Nebraska Newspapers

    FLEETS DF GERMANY AND GREAT
BRITAIN CLASH IN NORTH SEA
BRITISH SUFFER LOSS OF SIX
LARGE SHIPS AND EIGHT TOR
PEDO BOAT DESTROYERS.
GERMflNSLOSETHREEI/ESSELS
Thousands of Men Are Believed to
Have Been Lost.—Cruiser Inde
fatigable Had 000 on Board;
Others Equallx as Many.—
Greatest Sea Battle in
World’s History.
London.—Picking its way from its
base in the Kiel canal the German
high sea fleet on Wednesday after
noon, May 31st, emerged in the North
Sea and off the coast of Jutland en
gaged a British fleet throughout the
afternoon and night in what probably
was the greatest naval battle in the
world’s history so far as tonnage en
gaged and tonnage destroyed was
concerned.
When the battle ended Great Brit
ain had lost the battle cruisers
Queen Mary, Indefatigable and In
vincible, the cruisers Defense, Black
Prince and Warrior and eight torpedo
boat destroyers, while the German \
battleship Pontmern had been sent to
the bottom by a torpedo and the
cruiser Weisbaden sunk by the Brit
LOSSES IN HISTORY’S
GREATEST SEA BATTLE.
ADMITTED SUNK.
British— German—
Battleships
Pommern
Battle Cruisers
Queen Mary
Indefatigable
invincible
Cruisers
Defense Wiesbaden
Black Prince Fraueniobe
Warrior
Destroyers
Eight, including:
Tipperary Number not
Fortune estimated
Sparrowhawk
Ardent
LOSSES CLAIMED.
England claims Germany lost two
dreadnauglits of Kaiser class and one
battle cruiser and submarine.
Germany claims England lost war
ship. Warsprite, of largest calss of i
English navy, that two cruisers of
Achilles type and a submarine were
sunk, and a battleship, Marlborough,
was hit by torpedo.
battle was not fought out to a point
to determine mastery of the seas, for
the losses, serious as they are report
ed to have been will not impair the
strength of either fleet to a vital ex- '
tent.
These scene of the battle was in '
the eastern waters of the North sea. !
two destroyers. The German loss was
2,500 men.
On January 24, 1915, a German
squadron attempting a raid on the
British coast encountered Admiral
Beatty off the Dogger Banks. The
German cruiser Bluecher was sunk
and two of its sister ships set on fire.
The most serious losses to the Brit
ish fleet hitherto have been through
operation of submarines aul mines.
On September 22, 1914, the British
cruisers Hogue, Cressy and Aboukir
were torpedoed within an hour by the
German submarine U-9.
News Shocks British Public.
London.—Results of the great naval
battle were a severe shock to the
British public. The news was flashed
out in special editions of the newspa
pers and caused greater consterna
tion in London than has been wit
nessed on any previous occasion since
the declaration of war.
The frankness of the admiralty an
nouncement concerning the serious
nature of the British losses and the
apparently small losses of the Ger
mans in comparison led to the as
sumption in most ntin.ds that the
British vessels must have been led
into a mine field.
Description of Ships Sunk.
The Queen Mary was 720 feet long,
87 feet beam and drew 90 feet of wa
ter, and was of 27,000 tons. The
Queen Mary was completed in 1913.
She carried eight 13.5-inch guns, six
teen 4-inoh guns and was equipped
with three 21-incii torpedo tubes.
The Indefatigable was 578 feet
long, 18,500 tons.
The Invincible was laid down in
1907. She displaced 17,250 tons, was
562 feet long over all, 78 feet beam
and 26 feet deep. Her normal com
plement was 731. She was armed
GERMAN FLEET WAITING FOR A CHANCE TO SLIP- OUT
First photograph to arrive in this country showing a portion of the German fleet. It is believed the photograph
was taken at Wilhelmshaven, but the exact location was withheld by the censor.
ish gunfire. In addition, several
German torpedo craft were missing
and the small cruiser Frauenlob had
last been seen badly listing and was
•Relieved to have gone to the bottom.
