Evening Star Newspaper, January 8, 1898, Page 1

THE EVENING STAR. 1 : PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY. AT THB STAR BUILDINGS, 1101 Pennsylvania Avense, Cor. Tith St., by oe Bae Rs te " Wow Yook fice, 49 Potter Buildiny. ‘The Evening Star te served to subscribers ta the a certiers, on ‘wn @ccount, at 10 ecate feo winks ax cd coms per month Caples af tne Seater a conte cocher By matt-warwbers ta Batted states or Consda—postage prepaid—80 ceats r mont TSgaterday Qotntapte Sueet Star, $1 per year, with foreign postage “(Entered a the Tost Office at Washington, D. 0., “EF Ail wall subscriptions Gost be paid tn advance. wall oul = Rates of advertising Mmede Hoown of application. No. 13,996. HANNA IS GAINING Two of the Opposition Publicly Aban- don the Fight on Him. ONLY LACKS ONE VOTE 70 ELECT His Managers Claim Seventy-Five Votes on Joint Bal'ot. FORAKER HOLDS ALOOF —— COLUMBUS, Ohio, January 8.—Hanna is Gaining on the homestretch. At the cau- cuses one week ago tonight he was beaten, ard he has been beaten ever since. But there are reliable reports today indicating that he has the necessary seventy-three votes. ‘The Hanna headquarters are jubilant and the opposition seems less confident. The oppositicn has depended upon the follow- ing ten republicans voting with the sixty- five democratic members of the legisla- ture: Representatives Mason and Bramley of Cuyahoga, Jones of Stark, Griffith of Union, Otis of Hamilton, Scott of Fultcn, Redkey of Highland, Rutan of Carroll, Maruel of Montgomery and Senator Burke of Cleveland. This would make the joint ballot stand seventy-five to seventy against Hanna. At a public meeting in Dayton last night, a! which resolutions were adopted con- @emning Governor Bushnell and the bolt- ing republican members and demanding that Chas. L. Kurtz resign as the Ohio member of the national republican com- mittee, Representative Manuel made a speech pledging himself unequivocally fot Hanna, Representatives Griffith of Unior ard Jones of Stark are reported to have done the same things at their homes. And there are like reports from Rutan of Car- roll and Redkey of Highland. Hanna Has Seventy-Five Votes. The Hanna men now go so far as to claim today that it is seventy-five to seven- ty in their favor for the next week's elec- tion. Tnere are apparently seventy-two members now pledged to Hanna publicly, but that is one short, and the opposition concede no loss except that of Manuel. Wrile Representative Griffith is home with his constituents. Mrs. Griffith is here at the Great Southern Hotel, where the anti-Han- na men have their headquarters, and she is still with the opposition. The anti-Hanna men admit that, after securing control of both branches of the gislature, they made a great mistake in adjourning from Wednesday to Monday and having the members go home till inaugura- tion day. The republican members, who are co-operating with the democrats against Hanna were thus confronted with indigna- tion meetings at their homes, which are likely to turn the tide in favor of Senator Hanna. ade repeated and most persistent efforts last night to get Senator Foraker to come here, and that has been regarded as an indication that he was needed. But the senior senator from Ohio Jeft Cincinnati Jast night for Washington Without stepping at Columbus. It is re- ported that certain parties met the senator on the way, or before his departure, but nothing definite is known as to that matter. All efferts to get either Foraker or John R. McLean here have failed, although they are credited with being the two great fac- tors in “the combine.” Indignation Meetings Held. At the republican indignation meetings throughout the state resolutions are now being adopted denouncing Gov. Bushnell and the republican dissenters in the legisla- ture, and demanding that Kurtz resign from the national committee. At the general mass meeting, to be held here Monday afternoon, as socn as the in- auguration exercises are over the most radical speeches and resolutions are ex- pected on the pending republican revolution in this state. The state democratic banquet here tonight in celebration of St. Jackson's day 1s also likely to bring sqme interesting develop- ments. Mr. Griffith's Announcement. Mrs. Gi ith, the wife of the representa- tive from Union county, went home this afternoon to join her husband at Marys- ville. Mr. Griffith announced to a meeting of his censtituents last night and again today that he did not want to vote for Hanna, but if it was their wish he would do ‘There is no lack of effort In Union county new on the part of the people to eapress their wishes to their representa- tive, and he is being transferred from the list of the opposition to that of Hanna. The Hanna list stood 74 to 71 agamst the Serator yesterday, but with the changes of Manuel of Montgomery and Griftith of Union, the Hanna men claim that they have the necessary 73 votes to 72 for the opposition if the election should take place today. The Hanna men claim that the turn is in their favor on any other changes that may occur previous to the balloting next Tuesday. The anti-Hanna managers are making charges today of bribery. Opposition is Weakening. Special Dispatch to The Evening Star. COLUMBUS, Ohio, January 8.