davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-25

ling and fuel gas sufficient to supply large communities. and they are actual ly doing th that orrt osry thing nin in benzol t56,ooo,ooo gallons in 1916), a substitute for gasoline, only more pow erful. anu tuluol, which, in connection much-dreaded trinitrotoluol, the ex- plosive charge used in projectiles. r *. .~
 "But the by-product of the most i'm terest to us is ammonia, which yHhen oxidized under the proper conditions gives the indispensable nitric acid for explosives, and, after treatment with sulphuric acid, produces the su1phate ammonia of the fertilizer. Thus from the coke oven we get nitric acid and benzol, the two essentials of the most diabolical explosives known.
 While statistics are uninterestfng, they are the shortest way and,. there- fore. the best of telling some facts. so am using these figures to show the growth of the coking industry and the relative growth of the by-product recovery of ammonia; also the uses of ammonia for commercial purposes.
 "In 1900 the annual ammonia produc- ton of the United States by the coking process, expressed in tons of sulphate or ammonia, was 1S,S0O tons (3,4O0 tons of nitrogen); in 1915 1t was 220,00o, and the estimates for 1916 and 1917, based upon by-product ovens erected and ordered are, respectively, 1000 and 376,0o0 tons. But this repre- sents the ammonia product of less than o11e-third of the soft coal coked annually for the manufacture of iron. Apply ing this, as in an emergency, the gov ernment could do, to all coal coked would result in more than 100000 tons a year.
 'The coal which is coked, however, represents but small portion of the soft coal used annually; and if there is such a demand for ammonia as to create a market, good business will insist upon the eoking of as much of this coal as may be required. for the coke has nearly all the fuel capacity which the coal had and is freed from the gas which makes its use unde- sirable in many places on account of dirt and smoke under combustion and gases which make it unsuitable for household and other uses.
 ''In war emergency the government could take over this entire productions; it would prohibit the use of raw soft coal, or take other measures to compel the coking of all soft coal before final consumption. In taking this course it
Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-25

to the consignors at their expense. Po- tatoes are coming into the country in such quantities that, although in the main they are all right, carloads are sent back almost every day.
 A disease known as, potato wart or canker having broken out in Great Britain, Germany and Austro- Hungary, the department issued it's proclama- tion forbidding absolutely the impor- tatfon of potatoes from other coun- tries.
 Another thing which the board is
Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-25

will turn out in the form of. ammonia enough nitrate for use in war is re- quired than that furnished by the con- solidated waters of the great lakes tumbling over Niagara. The cost of operating such plant is enormous; nevertheless it must be met, unless some better way of securing the indis- pensable nitrates can be found
 At the instance of the War Depart ment, Director Van H. Manning of the worth while to dispatch the bureaus s
Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-25

Naturally, our Canadian neighbor wishes to share in the high prices, and his crop is wanted here; but the board says: "No diseased stock may be entered.''
 Accordingly, this working plan has been, agreed upon between the two countries; Canada may send potatoes free from injurious disease and insect pests to ports of entry designated by this country. On arrival the tubers are examined by federal inspectors, and if found to be infected are returned
Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-25
tPhoto by Harris & Ewing. /,

chief chemist, Charles L. Parsons, to Europe to investigate how the warning nations secure nftrates for their ex- plosives.
 In spite of the quantities of ex- plosives used on the thousand miles of battle front, less saltpeter from Chile is passing through the Panama canal to the allies than did during the first year of the war, and the scientists have found out the reason,
 pr. Parsons is now in London, and he expects to visit France, Italy, Nor- way and Sweden. He is not going to see what the allies are doing, but how
Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-25

