Nebraska Newspapers

    THE OMAHA DAILY" JJliJE : 3PHIDAY , JULY 21 , 1899. 9
I' ' I tt ITIlt ? TITn\Tnt\ nun ntinr.
Strange Story of a Bank that Tailed and
Paid All Its Debts.
LARGE DIVIDEND FOR STOCKHOLDERS
How ti Defunct llniikVnn
uiul MlllloiiN .11 a ilc out , f .vp-
linrciilly AVortlilrnn 1'niior
nnil 1'roiicrl } ,
More than twenty yearn ago the Third
National llnnk of Chicago formally closiM
Its doors and a receiver was appointed to
satlnfy the clamoring depositors. Some of
tlie stockholders feared an Immediate ns-
sf * raent for the payment of liabilities and
offered to glvo their stock to nny one who
woould assume Its obligations. Today this
utock Is held nt nearly double Its par valuu ,
nnd It Is regarded ag "gilt-edged" security.
Within live years , although the bank has
received no duposltn , mndo no loans , Issued
no currency , sold no drafts , It has paid two
substantial dividends to Its stockholders
and promises nmny more. The very name
of tlie bank lias been forgotten except by a
few gray-headed men , who are personally
interested In Its affairs , but It Is oven yet
an Important financial Institution , with Its
regular stockliolders' meetings , Its tnxcB , Its
lawsuits , ita reports and Its bookkeeping
Moreover , It Is unique In being n corpora
tion having largo nroots and no liabilities
beyond the obligation to He stockholders.
All of the entries , except drlbldts of ex
pense , appear on the credit side of the
ledger.
The circumstances which led up to thesa
peculiar , oven unprecedented conditions ,
make a ntory probably wlUiout parallel In
the unnali of national banking
1'rlor to the panic of 1873 the Third Na
tional bank ranked as onu of the stnunchcst
financial Institutions in the west. It had n
capitalization of J7GO.OOO and Us directory
Included some of the most prominent names
that howould want a half million dollar * .
Ho was very agreeable about it and he had
his excuses foul ho must have the money
He , too , had heard the rumors and ho must
protect himself.
A half million dollars is a very largo eum
of money to nsk Instantly from any bank's
icsorvo cash. The officers of the Third Na
tional bank ran hero and there- for help ,
thereby spreading the odium of their dis
tress. The First National bank , fearing a
general financial disaster , agreed to lend a
helping hand It the Union National bank
would do the same. The Union National
bank , after questioning and delaying nnd
questioning ngaln , agreed by Its president ,
W. r. Coolbaugh , to Advance $300,000 In ewe
of emergency. Confidence came back again
With this money and other promised assist
ance 1'rosldont 1'earco was euro that lie
could make his bank stand any strain. And
this rumor , too , given a vigorous start ,
ran Its way up nnd down the street and
gomo of those % vl o had contemplated with
drawing their deposits put their check books
away nnd waited. Hvcn the faint-hearted
directors revived nnd the 'bank ' paid each
of the county treasurer's checks as it was
presented with nil the dignity of Independ
ence. The rirst National bank was ready to
do anything In Its power It only awaited
a formal req'iest. Other banks also ex
pressed their friendliness.
Drntli 1'rccrili-M theWreck. .
Ono hundred and fifty thousand dollatA
of the borrowed money was to bo delivered
on November II. On that morning President
Coolbaugh was found dead at the foot of the
Douglas monument w-Ith a bullet hole In bis
temple. His bank , fearing for Its own
safety , refused to advance the promised
money. The First National bank followed Us
example. New York long since had refused
a friendly hand and the Third ( National
bank found Itself deeper than ever ( n the
meshes of misfortune.
About this time the park commissioners
discovered suddenly that there was n large
block of bonds not Jet due which they could
pay. Of course they wished to save Interest
and they withdrew moro than J200.000 nil
In a day.
On October 1 the bank had cash resources
amounting to $906,530 with total assets of
COLONRD IIUNTIXOTON W. JACKSON.
in Chicago such men as ( leorgo M. Pull
man , J. Irving Pearce , Joseph Medlll , C. H.
Curtis , C. M. Henderson , C. It. Steele , John
II. Thompson , William T. Allen oud S. S.
Benjamin. Only ono ( bank In Its homo city
exceeded it in the extent and importance of
its business.