—Though the managers ef the anti-Hanna organiza- tion claim to be confident that their ranks are unimpaired, and that they will be able to prevent the election of Senator Hanna, it is quite evident this morning that they are weakening. ‘The friends of Senator Hanna say the break is started and will soon result in the utter rout of the organization that is op- ing the senator. The declaration by nuel of Dayton last night that he in- ended to support Mr. Hanna for senator, and the statement from Mr. Joyce of Guernsey county that when the time came he would take his stand for the election ef Mr. Hanna, and rellable reports from intimate friends of Messrs. Griffith and Rutan, all of whom voted against Mr. Box- well for speaker, give the Hanna managers reason to expect that they will succeed in electing Mr. Hanna on the first ballot, If all the republicans who voted for the republican kcus nominees in the organi- ation of the house and senate vote for Mr. Hanna, and, in addition to these, Joyce, Manuel and cre other, it will elect him. Claims of the Antin. The anti-Hanna managers claim that ether republicans than those who voted against Mr. Boxwell will vote against Mr. Hanna. No cne has been able to pick out ny such republicars, however, and it is quite likely that this is merely biuster. It is generaliy conceded that the anti- Hunna republicans and the democrats in control of the legislature made three errors that have led directly to their present dis- comfiture. In the first place, they gave the representatives an opportunity to go to their homes and mingle with their con- stituents when they permitted the legis- lature to adjourn from Wednesday to Monday. There the wavering republican Members have been overwhelmed by su- perior numbers of Hanna republicans and Mined up by force for Hanna. The second was the premature publication of the redistricting scheme by which the legislature is to gerrymander the state in the joint interests of the democrats and their anti-Hanna republican. colleagues. This has been used against the combination with great effect. The third mistake was the attack upon Senator Brice and the gold democrats in seagral which was issued. from the. state headquarters Thursday night by Allen O. Myers. GODSCHALK HELD THE FORT linois Farmer Resists Attempted Forcicsure on His Property. His Wife Loaded the Guns While He Popped Away the Sheriff's Posse. TUSCOLA, Ill, January 8.—A lively bat- tle took place here between Sheriff Frank D. Bagley and a pcsse of deputies on one side ard Joseph Godschalk, his wife and a farm hand, Clem Fidler, on the other. For seme time there has beer litigation ever Godschalk’s eighty-acre farm, the lat- ter having slept on his rights and allowed a mortgage to be foreclosed. The sheriff wanted possession, but Godschalk threat- €ned to shoot any officer that attempted to Gispossees him. When an effort was made by the sheriff end his pesse to take possession Godschalk carried out nis threat, wounding Deputy Sheriffs C. A. Moon and Frank Dussett with shotguns. As the officers neared the house Godschalk and Fidler threw up the windows of the house and opened a heavy fire, being assisted by the farmer’s wife, who loaded the guns as fast as they were emptied. ‘Ten or twelve shets were fired at the ad- vancing officers, who returned the fire from their revolvers, but up to the present it is not known that any of the inmates were killed or wounded, as no one has dared to make inquiry. The officers were forced to return from the field, as they were cnable to dislodge the farmer and his wife and assistant. Mcon was wounded in the leg, while Bas- sett was shot in the face, neither fatally. Sheriff Bagley will make another attempt to carry out the orders of the court, and will take a company of twenty-five men armed with rifles. Se BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS. Col. Bingham's Report of Improve- ments During the Month. In his report of operations on public buildings and grounds during the past month, Colonel Bingham says in regard to the Executive Mansion that a new storm door was placed in position at the mein entrance, north front, and that cloak boxes, check hooks and brass checks were prepared for use at receptions during the winter. Storm sashes were placed at the windows of several private apartments and the’ exit bridge, which is used at one of the north windows at official functions, was overhauled and _ repaired. A new tem:porery slab walk for use at receptions was laid across the center bed in the con- servatory to connect the two main walks and three decayed rafters were removed. Three old decayed maple trees were re- iroved from the grounds. There were 11,061 visitors to the top of the Washington monument- during the mcnth, of which number 8,018 made the ascent in the elevator and 3,043 by the stairway, making a total of 1,474,303 per- sors who have visited the top since the shaft was opened to the public, October 9, 1888. Two arrests were made during the month for vandalism at the monument, In one case the prisoner wrote on one of the memcrial tablets, and in the other the prisoner cut his name on the outside of the monument. Both cases were dis- posed of in the Police Court. The usual care and attention was be- stewed on the public parks and reserva- tions during the month. In the Smith- sonian