’/i.Vse losses have ail been admitted
by Great Britain and Germany.
Asserts Warsprite Sunk.
Aside from Great Britain’s conced
ed losses, Germany claims that the
British ship Warsprite, sister ship of
Queen Elizabeth and one of the larg
est and most powerful ships afloat,
had been sunk, that the battleship
Marlborough, a vessel of 25.000 tons,
had been hit by a torpedo and a num
ber of submarines had been destroyed.
Great Britain also added to Ger
many’s acknowledge losses with the
claim that one dreadnauglit of the
German Kaiser class—vessels .of 24,
700 tons and carrying a complement
of 1.0S8 men—had been attacked and
destroyed by British torpedo craft,
that another battleship of the same
class was believed to have been sunk
by gunfire, that one battle cruiser
had been blown up and two others
damaged and that a submarine also
had been sent to the bottom.
Admitted Loss of British.
Great Britains admitted loss in ton
nage was 114,810 for six battle cruis
ers and cruisers. That of Germany,
excluding the tonnage of the Weis
baden, of which vessel there is no
record, was 15,172. The tonnage of
the capital ships sunk by the Jap
anese in their fight with the Russians
in the battle of Tsushima in May,
1905, aggregated 93.000. Twenty-one
Russian craft were destroyed in this
fight, including six battleships and
four cruisers. The remainder of the
sunken craft comprised coast defense
and special service vessels and tor
pedo boats.
Where Battle Occurred.
From the advices thus far received
it would appear that the greatest
naval battle of history has taken
place. Never before have two naval
forces of such magnitude as the Brit
ish and German high sea fleets en
gaged in combat. But apparently the
It is probably the German fleet was
on one of the excursions into the
North sea which it has taken from
time to time during the war and met,
whether or not be design, with the
British fleet.
Skakeralc is an arm of the North
sea between Norway and Denmark.
The point referred to in the official
German statement as Horn Riff prob
ably is the reef off the Horn, on the
southwestern extremity of Denmark.
The losses in the engagement must
have bsen extremely heavy. The bat
tle cruiser Indefatigable, for instance,
from which the German admiralty re
ports only two men were savel, prob
ably had more than 900 men on
board and others of the vessels sunk i
carried complements of men equally
or nearly as large.
Previous to this battle Great Brit
ain had lost during the course of the
war ten battle ships, eleven cruisers
and various smaller craft. Germany
had lost eighteen cruisers, nineteen
auxiliary cruisers chiefly converted
passenger liners, and numerous small
er vessels.
Since the beginning of the war Brii
ish cruisers and destroyers have pa
trolled during the day and night the j
approaches to the German fleet’s j
base, in the bay formed by the mouths
of the Elbe and the Weser, protected
by the mighty fortifications of Wil
helmshaven on the south, on the
north by the supposedly imprebnable
defenses of the Kiel canal and guard
ed by the outlying island of Helgo
land.
Until the engagement that has just
occurred, however, no German fleet
has put forth in force to necessitate
the giving of the alarm to the British
main fleet.
The long months of watchful wail
ing by the British, however, were
broken into bv two naval engage
ments in both of which the British
were victorious. On August 26, 1914,
Admiral Sir David Beatty in an en
gagement almost under the guns of
the great Helgoland fortress sank
three German armored cruisers and
with eight 12-inch guns, sixteen 4
inch guns and three torpedo tubes.
The Invincible took part in the naval
engagement off the Falkland islands
in December, 1914, in which the Ger
man Pacific squadron, after defeat
ing a British squadron oft' the Chil
ean coast, was destroyed.
The Defence was built in 1907, dis
placement 14,600 tons, and ordinarily
carried 755 men. Her length was 523
feet, her beam 74 feet and her maxi
mum draught 28 feet. She was armed
with four 9.2-inch and ten 7.5-inch
guns, sixteen 12-pounders and five
torpedo tubes.
