O. H. CRONIN. Publisher. O’NEILL. NEBRASKA The earliest use of deleterious gases In siege warfare Is recorded In the his tory of the Peloponnesian wsrs from 431 to 404 B. C. During this struggle between the Athenians and Bpartatus and their respeetive allies the cities of Palatea and Delium were besieged. Wood saturated with pitch and sulphur was set on fire and burned under the walls of those cities In order to generate choking and poisonous fumes, which would stupefy the de fenders and make the task of attack ing forces less difficult. Another form of the same method of attack used about this date was to fill a cauldron with molten pitch, sulphur and burn ing charcoal, and to blow the fumes with the aid of a primitive form of bellows and airblaat over the defend ers' lines. Greek fire, about which much wan heard In the wars of the middle ages, was a liquid, the compo sition of which Is now unknown, that was spurted through the air, chiefly In sea fights, tn order to set flic to tbs ships of the enemy, and it was used by the Byzantine Greeks gt the sieges of Constantinople In the years 1261 and 1412. _ _ To the uninitiated, the treatment ■which a workman suffering from an electrict shock receives at the hands o! his coworkers is Inhuman and brutal, says Popular Science Monthly. When a lineman, for Instance, stringing pri mary wires has received a shock which caused him to lose his balance and fall to the ground, apparently lifeless, the first thing hi* working mates do Is to take firm hold of the ankles of the limp body, raise It until the entire weight rests upon the back of the neck and then let it drop again. Next they will take a pair of connectors or any other heavy object and hammer the soles of the victim's feet without removing the shoes. While this Is being done another comrade will pry open the mouth and yank forward the tongue, which Is Invariably swallowed In elec tric shock. By this time, unless the man was instantly killed, he has re covered consciousness, the successive shocks of pain having in some way counterbalanced the effects of the elec tricity. _ _ _ Prometheus, the organ of the Ger man Iron trade, makes an elaborate calculation as to the quality of steel ■which is now lying on the hillsides round Verdun. According to military reports It Often happened that ns many as 1,000,000 shots daily were fired from guhs of various calibers. If. however, 1,000,000 shells are taken as the weekly Instead of the dally average, we reach almost incredible totals. Taking the ground fought over as 260 square kilo meters, and the average weight of the shells as 90 pounds, no less than 1,360 - •00 tons of steel exploded on the area In question. This weight Is sufficient to load 136.000 heavy goods wagons, and works out at 13 tons of steel per1 acre. Taking the price of scrap steel at $17.60 per ton, we have a crop of steel worth about $226 per acre, a crop which Prometheus thinks Is well worth garnering. The so-called Federation of Soviets Is a superimposed class rule on a people In Russia who want to be democratic. It was put into power by a small group of fanatically extreme social democrats, the real, the conscious bolsheVlsts, under the leadership of l^enlne, and has never at any time expressed the will of the people. The soviets, beginning with the bigger cities, spread ovsr Russia In a very few weeks, following the origi nal revolution. They were socialists In character In the cities and In the army, where the medalists' propaganda had been spread, but In the villages, where the great "masses” of the Russian peo ple live, there was not much political education, and the soviet was simply the expression of popular will of all glnda. It was the town meeting. In a recent storm at Torrington Point, Peaks Island, Me., a large tree, of which measures almost a foot and a half in diameter, was split entirely In two for a space of about eight feet, the bottom for three feet or so up from the ground being as good as It ever was and the top also showing no signs of a break. At flrst it was thought the tree had been split by lightning, but careful Investi gation disclosed no signs of a burn anywhere, and how the theory Is that the rotary motion of the wind gave the tree a twisting nratlon that was too much for It Fingerprint identification, developed from a chance attempt to trighten dis honest East Indians, has become an important modern science. Every per son ih the world has his or her parti cular finger print which cannot he duplicated. These finger prints are now classified into two groups, four types, and eight