THE NORTH WESTERN. BENHC1IOTKR * fll IINOS, Etla and »'<»»•* LOUP CITY, At all seasons of the year 5 o'clock in the morning is the coldest hour o' the 21. The Relgian government is drawing up a bill providing for the total sup pression of Sunday newspapers. Animal collectors working in South Africa for European und American zoo logical concerns command high sala ries. Their white assistants, even, are paid at the rate of $3,000 per annum. The most ancient weapon was the club, and one blow with it in the hand of a vigorous wielder was usually enough to cause a knock-out. A New York policeman is the most expert modern handler of the weapon. Sev eral stone-studded clubs, used by the lake dwellers of Switzerland, have re cently been found in their ancient habitations. In a recent plea that Protestants and Catholics might join hands in Christian unity against the saloon. Archbishop Keane merely urges a principle of modern warfare. Just as in going into battle ail the regimental flags are sent to the rear and only the Stars and Stripes stay at the front, so should the denominations put their differences in the rear, and present a solid front in the battle for temper ance. The historic bell in St. John's Prot estant Episcopal church, on North Beaver street. York. Pa., cracked from top to bottom when Sexton Household er started to toll it in memory of Pres ident McKinley. The bell was sent to the United States by a sister of George III in 17T4 and for seventy years hung in the old courthouse in Center square, where the Continental Congress as sembled after it had been driven from Philadelphia. The Talmud says there are four kinds of pupils: the sponge and the funnel,-the strainer and the sieve. The sponge is he who taketh up everything, and the funnel is he who taketh in at this ear and letteth out at that; thc strainer is he that letteth go the wine and retaineth the dross, and the sieve is he that letteth go the bran and re taineth the fine flour. The student who begins at least to wish to belong to the last-named class will not have been sent to college in vain. Eord Stanley of Alderly, England, has been giving some unique presents to his Anglesey tenants. To a num ber of bachelors not yet confirmed in their celibacy he has presented a piece of silk, with the injunction to hand it over to those whom they intend to marry. Bachelors who are considered hopeless have received consolation gifts, while one lady tenant has been presented with a handsome piece of silk because “she managed to catch one of the old bachelors.’’ A naturalist desirous of studying the way of the viper could not do better than make a visit to the environs of Bar-le-Duc, Ligny-en-Barrois, Saint Mihiel, France. The Figaro says that a countryman named Muller, of Ligny, brought to the Mairie sixty-five vipers, and a companion of his, twenty-two. Since the commencement of the year these two men have destroyed 940 of these dangerous littl.3 reptiles. A goodly number has been accounted for by a M. Jules Andre, of Saint-Mihiel. who “bagged" in the neighboring woods some ninety-three of these veno mous little pests in one d ly. A school-teacher’s education does not j count for much unless she is strong enough to use it, so in Chicago candi dates for teachers’ places are very properly required to pass a physical examination. There was a fluttering in the normal schools when the rule was adopted, a year ago, it being feared that it would bar out some or the best students, but the first result was that it stimulated them to take proper care of their health. ' They have had soup for luncheon, instead of cookies,” says a well-known profes sional woman, "and they have not dieted, as they used to, on slate-pen cils and pickles.” The German Press announces the death of the last survivor of Watei loo. at the age of 108 years. The veteran was a peasant living at Worthenburg, and he had been for years a favorite with the late Queen Victoria. /Ie fought in the ranks of the British Grenadiers at Waterloo, and he used to tell how at the critical moment li< had conveyed a message from the Duke of Wellington to Blueher, and that he had earned the "Iron Duke’s" approval on that occasion. He bore a thor oughly English name, Chas. Richards, and ur.til he was 90 years of age he was a member of the church choir of his native place. He has left no few pr than 182 descendants. Reports from Canton, China, state :hat there is a great stir among the jfflelals there, owing to the report that i large amount of dynemit' had been smuggled into the city. Houses arc Deing searched, but no arrests have aeen made. The dynamite is supposed o have c: me over and fr m Shuttling ar Kyongchauwan. it is 1> licved it was brought by sMidents d ^appointed ay the abolition of the military oxaini aations, for the purpose cf t rroi:in i ’.he officials and forcirg them to re establish the examinations. FOLLY OF FL’SIONISTS Their Attack on Got. Dietrich for His Exercise of the Veto. GUARDING THE STATE’S fINANCES Nebraska Now Enjoying a Strictly Busi ness Administration— Gross Misman agement of State Institution* Under liemo'l'opocratic Half. The fusionists were so reckless in their expenditures of the public funds during their incumbency that even the popoeratic editors, in a moment of absent-mindedness, forgot their lines in economics and advocated the outlay of money and additional tax burdens upon the people without any thought of the justice or consequences thereof. An illustration of this is found in the attack on Governor Dietrich for his veto of the $90,500 