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K<..^~ The Quiet Observer The New Oil Field. With the discovery oC oil In the basin of the Mackenzie River, a dls coveiy which like coal in Northern Ontario, has long been anticipated, an adAiirani'e has been given that the camir may stUl hold out to burn. Just what the cost ot keeping It lighted U an entirely different matter. The oil Is ot a very blKh quality with a high proportion of gasoline, but some further contlrmatiuna have yet to be made as to quantities and acressl- blUty. The Imperial OH Co. which has been the mean.i of bringing about the discovery, and which its officials det^lare believe such exploration to be part of its public trust as the pioneer and premier oil interest In Canada, believes that there is a rich field In the territory indicated. If the discovery provea out the company is (lulte willing to build a railway or a pipe-llne. â- which ever l.^ the better, to develope the wells. A pipe-line over the enormous distance would cost $50,000,000. There are conalderatlons of climate and temperature to be con- sidered as well, but with the value at, present set on oil, no obstacle would be allowed to stand In the way of securing the product of this region. Some cttrlosUy is felt concerning the attitude of the Government towards the property as a national trust for the people. So very little ia left of the public domain for those who own It that some control for the benefit of the people Is expected to be estab- lished over it. The magnitude of the Investment required constitutes the whole interest as- specially adapted to monopoly treatment, and no doubt an equitable arrangement can be arrived at by which the people's Interests will be protected. Some Farm Notes. An October of unusual mildness has given opportunity for the clearing up of an exceptional haiâ€" est, the only regret, a w^lde and pitiful one, being for the lamentable waste of fruit Apples and peaches In toes are rotting 1b the orchards everywhere for want of help to pick them or containers to pack them in. Co-operation to the • end that such waste shall never occur again Is Imperative, and fruit-grow- ers' associations should be organized everywhere that orchards exist. The • canners have been crippled by the sugar market and the shortage of cans, but are said to have an average pack. In Essex the cider mills are •taking apples. In Lincoln the Grape Growers' Association has handled 75 per cent, of the crop. Potatoes are stiffening In price and traces of rot are reported. Wheat is showing vigor- â-  oud growth, even the latest sown com- ing on strong. The mild weather has maintained pasturage in good condi- tion with beneficial results on the milk supply. Hay runs from $25 to J30 a ton. In threshing tractors are being widely used. T. Russell, of To- ronto, had a barn and the crop from 200 acres burned down, eighty head of short horns having been saved from ' the barn basement. It was supposed that the bearings got heated, as flames burst from the blower and set the straw on fire. The present writer while stacking straw in Scarboro township in front of the blower saw . sparks Issue with the straw and yelled like an Indian to stop the engine. It was found that binder twine had got twisted and heated In the blower and the sparks were coming from the twine. Another minute and there would have been flames, and the barn could not have been saved, and it is possible the men would have had dif- ficulty in escaping. Henry Ford's Wage Policy. Henry Ford has probably had as much to do with the new point of view ot the Labor man as any Bolshe- vUt In Russia, and Heary is no Bol- shevist but u thoroughly well-ground- ed capitalist. So much is the capitalist that he very early felt It to be neces- sary to be Independent of all other â-  capitalists. Consequently he is largely his own banker. He seems to think that economic freedom for the em- ployer is impossible otherwise. But he is a believer in economic freedom for the worker as weH as tor the em- ployer. Consequently he set a min- imum wage scale that set every heart In business palpitating, the workers' with hope, the employers' with anx- iety. He placed the unskilled man on the same minimum level as the skilled man because he thought every man who did au honest day's work was entitled to sufficient food for himself and his family, so