THE OMAIIA DAILY BEE: WEDNESDAY. DlX'EMHEl! .TO. IPOS. JSfoW Daily Bee Founded bt Ildwaid rosewater VrCTOR ROSKWAT.CR. EDITOR. Entered t Omaha postal (ice ss Mcond data matter. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Dally (without Sunday), one jresr.M .W Dstly Dee ami Sunday, one year DBUVERirD BT CARRIER. Dally BeV 0n fuilW Runday). per week.lSc Dally Hee (without Sunday), per waek .loc Evening; Bee (without Sunday), per week c Evening Hea (wttb Sunday), per week W Sundav Hea nn 12 50 Baturday Rea. one year'.'.'. 1! Address all complaints of IrrerularltWa In delivery to C,ltjf :imtstlon department -"' "offices. Houth OjrMha--epty-foiirth and N. Countll Kluffa iS'Srotf Street. Uneoln 61 Little Building. Chicago 1M Msrqutte Building. NeWiTrKoe.fujllB-n02 No. M "West Thlrty-'thlrd; Street-- Waahlngton-725 Fourteenth Street. N. w. j CORRESrONDENCES. ComnSimfcmttona relating to nawa and edi torial tnatfer ahnuld be addreaaed: Omaha Baa, EMltorfal Department. T 'REMITTANCE!!. Rem lit by draft, expreaa or postal order )t to Tha Bee Publishing- Company. Z-oont-atamr) received In payment of Pavabl only rnsll atroorXa- rvtonl checka. except on Omaha; or eaatern exchange, not accepted. H1ATir.xvwr fir rfnm.TIOV. ttste of Nebraska. Douglae County, at ; George B. Taachuck. treasurer of The Be Publishing company, being duly sworn, aaye tkat the actual number of full and complete cople of The Dally. Morning. Avvmng inn Bunaay nee printea ourm mv month of November, (ember, W8. wu aa ioiiows: 44.000 ....( 38,100 J ST.tSO It 37,190 48,000 ...., M.S50 ....'. 43.880 .... ss.sao T....; M.3M S....i ST.400 t...., S7.940 71 , it sr.rao It. ....... ..3790 lf.... S7.BSO .......'. .7 ao II.... 3800 II 36470 II t,eo 20 37,310 Jl 37,000 It .....37.060 II S7.010 4 37,0O 37,070 It se.40 7.; 37,140 II 30,890 II 38,700 10 37310 TotH 1,1.1,870 Less unsold, and returned copies. H.H7 Net! total. lil60.103 Dally 'average ta,33 QSORQ3 B. TZ8CHUCK. ; Treaaurer. Subscribed In my presence and aworn to before ma tbla lat day of December, 1901. (Seal) at. P. WALKJCR, Notary Fublia ! . WREST OCT" OF TOWH. abaorlbera leavlaa; tae city tess. erarlly shoal bay Tha sealfe ts theaa. Adtraae will a ehasice aa aftea aa raeae4. Ice 'crop failure rumors are due. i ; The poultry show gives Omaha a few more reasons for cackling. "Watch "us ta 191," says Mr. Hearst. Naturally", HM-'you'U bear It. Prosecutor Heney Insists he has no Intention of 'going fter those Pitts burglars. Why is lms.n, jie1yer called a "good fellow" untli hei)a,' acquired a lot of bad habltsf '' ' ' " ' Georjia Is'termlned lb enforce its prohibition law." It 'drug stores have been ordered closed on Sundays. St. oufiir.l'have adopted", the roller ekate' wftltgt. Louis men have; used the stMs.' Walk.' for' many years.' A French" engineer, says . the con struction of lbsPanama canal Is im practicable., . At lefcst, the French en gineers found itsor "Speaker Cannon Is' now a grand father," says thff vTjOUlsvIlle Cdurler Journaj. o 'course' He is the orlgr lnal Fpxy Orairdpa.': "Can anyone explain the mystery of life and death , asks; the Outlook. Question referred to the Outlook's new associate editor. c "Flugy" , Coopers, Just returned from Europe, says the Paris women are the handsomest in the world. "Flngy' should Tls'lt 'Omaha. Congress .might strengthen its case by proving that there is no need of a secret 'sSrrlie.'S farvas"the conduct of congressmen is concerned. An Omaha police court prisoner has been fined S10 and costs for stealing a duck and a goose. He should have bought jpseaT and1 saved ' money; ' The Pullman upper berths may be Just as jkood as the lower, but It will be notlasd that Pullman officials do not select them when traveling. No, it is not a mere desire to con tribute to the city treasury that makes those Omaha barbers so eager to have a llcensw tax imposed on themselves. . Mayo"Jlm" publicly admits his de sire to rin for re-election. That little spurt for.tho gubernatorial nomination must have been Just to keep in prac tice. Castro has agreed to surrender his power in Venezuela.. He reached the decision a few days after his succes sor had bee chosen and all the Castro pictures in Caracas burned in a public bonfire! One steamship ' recently took $4,000,000' worth of Christmas pres ents from the United States to foreign countries. The old world Is becoming convince Yankee. oN. that San V. O ' II .... I .. - nra. Claus Is a Mr. Knox doubtless wonders why the press ,ul the public did not dis cover some of those many good quali ties ha possesses when he was a candi date for the pretsldeatial nomination last spring. Venezuela is Bonding expressions of riendship to sll the powers. The ck of such expressions must be se In Venesuela. as Castro did not i any of thufit