LZ
I
SALARY JOO LOW
WHAT THE ASSISTANT POSTMAS
TER GENERAL SAYS.
OFFICE GLERKSARE UNDERPAID
By Reason of This the Efficiency De
creases Many Cases of Indecent
and Scurrilous Matter Given Atten
tion by the Department.
WASHINGTON In his annual re
port made public Wednesday, First
Assistant Postmaster General Hitch
cock says that the low salaries paid
clerks in first and second-class post
offices Is decreasing the standard of
efficiency. It is impossible, he says, to
Induce efficient men to enter this
branch of the service when the salary
to begin with is but 5600 per year,
with no certainty of promotion for per
haps several years.
Mr. Hitchcock strongly recommends
a discontinuance of the practice of in
stalling postoffices in public, buildings
devoted in part to other branches of
the government service. The best type
of quarters for postoffice purposes, he
says, is a single large room in a one
story building.
Much embarrassment has been occa
sioned the postal authorities to pro
vide emergency mail facilities in min
ing towns, and Mr. Hitchcock recom
mends an emergency appropriation of
$75,000 to meet such requirements.
There has been an increase of more
than $18,000,000 in the amount of do
mestic and of more than $5,000,000 in
the amount of foreign money orders
issued during the year over the one
preceding.
While the number of undelivered
letters which found their way to the
dead letter office during the year was
smaller than during the previous year,
the number of undelivered letters with
valuable enclosures greatly increased.
General prosperity of the country is
given as one reason; another is the
suppression by the department of con
cerns using the mails for fraudulent
purposes. Mail for such concerns con
taining money, money orders and com
mercial paper was received at the dead
letter office in unusual quantities.
Nearly 11.000.000 pieces of mail were
received at the dead letter office dur
ing the year, including 1.668 that
failed of delivery in the Panama canal
zone.
"Over 1,500.000 cases of alleged inde
cent and scurrilous matter received at
tention. In the sunimer the influx of
offensive pictorial postcards became so
great as to call for a special order by
the department looking to the abate
ment of the nuisance. As a resula of
this order many thousands of objec
tionable cards have been withdrawn
from the mails by the postmasters and
forwarded to the department for de
struction. RAILROAD PROMOTERS
HAVE A CLASH
PORTLAND, Ore. The granting of
an injunction by the state circuit
court ordering the Portland & Seattle
railroad and Simms & Shields, con
tractors, to discontinue the work of the
railroad construction in the vicinity
of a "proposed crossing by the Oregon
Railroad & Navigation company's
track between here and the Columbia
river, marks the first actual legal,
clash between the principals them
selves in the alleged fight between the
Hill and Harriman interests. Both
companies for some time have been
striving to gain the vantage at the
point of crossing, in order to establish
a grade to which the other company
would have to conform.
PRESIDENT SIGNS CANAL BILL
Eleven Million Dollars Made Available
for Work.
WASHINGTON President Roose
velt signed the bill passed by congress
appropriating $11,000,000 for the Pan
ama canal. This is the first law creat
ed by the present session of congress.
Secretary Shaw stated that although
the Panama canal bill which has just
passed congress perfected the legisla
tion relating to the sale of Panama
bonds, and makes it possible to issue
them at any time, the treasury depart
ment does not contemplate any imme
diate issue. At present conditions for
an issue are not so favorable as they
are likely to be later on. An imme
diate sale would withdraw money
from channels of trade where it is now
needed to the amount of the issue.
THOUSAND DOLLARS A CHILD
This Iowa Farmer Has a Method in
His Rooseveltan Ideas.
BLDORA. la. George Cramer, a
wealthy- and industrious German living
near Ackley. came to America a poor
boy. At the time of his marriage his
wealthy father in Germany promised
to send him $1,000 each time a child
was born in the family. To date
twelve children have come to bless the
union and. faithful to his promise, the
old grandfather has remitted twelve
$1,000 checks to his sen and heirs in
America.
Calls on the President.
WASHINGTON James W. Wads
worth. Jr., the announced choice of
Governor Higgins for the speakership
of the New York assembly, was in
conference with President Roosevelt
at the white house. The conference
was by appointment, and Mr. Wads
worth remained about half an hour
with the president. There was full
discussion of the events which preced
ed and have followed the selection of
Mr. Wodsworth by the governor as his
choice for the party's leader in the
lower house of the state legislature.
