The Commoner.
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Items of Interest.
The "United States has 10,000 more miles of
railroad track than all European nations com
bined. Defective teeth seem to be the rule ampng
Bavarian arniy. recruits. Only, 5 'per cent' have
sound molars. :
Malaga is' not the solo producer of1 Malaga
grapes. Most Spanish varieties, of. grapes bear
the same name. ;
The average woman has about forty miles of
hair on her head. Women with fair .hair usually
have the most ..,.,,
California is said to bo the most prolific in
fruits of the tree, vine and shrub of any equal area
of the earth's surface.
The largest wrought iron pillar in the world
is said to be in Delhi. It' is sixty feet high and
weighs seventeen tons.
Mount Cenis tunnel is the, most remarkable
1 structure of the kind in the world. It is a little
less than eight miles long and cost $3,000,000.
During the last eighteen months more than
65 national banks, with an aggregate capital ex
ceeding $2,000,000 have been organized in Texas.
Denmark has a peculiar temperance law. When
a drinker Is so drunk as to require medical atten
tion the doctor must be paid by the proprietor of
the tavern where the patient secured his last drink.
A vessel can sail from the Atlantic ocean to
the head of Lake Superior without ever leaving
Canadian waters. The distance is 2,260 statute
miles.
In 1800 100;000 bales of cotton lasted the Lanca
shire mills a whole year. It is said that the same
.amount of cotton would now feed the Lancashire
.spindles' less than a week.
The "Bay Psalms Book" was the first book
printed in the United States. It was Issued in
Cambridge, Mass., in 1G4Q. Copies are extremely
rare and b'ring a high price.
Without the bamboo China would be well nigh
helpless. The bamboo provides them with many
varieties of food, is manufactured into dress goods,
paper, furniture, ships and houses.
The largest block of granite ever quarried is
being used in the construction of Beachy Head
-lighthouse, England. It weighs 1,400 tons, Ib 68
feet long, 20 feet wide and 14 feet thick.
In many rural sections of the United States
cows wear bells in order that the owners may
the more readily find them. In the Himalayas
cows wear bells as a protection against tigers.
With potatoes selling at $1.50 a bushel it is In
teresting to know that they were first cultivated
between San Riego, Chile, and Liwa, Peru. They
still grow wild in the mountain districts of South
America.
The New Zealand -government has, during the
last six years, bought back from tho original set
tlers 324,000 acres of land. This land was used
originally for sheep runs, but is now farmed by
1,630 families.
A new experiment in conducting a socialistic
colony is to be tried in New Hampshire. Every
member of the colony will be forced to work for a
uniform rate of wages. The lazy and the morally
unfit will bo expelled.
' When a flash of lightning is a mile away from
the observer it takes five seconds for the sound of
thunder to reach the watcher's ears. Thunder has
been heard a distance of fourteen miles. Artillery
fire has been heard a distance of 120 miles.
Queretaro, Mexico, Is a place of interest to all
American tourists. It was there that the Mexican
congress ratified thd treaty with the United States
in 1848 by which all of the territory east and north
of the Rio Grande was ceded to the United States.
Tho most famous warships of tho American
navy aro represented by miniature models at tho
Buffalo exposition. These same models were ex
hibited in the government building at tho Omaha
exposition. Tho model of tho battleship Maine is
enclosed in a glass case and the woodwork painted
n dead black.
Tho Bethlehem Steel company passed into the
hands of Charles M. Schwab last night. A check
for $4,032,000 was deposited with Girard Trust com
pany by Drexol & Co., in payment of 168,000 shares
of tho Bethlehem steel stock. Tho total number of
shares in the company Is 300,000. Immediately af
ter tho receipt of the check a new board of direc
tors and officers wore elected. When tho directors
met Max Pam of New York was present, repre
senting Mr. Schwab, and the stock and money
were speedily transferred. Tho now directors are:
R. P. Linderman, E. T. Stotesbury, E. M. Mcll
valne, Archibald Johnson, George F. Baer, J. P. ,
Ord and Charles McVeagh.
A special dispatch to tho World-Herald from
Lead, S. D., says: There is a little stock ranch
down on Box elder creek, near Silver City, owned
by August Petersen, which is tho only stock farm
of its kind in the country. Mr. Petersen raises
beavers for their fur, and It Is said that his crop
next year will make him thousands of dollars.
There is scarcely any expense in raising these lit
tle animals, and, as they are not subject to any of
the diseases so common to tho ranch stock, tho
losses are very small. There Is a great deal of
building and improvement going on in this city,
200 houses being in course of construction at the
present time. These houses will mostly be occu-.
pied' by those who are erecting them.
The house of representatives of the Texas leg
islature adopted after a lengthy discussion the fol
lowing resolution, introduced by Mr. McFall: "Be
It resolved by the house of representatives of tho
legislature of the state of Texas that trusts and
monopolies are contrary to the spirit and genius
of a free people, destructive of individual liberty
and subversive of the principles of a republican
form of government; that we recognize in the
United States steel corporation an organization
which embodies all the evils of the trust monop
oly and community of interests idea and one which
by reason of the manner and amount of its capital
ization and plan of operation may be said to be the
very head and front of the offending system; that
we aro in hearty sympathy with the amalgamated
association in their contest which they are now
waging with the United States steel corporation
for a just and equitable recognition of their union."
