or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation. It is an illusion which experience must cure, which a just pride ought to discard. In offering to you, my countrymen, these counsels of an old and affectionate friend. I dare not hope they will make the strong and lasting impression I could wish-that they will control the usual current of the passions or prevent our nation from running the course which has hitherto marked the destiny of nations. But if I may even flatter myself that they may be productive of some partial benefit, some occasional good-that they may now and then recur to moderate the fury of party spirit, to warn against the mischiefs of foreign intrigue, to guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism-this hope will be a full recompense for the solicitude for your welfare by which they have been dictated. How far in the discharge of my official duties I have been guided by the principles which have been delineated the public records and other evidences of my conduct must witness to you and to the world. To myself, the assurance of my own conscience is that I have at least believed myself to be guided by them. In relation to the still subsisting war in Europe my proclamation of the 22d of April. 1793, is the index to my plan. Sanctioned by your approving voice and by that of your representatives in both houses of congress, the spirit of that measure has continually governed me. uninfluenced by any attempts to deter or divert me from it. After deliberate examination, with the aid of the best lights I could obtain, I was well satisfied that our country. under all the circumstances of the case, had a right to take and was bound in duty and interest to take a neutral position. Having taken it. I determined as far as should depend upon me to maintain it with moderation, perseverance and firmness. The considerations which respect the right to hold this conduct it is not necessary on this occasion to detail. I will only observe that, according to my understanding of the matter, that right, so far from being denied by any of the belligerent powers, has been virtually admitted by all. The duty of holding a neutral conduct may be inferred. without anything more, from the obligation which justice and humanity impose on every nation, in cases in which it is free to act, to maintain inviolate the relations of peace and amity toward other nations. The inducements of interest for observing that conduct will best be referred to your own reflections and experience. With me a predominant motive has been to endeavor to gain time to our country to settle and mature its yet recent institutions, and to progress without interruption to that degree of strength and consistency which is necessary to give it, humanly speaking, the command of its own fortunes. Though in reviewing the incidents of my administration, I am unconscious of intentional error. I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors. Whatever they may be, I fervently beseech the Almighty to avert or mitigate the evils to which they may tend. I shall also carry with me the hope that my country will never cease to view them with indulgence; and that, after forty-five years of my life dedicated to its service, with an upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to oblivion, as myself must soon be to the mansions of rest. Relying on its kindness in this as in other things, and actuated by that fervent love towards it which is so natural to a man who views in it the native soil of himself and his progenitors for several generations, I anticipate with pleasing expectation that retreat in which I promise myself to realize, without alloy. the sweet enjoyment of partaking, in the midst of my fellow citizens, the benign influence of good laws under a free government-the ever favorite object of my heart. and the happy reward, as I trust, of our mutual cares, labors and dangers. GEO. WASHINGTON. United States. 17th September, 1796. LINCOLN'S GETTYSBURG SPEECH. Address at the dedication of Gettysburg cemetery, Nov. 19, 1863. Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers | above our poor power to add or detract. brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war. testing whether that nation. or any nation so conceived and so dedicated. can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place of those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. war. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here. but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living. rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotionthat we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-that this nation, But, in larger sense, we cannot dedicate- under God, shall have a new birth of freedom we cannot consecrate-we cannot hallow-this-and that government of the people, by the ground. The brave men. living and dead. people, for the people shall not perish from who struggled here have consecrated it, far the earth. PUBLIC DOMAIN OF THE UNITED STATES. Louisiana-Baton Mississippi-Jackson. ORIGIN OF GENERAL LAND OFFICE. On Sept. 16. 