Nebraska Newspapers

    MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
IDEAS DYING OUT
Delegates to Annual Convention Dis
gusted at Repeated Failures
of System.
Chicago, 111.—When the American
League of Municipalities, at its annual
meeting in Chicago last week, refused
to indorse the principle of municipal
ownership of public utilities, it sounded
the death knell of the remnants of the
municipal ownership fancy in the west,
where it was once so strong, but where
repeated failures of the fad have caused
the steady, strong characters of the
descendants of the frontiersmen to revolt
at the idea, which had its origin in the
socialistic minds of a certain class of
long-haired immigrants from Europe.
And the fact that the Chicago meeting
failed to indorse the idea is significant
that not in the west alone is the idea
of municipal ownership dying out, but
since the delegates to tnat meeting came
from all portions of the country, it is
indicative that other portions of the
country, as well as the western sections,
have seen through the fallacy and have
decided that there is nothing in munici
pal ownership that can really benefit the
rank and file of the people.
The cities and towns of the west were
the first of the country to undertake,
on a large scale, the ownership of water
works, gas companies, electric lights,
street cars, railroads, etc., and it is note
worthy that the same cities and towns
were the first to repudiate the fad and
to return to the American system of
competition, where the business man and
the skilled engineer can have charge of
the public utility systems, to the exclu
sion of the politician and the ward
heeler. I
While ail the delegates to the Amer
ican League convention were not opposed
to the city ownership of semi-public cor
porations. yet it was conspicuous that
where that system had been tried most,
the delegates w^re stronger in their op
position than in those cities where mu
nicipal ownership was yet a theory and
not a condition. Many of the delegates
from those cities where the fad had been
tried argued something like this: “You
people where thi3 idea has not been tried
think you know something about it, and
theoretically you probably do, but we
who have given municipal ownership a
thorough trial know of the dozens of
little things that theory does not provide
for, but which, when they arise, knock
f supposition and hypothesis all to pieces
and make of your theory a practical un
success and. a failure."
Around the hotel lobbies when the con
vention was not in session, the delegates
gathered and talked “'shop, theories and
fancies.” Many who were not delegates,
but who were interested in municipal
questions, mixed with them, listened to
their talk and gave and took opinions
and stories. And some of those stories
which came out had to do with munici
pal ownership. From New YTork came
the story of the failure of the municipal
Staten Island ferry boats—a scheme
good for those living on Staten Island,
but very bad for the taxpayers of New
York who had to foot the bills. It was
shown that while the actual price of the
ferry fare had been reduced a few cents,
that the service was bad and that the
ferries were running behind at the rate
of several hundreds of thousands of dol
lars every year. Wages had been raised
“out of sight" on the city owned boats,
but instead of the workmen being of the
honest class, most of them were the
hangers-on of the ward politicians and
“pull” was necessary in securing a "job,”
while worth and ability counted for
nothing. And the number of employes
•had been increased almost 100 per cent,
an each boat.
Southern Indiana had a dozen failures
to report. That at Muncie was one of
the most notable. At that city the mu
nicipality. which had for years owned
Us electric light plant, this summer had
entirely abandoned its own plant and
had gone back to a private contract,
where it was possible to get better serv
ice cheaper than the city itself could
furnish. Richmond-was another town
from that state which had grown tired
of the fad and its mayor, who has held
office three times on u municipal owner
ship platform, has publicly backed down
and declared that he no longer believes
In his platform. He recommended that
Richmond sell its electric plant, and
make a contract with a privately owned
ompany Marion, Logansport and a
number of other Indiana cities also told
stories of the same kind and result.
From the middle west came the story
of Waterloo. Iowa, which had refused, at
a general election, to construct a munici
pal waterworks plant; from Omaha,
where there is a mess of the waterworks
leal by which the city is liable to be
forced into buying a $3,000,600 plant at a
price of 16,000,000, and where two other
attempts at municipal ownership have
been practical failures; from Denver,
where the biggest election fight ever
known in the state has gone against
municipal ownership: and from various
other cities and towns, where the falla
cies of the “fad" have been exposed and
the taxpayers have decided that they
Jon't want any more of it.
