Newspaper Page Text
SIR THOMAS J. UPTON.
the story of his life as told
BY HIMSELF.
Greatest Happiness He Ever Experi
enced Was Earning of His First
Dollar— Was Then 14 Years Old.
Early Appreciated Advantages of
an Education and Spent Every
Spare Hour In Study—Work in
South Carolina Rice Fields Plotted
Capital to Open Meat Shop—Starts
to Deal In Teu—“l Do Not Want
More Money, More Rank, or More
Anythin*,” Says Owner of Sham
rock ll*
Ivew York fetter in Philadelphia North
American.
• Something about me, outside yacht
ing?” questioned Sir Thomas Johnstone
Lipton, sinking back in the soft cushion
of the forward deckhouse of the Erin.
A smile lit up his eyes and showed un
der his heavy grizzled moustache.
“A great many will fancy that is like
giving Hamlet with the principal char
acter left out, will they not? I am sure
they must think of me as a man whose
life is bound up in challengers and rac
ers; perhaps they will not be interested
in its other side.” He paused doubt
fully. The visitor hastened to assure
the Irish knight that the reverse of the
last statement was the truth.
It was a busy day aboard the Lipton
fleet at anchor In the “Horseshoe,” in
side Sandy Hook. The slender, green
bodied Shamrock 11, challenger for the
America’s cup, was to receive its first
“tuning up” at sea, and from the mo
ment the sun had risen on a cloudless
sky, bringing with it a rippling south
east breeze, there had been signs of
rushing activity everywhere.
All Busy on Boats of Fleet.
A score or more hardy, duck-clad
men swarmed over the challenger,
hauling at the myriad ropes, working
at long, slender rolls of canvas brought
from the mysterious depths below,
testing spars and arranging tackle
aloft and on deck.
The big tender Porto Rico, an ocean
going steamship, where the racing
crew sleeps, lying a hundred yards
away, resounded to sharp orders as
men rushed about everywhere collect
ing more paraphernalia; launches
darted about like so many water in
sects —now to the racer, back to the
Forto Rico, ashore after messages or
carrying them, ofttimes turning in
their own length as if something had
suddenly occurred to the steersmen
which could not be overlooked, and
then another turn, as if they had con
cluded to let it go, and then darting
back to make a combined charge on the
great white steam yacht Erin, lying
cutside of the group—the sentinel of
the fleet.
Lipton on Deck Early.
The Erin, on which Sir Thomas and
his friends will make their home un
til after the race, was awake nearly
as soon as the other boat?. The owfcar
appeared from his cabin before 7
o’clock and found ' Designer Watson,
gray-haired and gray-moustached,
pacing the deck facing the Sham
rock 11.
They were soon joined by Commo
dore Hilliard of the Royal Clyde Yacht
Club, said to be the best known ama
teur yachtsman of Scotland, and the
three were soon engaged in an ani
mated conversation over the plans for
the day.
From this the knight was called by
his secretaries bearing cable messages,
telegrams and letters which had come
during the night. There was another
hour of hard work as the business was
rapidly gone through with, for the Erin
Is now the main office of a great and
diversified business. It took up the
breakfast hour, and between bites let
ters were outlined, cables answered
and telegrams resonded to. The car
rying out of the orders took the offi
cial staff nearly all the rest of the
day.
Despite that fact and the further
one that the Shamrock’s huge white
mainsail sent her around the narrow
point of the hook into the broader
reaches of the sea at 10 o’clock, he had
found time to talk to an Interviewer.
Then, and at night, with the moonlight
shining on the gleaming decks of the
Erin, he told the story of a successful
career.
Story of Eventful Life.
Simply and unaffectedly it was told.
There was none of “See-what-I-once
was-and-what-I-am-now air” about it.
The years were taken up one at a
time and their experiences related.
Whether he was telling of an errand
boy in Glasgow, an immigrant in
America or a millionaire merchant
prince, there were no words of pride
of regret. It was simply the story of
progress and sure development always,
of every opportunity seen and seized
and turned to the best advantage.
The telling of it describes a man
blessed with an abundant health and
vitality, able to withstand the great
drains of an exhaustless energy. It de
scribes an optimist also, one always sure
that the future holds good instead of
evil; just in all things to his fellow
man, and by that commanding justice,
always looking at the brighter side,
charitable, but with a charity which
aims only to aid the deserving; rich
or poor, unknown, or the most-talked
of man in two hemispheres, smiling,
laughing, shrewd and democratic.
