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EARTH'S BIC Miller Brothers' lOl Bliss, Okla1, June 12?This is the story of the farm on which it was pro posed to hold an old-time buffalo hunt, which the authorities in; Washington put a stop to. j This is wfiat might be called right smart of a farm. Here ore some points: It contains: 57,000 acres, or 050 homesteads. It is larger than some principalities. It includes parts of three counties and supports three towns. The Miller brothers own 10,000 acres, and the remainder is rented from the Indians. It is operated by three brothers? Joseph Miller, 37, president; Zach T. Miller, 25, trensurer; and Geo. D. Miller, 23, seoret?ry. The ranch has its own telephone plant, containing 35 miles of wire and costing $3.000. There are 11,000 trees in the apple orchard. The ranch fences cost $10,000. The operating expenses are $5,000 a month. The crop this year will oonsist of 20,000 acres of wheat; 2,500 aeres of corn, 500 aorea of oats and alfalfa and 2,000 acres of melons i Ten thousand tons of hay are out yearly. It requires forty-two binders to harvest the wheat, and five steam threshers to thresh it. Twenty mow ing machines gather the hay. Five steam gang ploughs furrow the land and G00 mules and 25 cow ponies are used as beasts of burden. Five hun dred men are employed and 15,000 cattle roam in fertile pastures. . The ranch is incorporated for ?300 000, but no dividends are. ever de clared. The genesis of the largest farm in the world, the 101 ranch at this place, was in the year 1871, when George Miller, a young Kentuokian, rodo through the Indian Territory behind a drove of steers. George Miller had come west with a few dollars and a lot of Kentuoky wisdom about horses and ca ,tle. tie saw a chance to make money by buy ing Texas steers where they were born and driving them on a long feed through the grassy Indian Territory and shipping them by. rail to tit. Louis and Chicago from Baxter Springs, Kansas, whioh at that time was one of the snappiest towns on earth. He trailed down into Texas, bought a bunch of steers for $8 a head and drove them np into Kansas, consum ing six months by the way, and sold his cattle for $24 a head. The next year he started back to Kansas with half of the prooeeds in a coin bolt about his waist and the rest in a cigar box?all in gold. Half way down to Texas a Mexican herder stole the cigar box and Mr. Miller had to return back with half a drove. But the .year following he loaded a wagon with banon, canned goods and calico, and started South. The Mexican herders could not steal this and he laid the foundation of the hmily fortunes. ' During the long drives with cattle through the Indian Territory, George Miller picked hi? vown trails, and the one he oftenest found lay along tho Arkansas river, where the grass was high and juicy. This afterward became th? r?servai | ?on of the Ponca, ?toe and Missouri Indians. This land Mr. Miller deter mined to own some day if ho could.1 He settled in Kanocs, near Winficld, and became a-farmer and ranchman, hot he ne ver lost sight of the Ponca lands. 4 Inthocoursa of time Oklahoma was op:ned to white settlement, and even tually the Cherokee Strip. On the day the Cherokee Strip was opened to settlement a youth sat at oon on a thoroughbred Kentuoky couorse near, the Chilooo Indian ??ooI, a few miles south of Arkan wCity, Keasaa. surrounding him were thousands of -raons, in wagons? on horseback and 00t> all intent upon making the -se into a new land for a homeitoad. Many a man looked with envy upon he thojoughbrod raeer, knowing that :fe*oi?tt w?o rode him would, bar D8 accidents, win a prise. The prises to be won by the home ??aders lay along the river' (Courses, -d naturally, the bulk of men whe ?ed up on the Kansas herder that ~-f intended to race ior the river. 