grounds 200 feet of board walk three feet wide and 80 feet two feet wide were laid east of the building for the con- venience of pedestrians. A wire fence has been placed around-the polished gran- ite base of the pedestal for the statue of General John A. Logan for its protection. The bronze pedestal for this statue has been completed in Rome and is expected to arrive here this month. —___-e——____ A BIG GAIN SHOWN. United States Exports Reported by the Bureau of Statistics. The advance figures from the November report of the bureau cf statistics shows that the exports from the United States during that month aggregated $114,639,664, a gain of nearly $7,000,000 over November, 1886. For the eleven months ended Novem- ber 30, 1896, the exports amounted to $956,- 675,874, a gain of nearly $86,000,000. The exports during these eleven months, divided into the several classes, and also for the same period in 1896, are given as follows: Eleven months. + $578,692,078 $35,782,489 - 229, 256,256,812 $8 "' $956.675,874 The products of agriculture during the last eleven months, therefore, were 66.40 per cent of the whole, and the products of manufacture 26.78 per cent. Se AFTER THE COUNTERFEITERS, Chief Hazen to Devote His Energics to Catching Them. Instructions have been sent to Chief Hazen of the secret service bureau to de- vote all of his time and energies to the capture of the maker of the plate and the plate itself from which the new $100 coun- terfeit silver certificates were printed. In the meantime Maj. Fred Brackett, chief of the appointment division, Treasury Depart- ment, will act as chief of the secret service. It is understuod that the promptness with which the counterfeit plate and its maker are discovered will have an important bear- ing upon the question of Mr. Hazen’s re- tention in his office. ——————————— ‘THIRTY-FOUR DISMISSED. Dismissals in the Bureau of En- ing and Printin; The Treasury Department this afternoon dismissed thirty-four plate printers em- pioyed in the bureau of engraving and printing. The statement is made by treas- ury officials that the printers had been em- ployed on reyenue work, the turning out of revenue stamps, etc. The bureau has succeeded in accumulating a stock of these stamps, enough to do for a long time, and found that the services of the printers were not necessary any longer. It is also said that the apprcpriation for this work is ex- hausted, furnishing another reason for di: misaal. It ts said gt the treasury that the dis- charge may be temporary, although the men will be thrown out of work for a long time before they get a chance for rein- statement, if at all. The names of the men discharged are not given, but it {s vositively asserted that there is nothing political in what has been done. The storage capacity for the revenue stamps is exhausted, it is alleged, and the demand is light. pg —_____-e-_____ The Winslow Kept in Port. The weather bureau notified the Navy Department this morning that:a storm prevails in Ontario, moving E. NM. E., and: that it will cause a violent gale on the coast north of Cape May. As “a: .gesult’ Ww dn at tl ware breakwater, to defer her departure for New- ‘after the passage of the ex- Gold Prospectors Suffer Great Hard- ship From Extreme Cold. FOOD SUPPLY IS ADEQUATE ite The Secretary; ef State Tells of the Organizatign of Egorts for the Starving Islanders, Difficulties in Getting Supplies Through in Winter, The Secretary of State issued the follow- ing appeal to the public today: © DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, January 8, 1898. To the Public: The undersigned, Secretary of State of the United States, had the honor, on the 24th of Decemter, to make known to all charitably disposed people in this country the appeal of the President for aid, in the form of money or supplies, toward the speedy relief of the distressing destitution and suffering which exists among the peo- ple of Cuba. The gratifying interest which his coun- trymen have shown in all parts of our land in that humane appeal has led the Presi- dent to recognize the need of orderly and concerted effort, under well-directed con- trol, 1f timely assistance is to be given by the public to the sick-and needy of Cuba. He has therefore appointed, with the co- operation of the American Red Cross, the New York chamber of commerce and one of the leading tepréseéntatives of the re- ligious community, a central Cuban relief committee,with headquarters in New York city, composed of the following members: Stephen E. Barton, chairman, second vice president of the American National Red Cross; Chas. A. Schieren, treasurer, a member of the New York chamber of com- merce, and Louis Klopsch, proprietor of the Christian Herald. It will be the office of the committee so organized not only to receive and forward to the United: States consui at Havana such money and neceagary supplies as may be contributed by the people of the United States, but to invoke In its own name and through the three great interests it fitly represents. the ‘concyprent effort of local relief beards tHronghgnt the United States, and to invite the king aid of the trans- portation agencies of tte country for the prempt conveyance @f contributed supplies to the seaboard and 4heirshipment thence to Cuba. The consul generaK‘at