HEAVY SLUMP
IN INSURANCE
Companies Doing Business
in Nebraska Hard Hit
in 1931
Lincoln. Neb.—<CP>-Sale of tu
nuance in Nebraska fell off dur
ing 19.11 as compared to 1930. ac
cording to the report issued by
Insurance Commissioner Lee Herd
man.
During last year. Hcrdmans re
port disclosed Nebraskans pur
chased $1,599,000,000 of fire innir
Tiitce. a.'; compared to $1,689,000,090
purchased during 1930.
For the same year, purchase o!
SI73,000.000 of Iite insurance was
recorded as against $242 000,000
purchased in 1930.
Premium collections in Nebraska
for 1931, as compared to 1930. were
as follows: Nebraska stock life
companies, $5,275,000 collected for
1931 as compared with $5,685,000 in
1930; Nebraska mutual life com
panies collected $2,276,000 for 1931
and $1,656,000 in 1930; fore.gn
stock companies collected $0,583,000
in 1931 and $0,273,000 in 1930; for
eign mutuals collected $14,083,000 in
3931 and $16,C43,000 in 1930.
Seven Nebraska fraternal', col
lected $1,356,000 in assessments for
3931, as compared to $1,338,000 in
1930.
Stock fire insurance companies
tuffered heavy loss in premium col
lections during 1931. Nebraska com
panies collected $298 000 in pre
miums as compared to $349,000 in
3930. Premium income of foreign
s lock fire insurance companies fell
off from $8,150,000 to $6,615,000.
Mutual fire, tornado and hall
companies located in Nebraska suf
fered loss in revenue from $676,000
to $586,000. Outside mutuals doing
business in the state showed an In
crease in premiums from $567,000 in
1930 to $581,000 in 1931.
Total premium income of all
companies was $54,084,000 for 1931
as compared to $57,882,000 for 1930.
RECEIVER WILL
KEEP HIS POST
Nebraska Supreme Court
Decides Against Secretary
of Bank Department
Lincoln, Neb.— - The Nebras
ka supreme court Saturday sustained
the action of District Jud’e E. F
Carter of Gering in appointing A. E
Torgoson of Scotts Bluff as receiver
of seven failed state banks In the
Seventeenth judicial district.
Judge Carter refused the applica
t on of E. H. Lulkart, secretary of
the state department of trade and
commerce, to be made receiver suc
ceeding Clarence Bliss, his predeces
sor in of lice.
The supreme court held that
where the liquidation of a state bank
Is conducted in a court of equity the
procedure is Judicial and not execu
tive. The court also ruled that the
appointment of a receiver should not
be made or controlled by the gover
nor or legislature A legislative act
providing for the appointment of the
secretary of the department of trade
‘and commerce as receiver for all
Insolvent state banks must be re
garded as merely a legislation re
commendation to the court, the
opinion staled.
WAKEF1EI.D nor HAS
HIGH GRADES AT "T
Lincoln. Neb.—Two Iowa student*
at the University of Nebraska were
among the new members of Phi
Beta Kappa announced by the Al
pha chapter of Nebraska. They
were Helen Marr Cassaday of Den
nison and Myron Truman Kelley of
AUcrton. The highest average, 85.94
was lirld by Miss Helene Cooper ol
Lincoln and was one of the highest
in several years. Others included In
the list were Donald George Ander
sen and Sarah Louise Britton. Fre
mont; Victoria Shannon Gladfelt
rr and Melva Scudder, Central City;
Cordelia Elizabeth Aldersen, Hum
phrey. and Robert Earle Nuernbep
ger, Wakefield.
RAILROAD HAS* Ml ( II
WORK IN PROSPECT
Norfolk. Neb.—(Special)—'Thougl
a spring building program lor thi:
district on the Chicago and Nortt
Western railroad lias not yet beer,
adopted, some work still remains tc
be completed from the program ol
last season, according to report?
from the office of C. F Womeldorf
division engineer.
Some steel work In bridges re
mains to be done in the Fremont
district with construction of pile
bridges and concrete pipe culvert*
on the Albion and Winner. S. D
lines. Plans for the new building
program which are drawn in Chi
cago have not yet been received
here but notification is expected
within a few weeks as to the extent
of the work.
- • ♦---• —- —
Fifty seven high schools will en
ter the 13th annual intrrscholastic
water meet at Winter Park, Fla.
