AN EMBARRASSING SITUATION.
o a o o d o a
1 Freaks of Tornadoes
ty Garrett P. Serviss
or the ChildrenJi
w I
T7j
HETHER the extensive irrigation of the Western plains has
had any effect upon the prevalence of tornadoes is an in
teresting question. At any rate, the tornado season is once
more at hand, and already two or three "twisters" have
performed their fatal work.
There are few natural phenomena better worth study
than these remarkable storms, and none that make a more
vivid impression upon the imagination of those who, half
paralyzed with fear, behold them at close quarters.
Inhabitants of the tornado belts have learned the habits of these fur
ious amuck-runners of the air and know how to get out of their tracks. Their
general direction of motion is north of cast, agreeing with that of the broad
er movements of the atmosphere. Their direction of whirl is from right to
left, which again accords with the regular motion of the atmosphere in all
storms in the northern hemisphere. This is a result of the earth's axial ro
tation, and could not be different as Ions as the circulation of the atmosphere
remains what it is. In the southern hemisphere, for the same reason, storms
revolve from left to right.
But a tornado has been known to split in two, one part revolving In one
direction. A striking example of this is found in John P. Finley's classic
work on the great tornadoes of 1879. On May 29, In that year, a terrible
tornado levelled the town of Irving In Kansas. In its track were a school
house and a church, standing 275 feet apart. As the inky black monster ap
proached it lashed the earth with two funnels, travelling side by side. An
observer noticed that these were whirling in opposite directions. The
whole phenomenon bore a likeness to a huge, awkward bird, tottering on its
legs, for first one funnel and then the other touched the ground, tearing
everything to pieces.
Beth the church and the schoolhouse were built ef heavy stone blocks.
Three ladies, overcome with terror, had taken refuse in the tower of the
church, which stood at a corner of the building. They saw the southern
funnel of the tornado strike the schoolhouse and whirl it into a conical ruin.
Almost at the same instant the northern funnel struck the church, which
went down like a card house. Dut amid the awful uproar the tower re
mained standing and the ladies were uninjured. Subsequent inspection
showed that the two buildings had been twisted in opposite directions.
The leaping of a tornndo is one of its most terrifying vagaries. Houses,
and sometimes whole towns, have been;saved by these sudden jumps of the
destroyed, the awful funnel descending on the farther side and ripping up
the very ground. Streams and ponds have been drunk dry to their beds by
a bounding tornado, which afterward deluged the neighborhood with the
water. It has been suggested that electricity plays a part in this leaping
motion of the funnel. It Is certain that terrible electric energies are at
work in or around a tornado.
,XmMmX
Cm0in by lterryman, in the Washington Star.
Why Investors
Are Disposed
To Support Proparly Supervised Monopolies
Fv Frank Jt. V inderltp President of the National
j'MjHKrxi ttfUV City lank of New York wWe 'e
REMARKABLE STORY OF A PLOT AGAINST ROCKEFELLER
HE clearness with which the public is coming to recognize
that its rights are safeguarded by monopoly, and then sub
jecting the monopoly to reasonable regulations, is a safe
guard which the Investor appreciates. An investor wants
in nut his nwmev in seonriries that have a wide market.
HWith I he creation of such issues investors will be satisfied
with a lower return, and the investment field which will
U observe this type of security will enormously broaden.
It seems to me that there are the strongest economic
reasons for c aaMung all companies into large ones. The utilization of the
great water powers now being so rapidly developed will tend for the com
bined management of the various large areas. The progress which is be
ing made In long distance transmission Is of the greatest importance in this
respect.
The tendency of the times, it soems to me, is distinctly In the direction
of recognizing the controlling character of the electric lighting business. We
are on the whole a very sensible people. We believe in business initiative,
and do not care to have great business enterprises retarded by red tape meth
ods. The public wants fair play, and is in a position to demand and get it.
The commission which demands fair and reasonable treatment of the con
sumer, and in return secures the corporation from piratical attack of com
petitors organized only to be brought out, will in the end prove a bulwark to
the security holder.
Given intelligent management, recounting which embraces ample charges
for service and fair rates which do not offer a fitld f"r legislative attack, I
see no reason why funds in the most ample supply should not be found to
absorb all the securities of this type that it is necessary to create.
k-ctcz--'
mtttmQ
Colleges Mast Be Modern
By President Woodrow IVition
of Princeton
i ;
BELIEVE in athletics. I believe in all those things which
relax energy, that the faculties may be at their best when
the enereieis Are not relaxed, hut onlv so far do I believe
J A in these diversions. When the lad leaves school he should
cease to be an athlete. The modern world is an exacting
one tuiu lliv uiing ll t'Aai is tuc uiiwuj iiiLeiiciuai.
