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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1898)
EDITORIAL. THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE.PAGES 11 TO 20. ESTABLISHED , JTJN"E 19 , 1871. OMAHA , SUNDAY MORNINGDECEMBEIl 25 , 1898. SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS. Who Ho Is , What He Is and How He Looks and Acla. QUEER THINGS ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT Sample In < niirm of Ilallot Her Sttif- flnK IlM > on 'd of Knt John Kenti- latlon and Control of llaiikii and Ilallroadi. ( Copyrighted , 1899 , by Frank G , Carpenter. ) BUENOS AYRES , Nov. 20. ( Special Cor respondence of The Bee. ) I want to tell you something about the new president of the Argentine. He has been in office only a few weeks , but his strong right hand Is already felt In every part of the republic. He has begun a settlement with the Chilians as to the boundary question and has at the same time ordered new war vessels from Europe In case the settlement should not come off. President Julio A. Roca has long been noted as ono of the strongest men In South Amerl- j can politics. Ho has been president before , has been minister of war and has made him- Eclt noted as a general In the Argentine nrmy. K was largely due to him that Pata- ' gonla was thrown open to settlement and I I ho has the reputation of being a great Indian fighter. When ho was minister ot | I war , now more than twenty years ago , ho j ' led an army to Patagonia against the Indians and conquered them. I have heard it said that the victory was easily won and that the fighting was mere butchery on the part ot the Argentines , the So-called savages making no resistance. However this may be , Presi dent Hoca got great fame from his cam paign nnd ho is today looked upon as the General Grant of the Argentine Republic. Roca has been compared to Grant In char acter. Ho le the still strong man of the country , with enough nerve to carry out his ends without regard to who goes down be fore him. He Is a very quiet man. He possesses the golden gift ot silence and be. llevcs In the old Spanish proverb which elates that "files will not go Into a shut mouth. " A Slnhle Government Promlned. Roca's election means that matters will bo Btablo In the Argentine for six years to come. The president Is , you know , elected for six years , and ho reigns that long pro vided there 13 no revolution. Roca has the army behind him , and he will not tolerate 'opposition. He has always been a fighter. Ho has at the same tlmo been a diplomat and his cabinet has been chosen with the . He has Idea of harmonizing the factions. the confidence of the foreign capitalists who believe that ho will maintain peace and peace In the Argentine means progress. President Roca Is now 55 years ot age. He comes of a good family , being a native of the province of Tucuman In the northern part of the republic. He Is a straight , well- formed , broad-shouldered man , with a face that would not look foreign In Washington or London , although It would be striking anywhere. President Roca Is more like an Englishman or an American than an Argen tine. You would Imagine him a descendant of Anglo-Saxons rather than of Latins. His face Is almost , fair. The forehead Is high nd broad , the eyes bright and piercing , the 'noao large and the under jaw strong. He Is simple In his dress and manners and walks about the streets of Buenos Ayres like an ordinary citizen. He has never cul tivated the arts of the salon , nor has he pronounced literary tastes , although he is well read In history and keeps posted on political matters. He Is more of a states man and a soldier than a carpet knight and ho has been called the pest master ot the political science of the Argentine. Election * In South America. General Roca was chosen president. This means that ho was the strongest man of the small coterie which runs the 'Argentine Republic. There are no such elections in South America as In the United States. The country Is supposed to bea republic nnd the people to have the right to vote. But the truth Is that a few families con trol everything political , and that the ballot boxe * are always stuffed. Elections are held on Sundays In the porches ot the churches. Outside the church door there are three or four tables , about which sits a seedy-looking crowd ot men , who are the receivers of the election. The ballots nro paper and are dropped through sllta In the boxes. Many of the voters hand their X ballots to tbo receivers and tell them to vote for them. The same man often votes over and over again , declaring himself to be some other man each time. The receiv ers recognize the fraud , but as the matter Is all cut and dried beforehand they do not object. The better classes recognize It also end do not vote. Buenos Ayrcs Is a city of 800,000 population. At Its last election for eonator there were only 2,000 votes cast , whereas , at one vote to each family of five , there were 160,000 possible votes. The elec tion lists are scanned by the candidates be forehand and added to or taken from as Is desired. Not long ago the mayor of 011- vcro was looking over such- list with a friend of mine. At last ho came to a name which wo shall call "Munyoz" when my ' friend said : "Why , mayor , Munyoz Is dead. Don't you remember we were together last month when the report of his death came In ? " "Oh. yea , I remember , " replied the mayor. "But If ho is dead that is ell the better. Ho can now make no fuss as to