Nebraska Newspapers

    WRECKED BY FIRE.
UISASTJIUUS ACGIDEXT Off A I'EXX-
JSl'Z ; VAKLA RAILROAD.
JV Train Bent on Keller to People
Threatened by Fire DasheM Into a
Fiery Furnace A Number Burned
ito Dentil and Other * Injured Ileyoiid
Kccovcry Itumor * that Secretary
jBlaliic Contemplate * a Flank ITIovc-
aiient Upon the .TIcKlulcy Tariff Law
The Health oflUr. lilaliic.
Kun Into a Fiery Furnace.
ELMIUA , N1. Y. , May 13 Specials
from Condersport and Austin , in Pot
ter county , Pennsylvania , tell of a ter
rible accident in that county. A train
loaded with 100 men , bent on the re
lief of people threatened by fierce fires ,
ran into the fire and was wrecked.
The engine .and cars were burned.
The Austin Dispatch says that seventy-
five men were seriously and probably
fatally burned , and Superintendent
Badger of the railroad and four men
are still missing.
The men were sent from Austin Sun
day night and had been fighting back
the fire by every conceivable means.
They made trenches , piled up earth
and lighted back fires , but were finally
obliged to retreat. The men hastily
hoarded the train and started to make
the run to another point when it was
found they were hemmed in by forest
iires on one side and a huge skidway
of burning logs on the other. It was
finally decided to dash past the burn
ing skidway and the engineer and fire
man with faces covered with dampened
cloths and their hands and arms wrap
ped in wool pulled through the wall of
fire. The seventy-five exhausted men
gathered in groups on the flats for protection -
tection , or lay on their faces on the
floors. As the blazing furnace of logs
was approached the heat beca.mo un
bearable and the smoke was so blind
ing and stifling that the men were
obliged to cover their mouths with
cloths.
Just opposite the millions of feet of
burning logs where the heat and smoke
.and flames were the greatest , a ter
rible thing occurred. The engineer
had forgotten that such a great heat
would suroiy warp the rails. Suddenly
there was a lurch , an ominous heaving
and a shriek of despair as the train
toppled over to the hell of fire beneath.
A scene ensued never to bo forgotten
by those who escaped , and every man
will bear to his grave a mark of that
awful moment. The cars caught fire
like so many playthings and the men
within , half blinded and scarcely re
alizing anything except that they were
being slowly roasted to death , struggled
fearfully to regain the track where
safety lay for a time at least. Those
uninjured from the fall and only smart
ing from the pain of the intense heat
bravely turned their burned , blackened
hands to aid their unfortunate fellows.
At this hour (10 p. in. ) it is im
possible to secure details , though it
is known that Superintendent Badger
o'f the fcinne Mahoning Valley rail
road , who was in charge of the train ,
went down under -some of the wreck
and undoubtedly burned to death. Six
others also miserably perished at once
or died soon afterward , and thirty
others of the party are badly burned ,
many probably fatally , having inhaled
the flames. Seven others of the party
are missing and their late is unknown ,
though they are likely in the charred
wood of the logs or train. The re
mainder of the party saved themselves
by lying down in the creek. Relief
parties started for the scene as soon
as the fearful news spread , but will
hardly be able to reach the place of
the wreck unless the fires have burned
themselves out. Owing to the great
-devastation done to everything in the
way of the fire communication is badly
interrupted , and it is impossible to
learn the names of the men burned or
missing. As to the damage it is
.known that 40,000,000 feet of hem
lock logs and timber and 25,000 cords
of valuable bark have already been
destroyed , and the fires are raging
without any appreciable diminution.
Cuban Reciprocity Treaty.
WASHINGTON , May 13. It is inti
mated that Secretary Blaine contem
plates a flank movement upon the Mc
Kinley tariff law. This is disclosed by
a dispatch from Madrid , which gives
some 01 the arguments General Foster
brought to bear in order to have Spain
endorse the reciprocity treaty with
Cuba. Among other things the United
States government notified the Span
ish government that an effort would be
made before the next congress to have
the high duties on Savannah tobacco
scaled down. This assurance was ex
pended as a mark of good will on the
part of this government as it materially
.aided in securing Spain's consent to the
reciprocity treaty. It has been ex
pected all along that the democratic ma
jority in the next congress would have
.iL great deal of fault to find with the
McKinley act , but at the same time
Secretary Blaine will also have some
important amendments to propose.
