davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14
VIII Not be DESTROYED.

Every now and then some professor or
somebody startles the world with grave
predictions as to the future of the race
when the food supply will no longer
meet the demands of humanity and set
ting the date when the crisis will come.
The latest is from q professor OF Edin-
burg, that by the end of tho century
there will not be enough wheat to 60
around.
Only few years ago learned man,
lecturing before the British Association
for the Advancement Of Science, pre-
dicted that by 1920 the nitrogen of the
soil necessary for the growth OF
wheat would be entirely exhausted.
II anyone still feels squirmish on these
matters he should read DR.. Cyril Hop
kins' little book, 1.-THE Farm that Won't
Wear Out" and act upon its advice
Hoard's Dairyman.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14

in the company on April %.
President Roosevelt was subjected
to wide criticism for this deal, but OF
all his actions In connection with the
canal 1t was one OF the w!sest With
out regard to who got the money, 1t In
disputably Is true to any one who has
visited the canal that the United
States got a dollar in value for every
dollar it paid the French company.
As late as 1911 Colonel Goethals ap-
pointed a committee. headed by j. b.
Bishop, secretary Of the commission,
to invoice the French purchase. and
Il reported the value Of French e1-
cavation useful to the American plan
cf canal. the mechanical equipment
buildings and engineering records to
be $40, ,799.S26. or nearly S3OOO.OOO
more than was paid. At the same
time II was n good sale for the French
company, because the United States
was the only prospective buyer.
F-1 ,,,
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14
Clean Milking.

The Importance Of milking . cow to
the last drop is shown by an experiment
tried by the Kansas Experiment Station
which dealt with the variations In but
tsrfat at intervals from the first milk
drawn to the last. Five cows were USED
in the test.
The first milk drawn contained very
low percentage OF butterfat-only 2 OF
I per oent-and there wasa gradual, al
though not entirely uniform, increase
from the first to the last milking, the
last sample being exceptionally rich In
butterfat. The Importance Of milking
cows completely Is illustrated BY the re.
suits Of this experiment. II the last
portions Of the milk had been left In the
cows udder In each Of the five cases, the
percentages would have been reduced
from 2.43 to 1.93. from 3.S to 2.95. from
S.52 to 3.3S, from 4.S7 to 4.1S, and from
| 8. 40 to 3.25 respectively.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14
CHAPTER vi.
Tho Geooraphy of Panama.

VN area the republic Of Panama Is
about $4,000 square miles, slight
" smaller than the state OF In
diana. On the Atlantic side 1t Is
979 miles long and on the Pacific side
674 miles by the coast line. The popu'
lation, native and foreign, Is 100000
Our treaty with the republic of Pan
anna ceded us strip Of territory ten
miles wide from deep water in the At
lantic to deep water In the Pacific. The
area of the canal zone is 44S square
miles. While within the limits Of the
canal zone, the cities Of Panama and
Colon, at the terminals, remain under
the sovereignty Of the republic Of Pan
anna.
Some confusion is caused by the fact
that the isthmus of Panama runs near
" east and west instead Of north and
south. as might be imagined. Mt the
point where the canal traverses II.
Panama city is almost due south OF
Buffalo and is southeast Of Colon. the
Atlantic terminal. The canal route
therefore. runs in a southeastern direc'
tion from the Atlantic to the Pacific
and, to the astonishment Of the tour
ist. the sun rises In the Pacific and sets
In the Atlantic.
We are not building our canal at the
narrowest point on the isthmus. This
point is found mt the gulf Of San Bias
sixty miles east Of Colon. where the
isthmus IL only thirty miles wide.
whereas at Panama II Is forty-seven
miles wide.
The Chagres river pronounced Shag-
gressl originates in the San Bias noun
tains and drains basin OF 1920
square miles After running parallel
with the coast line nearly midway be-
tween the oceans 1t turns sharply ut
right angles and empties into the Car
ibbean sen a few miles west OF Co
lon. The point where the Chagres
makes this turn is within the canal
zone and about thirty miles from the
Caribbean. running through the canal
zone for that distance. From the Car
ibbean sea to Bohio, about seventeen
miles. the bed of the river Is only
slightly above sea level. and from Bo-
hio to about the entrance Of the Guile
bra cut 1t rises to forty-eight feet
above sea level.
Engineers were divided on the utility
of this natural geographical situation.
Those who favored the lock type canal
believed that the Chagres river could
be damned up so as to form the longest
part Of the canal and thus save vast
amount of excavation that would be
required In a sea level type. While
not denying the saving In excavation
in a lock type. the engineers who Ia.
yored a sea level canal believed that
the fixed limitations Of the lock type
made 1t inadvisable when the expan'
sion In the size Of ships was consid-
cred.
At Gatun the natural formation OF
the mountains permitted the Chagres
river to escape into the Caribbean sea
through q gap less than two miles
wide. The lock type advocates said
this gap could be filed In and so ere
ate a basin to be filed by the stagnat
ed water Of the Chagres river. The
idea was to build dam high enough
to back the accumulated river water
toward the Pacific for a distance ot
thirty.two miles and at an average
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14
How Did he Do IL =?

