Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, December 03, 1906, Page 4, Image 4

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    TOE OMAHA DAILY BEE: MONT) AT, PECEMBEIT 3, IP06.
The Omaha Daily Bee.
rOl.Nt.ED UK EDWARD ROB K W AT F. R.
VICTOR nOHEWATKR, KVDITOR.
Entered at Omaha postofflce as second
class mattsr
TERMS OP" SUBSCRIPTION.
Daily Bm (without Sunday), one year.. $4 M
Dally Bee and Bunday, one year
Fundny Be, one year
Saturday Jfee, one year
DELIVERED BY CARRIER.
Telly Pee (Including Sunday), per week. .ISO
Daily BM (without Sunday), per week..Wo
Kvenlns; Bee (without Bunday), per week to
Evening Be (with Bunday), per week..lo
Address complaints of Irregularities In de
livery to City Circulating Department.
offices.
Omaha The Bee building.
South Omaha City Hall building".
Council Bluffs 10 Pearl street.
Chicago imo Unity building-. .,
New York-It Home Life Ina. building.
Washing-ton Ml Fourteenth street.
CORRESPONDENCE.
Communications relating to newa and edi
torial matter should be addressed: Omaha
Bee, Editorial Department.
REMITTANCES. , . .
RrrW by draft, express or postal order
payable to The Bee Publishing company.
Only J-cent sumps received as payment ol
mall accounts. Personal checks except on
Omaha or eastern exchanges, not eceeptea.
THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY.
STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION.
Btste of Nebraska, Douglas County, ss:
Charles C. Rosewater. general manager
of The Bee Publishing company, being
duly sworn, says that the actual number
of full and complete copies of The Daily,
Morning, Evening and Sunday Bee printed
during the month of November, 10, was
as follows:
1 93,740 It 31,180
S 31.660 IT 11,990
I....' 31,880 1 80,O0
4 ,.. 30,600 1 31,480
t 31.070 20.. 31,770
38,100 ' 21 81,400
T 86,830 ' 22 81,130
t 33,430 21 31,300
S 31,930 24 31,880
10 i... 38,090 25 30,480
11 80,860 2 31,400
11 , 81,880 27 3L8B0
It 81,040 2 31,480
14 31,980 J9 81,680
is 8i,aao so 31,630
Total ' 161,810
Less unsold copies 3,878
Net total sales..... 343,033
Dally average 31,401
CHARLES C. ROSEWATER,
General Manager.
Subscribed In my presence and sworn to
before me this 1st day of December, 10.
(Seal) M. B. HUNOATE,
' Notary Public
WHEN OUT OF TOWIt.
Subscribers leaving: the city tem
porarily shoald hare The Bee
mailed to them. Address will be
chanced as ette as requested.
It bow develops that guards were
used at Panama to prevent coal pass
erg from working themselves to death.
Testimony at Chicago would Indi
cate that certain union labor leaders
had taken a lesson from frenzied finan
ciers. The decision of German aristocrats
to raise hogs bodes ill for the pending
conference for a new trade treaty with
the United States.
Revival of piracy in China proves
that strong men exist in the empire,
though thAr efforts are directed In
the wrong channel.
Russia may find its highest purpose
is supplying arid and frigid America
with seeds of grain that will grow
without the minimum supply of water
and heat.
Buyers can help themselves and the
clerks by taking first pick of the holi
day offerings, and they will then have
time to put their minds in a proper
state for Christmas.
In comparison with total deficit, Mr.
Helnze's donation of $100,000 to
Aetna Trust company depositors
malces the value of his reputation
"look like 30 cents."
It denying the existence of a
"Three-Kaiser league," Austria shows
thaf even fear of danger to the royal
prerogative Is not strong enough to
allay national distrust.
The Guggenheim interests have set
a new precedent in the matter of float
ing mining stocks, but all promoters
do not have a United States senator
ship for the family at stake.
The mikado has undoubtedly given
Russia real assistance by announcing
that Japan wiy borrow no money at
this time. Investors may find it better
to buy Russian bonds than nothing.
The report that Prussia may re
establish tolls for traffic on the Rhine
Is scarcely to be believed, considering
the difficulty with which the "robber
baron" was exterminated a few centu
ries a 50.
The liberal party of Great Britain
seems to have decided that Ireland
should have home rale on the install
ment plan and from all appearances
the United States will set it an object
lesson In the Philippines.
The decision of Cuban conservatives
to hold seats in the Insular congress.
la the face of a possible request for
their retirement, proves that there are
some people who do not realise the
full scope of the Piatt amendment.
Mr. Harrlman is undertaking to In
gratiate himself with Illinois people
by promising to pay $8,000,000 In
taxes which the Illinois Central owes
to the Sucker state. If Mr. Harrlman
would only take steps now to have the
Union Pacific pay the taxes It owes In
Nebraska much would be forgiven.