"The tobacco schedules intheMcKiniey
.act put the duties so high as to be almost - '
most prohibitory and the tobacco
ihouses of Havanna have already been
seriousty affected by the act. The
secretary's efforts to have the excessive
-duties lowered will be welcomed by
the Cuban tobacco house ? , but it is
certain to widen the breach between
Messrs. McKinley and Blaine as to the
nature of tariff legislation.
The Health of Secretary Blaine.
WASHINGTON , May 15. Secretary
.Blaine's attack of illness in New York
has put many of his friends here to
-discussing his health. An official
.friend who ices 'him daily when in
Washington describes his condition
"as buoyant as a balloon and at times
almost as likely to collapse. " His
general condition of. health is good ,
however. Mr. Blaine is not a rugged
man , physically , but he is likely to
live as long and be as vigorous as any
man of his years. The secretary
looks fairly robust when walking on
the street. His shoulders are slightly
bent forward , his face is palid and
colorless and to some his eyes appear
heavy and baggy , yet these character
istics are little more marked than they
were when he made his spirited cam
paign six years ago. Of late , how
ever. Mr. Blaine has failed to keep up
his customary care as to dieting and
the carelessness has had its effect ,
lie attends frequent dinner parties
which the spirit of the occasion leads
him to throw aside all caution and to.eat
viands and pastry which do not agree
with him. Mrs. Biaine understands the
care he must exercise and usually sits
beside him and prevents his eating the
things which will have a bad effect ,
but , when she is not at hand the secre
tary enjoys everything put before him.
When the Italian affairs was at its
height , the secretary attended a dinner
party and ate freely of plum pudding
a'.lame with rum. The next day he
hud an acute attack of indigestion
which developed into gout. It was
this attack which held him fast at
home while the Fava affair kept the
state department in hot water and pre
cipitated the country into an interna
tional jangle. All of the crisp letters
to Iludini which came from Blaine at
that time were written from his sick
room. lie is a sensitive man , and
when he feels indisposed he immedi
ately sends for his physician , Dr. Lin
coln. After throwing off theattackhe
was in fair health up to the time of
his going to New York , and his close
friends here believe that it was only
inattention to diet at som'e New York
dinner party that brought about the
present sickness.
The Uovcrnnieiit lixh bit.
WASHINGTON , May 17. The board
of management of government ex
hibits was in session two hours. The
representatives of the navy depart
ment submitted for formal approval
the detailed plans for the structure on
semblance of a modern battle ship ,
which is designed as the principal ex
hibit of that department , and reported
that the forms of contract , the speci
fications and advertisements had been
prepared under the supervision of the
law officers of the treasury department ;
and they asked formal authority of the
board to proceed at once with the
work. The matter consumed the
greater part of the meeting , resulting
in the unanimous adoption of resolu
tions authorizing the immediate in
sertion of necessary advertisements for
proposals. The architect of the navy
department exhibit will proceed to
Chicago the latter part of next week ,
to be accessible to intending bidders
and give information with regard to
the working plans. The bids will be
opened in Washington on the 10th of
June and the contract will be awarded ,
by the board as soon as possible atier
the consideration of bids.
One Husband Too .TIany.
BUUUNGTON , la. , May 17. Two
sensational suits have beenfiled in the
district court here by Charles S. Young
of Fort Madison , la. , against C. S.
Quick of this city and his wife , Alice
A. Quick. Some four weeks ago Quick ,
who had been a widower eight weeks
or more , married Mrs. C. S. Young efFort
Fort Madison , who had been divorced
but one week from her husband , who
\vas employed in St. Louis , Mo. This
former husband is the plaintiff and de
nies having any knowledge of his
wife's divorce prior to her marriage to
Quick , and sues for $15.000 damages ,
charging Quick with seduction and the
alienation of his wife's affections. The
suit against Mrs. Quick , his former
wife , is to set aside the decree of di
vorce obtained by her , as he claims ,
by fraud. He claims to have fre-
tiuently sent his wife money from St.
Louis for her support and had no idea
-jf anything being wrong till he learned
af the divorce.
