TOPICS OF THE TIMES. A CHOICE SELECTION OF INTERESTING - ESTING ITEMS. 'Comments and Criticisms Baaed Upon the Happenings of the Day Histori cal and News Notea. A woman never tries to flirt with a ciarrled man who loves his wife. On our features the fine chisels of thought and emotion are eternally at work. It is the manufacturer of automobiles who consistently puts the cart before the horse. A chemical analysis of ice cream re cently showed yellow tetrads. They must enjoy cold feet. Charles Mitchell , the ex-pugilist , is said to beworth $200,000. Mr. Mitch ell knew when to quit When a man goes crazy for love the girl can avoid trouble only by moving "away and leaving no address. The Constitution guarantees us the tight to pursue happiness ; but what reajly need in that line is rapid transit. A Chicago ordinance forbids barbers talking while at work. There are not enougli soldiers in Illinois to enforce this law. Your Uncle Russell Sage continues to insist that this country has too many holidays. He loses money on every one of them. John D. Rockefeller has offered $1,000,000 for a new stomach , and he doesn't stipulate that there shall be a rebate on it either. A young man who Jokingly asked a girl to marry him has been assessed 2,500 for breach of promise. This might properly be termed a boomerang Joke. A Western university is said to be I ' sending out drummers to get students. If competition works up on that line , there may be a university trust one of these days. With Julia Ward Howe bewailing the prevalence of gambling among women and Lucy Page Gaston scold ing them for cigarette smoking , we welcome the testimony of Mrs. Livermore - more that women do not drink. "May it always carry messages of happiness ! " . The words were spoken when the 'California end of the all- American Pacific cable was recently brought ashore. It is too much to hope ; but there is the consolation that no matter how much unhappmess a message may convey , it will be soon over. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman , the opposition leader in the House of Commons , was lately interrupted by the prime minister , who judged that he was wandering too far from the question. "You are not arguing about me. I hope , " said Mr. Balfour. "No , " r replied Sir Henry , "I am arguing at large. " The phrase fits the discursive ness and inconsequence of many a leg islative address. Better than arbitration wise and necessary as that may be at times- better than arbitration , especially than enforced arbitration , is mutual ac quaintance , respect , confidence , and ease of approach ; and these cannot be obtained when there is totally absent , on' either side , a spirit of human sym pathy. The other day we asked a highly successful manufacturer how it was that he had got along so well , and for so many years , with his great crowd of employes and their labor- union allies. "We beat them , " he said , "with kindness. " In a paper read before a women's club the other day the advantages of comeliness in woman was discussed. It is admitted on all sides that woman has a perfect right to be beautiful. The world would be a desolate waste if woman should by any chance forget that it is her duty at all times to be as beautiful as it is possible for her to be. At the same tinip there is now , as there has ever been , much truth in the old saying that beauty at its best is only skin deep. Comeliness of face and symmetry of figure are not to be des pised , but the beauty that is lasting , that does not fade , that requires no frostilla , and that is everywhere ad mired and everywhere beloved , is beauty of character , and this charm * may be found In company with Jthe II plainest of features and the most com monplace of forms. It is the beauty , after all , that Is worth striving for. The estimates of the Russian govern ment for the ensuing year include an ordinary expenditure of $940,202,614 : uul nn extraordinary expenditure of $93.031,121 , or a total of $1,035,833 735. This sum is larger than the national debt of the United States and calls J for a larger revenue than Is raised by p my other country of the world. En gland , under stress of the Boer war , has increased her annual expenditures to .ibout nine hundred millions , but the situation is abnormal , and before the \vir the amount was considerably un- tk-r six hundred millions. France re quires something like seven hundred mllions annually , and including post- ollice expenditures and interest pay ments the United States has approxi mated that figure. Germany's account is less than six hundred millions. Rus- sin does not rank with any of these powers as an industrial nation , but it is evident that she must have great re- sources In order to keep up her present gait and continue solvent and It ap pears that to care for the estimated expenditures she has estimated 'reve- . nues of $948,516,339 , a surplus of. . $8,313,724 , an extraordinary revenue of $1,250,000 and a treasury reserve of $80,067,397. In glancing over a state ment of the estimated revenue of the last year the largest items are seen to be : Under the head of indirect tax es , customs duties , 205,732,000 rubles ( the ruble being worth about 51.5 cents ) ; under the head of state mo nopolies , sale of spirits , 462,808.000 ru bles ; under the head of state domain , state railways. 