Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1900)
A Story Illustrating the Horrors of War By II. D. WELSH. . . . CHAPTER IX. ( Continued. ) I "Ho Is living yet , thank God ! " said the colonel. And ho thought of hia sister , who , after much pleading and resolution , had , along with Dr. Mar garet Crawford , come as far as Ber ber. "We must send him back to Ber ber , " said the colonel. "Wo are on the march almost Incessantly now , and ho cannot live unless he Is properly attended to. We shall send him there at once. " And so , under an 'escort of Arab "boys , " CIcland was taken by river and rail to Berber , the "Queen of the Soudan. " Adrienne and Margaret were there , the latter attending to a few sick sol diers who had been left In the hospi tal. The time was not up for her en tering upon her duties , and she felt that she could not leave the Soudan until she learned whether Paul was Jiving or dead. Adrienne had told her all Rayburn'a dying confession , and now , when prob ably It .was too late , Margaret recog nized the fact that the barrier she had thought Insurmountable was no barrier after all. As Margaret was stooping over a elck man one day , ono of the native attendants came to tell her Mrs. Breynton wished to see her. Margaret went to the door , and at flrst sight of Adrlennc's face she grew pale as death , and leant for support against jK the doorway. "Tell me you have heard that he is dead ? " she gasped , rather than spoke. "No , my dear. " Adrienne paased her brave , unshrinking hand round the woman Paul loved and supported her with it. "He has been found , he Is coming here ; but he is 111 , unconscious , Mar garet. Still , God may be merciful , and we shall pray until lie must hear us , Margaret. " Margaret lifted her pale face , glowIng - Ing with a strange joy , and clasped her hands. "I shall nurse him , at least , " she whispered. "Oh , thank God ! " * * * * And she did , until the ebbing llfo began very slowly , but quite percep tibly to flow again. It was ono evening ah , should Mar garet ever forget It as long as she lived ? while she sat besldo him on her camp-stool , looking through the open window at the brilliant moon light making a pool of light for itself on the brown sand of the desert , that Cleland , quite suddenly and quietly , Is if ho were awakening from sleep , opened his eyes and looked at her. "Margaret , Is that you ? I dreamt you were there. My darling , are wo both dead , and is this my flrst awak ening on the other side ? " j "No , no , Paul ! You are still on " 7 earth , thank God , and I am here be- sldo you , never more to leave you now , if you wish it so , dear , for the barrier is gone for ever. " A strange Hash came Into the sick man's eyes , but for a moment he was silent. At last he spoke. "I do not know If I am still dreamIng - Ing or if I have heard aright. Mar garet , say it again , and I shall be sat isfled. You are mine for ever now ? " "For ever , Paul , If you will have me , " she answered , with a sob in her throat. He drew her face to his , and then their lips met in one long , long kiss such a kiss as surely those who have loved each other on earth may give when they meet for the first time "be yond the bourne of time and space. " Presently Adrienne came In. She approached the bedside , and as she came near she paused , a strange ex pression on her lips and in her eyes ; for she saw then that happiness had como to Paul and Margaret at last. Paul saw her and smiled , holding out his weak , thin hand. "You , too , my friend ! Surely I am recompensed for all I have suffered by knowing that I have the friend ship of one noble woman and the love of another. Yes , it is true , Mrs. Breyn ton. Margaret and I are quite happy , and wo owe our happiness she has told me. to a large extent to you. " "And bless you both , " said Adrienne. She held his hand in her own. and then , turning to Margaret , kissed her with brave nnquivering lips. ( The End. ) HER SISTER'S SECRET ' yV 'W T V V V * * ! / " " 5 I had vowed never to enter the Dor mers' house again ; but when they sent word that Malsie was dying I went there as fast as a hansom would carry me. Wo had always been such friends the child and I. But she was not a child now , at seventeen. "Wo never quarreled. " she said , holding my hand lightly. "There is not much tlmo to quarrel now You won't will you , Fred ? " I shook my head. A lump In my throat kept mo from speaking. "Promise mo before I toll you something. " "My poor little Maisle ! " I cried brokenly. "I promise. " She had been a pet of mine from the clay's when she was a toddling baby and I a big , awk ward boy. "It la about you and Lucy when you quarreled. " She stopped abruptly. "Yes ? " Lucy wua her elder alstcr. We had been engaged. "You wrote her an explnnntlon a satisfactory explanation. " "Apparently ! > he did not think so. She never answered the letter that I gave you to deliver. " "I I kept it. " She burled her face in the pillow. 