A‘XS« M No political convention, not even a world's fair, ever produced the condi tion that today exist in Beaumont, the head center seat of the oil industry in Texas, so far as food and lodging are concerned. There are no hotel run ners here, says a correspondent, writ ing from the scene of quick money making. If the newcomer, with tender foot innocence, forces his way through the crowds that eddy around the two hotels, and asks for a room, the over worked clerks will laugh at him, and advise him to hustle for the outskirts of the town if he expects to stop in Beaumont over night. There are no rooms to be had. A cot in the hallway of the hotel will bring its $5 per day, and would bring $10 if the hotel pro prletors asked it. Nearly all the houses in the town have been turned into boarding houses, and they all are over flowing. The new arrival's only hope is in some one of the tents which are springing up in every vacant lot, and where he may, if he ts fortunate, ne gotiate a cot or a blanket spread on the ground. Every night crowded spe cial trains leave Beaumont for Sabine Pass, Port Arthur, and Houston, car rying the overflow population that can not find even these accommodations. Houston is a three-hour run from Beaumont, but one can find a bed at the end of it. and hundreds make the trip twice a day. Not only is a bed a treasure of great price in Beaumont, it is equally dlf ficult to obtain anything to eat. Tho practical-minded do not even dream of such a luxury as a square meal. A newcomer who can secure an option on a seat at the fifth table of a third rate boarding house is the envy of his fellows, and is credited with possess ing a pull. There are a number of restaurants in the tow’n, but guards are stationed at the doors of each one to see that only those who can give the countersign shall pass inside. The places on which the tenderfoot must rely for food are those where sand wiches and cups of coffee are handed from the rear end of a covered wagon. But when oil is in the nostrils and for tunes in the air, the lack of food and shelter is uot felt so seriously as it might be under other conditions. The demand for hotel and restaur ants is being supplied very rapidly, especially since the fact Is evident that the oil boom is no temporary affair— that it is merely the beginning of nev er ending prosperity for the regions af fected. "May" Docs /tot Mean "Must" The ambiguous wording of statutes is the delight and profit of lawyers. If every legislative act meant just what it appeared to say and said Just what it obviously meant the lawyers would have very little to fight over and big fees would be as scarce as white black birds. Somebody did the lawyers of Ohio a friendly turn in framing a law which declared that auditors “may ” examine the officials of corporations if not sat isfied with the returns of their proper ty for purposes cf taxation. Mayor Tom L. Johnson of Cleveland set up the contention that certain railroads were valued for taxation purposes at but 10 to 16 per cent of their value In money. He had the city law' officials secure a mandamus ordering the audi tors to stop proceedings untjl they had called railroad officials as witnesses. This was "nuts" for the lawyers, and they proceeded to crack them In the usual spectacular way with much dis play of legal learning and philological profundity. It all turned on the ques tion of whether the word “may” in a statute is mandatory or discretionary. To the man who has no legal mind it seems perfectly clear that there is nothing mandatory or compulsory about the word “may.” But the law yers for Mayor Johnson and the city quoted all the authorities from Black stone down to Justice Dooley to prove that the word “may” means “must." The court, however, was un moved by the eloquence of the attor neys and decided that the word merely implies power or permission rather than obligation. The first woman to hold office of regent of the Wisconsin State Univer sity has Just been appointed by Gov. La Follette. She is Dr. Alma J. Frls bie of Milwaukee and a graduate of the university in the class of '78. It is expected that eight million boxes of citrus fruit will be shipped from California this season. Shall Suicide be Promoted. Iu a recent discussion before the Thysico-Medical Association of Indiana Dr. J. M. Thurston of Richmond took the ground that "when a person who was sane had become diseased and de generated. both physically and mental ly, beyond the possibility of a cur?, if he desired to commit suicide he should not be prevented," and that “If a man had committed prem?ditated murder from which there was