweeping in character, and the world
hoped that they might be carried into
effect. The Japanese had been ex-
tremely particular to have it we'll I'M
derstood that the independence of the
Korean empire was to be main tanned
sacredly as well as the safety end re-
pose" of the imperial Korean royal
house. The convention made between
the two countries in 1904 expressly stip-
ulated this and that Japan should have
paramount control in the administra-
ton of the government.
Couldn't Deliver the Goods.
This frank recognition of Korean in
dependence seemed to be exceedingly
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

goats could raise his own milk supply,
and trivial as this seems it is worth
counting to a man who has to figure
up pennies instead of dollars when he
looks over his household accounts.
A Praiseworthy Effort.
HE has started the task of restor-
ing the extinct Morgan horse. The
Morgan horse was the highest breed
we ever had in this country. Its CEN
ter of origin and development was New
England, particularly Vermont The
civil war took all the Morgan horses
into the cavalry. and the western emil
grafton which followed the war finish
ed the breed. They got mixed up with
others until a pure bred Morgan horse
became unknown, and the breed entire
ly disappeared. Wilson took up this
task about two years ago. He got
man in Vermont to give 200 acres for
a Morgan horse farm, and Wilson is
running it.
"Hc has also gone in for developing
distinct breed of American coach horse.
He has got a place out in Colorado
where the work is being managed by
one Of his scientists and expects to
produce an extraordinarily handsome
breed of horses. George Rommel is the
man in general direction of this
scheme.
"Wiison has given great deal of at
tention to the problem of corn breeding,
of solving the problem how to get as
much corn as possible on one hill. If a
man gets only two or three ears to a
hill Wilson regards it as a waste of
productive force. because the total
number of bushels produced is less
than it ought to be. He sent out to
Illinois and got Shamel, the most dis
tinguished corn breeder in the world
to come here and take charge of this
scheme"
Mr.. Wilson is now seventy-two years
of age, born in Ayrshire, Scotland, In
1885. He has lived in Tama county.
Ia, for half a century. He is a keen
witted, democratic. rough and ready old
chap who mixes his singulars and plu-
rails in most nonaeademtc way IN
spite of the fact that he has been
professor in the Iowa Agricultural coll
lege and a member of the state as
sembly. 1t will not be an easy matter
to find fit successor to him. he mas
made his department, and he is Keep
ing on making it. 1t is not at all likely
that he will be supplanted during his
period of activity.
ELLIS ROBERTSON.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

have been expected that the depart
ment would amount to much, and it
didn't 1t was not until James Wilson
of Iowa came to the Office that things
began to take a turn. He came to the
department with determination stamp
ed on every feature of his homely
Scotch face and proceeded at once to
revolutionize it. There was nothing
idealistic about him. He started in on
the theory that his duty was not mere
ly to administer, not wholly to keep
the farmers satisfied but to develop
the great industry which he repre-
scented. That industry, he maintained.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

was the biggest thing in the country
and should be treated as such. An en-
thusiastic admirer of the bluff old
Scotchman writes as follows of his en-
ergy IN turning the department into
one OF the most useful of governmental
agencies:
Wilson has been 'projicling' around
the whole globe in search of things. He
mas developed such an ear that he can
hear an apple grow in Tibet, and as
soon as he does he dispatches an ex-
pedltlon after it. In Finland they grow
alcohols potatoes, immense things. as
DIG as your head, and no earthly good
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

for eating Wilson sent after them
and had them brought here and nat
uralized-not to eat, but to get alcohol
out of. A year or so back he sent
some scientists into the interior of
China to get a rare peach, never heard
of out of that section, and never heard
of in most of China-said by legendary
sharps to be the original peach that
Eve bunkoed Adam with, but Wilson
did not go after it on account of its
historical value. but because it was
good to eat
HE imported macaroni wheat from
Italy and set the unimaginative farm
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

any occasion. There is a tradition in
Washington that his first annual re-
port never saw the light. 1t was about
three pages in length and strongly ad-
vocated the abolition of the department
on the ground that it was of no prac-
tlcal benefit to anybody. President
cleveland returned the report with the
request that one more in accord with
the usual official treatment be substi-
tuted for it. This was done eventually,
although Morton never succeeded in
convincing himself that he was earning
his salary.
Under such conditions it could not
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

sor with whom every step of the same
process must be repeated.
The japanese financial adviser began
by urging the Korean government
the necessity of fixing the salaries OF
officials high enough to live on with
out stealing from the people. After u
great deal of discussion with each min
lister separately he got them to promise
to meet him on certain day in order
to have final talk and settlement of
the matter. At the appointed hour.
dressed in his frock coat and silk hat
the Japanese betook himself to the
council chamber. 1t was deserted.
After waiting an hour and not a minis
ter putting in an appearance he went
to the japanese legation and entered
complaint The Japanese chief of le-
cation appealed to the Korean emperor
and secured his promise that the cabi-
net would arrange the matter accord
ing to the advisers plan. The emperor
issued an order publicly to that effect
but at the same time he notified the
ministers that if they obeyed these pub
their heads.
One American Opinion.
How is it possible, asks the per-
picked adviser. to do anything with
government that avoids action and al
lows its ministers to resign at the rate
of one or two a week2 Writing from
Seoul an American thus pays his re-
spects to vi Hung. who has recently
been compelled to abdicate in favor of
the crown prince, who is reputed to be
a most faithful reproduction of his ia
Their:
THE Korean emperor has a set of
twenty or thirty men who may be COM
pared with the court cards in a whist
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