The reasons given by the delegates for
their opposition to municipal ownership
were various. These delegates, in many
cases, were men who have studied for
years and years the effects of municipal
ownership in both Europe and America,
and the conclusions reached by therh
may be considered as the opinions of ex
perts in their lines. One of the opinions
heard most often was that the municipal
ownership system fastened upon the city
a most pernicious political ring of graft
-rs ami saloon-politicians who were con
tinued in power from year to year by
their control of the utility company.
And in order to continue in this control,
these rings appointed their henchmen
to the positions, leaving the deserving
workmen and competent craftsmen out
altogether. "You vote for the machine
or you lose your Job.” was the motto.
And the machine, in turn, grarted at the
expense of the public.
Another reason was that the Idea was.
simply a branch of socialism and was
being used by socialists to extend their
beliefs in other directions. In fact, so
cialists boasted that municipal ownership
was to be the entering wedge which
would lead to their other “isms” being
accepted.
Some of the delegates opposed it be
cause it increased taxes, not to the rich
man, but to the mechanic and to the
everyday man. who was forced to pay
higher rents and everything else when
prices went up. Still others declared in
dividual effort availed nothing under
that system and that a young man anx
ious to work and to rise in the world
stood absolutely no chance with the po
litical grafters who controlled things,
in fact, the reasons put forward by
those who had studied the “fad" were
so numerous and weighty, and were so
well grounded on common sense that
many of the delegates who came ardent
admirers of the system, went home thor
oughly disgusted with municipal owner
ship in every form.
Treasures for the Louvre.
[ Attention 13 called by the Travelers'
Gazette to recent acquisitions by the
Louvre, notably of a life size bust in
chalk, primitively colored, of the her
mit king of the eighteenth dynasty,
Akhoumalon, or Amenophis IV., one of
the strangest figures in the long line
of the Pharaohs. The bust is a re
markably fine specimen of the art of
the period, and is well preserved. Be
sides this, there are four sepulchral
urns in blue porcelain from the tomb
of Rameses II. In these urns was
found, besides funeral linen, certain
organic matter, which is being chem
ically examined.
More Than Society Butterflies.
These are the days when women
of national celebrity vie with each
other in housewifely accomplishments.
Mrs. Philander C. Knox has just dis
patched to Mrs. Roosevelt a firkin of
butter, made with her own hands, at
the Valley Forge farm. Mrs. Roose
velt has sent deliciqus brandied cher
ries to her intimates, and lo the Epis
copal Home for Old People in Wash
ington. Mrs. Bonaparte, wife of the
secretary of the navy, has preserved
some toothsome mangoes.
Anotner International Exhibition.
An international exhibition of fine
arts and horticulture will be opened
at Mannheim, Germany, on May 1,
1907, on the occasion of the third
centenary of the foundation of that
town._
Few men can do two things at once,
but any girl can chew gum and talk
atmultaneou8ly.
A FOOL FOR LOVE
By FRANCIS LYNDE
AUTHOR 0? “THS GRAFTERS." ETC.
(Copyright, UK, by 4. P Lippisoou Co.)
CHAPTER IX—Continued.
Bat another member ol the Rose
mary group had more courage—or
fewer scruples. When Miss Carteret
let herself out of the rear door.
Jastrow disappeared in the opposite
direction, passing through the for
ward vestibule and dropping catlike
from the step to inch his way silent
ly over the treacherous snow-crust to
a convenient spying place at the other
end of the car.
Unfortunately for the spying pur
pose, the shades were drawn behind
the two great windows and the glass
door, but the starlight sufficed to show
the watcher a shadowy Miss Vitginia
standing motionless on the side which
gave her an outlook down the canyon,
leaning out, it might be, to anticipate
the upcoming of some one from the
construction camp below.