396,070,000 rubles. There are direct taxes on land and forests , a considerable sum is raised from trade licenses , from stamp du ties , from mines , posts and telegraphs and from divers other sources , so that a complete enumeration would be a long one. It is to be noted also that part of the expenditures , as this de scription of the revenues shows , go to productive investments. A large In come is derived from the state railroads - roads , and no doubt the money that is" still pouring into the great Siberian transcontinental line will ultimately yield a return. In olden days young men were urged to seize opportunities for advancement as they presented themselves , and to that end were advised to fit themselves for higher work , so that they should be prepared for any opening that might arise. That remains good advice , but ! in these strenuous days it is supple mented by the recommendation that young men make their opportunities. The present generation is not content to await the tide which "taken at its flood leads on to fortune , " but is dis posed to rty at least to make the tide. The individual with a new , sound and popular idea in business creates his opportunity ; he may bring about the tide that will carry him to fortune. The creation of business combinations , ) or trusts , as they are generally called , is largely due to this effort to bring about by one's own efforts opportuni ties for profit instead of awaiting their coming. The poet's description of op portunities as tides in the affairs of men gives too great a recognition to chance for this scientific and practical tage. There are unquestionably some ' 'things that occur by chance that is to say , result from some combination of circumstances over which the utmost - : most human wisdom and vigilance may have no control. One may meet ) with good luck or with bad luck in this sense , but the field in which luck is an important factor is being con stantly narrowed. Fifty years ago the results of Iron casting were frequently regarded as a matter of luck ; with the application of scientific methods of mixing ores and applying heat luck disappeared as a factor , and now a casting conies out with reasonable cer tainty that it will have whatever qua lities may be desired. The early dynamo name machines were of uncertain ca pacity until tested. To-day the maker knows in advance exactly what cur rent a dynamo will yield under given , conditions as to speed. In all the affairs - ; fairs of life knowledge , which brings' certionty of results , is to a greater degree - ' gree than heretofore taking the place1 of chance. It is still the part of wis- , doin for the ambitious to prepare themselves , but the competitions of the day are too fierce to allow any one to sit idly waiting for a tide. He should be engaged in rowing when the tide comes along to help him ; or , better still , should create the opportunities which may lead to his advancement How is he to do this ? A specific answer - , swer cannot be given ; but it is quite' ' evident that he will be fitted to create1 opportunities only by the acquisition of knowledge , diligent practice of his powers and zeal in the discharge of present duties. The Rule of the Majority. Freshly varnped to suit the occasion , a really good college- story can be handed down from master to master. But a writer in the Cornhill Magazine has a good case in claiming as individual - , vidual a story which he tells of Beuja- ; min Jowett , for few Oxford heads' have been so inexact in matters of ? Scriptural history as the late master1 of Balliol. It had reached Jowett's ears that Balliol men were not so successful in the examinations in rudiments of re-t ligions in the classical schools , so he determined to call up the next batch of candidates and catechize them him self. "Mr. Smith , " he is reported to have ; said on the momentous occasion ; ! "what prophet , went up to heaven in a chariot of fire ? " "Elijah , sir. " "It is disgraceful that a scholar 01 this college should be so ignorant ! " * said the master , severely. "Mr. Jonesj what prophet went up to heaven in al chariot of fire ? " "Elijah , sir. " "Mr. Brown , will you answer this perfectly simple question ? " "Elijah , sir. " At this point the library boy entered , and to strike all the undergraduates ; with shame , he was appealed to : i "Tell these gentlemen what prophetj went up to heaven in a chariot olJ fire. " "Elijah , sir. " There ensued a pause ; then the mas ter aid : "Well , gentlemen , perhaps it wes Elijah.