davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25
Average Yield Doubled

The average yield of these three crops
in six European countries, therefore. was
| twice the average yield of the United
States. 1t seems almost incredible that
the Belgian farmer, working a soil that
has been titled for centuries, can get
thirty-nine bushels Of wheat to the acre.
while the American, cultivating new
fresh land with the best farm machinery
in the world gets only Us bushels. The
contrast becomes even more striking II
the increase in acreage yields In the
European countries during the past twen-
ty-five years, amounting in many cases
to an actual doubling in average output,
is compared with the gain in the United
States of less than per cent.
Economists are coming to agree tn
this is the chief factor In the excessive
cost of living in the United States, since,
while population increased q per cent be-
tween the last two censuses the aggre-
gate acreage of all the cereal crops in
creased only a.5 per cent. and the actual
yield Of these crops in 1909 was but l.6
per cent greater than in 1899.
Curtously enough the same factor that
was instrumental in revolutionizlng Euro
pean agricultural methods and greatly
Increasing the acreage yield of European
farms has led the way on this side of
the Atlantic to the adoption of practi-
cal methods Of showing the farmer how
to get more returns from his acres in
place Of the inefficient methods earlier
in use
IN Europe the agricultural renaissance
followed the adoption of scientific meth
DDS of crop rotation IN which a root crop,
chiefly the sugar beet was used In rota-
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25
KAISER has RULED
NEARLY rs YEARS
All Germany Is Preparing to Cele-
brate Anniversary to Be
Held Next June.

Berlin. Aug. 24-Though II 10 hard to
believe II, for the impetuous Kaiser still
impresses you as very young man. 1t
is an indisputabie fact that Emperor
William. on June Is, 1913, will have ruled
his empire for one-quarter Of Q CEN
tury; and II goes without saying that
the event Is to be celebrated in Ger
many with all the circumstances and
pomp so dear to the Teutonic heart. and
so attractive to the Teutonic eye. and
no doubt with q completeness In every
detail worthy of this land Of tubtlees,
where even the street commissionaire,
who has stood for a sufficiently long Pc
Rod at the bidding Of the public. Is
honored with at least a paragraph In
the local paper.
The celebrations will. for the most
part. be of a military character, but
there will also be the customary public
school holidays, national subscriptions
and foundations OF various kinds, and q
further multiplication OF reproductions OF
the imperial face and figure in colors.
stone and marble In all parts OF the
empire. By order OF the royal ''tubilar>
a medal, to be worn by civil and mill
tary officials. and one for the use OF
the common soldier and marine, will be
struck. The world Of business Is pre-
pairing a jubilee account OF the course
of German commercial development from
the opening OF the reign, while the
artists are contemplating an exhibition
illustrative OF the progress Of German
art during the period, introduced by
grand banquet. Stamp collectors are al
ready demanding a special Jubilee issue.
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25

I ton with cereals one year in four. The
general culture Of root crops systemat-
ically encouraged by nearly all the lead
ing nations OF Europe taught the farmer
to plow deep. cleared the fields of weeds,
and greatly increased the yield OF the
crops grown in succeeding seasons on
ground thus treated. 1t changed the
whole practice Of agriculture. and, while
IL achieved the object which the various
governments had in mind in encoura ging
beet culture, that is to make them inde-
i pendent in the matter OF their sugar sup
ply, at the same time II relieved several
OF these governments OF the specter OF
bread famine which previously had men
aced them. Likewise 1t was in the strug-
gle TO place the beet sugar industry on 4
successful footing in the United States
that the way was blazed for the agricul-
turist to adopt a better system OF ham
ding his lands, which is now being put
into effect on a broad scale
II is only within the past fifteen years
that sugar beet culture has become an
important activity in the United States.
Most of the early attempts to establish
the industry on this side OF the Atlantic
resulted In failure. because the farmers
would not give the necessary care to the
cultivation OF beet crops To overcome
this difficulty the beet sugar manufac-
turers employed agricultural experts to
instruct the farmers on whom they hal
to depend for their raw material In the
best methods of preparing the ground.
lcultivating and harvesting the crop.
Increase In Output.
The good effect OF this practical in
struction was not confined to the sugar
beet crop alone. but it resulted in a great
increase in the output of the other crops
used in rotation with this one. This in
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25
Gas In the Commons.