Jurrg-, his nine years jmlnatloa. TBE ABMT'8 ITKAKXtSS. Opnersl J. Franklin Bell, chief of staff of tba army, draws a rather discour aging picture In his annual report of the needs of the array and of the ap parent lack of interest in military af fairs both in congress and in the pub lic mind. He declares thst the army cannot adequately cope with condi tions Incidental to actual warfare ow ing to Its lark of both men and offi cers; that few citizens know how to hsndle and shoot modern rifles; that the cavalry, infantry and artillery branches of the service are lamentably weak, while the engineer cotps is not able to dlschsrge tho duties devolving upon it even In time -of peace. These conditions would cause alarm If a war were pending- or Imminent, but to 'arouse the country so long as profound psce obtains and there Is no war cloud on ibe horizon Is ve,ry difficult. Yet General Bell contends that this very confidence Is a source of peril, because conditions which make it possible to whip sn effective army Into shape out of volunteer raw ma terial, as has been done In former wars, no longer exist. 8lmply by put ting a man in a uniform and placing a rifle In his hands does not make a modern soldier. The contrary Idea, he Insists, Is dangerous to the nation and one that cannot be too strongly op posed. The Improvements' In firearms and the entire science of warfare have so altered conditions that the soldier of today, to be. at all efficient, must have thorough training and education In the art of fighting. Although heretofore the cavalry has been the popular arm of the service, General Bell now declares that the American cavalry Is an "antiquated organization," unfitted for Its natural part In mobilizing a fighting force and moving it rapidly In times of trouble. He asserts that this is due to a lack of a sufficient number of experienced offi cers, inability of the government to secure proper mounts and a general failure to keep the cavalry branch of the service up to the high standard which formerly made the American cavalryman the model for the world. As the headquarters of the signal corps for the west, Omaha will be par ticularly Interested in General Bell's recommendations on that score. He says: The duty devolving upon the signal corps la so technical In Its nature as to preclude a great Increase In the corps after a dec laration of hostilities. With any expectation that the Increase would be efficient and capable of performing . the' Intricate and technical duty required of t. fantbera; of the signal corps are on! duty at all stations with' organisations of .'the rgtilsr service which have cable or telegraph UnW. They are also distributed at many ungarrlsoned places along telegraph and cable1 stations for the purpose of keeping open the lines of communication. ( T . "v'"' Our signal corps has proved its ability to meet all services required of It In tha past. In peace as well as In hostile operations pc-, curing since the war with Spain. Great de velopments In scientific warfare are being made' at ' present along llrtes pertaining to duties of the signal corps.. Our algnal corps has made satisfactory progress In develop ing methods of performing Its technical du ties efficiently and satisfactorily and In matters relating to aerial navigation. Tt Is hoped that the corps may receive a suffi cient Increase to give It the necessary strength to provide Its proper proportion for the army at 'the outbreak of hostilities. It should also receive a liberal appropria tion to enable it to continue Its experiments In aerial navigation. While the public would resent ex travagance In appropriations for the development and exteneloa of the army In times of peace, congress will be Justified, and Its conduct approved, In making whatever provision Is actu ally necessary to place every branch of the service upon its most effective peace footing. . IMMUNITY FOR THE- RAILROADS. While attempting' to- rebuke- The Bee for emphasizing- the expectation, of the railroads to be let altfne by the coming democratic legislature, the World-Herald corroborate's The; Bee's assertion that the railroads - helped elect the democratic Jaw-raakers un der assurance of legislative immunity and for that reason' the'usuat raMroad lobby may not be needed. The World-Herald trtes to pave the way, for legislative Inactivity by saying that there Is no occasion for further radical legislation -affoctlng. railroad Interests' at this time; that passenger and freight rates are as low as they should be and that the laws governing railway taxation are eminently satis factory, the correction of any abuses or inequalities being fully within the power of the assessing boards.' If the railroads will only let the democratic legislature "do Its work' la peace" the