In acknowledging the donation of
the Schiller monument by the united
Oerman societies the Omaha Park
board Indirectly calls attention to a
neglected feature of our parks. When
the Schiller statute Is set up in River
view park it will be the first of its
kind In the city. ' Omaha has some of
the most beautiful parks In the world
but they are woefully lacking In this
sort of ornamentation.
TRK "fTtonV SESSION
The ensuing session of congress
since it must terminate at farthest
by constitutional amendment on March
4, or only three months hence, Is ap
propriately designated the short ses
sion. Of that brief period, too, two
weeks or more during the holiday
season is practically lost, so that for
substantial purposes the session might
almost as well begin the first Monday
in January m on the corresponding
day In December By sheer limitation
of time, therefore, if for no other
reason, it is not likely that the con
cluding session of this congress will
differ much from those of other con
gresses, or that, in addition to the
appropriations and routine business,
many important measures of new or
constructive legislation will be enacted.
There is, nevertheless, profound in
terest in the proceedings. In spite of
the large number of laws of great im
portance passed at the previous ses
sion, many other measures of like
character were left over. It may be
safely assumed that the President will
press for action on them, at the same
time that he challenges the attention
of congress to new subjects. I Public
opinion is likewise calling more In
sistently even than a year ago for pro
gressive legislation. The very number
of propositions that have been or will
be crystalized and urged may operate
to consume time and by lack of agree
ment as to precedence tend to prevent
action, and with the expansion of our
governmental operations the mass of
purely routine legislation has now
grown to be so great as to facilitate
obstructionist purposes at the short
session.
Under all the conditions, however,
the session can hardly fail, even though
not many measures of first Importance
be consummated, to be of great im
portance, especially as a preparation
for the work of the next congress, as
an educational influence and in a genu
ine sense as a promoter of the posi
tive alms embraced in President
Roosevelt's program. The result will
be at least to put into authentic form
and reduce to specific point the meth
ods which are vital for carrying on
the great movement which the presi
dent has led.
THE JAPANESE SCHOOL QUESTION- ,
The Japanese school question In
San Francisco, though temporarily
lost sight of, is now known to be big,
with serious possibilities, and to in
volve serious difficulties that our gov
ernment cannot evade. Popular feel
ing in Japan appears to be eimply
waiting In expectation that President
Roosevelt will promptly see to it that
all discrimination at San Francisco
shall cease. But the matter cannot
be bo summarily disposed of, because
public opinion in that locality is prac
tically unanimous, and the president
has been notified that summary exer
tion of national power would provoke
dangerous disturbance and probably
riots, of which Japanese would be the
victims and which would make the
situation a thousandfold worse.
It Is a delicate matter, involving
the pride of the most sensitive nation
on earth, which has Just been victor
ious in war with so powerful an em
pire as Russia. It is as dangerous,
too, as delicate, for the Japanese can
not be disposed of as the Chinese have
been. The contingency of war, though
it be regarded as a remote one, is not
one for even the United States to con
sider lightly, but it is only one among
many grave contingencies.
The serious fact is that continua
tion of the discrimination which local
sentiment at San Francisco and gener
ally on the Pacific coast demands, If
the national government should act in
harmony with it, would Inevitably pro
voke intense bitterness in Japan and
cause retaliation. Japan unquestion
ably la in position to strike back moi
effectively to our hurt, without show
ing greater prejudice than, we are
showing against the Japanese. Japan
holds the gateway to the far east, over
which it is of Incalculable importance
that we have a friendly keeper.
The advices from Washington may
well be credited, that the government
has in hand no other foreign question
which causes so much concern, and
that President Roosevelt Is giving it
his closest attention. It is a discourag
ing circumstance that the local au
thorities and local sentiment in Cali
fornia, upon which so much depends
for a successful settlement, do not
seem to realise how critical the situa
tion is or disposed to take a broadly
patriotic view of it.
A KKEVED TRAIN.
Generally speaking the train serv
ice In and out of Omaha is excellent.
The daylight arrangements could
hardly be better than they are, but an
improvement can be made in the serv
ice at night One of the things es
pecially needed is trains that will al
low people from the interior of the
state to spend the evening in Omaha
and return to their homes after the
theater. The Burlington now has
such a train and people can spend the
evening In Omaha attending the thea
ter, or otherwise, and reach home as
far as Lincoln in goou season. The
Missouri Pacific has a train which
takes care of its patrons in the south,
and these people appreciate the con
dition and reward th company by
their patronage.
A few years ago the Union Pacific
had a similar train which was very
popular, but it was abandoned be
cause the eastern connections of the
Union Pacific were altered and Its
train schedule was arranged to suit
the convenience of the Iowa roads.