WASHINGTON Advices received
by cable at the State and Navy de
partments from Santo Domingo indi
cate that a serious condition of affairs
exists there. The captain of the port
of Puerto Plata has been shot and
killed during an insurrectionary move
ment and the governor of that province
has defied the general government and
barricaded the town. The Dominion
government has issued a decree re
moving the government The State
department has determined that this
is an internal difficulty and will not
intervene at this stage.
SENATE POSTPONES ACTION.
Will Not Confirm Military Men Until
After Holidays.
WASHINGTON Nominations o
Brigadier General George B. Davis, to
be judge advocate general, and Briga
dier -General William Crozier to be
chief of ordance of the army, both to
succeed themselves, were considered
in executive session of the senate but
action was postponed until after the
holidays. Senator Warren, chairman
of the committee on military affairs,
presented a letter from Secretary of
War Taft explaining what had been
termed a legal tecnnicality against
these officers succeeding themselves
in the detail named in the nominations.
At a recent meeting of the commit
tee on military affairs it was stated
by several members that the law
seemed to prohibit officers from ac
cepting a second four year detail of
this character until they had again
served in the line for three years.
In each case. Secretary Taft says it
Is the clear intention of the army re
organization act of 1901 that only of
ficers below the rank of colonel shall
be ineligible to re-appointment for
continuous staff service and that in the
case of heads of the bureaus, there is
no prohibition whatever as to reap
pointment. The nominations of mem
bers of the isthmian canal commission
were again referred to the committee
on interoceanic canals.
PRESIDENT MUST HAVE
A RAILROAD RATE BILL
WASHINGTON Congress will at
its present session, enact railroad rate
legislation carrying out the ideas cf
President Roosevelt or find itself in
extraordinary session immediately fol
lowing the close of this session. Thi3
is the text of the ultimatum handed
out at the white house. In this the
president is radically determined; ho
means business.
The house is easily conceded to bo
with the president in this fight. The
senate, however, is in question. Every
senator found to be opposing the presi
dent's railroad rate program will be
set down as an enemy of the adminis
tration, and will be, during the balance
of his term, without influence at the
white house.
INVESTIGATION WILL GO ON
Government to Continue Delving Into
Land Frauds in the West.
OMAHA The summary dismissal of
Judge Baxter from the office of United
State district attorney by order of the
president was the theme of general
comment about the federal building
Christmas day. Judge Baxter was not
at his office during the morning. It
was learned, however, that he had re
ceived the telegraphic order from the
president directing his removal, but
Judge Baxter declined to discuss the
matter further than has already ap
peared in print
A member of the secret service
force, who is now investigating the
land fraud matters in Nebraska, said:
"The removal of Marshal Mathews nd
Judge Baxter will not have any effect
upon the investigations now being
carried on by this department. We
shall proceede with the work of gath
ering evidence to present to the grand
jury in May. and the deeper we delve
into the matter the dirtier it becomes.
I do not know just where it will end,
but there will be a ratling of dry bones
when the grand jury meets in May.
BUYS ROOSEVELT BIRTHPLACE
Organization Effected at New York
to Make Purchase.
NEW YORK The organization
formed to purchase the house In which
Theodore Roosevelt was born, at 28
East Twentieth street, in this city, and
present it to the nation, completed the
details of purchase and secured posses
sion of the property for $60,000. It is
the intention of those interested in the
plan to restore the house as nearly as
possible to the shape it was in at the
time of the president's birth. This will
include the furnitnre and fittings, as
far as they can be secured.
Among the colloborators to the pro
ject were Andrew Carnegie and Henry
C. Frick and General Horace Porter,
who is said to have subscribed $10,003
and others.
PRESIDENT JOHN GORDON
IS DOWN AND OUT
WASHINGTON The trustees of
Howard university accepted the resig
nation of President John Gordon to
take effect at the end of the present
school year in May, 1906. and granted
him a leave of absence from January
1. 1906. until the school year expires.
Dean Frederick D. Fairfield of the col
legiate department of the university
was named as acting president of the
university and will assume his new du
ties at once.
Dr. Gordon offered his resignation
after a demonstration made against
him by the students several weeks ago.
