5 St. Peter's church , Westminster ,
dedicated by Edward the Confes
sor.
1170 Thomas a'Becket , archbishop of
Canterbury , assassinated in the
cathedral.
31i7S 'Injunction issued by Primate of
England against public prayer by
little girls on Christmas day.
1.577 Wickliff divulged his opinion on
the Pope's mandate.
l. > ; > 5 Society of Jesuits founded by
Ignatius Loyola. *
l. "V2 Catherine Von Bora , wife of Mar
tin Luther , died.
1 , " ! ) ! Pope Innocent X. died.
1594 Expulsion of the Jesuits from
Paris.
1GOI Kinsale , Ireland , surrendered to
the English.
; Hv > 2 'First newspaper sanctioned in
Russia.
1G(51 ( Earl of Argyle imprisoned for
high treason.
IGD-i Mary , Queen of England , died of
smarttrox.
1709 Empress Elizabeth of Russia
born. Died on this date in 1761.
1714. George Whitcfield bora.
17.T7 Singnlar rising and sinking of land
noticed at Scarborough , England.
17 ( > . " > James Francis Edward , the Pre
tender , son of James H. of Eng
land , died.
177o Meeting at Philadelphia declared
that the Polly , with a cargo of
tea , should not land.
JSftQ Russians entered Bucharest.
ISO ! ) William E. Gladstone boru.
1S12 American warship Constitution
captured British ship Java.
iSlo Fire in Buffalo , N. Y. , destroyed
100 houses.
ISM Schooner Carolina blown up in
Mississippi by the British.
ISIS Emperor Alexander of Russia
granted right to peasants to en
gage in manufacturing.
1S2S Procession of free negroes in
Philadelphia escorting an African
prince returning to Liberia
Rowland Stcphenson. British
banker and member of Parlia
ment , embezzled $1,000.000.
1S. > 1 Hereditary peerage abolished in
France.
18o4 First reformed British Parliament
dissolved.
l ! o Battle of Tampa Bay./-
3837 Imperial palace at St. Petersburg
burned.
1S45 Texas admitted to the Union.
1S1G Constitutional charter of New
Zealand granted.
1S54. Thomas W. Dorr , leader of Dorr's
Rebellion , died.
1S57 Bombardment and capture of
Canton , China , by English and
French forces.
1S > 9 Lord JIacauley died , aged 59.
1870 Marshal Prini executed at Mad
rid.
lS7o Great mass meeting held in Mil
waukee for relief of Nebraska
grasshopper sufferers.
387,4 Alphonso XII. , father of the
present ruler , proclaimed King of
Spain.
1870 Great railroad accident at Ashta-
bula , Ohio.
3884 Severe earthquake felt in Austria
and Spain.
3894 Ex-Senator .James G. Fair died
. . . .Several killed in the burning
of the Delavan house , Albauv ,
N. Y.
3899 Extradition treaty between United
States and Brazil ratified
E. V. Smallcy , celebrated jour
nalist , diet ! .
MORALES' TROOPS LOSE BATTLE.
Gen. Rodri ; ue.s IN Killed in a Sharp
Flsrlit Xcnr Porto Plata.
Following the attack made on Porto
Plata , on the northern coast of Santo
Domingo.by _ General Demetrio Rod
riguez , commanding the troops of Gen-
oral Morales , the fugitive President ,
which resulted in the repulse of the
Morales forces by the Caceres garrison
after sharp fighting , the Caceres troops ,
commanded by General Cespedes , nt-
tucked the Morales troops in their posi
tion" outside Porto Plata/
Stubborn fighting followed , during
which many men were killed or wound
ed on both sides , resulting in the defeat
of the Morales forces , who were dis
persed by the Caceres troops. Among
tlm killed was General Demetrio Rod
riguez , former Governor of Monte Chris-
It , who , as reported in Monte Christi ,
liud announced that if his attack on
Porto Plata was successful he would
jtroclaim himself a candidate for Hie
presidency of Santo Domingo.
Benjamin Parkhurst of Washington
died in an Easton , Pa. , hospital from
the ; effects of a beating received at the
hands of friends with whom he had been
drinking. Parkhurst was connected with
government postal department for
twenty years.
