TIIK OMAHA DAILY HKK: FRIDAY, APRIL 1.1. 1006.
Tire -Omaha Daily Dee,
E. ROPE WATER, EDITOR.
PCBUillED EVERT MORNING.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.
Dally Roe (without Sunday), one year. .14.00
I'ally He and Sunday, on year o
Illustrated Bee. 'out year 2-uO
Hunday He, one ynr 2.60
Saturday hee, one year 1.60
DELIVERED BY CARRIER.
Dally Hee (Including Sunday), per week. 17c
Ially Bee (without Sunday), per week.. 123
Evening lit (without Sunday), per wwk tie
Evening Hee (With Sunday), pr week..li)c
Bunday Bee, per copy 6c
Addreaa complaints of irregularities In de
livery to City Circulation Department.
OFFICES.
Omaha The Be Building-.
South Omaha City Hall Building.
Council Bluffs 10 Pearl Street.
Chicago 140 Unity Building.
New York IP. Home IJfe Ini. Building.
Washington to! Fourteenth Street.
CORRESPONDENCE.
Communications relating to new and edi
torial matter ahould be addressed: Omaha
Bee, Editorial Department.
REMITTANCES.
Remit by draft, express or poatal order
payable to Tha Bee Iubllhlng Company.
Only i-cent stamps received as payment of
mall account. iVrxonal checks, except on
Omaha or eastern exchanges, not accepted.
THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY.
STATEMENT OK CIRCCtATION.
State of Nebraska, lKulaa County, aa.:
C. C. Rnaewater, general mahager of Tha
Bee publishing Company, being duly sworn,
save that the actual number of full and
complete roplea of The Dally, Morning,
Evening and Sunday Bee printed during tha
month of March, 190s, waa aa follows:
I ai,6-o
1 81. HBO
t 83,1 ao
4 SO,500
I ... .81.48 ff
.. 81.4TO
7.4 Sl.ttM
1 81,830
81,870
10 82.0K0
II Stt.lOO
12 81.200
17.V. ...sw.iao
it jwjoo
19 81,40
JO 81,B0
-u....... 81,UM
a si.nao
a...-. sei.aao
24 aa.ist
ao.irvo
... 81,310
77 S1.06
8140
it aa.oTo a ...8i,aao
14 81.4IO W 81,300
It 81,160 11 82,180
14 81,43V
Total.-, ., Dtf 7.4AO
Less unsold copies 10,741
Net total sales t6,70
Dally average 81,181
C. C. ROSE WATER,
General Manager. '
Subscribed In my presence and sworn to
Be r ore ma tma uai day or Marcn,
(Seal) M. B. HUNOATE.
Notary public.
VV II t X OIT OF TOWN,
gabsarlbers leavlas; the) alt? tern
porarllr sbeald kats Tbe Bee
mailed to them. Address will
rbansred as altea aa reaaested.
Russian democrat are said to be
disagreement. The "hoodoo" seems
follow the name across the water.
The resignation of Presldeut Custro
may menn that the belligerent VeneK
uelan wants a vindication at the band
of his people.
In the light of recent developments It
1m evident that the Woodruff manifesto
1m entering upon an era of renewed ac
tivity In Utah. 1
No one can doubt the ambition of
Adam Rede to pone as a bumorlst since
his suggestion for the division of Texas
Into five states.
In the light of the Nebraska piece-
dent Kansas stockmen may be inclined
to keep their promise to remove fences
to avoid prosecution.
The Hon. Pat Crowe can doubtless
congratulate himself again that he did
not have a black skin when his case
was passed on by an Omaha Jury.
After old houses have stopped falling
at Naples the Italians may be prepared
to put the next eruption "up against"
modern American steel construction.
The discovery of a railroad pool at
Philadelphia suggest that after all the
residents of the city of brotherly love
do not spend their entire time in sleep.
Primary bills in the Illinois legisla
ture prove that politicians are still more
anxious for "practical" results than for
eoal reiwaUon f the political ys
Southwestern coal operators who ex
pel men from their association for sign
Ing the scale of the miners' union are
not setting a brilliant example for
champions of the "open shop."
The question of navigation of South
American rivers crossing more than one
country seems to be a question more
alive than the navigation of stream in
the United States crossing only one.
After its experience with that gunhlng
gas well Caney, Kan., probably feels
that it Is the only place in the fnlted
States which can offer intelligent sym
pathy to the resldchts of the sides of
Vesuvius.
The Hon. "Jim" Dahlman is develop
Ing extraordinary oratorical powers,
which no one previously suspected. It
would be cruel to suggest that his
speeches read better in his official or
gan than they sound io those who hear
them.