Himvana is in turn assured of the effettive’ co-operation of every available agemdy im the Island of Cuba in order taat @fe mmy be saved and fuffering spared. ‘The Spawish government, welcoming the aid thys tendered, will fa- cilitate the work, am@ to thet end will ad- mit into Cuba, free @f qufles and charges, all articles otherwise Malle to tax when duly consigied® to fe igosieul general. By direction of th® Preskient, the under- signed appeals fo tise people in every city and town, to the ‘méniipal authorities thereof, to the local begriis of trade and transportation, *to rations..and others producing the Nes of Hfe and to al! whose Beart arp open to the cry of distress and @ffiictioh td second the gen- erous effort néy* being finde and, by well- directed endeavor, make its success truly rsponsive to the’sentiments of charity that have ever characterized the American peo- ple. (igned) FRIENDLY MOUNTED POLICE SKAGUAY, Alaska, January 2, via Seat- tle, Wash., January 8.—Captain Wood, in cctmmand of the detachment of thé north- West mounted police in the district which extends from the White Pass summit to Lake Tagish, warns all persons en route to the Klondike that they will not be per- mitted to pass Tagish House unless each Person has at least 600 pounds of provi- sions. William Byrne of Chicago lies in a cabin on the Lewes river with both feet amputat- ed. Byrne and his uncle, James E. Ma- guire, also of Chicago, were making their Way up the river from Dawson, and De- cember 6 Byrne, who is only eighteen years of age, had both feet frozen. The men con- tinued their journey for five days. The boy suffered horribly and the fiesh began to drop from the frozen feet. Still they forged ahead, with the bones protruding from Byrnes’ feet, until Lewes river was reached and the boy placed in a cabin where he could receive some care. It was found necessary to amputate both feet near the knees. A doctor who hap- pened to be in the Lewes river camp per- formed the operation. Maguire, the uncle of Byrne, reached Skaguay in a dying condition, having been seized with quick consumption on the way up. He will prob- ably live long enough to reach his home in Chicago. A man named Schroeder died twelve days ago in a camp near the mouth of the Hoo- talinquin river. Schroeder was from the Black Hills. Lot Jumping Very Common. Scarcely a day passes that does not wit- ness several c: of lot jumping in Skag- uay. Building operations are being pushed night and day. Some of the buildings are to be used as hotels’ and lodging houses; more are dance halls, variety theaters and- saloons. Each iuceming steamer brings hundreds of people. Besides the City of Seaiule, which ar- rived today, the Elder came in from Port- land, with 300 passengers. It is almost im- possible for pevpie to secure hotel or lodg- ing house accommodations. The‘ restat saloons and gambling houses are thronged day and night, while general business is good. ‘Tents are being put up wherever an available site can be found, generally in the street. W. B. Sampson, the first postmaster of Skaguay, took charge of his office yester- day. The first public school will open tomorrow in the new church building. The first marriage to take place here was celebrated Saturday night, the groom being Patrick Bosnes and the bride Miss Jennie Mack. No Danger of Starvation. JUNEAU, Alaska, January 3, via Seattle, Wash., January 8.—Twenty men have ar- rived here from Dawson. Some of them have been in the interior of Alaska for ten years. They unhesitatingly state that there is no danger of starvation and no necessity for a government relief expedi- tion. They say that Thirty-mile river, be- tween Lake Lebarge and the Hootalinqua, is open water, and they were compelled to take to the side hills. Most of those who arrived tonight intend going back as soon as possible with supplies for the coming year.. The trail is reported to be in very fair condition. For two weeks the weather has heen very mild. £d Lard, the man who was recently ar- rested at Dawson for stealing $22,000 worth of gold dust from a saloon in which he was barkeeper, has been released. It is stated that the reason of Lard’s discharge was that the police had no food for prisoners. Major Perry of the mounted police is in- quiring very closely into the action of the Canadian customs officials, who are col- lecting duty at Lake Lindemann, with a view to determining what amount of pro- visions an American miner should be al- lowed to take in duty free. Advices have been received at Juneau that funds have been deposited at Seattle to meet all Habilities of the Nowell Gold Mining Company, and that the receiver will soon be discharged. ‘Troublesome Transportation. SEATTLE, Wash., January 8.