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About Hemingford herald. (Hemingford, Box Butte County, Neb.) 1895-190? | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1898)
.. ... v NEB1USKA STATE PENITENTIARY IIott An 011 Cancor on tlio Hotly Politic Has Uoon Cured By thy Now Administration. Hundreds of Thousand Dollars Savod to the Pconlo By HonoHonnd Economical Ofllclals. Lincoln, Neb., Aug. 2. He who would take tlic role of historian of tlio Ne braska state penitentiary will find tlio task difficult, but Intensely interesting; not a pleasant occupation by ony means, neither Is the study of crimin ology but both mny bo made of value to the human race, and, hence, are worthy of attention. The Nebraska state penitentiary, as Is well known throughout the state, hns been for many years prior to 1895 looked upon as a sort of political charnel house. Thousands of persons, who had no dir ect knowledge of the fact, regarded It as a place where many thousands of dollars of the people's money was swal lowed up yearly as In a maelstrom "without due process of law." Re spcctablo republicans looked askance and feared that some crookedness was going on at the penitentiary; but none, except the persons Inside the ring of rings, knew anything definite until In later years. Now that the. searchlight of reform has been turned on for over three years at this Institution, It Is pos sible to glvo a very fair statement of the public plundering, montrous mis management and flagrant fraud which characterized every year of republi can control at the Nebraska state peni tentiary. Dut let no one deceive him self with tlio belief that it Is possible, even at this time, to know with accu racy all tlio leaks and petty thlevlngs which occurred during the years pre ceding 1895. "Many of the duplicate vouchers and bills," say the legislative Investigating committee of 1897, "which should be on file with the secretary of state, are missing." It is possible that these may have been lost through neg ligence, but from our knowledge of re publican methods, It is only fair to pre. sumo that these missing vouchers nnd bills were "lost" purposely. "The only Information we have been able to ob tain," continues the committee, "regard. Ing them, Is the statement that por tions of the records nnd papers of the ortlce were burned when the office was removed from the rooms now occupied by the ndjutnnt general to Its present quarters, about the year 1873." Whnt peculiar planetary conditions must have existed in that year! The very air must have been surcharged with repub lican rascality! Dut it Is not the "crime of '73" with which we have to deal at this time. Prior to 1870 persons convicted of felony were kept confined In the various county Jails, but the legislature of 1870 enacted a law requiring "state prison ers" to be concentrated at or near Lin coln, and provision was made for their employment on buildings nnd in stone quarries, or their labor leased on con tract, for the benellt of the state. (See session laws of 1S70, pago 23). Under this law there wns turned Into the state treasury, as earnings of convicts for the years 1R71 and 1872, the sum of J2.779.97. The legislature of 1873 enacted a law authorizing tlio proceeds of the labor of convicts to be applied to their sup. port and maintenance. (Sec session laws of 1S73. page S3). Under this law the sum of $S,900.S5 was earned by the convicts up to October 1, 1877, at which time the penitentiary and grounds wore leused to W. H. B. Stout for a period of six years. By the terms of this contract Stout agreed to board and clothe all convicts In the manner prescribed by lawjto pay nil expenses for the maintenance of the penitentiary, Including the salaries, compensation nnd board of all neces sary ofllcers, guards and other help; to restote the penitentiary buildings, shops, yards and grounds at the end of his term in as good condition n the snme were at the time he took pos. session, reasonable dnmage by use. wear and tear, loss by fire, the act of God nnd public enemy excepted; that all tools, wagons, horses, live stock, cooking utensils and personal property should be Invoiced and nppratscd, nnd at the termination of the lease Stout should return the same, or other arti cles of like kind and quality, or pay the appraised value thereof. It was further agreed that Stout should receive all of the labor, service and earnings of ench convict, nnd the sum of CO cents per day per convict in nddltion during the first two yearn; 55 cents per