V THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: THURSDAY. IWKMBKI? ?, 'H0S. The Omaiia Daily Bee. FOUNDED BT EDWARD ROSBWATER. . VICTOR ROBEWATER, EDITOR. Entered at Omthl postofflce second class matter. TERMS Or SUBSCRIPTION. Daily Bee (without Sunday), one J""-1!? t;aily Bee and Sunday, ona year -w DELIVERED BT CARRIER. Dally Pea (including Sunday), Pr we,,J- )! Dally Uea (without Sunday), per week..ic Evening Baa (without Sunday), per ? Evening Bee (with Sunday), per Sunday Be, ona year iut Saturday Km, one year ."U;,". Address all complalnta of Irregularities in 4elfvery to City Circulation department. OFFICES. Oman Th Bee Building. South Omaha-Twenty-fourth ana Council Bluffa-IB Scott Street. IJncolnRU Little Building. Chlcag-1M8 Marquette gliding New Tark-Rooms 1101-UOI No. 2 Thirty-third Street. i , w Weahlngton-72S Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. Communications relating to Jha tonal matter ahould b addressed. Oroana Baa, Editorial Department. REMITTANCES. Remit by draft. express or P"'V,otder payable to Tha Baa Publish r.g "m.n'f Only 2-eent stamps received In Pvmn or mall accounta. Person 1 checka. except on Omaha or eaatarn exchangee, not accepteo. STATEMENT OF CTRCTLATION. StaYa af Nebr.sk Douglas Co""tyVf The Oem-ge B. Taachuck. "7r, ;weV Bee Publishing company. being duly wo .... that tha actual number ot fn" complete eoplea of Tha Pally. Brerrlng and Bea printed durm.tn. tnontn OT wovtraow, wean 1..., 4400 ...,, ta.ioo t ..,.4S,S60 4. S4.SS0 .....-.. ,.4t,tao s,aao 1 M.3M I.... ST.400 io., njM 11 ST.TSO II... ....... W.BS0 Iff ST .ISO 14 S7.M0 It SS.S0Q niro s,s0 sr.310 rr,ooo ")'t,oio I!!!!!!.."7-00 IZ'fll I. 15. 14.. IT.. !rr,i40 .se,8to ti J?''?? is. ' f-" "l,l?J"!e Total Leas unsold and returned ooples, 1 I Hat total.. rtallw ak ara a QBORC.E B. TZSCHUCK. Subscribe In my presence end sworn to before me thla ut VALKiB. Notary Publlo. . . WHEN OCT OF TOW. - kMriken teawlasi orartlr ehonl Tha B analleS to tkaaa. Aadreee will 1 CaasnVBVsV94 AS CtVM ftflNttft Hurry up, girls! There are still a few eligible bachelors In Omaha. The consumer will have difficulty in discovering any grounds for a coffee tax. Pittsburg Is apparently , the center of the American sieei ana steai maua tries. ' 1 At, is tio wonder that Pittsburg poli ticians are anxious to get into the city haul. . ' " Castro has been divorced from Ven esuela, but he collected his alimony in advance. ,'ine irOUOie WllB Mr. nurnumu ju now is plain, inaigestion ana qui mui- gestlble securities. .There's a hearsay report to the ef fect that a dangerous counterfeit 1200-blll is in circulation. Which reminds us that reducing telephone rates also reduces the city's income from the 2 per cent royalty. Kehraaka ta a nrettv rood Diace to live In. It is free from earthquakes, volcanio eruptions, tidal waves and nwBSOons. 1 General Bell declares that the American array is antiquated, but it Is the finest Scotch whisky is made at hlp as a newspaper reporter In Crip pretty certain that no other nation will Peoria. Pittsburg makes a French Pie Creek in its boom period. That attempt to prove It. Senator Elkins has bought a Wash- Ington bank, evidently considering it a better investment than the purchase of an Italian duke. I It Is but fair to state that there are other people in Pittsburg besides mil lionaires, grafters and candidates for the United States senate. Mr, Omeltch still Insists that he has been '.elected lieutenant governor of Omiasouri. but the courts will have to decide whether he has or gnot. . w -- - Prof. Ferrero says that President Roosevelt is a dual personality, but some congressmen are certain that there are more than two of him. There are said to be 17,000 vacant houses In Glasgow. Tbe owners ought to move them to Omaha, where they would have little trouble In renting them.; Tha Porto Kicans want a tax or & cents a pouna vn an mu rxctrpi mai raised m rono tueo. is always me other fellow's business Jthat should be taxed. Doubtless congress would be willing to remove the tariff on the made-ln- Germany muxzlea tor chief executives if it thought they could be used in this country, Cuba's new president does not un derstand English, so be will probably have an excuse ready at hand when he violates the provisions ot the Piatt amendment. . .. i .v. u . . inimu liara; uyu mi iu aumo- . . ... cratle members of ne nouse are not agreed upon their plans for tariff re- vision. H la natural for democrats to be tntarrlfled. .When it conies down to business, those boastful Jacksonlans will be like the man who rolls his fist In his pocket. They .will not even have a .andldate to