davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
ARRANGE FOR NEXT
YEARS SEED CORN,

THE Importance of securing first
class seed corn for next year is i'm
pressed on farmers generally by the
following editorial in the Chicago
Breeders Gazette:
"A lively sKlrmish for seed corn is
staged in some of the northern states.
Detailed estimates indicate that in a
few regions as little as 2 percent of
the crop is fit for seed. Seedsmen
and farmers have been looking eager
ly for this pittance Of well-ripened
corn. If it could all be located and
distributed it would be enough to go
around, but this never is the case.
Much of it already has been fed or
will not be offered for seed by the
owners. Thousands of bushels of old
corn have been bought for sale as seed
next spring. Large shipments of
these purchases already have been
shelled, sacked and shipped from one
state to another in the same latitude.
This fall distribution among dealers
is preparatory to a lively retail mar
ket next spring.
1t is not satisfactory work. One
case came to light the other day in
which a firm bought a crib of 1914
corn with a good termination test
from ears taken on top of the pile.
1t vas shelled, graded and sacked, and
then a final composite test showed
that barely half the kernels would
grow. Somewhere in the crib, prob
ably in the center or bottom of the
pile, the corr must have heated the
fall before, and thus killed the germs.
A thorough and representative test
before selling is the only safe way TO
select old corn for seed-or any other
corn, for that matter. Corn shelled
now will spoil before next May unless
it be stored properly, Farmers who
already have searched out and stored
away enough strong corr in the ear
to plant their fields next spring, and
leave a surplus to be discarded for
poor termination, have one worry off
their minds"
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
THOMAS DEAD.

u S. Thomas, rs years old, a
'Of Audrain county. died of
Rnia Saturday afternoon after
illness. Mr.. Thomas's death
pee at his home southeast of
b, He was one of Audrain's
old men of fine Christian
er and high integrity.
les his wife Mr.. Thomas leav-
following children /: W. D.
j, Wilson Thomas, Kansas
FRS. Martha Crum and John
lnas, of this city. The funeral
londay afternoon at Union
by the Rev. II. B. Banks. Mr..
! was a devout member of
'%sbyterian church and a Cody
The Ledger joins in extending
Ply to the bereaved.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
A %pnGNACIous ROOSTER.

Fulton, Mo-, JAN, 11.-At the home
of Milton Brewer of Twelfth street,
is a rooster reputed to be 10 years
old. The members of the family say
they know hat is his exact age. The
rooster is of a mongrel type, and
looks like he might be of the Buff
orpington strain.
The Brewers do not know where to
class him, except that he has a strain
of fighting blood. He still retains
his pugnacious qualities and can
scrap with the best of them, despite
his advanced age. He has been a
fighter all his life, and, according to
the records, never has been vanquish-
ed. This rooster dispells the general
opinion that they do rot attain a ripe
old age, for as ages Of poultry go he
could be classed in the senile age.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
Erred Lavender.


The Student Government officers
for the next term were elected We'd
nesday. For the first time the girls
placed nominees on the tickets for
president and vice-president. This
suffragette movement caused a great
deal of interest to be taken in the cleo
ton, and excitement was running high
during the last few hours of the cam
paign. The suffragettes had a big
mass meeting; covered all of the black
boards in school with pleas for votes
and support; and declared their in
tentions of crushing the men. The
girls have the boys greatly outnum-
bered but their candidates, Misses
Louise johnson and Annadee Fish,
were defeated by a few votes.
The officers elected were: Morris
Keath, president; Fred Lavender, vice.
president; India Johnson, Sec'y-Theas.
Marguerite Thomas, Eric Cunningham,
Elaine Miller, Harper Shous, Mary
Katherine Potts, Ross Ferris, Gladys
Kistler, and Joe Hanson, council men,
bers.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
LOCAL T-HUNDERsToRMs