May 7.
REPORT SOME FISH LOST
IN NEBRASKA LAKES
Ainsworth. Neb.—«8peviali—G. R.
Fpcnccr and Arthur Baldw n. state
i.ame commissioners, returned re
cently from a trip of Inspection of
Cherry county lakes, and report Use*
loss of Dsh not cxccfstve in consul -
nation of the severe winter There
Isas been anme lose, due to crowding
nt the points where spr.ngs fed
the lakes, and there he also beer
Iota in lakes wht’ h are oerstoefced.
Due to ths drouth, to? la'.::s ar;
low.
NEBRASKA HAS
TROUT FISHING
Drainage Ditches in West
ern Part of State Said to
Be Well Stocked
Mlnntare, Neb.—Bcotts Bluff and
Morrill counties are rapidly becom
ing the trout fisherman's paradise.
This may be surprising to those
Nebraskans who know that the
North Platte river is not a trout
stream, and that with the cxccp
tion of two or three little creeks
flowing into it there are really
no sizable streams in the whole
territory.
But. they overlooked the drain
age ditches that have been con
structed, and these ditches, always
running considerable volume of icc
cold water, hnve proved to be ideal
lor trout culture. These ditches
begin near the bluffs overlooking
the valley and prevent the irrigated
lands from becoming '‘seeped.''
They lead into the river, but the
trout refuse to po out. They re
main in the congenial water of the
ditches, where they have multi
plied at a wonderful rate.
Two-pound rainbows seem as
common as bullheads in eastern
ponds, and it is indeed a poor fly
caster who cannot get a goodly
mess of trout within an hour or
two in any one of the several
drainage ditches within a few miles
of this or other cities between
Bridgeport and Torrington.
One of the natural streams in
Scotts Bluff county. Tub creek, a
.mall stream that an athletic boy
can jump across, is n favorite trout
stream. It is a few miles north
west of Scottsbluff.
Several years ago the North
Platte river offered excellent pike
fishing, but of late years diversion
dams have prevented them from
traveling upstream, and they have
ilmost wholly disappeared.
WILL PRESENT
PASSION PLAY
Bayard, Neb., Makes Prep- I
arations to Entertain
40,000 Persons
Bayard, Neb. — (UP) — Accom
modations are being made for 40,
000 persons to witness the 11th an
nual outdoor Passion play presen
tation. near here on the nights ot
June 14, 15, 16 and 1?.
The play, “The Gift of God,” will
be presented by a cast of 150 char
acters. John the Baptist, one of the
outstanding characters in last year's
presentation, will bo portrayed by
Lawrence Nye, Nebraska Wesleyan
interstate champion orator. Musical
talent from Wesleyan will be fea
tured also. Singers from Scottsbluff,
Gering, Minatare, Bridgeport, Al
liance and Bayard churches will con
stitute the hidden choir.
A natural nmphltheater near here
will be the scene of the presenta
tion.
DAMAGE SUIT RESULTS
FROM ALLEGED KIDNAPING
Aurora, Neb. — Laurel Morrison,
recent “kidnap victim,” who re
turned home after attending a
beauty culture school In Lincoln for
two days is being sued by Mrs. Ma
llndft Wahl, her sistei inlaw and for
mer business partner, and receiver
of the ransom note demanding $1 ,
000.
Mrs. Wahl asks $5,000. claiming
malicious conspiracy and threats.
The note received was in Miss Mor
rison’s handwriting and demanded
that $1,000 be mailed to her in care
of general delivery, at Lincoln, at
once. Should she fall to do this, the
note said, great hprm would come
to herself and family.
Miss Morrison still claims to have
been kidnaped and tried to find
cabins and cafes where she said she
had been held.
PIEADS GUILTY TO
ASSAULT CHARGE
Center. Neb. — (Special) —Har
old ‘‘Pete” Mackey pleaded guilty
in county court here to assault on
Dr. R H Burrell of Creighton, with
intent to rob and will be sentenced
by a district judge
Mackey was returned here from
Sioux Falls where he had completed
a year and a half sentence for steal
ing a car
He was living In Creighton with
his brother, Elmer Mackey, former
Creighton baseball player at the
i*me of the attack on Dr. Burrpll,
in December, 1950. He struck the
doctor over the head with a revolver,
rendering him partially unconscious
and then fled without taking any
loot. He stole a car to escape and
then was arrested in Yankton ou
another car stealing charge.
