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About Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 13, 1900)
That is What the State is Hatching at tha South Bend Pish Hatchery , VATS FULL Of SICK AND DEAD FISH Stud niul Poisonous Matter Saloon Hooper Appointed Superintendent Supplies I'urchHscd for Ilutcliory Un der Very Unbusinesslike Conditions. SOUTH BEND , Neb. , Sopt. 10. The State Fish Hatchery at South'Bend con stitutes In Itself a sweeping and force ful arraignment of Governor Poyntor and the fusion administration. If any thing Is lacking In Impeaching the In tegrity and establishing the Incotn- lietehcy of the chief executive of the state , this supplies It. night here may lie found evidence of palpable negli gence , lax and questionable business methods , a shamefully Incompetent maangcment , perversion of the public funds and general decay and ruin of the property. WEEDS IN PLACE OF FISH. The condition of the hatchery la such that one unfamiliar with the place would at once conclude that the state was In the business of propagating weeds Instead of fish. In fact the work of destruction of the fish supply has gone on to an alarming extent , and by the end of the present year there will be little left of this Institution but Bad reminders. Already every vat or pond used In the propagation of fish is filled with weeds , moss and swamp products. In most places the weeds rise above the water and almost cover It from view. The reservoirs are half filled with moss , mud and filth , and , where the water can bo seen at all , the surface reveals the presence of much poisonous vegetable matter. The pres ence of poison and filth manifests Itself In lethargy and death among the finny tribe. In nearly every vat there are sick and dead fish , which combine to endanger the life of the entire habi tation of the acquarium. The moss and weeds have grown so high and dense that they are cut with a scythe , a most destructive way of removing the ob struction , so far as the fish are con cerned. Thousands of dollars will have to be expended to restore the hatchery to proper condition , and much money and time will bo required to place It in that condition , where it will bo of any benefit to the state. GROSS NEGLIGENCE AND INCOM PETENCE This Is but the logical fruition o : gross negligence and Incompetcncy "When the fuslonlsts assumed contro of the state government the hatchery was in charge of M. O'Brien , who wa an experienced and practical man , ant : who had had supervisory control o it for upwards of twelve years. H < was succeeded by his son , William O'Brien , who held the position of superintedent up to last August. The latter was thoroughly schooled In the business and under his management the hatchery prospered. But Governor Poynter and the fusion leaders wanted something besides prosperity. They wanted to use the public patronage as a legal tender for the payment of po litical debts. This resulted one year ago In the retirement of O'Brien and In the appointment of Adam Sloup , an Omaha saloonkeeper , as superintend ent. At that time as now , Sloup know nothing of the fish hatching business. The only experience ho had was In fishing for "suckers" with effervescing wines and liquors. To his credit , let it be said , that he himself , at the time of his appointment , told the governor that ho knew absolutely nothing about the duties of the position and did not feel fitted for the place. Despite this , and to nlacate a ravenous element of the Jacksonian democracy in Douglas county , whq demanded the appoint ment of Sloup , Governor Poynter ap pointed him superintendent , "luis was about one year ago. As might have been expected , the last year has been a year of terrible havoc at the hatch- cry. Another year of such manage ment , ad there will be nothing left the state for the many thousands of dollars lars expended but ruin and desolation. Superintendent Sloup draws his sal ary , $1,200 per year , dresses as primp and fashionable as a gentleman , of means and affects to look wise. That is about all he can do. Ho knows the difference between a fish and a hen- hawk , but it would bo trespassing upon the realm of uncertainty to presume that ho could distinguish between a German carp and a black bass. As for the species of fish , the manner in which' they propagate , or the particular care which should bo accorded , he knows practlcaly nothing. An Instance of thls may be recited as evidence : Each year it has been the custom for the super intendent to go to Bay City , Mich. , for plko spawn or eggs. Up to the present - ent year this has always been done. This year It lias not , tor the simple reason that neither the superintendent nor any one connectea with the hatch ery was competent to do it , Had the nuperlntedent gone he was Just as apt to bring back the eggs or larvae of some pestiferous insect as the spawn of pike , and , rather than assume the risk , the pracclce was abandoned. Had prudence and care been exercised In the selection c ! workmen at the hatch ery the blundar in