1 was too astonished for words , but I kept stroking her hair. "I read It flrst. Then I burned it. " "If you get well , May , " I said , "and grow up I shall like you better thnn everybody. " She laughed faintly. "I believe 1 always did. " 1 wiped her eyes. "I sha'n't , " she said. "So you will like her again now , won't you ? " 1 hesitated. My affection for Lucy died a natural death. It had never been very deep ; neither , I fancied , had hers for me. I frowned. "You have not told her about the letter ? " She shook her head. "But you will be good to her ? You will make it up , won't you ? You need not tell her about mo only say that you arc sorry and want to be friends. Then you can be engaged again ; and and some day " Her lips quiv ered. "Marry her ? " She nodded. "But if I no longer care for her ? If I know that I can never love her as I could love ? My dear little playfellow and friend , I am not half so fond of Lucy as I am of you. " "Ah ! " she looked at mo with big , deep eyes. "I am only a child , denr Fred. " The wistful affection In the child's face touched me to the heart , and I kissed her frail hands. Lucy met me at the bottom of the stairs. "Maisie told mo that she never gave you the letter , Lucy ; that all the blame was hers. " "She told you that just to screen me , " she said , brokenly. "Do not trouble about it any more , " I do not cnre for you after all. " There was nothing more to say. So I turned to go ; but there was a knock nt the front door and I heard some one say , "The doctor. " So I waited to hear what he pronounced. After a few minutes he came down the stairs talking to Mrs. Dormer. "It Is a natural sloop , " he said. "The pulse Is steadier and the temperature more normal. The odds arc still' against her , but there Is hope. " The tears came to my eyes at last , and Lucy en me ! and put her hand on my shoulder. "You can win hci- back to life , Fred , " she said , "our little girl. Stay , till she wakes. " I h.ul already resolved to stay. I went upstairs and sat with my el bow on her bed and my face on my hand , watching my little favorite. Presently her mother came and knelt beside me. "Lucy has told me all , Fred , " she whispered. "You you will not tell the others ? " "I will not , " I promised. When my little girl awoke she was not looking toward me. "Better dear ? " aske'l her mother. "Why yes , " she laughed feebly. "It must be Fred. Do you know , I believ ! ! ho would make me grow well if he were often hero with mo. " "He will be , little sweetheart , " I said softly. She turned to me with a happy cry , and I whispered In her car what I knew , and other things that were only for her and me. They were the things that won her back to life , she says , when wo talk of such matters. Chicago cage American. IColirrt or George , The legitimist Jacobite league of Great Britain and Ireland , through Registrar Rodwayo of the North Am erican Cycle of the Order of the White Rose , Roxbury , Mass. , has Issued a cir cular to the faithful , asking , "Who has the best right" ( as heir to the British throne ) , "Robert or George ? " "Robert" is the son of Princess Mary Thetesa of Modena. now the Princess Louise of Bavaria , who is styled by the legltlm- lata Mary IV. ( of Scotland ) aid 'H. ( of England ) , whose descent from the male line of the Stuarts is undeniable , but whoso ancestral ' claims to the throne were set aside by the act of Biiccesslon that excluded Catholics from the crown. "George" Is the vluke of York , so that It Is evident that "the legitimist Jacobite league" admits Queen Victoria and the prince of Wales. CIri'ck DolciKlraclmi. A Greek dekadrachm , or medallion of Syracuse , dating from 105 , B. C. , sold for $ GC5 at a sale of rare antique coins In London the other day. An American eagle , minted In the flrst year of gold coinage In America , was knocked down for $27. Rare Italian , French , and German coins brought high prices. TO IlltCHtlRlltU ( lUll l'OMllttl > . Lord Raylelgh has been appointee ! by the British government chairman of a committee which Is to invtesti- gate gunpowders nnd designs of guns with which they may bo used to the best advantage. m OF SPOIUTION Institute for the Blind at Nebraska Oity Crippled by Incompotcncy , LOOSE METHODS ARE EMPLOYED In TrniiHiH-Iln ; the lluilnrM of th liutt- tuto The Ailinliilntnitlon .Setcrvly Ar raigned unit Openly Imi > enlte .t ! > > ' I'lmlon Onii-hilK TliruuclvcH. NEBRASKA CITY , Neb. , Aug. 27. To the hlHtory of mismanagement , Incompetenoy. party spoliation and po litical preferment in the conduct of atate Inatltutlona under the fusion administration , the Institute for the Blind at Nebraska City furnlsltca an unenviable chapter. This institution , like all the rest , has been made an asylum for those of the fusion party who by reason of party service have , In the oyea of th'e fusion lenders , mer ited recognition to the extent of hav ing ther names on the pay roll. It is a matter of common notoriety that J. E. Harris , the present super intendent , acquired thla position through a deal made on tlio floor of the convention , whereby he was to atop aside as candidate for lieutenant governor and give way to Lieutenant Governor Gilbert , a free silver repub lican. His eligibility and Illness en tered into the deal only aa a second ary consideration , notwithstanding that the position carries with It a great deal of responsibility. But Har ris was In the way of a tripartite ar rangement and to remove the ob struction , the head of Superintend' ' ! ! . Jones went Into the basket and Harris wna given his position , which among other things , carries with it a salary of $1,800 a year and board and lodging. UNFITTED FOR SUPERINTEND ENT. At one period In hit ) life Superintend- out Harris was young and agile. That was many years ago. Senility In Its irresistible pilgrimage has reclaimed him from the paths of youth and has bent his once tall and robuat form to Its will. The elasticity of step has disappeared , and the visitation of time is Indicated by a head white from the frosts of many winters , irre spective of his mental qualifications , age and physical decrepitude com bined to incapacitate him for duties incident to the superlntendency of such an Institution. Nor can it bo denied that age militates ngntnst Mr. Harris. The fact is that lie does not teach at all. though the custom , as well as the rule , has always necn ror the superintendent to teach one or more cf the branches. When asked why ho did not teach Superintendent Hairis frankly stated that he was too old. Ho also stated that before assuming the position ho informed Governor Poyntcr that He would not teach , yet despite this he was appointed. DISSIPATION OF FUNDS. Few business houses In Nebraska could conduct their affairs along the same line of this Institute without in the end going into bankruptcy. In the flrst place , only about eighty blind children are In the institution all told. Strange and startling as it may scnm , it is nevertheless true , as attested by vouchers on file In the auditor's ofllcn , that the number of people on the pay roll Is equal to more than CO per cent of the number of inmates. The June vouchers show fifteen teachers and thirty-two other employes ( see vouch ers B45994 and B15997) ) . This docs not Include the superintendent and his wife , nor the steward and his wife , all of whom are on the pay roll , making In all a salary Itet of fifty-one people. The story of this raid on the treasury is fully recited by the nu merous vouchers on flle in the aud itor's office and the consequent deple tion of the funds. The wife of the superintendent has had her name on the pay roll only a short time , and the fact that It la there can be re garded only in the light of a testimon ial to fusion pcralstency , which knows no adversity in the attainment of pe cuniary trimuph. The school has upwards of fifteen teachers on the pay roll , at from $50 to $65 per month each. So far as the pay roll is concerned , it reflects a most prodigal spirit on the part of the ad ministration , anil strongly indicates that the primary object of fusion donilnancy is to gather In the loaves and flahes. Apply the per capita ex pense of education In this institution to all other institutions of learning In the state , making dun allowance for the character of the Instruction , and the state In a few short years would be debt-ridden from one end to the other. DIVIDING THE LOAVES AND FISHES. The manner in which Superintend ent Harris was appointed has been told. With alight modification the story might be applied to nearly all the employes of the Institution. In nearly every appointment can be soon traces of political spoliation. The damage done as a result of this reaches a limit that is incalculable. Nor is it to be presumed that there have not been frequent changes with out consequent demoralization. In proof of this assertion all that needs be cited Is excerpts from the ofllclal report. In the biennial report of the