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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1904)
"HF" "' OCTOBWt 14, MM The Commoner. 3 MtfumriMitaai ifciit -i y"V ni ...i " ' ... i - ., Mll , . KCCURB8NT TOPICS S . ACCORDING to the treasurer of the United States, the world's stock of gold amounts to $5,500,000,000. Of this sum this country holds one-fifth, or ?1,342,000,000. The treasury has $700,000,000 of this sum. In 1896 the world's stock of gold was approximately $4,380,000,000, of which we held less' than one-seventh, or about $599,000,000. In the summer of 1890 the federal treasury held $150,000,000. Of the world's total annual produc tion of $300,000,000 the United States produces $80,000,000. N INTERESTING story, of which a dog is Lhe hero, is told by the Geneva correspondent for the New York American, thus: 'After es caping in their night clothes from a house on fire in St. S'ephorln, Canton Vaud, a family of th name of Pargler discovered that Henri, a . boy of four, had been forgotten. It was impossible for a human being to enter the house, which was envoloped in thick smoke. The father made two attempts, but failed, and then remembored hid dog, a beautiful collie. "Go and fetch Henri," he said, pointing to the house. The dog immediately rushed up the stairs, but returned terribly burned. A second and a third time the animal entered tht house, and was then seen dragging out the child, whose clothes were afire. The boy was uncon scious, but is expected to recover. Immediately the lad was safe, the dog rushed off to the woods, howling with pain. Its coat was buried off, and M. Pargier, borrowing a gun, followed it and put it out of its misery. WHILE visiting relatives in Paterson, N. J., recently, Master at Arms Charles E. New ton of the cruiser Des Moines received a letter which the government has been trying to de liver him for the last three years. The storv is told by the Paterson . correspondent for the New York American in this way: "The lette. .was mailed in Now York by relatives of Mr. Newton, and was addressed to the Brooklyn Navy yard, where the Des Moines was awaiting orders. Before the letter could be delivered the Des Moines was ordered to Norfolk, Va., and it was forwarded there. In the meantime Newton s ship had gone to Cuba, but the letter did not reach the new republic's shores until the Des Moine3 had been sent on a cruise, but when the letter reached China Newton and his ship had gone away, and the letter was again started off this time for England. The Des Moines did not stop on English shores and the postal officials of that country returned the letter to the United States postal station at Shanghai, China, whence it was again sent to the Philippines. Back it went to Norfolk, Va., just missing the Des Moines by a day or two. Then it was forwarded to Paterson, and -was finally delivered." -y THE statement that the beef trust Is for Roosevelt and that some of its officers have made large contributions to the republican cam paign fund will not create general surprise, it is interesting, however, to learn that, speaking to a New York World correspondent at Chicago, J. Ogden Armour said: "We are going to support Roosevelt most emphatically. We have been sat isfied with his administration, and will be welt satisfied to have him continue in office. I an sorry that-1 can't agree with The World that Parker is the better man for the postion." "Then President Roosevelt's postion in regard to the trust question has not Influenced you against him?" The World correspondent asked. "One would naturally suppose" began Mr. Amour, bu the sentence was never finished. Mr. Armour continued "Anyhow, I think ne is the best man for the country. I like a man of derided views, even if they aren't always in our favor. We can be' pretty certain what he is going to do, and that means everything to a business man." THE state of Massachusetts has apologized to Great Britain for the action of Police Judge Puelps in fining Mr. Gurney, third secretary of the British embassy, and the apology has been accepted. Newspaper correspondents new say that Mr. Gurney was not managing the auto at ths time of his arrest for violating the speed ordin ance. The machine was managed by a young ' Now Yorker and Mr. Gurney Bhioldod him and assumed all responsibility. AN INTERESTING question has arisen with respect to the deportation of a Chinaman. A dispatch to the Kansas City Journal, under dato of Ogdensbury, N. Y.. Oct 23, says: "United States Commissioner Gray today ordered tho deporta tion of Wong Bing, a Chinaman, unlawfully resid ing in this country, it is alleged. Wong Bing con ducted a store at Brockville, Ont., for many years and is, it is said, a naturalized British suo joct. Representations wore mado to tho com missioner that the Dominion government would permit Wong Bing to re-enter Canada on his cer tificate, but the commissioner finds no authority for deporting Chinamen to Canaoa and rules that he must go back to China. Appeal will bo taken on the point of the Chinaman's British cilizonshlp. PRESIDENT Guy Potter Benton of Miami Uni versity, in a speech delivered to the students on Oct. 3, expressed opposition to foot ball. X recognize tho fact," he said, "that one college could not act alone. It would be duobed a sissy insti tution.' I should like to see the presidents of all tho colleges get