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The Commoner.
'APBIL 24, 1903.
7
two statesmen, ono of whom always refused titles
while dispensing them to others, while the other
used all the means at his command to impress the
public with pageantry and whatever elBe might
tend ;to .'encourage British admiration or the
throne and the privileged classes. There were no
ceremonies at the unveiling."
IT IS, ASSERTED BY REV. DR. IRSKINE N.
White, .secretary of ttie Presbyterian board
of church erection, that tfiere are built and dedi
cated every day in the year fifteen church build
ings in the United States. Other authorities who
do not' agree with Dr. White say that the number
per day will not exceed 12. It is estimated also
that between $35,000,000 and $40,000,000 annually
is stfent for new church buildings in the United
States.
THE CHARGE MADE BY A EUROPEAN NA
val officer that a low morale exists in the
United States navy, prompted Secretary Moody to
cause to be made an investigation concerning de
sertions covering the years 1876-'77-'78 and 1887-'88-'89
and 1901 and 1902. The conclusions of this
investigation are - stated as follows: Marked
changes In the total strength of the enlisted per
sonnel and accompanied by an increase in the
percentage of desertion. Active efforts to secure
the maximum strength is accompaned by an in
crease in the percentage of desertion. The year
following a period of aotivo enlistment, when the
enlistment Work has returned to its normal, the
percentage of desertions decreases. The maxi
mum percentage of desertion under peace condi
tions was a little less than 17 per cent; the mini
mum a little over 9 per cent; afcd the normal be
tween 11 and 12 per cent In 1876 the percentage
of desertions was 16; in 1877, 11.6; in 1878, 9; in
1887, 9.2; in 1888, 18.4; in 1889, 9.1; in 1891, 16.8;
in 1892, 15.2; in 1893, 15.2; in 1894, 10.2; in 1895,
10.1; in 1896, .11.5; in 1897, 12.8; in 1898,- 5.7; in
1899, 13.9; in 1900, 14.7; in 1901, 16.7; in 1902,
14.1. There has been a steady decrease in the de
sertions since 1902. In March, 1903, there was an
increase of 33 per cent in enlistment and but a 5
per cent increase in the desertions.
ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING FIGURES
. . in the national capital was the blind chap
Iain of the United States senate, William Henry
Milburn, who died in California on April 10.
When Mr. Milburn was five years of age the sight
oT one eye was destroyed. The sight of the other
eye gradually grew dimmer and twenty years
later this clergyman was totally blind. At the age
of fifteen he located with his parents at Jackson
ville, 111., and at the age of twenty became a
traveling preacher under the Methoiust Episcopal
church. In 1845" when but twenty-two years of
age, Mr. Milburn was elected chaplain of the
house of representatives. In 1893 he was chosen
chaplain of the senate.
THE GROSS INCREASE IN RAILWAY EARN
ings for the year 1901 amounted to "$110,-
-000,000. It is now said that the total gross earn
ings of the railroads for about 200,000 miles of
road in 1902 were $1,700,000,000, which would rep
resent an increase over 1901 in the neighborhood
of $105,000,000. A writer in the Chicago Record
Herald says that "twenty-three railway systems
,ehow gross increases of $1,000,000 or more, from
the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis with
'$1,006,137 to the Pennsylvania with $17,418,000.
Only nine railroads show decreases, and these
total $9,812,000. During the past twenty years
gross earnings of United States railroads have
more than doubled. For 1882 gross income ag
gregated $770,356,762, and for 1892 $1,171,407,343,
" increase in that" decade amounting to $401,050,581.
For the decade ending 1902 the increase was
$540,337,851. During the latter decade mileage
increased from about 145,000 miles to about 200,
OOd and gross earnings from about $5,000 per milo
to over $9,000:"
IT IS THOUGHT BY THIS SAME WRITER
to be worthy of note that during the past
three yeara increase in capitalization have more
than kept pace with increases in gross earnings.
