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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 1900)
Bold Work of Fusion Officials in the Sol dier’s Home at Grand Island, THE COMMANDANT AND PHYSICIAN In Charge Indulge In Hlgh-Hamled Ac t —Inside Light «>n the Dissipation of the Drag and Other funds—A Chain «f Scandals. GRAND ISLAND, Neb., August 27.— The Soldiers’ Home at Grand Island adds another long chapter to the his tory of gross mismanagement of the state institutions under the Poynter administration. It Is a story of fraud, debauchery, criminal negligence, abuse of the in mates and kindred offenses, in which high officials at the Home are direct ly involved. The commandant of the Home is L. A. Beltzer. In his efforts to replenish his exchequer he has permitted no opportunity to escape. Beltzer is as spciated with his son in the publica tion of a weekly fusion paper known as the Polk County Independent. As a result of this, nearly all the job printing for the institution is done by the Beltzers, for which they have charged their own prices and drawn hundreds of dollars from the state treasury. In many instances the state . has paid money to the Beltzers on bills At that have not been receipted, and, so ’ far as this evidence is concerned, there is nothing to show that they have ever been paid, aside from the fact that the warrant record shows that warrants have been issued on the state treasury by the auditor. In many in stances, too, claims have been allowed the commandant and the physician in charge, without any bill being ren dered. Voucher B42182 is a voucher drawn in favor of Dr. Swigart, the physician in charge at the Home in payment for a $7 truss which he claimed to have purchased, but no bill from the dealer showing that it had been purchased has ever been Hied or presented. In the last year the Beltzers have drawn upwards of $500 for printing material furnished the Home, most of which has been paid out of the fund appropriated for “express, telephone and sunplies” (see voucher B33342, B33343, B34913, B34914, B36376, B36377, B37532, B40297, B42186, B42598, B43446, B44329, B44915, B45654, B46425.B47050.) The Library fund has also been at tacked by the Beltzers and some of that fund has been diverted to the cash drawer of the Polk County In dependent. In all, about $20 was tak en from this fund (see vouchers B34916, B43445, and B47049). The Beltzers not only conduct a newspaper plant, but they also own and conduct a nursery. It is charged that the Star nursery, the one owned by Commandant Beltzer, supplied the trees that were planted on the grounds of the Home last spring, thus provid ing the industrious commandant with , another route to the treasury. In no ^ instance has the state entered into a contract with Beltzer for printing or for nursery stock. He has had no competition, no bids being asked for, and the result is that he has charged the state outrageous prices. One claim rendered shows that he , charged the state $18.75 for 5,000 en velopes (of poor material), or at the rate of $3.75 per thousand, a price fully 35 per cent higher* than is charged by almost any other printing office in the state to regular custom ers. The same claim calls for $7.50 for 2,000 letter-heads (of an inferior quality of paper), or at the rate of $3.75 per thousand, a price 30 per cent above the average charge. Voucher B34914 for $37 was drawn in favor of Commandant Beltzer in pay ment of a claim for printing itemized > as follows: 1.000 Morning Report Blanks... .$ 4.25 5.000 Envelopes (cheap quality). 18.75 2.000 Pass Blanks. 5.00 200 Commandent Reply Blanks 1.50 2,000 Letter-Heads (inferior qual ity) . 7.50 In this instance no bill was ever rendered and none is attached to the voucher on file. In fact there is no evidence, beyond Commandant Belt zer’s naked statement, that the ma terial was ever delivered. Nor is Commandant Beltzer content ed with drawing $1,500, furnishing printed material at excessive prices and unloading inferior stock from his nursery upon the state. He has gone farther, and has succeeded in placing the name of,his 19-year-old son, C. E. Beltzer, on the payroll as hospital steward at $30 per month and board, lodging and washing. SERIOUS CHARGES. The official most under the ban of suspicion at the Home is the physi cian in charge. Dr. H. M. Swigart. His record at the Home, as told by the in mates and by