A REAL PUBLIC SERVICE
Primary Election Returns Handled
Successfully by Southwestern
Telegraph & Telephone Co.
The Southwestern Telegraph &
Telephone Company, a public serv
ice corporation operating in Ark
ansas, is carrying out its function
by rendering a public service. In
the handling of the election returns
for the primary of March 27 the
16,000 miles of long distance wire,
extending to the nooks and corners
of the state, were placed at the
disposal of all the people at once.
The thousands of employes and
agents of the company were brought
into a close organization for the
express purpose of demonstrating
the uses to which such a facility as
the telephone may be put.
The standards of a great news
paper were applied to the means
for transmission of reports and the
gathering of returns. Every mana
ger and operator became a part
of the election return machine by
which the most isolated section
on Southwestern wires was made
co-ordinate with the great centers
of population. The telephone, say
officials of the company will event
ually eliminate any such thing as
isolation in Arkansas.
The work of handling election
returns was undertaken by Divis
ion Superintendent M. J. Stimson.
The state was divided into districts
with Jonesboro, I'ine Bluff, Helena,
Texarkana, Fort Smith, Fayette
ville and Little Kook as center
points for surrounding territory.
In Little Rock the central office
was located and there all returns
were gathered to be tabulated and
sent back in full to the places in
dicated for immediate distribution
to the section served by each.
Heretofore it has been practically
impossible to secure authentic elec
tion reports until long after the last
ballot had been deposited in the
box. Now every means of commu
nication has been harnessed to
meet the demand of every man who
cast a vote to discover the influ
ence of his choice.
It would be impossible to weld
such a machine into the absolute
perfection that may be attained in
subsequent elections as men and
women are trained by experience
to the work. Just as telephone
service in general can never attain
perfection until every subscriber
understands the operation of the
system, so these election reports
depend upon the co-operation ac
corded the Southwestern company
by the public.
The Southwestern company,
without cost, has arranged to pro
vide this information. Within the
last year the system of telephone
wires has been extended so as to
include practically every county
seat and center of population,
however small. The unification of
the telephone interests of the state
means that every one has been
brought within the zone of possi
ble personal conversation with
every one else.
1'nder the circumstances it is
possible for the Southwestern com
pany to handle election returns in
the manner described. Over the
telephone everything obtainable in
the way of election figures may be
received and transmitted.
Our entire election report was
furnished by the Southwestern
Telegraph & Telephone Co. and is
a tribute to the efficiency of their
organization in this initial effort
In reporting election results.
FARM BRIEFS.
A liberal use of paint means a
great deal to the farmer.
A new poultry roost is made of per
forated iron tubing which has been
soaked in a solution deauty to insect
life.
Young geese are not to be picked
the first year, unless you sell them
dressed, a very difficult tiling for the
novice to do.
The novice when selecting a ram
of the Downs or other hornless
breeds of sheep should be very care
ful not to select one with stubs—
miniature horns.
The temperature of cream for
churning should he 57 to 60 degrees.
We also churn about one-half hour.
When blitter comes before half an
hour it indicates too high tempera
ture of cream.
Fowls cured of roup must not be
used as breeders, however well they
look. They will do for market, or for
market eggs, but never breed from
them, as they will transmit the dis
ease to their offspring.
Spraying has come to be one of the
unescapable tasks of the agricultur
ist, whatever his particular line of
productive enterprise.
Scarcity of stock cattle of all kinds
and high prices asked and offered is
a common local condition reported
from the corn belt states.
The meadows look good for pasture
in the fall and early spring, but the
man who keeps his cattle off of them
always gets better crops of hay.
TO EXTEND WIRELESS
Chain of Stations to Cover s
Wide Radius.
Many Feats That Are Now Considere<
Unusual to Become Part of the
Ordinary Day’s Work of the
Service.
Washington.—The navy departmen
las drawn up plans for a chain o
wireless stations which will bring the
department Into aerial communlcatloi
with all Its ships wherever they maj
be, from the coast of West Africa ti
Chinese waters. Congress has beet
asked to appropriate $1,000,000 to es
tablish this system, which will be su
perior to any of the kind now in ex
istence In any part of the world.