A fund for the relief of Vesuvius vic
tims la to lie Inaugurated throughout
the country and Omahu should contrib
ute Its share. The Italian residents of
Omaha have proved themselves a very
useful and orderly element of our impu
tation, which should entitle them to as
sistance for their afflicted kinsmen.
It turns out that the street railway
employed are not disposed to look with
favor upon the sliding wage scale Just
promulgated by their employers. This
has nothing to do, however, with the
response of the company to the demand
for more cars ou its main lines during
the busy hours of the day.
The discusstou of the question of
trusting the people to choose their own
1'ulted States senators going on In dem
ocratic circles Is becoming really Inter
esting. From perusing It the uninitiated
would never imagine that the demo
cratic party had gone on record time
i ml time again In favor of direct popu-
ar election of vuatvrs.
SEXATPlt BE VF, ft IDG ITS KKTXOTE.
The keynote given by Senator Bev-
erlrip to the Indiana republican con
vention, that to maintain ascendancy
the party must be the .organ of the
atlonally progressive American spirit.
should strike the attention of every hon
est and loyal republican, now thnt the
lines of organization are lieing drawn
for the Important elections midway In
the presidential term. The party came
nto lelng and grew into strength as
an Instrument of the spirit of liberty.
meeting aggressively but sanely the
moral Issues' which excited that spirit.
and It has been given responsibility for
the government most of the last half
century because as exigencies liave
arisen during that time it has offered
and executed positive policies at once
progressive and practical.
last of all parties could the repub
lican party succeed as a reactionary
agency. It has been historically a pro
test against both reaction anil stagna
tion, and to be transformed either sud-
denlv or by slow gradation into the
retrogressive type of the old democratic
party which it supplanted would be to
Invite even speedier fate than overtook
the latter. How essential Is the coun
try's need of n progressive party of
the-character the republican party Is
signally demonstrated by the historic
fact that the people did not fall for a
full generation emphatically to reject
as an alternative the reactionary posi
tion of the democratic party on the one
side and to refuse the rash proposals
of various radical parties that sirc-
cesslvely arose on the other side. Nor
was the Sound American Judgment
shaken a det-Hde ago when the demo
cratic party somersaulted from its old
retrogressive attitude to that of extreme
and incongruous radicalism.
But the removal of the reactionary
chefk of the old democracy the last
decade necessarily involves a severe test
of republican character the full force
of which Is now being felt. For Just
now immense changes are being realized
In the social and Industrial life of the
people, requiring corresponding adjust
inent of law and government. All the
relations of corporations to government
are involved. On the one hand we have
a great moral awakening, passionately
demanding houesty In trust admlnistra
tlons whether of a corporation or of an
official character, and righteousness in
wealth On the other hand, growing
out of this as out of consideration for
public safety, there Is insistence for
unquestioned and Irresistible public con
trol of corporations. Theae are the vital
questions of today and the future which
It Is the special opportunity and duty
of the republican party to meet, as It
met the issues of Blavery. of national
unity and of monetary stability when
those issues critically coufronted the
country. ,, c
The significance of Theodore Koose
velt's position as president is, broadly
that he faces squarely and courageously
to the front in a leadership that would
make his party progressive and prac
tlcal on all these questions. This la
why the American people.' beyond party
lines, have made such notable response
to the president's, initiative. "And this
Is why the paramount duty of repub
licans this year everywhere, In choos
ing senators and representatives In con
gress. is to unng tneir party verily up
to date and align It with the president's
leadership. .
ALC PVLL TOGKTHF.R.
The campaign Inaugurated by tht
Voung Women's Christian association to
gather a building fund for Its new home
Is nearing the close of the time orig
inally allotted.
The women have done rcmarkubly
well under the conditions and have an
excellent subscription balance to the
credit of their building fund, but they
sre still considerably short of the goal
they set for themselves.
In the closing days of the soliciting
campaign the women will bend to the
work with redoubled energy, but suc
cess depends upon the spirit of co
operation manifested by the people of
Omaha and their disposition to interest
themselves In In-half of tlte working
women, for whom the Voting Women's
Christian association would furnish
headquarters and a center of social and
recreative activities. .
This useful Institution has outgrown
the hounds of Its present accommoda
tions and to meet the enlarged demands
upon It in a proper way, must spread
out with new and larger equipment. It
Is an Institution that works for Omaha,
U'longs to Omaha and has a right to
look to Omaha for material supiort.
If you Intend to help along In the
good cause, now Is the time. Let all
pull together
Tt.ST HATTLKSHIP HVILDISU.
The conspicuous failure of the gov
ernment to construct a battleship of
identical type as cheaply unit expedi
tiously as a private shipbuilding com
pany, although very suggestive, is not
conclusive against direct governmental
parttclpancy in naval construction. It
Is, however, an Important fact that In
an Instance ecUlly Intended to test
the comparative efficacy of government
and contract work of this kind, the con
tractors have been able to build the
same battleship for nearly a half a
million dollars lesa than the government
builders could do the work. It does
not matter that the failure Is due lu
large part to congress. lecaue congresH
has to lie reckoned with In any govern
ment undertaking of the sort.
