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Thuraday, January 35, 1900, "(PUBLISHED EVfiSt THURSDAY BY Tiff McHElOtY PLAffiMAUR EAirom W. A. ORISTT, 8BOV' B. I. HASKU, Manage* amm. J. B. P*RKY, Office in Justen Block, OW«D & Uh&peU's store. TIUPIOIH |4»*I)lsUaoe,No. MB; two Mm north of #* OlfIaMM*,No.l TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: .sum ;riptlons received for three or six mouths in the same proportion. Otte year. Burner CHARACTER is the stamp on our SOTIIB of the free choice that we have made through life of good or eviL , Do not sit on the fence in any matter involving morality of any sort unless your conscience can sit along side of you. THE counties of Coles, Douglas and Moultrie, in this state, produce three- fourths of all the broom corn used in the World. Tha amount used in the whole world is 85,000 tons, of which abrat 37,000 tons are grown in these counties. WE acknowledge the receipt of "The Blue Book" or Statistical Record com­ piled by Secretary of State, Hon. James A. Rose. The book contains a vast amount of information and the fact that it is compiled by Wm. Rose is proof of the correctness of the information it A SUPREME TEST. It was a wise experiment in educa­ tion which made the simple readiagtof a piece of prose the examination test for a class of students. For in no other way do intellectual acquirements and moral qualities stand more clearly revealed than in the voice of the reader. A man may keep his life to a certain extent out of his face, bnt he cannot prevent its revelation in his voice. And it is not too much to say that a woman might safely marry a man whom she could endure to hear read aloud a bit of her prose. It is not deference to commas and colons that betrays one, it is cer­ tainly not elocutionary standards by which he is judged, bat it is in a certain sympathetic identity which is at once established between the author and the reader. The latter will by his voice be­ tray just how he stands towards the views that the" author expresses and just how far below him he is in moral judgments. Let society establish read­ ing classes that it may discover its black sl^eej^. READY TO ANSWER. HSHMrector Merriam, in charge of the census for 1900, is entering upon the preliminary work of his department in a practical way. He suggests that the farmers of the country prepare during the winter to answer promptly and ac­ curately next summer all questions re­ lating to acreage, quantity, and value of crops. In the taking of a census the enumeration of the people is the lightest part of tW work. It is desirable to ^ much progress has been Blade in every department of industry, and what changes have taken place in ten years. [ Figures, to be valuable, must be reliable. If one farmer answers the questions as to farm products, cost of fertilizers and farm labor, as to profits and mortgages, after careful consider- . ation, and another farmer answers care­ lessly, giving loose estimates, the value of the summaries for any county or state is destroyed. ' The questions are of such a character that they cannot be answered without preparation. They came as a surprise not only to most people on the farms, lmt to most people in business. Some­ times the questions are tasked by men Who have no sense of adjustment. If tiie enumerators and experts are chosen carefully, and if the farmers, manu­ facturers, merchants, and others are prepared to give ascertained facts, the satistics will be greatly increased in value. The suggestion is a good one , for agriculturists, and it should be ex­ tended to all, classes of business. It is understood that the scope of inquiry ^flill notbeas wide as in 1890, but the object is to bring out every fact that has a bearing on the present condition and on the progress of the several soc* ---tions of the country. ^ .