Lincoln Letter
Current Gossip from the
STATE CAPITAL
Legislative and Otherwise
Sheldon estimated the receipts of
fees by the various affices as follows:
Governor, |170; auditor, $210,000; sec
retary of state, $65,000; land commis
sioner, $10,000; banking department,
$30,000; food commissioner, $5,000;
"board of irrigation, $500; oil depart
meent, $19,000; board ofcmfwypcmfw
ment, $19,000; national aid for thQ
soldiers' homes, $72,000; interest on
deposits, $16,700; convict labor, $68,
000; back taxes, $100,000; a total re
ceipt, including the general fund levy,
of $3,476,370.
Prospects for a good state fair this
year are looking up and the indica
tions are the exhibits of live stock and
other features which will go to make
a good fair will be far in excess in
number and quality of previous years.
Just at this time Secretary Mellor has
been notified that space has been asked
for 825 pens of hogs when the accom
modations will take care of only 442.
A feature which will be added this
year is the contest for a prize for the
best Shorthorn milker.
State Superintendent McBrien went
to Grand Island, where he takes part
In an entertainment given in honor of
Superitendent R. J. Barr of the Grand
Island schools, who has served in this
capacity for twenty-five year3. No
other school teacher in Nebraska has
ever held onto a job that long.
Judge A. M. Post, the referee ap
pointed by the Nebraska supreme
court to take testimony on the alleged
lumber trust, made his report. He finds
that the Nebraska Lumber Dealers’ as
sociation, as now maintained, is not
contrary to the state trust laws. The
investigation made by the referee cov
ered a period of several months, in
which practically all the lumber deal
ers of the state were made defendants.
If the supreme court sustains the ref
eree it means the dismissal of the
suits.
Grain dealrs of the state doing busi
ness along the line of the Missouri Pa
cific railway for some months past
■have experienced considerable trouble
in getting cars in which to ship their
grain. Some elevators have been able
to secure but one or two cars in an
entire month. The grain men doing
business on the line of that road, in
this state, met to organize and do
what they could towards getting after
the railroad.
The corps of janitors at the state
capitol have been busily occupied in
moving the property of the various
state officials who have been assigned
new quarters by the state board of
public lands and buildings. Oil In
spector Church was the first man to
change his office quarters. The bureau
of labor has so far refused to comply
with the edict that it move from the
first to the third floor. Its officers de
clare that they mean to secure legal
advice before they give up the room
occupied for twenty years.
Governor Sheldon has finished his
work on the bills passed by the legis
lature and out of the various appropri
ation bills he cut a total of $249,411.
This leaves the total appropriations of
the legislature $3,241,780.90. The cuts
made by the governor were as follows:
Wolf bounty, $35,000; -deficiency wolf
bounty, $22,411, and a deficiency on
the deficiency, $2,000; for a wing to
be built at the Kearney Normal
school, $85,000; for a new building at
the Beatrice Institute for Feeble Mind
ed, $30,000; for Yukon-Alaskan exposi
tion, $15,000; for a gymnasium for the
Institute for Deaf and Dumb at Oma
ha, $30,000; for an engine and boiler
at the Peru Normal school, $5,000; for
a building at the Grand Island Sol
diers’ Home, $25,000. All the other
appropriation bills that passed were
signed.
. Nebraska has a pure food law at
?ast. After all sorts of amendments
had been made, they were all over
turned and the bill made even more
drastic and sweeping than the national
law. Nearly twenty years ago United
"States Senator Paddock championed,
a pure food law in the U. S. senate,
but. as he then thought, without avail.
It was the seed that was sown then
that has slowly grown and is just new
bearing fruit, not only nationally, but
in his own state and in many others.
Attorney General Thompson has
recommended to County Attorney
Roach of North Platte, Lincoln county,
that he begin prosecution of the Union
Pacific Railroad company for violation
of the 2-cent passenger fare law.
County Attorney Roach camplained to
the attorney general that the Union
Pacific continues to charge at the rate
of 3 cents per mile for tickets between
North Platte and Sidney, notwith
standing both cities are hi Nebraska.
