davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-09-03
Pennsylvania.

LANCASTER, Pa, Aug. "a, 1909.
The rains that fell last week were of
very slight benefit to the tobacco crop,
which has suffered so severely from the
drouth that the growers will be FORUM
ate if they can harvest half crop.
Had the late rains been copious enough
looked for, but very few people look for
that now. The ground is dry to depth
of four feet, and had it not been for
the unusually heavy dews the crop
would be in much worse shape than it
is. Not much topping has yet been
done, whereas much cutting should al
ready have taken place. What little
tobacco has been cut were small
patches. Cutting will not be general
until well into September, and before
that the frost may come. The outlook
is discouraging to the last degree.
Inquiries are plentiful about old goods
and plenty could be sold if they could
be had at the prices prevalent SO long.
But prices have stiffened lately, and in
tending buyers are shy about paying
what is asked The prices of the new
crop, the 1908, too, are up, and the
packers are not anxious to sell, as they
expect further advance. The largest
purchases have been made the past few
weeks by |. HI. Weaver, who has gath
cred in 800 cases of choice goods. Pack
ers who sold short time ago are now
wishing they had held on to their goods.
The cigar industry continues nearly
the same, though the revenue office re-
ceipts indicate slight Improvement
for August over July. New Era.
The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-09-03
WISCONSIN TOBACCO MARKET.
EDGERToN, WIS.,, Sept. 3. 1909.

EDGERTON, WIS, sept. 5, ISUJ.
Field buying of the new crop has
been pushed on at rapid pace since
last report, the movement spreading to
all sections and hundreds of buyers rid
ing the country districts Il is doubt
sui if there was ever so many contracts
closed in given time as during the
week past All that was needed was
the growers consent to close the trade
when the tobacco field gave promise of
reaching the sheds. Neither has COM
petition seemingly driven up prices
much. The great bulk of sales has
been made around the 10 cent mark for
the wrapper and binder grades, with an
occasional variation above or below
these figures. Sales covering thous-
ands of acres might be given within
the limits named. The crop has inn
proved so rapidly of late as to give
promise of larger binder yield than
for the past two years if the season
had been extended long enough for it
to reach the sheds.
But frosts were visible over greater
part of the state on the morning of
Sept. 1st. In the northern sections it
was severe enough to mark the top
leaves on low lands so that possibly
half the state will show slight effects
of an unusually early freeze. 1t is diff
ficult to tell at this writing how extern
sive the damage was. This has been
the first heavy week of the harvest and
up to date not to exceed quarter of
the crop has been secured.
Nothing has developed in the market
for old leaf worthy of mention.
The shipments out of storage reach
but 300 cases from this market to all
points since last report.
The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-09-03
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

What a pity the rush of buyers to the
| new tobacco fields couldn't have been
| postponed few weeks! Thirty days
later the greater part of the crop would
have been secured in the sheds and
enough of it cured down so that the
buyer could have seen what he was
getting for his money and the grower
known more certainly whether he was
selling something he could deliver and
obtain the contract price. A 3O-day
wait would have removed much of the
speculative features of buying green
tobacco in the fields. It could then
have been easily told whether the
grower was harvesting his crop so
green that it would be liable to mold or
funk in the curing process, or allow it
to fully mature; whether the frost had
nipped any portion of it, and some
measure of knowledge of the size and
quality of leaf the crop is likely to
yield. Would any interest have suf-
fered had this delay in opening the
market occurred? The grower certain
ly would have been better pleased to
have waited until he was sure of some
thing to sell before contracting his crop.
And the tobacco would have remained
untouched had the buyers been content
TO have stayed out of the field few
days longer. No one has apparently
secured any advantage over his COM
petitor, but on the other hand has TAX
en- on whole line of long chances.
The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-09-03
GAINESVILLE, WIS.

the fact of there being a market for
Seed wrappers is distinctly agreeable.
Sumatra. .-Sumatra tobacco is NOV
ing satisfactorily and with great free
dom. The manufacturers seem to be
less exacting than formerly, realizing
that SO far as fancy tobacco is concern
ed, they must make their choice from
what is now in the market, as there
seems little likelihood that much to-
bacco of that character will be had
from this Fall's inscriptions. Leaf.
The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-09-03
VIRooUA. WIS. Aug. 25. 1909.