The secretary, shivering in the
knifelike wind slipping down from
the bald peaks, had not long to wait
By the time his eyes were fitted to
the darkness he heard a man coming
up the track, the snow crunching
frostily under his steady stride,
Jastrow ducked under the platform
and gained a view point on the other
side of the car. The crunching foot
falls had ceased, and a man was
swinging himself up to the forward
step of the Rosemary. At the instant
a voice just aliove the spy’s head
called softly: “Mr. Winton!” and the
newcomer dropped back into the snow
and came tramping to the rear.
It was an awkward moment for
Jastrow: but he made shift to dodge
again, and so to be out of the way
when the engineer drew himself up
and climbed the hand-rail to stand be
side his summoner.
The secretary saw him take her
hand and heard her exclamation, half
indignant, wholly reproachful:
“You had my note. I told you not
to come!”
“So you did, and yet you were ex
pecting me,” he asserted. He was still
holding her hand, and she could not
—or did not—withdraw it.
“Was I, indeed!” There vras a
touch of the old-time raillery in the
words, but it was gone when she
added: “Oh, why will you keep on
coming and coming when you know
so well what it means to you and
your work?”
“I think you know the answer to!
that better than anyone,” he re
joined, his voice matching hers for
earnestness. “It is because I love
you; because I could not stay away
if I should try. Forgive me, dear; t
I did not mean to speak so soon. But;
you said in your note that you would
be leaving Argentine immediately—
that I should not see you again; so
I had to come. Won't you give me a
word, Virginia?—a waiting word, if
it must be that?”
Jastrow held his breath, hope dying
within him and sullen ferocity crouch
ing for the spring if her answer
should sic it on. But when she spoke
the secretary’s anger cooled and be
breathed again.
“No; a thousand times. No,” she
burst out passionately; and Winton
staggered as if the suddenly freed
hand had dealt him a blow.
CHAPTER X.
For a little time after Virginia’s
passionate rejection of him, W’inton
stood abashed and confounded.
Weighed in the balances of the after
thought, his sudden and unpremedi
tated declaration could plead little ex
cuse in encouragement. And yet she
bad been exceedingly kind to him.
“I have no right to expect a better
answer,” he said, finally, when he
could trust himself to speak. “But I
am like other men; I should lik» to
know why.”
“You can ask that?” she retorted:
“You say you have no right. What
have you done to expect & better an
swer?”
He shrugged. “Nothing. I suppose.
But you knew that before.”
“I only know what you have shown
me during the past three weeks, and
it has proved that you are what Mr.
Adams said you were—though he was
only jesting.”
“And that is?”
“A faineant, a dilettante; a man
with all the God-given ability to do
as he will and to succeed, and yet who
will not take the trouble to perse
vere.”
Winton smiled, a grim little smile.
“You are not quite like any other
woman I have ever known—not like
any other in the world, I believe.
Your sisters, most of them, would take
It as the sincerest homage that a man
should neglect his work for his love.
Do you care so much for success,
then?”
“For the thing itself—nothing, less
than nothing. But—but one may care
a little for the man who wins or
loses.”
He tried to take her hand again,
tried and failed.
“Virginia!—is that my word of
hope?”
“No. Will you never see the com
monplace effrontery of it, Mr. Win
ton? Day after day yon have come
here, Idling away the precious hours
that meant everything to you, and
now you come once again to offer me
a share in what you have lost. Is that
your idea of chivalry, of true man
hood?”
Again the grim smile came and
went.
“An unprejudiced onlooker might
say that you have made me very wel
come.”
“Mr. Winton! Is that generous?”
“No; perhaps It is hardly just. Be
cause I counted the cost and have
paid the price open-eyed. You may
remember that I told you that first
evening I should come as often as I
dared. I knew ^hen, what I have
known all along; that it was a part
of your ancle’s plan tc> delay my
work.” -
“His and mine, yon mean; only yon
■■ *■' »- ■ ■■___;_r_3_
are too kind—or not quite brave
enough—to say so.”
‘‘Yours?—never! If I could believe
you capable of such a thing—”
“You may believe it,” she broke in.
“It was I who suggested it.”
He drew a deep breath, and she
heard his teeth come together with a
click. It was enough to try the faith
of the loyalest lover. It tried his
sorely. Yet he scarcely needed her
low-voiced: “Don’t you despise me es
I deserve, now?” to make him love her
the more.
