Western news-Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1898-1900, February 23, 1899, Image 12
NEBRASKA CONGRESS DAILY REPORT OF WHAT IS BE ING DONE. Measure ? of More or Loss Import ance Arc Beins Introduced at tin Present Session of the Tjoisla.tur < Gifit of the Business. Monday , Feb. lil. Twenty-second ballot for .senator : Allen . 41 Haywardj . 2 ! Thompson . . ! Webs ler . i Field . 5 Weston . t Scattering . i In the House four petitions asking thai provisions be made for paying bounty or wolf scalps and one asking for tho-passagc of an equal suffrage memorial to congress were read and referred to committees. Or recommendation of standing committees II R.lSf. 853,373 , 897 , 876 and S. F. 70 Averc placed on general file. II. R 835 was recommeded for indefinite postponement , but , an explanation being made by the introducer , it Avas placed on general file. II. Rs. U2fl. 81G , 850 , 363 , 369. 182 aul 98 Avere indefinitely postponed. A half dozen new bills came in and Avere read the first time , as were also several Senate files sent over during the forenoon session , The House resolved itself into a committee of the whole , with Grosvenor of Hamilton in the chair , the special order being H. R , 137 , the revenue bill introduced by Pollard of Cass. The bill provides that assessmenl of property shall be between the dates ol March 15 and May 15 , instead of beginning on April 1 as under the old law. This pro vision brought out a long discussion. The measure was still under consideration al adjournment. When the Senate convened at 11 o'clock S. F. 34. relating to the control of Soldiers' ' Homo was recommended 4o pass by the Committee on Soldiers' Home. After the read j HI ? of bills for a second time the Sen- ale look a recess till 11:45 o'clock. A num ber of University friends were in the lobby and sallerv Avhen the Senate convened at SVclock. as II. R. 171 , the Uni versity bill , was a special order. Canahay of Kearney , moved that the Senate go into committee of the whole , with Owens oi Dawson. in the chair , to consider II. R. 171. His motion prevailed. After the reading of the hill Prout of Gage. moved that when the committee rise it report the bill back to pass. After a good deal of discussion Sen ator Trout's motion prevailed with only one negative Arole. The committee then arose and tlic Senate adjourned. Tuesday , Feb. 14. Tv.i'uiy-third ballot for senator : /Vii'-A. . . . . * . . . . . . * . . . . . . * * . . ti liny ward . - 36 * . * - I * * * * * * -Lv/ Lv10 10 t * Scattering . 7 The first thing that came up in the House was the message of the Governor relating to tLc insurance department of the audit or's office , and on motion of Weaver of Richardson the chair Avas authorized to appoint a committee of three to act with a .Senate committee on investigation. Evans of Attains , Weaver of Richardson and Either of Dawcs were appointed. S. F. TO. In Allen of Furnas. is an act to traiiLfer certain funds to the general fund , and patted by a vote of 75 to 0. II. R. 189. by Zellers of Dodge , relating to school dis- tric < i axes , was passed by a vote of 07 to 6. II. R. 115. by Slurgess of Donblas , an act to protect the association and unions of workingmen in the use of labels , Avas passed by a vote of 71 to 11. li. II. 206 , by Evans of Adams , an act to create a public library commission. Avas defeated by a vote of 29 to 59. II. R. 188 , by Wilcox of Lin coln. act relating to the hours of employ ment of certain railway employes , was passed by a vote of 70 to 0. H. R. 158 , by Rouse of Hall , an act for the establishment , maintenance and management of public libraries in school districts. Avas passed. H. R. 190 , by Zellcrs of Dodge , an act re lating to the issuance of teachers' certifi cates by county superintendents , Avas de feated by a vote of 85 to 27. The first matter of business in the Senate was the report of the State Board of Trans portation in answer to the resolution of .Senator Schaal inquiring as to what changes in the rates on lumber and coal shipped into the State and grain and live stock shipped out of the State might be made- under the decision of the United States Supreme Court in the maximum freight rate cases. Its reply was that no changes could be- made according to that decision , as these were interstate matters. Attached to its brief reply Avas a copy of the lrigthy report made to the House con cerning the advisibility of reopening the rate * cases. The report was made a .special order for Thursday. A committee of two was appointed to investigate the charges against Auditor Cornell. II. R. 171 , the bill to prov.de a 1 mill levy for the .support of tin- state University was placed upon its third reading and passage. The bill re echo ; ! 