r
Details of the Storm that Brought Destruc
tion and Death ,
TEN DEAD TWENTY-FIVE WOUNDED
Only Six Ilnllrilngfi in the Town toft
Standing IJuiidrodn of People Homeless -
loss and Subject * of Charity Measures
Taken to Afford Jlollcf.
HERMAN , Neb. , June 16. Special to
the Omaha Bee : The desolation is in
describably pathetic. Such is the uni
versal verdict of the thousands of spec
tators who have visited the site of the
once pretty village of Herman today.
Yesterday it was peopled by a hap
py , prosperous half-thousand citizens
as could be found in Nebraska. Today ,
with half a dozen exceptions , all are
homeless , without a place to lay their
hands or a table from which to eat.
\ Yesterday they would have scorned
charity. Today the wealthiest are liv
ing on provisions sent by kindly heart
ed citizens from neighboring towns.
Days will pass before the debris will
have been cleared away and the scene
will have lost even a portion of the
heartrending features which may be
seen on every side.
As a result of the storm , ten persons
lie dead , one family having been al
most entirely swept out of existence.
Twenty-five are injured , some of them
fatally.
The dead :
A. B. HOPKINS , farmer , Herman.
MRS. A. B. HOPKINS , Herman.
ANDERSON HOPKINS , son of A. B.
Hopkins , Herman.
MRS. KELSO , Pender , daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins , whom she was
visiting.
LOUIS CLAUSSEN , machinist , Mis
souri Valley , la. , injured so he died
later in Blair.
W. S. RICHARDS , postmaster , Her
s man ; died from suffocation , as he was
suffering with chronic case of asth
ma.
ma.J.
J. E. HAWKINS , home five miles
northwest of Herman ; blown into
"barn and killed by lightning.
THOMAS HINES , plasterer , Blair ;
died from injuries after removal to
Ills home.
CHILD OF S. M. DAVIS.
EARL PETERSEN , son of farmer
lour miles west of Herman in Dane
.
Hollow.
The injured :
Carrie Kelso , aged 7 , home in Pen-
* der ; skull fractured , will probably die.
, $ i Ella Hopkins , Herman ; face cut ,
head and body badly bruised.
William Anderson , Herman ; left
side of skull fractured , may die.
Mrs. William Anderson , Herman ;
"back and side of skull fractured ; body
"badly bruised.
Ed Tacket , Herman , head cut quite
seriously.
E. G. , or "Caney" West , head and
"body badly bruised , nail run through
loot , removed to Tekamah.
Mrs. E. G. Pegau , Herman , head cut
and bruised about shoulders.
Mrs. John Kllnkenbeard , Herman ,
head and face cut.
C. Rankin , employe on Herman
stock farm , picked up in street ; in
juries consist of bruises and cuts about
head ; suffering from nervous prostra
tion.
tion.Earl
Earl Pipher , boy , Herman , temple
and head cut , hand Ibadly bruised.
Fred Christensen , restaurant keeper ,
Herman , head cut , arm bruised.
E. A. Pegau , merchant , Herman ,
liead badly cut.
"Grandma" Nosier , mother of Mrs.
Hawkins , five miles northwest of Her
man , both arms broken , internal injur
ies , not expected to live.
Mrs. J. E. Hawkins , five miles north
west of Herman , ribs broken and body
badly bruised , injuries not fatal.
Miss Hawkins , daughter of J. E.
Hawkins , five miles northwest of Her
uk. man , back badly sprained and bruised.
Peter Lenig , farmer one mile west
of Herman , arm broken and body bad
ly bruised , injuries may prove fatal.
Mrs. A. Anderson , Herman , head and
face badly cut , arms said to be brok
en , removed to Blair , injuries may
prove fatal.
H. H. Herzog , lumberman , head cut
slightly , body bruised.
George Buffington , an aged citizen of
Herman , face cut and badly bruised.
Fred Hurrell , farmer and spiker ,
lead cut
Oliver Lowe , creamery man , Her
man , head bruised and cut.
George Coyle , station agent , head
cut slightly.