—T. B. Corey of Seattle, one of the men who arrived here from Klondike on the steamer City of Seat- tle, says: “My party counted twenty-five boats and their passengers tied up on Lake Lebarge, and twice as many on Lake ‘Taguish. In places along the river they counted twenty more.” Mr. Corey speaks highly of the humane acts of mounted police located en route, who make room in their camps for men to sleep, feed them and sell necessary provis- ions at actual cost. On Lake Bennett tre party met fourteen sled3 drawn by horses, carrying 1;500 to 2,009 pounds to the sled. It was their in- tention if possible to get as far as the foot cf Lake Lebarge, and from there to send the supplies along the dog trails. Later it was reported that ten horses, with their loads, had been lost through the ice at Caribeo crossing, Mr. Corey said there was a shortage of food, but expressed no fear of starvation, many having gone to Fort Yukon. Rich Rock Discovered. Corey says rich quartz rock has been dis- covered on Deanwvod creek, which is esti- mated to run as high as $50,000 to $75,000 to the ton. J. B. and J. F. Graeber, formerly of Shamokin, Pa., report that on October 6 a party of seven people left the head of Lake Lebarge, and that since nothing has been heard of them. ‘ ‘Two boats marked Whiteman and Parker, containing 500 pounds of provisions, were fcund drifting down the river. Napoleon Durpros and a party of six Frenchmen are reported to have brought upward of $40,000 in dust with them. They also have a draft for $100,000, the proceeds of a sale of some mining property. . The present trip of the City of Seattle is one of the quickest ever made on the Skaguay run, occupying just ten days for the round trip. JOHN SHERMAN, cretary of State. The Treasury Department is preparing to turn in a nice sum for the relief of the Cuban sufferers. Subscription blanks have been circulated throughout the department, and the emplcyes are offering voluntary subscriptions. Considerable rivalry has sprung up in the different bureaus, with the result that the total subscription from the department will be largely increased. The subscripticns aré to be turned over to Chief Clerk Swayse J the 15th instant. Secretary Gaga will probably head the subscription wiff a @ged sum. He is heart- ily in favor of thig;eountry contributing generously to the appeal for aid. It is un- derstood that he has already made a large subscription. i The Eveniig Star Fund. Evening Star Co: G. B.... R. W. Farreliy. A friend. Cash Theo. J. Mayer. Vermont Avenue Baptist Church. eee & Lethrep: ‘as 5 * Persone) Mention. Lieut. George Rickards, United States Marine Corps, .recently attached to the Lancaster, has been. erdered to Washing- ton, and-is -yJeiting. his brother, Solicitor General Richerds, 1835 Connecticut avenue. Dr. Geoy.W. Porter of Herrisburg, Pa., is spending the .winte wit pis son-in-law, Lieut. John M. Poyér,of the navy yard. Dr. Porter is @ biWther Of Gen. Horace Porter, ‘Wo France. Mr. F. G. Satin, PR. 3s fm the city for a few days, stopying with Mr. W. P. Van Wickle, pall Hs a rehwest. Lieut. y H. Arnold registered at the ent this morning. He is at ‘street. Lieut. W. B. Fleteéher @f the Vicksburg is in ee Ge is, 12th Inf Secon: . Ge Daw: infan- try,” oi set ‘Wer Department today. He is at the Ebbitt..~! Owing to the fiinéhs, of Mrs. Roosevelt, Aasistent. Secretary it has been efgagement to at- @f the Boone and Chee verk. which takes this -e1 9 ‘Tracy ofsNe@w: York, ex-Secretary e Navy, who is in the city on legal business, eperit a time at the Navy Department today ng es THE DISTRICT’S DEBT. Semi-Annual Statement of the United tates Treasurer. The semi-annual statement of United States Treasurer Roberts as to the funded iréebtedness of the District of Columbia shows little change from the statement is- sued in July last. The funded debt July 3; 1878, was $22,106,650, with an annual in- terest charge of $1,015,759. The total furid. northwest is ill, Agreement Reached for ‘Their Aboli- tion in the District. PROPOSED LEGISLATION BY CONGRESS Pennsylvania Railroad Company Ready to Submit a Bill. O. COMPANY NEXT ——— B.AND It is understood that in a short time a bill will be introduced in Congress on be- half of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany to carry into effect the proposed abol- ishment of grade crossings in the city— that is, such crossings as are used by the company. Later, a bill will be intro- duced on behalf of the Baltimore and Ohio company. The readers of The Star have been made ecquainted with the fact that the Dis- trict Commissioners have from time to time had conferences with the representa- tives of both compunies on the subject, and it can now be stated that between the Commissioners and the Pennsylvania com- pery there has been a practically final and mutually satisfactory agreement reached. This agreement was made definite this morning. when Chief Engineer Wm. H. Brown of the Pennsylvania company and the Commissioners conferred for an hour or more at the District building. Draft of the Bill. Mr. Brown this morning submitted to the Commissioners the skeleton of the bill to be drafted for introduction in Con- stress, embodying the points reached in the agreement. While it is understood that the Commissioners expressed them- selves as being favorable to the proposed bill as a whole, yet they reserved, of course, the privilege and right of express- ing themstlves finally, when the measure shall have been introduced in Congrese and submitted to them for a report there- on. lt is also understood that the Com- missioners declined to assent to the divi ion of costs as proposed by the company. But it can be said upon the highegt author- ity that upon the main features of the Proposed bill they are agreed with the railroad company, and that the differences between them as to the other features of the