When the financial crisis of 1873 was nt
Its height the Third National bank sus
pended payment for a single week aa a pre
caution against a threatened run. Then U
opened again and prepared to resume Its old
place In the ( business world. But a bank is
llko a man. It is trusted implicitly until It
reveals eomo inherent weakness. After that
its business friends watch it keenly and
"If" and Its
approve Us methods with an
biifllnoEa onemlea txwalt the strain -\\hlcb \
again shall test Its strength.
A SnniltiM of Stjl - .
The Third National bank had the finest
omces in Chicago , the largest force of
clerks , the longest list of country corre
spondents , but it also had the slnglo slip
from the path of financial rectitude to llvo
Jiway. Some of its ofllcors , knowing the
need of unusual efforts to maintain its busi
ness supremacy , slened the bonds of the
treasurer of Cook county , thereby receiving
largo deposits of the public money to swell
the quarterly reports. The banlc also np-
pcared ns the main depository of a board
of park commissioners of which Its presi
dent had 'becomo ' * ho treasurer. Other
bankers , looking on , saw the signs and un
derstood thorn.
In 1873 the deposits exceeded J-l.000,000 ,
hut In splto of nil the bank could do they
kept creeping doun nnd down until Into In
1877 they were only $1,101,000. During most
of this tlmo the bank ofllcors were firmly
optimistic ; they believed In the solidity and
business worth of tholr bank ,
In September , 1S77 , an extensive hotel
property owned by President Pearce nnd OHO
of the other directors was destroyed by flro.
It had no connection "with the bank nnd yet
the bank felt the shock. A few weeks later
President Pearce called on the Now York
correspondent of bis bank nnd aakod for n
temporary loan to bo used In cano the heavy
deposits of public money should bo with
drawn suddenly. The Now York bank hesi
tated and hedged. If U were not for the
largo demands now being made as an in
cident to the hard times nnd the uncer
tainty of tbo money market and other cir
cumstances that assist a tank president who
does not wish to loan money they might
poeslbly spare a few hundred thousands.
ConlliliMiuc SlillKfii.
On President Pearco's return to Chicago
he found that aomo of the dlroctora of the
bank had been touched with the growing
distrust. They were losing confidence In
the ability of their own bank to meet the
demands which might bo made upon It.
They had kept the feeling to themselves
and jet , after the manner of such tilings ,
It was all down the street In a single diiy ,
traveling by such secret vays aa only un
evil rumor knows.
In pplto of the loss of confidence there
was no regular run on the ibank. Its busi
ness was conducted by the usual number p (
clerks and Its mall hud not diminished It
was buoyed up nnd supported by the repu
tation of substantial prosperity and dignity
which It had known in the past , and yet It
was suffering ifrom -wasting disease known
to financiers aa a "vest-pocket run. " De
positors came smilingly and drew out thclf
money , nnd It > was not replaced. A St. Ixwld
paper printed a brief telegram hinting nt
the condition of the bank , and tha country
correspondents , always ready with theli
suspicions. bpKun to fear for tholr balances ,
and e\ery mall > brouht drafts that helped
to drain the bank's reserve.
A bank can fortify itself ncalnst the ex-
oltctncnt of a regular run and full strug
gling , wlU some of the honors of war , Uul
It has no protection against the creeping
misery of these quiet , friendly withdrawals ,
continuing day after day for we ks. and
each of them an Insidious thru at the
bank's stability.
One day the county treasurer ga\o notice
? 3,910,891. By November 21 the cash had
shriveled away to $283,903 and the total re
sources td $2,742,907 and the big bank with
Its thousands of assets was as helpless ns a
child.
On November 21 a 'committee ' of 'bankers '
from the clearing house association came In
soberly by a Bldo door , llko physicians to a
sick bed. They nosed through the ledgers ,
peered Into the vaults and asked questions.
Then they went away and decided that Inas
much as the old bank was soon to dlo U
bettor bo put quietly out of Us misery. The
clearing house association wrote Us death
warrant , refusing to have any further trans-
notions with it and resolving In formally
worded resolutions that It would bo "sus-
The ne\t morning this epitaph appeared
on the bank door :
1 TIIIS BANK IS CLOSED. :
Wheat fell 2 cents , pork 10 cents and the
market In Iho board of trade closed weak.
Some of the stockholders In the defunct bank
offered in affright to quit their claims to
their holdings to anyone who would assume
the liability of assessment. They were the
same ones who had disclosed an alarming
symptom of the bank's condition on the week
before by offering their high-priced stock as
far holow par ns 90. They had no takers.
VltMllllK tilt * ItlllllN.
