The Texas Mesquiter. (Mesquite, Tex.), Vol. 30, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, July 21, 1911 Page: 3 of 8
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LAMPS FOR INEeS
Electric Bulbs Will Prevent Ex-
plosions and Disasters.
Miners* Old ''Naked" Light Will Be
Superseded by Modern Electrio
Light Operated by a Pocket
8torage Battery.
Chicago.—The assertion that the
time Is fast approaching when naked
tights In coal mines will be absolutely
abolished Is made by a writer. A few
rears ago, he says, there were prac-
tically no safety light mineB In Amer-
ica; today there are a large number of
mines using safety lights exclusively
in all of their underground work. The
thief objection to safety lamps is
Sue almost entirely to their poor light.
Acetylene has been tried, but it is
langerous. Electricity is the hope of
the future, and he gives an account
f a newly invented miners' lamp that
ta fed by electric current from a pock-
Bt storage battery. This battery, we
ire told,, is as handy as an oil canteen
ind It is as unbreakable, being "ar-
mor-clad" with sheet steel. The charg-
ing rack is ho arranged that the bat-
tery is left in it on the way out so
that the miners use their batteries
Si the same way as the checks employ-
ed as timekeepers. By looking at the
rack a given miner's presence or ab-
sence can be told at once, as the bat-
teries are all numbered to correspond
with their users.
Wet mines will not affect the lamp,
*s the body is made of aluminum and
Is waterproof. Furthermore, the body
Df the lamp is filled with a special
composition, making it possible to use
the light under water.
The voltage of the lamp being only
two volts, it is claimed that there is
no danger of any sparks at the time
the contact is broken in any part of
the device; as a consequence, it is
said to be impossible to cause an ex-
plosion in a gas mixture. In recent
tests, the globe used In the lamp was
purposely broken In a body of gas, to
ascertain If, when the globe breaks,
I
YAQUIS GET THEIR FREEDOM
Madero Restores Lands to the One*
Famous Mexican Indian
Tribe.
Mexico City, Mex.—The return of
the Yaqui Indians, now held in slav-
ery In Yucatan and Vera Cruz, to
their homes in Sonora, Is provided for
In a preliminary agreement reached
at Hermosillo, between the leaders of
the Yaquls and Vice Governor Ouyon.
acting for Francisco I. Madero, leader
of the revolution. .The agreement also
stipulates that .the confiscated lands
of the-Yaquis In northern Mexico
Bhall be given back to them.
The Yaquis promise to keep peaqe
and protect the lives and property of
both Mexican citizens and foreigners.
Adherence to this pledge means the
cessation of a bloody war that has
been waged for years between the In-
dians and the Diaz government, and
which has resulted in the loss of
thousands of lives and millions of
dollars.
At the outbreak of the rebellion the
YaqulB still in Sonora were armed by
the federals, with whom they fought
for a time, but later deserted to the
Electric Light for Miners.
It would ignite the gas; the results
showed that the gas could not be ig-
nited in that way.
The average estimated light of the
bulb used In the lamp is from 200 to
300 hours, or in other words about
the same as the average commercial
Incandescent lamp. The life of the
battery is one or two years.
As shown by the accompanying cut,
there is a hook by which the lamp can
be attached to the cap the same as an
old lamp; when used this way, the
rings shown on the cable, can
be attached to the back of cap and
Bhlrt, If desired, either with an
ordinary safety-pin or by stitching.
However, experience has shown that
the miners prefer to hook the
lamp on their shirt fronts or other
parts of their clothing. «
The advocates of this style of light
claim numerous advantages: 1. No
danger of igniting gas or possibility
of an accident while handling powder.
2. The light cannot be blown out by
a windy shot or gust of air. 3. They
save much time that is lost in picking
up and filling oil and carbide lamps.
4. There is no oil or dirt to grease
tho hands and clothes, which Is a
great advantage, especially to engi-
neers and others who have to handle
papers and instruments. 5. It costs
less to use the lamp than it does to
use an ordinary oil or carbide light. 6.
The air In the mine will be clear anil
pure, and there will not be smoke and
gas given off by carbide or oil lamps.
The fact that the light cannot be
extinguished by a windy shot or oth-
er concussion is a distinct advantage
for many lives have been lost through
miners being overcome by afterdamp
while groping their way in a mine
after their lights have been blown out.