An incident of the waiting and
worrying over the governor's action
on the appropriation of the Kearney
Normal school was the meeting of
the State Normal board at the office
of the state superintendent. The
board convened to discuss cutting
down their plans for a $100,000 build
ing to an $85,000 building, as that
was the way the bill read when R
passed the legislature. Suddenly the
board remembered that the governor
had taken no action, so proceedings
were stopped for the time being.
United States Senator Burkett is
going to be the busiest man in seven
states during the next two months and
a great big bunch of high school grad
uates are going to have an opportunity
to hear the senior senator tell them
things in commencement day addres
ses. Beginning at Woverly, May 17{
he will speak as follows: For May,
Chester. 20; Ewing, 22; Gordon, 23;
Alliance, 24; Gothenburg, 25; Juniata,
27; Arspahoe, 28; Superior, 29; Table
Beck, $0; Central City, 31; June 1, at
Aurora; Beatrice, 7; Beaver Crossing,
2; Hefrron, 10; Red Cloud.
The legislature passed a total of 221
bills, of which nienty-slx were senate
files and 125 were he use rolls. Gov
ernor Sheldon signed 204 bills and
vetoed fifteen. Two bills became laws
without his action. Of the bills vetoed
eleven were house rolls and four sen
ate files.
Following are the reasons assigned
for the vetoes of the governor:
H. R. 112—Appropriating $85,000 to
erect two wings to the Kearney Nor
mal school. In vetoing this bill the
governor says: "The appropriations
for the coming biennium must be Kept
safely within the state’s income. In
my judgment the necessities of this in
stitution and the present condition of
our finances do not warrant this ex
penditure.”
For the same reason the governor
has vetoed H. R. 190, 381, 478 and 491.
In vetoing H. R. 355, amending the
banking law, the governor says: "The
section of the statutes which section
3 of this act would amend has already
been similarly amended by H. R. 105.
Many of the country banks do not ful
fill the requirements of section 8 of
this act. It dees not exempt banks
now doing business under their pres
ent charters. In my judgment an act
like this which would probably disturb
these banks greatly, should not be
passed by the emergency clause.”
H. R. 534, the deficiency claims bill,
was approved, with the exception of
the following items: Bounty on wild
animals,, unpaid claims Nos. 35,638 to
36,360, inclusive, and Nos. 556 to 3,644,
Inclusive, as recorded in the auditor’s
record, $22,411.50, and estimated de
ficiencies for the payment of animal
bounties, $2,000.
In vetoing S. F. 266, Dy Burns of
Lancaster, a bill for the appointment
of a board of examiners of plumbers
for the city of Lincoln, the governor
says: “This bill is amendatory. The
original act as passed in 1891 (session
laws 1901, chapter xxi, page 321-326)
under the title thereof the enactment
was restricted to cities having a popu
lation of more than 50,000. In 1903
the legislature attempted to amend
section 1, so as to make this act apply
to cities having a population of more
than 40,000, but the title of the amen
datory act referred alone to section t
of the original title so as to apply to
cities having less than 50,000 inhabi
tants. The amendment of 1903, mak
ing the act applicable to cities naving
more than 40,000 inhabitants, was not
within the title of the original act,
which referred alone to cities having
more than 50,000 inhabitants. The
amendment of 1903, therefore, was not
within the title of the original act and
is unconstitutional. This void provis
ion is a part of the act as it appears
in chapter xiv, article 3, compiled
statutes of 1903. This S. F. 266 con
flicts with the constitution and can
not be approved. Besides, the repeal
ing clause in S. F. 266 is a general one,
purporting to repeal all conflicting pro
visions in existing statutes. This form
of repealing clause in an amendatory
act does not meet the requirements of
that part of the constitution which de
clares that the section or sections so
Amended must in express term be re
pealed.”
Within a few days the offices in the
state house, with the exception of
those occupied by state officers, will
all be changed and it will tak ea direc
tory for any one to find any one. The
State Board of Public Lands and
Buildings met Wednesday and allot
ted new rooms, it being necessary in
the opinion of the board to chinge
practically every office to make room
for the State Railway commission,
which is the only addition to the pres
ent number of offices in the state
house. It fell to the lot of Chairman
Eaton and Secretary Junkin to carry
around the move out notices and some
of the language used by those to be.
ejected from pleasant quarters was
unique and entirely original. Offices
were allotted as follows.
The oil office moves from the first
floor to the lieutenant governor’s room
on the second floor.
