7
FUND AVAILABLE FOR NORMALS,
tate Treasurer George Submits Fl
nanclat Statement.
State Treasurer George submitted
1o tho normal board a statomont ot
the nmount of money In tho mainten
ance fund avallablo for each stato
normal. It may bo necessary for tho
board to tako $5,000 from tho Wayno
normnl's maintenance fund and give
it to the Peru normal. The board
last year appropriated a certain pop
Hon of the stato normal tax lovy foi
tho use of each normal for malntcn
since. Those appropriations, tho
amount oxpondod, and tho amount
remaining unoxpended are an follows:
Chadron
Appropriation $ 80,000.00
Expended -19,400.18
Balanco J30.593.82
Kearney
Appropriation $140,000.00
Expended 109.312.8t
Balanco $ 30,087.14
Peru
Appropriation $100,000.00
Expended 12G.195.84
Balanco $ 33,804.10
Wayne
Appropriation $110,000.00
Expended 73,158.70
Balanco $ 30,841.24
Robert I. Elliott, deputy superintend
snt of public instruction, has been ap
pointed teacher of mathematics at the
Kearney state normal school In place
of M. II. Snodgrass who Is alleged to
desire to resign January 1. Mr. El
liott will tako his placo on that date.
Ho was a republican candidate for tho
nomination for stato superintendent,
"but was defeated by Dr. A. O. Thorn
ns, formorly president of tho Kearney
normal. State Treasurer George and
Stato Superintendent Dolzel, members
of tho stato normal board, will vacate
their positions on tho board tho ilrst
of the year, about tho tlmo Mr. Elliott
takes his now place. These two new
members will bo (succeeded on the
board by whoever Is elected state
treasurer and stato superintendent.
Tho Nebraska Railway commission,
through which was recently filed a
Joint complaint from Nebraska, Mis
sourl, Iowa and Kansas on freight
rates on apples, was notified by the
Interstato Commerce commission that
a hearing would bo hold and testi
mony taken by an examiner at SL
Louis October 28. Apple shippers of
four states have asked for a bettor
outgoing rate. Tho Nebraska commis
sion took tho Initiative in drawing the
complaint
Certification of tho mortgago
bonds negotiated by the Wabash rail
road for the purchaso of $834,000
worth of equipment havo been made
to tho secretary of state. Included In
tho Hat of purchases which will bo
made are: Thirty-seven moguls, ten
switch engines, ten Atlantic typo loco
motives and ten ten-wheeler locomo
tives. Tho mortgage has been execut
ed In favor of tho Bankers' Trust Co.
of New York city.
Two now state banks bave received
charters from tho banking board. The
Nebraska State bank of Ohiowa has
organized with a capital stock of $15,
000. A. R. Thompson is president, J.
H. Lohman vice president and C. II.
Brinkmann cashier. Tho First Stato
bank of North Bend has a capital
stock of $25,000. Tho following aro
the officers: Alex Thorn, president;
T. J. Kastle, vice president; M. C.
Cussack, cashier.
Tho stato railway commission has
received a report of tho investigation
made in Denver as to the effect of au
tomobiles on the revenues of tho
street car company of that city. Foot
passengers and people who rode in
automobiles and in carriages wore
counted for two days at the principal
street corners. The conclusion ar
rived at is that automobiles cut down
the revenues of the street car com
pany $437,000 a year.
Railway commissions of Iowa,
Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Ar
kansas and Oklahoma havo agreed to
stand as a unit In opposing freight
and passenger rate raises In tho west
ern states. That was the action taken
at a meeting held at Kansas City
from which Railway Commissioner
Taylor and Rato Expert Powell, rep
resenting this stato, havo Just re
turned. Playing cards havo been bought
by tho board of control for inmates
of tho asylum for he Insane at Nor
folk. Tho cards aro Intended to
amuse tho Inmates but aro not for
the use of officers nnd employes. This
Is the first tlmo playing cards have
been asked for by superintendents of
stato institutions since tho board of
control camo Into existence.
