STRANGE ENGLISH
WRITTEN BY JAPS
OUR
Q RE AT E
We have had some booties, but our 1908 Jan
uary Sale is the biggest we have ever had biggest
in the matter of bargains offered biggest in the
matter of opportunities for careful buyers biggest
in point of sales. It is "BIG" in big letters. We
simply took advantage of a big opportunity to buy
the big stock of a big eastern dealer who stood to
lose a big bit of money in the big panic that hit the
big ones down east. We made a big effort, raised
the big amount of cash required to secure the big
discount. You make the big saving by buying big
of our big bargains.
For the purposes of this big January Sale we
have divided the stock into
FIVE BIG DIVISIONS
DIVISION No. 1 Men's Suits
and Overcoats that we sold
at $40, $37.50, $35.00 and
$32.50, all go at
22
DIVISION No. 4 Men's Suits
and Overcoats that we sold
at $16.50, $15.00 and $12.50,
all go at
ARBS
GOOD CLOTHES MERCHANTS
AL
DIVISION No. 2 Men's Suits
and Overcoats that we sold
at $30.00, $27.50 and $25.00,
all go at
DIVISION No. 3 Men's Suits
and. Overcoats that we sold
at $22.50, $20.00 and $18.00,
all go at
$-n
DIVISION No. 5 Men's Suits
and Overcoats that we sold
at $10.00, $8.50 and $7.50,
all go at
ism (MTniKi.
5
i Mm i
MBOI
Omaha, Neb. Probably the largest
temperance movement any one busi
ness concern has ever known culmi
nated on the Northwestern railroad
when a temperance pledge signed by
25,000 employes became effective.
Three months ago, when the North
western began cutting its force to a
winter basis, every man discharged
was a drinking man, the teetotalers
being retained in their positions. It
was announced that the road had in
augurated a policy of always retain
ing the non-drinking men. As a re
sult the drinking men who remained
with the road have decided to abstain,
and during the last month pledges
have circulated all over the 7,000
miles of the system.
Braddock, Pa. The McClintock
Marshall Construction company's plant
here, operating with . 3,000 employes,
making steel girders, has put into ef
fect a bonus distribution plan, re
garded as an improvement over profit
sharing schemes of other concerns.
When the shops increase their output
beyond a certain limit the bonus is
raised for every hundred tons' in
crease. Two shops, employing 400
men, received the bonus, which
ranged from $14.85 to $20 for every
workman beyond the stated wages.
New Haven, Conn. General Mana
ger Higgins of the New York, New
Haven & Hartford Railroad company
has been invited to meet a joint com
mittee of railroad conductors and
trainmen asking for an increase in
wages. The committee alleges viola
tion of the agreement in regard to
making the runs of the men con
venient to their places of residence.
Uniontown, Pa. Announcement Is
made by the H. C. Frick Coke com
pany of a decrease in wages affecting
all its coke plants in this region. The
decrease is about seven and one-half
per cent, and places wages slightly
above what they were prior to the
voluntary increase made in March,
1906. Independent companies may
make similar reductions.
Dayton, O. The Piatt Iron works,
employing hundreds of men; the steel
mills of the Barney & Smith Car com
pany, the Brownell boiler shops, and
a few other establishments resumed
operations after a shutdown due to a
lack of orders. The Davis Sewing
Machine company also increased its
force and will be running full in a
short time.
Hamburg, Germany. The suit of
the harbor authorities against the
Port Workers' union, growing out of
the recent dock strike, has resulted in
a decision whereby the union is for
bidden, in the future, to interfere with
the introduction of strike-breakers. A
penalty of $375 is provided for each
instance. The union has entered an
appeal.
Boise, Idaho. George A. Pettibone
was acquitted of the charge of con
spiring to bring about the murder of
former Gov. Steunenberg. The de
fendant, his health shattered beyond
hope of recovery by the two years of
his imprisonment while awaiting
trial, will go at once to Denver, where
he can die a free man, honored by his
fellows.
New York. There is little chance of
strikes this year among building
unions. The employers have signed
agreements with the larger number
of the men, and in cases where agree
ments have not been concluded ar
rangements are under way. The em
ployers have decided not to reduce
wages.
Seattle, Wash. There is a strong
movement in the state of Washington
along the line of establishing co
operative stores. One has been
opened here and since it has been in
operation it has done so well that it
has purchased a coal mine with a
view to selling the products to union
people.
London, Eng. The war department
laid off thousands of skilled workmen
recently at the Woolwich arsenal. A
large number of these left for Ameri
ca and found work in Bethlehem, Pa.,
and other American steel centers. The
government is now missing the men
and wishes it could call them back.
