Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / April 21, 1911, edition 1 / Page 2
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l ''t'm JT Illinois Is Ahead in Absenteeism 1 I SYNOPSIS. Senator John Calhoun 13 Invited to be come secretary of state In Tyler's cab inet He declares that If he accepts Texas nd Oregon must be added to the Union. He sends his secretary, Nicholas Trist, to ask the Baroness von Rlt, spy of the British ambassador, Pakenham, to call at his apartments. While searching for the baroness' home, a carriage drives up and Nicholas is invited to enter. The occupant Is the baroness, and she asks Nicholas to assist in evading pursuers. Nicholas notes that the baroness has lost a slipper. She gives him the remaining slipper as a pledge that she will tell Calhoun what he wants to know regarding England's In tentions toward Metico. As security Nicholas gives her a trinket he intended for his sweetheart. Elisabeth Churchill. Calhoun becomes secretary of state. He orders Nicholas to Montreal on state business, and the latter plans to be mar ried that night The baroness says she will try to prevent the marriage. A drunken congressman whom Nicholas asks to assist In the wedding arrange ments sends the baroness' slipper to Elizabeth, by mistake, and the wedding Is declared off. Nicholas finds the baron ess in Montreal, she having succeeded, where he failed. In discovering England's Intentions regarding Oregon. She tells him that the slipper he had in his pos session contained a note from the attache of Texas to the British ambassador, say ing that if the United States did not an nex Texas within 30 days, she would lose both Texas and Oregon. Nicholas meets a naturalist. Von Rittenhofen, -who gives him information -about Oregon. The baroness and a Bvitish warship disappear from Montreal simultaneously. Calhoun orders Nicholas to head a party of set tlers bound for Oregon. Calhoun excites the Jealousy of Senora Tturrio and there by secures the signature of the Texas at tache to a treaty of annexation. Nicholas starts for Oregon. He wins the race over the British party. A British warship ar rives with the baroness as a passenger. She tells Nicholas that she placed a note in the slipper which caused the breaking off of his marriage, and that she intends to return to Washington to repai the damage she has done. Nicholas decides to follow, her. CHAPTER XXX. Continued. The captain stood at the head of the front team, his hand resting on the yoke as he leaned against the bowed neck of one of the oxen. The men and women were thin almost as the beasts which dragged the wagons. These lat ter stood with lolling tongues even thus early in the day, for water here about was scarce and bitter to the taste. So, at first almost in silence, we made the salutations of the desert. So, presently, we exchanged the news of east and west. There is to-day no news of the qual ity which we then communicated. They knew nothing of Oregon. I knew nothing of the east. A national election had been held, regarding which I knew not even the names of the candidates of either party, not to mention results. All I could do was to guess and to point to the inscrip tion on the white top of the foremost wagon: "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!" "Is Polk elected?" I asked the cap tain of the train. He nodded. "He shore is," said he. "We're comin' out to take Oregon. What's the news?" My own grim news was that Oregon was ours and must be ours. I shook hands with a hundred men on that, our hands clasped in stern and silent grip. Then, after a time, I urged other questions foremost in my own mind. Had they seen a small party east-bound? Yes, I had answer. They had passed this light outfit east of Bridger's post There was one chance in a. hundred they might get over the South pass that fall, for they were traveling light and fast, with good animals, and old Joe Meek was sure he would make it through. The women? Well, one was a preacher's wife, another an old Gyp6y, and another the most beautiful woman ever seen on the trail or any where else. Then they began to question me re garding Oregon. How was the land? Would it raise wheat and corn and hogs? How was the weather? Was there much game? Would it take much labor to clear a farm? Of course it came to politics. Yes, Texas had been annexed, somehow, not by regular vote of the senate. There was some hitch about that. My leader reckoned there was no regular treaty. It had just been done by Joint resolution of the house done by Ty ler and Calhoun, Just in time to take the feather out of old Polk's cap! The treaty of annexation why, yes, it was ratified by congress, and everything signed up March 3, Just one day be fore Polk's Inaugural! Polk was on the warpath, according to my ejaunt leader. There was going to be war as sure