contest with Mayor Jim (or his second term nominatloa. ITALTS GREAT CALAMITT. The whole civilised world is ap palled at the great calamity which has been brought upon southern Italy by a destructive earthquake. Instead of showing that the loss of life and property Indicated by the first reports were exaggerated, later infor mation seems to disclose additional devastation and greater fatalities than originally estimated. In the face of such an awful vislta- tlon ot nature no human preventives or precautions can avail to ward off the death-dealing blow, but relief and rescue from further danger or ex posure become the Immediate and pressing task. This work of relief and rescue is already under way and, so far as out side help may be required, the philan- throplc and humanitarian spirit ot the P"" for years and are now proceed more favored people of the United ,n t0 them nto effect with a . . vigor and promptness that are rare in States may be counted on to assist. thj The American National Red Cross Under the old reglme the BuUan society baa already opened subscrip- grew rich year by year, spent millions tlon lists, for the contributions which we bespeak liberal response. to CHEAP TALK. Talk has always been proverbially cheap, but the prospects are that In Omaha talk will be cheaper yet. This line of cheaD talk is not to be confined to the hot air variety, nor yet to the political oratory which on occasions is to be had without price of admission, nor yet to the curtain lecture, ordl- narlly pulled off behind closed family doors, but it Is to be provided by a January clearance sale at 60 per cent off for telephone communication by the automatic route. In thla nartlrulnr instance talk il Railway commission, which has been o van (iirl.fltotlon nvip vnlcA traffic US ..-.- in. in.l.t. that the free pM. ,mu.t R0 Aether in the form of free trial telephone service or free corporeal transportation. In vin dication of Nebraska's motto, "Equal ity before the law," if anyone is to talk for nothing, everyone must talk for nothing; and if anyone must pay to talk, everyone must pay on the same scale. The only question yet to develop is whether the reduced tariff on talk is ha nnartl ap ffriAreltf lnral. and ww ,h Mnn1. n,,M not talk for nothlng when trial telephone service was offered will now pay for the privilege under the allurement of bargaln figures. TO PREVENT IMITATIONS. Congressman Hull of Iowa has of fered a bill in congress making it misdemeanor to manufacture for sale or transportation in this country "1ml- tated articles of commerce unless such articles are so made aa to show the exact materials used in making, ine bill is a lengthy one and so broad in ac0De a8 to apply IO every aniCie of comTOerce recognized as a suoject of transportation and sale under the rules of the Interstate Commerce com- mission. Foods, clothing, furniture and all articles of domestic use would come under the provisions of the measure. The bill furnishes another illustra- tion of the distorted ideas of enforcing pure food and antl-lmltatlon laws, by confusing trademarks with terms that have become recogniie.a as sianaaras. The best French peas in tne worm are 1 ... n... , , j in thi. unntitrv mar an I n nr.m est Enellsh mutton cnops are iur nished by Montana-grown aheep and plate glass that Is admittedly superior to the Imported article and the New England .woolen mills turn out Eng- it8h, Scotch and Canadian tweeds that ran nnt ho enualled anvwhere. The Turk, are said to set most of their Tnrwi.h r-ifarettea from this country and the finest Havana cigars are made in New York. The consumer is entitled to protec tion against fraudulent attempts at trafficking upon an established reputa tion and is assured of thla protection under the trademark and copyright . Tw , .k 1 . P"ing steles on the market under w... , a utMtlBuauuu mm aiuiuiy luaurca ua standard, so long as the article carries full value and no deception Is prac tlced in its sale. . . THE If A TIOX 8. KA YA L RATISO. "The Navy Year Book," compiled Uy the clerk of the senate committee on naval affairs, gives the United Statea second place among sea powers, beln(t aeCond only to Great Britain, The cla88iflcation will cause much dis- aa the author of the book makes the rating by considering only tbe number and displacement of hlp in the impending Nebraska legis armored ships, and it may be argued nature la resolving itself Into a ques- with much force that many other ele- menu enter into the power of a navy which, if considered, would probably ank the United Statea third or even fourth in tha list of naval powers. The strength of the pavy does not