BRUNSWICK, NKB., MIN
SELLS SOME LARGE HOGS
Oakdale, Neb. — iSpecial) — Ir
vin Kougrra tlie local hog buyer
of Oakdale bought some of the larg
'd hogj that were ever sold in Oak
Sale, Com Mi. J- Holiday of Bums
a ick. One weighing MO pounds and
10 others averaged 650 pounds eacn
RAD CHUCK PASSES HAS
HIS SENTENCE SUSPENDED
Lrke Andes. S. D—'Special*—
John L. Grau, a truckman who was
it turned here by extradition from
Randolph, Neb, last week on the
.T.argr of uttering a fal.-« check lor
f!47 to Carl Jorgenson, a farmer,
for a load of hoys, pleaded guilty
before Judge A. B. IWk and waa
sentenced to two years In the pen
itentiary. On making the check
good and poying all casta by rein
.ike*, the sentence was suspended
The total exocnac waa about KJ50,
WHAT’S IN FASHIONS?
Smart Golfer Dresses to Improve
His Form
New York—All ready for the tee-off on your 1932 golf clothes. And
Ihe thing to think about first, last and ail the time in picking them is
comfort. For the. clothes you feel easiest in arc the clothes you’ll piay
your best game in.
Maybe you think there's nothing
like the freedom of knickers.
Knickers for you, then . . . and
Bobby Jones. But you’ll notice that
this-year’s knickers seem to have
had a reef taken in them. Not so
full and baggy as they used to be.
Some Prefer Slacks
An increasing number of men seem
to feel that they stand a better
chance of doing a hole in one if they
wear slacks. Francis Ouimet, Wiffy
Cox and Billy Burke have joined up
with this faction.
And the new slacks are comfort
able. Buckles at the side so that you
can adjust them exactly right. Plain
bottoms for you to turn up to just
the length you want. Ankle length,
as a rule, the way the Prince of
Wales wears his.
Sleeveless Sweaters
The new sweaters are a mighty
sensible idea. They’re sleeveless.
Pulled on over soft collar attached 1
shirts in white or blue broadcloth
or oxford. Leaving your arms free,
but protected from the sun.
Some of the early-season golfers
will wear chamois pullovers. Warm,
soft and just about as pliable as
your skin. .
No change in socks . . . plain
ribbed wool for the knicker-wearer
and lisle and wool half hose for
the “slackers.” Though some men
are going in so heavily for this com
plete comfort idea that they’ll wear
anklets.
Some will take a firm stand in
wing tip oxfords. Some in the moc
casin type that's beexr popular since
Bobby Jones first stepped out in
them. And you’ll see both types
oftenest in brown.
Heads will be capped or hatted
according to taste. In this, as in all
the other golf outfit questions, the
right thing for you is whichever
you can forget all about as you putt
around the green.
OLDEST PIKE’S
PEAKER DEAD
Colorado Springs. Col.—(UP)—
Mrs. Frank Faulkner, who was prob
ably the oldest living resident of
the Pikes Peak region, having lived
in this vicinity 71 years, is dead.
When she was 4 years old, her
parents came to this region and
settled In 1861.
She was 15 when she and her
mother were the first white women
to live at the site of what later was
cripple Creek. They lived over a
fabulous fortune in gold and did
not know it.
It was her family that named
the crooked little stream that flowed
there Cripple Creek.
Then it had been called Pisgah
Park, because it stood in the shad
ow of massive Mount Pisgah.
They called it that because stock
which they put out to graze in the
region suffered a long series of ac
cidents from falling into the creek,
and because of a queer series of
accidents to members of the fam
ily.
That was in 183C. The hired man
broke a leg there when his Indian
pony reared and threw him. Her
father shot himself in the hand
accidentally, and a brother injured
himself when he fell from the roof
of the house they built.
Her husband opened and oper
ated the first livery stable in Crip
ple Creek when gold was found.
• ♦ --
A New Hoover Sloran.
From the New York Times.
While I he British government Is
clapping heavy duties upon imports,
our own tariff commission has not
been idle. Tn Its efforts to make
the Hnwlry-9moot bill trulv ‘flexi
ble.' it has Just Increased the rates
•>n two commodities but decreased
ihem on five. It has jJii-wn he
In Texas or Iowa.
