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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 18, 1903)
TIT 13 OMAITA DAILY IIEE: WEDNESDAY, MATtCII 18, 1903. Tile oniaiia Daily Bee. K. nrjii:VATF.K, KDITOR. PUHMHllKll KVKRY MORNING. TKRMH OK PlHH'RM'TION. JDaily Bee (without Sunday), one Year.. 14.0) lally liee Hlirt Sunday, One Year Illustrated liti-, on.- )pr Hunday I'.re, one i'rar J i HaturoHV Ue, unp Yenr 1 iwentle'th Century Karmer, one Year.. 1.0) DKI.IVKKKO HY CARHIKH. f)ally I!ee (without Sundny), per ropy.... Zc. ally Bee (without Hund.-iyi. per week. ..12.! (ally Hop (tricludlna Sunday), per week.. 17c Kundav Hee, per ropy Evening lie- (without Sunday), per week o livening Ueo (including Sunday), per week 10n Complaint!" of Irregularities In delivery thould he addressed tj City Circulation De partment. OFFICIOS. Omaha The liee Hulliilng. Bouth Omaha City Hall Hulldlng. Twen-ty-lltlh and M Kneels. Council Bluffs -n l'earl Street. Chicago lt)4 Unity Hulldlng. New Yorlc-a'.Js Turk How Hulldlng. Washington aiil Fourteenth Street. C( KKK.SI' )N DK.NCK. Communications relating to news and edl ;rtul matter hhonhl le aildrunaed: Omaha &e, Editorial ljcpartmeiit. ' HKMITTANCK8. Kemlt by draft, express or postal order, pavable to The Hee Publishing Company. Only 2-cent stamps accepted in payment of mall accounts, personal chocks, except on Omaha or eastern exchanges, not accepted. THE HICK PUBl-lSUING CO.Ml'ANY. STATEMENT OK CIRCULATION. State of Nebraska, Douglas County, ss.: George B Tzschuck. secretary of The Bee Publishing' Company, being duly worn, aays thai the actual number of full nnd complete copies of The Dally, Morning. Evening and Sunday H printed during the month of February, 1!'3, was as follows: 1 IHt.lU" 1 iiW,li2! 2 ;u)ao n '. ai.aao I 'M,XU 11 31.B40 4 ao.HH IS 31.4M) t ;;o,4!M 19 3I,4fW 6 30.5TO . 20 81,4110 7 :i0,03O 21 81,070 t uit.stoo D2 atvjus ft 30.610 23., 31,030 10 8n,ftOO 24 31.N50 11 .10,(1514 28 31.4lt 12 30,0-40 26 31,020 13 80,040 14 30,570 27 31.000 28 31,780 Total...... H&3A.VA Less unsold and returned copies.... U.304 Net total sales S44.00H Net average sales 80.145 GEORGE B. TZSCHUCK. Subscribed In my presence and sworn to belore ma this 2lh uay of February. A. I. 1903. M. B. HUNGATK, (Seal.) Notary Public. Our Dave will now Bet about to have blmself "prominently mentioned" for loine otber Job. It Is pretty snfo to Infer thnt William I. Bryan as a Juror means William J. Hryan as the whole Jury. What could be 'more fitting than to launch Shamrock III on St. Patrick's day as an uuspiclou omen for Its quest it Anierlcu'sVun. - A special order should be placed forth with with the weather man for some of his best brand for tho day of the presi dent's visit to Omahii. Dave Mercer was tho only applicant for the position of director of the census, out President Koonevelt felt himself free to let the place seek the man rather than tho man seek the place. County Treasurer Elsiisser has made (.Bother . monthly statement telling In vhat banks the county money Is depos ited but there Is not . word telling where the Interest ' earned on this county money Is planted. . The Board of Education will retain the rule agulnst e employment of married women as teachers in Its revised code, but tho rules will be promptly sus pended as usual wlieuever a case arises backed by a strong enough pull. The task of City Electrician Schurig to locate fifty electric street lamps at 200 different street Intersections must ho very much like that of the newspaper editor who has twenty-live columus of reading matter and ouly ten columns of (pace. I Congressman Do Armoud extends an Invitation to erring democrats to come back, but falls to say whether the In vitation reaches any further than the rear seats, which Bryan said the peni tents must occupy for a probationary period before moving up front. One of the addresses at the Jackson day banquet of the Iriquols club at Chi cago was intended to give the demo crats a look Into 1004. The trouble is that most of tho shrewd democrats are already filled with apprehension that they will have uothlug but a look In 1004. Ex-Speaker Henderson has been too long Identified with the west to sep arate himself entirely from western In terests, no matter how far east he may go in the pursuit of professional duties. Colonel Henderson Is a western man through and through and will never feel perfectly at home except iu the west. The convlctl-m of women for capital or other serious crimes almost sluinl- taneouidy lu many parts of the country Indicates either that the sex Is Incom ing less hrw abiding or that the sympa thy usually excited by wnu-en prisoners Is Itelng dulled. This might lx a good subject for the club women to discuss. It Is said that when two soothsayers f used to meet on the streets of ancient Borne they could not help laughing In each other's faces. The same condi tion arises whenever two members of the railroad lobby at Lincoln mention to one another the' subject of dlstrthu Uon