The earliest report on the condition of the
bank , mndo by the receiver , Colonel HuntIngton -
Ington W. Jackson , showed that the nominal
assets wcro about $1,800,000 and the debts
were nearly $1,000,000 , leaving n nominal
$800,000 to pay the stock liability of $750,000.
On paper this looked moat encouraging , but
a clobo examination showed that many of
the loans of the bank , made In flush times ,
were secured by collaterals of uncertain
v.iluo and real estate schedulej nt boom
prices nnd taken as the only available pay
ment for inonyy loaned , There was too much
"slow" paper and not enough "short" paper.
Of the real estate , one tract of a 100 acres
lay on a barren sand rldgo near the lake
uliMo nnd nearly ten miles southeast of the
unsettled part of a
city hall , In a wholly
suburb. Another tract of forty-flvo acnn was
nearly as far to the w t of the city on the
Imro Hat prairie , where there was little
prospect of Us over being anything moro
than a cabbage patch. Still another piece of
property lay far out In the southwestern
portion of the city , In a region as yet almost
wholly undeveloped and promising Httlo Im
mediate growth except In taxes and special
iiFfcCssmcnts , There was a score of other lota
and parcels of land , some In New York city ,
n'nd a great quantity of paper , much of It
moro or less doubtful or wholly worthless
the "cats nnd dogs" of a defunct bank. In
fact , It seemed to some of the ninety stock
holders that it would hardly pay the bank
I to retain its property and meet the expenses
of management.
Hut the receiver was a man of wide re-
I Bourccti ami abounding faith. NO ono could
farvscu the growth of Chicago , especially In
the gloomy panic da > s of the middle 70s ,
and yet thcro were many men In Chicago
who had tupmno confidence In the city and
Its future. The receiver was ono of these.
A little more tdan three months after the
closing of the bank on January 31 , 1676
the depositors received a dividend of 45 per
cent. A month later 10 per c nt moro waa
paid , nil from the ready assets and cash of
I the bank. Before the clcee of 1S79 35 per
cent moro had been distributed , and then
the rocc-her began to roach the property
I that had been juarked "doubtful , " By the
protest kpown rm "squeezing , " and the sac-
rljlco of some of the choicer pieces of real
'
rst'nto , ho managed to pay two other dl\l-
. dends of C per cent each before thp close of
[ 1SS1 , thus returning to the depositors the
fuco value of their claims , A year later they
, received their Interest In full and the etock-
holdcra were left , nearly five years after the
close of tM bank with a score of pieces of
j expensive real estate , most of vhtch had ,
little prtoent cash lalue , and
a quantity of doubtful claims and coolly law.
"
suits , the legacy of the panic.
IICKl'inlnK nt the Iloorri.
But Chicago was growing. The suburb in
which the hundred acre tract \saa located
became a part of the city. A cable line
reached down and almost touched it ; nn
oloctrlo line dropped passengers Immedi
ately in front of it ; nn elevated railroad
approached It within halt a dozen blocks.
Early In tlio 80s the World's Talr found
root in Jackson Park , which adjoined the
tract immediately on the north. A city of
great hotels , apartment houses and resi
dences sprung suddenly Into existence around
It and Chicago TV as a metropolis far out
beyond the park.
At the time of the bank's failure Chicago
had n formidable rival In St. Louis. Ita pop
ulation scarcely exceeded 400.000 , nnd thcro
was no reason for arguing that In twenty
years' time it would bo the second city in
the country with a population of more than
1,700,000. And yet the men who managed
the affairs of the bank had the faith which
1 builds cities and their real estate appreci
ated In value on a scale commensurate with
tbo astonishing growth of the city.
In July , 1891 , the receiver called the stock
holders together and laid before them an
offer of 11,000,000 for the despised 100 ncrts
of land and the stockholders upon mature
deliberation rejected It , feeling that It would
bo worth much more a few years later. If
the olfer had been accepted It would have
paid off not only the entire capital stock of
$750,000 , but It would have left a comfort
able $250,000 to bo divided among the stock
holders for their patience. In n manner
hardly less remarkable the forty-flvo ncro
cabbage patch became valuable. Car lines
passed It , the suburb of Oak Park , Itself a
considerable city , grow out around it , and
every year has added thousands of dollars to
its value.
Illch Striken.