no possibility of escaping the death penalty he did a good act by committing suicid? in relieving the community of a criminal and the state of an expense. A philosophical system which pro poses to encourage suicide under any circumstances whatever cannot fail to encourage suicide under all conceiv able circumstances. Dr. Thurston's proposition is therefore impracticable and unsound. The cases of self-de struction which he would approve of will be numerous enough in any case. There is no need of a promoter In that melancholy field. LAUNCHING of A THE NEW MAINE Beside perpetuating a name which ; must ever have a prominent place in the history of the world as written j in these later days, the launching in Philadelphia of the new battleship | Maine is to American hearts a sad reminder of one of the most terrible tragedies of modern times. It is now three years and more since the enactment of that horror in Hava na harbor, and since then the survivors have been scattered to all quarters of the globe. Capt. Charles P. Sigsbee, who com manded the Maine at the time of her destruction, has applied for the com mand of the new Maine, and it is more than likely that the request will be granted, and that she will fly his pen nant when commissioned for service. Of the 25 officers who were attached to the Maine at the time of her destruc tlon, four are dead, Lieut. F. W. Jen kins and Engineer Darwin U. Merritt losing their lives in that tragedy, Lieut. John J. Blandin dying shortly afterward in his Baltimore home, and more recently Chief Engineer Charles P. Howell died in this city. Bill Anthony, who was the first to no tify Capt. Sigsbee of the explosion on that fatal night in Havana harbor, sui cided in New York last year. Capt Sigsbee, who was given com mand of the St. Paul when the war broke out and who did some excellent service while commanding that vessel, Is now chief of the naval intelligence office in Washington. His most efficient first lieutenant of the Maine, Lieuten ant-Commander Richard Wainwright, he who commanded the Gloucester in that bloody reprisal off Santiago, Ls now superintendent of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, with the rank of commander, having been advanced 10 numbers for his gallant work in destroying the Spanish destroyers. Between the new Maine and the old are few points of resemblance. The first was rated as a second-class battle ship. with a displacement of only 6,682 tons. Her namesake is nearly twice as large, displacing 12,300 tons at normal draught The principal dimensions of the new battleship are: Length, between per pendiculars, 388 feet; length over all, 393 feet 10*6 inches; extreme breadth, 72 feet; mean draught. 23 feet 6 inches; displacement at normal draught. 12, 300 tons; estimated displacement at full load draught, 13,500 tons. As to type, the new vessel is to be an im proved Alabama, two knots faster than that fine battleship, equipped with a more powerful armament and hedged about with a greater area of armor protection. In the contract it is stipulated that she must on her official trial maintain a speed of IS knots for four consecu tive hours. Krupp armor—the kind which has recently given such striking proofs of its resisting qualities—is to be used throughout. The armor belt, which is to be 11 inches thick at the top, taper ing to IVi inches at the bottom, ex tends to within 60 feet of the stern, shielding the sides 3Va feet above the water line and four feet below it. The casemate armor is to be six inches thick; the barbette armor 12 inches in front tapering to eight inches in the rear. The protective deck will be 2 inches thick, while aft, where there i3 no belt armor protection, it is thick ened. being four inches on the slope and three on the flat. The forward con ning tower will have 10-inch ar mor, and the signal tower 6-inch armor. Leading from the conning tower to the protective deck is a steel tube in tended to protect the voice tubes and telegraphs extend ing from the com manding officer's station to the sta tions below. This tube i3 12 Inches in diameter inside, and is protected by a steel covering seven inches thick. The engines are of the twin screw, triple expansion inverted vertical type. The 24 Niclausae boilers, which are al ready well advanced, and which will be nearly completed when the ship strikes the water, are expected to give 16,000 horse-power. The vessel will have a bunker capacity of 2,000 tons. This, at an eight-knot speed, will give her a steaming radius of 8,350 knots—-almost sufficient for two round trips from New York to Queenstown, Ireland, or a trip half around Cape Horn. MIST BE ACTUAL SETTLERS. Jadge Harrington Renders Important Derision Relative to Homesteaders. ALLIANCE. Neb., June 10.