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Current Topics
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Chicago's Uhird Mayor.
That the third mayor of Chicago is
now allvo and nblo occasionally to
malto his appearance In the streets of
the city over whoso destinies ho onco
presided, seems at first thoughts to bo
an astonishing fact. Everybody
knows, who over stops to think, that
Chicago is a very young city, but tho
most do not stop to think, or, anyhow,
do not on this matter of Chicago's
paucity of years. Measuring tlmo by
tho successlvo mayors and their terms,
it Is seen that tho first mayor might
well bo living today, and possibly not
yet a very old man. But tho first may
or, W. B. Ogden, was about 40 years of
ago when ho was elected, and, though
ho was a remarkably robust and
healthy man, ho could not havo been
expected to llvo to bo 103.
Tho third mayor, Alson S. Sherman,
was about 34 years old when ho was
elected mayor ho was born at Barrc,
Vt, In 1811 and consequently ho is
Xv
Countess of Birmingham.
An American woi.ian is to be tho
first countess of Birmingham. Joseph
Chamberlain, sec
retary of state for
tho British colon
ics, is to bo created
Earl of Birming
ham, and his beau
tiful and accom
plished American
wife, formerly Miss
Endicott of Bos
ton, will conse
quently become a
countess. Almost Mrs. Chamberlain.
nlono among tho important cities of
tho empire, Birmingham hns been ab
sent from the roster of tho upper houso
of parliament, and now this neglect,
according to persistent rumors in well-
informed quarters, is about to bo re
paired by tho elevation of Colonial
Secretary Chamberlain to tho peerage,
with tho title of carl of Birmingham,
his American wife, daughter of Presi
dent Cleveland's secretary of war, En
dicott, becoming first countess of Bir
mingham.
ALSON S. SHERMAN.
Third Mayor of Chicago.
now 89. Ho Is well prcsorved and, al
ways large and flno-looklng, ho is now
truly patriarchal. Ho resides at Wau-
kegan, a suburb of Chicago, and does
not often visit tho city, not because ho
is to feeblo for that, but ho likes tho
spaciousness and comforts of his semi-
country homo.
'Grotuth of "Oleo" Business.
As Indicating tho enormous growth
of tho oleomargarlno business In tho
lost fow years It is stated"that during
tho last year 104,000,000 pounds of
"olco" wero sold in the United States,
much of It under falsa pretenses ns
genuine butter. ThlB was a jump of
125,000,000 pounds over tho sales of the
previous year. During tho last year
also tho numbor of oleomargarine fac
torles in tho United States has in
creased from seventeen to twenty-six,
In thirty-two states of tho Union thero
are now in exlstcnco laws which nb
,solutely prohibit tho manufacture of
oleomargarlno colored to Imltato but
ter. Notwithstanding theso laws, how
ever, no less than 80,000,000 pounds of
tho imitation butter wero sold in the
Btatea referred to during tho last year
In tho Grout bill, now beforo con
gress, It is proposed to make tho tax
on oleomargarlno a part of tho inter
nal rovonuo tax of tho. federal govern
ment. Whllo tho state laws aro not
enforced it Is safo to say that tho fed
cral statute would be, as tho tax would
bo collected at the factory. Under the
provisions of tho Orout bill it is not
proposed to hinder or interfere with
tho sale of "oleo" when offered on its
own merits and without nny attempt to
dccelvo peoplo into thinking they arc
buying butter. With this idea in vlow
tho present tax of two cents a pound
which is collected on all oleomargar
ino is to bo reduced to ono-quartcr of
a cent a pound on oleomargarine
-which Is nut on tho market in
Its uncolored and natural condi
tlon. On oleomargarlno which
artificially colored yellow to Imitate
butter tho tax Is to bo raised, on tho
other hand, to ten conts a pound. This
provision will make it unprofitable for
manufacturers and dealers to contlnuo
their present policy of selling cplorcd
Mosaics in an Old Tomb.