23 ayes and f nays and AVUS declared passed v.ith the emergency clause. S. F. 20 ainl S. F. 245 ! were also passed. Ti c sensation of the legblaihe session Avar..prung Tuesday when Gov. Poynter directed a message to both houses recom mending an investigation of the office of Auditor Cornell. The recommendation wa.-j based on charges made by Samuel Liu-iny. chief clerk of the insurance de partment of the auditor's office until Feb. 11 , A\hen he was removed by Cornell. Lichty charges that the insurance exami'i" en * have been practicing 'hold up * ' methods on K number of the insurance companies b\ extorting excessive fees for examination. He further charges that the auditor knew of these practices and permitted them to con tinue. As proof he has submitted a letter written by Examiner O. W. Palm , who is in Clii'-ago conducting insurance examina tions for Auditor Cornell. In this letter Palm expresses a regret that he was not able ; o " 1-oldup' ' certain companies for ? ] # > each , although he wished that it had been $250. A fac simile of the letter ap peared in the daily papers. Lichly cluu'gc various other irregularities. Wednesday , Feb. 15. Twenty-fourth ballot for senator : . 7clFCL * ol ) Webster . 10 Thompson . 10 o OCtHiQlrlllQ * * * The Senate held another strictly "busi ness" session Wednesday morning , con sidering a couple of bills in committee of the whole , acting on the Governor's mes sage relating to the misconduct unearthed in the administration of the insurance de partment of the auditor's office and in re scinding its action concerning S. F. 273 , the Crow concurrent resolution relating 'to the sale of Union Pacific lands under foreclos ure. Talbotof Lancaster requested that the Governor's message and all motions made Tuesday be read , which was done. In order to give the committee full power Senator Talbot offered the folloAVing joint resolution : Whereas , A joint committee has been appointed to investigate the transactions in the insurance department of the auditor's office , and it Avill be necessary in tlJti dis charge of its duties for said committee to have full power and authority in the prem ises ; therefore , be it Resolved , by the Senate , the House of Representatives concurring , That said committee shall be and is hereby author ized and empowered in conducting said in vestigation to send for and have produced any and all papers , documents , books or other evidence of transactions , to call , subpoena and examine Avitnesses and tc administer oaths to such Avitnesses testify ing. ing.This This joint resolution Avas adopted under suspension of the rules and sent oA'er to the House for its action. A petition came to the House from citi zens and farmers of Lancaster County ask ing for the appointment of a dairy commis sioner to see that the oleomargarine la\v is enforced and also asking for a more strin gent law regulating the sale of imitation butter. Standing committees reported II. R. 128 , 884 , 367 , 39 , 366 , 103 and 186 for in definite postponement and placed II. R. 803 , 382 , 276 , 254 , 256 , 253 , 277 , 164 , 148 , 396 , 321 , 257 , 862 and S. F. 7 on the general file. H. R. 135 , 23 , 200,125 and 160 , all relating to revenue matters , Avere recommended to the general file to be considered along with H. R. 137 , known as the Pollard bill. After spending some time in committee of the whole the House adjourned. Thursday. Feb. 16. Twenty-fifth ballot for senator : Allen 55 Hay ward : . . . 87 Thompson 9 Webster 10 Field 4 Weston 3 Scattering 8 After a debate lasting most of the mom- ing the Senate killed a couple of resolutions without giving them a place on the general file. The first was the joint resolution in troduced by O'Neill of Holt demanding the immediate return of the A merican troops from the Philippines. S. F. 178 ineL a lik fate. This joint resolution Avas intro duced by Schaal of Sarpy. and provided for the initiative and refer endum to be applied to acts of the Legislature. Several new bills Avere introduced. S. F. 2 , Senator Front's bill to amend the blanket ballot laAV of the State. Avas placed upon its third reading and pas sage. The bill Avas passed by a party vote. The following committee reports Avere adopted. S. F. 63. to pass : S. F. 61. to pass : S. F. 184 , to pass : S. F. 225. for indefinite postponement ; S. F. 199. to pass ; S. F. 230 , for indefinite postponement ; S. F. 207 , to pass ; S. F. 208 , to pass ; S. F. 215. for in definite postponement : S. F. 216 , to pass ; S. F. 218 was placed on general file. Of the bills indefinitely postponed in the House 318 is the bill calling for joint or separate deeds of husband or Avife to make legal conveyance doA\er or courtesy : 2-i2 Avas the bill asking for an appropriation of $5,000 to pay for an investigation of the swine plague ; 233 gave the electors of counties under tounship organization the right to decide IIOAV many supervisors the county should have ; 329 related to the authority of county boards to purchase or sell county property by resolution ; 891) ) gaA'C authority to district boards to change school house sites : S. F. 6 was Talbot's bill specifying the rate of interest on county and district bonds. At 11 o'clock the Flouse Avent into committee of .he whole , Thompson oi' Merrick in the chair , to consider bills on general ile. II. R. 54 , by Zellers of Dodge , an acl : o authorize and provide for the use of vot- ng machines , first came up. After a pro- onged debate , Clark of Lancaster , moved ; hat Avhen the committee arise it recom mend the bill to be recommitted to the com mittee on Privileges and Elections , and Avhen it is reported back to the House it be placed at the head of the general file. The notion carried and the committee arose. In : he afternoon the House Avent into com- niltee of the whole Avith Prince of Hall in : he chair to consider the special order. 11. R. 187 , the Pollard revenue bill , fifteen of the sections having already been acted upon at a previous sitting of the commit tee. After passing over ninety-one of the sections , the committee arose , and ai 5:30 the House adjourned. Friday , Feb. 17. Twenty-sixth ballot for senator : Allen * 5b Hayward 39 Thompson 10 Webster 9 Field 4 Weston 2 Scattering 8 Senator Spohn Avanted the report of the Board of Transportation in regard to the possibility of lowering the rates on coal and lumber shipped into the State and live slock and grain shipped out , incorporated in the journal of the Senate. He and se\ - era ! of his fusionist colleagues thought the document Avould be-of interest to the people of the Slate. Senator Miller in particular wanted it placed at the disposal of tiie agricultural classes , to which it was of the greatest importance. The majority at once fell upon the minor ity and accused them of trying to have campaign literature printed ai the ex pense of the State. Senator Owens said he had very little respect for the opinion of the board anyAvay , and Avanled tins one consigned to the oblivion of the files. Sen ator Spohn , after Avithdrawing his motion of the other day to the effect that tOD copies of the report be ordered printed. mo\e < ! that the report bo incorporated in the jour nal. This motion Avas lost , and no o'lier action being taken , the report was lilCil Several bills Avere passed , one or t\vo of them being curative measures. Miile- ; bill to prevent the platting of encumbered land into city or toAvn lots , passed. Under the order of bills on third reading in the House II. R. 33. by Smith of Saline , an act requiring fire insurance co-npanic : * to pay 25 per cent , interest on claims due turlcr pTcies. . if pajment thereof i > dc-- lu cd be ; , end the time allowed by law for the settlement thereof , Avas passed w.th emergency clause by a vote of 79 to 7. II. It. 252. by Xesbitof Bud , an act entitled " Internal Improvements" ' to authorize pre- cinct.s , townships , cities of the second class and A'illagcs to issue bonds in aid of in ternal improvements , improving streets , highways , railroads , bridges , court houses , jails and the drainage of swamp and Avet lands , Avas passed Avith the cmergciicy clause by a vote of 69 to 16. II. II. 520 , ap"- propriating $503 for Harris Smith , who broke a leg Avhilc practicing sports on the University grounds , Avas indefinitely post poned on the request of the father of the boy. The afternoon was spent in commit tee of the whole. Adjournment Avas taken till Monday. After a good deal of debate in the Sen ate on Saturday , the legislative , executive and judicial appropriation bill was pass ed. A bill to amend an act entitled , "An act to reimburse the Governors of States nnd Territories for expenses incurred by Ihem in aiding the United States to raise and organize and supply and equip the rolunteer army of the United States in the existing war Avith Spain" was passed. The House passed several bridge bills and other measures of minor importance At no time during the session of the Senate