or rauroaa terminal values as a reminder of Its handy use' as a pretense to fool the people The people of Denver aro preparing to act under the new constitutional amend inent, which permits them to frame their owu charter aud to enjoy the full measure of municipal home rule. The Denver tharter ought to be up to date, and at any rate will conform to the wishes of the jntqikt ftiiu are to be governed uuder It. lieuver and Kansas City lead Omaha lu the matter of local aelf-governuient and Omaha, must soon fuUow to keep up with tho procession. A FOIST OVERLOOKED. Before the revenue bill Is agreed to In a form that provides for the assess ment of property at 20 per cent of the full cash value our legislators should con sider the serious consequences that will Tollow such a departure. When the bill was iu Joint committee the first point said to have la-en decided upon was that assessments in the future should be on the 1'H) per cent basis. Every argument presented was iu favor of full value assessments and not a single substantial-reason was advanced to support as sessments upon a fractional basis.. Experience throughout this state as well as lu other states has Invariably been that fractional assessments pro mote Inequality and Injustice, which cannot be covered up under the, full value assessment plan. It was to rem edy abuses that had grown up under tho old form of assessment that the, sep arate tax commissioner scheme was adopted for Omaha, South Omaha and Lincoln, and In each a wonderful reform has lK-en worked by the inauguration of full value assessments. By raising the total valuation of taxable property to something like its real worth the tax rate has bpen steadily reduced until H has In each of these cities reached nor mal proportions. The lawmakers at Lincoln evidently do not realize what the legalizing of the fractional assessment plnn means. For Omaha it means that whereas this year property has been assessed at 100 per cent for city taxation next year It will be assessed at only 20 per cent. It means that where the grand total of as sessed valuation for 10(1.1 Is more than $100,000,000 next rear it will appear to be only about $:0,000,000. It means that while the city tax levy In Omaha this year Is less than 0 mills next year It will be upwards of TiO mills. The position In which Omaha will be placed by such an advertisement can lo readily appreciated. It will be her alded everywhere that Omaha's taxable wealth has shrunk to one-fifth of what It was before and that the tax fate has been multiplied fire or six times. Tho damage done to Omaha by Its Inflated census 181)0, followed by the drop In the figures for 1!X0, will be Incompar able? to the damage wrought with In vestors and possible Incomers by such a showing of decreased property values and skyrocket taxes. What Is true In this respect of Omaha will be true also f South Omaha' and of Lincoln, each of which will suffer Irreparable Injury by the proposed change In the basis of assessment.- On the other hand. If the legislature re traces Its steps and goes back to the full value basis It will bring the assessment roll of the state as well as of Its cities up to within an approximation of Its actual worth and the advertisement thus given to the world will be worth to our people hundreds of thousands of dollars In new Investments and tens of thousands of Increased population. It to be hoped the legislature will recog nize Its mistake and make this correc tion before it 4 too lat. j . - fttSTERN AdRlL'VLTVRK. ' The past few years of western agri culture have been of a very satisfactory nature and the promise for the coming year is to the highest degree satisfac tory. Looking to the past the agricul tural producers of the west have the amplest reasons for thankfulness. The years have been filled with the most abundant harvests aud the best prices have prevailed for all the crops. There has never been n time in the history of the country when the average of farm products commanded better prices than during the last three or four years, or when they have had a better market or better' prices than they are receiving today. This Is one of the considerations that needs to be thought of In estl mating the general value of the home market. The common notion Is to re gard the value of our home products according to the exports, but this is a mistake. The real value of these pro ducts is to be determined by the do mestic commerce in them, which is many times more than the foreign trade. The great bulk of the agricultural trade of the west Is not In foreign lands, but iu our own country. While the pro ducers of the west send many millions of their products abroad, they sell of those products at home hundreds of millions more than are shipped out of the country and at better prices than they receive for foreign shipments. It Is thus a matter of the utmost import ance to our producers that they should preserve the home market for them selves. Western agriculture Is today the sub stantial fact In