—Judgo Harrington handed down a decision which ia far reaching and of great importance to the people of northwest ern Nebraska. It was in the case of Charles Tierman against Miller and Leith. The plaintiff in his petttion alleges tl.at defendants procured twenty-nine colored people to file homesteads on government land ia such a way as to completely surround his ranch and prevent his cattle from going to and from his watering place; that the en tries were made in collusion and fraud; that the day the entries were filed the defendants procured the relin quishment of same and also leases to the land; that the defendants were about to fence in said land. The plain tiff therefore prayed that the court grant an injunction to prevent de fendants from fencing said land until the matter could lie investigated by the interior department. To this petition defendants de murred. On the trial of the case sev eral affidavits were read by plaintiff's counsel, R. C. Noleman, which bore cut the allegations contained in the retitioa and in fact one or more of the entry men made affidavits that the de fendants hired them to make the en tries for $5 each. Judge Harrington granted the in junction and in passing on the matter stated that there was no question that the circumstances surrounding the filing of the homesteads would tend strongly to verify the allegations contained in the plaintiff's petition, and if the entries were not bona fide the defendants were certainly tres passers and being trespassers they had no more right on the land thau the plaintiff. The decision puts a quietus on larg1 corporations gobbling up the public domain, thereby preventing the small ranchmen, who have been in the country for years, receiving the benefit of the same. Omaha'* Mu*lcal Festival. OMAHA, June 10.—The first week of the June festival has proven a great success, both in the matter of attend ance anrl in rendition of vocal and instrumental selections. Since Prof. Eellstedt’s former appearance at Omaha he has added talent to his organization and many choice selec tions to hi3 repertoire. The concerts arc drawing delighted audiences, and the musical festival, lasting all through June, promises to be a great success, financially and otherwise. Smallpox in a Car. GRAND ISLAND. Neb., June 10.— There was considerable excitement in the city over the rumor that the Un ion Pacific tad put off a smallpox infected car, containing three or four cases of smallpox. The car contained thirty soldiers and civilians en route to New York. Most of the men were discharge 1 volunteers. At Cheyenne a man got on the train who became sick. He was put off at Lexington for treatment. Alliance Prepare* to Celebrate. ALLIANCE. Neb., June 10.—At a meeting of the citizens it was decided to have a celebration July 4. A large amount of money was pledged 'and the outlook is for one of the bigegst celebrations ever held in western Ne braska. Captain Dorrington was chosen president of the day; Captain Akers, orator of the dav Five Thousand for a Finger. FALLS CITY, Neb., June 10.— Lewis Russel, who brought suit against the II. & M. railroad for $10. 000 for the loss of a finger, was awarded $5,000 by the jury in the dis trict court here. Bfatrlee Commercial Club* BEATRICE, Neb,, June 10.—A meeting of business men was held as preliminary to the organization of the Beatrice Commercial club The club is to be Incorporated ami will have n capital stock of $1,000, divided into shares of $10 each. Three Horses llurn to Oeath. COLUMBUS, Nob., June 10.— Lightning struck the barn of Paul Gertsch, a farmer, twenty-five miles northwest of here, and the barn, to gether with three horses and consid erable hay and grain, was destroyed. Prisoner Ktrapes from Jail. SYRACUSE, Neb., June 10.—Wil liam Clifton escaped from the jail, where he was confined on a charge of assault. Nebraska Sous of Veteran*. LUSHTON, Neb., June 10.