Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Western news-Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1898-1900 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1899)
, ' - " . * . . , * . * VOLUME XIV. VALENTINE , NEBRASKA , FEBRUARY 16 , 1899. NUMBER 4. OCCURRENCES THEREIN FOR A WEEK , SETESTEEN MISSIStt ALL PERISHED IN FIRiAT YANK- TON INSANE ASYLUM. l > etachcd Cottage Had Fifty-Two Inmates When the Flames Broke Out Thermometer Registered 23 Beloiv TYhen Inmates Turned Out. Fatal Fire at Yanktoii. At 2 o'clock Sunday morning with the thermometer registering 23 degrees below zsro , a fire fatal in its effects broke out in one of thcco"tag2i of Ihe South Dakota S ale Inf e Asylum at Yanktoii , resulting in one of the most horrifying catastrophes in the history of the State , seventeen people being burned to a coal. following is the list of missing : Augusta Uoerse , Lake County. .Julia Erickson. Meade County. Ella Lokkan. Codington County. Margaret Lynch. Union County. Josina Olson. H : mlin County. Martenia Tennison , Pennington County. Elizabeth Stolphe , Davison County. Mrs. Kampani , Brown County. Maggie Fljnn , Hamlin County. Lucina Gossage , Ilamlin County Adelina Hiiley , Potter County. Christina Johnson , Codington County. Jennie Kroning , Pennington County. Louisa Keene. Codintcn County. Caroline Lindberg. Brown County. Katie Plavitz. Bon llomme County. Gaini Swenson , Kingsbury County. Owing to the crowded condition of tne main building this cottage , three stories high , was utilized for keeping female pa tients , there being in the building at the time the fire started fifty-two people , forty of whom were inmates and the other twelve attendants. The fighting of the fire was seriously handicapped by tiie reason thai the steam pipes from the boiler of the main building passed through the cottage for healing purposes , ami then on to the water tank. As the fire progressed these pipes were burst from the terrible heat , thus cutting off the pumping power and leaving only direct pressure from the ic.nk w&ch was iu no way sufficient. Two streams of water were turned upon the burning build- dug , but to no avail. Strenuous efforts were made to save all tiie inmates. All that could be done was done , but Ihe fire had the advantage and kept it. Those who did escape came down the narrow passageway in their night clothes and bare feet into the bitter cold , and' had it not been that shelter and warmth were so near at hand the result , terrible as it was , would have been far worse. All that remains of the once hand some three-story structure is the bare , gaunt walls. Tiie interior is gutted most completely. Hardly a six-inch piece of -wood remains at the bottom / > the base ment , and in the debris can be seen portions tions of the charred remains of the un fortunates. These appear to be in one spot , showing that they had crowded to gether either on the first or second floors , perhaps both , at that point , and the floors Hiving way had thrown them in this seem ing pile. The exact cause of the lire Is un known. LOST ON LAKE MICHIGAN. Ice Breaks "from Its Moorings and Carries Skaters Away. Fifteen skaters living in the suburbs of Uogers Bark ami Lake Forest , Chicago , were carried out into Lake Michigan on ice Hoes Sunday. Ten of them were rescued. During the entire evening searching parties made fruitless efforts to secure some trace of the missing six. The misbing : Attorney Elmer D. Brothers , employed m the ofiice of Attorney Luther Lafliu Mills. Miss Orel Manney , 17 years old , niece of Attorney Brothers. Chruncey Manney , aged 23 , nephew of Attorney Brothers. George Mallory , student at Lake Forest University , home in Ponuac , 111. Guy Cnrron , student at Lake Forest "University , home in St. Anne , 111. Arthur Fletcher. Havens wood Park. All of those who were rescued were car ried out on the ice off Lake Forest , and ( woof the number who ventured on the frozen lake there arc supposed to have been drowned. The remaining three of the fif teen were carried away on floe off Rogers Park. A sudden change in the wind caused ( he ice half a mile to the north to suddenly break. The vast force exerted upon the iloe near shore , upon which the unfortu nate parly were , caused a rapid disintegra tion. Before they had realized their posi tion escape was impossible. Naval Bill to Carry $ loOOOOOO. The House Xaval Committee has struck a total on the naval appropriation bill about lo be reported , showing that it will carry something over $143,003,000 , of which about $11,000,000 will be for the first year's appropriation on three new battleships , three armored cruisers and six small crusicrs. Warmed Up with 13 to 'iO IJashos With the temperature at zero three culprits were placed in the pillory in the jail yard at Wilmington , Del. , Saturday. Though blanketed they were greatly be numbed. Later two of them , with six others , were warmed up with fifteen t 7 | < ; .forty lashes. / EXTRAORDINARY ACTIVITY. Business Xot Shaken by Speculative llcaction. 