r.n.ni unnii the number of battle- ships nor the amount of armor carried. but must be based on the ships, their anna, colliers, number of men and their experience, together with defl I nil. .JhAptriMi tn nrnffmm nf rift- i - - - l. . - J . ..u.l Teiopiucnv u ..., "-'" construction, on mis acore me rating 01 tne mitea mate mr iruiu niu, as each congress makes or mars the plans of the naval chiefs and may at any time adopt a course mat would reduce the American navy down the list. As it stands today, our navy Is doubtless equipped to ' meet any emergency that, may arise requiring Its service in actual war. What is yet required is that congress should es tablish a fixed program of appropria tions from year to year that will main. tain the present standard and efll clency. There should be no extrava Igance at one session to be offset by parsimony at the next. REAL REFORMERS AT WORk. The. Young Turks, who are back of the administrative revolution in Tur key, have already started upon the consummation ot a program of real reform that must occasion surprise among the statesmen of other coun- tries. As a rule outsiders have been discounting the promises made and have expected the change in the gov ernment to result chiefly in a transfer of the graft from the sultan to those who have succeeded in getting control away from him. The Young Turks have evidently been considering their and hoarded others, while the re sources of the empire were neglected. The Young Turks have already in augurated an immense scheme for the Irrigation of the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. These vast plains, with an area five times as great as the fertile valley of the Nile, have lain waste for centuries, although there are still traces ot the irrigation ditches used in biblical days. Is is estimated that the region may be brought under cultivation and made fertile again at a very small expense, bringing pros perity to a section of the empire whose residents are now miserably poor. The funds of the empire are at low ebb and the Young Turks have deter mined not only to reduce expenses, but to also ascertain where the sultan got his millions and how much of this saving belongs to the people. The sul tan is credited with having a fortune of $370,000,000, and the reformers are asking how he got it and want it restored if found to have been di verted from the public treasury to the sultan's private purse, as is generally believed. The new leaders have al ready begun lopping oft expenditures by reducing the sultan's list ot per sonal physicians from 380 to eight and by cutting his staff of colonels from 800 to thirty. The sultan also mamiainea at government expanse an army of ples' 'mo8' M costly M th uppo.rt of .the TurkUh arm The 11 . . . a,8TMe? V0" tne Mrv,ce and it is estimated that the changes already made will result in a saving of several millions annually to the government and the taxpayers. The discharged officials, thousands in number, are naturally talking of a counter-revolution, but the taxpayers Lre lenain- Bucn loy.i .nrjDort to the Dlana of the Yotin t- ka tn , th Iook l8 for permanency in the re- if rm8 ... th con.enuent intruo. tlon of Turkev into th- n.r nr mnim nrnrrHtvn nations There are other legislatures besides Nebraska's in which the democrats have majorities. Mr. Bryan might try to persuade the democratic legls- latures in Colorado, Indiana, Missouri and the states constituting the solid South to shear the speaker of his com mlttee appointments. It a powerless speaker is good for Nebraska, why not for the other democratic law-making ooaiesT It has been discovered that the pri vate secretary to the new governor of Nebraska went through n apprentice- ougni io equip mm inorougniy to sift our. me oomo mrowers and pistol toters from among the throngs that penetrate to the outer walls of the ex- ecutlve office, Tbe Popularity of the commission P'n ol municipal government is no longer at us neignt. Those cities which have been experimenting with commissioners have discovered that there may be good and bad commis sioners Just as well as good and bad councllmen. , wuuiv uauuiKiuicii are insisting that benzonate of soda, the use of mai oenzonaie or soaa. the use of whlch ,n cannad g00ds la prohlblte(j by the pure food law, Is really health ful. If that's true, the manufacturers should quit protesting agalnat having the label show that the drug Is being used. The London News tells how Carrie Nation pointed her finger at a Dundee barkeeper and told him that he sold poison and was a naughty man. Ta ft i possible that Carrie is auallfvln for admission to the Mollycoddle club? The