Nebraska Newspapers

    The Omaha Sunday Bee.
EDITORIAL SHEET. P
PAGES II TO 20. g
ESTABLISHED JUNE 10, 1871.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 10, 1903.
SINGLE COIY FIVE CENTS.
V.
li
DIARY OF TRAVEL IN ORIENT
man a woman's notes of Triii From Ma.
nila toTaooma.
SIGHTS AND SCENES IN CHINA AND JAPAN
Visits at Hobs K.ag and Caatoa
aaa a Trip to th EipoiU
tloa at Osaka ar
Described.
Th following story of the voyage of Mr.
K. V. Johnson of Omaha, a passenger on
board the steamship Tremont riuiu jiaiulit,
P. 1., to Tacoma, Wash., la an Interesting
one and will repay perusal. Mrs. Johnson
kept a dally diary of th. voyage, from
which th accompanying narrative Is
leaned:
Th good ship Tremont sailed from
Manila at 1:20 p. m.. Friday, March 20. The
aea was very calm. Th Tremont is a
twin-screw steamer of t,9M registered tons
and 17,(00 measured tons, length 605 feet
and beam 68 fet; Speed from 12 to lti knots.
We arrived at Hong Kong, China, at 8 p.
m. Saturday, a total distance of 636 miles
from Manila. The bay of this port is a
very beautiful one. When standing up It
has the appearance of a punch bowl; the
mountains rising on every side In almost a
1 perfect circle. As we steamed up we
I passed thirteen British war vessels, battlc-
, ships, cruisers, etc., and three American
war ships, the Oregon, New Orleans and
one other. All of them, English and
, American, dipped their colors and an
' awered to our salute. Then we passed
. numerous torpedo boats and torpedo boat
J destroyers, and then cam to the U. 8.
transport Sherman, the liners Doric,
i Km press of China and about forty
others, freighters, etc., but all of them
looked as pigmies when compared to the
monster ship we wer on.
la Hons; Kong; Harbor.
On the southeast side of th harbor Is
the town of Victoria, Island of Hong Kong,
and directly opposite, on the mainland of
China, the town of Kowloon, where the
English coaling' station, dry docks and ship
yards, government and private, are lo
cated. From the deck of our boat It . looked
as It magic had been employed In building
th city of Victoria, as the houses are all
on the mountain sides, one above the other,
Vntil they rise to a height of nearly 1.800
fret. In reality they ar built on ter
races, but we could not see the terraces
from th boat.
In the evening, after dinner, we went
on deck again and the sight which greeted
us was almost beyond description. It
looked sa If w wer in the pit of an
amphitheater, the electric lights of the town
having been lit and rising tiers on tiers,
until one could hardly distinguish the top
most from th stars.
W went ashore the following mornlns
r:id made a tour of the stores until noon.
Had "tiffin" at the Hong Kong hotel and
then more shopping. About 3 o'clock we
all got Into 'rickshas and rode along the
water front, passed by the polo grounds
and saw two teams play at pony polo, then
to a tea house for lunch, and then back to
th boat The , following? day . we . wont
ashore again and took sedan chairs to th
tramway station, which Is on th third ter
race, took th car to the highest terrace.
the highest peak on the island. The car
ran up a narrow gorge which was at times
almost perpendicular,, and then stopped
about two-thirds way up the terrace where
the Peak hotel is located at the end of the
tar line. ' We again got into sedan chairs
until we had accomplished all but about
400 feet, nd from this point It was too
steep for the coolies to attempt It further
with the chairs, so we wore obliged to get
out and climb to the top afoot. The effort
was rewarded with the magnificent view we
obtained; a panorama from a height of
1.SO0 feet of the entire British colony. On
our return w stopped at th Peak hotel
again for "tiffin" and then returned to th
town.
Rid la a IiBpaa,
.. fve rei
1 lunch, i
lna "s
reached town too late for the steam
so had to go out to th steamship
sanpan" a native sail boat, built
very mucn on the order of a Junk; narrow
and low at the bow and high and broad
at the atern. A little aft of the mast, -which
Is about 'midships, a small pit with a
seating capacity of about four is provided
for th accommodation of passengers.
These boats ar operated by women. The
crew ge
Orf we
) thr,
t it
t.ird;
crew generally consists of th family. Th
wa were on had the following: The
and the only man on board, was at
tern steering, the easiest work on
the daughter, about 12 years of
ag. was amidships attending to th sail
and rowing; the mother, at the bow. row
Ing and handling tha boat hook when
necessary and also Incidentally attending to
the children. She had a baby strapped to
her back and another In her lap. These
people eat, sleep and die on these boats; In
faet never go ashore unless they posi
tively hav to. W reached th ship too
late for dinner, so had a light lunch.
W spent th .fallowing day sight-seeing
again In Hong Kong and n th afternoon
went aboard the little river steamer Hen.
how, bound for Canton. The scenery going
up the Canton river was very picturesque.
W arrived at Canton about Sam. and
arter Breakfast engaged a Chines guide
ror in aay to take us through the it.
W went ashore in "sanpana" and there
nirea seasn chairs and thre coolies each.
vie ramra our lunch with us from th.
boat, as ther ar no hotels fit for tourists
in canton proper. Th streets of Canton
are dark and filthy and so narrow and
crooked that two sedan chairs can barely
pass oach other, and one cannot se more
man nrteen feet ahead at a tlm.