selecting an incom petent superintendent would not have been so disastrous. But again was party expediency consulted , with the result that there Is not a man around the hatchery , from superintendent down , who Is qualified. There are two workmen ai * ho hatchery In addition to the suporlnU-ndont. liacu 'Irr.ws a salary of $40 per month. Their names are C. E. Strclght and Sumner Barnell Neither Is of much service to the state Barnoll Is known as n man who takes the v.nrld easy. Were it not for the proper solution of economic problems the mantle of care would rest lightly upon him. This worries him. Before ho was placed on the pay roll , ho had a two-acre farm at South Bend. While the weeds were working out the do atructlon of his potato crop and pro duce garden ho was abstracting brain fodder from "Coin" Harvey. As a patrdn of husbandry he was no less a failure than as fish hatcher. At any rate Barnell sold his "farm" and land- ed his name on the pay roll of the state at $40 per month. Ho Is now at the hatchery , where , among the everglades and thickets of native and exotic vegetation , ho can evolve such panaceas as arc intended to remove economic afflictions , to his heart's con tent If the fish sicken and die through neglect , that Is of no concern. 11 THE FUNDS DISSIPATED. The last legislature appropriated $ G- 800 for the maintenance of the hatch ery. This Is nearly exhausted. Al- teady there is a shortage In s'omo of the funds. The last payment from the labor fund was made February 23,1900. llnco that tlmo the laborers have re- : elved no pay. The state owes them 'or seven months' work already , and It vlll bo about seven months more before .hey will receive pay , If , Indeed , they ire paid at all , for those familiar with ho condition of the hatchery arc of .ho opinion that the state will close it and go out of the business. There is just $21 In the labor fund , though ho pay roll will require at least $1,100 , .he way things are being managed , be- 'oro another appropriation is available. There Is scarcely a fund that Is not withering under the raids that are be- ng made on the treasury , and that ; here will bo a largo shortage or de ficit , unless these raids are abated , Is lelf evident. C. E. Straight , one of the laborers at he hatchery , speaking of the matter , jald : "It's prety tough to work when you don't get your pay for It. The state owes mo now for four months' work and I expect It will bo ten months before I got paid. " "How do you account for It ? " "I don't exactly know. I think If .ho labor fund had been properly used .t wouldn't have boon so bad. I un derstand that the repairing of the dams and such work was charged up to the labor fund. " Whether this be true or not , that the . epalrs were charged up to th > J labor fund , cannot at this tlmo be verified , as no Vouchers for labor had been re ceived at the time of writing from the superintendent for record at the aud itor's office since the month of May. At any rate the fund Is exhausted , and that , too , without deducting the cost of repairs of the dams. Indirectly It was learned that It cost the state $750 for repairing three small dams , though why It should bo so expensive , a superficial investigation failed to disclose. Vouchers for this work should be on file In the auditor's office long since. Whether held back designedly or not , nobody appears to know. The only person qualified to explain Is Superintendent Sloup and he was ab sent from his post of duty when the hatchery was visited. Some said he was In Omaha attending to his saloon business , and others , that he was at a democratic convention. LAX BUSINESS METHODS. Selecting a saloonkeeper of scarcely ordinary business intelligence for the suporintendency of an institution re quiring , among other things , specific knowledge of fish and fish propagation was a blunder palpable on Its face , and one that will cost the state no small amount of money. And , by the way , Superintendent Sloup Is still in the sa loon business , his establishment being located at the corner of Fourteenth and 11 Williams streets In the city of Omaha. He has a partner In the business named Kruml , and the saloon is run under the firm name of Sloup & Kruml. Whether Mr. Sloup Is successful , from a business standpoint , In the manage ment of his saloon , Is of no public concern. Mr. Sloup Is herein consid ered , not as saloon-keeper , but as a public official. Certain It Is , however , that If Mr. Sloup paid no more atten tion to the business details of his sa loon than ho does to the hatchery his business methods would fall far short of meriting emulation. In purchasing supplies for the hatch ery ho has practically discarded the system of contract. Whether this be his fault or the fault of the uoara or trustees Is a question , but It Is never theless true that little If any effort has been made to procure supplies at competitive prices. In the course of an Investigation along this line It was discovered that a certain meat dealer In Omaha , a warm personal friend of