The Omaha Daily Bee
Tiie Omaha dee
ein, rellsbla newspaper that U
admitted to each an 4 every koine).
WEATHER FORECAST.
For Nebraska Phowera, warmer.
Tor Iowa Unsettled.
For weather report see rage 3.
(
VOL. XXXIX-NO. 67.
OMAHA, THURSDAY MORNING, KKTTEMBER 2, 1909 TEN PAGES.
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.
V
AMERICAN FIRST
AT NORTH l'OLE
Dr. Frederick Cook of Brooklyn
Realizes Dream of Explorers
for Centuries.
HEW LAND IN FAR NORTH
Triangle of 30,000 Square Miles Cut
Out of the Unknown.
HAUNTS OF BIO GAM ' OCATED
"7.
-f.
New Highway to Nort y.'.f Ptotc
Paradise to Spot
t GOES BY WAY OF t
-t UNB
Explorer Reached Co-r. "Z OmI
April 31, 1008, aad is R v
ta Coprikaa ea D
Steamer.
PARIS, Sept. J. The Parle anion of the
New Tork Herald this morning- publishes
a signed statement from Dr. Frederick A.
Cook, which is dated "Hans Egede, Ler
wick, Wednesday," on hla experiences In
the arotio regions.
"After a prolonged fight with famine and
frost," says Dr. Cook, "we have ft last
succeeded in reaching the North Pole. A
new highway, with an interesting strip of
animated nature, has been explored and
big game haunts located which will de
light sportsmen and extend the Eequimo
horizon.
"Land has been discovered on which
rests the earth's northernmost rocks. A
triangle of 99,000 square miles bas been cut
out of the terrestttal unknown.
"The expedition waa the outcome of a
summer cruise in the Arotio seas on the
schooner Bradley, which arrived at the
limits of navigation In Smith sound late in
August, 1907. Here conditions were found
favorable for launching a venture to the
pole. J. R. Bradley liberally supplied from
his vessel suitable provisions for local use.
My own equipment for emergencies served
well for every purpose In the Arctic.
Daslik Officials Notified.
) COPENHAGEN, Sept. t-That Dr.
Frederick A. Cook, the American explorer,
reached the north pole in his expedition
which has Just ended, wss given full cre
dence here, although details are lacking of
his intrepid dash across the ice. A mes
sage was rscslved at , the colonial office
here this morning, via Lerwick, Shetland
islands, announcing that Dr. Cook bad
reached the pole April SI. 1901 This dis
patch was sent by a Greenland efflcial
on beard the Danish government steamer
H? Egede, which passed Lerwick at noon
today enroute for Denmark, and read as
follows:
"We have on board the American trav
eler, Dr. Cook, who reaohed the North pole
April H. 1908. Dr. Cook arrived at Uper
.. pavUc in Hay of 1908, from Cape York. The
Esquimaux . 4ape" Yerkv -ownflrm Trt
Cook's story of his Journey."
It Is understood that the Danish consul
at Lerwick, where the Hans Egede re
mained for two hours, was officially noti
fied of Dr. Cook's sucoess in his attempt
to- reach the pole, but that be was bound
to seorecy concerning the extent and
nature ef the explorer's discoveries. . Dl
. rector Ryberg, head of the Greenland ad
ministration bureau said tonight that he
did not expect to receive any further de
tails of Dr. Cook's achievement before the
arrival of the Hans Egede at this point,
which probably would be Saturday after
noon. The vessel will make no stops on
the voyage from Lerwick to Copenhagen.
Director Ryberg proceeded to the Ameri
can legation and informed the minister. Dr.
Maurice F. Egan, that Dr. Cook had
reached the north pole. The announcement
caused the greatest enthusiasm throughout
the city and many Americans called at the
legation to congratulate the minister.
Among these was Alexander Kouta ef New
York, a warm personal friend of Dr. Cook,
who said that be had believed the explorer
had perished long ago. The legation was
overcrowded with visitors tonight.
The noted explorer. Commander Hov-
gaard, leader of various north pole expedl
tlons, was convinced that the message that
Dr. Cook had reached the pole was true.
but remarked that It was strange that no
mention was made in the cable as to
whether or not there la land at the pole.
"Saccesafal," Ism Meutge.