convict per day during the third nnd fourth years of the contract; 50 cents during the fifth and sixth years. This contract wus extended from time to time and the price per diem wan finally reduced to 40 cents. Stout as signed his contract to C, W. Moshor, and later Mosher assigned to W, II. Dorgan. Notwithstanding the law, no ap praisement was made at the time Stout took possession of the penitentiary, al though an Inventory was taken. How ever, in 1895, the appraisers appointed to fix the value of Dorgnn's Interest approximated the value of articles named In this Inventory nt 1,953.41, which amount was deducted from the amount found due Dorgan. House roll No. 607, approved April 11. 1S0B. by Governor Holcomb, under the provisions of which the Dorgan contract was cancelled, has been held up an an evidence of republican wisdom and goodness. After entering into such an unbusinesslike contract and extend ing It from time to time, allowing the state to be robbed during a period of nearly eighteen years of approximately $400,000, It smacks much of deathbed re pentance for the republican party to lay such claims to the people's confidence for having passed Iioubc roll No. C07. Ever and anon some llttlo nlncompop bobs up serenely and urges that the populism have no right to credit for administering a republican law, that whatever economy has resulted in the penitentiary management 1b wholly due to this republican measure, etc., etc., Infinitum. It is not such ancient his tory that people have forgotten the stench arising from corrupt republican management of the penltentinry; they cried out against it In no uncertain voice, and no party dared to disregard the people's wishes in this matter. An examination Into the history of the bill shows that six times as much opposition to It came from the republicans as from populists. Seven members of the legis lature voted against its passage, and only one of them John C. Sprccher was a populist. In the house fifty-eight republicans nnd fifteen popullBts and democrats voted "nye" on final pas sage, two republicans voted "No;" fourteen republicans and eleven popu lists nnd democrats arc counted absent and not voting. In the senate twenty republicans and four popullBts voted for the measure; four republicans and one populist voted against it, and three populists and one republican were ab sent and excused from voting So much for the passage of the law. There la no doubt some of the populists and democrats were fearful that the meas ure woo merely another republican steal a fear not groundless, In the light of previous experience but as a party both the democrats nnd populists bitterly opposed the unbusinesslike and unhumanltarinn system of tensing the pcnltctlary and lnbor of the convicts. A reading of house roll No. C07 will disclose that the board of public lands and buildings were empowered to ap point one appraiser, Dorgan another nnd the governor was authorized to ap point nn umpire, whose duty was thus shet forth: "In ense the appraisers shall fall to agree upon the value of said contract, or of any of said prop erty, they shnll submit their matters of difference to said umpire, and his decision upon the matters (submitted to him shall be final and binding upon both parties." The board of public lands and build ings selected and appointed W. J. Broatch us one nppralser nnd Dorgan named A. II. Gale ns the other; Gov ernor Holcumb appointed J. N. Gnflln aa umpire. During the entire appraise ment no difference ns to "the value of said contract, or of any of the prop erty" seems to have arisen between the appraisers, hence, Mr. Gnflln wns unfortunately not cnlled upon to set tle nny dlfleronces. I sny "unfortun ately" because the appraisement was a grand steal from start to finish, being from two to five times too high on almost every article of property; the estimate on the vnlue of Dorgnn's un expired term was probably the only thing within reason and that was $40,705.90 (for fifty-three months), repre senting what Dorgan would have prof ited had the lease not been cancelled, ulso represents what the state would have lost. The appraisers say that by subcontracts Dorgan could clear fully $20,000 a yenr, which Is no doubt cor 'rect; hence, eighteen yenrs of this system means that the state lost at least $300,000. Space will not permit nn extended Inquiry Into tills appraise ment, but the ordinary farmer knows that old mules at $125 each, milch cows at $10 and $50, cnlves at $13, are fancy prices for the yenr 1895. Any