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About The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936 | View Entire Issue (April 25, 1902)
i f V y teZTZS 7ff Wrmn ifcan Mtmm a - W A WARRIOR BOLD By ST GEORGE RATHBORNE Author of Little Miss Millions The Spiders Web Caprice Dr Jacks Widow Etc Etc Copyright 1001 by Street and Smith New York Miss wmmmwmmmM CIIAPTKR I In the Street of the Steen It all happened In quaint old Ant werp and Charlie Stuart found rea son to helieve that seldom in romance or history had a more singular ad venture befallen a pilgrim from Lon don than chanced to his lot on this same day The morning was half spent and Stuart found himself somewhat at a loss to know what he should turn to next for amusement He had idled iri the markets discovering new and at tractive features constantly had been through the various museums and picture galleries in short ex hausted the sights of old Antwerp and was on the point of considering his exodus which would occur just as soon as he could make up his mind where his next objective point on the map of Europe or the world would be Then it was that Fortune fickle jade took the pilgrim from London by the throat as it were and radically changed the whole course of his exist ence As he stood there idly twisting his blonde mustache he became aware of the fact that someone was bearing down upon him at a swift pace some one whose quick energetic move ments reminded liim irresistibly of a hawk pouncing upon its prey some one who held out a hand in eager greeting and seemed bubbling over with animal spirits Stuart welcomed him eagerly His name was Barnaby Artemus Wych erly Claude Barnaby and his profes sion that of an amateur dramatic novelist It was simpty astonishing the weird fancies generated in that erratic brain of his each of which exceeded all others in phantasma goric and it must be confessed some times ludicrous splendor Just the man of all England I wanted to see Consider it a lucky omen by Jove to run across you in this manner Im going to enlist your sympathy and co operation in a little scheme I have on foot my boy and you can depend upon it I wont take no for an answer so consider your self engaged as the second conspira tor Well I dont know about that but what wild hair brained scheme have you on foot at present Charlie Ive run across the noblest theme for a startling drama that ever bobbed up in anybodys path Why it actually opens an opportunity for fame and fortune to the gifted genius who has boldness enough to grasp the chance You have of course visited Steen that great castle down street yonder once a prison of Inquisition now a museum the the the Did you take a guide with lighted flam beaus and explore the frightful dun geons under the castle each cell and corridor of which seems to exhale hideous memories of the tortures in flicted upon unfortunate prisoners in the Dark Ages when Spanish cruelty ruled this country with an iron hand Stuart replied in the negative His artist soul had feasted on the treas ures which lay littered about the courtyard of the onetime palace but the musty dungeons he had but hast ily surveyed being naturally averse to the contemplation of such horrors Oh I am glad of that said Arte mus eagerly for you will be better prepared to accompany me to those same dungeons now The deuce exclaimed Charlie taken aback but not in the least dis concerted the other went on Tell me have you heard the story or rumor that is circulated here and there through certain circles about a modern man in the Iron Mask sup posed to be incarcerated in the Steen dungeons I remember hearing some little talk about such a thing but really never pursued the subject Briefly then it has long been whispered that there was recently and may still continue to be a secret prisoner confined in a lonely dungeon under yonder massive pile of ma sonry a man whose face is forever hidden behind an iron mask that is secured by a padlock I have reached the conclusion that this man of mys tery might be some troublesome heir to the German throne or else a son of Louis Napoleon Think for a minute what wonderful possibilities this vista opens to the dramatist It is quite enough to inspire the dullest mind And I am resolved to explore those ancient dungeons personally as no one has ever done before with the secretly avowed purpose of learning whether I may found my great drama upon a truth or the mere fabric of a Dutch legend And you will accom pany me my boy out of pure philan thropy to share in the exhilaration of success touching a suspicious bot tlelike package he carried under his left arm or to support me in case of exasperating failure Charlie Stuart could not say him nay he really had nothing on foot whereby to kill time and Artemus was such a jolly and oiiginal dog that it were worth something to have the pleasure of his society for a space of time So hesitating he fell And thus sauntering down the street of the Steen the two friends arrived in the shadow of -the great building whose history stretched back centuries Into the dim past Together they entered like other pilgrims desirous of gazing upon the art treasures which lay within those ancient walls Charlie had seen all these before and cast but a casual glance around being more deeply Interested in the actions of his confederate An old dame with her wide cap started toward them but one glance from Artemus eyes seemed to bring about a decided change in her inten tions for she stood still and then backed away It was a signal victory or as Arte mus expressed it a howling suc cess nevertheless his companion was still fain to believe the magic of gold had more to do with the old ladys sudden blindness than the ex ertion of rare