stock found in certain localities or certain diseased plants, but the over- sight of the board Is extended to regu- late the entry of all woody and certain other plants and seeds imported.
 * *
 Nearly all European and some other foreign countries maintain a rigid in spection service Of their nursery stock, and importations from those places are allowed on permits issued to the importer by the department of agricul- ture. This involves certificate by the foreign inspection service that the plants are free from disease and insect pests. whereupoh they are admitted through the customhouses, and may be sent to any state in the Union.
 delivery, for nearly every state main tains an inspection service which calls for the examination of all imported seeds and plants. The results of the inspection are reported by the state examiners to the board, together with the action. which in case of serious pest Or disease is the destruction of the plants.
 This state inspection is generally very thorough, and may be enforced by the board, if not kept up to the stand ard. by establishing quarantine against the products of that state.
 No importatfons of seeds or plants are permitted from countries which do not maintain an inspection service, except in very small quantities for experi- mental purposes, and then the board will grant special permit upon which, after satisfactory federal inspection, they may be entered.
 Formerly many seeds and plants, samples of cotton and the like, were sent in through the mails-a very con- venient way for all concerned. The board, however, has, with regret, abol- ished it, because it is impossible to in- spect the packages in the mail; and no matter how careful the senders were. the contents were liable to carry infec- tions. If the senders were careless, the danger was very great. Egyptian cot ton seeds sent through the mails were found to be contaminated as high as 20 per cent with the pink boll-worm. Even for a total abstainer, a physi- elan may order an exception for the patients good, and there is one excep- tion to this mailing order. Seeds and plants may be sent to the Department of Agriculture; for in that case they are examined by experts, and if dis- eased are at once cremated.
 The board maintains on the grounds
Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-25

they are doing it, for he knows that they get most of their nitrates by save thousands of tons of nitrates otherwise wasted in making many mill lion tons of coke from soft coal S
 The Germans, however, cut off from supply by erecting a fxation plant said to turn out ammonia at the rate of 140,000 tons a year.
 It is generally supposed that Ger many, before the war, obtained most of the ammonia used for explosives from Chile, and that nearly all the nitrates which came as a by-product from coal were used to make fertilizer. Owing to the relatively small farming area of that country, high cultivation is necessary to make the ground yield crops that will feed the population while the blockade continues.
 But all the nitrates had to be used to manufacture cannon food. and there was none left for the crops of 1915; that is why they fell off. The fixation plant filled the deficit; that is why the crops of 1916 have been plentiful.
 To obtain an accurate statement of the nitrate situation recourse has been had to one of the experts of the De- partment of Agriculture, pr. J. w. IurrenLlne, one or the national au- thorities the production of nitrates, although he is more interested in sec ing it used for agriculture than for war.
 His training and his study of methods and apparatus have made a chemical engineer, rather than a laboratory chemist, out of him. He has Studied all known sources of nitrates, and has told how to obtain from domestic sources an ample supply for all pur- poses; namely. by the oxidation of ammonia produced as a by-product in the process of coking bituminous coal
 'If one starts a fire of soft coal in an open grate," said he, "at first col ored gases are given out; the coal turns a dull black and settles into a mass. That mass is coke-soft coal without the gases and volatile mat ter.
 ''The gases, which here are the im- portant thing, contain ammonia, ben zol, toluo1, coal tar and other valu- able things, which may be recovered as by-products from the coking proc ess. E
 Cooking soft coal frees it from these gases, gives it many of the desirab ble qualities of anthracitesand is a pre-re- quisite for it's use in the blast furnace in the reduction of iron ore The mistake must not be made, however, of sup posing that coke is only valuable for making iron and steel, for as a matter or fact the potential energy of soft coal
Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-25

Federal Horticultural Board Exercises Strict Quarantine Over Insect Pests III Plants, Diseased Potatoes, Trees and Shrubs-Danger in Cot ton = Nursery Stock Flowers = Personnel of the Board.
Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-25
ldence
 WASHINGTON, D. C.,

1 HOULD war come to the United N States, and the powder and ex- plosives now on hand-and they | will not last long against pow erful enemy-are exhausted. the army, if there be any, would have to fall back upon the black powder of the civil war.
 The country would be utterly at the mercy of the invader, because there would be no nitrates with which to make smokeless powder and high ex- plosives. The first care of an enemy strong enough to make landing would be to stop the shipping of nitrates (saltpeter) from Chile.
 x
 The military experts and the scientific bodies organized for preparedness have seen this danger, and the last Congress, fin alarm, appropriated $2o.000.o00 to erect, if the President so decides, a plant to fix the nitfAgen of che atmos- phere, that from tho very element which sustains life may be taken the substance which is deaths instrument In Europe.
 More power for fixation plant which
Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-25

