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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1899)
IT WILL TAKE 100,000 MEN To Conquer the Philippine Islands Says a Returned fighter. Gai t. Mark L. Horsey, quartermas ter of the Twelfth United States In fantry, a hero of the Santiago cam paign, who has seen Ecrvleo In the Philippines, and Is Just from Manila, Is enjoying a lenvo of nbsonce, nnd Is staying with relatives out In Wyo ming. Capt. Horsey Is a Malno boy, was appointed to West Point by Con gressman nontellc, and graduated from West Point In 18S7. Capt. Herscy Is a iulct, unassuming man, slight of build and, aside from n little stiffness, caused by the long Journey from Ma nila to noston, Is as well as ever. There Is nothing nbout his appcaranco that would Indicate that he had been through the yellow fever of the San tiago Jungles or the tropical heats nnd rains of tho far East. Were It not for the captain's wife, who accompanied him to Manila, Capt. Herscy would still bo on duty about Manila. Mrs. HcrEcy desired to return home, and so thox-nptaln got authority to accom pany her to Boston, with permission to enjoy a thirty days' lcavo of absence, and the right to npply for thirty ad ditional days If ho desired. Capt. Herscy left with his regiment on the transport Sherldun, Feb. 19 last, sail ing from Now York, LIcut.-Col. Jacob II. Smith In command. They .reached Manila April 14. He left .Manila for San Francisco June 18, on tho trans port Indiana, serving as quartermas ter and commissary on tho trip. Tho headquarters of his regiment Is at Fort Santiago, In the city of Ma nila. Up to tho time of his departure from Manila, Capt. Hersey says that tho Twelfth regiment had been In two engagements, June 2 nnd 12. In the first engagement the rcslmcnt lost two men. During the second engagement three men were killed, and one officer and fifteen men were wounded. Tho first battle was before tho towns of Tnltal and Cnlnutla, and tho second fight was at Las Plna and Parnnnque. The Twelfth was supporting Dyer's battery, Sixth artillery. "It's hard to tell Just how mnny In surgents were In those engagements," said Gapt. Hersey'but It was estimated by those on tho firing line as about 900 In the first engagement nnd 6,000 In the second. I never learned who com manded tho opposition, but they were armed with Mausers." When Capt. Herscy left tho Insur gents were within five miles of tho city. The Twelfth Infantry Is stationed on the south lino, tho Amcrlcnn forces A BALLOON MILITARY BRIDGE Tho most unique plan suggested by military experts for transporting troops In time of war across wide rivers Is perhaps that proposed by a French army expert recently and suc cessfully operated during the French mnneuvcrs. It conslets of a portable bridge to bo carried about with the troops nnd thrown across the stream In emergencies nnd supported by means of balloons. The balloons aro not, how ever, allowed to float above, but nre placed beneath tho planking. A dozen large Inflated bnlloons anchored at the desired height can thus bo mndc to support a planking on which a hundred men can safely cross at once. In tho wider Btrcams threo or four of these planks nro necessary to be used, but they can bo bolted together and thU3 being distributed north and south of the city. "We have always driven the Fili pinos before us," said Capt. Herscy, "but they are like flies nbout a sugar barrel. Tho moment your back Is turned they are around ngaln ns thick as ever. Not having force enough to hold the towns, our forces push on and the men wo fought todny aro back again tomorrow In tho town wo drove them out of the day before. Some of tho towns about Manila have been taken as ninny times ns a cat Is ic ported to have lives. Wc need 100,000 men In the Philippines, men enough to garrison the towns nnd hold theni after we capture them." "What Is tho tone of tho people there?" "Well, 1 should say that tho Filipino didn't want us there. The feeling to ward us Is anything but kindly. "There arc several dally papers pub lished In Manila by Americans, and one or two Spanish pnpers. All this talk about Gen. Otis