that he would not have to send his children to work before they had finished their schooling, and so that he might save enough to make his old age Indepen- dent. Mr. Ford does not believe In pensions or charities or hand-outs of any description. His men ha thinks iihonid have enough money In their pockets to do as they need and like, and he thinks a bath tub In a man's own house is far ahead of a dozen In- stitutional shower-baths in the fac- tory. This Is a policy of Independence for the working man, and Henry Ford has not lost by it. Russian Soldiers In Canada. Another possible basis for the wide- ly-spread story during the war of regiments of Russian soldiers having been tran.sported through Canada from Siberia to the Trench front, has been discovered. The Russian sol- diers were a very persistent fiction. Ever so many people saw themâ€" or thought tbey did. or said they did. Even in Britain stories were current ot great Ixxiles of men landing in Scotland from Russia and coming by rail south for France. An origin of this story was suggested by the as- sertion that when many train loads of great, massive soldiers had passed through a certain place in England, some bystander asked where they were from. The reply was : "From Ross-ahue," in gutterrals which the auditor tran.slalod into Russia. The Canadian legend may have originated from rumors of the treasure now de- scribed as having arrived in Canada from the far east on a .Japanese war- ship, which, being transhipped in mid- ocean to the Canadian cruiser Rain- how and carried across to Ottawa may have suggested Ru.ssian soldiers as on their way. The money was put on a train disguised a.s a silk train with special express cars. On each car was J9,0OO,000 in gol.l. The utmost pre- cautions were taken, and the doors of the cars were never opened when the train was at a Ktand-stlU. On three subsequent occasions sums totalling $217,000,000 were passed through Can- ada in this way. making |282,000,000 altogether. Then the Bolshevists took hold and made an end of Russia. Flammarlon Condemns Mediumship. Camille Flammarlon Is one of the most notable ot the psychic research- ers of Europe. By-the-way, why do the Toronto newspapers misspell psychic as physch'.c? The correct way Is easier. Flammarlon Is the author of much literature on this subject whldi so markedly holds the attention utiiiiiimmiiuiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii A JEWEL IN THE ROUGH iinttitifiiftnNiiiiutiiiiiiiiNitiHiiiiiiiiiiHiiitmiiv< "How can she like to come here alone?" exclaimed Stephen, with a shudder. "I wonder she !« not afraid. I'm surprised she has not come to some harm long ago." Talbot smiled to himself inside his fur collar and aaid nothing. The girl's of the world at present. His standing alvsolute tearlessnws waa the point as a man of science and his long ex- perience therefore render his opinion valuable, and his recent declaration that intermediary communication with the "spirits' 'ot the dead is an unreliable method. This disposes oC most ot the spiritualistic claims, while It la in agreement with ancient testi- monies, and his profound philosophies of the east which have dealt with the subjects. It leaves the belief in hu- man immortality unassalled, and strengthens the Tennysonian view that "spirit with spirit will meet." In discussing the report that Edison pro- posed to telephone for spiritualistic roinniunications, Flanimarioa said it seemed to him that smallest human brain, or the braifls ot any living creature, dog or cat, would be more sensitive than any mechanical me- dium, "in our heads, withla our skulls," he declared, "we already have the instrumeat which enables us to communicate with the dead. No hu- man Invention ♦.vill ever surpass it. We don't know how to use it yet. But that win come in time." It is the as- sertion of all Oriental metaphysicians that such sensitiveness and suscepti- bility to the impression of the finer thought forces of the universe is the result of high morality ,purlty ot life, temperance and self-control. Such de- velopment has nothing In common with trance mediumship, the com- munication and revelations of Irre- sponsible psychics and the vagaries ot those who pursue such things through curiosity or self-interest. Only the pure can approach the realm of pur- ity, and other realms are not desir- able as regions