Timber Laud DecUioii.
WASHINGTON , May 13. Assistant
Secretary Chandler has rendered a de-
aision in the timber culture application
2ase of Thomas A. Coffey vs Bolivar
Tracy and Walter C. Brown in which
the general land office rejected Coffey's
application to enter the northest quar
ter , section 30 , township 33 north of
range 48 , west , Chadron , Neb. , dis
trict. The assistant secretary desiues
that Coffey's contest proceedings were
improperly brought and that he has no
preference right by reason thereof ;
that the land was subject toentVy when
Brown filed the relinquishment of
3f Tracy and Higgins and as he was
first to apply his entry should be
illowed and Coffey's application to
jnter should be rejected. A part of
.he decision below is therefore vacated ,
aut that portion from which an appeal
s taken is affirmed. The assistant
secretary affirms the decision of the
commissioner holding intact the timber
jultnre entry of Harry W. Blake for
.he northwest quarter section 25 , town-
; hip 125 , north of range 66. west ,
Aberdeen , S. D. , contested by Dennis
VI. Frill.
To I'revout Fraud.
WASHINGTON. May 15. Secretary
osier has directed the collector of
uistoms at New York to refuse the
; ntry of goods in the name of the cus-
, om house brokers or others who are
nerely consignees unless they disclose
ipon the entry the name of the ulti-
riate consignee or purchaser , fileja
icrtiiied copy of the invoice by which
ettlement for the purchase of the mer-
ihandise is made , and disclose all the
'acts and circumstances necessary to
satisfy the collector tnat the transac
tion is free from the taint of fraud.
HONORS TO HAKKISON
HEARTY ( UtKKTlXd XXTEXVED Till
PRESIDES ! IXXERRA8KA TOII'XS.
Welcomed With a Salute at the Capi
tal of the State and Likewise ai
Omaha BiiNinuftit Generally Sun.
pcndcd in the HKetropollM and tin
Hay ( ilvcii Up to Greeting * to the
Chief Kxeeutlve Old and Youiis
Participate in the Festivities Tlic
The President IVIakes Several Ad-
liuriii the Day.
Frckldciit Harrison in Nebraska.
OMAHA , May 14 President Harri
son's passage through Nebraska was
one of royal welcome on all sides. A1
Lincoln he received an enthusiastic re
ception , being welcomed by a salute o
twenty-one guns. Buildings along the
line of march were gaily decorated ant
great crowds lined the streets , cheer
ing the president with enthusiasm.
At the state house 4.000 school chil
dren with Hying banners and a multi
tude of adults gathered around a tem
porary platform erected at the north
entrance of the capitol. Gov. Thayei
made an address of welcome to which
the president briefiy responded.
The distinguished party remained
about an hour in the capital city ,
when the journey was resumed. AI
Omaha business was generally sus
pended and the day given up to greet
ings to the chief executive and party.
Thousands of people thronged the
thoroughfares and there was a mon
ster parade through the gaily decor
ated streets. At the temporary plat
form erected for the reception and
speaking the president was introduced
by Mayor Gushing in a fitting address ,
to which response was made as fol
lows :
Mr. Mayor and Fellow-Citizens : I
can accept without question and with
very deep gratitude these cordial words
of welcome which you have spoken on
behalf of the people of this great city.
