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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1905)
■ LEGISLATURE of NEBRASKA g_ ■ _ ■ _ ____________ A Synopsis of Proceedings of the Twenty ✓ Ninth Gen^ era! Session. P SENATE—The senate on the 1st j ratified the work of the caucus and i formally placed H. H. Goulding on lf the pay roll, as well as Peter Carter ,, and Sam Grant. This swells the list ^to sixty-one. I'pon the recommenda tion of the revenue committee S. F. 113, by Sheldon of Cass, was indefin itely postponed. This bill provided y*1b at taxes on personal property should be a lien on the property for Ijjflpwo years after due. S. F. 9, by |t Thomas of Douglas, and S. F. 14, bv |B| Jennings of Thayer, were passed. The I® former provides that when an agent i collects money on commission and 1® misappropriates it ne shall be guilty of embezzlement. S. F. 14 provides ^B for the issuance of school district St bonds in cities of the nrst class. The [ senate then resolved into a commit | tee of the whole, with Thomas in the Hj chair, and reported the following bills for engrossment and third read ing: S. F. 47, by Tucker of Ric-hard ■ son, defining the duties of county judges in certain cases. S. F. 4G, by Shreck of York, providing that rail road companies shall furnish trans portation to shippers of live stock to at company the stock. S. F. fiS, by g| Giffin of Dawson, providing for the B establishment of drainage districts. S. F. 34. by Giffin of Dawson, provid ing for printing the report of the irri gation board. S. F. 34. to provide for | ■ the printing of the irrigation board j B report, brought on considerable dis K cussion, it being the sentiment of many of the members to kill the bill. B it apparently being their idea there was no way to distribute the reports after they were printed. The bill I was recommended to pass. I - HOLSE—The house on the 1st passed senate file No. 42. authorizing 3§ the governor to enter into and sign a compact with the governor of South Dakota, as agreed upon by a com mission appointed by the two govern- j Iors. to fix boundaries between the slates at certain points. In commit tee of the whole, with Casebeer In the chair, the house spent consider Iable time in debate on house roll No. €9. by Horton of Key a Paha, to allow physicians in communities where there is no registered pharmacist 1 within five miles to dispense his own medicine. By motion the biil was in definitely postponed. Sills were in- i troduced: An act providing for the [payment out of the state treasury of the premium on the state treasurer's g bond when such bond is executed by £ a surety company. An act providing ^ thtt bona fide owners of contracts for lease of educational lands which were in ful’ force and effect prior to ?May 26, 1*79. may perfect their title according to the terms and provisions of the laws which were n force and effect prior to May 26, ls79. An act I to provide for the construction and maintenance of bridges, culverts and approaches thereto on public high- | ways in the state of Nebraska. Aa act to prohibit printers and others from printing or publishing more cop ies of books, pamphlets, circulars ot other publications than ordered by the author. An act disclaiming and . relinquishing all claim of ownership | or title on the part cf the state of j Nebraska to any and all lands now j being within the boundaries of the j state of Iowa which shall hereafter ! be or become within the boundaries t of the state of Nebraska by virtue of the action of any commissions ap- 1 pointed by the said states, and the ratification thereof by said states and the sanction thereof by the congress of the United States, or otherwise; provided, however, that said land or lands have been for ten years or more past in the possession or occupation of any person or persons co-partner ship or corporation claiming owner- j ship or title thereto, and those so in possession or occupation have for i said period of ten years or longer paid taxes claimed by state or county authorities or officers to have been I levied upon said land or lands. An j act providing for the payment by ; counties of the premium on the bonds of the county treasurers where such j bonds are executed by a surety com- j pany. An act to permit surety com- j panics to be security for public offi- j rials for more than two successive j terms. An act providing for the pay- j menr of premiums in surety