Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, June 3, 1899, Page 3

2 ee ea meen oe STAPLES SCORCHED MANY BUSINESS HOUSES Now IN ASHES, Lack of Proper Fire Protection Re- sponsible for the Great Loss— Only Means of Fighting the Fire ‘Was by Bekets—Verndale Went to Its Neighbor's Rescue and Sub- dlued the Flames —Fire Started rom an Overturned Lamp—Loss Estimated at $50,000. Staples, Minn., May 28. — Over one- third of the business portion of Staples is in ashes. The fire started from an overtunrned lamp in Henry Schulz’s tailor shop on First avenue. The flames spread so rapidly that he was compelled to fly, leaving a large stock of goods behind, The flames rapidly spread to adjoining buildings and in a very short time they were entirely be- yond contrel. A strong easterly wind w blowing and the whole town seemed to be doomed. The only means of fighting the fire was by buckets and one stream of water from the Northern Pacifie roundhouse. ‘rhe fire apparatus of Verndale was run down on a flat car, and, with the help of firemen from that town the tames were finally gotten under con- rol ‘he total loss is estimated at about $50,000, covered by about $20,000 in- The following are those who : C. F. Atwood, drugs; ; G. Raymond, Under- wood Marble works; Gish building; C. A, Remillard, saloon; W. Y. Cook, law office; B. Vetch, M. Seifert, residence; W. J. Lewis, warehouse and barns; B. Vetch, carpenter shop. ‘The entire block went like wildfire. Mr. Lewis, the proprietor of the largest department store in the town, sus- tained heavy loss, although the store ned. He lost about nine- stock by taking it out of building, by thieves and water END OF THE CENTURY. Presby teri Finally Dispose of This, Exciting Topic. Minneapolis, May 28. — It took the general assembly of the Presbyterian church longer to decide yesterday when the nineteenth century ends th: it took to pass the r st the Mormon con, Roberts, aud in favor of anti-polygamy amend- ment to the national constitution. These resolutions, which represent the matured thought of the Presbyterians of the United States after many mouths of deration so exactly ex- d the sentiment of every com- ner that they were adopted with- speech. The sioners generally feel that in vs ng for the expulsion of Roberts and for the adoption of an amendment to the national constitution defining gal marriage to be monogamic they ve started a movement which will e taken up all over the country and ll reach eventual success, The itten by Rev. William Paden of Salt La y. but were modified and expanded by the committee on bills and overtures, though not essentially. As for the end of the nineteenth cen- tury one of the reports spoke of next as the opening of the new cen- Upon objection, and after a lit- ate the stated clerk held that the last of this century. Presbyterians will henceforth — get along without this exciting topic of discussion, A mass of routine business s dispcesed of at. the afternoon ses- tury. tle det next y STINSON He Will Spend a Year and a Walf at still Falls, } . in the , overruled ater, ay 28.—Judge States court for a new W. months at Still Wa pnvicted of ed mail at the April and has since been out a motion und sentenced Mail Clerk W. to eighteen re rm of co ail Uses a Razor on Himself. udelia, Minn., May 28.—A horrible was attempted and nearly coa- ed by one Max f sehele, who s been working for Henry Cooling, a farmer eight miles south of here While alone in his room he, with a razor, mutilated himself. He was brought here tnd treated by a doctor. Tha judge of probate will doubtless commit him to the insane lum. Met # Violent Death. kopee, Minn., May 28. — A dead as found in the Minnesota river by Yhomas Condon. The coroner's jury gave a verdict of murder by parties unknown to the jury. There were deep gashes in the cheek and ferehead. The only clue is a ticket re- ecipt from the Great Northern railroad. SI body For Stealing a Steer. Belle Fourche, 8. D., May 28.—Judge Moore sentenced George Evans, a cat- tieman here, to one year at hard labor for stealing a beef stear from the Matadore Cattle company last winter. Bridge Gone. Plattville, Wis., May 28. — This sec- tion experienced a disastrous hail and rainstorm. Bridges were washed out and railway traffic interrupted. Hend of Hastings School. Hastings, Minn., May 28.—Prof. W. ¥. Kunze of Lake City has been elect- ed superintendent of the Hastings pub- lic schools. Sunday School Oficers. Wahpeton, N. D., May 28.