as shooting, unless we got all of Oregon. "Do you seen that writin' on my wagon top?" asked the captain. "Fifty Four Forty or Fight. That's us!" And so they went on to tell us how this cry was spreading, south and west, and over the north as well; al though the Whigs did not dare cry it quite so loudly. And so at last we parted, each the better for the information gained, each to resume what would to-day seem practically an endless journey. Our farewells were as careless, as confi dent, as Lad been our greetings. Thou sands of miles of unsettled country lay east and west of us, and all around u, our empire, not then won. I made the Journey across the South jsfiss, the snow being now beaten down a the trails more than usual by the weEt-bound animals and vehicles. Of all these sow coming on, none would &t farther wat that Fort Hall that vvnicrR. or the MiyiIPPI BUBHJU5 IlLTOTRATI 0N riAGNUj O.HJETX1 'Fifty-Four Forty or year. Our own party, although over the Rockies, had yet the plains to cross. I was glad enough when we staggered into old Fort Laramie in the midst of a blinding snowstorm. Winter had caught us fair and full. I had lost the race! Here, then, I must winter. Yet I learned that Joe Meek had outfitted at Laramie almost a month earlier, with new animals; had bought a little grain, and. under escort of a cavalry troop which had come west with the wagon train, had started east in time, perhaps, to make it through to the Missouri. In a race of 1,000 miles, the baroness had already beaten me al most by a month! Further word was, of course, now unobtainable, for no trains or wagons would come west so late, and there were then no stages carrying mail across the great plains. There was nothing for me to do ex cept to wait and eat out my heart at old Fort Laramie, in the society of In dians and trappers, half-breeds and traders. The winter seemed years in length, so gladly I make its story brief. It was now the spring of 1S46, and I was in my second year away -from Washington. Glad enough I was when in the first sunshine , of spring I started east, taking my chances of getting over the plains. At last, to make the long journey also brief, I did reach Fort Leavenworth, by this time a five months' loser in the trans continental race. As to the baroness, she had long since left Fort Leavenworth for the east. I followed still with what speed I could employ. I could not reach Washington now" until long after the first buds would be out and the creep ers growing green on the gallery of Mr. Calhoun's residence. Yes, green also on all the lattices of Elmhurst mansion. What had happened there for me? CHAPTER XXXI. The Payment. What man seeks in love Is woman; what woman seeks in man is love. Houesaye. When I reached Washington it was Indeed spring, warm, sweet spring. In the wid-e avenue the straggling trees were doing their best to dignify the city, and flowers were blooming every where. Wonderful enough did all this seem to me after thousands of miles of rude scenery of bare valleys and rocky hills, wild landscapes, seen oft en through cold and blinding storms amid peaks and gorges, or on the drear, forbidding plains. . Used more, of late, to these wilder scenes, I felt awkward and still half Bavage. I did not at once seek out my own friends. My first wish was to get in touch with Mr. Calhoun, for I knew that so I would most qickly arrive at the heart of events. He was away when I called at his residence on Georgetown Heights, but at last I heard the wheels of his old omnibus, and presently he i entered with his usual companion. Dr. Sam uel Ward. When they saw lAe there, then indeed I received a greeting which repaid me for many Jth!cg3! Fightl That's Us!' This over, we all three broke out in laughter at my uncouth appearance. I was clad still in such clothing as I could pick up in western towns as I hurried on from the Missouri east ward; and I had as yet found no time for barbers. "We have had no word from you, Nicholas," said Mr. Calhoun presently, "since that from Laramie, in the fall of eighteen forty-four. This is in the spring of eighteen forty-six! Mean time, we might all have been dead and buried and none of us the wiser. What a country! 