I Current Topics
-A Veteran "Railroader.
' Forty-two yearn of continuous scrv
Ico with ono railroad Is not a common
record. When It Includes such Impor
tant posts ns havo heen held ly
Chnrlea E. Perkins, retiring prcHldont
of tho Chicago, Burlington nnd Qulncy
system, It marks a man of command
ing nblllty nnd power. It wan from
lho Inconspicuous position of a rail
road clerk nt a far western town that
Mr. J'crkliiH ioso to tho hend of ono
of tho greatest railroad systems In tho
world. It took him hut littlo moro
than-twenty years to climb from tho
bottom to tho loftiest height, but (lur
ing that period ho passed through all
tho grades. Ho earned promotion on
merit, and when ho becamo tho chlof
of tho Uurllugtou ho had a broad
knowledge of every department of tho
complicated business of railroading.
Ah cashier, secretary and treasurer ho
learned tho Intricacies of offlco work
nnd tho principles of flnnnclng. An
superintendent and general manngor
ho camo to know perfectly everything
from ii coupling pin to a fast ojipresn
,wlth a minuteness that mndo him
i:ommandcr of every situation In a
business full of emcgenclcs nnd of em
barrassing problems. Tho knowledgo
of both sides of tho business (ltted
CHARLES K. PERKINS,
him peculiarly well for tho position
of president, In which comprchonslvo
knowledgo makes for effectiveness.
The State Flotucr Question.
Another stato Is In tho throes of
agitation over tho question of adopt
ing n floral emblem, Tho legislature,
people, and press of Massachusetts aro
divided as between tho trailing ar
butus or mayllowor, tho adoption of
which Is provided for in u bill Intro
duced in tho houso a yenr ago, and tho
bluo Hag, known ns flag lily and Ilowor
do luco, nnd to tho botanists as Iris
versicolor.
Tho friends of tho mayllowor urgo
that it is emblematic of the punt his
tory of tho stato, Its resources aud
future promlso, and that It lends ltsolf
to artistic uso In architecture. Tho
opponents make ntiBwer that tho mny
ilowcr, Avhlch is not a May flower but
nn April flower, has no association
whatever with tho Pilgrim vossol or
that namo, ns tho plant docs not grow
in England nnd consequently tho vossol
could not havo been named for It, nnd
that as there aro sovernl plants in Mas
sachusetts known ns mayllowers tho
nrbuttiH could not havo been named
for tho vessel. As to tho resources
and 'fUturo promlso of tho common
wealth, they do not seo how they can
bo characterized by a flower which Is
so poorly adapted to tho noil of tho old
Bay State, that It la now on tho vorgo
of extinction. As to tho artlBtlc uso
of tho flower In architecture, thoy nro
certainly right In saying thnt Its small
and commonplace shapo forhldH It,
Tho native bluo Hag, on tho otbor
hnnd, is tho most beautiful of tho wild
lily faintly. It grows ovorywhoro and
'blooms profusely. It cannot bo extor
nilnnted by picking, whllo florists can
liroduco It lit any season of tho year,
whereas jthe mnyflower cannot he cul
tlvated. Moreover, its leaven nro like
tho drawn Bword lu tho Btato omblom,
its color Is that of tho flng of Ihmkor
Hill nnd the old frlgnto Constitution,
and for tho purpose of decoration and
artistic treatment it cannot be mir-
passod. Thoro 1b only ono dnngor
"which confronts tho advocates of tho
bluo flag. Tho flour do Us was tho
monarchical emblem f Franco. At
tho proper tlmo tho aunties of Huston
will muster in fono ngnlnst its adop
tion upon tho ground It will commit
the Btnlo to inounrchlstn,
"Mayor of Chtnatotun" ,
Sam Moy, "Mayor of Chinatown."
who wna mlsBlng for sovoral days,
mndo his hppcaranco In Chlcngo tho
other morning. Ho had been vialtlng
his brother celcstlnls at Kansas City
SAM MOY,
for two weeks. As nothing had boon
iiieen of him it was feared thnt ho hud
met with foul play nt tho hands of tho
-."Highlanders."
asthe WORLD
REVOLVES
for Mayor of Chicago.