—Ofticers elected tu the North Dakota State Sun- day School association: President, J. M. Wylie, Drayton; secretary, Mrs. J, C. Nelson, Grandin; treasurer, Rh. B. Griffith, Grand Forks. Two Years in Prison. St. Peter, Minn., May 28.—Engebret Engebretson, indicted by the grant’ jury for an assault upon Mrs. 3 Wilson, with intent to rape, w wicted and sentenced to. two Stillwater, BLOCKED BY CANADA. Negotiations Regarding Alaska Reach a Hopeless Stage. London, May 28. — The foreign of- fice officials confirm the statements made by the New York correspondent of the London Times to the effect that the negotiations with the Canadian government on the subject of Alaska have reached an almost hopeless stage, owing to the insistence of the Cana- dians that they receive a slice of Alas- ka, which apparently precludes any agreement being reached on the sub- ject between the American and Cana- dian high commissione’s. The even- ing newspapers here reproduce the New York dispatch with comment gen- erally regretting the situation, but ob- jecting to the conclusion that Canada is blamable. The Globe says: ‘The Canadians would be far less patriotic than they are if they yielded to what they con- sider to be an unjust and indefensible demand for the sake of the establish- ment of a more friendly relation with their big neighbor.” Continuing, the Globe remarks that the Times, by “publishing its corre- spondent’s injudicial summing up, has adopted the surest way to inflame pub- lic opinion on both sides of the Atlan- tic.” The Westminster Gazette says: “We sincerely hope a better face can be put on things, so far as we are concerned, but the deadlock seems very serious.” The St. James Gazette thinks that American politics is playing an im- portant part in the situation, and says: “The Republicans are disposed to a friendly arrangement with England, but it must be on terms so favorable to America that the Democrats will have no excuse to say they yielded their interests to Great Britain.” Retaliation Against Canada. Washington, May 28.—There is little doubt that our government is inclined to retaliatory considerations against Canada by the discouraging results of th enegotiations in London, looking to the clearing of the field for the reas- sembling of the joint high commission. I tis gathered that the British foreign office, which had seemed desirous to meet Mr. Choate’s advances in the spirit of a compromise which promised well, has been again influenced by Canada’s refusal to agree to anything less than a concession of all their de- mands, which has stopped all prog- ress. The department of state has referred to the treasury department arrange- ment of a plan to protect the interests of the United States and a decision from Secretary Gage is expected very soon. The t jury department has now two cour » both being retali: tory. The ‘first is the preparation of an amendment to the tariff act largely increasing duties on lumber and forest products imported into the United States from Canada. There is possibly another course. A section of the Dingley act authorizes the United States government, in cases where countries impose an export duty, to add the equivalent of such duty to the import on such goods coming into the United States. The Canadian gov- ernment is not imposing in so many words an export duty on logs, but it has prohibited their exportation. The question before Secretary Gage is whether this prohibition may not be regarded as in principle the same thing as an excessive, therefore prohibitive, export pw is found, the treasury at hand measures of re prohibiting the impor n logs into the United States, which 1 bear very heavily on the other inces in Canada outside of On- THE MARKETS. Latest Quotations From Grain ana Live Stock Centers. Wheat — No. 1 vo. 2 North- ellow, Northern, ern, 71 1- 313-4@ Oats —No. 3 wh Tey § @2S8e. Barie mple bark 50@40c; No. No. 3 rye, 55¢ . — Wheat — No. 1 Nor 70 14¢; No. 3 », No. 1 hard, . T43-4e; July, 1 hard, 775-8¢; . 1 Northern, 2; Septembe 1 orthern, Oats, 26 2-4@27 1-4¢; rye, 57c. Minneapolis, May — Wheat — May closed at 72 1-4¢:; July opened at 73 1-2¢ and closed at 73 1-2c; . Septem- ber opened at 71 3-4¢ and closed at 72c. On track. ». 1 hard, 741-2c; No. 1 Northern, 731-2c; No. 2 Northern, 72 1-2c. Milwaukee, Wis., May 29. — Flour is steady. Wheat steady; No, 1 Northern, 76@76 1-2c; No, 2 Northern, 74 1-2@75c. Oats lower at 281-2@297-8ce. Rye is steady; No. 1, 601 Barley steady; No. 2, 41c; sample, 37 1-2@41c. Chicago, May 29. — Wheat — No, 2 red, 76@77 1-4c; No. 3 red, T3@76c; . 