PeopieJ anci Lf%ventJj, Author and Diplomat. John Barrett of Oregon, formerly United States minister and consul gen eral to Siam,has been appointed by the president a delegate to the internation al conference of American states, which will be held in the City of Mex ico. Mr. Barrett made an excellent record during the three years he spent in Bangkok as American minister. Since his return to this country he has won by his writings a widespread rep utation as an authority on the com mercial problems and possibilities of the far East in relation to European and American industry and trade. Mr. Barrett is a native of Vermont, a graduate of Dartmouth and a scholar of merit in the science of national economics. He has made special stud JOHN BARRETT. ies of the South and its industries, and his writings on that subject are pro found and important. For several years he has made his home in Port land, Oregon, but owing to his exten sive travels at home and abroad, he has not spent much of his time in that city. The “British Budiiet. “You have had your feast,’’ says the English chancellor of the exchequer. “You have all. Liberals and Tories, been mad for rioting and expenditure. Now comes the reckoning, and you may laugh or not, as you please.’’ There will be no laughter. The English tax payers were hilarious at the beginning of the Boer war. They are not now when the hills have to be paid and they are so much heavier than it v \ supposed they would be. The t cost of the war will be about $1,00 000,000, necessitating a great increase of the national debt and heavier taxa tion for years to come. It is posible that if this could have been foreseen the Boers would have been let alone. A large proportion of the expense of a war whereby Great Britain is ac quiring possession of devastated terri tories inhabited by an irreconcilable population will have to be paid by pos terity. The budget of the chancellor of the exchequer contemplates a loan of nearly $300,000,000 in addition to new taxes, which it is estimated will produce about $56,000,000. The pay ment of increased taxes to that amount would not seriously inconvenience American taxpayers whose taxes are to be reduced about $40,000,000. Those of Great Britain are not In so good a condition to meet new demands. The income tax is now 5 per cent. It is to be raised to a little over 5.8 per cent. It may be higher yet in a year or two. As consols held by foreigners pay an income tax American financiers may not be ready to invest in the new loan. Beer, spirits, tobacco, and tea are taxed heavily already. The chancel lor of the exchequer does not deem an increase advisable. He will not lis ten to propositions to impose duties on breadstuffs or foreign manufactures. Great Britain may come to such duties in time, but is not ready for them yet. For the first time in many years sugar, an article of universal consumption, which has cost less in Great Britain i than in any other country, will have to furnish revenue. There has been an immediate advance in its price, j i which may provoke complaints. Am- j erican manufacturers of jams and jel lies will find British competition less serious than it has been. The proposed export duty of 25 cents a ton on coal will produce considerable | revenue and will by discouraging ex portations tend to cheapen the price of the article in the home market. The expenses of railroads, manufacturers, and private consumers have been in- i creased greatly by the high price of coal. A duty which tends to make it j more expensive in neutral markets must work to the advantage of Ameri can coal operators. They will be given an opportunity. _/ln Expensive Junkjrt' The British admiralty's estimate of the cost of the trip of the Duke and ; Duchess of York on the steamship Ophir includes the following items: Wages of crew. $11,980; victualing and clothing. $9,880; coal, $125,000: naval stores, $3,1-10; h’re of the Ophir, $633, 500; total. $813,500. The British tax- j payers are a loyal class of people, but [ when they read in Sir Michael Hicks Beach's budget statement that the Boer war lias added $275,000,000 to the debt, that the deficit last year was $255,936,000, and that they must pay $56,000,000 of new taxes this year, they will read the admiralty's estimate of the expense of the Duke of York's jun keting trip with somewhat mixed feel ings. ^/in Able Churchman. Right Rev, William Stubbs, D. D., bishop of Oxford, died in London. Eng land. last week. He was 76 years old and had occupied the Oxford bishopric* since 1889, when he was transferred from the see of Chester, over which he had ruled for five years. Bishop Stubbs was an author of international RIGHT REV. WILLIAM STUBBS, repute. As a British historian he oc cupied a high place in the estimation of the British people. His constitu tional history of England’s standard and his cognate works on this subject are widely read and prized. He was honored with several decorations, I British and foreign, among them the Prussian Order of Merit. The deceased was a cousin of the dean of Ely, who lately visited America. California did not figure in the cen sus returns of the united States until 1850. Then its population was 92,597. 