One afternoon a short time ago a
thunderstorm with quite a heavy
downpour of rain occurred over a por-
ton of a certain county in the West.
The shower had not been forecast by
the Weather Bureau, and a few days
later a letter of complaint was receiv-
ed, the writer stating that the storm
had ruined a considerable acreage of
cut alfalfa that had been allowed TO
lie out to cure, as the weather fore
cast had said nothing about showers.
Be that as it may, the science and
art of weather forecasting never have
been and never will be reduced to the
basis of absolute certainty. The very
operation of the natural laws Of the
universe preclude this, and with no
type of weather is this impossibility
Of exact forecasting more in evidence
than in the case of tnunderstorms.
The forecasting OF general thunder
storms over large areas is not sc
difficult, as these generally occur
when, after a heated period, a large
area ofhigh barometric pressure with
a pronounced fall in temperature fol-
lows the heated period, bringing with
il thunderstorms and later a cool and
clear period Of at least several days
duration.
But there are other thunderstorms,
occurring during periods of abnormal
heat, that are caused by excessive air
convection-that is, by the upward
movement of air masses that are I'M
duly heated by contact with the warm
earth. These are carried upward to
such an elevation that they become
cooled by expansion to an extent that
lowers the temperature of the warm
air masses below the temperature of
condensation, and rain therefore &C.
ours.
These cheat" thunderstorms are fire.
cuently very local in character, as
certnin portions of the earth's surface
become hotter than others, and conse-
quently a cheat" thunderstorm often
occurs in one locality, whereas only a
few miles, or even a shorter distance,
away there will be none at all. 1t is
not an infrequent occurrence to have
a severe thunderstorm oven n por-
ton of a large city while over other
portions there will be none. 1t should
also be added that these cheat" thun-
derstorms are usually followed by a
quick return to the same heated con-
ditions that preceded them, indicat-
ing a merely temporary disturbed
condition Of the atmosphere without
prospect of permanent relief until the
appearance of such a cool, high-pres-
sure area as has been mentioned "a
bove.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
HANDLING A BALKY HORSE.


There are a few things more exas-
perating than a balky horse, and few
more inconvenient. Losing ones tenn
per is Of no more avail here, how
ever, than in most other cases, and
the best way to overcome the animal
is to meet him not with his own meth
DDS but with thoughtful and scientific
handling. Horses usually balk from
one or two reasons, stubbornness or
fear. The way to deal with a balky
horse, is therefore, to get his mind off
the subject.
This is more easily said than done,
but there are several simple ways Of
bringing this about. Beating, kick
ing and whipping are not among them,
for this only serves to make the horse
more stubborn or frightened than
ever. Putting sand in his ears is also
a practice to be sternly turned down.
But how shall he bring about the de-
sired effect?
1t is an old proverb that the way
to a mans heart is through his stom-
ach. The same seems to be true of
the horse. One of the most success
full methods of persuasion is that of a
lump of sugar or an apple, coupled
with a little coaxing. If verbal coax
ing does not succeed try lifting his
foot gently and pulling it along. Do
not yank him, however, if he refuses
to come. Sometimes the apple or
lump of sugar does not happen to
be at hand, in this Ease offer him a
mouthful of sand instead. 1t will not
be as pleasant, but it may serve to
take his mind off his other troubles
and it will not hurt him.
Experience has also shown that a
horse may sometimes be startled by
tapping n of his hoofs gently with
a hammer or stone. 1t is well to re-
member that the horse, like his mas
ter, is far more likely to respond to
kind than to abusive treatment.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
FAMOUS BRITISH WAR
MYSTERY NOW REVIVED

London, Jan. 13.-0ficially it vas
known as "Dundonald's Destroyer
an instrument equally as effective
against sea forces as against land
forces, and so powerful that it could,
in a day, decide a war in favor of its
user. In 1911 Thomas Cochrane,
tenth Earl of Dundonald, and a daring
officer in the British navy, proposed
to the admiralty an invention which
he said was "the infallible means of
securing at one blow our maritime
superiority and of thereafter main
tanning it in p%erpetuity; Of at once
commencing and terminating a war
by one conclusive victory. A force
against which no power OF earth could
stand" A committee consisting Of
the Duke Of York, second son of King
George III, chairman, supported by
Admirals Geith and Exmouth and the
two Congreve brothers, connected with
the ordinance department, of whom
Sir Edward Congreve was a famous
ordinance expert and inventor, was
appointed to investigate. The COM
mittee reported that D~undonald's
claims were not exaggerated, but re-
fused to recommend the Instruments
adoption on the grounds that it was
too 'horribly inhuman."
The subject was not again discus
sed until Napoleon threatened Eng
land, when the British government
seriously thought of using it against
the French at Toulon, Dundonald
dissented at first, but finally consent
ed to it's use against Napoleon at
Flushing, providing he could use it Sin
all its ~fullness." After some debate
the government objected on the
grounds that it "would not be war,
but humiliation" In 1876 another
committee of prominent experts was
formed TO determine its efficacy a.
gainst the French fleet, and in JAN
uary, 1847, this committee substan-
tiated in every detail the reports of
the former committee, but for some
reason or other the instrument was
not used. Again during the Crimean
War Dundolald suggested its use a :
gainst the supposedly impregnable
fortress of S~ebastopol and Cronstadt,
but the war terminated while the
British government still haggled and
the matter was ~pigeonholed.
In 1860 Dundonald died. His last
claim for the invention was that had
it been known to the Indians in NUT
my not one European would have es-
capped. Is his secret still buried in the
archives of the British admiralty, or
did it die with its inventor, to leave
externally unanswered the question,
"What is it,"
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
GOLD FOOT L