11. G. Dun & Co.'s Weekly Itcview of Trade says : The solid basis for good bus iness has not been shaken by speculative reaction. Stocks ha\c been slightly lower and Ihe : : : r.rkct is all the safer , because much un.soundness and unreason have been shaken out. Speculation in wheat , which for a time depressed prices , has also taken a turn and with heavy exports the market tends upward again. Dispatches from ail parts of the country show extraordinary activity in the chief branches of trade and a business much larger than a year ago in nearly all. Atlantic exports of wheat this week were 3,290,092 bushels , flour included , against 2,174,921 last year , and total exports , including the Pacific , 4,017.403. bushels against 2,960,515 last year. The cotton market is in slightly stronger position. What wool is worth in view of the great slocks yet unconsumed few are 'able ' to judge and that fact hinders adjust ment of prices for goods. Sales have been small. The iron industry is so exploited by consolidations and attempts of that nature thai it is wonderful prices have not re- flecled distrust. Instead there have been general advances iii pig because the de mand has been large for Bessemer at Pitts- burg at SI 1.40 and gray forge at 510.75. and in finished products because nearly all are in demand beyond the capacity of works for some time to come. Failures for the week have been 217 in the United States , against 203 last year , and 33 in Canada , against 43 list year. STORMS ON THE ATLANTIC. Owners of Delayed Vessels Uneasy Regarding Their Ships. The reports of the terrible hurricane en countered on the last western voyage by Ihe big liners St. Louis , Lticania and La Champagne have made the owners of de layed vessels somewhat uneasy regarding their ships. Seafaring men have given up all hope of ever seeing the British freighter Almida , which sailed from Shields , Eng land , for New York on December 19 last , in command of Capt. A. McGregor , with a crew of twenty-five men. The missing steamer is a steel vessel of 1,542 tons and carried a general cargo. The steamer Catania , from Glasgow , December 21 , ought to have arrived at New York several days ago , but probably has been delayed by the hurricane. BIG NEW YORK BLAZE. Hall' a Million to a Million Dollars' Damage Is Done. A lire which caused a loss of $600,000 to 51,000,000 and threatened lo destroy an en tire block , started in Walker & Bell's bag factory in Xew York Thursday , and soon spread to the adjoining property , including three small hotels , from which Ihe guests escaped. A large number of girls em ployed in the bag factory became panic stricken , but were gotten out safely. Indians at the "White House. A number of Indians from the Xorth- tvest called at the White House Thursday. The Yanktons were there to advance the settlement of their claims against the Gov ernment arising under the treaty of 1872 and to secure payment of $5,000 which they assert is due them from the Great Northern Railway Company for right-of-way through their reservation. The Assiniboines com plained that the Government has not ob served the obligations of the treaty of 1851 , which expires in 1901. Editors Sent to Jail. In the United Slates Court at Cincinnati Thursday C. W. Moore , formerly editor and publisher of the defunct Blue Grass Blade , at Lexington , Ky. , and his printer , James Hughes , were found guilty of mis using the mails. The specification to the charge was the sending of the Blue Grass Blade through the mails , which promul gated immoral doctrines on love and mar riage. Going to the Orient to Wed. Miss Charlotte Ives of Chambersburg , Pa. , is in San Francisco on her way to China , accompanied by ,111 * . and Mrs. Mer . rill of Boston. She is going to the Orient to wed John Ilisley Putnom. His home is at Saratoga Springs , N. Y. , but he entered the