NEW YORK, Sept. L R, T. Davidson of
Brooklyn, a personal friend of Dr. Cook,
raelved a cablegram from Dr. Cook today
saying that he was well and that his ex
pedition had been a sucoess. The message.
which was dated at Lerwick, Shetland
Islands, did not say whether the explorer
had lea.hed the pole.
The message received by Dr. Davidson
from Dr. Cook read as follows:
"Successful; well. Address Copenhagen
It Is noted that while Dr. Cook a message
declares that he was successful, It does
dot sU'.e that he reached the north pole.
Dream of Cesirarlee.
The dream of finding the North pole
las for centuries lured explorers, scientists
and daring adventurers. Whether this
flream has now become a reality by the
achievement of Dr. Frederick A, Cook of
Brooklyn rests thus far upon the reports
tabled from Copenhagen, apparently
through an official source. At the same
sine Dr. Cook cables a laconio message
(Tom Lerwick, Shetland Islands, whence
he Is preceding to Copenhagen, saying
"uooesful. Well. Address Copenha-
isn."
The hops aroused by the reports from
Copenhagen are to some extent qualified
y Dr. Cook's message. While be says he
. ' has been "successful," there Is no specific
mention of having reached the pole, and
those ot a skeptical turn are disposed to
think that an achievement of such me
nientuua consequence would not have been
omitted by Dr. Cook If his sucoeas had
been tbua complete. On the other
baud, the Copenhagen dispatches are
apparently definite that Dr. Cook reached
the coveted goal.
Several days must elapse before any fur
h., Inf nrioaLlon lu vm i 1 1, hi a Tk. n.nl.h
government steamer, Hans Egede, has left
, t r t erwlck, Shetland Islauds, bound for Co
peuhageu, where it la due Saturday.
' Meantime the ship skirts the Danish coast.
passing several small point, which are
being olosely watched for further particu
lars of Dr. Cook.
Laat Ward Irene Dr. Ceek.
At a meeting ot the explorer club ef
' New V"k In October, 1SW7, a letter from Dr,
Continued on aeoond Paga)
Warm Welcome
at Seattle for the
Jap Commission
Bomb Scattering Paper Figures and
Addresses of Officials for Ori
ental Visitors.
SEATTLE, Wash., Sept. L On a Jour
ney to strengthen the bonds of friendship
and commerce between Japan and the
United State, forty-six Japanese bankers.
merchants, members of Parliament, edu
cators and editors, representing the Cham
bers ef Commerce of Tokio, Osaka, Kyoto,
Kobe, Yokohama and Nagoya, arrived In
Seattle this morning on the steamship
Minnesota.
A crowd of people had gathered at the
Great Northern wharf, on which the sun
flag and the Stars and Stripes were Inter
twined. As the steamer approached Bam
boo cannon thew into the air bombs which
bursting, released ' balloons and curious
paper figures. At the landing place- the
visitors were met by Gevernof Marlon E.
Hay of the state of Washington, Mayor
John F. .Miller of Seattle, J. D. Lowman,
president of the Associated Chambers of
the Commerce of the eight large cltlea of
the Paclflo coast, and a delegation of bunl
ness men. The three officials made
speeches welcoming the Japanese.
Representatives of the Japanese responded
briefly.
Robber Secures
Small Booty
Latest Reports Indicate Total Pro
ceeds Will Ran Less Than
Hundred Dollars.
LEWISTON, Pa., Sept. 1. Despite the
fact that an active search has been made,
the robber who yesterday held up and rob
bed a fast express train on the Peun
sylvanla railroad near here bas evaded
capture.
The railroad oompany is making every
effort to arrest the desperado and has en
listed the aid of several detective
agencies. The robber obtained less than
1100 for his daring deed.
HARR13BURQ, Pa., Aug. Sl.-The ex
press messenger of the train which was
held up says that there were five
large iron safes In his car, each containing
a considerable sum of money, but he did
not know how much, as they bad been
locked at Washington and could only be
opened by subtreasury officials at St.
Louis. He had two rifles at the end of
his oar, but could not get at them after
he had opened the door and had been cov
ered by the robber's revolvers.
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 31. -The robber who
looted the express car of the Pennsylvania
train at Lewlston Narrows, Pa., today
missed a chance to acquire half a million
dollars or more la government funds, ac
cording to Oscar L. Whltelaw, subtrees
urer of the United States at Su. Louis. ,
Mr. Whltelaw aald tonight that the five
Iron safes In the car are filled with cur
rency and that their contents totals 1600,000
If the shipment is confined to $1, 13 and 16
bills. He added that bills of a greater de
nomination may be tnoluded, and In that
case the total would run Into the millions.