person who will take the trouble to write Hon. W. F. Porter, secretary of state, Lincoln, may, while the supply lasts, secure a copy of the "Report of the Appraisers for Purchnse Prison Con tract nnd Property," and see for him self the outrageous valuation placed upon many things; much of the prop erty must be seen, however, to realize how completely these appraisers seemed to be In the employ of Dorgan. Following is a summary of the ap praisers' report: Cash value of Inven tory $25,818.71 Cash value of fifty three months of unex pired contract 40,705.90 $66,561.21 Deduct cost of eighty cells $9,242.84- Deduct value Stout In- 01C6 Jfrudt44 J11.19C.2S Balance due Dorgan $55,364.93 The law provided an appropriation of $35,000 to carry out its provisions, and this amount was expended as follows: A. II. Gale, appraiser $ 500,00 J. N. Gaflln. umpire 500.00 V. J. Broatch, appraiser 616.10 M. K. Free 50.00 Davis & Cowglll, experts 2S.00 V. II. Dorgan 33.408.90 Total .-S.OOO.OO It will be noted that the appraisers estimated Dorgan's Interest at $65,364.93, but, finding that he could not ut that time be paid more than $35,000, less expenses of appraisement, in their final report, under date of June 8, 1S95, to the board of public lands and buildings, they said, "the appraisers find the state Indebted to W. H. Dorgan In the sum of thirty-three thousand four hundred and eight dollars and ninety cents ($33,- 408.90)." If this finding be regarded as a flnul settlement of Dorgnn's claim against the state, there Is no doubt that the Btatc profited by the purchase, but there" Is apparently nn unpaid balance of $21,956.03 which, if the ap praisement be honest and Just, is surely duo Dorgan. When I say "profited" I mean that the state recovered part of Its birthright, which tho republicans In 1887 bartered away for even less than the usual mess of pottage. How manifestly Incapable of manag ing the state's affairs, to say nothing of downright dishonesty, the republi can party of Nebraska may Justly bo charged with, Is nowhere more strlk Inly exemplified than In the history of the Nebraska Btate penitentiary. Tho following tables show the cost by years for maintenance of Nebraska's crimin als from January 1, 1890, to May 31, 1898, divided into two periods, the first being under republican control and the latter under demo-pop management: Number Year. Convicts. , cost. 1890 377 $55,341.21 1891 373 55,673.31 1892 376 , 65,511.53 1893 327 . 43,873.05 1894 322 ' 48,135.63 1895 (Aug. 8) 322 30,150.60 Total cost for 2.045 days.. .$293,685,33 From the above table we see that under republican rule and republican laws there was an average cost of $143.61 for maintaining a dally average of350 convicts, or a cost of a trifle more thqn 41 cents per convict per day. Number Year. Convicts, ; Cost. 1893 (from Aug. 8) 325 $12,155.25 1896 (to Nov. 30) 303 31,186.17 1897 (to Nov. 30) 319 23,009.99 1898 (to May 31) 319 280.98 Total cost for 1,028 days.. ..$66,632.39 Under demo-pop management there was a dally average coBt of $64.82 for maintaining a dally average of 319 convicts, or a cost of 20.3 cents per con vict per day less than half what It cost under republican misrule. Let us make a few comparisons: Sup pose tho republican party had been In absolute control during the period from August 8, 1895 (the day the Dorgan contract expired), to May 31, 1898; and suppose that public opinion had not forced that party to make some at tempt to undo tho wrong It had com mitted away back In 1887 and had con tinued to do for nearly eighteen years. The cost would have been $147,632.04; It did cost $66,632.65, showing a saving of $S9.999.65 for 1,028 days. Supose the populists had been In con trol from January 1, 1890, to August 8, 1895: The cost would have been $132, 551,78; It did cost $203,685.33, showing a loss of $161,133.53 for 2.045 days. The whole period of 3,073 days, from January 1, 1S90, to May 31, 189S, under republican regime would have cost $141,. 