Institution under date of December 11 , 1898 ( sec page 318) ) , Mrs. Caroline Mc- Taggert evidences her lack of knowl edge of her d'Ules by openly stating In her report that : "My experience In the work is too limited to enable mete to say with any great degree of cer tainty what pupils may accomplish. " W. B. Woods , another teacher , un consciously throws the searchlight on the cphemeraey of the tenure of oflice In the same report by calling attention to the fact that "an experi ence of three months in teaching Eng lish In a school for the blind , In ad dition to a year's experience In teach ing other subjects , Is entirely too brief to make 'any conclusions of much value. " And this Is the history of state in stitutions under ftiBlonlsm. There la such a mad scramble for spoils and such little regard for the public weal that scarcely la ono t5 > polnlee Inducted Into ofllco than hti It put out to make room for anothor. Thla keeps the Institutions In con stant restlessness and turmoil , keeps them In the hands of Inexperienced In- dvlduils , with the result that those for whom those Institutions are main tained derive little or no benefit. Since the fuslonlats acquired control , two different aupcrlntcndenta have been appointed at Nebraska'City and nu merous changes have been mndo In the Hat of teachers. In each Instance , or nearly ao. the change has been made for political reasons. Under such conditions Is It any wonder that the teachers do not feel fully qualified to give an opinion on the best methods In teaching the blind , or that the Institution Itself should In Its achievements fall far short of meeting contemplated statutory re quirements ? FARM 1 NO OUT f PATRONAGE. The man with a "pull" Is very much In evidence nt Nebraska City. It was n "pull" that placed Frank Marnell on the pay roll ns steward at $800 per ye r , along with his wlfo at $180 per year. Marnell la BO fortunate ns to have a brother In the newspaper busl- ttoss. He publishes a fusion dally nt Nebraska City. This Is why ho was deemed fitted for steward. Nor does the Marnell family stop at that. The Nebraska City News boaata of too po tent n leverage In the nffnlra of the fusion party to bo placated or pacified by a stewardship. It not only boasts but It command * , and It therefore re ceives more substantial recognition than Is ordinarily accorded fusion nub- llcatlons. Filed away In the archives of the auditor's ofllco are voucl-ors boui'lng testimony to the frequent ex peditions of the publisher of the News atToss the plains from Nebraska City to the treasury at Lincoln. Most of the money la for job work , work glvon the News , it la reported , at Its own figures and without competition. Within the last year the News has managed to gather In about $200 of the atalo's money without much exer tion and at very lltle coat to Itself. ( See vouchers B31302. 113557(5 ( , 1135899. B37001 , 1141401. 111338S and BIC205. ) Othera besides the News people are keeping lu close and sympathetic * touch with the treasury. It la a noticeable fact that the hooka contain the firm name of Cardwell & Leldigh , though the same Mr. Curd well is the presi dent of the Board of Trustees of the Institution. Tlinnirh n.-irihvnll & Leldigh are In the hardware business the firm's name is found as creditor In the "living expense" account of the Institute. It is a strange anomaly that , which places the employe in a position to "order and direct" his employer. It would also be strangely anomalous were the system prevalent over the land for an onicial lo bo his own auditor or account examiner. But hero is an example of it : "This voucher Is hereby approved by the Board of Trustees Ibis 4lh day of May , 1900 , and the Auditor of Public Accounts is hereby ordered and directed to draw his warrant for the sum of ? 2o,35 lu full payment and satisfaction of the Lame , and this claim is found to be correct and ap proved In all things. "J. J. CARDWELL , "President JJontd of Trustees. " The voucher above refer * cd to was for the flrm , of which , Cardwell is a member , for goods sold to Iho st'itc. ( See voucher B15431. ) This firm's name appears on the books In several instaneon , as having sold goods to the Institute. In inlditiou to this it is curiently reported that some of those contractors who have from time to time secured contracts for building and repairing have been for some tin- accountable IOIROU partial to thla firm In placing their ardors fop material During the last year the amount of building and repair work has reached over $ r > ,000 , but , as all the vouchers are made In omnibus form and In the name of the contractor , there Is noth Ing of