“Indeed, I don't. Resentment and
love can hardly find room in the same
heart at the same time, and I have
said that I love you,” he rejoined
quickly.
She went silent at that, and when
she spoke again the listening Jastrow
tuned his ear afresh to lose no word.
“As I have confessed, I suggested
it. It was just after I had seen your
men and the sheriff’s ready to fly at
each otl^r’s throats. I was miserably
afraid, and I asked Uncle Somerville
if he could not make terms with you
in some other way. I didn’t mean—”
He made baste to help her.
“Please don’t try to defend your mo
tive to me; it is wholly unnecessary.
It is more than enough for me to know
that you were anxious about my
safety.”
But she would not let him have the
crumb of comfort undisputed.
“There were other lives involved
besides yours. I didn’t say I was spe
cially afraid for you, did I?”
“No, but you meant it. And I
thought afterwards that I should have
given you a hint in some way, though
the way didn’t offer at the time.
Ah, Well, It’s O11I7 One Hore Fool for Love.”
There was no danger of bloodshed. 1
knew—we all knew—that Deckert
wouldn’t go to extremities witfi the
small force he had.”
“Then It was only a—a—
“A bluff,” he said, supplying the
word. “If I had believed there was
the slightest possibility of a fight, I
should have made my men take to the
woods rather than let you witness it.”
“You shouldn’t have let me waste
my sympathy,” she protested, re
proachfully.
“I’m sorry; truly, I am. And you
have been wasting it in another direc
tion as well. To-night will see the
shale-slide conquered definitely, I'
hope, and three other days of good
weather will send us into Carbonate
yards.”
She broke in upon him with a lit
tle cry of impatient despair.
“That shows how unwary you have
been! Tell me: Is there not a lit
tle valley just above here—an open
place where your railroad and TJncle
Somerville’s run side by side?”
“Yes, it is a mile this side of the
canyon head. What about it?”
“How long is it since you have been
up there?” she queried.
Winton stopped to think. “I don’t
know—a week, possibly.”
“Yet if you had not been coming
here every evening, you or Mr. Adams
would have found time to go—to
watch everj- possible chance of inter
ference, wouldn't you?”
“Perhaps. That was one of the
risks I took, a part of the price-paying
I spoke of. If anything had happened,
I should still be unrepentant.”
"Something has happened. While
yo.u have been taking things for grant
ed, Uncle Somerville has been at work
day and night. He has built a track
right across yours in that little val
ley, and there is a train of cars or
something, filled with armed men,
kept standing there all the time!”
Winton gave a low whistle. Then
be laughed mirthlessly.
“You are quite sure of this? There
is no possibility of your being mis
taken?”
“None at all. And I can only de
What is to be done?—but stop; you
her, and he was left alone on the
square railed platform.
In the gathering-room of the private
car Virginia found an atmosphere sur
charged with electrical possibilities,
felt it and inhaled it, though, there
was nothing visible to indicate it.
The Rajah was buried in the depths
of his particular easy-chair, puffing
his cigar;* Bessie had the Reverend
Billy in the tete-a-tete contrivance;
and Mrs. Carteret was reading under
the Pintsch drop-light at the table.
It was the chaperon who applied the
firing spark to the electrical possibili
ties.
“Didn't I hear you talking to some
one out on the platform, Virginia?”
she asked.
“Yes, it was Mr. Winton. He came
to make his excuses.”
Mr. Somerville Darrah awoke out
of his tobacco reverie with a start.
"Hah!” he said, fiercely. Then, in
his most courteous phrase:* “Did I
undehstand you to say that Misteh
Winton would not faveh us to-night,
my deah Virginia?”
“He could not. He has come upon
—upon some other difficulty, I be
lieve,” she stammered, steering a peril
ous course among the rocks of equivo
cation.
“Mmph!” said the Rajah, rising.
“Ah—where is Jastrow?”
The obsequious one appeared, imp
like, at the mention of his name, and
received a curt order.