Canton's Appearance.
Th houses ar high and built close to
g-ether, the roofs almost touching over
head. The guide took us to all the large
f' atore and to th silk and Canton linen
weaws. Then we went to tha execution
grounds, where we saw tha official ezecu
tloner, and on through th town to th
examination grounds, wherein students ar
prepared and examined for all Chines
government positions. These grounds ar
enclosed by a high stone wall. Inside of
v which ar 1,300 calls, also of ston. On
of these cells is allotted to each applicant
Ha is compelled to remain ther three days
at a time In preparation: one day of leisure.
. tnree mor or study and so on for tw.nty-
j ven days. At th end of this tlm he Is
ui o tut in examination.
The percentage of students passing is very
small. Never has It exceeded eighty out of
acn class of l.soo.
" next visited a pagoda at th ouC
aklrts of th city, which is located on top
of a hill, and had to get out of our chairs
and climb a flight of stone steps,' then up
a winding path and on to th fifth story
fjthe pagoda, where we lunched. Then
r,owed more sight-seeing. On top of the
ny wall we saw the ancient water clock
supposed to be about 1.000 year old. This
clock consists of three large iron vessels
arranged perpendicularly, through whl-h
the water drips Into the last vessel. In
which is a float with a cross bar attached.
As the water rises the bsr Indicates the
time on a scale on the side of the vessel.
Days ia Japan.
Afterward we visited the city of th dead,
a large garden, In the center of which Is
a mausoleum wherein the bodies of the
Chines are kept who are wealthy enough
to pay th rent. The charges range from
115 to $.m0 per month. These bodies ar
kept until a suitable resting place can be
secured. We saw the Chinese viceroy's
wife's coffin, one of the most expensive ever
made, which cost 112,000. It Is coated with
three Inches of lacquer.
Tired of sight seeing at Canton we re
turned to Hong Kong and after another
day of sight seeing there went aboard ship
and departed at 12:30 Saturday, March 28,
for MoJI. Japan.
The ocean trip to MoJI and Kobe, Japan,
was without incident. We reached Kobe,
2,046 miles from Manila, at 1:60 p. m.. April
1. This Is the quarantine station for MoJI.
The doctor came aboard and cleared us,
and then we proceeded on to MoJI. We
entered the harbor of MoJI about 4 p. m.
On one side of the bay the city of MoJI Is
situated and on the other the city of Shlm
onoseki. Along the entire front of Moji are
the coal sheds. This town Is one. of the
largest coaling stations In Japan and the
majority of steamers plying between Orien
tal ports atop here for coal. Bhlmonosekl
Is the residential portion and the largest
of the two ports. With the exception of
about forty Europeans Ihe entire popula
tion Is Japanese.
As soon as we dropped anchor the coal
barges arrived. These boats hold from sev
enty to ninety tons each. They are made
fast to our ship and staging erected, four
on each side of the ship. The stagings are
made In the form of steps and on each step
a Japanese -coolie stood, women as well as
men. The coal was then shoveled Into
small hand baskets and handed to the cool
ies on the steps, then passed on and up
from one to the other so quickly that one
could hardly see them handled. This mode
of coaling was continued throughout the
night and until 12 o'clock the next day.
During that time some 1.600 tons were put
aboard.
Thursday, April 2, we sailed for Kobe at
4 p. m.p taking the route through the In
land sea. This Is the most beautiful water
scenery in the Orient. Immediately upon
entering this sea, after passing through the
Bhlmonosekl straits, a stretch of calm, lake
like sea of about twelve or fourteen miles
could be seen. This was dotted her and
there with fleets of Japanese sailing junks,
making a picture of entrancing beauty.
There were three other steamers ahead of
us going in the same direction which w
overhauled and passed befor sundown.
Exposition at Osaka.
We arrived at Kobe at 7 a. m., April a.
The total distance from Manila Is 2.2SS
miles. This bay was rather smaller than
any other we have entered so far. There
are a number of Japanese war ships
anchored her, about seventy in all, and
they make a most imposing and war
like appearance. The mikado reviewed the
navy here tha week following our de
parture. We went ashore In the launch
about -50 a. m.. learning that. Tremont
would not sail until noon the next day and
would not stop at Yokohama, as we ex
pected. We therefore hurried through" our
shopping before t o'clock, as we Intended
to visit the exposition at Osaka., After
having chocolate and cake wa Jumped into
rlkishaS again and hurried to the depot,
finding that we had missed the train. Wa
thenwent to -the other part of the town
in our 'rlklshas to the water falls. We
rested here long enough to view the falls
and returned to the steamship offices, where
we Joyfully learned that the ship would not
sail until Monday, which would give us
three more days here.
We left Kobe at 10:09 the following morn
ing by train for Osaka, arriving there In
about an hour. The scenery along tha
route reminded us very much of home.
Field after field was a mass of yellow
flowers which resembled golden rod, but
is In reality the Japanese rape plant used
for bird seed. Upon reaching Osaka wa
rode in 'rlklshas to the exposition, a dis
tance of about five miles, which took us
three-quarters of an hour. Our rout was
through tha heart of the city. It is second
in else and first In manufacturing Impor
tance of Japanese cities. It has a popula
tion of nearly 1,000,000. Th streets, though
narrow, ar neat and clean. The first sight
we had of the exposition waa amaxlng and
far beyond our expectations. The gateway
was a huge marble structure. The build
ings were arranged similar to an American
exposition and compared favorably as to
slse and construction. Oregon was the only
American state represented. The fine arts
building contained some magnificent spec!
mens of Oriental embroideries, paintings,
cloisonne, satsums, lacquer and bronse
war.