A danger surrounding our modern education is the dan
ger of wealth. I am sorry for the lad who is going to in
herit money. I fear that the kind of men who are to share
fa shaping the future are not largely exemplified in schools and college?.
So far as the colleges go, the sideshows have swallowed up the circus
and we in the main tent do not know what is going on. And I do not know
that I want to continue under those conditions as a ringmaster. There are
more honest occupations than teaching if you cannot teach.
When once we have the gracious assistance of father and mothers we
shall educate their sons. Given that assistance, in a generation we will
change the entire character of American education. And it must be changed.
Schools like this one (St. Paul's) and universities like Princeton must pas
oat of existence unless they adapt themselves to modern life.
-
if
- l ' ,i I3fJ01
I ST tit
its.
ftZZJ
History
Cleveland, Ohio. A remarkable
story of a plot to kidnap or assas
sinate John i). Rockefeller was made
public here.
The story seems incredible, but
thorough Investigation by the New
York American's correspondent
shows:
That Ha; old Sawyer Smith, the
man who revealed the alleged plot, is
a mill owner of Minerva. Stark Coun
ty, Ohio, a man of means and whose
responsibility is vouched for by Chief
of Police V. H. Smith, of Canton.
That the police chiefs of several
Ohio cities have taken Mr. Smith's
story seriously.
That, necordlng to Mr. Smith, Mr.
Rockefeller himself declared his be
lief in Mr. Smith's narration.
One Principal, Two Hirelings.
The alleged plotters are three In
number, bo far as known, one prin
cipal avid two hirelings. Mr. Smith
says he overheard a conversation be
tween the hirelings at Alliance on
Sunday night and that they referred
to the man who hired them as "Bill,'
a man of money.
Mr. Smith, accomDanied by James
Siamberger, chief of the East Cleve
land police, told the story of the al
leged nlot to the master of the Stand
ard Oil in the Forest Hill living room.
Guards about the estate were doubled
and plans were made for what ap
pears to he a hasty departure for
Pocantlro Hills.
Mr. Rockefeller was scheduled to
speak that niht at the banquet of
the Men's Club of the Euclid Avenue
Baptist Clinch, known as Rockefel
ler's church. He had accepted the
invitation only last Friday. He failed
to appear, but sent word that he must
rack for his intended departure for
the East.
Mrs. Rockefeller, whoso Illness has
delayed the usual October start for
the East, was willing to attempt the
journey. She Is In better health than
for several months. When the party
of three Mr. Rockefeller, Mrr.
Rockefeller and the former's secre
tary boarded the private car Brook
line at the East 105th street station
of the New York Central Line at 3.45
o'clock this afternoon the little group
at the depot was half made up of de
tectives In plain clothes. Tho rct
of the Rockefeller party, contrary to
enctom, had been ssnt to the Union
sta: ion.
Dodges Camcrn at Depot.
Mr. Rockefellsr alighted from his
motor car for a moment
rapher aimed a camera at him. ano
he jumped into tho auto and ordered
it kept moving down the street at a
swift pace until the train's arrival.
Meanwhile a police search is being
made for the men described by Mr.
Syith. He told the story first to the
Canton police chief, was sent to Chief
Kohler. of Cleveland, and then to
Chief Stamberger, of East Cleveland,
who took him to Forest Hill. His
story follows:
"I was visiting in AUiarce Sunday.
About 8.45 p. m. I started for the
church to meet my brother. I walked
up a railroad track near the church
and stopped when 1 heard some one
talking in a dark shed. One voice
said :
" I don't see why wc came here
from Pittsburg. We might have
waited until to-morrow and gone to
Canton to meet Bill. We might as
will get our money for killing old
John D. We will get what Is coming
to us, whether we kill him or kidnap
him. Bill and the other fellow have
plinty of money and are willing to
pay well for putting old Rockefeller
out of the way.'
"I sneaked around to head the fel
lows off, to get a good look at them.
I stumbled as I was getting away, be
cause it was dark. They saw me, but
I hurried along and headed them off
around the next block. I had a good
look at both of them. They recog
nized me and remarked that they had
seen me before, but I hurried along
and paid no attention.
"Monday I went to Canton and told
Chief of Police H. W. Smith. I ex
pected to come to Cleveland Mondav,
and Chief Smith insisted that I tell
Chief Kohler. I saw him Monday
night. He took the matter up with
Chief Stamberger, in East Cleveland.