“Go and find Engineer McGrath and
his fireman. Tell him I want the en
gine instantly. Move, seh!”
Virginia retreated to her stateroom.
In a few minutes she heard her uncle
go out; and shortly afterwards the
Rosemary’s engine shook itself fret
of the car and rumbled away west
ward. At that, Virginia went back
to the others and found a book. But
if waiting inactive were difficult, read
ing was blankly impossible.
“Goodness!” she exclaimed. “How
hot you people keep it in here!
Cousin Billy, won’t you take a turn
with me on the station platform? I
can’t breathe!"
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Power of Sweet Laugh.
A woman has no natural gift more
bewitching than a sweet laugh. It is
like the sound of flutes on the water,
and the heart that hears it feels as
it bathed in the cool, exhilarating
spring. Sometimes it comes in the
midst of care, or sorrow, or Irksome
business, ringing through the room
like a silver bell, with power to
scare away the evil spirits of the
mind. How much is debtor to that
sweet laugh! It turns praise to po
etry; :t flings showers of sunshine over
the darkness of the wood in which
weary feet are traveling; it touches
with light even tired sleep, which is
no more the image of death, but is
consumed wjth dreams that are the
shadows of immortality.
fend myself by saying that I didn’t}
know about it until a few minutes ago.l
needn’t tell me. I am not worthy of
your confidence."
“You are; you have just proved it.
But there isn't anything to be done.
The next thing in order is the exit
of one John Winton in disgrace. That
spur track and engine means a cross-*
,ing fight which can be prolonged in
definitely with due vigilance on the.
part of Mr. Darrah’s mercenaries)
I’m smashed. Miss Carteret, carefully
and permanently. Ah, well, it’s only
one more fool for love. Hadn’t we
better go in? You’ll take cold stand
ing out here.”
She drew herself up and put her
hands behind her.
“Is that the way you take it, Mr.
Winton?”
The acid laugh came again.
“Would you have me tear a passion
to tatters? My ancestors were not
French.”
Trying as the moment was, she
could not miss her opportunity.
“How can you tell when you don’t
know your grandfather's middle
name?” she said, half crying.
His laugh at this was less acrid.
“Adams again? My grandfather had
no middle name. But I mustn't keep
you out here in the cold talking
genealogies.”
His hand was on the door to open
it for her. Like a flash she came be
tween, and her fingers closed over his
on the doorknob.
“Wait.” she said. "Have I done all
this—humbled myself into the very
dust—to no purpose?”
“Not if you will give me the one
priceless word I am tbirstipg for.”
“Oh, how shameless you are!” she
cried. “Will nothing serve to arouse
the better part of you?”
“There is no better part of any man
than his love for a woman. You have
aroused that”
“Them prove it by going and build
ing your railroad, Mr. Winton. When
you have done that—”
He caught at the word as a drown
ing man catches at a straw.
“When I have w-on the fight—Vir
ginia, let me see your eyes—when I
have won, I may come back to you?”
“I like men who do things. Good
night.” And before he could reply
she had made him open the door for
Gossip from Washington
President Resumes Work at White House After His Summer Va
cation—Death Calls Col. “Ike” Hill—Special Attorneys to
Fight Trusts.
WHITE
.HOUSE1;
| T
rtofrur
j
WASHINGTON.—President Roosevelt, sun
burned and in fine health from his vacation, is
again at his usual round of duties at the White
House. The day after his return from Sagamore
Hill he was at his office about nine o'clock and be
gan work while a procession of laborers were1
pushing wheelbarrows filled with gravel up a
gangway to the White House roof and dumping
it almost over his head to be used in roofing the
west wing of the building. Although a small
army of men has been working on the building
since July it is not yet fully repaired.
The president weighs over 200 pounds but his
flesh is firm and hard from outdoor living and
exercise. He was in the best of spirits and be
fore the cabinet met he received numerous vis
itors. Among these was Admiral Cali, of the
Italian warship Fieramosca. and two of his offi
cers, accompanied by the American naval aid at
the White house, Lieut. Commander Keys. The president greeted the Italian
officers cordially, told them he knew the history of Italy and greatly admired
the king. Members of congress were scarce, owing to the fact that the new
rate law compels all to pay fare.