on Monday Avas a quorum present a majority of the members being snoAV- bound at their homes. A sharp debate over the unanimous consent agreement reached Saturday afternoon to A'ote on the McKnery resolution Avas precipitated early in the session. The agricultural ap propriation bill was called up , considered and passed with only a few unimportant amendments. A bill removing the disa bilities of certain persons engaged in the civil AA-ar was passed. The raging bliz zard caused practically a suspension of business at the House. At 12:03 Clerk McDoAvell called the House to order. There were about sixty members on the floor. On motion of Mr. Grosvenor ( Rep. , 0. ) Mr. Payne of New York Avas elected Speaker pro tern , amid an outburst of applause. In executive session the sun dry civil bill AAas again taken up. After having completed fifty-nine pages of the bill the committee rose , and the House adjourned. The unanimous consent agreement reached by the Senate on Saturday to vote Tuesday afternoon on the resolution of Mr. McEnery ( Dem. , La. ) declaring the policy of this GoA-ernment in the Philip pines was not vacated. In accordance with that agreement the vote Avas taken on the resolution , and it Avas adopted 2G to 22. The Nicaragua canal bill Avas offered in the House as an amendment to the sundry civil appropriation bill by Mr. Hepburn of Iowa , chairman of the com mittee that reported it , and the leaders on the respective sides are engaged in a desperate struggle Avhich involves the fate of the measure at this session of Con gress. The debate lasted two hours and was not concluded. The House on Wednesday settled the fate of the Nicaragua canal bill in this Congress by refusing to override the de cision of the chair , occupied by Mr. Hop kins , in committee of the Avhole. when the chair held that the canal bill offered as an amendment by Mr. Hepburn Avas out of order. The reading of the sundry civil bill was continued. The appropriation for the deep Avaterways commission was increased from ? GO.OOO to $90,000 on mo tion of the Appropriations Committee. Af ter completing ten additional pages of the bill the committee rose and the House adjourned. A bill extending the "cordial appreciation" of Congress to Miss Helen Miller Gould for her patriotic services during the recent Avar and providing that the President should present to her a gold medal was passed by the Senate. A bill was passed providing for the admission to the naval academy as a cadet of Oscar W. Deignan , one of the Merrimac heroes. Senators Cullom. SeAvell and Teller were named as conferees on the legislative ap propriation bill. The army reorganization bill Avas re ported to the Senate on Thursday. The naval personnel bill Avas taken up and read , but no effort made to proceed fur ther with its consideration. Soon after the Senate convened a House joint reso lution authorizing the Secretary of the Navy to pay certain laborers , workmen and mechanics at United States naAry yards and naval stations 50 per cent addi tional for work performed in excess of eight hours per diem was called up and adopted. Mr. Hale having gotten the per sonnel bill before the Senate did not press and Mr. Gallinger ( N. H. ) called up the bill enabling soldiers who served in the Spanish Avar who had previously been pensioners again to obtain their pensions and had it reconsidered. The proviso of the bill that applicants for pensions should file their claims Avithin a year Avas stricken out and the bill was then passed. Consideration Avas begun of the postofflce appropriation bill. Practically the only obstacle encountered by the bill was the committee amendment providing for spe cial mail facilities on the trunk lines from NOAV York and Washington to Atlanta and New Orleans and from Kansas City , Mo. , to NeAvton , Kan. In the House the proposition to include the item of $20,000- 300 to be paid Spain for the cession of the Philippines , in the sundry civil bill shared the same fate as did the Nicaragua canal bill "rider" the day before. The ruling of the chair Avas preceded by an extended debate. After the sundry civil bill had been completed and reported to the House Mr. Hepburn ( loAva ) , the champion of the Nicaragua canal bill , moxed to recommit it , with instructions to report it back with the canal bill incorporated in it. The motion was promptly declared out of or der by the Speaker , whereupon Mr. Hep burn appealed and Mr. Payne ( New York ) moA-cd to lay the appeal on the table. Up on the latter motion the vote was taken , and the result was 97 yeas to 07 nays. .Notes