documentary evidence, is, to say the least, a shameful one. Apart from dissipation and culpable neglect, it is charged that he is incompetent, and, what is equally as bad, that he has played fast and loose with the funds allotted to his department. Dr. Swigart has been in office a little over a year, and yet he has already ex hausted the $1,500 appropriated for drugs and instruments, and bills of this character are now being paid out of other funds. The drug fund was exhausted May 18th, or in less than ten months after Dr. Swigart took charge. DR. SADLER TALKS. Dr. Sadler, who is a fusionist and who was physician in charge at the Home for four years preceding Dr. Swigart, when asked to explain the cause of the dissipation of the drug fund by Dr. Swigart said: “There is certainly something crooked about it. I will guarantee to run the department on $1,500 per year for drugs and instruments, and have $900 of that amount left over to put in my pocket. I ran the Home four years on $2,000, and I had money in the fund and a large supply of drugs on hand at the end of that time. When Dr. Swigart succeeded me I turned over to him enough drugs to last the Home for at least two months, and 1 turned over the balance of money re ^ maining in the fund to the state. I had $1,000 to run the Home two years, and, as 1 have said, at the end of the two years I still had some of the money left and a large surplus of drugs. In ten months Dr. Swigart has used almost as much money for drugs as I have used in four years, and that in face of the fact that there has been only a slight increase in the number of inmates with practically no Increase in the number of hospital patients. “Then, too, when I was at the Home, the inmates got all their medicine from me, w’hereas I know of my own personal knowledge that more than 30 per cent of the medicines now used at the Home are purchased down town by the' inmates themselves out of their own private funds. The truth is. on account of the amount of med icines purchased in town at private expense, the $1,500 which Dr. S\yigart had at his command should have been more than sufficient to last the two years for which.it was appropriated.” “How do you account for the short age in the drug fund?” “I will say frankly that I don’t be lieve that that amount of drugs was ever delivered to the Home. I believe the state has been charged for drugs it never received. It would be impos sile to use $1,500 in ten months for drugs and instruments. Fully half the amount has been diverted. There Is fraud somewhere, and that is all there 18 to It. “I know of my own personal know ledge that Dr. Swigart was absent from the Home more than one-third of the time in the last year. While absent, his duties were attended to by Dr. Kirby. Dr. Swigart drew his salary just the same and Dr. Kirby j was paid—well, if you ask him he will probably tell—but my opinion is that he was paid out of the drug fund and bills were rendered for drugs never delivered, and the money paid over to Dr. Kirby. I think this is where a great deal of the drug fund went, and that this accounts for the funds being exhausted.” DR. KIRBY EXPOSES THE DEAL. By inquiry it was ascertained that Dr. Kirby had removed to Beatrice and it was at the latter place that he was interviewed. When asked if he had been paid for attending to Dr. Swi gart’s duties at the Home while he was away, Dr. Kirby said: “Yes, I have been paid part of what is due to me. Dr. Swigart was absent during much of the last half of 1899 and the early part of this year and I attended to his duties during that time. I usually made out my monthly bill and handed it to him and he would go into the drug store of Tucker & Farnsworth and come out with the money. He did this on eight or ten different occasions. In all he paid me in this way about $600. I asked no questions, but I had a pretty strong opinion how the deal was worked. This drug firm had the contract at that time for furnishing drugs to the Home. I still have $185 coming from the j Home for services rendered.” An investigation of the official rec ords disclosed the fact that, for some unaccountable reason, with the excep tion of one-quarter, this same drug firm (Farnsworth & Tucker) has had the contract for supplying drugs ever since Dr. Swigart took charge. Dr. Swigart has absolute charge of the drug supplies, he orders what he pleases and he does his own receiving