3
9
RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF
France Hopeful
for New Year
i
Begins 1920 With Greater Confi
dence Than It Did
the Last.
DUE TO DEFEAT OF RADICALS
Elections Stabilize Internal Condi
tions, Though Fall of Franc Is Still
Serious Problem Study
Financial Policy.
Paris. France begnn tlio now year
with fur greater confidence tlinn Hip
Inst. This Is In spite of formidable
handicaps, such tiK tliu balance of
trnilp running against her nt the Yule
of nlintit r,fiO0,OO0,000 francs a tuontli,
about f0 per cent depreciation of Hip
exchange vulup of the frnnc anil the
consequent difficulty of procuring raw
materials iiihI machines ureontly
needed for reconstruction.
France's renewpil confidence Is de
rived directly from the result of the
recent election". Those are regarded
here as having definitely stabilized In
ternal polities, ended all (longer of
revolutionary ngltatlon for some time
to come and brought about a bettor at
titude by capital nail labor toward the
Immense effort hoforv France.
Money Is forthcoming for Invpxt
ments In anything that promises stabil
ity. While the Investments In short
term treasury bonds are continuing nt
the rate of nenrly 2,000,000,000 francs
a month, there -Is plenty of money for
Induilrliil and commercial enterprises
and long-term loans. The -1 ,000,000,000
'nnc loan to provide Immediate
resources for liidemnlfvlng victims of
the Invasion was oversftTscrlbod before
1he olllclal opening of the subsorlp
Hon. Important banks and Indus
trial companies have lately Increased
their capital to an aggregate of nenrlv
VX,000,000,000 francs.
Big Trade on Bourse.
Transactions on the Paris bourse,
which still are confined to ensb deals,
hnve exceeded on certain days records
of pre-war trading, when futures en
tered Inrgely Into the totals. The up
ward movement of all Industrials
which began before the signature of
the treaty nt Versailles, has been un
checked by successive liquidations.
This Is regarded by keen observers
here ns a sure sign of economic re
covery. Employers say the labor situation Is
Improved and that the last strikes de
veloped signs thtxt the workers them
selves were becoming woury of long
continued disturbances of business, In
dustry and transportation. They see
a tendency against frivolous strikes
and an Indication that only real griev
ances will Induce the wage earners to
quit work hereafter.
Decentralization of capital and In
dustry Is seen In the establishing In
Normandy of textile Industries to re
placo those In the occupied territory
destroyed by the war. This movement
has been greatly extended by develop
ment of water power In the region of
the Alps and the center and south of
AMERICAN TROOPSHIP DEKALB ON FIRE
m9 ?-MM4mM4:
A striking ilmlograiii ul the Fulled Stales troopship DuKulu. lormerly
the German raider Prince Kit el Frledrlch, on tire In the Hudson river near
Spuyten Duyvil. All of the memberB of tho skeleton crew of H00 escaped
uninjured.
Owl, Protected by
Law, Disturbs Law
Chelsea, Mass. Residents In
tho vicinity of Chelsea have
been disturbed nights by an ac
tive but elusive screech owl.
The little marauder stnrts In his
disturbance between 0 nnd 10
o'clock. The police have Iicpii
asked to capture the bird. Dur
ing the day the owl flits from
one chimney to another In an
effort to escape capture. The
police have given an alibi thnt
It Is against the game laws to
Bhoot the owl.
. --' "'"""-4j
Foot Caught In Rail, Woman Diet.
Pittsburgh. Her foot wedged tightly
between the rail nnd a plank, at a rail
road crossing, Mrs. John Forbes, sixty
live, of this city, wbh struck and In
stantly killed by a fast train.
France. Industrial leaders miv thnt
no particular region of France here
after will monopolize any Industry, and '
declare that this scattering will prove ,
benellclal and result In a more !
(finable recoery of all parts of the'
country.
To Transfer Industries..
Powerful (lmmclal groups nre a the
head of the movement to transfer Im
portant Industries from the coal re
gion to southwestern France, where
water power noon nlll be available.