From tlie Dallas News.
Texas is in debt and rnn not m«et
Its obltgaticm promptly; it It pllnc
up i iore debts and u'not redi'e,'-.;;
hi bonded indebted *•.«><. The clti
*ens of Texas want a reduction of
indebtedness, not rn increase, and
etc. land far great*.* coonorrv in
•late and '.oral legislation and ad
ministration This is the one d* finite
hsue tn the coming state primaries
and elections M < sbsel v.ho bate
not had a new* idea for twenty
>eurs. and emptv-heeded demp
KWifi should ielite permancuiiy
troin candidaung u> the tUik.ntn
falsity of the old saying that the
law does not care anything about
trifles.
Take, for example, the item of
green peas. The duty on them has
been raised from 3 to 3.9 cents a
pound. On the contrary, fresh
green peppers have been cut from
3 to 2 5 cents a pound, while egg
plant suffers a sweeping reduction
from 3 to 1.5 cents a pound.
The republican party used to
boast of a tariff that assured a
•'tree breakfast tabic.” Now it* ap
pears to be ready to concentrate
on peppers and eggplant. What a
wonderful campaign poster could
be made for the election of 1932;
"Vote for Hoover and Cheaper Egg
plant!” This would be something
or a comedown from the chicken in
the pot and the two automobiles in
every family garage, which were
talked about in 1928. but in times
like these even small favors, such as
peppers and eggplant, might be
thankfully received.
•- ♦ ♦ -
One of John D.'s Stories.
From Capper’s Weekly.
One of John D. Rockefeller's fa
vorite stories has to do with a
preacher. There were rumors the
preacher had had a call to a par
ish. but nobody had any informa
tion about it and the minister said
nothing.
Finally, the deacons agreed one
of them would call and ask him
directly. A boy. the pastor’s son.
responded to the deacons knock
and said his father was engaged.
"Then, can I see vour mother?”
The boy answered that his mother
was busy. Then the deacon, smil
ingly. began upon the bov and said’
"Can you tel! me anything about
the report that your father has
had a call to another church?”
"I don't know anything about It.”
said the boy. "but fnthrr is in the
parioi praying for light and mother
If up in the attic packing tha
trunks.'
♦ •
MitMu Misted Him.
“Hello, B'own! Have you seen
Smith lately? I’ve be?n looking for
lum high and low for the las: thiee
months."
“Well, those «re the places. He 3
| been dead about lhat Ion*.”
-----.
| shades of private life. Texas needs
newer political timber; it desires
ideas, not words.
We of the Southwest sometime;,
pity the : tales of live Old South as
backward and effete. On the con
trary. there are more genuine po
I lineal reform, taking place m \ir
gmlc. North Carolina j id Georgia
ihan Texas has dreamed :.bout fer
ibe last twenty years. Texas in
state polities is a H.p Van Winkle,
■ kit la t!up. It is 'live ice its
i'll vena to wake up, for dure Is a
c-w world facing us md Texes
iicu'd have a gicaf par". !u it.
BUND WOMAN* IS i
BEDSPREAD EXPERT
Grand Island, Neb.—(UP)—Mrs
Elizabeth Wellman, 76 years old
and blind, is an expert at making
patterned bedspreads of varied col
ors.
By using pins, stuck into each ol
her tattirp shuttles in a different
position, she is able to distinguish
one color from the other. After
she ha3 tatted a series of colored
blocks she fits them together into
designs.
Mrs. Wellman, now at the ole
soldiers home, had cataracts on het
eyes. Both eyes were removed. She
explalr-s hor ability to tat now
comes from years of practice befor#
she was totally blind.
FEWER CATTLE
IN FEED LOTS
State-Federal Report Shows
30 Per Cent Decrease
in Nebraska
Lincoln, Neb. —(UP)— Nebraska
cattle feeders have 30 per cent few
er cattle on feed now than for a
year ago, according to estimates
of the state and federal divisions
of agricultural statistics.
The Nebraska decrease in cattle
feed.ngs compares with a decrease
by 15.6 per cent for the corn belt.