He was reatlv Interested.
"Stamberger insisted thai I accom
pany him to Forest Hill to tell John
D. just what I heard. I did not like
to. but consented when he insisted.
I told John D. just what I heard and
Rockefeller told mo he believed me
and asked that I remain in Cleveland
Tuesday to make identification in
r:i"ie arrests were made. I told htm
I was doing this for principle and re
fused when he offered to pay my ex
panses while in Cleveland. I am a
responsible man and did not come
here with an imaginary story for the
sake of notoriety or gain. I would
not have come here except that my
business called me here anyway. I
preferred to leave the matter in the
hands of the Canton police."
Bears a Good Reputation.
Canton, Ohio. Harold Sawyer
Smith bears a good reputation in Min
erva and Canton. Here he is known
to several lawyers and physicians who
vouch for his integrity. He is a man
of family, the son-in-law of Edward
Tillett, well-known lumber dealer.
with whom he lives one and one-half
l miles east of Minerva.
William H. Smith, foreman in the
Morgan Engineering Works, In Alll
1 ance. is the brother Smith wa3 visit
! ing Sunday. He also has a brother-
A photog-! in-law in Alliance, Montgomery Til-
lett. proprietor of a shooting gallery.
Chic Smith, of the Canton police,
has complete faith that Smith is. tell
ing the truth. "He was recommended
to me by A. H. Elliott, an attorney of
this city. He told his story in a
straightforward manner. In detail
It has not varied sine? it was first re
lated, although he has repeated it a
number of times. I am convinced he
is not drawing on his imagination.'
Smith returned to Canton full of
praise for Rockefeller. "He Is one of
the finest men I ever had the pleasure
of meeting," he said.
EIGHTY HUNTERS DIE THIS YEAR
Sy Ellis O. Jones
;f is a running account of how King Somebody-or-
ither did or did not get to a certain place, which no-
ever heard of. before King Somebody-else got there,
which we are usually supposed to conclude that it
would have made quite a difference whether he did of not
Like nearly everything else, history has two sides. The
History of the Garden of Bden depends upon whether it
la related by a man or a woman. The History of the
American Revolution reads quite different in English books
from the way It reads in our own books. The History of the Civil War de
' pen da upon which side of the Mason and Dixon Line you happen to be sitting
when you write it
History la a bore, not only because yon are unacquainted with the peo
ple who figure in it, but because it repeats Iteelf . From Life.
Chicago. In the hunting season
recently closed the number of dead
reached 80 and the injured 43. In
190S, 57 were killed; In 1907, 82,
and in 1906, 74. Wisconsin and
upper Michigan continue to furnish
the greatest number of victims.
Included In this year's fatal acci
dents are several well known men.
Dr. John R. More, surgeon for the
United States Steel Corporation, was
killed at Iron wood, Mich. H. L.
Bacon, also a physician, died from
an accident at New London, Wis., and
John G. Hoetzel, a real estate man of
Milwaukee, was killed on a hunting
trip.
Several cases were reported where
the careless marksmen angered other
hunters by firing at them, and were
themselves frightened by a return
fire. It is so. generally known In the
Wisconsin woods that any person who
is fired upon by mistake for a deer
will try to shoot the careless marks
man that the hunters are careful to
make no mistake In what they are
shooting at. Each year, however.
there is a new crop of city hunters,
who have to learn these dangers all
over, and it is these hunters who fre
quently cause the fatal accidents.
The majority of the victims were
shot by companions. The hunting ac
cidents of the season follow:
Killed
Arkansas
Illinois ,
Indiana: ,
Iowa : .
Kansas
Maine
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri ,
Nebraska
New Tork .
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania . .
Wisconsin
District of Columbia. .
Canada . . .
. ..'-.
Totals
Inj'd.
THE WATCH-CAT.
At night you gee me out on guard;
The watch-cat brave am I.
My tierce green eye, my pricked-up ears
iet no marauders oy.
There's not a wicked lightning-bug
Nor night-moth, howe'er rash,
Would dare my claws. I am so quid:
I'd have him in a flash.
And all the field-mice fear to pass
Within our garden gate.
Behind a tree, as still as death,
They know I lie in wait.
I crouch behind the shrubbery
Or pace the shadowy yard.
No fear this household ever feels
The watch-oat is on cuard.
-Rav Russell Jewell, in Youth's Com
panion.
MY TRIP TO MONTANA.