But it by no means follows that the
government ahould altogether hold
aloof from battleship building and put
Itself at the mercy of private con
tractors. The very fact that it Is pre
pared to do the work may be a power
ful restraint upon the latter. It was
found to be notably so In the -case of
arming warships afttr construction-
As long as the navy had to depend upon
private manufacturers for modern guns,
the cost. was excessive, snd relief was
secured only by establishing a great
ordnance plant directly owned and oper
ated by the government. loubtless the
private contractors were stirred to ex
treme energy and economy because the
building of the twin battleshlpn Con
necticut and Ixiuisiaua was to he a test
of the two methods, so that the credit
of what they accomplished is to be
credited In no smsll part to government
competition.
GRKESE AM) OATIfOR rO.VVCTED.
The conviction of tJreene and Uaynor
for frauds on the government In Savan
nah harbor is another sign that graft,
however extensive and temporarily suc
cessful, has become unprofitable, and
that with persistent enforcement the
law can make very hard the way of
the transgressor, even though he be rich,
of high social position and aided by In
fluential friends. The persistent prose
cution of these wealthy contractors who
by the connivance of the regular army
officer in charge of the harbor work
were able to defraud the government of
hundreds of thousands of dollars la
worthy of all commendation. They
have been enabled by legal technicali
ties and the employment of their wealth
In this country and In Canada to stave
off conviction year after year, until their
partner in graft, Captain Carter, after
almost interminable delay, had been
convicted and served out his richly mer
ited term In the penitentiary.
There was a time when the tactics ot
these now convicted grafting contract
ors might have saved them, when public
authority might have given over the
pursuit in sheer weariness and disgust.
when the pubfic might more easily have
forgotten. But thnt time has passed
by. The public attitude toward graft
ers of high or low degree has changed
A time, fortunately, has come when
they are to be relentlessly pursued with
all the power of the government and
public opinion until the stolen goods are
recovered and their fortunes exhausted
and they themselves lauded as felons
behind prison bars, where they belong,
if AUK IT DOWS.
At the meeting of the newly elected
republican city committee, at which the
party management was formally trans
ferred from the so-called "old machlue"
to the new Fontauelle machine, a report
was read from the treasurer stating
that there was in his hands the sum of
$130.61, subject to requisition by his
successor. Inasmuch as all debts were
paid.
What better tribute could be had to
the efficiency and economy of the out
going party managers? It Is a well
known rule of politics that campaign
funds are for the purpose of being spent
rather than of being transmitted by in
heritance, and there were many ways
in which this money could have been
spent legitimately.- The last lme the
Fontanelle machine had control of the
party committee" In this county, although
it had had more money poured Into It to
conduct the primary election than ever
before, w hen It came to turn over there
was nothing left but a big bunch of
recklessly Incurred unpaid obligations)
to load down the campaign of the sue
cessful ticket
The habit has become so confirmed
with the "antls" to refer to their oppo
nents as grafters and leg-pullers, and
other choice names reflecting upon
their Integrity, that It must be quite a
revelation to them to find a balance In
the treasury at their disposal some
thing completely contrary to their own
practice and precedent.
Mark it down.
Chairman Jefferls now combines In
his one person the headship of both the
republican congressional committee for
this district and the republican city
committee. We wish him well In both
capacities, but we cannot help but re
call the outcry that was raised by the
"antls" when Itobert Cowell was In
stalled as chairman of the republican
county committee wnne at tne same
time holding the position of chairman
of the republican city committee. The
vindication of Mr. Cowell came, how
ever, when the Fontanellltes besought
him to continue In the place now given
to Mr. Jefferls.
IMchard I.. Meti-alfe Intimates that
"Billy" Thompson of Grand Island "Is
Just 'as anxious to be elected to the
United Statts senate as" is "Bertie'
Hitchcock of Omaha. The linpresttlon
prevails here that Mr. Hitchcock Is
grooming himself to make another run
for congress. Which is which? Or Is
it both?
Congressman Xorris' plau for the elec
tion of senators by direct vote of the
jM'ople hjs received the approval of the
house committee, to which it wus re
ferred, but as it is designed to lengthen
at the same time the terms of the very
men who approved it. the vote may not
have lweu totally disinterested.
Miners or oM-iators who WHiit to
limit the scope of any committee which
may prole conditions In the anthracite
fields do not Ktrcnutheu their iMtsition
with the public, which feels that, as
king as it must fiMit the bills, it is en
titled to know all of the facts.
