THE OMAHA DAILY HEEt TUESDAY, MAItCII 10, 1003. Ti ie Omaha Daily Bee K. R08LWATEH, EtITOK. Pl'IlLlBIIKD ttVEKT MUKNINO. THUMB OK 8LHSCKIPTION. Dnlly Fit (without Bunda)). On. Yeer..M Lahv Hen and HumiHy, urn lear J liluntraled Bw, Une Year " hunrtay Bee. Une Vetir batuiuHV He. one Year.... .:;,'..! Twentieth Century ITarmiT, line Year., i w DKLlVKItfcD BY CAHIUKR. Dally He (without Sunday), per ropy.. Jc Dally tee (without "uniiayi, per wek..l-c l'ally Hee (Including Sunday), per wek..l.o Sunday Bee, per copy..... Evening Ue (without Hunday). per week (to livening bee (Including Sunday). P week 1 " Complaint,, of Irregularities In llvery should be addressed to City Circulation De partment. OFFICES. Omaha The nee Building. Bouth Omaha-City Hall ilulldlng. Twenty-fifth and M Street. Council Muffs 1 pearl Btreet. Chicago 1M0 I'nlty building. New Vork-232 Park Row building. Washington uol Fourteenth btreet. CORRESPONDENCE. Communications relating to news ana ed itorial matter should ha addressed: Omaha bee. Editorial Department. KEM1TTANCE8. Remit by draft, express or postal order, payable to The bee Publishing Company, Only 2-cent stamps accepted In payment or mall accounta. Personal checks, except on Omaha or eastern esrhange, not accepted. THE BSE PUBLISHING COMPANY. STATEMENT Or CIRCULATION. State of Nebraska. Douglas County, ss.: Georpe B. Tsschjck. secretary of Th Bee Publishing Company, being duly sworn, says that the actual number of full and complete copies of The Dally. Morning. Evening and Hunday Bee printed during the month or February, 1903, was as follows: 1 ...ItO.lOO 15 29,2B t .10.R30 1 81,820 S 00,030 17 81,840 4 00,000 18 81,400 S 80.400 81,400 80.ST0 81,610 T 30,550 1 214SOO ( 80.U10 10 80.R00 li so.on-j 12 30,040 la 80,640 14 ....30,5TO 21 81,670 n 8f05 SJ 81,6.10 2 S1,8!M 25 81.41O0 29 Sl.BJlO JT..... 81,000 28 81,780 Total 8o8,43a Less unsold and returned copies.... ,a4 Net total aalcs B44.008 Net average sales 8(,143 GEO ROE B. TZSCHUCK. Subscribed In my presence and sworn to before me. this 28th day of February, A. D. tfOJ. M. B. HUNUATE, (Seal.) Notary Public I. . L -J Prosperity brings tbc rising Evco tho waters la the rivers streams are suing up. tide, and With Governor Cummins returned home from bis southern tour, the Iowa Idea should be ready for spring sprout ing. , , , We fear Judge Blabaugu's vision of Greater Omaha in A, D. 2000 must re main an Iridescent dreuni for just a Uttlo 'while longer.- The latest .discoveries of oil are heralded from . Mexico. Unfortunately It Is not stated whether they spout In Mexican or Jn Spanish. There must be no halt In the cam paign for the equal taxation of railroads .with other property. There Is no stop ping place. until, the battle la won. . Wheu it comes to a. debate on the relative advantages offered to settlers by Nebraska' and -by northwest Cana dlari provinces we bet on Nebraska every time. . . Omaha trades unions must Indeed be in a flourishing condition If they are 'outgrowing and overflowing labor tern pie Quarters that for years sufficed to meat all their demands. ' ,ii . 1 i iima Colonel Bryan's visit with Tom John son might make David B, Hill suspi cious that, all the presidential bees in the democratic, camp cannot be cor nered down In the Xew York state. Paradoxically one of tbu first dlfflcul ties besetting Secretary Cortelyou as hand rit thn riiMinrtment nf OiimniArrA will be' to "keen the: places subject to I his distribution from becoming objects of political barter and trade. "Beautify Omaha" Is a good motto to stick to. To muke Ouiuhu more beau tiful, however, requires steady and sys tematle work on the part of every prop erty owner to Improve his own premises as well. us ou the part of the city as a whole. ; . The answer of the Wabnsb trainmen to the, Injunction petition of the rail road's attorneys puts au altogether dif ferent light on the oase. Whether a Judge accustomed to look through rail road Spectacles can see ' anything dif ferent, however, remains to be seen. ; g ',. .. That reunion lu New York of 250 descendants of a single progenitor ball ing originally from Budeu is probably designed to reinforce by au object les son some of the pertlneut remarks of President Uoosevelt on the degeueracy af American fatherhood and mother hood. Now that the last straggling senators have bceu sworn Ji before the bar of the AuMMlcau House of Lords, roll tall might as well lie ordered ou the treaties awaiting ratification without Indulging lu any more forenslcs. The new sena tors know where to go to get their direction. No matteihow the revenue luws may be revised, oViaha nnd l)ouglus county will have to phy the big end of the state's expenses compared to the money spent out of the treaxury on state in stitutions located here, while for Lln- colu and Lancaster county just the re verse will remtilu true. In passing It is worthy of note that the exit of Senator Wellington from the halls of congress did not create even a ripple on the surface of the political sea. Wellington showed plainly ou what level he bcloiigttl when ha made uch a pitiable exhibition of himself at the time of the assassination of Presi dent McKlnle. ITHr SHOULD THtr TALTtRt The lower bouse of the Wisconsin leg islature has passed the bill changing tli railroad taxation system In that state from a basis of percentage on gross receipts to the ad valorem basis thut will compel the railroads to pay taxes In proportion to the market value of their tangible property and fran chises. It Is estimated that this change will mean an Increase of over $1,000,000 annually in the railroad tax revenues of the state of Wisconsin, which for the last year were a fraction over $1,000.