Should the battery weaken, the light
will not go out suddenly and leave
'•no In the dark.
Mr.
Dentist for 8ix-Day-Old Babe.
York, Pa.—The Infant daughter or
and MrB. Ell Conley, though less
than a week old, has already been In
the hands of the dentist. Teething,
the terror of babyhood, usually does
not come along before the age of ten
or twelve months, but the precocious
youngster, when only six days old, had
& tooth pulled.
Twenty Children and Two Farms.
Cumberland, Md.—Joseph Bnrkman,
a widower of fifty-eight years, with
eight living, grown up children, and
!Mrs. Emma Mearkle, sixty years, with
f 12 children, were married here by
'Rev. Dr. Edward Hayes. The bride
iand bridegroom each have large farms
on Clear Ridge, In Pennsylvania.
§
A Yaqui Indian Home.
Maderlsts, after their old chief, Bull,
had been killed in battle. Their num-
ber are variously estimated at from
BOO to 1,500. Madero promised that
when they joined his army he would
restore to them all their lands as
soon as peace was established.
The land in question Is included in
the tract of 600,000 acres belonging to
a construction company, and was ac-
quired by this company by purchase
In part from the federal government
under a concession granted some six
years ago for the irrigation and colo-
nization of the land.
The company has corstructed about
100 miles of Irrigating canals, bring-
ing water from the Yaqui river, and
about three years ago placed a por-
tion of the land on the market and
sold about 25,000 acres, mostly to Los
Angeles people, and a number of
American families have settled on the
land and improved it.
FAMOUS LANDMARK IN STONE
Monument of Chiseled Marble to Per-
petuate the "Lone Tree" Ha-
ven of the '49-ers.
Central City, Neb.—The famous
"lone tree" which stood almost In
the center of the United States and
under whose branches rested thou-
sands and thousands of gold hunters
of '49 en route to the El Dorado of
the Pacific coast, has been perpetuat-
ed In marble and a facsimile in stone
has been erected on the spot once
occupied by the famous old landmark.
The "lone tree" was the best known
camping ground on the old California
trail, and from 1849, when the gold
seekers rushed across the great
plains, down to the completion of the
Union Pacific railroad, the old tree
stood out boldly aa a guide post to
AJjru
*'
'v—ii" ■ -
Lone Tree Monument.
the wagon trains treking westward.
After the railroad was completed and
there was no further use for its help,
the tree died. It was an immense
cottonwood, four feet in diameter and
very tall. Being one of the few trees
between the Missouri and the Rock-
ies, It soon became the best-known
landmark on the trail. As a further
mark of distinction, the old tree stood
almost In the center of the continent
between New York and San Fran-
cisco—within less than one mile of
the central point.
The monument which the Nebraska
Pioneers have reared In memory of
"Lone Tree" is made from Vermont
marble, and was chiseled In the east
It represents the trunk of a giant
cottonwood and bears this Inscripi
tlon _
"On This Spot Stood the Original
Lone Tree on the California
Trail"
m
|M
T is a trifle early perhaps
you are saying to begin
talking about the county
fair. Maybe so, if you are
looking forward to the
autumn event merely from
the standpoint of a cold,
calm, casually interested
spectator. But Just remem-
ber, please, that there are
thousands npon thousands
of people all over the coun-
try for jwhom the annual
neighborhood fair means
much more. They are the
prospective exhibitors, and
no wonder they begin to
plan and speculate and an-
ticipate almost from the time the snow is off the
ground.
Indeed, if a person is ambitious for success in
the competitions at the county fair, it Is abso-
lutely necessary to be forehanded In preparation.
This applies with equal force whether It is a case
of John seeking blue ribbons for his sheep and
cattle or Mary seeking the grand prizes for her
cakes and pies and preserves. And of course It
Is true in yet greater measure of Cousin Sue
who has a plot to capture the diploma for the
handsomest silk quilt or the most beautiful pillow
top—for, be It known no prize-winning piece of
fancy work, no more than Rome, was built in
a day.