Having refused the offer of Miss Lulu
'
May Ncsbit of Oak'dale , Pa. , of a release-
front his promise of marriage because
her. fo 0t liftd been amputated as the re
sult ; of an accident , James T. McCorkle.
a lawyer of Pueblo , Colo. , "was married
to tU § young woman.
: *
ENGLAND IS ACCUSED.
Jlojeiitven lcy Say a John Bull "Was
Ready to Aid Togro.
From Admiral Rojestvensky's own
account of his tactics in the battle of
tho Sea of Japan , published In the St
Petersburg Novoe
Vremya , the reader
is almost convinced
that the Russian
commander o u t
in a n e u vered Ad
miral Togo at ev
ery point and was
himself the real
victor. Ho declares
be knew Togo's
exact whereabouts
BOJESTVENSKY.
battle , made his dispositions according
ly and entered the fight with his eyes
open. The admiral only casually states
in the course of his letter that the
minister of marine is investigating the
causes of the catastrophe to determine
whether the commander shall be court-
martialed for the loss of his ships.
The charge that the British admiral
concentrated his ships at Wci-hai-wei ,
expecting to receive an order to destroy
the Russians in the event of Admiral
Togo's proving unequal to the task ,
has caused a sensation in diplomatic
circlas , all the more so as Admiral
Rojestvensky's letter was published
with the permission of the minister of
marine , and no doubt is entertained
that it will be made the subject of dip
lomatic representations to Great Brit-
ein.
Referring to the absolute secrecy of
Admiral Togo in regard to the disposi
tion of his forces , Rojestvcnsky de
clares that "this was unknown even
| to the admiral of the British fleet al-
' lied with the Japanese , who concen-
, trated his forces at Wei-hai-wei in ex
pectation of receiving an order to anni
hilate the Rnssian fleet if this , the
final object of Great Britain , was be
yond the power of the Japanese. "
THEIR AIM IS A REPUBLIC.
Polish Patriots In TJhis Country
liinlcert In a Great L < engine
All over the world Poles are watch
ing the course of events in Russia and
asking one another "Is there hope ? "
They do not say of what. That is not
necessary. To Poles the phrase has but
one meaning the independence of their
country. But their leaders , the Secret
Central Committee of the Polish League ,
are playing a waiting game.
This Secret Central Committee is re
ally a wonderful organization a govi-n-
ment within a government. It consists
of the ablest men in tho National
League , a vast society that numbers
nearly every adult male Pole and many
women as well. The league has branches
in every place where there are enough
Poles to form a club of some sort or
other. No matter whether the club be
social , literary , dramatic , political or
athletic , it is first of all patriotic.
There is a secret committee at the
head of the various organizations in ev
ery country where the Poles have exten
sive interests. There is ne here in
New York ; which governs'the 45.000
members in America. There is another
in London , and still others in Paris , Ber
lin and even St. Petersburg and War
saw.
saw.From
From these sub-committees delegates
are chosen for the highest committee of
all , the Central Committee , whose word
is law. These delegates are usually men
of considerable wealth , all of it pledged
to the cause , and , without exception , of
high personal integrity. This is vital ,
because they have undisputed control of
the funds of the league , and are answer
able to no one for their expenditures.
Nearly all Poles are firmly determined
that if they ever become an independent
nation they will have a republic on the
plan of our own and with a constitution
based on ours. All parties National
ist , Agrarian , the three Socialistic par
ties and a couple of others make this
the chief plank in their platforms.
j The league in this coiuntry has 45,000
members , of whom 1,500 are women. At
its last conference , held at Buffalo about
a month ago , some $00.000 was appropri
ated for different 'expenses , among them
being a statue of Kosciusko , to be erect
ed in Washington and presented to tlm
American people , and the establishn
of a higher Polish school in Pennsylva
nia. Among the activities of the New
York branch is a fund for the relief
of Polish deserters from the Russian
army who flee to this country.
John Jacob Astor's income is estimat
ed at § 30,000 a day.
Andrew Carnegie plnys golf in mod
eration , but is extremely fond of trout
and salmon fishing.
Lieut. Gen. Chaffee contemplates tak
ing up a permanent residence in either
Berkeley or Piedmont , Gal.
L. White O AQsecretary to Speak
er Cannon , is said to be one of the best
dressed men at the national capital ,
which ! s the converse of the ma : * from
Danville.