- 000, and would, therefore, be Increased to over $2,000,000. The change In the Wisconsin taxation law has been vigorously opposed by the railroad lobby, but the bill passed the house without a dissenting vote, which goes to show that public sentiment in Wisconsin Is so overwhelmingly lu favor of more equitable taxation that no member of the house dared to record his vote against it. It Is confidently predicted that the bill will pass the Wisconsin senate, and Wisconsin, like Michigan, will Inaugurate its full meas ure of tax reform In spite of all cor porate opposition and obstruction. In Michigan the aggregate Increase of railroad taxes on the ad valorem basis exceeds $1,800,000 for the year 1902, or more than double the former contribu tion of Michigan railroads toward the expense of state and local governments. Tet the earning capacity of Michigan and Wisconsin railroads Is no greater, if as great, as the earning capacity of tho railroads of Nebraska. While the volume of traffic in Michigan and Wis consin Is doubtless much larger, the freight rates in those states are from 30 to 40 per cent lower than the rates charged In Nebraska. The total amount of taxes state, county, city and school district paid by the Nebraska railroads for the past year Is about $1,100,000, and this In cludes taxes on their unsold land grant and town lots outside of their right of way. On an equitable assessment In proportion to all other classes of prop erty the railroads of Nebraska would pay $130,000 more In state taxes, $700, 000 more In county and school taxes and $250,000 more In city taxes, or j about double the amount they are pay ing. Even then they would pay several hundred thousand dollars less in No braska than they are paying In Michi gan and will be compelled to pay In Wisconsin. The threat of raising freight rates to make up the Increase In taxes did not frighten the Michigan legislature last year and does not appear to scare the Wisconsin legislature this year. In Ne braska, where the railroads are already charging all the traffic will bear, freight rates are as high as they can be and the threot of raising freight rates Is as Idle as it could be. Why, then, should Nebraska law makers falter In the dis charge of their plain duty? m EXPSNSB vr aoVICRItlttfiT. It takes a great deal of money to ad minister the government of the United States. As heretofore noted, the ap propriations of the Fifty-seventh con gress, at stated by Senator Allison, chairman of the senate committee on appropriations, exceeded one and a half billion of dollars, being greater than the appropriations of the Fifty-sixth congress by nearly $114,000,000. This la a large Increase, but almost half of It Is for an Isthmian canal and there has been a large Increase In the ap propriation for the postal service, which of course must be maintained at the highest standard of efficiency. The last congress also made an appropriation for rivers and harbors, which was not done by the preceding congress. Then there wag a considerable Increase In naval appropriations, the expediency of which It Is presumed will not be questioned. In looking at the vast total of ar proprlations many persons will natu- rally assume that there has been a great deal of extravagance. Mr. Cannon, wno has always favored Judicious economy In public expenditures, has de fended the appropriations of the Fifty seventh congress. He said: "The re publican administration of our govern ment, the dominion of republican poll cles In both branches of congress since 1897, has given us a system of taxation that has produced a national treasury richer than was ever enjoyed by any nation on the earth and rendered possi ble these great expenditures for the public welfare." The American people are liberal. They do not wish to cramp the government financially or to impair tne efficiency of the public serv ice by withholding the money necessary to the proper maintenance of that serv ice. Their desire is that the high standards which have been established snail be adhered to. But conservative men, viewing: the steady Increase from year to year In the expense of govern ment, are likely to question whether It is a wise policy to continue on In this way It Is certainly an excellent thlnir to nave a rich national treasury, but that condition, in which the United States Is now peculiarly fortunate amonir na tlons, should not be allowed to tempt u. as u is too opt to do, Into wasteful courses. The money for