“I was born in 1851." he said, “the
year that saw the birth of the Ameri
ca’s sup, and my birthplace was Glas
gow, Scotland. My father and mother
had come there some years before from
the North of Ireland, and my father
had started as a dealer in provisions
m a small way. I was one of three
children, but my brother and sister
never reached adult age, dying when
quite young.
Earns His First Dollar.
“Up to the age of 14 I attended
school, and when I was old enough I
helped -my -father at odd hours. Then
I wanted to do something for the fam
ily, and induced my parents to allow
me to leave school and become a mes
senger for another shopkeeper.”
He paused here as if thinking of
something; then: “I do not know and
I cannot conceive of any greater hap
piness than I experienced at the end of
my first week’s work. My hours were
long and my work hard for so young a
chap, but all that was forgotten when
my master handed me one dollar as rfiy
week's wage. I ran with it home and
gave It to my mother.
“I had other ambitions for my fami
ly as I grew older, and they were in a
great measure realized, but I do not
remember that any of them ever gave
me half the pleasure or half the pride
I felt over my first week’s earnings.
“I remained with the merchant for
a comparatively short time, and did
this more because I could attend night
class than anything else. I appreciat
ed then the advantages of a good ed
ucation as I do now, and every spare
hour I had I spent in study.
"Besides, I already had begun to look
about me, and I realized that in this
country, over In America, there were
opportunities for young men, and I
wanted to try them.
Came to America In Steerage.
"I came to America at the age of 18,
and I was a steerage passenger. I had
a very little money—only enough to
get me across and then to take me to
<~harleston. 8. C. There In looking
about me for an opportunity for work
I heard of the rice fields, and after a
time I secured a position with the own
er of one of them. I was not a labor
er, as has been stated, but more of an
accountant, and later an assistant
manager. I worked hard, and after sev
eraj, years, when nearing my major
ity, I returned home with money in
my’ pocket sufficient to engage in the
provisions business, as my father bad
done before.
“Of course, my first venture was in
Glasgow, where my parents had resid
ed, and it was a very small venture,
I assure you. To describe it to you best
I will say yiat I was everything con
nected with it, from proprietor to er
rand boy. It was my home. I had a
tiny little room just hack of the store,
where I slept. I was as long as it
was,” and the speaker stretched six
feet out from the reck chair. “The bus
iness hours of the day were arranged
to suit my customers. Whenever they :
wanted anything I was there to serve
It.”
“Sir Thomas,” Interrupted the visi
tor, ‘'how about the advertising at
that time?”
Novel Way* of Advertising.
A chuckle prefaced the answer. “Oh,
that was begun soon after I started
in business. You see I had made up my
mind that the one thing necessary to
commercial success was to ‘ first at
tract attention and then give satisfac
tion. I knew that once I had a cus
tomer I could keep him by honest-deal
ing, and the problem presented was,
therefore, to get him. Perhaps I had
borrowed an idea from you Americans
in that line, but in any even I put it
first in practice in Glasgow.
"I tried hundreds of schemes. One of
these was by placing cleverly drawn
cartoons in my windows touching up
on popular events or of a humorous
character. One of these, I recall now,
was a picture representing two men,
one very stout and the other very thin.
The lean man had a legend ‘I am going
to Lipton’s’; the stout man was sup
posed to be saying 'I am just coming
from Lipton’s.'
“Another was sending a drove of
hogs through the streets with signs
saying they were intended for Lipton,.
It attracted attention, but was never
repeated. The authorities thought
that was a little too much.
“When success began to come, I hit
upon another thing. That was buying
without the assistance of a middle
man. In line with this I concluded to
make a large purchase of butter in
Ireland, feeling sure that I would have
no difficulty in disposing of it.
“I first asked a man to do the buy
ing, and a little later I went over
there to pay for it. I learned to my
surprise that my agent had done too
well. He had contracted for more but
ter than I had money to pay for. I
was in a quandary. To fail would have
meant disaster for me. Look any way
I would, I could not see my way clear,
and in my despair I told my troubles
to a farmer, who knew me and knew
my family.
“He gave me my first gleam of hope
by lending me SSO. I took that, but
still did not have money enough to get
out. Then I bethought myself of my
watch. I tpok it to a pawnbroker, and
he offered me just enough to clear me.