The state veterinarian will office1
with the State Board of Charities on
the third floor. This office has been
on the second floor.
The labor bureau, which for years
has been on the first floor, moves to
the house engrossing room on the
third floor.
The Argicultural society move3 frem
the first floor in tin* north center of
the building to the labor bureau room.
The game warden moves irom the
second floor to the senate judiciary
committee room on the third floor.
The irrigation board moves from the
north center of the building to the
senate enrolling room on the third
floor.
The State Railway commission takes
the rooms now occupied by the State
Board of Irrigation and the Agricul
tural society.
The Supreme Court commission
takes the two rooms of the secretary
of the senate and when it wants it
will use the senate chamber.
The state superintendent takes on
the room vacated by the oil office and
makes it a part of his already large
office rooms.
The Beatrice Times hopes the time
will come before many years whan
the state will feel warranted in giv
ing its capitol an extensive overhaul
ing and Improving. It is a very com
monplace building in comparison with
the one in Iowa, and rather of a dis
credit to a state that haa grown in
wealth like Nebraska has during the
past ten years. People should.,not
take the narrow view that rebuilding
and improving the state house will
help Lincoln chiefly. It belongs to
Nebraska.
The child labor law, H. R. No. 9,
by H. T. Clark, Jr., which Is now a
law, having been approved by Gover
nor Sheldon, places Nebraska second
in the rank of states in child labor
legislation. The Nebraska law rec
ognizes the night school in th-; mat
ter of educational qualifications re
quired of children, but the law jf
Massachusetts does not and is there
fore ranked first. The Nebraska law
does not permit a child under four
teen years of age to be employed In
certain designated employments duN
lag the hours of school.
MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS OF
the past week told in
CONDENSED FORM.
ROUND ABOUT THE WORLD
Complete Review of Happenings of
Greatest Interest from AH Parts of
the Globe—Latest Home and For
eign Items.
Hopelessly divided—seven for a ver
dict of guilty of murder in the first de
gree and five for acquittal on tho
ground of insanity—the jury which
since the 23d of last January had
been trying Harry K. Thaw, reported
after 47 hours and eight minutes ol
deliberation, that it could not possi
bly agree upon a verdict and were
discharged. Thaw was remanded tc
jail to await his second trial, which is
not likely to begin before autumn.
The Honduran forces who have been
besieged in Amapala by the Nicarag
uans capitulated unconditionally tc
the enemy. President Bonilla took
refuge on board the American cruisei
i Chicago, and he will not be permit
I ted to disembark on Central American
soil. The war is considered over.
William T. Stead, of London, tolo
an audience at the Pittsburg Carnegit
Institute about his peace pilgrimage
plan and was showered with monej
to help pay the expenses.
President Roosevelt delivered the
address at the unveiling, in the Aiding
ton National cemetery, of a shaft tc
the memory of the Rough Riders.
Dr. Samuel S. Guy, former coroner
of Queens county, New York, was
held to await the action of the granh
jury following a coroner's inquest
into the death of his wife, who was
shot and killed on the night of April 8.
Allen L. Shirley, son of J. C. Shir
ley, of Lakeside, 111., who disap.
peared from home April 4, was found
in Kansas City, and a man said to bo
Henry E. Davey was arrested for kid
naping him.
Alexander Necula, 29 years of age,
was shot and killed, and Mary Can
zanno, 25 years old, mortally wounded
by John Canzanno, the woman's hus
band, in a boarding house at Cleve
land, O., where Canzanno is said to
have found the couple. Canzanna es
caped.
Engineer John Murphy was fatally
injured by a collision between a pas
senger train and a switch engine near
Posen, Mich.
Mrs. Belle Dauron, who shot and
killed her husband, John Dauron, on
July 24, 1906, was acquitted of mur
der at Pittsburg, Kan. She pleaded
self-defense.
Fourteen miners were smothered to
death in a fire in a mine at Elore,
Mexico.
Wildwood, the suburban residence
of C. D. Garnett, vice president of the
Garnett, Allen & Grubb Paper com
pany of St. Louis, was destroyed by
Are. The loss is estimated at $50,000.
Striking teamsters in South Boston
grew riotous and were charged by the
police.
The Belgian cabinet, being unable
to command a majority in the cham
ber of deputies, resigned.