It is a matter of congratulation that the old-
fashioned county fair has remained unchanged, in
Its main features, since the days of our grand-
fathers. It Is one of the most cherished memories
of every man whose boyhood was spent within
lure of its magic—one of the memories that after
residence in the city he half fears to rekindle
by renewed association, lest the twentieth century
neat
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brand won't be the least bit like the old-time
event that was awaited with more anticipation
than was bestowed even upon the Fourth of July
or the annual visit of the "monster and mas-
todonlc united shows." Perhaps this cherished
idol of youth may not have been a really and
truly "county fair," for not all county fairs can
enjoy the prestige of location at the county seat,
but after all, that Is a minor matter In the eyes
of the outsider and no man can ever be convinced
that the world ever held a more Important "agri-
cultural exposition" than the one at which as
a youngster he exhibited his chickens or peddled
peanuts or sold scorecards.
That, as has been said, the old-fashioned county
fair hasn't been changed beyond recognition, even
to this day, is all the more a matter of surprise
when we take Into account the revolutionary
changes that have taken place In other phases
of rural life. The Introduction of rural free de-
livery, for instance, has done away with the
necessity and the opportunity for those friendly
gatherings at the cross-roads store when the farm-
ers who drove over for the mall stole a little
leisure In which to swap stories. Similarly a
phonograph in every farm house has somewhat
dulled the appetite for those periodic concerts
at the little red school house, even as the presence
on the roads of those zipping, screeching automo-
biles has knocked all the romance out of those
buggy rides In tho moonlight when old Dobbin
was allowed to find his own way and set his own
pace.
Not only has the county fair withstood the
ravages of time and tho onslaught of modern
invention, but in some respects it has benefited
by a lapBe of time. That Is, many a fair of the
present day Is vaBtly bigger and better than was
the corresponding event on tho same grounds a
score or more of years ago. It Is not due solely
to the natural Increase of population, either, nor
yet to that "back-to-the-soil" crusade which has
swept over the land. The latter has helped, how-
ever, because It hns added to the population of
many a rural district men and women who are
engaging in farming for pleasure as well as for
profit and who enter their products at the near-
by fairs as a matter of pride Just as a breeder of
fine dogs will travel all over the country to dis-
play his blooded canines at the big dog shows,
even though the prizes would not pay the express
charges on the animals.
The automobile, despised though It be In many
quarters, has had a big Influence In bringing
greater prosperity to our latter-day county fairs.
The advent of the horseless vehicles and the fad
for touring, taken In conjunction with that im-
provement of country roads which haa been go-
ing on this past decade or so, has made It possible
for farmers to travel greater distances to the
fairs. The tiller of the soil who In the old days
was content to take his family to one fair—the
one nearest home, may now, if he has one of
Woaa automobile* that are constructed especially
for the use of farmers, "take In" anywhere from
three to half a dozen fairs held within a radius
of say twenty or thirty miles. Of course, this
swells the gate receipts and it also results In
the exhibit classes being better filled.
On the other hand, the motor car has brought
to the county fairs a certain patronage from city
folk who almost never attended these rural exhibi-
tions in the old days. Some of the city folks are
those who have friends or relatives In the country,
with whom they hold a reunion at the fair.
Others are one-time rural residents who, havtng
gone to town and "made their pile," find that
they can come back via the automobile when
they would not take the trouble If It meant getting
up early in the morning to catch an excursion
train. And finally there are the city folk who
have neither kith nor kin nor the ties of old
associations to draw them to the "fair, but who
motor to the autumn inecca as a sort of "lark"
and who find It quite as novel an experience in
Its way as the rural resident does to Journey to
the city to Inspect an exposition or a great amuse-
ment park. This latter portion of the Influx from
the city may not add to the gaiety of the occa-
sion. particularly, for the country people at the
county fair, but their contributions at the ticket
wondow are well worth having and generally ap-
preciated, for, be It known, the average county
fair Is conducted by farmers and other members
of the community who can't wholly overlook the
financial side.
Yet another new influence that has helped the
county fair in our time is the suppression of
betting and the abandonment of racing at most
of the race courses near thfe large cities. Racing
of one kind or another goes on at almost all our
country fairs and whereas it Is not supposed to
be accompanied by betting there are opportunities
for quiet wagers, whereas the mere racing In itself
is sufficient to attract horse owners and others
who love the sport for Itself. Just here, it may
be added, that most fairs throughout the United
States are now conducted on a clean, moral basis.