Other groups are being formed to de
velop manufacturing centers near the
coast so as to reduce the cost of
transporting raw materials. Indus-
trial leaders say that this actlvitv on
l lie part of capital, supported bv the,"1" "he franc abroad, a
recovery of labor from what lias been
characterized as n wac of "laziness,"
gives a healthy tone to the situa
tion. Instability of the exchange value of
the franc Is regarded as one of the
weakest points In French conditions.
It Is pointed out (lint France cannot
pay twice over at present high prices
for supplies she needs, and that Is h
what the present low value of the
fianc means. The French government
is mm Miidjiug a complete renovation
of the financial policy with a view to
making such provisions to meet obll-
gallons as will give greatest stability,
both at home nnd abroad. Details of
the new llm lul policy ate as yet not
disclosed, but It Is understood that It
comprises a large Interior loan to take
up all short-term bonds and floating
Meet Ethyl and
Methyl Alcohol
Two Most Prominent and Inter
esting Members of the
Family.
MANY OFFSPRINGS ARE KNOWN
Difference Between Grain and Wood
Alcohol Clearly Described Fatal
ities Due to Amateur Attempts
to Make Grain Alcohol.
Chicago. While there nre seventeen
or more alcoholic products known In
chemistry, there are two of general
commercial use In the country ethyl
alcohol, or ordinary alcohol, the kind
we used to be able to buy "for medici
nal purposes," and methylated spirit,
or Industrial alcohol, which Is popular
ly called "wood alcohol," and which
does contain an amount of that fluid.
Kthyl or ordinary alcohol Is formed
by the spirituous or nlcohollc fermen
tation of saccharine Juices. The fer
mentation must be completed before It
Is distilled. It is made lrom grain,
either corn, wheat, or barley. This Is
Has Ludendorff s War Car
-
Chicago Man Now Has Machine
in Daily Use.
Limousine Was Seized for General
While Owner Was Touring
Germany.
Chicago, 111. Gen. I.udcndorfrx gen
eral headquarters motor car, wltl. tho
same black body and sloping duck
nose, that carried the military head of
the German armies over Ilelglun and
French roads while Its occupant wns
Hooking to annihilate the allies, can ho
seen almost any day on Chicago's
streets and houlevnrds.
Hullet-Kcurrcd and .mttercil after
traveling more than (50,000 miles ns the
equipage of tho German commander,
the limousine bus returned to peaceful
pursuits and civilian service.
In the summer of 1014 C. L. Wlllcy,
Germany Accused of
Taking 26,000 Dogs
Paris. The French ministry
of agriculture has lodged with
the commission of war dntnages
a claim for 20,000 dogs alleged,
to have been stolen by the Ger
mans during the war. The min
istry spccllles some of the
thefts, naming specially sir. val
uable setters taken k' the Gor
man crown prince and a prize
pointer taken by General Von
Klttck.
debt, nnd Important Increases In nil
taxes to bring the revenues up to the
annual budget, estimated to require
20.000.000.000 to 2.V0OO.000.OO0 francs.
It Is not expected that any Internal
llnanelal arrangement can exert more
""' moral influence on the value
ml this may be
aid to be the object of the greatest
anxiety In ofllelal circles.
GERMANS CROWD TO COLLEGE
Universities' Enrollment This Year Is
41,000 Greater Than
In 1914.
German newspapers sny 41.000 more
students enrolled In the universities
,f Germany than in :i)U. In the venr
f the beginning of the war there were
ir.0,000 students enrolled, while In 1010
j there are approximately 01.000. This
! represents an Increase of nearly 2.000
leach for each of the 2.'1 national mil
vcrsltles. In 11 technical schools more
than lO.f.OO have enrolled as compared
' to 10,000 In UIM.
also known ns grain alcohol. The
formula Is C, II, OH.
-Methylated spirit, or Industrial nlco
hoi, Is made of ninety parts of ordi
nary alcohol and ten parta of wood
alcohol methyl alcohol.
Source of Wood Alcohol.
Wood alcohol Is obtulned by the dry
distillation of wood. The common
method of obtaining this Is to tnko
cord wood which has been seasoned for
about two years beech, maple, nnd
birch are best place it In Iron or steel
retorts over n slow lire. The Intensity
of the lire Is gradually Increased nsthe
(Kst Illation progresses, uutll nt tho end
of from twelve to eighteen hours noth
ing remains In the retort but clinrcoul.