patterns. Prints hie taken by hospitals and naval authori ties. for identification: by large cor porations, in order to avoid rehlring of discharged employes; by detectives, for criminal records. When the British housewife buy sugar she hands Mr. Grocery-man an orange color page. If she buys lard, margarine, butter or other fats, she offers a blue page. And there are four red pages In the new ration book, for meat and bacon. Boys and girls under 5.000. He admitted that he took present high values as his basis, but defended this on the ground that the prices had been In force for several years and would be certain to continue for several more. He said reproduction new value was being accepted by the courts because it was impossible to secure from, any company's records correct figures as to Its actual cost. —♦— WIFE IS LOCATED AND HUSBAND IS RELEASED Tecumeeh, Neb., Sept. IS. Mrs. Addison Ross, who was searched for here by her husband and a posse with bloodhounds from Beatrice, has been located at St. Joseph. Mo. She was on her way to her sister's home in Kansas City. Ross, who had asked the authorities to aid In the search for his wife, hud been locket! up and held here pending the finding of his wife. He was released when she was heard from. LINCOLN—Governor Neville has is sued a proclamation declaring Friday September 13. to be a public holiday In Nebraska and calling upon al' olthtens to honor that day as the biithday of General Pershing. ANSKLMO.—C. II. liickinson. af armer living three miles northwest of Anselmo, was badly injured by the bursting of a gun. The gun was one of the old style smqutti bore, muzxie loading vintage, and 1 the load had been In it for about three months- Mr. thokinsou discovered a coyotte near his home and as his chicken ^roost bad been suffering considerable from these marauders, he grauped the gun to kill the coyote, he gun barrel hurst and the stock was splintered ami Mr. Uleklmam received a bad wound in ills left arm from a wood splinter and further sustained a htoken nose and va rious other injuries about the face. j PHONE CONTROVERSY IS GROWING ACUTE Nebraska Railway Commission and Postal Department Or ders at Variance. Lincoln. Nob., Sep$. 12.--The Nebras ka state railway commission must now proceed to fish or cut bait on th*-prop osition of whether it will lock horns with the postoffice department on the question of what charges shall be made by telephone companies for in stalling new phones. When it was re cently announced from Washington that the department, which now con trols, by having taken them over, all telephone companies In the country, would require them to charge an in tallation fee of $5 where .the rental per month was $2 or less; $10 whore it was between $2 and $4 and $15 In ex cess of $4. Commissioner Hall, speak ing for the body, said the companies would not be allowed to make such charges for the reason that the com mission tfiid sole charge of rates un der the state constitution, that the fees charged were too high and that it would result in many persons being compelled to go without service. Since then the department has served notice on all companies that they must make such charges. The Ne braska Telephone Company—the Bell —has put the matter squarely up to the commission by asking for Its ap proval of Installation charge schedule, ft urges Immediate action as the order of the department is mandatory, and it desires to avoid any conflict of authority. The telephone companies would rather maintain the old installation charge schedule of $2, as fixed by the commission, because the new one will steadily cut down their lists be cause fewer new phones will be or dered while the normal discontin uances will be received. At the commission offices the opinion is expressed that the post office department will shortly issue a flat rate schedule bf exchange charges covering the entire country, based either on population of the town or number of exchange sub scribers. This Is regarded as certain to be higher than at present in order to put the government on the safe side when it comes to guaranteeing returns on the investments, since many companies are making no money at present. STREET CAR FARES UP TO RAIL COMMISSION Lincoln, Neb., Sept. 12.