Judge Bond of Brownsville , Tenn. ,
candidate for Governor on the Demo
cratic ticket , is an old-fashioned citizen ,
rrho refuses to wear either necktie or
cnv < : .
Capt , FmMc T tz. whoniJJ , r'f va
his commission as Gavf.TT" * sf 0 1 '
homa in January , Is only 32 years of
age.
age.Senator
Senator Pettus of Alabama wears
shirts made by his wife and socks which
she has knitted. They live in Selma ,
Ala. , when not in the capital.
Congressman Grnham of Pennsylvania
has whiskers of the intermittent Fort.
He passed two of his colleagues the oth
er day in the capitol building , and one
of them remarked : "In my opinion Gra
ham's whiskers are punctuated too lib
erally. "
LOUBET WILL NOT RUN.
President of Frvincc Say * He Will
Xot Serve a Third Term.
There Is soon to be a great fight
in Prance over the presidency of the
great European republic. Before long
the national assembly will meet at
\rersailles for the purpose of choosing
a successor to President Loubet whose
second term is drawing to a close.
There are several candidates prom
inently spoken of as likely to get the
great honor thrust upon them. In some
quarters it is said there is a well de
fined movement on foot to force Presi
dent Loubet to accept a third term as
President. He , however , strongly de
clares he will not serve a third term.
In another quarter there is u strong
feeling against the Loubet government.
It is held by many , and openly pro
nounced , that the Loubet government
is full of "graft. " Men have declared
in Congress that the President has
countenanced much political spoliation ;
that he has inspired a tremendous
amount of persecution which is not in
PRESIDENT LOUBET OF FKAXCE.
harmony with the republican tenden
cies of France ; that he has carried his
ideas of the expulsion of troublesome
politicians to an absurd degree and that
he has endangered the peace of the re
public in a wanton manner. There
fore , it is thought , a strong element
will rise up against the element ready
to give Loubet a third term in hopes
of continuing the policy of spoliation ,
persecution and expulsion.
M. Fallieries , president of the Sen
ate , has thus far been considered the
leading candidate
LA FOLLETTE SWORN IN. j
Wisconsin's Ex-Governor oVovr a
United States Senator.
Robert M. LaFollettc was sworn in
Thursday as a United States Senator
from Wisconsin. Ten minutes before the
session began the door of the Republican
cloakroom opened and Senator Spooner
and his new colleague entered the cham
ber. This caused a mild sensation , for
it was known that there had been bitter.
SENATOR LA FOLLETTE.
political feeling existing between them.
It was not known in advance whether
Mr. Spooner would escort his colleague
to the desk to take the oath , or whether
Mr. LaFollette would accept the escort ,
but all this was arranged in the cloak
room.
room.Mr.
Mr. Spooner before the session intro
duced a number of Senators Jo Mr. La
Follette. Several members of the House
from Wisconsin joined the Senators and
shook hands with them. j
Mrs. LaFollette , accompanied by sev
eral friends , was in the Senators' gal
lery and many other Wisconsin people
were in the public galleries.
Sod IIonKC Heated by Steam.
A steam heating plant in a sod house
Is one of the latest signs that the star
of civilization is gradually wending its
way westward. The home of Frank
Gillispic , a farmer near the city of Bone-
steel. S. D. , is now heated with a thor
oughly modern plant , just installed by
an eastern heating appliance manufac
turer. Gillispie is" well to do , and says
he has not had time to erect a brick
home , but does not intend to go without
the comforts of steam heat in lib ssven-
room sod house. { i
INSURANCE INQUIRY ENDS.
Legrinlative Committee Adjourns
tcr Uncnrtlilngr Scandal.
After four months of most arduous
work the legislative committee ap
pointed at an extru session of tho
New York legislature adjourned Sat-
uruay night. Since mid-summer
through the workings of this comniit-
porated under the laws of New York
State , and many incoproratcd under
the laws of other States , have been
subjected to a searching examination
as to their business methods. The tes
timony has been sensational at many
sessions , and in these four months , the
public has watched closely day by day
the developments.