'Reputed Fiancee of > J+ Lieutenant Hobson Miss Florida Whiting Graves, the reputed fian cee of Lieutenant Richmond Pearson Hobson, is one of the beauties of Birmingham, Ala., and is also well known in Wash ington society. No positive announce ment of the en gagement has been made, and when the hero of the Merrimac is asked whether or not the report is true he smiles and says nothing. The en gagement, h o w ever, is said to be a settled fact by friends of Mr. Hob son. During the congressional sea son the young na val officer and Miss Graves were much together and they made a prominent and pretty figure In the parades of fash ionable folk. During her visit here the Alabama girl was a guest of Congressman and Mrs. Bankhead. She soon attracted widespread attention by her remarkable beauty. She is of me dium height, somewhat slender, her eyes are dark, her features of rare regularity, her hair is a bright chest nut and her complexion a clear olive. Miss Graves is a clever violinist and has many feminine graces and accom plishments. A COUNTRY ROAIX ._'_—„ A dusty, stone way whose bord'ring sod Is thick with blackberries and goldenrod; Abrupt. Imre bills on one side looking down. And from the other you can see the town; Follow the river's course through mead ows green. O'er which thick woods and marble ledges lean. A little further, where ihe road descends, A brook's soft twinkle with some bird song blends, (Gone from Its edge the dear old dame's small cot Half hidden by quaint (lowers) lush ber gamot Makes sweet Its batiks, its depths the boys still swim. Or watch the minnows from some willow limb. I'pon its bridge how often T have stood. Watching the west, whose glory seemed to Hood With tenderest light tile poorhouse nnd the graves Beside it—turn to gold the brooklet's waves— Till from the hill, oh, dearest sight of all! T saw my father and I heard him call. He came with sturdy stride and swinging pail— My hand in his—told my day's whole tnle Of joys, that 'math his bright smile seemed to grow. While lessened was my every childish woe. As his sweet words fell on my soul like balm, While we walked homeward through the fragrant calm. —Mary M. McCarthy. f^oxlel Horseshoeing "Rack.. Shoeing a fractious horse is not a task to lie envied by any one, and there is always danger of accident to the man who performs the work in the ordinary manner, as the animal seems possessed of the idea that the hoofs were made to defend itself with instead of to be shod. In addition to the danger to the shoer, the animal is liable to injurt itself in the argument and especially is this the case in shoe ing colts for the first time, when fright is generally the chief cause of trouble. To overcome tkjse difficulties John Cea of Iowa has designed the horseshoeing rack shown in the illustration, the in ventor claiming that the mechanism will hold all parts of the animal se curely in any desired position, at the same time relieving the horse of all strain and depriving it of the power of injuring r.eir or the blacksmith. PREVENTS INJURY TO SHOER. It will be seen that numerous straps and windlasses are provided, which will not only firmly hold each foot, but will lift the animal bodily from the floor and keep him suspended while the labor is going on. It is also prob able that after a few applications of the machine to a fractions horse he could be induced to stand quietlj while being shod without the use of the ap pliances. ^ytnolhcr Ecumenical Confer ence. The first ecumenical conference of the Methodist church was held in Lon don in 1881. The second met in Wash injton, L>. C., Oi t. 7. 1891. Tic third will meet in Wesley's chapel, City road, London. In September next. The coming conference will discuss the present position of Methodism, the influence of Methodism in the pro motion of international peace, the re lation of Methodism to the Evangeli cal free church movement, Methodism and Christian unity, Methodism and education in the twentieth century, and Christianity and modern unbelief, but it will not discuss any question upon which the Methodists have di vided. Whether these ecumenical confer ences have promoted closer fellowship among Methodists is an open question, but it is contended that the < onfer ences have promoted concerted action among Methodists on important pub lic ami religious questions. Reports are to be made at the coming confer ence as to nipans for still further pro moting united action on questions of common interest to the laity and tho clergy. -—... —-—..