You may rest assured he soon had it
in his possession. I took the butter
and sold it at a profit sufficient to pay
my debt to the farmer, redeem my
watch and enter anew upon another
butte? speculation. I never had an
other experience like this.
“Business increased, so that in a few
years I was able to open a second place
in another part of Glasgow. This was
again a small provision shop, and in it
I installed a man. Here aglfin I en
ployed advertising methods similar to
that in the first instance, and when I
opened the third establishment in
Glasgow ip another year I adopted the
experiment of hiring a brass band to
grace the occasion.
“With three shops going successful
ly and my business reaching out, I
turned my eyes to another city Of
Scotland, ant in a half dozen years
Lipton' shops were beginning to spring
up. not alone there, but in England as
well. The business had increased then'
so that it required a considerable staff
to manage it.
Stall Worked Long Each Day.
"My first office staff was most con
genial to me. We were all young, you
see, and all enthusiastic over the work.
Needless to say, we all worked hard.
It was the rule to find us at our desks
at 8 o’clock in the morning, and oft
times 11 o'clock that night would see
us still there. We would not go out for
meals. One of the pleasantest institu
tions I can remember was the tea din
ner we would have every evening in
the office. All the heads of departments
would gather at a good meal, and dur
ing the eating discuss the affairs of the
day and plan for the future. The hours
passed so quickly we would not realize
it, until late at night had come, and
even then we would reluctantly put on
our coats to go home.”
“How did you come to go into the tea
business?” he was asked.
“Because of my desire to get past
the middle man, or broker, in making
my purchases,” he answered.
“The English are tea drinkers, as
every one knows, and at that time tea
drinking was prevented from becoming
universal because of the expense. China
tea could not be purchased under 75
cents to $1 a pound, and there was no
way in whieh one could arrange to re
duce the price.
“It was then that Ceylon tea sug
gested itself to me. I considered that
superior in many respects to China
tea, and I do so now. But at that time
the business was so poorly managed
that there was little or none of it in
the English markets, and that only of
an inferior grade. I studied the sub
ject, and came to the conclusion that
the best way out of it was for me to
acquire tea plantations of my- ewn. I
therefore made a voyage to Ceylon to
carry out this purpose."
“They say you concealed this from
the world at large,” someone In the
party interrupted.
Reason lor His Secrecy.
“Yes. I thought it best to do this. I
had already learned that the surest
way to raise the price of a tiring was
to let it be known that it was wanted.
So I simply bought a ticket tD Aus
tralia and when the steamship reached
Colombo. I went ashore and forgot to
come back: -1 werked very quietly and'
before many days had acquired quite
an estate in the Country. There to
day tea in a quantity to supply a de
mand of 240 tons per week is raised
and prepared for the market by ma
chinery. In addition it has served to
reduce the price more than one-half.
“And your American interests?”
“Yes there are American interests,"
was the reply. They were acquired
for the same reason as the tea planta
tions, the desire to have only one step
to the consumer. It was in 1887, as I
remember, that I saw that I would
have to get my own meats. I there
fore came to this country and went
West. Omaha was then a healthy,
prosperous city, of course, but its su
burb of South Omaha was still almost
onlv a name.
“After investigation I determined to
go into the porkpacking business there,
and soon the Lipton porkpacking estab
lishment was an assured fact. It could
not compare In size with the great
establishments of the Swifts. Armours.
Hammonds and others, but it employ
ed a number of men and around It
grew a very prosperous little commu
nity, which now is a city of itself. I
remember very gratefully that there
is still a ‘Lipton boulevard, although
my business has been removed from
there for nearly twelve years.
Why Chicago Was Selected.
"We went to Chicago because It was
seen that the Lake City was more Of
a center for cattle and hogs than Oma*
ha. Since then the business has been
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8. 190 U
conducted there, and has enjoyed pros
perity. To properly ship the meat
handled, a subsidiary company has
also been organized in this country,
called the Lipton Refrigerating Car
Company. It has 606 refrigerator cars
in daily use.”
After this came the general sum
ming up of the business end of the
knight's life, and it was said that now
his stores and business in the British
Isles are In the hands of a corpora
tion, of whiph he is the Ijead. It has
many million dollars of capitalization,
but he still own? individually the tea
business in Ceylon, and the ‘American
enterprises.