1 tt?noer of Jockeying was resorted *o get the beat start for tho lands ??g the Arkansas. Midway of the Cherokee Strip, the dansas river makes a bend like s W to the Osage nation. This was own by cattlemen as the richest part the laud that was to be thrown ?Q t0 settlement. A thousand men ated it for their own, but the most it bad already been reserved for the .?SV !e^iD? '? tow claint ;gest farm. ?tanch in Oklalioma. At Arkansas City, foi weeks before the lands were to be opened, men were preparing for the race, from the south in Oklahoma, and firom the Osage country in the cast, all eyes looked, and hungrily towards tho Pon ?a country, and horses were groomed t>ud jookeys trained to get there first. As the sun reaohed the meridian on that day a United States army officer raised his pistol and fired a shot into the air. His troopers sprang aside and looped the great army of home seekers. Out of the mass sprang a beautiful bay horse, clean-limbed and shining, and shot toward the south. ' He was bestrode by a youth, cttired as lightly as a jockey. From other points along the border other race horses and other riders leaped out for the prises in the Ponoa country. But the big Kentucky bay from the Chiiooco school grounds had the lead, an'd, before the lumbering crowd of wagons and horsemen were fairly under way, he was well toward the horizon, over which he soon dis appeared. It was a ride of almost forty miles but before the sun set the big bay horse had reaohed a bend in the Salt Fork of the Arkansas on tho edge of the Ponea reservation. The youth who rode him slipped from his back and planted a flag in the ground. The horse sunk to his knees, the very heart run out of him, and died, and the youth fell beside him and slept long from exhaustion. The 5 outh waB Joe Miller, now the president of the 101 ranch. On the spot where he fell, Joe Miller has raised a stone to keep afresl tho memory of his achievement in helping to win the foundation of the biggest ranch in the world. To cenduot the vast operations of a farm more than 500 times as large as the average large farm in the west, tho work is naturally divided into de partments. Thus Joseph C. Miller is farmer and father to the Indians; Zach Miller is cattleman and horse raiser; and George Miller is office mau and comptroller of the funds. The oopupation of the older broth er, as father to the Indians, is prob ably the most onerous of all. It is no joke to be sponsor to more than 1,000 Indians, and at the same timo look after the farming of 87,000 aores of corn, wheat, alfalfa, hay and vegeta ble crops by about 500 farm hands and cowboys. Joe Miller, as he is oalled all over the territory, while a pretty young man for so large a job, takes hiS\work sasily and has plenty of time for sport, for he is an ardent automobilist, hun ter and. fisherman, and patron of the arts and musio. Zaofa Miller, who looks after the cattle and horses, is a traveller and is one day in Texas and mother in New York. He buys and sells train loads of cattle as the aver ago farmer sells .one cow. George Miller, the youngest of the brother s, loves a fine horse above all things, ind breeds trotters and saddlers for the very love of seeing them work. The work of the ranch is so system* rtised that it goes more easily than that of the average small farm. Most >f the business is conducted from tho iffiee in the mansion by telephone, j Abbott the mansion are ranged the buak houses Of the cowboys, the-big lining hall, tho bar no for th? mules ind other work animals, the granaries ind the tool and other work houses. On othei parts <*f tho ranch are ither houBoaand barns. The whole b connected by thirty-five miles of ielephone Wires, so that Joe Miller'at -he ranch house can talk with the - foreman of the wheat aores, th? corn lores, tho watermelon patch, the road overseer, the fence rider, the cattle fange at Red Rook, miles away; the telegraph office at Blies, and' tho s hole world over the "long distance." In the office-, elerks and s 11 n ograph - >rs handle &e vast clerical Work; mail s delivered from the railroad by oar-, tari; Automobiles or carriages carry msiness and social visitors from the , ?ilroad station, five miles away, and , n fact, the whole business of the big ?j 'arm is conducted with the precision j )? a business house in a city. , ^ps?of tho most remarkable features j >f tho big ranch is the abounding bos- t >itaHty of it. No une seems to wait 1 or an invitation to visit it. Visitors ? limply telephone or telegraph out, "I 5 ita fomingr and como. This means iverybody. Aman in New York who 1 mows the Millers has, for instance, a iiend who is on the sick list. Ho i Frites a letter of introduction and '. peeds the friend on the way..When j io arrives and Jasks for a home or a .'