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The Conservative. 5
The Alexandria ,
A FIRE TREE , a splendid six-story
department house
in Chicago , was set on fire by a belated
Christmas tree illumination on Decem
ber 29th , 1901 , and totally destroyed.
The Chicago Tribune of the 80th thus
speaks of this blaze :
"It seemed as if the whole building
was in flames a minute after the first
alarm , " said M. Moultou , the day ele
vator boy. "Everybody got out , but
some had close calls. "
"Mrs. Heiiier had just lighted the
candles on the Christmas tree , " said
Paul Kennedy , "and the next anyone
knew the whole tree and part of the
room were on fire. "
Owned by Mathieson Estate.
The building belonged to the estate of
F. O. Mathieson , who died in Paris last
year. Dunlap , Smith & Co. were the
agents and sent word to all the tenants
that they would be cared for in another
building at Fifty-fifih street and Mon
roe avenue , unless otherwise provided
for.
for.The
The Alexandria was erected shortly
before the World's Fair by the Hyde
Park Gas company and was largely of
wood interior. The loss on the building
was estimated at $40,000 , fully insured.
The property lost by the tenants was
estimated at $20,000. The majority
carried insurance. L. Well , a furrier
and woman's tailor , fixed his loss at
$40,000 , while W. S. Best , who con
ducted a delicatessen , placed his loss at
$1,000. Both carried full insurance
Christmas trees are more ignitable
than Christmas stockings. The incineration -
ration of all the enumerated property
above and the jeopardizing of three
score of human lives could never have
been brought about by just hanging up
stockings.
During the year
RAILROADS. nineteen hundred
and one there have
been constructed in the United States
more than five thousand miles of new
lines of railroad. And yet we are in
formed by many gifted populists that
there is no prosperity in the United
States.
Farming lands have in the year en
hanced in value from ten to forty per
cent all over Nebraska , and yet there
is no thrift nor health in us.
Corn , cattle , hogs , sheep and horses
are at the highest kind of figures and
money is borrowable at the lowest
rates ever known in America , and yet
"the rich are growing richer and the
poor poorer , " say the oracles of Bryan-
archy.
And now if Capital and Labor come
to an amicable agreement and no more
fighting comes between them , and
strikes are forever abolished , what will
the malcontents , the vugarists and the
populists do for ammunition ?
The Conservative
THE WESTERN notes with great
OIL ASSOCIATION , satisfaction the
prosperity of the
Western Oil Association , located at
Denver , Colorado , and of which Mr. O.
M. HicldiUjboru and raised in Nebraska
City , and son-in-law of Mr. Geo. W.
Hawke , is a very active , prominent and
useful member. This company , it
seems , has oil enough to grease the
axles of all the business of all the world.
Its properties are in Colorado , Utah ,
Wyoming and New Mexico. They
seem to offer a fine opportunity for
conservative investments.
To use the power
SUBSIDIES. to tax by levying
upon all the people
to raise money to donate to a few of
the people , is an injustice and an out
rage. It makes no difference for what
such a tax and the gif t may bo made.
It is no better , no more just , when be
stowed upon manufacturers than when
it is given to a syndicate of shipbuild
ers , or sugar-factory-building.
All federal and all state taxation
ought to be exclusively for public pur
poses. A tax laid for any other than
a public purpose , ought to be declared
inimical to the general welfare and
void because not laid in accord with
the spirit and letter of a democratic
form of goverment. When will
American courts so hold with righteous
unanimity ?
THE MEMORIAL TO WM. L. WILSON
When Hon. Win. L. Wilson , of West
Virginia , died , he was president ol
Washington and Lee University , Va.
and it was proposed to raise $100,000 to
endow a chair of economics in that in
stitution in his memory. Ex-President
Cleveland , in whose second cabinet Mr
Wilson had been Postmaster General
gave $1,000 , and the fund has grown
until it has reached more than $95,000
It is considered that the memorial is
assured , and it is well. In this genera
tion there has been in public life no
higher typo of man than Mr. Wilson
A scholar , a gentleman , a patriot , a
thinker , despising the ways of the dem
agogue and trimmer , he saw the sounc
principles for which he stood lose pop
ularity. A man of principle , and know
ing that he was right , as subsequeu
events have demonstrated that he was
he refused to bow before the storm o
passion , snapped his fingers in the face
of an insane popular clamor , and re
tired from public position , ending hi
days in honor and dignity and useful
ness in the congenial atmosphere of an
old and honorable educational institu
tion. No man of the generation deserves
serves more than the Hon. William L
Wilpou a perpetual memorial. Oharac
ter united with ability to make him
great. Charlotte Observer.
NEW BUILDING PLANNED.
The Department of Agriculture has
or many years been insufficiently pro
vided with house-room , and its valuable
collections insecurely stored in all kinds
of temporary and leased quarters. Mr.
Mercer of Omaha introduced on the 18th
of December the following bill , designed
; o remedy this defect :
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of' the United States in
Congress assembled , That the Secretary
of Agriculture bo , and he is hereby , au-
; horized and directed to cause a suitable
and commodious fireproof building , for
; he use and accommodation of the De
partment of Agriculture , to be erected
within the District of Columbia on such
portion of the grounds of the Depart
ment of Agriculture , belonging to the
United States , as he may deem expedi
ent , said building to be constructed in
accordance with the approved plans
heretofore secured in pursuance of the
provisions of the Act of Congress ap
proved March second , nineteen hundred
and one , and he is hereby authorized ,
after due advertisement for proposals ,
to enter into contracts within the limit
of cost hereby fixed , and subject to ap
propriations to be made by Congress ,
for the erection of said building com
plete , including heating apparatus , ele
vators , and approaches , and the removal
of the present building or buildings of
the Department of Agriculture on said
grounds.
SEO. 2. That the supervision of the
construction of said building shall be
placed in charge of an officer of the
Government especially qualified for the
duty , to be appointed by the Secretary
of Agriculture , subject to the approval
of the head of the Department in which
such officer is employed , who shall re
ceive for his additional services an in
crease of twenty-five per centum of his
present salary , such increase to be paid
out of the appropriation for the building
herein authorized.
SEO. 3. That the limit of cost for the
construction of said building complete ,
including heating apparatus , elevators ,
and approaches , and the removal of the
present building or buildings of the De
partment of Agriculture is hereby fixed \1
at two million dollars , and no contract
shall be entered into or expenditure
authorized in excess of said amount.
Mr. Bryan is as true to his fallacies
as was Mrs. Micawber to the unhappy
Wilkius. He will never desert them ,
even though every other citizen turn
against them. Mr. Bryan is rapidly
assuming the attitude of the one juror
who could not find a verdict owing to
the obstinacy of the other eleven.
Montana Record.
STOPS THE COUGH AND WORKS OFF
THE COLD.
Laxative Bromo- Quinine Tablets cure
a cold in one day. No Cure , no Pay.
Price 25 cents.