- You are dismissed. " Industrial Capital in Pittsburg. The aggregate capitalization of the industries in Pittsburg is more than $2,000,000,000. The production of steel in Pittsburg in 1901 equaled half that of Germany , twice that of France , five times that of Russia or Belgium and twenty-five times that of Spain. DIE IN OIL FIRE TANK EXPLODES AND ENVELOPES MAW SIGHTSEERS. SCORE OR MORE KILLED BLAZING STUFF IS THROWN OVER THE VICTIMS PRESENTS AWFUL SIGHf Try to Escape. But Fall Dead In Their Tracks Twenty-two Dead and Probably Forty-five Injure * , Olean , N. Y. , March 11. A report from the scene of disaster at 2 o'clock Tuesday morning says twenty-two bodies have been taken from the wreckage. Some of them are burned beyond recognition only trunks and skulls remaining. The last estimate of the casualties places the number of dead at twenty-two , and the in jured at forty-five. Some of the in jured will die. Olean , Nr Y. , March 11. A score or more people were killed and a large number were injured by an explosion of oil near here Monday night. A freight train on the Erie , made upi principally of oil tank cars , filled , with oil , broke in two near this city at 9 o'clock. Two sections of the , train came together with a crash and one of the oil tanks was demolished. Fire broke out almost instantly and , the sky was lighted up for miles. A large crowd of people left this , city for the scene of the fire. While ; they were lined up along the tracks- a terrific explosion occurred. The } flames communicated quickly with' ' the other tank cars and a second and third explosion -followed each otherj in rapid succession. Sheets of flame ; shot out in all directions. Scores of persons were caught within the zone : of the fire and enveloped in flames. ] Men and boys ran screaming downj the tracks with their clothing a mass' of flames. Others fell where they stood , overcome by the awful heat. Just how many were killed is not known , as many of the bodies were Incinerated. Sydney Fish , a prominent business man , returned from the scene of the .Ire at midnight. He said : "I was attracted to the scene of the fire between 9:30 : and 10 o'clock. When I was within a quarter of a mile of the wrecked train there was a terrific explosion. Flames shot out wards and upwards for a great dis tance. I saw several persons who started to run away drop on the rail way tracks and they never moved again. Others who had been stand- in close to the wreckage were hurled through the air for hundreds of feet. The scene was awful. Half a dozen young boys ran down the tracks with their clothing on fire. They resem bled human torches. 1 could hear their agonized screams distinctly from where 1 stood. They ran some distance down the track and then threw themselves to the ground , grov elling in the ditches in their frantic efforts to extinguish the flames. Then they lay still , some of them un conscious , others dead. I do not know how many were killed , but I counted twenty bodies before I came away. " Word was sent at once to Olean po lice headquarters by telephone. Every doctor and ambulance in the city was summoned Grocery wagons and car riages of all kinds were pressed into * service and everything possible was done to bring the injured without de lay to the hospitals for treatment. At midnight the first of the in jured arrived at the hospital. They were four young boys. Their injuries were frightful. Great patches of flesh were burned off and hung in shreds from their bodies. It will be difficult to ascertain the names of a great many of the dead tonight , as their bodies were burned to ashes in the intense heat. A can vass is being made of the city as rap idly as possible to find out the names of those missing. There is great ex citement in the city and the streets are thronged with people. Large cvowds gathered at the hos pital and the faces of the injured were anxiously scanned as they were borne into the building on stretchers. Heart rending scenes were witnessed when one of the poorblistered bodies was recognized by a father or a moth er or brother and it was with diffi culty that persons were restrained from invading the operating room. The number of dead is known to be at least eighteen , and some estimates place it as high as twenty-five. Over two score were more or less seriously injured. Some of them will die. It is out of the question to identify any of the bodies recovered. Bank Cashier is Hissing , Eureka , Kas. . March 11. W. P. Dickerson , cashier of the defunct Toronto state bank , which was