company ; Ixmds when given by persons acting ! in a judiciary capacity. An act in re- ■ lation to instruments of writing re- j corded, copied or noted in the books of the office of county clerk. Makes them competent evidence when the originals are lost or parties wishing to use them cannot get possession oi them. SENATE—The senate on the 2nd got busy and made report on a num ber of bills. The tollowing were j placed on g*neral file: S. F. 7ft—Pro viding for the publication of the ac tion of irrigation district meetings. S. F. 117—Re-enacts the law establish ing the Hastings asylum and leaving out of the title of the institution the | word "incurable.” S. F. 21—For the appoin’ment of a registrar of vital , statistics. S. F. r,9—To consolidate 1 the Home for the Friendless and the • Industrial School at Milford. S. F. 101. 102 and 103—Providing for con- ; stitutional amendments: providing the legislature shall create cqurts; providing the legislature shall have power to regulate the power of execu tive state officers; five-sixths of a jury in civil cases may return a ver dict. S. F. 21—Providing that driv ers of traction engines must use prop er diligence in preventing the fright ening of horses and dmages to bridges and culverts, amended. S. F. 66—Al lowing fishing in boundary streams. S. F. 120 was indefinitely postponed i after a debat which lasted most of the morning. This bill gave author ity to the State Board of Pharmaev to grant permission to any dealer or cor poration to sell harmless drugs. The senate went into a committee of the whole, with Meserve of Kncx in the cnair. The entire time of the com n:itee was taken up in the discussion of S. F. 55. which provided that the capital stock qf banks should be in creased from $5,000 to $10,000. The bill was finally recommended for pas s&ge, after an ameruim nt providing that no bank now organized shou'u be affected. HOUSE—The house on the 2nd passed these bills: H. R. 3. by Fos ter of Douglas—Making the bribing cr attempted bribery ot Jurors a fel ony, punishable by a term of from one to five wears in the penitentiary, eighty votes being cast for aDd none against the bill. H. R. 108, by Wind ham of Cass—Applying the fire es cape law to office buildings of three stories or more—87 to 0. 11. R. 30, by Douglas of Rock—To incorporate the Elks lodge in Nebraska—S»1 to 0. H. R. SO, by Jackson of Antelope—To increase the salaries of the chief dep uty fish and game commissioner to $1.S00 a year, and that of his first as sisiant to $I.5'i:—was defeated by a vote of 37 to 40. H. R. 44, by Smith of Burt—To prohibit dumping in drainage canals or ditches—was re commended for specific amendment. The Omaha water board bill matter was taken up and the motion of Lee to recommit for specific amendme'nts voted down by 73 to 24. The clerk then began the reading of the bill, which consumed nearly an hour. The bill was passed by a vote of 67 to 24. just the required number to carry the emergency clause. H. R. 36, by Kid. providing for sewer districts in cities of Beatrice’s size, was passed, as was also: H. R. 47, by Gerdes of Richardson—Creating village boards of health. H. R. 61, by Saddler of Adams—Allowing $60 for the burial of an old soldier. Bills introduced: H. R. 213, by Crosby of Jefferson—To confer on cities of the second ciass. having less than 5.000 inhabitants, the authority to exercise “the right of eminent demain” in procuring rights-of-way for the construction of sewers and drains. H. R. 214, by An dersen of Douglas—To protect per sons. associations and unions of work ingmen and others in their labels, trade marks and forms of advertising. SENATE—These bills from the house were recommended for pass age on the 2d: H. R. 1. to provide for guaranty bonds for state officers. H. R. 5, providing for the publication of Cobbey Statutes. H. R. 21. recom mended by former Land Commission er Follmer and Land Commissioner Eaton, providing that when a person buys lands from the state and dies the contract shall hold good with the heirs. S. F. 65, providing for the keeping of probate records, was rec ommended for passage. a» was S. F. 11, providing that justices of the peace may make a charge of 5 cents \ for indexing. S. F. 1. by Thomas of Douglas, providing that the Omaha firemen shall work twelve hours a day and lay off twelve hours a day, was recommended for passage. Senator i Thomas explained the bill would re quire twenty-six men added to the