With the termination of the com
mittee's inquiry there comes to an end
an investigation which in many ways
marks an epoch in the country's busi
ness history. It is too early to esti
mate the ultimate results of tho in
vestigation , but they cannot fail to bo
far-reaching. When , early in the past
year , the disagreement between James
Hazeu Hyde and President Alexander
of tho Equitable Life Assurance Socie
ty brought to light some "of tho pecu
liarities in tnc administration of that
concern , the public had not the faint
est conception of tho true state of af
fairs as regards any of the leading
companies. Even by the cud of June
tue facts were but vaguely suspected.
From the time tho investigating com
mittee began work , four months ago ,
the process of turning up new scan
dals and instances of graft has been
almost continuous. Ilardly a week has
gone by without its disclosures of
fresh instances of extravagance or pri
vate greed or new revelations of sin
ister and unsuspected relations be
tween business and politics. Tho men
directly affected by those disclosures
have been some of tho most conspicu
ous in public life , but hardly one of
them has escaped suspicion , while
many of them have suffered a loss of
prestige and reputation from which
they never will recover.
Not tho least instructive feature of
the inquiry has been the lesson it has
afforded regarding tho practical value
of a legislative investigation when
properly conducted. The public gener
ally is prono to be pessimistic as to
the utility of such investigations. Or
dinarily thej * begin with much osten
tation and high promise of results only
to terminate in a perfunctory and
valueless report The New York com
mittee , made up , of men who were in
earnest , and equipped with an able ,
tactful and aggressive lawyer , who
saw his duty and did it without hesi
tation , obtained facts which will lead
to real and permanent reforms. Now
and better laws and better methods of
supervising insurance companies will
be provided. Public sentiment as re
gards honest business standards has
been , improved.
JUMPED OVER CHRISTMAS.
How Pacific Steam.Nhip Pa ;
Missed the lny Entirely.
One hundred persons who left Seattle
ou Dec. 1G for the Orient skipped Christ
mas day. but the oddest thing about it is
that they probably knew nothing of it.
but went through the observation of the
natal day of the Savior , blissfully uncon
scious of the fact that the day was drop
ped from their calendar.
Those who were victimized in this way
were passengers on the Great Northern
steamship Dakota , en route to Japan
and China. The ship's schedule provided
that tho steamer pass over the day line
in tho Pacific ocean Sunday night. Ves
sels gouig to tiie Orient from tho United
States always lose one day at tho day
line , and the Dakota lost hers Christmas
day. She arrived at tho ISOtli meridian
just about midnight Sunday. Tho instant
tho lino was struck it became Tuesday ,
or the day after Christmas.
Passengers on the steamship were kept
in the dark as to this conspiracy to rob
Saint Nicholas , and 'an effort was mr
tloubtedly made to keep the see-ret until
the evil deed was accomplished. Elab
orate preparations were made for the
festivities.
Were the Dakota ou the way home
from Japan the situation would be re
versed , and there would be two Christ
mas days aboard the ship , or , rather , one
Christmas day forty-eight hours long , as
the day line is generous enough about
paying back its debts to those who do not
remain in the Orient. It is a kind of
head tax : he assesses , redeemable on de
mand if the face is in the right direction.
This day lino seems mystifying to
many persons who observe its meander-
ings over the Pacific occau on the map.
Beginning away back up ? n the Arctic
wastes , it follows the ISOth degree south
for some distance , and ttcn bends to go
through Bohring Strait. Thence it moves
in .111 irregular line down almost to the
Equator , and bends east to the 150th
k meridian. Then its crocked pathway may
' bo traced through , tuc Southern Pacific
until it finally gets back to the 180th
meridian and disappears in the unknown
region east of Wilkcs Land.
Short Kexva Note * .
Horatio Ray Jlillcr of New York died
1 in London of pneumonia.
The director ? oC tho Cleveland Elec
tric railway ! avc raised the wages of
more than 2.000 motormen anfl conduc
tors 1 cent mi hour.
j
Justice Kouofick of Buffalo authorized
Receiver 'A'hcelcr of the German bank
of Buffalo to accept tho $050,000 offer
of the A'tsets Realization Company o
Chicago "or the bank's assets now in his
hands. Tho face value of the assets is
52,100,000.