- The state railway commission is hearing the ap plication of the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway Co., for permission to increase its rate of fare from 6 to 6 cents. The cities are opposing the re quest. The company insists that it has been compelled to cease the payment of common stock dividend* and that unless It gets more money preferred stockholders will also go hungry. The city declares that the capitalisation of the company greatly exceeds the amount of money actually invested, and It also says that the commission has no jurisdiction in the matter, the Omaha city charter providing that the council shall regulate the rate of fare. The rate question was submitted to a vote of the people, and they adopted an ordi nance requiring the company to sell seven tickets for a quarter. The com pany appealed to the courts, and there the case has been lodged for sevyeraj year*. T ‘ REQUIRED ALL RETURNS TO 8ETTLE ONE CONTEST Lincoln, Neb,, Sept. 12.—The state canvassing board has finally received all county returns, the last one, Scottsbluff, arriving Monday, three weeks after the primary election: In spite of the apparent lethargy of the voters, 134,985 went to the polls to express their choices. The republi can total was 70,3t2,‘the democrats 64,487 and the prohibitionists 208. It was not until the last county totals were footed up that one nomination, that of secretary of state was de cided. The contest was a five-sided one, but Hugh L. Cooper, Tecumseh editor, who has been deputy secretary of state for four years, nosed out ahead of Dr. A. T. Gatewood of McL Cook. the vote standing Cooper 14,641 votes, Gatewood 14,345, a majority for Cooper of 297 votes. The soldiers took very little inter est In the primary election. The gov ernor had made a great hustle to get the names and addresses of all Boldlers still In the United States who were of voting age, going once to Washington to get federal aid to se cure the information. Ballot* were sen* out to over- 12,000 ' soldiers, but only 1.631 of these were returned, and 168 of these came too late to be counted under the law. NEBRASKA ATHLETE LOSES BOTH EYES Lincoln, Neb,, Sept. 12.—John R. ‘‘Dad” White, former athletic star of the University of Nebraska, lost both eyes and the bridge of his nose as a result of being hit by a German ma chine gun bullet, according to word received by his parents. Mr. and Mrs. R- N. White, of Bethany, a suburb of Lincoln. SBWARD—Sorghum is going to figure as one of the most valuable sugar sub stitutes In Nebraska this wittier. Mills are running in a score or more counties in the state aiul thousands of gallons of first class sorghum will be turned out this fall to akl the state through the sugar crisis. For the first time In several years this old fashioned molasses will be ex tensively used In Nebraska. NORTH PLATTE!—Henry Lunkwitx, of Hershey. who was culled to leave for Camp Grant Illinois, with the Lincoln comity quota, was arrested before en trainment for acting In a demented man ner. attempting to hang himself and ap pearing on the public highway without wearing apparel. He was sent to camp and after being arrested refused to con verse. NEBRASKA CITY Carl Mueller. 3U, Son of Mr. and Mrs. LI. F. Mueller, of* this city, was instantly killed In up automobile aticklept accident three piljes west of this «fity. and five companions, Ray Clouse, Misses Naomi and Velma Clouse. Georgia Thomas and Tina - oveft. were more or less injured. TANKER CLAIMS U-BOAT WAS SENT TO BOTTOM Washington, D. C.. Sept. 10.—The navy deiwrtment had a report today that an incoming tanker claimed to have sunk a German submarine after a'long buttle. The department is now trying to as certain 'l)o exact fact s and* is, with holding details lest the story prove to be another of the series of battles without definite, result*. POLITICAL CAMPAIGN NOWON IN NEBRASKA Republicans and Democrats Open Headquarters and Be gin Work In Lincoln. Lincoln, Neb., Sept. 11.—The political campaign of 1918 Is now under a full , head of steam. State democratic headquarters are now open in charge at Chairman Sprague. Over at the state republican headquarters Chairman Beach and Secretary Hansen have the campaign under way. The control of congress is an issue and there is likely to be much orutory expended. It Is believed now that the third, party movement for governor and senator are so near extinction that they may be classed as dead. The In surgents who after the primary de glgred loudly that they would , nqvgr get behind Norris or Morehead are nyt nearly so noisy now. It is predicted, however, that the election will see much crossing of party lines. Norris always has had a large democratic support because of his progressive platforms and record, and lie probably will have It again because his oppo nent, Morehead. is frankly conserva tive. Conservative republicans who hate Norris apart from his war record, are certain to vote for Morehead. — ♦ COMMISSIONER HALL STIRRED UP TROUBLE Lincoln, Neb., Sept. 11.