and checking. No account has been kept of drugs received at the Home ex cept by him. Recently, as a result of startling rumors, .Commandant Beltz er installed his son as Hospital Stew' ard, but, as he is a young man with no practical knowledge of medicines or drugs, the change provides no safe guard and amounts to nothing more than an increase in the income of the Beltzer family of $30 per month. NOT A FIT MAN. Dr. Sadler and Dr. Kirby both agree that Dr. Swigart is not a fit man for the position he occupies. Both felt restrained by professional courtesy, yet each wras of the opinion that the circumstances were such as to justify an infraction of the established rule among professional men. Dr. Kirby said: “Dr. Swigart is not a fit man for the position. His professional knowledge is limited and he is addicted to the use of liquor. He i^ not skilled in surgery nor has he much general knowledge of diseases and medicines. “I remember one instance where I was called to attend an old soldier in mate named Dye, whom he was attend-, ing. On reaching the home I found Dye great pain, and, upon examining him, I discovered that in giving him an enema a pile tumor had been punc tured and (what would soon have proven fatal) hemorrhage had result ed. I upbraided him for the blunder and he tried to evade responsibility by saying that not he, but his brother, did it. Dr. Swigart’s brother was not a doctor and tne enormity of the blunder was in no way lessened by his attempt to shift the blame. “An inmate named Henry Curtis was taken down with small pox and Dr. Swigart, when my attention was called, was doctoring him for chicken pox. He had Curtis in the same ward with twenty other patients. I saw at a glance that it was small pox and I told Dr. Swigart he should remove Curtis at once to the pest house. He said no; that it was simply chicken pox. I told him if he did not remove him at once that I would appeal to the local authorities, get help and do it myself, as there was great danger of the disease spreading to all of the 325 inmates. He then yielded and is olated Curtis. The poor fellow died shortly afterwards. I think it was about the latter part of May of this year. “Fortunately only one case resulted from the exposure and I was called and attended to that one and pulled the fellow through. “It is my professional opinion that Dr. Swigart is unfit for that or any other position requiring, any great amount of knowledge of diseases, medicines and anatomy.” It is a notorious fact, and it is the talk about town, that a large amount of liquor i3 bought, ostensibly for the Homo, but in reality for other pur poses and reasons. It is charged that, not only does Dr. Swigart require it for personal use, but that he has sold whiskey bought by the state to inmates and made no report of the money. One inmate has already made an affi davit to the effect that he ourchased ' whiskey at the Home from Dr. Swi gart, and another that Dr. Swlgart refused to furnish liquor on a pre scription. but told him that any time he wanted to ouy whiskey to come and see him. Under the rule no one is allowed to bring liquor into the Home from the outside except on the written permission of the official phy sician. This gives the physician in charge a monopoly and it also affords him an opportunity to enforce patron age at the dispensary, an opportunity evidently that has not been over looked. FEASTING AT THE CRIB. From the Commandant down, the officials at the Home know a soft snap when they see it. They are not over looking anything. Those who have relatives seem to take interest in hav ing them live at the expense of the state. Commandant Beltzer is there with his wife and two sons. One of his sons is on the pay roll as hospital steward. John H. Powers is there as adjutant with his wue, son and daughter. Until recently the daughter had a horse which she kept there at the state’s expense. His son is on the pay-roll as farm hand at $17 per month. Dr. Swigart is there with his wire, son and daughter, and, until recently, his brother and his wife. Both Swi gart and Beltzer have private turn outs at the state's expense. Dr. SwI gart's brother has had his name on pay roll in one capacity and another until recently, when he was discharged on account of brutality and dis sipation. DISSIPATING THE FUNDS. It would take an expert juggler to keep track of the way the funds are being