317.37, nnd under populist control the cost would have been $199,184.17, or n gain of $342,133.20. These figures nre, of course, specu atlve, but our only way of Judging is by the past, and there Is not a particle of doubt that with full control the popu lists nnd democrats could have done much better than these figures indicate Governor Holcomb's selection of Hon. George W. Lcldlgh as warden of the penitentiary has not only reflected great credit upon both, hut hns proven of great financial benefit to the state. Tho prison Is n model of neatness, the pris oners well fed, healthy and ns contented ns could be expected. No Improvement Is too big for Warden Leldlgh to under take, and no Item of expense Is too small to escape his notice. As an exam ple of how closely he looks after tlio small Items I would say that recently he sold upwards of $60 worth of bones, consisting wholly of scraps of bones taken from the meat used In boarding the convicts. Other wardens may havp done similar acts, but none of the money ever renched the state treasury. I CHARLES Q. DE FRANCE. j Richest Nations on the Globe. Mr. Michael G. Mulhall. the noted English stnttsttcan. Is clearly of the opinion that no other nation compares with ours In all the essential elements that go to make up aggregate wealth. He also notes the fact that while the most of European countries have at tained their growth, the United States Is apparently on the threshold of nn i Industrial development which lt has never dreamed of before. Mr. Mulhall submits the following , tnblo of estimates, as being the result of a careful and comprehensive investi gation into the sources of national wealth In the sevoral countries: United States $81,750,000,000 , ilfattt 13ltolr. Rft AOA rAA fWl ' u,VMfc .. .............. V',UJVIVWIW'U France 47,950.000,000 Germany 40,260,000,000 Russia 32,125,000,000 Austria 22,560,000,000 ' Italy 15,800,000,000 Spain 11,300,000.000 These computations are based upon values as shown by real estate records,, buildings, merchandise and railways, as well as the circulating medium in ench nation. As will be seen, our wealth is more than seven times greater than j that of Spain, double that of Germany, j two nnd a half times greater than that of Russia, nearly double that of France, equal to the combined wealth of Russia, Italy, Austria and Spain, and $22,720, 000,000 larger than that of Great Brit ain. The organs of dishonor affect to dis cover that the Cuban Insurgents "are not the people of Cuba" and would have the United States repudiate them in considering the establishment of a free and stable government. If it wns not to Jielp the Insurgents to finish the work which they began and for tttree years carried on that we Invaded the Island, what right have we to be there?. L N.GAFF1N TUB GENERAL Ixcculivo Committee Select J I tin ns Chairman. Lincoln Special: The executive com nltteo of the populist party, In conjunc. ion with' the candidates, hns selected . N. Gaflln of Saunders as chairman if the state committee, J. M. Thomp son of Lncnstor, secretary, and A. J. Williams of Franklin, treasurer. The populist state central committee was named as follows, the choice of the chairman being left to tho candidates: Adams, B. R. Hlgelow of Hastings; Antelope, J. D. Hatfield of Nellgh; Boone, M. W. McGann o Albion; Boyd, E. G. Barnum of Loup City; Brown, G. A. Miles of Alnsworth; Buffalo, Horace F. Carson of Kearney; Burt, W. V. Brewster of Oakland; Butler, Nelson Holderncss; Cass, Henry Hemple of South Bend; Cedar, H. T. Ankey of Laurel; Chase, J. F. Morris of Imperial; Cherry, W. A. Parker of Wood Lake; ,Clay, C. W. Jester of Clay Center; Col fax, John C. Sprecher of Schuyler; Cuming, Louis Dewald of Wisner; Cus. ter, II. Lomax of Broken Bow; Dawes, P. G. Casper of Crawford; Dawson, J. H. Donahue of Lexington; Dixon. E. H. Wills of Ponca; Dodge, R. D. Kelly of Fremont; Douglas, J. H. Peabody of Omaha; Dundy, C. It. Walker of Ben kclman; Fillmore, W. J. Walte of Exe ter; Franklin, W. M. Dunn of Bloom ington; Frontier, W. C. Reed of Stock vllle; Furnas, A. F. McGuIre of Ed aon; Gage, Jacob Kloua of Beatrice; Garfield, C. S. Hoyt of Burwell; Gosper, W. B. Miller of Elwood; Greeley, P. H. Barry of Greeley; Hall, B. S. Les of Cameron; Hamilton, F. M. Howard of Aurora; Harlan, O. Hull of Alma; Holt, J. C. Morrow of Atkinson; Howard, J. L. Parker of St Paul; Johnson, G. W. Swan of Tecumseh; Kearney, J. H. Robb of Mlnden; Keith, J. H. Barrett of Ogalalla; Knox, Phil B. Clark o: Niobrara; Lancaster, R. F. Chamber of Bennett; Lincoln, G. F. Capper of North Platte; Logan, J. E. Morrison of Gandy; MndlBon, J. B. Donava'h of Madison; Merrick, Daniel McCune of Central City; Nance, R. C. Reed of Fullerton; Nemaha, S. Cochran of Auburn; Nuch olls, Lee Gross of NelEon; Pawnee, D. D, Davis of Pawnee City; Perkins, C. P. Logan of Grant; Phelps, W. A. Garrett of Holdrege; Pierce, U. E. Foster of Plalnvlew; Platte, N. S. Hyatt of Mon roe; Polk, J. A. Lnudersmllch of Stromsburg; Red Willow, H. H. Pick ens of McCook; Richardson, Julo Schoenhelt of Falls