hypnotic powers on the part of the proud wizard Content to follow the others lead Charlie soon found himself in that apartment where several tall brass candlesticks stood upon an antique table to be used in exploring the mysteries below Artemus motioned that he should straightway possess himself of one in order that their candles might have a proper receptacle and Charlie having enlisted for the war come weal come woe took up the nearest of the lot which was in itself a treasure of art Nervously Artemus tried several keys in rapid succession muttering to himself the while in a way peculiar to him At last came a little subdued screech that announced success on the part of the chattering idiot at his side They were evidently in for it since the ponderous door opened be fore them Charlie was not the one to hold back so he stepped beyond the portal and went down Immediately the door closed and the clang of it was unlike any sound he could ever remember hearing That creaking rusty key turned in the lock Now said Artemus in a shrill voice pregnant with eager anticipa tion now we are in control and the devil dungeons of the Steen must yield up their ghastly secrets to a master Down the venerable stairs they wended their way Could those same steps have been gifted with the power of speech what strange and startling tales they might have given forth of human misery of historical person ages and deeds that would have made the bravest cheeks pale But they were mute The dread secrets of the dim past would ever be safe in their keeping Hark Artemus uttered this word in a shrill whisper and at the same time clutched his companions arm Their surroundings were so eerie that it was not wonderful that his vivid imagina tion seized upon the slightest pretext to arouse the ghosts that had lain here for long centuries What you hear is only the gur gling of the river Sheldt beneath our feet At the foot of the worn stone staircase we descended there is a trap in the solid stone through which opening many a wretched condemned man met his fate Yes it was only the fretful flood you heard crying peevishly for more victims Charlies calm manner quite re assured the other Perhaps you are right but it sounded wonderfully like a human voice calling for help Thus in tiers the dungeons lay each individual one seeming to surpass its predecessors in awful associations Long had they been at their task The regular routine pursued by tour ist and guide had been done but there were other dark passages to ex plore gloomy as the river Styx passages that the ordinary voyager never saw but which Artemus was bound to investigate for if perchance there was a grain of truth in the story he had heard surely the prison er of the Iron Mask must be found in such an unused quarter Charlie began to feel a bit anxious He was about ready to confess that for one he had quite enough of it and only figured on how he might manage to curb this insatiate ambi tion on the part of his companion The task was taken from his hands however and in a most unexpected manner Artemus was eagerly urging him on to fresh fields and pastures new while Charlie held the other in check fearful lest they fall into some hor rible pit with rusty spikes at the bot tom such as they had discovered In one dungeon when suddenly with out warning tnere came to their ears a sound so strange in this uncanny re gion so utterly out of sympathy with their surroundings that both men stood still as though paralyzed and the sound was as of a woman weeping CHAPTER II What They Found There were those who knew Prince Charlie well who had reason to be lieve he hod passed Jhroush some un pleasant experience with lovely wo manbeen deceived perhaps jilted Although always gallant toward the fair sex he seemed to be ever on hla guard as though quite determined no mortal who wore petticoats should have a second opportunity to play battledore and shuttlecock with his heart But this was something entirely out of the common run and as he stood there listening to make sure there could be no mistake he felt an elec tric thrill pervade his whole being such as he never before experienced Charlie determined to go forward He was surprised at himself for the peculiar resolution that urged him on It seemed as though he were being dragged forward by some inex orable fate whether he would or not And the sound of sobbing still con tinued stealing along the gaunt pas sageways The darkness beyond was apparently as fearfully dense as that which descended upon poor plague stricken Egypt at the time Pharaoh declined to let the children of Israel go As Charlie advanced he noted that the sound which had erstwhile reach ed their hearing but faintly grew more distinct Thus he was present ly able to place the sobbing and still advancing he began to discern the dim outlines of a figure upon ihe ground As he drew closer he saw that this was a girl in a long cloak and that she had hidden her face In her hands as though to shut out the ghostly fig ures conjured up by the gloom One thing was very sure when Ar temus in the earlier stages of their exploration declared he heard a faint shout it had not been the gurgle of the greedy Sheldt gliding under neath the crypts and corridors is he Charlie had so confidently de clared but In all probability this lost explorer calling for help Well thank God they had found her and were in a position to ren der her the assistance she craved After all it had not been such a wild goose chase as he had believed when yielding to the importunities of his adventurous comrade They advanced closer still As yet the distressed one was not aware of their presence or the blessed answer to her prayers Her attitude of abandon was most effective and Charlie