For several months there has been a
clamor for a restoration of this train.
It would be of immense value to peo
ple as far west as Grand Island. The
matter has been presented to the
I'nlon Pacific authorities, and by each
ipartment Is pronounced "a good
thing," but as yet no steps have been
taken to re-establish the service. A
midnight train out of Omaha on the
Union Pacific Just at present would be
one of the most popular moves that
railroad could make.
cha irman burtons stand.
In making public thus early his
hostility to appropriations for river
Improvements, either on the Missouri
or on the Mississippi above St. Louis,
Chairman Burton of the house rivers
and harbors committee merely reiter
ates with emphasis the position he
has held for years, going so far as to
declare that the Missouri should no
longer be regarded as a navigable
river. And Mr. Burton undoubtedly
represents an Influential although nu
merically not large element in con
gress which must be reckoned' with
in the movement to restore our in
terior river system as an efficient fac
tor in transportation.
The subject Is complicated by the
wastes and futilities which have char
acterized so large a proportion of the
national expenditures for so-called im
provement of rivers and harbors. It
Is notorious that unnumbered millions
have been worse than wasted, public
money having been apportioned as
"work" in response to mere local
greed and not for any substantial pur
pose of navigation. It will be better
to realize first than last that if the re
opening of the Mississippi and its
main tributaries is to be accomplished
it will have to be as a great national
undertaking, before which mere local
Interests, grabs and electioneering
schemes must give way.
It will be necessary, therefore, for
the people of the interior states sub
stantially to agree on some specific
plan demonstrably fittest for the great
public purpose, some part of which
can be undertaken and completed. On
this basis, which presupposes subordi
nation of merely local projects, their
representatives in congress by combin
ing could even now proceed hopefully.
The very first step rouet infallibly be
to eliminate the Jobs, absurdities and
local schemes from the rivers and
harbors bill.
The beet sugar campaign In Ne
braska, drawing to a close, has been
one of the most profitable in the his
tory of the industry although the fac
tories have been hampered, as have
all other Industries, by a shortage of
competent help. The sugar beet has
not occupied so prominent a place in
Nebraska affairs of late as It once did.
but the industry is on a very solid
basis.
Nebraska schools are to share in
the prosperity which the state enjoys,
the value of school lands for leasing
having been more than doubled, with
a corresponding Increase in revenue.
The wisdom of the founders of the Ne
braska school system is being exhib
ited in the wealth of the magnificent
heritage they secured for the children
of the state.
A slight decrease noted in the
Omaha bank clearings reported for
the week is not due to a cessation of
business, but can be charged to the
fact that ono of the leading banks of
the city was closed on one of the bus
iest days of the week owing to the
death of its president.
The persistency with which hogs
cling to the six-dollar mark is mo,st
encouraging to the farmers, many of
whom can easily recall the day when
they were glad to get $3. And this
prosperity has come to them under re
publican administration and repub
lican policies.
The legislature Is to be asked to
take up the matter of state reports
and make some provision to guard
against duplication. Experience Indi
cates that a properly equipped blue
pencil would save the state a great
deal of money if Judiciously wielded.
State Treasurer Mortensen has the
permanent school fund all Invested.
While he has not yet been dubbed
"Honest Pete." he has given the af
fairs of his office such attention that
his administration will stand as a
model for a great many years.
South Omaha merchants are enjoy
ing the benefits of the interurban line
which has made Bellevue and Fort
Crook available as patrons. The time
will come when Omaha's retail trade
will be given a boost by similar means.
Sympathy for City Dwellers.
Indianapolis News.
After reading Secretary Wilson's annual
report, the liberal-minded farmer mast feel
more sympathy than ever for the misera
ble dwellers In cities.
Indifference Drerds Trouble.
Pittsburg Dispatch.
The British Soap trust has been forced to
dissolve by public opinion. But In this coun
try our trust magnates are indifferent to
public opinion until It takes the form of In
dlctments.
Toe the Mark.
Washing-tan Star.
After seeing what can happen to an entire
battalion in the way of discipline. It may
be assumed that the United States army
will take even greater pains than before to
observe the moat punctilious decorum.
I'lrlnar Knnrka Afar.
Indianapolis Newa
It Is very creditable, of course, for those
New York minister to do what they can
toward the reform of the Congo Free State,
but are they perfectly sure that they have
done everything they can In this line that
Is called for in their own city?
Tillman at His Worst.
Philadelphia Record.
nis mnamniaiury imcago lecture Is an
exhibition of Senator Tillrr.an of South
Carolina, at his worst. In his publlo dis
cussions of the race question he la a Ire
brand and a fanatic; but It la said of him
that in Ms private dealings and Inter
course with black men no man la more fair
jr tolerant.
Rebates Marked Down.