Joseph H. Choate heads the list of
delegates to The Hague peace confer
ence named by President Roosevelt.
Immediately after adjourning, the
Texas legislature was reconvened in
extra session to consider certain leg
islation demanded by Gov. Campbell.
Brazil's squadron that is to take
part in the opening of the Jamestown
exposition sailed from Pernambuco.
It is aammhced t&at Felix Motl of
Bavaria has received a tempting offer
from Heinrich Conried to conduct the
orchestra of the Metropolitan opera
house. New York.
King Charles of Portugal, when he
visits Brazil next year, will leave Lis
bon on the first ship of the new Por
tuguese line to Rio Janeiro, which on
that occasion will make its maiden
voyage.
Men, women and children jumped
from third-story windows to escape
death in a fire in a tenement build
ing at 1982 Columbus road, N. W.„
Cleveland. There were no fatalities.
Mrs. M. Adelia Craidwiles, said to
be a rich Chicago resident, reported
to the New York police that she had
been robbed of jewels worth $2,300
which she had left in her room at the
Hotel Albert
Fifteen hundred wood-workers went
on strike at Dubuque, Iowa. They
ask a nine-hour day and increased
wages.
A blizzard lasting five days crip
pled traffic at Houghton, Mich.
The answer of the Standard Oil
company of New Jersey, John D.
Rockefeller, Henry H. Rogers and
other individual defendants and about
40 of the defendant corporations to
the government's ouster suit was filed
at St. Louis. It consisted of a gen
eral denial of all the charges.
Fire destroyed a building in Chica
go occupied by Hollister Bros., print
ers, and ethers, the toes being about
9310.000.
President Roosevelt ended a long
contest by appointing Oscar P. Hund
ley United States judge for the North
ern district of Alabama.
The Union of Russian People
planned an attack on the Jews at Rus
sian Easter time, April 28, and thou
sands of Jewish families left the coun
try."
Commander Peary will start on an
other attempt to reach the pole in
June.
The United States supreme court
decided that the Isle of Pines is Co
ban territory, not American.
The jury in the Smathers case de
cided that Smathers bad not con
spired to drug Lou Dillon and should
retain the gold cup won by his horse,
Major Del mar.
Secretary of War Taft conferred
with conservative and liberal leaders
of Cuba, advised that the national
election be postponed until after the
municipal and provincial elections,
and intimated that American occu
pation would last at least another
A silk merger in Pennsylvania is
announced with a capital of $22,000,
000, the American Silk Manufactur
ing company of New York taking orer
rival plants.
John A. Kebler, general manager of
tne coal department of the Colorado
Fuel and Iron company, died sudden
ly of ptomaine poisoning at Trinidad,
Col.
President Roosevelt issued an order
which assures to all civilian em
ployes of tne war department Satur
day half-holidays in the months of
July, August and September.
Li. J. Stevenson, general manager
of the Commercial Credit company of
Grand Rapids, Mich., was crushed to
death in an elevator.
Major Edmond Mallet, for 40 years
employed in the government service,
during the last 17 of which he occu
pied the position of chief of the land
division of the general land office,
.died at Washington, aged 65 years.
Fifteen persons were killed in a
wreck on the Canadian Pacific near
Chapleau, Ont. The train was de
railed. five cars rolled down an em
bankment and caught fire and many
of the victims were burned to death.
The first day's exercises at the re
dedication of the enlarged Carnegie
Institute of Pittsburg closed with the
announcement of prize winners in the
international art exhibition. They
were Gaston La Touche, France;
'Thomas Eakins. Philadelphia, and
Olga de Bauznauska. France. Notable
foreigners and Americans delivered
addresses during the day.
Congressman G. K. Favrot of Louisi
ana, who killed Dr. R. H. Aldrich, was
,set free, the grand jury refusing to
indict him.
The Catholic Hierarchy of America
appointed a committee to secure a
:iuore accurate census of the Catholics
in this country.
According to a letter received from
Puerto Cortez, the president of Salva
dor was sending 20,000 men against
'Nicaragua to renew the combat.
A mail package apparently contain
ing dynamite exploded while it was
being stamped in the St. Louis post
office, maiming the stamping clerk.