members am the Missouri Mill
Fademy football team for 1915
Five a neat gold food ball watch
\ souvenir of the most success
BON the school has ever known
form of athletics.
'mall gold ball is enameled with
'on IN" and the figures "15."
fesentation will be made by
Strock who made such a signal
in coaching the team. This
/ of presenting souvenirs of
y to the members of the elev-
/ been popular in all Of the
hiversities.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
HOLE IN MANS
HEART AND He RECEIVERS

Kirksville, Mo-, Jan. 1s.-Earl H.
Fisk of Helena, Mont, who shot him
self through the heart here on Dec. 8,
still lives and is in a fair way toward
recovery. His life was saved by an
operation performed by DR.. George A.
Still, who says he took hold Of Fisk's
heart, through which the bullet had
passed, and by twisting the tissue Of
it with his thumb and forefinger plug
ged the hole and stopped the flow of
blood. DR.. Still says the heart had
ceased to beat and the man was ap-
parently dead.
No motive is known for Fisk's de-
sire to die. His father killed himself
in September, shortly after Fisk en-
tered the school as a student. His
grandfather also took his own life.
Fisk shot himself in his room short
ly before l p. m. He was carried into
the operating room at 1:20 o'clock.
Examination showed n bullet wound
directly above the heart.
Two weeks ago he had sufficiently
recovered to leave Kirksville with his
mother for their home at Helena.
They stopped at Minneapolis for a
visit with relatives and while there
Fisk was taken with the grip, but ac-
cording to information from there the
illness was not traceable to his wound
and he has practically recovered.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
/ MARVELLOUS PIG STORY.

A man at Martin City, Mo, related
the following to The Kansas City Star
over the telephone. August Is he
helped thresh wheat on the farm of
James Keltner, who lives one mile
west Of Martin City. The straw as it
came from the blower of the machine
was being stacked on the remains Of
a straw stack from last year. A $50
pound sow, lying asleep in the butt
of the old stack, was u~nnoticed and all
the straw from this years crop was
piled upon her.
1t was not known what had become
Of the SOW until recently, when she
succeeded in eating her way out of the
stack. She had been imprisoned
there for four months and fourteen
days. She weighed only sixty pounds,
but seemed to be in good condition.
This SOW has another distinction.
She gave birth to eighteen pigs short
ly before her disappearance.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
LET MoNETT TELL OF RULE.

Two years ago, under councilmanic
government, Monet, Mo-, owed $22,-
TO2. Municipal improvements were
moving slowly, very slowly. The
towns credit had deteriorated.
In April, 1914, Monett decided for
commission government by seventeen
votes. When the commissioners took
office there was $1.37 in the treasury.
The commissioners were compelled to
give their personal security to buy
coal to run the municipal plants. No
one would trust the city.
Today Monet has $500 in the
treasury; $4,000 in debts have been
paid; street improvements costing ST.
900 have been made; bonds have been
sold for two municipal deep water
wells, of which one is finished and
the other under way.
Monett's credit has been restored
under commission government.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
DUTIES OF MINISTER OREAR
ARE MOST IMPORTANT