Usually the Roosevelt children return from Oyster Bay with a proces
sion of new pets. This time they brought only the old ones, including Rollo,
the big Newfoundland dog; Skip, the bear dog, and the horses. Slippers, the
six-toed cat, passed the summer in Washington and was greatly rejoiced at
the family’s return.
PASSING OF A NOTABLE CAPITAL FIGURE.
In the death of Col. Isaac R. Hill, known for
generations back as “Ike-Hill, of Ohio,” the house
of representatives has lost its most unique char
acter. Col. Hill had been a unique figure in
national and Ohio politics for two decades. Al
ways a stanch Democrat, he associated himself
actively with its party history, more especially
in his home state. For years his peculiar per
sonalty of form and vernacular have impressed
the delegates to nearly every party copvention,
both national and state. He came to Washington
originally when John G. Thompson, of Columbus,
was made sergeant-at-arms of the house of rep
resentatives, and has been attached in some
capacity to the lower branch of congress ever
since.
Many are the stories that have been printed
about “Ike” Hill. In fact, so constantly has he
been in the public eye that there are really few
good ones that remain untold.
In conversation Hill was as picturesque in the use of language as he was
dignified in dress and carriage. He was original and quaint in his remarks,
as witness the expression, “mark my words, young fellow, before next grass,”
etc., when he meant to say something would occur before springtime.
A new preacher had come to Newark at the time Col. Hill was a candi
date before a primary and the colonel never tired of telling how he made
the acquaintance of the gentleman of the cloth. “I was walking down to the
polls," he said, “when I came up to this stranger. He says to me: ‘Good
sir, I'm a newcomer to your bustling town. I have always felt it to be my
duty to interest myself in the political affairs of the community in which
my lines have been cast. I am the new minister of (naming the church) and
am on my way to the primaries. I understand there is a candidate named
Ike Hill, who is unregenerate, a gambler, liberal in every sense, and in every
way unfitted to receive the suffrages of a sovereign people. What do you
know about him?’
"I didn't waste no words, but said to this immaculate gentleman: ‘Sir,
I am the identical son of a pirate,’ or words to that effect.”
For years no political convention in Licking county or in Newark was
complete without Hill. He took a hand in state politics, too, and was for
years state central committeeman in the Seventeenth Ohio district for the
Democrats.
Though Col. Hill from the age of 20 was always in politics, yet he never
ran for office but once, and then he failed. This was away back in the early
i Os. in Licking county, when there were ten candidates for the office of
county sheriff. ' Ike" Hill stood next to the top of the list, but was beaten by
Ed illiams. He made a vow then never to “run” for another office, and
he kept it.
ODD HISTORY IN OFFICIAL FILES.
There is some queer history locked up in the
files of the various government departments. A
few days ago the appointment clerk of the treas
ury department unearthed a letter written by
Horace Greeley in 1865 recommending Cornelius
Vanderbilt for appointment as a member of the
cotton claims commission.
The photographer of the treasury department
has a negative made of Gen. Grant when the lat
ter was beardless. It requires a second look to
detect any of the familiar features of the silent
soldier.
In the bookkeeping division of the office of
the auditor for the post office department is a
record and all the correspondence relating to the
shortage in the accounts of Abraham Lincoln as
postmaster at New Salem, 111. Mr. Lincoln's
shortage was not large and was promptly paid.
On hie in the treasury department is an
application for promotion filed while John Sherman was secretary of the
treasury. It bears the following indorsement from Secretary Sherman:
“Promote this man $200 a year, as he was useful to me in my race foi
the senate.”
In another department Is a copy of a land warrant'and a receipt attached
in the handwriting of Lafayette acknowledging the donation of land and
money made by the United States on the occasion of his visit to this country
following the revolutionary war.
“TRUST BUSTERS” TO BE REWARDED.