1776. the colonial congress passed a resolution making grants of land to Michigan-Marquette. certain officers and soldiers, such lands to be Minnesota-Cass Lake. Crookston. provided and paid for by the United States as Duluth. a war expense, May 20, 1785, and thereafter the board of treasury under the confederation made sales of public lands. The first patents for lands by the government were issued by the board in 1788. In 1789 the secretary of war was given supervision over the granting of lands to soldiers and the same year the secretary of the treasury was charged with the execution of the legal duties in connection with the sale of lands. In 1796 a surveyor-general was created, who turned over plats of survey to the secretary of the treas ury. The On April 25, 1812, the office of commissioner of the general land office was created. office was made a bureau of the treasury department and appeals could be taken from the commissioner to the secretary of the treasury. In 1836 the general land office was reorganized and the executive duties relating to the survey and sale of public lands and the issuance of patents were placed upon the commissioner. A principal clerk of the public lands. a principal clerk of private land claims. a principal clerk of surveys, a recorder of the general land office, a solicitor of the general land office and a secretary to sign the president's name to all land patents were authorized at the same time. Since 1849 the general land office has been a bureau under the supervision of the secretary of the interior. HOMESTEAD LAWS. For full information as to the method of acquiring homesteads on unappropriated public lands of the United States apply at the nearest federal land office or write to the general land office in the department of the interior, Washington, D C. In general, it may be said that any person who is the head of a family or is 21 years old and a citizen of the United States. or has declared his intention to be such, and who is not the proprietor of more than 160 acres of land, is entitled to enter 160 acres of public land as a homestead. He is obliged to certain fees and commissions, ranging from $7 to $18, according to the amount of land entered and its location, to live upon the land for a certain length of time and to cultivate a certain amount of it. Recent laws provide for enlarged homesteads of 320 acres in Arizona. California. Colorado, Idaho. Montana Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota. South Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, on nonmineral, nonirrigable and timbered land; also for stock raising homesteads of 640 acres on land fit only for graz. ing or forage-growing purposes. pay non. Great Falls. Nevada-Carson City. New Mexico-Clayton. North Dakota-Bis marck. Dickinson. Wyoming.. 16.975.047 1.742.136 18.717.183 FINAL HOMESTEAD ENTRIES. Denver. Durango. Glenwood Springs. Lamar. Leadville. Year. Montrose. 1868. 2.772 355.086.04 Pueblo. 1869. Sterling. 1870. 4.041 519.727.84 1871. 5.087 629.162.25 Boise. 1873. 10.311 1.224.890.93 Coeur d'Alene. 1874. Hailey. 1875. Lewiston. 1876. Kansas-Toneka. 1877. Florida-Gainesville. feet under pressure. The liquefied gases are returned to their natural state, put back in the mains and used for commercial purposes. HELIUM PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES. The first helium reserve in the United | plant. Through refrigeration by compression States, comprising 7.100 acres of gas-bearing and expansion all of the constituent elements lands in Emery county, Utah, was created of the natural gas except helium are liqueby President Calvin Coolidge on March 25, fied. For instance, the nitrogen is liquefied 1924, on the recommendation of Hubert at a temperature of about 300 degrees below Work, secretary of the interior. The matter zero. The helium is drawn off and stored of conserving and developing the helium in metal cylinders which hold about 190 supply of the country received considerable cubic attention at the first session of the 68th congress and steps were taken to make the best use of this valuable natural element. In a speech made in the house of representatives on March 15, 1924, F. G. Lanham of Texas outlined the history of helium and its production in the United States. Just before the United States entered the world war in 1917 helium was found in some gas wells which were drilled at Petrolia, Tex.. about 104 miles north of Fort Worth. There was about 1 per cent of the new element in this gas and the government at once became interested in the discovery. Three experimental plants were started under federal operation, one at Petrolia and two at Fort Worth, and a different process of extraction was tried at each plant. Originally it cost about $1,500 to produce a cubic foot of helium, but by a new process the cost was brought down to 40 cents a cubic foot and subsequently to 6% cents. The government built a permanent helium plant at Fort Worth at a cost of about $2.000.000. It also constructed a pipe line from Petrolia to Fort Worth at a cost of more than $1,500,000. The government uses the Linde process in the operation of this Illi Helium-bearing gas is almost a monopolistic possession of the United States. There is a little of it in Canada, Italy and Czechoslovakia, but the amount is relatively insignificant. In addition to Texas, helium has been found in Oklahoma, Kansas, Ohio, southern nois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky. Indiana