Mrs. Louis Wachter , wife of imple
ment dealer , Herman , bruised badly ,
causing a succession of fainting spells.
Louis Wachter , implement dealer ,
Herman , body badly bruiyed.
Mrs. William Bree , Herman , left
shoulder badly bruised and back
sprained.
Yesterday afternoon at 5 o'clock
Herman presented a peaceful scene. A
little later clouds began to gather and
before 6 o'clock torrents of rain were
deluging the streets. The citizens were
not frightened at the appearance of
the storm , because they thought it was
simply a repetition of the heavy rain
falls , which had visited that section
previously. At 6 o'clock , however ,
omnious clouds began to appear , and
little knots of people assembled in
every part of the town to watch them.
As the clouds grew more dense the
Inky blackness appeared terrifying
and the more timid sought storm cel
lars. Scores of people congregated in
these cellars awaiting the approaching
cyclone.
At 6:15 it swept down upon them ,
coming from the northwest with a
frightful velocity. Those who were still
in positions to watch its onward
sweep say that it came from two di
rections and the appearance of the
town today would indicate -that such
was the case. Old-timers who were
cooler-headed , however , think differ
ently. They believe it came down
from the northwest , spreading as it
struck obstructions and converging
when these were torn out of the way.
It required but a few minutes for the
storm to do its work , although it
seemed hours to the unfortunates
penned up in the storm caves.
Citizens who are able to recall their
impressions during the storm , al
though suffering with terror , say that
as the wind "passed over them It
seemed like the flight of thousands of
large birds , accompanied by the Inter
mittent crashes of heavy shells. They
knew little of the havoc which was
wrought In and around their homes.
When they emerged it was to find a
scene of desolation which was abso
lutely appalling.
Houses were blown down in every
direction. With few exceptions the
citizens could locate their homes only
by the cellars in which they had
crouched or by a few familiar pieces
of furniture which remained In the
shells which formerly had been com
modious and comfortable homes. As
far as the eye could see , from south
to north , no building stood to furnish
a refuge for the homeless citizen.
It required only a moment of con
templation of the frightful scene to
bring the citizens to a realization of
their duties to each other. Parents be
gan looking for children , wives for
husbands and sons for their parents.
As these were found unscathed the
neighborly spirit took possession of
them and they turned their attention
to alleviating the sufferings of those
about them.
The dead were removed to the Meth
odist church in the north part of the
city , which served as a morgue. The
injured were taken to a parsonage to
be transported later on a relief train
to Blair. Relief trains came down from
Tekamah and Blair with physicians
clans and nurses to aid in the search
for the injured and dead. Ninety-six
persons , injured and uninjured , were
sent on an Omaha train to Blair
where they were cared for in the Clif
ton hotel and in the homes of the citi
zens. The night was made all the more
disagreeable by the rain , which fell
on the houseless citizens in torrents.
It ceased only for an hour , apparently
to gather additional force and make a
second attack. Few thought , however ,
of seeking refuge from the elements ,
spending the night , especially the men ,
in looking for the injured. The women
and children were sent to the school
house and the other buildings which
remaineu intact.
The darkness of the night was
broken by brilliant flashes of light
ning , which added to the impressiveness -
ness of the scene. The power of the
storm appeared to have been irresist
ible , although its ravages were not
plainly observed until this morning ,
when the sun revealed them in all
their hideousiness.
As the hours passed and the returns
from the injured increased it seemed
to the citizens as if every family in
the town had suffered. After a sys-
.tematic canvass had been made , how
ever , it was discovered that those liv
ing in the northern portion had suf
fered most .in casualties. It was there
the storm had done its worst , although
its force was almost as great in the
heart of the town.
The storm undoubtedly came down
from the northwest. Its first effects
are reported from five miles northwest
of the city , -where the home ofJ. . B.
Hawkins was wiped off the earth. Mr.
Hawkins was blown into his barn.
