Evening star., 1918-01-27

might have to be constructed. AS the
Army, far from the American boundary.
approached Mexico City it would have
to be supplied with food, fodder. cloth
ing and ammunition.
Mr.. Felton's work of organization at
that time was brilliant both in con-
ception and execution. Four railways
enter Mexico from the north. Within a
short time Mr.. FELTON, had one hundred
locomotives massed along the border.
Fifty thousand tons of steel rails and
piles of crossties, miles in length, were
ready for immediate use. Hundreds OF
freight cars and hundreds Of cars for
the transportation of troops were wait
Ing on sidetracks.
Z. Many American engineers and con-
ductors had worked on Mexican rail-
roads. Mr.. FELTON, obtained their names,
learned where they lived and enlisted
their services. He went over the roster
of the National Guard in all tine states
way men belonging to that organiza-
tfon.
Had the invasion occurred. Mr.. FELTON,
could have repaired the railroads of
Mexico just behind the Army as 1t ad-
vanced and could have operated them
with experienced men. He had civil en-
gineers, managers, expert mechanics.
superintendents, telegraph operators.
stenographers and clerks, as well as
conductors, engineers. brakemen, nre-
men, switchmen and track workers
ready for the word of command that
would take them to the front.
The organizing achievements of Mr.:
Felton on the Mexican frontier caused
his appointment as director general OF
railways in the war against the bar
barians. His remarkable work In
France will be described in detail some
day and will make him one Of the
heroes Of the war.
DerAToEs were sold in England.
and no longer than q dozen years
ago, at more than double tho price of
gold, which was quoted then. and Is
now at $2o.67 an ounce.
"a pound of potatoes" Lou D. Sweet
said to the writer. Drought $500. A
pound of gold avoirdupois weight, has
value of s33o.72."
Mr. Sweet is the great American po-
tato grower and expert. He lives In
Colorado, but does business in many
parts of the country. Since last autumn
he has been In Washington as potato
counselor to the national government
bad seasons and several diseases"
Mr.. Sweet went on to say, had serious
ly injured the potato industry of Eng
land Suddenly new varieties were an
nounced They produced tremendously,
so it was stated, and were not attacked
by the ills common at the time.
Daily newspapers. agricultural pc
riodicals and magazines printed sensa-
tional articles about the money that
could be made with the wonderful
varieties that were to change the
whole potato industry. Growers went
crazy. almost. There was a frenzied
rush for seed, which. of course, was
limited Fourteen pounds of Eldorado
cI,rn a llyyO Ool
sold for 1000, or $500 a pound.
Prices were so high that only a
farmer here and there could raise the
money even for a pound of the epoch
making seed. The potatoes were soon
sold and then the boomers began dispos-
ing of shDots, or sprouts. at from $40
to s12 each. One speculator Is said to
potato If he sold them at the lowest
price he must have cleared up some
thing like $4,000.
."The speculation soon ran its course
and the old varieties came back into
favor. Sir Walter Raleigh. it is be-
lieved, introduced potatoes into Great
Britain. He planted the seed, which he
obtained from Virginia, whence it had
come from the mountainous regions of
South America on his estate in Ireland.
Potatoes were eaten in Ireland long
before they were heard of In England.
They were considered at one time to
be a rare dehcacy by the English. and
only the king could afford to buy them
at shillings pound. or $40 bushel,
as reckoned in our money and time.
There was some early prejudice
against them, however, because, as the
Puritans pointed out. no mention of
them was made in the Bible. But they
have lived down all opposition and are
now the daily food Of Europe and
America. If they had no potatoes, the
Prussians would soon surrender"
Copyright. 1913. BY James B. Morrow.)
The Trouble With Failures.
esE AnuREs.- said, Secretary McAdoo
u in success talk, may be divided
into a minority and majority class.
,'rFhe minority come to grief and the