—Railway Commissioner Tom L. Hall came near ly causing a riot at Auburn. When he hit the town in his automobile several Aubumites recognized him and one demanded to know why the commis sion overruled the council of defense and declared that the German people had a right to use the German lan guage over the telephone. Commls (Bloned Hall appeared inclined to evade the pointed question. He was told that the law of public opinion in the state and loyal Americans endorsed the action of the council. This statement made Tom angry and he swore a mighty oath. A preacher present pro tected against a state officer using profanity and Hall apologized. Once Commissioner Hall, when goaded by criticism, Is alleged to have struck a tragic attitude and to have shouted, "By the eternal Gods I am your rail way commissioner for the next two years and I wi|l see that they have a right to - use German over the tele phone.” * > Then somebody yelled "pro-German,” another demanded that a supply of eggs be produced and there was even a eall for a rope. Mayor Higgins is quoted as saying that matters became so serious that he advised the irate commissioner that it would be best to leave town and he took the advice. NEBRA8KA MAN DIED WITH LUMPY JAW Ainsworth. Neb.* Sept. 11.—Jacob Orville Fry died at a hospital in this city of a disease that has baffled the physicians and surgeons of the middle west for several years. Three years ago he was working with cattle, some of which were afflicted with lumpy jaw.^ About two and a half years ago . he was kicked on the jaw by a mule, and soon after that a swelling began at that point. He was treated by thi HocaJ doctors and was then : ent to Omaha, where his case attracted great attention among the members of the medical fraternity. He was after wards sent to the Mayos at Roches ter, Minn. They made a study of the case and pronounced It lumpy jaw. They said that when once that poiapn was in the system it might be c"r rled for five years. If there wras a bruise on the body anywhere it was likely to manifest Itself. He was operated on 19 times by surgeons In different parts of the country. It is agreed by the medical profession that there is no known cure for the disease. The patient sim ply wastes away and then dies. NORRIS FAVORS CONTROL OF THE STOCK YARDS Washington. D. C., Sept. 11—In a let ter made public today and addressed to Benjamin C. Marsh, executive sec retary of the farmers national commit tee on packing plants and allied indus tries. Senator Norrie of Nebraska, de clares the financial and banking Insti tutions allied with the packers are or ganizing a fight for preservation of existing conditions in the packing business. Senator Norris in his let ter promises support of legislation to remedy packing evils and favors recommendations of the trade commis sion. He emphasizes the idea that produced and consumer are at the mercy of the packers and holds it is highly Important the stockyards be owned and operated by ttie public for the public and without any idea of profit. STATE FAIR ATTENDANCE BREAKS ALL RECORDS Lincoln. Neb.. Sept. 11.— The Ne braska state fair of 1918 made a new attendance record on its 50th birthday. The total attendance was 214.537 which was over 14,000 In excess of 1917 when the total attendance reached 200,468 New records were made for a week’s attendance and for Monday., Thursday and Friday. Thursday with an atten dance of 65,562 was the banner day. It beat all other state fair Thursdays. The Closing feature was the military re view in which 1,000 soldiers, now In training at Lincoln, took part. HER IDEA. Kitty—Wh\ didn’t you buy the chest nut horse? He is a beauty; kind, gen tle and holds his head high. Betty—I don’t want that kind of a horse. I like one that holds his nose close to the ground so he can see w here he's going. After the lust census in 1910. the center of population was found to he in the city of Bloomington, lnd. The center of population is the point about which? there are supposed to be just as many people east as there are west and just as many south ns north. _ _ “GODMOTHERS" MUST STOP WRITING TO “TOMMIES." Boston-Soldiers’ godmothers must give up corresponding with the men of the British and Canadian armies, according to an order that was re ceived by the British and Canadian recruiting mission here today. The military authorities are said to have found that the practice has re sulted in obtaining important mili tary information by the enemy and, although all persons who write to sol diers are not under suspicion, it has Wen deemed wise to eliminate tills practice, in which Chances have to bs taken. • ST. QUENTIN SPIRES EASILY IN SIGHT OF ADVANCING BRITISH With the British Armies in France, Sept. 11.