The chain as planned will consist oi
seven stations. One already is undei
construction at Arlington, Va., across
the Potomac from Washington. Th<
others will be in the Canal Zone, ai
San Francisco, at Pearl Harbor, Ha
wall, another on the Island of Guam
the next on the island of Luzon In the
northern Philippines and the last or
Tuluila island, one of the American
Samoan islands.
The Washington station is expected
to cover the entire Atlantic coast with
a sending radius of 3,000 miles. The
station in the Canal Zone will cower
the Caribbean sea effectively, besides
being in touch with both Washington
and San Francisco. From the San
Francisco station communication will
be had with Pearl harbor, the Pearl
harbor will easily reach the Guam sta
tion, and the operator at Guam w ill be
able to talk to the man at the Luzon
station.
r rom i^uzon u is proposeu to control
all naval vessels in Japanese or Chi
nese waters. The station in the Sa
moan islands will cover the South Pa
cific. This station is especially de
sired because there is now no cable
at Tutuila island.
Each of these stations will be
equipped with 100 kilowatt generating
Apparatus. The design adopted for Ar
lington station, now being construct
ed, will be used, that is, three tall steel
towers with the antennae stretched be
tween them. The Arlington station
is to have one tower 000 feet high and
two towers 450 feet in height. It is
estimated that if $1,000,000 only is ap
propriated the other stations in con
templation will have only 450 foot tow
ers. If more money is granted by
congress 600 foot towers will be built
Each of these stations, it is expect
ed, will have a sending and receiving
radius of 3,000 miles. That is whai
the stations are expected to do regu
larly under fair conditions both daj
and night, as the sunlight absorbs tht
electric waves sent out from the sta
tlons. Communication over land it
more difficult than over salt water
yet IJeut. David W. Todd, the wireless
expert of the navy in charge of the de
partment's plans, is confident that reg
ular communication will be had direct
ly between the Washington and San
| Francisco stations. The distance to
j be thus covered is about 5.000 miles.
The navy now has wireless stations
| of comparatively low capacity at most
of the points where these powerful
stations are planned. On freak nights,
according to reports received at the
department, when atmospheric condi
tions are abnormally good the opera
tor at Mare Island, Cal., hears mes
sages being sent on the Atlantic coast.
This operator recently reported that
be heard the cruiser Salem calling the
auxiliary Prairie on the night of Jan
uary 7 and 8, when both ships were
searching for the destroyers lost in
the recent big storm. On the same
night this operator heard the operator
aboard the battleship Florida, then
near Galveston, Tex., sending. “Good
night." lie talked with the operators
at Colon and heard the Cape Cod sta
tions sending news to Europe. These
incidents, it is pointed out, are now
accidental with the present equipment
of the stations. It is confidently ex
pected, however, that if the proposed
chain of stations is authorized by con
gress such feats of long distance com
munication will be regular every day
occurrences.
Efforts are to be made soon to ob
tain the ratification of the treaty of
Berlin, to which all the leading na
tions except the I’nited States are
signatory, which contains certain pro
visions regarding international com
munication by wireless. As the Unit
ed States is not signatory to this
treaty, it is barred from sending a rep
resentative to the international wire
less conference in London this year,
at which there will be further discus
sion of members to be agreed upon by
the different nations for the use of
wdreless by the world's shipping. It
is the belief of both army and navy
wireless experts that the United States
and American shipping is handicapped
by not being a party to the treaty
and by its lack of representation at
the joint conference.
AGAINST EXTRAVAGANCE IN
DRESS.
Mrs. R. M. La Kollette Is a charm
ing woman personally and mighty sen
sible. She gets right down to bed
rock in the matter of dress. She is
always well dressed herself and so
delightful to meet that one never
stops to study what she wears. Many
women here absolutely depend upon
their clothes, for they have so little
in their heads that they are obliged
to wear costly raiment made in styls
if they attract any attention what
ever Mr La Follette Is starting ■
I crusade against extravagance in dress
I and every sensible woman will wish
j strength to her project. Mrs. La Fol
lette says:
“There is little use in fighting
against high prices of necessities if
1 women spend all the money they can
get for dress
“Women," she said recently, “think
they lower their prestige by wearing
I a gown for more than one season, no
matter how many they have. Many
feel that if they wear in the summer
hats bought in the spring they are
committing a social crime. That is
unreasonable, and women should come
; i to understand they are committing a
crime by their extravagance, and they
' should show their real American tnde
1 pendence by wearing their gowns and
hats as long as they look neat. It is
' time for a reform, and I think Ameri
can women should show their courage
and common sense by not being so ex
travagant."
