The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-05-09
How To Correlate Current
Events In Teaching

have won and China is
a republic The Chinese have elected
Dr. Yuan Shi Kai to be their president
Late reports from China say that the
country is quieting down. The people
are accepting the republic. The out
breaks that occur are caused by the
extreme proverty of the people.
The recent famine in China gives
striking illustration Of what it means
for the forests of a country to be de-
stroyed and not replanted. Thro
the centuries the forests have been
used until there is none left. The hill
sides are searched fer even the tiniest
shrubs to burn and even for grass
scratched from the soil. The damp
cool air, that rises from a forest. is
likely to be condensed into rain. A
well wooded country therefore has a
larger rainfall than one which is des-
titute of trees. Destructive floods be-
come fewer. The humus and leaves
on the ground in the forests hold the
water as in vast sponge. The waters
are thus kept in check. This prevents
erosion Of the hillsides and balances
the water supply of the rivers. Pup
lis may make practical application of
the knowledge gained by Planting trees
on Arbor day and caring for them
through the year.
The story of Colonel William c..
Gorgas of the medical corps of the
United States Army, is worthy of
notice. Conditions were so unhealthy
II. the Panama Canal zone that the
Canal commission saw that a canal
could not be built until Panama
was cleaned up and made a fit place
to live in. Camps and hospitals were
built at convenient places along the
canal line The cities of pauana AMI
Colon were given a thorough scrubbing
and cleaning, and plentiful sup
ply of good, pure water was furnished.
It was piped to the cities. Each in
habita mt can secure at least fifty gal
lens PER day. All incoming ships were
inspected and the rats killed fer they
carry the r'ague. Tons Of rat poison
were l~at e. each week where the rats
, could got it. a lumber of men ws,a
ORGANIZED into "rat brigade Their
cn.yy In mess was to destroy rats. Rats
are practically exterminated and Pana-
mo froo f,.oro ho ~ o,o
Malaria and yellow fever are diseases
ccnlinon in tropical countries. Mo-
srlltoes are responsible for these dis
eases. They carry the poison from
patient to patient. The Stegomyia car
,ries yellow fever poison and the An
cpheles carries the malarial poison. So
the mosquito brigades were organized
and the war against the mosquitoes
commenced Kerosene and mosquit"
were poured ever stagnant pools, rain
barrels were screened, bitches were
dug, swamps drained and large areas
Of jungle cut down and burned. Homes
were fumigated frequently and screened
and cases of fever were quarantined.
Thus yellow fever has been stamped out
and malaria has been greatly checked.
With diseases conquered the battle for
the canal was half won. The laborers,
who are digging the canal, are COM
PEELED to observe strict sanitary regu-
lations
Captain Amundscn has reached the
| South Pole. The pole is on level
plain of snow nearly two miles high.
A wingless insect of exceedingly prim-
tive type in the only native life found
in the south polarregion, excepting
the penguin, an extremely awkward
/ bird, which is found along the coast
in some places.
The sinking of the Titanic has
proved conclusively that so far as the
Anglo-Saxon race is concerned there
are more heroic people in the world
than any other kind. No more splen-
did story CT heroism has ever been re-
corded on the pages of history than
that of many who met death en- the i'll
fated steamer.
Phillips, the wireless operator, re-
manned on duty sending messages un-
til further sending became an impos-
sibilty He remained on duty after he
was released. He was so busy that
he did not have even time to put on
a life preserver. His assistant, Bride, a
young man Of twenty-five, who staid
with him until the steamer went
down, put on his life preserver for him
Bride was picked up by life boat
after the steamer sank. and taken on
board 1.-THE Carpathia'' His feet were
crushed and he will probably be a
cripple for life. After being in the
hospital for ten hours he was called
on duty to relieve the operator on
board The Carpathia. He remained
on duty until the voyage ended.
Mrs. Isidore Strauss refused to leave