how his vote la cast. " An Overnovcrned Country. This corruption In politics extends lurirtdiout the republic. Every province has Its political factions , the most of which are connected with the ring In Buenoi Ayres and take their cue from It. The gov ernment Is entirely In the hands of the na tive Argentines , who are natural politicians and who work the business for what it is worth. The country is overgoverned. It has all told only 4,000,000 people , of whom one-fifth live at the capital. Still every Btato has Its own senate and house , and Us own minor officers. The result Is that In a country which has a population about that ot the state of Ohio there are , lu addition tea a horde of federal officers , fifteen senates , fifteen chambers ot deputies and fifteen eeta of revenue collectors. There are small officials without number , all of whom re ceive a salary , and most ot whom add to this In some way or other , not sanctioned by law. All ot the provinces are In debt , and only a few of them pay their Interest. The Internal debt of the country now amounts to more than $100,000,000 , and In 1S95 the provincial debts , Including unpaid Interest , amounted to more than $137,000,000 $ in gold. At present the city debts foot up more than $21,000,000 gold , while the coun try has a national debt ot more than $300- 000.000. A large number of the provinces have"to bo annually assisted by the general government to pay the tularles of their own officials. Roca believes In centralization of power. Ho spells the word nation with a capital N , and he will make the union of the provinces own stronger than it has been. In the- past petty revolutions have occurred In the different provinces. In many of these It * national government was not Implicated , but It had at times to tend Its troops out to quell the trouble * . Presl- ' dent Roca will not'tolerate much foolishness - , ! ness of this kind , and in such cases will send military goicrnors to take the places . , ot the regular officials until new elections can bo held. CotiRremi and the Ilivnkn. The Argentine Republic has a federal congress , which meets at Buenos Ayres. There are two houses , one composed of senators , the other ot deputies. Senators must bo 30 years of age , must have re- j elded six years In their districts and have annual incomes of $12,000 each. A deputy may bo 25 years of age and must have ( been a citizen for four years. The deputies are elected for four years and the senators for nine years. The president is elected for six years. Members ot con- grass each receive 12,000 Argentine dollars a jear , and the president has a salary of $36,000. The vice president receives Just half as much as the president , and each of the cabinet ministers gets $16,800 a year , You sometimes see statements in the papers of the United States that there Is a close telephonic connection between our national capital and Wall street. The Ar gentine congressman Is not troubled by having to telephone. The houses of congress - gress In Buenos Ayrcs are Just across the square from the stock exchange , and the president's house stands between. Some of the greatest scandals of the Argentine Re- public have been In connection with the misuse of the public funds by government officials , and this especially In connection with the national banks and stocks. Nowhere - where upon earth has there been such cor ruption as there was In connection with the National Bank of the Argentine , which failed for millions. This bank was largely political , and a word from a prominent offi cial would cause It to pay out money to almost any one. Congressmen made no bonea of levying upon It for their sup port. I heard of one deputy who borrowed a million dollars from the bank , and with this built a palace at Belgrano , one of the suburbs of Buenos Ayres. In getting this loan he agreed to repay It In Installments , so much every three months. The time the first payment came duo the bank directors sent for him. When he appeared they pre sented the note. He looked at It and coolly said that ho had no money. They then asked him to pay the Interest , but he non chalantly replied : "I have nothing. " H was then asked If he could not pay some ot the Interest , whereupon he burst out In a rage , saying : "I have no money , I tell you. I don't ex pect to have any , and I want to know right here , and now , whether you expect me to fight the battles of your bank in congress and then pay back the money I gut from It Just as other people do ? " At last ac counts that $1,000,000 and accumulated In terest was still outstanding and It will probably outstand until the end of time. Aiked for < MI , < HH ) . Got 900,000. Another Instance showing the looseness of the business methods of the bank at this time was In the case of an irresponsible army officer of Cordoba , who wanted to borrow $6,000 to build a house. He knew Celman , who was then president of the Argentine , and ait his request the president gave him a note to the bank officials , but through a misunderstanding as to the amount wanted asked the , bank to lend him $60,000 Instead of $6,000. Thp officer went to the bank- , showed the letter and signed an application , which the clerk made out for him , the clerk putting In the $60,000 as requested by the president. The bank directors voted that ho should have the money , and the papers were made out , the officer signing the note without scanning the figures. When this was done the teller of the bank shoved out $60,000 to