Then the conversation turned upon
his charitable work. Sir Thomas has
decided views on that. He believes in
charity which helps without making
the recipient of it feel as if he were a
beggar. That brought up the Alexan
dra Trust, the most notable of his -en
terprises to benefit the poor.
“The Alexandra Trust,” he said,
“named in honor of Her Majesty Queen
Alexandra, Is a successful effort to pro
vide good food for the poor at the least
price. It is in no sense a charitable in
stitution, as such are known, because
nothing is given away. Men. women
and children of the lower walks of life'
pay for what they get. The only thing
is, we aim to give them of the best
at the least price.
“The Alexandra Trust was started In
March, i:t00, and Her Majesty, then the
Princess of Wales, was its president, ’
as she has since continued. In this
case she does not hold the office in
name only, but takes a most active
interest in everything connected with
the business and has done so since the
beginning She has been president for
every single minute, has directed it
personally and made it a point that
every item in ci nnectlon with it should
be sent to her when she is away. Each
of these items has had her own su
pervision.
“So far as the enterprise is concern
ed, it is eying along very favorably.
Since the opening I believe I can say
we have led more than 1,000,000 peo
ple, and they are increasing in num
ber evi’y day. The scheme is not run
for profit—that is, for the profit of
those known as stockholders. It makes
money, but ah that goes .nto a fund.
I cannoi say what the governors of
the affair will do with this amount.
It is altogether likely that they will
build otner places. I am sure Her Ma
jesty is of this opinion. Shi is tre
mendously interested in the poor, es
pecially i:i the way they are fed. ’
Routine of the Day.
He was asked about his daily life.
It may be. of interest for the world, to
know that he is a bachelor and almost
without a near relative in the world.
"For eight months of the year,” he
said, “I am a man of business for ten
hours of the day. This”—and he pointed
out across the water at the Shamrock
11, rocking at her buoy—“is my recrea
tion. I live at a little place known as
Osidge, in Hertordshire, twelve miles
rom my offices, in City Road, London.
This is an old place, surrounded by a
park, gardens and terrace*. It is half
villa and half bungalow—in short, a
bashelor’s home.
“There we have golf links, bowling
alleys, billiard tables and amusement
of various kinds, and, above all, a sta
ble, in which their are eighteen good
horses, most of them American stan
dard-bred trotters. With these I drive
to and from my office every day o£ the
year I am in London. I usually get
to my office at 10 o’clock in the morn
ing, lunch there with my men and try
to get home in time fbr dinner at 8
O’clock in the evening.
“Four or five hours is all the sleep
I need, and I rarely retire before 12
or 1 o’clock. In the evening I play a
game of billiards with some friend who
is stopping with roe, and sometimes we
have just a little music.”
“Sir Thomas is not a society man.”
one of his guests said afterward. “He
never entertains at Osidge formally,
his guests being confined So three or
.four whom he calls his pals, one a
member" of-Partiament, another a re
tired army officer and a third an emi
nent lawyer. All his formal entertain
ing is done at the Marlborough, his
club in London. He accepts few invi
tations, and is away from home only
for an occasional . attendance upon
some light opera. He is fond of mu
sic, but it is not of the involved, clas
sical kind,
Question as to His Wealth.
“What Is he worth?” And the friend
could only venture a guess. “Twenty
to thirty millions,” was gthe answer.
“Some say he is worth more- No one
knows, and certaintly we would not
care tp ask him.”
Before the little party left the Erin's
deck the subject of yachting naturally
came up.
“In the event of defeat,” he was ask
ed, “will this be your last try for the
CUD?”
“Not if I can get anybody to build
me a boat,” was the ready answer.
“But. where can I get one? The Sham
rock and' the Shamrock II represent
the'best effort of the two best boat
Disease Is a Btirden.
It Is a Terrible Handicap Which Unfits Men and Women for Business
or Pleasuae—Only the Proper Treatment Will Cure.