At that time he was hissed and jeered
as he entered the chapel.
ST. LOUIS Officers cf several of
the organizations popularly termed as
"lid-lifting clubs." which were raided
recently upon instructions of Gover
nor Folk, were arraigned in police
court on charges of violation of the li
quor law. Fines were imoosed In
I sums ranging from $50 to $100. Many
I of the cases were appealed to the court
I of criminal correction. Police Judge
; Tracy denounced the organizations, de-
claring that in nearly very instance
they are merely subterfuges for the
evasion of the Sunday closing or ex
cise laws.
Islands Offered For Sale.
SAN KRANCISCO An advertise
ment appearing in a local paper offers
for sale Fanning and Washington
islands in the South Pacific, under in
structions of the registrar of the
British high commissioners court for
the West Pacific. Fanning island is
well known.
Mayor McClellan Sworn In.
NEW YORK Mayor George M'Clel
lan has been sworn in as mayor of
New York city for the next four years.
DEFEAT THE REDS
ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW THE
GOVERNMENT FAILS.
MOSCOW REVOLT IS SUPPRESSED
Electric Light Service Resumed and
Conditions are Becoming Normal
Strike Declared Without Prepara
tion and Army Remained Loyal.
MOSCOW The electric lighting sys
tem was restored at 3 o'clock this
afternoon. The streets are gradually
assuming their normal condition. It
is probable that the railroads will soon
commence their regular schedules.
Work has been resumed in most of
the factories. The town council is
organizing a system for the relief of
the families of the victims of the re
cent disturbances.
ST. PETERSBURG The suppress
sion of the insurrection at Moscow
and the certainty that similar upris
ings elsewhere will be crushed mark
the collapse of the first attempt of the
"reds" to overthrow the government
arms and administers a defeat from
which it is not believed in government
circles the revolutionaries can quickly
recover.
Now that the smoke of battle is
clearing away the utter hopelessness
of the conflict seems to be apparent.
The populace held aloof and not a
single military unit actually joined
the revolutionaries. Even the general
strike crumbled under their feet by
their challenging and precipitating a
conflict before the proletariat organi
zations were prepared. The govern
ment secured a comparatively easy
though ruthless victory, and it Is be
lieved in high official circles that the
organizations have been so demor
alized and disrupted by the blow and
by the arrest of their most able lead
ers that it would be impossible for
them to attempt the coup planned for
the annniversary of "bloody Sunday."
In desperation undoubtedly the revo
lutionaries will again have recourse to
acts of terror which they will spring
at the most unexpected moment
The country has quieted down, and
the cabinet now hopes that the selec
tions to the douma are assured and
that the government can devote its
time to the suppression of the revolt
in the Baltic provinces, and more es
pecially in the solution of the grarian
question. If means cannot be found
to in some measure satisfy the land
hunger of the peasants before spring
the universal opinion is that the peas
anth everywhere will rise. The landed
proprietors seems to be convinced of
this to such an extent that the land
lords in the neighborhood of Minsk
are calling their tenants together and
voluntarily arranging the distribution
of a portion of their private holdings
upon terms satisfactory to the peas
ants. MR. ROSFWATER WILL GO
TO THE POSTAL CONGRESS
WASHINGTON It was announced
by the postmaster general that after
several postponements the sixth uni
versal postage congress will convene
at Rome. Italy, during the first week
of April, 1906. Former Representative
Eugene F. Loud of San Francisco was
appointed in November. 1903. to rep
resent the United States at the con
gress, and December, 1905. Edward
Rosewater of Omaha. Neb., was named
as Mr. Lund's associate representative
They are clothed with authority to
conclude and sign such modified postal
union convention as may be agreed to
by them subject, however, to the ap
proval of the president and postmaster
general.
RUSSIA MUST BORROW MONEY.
Will Issue $200,000,000 in Bonds to
Met War Expenses.
ST. PETERSBURG The budget for
1906 estimates the ordinary revenue at
$50,000,000 in excess of the ordinary
expenditure, but shows that the gov
ernment will require $195,000,000 addi
tional to liquidate the war expenses.
The emperor has signed a ukase em
powering the minister of finance to is
sue $200,000,000 short term gold bonds
for sale abroad, not any of which, how
ever, are yet known to have been
taken.
