!
TO KEEP LICE FROM POULTRY-
m
m&0& aw 7 II ri 1 f i J I V
V
HE past few months have wit
nessed political changes in
China that are fraught with
grave import for the people
of the most populous country
on the globe. At the same
time there has been working
to a culmination another evo
lution in public affairs that
holds almost as much signifi
cance for the inhabitants of
the Orient as does the up
heaval of the machinery of government. This
;late development is a crusade to free the
;Chinese, and, incidentallly, other peoples of
the world, from the bondage of the opium
habit which has for so many years been a
drag upon their intellectual and material
progress.
We, as Americans, must feel an especial
pride and interest in this breaking of the
grip of the deadliest drug habit because it
has been brought about largely through the
effort of the United States. Or, in other
words, Uncle Sam set the ball rolling. At
first the movement simply had as its object
the banishment of opium from China, but
gradually the scope of the anti-opium "mis
sionary work" expanded until it embraced the
whole world every section of the globe where
the use of opium has become a habit and
finally within the past few months the fight
against the evil has been expanded in scope
until it embraces prohibitive or restrictive
action not only against opium, but also against
morphine, cocaine, and, in short, all habit
forming drugs.
The fight against the opium evil, with Un
cle Sam as the chief aggressor, has been
going on steadily for some years past but it
Is only now on the eve of complete success
that it has come to attract attention from all
classes of the community. From the time
when Chinese began to settle in the United
States, bringing with them, many of them,
their love of opium smoking it was realized
that the evil was one the menace of which
would sooner or later be brought home to our
people particularly those residingon the Pa
cific slope and in the western section of the
country where the bulk of the Mongolians
settled.
However, it was only after Uncle Sam came
mto possession of the Philippines, following
the Spanish-American war, that our public
men and government officials were thoroughly
aroused to the necessity of grappling with the
problem. In the Philippines our people found
great numbers of Chinese who were confirmed
opium smokers, and, worse yet, they were
rapidly teaching the destructive habit to the
natives of the islands. There was much agi
tation of the subject both In the Philippines
end here in the United States and the up
shot of the matter was that the congress of
the United States passed laws prohibiting the
Importation of opium into the Philippines
except for medicinal purposes. From that mo
ment there was a marked improvement of
conditions.
The example of Uncle Sam's action and the
complete success which attended it, awakened
China to her own need and gave hope of a
solution. The progressive men of China were
deeply moved by the spectacle of another na
tion (and one that had always been tradi
tionally friendly to China) combating at tbe
Tery doors of the Orient with an evil that
was realized by all thinking men to be sap
ping tho life blood of a large share of Asia's
population. The result was a strong anti
opium movement in China and out of this
grew a direct appeal to then President Roose
relt from representatives of missionary so
cieties in the Far East and from commercial
organizations and institutions in the United
States. It was the plea of these various in
terests that the United States government,
considering its historical attitude in regard to
the opium traffic In the Orient, should take
the initiative in assisting China to secure the
prohibition of that traffic.
This was In the year 1904, but it was a
couple of years later that definite plans were
made for an International concert of action
In the matter. Tn that year Bishop Charles
H. Brent of the Philippines, who was, natur
ally, in a position to appreciate the havoc
wrought by opium, wrote V President Roose
velt appealing to him "to promote some move
ment that would gather in its embrace repre
sentatives from all the countries where the
itrafflc in and the use of opium is a matter of
moment." Thereupon President Roosevelt
had his secretary of state. Mr. Eiihu Root,
Cpen up correspondence with all the powers
having possessions In the
Far East to ascertain if It
would not be possible to
form a distinguished inter
national commission that
would study the opium
problem as It then appeared
in the quarter of the globe
where it had proven the
greatest menace, and would,
further, report the wisest measures for better
ing the situation.
It required a year and a half of letter writ
ing, back and forth, before the governments
concerned could be Induced to meet each
other on a common basis. In explanation of
this reluctance it may be pointed out that a
number of the countries, notably Great Britain,
and her colonies, France, Holland and Siam,
derive large revenues from the opium traffic,
and in some instances opium production
is a government monopoly. . Should the
traffic in opium be virtually abolished, aa
it is likely to be in time, these various powers
stand to lose revenue to the enormous aggre
gate of one hundred million dollars a year.
No wonder they hesitated. However, in the
end the common cause cf humanity tri
umphed and it was arranged that an Interna
tional opium commission should be created.
Thl3 commission, which took up its work at
the city of Shanghai, China, early in the year
1909. discussed all phases of the moral, eco-
nomic, scientific and political aspects of the
opium problem, not only &b existing in the
Far East but throughout the world. The out
come of the gathering was the unanimous
adoption of a series of recommendations in
which the delegates and experts assembled,
strongly urged that their respective countries
take action in three matters, namely an
overhauling by each nation of its own regu
lations with reference to the opium traffic;
the adoption of measures for the suppression
of opium smoking, and, finally, the enforce
ment of restrictions upon the manufacture
and sale of morphine.