juggled. Vouchers havo been drawn for drugs against the “main tenance fund'' (see Vouchers B47031, and B45643), and repairs have been paid for out of the “fuel fund” see Voucher B43946. The “telephone and express” fund has been drawn on heavily by the Beltzers for printing material. The June salary voucher of this year shows the payment of $25 to H. M. Swigart as hospital steward, though he is the regular salaried phy sician (See Voucher B46725). There is an abundance of other evidence of this same character. SHAMEFUL TREATMENT OF IN MATES. Much complaint is made concerning the mistreatment of the old soldier In mates. One instance is recited where an inmate named J. T. Stewart sick ened and died from a cancer in the mouth. He was let go a whole year without having his hair cut or his beard trimmed, and during his sick ness he was otherwise shamefully neg lected by the physician and attend ants. Finally, the old soldiers under took to help him, and upon cutting off his beard it was discovered that all the flesh in the region of his neck and chin was almost one solid mass of maggots. One of the inmates counted 200 maggots which he removed from the sick man’s jaws and throat. This same individual said that at one time he was with Stewart continuously for 11 days and nights and that all that time Stewart neither received medicine nor medical attention. Dr. Swigart was repeatedly requested to attend him, but Stewart, in a desperate effort to conquer the dread malady, had committed the unpardonable crime of buying a bottle of some patent cancer cure that had been recommended to him by a friend, and Swigart therefore refused to minister to his wants. The story of this man’s suffering and neg lect, as related by the inmates, is a terrible one. Many, other inmates have been refused medical attention, and the abuse has been carried to that extent that more than 30 per cent of the medicines used at the Home are now being bought by the inmates out of their private funds. KILLING YOUNG STOCK. For some reason, presumably to make a better showing in the expense account or to keep that account from reaching enormous proportions, the management is killing off young steers and heifers for meat for the Home. Those in position to know say that this is false economy, as it will result in the destruction of what was until a short time ago a very fine and profit able herd of cattle. The old soldiers say, however, that the young stock is killed for tne officials only, and that inmates have to put up with sow belly, bread and butter. This, they say, is their diet—sick or well. PET CONTRACTORS COLLAPSE. The contract for constructing a new hospital building at the Home was let to Blake & Company of Lincoln for $12,500. They are the pet contractors of the State House ring, and in the last two years they have been identi fied with the construction of several public buildings. At this point, after absorbing mucli of the amount named in the contract, they- threw up the con tract and their bondsmen are now cbmpleting the building. At best it will be a poor structure, as a large quantity of second grade material has been used and nearly all the wood work is of inferior material. L. W. Pomerene, another favorite contractor or tne state nouse ring, who has had quite a monopoly of the plumbing in new public buildings the last two years, has cut off another large slice of pie at this place. His vouchers call for more than $2,000, but it is stated that the work of set ting the boilers and making the nec essary changes and repairs, for which he received over $2,100, could have been done profitably for 33 per ceil! less. (See Voucher B43946.) The superintendent of construction of the new hospital is J. W. Ember son, a fusionist carpenter from Lin coln. His knowledge of architecture is limited and he has had little exper ience with brick and stone work, yet he is paid $5 per day and that, too, out of the money appropriated for the construction of the building proper. Inmates of the Home say that he spends much of his time playing cro quet and cards. Since October 1st. 1899 to May 8tli, 1900, he has drawn out of this fund St>20. (See Vouchers B37825, B39178, B40090. B40967, B42150. B42654, B43077, B43491 and B43780.) The strange part of the whole mat ter is, that not one bill has been aud ited nor a voucher made out at Grand Island, where the material is being delivered and the work is