PE-tCY H. VAN OYKE, Publlshor «nd Editor._
NEWPORT. - - ARKANSAS.
PASSING OF THE DESERT.
londy Western Waste* Are Heins;
Converted Into Fertile Soil by
the Government.
“Uncle Sam is wiping the desert
from his map, drawing geography
lesson;.,” remarked a returned New
Yorker at an uptown hotel the other
evening, according to the Herald,
“and a new irrigation law will be a
moat effective wet slate rag to erase
the last remnants of what was once
known us the ‘Great American des
ert.’
“There were originally 13 states
and three territories wholly or part
ly within the limits of the desert.
.When 1 went west in the early seven
ties I thought as I looked out from
the flaps of the big ‘prairie schooner
that i he Lord never meant men to
encroach on those forsaken miles of
alkali and cactus, and my wife said
that 1 lie Bible verse about ‘Thus iar
shall thou go and no further' meant
the desert the same as the sea.
“But tliis time I traveled over the
same region and saw that a miracle
ha<l happened. The wizard was irri
gation. Western Kansas blossoms
like the rose, and it isn’t so very long
«ince it was thoiurht irreclaimable.
Anti in Arizona will be seen a like
transformation in the next few years,
now that the government is going to
take a hand in the work of water
ing the thirsty land.
“The new law creates out of the
Bale of public lands in the arid
regions a reclamation fund, which
will provide means for storing and
distributing water for irrigation pur
poses. One big cattleman down there
told me that enough land to equal
the combined areas of Iowa and Illi
nois would be made over for the
tickling of the plow. And since one
man may get hold of only a limited
number of acres the best benefits of
the law come, not to the big grazing
companies, but to the actual set
tler there.
“So it has well been called a ‘home
making law.’ Few real settlers have
been inking up public land lately, be
cause of the arid character of the
only available acres. Heretofore the
great cattle companies have had prae- i
tieally entire control of tracts of
thousand <-for they could
tered water fa- |
— r ' 1 1,11,1 “"T®
HI --
___—-;=^,itorLal divisions
according to the water privileges. I
saw one place in New Mexico where '
a fence divided u desert from a gar
den—fact. The flowers were bloom
ing and the grain was growing in a
field that was irrigated, while ground
just adjoining was dry and as bare
of even buffalo grass as any old skel
eton.
“Irrigation is Uncle Sam’s best
epong? for cleaning his slate of the
ugly word ‘desert,’ and leaving it
clear for him to write in its pk.ee the
best word in the language, ‘homes.’ ”
PRINCE AS A CONFESSOR.
The Ivlnir of Snxony'i Son In the Only
Itoynl l’rleat lu All
Europe.
Prince Max, of Saxony’s ofliciation
as confessor to the murderer Chat
ton, who was guillotined at Fribourg
recently, recalls the fact that King
George’s youngest son is the only
royal priest in Europe. His royal
highness wears religious gurb and
leads a life of seclusion and severe
■elf-denial, says a Dresdeif report.
Tiie prince, who is 32, has been
spiritually inclined ever since he was
a boy. When just out of his teens he
eatne to London to live and for several
years worked among the poorest folk
in the slums of the east end. With the
experience gained, he went back to
Dresden, and, in 1806, “took orders.”
After that he studied hard, got to be
doctor of law and of theology, and,
not long ago, was appointed professor
of canonic law and liturgy at tiie Fri
bourg university.
That he is as earnest a man of God c
as if he were a peasant’s instead of a 1
king’s son, Prince Max proved in the f
recent Chatton affair. The murderer, 1
though only 22, was a confirmed’ 1
scoundrel, who had completed a long c
record of crime by killing with an ax *
his pretty cousin, a girl of 17. As soon ^
as Prince Max heard that Chatton was c
to die he went to him. He remained in *
the murderer’s cell all night, received 1
his confession and walked with him ^
to the guillotine.