It is definitely announced to all whom
It may concern that how, having read
over the made-to-order democratic plat
form, which he swallowed with his eyes
shut, Jim Dahlman Is rer.dy to bold up
his right band aud swear that as yet
be has suffered no pains of Indigestion.
There seems to be only one thing left
for the poor franchlsed corporations to
do in Omaha. The republicans de
nounce them, the democrats say they
will not take tbelr money, gUd toe so-
rlallsts are opposed to them on general j
principles, iney win nave to organize
franchlsed corporation party of their
own.
The statement that King Kd ward's
consent Is not necessary to the marriage
of the king of Spain and Princess F.na
would Indicate that the royal Miiitor
went to useless trouble on the occasion
of the' king's visit to France.
Having found the rubber eraser with,
which the doctored primary ballots are
supposed to have been changed, the au
thor of the plot should lie easily Iden
tified by our local yellow Journal Sher
lock Holmeses.
la the Political Xarsery.
Chicago Record-Herald.
Get your alderman a rubber tube for
his bottle, snd make him use It till he
grows up.
As It l.ooka at a Plataaee.
Chlcaao Tribune.
As we understand the dispatches. Mount
Vesuvius has blown Its head off, but Its
mouth Is still active.
Oae (io4 Reaalt.
While the senate takes up the time of
the session In discussing the rate bill
much other mischievous legislation Is
halted. It may all be for the best. We
are governed too much, anyway.
They Need the Moaey.
Kansas Citr Journal.
How does It happen that people per
sist In dwelling near Vesuvius, when the
country la so barren and Ihe locality so
dangerous? Simple enough. Wealthy
American tourists visit the volcano and
spend money freely for accommodations.
Hot Air Stratealsls.
New fork Sun.
First It was Admiral Rojestvensky. who
exposed the British plot to smash his
squadron. If Togo failed, and now It Is
General Von Mack, Russian representative
of the Red Cross society, who discovers
that the Japanese are preparing for war,
with the Philippines as their objective. It
won't be necessary for the government at
Toklo to reassure the United States, but
Von Mack may have to apologise, as the
admiral did. The capacity of the czar's
officers for knowing things that are not
so, may explain their failure as strategists.
KoTel Immnnlty Scheme.
Kansas City Star.
A man down In Missouri having been ar
rested for taking another man's horse
enters a plea of somnambulism. He must
have taken and ridden the horse In hts
sleep, he says, for he awoke riding along
the road and had no recollection of steal
ing the animal. His story has at least
one point in lta favor that he left the
horse at a livery stable to be returned to
the owner. But why has nobody thought
of the somnambulism before? The In
sanity plea is somewhat distasteful, after
all. and there Is nothing especially dis
agreeable about an admission of sleep
walking. Here's a suggestion for Stand
ard Oil and the Beef trust.
Where Immigrants Settle.
Springfield Republican.
Of the more than l.OOO.unO Immigrants
who came to this country In 19D5, very few
reached the newer regions of the west.
According to the western railroad passen
ger association whichhas made a report
on the subject, over IBS.Oflt) of them dropped
down in New York" Stat, and 222.300 In
Pennsylvania about onav-nalf of the whole
number stopping In those two states. Ohio
obtained 51,000 and Illinois 79.000, but less
than 20,000 seem to . have gone beyond
Illinois. The southe.rn European, emigrant
doea not seek the land as did so much of
the northern European emigration of
twenty years ago.. He prefers the cities
and factory towns, where work at good
wagea is to be had in abundance.
PIBLIC 1,AD GRABBING.
afagallade of the Cam pa I a a Waged hy
(he Interior Department,
Boston Transcript.
The campaign which Secretary Hitch
cock began for the restoration to the pub
lic land of the vast tracts stolen from It
Is still far from Its concluding stage. Its
magnitude may be Inferred from the fact
that about 600 Indictments have been pro
cured against parties charged with fraud
ulent entries and other offenses against
ths land laws. The- convlctjons secured
have included those of several men In high
places, among them one I'nlted States sen
ator, who died while an appeal waa pend
ing, and one member of the house of rep
resentatives. The trial of another Indicted
representative will begin in Washington
next month. .There has been no letting up
In the prosecutions, despite great political
pressure brought to bear on the admin
istration, part of it on the ground of po
litical expediency and part from motives
even leas, worthy of consideration. The
brunt of this pressure has naturally been
borne by Secretary Hitchcock, who has
kept on his way with Spartan firmness,
with a determination not to le satisfied
with anything short of the putrishment of
the big men Involved In the frauds. To
all the subtleties of tlie conspirators he has
successfully opposed shrewdness and Kilt.'
and he has the reward of being more
feared by exploiters and pltinderers of pub
lic lands than any oilier secretary of the
interior has ever been.