We have always been impressed with
the mental ability OF certain farmers OIL
our acquaintance who were, so lar ~
books are concerned, entirely uneducat
ed, but who on the farm possessed an
unusual amount of administrative WIS
dom that told handsomely in results.
We well remember the answers given US
by one such farmer, whose place was
noted for the finish and snug air Of sue
cess that prevailed on every fence cor
ner. We said to him, "Unle Tim, your
soil is remarkably productive; was It al
ways SOP"
@Oh no." he answered, "when / first
took the place it would hardly raise
white beans"
"What have you done to 1t, Uncle
Tim?"
The answer came quick and prompt,
FED it, just fed it,"
"Tell me about your feeding your
soil"
"Well, it's like horse; you can't ex-
pect horse to do good days work for
YOU if he is half fed. The most igno-
rant man in the world knows that. But
know of lots of farmers who are a.
blind az bats about trying to get pay
ing crop from half starved fields"
"what is your rule, Uncle Tim"
~ haven't any rule. lust watch the
crops. IL see that they are falling on,
in goes the feed into the field"
"what do you feed IL with, Uncle
Tim?"
"Well, in the first place l give 1t all
the barnyard manure can get. Then II
| want to tone up the land little more
| turn under good second crop OF clio,
YER in the fall before the frost has killed
1t. notice l get big crops OF corr
from that land the next year. Lately
I've been doing that about every year
/ tell you you don't lose nothing by
stuffin' your land. Keep 1t well fed ur
just as you would hog or a beef crit
ter"
And Uncle Tim always raised the oig
gest crops in the ueighborhood, had ths
best livestock of anyone about him ano
vet he never looked into book on farm
ing i'm his life. But, understand, he VA
a man of brains, of close observation,
strong thinker and strong pusher wnC
always "made jints" 90 the barrel wouie
hold all IL got. Such men make the tru
ly great farmers Of the land when the IT
rigatiou Of good, sound learning is add
Il ad
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14
cu1EBRA CUT. THROUGH WHICH THE CANAL RUNS.

the work. The canal started near 20
lon, In Lmon bay, and was to follow
the valley Of the Chagres river for
about thirty miles. thence through the
continental divide to the Pacific, three
miles west of Panama. about where
the canal begins.
BY 1885, however, extravaganza ana
graft had empued the company's
treasury. The contractors, as a rule,
did little and exacted much. 1t be-
came apparent, too, that a sea level
type presented staggering difficulties
NJ. de Lesseps gave his consent to q
change In plans to lock type. but the
dam was to be at Bohio instead OF at
Gatun. Bohio is seventeen miles from
the Caribbean. while Gatun Is only
seven miles distant from that sea.
All the theatrical methods conceiva-
BE were employed to float a new bond
issue for $1e0.OOo.000. but-the public
had grown dubious over the success OF
the enterprise. The amount was rails
ed, however. and was poured Into the
project with more millions until 1889.
when, after 1924, ,795,017 had been In
vested, the company became bankrupt
The French treated their white en-
ployees with extravagant generosity
Living accommodations were on
scale Of open handed Hberality. Little
was done beyond building hospitals to
conquer the bad health conditions OF
the isthmus, and. while the French
left patterns for much Of the later
American activities, the sanitary con-
troll Of the jungle distincdvely Is an
American triumph. The death rate
among French employees on the canal
was from two to three times as high
rs under the Americans.
In 1890 an extension Of ten years to
the time for completing the canal was
granted by Colombia, and subsequent
ly extensions were permitted that ad-
vanced the life Of the concession until
Oct 81. 1910. A new Panama Canal
company was organized In 1894, with
q capital Of S13,0OO.O00. and. while 1t
spent this amount and more. 1t never
attained the momentum Of the hrst
company. The maximum force under
the flrst company was 25,0O0 men and
under the second regime 5000.
The total excavation by the French
| In Panama was 100000 yards. OF
which the first company took out Co.
0OOO 900 yards, but out of all their work
only 29,9O8, 900 yards were excavated
from the present American route. Fol
years before the Americans came the
French did just enough work to keep
their concession alive.
The mechanical equipment we took
over from the French. the houses and
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14
Importance Of Good Seed.