must have cropped MAP OF THE ISLAND OF LUZON. out since I left, ns nothing of the kind was heard while I was at Manila. I heard no criticisms against him. Tho climate of Manila Is much healthier than that of Cuba. We have no yel low fever there, nnd the thermometer ranges from 7C degrees to DC degrees. I heard no kicking among tho troops. Their rations are good; dried fruits, such as apples, prunes nnd peaches, have been added to the rations. Tho beef wc get thcro Is excellent, the equal, I think, to our own packing house beef. It comes In excellent shape from Australia and is delivered aboard our refrigerator ship In tho bay at 8Vi cents per pound." "Is Agulnaldo losing his grip on the people there?" "Thnt's hard to sny. One can form nn opinion as well from what Is print ed hero ns from whnt appears In tho Manila Journals." "Is Manila n good place for Ameri cans?" "For tho capitalist I should say yes. For the laboring man, no. Labor Is too cheap. Why, you can hlrq the best of maic servants for $4 American money a month. There arc vast coal fields there. American capital, aided by native labor, could produce coal at $3.50 per ton, whereas It costs about 17.50 per ton. Tho country Is fertile beyond any stnndnrd we have In this country." "What about the people?" made to serve all practical purposes of a single span. The only difficulty thnt It was expected tho new Idea would encounter was In the case of low banked streams, where It would bo Im possible to place the balloons beneath tho bridge and nbove the wnter. When this was tried, however, It was found that tho same purposo was served by floating tho bnlloons on top of tho water, with tho advantage that fewer balloons were needed to support tho planking. There Is no difficulty what ever In carrying tho material for tho hastily constructed bridge nbout. Tho planks nre, of course, easily enough carried and the balloons could be read ily inflated with a balloon wagon. This hns become an accepted pnrt of mili tary paraphernalia In any event, so "They arc far from trine the Ig norant men. that they have been repre Kptitnit n 1-p. Thrv nre not Idol wor shipers, hut belong to the Catholic church and nre veil grounded In tno tenets of their belief. They nre an In telligent people, a lnrgo part of them being able to rend nnd wrl.tc. In my army experience I have come In con tact with the Mexican greaser and the Cubans. From what 1 saw nnd heard while- at Manila, 1 have no hesitation In saying that they urc tho superior of cither of these people. They nre men of education and refinement." "Aro they competent to govern them selves?" "Welt, the Mexicans have succeeded very well In that direction, nnd I see no reason why tho Filipinos shouldn't, Inasmuch ns I believe them far more Intelligent than the former." "What sort of n field Is It for the missionary?" "Well, they might Just ns woll send them to convert the people of Spain, there's Just as much chance to mako converts." "Aro tho people priest-ridden nnd do tho clergy exact exorbitant fees from the people?" "Not knowing, I cannot say. Hut tho priests I met nt Manila the Jesuits, those who have control of the ob servatory there are n very scholarly, high-minded set of men, who do all In their power to restore peace In tho islands." (Hum l'ikvnnii'iil. United States Consul Covert, at Lyons, reports the laying of a glass pavement In one of the streets of that city nenrly n year ago. Ho says: "It has stood as hard usage ns any pave ment could bo subjected to during that time, and Is still In nn admirable state of preservation. The glass, or ceramic stone, pavement Is laid In the form of blocks eight Inches square, each block containing elxtcen parts In the form of checkers. These block nro so closely fitted together that water cannot pas3 between them. The advantages attrib uted to this ccrnmo-cry8tal by tho man ufacturers aro: As a pavement It hns greater resistance than atone; it is n poor conductor of cold, nnd ice will not form upon It readily; dirt will not ac cumulate upon It ns easily as upon stone, and It will not retain microbes; it Is more durable than stone and just an