being done. ATI the auditing, all the checking and figuring, has been done at Lincoln. In this respect this in the single excep tion throughout the state, and why it is nobody at Grand Island seems to know, though some peopre are doing a great deal of abstract thinking. This is scarcely less strange, however, than the building of a barn costing $1,200 without advertising for bids, some thing thnt was done here the last year. ON STATE GROUNDS. John F. Scott, a tuslonlst, enjoys the distinction of being about the only man in Nebraska who has been set up in business at the Btate’s expenses. Scott has a private store building, owned by himself and situated on the public grounds within 30 feet of the main building, where he deals in to bacco, cigars, cigarettes, fancy grocer ies, pop, soda water, etc. The building was piped and furnished with radi ators at the state's expense, and it is lighted and heated now at the state's expense. He also gets ice during the summer for use in his store from the supplies bought for the state, and pays nothing for it. Scott has been doing business at this stand for about four years and the state is paying the fid dler. One thing is strange about the bills of expense of the members of the Vis iting and Examining Board. Though the distance traveled, the work done, and the legitimate expense is the same each time, not a single member in the last two years has presented two bills alike in amount. Each time the amount differs, though why, is a mys tery. The last legislature appropriated $94,870 for the Home, but it is appar ent now that there will be a large de ficiency at the end of Governor Poyn ter's term. Upon the whole, the man agement has not only been extrava gant, but it has been that extravagant as to indicate unmistakably down right dishonesty nnd fraud. Not long ago an old soldier came to Grand Island direct from Canada. Under the law, before an applicant can be admitted to the Home, he must be a resident of the state at least two years. The County Board of Hall county refused to entertain his appli cation, but he went back to the Home, told the officials that he was a fusion ist and, not only received a suit of clothes at the expense of the state, but was put to work on a salary, an act clearly illegal. BRYAN SY.NONOMOl'S OP SILVER. In 1896 when Bryan got control of the democratic party he made free coinage of silver the paramount issue and has since waged an unsuccessful campaign along this line. He mis judged the intelligence of the “great common people,” and it would seem that he has not as yet been able to get in touch with them, for in the Kansas City platform made (made public) last July, the silver plank is reiterated and the country is again threatened with the dire consequences that would attend the enaction of a free silver bill by a democratic con gress and president. Referring to tne election of Bryan in 1896 we repro duce the following from Hon. Carl Schurz. What it meant then it means now, for Bryan and free silver are again the issue. “The mere apprehension of a possi bility of Mr. Bryan’s election and the consequent placing of our country upon the silver basis has already caused untold millions of our securi ties to be thrown upon the market. Scores of business orders are already recalled, a large number of manufac turing establishments have already stopped or restricted their operations, enterprise is already discouraged and nearly paralyzed. Many works of public utility by industrial or rail road companies have already been ordered off, thousands of workingmen are already thrown out of employment, gold is already being hoarded, capital is already being sent out of the coun try to be invested in Europe for safe ty. And why all this? Not, as the silver men foolishly pretend, because the existing gold standard has made money scarce, for capital is lying idle in heaps, scores upon scores of mil lions, fairly yearning for safe employ ment. No; ask those concerned why all this happens, and with one voice they will tell you it is because they apprehend- serious danger in every dollar ventured out through the change of our standard of value in prospect, through the debasement of our cur rency threatened by the free silver coinage movement. And if these are the effects of a mere apprehension of a possibility* what would be the effect of the event itself? There is scarcely an imaginable limit