We at 'tlffln" at a branch of th Osaka
hotel on th exposition grounds. W then
undertook to take In th rest of the ex
position, spending nearly the entire day
there. Returning to Kobe by train, w
war soon again on board Tremont
OtT (or America
We sailed from Kobe at 4 p. m., Monday,
April C, for America. It was not until
Monday, April 20, that we again sighted
land. Just at noon. This was Hesqulat
Head, Vancouver island.
Th voyago across th Pacific waa void
of special Interest On day waa much Ilka
tha other. About tha only variation waa
when w crossed the -180th meridian on
April U at 7 a. m. Monday, and conse
quently had two Mondays In one day In
mid-ocean, 4.773 miles from Manila.
We had to "lay to" during the most cf
th night upon arriving at Vancouver.
Tuesday morning at 1:46 w dropped anchor
at "Peter Head" quarantine anchorage.
cleared and made fast to wharf at Vic
torta, B. C. at 11 a. m. W spent three
hours her visiting th town and then left
for Port Townsend, Wash., at I p. m.
As we left the dock the ship Empress of
China came In. It was still at Hong Kong
when we left there. We arrived at Port
Townsend at l:li p. m. and dropped anchor,
The following day, Wednesday, April K,
we arrived at Tacoma. Wash., and were
one more at home. The total distance
traveled by water was 7,007 miles, Taooma
being that distance from Manila.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN GUESS
Problematical Aaaoaaeenteat Mad
by th Ma mt CllftB Hill
Presbyterian Church.
Th woman and children of Clifton Hill
Presbyterian church ar wondering what
the men of the congregation ar up to
sine th Utter hav issued advertisements
reading: "Just on thing to remember In
May aimcula a Mupix, given by th man,
at th church. Forty-fifth and Grant
streets, Tuesday, May 12. at S p. m." Sine
that tlm brains hav been racked with
th mystery of finding out what it is that
th men ar going to do. Prise hav been
offered tor a correct solution of the puzzle,
but as yet no one has solved It. Th clever
method of arousing Interest In the church
doings has succeeded and ther is little
question that there will be a big crowd at
th church Tuesday night to find out all
about It
FROM OMAHA TO PALESTINE
Eceies and Incident of a Midwinter Tour
Along tha Mediterranean.
MARVELOUS ZEAL OF ORIENTAL, GUIDES
Old aad Xew Civilisations Frlage the
Great Sea Glimpse of Italy,
Egypt, Tarkey aad the
Holy Laid.
MUNICH, April 19. To tha Editor of Th
Bee: If you can give m a little space I
will tell your readers some of the Interest
ing things I hav seen during the past two
months and a half sine leaving Omaha for
a tour of the Mediterranean and a trip
across Europe.
We left Omaha February 2. right in the
mldat of the worst blizzard of the season,
and, then sailed from New York toward the
Deautlful island of Madeira, and from two
days out until now we have been in almost
constant delightful spring. Funchal, the
capital of Madeira, ia a pretty little city
where Columbus lived, and the house where
he dwelt was left standing until a short
tlm ago, when It waa torn down. This ia
the famous place, too, where the boys and
men dive Into the aea for the colna which
ar thrown to them by touriats.
Our ship had no sooner anchored than we
war at once surrounded by email boata
filled with these boys, who were anxious to
show their skill. They were almost naked
and th moment a dime touched the water
on or mors of them would diva for it and
some one of them would quickly come up
to tha surface with it in his hand or be
tween bla toea and climb Into the boat,
ready for another. Some of them would
climb over the ship to the captain's deck
and dive into the water fifty or sixty feet
below and catch the coin Just as easily a
In any other way. I never saw them fait
to get the money, though at times they had
to go down very deep for it
The Oriental Guide.
Her we had a sample of the oriental
guide, who Is always anxious to show the
traveler whatever he wanta to aee and la
almost always sure he knowa Just where to
take the visitor. It waa on of these guides
who was taking a small party of Americans
around last year and when they asked to
be shown th bouse of Columbus, said, O,
yes, ha know where it was," and started off
In eager seat to show them the house. He
took them up one street and down another
and went In here and there to inquire, but
cams and went again la another direction,
until finally they atopped In front of an
old, dilapidated building and while tha
He was gone for aome time and Anally
cam out with aad countenance and In evi
dent dread to break the news to his party;
but finally mustered up courage and said,
"Colombo no live here now, he dead," and
then wondered why the people all laughed
when they heard of the death of their
friend.
Aroaad GUbraMar.
We visited tha wonderful galleries In th
fortification of Gibraltar and saw why
these ar said to b the strongest in tha
wbrld-and can nenr' readily belteva" that
England her ia impregnable and nothing
but a mighty earthquake can ever disturb
its rocky foundations.