the national prosperity. Without it nothing else can be of en durance. It Is the maiustay of national prosperity. Fortunately the outlook for it is most satisfactory. WHAT IS THE DEMOCRATIC WEAl The American people seem to be pretty well satisfied with what is the repub lican idea of public iHjllcies. They ap proved those policies in the last two national campaigns by overwhelming majorities aud there has been nothing since to cause them to regret thut action. On the contrary the increasing pros perity of the country and the steadily growing development industrially aud commercially have convinced the great majority of the Intelligent iioople of this country that they were exactly right lu putting the republican party in control of the government In 1SIHJ. It is per fectly safe to say that nobody has suf fered In his material interests because the republican party has been In control of the government during the last six years. )u the contrary it Is an Indis putable fact thut tht prevalence of re publican policies has given tho country the greatest progress and power that It has ever known in all its history. Yet lu the face of this, absolutely ap parent to all men of Intelligence, what do we hear as the democratic Idea of what should be done? There was a banquet In Chicago Monday night at which prominent democrats expressed their opinion as to what should be done. There was not absolute agreement te tween them. On the contrary some of the icakcrs were wide apart as to some of the most Important Issues that are now eugaglng public attention. One of the spetikers on that occasion, a man who occupies a prominent position In democratic councils, declared that "the democratic party will never attack the freedom of those who have lawfully made fortunes to make them larger." Another speaker took the position that It Is the duty of the democratic party to take a course which would mean the destruction of every corporation that Is In the nature of a trust, regardless of the consequence upon the general In dustry of the country. We get In these carefully formulated Ideas of democrats from different sec tions a view of the party Ideas. The eastern democrat recognizes the expedi ency of not committing the party to an unqualified revision of the tariff, while the western democrat Is ready to slaughter the principle of protection. That the latter represents the very gen eral democratic Idea there can be no doubt, but It Is an Idea that cannot succeed. The American people have had experience with It and they do not want a repetition of It. Still It Is the prominent If not the only democratic Idea of today and promises to be the leading Issue of that party In the next national campaign. THE AMERICA'S CT'P. The launching of another sloop If that be the proper title to contest for the America's cup, which has just taken place In Scotland, Is a niattcuof interest that Is not confined to sporting circles. The fact that the famous cup has been held by this country for more than half a century has given the contests for It a very great Interest and the promise Is that this interest will be quite as acute next year as at any time In the past. The British determination to win back the cup is as strong as ever and Ameri cans heartily applaud this spirit. It contributes to a sport which is abso lutely without objection and which Is really beneficial to the yachtsmanshlp of the two countries. It Is said that the new yacht which Sir Thouias Llpton will bring over for the next contest will be a wonder and there Is no doubt that we shall be able to produce a yacht that will also surpass all predecessors. The railroads have been so successful In pulling down their taxes In Omaha, Lincoln and South Omaha by the sep arate tax commissioner system, which raises the assessments of all private property while requiring the acceptance of the mileage figures without change fixed by the state board, that they are willing to extend the system to the city of Beatrice. This generosity on the part of, John, N. Baldwin and hit associates Is certainly striking. The legislature might as well pass a law exempting the railroads from city taxes altogether. The German Reichstag has made an appropriation for participation lu the St Louis exposition, notwithstanding the fact that the celebration of the Louisiana purchase brings France to the fore as the original owner of the terri tory. But If the facts could be ascer tained they would doubtless show that the number of former subjects of Ger many now settled In states carved out of the Louisiana acquisition exceeds by many fold the number who can trace a French lineage. Although It has Its hands full with the fight for the equal taxation of railroads and other property the Beal Estate ex change cannot afford to overlook the county assessment which will soon be under way. What has already been gained In the direction of more equitable valuations for real and personal taxes must be safeguarded against backsliders and still further progress