taken charge of by the state bank ex aminer on January 24with liabilities aggregating $40,000 is missing. Dicker - er > onwho was arrested a month ago , charged with falsifying his state ments as to the bank's condition , was to have had a preliminary hear ing her3 today. lie is out on $2,000 he raised. DISCOVERY OF SELF MURDER Youig Man at Stanton Takes His Own Life- Body Left For Many Days. Stanton. Neb. , March 10. Johi Grocshinzer , a young unmarried mai about thirty-five years of age , com mitted suicide supposedly last Tues day. He took a small rope , tied it about a spike driven in the wall , tiec it about his neck and simply knell down bearing his weight upon tb < rope. His feet were on the floor when the b dy was discovered on Friday , and his bent knees almost touching. He had apparently made no struggle as his cap was on his head and hif cjothing was not at all disarranged. He was an industrious young mar and no case was known for the act. The corneoner's jury completed theii investigations Saturday forenoon and returned a verdict in conformity with the foregoing statement. Was Late to Church. Valley , Neb.March 10. Miss Katt Whitrnore , daughter of W. G. Whit- more of this place , on Sunday estab lished a reputation for pluck and nerve that entitle her to be pliced alongside of western heroines who in time of emergency prove themselves able to come out of a perilous posi tion as handily as one of t'he sterner sex. Her reputation was gained in handling a team of runaway horses. Miss Whitmore lives with her par- 5nts about a mile west of here , and ) n Sunday morning she started for town driving a team of spirited iiorses. She intended getting two poung lady acquaintances and taking them to Fremont to attend church. A.S she was about to stop in front ) f a house for one of her friends the worses became frightened at some- jhing and started out at a headlong ? ait on the road to Waterloo. The team was too strong for Miss iVhitmore to stop , and she was un- ible to check their speed in any de- free. She did not lose her presence ) f mind , however , but kept the jquines in the. middle of the road. Several men saw the team start off ind three or four of them jumped mto horses and started after the iwiftly disappearing rig. Telephone nessages were sent out to farmers ilong the road notifying them of the ; unaway , and a moment or two latei ; hey saw Miss Whitmore and the , eam fly past. The men on horseback ? ere unable to catch up with her. The dispatcher's orders transmitted ver the telephone resulted , however , h giving her a clear right of way and lor three miles the horses carried her Ihead a a furious pace Having ex pended so much of their energy , they ) ecame more docile and she finally ucceeded in stopping them. She .urned them about , drove back to Galley , got her friends and went on .0 Fremont with the same team , but oo late to attend church. Found Dead in His Cabin. Lead , S. D. , March 10. The body if John H. McKinley was found on ; he bunk of his cabinnear the Union lhaft in Whitetail gulch , three miles tbDve Lead , a bullet hole in the tem- ile. He had killed himself several lours previously for the body was cold ind rigid. On the bed was a Colt's .evolver of 44 calibre , with which he lad inflicted the fatal wound. In : he , walls of the cabin were several Juliet holes and several lights had jeen broken out of the windows by wllets , indicating that he had passed leveral hours practicing with the veapon before turning it on himself. tfcKinley had not been seen for over i day and neighbors supposed he had ; one away on a visit. Up to a short lime ago he was employed as hoisting : iigineer bv the Horseshoe Mining : ompany. He was thirty-five years ) ld , and left two sisters in this part ) f South Dakota , one , Miss Mary ilcKinley , teaching school at Nemo , ind the other , Mrs. James Summer- rille , at Central City. An inquest ivas held over the remains by the joroner , the theory of suicide being jhoroughly established and the act- attributed to despondency. Dashes Down the Incline. Fall Eiver , Mass. , March 10. A mow plow which was being trans- 'erred from one section of the Old Colony street railway to another be- ; ame unmanageable at the top of a steep hill , in this city today , and , dashing down the incline , crashed in to two cars loaded with passengers. Both the passenger cars were almost sompletely demolished and five per sons sustained bruises and flesh wounds enough to necessitate their being carried to a hospital. A dozen others were bruised and put by glas ? or splinters. The accident was causf d by the breaking of a brake block on 'she snow plow. Brick-Makers on a Strike. St. Louis , Mo. , March 10. Pur suant to the action taken yesterday between three and four thousand union men of the allied brick makinjr trades struck today to enforce d.