Washington Herald.
The Sugar trust has been fined for ac
cepting rebates, but the Bne only amounts
to about one-half of the rebate. It seems
that the stock of rebates Instead of being
closed 6ut has simply been marked down
60 per cent.
Cultivating the Orient.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
American agricultural machinery is In
lively demand in Manchuria, The world
has learned where to buy the best plows,
reapers, mowers and threshers, and must
hold the door open to the American prod
uct or get along with something Inferior.
Slabs of the Weary t'onsanier.
Kansas' City Star.
Prices for food continue to rise so steadily
with the volume of production In this coun
try that with another bumper crop like
that of this year It seems doubtful whethet
people of moderate means would be able
to exist at all. Not that a crop failure Is
prayed for, but the weary consumer would
like some kind of a change mighty well.
Tardy Jeatlce.
St. Louis Republic.
The allowance by the War department ot
claims for pay due members of Bryan's
old Nebraska regiment Is an act of tardy
Justice to a body of gallant soldiers who
were badly treated by the studious holding
of them back from the firing line during
the war with Spain. Volunteers who are
not allowed to fight ought at least to be
fully paid.
A Remote Prospect.
Chicago Record-Herald.
If the Waters-Pierce Oil company were
to be found guilty on all the counts In
the Indictments now standing against it
and fined to the full extent of the law
the penalties would foot up $1,530,000. That
would help some but it has been estab
lished that the Waters-Pierce company la
a part of the Standard Oil trust, and it
seldom has to pay the maximum penalty.
Did Yon (Jet Yonr ha ret ,
Chicago Chronicle.
The secretary of agriculture, Mr. Wilson,
places the value of this year's farm
products at $6,794,000,000 an Increase of
$188,000,000 over Inst year, which surpassed
any previous year. The total Is not much
less than $88 for each man, woman and
child In the country, and the excess over
last year is not far from $6 per capita. 80
It would not make any of us rich If di
vided equally, but altogether it will suffice,
no doubt, to keep up the boom for a while
yet.
CAS CHANDLER GET BACK f
Possibility of a Change In the Ifevr
Hampshire denatornhlp.
Washington Herald.
The press representatives at the capltol,
to say nothing of other groups of persons
whose business or pleasure Is to follow
the proceedings of congress, hope there
Is solid foundation for the report that in
the queer scrimmage now going on in New
Hampshire over the United States senator
ship Hon. William Eaton Chandler will
emerge with his scrawny form enveloped
in the toga. At present Mr. Chandler Is
chairman of the Spanish Treaty Claims
commission. He vas appointed to this po
sition by President McKlnley soon after he
went down to defeat in the battle which
for years he had waged against the rail
roads In his state, and has been continued
In the office by President Roosevelt. In
spite of the sharp question of veracity that
arose last spring between him and the
president over certain negotiations for sup
port of the administration's railroad rate
program, Mr. Roosevelt only a few weeks
ago commissioned Mr. Chandler for an
other six months' term as chairman of the
claims commission. The newspaper men
want him returned to the senate, because
they know that If he should get back
to that august tribunal there would be
something doing just at those dull times
when the conscript fathers are least In
clined to strenuous activity. Mr. Chandler
had a way about him when a member of
the senate of stirring up trouble and ex
citement at the most unexpected moments.
When it pleased hie mood for the senate
not to be quiescent or dull, he knew how
to create a debate that led to turmoil.
At the height of the excitement and when
the senators wtere threatening to pull
hair and do other unsenatorlal things to
one another, the New Hampshire states
man usually gilded out to the cloakroom
and there held his sides to prevent them
from splitting with laughter. No two men
In publlo life are warmer friends than
are he and Senator Tillman, but they have
had some of the liveliest rows in the senate
that have been witnessed there In modem
times. The South Carolinian never seemed
to realise that his New Hampshire chum
stirred him up only to have fun.
ANOTHER DEPARTMENT SCANDAL.
Operations of Coal Land Grabbers
Comlagr to Lih.
Pittsburg Dispatch.
There are two investigations going on
at Salt Lake City Into the relationship
existing between the railroads and the
coal companies In Utah, Idaho, Wyoming,
Nevada and Colorado which promise im
portant results. One of these Is by the
federal grand Jury; the other by Inter
state Commerce Commissioner Clarke. In
dictments are rumored, but are said to
be withheld pending the completion of
Mr. Clarke's Inquiry, which struck what
looks to be a rich lead recently.
Michael Myendorff, a special agent of
the Land department, offered an affidavit,
charging that Influential men had en
deavored to dissuade him from continu
ing his inquiry into the coal land frauds
in Utah. He was transferred to Los
Angeles and later to Portland before he
could finish his work. One assertion
he makes Is that Senator Warren of Wy
oming warned him not to go after the
Union Pacific, as he would Incur that cor
poration's enmity. Warren's colleague,
Clark, and Commissioner Richards of the
land office are also mentioned, and Myens
dorff says that charges filed by him with
the Land department at Washington were
suppressed.