—The Ne braska Sons of Veterans, in session here, elected officers for the ensuing year as follows: Commander, I. E. Young of Lushton: senior vice com mander, Tames McBeth, Osceola: ju nior vice commander, A. S. West brook, Seward; division council, Charles C. Stull, Osceola; William Cookus, Lushton; George C. Towns ley. Aurora; delegate a.t large to the national encampment, A. A. Stull. THE LIVE STOCK MARKET. Latent ({notation* fro** SontJj Omaha and Kansan CHv> SOUTH OMAHA. Cattle—There was n it a heaTy run of cattle here and anything goof> met with ready sale at very satisfactory prices. The market was fairly active on good stuff and the bulk of such kinds was out of firat hands In good season. Receipts ini hided about 75 cars of beef steer* and the market could be quoted steady to strong. The cattle showing weight a»*d quality were in the best demand, oud while the prices paid did not show much of any change, stlil it was noticeable that packers wanted the cattle. The market on cows started out fa good shape and the better grades brought good steady to strung prices. Along toward the last end the market was not as active and cases ware noted where sellers had to sell for less money than the same kind brought earlier in the day. The feeling was weak, particularly on the lighter weight cows and heifers. Hulls sold in lust about the sumo notches they have been for the last several days, and the same is true of veal calves and stags. Stockers and feeders continue In light supply, and all that can be said of the market is thus it is hold ing Just about steady. Hogs—There was about tile usual sup ply of hogs on sale and the m. rket open ed rather slow but steady to a shado stronger than yesterday’s general mar ket. The bulk of the hogs sold at $5.70 and 5.72Vi. Some of the choicer loads brought $3.75 or better, but it was no ticeable that buyers did not take quality into consideration as much as they have been doing in the past, and for that rea son it was difficult to get over ti.T'u*. un less the hogs were fancy. The llogs did not move toward the scales very, rapidly, as buyers and sellers did not agree on prices Sheep—Receipts were light and there was not enough to test the market. Fol lowing are the quotations: Choice clipped wetthers, $3.V7b4.00; fair to good clipped wethers. $S.K3 14.00; fair to good clipped $5.25'nd, $5.10®5.59; Stockers and feeders, $3.75®4.40; western fad steers, $4.40tfi5.6i); Texans and Indians, $l.50®5.40; Texas grass steers, l3.MXol.30; cows, $3 3301.63; heifers, $.3.6505.23; can ners, {2.50 <1.23; bulls, $3.25 0 6.70; calves, $3 30® 5.5 ), Hogs—Market 507taC higher; top. $3.95; bulk of sales. $3.70®3.S7*i: heavy, $3.83® 3.93; mixed pack* rs. $3.70®5.$3, light, $5.35 ® 5.754*; pigs. $l.90®3.30. Sheep and Lambs—Market strong to 10c higher; western lambs. $t.70®5.60; western wethers, {L eo 4.6*i; western yearlings, $4.50 ®4.90; ewes. $3.750 4.25; culls. $2.50®3.50; Texas grass sheep, $3.00'«4.15; Texas lambs, $4.4o0 4.73; spring lambs, $1.7503.73. ORAM BELITTLES CAPTURE. Agaioaldo U Not So Mach and Might Well Break Bock. NEW YORK, June 8.—General Fred erick Dent Grant was given a recep tion touight by the U. S. Grant post. Grand Army of the Republic. In a brief address General Grant said: Aguinaldo was not as much of a capture in the Philippines as he seems to have been here. To tell the truth, he had lost about all his influence. We do not treat him as if we considered him of some importance. We cannot kill him, of course, hut we want to make him feel that he stands on the same footing with any Filipino. If we should fine him $10 and send him to jail for thirty da>-3 and set him to breaking rock it would be better for him and for ourselves. If, %vhen he comes over here, we treat him with contempt he will be treated with con tempt by the natives when he goes home. But if over there they get the idea that wc have a high idea of Ag uinaldo's importance, when he gets back he will have a following which may make us trouble.” Founder of Elk* Hcsid. NEW YORK, June 7.—Cienrgo K. Cumberland, known to the American stage as George W. Thompson, “Father of the Elks," is dead in Brook lyn from blood poison, following an operation on ids hand. Funeral ser vices will be heid today. He w.ts born in New York city in 1836. He is said to have founded the Order of Elks thirty-five years ago, becoming first exalted ruler of New York lodge No. 1 in 1868. He afterwards became dis trict deputy grand ruler of trustees and deputy exalted ruler of the United States. Ilrazillan* Are Pleated. WASHINGTON, June 8.—A number of officers of the Brazilian navy, in full uniform, and accompanied l>y the Brazilian minister, called at the White House and had a pleasant exchange with the president. Imter they called on Secretary Long at the Navy depart ment and on the other cabinet officers. They also visited the navy yard anl went to Mount Vernon, where they deposited a wreath of immortelles on the tomb of Washington. Taft to Have Most to Say. WASHINGTON, June 8.