THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE
IRA L. DARE, Publisher
TERMS $1.25 IN ADVANCE
NORTH PLATTE. - NEBRASKA
A Boiling Down of the More Impor
tant Events Here and There
Congress.
Sonator Ilnrkctt Boku for nearly
two hours In ndvoency of tlio iiostal
savings bnnk Mil. Ho was Interrupt
ed a grcnt tunny tlinoH, Ills speech
drawing n good deal of flro from the
opponents of the measure.
That tlio uunato committee on in
torocoanlo canals Is propnred to take
up any sort of an Investigation of
canal affnlrH that may bo demanded
by any member of tlio commltteo
was assorted by Senator Klttredgo
of South Dakota, uliiilrnian of the
committed.
Tho sonato referred that part of tlio
president's message referring to tho
secret service to the cornniltteo on ap
propriations with Instructions to In
vcstlgnto and recommend what action,
If any, Is required.
Wl(h n view of lotting the public
know what Influonco operated upon It
through tho press, Keprcscutatlvo
Cooper of Texas Introduced n bill to
exclude newspaper!) and magazines
from the malls tinlcsn tho names of
the owner and editor or officers, direc
tors and Btoqkholderu bo printed on Its
front pago',
Roosevelt Is said to be prepared for
any attack congress may make upon
him. If tho coulllct Conies tho "big
stick" will bo wielded In n most effec
tive way.
' Senator Fornkor Introduced a bill
fn tho sonato to create a special tri
bunal to hear tho cuhob of tho col
ored soldlcru discharged by tho presi
dent on account of tho BrowiiHvlllo
rlotB.
Tho commissioner of Indian affairs
nsks congress to appropriate inoro
money for Irrigation projects on tho
Indian reservations.
Tho republican delegation from
Illinois unanimously endorsed Joseph
0. Cannon for, re-election as speaker
at a dinner given to Repiesontutlvo
Magden of Illinois.
Congress will probably adjourn for
tho holidays on Monday, December
21. This week tho senate will ills
ciisb the postal savings bank bill and
Fdrakor bill to permit ru-onllitmont
of colored troops discharged by tho
president.
Insurgents of the houso of ropro
sentnlfvos nmong tho reiiubllcnns are
laying lil'ans for tho alteration of tho
rule;! to curb tho power of tho
speaker.
General.
President-elect Taft announced
that Senator P. 0. Knox will bo se
cretary, of stato In tho now cabinet.
Robbers In an automobile ho'd up
tho Farmers and Merchants bank of
Koono, Nob., and tho Commercial
bank of Gibbon, Neb., securing $5,
000 In all.
Judge (lory said tho stool corpora
tion wui not nfruld to have Its nffalra
fully Investigated.
.Judge. Kuiikol has sentenced four
men Implicated In tho Pennsylvania
caplto! graft cases to two years' In
prison, with a $500 Hue.
Congressman Pollard has nccurod
nn old Iron cannon now at tho gov
ernment arsenal, Ban Antonio,
ToxaB, for Nebraska City. Tho gun
wHl bo shipped to tho park commis
sioners, who will place It In one of
tho city parks,
Speaker Cannon announced tho fol
lowing as tho representatives of tho
house on the Inaugural committee:
Messrs. Hurko (Pa.), Young (Mien.)
and ClnlnoB (Tenu.)
Further control of carriers Is aug
gosted by Chairman Knnup of tho In
terstate commerce conimlstrlon,
Franco and Spain transmitted to
tho signatories of tho A'gerclras
conference an Identical noto rolntlvo
to tho formula for tho recognition of
Mulal Hnftd, the prosent HUltau of
Morocco,
Members of tho house pnssed a res
olutlon calling for proof of tho truth
of tho utterances of tho president
with respect to tho Bcorot service of
tlio government.
J ml go Tnrt In an address to the
Ohio soctoty of Now York Bald that
It Is bettor that there should bo no
revision of the tariff than to have a
law that doos not carry out tho spirit
of tko republican platform.
Tho Isthmian Canal commission lms
Issued u statemont that tho Qatun
dam site Is not settling moro than was
expected,
The first contest on tho revision of
rulos In tho houso at Washington re
sulted in a victory for tho spoakor
and a defeat of tlio whole proposition.
Judgo Taft left New York for
Augusta, Gn., taking luncheon with
President Roosevelt at Washington
on his way. .