the officer , whereupon ho replied that ho had not asked for $60,000 , but wanted only $6,000. Thereupon they showed him the papers. The oftlcer pointed out the mistake and asked wnat he should do. They replied that ho had better take the $6,000 and leave the rest of the money on deposit , and that when the first payment came due "ho could pay the whole note. So leaving the $54,000 the officer went away. Later on , however , ho met a friend who persuaded him he would be a fcol not to take all the money , as ho could certainly make more by using it for speculating. The result was he did take It and lost the -whole , and the bank was never repaid. Orders like this for money from public officials were frequently given to this na tional bank. The standing of the man who was to receive the money was seldom ques tioned , although his notes were taken In exchange for the cash. I have heard of common peons who thus got money on their worthless notes at the Instance of politi cians , who took the money and paid them for their trouble The bank would accept drafts twenty or thirty times greater than those which Its directors authorized. One of the directors was always to bo bought by a bribe. False balance sheets were periodically published to deceive the public , and dividends which had never been earned were paid out of the bank capital. The bank at the start had a capital of $8,000,000. Ten years later this was raised to about $20,000,000 , and It was afterwards Increased to $30,000,000. In one year Its deposits wore $253,000,000 , and Its loans over $412,000,000. It had In its vaults $132,000,000 of national treasury bills , and It had a savings department in which $1,100,000 was deposited. The bank went down In the panic , as did other banks of similar character. One was a mortgage bank whose business was lending good money on bad property. The government was also Interested In this , and many a swamp lot was used as security for a $10,000 loan. Today such banks have passed away and the man who .makes money out ot the government must do so either through bribery or through the getting of fat contracts. IlllC I'ulillc John. Buenos Ayres has many fine public build- Incs. It has as fine steamship docks as can bo found anywhere In the world , and It is now building a great structure to corre- sponl with our national capltol at Wash ington. I do not know the exact amount of money that Is to be epent upon this. Some of the public buildings already erected are extravagant beyond description. Take , for Instance , the water works. The houses of the rich millionaires of New York have no finer tiles about their mantels than the ma terial which forms the outside ot this great public building. The structure covers four acre ] , and thlfl whole block is faced , not with stone or pressed brick , but with costly porcelain tiles. Every tile was Imported from Eneland. I have seen the tiled walls and roofs of the palaces of the emperor at Peking , but the water works building at Buenos Ayres has a finer covering. The building has cost about as much as our national library at Washington , and ltd only use Is to hold twelve great Iron tanks , through which Is filtered the water of Buenos Ayres. The tanks themselves cost $2,000,000. They are worth seeing. Each of them weighs 14.000 tons , and they fill the great building from floor to mansard. The water flows In from the river through pipes , so largo that they can carry 20,000- 000 gallons In twenty-four hours. The tanks will hold 15,000 gallons at ons time , but a continuous stream ot water la filter ing through them , 10 that .they contain i much moro than this amount In a day. It was charged that there was a big Job In this building , and that the government offi- claU who secured the contract were able to put In the neighborhood of $1,000,000 Into their own pockets. Jobbery In Hallivayn. There has also been considerable Jobbery In government railroads , I am told , and , In deed , the government finds that It cannot afford to hold on to Its railroad property , There are annually deficits where there should be dividends. The lines arc rapidly passing Into the hands of the English. Those which are still controlled by the gov ernment have such poor rolling stock that ( the private companies will not allow gov ernment cars to pass over their rails. They prefer to transship. Appointments on the government railways are commonly made i without regard to efficiency or previous ex- ' perlenco. Politicians after a Job apply for I the places. Ono prominent man recently asked to bo made assistant manager ot the j Central Argentine system. He was ques tioned as to bis experience. Ho replied that ho knew all about the railroad , for bo had traveled over It as o. passenger several times. j I i The government lines are generally In bad 1 condition. All sorts of Jokes are made concerning them , a common charge being that they should put cow catchers on the ROBSON ON STAGE SUCCESS Observations and Experiences of a Veteran of the Footlights , THE WAY TO WIN PUBLIC FAVOR An IiiMitrntlnit fit a Crltlrnl Moment Saved IIU Own Career Heeol- lectloiiM of Forrciit and the Ilootlm , ( Copyright. 