. ob; he gets it. As an instance, the i nan who is looking aftet- the fowls on 1 he ranch?-baa-;en only knows how]1 oany, including peacocks, ducks,.' j geese, both wild and tame, and the common, every day hen, of which there are thousands-is a New York lawyer, a college man. Ho is content with it all and is getting fat on no salary. He exchanges classical quotations with a ohap from Harvard, who pur sues the occupation of looking after tho 500 Buckling pigs on the place, and together the? play domiuoes with a Princeton man, whose daily work is bossing a dosen Indians in roadmak Kvery d?y there are enough visitors at the raoch house to fill a small ho tel. Nobody seems to mind it, though. The Chineso cook seems to have an inexhaustible supply of food in the kitchen, and there are always ? beda enough for the coming guest?. I The way the oock draws on the hen Louee would soon break up the aver age farmer, for there is fried chicken for breakfast, frioaseed fowl for lunoheon and roast duck for dinner all the time. The living room of the ranch house is big and square, with a piano, an automatic player; the hardwood floor covered with Indian rugs, and the walls with well chosen pictures. A Chinese cook summoned the family and guests to breakfast. The Miller ranch house is the moBt perfectly appointed in the world, from thc kitchen to the billiard room, in the attio, and some of the most dis* tiuguiohed men in the country have enjoyad its hospitality. - From the windows of the living room the buffaloes of the 101 ranot herd can be eeen ranging in the from yard of 400 aores of grass that eur rounds the place, and on one sido i youog orchard of 11,000 apple trees. Along the road approaching th house came an Indian and his squa\ in a buggy, dragging in thc dust a coi hide. II * unhitched and his squai went into the cook house, while th hide, with the 101 ranch brand, wa duly received and credited. The Ii dian and his squaw were guests for th day. Before night a dozen Indian and their families arrived and beean guests for the day. "That Indian," said Joe Miller, "i one of my landlords-I have 250 ( them. His child died yesterday an he is going to have a celebration i his house to show how sorry he i He bought a steer from me for tl baked meats for the mourners, and pony to give away. In former yea as Indian strangled a boree on tl grave of a dead relative, but the go ernment stopped that. Now a berea ed Indian gives away the horse ai everything else that he owns to sb< bis sorrow. He gives away I horses, wagon,, furniture and evei thing, except his wife and his lan whioh the government holds in tri for him. I lease the lands of t ranch, 70,000 odd acres, from the 1 diaos, and have come to bo a fatt to them. "This means more than the bi statement would suggest. ?esic paying them rent for their lands, must see that they get along all rig! cure them when they are siok, bi them. when they die, and lend tb money when they aro broke. Fr eight to ten of them drive up hi every day and eat dinner while in i course of. real or fancied busine They need me when they mar when they die, or when they are bi --and they are always out to makt 'touch.' "Tho figures on a farm of this e are pretty .large. It is a proposit of steam and electricity to ron Eventually we shall h?ve to resort tirely to electricity, I think. M of our communication is that now, wo shall haye to come to it for pbs and the cayuse' will give way to automobile and the mule team to dynamo. ^ : ? K For ?nstanos,- oar telephone sys cost us $5,000 to install, and the i for our fcc; cs $10,000. It costi $5,000 a month to run the plaoe, to make any money out of it we no have the very best and largest lal saving machines sod appliances. 