with which to be al- lied. The lea.st of the vices these lower infliienco:* awaken Is an Insis- tent egotism, characteristic ot the p.sychlc world. Coffee Bavarian Cream, Put two cupfuls ot nca miik, or part milk and part cream, in a double boil- er to scald. whf>n hot add halt a cup- ful ot freshly-made, very strong cot- fee. Beat yolks of two eggs with haU B cupful of sugar until light and add to the milk and coffee. Soaic a third ot a box of gelniine in half a cupful of cold water tor an haur; then dissolve over boiling water and 8tir Into the custard and cook and still uutli nwlU coat a spoon. Remove from the tire and turn into ^ iia.sin and set in Ice water and let cool, stirring occasion- ally, then as it begins to stiffen stir in the whites of the eg?s beaten to a stiff froth and half a pint ot whipped cream. Turn Into moulds aud place on ice. Let stand for three hours. which he admired most in her char- acter, and the Immunity from dan- ger seemed in her case, as in others, the natural accompaniment of it. For- tune is said to favor the brave. Mis- fortune certainly eeen:a to spare them. "I think this is the place," said Talbot at last; and they stopped be- fore a large but old and dirty looking cabin. It was sunk beneath the usual level of the ground, and reached by some crooked, slippery stepu. Al the foot of these steps was a sort ot yard, which you had to cro«s before reach- ing the cabin door itself. What was- lu the yard, or what its condition was, It wBis too dark to see; but a sickening smell came from It as the men descended the steps, and the ground seemed slippery or miry in places above the frozen snow. The windows of the labin in front gave out no light whatever, but that there wa« light inside, and very bright life. wa« evidenced by that which burst through the ihinks all over It. "I shouldn't wonder it I stumbled over a corp«e next, " muttered Talbot, aa be slipped and al'Uiost tell in the darkness on a slimy something under hie feet that reminded him of blood. They got up to the door and tried the latch, it would not yield; then they thumped on it with their gloved fiats. The latch was drawn back b^ some hand Inside, and the door opened Just wide enough to admit them, and was pushed to again. Stephen and Talbot found themselvee in a crowd of loiterers inelde the door, who appar- ently took no notice of them beyond a sodden stare It was a long, low room that they entered, so low thai it seemed to Tal- bot the ceiling was almost upon their heads. The atmosphere was stifling, evll-emelling beyond endurance, and so clouded with tobacco smoke that they could not see the further end. A long table covered with greeen cloth took up the centre of the room, and all round the walls were ranged smaller one«. The place was full when the two men entered; all the space at the centre table wag occupied; the side tables were filled, and men standing up between blocked the way up the room". The windows at the end were barred and shuttered; not a breath of outer air could enter. The cheap lamp^ nailed at Intervals along the grimy walls were mostly black and smoking, adding their acrid fumea to the thick atmosphere. There were very few women present, some paint- ed, worn, unhappy-looking creatures, hovering like restless phantoms COTTON PICKING BY MACHINE IS PERFl .D It looks as thoaglt MteBee had at iaet doreloped * maehlae that would ditplaca human hands ta the cotton field. The machine above is the development ot •. cottob-pleklag devise Invented 20 TBan tfo by Aague Campbell, a acotehmsn, and It belhk need* â- â€¢ecessfulir. picking 1200 pounds of cotton «n hour, which oquato th« work ot (0 mm. It has cost tbout one mlUloa dollars to develuj^ ilM •Vfaratus to lU pr«Mat ttM* ot pe»t«ctl«a fafad the tables where the thickest crowds were â€" ^that seemed all. Ste- phen lookpjd round on every side with haiggard face and anxious eyes. She waa nowhere near the door, and af- ter a hurried survey of all those low er fables they forced and pressed and pushed their wa'y toward the other end. At last they caught sight of her. She was sitting at a small table, with her face turne<l toward the room, intent upon the game. Her cheeks were flushed with cxi^ltcment. She had flung her fur cap aside, ami her ruffled 'olack hair lay loose upon her forehead. The collar of her bodice was open and turned back a