Accuses Man and
is Badly Stabbed
Wyoming Saloon Keeper May Die
from Wounds Inflicted by Man
He Accused of Theft.
LANDER. Wyo., Sept. 1. Speclal Tele
gram.) Britt Moore of the firm of Moore
it Merrin, who formerly ran a saloon at
Booth Pass, Wyo., was stabbed two Inches
below the heart last evening by a saloon
hangeron. who goes by the name of Old
Jaok.
The subbing took plaoe at Pacific,
twelve miles from South Pasa, Moore was
rendered unconscious and may dls. Last
evening Moore misted S200 from the till
and suspected Old Jaok ot the. theft, be
cause ot his hasty departure for Pacific.
Saddling up a horse he followed the old
man and coming upon him at Paclflo
proceeded to aocuse him of the crime and
to abuse him. Old Jack waa knocked
down twloe by Moore and on gaining his
feet the second time came at hla assailant
with a pocket knife. The sheriff was im
mediately summoned from here and will
arrive with hla prisoner this evening.
Moore la In too critical a condition to be
moved to hla home at South Pasa.
Famine Danger
is Now Over
Flood Situation at Monterey Shows
Some Improvement Money
Pouring In.
MEXICO CTTT, Sept. 1. The flood
situation at Monterey shows some im
provements today. Money and food are
pouring in and the danger ot a water and
food famine is now over.
Returns from outlying districts show im
mense crop losses and many of the smaller
towns In the river regions have been
destroyed with a considerable lose ot life.
General Bernardo Reyes has not been able
to reaeh Monterey on account of the
destruction ef the highways and railroads.
Find No Victims
of Rawhide Flood
Several Reported Missing, but Bodies
Cannot Be Located Lou Quar
ter of Million.
RAWHIDE. Nev., Sept. L Large parties
ot workmen began early today the search
for bodies In the debris left In Squatter
town by laat night's flood. Although sev
eral persona axe repoted missing, there Is
no confirmation of the report that Uvea
were lost when the ten foot wall of water
resulting from a cloudburst in the hills
north of this, place swept over a section
of the town. The property loss will ex
oeed IXO.eOa,
PLANS TO REDUCE
POSTALDEFICIT
President Taft and Postmaster Gen
eral Hitchcock Consider Matter
at Extended Conference.
MANY EXTENSIONS IN SERVICE
Accounts Largely for Balance of
Twenty Millions on Wrong Side.
MANY CHANGES CONTEMPLATED
Commission of Experts is Examining
Registry Division.
FRANKING PRIVILEGE IS ABUSED
Meney Order Dlrlsloa, Which la
Showing Increasing; Deficit Each
Year, Shonld Be Self-
Sustalnlae;. ,
BEVERLY, Mass., Sept. 1. Postmaster
General Hitchcock had an Important con.
ference with President Taft this afternoon
regarding the plans he had formulated for
cutting down expense in the postal estab
lishment. He told the president that ac
cording to the latest estimates the Post
office department will show a deficit for
the fiscal year ended June 80. last, of more
than 1:20,000.000. This is the largest deficit
' . j
the postal service ever nas Known ana m.i.
Hitchcock informed the president that It
was his purpose and his ambition to show
a material decrease in the amount every
year that he has control of the department.
The deficit for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1308, was about 116,000,000. The in
crease aa nearly as can be ascertained was
due In part to extensions of the service, to
the business depression during the first
Dart of the fiscal year and to oumbersome
nil TnenRive methods of handling the
mall and in other , departments of postal
work.
The postmaster general has now at work
in Washington a commission of some forty
odd experts examining the registry depart
ment, which has been showing a growing
deficit year after year. ,
Money Order Division.
When the registry commission has fin
lshed its labors Mr. Hitchcock will summon
another commission of money order experts
to make a similar examination of the money
order division. This division also has been
showing a growing deficiency, whereas,
the postmaster general thinks it should
soon be placed on a self-sustaining basis.
In fact. Mr. Hitchcock believes that the
whole postal service eventually can be put
on a similar basis.
After the money order division has re
ceived an overhauling work probably will
be begun on tho rural free delivery system.
This system was received with so much
enthusiasm that In some Instances it was
expanded far beyond the needs of the sec
tions served. Mr. Hitchcock believes that
In some cases the rural deliveries can be
made by contract at a saving to the gov
ernment. '
Pranklnar Cnaora Vnder Fire.