Under the receiver's care the bank has
been as marvelously fortunate ns It was
unfortunate while It was still in the hands
of the directory. There were many ilorco
lawsuits to be foucht , and in nearly every
case the receiver has been successful in re
covering the losses of the bank. Ono asset
marked "doubtful , " the bonds of an ab
sorbed , railroad company , yielded moro than
$36,000 at the close of a case that went to
the supreme court of the United States. A
Wisconsin gas company , after lying dor
mant for nearly a score of years , waked up
nnd paid a large per cent of Us "worthless"
'bonds. '
And so It happened that in 1893 the re
ceiver iwas able to pay a dividend of 10
per cent to the stockholders and ho fol
lowed It in 1895with a second dividend of
0 per cent.
tWhen the receiver had finished the pay
ment of the liabilities of the bank , the law ;
required him to resign In favor of an agent
who should dispose of the remaining assets
of the bank and divide the proceeds among
the stockholders.
But the stockholders had other Ideas. They
had confidence In the receiver , and they
wanted him reUlned In the management of
tbo business wtth which he was now so
familiar. Besides , an agent might entangle
the title of the property. A committee ap
pointed by the stockholders appeared before
congress during President Harrison's ad
ministration nnd succeeded In getting the
banking law changed so that the receiver
could continue to manage the affairs of the
bank subject to the will of the stockholders.
And thus , by a combination of good' for
tune , shrewd management and patience , the
Third National bank now presents the spec
tacle , probably unequaled in finance , of a
business institution for twenty years de
funct , and yet paying dividends on stock
worth nearly twice Us par value.
ENGLISH HAII/WAY ACCIDENTS.
I.nrBcly Canned l > r Anti
quated AppIInncei.
Thcro are probably comparatively few
persons In England who have even a vague
idea of the number of railroad men killed
and maimed every year in the process of
handling trains , although the subject was
discussed not long ago in Parliament , The
royal commission which was then appointed
to investigate the whole subject , says the
New York Post , has juet held Its first meet
ing , and some Interesting and striking fig
ures were given by the first witness , fltr. F.
S. J. Hopwood. secretary of the railway
department of the Board of Trade. He said
that the total number of railway servants
killed In England and Wales In 1898 was 3GD ,
In 1897 395. and In 1896 340 , and the total
number Injured In the same years were 3,549 ,
3,554 jind 3,401 , respectively. The totals for
the " "United Kingdom wore In 1898 , 441
killed and 3.833 injured ; 1897 , C01 killed
nnd 3,989 injured , and in 1898 , 488 killed
nnd 4,039 Injured. The grand totals for the
three years were 1,433 killed and 11,861 In
jured , and it was not quite certain that all
accidents had been recorded. The great
majority of these mishaps occurred at the
very Instant of an attempt to couple or
uncouple trucks. Mr. Hopwood said that the
Board of Trade had long been considering
tbo necessity for the Introduction of some
sort of automatic couplers , and proceeded
to give tbo history of euch contrivances
In the United States. Ho said that ho did
not wish to put himself in the position of
recommending any particular form of coup
ler or of assorting that particular accidents
could bo prevented by Its use.
4 ® * < 4 < * < S * ® 0tS0 * ® * ® * < S4St i0 S * < i * < i * ® + * ® * ' * < J * 4
1 THE CROOK NECK SQUASH. |
The last of the load had been bundled
onto n wagon nnd little Jed stood holding
the horse , wfaldh was a bit impatient.
"You won't forget , will you , father ? Wo
really ain't got nothing to our backs nnd
It's a disgrace. 1'vo made over till there
nln't anything left to make over nnd I ain't
got nothing but what I've got on , 'oept my
black dross , and the girls nr all worse off
jet. And Suslo hasn't bctti to Sunday
Bchool for three Sundajs , 'cause the don't
.look decent , nnd her teacher's been hero In
quiring. It's kind o1 mortifying. "
Mrs. Hollls' voice was full of apology , ns
she accompanied her husband down the
gravel walk. Ho scowled , but made no re
ply 'aa ho took the reins from Jed nnd
sprang Into his wagon.
"You must get something for the girls ,
nnjhow , " his wife's voice Insisted as ho
drove awny.
Ho gave the lines n jank. It was ex
asperating to have to bo bothered with
women and their fixings. Ho didn't BCD
why they dldu't look well enough. Of
course , they weren't dressed expensive It
wasn't proper that farmers' families should
bo but there wasn't any need of making
such a fuss.
The Sunday school teacher had been thcro.
lie remembered her. She always smiled
at htm and made Mm wonder to himself it
ho were suoh a bad looking chap after all.
Well , perhaps ho had better get some
thing for Susie. This last crop was an ex
tra heavy ono and ho had made a good deal
out of It nnd so ho might ns well be gener
ous and get nil tola wife- asked for. There
was nothing stingy about him. No , elr !