contest over tbe house clerk tlon whether the members prefer to have the bills read in a tremulo voice or in a Dasso proiunao. .ir ui n.o is working ? rejection OI nl. 0la col. I'"6" ..vv,. rw.Cr. oenator I lasa nkiim Qavi t7A... a a. . cn e ! wagon at a long I""""""' " ""ses. Mr. Carnegie's reference to Judge Garv of the Steel trnat aa " rv I ....... . rhiel" la beine lnternritrarf n " - different ways. As s. as a matter of fact, it Is Scotch for "a smooth guy." A Kansas City man reports that he ioat mo on bis way home the night before Christmas. What business has la man wun mai mucn money tbe night befor Christmas? A dea mute in New York has been J sued for divorce, his wits alleging that he cursed her with his fingers. Just another tase where actions speak louder than words. If this dinner by the retiring presi dent becomes a fixture the . School board may be expected to amend Its rules so aa to elect a new president every month. Haa He the GaocUf Tlttaburg Dispatch. At least, concerning the proposition to ralae the vice president's salary to 125.000, It will ba enthusiastically supported If It author will point out aome way to get 25,010 worth of work from that official. Where Llberwtora Come aad Go. Boeton Herald. These South American "liberators" often live to see their countries liberated by a successor. Gomes has liberated Venesue la from Castro. How many pages forward In the book of destiny Is the liberator from Gomel? - Safety 1m Shaving. Chicago Tribune. If that crank who tried to pull President Falllerea' beard has any Imitators In thla country there ara two distinguished Ameri cans who may have to keep their faces shaved clean or maintain a bodyguard until the erase Is over. Wheat the Bom Speaks. Chicago Record-Herald. Senator A id rich says the country Is not ready for postal aavlngs banks, and when Aldrlch says the country Isn't ready for anything the moat dignified deliberative body on earth may generally be expected to decide that tha country Isn't, no matter what tha country Itself may think. Oar I'aclSe Naval Baae. Philadelphia Bulletin. Four hundred marines are going as a garrison to Hawaii, where extensive work In building fortlflcatlona and creating a great dry dock and supply station Is under way. Tha government aeema at length to be waking up to tha fact that thla archipelago needs development and protection. Five per cent of the money that haa been spent on the Philippines would have made Hawaii an impregnable naval base, whose value to tha Paclflo coast would have been normous for many generations. Upholding? the Coantry'e Faith. Bt. Louis Times. Roosevelt shows one of his many aides in his attitude toward the Harrlman Salton Sea claim. When the Southern Pacific and the government agreed upon a plan to divert tha Colorado river back to Its old course. It was understood that the nation would pay a share of the cost. A hitch haa occurred. Now comes the president wlfh threats of another message unless the claim settled. The fact that he and Harrlman are not on writing terma has nothing to do with It; the prealdent la standing by his word and the country's faith. Extraordinary Backing. Atlanta Constitution. There can be no long-felt or deeply seri ous depression from financial panic In a country whose agricultural production Is Increasing at the rate of $300,000,000 a year. Nearly $8,000,000,000 of new wealth was brought up out of the ground in the year Just coming to a close, or $80 per capita on a basis of 100.000,000 population an Increaae of more than a third of a billion over the soli production of 1907. These are farm values based on prices paid the producer, and the Increase haa come despite tho fact that cotttoh and hay, the second and third crops vli importance, meaaured by aggregate valifcv have experienced a heavy slump In prloe aa compared with the prices prevalent a year ago. Cabinet Fnaalea. Pittsburg Post. Almost anybody who reads the news papers can alt down with a paper and pen cil and build a cabinet for the next presi dent of the United States. All that la re quired la a knowledge of people who bulk large In their varloua professions and con sideration of those who. like F. H. Hitch cock, have performed notable at-rvlcea for the party, such aa running a steam roller. Cabinet making for persona who have noth ing else to do la almost aa Interesting as fit ting together one of those cardboard pussies. Among the nine cabinet offices It Is almost Impossible not to guess at least one, and ao every person who has nothing else to do Is making his little guess. Quite a harmless occupation, assuredly. ACCOUNTABILITY OF EMPLOYES The Hints