It has been publicly asserted that the
I'nlon Paclflo and Rio Grande have es
tablished a coal monopoly In the states
mentioned so absolute that an actual
famine of fuel Is now existing In The
far west In Utah it is charged that
through dummies who obtained grants
of what were classed as agiicultura,
lands, but were In reality coal lands, the
railroad corporations acquired large tracts
legally. It la with these charges that the
federal grand jury haa been dealing. Com
missioner Clarke is looking Into the dis
crimination that has kept Independent;
out of competition. If MyendorfTs affi
davit is established it must develop a
scandal as startling as that In the Post
office department. The senatorial and
congressional Interest disclosed In the
Oregon cases was hardly peculiar to thai
state, and other members may yet be
called upon to answer equally grave ac
cusations. If there is foundation foi
the serious reflections made by Myen
durff the disclosure must prove still mor.
strikingly the value of the services ren
dered by Secretary Hitchcock In going
after frauds whose manipulations seem
to have extended even lute the Interior
department Itself.
8TATB PRESS COMMENT.
Kearney Hub: The evidence offered by
the government In the Bartlett-Rlchards
land fraud trial Is exceedingly strong
and apparently sufficient to secure con
viction, which would be the last stroke
In breaking up the cattle ring that haa
dominated northwest Nebraska.
The Viking: The 1 "publican party of
Nebraska haa assumed a great responsi
bility for the conduct and acts of the
incoming legislature. This time it will
more truly than ever be "weighed in the
balance." We hope it will not be "found
wanting," but "make good" all its antl
electlon promises.
Grand Island Independent: President
Roosevelt's action In filling the vacancy
on the civil service commission by the
appointment of a democrat, thereby mak
ing the commission democratic by one.
Is not radical. It shows that the presi
dent means what he says political affili
ation should not have anything to do
with the branches of the publlo service
under the rules of the commission. It
Is Rooseveltlan because It demonstrates
thoroughly that the president Is sincere
in his beliefs. . Perhaps It's an uncom
mon thing to do, but it's a mighty good
example to the commission Itself and to
the country at large.
Thurston Oasette: We wonder why a
newspaper should be a railroad organ.
Does the annual mileage book, valued at
from fifty to one hundred dollars, act as
a bribe or retaining fee? Newspapers
owe their existence to the patronage rt
the farmers, merchants and business men
to whose Interests the railroad graft Is
diametrically opposed. Two courses are
left to the public In managing the rail
road newspaper organ. Either furnish
the editor free transportation so that he
will feel under no obligation to the rail
road, or withdraw all patronage from
every railroad tool aijd let them look to
the railroad for their entire support. Re
duce their circulation and advertising to
sero. Farmers and business men It Is
up to you.
Grand Island . Independent: Says a
present day exhorter against all labor
unions: "There are about seventy-eight
millions of people In this country who are
not members of any trust, either of labor
or capital. Opposed to them are perhaps
2,000,000 of cltlsens, members of the labor
organizations." This statement, unquali
fied, Is contained in the "press bureau"
matter of a committee of capitalists
which Is trying to save the country from
its American laboring men. We, believe
our fair-minded readers not those who
blindly assert that capital is organised
and combines Its forces In a survival of
the fittest but those who are open to
receive evidence, will be glad to learn
that there is now really only one genuine
octopus in the country, only one trust,
the Labor trust. The two millions of
cltlsens "belong to that Iniquitous affair.
The "seventy-eight millions" are free and
Independent "common" people. There
are no other trusts than the Labor trust
at all. It is encouraging, indeed. And
if you have any belated thanks to offer It
certainly should be for this.