consular service of the United States Government some time ago and is now stationed at Chin Kiang , China. "Gold King of Klondike" Weds. Alexander MacDonald of Dawson City , N. W. T. , known as the "Gold King of the Klondike , " and reputed to be worth 25- 000,000 to 30,000,000 , has been married to Miss Margaret Chrisholm , daughter of Mr. Chrisholm , superintendent of the Thames Water police in London. Iiarge Rubber Company Formed. Articles of incorporation were filed with the secretary of state of New Jersey of the Rubber Goods Manufacturing Company , with an authorized capital stock of $50- 000,000 , one-half of which is to be preferred and the other half common stock. Big Contribution to War Revenue A mortgage for $20,000,000 , given to the 'Central Trust Company of New York city by the Colorado & Southern Railway , was filed in Denver last Saturday. The revenue stamps used aggregated $35,250. Bad Kansas Fire. The business portion of Herington , Kan. , including a hotel , drug store , jewelry store and a large livery barn , burned Thursday. The loss is from $75,000 to $100,000. $10OOOO Fire at Mansfield , Ohio. An explosion in the japanning depart- ptnent of Ihc Baxter stove works at Mans- teeld , Ohio , Saturday caused a fire with a { loss of $100,000. THE TREATY SIGNED PRESIDENT AFFIXES HIS NAME TO THE DOCUMENT. Ijittle Formality About the Cere mony , Although a Xumber of Per sons Were Present Is Xow Ready for Transmission to Spain. President Signs Peace Treaty. The official copy of the treaty of peace with Spain , bearing the signatures of the Spanish and American commissioners , which was ratified by the Senate last week , as certified by Vice President Hobart , was certified by the President and Secretary Hay at 2:33 : o'clock Friday afternoon in the library of the , executive mansion. There was little formality observed , al though a number of persons were present by invitation of the President. While signing the document the President and the Secretary of State sat at tiie round table in the center of the library. The cere mony occupied only a few minutes , and at its conclusion Secretary Hay replaced the document in the crimson velvet case and took it to the State Department for trans mission to Madrid. ' WAGES ADVANCED. Voluntary Move on Part of the American Wire Company. John W. Gates , chairman of the board of directors of the American Steel and Wire Company , confirms the report from Chicago that that company would on March 1 ad vance the wages of its 80,000 employes. This increase in wages , Mr. Gates said , which would amount in the aggregate to between $750,000 and $1,000,000 a year , had been made by the management entirely of its own accord and not as a re sponse to any of its employes. The advance is to be made on a sliding scale that will give the poorest paid em ployes the greater proportion of benefit. It provides that all employes earning $ l..oO a day or less shall receive an advance of 10 per cent. All earning between $1.50 and $2 per day will get an advance of 7J < per f-ent. , and all who now earn between $2 and .f2.oO will have an increase of 5 per cent. The company is enabled to make this ad vance by the enormous saving it has been able to effect through consolidation. HENRY NAMES NEW CABINET Liberals Dissatisfied and Will Corn- complain to Washington. Gen. Henry , at San Juan de Porto Rico , has appointed Francisco Acuna , Independ ent Liberal , now attorney for the Supreme Court , to be Secretary of State ; Dr. Cell , Liberal , has been appointed Secretary of Finance and Frederico Degatan , Radical , has been appointed Secretary of the Inter ior. The Liberals are dissatisfied with Gen. Henry's change of policy. Munos Riviera announces his intention of going to Washington soon in order to secure "relief from the oppressive militarism , " which he saj-s will "estrange the Porto Ricans from the United States. " NEED PACIFIC CABLE. Message Sent to Congress Urging the Necessity of Its Construction. President McKinley has sent a message to Congress calling attention to the urgent necessity for the construction of a cable across the Pacific Ocean. He makes no specific recommendation as to the mode by which it shall be secured , the main point being its imperative necessity. RIVER STEAMER BURNS. Had Sixty People 011 Board , but Nearly All Escape. The steamer P. D. Staggs , which collided with a railway bridge at Johnsonville , Tenn. , Wednesday night , drifted