Liquor selling on the grounds or nearby has long
been prohibited In most localities and out-and-out
gambling devices have been barred from many
fair grounds these many years, but latterly, in
response to tho moral awakening that has swept
over the country, fair managers are showing a
disposition to keep out most of those raffles and
games of chance which, perhaps Innocent
In themselves, might have a bad influence on the
youthful mind.
This "banishment of some of the old-time catch-
penny schemes has not, however, so altered
things that the man who has been out in the
world cannot recognize the county fair of his
youth when he comes back to it He will see at
the old stand all the weight-testing and lung-
testing machines, the old-fashioned merry-go-round
and the stands selling peanuts and sandwiches*
and red lemonade. He can test his skill, as of
yore, in tossing rings over canes or trying to hit
ybrr- -tsit
the venturesome colored boy who pokes his head
through a hole In a sheet. The time-honored "side
show" or carnival is there with its snake charm-
ers and giants and dwarfs and the fortune tellers
and popcorn venders have the old elustve way of
inducing you to part with your coin. Even the
fans and badges and tiny flags and "gold" medals
of yesteryear look and cost the same as they did
as far back as memory can carry you. About
the only new things at the county fair, in fact, are
the moving picture shows in their somber black
tents and the ice cream cones that have sup-
planted the one-time "five-cent dish with two
spoons."
The men who have been conducting county fairs
long enough to make comparisons will tell you
that, all In all, It costs Just about as much to
hold a fair nowadays as It did a decade or two
ago, presuming, that Is, that you "hang up" about
as much In prizes for the show and speed classes.
Some items have been cut over the expenses in
the old days, whereas other outlays have In-
creased, owing to the Increased cost of living or
some other new influence. For one thing, the
fair managers save some money in heralding the
fair. For the sentiment of the thing, they still
have to make use of Bome of those gaudy posters
in blue and red and yellow that from time out of
mind have filled childish dreams every autumn,
but they don't spend money to plaster these
posters on every barn and fence and covered
bridge In the county, as they were wont to do In
the old days. As the number of country news-
papers has Increased they have provided a better
and cheaper way of telling the people of the de-
lights of the coming fair. On the other hand,
the "star attraction," If the fair management
wants to bfe right up to date and have an airship
flight each day, will cost more than In the old
days. A parachute Jumper or an acrobat who
did the thrilling "slide for life" did not demand
half as much money, usually, as the expert aero-
pianist who wants a fee of $500 and upward.
A feature of the county fair that hasn't changed
with the lapse of time is the season for holding
the event. The conclusion of the harvest, which
leaves the farmer comparatively carefree and,
let us hope, with money In his pocket, dictates the
date of this annual festival. In some parts of
the country September Is the favorite month for
fairs, but elsewhere October has the call and
quite a few of these agricultural shows and trot-
ting meets are held In early November. Active
preparations at the fair grounds begin a month
or six weeks earlier for the up-to-date fair asso-
ciation repaints its bulldlngB each summer and has
everything spick and span for the three or four
day attraction.
The Old Order Changeth
A critic declared that twentieth century people
tell their private affairs much more readily than
used to be the custom. If marrlagea turn out un-
fortunately the world learns It from the parties
chiefly concerned, and what the old-fashioned
woman would have called the secrets of her In-
ner life, not to be confessed even to herself, ths
new woman tells boldly in order to surround her
personality with a halo of Interest, for It seems
certain, if you do not say you have troubles, no-
body will notice them. The instinct of family
loyalty is diminishing, that clannish sentiment
which caused relatives to hide their Internal dis-
sensions from others as carefully aa they would
bodily Infirmities; children criticise their parents
and vice versa; brothers and sisters quarrel in
tho street; the black sheep Is openly discussed
by his relations. No toleration is granted on the
score of blood, and as all of us require as much
toleration as we can get, it seems a pity so fruit-
ful a means of supply Is cut off. Yet, if a man
has a brother a blackguard, why should he not
say so, JuBt as much as If he were a stranger?
There seems no real reason, except that It
does not sound nice, and public opinion long agr
decided that a family disgrace must be shared by
all the members
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Davis, John E. The Texas Mesquiter. (Mesquite, Tex.), Vol. 30, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, July 21, 1911, newspaper, July 21, 1911; Mesquite, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth400297/m1/3/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Mesquite Public Library.