Thousands of people are handicapped by a stubborn
chronic disease, which unfits them for business or pleasure
jgTlnjS without completely disabling them. Many a man or woman
Jr while not sick in bed, have not known a well day in years,
m but are burdened down with some obstinate chronic dis
__ \ ease, which takes away all the pleasure of living.
W‘‘ As in all other professions, no one man is able to master,
“Mv Datients Hi the ® clence of medicine in all its branches. Different
the benefit forms of disease demand special study and research, and
of the most Vm /A' Wk the specialist in different branches of medicine is now in
.uuifni treatment AMU!! dispensable. The busy practicing physician is now never
obtainable in the ’ll called upon to trefit diseases of the eye. but the oculist Is
United States promptly consulted. Chronic diseases are so complicated
fmffYTpflSm in their nature that it impossible for the average physician
to devote to them the careful study necessary to treat
In m y extensive practice I find hundreds of cases which
' have been treated by physicians who were completely In
the dark as to the proper treatment. Such cases are al
vjKyN', > ways subjected to a series of experiments to the detriment
of the patient. I have devoted twenty years to the study
FvV \A, A m * nDj and treatment of diseases of both men and women, and
Vjjv . l, M\ my experience with these diseases is not equalled by any
M' VMK. 7* . 'vUfySrwlj'fin phyelcian in the United States. I keep constantly in touch
/ “ -with the latest up-to-date methods in curing my patients.
B My wide experience has given me a perfect knowledge of
' 1 All chronic diseases, and those who avail themselves of my
v >1 A services may know that they are being treated by a
\' il M/WwnP<' 'Villi' " wHp, ’ , I physician who understands their case perfectly. Myorig
“rl WllP i : ' X ‘ . lnal metho<i °* treatment has bee h perfected by myself,
M&- v‘ Jttk DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. LOSS OF
ySv ,vitality, varicocele, stricture, blood and
't . W skin diseases, bladder and kidney com
''PL ATISM ’ CATARRHS,FEMALE WEAK
% j and one reason why I have Such a large record of cures Is
that each case is given my close, careful study, and treat
\ 6 It is seldom that two cases are alike, hence those who rely
/ f\ u P° n a ready-made medicine can expect nothing but failure.
1 \ My original method of treatment has been given every pos-
LAvVIS Wvvn' \3£}u.'A gtble test, and has proven highly successful in all of the
UHv yv l \ \ above mentioned diseases, even after other treatment had
DR. HATHAWAY. failed. CHARGE FOR CONSULTATION.
I extend a cordial Invitation to everyone to consult me without cost. I will take pleasure in making a care
ful diagnosis of every case, giving my expert opinion and advice. For those who cannot see me in person I have
perfected a system of home treatment by which lam enabled to cure any case at the home of the patient. Send
for symptom' blanks and 64-page book, mailed free In plain envelope. Correspondence strictly confidential.
J. NEWTON HATHAWAY, JW. D.,
25A BRYAN STREET. SAVANNAH. QA.
Office Hours-w# *. m. to 1? a.. 3 to S, 7 to # p m. Sundays 10 a. m. to 1 pro
builders In Great Britain. If they fail,"
what am I to do? That is this only
answer I can give to the question,
though .there is nothing I want so
much as the cup.”
H paused for a moment, and then
continued;
"I believe the next cup race, the one
after this, will show anew departure
in cup raeers. I believe and hope they
will "De more practicable boats. As it
stands now, a cup racer is a cup racer
and nothing more. After it has served
its purpose it is fit only for old junk.
“This is wrong. Such a boat should
be available for cruising and sailing,
and should be useful for years. You
know how It Is when your last cup
defender but one has been sold already
for what its metal was worth.”
It was growing late and the men of
the party were making ready to go be
low.
One last question: “Have you any
ambition beyond adding a certain bit
Of silverware to your possessions?”
“No,” was the decided answer. “Not
one. I have no more axes to grind. I
do not want more money, or more rank,
or more anything.”
MAYBE THE DEEPEST MINE.
Talk of Sinking n SUalt Nearly Two
Miles for Copper Ore.
From the Milwaukee Sentinel.
It will require a deep shaft to de
velop a mine to the west of the Tam
arack—a shaft of nearly two miles in
depth—but in view of the wonderful
strides made in deep mining in the past
decade it is not beyond tfie range of
possibilities that such a shaft may be
'started soon. Fifteen years ago the
sinking of No. 1 Tamarack to a certl
cal depth of 2,270 feet made anew
world’s record, and the men who sank
it were denounced as lunatics until the
phenomenal success closed the mouths
of their detractors.