A German archaeologist, Professor
Jacobsthnl, has just returned to Berlin
from an' expedition Into Asia Minor,
whero for eighteen months ho has been
engaged In researches along tho lines
In which ho Is most particularly inter
ested. Ho spent most of his tlmo in
eastern Armenia, in tho valley of tho
Aras. In a lecturo recently doliverod
In Berlin tho professor says that but
two of tho ancient monuments in cast
cm Armenia aro still in exlstenco, and
theso two aro of such highly artificial
work that ono cannot find Its equal
In any part of Asia Minor. Tho
smaller ono of theso monuments used
to bo tho mausoleum of Jusuf Ibu
Kutaljr, and according to well-pre
served inscription was built in 1162. It
Is an octagonal building, somo 2G feet
In diameter and about 34 feet high up
to the roof. Tho other ono Is tho
mausoleum of Mu MIno Chatune, who
was tho wlfo of tho Soldchuk prlnco
SHO"RT SESSION OF COJVGHESS
(Washington Letter.)
Tho session of Congress which met
December 3d Is invested with historic
interest, becauso It was Just 100 years
ago that Congress first met In the cap
ital city nnd In tho capltol building.
November 17 was tho centennial day.
"It was tho day," says a writer,
"when tho young nation left its tem
porary abiding placo in Philadelphia
and came to Its permanent homo and
to a new building reared for its legis
lative bodies. Congress had adjourned
In Philadelphia on May 14, 1800, to
meet in this city on November 17, and
Immediately after tho adjournment
Ship Subsidy Hill.
The ship subsidy bill, which carries
an appropriation for ten years for
American ships engaged In tho foreign
trade, will come up and will bo fought
fiorcely. Its fnto Is uncertain. Tho
houso will probably- pas3 It, but tho
senate may tako ndverso action. Ene
mies of tho bill estimate that It wilt
cost about $300,000,000 In ten years for
subsidies, but Us friends contend that
tho cost will bo comparatively slight,
tho results considered.
It Is pretty well understood that
thoro will bo somo reduction In war
taxes, and tho opinion provalls that
sorblng topic of th rrcok In Washing
ton. Tho canal proposed by this measure
Is an American canal, in fact as well
as in name. Without reference to tho
Hay-Pauncefoto ncgotlatlons.and inde
pendently of tho provisions or restric
tions of tho proposed treaty, tho Hep
burn bill authorizes tho president to
acqulro from Costa Itica and Nica
ragua tho necessary territory, nnd to
pay for tho same; empowers tho sec
retary of wnr to proceed to construct
tho canal; it empowers him llkowlso to
fortify It; and It limits tho total cost
to $140,000,000, directly appropriating
I ,
a great opportunity and a crying need,
exists, says tho Tribune. Thoro nro in
the city a considerable numbor of so-
called music linlls and concert saloons
In which not only tho songs but othor
features of the performances nro cal
culated to offend nnd shock decent
people. Tho only way to reform most
of theso places would bo to rcvoko
their liquor licenses and close thorn up
entirely. Jho proprietors of some of
these resorts nro men who boast their
political Infiuonco nnd "pull." Thoy, It
Is to bo presumed, will bo left to ele
vate tho stage In their own way.
Annual AttacK.on Santa Ctaus
Every year nt about this season
number of well meaning but probably
dyspeptic gentlemen mako a furlouu
and mirth-provoking attack on Santa
Claus. According to tholi own state
ments tho poor old salut Is nothing but
nn Idle myth and whllo thoro nro bo
many real llvo flesh and blood dragons
stalking around through tho land It
seems n pity that so murh energy nnd
argumentative Heal should bo wasted
on him. Don Qulxoto charged n wind
mill, but that was becauso thoro was
no other opponent vlrlblo on tho hor
izon. Tho mnn who couchc3 n lunco at
Krlss Krlnglo must overlook n hun
dred groat enemies to tho moral and
physical wolfaro of all mankind In or
der to tuko from childhood a happy
and certainly an Innocent Illusion.
But, Bay tho amusing mcmborn of tho
Antl-Santn Claim association, thoro is
no Btich a person ns Krlss Krlnglo. Ho
nover existed. Therefore, to toll a
child about Santa Claim and his rein
deer Ib to tell him n Ho and Ih dcoply
reprehensible. It Is to bo wondered
whether such painfully nnd pitifully
literal peoplo over watched a couplo
of healthy children at their play.
AT THE TAP OF THE GAVEL.
(Scene at tho opening of tho short session of Congress.)