ers undertook the task there was no
foundation of ability or honesty in the
country on which to build. There were
no existing institutions that could be
taken over and used just as they STOOD
There were not even any native ko-
reans who could be depended on to aid
in the work of regeneration. Japan
found that she must tear down and re-
build and that she must find her build
ing material elsewhere. She built
railroad through the country, loaned the
bankrupt treasury a large sum OF
money, prepared text books and teach
ers for schools, improved the sanitation
of the large towns, reorganized the
army. increased shipping facilities at
the ports and made war on many de-
grading superstitions.
But Japan has failed nevertheless
failed according to her own estimate
She knows now that she made fata!
mistake in guaranteeing the independ'
ence of the country she expected Il
govern by advice" If she had entered
Korea with the avowed purpose of TAX
ing matters into her own hands anc
running them to suit her own ideas.
without regard to what the natives OF
the empire might say or the natives
of other countries think. she would have
saved a good deal of precious time and
money and loss of prestige. Now that
she is forced to adopt this pOncy IL
may not be so easy to make a good job
of it.
There Is Another Side.
All this is only one side of the busi-
ness. There is another, and it is not
view that rebounds to the glory of the
Japanese protectorate. Many Amer
leans residing in Korea, especially
those engaged in religious and educa-
tional work, are anti-Japanese in senti-
ment, and their picture of the Japanese
protectorate is gloomy in the extreme
According to it Korea is outraged over
the injustices which the Japanese are
heaping upon her The Koreans are
angered beyond expression, but they
are crushed and cannot act.
Those who are of this way of think
ing are emphatic in their denunciatiof
of Japanese methods of reconstruction
An American prominent in educationa
work in Korea gives vent to his indig
nation as follows:
During the occupation japanese
have not picked out the better class of
Koreans for office, but have kept in Of
flee the same old venal crowd that has
always cursed the country. These men
are willing to act as puppets for the
japanese, and for this they are almost
universally loathed by the Korean peo-
pie. There is more cleanliness in
government circles than before. The
venality of the Koreans has not been
checked but they firmly believe that
the Japanese are as open to bribery az
themselves" JOHN E. STURGIS.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

ers of America to raising that high
class product. He fostered the Su-
matra leaf tobacco growing industry
1t is due to him that the mohair in
dustry has grown to it's present pro-
portions. He found that we spend S24,-
100000 a year for mohair, and ne
couldn't see why mohair could not be
raised here He brought it over, and
now we are raising it on a tremendous
scale in Arizona and Texas. and linen
are getting rich on it.
Then he started in on milk goats.
His idea was that any poor man who
had room enough to keep a couple of
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

RIOR to the incumbency of the
- present secretary. James Will
son. the department of agricul
ture was regarded as some
thing of a joke III all parts of the coun-
try. when 1 came here Mr.. Wilson
has often observed with a humorous
CLEAN in his keen Scotch eyes, Il found
that the department consisted of a few
scientists and a roll top desk"
Men who are not yet very advanced
in years remember when the commits
sioner of agriculture was spoken of
rather contemptuously as the man with
d desk and n satchel full of seeds.
Not until the opening of the present
century did the government and the
people begin to realize that the scien-
tific movement to improve agriculture
must be reckoIled with as one of great
power and usefulness The individual
who is more than all others response
bic for this emergence from the condi-
ton known as book farming is James
Wilson, the man who has been at the
head of the department for more than
a decade.
The department was created to salts
fy the farmers of the country. No one
else believed there was any need for it,
and the farmers themselves did not
seem to be quite sure that they wanted
it. They wanted something. however
and they were in a position to demand
it. There were plenty of keen leaders
in the Farmers Alliance who foresaw
that purely agricultural representa-
tive in the cabinet would mean a prom
er recognition of husbandry and would
work to the advantage of the agricul-
tural community at large.
The Growth of Years.
This benefit was not apparent at once
1t did not make it's appearance during
the incumbency of Norman ]. Colman
the first secretary of agriculture, or in
that of Jerry Rusk, the second Col
mans opportunities were limited. and
the absence of precedent was handi-
cap Rusk was 4 jolly savage who I'M
derstood that he was expected to keep
the farming community reasonably sat
isfied. and he conducted the depart
ment in manner that did no violence
TO his reputation for rough and ready
good nature, but failed to put the ex-
pertinent on sound footing J. Ster-
ling Merton. the third secretary. a man
of brains and culture, lad an unbeIief
in the necessity of the office, which he
did not hesitate to ventilate on almost
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

the affairs of that strange coun-
ry in the true Japanese fashion. That
hey have not made special success of
he experiment is quite evident They
lave failed to make themselves popular
n their protectorate, and they have not
been fortunate in inpressing other ma
ions with an unqualified respect for
heir ability to accomplish what they
undertook so bEaxely. In a word, the
conspicuous aptitude and remarkable
capacity for Encouragement that they
showed in war have been absent in
heir attempt to bring order out of
chaos in Korea
Perhaps too much has been expected
Of them. They established such
standard by their mana cement in Man
-huria that the world has been in
clined to look for the same skill and
success everywhere. 1t has seemed all
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

NICE 1904 the japanese have
had paramount influence in Ko-
rea and have been conducting
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19

RIOR to the incumbency of the
present secretary. James Will
son. the department of agricul-
ture Was regarded as some