-••••. It is only on reliable information, ob­ tained by impartial agents, that any fair estimate of the condition or pro- j|*ess of a country can be made. Amer­ icans are more interested just at this lime in having all the facts before them than at any previous date in our history. We are at the beginning of a new era. Hew demands are to be made upon us. Development on new lines is to be re­ tarded or encouraged. There are those who believe that we are not strong t . Wiough for the duties that confront us. ; $0 all who are interested the living iMsues of the present the census of 1900 will be a muster and an inspection, as |t were, preparatory to entering upon Wider fields of national activity. Every H>1i farmer, manufacturer, business pr professional man, is interested in this uter, and every one can be of by being fully prepared to • the questions of the by iw Ministers'qmion th* When he was done Rev, E. E. Hale, had introduced him, said he had 1 more horse sense in that fifteen of Governor Rollins than he had heard before in a whole day for twenty years." The Governor said: "Though a member of the Episcopal church, I make no pre­ tentions at being a specially religious man. But I am sure that there is a deep need of Christianity. Without it our government must go the same way that other governments have gone to decay. I am equally sure that Christianity is losing its hold over our people. I have been in every town in New Hampshire, know a large percentage of the people and am sure of my ground. "The Methodists, Baptists and Catho­ lics largely approved of my Fast day proclamation, but the Congregational pulpits denied the truth of my state­ ments and I have been fiercely attacked as untrue to my native state. But, part­ ly as a result of my proclamation, many districts have been improved and the Episcopal church has undertaken a house-to-house canvass of the whole state. "The reason of this decline in religion I attribute to a loosening of religious faith. You clergymen are no longer the spiritual guides of the people, who now follow the religion of the newspapers. The ark has been overturned, the bible account of the creation denied. Jonah repudiated and the anchor of the old faith has been pulled up before the sails are set for the new. The best blood of the country towns of northern New England has for generations been going to Boston and New York, leaving in some places only the weaklings to do the work in the old country home. These less energetic ones have intermarried 'till in one town I am acquainted with in Maine there is an imbecile ill almost every family, due to breeding in and in. "Denominational discord is another cause of religious decline in the country town, where people carry their religious disputes into weekday busihess and thus weaken church influence. From this de­ cline in religion naturally arises a neg­ lect of the Sabbath, the introduction of European Sunday customs. The playing of golf on Sunday is one of our problems in New Hampshire. Shops are open and Sunday theaters will be the next step. Yon will see them in Boston within a few years. The increase of foreign pop­ ulation is a gain rather than a loss to the country towns, for it brings in new blood, so greatly-needed, and the people are usually strong Catholics, not irrelig­ ious, and their increase is a favorable element. "What is to be the remedy? Such organizations as yours, the meeting of ministers of all denominations to discuss religions problems is a good feature, as is the work of the Young Men's Chris­ tian association. But the keenest and strongest men in every community now hold entirely aloof from church work and spend their Sundays in physical rest, and are seldom or never seen in church, which is.now principally ran by the women. "The kind of men who go into the ministry is also a damage to the cause of religion. Young men who have no special call to anything else drift into the pulpit, where they seek a chance to get an easy living. Of course, this does not apply to any of you gentlemen in this room, but the Protestant churches have much to learn from the Roman Catholics, who take care to select the brightest young men for the_ priesthood, not allowing any droneS to go to the theological seminary. "There is too much attention to amusement in the church, too many candy pulls and too little straightfor­ ward gospel preached. There are too many endeavorers and too little endeav­ or among the young people. We must combat materialism, and thia r^n best be done by using the straight, old- fashioned gospel." BRITISH AND BOER GUNS. ( There is a lesson to be learned from the war in South Africa which can well be taken home by every nation not supplied with field artillery the equal of the best. England, despite her great gun shops and enormous mnnrcM, has found herself outclassed from the start by the field-gun equipment of the Boerr. The results, so far, have been checks, Teverses, and defeats. The