recorded. American missionaries in China are getting uneasy again for fear of Boxer outbreaks against the foreigners. While no one will justify or excuse ill usage of Americans In China, we must admit that our treatment of Chinamen In America has not at all times been cal culated to establish special friendliness for us among the Chinese. Salvador and Guatemala have settled by arbitration differences which under other circumstances would certainly have served as a pretext for war. Un less this arbitration virus can be wilted out the natives of South and Central America will be threatened with com plete deprivation of their customary recreation. The Department of the Missouri will le without a resident commander at iu headquarters here In Omaha from April 1 to July 1. when the new general In command Is expected to take charge Since the outbreak of the Spanish- American war tills department has been sort of , a step-child in the military family. Fad of the Thoughtless. Philadelphia Press. Grover Cleveland ays he didn't know any one thought of sliver these daya. Cer tainly not; it's a matter for the thought leis. Exposes Overworked. Washington Post. The New York customs officials are so ungallant as to report that the female in spectors are failures. The woraea have hard times in trying to set into the po sitkns the politicians covet. Popularity of the Iowa Idea. Minneapolis Times. The "lows Idea" Is not an unpopular one In the west. It appeal! to the farmer who must pay arbitrary trust prices for his Implements, his building material, his wire fencing for the many manufactured ar ticles he uses while he himself receives bo benefit from the tariff. The republican leaders will hare to bravo lbs trusts and their threats defy them ana Ustea to the demands of the people. In this matter or there will be serious losses in republican states next year. Coming- Home for a "Sqeare." ChlcBgo News. Consul-General Blttlnger. who aroused the Ire of the people of Montreal, where he was stationed, by declaring that he could not get a "decent meal In all Canada," need suffer no longer. The government. acting on the complaint of the Canadians, has furnished him with unlimited oppor tunities to take all bis future meals In the United States. Trleka In All Trades. Buffalo Express. Naturalist John Burroughs Is after Er nest Thompson Seton with a charge of trying to mislead the public on the sub ject of the Intelligence of the lower ani mal. For Instance, because Mr. Seton says a fox lures the hounds upon a trestle Just In time to be killed by a train. Mr. Bur roughs observes caustically that no fox ever bad a watch or a time table. Tut. tut, John; the public has money enough to buy books from both of you! Why try to ruin a brother's business? Molllfylna- Influence of the Pass. Chicago Tribune. It would be easy to get rid of the pass system If the railroads did not believe they were the gainers by the bestowal of free transportation on members of legislatures. Judges and other public officials. The rail roads believe free passes have a soothing and mollifying Influence. The Influence may bennflt the railroads, but It certainly does not benefit the general public. The ordinary citizen who has to pay when he travels is much in favor of the abolition of the free pass system, but he seldom can persuade the legislature of his state to enact a law against it. iermnn-a Trade with Venesuela. New Tork Tribune. Among the Interesting statistical facts contained In a late volume of the Consular Reports Is a tabular statement of the val ue of Germany's trade with Venezuela. Tho Imports Into Germany from Venezuela from 1897 to 1M1, Inclusive, amounted to $11. 685,800, about 2 per cent of Germany's total Importation. These Imports seem to have fallen oft since 1897. when the highest fig ure was reached. On the other hand, tho exports from Germany to Venezuela have Increased, the highest figures having been reached In lflftl, when they amounted to $1,666,000. While the figures Indicate that Germany Is Increasing its business with Venezuela they show also that the trade Is small, and an Inconspicuous figure In the commercial records of Germany. SO.OROl 9 CLAIMS OF REFORM. Railroad Observation on the Pro. Tlaiona of the Elklne Law. rittsburg Dispatch. It Is Interesting and somewhat amusing to find It published in the railroad col umns, as coming from railroad sources that a new regime is to be inaugurated by the going Into effect of the Elkins bill forbid ding railroad rebates. It la beard that this Is "one of the most far-reaching pieces of legislation;" that It "will not affect the business methods of the larger systems," but It will Injure the smaller roads "by denying to them the privilege of grant ing rebates to secure business." The fact of the matter Is that the Elkins Mil enacts nothing new whatever, except as to methods of enforcement. The Inter state Commerce commission has forbidden rebates, drawbacks or any departure from published rates for sixteen years. When it went Into