could not but think what a charming picture she made there overwhelmed not by grief but the terror of her situation It was not intentional on Artemus part but some sudden chill draught caused him to give a vociferous sneeze This was instantly followed by a little shriek as the girls hands fell from her face and she turned a pair of very large and very startled eyes upon the two comrades It was of course Cnarlies bounden duty to immediately speak and reas sure the alarmed fraullen that they were flesh and blood like herself and not spirits of the olden martyrs who had met deaths of torture in these dungeons but for the life of him and perhaps for the first time in the course of his whole experience he could not say a word For the soft light of his waxen taper fell full upon the face that had until now been hidden behind the girls hands a face that tear marked as it was and more or less begrimed from contact with foul walls during her groping in the dark electrified him with its peculiar charm of beauty and started his traitor heart to beating as it had not done these many moons since he had quitted the presence of another fair woman with bitterness against the whole sex rag ing in his bosom To be continued Costume for a Bride The slender girlish bride who de sires softness and flufliness in her wed ding gown and yet has a penchant for smart Louis Quinze effects will choose a draped skirt of embroidered mousse line de soie its deep double flounces being festooned across the bottom in a charming and graceful manner and caught at intervals with clusters of orange blossoms Her coat may be of handsome brocade and it will be sim ply ornamented with a fichu of em broidered mousseline Green the Prevailing- Color Green is the color of the spring and it appears in all shades Mercerized gingham German linen or French chambray are ten times its durability Silk ginghams striped or figured to be made in combination with plain gingham are effective and are mafip up by fashionable modistes with all the elaboration of foulard costumes and such toilettes are considered in perfectly good form for afternoon teas or for church Corded Brllllantlne A charming white fabric for shirt waist suits also very light weight is corded brilliantine It is striped a triple cord stripe alternating with an inch wide stripe composed of satiny serpentine bayadere stripes This is lots of description for a really simple effect but nothing less would tell the story This costs 45 cents per yard and has the glossy quality which makes brilliantine popular To Study Ancient Lake Basin An expedition to Lake Eyre the great depression in Central Australia which is below sea level in charge of Prof J W Gregory it is announced has recently left Melbourne with the object of studying the physical history- of the lake basin and the collec tion of fossils especially of extinct vertebrates POSSIBLE MILLIONS SUGAR TRUST HAS ANTICIPATED TARIFF CONCESSIONS Ioug Ago Hnvomoyer Laid His Flans for Realizing Enonuoui Profit Through the Redaction of Dulles on Cuban Raw Sugar In tne annual report of the Ameri can Sugar Refining company for the year ending Dec 31 1901 may be found a statement whose significance should not escape general notice It is perhaps too much to expect of the sympathy and reciprocity zealots that they will direct attention to the state of things disclosed in this an nual report of the sugar trust To do so would not be likely to help the cause of Cuban relief It would be more likely to hurt than help for it would be certain to concentrate public thought upon the fact that the sympa thetic uproar is being artfully fo mented by the sugar trust for busi ness reasons and that if Mr Have meyers benevolent organization suc ceeds in putting through its scheme of tariff reduction on Cuban raw sugar theres millions in it From the sworn annual statement of the sugar trust it appears that on the 31st day of last December the assets of 122 551777 an increase of 12380198 over the assets of the preceding year in cluded the following item Sugar raw unmanufactured etc 1901 1900 Decrease 12249640 22488790 10240150 Commenting upon this showing the New York Journal of Commerce a hot gospeller for Cuban relief is frank enough to say The item of sugar raw unmanu factured etc is given at 12248640 a decrease of 10240150 From this it would seem that the company has been carrying a smaller amount of raw sugar than usual at this season a move than finds explanation in the anticipated reduction in duties on Cu ban sugar by congress Nearly three months have elapsed since the annual report was filed During that time the sympathy up roar has been in full blast and im ports of Cuban raw sugar have dwindled to practically nothing Yriting from Havana under date of March 13 Mr Charles M Pepper who represents a syndicate of sympathetic newspapers states that the snip ments of sugar last week from the port of Havana amounted to six sacks that is 1920 pounds scarcely enough to keep the sugar trust refin eries busy for one minute So it may be safely assumed that at this rate of shipment there Is precious little raw and unmanufactured sugar remaining on the 28th of March out of the 12 248640 worth which the sugar trust had on hand on the 31st day of De cember Compared to the quantity on hand a year ago to day it is prob able that the present stock would show a shrinkage of fully 20000000 On that sum alone the sugar trust would make 4000000 outright through the proposed tariff reduction of 20 per cent When the total bulk of unshipped Cuban sugar is reckoned on the same basis it will be seen that the sugar trusts grab out of the sym pathy fund becomes a much bigger thing than merely 4000000 It is conservatively stated at 15000000 It