---- (]
A Crater City. *
What is probably the most curious t
situation in the world for a city is that t
of the one in the interior of the extinct v
crater. Aso San, about 30 miles from h
Kumamoto, in Japan. Here within the e
Vertical walls, 800 feet high, of the ex- b
tiuct volcano, live and prosper 20,000 1
people, who rarely make any journeys f
into the outer world, but form, as it *
were, a nation to themselves.—K. V.
Times. ^
FRESH WAR STORIES
How Gen. Rosecrans Was Notified
of His Promotion.
A Surprise Which Dcliithtctl the Old
Warrior as Well His Friend*
.-Unique Foraging
Expedll Ion.
fSpeclal Washington Letter.]
I < ■P.jKNTLKMKN, I propose a
| toast to the health of Maj.
|2y Gen. llosecrans, the hero of
the luka.”
The veterans of the Grand Army
of the Republic were gathered in
the national capital; reassembled for
the last time on earth, probably, in
the capital city of the great re
public wJiieh they saved from de
struction. God bless them! Every
one of them is a. hero brave; every
one of them a timber strong that
made the bulwark of liberty and
union perpetual.
“We returned to the paths of
peace,” says Gen. Harrison Allen, of
North Dakota, “but every one of us
has lived in the memories of those
four years in the tented field, and of
ten even until this day our dreams
are of the field, the inarch, the
skirmish, the battle, hospital and
death's trenches. Yes, we returned
to the ways of peace, but those years
of campaigning made us soldiers for
the rest of our days. You young
folks could not see it in our faces
nor in our eyes, but down in our
hearts we often longed for the old
days when we might meet ‘the boys'
with whom we stood shoulder to
shoulder.”
As they came from north, south,
cast and west, in every group there
was a songster or a trio or quartette,
singing: “We are coining, Father
Abraham, three hundred thousand
strong.” That was a popular song
40 years ago, in all of the homes of
the land, as well as in the armies.
It referred to the calls made by Pres
ident Lincoln for 300,000 more sol
diers, from time to time. And as the'
old boys were gathered here, they
burnished their memories by singing
the old song, and many others of by
gone days.
And the stories of experience which
they told ought to be all printed in
thousands of volumes, for the enter
tainment of all future generations,
and for the inspiration of patriotism
in the hearts of the young men of
fenerations yet unborn. Here is one
af the Lest of them all, and it istnljJL
ot «,«._„*■tv.r\vnom
every soldier'lo veil and whom every
brave soldier knows went to his
grave "with a heart sore, because his
grand services were requited with in
dignity by a few petty politicians and
self-seeking coffee coolers who called
themselves soldiers.
“I was fortunate enough to be at
staff headquarters when the dispatch
came making Itosecrans a major gen
eral,” says Capt. W. Scott Bclden, of
Iowa, who served with gallantry and
distinction throughout the war in the
old Second Iowa cavalry. The great
statesman, Hepburn, who has been
foremost in securing an isthmian
canal, was colonel of that regiment.
“The dispatch was taken by Quar
termaster Tighe,” continued Capt.
Belden, “and he called several offi
GEN. W. S. ROSECRANS.
ers about him, saying: ‘Let us keep
his from the Old Man until we can
et some shoulder straps made for
im.’ Everybody agreed, and I
astened to my company tent and
ailed on Steve Woodhurst, a private
oldier who was an excellent tailor.
Ve ''rigged up a table for him on a
ouple of barrels. Brig. (lens. David
. Stanley and Charles S. Hamilton
ore off their shoulder straps and
anded them to the tailor.
“You must understand that briga
ier generals have one star on each
houlder and major generals have
wo stars on each shoulder. Well,
Woodhurst took those four stars and
'ent to work. Inside of half an hour
e had made a fine set of major gen
ral's shoulder straps, and then we
rought him ‘Old Kosey’s’ dress coat,
le sewed on the straps, and we sent
or the Old Man to come ‘to a little
urprise party.’