The subject of the "franking" privilege
or the sending of matter through the malls
by government officials and members of
congress also will come In for a share of
consideration In the effort to maintain the
efficiency of the service and at the same
time to save money wherever a saving' can
be effected. It has been practically Im
possible to ascertain Just what the sending
of "dead head" matter through the mails
has oost the Postofflce department. The
custom has grown of recent years In Wash
ington, however, of sending out many gov
ernment documents as "registered mail."
This system has been very expensive and
la In part responsible for the heavy deficit
ot 13,000.000 In the registry division.
Postmaster General Hitchcock also took
up with the president a number of other
postal matters, including the appointment
of several presidential postmasters. The
appointments announced, however, were all
In small cities.
Vacation for Httrhrock.
Mr. Hitchcock Is starting out on a long
vacation in the west, where he will prae
tlcaliy live out ot aoors anu epeno. a grt.i
part ot the time In the saddle. He has not
been in the best of health since the canv
palgn of last fall. It was his Intention toj
remain in Washington until the invest -,
gating commission!! were reaay iu repuri, i
but by taking a vacation at this time he
hopes to get Into good shape for the hard
Mr. Hitchcock also had a final talk with
the president regarding some of th. dls-
.,, m,
Hitchcock knows the southern political
situation like a book and he haa been
freely considered In the selection of men
thtre. Director of the census Durand ls
due In Beverly soon, to bring the com
missions of the supervisors which remain
to be signed by the president. Despite
the protests of Colonel Cecil Lyon, republi
can national committeeman, lt has heen
decided the Texas supervisors shall, half
of them, be democrats and half republi
cans.
The postmaster general will Join Presi
dent Taft at Los Angeles. Cal.. October
1, and remain with him until after the meet-
tnw with President Dlas at El Paso, Tex.,
October 10.
President Taft expressed deep concern
today over the Illness ot Justice Moody of
the supreme court and said he would
motor over to Haverhill as soon as the
weather permits to call upon the stricken
Justice
Anti-Suftragists
Becoming Active
Illinois Society Will Get Into Fight
to Prevent Extension of
Ballot.
CHICAGO, Sept. 1. Spurred to renewed
activity by the demonstrations of Lon
don suffragettes by the reception given
advocates of this cause by Mrs. Belmont
at Newport recently, and by other devel
opments, the Illinois association opposed to
the extension of suffrage to women, today
announced an aotlve campaign In the mid
dle wett to combat the suffrage move
ment. Mrs. Caroline F. Corbln, president of the
antl-organlxatlon announced today, with
the Issuance of bulletin No. 1 that bulle
tins combating the arguments of the suf
fragettes would be spread throughout the
middle west quarterly, in addition to such
other literature as exigencies might damans'
f
ifiUlllllfef Zm-
til 1 1 i 1 1 1 11 rafti ' v .
From the Washington Star.
BLACK POWDER EDICT RAISED
Trouble Involving 18,000 Pittsburg
Miners Settled for Present.
TERMS ARRANGED BY LEWIS
Operators Suspend 0r4er and Miners
wkll Send Com ml See to ('enter
with Chief ltle In
aperter. i ;
. PITTSBURG, Sept. t-The dispute be
tween the miners and operators , ot the
Pittsburg district affecting Ig.OOO men, 7,000
of whom have been Jtm a strike for over
a week, was settled tonight at a Confer
ence betwen the operators and- the na
tional executive 'board members of the
United Mine Workers of America, with
NaUonat President ' Thomas L Lewis of
the organisation. A notice will be posted
tonight In all the mines in this district
telling the miners that the recent order -ot
the coal companies that black pewder
-must be used in mining coal la rescinded
tor the present. To secure thin concession
on the part of the operators, President
Lewis appointed a committee from the
miners' organisation, which will go to
Wllkesbarre, Pa., tomorrow to confer with
Chief Mine Inspector James E. Roderick
of Pennsylvania, asking that a thorough
investigation of the use of black or
"safety" powder be made by the state.
The state authorities ordered the use of
this powder, but the miners contend that
It shatters the coal to such an extent that
their earnings are greatly decreased.