1893 , by S. S. McClurc Co. ) Stuart Robson , whose long experience on the American stage has made htm a fa miliar figure to theater-goers , does not be lieve In the so-called schools ot dramatic art. Uobson was trained on the stage In the days of Forrest and the elder Booth , and he Is still of the opinion that the theater la the most efficient school ot act- Ing. "There Is only one way to learn how to act , " he said , "and 'that Is to go on the stage and act. In all the history ot the English-speaking stage there have been only two great exponents of the dramatic STUART ROBSON AS HE IS TODAY ( MOST RECENT PHOTOGRAPH. ) rear of the trains to keep the cattle from I running over them. The private lines , on ' the other hand , make money. They ere | well managed and economically run. I * The. Matter of Jnntlce. I Theoretically the judicial system of the ' Argentine Republic Is a beautiful one. There Is a supreme court of five Judges , which la also a court of appeal. There Is an attorney general , who Is supposed to bring criminals to the bar , and there are a number of In- 1 ferlor and local courts. According to the constitution trial by Jury must be given la criminal cases and each state has ita own ! Judicial system. In 1895 4,500 criminal cases were tried In Buenos Ayres and there wore during this year 14,000 arrests for breaches , ot the peace. You find policemen on every corner In the Argentine capital. They are i well dressed , carrying swords , with which I they are ready to cut down any one who resists them. On opera nights a company of mounted police upon prancing steeds guards the streets leading to the opera house and generally you will find that order in Buenos Ayres is an well kept aa in any city of the world. The matter of a police appointment , however , is one of political influence and the police are very careful whom they arrest. One ot the dlstlnguldoa or upper class of young men may got as drunk as ho pleases and It Is rare that ho will be arrested , while a poor Italian or Spaniard will be quickly taken to Jail. In the courts the rich stand a much better chance than the poor. There are of course some Just Judges , but the man who will accept a bribe le In the majority. Prominent Argentines are awarded tbo preference In the courts where the matter ot right is at all equally balanced , and as a rule the man who sees the Judge first has the best chancb ot a decision in his favor. There Is no lack of lawyers , for the young Argentines of good families as a rule adopt the law as a profession , many of them not expecting to practice , but only to have the title of doctor before their names. There nro some that are very good at the law and many have large Incomes from this source. It Wad All In the Signature. Speaking of the morality of high Argen tine officials , I heard the other day a story of President Celman In connection with the national bank , of which I have already written. The Influence of the president was such that a note from him would usually result In the holder getting the loan. The president was overwhelmed with such rc- j quests , some coming from men whose 111- will he could not afford to have. He never refused to grant such favors. He would re ceive the men cordially , and tell them they could have the money. He would then write a letter to the directors of the bank , saying : "I know this man Is all right , and I wish you could grant him the loan. " He would sign such a letter , and the man would go at once to the bank , and be sur prised to find It refused. The truth was that President Celman had an understand ing with the directors of the bank as to his signature , according an certain curves were made this way or that. If the final "n , " for instance , was elongated Into a scrawl , it meant that the man was to have the money , whereas , If it was cut off short , the directors would know that the preslden' meant. "I am Just writing this letter to get rid of the man , and it would be a favor to me if you would refuse him. " FRANK G. CARPENTER. Cubaim ( ilven a Hint. HAVANA , Dec. 21. A committee of Cubans this morning called on General Wade , the president ot the American Evacu ating commission , and Inquired it the com * mlssloners would object to Cuban troops coming to Vedado today. General Wads replied : "Perhaps It is better that armed Cubans should not assemble on parade and as the city will be under command of Gen eral Brooke beginning on January 1 It will be better to consult him. " General Wade In effect politely told the Cubans to keep the troops out of the city. The United States cruised Cincinnati has arrived here from Santiago. Hu-caa ? Perhaps you can wuy don't you try ! art whoso succees has been won in auy other way. They were David Garrlck and Mary Anderson , two commanding geniuses whose powera were no g.rfa.t atj.hey were. not obliged t T waTk ttio path'of'ordinary mortals. "Do not misunderstand this. I have known many talented persons who have been able to act acceptably after being taught In the schools , but whatever they have at tained of true success has been In spite of their teaching In the schools and not be cause of it. Acting Is different from most other professions. The principles ot law , theology and the sciences may bo learned in school and knowledge of these princi ples Is the main thing with these who be come lawyers , divines , teachers , chemists and the like. You may after a fashion learn what are called the principles of dramatic art , but their application can bo learned before the footlights only. "I was led to comprehend thlo truth years ago when only a young man. I was playIng - Ing with Ben De Bar , after Mr. Burton , one of the most capable comedians of mod ern times. I hod reason to hope that I was getting on , yet I was far from satisfied with myself. So , ono night , after a scene in which I had