Dr. H. W. Wiley of the Bureau of
Chemistry of the Department of Agri
culture is making inquiry into the san- ]
itary conditions of cold storage. It
stands to reason , he says , that there
must be a limit to the period during
which meat and poultry will keep in
storage in a state fit to cat. The cold-
storage companies are on the side of
the investigators , for obviously it is
to their interest to know under what
conditions food spoils , and to bo sure
of tho. state of perishable goods which
they are sending out to their custom-
ens. The department has the use of a
cold-storage plant in Washington for
purposes of experiment , and will ulti
mately publish its conclusions in a
pure food bulletin. It is interesting to
learn that although at present the
standards of this department have uo
legal force , yet by the natural author
ity which popular sentiment accords
the work of the bureaus , they have
gained something of the effect which
adequate legislation would give them.
There have been seven marriages
performed at tho White House , where
it is , of course , inferred that the Long-
worth-Roosevolt nuptials arc to be cele
brated. The first was that of Miss
Maria Monroe , tho youngest daughter
of President Monroe , who was married
in March , 1820 , to Samuel L. Gouver-
nenr , of New York. The ceremony
.was hold in the famous cast room. The
most brilliant wedding ceremonies in
this room were those of Miss Eliza
beth Tyler and William Waller , of Vir
ginia , and Miss Nellie Grant and Al
gernon Sartoris. The last wedding to
be held in the east room was that of
a nieco of President Hayes. President
Cleveland and Miss Francos Folsom
were united in , the blue room. Tho
ouly other President married during
his term of office was President Tyler ,
whose second wife was Miss Julia
Gardner. The ceremony was perform
ed at her homo in New York.
Congressman Frederick Landis , who
in his maiden speech in tho House ,
flaved insurance grafters and high
financiers , is serv
ing his first term in
C'ongress and is one
of the youngest
members in that
body , being just 34
years of age. He
was born at Sevan
.Mile , Ohio , in 1S7L' ,
wont to school at
LogansporL a u d
graduated in law
at tnc
F.
of Michigan. He
represents the Eleventh Indiana Dis
trict , and his older brother , Charles *
B. Landis. rep rents the Ninth Dist-
Judge Kencsaw M. Landis , judge of
the United States District Court in
Chicago , is another brother.
Hitherto the department heads har
had full power of removal of employ
es , but wore required to give to the
person sought to be removed a copy
of tho charges against him , and to al
low him a reasonable time in which to
make reply. Under the now order ,
when misconduct is committed in the
presence of tho President or Hie head
of a department , the person offending
may bo summarily removed from tho
service without a statement of rea
sons. Tn other cases the head of a de
partment must file a statement of the
grounds of remova1 but need not give
iioticc to tho "person who is to bo re
moved.
American farmers have been raising
macaroni wheat from seed secured in
the first place by the Department of
Agriculture. Secretary Wilson says
that these farmers will send six mil
lion bushels of their crop to Franco ,
Italy and other parts of Europe this
year. Half of this amount goes to tho
macaroni-makers of France. Six mil
lions bushels is a small amount in
comparison with the total wheat ex- ;
ports , but six years ago this country
exported no wheat of this kind , and it
was only five years ago that the first
seed was distributed by the Depart
ment of Agriculture. Kcsults of tin's
kind amply justify tho existence of
the department.
Representative Brownlow of Tennes
see holds the record so far for intro
ducing bills at the
present session of
Congress. In thir-
teen days ho intro
duced f bills. The
total number of ,
bills introduced in -
the House in the
thirteen dnys was
lO.Ofil. as against a
tot/i I of .10.209 for
ai ! sessions of the
last Congress.
It cost just $145,491.28 for the four
teen hours celebration attendant upon
the installation of Theodore Roosevelt
as the twenty-sixth President of the
United States. The matter Las been
computed by General John il. Wilson ,
chairman of the inaugural committee ,
that had tho ceremonies in charge.
This sum is about $30,000 more than
it cost to install any other man as
President and about $140,000 more
than it cost to swear in Thomas Jeiler-
" " '
soiftas President.- . - ; *
DEMANDS NEW LAV/ .
Governor of Ji'cvr York
UKC of Drastic Insurance
Governor Iliggins * message to tho
New York Legislature , which was pre
sented to that bodj * . urged tho passago
of a drastic insurance law. Some oC
tho reforms suggested by tho Gover
nor in his message follow :
That large amounts ought , for tho
safety of tho insured as well as for
tho good of the community , to bo in
vested in bonds secured by mortgages
ou real estate at a conservative valua
, tion.
tion.That
That deposits with or loans to mon
eyed corporations should bo subject to
suitable restrictions.