The Black Prince was built in 1901,
displaced 13,550 tons and carried 704
men. She was 480 feet long and 73
feet beam. Her armament was six
9.2-inch and ten 6-inch guii3, twenty
3-pounders and three torpedo tubes. ■
The Warrior, which was disabled
and abandoned, displaced 13,660 tons,
and is 480 feet long. Her comple
ment is 704 men and she carries six
9.2-inch and four 7.5-inch guns,
twenty-four 3-pounders and three tor
pedo tubes.
The British dreadnaught Marlbor
ough, said to have been struck by
a torped#, was of the Iron Duke class.
She was built at Devenport in 1914.
displaced 25,000 tons, was 620 feet
long, 95V£ feet beam and 27 feet
deep. She carried ten 13.5-inch guns,
twelve 0-inch guns and a number of
smaller arms. She also was equipped
with four submerged torpedo tubes.
The German battleship Pommern,
which was sunk by a British torpedo,
displaced 12,997 tons. She was 398
feet long. 72 feet beam and 25 feet
deep. The Pommern was built in
1907 and cost about $6,000,000. She
carried 729 officers and men. Her
armament consisted of four 11-inch
guns, fourteen 6.7-inch guns, a num
ber of pieces of smalitr caliber, and
six 17.7-inch torpedo tubes.
The Frar.enlob, which did not re
turn to the German base after the
naval engagement, was a small Ger
man cruiser, displacing 2,715 tons.
The Weisbaden was a cruiser.
One Battleship Sank Six.
Berlin (Via London)—Admiral Heb
binghaus, director of the admiralty,
told the Reichstag that the British
torpedo losses were greater than had
at first been reported. At least
three ot' the destroyer flotilla flag
ships, said Admiral Hebbinghaus. and
nine or ten other destroyers had been
sunk. Of these, the battleship West
falen alone sank six.
The German battlesthip Pommern
was sunk by a torpedo, the admiral
continued, and the Weisbaden by ar
tillery. The Fraunenlcb was last
seen by a German destroyer in a
night enco aster, with a heavy list,
and the admiralty said it was as
sumed it had been sunk.
■*rain Blown From Track.
Potias, 111.—Twenty persons were
injured when a Wabash fast mail
train, Chicago to St. Louis, was blown
from the tracks one mile south of
Saunemin in one of the most severe
windstorms that has visited central
Illinois in years.
The wreck occurred in a deep cut,
which kept the cars from overturn
ing and prevented more serious inju
ries to passengers. The engine, com
bination smoking and baggage car
and four coaches were blown from
the track. The baggage car was lit
erally torn to pieces. One woman
was thrown through the window of a
coach for a distance of twenty feet.
Noted Bandit Killed.
Presidio, Tex.—Francisco Domin
guez, notorious Mexican bandit, was
killed in an encounter with twa Texas
rangers near Pulvo, Texas, twenty
five miles from here.
Ships Are Scarce.
London—The problem of trans
porting the Australian wheat crop is
just now occupying the attention of
the government and the ship-owners.
The exportable wheat surplus of
Australia is about 3,500,000 tons of
which onlv about 500,000 tons have
«o far been brought to Europe. To
hring the remainder this year would
require about 700 voyages, and it is
difficult for the owners o find suffi
from'Australia is about 12,000 miles.
as compared with the 3,000 miles
which separate Canada from this
country.
Gives Birth to Triplets.
Lincoln, Neb.—The birth of triplets,
averaging over eight pounds in weight,
to Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Heimer of
Hartington, Neb., has been reported
to the vital statistics bureau of Ne
braska. The Heimers live on a farm
and are the parents of thirteen chil
dren, including a pair of twins. Of
the triplets, one is a boy and two are
grls. The mother is 36 years old.
King Abandons War Front.
Berlin (Via Sayville)—The Cologne
Volks Zeitung says it is reported that
King Victor Emanuel and his special
staff have departed secretly from the
Italian general headquarters at Udine
on account of the Austrian offensive
and retired to Venice.
Alarmed at Increasing Crime.
Vienna.—Alarmed at the increase
in juvenile crime and deplorable con
dition of so many children, the Aus
trian Red Cross is organizing a spe
cial fund for the care of young men.
DATES FOR COMING EVENTS.