“We took the long fiy of a hospital
But, which stretched about 50 feet
in length, end under that, with bar*
rels and boards, we made a long
table. We had about five gallons of
commissary whisky in the middle,
and each one of us officers had a tin
eup in his hand. Each officer had a *
little whisky in his cup, and I had a
plenty in mine. Gen. Hamilton stood
at one end of the table, and as Gen.
Kosecrans came in he raised his tin
cup, saying: ‘Gentlemen, I propose
a toast to the health of,’ and there
he stopped.
“Gen. Stanley and a couple of other
officers tore off the old brigadier’s
blouse and put the dress coat on the
Old Man and I saw him glance at the
shoulder straps as the coat came
onto his arms. Then Gen. Hamilton
completed the sentence: ‘To the
• CAPT. SCOTT BELDEN.
health of Maj. Gen. Rosecrans, the
hero of luka.’
“We drank our commissary whisky
and cheered. The Old Man tried to
make a speech, but he couldn’t. He
was completely surprised, for he did
not know that his skill and bravery
had thrilled the whole country and
compelled the recognition of a re
luctant department. We all went up
and took him by the hand, and his
eyes were moist. His voice was thick
with emotion. Finally Gen. Stanley
read the telegram aloud, and again
we cheered and emptied our tin
cans of commissary nectar.”
At the recent funeral of Gen. Rose
crans, at Arlington National ceme
tery, Speaker Henderson said: “When
the armies of Price and Van Dorn
were pressing our lines and there
were symptoms of falling back, Rose
crans suddenly dashed between the
federal and confederate lines like
the very spirit of war. He passed but
a few steps from where I was. 1 can j
mown off. WflrTTTfTH5'-!d,l UR'H .u-eiin-rt
as though he was made for a god of
battle. Swinging his sword he called
out to us: ‘Stand firm, my men, for
your flag and country.’
“How he eseaped, God only knows.
The very air was full of lead, and
death was holding high carnival
along his pathway; yet fearlessly he
rode into the very teeth of death,
successfully rallying his men for the
mighty struggle before them.”
Capt. Scott Belden, who narrated
the story of the surprise yarty at
headquarters, has long been a tem
perance man, but in army days, and
for some years subsequently, the old
soldiers all took naturally to com
missary whisky, -as indicated in the
story told. One of Belden’s friends
narrates the following about him:
There was a reunion of the vet
erans of the Second Iowa cavalry, at
Anamosa, la., and when Belden ar
rived lie found the boys playing cards
and drinking ginger pop, sarsaparilla
and other very unsolderlike bever
ages. Belden inquired for the whis
ky, and was informed that in that
prohibition town there was no whis
ky, except at a drug store where it
uugut uc procureu in small quantities
on a physician’s prescription. Belden
simply remarked: “I’m going out on
a foraging expedition,” and inside of
an hour he reappeared with a big
tin pail full of whisky.
He first went to the drug store,
rushed at the German-American pro
prietor. calling: “Give me a pound of
flax-seed, a pint of linseed oil, and
a pint of turpentine, as quick as pos
sible, I must save the life of that
horse, so please hurry'.”
The goods were hastily prepared,
and throwing a ten-dollar bill on the
counter, Belden rushed out saying:
“Never mind the change justA now.
Time is everything with tne.”
Then he went and bought a ne tin
pail, and covered the bottom \ \th
pure spring water. Hastening i. Vo
the drug store, he shouted: “Pour a
gallon of whisky onto this turpen
tine, quick, and I’ll save that horse
yet.” Then he added: “Don’t stop to
measure it, just fill up the bucket and
hurry up.”
The deed was done. The pure wa
ter looked like turpentine and the
druggist was unsuspecting. So Bel
den carried the whisky to the boys,
and renewed his war-time popularity
with them. But he wouldn’t get whis
ky for anybody nowadays.
. SMITH D. FRT.