was in December 1901 just prior to the making up of its annual report and fully three months before the pub lication of that report that the sugar trusts literary bureau started the Cuban sympathy uproar in the shape of the Willett Gray circular setting forth the enormous saving that would be realized by the American consumer if congress would reduce or remove the duty on raw sugar from Cuba Since then Mr Havemeyer has public ly stated that the price of refined sug ar te the American consumer would not be in the least degree affected by the reduction or removal of tariff du ties on Cuban raw sugar He did not see fit to add that the price of refined sugar would not be reduced unless the sugar trust should at any time decide to repeat its tactics of last fall and put in force a heavy cut in price for the purpose of giving beet sugar pro duction a black eye As we have said three months have elapsed between the close of the sugar trusts year 1901 and the publication of the sugar trusts annual report for that year It was a long time to hold back the report but it was time well spent During that in terval the sympathy uproar has reached a volume which it could not have reached if the real interest of the sugar trust had been made mani fest at the outset Sympathy and Sugar There is method in the campaign vt the sugar trust for a reduction of Cuban sugar duties The plea is kept at the front that we must do some thing for Cuba Great chunks of sym pathy are lying around Washington The fact that reduction in sugar duties will redound to the benefit of the trust and not to Cuban planters or to the people of the United States who con sume sugar is kept in the background The trust is playing to add millions to its annual income by keeping Cuban sympathy ringing in the ear of Con gress Mr Oxnard who is managing the campaign of the beet sugar pro ducers is exposing the game of the trust He is credited with the state ment that he would not object to a 20 per cent or even a 25 per cent reduc tion in the Cuban tariff if the same would inure to the benefit of the Cuban planters and not place more dollars in the pockets of the trust The men who have put millions into beet sugar plants in the West and the growers of the sugar beets by which J lWlllflllKJ thoso factories are maintained are en titled to sympathy and encouragement before the Cuban planters Sympathy like charity begins at home In the present Instance the sympathy ex pressed Is the merest pretense The trust Is after dollars Denver News Cuba nnd licet Sueur We are going to make our own sugar In this country dont you doubt it and make it from the beet the soil for whose production may be found almost everywhere Last year the output in the United States was 185000 tons an increase of 108000 tons over 1900 Forty two factories were in operation last year with nine in course of construction Factories have been established in nineteen states This is one of the most prom ising young industries in the country and one of the most important and It is no sin to guard its development here as we did that of iron steel tin plato and scores of other industries that are now the glory of the nation and its strength In truth beet sugar produc tion Is the most promising new Indus try on a large scale the country has in sight and there is force In the plea that if Cuba wants free admission to the markets of the United States let her come in and be part of the United States and take pot luck with us The grave the singular the almost unac countable mistake Cuba made was in not asking immediate annexation And there will be friction and dissatisfac tion without end one ground or an other till it does occur Oswego Times Avert or Deplore The Boston Journal scolds Con gressman Thayer for offering a reso lution looking toward an investigation of the relation of the sugar trust to the proposed scheme of tariff reductions for Cuban relief It says that the resolution was a piece of transparent demagoguery discreditable to him and to the Democracy of New England of which he is the leading representa tive Our Boston friend usually sound on economic questions herein shows a disposition to let its zeal run away with its discretion Why not investigate first and legislate after ward Some day the relation of the sugar trust to this Cuban sympathy uproar is going to be made known It is more than suspected now Scan dalous relationships between the sugar trust and sugar tariffs have not been so unheard of in the past as to jus tify anybody in pooh poohing the idea at this time It is better to avert a scandal than to deplore it Would Scuttle the Ship A Question and a Reckoning We already buy from Cuba nearly twice as much as we sell her We shall buy still more under the scheme of relief reciprocity and very likely shall sell more of certain articles but the trade balance against us will re main and probably be larger than ever In any event will the increased volume of our sales to Cuba operate as compensation to the domestic interests which are called upon to make all sac rifices Will the American sugar and tobacco growers and the American cigar makers be able to trace to their own pockets enough of the profits on increased Cuban trade to make good their direct losses through reduced tariff duties This question is to be asked this reckoning is going to be made Is the Republican party ready with an answer that will meet this question Is it provided with a solu tion that will satisfy the reckoning A Warning The fact that a clear majority of the Republican members of the House of Representatives are decided opponents to sacrificing our domestic sugar and tobacco interests for the benefit either of the sugar trust or of a foreign na tion should be a