of the department near the east wing. plants of all kinds are taken. It con tains a miniature disinfeetfng tank, and Is 8 most valuable adjunct
 The act creating the board provided that it should consist of i've members. Agriculture and that they should serve without additional pay.
 The Secretary appointed as it's chair man, MT. Charles L. Marlatt of the bu- reau of ethnology; William Al3orton, vice chairman, of the bsreau of plant forest service, waiter 1o"'1i 5. Hunter '1s of ethnology and Karl F. KeIlerman. also of plant industry. the other three mem bers. Mir. Reuben c. Althouse was upon his shoulders and his assistants fall the details of the office and the execution of the directions of the board.
 The effectiveness of the various guar. antines. the satisfactory disfnfecting of cotton, the agreements with foreign countries on especial subjects, the clos- ing of the foreign markets against plants, seeds and samples have not been attained without mature thought and action by the board; nor without CO., operation on the part of the federal de- partments-the Treasury. through it's customhouses; the Post Office; the In- terior, through the bureau of stand ards, and the State, through it's con sular offices; nor has the plant inspec- tion service of the states been lacking.
 At first the restrictions were very eFh- barrassihg to the importers, but the board has recognized their troubles. and they, in turn, apprecfating the rea- condolences of the demands, have ac- cepted the situation, and with few ex captions are very willing to render all possible assistance in excluding any thing which will injure the country's interest.
 That this is not small thing these figures from nursery stock irnportatfons tell: For the year ended June 30, 1914 (before the war), there were imported 1880, ,009- fruit trees (6,690,000 from France), 14,630,000 fruit tree stocks, nearly 100000 rosebushes, 100000 or namental trees, 842,006 coniferous trees, besides many other plant trees not mentioned here.
 One diseased lot means an Injury to an entire community, one pest, like the pink boI1-worm, may destroy a staple crop and the thin line of defense against these possible invaders Is that created by the committee with the un- wieldly name, federal horticultural board"
Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-25

Nitrates Necessary in Making of Smokeless . Powder and High Ex- plosives A- In Case of War United States Might Be Denied Shipments :, ' From Chile-The Rem edy a Plant to Fix the Nitrogen of the Atmos- p h e r - Congressional Appropriation of Twenty Millions for a Fixation Plant-A Talk With a National Authority on Production of Nitrates.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
VILLA FORCES LOSE
HEAVILY IN BATTLE

Columbus, n. NJ. March 1O.-The
Casualties OF the Thirteenth cavalry in
Che fighting at Columbus were seven
KILLED and six wounded.
Villas total losses in the fighting
were estimated in excess Of 100 killed
and twice as many wounded. The
american pursuit into Mexico was re-
ported to have accounted for more
than seventy-fve Mexicans killed and
wounded.
The American loss on the Mexican
side was n corporal slain when Villa
shrew out a heavy guard to engage
The pursuing American troopers.
OF the eight American civilians slain
here. Charles De Witt Miller of Albu-
QuerQue and DR.. II. J. Hart of Ell Paso
were burned to death in the fire which
destroyed the Commercial hotel.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
WILSON ACCEPTS
CARRANzA VIEW

Washington, March 1~4.-Secretary
Of State Lansing notified the Carran-
"a government that the United States
has agreed to permit Carranza forces
to enter American territory in pursuit
Of bandits who might cross the border
into Mexico. commit depredations
there and return 10 the United States.
III return for this privilege, the COM
munication sets forth. the United
States understands that Carranza has
10 objection to the American expedi-
ton which has been organized for the
pursuit OF Villa and that this gov
eminent is now prepared to exercise
this right without further exchange
of views.
Accompanying the formal note,
which was addressed to C~arranza's
secretary Tor foreign affairs and for
warded by telegraph, through United
States Consul John r. Silliman at
Guadalajara, was a statement by Mir.
Lansing setting forth that the Ameri.
can expedition will be scrupulously
confined to the pursuit and capture Of
Villa.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
i..1s Of The Week From Many
Sections Of The State
RAIL RATE INCREASE
Farmers Are Aroused Over Prospect
Of General Freight Charge
Advances.