Senator Jonathan P. Dolliver of Iowa an
nounced the candidacy of Governor Leslie M. Shaw
for the republican presidential nomination in 1904.
The announcement explains the repeated refusal
of Governor Shaw to allow his name to be placed
for renominatlon to the governorship of Iowa, and
tho force of the whole state will bo brought be
hind Shaw when he Is named as the hawkeye can
didate in 1904. "This is an announcement," said
Senator Dolliver. "Not only is Mr. Shaw a candi
date of Iowa," continued the senator, "but he will
be found to be a candidate of the major part of the
middle west as well. Ho is Iowa's favorite son
a simple, truthful, able man, a business man, a
man of affairs, a plain citizen without frills, his
heart animated by a sincere love of humanity and
his manners democratic and direct. He has made
one of the best governors Iowa ever had, his grasp
of administrative business being remarkable, and
his probity and honor being unimpeachable. Nor
is he merely Iowa's favorite son; he is typical of
the middle west."
"Yonkertf, N. Y., Aug .24, 1901. Dear Sir: I
have just returned to my home after a short visit
to Saratoga and Lake George. Owing to my detail
as a member of tho court of Inquiry, ordered to
meet on September 12 next, I find that many news
papers are giving me credit for having served
my country in the United States navy for nearly
half a contury, with honor. I boo also that I am
thought to bo objectionable as a member of this
court of inquiry, It being stated that I publicly
expressed opinions on tho conduct of the battle of
Santiago while serving as commandant at the Bos
ton navy yard, shortly after the result of . that
engagement was known. I believe the service
knows, as I do, that I do not attempt to make
public speeches, write for magazines or papers,
or mako public utterances on navy or other sub
jects. It has been impossible for me to avoid the
visits and questions of representatives of newspa
pers while serving at important stations and at
times when the navy has been so busily employed.
When tho news of our navy's success at
Manila and again at Santiago reached Boston tho
people thero were not behind tho rest of tho United
States in giving honor and praise to the navy, and
to tho commanders-in-chief of tho fleets. Tho en
thusiasm of tho population in praise and honor
for the officers and men engaged at Santiago lasted
for some time, until later, when tho troubles com
menced as to where tho credit and honors should
go for tho success of this engagement. It is no
news to the navy to say that whero all direct their
duties the first honors for success go to the officer
iij chief command. Censure for failure also be
longs to him. This newspaper cutting contains a
question which states that I made a comparison
between Schley and Sampson, unfavorable to
Schley. Tho word 'respected' as used by the re
porter is seldom or never employed by navy men
in comparing tho qualities possessed by officers
and I am sure I could never have said this, as he
reports, nor said that Schley had the roputatlon of
being nervous and hot-headed in the naval
academy. One may say an officer stands higher
In his class, if true; another may stand higher by
scientific attainments, while another be distin
guished for eminent diplomatic and social quali
ties, while all under discussion are of good stand
ing and proficient in their necessary professional
calling. I have no recollection of the gentleman
reporting for the Boston Record, and I don't ap
prove of the public statement as mine. I cannot
say that I have not discussed with acquaintances
matters published in tho newspapers relating to
our navy's success, as well as the unfortunate dis
putes so widely commented on. There are few or
no persons in the navy or in our country who have
not daily discussed these newspaper articles.
From the papers it appears that Admiral Schley
has strong doubts as to my fitness to fairly judge
this case with Admirals Dewey and Benham. As
it is a case of grave Importance to those concerned
and to the country, I am desirous of giving
my little help to clear away the troubles. The
duties of members of courts-martial and courts of
Inquiry are not sought or desired by officers. While
I feel highly honored by the department's selec
tion of myself for this duty, it is anything but a
pleasant task to sit in judgment on brother officers.
However, the honor of the selection nor the un
pleasantness of court duties do not enter into the
reasons for my now writing to you, personally,
three things, viz: First, to reassure you that I am
not responsible for and did not give out such an
interview as is alleged in the dispatches from
Boston and as stated in the newspapers to have
been mentioned by Admiral Schley In a recent
letter to the department. Second, if, however, the
department feels that the cause of the navy and of
justice will be better served by relieving me from
duty on the court, I am entirely ready to withdraw
voluntarily, or to have the department relieve me
upon its own Initiative. Third, If, on the other
hand the department, knowing all the circum
stances, desires that I should perform the duty, I
am entirely ready to perform it, and can, upon
my conscience and oath do my duty as a member
of tho court 'without partiality' as the law re
quires. Yours sincerely and respectfully,
H. L. HOWISON,
Rear Admiral, U. S. N.
Hon. Frank W. Hackett, Washington, D. C."
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