railroads may rest confident that noth ing will be done to which they would object. "Soft words may butter no pars nips," but even - belated tetjnfasslon may be good for the soul. The. demo cratic World-Herald here practically admits that the republicans tave given the people of Nebraska all the relief from former railroad extortion and op pression that they have a right to' de mand. The somersaulting of the democrats, however, is both interest ing and amusing. While-the repub licans were enacting this reform legis lation they got little aid or comfort from the democrats or democratic or gans, like the World-Herald. When the revenue law was enacted the democratic house leader, ; under whip and spur of democratic medicine mixers, brought ' In - an amendment vitally changing the method of assess ing railroad property and , actually, along with the other members of the democratic minority; voted against the bill which he himself.. had helped to frame. The republican revenue law was denounced at the time and for a long time afterward'- by the World Herald as an iniquitous measure, par ticularly in its railway "assessment features, but now we are told that it is all right and tails for no change. When the republicans were putting through the rate reduction bills, and more particularly the freight rate re duction bills, the democratic organs kept insisting, that more radical cuts be made and that the republicans were favoring the railroads. But cow we are told that the republican trade re duction bills answer all requirements and should stand Just as they are. What more Is needed to expose the Insincerity of democratic criticism of republican legislation In Nebraska? What more Is needed to prove that democratic tirades against the rail roads are mere pretense? What further testimony can be demanded to establish the charge that the consid eration for thq. railroad support for the democrats in the last campaign was a guaranty of legislative Immunity? FEZf PICTURES OF MURDER TRIALS. The New York newspapers hava not compiled with the petitions sent to them recently asking that they refrain from going Into details in the publi cation of the testimony in the Hains murder trial. The petitions were signed by many ministers, church or ganizations and prominent citizens, and set forth the Thaw trial as an Illustration of the evil of too much publicity in such cases. It was urged that the newspapers confine the re ports of the trial to recording the es sential features of the testimony, with all the harrowing details, the pictures of the witnesses and the sidelights eliminated. The newspapers did not reply that they would quit printing the details of the trial when the good men and women of New York quit at tending It, talking about it and eag erly buying the papers containing the complctest accounts of It. The edi tors Just went ahead, treating the case In their own way, and here is one of the results, taken from a leading New York dally: Yesterday Its four great windows let In enough of the dripping, doleful day to rust the spirits of the most sanguine of those present. Each Oothlc frame held the same picture of desolate countryside, and through the panes, bleared by raindrops, Thornton Jenkln Hains looked out upon a weeping world. But even In'Bplte of the depressing atmosphere the accused man smiled. . It would not do to limit the work of the special writers assigned to re port the murder trials in New York. Such action would deprive literature of the , productions of the sob squad and the country would not stand for that. When Thornton Jenkins Hains looks out through panes bleared by raindrops and smiles on a doleful world the country has a right to know about it. EBB AND FLOW OF ALIENS. A statement issued by the Depart ment of Commerce and Labor shows that in the twelve months ending Sep tember 30 the number of aliens land ings In this country was 72 4,112, while the number returning to other coAntrlerT from America-was 717,814, leaving a net gain in alien population forthe year of only 6,298, the small est'. In many years. Secretary Straus explains, however, the tide of immi gration has turned toward America very strongly, and that the arrivals for the last three months of the cal endar year will probably be 25,000 or 30,D00 in excess of departures. Even at the most 'liberal estimate, the country's gain in alien population for. the year will be remarkably Bmall, compared even with the, fiscal year ending last June, when the increase of arrivals over, departing aliens was 209,000, and this was a low water mark compared with 1906, when fully 1,000,000 foreigners oame to this country and few went back home. The secretary finds reassurance for Amer ican laboring men In the record of the ebb and flow of aliens In the last year. In