That the control of subsidiary com
panies should not bo permitted.
That insurance directors should havo
no conflicting business connections.
That investments in corporate bonds
should be regulated so as to prevent
speculation and loss from an attempt
to float doubtful enterprises.
That policies should bo of standard
forms , so that the abuses arising from
ambiguity , complexity and incomplete
ness of contract may bo oradicateil
and tho contract made definite in form ,
and substance.
That a uniform system of audits
and accounts should bo proscribed by
the insurance 'department.
That full publicity to policy holders
should bo assured.
That deferred < Iividend policies
should be prohibited or greatly re
stricted.
That policies should bo further safe
guarded from forfeiture.
That an equitable distribution of the
gains of the company to the policy
holders entitled thereto should Le re
quired.
That policy holders should liavc an !
effective voice in tho government of
the companies , and that the discretion
of the directors should bo subject to
judicial or administrative review.
AN IMPENDING CRISIS. 1
lujt K"cw CoiiHdihuInry "Will lIuy In
Pennsylvania Strike * .
There are indications of a. long and
bitter strike in the authracit ? coal re
gions and financiers with vast interests
in the coal roads privately declare that
the anthracite mine workers will be do
ing well if thej * have any work to do
for three months after March 15. It is
particularly significant that retail coal
dealers supplying tho anthracite field
j have been for months past urging their
patrons to lay in a year's supply of coal
and that every storage yard in the region
is taxed to its utmost capacity willi do
mestic sizes of anthracite.
I In such a strike the new State con
stabulary will take a part. The law
creating the Slate constabulary provides
for four troops , each consisting of one
captain , one lieutenant , firo sergeants
and fifty privates. Every private will
be a soldier who lias seen actual service
in the field. The law calling out tliis mo
bile force of armed men was enacted by
the Pennsylvania Legislature ut its last
session and while it is possible that one
or two companies of tho National Guard ,
recruited right in the heart of tho anthra
cite field , might waver in a finish fight
at the mines tho picked nieu of tho con-
j stabulary will follow the code of.tlie rcg-
I lar army and will perform their work
as they face it.
There was no excuse for organizing
this force of sharpshooters except the
impending strike in tho anthracite region
j which will call out 185,000 men. Under
the law tho constabulary has authority
sirnilar to that of a sheriff who , in
Pennsylvania , is a law unto himself in
all matters coming under his personal
observation. This now armed force can
go anywhere in the Stale , just as the
judges may , and once there may act
with or without the consent of tha
sheriff.
The Rev. David Hillhousc Bucl. the
new president of Georgetown university ,
is one of the pronounced opponents of
the present methods In football.
At the recent annual dinner of the
Union college alumni Andrew Carnegie
offered to give $100,000 to equip an en
gineering department at Scheaoctady on
condition that a like amount be sub
scribed by tho alumni.
That Bible stories should betold to
school children as part of their language
lessons is a recommendation made in the
report of the committee of the Wiscon-
siu Teachers' Association appointed to
I
investigate language study.
Dr. William Osier , regius professor of
medicine at Oxford , will return to Amer
ica about Christmas and in January will
take part in the work of tho Johns Hop
kins Medical school at Baltimore , much
ns he did when at the head of that in
stitution.
The teachers of the Hazleton ( Pa. )
high school decided , unanimously that
they would refuse to accept Christmas
presents from their pupils , the reason
being that many of the pupils who felt
it their duty to give were not able and
that others who could not give were en
vious of those who could.
* The PennsylTimia railroad lias applied
to the school officials oC Aitoona for
permission to equip the high chool in
that city with complete appliances for
teaching youag men the railroad busi
ness from top to bottom. Tho equip
ment will cost $18.000 and special in
structors will also be furnished by the
company.
The Board of Education nt Boone ,
lowu , has passed the followingresolution
unanimously : "Resolved. That every
teacher signing a contract tiv teach in
the schools in this' di trirt be notified
that the Board will from this day decline
to act-opt liis or her resignation ami will
insist that the contract be carried out
as siacl. and that all superintendents
of schorls or any member of theboard
ns to mending or qualiScation oC any
t-.K-her under contract bo notified of
sneh contract , and that this board will
refuse to release such teacher. "
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