According to a report filed by tho
Norhwestern railroad with the Stato
Railway commission tho operating ex
penses of the road amounted to $4,
CG2.486.95 for tho fiscal year. The
revenue amounted to $7,012,007.98.
Tho report regarding the amount of
fuel used by locomotives indicates
that tho Northwestern company has
gone Into tho use of oil extensively as
fuel for ito locomotives, tho report
showing that 31,07G,871 gallons woro
used during tho year. Tho coal used
amountod to 37,585 tons, while wood
amounted to 2,230 cord3.
BATTLE OF SOISSONS AS SEEN
BY WRITER ON FIRING LINE
By JOHN ASHTON.
Special Correspondent of the Chicago
Tribune.
Paris. I havo Just returned to
Paris to rest up a day or twd and get
a few neccssnrlos after a week at tho
front of the left wing of tho allied
armies who aro facing General von
Kluck's nrmy.
Farthor to the oast In a lino ex
tending from Holms to near Verdun
the French are holding their ground
against a fferco onslaught of the Ger
mans under tho prlnco of Wurtem
burg. I will recount what I havo wit
nessed during the last few days:
Leaving Meaux, wo made our way
through Varcnnes and Llzy, tho scene
of fierce fighting during tho battlo of
tho Marno, somo details of which I
gavo In my first letter. All tho dead
havo now. been Interred and tho
wounded removed from tho several
deserted villages through which wo
passed.
Find Wrecked German Plane.
Before arriving at Leerto Mllon wo
camo across a German neroplano
which had been brought down by tho
British. The English flying squad
havo been doing grand workj In tho
air not only as Bcouts but In attacking
hostllo air craft. It is reported that
no loss than seventeen German avia
tors havo fallen victims to tho Eng
lish flying men.
On approaching Vlllers-Cotterets, in
tho middle of tho forest of that name,
wo camo across several military auto
mobiles, lying by tho side of tho route,
which tho Germans had abandoned In
their hurried flight to tho north. Two
of these wero marked "Feld Post"
(Held or military poBt). A little far
ther on we encountered six largo Ger
man motor trucks which had evi
dently boon destroyed by the Ger
mans; everything was burnt up ex
cept tho Iron work. Theso wagons
had boon left In tho road to delay
pursuit, but tho Frencli had over
turned them Into the ditch on each
sldo of tho road.
Meet German Prisoners.
It was dark when we arrived at
Vlllers-Cotterets. Before wo had tlmo
to get out of our auto I heard a cry:
"Voile lea Allemands!" (here como
tho Germans!) and, Indeed, a moving
gray mass soon camo into sight, sur
rounded by a cavalry escort. There
wero about 100 of them, prisoners,
marching in tho cold rain. Many of
thorn wore Red Cross arm bands, and
I noticed a fow officers among the
bunch. Their exprcssionn was sour
and sullen, but considering their pri
vations, they looked fit enough phys
ically. Theso wero me:t that had got lost
In tho forest and failed to catcli up
with their columns. Many prisoners
are taken In a similar way on both
sides. Sometimes they come strag
gling in half starved to death.
Pacs Night In a Chateau.
We passed the night in an old chat
eat The town was full of troops,
and tho hqtels packed with officers,
so wo were very lucky to get under
cover at all. A fow dayB previously
the Germans had occupied tho town,
the staff having made their headquar
ters at this same chateau. The cham
ber maid left In charge of the house
(tho owner and bis wife, having fled)
told us that the Gormans had taken
away somo valuable Gobelin tapes
tries; the smaller tapestries had been
left. They had also taken away somo
silver plate, but had left behind many
pieces of considerable value.
Wo slept on tho floor In the li
brary, in a separate building, ono of
tho finest private libraries I havo over
seen, containing soveral thousand vol
umes. A very elegant secretaire in
tho library had been forced up, tho
contents ransacked, and tho top
wrenched off and thrown on tho floor.