the old days it was argued that the constant influx of aliens would result In injury to American workmen, but the facilities for communication and transportation have been so improved that immigration and emigration re spond quickly to economic conditions and furnish a mobile labor market much demanded by the trades and in dustries. MR. TAFTS PANAMA MISSION. People protesting against Mr. Taft's proposed visit to Panama, on the ground that as president-elect he should not take the risks of the trip, fall to appreciate Mr. Taft's concep tion of bis duty or his determination to perform his duty without thought of self. While there Is naturally the greatest desire that the president-elect should not expose himself unneces sarily at this time, or at any other time, his determination to equip him self with first-hand information of con ditions and prospects at Panama will be generally commended. It is now certain that the Panama canal will be much in evidence in con gress during Mr. Taft's term as presi dent. It Is admitted, too, that the critical point has been reached in the canal construction and that a decision must be reached promptly whether the canal shall be continued as a lock canal, as now planned, or changed to the sea-level pattern. The work done thus far would have been necessary in either event, so that nothing has been lott, with perhaps the exception of the foundation work on the Gatun dam, should the sea-level plan be adopted. The recent attack on the lock system by M. Bunau-Varilla, the French engi neer, has started a wide discussion among expert euglneers and Mr. Taft purposes to make an Inquiry for him self. He will be accompanied to Pan ama by six engineering experts, of his own selection, and will spend a week inspecting the work already done and figuring on the work yet to be accom plished. The country at largo will be content to await Mr. Taft's decision and have every confidence In his final finding He haa a rare faculty for grasping big problems and It is a certainty that if he becomes convinced that the lock plan cana Is a mistake he will have the courage to say so and to recom mend the change to the sea-level plan It will be quite as well to quit worry ing about the Panama situation until Mr. Taft makes his report and it will be safe then to go ahead with the spending of the other . millions re quired to complete the great enterprise. Lincoln is preparing to make a play for an appropriation for a new wing to the capitol to house the supreme court and state library. Lincoln would have done better to have acted on the sug gestion of The Bee a year ago for the abandonment of the proposed separate building for the State Historical library and the erection in Its place of a com bination building or wing for the two state libraries and the supreme court. Irrespective of the need, the state Is not In position to provide money for so many new buildings at one and the same time. 5 A London physician, describing a treatment he has Invented for helping along the undeveloped, tells of tak ing a modest, stammering lad of 19 and in two months teaching him to "become extraordinarily loquacious, using a vocabulary he could not other wise have acquired In five years." Here's a protest against the general application of the treatment. More gift propositions are In sight for the state, but always with a string tied to them that the land and build ings donated be used and maintained as state institutions. Nebraska has not had very good luck with Its gift horses in the past and may insist on looking them in the mouth notwith standing the impoliteness of such pro ceeding. Chicago is going after the moving picture theaters first, to make the buildings safe, and second, to free the entertainments from objectionable fea tures. Ample protection against fire and panic and a clean show ought to be provided in every theater whether the admission price be 5 cents or $5. A grand Jury report out in Harlan county censures "the practice of some of the citizens of our county in circu lating false and slanderous rumors af fecting the character and reputation of citizens." That grand Jury would be classed as a .pack number if it sat In Douglas county. "Tarantlsm" IS Bald to be the name of the affliction! troubling the suffra gettes. The name was manufactured by Sir William Shipley, A. M., M. D., LL. D., F. R. S., F. R. G. S., and there Is so much of that the suffragettes will hardly have courpge to try to get back at him. k i -v-.ot-x. . When Congressman Cousins of Iowa retires with' the end of the present session he will go on the lecture'plat form. The strange part is that any one should think it necessary to retire from congress in order to go on the lecture platform. A Pennsylvania, man rated at $60, 000,000 says he is