The Milva reports that General Kur
opatkin. the former commander-in-chief
of the Russian forces in the Far
East, has withdrawn his fortune. $1,
250,000 in gold from the imperial bank.
Jeooardizes Safety.
WASHINGTON In submitting his
annual report as supervising inspector
general of the steamboat inspection
service. George Uhler expresses con
siderable anxiety regarding the present
practice of carrying crude petroleum
in passenger steamers in quantities
which jeopardizes the safety of the
ship and passengers. Much of this oil.
he says, is so highly inflammable that
it will flash at the ordinary summer
temperature of the atmosphere.
Fatal Fire at Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS One dead, two
badly burned and fifteen or more in
jured or overcome by smoke, is the
result of a fire in the "Higgins" tere
ments here. The fire started in the
apartments of Mrs. Lorraine Buckliff.
S23 Minnehaha avenue, in the midst of
the big tenement and spread with
great rapidity.
Twenty-seven families were rescued
from their beds and sent shivering and
half smothered into the outer air,
where the thermometer indicated 10
degrees above zero.
Must Furnish List of Names.
NEW YORK The right to secure a
full list of names of policy holders In
the New York Life Insurance company
was granted to Clarence H. Venner
and nearly one-hundred other policy
holders by Supreme Court Justice
Greenbaum. The court denied their
request that they be informed of the
face value of each policy and also de
nied their petition to inspect the com
pany's books. A writ of mandamus
was issued directing President John A.
McCall to furnish Venner a complete
list of the policy holders.
NEW ELECTORAL LAW GAZETTED
Explanation Made of Extension of the
Suffrage.
ST. PETERSBURG; The new elec
toral law was gazetted and was accom
panied by a statement explaining that
in view of the fact that even some of
the western counties do not possess
universal suffrage tne cabinet could not
assume the responsibility of decreeing
it. The ultimate decision must be
made by the assembly itself. The elec
tion list will be published forthwith,
the date of the elections will then be
announced and as soon as the govern
ment receives notification that half the
members are elected the national as
sembly will be convoked. The exten
sion of the suffrage proclaimed applies
especialy to the cities, where It is made
almost universal. Besides the work
men in the factories and mills who are
especially provided for, the suffrage
will include every owner of real estate,
paying taxes, persons conducting en
terprises, like shopkeepers paking li
censes; persons paying a lodging tax
or occupying separate lodgings and
persons in the government service, In
cluding railroad men. All limit of
rent paid by lodging holders as a vot
ing qualification is removed. The in
direct system of two degrees of voters
in both the cities and country is re
tained. A KANSAS TRAGEDY
OCCURS AT WATHENA
WATHENA, Kas. Because John
Shalz, a prominent merchant of this
place told Edward Morris, a farmer
when the latter inquired the price of
a pair of shoes and then complained
that it was exorbitant, that "those
shoes are much too good for you to
wear," Schalz was stabbed to the
heart with a pocket knife. The murder
occurred on the threshold of the store
in front of a half hundred horrified
Christmas shoppers Saturday night.
Schalz leaves a wife and eight small
children. Morris who is in jail, has a
famliy of six.
BOYCOTT IN CHINA GROWS.
American Merchant Says There is No
Improvement in the Situation.
SAN FRANCISCO According to
latest reports received here from the
Orientthe boycott in China has become
so serious that a number of American
houses closed their doors until the
conditions change. There arrived here
yesterday from the Orient, on the
steamer Coptic. R. Van Sant, who rep
resented a local firm at Shanghai.
Mr. Van Sant, in speaking of the
boycott, said:
The situation in China is very se
rious and there is absolutely nothing
in the stories that the feeling against
American goods has lessened. It has
now extended to seventeen provinces,
and in Canton and Hankow the situa
tion Is just as bad as in Shanghai.
The Americas are not doing 20 per
cent of the business they formerly did,
and at Hong Kong the Chinese were
purchasing Australian flour at a much
higher price than that quoted by the
Americans.
The Chinese state that they will not
trade with the Americans until there
is a modification of the exclusion
laws, but this. Mold them, was hardly
probable. In the event of the United
States failing to pass a law less strin
gent than the present one the Chinese
will adopt more drastic measures. The
boycott has developed into an anti
foreign feeling and the British and
German business concerns in the
Orient are suffering the loss of con
siderable trade.