to the destruction certain to be wrought by the business disturbances that Mr. Bryan's mere election would cause.” Afraid of Those Angels. “When I put my little girl to bed last night,” said a young Philadelphia mother, “I whispered to her: ‘Now mamma will turn down the gas and go away, but don’t you lie afraid here alone in the dark, for whole flocks of white angels, with gold wings, will hover around you,’ Then I went into the next room. The little girl lay with her doll in her arms, and after a while I heard her saying to it: ‘Now, go to sleep, dolly. Don’t bother about the dark. There’s a lot of white an gels with gold wings hovering around your head. They’ll take care of you. dolly, but it’s funny how afraid of those white angels I am!’" A Bridegroom at 120. In the village of Bodru a Turk named Ismail, said to be 120 years old, frequently walks to Bartin, ten miles distant, to sell eggs. He has had thirty-four wives, the last of whom he married only a few days ago. The bride is 60 years his junior, and the marriage was celebrated with much solemnity, to the sound of drums and fifes and of volleys from firearms. The whole village was en fete. The wedding procession included all the male progeny of the patriarch bridegroom, consisting of 110 sons, grandsons and grept-grandsons. The number of his female progeny is not stated. A Brown Statue In Chicago. A large bronze statue representing John Brown, with a drawn sword, and holding a negro child, is to be erected in Lincoln park, Chicago. LI APPEALS Fdll AID He Begs the Empress to Appoint Him Four Assistant Meditators. PRINCE TUAN AGAIN REPORTED DEAD Said to Hava Horn Killed Daring a Fight with Japanese—Boxer* Are Now Un popular — Peasantry Around Feuln Klica Against Them. LONDON, Aug. 30.—Sir Chi Chen Lofengluh, the Chinese minister in London, asserts he is in constant com munication with Li Hung Chaug, who is still in Shanghai. Dispatched received this morning bring no later news from Benin. A Shanghai telegram says Li Hung Chang has sent a memorial begging the empress dowager to appoint Prince Ching,' General Yung Lu and the Yang Tse viceroys as joint peacemakers with himself. It is rumored at Shanghai that the Japanese gained a victory over the Boxers and Chinese troops from Pei Tsang and Ho-Si Wu last Thursday at Teh Choua. The story says 1,500 Chi nese were killed, including Prince turn and that all the Chinese were driven The Hong Kong correspondent of the Daily Mall, wiring yesterday, says he understands that General Gaselee, the British commander with the allies, has countermanded his order summon ing more troops to the north and that possibly the British troops will go to Amcty. The reform pnrty under Kang Yu Wei is said to bo actively preparing for rebellion. General Creigh, in the presence of Vice Admiral Seymour, received 3,000 troops of all nationalities at Shanghai Wednesday. It is reported that twenty-five re formers have been executed at Han kow’, their heads being exposed. The Tuku correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, wiring August 20, says the country around Taku and Pe kin is devastated, with the result that the Boxers are most unpopular and are being attacked by the peasantry. The Boxers, who wero moving north from Shang Tung, nre now returning has tily to their homes. Belated dispatches and the stories of refugees arriving at Che Foo continue to describe the terrible conditions in Pekin. One of the worst incidents is the shocking desecration of the foreign cemetery outside the west wall. The details are too revolting to be de scrived. Hundreds of bodies of Chi nese are found in the streets of Pekin, supposed to be those of traitors to the cause of the Boxers. The Shanghai correspondent of the Times says a native official telegram from Pao Ting-Fu announces the ar rival of the court last Sunday at Tai Yuen Fu. Communication between Pe kin and Tien Tsm is interrupted, pos sibly because the bands of Boxers hake the road unsafe for couriers, he county north of Yang i un is said to be flooded. A German firm is negotiating wltn Chang Chi Tung, the Wu Chang vlce rqly, to lend him 1,000,000 taels on the security of scrtain viceregal Industrial undertakings. A correspondent .at New Chwang says the Russians at Hal Cheng are awaiting reinforcements, whose ad vance is delayed by the impassable condition of the roads to Leao Yang and Mudken. Meanwhile the