Chicago. According to official fig
ures issued by the Commercial Teleg
raphers' Union of America the strike,
which lasted from August 8 until No
vember 9, and crippled business inter
ests throughout the country, cost the
union $250,000.
Salt Lake. The mines of the Silver
King Coalition and the Daly-West
company at Park City closed on Jan
uary 1. This action is taken by the
directors because of the unremunera
tive price of lead and silver. A thou
sand men are directly affected.
Pittsburg, Pa. The plants of the
Republic Iron and Steel company and
the Youngstown Steel and Tube com
pany at Youngstown, O., resumed op
erations, giving employment to 8,000
men.
Bristol, R'. I. Operations were re
sumed at the plant of the National
Rubber company after a shutdown of
nearly one month. More than 1,500
operatives were given work.
Kansas City, Mo. Apprentices on
the Santa Fe road have been given a
voluntary increase of two . cents an
hour in wages for ten hours' work a
day.
Manchester, Eng. Cotton spinners
to the number of 150,000 will be
thrown out of work if they persist in
their demands on the manufacturers.
Unless the spinners recede the cotton
mills throughout the country, owned
by 500 members of the Federation of
Master Spinners, will be closed. . Al
ready firms owning 96 per cent, of
the spindles have announced their
willingness to close their mills.
Helena, Mont. Jail sentences of
three months were imposed on five
Butte union labor leaders by Federal
Judge Hunt. They failed to purge
themselves of contempt, in which they
had involved themselves by disregard
ing an injunction forbidding interfer
ence with non-union workmen em
ployed by the Rocky Mountain Bell
Telephone company on its new build
ing. New York. The wigmakers of New
York celebrated a double event, the
recognition of their union and the
winning of the first strike of the year.
The organization is known as the Hu
man Hair Workers' union and is com
posed of the makers of wigs, toupees
and all other like products composed
of human hair.
Cumberland, Md. The Cherry River
Boom and Lumber company, with
plants at Richwood, Camden-on-Gauley
and Holcomb, W. Va., employing
1,200 men, resumed operations. The
Curtain Lumber company also ordered
its men, numbering about 5,000, to re
port for duty
Cleveland, O. It is variously esti
mated that fully 10,000 employes re
turned to work in Cleveland as the
result of a general resumption of com
mercial activity. Probably 30,000 to
40,000 men were put to work in north
ern Ohio.
Sandusky, O. Operations have been
resumed in the stone quarries at Kel
ley's island by the Kelley's Island
Lime and Transport company. About
600 men are affected. Suspension was
due to the financial stringency.
Northampton, Mass. More than
800 mill operatives who have been out
of work since Christmas returned to
their work when the Belding Bros.'
silk mill and the Northampton Cotton
company resumed operations.
Helena, Mont. Manager A. M.
Smith, of the Helena plant of the
American Smelting and Refining com
pany, denied the story attributed to
him that the company was to close
several more of its plants.
Dayton, O. The Piatt Iron works.
the steel mills of the Barney & Smith
Car company, the Brownell boiler
shops -and several other establish
ments resumed operations, giving
work to 1,000 idle men.
Pittsburg, Pa. The plants of the
Republic Iron and Steel company and
the Youngstown Steel and Tube com
pany at Youngstown, O., resumed op
erations, giving employment to 8,000
men.
Ford City, Pa. After being shut
down for repairs No. 4 works of the
Pittsburg Plate Glass company has re
sumed operations. The . department
employs from 1,200 to 1,500 men.
Evansville, Ind. The working time
at the Evansville & Terre Haute rail
road shops in this city has been re
duced from eight to five hours. About
250 men are affected.
Altoona, Pa. All Pennsylvania rail
road shop employes engaged on repair
work have resumed the eight-hour a
day system. Several thousand men
are affected. k
New York. There is rejoicing
among the workmen at the Brooklyn
navy yard over the announcement
that the recommendations of "the
board of wages that the pay of the
workers in certain trades . be in
creased had been indorsed by the de
partment. The increases average
about 24 cents a day and apply to
most of the trades covered by navy
yard work.
Albany, N. Y. It was announced
that the New York Central & Hudson
River Railroad company had laid off
300 additional men in the West Al
bany shops. This is the second "lay
off" within a few weeks, the total
number now involved being 700.
Woonsocket, R. I. The Millvllle
boot mill of the Woonsocket Rubber
company resumed operations, giving
employment to 1,000 bootmakers. The
American Wringer company's plant
also resumed, 400 operatives again
getting employment.
Brookton, Mass. Because the hay,
grain, ice and coal dealers of this city
refused to advance wages from $2.37
to $2.50 a day 125 teamsters struck.
The drivers say that they will not sub
mit their demands to arbitration.
Denver, Col. William D. Haywood
is no longer secretary and treasurer
of the Western Federation of Labor.
Ernest Mills has been appointed to
that position by the executive board.