willing to spend $75,000 to be elected United States senator. However, the toga is not sold at auction yet, even in Pennsylvania. "I have always been in favor of wiping off the statute books every pro tective a tariff provision," says Bourke Cockran. That. man's republicanism was never very deep rooted. A Texas woman healer makes the claim that she can remain at her home and tell what alls a man in Chicago. It is not difficult to tell what alls a man In Chicago. A Kansas editor has sold his paper and will go to Asia as a missionary. It is difficult to understand why he should leave Kansas to do missionary work. Personally Condaetert. Philadelphia Press. Most of those who are reported as "be ing seriously considered for a place In the cabinet" are apparently doing the consider ing themselves. A Fallacy Exposed. Washington Herald. It la claimed by a statistician that mar riage records this year will ahow a fall ing off of at least 10 per cent from last year. Another exhibit against the leap year fallacy. An Inherited Tendency, Philadelphia Record. Someone once publicly pulled President Andrew Jackaon's noae, and now another someone haa pulled President FalUleres' whiskers. All of which shows that man kind Is essentially scrappy and that his tory Is prone to repeat itself. Fools and Their fancies. Baltimore American. Now two adventurous men intend to try crossing the Atlantic ocean In a balloon. In view of the fact that balloons and air ahlps lately have been falling Into the water with alarming frequency, they should add life-preservers and a life boat to their regular aerial equipment. Promisea to Be Fnlnlled. New York Tribune. Despite the exaggerated professions of skepticism on the part of some very su perior critics of all things that are. It looks more and more as if the republican majority at Washington would loyally fulfil Its promise of tariff revision, and that according to the reasonable rule that the way to revise Is to revise. Paltlaa Money to Uood t'ae. New York World. If tha report were true that Andrew Car negie had provided I1M.0OO to carry on the Pittsburg inquiry Into municipal corrup tion he would have Initiated a desirable form of moral philanthropy. Endowment funds for the exposure and prosecution of Doodling are a novelty which may ulti mately appeal to millionaire bounty and In which there are abundant opportunities for possessors of swollen fortunes to avert tbs disgrac of dying rich. RIMBI.K THROI GII Alt. TIIF. AOES Havoc Wrosikt by Karthqaakea Tkroiskeat the .World. Should the early estimates of from eo.OOl) to TO.floo lives lost prove approxi mately correct. tlie present disaster In southern Italy and Sicily will come close to first ploc In the record of earthquake calamities. The disturbance at San ttan Cisco two and three-quarter years ago be comes a feeble tremor by compsrlson with the cataclysm In Italy, where both earth and sea combined In wrecking and engulf ing humanity. No other region of tin globe can show an equal record of afflic tion, extending down through all the ages. Tho destruction of Pompeii and Iler culaeneum In 79 A. D., was followed In HSR. when one of the cities cf Calahrl was torn asunder and swallowed up by the Adriatic sea. all Inhabitants perishing. In 1458 Nnples was partly destroyed and 40.000 lives Inst. A second and greater disaster to Naples and adjacent communities Is recorded In 16S6. when 70.000 persons per ished, a number equalling the msxlmum dtlmate of the present disaster. In 1G93, the region now afflicted suffered a disaster more appalling than the present. Fifty four cities and S00 villages were destroyed, tho City of Catania with Its 18,000 In habitants disappeared from the map and a total of 100,000 persons perished. In 1567 an earthquake gripped Constanti nople In It grasp and sent Its great mosques and towering minarets toppling to the ground, crushing scores of believers, who had rushed to these places for protec tion when tho first tremors were felt. The deaths caused by this great disaster were bever even approximately fixed, but It Is known that many thousands perished in pna day. Palermo was . shaken to pieces by an earthquake In I'M, and S.000 of Its Inhab itants perished. Five years later Canton, China, was visited by the most frightful series of shocks within the memory of man. The entire city was laid In ruins. The Chinese population, herded -together In compact masses, were killed like vermin, and when the debris had been cleared away and the total of the dead counted it was found that 100,000 had perished-. In 1755 the entire earth shook with trem ors for months, and two great disasters marked the year. Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, was tossed about in a series of shocks that opened great fissures In the city's streets and shook Its stone buildings Into mere masses of mortar and stone. In all 35.000 were killed In Lisbon, and a loss of ja.000,000 was borne by the people of the city. In the same year Kuchan, In north Per sia, was utterly destroyed.' Although not a large city, 40,000 lives were lost, and the reports carried to the rest of the world were to the effect that the entire popula tion of the city had been wiped out of existence. Current earthquake records give Yeddo (now Toklo), Japan, the primacy In death roll. In 1703 the city was practically de stroyed, and 200,000 lives lost. It was visited by a similar disaster In 1855. but the num ber perished Is not recorded. The nineteenth century also suffered from earthquakes In all parts of the world. The most startling quake in this country was that which destroyed Charleston, 8. C, In 1888, causing a loss of $20,000,000. Only forty-one deaths were caused directly by the shock, but many deaths which oc curred within a short time after were un doubtedly due to the conditions which fol-' lowed the earthquake. In 1883 the great cataclysmic volcanic outburst and earthquake In the-laland of Krakatoa saw half of that Island tossed Into the sea, with more tnan 36,000 of Its Inhabitants. The effects of this disturb ance were noticeable In all other parts of the earth for months after. In the same year Ischla was shaken by a series of shocks that sent Its buildings toppling to the ground In ruins and caused the death of 2,000 of Its people. In 1S91 the Island of Honod, Japan, was practically destroyed and 12,000 lives lost. In 1804 Caracas, In Us lofty seat among the mountains of Venezuela, suffered from one of the most severe shocks In Its his tory and 3,000 lives were lost. Then in 1902 the eruption of Mount Pelee established a record which It Is hoped will never be sur passed In this country. For over 1,000 years the southern coast of Italy has been subject to recurring selemlc convulsions, and their frequency hts been so great during the last three centuries that they have practically made a desert of the whole coast from Naples cn to the south, following the toe of tha giant foot around to the heel. For over a century a curious periodicity has been observed in the eruptions of Vesuvius and Etna. When one is active the other Is quiescent and vice versa. Between the two Is Stromboll, that from the earliest times has never been quiet, and with Stromboll as the center of the volcanic disturbance the pendulum swings from Vesuvius on the bay of Naples to Etna, In Sicily, and back again. But there are times, not very frequent, when both are quiet, and then the trouble begins on the south Italian const, for as sure as Etna and Vesuvius calm down the earthquakes In Calabria begin. It la true there are earthquakes there at other times also; In fact, there la hardly a day In the year when an earthquake may not be looked for at some point along the coast, but when both great volcanoes are quiet earthquakes of unusual violence may be expected, and1 the expecta tion Is rarely doomed to disappointment. The consequence Is that the whole coast is almost desolate. The frequency of the shocks renders the construction of houses of any reasonable size very Inadvisable; In fact, a largo house Is generally tumbled over before It Is fairly completed, and so the villages are of small one-story houses, from which the Inhabitants are ready to flee Into the open air at a moment's notice. PERSONAL MITI',1, An engineer by the name of Grell has patented an invention by means of which, he says, he can transmit blograph pic tures by an ordinary telegraph apparatus. Springfield, III., Is up and a-comlng over Its celebration of the Lincoln ctn tennary. Ambassador Bryee and Ambas sador Jusserand are to speak for Europe and Mr. Bryan and Senator Dolllver tor America. This Is a "bill" that will draw. Greenleaf Whlttler Plckard, a grand nephew of the famous poet. Is named aa a second Edison for his discoveries In wireless telegraphy. He lives In Ames bury, Mass., and since 1902 has received thirty-one foreign and domestic patents, and has twenty-eight others pending. One of tha leading Pennsylvania sena torial candidates for Mr. Knox's place U George T. Oliver of Pittsburg, a million aire steel manufacturer and or some years past the owner of a Pittsburg newspaper. He has never held any ex ecutive or legislative office and If elected would enter the senate paat the age ut 60. Judaon. Harmon, democratic governor elect of Ohio, will appear on horseback In the inaugural parade at Columbus Jan uary 16. "Why should I not ride horse back in the parade?" Judge Harmon asked. "My staff will mounted and there is no good reason why I should be toted along In a carriage when the rest uf the boys are inounud." I WORK OF SECRKTARY WIISO. . Twelve Veara Labor In the lt.