From the Manchester Guardian.
The system Of lighting the House of
Commons is under review. and members
may be asked before long whether they
would prefer electric light TO the present
use of gas. The actual fount of the illu-
minatiOn is not visible IN the House;
there is no chandelier. ard none Of those
brackets against the wall which one sees
in modern drawing rooms against the
distempered walls But the roof has a
considerable space of thick ground glass
panels set in a framework OF brown
beams, and each of the panels bears a
rendering of the English red rose. Above
this glass there is a kind OF attic, from
which the lighting is done.
The House is very often sparing Of the
gas bill. On a quiet summer afternoon
the debate will go on in the fading light
OF day till members can hardly see one
anothers faces. and then the clerk of
the House suddenly realizes that he can
not see the paper under his nose. He
looks up and finds the house wrapt in
shadows. He touches a bell: a servant
comes in and receives the direction for
the lights. The light is turned on In the
attic above the glass panels with the
rendering OF the red rose. 1t arrives in
the House like a shower OF rain on
summer night. First a faint tentative
stirring. softening, a sponge in the face.
then after that the deluge. and the room
below Is drenched in a mellow downpour.
The dark spaces beneath the galleries
drink il up like a thirsty lad. The whole
scene is refreshed. Strangers IN the
House look up into the roof. and then
they sit up and begin a more intelligent
reading Of the men and things below.
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25
SUICIDES IN CZAR'S ARMY.
More Than Four Hundred Took
Their Lives During Past Year.

st. Petersburg. Aug. 24-Appalling sta
tistics OF suicides in the Russian army
have just been officially published. Last
year there were no fewer than +S7 sui
cides. of which ninety were of commits
stoned officers. Compared with 1910. there
was an increase of eighteen suicides
among officers and seventy-nine among
enlisted men. EiEhty-one officers and
2l7 soldiers shot themselves: one officer
and fifty-eight men hanged themselves:
seven officers and fifty soldiers ended
their lives with various poisons; one Of
ficer and ten men stabbed themselves:
fifteen soldiers threw themselves beneath
railroad locomotive, and five rankers
drowned themselves.
During the same period. thirty-two Of
ficers and AS men We're killed accident
ally and five officers and forty-two SOL
diers were murdered by civilians. The
compiler of this gloomy Official report
is unable. or processes TO be unable. to
state the chief reasons for the deplora-
BILE number Of suicides among the Cars
soldiers.
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25

twice under the same overseer, death Is
invariably the price he pays.
Every torture that the human mind
can devise is used TO compel the natives
to gather as large an amount OF rubber
at each trip rs he can carry. II a little
child fails TO gather the amount set for
him. his Parents are norged unmerci-
tully and the little one himself is given
several taps TO remind him that he
must do better the next time. saw
several young men with the ends of
their tongues cut off for failure to bring
in the required amount OF rubber.
Up to Governments.
Many times have seen the Indians
staggering into a collection post with
their big loads on their backs. They
would stand in lines and wait their turn
at the scales to have their returns
weighed. When one falls short. as thev
often do. he prostrates himself on The
ground and meekly takes his fogging.
The fioggers are there at each weighing
time.
Lack OF communication with this dis
trtct Is the main reason for the unIimit-
ed murderings and torturings. While
Lima, Peru. is only 400 miles across the
Andes. the traveller has to go north 70
Panama, and then around the northwest
coast or south America to Para. and then
up the Amazon for nearly 900 miles. A
telegraph line has been installed between
lquitos and Lima since 1 visited the
country. but l understand that It is
working poorly.
1 am Of the opinion that these atrocities
should be kept down by the Brazilian
and Peruvian governments Soldiers
should be kept there to prevent them
Military force is the only thing which will
avail The overseers are of the worst
there Is in humanity. Several OF them
should be shot and tortured as an oh
ject lesson to the others.
JEAN JACQUES CLEMENCEAu.
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25