Tho Iowa and Nebraska Implomout
Men's associations have decided to
unite.
mm
CONDENSED
4
President Roosevelt will contribute
the results or his African hunt to the
Smithsonian Institute if taxidermists
nro provided,
Tho British government is arresting
Indian revolutionists by tho whole
sale. Tho National bank cxamlnor found
ovldonco of defalcations of so largo
nn nmount that tho Somcrsworth, (N.
II.) bank had to close Its doors.
Count Uonl do Castollanf Is appar
ently Indignant that any one should
charge him with wanting largo amount
of money. Ho says ho wants only his
children.
A quartermaster sergeant of tho
army service has resigned with $13,
900 coming to him as savings.
Attempt Is to he mado to get some
Important amendments to tho Klnknld
net.
Governor Sheldon of Nebraska an
nounces he will not appoint any one
until January to tho position on tho
supremo bench which was declined )y
Judgo Sulllvnn.
Iowa wins many Corn show prizes,
Ames college class gets the Mexican
nnd Western Grain Dealers' associa
tion trophies nnd student Judging con
test. Secretary Wilson, In his annual re
port, told of tho Immense wealth pro
duced from the farm.
Socretnry Hoot told of tho wondor
ful expansion of tho country In a
period of eleven years.
Tho offer of n cabinet position to
Congressman Hurt on has been revoked
by President-elect Taft
Chief Justice Mitchell of Pennsyl
vania In nn address in New York at
tacked President Roosevelt's alleged
hostile attitude toward the Judiciary.
Tho testimony of John D. Archbold
In the Standard Oil Inquiry was that
the company has owned stock lu the
Wators-Plcrco company since 1878,
but tho Plorco family has always
managed tho concern,
Judgo Taft said ho would follow
McKlnley's policies In the Philip
pines. Annual roport of secretary of agri
culture1 shows that crops of tho year
are worth nearly $8,000,000,000.
Washington.
President Roosevelt declined an In
vitation to attend n banquet to bo
given In Now York by tho Ocro club
of America lu honor of tho Wright
brothers. Tho president told a com
mittee ho would bo glad to, gtvo n re
ception at the White houso In honor
of tho noroplanlsts and tho club there
fore may hold tho reception and ban
quet in Washington.
President Roosevelt told a delega
tion of West Virginia congressmen
nnd frlendB that they woro "wasting
time" to recommend to him tho name
of a brother of Judgo Peter Orosscup,
for appointment as collector of Inter
nal revenue.
Tho direct primary law lu Nebraska
may bo repealed by tho democratic
legislature, according to .1. 13. Knvn
uaugh, n prominent democrat of Spulu
lug, Neb., who was In Washington
transacting business" with tho Interior
department. Ho believes that tho pco
plo of his part of tho stato aro so
much opposod to tho primary that tho
legislators will ask for tho repeal of
tho law.
A riot, the proportions of which
nro not stated, has occurred at Puerto
Cortoz, Honduras, according to Infor
mation received tit tho stato dopnrt
mont from Its representative there.
Governor Mngoon, accompanied by
his military aide, Captain Ryan of
tho army, left horo for Havana for
tho purpose of personally conducting
tho trnnsfor of tho government of
Cuba to tho uowly elected adminis
tration on tho 28th of January.
There Is tho best of reason to be
llevo Prosldont-oloct Taft will tnko a
new cabinet from among tlio people
and not promote mon from clerical
positions lu tho departments,
It Is generally accopted In Wash
ington that James Wilson, secrotary
of agriculture, will not hold tho posi
tion boyond next July. It has boon
.Mr. Wilson's ambition to servo tho
longest tlmo of any othor secretary
of agriculture Ho will bo permitted
to mado that rocord, then will come
a cliaiiRO,
Prosldent-eloct Taft contemplates a
visit to Panama boforo his Inaugura
tion. This visit Is approved by Presi
dent Roosovelt and Secretary Root.
Personal.
Mujor Brad Slaughtor of Omaha.
paymaster of the United States army,
win not no uisqualllled and put on tho
retired list ns was rumored recently,
Prosldont Roosovolt has appllod to
the Belgian government through tho
American legation for a hunting per
mit lu Belgian territory In Afrlcn.
After ' losing between $500 and
$1,500 by cards, William Podrlck, a
'squaw man" of Anadarko, killed
himself at Oklahoma City.