Klbrldgo O. Uanecy, republican
nomlneo for mayor of Chicago, Is
Judgo of tho Circuit Court of Cook
county. Ho was a candldato for tho
gubernatorial nomination at tho
13 LB RIDGE O. HANECY.
corla convention which nomlnntod
(lovernor Yates. Horn on n fnrm In
Dodgo county, Wisconsin, fifty years
ago, bo camo to Chicago In 18C9 nnd
secured a position as clerk with Field,
Letter & Co., and later was a sales
man In tho establishment of John V.
arwcll & Co. Ho began reading law
and was admitted to tho bar In 1871.
n 1893 ho was elected Circuit Court
udgo and In Juno, 1897, was re-elected.
Donations to Libraries.
Should tho donations for libraries
contlnuo during tho present year upon
tho generous ratio which has marked
January and February they may oc
cupy first placo In tho year's totals.
During theso two months tho gifts to
libraries havo amounted to $3,148,000.
Of this Inrge amount Andrew Carncglo
has contributed $2,400,000 for twonty
soven libraries at Aurora, Decatur,
Jacksonville, Lincoln, Springfield, Cen-
tralla, and Oalcoburg, 111.; Senttlo and
Tncoma, Wash.; Syracuso, Mount Ver
non, nnd Port Jorvls, N. Y.; Conneaut,
O.; tho Upper Iowa University and
Sioux Falls, la.; Goshen nnd Marlon,
Intl.; Lcwlston, Me.; Manknto and St.
Cloud, Minn.; Grand Rapids and Snult
Stb. Mario, Mich.; Easton, Pa.; Orcon
Day, Wis.; Cumberland, Md.; Jackson,
Tonn.; nnd Norwalk, 0. In addition
to these amounts T. L. Jenks hns
glvon $45,000 to Conway, N. II.; Jarvls
''ord, $20,000 to St. Joseph. Mo.;
31lshn Converse, $125,000 to Mnlden,
Mass.; Oswald Ottondorfer, by will,
120,000 to New York; Mrs. Vnughan,
$00,000 to Ashland, Wis.; Charles F.
morson, $100,000 to Dixon, 111.;
Georgo F. Perkins, $50,000 to Akron,
and M. A. Ryorson. $150,000 to
Grand Rapids, Mich. In smaller
amounts $18,000 hns been contributed
to various localities.
Milton JS. Ailcs.
Who succeeds Mr. Vandcrllp nB as-
Blstant nocrctary of tho treasury.
A Sensible Verdict.
Somo tlmo ago tho Now York World
printed a story telling how a woman
had Induced a young German to gtvo
her nearly tho Inst dollar ho had In
tho world, promising In roturn to glvo
him a lucrntlvo position an n teacher
n hor school. Tho woman failed to
hoop hor promlso, und tho victim, hav
Ing roached tho end of his resources,
committed slucldo.
Tho woman brought suit against tho
World for libel, and tho caso was tried
and submitted to a jury a few dnys
ago, with tho result that a verdict for
yio defendant was returned within five
minutes after tho Jurors had left tho
court room.
Not only was a verdict rondored for
tho dofendant, but tho Judgo awarded
tho World an extra ullowanco of $500,
besides tho regular costs of tho action
In tho trial of tho caso tho World
pleaded Justification, and brought for
ward a lnrgo number of witnesses who
sworo that they had been defraudod
by tho woman In a similar way.
Tho tlmo waa whon tho uverago Jury
was disposed to mnko a newspaper pay
heavy damages In libel cases on al
most any sort of pretext, but thcro has
boon n markod chango In this respect
In tho last few years.
Juries aro now beginning to rcnllzo
that newspapers aro tho Bafeguardo of
tho nation, and to look to them for tho
exposure of frauds of every kind that
threaten tho public welfare,
A verdict llko this Is a healthy sign
Thoso who go beyond tho pale of th
law must expect to bo exposed, and
tho soonor thoy ronllzo tho fact tho
bottor It will bo for them.
NowspnperB will contlnuo to oxposo
frauds, and If Juries will do their duty
when evil-doors, who mnnngo to got
through tho meshes of tho law, tur
about and bring ault for damaged rep
utatlou. all will bo well.
SAYINGS and DOINGS
Consul Wildman's Successor.
The new consul general to Hongkong,
W. A. Rublce, is n tall, nthletic-lbok-Ing
young man who Is apt to impress
strangers as ono whom it might bo
unpleasant to trlflo with. Mr. Ruhleo
will not bo a stranger to his
now work. He served four years as
consul general at Prague during tho
administration of I' resident Harrlaon.