Attorney General Moody, under authority of
the statute permitting the hiring of special assist
ants at salaries not exceeding $7,000 to help him
in the prosecution of trusts is building up a cor
poration of trust breakers that promises to be
responsive to popular sentiment in every judicial
district ip the country. These special places will
be the rewards for bright district attorneys or as
sistant district attorneys who show the attorney
general how to do things to the trust magnates.
Until Knox became attorney general the con
nection between the United States district attor
neys and the attorney general was nebplous.
Sometimes the attorney general called upon them
to do something other than prosecute moonshin
ers and counterfeiters, but not until Knox came
into office were any of them intrusted with any
thing worth while.
Moody . continued the utilization of the dis
tr!.<itJ^torneys" good work against a trust is now a certificate of merit
which in many instances is followed by promotion to special assistant to the
attorney general, with a nice berth in Washington. Before Knox inaugurated
the system which Moody is now bringing to perfection no district attorney
ever hoped for anything better than he had, simply because appointments
in the offices here were rewards of merit for political work.
FRAUDS IN LETTER BOXES.
“The reason why postmasters in large cities
exercise care in the renting of letter boxes to
patrons, said a post office official, “is because,
unless the applicants are known or identified to
the postmasters, they might rent boxes to per
sons in fraudulent occupations.
"The post office department has accomplished
great reforms within recent years toward the
stamping out of fraudulent concerns who used
the mails to reach their victims, but there is one
abuse which has not yet Iteen reached, mainly for
lack of suitable legislation, and that is the private
letter box.
“Postmasters are required to cause the appli
cant for a box in the ci:y post office to certify
over his signature that the box shall not be used
for the promotion of any fraudulent purpose or in
pursuance of an illegal business. They also re
quire him to furnish his address, business in
which he is engaged. If any. as boxps an>
■ented to persona not engaged in business and to women whose corre
spondence is large, and to give a reference. It has not been found that this
•ule is oppressive or obnoxious to any person who dees not desire to use" the
>ox for an improper purpose, but it has been found that it shuts out a great
nany persons who wished a box for illegitimate purposes.
“The private letter box should be abolished and the attention of con
jxess ought to be called to its abuse in large cities. It is often impossible to
locate persons engaged in conducting fraudulent and unlawful correspondence
Ihrough the mails. For a small sum these individuals can rent a box in some
itore, usually a cigar or stationery store, through which to receive letters ad
tressed to them, instead of having them Addressed and delivered to their
places of residence from the city post office.”
State of <jrno. Cirr of Toledo, I
L?cas Ooctt. (
Fbaxk J. Cheney nakea oath that he la senior
partner of the tlrm of F. J. Cheeet ft Co., dulo*
business In the City tit Toledo. County and Slate
aforesaid, and that said Arm will pay the sum of
ONE Hl'XDKED DOI,LAE3 for each and every
case of Catabbh that :annot be cared by the use of
Hall’s Catabkh Ccejc
FRAXK J. CHEXET.
Sworn to before me and aabscnned In my presence,
this 6th day of December. A. D., 1SS6.
. —, A. W. GLEASOX,
XOTAEY PrBUO.
nail s Catarrh Cure Is taken Internally and acta
directly on the blood and mucous surfaces of tbe
system. Send for testimonial*, free.
F. .1. CHEXEV ft CO., Toledo, O.
Sold by all DrajElsta, 75c.
Take Hail's Faml.y Fills for constipation.
Tricks of Smugglers.
Double-bottomed bottles and other
vessels are cotnmon contrivances for
smugglers. In order not to awaken
suspicion they fire usually filled with
some beverage, beer or wine, and this
is duly declared by the man in charge
of the vehicle i:i which they are car
ried. At the present time, however,
the officers are never deceived by the
double-bottomed bottles, nor, for that
matter, by the hollow horse collar,
which at one time was a favorite dodge
for the alcohol smuggler.
Industrious French Workmen.