carrying on the government comes from the people nnu it is a perfectly obvious nrooosl tlon that if we go on heavily Increasing expenditures the burden of tamtinn will sooner or later become severely op- i.n-e.vp. m our present state of pros iK-ruy me (icmanil upon the people 1 not felt to lie burdensome, but let eon ditions change, as they assuredly will In time, and there will come about different popular feeling In regard to me mcreesing expense of government mere is every reason to exnect tht there will be a determined effort in the urty-elghth congress to keep down ex penom-res. restricting them to th '""r,,,r'" " tne nuDlle serv Ice. That congress will not be called upon to make some of the approprta tionsj that were required of the last eougress and It should find It practi cable to make large reductions. "This Is a billion -dollar country," said the late Thomas It. Heed, but we have gone far lieyond that insrk and it Is a fact not to be lightly considered. TREATY FA VOHAOLY RIPORItD. The Colombian treaty has ogaln been reported to the senate, without amend ment, by the committee on foreign re lations. This, however, does not neces sarily mean that there will be early action by the senate, because the oppo sition of Senator Morgan Is still to be reckoned with and how long that will hold out It Is Impossible to tell. There seems to be a disposition to allow the Alabama senator to go ou with his flght against the treaty as long as he has the physical endurance to do so. It Is a quite remarkable situation, this of a single senator nnd he seventy-nine years old biitlling for weeks tho will of a majority of senators nnd must seem to most people to be carrying the "courtesy" Idea to an unwarranted ex treme. Mr. Morgan has proposed a number of amendments to the treaty and they have received careful consideration. Sec retary Hay has been consulted In re gard to the expediency of adopting some of them, but In his opinion any chango In the convention would Jeop ardize the whole transaction. This Is evidently also the Judgment of the com mittee on foreign relations and of a majority of the senate. Indeed it Is obvious that the purpose of Mr. Morgan in his amendments Is to kill the treaty, hoping thereby, of course, to bring about tho selection of the Nicaragua route. He will not be able, it Is needless to say, to effect this. The treaty will be ratified as negotiated and its supporters should accomplish this without unneces sary delay. We think It will be gen erally admitted that ample considera tion has been shown Senator Morgun. A PCRPLtXINU 81TVATHJX. The failure of congress to do anything for the relief of industrial and commer cial conditions In our eastern posses- 8lons hus ,eft a situation that Is causing some perplexity and anxiety at Wash ington. It is said that officials of the War department take a gloomy view of the matter and confess that they do not know what piay happen in the des olated islands. There was one appro priation of $3,000,000, which it Is under stood will be expended by the Philip pine commission in constructing roads nd other Improvements, thus giving mployment to a portion of the natives, but this is only a drop In the bucket and Is wholly Inadequate to provide tho full measure of relief needed. What is required is the promotion of the industries and the commerce of the Islands and this can only be done by such legislation as was passed by the house of representatives, which low ered the tariff on Philippine products. It is perhaps not to be expected that wd should accord to the archipelago the same .consideration that has been given to Torto Rico, but it Is plain that a larger concession, In the matter of the tariff, will have to be made. Nothing can be done, however, until the wct lng of the Fifty-eighth congress and In the meantime there may be serious trouble in the Philippines. Tbe desti tute natives, seeing no prospect of early relief, are quite likely to organize re volts and Increase the difficulties of the political situation. The failure of con gress to provide relief will prove very embarrassing to tho commission and may have consequences costly to the government UVSICIPAL MACnifit LEUlSLATWTf. It goes without saying that municipal reform will not be promoted by chang ing the time of city elections from May to November under the pretext that a saving will be effected by merging city elections with county and state elec tlons. The object of separating municl pal elections from general elections Is to give free swing, as far as possible, to independent voting. In other words, to give the taxpaylng citizen the privi lege of making his choice of city offi clals and couucllmen on nonpartisan lines. But when the taxpaylng citizen who is anxious to vote for the best men finds himself compelled to make his choice In nn exciting political campaign. when party lines are sharply drawn, in dependent action becomes almost Ini possible. If, for example, candidates for mu nicipal offices are to be voted for In No vemlerAll04, at the same time and on the same ballot with presidential elec