effect ' tWTe were the same "copferences" of railroad officials concern ing its observance, with the ultimate result of concluding to disobey It. Whether the Elkins bill In re-enacting thtt prohibition win enjoy any more permanent obedience remains to be seen. As to the assertion that it will work do change on the larger Systems, the only com ment is that ir that Is so and the larger systems obey the law they have been woe fully misrepresenting., themselves. They have time and time 'again, In urging the legalization of pooling, declared that they were not obeying the law, and Attorney General Knox recently afforded cogent corroboration of the self-accusation. Tho allegation as to the smaller lines Is a curious darkening of the subject. Tho smaller, like the greater, lines are for bidden by the new law as they have been for sixteen years by the old one tc secure business by granting secret rebates to their favorites. But neither large nor small lines are forbidden to attract business by an open reduction of puollahed rates, equal to all shippers, without favoritism. VAST RAILROAD SYSTEMS. Eight Groopi of Lines Embrace Over Half the Country's Mileage. Wall Street Journal. The total mileage of the lines which will be operated either directly under control of the Rock Island company after the pur chase of the St. Louis ft San Francisco if the proposed deal goes through, or In very close connection with the lines so operated will aggregate abojt 16,000 miles of read. The total mileage. Is mada up as follows: Mile. Rock Island (operated)... 7.1SS Rock Island (under construction) 9H li. & T. C, K. & W. T.. etc 4i0 Total 8,5l Miles. St. Tj. & San Francisco (last report)... 3.4M Projected and under construction (est.) ft) Arkansas & Choctaw ' Louisiana A Arkansas 2 Kastern Illinois 73s St. L... M. & S. E ' 42) Pcre Marquette (traffic alliance) 1,83 Total .' 7.2M Grand total l,82i It cannot be stated that the system as outlined by these figures Is by any means complete, nor docs, the outline take any account of connections east and west to the Atlantic and Pacific seaboard. Pera Marnuette Is Included because, although ostensibly It la held merely by traffic al liance, the personnel of its directorate and many other sins Indicate that the traffic alliance Is very close to actual control. This grand total does not maHe the Rock Island system by any means the most ex tensive system In the United States. For the purpose of comparison the following table of systems, comprising the great railroad groups of the country. Is useful. In compiling It the annual reports of the companies w?re not closely followed. For instance, It wottli be obviously unjust to compare the mileage of Rock Island and Pennsylvania without giving the latter credit for Ita practical control of Baltimore ft Ohio and Norfolk ft Western and ita semi-control of Reading ft Chesapeake. For this reason the total mileage of the two former, and half the mileage of the two Utter, are Included in the total mileage of the Pennsylvania system, and halt the mileage of the Reading ft Cbeeapeake Is also Included In the Vanderbllt system. Similar liberty Is taken with the Gould roada, all lines controlled ty the Gould In terests being grouped under the caption of Gould system. Illinois Central Is some what arbitrarily Included in the Harriman system. The comparison follows: Name of System. Mileage. Harriman system (Union Pacific, etc.).L'1.3l Northern Securities ...is 377 Pennsylvania lo.Hdl Hock Island f ? (I.iuld system 'riij? Vanderbllt 1.572 Canad'an Pacific -32 Atlantic Coast Line system 8.S13 These eight systems embrace llO.OUO mll. or more than half the total of the country. CONSERVATISM 15 TIIE WEST. Effect of Prosperity In Danlshlng Radicalism. New York Evening Post. Today the west not only has the ability to care for Itself, In a great decree, but Is reaching out for places in which to Invest some of Its savings. Recently the state of Nebraska, which forty years ago was an open plain trampled by buffalo, and ten years ago was affirming with vehemence the vagaries of the Ocala platform, lnveste.1 $300,000 of ita permanent school fund In bonds of the staid old commonwealth of Massachusetts. It took them at 3 per cent, a rate lower than could be afforded by the eastern banks at the time. Tho state bank commissioner of Knnsas esti mates that 68 per cent of the $80.00.000 in the banks of that state is owned by farm ers, or those who depend on agriculture directly for a livelihood. It Is little wonder that the legislators chosen by a constitu ency where new conditions and new ideas prevail, are Inclined to caution. This growth in conservatism In western communities Is, after all. only a repetition of the history of other sections nnd oth"r lands. With possession conies responsibil ity. Responsibility steadies a state as It does an individual. It has broadened and liberalized the west, not alone in Its gen eral laws, but In Its more local applica tions of the functions of government. The new outlook