The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-08
FRON OTHER PENS
PREVENTING FOREST FIRES.


Forest fires spring up from innu-
merable causes. but they are usually
the result of care1essness. Sometimes
camping party neglects to put out
its camp fire before leaving. Some
times a match or a cigarette or cigar
starts the blaze. Disastrous fires have
been caused by gun wadding which
fell among dry leaves. No one in the
woods can exercise too great care in
the matter of preventing fires The
chief damage done by them is. not SO
much to the matured timber as TO
the young trees, to which we look for
our lumber supply in years to come.
we insist, and in this we. are support
ed by all who have made study of
forestry that only through the exer-
else Of wisdom in the use and care of
our forests will it be possible to make
our naturally matchless cumberland
permanently productive
There is nothing about the practice
of forestry that is difficult, or mysteri-
Gus, or in any manner beyond the
grasp of the ordinary, everyday mind.
1t does not mean circumscribing or
abbreviating the use of the land, Far
from it. On the other hand, conserva-
tive, common sense numbering. to-
gether with the protection of the
young growth from fires, will bring
about steadily increasing output
from the forests. With cultivation
aHo CciS Tie yIeIu OF the forest
ceases and the quality of the product
improves in exactly the same way
that the value of a farm increases I'M
der intelligent cultivation and man
ageme News.
SILVER NOT DOWN AND OUT.
1t is always of interest here IN this
great silver producing country to hear
| of any possible widening of the mar
ket for the white metal. and so many
and SO ramified are the interests in
Mexico that depend on silver mining
| that the matter is one that touches
| most of us. Men of expert knowledge
| of the silver market are precisely
those who do not yield to the prevail
ing mood of pessimism as to the pros
silver as a genuinely hopeful "propo-
sition,'' and urge the purchase of good
mines.
| There may be something done in
the old countries of white mems civil
| ization to enlarge the use of silver,
by making it the backing of silver GER
tificates. as has been suggested often
| of late; but we go along with those
experts who see the bright future of
| the white metal in Asia and Africa;
and those economists and able bust
ness men who have pointed out the
| peril of the white race from the build
| ing up of a vast industrial system in
countries which will have the two adj
vantages of cheap labor and silver
money, are, we must believe, speaking
| with a good basis of reason.
Silver is by no means down and
OUT" entire races of men have to de-
pend on it in making their way along
! new lines of activity, lines that will
grow rapidly and which will be a
menace to the manufacturing white
nations.-Mexican Herald.
BRIGHTER FOR JEFF.
Rev j. H. Jeffries, a Presbyterian
minister of excellent local repute for
apostolic piety and good works. adds
the consultations of philosophy to
Those of religion. This worthy par
son has had fame boisterously thrust
upon him by the rather inconsistent
feated heavyweight pugilist who will
shortly take up the white mans bur-
den in contest with the sable cham
pion, FTr. Johnson.
| The reverend man has meditated
long and prayerfully on the incongru-
tiles of his position, and now evolves
this maxim worthy of Epictetus OF
Bernard Shaw: Life is all one big
fight, one way or another, and il
might as well be prize fighting as any
other kind of fight
Mr.. Jeffries must be congratulated
on this commfngling of philosophie
resignation and the spirit of the
church militant. He may now see his
way clear to appropriating day OF
prayer whereon his flock may petition
Him from whom all blessings flow
for the prosperous contamination OF
his son James threat to knock the
block off, Mr.. Johnson.-Milwauke
Sentinel