Lightning seemed anxious to supple
ment the cyclone in its destructiveness
and added a bolt. It strdck the barn ,
setting it afire and killing Mr. Haw
kins , if the force of the wind had not
ended his life previously. This morn
ing his remains were found charred
to a crisp and unrecognizable.
"Grandma" Nosier , mother of Mrs.
Hawkins , was badly injured inter
nally and both arms were broken. It
is not believed she can survive. Mrs.
Hawkins was badly injured and her
daughter had her back hurt. The
house was razed to the ground , while
not enough of the outbuildings could
be found to fill the box of an ordi
nary lumber wagon.
Continuing its southerly course ,
tearing trees up by the roots , leveling
fences , strewing barbed wire across
the country and covering the earth
with debris the cyclone next made its
appearance at the home of A. B. Hop
kins , half a mile northwest of Her
man. Here it wrought the saddest
havoc , the happy family of the farmer
being slain outright , with one excep
tion.
tion.The bodies of Mr. Hopkins and hjs
wife were found 100 yards north of
the house in his orchard after the
storm. They had been blown out of
the house by the wind , which , in its
rotary motion , apparently whirled
them out of its path as if angry at
them for not having placed an ob
struction in its way.
The body of Mrs. Kelso was found
lying on a pile of debris near the for
mer site of the house. Anderson
Hopkins , the son of the owner of the
farm , lay near in the last agonies of
a terrible death. Back in the orchard
holding to a small sapling as if her
life depended upon the tenacity of
her grip , lay Ella Hopkins , an elderly
daughter , with her face and head badly
cut and her body bruised. Near her
little Carrie Kelso , granddaughter of
Mr. Hopkins , was sitting on a stump ,
dazed and motionless , as if she did not
realize what had happened.
The wind played strange pranks
around this house , apparently delight
ing in the destruction it was making.
The trees in the orchard north of the
house were torn up by their roots.
Their tops pointed in a southwesterly
direction as if they had been blown
down by a wind coming from the
northeast. To the west of the house
the trees were blown toward the
southeast , the wind apparently re
suming its original course. Not an
outbuilding was left standing. Bed
clothing , wearing apparel , furniture
and stock were scattered in every di
rection.
Having demolished everything about
the Hopkins homestead , the death
dealing cloud sped upon the town. It
struck the first house in the extreme
northwestern portion.This was occu
pied by Peter Christiansen. Hardly a
vestige of the formerly comfortable
cottage was left , it being carried away
and smashed into such small frag
ments that Mr. Christiansen could not
find even the lintel of one of his doors.
Again the storm seemed 'to desire
vengeance upon an unintentional oh-
structor. Not only did Mr. Christian
sen lose his home in Herman , but the
storm swept away his house and barn
on his farm four miles west of the
city , in what is known as Dane Hol
low.
In the same yard with Mr. Chris
tiansen was the home of Mrs. William
Bree. She had seen the storm approaching
preaching and had taken refuge , with
her daughter , Mrs. Louis Wachter , in
the cellar beneath the front porch.
Mr. and Mrs. Christiansen came and
joined them , and it is to this desertion
of their home that the latter two owe
their lives. The Bree house was torn
from its foundation and twisted to the
south , leaving the cellar and its occu
pants unprotected. A brick struck
Mrs. Bree on the shoulder , while sev
eral flying missies fell upon Mr. and
Mrs. Wachter , bruising and cutting
them quite severely.
Veering a trifle to the east , the wind
passed between the Bree house and a
dwelling across the street , leaving the
latter unharmed , although it was only
fifty feet away. 'Right on this street
is where the storm spread. Striking
the home of John Fitch on the corner
of the street southeast of Mrs. Bree's
home , it commenced the leveling pro
cess , its swath being two blocks in
width. As if guided by a hand which
believed in destroying everything pos
sible , it backed up a trifle , crossing
the back yard of the home of Mrs. J.
C. Stokes , the first house on the west
side of the main street which was in
jured. Only slight damage was in
flicted here , however.