John llmee Woodward, a student
at tho Kentucky unlvorslty, dlod as
the result of tho bursting of a blood
vessel In his lung whilo blowing Into
a lung testing machine.
1). Jaeob Gould Schunnan, presi
dent of Cornell university spoko'bo
foro tho corn show In Omaha.
Judgo Taft says ho will bo In no
hurry In selecting his cnblnet.
President Castro Is In a rago at
tho lack of respect paid hliu In Paris
by the French government,
W. J, Ilryan in a Btatemont denies
that ho will attempt to direct the
legislature of Nebraska.
Prosldont Roosovelt, In a Bpcclal
niossngo to congress, donounced Edi
tor Joseph Pulitzer of tho New York
World us a vllllfior of tho nation.
A conference between Prosldont
oloct Taft and Frank U. Kellogg ro
vivos tho rumor that a Minnesota
man Is to bo attorney general.
CHANGES IN SENATE
TERMO OF THIRTY-ONE MEM
BERS EXPIRE MARCH 4TH.
SCRAMBLE FOR KNOX'S SEAT
All Eyes on Ohio, Where Several
Candidates are Anxious to
8ucceed Mr. Forakcr.
Washington. Whilo tho terms of
thlrly-ono senators, moro than ono
third of the entire niomborshlp, ex
pire on March 4 next, olghteon of this
number already have been re-elected
or assured of ro-oleetion, either
through successes in primary con
tests or plcdgos of a majority of the
membership of tho sovernl state leg
islatures charged with tho dutv of
electing senators' boforc tho begin
ning of noxt congress.
In addition to tho vacancies occur
ing by reason of a. provision of tho
constitution there will bo a vacancy
In Pennsylvania on nccount of tho
forthcoming roslgnntjon of Senator
Knox to accept tho portfolio of secro
tary of stiito In tho Taft cabinet.
Tlicro will bo a scramble between
prominent republicans of Pennsyl
vania for Mr. Knox's scat, which will
causo public Intorcst equal to tho
icontost now going on In Ohio for tho
scat of Senator Fornkor nnd In Con
necticut for that of Senator Ilrande
gee. That Secretary Root will bo
given tho Now York seat now ho'd
by Senator Piatt is believed and a
contest Is not expected.
Tho republican Boryitora whoso
terms expire at tho end of tho pres
ent congress, but, who aro Biiro of be
ing returned, aro Cummins of Iowa,
now serving out tho unexpired term
of tho lato Senator Allison; Senator
Dillingham of Vermont, Gallingcr of
Now Hampshire, Heyburn of Idaho,
Hopkins of Illinois, Penrose of
Pennsylvania, Perkins of C.VIfornln,
Smoot of Utnh and Stephenson of
Wisconsin. Democratic senators who
will bo returned aro Clark of Arkan
sas, Clay of Georgln, Goro of Okla
homa, Johnston of Alabama, Me
Knory of Loulslann, Nowlnnds of
Nevada, Overman of North Carolina,
Smith of Maryland nnd Stono of
Missouri.
By reason of defeat In primary
contostu Senator Ankcny of Wash
ington will bo succeeded by Repro
Kontatlvo Wesley L. Jones, Hans
borough of North Dakota by M. N.
Johnson, Klttredgo of South Dakota
by Governor Coo I. Crawford, and
Long of Kansns by Joseph Ilrlstow,
formerly fourth assistant postmnster
general.
All of thoso mon arc republicans,
und In addition Fulton of Oregon
probably will be succeeded by Gover
nor Chamberlain, domocrnt, who was
victorious lu what is known ns tho
double primary system of tho state.
If pledges made by certain repub
lican members of tho Oregon legis
lature nro kept, Chamberlain will
como to tho Bonato, but If thoy aro
violated as many loading ropubllcnns
of tho stato aro domnndlng, It Is pos
sible In fact probable, that Fulton
would bo chosen to succeed himself.
Tho eyes of tlio country nro on
Ohio becnuso of tho candidacy of
Charles P. Taft, brother or tho
prosldont-oloct, for tho sent of For
akor, ono of tho most vigorous and
plcturosquo characters In tho sonnto
and ono who hns declined to nbandon
his place without a fight.
Tho roIntloiiBhlp betweon Mr. Taft
nnd tho president-elect, nnd tlio fact
that tho Clncluuatlan hns been
prominent In tho councils of tho re
publican party lu Ohio for many
years, nro powerful factors In tho
contest ho Is waging for tho senator
ial toga.