Twice before it has been my pleasure
to spend a brief time in this great
commercial metropolis of the great
valley of the Missouri. 1 have had no
opportunity , therefore , to witness the
rapid development which your city has
made. I recollect it as I saw it in
1SS1 , and as I see it today I feel that I
need to be told where I am. [ Applause
and cheers. J
These magnificent structures dedi
cated to commerce , these magnificent
churches lifting their spires towards
the heavens , these many school houses
consecrated to the training of those
who shall presently stand in our places
to be responsible for these our public
institutions , these great stock yards ,
where the meat product of these great
meat-producing states of the Missouri
valley are prepared for market , and ,
above all and crowning all , these
thousands of nappy , comfortable homes
which characterize and constitute your
great city , are a marvel and tribute to
the enterprise and power of develop
ment of the American people , unsur
passed , I think , by any city in the
United States. [ Applause and cheers. ]
As I turn my face now toward Wash
ington as I hasten to take up public
duty , partially laid aside during this
journey , I rejoice to receive here in
Omaha that same kindly greeting with
which we were welcomed as we
journeyed from Washington through
the south to the Pacific. [ Cries of
"That is the stuff. " and cheers and
applause. ]
If anything were needed to call for
a perfect surrender of all personal
thought in an absolute consecration of
public duty to the general good of our
people. I have found it in these mag
nificent demonstrations. [ Applause
and cheers. ] We shall always have
it is characteristic of free people we
need to have party divisions , debate
and political contention ; but it is pleas
ant to observe in all this journey we
have taken how large a stock of .com
mon patriotism we find in all the pee
ple. [ Applause and cheers. ]
You have here in Nebraska a state
of magnificent capabilities. I have
seen the orange grove , and all those
fruits which enrich and characterize
the state of California. I have seen
Leadville , the summit city ; these min
ing camps upon the peaks where men
are delving into the earth to bring out
the riches stored there , but I return
again to the land of the cornstalk with
an affection that I cannot describe.
[ Applause and cheers. ]
1 am sure these friends who have
ielighted us with the visions of love
liness and prosperity will excuse me
if my birth and early training in Ohio
and Indiana leads me to the conclusion
that the states that raise corn are the
greatest states in the world. [ Ap
plause and cheers. ]
We have a surplus production in
these great valleys for which we must
seek foreign markets. It is pleasant
to know that 90 per cent or more of
3ur agricultural productions are con
sumed by our own people. [ Cries of
Good. " ] I do not know how soon it
may be that we shall cease to be de
pendent upon any foreign market for
sur farm products. [ Applause and
sheers. ] With the rapid development
which is being made in manufacturing
pursuits , with the limitation which the
rapid occupation of our public domain
low brings to our minds as to the in
crease of agriculture , it cannot be a
fcry distant day when the farmer shall
eaiize the icLsu.1 condition and find a
market out of Lis own farm wagon for
viiat he produces. [ Cries of "good"
ind applause. ]
But in this time it hss been a source
) f constant thought and sealous effort
> n the part of the administration at
kVashington to secure larger foreign
narkets for our farm productions. I
ejoice that in the last two years some
) f those obstructions which hindered
, he free access of our meat products to
oreign markets have been removed.
[ Applause. ] I rejoice to know that we
have now freer , larger access for bur
meats totho markets of England and
of Europe than wo have had in many
years. [ Applause. ] . I rejoice to know
that this has brought about better
prices to the stock raisers of these
great western valleys. I believe , un
der the provision looking to reciprocal
trade in the law of the last congress ,
that we shall open yet larger and
nearer markets for the products of Ne
braska farmers. [ Applause and
cheers. ] So distant as you are from
the Atlantic seaboard , it may have
seamed to you that your interest in the
revival of our trade , in the reestablishment
lishment of an American merchant
marine , was not perceptible or direct.
Not long since an inquiry was made
as to the origin of the freight that was
carried by one of the Brazilian steam
ers from the port of New York , and it
was found that twenty-five states had
made contribution to that cargo , and
among those states was the state of
Nebraska. [ Applause and cheers. ]
And so by such methods as we can. it
is our purpose to enlarge our foreign
markets for the surplus productions of
our great country. And we hope , and
we think this hope fills the great west
as well as the east , that when this
increased traffic and commerce is fo'und
upon the sea it shall be carried in
American bottoms. [ Applause and
cheers. ]
A few days ago sailing in the harbor
of San Francisco I saw three great
deep water ships enter the Golden
gate. One carried the flag of Hawaii
and two the British flag , and at Port
land they took the pains to tow up
from the lower harbor and to deck in
bunting an American ship that was
lying in the harbor. It was a curious
sight [ laughter ] , one they thought
important to exhibit to strangers vis
iting that city. Why. my countrymen ,
I hope the day is not far distant when
the sight of great American ships fly
ing the stars and stripes at the fore
will be familiar not only in our own
ports but in every busy mart of com
merce the world around.
This government of ours cannot do
everything for everybody. The theory
of our government is large individual
liberty. It is that we shall take out
of the way all legislative obstructions
to the free an honest pursuit of all
human industries. That each indi
vidual shall in his own place have the
best chance possible to develop the
highest prosperity for himself and his
family.