four miles down the river and burned. Sixty people were on board. It is reported all were saved except the second clerk , Robert Scott and six or eight roustabouts. Big Dipper Reservoir Breaks. The reservoir at the Big Dipper mine in the Iowa Hill near Auburn , Cal. , has broken and carried away the entire mill , blacksmith shop and drying house. Five Chinese and one white man , Joseph Far- ber , were killed and their bodies found several miles down the canyon. The loss to the mine is heavy and will reach upward of $20,000. Dismissed for Misconduct. Secretary Alger summarily dismissed from the military academy Charles L. Ba- ender of Morerly , Mo. , and F. G. Lane of Keosauqua , Iowa , two cadets who have been recommended by the academy boaid for dismissal because of misconduct. Oj'Ster Famine Threatened. Ice has formed in the Chesapeake Bay and Patapsco River to such a thickness that navigation for the bay craft is practically suspended. Should the freeze continue there will soon be an oyster famine. I Georgia Peach Crop Injured. Advices received from the peach growing centers in South Georgia indicate that the peach and plum crops have been cut off at least a third and maybe a half by the pres ent cold snap. Fitz and Jeffries Sign. "Bob59 Fitzsimmons and Jim Jeffries have signed articles for a fight , twenty- , five rounds or to a finish , between April 1 ' and April 24 , before the club offering the largest purse. Sharltey Matched with Mitchell. Tom Sharkey and Charley Mitchell have been matched to meet in a twenty-round bout at the Bolingbroke Club , London , for j a purse of $11,000 , May 29 , BACK TO HIS NATIVE : JSLE. Gen. Garcia's Remains Arrived in Cuba February 9. The United States gunboat Nashville , bearing the body of Gen. Calixto Garcia , steamed slowly into Havana Harbor at 1 o'clock Friday afternoon , the guns of Morro Castle and the American squadron saluting her. The solemn booming an nounced the arrival to the expectant city. Everywhere householders and ships lowered a thousand flags to half mast , and black streamers soon surmounted the Cu ban banners. By the time the gunboat had come to anchor thousands of people crowded the water front. The marines lowered the casket to the tug chartered by the Cuban committee and Garcia's remains , hereafter to be in the keeping of the Cubans , were borne to La Machina wharf. There' Senor Frederico Mora , Civil Governor of Havana , Mayor Perfecto Lacoste , the mem bers of the Municipal Council : the members of the junta patriotica , Commodore B. J.i Cromwell , captain of the port , many naval' officers , Maj. Gen. Ludlow , Governor of the Department of Havana and several ) members of his staff , were assembled. Two companies of the Eighth Regular Infantry with the regimental band were lined up to receive the coffin , which , draped w.ith the Cuban flag and bearing a wreath of flowers - ' ers , was carried on the shoulders of mem bers of the junta between the saluting ranks of regulars to the hearse. On the order of Gen. Ludlow all official flags were kept at half mast until after the public funeral which occurred Saturday. TO PROBE MILES' CHARGES. Court of Inquiry Appointed to In vestigate "Embalmed Beef. " President McKinley lias appointed a court of inquiry to examine into the charges touching the meat furnished the American army during the war with Spain , and other matters involved in charges made by Gen. Miles against the administration of war affairs. The court will consist of Gen. Wade , Col. George W. Davis of the Ninth Infantry , and Col. Gillespie of the corps of engineers , now stationed in Xew York. The formal order issued by Secretary Alger , after giving the detail of the court , says : The court is hereby directed to investigate the allegations of the irn major general commanding the army irol respect to the unfituess for issue of certain articles of food furnished by the Subsistence Department to the troops in the field during the recent opera tions in Cuba and Porto Rico. In addition tit to the findings of facts the court will sub mit an opinion upon the merits of the cases , and the grounds , with such recommendations a.ti tions as to further proceedings as may be warranted by the facts developed during the course of the inquiry. Gen. Miles when seen had nothing to say concerning the appointment of the court. He has been accumulating a large amount of evidence along the lines of the inquiry , a large part of which has