The experts of the different nations having
agreed upon the measures that ought to be
taken to curb the evil, it was up to the United
States, she having Inaugurated the project,
to make the next move in the matter. This
she did with no loss of time. Our officials
wrote to the various powers suggesting that
they get together and take action on the
recommendations that, had come from Shang
hai. In other words, it was suggested that as
a sequel to the earlier effort there should
now be international co-operation for the plac
ing of the production and traffic in opium un
der International law.
The culmination of the long fight is now in
sight. An international conference was held
recently at the Hague, the capital of the
Netherlands, to arrange for measures that
will put up the bars against opium and other
habit-forming drugs all over the world. Many
of the men who attended the Shanghai con
ference were appointed by their respective
governments to represent them at The Hague.
The power and significance of the two gath
erings was vastly different, however. At the
Shanghai conference those in attendance
could only advise and recommend. At The
Hague conference the delegates were empow
ered by, their respective governments to agree
upon definite measures. After prolonged ses
sions, measures were decided upon which, It
is expected, will fully carry out and put Into
effect the objects of the conference. These
measures will be reported to the various gov
ernments represented, to be followed by legis
lative action on the part of their law-making
bodies putting into execution the regulations
agreed upon. This is supposedly a mere mat
ter of routine, as all the powers have given
their promise.
Foremost of the regulations agreed upon
are those for uniform national laws and regu
lations to control the production, manufacture
and distribution of opium and its derivatives.
Almost as important will be the regulation
by the universal postal union of the transmis
sion of opium through the mails. Going yet
further in the direction of complete control
will be the restrictions that are to be placed
upon the cultivation of the poppy, from which
opium is derived, and limiting the number of
ports through which the drug may be shipped
by opium-producing countries. There was
adopted also uniform marks of identification
for packages containing opium In Interna
tional transit.
The nations that are interested in this
world-wide crusade and were represented at
the conference include the United States,
China, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, The Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Rus
sia and Siam. Some of the other powers,
notably Austria-Hungary, were not directly
represented because they are not much affect
ed by the opium evil, but they have given as
surance that they will abide by the regula
tions which have been agreed upon by the
conference. When the international confer
ence vas first proposed, China showed her
intense interest by appointing a strong dele
gation including such progressive men as Dr.
Yen, who was educated in American colleges
and is In sympathy with American ideas and
ideals. .
CALIFORNIA TREASURE 'STORY
The story of a wound received in the Civil
war which sealed the hiding place of a fortune
for more than half a century and of a strange
trick of fate which cleared the hider'-s memory
in the evening of life wa3 brought to Los An
geles by the hider's son, J. K. Anderson of
New Orleans, who is at the Van Nuys en route
to the old placer mining fields of California,
says the Los Angeles Herald.
Anderson's father joined in the gold rush
and was ono of the miners of the "49 days. He
located a claim in Placer county, near Auburn
and Newcastle. Within a year he had snatched
from the river bottoms a fortune. Then the
call of the south for volunteers reached him.
He buried the gold beneath the adobe blocks
of a tavern in the vicinity of his claim,
strapped all the precious substance he could
carry about his body and hurried to Join the
Confederate army. , '
Anderson says that his rather was struck in
an engagement with the Union troops by a
bullet which tore open his scalp and robbed
him of his memory for fifty years. During that
time, the son says, the parent was like a child
with all knowledge of the hiding place of the
gold gone. Before he died, a year ago, his
memory of the gold rush returned to him and
he was living again in the past that preceded
his part In the conflict.
It was during these last moments that the
old man told his son and the mother where he
had buried what he claimed was a fortune.
The son is hurrying to unearth If possible
the buried treasure. Anderson said:
"My father said he buried the gold under a
corner of an old adobe tavern patronized by
the miners in the early days. This tavern was
in Long valley at a point halfway, I have
learned, between the present towns of Newcas
tle and Auburn. I have learned through corre
spondence that a family by the name of Scott
occupies the tavern as a farmhouse and that
the country around It is devoted to the rais
ing of citrus fruits.
"No one has disturbed the original lines of
the building.' The adobe blocks are heavy. 1
have obtained permission from the owners to
prosecute my search and will give them a
share of my findings. Otherwise I would have
to buy the property."
Anderson is a civil engineer. He was en
gaged by the government for some time In
work on the Panama canal, but has left his
employment to search for the treasure which
he maintains his father has hidden in the old
placer mining fields of California.
Trained Nurse Who Snores
"In all those months I was in the hospital
somebody ought to have warned me, 1 think,"
said the trained nurse, according to the New
York Times. "Of course 1 had it from the
folks at home that I snored a little, but I never
took it seriously until I went on my first case.
I found then that It is a serious matter for a
nurse to snore.