Public attention has been so largely con
centrated on the prosecution of the depre
dators In the Pacific northwest, men of
prominence politically and financially, that
It has naturally reckoned that as almost
the sole arena for the department's ac
tivities. But plundering the fields and for
ests has by no means so limited a scope.
Wherever, under our slack surveillance of
the public domain, there is opportunity tl-o
plunderer is almost certain to be found.
Since Secretary Hitchcock initiated his in
vestigation of land frauds, proceedings
have been begun for violation of the laws
In Nebraska, Kansas, Michigan. Wiscon
sin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Da
kota. Montana. Vtah, Colorado, New Mex
ico, Missouri, Arkansas, Ixiuisiana, Missis
sippi. Alabama, Florida, Washington, Cal
ifornia, Idaho and Oregon.
Such facts suggest that the public do
main Is but loosely guarded at the best
The department has Its Inspectors, who
are very valuable men. They are com
railvev few In number, and the public
iMtiria have an enormous area. A sya-
leniatic patrolling of tliia area is Impossi
ble with the agencies now at the disposal
of the Interior department. There are
placea, sequestered from main traveled
ways, forest depths, or little known min
eral tracts, where depredators can work
a long time undiscovered. Such oirations
are carried on by the cruder thieves who
have not learned the arts of fraud, and
are therefore unable to steal 25.Oi0 acres
of public land, as one gang did in Califor
ii U, by subornation and conspiracy. Still
the aggregate of this rough plundering la
large, and to detect or prevent it would
afford employment for a force of land
rangers similar to the forest guards which
the old countries have found among the
Diost useful agencies for the enforcement
of the law. Such a body under the direc
tion of an energetic secretary of tha in
terior would mora than aava its cost ia
ths ssrvtces It could render.
TRAGIC HISTORY OF VPSIVHS.
Rye-WIt aeaa Aceoaat of Ihe Flarlal of
Pompeii and llerralaaeam.
The summer of A. D. 71 was made me
morable by a frlghtfvrl catastrophe, of
which riiny ths younger was an eye wit
ness and of which, he has left a singularly
valuable account In two letters written
some yeara afterward to his friend, the
historian. Tacitus. This account of the
great eruption of Vesuvius Is the only story
of the great catastrophe In exl?tence and
Is of singular Interest Just now. That the
prevailing eruption of Mount Vesuvius pos
sibly may rival if not surpass the destruc
tion wrought in the year A. D. 79, when the
cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii were
overwhelmed and have remained up to the
present century under their tomb of ashes
over 1,800 years.
Many of the peculiar incidents and phe
nomena reported as occurring in the pre
vailing eruption are recounted in the Pliny
narrative particularly relative to the pre
cipitation of ashes. The narrative of Pliny
Is as follows:
"The writer was residing at the timo
with his uncle (the elder Pliny) and his
mother near Mlsenum. The bay then, aa
now, one of the most beautiful spots In the
world, waa crowded with villas ot the Ro
man nobility. Baiae, with its splcnuij
baths and terraces built out Into the sea;
Preteoll, with Its busy harbor; Neapolls,
one of the largest and wealthiest of the
Roman cities, with Herculaneum, Pompeii
snd Stabiae, occupied the sea coast in an
almost continuous line. Behind them, wltb
Its slopes reaching almost to the sea, rose
Mount Vesuvius, clad to Its summit, which
reached to the height of about 4,000 feet,
with olive and vine. A luxuriant vegeta
tion concealed all traces of the volcanlo
nature ot the mountain, and neither history
nor tradition preserved any record which
might warn the populous cities at its base
of the danger which threatened them.
Karthquakes, Indeed, were not unfrequent
In Uie country, and one of more severity
than usual had, sixteen years before, seri
ously injured both Herculaneum and Pom
peii. But of the existence of a volcano no
suspicion seems to have been entertained.
'It was 1 o'clock In the afternoon of
August 24, 79 (A. D.) that a cloud of un
usual size and shape rose from the summit
of Vesuvius, like a stout pine with a
lofty trunk and a cluster of branches at
the top, continually varying in weight, and
of changing line, sometimes fiery-bright,
sometimes streaked with black. It was
the beginning of that great shower of
ashes and dust which is said to have
reacted aa far as Africa and Egypt.
Showers of cinders and fragments of
heated stone fell around and on the ships
In the bay and elsewhere. At the same
time it was found that the soundings of
the bay were altered, the effect attributed
to the falling masses, but probably in a
great measure owing to an elevation of
the seabed. The alarm became very great.
Tha ships were kept busy In embarking
the terrified inhabitants of the coast.
Flames, which the approaching darkness
had now made more visible, were seen to
break forth from the summit and sides
of Vesuvius. The houses were trembling
with frequent shocks of earthquake, and
threatened destruction to their Inmates.