-art-snrat of Aarrtrallnrr. The Outlot.k, New York. Seldom docs a cabinet minister remain In a particular office long enough to pre sent a twelfth annual report. Yet this Is the achievement of Secretary Wilson of the Dcpnrtment of Agriculture. Ho Is the sole survivor of the McKlnley cabinet. Our agricultural production for the year 1!0 Is above the average, the production of hay, sugar and rice being the largest on record. The total value of the year's farm prod ducts has risen to $7.778.ono.OoO. 4 per cent above last year's, and four times the value of our mining products. FVirm products comprise cropa and animal products. In computing the first we find that corn rep resents one-third of the total; cotton, hay and wheat one-third, and the rest one third; that corn Is now followed by cot ton, not by hay, which has long held sec ond place; that the other cereals In order ore wheat, oats, bsrley, rye, rice and buck wheat. The year 1908 loads all former years In the value of nil the cereals, of potatoes, sugar and tobacco. Thrce-clghths of the value of farm products Is repre sented by animals, sold and slaughtered, and by animal products at the farm. We hardly realize that eggs and poultry are worth as much as the cotton crop Itself. This certainly represents a great change during the twelve years, not so much in theso special products, as In the methods of dairying and of meat Inspection, due to the department's diligence. There has also been a change during these years from low to profitable crop prices a dozen yeers ago corn was selling at SI cents per bushel! Again, there has been a grewt change In tho varieties of crops, this also due to the department's agents, who have been constantly traversing foreign lands In serrch of promising seeds and plants for possible introduction here; for Instance, some years ago durum wheat was brought from Russia and Africa; now Its crop In America Is worth more than 130,000.000 to the farmers; furthermore, so great has be come the production of alfalfa, an Intro duced hay plant, that Its crop this year heana $100,000,000. The department haa also Increased tho farmer's profits by millions because of Its warfare against the pests which have hitherto destroyed crops. An even greater gain has been the depart ment's placing the American farm on a sounder scientific basis. Numerous long time experiments on farms controlled by tho department are under way to de termine crop rotation and other methods of management which will be most profit able and beet adapted to family and other available labor. Thus, In information, In telligence and Industry the fanners have been Immeasurably fortified. The fact that the Department of Agriculture Is only twenty years old and yet that it is regarded by the country as one of the Indispensable Instruments of the government's construc tive activity is the strongest testimonial to the efficiency of Secretary Wilson, who has directed the department for more than half Its existence. Onr Secretaries of Stale. Hartford Courant. Mr. Knox will be our fourth mono syllabic secretary of state since 1897. He succeeds Root, who succeeded Hay, who succeeded Day. The earlier monosyllabic secretaries of state were Smith, Clay, Cass, Black, Fish and Blaine. Only one secretary of state Frellnghuysen had a four-syllable name. There are(seven three syllable names In the list and twenty-one two-syHable names. In going from the senate to the Department of State Mr. Knox does what Daniel Webster and Wil liam H. Seward did before him. Pashlnac a. Good Thlnar Along;. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. The postal saving bank Is established In the Philippines and Is reported to be grow ing favorably. Forty per cent of the de positors are Filipinos, and this Is their first experience with bank facilities. The York Store Piano $tock M Hsp On December 19th. Branch Piano Stock This Piano and Organ stock was shipped to Omaha. This stock is now placed on our floors at 1513 DouffIa3 street and is offered to tho public at unheard-bf low ;Ves! The instruments are all practically new, having; bei x !' stock but from two weeks to a few montlis,iand are, per fect in every respect; as this stock crowds pur .available space and as we begin making alterations directly after holidays, we are forced to dispose of them without delay, therefore we mark them down to prices that are one-half, ; in some instances to one-third, off the regular retail sell ing prices. ; . ' Every Instrument is fully warranted at f.'om five to twenty rr years. With every piano goes a stool to match and a fine silk or velour scarf. The terms are the easiest obtainable as little as $5.00 per month until paid for. Where cash la offered we make a small