little from her round white neck. She looked, with her soft youn;; face, like a fresh flower dropped by chance into this evil tainted den. Talbot gave her a keen scrutiny as they approached, and understood Stephen's infatuation. As for Stephen himself, his heart went out to her, and he was filleil with a bitter self-reproach and sudden resolu tlons. His love and his darling! How could he have let her go. Ha would take her away in safety at once. He would not hesitate again. When they reached the table they saw there was a largrt stake on the cloth between the two players. Her companion was a youngish man, seem- ingly a miner, dressed in the roughest clothes. Neither looki-d up till both men were close by them and bet.veen them and the lights. Then Katrine raised her eyes and started violently as she recognized Ihara. Her face flushed deeptir, and her eyebrows con- tracted with annoyance. Stephen went round to the back of her chair and laid his hand on her shoulder. "Come awny: oh, pray, come away," he said in au imploring tone. It was all he seemed able to articulate. "I'm just In the middle of a game," she answered petulantly. "You mnsn't Interrupt me." "But it isn't sate for you to be here." "Stuff! I used to be here every nisht before 1 married you!" A death-UKe pallor overspread the man's faca as he hoard. He could not believe her. could not realize It. Had bhe indeed been here night after night? "Way ao yo« coM'.e here and inter- fere?" she conliaued, pettishly, looking up from Talliot to his companion. "1 always have such luck, and I'm likely to lose it if you worry me." The youns miner set back In his chair, thrus'. 'loth hands iu his pock- ets, and stared rudely at the Intruders. He did not mind the interruption as much as she did. since he was losing, and had been steadily ever sinci- he sat down to play with Katrine, and doubts and angry questionings of his opponents methods began to stirtn his dull, clouded brain, as toads stir the iiuiil In (iome thick pool. "ifoii ourjht not to be here at all," said Stephen, hotly. "Well, why shouldn't I make money as well as you?" returned the girl, quic'ily, wirji a flash of scorn in her dark eyes, and .Stephen whitened and \v!n;ed. "Haven't you made enough for one night, lu any ease?" interposed Talbot, quietly. "Yes, I think I have," she answered, with a glance at the glistening pile on the cloth. "I'll come." she added, sud- denly, "if .lim's no objection. What do you say. .Km?" she asked, looking across to the young fellow, who had been a sulky, silent spectator of the whole scene. "Shall we quit tor to- night?" "If you give me back my money," ho answered. "That's mine," he said, pointing to the pile. "It's my money, gentlemen; she's been winning all '.he evening." "Yes, I always do have luck," re- torted Katrine "I told you so when we began." "You may call It luck -I don't," muttered the miner, his faCa turning a duiky purple. "And what do yon call It?" return- ed Katrine, whitj with an!;?r !n her turn at the Insinuation, while Talbot, who saw what was coming, tried to draw her away, "What do»s It matter? Come away; leave him the money." Xo one In the room noticed what waa going on in their comer. The others were all too iMsy with their own plav, absorbed in their own greed; besides, 6(iuabbles over the tables were of such cnmmoii or.- irrence, they ceased to ex- cite any curiosity. "I sha'n't," returned Katrine, shak- ing herself free. "The oily, smoky light from above fell across her fa<'e; It seemed to bloom through the foul, dusky air like a rose. "It'e my money- 1 want It." "Yes, by cheaMngI" shouted the miner, forgetting everything but the approaching loss he foresaw of the shining pile. "You He!" said Stephen, hoarsely "She has not cheated you." The miner staggered to his feet, and before any of ibem realized it he had drawn his pistol and flre.l His hand was unsteady from drink and rage, and the ball passed over Stephen's shoulder and went into the wall behind him. Talbot tried to draw Stephen to one side. The miner, blind with anger, half conscious only of what he was about, and drawing almost at random, turned his revolver on Talbot. Like a flash Katrine in- terposed between them, and ,11ms bul- let found a lod,?ement in her lungs. She had fired also. The shots had been sinuiltaneous, and the miner tell, without a groan, without a murmur, forward across the table, carrying it with him to the floor. The gold pile scattered among the filthy sawdust on the ground. Katrine sunk backward into 'I'albol's arms, and her head fell to his shoulder like that of a tired child falling to sleep. In an instant they were surrounded by an eager, inquiring throng. .