The total capitalization of American railways,
according to the recent report of the Interstate
commerce commission made to the senate, is $11,
724,035,829 par value, which is $223,000,869 in ex-
' cess or ttie figures of 1901, while the latter year
showed an Increase over 190U of $357,080,062. If
"the present rate of increase is maintained 1903
will exceed 1902 by as great a figure. These in
creases in capitalization have had their . effect
" upon net earnings, which have not always shown
increases in keeping with gross- increases. A re
cent symposium of railroad presidents headed by
A. J. Cassatt discloses their unanimous helief that
gross earnings this year will equal that of last
Net earnings, howevor, may show a decrease, duo
to increased cost of operation, labor and ma
terials. The declaration of tho railroad presi
dents that there is sufficient traffic in sight now
to insure at least three years more of prosperity
is especially gratifying, coming as it does from
a source vitally Interested in knowing the facta.
BUTTE'S GREAT WEALTH IS THE SUBJECT
of an Interesting article In tho Century
magazine. In this artlclo it is pointed, out that
more wealth is produced in Butte city every year
than in some whole states. The revenue from the
mines some $55,000,000 is equal to the income
of the government of Holland. The recent great
progress in every department of electrical develop
ment has been made possible in large degree by
the energy of these mem in BUtte. For 'tho city
and its environs now produce a quarter of the
world's entire product of copper, about two-fifths
that of the United States. A single group of
mines in the heart of the city tho Anaconda
yields more than twice as much copper yearly as
all Germany. Nor is the treasure confined to cop
per. Butte is the greatest silver producing center
in the United States, Its annual output some $13,
000,000 being nearly equal to tuat of tho entiro
state of Colorado, which, next to Montana, has
the largest production of all the states. And of
gold Butte still yields considerably over a million
dollars yearly.
THAT THE FIRST REAL STEP TOWARD
lightening the labor of children as they
climb the ladder of learning was the product of
the imagination, not of some fond mother or
gentle woman teacher, but of a bewlgged and be
titled university doctor, is an interesting fact
presented by a writer in the Household Magazine.
According to this writer three hundred years ago
children were taught to read "by force of arms,
so to speak, through hardships and with bitter
toil on tho part of tho teacher. It was Johann
Comenius, however, who first conceived -tho dar
ing idea that children could be taught by the aid
of. the memory and the imagination working to
gether. 'By means,' he quaintly expressed It, 'of
sonsuous impressions conveyed to the eye, so
that visual objects may bo made the medium of
expressing moral lessons to the young mind and
of impressing those lessons upon the memory
In other words, the good Herr Doctor had the
bright Idea that picture books could be useful
to children. Comenius made his first picture book
and called It the 'Orbis Plctus.' It contains rude
wood cuts representing objects in tho natural
world, as trees and animals, with little lessons
about the pictures. It is a quaint volume, and one
that would cause the average modern child not a
little astonishment were it placed before him.
As truly, however, as that term may bo applied
to any other book that has sinco been written
'Orbis Pictus' was an epoch-making book. It
is the precursor of all children's picture books, and
modern childhood has great cause to bless the
name of Comenius."
AN INTERESTING STORY RELATING TO
the intelligence displayed by a dog Is re
lated by the Lovelock, Ney., correspondent for the
New York American. According to this story,
William White, a miner, started on a prospecting
trip and travelled through a long canyon until he
came to the mouth of a tunnel. The interior of
the cave was dark, and as he walked inside he did
not notice a shaft forty-five feet deep in front of
him. He fell into the aperture and did not regain
consciousness until several hours later, when it
was dark. His dog. remained on guard at the
mouth of the tunnel all night long. When day
came White looked about for a means of escape.
He found none, and settled down to die of starva
tion and thirst Calling to the dog he bade it go
in search of help as a last resort The animal
bounded off, and an hour later rushed Into Cot
tonwood panting and exhausted. Its actions in
dicated that something was wrong, and it seemed
to urge some one to follow it Tho animal would
not rest until a party was trailing along after it
in the direction of the pit White was rescued
several hours later by means of a rope. .