The distlllnte Is passed through a
condenser, and ihe liquid thus gath
ered Is allowed to set In tanks until
the greater part of the tarry matter
Ir It has subsided. The lighter part Is
then drawn off and snturnted with
slaked lime to fix the acetic acid. It
Is then distilled a second time and tho
distillate sent to the refineries ns wood
alcohol. Sawdust or nny woody fiber
or cellulose can be used in place of
cordwond.
Wood alcohol, either In Its pure form
or ns an Ingredient of Industrial nlco
hoi. Is a poison, and has a selective
action upon the optic nerve, In which
It often Induces a condition of permn
neilt atrophy which results In total
blindness.
Denatured Alcohol.
For some purposes "completely de
natured alcohol" Is mnde by adding to
Industrial alcohol a little benzine or
pyridine to spoil the taste nnd render
It offensive. Denatured alcohol may
be made more cheaply than ordinary
alcohol by using cheaper materials,
such ns any starchy vegetable sub
stance, or a waste byproduct, as the
poorest grade of molasses oi the wnsto
o; n canning factory.
"It Is probable that a .good deal of
the wood alcohol that Is being distrib
uted as a beverage Is tho result of tho
attempts of amateurs to make ordinary
alcohol. In their Ignorance they use
vgelublc substances such as potato
pi clings, and, by using too Intense a
Ore and making the distillation with
out having, tli st allowed fermentntlon
to take place, produce methyl or wood
alcohol Instead," said J. 11. Nusbuum,
a chemist.
n Chicago lumber merchant, with hh
wife, was touring Germany In the mo
tor car. The war flamed up and the
automobile was seized by German of.
flchiN, despite Its owner's protests, ho
comlng the olllclal property of en.
I.udcndorff,
.Somewhere In Its war activity tho
limousine was the target of well-aimed
machine-gun lire from the allied air
men and Its roof wns perforated In
many places.
Through an Amerlcnn consul W'llley
brought about the return of the auto
mobile. 0. h. Wllley died In 1010 nnd
th'o car Is now used dolly by his i,on
C. It. Wllley.
Fall Into Hydrangea Bush Fatal.
New York. Phoenix Miller, eleven
years old, fell Into n hydrangen biiBh.
A broken stem of the plant went
through a nostril nnd penetrated the
; brain, killing the boy Instantly.
B
CORNHUSKER ITEMS
Ncw3 of All Kinds Gathered From
Various Points Throughout
Nebraska.
OF INTEREST TO ALL READERS
North Platte was stirred by n most
fearful tnigedj last Thursday when
Chief or Polbe c. Mecomber iind Pa
trolman G, w. linger were shot and
almost liistimily Killed by two Mexi
cans whom they attempted to arrest.
The tragedy occurred in Nick Clilrcs
pool hall, where the men Innl been
traced by the officers whom thev re
aisled and opened Hie on before other
occupants of Ihe place were aware of
any trouble. One of the murderers
was captured.
.lobb-rs. retailers nnd consumer In
western Nebraska have been placed on
sugar ration- by the I real Western
S'gar Company. 'y customers are
limited to ."() cents worth at a time and
rural patrons to si.oo worth. Jobbers
are limited to die amount thev pur
chased last ear, Shipment of sack
sugar by people In the district to
friends and relatives In the eastern
end or the slate Is bclleed to have
precipitated Hie aciloii.
Allen V. Graiiimer and ANun It.
Tole. who were sentenced to be elec
trocuted at the state penitentiary nt
Lincoln .Iniiunry ill for the murder of
.Mrs. I.ulu Vogt In Howard county In
1017, were granted a stav until
.lannary :). following the granting of
an appeal to the circuit court by Fed
eral Judge Mtingor. Attorneys for the
condemned men expressed the belief
that many mouths would elapse before
they would be executed, If at all.
Kay A. Lower, former cashier of the
Stale bank at Valparaiso, which was
closed recently by the Slate Hanking
hoard, pleaded not guilty when he was
arraigned at Wahoo on a charge of
making fraudulent returns on the con
dition of the bank to the stale banking
department.
.Members of the newly formed or
ganizntlon for the abolishment of
capital punishment n Nebraska stated
at Lincoln that no effort would be
made to obtain clemency for Grumiher
and Cole, under death sentence at the
state prison for the murder of Mrs.