superiority of the Boer field artillery over the English field-guns is not surprising, when it is known that the forces of the Transvaal are proyided with Creusot and Krupp pieces. The only wonder is that England has been content to possess artillery weapons known to be inferior to the best guns on the Continent. We use the term "known" advisedly, since attention to this very fact has been called by promi­ nent artillerists during the past two years. Reports from Gen. White's forces state that the effective range for his field-guns did not exceed 4,000 yards. If Gen. White is provided with the standard 8-inch Woolwich field-gun, which WE understand is the case, the only surmtee is that the range referred to shrapnel. For shell proper the Wool­ wich gun claims a range of 6,500 yards. From late reports it is announced that a large number of the Boer field-guns consist of Cretasot 14-pounder pieces of OF RELIGIOUS DECLINE. 2*96 caliber, employing muzzle velocities Governor Rollins, of New Hampshire, of 1,887 foot-seconds. The range one if a,74t ' - 'J' i 1 feet--*s atjaflftrd ft toot & carriage. Tim shrapnnl shell of the 14* pounder contains 2*8 bnBvts. 'There u sufficient remaining velocity, it tei asserted, at 4,600 yards to Mkabie thi» French shrapnel to do effective work. A Within the past ten days the dis­ patches have stated that the British authorities, recognizing the inferiority of the Woolwich-made field-piodlis, have placed an order for one httn&red Vickers 12-pounder guns of the rapid- fire type. The Vickers weapon is told to be one of the most effective guns turned out to-day in England. It is a comparatively new piece, and this order of the British government is practically the first recognition it has received at English hands. Quite recently several mountain guns of the Vickers variety were purchased by the United States government for use in the Phillippineg. When we consider that the British forces at Ladysmith were only saved from early destruction or capture by the arrival of the naval 4 7-inch guns from Durban, the importance of range is brought home with marked emphasis. These naval guns were moanted on the rudest kind of structures, happily the mounts held. Rapidity of fire and mo­ bility-were in this instance sacrificed for range and with the result that jthe Boer fire was dominated. In view of the lessons of the South African war, the progress of the ord­ nance authorities of this country in developing a rapid-fire field-gun will be watched, naturally, with keen interest. Experimental guns have been designed, it is learned, at the WatervHet arsenal and comparative tests are to be made be­ tween these government pieces and special guns designed by the Driggs- Seabury Company and the American Ordnance Company. The gun sub­ mitted by the Driggs-Seabury Company has a caliber of 3 inches (the proposed standard caliber for this country) and a muzzle velocity of 1,800 foot-seconds. The carriage is remarkably light and simple, and both the gun and carriage weigh less, respectively, than the service piece and carriage now in use. The present field-piece of the United States has a caliber of 3 *2 inches. It was introduced into the service about seventeen years ago. It is this gun which it is proposed to replace by a weapon of 3-inch caliber, haying a muzzle velocity of about 1,726 foot- seconds and using a shell weighing 15 pounds. Two years ago the Chief of Ordance, in his report, indicated that a muzzle velocity of 1,600 feet per second would suffice, since this velocity Wotild afford effective shrapnel resuns at 8,500 yards. Now it is proposed to ob­ tain 1,725 foot-seconds, and it is gratify^ ing to note that one of the competitors considers it practicable to use 1,800 foot-seconds at the muzzle under ordi­ nary service conditions. When one considers that field artillery in the United States is apt to encounter country roads incomparably worse than in Europe, there is some excuse for mak­ ing carriages stronger and heavier. There has been doubt expressed by many artillerists of the ability of the high-velocity Creusot carriages to stand sough service, and it will be interesting to learn how far these forebodings have been borne out. So far no com­ plaint has been heard from the Boer side. x Up to the present time the Canet 2'95- inch, L-82, gnn, and the Creusot 14- pounder 2*96 inch weapon, are record­ ing the highest