The Maine Seed Improvement Asso-
citation WAS organized in 1910 for the
purpose of improving the yield and
quality of the crops grown In Maine.
The question was one Of profit. The
greater the yields and the better the
quality, the greater amount of product
We have to feed or to sell and the higher
price We shall receive.
Each year the membership and inter.
est have increased until now 1t 'is real
ICED there has been no move made In the
past few years which will have greater
or more far reaching effect on Maine
agriculture than improved seeds. We
will take oats as an example,; the av-
ersge yield in Maine 10 81 bushels per
acre, yet many men In the state are rails.
ing an average Of so to 80 bushels per
acre. If We can all learn the methods
employed by these men and secure seed
which naturally gives q high yield, We
can raise the average yield to more than
40 bushels per acre. II q man has ten
acres of oats at 81 bushels per acre and
they are worth fifty cents per bushel he
has value of sl55. II his yield is Al
bushels per acre, the value of his crop
will be s205, or clear gain of $50, as
the cost of growing 81 bushels per acre
Is as much as growing Al bushels.
What is true of oats is true of all the
farm crops We grow. The yield may be
largely increased and the quality much
improved by using the best methods of
caring for our crop and by planting only
seeds which have been carefully selected
for Weld and tested for germination.
Now is the best time to select our seed
for next years crop. 1t is natural that
potatoes from a good strong hill which
has large number Of smooth potatoes
of the best size and shape, growing un-
der plant with vigorous top and strong
stem should yield better than seed from
a weak hill with rough and uneven pota-
toes or few in a hill, under weak, sick
ly, yellow plant.
Let us select our seed at digging time
in the field from those hills which show
vigor in the top and yield and quality in
the hill.
With corn, let US choose our seed
while still on the stalk. Strong upright
stalks and large corn yields 60 together.
Vitality in the corn will be lacking un-
less there is vigor In the plant
Let US select our seed corn with one
eye upon the individual ear and one up
on the parent stalk. II the ear is OF the
type we desire, large 10 size for the vari-
ETY., we'll filled, mstured, and grown
upon strong, upright, vigorous plant,
we may reasonably expect An improve
ment in the yield and quality OF our
crop the next season.
The Commissioner Of Agriculture and
the officers of the Maine Seed Improve
ment Association urge field selection of
seed. They urge more careful study
of our crops that We may learn which
variety or strain of seed will yield best
upon our farms. The Department and
the Association stand ready to offer sug-
gestions in regard to Seed Improvement
work or give any assistance to any who
will apply.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14