Some functions are lodged with our
government. It must provide a cur
rency for the use of our people , for I
believe the time has gone by when we
will be content to return to the old
system of an issue of money by state
banks. But I will not discuss such
questions. I only desire to say this ,
which is common ground upon which
we can all stand , that whatever money
the government issues , paper or coin ,
must be good money.
I have an idea that every dollar we
issue should be as good as any dollar
we issue , for , my countrymen , when
ever we have any money , paper or
coin , the first errand that dollar does
is to pay some workingman for his
day's toil. No one so much as the
laboringman and the farmer require a
full value dollar of permanent value
the year around. [ Cries of "good" '
and applause. ] , „
But , my countrymen , I had not in
tended to speak so long. [ Cries of
go ahead. ] 1 hope I have not in
truded upon any ground of division.
I am talking , not as a partisan , but as
an American citizen , desiring by every
method to enhance the prosperity of
all our people ; [ Cries of "good. " ] to
have this great government in all that
it undertakes touch with beneficence
and equal hands the pursuits of the
rich and of the poor. [ Applause and
cries of "good.1" ] Nothing has been
so impressive in all this journey as
the magnificent spirit of patriotism
which pervades our people. I have
seen enough American llags to wrap
the world around.
The school children have waved it
joyously to us , and many a time in
some lonesome country home on the
bleak sand I have seen a man or wo
man or a little boy come to the door
of a cabin as we hurried by , waving
the starry banner in greeting to our
train. I am sure , as your mayor has
said , that this same magnificent , patri
otic , American spirits pervades you all
liere today.
God bless you all ; prosper you in
every endeavor : give glory and in
crease to your city , and settle all its
institutions upon a secure basis of
social order and obedience to the law.
Blaine Ouitc a Sick Ulan.
NEW YOUK , May 15. The World
says : It is a matter of fact that Secre
tary Blaine is in no condition to take
part in business consultations. He re
ceives no visitors and the state de
partment officials have instructions to
send no mail. The secretary has not
aeen out of his bedroom since the
musical festival last week , and it
is doubtful if he has been out
of his bed. The secretary's health
las been bad for some time and he is
now a very sick man. Indeed he has
seen in no condition to work for sev
eral months past. Those who have
rept close watch of him in Washing
ton have remarked that since the be
ginning of the year he has been absent
Tom the department more days than
le attended , and when he did go to
uhe department his stay was short.
le has done most of his WOI-K during
the past four or five months in the
n-ivacy of his own house , and further-
nore he has done it either lying in
aed or reclining on an easy chair
cropped up all around with cushions.
Mr. A. G. Porter , the minister "of
he United States , is still in Rome , but
s preparing to spend the summer in
he highlands near Roca di Papa. The
ninister has no icea of leaving the
3ountry.
TEAOY GIVES FACTS.
HIS VIEWS JIEGARDIA'O 3IO VE3IEXT&
Of THE IT AT A'
No News Vet Received In Ilcgard to
the Cliarlcatoii'n Whereabout * Ves-
cl * Figuring In the Chase A Hulle-
tiii Upon the Debt * of the World
from the CCIIMIIM Bureau Payment *
oil I'onnloim Decision In a Timber
Culture Application Case.
Secretary Truer Talks.
BINGHAMITON , N. Y. , May 13.
Secretary of the Navy B. F. Tracy is
in the city on private business. In an
interview with a reporter he stated
several facts concerning the Itata
which have heretofore been matters of
speculation. The secretary states de
finitely that the Charleston has orders
to capture the Itata wherever she may
be found upon the high seas. This in
cludes all waters outside the three mile
limits or ports of foreign countries.
He did not anticipate a fight , but in
case of resistance the United States
ship would carry out her orders at all
hazards. He was not at liberty testate
state the exact text of the cipher dis
patch sent to Charleston , neither would
he say definitely if the- cruiser San
Francisco , now in Chilian waters , had
been ordered to intercept the Itata.
The San Francisco , he said , was classed
with the cruisers Baltimore and Phila
delphia , and was fully able to hold her
own with the Esmeralda. The United
States had mained a strictly neutral
position in refusing to supply arms to
the insurgents , and as the Itata had
violated every rule of international
law in breaking away from the custody
of the government after seizure she
would have to take the consequences.