and New York. It has also been found in isolated spots in the west, particularly Utah. where the first helium preserve was established. It is believed that the supply will be ample for the use to which it will chiefly be put-namely, as a lifting power in dirigible airships. Helium is noninflammable and so durable that it can be used repeatedly after renurification. In this respect it is far superior to nitrogen, which is highly explosive and therefore dangerous. The leakage of helium through fabrics is only about 10 per cent of that of hydrogen. Safety, durability, lack of deterioration while in storage and cheapness are qualities in helium which are causing it rapidly to supplant nitrogen in all lighter-than-air operations. LORD BYRON ANNIVERSARY OBSERVED. The 100th anniversary of the death of Lord Byron was widely observed in Greece on April 19. 1924. The streets of Missolonghi, where the British poet died in 1824. were decorated with thousands of laurel branches and numerous British flags. In the park of the town native boys and girls in national costume held exercises near the monument to Lord Byron, Premier Papanaastasiou in a memorial address spoke of his country's eternal gratitude to the poet, who, while a resident of Missolonghi, organized the struggle for the liberation of Greece from Turkish rule. The anniversary was also observed in Italy and the united kingdom. Name. Abraham Lincoln Anti tam Chickamauga Crater Lake. NATIONAL PARKS IN THE UNITED STATES. Homestead..Kentucky Location. Maryland and Chattanooga..Georgia and Tennessee. .Oregon Created. .......July 17, 1916. .......Aug. 20, 1890. .......Aug. 18, 1890. May 22, 1902 .......Oct. 1. 1890 ......... Feb. 11. 1895. May 11, 1910. .Feb. 26, 1919. Mar. 2. 1917. ...Aug. 1. 1916. ...Apr. 20, 1832. ...Feb. 26, 1919. Aug. 9 1916.. June 29, 1906. Feb. 26, 1917.. Mar. 2. 1899. Aug. 26, 1922. ..Apr. 21. 1904. ...Sept. 27. 1890. Acres. 137 43 6.195 159,360 2,560 877 981,681 806,400 125 74.935 912 5,000 82.880 42,376 1,408.000 207.360 1.600 848 1.606 Wind Cave. Sully's Hill. Vicksburg Yellowstone Yosemite Zion Zoological Wyoming, Montana and Idaho..Mar. 1. 1872. .District of Columbia.... In charge of secretary of war. northern Montana with glaciers. lakes, forests and peaks. Grand Canyon-In northwestern Arizona: greatest eroded canyon within the United States. Guilford Courthouse National Military ParkScene of battle between Gen. Greene and Gen. Cornwallis, near Greensboro, N. C., in war of the revolution. Hawaii-Includes celebrated volcanoes Kilauea. Mauna Loa and Haleakala: main feature is Lava lake at Kilauea. Hot Springs Reservation-Tract of land in Garland county, Arkansas, noted for its springs of warm mineral waters. Lafayette-Lands on Mount Desert island. Maine, which island was discovered by Samuel de Champlain and upon which he first landed when, acting under the authority of Sieur de Monts, he explored and described the present New England coast; the geology, fauna and flora on the island are of great scientific interest. Lassen Volcanic-On the boundary of Plumas and Shasta counties. California, contains volcanic and other peaks, hot springs, mud geysers, ice caves, lakes of volcanic glass, canyons and forests. Mesa Verde-In the extreme southwestern part of Colorado: contains pueblo and other 160,000 3,000 960 1.233 10.522 .2.142.720 967,680 15.840 170 ruins; reached from Mancos on the Rio Grande Southern road. Mount McKinley-Area of 2.200 square miles in south central Alaska. containing Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in America; many large glaciers and beautiful lakes and forests. Mount Rainier-Mountain district in southern Washington: reached from Ashford on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad. Platt-Tract of land containing sulphur springs in Murray county, Oklahoma; reached by Santa Fe and St. Louis San Francisco railroads. Rock Creek-Park in outskirts of Washington, D. C. Rocky Mountain-Tract of mountainous land of great scenic beauty in Grand, Boulder and Larimer counties. Colorado: contains forests, lakes and peaks; reached by Union Pacific and other roads. Sequoia-Mountain tract in Tulare county, California, containing forest of big trees: reached from Visalia. Shiloh-Battle field of civil war in Hardin county, southern Tennessee. Sully's Hill-On the shore of Devil's lake. North Dakota: contains elevation on which Gen. Alfred Sully with a few men withstood a band of Indians for several days in 1863; reached from Devil's Lake, Narrows and Tokio stations on the Great Northern road. Vicksburg-Battle field of civil war near city of same name in Mississippi. Wind Cave Canyon and extensive cave in Custer county, South Dakota, twelve miles from Hot Springs, on the Northwestern and Burlington roads: in Black Hills region. Yellowstone-Famous park in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, containing geysers and many other natural phenomena as well as beautiful mountain, lake and river scenery: reached from stations on the Northern Pacific, Bur. lington and Oregon Short Line roads. Yosemite-Splendid valley in the Sierras in Mariposa county, California; reached from Merced on the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific roads by way of the Yosemite Valley railroad. |