COlOu W Z uuuud 10 tWo h0oAc ~AN -
half, and the coaches are painted yei-
low because that color best stands the
lsthmian climate.
The plans for the canal as adopted
by the Americans in 1905 played havoc
with the right of way Of the railroad.
10 In June, 1907, the work Of relocat-
Ing It back among the hills out OF
reach of Gatun lake was begun. After
Eve years work, or as long as 1t re-
quired to build the original line In
1906, the new line was opened to
traffic In 1912.
This twentieth century Panama rail-
road has cost 100000. as compared
with the cost Of the nineteenth CEN
tury road. 100000. an increase OF
81. 100000 after a lapse Of sixty years.
The dream Of a pan-American rail-
road has been entertained ever stnce
steam locomotion came into use. When
several gaps are filed In there will be
railroad communication through Mex
leo, Guatemala and Nicaragua to Costa
Rica, which adjoins Panama. The re-
public of Panama has been planning
an interior railroad system that would
be part Of an all rail route from the
United States to the canal. Before
many years it Is likely that bridge
will span the canal In a railroad sys.
tenn that reaches from Canada through
Panama to the mainland Of South
America, thence down the west coast
to Valparaiso.
Ferdinand de Lesseps and his Pana-
ma career vindicate strikingly the
truth Of the adage that nothing sue
ceeds like success. The French Pana-
ma Canal company was floated on the
strength of his achievement In cutting
a sea level passage from the Mediter-
ranean to the Red sea. thus making an
island Of Africa.
When he turned his attention to Pan
ANA as a new field for glory the
French people enthusiastically applaud
ed his audacity and. what Is more sig
niHcant and substantial, invested. first
and last. s265. 100000 In the enter
prise.
The French were theatrical In their
plans for launching the enterprise. A
world congress Of engineers was In
yited to assemble in Paris in May,
1870. to decide upon the type and cost
Of the canal. M. de Lesseps presided
and guided the decision to sea level
type, the same as at Suez. There were
eleven Americans in the assembly, the
extent Of American interest
Under the stimulus Of these proceed.
ings the new company's stock was
oversubscribed by the admiring coun-
trymen Of the great De Lesseps, the
first issue being for $6O,0OO,OO0. NJ.
de Lesseps then made a spectacular
trip to Panama. arriving at Colon on
Dec. 80, 1879.
The first blast of an explosive In the
construction of the isthmian canal was
set of by one Of the young daughters
of NJ. de Lesseps at Culebra on Jan.
10, 1880. After several weeks Of ban
quoting Count de Lesseps left for the
United States to stir the imagination
Of the Americans over the enterprise.
About the only result was to attract
the attention of some contractors to
the work.
Operations went ahead rapidly from
1880 onward, the method being to let
contracts for the different phases OF
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14

Inc ffencn In fan1mas
~HE independence of Panama
from Spain by bloOdless
revolution In 1921 had placed
the isthmus In new position
for other European governments OF
the United States to negotiate terms
for concessions. The American peO
pie were jealous Of foreign activities
but not aggressively active themselves
In concrete efforts toward canal.
The ever alert French in 1S4T. after
securing a concession to build rail
road, allowed 1t to lapse. It is signi6'
cant that this French failure was fol-
lowed. as In the case Of trying to dig
canal. by successful attempt by
the Americans.
Three Americans-William Fl. Aspin.
wall. John l. Stephens and Henry
Chauncey Of New York. taking ad'
vantage Of the opening made by the
French failure-obtained a concession
from the Bogota government in 1915
for building a railroad across the
isthmus u. Panama. with the impor.
tant provision that no canal could be
constructed there without the com.
pany's consent.
Their concession was for period OF
forty-nine years after the completion
Of the railroad. but Colombia reserved
the right. twenty years after its com
pletion. to purchase the road for
S5.0OO.OOO.
Luckily for the American promoters
the discovery of gold in California In
lS49 came just as they were seeking
to float their company. The isthmian
route to California at once became
heavily Travelled. and the eyes Of the
whole world. particularly Of the Unit.
ed States. were again fastened upon
Panama.
The addition Of the territories OF
Oregon and California to the United
States still further emphasized the
need of quick communication between
the Atlantic and Pacific. The Panama
railroad. therefore, took hold upon the
popular imagination.
Aspinwall and his associates pushed
the construction Of the road under
James L. Baldwin. an American civil
engineer Of uncommon ability. Labor
Of a desirable kind was not obtainable
Many nationalities were tried, with a
tragic failure on the part Of the Chi
nese, who seemed unable to face the
terrors of the jungle. The life cost OF
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14