velocities among the Continental pieces. Both guns, it wiH be observed, are using higher shells than the proposed new American pieces It must not be overlooked that a gun that can deliver 1,800 foot-second* velocity to a 15-pound shell is a power­ ful weapon. Compare this gun with the English Woolwich-made piece, and we find the English 15-pounder employ* ing only 1,600 foot-seconds and mounted on a carriage unsupplied with recoil* checking device. Even the Vickers gun, splendid weapon as it is, secures its 1,720 foot-seconds velocity with a sheU weighing three pounds less. Of the two projectiles, the 15-pounder, by reason ef its greater shrapnsl-carryiag capacity, to say nothing of energy, is the superior. But gri this country will yield 1,800 foot-seconds velocity, and this is slightly more than the authorities are indicating, the question arises: Will even that velocity assure our batteries a superiority over foreign field-gunfe in time of battle? Shrapnel balls, in order to inflict dangerous wounds upon horses, must possess an energy of about 282 foot- pounds. This requires, for bullets weighing forty-two to the pound, a re­ maining velocity of 874 foot-seconds. IIIIHIIIIIIHIII t PROBATE NEWS REAI^i ISSTATE TRANSFERS. Hanna MflCWe©t al to Thomas Collins OtjNfo Dufltelo to same, same,........ Same to Maria Jf. Johnson pc in neX ft 10000 300 00 Jane E. ffta*p A h to Fersus A. Hopkins It IC. L. Mead's ad A pt It 1 Mead's Leach's et at ad Hebron Lai la E. Burkett A h to Maria J. John­ son pc in w^ Jec. 18 Dorr. moo 36 06 It. 8 C. L. Mead's 2nd ad Hebron Mary A. Cole A h to Alson J. Cole pt It 28 Hebron --.... Alson J. dole & W to Mrs. Carrie Rofc- nour j»t It 38 Hebron Luoinda Dac\ mm m oo 800 00 350 00 y et al to Hubert Weber 181 acres in Sees, 7; 8 and 18 Nunda.. .1545 00 Sherman K. Bartholomew & w to J. W. IJsbome It 3 blk 30 Marengo improve­ ment, syndicate ad ISO 00 J. W. Usboi-ne & w to F. L. Nutt same 300 00 George Walker &w to John J. Kennedy nwM of seM (ex 9-10 acre) Sec. ft Dunham-- 1» 00 John Lemke et al to Ernest F. Lernke et al wH of neH A ne'4 of ne»i Sec. 7 w 30 acres of wV4 of n WM Sec. 8 Algon- quin .. 5 00 S. Addle Gage & h to Mervilie M. Car- i f mack 39 4 off w end itl blk 20 west side Fox River McHenry 1 06 Samuel Rowland & w to Harriet J. Loomis pc in Sec. 33 Marengo ..... 400 w Guy E. Still to Edd White Its 4, 5, (I, 7 & ' pt 8 blk 9 E. 1. Smith's ad Woodstock Woodstock Cem. Assn to Louis Kirch- * 4 man nH It 8 blk 2 Woodstock < 'em. ^ Assu's 2nd ad to Oakland cemetery.. 15 00 Charles F. Meyer to John Uotschow blk5 Mrs. Mulling ad Huntley. 1250 00 John Burke to John Erny se!<t of seji Sec. 2 Marengo 2000 00 Lewis William Thomas & w to Alta M. Carrey It 1 blk 10 Blackman's ad Harvard 928 00 MARRIAGE A. C, Selby........... Eliza Swager m, Wilhelm Reader .. Amelia Polnow.... LICENSES. .. .Prarie City, 111. ...Marengo . .Union . .Union John I. Brickley...'Dunham Mary Crowley..... .TWty # .Hartland F l e t c h e r E . H o o p e r . . ' . C h e m u n g Mayme D. Gregory . .Chemung PROBATE *TEWS. Estate of Daniel Sweeney, proof of death, petition for jppointment of John Sweeney administrator. Bond $1000.00 filed, appraisers appointed. Estate of Henry Walter's, final re- report filed. Estate of Alma J. Wells, proof of death, petition for letters of administra­ tion, bond $8200.00 filed. Appraisers appointed. Estate of Mathew Connerty, adminis­ trator's bond filed. Estate of John McConnell, proof of death, proof of will, petition for letters, test to Geo. McConnell\and Charles McConnell, bond $70,000.(Kk filed, ap- araieement appointed. Estate of William Patterson, proof of death, petition for probate of will filed, hearing set for' February 5k = ; -- : "i have proved altogether too heavy both in gun and carriage. The British re­ ports from the front summarize the needs in the demand for a gun that will shoot accurately and deliver shrapnel effectively at 5,000 yards. This will probably involve a reduction in shell weight, but judging from the guns in hands of the Boers, it should not mean % J o g s o f m o b i l i t y . The whole question is a most im­ portant one; and now that the United States is on the eve of adopting a new gun, the lessons from South Africa have especial value. The inventive re­ sources of this country, and the well- known mechanical skill of its people, should make it possible to evolve a weapon the superior of any abroad. We,have developed naval guns and sea- coast weapons and carriages of re­ markable strength and power, but the rapid-fire field gun of high power is lacking. There is every reason to be­ lieve, however, that this condition will not long exist. Geo. Meyers- 8$ * . 