Ho smiled complacently as ho drove into
the village.
II.
"You can't say but what 1'vo done the
handsome thing by you this time , " Mr. Hol
lls remarked , proudly , to his wife , as ho
throw down a heavy bundle at her feet and
watched her ns she knelt down to open It.
Her eyes glowed , as ono knot after an
other gave way. It was a long time slnco
she hnd undone a store bundle. She did not
want to bo In too much hurry to end the
expectancy and disclose Its contents.
"Seems to mo you ain't In very much of
a hurry after wanting It so bad. " Her hus
band's \olco "was a bit aggressive.
She hastily slipped off tni ; last string and
pulled off the wrapper.
The chlfdrcn crowded around her.
"Isn't that line enough to suit you ? "
Mr. Hollls chuckled exultantly as ho
leaned over and catching hold of an end , un
rolled yards and yards of stout cotton. It
was a bright yellow ground with a black
figure running over U.
"Latest pattern , " he exclaimed with pride.
' "The girl called it palm-leaf , but I told her
'twas crookneek squashes or I was no farmer.
So I bought the -whole piece. Thought I
might Just as well , and I got a good bit
knocked off.
"Don't you llko it , eh ? " abruptly , glanc
ing at the downcast face of his wife. "It
was dreadful economical , you see , 'causo
when ono dress begins to wear out you can
mend it with another and so keep things
going pretty well. And there won't nobody
else have anything llko It , "causd that Is all
there Is.
"Great scheme , that ! "
Ho chuckled again hoarsely to himself as
he stamped away.
She didn't seem a bit grateful. It was
provoking.
The following Sunday the entire Hollis
family appeared in church.
Mr. Hollls had gone early that he might
see a neighbor about haying the next mornIng -
Ing , and he stood with a group of men and
boys about the church door. Ho was sud
denly conscious that the men were losing
Interest in his account of a certain sharp
transaction whereby he had been the gainer.
He turned. His family was entering the
church. Mrs. Hollls and the four girls led
the way. They all wore their new dresses.
They were made exactly alike. The three
boys followed.
A soft laugh floated across the vestibule
as they passed Into the church.
"All of ono piece , " n woman's voice whis
pered , "Don't they look too much llko a
charitable Institution ? "
There was a chorus of giggles. Mr. Hollls
strode into the church and glanced hastily at
the boys. They -were Just settling themselves
into tbo family pew. There was no crook-
neck-squash pattern visible on them. Ho
breathed a sigh of relief as ho walked up
the aisle.
The sermon was unusually dry that morn
ing. Or possibly Mr. Hollls' mind was not
upon it. Almost unconsciously from the cor
ner of his eye he could see the five figures
in their jellow gowns. Ella's was becoming.
It Just suited her dark hair and red chocks ,
but poor Suslo looked sick and thin. He had
never before noticed how peaked the child
was. It must be she was not well. His heart
hardened with indignation at his wlfo for
not telling him. A. man ought to know about
his family. If she needed a doctor he guessed
ho could afford to have one. Ho wasn't a
"GETTING A LITTLE I NSIDE INFORMATION. "
poor man , Ho never begrudged his family
on > thing !
Ho glanced at Sarah. She was the oldest.
Her eyes were downcast and her checks a
vivid red.Mrs. . Hollls was looking at the
minister. Llttlo Resale had fallen asleep
and her yellow shoulders rested in Ella's
jellow lap.
His cjcs wandered beyond to the other
women In the congregation. There were
the summer boarders in all sorts of light
fluffy things , nnd the farmery daughters In
whlto or blue or pink , or even black. Ho
novcr noticed until now how nice n woman
looked In black. He must buy his wlfu a
black dress next time he went to town. She
didn't need It , of course , but It was just ns
well sometimes to give women folks things
they didn't need. It humored them. She
used to be'a very pretty woman , but some
how today flho looked terribly old and faded.
Ho wouldn't forget.
IV.
The next day the > eUow dresses appeared
again. So on , for a week ,
Ono morning Mrs. Hollls explained. "I
hope jou don't think I'm extravagant a-
wearing out new clothes all the time , " she
ventured. "But really wo ain't got anything
else. We'd got Just reduced to rags nn.l
them I had to take for cleaning clothes Just
as fast as I got the dresses done.