of Current Kvents. The army appropriation bill this year calls for $90.000,000. At Gen. Brooke's suggestion , the collec tion of taxes in Cuba will be taken away from the Bank of Havana. The NCAV Hampshire Legislature has passed a bill prohibiting Iho dissection of lionorably discharged United Stated sol diers or sailors. Peter Holt of Dickinson County , Tenn. , was shot from ambush in his yard , the contents of a shotgun being emptied into his right side , fatally Avoundiug him. Hugh and Will McNally. tAVo brothers , at Middlesborough , Ky. , Avere run over jy a train near Middlesborough and killed. Will McNally's Avife died from the effects of the shock. The 8-year-old daughter of John Bul- ock of Kennedy , Ky. , fell into the fire while playing around an open grate and was so terribly burned that she died two lours later. The newly organized American Beet Sugar Company will have a capital of $5- 000,000 in preferred stock and $15,000- DOO in common stock. It will operate in the territory west of the Missouri river. NAVY YARD IS SWEPT. Fire Loss of More than $1,000,000 at Brooklyn. Fire destroyed the great machine shops in the Brooklyn naA-y yard Wednesday night , causing a loss to the GoA'ernment of between -1,000,000 and ? 2,000,000. The shops Avere the largest of the kind in the country , 1,000 men having been employed in them during the rush Avork in the war with Spain. Their destruction Avill crip ple the repair Avork of the department un til they can be replaced. Sailors com mented on the fact that the fire occurred on the anniversary of the bloAving up of the Maine in Havana harbor. All the plans of the Maine were lost in the fire , so that nothing is left to represent her ex cept the model in the possession of the naval constructor. There Avas practically no opposition to the flames after they had started. The deep snow and a lack of water prevented the naval forces and the fire department from working effectively. It is supposed that defectiA'e insulation of an electric light wire started the flames , as they were first seen in a part of the building where there was no furnace. The main building is four stories in height , and has tAvo great towers. On the first and second floors AAere many val uable machines and tools. The third floor Avas used as a pattern shop , where dupli cates of machinery and the more delicate parts of a Avarship were manufactured and finished. On the fourth floor the patterns themselves were stored. There Avere the patterns for the engines of the Chicago , the Raleigh , the Cincinnati , the Maine and many other vessels of Avar. The long "L" Avas used as a boiler house and for the setting up of engines. The frame building Avas used by the master mechanic and for the storage of many valuable sets of private tools OAvned by the experts. There Avill be an invcstiga tioii of the fire by a court of inquiry. BLOW FOR THE CANAL , Chances b Kicafasiiali Measure at This Session Arc Slim. The national House Wednesday appar ently settled the fate of the Nicaragua canal bill in this Congress by refusing to override the decision of the chair in com mittee of the Avhole , when the chair held that the canal bill offered as an amend ment by Mr. Hepburn was out of order. The friends of the Nicaragua bill were very confident that they Avould triumph , but after four hours of debate the chair was sustained , 127 to 109. The debate throughout the day Avas exceedingly spir ited , and in the end a majority of the members refused to override the House rules. No record is made of the vote in committee of the whole. Party lines Avere not adhered to , the division in favor and in opposition to sustaining the chair's de cision being about equal on both sides of the political aisles. Chairman Hepburn's effort to have the House adopt the bill as an amendment to the sundry ciA'il appropriation bill failed , a correspondent asserts , not because the majority of the House did not favor the Nicaraguan canal , but because a majority of the members preferred to have the bill defeated rather than to adopt the expe dient of overriding one of the oldest and most valuable rules of the House. Ad\Tocatcs of A-iolating the rule under took to justify their proposed action on the ground that the Speaker would not alloAV the Nicaraguan canal bill to come up in any way in which it could be dispos ed of under the rules in an orderly man ner. This argument did not influence enough men to override the very clear statement of the rule made by Represent ative Hopkins of Illinois , Avho was in the chair as chairman of the committee 01 the Avhole House. FOREIGN TRADE IN JANUARY. Department Makes Comparisons with First Month in 1898. The total exports of merchandise for January , 1S99 , were $115,515,954 , as com pared with $108,426.074 in January , 1898 , and the imports $58,472,315 , against $50- 827,714 in 1S9S , making an excess of ex ports over imports for January , 1S99 , of $57,043,630. compared Avith an excess of exports in January , 1898. of $57,598,960. For the seven months ended Jan. 31 , 1899 , the exports Avere $749,472,465 , against $718,367,407 in the same period ended Jan. 31. 