measure are such as will in no way seriously endanger or impede the enact- ment of the bill by Congress. Engineer Brown's Promise. The Pennsylvania company, through Chief Engineer Brown, promised today to shortly transm{t tg the Commissioners the plans of the proposed improvements, and the introduction of the company’s bill in Congress will follow the Commissioners’ approval of..the plans. Until the bill is introduced neither the plans nor the routes Proposed to bé taken will be made public, but the Commissioners and the railroad company believe that when these mattérs are understeod they will meet the ap- proval of. the people as well as of Con- egress. An agreement no less satisfactory to both sides is expected to be soon reach- ed in the matter of grade crossings be- tween the Commissioners and the Balti- more and Ohio Railroad Company. MR. ECKELS CRITICISED. Kept a Large Balance in the Chestnut Street Bank. ‘The government had in the recently clos- ed Chestnut Street National Bank of Phil- adelphia at the time it closed its doors a balance of something like $125,000. The only security for this was $100,000 in gov- ernment 4 per cent bonds. These bonds are worth about 113, a total valuation of $113,- 000. Had the bank been a complete col- lapse the government would have been forced to hold the bonds three or four years to secure a sufficient amount from the interest to cover its balance. The bal- ance was largely in internal revenue re- ceipts. 7 Mr. Kretz, the superintendent of the Phil- adelphia mint, had been dealing regularly with the bank, apparently not knowing its condition. The recent admissions of Mr. Eckels, for- mer controller of the currency, that he had been aware for some time of the condition of the defunct bank are causing consider- able criticism. Mr. Eckels’ statement in connection with his knowledge of the bank’s condifion was that his policy was not to push a bank to the wall until it was absolutely necessary. Knowing the situation, he is criticised for permitting the government to keep deposits on hand aggregating more than its secur- ity. Had the deposits been kept below or even with the security there would have been no danger. Mr. Kretz will soon leave the mint, the President having sent to the Senate the name of his successor. Mr. Kretz used the Chestnut Street National Bank in con- nection with his mint business. Banks throughout the country sent checks to Mr. Kretz for minor coin they wanted from the mint. These checks were deposited with the defunct bank for collection, and when Mr. Kretz was notified that they had been collected and the money was to his credit he sent the coin. At the time of the fail- ure of the bank there is said to have been a number of these checks in different pro- cesses of collection in the institution. The result is that the banks which sent the checks are making vigorous protests. Mr. Kretz will not personally lose any money, neither will the mint; but the situation is unpleasant for him and all concerned. —_—___e.___ PROMOTIONS OF COLONELS. Three at the Top of the List to Be Advanced. It was stated at the War Department to- day that it 1s practically settled that Col. H. C. Corbin will succeed Adjutant General Samuel Breck on his retirement, February 7; that Col. M. I. Ludington will succeed Quartermaster General G. H. Weeks, who retires February 3, and that Col. Samuel T. Cushing will succeed Commissary Gen- eral Wm. H. Bell, who retires Jénuary 13. The three officers selected for advancement to the head of the department to which eg are attached are the senior colonels and next in line of promotion. They will have longer to serve than is usually case with bureau officers. Col. Corbin does not retire until September, 1906; Col. Lud- ington until July, 1904, and Col. Cushing until September, 1903. Cols. Corbin and Cushing are now on duty at the War De- partment, and Col. Ludington is stationed in New York. y TOOK ARMS TO INSURGENTS Dr. Janguin Castillo Returns From Snocess- fal Filibustering Expedition. Says the Insurgents Are in Good Con- dition—Reported Surrender of Colonel Sott. NEW YORK, January 8.—Dr. Janquin Castillo, one of the leaders of the Cuban junta here, and who is said to have been connected with several filibustering expe- ditions, returned here today on the Ward line steamer Niagara, after a successful incursion into Cuba. Dr. Castillo refused to say on what ship he reached Cuba, but said that he landed nine miles east of Manati bay on November 1 last, after be- ing fired upon by the Spanish fort. “In our party,” said Dr. Castillo, “was Justo Garcia, a son of General Garcia, who had escaped from the Spanish penal colony at Ceuta, off Africa, After we had landed we were joined by Colonel Garcia, eldest son of the general, who had with him 800 insurgents. Insurgents Well Armed. “The insurgents are well fed, well armed and supplied with plenty of ammunition. The troops are disciplined and confident of success.”” Dr. Castillo maintained that the killing of Colonel Rutz was perfectly justifiable. Regarding his return, Dr. Castillo said: “Having transacted the business which took me to Cuba, I escaped in an open boat to Fortune Island, near the Bahamas, and then was picked up by the Niagara.” Dr. Castillo was surgeon of the ship Rodgers of Greeley relief fame. Insurgent Colonel Surrenders. HAVANA, January 8—The insurgent lieutenant colonel, Soti, according to Span- ish advices, has surrendered to the gov- ernment authorities of Sagua La Granda, with three of his officers and twenty pri- vates. Senor Ricardo Galbis has been appointed governor of the Banco Espanol. eS PARENTS HAVE THE BODY. Final Disposition of Durrant’s Re- mains Not Yet Decided 0: SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., January 8.