tors, atate officers and legislative can dldates who are to elect the United States senators, they would dwindle Into Insignificance and receive no more at tention from the great majority of vot era than do the candidates for constable on the county ticket. Instead of divorcing the municipal machine from active Interference In the legislative, congressional and state cam paisrii, the merging of city elections with general elections would force the mu nicipal machine Into pernicious activity that cannot but affect the Interest of the taxpayers disastrously. Municipal reformers In all great population centers have been striving for years to divorce party politics from municipal contests and divorce as far as possible the city elections from general elections. The proposed merger of city, county and state elections In Omaha Is, therefore, not in line with municipal reform leg islation, but on the contrary It Is n.a chine legislation of the rankest kind, The legislature of Illinois U wrestling with an act for the regulation and re striction of the bill board nuisance. In the meantime the bill board trust is not Idle. Its lobbyists have entered reiuon st ranee against the enactment of the pending bill on the ground that it would work hardship to union labor. It Is claimed that the abatement of the bill board nuisance would throw out of em ployment a great many billposters, painters, decorators aqd artists who wield the Jarkplnue and woodsaw. This plausible plea, however, does not seem to have sufficient weight with the Illi nois law makers, who Insist that the bill board law Is simply designed to reg ulate and restrict the erectiou and con struction of bill boards In rrjrard to di mension, location nnd position, to pro tect the public from the menace to life and limb In case of fire or storm and do away with the eyesore whenever lo cated In residence districts or upon ap proaches to the parks and boulevards that ieople's money has been expended to beautify. The cattle raisers' association of Texas has Invoked the power of the Interstate Commerce commission to prohibit the vorious railroads that con verge at tho Chlcugo union stock yards demanding and receiving in addition to their regularly published transportation charges the sum of $2 per carload of live stock as compensation for terminal service In making the deliveries of live stock at the stock yards. The Inter state Commerce commission will doubt less give the Texas cattle raisers t bear ing, but the question Is, What will they do and what can they do to protect tho cattle misers and cattle shippers from extortion? The selection of Tillman as one of the democratic steering committee to direct the movements of the minority in the United States senate during the next two years shows thnt the democ racy Is still Intimately bound up with the most reckless leadership developed by the free silver cruze. Tillman rep resents all that is odious in the party, yet maintains blmavlf at the front In its councils. How a party following cham pions of pitchfork methods in national policies cau expect to Inspire con fidence among the conservative ele ments of labor and capital is not easily understood. Emperor William disagrees in toto with President Koosevelt on the large family proposition and points to the fact that only recently the burgomaster of Spandau attempted to introduce to him a letter carrier who became father for the twenty-fifth time. That would not have been the way of President Roosevelt. He would have been not only delighted to meet that patriarchal letter carrier, but would have insisted on seeing the mother to ascertain whether twenty-four of them were trip lets. Will tho Precedent Holdt St Louts ' aiobe-Democrat. It Is a matter ' of history that no ludeo has ever been elevated to the presidency, and It Is not at all likely that the prece dent wii be smashed la the case of Judse rarser. -'.?.. What We Are Worrying- About. - AtlatU Journal. ' It has been demonstrated that combines "trusts," as va,.new call them have ex- tsted since 2,000 years before Christ. But. naturally, we are not worrying: about the B. C." combines. It's those that are on our chest right now that we want to shake off. Every Brlclc lilt. Louisville Courier-Journal. Whan Uncle Joe Cannon made his crush ing speech against the relic-worshipers, closing with the eloquent apostrophe. "My God! where Is the clothes line?" ha had to hla credit tha most effective speech of the session. This held the record until It was taken by another speech, but that other speech was also made by Uncle Joe, who simply beat hla own record. Hla speech against the one-man power of the senate came down on that usually com plalsant and stolid body "like a thousand of bricks," and, Judging by the outcry, every brick hit. Growing Power of Dlreetora. New York Evening Post. A study ot reoent corporation charters discloses tha fact that there has been i growing tendency to increase the author lty of directors and to make It difficult to effect a change la tha original management of the companies. The history of railroad