1S9S. and the imports $367,175- 925 , against $340,616,530 for the seven months of the previous year , the excess of exports over imports for the seven months ended Jan. 31. 1899. thus being $382,290,540 , against $377,750,877 the corresponding seven months the year be fore. Rewards to the amount of $50,000 for proof of bribery in the senatorial contest at Harrisburg , Pa. , continue Avithout tak ers or claimants. There are only tAvo Democrats in the NCAV Jersey delegation in the Fifty-sixth Congress oC two Senators and eight Rep- resentatiA'es. As soon as Clark of Montana pockets his senatorial certificate he will hasten the completion of the gorgeous castle he is building for himself near Central Park , New York. Kentucky's blue-eyed goddess turned her face to the Avail and blushed charm ingly the other day Avhile her foster fath er dashed off this modest paragraph : "If Congress Avill simply enact the editorial page of the Courier-Journal the date of the millennium may be definitely and finally set. " Candidates for congressional honors have reason to envy the easy race Avhich Thomas Spight had in obtaining a seat among the laAvmakcrs of the nation. Mr. Spight , the Democratic candidate in the Second district of Mississippi. Avhich con tains such important counties as Tare , Tippah , Panoln , Tallahatchie and De Soto , had tAvo opponents at the recent election , a Populist and a Republican , and the result was not what would be called on the racetrack a close finish. Mr. Spight had nearly 3,000 votes ; his Pop ulist opponent had 1G7 , his Republican op ponent had 38. BLIZZABD IN SOUTH. DEEP SNOWS AND HIGH WfNDS CAUSE HAVOC. Eastern and fouthern States Para lyzed by Cold Wave of Unprece dented Severity Peril to Shipping Tropical Fruits Badly Damaged. The protracted cold wave that recently held the Northwest in its grip later ex tended to the South and East , changing its form east of Ohio into that of a bliz zard of almost unprecedented ferocity , and carrying its below-zero weather far out into the Gulf of Mexico. The storm , as a whole , was phenomenal for its vast extent and its extreme severity. New York was practically paralyzed under the fierce blizzard that swept over it , with the wind at fifty miles an hour , the ther mometer at S degrees above zero , and the snow coming down steadily for twenty- four hours. Three feet of snow in Wash ington city , forty inches in Maryland , and twelve inches in South Carolina con tinue the story of disaster and suffering southward. Kentucky seems to have suf fered the worst that the thermometer could do. In sunny Georgia drifts of snow ten feet deep and a temperature of 15 below are reported , while the waters of the gulf are said to have been frozen a mile out from shore. The suffering everywhere was pitiable , "but in the South it was worst , because the cold was so unprecedented There is something appalling in the thought of zero weather along the Gulf of Mexico. The suffering auaoug the ill-clad nnd poorly housed negroes and indigent whites in that land where frost is a rarity must of necessity be extreme. Severe damage to crops has been one of the results of the cold snap. Florida has suffered enor mous loss. The pineapple industry has been dealt a serious blow. The extent of the damage to the orange groves can not be definitely stated at present , but reports agree that many trees are killed. Early vegetables are ruined. Throughout the South early fruit crops have been ruined. Cotton planters have suffered heavily. CAPTURE OF ILOILO. American Ships Bombard and Troops Take Insurgent Stronghold. The United States forces under Brig. Gen. Mller captured Iloilo , capital of the Island of Pauay and seat of the so-called government of the Visayas federation , on Saturday after a bombardment. The rebels set the town on fire before evacu ating it ; but the American troops extin guished the flames. There were no casu alties on the American side. Gen. Miller , on receipt of his instruc tions from Manila , sent native