Nearly all the workmen employed in
the naval arsenal at Tpulon, France,
add to their salt.ries by exercising an
other trade during their leisure hours,
are hotel carpet beaters, others dis
tribute prospectuses and handbills, or
act as parcel carriers ,for local shop
keeprs. One man complained recently
in all seriousness that he was so over
worked at the arsenal that he had no
time to exercise his profession of mas
seur. A number of arsenal hands ac
tually carry on their supplementary
trades in the yards. There are amateur
shoemakers, watchmakers and bar
bers, who carry on a thriving and lu
crative business among their com
rades.
Microbe of Gray Hair.
They have discovered a new mic
robe in New York and it is quite popu
lar among actors and society women.
It Is called the chromophage, its spe
cial function being to turn the hair
gray at a comparatively early age. The
handsome actor who has those white
hairs on his temple that the women
admire so is full of the chromophages.
Baldheaded men are immune from the
microbes. He only attacks the hair,
and a man without hair need not wor
ry about the chromophage. For years
it was thought that a process of the
blood killed the coloring matter of the
hair cells, but scalpofogists in New
York combat that theory.' They say
it is the chromophage. The -microbe
does not like heat and for that reason
the woman who uses the curling tongs
is les3 likely to have gray hair than
the one who puts her hair- up In pa
pers.
INTERESTING CONTEST.
Heavy Cost of Unpaid Postage.
One of the mos$ curious contests
ever before the public was conducted
by many thousand persons under the
offer of the Postum Cereal Co., Ltd.,
of Battle Creek, Mich., for prizes of
31 boxes of gold and 300 greenbacks
to those making the most words out
of the letters Y-I-O-Grape-Xuts.
The contest was started in Febru
ary, 1906, and it was arranged to have
the prizes awarded on Apr. 30, 1906.
When the public announcement ap
peared many persons began to form
the words from these letters, some
times the whole family being occupied
evenings, a combination of amuse
ment and education.
After a while the lists began to
come in to the Postum Office and be
fore long the volume grew until it re
quired wagons to carry the mail.
Many of the contestants were thought
less enough to send their lists with
insufficient postage and for a period
it cost the Company from twenty-five
to fifty-eight and sixty dollars a day
to pay the unpaid postage.
Young ladies, generally those who
had graduated from the high school,
were employed to examine these lists
and count the correct words. Web
ster's Dictionary was the standard
and each list was very carefully cor
rected except those which fell below
8000 for it soon became clear that
nothing below that could win. Some
of the lists resquired the work of a
young lady for a solid week on each
individual list. The work was done
very carefully and accurately but the
Company had no idea, at the time the
offer was made, that the people would
respond so generally and they were
compelled to fill every available space
in the offices with these young lady
examiners, and notwithstanding they
worked steadily, It was impossible
to complete the examination until
Sept. 29, over six months after the
prizes should have been awarded.
This delay caused a great many in
quiries and naturally created some
dissatisfaction. It has been thought
best to make this report in practically
all of the newspapers in the United
States and many of the magazines in
order to make clear to the people the
conditions of the contest.
Many lists contained enormous
numbers of words which, under the
rules, had to be eliminated "Pegger”
would count “Peggers" would not.
Some lists contained over 50,000
words, the great majority of which
were cut out. The largest lists were
checked over two and in some cases
three times to insure accuracy.
The $100.00 gold prize was won by
L. D. Reese, 1227-15th St., Denver,
Colo., with £941 correct words. The
highest $10.00 gold pri/e went to S.
K. Fraser, Lincoln, Pa., with 9921 cor
rect words.
A complete list of the 331 winners
with their home addresses will be
sent to any contestant enquiring on a
postal card.
Be sure ai.d give name and address
clearly.
This contest has cost the Co. many
thousand dollars, and probably has
not been a profitable advertisement,
nevertheless perhaps some who had
never before tried Grape-Nuts food
have been interested in the contest,
and from trial of the food have been
shown its wonderful rebuilding pow
ers.
It teaches in a practicable manner
that scientifically gathered food ele
ments can lie selected from the field
grains, which nature will use for re
building the nerve centres and brain
in a way that is .unmistakable to
users of Grape-Nuts.
“There’s a reason.”
Pwtwn Cereal Co., Ltd. Battle Creek, Rich,