has convinced the possessors of the plains that the old ways are the sure ways, and that human nature Is much the same east and west when tt comes to the care of one's own. East and west are to day more closely linked In business Inter ests than ever before. The probloms of each appeal to tho other; the prosperity of one Is reflected in the other's brightened skies. While the good crops have had their part In furnishing a basis for the west's prosperity, the latter la likewise due In some degree to the better management, tho more conservative plans, the eaner views, which have prevailed. There is promise for the future In the fact that this attitude has now become a fixed one in the west; for It means a preparation for any period of depression that may come, and a per manency In development which makes states reach the highest plane of influence and power. "WATER" A.U GOOD WILL. Chicago Professor Thinks the Fluid is Good Thing in Franchise Stock." Chicago Journal. One of the able Instructors at the Uni versity of Chicago has created a stir by defending the practice of "watering" se curities on the ground that this practice Is but "capitalizing good will." But good .will and "water" seldom go together. One Is opposed to the other. Good will, undeniably an Important asset In business, is the result of giving value received to the public. This policy, whether followed by dry goods store or traction company, gives margin for no considerable percentage of "water." There are excep tions, of course, to all rules, but as a gen eral proposition. It can be said that "watered securities" are based not on good will, but on some sort of a monopoly a monopoly through franchises, patent rights, or control of natural resources. Take the local traction stocks, for In stance. Can the "water" be explained on the score of good will? Were Chlcagoans ever accused of cherishing good will for the traction companies? No; the "water" stands for the franchise rights which gave a monopoly to the existing companies. Again, the watered cecurities of the Stand ard Oil company, the corporation which mada the University of Chicago what tt is today, represent monopoly not good will. Where there is monopoly seldom Is there good will. The more a company "waters" its securities the less popular, as a rule, does that company become with the public, because the added securities are made pos sible only by a monopoly which enables the corporation to exact more than legiti mate profits. "Water" starts at the line where honest earnings cease. Go through the whole list of corpora tions and you will find that those com panies which are not Intrenched back of monopolies have llttie or no "water" In their stocks. The absence of monopoly makes competition possible. Competition makes dishonest profits Impossible. "Water" Is possible only through exorbi tant profits. PERSONAL NOTES. John Wesley Bon, who was a member of Mark Twain's "Innocents Abroad" party, has Just died at the age of 79, at Pine Bluffs, Ark. Charles M. Schwab Is returning to the home shore and Is said to bo the picture of health. This will entitle him to a place In the patent medicine gallery. General A. W. Greely, chief signal of ficer of the United States army, has signed a contract with a cable company of New York for the construction of a submarine cable to connect Seattle, Wash., with Sitka, Alaska. Alfred Belt, the richest man In the world, is recovering from his recent serious and supposedly fatal Illness and has gone to Hamburg for recuperation. Most of his vast wealth was accumulated In the dia mond fields of South Africa. Rev. Dr. Newell Dwight Hillls thinks authors should be taken into a room and shot, so great is the output of books. Dr. Hillls has recently written a book or two himself, but, of course. It would be rude to suggest that the shooting should begin with him. James H. Hyde of New York, first vice president 'of a life assurance society, is credited with having broken all southern railroad records the other day, when he traveled on a special train between Jack sonville and Savannah, 172 miles. In 153 minutes, with a stretch of seven miles In four minutes. It cost him $1,000 to do It. Police Commissioner Greene was ques tioning a detective about a certain case. "Tell me what there is in it." said he. "Well," responded the sleuth, "I believe that is. It Is my opinion my theory Is that If the clues we are now looking for" "See here," interrupted the commissioner, "how long did you serve on the Buffalo police force?" , Dr. Ames of Minneapolis also fastens the blame upon the newspapers. Appar ently there never was an honest man yet who had aomehow acquired the reputatlou of being a crook but he was the victim of journalistic malignity. The only remedy. It seems to us, la for the honest men, alias crooks, to have a newspaper organ of their own. Herreshoff, the yacht builder, was walk Ing near bis shops In Bristol, R. I., one day last week when a camera fiend (one of bis pet aversions) took a shot at