Prospects for an average growth of
Vernon county tobacco are hourly grow
ing better, and the reports given by
growers are encouraging. The good
rains have changed the aspect and now
farmers not infrequently make the ex-
preston that they will have at least an
average crop.
A number of outside, buyers have in
vaded our county, which has had the
effect of starting local dealers, and the
field is being pretty generally looked
over and in many cases crops contract
ed for. Offers, we are advised, are
about on par with last years pur-
chases in the fields. Censor.
The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-09-03
New England.

Another week is past and great
changes have come to the tobacco, and
all other cultivated crops in this vicin-
ity. We have had during the past fort
night, in all, about Al inches Of rain.
The harvesting is going forwar at
rapid pace. Everyone seems to be
afraid of those frozen drops. Some are
about one-half through with the har-
vest. A hail storns visited what is
called North Hartford County, causing
damage estimated at $4,000 and per-
haps more. Cultivator
The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-09-03
SUN PRAIRIE, WIS, Aug. rs, 1909.

The tobacco crop is surprising those
interested far beyond their greatest
expectations. Instead OF light crop
and small leaf, the recent soaking rains
and ideal growing weather following
have transformed the small, drouth-
stunted plants into fair size, and the
majority of the fields now look excel
lent. A few early paintings have been
harvested during the past week, and
much of the late pieces is being topped.
-CountrVman
The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-09-03
NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 1909.

The business in Connecticut tobacco
isreported fully up to the expectations
aroused earlier in the season. The
Broad leaf has sold on quality, despite
white veins and dark colors, at prices
satisfactory to buyers and sellers. The
Havana Seed has been the surprise of
the market. Every one who has prop
erly sorted wrappers has sold readily
without large profit, it is rue-but
The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-09-03

A correspondent Of the N. Y. Tobac-
co Leaf writing from this state thus
describes the binder situation: During
the month of September the cigar man.
ufacturers begin to look for their leaf
supply to last them from three to six
months, and some of them look for a
years supply. 1t might be in place at
this time to make some predictions
what the future has in store for them,
especially in the binder line. 1t is a
known fact that to manufacture z, ,000,
600, 600 cigars, it requires at least about
80, 600, 900 pounds of binders (four and
one-half pounds to make 1000 cigars)
or about 100, 600 cases of 800 pounds
each. Now in order to manufacture
the amount of cigars named there
should be about 100000 cases of old
binders on hand. Can this amount of
old binders be located? | believe | can
answer that question by saying NO, and
I can produce satisfactory proof that
nothing near that amount can be locat-
ed, outside of the holdings Of the big
trusts, which of course are held for
their own use. A careful estimate of
the amount of tobacco held in storage
in Wisconsin of all kinds runs as fol-
The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-09-03

Vacant rooms over S:umway's bar
Der shop for rent. Apply toJames Pol
lard.
The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-04-15

light, with final strenuous effort of
the Tsushima type.
II the history of the armored ship
era teaches anything, it teaches that
every change is always preceded by
a universal conviction that something
akin 10 finality has been reached,
Italy has so frequently anticipated
events that her program is always of
special interest. And 1t was quite
very few years ago that Col. Cuni-
berti's Ideal British Battleship" ex-
cited something very like derision
from those who characterized the idea
of battleship armed with nothing
but 12-inch guns as altogether too
fanciful an idea for a serious work ="
Yet now every battleship is a "Cuni-
berti," more or less.
Mystery of New Battleships.
To date the mystery of the new
German battleships has been well
maintained. but none apparently are
quite so powerful as was once sup
posed. The three guns in turret idea
is entirely given up as unsatisfactory
which reduces the number of guns
to IL or possibly only 10.
The two first of the Nassau class
are of 17,7l0 tons; the two next about
10000 tons. but with the same armor
and armament The ships to be built
under the 1908 program are probably
sisters to these last.
OF the new armored cruisers the
cruiser r. Is now understood to carry
but s, or possibly 9-11-inch. She is of
practically the same dimensions as
the British Invincibles. 1t is still
only possible to give conjectured de.
signs of her,
The Butcher is now reported to
have 10-S.2.inch guns. which her dis.
placement being under $1,000 tons. is
far more probable than the heavier ar.
maments hitherto assigned to her. Be
| tween the Pinch, 40 caliber of the
lnvincibles and the German 1l.inch
| 50-calibers there is no very great diff.
| ference in weight, not more than six
tons per gun at the outside. Seven
11-inch German guns would weigh as
much as six 12inch, 45-caliber British
ones, or rather more than that
The small German cruisers tend TO
become faster annually. They have
now reached Scout speeds be
ing considerably better armed must
be regarded as distinctly superior to
the ordinary scout. German destroy
ers are following the usual tendency
J to increased size and armament, but
The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-04-15