—In the south Aus tralian troops have advanced in the area from Vermand to the out skirts of Attilly on the edge of Holnon wood, from the other side of y which the whole of the flat country up to the famous German defensive positions and the spires of St. Quentin are clearly visible. In the north British patrols have penetrated through Pont De Neippe without opposition. Here the Germans apparently have with drawn for some distance.. More posts were established by the British, south of the Lys yesterday. A heavy rain still is tailing over the whole area and many of the smaller streams have been flooded. In the Flanders lowlands tlnr ground has become almost impassible. BY LOWELL MELLETT, United Press Staff Correspondent. With the British Armies in France, Sept. 11 (11 a. m)—British forces launched an attack at 3 a. in. today northwest of Peiziere. As this is cabled it is reported the British captured important ridges. (Peiziere is a northern suburb of Epeby on the Hindenburg line midway between Cambravi and St. Quentin.) At Trescault cemetery, on the eastern edge of Havrineourt wood, the British advanced and occupied the old Hindenburg line in that region. , Heavy German shelling has developed all along the front. In the Sensee valley the German batteries were worked so rapidly their bombardment was like a hurricane. By Havas Agency. Paris. Sept. 11.—The village of Travecy, near the southern end of the main Hindenburg line, lias been captured by the French, according to reports received here. If the French can hold this time the import-1“•'i ant enemy position at La Fere, a northerly defense of the St. Gobaih massif, two miles south of Travecy, will be virtually outflanked. j bill -- -_ _ By United Press. Amsterdam, Sept. 11.—The Germans are reported to be restoring the forti fications of Liege, Bruges and Ghent, according to advices from Belgium to day. Twenty thousand of the inhabi tants were declared to have been re moved from Maubeuge. Liege, Bruges and Ghent are impor tant cities of 'Belgium. Maubeuge is a fortress in northern;.France, field by the Germans since 1914. By Associated Press. All approaches to the German strongholds at La Fere and St. Quen tin are held by the French and Brit ish forces and the encircling move ment that menaces the enemy posi tion at Laon is progressing favorably. The French are advancing on La Fere from two sides, the movement from Servais, northwest of town, carrying them around the northern edge of the famous St. Gobain massif, where the Germans were favorably entrenched. In their advance on St. Quentin the French have taken Hinacourt and are nearing Essigny-LeGrhnd. On the French left the British have reached Fresnoy-Le-Petit, about three miles northwest of St. Quentin. Because of weather conditions an attack in force north from St. Quentin to La Fere is not to be expected. In the Lys sector Armentieres is al most within the grasp of the British, who are advancing from the north and west. Armentieres is used by the Gernrans as a supply center and next to Douai it is the most important point in the enemy’s system of mili tary roads of communication. The British are slowly driving a wedge in the direction of Douai, which is re ported to be burning. In the Aisne-Vesle sector, where the Americans are co-operating with the French, the artillery fire con tinues active. The Frencli have ad vanced slightly at Glennes and north of Laffaux and generally improved their position. ITALIANS ALSO WIN. Home, Italy, Sept. 11.—A number of local successful engagements are re ported In the Italian war office com munique. "Towards Dorsocasino, repeated hostile attacks foiled with losses,” the commuuluue said. "In the Alano basin wit raided the enemy, ptting their de tachment to flight, killing some and taking some prisoners without loss to U«. BY W’LLIAM PHILIP SIMMS. United Press Staff Correspondent. Paris, Sept. 11.