The district officials of the miners' union
took no part In the conference, owing to
the differences existing between them and
the natlona, Doari. lt expected that a
maJor1ty of th0 miners will return to work
tomorrow
Presldent Feenan Btat tnat a, far as
the natlonal m(ner,. organllaUon ls con.
cerned he will not consider any further
conferences between himself, the national
"Pl" e"ort on th' p"1 f 'heK ra,"
,ho mln'" " thlr he, w11
call the men In the Pittsburg district out
on strike during the present week.
Will Jfot Carry Strikebreakers.
Another victory was recorded by tha
Rchoenvllle strikers today when it was re
ported that the members of the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen, employed on
the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne ft Chicago
railway had refused to bring any more
ftrlko breakers to the Pressed Steel Car
company's plant. A committee representing
the trainmen called at the strikers' head
quarters at McKees Rocks and after the
conference. Chairman Wise of the strikers'
executive committee stated positively that
no more Imported men will be transported
over the Fort Wayne route.
Government agents Hoagland and Pig
nlolli, with Sheriff Gumbert, spent the
better part of today continuing their
s cret probe into alleged peonage condl-
I tlonl inside the car company's stockade,
It wa iearned today that the box car Jail,
concerning w hich such serious charges
were made against car company officials,
has been renovated and made habitable.
According to an authoritative atatement,
(Continued on Second Page.)
Call Douglas 238,
the "Want-ad
Number."
Ask for the Want-ad Depart
ment and your ad will be tak
en carefully and will appear
in the next edition.
Probably you have something you
should advertise a room or house
for rent need help something to
acii something you want to buy.
Do it now while you have it
in mind. Telephone) it
BUSY DAYS AHEAD.
Egan Asks for
Reinstatement
Disbarred Attorney Presents His Own
Case to the Supreme
Court.
PIERRE. S. D., Sept. 1. (Special Tele
gram.) The application of Attorney Egan
for reinstatement to the bar of the state
came up before the supreme court today
and after hearing .arguments the court
took a recess until Friday , next.
TCjjan . presented his pWitlnn and spoke
for over on hour. In which he recited the
history of his life and the details of the
O'Grady esse, on which his disbarrment
was founded, and declared that what he de
sired vraa to get before the court matters
in relations to that case which he could
not get. .Into the record on a hearing. In
his olosing he admitted that he might
have committed, an Indiscretion tn attack
ing members of the court through his
paper, but Justified himself on the grounds
of the persecution and annoyance to which
he had been put by the press and members
of the Minnehaha county bar.
Park Davis, for the Minnehaha County
Bar association, took the position that
there has been no change In the record on
which the disbarment proceedings were
based and that Egan In his plea to the
cout as an Individual, and In his denial of
any wrong having been dons by him,
showed In Itself that he is not a fit mem
ber of the bar. They filed copies of his
paper attacking the court., as a part of
their record. The committee appointed by
the State Bar association took rib part In
the case beyond listening to the argu
ments. South Spins
Its Own Cotton
For Second Year Southern Mills Have
Consumed More of the Staple
Than Northern Mills.
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 1. For the second
consecutive year southern mills have con
sumed more cotton than the northern mills,
according to Secretary Hester's report on
the consumption of American cotton, mado
public on the floor of the New Orleans
Cotton exchange at the close of business
today. Southern mills up to the close of
the commercial year ending Auguat Si,
1908. consumed 2.66Q.000 bales, against 2,600,
000 bales consumed in the north.
BEER SALES ON INCREASE
Report ef State Inspector Shows Mis
souri Broke Record Darlsg
Month ot July.
JEFFERSON CITY. Mo., Sept. 1. Ac
jcotdlng to the report of the state beer
I Inspector more beer was sold In Missouri
i n August than on any previous month In
the state s history. Collections ror August
amounted to $19,839.34.
Warty Rat and Rabbits Size
of Mice in Roosevelt Casks
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1. The scientists birds, said to be more valuable than the
of the Smithsonian Institution are now sat
isfying their overflowing curiosity as to
what the first conslgnmenfof boxes, con
taining trophies of Colonel Roosevelt's
African hunt, have within their sides.
Upon opening the caska containing the
skins they were found to be in good shape,
and Major Mearns, In charge of the Smith
sonian forces with Colonel Roosevelt, has
been notified of the fact. The work of
stuffing the skins will not be undertaken
for aome time, and it will probably be two
years before the work Is completed.