The secretary did not anticipate any
serious trouble , but thought the mat
ter would be soon settled peaceably
and with honor to the United States.
The Itata Still at Liberty.
WASHINGTON. May 13. Up to the
close of business hours yesterday no
news was received at the navy depart
ment of the movements of the Charles
ton , and so far as the officials there
know the Itata is still at liberty.
Commodore Ramsay , the acting sec
retary , this afternoon said the only
news the department had received to
day was the arrival of the cruiser San
Francisco at Iquique , in northern
Chili. As this vessel is to figure in
the chase in case the Itata escapes the
Charleston her movements are of seine
importance.
A new factor appears which will
doubtless i-esult speedily in betraying
the movements of the pursuer and the
pursued. The Itata started from San
Diego six days ago and must be nearly
out of coal , so that she must soon put
into port somewhere. The Charles
ton had only enough coal to last four
days. She has now been out three
days , and her coal supply is proba
bly running so low that some news
from one or both of the vessels
may be expected very soon when they
put into port for coal. This will prob
ably be a Mexican port. Some com
ment was caused among state depart
ment people by the telegraphed state
ment that the Chilian insurgent cru
iser Esmeralda is now at Acapulco.
The fact of her presence in port is re
garded here by some officers as a quasi
recognition by the Mexican govern
ment of the insurgents as belligerents.
If this recognition should take formal
shape it might have important results
for the insurgents , for under neutrality
laws their vessel would find an asylum
in Mexican ports and might take sup
plies , although not permitted to take
aboard amunitions of war or make any
Mexican port a base of operations
against Chili.
Ccnsim Bureau oil Debts.
WASHINGTON , May 13. The census
bureau has issued a bulletin upon the
debts of the world. As far as can be
obtained the debt of foreign nations in
1890 was , less a sinking fund , $25,636-
076,000 , an increase over 1880 of $2-
154,503,655. The debt of the United
States for the same time shows a de
crease of $1,007,455,000 , or more than
half the amount of the debt in 18SO.
The decrease in the debt of the states
and territories for ten years to 1890 is
567,219,000. In the same time the
3ebtof the counties increased $17,846-
300. Relatively the burdens of debt
falls far heavier upon the inhabitants
af the principal foreign countries , ex-
sept those of Germany , than those of
this country , while the individual fluc
tuations of amounts of indebtedness of
seventy-nine foreign nations reported
aave been considerable during the
lecade. The aggregate indebtedness
shows relatively but little change , es
pecially if compared with the increase
) f population. Aggregating the na-
-ional , state and county indebtedness per
: aoita ' shows a decrease from $46.59
n'lSSO , to $20.46 in 1890. The aggre
gate surplus receipts of another de-
; ade like the one just past would re-
ieve the country from nearly all the
lational , state and county indebted-
iess , ould they be distributed for the
purpose.
A Good Showing *
WASHINGTON , May 13. Commis
sioner Raum of the pension bureau has
vritten a letter to Secretary Noble
jailing attention to the very material
iecrease in payments on account of
jensions during the present fiscal year.
L'he entire payments for army pen-
iions during the present fiscal" year
vill not exceed $116,000,000. The
otal appropriation for this service is
5125.009,009.89. It now seems prob-
iblo that there will be left of this ap-
jropriation at the end of the fiscal
rear , -$9,769.000. The allowanca of
i great number of claims under the
ict of July 27 , 1890 , has so reduced
he amount of the first payment on
jension certificates as to bring about
Ms favorable result.
Gathering for tlio Oront Conference.
CINCINNATI , O. , May 18. This wcolc
will bring to this city a political gath
ering of unique form , in whoso action
there is a wide interest. It is not a
convention in the usual sense of the
term , for it lias no party call as a ba
sis. It is perhaps best described as a
national union conference. Originally
it was called , not by the fanners' alli
ance convention at Ocala. Fla. , last ! '
year , but by members of the conven Fl.
tion , and the time set for 1'obruary 23.
in this city.