Mr. Bryan at Pittsburg.
Pittsburg, Pa. "I may not think ns
woll of Mr. Taft's cnblnot selections
as ho doos," snld W. J. Rryan hero,
when asked for an oxprossion on tho
choosing of Sonator Knox as secrotary
of stato "I do not bellove, thoroforo,
that 1 caro to dlscusB tho appointments
Just now."
No Action Agreed Upon.
Baltimore Attornoy General Ron
aparto, speaking of tho suit which tho
president has urged against Joseph
Pulitzer of tho Now York World, said
that It i!s still under consideration and
no dofliittu lino of action has been
ngrocd upon,
DEATH BLIGHTS SHOW.
Builder and Buildings of Corn Exposi
tion Pass Away Together.
Omnha As tho walls of Jericho fell
at the blast of a ram's horn, so thn
National Corn oxiostlon fell Sunday
morning at tho sound of the sledge
hammor, and by evening It wns prac
tically a wreck, wh?lo ns a strango
coincidence to Its close W. E. Flndley,
tlio draughtsman who deslguod the
buildings, died at his homo as the
buildings he had designed were fast
disappearing.
Herrlck for Cabinet Place.
0:nclntintl. O. A Times-Star special
from Augusta says. When Philander C.
Knox, tho Taft secrotary of state,
comes to Augusta to discuss with the
prosldont-oloct tho makeup of tho ro
matador of tho now administration
cnblnot, Mr. Taft will nsk hlni to np
provo of Myron T. Horrlck, formor
governor of Ohio, ns socrotary ot tho
treasury. This fact can bo stated as
authoritative Uoforo Mr. Taft offorod
tho treasury portfolio to Roprosoijta
tlvo Theodore E. Uurton of Ohio ho
was seriously considering Herrlck,
NEBRASKA NEWS AND NOTES.
Items of Greater or Lesser Impor
iance Over tho State.
Broken Bow, amid much enthusi
asm, organized a commercial club.
Tho Union Stock Yards company at
South Omaha haB re-elected all its
old ofllcors.
Tho Gage County Farmers' Instl
iuo will bo held in BonMice January C
and 7 1909.
Contractors Installing Bewer work
nt David City have stopped operations
until spring.
C. B. Congdon, of Wilcox, who was
found guilty or selling liquors on three
counts was lined $300.00 nud costs.
Improvements involving an expendi
ture of betweon $1,000 nnd 5,000 are
shortly to bo mndo In tho plnnt of tho
Central City gas company with a view
to Improving tho service.
Tho only flour ml'.l In Kenrney coun
ty was destroyed by nro at Mlndon.
It was the property of A. D. Andrews
& Sons and was estimated to bo worth
from $25,000 to $30,000.
Scarlot fover has broken out In tho
girls' Industrial school nt Genova, and
tho city olflcers have established a
quarantine over all Inmates and em
ployes. Farmors should all havo telephones.
Write to us nnd Icarn how to get tho
best servlco for tho least money. Ne
braska Telephone Company, 18th and
Douglas streets Omaha. "Uso tho
Boll."
Poultry fanciers of West Point met
nt tho o'.ty hnll nnd organized tho
West Point poultry nnd iiot stock asso
ciation. It wns agreed to hold tho an
nual poultry show January 13, 11
and 1G,
Willlnm Bachmnn, ono of tho old
conductors of tho Burlington, died at
Alllanco of pneumonia, after a linger
ing Illness of about throo weeks. Tho
romaliiB wcro taken to Glenwood, la,
for burial.
Two moro alleged crooks who aro
thought to have been Implicated in the
robbery of .two stores at Dlller und
Steele Olty woro nrrosted In a room
ing houso nt Wymoro and takon to
Falrbury and lodged in Jail.
In district court at P!attsmouth
Judgo II. D. Travis scntonced Mntt
Bozarth to servo In the stato peni
tentiary during his natural life. Bo
zarth killed James Dyer by stabbing
him on tho strcot in Greenwood on Oc
tobor C.
In district court at McCoolc Wlllinm
Jeffries, tho well known horscmnn of
this city, secured a verdict for $920
In his suit lor damages against tho
Burlington Railroad compnny for In
juries to his fast horses in shipment
and delays.
A man namod Thompson from
Brown county has written Mr. Mor
resoy, tin nttornoy of Vnlontlno, want
ing him to havo n certain deed can
celed, claiming it is a forgery. Tho
deed Is mado out to ono Sutton, who
Is not known In Vnlontlno.
