The Cook Remedy Company, of Chicago, Ill., have for many years advertised their remedies for blood poison, eczema, etc., in the Magazine. They solicit direct correspondence, and give special consideration to individual cases.

Bro. F. A. Ruckman, of Lodge 653, Lafayette, La., writes that his lodge was organized on March 12th by Second Vice Grand Master Timothy Shea. He states that the membership of the lodge is mostly made up from former members of Lodges 146 and 267, with one from 427. Several applications are out and the lodge looks for a large increase in membership soon, and expects to have one of the best lodges in that part of the country.

The firm of Lewis Meier & Co., manufacturers of union-made overalls, are publishing a new advertisement every month on the front inside cover page of the Magazine. While they are newcomers seeking trade among our readers, they state that their advertising has met with a ready response and they desire to express their sincere appreciation of the attention that has been given them within so short a time.

Announcement is made that a grand union meeting of the lodges of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, located at Columbus, Ohio, will be held Sunday, May 1, 1904, at which time a large number of candidates will be initiated into the several lodges. Great efforts have been put forth during the month of April by each of the lodges to secure the greatest number of new members, and it was decided to celebrate the event in this way.

Almost every conceivable style of glove can be found in the catalogue of Morrison, McIntosh & Co., the manufacturers and advertisers of the Grinnell Gloves. Their famous "Reindeere" gloves, designed especially to meet the requirements of railroad men, are aggressively advertised every month in our Magazine, and special inducements are offered to firemen who are interested in securing the best gloves they can get for their money.

Every locomotive engineman in the country wears overalls. Men of this class are very discriminating in selecting the

Bro. James Deegan, of Lodge 577, residing at Los Angeles, Cal., has sent the Magazine a copy of his new song, entitled "The Pretty Soldier," which will make its first public appearance at the big labor carnival which is planned to be held in Los Angeles, May 16th to 30th, inclusive. Bro. Deegan's song has been set to music, is dedicated to the Ladies Auxiliaries of the Railroad Brotherhoods of America, and is published by the Teller Publishing Co., 6060 State st., Chicago, III:

The Johns Hopkins University, Department of Political Economy, Baltimore, Md., is desirous of securing the following publications: Volumes I to VI, inclusive, and Volume XIX of the Locomotive Firemen's Magazine, and constitutions of the organization prior to 1881. Any person having any of the above volumes or constitutions which he is willing to dispose of is invited to correspond with Mr. George E. Barnett, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.

The Derry-Collard Co., advertisers of technical books through the columns of the Magazine, have perfected the organization of their "D.-C. Book Club." By its provisions, firemen studying for promotion, can, at an expense of from $1 to $5 per month, secure immediate possession of such technical books as they require not to exceed certain limits, with the privilege of returning any book they do not wish to keep, or of withdrawing from the club at any time they desire on payment of balance due on books retained.

The Ellsworth & Thayer Mfg. Co., of Milwaukee, Wis., are continuously advertising their Great Western Gloves by special and attractive page designs in each issue of the Magazine. These gloves enjoy a wonderful reputation among railroad men everywhere, and are the products of great skill and energy on the

part of the manufacturers. Their Patent Double Thumb glove is especially constructed to stand the strain and wear required of gloves worn by railroad men. Careful attention is necessarily given to the preparation of the stock to make the gloves capable of resisting heat, cold and water.

Bro. W. A. Pyle, Treasurer of Elm City Lodge 284, writes that his lodge is doing great work, and that the membership is increasing at every meeting. His report to the Grand Lodge for the month of April shows something like thirty to forty new members added since his report in January, with eighteen or twenty more on the list to be initiated, among them being quite a number of engineers. Elm City Lodge expects to celebrate this great increase in membership early in May, of which the members will be duly informed. It is confidently expected that this meeting will be the greatest ever held by the brothers of Lodge 284.

The Editor desires to direct the attention of the readers of the Magazine to a series of articles which will appear in the Technical Department from month to month, and which he hopes will be of interest to all enginemen, but particularly to new beginners and others desiring to acquire a perfect and detailed knowledge of the modern locomotive, its appliances and all that tends towards its successful operation and management. The first of these articles, which appears in this issue, treats of "Locomotive Draft." The arti

cle in next month's issue will, as stated at the conclusion of this month's article, treat of "The Defects of the Engine and Draft Appliances that Make an Engine

a 'Poor Steamer.'"