—The pro gram looking to the establishment of civil government in the Philippines is being formulated in the shape of an order which is to be promulgated shortly. It is said that there is no definite conclusion as to whether the powers of the civil administration will be exercised under the general war powers of the president or the author ity vested in him by the Spooner amendment. BANK CASE IS AR&EIF. ttoto'l Soli Agalnat tlie Omaha Jatlbtaf Again Subml'tid. LINCOLN. Neb.. June 8.—Yesterday was nrgned before Commissioners Day, Hastings and Kirkpatrick of the su preme eovtrt the ease of the stato against the Omaha National bank and J. H .Millard, then and now president of the bank, and uow United States senator from Nebraska. The suit is foi the sum of $201,8*4. The legisla ture of 1893 appropriated from the general fund to the sinking fund the sum of $180,101.75. A warrant for this amount was drawn <*n Treasurer Bartley and sold through Millard to the Chemical National i*ank of New York, in whose possession it remained until October, 1896. U was then sent to the Omaha National hank, where, on January 2, 1897, Bartley made and executed to Millard and the bank his check for $201,884, payable-to Millard, president, and in return eeeelved the warrant. The check was- paid by charging that sum to the state treas urer's account and crediting the account of the Chemical National and an Atkinson bank with a like sum. The action is to recover front the de fendants the amount of monsy event ually lost to the state as a sesult of the transaction. The case has twice been tried in the lower court and the state beaten by direct instructions. The supreme court held, in the criminal case, that the diversion by Bartley of the state’s funds to pay this identical warrant was conversion, and t.he state now in sists that this ought to be final as de termining the character of the action, tHe bank's attorneys insisting that it is one of trover, and therefore cannot lie except it be for the identical money taken. State Capital Note*. LINCOLN, Neb., June 8.—Articles of incorporation of the Wooistenholm. Steele 4 Sterne Cattle company of Thedford, Thomas county, were re corded in the secretary of state's of fice. Adjutant General Colby has issued orders approving the election of Lieu tenant Henry Olson of Company I of the First regiment, and accepting the resignation of Assistant Adjutant Gen eral Charles M. Richards, who will become captain of Company L of the First regiment. Thoutauds Hear Ueilstrdt. The famous Cincinnati hand now playing a month's engagement at the Omaha Musical Festival is drawing large audiences and patrons are de lighted with the entertainments. Dur ing the Trans-Mississippi exposition the Bellstedt organization won a warm place in the hearts of music-loving people, and now on his return to the west they are giving a second enthusi astic welcome. The concerts continue all through June. Farmer Dragged by Team. MADISON, Neb., June 8.—James Gibbs, twelve miles northwest of Mad ison, was killed Tuesday while seed ing a field of millet. He had an at tack of epilepsy and fell onto the whlppletrees and caught in the trap pings and was dragged across the field and through a wire fence. When extracted by his wife he was seriously injured. His head had turned black, he was cut on the forehead and his ears were torn. I.eavca Family Deatltate. WAHOO, Neb., June 8.—A man nam ed Alquist, who lived on a farm near here, has left and his where abouts are at present unknown by the members of his family, who were left in destitute circumstances. It Is said that Allen, Dooley & Co., of South Omaha, had a mortgage against him lor $1,200, supposed to be secured by fifty head of cattle, which It was founjl Alquist did not have on his place. Preacher and Son Killed. LYONS, Neb., June 8.—Word was received here that Rev. Jason Gallup and his son Ralph were instantly kill ed by lightning while at work upon their rice plantation near Roanoke, La. Mr. Gallup is a Methodist preach er, having held a pastorate at Clarin da and Logan, la. Young Farmer Hound Oyer. YORK, Neb., June 8.—Newton Houch. a young farmer, had his hear ing before County Judge Wildman. charged with statutory assault on Til lie H. Hutchison, and wa3 bound over under $1,000 bond. The locomotive output of the Uni ted States in 1900 was 3.153, as com pared with 694 during the year 1894. Wheat Give* Way to Corn. FARNAM, Neb., June 8.—Investiga tion reveals the fact that three-fourths or more of the area planted to winter wheat last fall has been listed into corn within the last three weeks. What is left undisturbed is described as a poor stand. The rye crop Is in fairly good shape and little of it has been converted into corn ground. Hoppers ore plentiful, hut thus far have done no damage. Some complaint is heard of chinch bugs.