been on the stage for some mlnutea with Do Bar , I thought I would get some instruction. I told him I was not pleased with my bearing in that scene ; that I was especially disturbed about the way I managed my hands. " 'Don't worry over your hands , Mr. Rob- son , ' he said , 'forget them. ' "You see , I had been thinking of my STUART ROBSON AT EIGHT YEARS OF AGE , WHEN HE BEGAN TO "PLAY THEATRICALS. " ; hands all through the scene. And , of course , I had been doing something with | them. Now , it is not so easy as one might think to do nothing with your hands and It was some tlrau after that before I could compass ! pass It. Ono night I rtallied that I had ' not thoueht of them from the time the cur tain first went up to Its final fall. I hoped J I was getting 011 before that night. Then I knew It. I.ram to Act lir ArtliiK. "If you were a young man , determined to go on the stage nnd anxious to get advlco from me as to your best course , I should say get a place In a company and begin. It would not matter bow Insignificant the -rle | BO long as you secured a chance to 'go on. ' If you had It In you to act It would coino > out. No , I wouldn't advise a preliminary course In any of the dramatic schools , so- calCt'U , for on the stage jou would have to unlearn most of what you had been taught. Wu are constantly showing young actors i and actresses how to forget what they have > been taught In the schools. "After you have got your chance to tread the boards , I thould say pay close attention to the Instructions of the stage managur. The success of each production depends ! upon the conduct ot each and all the actors and It is the stage manager's business to see that all appear to the best advantage possible , both Individually and as a com pany. "Next to the stage manager the young actor will find the older members of the profession tbo best sources of Instruction , Actors generally delight to hulp each other and 1 have yet to learn of a player of ex perience and ability who would not go out ot his way to give points to an Inexperienced actor of Intelligence and ambition , ItoliNon and Hiltvln llooth. "In a way I may say that my earliest In structions were received from Edwin Booth , " continued Mr. Robson , "but they were not very elaborate , slncoo were both youngsters when they were given. "Most of my boyhood days were spent In Baltimore , though I was born In Annapolis. Our family was not very prosperous when wo removed to Baltimore , and my mother opened a general boarding house , which In tlmo came to be a theatrical boarding house. All boys , as you know , are fond of the I theater , and the fact that actors ate at my j mother's table , where they were constantly talking shop , added to my natural infatua tion for the stage. By the time I was 12 I was fully determined to be on actor , and nothing could change my mind. One of my closest companions was a boy named Theodore Hamilton , a member of my com pany this season , by the way , and ono day , as we were talking In the street together , he pointed out a tall , awkward boy on the opposite side of the way. " 'That boy's father , ' said Theodore , 'Is a very big actor. His name Is Junlus Brutus Booth , and the boy's name Is Edwin. ' "I remember that I Tookcd at that boy with awe and wished ho were a friend of mine , but you know how It Is with boys of ir > and boys of 12. Ho was a big boy , and wo were llttlo boys. There was a great gulf between us. Later wo heard that Edwin Booth , my older brother , and a few other big boys were getting up a llttlo dramatic company. Still later they said wo smalt boys Edwin's brother , John Wilkes Booth , being among the number might sometimes take part , and wo actually did so a few times , the performances being of pieces manufactured expressly for our own com pany by Its older members. Our admission prices ranged from 1 cent for a boy to 3 cents for an Irish washerwoman , nnd we used to take In enough money to buy candles for the footflghts. My own appear ances , however , weer few , slnco my mother objected to so email a boy as I appearing on a stage , even In play , and ono night she climbed to the loft where our show was goIng - Ing on and took me away by force. The Doyn' Theater. "That almost broke my heart , and the older boys Jeered me unmercifully about It. Worao yet , they said I couldn't play In their company any more , for they weren't going to bn bothered with boys not old enough to bo untied from their mothers' apron strings. But they did consent to let me sit in the audience , deadhead , and I was a regular at tendant Ono night they had a big house. There were several pay boy , another dead head besides myself and at least four wash erwomen present. Just as the curtain went up an unusual thing occurred. A man paid his way In and came climbing up the ladder. ' Ho was all muffled up In an attempt to hide hlB face , but I noticed that his eyea were 1 piercing and that be bad a broken nose. The l > oys boforo-therfoot < Jgats"paI < ; little erne no attention to him at first , but the time came when bo held the center of the stage. i Edwin had Just come on and waa rolling off his lines nt a great rate , when the muffled-up man suddenly exposed his face , with the piercing eyes and the broken nose , and , I striding from auditorium to stage both being on the same level seized the boy by the car , cuffed him soundly and hauled him struggling down the ladder. It was the elder Booth who had broken up the per formance. He was ot one mind with