-■ ■ England's 'Big Loan. The British government has issued an invitation for subscriptions to one half the new loan of $300,000,000, stat ing at the same time that the other half has already been placed. Thera is loud complaint because no explana tion is offered. The London Chronicle voices the dissatisfaction of the public when it speaks of the Issue a-> a “dis astrous” one, "in which the British taxpayer drops the round sum of £3, 300,000 in the process of borrowing £60,000,000.” Part of it has been float I ed in New York. ROCK ISLAID WINS ITS SLIT. Maximum Freight Law la Again Dvelxred I'neunstltutlnnal. OMAHA. April 20.—Judges Sanborn and Munger, the former of the United States circuit and tiie latter of the United States district court, sustained the demurrer of the plaintiff in the suit of F. L. Front, attorney general, against the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad company, brought to recover fines and penalties aggregat ing $450,000 on account of alleged vio lations of the maximum freight rate law passed by the legislature during tue session of 1893. As a result of the sustaining of the demurrer the attorney general is restrained from commencing suits and from prosecuting those heretofore commenced in order to enforce the provisions of the law, which is held to lie unconstitutional and void. Shortly after tiie passage of the maximum freight rate law an attempt was made by the state board of trans portation and George H. Hastings, then attorney general, to carry out its provisions. To prevent this the Un ion Pt^iflc, Nortifwestern and Burling ton Railroad companies took the mat ter into court. An adjudication was finally reached in tlie United States supreme court, where it was held that the law wras unconstitutional. A per manent injunction went out. The suit against the Rock Island was not tried at that time, hut was handed down as one of the assets of the office, passing to C. J. Smyth, who became his successor. The cases against the other roads being in liti gation and farther advanced than that against the Rock Island, was not reached by Attorney Smyth. By him it was passed to his successor, Frank L. Prout, the present attorney gen eral. In their opinion the judges cite the former cases and the derision of the supreme court, holding the law un constitutional. taking the position that the suit was brought to punish the defendant for failing to obey a law held invalid. An injunction is order ed to issue and the state is given the customary time in which to perfect its appeal. Ol'R SHOW AT Biff ALO. The Nebraska Exhibit Will Not He of a Very Creditable Character. LINCOLN, Neb., April 29.—The prospects for Nebraska making any adequate or representative showing at the Buffalo exposition this summer and fall are far from promising, not withstanding the fact that the legis lateure made an appropriation of $10, OGp for that purpose. Such at least is the impression gath ered from a talk with Hon. E. L. Vance of Pawnee City, recently ap pointed by Governor Dietrich to have charge of Nebraska’s exhibit and of the expenditure of the $10,000. Mr. Vance has just returned from a hurried trip to Buffalo, where he went to complete preliminary arrange ments for the installation of the ex hibits which are to be made for the purpose of advertising Nebraska. The fair will be formally opened, Mr. Vance says, on May 20. Owing to the short time intervening, he says, and also because of the small aprpopria tion, it has been decided impossible to erect a Nebraska building and the state exhibit will lie made, therefore, in the various departments. For this purpose Mr. Vance has succeeded ir. securing but 1,100 square feet of space, 600 in a corner of the agricul tural building and 500 in a corner of the horticultural building. No space could be obtained for an educational exhibit, nor for a showing of the state’s various commercial and man ufacturing interests. NO THOl'GHI Of fOLI PI AY. No New Sensation In Deatli of A. een solicited to do so, nor has any information been given him for this purpose, so for the present at least, under the circumstances, so far as known, the public will accept the verdict of suicide. Hastings Is Interested. HASTINGS, Neb., April 29—The Commercial club was caleld in spe cial meeting for the purpose of as certaining what had been done in re gard to securing the location at Hast ings of the grand lodge building of the Ancient Order of I'nited Work men. This matter will bo settled at the next meeting of the grand lodge, which will be held on May 15 at Ne braska City. Hastings is very much interested in the project. MUST Rf PORT Of Tiff YtAR. I Wlial In S«t lank ItrgitrillnK: lanillUnm hi klrbrioka Crops. T'NIVERSITY OP NEBRASKA, LINCOLN—The past week ha»'been cold, with about the normal