June 12 to 15—Trans-Mississippi Bak
ers' Ass’n convention at Omaha.
June 13-14-15-—Annual convention of
Nebraska Elks at Omaha.
June 13 to 16—State P. E. O. Conven
tion at Alliance.
June 13-14-15—Great Western Handi
cap Tournament at Omaha.
June 13 to 15—Nebraska Pharmaceu
tical Convention at Hastings.
June 19-20-21-22—American Union of
Swedish Singers, West. Div., con
certs and convention at Omaha.
June 20 to 24—State Stockmen’s con
vention at Alliance.
June 21 to 23—Fraternal Order of
Eagles, state meeting at Lincoln.
June 28-29—International Auctioneers’
Association Convention at Omaha.
July 3-4-5—Mid-Summer Race Meet at
Kearnejt.
July 5 to 8—State Golf Tournament
at Omaha.
July 10-11-12—Northwestern Hotel
Men’s Association Convention at
Omaha.
July 10-11-12—Missouri Valley Veteri
nary association convention at
Omaha.
July 25—Nebraska Democratic con
vention at Hastings.
Anna Yankaus, a domestic living in
Omaha, has commenced a $50,000 dam
age suit against Thomas Towey, a
wealthy retired farmer of Schuyler.
She alleges that while she was em
ployed as housekeeper by Towey’s
sister, who was dying from tubercu
losis, Towey came up behind her and
stole a kiss, which caused great men
tal anguish. The suit was filed in
the district court at Omaha.
That the present high cattle prices
are but shadows of higher approach
ing costs, is the firm conviction of
many cattlemen about the South
Omaha yards. From about June 1
and on through the summer it is an
ticipated that cattle will be scarce.
This is the off season and it may be
just a little bit more off than usual.
The result of this situation could only
be higher prices.
Mrs. A, G. Peterson of Aurora has
been appointed a member of the
board of directors of the General Fed
eration of Women’s clubs. The board
has been enlarged through action at
the federation biennial convention in
New York City from fifteen to fifty
seven members to include a represen
tative from every state in the union
in which the women’s clubs are fed
erated.
Thirty thousand school children,
singing patriotic songs in voluminous
chorus, is to be a feature of the
patriotic parade in Omaha, June 14.
Three sisters, Sophia Gunn and
Amelia and Mary Gehling, have or
ganized a brewery at Falls City and
will manufacture and sell beer. The
company is incorporated for $2,000 j
and all paid in.
Omaha's annual agricultural ma
chinery jobbing business amounts to
more than $12,000,000, a figure that
lias been sustained for many years. ]
The yearly compilation of industrial
statistics by the Omaha Commercial
club publicity bureau show that the
combined implement, vehicle, tractor,
hardware and automobile jobbing bus
iness exceeds $35,0o0,000.
The American Union of Swedish i
singers, to appear in concert in
Omaha at the Auditorium, June in
and 20, have voted to wear cream
colored serge trousers, blue serge
coats, soft white shirts, navy blue
ties and white silk caps bordered with
blue velvet. Singers from five states
will be on hand.
Damage to the extent of $50,000 to
farm property was caused by a tor- i
nado which struck Valley county in
the vicinity of Ord, a few days ago.
James Heitz, farmer, tells of a fence |
post being pulled out of the ground j
and driven through the body of a_,
horse in a pasture.
Postmaster General Burleson has
removed , J. G. Porter of Bridgeport j
from the office of postmaster on the !
charge that Porter is “temperament- |
ally unfit” to hold the position anti is j
"grossly disloyal” to the postoffice de |
partment. For several months Porter
tried to get an increase in the number
of clerks In his office.
bishop linen attended me laying or
the cornerstone for the new parish
school building at Papillion.
Grand Island was selected as the
1917 meeting place by the State Har- |
ness Makers’ association at its meet- :
ing at Columbus. Officers elected
were: President, Pulius Reese.
Grand Island; vice president. William j
Reuter, Sutton; secretary-treasurer, [
J. C. York. Minden.
Stella voted $8,000 electric light i
bonds by a majority of thirteen. The •
village board now has the power to
establish an electric light plant or |
purchase current at some convenient !
point.