Formerly we lived in New Haven
but four weeks ago we moved to
Ekalaka, Mont. I am going to tell
you of my trip to Montana. On our
way we stopped at a town in Mich
lgan called Nlles. There a boy came
through the train and gave every
body a cut flower. At Kalamazoo
Mich., there were men at the train
who . sold large bundles of celery at
ten cents a bunch. After we left
Chicago our train ran beside the Mis
slssippi River for miles, and we saw
logging. Through the States of Wis
consin and Minnesota we saw little
houses sheltered by trees called wind
breaks. The ground was so level
we could look for miles, and the
houses looked like little islands, they
were so far off. Through the State
of South Dakota we saw so much
wheat and corn one would think ft
never could be used. We also saw
a harvesting machine drawn by four
horses hitched abreast. It cuts and
binds the wheat at the same time.
We arrived In Baker, Mont., on Mon
day morning. It will be the last of
the railroad that I will see for some
time, as my home is at Ekalaka, forty
miles Inland. Later I shall write and
tell you about the town of Ekalaka
and the staging in. Enola Comstock,
In the Now York Tribune.
and was act even willing to give away
the skim-mill:.
I have had many pet toads since,
but never one that showed the intel
ligence and affection that be did, al
though they all know more than peo
ple commonly credit them with know
ing. There are no better tenants for
a garden than these same despised
toads, for they pay their rent cheer
fully as they go along, destroying in
sects that it would be hard to keep
rid of without their aid. I have
"colonized" them there, by turning a
small box over a soft spot in a shady
place, first cutting a hole in one sido
for a door. If a partly tamed toad
is placed near such a be::, with plenty
of sugar sprinkled around to call
insects, he will seldom fail to ap
preciate and appropriate it. I never
had warts or suffered the slightest
discomfort from associating with my
friend, Mr. Toad. Suburban Life.
1
TO PUZZLE YOUR FRIENDS.
Though youeprobably have no de
sire to annoy your friends, we still
believe that you should try them with
this puzzle. This is enough to reduce
a person to a state of absolute frenzy,
and still the trick is simple enough
when you know how.
2 0
8 2
4 2
3 1
1 0
. 1 1
14 4
3 7
0 1
8 0
2 0
1 1
3 3
1 0
2
26 20
1 0
0 1
SO 43
How to Fi the Straws.
All you have to do is to give your
friend five straws, little sticks, two
pieces of cardboard, about three and
one-half Inches long, and a penny,
and ask him to lift the whole by
holding the tip end of one of the
straws. Most people try to balance
the penny on one straw and pile the
other four straws on top of the penny,
but they never succeed. The trick Is
explained In the picture. You can
easily do it If you try.
Pullman Company Ordered by Mex
ico to Get Rid of Americans.
Me: ico City. The Government has
notified the Pullman Company that it
must replace all of its American and
negro conductors and porters upon its
ears In Mexico with Mexicans as rap
idly as possible.
Some time ago an order was issued
that all conductors and porters upon
ears of this company operated upon
Mexican rrllroads must be able to
speak Spanish. The latest order of
Cotton Mills at Low Kbu
None in England on Full Time.
Manchester, England. In response
to a communication printed here, la
which there is recorded the general
disbelief in the United States that the
cotton mills here are being put on
short time, and instancing In support
thereof the large takings of the raw
material by the spinner, it is pointed
ont that this cannot be cited as a
gauge of the consumption.
The fact is the reduction la the
the Government is in line with the I consumption has been enormous. No
movement to Mexicanise the roads. J mill is OB full time.
THE SOCIABLE MR. TOAD.
I was sitting upon a low garden
seat when he made his first call, hop
ping to within five feet of me, then
stopping to look at me with beady,
questioning eyes, as if trying to as
certain what his welcome would bs.
I began humming a low cons, but
did not make a move. It happened
that was just the right thing to do
for toads are fond of low music
Nearer and nearer came Mr. Toad
until I could easily have reachad out
my hand and touched him, but I did
not stir. Then he stopped and Indus
triously began catching the flies which
had settled on a pile of hulls that I
had Just taken from the strawberries
Those flies disappeared as by magic,
so quickly did his long slender tongue
move.
Every morning, at the same hour,
I visited the spot, often sprinkling
sugar on the ground to lure the flies
and insects to their doom, and socia
ble Mr, Toad never failed to meet me.
Before a month had passed he had
learned to come at my signal one
long whistle and two short ones. At
the end of the second month he would
crawl Into my outstretched band and
permit me to carry him to the car
riage shed and hold him while he
caught flies from the windows. As I
said, he enjoyed music, If not too
loud, and his beady eyes would
sparkle whenever I struck into one of
his favorite tunes. He did not want
any doleful ones, and would show
his displeasure- by hopping away If I
began a slow, serious melody.