PENROSE AS A HUMORIST.
A millionaire member of the house
from Pennsylvania gave a very elab
orate dinner and asked Senator Pen
rose to announce to the assembled
guests that carriages bad been ordered
to take everyone home after the din
ner.
Penrose made the announcement
with his usual calm solemnity and add
ed, as though this, too, were a sugges
tion from the host “For those who
are unable to use carriages, ambu
lances will be summoned."
What made this appear particularly
funny was that apparently Penrose
was merely making a statement he
thought the circumstances warranted.
He knew some of the more reckless
would drink too much and that in all
probability they would be more in
need of ambulances than carriages by
the time they were ready to go home.
Upon another occasion he was tell
ing about a state convention. Only
one man, he said, had compelled the
organization to pay out any money on
his personal account. This man had
declared himself in this manner:
"Penrose, either my expenses to this
convention will be paid, or I will vote
according to the dictates of my con
science.”
If Penrose thought this was a funny
story, he made no betrayal of the
fact.—Metropolitan.
WOULD MAKE MEMORIAL DAY
HOLY.
Patriotic women of the country are
trying to find out if there is not some
means by which congress can act in
the matter of making Memorial day,
ordinarily called Decoration day, a hol
iday of a different nature in some re
spects than that which it now presents.
The Woman’s Relief Corps of the
Grand Army of the Republic is par
ticularly interested in this matter.
The women do not like to have the
day given over largely to sports of all
kinds. They think the lighter side of
life has the ascendancy on a day which
they think should be made holy. There
is also a movement on to make the
southern Memorial and the northern '
Memorial day one and the same
It should be said that these matters i
probably are ones concerning which
congress is powerless to act. The fed- j
eral government cannot forbid ball j
games and horse races and other ;
sports on any day in the year except ;
possibly in territory over which the
i nited States has immediate control.
The states of the Union are laws
unto themselves in such matters as
these.
LARGE AMOUNT OF IMPEDIMENTS.
Lord Eustice Percy, an attache of
the British embassy in Washington,
has just returned from a vacation trip
through the "North countrie.” Lord
Percy brought back with him to the
American field a larger amount of im
pediments than was taken on to
Shrewsbury Field by his illustrious col
lateral ancestor, Hotspur. The observ
ing newspaper man who threw his
eye over the lord’s luggage says on his
written word that there were eighteen
trunks, and boxes innumerable, to say
nothing of gun cases and parapherna
lia, saddles, bridles and the like, for
"the great Chevy Chase fox hunts.”
Ix>rd Percy Eustice, as has been
said, is a collateral descendant of the
Northumberland Percys of the time of
Hotspur, Smith was the name of the
cousin family when It became heirs
to titles and lands, and instantly Smith
was lost in Percy. The Smithson who
founded the Smithsonian institution
was a blood relative of the Smiths who
became Percys. The Smithsonian in
stitution is the American monument to
the Percy family, although In a way
the man who founded it was not given
the right of family recognition The
Smithsonian institution stands and will
stand, and the Smithsonian name is as
secure in this country certainly as
the Percy name is In England.
Blissful Ignorance.
"Is Twofur highly aristocratic?”
"Unquestionably. Twofur Is not
aware that there are people In the
world who get up at five o’clock In
the morning.”
Long Enough.
Impatient Guest—See here, waiter,
how long Is that steak of mine go
ing to be?
Walter—About twelve Inches, sir.—
Judge.
Leap Year.
She—Will you marry me?
He—You will have to ask father
first.
She—1 did; but ha refuted me.—
Judge.
Millions of Seeds of Wheat
Produced.