I had nothing to cover mo with, and
as It was cold I slept very little.
Wo could hear tho guns booming
tho greater part of the night.
Approach the Firing Line.
Starting out early in tho direction
of SoiBsons, wo camo upon tho Thir
teenth regiment of French artillery,
at b'it fire miles from tho latter town.
Wo could hardly bolleve we woro so
closo to the firing line, but there they
were, twelve guns (known as tho Seventy-five),
pounding away across tho
valley to whero tho Germans wero in
trenched. Wo stopped our auto at a respcot
ablo dlstanco nnd approached the bat
teries on foot. Tho ammunition wag
ons and extra horsos and men wero
all drawn up silent and motionless
behind a hedge a short dlstanco from
tho guns. There was no danger then,
as the Germans wero replying only to
other French batteries lower down tho
valley.
Very Boon tho men not busy nt tho
guns began to surround us, begging
tobacco and cigarettes. It is an aw
ful thing for theso poor Boldlers to bo
deprived of the comforting weed. I
saw a groat deal of this later, on tho
field and at hospitals.
Wo had Intended to go directly Into
Solssons by tho main road, but the
French ofllcors dissuaded us, Baying
that tho Germans would certainly
shell our autos. So we wont by an
other route, to go by Vauxbuln, a
village lying in tho bottom of tho val
ley, two and ono-half miles from
SolssonB.
Under German Shell Fire.
We stopped at an ancient, plctur
esquo chateau, turnod Into a hospital,
to Inquire about tho wounded. Hard
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
ly had wo nrrlvod In front of tho
gates when Gorman Bhelto began
screeching over our heads. Wo
Bcnrcoly know whore to go for safety.
A fearful crash on our right Just be
hind tho hospital showed that tho Ger
man rango was getting nenror. Somo
of our party naturally became
alarmed. Then wo nil crouched down
behind our autos as anothor Bholl
whistled close, to us and dropped In a
garden. Two of tho spent pieces ac
tually fell at our foot nnd a fow sec
ond afterwards another spent piece ot
shell, still hot, struck ono of our
party on tho leg.
It was ovldont that wo wero In
groat dangor. Somo ono said, "staisl
by tho cars."
It wns a good Job wo did not tako
this advice; but wo might huve dono
It If nt that moment a woman at tho
door of tho vlllngo wino shop across
tho street had not shouted: "Como
inside, for God's sake!"
Flee Into a Cellar.
Wo did not need twico asking.
Hardly had wo got across tho thresh
old when a tremendous noise llko a
million rawhido whips cracking at tho
same moment, followed by the noise
of falling masonry, showed that we
were in for a regular bombardment.
Everybody rushed for tho cellar.
As soon as the dust and smoke had
cleared away someone crept up tho
steps to look out nnd returned Bay
ing ono of tho turrets on each sldo of
tho entrance gates to tho castlo had
been completely demolished by tho
last shell. And Btlll they came, and
thero we huddled looking Into each
other's eyes, as well as tho dim light
would admit, In that Httlo wino cellar
with its solid vaulted roof that we
prayed might not glvo way should
tho houso be struck. I shall never
forget tho tlmo spent in that cellar.
Thero wcr.o twenty-three of us, In
cluding about soven women of tho
vlllngo and a Httlo boy. Wo wero
thero from ip:30 a, m. until a little
after noon, with Bhells dropping all
around us. Ono dropped five yards
from the door, tho shock breaking
every pane of glass in tho house and
making an enormous hole In the road.
Another shell struck tho ground nbout
twelve feet In front of our cars, Just
grazing nnd mashing a portion of
the villago cross.
Evorything has an end, and wo
could hear tho shells bursting farther
and farther away. Still it was deemed
prudent to He low for a bit.
Eat as Shells Scream.
After a time ono of tho villagers
went out at a rear door and brought
back a hlg dish of fried chipped po
tatoes and bread, so that with tho
wino in tho cellar wo made a hearty
lunch under tho circumstances. Wo
wero very hungry, as wo had eaten
nothing since the previous evening.