construction in the United States affords numerous examples of the evils that may follow from Intrusting to ona aet ot men the entire management of the property ot another. For thla aort of enterprise the Issue of bonds has furnished ample facil ities, and it has bean possible for body of stockholders to exercise complete cou. trol of a road that waa constructed chiefly or wholly with borrowed capital. Dating; Canned (loodi. Chicago Chronicle. A bill has been Introduced In the New Tork legislature making It obligatory upon manufacturers to data every can containing food. The proposal la Juat and necessary, Every kind of canned edibles, whether animal or vegetable la liable to decay even hen embalmed. Though tha canning process Itself be successful at the .time the fluid solder is applied to the tin, sub lection to prolonged beat or damp has i chemical effect upon the contents of tha can. Soma ktnda of canned goods will continue wholesome for a prolonged period. Other grades degenerate within twelvemonth. Every can containing what purports to be nutrition should be dated DOOM OF THfci U1U TRICES. Failure of Conajreaa to Pass mn Aet for Their Preservation. Philadelphia North American. Among tha bills passed by tha senate and set aside by tha filibusters of tha house was one providing for the preservation ot tha Calaveras grove ot big trees, which will ba made Into lumber unless the United States or tha state bf California shall ae quire the property by purchase. There are mora treea In the Calaveraa group ot Sequoia glgantea than In any other grove. It was the first grqve discovered by wblta men and la tha most widely known. Tha Mariposa, Tuolumne, Tulare and Fresno groups are protected by state or federal reservations and parka, but tha Calaveraa treea. saved for nearly bslf a century by private owners at a sacrifice of personal Interests, have fallen at last into the hand of lumbermen and are In Imminent peril of deatructton. Mora than tan years ago tba atata for ester ot California called attention to tha danger, and urged trat tha atata Intervene to aava the grove, but tha legislature paid no heed to tha suggestion, and eventually tha owner of tha Calaveraa big trees was obliged to sell tha property. Earnest at forts have been made by cltlssna af Call fornla and others to collect a fund for tha purchase of the grove, but tha move meat must tall unless tha government or one millionaire lands timely aid. TALK OP TtllC STATE PBISS. Lyona Sun: It may be, and doubtless Is true, that the proposed new revenue law Is net all that we could hoi for, but It Is a long step In the right direction as we understand Its provisions, and It should be paused. Falls City Journal: Tha laws of Ne braska no longer provide bounties for tha scalps of wild animals. The bounty law has long been a farce and It Is not tha policy of republican legislators to leave farce laws upoa tha books. Aurora Republican) Indications point to a boom this year for Nebraska. Already the Incoming land buyers sre upon us and they will ba sweeping In In flocks later on to snap up tha choice land of tha great st. Nebraska's future Is certainly brtcht. North Platte Tribune: State Treasurer Mortensen baa made a new departure In tha conduct of the treasurer's office by Issuing ststement giving the name of the banks la which the state funds are deposited and tha amount In each bank. This Is a departure thst Is to be commended. Madison Chronicle: The house has voted to postpone Indefinitely the bill tax ing railroad terminals in cities for muni cipal purposes. Now If the reads can ar range to crawl out of all other forms of Just taxation they will ao doubt be well satisfied with tha work of tba general as sembly. Lyons Sun: A bill requiring school of ficers to file sn estimate of expenses for the coming year, and making It Illegal to sa money for purpose other than named In the estimate, has been Introduced la the state aenate. The bill la calculated te ton extravagance and misappropriation of funds. Rusbvllle Standard: Tha Nebraska legis lature has repealed the bounty law on wolf and wild-cat scalps. Tba legislature made mistake by so doing. Tbey use stren uous methods to keep tha settlers from killing game and, by repealing tha acalp bounty, protecting the worst game de stroyers In the nation. Auburn Post: The Post baa read tba new revenue bill and although there may be some things In It that could be Improved upon, yet aa a whole It seems to be quite an Improvement upon our present revenue law and should be passed and given a trial, s It certainly Is an Improvement upon the present system of revenue. Hastings Tribune: Wo can see no good reason why anyone, adlde from tne law yers, should oppose the proposed bill In tho Nebraska legislature which calls for the reduction In the judicial districts. By cutting off several Judges and reportera much money will be saved and the work will be attended to Just the same. Wayne Herald: A bill Is In the senate for the appointment of a state accountant at a salary of $2,000 a year, whose duty It will be to uvrsee the systems