him. Herreshoff started after the offender and soon caught blm. The man resorted to diplomatic talk, but the yacht builder would not listen. Wresting the oamrra from the owner's grasp, he extracted the offending plate and ground It to bits with bis beel. BROWN'S Bronchial Troches Promptly Relieve Coughs, Hoarseness, Throat and Lung Troubles. Wothing- eaeala this simple remedy. ROOD ABOCT KEW YORK. nipples obi the Cnrreat of Life la the Metropolis. A definite move toward a municipal elec tric light plant has been taken by the city authorities. A statement by the commis sioner of the lighting department urging the establishment of such a plant has received the approval of Mayor Low and the Board of Estimate, and a bill will be Introduced In the state legislature at an early day authorizing the city to build and operate a lighting plant. A club would thus be held over the heads of the com panies, and, unless they make It to the city's Interest to deal with them, a city Tlnnt will be built. That the city author ities are In earnest Is further evidenced that the preparation of plans and an esti mate of the cost of a municipal lighting plant have been ordered. The commis sioner's report gives the comparative cost of lighting paid by 175 cltlee, Including those that operate their own plants. His figures show that New York pays tfce highest price In proportion to its popula tion nnd that the charges here are wholly out of proportion to the cost of produc tion. A forceful argument for municipal ownership Is supplied by the showing that six cities that operate their own plants, burning 2,000-candle power lamps, pay an avrrago price of $r,6.45 per lamp per yeai, while New York has paid $146 per lamp for the same service. When a young man named Edward Barton was arraigned on a charge of in toxication In the Gates avenue police court, Brooklyn, reports the Times, a woman el bowed her way up to the bench. "Your honor," she said, "this man came to my house on New Lots avenue last night and, representing himself as a de tective, got In to a fight with my hus band." "What is your same, madam?" asked Magistrate Furlong. "Spellit." she replied. "Why, how can I spell It If I don't know what It Is?" said the magistrate, astonished. "Can't you spell your own name?" "Of course, Judge," returned the woman with a puzzled air. "It's S-p-e-l-l-l-t." "Oh, I see; that's your name. Spellit." aaid the magistrate. Then turning to the prisoner: "What have you to say to this?" "It is not true that I went to the house of this Mrs. Writeit," declared Barton. "Spellit," corrected the magistrate. Tho court was beginning to get Into a bad tangle over the name when the magis trate cut things short by directing that a charge of impersonating a policeman be made against Barton, and he Was held. To the music of a brass band Mayor Low drove the first spike for the first rail In tho tracks of the subway last Saturday afternoon. There was much speechmaklng and congratulation that this great Im provement for which New York has watted so long Is now within touching distance of accomplishment. As soon as the mayor laid aside the brand-new cteel hammer with which be drove the spike Into Its bed a hundred tracklayers began laying rails along the already prepared cedar ties, and the bril liantly lighted tunnel rang with the rapid blows. The ceremony took place at the Fifty ninth street circle station, near the site of the Virginia hotel. There were present. In addition to the mayor, President Forbes of the Board of Aldermen, Comptroller Grout, the borough presidents, a large number of aldermen; John B. McDonald, the subway contractor; August Belmont, president of the subway company, and many Invited guests. . As the Invitation was not sent out until late, the public was hardly aware that tha formal beginning of the tracklaylng was about to take place. Had It been generally known, there would have been such a demand for Invitations that It would have been Impossible to grant half the de mands, owing to the limited space In the station. The officials of the subway company are now certain that the trains will be running by next fall. The car was bound uptown, relates the Evening Post. In the Sixties, two hand somely gowned women, evident 1 bent upon an afternoon of "five o'clocklng," took seats. At once the' pair engaged In an absorbing and not too gently modulated conversation. In which the relative merits of "ettamine" and "voile" were discussed with all the precision of experts. Sud denly one of the women looked out of the window upon the Central Park landscape, and gave a little squeak. "We're almost there, and 3 look a per fect fright, I know," she exclaimed. "You do look warm," returned her com panion frankly. "You'd better." She held out a little silver box, which had been dangling with other silver things, at her chatelaine. The lid of the box was open. It disclosed a tiny puff and powder. "I guess I will," said the woman of the first part, and without more ado, and ut terly oblivious of the