1 old-ti mo days of cowboy extravagi are gone with the cut' of beef on hoof. We do business on the 1 hers, and our cattle,' hogs and ho have got to be fed ?lose to pay. "The 101 ranch was so namoi my father after his brand. It si fies nothing except that it is an < brand to bv*n. Tbs ranch is in porated * for $300,000, but we" 1 never declared a dividend. When of os is broke, all are broke, and the ssme way when we are nash, ronsh ia run as if it were a oongloi ation of ranches. We are tho MU and we're working for the family is QOW and is to ooma, forever, fal rod sons, all down the linc. 1 i believe the property ever will he astablishfd. We are simply fol log out my father's idea. ..The ranch" is growing yearly, farmers we cultivate 9.000 aore vbeat, 2,500 acres in corn and lores in oats and alfalfa. We tah 10,000 tons of hays year. We nothing except live stock and wi The rest of the produce we fee itock. It takps forty-two binde hardest our wheat ciop and five s :hreebcro to thresh it. Our hs jathered by twenty mowing mach We plough with five steam gang ! ploughs. It takcB ' six hundred muleB to do the farm work and two hundred and fifty cow ponies and driving horses to eare for the 15,000 head of cattle on the place, and during har vest we employ 500 men. "We have 12,000 acres in melons this year, which we will ship out by the train load. Our watermelons aie famous, and the seed alone are worth $2.50 an ounce. My father -used to have a sign in the melon patch, "$5 for anyone who goes through this patch without taking a melon.' That still goes. Any one eau come and eat and carry [home all the melons he pleases-or anythiog else, for that matter. "Our buffalo herd is meroly a fad with us. We wanted the biggest bunoh, and wo have them now. There are not more than 300 buffalo in the world-I doubt if there aro that many. There are nineteen head in Yellow stone Park, Pawnee Bill has fifteen head, Lincoln Park, in Chicago, has fifteen hoad, Bronx Park, in New York, about ten, the National Park, in Washington, twenty more, and there you have about the lot. We have thirty-five buffaloes on our range and some calves."-Washington post._ y A Surprised Burglar. 8cheneotady, N. Y., July 13.-Il was a surprised burglar who attempted to to break into thc* residence, ol George W. Moora in Guilderland ave nue early this morning. Mr. Moor lives in the home built here com* twenty years ago by George Westing house, of Pittsburg, for his brother who lived here at that time. It wai in the country then, bul it now stand on one of the thoroughfares of th greater Sohneotady. It is a larg' stone building and spaoious grounds The present oooupaut of the house George W. Moore, is an inventoi Among his inventions is a burgle alarm, whioh ia connected with ever door and window in the house an with the system of eleotrio light' ii the building in such a manner that i a door is opened or a window is raise or tampered with the house and verac das and baloonies are suddenly il lu minated with startling brilliancy while a gong in Mr. Moore's sleep:: apartments begins to clang like a iii alarm bell. The windows in the Moore hom are not fastened, so when the burgh tried to get in he thought he hf struok an easy job. He had not rai ed the window more than four inch when the house, inside and out, su denly became flooded with light ai the burglar alarm in Mr. Moore's bi room went off with a noise that w deafening. It didn't go off any soon than the burglar did, for he' didi wait to piok up his jimmy and oth tools whioh he had laid outside tl window, but took to his heels at one Two minutes later, when Mr. Moo and the men servants came hurryi downstairs, there wasn't hide or hi of the burglar to be seen. ' Unappreciated Courage. In the Tennessee mountains lived little hunter named Hiram Gates, t New York Presa says. Althou small in size, . Hiram was noted f bis bravery for miles around in tl seotion of the oountry, where conn was a common asset. Once wh hunting he tracked a bear to a sm cave. Now a man hasn't one ohanoe a million fighting a tear in close qu ters, but this fact didn't deter Hin a minute. Throwing down his gun put his knife between his teeth s crawled into the dark hole after. 