His ablo management of tho offlco won
for hi in high commendation from the
stato department. His reports wero
considered models of information,
clenrness and style.
Ho has tho good fortuno to possess
a newspnper training. His father was
for many yenrs tho editor of tho Mil
waukee Sentinel, nnd tho son hnn had
eight years' experlenco an an cdltorlnl
writer. This training has given him
an especially good Insight into Inter
national affairs and will bo of much
nsslstnncc to him In preparing his re
ports. Mr. Rublco Is now 40 years of
age. Ho graduated from Harvard and
W. A. RUBLEE.
has mastered tho German nnd French
languages. His family consists of a
wlfo nnd ono child.
Home's Graphic "Picture.
Of Professor Talt, who has resigned
tho chair of natural philosophy at
Edlnburg university, J. M. Barrio has
drawn a graphic picture in his "Edin
burgh Eleven." "I havo his figures
beforo mo," ho writes. "Tho small
twinkling eyes had a fasclnntlng
gleam In thorn; ho could concentrnto
them until thoy hold tho object look
ed nt; whon they flashed around tho
room ho seemed to havo drawn a ra
plor. I hayo scon aman fall back In
alarm under Tnlt's eyes, though there
wero a dozen benches between them."
Professor Tnlt onco demonstrated
mathematically to his own satisfac
tion that n golf ball could only bo
driven n certain distance. Tho cal
culation held good until his own sou
drovo a ball thirty yarda farther.
An Actor's Child.
Miss Loulso Drew, whoso debut In
tho part of Betty Taylor In "Richard
Carvel" has Immensely pleased her
father, John Drew, belongs to tho
third gonorntlon of tho family which
has furnished bo many distinguished
members to tho theatrical profession.
Hor grandmother, tho Into Mrs, John
Drew, wna known ns tho "mother of
tho American stage." Miss Drow haB
Just comploted her twentieth year.
She mudo hor bow in society last fall
at her father's homo In Philadelphia.
lAt that tlmo there was given In her
honor n reception at which nearly
1,000 persons wero present. Tho
charming actress was not wholly now
to tho stage when she mado her essay
In "Richard Carvel." Sho had onco
boforo appeared In a minor part. This
was about u year ago, whllo her father
was playing "Tho Tyranny of Tears"
LOUISE DREW.
at Philadelphia. It had been, howover,
her nolo experlenco ns an actress until
her formal debut tho other ovonlng.
Cottagc of Tetcr the Great.
Tho cottage where Poter tho Groat
dwelt when ho was learning tho trado
of shipbuilding In Zaarndnm, Holland,
sttll exists, though somewhat dilapi
dated. It contains tho rudo furnlturo
which tho great Peter used a bed
stead, tablo and two chairs. It Is en
cased In a building erected for tho
pnrposo nnd over tho mnntol Is a tab
lot erected by Aloxandor of Russia in
1811,
A Woman in London.
Miss Kathleen Haydn Green, daugh
ter of London's lord mayor, Is a writ
er of very promising vorso. Sho has
Just been elected a vlco president of
tho Society of Women Journalists of
Loudon.
FOR MA.IJVE HEUOES.
PROPOSED MONUMENT FOR
A monument to tho memory of those
who lost their lives on tho Mnino In
Havana harbor Is to bo orected in New
York. Tho enterprise has 30 far pro
gressed that tho contract has already
been nwarded and tho work will bo be
gun at an early day. The sum of
$110,000 has been subscribed and is In
tho hands of tho treasurer, and enough
has been pledged to increase tho fund
tOhat Might Ha-Vc Heen.
At tho Geneva arbitration in 1871-
72 to scttlo tho claims of tho United
States against Great Britain for tho
damages to our commerce caused by
tho cruisers built In English ports
William M. Evarts, Caleb dishing and
Morrison R. Walto were counsel for tho
United States. Charles Francis Adams
was tho arbitrator on behalf of tho
United States.
At that tlmo Mr. Evarts ranked
among tho greatest lawyers at tho
American bar, had filled a conspicuous
placo In national politics and was'
prominent In civic affairs. Mr. dish
ing wns a much older man, with a va
ried political experience In nil pnrtles,
a brilliant man, versed In diplomacy
nnd possessing great learning on al
most every subject of human study.