A Lincoln correspondent says It
will bo a "show-mo" session of tho
Nobraska legislature which begins Its
thirty-first session at noon of noxt
New Year's day. Every individual
and ovory Institution that wants nn
appropriation will have to put up a
protty good reason for tho need of
that appropriation to got away with
tho goods.
At Central City W. A. Hughes has
tondored his resignation as secrotary
of tho local Young Mon's Christian as
sociation, tho resignation has been ac
cepted by tho board of directors nnd
his successor hns boon chosen in tho
person of R. L. McMillan of Crcto, a
graduate of Donno collego nnd ono of
tho stato Bccretnrlcs.
With a doafonlng roar nnd without
a second's warning tho concrete dam
across tho Llttlo flluo river at tho
Falrbury rollor mills wont out. Tho
first sign of a weakness in tho dam
was notlcod when a slxteon-foot sec
tion broko loose and was shoved down
tho stroam twenty foot. Tho loss is
eatlmatQd at from $0,000 to $8,000,
Tho shorlff of Grant county arrived
In Chappoll nftor Will Hondorson of
Oshkosh, who had boon arrested from
a clrculnr sont out by tho Grant coun
ty shorlff, offering a roward of $50 for
his apprehension. Hondorson is
chnrgod with a criminal assault on n
young womnn nonr Hynnnis nnd a'so
with burglarising tho promises after
tho assault.
Thomas L. Hlsgoh, lato candidate
for president on tho Independence
longuo ticket, s going to ask tho legis
lature of Massachusetts to enact ono
of Nebraska's laws. Mr. HIsgon has
wrltton Socrotary of Stato Junkln for
a copy of tho law onncted last winter
which prohibits tho Belling of any com
modity at n dlfforent prlco In ono placo
than In another, freight ratos bolng
considered.
Cummlngs & Pease of Boatrlco filed
n dunngo suit of $103.07 against tho
Burlington railroad for failure of tho
company to dolivor sovernl cars of
cattlo at Kansas City nt tho specified
time. Tho plaintiffs nllogo that tholr
cattlo did not arrlvo lu tlmo for tho
morning mnrkots, that they woro
obliged to buy extra feed and bedding
and that tho ctittlo suffered an extra
shrinkage of thirty pounds per head
henco tho suit.
Postmnster HolMngworth has re
ceived word from Senator E. J. Bur
kett nud Congressman E. H. Hlnshaw
to tho effect that prospects aro bright
for tho pasBago of tho bill appropriat
ing $15,000 for tho purchuso or addi
tional ground for tho addition to tho
postolllco building In Beatrice.
At Mlndon lu tho district court In
tho enso of Georgo B. Peterson, who
.was charged with and found guilty ot
itho crime of Incest, tho court over
ruled tho motion for a new trlnl and
sentenced him to tho penitentiary for
a term of throo years. Tho case will
be nppealed to the supremo court.
IDE STATE CAPITAL
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO ALL
CITIZENS.
STATE MORTGAGE STATISTICS
What la Set Forth in Bulletin No. 14
by Deputy Labor Commis
sioner Ryder.
Statistics on Mortgages.
In bulletin No. 14, which ho has just
received from tho printers, Deputy
I-abor Commissioner Ryder has a ta
ble showing tho amount of farm and
city mortgages filed and released dur
ing 1907 nnd 1908 nnd tho amount of
monoy involved and tho rate of inter
est paid. In 1907 there woro 10,058
mortgages filed, involving capital to
tho amount of $30,432,073 20; there
woro released 17,990, Involving $12G,
357,391.50. In tho snmo year tlicro
were filed city mortgages to the num
ber of 12.43G, involving a capital of
$13,258,930.57; there wero released 11,
014, Involving a capital of $9,887,902.30
Tho rato on tho city mortgages was
from C to 10 per cent and on farm
mortgages from 5 to 10 per cent.
In 1900 there woro filed farm mort
gages to tho numbor of 17,451, Involv
ing $34,903,848.79. Thoro woro recus
ed 19.G32, involving $20,811,512.31.
Thoro wero filed city mortgnges to
tho number or 11,785, involving $11,
004,870.30, nnd thoro woro released
10,507, Involving $9,482,022.30.