2 hard winter, 72@73c; No. 3, T0@72e; No. 1 Northern spring, 75 1-2@76 1-2c; No. 2, 74@75 1-2 No. 3, 69@74c. Corn —No. 2, 33 1-4¢e; No. 3, 321-2c. Oats— No, 2, 261-2c; No. 3, 26c. Chicago, May 29. — Hogs — Light, $3.50@3.80; mixed, $2 85; heavy, $3.75@3.90; rough, $3.50@: Cattle —Beeves, $4.25@5.50; cows and heifers, $2@5; Texas steers, $4.25@4.85; stock: ers and feeders, $3.65@5.10.' Sheep — Natives, $3.75@5.60; lambs, $5.45@7. Sioux City, lowa, May 29. — Hogs — $3.60@3.75. Cattle—Beeves, $4 @ 5; cows and bulls, mixed, $2@4.50; stock- ers and feeders, $3.75@4.50; calves and yearlings, $3.75@5.25. South St. Paul, May 29. — Hogs — $3.55@3.65. Cattle—Cows, $2.75@4.15; steers, $4.30@4.80; bulls, $3,30@3.65; stockers, $4.60@5. Sheep, $4.75@5. Admiral Kautz’s “Recall.” Berlin, May 28. — The newspapers here are jubilating over what they call Admiral Kautz’s “recall.” The Lokal Anzeiger says: “This shows anew the American government’s good will to re- move all obstacles to a peaceful un- derstanding.” Engineer and Fireman Injured. Gallup, N. Mex., May 28—A Santa Fe passenger train ran into an open switch here, wrecking an engine standing on the siding and injuring - the engineer and fireman. py — 2 3a MORE MEN NEEDED . x FORCE NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO SUBDUB THE PHILIPPINES. Battles Have to Be Refought Be- cause There Are Not Men Bnough to Hold the Places Captured—In- surgents Return. and Occupy Towns Abandoned by Americans —Filipinos Lose More Heavily Than Americans in Recent En- counters—Dewey Recuperating. Manila, May 28.—The events of the past week have emphasized the need of a much larger army here, without whieh, according to the best authori- ties in Manila, it would be attempting the impossible to expect to establish ‘American supremacy in the Philippine islands. The inadequacy of the Amer- fcan force is said to be responsible for the large total loss in the number of small encounters, without material re- sults as a compensation. Most of the fighting has been in territory which the Americans had swept, but had peen compelled to abandon ‘because they could not spare troops to hold it. The forces commanded by Generals MacArthur and Lawton hold two im- pertant lines of communication and commerce, the railroad to San Fer- nando and the Rio Grande river. But much of the country they have swept, iveluding scores of smaller towns and some of the larger ones, has been left uncovered, simply for want of men to hold it, and the insurgents have re- turned and are occupying the towns tie Americans abandoned, and are camping in the jungles and woods out- side of others, on the watch for chances to harrass the garrisons and attack scouting parties or detached companies with greater forces. This is the kind of warfare they prefer to reg- ular battles. It appears that the Filipinos who at- acked the Third regiment between San Miguel and Balinag were part of Pio del Pilar’s army. They came from the south across, the mountains, pre- sumably to meet a wagon train which Gen. Lawton expected along. the road. They also planned to capture several large detachments, and were placed in ambush at different points. They fired from the jungle at a distance of 200 yards, and gave the Americans one of the hardest fights experienced in the eampaign. The Filipinos have lost more heavily than the Americans in all the recent encounters. But the in- surgent generals take the loss of arms more to heart than they do the los® of men, Foreigners who have arrived here frem the insurgents’ country under the recent order of expulsion, say the cem- eteries in all the towns are filled with fresh graves. A majority of the Fili- pino wounded die because the insur- gent hospitals are inadequate, medi- cines are scarce and they have few surgeons except Spanish captives, who hhave been impressed. DEWEY TO RETURN BY OCT. 1. How He Is Enjoying Life at Hong- Washington, Ma .—Admiral Dew- ey telegraphs the navy department that he will step at various places on his way to the United ‘States and will reach New York about Oct. 1. New York, May 28.