ap propriation for sundry purposes in con nection with the university. The pop oeratic editors have the boldness to state that the veto of this large sum was inspired by hostility to this well known educational institution. A more irrational deduction could not be drawn nor a more silly falsehood uttered. In vetoing this appropriation, as shown by the public records. Gov ernor Dietrich simply saw that if this amount was allowed to stand the total appropriation would exceed the pro ceeds from the one-mill levy and re sui't in a corresponding increase in the floating indebtedness. Whether designedly or not the items were all included in one sum total, so that Governor Dietrich was required either to veto or approve the section in its entirety, it beng impossible to eliminate any particular or individual item. Before passing upon it he sum moned Chancellor Andrews, who in turn summoned Secretary Dale of the Board of Regents, and requested that the appropriation bill be gone over and such items as would least inter fere with the least successful manage ment of the school be pointed out. Both Secretary Dale and Chancellor Andrews admitted that the section ap propriating $90,500 was of less utility and could be vetoed and cause less in terference with plans than any other portion of the bill. More than this. Secretary' Dale in the presence of Chancellor Andrews, after looking over the section then to be and afterwards vetoed, admitted that of the $90,500 there really was but $16,000 of it for repairs and improvements really need ed. In other words, that the univer sity could get along all right and be in no way incumbent through lack of funds if the improvements requiring an appropriation of $16,000 were pro vided for. On this showing Governor Dietrich, believing that it was better , business methods to use the state's credit to the extent of $16,000 than to add an additional tax burden upon the people of $90,500, which also meant a corresponding increase in the floating indebtedness of the state, ve toed that secuon. The result is that the university is apaprently getting along Just as well as if it had the money and the taxpayers of Nebraska have been saved a large sum of money. In regard to the statement that has been made by one of the popoeratic editors that this was done in order that the state treasurer might have more funds to invest for his own profit, it is sufficient to say that this dense ignorance of the finances of the uni versity is exploded by the fact that there are and for several years have been warrants outstanding against these funds. At present there are ap proximately $55,000 university war rants outstanding, and this, coupled with the fact that the prevailing rate of expenses exceeds the one-mill levy, thoroughly explodes the charge that the state treasurer would or could in any way benefit by such a veto. Another thing which prompted Gov ernor Dietrich to veto the *90,500 ap propriation was that the fusion admin istration had not alone squandered all the money in the treasury, but had run the state in debt and left unpaid hills amounting to more than $150,000. The reckless extravagance of the Poynter administration enjoined the strictest economy upon the republicans in or der to avoid an increase in the war rant indebtedness of the state of suf ficient proportions to impair its credit. Governor Dietrich vacated the exec utive chair before he had much of an opportunity to install his policy of re trenchment, but his successor, Gover nor Savage, has maintained the strictest economy, with the result that for the first time in many years the state of Nebraska is enjoying a strict ly business administration. The peo ple of Nebraska are paying less for their administration of government and their public interests and insti tutions are beng better cared for than for many years. Governor Savage has proven limself to be a man of keen judgment and splendid business ideas and his administration promises to be popular with the people on account of rugged honesty, strict economy and rare circumspection. f-olilU-rV cm! Sailor*’ Home at (irand I»Uml. The Soldiers’ Horne at Grand Island has been grossly mismanaged in every department. Particularly is the charge of mismanagement true in connection with the medical department. It has never required more than $500.00 per year for medical and surgical supplies at the home, though Dr. Swigart, until recently physician at the home, squan Wh®n Traffic In Home Metit llrgan. i Nearly half a century ago, the ex- J periment of putting horse meat on the market was made for the first time ! In Austria. A government decree of April 20, 1854, gave legal permission to cut up and sell horse meat as an article of food. During the rest of that year and in 1855, 943 horses were slaughtered for food in Vienna; the number rose in 1899—the last, year for which statistics are obtained- to 25,010 head. You can often help a nervous hud ache by combing the hair gently. dered a 11.500.00 drug fund III ten months, and that, too, in the face of the fact that his predecessor. Dr. Sad Iwr, turned over a large supply of drugs to him upon his retirement. In quiry brought to light the fact that the state has paid for drugs never de livered. It is a significant fact that while more than tO per cent of the drugs used at the home were, by rea son of friction between the physician in charge and the inmates, purchased by the inmates out of their private funds, the expense of maintaining the drug department to the state increased more than three hundred per