Superintedent Sloup , Is furnishing the meat supply for the hatchery. Liver Is used extensively at the hatchery for fish food. It was discovered that V. P. Kuncl , the meat dealer herein referred to , Is furnishing this part of the sup plies. Kuncl's place of business Is at No. 1244 South Thirteenth street , In the city of Omaha , about two blocks from the saloon of Sloup & Krural. When asked If the llvor was being fur nished under contract ono of the Kuncl's said : "No ; wo have no contract. Wo sell the liver as cheap as we can afford to and that la all. We box it up and ship It , but the state has to pay the trans portation charges. " This Is only an example of the man ner in which the business is conducted. There Is no competition in buying , like that resulting from contracts , and In most Instances the superintendent Is afforded an unrestrained opportunity to patronize his own personal friends. The goods are not weighed , nor are they checked up when received at the hatchery , thus leaving a wider opening for crookedness and fraud. Taken PS a whole there may be oth er Institutions of the state as loosely managed , but none more grossly mis managed. The damage wrought Is not easily repaired. What the state has expend ed thousands of dollars for Is now a mere shadow , representing practically nothing. A continuation of the pres ent policy and management will ulti mately result In the whole Investment being a total loss. Superintendent Sloup would , no doubt , do better If ho know how , but ho Is unskilled In the business and Is unable to Inaugurate such changes as are required to pre vent complete loss. Poynter's compro mise with the politicians , by which they were to support him for rcnom- Inatlon on condition that they select the people for the various offices to bo filled by appointment , has proven a ter rible detriment to the state. The only woman rabbi on record is Miss Rachel Frank , who had conferred The first thimbles wore made In Hoi- Knd. They wore brought to England in 1G95. Local Prosperity. HAUNDr.IlS COUNTY. "Prosperity , " said F. E. White cash ier of the Ashland Nntlonnl bank , Is everywhere In evidence. The farmers arc making money and as a rule are not borrowers. How different It was only five years ngo. I recall the case of n man who came In and applied for a loan of $150. "What collateral have you ? " I asked. "Ono grey team , four and five years old , " ho replied. I "Any moro ? " I "One mule team , twelve and four teen years old. " "Any moro ? " "Four milch cows , four , five and six years old , rod polled. " "Any more ? " "I'm not certain I could recover the money If I had to foreclose. I hosltato to lend money on such questionable security. " Continuing , Mr. White said : "I did lot the man have the money , but it was because I know him to be honest. I mention the cnso because It was ono of many. Everybody was hard up. Since those days the farmers have paid tholr urgent debts while the well-to-do have on deposit In this bank double the amount of money then held there. Moreover , the old real estate mort gages of 1897-8 that were taken out on ten years time nt 7 per cent Inter est are being taken up and now loans made at reduced Interest of 5 and 5 % per cent. " Near Ashland lives Ole Blom and hln two sons. Mr. Blom has several tracts of land in Saunders and other counties. He snys : "I have just sold several thousand bushels of corn nt 32 and 34 cents per bushel. My cattle bring me large profits and the price for the past three years cannot bo grumbled at. I have made money from my land and some condition other than good crops must bo the cause. " John Tarpcnnlng , a neighbor of Mr. Blom , has a beautiful valley farm and largo fields of corn. "I cannot say but my crops have brought mo good enough prices for the past few years. I've had bad luck In raising hogs , but that is no fault ot manage ment nor of the market. It Is certain ly romerknble that prices continue so good. " George Sanders lives near Ashland on his 15-acro tract. He has several fine farms that ho rents for $2.50 to $3.00 per aero. "I could not sell land and It was uphill work to rent nt good figures five years ago. I am exceed ingly well pleased with present mar- kct conditions. " George S. Smith , between Memphis and Ashland , has a fine farm and prosperity appears on all sides. Mrs. Smith told her story of pleasant times as the wlfo of a farmer , and related with no little pride that she "never knows want by reason of profits from her chicken flock and dairy cows. I am enabled to more than furnish the table and clothe the family from my part In the farm work. " Mr. Smith recently built n largo barn. He has a largo corn crop growing. "I am sat- Isfled with the prices and feel that my work Is not In vain. " William Mullendorf Is a renter near Yutan. "I lost too much for my hard work In old conditions prior to four years ago and do not want to see any chpiges from the present. As a renter I can appreciate the good times. " CKDATl COUNTY. The prosperous condition of this section Is simply phenomenal. No