Vogt In Howard county In 1017.
.John M. Mntzeu, Fremont, newly
appointed Male superintendent of
schools, has filed his S.'O.OOO bond nnd
assumed office. Mntzeu, for fourteen
years superintendent of Dodge county,
was appointed ,v Governor McKel vie
to fill the vacancy-caused by the death
of W. II. Cleniinons.
The big drop In the eastern hay
market has reached the shipping point
markets of Holt and Hock counties,
the big hny producers of the state. The
best hay only Is bringing $10 on the
cars and much of It is selling for $10
and $1'J u ton.
Constitutional prohibition which went
Into effect throughout the Fulled
State January 17, had little effect In
Nebraska because this state bad been
preparing for It since May 1, 1017
when Nebraska went Into the "dry
column."
Custer county claims the oldest liv
ing white man In this country. He Is
Thomas Morris and lives with Charles
W. Mytton, eight miles northeast' of
Ansley. Mr. Morris was 12G years old
January in.
The Oklahoma Oil syndicate now
engaged In leasing the oil privileges on
lauds around Krlnn at the head of the
cedar, In Gnrllcld county, will begin
prospecting In March according to re
ports. Frank Dovel, n Stella buyer, shipped
three cars of horses and mules from
the district to Kansas City, represent
ing u destrlbutlon of at least $10,000
to farmers for their surplus stock.
Humors In liunnclal circles at Lin
coln have It that prospects for con
struction of an liiterurbitu railway be
tween Omaha and Lincoln are brighter
than ever before.
A contract for the erection of a $2.",
000 nurses' home to he erected by the
Mennoulte hospital association at
Iteatrice, has been nwaidcd to local
contractors.
Itetween fifty and one hundred
children were suddenly taken sick In
an Omaha public school with a malady
said by physicians to resemble In
fluenza, The week' of Februa v 2! to 2S has
lreen designated as Met chants MnrkH
Vcck at Omaha. A most elaborate
p dgrani has been arranged.
Klgnt blocks In, the business section
of O'Neill will be paved this spring.
Expenditure of more than $200,000
for a new municipal light plant and ex
tension of the iiiiinv wnter plant, n
sewer system and paved streets Is plan
ned for Spencer tills year.
The board cfucducntlou at Iteatrice
has raised the salaries of school teach
ers 20 to 2."i per cent for the remainder
of the school year.
The educational committee of the
Lincoln Commercial dub asked Ihe
board of educntlou to Incur a $100,000
deficit to give n SHOO bonus to each of
the :i00 tea dim: In the Lincoln public
schools.
That Ihe minimum salary for Ne
braska school teachers should he
'$1,000 was the conclusion drawn from
the data tabulated by Lulu K. Wirt,
dean of women of the normal school
at Kearney, following an extensive In
vestigation of living conditions In 10
counties In Nebraska.
During the last mouth feeder cattle
have gained In price from $1.W) to $2
per hundred at the South Omaha Mar
ket. During the early part of Decem
ber quotations on choice prime feeders
were $10,r0 and $12..r9, as compared
with $12 to S1H.G0 now.
It Is reported In Lincoln that a test
of tho constitutionality of tho school
district consolidation law will bo
tnnde and Hint it will probably come
up to the supreme court from Nomahit
county. The farmers of thnt county
recently held an Indignation meeting
"t Auburn nt which funds were
pledged to lest tho validity of this law,
The First Presbyterian .clmreii at
Hastings surprised the pastor, the Itev.
George K. Newell, by presenting him
anil his family a jiew Ileo touring car.
ltuslnes was virtually suspended at
Alliance during the two days prelimi
nary trial of Lawrence Lnckay,
charged with causing uu. (Mitli of his
,,,l" y ' "Id daughter bv giving her
poisoned candy. The trial was one of
Ihe most sensational n tH. hlslorv of
Alliance and people from m.lcsnround
attended. Lackey will remain In the
Alliance Jail uutll the next term of
district court, May 4. bail having been
forbidden by the court.