Factor In the Movement of Trains. New York Tribune. That no amount of care on the part of the officials of any transportation company can obviate the danger of accident without tha co-operation of employes is apparent The best rules possible for human In genuity to devise are of no value if they ars not followed, and there la no reason to question the accuracy of the deduction of the Publlo Service commission. Second district, that of the accidents on steam railroads reported to that body "a large proportion ot those Investigated have been caused by the failure of employes to obey standard operating rules or special in structions which were In force for the safe movement of trains. The outcry now ar.d then made for the conviction and punishment of the active manager of a transportation line after an exceptionally distressing accident would therefore seem Infrequently to have little behind It. It Is a fact too well known for dispute that constant association with any danger t.nrf. in lnaaAit nni'i sense of resnonslbll- l.v in mnnvMnn with !L The switchman I at the lever whose action at the proper j moment Is necessary to preserve the lives of passengers becomes tn time so accus tomed to bis work that tils movements are largely mechanical, and the task be comes Uttle more to him than the mere shifting of rails. The engineer, although he knows that In case of accident he will be the one most likely to suffer fatal In jury, may take chancea which would be too hasardoua for contemplation by the ordinary man, and the same condition operates equally tn every occupation In volving danger either to the person him self or to those who are dependent upon him. Among railroad men It la frequently re marked that It la not the new employe who is killed, but the one who has been working long enough to take chances which would not be considered by the tyro. The chauffeur Is more likely to run risks In speeding than the one unfamiliar with his car. It Is the old story of fa miliarity breeding contempt, and with nature as it la constituted, in face of the constant demand for speed, not only on tha hiahways but on the railways and the aea, there must Inevitably be the ele ment of danger In any meana of transpor tation. This necessitates the greatest vigi lance on the part of the operating off! clala, and there la every reason to belw-ve that In an overwhelming majority of cases the men In authority are keenly alive to their responsibilities. Tne aniicuity. as would be Indicated by the report of the commlaslon, la in the thousands of less Intelligent employes who must be picked up wherever they may be found, and In trusted with duties Involving a mental alertness te which they have not been trained. . . , . WHERE HAVOC HFICS. Some Facta Vbnat the Realon De vastated by Enrthajnake. The city of Reggio, where such fearful destruction was wrought by the earth quake, lira In a region spoken ot by trav elers as the "fairest land In all Italy," picturesque vlllivges crown every hilltop, while across the blue straits ot Messina rices a vision of Sicily and the snowy heights of Ktna. The country round Reg glo Is one great orange plantation, and everywhere the perfume of the blossoms and the fragrance of the fruit fill the air. Carta constantly pass through the streets bearing the golden crop to the warehouses, whence It Is passed on to the sailing ves sels that carry It to the nearest large port, where regular lines of steamers dis tribute It all over Europe. Formerly thla region waa as celebrated for its palms aa now for Its oranges; but that was during the Saracenic occupation, and after the Saracens were driven out the populace so hated anything that reminded them of the detested Moors that all the palms were cut down, and now they are almost as much of a curiosity In Rcgglo aa In Paris. The neighborhood of Reggio Is classic ground, for It was there that Demosthenes last touched with the Athenlon fleet when on the way to Sicily and defeat, and It was there that Cicero turned back to his death when about to leave Italy after the murder of Caesar. Not far away is tho world famous Scylla, the rock that plays such a part In the story of Ulysses. A town now rises on the precipice, and the whirlpool Chrybdis Is no longer dangerous to navigators, but some Idea of the terror formerly Inspired by both may be gained from the words of Homer. A little more than 100 years ago Scylla was the scene of disaster more deadly than any that could have happened In Its earlier ages. A terrible earthquake came on February S, 1783, and the entire population deserting their homes at the first shock, gathered on the seashore. The