'Tis more enormous than the mind of any of us can grasp." "You should travel across it to learn that," I grinned. "Many things have happened since you left. You know that I am back in the, senate once more?" I nodded. "And about Texas?" I began. "Texas is ours," said he, 6millng grimly. "You have heard how? It was a hard fight enough a bitter, sel fish, sectional fight among politicians. But there is going to be war. Our troops crossed the Sabine more than a year ago. They will cross the Rio Grande before this year is done. The Mexican minister has asked for his passports. The administration has ordered Gen. Taylor to advance. Mr. Polk is carrying out annexation with a vengeance. Seeing a chance for more territory, now that Texas is safe from England, he plans war on helpless and deserted Mexico! . We may hear of a battle now at any time. But the war with Mexico may yet mean war with England. That, of course, en dangers our chance to gain all or any of that great Oregon country. Tell me, what have you learned?" I hurried on now with my own news, briefly as I might, I told them of the ships of England's navy waiting in Oregon waters; of the growing suspi cion of the Hudson bay people; of the changes in the management at Fort Vancouver; of the change also from a conciliatory policy to one of half hos tility. I told them of our wagon trains going west, and of the strength of our frontiersmen; but offset this, justly as I might, by giving facts also regarding the opposition these might meet. "Precisely," said Calhoun, walking up and down, his head bent. "Eng land i3 preparing for war! How much are we prepared? It would cost us the revenues of a quarter of a cen tury to go to war with her to-day. It would cost us 50,000 lives. We would need an army of 250,000 men. Where is all that to come from? Can we transport our army there in time? But had all this bluster ceased, then we could have deferred this war with Mexico; could have bought with coin what now will cost us blood; and we could also have bought Oregon without the cost of either coin or bloo. Delay was what we needed! All cf Oregon should "have been ours!" "But, surely, this is not all news to you?" I began. "Have you not seen the Baroness von Ritz? Has she not made her report?" "The baroness?" queried Calhoun. j "That stormy petrel that advance agent of events! Did she indeed sail with the British ships from Montreal? Did you find her there in Oregon?" "Yes, and lost her there ! She started east last summer, and beat me fairly in the race. Has she not made known her presence here? She told me she was going to Washington." He shook his head in surprise. "Trouble now, I fear! Pakenham has back his best ally, our worst antagon ist." ' "That certainly is strange," said I. "She had five months the start of me, and in that time there is no telling what she has done or undone. Surely, she is somewhere here, in Washing ton! She held Texas in her shoes. I tell you she holds Oregon in her gloves to-day!" I started up, my story half untold. "Where are you going?" asked Mr. Calhoun of me. Dr. Ward looked at me, smiling. "He does not inquire of a certain young lady " "I am going to find the Baroness von Ritz!" said I. I flushed red under my tan, I doubt not; but I would not ask a word regarding Elizabeth. Dr. Ward came and laid a hand on my shoulder, "Republics forget," said he, "but men from South Carolina do not. Neither do girls from Maryland. Do you think so?" "That is what I am going to find out." "How, then? Are you going to Elm hurst as you look now?" "No. I shall find out many things by first finding the Baroi'ess von Ritz." And before they could make further protests I was out and away. I hurried now to a certain side street, of which I have made mention, and knocked confidently at a door I knew. The neighborhood was asleep In the warm sun. I knocked a second time, and began to doubt, but at lasr, heard slow footsteps. There appeared at the craclc of the door the wrinkled visage of the old serving woman, Threlka. I knew that she would be there in precisely this way, because there was every reason in the world why it should not have been. She paused, scanning me close ly, then quickly opened the door and allowed me to step inside, vanishing an was her wont. I heard another step in the half-hidden hallway be yond, but this was not the step which I awaited; it was that of a man, slow, feeble, hesitating. I started forward as a face appeared at the parted cur tains. A glad cry welcomed me in turn. A tall, bent form approached me, and an arm was thrown about my shoulder. It was my whilom friend, our ancient scientist, Van Rittenhofen! I did not pause to ask how he hap pened to be there. It was quite natur al, since it was wholly impossible. I made no wonder at the Chinese dog Chow, or the little Indian maid, who both came, stared, and silently van ished. Seeing these, I knew that their strange protector must also have won through safe.' "Ach Gott! Gesegneter Gott! I see you again, my friend!" Thus the old doctor. "But tell me," I interrupted, "whre is the mistress of this house, the Baroness von Ritz?" He looked at me in his mild wny. "You mean my daughter Helena?" Now at last I smiled. His da'ighter! This at least was too incredible. He turned and reached behind him to a little table. He held up before my eyes my little blanket clasp of shell. Then I knew that this last and most impossible thing also was true, and that in some way these two had