After poisoning her two-year-old
baby, Mrs. Clarissa Gold, of Memphis,
,Tenn., aged 22 years, attempted sui
.cide by swallowing a portion of the
same drug.
Mrs. A. D. Blomever of Cape Girar
deau, Mo., was found dead and her
husband unconscious.
Brig. Gen. Walter D. Duggan was
retired on account of age and Col.
Charles B. Hall promoted to be briga
dier general.
E. B. Montgomery, his ten-year-old
son and Roily Hall, all mine workers,
were fatally injured by an explosipn
of powder at Beattyville, Ky.
The death is announced of Prince
Golytein, a former viceroy of the Cau
casus. He was associated with Gen.
Alikhanoff in the ruthless measures
employed last year In putting down
agitation in the Kutais district.
Students at the University of Mich
igan organized a club to boom Secre
tary Taft for the presidency.
Emile Benoist, a well-known banker
of Paris, was shot and killed in the
office of a financial newspaper of
which he was the editor by a discon
tented customer.
Two hundred persons were drown
ed in floods in Turkey.
James H. Brayton, a Chicago school
principal, committed suicide by shoot
ing, because of ill health.
Ten men were saved from the
wrecked and sinking British. harken
tine Trinidad near the Bahamas.
Joseph UUman, a well-known book
maker, went insane at San Francisco.
The corporation of Glasgow. Sco‘
land, has accepted an invitation of
the American consul here to send a
deputation to Chicago for the purpose
of inspecting the sanitary conditions
of the packing houses and stockyards.
Suit has been filed at Jackson,
Breathitt county, Ky„ by the heirs ol
Br. D. E. Cox, demanding $90,000
damages from Judge Eames Hargis.
Ed Callahan, Asburv Spieer. Jcfin
Smith and John Abner, for alleged
responsibility for the assassination of
Dr. Cox.
ine president of Salvador renewed
the Central American war, sending
20,000 men against the Nicaraguans.
Lord Cromer., the plenipotentiary
of Great Britain in Egypt, resigned
and Sir Eldon Gorst succeeded hirn.
A man who said he was sentenced
to death in Georgia for murder and
escaped, surrendered himself in Dow
ney, Cal., saying he was tired of be
ihg a fugitive.
Triplets were born to Mrs. " Anton
Machal of South Omaha, who already
had 14 children.
Fred W. Troy, who killed his wife
and mortally wounded Ralph Guin in
Joplin, Mo., pleaded guilty and was
sentenced to 99 years in the peniten
tiary.
Senator Foraker in a speech at Can
ton, O., declared his independence of
dictation, defended his public course
and denied any part in or knowledge
of the alleged rich men’s conspiracy
to thwart President Roosevelt.
President L. W. Hill announced
that the Great Northern would build
a plant for the manufacture of cars in
Superior, Wis.
Broken-hearted, as be said, over
losses following the recent slump in
.Wall street, Samuel B. Van Siclen, a
New York curb broker, shot and
killed himself.
Both branches of the Texas legisla
ture passed a law absolutely prohibit
ing the operation of backet-shops, cot
ton exchanges or any dealings in fu
tures in Texas.
The Minnesota house of represen
tatives with a rising vote, which the
speaker announced was "nearly unani
mous,"' passed' concurrent resolutions
indorsing President Roosevelt for a
third term.
The Kalamasoo strike ended by the
company’s yielding to all the demands
of the men except recognition of the
union.
Dr. Simon Flexner, head of the
Rockefeller institute,’ New York, has
discovered a meningitis serum, but he
declines to discuss it till he has ex
perimented on human beings.
The discovery of a new counterfeit
$10 (Buffalo) United Stktes note la
announced by the United States ae
I cret service. A new counterfeit $20
national bank note has also been dis
covered, on the First National bank
of Hereford, Texas.
John Temple Graves, speaking at a
banquet at Chattanooga in honor of
W. J. Bryan, urged that Bryan nomin
ate Roosevelt for president on the
Democratic ticket.
Secretary Taft declared that Cuba
was to be turned over to the Cubans
as soon as possible, made recommend
ations as to the holding of elections
and sailed for Porto Rico.
The Bank of Conception in Clyde,
Mo., was ordered closed by the sec
retary of state.
Fifteen persons were burned to
death in a fire that destroyed an
apartment house in Lisbon, Portugal.