MAUSOLEUM OP JUSUF IBU
KUTAIJR.
Hdcglz, and was built In 118C. In its
form it Is a ten-cornered tower, 35
feet In diameter and about 78 feet high
up to tho roof.
Tal-Oation
GROWTH OF OLEOMARGARINE
BUSINESS IN RECENT YEARS.
oleomarEarlno as butter, which is a
fraud on the consumer nnd on
farmer and dairyman as well.
the
Voter Aged 88 years.
"Uncle Jimmy" Larkln of Cawker
City, Kan., has voted tho whig or Re
publican ticket ever slnco tho days o,
William Henry Harrison, uncio Jim
my, who Is a veteran of tho civil war,
has been confined to his room for twe
years and ns election day npproached
ho was much exorcised for fear he
should not bo ablo to cast his vote
In tho forenoon of Nov. C the local G
A. It. men went to his homo with t
chair draped in American lings. Ir
this they carried tho old man to tin
noils ho is 88 and Undo Jimmy do
posited what la likely to bo his last
presidential ballot.
Ga-Oe Abuay Millions.
The old lady who rocontly died am
left President Loubet or trance i
legacy of $1,000,000, gavo away gren
sums In charity during her lire. O:
ono occasion a man to whom alio hai
riven n large sum for charity said t
M. Loubet: "In very deed sho carrlo
her heart in her hand." Tho pres'-
dent's ready reply was: "Impossible
my friend her heart Is too largo fo
Commercialism in
Army.
It appears that tho strugglo between
God nnd mammon Is not unknown
even within tho ranks of tho Salvation
army. Commander Booth-Tucker re
cently discovered that tho headquar
ters of tho organization In Now Jork
wero seriously Infected with tho spir
it of commercialism in tho shape of
mining stock speculation, and tho
3trlngent measures ho hn3 taken to
suppress it havo made a stir In Salvn-
tlon Army circles not equaled slnco
Ualllngton Booth's withdrawal.
Tho deslro to lay up treasure elso-
where than In heaven Is said to date
from tho coming of an offlcor recently
transferred from Denver to Now York.
In a short tlmo a considerable numbor
3f the officers in New York had Invest
ed in gold mining shares, and Colonel
Brewer, the editor of tho War Cry, bo-
camo local manager for a largo Seat
tle company. Commander Booth-
rucker, on learning this, gavo tho
jdltor tho cholco of leaving his editor
ial position or giving up all commer
cial alliances. Tho editor promptly
.ransferred his mining stock and man
lgerlal position to a friend, but it Is
jald that many other Salvationists
tavo been affected . by the speculatlvo
iplrlt, and that this fact will flguro in
i general shake-up at tho annual as
jembly of tho council of tho national
itaff this week.
President Adams gavo directions 'for
the removal of the public ofllces, rec
ords, and property to Washington."
A Short Session.
Tho closing session of tho Fifty-sixth
Congress will laBt a scant period of
thrco months, out of which must bo
taken tho Christmas and New Year's
holidays usually a fortnight in
length. In that short tlmo whatever
Is to bo done by Congress beforo Do
comber of next year must bo douo, for
President McKInley, it is said, has no
Intention of calllnc an extra session
of tho next Congress. Ho hopes to
get (after tho extra session of tho Sen
ate, which will bo held in March to dis
pose of nominations), tho vacation
ho has not had since tho year before
his first nomination. Ho Is planning
to visit tho Pacific coast, with tho spe
cial object of attending tho launching
of tho battleship Ohio at San Fran
cisco. But, notwithstanding tho short tlmo
at tho disposal of Congress, somo leg
islation of tho utmost Importance will
bo considered. Tho program has not
been fully arranged, but It will Includo
matters which will bo debated long and
Vigorously, nnd tho opening of the Hood
gates of oratory may defeat measures
for want of tlmo to pass them.