rainfall. The daily mean temperature has av eraged from 5 degrees to S degrees below the normal. Killing frosts oc curred ore the 17th anil 18th, with temperatures below 30 degrees. Veg etation is so backward, however, that no damage resulted from the low tem perature. Rain was general on the 15th or lBth. The amount exceeded one-half an Inch at most places, and at a few places exceeded an inch. Although wet weather has retarded farm work in parts of the state, generally con siderable progress has been made dur ing the past week. Spring wheat seeding is well advanced, and some spring wheat is up—coming evenly and nicely. Oat seeding has been general the past week and is nearly completed in the southern counties. Early sown oats are coming up nice ly. Present indications are for a small acreage of oats, caused by the late spring and wet weather at seed ing time. Very little plowing lias been done, but the ground at the end of the week was in excellent condition for plowing and seeding. Winter wheat, rye and grass have grown well, but somewhat slowly, be cause of the low temperature. DIES 0\ ms WlfE’S GRAVE. Harry Itirr. City Maraltal of North Platte. Commits sulclile. NORTH PLATTE. Neb., April 27.— Harry Rice, the city marshal here, in a fit of despondency, committed sui cide by taking strychnine. The evi dence at the inquest showed that lie went to tlie cemetery, where lie was seen just a short time before he died, sitting upon the grave of his wife, who died about two years ago. His body was found near a hydrant a few feet from the grave, to which he had dragged himself, as appeared from the tracks. He purchased the poison of one of the drug stores here, stating that he had some dogs to kill and did not want to shoot them. He also bade some of his friends goodby, saying it was the last they would s»e of him. He went straight from his room to the cemetery without coming uptown. His strange conduct of last night be ing reported this morning and he fail ing to appear as usual, a search was instituted and his body found. HORSE THIEVES’ NERVY WORK. Make ,\wuy Wltli Two Team* and Wagon From Farmer*. TECUMSEH, Neb., April 27.—Horse thieves got in their work in Johnson county the other night. From Harry Roup, a farmer southwest of her, they stole a team of horses, wagon and harness, and from Nate Sutherland, a neighbor, they made away wdth a team of horses. Mr. Roup will pay $25 for the recovery of his property and Johnson county will give a reward of $50 for the aprpehension of the thieves. Mr. Sutherland will also pay $25 for the return of his team and in this case, too. Johnson county will pay $50 for the capture of the thieves. Sheriff C. B. Strong and Deputy Sher iff William Cummings and other mounted men took the trail of the offenders early, and when last heard from they were a good distance south of Tecumseh and believed they were on the right track. I ml in im Start for Huffulo. RUSHVILLK. Neb., April 27.—Two hundred and fifty Indians, with sev enty-five ponies, left here on a special for the Buffalo exposition. No finer body of Indians have ever left this place for an exhibition, their decora tions were superb, and at least 1,000 of their friends and relatives accom panied them to the train. The com pany will pick up other bands along the route and at Chicago will meet the bands from Indian Territory and together will swoop down upon the city of Buffalo. Western Nebraska Rejoices. ALLIANCE, Neb., April 27.—West ern Nebraska is rejoicing over the fine weather following three weeks of very severe storms. The ground is in fine condition for crops and much more than usual will be put in. Grass is green and in a few days more like the present pasture will bo abundant, much to the delight of stockmen. The loss of stock Is not as large as many of the reports made it. perhaps 1 or 2 per cent. Recovered HU Hat. PLATTSMOCTH, Neb., April 27.— Several days ago an old fisherman named Samuel Henrys was crossing the Missouri river in a skiff, when his hat blew off. and in attempting to reach it, the boat was capsized. Being a poor swimmer, Mr. Henrys clung to the overturned boat, and the strong current carried him down to a small island two miles south of the city, where he was rescued the follow ing day. m tm STOCK S4RREI. t Latnt from 'lutdlt Omth* amt lrvumi*» Cltv. SOFT!