Congressman Longworth came out
in favor of Taft for the presidential
nomination.
The New York Herald, James Gor
don Bennett, its proprietor, and its
advertising manager were lined $31,
000 for sending improper matter
through the mails.
Seven hundred members of the
union organized at Bisbee, Ariz., by
the Western Federation of Miners,
employed by companies which refused
recognition of the union, went on
strike.
A train bearing 340 political exiles
left St. Petersburg for Siberia. This
is the largest consignment of politi
cal prisoners sent to the far east for
several months past.
Commander Eva Booth of the Salva
tion army became seriously ill at Can
ton, O.
The Chicago, St Paul, Minneapolis
and Omaha railroad and H. M. Pearce,
acting freight agent, were found guil
ty of granting rebates by a jury at
Minneapolis.
Four trainmen were killed on the
Southern Pacific in California by the
explosion of two locomotives.
Mrs. Mary Bechtel, aged 84 years,
and her son Charles, aged 42 years,
were burned to death in their home
in Philadelphia.
The Akron Printing and Paper com
pany went into bankruptcy, with lia
bilities amounting to $30,000 and as
sets the same.
The crew of naval barge No. 1
which went adrift in a storm, were j
rescued by the steamer Professor j
Woermann.
Directors of the Provident Securi- ;
ties and Banking company of Boston j
are accused by the receivers of hav- j
ing squandered $200,000 of its money.
Annie Adair of Triumph. 111., is
dead from swallowing muriatic acid,
which she mistook for a sleeping
medicine.
Richard Crcker is in exceedingly
poor health, according to John Fox, a
Tammany leader, who has just re
turned to New York from England. j
With a bullet in her brain Mabel
Guy, the ten-year-old daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Charles Guy of Middleton.
N. Y„ walked a mile to Thrall hos
pital for treatment. She may re
cover.
The United Engineers' society :
opened its new home in New York j
for the erection of which Andrew '
Carnegie gave $1,500,000.
The Lincoln Savings and Trust !
company of Philadelphia was closed J
by the state commissioner of banking
because its capital was impaired.
It is said that the death of the late
Congressman Galusha A. Grow was
hastened by a gang of New York
swindlers, who levied blackmail upon
him, using a woman as their willing
tool.
One person was killed and about
15 injured In a wreck on the St.
Johnsbury & Lake Champlain railroad
near Hardwick, Vt.
Gen. Lawrence S. Baker, who was
a well-known confederate commander,
died at Suffolk, Va.
Edgar Combe, son of the ex-premier
of France, died of appendiitis.
Following his indictment on the
charge of using the mails to defraud,
returned by the federal grand Jury, H.
H. Tucker, Jr., of Cherryvale, Kan.,
secretary and promoter of the Uncle
Sam Oil company, who was arrested
in Kansas City, was arraigned in the
United States district court at Topeka
and held- in $15,000 bail.
Dunbar hall at Phillps-tfxeter aca
demy, Exeter, N. H., was destroyed by
fire and a number of students had
narrow escapes.
According to a decision reached by
the interstate commerce commission
E. H-. Harriman will be made to ap
pear in a United States circuit court
in the state of New York in answer to
proceedings to be instituted to com
pel him to reply to certain questions
which he refused to answer when he
was on the stand at the recent hear
ing by the commission in New York.
A sneak thief took $1,700 from the
paying teller's cage in the State Na
tional bank, St. Louis, and escaped.
The plant of the Amsterdam (N.
Y.) Broom company, the largest inde
pendent brush and broom concern in
the country, was completely des
troyed by fire, causing a loss of $100,
500. William Sullivan, fireman, was
killed by a falling wall.
The Memphis Jockey club was in
dicted for permitting betting at its
track.
The freight steamer Sagamore, ply
ing between Oyster Bay, L. L, and
Port Chester, N. Y„ went ashore on
the rocks near the entrance of Port
Chester harbor. The crew of ten was
saved.
Mrs. T. H. Ismav, widow of the
rounder of the White Star Steamship
line and. mother of Joseph Bruce Is- (
may, president of the International' *
Mercantile Marine company, died in
London.
One of the large buildings in the
League Island navy yard, Philadel
phia, containing the saw mill. Joiner
shop and pattern shop, was almost
entirely destroyed by fire. Officers at
the yard estimated the loss at be
tween $70,000 at $100,000.