A correspondent writes the Magazine that the organized railroad men of East St. Louis, Ill., composed of members of the O. R. C., B. of L. E., B. of L. F., B. of R. T., S. U. of N. A., and others, are forming an association for the purpose of owning and operating hotels and restaurants along various lines of railroads, their first object being to take care of their brother railroad men who will visit the World's Fair this summer, and do it at a reasonable price. He states

that the association expects to work in conjunction with the R. R. Y. M. C. A., of which many of them are members, and will be in close touch with all rooming accommodations in St. Louis and East St. Louis.

He

A member of Lodge 292 writes as follows: "Bro. Chas. P. Ingmundson, a former member of Lodges 322 and 197, has given up railway service and is at present employed as a traveling salesman for Nicols, Dean & Gregg, hardware and iron merchants of St. Paul, Minn. has been with this firm for the past six years and is apparently giving good satisfaction. Bro. Ingmundson was formerly Secretary of the Joint Protective Board on the C., M. & St. P. Ry., and went through some of the times that the boys now speak of as 'strenuous.' He is at present a member of Lodge 292, and lives at Grand Forks, North Dakota, where he was recently elected senior counselor of the local council of United Commercial Travelers."

Anonymous communications continue to be received, which, as has been frequently stated in the Magazine, can not be published. The latest to be received are signed as follows: "Member 195," "Member 194," "Member 401," "Member 310," one from Van Wert, Ohio, signed "F. D.," one from Youngwood, Pa., signed "A. W. G.," one signed "A Michigan Fireman," and one from New Orleans We repeat that signed “I. C. R. R.” it is not necessary to publish the writer's name in connection with his letter or article, and where instructions are given that it not be done these instructions are carried out. However, it is an established custom of leading publications to require all communications for publication to be accompanied by the name of the author as evidence of good faith. If the writer of an article is not willing to confide his name to the publication, he should not expect that publication to assume the responsibility thereof. The Magazine will gladly publish the above mentioned letters upon receipt of a communication from the writers stating that they are the authors thereof, and giving their proper names.

On February 29, 1904, a joint reception and social was given by Eureka Lodge 14, B. of L. F., and Camellia Lodge 121 of the Ladies Society, Indianapolis, Ind., in honor of our newly-elected Editor and Manager of the Magazine, Bro. John F. McNamee, and his family, who on this date arrived in our city to make it their future home.

The reception consisted of a general introduction of our newly-elected Editor, and an address of welcome by Bro. Geo. P. Kern, Chairman of the Joint Committee. The address by Bro. Kern was most ably responded to by Bro. McNamee on behalf of himself and family.

The social part of the program consisted of music and dancing, several numbers being rendered by local talent. The greatest event of the evening, however, was the banquet given by the ladies of Camellia Lodge 121, which consisted of an elaborate menu, and was most elegantly and graciously served. This part of the evening's entertainment was looked after by a committee of five, headed by Sister Minnie Ulrich, but every sister in the lodge seemed to have acted as a committee of one to make this part of the program a success, and too much praise or credit can not be given them for the able manner in which they conducted the same. A large number were in attendance, composed of the members, their families and their friends. All, having spent a delightful time, at the end of the program, which was at an early morning hour, with one accord wished Bro. McNamee and his family good night and Godspeed in their new home.

Jos. A. FARRELL, Master Lodge 14.

The Payment of Dues.

It is with much interest that I have read the letters of the different brothers regarding paying dues into a bank, more particularly as we put this scheme into effect nearly a year ago, and have heard no serious complaints about it so far. There is one feature connected with it, however, to which attention should be called, and that is, that the receipts should be removed from the book before

work should be given out by no one, except the duly authorized officers of the lodge; whereas, should they be given out by the bank, you can readily see that they might get into the wrong hands.

A member requiring an order for the work can go to the bank, get his receipt, take it to the Secretary or Collector, who will take it up and issue you one with the order attached in place of it, or, should the member be at a distance from his lodge, he can send the money direct to the Secretary or Collector, instead of to the bank. Leaving the receipts at the bank is more for the convenience of the local members, as the Collector can, or should, be always reached by mail.

Getting the members in the habit of going to the bank to get their checks cashed should be productive of good results, and in paying into the bank, the risk of loss is reduced to a minimum. I have known of times when, as Deputy Collector, I have had to keep over $200 of money belonging to the lodge, from Saturday until Monday, and had there been a loss during that time it could not have been afforded by the lodge nor by myself, and there would always have been a suspicion that I had profited by the "hold-up." Such things have occurred, and, doubtless, will occur again. If we can reduce the risk of loss, and at the same time make it more convenient for the members to pay their dues, we should certainly do so.

CHAS. N. SNYDER, Lodge 218.

The Iconoclast.