Tl)e bottoming of the Red Jacket
shaft only a few years ago, at a
depth of 4,900 feet, was regarded with
wonder, and held by many to be the
ultimate limit in deep mining, yet to
day the No. 3 shaft of the Tamarack
lacks but a moment's work of being
a full 5,000 feet in depth, and the
hoisting plant just installed is built
for service to a depth of 6,000 feet—
nearly three times the depth at which
the original Tamarack shaft qut the
lode, although then denounced as a
crazy undertaking by some of the best
minning men in this district.
If the planned limits of deep mining
have been extended to almost three
times their original bounds, within less
than two decades, the jump from 6,000
to 10,000 feet is not such an impossible
one as it now seems to many. A
shaft two miles irt depth could be sunk
in ten years at a cost, including equip
ment, of $2,000,000 or $3,000,000. In other
words, a two-mile shaft could be sunk
and equipped at about the same cost
and in about the same time as the Red
Jacket shaft, which lacks a little of a
mile in depth.
There is really but one serious draw
back to the sinking of a two-mile
shaft, and that is the question of ven
tilation. At such great depth the heat
would be very great. The develop
ments of the next two years in No. 5
Tamarack will settle the question of
whether a two-mile shaft could be op
erated to advantage. That it could be
sunk is no longer open to question. At
the deep vertical shafts of the Calumet
district powerful fans are used to re
inforce the natural system of ventila
tion obtaining in all deep mines that
have more than a single shaft.
In the case of the hypothetical two
mile shaft the single opening could be
made to serve fne purpose of two
shafts by making the different com
partments air-tight and using one of
them for a down-cast, and another for
an up-cast, or chimney, to withdraw
the heated air from the mine,
f The compressed air from the power
drills is also a powerful factor in mine
operations at great depths, as air gives
up much of its heat under compres
sion, and when released quickly robs
the surrounding rock and the free air
in the mine of a portion of their heat.
Set Germs on Mosqnltoee.
From the New York Sun.
Dr. R. N. Connolly, the bacteriolo
gist of the Newark Board of Health,
is experimenting along anew line to
kill off mosquitoes. He is in search;
Of a disease germ which will affect the
mosquito and not be dangerous if com
municated by the mosquito to a hu
man being. He cites the decimation
of the locusts in Africa by means of
a disease communicated to them from
a few of the insects which were in
fected by laboratory cultures, and he
l 14 of the opinion that mosquitoes may
be overcome in this manner with less
trouble and at smaller cost than by
choking them with kerosene.
He is making microscopical studies
of sick and healthy mosquitoes. He
| hopes fbr great developments.
FARMING ACRES OF SACT
OX A MARVELOUS CRYSTAL PLAIN,
WHERE HO IS A COMMON TEM.
FERATURJE.
Where the Overflowing Colorado
River Pace Formed Saltou Sea the
Subaidluif Waters Have Lett an
Apparently Inexhaustible Supply
of Salt—The Commodity Is Plowed
Up, Uoed and Gathered Into Glist
ening Pyramids to Be Dried,
Cleaned and Shipped.
By Mrs. A. S. C. Forbes.
One of the most curious pieces of real
estate in existence is now the subject
of a suit brought by the government
to recover the property. It Is a salt
farm —one thousand acres of solid salt,
which is blowed and hoed and hilled
up like so much earth. It lies in a de
pression, 264 feet below the level of the
sea, in the midst of the great Colorado
Desert, Just north of the Mexican line
in. the state of California, and the town
which has grown up on tis border takes
its name, Salton, from the crystal de
posit
For many years salt has been taken
from this district, but on a small scale.
In 1892 a temporary stoppage was put
to the local Industry by the overflow
of the Colorado river, forming what
was.known as the Salton Sea. In time
the water receded, evaporation follow
ed, and thefe was left a residuum of
almost pure crystal salt, a vista un
imaginable and almost unbearable bril
liance and beauty. From a distance
the effect was that of a sheet of the
purest snow, glittering in the sunlight;
but when the first explorers ventured
upon the newly formed crust they were
unable to endure for long the fierce
refraction of the light, and fled blind
ly with aching eyeballs from that in
sufferable radiance. Equipped with
colored glasses, they returned, and
soon a Company was working the
richest salt crystal field In existence.