Tekamah Herald: We notice that some
of our weekly exchanges are affording
space to railroad articles against the plank
In the republican state platform favoring
the taxation of railroad property for city
and village purposes. The railroads are
attempting to show that the kind of legis
lation proposed would work an Injury to
rural communities. This is not the case
and they know it. Their effort Is an at
tempt of willful deception. If the proposed
reform measure Is enacted into law the
State Board of Equalisation will assess
railroad property, Just the same as they
have by ascertaining the total value ot the
respective lines and apportion It on the
mileage basis. For instance, we will take
the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis &
Omaha: its mileage In Nebraska Is valued
at $48,600 per mile. This Includes right-of-
way, equipments, terminals and stocks and
bonds. One-fifth of the above value Is the
assessment basis, and upon that valuation
every county through which the road runs
makes its levy, and will continue to do so
If the proposed legislation Is enacted. The
difference being that in every city or town
In which the nad has depots, sidetracks
and other Improvements that the city or
town can assess those Improvements, and
Jhat they bear the same ratio of taxatlcn
lor city purposes uiil any umer property
In the city bears and no more. Suppose
that Tekamah had a depot and other im
provements worth $50,000, the city could
only assess under the present law, on the
mileage basis of three-quarters of a mile,
the one-fifth being $6,850. Under the new
law the $00,000 improvements would be as
sessed at $10,000 In addition to the value
of the roadbed and proper share of equip
ments and bond a. It is silly In the ex
treme for these hirelings to attempt to
throw dust in the eyes of those not posted
on the situation. The enactment of the
proposed legislation will not take a dollar
from any school or road district that it
now obtains under present methods, but
It will require railroads to pay cities and
villages on their property located within
the corporate limits of each municipality,
which la only Justice and a fair compensa
tion for the fire and police protection which
they receive. This claptrap of saying that
If the republican party will enact such
legislation that it will sound Its own death
warrant has the earmarks of the railroad
tool who pays for the space. The time Is
past for such threats to have any weight.
No self-respecting newspaper can afford
to give space to fight the best Interests of
Its subscribers.
PEATCREI OP THE LOCK, CANAL.
Varying; Width, Depth and Locks of
Panama Ditch.
Secretary Taft in the Century.
The lock canal, beginning on the north
shore line, has a width of 600 feet for three
miles to Oatun. At Gatun there is to be
a duplicate flight of three locks, which will
lift the vessels up to a lake to be formed
by a dam constructed at that point. The
lake thus formed contains lit square miles,
is thirty miles long, and at places Is eight
miles wide. The eteamer channel In this
lake is about twenty-three miles long. For
ten miles the lake Is several miles wide,
with I a depth of water, beginning at the
dam, 1 of seventy-five feet, and gradually
reducing and shelving back to a depth of
forty-five feet. For sixteen miles the pas
sage In the lake, which we shall call Gatun,
has a nominal width of 1,009 feet, though
It Is in most places very much wider than
that. It then Is reduced to a width of too
feet for nearly four miles as It approaches
the higher land; It then narrows to 600 feet
for nearly four miles; for nearly three
miles more It hss a width of X) feet, and
then for four miles a width of too feet.
This carries It through the Culebra cut.
Then for two miles It has a width of 3U0
feet, when a lock with a lift and descent of
thirty feet Is reached at Pedro Miguel, from
which there is lake navigation at flfty-flve-foot
level for five miles to Bosa Hill, In
which there are two locks, carrying the
vessels down to the Paclflo ocean.
The Yankee In German Eyes.
Die Woche of Berlin.
The Yankees are a Joyous people. They
are before everything optimists. Why
hould they not be? They dwell in a
spacious land full of treasurers of the
earth. They are not overladen with knowl.
edge, but learn for practice, and during
the greater part of the year a blue heaven
stretches over them. For all those reasons
the Kanaees may well laugh. The Ameri
cans are, however, bora humorists
ROVND ABOCT NEW YQHK.
Ripples Oa the Carreat of Life la the
Metropolis.
The editor of a Philadelphia monthly,
reared In the gentle, mannerly life hal
lowed in the traditions of the Qusker
City, occasionally Journeys to New York
to receive a few Impressions of the stren
uous pece, the uncouth speech and the
long reach which takes high rank In the
Justly celebrated features of the big city.
The editor gets what he seeks and tells
what he knows. Regarding a recent ex
perience he writes:
If ever a lost art was represented by a
people It is the art of courtesy among
those who serve the public In New York
City. Motormen, conductors, cabmen,
salesmen and even the policemen seem
to vie with each other as to who will ex
cel In the art of bad manners.
Stand on a New York street corner, for
Instance, and hall a trolley; car after car
will whirl by you, with the motorman as
absolutely regardless of you as If you
did not exist. Four of these cars rushed
by me the other day and I Jumped on the
fifth, took my stand near the motorman,
and called his attention to four women
at the next corner whom he passed.
"Didn't those women want to get on?"
I asked.
"They did," was the illuminating an
swer. "Don't you stop this car when people
want to get on?" -I continued.
"I do when I think It's right see?" he
answered, and then turning to me he po
litely added: "And I can do it without
your help, too,"
Two blocks further up and a policeman,
who had boarded the car, nudged the mo
torman and Indicated with a side motion
of his head a man standing on the cross
ing with two women, hailing the car with
one hand while in the palm of the other
he showed a quarter! The car stopped In
stantly; the man got on the front plat
form, and as he passed the motorman ha
slipped the quarter Into the letter's pocket.
The passenger took a seat In the car. I
went In and sat next to him.
"Pretty expensive that sort of thing. Isn't
It?" I ventured.
"It Is," said the man, "but I've found
it's about the only way to ge these fiends
to notice you. and I'm In a hurry."