together to abolish the football business. "I favor athletics, and want the boys to have a good time, but, football is too hazardous to be justifiable college sport". President Bon ton's remarks, it is said, were prompted by tho injury of several Miami players at Columbus Saturday. GEORGE MEREDITH proposes a 10-year mar riage contract and the Princess Charlotte of S'axe- Meiningen, sister of the German emperor, has written a pamphlet advocating it as a remedy for social ills. She thinks that divorce Is the ro suit of boredom, and that if a man were allowed the society of several wives at once ho would not he driven to a succession of exchanges. COMMENTING upon this statement, the New York Sun says: "But how about the women? Tho records of our divorce courts show that they seek relief from boredom in a change of partners more often than men. If they are not satisfied with a whole husband apiece, how would they gpt along with a fraction? Would tho princess bo prepared to follow logic to tho extent of giving them the privilege of polyandry? Perhaps she might answer that in the royal caste of Europe both polygamy and polyandry aro already permissible through the convenient Institution of morganatic marriage." RECENTLY the Pall Mall Gazette, referring lo railroad accidents in the United States, said: "They are far too common in America, especlall of late. The fact that it is a large country with plenty of room for tnem to happen in is not suffi cient to explain them. Probably the fundamental cause Is the hasty and imperfect construction of tho lines, the make-shift arrangements for saving time and the general rush of strenuous national life." THIS statement prompted a writer in the New York World to compile some Interesting fig ures These figures include jonly persons killed, or injured in actual accidents, not the enormously larger number who aro killed or injured each year getting on and off the trains or working about them under normal conditions: Killed. Injured. Last quarter of 1903 440 3,178 January, 1904 : f 243 February L March " 41 Anril ' 77 169 SET '. 29 140 . June 4Z m juT":: icl 413 August 127 5J3 September (approximated) 12Q 50 ToUl U22 5,2G0 The last auarter of 1903 was the most Prolific of disaster In tho annals of railroading, and tbo number of passengers killed was three times as great as in any similar period previously. THE appalling dlsastors of tho lost twelve months aro as follows: Oct. 17 Lambortvlllo, N. J Oct 31 Indianapolis, Ind Nov. 14 Kentwood, La .., Nov. 19 Trcmont, 111 , Deo. 21 Godrrey, Kan , Doc. 23 Laurel Run, Pa Dec. 2G East Paris, Mich . Jan. 0 Wllard, Kan Feb. 20 Jackson, Utah March 5 Hammondsvillo, O March 8 Kowanco, Miss. April 7 Maywood, 111 April 30 KiinswicK, Mo.. July 2 Tony, Wis .July 3 Litchfield, 111 July 6 Cameron, Mo July 10 Midvale, N. J f July 13 Glenwood, III Aug. 7 Eden, Col Aug. 8 Spottsvillo, Ky Aug. 9 Chicago, III .J Sept. 6 Pendleton, Mo . .... . . Sept. 10 Portsmouth, Va Sept. 24 Newmarket, Twin Sept. 2G Peoria, 111 Sept. 2C Lowiston, Mo K. J. 17 J5 1 U 32 -M 16 ft 10 Z2 G5 4 18 o! 10 40 24 U G 4 G i 3 23 8 15 3 16 24 45 3 GO 1G G9 18 Zo 94 3 4 0 5 ? 7 30 4 U G3 IbO 4 12 3 2!) THE seven great wrecks or jimorlcan history are as follows: lur. Locality. Killed. 185U Camp Hill, Pa G6 1870 Ashtabula, O 80 1887 Cnatsworth, 111 85 1888 Mud Run, Pa 66 1903 Laurel Run, Pa 66 1904 Eden, Col 91 1904 Newmarket, Tenn G3 S. C. Dunham, president of an accident Insur ance company, in a recent lecture at Yale, gave tho following figures showing tho relative dangor of railroad travel. They seem to Indicate that tho railroads aro not after all doing so much to decimate the population as some other classes of accident-producers: Per cent. Accidents to pedestrians 24.14 At homo (indoor) 18.80 Horses and vehicles 18.16 At homo (outdoors) 15.98 Recreation G.15 Railroad travel 4.77 Bicycle accidents '..' 4.0G Street-car travel :..... 2.71 Use of firearms r 1.73 Animal bite3 162 Assaults 1.20 Steamship travel .70 Miscellaneous 05 Total 100. 00 WHAT is probably the most ancient letter in the world, has, according to tho New York World, just been discovered In some excavations being made in tho Province of Attica, and M. Wilhelm, secretary of the Austrian archaeloglcal institute here, who has succeeded In decipnering It, asserts that it was written four centuries before Christ. It is engraved on a leaden leaf, folded in two, and it bears on tho outside tho folIowlBg address: "To the porter of the market at Fols, to be delivered either to Nausjas or to Thraslclcs, or to their sons." The text of the letter is as follows: "Mneslongos sends his greetings to those in the house and informs them that he is in good health. Please send me a blanket or some sheep skins, if possible of the ordinary kind, without ornaments. As soon as the occasion offers I shall return them." DR. C. H. FISCHER, in charge of the medical and surgical service of the Wabash railway hospital in- New York, recently performed the w usual feat of operating upon himself. The Cum berland correspondent for the Cincinnati Enquirer tells the story In this way: "For nearly week Dr. Fisher has been suffering a violent infection of the left foot, and last night It became alarm ing. He immediately arranged to go to Washing ton for surgical attention, but was prevented by an accident to one of the Wabash men. , Seeing t.tWJtU