55 I GENERAL# TEAMING g of all kincUk Excavating and . -• Asa.®.- v . A muzzle velocity of 1,600 foot-seconds for a 15-pound shell yields 874 foot- seconds remaining velocity at 8,000 yards. The sharpnel shells of guns in the hands of the Boers have been found fused for 5,200 yards. The English field-gun sharpnel is fused for 4,000 yards. Boer sharpnel, possibly from guns of the siege variety, though there is no definite information on this point, has been found effective at 5,000 yards; in other words at a range of 1,100 yards beyond the possibilities of English field- guns. Not only have the British pieces b*» u>m Wf* 111 /bit ttw>7 mchenryi 4 t , . Illinois I A FREE PATTER Cfcer own election) to subscriber. Beautiful cot pred lithogrfcptowl pUUw fcndllluati iUlon». OrigiST tot--t, wtUtic. WKinUtta and rtrtctly ap-Uhdntede^gaa. MSCALL'S^Ckl MAGAIIwiwI DrMUMkin* Mononta* fancy worlt, hoa»ehold hint*, ourrent toplc*. «te. Subscribe to-day. Only 60«. y«art/. I«dr icMMWaotMl. SMdtorunM. . <(- - \ ̂ ' \ iSfl % •< \ "9 I ft' •X- v. '«£ < > i}" Ai*i •*» "*• P$$M !>!ip§ % *£/ *'•' v' j 'J? i' % , . -*«. i I* •*.*&>• I / 'JM'- •\ , * , ' Jt ̂ . "v 4 * -r _ - r, . .i .r ' *•% s i v'" ^ H/U'T " . Just before taking inventory, all general merchants are more than glad to close out all lines pf winter goods at COST and even BELOW COST, for several reas­ ons: 1st. Too much money tied up. 2nd." Rather sell cheap and use the same money many times before having to buy winter goods again. 3rd. We need the room for the many lines of Spring and Summer goods. So you can all readily see we mean what we say and are sure that if you need anything in the winter goods line, you can get then! cheap here. Commencing SATURDAY, JAmJARY 27, for one week we will offer all CAPS, GLOVES, MITTENS, OVER­ COATS, CLOTHING, Felt Boots, Chil­ dren's Cloaks, Felt Lined Shoes and Duck Coats at a reduction of 15 to 25 per cent. 1 3 Our entire stock of Ladies' $10.00 Jackets, made of all wool beaver cloth, lineal with best satin throughout, in Black, Navy Blue, Brown and Light Tan, for $6,98, cash, to close. These Jackets are without a doubt the best $10.00 garment on the market, made up in the very latest style by skilled tailors and can be worn as a spring jacket as well as fall or winter. We would be pleased to have you call and examine them. - - While in look over the remnant table. We may have something there that will i n t e r e s t y o u . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OWEN & CHAPELL McHenry, Illinois. ' •" - mi •> - • 7> ^ 'J " * « ^ 45 ' w r ^ w , J" ^ r i ' T ' 1 1 k,;C ' IS j r • ' • » r ^ 7- *1 * f4 y. x .\fc .4.i>. < v V,- .«»• % Of tKe people of the town;' .* •v . V. *on footwear is it favor of^ . • ft****-- X s ft is rendered by the largely , 1 4 jJ! y . 'c increasing patronage and the ^ 1 ^ \ ^Satisfied air that accomp anies the£:-^ , 4 . purchase of footwear of ^ ' V any kind in this store ^ 1 ^ M We are miaking liberal discounts of hesm J : V s : 4 Tgoods to turn them into cash? ^ ^ ? | f w j , , ' ' Grocer ies o f the purest and best grades a t lowest pr ices j | - dv Fancy and Seal of Minnesota flour. & • • r 1 ̂ ^oods delivered promp%. ;lStvV/ , / ; ft'T" V'" 1 1 Yours J West McHenry, 111. "'-A - it. I. WALSH, f L1" West McHenfy, 111. '« . , > ladlM, ataHklMi (*ln «ty " chic * •r patterns Qam no tad ltUU chtldr«B. That C» ,.; not attained by tbe «H of any BO aqoftl forttylaand p^dmct fit. TH» MeCALL CQMPAKV. V«| MI»»M «T * . ** SR«» i wo snoe items Vm' ! To be closed out quickly • • ' ' V V - . -T? * 1 'Ipot Ladies-warm lined Felt and Foxed, 1 lot Ladies' Dongola and Vici Kid Shoes, a ,> ^ little more pointed toes than up to date styles ™ but of good quality and worth up to $2.00, i we offer you ypur choice at........ .. .$1.0^ nHV '.-"r 1 - • ^ . ,~v- per pair, if you come quickly. , ^ \ 'T$' ' k Many other things at closing-out priced ^ Opening sale #^few Blue Drfess Prints happens here tiL ^ week Saturday, when you can secure one new Dre ** P a t t e r n ( 1 0 y a r d s ) f o r 4 5 c e n t s * . . i p e e i a l wear selling this week Saturdays " % •'* >'