Almost Unbelievable Fruitfulness Is
Vouched For by Professors of Bot
any—Age Seemingly Has no
Effect on Vitality.
M. Phllliparl, professor of botany. In
1842, cultivated at Versailles near
Paris, France, successfully 372 varie
ties, from combinations of the follow
ing standards: Five main kinds, one
Egyptian, two spelter wheat, three
Polish wheat, four single grain wheat,
five common bearded wheat, three
general kinds, hard, soft and Polish
ordinary,
M. Deslongchamps reported that he
counted 450 grains from one seed, and
that he also saw 152 stalks coming
from one grain.
Mr. Shaw of St. Loul^ received once
from a governor of anAlgerian prov
ince a plant of 80 stalks, and men
tions one of 120 stalks in possession
of a pasha of Egypt.
Sir Humphrey Davis mentions one
of 130 stalks.
Duharned speaks of two seeds each
that produced 140 stalks and 6,000
grains.
At Kerinon, near Brest, France, In
1817, 155 ears from one root were re
ported.
D'Albert, chief gardener of Louis
Philippe (1830-1848) reports of a plant
near Maules of 62 ears, with 2,240
grains.
The Chinese, by planhing single
seers, frequently obtain 20 to 30 ears
from one seed.
( harles Miller of the botanical gar
dens at Cambridge, England, In June,
1776, selected a grain ready to branch
out, pulled It up and August 8 divided
It Into 18 parts. Each was carefully
replanted, which sprouted again, and
In September were divided and re
planted, making 76 separate plants,
which went through the winter and
April and gave In all 500 plants, from
which came 71,109 ears, producing
47% pounds of grain, or, just think of
It, 4,768,040 seeds!
Sir William Symonds of Hampshire,
Fng’and, brought a few grains from
Thebes, Egypt, which must have been
about 3,500 years with the mummy
from which they were taken in his
presence. One seed only was planted
and it produced 15 stems, with more
than 1,600 grain.—By the Narrator.
Describes a Laugh.
What is a laugh?
Every one know^s what a laugh is,
but how many could describe it in
such a manner that one who has
never before heard a laugh would be
able to conceive what It is?
This was one of the questions asked
in a girl’s school, not a hundred miles
away from the city limits. In an ex
amination in one of the new-fangled
subjects recently adopted by colleges.
Most of the young ladies admit that
they "got theirs” on the question. One
young lady, however, who refused to
"lay down” to the question answered
it in the following language:
“A laugh is a peculiar contortion of
the human countenance, voluntary or
involuntary, superinduced by a con
centration of the external circum
stances, seen or heard, of a ridiculous,
ludicrous, jocose, mirthful, funny or
fanciful nature and accompanied by
a cackle, chuckle, chortle, cachina- |
tion, giggle, guffaw or roar.”
The Stoics.
"Mucianus made a great number of
remarkable statements to Vespasian
(A. D. 71) against the Stoics, as. for
Instance, that they are full of empty
boasting, and if one of them lets his
beard grow long, elevates his eye
brows. wears his fustian cap thrown
carelessly bartc and goes barefoot, he
straightway postulates bravely, right
eousness as his own. He gives him
self great air, though he may not un
derstand (as proverb says) either let
ters or swimming. They view every
body with contempt and call the man
of a good family a mollycoddle, the
111 born a dwarfed intellect, a hand
some person licentious, an ugly per
son comely, a rich man an apostle of
greed, and the poor man a servile
groveller.”—Dio’s Roman History.
The First Thimble.
There is a tradition that a Dutch
silversmith pondered over a certain
notion which he bad cherished long
and silently in the slow-working
senses which he deemed his brain—
a notion for a trinket, a fallal, for a
dignified lady of Holland. It must he
a useful trinket, albeit a costly one,
meet for so good a sempstress as
Dame Alice Van Rensselaer. When
the notion took definite shape, the
thing was quickly wrought in precious
metal by fingers as deft as the brain
was slow; and the industrious house
wife proudly wore not only her first
thimble, but the first tlmble possess
ed by any Dutch frau.—March Cen
tury.
Great Idea.
“Heard about the latest Insurance
scheme?”
“No; what is it?”