record to show Just who or what firm came in for the plunder. LAX BUSINESS METHODS. The omnibus system of making out vouchers has become notorious tinder the present administration. That It opens nn avenue to the commission of fraud few will gainsay. It Is a romiion occurrence to find vouchers for large amounts made out In the very indefinite terms of "for labor and material , " without specifying how much of cither. These terms arc em ployed as frequently in rendering bills where there ia no contract aa where there is. In the last year a barn costing about $450 was built without advertising for bids , and that the st-tto paid dearly for the luxury is quite apparent. A running track and bowl- lug alley waa built in the gymnasium at a cost of $900 , and the voucher reads : "For material , $500 ; labor , $100. " There IB nothing in the vouch er to show specifically how much ma terial or how much labor the state received. As a rule , the methods employed In the conduct of the Institute , are equal- Iv as vulnerable. The manner in which bllla arc made out affords an opportunity for a vast amount of fraud. It Is safe to say that there Is scarcely an article in the grocery line , but what there are several grades of it. In many Instances , especially in canned and bottled goods , there Is not only a difference In quality but a dif ference in quantity. The bills ren dered tne institute in no way recog nizes this very important distinction. If a bill be rendered for bottled goods , such as catsup or table sauces , It bini- ply gives the number of botlos , never mentions the brand , which In the groc ery line Is a synonym of quality , and seldom gives the size of the boltlo or quantity. Thla course may bo pur sued without an object , but it ran bo seen nt ouco that it affords nn oppor tunity for fraud , both in letting con tracts to favorites and In charging for goods never delivered. No one bcems to question the honesty of Su perintendent Harris or of Steward Marnell. What complaint Is made Is matlo against the Board of Trustees and the governor for placing and maintaining people in office to manage the affairs of a state Institution who have little or no cone-option of their duty or of ordinary business methods. A BAD MIXTURE. Superintendent Harris undertakes to manage the school and the "farm" nt the same time , with the result that neither Is properly managed. The "farm" Is a ten-aero piece of ground , and Is little more than a play yard. jot Superintendent Harris manages t to iimko 11 a luxury and an oxpoualva < ono to the taxpayers. With only three horses , a half dozen hogs and four cowa to look after there are several "farm laborers" at the institute whoso duty It Is to rare for the stock ( ? ) and attend the "crops. " Quarters could bo secured for all the stock on the "farm" at the best hotel In the state for less money than la expended for their keeping at the institute. As a patron of husbandry , so far as profits to Iho atnlo are concerned , Mr. Harris Is anything but a brilliant success. And there are leaks In the luat'tu ' * tlon as well as In the "farm. " Irre spective of the large pay roll , there are leaks that In the long run make n noticeable increase In the cost of main taining the ftchool. One of these leaks Is the department of chemistry. Another la In the teach ing of zoology , botany , biology nnd mlnerology. Considerable money 1ms1 been consumed by the department of chemistry , though few familiar with Unit branch of study who would rec ognize at once the necessity of tight would think of placing chemistry In the curriculum of the blind. Review ing thla very problem , Prof. MrTng- gart of the department of science- and mathematics of the Institute , In hla biennial report to the superintendent , ( In 1S98. page 329) says : "In the study of chemistry , biology and mlnerology the nicest discrimina tions and most accurate measurements must bo made'Involving the use of Instruments requiring Bight. No ade quate knowledge of zoology or botany can be had without the UBO of tha dis secting Unite and microscope. In chemistry , analytical nnd qualitative determinations require the most -.loll- nlto and complicated proteases which cannot bo carried on by persons who have lost thi'ir sight. This statement ia so nearly self evident that It hardly needs to bo mnde. " In Iho face of this , however , a de partment of chemistry In maintained , though only to the extent ot purchas ing the necessary instruments and ma terial. None of the expense la re moved , though the teaching of this and kindred sciences has practically been abandoned. Only recently an order for $ r > 0 worth of material for thla