evening came on with the terrified people still In groups on the sand; a renewal of the shocks, more severe than at first, took place. A great headland not far off was literally upset Into the sea, a tidal wave swept along the coast and 4,000 people ot the town were carried away. Alessina. Sicily, population 150,000, three fourths of which la reported destroyed, Is, next to Palermo, the most Important city in Sicily. It Is situated In the northwest corner of the island on the strait of Mes sina. Among the leading buildings are the Municipal palace, the convent of San Oreg orio, which contains a museum of valuable relics, buildings ot the university, which is attended by 600 students, and a municipal hospital. The outskirts and environs are delight ful, affording magnificent vlewa of the aea as well as of Mount Etna. On (he west rises the former fort of Castetlaccio, and not far away to the south Is Fort Oonssga, on the historic spot. The new Campo Santo Is beautiful, with Us graceful Greek colon nades and wonderful views. The Telegrafo the summit of a pass near Messina Is much vlxlted for Its acenory. Messina is a town of great antiquity. Us foundation being ascribed to pirates from Cumae In the eight century B. C, when it was known as Zanclo (a sickle), in allu sion to the shape of Us harbor. Catania Is the capital of the province of Catania, and the third largest city In Sicily, oeing outranked In population by Palermo and Meaalna. In front of the cathedral la a fountain with an ancient statue of an ele phant, made of lava, bearing an Egyptian granite oberlsk. In the cathedral, begun by Roger I In 1091 with materiale taken mostly from the an cient theater, and of the original of which little besides the choir has been spared by earthquakes. Is the chapel of Agatha, tute lary saint' of Catania, who was put to death In 251, and whose festival Is magnificently celebrated In February. In the cathedral also 1s the monument of the composer, Bellini, a native of Catania. The villa Bellini has an attractive garden, containing busts of Bellini and others and a statute of Maxslni. . In summer Catania is hotter than Paler mo, but In winter It Is cooler, on account of the snow on Mount Etna. The city formerly had epidemic of cholera, but the Banltary conditions lately has been excel lent and the water supply la good. The lack of promenades and gardens has' made Catania less attractive to tourists than most Italian cities, although the streets are broad and well kept, and the private and public buildings large and well bullC History snd science have recorded more than eighty eruptions of Etna in a period of only a little longer than 2,000 years, eleven of them, aa has been said, before the Christian era. Of this number all have been worthy of attention and many have been among the greatest disasters of their times. Something of the mountain and Its rel ative importance may be germane to the story of Its eruptions. The mistake Is fre quently made of alluding to Vesuvius aa the greatest of European volcanoes, an error natural from the location of the lat ter mountain, shadowing Naples and be fogging the richest reliquary of the world, as It does. Thousands of tourists see Ve suvius to few who see Etna, yet there Is barely a comparison between the two. Vesuvius haa two peaks, the tallest of them 4,200 feet above the neighboring sea. Its secondary peak Is J,") feet high. Etna's active crater towers 1,876 feet above the Mediterranean. From Its summit may be seen all of Sicily, the neighboring LI pari Inland, with the dread volcano Stromboll, to the north of Sicily, where Etna atanda. Malta, the Italian province of Calabria and many small Islands of the Italian coast. Etna haa more than 100 smaller cones, of which at least ninety are large enough to be worthy of note. The moun tain la 100 miles In circumference about tha base. Near this base stands the ruins of the ancient Greek theater of Taormlna, now a solitary and devastated pile, looking In sadness on Its despoller. The principal city of the district, one that has been thrice destroyed and many times damaged by the volcano, is Catania. STATUS WITMOIT DEBTS. romaaenwealtha that Have ot Mort gaged the Fntare. Wall Street Journal. Pennsylvania enjoys the distinction of be Ins out of debt. Although not standing alone In this respect among the states. It Is worthy of mention In an era when pub' He Indebtedness In national and munlclpa lines Is piling up at a rate which creates a sense of misgiving In the minds of msny conservative people. There are ten or more states whose rec ords show an absence of bonded debt. These Include Illinois. Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon and West Virginia. The last named state has, however, outstanding against undermined claims of some millions of dol lars In connection with the Virginia debt. There are fifteen other states which, ac cording to the latest available flgurea. have a benefit debt of leas than ll.OCO.OOO. Two main reasons for conservatism In debt creation by states and for their sue cess in meeting obligations ars fuuod, flifct srrwBsarcras SAFETY Is desired by all of us. whether it be in the matter of money, valuables or ourselves. If it Is a question ot money, can you do better than your money In a bank ot the known strength and stability of the First National Hank of Omaba? If it is a question of your valuables, why not 'J the Safety Deposit VAULTS of this bank? Three hundred, new boxes liave Just been added to th already large equipment. 100 ot them rent for $3.00 n year each. Larger ones in proportion. Fifet National Bank of Omaha Thirteenth and Farnam Su. Entrance to Safety Deposit Taults is on 13th street. In the necessity of restoring to direct tsx ation for a large part of their revenue, Snd secondly. In the frultfulness of rev enue from the tax on corporations. Penn sylvania has been something of a pioneer In this latter method of state taxation, and most other states have followed her lead. New Jersey's bondless position Is pre-eminently the result ot the liboral Income from taxes on corporations. As this source of revenue for the stato treasury Increases, the tendency Is to give to county and other local units of taxation the field for direct Imports. The corpora tion has thus come to be the greatest con tributor to the Income of states and haa enabled the local municipal units to retain their own revenues to an extent which was not possible before the rise of the corpora tion. PERSONAL AOTE9. Two white rhinoceroses will be the object of President Roosevelt's search In his hunt ing trip in Africa, according to Major Ed gar A. Mearns, who will accompany him on his Journey. It Is understood that Mr. Francis K. I.eupp, the commissioner of Internal af fairs, who haa resigned, will take up lit erary work. He was for many years s Washington newspaper correspondent. Policemen In Chicago are clamoring for an Increase In pay, and Chief Snippy has recommended that salaries be raised to the scale that New York pays, from ti.KXI for patrolmen of long service to $3,600 for In spectors. The Increase would raise the po lice budget J450.000 a year. A New York man who served as re ceiver for a looted bank has Just returned to the creditors of the Institution J4.000 which he says he got as receiver without being fairly entitled to It. As soon as his name can be learned he will doubtless be expelled from the Receivers' Union. Dr. 8. Weir Mitchell haa nrintri in the Home of the Merciful Saviour for i Jrippiea VJtinaren, in Philadelphia, as a Christmas gift, the complete Issue of his book, "A Venture in 1777." Tho story Is laid In' Philadelphia and centers artund the family of Colonel Markham of the continental army, who was captured by the British. In the preface the author speaks of the borne. Horace E. Bixby, who, with his 82 years. Is the oldest pilot on the Mississippi, la still at the wheel. For nearly 60 years he has piloted crafts on the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas and Red rivers. He served under Admiral Foote, who called him the best pilot that he had ever neon. Samuel L,. Clemens (Mark Twain) served full apprenticeship with General Blxby and afterward piloted In the Ohio river with his instructor. SUNNY tiKMS. "It ouaht to be easv for a beauty doctor to be a philosopher." "Why so?" TJ , im ttla kxaln... a 1 mr a . n nut a. lond face on the aublect. Baltimore American. See here!" demanded the Indignant sub scriber, "this pbltuary notice is all wrong. I'm not dead!" If the Herald saya you re aeaa. sterniy replied the editor, "you're dead. But," he added magnanimously. "If you don't like being dead, we'll print your birth notice." Success Magaslne. Bvatander What makes that cow per sist In coming over this way? Art st (annoyed) uon t you aee i m drawing her? Harvard Lampoon. It is a mystery to me why you prefer brunettes to blondea." Since you speak or it, i aarmt it is a dark secret." Buffalo Express. "Funny about women. Isn't It?" "Wnat it you mean?" "Why, my wife is wide-awake over a dream of a hat. Baltimore American. The celebrated soprano was In the middle of her solo when little Johnny said to his mother, referring to tne conductor or the orchestra, "why does tne man nil at the woman with his stick?" 