cheap." Women Nrurro In Aimtrnllu. The disproportion of the sexes Is still very great In Australia. In West Australia there were only 54,000 wom en In a population' of 1C8.000. Only women over 40 like to take a trip without a trunk. that no Inconvenience l.i experienced on this score. Tho balloons nre made of a heavy textured silk that readily stands tho strain thus placed upon them. They are repeatedly varnished and specially coated so that the aurfneo Is Immured to the effects of ordinary blowH. They aro somewhat smaller than the regular army balloon. In tho French maneuvers, by sending a com pany at a time ucross the bridges hast ily thrown ncrora tho river, ten regi ments were 'sent across in less thun nn hour and a half, including the tlmo ncccsBary to bring the army and bal loon wagons up from the rear, and tho time that It took to Inflate tho bal loons nnd throw the bridge Into posi tion, This Is much hotter tlmo than was made by the practlco of nny othoi plan In use In tho French army. PROM NEWSBOY TO (Charleston (3. C.) Correspondence.) The opportunity offered tho youth of Ainorlca to nttaln positions of eminence by mere hard, honest work baa never been better exemplified than by the recent election of M. II. McSweeney as governor of South Carolina. From a poor, struggling newsboy, whose dally earnings avoraged lit" a few pennies, he has risen to be chief executive of one of tho representative southern stntes. Miles 11. McSweeney, when 4 yenrs old, was left fatherless. His mother being poor, the lad's struggles for n livelihood began when he was 9 years of ago. With a few pennies he bought somo copies of u Charleston newspaper, which he sold on the btrceli?. Ills first day's work netted him 8 cents. Tho next day he earned 11 cents. For several months he ped dled his newspapers through Uio streets of Charleston. Then he. secured a portion ns a clerk In a book .rtpre. This was when he was )0 years bid. He continued to sell his paper In the even ing. When he was 1 1 years old Mc Sweeney was the devil In the Charlcn ton Gazette office. For two years he served In th!a capacity, nnd then went with llurk & Ford, Job printers. From thcro ho went to Edward Perry's, where ho completed his apprenticeship as a Job printer. At this' time tho Washington nnd Lee university of Lex ington, Vn., had offered a iicholarshlp to tho Charleston Typographical union, which was to bo nwnrded to the most deserving of the young men then cm ployed In tho Charleston printing of fices. Uy a majority of votes of the members of tho union young McSwee ney was chosen and the scholarship awarded him. On account of tho lack of means ho found thnt he could not pay for his board nnd clothing, and was obliged, nftcr spending part of a ses sion, to lenvc tho university nnd give up his deslro for n collcglato educa tion. Like nil good typos at that time he was a union printer nnd served Co lumbia Typographical union ns corre sponding secretary and afterward us president. Ho waB among the first to nlgn tho roll for reorganization of tho Phoenix hook and ladder company nnd SUICIDE OF A CHINAMAN. JtcBiirdud liy III I"clIon -Coles t lulu in n Ort'iit Crlmr. The murderous assault upon Gee Chung Yung, a Chinese farmer, who lived on tho Franklin road, by his partner, Chin Fook, who afterward hnnged himself In a barn, hns stirred local Chlnnmen to a high pitch of ex citement, says tho Baltimore Sun. The feeling among the Chlneso Is that Chin Fook, by hauging himself, hns been much disgraced and will be condemned to terrible punishment for his crime. Ills soul, It Is believed, will enter some animal of a low prder, such as ii pig, nnd ho will suffer greatly. Chin Fook was n Mason, nnd under ordinary cir cumstances his funeral would bo large ly attended nnd accompanied by many Mnsonlo.nnd Chinese rltca. It Is stated, by scvcrnl Chinamen that owing to hU sulcldo not much notlco will bo tnken of his burial and ho will bo Interred without much ceremony. Ordinarily the nearest relative of tho deceased Bits on tho box of tho hearse with tho driver nnd scatters bits of paper along tho route from tho undertaker' rooms to tho