The Spooncr Hill,
Tho Spooner bill for tho government
of tho Philippines will bo pressed for
passage It gives congressional sanc
tion to tho government of tho Islands
by tho president, and simply repeats,
in almost literal language, tho author
ity vested by congress In President
Jefferson at tho tlmo of tho Louisiana
purchase. It Is understood that con
gress may also tako up tho congress
ional apportionment bill, and great In
terest attaches to thnt measure because
not only will it necessitate the recast
ing of congressional districts In many
of tho states, but it involves a possi
bility of cutting down tho representa
tion of tho south on account of tho al
leged disfranchisement of illltor&to no
groes. For this reason tho country,
and tho south particularly, Is watching
developments. It is probable, howovor,
tho nothing will be done along this
lino. Tho president and tho leadors In
congress aro understood to bo opposed
to any action. Tho basis of represen
tation will no doubt be rnlsed to 200,
000, giving a membership of about 380,
ns compared with 357 at present.
Many 'Rcenlistments.
Out of more than 40,000 applicants
,t federal navy recruiting stations dur
ng tho latest governmental year only
,123 wero accepted, and of theso a
oteworthy porcentago were re-cnllst-lents.
Man-o'-war's men nowadays
nust possess peculiar qualifications
nd knowledge, and In order to ac
ulrc theso qualifications there must;
to schooling in nctual service Henco
he vnlue of tho training vessel sys
cm, by means of which a green lands
nan may bo turned out In six months
finished sailor for duty In ships of
var.
"Us reduction will amount to about
$30,000,000.
The Army "Bill.
An Important mensuro Is tho nrmy
reorganization bill.
Senator Hawloy of Connecticut,
chairman of tho military committee,
talking about army legislation, said:
"Just what tho details of tho bill will
bo. when agreed upon In tho commlttoo
and reported to the sennto Is a matter
of speculation. In tho near fu-
turo, of courso, thoro may bo causo
for reduction, but 100,000 men nt
least ought to bo agreed upon at
this time. Again, I think n mens
uro might bo passed cmpoworlng
tho president to use his discretion to a
great extent in determining tho exact
strength of tho army, not of courso to
exceed tho maximum fixed by congress."
The Isthmian Canal.
Tho other bill which ranks as para
mount over ovory other measure beforo
tho present congress or any other con
gress for many a session is tho Nica
ragua canal bill. Tho main facts con
cerning the status of tho canal ques
tion In congress aro summarized as
follows:
I. Tho Hay-Paunccfoto treaty of
Feb. 6, 1900, "is unratified. Tho original
convention required that tho ratifica
tions should bo exchanged within six
months; that Is to Bay, prior to Aug.
5, 1900. By a subsequent agreement
between Secretary Hay and Lord
Pauncofoto this period was extended,
and tho negotiations aro accordingly
alive. Tho ratification of tho treaty
as it now stands would admit Great
Britain and othor European powors to
Joint political control ef this American
waterway. Thoy would become guar
antors of tho neutrality of tho canal In
tlmo of war as In times of pcaco; and
theirs would bo tho right and tho duty
to enforce neutrality oven against
ourselves in any war in which this
country was engaged. Tho Hay
Pauncefoto treaty allows us to con
struct this canal, to pay for it nnd to
operate it as a truateo for tho world's
commerce; it prohibits tho fortifica
tion of tho canal by us.
The Hepburn "Bill.
II. Tho Hepburn canal bill passed
tho houso of representatives on May
2, 1900. It had not passed tho scnato
when congress adjourned. Tho bill Is
now In tho sonato. and Is tho nll-ab-
$10,000,000 for beginning tho work. Tho
Idea of neutrality nnd of supervision
to bo exercised by other governments
over our control of tho canal does not
enter.
HALL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Aztec "Relics in Mexico.
A number of Aztec relics wero dis
covered recently in tho city of Mexico
during tho excavation for sower mains
In tho Callo do las EBculcrlllas. This
street and tho rIIo of tho cathedral
formed part of tho site of tho great
temple of Huitzllopochtlo, the Aztec
god of war. Among tho figures Just
found woro roprcsontntlons of Ehecatl,
the god of air. Ono of theso Is painted
red, yellow and black, and In Bplto of
tho dampness of tho ground whero It
has luln for centuries, tho colors nro
England's Uax on Millionaires
Richard Crokor hns made tho un
pleasant discovery that It ho wishes to
llvo In England ho must puy tho Eng
lish Income tax. Tho British authori
ties cstlmato his lncomo at $100,000.