Since John Davis Orear, of this
city became American Minister to
Bolivia, much interest has been shown
concerning the duties of the Office and
the Ledger has received repeated re-
quests asking us to detail just what
devolves upon this Office.
Minister 0rear's position is a busy
one as he acts both as Minister and
Consul and though he has secretaries
to assist him he has little idle time
on his hands. All treaties between
Bolivia and the United States must
pass through his hands and there are
treaties being made most of the time.
He must send the State Department
of this country copies of treaties made
by Bolivia with other countries. He
sends a detailed report every sixty
days to the State Department con-
corning general conditions in Bolivia,
what the Bolivian Congress is doing,
how the President Of Bolivia feels to-
ward the United States, and any other
matters that might be Of interest to
the authorities here. Also he must
remember the Presidents wedding
day, birthday and etc, and make an
official call to pay his respects.
AS Consul he watches the business
interests of this country in Bolivia.
If Americans get into trouble there
they come for aid. If Bolivians seek
information regarding sources of
buying in this country he supplies
them with catalogs and other data.
There are many other minor matters
besides.
Many South American countries
are the hiding places Of refugees from
justice in this country. Some of these
adventurers are "bad men" and sooner
or later get into trouble there. The
story is told, that one of these men,
a Texan, who married a Bolivian,
came to Mr.. Orear shortly after he
went into Office and said he needed
the Minister'S assistance.
Mr.. 0rear requested to know the
trouble. The Texan informed him he
had shot his brother-in-law and
wounded him in the arm. Mr.. 0rear
replied that the matter was not very
serious and could probably be fixed
easily.
The Texan said the bullet had gone
through his brother-in-law's arm and
into the body. The Minister asked if
the wound was serious. The Texan
replied he thought it was. Mr.. Orear
asked if the man would die? The
Texan said he was dead already.
Then the Minister informed him the
matter was out of his hands and he
could do nothing for him. The Tex
ans effort to make short story long
had failed in the desired results.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
Early Winter Garden Notes.

ID. y. Whltten, University OIL MIS-
souri,, College of Agricultural
Bulb beds ought to be mulched with
coarse, strawy as soon as
the ground begins to freeze.
Hubbard squashes are among the
best varieties to keep through early
winter. Baked and served like sweet
potatoes they are a very delicious
vegetable.
Clean straw or other loose, light
material, free from weed seed, put
on about 3 or 4 inches deep, is the
hest mulch for the strawberry bed.
Cabbages are an excellent winter
feed for poultry. The less salable
heads should be pitted in the field to
protect from severe freezing and
used for chicken feed.
The fall plowed garden will have
less undecayed trash and weeds and
fewer insects and may be titled earlier
in spring for first planting. If you
neglected blowing do IT yet if pos
sible.
Sweet potato tubers keep best in a
thoroughly dry place at a tempera-
ture of 45 or 30 degrees. Irish pota-
toes and most root crops keep best at
a temperature as near the freezing
point as possible.
Tender Gamma and dahlia bulbs
should not be stored in deep piles as
they may heat and mold. They should
be stored in shallow boxes or on shell
yes only one layer deep. If stored
where the air is dry, they ought to
be covered with enough sand to keep
them from whitening.
Hyacinths, Chinese Lilies and other
bulbs which are to be forced in water
or pots for winter blooming should
be started in a cool, dark place until
the roots are well formed; If put in a
warm, light place at first the top
growth will be in excess Of root
growth and the flowers will be weak.
Parsnips and satisfy may be left in
the ground over winter. Enough may
lie dug and pitted out of doors to use
during cold periods in winter when
the soil is frozen. An additional sup
ply can be dug during thawing spells
in winter from time to time, and the
roots saved for spring use, remain in
the soil until spring.
In mulching roses and semi-hardy
perennials, the mulch should not be
Put on thick enough to smother the
plants. Straw or other light, loose
material makes the best general
mulch. An inch or two of old, rotted
manure, however, may be used on the
surface of the ground around the
plants beneath the mulch.
If the blue grass on the lawn is
getting thin, the best treatment is to
apply a dressing of MANURE about the
time the ground freezes; on most Mis-
souri, soils fresh strawy manure is
best. In early spring the coarser
parts of the manure may be raked off,
and a little blue grass seed sown over
the bare spots. Even on bare, newly
graded clay, fresh horse manure will
not only prevent washing Of the soil
during winter, but perhaps through
its fermentation process bring our
Missouri soils into better condition
for spring growth of grass than does
cid rotted manure. These methods
are used and recommended by the
Missouri College of Agriculture.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20