found each other! But why? What could he now mean? "Listen now," he begam, "and I shall tell you. I wass in the street one day. When I walk alone, I. do not much no tice. But now, as I walk, before my eyes on the street, I see what? This this, the Tah Gook! At flrSt, 1 see nothing but it. Then I look up. Be fore me iss a woman, young and beau tiful. Ach! what should I do but take her in my arms!" "It was she; it was " (TO BE CONTINUED.) Fine Growth of Potatoes. A remarkable potato has attracted some attention at Annbank, in Ayr shire, Scotland. Amongst some rose bushes which Mr. Morran. the station master, got from France, one potato plant appeared, which he allowed to come to maturity. When it was dug in the autumn of last year It wa3 found that there were lit the root 4S potatoes which weighed fully 14 pounds. The potato Is cf fine quality, with shallow eyes and a beautiful skin. As He Understood It. Jason Juby (telling of his trip to New York) An' another interestin sight wuz them there curb brokers doin' business. Hiram Whiffle Seems to me I onca heerd tell uv them fellers what do they do? Jason Juby Why, they buy all the seats In the stock exchange and then sell 'em again to suckers at a dollar er two higher price.--Ill,israte'l Su& day Magazine. I 1 THINK rrs FIERCE to HAVE TO CO TO wlSHINC ones SALARY IT .CHOlll D BE SENT TO im An'ih- CLU06 MILACE WASHINGTON. Illinois still holds the national championship for long distance statesmanship in con gress. The complete . congressional record for the last session just issued establishes the state's claim to this distinction beyond any doubt. No other delegation even approach es the mark set by llllnois in the num ber of congressmen absent at all times, the number of roll calls missed by each and the total number of days each was away during the session. While none of the Illinois represen tatives achieved the distinction of rep resenting his district without once ap pearing at the capital, there were sev eral who outdid all former feats and approached remarkably close to this goal. Unfortunately they were handi capped by the provision of the law for the payment of mileage. A member may draw his salary of President Loves (61 IFE is a jest, and all things show L it: I thought so once, and now I know it." sang the poet Gay; and although the president appreciates the necessity of upholding the dignity of the chief exec utive, still,, like Oliver Cromwell, he "loves an innocent "jest." He was to attend a fashionable ba zaar held at the New Willard for sweet charity's sake, andjtarted out accompanied by Capt. Butt and two secret service guards, Messrs. Sloan and Wheeler writes Joe Mitchell Chap pie in the National. The party was cordially welcomed by the reception committee, and were about to be permitted to enter the hall when the president whimsically de cided to pay his way in like the other patrons of the charity. Walking up to a desk where the tickets were on sale, he inquired: "How much are the tickets?" . &55 f I n TO I 6,Y J rra I in: Jha As Breeding Ground for Alaska ft IU. DIE IF THEY SEflD ME TO A LASH - IT MUST BE AWFUL COL.D UP THERE N odd plan is on foot to make the Colorado mountains a 'sort of prov ing ground for agriculture in Alaska. Of course, there are a good many kinds of agriculture in Alaska that do not need proving. They are al ready an established success, both scientifically and commercially. Hun dreds of tons of potatoes, oats and cab bage are grown and sold in the terri tory each year and there are a dozen other successful crops. But Alaskan nights are too cool to mature string beans and corn, for instance, and the question is whether hardy, cold-restraint varieties could not be produced by selective breeding that would give Alaskans all the fresh luxuries from their garden that the states have. There are farms in the Colorado mountains near Denver that have an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet and the conditions at this altitude in Col orado are almost identical with condi Lack of Horses NEVER. WAS)1 VERY ANXIOUS TO JOIN THE ARMY -THEY SHOULD USE AUTOS J ARMY officers and- department of agriculture experts are uneasy over the lack of proper horses in the coun try for use of the cavalry and artillery in case of war. A comprehensive report on the sub ject has been published by the bureau of animal industry of the war depart ment. It appears that there is much trous,e in finding suitable horses for the army in time of peace, to say noth ing cf the demands that would be made in case of war of any magni tude. In this country now are about 23, 000,000 horses. It would seem that out of this number there would be an ample r"'nber for the equipment of the cavalry and for artillery and other army uses In case of war, but in an article on breeding horses for the United States army, prepared