of book keeping in the various state departments and Institutions and provide for uniform ity. Heretofore there has been an entire lack of system in some ot tha Institutions, aftd without doubt the atate baa lost much money because ot lax methods. Falrbury Gazette: Some fellow from tho sand hills has Introduced a bill In the legislature to punish anyone by fine who will "kill any goose, duck or other wild fowl from behind a blind, etc." H must go out In tha open and kill 12 he kills at all. We venture the opinion that thla statesman couldn't bit a flock of tarns If he tried and that he la mad at someone who can. Such legislation Is nonsense. Springfield Monitor: The bouse by a vote of 63 to 88 on bouse roll 830 on Tuesday showed tha bold the railroads have on thla branch of our legislature by Indefinitely postponing this much-talked ot bill. Two fusion members went with the railroad crowd in defeating thla measure. ' The friends of the bill .still have hopes of re viving It ot- something that will accom plish the same results, but It is rather doubtful. Madison Chronicle: It may sound whim sical, but nevertheless there Is good rea son for believing that If the legislature was treated aa jurlea In Important cases aomatlmea are that Is, kept away from all outside Influences and kept at work upon the duties of their office, with opportunities to bear arguments In regard to proposed measures In open session the result would ba far more satisfactory than It usually is under tha preaent system. Albion News: There Is one provision In the new Nebraska revenue law that de serves commendation. Assessors are to ba elected for four yeara and cannot succeed themselves. Ona trouble with the average assessor is that he wants to succeed him self and that ha too often permits his political ssplrations to Interfere with hla dutlea. Whan he knowa that he cannot sueceed himself he will be more apt to give the public full benefit of his work. Aurora Republican: The fate ot tha revenue bill hangs in tne Balance, two weeks ago it bad a bright future, but Its prospects are none too flattering now. A feeling of partisanship has arisen that aeriously affects tha passage of the btll and makes its palh a rocky one. It Is to ba hoped that our legislators will put Sway their petty differences and unite to give Nebraska needed financial relief. This is certainly the great matter of the session snd It should not ba omitted. Albion News: It haa been tba persistent claim of the fuslonlats that the preaent legislature, which Is largely republican, la dominated and controlled by tba railroads. Tha truth or falsity ot thla claim will aoon be revealed. Political talk la often "hot wind," but votes are recorded In black and white. Republicans In tba legislature should consider that tha fata ot their party and tha Integrity of their frlenda and tha republican preas of the atata la at ataka. Tha Newa, for one, has no supply of white- wash on band with which to attempt U make black appear white. Albion News: Governor Mickey urges the need for conatttutlonal amendmenta In thla atata. Ha thlnka that tha auprama court ahould be enlarged to five members. with salaries of $5,000; that the salaries of state officers should be raised generally, and that tha provision should ba made for permanent investment of the school fund. One bouse of the legislature baa already passed a resolution tor a constitutional convention, but this is not whai the gov ernor wants. Such a convention, be estl mates, would cost at least 1200,000 and ha prefera to have the amendments submitted to votara at tba next general election, Thai thla may ba done, ha suggests that tba election law ba amended by putting con stitutional questions in a mors prominent position on the ballot. Fremont Tribune: A bill haa been In troduced In the legislature providing for tba detention and treatment of inebriates and It ought to ba enacted into law. Tha Inebriates ot Nebraska are as dangerous to themselves ondj society aa tha inebriate ot other atatea who are put under too bara by statutory enactment. Power and place to commit confirmed boosers are es sential to tba public good. When a man gets thoroughly pickled In aloobol he la as likely to work injury aa a mad dog. It would be improper, according to the rules of civilized society, to dispose of tba two in tba same fashion, yet it la not In tha highest degree consistent to extinguish tha ona and permit tha other to roam at will. So long aa we have law regulating tha atoraga of powder, tha sala of polaon, tha inspection of coal oil and gasoline, we should have ststutes made sad provided for the detention In cold atoraga of human budga tanks that are liable to explode with disagreeable and, mayhap, diaaatrou affects. notn ABOIT SEW TORK. nipples on the t orrent ot Life In the Metropolis, For the first time since winter began It Is now possible for New Yorkers to breathe (Wp aud long ltbcut smalloalng a luncheon ef soft coal soot. It la also pos sible to navlxntf. the city streets In daytlmo without a lantern. The cloud ef soft foal smoke that for