WILL GO AFTER CATTLEMEN.
S. R. Rush Appointed as a Special Pros
ecutor.
OMxMlA S. R. Rush, an attorney of
this city, received notice of his appoint
ment by Attorney General Moody as
special prosecutor in .the land fencing
cases, with instructions to proceed
with the prosecutions at once and
push them vigorously. Ho will begin
sending out subpoenas at once. Court
convenes January 8.
NEBRASKA IS SOLID
FOR THE PAYNE BILL
WASHINGTON "Nebraska will
vote solidly on the Payne Philippine
bill just as the president would want
it to vote." said Senator Millard of
that state before leaving for his home.
Ever since the beet sugar insur
gency movement began the Nebraska
delegation was not enthusiastic about
fighting the battle for beet sugar. It
has been recognized that the position
of this state was likely to be decisive,
for Nebraska is one of the most im
portant beet sugar producing states in
the union. At one time it was rated
second and is now thought to be third
in tonnage of sugar. Nowithstanding
this significant home industry for
which the protectionists of other states
are demanding protection there will
not be a Nebraska vote in the senate or
house against the Payne measure to let
in Philippine sugar at 25 per cent of
the Dingley rates and after 1909 to ad-
Charles T. Yerkes is Dead.
NEW YORK Charles T. Yerkes. the
noted railway financier of Chicago
and London, died in his apartments
at the Waldorf-Astoria where he had
been ill for more than six weeks. Mr.
Yerkes suffered from a complication
of diseases, growing cut of a severe
cold which he contracted in London
early in the fall. His condition had
been critical for ten days and the at
tending physicians gave up all nope
several days ago, although members
of the family thought he would pull
through.
Indictment Against Burlington.
CHICAGO. III. The federal grand
jury returned an indictment against
the Chicago. Burlington & Quincy
railroad, Darius Miller, f rt vice presi
dent, and C. G. Burnham, foreign
freight agent, on the charge of grant
ing railroad rebates.
Gotch Defeats Delivuk.
MONTREAL Frank Gotch defeated
Delivuk, the Australian wrestler, in
two straight falls, Graeco-Roman. He
took the first fall in an hour and the
second in twenty-six minutes.
RAILROAD REBATE
A CONFERENCE HELD AND MAT
TERS DISCUSSED.
STATEMENT OF WHAT VAS POKE
Interstate Commerce Commission
Takes up Rebates Purposes of the
Various Organizations Under Dis
cussion. WASHINGTON Representatives oi
the leading trans-Mississippi railroad!:
were in conference with the interstate
commerce commission concerning re
bates and the efforts of the commis
sion to do away with discrimination
by the railroads in favor of large ship
pers. J. C. Stubbs, vice-president and
traffic director of the Harriman lines,
was the spokesman for the railroad
men and held a brief conference with
his associates before they appeared
before the commission.
Chairman Knapp and Commissioners
Cockrell and Clements were the only
members present, the other commis
sioners being out of the city.
The. following statement of the meet
ing was made by the interstate com
merce commission:
"The conference with western rail
way officials was not sought by the
commission, as certain papers have in
correctly stated, but Its purpose was
legitimate and commendable and war
rants the expectation of beneficial re
sults. "At a recent meeting in Chicago the
representatives of practically all the
lines west of that city, from the Cana
dian border to the gulf, adopted the
following resolution: "That a joint
committee representative of lines in
the western trunk line committee,
the trans-Missouri freight bureau, the
southwestern tariff committee and
the transcontinental freight rate com
mission be instructed to wait upon
the interstate commerce commission.
"The desire and purpose of the re
spective members of said committees
or bureaus to co-operate with the
commission on the enforcement of the
law to the extent of pointing out
ways and means and giving the com
mission any specific information that
may come to its knowledge which
will lead to effective inquiry in un
covering unlawful practices."
"The object of the committee whose
names have been published was to
present this resolution and to assure
the commission of the determined and
united disposition of the lines repre
sented to conform to the law in good
faith and in every respect and to aid
the commission in its enforcement.