turn had its effect on the whole agricul-
tural community. The farmer who saw
his neighbor growing bigger crops and
improving the fertility of his lands at
the same time while securing a profitable
return from them naturally was quite
willing to follow suit As a result. wher-
ever beet sugar factories have been es-
tablished an astonishing Improvement In
the productivity Of other crops has fol-
lowed. Statistics gathered from hundreds
of farmers in the various States where
the sugar beet industry has been intro
duced show the following yield per acre
before and after the culture of sugar
beets was taken up.
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25

seed corn and 1900 of COW pea seed
were sold from the train at cost by the
State authorities. At a little village In
Kansas the normal population of 800 in
creased TO 2,c00 when the railroads. wheat
special arrived last year.
schools ON Wheels.
That was the genesis of the school on
wheels. Its development was rapid A
breakfast bacon special was run through
Iowa to encourage the farmers TO raise
more hogs. The Cotton Belt Route ran
a 'squealer special southwest from st.
Louis to prove to the Arkansas and
Panhandle farmers the money-making
advantages of raising blooded hogs,
rather than the razor-back variety. Down
the Mississippi Valley the Illinois Cen
trail sent boil weevil special to con-
duct a campaign against this pest of
the cotton fields. The Hartman lines
run six farming trains each year. Last
year these were visited by 5000 per-
sons.
Some Of the railroads have also estab-
lished experimental farms to help the
farmers The Great Northern. for in
stance, conducts forty-hve experimental
farms In cooperation with the owners
and also runs one OF its own. Simila r
activities. all seeking to help the farmer
by the object-lesson method of instruc-
ton. have been inauSurated by a variety
OF other interests acting in cooperation
II these efforts lead to a general in
crease in the farm output Of the coun-
try comparable to that which has been
achieved through the efforts of the spe-
clslists employed by the beet sugar
manufacturers in certain sections. II will
mean an addition OF nearly s.0oo 10, 600
to the annual value OF the crops gath
cred from American farms
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25
LETTER NEVER DELIVERED.
Late Mikado Wrote to Gar Con-
cerning China.

st. Petersburg. Aug. 24-On his way
back to Japan. Prince Katsura gave out
an interesting statement regarding his
brief stay in Russia to a Russian news
paper. He brought with him an auto
graphed political letter from the Mikado
TO the Gar. but. as he knew when he
reached 81. Petersburg that the Mikado
was dying. he never delivered the let
ter. nor did he see the Gar. He gave its
chief contents verbally to Kokoytzen and
Sazonon.
1t appears that the Mikado said he
was convinced from the shaping OF
events in China that II was best for Rus
sia and Japan to act in closest union for
long time to come. This was so much
the case that Prince Katsura Informally
, offered that Japan should declare com
mon cause with the European group to
which Russia belongs. His proposals
have been handed this week TO the
French Premier. NJ. Poincare. and It is
now on the cards that the armed forces
OF Japan may be put wholly into the
scales on the Anglo-Franco-R Russian side.
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25