—A dispatch to the Journal and Advertiser from Hong- kong Admiral Dewey shows im- provem already. Installed com- fortably at the F hotel, with lofty Wwindews that catch every mouthful of wind from the sea, he is losing the air cf languor which he had when he janded from the blistering cru It il rest that he needed rooler air. He is getting bo at the Peak is well-bred. no disturbing factors there. , It is here hat the English officers and their Wives, the government officials, the rich merchants and distinguished travelers, take refuge from the heat and noise of the town. They all feel a deep interest in the hero of Manila bay but they respect. his desire for quiet. He has become one of themselves al- ready. With the ease of a polished oe of the world, he has cropped into his place in the little community that really resembles a house party at an English country residence. Strangers to that community cannot intrude upon him, however. .The government detectives see to that. So do the de- t«ctives hired by Consul General Wild- man. So do the swarms of Chinese servants. If the Filipino junta ever meant more than bluster by its hints of assassination, it has been thorough- ly cowed by the British police. There a BACK FROM JOLO. Spanish Garrison Nove at Manila— Montero Dead. New York, May 28.—The Sun special from Manila says The steamship Leon Trace, which transported the Twenty-third infantry to Jolo, has re- turned with the Spanish garrison sta- tioned there. She reports that the ‘American occupation was peaceful. She also reports the death of the Span- ish general, Montero, from the effects of wounds received in the recent fight- ing at Ballomero. Aguinaldo is visiting Mariano, where he has endeavored to revive the flag- ging courage of the insurgents in the Cavite province. Mustered Out. Augusta, Ga., May 28. — The Sixth Ohio, Col. W. V. McMaken, was mus- tered out here. Except for a few hos- pital corps men, Camp McKenzie is now deserted. Bad Prospect for the Paris. Coverack, Cornwall, May 28.—A su- preme effort to float the Paris com- menced at 5 p.m. When the tugs and engines of the Paris were going full speed the latter appeared to be sway- ing a trifle. The leakage‘is increasing. Smith Escapes Death. Salem, Or., May 28.—Gov. Geer has commuted the death sentence of Frank L. Smith, who was to have been + hanged yesterday to life imprisonment. The principal reason assigned is that Smith is a mental imbecile. A TENANT NATION. The American People Rapidly Becom- ing a Homeless People. The census reports comp..ed by ap- pointees of Benjamin Harrison in 1890, in an era of “unparalleled Republican Prosperity,” contain the following statistics: Indianapolis in 1890 contained 22,979 families, Of this number 7,606 owned their homes and 15,373 were tenants. Of the number of homes owned 2,749 were mortgaged. Kansas City contained 26,519 fam- ilies, of which 20,385 were tenants. Oi the number of homes owned 2,835 were mortgaged. Cincinnati, 63,423 families, of which 51,261 were tenants and 3,524 owned homes that were mortgaged. Boston, 89,613 families, of which 73,- 101 were tenants, and 6,410 owned homes that were mortgaged. Philadelphia, 204,292 families, of which 157,803 were tenants and 17,996 owned homes that were mortgaged. New York, 312,754 families, of which 292,956 were tenants, 8,188 owned homes that were mortgaged and 11,610 owned homes free of incumbrarce. In the towns and cities of Indiana there were 261,815 homes, of which 91,675 were Occupied by the owner and were free of incumbrance, 31,774 were mortgaged and 138,366 were occupied by tenants, Number of farms in Indiana, 205,953, of which 97,196 were occupied by the Owners and were free of incumbrance, 48,079 were mortgaged and 60,737 were occupied by tenants, The interest that the so-called own- er of a home pays on a mortgage is simply rent in another form. In plac- ing a mortgage on his home he really sells a part of it to the money lender and pays him, not for the use of the money, but for the use of that part of the home which the money lender has in reality purchased. It certainly makes no difference to the farmer or city workingman whetu- er he pays a part of his earnings to the money lender or the landlord for the privilege of using the farm or home. The above notes should be sufficient evidence that this land of the free is fast becoming a nation of ‘landlords and tenants. As cities increase in population the percentage of tenants increases. The same is true of the country, There was a time when every citi- zen residing within tne present boun- daries of the United States owned his own home. It is not very many dec- ades since 99 per cent of them owned their homes. The tendency towards landlordism and tenancy has become conspicuous during the control of the Republican party, and since the adop- tion of the single gold standard policy. Will votes for the Republican ticket check this tendency now? POINTS FROM THE PRESS. Justice shall no longer be sold, de- nied, or delayed, said Magna Charta, five centuries ago. It is all the time and everywhere sold, denied and de- ‘layed, and will continue to be until the lever of progress makes real democ- racy.