Mr. Watto was a Toledo lawyer with
out reputation beyond tho limits of
Ohio a quiet, conservative man who
had rejected high political honors und
was devoted singly to tho law.
Tho brilliant results of tho arbitra
tion an award of $15,000,000 to' the
United States was duo in n great
measuro to tho powerful argumont of
Mr. Evarts, who was easily tho leader
in tho debates beforo the. arbitrators.
When the counsel for tho UItod
States returned homo they received
tho highest popular applauso for their
successful labors. In a monarchy thoy
would have been ennobled and received
other marks of royal favor. Thoy
wero paid well In money, but their
only further immedlato reward was
tho approval and congratulations of
tho people of tho country.
In 1873, howover, Salmon P. Chnso,
chlof Justlco of the United States, died,
leaving a vacancy in that ofllco which
Is tho object of the highest ambition
cherished by American lawyers. It
was supposed that President Grant
would appoint to tho placo William M.
Evarts, recognized as ono of tho great
est lawyers at tho bar and tho leader
in tho contest boforo tho Geneva
tribunal. For somo renson never ex
plained Morrison R. Wnlte, instead
of Mr. Evarta, was appointed, to tho
Burprlso of tho bar and tho general
public.
Judgo Walto held tho ofllco until
1883, whon ho died suddenly in March
of that year. Tho great prize was
drawn by Molvlllo W. Fuller of Chi
cago, who still holds tho ofllco and Is
in exccllont health.
if President Grant had appointed
Evarts Instead of Walto to tho chlof
Justiceship ho would havo hold it until
another republican presldont was In
offlco. Tho tenure of a slnglo life
changed the occupancy of this great
ofllco for at loast a scoro of years, per
haps for moro than a gonerntlon.
"Diminishing Outdoor "Relief.
The current number of Co-operation,
tho weekly organ of tho Bureau of
Associated Charities, rovlews the de
cline which has been taking placo in
recont years In the policy of giving
outuoor rellof In tho principal Amor
ienn cities. What might bo styled tho
nbolltlon movomont with respect to
such rollof began In Brooklyn in 1878,
whon Mnyor Seth Low stopped nil
public payments to poor families In
their homes. Now York, Philadelphia,
Daltlmoro, Washington, Snn Francisco
nnd Kansas City havo slnco followed
this cxnmplo, nnd St. Louis nnd Now
Orleans glvo but "trilling" amounts in
this way. Tho majority of tho moro
Important cities of the country con
tlnuo giving outdoor rollof, Chlcngo
lending tho list In point of population,
and being followod by St. Louis and
HEROES OF THE MAINE.
to $125,000, tho estimated cost of tho
shaft.
Tho monument will bo erected in
Long Acre square, tho roomy trlanglo
which takes in tho combined width of
Broadway nnd Seventh avenue nnd ex
tends from Forty-fifth street on the
south to Forty-eighth street on tho
north. It will stand In tho center of a
clrclo which will bo situated about mid-
Boston. But from a report on tho suh
Jcct covering twenty leading American
cities it appears that their disburse
ments for thin purpose havo decreased
33 1-3 per cent since 1897. The ten
dency, which is so marked in tho largo
cities, is also observable In smaller
towns and In rural sections.
Public opinion appears thus to bo
drifting In favor of leaving tno caro
of needy peoplo in their homes to
prlvato initiative. It would be Inter
esting to know to what extent this
is duo to a doctrinnlro feeling that tno
public should not bear tho burden of
nrlvntn want, and how much to tho
conviction that practically this can bo
and Is moro wisely ministered to by
prlvato than by public agencies.
Mr. Hcbuitt to the "Rich.
A month ago ex-Mayor Abram S.
Hewitt of Now York delivered an ad
dress urging rich men to devote moro
of their money to effective charity. A
few days ago ho spoke on tho same
subject again, in spite of the fact that
tho only immedlato result of his
former effort was to Inflict upon him
self several thousand begging letters.
Mr. Hewitt rightly contends that char
ity is doing enough for Individual cases
of poverty, but not enough Is being
dono to improve tho environments that
foBtcr poverty and criminality. Ho says
thoro can bo no hope 'for future purity
or good government in our great citieB
until society has abolished tho degrad-
General "Botha9 XOife
Mrs. Louis Botha, wlfo of the com
mandant goneral of tho Boor army,
who Is reported to
bo working for
tho peaco of
South Africa ny
trying to effect a
conciliation ue-
tweon hor husband
and Lord Kltchon
or, commander ot
tho British forces,
Is related to tno
family of Robert
Emmet, tho dis
tinguished lnsn
patriot. Sho is. a
woman of culture,
having passed her
girlhood days lh
school In Paris. In
Propria eho was
recognized as a so
cial leader, while
her husband was a
member of tho
Boor parliament.