Often after eating a good meal, he
would climb into my lap, if I was
seatod upon the floor, and cuddle
down tor a map, like a well-fed kitten.
Although so very tame, and even af
fectionate with me, he was timid
when strangers came near, and would
then hide In my sleeve, in the folds
of ay dress, anywhere to get out of
sight
He grew fat and plump and yes
aristocratic He recognized his privi
leges and defended them. It another
toad ventured in sight, he would In
stantly chase it away, then return
and cuddle down near me in a funny,
triumphant w;.y. Like his human
FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW.
When nature spreads a clean sheet
under the drooping branches of the
cedars and among the naked trunks
In the open woods the northern in
habitants begin at once to imprint It
with records of their activity. Tho
squirrels must make new paths to
their stores of beechnuts buried deep
under the white covering. They can
move lightly over the soft snow but
a light track ends in a burrow where
a hiding place has been visited. The
snow packed deep on an adjacent log
and a few beechnut shells tell where
the visitor has enjoyed a meal. From
this the track proceeds with a leisure
ly lope, the hind feet covering the
marks of the fore feet, but a squirrel
does not long continue leisurely.
More extended leaps show a sudden
haste, and the widely separated hind
feet pass beyond tho crowded fore
feet at every bound.
Near the edge of tho cedar swamp-
the long, easy lope of a mink passes
down the sloping shore toward the
open expense of ice. The naked
woods and well padded rock3 are a
temptation to follow. The track
leads out over the Ice, the fore feet
and obliterating hind feet so close
together that they make but a single
impression. The course is toward an
air hole, a peculiarity of the ice on
the northern lakes, and on the way
the new trail of a fox is found cross
ing from shore to shore with math
ematical accuracy. The fox laid out
and followed a course across the lake
without deviation or curve, and his
short steps wero regulated with his
usual precision. The mink's tracks
lead with less regularity toward the
airhole In the ice, where without hes
itation he plunged In. Coming out,
he left tracas of mud on the ico and
snow. Evidently he dived to the bot
tom, and as he sat down with wet
coat before starting for the shore he
must have secured a clam, snail or
dead fish.
Near the shcre a Junco ha3 made
a diminutive imprint on the new page
by hopping among the scattered seeds
of the sliver birch. Sheltered by
crowded spruces on the shore, the
crooked trail of a partridge winds
through the snow. Such walking
must be laborious, for the bird's dis
tended toes sink deep down through
the Boft snow, and he wad.es and wad
dles alons, making a .deep groove
with his breast. This track starts
from the half filled hole In which he
alighted and probably spent part of
the night under cover. It was for
tunate the fo: did not ccme his way. .
Where the short, crocked track ends
thero are marks of the distended tail
feathers and the flapping wings that
noisily tooH the air. The long leap
of tho active hare Is seen more fre
quently than any other record cn the
new page. ,
Night is the time of forest a:tlv
Ity, and the snow thai continued to
fall till after dark recorded many im
precsicM before the gray of morning.
The hares had passed and repassed
elsewhere, the fox had pursued bis
solitary hunt for a sleeping partridge
or the fragments of some forest trag
edy. The partridge had risen from
his snug shelter under the snow and
tried a short walk before seeking a
breakfast of soft buds in the adjacent
birches. The mink has sought food
over the snow and under the ice.
And over it all the still moon looked
coldly down, lighting up the silent
expanse of the lake and tracing an in
finite tanglement of shadows under
the branches burdened with clinging
snow. Toronto Globe.
brothers, he wanted all tho cream. Press,
The Lady From Indiana
"Was she artistic?" asked an in
quiring person of Kin Hubbard, tho
Indianapolis epigram maker, who was
describing as Indiana genius.
"Artistic?" said Hubbard. "Waa
she artistic? I should say she waa
She was so artistic that one day,
when one of her peekaboo shirt waists
she had made herself fell Into the
pianola, they played two Beethoven
rhapsodies with it before they dis
covered their mistake." Saturday
Evening Post.
Polite Bat Suspicious.
Tieir table was against the wall.'
On the wall hung the hats and over'
eoat3 on big pegs.
"Why did you run after the man
so?" she asked, when he came back;
and sat down. "I thought he waa
awfully polite with his 'Pardon me.' "
"He was," he answered. "He said,
'Pardon me, may I get my hat?' polite
as you please. Then he was walking
quietly off with mtae." New Tcrk