"I took the case from a nurse whose own
health had broken down. The patient was
nervous and excited over the contemplated
change, and that made my ordeal more se
vere; a brand new case of my own would have
been much easier. Still, we got along fairly
well together the first half of the night. He
was a kindly man, and soon after midnight he
insisted that I should try to get some sleep.
I didn't think I'd catch a wink, but by and
by I dozed off. It was a fatal sleep for me.
The next morning the patient's sister told me
about the snoring.
" 'James could not rest at all,' she said. I
heard you In the next room.'
"Before night I was looking for another job.
Of course I did not have to give up nursing
entirely, but the hard cases, where I am re
quired to keep awake every second, are open
to me. All those soft snaps that give you a
chance to sleep half the night are beyond th
reach of the snoring nurse."
Unintentional Truth.
" "The latest agony," said a spendthrift to his
dissipated companion, "is the way I felt this,
morning. My wife asked me for a 10 note
and I cut the matter short by telling her that it
could not be done, for the simple reason that
I had only a matter of 5 bob or so in my
pocket. , .
" 'I knew you'd tell me that,' she said, 'and
it's true, too.' And as I looked up In amaze
ment she added, T looked In your pockets last
night. I've got the 10 note.'
"Fancy how I felt! But what could I do?"-r
London Tit-Bits.
Plausible.
"Braggs is up in Maine hunting. He writes
me that he's shot the biggest bear on record."
"Don't doubt it. It would have to be a mon
ster for Braggs to hit It." Boston Transcript
One of Most Difficult Problems That
Confronts Chicken Fancier
Proper Proceedure.
-(Ey It. G. WEATHERSTONE.)
One of the most difficult problems
which the poultry keeper has to meet
Is that of keeping hia poultry bouses
and stock reasonably free from lice,
mites and other external parasites.
. In keeping a poultry plant free
from lice there are two points of
attack: One, the birds themselves;!
the other, the houses, nest boxes,
roosting boards, etc.
In using any kind of lice powder on.
the birds themselves, it should always
be remembered that a single appli
cation of powder is not sufficient.
When there are lice present on a bird
there are always unhatched eggs of
lice ("nits") present, too. The proper
procedure is to follow up a first appli
cation of powder with a second at an
Interval of four days to a week. If
the birds are badly Infested at the
beginning it may be necessary to make
still a third application. To clean the
cracks and crevices of tho woodwork
First Prize Black Cochin.
of houses and nests of lice and vermin1
a liquid spray or paint is probably the,
most desirable form of application.
A splendid lice powder may be made
at a cost of only a few cents a pound
in the following way: Take three
parts of gasoline aad one part of crude
carbolic acid; mix these together and
add gradually with stirring, enough,
plaster of Paris to take up all the.
moisture. The liquid and the dry
plaster should be thoroughly mixed
and stirred so that the liquid will be
uniformly distributed through the
mass of plaster. "When enough plaster
has been added the resulting mixture
should be a dry, pinkish brown pow
der having a fairly strong carbolic
odor and a rather less pronounced, gas
oline odor.
Do not use more plaster in mixing
than is necessary to blot up the liquid.
This powder is to be worked into the
feathers of the birds affected with .ver
min. The bulk of the application
should be in the fluff around the vent
and on the ventral side of the body
and in the fluff under the wings. Its
efficiency, which is greater than that
of any other lice powder known to
the writer, can be very easily demon
strated by anyone to his own satis
faction. Take a bird that is covered
with lice and apply the powder in the
manner just described. After a lapse
of. about a minute, shake the bird,
loosening its feathers with the fingers
at the same time, over a clean piece
of paper. Dead and dying lice will
drop on the paper in great numbers.
Anyone who will try this experiment
will have no further doubt of the won
derful efficiency and value of this
powder.
For a spray or paint to be applied
to roosting boards, nest boxes or walls
and floor of the hen houses the follow
ing preparation is used: 3 parts of
kerosene and 1 part crude carbolic
acid. This is stirred np when used
and may. be applied with any of the
hand spray pumps or with a brush.
In both of these formulae it is highly
Important that crude carbolic acid
be used instead of the purified product.
Be sure and Insist to the druggist on
getting crude carbolic acid. It is a
dark brown, dirty looking liquid, and
its value depends on the fact that it
contains tar oil and tar bases tn ad
dition to the pure phenol (carbolic
acid).
Guineas In Winter.
The guinea fowl is a native of
xrarm countries and has a natural fear
of snow, so in the north when guin
eas are caught out in a snowstorm
there is a good chance for trouble if
we undertake to force them to walk
through snow to the poultry house.
The guineas will take to flight rath
er than wade in snow and rather than
light on the ground when covered
with snow they will light in trees, or
if there are no trees they will light
on the tops of buildings.
It Baves trouble to house the guin
eas as soon as it is apparent that
5 now will cover the ground and keep
them housed until the storm is past.
Dressing a Duckling.
The manager, of one of the largest
duck farms claims that an expert can
scald and dress a duckling in ten min
utes. -
-A