City; Rock, L. L. Bates of Bassott; Saline, J. M. Smith of Friend; Sarpy, W. D. Schaal" of Springfield; Saunders, C. M. Lamar of Valparaiso; Seward, II. B. Cummins of Seward; Sherman, M. H. Matthews of Loup; Stanton, James Doty of Pit ger; Thayer, F. S. Mickey of Hebron; Valley, J. L. Clafflln of Ord; Washing ton, C. A. Whltford of Arlington; Wayne, E. W. Wallace of Wayne; Wheeler, C. J. Brown of Bartlett; York, J. D. P. Small of York. GENERAL NEWS. London Special: The Peking corre spondent of the Standard says: "Today (Monday) the empress dow ager openly relieved the emporer of ull real power. The ministers take their Instructions directly from her and LI Hung Chang practically supersedes the Tsung Lt Yamen. It is rumored that Sir Claude McDonald, the British minister, before the Tsung LI Yamen. accused LI Hung Chang of betrnyln-r China to Russia, and lt Is snld that LI Hung Chung has threatened to de mnnd the recall of Sir Claude McDon ald." Washington Special: AH the troops of cavalry with Shafter's army and th eight companies of Roosevelt's Rough Riders, have been ordered to proceed to Montauk Point, L, I., for encampment. General Shnfter has been directed to use all the transport facilities he can command and to send the troops north ns rapidly as possible. The regular cavalry with Shafter comprises eight compnnles, each of the First, Third Sixth, Ninth nnd Tenth cavalry, all dis mounted, nnd four mounted troops of the Second cavnlry. Topoko. Kas., Special: Thirty antl fuslon democrats met In conference here to decide upon the course to be pursued In the coming Btate campaign. After a long discussion It wns agreed that the chance of defeating the popu list ticket would be more promising If the nnti-fuslon democrats kept their proposed third ticket out of the field. This action mennB that the nntl-fuslon-lsts will support the republican nom inees. Milwaukee Wis., Special: Kidder county. North Dakota, has asked the United States court for nn order requiring the Northern Pa cific receivers to pay five years taxes, amounting to $57.02S, upon lands gen erally known as "the lands east of the Missouri river." Judge Seaman has or dered Receivers BIgclow and McIIenry to file answers to their petition by Oc tober 1. Portlnnd, Me., Special: The republi cans of the First congressional district held their convention here and Thomas B. Reed was nominated. Later Mr. Reed appeared and wns greeted with deafening applause, which prevailed until Mr. Reed began to spvnk. Oskaloosa, la., Special: General J. B Weaver was nominated for congress In, separate convention, by the democrats, populists nnd free silver republicans of the Sixth district. The magnetization limit of iron has been found by Mr. Henry Wilde, F. R. S., to be 422 pounds per square Inch, with no gain In the power of magnets by the double-pole or horeshoe form. SAN JUAN FOltTlFJAOATIONs Morro Castle Dales From the Time of Foiico do Leon. In the August Century there Is n richly Illustrated article on "The Island of Portp Rico," written by Mr. Fred erick A. Ober. Wilting of the fortifi cation of San Juan, Mr. Ober pnys: Morro Castle dates from Ponce dc Leon's time, but the Morro as It stands today was completed In 1584. The faro stands here, with a flrst-clnss light, and within the Morro's walls are the buildings of a small military town quarters for troops, a chapel, bake house and guard room, with dungeons down by the sea and underneath. This Is a citadel, the Initial point of the line of clrcumvallatlon, composed of connected bastions, castles and forta lezas, running from west to east, to the Castle San Cristobal, thence north to the ocean. Tho oldest portion of the line is at the southwest angle and Is called the "For taleza," the platform of which sup ports the captain general's palace, and wns built In 1540. The sea wall to the north Is pierced by the gateway of San Juan, which affords entrance to the glacis of San Felipe del Morro, between the palace and the semi-bastion of San AugUBtlne. Turning south wardly from the Fortaleza. we note the bastion of La Pahna and the seml bastlon of San Justo, In the curtain between which two 1b the arched en trance from the Marino, or outside ward, to the Intramural city, and known as the Puerta de Espana. Be yond it, to the east, are the bastions of San Pedro and Santiago, the latter In the eastern wall, the middle part of which Is pierced by the landward gate called the Puerta de Santiago, protected by a ravelin of the same name. The fortress San Cristobal, tho' sometimes