“Why. the company agrees to pay
alimony to both parties in case the
marriage turns out a failure."—Boston
Transcript.
Bad Sign.
Percy—I have reason to think my
wife has ceased to love me.
Harold—Is it possible?
Percy—Yes; she hasn't jumped on
me for nearly a week.
IN TOUCH WITH
FASHION
Slippers for Every
Gown—Rosettes of
Flowers — Jeweled
Buckles Worn with
Silk Hose of Quality
NEW YORK.—Since the days
when Cinderella won the
Prince, slippers have played a
part of vast Importance In the
feminine wardrobe, but the
footwear for evening this season sur
passes everything in elegance that pre
vious seasons have brought forth.
The jeweled or beaded motif of one's
gown is repeated in the slipper. When
ever it is possible, slippers are made
of the same material as the gown. A
pair in the process of making on view
in a shop the other day was of dull
brocaded pieces from the gown it was
to be worn with. A woman was deft
ly sewing iridescent beads of the
same colors on the toe. The tongue
came up on the Instep, with a winged
effect. The beaded design covered
the tongue, thus doing away with ros
ette or bow. A high Louise Quinze
heel completed this dainty affair.
Evening Slippers in Satin.
The favorite material for evening
slippers is satin, either embroidered
or beaded. Satin slippers are finish
ed with small bows of satin ribbon,
gold and silver tissue, and sometimes
lace loops. These bows are held In
place by tiny buckles of cut steel or
Jet, semi-precious stones, and bril
liants set in platinum. For black vel
vet or suede, the favorite finish is the
small bow-knot rhinestone buckle.
Some old-fashioned solid silver buck
les, reminiscent of cavalier days,
READY-MADE EVENING SLIPPER
OF FINE FRENCH KID.
Four Beaded Strap* That Come High
Over the Instep.
are quite effective. Slipper buckles
sell anywhere from $5 to $250.
Slippers of gold and silver cloth and
other resplendent materials have
taken the place of bronze. Especially
in slippers is the Oriental note sound
ed, and the somber bronze slipper is
losing its appeal unless heavily bead
ed, which makes it quite expensive.
For genuine comfort velvet and suede
are conceded to be the best, as they
have more “give” than satin.
A charming ready-made evening
slipper that is most popular is of im
ported French kid, with four straps
c dining high over the Instep. The
straps and toe are exquisitely beaded.
It comes in pink, blue, bronze, black,
and white.
Very demure are the gray suede and
satin slippers, with or without beads.
The buckles that go with this type of
slipper are of French gray silver.
Some of the more expensive ones are
embellished with old blue enamelling.
The artificial flower is a favorite dec
oration in making up chifTon rosettes.
A bridal slipper is of heavy white sat
in, made of one piece, the inside lin
ing having been fitted to the foot and
nicely arched. To get this effect the
eeain is put in the inside of the slip
per, although some of the best made
slippers have the seam in the outer
side. A dainty rosette of plaited chif
fon gathered around a cluster of or
ange blossoms, finishes the slipper
with a strong feminine appeal.
Another pair—even prettier—are
embroidered in pearls and finished
with a tiny bunch of white satin rose
buds, to take the place of the ros
ette.
Boots for Dress and Street.
The all-white buckskin boot with it*
14 butons of pearl—a vogue of last
summer—promises to be again popu
lar. It is built along sturdy lines
that show It is meant for outdoor
wear. Some have the low Cuban
heels of wood, and others show a
Louis Quinze height, covered with the
white buckskin. The white craven
ette 1m an even better seller than the
buckskin, as It comes at a more moder
ate price and has excellent wearing
qualities.
Boots for dress occasions show the
fancy tops and patent leather vamps.
The tops are of heavy Ottoman silk,
velvets, fancy cloths, and cravanettes,
while the boot with the white kid tip
is gaining In favor all the time.
Boots with black or gray suede are
In gTeat favor. In fact, the all-gray
boot of suede or cravenette Is the
smartest boot for spring. They come
In a number of shades. In selecting
a boot, beware of the drab ones, for
they are as ugly as the word “drab"
would Indicate, and a hopeless shade
to try to match.