been already transmitted to the War Investigation Com mission. Cannot Fight in Chicago. The six-round go arranged between Cor- bett and Sharkey , which was to take place in Chicago March 7 , is off. Mayor Harrison has emphatically vetoed the proposition , saying that so long as he was mayor of Chicago Corbett and Sharlcey , whom he characterized as "two burly sluggers who cannot help but give a brutal exhibition , ' ' would not meet in the Windy City. Bills to License Boxing. Two bills were introduced in the Mis souri Legislature Thursday licensing box ing and sparring contests , one by Burleigh of St. Louis , allowing limited round con tests. The other bill , by Caldwell of Kan sas City , licensing all kinds of boxing and sparring matches and athletic contests hij cities of over 100,000 inhabitants.- MARKET QUOTATIONS. Chicago Cattle , common to prime , $3.00 to $6.25 ; hogs , shipping grades , $3.00 to $4.00 ; sheep , fair to choice , $3.00 to $4.50 ; wheat , Xo. 2 red , 72c to 73c ; corn , Xo. 2 , 37c to 3Sc ; oats , Xo. 2 , 27c to 29c ; rye , Xo. 2 , 54c to 56c ; butter , choice creamery , ISc to 19c ; eggs , fresh , IGc to 18c ; potatoes , choice , 30c to 45c per bushel. Indianapolis Cattle , shipping , $3.00 to $5.75 ; hogs , choice li.cht , $2.75 to $4.00 ; saeep , common to choice , $2.50 to $1.25 ; wheat , Xo. 2 red , 69c to 71c ; corn , Xo. 2 white , 35c to 3Gc ; oats , Xo. 2 white , 30c to 32c. St. Louis-Cattle , $3.50 to $6.25 ; hogs , $3.00 to $4.00 ; sheep , $3.00 to $4.50 ; wheat , Xo. 2 , 73c to 75c ; corn , No. 2 yellow , 34c to 35c ; oats , Xo. 2 , 27c to 29c ; rye , Xo. 2 , 55c to 50c. Cincinnati Cattle , $2.50 to $5.75 ; hogs , $3.00 to $4.00 ; sheep , $2.50 to $4.50 ; wheat , Xo. 2 , 71c to 73c ; corn , Xo. 2 mixed , 35c to 36c ; oats , Xo. 2 mixed , 30c to 31c ; rye , No. 2 , 63c to G5c. Detroit Cattle , $2.50 to $5.75 ; hogs , $2.50 to $4.00 ; sheep , $3.00 to $4.25 ; wheat , No. 2 , 71c to 73c ; corn , ISo. * 2 yellow , 3Gc to 37c ; oats. No. 2 white , 32c to 34c ; rye , 59c to Glc. Toledo Wheat , No. 2 mixed , 71c to 73c ; corn , Xo. 2 mixed , 36c to 37c ; oats , No. 2 white , 2Sc to 30c ; rye , No. 2 , 55c to 57c ; clover seed , new , $3.75 to $3.85. Milwaukee Wheat , No. 2 spring , 69c to 70c ; corn , No. 3 , 33c to 34c ; oats , No. 2 white , 29c to 31c ; rye , No. 1 , 55c to 57c ; barley , No. 2 , 45c to 53c ; pork , mess , $9.50 to $10.00. Buffalo Cattle , good shipping steers , ? 3.00 to $6.00 ; hogs , common to choice , $3.25 to $4.25 ; sheep , fair to choice weth- ers , $3.50 to $4.50 ; lambs , common to extra , $4.50 to $5.25. New York Cattle , $3.25 lo $6.00 ; hogs , ? 3.00 to $4.25 ; sheep , $3.00 to $4.75 ; wheat , No. 2 red , S2c to 83c ; corn , No. 2,43c to 46c ; oats , No. 2 white , 35c to 37c ; butter , creamery , 15c to 20c ; eggs , West ern , 19c to 20f STATE OP NEBRASKA NEWS OF THE WEEK IN A CON DENSED FORM. Seven Members of the First Nebraska Volunteer Regiment Killed in the Battle with Filipinos at Manila , February 4 and . " . Fell at 3Ianila. After great difficulty ihc offi- eials of the War Department have : issued a corrected list of those who fell in the recent battle with the Filipinos , among which are the following from the First Ne braska : Killed - : R. W. KELLS , Company L , : Omaha : : HARRY HULL , Company A , : hotel clerk , Hastings. : DAVIS LAGGER , Company I. : lawver ; was a lieutenant in State : Milftia. : L. L. BEGLER. Company F , : Lincoln. : C. 0. BALLENGER. Company : L , Omaha. : _ C. . R. KECKLEY , Company A , : York. EDWARD EGGERT , Fremont , lawyer. Four more were wounded. ( MODERN WOODMEN IN SESSION State Camp Meets at Fremont for Its Annual Convention. men of America held its annual meeting in Masonic Hall at Fremont , Feb. 8 , and was ailed to order by W. F. Elsasser of Omaha , j state advisor , in the absence of State Consul Thompson. About 250 delegates were present. But little -work was ac complished at the iirsl session , i except the appointment of the dif- ( different committees and hearing the re- j ports of the officers. Quite a number of additional roprwatatives were present at the afte neou Session. The election of officers was then taken up and the follow ing were chosen : B. F. Giirert , Tekamalu advisor ; C. E. Moffett , Bloomington , state | banker ; W. A. Forsyth , Loomis , state j clerk : W. II. Bearing , Plattsmouth. state counsel. A head physician for the state was not selected. That official is