my mother as to the propriety of boys playing at theatricals. Edwin was then sent per emptorily to the family farm at Bel Air , Md. , and ,1 never saw him again till after he had become famous and I had myself been a professional actor for years. When I met him I asked him if ho remembered how his father had yanked him out of that loft. He did perfectly and we had a good , hearty laugh over the remembrance. HOUNOII'H I.ucky Thought. "I cannot help thinking that stage suc- cossea are sometimes the result of lucky accidents. I will Instance an experience of my own as an example : "My first professional engagement was as a member of the old Baltimore Museum company , when John Owens was manager of that theater. The piece was the 'Uncle Tom's Cabin As It Is. ' written and per formed to counteract Mrs. Stowe's work , which was then meeting with tremendous success both between covers and on the stage. I had only ono line , and It was purely tragedy , the words being : "Farewell , my mother farewell , perhaps forever ! " I "I had studied that line long and earn estly and fancied I could throw a heap of pathos Into it , but my delivery brought out a boisterous roar from every part of the house. That ended my engagement. "In 1861 I was a member of a vagabond road company , playing all sorts of roles In all sorts of places. Ono night Joseph Mur phy , the manager of the Philadelphia Arch Street theater , was In the audience. After the performance ho sought me out and asked mo to take supper with him. At supper ho ' Inquired If I would like to Join the Arch | Street Stock company. It was llko asking ; mo if I would llko to leave purgatory for heaven. Would $30 a week and two benefits do ? It would. "So I Joined the Arch Street Stock com pany. J. S. Clarke , now a famous actor in I England , had preceded me , and so had the elder John Drew. It was uphill work for ' mo a long tlmo. I played Bob Acres the first ! night. I was as anxious to make the people ' laugh that night as I had been to impress them seriously when on the stage of the Baltimore museum , but the house was as silent as the grave over my work. I couldn't ralso the ghost of a laugh. After the curtain went down It was decided to drop j me as soon as It could be done decently. In the meantime I was cast to play the lead- , Ing part In 'John Wopps , Policeman. ' Now , It chanced at that time that Philadelphia was all stirred up over a real policeman who was In love with a widow and had , left his post to court her. Ho declared that t ho had been absent In pursuit of duty. In j the play I made love to a butcher's wife , played by Cornelia Jefferson , Joseph Jeffer son's sister and the butcher discovered me j embracing her , whereat he cried out : I " 'Knuck s o' beef and ribs o' weal ; hure'a a go , What's this I see ? ' ' "I don't recall the written answer to this , but I do remember the one I Improvised. It t came to me like a Hash. It was the luckiest accident of my life. Without removing my I arm from about the woman's slender form , I Mid : " 'How dare you Interrupt a policeman In the pursuit of his official duties , sir ? ' "That brought down the house and there waa no more talk about getting rid of mo as soon as poiwlblo. In fact , from that time I was a great favorite In Philadelphia. Itolmon and Forrrol , "I met with an accident when playing with Forrest once that was not so lucky , though no very serious resuMs followed. The piece was 'Richelieu , ' I waa De Ber- Ingon , the ( op of the play. When ntehcllcu , sick almost unto death , came on , leaning on Joseph's arm , Do Derlngcn sajs , among other things : " Tact In philosophy I Foxes have nlno lives as well as cats. ' "Some time during the day an actor tolil mo an absurd misreading of tills Tine , and 1 was so tickled with the story that I laughed about It at Intervals every half tioui all day long. It was running through my head when I went on the utage. I couldn't banish It , and It remained with mo when Forrest began his speech. However , I went ahead , full ot confidence : " 'Fact In philosophy. ' rolled glibly from my tongue , 'foxes have nlno tails OB well as cats ! " "I saw something was wrong from Forrest's face before I knew what that uomethlng was. Then I heard ttio audience screech with hysterical laughter. " 'Huh , ' grunted Forrest so load that ho could bo heard all over the theater , 'welf , by all that's Infernal , hear that ! ' "lly that time the curtain was coming down In response to a hurry cull from the prompter's bel ? . " GOSSIP A1IOUT MITKU I'KOI'I.E. After the assassination of her husband , the president of the French republic. Mine. Carnet established a foundation ot 11,000 francs , the Income to bo devoted to aiding worklngmon's widows with children. At her death she bequeathed an additional sum ot 50.000 francs for the same purpose , and pro vided that her diamonds should be sold to furnish the money. This was recently done In I'arls at auction. Joseph Jefferson , when asked the other day why ho never brought his dog "Schneider" upon the stage In "Hip Van Winkle , " replied : "The public could not pay mo a higher compliment than to want to scoa ( dog It has only heard of. It shows Interest In me. Dut I dislike realism In art , and realism alive , and with a tall to wag at the wrong time , would be embarrassing. Hold the mirror up to nature , It you like ; but don't hold nature up. Olvo us a reflec tion ot the thing , but not the concrete thing Itaelf. " Dr. D. K. Pearsons of Chicago , who has given so