de partment and ihat the expense to the city would be about $20,000 a year H° has received a petition signed by i several thousand citizens of Omaha ! endorsing the bill. The following j bills were introduced: S. F. 155, by Jones of Otoe—Making it unlawful to kill squirrels between January 1 and August 1 and providing a penalty of $5 for violation. S. F. 156, by Wil liams of Wayne—Allowing a person to rake fish from a stream on his own land with a hoop net during the ofcen season. S. F. 157, by Tucker of Rich ardson—Re-enacting and making con stitutional that portion of the drain age law declared void recently by the supreme court. S. F. 158. hv Hughes of Piatte (by request)—Making the open season for fishing, except for trout, extend to November 15. The season now closes on October 21. S. F. 150. by Hughes of Platte—Attach ing a penalty for failure of an abstrac ter to file a $10,000 bond. — HOl'SE—The house upon conven ing on the 3d took up H. R. 78. by Bums of Lancaster county, a Lincoln carter bill which proposes to vest in the mayor instead of tue excise board I»ower to discharge and employ po- : licement. The bdl was passed with 1 the emergency clause. H. R. 79, also a Lincoln charter bill by Burns pro- j viriing for a municipal electric light- ! ir.g plant., was also passed with the ! emergency clause. H. R. 89. a con current resolution proposing a consti tutional amendment fir a biennial election of all state officers and to in crease the supreme court commission membership from throe to six. was passed with the emergency clause. H. R- 82. allowing soldiers’ relief com missions in counties to retain 5 per 1 cent of the amount of money they distribute was passed. H. R. 31. to pay bounties for lulling large gray wolves or buffalo wolves, $5 a head; prairie wolf or coyote. $2, and wild- ! rat, $1. was passed. H. R. 72 prohib- I iting the manufacture and sale of cig- ! arettes and cigarette material, impos ing the penalty of a misdemeanor, was passed. H. R. 17, to create a state registrar of vital statistics, was pass ed. H. R. 119. prohibiting the mar- j r age of first cousins, was passed. H. R. 73. to compel dealers to put gaso line and benzine in red cans as a pre caution, passed. 72 to 0. H. R. 125, to prevent conveying prohibited arti cles to penitentiary convicts and im posing a penalty of a fine not exceed ing 11.900 or a state’s prison sentence | not exceeding ten years, passed. H. R. 97, facilitating the obtaining of a change of venue in a justice of the peace’s court, passed. H. R. 98. shut ting out ’’professional” jurors in jus tice of the peace courts and giving defendants the right to perenptorv challenges, passed. H. R. 99, provid ing for the payment to jurors in jus tice of the peace courts of $1 each j | by the successful parties and 50 cents i each when the jury fails to agree, was passed. H.. R. 100, taxing plain 1 tiff or defendant, whichever makes the application for a change of venue ; In justice of the peace courts, with the costs of such change, was passed. H. R. 44. making it a misdemeanor to dump into or obstruct a ditch or canal used for drainage purposes, passed. H. R. 51. giving the state board of j equalization piwer to discriminate be tween classes of property and provid ing that county boards need not make their levy until after the state board has met, was passed. Judicial Apportionment Bill. Senators Shreok and Laverty are at work on a judicial apportionment bill which Senator Laverty introduced on the 3d. The bill cuts down the number cf districts to fourteen and ; cuts out seven judges, two from Doug last county, one from Lancaster and ! four from the country districts. Un der the bill the s:ate will be divided I as follows: First District—Richardson. Pawnee, S Gage, Jefferson; total population, | 76,631; one judge. Second District—Cass. Otoe, Nema ha, Johnson; total population, 69,767; ; one judge. Third District—Lancaster; popula 1 tion, 64.835; two judges. Fourth District — Douglas. Sarpv, Washington; population, 163,756; five ; judges. Fifth District — Saunders, Butler, Polk, Seward. York. Hamilton. Saline, Fillmore; population, 13S.894; two judges. Sixth District — Dodge, Colfax, Platte, Merrick, Stanton; population, 13S.894: two judges. Seventh District—Thayer, Nuckolls, Glay. Webster, Franklin; population, 63.548; one judge. Eighth District — Burt. Cuming. Thurston, Dakota, Dixon, Cedar; population, 65,668; one judge. Ninth District — Wayne, Madison, Antelope, Pierce, Knox; population, 60.960; one judge. Tenth District — Adams, Kearney, Phelps, Harlan, Sarpy; population, 54.149; one judge. Eleventh District — Howard, Hal!, Greeley, Wheeler, Garfield, Valley, Loup, Boone. Nance; population, 65, 394; one judge. Twelfth District—Buffalo, Dawson, ; Custer, Sherman, Blaine, Thomas. Hooker, Grant; population, 61,ls9; one judge. ! Thirteenth District — Lincoln. Lo gan. Keith. < heyenne, Deuel, Scott's Bluff, Kimball. Banner, McPherson, Box Butte; population, 33,100; one judge. Fourteenth District—Frontier, Red Willow, Hitchcock, Hayes, Dundy, Chase, Perkins. Furnas; population, 44,570; one judge. The Cunning Fox. The wolf hates the fox. Accord ing to the Iroquois Indians this is why: One cold, wintry day a fox, who was prowling about looking to see where he might setal a dinner, saw a wagon coming. It was loaded with fish and was driven by some fishermen who were taking home their day’s catch. "Ah. ha!” said the cunning fox. "Here comes my din ner.” And he fell down the pretended to be dead. The fishermen, seeing him, picked him up and threw him into the wagon among the fish. Then the fox slyly threw out some fish and when the fishermen were not looking jumped off himself and made off with the fish he had thrown out. Pretty soon afterward he met a wolf, who said, "I am hungry. I guess I will eat you for my dinner.” But the fox said, "Would you rather not have fish for dinner?” The wolf replied that upon the whole he thought he would prefer fish. Then the cunning fox told him of the trick by which he had just got his dinner and advised him to try it. The wolf was pleased with the idea, so he ran through the woods and headed off the team which the fisher men w'ere driving, falling down in the road before it and pretending to be dead. But the fishermen, who had by this time discovered the trick the fox had played upon them, instead of taking him into the wagon, beat him with clubs so that he barely escaped with his life. And on a hillside near by sat the fox. who laughed and laughed. Steal Church Statue. Thieves have carried off from the Church of Sauvet't, in the French de partment of Puy-de-Domc, a massive and artistic copper statue of the Vir gin, which is said to date from 1319. Is This Unconscious Humor? Arthur &. Laws, who has been liv ing in Pendleton wita his mother-in law, Mrs. Anson Bright, has gone to Tacoma for a six months’ rest.—Fen dleton (Ore.) Blade. Most Northern Railway. The Ofoten railway, the most northern railroad in the world, is now carrying immense quantities of iron ore from the great Norwegian mining districts to the coast. How to Win in Advertising. The spurty horse is a poor sort of animal for a long hill. In advertising the winner is the man who strikes a bait he can hold and keeps moving.— Profitable Advertising. Little Destitution in Japan. There is said to be no real destitu tion in Japan. Though some ere very poor, yet ail seem to be well fed, clothed and housed and are invariably cheerful and, wbat is more surprising, invariably clean. Many Sailing Vessels Left. Steam has by no means made sail ing vessels obsolete. The total num ber of them in the world is still 65,934 as against only 30,561 steamers. One trouble with most of our re forms is that we are more anxious to remove the things that offend our taste than we are to get rid of those that form another's temptations. Words of Wisdom. To hate is to waste your time twice, for while you're hating you could be loving.—Chicago Record Herald. The cigarette trade in India has in creased 90 per cent in four years. The amount of cigarette tobacco imported last year was 2,240,200 pounds. . Men may differ on their theories o. sunspots, but they agree on the s4» shine. The Burlington depot at Stamford was totally destroyed by fire. Several eases of smallpox and pneumonia are reported from Beat rice. John Frederick, aged 65 years, is dead at Plattsmouth. His family lives in Germany. Perry Pastle is now carrying a rural mail route from Leigh, vice J. ! H. Click, resigned. j The state encampment of Sons of Veterans will be held in Fremont I about February 15. C. H. Gilbert was injured while fighting fire which destroyed his car penter shop at Beatrice. Glen Bechtel, a German, while serving on the jury at Schuyler, sui cided by hanging himself in his room E. Whitney of Humboldt has been awarded the contract for the erection of the new $25,000 school building at Geneva. The little daughter of Mr. Ball at Grand Island saved her life by lying close to the ground as three freight cars passed over her. Thousands of quail are reported to have perished during the present cold spell. The snow has covered up i their feed and in their weak condi tion they are unable to stand the in tense cold. ' The remains of T. H. Bowman, a former resident of Albion, were brought to that place from Arkansas, and buried in Rose Hill cemetery. Mr. Bowman was the first county treasurer of the county. Word has been received at Beatrice from Chicago indicating that Josepu Hathaway, who is wanted at Webb City, Mo., on several charges and who recently disappeared from this city, is under arrest at that place. A house on the f"rm of A. P. Ack erman, nine miles socilieast of Fre mont. was destroyed by fire with a loss of about $700 on the building and $300 on contents. Mr. and Mrs. i X. T. Nelson lived in the house and they were unable to save anything. Sixteen carloads of oranges and ’ other fruit whiie en route over the , Burlington from California to Chi I cago and other points, were run into the shops at Plattsmouth to prevent the fruit from freezing during the coldest nignts in that vicinity for years. J. D. Cameron of Cambridge sold his ranch near town to a man from Alma, Neb., for $12.5t»0. The price paid was $23 per acre. Cambridge is on the boom. The citjzens arr very enthusiastic over the water works proposition and a system will no doubt be installed this spring. Frank Otto who was formerly em ployed in the Burlington shops at Plattsmouth, but who is now em ployed for the same company in Den ver, has instituted suit against the Denver Tramway company to collect $5,000 damages because of his son’s death from being run over by the cars. A wreck dn the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha railroad be tween Eureka and Tekamah occurred Wednesday. Train No. 15. going south, broke in two near Eureka, and before the train crejfc. could get out and ag for No. 19. which was follow ing. they were upon them and the crew barely escaped with their lives. The suicide of Glen Bechtel, one of the jurors on the Wertz-Sprecher li bel case at Schuyler, after it had been on trial two days, caused the case to be dismissed from the present term and continued until the next. There is between $250 and $300 ex pense now incurred that will in all probability he upon the county in any event. Geneva Grand Army of the Repub lic gave a reception to Mr. and Mrs. Van Vranken, who are moving to York. Sheep feeders claim that over 30. 000 of this variety of stock have been fattened in the vicinity of Humboldt this season and in every instance the feeders made good profits from the industry. J. M. Maher, a farmer residing two miles northwest of Fremont, has re- i ceived the bronze medal which was awarded him by the Louisiana Pur- | chase exposition for his exhibit of corn. For several years Mr. Maher has spent considerable time in devel- j oping new kinds of corn and wheat and has met with good success with j both. Quite an extensive land deal was closed up at Table Rock between G. B. Johnson of that place and E. K. Kentener of Falls City. The former gets the fine farm of the latter three miles east of Humboldt, containing 160 acres, at $65 per acre, while the latter takes in part payment four residence properties of the former in Table Rock at the aggregate price of $4,200. Mr. James Watson was badly frozen driving from Hebron to Alex andria. He missed the road in the storm, the sleigh being tipped over four times on the way. Mr. Watson arrived home at 3 o'clock in the morning with face and hands frozen. The proposed consolidation of the Fremont Telephone company and the Bell company is not likely to go through. The announcement in the papers aroused the intense opposition of the independent telephone com panies throughout the state, the Lin coln company being especially op posed to it. J. P. Latta of Tekamah, president of the First National bank, is one of the few men of the state who owns a park in which he breeds success fully deer and elk. Mr. Latta owns a large ranch several miles from the city. The statement of State Treasurer Mortensen, filed with the auditor of the condition of the treasury for the month of January, shows he has in cash on hand $4,355.76 and on de posit $2147775.52. In the permanent school fund there is $19,120.95 and in the