All that was necessary was to plow
out the salt and grind It up. A salt
plow was devised and built. It has
four wheels and a heavy and powerful
steel beak, or breaker, and the motive
power is steam. Then a grinding mill
and drying plant was put up, a dummy
line run up to connect with the South
ern Pacific Railroad, and the work of
taking out five and a half tons daily
at from $6 to $36 a ton began. The great
difficulty, however, was to get labor.
Probably nowhere else on the earth’s
surface do men work under such ter
rific conditions of temperature as at
the Salton salt farm. The normal heat
of the Colorado Desert, which is such
that few white men can live in that
region, is enormously increased by the
refracted and reflected rays of the sun.
For weeks at a time the temperature of
the field reaches 140 degrees every day.
Under these conditions, of course, no
white man can work- The salt plowing
is done by Japanese and Indians, main
ly the latter, -who seem to endure tfie
rigors of the climate without evil ef
fects. To watch the steady, stoic per
formance of the red-skinned toiler as
he hoes, shovels and scrapes the field,
or operates the engine that propels the
plow, is to appreciate the qualities of
the Indian as a worker under the most
trying conditions. Some of the Indian
Is borers even work without glasses
but all the Japs protect their eyes frdm
the bVlieful glare with the darkest of
spectacles, and even so they are often
laid off with optic inflammation. In ad
dition to the other discomforts of the
salt fields the flyir.g particles generate
a peculiarly irritating and persistent
thirst. The workers drink great quanti
ties of water, and this serves as a safe
guard against sunstroke, as it keeps
them perspiring freely.
The deposit of salt varies in thick
ness from one to eight inches. It forms
in a crust, and the plow breaks thi*
salt covering by throwing a broad but
shallow furrow of salt lumps up in
parallel ridges on either side of the
machine. Here and there underlying,
the crystal plain are springs of water.
When the crust is broken the springs
seep forth their dirty, brackish water;
and the Indian lads follow the plow
with hoe in hand, knocking to and fro
the clumps of salt and mud In this
water, until the earth 1b dissolved, and
then the crystal salt Is stacked in con
ical pyramids to await transportation
to the mill.
The salt crystals do not dissolve dur
ing the washing, doubtless on account
of the quantity of saline already in the
water. No sooner has the plow gone
over the field than the crust begins to
form again: therefore It would seem
that the salt fields of Salton are inex
haustible. The salt is allowed to remain
in the pyramids until complete evapor
ation of all water takes plaoe, when it
is transferred to the flat cars and car
ried to the roUls at Salton. The fac
tory is a structure about 600 feet in
ADVANCE
Fall
Shoe
Sale!
We took out of our shelves 300
pairs LADIES’ BUTTON and LACE
SHOES, in Turn and Welted Soles,
patent and* kid tips, full military
and opera heels, $2.00 and $2.50
Shoes. We have placed them on our
Center Table and we have marked
the price on them
It is to your interest to BUY
THESE SHOES NOW, as the fall is
on us and you will soon need them.
NO OLD STOCK OR
BROKEN SIZES,
but the best on earth for the money.
SEE THE SHOES ON
OUR CENTER TABLE.
ri " • n 1 ’ *
length and consists of a milling and
drying plant. When the salt arrives at
the mill it is thrown Into a bulkhead
breaker and reduced to uniform parti
cles, which are run through a burr mill
and thoroughly ground. There is an al
most imperceptible portion of carbon
ate of soda mixed with the native salt,
and this simply aids in the cleansing
prccess. When thoroughly ground the
salt is sifted like flour through bolting
cloth, put through an aspirator, which
removes all foreign substances, and is
then ready to sack. Aside from the re
fined or domestic salt there are tons
and tons of hide-salt shipped annually
from Salton. This grade Is only sold
for commercial and Industrial pur
poses.
The most delightful time to visit the
crystal lake is upon a moonlight night.
The spectacle is magnificent, but
weird. The rows at glistening pyra
mids, the glitter of the moonlight from
the facets of millions of crystals, the
distant background of low, black hill?,
the expanse and stillness of the shad
owless plain, strike one with awe and
wonder that can never be forgotten.
Last December the United States
land office unearthed some records
which seemed to Indicate that the salt
farming company had no right or title
to the valuable property It Is now
working. Owing to the peculiar geo
graphical conditions consequent upon
the overflow of the river forming the
Salton sea and the subsequent subsi
dence and disappearance of the sea, the
legal points involved are quite intri
cate. The case will probably come up
soon for adjudication.