appointed by the head camp , being generally theper- on designated for the place by the .state convention. As there were several aspir ants' for the place it was thought be > t to leave the entire matter for the decision of Ihe head camp. Cool Suicide ol * Stranger. Frank Woolcatt of Belaire , Mich. , com mitted suicide in Hastings at the Lindellsi Hotel bj" severing his right jugular vein with a pocketknife. The suicide had been carefully planned and Woolcatt went about liis task with peculiar deliberation. He placed the bedspread on the floor and in the center of it he placed a vessel beside which he knelt and thrust the blade into his throat. He held his head in such a po sition as to let the stream of blood pour into the vessel. He must have remained in this position for some time , as the vessel was completely filled. When life was nearly extinct he crawled to the door ami died in a sitting posture with his face to ward the wall. Incendiary Destroys a House. Investigation of the burning of the house occupied by James Shelly at "Wymore shows that it was caused by an incendiary. The flames plainly originated on the out side and soon gained such head way that the family had barely time to escape. Suspi cion was at once directed toward Jack Shearer , who had been ejected from the house a month before , whom , it is said , made threats that he would get even witli Rawlings , the owner of the house. A war rant was sworn out , charging Shearer with having set the house on lire , and he was arrested and placed in jail. Mun Missing. Silas Bailey , an old man working for L. Morse at Benkleman disappeared during the recent cold snap and no trace of him can be found. Searching parties have been out and word sent in all directions. A re ward of $25 is olfered for information of his whereabouts. It is feared that his mind became deranged and he has wandered away or perished with the cold. Stromsburg Bank Reorganizes. The Stromsburg bank has been sold to a stock company , consisting of John Buck ley , Peter Buckley , L. II. Headstrom , C. A. Merrill , Noah S. Clark , Alex Scott. Irvin Scott , James Scott and Ira Banta. John Buckley is president , L. II. Headstrom vice president and Ira Banta cashier. Mr. Banta will manage the bank. Slot Machines Must Go. Mayor Fitzpatrick of Columbus has ordered all slot machines to bo removed. The Chief of Police has served the orders ind all who fail to comply will be arrested and tried under the State law. There are probably fifty or more of all kinds of i machines in the city. ,1 Verdict in a Murder Case. The jury in the Gloysteiu case at Nebraska - braska City returned a verdict of man slaughter. They were out about six hours. < Anton Gloystein was charged with the murder of George Smith near Syracuse last May. _ Scarlet Fever at Schuyler. Scarlet fever has broken out in Schuyler. The families of Rev. N. A. Martin , j" L. Anderson and Mrs. llolman are now quarantined. The disease is in a mild form. STRICKEN BY SUDDEN MALADY * , One You ii Ranchman Found Dead and Another Probably Dying ? . Lambert Xeumann , aged 20 years , son oft Henry Xeumann , ranchman , residing at Sunol. six miles west of Lodge Pole , was * found dead in bed the other morning , ami Roy Wilson , a young farm hand , sleeping in the same bed. nearly dead. A physician , w was called , says it is a case of poison in . The family is unable to account fur it. The young men went to bed early the it.n night i before in the best of health and spirits and when they did not get tip for breakfast , after several calls , Mr. Xeumann entered the room and found his sou partly out of bed , dead , and young Wilson dying. 01T The attending physician is unable to give any account of the cause of the boys * con dition. Distillery Will Produce Starch. Papers conveying the distillery property located at Nebraska City , and which life * been inoperative since it was acquired by the whisky trust a few years ago , to tin : Argo Manufacturing Company have been placed on record. The Argo company is owned In the Mortons , who will utilize thw distillery buildings in connection with their starch and cattle feeding interests. Latet 01 some improvements will be made and a new industry , now being projected , will bo located on the property. The considera tion . named in the deed is § 10,503. Workmen Hurt in Explosion. At about 5oO on the morning of Febru ary 8 the boilers at the Columbia Brewing Company's plant in the southeastern