temporary school fund there, Ja $117,134.26. ARMORED CRUISER MARYLAND HOLDS RECORD FOR SPEED l Fastest U. S. Armored Cruiser. The armored cruiser Maryland, which was built for the United Stales government by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock company, attained on its official trial trip an j aterage speed of 22.36 knots an hour, j thereby exceeding the contract re quirement of twenty-two knots. This speed was reached in the face of a northeast wind. The Maryland is the fourth and the last of a type of fast cruisers to have a trial off Cape Ann. Of the three which have preceded, the Penn sylvania, the speediest, averaged 22.43 knots an hour. It cannot be said, j however, that the Pennsylvania Is queen of the class, for the tidal cor rections for the trial of the Maryland are-in the ship's favor by 11-100 to 18-luO of a knot. If this correction is ever .1_’4 of a knot the Maryland will become the holder of the speed record for the class. The Maryland’s trial was of unusual interest, as the builders endeavored to prove it the speediest of its type. The trial was regarded as most suc cessful, particularly w ith reference to the general sea behavior, the warship showing itself remarkably steady un der the severe winter conditions. ___ . GEN. OKU ON THE FIELD. One of the Most Remarkable of the Japanese Commanders. I watched Oku keenly. Though I had seen him coming for twenty yards I recalled suddenly that I saw nothing but his face until he got quite near. It was sad, with something of Lin coln’s sadness. In profile it was kind ly, especially when he smiled; full faced there were proofs that he could he iron and relentless. But his eyes: Big. black, glittering, fanatical, ever moving they were, and you caught them never but for a mo ment. but when you did they made you think of lightning and thunder storms. He was dressed simply in olive green serge, with one star on his cap and three stars and three stripes on his sleeve. His boots were good. His sword hung in his left hand—un clenched. His other hand looked nerveless. Not once did he shift his weight from his right foot—only the sole of his left foot ever touching the stone flagging. He is the most remarkable looking man I've seen thus tar among the Japanese.—Scribner's Magazine. Want Return to Simple Education. There is a great outcry in New York city against the foisting of nonessen tial studies upon the school children in the elementary grades. The de mand is for a reversion to first prin ciples—that is. the three E.'s. The present superintendent of schools goes in for fads. Against him. or rather against the system in the elementary grades, are not a few commissioners of education, merchants of the old school, who are looking around them every day for material such as they were when they were lads—lads w ho had a foundation in the three R's and were able to do a ‘sum" correctly, to turn off a page of writing at least leg ible and with some regard for ruled lines, a letter perhaps not elegant of rhetoric, but driving home its point in good, terse English. Passes Declining Days in Knitting. Gen. Edward F. Jones, soldier, statesman, manufacturer of scales and ex-lieutenant governor of New York state, made famous by using the phrase “Jones, he pays the freight” in advertising his wares, is blind and 77 years of age. He has taken up knitting, not merely for the purpose of whiling away his time but that his restless spirit and energy may be sat isfied and that other unfortunate blind persons like himself may be helped in their affliction. Mr. Jones was lieuten ant governor for six years beginning in 1885. A year ago he finished writing a novel, using a typewriter for the blind. He lives at Bingham ton. All school children of that city who need glasses are supplied at the general’s expense. Claims Honors Properly His. Senator Nelson of Minnesota called on the president, to present a constitu ent named Ulstead. the father of fif teen children, ail living. The presi dent warmly congratulated the visitor and news of this fact soon reached Minnesota. In a day or two Senator Nelson received a letter from a man named Skelton, who said: “Dear Sena tor: I notice you have been introduc ing a man to the president who claims he has fifteen living children. Now. senator, this man is a piker. I have twenty-two children and I inclose photograph to prove it. Please show this to the president.” — Speaks for Late Senator