There are a large number of birds In the
consignment, as well as valuable species
of rata, rabbits, moles, mice and other
small anlmala. A beautiful collection of
1
VAGES
SEARCH FOR BANK ROBBERS
Country in Vicinity of Mineola Has
Been Thoroughly Scoured.
SLIGHT CLUE FROM CARSON
Report . Two Suspicions Characters
Have Been Been Near There ls
Being; In Test lasted by
a Posae.
The pursuit of the men who robbed the
Mills County German bank at Mineola, la.,
Tuosday afternoon still -continues.
The to'untryvha been thoroughly searched
In every . direction and every, clue which;
promises even a remote chance of locating
the men Is being promptly run down.
Last night a posse went to Carson, la.,
on a report that two suspicious characters
had been seen around there and an effort
Is being made to find them and determine
whether or not they could have had any
ccnnectlon with the robbery.
At Mineola everything ls quiet after the
excitement of the last two days. The men
who are after the robbers are now work- He then went Into business for himself on
lng many miles from the town and lltu(tne modest scale of providing the printers
Is being heard from them, although there ot The Bee and olner newspaper offices
ls a constant expectation of favorable : h ,,,,. , ih w. ,...
news.
The search for the men Is kept up by
men on horseback, in buggies and In auto -
ii.uui.tjo, a numuer qi me lauer oeing
pressed Into service Tuesday afternoon.
The telephone Is also being used and every
one Within many miles ot Mineola has been
advised to be en the lookout for suspicious
characters.
Carson Is east of Mineola about twenty
miles and It Is thought that If the robbers
have been unable to secure horses and are
making their way on foot that they would
have had time to go about that far on their
way out of the country.
Dignitaries See
Bishop Consecrated
Three Archbishops, Eleven Bishops
and 600 Priests at Ceremony
in Chicago. .
CHICAGO, 111., Sept. l.-The central fig
ure In one of the most Impressive cere
monies known to the Roman Catholic
church. Rev. Edmund M. Dunne, was to
day consecrated bishop of Peoria.
The ceremony was conducted at the Ho'.y
Name cathedral In this city by Most Rev.
Dlomede Falconlo, apostolic delegate to the
United States, In the presence of a con
gregation Including three archbishops--Falconlo,
Quigley and Glennon eleven bishops
and 600 priests.
Mass was celebrated by both the apos
tollo delegate and the bishop elect, a spe
cial altar having been erected for the use
ot the latter.
Adm'.Bsion to the ceremonies was by ticket
Delegations were present from New ork,
Buffalo, St. Louis, Washington, Milwau
kee, St. Paul and from the states of Ne
braska, Montana and Washington.
larger animals, ls also In the collection
What the aclentlsts consider a great prize
Is the warty rat. It is slightly larger than
ths ordinary rat and has two warts on its
lower Up, and has never before been seen
In this country. It Is a carnivorous animal
and lives on the weaker members of Its
own tribe. , So highly does the Institute
prize this species that Its carcass has been
kept separate from the others to prevent
breaking Its tender bones.
The work of classifying the birds, which
are In a perfect state ot preservation, will
not be undertaken until the African ex
perts return. In the collection there Is
every kind of rabbit, from the every day
jackrabblt to the very small and rarely
known speslmena closely resembling mica.
I0LF HANSON
KILLED BY GAS
Omaha Restaurant Man Dies of As
phyxiation at His Rooming
House in New York,
FRIEND SAYS IT IS NOT SUICIDE
News Wired to Family by Samuel Ed
gar, Who Knew Him.
BODY WILL BE BROUGHT HOME
Had Gone to Gotham After Failure of
Cafe in July.
WIFE AND MOTHER ARE LEFT
Family Net Wtlllngr e Admit Death
Was by Ills Own Hand, ilaoe
They Have Advice
the Contrary,
This message comes by Associated Press:
NEW YORK. Sept. l.Tolt Hanson, who
until last winter operated two restaurants
In Omaha, and who went Into bankruptcy
there, committed suicide bare today by In
haling Illuminating gas in a lodging house.
Samuel Edgar, a dry goods merchant, said
Hanson oame here from Omaha In July
after he had failed In buslneaa.
He wrote me that he could not slay In
Omaha and face his creditors any longer.
so he came to New York," said Mr. Edgar.
Tolf Hanson, for years one of the lead
ing restaurant men of Omaha who failed
In business early In July, died by
Inhaling Illuminating gaa at his room
ing house In New York Wednesday morn
ing. The news waa transmitted to Sid
Snanson, his brother-in-law, In Omaha, In
a telegram sent by Samuel Edgar, an old
friend of the family In w York.