Frank Rudat of Columbus won the
Nebraska state chompionship at the
state sportsmen’s tournament at
Grand Island and will represent Ne
braska at the American handicap at
St. Louis August 21 to 25.
The nomination of George H. Loo
mis of Fremont to be internal rev
enue collector for the district of Ne
braska has been confirmed by con
gress. Mr. Loomis’ appointment has
hung fire for several months.
Arrangements are being made for
the erection of a new Christian
Science church at Kearney.
It is reported that J. H. Morrison
is to remodel his building that has
been used for a saloon for years, at
Superior, and make an up-to-date mov
ing picture and vaudeville theater of
it, giving Superior two moving play
houses.
The Fairmont Commercial club has
offered the Seventh Day Adventist
church board a deed to twenty acres
of land near Fairmont, valued at
$4,000, providing the proposed prepar
atory school is located there.
The Brunswick Chautauqua will be
held July 23-27.
One of the most promising winter
wheat crops in the history of Adams
county is starting to head. There is
said to be abundant moisture to bring
it to proper maturity. Several hun
dred acres of corn in the vicinity of
Hastings are being replanted, while
missing hills in many other fields are
being replaced by use of hand plant
ers. Cold weather, over-abundant
moisture and cut worms are held re
sponsible.
After an absence of nearly a month
John Afflerbach, former sheriff of
York county, is still missing. Affler
bach followed Harry Randolph into
the interior of Montana in the belief
that Randolph had taken another’s
auto, and since then nothing has been
heard from either man. A reward of
fered by the members of the Elks’
club so far has failed to produce re
sults.
East fall's sowing of winter wheat
in Kansas is estimated to be approxi
mately 8,454,000 acres, the third most
extensive sowing in the history of the
state, according to a report issued by
J. C. Mohler, secretary of the state
hoard of agriculture. The average
condition is given as 87.86 per cent,
which is 5.44 per cent under the show
ing of a year ago.
1. J. Rooney of Greeley had an ex
ample of the advance in cattle prices
to offer at the South Omaha yards
the other day. He was there with a
shipment that sold for $10.20 per
hundredweight. Twenty years ago he
sold a bunch of steers of about the
same quality at tiie same market for
$3.75 per hundredweight.
The hail storms which swept over
Fremont and vicinity last wepk did
heavy damage to two Fremont green
houses, which was estimated at
$1,500. Wheat was damaged to the
extent of 25 per cent in a strip of
country ten miles wide, and the fruit
crop suffered even more heavily.
Omaha is buying nearly $50,000
worth of cream daily from the farm
ers of Nebraska, western Iowa and
other slates nparbv. During the four
months. May, June. July and August.
Omaha's cream bill, it is estimated by
creamery men and butter manufactur
ers, will amount to $6,000,000.
Two hundred and fifty million
horse power hours of energy are re
quired annually in the tillage, cultiva
tion and harvesting of Nebraska’s var
ious crops. More than $50,000,000
worth of machinery is utilized in the
performance of this titanic task by the
farmers of the state.
After two weeks of toil, the remains
of little 6-year-old Glen Wiggins of
Fairbury were found in Rose Creek.
Saturday afternoon. May 12, the boy
fell into Rose creek and was drowned.
Ray Wiggins, his father, perished
while trying to rescue him.
The village board of Laurel lias let
the contract for a new single action
triple pump for the waterworks de
partment. It will be capable of
pumping 400 gallons a minute and will
be operated from the etectrie light
engine.
The Hanover church, twelve miles
northeast of Beatrice, which was re
cently erected at a cost of $25,000,
was dedicated recently. The church
was built hv the German residents of
Hanover township.
A Rock Island passenger struck an
automchiie on a crossing near Fair
bury, containing Mr. and Mrs. M.
Haney. Mrs. Haney was killed in
stantly and her husband died a few
hours later.
The first crop of alfalfa is being
harvested now in Hamilton county,
and will yield heavily. There lias
been just about enough moisture this
spring to produce an abundant crop.