The railroad trip of 225 miles from her
up to Granada, in th very heart of Spain,
waa like going through a richly cultivated
garden, for It waa a succession of orchards,
vineyard and email fields, most fertile and
productive, from the lowest point in tha
valleys to the topa of the mountains. Tha
Alhambra, In the city of Granada, was
perhaps th greatest disappointment of any
thing on our trip. These are the ruins of
the old Moorish palace, temple and fortifi
cations. And while they were Interesting
aa abowlng the atyle of their architecture
and the magnificent plan upon which they
wer built, still It waa not so grand nor
beautiful aa th pictures would lead one
to auppoae.
Our next stop was at Algiers, a splendid
city of 100,000 Inhabitants, with a fine har
bor, and built of stone, rising terrace above
terrace, from the very water's edg to
th top of th mountain. W visited the
Island of Malta and aaw the vory place
where tha Apostle Paul landed when he
was shipwrecked. Th capital of this
Island la Valetta and la a fine city with
atone buildings. W visited the governor's
palace, and ther aaw In th museum many
interesting relics of the wars of former
times, as well aa aome of tha most ex
quisite tapestry we have seen anywhere.
They showed us tha old carriage that Na
poleon rode In when h waa there, and
thta Is most carefully preserved. The old
St. John's hospital is now used by England
aa a military hospital, for It owns th
Island and haa a military fore here of
4.000 men, besides a navy of 1,000 man.
This hospital has one long ward In It,
said to be the longeat In the world, and
haa now 120 beds in It The celling ia
thirty fet high and the windows are near
the top of the wall. Although ao old, I
waa pleased to se it so well kept, and
Inside It was clean and showed evidence
of good care.
Atheas avad Coa.taatlaopl.
From fhr w went to Athens and en
Joyed seeing the splendid ruins there. We
wer delighted to see a modern Athena of
10,000 people, prosperous and well-to-do.
From her we went to Constantinople
Popularity
The present trip of President Roosevelt
Is the passing ot a remarkable man through
a remarkable country. It clalma serious
thought because it has elements of tar
more than ephemeral Interest By soma
It has been reckoned as only a kind of a Jun
keting trip, got up to strengthen the presi
dent's hold on the republican party and to
show that he Is the only safe candidate
for 1901 Be that as It may, to ons who
reads attentively the dolly record ot the
president's receptions and speeches, much
more must be apparent In the first place,
there is her, unquestionably, the attractlv
Influence of a great personality. Many a
man in this western country, who counted
himself until recently among the political
opponents of the president has thrown his
cap Into the air and added one more voice
to the thunderous applause which has ac
companied the president wherever he has
gone In public Many a man has surprised
himself In this last month by the thought
of the transparent sincerity and honesty
of Theodore Roosevelt his sturdy manhood,
his unflinching steadfastness to principle,
bis indignant refusal to follow the line of
expediency, his valiant championship - ot
popular rights, and he has done tor the
president what he would do for no other
living man.
There is no influence In the world com
parable to that of a great personality. But
again, the president is appealing success
fully to men on this western trip because
he knows th west as it has been known
and saw the great city of the Turks, with
Its numerous mosques and dogs. They
have the worst looking lot of dogs here I
ever saw and they are the most numerous.
The noted mosque of St. Sophia did not
come up to Its descriptions, and, except for
its age and great size, would not attract
visitors at all. There are other more beau
tiful ones In tha city, and the mosque of
Omar, in Jerusalem, built upon the site
of Solomon's temple, as well as the Ala
baster mosque In Cairo, are far richer and
more beautiful. When we sailed out of the
harbor there must have been 10,000 Turks,
in their red fezes, on the wharf to see us
off. One old fellow stood upon a box and
shouted in pretty good English, "Hurrah
for America," and aa the mighty throng
waved thetr hata and handkerchiefs we
realized more than ever before tho dignity
of being citizens who live under the Stars
and Stripes.
Ib th Holy Land.
We have visited Palestine, with all ita
sacred associations, and saw Its natural
beauty and ita wonders. Jerusalem la a
city of 80,000 people and the old part ia
enclosed in high walls of atone. Ita streets
are narrow but well paved and not very
well kept. Outside the walls, the newer
part of the city, is much more modern.
It has more hospitala than any other city
of the same size with which I am ac
quainted. Some of them, especially th
Jewish hospital, would be a credit to any
city.
Tiberius, a city of 6,000 people, on the
Lake of Galilee, waa the most uncleanly
town wa saw, and we wera not so much
surprised that the cholera had recently
carried off 1,000 of ita inhabitants. The
streets are too narrow, the houses are too
closely built and there Is too little atten
tion paid to hygiene to have health.
Sights la Egypt.
After leaving Palestine we sailed to Al
exandria and took train 150 miles distant
to Cairo, a city of 600,000 people and tha
"Saratoga" for all Europe In the winter.
It waa charming weather here and tha
hotels were swarming with people. Th
streets were lined with aa fine equipages
as you would see on Fifth avenue in New
Yory. The Pyramids, Cheops and the
Sphinx, only a abort drive from the city,
will never cease to be sources of wonder
and amazement, for although they hav
been robbed of their marble covering, thea
massive stones He plied upon each other,
in the one case 452 feet high and covering
thirteen acrea of ground. Here we took
the train and went 450 miles up the Nils
to the ruins of old Thebes and saw Luxor,
Karnak, the tombs of the kings and the
mummies. Tha bodies of Seti I and Rameaes
II, the rharaoba of the oppression of
Israel, are ahown in the museum at Cairo
pretty thoroughly mummified. But In one
of the most elaborately decorated tomba
we found the bodies of on of the Pharaohs,
Y"'" " --' " v. Th.
are great tunnela cut in the rocka of the
hills, making a gradual descent of 200 or
800 feet, at the end of which ar on or
more rooms excavated In the rock, th
largest of (them being ten feet high and
twenty feet square. The rooms are very
richly decorated with paintings and hiero
glyphics Illustrative of the life and hiatory
of the king who waa here entombed. In
aome cases the walls of the tunnel aa well
aa tho ceiling, from the very entrance to
Ita end, ar covered with these designs,
which tell so tanttrtfnifery-'"- - "
Ia Southern Europe.