place I know of m the state has made such rapid strides In the last three years as has Hartlngton , the county seat of Cedar county. It Is the termi nus of the Wakcfleld branch of the C. St. P. . M. & O. railway , and claims a population of 1,500 , has a good water system and a volunteer fire depart ment , a brick court-house that cost $27,000 , and nine churches In which services J are regularly held. In the last three years several large brick business 1 blocks have been built , mak ing j Main street almost solid brick on both sides , and more brick buildings are , now In course of construction. Hartlngton has a handsome brick high school building that cost over $14,000 , and there Is another private Catholic school being built that will cost about $10,000. Senator Roblson , E. L. Dlmlck and others have recently erected beautiful residences costing $4.000 and $5,000 each , and probably $30,000 more has boon expended here In the last two years In residences costing from $1,000 to $2,000 each. The sidewalks In the business portion arc of cement and the street crossings arc made of paving brick. E. L. Dimlck , one of the pioneers who erected the first building In this city In September , 1883 , Is engaged In the real estate and loan business. He says this town went through the hard times from 1893 to 1897 better than many other places , with no bank or business failures , but that not a bus iness concern In the town made a dol- lor during the four years , on account of shrinkage In values and bad debts. Many men grow gray then trying to save as much as they could of what they had previously accumulated. But In the last three years business con ditions are all that could bo desired , real estate has advanced about 33 1-3 per cent , Interest on farm loans 1ms fallen from 8 to 9 per cent In 189G to 5 > / per cent In 1900. Land Is worth twice as much now as It would sell for at forced sale In 189G. The crops In this part of the state were never better , and , with prices good , the farmers were never before In as good circumstances as they are now. H. B. Suing , county treasurer , says , "The delinquent tax list Is reduced one-half and that the * Interest duo on school bond leases is all paid , except in three Instances. During the hard times there was a general default in payments. " Mr. Fonal , county clerk and recorder , says that nearly all the old farm mort gages arc paid off and that the farm ers of this county are in excellent condition financially , many of thain buying moro land and Increasing their herd of live stock. Mr. Nelson , cashier of the First Na tional bank , says that the deposits in the banks here are moro than double what they were In 1896 , and that In terest rates arc much lower. This Is rjulto a cattle country. The stock ralsorn Imvo been making money fast ulnco the Inauguration of McKlnloy ami this condition will bo rcapoyalblo for a number of polllcal changes that have accrued In this part of Cedar county. The change In the prices of grain and live stock has also u strong effect on the farmer. Every man Interviewed , who la en gaged In stock-raising and farming , says that times are the best that ho over experienced , and that ho Is mak ing good money on both his crop and live stock. One of these farmers com plained that ho had the last payment to maka on a loan that did not fall duo until 1901 , that he wants to pay It now , but the lender would not take U , because ho did not know whcro he could loan the money again. The hardware firm of Morris & Gould , who do an extensive business here , employing nine clerks , say that no one thing Indicates to them the prosperous condition of tnls farming community so much as the hmncnso sale of buggies and carriages to the farmers In the last two years ; that they sold five car loads this year and as much last year and that there was three other firms In the city selling a similar class of vehicles and were doing a good business. A prudent farmer never buys luxuries when he Is In debt. Expansion in the fullest sense the term Implies dominates everything here. Sixteen to one Is also the ratio of prosperity under McKlnlcy's ad ministration in contrast with the pe riod of the democratic panic. About sovcnty-flvo per cent of all the bulld- ngs In the city were erected since MoKlnley was Inaugurated. The town of Laurel was founded in 1892 ; about a dozen buildings were erected In that year. Then followed the panic of 1893 , the drouth of 1894 , the passage of the Wilson free trade bill , and on the heels of that came the frco silver craze making a combination that wrought ruin and dlnaster on every hand. It was a period of contraction , contrac tion of everything , financial , Indus trial and commercial. No progress was made by cither merchant , banker or farmer ; all suffered. The scrip tural assertion : "For whosoever hath , to him shall be given and ho shall have more abundance ; but whosoever hath not , from him nhall bo taken away oven that he hath , " was univer sally realized. All wee that they were worth less In January , 1897 , than they were In January , 1893. Now Laurel Is a city of about GOO Inhabitants sur rounded by an Industrial paradise. New homes , now business houses , new In hope and renewed In courage and faith. Prosperity Is nuVo evident here than at any point In the Logan valley. This city Is situated at the junction In Cedar county where the Chicago , St. Paul , Minneapolis Omaha crosses the Great Northern road running from Sioux City to O'Neill. It would bo safe to say that no town In the state of twice the population can boast of as many fine residences constructed on lines of modern style of architecture and attractively embellished with points that blend as can Laurel. In the space of two blocks on one street are fourteen now modern residences each costing from $2,000 ta $4,000. Everett & Will to , the founders of the town have an elegant brick storeroom on the principal street corner. It Is 32 feet wide by 100 feet In lonuth , two stories above basement , In which they conduct a general merchandise busi ness , and report business cood. It would be useless to occupy space to tell what they say , because It Is In line with the testimony that the volume of business has about doubled , prices on staples are very similar to what they were four years ago ; money Is plenty ; most customers pay cash. The degree of prosperity can moro accurately bo measured by the sale of farm Imple ments , buggies , carriages , harness , etc. , that It can oh the trade In staples , such as goods and groceries. Thomas Berg , a dealer In farm Im plements , said : "I started in the im plement business in 1892 when the town was founded. I hud $1,000 to put into business ; my highest sales In any year until 189G aggregated $2,000. No body paid cash then and my best cus- run six months past duo. I tell you t Is a fact that I had a terrible strug gle to keep my head above water. There were two firms of us here then n this business. In 189G I took an nventory of what I had and found .hat I was only worth $500 , and , as 1 stated before , I had $1,000 to start with. Well , since then , things became different. Last year I sold over $11- 000 worth of goods and only $2,500 of that on tlmo. Now there are four firms hero In the Implement business. There Is no trouble about collections ; mnat of my customers come in and pay ) efore their paper is duo. This year up to Aug. 1st my sales exceed $8,000. My sales are ncaly all made to tfarm- e'rs , and to show you that they are getting in good circumstances I sold over fifty buggies or carriages already to them this year and the most of them were cash sales. Between us hero last year , wo sold over twenty carloads of farm Implements. " Asked how the prlco of farm Implements compared now with the prlco on same goods in 189G , ho said that the prices in 1899 were the lowest In the history of the country. Ho said that there was a slight advance recently on farm wag ons and a few other articles , but there was no special difference taking the business all through. In the last four years ho said he cleared over $5,000 above all expenses , meaning not gain. F. P. Voter is engaged In real es tate and farm loan business and should bo well posted on Interest rates and land values. Mr. Voter said that he had been In the business hero since the town started In 1892 ; farm lands are now over thirty per cent higher than they were In 189G. Our farmers saw very hard times here during Clove- land's administration ; most of them had to borrow money and put loans on their farms to tide them over the hard times. I know of a number of mem who only had a bare equity In their farms In 189G who since then have paid out and bought moro land. The moro remunerative prices for what they had to sell saved them tholr homes. The farmers are all making money now. Some of them Instead of being borrowers are now loaning money or have a good deposit to tholr credit at the bank. IS NOT LIKELY Friction In Settlement of Chinese Imbro glio Grows Hourly Loss. DISCUSS RUSSIAN PROPOSITION Disposition KTlnrcd to View the Hltuntlon Without l'rcjuillc ( 'ongvr Mny Hi-p- relent the United Htiitw mid \Vuldor- 00 Uio Chinese. WASHINGTON , Sept. G. Within the last twenty-four hours the United States government has received from Ito represcnlntlvea In foreign capitals much material Information regarding the nttltudo of the powers on the Rus sian proposal to evacuate Pokln. These give the general nature of the response made to Russia by certain ot Jtno pow ers. It Is seated authoritatively that If there was at any tlmo nprospect of a sqrlous International clash this has been very largely , If not entirely , removed by the harmonious character of the communications the several gov ernments are making. The exact na- uro ot the responses IB not made pub ic by the stuto department , for there n/o sonio replies to bo transmitted and until nil of thorn arc lu the ncgotla- lens are considered In such an Incom plete form that they will not bo made jubllc. It Is said , however , that the answers go much boyoud the tenta tive 'character ' of 'those ' heretofore re ferred to and arc of a conclusive na ture , BO far as showing the purposes of the govornmots , although they may not bo regarded as conclusive in ac cepting or rejecting the particular- proposition advanced by Russia' . The responses arc understood to bo rather eng ami somewhat argumentative , similar In this respect to the American response. This very fact Is a cnusa for congratulation among oillclals , n3 they point out that there Is no dispo sition to treat the proposal with terse ness or In any other manner to glvo offense , but rather to bring the powers together on a common basis. On the whole , the general tendency of the re sponses IH such as to glvo entire satis faction hero as to the course of the negotiations. The satisfactory progress of the ne gotiations along these lines has had the effect of directing attention to the personality of the envoys , who prob ably will represent the powers and China In the final sottlomont. The Im pression prevails here that llr. Conger Is eminently fitted for such a task on the part of the United States , suppos ing that each of the powers Interested In the Chlncso problem Is to have n separate and Individual representative. Mr. Rockhlll's name is mentioned ns an alternate In case Mr. Conger docs not care to remain In Pokln or to par ticipate In the settlement. These sug gestions , however , ai'o nil speculative , for up to this time the state depart ment 1ms not conferred the necessary special powers on any ono to represent the government In the final negotia tions. If the present atato of affairs In China is protracted until the arrival there of Field Marshal Count Waldcr- scc , which should occur In about ten days or a fortnight , It Is not to be doubted that the government of Ger many will endeavor to have all the negotiations with the Chinese govern ment conducted through that official ns the representative , not of Germany alone , but of all the powers. It Is gath ered that strong arguments will bo advanced to support the advisability of combined action through ono agency In this matter as the best moans of securing - curing a speedy and generally satisfac tory termination of the Chlncso trou ble , In fact It will bo urged that there is little hope for an early adjustment of the differences between the powers and China If each of the powers Is to lay down a Independent proposition the culmlnatlvo effect of which , particular ly In the case of money or territorial Indemnities , might bo absolutely crushIng - Ing to the Chinese empire. New ChlnoHo CiiMo. WASHINGTON , Sopt. 5. The War department today received Informa tion that the work of layln ? a siblo from Shanghai to Che Fee had been begun. It Is believed that unless sumo accident Is encountered the cable will bo completed and In operation within a weok. This ought to make commu nication between Washington and American officials In China much moro expeditious. ( inhtilOH Up I , iiHf < l Tund. SALINA , Kan. , Sopt. G' The Sallna Southwestern and Solomon Valley rallroadH wore sold under the ham mer today to the Union Pacific Intcr- eflU for $400,000 each. The former mils from Sallna to McPhcrson and the latter from Solomon to Belolt. Both have been leased and operated over since tholr construction as a part of the Union Pacific system. Hut Kevrn Cnuimnlvn Ieft. ST. PAUL , MINN. , Sept. G. With the departure of the second battalion of the Eighth Infantry , wuich leaves tomorrow morning for the Philippine Islands , the department of the Dakotas will bo garrisoned only by seven com panies , with a total , Including depart ment headquarters staff , of less than 1,000 men. Klonx Oily' * Urqucst Itefuned. SIOUX CITY , la. , Sept. G. Sioux City has been refused a recount by the government census office. Ilriult of Vorinnnt Klrotlon , WHITE RIVER JUNCTION , Vt. . Sept. G. Returns from 232 cities and towns out of 21C In the state glvo the vote for governor as follows : Stlck- ncy ( republican ) , 40,931 ; Senter ( demo crat ) , 15,949 ; nil others , 1,203. The same towns In 189G gave : Grout ( re publican ) , 52,029 ; Jackson ( democrat ) , 14,550 ; all others , 1,589. The returns from these towns give a republican plu rality of 31,440. and a majority of 30.- 127. The republican loss Is 9 per cent and the democratic gain Is 15 per cent. CDNGER AGAIN HEARD FROM. from Chlnoio Cniltnl Quicker Tlmo limn U uitl < WASHINGTON , Sept. G. Minister Conger has been heard from again , his last advice being dated at Pckln on Augiist HO. This message was reculved last ovenlliK. PrucudhiK dsmfea ! | have occupied a week in their ti nils- mission from Pckln , according to the estimate of the Stnto department , so that Mr. Conger's message murks a dis tinct betterment of the moans of com munication. Besides , It Includes the date ot dispatch , something the de partment IIUH been trying to have done for many weeks. The supposition Is that this particular mcssnijo came down from Pckln to Tien Tsln by courier and was put on the wires cither at that point or nt Taku. The State department