D. H. Kochersperger, formerly
treasurer of C6ok count, Illinois, and
prominent in Chicago politics, is dead.
The Ojl Paper company of Tokio
ordered $1,000,000 worth of machinery
from the General Electric company of
New York.
Dr. Samuel S. Guy, a prominent
dentist of Par Rockaway and for a
number of years coroner of Queens
Borough, was under arrest charged
with the murder of his wife.
The directors of the State. Bank of
Goddard, Kan., whose cashier, W. H.
Dwight, committed suicide, announced
that over $10,000 was missing from
the vault of the bank. The directors
decided to dose up the affairs of the
bank. i
HARMONY SOCIETY.
COMMUNISTIC SETTLEMENT OF
PENNSYLVANIA TO DISBAND.
Interesting Life of Over a Century
Which Has Been Enjoyed by
the Community Founded
by Rapp.
There is now being enacted in the
courts of Pennsylvania the closing
chapters in the history of the old
Economy religious communistic set:
tlement, which has maintained* an ex
istence for over a century, but which
is now more than likely to escheat
to the state owing to litigation which
has arisen.
The story of the Harmony society,
or Economites, as they have been
called, is an interesting one. Its found
er was a man named Rapp who came
to this country early last century.
It was in 1787 that he began forming
the nucleus of what afterward be
came the social community he estab
lished. Born and raised in Iptingen.
Wurtemberg, he began to preach to
his neighbors and friends on Sunday
afternoons, believing as he did that
the churches were not fulfilling their
mission. So large did his Sunday
audiences become that the clergy re
sented Rapp's intrusion. The found
er and his adherents were arrested,
and, naturally, immediately they in
creased in numbers. .
Then, In 1803, he turned his face
to the new world. The next year 600
persons followed him to this country,
half of them landing in Baltimore and
the second party going to Philadel
phia. There was a third party of
about 300, but they listened to the
pleadings of one of Rapp’s lieutenants
and deserted the founder, forming a
community by themselves in another
part of the country.
Before bringing the party to Amer
ica Rapp had bought a tract of 5,000
acres about 25 miles north of Pitts
burg in the Connoquessing valley. To
this wild land only recently vacated
by the red man the party came, and
on February 15. 1S05, formed among
themselves the Harmony society,
agreeing to throw all they owned into
one common fund for the use of all.
r In those days the doctrine of celibacy
was not in their article of faith. Rapp
himself was married, and his son.
John Rapp, look a wife about this
, time.
T*en years spent in the Connoquess
ing valley convinced the Harmonites
that it was unsuited to their purposes.
Consequently, in 1815, they sold the
land for $100,000, and with this money
purchased 30,000 acres in Posey coun
ty, Indiana. There the town of Har
! mony was erected. About 150 families
from Germany there joined the asso
ciation. In 1824 the Rappista were
again looking for new quarters, and
the following year returned to Penn
sylvania, the tract at Economy, on the
Ohio river, about 17 miles north of
Pittsburg, having been purchased. At
Economy the new community appear
ed to flourish. The town was built
by mechanics found among the so
ciety’s members, and Frederick Rapp,
Old Economite Church Erected by Fa
ther Rapp in 1832.
a son of the founder, was the hand
that guided this enterprise.
Rapp died at the age of 90, in 1847.
During the life of the founder most
of the theological tenets of the Har
monists were formed. They have
some features of German mysticism
grafted upon a practical application
of the Christian doctrine and theory.
NATION’S WATERWAYS
WILL BE UTILIZED MORE FULLY
IN NEAR FUTURE.
Rivers and Railroads Should Not Be
Rivals, But Mutual Helpers,
Says Hon. Joseph E.
Ransdell.
The national rivers and harbors
congress is promulgating the gospel
of waterways improvements through
out the country, and sentiment un
doubtedly is growing toward more
extended utilization of the rivers and
old canal systems. The slogan of the
organization at the present time is
an ‘'annual appropriation of $50,000,
000 for river and harbor improve
Hon. Joseph E. Ransdell, President of
the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress.
ments.” At its last convention held
in December, 1906, at Washington,
there was an attendance of over 1,000
of the most prominent business men
of 'the United States, a significant
indication of the interest in tae move
ment The association does not. ad
vocate any special project whatso
ever, and is forbidden by its rules
to do so. but it stands for generous
treatment of all our waterways and
sufficient funds to improve every wa
ter course in the union that is worthy.