We later aalled tor Naplea and visited
Rome, with ita marvelous history and
ruins; Florence, with its world of art in
painting and statuary; Venice, with its
streets of water and St. Mark's cathedral,
square and pigeons; Milan, with Ita splen
did cathedral; Lucerne, which haa centered
about It all the beauty of Switzerland, aa it
rests upon the bosom of the lake and lie
at the foot of the Alps, whose snowy peaks
hang above It in resplendent glory, while
the valleys around are rich with verdure
and annually haa more than a quarter of a
mlllon visitors. We hav now been In Mu
nich for soma days and although the weather
ts cold and there la more or less of snow fall
daily, yet we find It a very pleasing city of
half a million people. Industrious and thriv
ing. Of recent years this haa come to bo
a great educational center and tha large
hospital, with 1,600 beds In Its various de
partments since the new part la In use,
affords excellent facilities for medical In
vestigations. In soma respects It has tha
best equipment of any I have ever seen.
Wa have been very fortunate in that w
left Jerusalem Just before the earthquake
cracked the Mount of Olives and shattered
the great Russian tower built upon It, and
we went away from Rome only two daya
before the great strike came which
paralyzed business ther. So that all th
way around we hav been highly favored
and have had th most delightful, as well
aa profitable, experience. W. O. HENRY.
SUSPENDS THE WHOLE CLASS
Chancellor' Day Lta Oat All th
Freshmen at Syracuse
fnlverslty.
SYRACUSE. N. T.. May t.-Chancellor
Day of Syracuse university today sus
pended the entire freshman class for acts
committed by some of Its members last
night, when the class numerals were
painted over college buildings. Dynamite
was exploded throughout the night, side
walks ripped up and other depredations to
property committed. The chancellor says
the suspension ts to continue until all traces
of rowdyism are removed. Today the fresh-,
men are busy repairing and settling.
of the President
by no other president tha country has aver
had. Tha president haa spent yeara In
the far west Young aa ha ia, ha lived
among the cowboys on hia ranch o long
ago that today as he comes into that neigh
borhood he notes changes in th con
veniences and the general mode of life and
can speak to th people effectively of
present tendencies as he notes them. What
former president could so address himself
to this great section? The west hss, at
times. Buffered from being misunderstood
by those in authority. But here ia a presi
dent who can talk to the people plainly
and does talk of th advantage of alfalfa
raising, the Improvement In breeding of
cattle and other live stock, diversity In
crops. Irrigation, better highways, tree
planting, the public schools and he knows
of these things because he has engaged in
them himself as an investor and a ranch
man, and no one can claim that the presi
dent's knowledge is gotten at second-hand.
Ths president haa an effective appeal be
cause every westerner, whether he con
sciously admits It or not, feels that each
speech the president makes does something
to discredit the provincialism of the east,
tho narrow-mindedness which sees all that
Is attractlv and inspiring In European
civilization, while it calmly denominates
everything west of the Mississippi ss "wild
snd woolly." It was said of a certain
New York writer of national repute some
years sgo that he had been in every coun
try of Europe but two, and In most of
WAR'S SHADOW IN CARIBBEAN
Enrope Spending Millions to Fortify Posses
sions in the West India
AMERICAN EXPANSION PROVOKES RIVALRY
British Armaments ia Jamaica, Cas
tries aad Bermuda Franc Spend
Ing Money Lavishly Little
Holland Astir.
As the cutting of the Isthmian canal by
the United States became more and more
probable within the last tew years, the
European natlona holding territory In the
Caribbean aea actively began strengthening
the fortlflcatloaa of their chief strong
holds in that region at the cost of millions
of dollars. Now that the Panama ditch
ia finally decided upon and will be com
menced In a ahort time, they ar etraining
every nerve to complete their achemea of
fortification and to improve their atrateglo
positions on what will be the aecond trade
route of the world, if not the first.
England has led the way In thta matter,
France has followed suit at Martinique and
Guadeloupe, and even little Holland haa
been spending a good deal of money on the
defenses of Curacao and Surinam.
A glance at the map of the West Indies
will show the position of England in rela
tion to the Panama canal. Jamaica haa al
ways been its' center of offense and de
fense in the West Indies. From Jamaica
It Bent Ita fleeta to fight the French and
the Spaniards in the days of Rodney and
Nelson. Jamaica must necessarily be the
central point of any West Indian naval
maneuvers In which England is concerned.
And It happens by a marvelous stroke of
luck for England that Jamaica la the
strategic key of the Panama canal. All
ships going or coming through that water
way must pass within a short distance of
Port Royal.
Th Glbralter of the Caribbean.
