The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-25

Say to him. all. say to him. that soul
and body sway to him;
cast away the cowardice that counsels
Lest you turn at last TO find that you
have lost the way to him.
Lest you stretch your arms in vain
across starless night.
Be to him, ah, be to him. the key that
sets. joy free to him:
Teach him all the tenderness that only
love can know.
And if there should ever come memory
Bid him judge me gently for the sake
Amelia Josephine Burr, in the Century
magazine.
''Wizard'' Answers Critics.
Luther Burbank, the plant wizard
telegraphed reply to the New York
Times yesterday to the criticism
ed out in these that, according to the
official government bulletins, many
"thornless cacti'' were known before
the appearance of the particular one
which Mr.. Burbank's friends say he
created, and that the commercial ex-
ploitation of his name was causing
much misgiving in scientific circles.
It was also noted that Mr.. Burbank
is in receipt of an annual grant of
$4,000 for ten years from the Car
negie Institution that he may pursue
his scientific studies unhampered by
lack of funds.
This is Mr.. Burbank's reply:
'aTo the Editor of the New York
Santa Rosa. Calf, Jan. 17.-At the
time of Introducing somo of the first
of my spineless cactus (opuntias),
nearly three years agu, the following
words occpied the first page in the cat
alogue:
"'For more than fifty years I have
been quite familiar with the thornless
cactus of many species and varieties.
In fact, one of the first pets which I
had in earliest childhood was thorn
less cactus, one of the beautiful cpl
phyllums.'
1.-THE phyllocactus and many of the
cereus family are also thornless, not
trace to be found on any part of
the plants or fruit.
Thus the somewhat indefinite pop
ular name of 'thornlesS cesctus has
been used by persons unacquainted
with these facts. for be it known that
thornleSS cactus is no more of a nov
city than a thornless watermelon.
But among the cacti, which grow
to an immense size with great rapid
ity and which can be readily culti-
waited in a garden, field or desert, no
and very little interest was taken in
the cactus Of any kinds, either thorny
, or thornless, as to their agricultural
or horticultural value. until the work
Ol improvement was IdhSll w On MY
experiment farm and improved. Per-
fectly thornless and rapid growing va
rietieS have been produced and made
known within the last few years.
1.-The facts in the case are too we'll
known to need comment. Let some
one even now mention a single alb
solutely thornless cactus of agricul-
tural value produced by anybody or
| not produced on my grounds.
'I am exploited, whether willing or
nj xoI, 1c&
wishes. Does it pay to exploit COM
| mercially proposition which does not
stand on a sound basis of CHARACTER
and value?
fully understood, both by the Carnegie
Institution and myself, that 1 should
have the privilege of supplementing
| their inadequate annual aid toward the
| continuation of my experiments by
the sale of my productions as before.
81 am now last 60 years of age. I
have done good work. and no one is
dependent upon my efforts. The grant
| brought with it more care, RESPONSE
| bility, correspondence and visitors and
a full crop OF envy and jealousy, and
but for the advice of my friends I
should have dissolved my connection
with the institution last year.
| Personally have no desire for
the root of many evils. My ambition
has been to leave the world better for
having passed this way.
"To be misjudged is a passing trifie /;
to have lost life of honest, earnest
labor is a tragedy"-New York Times.
| Decay of Burglary.
| The burglar in the long ago farce,
| who annexed q red-hot stove fire and
all, at his old tricks. He has just
| visited North Side home. where he
I has stolen a bedstead with the springs,
| five pillows, two blankets a bedspread,
and baby's cradle. If there had been
a baby in the cradle he probably would
| have taken it too.
| This is reducing the science of
house breaking to a merely unitarian
level that all true connoisseurs should
protest against. To steal a Gains
| borough protrait or a Gainsborough
hat may be excused as a vagary of the
| artistic temperament of the desperate
| act of an impecunious husband. To
steal bedstead is almost as unpardon-
able as to steal a loaf of bread. What
does a burglar want with bed, any
doing at the time when that article
of furniture is in use. He cannot af-
ford to let golden opportunities go by
while indulging himself in slothful
| sIumber. No wide-awake burglar has
any use for bed, or pillows, or
| blankets
Still worse is the purloining of a
cradle. What possible use has a live
burglar for cradle? Almost any
other piece of furniture would be of
more service in his business. A step
ladder or a piano lamp might do him
| some good. A manicure set might
serve to pick locks or stab meddlesome
watchmen. But a cradlei The house
| breaker who is grooming gentle
lullaby when he ought to be out with
| Jimmy and dark lantern deserves to be
| summariiy expelled from the ancient
I, and honorable guild.
| 1t is to be feared that this noble pro-
fession of burglary is degenerating.
Its palmy days are past. The bright
luminaries that adorned its roster in
olden days have taken to other pur-
f, suits where they can get the public's
money easier. This explains why the
cost of living is SO high. Those who
| still linger in the unremunerative and
/ despised vocation are the pariahs who