Wisconsin School for the Deaf - Tattler Yearbook (Delavan, WI)

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TEXAS RANGERS By Viola Hanion Way back In the thirties more than a century ago. Texas Ranger were just beginning to be heard of along the border of Texas and Mexico. They were just a band of hnrd-riding, adventure-seeking fellows craving excitement. They got what they were looking for. too, from their blood shedding tights with both Indians and Mexicans who were never friendly to one another. When the Indian question in the United States was finally settled, some of the tribes especially the Comnnrhes, one of fhe fiercest, had revenge overflowing in their veins because the white people were settling down and starting ranches on their hunting grounds. There was so much manslaughter taking place that Texas asked for volunteer fighters, and they were called her ranger . These men knew no fear, could ride a horse and shoot both rifle and pistol. They were skilled in the use of a lariat und kept cool in times of trouble and excitement. Some of the most famous men in charge of the companies were. Captain Ben Me Cullock, Sam Houston. Colonel Burleson und Captain Roberts. The duties of a ranger at this time were to hunt down Indian and Mexican trouble-makers and to keep them under control. If ever a fight were started, a ranger was there to stop it and to investigate the case. They were also sent out at the call of Communities to aid in bringing the Indian attacks to a stop. The C-onmnche war and the fights with the Apaches show us just what conditions things were in at this time. In the year of 1840 the Comanche had made an attack on a settlement then called Victoria. More than four hundred redskins battled with the few inhabitants of the settlement. They succeeded in holding the Indians off for a day and a night, but on the next day the Indians drove the few families of the settlement from their burning homes to a raft on the river. The Indians were embarking in their bouts to attack them when the rangers appeared and scattered the marauders. Another incident which also shows the bravery of the men at this time was when the rangers were culled to hunt down the Apache-, an Indian tribe that hn long ago been wiped out. At this time this tribe was under the leadership of a very old chief, Victorio. Not far from San Jose. Victorio settled hi camp among some boulders from which the whole country-side could be overlooked. Victorio sent a band of Indian to raid the town, lie did this several times and at last the settlors pursued the Indians. Two posses were sent out but they were both ambushed in o narrow defile and killed according to the clever plans of the chief. About 1880 the modern ranger force were beginning to be in existence. They were in some ways like the old ranger but they were more skilled in their work for they had to hunt down bandits, murderers and the like, besides watching the Indians. Dick Dublin was a desperate outluw. lie was in the jaws of the law one minute and gone another. A company of rangers under the command of James Gillette was always on the lookout for him. Dick was thought to he staying with his father. On Investigating one day they were told that he hudn't seen Dick since he left so the rangers rode away. They stopped nl the sound of a horse's hoofs and noticed a rider jump olT his mount nnd disappear around the house. They turned back and on nrriving at the cabin, they heard the voice of Dick. They were about to close in on the party when one of the men shouted a warning to Dick. Like a streak he was flying up a ravine and disappearing behind a sheltering boulder. The rangers soon sighted him and Jim took aim and shot at him for he thought he was reaching for his gun a he was running. The bullet, hitting him in the hip. travelled through his body to his shoulder. This was just once when the ranger were called upon to do their duty. In 1878 the first really organized companies began work. These rnngeis are naturally peace-ful and law-abiding. Even though a gun is not needed, one is ulways hanging in their holsters. The qualities preferred for a Texas ranger are: grit and ability to fight, resourcefulnes-and loyality to the State of Texas nnd to its ranger force. When u cowboy mukes an application for a position as ranger, he is examined by the commanding oflicor, mentally and physically. In add it ion to this he is given a horse; if he ran ride it properly, he is given a gun test. If he succeeds in hittiing the murk, he is told to get hm own horse, nnd firearms. Amunitiun is furnished free. If his mount should die or be killed in service, another is given to him. All rangers are given rations every day.

