Southern Illinois Record

              The Southern Ilunois Record
A  (iood   Newspaper  is  a   Power  in   the   Home.   Sehool.  State  and   Nation
VOLUME 3
FLOR.V. ILINOIS. nil USD.VY. M Alien 2.->. lOl.l
NO.
INTERESTING LETTER
FRON CALIFORNIA
(\i!. .1. Mack Tanner writes llie Reoiird frum Callfurnia.
Maroli y.  l-'i. Editor Klnra Record
In order tliat some of our apple growers, who put fortii renewed effort fur llie tirst time in 1914 may not retire disheartened after an unpruHtable season such as we ex- perlenced last year 1 want to Invite their attention to some nf the causes as well as t" the experience of other sections.
Perhaps not In the eiperlence of those now living had wejrniie llirouKh so long a perliKi of drouth as last year, blasting' (ruit and grain alike so that only the two or three who were favored with a passing .shower reaped a harvest worthy of passing consider¬ ation. Fortunately for the public al large but nit for the fruit growers tills condition was local for Illinois, Indiana and a portion of Missouri. The Kast, tho North, the Great West and the South had such a crop as they liave not before produced since 1890, or a total production of 55,00(1,000 bar¬ rels Added to this was the limiting Influence of the Kuropean war on ex¬ port trade and the resulting stagna¬ tion of buslne.ss. Other Influences tending directly to lower prices on apples and other fruits was the stag¬ nation in the cotton market and the general depression in the Soutiilluiit- Ing expenditures to necessities and materially reducing the demand for apples over that of the previous year at almost double the  present prices.
Oinslder further the two million or more unemployed, the driftwood of a democratic admlni.stratlon, removed from the fruit consuming public and their families and you will tind suf- Ucient rea.son for your failure to make a protit on your orchard last year.   Nor are we alone.
Apple growers In New Vork and Virginia last fall sold orcliard run fruit Including such varieties as WInesap, Vork and H'lme Beatuy at .tOc to (KX; per cwt, this with the elder stock out.
Other growers in New England and Canada did not attempt to harvest their crop.s, while yet others turned the hogs In to gather their apples. Paokaii H^lle Flowers are now selling in California at 50c per bushel box.
I have Just spent two montlis In Southern California riding through orange and lemon groves of which there are more ttian two iiundred tiiousand acres and I think It safe to say that not one orchard will show a net prollt this year. Mr. Powell, for¬ merly clilef of the department of Pomology In the department of Agri¬ culture at Washington made the statement before the Krult Jobbers in :;onventlonat Los Angeles that the average cost of production of oranges in California Is *1.29 per box. Add to this S.jc for frleglit and UK- more for commission on sales, with sales ranging from $1.75 to »2..V), then figure your growers prollt. 1 havn't found any fruit grywers here praising the Democratic administration.
But California may well be proud of her gmxl roads. I rode 1."iiki miles tn a machine and not tlve miles of It on dirt road. There Is no one thing that would add so much to the com¬ fort and satisfaction and ultimate wealth of the rural population of Illi¬ nois as a system of good roads. I favor a system of state roads. I would put every able Ixidled convict to work on the main highways of the state building permanent roads and I would appropriate *2,0(i0,0iX) a year. If need be, for ten years to lift the Illl¬ nuls farmer out of the mud. The automobile licenses can be made to pay $l,0iK),(i0i| of It. and why not have it all go to state highways Instead of turning back most of the license money to Cook county as Is now the law. J. Mack Tanner.
Doctor Ridgeway Dies
Mrs. I'eter Cole hand.s us a copy of the obituary notice of Dr. Iiavld Cooper Ridgeway, which recently ap¬ peared In the Illch Uill. Mo. papers. Doctor Ridgeway was at one time pastor of the M. E. Church In Klora. lie was a man of line chiircter, high attainments and a minister of the gospel for more than a half century, tilling iinportant appointments In l)elev\are. Maryland, Ma.ssacliusetts. Oliio, Illinois, Mls.souri, Kansas. Ne¬ braska and Texas. Ills work In Klora was attended with success and there are many of our people who will remember him and regret to learn of ills passing anay.
Two Tickets Named
The ilipiililicans of Il.irter t.iwi- shlp n et In convention at the city hall last .'^aturday ut 2 o'clock p. iii. and nominated  the following   ticket:
Supervisor, James M. MclJregor; as¬ sistant supervisor, r>oganlilbstin: jus¬ tice of the peace, John M. Luse: con¬ stable. Will. Kurgersoii.