Pledges to this effect were given by
all present, with the further promise
to report every illegal transaction
which may come to their knowledge
or of which they may have well
grounded suspicion.
ODELL THINKS HIS MAN
MAY YET BE SPEAKER
NEW YORK Former Governor B.
B. Odell, Jr., left for Newburg after
having spent the day in conference
with E. A. Merritt, Ja.. candidate for
speaker of the assembly and with lo
cal politicians. Mr. Odellwould only
say about Mr. Merrit's candidacy that
conditions looked favorable tonight.
He said he did not know whether or
not he would go to Albany before the
assembly caucus next Tuesday even
ing. Mr. Merritt was setill in town.
When asked if there was any truth in
the reports of a compromise, he said:
"The reports of my death are greatly
exaggerated."
MORALES REPORTED WOUNDED.
Report Heard by the Commander of
the Nashville.
WASHINGTON The navy depart
ment has received a cablegram from
Commander Chambers of the Nash
ville, dated at Puerto Plata last night
stating that he had been informed
from a government source that Presi
dent Morales had been shot and se
riously wounded.
JUBILEE OF POPE PIUS IN 1908.
He Wants It to Be of a Strictly Re
ligious Character.
ROME Preparations are going one
to celebrate in 1908 the jubilee of the
Pope's ordination as a priest. Being
asked if he desired the festivities to be
similar to those witnessed on the oc
casion of the priesthood jubilee of the
late Pope, when an international ex
position was held in the Vatican, the
Pope answered:
"Certainly not. I wish the celebra
tion to maintain a strictly religious
character."
Committees will be organized all
over the world with the purpose of
presenting the pope with a large offer
ing during the jubilee mass.
MRS. "FITZ" VANTS DIVORCE.
Has Gone to Sioux Falls, S. D., to Es
tablish a Residence.
SIOUX FALLS, S. D. Mrs. Robert
Fitzwmmons. who was generally sup
posed to be ia New York studying vo
cal music, has become a resident of
this city. It is said that she has en
gaged the services of a local attorney,
and that when she has established a
residence she will institute divorce
proceedings.
A Plea for Broader Laws.
BOSTON Anticipating congres
sional action on President oRosevelt's
suggestion as to a new law on the sub
ject of Chinese immigration, the Amer
ican board of foreign missions has
prepared a communication to the chair
man of the committee on foreign af
fairs. Representative Robert A. Hitt,
approving the president's plea for
broader laws and a less stringent pol
icy of Chinese exclusion. Rev. Judson
Smith, one of the secretaries of the
American board, who has charge of the
communication, will forward it.
KILLING GOES ON.
Estimate of the Terrible Slaughter at
Moscow.
LONDON The correspondent on the
Daily Telegraph at St. Petersburg, in
a dispatch dated at 6:45 p. m., Decem
ber 25, says: At an early hour this
morning the casualties at Moscow
were estimated at 5.000 killed and 14,
000 wounded, with the fighting still
proceeding.
The inhabitants of Moscow have
been forbidden to leave their dwell
ings after 1 o'clock in the evening.
It is impossible to move about the
city in consequence of the number of
stray bullets. Many innocent persons
have been accidentally killed. A scarc
ity of provisions is threatened.
The same correspondent, telegraph
ing at 10:38 p. m.. says: "Your Mos
cow, correspondent's telegrams have
not been accepted because all private
messages were refused this afternoon.
It is learned, however, that cannon
firing is now proceeding in various
parts of the city where, very near the
railroad stations, the barricades erect
es erected by the revolutionists aro
being desperately defended.
From fragmentary accounts received
from Moscow I gather that the civil
war has brought no decisive action,
but only a thickening of the blood
cloud and an increase of the prevail
ing bitterness.
The driving force behind both the
troops and the rebels is no longer that
of enthusiasm or of any human im
pulse. It is the force of superhuman
hate and hence the deeds reported are
not the acts of patriots, soldiers or
otherwise, but the enormities of mad
men. It is impossible to understand how
any emotion, even of the extremes of
despair or hate, can impart s,uch fool
hardy courage as some of the rebels
display.
For every barricade destroyed Sun
day two or three appeared in other
places. Orders were given by the rev
Iutionists to shoot only when there
was good hope of bringing a roan
down, but otherwise to tire out the
troops until they lost patience. In the
meantime, in their houses, the bulk of
the population cowers in the innermost
seclusion of kitchens and cellars,
trembling at every boom of the cannon
or the explosion of a bomb.