three months played havoo with the virion and polluted the atmos phere baa been blown aside and old-tim cleanliness Is visible. As aoon as the bard coal aqueeie loosened up the authorities "got busy" and promptly forced return to bard coal. Nowadara women are not content with treading close upon the heels of men In tba patha of daring, but seem eager to blase tha war. This hold good If "one swallow makes a summer." Sunday a Brooklyn girl made the perilous trip acrosa the new, un completed East river bridge, being the first of either sex (except the workmen) to make the trip. The honor belongs to Miss H- E. Way. Midway the boardwalk waa Inter rupted by a gap of 100 feet, where the sup porting Iron had been removed for aotrta changes. Miss Way proceeded on tba open Ironwork to one side around thla gap, and completed the crossing to the New Yoik tower, whence she returned over tba asm open Iron work. A wild wall, ringing out h-Uly from hi audience, disconcerted E. H. Sothern at the Garden theaur a few night tgo and cauafd a commotion that Interfered aeriously with the (raoothnes of tba play. The man who cried aloud la Philip H. Levey, manager of a leather gooda establishment, who bad been Impaled upoa a hatpin. Directly be hind Levey aat a young woman who en deavored In tha fashion of young women st a play to secure ber bat te tbe aeat In front of ber with the hatpin. Instead she fastened the bat to Levey. Tha long steel pin slipped through the plush chair back and ran an Inch or two Into tba roan's body. An altercation ensued, which was Interrupted by a policeman, who removed both parties. There waa a discussion in tbs lobty. In which tbe young woman upbraided Lover for causing such a commotion over a trivial matter and bringing humiliation on ber. Mlshaps in restaurants ar not common New York, where only the beat trained ..,. ' , , . , . In servants can secure employment, but acci dents do happen sometimes, and ope wo&aa who began an evening's entertainment last week by dining at s well known Broadway resort waa convinced that absolute im munity from bad luck cannot be secured at any sacrifice. This Is on the authority of the Mail and Express. Tbe evening was Friday, and when she went to put on a long neck chain In which there should bae been fourteen diamonds she found but thirteen. Her escort unthink ingly sprinkled salt on a side dish for her celery, and aha had tripped over another woman'a dress as she was passing to ber table. But the crowning piece of ill luck came when a waiter's coat caught the dia mond set comb in her hair. Before he could stop he bad almost pulled tbe woman sidewaya from her chair; her coiffure waa much out of place, and when she Investi gated the condition of tba comb it was found to be badly damaged. Of course the management of the reatau rant was apologetic, but Mrs. Blank's tem per waa too much ruffled, and the opera loat one of its shining partlerra lights that night, for she Insisted on going borne a aoon aa the dinner waa over. Subwsy contractors stand In need of a run of good luck to coma out even on tbair respective Joba. Up to tha preaent time they have been pursued by costly misfor tunes. Hardly a month passes without soma accident entailing lose of lite, money and delay. Ira Shaler, one of -the sub contractors, lost both hla fortune and hla life, and other contractor have had their profits reduced or wiped out altogether by mishaps or unexpected difficulties that caused expense not counted upon. - Tbe latest subway accident occurred near tba Harlem river. A dam that protected tbe excavation from the river waa undermined, and with a roar tbe waters of tbe Harlem rushed into tbe subway, filling it to the level of the river. Eighteen men at work la the tunnel bad narrow escapes. The loss Is estimated at (100,000, and a delay In construction work of at-least two weeks will be caused. About three weeks ago the river under mined the dam snd flooded tbe tunnel, and it took two weeks to get it pumped out. Former Police Commissioner Michael C. Murphy died last week. Since 1889 ba bad been unable to take nourishment in tba ordinary way. Physicians decided that he had a tumor of the stomach. This tbey healed. In tbe meantime he had almost starved to death, and from 225 pounds waa reduced In weight to less than 100 pounds. When his stomach waa all right again It waa found that be waa suffering from stricture of the aesophagus, which made It Impossible for him to swallow food. An incision was made in tbe wall ot bla stom ach, a silver tube was inserted, and for fourteen years Colonel Murphy had bl food pumped Into himself through this tube. It caused him no Inconvenience until about two years sgo, when bis general health began to tall. Overwhelmed with t'onfnslon, Detroit Free Prees. The opponents ot a larger navy must be overwhelmed with confusion when tbey realize that If there had been enough armored rrulaera Crowninshleld would not have been ordered to use Chicago as a flsgshlp, and hence would not have asked to be retired. Even It wa have no regard for tba Monroe doctrine, we should