That call was addressed to all who
have stood up for Independent politi
cal action on the question of finance ,
transportation , labor and land , and
askeU for delegates to a national con
ference from the following organiza
tions : The independent party , by its
representatives ; the people's party , by
its representatives ; the late federal and
confederate soldiers , by its represent
atives ; farmers' alliance of the north
and south ; Farmers' Mutual Heneiit as
sociation ; the Knights of Labor ; the
colored farmers' alliance and all other
industrial organizations supporting the
principles of the St. Louis agreement of
Dec. , 1889. The ratio of representation
was ono delegate from each congres
sional district by state organization
and two at large from the s > tate , not
less than one to each county organiza
tion. In audition to this the editor of
each newspaper supporting candidates
nominated on the St. Louis agreement
was invited to become a delegate. This
call was signed by about seventy per
sons from seventeen states.
It met with objection from various
sources , partly because its purpose was
announced to be for a national union
party based on the fundamental ideas
of finance , transportation , labor and
land. This opposition had the effect
of necessitating a delay and the date
of the conference was changed to May
19. The state executive committee of
the people's party of Indiana , com
posed of some of the original signers
of the call , enlarged the representa
tion so as to include the American fed
eration of labor trades unions and
trades assemblies , the federation of
railway qniploycs and the nationalists
by their representatives.
The citizens' alliance of Kansas , at a
convention at Topeka , February 7 , re
issued the call , stating the object to bo
to adopt a platform and make such ar
rangements for the conflict of 1892 as
the conference may deem fitting.
From this outline of its call it is
plain that difficulty will arise in set
tling questions if any arise upon
credentials , and also that the real pur
pose of the conference is not clearly
defined. Already two views are being
urged in various quarters upon the
question of forming a third party , and
it has gone so far in some places as to
cause organizations opposed to the
third party to refuse to send delegates ,
while others are electing delegates for
the avowed purpose of defeating the
formation of a third party.
The conference promises to be one
not without a difficult task before it ,
but likely to call for the best wisdom
of its delegates. /
Alien Contract Labor Law.
NEAV YOIK , May IS. Superintend
ent Weber has determined to ascertain
whether it is possible to enforce at this
port that portion of the immigration
laws which prohibits the importation
ol alien contract labor. On Monday ,
last , he detained at the barge office
eleven immigrants of that kind , who ,
according to their own statements , had
been brought here under a contract to
work for two companies in Chicago.
Their passage to this country had been
paid by an agent or contractor , who
had agreed with them that they should
get a certain fixed rate of daily wage
in Chicago. As in tji e cases there
seemed to be a clear violation of the
law , Mr. Weber gave orders for the
detention of the men. They were not
shipped back to Austria at once. The
secretary of the treasury was notified
of their arrival and of the advisability
of keeping them here as witnesses in a
suit to be brought against the violators
of the contract labor law. Mr.
Weber desired that a trial might be
held in order that an exact application
'
of the provisions of the law' might be
obtained for his guidance. It is pro
bable that the cases will be tried in
Chicago , where companies charged
with illegal practices are to be found.
There have recently been other cases
of a similar nature at the barge office ,
but the law has not ' vet been applied
to them , ? Z- - . , „ % . . /
Secretary Blaine ? lucli Improved. *
NEW YOUK , May IS. Secretary
Blaine is improving. The gout is less
troublesome and his general condition
is such as to give rise to hopes of his
leaving the city this week. He left
Ins bed yesterday afternoon and re
clined on the lounge reading the pa
pers. ' Dr. Dennis , the attending phy
sician , did not visit him during the
3ay. Mrs. Damrosch looked very
: heerful and satisfied as she spoke of
Mr. Blaine's condition.
At Dr. Dennis'
house early last even
ing , it was stated that the "doctor had
? one over to the Damrosche residence
simply to make a social call. Mr.
blames condition was so much im
proved that a professional call was not
considered necessarv.
Horrible Suicide.
KANSAS CITY , Mo. , May IS. Mi-
Jnael Brannon , a laborer , "committed
micide at Independence , Mo. , early
saturaay morning in a horrible man-
ier. When a Missouri Pacific freight
.rain was awaiting orders at the sta-
; ion , Brannon laid down between the
; wo drive wheels of the engine so that
ns neck was placed acre = s the track.
IVhen the engine started his head was
severed completely from his body.
M-A\ NOT
Rufus Moore , colored , was handed
it Trenton , Ga. °