In his introductory remarks Mr. Ry
der said:
"In round numbers, 35,000,00 ncres of
tho 50,000,000 ncres In Nebraska com
prise tho deeded land, exclusive of
town lots. Thus wo havo a 35,000,000
aero farm, to all practical purposes.
Slnco tho total cultivated area for
1908 is reported by tho deputy assess
ors at 2,178,773 acrea, tho frequent as
sertions of this bureau tllat we havo
only touched tho edges of our possi
bilities ns a producing state aro fully
borno out. Granting that a very largo
part of our total area will always bo
dovotcd to stock rango and another
largo part to pasturage asido from
range, still tho fact remains that sev
eral millions moro of our nrablo area
can very roadiiy bo brought under cul
tivation. This land of promise simply
awaits settlers, and its cultlvablo un
used lnnd can bo bought today cheaper
than it ever will be again.
"For 1908 Nebraska stands third in
tho list of corn producing states, an
cord'ng to tho government crop esti
mate. Tho final outcome on this crop
for our stato was really surprising, all
things considered, and tho totnl pro
duction realized must stand nB a fur
ther convincing proor, if such wero
needed, or tho lmmcnso possibilities
or Nebraska rami land. Through trib
ulation our producers havo como to a
most consoling roallzntion. ,Thoy havo
emerged ontlroly rrom the Btaggorlttg
wave of discouragement that hit them
in 1894. And that is saying much
when tho far-spread advcrtlscmont of
that disastrous year is kept in mind."
Report of State Auditor.
Tlio biennial roport of State Auditor
Scarlo will show that from December
30, 1900, to December 30, 1908, there
woro registered In tho auditor's ofllco
bonds of nil kinds amounting to $2,
301, 080. GG. Of this amount $75,000
was Issued by counties, $9,000 by pre
cincts, S88G.500 by cities and villager,
nud $1,331,18G.G5 by school districts.
Whilo this large amount represents an
Indebtedness against tho municipali
ties and school districts, It doos not
necessarily follow that It has nil boon
contracted within tho tlmo stated, as
a goodly amount of it is refunding
bonds, iBsued to tnko tho place of
othor bonds voted yearB ago, which
havo matured and havo not boon paid.
From tho school dlstrictB or many ot
tho westorn and northern counties or
tho Btato many Issues or bonds have
boon registered in ordor to provide
school buildings in districts whoro
nono havo ever boforo boon orectod.
"Unorganized Territory" Dropped.
In preparing tho annual tabulation
of tho niomborshlp of tho legislature
Socrotary of Stato Junkln has decided
to remove from tho counties of tho
far west tho standing joke about tho
unorganized territory. Tho apportion
mont or representation was mado back
in 1887, when thero was considerable
unorganlzod territory, nnd all subse
quent descriptions or districts havo
followed tho wording or tho apportion
ment. Tho statutes hnvo never boon
corrected to give official reco;nltlon
or counties organized slnco that date.
It was also discovered that no pro
vision has over boon mado ror repre
sentation from Boyd county, as that
was not ovon described ns unorgan
ized territory In tho apportionment of
1887. It has been round, however,
that a decision or the supronio court
sovernl years ago attached that
county to Knox In the Twenleth dis
trict. '
Kansas Bank Guaranty Bill.
Copies or a bill which will bo Intro
duced lu tho Kansns legislature at tho
coming bossIou, providing for the
guaranty of bank deposits, havo boon
received at tho stato house. This
Kansas bill provides that all state
banks which desire to avail thomsolves
of the guaranty law shall deposit with
tho stato treasuror $100 for Its first
"$100,000 on deposit in the bank and
$50 for each additional' $100,000 de
posited. This sum shall bo levied an
nually until tho fund roaches moro
than $1,000,000.
SOLON3 MUST GO IT ALONE.
Mr. Bryan Disclaims Hole of Nebraska
Dictator.
That William J. Bryan will not at
tempt to dlctato tho action of the Ne
braska legislature this wlntor, but will'
act f-ny in an advisory capacity, Is
Indicated by tho following statement
made to the Omahn Bee:
"I have only one Interest In tho
legislature, ' said Mr. Bryan, "and that
Is to bco every pledge of our plat!
form carried out, and this applies to,
tlio pledges mado In our stnto plat
form and to such pledges in our na-j
tlonal platform as can be carried out'
by the stato legislature I need hardly'
add that I shall take no part in tho
contests for offices In tho legislature
or tho offices to bo filled by the gover
nor, My one Intorcst Is to sco tho
promises kept This I am Interested
in because platform pledges aro a con-:
tract mado with tho voter nnd also,
becnuso I believe that tho keeping1
of such promises is necessary If tho
democratic party Is to maintain its',
position In tho stnte."