And so, I thought, it has come to this
in New York 26 cents to stop a car and S
cents to ride In It!
I went to a theater box office and asked
for two seats for the evening's perform
ance and their location.
"Four dollars," came the reply as two
tickets were slid under the glass window.
"Let me see the diagram, please," I
asked. "I want to see where the seats
are."
"Good seats," came the answer. "Take
them or leave them."
"I'll answer that question, my friend,"
I replied, "when I see the diagram, and
I'll keep this line behind me waiting until
I do see it."
And then there was slammed down In
front of me the diagram, and the two seats
were back of a post, of course!"
The combined elevated and underground
system of the Interborough Rapid Transit
company took In 1,484,777 nickels on Mon
day, November f6, and established a new
record for the heaviest day of traffic More
passengers were carried than ever before
I in the history of the combined or separate
companies.
If the company were to turn the receipts
for that day over to one of Its faithful
dally patrons that man could ride twice a
day on the subway, seven days In the
week, for 2,036.4 years, and still have 430
rides or so coming to him. It's awful to
think of the distance he could ride during
that time, but he could be well on his way
to the sun were he bound in that direction
out Into the firmament.
The Income for the day to the company
was more than $74,000.
The passengers carried on the elevate 1
lines not only exceeded the high record
. for last year, but passed the record for
1 1904, which has been the banner year thus
ir, snowing wiai 11 nss not oniy regainea
the traffic originally lost to the subway,
but Is now carrying larger crowds than
ever.
The elevated llnea carried 917,143 passen
gers, an Increase of 88,235 over the corre
sponding day last year, a gain over the
best day In 1904. The subway carried 509,
034 passengers, which Is an Increase of
S.1.J24 passengers over the corresponding
day of last year. -
On this business of one day the total
revenue of the Manhattan llnea and the
subway shows an Increase of $8,514.92 over
the corresponding day of last year.
For over a year Mrs. Rice of New York
haa been trying to find some federal, stale
or munlalpal official who would confess
that he had the authority to stop the un
necessary blowing of steam whistle In New
York harbor and on the North river.
Finally, with the aid of Secretary Shaw,
the supervising Inspector of the steamboat
Inspection service of the Second district
was convinced that he had jurisdiction and
an order has been issued which does all
that Mrs. Rice hoped for. ,
According to the circular Issued, the use
of sirens on merchant vessels Is strictly
forbidden. Any pilot violating the order
will be liable to trial for dangerous mis
demeanor. Flreboate may use the siren
while going to a fire, but not while re
turning. Private signaling with whistles Is
forbidden except In case of distress. Any
pilot who uses the whistle in the future, as
has been the common practice In (he past,
to call the attention of watchmen or other
persona on shore or on other vessels, will
be liable to suspension. "Even if com
pliance with this order makes it necessary
to employ watchmen to call the men on
the docks to make fast lines or get ready
to receive freight or passengers, still this
order must he obeyed." Is the emphatic
language of the supervising Inspector. Sa
lutes of passing vessels are to be made
by the dipping of flag and not by whistles
although this la put as a recommendation
and not at present as a command.
A man In a New York downtown office
was complaining to his associates.
"I live In a boarding house," he said,
"that is run by the meanest wontan this
side of Tophet. I haven't had a square
meal for a month. She sets a fairly good
table, but when I take my place I am
served with a little cold meat, some stale
bread, a cup of tea, ami a dab of potatoes
Once I was foolish enough to think I ooul1
sneak out something after meals, but I
reckoned without taking the Innate devlltrv
of that woman Into consideration. Bh
not only locks up the pantry good and
tliht, but carries the cold chicken and
other good things to her own room and
Inters them In a closet. Besides, she turns
GORDON FURS
From a collection of 50Q0 beau
tiful mink skins your mink gar
ment muff or neckpiece can be of .
the choicest.
cmt the gaa In my room every nfKht at
8:30. and I either have to go to bed or sit
In the dark."
"You're a fool." Interrupted one of the
men, savagely. "I wouldn't live In Such a
place two seconds when New York Is lit
erally running over with good boarding
houses. Why don't you leave?"
"I can't," sighed the man. "I'm ber hus
band." Health Commissioner Posley of New York.
City sounds a note of warning to auto
moblllsts. He declare that speed mania
and the danger attending travel at high
speed are undoubtedly responsible for a
condition which he describes as the ant
heart and which Is liable to cause death.
"Autoinoblllsts with hearts that have the
slights tendency to weakness should be
cautious," s:iys Bosley. "The excitement
of rapid traveling out In the open causes
an overstrain on the heart and If this or
gan Is weak the condition of the auto
moblllst Is a most dangerous one. Some
thing slightly out of the ordinary, like a
narrow escape from collision or the run
Mug down of a man, might give the finish
ing touch and death might result."