There was enough for two dresses apiece
for the girls , eo they have some a. Httlo mltc
moro fancy for Sunday wear. It seems to be
real good wearing stuff and I guess It won't
fade much. "
Her voice seemed far away. Ho was stat
ing hard at his plate. It scorned to have a
running pattern of crook-neck squashes.
Mr. Hollls did not attend church next
Sunday. Ho pfcaded a sick horse for excuse
nnd retired to 'the barn from whoso cobwebbed -
webbed window he saw the family depart ,
nil save Sarah she had refused to go. The
laugh of the girl last Sunday echoed In his
ears and ho shut his teeth hard.
"It's good wearing stuff , " he muttered to
himself ns he vindictively kicked a keg.
The third Sunday Mr. Hollls had business
out of town.
"I really can't attend to It any other
time , " ho explained to his wife.
She , Besslp and the boys , attended church
They -ncro all at supper when he returned ,
and ho took his place quickly nt the table.
Suddenly his eyes resiled on Jed. Ho
seemed to sec something familiar. Ho rub
bed his ejes and looked ngaln. It was a
blouse covered -with the palmlcaf pattern.
His knife and fork fell with a thud.
' 'Go and take that ithlng off , " ho com
manded In thundering tones.
Jed looked scared , and half arose. Then
he reeked helplessly at his mother.
"He hasn't got any other , " she whispered
In an awed voice. "Ho spoiled his only
other ono yesterday when ho got caught on
some nails , and I couldn't issud It nohow.
I sat up late to make this out of n breadth
from Sarah's dress. Hers got terribly burned
somehow. "
There was a short silence. Jed stood
holding onto his chair uncertain , Sarah
looked nt her plate , Bessie's blue eyes peered
startled over the rim of her mug.
Mr. Hollls moved uneasily. He opened his
mouth to speak. Then ho shut It again , took
up his cup and drank a long swallow of tea
"Iwish , " he said , speaking In a loud
voice and reeking past his wife out of the
window beyond "I wish you would take nil
that stuff away and never let mo see a
mite of.lt again. I'm sick of It , "
"They are good wearing dresses , " she be
gan. "It seems a waste "
( Her husband brought his fist down BO
that the dishes rattled.
"Waste bo hanged ! " ho shouted. He put
his hand into his pocket and drew out a roll
of bills. These ho shoved across the table
to his wife. "I'll hitch up In the morning
and you can drive over nnd get what you
want , " ho said , ns he pushed "back " his chair
and started for the door.
"I s'poso I can use It up In dusters , " his
wlfo rcmlnated to herself.
"No1 ! The command came swift anil
stern from the doorway.
"No dusters , no no nothing. I'm sick to
death of crookneck squashes. "
He slammed the door behind him and
bolted through the shed. In his hosto ho
upset a barrel. Out of It rolled the torn ,
cut and burned remains of Sarah's dress.
"I don't blame her ono mite , " ho
chuckled as ho vindictively kicked It Into
a dark corner and sent an old boot flying
after it.
"Durn the pattern. "
TIIH
Iiiillnn Trllir Tiijoylnj ? Spootn ) 1'rlvi-
IPRPH Spptiroil In Cnlniilnl Time * .
On the banks of the Pamunkey river , In
King William county , Virginia , about
twenty-five miles from Richmond nnd n mlle
cast of the historic "Whlto House , " the
home of John Dandrldge , where Oeorgo
Washington married the lovely Widow Cur
tis , dwells a community'oj 110 Indians , the
lingering remnants of the nation which
met the English colony with friendly greet
ings when it arrived on the tanks of the
Chesapeake bay.
The records of those times refer to Pow-
hatan as "tho emperor of tbo Potomac , "
relates the Chicago Hccord , and from the
"relation" of Captain John Smith we may
judge that ho had about 2,500 wnrrlora
under his command. By the last census
they were reduced to 93 , and slnco then the
birth rate has been so much greater than
the death rate that they have Increased
their total by 17. The place whcro 'they
llvo Is a Httlo peninsula , a bottle-shaped
neck of land comprising about SOO acres , of
which 250 acres are under cultivation The
remainder Is thickly wooded with virgin
forest , swampy and uninhabited. It abounds
in game , which is one of their chief sources
of subsistence. This tract Ifl secured to
the Pamunkey Indians by an act of the
colonial legislature. They bold it in com
mon , are prohibited from alienating the title
and are exempt from taxes , although under
an ancient law they are required to supply
the governor of the Virginia colony annually
with a certain amount of wild gamo. This
practice still continued , and during the shoot
ing season , spring and fall , Ihoy are In the
habit now and then of sending the governor ,
by tbo conductor of tbo train , a bunch of
wild ducks or a haunch of venison.