Out of doors there was the peril of falling
stones, which though calcined by fire, and
therefore light In proportion to their else,
seemed to be sufficiently heavy to be dan
gerous. To leave the houses appeared, on
tha whole, the preferable alternative
With pillows and cushions fastened upon
their heads, the people sallied forth, first
making their way to the sea, by which
they hoped to secure their escape. It was
found that escape by the sea was Im
possible as It was wild and stormy.
with the wind blowing strongly on ahore.
Many people suffered death here from
flame and Inhaling sulphurous vapors.'
Of his personal experience Pliny says in
his second letter to Tacitus: "There hud
been noticed for many days before a trem
bling of the earth, which had caused, how
ever, but little fear, because It is not un
usual In Campania. But that night it was
so violent that one thought that everything
was being not merely moved, but abso
lutely overturned. My mother rushed Into
my chamber to awaken me: We sat down
in the open court of the house, which occu
pied a small space between the buildings
and the sea. Just then a friend of my un
cle arrived and when he saw that we were
sitting down he rebuked my mother for her
patience and me for my blindness to the
danger. It was now 7 o'clock In the morn
ing, but the daylight was faint and doubt
ful. The surrounding buildings were now
so shattered that the place where we were,
which, though open, was small, the danger
that they might fall on us was Imminent
and unmistakable. So we at last deter
mined to quit the town. A panic-stricken
crowd followed us. They preferred the
Ideas of others to their own, and they
pressed on us and drove us on as we de
parted by their dense array. When we had
got away from the building we stopped.
There we had to endure the sight of many
marvelous, many dreadful things. The
carriages which we had directed to be
brought out moved in opposite directions,
though the ground was perfectly level;
even when scotched with atones they did
not remain steady In the same place. Be
sides this, we saw the sea retire into Itself,
seeming, as it were, to be driven back by
the trembling movement of the earth. The
shores had distinctly advanced and many
marine animals had been left high and dry
on the sands. Behind us was a dark and
dreadful cloud, which, as it was broken
with rapid xigilg flashes, revealed be
hind It marvelously shaped masses of
flame; these last were like sheet lightning,
though on a larger scale. It was not long
before the cloud we saw began to descend
upon the earth and cover the sea. Ashra
now began to fall, still, however. In small
quantities. I looked behind nie; a dense,
dark mist seemed to be following us, spreid
Ing itself over the country like a cloud.
'It us turn out of the way.' I said,
whilst we can still see, for fear that should
we fall In the road we should be trodden
under Twit In the darkness by the throng
that accompany us.' We had scarcely sat
down when the night was upon us. not
such aa we have when there is no moon, or
when the sky Is cloudy, but such as there
Is in some closed room when the lights are
extinguished.
"Tou might hear the shrieks of women,
the monotonous wailing of children, the
shouting of men. Many were raising their
vohea. and seeking to recognlxe by the
voices that replied, parents, children, hus
band or wives. Some were loudly lunieut
Ing thf lr own fate, others the fate of those
dear to them. Some were praying for
death. In their fear of what they prayed
for. Many lifted their hands in prayer
to the, gods, more were convinced that
there were no gods at all. and that the
final endless night of which we have heard
had come upon the world.
"It now grew somewhat light again;
we frit sure that this was not the light
of day. but a proof that fire was ap
proaching us. Fire there was. but it
stopped at a considerable distance from
us; then came darkness again, and a
thick, heavy fall of ashes Again and
again we stood up and shook them off,
otherwise we should have been covered by
them. I might boast that not a sigh, not
a word wanting In courage, escaped me,
even In the midst of erll an
great, bad I dot been convinced
that I was perishing with the universe and
the universe with me a miserable and yet
mighty solace In death. At last the black
mist that I had spoken of seemed to shade
off Into smoke or cloud, and to roll away.
Then came genuine daylight and the sun
shone out In a lurid light, such as It Is
wont to have In an eclipse. Our eyes, which
had not yet recovered front the effect -of
fear, saw everything changed, everything
covered with deep ashes as if With snow.
We returned to Mlsenum snd after re
freshing ourselves as best we could, spent
a night In mingled anxiety and fear. Fear
was still, however, the stronger feeling: for
the trembling of the earth continued, while
many frenxied persons with their terrific
predictions, gave an exaggeration that was
even ludicrous to the exclamations of them
selves and their friends."
While Pliny does not give any specific
count of Herculaneum fend Pompeii, mod
ern research Informs us that Herculaneum
was overwhelmed with a torrer.t of liquid
mud, which Issued from the volcano, and
that rompell was burled under showers of
ashes and stones.