“Why do you carry boots of that col
or, when the other grays are so soft
! and charming?” the bootmaker was
I asked.
"Because there are women who de
liberately prefer an ugly thing to *
pretty one, under the Impression that
they are getting something different,
and we try to please 'em all,” he re
sponded.
A beautiful tan boot, cut high, with
gray suede top and gray pearl buttons,
has tan leather trimmings. It Is an
excellent shoe for walking, Is sensi
ble and comfortable, having a wide
hald-sewed extension sole and a Cuban
heel.
An Ideal boot for rough or stormy
weather, one that Is smart In line and'
material and heavy enough to be worn
without goloshes. Is of tan calf. It la
cut high, with silk lacings over a wide
tongue and fastened at the top with
two brass buckles.
The short vamp boot which Is made
of patent leather and a dull calf top,
makes the foot look smaller, but la
far from sensible, as the high heel In
variably comes In the center of the
loot—thus throwing all the weight on
the toes Instead of distributing it. Chi
ropodists say It brings them more pa
tients than any other style.
vviumai unapo a nu r wni^a>
A shoe of a low quartered cut that la
a good compromise between the pump
and the old-fashioned tie Is of gun met
al leather. It Is made with a long
vamp and a round toe—one of the
features of the spring styles. It Is but
toned on the side with two buttons.
The pointed winged tongue gives It a
touch quite chic.
The Colonial toe slipper Is another
favorite. It is much like a pump ex
cept for the high tongue and the mod
erated Louis Quinz heel. It is fin
ished with a leather-covered buckle, or
one of gun metal. Buckles of this
type are considered quite smart.
Many of the pumps have the strap
which button to the side of the In
side. The advantage of this strap la
that it keeps the pumps from rubbing
1 the heel.
The material for pumps has not
changed from last year. The same tans,
suedes, cravenettes, linens, and buck
skins continue their race for popu
larity. A satin walking pump with
a heavy sole and wooden heel is one
of the novelties, and in white they are
quite good-looking.
The Girl In Her 'Teens.
The young girl in her teens is pro
verbially difficult to dress, but very
often the simplest and most sensible
solution of the difficulty is to copy
mother and to adhere to the tailor
made.
The fine stripes that are so fashion
able make very suitable schoolgirl
costumes, especially In the vague
black and gray stripes that are now
worn. The skirt is cut simply with
an apron back and front fastened
down by large buttons of the mate
rial; the coat Is short and simple or
double-breasted without trimming, but
with the collar faced with gray vel
vet.
Matching the costume, the hat
should be of gray beaver, with just
one touch of color, a cerise feather.
Care of Corsets.
When a corset begins to wear
through at the top, remove the lac®
trimming, pick out the stitching and
take out all the side and back steel.
Wash the corset thoroughly with a
stiff brush and white soap. Rinse sev
eral times and hang in the sun. Iron
while damp. Pick out the stitching at
the bottom, where the steels stop, and
stitch one-half inch lower down to al
low the steels to slip down. Return
the steels to the proper place, as some
are longer than others. Push well
down and tack in place with a needle
and thread to prevent slipping. Now
bind the entire length of the top with
wide tape, trim with lace or not, as
liked. This process will make a
corset last twice as long as ordinarily.
Jewels of Today.
Jewels grow more beautiful each
succeeding season. This year one no
tices stones of various colors set so
as to show tartan effects. These are
very smart and up-to-date, and are
fashioned Into rings, brooches, bangles,
etc., the dark-colored gems being re
lieved by rims of brilliants.
Other novelties are charming band
eaux for hair and necklaces combined.
These consist of small wreaths, and
buckles of diamonds threaded on to
narrow velvet ribbon, which can bo
used either In the form of a collar or
else worn as a Jeweled band In the
hair. This new fashion Is erase
of today, and has done much to oust
the once-popular tiara.
Pressing Skirts.
In pressing skirts or any wool gar*
ments, wet brown wrapping paper,
place It over the plait or crease to bo
pressed and apply the hot Iron. Dig
the paper in water aB fast as it be
comes dry. The crease Is laid much
more firmly than when a piece at cot
ton Is used.—Woman's Haw idee
Magazine.