Mr. Brynn said that ho would spend'
his winters In Tcxns hereafter, but ho
had no Intention of changing his resi
dence from Nebraska.
Regarding his Interest In democratic
newspaper ventures, M.r Bryan enter
ed a denial to the report that his sup
port extended to other ventures than
his own paper.
Named as the logical candidate for
sona'or from Nebraska, Mr. Bryan ex
plained his position by Baying merely
that tho election dild not occur for two
years and that no one could tell what
might happen.
A Neglected Industry.
In his November crop bulletin Statoi
Labor Commissioner Ryder, puts in a
bid for an Industry neglected in Ne
braska. This refers to frog farmlng.
Ho comments also on tho neglect of
tho raising and truck gardening nnd
thinks thero is a great deal or room
for development in Nobraska along
those lines. With reference to frog
farming ho says:
"In nddltlon to the ordinary game,
birds of Nobraska, there is a steadl
ly Increasing crqp of Grent Western,
bullfrogs. Thoy aro as green as Irish
turf, grow to a great size, and "fly
high" ns to market. Sloughs and
ponds are being stocked by tho stato
fish commission, and nrter a whllei
frog saddles should be within reach1
of all. The hunter doesn't havo to1
show n llconso boforo bringing a frog,
ashore thus making theso night war
blers peculiarly tho poor man's game,
while at tho samo tlmo frog legB re
mnin the tld-blt ot tho epicure This'
liidustry Is still In its inrnncy, but.
gives tho promises or satisfying
growth."
As to the Weather.
Section Director G. A. Lovoland, in
a summary of tho weather for No
vember, 1908, says: "Tho month was
characterized by high temperature
and about normal precipitation. Tho
avorugo cloudiness was slightly below
tho normal, whilo almost exactly tho
usual numbor of rainy days occurred.
Tho monthly mean tenipernturo was
from 2 to 4 degrees above tho normal
In most of tho stato. Tho maximum
temperatures woro generally between
75 degrees nnd 80 degrees, and oc
curred on tho 18th, except at some
central and western stations, whoro,
tho maximum waB recorded on tho'
4th or 5th. The precipitation was bo.'
low normal. j
School Fund Apportionment.
Stato Superintendent McBrlon has
comploted tho semi-annual apportion-1
mont of tho stato school fund to tho
several counties, tho apportionment
being based upon tho amount of tlio
fund in the hands of tho treasurer Do
cember 8. Douglas county, with tho
largost number of pupils in tho
Bchools, gets tho largest sllco of tho
fund, $27,779.18, and Lancaster, tho
noxt largest, $14,G33.2C. Tho amount
of tho fund nvallablo for distribution
nt this tlmo is $207,132.91, and tho to
tal number of school children upon
which the distribution is based is
3G9.99G.
Janitors to Clean Up Capitol.
Tho stnto board of public lands and
buildings employed flvo now janitors to
help out during tho legislature, and
tho work of cleaning up tho hal'.s, mov
ing back tho furniture and moving the
various departments has begun. Tho
legislature appropriated $1,440 for ex
tra help in tho Janitor lino and It em
powered the stnto board to employ tho
men and direct them In tho work.
S. Bullard, for some years head Jani
tor, will havo chnrgo of tho now men
as well as the former employes.
Chimcollor E. Bonjnmln Andrews of
tho stato university and President J.
W. Crabtreo of tho Peru Stnto Normal
have started a movoment to harmon
ize the credit systems of normal
schools with the stnto universities, so
Hint n student hnvlng done a year's
work in a credltablo normal school
will bo glvon a year's credit In tho
stato university.
National Guard Inspection.
The annual inspection of tho Ne
braska national guard will begin on
January 11, if tho plans now bolng
mndo In tho office or tho ndjutant
gonornl uro carried out. Tho officer
who will mnko this Inspection has not
beon decided mon. Thlrty-ono com
panics will, in nil, be Inspected, threo
of thoso bolng Bopnrato Infantry com
panics. Tho inspection by n rojular
army officer will bo mado a couplo ot
months later. Tho officer who will
mnko tho Inspection has also not been
decided upon, but will bo soon.