Tiie Trans-Mississippi Master Bak
ers’ convention and exhibit, which !
will be held In Omaha June 12 to 15.
inclusive, is rounding into shape in
a manner verv satisfactory.
A special election has been called
in the village of Johnson, for June 12,
to vote upon a waterworks pronosi
tion. It is proposed to issue bonds in
ilie sum of $0,000 for the new plant.
Omaha lias started a eamnaign for
a big athletic cluh. witli 1.000 mem
bers in two weeks. A clubhouse to
cost $400,000 and fixtures worth
$100,000 is the program ouiiined.
North Platte’s new depot will cost
$124.0(10. Preliminary arrangements
for its construction have been made
and the work on the building has al
ready begun.
The business men of Syracuse and
the local fire department have decided
to hold a big Fourth of July celebra
tion.
Tiie Rev. “Billy" Sunday is coming
to Nebraska to start off the fall cam
paign the latter part of August. He
practically gave his definite promise
to do this when a delegation of twen
ty-five men from Omaha visited him in
Kansas City recently.
While her seven small chiidren
watched her, Mrs. Frank Peck, aged
94, took poison at her farm home, near
Brady and then refused to let any of
them telephone for aid or call their
father. No cause is known for her
act.
While playing with a number of his
companions. Willie Edgerton. 10. son
of A. J. Edgerton, of Plattsmouth,
fell into the Missouri river and was
drowned, his companions not being
able to rescue him.
The strike of 000 laborers on build
ing Jobs in Lincoln has been settled,
employers agreeing to the 30-cent
scale, for which the workers were con
tending.
The Nebraska State Medical asso
ciation selected Lincoln for the 1917
convention at the recent gathering of
the organization in Omaha.
Omaha was cnosen for the 1917
meeting place of the International
Association of Railway Special
Agents and Police at the closing ses
sion of their convention at New Or
leans, La.
W. R. Adams of Fremont has filed
complaint with the interstate com
merce commission alleging $141 over
charge by carriers on wool shipped
from Chugwater, Wyo., to Cleveland,
Ohio.
Severe damage was done to farm
property near Hartington just recent
ly by a violent wind storm.
IS MADE DEFENDANT
FARMERS’ UNION URGES CHANGE
IN SCHOOL LAWS.
• _
Items of General Interest Gathered
from Reliabte Sources Around
the State House.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.
State Treasurer Hall was made de
fendant in a mandamus suit com
menced in the supreme court by
Lhe oil companies doing business in
this state, who applied for a peremp
tory writ commanding him to permit
the use of about $125,000 in fees ac
■umulated during 1913-14 and part of
1915 for the payment of current ex
penses of the oil, drug and dairy com
ir.issigti. This money has been lying
in the treasury untouched, as it was
not appropriated by the 1915 legisla
ure for any purpose. State Treasurer
Hall had in mind to turn it into the
general fund inasmuch as it came un
der a blanket provision In the 1915
general appropriation bill which
authorized him to so use “funds not
otherwise appropriated.”
Recommendations of Farmers’ Unions.
Wide and sweeping changes in the
conduct of grade schools and col
leges of Nebraska were recommended
in the report of the legislative com
mittee of the Farmers’ Union of Ne
braska, meeting jointly with the edu
cational committee at Lincoln, last
week.
Those recommendations provide
that the state normal schools and the
state university be placed under one
governing board to supplant the pres
ent board of trustees and the state
normal board.
Other drastic changes are:
The election of county superin
tendents on a non-partisan ticket, to
serve a term of four years, subject
to recall. The county superintendent,
it is suggested, be allowed actual
traveling expenses only.
That the slate publish its own text
hooks and sell them to the districts
at cost.
That the state ..oes not establish
any more state schools or branches of
the university, but develop those
which it already has.
That the state law relating to ap- i
portionment of temporary school
funds be so amended as to result in j
a more equitable division of state
funds.
At the same time a conference on
rural education was held in the office |
of State Superintendent ■ Thomas. |
Some of the reeommandations made
were:
1. A more equitable distribution of •
the temporary school fund.