* (OMAHA. Cattle—There was another liberal run of cattle, hut packer** took hold In good shape ami rhe market lid not show much change from yesterdays. Trade was act ive and tin* bulk of tin supply was out of first hands In good season. The mar ket could he quoted Just about steady, though in some cases sellers thought they had to take a shack lower prices Chan they did yesterday. The weaker feeling was. of course, more noticeable w the medium kinds of snttle. There were only a few cows and heifers on sale. Fifteen ears would about cover tiv* receipts. In spite of the light sup ply buyers did not take hold with quite as much life as they have been doing, anti the trade -lid not have tin* snap to it that has been noticed of late. Hulls sold In alsnit yesterday's notches, lull they wero not any too active. Veal calves ami stags brought steady prices also. The few Stockers anti feeders of good quality that were offered today were picked up at fully steady prices. Stockers weighing tati pounds sold at I5.lt). The demand from the country is not what might be call-si heavy, but still It is large enough to take all that it* coming at good, strong prices. Hogs—There was a big run of hogs, making the supply for the four days this week the heaviest in some time past. Hackers started out and tried to buy their droves at steady prices, but sellers w. re holding for higher prices, and for that reason the market Aas slow In get ting started, and not very many sold at the early bids. Finally, however, pack ers raised their hands a little and the hogs began moving toward the scales at a shade stronger prices than were paid yesterday. The bulk --f the hogs today sold from $5.75 to $r».bO, with the long strong at $5.77Vi. Sheep—There were only about a dozen loads of sheep and lambs on sale and th« quality of the offerings as a whole was common. The market opened up about steady on the better grades. Clipped lambs brought $4.45, which looked about steady, and wooled sheep sold at $!.fiO. which was also about as much ns the same kind would have brought yester day. The last end of the market, hotv e'er, was very slow anil weak, as pack ers did not set m to want the common stuff that was offered. KANSAS CITY MARKET. Cattle—Medium weight native and Texas steers, sternly; other cattle, eas ier; choice dressed beef cattle, $5.251i5.f>0; fair to good. $4.70'S5.15; stockers and feeders, $4.1*44/ 5.05; western-fed steers. $ 1.50115.25; Texan* and Indians. 14.2319 5.15; cows. $3,354(4.50; heifers, $1,504/ 4.90; canners. $2.5i 4/3.25; bulls. $3,504*15.00; calves. $1.504/6.0. Sheep and I.nmbs—Market steady; western lambs, $4,754/5.00; western weth ers, $1.504/-4.so; western yearlint/s, $4.6544 4.00; ewes, $4,104/4.50; hulls. $3.5'>t/5.00; western, lambs, $5,001/5.50. CABINET MEMBERS SANGUNf. Hopeful tl>al /he Platt Amendment Will Me Accepted. WASHINGTON, April 27.—The cab inet meeting today, the last one be fore the president’s departure for the coast, was occupied almost exclusive ly with the discussion of the visit of the Cuban commission. Secretary Hoot, who has been conducting the conferences with the commission, sub mitted rather exhaustively an account of the interviews he had with them. He told the president and the cabi- ^ r.et of the objections which the com missioners raised to the Platt amend ment and of some of the misunder standings regarding it. There was a general exchange of opinion among the members of the cabinet regarding the situation and in light of the views expressed. Secre tary Root will hold another confei-ence with the commissioners before their departure. The president will not see them again, except to formally bid them farewell. While there are one or two points upon which some of the members of the commission are in sistent the general feeling of the cab inet, as reflected in their exchange of views today, was that the result of the commission’s visit could not but lie beneficial in relieving erroneous impressions which it is expected are entertained in the constitutional con vention regarding the purposes of the United States. Altogether it would not he too much to say that the oabient generally is hopeful that the convention, after hearing the report of the commission, will be much more disposed to ac cept our terms than it has been here tofore. ADflBTRT HAY OUTS POST. Hon of tbe Secretary of State Resigns CoiiHuUlilp at Pretoria. WASHINGTON, April 27.—Adalbert Hay, son of the secretary of state, has resigned his post as United States consul general at Pretoria. The resig nation takes effect tomorrow. His successor has not been selected. In view of the great expense of liv ing at Pretoria, it is possible that the offices will be left vacant until con giess can have an opportunity to act upon a recommendation fiom the ex ecutive looking to an increase in the salary of the office of consul general at Pretoria. Robber* Tarn Itolil Trick. ANACONDA, Mont., April 27_A most audacious robbery was commit ted here early by two burglars, who secured $10,000 In gold. The burglars entered the Alaska saloon by forc ing the main street door. Bodily pick ing up a 300-pound safe they loaded it onto an express wagon. Driving outside the city limits, they broke the safe open and secured $10,000 in gold. >4 Putting the broken safe hack into the ' wagon, they made good their escape.