Mrs. Charles G. u.vau of Grand Is
land, stale ("reclor of the Nebraska
economic campaign, plans t0 ask 2.r0
000 housewives In Ibis state to sign
Ihe following pledge: To purchnso
nothing nt excessive prices. To keep
a careful budget of household ex
peases. To buy only when necessary
for servlie ami economy. To aid other
women In setting standards for care
ful conservation and economlcnl buying.
Plans for the new $.-,000,000 Nebras
ka capllol building to be ill reeled nt
Lincoln, designing of which has been
left In Hie hands of ten competing ar
chitects, must be submitted tothestata
capllol commissi, ,n ,v ,(, ,,,1,1,,, nj
June, according to Governor McKelvIe,
member of the c(,iiiin..so;i.
Itlg Hear White, wif . of i.eo While,
Wlnebngo Indian, was .awarded full
Judgment by the slate supreme court
In her suit for $H,:i(!2.(iri against Pen
der hankers, which. .su. claims, she
was defrauded out of in securing one
eighth interest In a lightning-rod com
puny. On account of lack of Interest In a
meeting scheduled to he held at Lin
coln a few days ago for the purpose of
reorganizing the Stale League of Itae
Itall CMibs. former President Miles
postponed Hie meeting until some time
late in February.
The Nebraska supreme court bus
ruled that precinct or county assessor
may raise a personal asses.sinent, that
It Is not eiiher's duty to so notify the
taxpayer, who must gain such knowl
edge from the county clerk.
The Internal Itevenue department nt
Washington notified the college of
agriculture at Lincoln that farmers' In
ventories at market value less cost of
marketing will ho accepted horeiiftcr
In determining Income tax.
Kleven acres of ground In the south
part of Lincoln have been purchased
by the State Department of Public
Works to I m used us storage space for
state road equipment which can bo
left In thi! open.
McCook Is making preparations to
hold an automobile show In the spring.
Traciors. trucks and all forms of motor
equipment will be exhibited in a huge
tent.
Attorney General Davis has ruled
that women may vote In the primaries
only for such officers as they will be
entitled to Vote for In the general elec
tion. , Stockholders of the Nebraska Stnto
Farmers' exchange In convention at
Omaha voted to establish n $2,000,000
cooperative sugar factor 11 1 Mlnntnre.
Victor Ilosewater, for many jenrs
editor of the Omaha Pee, has sold his
Interest In the paper to Nelson It. Up
dike, prominent grain man of Oiurhii.
Members of Nebraska boyV and
girls' diihs. nhoiit 20(1 In all, will be
entertained by the conege of agricul
ture at Lincoln, May :tl to June .'.
The third Nebraska road institute
will be held during the llrst week of
March on the city cnnipiu of the Uni
versity of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Steps have been taken to erect a
memorial hall at Fremont In honor of
Dodge county men who entered tho
service during the war.
Automobile tourlMs passing through
McCook are to be provided wllh camp
ing nnd park facilities along the Re
publican river.
A conlracl has been awarded for a
new water system at Chailroii. the
price being S0I.S00. It was" given to a
local contractor.
The I'ebling Good Heads Club
passed n resolution favoring n bond
Issue of S1.2U0JMIO for Dodge county
roadsf
Preliminary moves nre being made
at Alliance to construct a new $100,000
senior high school building the coming
summer.
The week beginning April !l will be
spring Miration week for students of
fhe state university.
The Great Western Sugar Co. an
nounced at (Serine it would pay bonus
of SI a ton on all heels delivered lo
Its factories this year, This menus
oer S. ,1)0,000 more for beet growers
In western Nebraska.
That Nebraska's code bill Is an at
tack on he Initiative anil referendum
passed by the people of the state is
the charge made in a Juief tiled In Iho
supreme court In Lincoln protesting
the action of Secretary of Slate Ams
berry, In refusing to place 011 the bal
lot a referendum on the bill after the
petition was tiled.
The First Presbyterian church of
Madison will celebrate Us golden anni
versary February 1-2 with a Juhlleo
and homecoming.
The Commercial club of Hebron Is
back of a project' to establish u
sorghum mill near the city. It has also
promised to support the hand and n
lecture course for noxj winter.