grave, In order that tho dead man may find his way back when ho re turns to life. Fried chicken and rlco nre placed In tho gravo for him to Htib sist upon during tho time ho Is sup posed to romnln In his coffin. Chin Fook, however, Is not expected to come back, because of his crime, and no chicken or rlco will bo placed in his grave. GENEROUS WOMAN. OITcth I'lfly Cmit for ltrrovpry f 817B New York Tribune: While stundlng on tho pier nt Day Twenty-first street, Hath Beach.yesterday afternoon watch ing the bathers, the wlfo of n Manhat tan ellk denier dropped a purse Into tho water. As soon as tho purse dis appeared sho shileked and fnlntcd, Restoratives were Immediately given to tho woman, and she soon opened her eyes. On being assisted to her feet sho tried to Jump overbonrd after her purse. She becamo so excited over hor loss that Martin Cahlll, ot No. 246 Path avenue, Ilath Beach, said ho would dlvo into tho wnter for her purso if sho would point out tho spot where It wont down. Sho did so, and after four unsuccessful dives Cahlll finally hand ed tho purso to tho owner. On open ing tho purso tho woman counted out $175 In bills, nnd also showed two beautiful diamond rings. Finding everything Intact nnd tho bills only slightly moistened, sho took five ten- cent pieces and offered them to Cunlll for recovering tho purse. Cahlll laughed at tho amount, and told her to keep It for car fure. At this the by slanders laughed to heartily that she nerved as secretary of the company for a number of years. Mr. McSwoc noy'a record as a democrat Is well known and ho did faithful work tor his party In 1876. McSweeney moved to Ninety Six, In Abbeville county, and commenced tho publication of the Ninety Six Ouardlun. This wns his first buslnera venture. He had a cap ital of 65 and purchased n second hand press and outfit for J500, paying $55 cash In first payment. Hut ho hnd energy and was n good workman and gave the people n newsy paper, lived economically and In the course of n .Near ho paid every dollar ho owed. On tho 22d of August, 1879, tho first iesuo of the Hampton County Guardian appeared nnd It hns been published ever since by Mr. McSweeney. Mr. McSweeney hns ever been foremost In ivorythlng calcu lated to help his town nnd comity. Ho Is regarded as one of tho best business men In lis section mid hn.i 3ccn nuccess'ul In every undortnklng. Mr. McSweeney wna married on tho 12th day of July, 1S82. to Miss Mattlo Miles Porchcr, and their union lins been blensed with six children, four of whom arc living threo !nii nnd one girl. McSwecnoy hnd al ways been prominent In politics, nnd hns been twlco honored ns a delegate to the democratic national convention, At tho flrat St. Louis convention, In 1888, ho voted for Clovelnnd nnd Thur man, and at tho convention In July, 1896, ho voted for Urynn and Sownll. Ho served the democracy of his county for ten years as county chairman, de clining It In 1894, when ho was elected to tho legislature. Ho has always taken great Interest In tho military of his stato and was on the stuff of General Stokes nnd General Mooro In the rank of major nnd lieutenant colonel. Somn people would llko to have an Inquisition to compel liberality nnd toleration. wns forced to lcavo tho pier. As alio went away n man who hnd witnessed tho recovery of tho purso nnd tho rc wnrd offered, suld ns. u parting snlutc: "Honesty may bo tho best policy, but In this case I have my doubts." I.llui 111 the r, I.lka Nun. Dobson Did you ever obscrvo how much Toucher's little boy Is llko him? Jobson Yes. Only yestcrdny tho child asked mo for a penny. Ohio Stnto Journal. SHE WOULD DIE ALICE PIEUSON AND Thcro Is a battle royal being waged In Philadelphia between capital and sentiment. At tho corner of Ninth nnd Mnln streets there resides a lono widow, Mrs. Allco Plorson, who has reached tho ago of 83 yenrs. Tho old homcsteud In which sho lives hns been her only shelter ull her llfo and be longed to her parents before her. It wus ono of tho residences of tho pio neers of tho borough and has a historic record, Recently a syndicate, sup posed to be ono of tho two largo trol ley companies which