"Mr. Edgar's telegram did not say lt
was suicide," said Mr, Swanson, "and ws
have advices that It was unintentional
asphyxiation. We are endeavoring to
get all the details." X
Mr. Swanson has telegraphed to Mr.
Edgar to have the body sent to Omaha for
burial.
To his venerable mother, over 80 years
of age, and his wife, the message was a se
vere shock. He had been In New York
since July 4, going then, he said, to
straighten out his entangled business
affairs.
The life of Tolf Hanson ls the story of
sn ambitious, sensitive, Idealist; a man
who aspired to tha best, of deep sympa
thies, generous and honest.
Mr. Hanson was born June 12, 1883, in
Sweden. He married Jennie Swanson.
They had no children. Coming to the
United States In his youth, he found
employment In Omaha as a mere
workman In a restaurant, and from that
he rose, by dint of perseverance and honest
toll until he commanded, lt ls said, some
thing like $100,000 in his own name,' and
this achievement he wrought in the com
paratively brief period-of lass than, twenty
years. He had expressed the ambition to
Intimate friends of maintaining a high
grade cafe bearing his name, and In tha
establishing of the Hanson he thought he
was to realize his Ideal.
His HIM Was Rapid.
It was In 1891 or '92 that Tolf Hanson .
and Otto Meilke worked 'together In the
kitchen of the old One Minute restaurant.
operated by John
Halplne, on Farnant
street, between Fifteenth and Sixteenth
lunches In largo tin buckets. In February,
18U2, he opened the Calumet on Douglas
gtrect an tn prlllter nls good frlendai
. ... , . ... ... a
. v i- u ii iu ,1,0 111.'. ..in " ' . . uii.u.i I..I n. nj
the printers have remained the customers
of the Calumet. They and Tolf Hanson
never ceased to be friends.
Mr. Hapson met with prompt and re
markable success in the Calumet. From a
vry small restaurant It came to be the
largest ope In Omaha, Inspired by the
success of the Calumet, Mr. Hanson re
solved to venture out upon a larger plane.
He had built a beautiful home for himself
and family In thu fashionable Bemls Park
residence district, furnished lt with excel
lent taste and every, comfort, amassed a
substantial fortune, and could see no rea
son now tor not starting out to realise the
fruition of his dream of years that of
owning the best and most up-to-date cafe
In the city or state.
Death la Nina Months.
In less than nine months after he opened
the beautiful cafe he died. He asaumad an
undertaking which many friends believed
at the time was and which proved ta he
too great. He waa aatisfled only with the
btst equipment, lie got It, but at ah enor
mous price, as events have shown.
The lease on the building which Hanson
secured from G. E. Sliukert ls regarded
as a monumental mistake. This lease
waa to run ten years and called for an
annual rental of 110,000. At the end of that
period the building and all Improvements
were to revert to Mr. Shukert.
When Hanson took the lease on the build
ing he had to remake the building for the
restaurant that he thought Omaha Would
support. To equip this as he wanted to
with the beat ot restaurant fixtures and
the latest designs from the east cost blm
tlOO.OQO.
After fitting up the building and placing
it in shape for use he had to buy tableware
which cost hlin tl.DM). The total expense
of getting the cafe ready to open for busi
ness cost nearly I175.0UO.
The place never was a paying proposition
there a us not a day that the receipts
equalled the expenditures. The total re
ceipts for , the lunch room and the upper
floors were less than $1,000 on big days.
The average receipts for the lunch room
were 1200. For the two upper floors the re
ceipts averaged nearly $7u0.
Bit; Lose from Start.
With receipts of nearly 11,000 the Cafe
Beautiful lost between 7S and 1 100 dally.
The pay roll for the help at the Hanson
was 1.400 a month and this, with the cost
of food and the lease, much more than ate
up the Income that the cafe brought In to
Haneon.
At the Calumet Tolf Hanson's net re
ceipts averaged 12,000 a month! There the
help's payroll was only Smju a month, being
ItK) less than the Cafe beautiful.
On the Calumet Hanson had a lease that
ran for six years from June L UKlt. The
rent for that place was l&O a month. The
outlay at the Calumet repreaenta about
7.e00. '
Hanson ran the Calumet continuously
until IMS, the year ot tha waiter's etrike.
i