The Ilemocrats met at a later hour and nominated the following ticket: Supervisor. J. I). tJIbson; a.ssistant supervisor Kred tiraliam; Justice of the peace, Je.sse Lawrence. No nom¬ ination for conslalile. Hoth coven- llons were liarinoiilous and good fewl- ing prevailed throughout.
.Mr. Graham declined to make the race and the committee nlet Monday and substituted the name of K. L. Downard as their candidate for as¬ sistant supervisor.
FLORA TO HAVE
PAVED STREErS
More Room a Necessity
Klfteen feet of new side «a!k Is to lie laid on each side of North .\ venue this spring. There Is not nearly enough riMim on the old ones to ac- c^imdate the large crowds of jh.iple coming to Klora every day, to secure the bargains being alvcrti.sed by some of our iiierchanl.s. Even with this additional walk space Ihere will lie many days when all of the lifty feet of paving will have to be used so ast-i avoid suirocaling crowds. The Increasing trade of Klora demands more room for the great numljer oS people who come here and our city ts determined t^i give tlieiiT every con¬ venience and a cordial welcome.
The Old Hen Ahead
Sp'aking of early spring chickens, Klder C W. Mirlow stales tint his Natural Simple Incubator, the hen. hatched a brood of 1" fine young chicks in Kebriiary: elglit davs ahead of the hatching by the Simplicity In- culwtor of the Meeker Hardware Co. This he contends makes the old fash¬ ioned in.'ubator an easy winner over the new one.
Mr. Marlow does not wl.sh tii lie un¬ derstood as criticising the work of tli» new "Sliiipllcity", but contends that Ills Incubator (Kis.sesses certain natu¬ ral allrlbules. which for sure, (|ulck work, and ijiiallty are superior to the new plan.
I Geta Street Paving
Mayor Nichols arid the city council Just kept pegging away at the  street
' paving proposition until they   got It.
I This will give them allriii foundatlun upon which to stand and point with pride to a permanent Improvement made for the lasting giKid of Klora.
.Now that Klora is to have paved streets and tifteen feet of new walks on lioth sides of the business hliK'ks, alsoa tine big new depot, a lilg 4tli of .Iuly. the greatest fair In Southern Illinois and the cleanest town In the state. We feel like extending a cord¬ ial liiTllatlon to evorylKxIy to come and see us.
Uneeda Rest Club Girls Anniversary
Last Thursday a coutract was awarded to Sell and Kollar of I'ana, Illinois to pave four blocks of streets on Norlh Avenue. The paving will start at the Springfield division tracks of the H. & O. Ry.,and continue we.st to Sycamore street.
The contract calls for fifty feet of paving the ejitlre width of the two middle blocks. Including the public square and all intersections and forty feet wide paving for tlie;;iitlier two blocks, all to lie of Albion wire cut lug brick at $1.78 per square yard. Mak¬ ing a total cost of «lll,2l)2.2t!. The specifications call for concrete curb¬ ing to be put in at 44/ per lineal foot amounting to *l,.'iH(l.4H and two cati'li bases to cost *;t;t.00 or a total for all work complete of #17,875.74. The cotitraclors. Messrs. Sell and Kollar aie experienced and reliable contractors. The work Is to start early In .\prll and Is to lie tinlshed by July 1st. After waiting and hoping for forty years this Important and long needed Improvement is to be made; It seems almost tiwi good to be true, but It is and the paving Is now a fixed fact.
Mr. and Mrs. K. K. Kellums served a six o'clock dinner Sunday evening In honor of the eighteenth birthday anniversary of their daughter, virace. A delightful evening was spent by the Invited guests. Miss Kellums re¬ ceived many beautiful presents and many cordial congratulations.
General James B. Smith and J. C. Sanders of Clay City, Judge J. L. Boyles and Randolph Smith of this city attended the Supreme Judicial convention at Edwardsvllle Tuesday as delegates from Clay county. Hon. T. S. Williams was chosen as a dele¬ gate, but could not attend.
J. C. Meyer who has been suffering losses from shop lifters has discovered some of the guilty parties and recov¬ ered .some of the articles stolen. Mr. .Me} er Is after them, and more im¬ portant developments will probably follow.
G. O. Lewis, County Superlndent of schools Is spending this week visit¬ ing the Klora Public and High Schools. Mr. Lewis speaks words of praise for our .schools. Their wiirk and ellliden- cy is up to the standard.
The Board of Superrl.sors of Wash¬ ington, Co., 111., has appropriated funds with which to buy limestone and phosphate for the Washington, Co., i'oor Kami. The entire farm of 80 acres will be treated.
Clarence C. Logan of Centralla the Southern Illinois Experiment Sta., Soil man was In this city Wednesday, enroute toTeutop