hnvo terminals opposlto tho old homestead, ap proached, through the agency of Dan iel D. Mulllu of Lansdowno, tho own ers of tho properties nt tho corner of Ninth and Main streets, says tho Times. A thirty days' option was given on the properties at the corner by W. W. James, George S. Patchol, Enoa Vcr lenden and P. I. Tyler. Tho other jpronertles Emicht by tho syndicate nre GOVERNOR. AN AC ED OIANT. Strong Mint of MUnourl Dim nf thcr Aco of 10B. Scdnlla (Mo.) correspondent SL LouIh Republic: Paul Drown, tho oldr est man In Pettis county, nnd probably tho oldest man west of tho Mississippi. Is dying nt his homo near Georgetown at tho ago of 108 years. For twenty-ona days ho hns not tnBtcd food, tho. i nly nourishment having passed hU Hps be ing n little water from tlmo to time; llrown wnH n most remarkable man, or largo frame, nnd possessed tho strength of a giant. At tho ago of 98 ho carried logs sixteen feet long from n c'.earhiR to his farm, a dlstanco of a quarter or a mile, whoro ho cut them Into two lengths nnd split thorn Into f incc rnl!B Ho carried In this way enough timber to make fencing for n ton-acre Hold ho owned. At the ago of 100 yearn hp opened u atouo quarry on his place, doing nil tho hoavy work hlmso!f, fre quently llfiliiK rocks weighing 250 pounds, which his two hired in on were unnblo to shift. llrown'a hands are. of lnrgo jlo. being ten Inchen Jong fron the wrist to tl.c tips of tho iltiRcrH. They nro now cov ered with parch-mcnt-llko skin, al most every vestige? of flesh having dried from hi body, lenvlng tlw bones showing through the trana p a r o n t covering". "Ho worked ns In dustriously nt 100 years old,' s:iyn a neighbor, "ns most young men ut 20. Ho took prlda la his grcnt strength nnd gloried In tho fact thnt he could split n two-Inch onk board vlth bin fist. I hnvo moro than onco seen htm knock a frac tious cow down with his fist." Throa months ngo Paul llrown eclobrated hla lOSth birthday, and among the dlnnor guests were a number of Scdalla bank erp, business and professional mon. To show his agility, Paul Drown Jumped over tho back of a high kitchen chair with tho apparent agility nnd mipple ncsB of a deer. Ho had never beon sick until his present Illness, when ho was strtcken suddenly with the withering; blight of old ngo, when his strength left him In n nlght-tlmo nnd he becamo as helpless as u now-born babe. Kicellimt Trnliilnc of tlin It. I. IV No better proof can bo given of tho excellency of tho training of both offi cers and men of thnt fine force, tlw ltoynl Irish constabulary, thun tho fact thnt whenovcr nny post In connection with pollco duties Is vacant, elthor ut home or nbrond, it Is almost Invariably given to a It. I. C. man, If a member of tho forco hnppenB to bo a candidate Tho chief constnblcshlp of Hlrmlng hnm, England, being vacant, there was nn election for tho post, when, out ot fifty candidates, Mr. C. H. Ilaftor, D. I. It. I. C, Iloylo county, Roscommon, Ireland, was chosen. t'lillilrau Kept Fre. At Iloubnlx, ono of tho Socialist Btrongholds of Franco, tho 11,0)0 public: school children receive froo food and clothing nt the expense of the town. IN HER OLD HOME. THE HOME COVETED I1Y THE TROLLEY" COMPANIES. tho old homestead of Mrs. Allca Plerson and tho resldenco of Mrs. Chnrles WlggliiB. Of these two only Mrs. Wiggins has consented to sell. Every effort to Becuro Mrs. Plursou's property hns failed. Tho homestead of Mrs. PJerson Is tho most doslrnblo of all the property sought, Inasmuch as It occupies the? slto Immediately at tho cornor. Every Inducemcnt has been held forth to thet aged lady, but her sentiment has beon so strong that sho refuses to part com pany with tho house that for elghty threo long yenrs has been the scene or her domestic happiness. In nn Inter view with a reporter sho said: "I lovn the old place so that If thoaw people should, by any means, get pos session of my homo, I would sit In front of It In my chair and die under Its shadow. It has been my shelter In sunshine nnd storm slnco my lilrtli,. and I am so linked to It that not all' tho gold of tho East or tho Klondlko could mako mo part with It."