native population of the district is being treated with the utmost severity. Eye witnesses report an indiscriminate slaughter of noncombatants and the reduction of the country in the vicin ity of Port Arthur to a state of utter desolation. CmNAirWITNOlfT T MEAD. Emperor ia a Fugitive anal PowcrleiR to Make Terms of Fence. WASHINGTON, Aug. 30—The lat est phase of the diplomatic tangle with the powers interested in Chinn is the abandonment of objection to the form of Li Hung Chang's credentials. At least it may be said that tbeso ob jections have been suspended for the time being. The point of attack on the part of the powers which are op posing the recognition of Li Hung Chang as a plenipotentiary is now the authority of the titular Chinese gov ernment to issue any credential wor thy of recognition. In other words, admitting that Li’s credentials were properly issued by Emperor Kwang 8u, the contention Is that that mon arch, being a fugitive and powerless, cannot by himself or through his agent, Li Hung Chang, enter Into any engagement or give any guaran tee which the Chinese people as a whole will accept as binding. This subject is now receiving the careful attention of the Department of State. Meanwhile, the department and president are in ignorance as to the whereabouts of Li Hung Chang and from the fact that nothing has been heard from him for four days at least, it is conjectured that he may havo left Shanghai by sea and that he will next appear in the north of China, probably at Talui, and demand access to Pekin. Czar Mays He Hates War. LONDON. Aug. 30.—“Dr. Leyds’ in terview with Emperor Nicholas,” says a dispatch to the Daily Mail from St. Petersburg, “lasted barely five min utes. The czar said he was sorry he could do nothing for the Transvaal except to urge it to make peace, as he hated war.” I'lot to Kuril SIinn"tial. PER LIN, Aug. 30.—The Frankfort Zeitung has received a dispatch from Shanghai saying a plot nas been dis covered there to burn the whole city. It is added that the Europeans con sider the streets unsafe after night fall and the general situation is de scribed as critical. Anurc'.iUtH After the New King. PARIS, Aug. 29.—A dispatch to the Petit Rleu from Rome says an anar chist has been arrested at Carrara on suspicion of having conspired to as sassinate King Victor Emanuel III. THE IIVC STOCK MARKET. Uttit Quotations From South Omaha „ and Kansas Clly. SOUTH OMAHA. TTnln:i Stock Yards.—Cattle—There wa* a light i#.p of cattle ItAre, hut nearly everything on sale was on the cornfad order. There were very few westerns of any kind and packers bought the bulk of the stuff. The market on the hotter grades of oornfed cattle was just about steady, though the good supply coming at the end of the week made buyers rath er bearish, Light weights were In better demand and brought itjllj steady prices, but sont i of the heavy cattle, ujtellera found, did r.ot move rapidly and the feel ing was rather weak, The week, how ever. closes with good cattle right around 10c or 16c hlg,.er than the close of last week. Th'.re were only .a few cows on sale and fellers disposed of them at about steady pi'ictr. Packets were pretty well filled up for tho week and as a result were not particularly anxious about fresh supplies, hot they took the better grades and. In fact, practically everything of fered, at about steady prices. Tlta feed er market was not well supplied, there being practically nothing of any conse quence on sale. What did change hands brought about yesterday’s prices. ' There has been a good demand all the week •for the good, heavy cattle, both from coun try buyers und yard traders, and the mar ket on that class of stuff has bean active all the week, but the common, light stuff has not met with such ready sule. There were no western cattle here to speak of and as a result there was not much with which to make a test of the market. Hogs—There was a light supply of hogs and,as Chicago reported a stronger mar ket buyers here took hold with consider able life. The hulk of the hogs changed hands on a basis of a 5c advance, and, as there were only about sixty-three cars on sale. It was not long before the more desirable loads were sold. Heavy hogs were In n little better demand today H they were good, and brought from $5.00 to $5.05. Light hogs sold largely from $5.05 to $5.07V4, with ufow prime loads go ing at $5.10 and $5.15. The bulk