1 animal. By the greatest of good fortune succeeded in killiog it, for the res! that the eave was so small that t bear couldn't torn around to def? himself. Otherwiio thors, probsl would have been a different story. Hiram skinned tho bear, and tl went home, where he explained manner of the killing to his fatb The eld man listened quietly until tale esme to an enc], and then, i high-pitched, quavering voioe, said "Weil, Hiram, I like a brave s as well as anybody, but you're a d foolt" A Perfect Mode!. Biddlecome waa holding his eic son in earnest converse, say s tbs Ch land Plain Dealer. "My boy^hesaid, Vt am fi! with anxiety when I think that ; will soon make choies of a wife." "I have not dons so yet, fstht the young man replied. "What i of a wife would you suggest?" The older man looked around < tionsly. "My son," he'said, "if your fi Br's advice is worth anything to j let me .urge yon to sesk for a woi who hasn't the independence, positiveness, the general charac ?sties of your mother." He was in runted at that moment by ? light f fall and realized that his heh helpmeet had entered the-rcom. * my son,4' he continued, "dp not 1 to find another woman like your m er. Such paragons are rarely, if .e Suplioated," , fjy i -, -y . v*\'-Cv BsassMiasaswa^ Knew Solomon All Right. A little girl who attended regularly a Sunday school where the interna tional lessons were taught went ono afternoon to the class of a playmate and heard catechism questions for .'ho first time in her life. She was aBked several questions und was much mor tified not to be able to answer them. "Who was the first man?" *No an swer. "Do you know who Noah was?" A shake of tho heal, and the question was passed on. . Finally the teacher said. "Did you ever hear about Solomon, dear?" Herc was an acquaintance at last, and tho little girl's face broke into smiles. "Oh, yes," ehe replied confidently; "I know him all the way through 'Solomon Grundy, born on Monday!' want mo to say the rest?"-New York Presa. Justifiable Discretion. Timonthy Woodruff says that in a town "up tho State" there are two Irishmen who for some time havo been on bad term? with each other. Not long ago Flaharty had, according to the notions of his friends, been the recipient of what could be deemed nothing else than an insult from the other Irishman. So they urged upon him the desirability of vindicating his honor by promptly chastising his an cient enemy. But it would appear that Flaharty was a man of dome prudence, for, said he, "he's more than me equal. Look at the size of him! The man's a giant!" "Very well," replied a friend, dis gusted by Flaharty's exhibition of weakness, "lavo him go- that is, if you're wando' people goin* about say in' that you're a coward." ? "Well, I dunno," responded Fla harty placidly. "At any rate, I'd rather have thim say in' that than the day after tomorrow exclaimin', "How natural Flaharty looks." Collier's Weekly._ Better not Migrate io Cuba. There is really very little reasou for any American emigration to Cuba. Probably 95 per cent of those who como do so with the idea that tho natural richness of the island is so great that wealth will come to them without obliging them to contribute any of that unnatural aid known ls hard work. Disappointment will sure ly be one of the principal crops se cured by any who come with that ides, in their heads. Any man who believes that Cuba is an exoeption to the fun damental law that the cost cf h. .ad is the sweat of the brow should at once revise his opinion. Cubsn opportuni ties furnish ground for arguments and inducements whoso soundness is ap parent rather than aotual. On a basis of modest ospitsl bsoked by intelli gent* industry the average American will do quite as well in his own land as he will in Cuba or Porto Kio o or the Philippines. Most A mc ri oana will do even better at home.-Havana Cor respondence New York Sun. t ? -- What a man. likes about the, 4th of July is the way he caa UUSB tho things he did whon he was a boy. . Do YOU Know THAT Subscribers - Ol' THE -- NATIONAL MAGAZINE - FOR -- He?jrt Throbs Here is a sample c!;.pplng.-? |^ SAT?RAL rUHCTUATlOH. J** S "I low ??old roa punctuate tata ScatMcfr**! 1 H MkfdUwtncatrotgruuurtaaiatUrleil f - 'Ai Jotra opened.IS* boot tfjrt? UTs-?ollar H I b?U ?vident!? Rtaced Itt*rt byJ>]?*u? \< I urea ont Sa MnMjM (*(<? ?nd wert W S eauetit np 6? the br?ete.' " t. -_.ff 1 - f ibJnh. profeiior. lt TOO wo^ pBowjw, ll fl ?