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The Commoner. 7
Condensed News of the Week
Isaac JNoyes, a. former state senator from
Douglas county, Nebraska, and prominent in Ne
braska politics; died at his home near Elk City,
on December 19, at the jigo of C5 years. Before
coming to Nebraska, Mr. Noyes was prominent in
the legislature of New York state.
It was reported from Lima, Peru, under date
of December 19, that the Peruvian government
had recognized the republic of Panama by a de
cree dated the day preceding.
Several prominent officials of tho mining dis
trict of Montana, including F. Augustus Heinze,
head of the Amalgamated Copper combine, have
heen found guilty of contempt of court by United
States Judge Knowles. An order issued by the
court was disregarded by these officials, and it is
decreed that tho defendants must submit to tho
order as issued by the court or pay fines.
The troops that have been stationed in the
Cripple Creek and Telluride mining districts are
being gradually withdrawn, under tho order of
General Bell. It is maintained that the strike is
practically over as many of the miners have re
turned to work.
At Chicago, 111., on December 19, 4,000 men
employed by' the Illinois Steel company were laid
off for an indefinite period, beginning with De
cember 24.
ton, which will enable the wrecked bank to pay a
60 per cent dividend. .
The czar's name day, December 19, was cele
brated throughout the 'empire of Russia, the
larger cities of the empire being decorated and
illuminated.
It was reported on December 20 that one
thousand miners employed in the mines of Tun
nelton and Atlantic, Preston county, W. Va., are
on a strike, because of the operators' proposition
to reduce the rate of wages 10 cents a ton for min
ing coal.
It was announced from Ottawa, Can., on De
cember 20, that the government has under con
sideration the question of uniting Newfoundland
with Canada and the purchase of Greenland from
Denmark. This is the result of the Alaska boun
dary" decision, which was so unsatisfactory to
Canada While Canada and Newfoundland can
enter upon negotiations, it will be necessary for
the Dominion to negotiate through the imperial
authorities with Denmark for the purchase of
Greenland.
Exercises in honor of the centennial celebra
tion of the Louisiana transfer to the United
States were held at New Orleans, La., on a large
scale on December 20, which exercises marked the
conclusion of the celebration of this centennial.
Mayor McMullens of the city of Butte, Mont.,
is about to be impeached fo- "gross malfeasance
and misconduct in office and flagrant violations of
his oath of office," according to the result of an
investigation of the affairs of the city administra
tion of Butte, which investigation was made by a
committee appointed by the city council two
months ago.
The first legal proceeding to test the right
of trades unions to discipline members in arrears
for dues was had before Judge Hosea of the su
perior court at Cincinnati, O., on December 21.
An injunction has been applied for to restrain the
unions from ordering a disciplinary strike and
much interest was manifested in the court pro
ceedings. The situation in the far east 'with respect to
the attitude of Russia and Japan is still securing
much attention, although it is admitted that for
some weeks yet at least there is little danger of
open Hostilities. It is regarded as certain that
Russia will not let go of any of the territory she
has secured in the east and that if aggressive
measures are to be taken they must begin with
Japan.
In the recent trials of the Kishineff, Russia,
murderers, twenty-four persons in all Mve en
convicted of being involved In the massacres of
the Jews at that place and have been sentenced
to imprisonment.
The cases against State Auditor Weston of
Nebraska, in connection 'with his dealings in a
recent bank failure at' Casper, Wyo. have been
dismissed by the depositing of $10,000 by Mr. Wes
According to a cablegram from Paris carried
by tho Associated press, it is made lenown that
tho report of tho Dreyfus commission will bo soon
heard and that a revision of tho case of Captain
Dreyfus will be recommended. It is also an
nounced that tho alleged treason was not com
mitted by Captain Droyfus, but by Colonel Henry,
who was at the tirno chief of the Intelligence de
partment of tho ministry of war.
A dispatch, under date of Baton Rouge, La.,
December 21', and carried by the Associated press,
said: Both houses of the legislature today adopted
a resolution requesting tho Unjted Statos senators
from this state to vote in favor of tho ratification
of tho treaty providing for the building of tho
Pannma canal.
sioncr of tho interior for Porto Rico, will suc
ceed Mr. Cruzon, and that Mr. Elliott will bo suc
ceeded by R. H. Post of Now York, present audi
tor of Porto Rico, The resignation of Mr, Cruzon
is the result of tho recent Investigations Into Iho
charges of smuggling inado against certain offi
cers of tho United States navy and Porto Rlcan
officials.
A large coal company at Altoona, Pa., on
December 21 announced a wage reduction at its
Helvetia operations amounting to 10 per cent, to
go into effect January 1. This cut with others
contemplated will affect the wages of about 10,200
men. On the same day it was also announced
that a general reduction in wages in all tho non
union iron and steel plants of the country will
bo made at tho time of the new year, and that
the number of men affected by this reduction will
be at least 80,000.
, A wreck near Godfrey, fifteen miles south of
Fort Scott, Kas., on December 21 caused tho death
of eight persons and over thirty-two were ln-
jured. The train ran into a switch and the cars
were derailed.