There is no evidence that any lava was
emitted dining this eruption. But the
abundant steam given off by the volcano
seems to have condensed Into copious rain,
which, mixing with the light volcanic dust,
gave rise to torrents of pasty mud that
flowed down the slopes and overwhelmed
houses and villages. Herculaneum Is be
lieved to have been destroyed by these
"water lavas" and there Is reason to sup
pose that similar material filled the cellars
and lower parts of rompell.
Another great eruption of Vesuvius oc
curred December It!, Ifi3l, which for six
months previous was predicted by a series
of earthquakes of greater or less violence.
Vast clouds of dust and stones, blown "out
of the crater and funnel of the volcano,
were hurled Into the air and carried for
hundreds of miles, the finer particle fall
ing to the earth even In the Adriatic and
at Constantinople. The clouds of steam
condensed Into copious torrents, which,
mingling with the fine ashes, produced
muddy streams that swept far and wide
over the plains, reaching even, to the foot
of the Appenines. Issuing from the flanks
of the mountain,, several streams of lava
flowed down toward the west and south
and reached the sea at twelve or thirteen
different points. Though tha Inhabitants
had been warned by the earlier convulsions
of the mountain, so swiftly did destruction
come upon them that 18,000 people perished
fn the eruption.
After this great convulsion, which
emptied the crater, Veauvlus has never
again relapsed Into a condition of total
quiesenee. At Intervals, varying from a
few weeks or months to a few years. It
has broken out Into eruption, sometimes
emitting only steam, dust snd scorvise,
but frequently also streams of lava. The
years, 17ti6-67, 1779. 1794, 1825, 1872-79 and
1881, were marked by special activity, but
with no disastrous loss of life.
PERSONAL KOTF.S.
Prof. J. A. Davles of Kansas City, Kan.,
who has Just died, is said to have been the
oldest stenographer In the country, having
learned the art In 1842.
The British have abolished the middle
exit doors of electric "trains," Instituted
by the late Mr. Terkes. The "step-lively"
Idea does not appeal to them.
In Justice to Mr. Carnegie It should be
understood that when he kissed two south
ern women at Atlanta Saturday It was
strictly In their representative capacity.
San Francisco is almost paralysed by the
conduct of a district attorney there who
has a notion that laws were 'meant -to be
enforced. No precedent for hit radicalism
can be found in local records.
Count John Bernstoff. who has just been
promoted from the post of councilor of the
Oermsn embassy In Ixmdon to that of the
kaiser's minister in F-gypt, has an Amer
ican wife in the person of the daughter of
Edward Luckemeyer of New York.
Russell Sage at last has been eliminated .
as an active factor In Wall street's world
i.f flnant ilthniivh I. a la ,, a .1 1 I , i r '
In twenty-six railroads, he will appear no
more at the directors' meetings, which he
attended so punctually for years. Mr.
Sage will be 95 years old In August.
Joseph Q. Cannon, speaker of the house,
will be 70 years old on May 7, on which
day a large reception will be held In his
honor In Washington as the guest of fie
house of representatives. The affair Is
being planned on an elaborate scale and
the function will undoubtedly be one of the
biggest of Its kind ever held In the national
rapital.
Reverence nt Ihe Ballot Bos.
St. Paul Pioneer Press.
"When I vote. I put on my best clothes
and my top hat, go to the polls, salute
the officers, take off my hat and cast my
ballot." Such, as told By Andrew P. White
In his autobiography, was the declaration
of Prof. F.ste-von Fuertes, a scientist from
rorto Rico, once on the faculty of Cornell
university. Drawn to the I'nlted States by
sn ardent love of liberty, the ordinances
of her temple were in his view too sacred
to he participated In otherwise than with
a reverence and dignity akin to that which
characterises the behavior of the Chris
tian at the holy communion. Such a con
ception as this of the true nobility attach
ing to the exercise of the franchise, If It
should take root In the minds of the people,
would do not a little to purify our elec
tions and reduce the number of ballots
cast for unworthy candidates or un-American
policies. Prof. Fuertes held up an
ideal line of behavior for voters, the spirit
of which might well be generally cultivated.
Bourke TKe Tailor
319 So. 16th Street.
Has Added a Complete Line
of Snappy, High Grade Men's
Furnishing Goods.
The kind That Makes You
Feel Well Dressed and Look
the Part.
LET ME SHOW YOU.
I
HOMRSEF.KRRtl' RA0.
Extensive Westward Movement of Ihe
Uss llanary.
Chicago Tribune.
The derision of western railways to
make low rates to homSekrs weekly In
sures a heavy passenger traffic westward
this spring and salramer. Among the army
of homeseekers fill he htSny of th for
eigners who are ipoming Into the country
by hundreds of tltoqssnds.' Most of the lm
mlgrants wers farmer's In their native land
and prefer to become -so ,Ueri( Those who
stay In cities usually do no because they
get stranded there. Another big class that
will take advantage of the rates will be
composed of the sons of prosperous middle
western farmers. ; 9te fathers have made
their fortunes by "taking up" new 1hcm1
snd holding it while It grew In v:ilue and
the sons are ambitious to do llkewie.