—The remains of Theodore Durrant, in charge of a local undertaker, were driven from San Quentin prison to the Sausalite ferry and placed upon the ferry boat. The’ father and mother of the man who had just been exe- cuted had preceded the remains by traia. Savealite ferry had been chosen in order to balk the curiosity of the immense crowd that awaited the arrival of the body by the Tiburen ferry on this side, and the re- mains were landed here and were well on the way to the Durrant residence before the crowd realized the futility of its wait. At the ereiges 5 a Paiva couivton! laced he lor wil u E form tapi in ie case of natural death. A number of per: 1 friends of the family visited the house during the evening to ex- press their sympathy. The remains are en- cazed in a handsome casket. No definite plans have yet been made for the final disposition of the remains. Sev- eral friends of the family have tendered their services in this regard, and today the parents will definitely select one of the sev- eral propositions submitted to them, either for eremation or interment. ———>——_. SECRETARY 10: RESPONSE. Slight Amendment of Civil Service Rules Needed. Secretary Long of the Navy Department has made a very brief response to the Sen- ate resolution of -inquiry in regard to the operations of the civil service law. His let- ter, addressed to the President of the Sen- ate, is as follows: “In compliance with the resolve of the Senate, dated December 18, 1897, the Navy Department has the honor to say that, in its opinion, the only amendment which its experience suggests in the laws governing the civil service, or the rules established by the civil service commission, relates to the latter—the rules. 5 “The amendment regarded as desirable is that the civ!l service commission shall approve what may be called a navy yard order, providing that the Secretary of the Navy may, upon a competitive examination by a board of naval officers, appoint cer- tain employes at navy yards, etc. (other than clerks, messengers, watchmen and draftsmen), whom the commission either does not have on its eligible or are unable to supply without unreasonable de- lay. There have been several cases—one of a leveller and rodman, another of a special laborer having technical knowledge of ma- chinery, whom the commission were several months in furnishing, and whose services were very much needed during that time.” ———-e. ARMY AND NAVY. Recent Orders, Transfers and Move- ments of Warships. Major John R. Myrick, 5th Artillery, has been ordered to duty as a member of the general court-martial appointed to meet at Savannah, Ga., relieving Captain Theo- dore F. Forbes, Sth Infantry. Lieutenant Colonel David L. Huntington, deputy surgeon general, is granted two months’ leave. Colonel Dailas Bache, assistant surgeon general, is relieved from duty as chief sur- geon, Department of the Platte, and has been ordered to take charge of the museum and library division of the surgeon gen- eral’s office, and on April 10 he will be de- tailed as professor of military medicine in the army medical school. The following transfers are made in the 10th Cavalry: Captain William H. Beck, from Troop M to Troop E; Captain John Bigelow, jr., from Troop E to Troop M; Second ‘Lieutenant Thomas M. Corcoran, from Troop D to Troop L; Second Lieuten- ant Alfred E. Kennington, from Troop L to Troop D. The resignation of Major Heury O. 8. Heistand, assistant adjutant general, of his commission as captain of infantry, 11th Regiment, has been accepted. ‘The following transfers are made in the 23d Infantry; First Lieutenant John R. M. master, will assemble at the general depot of the quartermaster’s department, Phila elphie, Pa., for the purpose of ascertain- g.and fixing the responsibility for any leficlencies in or damages to property re- at the depot during the remainder The Evening Star is the only afternoon paper in Washington that receives the dispatches of the Associated Press. It is therefore the only one in which the reader can find the complete news of the world, directly trans- mitted by telegraph, up to the moment of going to press. L CUBA IN RURA A Typical Deserted Village Accurate= ly Described. ———— ees UKE WRITING ABOUT THE DEAD pes AllResources Are Said to Be Near- ing Exhaustion. SUCCOR A GENUINE CHARITY ————— (Copsright, 1898, by Charles M. Pepper.) Correspondence of The Evening Sta UNION, Metangas Province, January 5, 180s. “Miseria” is the disease that atiticts rural Cuba. The physicians who attend the dying reconcentradoes in the towns coined the term. They had ro word comprehen- sive eaough to describe the loss of lives from hunger, exposure and lack of care; 80 they called it “miseria.” A majority of the burial certificates now give this as the cause of death. “Miseria’ is simply miser It is misery that has depopulated the con- centration