'He Is not Hitting at ner. rep aea nis mother. "Keep quiet." Well, then, wnat is sne nouerin so iorT Success Magasine. Your husband seems so gloomy, Mrs. Smith. Is he a misanthrope?" "No, Indeed; he's a Bryan democrat." Baltimore American. "My husband la ao very unreasonable." "Most husbands are. What did yours do?" 'He fixed a fishhook In one of his pockets . V. mmtmwsAA tj aimnr... ,hu, I robbed him at night and then lie blamed For Making and Tatty mm A pure, fine-flavored syrup makes the hnest kind or la !,, SO tlaa at adl A seek ef cocking tad canaV-aiakfiia nclpts sent frt s rcaucsf. C0KN ntODUCTJ IEFINLNG CI, NcwYsrk me because he forgot It was there." Cleve land l'luiri Dealer. "I took In two dollars Just now," said tho first promoter. "Good enough," declared the second pro moter. "Shall we Issue additional stock to correspond with our Increased capital, or shall we have lunch?" Puck. THE3 CLOMNO YEAR. George D. Prentice. "Tin midnight's holy hour, and silence now Is brooding like a gcmtle spirit o'er The still and pulseless world. Hark! on the winds The bell's deep tones sre swelling: 'tis the knell Of the departed year. i. No funeral train Is sweeping past; yet on the stream and wood. With melancholy light, the moonbeams rest . Like a pale, spotless shroud:' the air Is J )!' ' . ...II As by a mourner's sigh, and on yon cloud, That floats so still and placidly through heaven, The spirits of the season Seem to stand. Young spring, bright summer, autumn'a solemn form. . . ' And winter with his sged locks and breathe In mournful cadences, that come abroad Like the far wind-harp's wild and touch ing wail, A melancholy dirge o'er the' dead year, Gone from tne earth forever. 'TIs a time' ' For memory and for tears. Within the deep, Still chambers of the heart, a . specter dim. Whose tones are like the wlxard voice of time, Heard from the tomb of ages, paints Us cold And solemn finger to the beautiful And holy visions that have pans'd away. And left no shadow of their loveliness On the dead waste of lite. That specter lifts The coffin-lid of hope, and Joy, and love, And, bending mournfully above the pale, Sweet forms that slumber there, scatters dead flowers O'er what has pnas'd to nothingness. Tho year Has gone, and with it many a glorious throng Of happy dreams. Its mark is on each brow. Its shadow In each heart. In its swift i 1 1 ' eoitraevt t.!'.- tx: 'vf : ' ,. . It waved. Its scepter o'er the beautiful. . And they are not. It laid ita pallid hap. upon ine strong man, ana ine haugf lorm " i Is fallen, and thf flHahina- vi 1r ilfm , i nvii iiiu ii.ii it, it-vnj, wiieie mruna , The bright and Joyous, and the tearf wail. v Of stricken ones Is beard, where erst i, song And reckless shout resounded. It nass'd o'er The battle-nlaln, ( whore sword and spear Flash'd in the light of midday and the strength Ofserrld hosts Is shlver'd, and Hie grass. Green from that,"0" of carnage, waves above The crush'd and mouldering skeleton. It ' tame, And faded like a wreath of mist at eve; Yet, ere It melted In the viewless air, It heralded Ha millions to their home In the dim land of dreams. Remorseless time Fierce spirit of the glass and scythe what power Can stay him In his silent course, or melt Hla Iron heart to pity? On, still on, Ho presses and forever. The proud bird, The condor of the Andes, that can soar Through heaven's unfathomable depths, or brave The fury of the northern hurricane, And hatha hla plumage In the thunder's home. Furls his broad wings at nightfall, and sinks down To rest upon his mountain rrag but time knows not the weight of sleep or weari ness, x And night's deep darkness lias no chain tV A bind ' 1 His rushing pinions. ' ' t ' Revolutions sweep O'er earth, like troubled visions o'er the breast Of dreaming sorrow; cities rise and sink, I.Ike bubbles on the water; fiery Isles Spring, blazing, from the ocean, and go back To their mysterious .caverns; mountains reur To heaven their -bald and blacken'd cliffs, and bow Their tall heads t? the plain, new empires rise, ' Gathering the strength of hoary cen turies, And rush down like the Alpine avalanche. Startling tiie nations; and the very stars. Yon bright and burning blazonry of God, Glitter a while in their eternal depths, And, like the Pleiad, loveliest of their train, Shoot from their glorious spheres, and pass away To darkle in the trackless void Time. Time, tiie tomb-builder, holds his fler." career. Dark, atern, all-pitiless and pauses not Amid the mighty wrecks that straw I.; Paths, To sit and muse, like other roniiuerors. t'pon the fearful ruin he haa wrougm. Fudge get r" that Mm canay. ini i i a -win i .1