.'ailroads in North Dakota ere grad
ually increasing freight latGs in this
state, Investigators say. They are
said to have learned a lesson from the
methods Of Eastern roads and instead
OF obtaining permission to make gen
eral raises they are getting at al in
crease in commodity rates by advanc-
ing the classification ami on grain
shipments by making Hat increases OF
half a cent in some loraiiities in North
Dakota.
The latter increase. il made efTec-
tive over the entire state, would mean
increased revenues for the railroads
of approximately $4,000, 600 annually,
or that much less to farmers OF North
Dakota.
Attorneys say the stale railroad
has no authority to sus-
pend the rates and the best it could
do would be to make a formal protest
and present the matter to the inter
state commerce commission.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
DRyS WIN SWEEPING
VICTORY IN MANITOBA

Winnipeg, March 14.-prohibition
won a cweeping victory in the prov
ince Of Manitoba. With many rural
constituencies not yet reported the
total vote in favor of the temperance
act was 44,04O, as against 20,728 for
the liquor interests.
Even in Winnipeg, the supposed
stronghold Of the vets, prohibition
won by almost 5000 majority. Of all
constituencies returned only two CAV
majorities against the act, North Win
nipeg and st. Boniface, for a total Of
55 votes.
A noticeable feature was the heavy
dry majorities rolled up in districts
with large 1celandic and Scandinavian
colonies.
The temperance act closes all re.
tail, wholesale and club bars June J..
Liquor still may be imported by indi.
yiduals and the manufacture of liz,
uor in the province to be exported is
not prohibited.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
VESSEL GIVEN NO WARNING
Norwegian Ship Said to Have Been
Torpedoed.

Paris. March 13.-J. O.. Osborne,
American consul at Havre, in his re.
port to Washington on the sinking Of
the Norwegian bark Cilius, is under
stood to bring out clearly that the ST.
Illus YVES torpedoed by a submarine.
The sever Americans, who were on
beard the bark, were looking after a
cargo of oats which was consigned to
the French government. These men
and the members OF the crew have
been questioned by the consul, who
has cabled a summary of their testi-
monv to Washington.
Their testimony, it is said, leaves
no doubt that the Silius was t%orpedoed
without warning. A full report on the
sinking of the vessel will be mailed
to Washington.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
FOR ADVANCE ON TREBIZOND
Russia Preparing to Use Captured
Port as Naval Base.

London, March 11.-Russia is pre-
pairing to use the recently captured
harbor of Ria as a naval base for the
advance on T%rebizond, which is thir-
ty-fve miles distant, according to Pc
trograd dispatches. Ria is an ideal
harbor and offers ample shelter and
anchorage. IN this way the Russians
will have the advantage of satisfac-
tory communications by sea, while the
Turks are handicapped by incredibly
bad land communications. The Rus
SLAMS have complete mastery in the
watch on the Bosporus.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
GERMANY DECLARES
WAR ON PORTUGAL

Berlin. March 10.-Germany has
declared war OF Portugal and the
Portuguese minister has been handed
his passports.
The German declaration emphasized
the fact that this step was made
necessary by the recent illegal seiz-
ures of German ships in Portuguese
ports, which is the gravest sort Of
breach of neutrality.
The declaration also enumerates a
long series of breaches of neutrality
by the Portuguese government.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
RAIL MEN ASK SHORT DAY
N~inety-eight Per Cent of Employees
Vote for Eight Hours Work.

Chicago, March 12.-lt was unofii-
cially reported that IS per cent of
the locomotive engineers employed on
all the railroads Of the country had
voted in favor Of demanding an eight
hour day, with time and a half for
overtime. The tabulation of the ref
erendum vote of the men has been
completed.
Warren S. Stone, grand chief of the
brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers,
said no detailed figures on the result
Of the vote would be given out.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
THEODORE VOORHEES, DIES
Head of Reading Railroad Succumbs
in East,

Philadelphia, March 1~4.-Theodore
Voorhees,, president Of the Philadel-
phia and Reading Railway company,
died at his home in Elkins Park,
aged sixty-eight. His death was very
sudden.
Mr.. Voorhees, underwent an opera
ton at Rochester, Mimi, early this
year and returned to this city about
ten days ago, apparently in good
health. He was at his office for a few
hours last Friday, the first time since
his return from the West.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
Negro Dies at Age of 1871.

