The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-10-24
SHOW DINNER TOLD
DESTINY OF STATE
IS IN ITS MAIZE
Walster Pictures Path Leading
to Happiness as Agriculture
of North Dakota Thrives
GRAINS HISTORY TRACED
President Of College Says Stom-
achs of Egyptian and Inca
Mummies Held Corn

North American civilization, because
of its predominant place in the agri-
culture of the country. by DR.. j. H.
Shepperd at the annual dinner of
the State Corn Show in the Terrace
Garden rathskellar at the Patterson
hotel Thursday evening. DR.. Shop
perd was tracing the history of corn
back into antiquity, as revealed by
archaeology.
That was the keynote of the din
ner, which was attended by about $50
growers of corn and believers in it as
a factor in the destinies of the state
and nation. Some of the growers were
wives of farmers who themselves had
entries at the show, others were busi-
ness men of the city and experts in
the agricultural extension service of
the state, in addition to leaders in
other activities.
A feature of the dinner was the
showing of movie pictures taken in
Europe last summer by Congressman
o. B. BurtneSS, while on his trip to
Iceland to represent the state In the
doings incident to the celebration of
1000 years of parliamentary govern
ment.
Hard Times in Europe
The congressman adverted from de-
scription of Icelandic and European
scenery to speak on economic condi-
tons abroad. Some of the pictures
showed women in Bohemia cleaning
the stray heads of grain in the fields
after the reaperS had gathered up the
cut grain.
Times are hard in Europe" said
the congressman from Grand Forks.
1.-The people there are worse off than
we are in this worldwide depression.
Great sums in doles are being paid,
and there is a larger percentage Of
unemployment in Europe than in
America. Nothing is so cheap as hu-
man labor in Europe.
mo matter how poor our prices are,
we are getting more for u products
than Europeans. We must have more
because our cost of production Is
higher"
DR.. H. L. Walster of the agricultural
college, praised farmers who submit
ted entries to the State Corn Show.
He characterized participants as
builders of a better North Dakota.
I'VE are OH the high road to happi-
ness" he said. 1--WE are going toward
a goal of better agriculture. The trail
leads to a better North Dakota. 1t
leads to better appreciation Of agri-
culture and to better things connected
with agriculture"
I.ofs of Vim at Dinner
Assembly singing led by Henry ].
Duemeland gave the dinner an at
mosphere of jollity, as when the diners
a away with song Around the
Corner" The Scottish Rite quartet
Rev. Gilbert W. Stewart, Henry Hal
verson, A. j. Arnot, and George Hum
phreys-Sang classic numbers. and
Adolph Engelhardt'S dinner orchestra
of three-Katherine Andrest, cello:
Mrs. Grace Morris, pianist; and Mr.
Engelhardt, violin-interspersed the
feast with selections during the lulli
In the program.
George F. Will, corn show president
was POSTMASTER.
Congressman o. B. Burtness was
sent to Iceland by the state, along
with Judge Gudmunder Crimson, last
summer, to represent North Dakota
His pictures included scenes during
the festivities and historical pageantry
Of the occasion. King Christian Of
Denmark appeared in the film, anc
the city of Rikjevik, the capital, wa.
shown in part. Other pictures depicted
scenes in Germany, Norway, Scotland
France, and England.
Corn and Destiny
Mr.. Walster took the thought thai
corn is part of the destiny of NORTH
Dakota. He said the show was doing
its bit toward making q better NORTH
Dakota, because it was one of thosl
steps by which inspiration was giveI
the builders Of the commonwealth
Schools, fairs, clubs-all were doinl
their share. dedicated as they wer'
to putting the best foot forward. NJ
one can vision where the path leads
but he was sure it was the path II
happiness better North Dakota.
Dr.. Shepperd went into archaeolog,
to trace the origin of corn. That orr
gin. however, he showed, is shroude'
in the mists of antiquity. Failure t.
locate it definitely in any given coun
try. he suggested, tended to the con
clusion that the grain was coeval witt
the human ace
Corn Among the Indians
The head of the college and pionee
In SO many phases Of the states agri
cultural development cited the report
of the explorers of the new world O
finding corn among the Indians, VIII
cultivated it as their great food staple
Columbus saw q field of the maiz
Is miles long, the Pilgrim father
tound a 500-acre field when they land
ed at Plymouth, La Sale and Cham
plain encountered it in great guam
titles in Illinois and at Quebec. job
Smith mentioned 1t in his tales abou
the Virginia colony.
The Indians planted 1t with tis
In the rows to provide fertilizer, an
the early New England colonists ha
, law to keep dogs forelegs 50 tie
during the planting season that the
could not dig up the fish and thu
ruin the planting. One variety Of cor
was King Philips. grown down to re
cent times, So named after the India
chief who warred on the New Eng
landers in King Philips war.
Corn in Mummies' StOmachs
Dr.. Sheppard also called attentio
to the fact that the Incas of Per
grew corn. He devoted a CONSIDERABLE
portion OF his talk to what the ston
achs Of mummies have revealed, an
this is that corn was grown In Sout
and Central America and in Egyp
Some Of the corn thus found was nj
Of . high quality, but it was corn an
A. Vns of the dent variety. he SAT-