of all the sales was at $5.02V4W5.07*i, as against $4.05 515.05 the day before. Sheep—There were (inly a few sheep here, hut ns the supply all the week has been rather liberal packers were not very heavy uiiyers today. As a result, the market was rather dull, but about steady. There was not much done until late, when a big string of lambs sold at $5.00, with a 15 per cent cut, or about tho same as thev would have brought yester day. VVlrnt few sheep changed hands brought about steady prices. Quotations: Choice western grass wethers, $3.354t'3.50; fair to good grass wethers. $3.25543.30: choice grass yearlings, $3.35113.60; choice ewes, $2.90513.25; fair to good ewes. $2.65® 2.90; fair to good yearlings, $3.25513.35; choice spring lambs, $4,655(5.00; fair to good spring lambs. $4,505(4.65; feeder wethers, $3.25513.50; feeder iambs, $4.0051 4.25. KANSAS CITY. Cattle—Receipts. 5,000; market steady: native steers. $4,505(5.65; extra steers, $2.46 ifN.BS; Texas cows. $1,505(3.00; natlvo cows, und heifers, $1,505/5.15; stoekera and feed ers. $2,005(4.60: bulls, $2,255(3.50: calves, re ceipts, 350; market strong. $4,005(5.75. Hogs—Receipts, 7,004); market strong to 5c higher; hulk of sales. $5.05(0.5.15; heavy, $5.004(5.07V4; packers. $5.055(5.15; mixed. $5.004;5.10;light, $4.85©5.22Vs; Yorkers, $5.1$ 5r5.22Vs; pigs. $4.00515.00. Sheep—Receipts. 2,000; market strong; lambs, $3,255(4.76; muttons, $3.00514.50. BOERS BUSY FALLING BACK. Roberts Finds Few of Them on His Immediate Front. LONDON, Sept. 3.—Lord. Roberta, under date of Belfast, August 29, re ports to the War office as follows: “Buller telegraphs from Helvetia that only a few of the enemy ate there and that this morning French app Pole-Carew’s forces will move on their flank. The advance of Dundonald’s mounted troops on their front caused them to abandon a very Btrong posi tion. The country thus cleared, our troopB moved eastward. The South African Light Horse, after little oppo sition, entered Watervalhoven and drove the remnant of the enemy through the town. “French’s column reached Doorhoek, overlooking Watervalonder, with slight opposition. Dundonald, with Strath cona’s Horse, is further near Noolt Gadacht. We have occupied Waterval hoven and Watervaldon. Buller re ports that Nooit Gadacht is apparent ly deserted, except by British prisoners, who are passing in a continuous stream up the line towards Waterval onder. No Boers are visible. The natives report that Kruger and all the commanders left yesterday for Pil grims’ Rest. “French reports the railway intact as far as Valendor, except for a small bridge near the station, which has been destroyed.’’ Gold Medal Awarded Walter Ilaker £ Co. Paris, Aug. 20.—The judges at the Paris Exposition have just awarded a gold medal to Walter Baker & Co., Ltd., Dorchester, Mass., U. 8. A., for their preparations of cocoa and choco late. This famous company, now the . largest manufacturers of cocoa and chocolate in the world, have received, the highest awards from the great in ternational and other expositions In Europe and America. This is tho third award from a Paris Exposition. Sweden Wants a Loan. NEW YORK, Aug. 31.—Albert H. Wiggin, vice president of the Na tional Park bank, said tonight that it was true that the bank bad been ap proached by representatives of th8 Swedish government with inquiries as to the chance of placing a $10,000, 000 loan In this country. Mr. Wig gin said he was not prepared to say whether the proposition had been fa vorably received. Wealthiest Citizen Dies. CINCINNATI, Sept. 3.—David Sin ton died at his home here this after noon, aged 93 years. Mr. Sinton was one of the wealthiest citizens of Cin cinnati, the value of his holdings be ing estimated at $20,000,000. Ne«v Treaty Is Approved. MANAGUA, Nicaragua (via Galves ton), Sept. 3.—The Nicaraugua con congress today approved the commer cial reciprocity treaty between Nica ragua and the United States. Waldron Wounded on Patrol. WASHINGTON, Sept. 3.—A dispatch received from General Chaffee at Taku gives further particulars regarding the wounding of Lieutenant H. Waldron, Ninth infantry, at Hosh'wi. on Au gust 24. It states that ii? was wounded ;>y a sniping shot while on patrol and sent to the general hospital at Tien lVn. Battleship at Wu Snug. SHANGHAI, Sept. 3.—It is announc ed here that the battleship Oregon and four other battleships have been ordered to Wu Sung. i