Across the street from Mrs. Stokes
It struck a house where dinner had
evidently been ready when the storm
approached. The table was set and
even today the dishes are still un
touched. It was here that the Ander
sons lived. They took to a cellar , ac
companied by Louis Claussen , which
proved so poor a refuge that all were
injured , Claussen so badly that he died
several hours later after having been
removed to Blair.
The rest of the citizens between Sev
enth and Second streets felt the full
brunt of the storm. Across from John
Fitch's place , west of West street , his
barn was razed , not a single shingle
being left. A little further south on
West street the home of Mayor E. W.
Burdic had the roof lifted off the east
ern wing. It was not far from this
point that Postmaster W. S. Richards
lost his life. He sought safety in a
cellar , but it proved his tomb. He was
suffering from chronic asthma and it
is believed that this , augmented by
the terror of the occasion , was the
cause of his death , as there were no
marks upon his body when he was
found.
Another was so seriously injured in
the heart of the city that he died lat
er. He was T. J. Hines , a contractor
from Blair , who had come to Herman
during the afternoon to attend to some
business. He was caught under some
debris which fell between two build
ings and injured fatally. He was re
moved to his home in Blair , where he
died this morning. Mr. Hines was for
merly a resident of Omaha , where he
was well known and highly respected.
He came to Nebraska early in the ' 60s.
With the exception of the Central
hotel and a residence a block north
not a single building wa& left standing
in the heart of the city. Both these
buildings were fairly gutted by the
wind. The storm came just as the
evening meal was being served at the
hotel. In fact , two guests were at the
table when the proprietor , M. J. Ken-
yon , entered and advised them to ac
company him and his family to a cave
until the danger had passed. In this
cave the ten persons composing the
family of Mr. Kenyon , the help at the
hotel and ten boarders and guests ,
found a safe shelter from the storm , as
no one was injured.
The Baptist church , several blocks
above the hotel , was leveled , the wind1
scattering the seats about the streets
and carrying the pulpit several blocks
toward the south. Just below the
church the implement house of Louis
Wachter was demolished. A large
stock of buggies and farm implements
was wrecked , the wind carrying the
lighter portions of the vehicles away
and , angry at the resistance of the
more weighty machines , wrapping
them up in coils so they would be
rendered useless foever.
The Plateau bank , the only brick
structure in the town , was torn to
pieces , the brick being scattered for
blacks. Nothing but the vault was left
standing , the wind driving a heavy rail
through its side to remind the own
er of its terrific force.
Below the bank the general mer
chandise store of E. A. Pegau , the
millinery store of Mrs. M. Denny , the
harness shop of William Gray , the
general store of Kenyon & Co. , the
hardware store of D. W. Harper , the
saloons of Sam Deaver , Ed Bonneau
and Sam Barrett , the grocery of Ben
Trueblood , the drug store of G. M.
Lydick and the general store of H. H.
Wallace were crushed to splinters , the
loss being almost total in each case.
Mr. Lydick had just put in a hand
some so'da fountain , which was dis
figured beyond recognition. His loss
is very heavy , as he also had about
? 1,200 worth of furniture stored in an
other part of the city which was to
tally destroyed.
In its course southward the storm
struck the new waterworks of the city
and demolished them. A great iron
boiler sixty feet in length and weigh
ing seventy tons was rolled a block.
Not only did the storm wreck all
the buildings on the main street , but
it went out of its way to deal the rail
road a pretty hard rap. The stock
yards , opposite the Plateau bank , were
razed , the heavy fence and deeply im
bedded posts proving poor obstructions
to the wind. - Back of them the Peavey
elevator and the elevator of the Crow-
ell Grain and Lumber company con
tributed their roofs , the upper portion
of the cupola leaving in each case.
The contents were thus exposed to the
rain , which poured down upon them in
floods all night.
Along the Omaha railroad track nine
cars were blown over , their trucks be
ing twisted off and carried twenty-five
or thirty feet away. Two cars were
apparently picked up from the track
and set down three feet away , thereby
giving the impression that the wind
had found them with their load of
grain too heavy for further transporta
tion. The railroad depot , coal sheds
an'd telegraph wires were blown down ,
the books of the depot being carried
half a block away and deposited in a
bunch upon the hill. Superintendent
Haynes estimates the loss to tne rail
road alone at $6.000.