Who are they who have never read the quotation from scripture: "Let him without sin cast the first stone?" And who are they who have never felt a pang of remorse when they heard these words for, by the inconsistency of man, acts which we approve today we criticise tomorrow, and what we condemn in one man this minute we find ourselves guilty of the next hour.

Human nature is made up of a mixture of good and evil. Greed, selfishness, envy and all other vices are embodied in all men, perhaps more prominent in some than in others. There is no disgrace in possessing these faults; the disgraceful part is when we allow them to master us.

accord him a colder greeting than he expected? If anyone has escaped such a fate, has he never found the conversation of a friend cold when he hoped it would be familiar?

The most dangerous vice in man is that of criticism, born of jealousy. It renders to no man his just dues and, even though the source may be as corrupt as the man it condemns, it not only throws the first stone, but helps to completely cover its victim. "The feeble tremble before opinion, the foolish defy it, the wise judge it, the skillful direct it."

In the course of our everyday life we come across the "knocker," more noticeable amongst the members of our own

possibly can. Again the rule quoted is at fault, for under this tirade of opinion the strongest man on record will tremble.

While we recognize the fact that the member who never finds fault with the work of an officer, when he sees that his work will not benefit anyone, is an indifferent member and not of very much service to any organization, yet we expect the man who does find fault to think coherently, and if he finds that he is in the wrong, to acknowledge it. On the other hand, when an officer is criticised let him take the opinion of the "knocker" under consideration, for, although his method of expressing his opinion is not above reproach, there may be some virtue

The Payment of Dues.

Having read several articles on this subject in the March and April issues of the Magazine, and having had some little experience along the line, I will try and outline the plans Lodge 304 adopted some time ago, and which have proved highly satisfactory to all concerned.

We adopted the bank system by making Bro. J. P. Faucette, who is cashier, Deputy Collector, and when we found this was a step in the right direction we commenced to look around for another improvement, and the following circular was introduced by our Collector and unanimously adopted: Hall of......Lodge No..... Office of Secretary.

Mr...

fully impresses the fact on his mind that he, and not the Collector, is respon-. sible if he goes delinquent, as some of the brothers seem to think that it is the Collector's duty to hunt them up and ask them for their dues the same as a rent collector. But after they have read the sections referred to they will see where This gives them no exthey are wrong. cuse for forgetting, and when they fall behind after taking all these pains to have them rightly informed, the lodge is as well off without them.

As to the bank stamp on our receipts, I have just this to say: that you have both the lodge and bank behind the receipt, and it is twice as good in law as without it. It is also a safeguard against any dispute that might arise as to what date you paid your dues.

We have also adopted a regular note to be used in all cases where a brother is carried, and it has so simplified the work of the Collector in keeping up with these members that I feel confident it will interest others. The form is as follows: Hall of....Lodge....B. of L. F. Office of Collector.

$.

19..

pay to B. of L.

Dear Sir and Brother.

This to inform you that your dues are always payable on or before the first day of January, April, July, and October, of each year, at the following rate: All members holding a $3,000.00 certificate, $.... $2.000.00, $. : $1,500.00, $. $1,000.00, $.. ; $500.00, $.. This does not include the Joint Protective Board assessment, which is payable at the same time, and for which all members in actual service are liable.

You will understand that it is your duty to pay in accordance with the above without further notice, as the Collector will only issue notices when special assessments are levied.

We further wish to call your special attention to sections 171, 172, 173, 174, and 175, inclusive, of the Constitution and By-laws.

Keep yourself and those dependent upon you protected by always being in good standing. Punctuality is the first

law of success.

Yours fraternally,

.... Secretary.

Now you will readily see that after the victim has traveled the mysterious road and finally become a full-fledged tallowpot, he has forgotten what the Master told him about his dues, and this is a second reminder, as well as a reference, which he can go to at any time and find out when his dues are payable. It also

.Bank, ....with interest from maturity, at the rate of ten per cent. per annum until paid. The maker and endorser of this note hereby waives presentment of payment, notice of non-payment and protest.

Method of Paying Dues.

In looking over our Magazine I find the matter of paying dues brought up. I think this is of vital importance to every member of our Order. I believe this

"bank idea” is all right, but I have, and do advocate, that it is no trouble for any brother who has the welfare of our grand organization at heart to step into the post office or a sub-office, or any express office and get a money order, and mail it to the Collector. Thus all this trouble is saved. What will it cost-why just one less cigar every three months, and can't you deprive yourself of this, brother, for an Order that has done so much for you? I hope to hear from my other brothD. C. LAUGHLIN,

ers.