- mands for a recognition of theii union , for an eight hour day and a 5 per cent increase in wages. It is pro dieted by labor leaders that before the end ( if the week double that num ber of men in various building trades depending on the brick makers will go out in sympathy , should the strike remain unsettled. LIFE THREATENED RENTER PLAYED BOLD GAME TO GET A CHECK DREW KNIFE ON DOCTOR HUMBOLDT FARMER FORCED HIM TO WRITE A CHECK. CREDITORS HOLD SACK Cancot Locate Property Pledged on Loan Security-Creditors Hold Sack For From UOO to $500 I.jmboldt , Neb. , March 9. Con siderable excitement was caused in this city Saturday afternoon among the crowd of customers in the First National bank when as a farmer stepped up to the teller's window and handed in a check for one hundred dollars , the maker of the note who had accompanied him into the build ing , called to the cashier not to pay the check for the reason that it had been obtained under duress , stating that the holder of the paper had threatened to take his life if the check were not forthcoming and had enforced his demands with a wicked looking knife. The man accused of the offense was at once taken in charge by the officers of the city on a charge of drunkenness , and locked up until a definite plan of prosecutior. has been arranged. The story as told by Dr. J. L. Gandy , the well known physician and land owner , who gave the note , is quite blood-curdling and is about as follows : For the past season one of the doctor's farms near this city has been leased by Fred Kenter , a middle aged farmer , and the doctor not being thoroughly sat isfied with him as a tenant had ar ranged to have the place occupied by another party for the coming season. To this end he notified Kenter several months ago to look elsewhere for a farm , but this the latter failed to do , and when the first of March came was still in possession of the Gandy farm. After vainly endeavoring to persuade the farmer to vacate Gandy sought the aid of a local firm of at torneys and afcer much delay Kenter agreed to vacate for the sum of $50 , and to this the owner agreed , the money to be paid after possession had been given. Things seemed to be all satisfactory until this afternoon when the farmer having vacated came into town for his money. This was paid by the attorneys and a receipt given , the farmer departing apparently sat isfied with his bargain Later , hav- in filled up on liquor , he dropped in to the offlce of the doctor and finding him alone , demanded one hundred dollars more , stating that he had been caused considerable trouble , and the doctor being a man of wealth , could easily afford to spare the amount. The latter attempted to protest that the proceedings were unusual when the farmer drew a dan gerous looking knife and punctuating his remarks with profanity remarked that he meant business , and if the doctor did not sit down and at once write him out a check he would cut his throat. Seeing that the man was half crazy and doubtless meant every word he said , the threatened man thought it best to adopt conciliatory measures and drew up and signed the check as directed , handing it over to the farmer , intending to stop pay msnt by telephone. Kenter , however , feared something to this kind , and taking Gandy by the arm gave him to understand that he was to accompany him to the bank and see that the check was paid. Arriving * riving at the bank door the doctor again attempted to elude the vigilant captor and notify the bank president but the farmer balked bis design by muttering to him that he had better stay outside the railing. However , there being several other parties in the room Gandy made the facts known as stated above and not only saved his coin but escaped injury as well. Kenter when drinking is gen erally recognized as a dangerous char acter , and it is claimed the above assault was the second one for yes terday. Earlier in the day he was accompanied to the residence of his mother ( recently deceased ) by Ed- wardwin Samuelson , son of the pres ident of the First National bank , both going for the purpose of taking an inventory of the personal property of the deceased , the same being re quired by the probate court. While the work was going on Kenter asked young Sarauelson to take a drink of whiskey wjith him , and upon the latter declining , flew into a rage , de claring that he would kill him then and there. Killed in a Drunken Row. Hutchinson , Kas. , March , 9. Len Lewis shot and killed Baum Hatch , ' ; negro , during a drunken row be cause Hatch had assumed the role of protector to Lewis' wife. Mrs. Ema- line Hatch , wife of the dead man in a spirit of revenge , later set fire to a wagon belonging to Lewis , in which John Powers , another drunked revel er , was sleeping. Powers was fatally burned before he awoke from his stupor. THE LAW MAKERS Governor Mickey Interposes His Veto ani Pro poses a Substitute Bill-Read First Time STUEFFER TO BE INVESTIGATED Work on the Revenue Bill Projrressluz With Deliberation Proceedings In Both Houses. Governor Mickey vetoed S. F. 29. providing for the payment of fees to the commissioner of public lands and buildings. Governor Mickey stated his objections to the bill to be that the measure was unconstitutional in. that it provided for the payment of fees to the commissioner , while the constitution provides for payment of all fees to the state treasurer. He expressed his approval of the intent of the bill and submitted the draft of a hill identical except the provi sion for payment of fees. Warner of Dakota moved that S. JT. 304 , recommended by the governor , be read a first time. This was done. Mrs. Louise Bowser will -not get the $2.000 asked of the state for the. erection of a sod house at the Louisi ana Purchase exposition. The senate indefinitely postponed the bill this afternoon. SENATE ROUTINE. H. E. 119 , providing for the re ports of teachers and county superin tendents , was passed. H. K. 167 , a joint resolution mem orializing congress to pass a bill for the election of United States sena tors by popular vote , was passed. Committees reported as follows : S. Fs 100-101 , providing for a grand jury system , was recommended for indefinite postponement. The report was concurred in and the bill was placed on general file. S. F. 146. providing for the erection of grain elevators and warehouses , was placed on general file. S. F. 240 , defining cultivated lands , placed on general file. S F. 232 , indefinitely postponed. The senate went into committee of the whole with Brown of Keya Paha in the chair. The committee made the following report : S F. 191 , appropriating $2.000 to Mrs. Louise Bowser with which to pay part of the expense of the erection - tion of a sod house at the Louisiana Purhase exposition , indefinitely post poned. S. F. 58 , an act defining the bound aries of the state in certain cases , or dered 'engrossed. S. F. 116. an act to provide for the establishment of a public road to and from lands surrounded or shut out from a road , ordered engrossed. S. F. 147 , an act for opening and maintaing roads to bridges across streams separating two counties , amended and ordered engrossed. IN THE HOUSE. Nelson of Douglas renewed his mo tion to have a committee appointed to act on the Sears statement looking to an investigation of ex-State Treas urer Steufer's method of handling school bonds , and Speaker Mookett named tbese members : Warner of Lancaster , Meradith of York , Man gold of Douglas , Davis of Buffalo , Fishback of Clay. At the request of Kennedy of Doug las the house went into committee ot the whole to consider , first. II. B.271. by Eiggs of Douglas , providing a re duction in the number of Sonth Ornaha School board members Jrom nine to five. The committee recsm- rnended the bill for passage. The bouse met in afternoon session , at 1:30 instead of 2 o'clock. It took up n. E. 344 , the revenue bill , in committee of the whole. The first provision of the bill considered was that fixing the time of assessment. The original bill named February 1 and the standing house revenue com mittee proposed to change this to April 1. Thompson of Merrick or dered an amendment to fix March 1 as the time. After a spirited debate the committee amendment for April 1 carried by an overwhelming vote. An amendment by Nelson of Doug las was adopted making taxes on real property a first lien from and inclnd ing the first day of October of the year in which tney are levied n&til the same are paid. A committee amendment was adopted making sect'on 29 read : /'Personal property , except such as is required in ( his chapter to be levied and assessed otherwis.snail be listed and assessed in the county , percinct township , city , village and school district where the owner resides , ex cept that property having a local sites like lumber yards , grain elevators , etc. . shall be assesses at the piaces of sites , " etc. A communication was read from the governor submitting a bill giv ing the secretary of state perpetual right to sign paving petitions , the general purpose 01 the bill being to validate the paving of streets sur rounding the capitol building , for which the appropriation bill sets ont 810,000 to defray the state's portion of this expense. The prime object of this bill is to provide for the repaving of the streets on the east and south sides of the capitol grounds , Sixteenth street be tween H. and K streets end H street between Fourteenth and Sixteenth streets. The afternoon session adjourned at 5 o'clcok , the order being might session to begin ah 7:30.