' IP
IN THE DOMINICIAN GOVERNMENT SERIES
of the forthcoming volume of foreign rela
tions of. the. United States, appears a note ad
dressed' o the state department by Mr; Powell,
United States minister to Santo Domingo, tolling
of tho courtesies extended to General Maximo
Gomez on tho occasion of tho visit of tho Cuban
soldier to Santo Domingo. As a testimonial1 of
their regard for tho general, tho minister said
they allowed him to viow "ono of tholr sacred
treasures by exposing to him tho casket contain
ing the bones of Christopher Columbus and per
mitting him to handle tho same." Tho Asso
ciated press says: "Tho relics aro contained in
a caskot elghteon by ten inches nnd twelve
inchos deop, and this was tho fifth timo they had
been exposed to public view, tlio minister said,
in tho box, ho added, was a bullet said to have
been embedded in tho leg of the discoverer and
which was never extracted. They claim from this
ovldonco that tho present relics aro tho mortal
remains of tho early discoverer. The mlnlstor
added" that ho w,as permitted to hold some of tho
relics In his own hands."
THE TOWN OF LAFAYETTE, COLO., EN
joys tho distinction of having a bank pre
sided over by woman. Tho president of this bank
is-Mrs". Mary A. Miller, and she is said to bo tho
only bank president in . tho country. Tho La
fayette correspondent of tho Chicago Record-Herald,
referring to this bank president, says: "She
Ib practically owner as weir as manager Tho
offices in tho Institution aro kept in the family,
for Mrs. Miller's son George Is vice president, her
son James cashier, and his wife, Elizabeth, assis
tant cashier and paying teller. Mrs. Miller moved
into Colorado with her husband in 1863, travel
ing by ox team, and taking into tho state tho
first threshing machine Mr. Miller died In 1878.
When coal was discovered on her land in 1887
Mrs. Miller became a rich woman. Sho leases tho
mines to jtho operators and invests her large rev
enues through her bank. Mrs. Miller is regarded
as tho foremost business woman In tho state."
ST. PETER'S CHAPEL IN THE TOWER OF
London is said by a writer in the Sphere
to have more sad memories than any other place
in London. This writer says that In St Peter's
chapel tho head and body of the Duko of Mon
mouth were placed under tho communion table
aftor his execution in 1865. Wiinin four years
the pavement of the chancel was again disturbed,
and hard by t'ho romafns of Monmouth wore laid
the remains of Jeffreys. Macaulay, in recording
tho fact, wroto an eloquont description of tho
chapel. In truth, there is no sadder spot on earth
than that little cemetery. "Death is there asso
ciatednot as in Westminster Abbey and St
Paul's with genius and virtue, with public vener
ation and imperishable renown; not as in our
humblest churches and churchyards, with every
thing that is most endearing In social and do
mestic charities but with whatever is darkest in
human nature and human destiny, with tho sav--ago
triumph of implacable enemies, with the in
constancy, the ingratitude, the cowardice ot
friends, with, all the miseries of fallen greatness
and of blighted fame."
"nnHROUGH SUCCESSIVE AGES, BY THK
X rude hands of jailers without one mourner
following," according to this same authority, "tho
bleeding relics of men who had been the captains
of armies, tho leaders of parties, the oracles of
the senate, the ornaments of courts, were carried
to St Peter's. Thither was borne, before tho win
dow where Jane Grey was praying, the mangled
corpBe of Guilford Dudley, Edward Seymour, Duko
of Somerset and Protector of the realm, reposes
there by the brother whom ho murdered, Thero
h'as mouldered away the headless trunk of John
Fisher, Bishop of Rochester and Cardinal of St
Vitalls, a man worthy to have lived In a better
age and to have died in a better cause. Thero aro
laid John Dudley, Duko of Northumberland, Lord
High Admiral; Thomas Cromwell and Earl of Es
sex, Lord High Treasurer. There, too, is another
Essex, on whom nature and fortune had lavished
all their bounties in vain, and whom valor, grace,
genius, royal favor, popular applause, conducted
to an early and ignominious doom. Not far off
Bleep two chiefs of tho great house of Howard
Thomas, fourth Duke of Norfolk, and Philip,
eleventh Earl of Arundel. Hero and there among
the thick graves of unquiet and aspiring statesmen
Ho more delicate sufferers; Margaret of Salis
bury, and those two fair queens who perished by
the jealous rage of Henry. Such was the dust
with which the dust of Monmouth mingled." In
a note he adds: "I cannot refrain from express
ing my disgust at the barbarous stupidity which
has transformed this most interesting little
church into the likeness of a meeting house in. a
manufacturing town."
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