Kansas City, March 14.-Louis
Merriam, a negro, born when George
Washington was president of the
United States, died at his home in
Kansas City. Kan. Merriam was the
oldest man on the United States pen
sion rolls and is said to have substan-
tiated the fact that he was born 121
years ago o. the Sopher plantation in
Virginia in 1895.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
BENSON SOCIALIST CHOICE
Yonkers Man Wins in Presidential
Referendum.

Chicago, March Italian Benson
OF Yonkers. n. Y, has been chosen as
the Socialist party's candidate for
president by a referendum vote Of the
members of the party. George r.
Kirkpatrick Of New York was nomi-
mated for vice president.
Victor Berger Of Milwaukee and
Morris Hillquist Of New York were
chosen members Of the executive COM
mittee.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
NORTH DAKOTA is LEADING
Per Capita Value of Crops and Stock
Supreme.

North Dakota leads every state in
the Union in per capita value of crops,
horses, cattle and swine. according to
tables recently published by w. R.
Heller, secretary of the Nebraska
state board of agriculture, with head
quarters at Lincoln. In states having
more than 100000 900 of value in
the four leading agricultural crops,
with horses, cattle, swine and their
value, North Dakota stands at the top
with a total per capita value of SG32.
South Dakota is second, with $612,
and Nebraska is third, with $573. In
fourth place Iowa drops to $472.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
PASSENGERS AVOID LINERS
Two White Star Vessels Leave New
York With Freiqht Only.

New York, March 1.-THE White
Star liners Cymric and Lapland, both
passenger ships, left here for Liver
pool, carrying freight only.
The American line steamship New
York with $50 passengers for Liver
pool and the Holland-American liner
Rotterdam for Rotterdam by way Of
Falmouth. Eng, also sailed.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
Germans Active on Riga Front.

Petrograd, March 12.-Heavy Ger
mar attacks east of kozlov were re-
pulsed with serious enemy losses, &C.
cording to dispatches received here.
The Germans are becoming more &C.
tive on the entire Riga front.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
Minneapolis Grain.

Minneapolis, March 13.-Wheat-
May, s1.10; July, $1.09A. Cash close
on track: No. 1 hard, s1.15; No. L
Northern, $1.10k @1.13k; No. 2 North
ern, $1.07@1.10h; No. 8 Northern.
$1.03@1.07; No. 8 yellow corn, 1870
74Ac; No. 8 white oats, 40k@41c;
fax. $685..
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
Captain Garcia Dead.

Columbus, N. M, March 12.-Cap-
tain Pablo Garcia, the wounded Villa.
officer. died here. Civil authorities
HAD included Garcia among the Next
cams against whom they planned to
lGle charges Of murder as a result Of
the Columbus raid.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
Turk Troops Go to West Front.

Odessa, March 12.-It is reported
here that Germany has given formal
assurance to Turkey that she will not
make peace without compensation to
Turkey and that Turkey has consent
ed to send Turkish troops to assist
the Germans on the Western front.
Several engineering regiments have
been withdrawn from Asia Minor to
Constantinople.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
PREXY RAPS BIG BUSINESS
New Head of North Dakota Farm
School Outlines Policy.

e. f. Ladd, new president of the
North Dakota Agricultural college at
Fargo, making his first address to the
college students, declared: big bust
ness will have no hand in agricul-
tural college affairs as long as I am
president"
Mr.. Ladd also quoted a letter from
President Crawford of the board Of
regents, saying: "Ladd's election will
settle forever rumors that big bust
ness is attempting to run the college"
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
St. Paul Grain.

st. Paul, March 13.-Wheat-No. /
Northern, $1.11h @1.15A; No. 2
Northern, s1.O7@ @1.11%; No. 2 Mon
tana hard, S1.10M @1.1O%; corn, 74k
@75hc; oats, 40A @40Ac; barley, 66
M74c; rye,S 7A@ S9c; fax, s2.3Sk.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-16
LIVE STOCK BAN REMOVED
South Dakota Animals Can Enter
E%IickertaiI State.

Live stock of all classes will be ad-
mitted into North Dakota from South
Dakota, according to an order by the
state live stock sanitary board of
North Dakota. The bars have been
up because OF alleged cattle infection.
Cattle and horses must have a rigid
inspection in South Dakota before be-
ing admitted.