When It was safe to got out wo
found that tho shell that dropped near
tho cars had burst two tires on tho
car I rodo In, had smashed all threo
of tlie wind shields, and filled tho car
bodies and covers full of holes. Tho
cars looked as If they had been pep
pered with machine guns. Luckily
tho engines wero not damaged in tho
least.
Tho Gormans, being deeply In
trenched In old chalk quarries, a sort
of nntural fortress in tho hillsides
overlooking Solssons, continued to
reply, to tho numqrous French gunu
with Impunity and occasionally to
bombard Solssons and Vauxbuln. Up
to the tlmo of my leaving this samo
thing had been going on for tnrer a
week.
Solssons Is In a pitiable stato. Tho
Germans have not spared its old ca
thedral with Its two qothlc spires.
From the rear of tho hospital at
Vauxbuln wo had a lino view of this
grand old landmark. Ono of tho
steeples Is broken off about Half way,
and the other has a big hole In tho
side, plainly seen three miles off.
I passed about four days here.
Tho artillery firing was terrific from
morning to night. Tho battlo ranges
over an enormously oxtended front.
I snw somo shockingly wounded
men whllo at Vauxbuln. Tho night
before I left flvo men wero brought in
with fearful Injuries In dlfforont parts
of tho body. A Gorman shell had
dropped among eight artillerymen
serving ono of tho French gunB. The
other threo men wero killed on" tho
spot. This Is just an incident among
hundreds that are happening every day.
At one vlllngo I passed through,
whore tho Germans had loft 100
wounded, most of whom wero brought
In under cover two days after tho
battlo by tho French, tho doctors
asked mo. Implored mo, to try and got
Borne milk for tho woundod. Nearly
all tho cattle havo been driven out
of tho country to safer places or have
been requisitioned either by tho Ger
man or the French forces. Many
lives aro lost on both sides through
cxposuro and lack of attention after
being wounded. Cases ot gangrene
and tetanus aro not infrequent. Tho
doctors and nurses aro doing heroic
work, but It often happens that they
aro very much overcrowded bofore
they have a chanco to romovo thopo
wounded who aro able to bo sont to
other hospitals. At Vauxbuln tho hos
pltal was crowdod. Thero wero 400
people there, and tho houso had only
accommodations for 100.
Huge Jewish Army.
Potrograd. A quarter of a million
Jows aro with tho Russian forces
This Is tho largest Jewish army ever
gathered since tho fall of Jorusalem.
NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
SCENES
Belgian soldiers in tho deep trenches along tho railway from which they
of Hofstade. At tho left aro shown somo of tno big Belgian field guns which
troops In tho samo conflict.
TERRIBLE
First photograph of tho dreadful wreck of a Rod Cross train at tho Mary bridge across tho Mnrno; In which
many wounded French and English soldiers woro killed. Tho bridge had been destroyed by tho Germans and tho
train went Into tho river.
HEADQUARTERS OF
wf itnjssji, z?z "hw "wh
ra hww n j
PUU 1 y I
This Ih tho ancient town hall at Llerre, which tho king ot Ilolglum Iuib
been using as his headquartora. In tho courtyard aro Bomo men of the famous
"black devil" roglmont of carblneerB, which IoU two-thlrda of Its members In
action.
AT THE BATTLE OF H0FSTADE
WRECK OF A RED CROSS TRAIN
KING OF BELGIUM
repulsed tho Gormans at tho battlo
checked tho advanco of tho kaiser's
HARNESSING UP A WAR DOG
Bolglan trooper harnessing ono ot
tho dogs that aro used to haul tho
small mltralllcuso guns.
Crawls Back to Death.
Ostcnd. Lieutenant Steele-Perkins
of tho King's Own was lifted from
tho trenches at Mons, wounded four
times. Protesting, the British sol
dlor crawled back and was mortally
wounded.