warning to Repub lican leaders as to what they may ex pect should the scheme succeed Weak kneed congressmen may be won over by executive pressure The masses of the people cannot be thus won over and they cannot be fooled If they are betrayed they will remember who betrayed them San Francisco Chron icle A Curious Distinction The free trade papers pronounce un constitutional the proposition to repay some of the duty charged on Cuban sugar But they insist that it is per fectly proper to refrain from collecting the duty The distinction as to effect between the two methods is not very marked Lowell Courier How to Satisfy Them Free traders are assailing the pro posed concession of 20 per cent on Cuban importations The only way to satisfy the champions of a souphouse tariff like that identified with the last Democratic administration is to knock off the other SO per cent also Tion esta Pa Republican r THE JBTEST ON EARTH ONE CENTURY HAS LIFTED AMERICA OVER ALL NATIONS From a Small and Comparatively Weak Country We Raro llicomo In a Short Tlroo the Dominant Power of tha World Tin Flgurai The United States government was installed in Washington In 1800 The capital was then a morass and a wil derness Now It Is a city of 285000 the most beautiful in the world In 1800 the area of the United States was 900000 equare miles to day it Is 3625080 square miles The total population of the United States at the close of the nineteenth century was about 84250000 As the population of the United States at tho beginning of the century was about 5308483 the nation has grown nearly slxteenfold In 100 years In 1800 we had but six cities with a population of over 800C while to day there are in the United States 500 cities with a population greater than 8000 There are but three countries which have a greater population than the United States China the British Empire and the Russian Empire We imported in 1800 merchandise to the amount of 91000000 and In 1900 our imports amounted to 853000000 The value of our exports In 1800 was 71000000 and in 19- their value arose to 1400000000 Our receipts on account of custom and internal revenue in 1800 wero 10 000000 Last year our receipts from the same sources were 544000000 Tho vane of our manufactures In 1800 was 125000000 To day they are valued at 9000000000 this amount being about one third of tho worlds production which is estimated at 30000000000 We produce 85 per cent of the cotton crop of the world Immigration has been the greatest factor in increasing our population Germany has done more than any one nation though Ireland is a close second Of the 21000000 immigrants who came here since 1800 Germany supplied 5500000 Ireland 4500000 In proportion to its population Massa chusetts contains the largest propor tion of Irish blood of any other state while the Germans show the smallest admixture of any state north of Mason and Dixons line Tho United States is the richest country of the universe with a wealth estimated at 90000000000 which has increased since 1850 from 7000000 000 No other country has shown such an enormous advance as this In the amount of our banking capi tal we stand first among nations with 1030000000 In 1800 we had but 28 state banks to day we have 10382 banks with deposits of 7300000000 In 1900 we had a per capita wealth of 1235 while our debt per capita was but 1452 Our public debt in 1800 was 82000 000 In 1861 it was 90000000 and at the close of the war in 1865 it was 2680000000 Last year it was 2 143000000 Since the civil war in 1865 we have paid out in pensions army and navy 2528000000 We paid out last year in pensions 139000000 The United States has more gold at tho present time than any other na tion having more than 1000000000 The richest man In the United States at the close of the eighteenth century was George Washington worth 1000000 To day we have Rockefeller with 300000000 Carne gie 200000000 and Vanderbilt and Astor over 100000000 For generosity ancient and modern times will be searched in vain for our equal The Yankee is the most generous- race on the planet If he is un matched as a money maker he is al o unrivaled as a spender He gives gen erously and he gives all the time For charity education churches he is putting out his surplus in a way that astounds other people Look at the royal gifts distributed by the Rocke fellers and Carnegie and so on down the list This country in five years ha given more money for educational an I philanthropic purposes than England has for the past century and more than Germany has done for 200 years Yelled Till He Was Iloarse Honest loyalty to our country and love and admiration for its flag and what it represents is never so deeply felt as when after months of living in Toreign countries we first catch sight jf our nathe land This feeling is graphically described by a Kansas boy who has been serving in the Philip oines I tf 11 you there is no country like America when one has been in an un civilized country for two years and a ialf and then plunges right into New Fork city I dont believe in hollering ind yelling the way the majority of soldiers do but when I was sailing up New York harbor and passed the Statue of Liberty I threw my hat in he air and yelled until I was hoarss One on tho Lawjer Michael J Fleming a prominent awyer of Pottsvilie and formerly jrincipal of the Donaldson high school elated the following anecdote says he Philadelphia Times One day at chool I gave a very bright boy a aim in algebra and although the roblem was comparatively easy he ouldnt do it I remarked You hould be ashamed of yourself At four age George Washington was a airveyor The boy locked me straight n the eyes and replied Yes sir and it your age he was president of the jsited States i