Over across the railroad lived the
only man who carried cyclone insur
ance in the town. This was John Lar
son , section foreman for the Omaha
railroad. When Larson saw the storm
approaching he gathered his family
about him and descended to the ce
ment cellar which he had constructed
shortly after a hard windstorm several
years ago. He thought from the ap
pearance of the storm at that time
that he might need it and it was for
this purpose that he put so much toil
and money into it. His labor was re
paid after years of waiting. That cave
saved his life and those of the beings
he valued most. The storm carried
away his house , leaving the cellar open
to the world , but the occupants were
secure from harm. He is homeless to
day , but his cellar will remain and a
new home will rise on the site of the
old one , as John says he intends to
retain the cellar as long as he lives.
He had $1,000 cyclone insurance on his
house and contents. As scarcely a
vestige of either remains he will ask
the Phoenix Insurance company to pay
his policy.
Returning to the main street and
concentrating its force , the storm scat
tered the lumber from the yard of the
Crowell Lumber company to the four
winds , although they seemed to have
been concentrated into one for the
time being. The cottage of D. W.
Pipher , local agent for the Standard
Oil company , lost its roof , and the oil
company's building to the south of
the cottage was lifted from around
the two heavy tanks and blown across
the country to remain unidentified.
The pipes around the tanks were bent
Into coils , having the appearance of
having been wrapped around a gigan
tic spool.
Opposite the office of the Standard
Oil company the homes of Dr. Clark
and D. W. Harper were visited. Thereof
roof of the rear wing of the Harper
residence was torn off and the side of
the house badly marred by flying
pieces. The wind blew the windows
out of Dr. Clark's house and the rain
did the rest during the night , coming
in through the damaged roof and
soaking everything within.
The last house struck in the south
ern portion cf the town was occupied
by S. J. West. It was switched around
so the corners rested on the sides of
the foundation , but the damage was
slight , except to the contents , which
suffered materially from the soaking
they underwent. It was here that
"Caney" West was injured. The re
mainder of the family went to the
cave as soon as they saw the dark
cloud approaching. "Caney" West did
not think the cloud would strike Her
man , so he remained in the house.
When he saw it really intended to
visit the little town he removed his
shoes so he could wade to the cave.
He was too late , however , as the wind
caught him before he left the house.
It carried him out through the window ,
which was broken by the wind for his
passage. He was found by his broth
er later limping around in the yard
in a dazed condition , trying to find his
way back to the house. He had run
a nail through his foot and was se
riously injured about the body.
After passing West's house the
stormed veered to the east , and left
the large school house and a couple
of cottages opposite it uninjured.
Then , as sated with destruction , it
rose in the air and left the vicinity
which it had ravaged so sorely.
When the spectators began to arrive
this morning the sight was one which
appalled the most thoughtless. Piles
of lumber lay in the streets. Wherever
the eye turned it rested upon the re
sults of the visit of the elements.
Hogs , horses , cattle , chickens , ducks
and cats were strewn along the streets ,
the storm having driven them to their
death. The household goods of the
citizens were strewn from one end of
the town to the other. Vases , books ,
furniture of all kinds , china and glass
ware and kitchen utensils were seen
on every hand. Men who considered
themselves well off in the world yes
terday wandered over the scene of
their late abodes today wondering
where the next meal was coming from.
Pitiful smiles , which were given with
a vain attempt to be cheerful , marked
the faces of the unfortunate citizens
when they spoke of their misfortune.
Each tried to make light of his own
losses when a neighbor was near and
to offer his condolences for the hard
luck of the other.
It was a scene of destitution , al
though few of the sightseers appeared ,
to realize It. Two thousand of them
wandered over the ruins looking for
souvenirs of the storm. They did not
seem to realize that what they were
taking might be the dearest pieces of
bric-a-brac some women might have
among all that mass of broken and
marred remnants. Each carried off
something , some of the most humane ,
it must be confessed , contenting them
selves with limbs from the broken
trees or pieces of bark from the scarred
veterans which had withstood dozens
of storms , but finally succumbed to
this one , which appeared to have con
tained all the violence of those which
had passed before in years.