nnd thoy havo accordingly levied upon
him for $5,000 a yenr an tho prlco of
rnsldcnco In that country. At thu samo
tlmo a similar caso of still moro im
portance has Just been decided In tho
Lord Chief Justice's court, by vlrtuo
of which tho estate of another cx
Amorlcan, William L. Wluuns, is com
pollcd to. pay death duties of $1,000,
000, or nearly 10 per cent of tho cntlro
estate. At this rato tho British peoplo
can afford to glvo a cordial welcome!
to American millionaires who prefer to
llvo on British soil, ulnce tho Htrnngora
aro mado to pay roundly during llfo by
means of an Income tax and aro as
sessed still moro heavily nt death. Ai
neat sum like that from tho Wtnaua
estate should bo especially welcome)
now, when tho British rato payor must
go down Into his pockets to defray tho
$500,000,000 which tho Boor war cost.
JVorman the "Best "Dresser.
"Beat dressed man In Washington"
is tho tltlo given by national capital
society to llorman C. Norman, third
secretary of tho British legation.. Mr.
Norman, who Is ubout 28 ycaro old.
and ono of tho best looking members of
tho foreign corps, has his apartments
i i i I, i 1 1 i 1 i
THE CAPITOL B UILD1NG, WASHINGTON,
f
bright and fresh In appearance Tho 1
Images are adorned with disks of pol-1
Ishod gold which aro engraved in a
rcmarkablo manner. A numbor of
gold ornamontB for tho person, bendB,
amulets, uxes, knives, lances, and
pieces of earthenwaro also wero
found. Mr. Bates, Inspector-general of
monuments, sayB that In tho Callo do
las Esculorillas, two of tho 78 chapols
which, as Sahagun relates, surrounded
tho main templo, havo already boen
discovered. Tho first chapel discov
ered, says Mr. Batrea, was that of
Teoyanlque, goddesB of denth, with
somo flno pieces of pottory. Tho sec
ond chnpel discovered Is that of Eho
cat), tho god of ulr, also accompanied
by tho attributes known to havo bcon
plnccd about his lmogo by tho Aztec
priests.
Autocracy in Chicago.
Captain Callornn, head of tho Chi
cago detective bureau, went to a mimic
hall tho other night und woa shocked
by ono of tho songs. Accordingly ho
ordered tho objcctlonnblo lines cut out
of tho performance. When Chief Kip
loy, who prides hlmBolf oa bin ropitta
tlon as a dramatic critic, heard what
his subordinate had dono ho wa3
angry, feeling that his prerogatives
had been infringed on. In order that
ho might maintain his professional
dignity ho went to tho miiBio hall him
self and cut somo moro lines out of tho
Bamo song. Now that theso two emi
nent smgo censors havo begun to got
active it Is hoped that thoy will con
tlnuo and cnlargo their work, for which
crowded with trunks, now relays or
clothing arriving from London con
tinually. HIb latest sensation is n yol
low and black trap, In which ho drives
two coal black horses. Tho first day
ho drovo this striking turnout ho woro
a suit of palo dovo-cplor, yellow log
gings, a soft hat of dove color and a
Bash of amber silk. Two "tlgora," ono
In yellow and the other black, rldo on
tho rear scat.
Government Land in Hawaii.
A salo of government land took placo
In Olsa, near llilo, recently. Tho
prlco averaged about $50 an aero, and
tho total amount of tho salo wuh $09,
2d0. Tho terms of salo woro that tho
purchaser need not pay any of tho
purchuso prlco for ton years, provided
ho pays thu Interest on tho purchaso
prlco semi-annually In advance Bot
foro a patent can bo obtained tho pur
chaser must comply with certain con
ditions of occupation and Improve
ment. A number of tho papers In tho
lslund treat tho salo as simply a big
speculation in land, holding that tho
forms of salo woro ouch an to Induco
high prices, tho purchasers being will
ing to pay interest on tho purchaso
prlco for tho chanco of soiling tholr
rights at a profit bb tho demand for
land Increased.
Senators Chaudlor of Now Hamp
shire and Spooner of Wisconsin havo
tho reputation of bolnejbout tho best
two debaters In tho sent)?.). Mr. Chand
ler Is moro satiric and quick, but Mr.
Spoonor Is moro ready with Impromptu
argument.
that, and her hand Is too small."