called a castle, Is In reality an amplification of the fortifications' facing east, or landward, and extends from the bay on the south northward toward the ocean. These fortifications In their present shape were projected In 1630 and vir tually finished between 1635 and 1641; but San Cristobal and the outworks were not completed until the com paratively modern date of 1771. The eastern advanced works consist of two lines of batteries, protected by a deep moat; of the small fort at San Antonio at the bridge of that name, and at the extreme eastern end of the Islet a still smaller fort, San Ge ronlmo, which defends the bridge of Boqueron. The Rose of Oklahoma. Down in the "Cherokee strip," a few miles south of the Kansas border, not many miles distant from Caldwell and Hunnewell, Is a village' which Ib known us Mullhall, O. T. lt Is named for Zach Mullhall, cattle king and the original of "The Hon. Maverick Brander" of a certain well known play. Mullhall, however, is only a side light on this story. His daughter, Agnes, a pretty lass of IS, Is the theme. She has been named the. Rose of Oklahoma by her admirers, but the name which clings the most affectionately to the brilliant young w,oman 1b "Bossy," a' very appropriate name for Brander's daughter. Nobody ever went to Zach Mullhall's commodious ranch house without re ceiving a royal welcome. He Is a mod est man, but many years "whacking bulls" has not destroyed any part of the native refinement of his nature. He is the orlglnnl of the pajt In the play only because his friends know him to be a thrifty, as well as capa ble, ranch manager. He married young, and his wife was a gentle, re fined woman, with u world of knowl edge, which has been of vast assistance to her husband. They have several children, but Miss Agnes, ns she must now be called, is their pride. She Is n exceptionally bright young woman, recently gradu ated from the St. Louis convent, where her mother passed her school days be fore her. She Is an accomplished lin guist, a singer of note and a player of ability. But she has endeared herself to tlje athletic people of her home by her skill with pony nnd rifle. Anybody who kpows Mullhall knows a child of his would be able to back anything on four feet. "Bossy" a dozen years ago was n pretty blue-eyed little girl, who even then rode with her father all over the ranch, backing a spirited pinto as care lessly as any trooper who has won his spurs. She had a toy rifle, which she soon demonstrated was no mere toy. Naturally fearless, she made such excel lent use of the weapon that a couple of shaggy wolf skins He In front of her grand piano. She shot both of them while chasing the bruteH across the prairie, after having found them feed ing on a calf they had slain. It hap pened that the calf was a favorite with "Bossy" and she was bo angry when she saw it was dead that she forgot the extreme danger of attacking hungry forest wolves. She went out after them and got them. She has the dare deviltry of her fath er, one of the noted men of the Chero kee Strip association, and the gentle J reunement or ner mother. She fears nothing and can come In from a wild dash over the plains, leading all In dar ing, and enter her drawing room with a womanly dignity and reserve Beem Ingly wholly at variance with what her guest had Just seen her. She Is a gener al favorite among her neighbors, as her pet name clearly Indicates. Indianapolis Journel: She He kisses me when I was not dreaming of such a thing. Her I'll wager you were not. You always were wide awake when kissing i was in sight. THE BULLETIN HABIT. How tno "War Has ttneonrajjed This Phaso of Dementia. Pence has lta hardships as well as war. Even the rumors of peace fall heavily on the cars of certain persons who have found in the war a new source of enjoyment. These are the persons who pause as they pass along Park Row to look at the bulletin boards, says the New York Tribune. There Is a fascination In watching the appearance of a new bulletin. Hith erto It has been regarded as a rare lux urya thing to be enjoyed on the night of election day or on the afternoon of a prize fight. The true bulletin lover, with the treat spread before him ev ery day, has felt for tho last few months like a man who has suddenly grown rich enough to have champagne suppers for breakfast When peace comes and the bulletins go the bulle tin lover will feel like that same rich man reduced to poverty again after the champagne habit 1b fast upon him. Long ago the study of bulletins be came