Many land owners also will sell nut am!
go west to buy more snd cheaper acres
There Isn't so much good soil to be g u
almost for the niefV asking .ns there was
quarter century ago.. The middle west,
once the promised land Tf the- homesei-k'-r,
la now pretty well settled. There is still a
great deal of such aollj- however. There is
still some in It In 'as old states a Mis
souri and -Arkansasr 'There Is some in
western Kansas and western Nebraska.
But most of It is In the northwest and
southwest; and for these sections n ma
jority of the homeseekei s will buy tickets.
A large part of them will settle In Texas,
where there are many thousands of fertile
and unfilled acres. Another large part will
settle ia Minnesota, the Dskotas. Oregon
and Washington. Many others will be in
duced to follow ormer noighliois to the
Canadian northwest.
Land hunger haa long been one of tin
strong appetites of men. It has done more
to populate the extensive territory of Hie
United States- than any other force. It has
been the chief cause of many foreigners
coming here and has been the solo cause
of most easterners moving west aud of
most westerners moving farther west.
That it Is more potejjt sometimes than
even love of country la shown not only by
the numerous foreigners who have conn
to America but by the many Americans
who are going to Canada. Most men w ho
haven't land would like to have some, an I
those who have snme.want rnore.
I-and hunger will continue to send fotili
tralnloads of. homcseekers every year, un
til all the cultivable eaill on the continent Ik
become possible to get the Intensive system
of farming Widely substituted for the ex
tensive system. Men enjoy the ownership
of land as well as Its produce; and as long
as they can become owners of many acres
will not try to see how mujh.Tliey can glow
on a few.
MCRRV JINGLfc.
"The president Is a great peacemaker, hi t
ha?
. "He cortaJnly la There wasi Portsmouth
and now Algeclras. Say?"
"WhatT"
"Wonder who he doestv't try his hand on
the senate." Philadelphia Ledger.
"Our cook got It Into her head that she
could earn a big salary by going on the
stage."
"Did she.'go?
"No, my wife' Is giving her oil cents move
a week and she's going to stay with us. "
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
" 'Oh, docther. riaiiUitl' " says an old
woman in a atery. told by a- trained nurse
of how an operation fur appendicitis on the
woman's daughter waa evaded. " "Give her
two days' chance. Annwlnt do you
think? Before them two days was up ehe
coughed It up." "Boston Herald.
,
ll:tnr Iiid you get a good story of that
stabbing affray?
Reporter Yfs, sir.
, Editor-Then weil run'lt .with" plenty of
en f a Ra I Imnlv Amprli'kn
; Mr jatv
about worn
I , l r if Ml J J
hacfcV-a'm' fired! ef tftcMt Moke-
women being so slow to make up
their minds.
Mr. Jawback Well, I notice there are
no women In congress.
Mrs, jawnacK tee. ana just iook ai me
blamed thing! Cleveland Leaser.
The
ngtessman had given hla city
pail
i rion the iti-hssv exnanse was
sign
ii-e;i Oft.
The congressman scanned It critically.
"The prass is in no danger." he muttered.
"I know where thnt sign belongs."
A little later it was observed to be tacked
to the seat cf the congressional chair.
i-iilladelpLia l.U.;er. . . i l
The census taker: "How old are you
ma'am?"
The haughty liuly: "Twenty-six."
The census laker: "You mlsundei stood
me. I asked your age, no - your tem
perature." Cleveland Plalw Dealer.
A WOMAV W A.
S. E. Klser in the Recoid-lleiald.:..
When pa came home the other night-he
had a happy amlle
And said to ma that we would soon be
llvln' In great style,
Because a man had been around that day
to let him In,
Just ns a favor, on a thins; that couldn't
fall to win. "
"He'll let me have the stock," saya pa, ";tt
fifty cents a share
If I'll subscrlfce tomorrow, for there's lulu
left to spare.
"He'll let us In st fifty cents, for evet.v
sliara we buy,"
Says pa, while ma she didn't seerd to
hardly hat an eye,
"An in six weeks from now. U. we've tt
mind to let it go.
Weil get ten dollars for each share that's
estimated low
I've seen his papers and they're straight;
there ain't a chance to loss
Say, what s the trouble with you, ma? Tou
don't aet-m to enthuse."
"If It's as good as that," says ma, "I can't
quite understand
What makes hint want to let lr go. Of
course It would be grand
To get the money, but I'd feel aa though It
wasn't fair
To rob him. as we would IT we should lake
a single share."
"Confound a woman, anyway," says pa.
To want to wake a person when he
ing pleasant dreams."