commis sioners ashore from the United States transport St. Paul with a communication for the rebel governor of Iloilo calling on him to surrender within a time stated , and warning him not to make a demon stration in the interval. The rebels im mediately moved their guns and prepared to defend their position. Thereupon the Petrel fired two warning guns , the rebels immediately opening fire on the gunboat. The Petrel and Baltimore then bombard ed the town , which the rebels , having set on fire , immediately evacuated. Ameri can troops were promptly landed and ex tinguished the fires in all cases of foreign property , but not before considerable dam age had been done. It is I Moved that the enemy's loss during the bombardment was heavy. JARO IN AMERICAN HANDS. k\nother Battle Foujjlit More Serious than That of tloilo. The village of .Taro , a mile north of Iloilo , was captured on Sunday afternoon by a battalion of the Eighteenth infan try. It was learned that the rebels were assembling there , and our troops were dis patched to make a reeonnoissance. It was not expected that any serious resistance would be made by the insurgents , but they made a better defense than was antici pated , with the result that the American losses were heavier than in the capture of Iloilo. Lieut. Frank Belles of the Eigh teenth regiment and four men were wounded. Lieut. Bolles' injury is slight. The enemy resisted for about an hour and then retired into the hills , taking their dead and wounded with them. Their forces numbered about one thorn and men. Reconnoissance developed that the town of Mole had been deserted by the enemy. MILLING TRUST SUCCESSFUL. 'Most of the American Spring Wheat Mills in the Deal. The Milwaukee Evening Wisconsin says : "It was admitted here today that the flour mill syndicate , of which Thomas A. Mclntyre is the head , had carried the day. Ail Duluth mills except Freeman's and a small concern are reported to have been secured , in addition to the majority of ? he mills in Minneapolis. It is also learned that the largest mills in New York and Buffalo , in addition to several large Milwaukee plants , have been cap tured. It is believed that when the con cern is fully organized a. large majority of the spring wheat mills in the country will be found in the deal. The capitalization of the trust , it is reported , will be about $35,000,000. " LOOK FOR WAR WITH ENGLAND. Correspondent Says French Officials txpect a Conflict. The Toulon correspondent of the Lon don Daily Mail , remarking on the extra ordinary activity at the arsenal there and generally in the French naval works , says : "It is believed that M. Lockroy ( minister of marine ) expects war with Great Britain Avithin twoyears and It is notontws that a Avar with England is be ing prc'nched in official circles. Troops are being poured into Tunis and Algeria and Avar material is being dispatched to all the colonies. French officers openly boast that they will sAveep the British fleet out of the Mediterranean. * ' "Warship iNesir IJeinjj Sunk. While the blizzard which has swept the Atlantic const was at its height the Unit ed States cruiser Marblehead had a nar row escape from being sent to the bottom in midocean by the Cunarder Etruria. Only the best of seamanship by the Etru- ria's captain prevented an ocean horror , the vessels passing each other so closely together that a biscuit could have been tossed from one to the other. Between 7,000 and 9,000 pounds of plug tobacco is yearly furnished to the peni-j teutiary inmates in Mississippi. SUMATRAN TOBACCO. How the Fragrant Leaf Is Cultivated for the Market. Sumatra , upon tlic equator , ' tlic halfway - way house of the world , " is one of the most beautifully situated of Hie isles of the summer seas. The high moun tain ridges on the west slope down and spread out in great green plains to the fertile eastern coasts , whore the low swamps at the water's edge breed fatal germs of tropical disease. The large settlements and most of the at tractive districts are on the we-t coast , the hills rising steeply from the ocean. Here thrives luxuriantly the coffee tree. Near Deli , on the Straits of Malacca , large areas have been devoted to to bacco culture. On the lower east coast estates more than. 43,000 coolies toil with the iVdor known only to the germproof - proof people , in this malarial land. The wild mountaineers of Sumatra are in striking contrast to the gentle Javanese. When the Dutch would have conquered them they retired to their mountain fastnesses and waited for malaria to lay low the European foe. As