decided to make no state ment as to the contents ot tie ) mes sage , l > eyond the simple one that Mr. Conger t' communication dlu not mark any material change In the situation In Pokln. It appears that whatever responses are to bo made by the powers to the proposition to evacuate Pokln arc ex pected to bo directed to the govern ment of Russia and not to oar State lopartnicnt. The Russian government tndoubtedly will In turn notify the United States govorumot ns TvOll as nil the other governments concerned ns to the nature of the responses. It is stated that up to the present ess than a majority of the powers in terested hi the Chinese question have responded to the Russian proposal so ar ns our government In advised and itr officials , hero agree with the general enor of the European dispatches this uornlng In the conclusion that final action on the part of all the powers 'ay not bo Had for several days at least. Everything now depends on ho ac tion of Russia , the nttltudo of the oth er nations being negative , and If It Iocs not hasten to carry out Its an- lounccd p'.irposo to withdraw the troops the other governments proba bly will bo content , chcrjshlng the hope that In the meantime some kind of n Jhlneso government can bo ro-cstah- Ishcd In Pokln with which the powers may negotiate for a filial scttlbment. LI Hung Chang's attempt to secure Important warrant for the Institution of peace negotiations , through himself and the Chinese notables referred to In the European dispatches , Is regarded here as a stop In the right direction , while on tUo other hand some disquiet has been caused by the report that the Internationals in Pekln have been ar resting some of the members of the tsung 11 yamon wio were 'seeking to open negotiations and ro-ostabllsli the Kovornniot. There Is no disposition hero to condone the offenses of any of those Chinese ofilclnls which have par ticipated In the , outrages In Pokln , but it Is questioned whether the present Is an opportune tlmo to administer pun ishment. The War department Is still con cerned becaiiso of the inability to reach General Chaffco or get dispatches from him. A number of dispatches have been sent the general which the de partment Is anxious ho shall receive- In order to guldo his future action. General Barry , who can bo reached at Taku , has been Instructed to uparo no pains or expense to got dispatches to Chaffco and replies from him , which the department feels are necessary for a correct disposition of the Chlncso questions that have arisen since the oc cupation of Pekln. In nintnnry of Thnlr Lit to President. KANSAS ClxV , Mo. , Sept. G. From 11:15 : to 11:20 : a. m. every locomotive , every piece of machinery and every employe on the Memphis railroad sys tem , from Kansas City to Birmingham , Ala. , were Idle. This action was taken as a mark of respect to the memory of the late President E. S. Washburn of the "Memphis" system , who died at Rye Beach , N. II. , last Friday. For the five inlnutcB specified every train , car and locomotive was hold at a standstill , no matter whcro they happened to bo. IlnturiiH from thri Urnnui. WASHINGTON , Sopt. G. The census bureau announces that the population of Hartford , Conn. , Is 79,850 , as against 53,230 In 1890. This Is an Incrcaso of 2C.C20 , or 50.01 per cent. The population of Richmond , Vn. , Is 85,050 , as against 81,388 In 1890. This Is an Incrcaso of 3GG2 , or 4.G per cent. The population of Fort Wayne , Ind. , Is 45,115 , us against 35,393 In 1890. This la an Increase of 9,722 , or 27,47 per Cyclone Wnmn thnn Cannon. MAFEKING , Sept. 3. A cyclone hut visited Mtifeklng last evening did : nero damage than the EOVOII months' bombardment. It blew down or un roofed numerous buildings and lovf-ic.l the military camp hosultal , causing much differing among the sick anJ wounded. One person was killed and two were Injured and Uiero were many narrow escapes. llrouclit to Rook nt I-unt. ST. LOUIS. Mo. , Sept. G. Dotoctlvo Lawless of Memphis arrived in St. Louis today to take Henry B. Sim mons back to that city , where ho 1 * charged with complicity In thlrty-flvo burglaries committed within two or three days of ono another. Simmons was captured through a letter written to a brother. Itntiirn Southern Hiittlo Fine * . COLUMBUS , 0. , Sopt. 5. At the re union of the Forty-sixth Ohio Volun teer Infantry at Worthlngton , near here , the colors of the Thirtieth Louis iana regiment were returned to a com mittee of the survivors of that old or ganization. Flln Itivtincittlon Treutjr. THE HAGUE , Sopt. 5. The ratifi cations ot the agreements and treaties resulting from the peace conferonca were formally placed In the archives today. The minister of foreign af fairs , Dr. W. II. Do Beaufort , in a brief speech , expressed the hope that the future historian would bo able to deX-lnro that the work of the confer ence was of lasting benefit to human ity , and proposed that nn expression of this hope bo conveyed to the czar , A telegram In this sense was subse quently dispatched to St. Petersburg.