It is estimated that 5,000 persons
visited Herman and spent the day in
sightseeing. Scores carried kodaks
with them and the unsightly piles were
photographed that others who were
not so fortunate as to have had the
opportunity to come might see them.
The saloon men whose stock was bur
ied under the ruins unearthed severa5
Kegs of beer and set up their dis
mantled bars. Over these they sold
their drinks and kicked because citi
zens objected to the sight of drunken
men on the streets while their hearts
were full from the misfortunes they
had suffered. At 4 o'clock the beer
gave out and the saloon men were
forced to vend cherry wine and pop ,
which to them seemed a sacrifice of
time and much needed money because
they might have done so much better
on the brown liquid.
Sioux City Sends Relief.
SIOUX CITY , June 16. Sioux City
at noon today sent a draft of $210 to
the relief committee at the stricken
town of Herman , Neb. Tins money was
raised inside of an hour and the com
mittee is still at work. More money
will be sent after the committee has
had a chance to do some more solicit
ing. Donations of clothing and bed
ding also have been called for by the
mayor and Commercial association.
Poincarc Accepts the Task.
PARIS , June 16. Poincare inform
ed President Loubet this morning that
he would accept the task of forming
a cabinet. He will take the war port
folio , in addition to the presidency of
the council.
MMeline , in an interview with M.
Poincare , strongly urged the latter to
form a cabinet whose main plank will
be the settlement of the Dreyfus affair.
Crowds Assemble at Every Station
Through Which Train Passes ,
HEARTY WELCOME TO HOLYOKE.
Party Driven Directly to Home of Kx-
Conffrcssmun Whiting ; , Where the
Member * Will Have Kest and Oulot
The Executive In Excellent Health.
HOLYOKE , Mass. , June 19. The
president's special train arrived at 10
o'clock. At Springfield Miss Grace
McKinley and Colonel Roger Morgan
of this city boarded the train , Colonel
Morgan conveying the welcome of Gov
ernor Wolcott to the distinguished vis
itors.
In honor of the presence of Presi
dent McKinley this city is in gala
dress today. Mr. Whiting will be the
president's host. At Westfield the
train was boarded by a committee of
Holyoke citizens , headed by ex-Con
gressman William Whiting , who greet
ed the president warmly and was intro
duced to the other members of the
party.
Holyoke was reached at 10 o'clock.
As the president , who was the first to
alight , appeared at the door of the
last car a mighty cheer arose from the
thousands congregated there. He bowed
his acknowledgements to the round
after round of cheers.
The party alighted in an open space
which was roped off and guarded by
policemen. They were greeted and wel
comed by a commitice from the city
and were taken direct to the waiting
carriages and the drive to the home of
Mr. Whiting began. In the first car
riage with President McKinley were Mr.
Whiting and William Skinner and the
second carriage contained Assistant
Secretary of the Navy Allen , Acting
Private Secretary Cortelyou and Mayor
Chapin. Mrs. McKinley and Mrs. Allen
were driven directly to the home of
Mr. Whiting , other women of the party
going to the Hamilton hotel. Mr.
Whiting's personal guests during the
day will be President and Mrs. Mc
Kinley , Secretary and Mrs. Allen. Dr.
Rlxey and Private Secretary Cortelyou.
The line of carriages was greeted
with cheers and waving of flags and
handkerchiefs from the crowds which
lined both sides of the streets through
which they went.
At the Whiting residence the guests
were welcomed by the hostess and
the members of the Whiting family.
Several of the more prominent local
gentlemen called to pay their respects.
There were many offerings of flowering
plants and magnificent bouquets from
the female admirers of Mrs. McKinley.
ASSESSMENT SYSTEM WRONG.
Senatorial Committee Hears Complaints
at Chicago.