Hijic Age for JIuhIiickj*.
Charles T. Yerkes is said to claim
that men are merely in their appren
ticeship until they' are 40, and that if
is the ripe age of the business rnuxu
DRS. B. A. & W. R. WASHBURN 1
Physicians and Surgeons.
Special attention given to diseases
of Ear, Nose and Throat. Also Dis
eases of Women.
-:o:
Offices: New Watson Building,
Rooms 12, 14 and 15.
Newport, Arkansas.
DR. H. O. WALKER,
Physician and Surgeon.
Office: Redman’s Drug Store.
Newport, - Arkansas.
WHEN GOING
EAST ■ WEST - NORTH • SOUTH
TAKE THE OLD RELIABLE
ONLY LINE WITH DOUBLE DAILY
THROUGH SERVICE
TO HOT SPRINGS^
NO CHANGE.
CONNECTION MADE AT BALD KNOB
FOR MEMPHIS.
UNSURPASSED SERVICE^
^ FAST TIME
DIRECT CONNECTION MADE AT ST.
Louis and Texarkana with lines
DIVERGING.
FOR INFORMATION CALL ON OR
ADDRESS
WM. M. GREGG, Agent,
NEWPORT, ARK.
H. C. Townsend, G. P. A.,
ST. LOUIS, MO.
The NEWPORT
LAUNDRY
COMPANY.....
Has the Largest Plant in
Arkansas. \
Equipped with Latest Improved
Machinery. ,
Uses Filtered and Condensed i
Water and Positively Guar
antees all work.
Give Us A Trial.
We Will Please You. Prompt
Service and Special Work
Everyday.
Out of Town agents wanted.
NEWPORT LAUNDRY CO.
W. F. Williams, Mgr.
Henry ©weir*
PHYSICIAN, SURGEON ANft
OCULIST.
BAILEY BROS*. DRY GOODS CTORB
Eupion Oil
When buying illuminating
oil insist on having Eupion, tne
family safety. This is a dou
ble distilled process oil that is
OHDORf.Ess and absolutely safe.
If yon will use clean burners
and wicks and EurtON On, you
will have best light obtainable.
The only merchants in New
i port that sell this high grade
oil are: Wolff-Goldm',n Mer.
Co.. W. B. Chastain, Wilmans
Bros., R. D. Wilman*?, Heili
ger’s Union Market Co., Martin
Bros., and Harris & Daugherty
Waters-Pierce Oil Comp’y
I
THE BANK OF NEWPORT
(Oldest and Largest Bank in the County).
CAPITAL $50,000
-■ ===== OFFICERS.. .
G. W. Decker, President, A. D. Bailey, Vice-President
R. M. Johnson, Cashier. T. D. Kinman, Asst. Cashier
Directors: A. D. Bailey, V. Y. Cook, G. W. Decker, John T. Flynn,
Thos. J. Graham, J. W. Grubbs, R. M. Johnson, A. E.
Shoffner, J. M. Stayton.
~ We thank our patrons for the past year’s business out of which we are
enabled to r py our stockholders their regular ten per cent dividend, and to
add to our surplus fund and reserve profit account $7414.99.
*5' -
I
I 1
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FROM ■- ....... ,
Texas, Oklahoma,
Indian Territory
and THE WE8T.
- WITH .... -
Double Daily Service
MEMPHIS,' The EAST
and SOUTHEAST.
~
Pullman Buffet Sleeping Cars.
New Solid Vesttbuled Train*.
Unequaled Schedule*.
Perfect Service.
THE ONLY U»!E TO THE SOUTHEAST
WITH NO TRANSFER AT MEMPHIS
For all Information call on ticket agt
of any line, or address
E. L. Rodger*, T.P.A.Dallas, Tei.
Jno. V. Tsdford, T.P.A., Oklahoma, O.T.
Gao. H. Lee.G. P.A T.A., Little Rock.Ark.