much money -to colleges , disclaims any special credit for doing so. "I do not pose as a benevolent man , " ho says. "I have labored nearly eighty years to make money have made It , and honestly , too. The statement may seem very strange to you when I say that I do not pose as a benevolent man. 1 have no benevolence In me not a particle. I am the most eco nomical , close-fisted man you ever put your eyes on. You can sea It In my face It Is there. I do not think I over foolishly spent $20 In my life. " Of the late Colonel Henry Lee of Boston the following story Is told : A business man of that city had a very gentlemanly little fellow for an office boy he's a business man himself now , and well fulfills the promise ot his youth. One day ho was sent to Colonef Lee's office with a message. He returned delivered the answer , and no more was thought of It until the next day , when the good colonel climbed three long flights ot stairs to say that he had never sera so courteous and gentlemanly a boy ; that ho had done his errand with a grace and cour tesy that many a man might envy , and that lii > . ' felt" it 'hls'-duty to- come and 'Bay So to the boy's employer. The last number of The Harvard Gradu ates' Magazine says that Dr. W. L. Russell ot Barre , Mass. , who was graduated from Harvard In 1826 and Is the oldest living Harvard graduate , had his brother , James Russell of Lowell , as a guest on his ninety- ninth birthday , October 28. James , It seems , In 91 years old , and the two ofd boys , it Is stated , "played whist and croquet , climbed apple trees , filling their pockets with the fruit , went In swimming , took a tramp of about four miles after the cows , picking ten quarts of blackberries on the way , went to a corn-roast In the evening , followed by an oM-fashloned shakedown In the kitchen and another round of whist later on. " Parnell hnd some pet superstitions , ac cording to his biographer , Harry O'Brien. "Ho would not pass another person on the stairs. Ho was horrow-strlcken to find himself sitting with three lighted candles ; the fall of a picture In the room made him dejected for the entire afternoon ; and ho would have nothing to do with an Important bill drawn up by a colleague because It happened to contain thirteen clauses. Ho also thought green n most unlucky color a strange and Inconvenient feeling for a nationalist lender 'and the sight of green banners at the political meetings he ad dressed often unnerved him. " The Washington correspondent of the Chicago Tribune says : "Although against tbo expressed wishes of James Q. Elaine , his last resting-place in Oak Hill cemetery liars been marked by a simple marble shaft. In JS90 , when Walker Blalno died , the magnetic statesman from Maine went to this cemetery with a friend to select a site for the burial , and In the center of the lot chosen the Plumed Knight noticed a gnarled and twisted hickory tree , which was blasted and dead. As Blalno looked at the tree ho re marked to his friend that It aptly rep- esentcd his blasted and disappointed life , and requested that nothing should mark his I grave but the dead tree. His wishes In the matter were respected , and for several years It was the only mark by which the last rest- | ing-placo of the great statesman could be distinguished. A few months ago the tree was blown down during a cyclone , and Mrs. Blalno decided to have the grave suitably marked , and selected a monument . exactly llko the one over Walker RIalne's 11 tomb. It is a marble shaft about eight feet high , without any Inscription except tlie name of Mr. Blalno and the date of Ills birth nnd death. EXPLOSION KILLS MINERS Severn ! Thonirht in lie Imprlnnnpil lit Chiiniliem nml IloHCue Party Gee to Their Itellef. SHAMOKIN , Pa. , Dec. 24. A terrific cx- plosion of gas occurred today In the east gangway of the Luke Fidler shaft , in which two persons were fatally Injured and sev- ' eral others hurt seriously , and It Is feared that some others will bo killed In the shaft by black damp. The fatally injured are : John Gorslll , married , and Michael Curtoskle. married. The seriously Injured are : Michael and John Splltt and Frank Shook , all married. After the explosion Superintendent Kohl- braker and Foreman Herr headed a rescuIng - Ing party and are now making an attempt j to explore various mine chambers In search of n few men supposed to have been over come by black dcinp. It has not yet been determined what caused the explosion. The force of tbo explosion was so great that ten batteries and timber sets were blown to piecei. lletter. MADRID. Deo. 21 , The condition of Senor Sagasta , the premier , was somuwhat belter this morning and tin- attending doctors are now hopeful of hla recovery. BLOCKADE AT POSTOFFICE Santa Glaus' Business Swamps the Lccul Postal Employes , TONS OF MAIL MATTER PILED AROUND Aernninlatrn Faster thnii the l < * oroc Can Iliinillt * It nml the Incoming Tl'le In Still Hnnldly. The people at the postoffico are still swamped with the holiday mall , tons and tons of It having accumulate * ! during the last twenty-four hours. In fact this mall has never been so heavy as this year. The old employes In the postofflco say that thla year the Christmas mall both out nnd In is about double that of any founcr year. The number of registered packages going and cumlng Is over 100 per cent greater than last year. The postolfico force Is no greater than last year , _ nnd the employes are working night and "day. When they get ono batch of mall cleared