CHICAGO , June 19. At the close of
today's session of the senatorial in
vestigating committee , Senator Bax-
ted stated that the senators had con
cluded to continue the investigation
another week.
The Chicago assessment system was
under consideration all day , and al
though a great deal of uvirtjnee was
heard nothing developed with the ex
ception of a revival of the long stand
ing controversy between Robert C.
Givins , president of the taxpayers' as
sociation , and the city officials regard
ing the cost of cement and paving mate -
te ! al generally.
Mr. Givins' chief complaint was that
city officials were evidently in collu
sion with "promoters , " who , he inti
mated , were working in the interest
of cement companies and contractors.
"Property has been assessed in this
town at from 60 to 75 per cent of its
actual cash value , " declared Mr : Giv
ins. "These special assessments have
placed real estate on such a basis in
some parts of the city that you can
not give it away , and have damaged
Chicago property to the extent of
$100,000,000 , within the last six
months.
Total Deaths at Richmond.
NEW RICHMOND , Wis. , June 19.
Today , five days after the New Richmond
mend tornado , it is possible to give a
summary of the deaths and destruction
with fair accuracy. The official list
of known dead contains 102 names ;
five unidentified bodies have been bur
ied , besides some parts of bodies. A
conservative estimate of the bodies
still in the ruins of people not report
ed missing would be fifteen. This
brings the loss of life to about 125.
The best estimate on the loss of
property in the city of New Richmond
compiled from a list of individual
property owners who lost everything ,
reaches a total of $550,000. To thlti
may be added about $200,000 for house
hold goods and other property destroy
ed in this immediate vicinity , not in
cluded in the buildings totally demol
ished.
The relief fund is growing rapidly ,
having reached $35,000 today.
Delivery of Armor Plate.
WASHINGTON , June 19. Repre
sentatives of the Carnegie and Bethle
hem armor concerns were at the navy
department today to make final ar
rangements for the delivery of the
2,271 tons of side armor for the Ala
bama , Illinois and Wisconsin , recently
ordered by Secretary Long. The tests
will be considerably greater than those
heretofore made and will be designed
; o give a higher grade of armor than
; hat furnished up to this time.
The Canal Commission.
WASHINGTON , June 19. The Nica
ragua canal commission held another
meeting today and then adjourned to
meet in this city on the 6th of July.
Adbiral Walker , the chairman , was
authorized to appoint committees to
consider the various general lines of
investigation heretofore agreed upon.
The appointments will be made in a
day or two. Each committee is expected
to be ready to report to the full com
mittee when it again meets a tentative
and preliminary plan for the prosecu
tion of the commission's work. This
will be passed upon by the full body
COMBINES ARE A MENACE.
The Industrial Commission Cot * TcatU
inony oti Trusts.
WASHINGTON , June 10. Durlni
the afternoon , the Industrial commit
tee heard a statement from P. E. Dowo
of New York , president of the com
mercial travelers' league. Mr. Dowo
said the opinion of the commercial
men at large was that the trusts were
a menace to the community. He esti
mated the number of traveling sales
men In the United Stateu at 350.000.
saying that the census figures of 60.000
were grossly Incorrect. The formation
of trusts and combinations was throwIng -
Ing a large number of these men out of
employment. Mr. Dowe said that the
trust combination had raised the prices
of the commodltlea they were con
trolling from 5 to 100 per cent In al
most every Instance , except coffee and
sugar. In these they were still fight
ing for control of the field. He aald
his figures in this line were absolutely
correct , being from reliable commer-
citl acquaintances. The examples he
gave were : Iron pipe , over 100 per
cent ; tinware and enameled ware ,
about 33 per cent ; brass goods , 60 per
cent ; chair trust , just formed , will ad
vance prices 30 per cent ; rubber over
shoes ( United States Rubber company )
advanced prices 14 per cent on May 1 ;
American Tin Plate company advanc
ed prices something like 30 per cent :
newspaper quarter to half a cent a.
pound , a further advance In prospect ;
book papers 5 and 10 per cent ; an ad
vance is expected in writig paper ; In
common soap 25 cents to 50 cents it
box ; Hint glass bottles will be ad
vanced 10 per cent or more ; jobbers
and manufacturers of clocks have ad
vanced the wholesale prices on account
of the advance of metals 60 per cent ;
all metal goods have been advanced :
brass pins 25 per cent ; pipes and
bushes V1V- * . per cent ; combs , 7J/- > per
cent ; ribbons , 10 per cent : school fur
niture has gone up as well as paper
baks and wrapping paper.