department was given , though It la apparent , for the foregoing reason , that It la a clear waste of money. DANGER OF SICKNESS. Nothing goes farther in evidencing decrepitude and inactivity on the part of the inaniiKoment than the general appearance of the institute. The walla and floors at the close of school thla summer were very filthy , nnd It la a temnrknble stroke of fortune that sick ness lias not wrought sad havoc among the * inmates. According to reports , the buildings have , hyglenlcally speaking never been kept properly rcguln'od since the fuslonlsts have had charge. In bud condition as they are now , according to Superintendent Harris , things wore much worse when ho was appointed and took charge one year ago. Speaking of the condition of things at that tlmo Superintendent Harris said : "It was n most terrible sight. The buildings were fairly nllvo with bod- bugs. After wo came hero my wife and I worked for ai : ; rnoutha before vc flnnlly got rid of the bn'l-bugs. ' The btiRH were in every room , In the beds anil pnpcr on the walls , and even the rooms occupied by the superintend ent and hla family were alive with them. It waa the worst sight I ever behold. " This Is what one fusion official says of the management of another fusion olllelnl. Assuming that Superintend ent Harris found the building In the condition stated ho baa made some Im provements , yet there Is wide room for further Improvements along the line of cleanliness , and If additional steps in that direction arc not taken disease nnd pestilence may result at any time. It is no doubt true that Superintend- out Harris has waged a succeirful warfare against the apterous troapns- sers which he found inhabiting the bedding and furniture of the Inst'.luto when ho took charge , but there is yet an ample opportunity afforded him for dUtlngulshment In other dliec- tious. On the whole , there is room for manv beneficial chances at this insti tute , both in the way of stopping raids on the treasury and Improving the faculty. Under fusion control grades In this Institution exist only In theory and not In practice , and the pupil graduates much In the way a stone rolls down hill picking out Its own way without any well defined mute or limitation as to tlmo. Prop erly managed , the Institute can bo maintained at much less expense and to much greater advantage. So long , however , as positions In this and other Institutions are given out In liquida tion of political debts the theory o reform , ao conspicuously pictured by the fusion leaders , becomes nt once a ludicrous Incongruity. When Superin tendent Harris was asked why he did not grade the school he said : "I would like to , but you know oin term of oflice Is ao indefinite that ono hardly knows what to do. If I felt secure In my position for any material length of tlmo I would do ao. " Thla Is the whole story In a few words. Under fusionls-m frequent changes have demoralized the Insti tutions , and time which should be de voted to the good of the instiution Is spent in contriving plans to Keep the official head beyond reach of the guillotine. Thi "Worlct-il. " ) Tr.ip . For aorno time Isaac Mulford , a far iner living near Brldgeton , N. J. , baa been misalng chickens , ao he sat a man trap without letting the family know. His son , Alfred , stayed out late the other evening , and , while slipping up to the house , was caught In the trap. Feailng a dressing down from his father for staying out so late the young man stayed there all night. Ills martyrdom was in vain , for the first person to sec him next morning was his father. llllpuflll ilH (0 ( IC 'H1llU. William , the Georgia bankers , and his party of cashiers and pretty girls , left Now York for the south the lust of the week. There have been no- marriages aa the result of the trip , al though It Is understood that matri mony was ono of the objects of the junket. There la the consolation of knowing that seven engagements have been made , however , nnd doubtless the weddings will take place lu Gee - irlii In due time. Preparation is Being Mndo for a Stay All Next Winter , EARL LI'S APPEAL IS REJECTED. of llcupmullilo Government nt 1'rkln OKcu it * Itrunon Couxrr fin- porti Chaotic tiomlltlont Chlnnio Cnnttal It I'ructlcully In Ilntuli of Alllti. WASHINGTON , Aug. 23. After a long conference at the White IIouso the reply of the United States to the application of LI Hung Chang for the apponltmcnt of puaco commissioners was completed and a copy of the reply sent to the Chlneso Minister , Mr. Wu to bo forwarded to Earl LI. The atato department made a definite announce ment that the reply had been conveyed lo Mr. Wu , but