Hoar. Ex-Congressman Joe Walker of Wor- « cester appeared before a legislative committee at Boston in opposition to the advocates of a statue, bust or me dallion of the late Senator Hoar at the expense of the commonwealth of Mas sachusetts. He said he felt sure that his townsman and friend of half a century would have wished him ta do so. Incidentally he made the in teresting statement that for fifteen years the late Gov. Claflin gave from $20,000 to $40,000 a year to the anti slavery campaign fund. But Will Your Wife Let You. One pipe smoker says that the best way to keep briarwood pipes sweet to use and free from all taste of nicotine is to leave them on tne steam radiator when not in commission. When lit up after this treatment the pipe smokes as cleanly as brand new ones, but without the unpleasant smell of var nish. The cure may only be tried in places heated by steam, though poss ibly it might serve as well to dry out the pipes on the hot air heater.—New fork Sun. I PLELIC MONEY WELL SPENT. Irrigation Work of Vast Importance to the Country. I have a notion that this govern i nient cannot spend money to a better purpose or produce better results than I by providing irrigation works iu such arid places as those of the southwest I ern portions of the United States. And j I confidently look to see the day when | the national appropriations for irriga tion will go hand in hand with those i for navigation, rivers and harbors, for | tifications, and the army and the navy. While all these are necessary, irriga tion is also necessary. And, while they make possible our national ex istence and increase in population and wealth, irrigation makes them certain. : Congress can. in my opinion, do noth j TEg That will so surely add to our national prosperity as the expenditure , of large sums in irrigation works.— j Governor Pardee in Sunset Magazine. Spirit of the West. , The great thing in Chicago is the j- spirit of the citizens, and the same spirit is found in the other western towns, each of which is firmly convinc ed that it has a great future and that it would be a shameful thing to allow a rival to get ahead of it in any par ticular. The earnest citizen who urged a connoisseur bound for Europe, “if be j saw anything over there that Chicago ! needed to ship it over and send in the bill,” illustrates the true American pride in having the best. The dismal western city of a few years ago. with its barren desolation, its treeless wastes, its flimsy frame structures, its frank disregard for the decencies of life, is becoming a thing of the past. The traveler is everywhere struck by the fine quality of the new that strikes through the disappearing remains of the old.—Springfield, Mass., Republi can. Small Only in Stature. Lack of inches has been a common peculiarity among Great Britain's mentally great. Pope and Gray were of the tiny ones; Flaxman, the father of English sculpture, was shorter and more misshapen than Pope. De Quin cey and Douglas Jerrold, Sir Charles James Napier and Lord Chief Justice Cockburn add luster to the list of the lack-inches. Crofton Croker. who gave the fairy legends and folklore of Ire land a literature, was described by Scott, his admirer, as “little as a dwarf.” Lord John Russell was so slight of stature as to have it said of him that he had barely sufficient body to cover his brain. Napoleon, Wel lington and Nelson form a triumvirate of warriors, whose stature was in in verse ratio to their celebrity. Plan Big New York County, New York city owners of large tracts of Adirondack lands, including J. Pierpont Morgan, Alfred G. Vander bilt, the William Whitney estate and Timothy L. Woodruff, have long com plained of the high taxes incurred by supporting the county government of Hamilton, and through Mr. Woodruff's influence arrangements are being made to wipe Hamilton county off the map. The plan is to unite it with Ful ton county, which, on account of its wealth, would stand the burden of the taxation. The departments of the state which have the final decision in matters of taxation are wholly in ap proval of the merger and are ready to act upon the matter at once. The mer ger will make Fulton county the larg est county in the state. Poop Home fop Tramps. Secretary Amos W. Butler of the Indiana board of state charities re ports that this is one of the rules gov erning the jail in Knox county in In diana: “If it is positively known that tramps have committed some minor offense for the purpose of being placed in jail simply to be housed and fed for a period they shall be given the least food possible to assure no injury to their health—giving them to under stand that they have registered at the wrong place for encouraging their class."