settlements, and it is misery that throws a shadow over the country dis- tricts. The country, like its people, is dying from lack of nourishment. Union, in the old thmes, was one of the most attractive of Cuban villages. It might still be called attractive if there were inhabitants enough in it to give an appearaace of life. The town has not suf- fered destruction. It is desolate, but the desolation is not that of ruin. The bulid- ings are not blackened walls or grass- grown ash heaps, as in other places. Noth- ing alls the place but lonesomeness. And it is not as bad here as elsewhere, for the fine sugar plantation, “Conchita,” close by, has some canefields which are not charred, and the mill is able to do a little grinding, The streets are clean, many of the cottages are pretty and look as though the occu- Pants were once prosperous. Even the re- concentradoes are housed with something like comfort in a row of huts along the railroad track. They are few in numbers. Today they hag their hearthstones closely if a bit of burning charcoal can be called a hearthstone. The children who came out to beg shiver in their rags, for a cold wind from the north has brought with it a sleety rain, and they are poorly fitted to stand such exposure. Old clothes from the United States would not go amiss here. But the reconcentradoes in Unton are not exhibiting their misery and they remain in their huts. I noticed, as in other concen- tration settlements, that the survivors are mostly blacks. They have Withstood the policy of extermination better than the whites. Club Houses Deserted. Every Cuban town has its club, called the Casino Espancla or Circulo Espanola. Thie might be called a Spanish institution, for it is the home of the Spanish classea, usual- ly the merchants, professional men and officials. It is the center of social and po- litical influence for the neighborhood, Union has its Spanish Casino, roomy quar- ters on the main street. The rooms are tenantless. Of an evening sometimes a few persons gather there, but not enough of them to afford one another companionship. The Chinese Casino, a little distance awa: has life and activity. These Chinamen aré not concerned with Spain's decay. They can exist and enjoy themselves in any sur roundings. So their club has animation and vivacity, while in somber contrast the Spanish Casino ts lifeless and deserted. To the Chinese it matters Httle who are mas- ters of Cuba. To the Spanish in the towns of the interior it matters everything. The military is not obtrusive here. A few straggling soldiers and half a dozen gos- siping officers are all the evidences of war that may be seen in the streets. A negro brought in by a small squad, with his hands bound across his chest, gives a hint that a prisoner is being taken to the guard house, but one insurgent does not make an in- surrection. The church tower, and a fine old church it is, is occupied by a single sentry. Neither the church nor the rail- Way station at Union is fortified, as in most other towns. It would not do to as- sume, however, that military protection is lacking. A strong cavalry force is quar- tered a short distance out in the country, and there are plenty of troops in the vicin- ity. Some insurgent bands lie in the swamps to the southwest, near the coast, as well as in the hills to the north. Union is well guarded against their raids. It ought to show all the signs of a bustling community at this season of the year. Resources Nearing Exhaustion. But a single sugar plantation which has green cane and a few score acres of gar- dens constituting the zone of cultivation cannot give life and activity. Union is like other towns. It had resources enough to live off itself for a while. Those resources are nearing exhaustion. The country from which it should draw support has nothing to yield. On one side, toward Havana, are the burned cane lands. In the other direc- tion, toward Matanzas and Cienfuegos, bar- ren fields, with neither cattle nor men, only the tall palm trees to break the solitude of nature. Coming in from the latter direc- tion I have been impressed for the hun- dredth time with the absence of even the signs of life. The buzzards have almost ceased to circle over the fields. Nothing is left for them. Had a few hundred of the reconcentradoes been put back in the coun- try, allowed to rebuild their “bohios,” or palm huts, been given seed and encouraged to exert what strength remained to them in cultivating the land, the aspect of the country would have been different. This was not done, and it is useless to speculate on what might have been the beneficial re- sult on the economic conditions of the isl- and. This phase of the subject has now to be studied with reference to the town com- munities. are the point where the of the country around them is having its natural effect. I have taken Union as an illustration because hibition of visible and than in most of the other towns visited. the conditions could be shown with less ex- * distress: I know a former public man of prom * official ireuce whose .career gave him an opportunity to understand in Cuba. He lived here many years. He hed form- ed a theory of causation. To his mind certain economic causes were wi deep- dcwn under the ‘surface. time, by a reatural they all birie og