seen in Sumatra , tobacco planting , which is the principal agricultural in dustry , is described as carried on in the most picturesque way in the Avorld. . The jungle is first cleared , and this is a costly and difficult undertaking. When the ground has been laid as bare as possible by felling trees and firing the undergrowth , the whole area is plowed by buffalo teams. This must be constantly carried on. as tobacco can only be grown for one year , and then the ground must be allowed to rest for eight or ten years. Alter plow ing the laud must be thoroughly drain ed by means of expensive canals. The tobacco seed is sown in the spring and carefully protected from the sun by means of matting. When a certain development lias been reached the young plants are planted at equal distances apart. The tobacco plant arrives at maturity about the end of June. After the leaves have been gathered they are dried in enormous sheds. These sheds are constructed most artistically of wood , bamboo and matting , and are provided a I ! around the sides with adjustable ma : * i'or reg ulating the supply of air to insure per- fe-t drying. It is the busim s of the Kling coolies to build these > hi'ds and to keep the roads in order. The tobacco is then stored , pressed , sorted and packed and finally piled in the buffalo , wagons for shipment. It is taken toj Belawan. and from hero will find its way to all quarters of the globe. It will be treated in faetoiies by modern machinery , will be handled by all sorts and conditions of men and women , and finally it will bo smoked by careless , prosaic men. who know noth ing of the "summer islr-s of ilon , " to- whoin Sumatra on pearly seas is but a name. The Sumatra leaf is never -.iscd to make a whole cigar , but because o its beauty and regularity it is much MSW ! to make the outside of the "Ha " " " " . " and vana. "Manila , "Amerir.m" "German , " whatever cigars they may ostensibly be called. Deduced Irom Daily If you see a man and woman riding side by side in a car. the man absorbed in , a paper , and replying coldly , or not at all , to the remarks addressed to-4rinv by the woman. yo . uiay take it for granted they -are husband andwife. . If you see a woman drop her glove , and a man by the side of her kindly telling her to pick it up. you need not hesitate in forming your opinion ; or , if you see a woman whose beauty and accomplishments attract the attention of every man in the room but one , you. have no difficulty in determining tho- relationship to each other the one is her husband. If you see a man par ticularly courteous obliging and good- natured , relaxing into smiles , saying sharp things to every pretty woman in the room , excepting one , to whom he appears particularly cold and informal who that one is nobody can be at a. loss to discover. The rules above quoted are laid down upon unerring principles , and may be resorted to with confidence. Solidified Alcohol. As the disciples of the chafing dish know , alcohol is not a fuel to be trusted. Instead of burning quietly it sometimes shows such excess of service that it be comes dangerous. There is good news for those who. have found everything ablaze beneath and about the chafing dish which will save them from any such trouble hereafter. A German , chemist has discovered a process of solidifying alcohol. His- method is a secret , but that does not matter. The alcohol is prepared in small cylinders- inclosed in a tin box. It can be used for cooking , lighting or- for any of the- ordinary needs of life of that kind. The solidified alcohol is lighted and burns easily , but does not melt. It can be carried on one's travels , is always ready to heat the water for a city of tea , or tovaEin. . the curling tongs. Ciancj2 ! for Puzzle .Lovers. Here is an arithmetical problem , thut is going the rounds : A is indebted to B $5. B to C. C to D , D to K E to F , same amount. A , B , C. D and E each Lave $1 and no more , and consequently they cannot pay their debt. They put their money all together. A takes the $5. goes to r . pays his debt and gets his receipt. B does the same to C , 0 to D , D to E and E to F * A , B. C , D and E are out of debt and Ji1 has his money. Who , if anyone , is the loser ? Indianapolis Xews. Talking Clocks. In Switzerland they are making clocks which do not need hands and faces. The clock merely stands in the hall and you press a button in its stomach ach , when , by means of the phonographic graphic internal arrangements , it calls out ' 'half-past six' ' " or "twenty-three minutes to eleven , " as the case may be * r