by Capt. Casper H. Conrad of the Third r k a 1 j t r&?j 0 y V $7,500 a year, his $1,500 allowance for clerk hire, and $125 for stationery without coming to Washington, but it is necessary for him to appear at least once in order to receive his traveling allowance of 20 cents a mile. It is doubtful if an absolutely per fect record of nonattendance ever will be made even by one of the Illinois champions, unless this irksome re quirement of the mileage provision should be modified. The generous al lowance makes it a real object for a congressman to come to Washington at least once each session. Unsophisticated persons may' sup pose representatives who attend a ses sion of congress only a few days of the entire period refrain, as a matter of propriety, from drawing their en tire salary, or perhaps return it to the treasury. For the lpformation of such he it stated the cashier in the office of the sergeant at arms was asked if any member of the house had not drawn his salary for the last congress or had refunded it for any reason. "Members of the house refund sal ary!" exclaimed the official. "Never knew it to happen, and I've been here sixteen years." Innocent Jest "Two dollars," replied the young lady in charge sweetly. Plunging into his spacious trousers' pocket, the presidential right hand brought forth two one dollar bills, which he passed to the ticket seller, and nodding to his trio of companions, he entered the hall. "Lend me two dollars, Jack," whis pered Captain Butt to Wheeler, "left my money at home." "So did I," mourned Wheeler. (The party were attired in dress suits.) "Never mind, I'll take care of you both," hastily offered JImmie Sloan, with becoming magnanimity. The others breathed a sigh of relief as he approached the desk. "Three tickets, please," he announced calmly, produc ing a crisp five-dollar bill. "Another dollar, please," gently re marked the young lady at the booth. "Another dollar! H how m much did you say those tickets were?" de manded James. "Two dollars each." Jimmle was blushing a rosy red when Wheeler came to the rescue. A passing bell-boy was taken by the collar and a few of the morning's tips were removed from his inside pocket. Then four silver quarters were placed triumphantly upon the table, and the three passed inside. tions at 1,000 feet elevation near the arctic circle. That is the days are warm and sunshiny, but the nights are almost cold even in summer, while the severe winters are apt to kill all but the hardiest perennials A bill was recently introduced into congress for the establishment of just such work in Colorado and also for experiments that would breed drought resistant vegetables for the desert. The methods employed in this ex perimental work are exceedingly in teresting. If for instance, it was de cided to find a wheat that would ma ture in a very cold climate like that in the hill country north of the arctic circle, this is how it would be done: First, the hardiest seed of all the har diest varieties would be obtainable from Russia, Scandinavia, Canada and Alaska. Then it would be planted in a place where it would be unlikely to mature. There might be just one stalk that, from some mysterious strain of breeding or force of circumstance, would stand unharmed by the autumn frosts. Its seed would be treasured and the next year each grain would be carefully planted and guarded so that the strain should be increased, and still further and severer tests made on it until it was so hardened that a full annual crop was assured. Alarms Officers airy and published by the department of agriculture, doubt is expressed on the subject. The army type is said to be scarce and hard to obtain. Capt. Conrad recommends legis lation by the states generally to pre vent the breeding of unsound horses. In 1908 the government established the system of remount depots for the army. Under this system the govern ment buys the horse young, at three to four years old, hd after breaking them issues them to the troops. This system has been found preferable to purchasing the animals when matured. But what the army officers want, and also the department of agriculture, is a system of government supervision of the breeding of horses for the army. Chief George M. Rommel of the ani mal husbandry division of the bureau of animal industry,' has devised a plan whereby from 2,000 to 2,500 well-bred animate would be available for the army every year. This would about supply the demands in time of peace. It is proposed to divide the country into four districts and to rear Mor gana, thoroughbreds, standardbreds and saddlers. In time the best type ..would be discovered. f l)
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
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April 21, 1911, edition 1
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