Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-11-26
WEEDS AND LOAFERS.
Nuisances Of Which Every Town
Should Rid Itself.

o. VSu'Su bSWu
Should Rid Itself.
Weeds and loafers are rarely Joined
together TO practical effect. But here
is seemingly hopeless suggestion TO
bring them together. A reader of a
cattle breeders journal who travels
out of Louisville, Ky. sends the sub
joined:
write you with reference to topic
which to my idea is very important-that
is, the weeds. My occupation 3 that Of
a travelling salesman, and 1t puts me in
position TO see great deal OF what IS
doing on the farm. at the country store
and at the railroad station. l have new
er got off at any station In my territory
and not found men of different ages,
from the boy in knee pants to the old
man. hanging around the depot. Only re-
Gently my attention was attracted ct the
far end of the freight depot while walt
Ing for my train by two boys who were
getting something out of a box. When
they saw me walking toward them they
both ran between some freight cars and
hid. Upon investigation 1 found that
they were stealing oranges. and l could
tell of many other happenings OF similar
nature that l have seen. Do you not
think II you publish an article about
depots. learning nothing and doing moth
ing, that some railroad official might read
the article and start 4 campaign against
such a curse? Then probably the weeds
win not be so prosperous.
Our correspondent has touched with
his pen two plaques of modern life,
SAYS the Breeders Gazette, Chicago.
Possibly descent from Mother Eve per
mits US to thrill with pleasure at every
opportunity to kill snake, but we Ell
Joy just as fully the privilege of killing
weed. A hatred of weeds Is the be
ginning of agricultural knowledge. In
seasons favorable to the growth Of
weeds the writer sometimes loses pleas
ure In his farm, so obtrusive and so
aggravating Is the presence of weeds.
Certainly no farmer can read his title
clear to honor in his calling unless he
is the unceasing militant foe of weeds.
And the trouble of it all is that many
a farm. cleaned of weeds by unremit-
ting toll, is fouled by the seeds of noX-
ious plants that carry over from a lazy
neighbours uncut weed patch.
Here are the loafer and the weed.
They are not confined wholly to the
railway stations. Railways are the ar
teries of civilization. They are also the
arch distributors of noxious weed seed
| Weeds and rats are the concomitants
| Of the civilization which the iron horse
carries into pioneer sections. Most rail-
way stations are weedy and most de
pots have their quota of loafers. Some
| - MANNED
q broad policy of improvement fol
| their depots, and greensward. spoutine
| fountains and shrubbery and flowers
ornament the railway grounds and re
| fresh the eyes of the weary traveller
| And, moreover, many railways pos
| conspicuous signs warning loafers of
railway grounds and property. W.
would not want to say that the depo
loafer and the weedy sidetrack ART
| more common in the south than in thu
north. We have observed them from
| Maine to Texas and from Washington
| to Florida.
Since the problem is known to b.
general rather than local to any on
section. its treatment must be on gen
eral lines. Many roads make an ear
nest effort to keep the weeds moves
along their right Of way. But owe
vast stretches of country weeds rul
riot around railroad grounds an
switches and stockyards, with littl
or no attempt to suppress the nuisance
1t is comparatively easy for tn
roads to keep loafers of their grounds
An imperative order to the static
master to keep the premises free froI
loungers, followed by visits of an II
spector. will quickly cure that evil. br
It will not bring the muscle OF tn
| loafer In contact with the weeds. tn
conversion Of the idler into usef'
productive member Of the communit
; is a problem which has commando
the earnest attention Of political econ
mists, sociologists and philantmopist
and vet there are thousands who
some way manage to eat bread witt
out sweating Such loafers could. Il
, deed, redeem themselves somewhat
the estimation of their neighbors
!. they would set for themselves the cor
mendable task of cutting the weeds
public places. Including railway ct
II lions.
II Here is a practical suggestion: L
travelling statesmen and tourists al
farmers notify, the railway passeng
agents or division superintendents
l. grossly neglected weed patches alol
their. lines. signing their names q,