General and Mrs.
Botha lived on a
farm somo dls
tanco from tho
capital, and wore
In Pretoria only
during tho road
sessions. In tho
early days of tho
war it was Mrs.
Dotha's custom to
visit hor huseband
frequently on com
mando, whero hor
presenco always
had a cheering of
tcct upon tho
burghers. Sho was
a dashing woman and a fit com
panion for tho gallant leador of tho
Farmor Fighters. Whon Protorla was
occupied by tho Invaders' Mrs. Botha
remained in tho city. She met Lord
Roberts a fow daya after tho capitu
lation, and offered to try to mediate.
r
way between tho two streets named.
By tho tlmo tho monument Is In placo
tho two large hotels which tho Astora
havo planned to erect facing tho
square, ono on tho east nnd tho other
on tho west side, will havo been com
pleted. Other Improvements soon to
bo mado In that locality lncludo tho
building of a flno theater.
Tho monument proper will be fash
ioned of Tennessee mnrblo and will
riso to a height of slxty-flvo feet,
measuring from tho base to tho tri
archy. The baso will extend a consldcrablo
distance to tho right and loft of tho
shaft If tho upright portion can prop
erly bo called n shaft and havo a
width of eighty feet.
At the foot of tho shaft thoro will
bo somo beautiful sculpturo In bronze,
symbolical of tho two great oceans
which wash tho shores of tho United
States. Tho figure of a young man of
athletic build will havo a placo along
side tho running water, which will
represent the Atlantic; on the opposlto
side will bo tho figure of an old man,
of apparently sluggish temporamont,
nnd a moro placid stream, symbolical
of tho Pacific.
In all. there will bo ton bronzo
statues, including two heroic ones,
representing, respectively, power and
Justice.
A group which promises to bo very
offectlvo will bo an additional em
bellishment of tho lower part of ono
side of tho monument It will consist
of a Roman galley, typifying tho bat
tleship Maine, and this will bo drawn
by a youth intended to represent thq
strength of tho nation and tho prldo
of tho latter In tho men and ships ot
its navy.
Tho crowning beauty ot tho monu
ment will bo a largo bronzo group sur
mounting all, and which Mr. Plcclrllll
calls "Columbin Triumphant." Tho
beautiful goddess will bo doplctod
bearing tho wreaths of victory in hor
arms and her galley drawn by two
sea-horses. Upon tho baso of tho
monument will be perpetuated tho
names af tho bravo fellows who went
to tholr death in tho doomed battleship.
Ing surroundings In which thousnnda
of children In tho slum districts aro
reared. Tho proper way to begin this
work Is to build decent tenements in
which the poor can bo housed for tho
same rents thoy nro now paying for
hovels.
Conditions provnil In certain slum
districts of New York and Chicago
that would have been intolerable a
century ago and that aro doubly dis
creditable and dangerous now. Tho
enormous increase ot wealth in tho
nation has left theso barracks of pov
erty worse than before. Mr. Hewitt la
correct when ho says progress is a
falluro If it can do nothing to help tho
poor or to nbollsh conditions that
breed vice. The life of a rich man is
a failure If he does nothing for tho
general good of society. Happily Mr.
Hewitt Is also Justified In saying that
rich men have never before been bo
much Inclined as at present to regard'
their wealth as n trust fund which
they aro under obligations to adminis
ter rightly. Ho will do nn excollent
service if ho can Induco somo of his
millionaire friends to turn their dona
tions into tho channel of tenement
house reform.
In Algeria a river of ink is formed
by tho conjunction of two streams, ono
of which Is Impregnated with iron and
tho other, which drains a peat bog.
with gallic acid. Tho mixing of tho
Iron and tho acid results In Ink.
A passport was provided hor and th&
meeting was effected. "If It is to visit
mo you come, I am deljhted to seo
you," said General Botha., "but If you
come to Implore mo to cease this
struggle you only shamo mo." Mrs.
Botha said nothing moro about her
mission, nnd nothing camo of tho ne
gotiations tit that time.