no longer an indulgence, but a habit, and the bulletins no longer a stimulant, but a food. Consequently, lt Is to be noticed that lt lacks the ex citement that lt had at first. Ehren a confirmed bulletin reader Is sometimes able to pass a great newspaper office, If he is In a great hurry, without stop ping. But he Is able to do this only because he has stopped to read earlier in the day "and because he expects to do so again later. The old excitement cornea back only when there Ib news of the first Im portance. The days were when the capture of a merchant ship by a man-of-war would block Park Row when t raffle was almost as much Impeded there by the war as lt was In the Gulf Stream. "Then came the censor to Key West and to Tampa, and for days ofter that the bulletins were not fit to throw at a dog. It was rumored that General Miles had had a talk with the presi dent. A trustworthy person declared that he had seen the French Ambas sador coming from the gallery of the senate, and the Ambassador had said that he had nothing to say. A report from Madrid, through London, said that a dispatch from General Blanco an nounced that two Insurgents had been shot, one of them perhaps dangerously. And so on. Those were the days of preparation, when the government had decided that nothing was to be gained by running an Information bureau for the enemy. The crowds before the bul letin boards melted. Yet there were enough true bulletin lovers who played to help the men who painted the bul letins to preserve their outward show of self-respect. And this time did not last long. The period of preparation passed, and the time came when the arms of the Unit ed States won victories and tho gov. ernment didn't care who knew lt. Then the crowds came back, and all was mer. ry again. There were still gaps In the flow of news on some of the boards some gaps were amazing more than any of the news. For half a day last week a certain newspaper displayed this dispatch, all alone In the middle of its bulletin space: "Rome A dis patch to the 'Trlbuna' says that San tiago has capitulated." Not only was this alleged news false, since Santiago did not capitulate till two or three days later, but that very dispatch had been printed In an. evening paper the day before. Is It any wonder that all the people In sight were facing the Trib une's beard, where there were five dispatches, constantly , changing, and the worst of them worth an acre such as this? Even when there is little news, there Is amusement In watching the growth of the pictures under the hands of the artists In colored chnlk. And there I Interest In studying out what some of them may mean. There was one the other day of a man lying in bed, with his head bandaged, and a nurse sitting on his chest. Did that mean that he was delirious and violent, or that he was so anxious to get at the foe that even when he was wounded and In the hospital it was hard to hold him down? Then It Is Interesting to see fclie dif ferent kinds of American flags that these artists make. They have all num bers of etrlpes, from three to forty, and of stars, from none to a hundred. And their calm preference for drawing things the way they know they ought to be rather than the way tho dis patches show that they are proven the Inevitable self-consciousness of genius. And yet there Is n genuine cleverness in the making of many of these pic tures, too. To draw a picture with col ored chalk up on the side of a building In the sight of the whole town Is not like painting In a studio. It Is fasclnat. Ing to see the whole frame filled hi with green and yellow, and to wonder what it can possibly mean, and then to watch and see the meaning grow ut of it with the rapid additions of Vines and color. And this artist must not majie mistakes. The critics are looking at him, and his privilege of erasure has rigid bounds. If his picture when fin ished would stand small chance of get ting into the academy, his limitations must plead In his favor. Also it must be remembered that the academy pic ture would make but a poor show on the front of a newspaper office. Many an article lately has begun, "When the history of this war Is writ ten," and then the author has gone on to air his special bit of obeervntlon. But truly when the history of Mils war Is written there must be something in it aout the ulletin cards and the people who watch them. The grape cure, which Is popular In Southern Europe, was advocated en thusiastically by medical writers as early as the tenth century. 1 i y r