It is firmly convinced that the merits
of its cause are so great that if prop
erly understood they will carry convic
tion to all minds and be irresistible.'
There are two entirely separate and
distinct kinds of waterway improve
ments—one, the harbors on our great
lakes and sea coasts, Including those
near the mouths of our great rivers
and connecting channels on the lakes;
and the other, our interior rivers and
canals and connecting channels along
our sea coasts. Appropriations have
been fairly liberal for most of our
great harbors, such as Duluth, Mil
waukee, Chicago, Cleveland and Buf
falo on the lakes; Boston, New York.
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk and
Savannah on the Atlantic; Pensacola.
New Orleans, Mobile and Galveston
on the gulf; San Francisco, Portland
and Seattle on the Pacific. These har
bors are the terminals for ships of
deep draft, which carry our commerce
on the lakes and seas.
The case is quite different in regard
to the improvement of rivers and In
ternal waters, declares Mr. R&nsdell.
and for most of them appropriations
have been entirely inadequate. For
a long time it was thought that not
only was there no mutuality of inter
est between river and rail, but an
actual rivalry and antagonism be
tween them. It was believed that,
as water rates are so much cheaper
than rail, the improvement of rivers
would reduce rail rates below the
point of profit, and that vast quanti
ties of freight would move by water.
Hence there was little or no support
given by railroads to river improve
ments. But a change has come over
the spirit of railroads, and in some
striking instances they have actually
assisted river and canal improve
ments.
About lour years ago the taxpayers
of New York had submitted to them
a bond issue of $101,000,000 for the
enlargement of the Erie and other
canals so as to carry boats of from
1,000 to 1,500 tons burden, and al
though the New York Central railroad
is the largest tax payer in the state,
it voted for and supported that bond
issue, taking the ground that the im
provement of the Erie canal would
cat'se such a great influx of people
into the state along its banks and so
many additional manufacturing enter*
prises that the business of the road
in the carriage of passengers and
high class freights would be very
much augmented, and the roac! would
profit thereby, although the canal
would carry the low class freight at
a much reduced rate.
During recent years the best friends
of national aid to the Mississippi
river, between Cairo and the gulf, have
been the Illinois Central and the Mis
soi-ri Pacific railroads, and now we
find Mr. James J. Hill of the North
ern Pacific strongly urging that the
Mississippi be deepened to 1!> fee;
from St. Louis to the gulf.
Frog Long Imprisoned in Tree.
While an old horse chestnut stump
was being cut down at Lathbury, Eng
land, a live frog was discovered be
tween the bark and the Umber, about
15 inches from the ground. The bark
was thick and had grown completely
around it, and. writes a correspond
ent, there was not the slightest hole
through which a frog could have crept
in recent years.
The tree has shown no signs of
life for at least five years past, and
on the lowest computaUon the bark
musf have had two years' growth’.
The frog must therefore have been
cut off in its prison from light and
food for at least seien years. It
was yellow and Bmall, but in excel
lent health, and when placed on the
.grass hopped off. -
The Future Education.
Fond Mother—What’s • the matter
with my little boy? Doesn’t he want
mamma’s nice Yeddy bear?
Young Financier—N-o-o, I don’t. I
want one of papa’s nice Wall street
hulls.—Baltimore American.
His Calculation.
! see prune crop ia
1906 was 185,090,000 pounds, against
62,500,000 in 1905/’ remarked the “I
boarder.
"Well,” replied the thin one across
the table, "those figures would seem
to indicate that we will be served with
Prunes three times as often this
•Yonkers Statesman.
as last.’
Hardly.
i Mrs. Subbubs—There’s the cart with
the piano we bought Uvdav. You <*>
just send it back.
Mr. Subbubs—Why?
Mrs. Subbubs—Do you suppose that
we are going to pay 50 guinea for a
Piano and have it brought home at
night, when the neighbors can’t see it
Eh?—Royal Magazine.
His Change.
"You certainly look better; you
must have followed my advice and
had a change.”
. "Yes, doctor, so 1 have”
"Where did yon go?"
“1 went to another physician.