Dom Pedro Fonseca led his fifteen
year-old wife, Marta, into a thicket in
the rear Of his house. stood her against
palm tree. deliberately rolled up his
sleeves. grasped his huge machete in
both hands, and with two strokes cut
of her head. 1t was just dusk, and in
the darkness Of that huge tropical grove
could barely discern the tragedy. The
murderer was coming from the grove
wiping his machete when l approached
him and asked:
Are you not afraid you will be pun
ished for that?''
Punish me. senior? 1t is impossible.
1t is only for the bosses to punish !:
others have nothing to say
This murder took place in the after
noon OF April 5. 1909, In the Putumayo
rubber district of Peru and Brazil. The
weird circumstances of the thing shall
SEGA killed his young wife because she
unwittingly put salt into his coffee on
the previous morning and caused him a
severe spell of nauses. i was the guest
Of Fonseca. who had very kindly met
me at Iquitcs and taken me to his
home. He was very much surprised to
find that I was going TO leave his house
after witnessing the killing. He thought
nothing of the matter, and said / was
very foolish to pay any attention to 1t.
After this 1 stayed three months In
the rubber district. l remained at the
mission of some Franciscan monks. who
are doing their very best at least to
mitigate the appalling horrors which
have cursed the rubber country since
1896.
No Action Taken
In the summer of 1906 came to the
United States and gave an interview to
the American press concerning these hor-
rors The matter was discussed but no
active efforts were made to interfere
with the atrocities by either the British,
American. or South American govern
ments, until in the following year when
the British Consul at Rio de Janeiro went
up the An,czon to verify my statements.
I feel somewhct redeemed to find that
he has substantia,S5 ~, interview.
It is no more than just to state that the
British corporation which controls the
rubber industry is not to blame for the
atrocities. The Puturayo country is very
The only way to get to It
is by steamer up the Amazon from Para,
and there are only a, very few months
out of the year that one can get up the
river. because the dry season does not
give sufficient depth OF water for steam
ers Of any size.
In my excursions through the adjacent
country / found numerous dead bodies.
skulls and skeletons-each being mute
evidence of the cruelty of the boss rub
Der collectors The slightest offense on
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25

1t is this feature OF its operations
that led Or. Harvey W. Wiley to describe
the beet sugar industry recently as the
greatest normal school OF agriculture
ever established in the country and to
urge the encouragement of the industry
by tariff duties and in all other pos
sible ways.
Thus the beet sugar factories blazed
the way to the new agriculture by DEM
onstrating that the farmer was the orig
lnal man from Missouri. that he had 70
be shown" The railroads were quick
to grasp the point Bumper crops meant
increased freight earnings. so the rail-
roads hired farm experts and shipped
them through their territories in special
trains TO talk TO the farmers. This has
now become a recognized activity in the
railroad business. One Rock Island spe-
cial reached 4L473 persons in Missouri
alone. About 1000 packages OF improved
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25
FISHERIES DAMAGED.
Criticism I'm Denmark Against Ger
man Naval Cruisers.

Copenhagen, Aug. 24-The German war
ship mdneuvers in Danish waters are
arousing much criticism because of the
great harm to the fisheries. the frequent
visits to the Femern belt by the Ger
man vessels endangering the lives of the
fishermen Although they carry the
regulation lights, the German warships
are referred to as reckless concerning
fishing interests.
The leading newspapers allude TO the
frequent visits as inconvenient and
harmful. because they are too near the
best fishing places
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25
Bush Work.

I From Judge.
Yapville fan Ito stranger during local
game)-Well. how does our new pitchers
delivery strike you?
Stranger "a big league scout)-As r.
F D.
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25
The Waiter Answered,

tfom Judge.
And is this purely vegetarian restau-
rant?' inquired the dyspeptic.
Yep" answered the waiter. There's
no rheumatism in this joint
The Washington herald., 1912-08-25
ATROCITIES IN PUTUMAYO
ARE BEYOND DESCRIPTION
Cruel Usage Of Natives by Boss Rubber Gatherers
Arouses Governments to Action-Some
of the Crimes Described