discount. ' ' This piano 6tock contains very late case designs In Bpaninn mahogany, la French and American walnut, in quartered American and English or antique oak. In styles there are colonial, art cases and the modern cabinet grands, aa well as baby grand pianos. . Everyone recognizes the importance of this sale when you know it comprised such world renowned makes as the King Pianos, the Chlckering Pianos, the Conway Pianos, the Kimball Pianos, the Weser Bros. Pianos, the Melville-Clark the Kensington, the Cramer' and many other hJgh grade Pianos. The Organs put on this sale are also new and up to date ht style and finish and comprise the Kimball Organ, the Swan Organ, the Hospe Organ and others. When you take notice that brand new, up-to-date Pianos go in this sale for ' $129.00 $148.00 $169.00 $198.00 $235.00 $259.00 $278.00 AND UP. On payments of $G.OO. $7.00. $8.00. 91 0.00 i "n,& and only require $10.00 IWN to get one sent home, you will fully make up your mind now Is the time to buy. ' Remember there are but fifty Pianos, and all genuine bargains. Don't Forget, $10.00 Down Takes One Home. ( - r- n n rs. 1513 Douglas St. TREATMENT' OF rRIONRRSj. An Iowa I den Designed to Make Jail 1.1 fe Attractive. New York Tribune. The warden" of the penitentiary at Port Madison, la.. If hs has been correctly re ported, thinks that the Interests of hu. mantty would be better served by grsatet liberality In the treatment of prisoners, and for his own Institution recommends, among other things, abolition of the prison uniform. This msy do very well so ions, as the prisoner remains In the prison, but If he Is disposed to escape, end succeeds, he will find the garb bt tha outside world highly convenient. With humanity consti tuted as It Is. It Is desirable, while con- k A nPi.nnB MrA.M.tA..i.. . r houses on a humane basK, hot to make them so comfortable as to appeal to a large class of people who' have no Inclina tion to do honest wi.ik for an honest liv ing. A prison as luxurious as is a certain home for paupers provided by one of the cities of England, whose inmates have better accommodations than most well-to-do outsiders, appeals rather strongly to an element in human nature which ran be cultivated only at the expense of society In general. ' " TRIFLES L.IOIIT A? tin. "Bllgglna' baby must be a mondcr. ' "Yes." answered Misa Cayenne. "It m the only human being I know of wncse conversation he esteems more highly than his own." Washington Star. "A photographer's Is a nice kind of busi ness." said the admiring frtend. "It Is In the main," admitted the photo grapher, glancing about his studio, "hut still there are some ugly features about It." Baltimore American. "After a man has made millions, vou'd think his wife and daughters would lei him rest." "And don't they?" "Naw. Then he usually has to buclcl down to correct his grsmmar and talilti manners." Kansas City Journal, Mick Faith and I see ye're back from the front. Pal. Pat (Just Invalidated out of tha service Begorra, I knew I was thin, hut I didn't know I was as thin as all that. Harvard Lampoon. "I understand you bought some stock Pi the new aeroplane company?" "Yes I took a flier." Cleveland Plain Dealer. "B:ven Turkey lias Jo'inad tho march of progress. "Yes. and a few of us are thinking of asking our Janitor for a constitution " Louisville Courier-Journal. Cobb What's the difference between vis Ion and sight? Dohb See those two girls across the street? Cobb Yes. ' Dobb Well, the pretty one t would call a vision, but the other one she's a sight. Judge. ARB ioy rtKVOVf Baltimore American. , Friends. Fellow-Citizens and Country mca : Lend me your ears. Have you tnought given t6 the coming time. . And to the foremost duty of the. day Which all men recognize as vital part And parcel of the young and glad New Year? '. Say, have you made with full trust In yourself The same old resolution made a year ago? The resolution to .he good and brave and true. And honest, amiable, and patient quite To keep your temper, never say cross words. Make everybody love you, treat ell men As friends and brothers, shun all Idleness. Eschew all gossip of your neighbors' faults. And deal severely with your own pet sins? Of course, you will not keep them; do not let The fear of that be worry to your soul, 'Twill be exactly as It was last year. But still your llttlo pile of bricks must go To help the paving of the broad, smooth way Which leads to hem! We'll change the subject now.' --i-.wr ' . Pray, have you bought a. diary? Not so? Then get one right away.. Don't pay too much. You'll use It for a , week and then Presto! The resolutions and the diary both Will go the old accustomed way for good And be as naught again till 1910. How On Sale We Discontinued Oar at York, Nebraska., i 1 1. n" Branch 1