nation the conditions would be to.
tally different
Among other possibilities that may
arise there is the one that must not
be overlooked-that is, that the world
might see two repetitions of Port Ar.
thur. one within aud the other be.
yond the Danish straits. And such
blockades might protract the war for
months and months without any def.
mite results to either side. except for
the effect on their commerce.
Leaving aside all the fancies of the
Napoleonic days. the imaginary sur
prise landings and all those other ro-
mantle ideas that so interest one in
ones young days. end which are now
so much disturbing Britain. let us
consider the matter in its most nat
ural and simple aspect. The most
probable situation would be that the
land armies would be vigilant and
ready. that the German ships of war
woull be In their ample and well-pro-
tected harbors of refuge of compare
lively little depth, and that the Brit.
ish ships would be keeping watch out.
side so that no hostile cruiser could
get away unmolested to play havoc
with the commerce of Britain and dis
turb her food supply.
There is no reason whatever why
such state of things should not go on
for month after month"; and especially
so If the Toga of the day instead of
being outside. Is in this case within.
and has the intention of keeping his
few ships intact at all costs.
Outcome OF the Blockade.
The blockader will then find himself
in this dilemma, either he maintains
really strict blockade, and then there
is serious risk that his hips so the
way of tho Hatsuse, Petropavlosk and
others. or he keeps them well out of
danger, and then the blockade Is but
a fictitious one, and in such a case
British commerce has everything to
lose. or course, it Is understood that
the German ocean-borne commerce is
completely stranded for the time be-
| ing but the effort of such suspension
on the large extent of German terri.
tory will be nothing in comparison
with the results of such suspension in
the case of Britain, which would bring
with it absolute peril to that country
while in the case of Germany there
would be no such danger What pos.
sible use would be those big guns OF
the Dreadnoughts and the Invincibles ?
Certainly they would be useless for
the purpose for which they were orig
inally designed, fight in the open, in
the Atlantic, for example, in full day
The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-04-15
STRUGGLE is
FOR NAVAL
SUPREMACY

which Great Britain is arming In such
feVerish haste. II would be difficult to
say what combination of two powers
Is at present regarded by Downing
Street as being the most probable. But
II is recognized that the kaleidoscope
of international relations can alter
more rapidly than fleets can be built,
particularly those fleets of Dread
noughts whose rapid upbuilding in
Germany has brought so much disturb.
ance to the sober British mind. These
are the all-big-gun ships which one
hears so much of nowadays. vessels
of such tremendous offensive and de.
fensiye power, of such high speed and
wide stream radius, that 1t is now ad.
mitted that upon their preponderance
will rest the naval supremacy of the
future.
Origin Of the Bg-eun Ship.
Althoug the idea of the all-big gun
ship originated on this side of the At
lantic and had its inception in target
practice In the American navy, that
distinguished Italian, Cuniberti, of the
Royal Italian corps of naval engineers,
has, by reason of the capaciousness of
pigeon holes in Washington, been
The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-04-15