2. A more equitab'e means of dis- j
tributing the burden of taxation for
the schools of th*- state.
3. A reconstruction of the state I
course of study with sufficient empha
sis on the essentials of a common j
education and a due regard for indus
trial subjects.
The state superintendent was di- j
retted !o issue a call to send dele- j
gates from each of the 7.000 districts
to attend a mass meeting on rural
schools to be held during state fair
week.
Sent Liquor Through Mails.
Although the offense cannot be pun- j
Ished under the laws of Nebraska.
Attorney General Reed has written to
A. G. Roberts of Lewellen that the
sale of liquor in Nebraska by mail
from another state is forbidden by the
federal laws and that the United j
States authorities will take up the |
matter if it is brought to their no- i
tice. Roberts sent a letter to the j
state legal department, saying that a
St. Louis liquor company had sold
liquor by mail to a minor at Lewel- !
len. Attorney General Reed inter-!
preted this to mean that the liquor it- ;
self was shipped by mail.
A. L. 3urnham of Stanton will be |
the cadet colonel of the university
battalion for next year, according to
an announcement made at the annual
competitive drill held on the athletic
field last week. A. J. Covert of Lin
coln was made lieutenant colonel, J.
L. McMaster of Lincoln, major, execu
tive and delinquency officer; B. Nye
of Kearney, major of the First bat
talion; K. Y. Craig of Omaha, major
of the Second battalion, and C. S. Hol
combe of Maxwell, major of the Third
battalion. D. T. Lane of Seneca was
announced as major of the band.
If the social and economic burden
: of care for insane is not reduced it j
! will ultimately become unbearable, ac- i
cording to Dr. L. B. Pilsbury of the j
state hospital for the insane, in ac
address 01* “Classification of the In- j
sane,” before the second annual con- ,
ference of officers of Nebraska state
institutions. He recommended lessen
ing the procreation of the unfit through
segregation and otherwise as one aid
to reducing the burden. Dr. J. P. Lord
of Omaha presented a paper on "Re- j
cent Tendencies in Orthopedic Prac
tice.”
Beard Buys Furniture.
The board of control has bought a
carload of iron beds with springs,
at an average price of $4.80 each. One
hundred of these beds go to the Lin- j
coin hospital for the insane; 100 to the :
Norfolk hospital, and forty to the Be
atrice institute for the feeble-minded.
The board also bought 100 quarter
sawed oak chairs for the new Lincoln
hospital building at a price of $5.35
each, and seventeen rugs of various
sizes for the Hastings asylum at prices
ranging from $4 to $52 each.
Refused to Register Bonds.
The state aduitor’s office has de
clined to register the $7,000 electric
lighting bonds of Sargent. The lew in
Nebraska requires that before voting
on such bonds there shall be tw'enty
days’ notice and publication of the
notices of election. In this case the
notices were out only eighteen or
nineteen days and it will be neces
sary to hold another election to vote
upon the bonds before they will be
accepted in the state auditor’s office. :
/
ASKS FOR SUBMISSION.
Wrnts Vote on Proposed Constitu
tional Amendment.
Foot! Commissioner Harman is
sending out petitions for signatures to
ba used for the submission of a pro
posed constitutional amendment,
which is intended to make the foot.,
drug, dairy and oil commissioner a
constitutional officer appointed by the
governor for a term of six years and
free from the governor's control, in
stead of a statutory officer appointed
for two years by the governor and
under control of the governor. If th*
proposed amendment is submitted and
is adopted at the general election is
November, it will become effective
within ten days after the canvass of
the vote by the state canvassing
board. The law makes it mandator?
for the governor to issue a proclama
tion within ten days after the canvass
declaring the amendment adopted and
in force.
Conducting Sheep Experiments.