The Pamunkeya bavo no relation with the
United States government. They receive no
annuities , and their names are not upon the
rolln of thn Indian ofllce. Tbo state of Vir
ginia annually appoints five trustees to look
after their Interests , but the olllces are nlno-
cures , as the Indians are perfectly capable of
looking after themselves. They elect the
chief and council of four , who exercise execu
tive , legislative and judicial functions. Kvcry
member of the tribe is allowed to vote , and
on the day appointed thev meet at tbo coun-
Bean the
Blgaatwe
Kind You Have AUays Bough )
Su.
Bean tie _ ha Klnd You Ha"9 WftafS | Bou2U
ell house , T\lth usually two candidates to
cheese from. Those In favor of one Indicate
tholr choice br dropping ft groin of corn Into
the ballot box. Those who prefer the other
Indicate It by dropping a bean In the tame
place. Three nntho officials take care of
the tribe , punish all offences except felonies ,
01 cr which the state court * hnvo Jurisdiction ,
anil Conduct a co-opcratho merchandise
store , flhlch le patronized by white people
In the neighborhood aa well as the members
of the tribe.
The Indians nro temperate , moral , peace
able and Industrious. Very few of them nro
full-blooded. During the 300 jenrs of con
tact with the whites and negroes about them
they ha\o been tmablo to preserve their
racial Integrity , although the tavs of the
tribe prohibit cohabitation of marriage \\ltli
persons of African descent. They are ex
ceedingly proud of their Uncage , and whllo
they would probably acknowledge the white
aristocracy of Virginia ns their equals , they
decline to hnve anything to do with the
blacks , and some 5 ears ago raised a minia
ture rebellion because a mulatto woman was
placed In charge of a public school upon their
reservation.
Uoallzlng that continual Intermarriage has
Impaired the ph > slcal condition of the tribe ,
they ha\o recently appointed a committee to
treat with the remnnnt of the Cherokee In
dian nation of North Carolina on this sub
ject.
ject.Tho
The I'amunkejs are not only thoroughly
chlllzed , but are quite Inclined to the re
ligious. The best building on their reserva
tion Is a Baptist church , at which nearly
ou-ry member of the trlbo attends senlco
dwlco on Sunday under the administration of
a native preacher.
Till : SIMIAN AM ) II1S JAG.
AH Mm-Ii IIK - 11 Mini Wltrti Drunk nit
\ \ lu-n HiIN Solu-r.
The many visitors to Atlantic City wcro
recently odllled by the development of a
magic combination , Including a live monkey
and a full-grown "skate , " reports the Phila
delphia Times. The monkey Is one of the
interesting vanletles of the Macaque ape ,
largo and lithe of limb and possessed of a
marvelous faculty for Imitation. It belongs
to an amusement enterprise on the beach.
The principal factor in the combination ,
however , was n quart bottle of rye whisky
and when the two Ingredients of this ex
plosive compound were united the resulting
effects wore startling.
The monkey found the bottle by chance on
the floor of a well-known restaurant on
Michigan avenue. He tasted It , approved It
and then , with a long pull and a sturdy one ,
nearly emptied It. For a while ho caressed
the bottle with a loving touch and contem
plated It with th M y and rentful glance of
n man well nullified islth hlmtolf nnd the
world in general. This sort of pleasant
stupor lasted about half an hour. Then the
monkey grew restleu. His oy wandered
about , sparkling with the dancing light ol
mischief.
Suddenly ho started ns If ho had Just re
membered something. Ho fort around in as
absent way for the bottle , and then tvnt II
playfully through n pane of glass , ThlH star
tled the patrons of the cafe and satisfied him
for A fa\v seconds , A little later he got an
impression that his tall was a mlrtK and
tried to amputate It with his teeth ,
My this time the wild exuberance of a good
"A N'o. 1" Jag had taken complete possession
of him , and the monkey proceeded to lol
himself out.
What happened afterward has not yet been
entirely accounted for. The owners of tin
surrounding property are still busy taking
an Inventory of their tows. Pitchers , tum
blers , bottles , plates and part of a chandelier
were all Included in the wreck. So was thi
monkey whcu It was all over. He wai
caught with a crab net and strapped with
a sheet. His face wore an expression of ter
rible agony , combined with fierce determina
tion. Ho was good for a whoto day nnd part
of a night when his fun was spoiled ,
Late last night ho iwas resting quletlr
with Ms head In a bandage , cooled by oc
casional applications of Ice.