Th tourlat who entera the smiling har
bor of Port Royal is impressed by the per
fect peacefulness of the scene. Hia ship
glides swiftly through water aa smooth as
glasa toward ranges of verdant mountains
sloping right down to the water's edge. No
where la there the allghtest sign of war or
warlike preparations, yet few places are
so strongly defended. The tourist does not
know that the pressure of a button ashore
would blow up his ship, for the entrance
to th harbor la a perfeot network of sub
marin mines. Nor does he know that
those smiling, green-clad hills contain a
dozen masked forts, armed with the biggest
and latest atyle guna, aome of whloh are
capable of throwing a shell ten miles or
more.
Port Royal haa been regarded for many
yeara aa practically Impregnable by British
naval and military authorities, who call it
"tho Gibraltar pt the Caribbean.". Many
mimic attacka have been made upon it by
land and aea, but It has always repelled the
Invaders with terrible imaginary losses.
Once the entire British North American
squadron a score of battleships, cruisers
and destroyers made a sudden night at
tack. The ships were detected before they
could get near the harbor's mouth. Twenty
searchlights from the torta concentrated, on
them, and the hills belched a hurricane ot
fire. In ten minutes, according to umpires,
every ship was sunk or crippled.
Yet the British War office and Admiralty
are not satisfied with Port Royal. Every
month they are sending out fresh men and
fresh gum- to strengthen the fortifications.
Two new forts are now being constructed
at fresh points, four others are planned
and all are to be armed with th latest
type of twelve-Inch disappearing gun.
These new forts are costing mllllons-of
dollars, and millions more will have to be
spent before the present scheme of forti
fication Is completed. Like all other Port
Royal forta they are being constructed so
that they will be invisible from the sea and
offer absolutely no mark to an attacking
fleet. They are built right down In the
earth, and the enemy will have to batter
down the hillside before he destroys the
forts and dismounts the batteries.
The military authorities of Jamaica guard
these forta most rigidly, and nobody is al
lowed to Inspect them. Tourists who have
tried to photograph them, or to bribe the
sentries to let them Inside, have often got
Into serious trouble, and only escaped
going to Jail by the Intervention of their
consul.
It la commonly believed In the British
army that valuable ordnance secrets ar
guarded In these forta, aa all officers as
sign ed to dut In them hav to undertake to
reveal nothing they aee, even to their
brother officers outside. ,
The Defeases of Castries.
The West Indies are of enormous extent
A man who only knows them on the map
can hardly appreciate the vast area ot
sea they cover. The long chain of Wind
ward and Leeward Islands, nearly all of
which belong to England, are a full 1,000
miles from Jamaica. In time ot war they
would be In a perilous position, if they
relied on Port Royal as the only fortified
coaling station .for the fleet defending them.
Ships coaling at Port Royal would hav
to work their way 950 miles to windward
before they could get to a point near these
Islands at which a naval battle would he
likely to take place, or before they could
reach Martinique and Guadeloupe, and
posing they had to blockade those places
In the event of a war with France. By the
A Minister's m
presaiona of Theo -dor
Roosevelt -
them on repeated Journeyings, but that he
had never, to that time, traveled west of
Schenectady. Let us hope that while we
have a president who studies and then
praises the wonders and glories of th
"Yellowstone," as does President Roose
velt there Is actlv in American life an in
fluence to render such eastern provincial
Ism simply "bad form." And to call It
this 1 perhaps the best way to meet and
overcome It
Ons element in the president's successful
appeal to men today ia surely his known
chivalry. He has always been the cham
pion of the weaker side. And, as Lincoln
said to Grant's traducers, "he does fight"
And this inspires confidence and begets
support. It were idle to deny It The
boys and young men like It and shout for
Roosevelt. Middle-aged men are finding
their pulses beating quicker as they read
of what this strenuous president has ac
complished on one single day of a recrea
tion tour.
In a rather singular way. In his own par
son, Theodora Roosevelt seems to typify
today the Intelligence, the sturdy inde
pendence and the earnest aggressiveness
of our American republic. His, Indeed,
has been a remarkable record for the last
twenty years. It is hardly conceivable that
next year, at the polls, the American peo
ple will vote that that record be closed.
LOUIS A. ARTHUR.
St. Stephen's Rectory, Grand Island, Neb ,
May C, iSyg,
time they got there a large portion ot their
coal would be expended, and their efficiency
consequently impaired.
Tor this reason It waa deemed necessary
by the recent royal commission on coaling
stations to fortify the port ot Csstrles, In
St. Lucia. This place Is also bring very
much strengthened now, but not bo much
money is being spent upon It as upon Port
Royal.
Castries is a natural fortress which can
be defended with little trouble. Castries
bay runs for several thousand yards Inland
and the entrance Is very narrow. One fort
could easily hold it. There are surround
ing position on the land aide, held by
small bodies of troops, which would render
It exceedingly difficult for sn enemy to
get possession of the harbor, except by
glgantlo operations, which, naval experta
say, could hardly be made by any Euro
pean nation bo far away from Its base.
The weak point with each of these grow
ing fortresses Is that neither Castries nor
Port Royal is able to repair even a tor
pedo boat, let alone a cruiser or a battle
ship. A war ahlp coming ther damaged
from a naval battle could get coal, but it
could not get repaired nearer than Ber
muda. The French possess a splendid
graving dock at Martinique, w.hore the
largest shlp-of-war can be refitted in case
of accident or damage In battle. Milltone
of franca have recently been spent on thla
dock and the fortifications which surround
it The British authorities contemplate
providing Port Royal with either a graving
or floating dock, Ilka that at Bermuda, at
a probable cost ot not less than 12,500,000.