they do not present any novel fea-
lures.
OF the submarines on which Ger
many is embarking, comparatively
little is known. From the excellence
of the Russian boats built at Krupp's.
Germania yard, the assumption is that
the German boats will be at least
equally efficient The main defect APP
pears to he too small radius.
Two in Third Place.
Japan and Germany now both oc-
cupy the third place among the naval
powers. On paper Japan. perhaps, &C.
cupies almost the better position on
account of all the ex-Russian battle.
ships that she owns. Outside and
apart from these ships, however, the
Japanese fleet Is now very considera-
bic In the most powerful types of
units. The Satsuma, of the new
Dreadnought type, was completed dur.
| ing 1908, as were most of the armored
cruisers of equal date.
Considerable progress ha been made
on Japan's other big Dreadnought, the
Aki, and two ships, the first of new
series, are well advanced. Four 9th
erJ are projected, but none of them
appears to be yet in hand The mum.
per of big armored cruisers to be
/ built is rather indefinite; it is doubt.
fui whether more than one Is actually
in hand
One of the most interesting develop.
ments of the recent past is the adj.
vent of Dreadnoughts among the north.
ern European coast defense" navies.
| OF these navies, that of Sweden is
probably equal to the Russian in ships
as they now stand. Under the new
programs Sweden, Norway and Hol-
land all project or are beginning to
build Dreadnoughts of power, quite
equal to the best battleships set afloat
| by any nation few years ago. Sup
| posing Sweden to build these as in.
dustriously as she has built her coast
defense battleships in the past, 1t will
not be long before this country be-
comes an extremely important factor
in the Baltic, especially in the event
of Norway cooperating, as might well
| be the case in matters involving gen
eral Scandinavian interests.
In the South American navies none
of the ambitious programs of last
year have yet borne fruit except the
! Brazilian. These carry IL l2-inch, and
so are considerably superior to the
Dreadnoughts in gunfire, but the pro-
lection given is distinctly less.
In varying degree with each of the
smaller navies, the standards of value
which apply to the great navies are
The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-04-15

effect is shown in cable dispatches
which describe the turbulent scene in
parliament when the naval bill came
up for debate and the overwhelming
vote of 1929 to SO In favor of the rapid
upbuilding of more powerful navy
Navies are essentially business in
struments, and no amount of argu-
ment can disguise the fact that they
are built for use and not for ornament.
There is no need here to attempt to
define which is the governing princi
pie, whether those who have the great
est strength are the ones who are
most likely to use II, or whether the
mere possession of armed strength i'm
plies an intention of employing 1t. But
the fact remains that for many years
Great Britain's postulate had been
that, whatever the cost, she would
have navy superior to that of any
two powers. Her attitude has been
that, as the greater includes the less,
therefore by preparing to fight com.
bination of the two greatest naval
powers that preparation would make
her secure against any other combina,
ton that could possibly be conceived.
But now" said Mr. Balfour in his
impassioned speech before the house,
for the very first time in modern his-
tory we are face to face with naval
situation so new and so dangerous that
1t is difficult for us 10 realize it's i'm.
port
The Nation Responsible.
The nation that has created for
Great Britain the situation 80 new
and dangerous" can be easily enough
identified. With good reason or with.
out, Britain has long distrusted Ger.
many, and long before the production
ish populace, and so much electrified
its parliament. there was in the heart
of most every Briton a conviction that
II Great Britain ever went to war
Germany would seize the opportunity
to overthrow British maritime supre
macy. Great Britain's frankly dis
closed perturbation is now due to the
vast strides that Germany has been
making with her navy, and instead Of
the settled British idea of maintain
ing two-power standard, there are
now some excited doubts as to hel
ability to maintain ascendancy ovel
this single one.
Ii is estimated that 10 German
Dreadnoughts and Invincibles nigh
be completed by 1911, as against /.
Dreadnoughts and four Invincible,
which Great Britain would have b,
November of 1911, If Germany &C
CELEBRATES her construction work sh,
would have II OF those ships by Aprl
of 1912 Great Britain, IL was pointed
out in parliament, could not afford t
take risks, and II she was TO main
tain her superiority the admiralt,
must be in position to obtain the de
livery of four additional Dreadnought.
by March of 1912. thus giving Grea
Britain 20 such vessels against Ger
many's possible IT.
Thus, while 1t is plain enough tina
Germany is the one power agains
The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-04-15
SEEK BLACK KINGS WEALTH.
Expedition After Treasure Said to Be
Hidden in Africa.