The strike recently inaugurated among tho
livery drivers of Chicago has seriously Interfered
with the burial of the dead in that city. The strik
ers have gone to tho length of picketing houses
from which funerals were to start, but this action
has been promptly taken up by the chief of police
and will no longer be tolerated. In the meantime
arbitration l. easures are being discussed and it i3
hoped that the matter will soon bo amicably
settled.
Seven hundred of the employes of tho Ameri
can Bridge company at Pencoyd, Pa., were notified
on December 22 of a 10 per cent reduction in their
wages.
At the forty-ninth convocation of the Univer
sity of Chicago, held on December 22, It was an
nounced that donations amounting to $1,850,000
have been received from John D. Rockefeller,
founder of the university.
According to the Railway Age, the total rail
way mileago of the United States on January 1,
1904, will be 209,855 miles, of which 5,723 miles
have been laid during the past year.
It appears because of a law recently enacted
in Canada that after January 1 next every China
man landing on British soil must pay a head tax
of $500, there is an unusual influx of Chinese in
Canada these days. Under the present law the
head' tax is only $5.
It was reported from Shanghai,- China, on De
cember 23 that a battle had occurred between
four battalions of Chinese troops from Hung
Chun and 1,500 Koreans in northeast Korea some
time ago, but the battle was indecisive.
The entire plant of the Illinois Steel company
at South Chicago was closed down on December
23 and as a result 6,500 men are thrown out of
employment for an indefinite period.
On December 23 the through passenger train
on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, near Dawson,
Pa., crushed into a pile of lumber and was
wrecked. Sixty-three lives were lost and about
thirty people injured.
The Cuban congress Is deliberating a method
nf offsetting the loss of revenue under the opera
tion of the reciprocity treaty between Cuba and
the United States, and it is believed that a bill
will be passed providing for a straight increase
in duties sufficient to cover the loss.
Alonzo Cruzen, customs collector of Porto
Rico has sent his resignation to Secretary of the
Treasury Shaw, and it has been accepted. It is
expSSf that W. H. -Elliott, of Indiana, commis-
At Paris on December 25 tho treaty of arbi
tration between Franco and Italy was signed by
the French foreign minlxtcr and tho Italian am
bassador. This treaty Idcutical with that be
tween France and Englaud.
On December 21 tho grand jury at Chicago
mado scathing criticisms of portions who have
disturbed funeral processionM In the city recently,
In connection with the ntrlko of Hvory drivers.
According to tho finding of tho grand Jury, a
reign of lawlessness exists In Chicago at this tlmo
and it is suggested that tbl state of affairs bo
made the subject of a special Inquiry by the grand
Jury of next month.
A Berlin nowspapnr In tho authority for tho
statement that an international petroleum pool
has been arranged between the Dnlted States,
Austrian and Russian interests, and that under
this arrangement it Is proposed to export Gal
llclan oil to Germany.
Advices from Russia by way of London seem
to indlcato that tho revolutionary inovcmnnt In
Russia has reached a critical stage and that an
uprising Is expected at any moment. It is be
lieved that this condition Is causing Russia's hesi
tation to force a war with Japan. Tho movement
is socialistic in character, and seems to bo
spreading all through Russia.
Ruth Miller Hoar, wife of Senator Hoar of
Massachusetts, died at her homo in Washington
on December 2,
Mayor-elect George B. McClellan of New York
city took the oath of office on December 24. On
the same day ho announced that John T. Oakley
had been appointed commissioner of the depart
ment of water supply, gas and electricity, and
George E. Best commissioner of bridges.
It was officially announced on December 24
that tho Cuban government had recognized tho re
public of Panama. Tho same action was also
taken by Great Britain and this course has awak
ened much enthusiasm throughout Panama.
Distinct earthquako shocks wero felt In vari
ous sections of the country on December 25, in
Los Angeles, Cal., the shock being very severe
although not much damage was reported. Tho
disturbance was also felt in parts of New York
state.
Very cold weather, accompanied in some sec
tions by a severe snowstorm, was reported on
December 25 from Indiana, Missouri, Illinois,
Kentucky, Ohio, and some parts of Iowa.
W. I. Buchanan, United States minister to
Panama, presented his credentials to the provi
sional government there on December 25, and re
ceived a cordial reception.
Tho lime manufacturers of Ohio, Indiana and
Michigan are forming an organization. The capi
tal stock has been placed at $12,000,000 and tho
company will control practically the entire lime
output of tho country.
Club-owners of the American baseball asso
ciation met at Chicago on December 28 and
elected J. E. Grillo of Cincinnati president, vice
T. J. Hickey, resigned.
The-,trial of Senator Dietrich of Nebraska,
Which Is set for January 4, will bo heard in tho
federal circuit court instead of federal district
court. Judge Munger announces that Judge Van
deventer will probably sit with him in tho trial
of tho case.
Judge Cornish of the Lancaster, Neb., district
court has made a decision that will have a far
reaching effect if si "tained by the supreme court.
The decision is that a county officer Is responsible
not only for fees collected, but for fees that wer
earned by his office and not collected.
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