—Through the most terrific rains since the fighting began last March, the allies today are not ceasing to batter the Germans, harass ing them everywhere from Dixmude to Khclms. Nevertheless the operations are steadily slowing down. Belgians. Brit- I lsh, French and Americans are snug gling up closer to their former lines. If the rains continue, mud will force a further slackening; still the weather has been exceptionally dry since before the offensive and the German is thirsty, so much of the moisture can be ab sorbed. But an early setting in of the rainy "Season, which is now liable at any time, would affect the whole trend of the remainder of the campaign. Today, despite local fighting where the British and French were driving in the last G«rmnn outposts westward of, the Hindenburg line, the western front' was virtually marking time, pending commencement of the new phase of the campaign. Will Foch Strike? Experts here were totally at vari ance regarding the nature of this new phase of the fighting. Some declared that Foch would not permit Luden dorff to get his second wind at the Hindenburg line, intimating that a great blow is practically certain. Ojth ers doubted whether there would be any real offensive before spring. German critics, however, speak as if they were all drawing their inspiration from the same fountain, which hither to lias actually been the cnee. They admit the allied blow was so serious that German plans, certainly a* far as 191*. was coaceruatl. were completely upset, and they suggest-that no further offensive is pussible from their,side, al though it is no secret that Hindenburg bv shortening his lines, has accumu lated some 40 divisions of passable re serves with perhaps as many more en tering the process of reorganization and taking the rest curt^ DEATH TO TRAITORS. Paris, Sept. 11.—A general order ad vises all American units to adopt a policy during buttle of killing anyone who suggests surrendering. This pol icy originated with a certain unit fight ing at Flsmette. where genera! opera tions were hampered yvhen some one in tin American uhlform shfiuted that fur ther resistance was not necessary nnrt that therefore the troops should sur render. This was probably a German propagandist. The unit woe udvised Vc mil anyone suggesting .surrender and all American troops are following the same plan. This means it will go hard with any German propagandist attemp ting to injure the morale of our soldiers in battle. German prisoners taken in, Alsace report the kaiser’s soldiers ar» eagerly reading allied propaganda papers which are thrown in their trenches, despite the order of the Ger man command forbidding soldiers to read such literature and offering a re ward for all tracts brought ,in. The commands are not gettingMnafljy, as the tracts are kept circulating among th* troops. Slaughter, Rioting and Pillage In Petrograd With No Sem blance of Restraint By Law. Washington, D. C„ Sept. 12.—A dis patch from the American legation at Christiana today said reliable informa tion had reached there that Petrograd was burning in 12 different places and that there was indiscriminate massa cre of the people in the streets. Secretary Lansing, in announcing re ceipt of the message, said it did ndt indicate whether the massacre whn or ganized or merely was the result of a general state of anarchy. There w;ts nothing to show what part the bolshe vist authorities were playing in the sit. uation. SUBMARINE GETS No Deatils Received—Ship Was Returning to American Port After Taking Over Troops. New York. Sept. 12.— The British passenger steamer, Missanabie, 12.6K9 tons gross register in the service of the British admiralty as a troop transport, has been sunk by a sub marine in European waters, accord ing to information brought here by passengers on another ship. The Missanabie was returning to an American port. Officers of the army transport service and representatives of the Canadian Pacific railway line, own ers of the ship, said they had received no details ,o* the sinking. The vessel carried a ctrew l'of about 200 and was in command of Capt. William Halnea on her last outward voyage. ASK PRESIDENT TO LET COTTON ALONE Stabilization of Prices Would Result In “Cotton Panic” In South, Is Prediction. By United Press. Washington, D. C., Sept. 12.—Apical will be taken to President Wilson for the revocation of the order for the appointment of a board to stabilise the cotton situation. Following a conference late yester day with senators and representatives from the cotton states B. M. Baruch, chairman of the war industries board, is to lay before the president the cotton men's view. ... They demand entire revocation of orders for creation of a cotton stabiliz ing board and a statement that the gov ernment's policy is to let cotton alone, 'ill no other way, the.y told Hajrueh, can a "cotton panic" be averted. This panic, they said, would result in reducing .the cotton crop next year greatly below this > ear's crop which is slightly ever 11, noo.eoo bales and therefore {» a shew* crop.