part of ! Columbus exploded with a terrific re port < which was heard all over town. Thomas Ilannon and Louis Luchsinger , two employes , were bruised and scalded , the latter seriously. The heavj boiler was carried over 200 "feet and some fragmenls were hurled for a distance of more fian four blocks. ! The engine room and cooper shop were completely demolished and the loss will be about § 2,000. Crop and Stock Reports Wauled At a meeting of citizens at Benk-'Inmu the following resolutions were adopted : Whereas , The State of Xebraska dow not maintain a state immigration agency , and believinir that II. II. Xo. U > if enacted , will \ empower a state board of agriculture , also a state board of immigration , for this compilation and diffusion of crop reports and live stock statistics ; therefore , b < it Kesolvcd , That v.e request our State. Senator , and Representative to u.-e their best j ( endeavors for the enactment of said bill j ; into a law. Salt ? ol' a Railroad. Thf sale of the Yanktoii. Xorfolk & South western Railroad took place at Hut court house in Pierce ii few days since , the master in chancery of ftf [ Tinted States circuit of IhedistrXebraska ] : selling Ihe railnja to-W ' ral ) : . : , ! ! oi'Xorwaik , Ohio. The price paid by Mr. Graham was $43,000Mr. . Graham was the complainant in the foreclosure proceedings in April , 1808. and was one of the contractors in the building of the proposed road in 1897. It is his intention to build the road as soon as possible. Burglar Prolongs Sentence. Frank Graham , the Edison burglar , and Albert Young , the Arapahoe highwayman , wen' each sentenced in District Court at Beaver City to fn e years in the peniten tiary. Graham , since hi * conviction , has been < writing letters to different persons , saying he would kill them as soon as ho had served his time. Some of these letters came into the possesssion of the judge and Graham's sentence was made much longer than it would have been otherwise. Woman Killed by a. Train. As the first section of L'nion Pacific Xo. 1 was coming into the yards at Columbus the other day it struck a horse and buggy at a crossing about four blocks east of the depot. Mrs. John Dischuer , aged about GO years , was almost insiantly killed and her son , Thomas , aged about 23 , was severely injured. The horse was thrown about 100 feet and was so badly injured that it was killed. Brings in Tax Money. Foreclosure proceedings on the Union Pacific land in Xebraska have been com menced. Before a perfect title to there lands can be acquired , all back taxes on them must be paid. There is now due- Lincoln County on L'nion Pacific lands a little over § 45.000 back taxes. This amount , if paid into the treasury , would put the county practically on a cash basis. Xebraska Short Xotes. Albert Young of Arapahoe was convicted in the District Court at Beaver City of highway robbery. The Republican Valley Poultry and Pet Stock Association held its annual meeting at Superior this week. A shoe store at Lindsay. Platte County , was robbed one night recently and seventy- four pairs of shoes stolen. The new telephone exchange at Wymoro has been completed. The exchange will be open for business next week. The Southern Gage County Teachers' Association met at Blue Springs this week. A large number of teachers were present. P. D. Smith's elevator at St. Edward is being pushed to completion as fast as the lumber arrives. It will have a capacity of 10.000 bushels. While hauling household goods at Tilden Hans Voght slipped from the wagon brake , on which he was standing , and fell , to the frozen ground , breaking his leg. It is thought that Hastings will soon have a plow factory. II. S. Ball of Ottumwa , Iowa , has been making inquires in Hast ings in regard to a good location. A building boom is promised Table Rock early the coming season. One of the build ings contemplated is a hotel. Five new business blocks are talked of and two new brick residences. An adjourned meeting of the Dodge County Agricultural Society is to be held at Fremont February 20th , for the purpose of considering the advisabity of selling the society's grounds to pay the indebtedness of the association. County Treasurer Hanning in following up the taxes on some cattle fed in Furnas County located the business end of the ven ture in Chicago , and received a check foi $142.37 from L. Z. Leiter. father of the fa mous Joe , in liquidation of the deUn < - quency.