Philadelphia. The Baldwin locomo
tive works are boing dperated on an
eight instead of a ten-hour basis. The
reduction affects 15,800 men.
Holyoke, Mass. Two divisions of
the American Thread company'ii plant
opened after a shut-down of several
days.
Denver, Col. The bartenders are
taking steps to organize a union to
procure the eight-hour day.
The Japanese certainly do try to
learn the English language. They
find the English language a pretty
hard nut to crack, butv that doesn't
deter them. They keep right at it
and crack it.
An -American gentleman, agent at
Yokohama for a trans-Pacific steam
ship company, now on leave in New
York, brings a quaint package of ma
terial illustrating the efforts of the
English schooled Japanese to gain a t
half-Nelson on the language of Shake- '
speare.
A few months ago a young Japanese
applied to the steamship agent for a
job as clerk in the Yokohama steam
ship office. There being no vacancies,
says the New York . Sun, the agent
civilly got rid o' the applicant, and on
the following day he received this ex
planatory letter from him:
Dear Sir: Many thanks for " your
sparing precious time during business
hour on my visit yesterday.
I failed on that occasion, owing
rather to. my sly nature to speak out
my principal motive for a clerk life,
and should be much obliged if you will
take it into consideration. The cause
for my being clerk is that I am a lover
of Charles Lamb, with whom I have
many points in common. I have an
affectionate sister for whose sake I
will sacrifice my life and lead a sin
gle life, like the English humorist.
Was he not a clerk in the Indian com
pany 'till his retirement through the
approaching age? I said my sister,
but to tell the truth, she was my cou
sin, and the past three years' was
a tragic comedy to us, and from pure
love, and by mutual consent, we will
lead a brother and sister life.
My second motive is that I may be
come a gentleman through your favor,
with whom I had no means to know
each other but such insolent way on
my part.
How glad my parents .and dear sis
ter be if they hear some day that I
get a position in your office. '
I intend to enter some school with
in two or three days and train myself
in bookkeeping and in the practice of
typewriter. t
Hoping you would not kindly forget
Die through an , artless fronties
(front?). Yours faithfully, ,.
' KATSUTARO.
Here is a letter from a Japanese :
shipping firm to the steamship com
pany respecting well; respecting
whatever it means:
Dear Sir: According to your favor
of November 28, 12-10th, with refer- .
ence to a discrepancy of 275 sacks of
flour, we send you the invoice No. 81,
which you have not. We' beg you to
return the invoice when you will not
be short of it and to inform us what
it will be intend by you in reference -l
to this discrepancy's explanation.
One of the Japanese employes or the
steamship office in Yokohama was
summoned up-country by the illness of
a brother. Here is the letter which
he wrote to the agent upon his arrival
home:
"My Honorable Mr. J. I will never
forget your kindness. When I was
hastening to return to my home I felt
that train was excedingly slow. Cer
tainly train was quick, but my thought
rather sooner than its running.' All
things which caught my eye on the
way were very beautiful and attractive
in the past time, but now they seemed .
disagreeable, gloomy, clumsy and sor
rowful. Then in the future what appearance
they will have to show me! All time
on the way home I could not avoid to
think fragments of the following
phrases: What is life? What is'hu
man being? What is ambition? Life
is earnest or life is an empty dream.
From dust to dust What is the im
mortality of the soul?
Such uncontrolling thoughts came to
occupy their places in my mind. Phan
tom after phantom. Imagination after
imagination, all time. I found such an
irregular conception of thinking and
could not get a categorical thought.
But for a moment I changed from busi
ness man to philosopher.
When arrived at my home I saw
three doctors and many relations gath
ering around my brother's bed. At a
sight of such a deplorable scene I
thought that my brother has at last
gone, so I hastened to see him, but
happily he was breathing but could
not perceive me well, and only heard '
my voice. In that moment I thought
all was gone, my tear dried, mind con
fused, only I felt as if I became a neu
tral being. . . : .
But fortunately he came to correct
his mind, and to perceive objects well,
after two hours by taking care of doc
tors. Then how great was our glad. -It
was- beyond description. But after
that he is staying in a very perilous
point, whether he will die or live, sink
or swim in so slight a change of con
dition his fate is to be destined. Doc
tor said his destination can be known
in the course of a few days, then I
want to know probable tendency of
condition of his sickness. , .
Will you please allow me to stay
home more a week? I have wished to
write you as soon as I came here but
could not Please excuse my unpolite
word and crowded sentence. I remain
yours, obedient fellow. K. M.
The Major's Condition
"The major hopes to be out soon."
"That's good.".
' "Yes; the rheumatism has changed
to his left leg, an' half that leg is
wood one-half bavin' been shot oft
la tha Er."-. . . .... J