added to Its oillclal ut terances that the correspondence would not bo made public until tomor row morning. A copy of the reply was sent to other governments represented In China. The American reply Is chiefly char acterized by Its linn tone and Ha brev ity. Its keynote IH the president's at titude as laid down In the American note of July 3 , and there la the strict est adherence to the points enunciated at that time. While the document la open to the construction of being a re jection of LI Hung Chang's proposi tion for Immediate negotiations , yet It la stated by those who have read the answer with rare and have had a part In Us preparation that "rejection" Is probably too strong a term to apply to It. The United States placoa Itself In the position of being ready at the proper tlmo to take up peace negotia tions , but In the present unsettled con dition of affairs In the empire , the lack of knowledge as to who are the ro- aponslblo rulers and what constitutes the actual Chinese government , It la mndo clear that the tlmo has not ar rived for pursuing the negotiations proposed. The formal courtesy of di plomatic procedure Is preserved , but at the same tlmo the entire toner of the document la marked by force anil llrmnena. The government of the United Statea takes the position that negotiations are Impossible with a gov ernment which cannot prevent hostil ities against the forces of the powers which wore aent to the Chinese capital to save the envoys. As long aa at- tacka are made on the troopa of thla and other governments , suuh aa have followed the occupation of Pekln , and the attacka In the vicinity of Tien Tain It la deemed that the Chinese govern ment la either unwilling or unable to prevent these hostilities , and for thla reason negotiations must bo deferred. The most Important development of the day as to the actual conditions In Pekln came late In the afternoon , when the state department made pub lic a dispatch from Minister Conger , dated at Pekln only three dayo ago. It was given out with the following state ment : , , "Tho stale department authorizes the .announcement . of the receipt at an early hour thla ( Wednesday ) morning through the consul at Clio Fee of a telegram front Mlnlator Conger In the department cipher to the following ef fect : "PEKIN , Aug. 10. Secretary of State , Washington : The entire city with the exception of the Imperial palace - ace la occupied by Japanese , Russian , British , Americana and French. It la being apportioned Into districts for po lice supervision. The Chlncao army fled. The Imperial family and the court have gone westward , probably to Slan Fu , In the provlnco of Sheiial. No rep resentatives of the Chlneso government are In Bight In Pokln and the coudl- tlona are chaotic. The imlaco Is ex pected to be taken Immediately. Manr missionaries have started for home , while othera remain In charge of the Chriatlan refugcsa , numbering about 1.000. CONGER. " EX-SENATOR INGALL'S WH.L. KHtnto to Wife Who U to Ho Kol i KxocutrU. ATCHISON , Kan. , Aug. 23. The will of the late Senator John J. In- galls , filed In probate court today , Is aa follows : "Vice President's Chamber , Wash ington In the name of God , Amen : I , John J. Ingalls , of the city and county of Atchlson , In the state of Kansas , mindful of , the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death , do make pub lic and declare my last will and testa ment. I give , bequeath and devlso unto my beloved wife , Anna Louise , all my property and estate , real , porsonnl and mixed of every description , and wherever situated , and appoint her solo executrix hereof , without bond , auroty or undertaking. "In wltnesa whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal , In the pres ence of the subscribing witnesses , who signed the same In my presence and In the presenceot each other , this 21th day of August , A. D. 1889. "JOHN JAMES INGALL3. "Witnesses : "F. J. IIAIG. "W. R. CLAY. " NEW YORK. Aug. 23. It was ior. mally announced today that the will of Colllls P. Huntlngton will bo filed tomorrow or Friday. There wore sev eral conferences at the Southern Pa cific office today and It was believed that the will would bo road to the family thla afternoon or evening. Duello ropulitr In Itnly. LONDON , Aug. 23. The Rome cor respondent of the Dally Mall says : "During the last few weeks duels have caused a perfect slaughter In Italy. As many aa four duelists wore killed In different towns last Satur day. "During the last year 2,400 duela have been fought In Italy and 480 deaths have resulted. Moat of these combats were between army ofllcers and baned on the most trivial pre texts. "