have a little for our Crownlnshlelds. Gorman's Herlt Hreaktaar Job. Philadelphia Press. Senator Gorman has been restored to his former position of democratic leader In tha aenata. He haa a big Job to tackle right away. During the Marylander'a ab sence from tbe senate the democratic donkey has been reckless and destructive In tbe extreme. He has kicked tbe demo cratic party full of awful boles and isn't going to tame easily. As Good as There Is The hat we sell for f 4.00 is ns good a. there is. You may pay a dollar more for it with a hatter's label. Very good hats at 3.00 and ?2.50 u well. XO CLOTHING FITS LIKE OURS. 1 SU , arisen j THE OLD RELIABLE to) Absolutely. Pure THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE PERSONAL. NOTES. A Missouri editor thinks too msny people In his stste Have tha mistaken notion that they can lift themselves out of trouble with a corkscrew. Senator Fry once refused to write his reminiscences for a magaslne, declaring himself opposed to tba telling by public men of "tale out of school." . When tha proposed royal residence at Po sen, for which Emperor William ha just asked a grant, la completed, he will have fifty-two castles and lordly dwellings in Prussia and other parts of Germany. Msyor-elect John Weaver of Philadel phia sailed for Europe last week In search of health, having broken down In bis re cent campaign. He will return about April 1. He la to visit his old home iu Stour-p-rt. Encland. Gtneral John W. Noble baa left St. Louis on a trip to California and while there he 111 visit tbe great forests which General Noble naa Instrumental in having pre- erred while be was secretary of the In- j ump nn4,f MnX Harrison. ,. . . . . . I It was unkind of Lr. Lorent t o sjy that Amrtn woma cannot cook. It is to bo booed ni published remarks will not pno tra'a to tha kitchens of the homes he visited. Tba servant problem la difficult enough a it la. Congressmsn Lessler of New York was tbe smsllest man physically In the house last session, weighing only 110 pounds, the eva of adjournment "Hank" Smith of Michigan asked blm: "What are you going to do next summer?" By way ot a joke Lessler said: "First thing I am going to reduce my weight." "How are you going to do It," drawled Smith, "cut oft a leg?" PASSING PLEASANTRIES. "I arrr a believer In the motto 'pay as you go,' " said the prudent man, "So am I," answered Senator SorHhtim; "and I am also convinced tht the mora you are willing to pay the further you are likely to go." Washington Star. "Doesn't so much wine weaken your pow ers of Invention?" asked the intimate friend. "On the contrary," said the writer cf sensational stories, "It stlmulntes them.- I have to work like the mischief to keep up the supply." Chicago Tribune. Miss Sweet Mr. Jolly took me for a VsHsar graduate when he flrnt met me. Mr. Batcheller Btrunge! That wasn't at all what I was Inclined to ttke you for. Mlsa Sweet No? What then? Mr. Iiatcheller Mjr wife. Phl!adedphta Press, "Mlght.I hope that 'if tskt1nO to marry me the answer wnuld be favorable?" "Might I hope that If I sold yes tn your question you would really end truly ask me to marry you?" "Jane, be mine!" "I'm yours." "Every time you draw a breath," said the young man who dabbled In things scientific, "somebody dies." "Well." replied the practical msld, "I'm sure It isn't up to me to nop breathing on that account." t'hlcabj Newa. "That's the meanest man I ever ran across," said the honk agent. "What has he dene?" ' "Kept me calling day after duy. rrd finally said that he didn't rare anytl.l.i about reading, but that ho enjoyed hearing me talk." Washington Star. "Do you believe there beauty doctors, who pretend to make over noses iiml straighten crooked mouths, and all thut ever really help any one?" "Yes, I know of one of them who Is sup porting a tired husband and their four children In fine style." Chicago Record Herald. In n Shoe Store. "Have you felt slippers, sir?" she naked. Tha boy clerk blushed and scratched hla head. Then, smiling back, he found his tongue: "I felt them often when I ws young." Boston Herald. HOW MKHf" ' Brooklyn Eagle. The query of the country that'a now recog nised an such Th query that's most often heard, la aim ply this: "How much?"; , Some man asserta one horse will win a certain noted race. "How much?" a bettor thundera, ahaklng money In hla face. A woman wants some yards of silk thut softens to her touch: She looks it over carefully, and then she auks "How much?" Perhaps there Is a little deal aome people would put through. "How much?" a legislator whlspera. Jut to learn what they will dp. A candidate Is anxious a good paying place to clutch. ' The purly boss smiles knowingly and softly asks "How much?" "I have a title," said some lord; "your daughter I would wed." "How much?" tha millionaire returns, with Weary shake of head. A man who has a painting boauts A gem It la. and Dutch! The vUltor looks Idly en and idly "How much?" usks What will you give for this, good sir? Whsl will you take for that: How much, how much for prestige. Oin chise, title, gown or hat? i 9 1