awny , another comes In and thus It goes from day to day. Clerks In the execu tive office have bc < m pressed Into the semco and even Superintendent of Malls Cramer has been compelled to take a hand In or der to get th blockade lifted. While there Is a little break in the outgoing mall , the Incoming Is Just at its height. In the space set aside for the carriers , the floor U filled high with sacks and bundles , many of them not having been "worked. " This condition la expected to continue until Mon day at least , and If the Omaha people do not receive their Christmas presents on time , they may know that It Is due to the fact that'tho postofllco has not had tlmo to dls- cngago them from tlio great mass that baa accumulated. The railway mall service Is In about as bad a condition as , the local , every car going and coming being filled to 'tho root with holiday packages. To relieve this congested condition , extras have been put onto all ot the trains. The Union Pacific , Burlington , Missouri Pacific , Milwaukee , Rock Island nnd Elkhorn are each carrying from two TO half a dozen extra mall clerks , all of whom arc having all of the business 'that ' they can handle. The mall clerks on the branch lines are having It a little easier , as tno clerks on the trunk lines are working the Etuff up Into pouches , thus saving an en ormous amount of work that otherwise would have to bo performed by the men who work out and In on the branches. Yesterday was pay day at the postoffico nnd during the day all of the employes , In cluding carriers and clerks , received their pay for the month of December. It Is the custom to pay oft on the 28th of each month , but In order that the postal people may have their money to Invest In Christmas presents , if they so desire. Postmaster Martin ban pushed the December pay day up a few notches. Watchman Honey , recently appointed tea a position in the new postofflce building has failed to report for duty. On account of 'the. holiday rush at the building , his nonappearance pearance Is working a great inconvenience. Haney is one of the men who took the civil service examination many months ago. ft MISSING WOMAN AND GIRL One May He Dead anfl the Other May He Located Somewhere in , the City. Rose Masters of 105 North Twelfth street Is reported to have been missing slnco De cember 7. She had been working nt that number and was apparently satisfied , so her sudden disappearance is unaccountable. She eald she had a sister In Lincoln , hut nothing has been heard from there , so It Is not known whether she went to the capital or not. The woman waa in the habit ot using morphlno continually and It la believed she took moro than she couM stand In some out of the way place. The morning she left she told ono of the girls with whom she as sociated that sbo would never sec her again. She was 47 years ot age , had a sharp nose , sharp , pointed chin , blue eyea which were shifty and unsettled when talking to any one. She had a pecuflar walk , looking as If nho were about to run constantly. Anna Pease , a 13-year-old girl living nt Twenty-fourth and Spring streets , disap peared from homo on December 22. She was left at home by her parents and upon their return a silver dollar was missing. The father and the girt had some words over It and ho was going to punish her when she left the house. The last seen of her was at Oak and Twentieth streets. She la slender , has light complexion , light brown , hair and blue eyes. She wore a black skirt and black striped sateen waist when Bho left. She speaks both English and Ger man very well. EXPERT SURGEONS COMING Western Anioplatlon to Meet In Omaha DurliiK the End of Holiday Week. The eighth annual meeting of the West ern Surgical and Gynecological association will be held In Omaha , December 28-29. The meetings will bo at the Elks' club rooms , Fifteenth and Farnain streets , with the opening session nt 10 o'clock on the mornIng - Ing of December 28. President Falrchlld of Clinton , la. , delivering the address. During the two days ot the convention there will bo three meetings dally , morning , after noon and evening. It Is expected that there will be from seventy-five to 100 memhera In attendance. The program furnishes the Information that there will be fifty-two topics brought up for discussion. All of them pertain to medical affairs. The con vention will close with a banquet at the Paxton hotel , which has been selected as the headquarters for the members. MONEY IS JUST ROLLING IN SiiliMcrlhern to the New KiponHlou Fund I'ay the AmiCNNiiieiit ulth Wonderful Promptitude , The rush of subscriber * to pay the as sessment on their stock In the Greater America Exposition continues. Secretary Smith says men have called personally at his office , without waiting to receive the official notice of the assessment having been made , who have never been known to Hhow so much Interest In public entcrprlw ) before. Further , they seem pleased to be privileged to hold stock In the cntcrprlno and to pay assessments. Several subscrib ers have signified their wllllngnejs to double their holdings of stock If It becomes necessary to Insure the fiucrcra of the en terprise. Monteiificrlu .SolillitrN I VIENNA , Dec. 21. It Is now learned that the several hundred Montenegrin soldiers who were recently overtaken by a snow Blorm In the I > am pass and who were thought to have been frozen to death suc ceeded In making their way through tau heavy drifts and have arrived safely at Podgerltz , a town of Montenegro.