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THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA By Mitchell Echikovit The Chinese have always believed thnt Chinn is the most civilized nation on earth and that it is the center of all the world. In 2-MS li. C. Shi-Hwang-ti, who was only thirteen yours old. claimed the throne of China and became emperor. He was small, but very ambitious, and he spent his life rebuilding the empire. He built a new capital and strove to improve the law and to enforce them. He also divided the country into thirty-six provinces in each of which three officers were directly responsible to him. China was troubled by the invasions of the fierce Tartar tribes from the North who wanted possession of her fertile lands. So in 214 B. C. the Emperor ordered the people to build an earthwork in northern China to keep those enemies out of the country. It has become the most famous wall in the world. The Chinese completed the wall in fifteen years. The builders were three hundred thousand troops of the Chinese prisoners of war and all the criminals in the country, including many dishonest officials. Many of them died from starvation, over-work, and heat from the sun. But it was one of the greatest of all engineering feats and should be considered one of the seven wonders” of the world. This most wonderful work was done by unskilled laborers. A brick or dressed granite shell was made and filled with earth. This was covered with n very hard coating of bricks in lime. They were of a much better quality than the brirks used in building today. The wall begins at Shankaikwan. which is on the southern point on the boundary between Manchuria and China, and winds into the mountains of western China. The highest point in the mountains, over which the wall has been built, is five thousand, two hundred twenty-five feet above sea level. The wull is about one thousand, five hundred miles long, fifteen to twenty-five feet thick and twenty to thirty feat high. In the wall there are more than twenty-five thousand square forts or watch towers which are placed from one hundred yards to one mile apart. If it had been built in the United States. It would extend from the city of Philadelphia. Pennsylvania, to a point one hundred miles west of Topeka, Kansas. Many years after the Great Wall had been built, conditions changed. Northern tribes did not try to invade China again, but the Chinese began to look for other lands because the cities and farms of China were too crowded. In a few years millions of Chinese had moved over the wail into Manchuria and built their hornet there. Many Japanese, Russians and people from other nations have come to live there, too. The protection of the Great Wall really did not amount to much because China was conquered often by the huge racial movements of the Tartar hordes who also invaded Europe. The Chinese thought it was a protection because it did prevent small raid and really It must have seemed almost impregnable to small raiding groups. Only a man with much courage and with tremendous military power would dare to attack an obstacle, whose watch towers were so close together in the passes and not more than one mile apart in the for away wilds. Russia built railroads across Munchurin after she received permission from the government of China because she wan looking for a shorter route to the sea. Later Japan fought with her and took a part of that railroad. China has built railroads in Manchuria, too. There has been much trouble between China and Japan because of the Chinese bandits who were interfering with Jupun’s railroads. Last fall Japan sent troops into Manchuria. Several battle were fought and the Chinese troops went over the Great Wall again and again. They depended upon it for protection as it had once been an aid in keeping out invader . But airplanes flew over it and the pilots dropped bomb among people in the cities. The shell from cannon and high explosives destroyed parts of the wall so the Japanese could enter to fight the Chinese. The Great Wall is of little protection now a it is left unpatrolled in most place . The gate of the posses ure still closed ut night to protect the cities near them, but there are no soldiers or guard on the wall any more. Today many people in China believe that Shi-Hwang-ti’ rampart, built along the frontier like a monstrous dragon, protect Chinn from evil influences, but the Great Wall, crumbling as it is, may in time lose its power to do that.

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The Texas rungcr of today nre one of the hardest fighting and cleanout organisations In the United States. These jolly fellow come flapping uluiijt on their liin mount with roch a carefree appearance. They are instructed to protect Jill property on their aide of the Rio Grande. The e rancor who roam about trying to keep order in the wilderness are Just plain Texas cowboys. who shoot and ride with the best. Texas is proud of the history of her rangers, these cleun-souled fellows, who hate anything that is against law and order. She knows that fewer robbers, cattle thieve and other outlawn will seek refuge there if she keeps these hard-riding, adventure-seeking fellows to guard her welfare. PEA CANNING IN WISCONSIN By Lawrence Heagle Wisconsin is tho leading state in the canning of pea and cans about fifty per cent of the entire pack of the United States. There are about one hundred and ten factories in Wisconsin. Six million cases of peas are packet! annually from seventy thousand acre of Wisconsin land. The seed pea are grown in the state. Instead of canning the pens when they nre at the eating ntnge they are allowed to ril eii and later threshed. These pen ure used for need the next year. The factory contracts with farmers for a certain number of acre of pea to fill the warehouse. There nre two different kind of peas: curly and lute. Karly peas are canned about the third and fourth week of June; late peas in July. Pens nre sown by a seeder or drill just like wheat, oats or other grams. It is not necessary to cultivate the growing peas. In fact they are planted so thick it is impossible to do so. A man is sent to Inspect the pea fields. He reports to the factory so it will be ready to can the peas at the proper time. The factory notifies the farmers when it is to start, its run and they begin cutting the pea . Mowers ure used to cut the Vines Just like they cut hay. Having been cut, the pea vines are put in a pile and then thrown on a wagon with a fork. As soon a the wagon Is filled with pen vines, it is token to a vining station. Several vining stations are placed in the surrounding country by the factory. The farmers save time in bringing pea vines to the vincr if it Is nearby; besides, the peas nre fresher. The vine' are thrown from the loaded wagon into the vincr. or green |M a thresher, with fork . The machine separate! the peas and vines. The peas run into wooden boxes. The vinca from which the |teas huve been separated go to a stuck or into a silo. The wet green vines form pen silage. This is used for feeding cattle and sheep. The silage that spoils in the stack is used for fertiliser. The boxes filled with peas nre brought to the cunning factory by trucks. In the factory the peas are cleaned by a machine and then run into a tank with water and salt in it. After their salt water bath the peas go to the uppermost part of the building where a large perforated cylinder, that revolve back and forth, separates them Into different site or grade . The cylinder has five sections each with different sixes of hole . Number one and two come first and the small, immature, and broken peas fall through them. The best, medium sixe pea fall through number three and four. The large, over mature pea go through the last section and are graded number five. Because they are the best grades, number three and four command the highest prices. The pea which have been separated by the cylinder are run on wide belts at which women sit and pick out the bad ones and any foreign articles. The good peas go through a large pipe leading to a cylinder cooker on the floor below. Sugar and salt are mixed with them. Women again inspect the pea at they come from the cylinder and pick out bad ones if any. The pea are then run into a filling machine at the bottom of the building which pours peas and water into tin cun . The cans go on a track to the scaling machine which caps and seals them. The cans nre then run into a cage or iron basket which is pushed into the steam cooker. After about forty-five minutes cooking, the cage with its cans is taken from the cooker and run into water so the can will cool. There are four different sixes of can : No. one, No. One and one-half. No. Two, which you usually see on the grocer shelf, and No. ten which weighs more than six pound . A grade