\ll the tables, with some few exceptions, were deserted: the players all crowded u;) to the end of the room, and Stephen and Talbot were carried back to thj wall by the pressing crowd. Some of the men raised the body ot the miner; he was dead. 'i'he people pressed round, and one glaiice at t'se set face told them, A momentary awe spread among them, and the men who had raised the body carried it to a bench and laid it there. Stephen, pallid as the dead man himself, look- ed round in desperation on the star- ing crowd. "Is tliore a surgeon or a doctor here?" he asked. Katrine heard him. and raised her- self a little in Talbot's armsâ€" be was standing against the wall now. She turned her eye.s toward Stephen and stretched out her hand. Intbc ♦ ^otcr ^orld When the leather tan belt develops considerable slippage it .s probably becau.so the rough side of the leather Is against the pulley surface. Tha smooth side of tli^ leather has a much greater traction adierence. Whenever your car has suffered a hump of any kind, a crash against the curb or anytiiing of that sort, the .wheels should Immediately be tested for allgnmeat, as a bang - f this kind is (.uite enough to force them out ot correct alignment, which will lead to exc:;sslve wear. Batteries should never be tested with a screw-driver as it causes a great drain on the batteries. ll is always best to use a hydrometer and if the liquid reads 1,275 to l,noo all is well. If it gets down to 1.200 have the system looked over by an expert. Throwing the Ignition switch to "off" position and then leaving the keg.^ in place, does not insure t-he car from liieft. Always make it a rule to take the keys with you no matter how short a time you are leaving the car unguarded. When the tires are being Inflated In a public garage the figures on tha gauge on the tank should not he ac- cepted as strictly accurate, because this gauge usually registers about twenty pounds more per inch than Is in tiiH tire, since it takes that amount of pressure to open the valve. If you have detached wheels re- member that metal parts may ruflt. Occaslouairy, when you change a wheel, cover the metal contact surface with grease, otherwise the detachable wheel will no longer bo a detach- able w^heel. WTien the car owner Is confronted with the condition ot excessive oil consumption and no reasoi*ahle ex- planation Is forthcoming. It is well to suspect the rear crank shaft bearing. LotisenesB in the fit of the bearing permits the oil to work out and ma- terially increases the consumption From the man who wants to gee maximum niiieage from his tires, tha habit of using a spare tire to afford regular changes, beginning at the riglit front and progressing around .lie car, is a valuable one to form. In this way each tire nets a week's rest in four, during which time it should he gone ov-r carefully and have any cj's and abrasions vulcanized. The continued use of rims that_have become bent or badly dented will In- variably cause rtm cutting, which means the end of the casing's usetu!- n^-'ss. .Vnotht>r error is to neglect to I keep the valve stem and ttay bolts tight. When this is not done, water I wHl get Into the casing on wet roads I and cause no end ot trouble. I If in a hurry to stop a spring from I .squeaking pour a little kerosene over ! it. guiding the oil down the sides with I finger so it will run in between tha leaves. Wipe oft the excess. Pour ! cylinder oil over the springs the same I way, then shake the car, so the oil will be drawn in. Never add acid to a storage bat- tery. If the solution is weak is means that the a<id has entered the plates and the battery needs recharg- ing. Adding ai;id will sulphate the battery and ruin it. Wiien the motor shows any ten- dency to labor on driving upgrade on high gear which has been provided tor just Kuch a purpose. \ self-lubricating bushiag lor a spring bolt can easily be made by drilling, say eight holes, each 3-16 of an inch iu diameter, through a new bronze bushing. These holes are "It's no use, Steve, dear," she said. "I'm done tor, Dou/t worry with a ] packed with graphite when the buslv doctor. I shall be gone in five min- | ing is ia place. Then by remaviu'' utes." tTo be continued.) the spring bolts every six mouthi [repacking the bushing with gr:-!'" ^•♦♦♦♦♦♦♦4-.