the Panama railroad In the five years
It was building has been estimated at
5000 persons.
The route selected started at an is-
land near the coast on the Atlantic
side, the site of the city Of Colon,
crossed the hills into the valley OF the
Chagres river and followed that valley
TO the continental divide, over which
II passed with a maximum elevation OF
2eS feet above sea level. and thence
down to Panama on the Pacific SIDE
Treacherous swamps. almost impene-
trable jungles and formidable streams
and mountains necessitated incredibly
hard labor and continuous work from
1850 to Jan. %. 1855. when the hrst
train reached Panama from Colon.
The line was forty-seven miles long,
built of Belgian rails and on gauge
Of Eve feet.
The standard gauge In the United
States is four feet eight and half
inches, so that all locomotives and cars
used on the Panama railroad have to
be specially built with wheels set far
ther apart
The total cost had been 81. .407 .55S. or
about Sl5SOO0 mile. Dividends were
paid every year from 1853 to 1892 and
from 1901 to 1908. when 1t became
United States property.
The great prosperity Of the railroad
suffered a serious setback with the
completion of the California overland
railroad I'm 1869 Thenceforward the
valuable bullion shipments avoided
Panama. as we'll rs passenger and
freight business. The business shows
q steady decline from that year
Colombia turned to the French after
negotiat ting fruitlessly with the United
States over canal concession. and
the company headed by NJ. de Lesseps
was granted a right Of way. II
bought the road for $1S.094, 900 IN 1881
paying considerably more than 1t wai
worth. or $3.50 share for shty-eigh'
seventieths Of the capital stock.
The French neglected the CONNER
rial possibilities even more than tht
American owners had. though divi
dends were earned during the life o.
the frst company. When the unitet
States bought the interests or th'
French company in 1904 the Panamt
railroad was one Of the properties
transferred. 1t was sadly run down
bat under the Americans 1t was mad.
over into a modernly equipped and op
Grated system. though subordinated. o.
commercial proposition to the con-
struction Of the canal
Passenger rates dropped from $2o .
one way ticket In 1855 to $2.40 under
the Amsrieans today. The trip nom
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14

Many farmer who Is most particular
in caring for his horses feet to insure
the animals good health and sprightli-
ness, forgets the fact (or is ignorant OF
itl that his own health would be much
better IL he would avoid clammy, swesty
feet By regular bathing and frequently
changing his socks.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14

hospitals and especially the engineer
ing records were invaluable from the
start Of American operations. and
much still is in use.
An effort was made by the French
company in 1903 to interest the United
States government in the enterprise,
provided permission could be secured
from Colombia. But this failed, and
the plan Of 1903 for turning the prop
erty over to the United States was its
successor
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14
Corn from Maine Seed Rlpened.
WOLF POINT, MONT, Sept. 20.
Editor Democrat i:

Editor Democrat:
In yonr issue of Sept. 10 noted an ar
tiole taken from Hoard's Dairyman in
whcih correspondent in Montana says
that corn does not ripen there. Now my
son, George L. Chase, has taken land In
Dawson County, twenty miles south OF
Wolf Point, and he had four kinds oil
corn this year that got ripe in from
eighty to ninety days. Some of 1t was
not planted until after June 10. He had
some as nice traces of yellow corn as you
often see at the county fair from seed
brought last spring from Maine, twenty
three hundred miles southeast OF here,
and this has been poor year for crops,
too dry.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14
fro BE CONTINUED
Wall lncloaed,

"My poor man. you are the picture OF
detection" sympathetically declared
the prison visitor.
"And framed picture at that" add
ed the convict Buffalo Express.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14
9ource Of Sonia,

Sepia Is one Of the commonest Of art
lists paints. 1t Is deep brown In
color and is prepared from the black,
inky fluid discharged by the cutie fish
TO blind and battle Its enemies.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14

Many of the great heroes with whom
we shame ourselves, not only did not
perform the great deeds We attribute 10
them, but they never existed. There
are some very good fellows among COW
ards.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14

The use of tho advanced register rec
ords as basis of selecting the breed
inc stock 10 simply IN old.fashioned AZ
ION: end out the best aud breed from
tham
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14

A man can put his stocks and bonds
into deposit vault for safe keeping, but
there's no place he can keep his reputa-
ton out of danger.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14

Forced tests show what 1t Is possible
for = COW to do in short time but they
do not reveal her true ability; that 10, to
produce large flow Of milk and fat for
. number of years, and also proiuce
strong aud talented dairy animals.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14
CHAPTER v.
The Roosevelt Impetus.

The Roosevelt impetus.
"OREIGN activities in Panama
were watched, officially and
unof1cially, by the Americans
with profound interest and
with the desire that the construction
Of canal should be the work Of the
United States. The thought Of COM
munication between the oceans being
in European hands was distasteful to
our statesmen.
In 1852, when the Panama railroad
was being built, captain OF a COM
pany In the Fourth regiment Of In
fantry, Ulysses 8. Grant, crossed the
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14

II . farmer meets brother farmer on
the road. why shouldn't he have time to
stop and chat with himf