Zone cat fish don't make er crick
no morn n idear makes er news
paperman," said old man line Rite,
as he chose a new pine splinter to
white. 81 find from readin' Their
papers that the journalistic prosti-
tutes figger they knows it all. They
would er had Solomon an the seven
wise men readin' from er primer and
If they'd er been here when Their ten
commandments wua drafted they'd
offered an amendment or moved err
minority report. They got as much
backbone as er bananer and as much
moral courage as err firkin o. fish.
To try an tell 'em anything goes to
prove that its er waste o. lather ter
try an shave an ass. They's no ac-
c%ountin' fer Their ideas what rest in
er nice fat head especially when it
suffers most o. the time from chronic
hiatus, what ever that is. Evidently
ther fool killer, like err lot O. other
officials, don't always do his duty"
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
'AFETY FIRST HERE.

n Jones, of this city, claim
Ior the Chicago & Alton rail-
'lLl shortly talk to the stedents
Mexico public schools ON "Saf-
Mr.. Jones has made a
pr the dangers attendants to
trains and crossings and his
I along this line will be worth
purpose is to decrease the num-
dangerous chances children
round railroad trains through
pee of the hazards they are
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
TO COLLEGE ON Is CENTS A DAY

~ SO1AA1NE Wv so CAANAP n DNhA
Savannah, Ca, Jan. 13.-H. S. Cole,
an 18-year-old boy, is living at the
Georgia School of Technology and ac-
quiring an education on twenty-five
cents a day. He has built a shack
where he sleeps and eats and cooks his
/ own food.
He works two weeks at the Atlanta
Steel Company, and on what he earns
during this period he goes to school
for two weeks. His pay check at the
steel factory is $12 every thirty days.
That suffices to pay for his food, his
tuition and his books. He doesn't have
any incidentals.
He is a son of D. C. Cole, former as
sistant postmaster at Atlanta, and
now living at Marietta,
Shop instructors helped young Cole
build his shack and the school gave
him a door and a window. 1t was FIN
ished in three days time.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
Collectors Denied Pay

Jefferson City, Mo-, January IL
Attorney General Barker Friday
rendered an opinion to Auditor Cor
don in connection with the audit of
the books Of Cole County in which
he held that collectors cannot be
paid money by the County Court for
indexing the tax books unless the as
SCISSOR has failed to make an index.
He held that collectors must ac-
count for all moneys collected il
that exceeds the sum they are
charged with by the County Court.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20

If Mexico business men could all
be placed in a sardine can and get
sure-enough acquainted, business in
this city would jump like the lodge
candidate who is introduced to the
business end Of the f~raternal William
goat. If you could just get "the
other fellows" viewpoint you would
find him most reasonable and willing
to meet you half way on any sensible
proposition of mutual benefit. CO.
operation is what stimulates trade
rather than competition. Competi-
ton is the black-hand of the mercan-
tile business and the sooner you find
this out and stop blackmailing your
self the better. Can't we all get-to-
gether in 1916.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20

Russian soldiers are protecting
themselves against the extreme win
ter by wearing fur topped boots. The
question now arises, after glancing
at some of our most fashionable
dressers, are the American women
observing strict neutrality in the
important factor of toilet access
series. Just think of the outburst
sure to follow if we men dared to
turn our Charley Chaplins into Kais-
er-Williams.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20
AMERICA SHORT OF GOATS.

Washington, Jan. 15.-The scarcity
of goats in the United States prompt
ed Senator Sheppard of Texas to in
troduce a bill authorizing negotiations
with Turkey and South American
countries, which have laws prohibit
ing expectation of goats, with a view
to having the ban lifted.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20

The Social Service committee of
the Federated Clubs has been busy
visiting Mexico's needy and attend
ing to their wants. The number of
those suffering this year is much
smaller than in previous years. The
committee made thirteen visits this
week and have seven more m of
those who require their attention.
The committee urges any who know
families in want or who are suffering
TO notify them.
The committee, of which Mrs. E. s.
Wilson is chairman, is composed of re-
Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-01-20

representatives of the various organ
igations composing the Federation.
They are assisting in the distribution
of the Good Fellow fund raised by the
Ledger and those who have not given
toward this worthy charity should do
so at once as this is the time of year
when it is most needed.
The following are the members of
the Social Service committee of the
Federation: Mrs. E. s. Wilson,
chairman, Mrs. F. P. Van Ness, Mrs.
C. G. Hammond, Mrs. f. R. Sanford,
Mrs. Wallace Fry, Mrs. ]. W. Dry and
Mrs W. w. Pollock.