It should be noted also that many millions
of dollars have been spent within the two
last yeara In strengthening the fortifica
tions of the dockyards and coaling stations
at Bermuda and Halifax.
The Britiah government haa solemnly de
clared that these herolo measures are de
signed merely for defense and are In no
way Intended as a menace to the United
States. The Idea Is to maintain the bal
ance of power in the Caribbean in view of
America's acquisition of Porto Rico; her
fortification ot Culebra, which, in time, ac
cording to even British experts, will be the
greatest Btronghold in the West Indies;
her lease ot coaling stations In Cuba, and
the cutting of the Panama canal.
France Spending; Millions.
England is also starting some minor forti
fications at Port-Of-Spaln, Trinidad, and
that colony is to be garrisoned by British
as well as local troops. The garrison at
Barbados is also to be strengthened. In
BrltlBh naval circles it is said that the
British North American and West Indian
squadron is soon to be increased by one
halt of its present strength, when the shipa
now under construction in British dock
yards are launched. Just at present ther
la not a single battleship in this squadron.
Franc la determined cot to be left be
hind in the race for power and preatlge In
the West Indies, She has spent hug sums
on the defenses of Martinique and Guade
loupe, but the results have not been alto
gether satisfactory, the government alleg
ing that full return tor the money expended
waa not made. But more millions are to be
spent, and this time, no doubt, they will be
more carefully looked after. Meanwhile
th French squadron In the Caribbean 1
being constantly strengthened.
- .Even Denmark, like Holland at Curacao
and 8urlnam, is Improving her forts at
Christlanstad, on St. Croix.
Germany's Caribbean Policy. '
Germany haa no foothold in th Carib
bean, but the opinion entertained by not a
few persons in the United States, that she
means to make a bold bid for one aooner,
or later, la shared by all the naval officers
and the better Informed resldenta in tha
West Indies.
Last January the writer was talking on
the subject with the captain of one of th
British warships then blockading the ' Ven
ezuelan coast.
"There's no doubt," aald tha officer,
"that the Germana want a coaling station
here very badly. They hav made a bluff
of wanting one In Haytl and on the isle ot
Margarita, but the place they really want
is Quanta. You know it? Well, Isn't It an
Ideal spot for a coaling station? It could
be as easily defended as Castries. A lovely
harbor, perfeotly aafa, a good depth of
water and room enough for any fleet. The
climate 1 excellent, supplies and provisions
ar readily obtainable, and th heights
around the harbor could be easily fortified
ao aa to make the place Impregnable even
with a small garrison. The atrateglo poal
tlon Is all that could be desired In relation
to tha Caribbean and the Panama canal.
Mark my words, that is the place the Ger
mans hav set their hearts on trying to gat
sooner or later."
"They will have to light for It at first,'
said the captain's audience.
"Well, from what I hav heard th Ger
man officers say, they seem to reckon on
doing that," waa the reply.
A profound conviction prevails In tha
Weet Indies that Germany intends, within
a few years, to make a very tempting bid
for the Danish Antilles. By that time her
navy will be greatly atrengthened, and If
she can effect the purchase, eha might so
the West Indiana think insist that the
Monroe doctrine cannot legitimately pre
vent one European power from transferring
its American possessions to another.
Th Cockpit of Europe.
However thta may be, the West Indies
for centuries were the cockpit of Enrope.
Tha navies of England, France, Spain and
Holland battled for national supremacy in
me ariDDean sea.
European and military strategists now
In the Caribbean are of the opinion that
the fata of the world may be decided there
again, when the West Indies are restored
to more than their old importance by tha
construction of the Panama canal. They
hold that thla Is the obvious inference from
the strenuous efforts of their countries to
strengthen their positions there at the cost
of millions upon millions of dollars.
RUN ON A TRUST COMPANY
Fidelity af Buffalo Experiences Dim
culty Dua to Rimori (
nefalcalloa.
BUFFALO, N. T., May .-There was a
run on the Fidelity Trust company today.
The board of trustees of the institution
has Issued a statement which first alludes
to rumors current during the last week,
but there was a large deficit In one ot the
banks, and says:
On Thursday and Friday the rumor took
the form of a statement that the defal
cation existed in the Fidelity Trust com
pany of Buffalo. It was said that the
presiaem naa usea nuu.uuo or the money
Another statement waa that Runa I.
Williams had usfd 1400.004 of the money ot
mo company, ir.t results in us far have
wen me witnaraway or some accounts
IirrrHunz posniniy iiuu.ouo. The bank
has offered a reward for Information H-
cloMlng the nam of the person originating
th rumor."
The trustees pronounce the story to b
absolutely false In every particular,
Neither Mr. Forman nor Mr. Williams nor
any other trustee or officer owes th bank
a single dollar. There has been no de
falcation to the extent of a dollar, they
say, and the company has ti.OOb.ou) available
to provide against any demand.
URGE COUNTY BOARD TO ACT
Citizens Plead to Have So-Oalled-Scavenger
Law Enforced at Once.
TREASURER ELSASSER IS NOT READY
11 Say It Will Be Impossible to Get
th Book la Shap to lies In
alt b or Befor
Jala- 1.