—Chicago Chronicle. Railways Sixty Years Ago. On the main railway lines of Eng land sixty years ago the station doors were closed five minutes before the time set down for the train's arrival and passengers fortunate enough to get on the platform could not buy tick ets unless there was worn for them in the train, long distance passengers having the preference. Travelers could claim the seats corresponding to the numbers of their tickets, just as if they were engaging seats at a theater. SIZE OF $4,000,000 GEM. The sketch above is the actual size of the diamond weighing nearly 4.0*>9 carats which has been found in Sou ill Africa. The largest diamond ever discov ered, which weighs 3,032 carats in the rough, and which was found near Pre toria. South Africa, has been placed in a vault with special guards around it night and uay. Experts say that it is pure white and of good quality, and estimate its value at between $4,000,WO and $5, 000.000. Diamond workmen are engaged in determining the best way of cutting the stone. The Premier mines are said to be next in importance to the famous De Beers Kimberley field. The Premier stone outclasses all previous disco\ eries in weight and \alue anu stands in a class by itself. The world's famous Kohinoor of the Royal Crown jewels of England weighs 102 carats, since cutting. In the rough it weighed 186 carats. It is valued for its purity and historical value at $1,500,000. The famous Tiffany Standard, pur chased by Tiffany & Co. from the De Beers mines, weighs 125% carats and ie valued at $100,000. The company owning the newly found wonder is composed almost ex clusively of London capitalists head ed by J. Wagner. Ex-Congressman Jefferson M. Levy of New York is the largest American stockholder. ILLNESS OF PRINCE EITEL. Second Son of German Emperor Stricken with Pneumonia. Prince Wilhelm Eitel Friedrich, w ho has been seriously ill from pneumonia, is the second son of the German em peror. and was born July 7, 1883. The young prince is an officer in both the army and navy and is extremely popu lar in all circles at Berlin. Eitel Friedrich is said to be the favorite of the emperor, while Princess Victoria Louise, the only girl in the imperial family, is alleged to be the favorite of Empress Victoria. Besides Eitel Friedrich the imperial couple have five other sons, the oldest being the crown prince. Friedrich Wilhelm, born i-1 HllBirr —-I /&J7VCT S/7T/ J&SZZXZr May 6. 1882. Prince Eitel is now con sidered out of danger, and his rapid recovery is assured. Some Really Do Resign. The saying that “few die and none resign” as applied to federal employes dates back to Andrew Jackson’s time. Hie same feeling has been common ever since, and it has been a favorite excuse for attacks on the merit sys tem of filling public offices, in congress and outside. Yet it appears from the annual report of the civil service com mission that about seventy in every 1.000 government employes resigned of their own free will last year. That is 7 per cent of the whole number. A similar rate of voluntary withdrawals from the service of a great railroad company would mean from 1,000 to 2.000 or C,000 changes in a year. Prominent Indiana Manufacturers. James and Joseph D. Oliver, father and son. the great plow manufactur ers of South Bend, Ind., own the great est works of the kind in the world, and there is no part of the habitable globe to which their plows do not go. A long record of industrial success is the history of the Olivers, and they are conservatively rated as the wealth iest individual citizens of the hoosier state. James Oliver is in his 84th year, but- still active and able to at tend to the details of his vast busi ness. Mince Pies Long Known. Who invented the mince pie, any way? At least, it was known in Pepys’ time, fully three and a half centuries ago, although then either pies were smaller or stomachs were bigger than now. Jan. 1, 1661, the diarist made the following entry: “Thence to Sir W. Pen’s, it being a solemn feast day with him, his wedding day, and we had, be sides a chine of beef and other good cheer, eighteen mince pies in a dish, the number of years that he hath been married.” ,