^* » »* >*'*<^-»*->i»»**'4 I JUST EOOECSI I t "The Prairie .Motlier," by Stringer, author ot "The Wife." It may be well to stale at the out- set that, although this romance has lis setting on a prairie ranch in North- west Canada. It has nothing in com- mon with the usual Western adven- ture tale. Mr. Stringer very early In the hook develops an unusual domestic situa- tion. The outcome might be gu-'ss- ed at, but the guess would as likely be wrong as rigiir. The principal characters are four: Oiincan .\rgyle McKail. of Casa Oraii.le Rinche; his wife, Chaddif; hi.s ICiigli.-ih cousin. I.ady .Mieia Elizabeth Newland, and Veter Ketley, The story is told iu the form of a diary kepi by ("haddie. which begins soon aft»r the birth ot her third child. The two other chil- dren were twins, and with their com- ing. McKall had transfpr.-ed the valu- able Casa Grauda Ranch to his wife's name, I/ater he had speculated In land and had not only lost his own capital, hut also a; 7.000 intrusted to him by Lady .-Micia for investment. Discussing the disaster with his wife, McKail remarks: "But there's one thing I want you to remember. If I got deeper into thi< game than 1 should have, it wasn't for what money meant to m£, I've never been able to forget what I took yo;i away from. 1 took you away from luxury and carted you out here to the end of Nowhere and had you leavi! b"h:nd about everything tiiat inide life decent. .\nd one thing I've ahvays wanted to do is make good on that overdraft on your bank account of happiness, I've wanted to give hack lo you the things you sacrificed, 1 know 1 owed you that, all along. .\:id when the children came I saw that 1 owed it to you more than ever. I want to give Dinky-Dink and Pnpp.-sy and Pee-Wee a fair chance in life. I want to he able to start them right, just as much a.? you do. ,Vnd yon con't be dtimped hack with Ihree children to bring up. and feel that you're doing the right thing by your ' ftimlly." To which Chaddie replied: "The I things that make life decent, ;: â-  tilings that we carry away i.i own immortal soul. The home'y â-  things, like honesty and sell-reM.),-. and contentment of mind Ami : ] we've got to cut cjose to the hoii- Arthtir i before we can square up our ledger of Prairie lite, let's start tiie carving while w. have the chance. lypt's get our con- science clear and know were playin,:^ the game." bady .Vlicia had announced her in- tention ot coming for the winter to try the Canadian climate. Chaddie insisted that Casa Grandi' he handed over to her, "bug and baggage' According the McKails migrate to- the run-down Harris ranch, and start anew. Lady .-Micia arrivf^s with her Kngli-ih maid and eleven trunks and lak'.'s possession of Casa Crunda. She al.-io takes possession of McKall; an estrangement between him and his wife follows. Comes into the picture and into Chaddle's life Peter Ketloy. a young man from the Kast -splen- did type. From this imperfect out- line It will be .seen that the author has set the stag"" for actions which bode good or ill for four people. The turnings of the plot must be left to the reader's discovery and en- joyment. Mr, Stringer's public is accustomed to expect good work from his pen and we venture the opinion tliat in "The Prairie .Mother"" he htis surp:i.ssed himself. In Chaddie Mc- Kall, with her saving pride, her cour- age and loyalty, and her inflexible will toward the right, he has drawn an appealing portrait. • « » Destructive Earthquake. On-j of the most destructive earth- quakes in the world"s history w-is that which occurred in Veddo, In the vear 17011, when 190.000 people werj killed. .-\ccording to statistics collected by llirt Department of .-\griculture, Ot- ttiwa, there were in British Columbi.T. in 1918 ii.no horses; 50.965 milch oows; inS.lBu other cattle; 45,291 sheep and 39,80:") swine There was an increase in every class except that of horses, where there was a decreasr-; of 16,574 as compared with the nant- her given for 1914. The receipts of the Provincial Gov- ernment of New Brunswick dnrlnjr the year 1918 amounted to $3,887.80:^. being 130,951 more than the expeniil^ Hire.