LIYED FIFTY YEARS
W SIOUX CITY
SIOUX CITY, la. George Wears.
president of the Iowa State National
bank, the pioneer banker of northwest
ern Iowa, celebrated the fiftieth anni
versary of his arrival in Sioux City.
Having reached Sioux City on tho
day after Christmas. 1S53. Mr.
Weare's residence here has been longer
than that of any other living man save
one L. D. Letillier, the venerable
Frenchman, who as a voyager as the
adventurous explorers of that day were
called, engaged in fur trading In this
section at an earlier date.
His bank, with the bank of Weare
& Allison, is the oldest under one con
tinuous management in the state.
EMPEROR OF JAPAN TALKING.
Commends the Soldiers on Their Work
During the War.
TOKIO The emperor, in closing the
diet made, a speech from the throne,
expressing his appreciation of the de
votion of all the public servants, whom
he said had enabled the war with
Russia to be brought to a close.
The emperor said that friendly re
lations with Russian had been restored
and that the attitude of the treaty
powers toward Japan was becoming
increasingly amiable. He referred with
satisfaction to the Anglo-Japanese al
liance and to the necessity which re
quired Japan to give her guidance to
Korea,
The house of representatives, after
adopting a loyal address to the em
peror, adjourned until January 20.
ATTORNEYSHIP IS HELD UP.
Men Who Have the Say All Leaving
Washington for a Vacation.
WASHINGTON The vacancy in the
United States district attorneyship of
Nebraska, caused by the removal of
Baxter will not in all probability be
filled for several weeks.
President Roosevelt left for his coun
try home in Virginia and will remain
there during the ba'nnce of this week.
Senator Millard leaves Washington
for Omaha Thursday and will not re
turn to Washington until January 8.
Senators Millard and Burkett had
an informal meeting regarding various
candidates for district attorney. It
is said they number twelve, but no
conclusion was reached as to whom
they will unite upon to recommend.
Forty Millions for Canal.
ALBANY. N. Y Forty million dol
lars will be asked of the coming legis
lature for work on the thousand ton
barge canal during 1900 according to
the second annual report of State En
gineer and Surveyor Henry A Van AI
styne. Wattles Outlines Defense.
BOSTON Attorney Streeter out
lined the defense that will be put in by
Guy W. Wattles of Omaha in the $30,
000 suit over legacies left by Edwin
Wallace, a wealthy New Hampshire
manufacturer. Wattles is administra
tor under the will and claims that the
plaintiffs well know that he was agent
for the Omaha property of Wallace and
there was no attempt to give any fic
titious value to the property and that
later an independent examination was
made.
Wolves Have the Rabies.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex. Great loss of
domestic animals is being sustained
in northern Mexico from coyotes and
wolves with rabies. Cattlemen from
the Rio Grande country say practically
all the coyotes beyond the river are
mad.
French Cardinals Meet.
PARIS All the French cardinals
met here to discuss their attitude to
ward the separation of church and
state and forwarded a cipher dispatch
to Rome. X
PURSUED BY WILD ELEPHANTS.!
Death ef a' Wounded Bull Saved the
Hunting Party.
"I was kneeling, while my men lay
flat on their faces." writes C. G. SchiP
lings in his "With Flashlight and
Rifle," of an elephant hunting inci
dent. "I sent two more bullets into
the male elephant. The whole herd
then gathered around an old lemale
elephant and broke away in a quick
shuffle. Since they turned to the
right I enjoyed the grand sight of
twenty-four elephants passing at a
distance of about 450 feet. The
wounded male passed a little nearer
to me and I could not refrain from
firing at him once more. The whole
herd stopped, took the young ones
into their midst, looked around and
sniffed the air.
"They discovered us, and, led by
two females, they came to attack us.
The situation became very critical."
for ia the long run the animals were
bound to overtake us. I fled as fast
as my feet would carry me in the
wake of my men. who were running
away from the animal at a right angle.
They knew, as I did. that the ele
phant's sense of sight is weak and
that our only chance of escape lay In
changing, from time to time, the
direction of our flight.