"After short crops in 1930, Ne
braska farmers were faced with a
shortage of corn and feed in near
ly all the heavy feeding districts of
the state,” the agricultural statisti
cian says. "Many farmers who or
dinarily feed cattle, did not have
either hay or grain for such opera
tions and in fact were hard pressed
for feed to carry over their small
breeding and dairy herds. A hard
winter and an unusually large
amount of rain, snow and ice put
most feed yards in very poor con
dition.”
The decrease for April followed a
20 per cent decrease in the number
of cattle on feed January 1, 1932,
as compared to the number on feed
January 1, 1931.
Movement of cattle into the state
for feeding purposes since the first
of the year has been approximately
16.000 head as compared to about
50.000 head shipped into the state
for feeding a year ago.
Movement of fat cattle to mar
kets, on the other hand, has been
approximately 141,000 as compared
to 173.000 head a year ago.
The total number of cattle on
feed as of April 1, this year, was
estimated by the state statistician
to be 204,000 as compared to 288,000
on feed as of April 1. 1931.
The 11 corn belt states reported
approximately 16 per cent less cat
tle on feed for April this year than
for the corresponding month last
year. The decrease represents a
slump in numbers by approximately
235.000 head.
In the area east of the Mississip
pi river the number of cattle on
feed showed an increase by 12 per
cent this year over the number on
feed a vear ago. This increase, how
ever, did not offset the 21 per cent
decrease for states in the area west
of the Mississippi.
HOT WEATHER LAST FALL
KILLED MANY HOPPER EGGS
Lincoln, Neb. —(Special)— Field
examinations of the grasshopper
eggs in several parts of Nebraska,
made during the last two weeks by
the entomologists of the college of
agriculture of the University of Ne
braska, have indicated that the cold
weather of the winter caused little
or no damage to the eggs. How
ever, the proportion of early-laid
eggs that was badly damaged by the
hot and dry weather of last Sep
tember is much greater in several
sections than was thought to be the
case last fall.
Examination of collections of
grasshopper eggs from several lo
calities in Knox county showed that
an average of 34 per cent of the
eggs deposited last summer and ear
ly fall were dried out last fall to
the point that they probably will
not hatch this spring. The re
maining 66 per cent survived the
winter in good condition, and these
provide enough viable eggs to form
a serious menace this year.
In Boyd county, the percentage
of eggs that apparently was devital
ized by the hot fall weather varies
from 24 per cent to 33 per cent, ac
cording to the figures obtained in
this survey. However, two-thirds or
more of the eggs remain in appar
ently good condition, and show no
bad effects from the cold winter.
The heaviest dessication of eggs
discovered in the survey was in
Sheridan county, south of Hay
Springs, where about 67 per cent of
the eggs were dead and dried up.
This condition will reduce the prob
ability of grasshopper damage in
that section this year.
WANT OBSTRUCTIONS OUT
OF DRAINAGE DITCII
Lincoln, Neb. — (Special) — A
delegation from Dakota City and
Jackson called on Governor Bryan
and State Engineer Cochran ask
ing that piling and oilier obstruc
tion be removed from a highway
bridge between Dakota City and
Homer, in the channel of Pigeon
creek. The creek channel is used
by a drainage district and it is
claimed that the obstruction cause?
tha adjoining land to be flooded.
Tha delegation was composed of
the drainage district's attorney. W.
P. Warner of Dakota City, and di«
rectors of the district.
NEW BOOKS IN'
LIBRARY AT BREMEN
Be finer. Neb. I)— The I
Brrmcr library has added ZJ new
I books during the last two m: *.'.hs
I besides getting an attractive loar
1 from the state library cottuv. ssion
| The library has been open for about
I nine years and has about 700 books
e ♦ —
Spinsters as wtll as bachelors will
pay a higher rate of income tax if
the German government has Rs
way. The rate lor unmarried tax
, payers will be 13 per cent, which is
t per cent higher than married
People pay.
AMERICAN GIRL
HIT IN OPERA
Cologne—(UP)—The opening nt
Alax Reinhardt's revival of Offen
bach’s “Tales of Hoffmann” brought;
colony here in seeing an American
girl in one of the leading faminine
parts, Miss Margaret Halstead,
daughter of the United States
I Consul-General in London, Albert
Halstead, sang the role of Julietta
! with a temperament and pcise
which convinced critics of her fu
ture success.