"The umbrella trust failed four years
ago , ' 'said the witness , but it advanced -
ed prices while in existence and after
its break up the return to legitimate
and healthy prices caused a loss to the
retailer through the stock on hand. "
This witness concluded by saying
that before leaving New York he had
been warned by an acquaintance , a
lawyer , indirectly connected with some
of the trusts , that he was doing a
dangerous thing in speaking before
the commission , as he was liable to "be
crushed like a caterpillar. "
The commission will hear tomorrow
M. L. Lockwood of Pennsylvania , the
last of the trust witnesses , and next
week will take up the investigation or
agricultural interests.
BROKERS MUST PAY THE TAX.
Transactions In IJucket Shops Must Con
tribute Their Tart.
WASHINGTON , June IS. Commis
sioner Wilson of the internal revenue
bureau has rendered a decision which
has been pending for a long time re
garding the liability of bucket shop
transactions , to the stamp act. The
decision says :
By a bucket shop is meant a place
other than a board of trade or ex
change where the parties who agree
to buy and sell stocks do not ordinar
ily contemplate the receiving or de
livering of the certificates therefore by
the buyer or seller either at the time
or in the future. Such transactions iu
stocks are taxable.
In the case of every agreement to
sell at a bucket shop there is both a
presumptive buyer and a presump
tive seller and this is true whether the
customer agrees to sell the stock to
the manager of the place or the man
ager of the place agrees to sell stoclr
to the customer.
Where agreement of sale has been
made and no delivery of stock takes
place and the party bolding the agree
ment of sale wishes to c.ose the trans
action by disposing of his interest in
said agreement , and settles with the
holder of the contract by paying the
deficiency price , in contemplation of
lav , ' there is an agreement to resell the
shares to the original seller. All these
transactions must be evidenced by a
written memorandum.
It makes no difference whether these ,
agreements to sell stocks made at
bucket shops are called "selling privi
leges" or "purchase privileges" or
whether they are called by any other
name , such contracts are taxable the
same as stock transactions on the
stock exchange.
Regarding the sale of grain and oth
er products of merchandise at bucket
shops , the commissioner , in view of
the recent decision of the United
States supreme court in regard to the
sales of merchandise at a board of
trade , exchange or any similar place ,
revokes the precious decision that a.
bucket shop as ordinarily conducted
is a similar place to a board of trade
or exchange. It is understood that
in the case of a bucket shop there is
commonly only one manager or firm
who control all the sales and purchas
es made at that particular place , and
where this is the case uo tax accrues
on the sale of grain or other merchan
dise made thereat , except where a bro
ker's contract or memorandum of sale
is issued , when it must be stamped
with a 10-cent stamp.
Minister Drops Dead.
NEWCOMERSTOWN , O. , June 19.
While sitting in a hotel office. Rev.
James Singleton , aged 60 , residence un
known , died suddenly of heart failure.
Deceased was en route from Philadel
phia , On his person was found his
appointment as a minister of the Bap
tist church and a letter of recommen
dation signed by Governor Taylor of
Knoxville , Tenn.
Daily Gets Out of Anarond.i.
CHICAGO , Jun3 19. A special to the
Times-Herald from Salt Lake says that
Marcus Daly of Montana and his asso
ciates in the Anaconda Mining com
pany have sold all their holdings in
that company to an eastern syndicate
headed by John D. Itockefeller for
S23.000.000. Though the transfer oc
curred more than a month ago. it has
never been made public. The sale
leaves Mr. Daly with nothing in Mon
tana except his "Bitter Root" stock
farm. He is also pledged not to engage
in cooner mining in Montana.