When th county commissioners met yes
terday ther was an Informal assemblage
of real estate dealers, representatives ot
wholesale houses, bankers, members of the
last legislature and property owners pres
ent to make a showing as to tha Import
ance of immediate enforcement of the so
called scavenger law, which has for Its
purpose the bringing of an omnibus law
suit in the district court against owners
of real estate In the county upon which
taxes have been delinquent for a term of
years.
The matter was discussed at length by
a number of those present, including H.
W. Gates, Judg Woolworth, W. O. Ure.
H. W. Pennock, A. P. Tukey, E. Rosewoter
and W. S. Poppleton. Treasurer Elsaser
said that it would be practically Impossible
to have the tax books brought up in th
form demanded by the act in time to bring
action this year. Mr. Pennock said that
the order of the board for the enforcement
of the law would have to be annual, but
thought that men enough could be put to
work to have tha books of th county
treasurer in shape to bring th action by
July 1.
Mr. Woolworth said th first step should
b taken this year, even though the case
could not be brought In court, and this po
sition was taken by others, who said the
moral effect of a resolution by the board to
enforce the law would be beneficial as
many persons would pay their taxes In or
der to avoid suit
Explains the Uw,
Mr. Pennock th author of the bill, ex
plained its terms fully, and said that nil
expense from the enforcement of the act
would be returned directly to the county
through the collection of a docket fee ot
60 cents before decree and ot $1 after de
cree.
In the discussion It was brought out that
It would not be possible under the law to
bring action against part of th property
upon which delinquent taxes may b due,
but that all such property must be on the
books when they become part of the pe
tition In th case.
Commissioner O'Keeffe asked what steps
had been taken to bring the city property
or south Omaha upon the books for tha
collection of delinquent taxes, and while h
generally favored the enforcement of the
law re nenevea that he would like to con
sul the South Omaha people before tak
ing action.
There were only three members of the
board present, Commissioners Harts and
Connolly being absent., and th matter
went over Informally at th morning ses
sion. Sheriff Power notified th commissioners
that A. J. 81oup had been appointed Jailer,
and furnished a list of the special deputies
appointea on account of th strike.
Hippie Over Drake's BUI.
Commissioner O'KeeST put a little
Into the proceedings 'befor th adjourn
ment or th board yesterday, and in
dentally held up the warrants of thre
persons who hav performed services for
the county. A claim from R. C. Drake,
bridge contractor, for tl.770.01. based upon
an estimate of th county engineer, was
presented. Hofeldt and McDonald voted
to allow th bill. O'Keeffe voted against it.
The chairman declared th hill allowed,
and O'Keeffe raised the point of order
that befor a claim Is allowed it must re
ceive th afflrmativ vot of a majority of
in ooara, ana the present bill received less
than a legal majority. His point was over
ruled, and he then notified the county clerk
not to issue th warrant until th expira
tion of ten days. After th meeting he
said that h had dons this because tho
work covered by the bill was an extension
of th contract of B, C. Drake, and he
wanted a majority of the board to go on
record in tne matter.
H made the same objections and held iin
the warrants of W. F. Flynn and J. A.
Walkup, who wera employed on work on
Military road, basing his objections upon
the ground that the work had not been
authorised by the board.
The board adjourned until Monday morn
ing, when the scavenger act will be given
further consideration and the county treas
urer will make final decision as to his
ability to prepare tha books In time.
TAX CAMPAIGN TO CONTINUE
Realty Ezebasg Member Sua-a-ests
Meeting- with Mayor aad Mr.
Rosewater.
"W feel that eaultabla taxation h.. k..
ter backing and mora sturdy championing
than ver before," said a member of the
Real Estate exchange yesterdav.
none need fear that the flsrht win aban
doned. The recent election only served to
einpnaaiz now aetermlned ar the people
against corporation favoritism. K.nh
th platforms had a plank in It that was
strongly xor quality and, though I was a
Benson man. I am none tha .niA..,
that sine Moorea was elected there shall
n co-operation between him and our tax
commltt. Ha reoresents tha nnhiin
caus ha waa tha choice for mayor, and
thus It seems to me he becomes the logical
leader In the people's behalf. To get us all
organized into a working unit I think our
committee will set a date for a meeting
and ask ths mayor and Mr. Rosewater of
The Bee to meet with us and discuss the
best plan of procedure."
BREATHITT COUNTY UNSAFE
Kentuckv
Commaalty
Murderous Eruptloa.
MIDDLESBORO. Ky., May . Several
Breathitt county refugees are In this sec
tion and describe a deplorable state of af
fairs In the mountain country. They say
that reporters are not allowed to send full
reports of the situation. On who was
forced to flea from Jackson says that hs
waa near when James B. Marcum waa
killed and knows the man who did tha deed,
and says that ha will return at the proper
time and appaar against his. This man
refused to let his nam b published be
cause h has numerous relatives In Breath
itt and saya that the publication of
hia name would endanger their lives.
Grata Elevators Buraed.
MINNEDOSA, Man., May S.-Thls city
was vjslted by a serious fir late yester
day, destroying th Canadian Pacific stock
yards, ths Ogllvl elevator and 20,000 bush
sis of grain in John Wallace's elevator, be
sides damaging the station, library and
several residences. .The loss Is 1100,000. The
fire startod from a campflre ignited on the
pralii and spread to tha town,
i