concentrated gaze of the other passengers, she daintily tapped her nose, chin and cheeks with the puff. Then, drawing down her veil again, she handed the puff back to its owner, who closed the lid of the little box with a snap, and let It dangle at her belt. The con versation had gone on untroubled by tho facial operation. "Lord, no, I'm used to It," said the con ductor. "I used to think It was funny when I first saw them do tt. A woman is liable to put a dab of powder on anywhere. Only not all of them carry such nice little boxes. One woman passenger we have gets on regular at Seventy-second street and carries loose powder In her satchel. She dips in her handkerchief and brings out a cloud like an upset flour barrel. And the strange part of It Is. they never seem to mind how many people watch 'era do It. Once the old party I was speaking about produces her powder shower right next to a fussy old chap, who Is pretty well mado up for a man himself, toupee and dyed beard, and all that. He stood It for a few minutes, dusting his coat as the powder fell. Finally he turned to her and said: " 'Madame, don't you know that you're 2i 1UM "Cravenette" Rain Coats The owner of one of our rain or crarenctte coats is always master of the weather. Equally useful in either sunshine or rain $12 to $28 AO CLOTHIXO FWy Yesrs fho Standard MM Awardtd KIghut Honors World's Fair Highlit tuts U.S. Gov't Chsmlsts FRIOK t)AKINO) POWDtS OO. OMIOAOO violating a rule of the War department?' "The old lady stops flirting her hand kerchief, and eyes blm. 'What have I got to do with the War department?' she says. " 'They use smokeless powder nowadays,' he says, and then gives me the wink to stop the car In a hurry. And It's a bless ing be did. too." POINTED REFLECTIONS. When the doctors want to Impress the laity they go to work and think up a new name for an old dlseaae. Somcrvllle Journal. "Shall I brain him?" cried a hazer, and the victim's courage fell. "You can't; it is a freshman. Just hit him on the head." Puck. "The first thing to be done," said the committeeman In an Important lone, "Is to organize. Therefore" "1 beg your pardon," said an older mem ber. "We have not been photographed yet." Judge. "I'm told," said the prison visitor, "that before you got here you were one of the leading men In your profession." "Well," replied the convict, "I certainly was in the van Just before 1 arrived here. Chicago Tribune. Laura You have met the two Johnsons. What do you think of them? Maude Well, the one Is terribly simple and the other Is simply terrible. Brooklyn Ufe. "What qualifications havo you as a Street railway conductor?" "I worked three years In a sardine pack ing establishment." Fllegende lilatter. "Some people, I believe, still maintain that oil and water won't mix." "Well, that's true." "Nonsense! Rockefeller Is a member of the Baptist church." Philadelphia Press. Romeo But hpw did you Induce your father to give his consent? You know, you told me he was deadly opposed to actore. Juliet I know, but when I told him It was you he said perhaps It might not be so ' bad; that you weren't much of an actor, anyway. lioston Transcript. "You set too high a value on money," said the friend. "Maybe I do," answered Senator Sorg hum, "but so far as I have been able to learn, money Is regarded as the most valu able thing yet discovered." Washington Star. INFORMATION WANTED. Chicago Newrs. A fond desire for knowledge Is within my bosom burning. I positively ache and yearn for any sort of learning. ,. In youthful days I did not, and, as might have been expected, My early education was moat shamefully neglected. But now the case Is altered. I am ever realizing The fact that what I do not know Is mora or less surprising. That fact I've just discovered, to my great est consternation, And that explains my present warm desire for Information. I make no false pretensions, for my Igno rance la shocking. The very simplest subjects are my feeble powers mocking. I'm short on metaphysics and on specula tive logic, I do not snow a thing about the science pedagogic. I'm destitute of Hebrew and of Sanskrit and of Persian, And cannot tell the merits of the old or newer version. In chemistry I'm weak. I don't know much about vibration, I am absolutely lacking when It comes to information. I used to think I knew a thing or two, but I'm confessing A little brief experience has lately got me guessing. The only thing I know Is 'that my strong folnlst are not mental, vp abandoned all Ideas of Ideals trans cendental. I've lost my old-time confidence and now am meek and humble. But when I think It over I have little cause to grumble. My wife taught school till married, but her ireaent occupation mparting to her husband all her stock of Information. the Kitchen nwgicfan Don't Walt Until the eyes give out and yoa are compelled to stop work. If your eyes feel strained, get the proper glasses at once. Bring your eye troubles to us. J. C. HUTESON & CO., 11 J 8. 16th St., Paxton Block. FITS LIKE OUItb. mwm m 4 4