Trmililcn of n. AVnr-Tltitr ttdltnr.
"Talk about newspaper work , Why , jou
follows who work on modern papers with
plants costing up Into the hundreds of
thousands of dollars don't know nnjthtng
about It. " said a superannuated editor to a
representative of the National Labor
Tribune "I/t mo tell jou something about
early enterprise. It was during the war
down In Tennessee. I "was " running a weekly
and Grant kept everything out. There
wasn't a sheet of paper In the tonn , and oiv
Washington handpress had broken , and the
new casting necessary to make It work was
somewhere on the road , with Qraut's army
between us. Dut I got there. A fellow
smuggled In a wngtm load of flour done up In
paper bags , The rest was easy. There wai
a stranded circus In town. It had been
there a year , and I used the elephant for n
press. I put the form on the ground and
placed a flour bag over It. The elophant's
keeper then caused the brute to sit down
on It , and we got twcnty-olght first class im
pressions , two more than our circulation re
quired. "
De Witt's Little Early RIsnr * benefit per
manently. They lend gentle assistance to
nature , causing no pains or weakness , per
manently curing constipation and liver all-
Favorite Everywhere
The qualities that have made this malt tonic popular with
people everywhere arc purity , portability , matt strength.
Then , too , it is a non-intoxicant.
excels all other tonics ns a producer
of flesh , blood and sound nerves.
Tell your druggist that you want
DLATZ MALT.VIVINE. If he SUggcSt8 any other kind of
malt preparationgo elsewhere , and get the genuine. Highest
Awards at Trans-Hiss , and International Exposition , 1898.
Prepared by VAL BLATZ BREWING CO. , Milwaukee , U. S. A.
Omaha Branch : 1412 Douglas St. Tel. 1081.
- -
Is it possible that you have not seen a
# *
copy * of the &
# rr Omaha |
* S * Illustrated Bee ? |
M Use a postal to ask us for a
| FREE SAMPLE COPY.
I The Bee Publishing Company ,
OMAHA , NEB. g
iiitS AND MANUFACTURERS
OK OMAHA.
HARNESS' SADDLER Y.
J HHancy&Co.
U'fr *
JI.4JINES3 , HADDLIttl AND Cm.LA.tlM
Jobber * of Leather , Auddfofy Hardware , JCtA
, We solicit your order * . 313-315-317 S. 13th.
I WH HMHBHIM BIIWHMBHHavmH HHI M HBa naMM BiiM
BOILER AND SHEET IRON WORKS
Williams
Wlliou & DritUc.
Manufacture boilers , Hinnko Htackt nnd
fcrefchines , vreeiure , icndcrlnff , sheep dip ,
lard and water tanks , boiler tubea con
stantly on hand , necond hand hollers
bmiplit and sold Hnrrlal nnd prompt to
repairs In city or countrv 19th nnd Pl rcr
BQOTS-SHOES-RUBBERS ,
JQ merican Hand
1 V Sewed Shoe Co
M'frs I Jobbers of Foot Wear
WIS1EHN AOKNTB TOR
The Joseph Banigau Rubber Oo.
CHICORY
The American
Chicory Go.
Oiowert na tn nuf cturtr at all form * ot
Chicory OrnihrremontO'N ll.
DRY GOODS.
E , Smith & Go.
Uip rUr aiid Jobbers * f
Dry Goods , Furnishing Goods
AND NOTIONS.
DRUGS.
E. Bruce & Co.
Druggists and Stationery
De" BptcUltlM.
WlD and Br nill *
Cfcrmtv 1Mb u lUmty | ti * t
ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES.
U/ estcrn Electrical
vv Company
Electrical Supplies ,
Eleotrlo Wiring Dolls and Gas
a. W. JOHH TON. MIT , 111 * H6WM
John T. Burke ,
ELECTRIC LIGHT
and PO WER PLANTS
a2 * South 15th St. _
HARDWARE.
L ee-Qlass-Andraeien
Hardware Co.
Wholesale Hardware.
Bicycle * and Sporting Good * , Ittl-tl-U
n y Street.
SAFE AND IRON WORKS.
he Omaha Safe
T and ! Iron Works ,
G. ANDRKEN , Prop.
Makes afpoolnltr of
T TTPT EH ( JAPES.
- * * * " - ' bHUTTClta.
And Durlar Proof ttafibana Vnultoorsetc. .
010 8 , 14th IH. . Oumhti , Neb.
_ * *