the part OF the Indians will bring death
or the most inhuman mutilation.
young Indian once tried to rally
his tribe into making some resistance
against the barbarities of the bosses. He
was found one day loading his canoe with
rubber milk he had Just gathered. big
Barbados negro who was his foreman
walked up to him. and deliberately slash
ed on his right arm with a machete. The
poor Indian grabbed the bleeding stump
with his left hand In an instant the left
arm was severed at the shoulder. Both
legs were hacked of above the knee and
the young man was left to bleed to death
where he had fallen.
No Respect for Women.
Father Antonio, one of the Franciscans
with whom I was staying. did much to
protect the Indian girls from the harems
of the boss rubber gatherers. No Indian
woman's honor was respected The lust
of the Barbados negroes and the Spanish
half-breds has, brought countless girls
from thirteen to twenty years Of age
into concubinage. The good priest and
his few followers were the only persons
in the country who had any softening
effect on the overseers-
Shortly after my arrival in the coun-
try Fonseca was attracted 10 a pretty
girl living some miles from his house.
He wished to take her into his house
as servant. He sent several half-breeds
after her. The father and mother OF
the poor girl objected to her going TO
the overseer's house, knowing what a
dreadful fate awaited her. The mother
was knocked in the head with the butt
Of a gun and the father was shot. This
incident is typical OF constant happen
ings of this nature.
Stocks are used as a mode of punish
ment. Petty offenders who escape death
or mutilation are confined for several
days at time, their legs being extended
as widely apart as possible without
breaking the hamstrings. The>torture of
being confined in this position for sew
eral days at a time is inconceivable. In
"cepo" near the home of Fonseca one
may find numbers of men and women
so treated
Natives Are Lazy.
do not deny that some pressure Is
needed to make the natives work. They
are very lazy. But no human reasoning
can justify such unheard of tortures.
Some skillis required in tapping rub
her tree. II the tap is too deep the tree
will die. The fault with most native
tappers is that they cut too deeply and
sometimes even cut the trees down.
When a native cffends by either cutting
too deeply or cutting down the tree,
kind-hearted overeer may cut or one
of his ears or split his nose or his
tongue. For the same ofense repeated
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-24

Dmmaeuel waA. the scandinavia
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-24

pianfst Of Peabody Conservatory Of
xesasic, Bafrfmore. VINO will play At the
Philharmonic Orchestra concert On De-
cemoer s, has made Il q point Of con-
stantly inSroducsng Compositions that
are interesting. but not widely known.
and he has exsstsA his tnduencs 0uc-
cessfully in promoting Scandinavian
music HS hes always sought to rease
artistic standards. h4S own ana 9TH
ers. A. . pianist, he has exceptional
Sifts. his playing being characterized
BY vigor. charm and thOuGhtfulnea
He nrst played in pubic when tour
seen years ola. After being gradu-
ated from college. ne entered Copea-
hagen University. where he took a
Segree IN philosophy. He then entered
Copenhagen Conservatory OF Music.
Staying at the examination fer ad-
mfssdon All of the last Beethoven
eonata. op. III. c minor. His teach
krs were Winding. Gade and Hart
mann. The last mentioned used, for
years after. to hold Mr.. Wad up 10
his younger. pupils as pattern OF
an excellent scholar in oountefpoint
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-24

Owen Bush. Of ne Ds<reat Tigers,
must have . couple OF fsgret2 ~ he
scans The records showing the num-
Der Of basas On bslls received by tho
Annss1can Le1Gus players last sea
SON. Ths midget drew more passes
chan any one else-llo eli told. three
Of wshach were Of the casualty kind
but eli he gets 1or his activity in
working he pitchers for transporta-
don - 6ooorabls mention. One Of his
regrets - th2a Hugh Chalmers when
he Ascl3oA to have . competition
among the American League players
for q car. did not o6sr the prize to
the player who obtained the greatest
number Of passes, instead OF to the
player who was the most valuable to
his team. Regret No. 10 that the
scoring rules Of 1917. - regards basss
on balh. are not the same ~ they
were In 1887. Then. when a player
received his bases On balls he was
not exempted from time at bat. but
he did get credit FOR making base
hit. Under the 1887 scoring rules,
Bush's batting average would have
been .3s1.
Bus, undoubtedly established An
American League record hast season
by obtaining 11e pesses. In lsoS'
Fielder Jones. Of the ChiaEo Whlee
,Sox, procured l02 complimentary nc
kee. TO fret base from the pttcherD-
!. recori which heiA until ttsGs past
.ea.on. when Eddie Collins equaied
n ana Bush surpassed It. All the
naases that Connie Nack's famous Sec
ond-sacker, obtained In 1879 were OF
the regulation kind. ana not once DID
=. .,~t In FIRST on a Red Cross com.