Chris Keuch wns burned to death
and two other men were Injured nt
Norfolk, when fire, which followed the
explosion of an oil tank, destroyed
the city gas plant, cutting off the gaa
supply In the city
CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION NOTES
Lincoln. - Many school principals
and tencheis, headed by Superintend
ent Jose Newlon of Lincoln, appeared
before the coiiM'tilioii last Friday and
urged the enactment of a provision for
a state board of education of seven
members, appointed by the governor,
the board to elect a state commission-'
or of education with Jurisdiction over
all public grade and high schools. Put
rons of the rural schools opposed tho
appolntle hoard.
At a mass meeting held Thursday,
January l.", an organization was per
fected to abolish capital punishment In
Nebraska. Mrs. George II. Hidden was
made chairman and she will pick n
temporary commit lee, composed of
nine members, to assist her. It Is the
Intention of the organization to use
Its efforts In the constitutional conven
tion for the abolishment of the death
penally. The work of the organization
will be state-wide. Delegate Flansburg
of Lancaster county has submitted n
proposal In the convention to abolish
capital pimWhmcnt by constitutional
enactment.
Delegate W. II. Pltzer of Otoe
county has presented a proposal de
signed to withhold the ballot from na
tive born children of parents who
theniseles are not eligible to citizen
ship under the laws of the United
Slates, timl to withhold the ballot from
persons convicted of felony or tren-
son, or convicted tinder such laws of
the crime or offense of membership
In or conspiracy with nny society or
organization engaged In advocating or
attempting lo effect the destruction or
overthrow by force of the government
of the state or United Slates.
Several proposals Directing the legis
lature were Introduced In the conven
tion during the past week. They
would reduce the number of house
members from 100 to eighty, the num
ber of state senators from thirty
three to twenty-seven, repeal the
sixty-day limit on the length of legis
lative sessions and permit two-thirds
of either house to dispense with the
reading of a measure on three sepa
rate days.
A delegation of women conferred
with the suffrage committee last week
and urged that it report u sun'ruge
amendment which will not contain the
word "male" but will state that "all
citizens of the United States, 21 years
of age nnd upward, who have resided
In the state for six months, shall be
electors."
Governor McKelvIe explained the
workings of his administrative code
bill to the committee on the executive
(leparlment. lie urged the principle
of the code bill be made a part of the
new constitution, wllh the governor
the center of the state government.
The convention In coiiiuilttee of tho
whole, rejected a resolution that would
practically have Instructed its com
mittee to provide for election of state
and county olllcluls In years other than
those iu which a presidential election
is held.
The convention, by 11 vote of GO to
US, r.'Jecfed an amendment providing
trial by Jury for persons charged with
constructive contempt of court or vio
lation of city ordinances when the of
fense. Is held to be 11 crime under state
or federal statutes. '
Although he knew In advance thnt It
would have no cluincj of adoption,
Delegate Norton, of Polk county,
thrust Into the hopper of the conven
tion a proposal providing that the leg
islature shall in tho future consist of
only one house.
Three hundred nnd eight proposals
for chnnges In the constitution are be
fore tho convention. No more pro
posals can be Introduced, except by
permission of fifty-one of tho 100 dele
gates, The conitnltteo on Industrial rela
tions Is apparently deadlocked on tho ,
proposal to have the constitution rec
ognize Inbor's right to collective bar
gaining. Five-sixths of a Jury may return n.
verdict In civil cases, tho convention
has decided. The amendment was rec
ommended for adopt Ion.
Dplcgato Epperson, of Clay county,
author of a proposal to abolish the
slate railway commission, tol ) tho
committee on puliHe service corpora
tions that the commission had not giv
en the public a square deal In the way
of telephone rates. The commltteo
took no action,
A proposal Introduced by delegate
F.ppersnn of Clay county, will, If
adopted, declare all exchanges such ns
the South Omaha Livestock exchange,
the Omaha Grain exchange and sim
ilar concerns to be "public markets."
1
Flansburg 'of Lancaster has offered
n proposal which would prohibit an
appeal from district court to the su
premo court In dvll cases whero Judg
ment does not exceed $fi00.
Up to the end of last week tho con
vention had been In session twenty
four dnys, most of which has boon con
mimed in submitting proposals nnd pre
liminary organization. The fact that
the time limit for Introducing amend
ments expired hiBt Friday should act,
B8 nn Incentive to speed up tho rank-'
Ing of a new constitution.
-
?
7)