An interesting sheep experiment is
now being conducted by the Nebraska
state board of agriculture. On April
25, the board purchased 239 Merinc
: sheep. These sheep wore placed on
the state fair grounds, mainly for the
I purpose of conducting an experiment
! in keeping grass and weeds short. On
j May 8 and 9, the sheep were sheared
' and a clip of about 2.000 pounds ol
; wool secured therefrom. The tiock
now numbers over 390. This experi
I ment is also intended to bring to the
attention of farmers the splendid op ■
portunity for sheep production in Ne
braska. The board is considering the
j showing of some of the sheep and
i lambs at the state fair September 4
to 8. and it is possible that a part or
all of the flock will be sold at auc
j tion at that time.
War Department Asks for Data.
The United States war department
; has called on Adjutant General Hall
I to furnish it copies of the oaths taken
■ by Nebraska National Guard officers
! and privates. Nebraska has two forms,
: one for officers and one for privates.
The officers’ oath merely agrees to
■ serve the state, obey the commander
I in chief and the laws governing the
| military forces of Nebraska, while the
private oath says "* * * bear true
faith and allegiance to the United
States of America and to the state of
Nebraska; that I will serve them hon
< stly and faithfully against all their
enemies whomsoever.”
It is said the war department is in
vestigating whether Nebraska guards
men can be compelled to serve, if
called, and as to whether a stand simi
lar to that taken by some Texas mi
litiamen might occur in Nebraska.
State Gets Decree.
A final decree for the state, on
points of law in controversy, was
rendered in the O'Connor estate saso
at Hastings by Judge George Corcoran.
Some time ago the state won a victory
in this famous proceeding, so far as
the facts at issue were concerned, and
now. after reading briefs filed by both
sides. Judge Corcoran holds that the
court had jurisdiction to try and de
cide the case. The decree runs against
al! defendants in the state’s suit, ex
cept as to whatever rights John T.
Culivan may have under the purported
will in his favor.
J Injunction is Denied.
The railway commission has declined
j'O issue an injunction restraining the
i Lincoln Telephone & Telegraph com
; pany from removing farm line phones
near Fairbury when subscribers refuse
■ to pay the rate of $1.50 a month.
There is a complaint before the com
mission. some of the subscribers be
! lieving that their old rate of $1.25 a
1 month before the local company was
taken over by the larger concern
; should remain in force.
Wants Data on Harvest Work.
Labor Commissioner Coffey is send
ing to farmers, county clerks and Coni
; irercial clubs in Nebraska a request
for information as to how many liar
vest hands will be needed in their re
spective localities this summer. He
and the labor commissioners of other
states are co-operatiilg in the effort to
secure work for the harvest hands who
migrate annually from south to north
during the wheat gathering season.
Frank Pilger of Pierce, now in thn
banking business there, but formerly
engaged in school work, is a candidate
for appointment to the state normal
board as the successor of A. H. Vide
of Norfolk when the term of that mem
her expires in June.
In company with the Douglas county
commissioners. State Health Inspector
Case made a trip by automobile along
the abandoned channel of Rawhide
creek and a cutoff from the Elkhorn
river, in Dodge and Washington coun
ties, where farmers have complained
against the danger to health due to
sewage from Fremont which is dis
charged into those depressions. Dr.
Case thinks that the solution of the
difficulty may he to shorten the
sewer channel so as to make it empty
into the Elkhorn river and enclose it
all the way from Fremont.
Crops in Nebraska have grown well
and improved in condition during ‘he
last week, according to the summary
of weather and crop conditions in Ne
braska, given out by G. A. Loveland
of the weather bureau. The Improve
ment is especially noticeable In winter
wheat, oats, alfalfa and all kinds of
grass. Work has been retarded but
corn planting is well advanced, the
summary shows, although there is still
some corn to plant in all parts of the
state. The early planted corn is com
ing up. seemingly to a good stand, but
is growing slowly.
Rural Life Conference at Lincoln.
Rural organizations are now con
tributing such a large part to the life
ot various communities of the state
that the leaders ef two or thr«e organi
zations have been invited to speak and
lead in some of the discussions at the
rural life conference to be held at the
state farm June 13 to 23. C. H. Gustaf
son, state president of the farmers’
union, and J. D. Ream, state master of
the grange, will speak on the relation
cf these organizations to the rural com
munity.