PERSONAL NOTES.
The burning of Yuba Dam may familiar
ise a generation that knows little of Bret
Harte with some of his clever verses.
George B. Loighton, who Is prominently
mentioned for United States senator from
New Hampshire, Is 43, a Harvard man
and a member of an old New Hampshire
family. Ho made quite a fortune In rail
ways and steel.
The king of Spain's hobby Is the collec
tion of coins. In his collection are mors
than 50.000 specimens. Strangely enough
he Is not musical, much to the regTet of
his musical subjects, of which there are
so many in that land of sunshine and
song.
Chicago people are mighty hard te please.
One man quit a Job because he attracted
too much attention as a hero. A school
ma'am resigned because she was too at
tractive. Another woman sued for a di
vorce on the ground that her husband was
too affectionate. '
Prof. Louis Schneider, the first director
of the Marine band in Washington and
the leader of the Imperial band, which was
at the surrender of Sedan, haa Just died
in New York. He received decorations
from Napoleon II., from the king of Italy,
the king of Belgium and Pope Leo XIII.
George W. Smalley has been succeeded
as American correspondent of the London
Times by Robert P. ' Porter, ' who haa
opened an office In Washington for the
Thunderer. Although n Englishman by
birth, Mr. Porter Is much better known
In the United States . than on the other '
side of the Atlantic,
In leading young Mr. Rockefeller's Bible
class last Sunday Rev. Dr. Aked told a
story apropos of the cold Intellectuality
of Emerson. When a narrow-minded min
ister said to a more liberal minister that
Emerson "had surely gone to perdition"
the latter replied: "If he has gone there
you may be sure that he lowered the tem
perature." PASSING PLEASANTRIES.
"I did not suspect that your purpose In
attaching me to yourself was a fell one,"
said the shirt reproachfully to the sewing
machine.
"You should remember what the poet
says," retorted the sewing machine;
"Things are seldom what they seam,"
rial tl more American.
"The first day he went out with his new
auto he got pulled."
"For going fast?"
"No: quite the opposite."
, "l aon i see
' "For stopping fast; he had to hire a
farmer to haul him home." Houston Post.
"She has postponed her marriage date
until late Jn January."
"Why?"
"She wants to make sure of a" Christ
mas present from him." Cleveland Plain
Dealer.
"She dotes on heroes.''
"Then she should adore her husband."
"Why, did he ever do anything heroic?"
''He (married her." Indianapolis News.
Pluto was boasting of his three-headed
dog.
"Well. It will get left," answered his
daughter's suitor. "I have only one pair
of pants."
Seeing that there -as not enough work
to go round the o.J man stopped brag
ging. New York Sun.
"Refore you unfold your scheme," said
the cautious rapltallHt and prospective In
vestor, "you will have to promise to let
me in on the ground floor."
"Why er as to that," answered the pro
moter, visibly embarrassed, "there Isn't
going to be any ground floor. This Is a
flying machine enterprise." Chicago Trib
une. "I don't know what she meant, y' know."
"What did she say?"
"Well, 1 was snylng that I didn't feel
like myself today, and, by Jovs! she con
gratulated me heurtily!" Brooklyn Eagle.
"I wish I had money enough to buy aa
automobile."
"What kind of one would you get?"
"I'd get a spanking team of horses."
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
"How free and easy that girl is In her
conversation."
"Yes: she talks like a married woman,"
Illustrated Bits.
"Lady," said Plodding Pete, "are you
one o' deae people dat bates tramps?"
"I am," was the prompt and decisive
answer.
"Wall, wouldn't you like to show your
feelln's by temptln me to overeat myself
an puttln' de curse of dyspepsia on me?"
Washington Star.
HEART'S CONTENT.
Barton Grey.
Far over troublous seas there Is an Isle,
Above whose valleys bluest skies are
bent.
Where balmy breezes blow and soft suas
smile
Men call it Heart's Content.
And every prow that rides the sea of life
To that dear distant Isle is turned for
eye;
Through baffling calms and stormy waves
of strife.
Holding Its doubtful way.
Oft In the midmost ocean barque meets
baniue.
And us they pass from each the chal
lenge sent
Comes back the same across the waters
dark
le steer for Heart's Centent" -
For many an Isle there is. so like, so like
The mystic goal of all that travail sore,
That oft the wave worn keels on strange
sands strike
And And an alien shore.
But ever, as the anchor drops and sails
From off the storm strained yards are
all unbent;
From the tall masthead stlirthe watcher
halls
"Lo, yonderl Heart's Content!"
And so once more the prow Is seaward set:
Hearts still hope on, though waves roll
durk around ;
tnd on the stern men write the same
"Regret,"
And fate forth, outward bound.