cent. Other physicians were, for some rea son or other, summoned to the home to perform services for which Dr. Swi gart. was paid by the state, and in stead of their fees being deducted from Dr. Swigart's salary, the bills were presented to Dr. Swigart; he pre sented them to the drug firm which had the contract; the latter paid the money to Dr. Swigart, and sent in vouchers to tne state for drugs. Posi tive proof is in existence that Dr. Swi gart sold liquor that was bought and paid for by the state funds to inmates and appropriated the proceeds to his own use. The records will show that this institution consumed more liquor mail nearly ail or uie orner insuiu tlons of the state. It is openly charged that the attending physician indulged to excess In the use of intoxicating beverages, and that on more than one occasion he was incapacitated for duty by reason of inebriety. The commandant, physician, adju tant and other officials at the home maintained their relatives there at the state's expense. The public records show that Com mandant Beltzer drew upon numerous funds for his own benefit, and had all the printing for the institution done in tfte newspaper owned and managed by his son, and charged the state for nursery stock and ornamental trees from his own nursery. Excessive prices were charged and paid for both the printing and the trees. There is a gross irregularity appar ent at this institution in connection with the construction of a public building thereat. The contract was awarded to an irresponsible bidder, who failed to comply with its pro visions. and the building was com pleted at the expense of the bonds men. An architect was employed at tne rate of $5.00 per day and paid out of the regular appropriation fund to superintend the construction, when, as a matter of fact, he had practically no experience in this class of work. Very inferior material was used in the con struction in this building, and in few respects were the plans and specifica tions complied with. Ho*ptt<«l for Insane at Norfolk. The very large quantity of coal con sumed at the hospital for the insane at Norfolk has led to many sensational reports, though I know of nothing more than that the vouchers in the i auditor's office show- that a great deal of coal is required at this institu tion. There are other indications that there has been more or less juggling of contracts for supplies in the in terests of friends at the institution and in the state house. Particularly is this true in the award of the contract for drugs. Favoritism has been ex ercised in the award of the drug con tracts, and in the purchase of extras from the drug fund. Investigation re veals the fact that it is the custom at this, as well as at nearly all other institutions, to misappropriate speci fically appropriated funds. During the recent administration, the mother and sister of the superin tendent, and the four children of tLe steward were kept at i~e institution at the state’s expense. State Normal at Pern. Until recently, if it is not true today, three rooms in one of the public build ings owned by the state in connection with the Normal school were occupied by a private fusion newspaper print ing office. This concern paid no rent, and in addition paid nothing for its light., water and heat. It occupied these quarters for upward of two years, having a monopoly of the job printing of the institution, for which it charged excessive prices. There is evidence that at this institution radi cal and unwarranted changes have been made in the text books, evidently for no other purpose than profit, and to the great detriment and inconven ience of the student. It is due the present Incumbent of the presidency to say that the reports of jugglery of text books originated during the adminis tration of his predecessor. Fi*1i Hatchery at Smith fiend. The Fish Hatchery at South Bend is in a deplorable condition. About eighteen months ago an Omaha sa loon keeper named Sloup was appoint ed superintendent of the hatchery. He was utterly without experience, knew nothing as to the manner in which fish should be propagated, and the re sult is that for the many thousands of dollars expended by the statee in the development of this industry, there is nothing left hut evidences of ruin and desolation. It will require much money, time and care to restore this enterprise to its former condition. IiiHtltute for tlio Blind at Nrhrnnka City. The taxpayers of the state have been grossly imposed upon at the Ins-tute for the Blind, 'i.ie super.ntendent. contrary to all precedent, refused to teach any of the branches upon the ground tiiat he was incapacitated by reason of old age. At trie close of the first semester last year, which is the last official report available, there* were upwards of seventy-five inmates and fifty-one people on the pay roll. Till* N>w«t»t In Life Mm vl n " The patest patent 1n life saving rafts, one just adopted by the United States navy, sees the old idea of the raft, “Your feet are always in the water, but you never sink," and goes it one bet ter. Wile you are being saved on this raft you are to stand in the water up to your middle. It is thus in effort a big basket, wltti an exaggerated lif** preserver for its rim, the slat platform of the raft hanging to the inside of a big circular hollow frame by slack ropes. Men or horses can evidently be packed safely upon such a raft as thickly a3 folks can stand in a crowd ed street car in the "rush hours.” A CAREFUL ANALYSIS CONGRESSMAN TONGUE ON TARIFF REVISION. II Shmitcl Only He I u