>?..,.,id arti fo*ke . duu ian ts? Mil?." UM tat| promptly. ,.w,n. JP Have you ever read, er ?3o you know ^? where there is a little story as good or [ batter than the above? We will give ? $10,000 I -roa -- LITTLE STORIES ? We want litik stories, anecdotes, bits o? verse - any clipping from a newspaper, magazine or book (not to exceed 500 words) thal has made you Tbtok9 Laugh or Cry 840 prizes will bs given for the best selec tions. Ten cites of silver dollars as high as the first ten succesful competitors are the first awards. Yow have just as good a chance as anyone. M The only condition fpr entering this com petition ls that you send with your clipping $oc for a six months' trial subscription to Hie National Magazine JU? MUM I? V? fteM M ?t Utsn Sip?. 1. 1X6. SuSfiS 55 *** ?3 5fi 55S3B * iOl CBAPrLC, Ridout X ?filio*. BM**, K.M. ni.? IIB I- ?WM nut mj na? la U4 tV\HX> tOmlsf ?ta?tr-rr mutt otu* MUMU M?C?U??, wd m?nttm* IQ c;<r ?? rm..no?.. Ryd&le's Stomach Tablets Sfe INDIGESTION Causes belching, gas, or wind in the stomach, heartburn, sour stomach, etc* DYSPEPSIA Causes Cramps and pain in the sick stomach, etc Rydale's Stomach Tablets CUTG Rydale's Stomach Tablets digest all kinds of food and prevent fer- I digest the. food and rest the stoniasC mentation, and the formation of gas and I They stimulate, tone the digestive organs** acid in the stomach. They never fail to and cure dyspepsia in its worst forms* cure Indigestion. I Indigestion and Dyspepsia. Mr. R. K. .Tones, liuvt>rfor Parker & Bridget, whoso, largo department Mores aro locan?9*s'(t ; Mh St. and Perm. Avv.,^rasltliiftton, D. C.. tvntea us, under date of April !<lth, UXM, as f.>iknra:. ljist February, one yew a?<?, while iu New York on business for my flrin, I caught a s4-v.Tr? ctthf" which laid me ?in for Bevern! weeks, ami left me weak aud nervous. My physlcaos could Dot gtrt. at the cause. Thetr ptvtfcripUons dk) little or no ko?*!. As my appetite was poor and my fowl, did not digest well, 1 decided to use Kvdale's Stomach Tablets. A friend assured me they wtrra, fwd dyspepsia medieiue. After taking a few doses, I began to realise that! was getting better..' have umh! two boxen of these tablets and have gained 'M pounds ami never felt better in my life. . Rydale's Stomach Tablets cured me and 1 recommend them most heartily to sufferers from n?r?m?s ^ Indigestion and a general run down condition of the Bystcm. ltydalo'a Stomaeh Tauluki an i manufactured and guaranteed by the -5? RADICAL REMEDY COMPANY, Hickory; N.^C FOR SALE BY EVANS PHARMACY. IP YOU ARE GOING TO BUY? A Buggy Or Harness, We want a chance to sell you. If you OWE TJS you don't know-how we would apprecia te a payment theselpinchingitimes. VANDIVER BROS. & MAJOR. Now comes the "Good Old Summer Time" when you want one of our. Up-to-Date VEHICLES for Pleasure. Carriages, Surreys, Phaetons, Buggies, Run-a-Bouts, Buc?jboard, Traps, And in fact anything you need in the Vehicle line you will find at o ur poBitories. A tiue line of HARNESS, SADDLES, UMBRELLAS, CAN OPY SHADES, DUSTERS, &c. ?*CS Call and examine for yourself', and if we cannot suit you it will be'ona fault. Very truly, FRETWELL-HANKS CO., Anderson? & C. THE SOUTH'S GREATEST SYSTEM! Unexcelled Dining Car Service. . Through Pullman Sleeping Cars on alllTrains. ConvenientlSchednles on all Local trains? WINTER TOURIST RATES are now Snjeflfect to all Florida;7ci?fe? For full information as to rates, routes, etc.,"|conBult|ln aieU ?cal?tn Railway Ticket Agent, or R. W. HUNT, Division Passenger^Agent, Charleston, & C. I ONE CAR OF HOG FEED. Have just received one Car Load of HOG FEED (Shorts) at veiy close prices. Come before they are. all gone. Now i\ the time for throwing?* LIME Around your premises to prevent a case of fever or some other disease, that will cost you very much mors* than the price of a barrel of Lime (91.00.) We hav? ^ a fresh shipment in stock, and will be glad to send you some, If you contemplate building a barn or any. other building, see us before buying your?~ CEMENT and LIME, Aa we sell the very best qualities only. O. D. ?NDER80NT? MOVED.! WE have moved our Shop and office below Peoples* Bank, in! froat o? Mr. J. J. FretweU's Stables. We respectfully ask all our friends that seed any Roofing done, or any kind of Repair work, Engine /Stacks, Evaporates^ or any kind of Tin or Gravel Roofing to call on no> as we are prepared,to do it" promptly and in best maoner.g. Solid tin g^your patronage, we are,*--^ R<spectfully,8 BURRISS & DIVYEK.