.Norway Solve. Servant Problem.
From the Chicago Record-Herald.
The servant girl problem has been
solved In Norway to the satisfaction
of all concerned. In large cities like
Bergen and Chritlania there is a cen
tral employment bureaq under the di
rection of the municipal goverpmertt,
and twice a year—one week before
New Year's day and one week before
St. John’s day, the 24th of June—there
is a general chapge of servants by
those who are dissatisfied with exist
ing conditions, and engagements are
made for the ensuing Bix months of the
year. Families who want servants fill
out blanks setting forth what is re
quired and the wages they are willing
to pay. These are filed at the employ
ment office and are noted in a con
spicuous manner upon a blackboard.
Women or men in search of employ
ment go to this bureau during the
weeks named, examine the blackboard
and apply to the clerk In charge for
further information. If they desire to
apply for a particular position they
submit ,their recommendations to the
clerk, and if he is satisfied he gives
them a card to the lady of the house
before the close of office hours. If the
girl is engaged the blanks upon the
card are filled out with a general
statement as to her duties, the term
of service and the wages agreed upon,
and the card is filed away for refer
ence if necessary.
If the lady of the house is not satis
fied with the applicant she sends her
away and returns the card marked
“not satisfactory” to headquarters
with a request that other applicants
be sent to her. If the applicant is sat
isfactory the lady of the hous* pays
her a bonus of 1 or 2 kroner, called
“hand money;” that Is, she crosses her
hand with silver as an evidence of
good faith—and the girl agrees to re-
port t or duty within one week after
New Year's or midsummer’s day, as
the case may be. This Is to allow her
present employer an opportunity to fill
her place.
The law protects both the employer
and the employed. The employer guar
antees to give the servant a comfort
able room, wholesome food, take care
of her If sick and pay her wages reg
ularly as agreed upon during good be
havior: while the girl agrees to per
form her duties faithfully during the
term for which she la engaged. If
there is any complaint upon either side
It must be made to a magistrate, who
Investigates and decides between them.
A family cannot get rid of a servant
during the term of employment- with
out official Intervention. On the other
hand, the girl’s wages are a first lien
upon their property for the entire
term, although Judgment must be ren
dered and made a matter of record. Jf
a servant runs away from her employ
er she can be arrested by the police
apd Imprisoned and fined.
Cooks are paid from $4 to $7 a
month; housemaids from $3 to $1 a
month; men butlers from $lO to SU;
coachmen from sl2 to sl6 a month;
scullery maids and men of all work re
ceive corresponding wages.
A Chinese Eilitar’i Sarcasm.
I’rom the Pall Mall Gazette.
There are many people besides Dr.
Parker who regard an editor’s position
as a "soft thing,’’ and a certain num
ber of these persons have made their
appearance in unaccustomed China,
where they are expending much tlnje
and labor in the correction and godly
admonition of the editor of a native
paper, whose robust reform proclivities
are offending against the immutable
laws of his hand. Driven at length to
dgtend himself, the harassed Journal
ist addressed to his critics a brief edi
torial. of which the following transla
tion gives an Idea of the'Chinese con
ception of sarcasm, erroneously declar
ed to be non-existent by many travel
ers. After a preliminary acknowledg
ment of fallibility the article pro
ceeds.
"In future nothing which may be de
scribed as new will appear In these
columns, and thereby prevent people’s
understandings frbrn being enlighten
ed'. None but bigoted members of the
conceited literati will ever be called
to assist upon the editorial staff. We
shall confine ourselves to the affairs
of the last dynasty, carefully avoiding
all reference to the family that now
rules China. We shall give our special
attention to fortune telling, witch
craft, and kindred subjects of truth, of
which no one has any doubt A place
of supreme importance will be given
Ho the revered teachings of geomancy,
and we shall show that a man’s good
luck or misfortune Is controlled by the
stars. We shall respectfully beg His
Majesty to observe the old customs,
and that the Mandarins follow their
excellent and time-honored methods of
transacting business. We shall resist
with all our strength every attempt to
Introduce reforms, and lest we should
be tempted to record any current
events we resolve from this time for
ward to dispense with the service of
all reporters as a useless waste Of
money. We hope in this way to earn
the good will and support of all our
readers, firmly believing that if we
faithfully do according to this honest
and admirable advice the benefit will
be manifested to alh"
11