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OCTOBWt 14, MM
The Commoner.
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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