Miss Halstead has teen engaged
in the ensemble of the Cologne
Opera since the beginning of the
season, but this' is the lirst sola
part she has taken. Juliietta, the
Venetian courtesan, who, under the
malignant influence cf Depertutto,
steals Hoffman's love and then
scorns him, is not easy to portray.
Miss Halstead presents her con
vincingly in her varying moods with
her lovers, avoiding the exaggera
tion, or aifectation, to which the
role might easily lead.
Although the solo parts are
somewhat brief and do not give a
full opportunity to her voice. Miss
Halstead carried them boldly, sing
ing clearly and without effort in
both upper and middle registers.
Many members of the English
colony, in addition to the Amer
icans, greeted Miss Halstrch en
thusiastically at the close, she will
complete the season with tin*
Cologne Opera.
NEW GUN RACE OPENS
Prom Des Moines Tribune
Development of o projectile cap
able of piercing 12 inches cf the
iinest armor plate at a distance of
IP miles places Great Britian at
the top of the heap in this respect,
according to admiralty experts in
London.
Ordnance officers at Washington
were naturally interested in this
announcement, but would make r.o
reply to the question, “What has
America in the way of projec
tiles?” beyond the admission, “We
think we are pretty good.”
Meanwhile, interest in the prog
ress of the disarmament conference
at Geneva is being subordinated to
“more important” matters.
We sometimes think human
progress has been proceeding at a
rapid rate, but we are not likely
to get false notions concerning the
level of intelligence we have reached
if we will occasionally recall that
the state of international relations
today would be most amusing to
anyone who could view it with de
tachment.
Imagine a roomful of people, each
attempting to perform his routine
tasks with one hand, while he held
In the other a loaded pistol, ready
to fire upon any one of hi.s asso
ciates who should make a falsa
move.
That was the world situation in
1914, and that situation has been
wellnigh reinstated, with a few
minor modifications, in 1932.
The Geneva idea is that the mem
bers of the group might with perfect
safety begin lowering their weapon's
in unison and gradually, but little
headway can be made with this pro
posal because each member pretends
to fear that he will lower his piste!
a fraction of an inch farther than
his neighbor the first year.
The silliest aspect of the picture,
of course, is the notion that tho
present situation constitutes safety,
when as a matter of fact the dis
charge of one weapon, either* acci
dentally or intentionally, would ba
pretty likely to result almost 1m
mediatly in the wiping out of tha
whole group.
And now that one member has
found a better weapon—on with a
pearl handle — the others will not
rest until they, too, have supplied
themselves with pearl-handled guns.
Thus we enter upon another
stage of this competition which
might be laughable if it were no»
so deadly serious.
Modern Cattle Thief’s
Methods Different
San Francisco — (UP) — Where
©nee a picturesque buckaroo trotted
up to a herd of cattle, his spur
chains jingling and his two .45’a
slapping against his thighs, now a
carelessly dressed individual smel
ing of oil and gasoline drives
up in a truck. Only thur
objective is the same—cattle steal
ing.
That is the picture painted by
John Curry, secretary of the CoJi
fornia Cattlemen’s association.
For, said Curry, theft of stock
from ranches increased 25 per cent
in the last six months, despite
efforts to wipe it out.
The old time rustler cut out 200
to 300 prime yearlings, hid them in
box canyons until the hunt died
down, and sold them or started hie
own herds. The modern rustler
drives up to a fence, takes two or
three yearlings, and sells them ler
beef.
ONE CENT ON CLAIM
Altoona. Pa.— (UP) —When Ibe
Mountain City Trust company made
a 40 per cent payment to depositors,
Leonard P. Fnsick. Wchnwood, near
here, received a check.for ene cent,
representing tho amount due cn a.
long forgotten drpoait of four cer.ta
hr the closed bank.
KKItOR WAS CORRECT
Boston—t OP)—'The Boston city
directory of 1931, through a typo
graphical erior, listed 8iperk>r
Judge Cnarles Henry Donahue as a
supreme court justice. The directory
Miems to have been p'ophetjr. for
Judge Danahte recently was e’t
vated to the supreme rour* bench.
—m ■ ■
The Krai Law.
Prom Paget Gate- Yverdon.
Everybodv must bow to the law.
“i kuow people woo scorn the —
tho- .tv of the law *’
"Who are thev?”
"Wives of nol.-CBitn.’*