"We did not dare look around, but
hurried on in breathless haste. Tho
thundering, dull noise of the pursuing
elephants came nearer and nearer.
Then suddenly a piercing, trumpet
like sound was heard above the dull
noise. Turning around I saw the
wounded animal falling into a sitting
posture and the rest of the herd in
wild flight away from us."
THOUGHT LITTLE OF PERJURY.
Youth Willing to Make False Affidavit
Without Compunction.
A prominent Brooklyn lawyer tells
me that perjury is one of the very
commonest forms of crime committed
in New York.
"It's got so," says he. "that com
paratively few people seem to have
any idea of the sanctity of an oath or
any fear of punishment for swearing
to a lie. Indeed, many people act as
if they did not know that they are
doing wrong when they make false
affidavits. Not long ago a young busi
ness man, son of a very worthy father,
retained me in a little case involving
something under $1,000. Just before
I was to submit the papers in the case
to the court, my client happened to
speak, in the most incidental way, of
his wife, and I happened to remem
ber that in his affidavit ho had de
scribed himself as a single man.
"'Oh, that's all right,' said he, as
if the perjury were of no importance
whatever. I don't want the old folk
to know just yet that I am married.'
"Now, there was a young man of
good family, fine education and excel
lent prospects, who, for a little matter
of less than $1,000, stood ready to jer
jure himself in the most matter-of-course
way, and he seemed to think I
was a good deal of an old fogy, with
strange back-number notions, when I
insisted that he must either make a
new and truthful affidavit or drop tho
case altogether." Brooklyn Eagle.
The Retort Courteous.
The pleasant-faced young man
stood in an aisle of the book depart
ment of one of the big stores. In his
hand he held a volume which he hatf
some time previously taken from the
counter devoted to the display of tho
latest fiction. It must be confessed
that the young man was devoting
most of his attention to an exceeding
ly pretty, blonde clerk, who stood
by his side. The pair were, in fact,
so merry that they did not observe
the approach of a haughty woman of
middle-age who would probably have
tipped the scales at 2.10 pounds, and
who wished to pass them, an opera
tion which, though simple for persons
of average size, was rendered diffi
cult, if not impossible, by her ex
treme plumpness.
The new-comer paused a moment,
but the merry pair, oblivious of her
presence, kept on chatting gayly.
"Can I pass you?" she demanded at
length in tones of thunder, surveying
the offending couple with a glance
truly Gorgonian.
The young man turned, surveyed
the speaker, noted her distended nos
trils and wrathful eyes, likewise her
overplump figure.
"Really, I don't know," he said,
raising his hat politely. "I hope so,
I'm sure."
Now, if looks could kill ! New
York Times.
Comanche Counting.
A peculiar feature about the Co
manche language is the method of
counting. A Comanche- will count up
to 10 in the 1. 2, 3, 4, 3. C. 7. 8. 9. 10
method, but there he stops. He does
not use eleven but instead he counts
it as "10 and 1 more," and so on, un
til he reaches 19, which he pro
nounces 19.
He then pronounces 20, but starts
in with "20 and 1 more" until he
reaches 29. which he counts 29. then
starts in with 30. like he did 20, and
counts to 39, and so on all the way
up.
Counting is the most difficult thing
to learn in the Comanche language.
In fact, by the time a person has
learned to count in that language he
has pretty well mastered it.
As there is no alphabet in the lan
guage, the only way to learn it is by
word of mouth. Any attempt to write
it in the English alphabet would be
absolutely fruitless, as the proper pro
nunciation could not thereby be trans
mitted. Lawton Democrat.
Realty a Sad Case.
A beggar accosted me to-day
A woman disheveled and sad.
She asked for a penny and wept and said
That times were terribly bad.
With you and your class they always ara
As bad as bad can be:
"Come, now," I tald. "and, stop your
tears:
They How so easily."
She dashed her hand across her eyes
And told her tate of woe:
How things wexe worse than they used
to be
A month or so ago.
For then, she said, her only son.
A blind and helpless lad.
Went out and begged the daily bread.
But now, alas! 'twas sad.
"And so you lost your boy?" I asked.
"And hence your bitter plight?"
" 'Twas even worse than that." she salda
"My boy regained his sight!"
Modern Society.
ti