The Transvaal Leader tells a re-
markable story of hidden treasure
which once belonged to Lobengula, the
famous king of the Matabele. 1t is
said to be reckoned in millions.
Five men only knew the place where
the treasure was deposited and of
them but one is alive to-day--John ia
cobs, native minister who was at
one time private secretary to Loben-
gula, and who has lately returned to
johannesburg after an expedition in
quest of the buried treasure. That
is set out by him as follows In coin,
$l4 100000; SO bars of raw gold, ten
wagon loads of ivory, 400 diamonds,
Rather more than year ago, ac-
cording to the Transvaal Leader, ia
cobs entered into negotiations with
A. Spinner, well-known Johannes
burg prospector, as the result of which
both men, accompanied by Jacobs two
sons and a Mr.. MonckZ, set out for the
north, treking into regions rarely
traversed by white people They start.
ed January 3, 1908, from Johannes
burg, and were absent for over "A year
They did not bring back the treasure.
but they are firmly convinced they
have found the spot where it lies. Diff
ficulties of transport, the obtaining Of
food, water, etc, caused the abandon
ment of the search, Another eXpedi,
ton is about 10 be set on foot,
The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-04-15

credited with the first design. In the
current volume of James Fighting
Ships of the World" this distinguished
commentator notes remarkable evo-
luton in German battleship design,
although up to the present time there
had been a distinct difference between
them, or either the French or British
system of construction
Continuing. he says that among
these. three great navies the British
certainly predominates, but while 1t is
modify their ideas In warship con.
struction, the general trend of con-
structive ideas may now be modified,
as a war between Great Britain and
her two allies is altogether improb.
able"
This elimination leaves only Ger
many, France and the United States
as the only powers with sufficient
naval strength to confront Great Brit
ain without being utterly swept from
the seas from the very start. This
country and France may be left out
of the count as it is not against either
of these that Great Britain's shipbuild-
ing energies are now directed.
| But in the untoward event of hostil-
ain it may well be assumed that the
theater of conflict would not be such
as is portrayed in the drama of IAN
Englishman's Home" but in the North
sea, and possibly also in the Baltic.
Surprising merely for the sake of II.
lustration. that the fleets of the United
/ States We're the ones to assail or be
assailed, the theater of war would
doubtless be the high seas: in the
second case. or that of Germany. II
would in all likelihood be fought out
in the North sea. In the first event
the land armies of the two powers
would have little to do If we exclude
possible warfare in their colonies
while in the second. the far greater
powers of the land armies of Germany
could in no wise compensate for the
greater power of the British feet Oh
the sea-
Naval Necessities.
An eminent naval authority recently
pointed out as an obvious truth the
fact that battleships of great displace
ment and capable of keeping the seas
for a considerable length of time
would be Indispensable to Great Brit
ain in any war that she undertook
to wage with any nation widely sep
arated from her by sea. Equally in
dispensabe would be fast and yer,
powerful armored cruisers. Thus thu
Dreadnought and the Invincible type.
seem exactly designed to meet sucl
needs, and for long runs across tn,
ocean. But in the case OF German!
would they be of the same service
The difficulties that would encompass
the theater of conflict in that even
would, indeed, be serious for such yes
sells; the shallow coastal waters of tn,
North sea. the difficult Straits of Den
mark and many other drawback
which hardly require enumerating
show at once that in war with this
The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-04-15
All Mirrors Lie.

Everybody is better looking than
the mirror makes them" said mill
iner.~ The mirror robs us of our eX-
pressions and of our coloring. and ex-
preston and color are to the faces
beauty what the legs are to the fig
ure's.
First, our expression. When we
look into a mirror our eyes take on
a CLASSY stare and our mouths curl
GUS and sad droop. Really we never
look like that save when we are going
10 be i'll.
Then our coloring. All mirrors
have a pale green tinge, and this tinge
makes even the purest rose-leaf com
plexion muddy. 1t takes the gloss
from the hair, the brilliance from the
eye, and scarlet from the lips"