—San Francisco Star. Hon. J. Sterling Morton moves that the American people organize a new party. A trust had better be formed to include all the parties. It would be more fashionable. Competition even between parties is at the mini- mum these days.—East Oregonian, The land-owners, manufacturers and business men of England favor bimet- allism by a large majority, but one mile square in the city of London, occupied by the great banking houses of the empire, wields influence enough to control the British empire on all matters pertaining to the money ques- tion and coinage laws.—National Watchman. And now the talk is that Alger will be the next United States senator from Michigan. This is a good thing for Alger, but it will be mighty rough on Michigan. . But, after all, one’ more rascal will not make much difference to the United States senate. He will be a fitting companion for Quay and Platt, Elkins and Hanna. The leg- islature will please proceed to em- blame him and lay him away in that blessed home provided for decayed and putrifying statesmen.—Nonconformist. Daniel Webster said at Saratoga in 1850: ‘The labor of the United States is the United States.” The money kings and trusts have appeared upon the scene since Daniel’s day and things are now changed. The party that Webster belonged to now depends for its success upon corporations and monopolies intimidating their em- ployes by threatening them with star- vation if they do not vote the Repub- lican ticket, and by contributing mil- lions to purchase the votes of the de- praved and criminal classes.—Nationa) Watchman. Englishism vs. Americanism. Anglo-Saxon civilization has taught the individual to protect his own rights, American civilization will teach him to respect the rights of others. Anglo-Saxon civilization has taught the individual to take care of himself, American civilization, proclaiming the equality of all before the law, will teach him that his own highest good requires the observance of the com- mandment: “Thy shalt Tove thy neighbor as thyself.” Anglo-Saxon civilization has, by force of arms, applied the art of gov- ernment to other races for the benefit of Anglo-Saxons, American civilization will, by the influence of example, ex- cite in other races a desire for self- government and a determination to se- cure it—W. J. Bryan. . ON THE PICKET LINE. CLOSE SHOTS AT POLITICAL FACTS AS THEY APPEAR. The Battle for the People's Rights Has Just Begun, the Reserves Are Coming Up and Monopoly Is Being Attacked All Along the Line. « It is announced that Mayor Jones of Toledo has decided to run for governor of Ohio next fall on the same platform upon which the people of ‘toledo re- cently indorsed his candidacy by a practically unanimous vote. The an- nouncement of his candidacy, lately is- sued,said: “He will accept the Republi- can nomination if given and if not will run as an independent. It is said that 50,000 Ohio workingmen will be in Columbus June 1st when the Republi- can convention meets.” Political disaster is yawning for the Hannacracy in Ohio, as well as else- where. Of course, nobody ever expect- ed Mark Hanna to nominate Mayor Jones for governor. Besides being a thorough anti-monopolist of the Pin- gree type and a champion of the rights of labor (which is enough to make him most distasteful to the corporation bosses and hirelings who control the Republican party), Mayor Jones is too close to Charles H. Kurtz to ever re- ceive any countenance from Hanna. Jones has no business in the Republi- can party; moeover, he knows it very well, and will not be found there again. It seems that the candidacy of Mayor Jones has enough steam behind it to badly beat the. Hanna ticket in Ohio next November, which would be an en- couragement to the enemies of monop- oly. Perry Belmont, the man Richard Croker thinks would make a good pres- ident, recently married a highly aristo- cratic “lady” the same day she was divorced by her husband on the grounds of adultery. Mrs. Belmont’s social standing in New York’s 400 is unimpaired, which shows how moral are these people to whom the people living west of the Alleghanies now turn over the bulk of the wealth they produce. Every man and woman in the Brit- ish Empire (we will have an American “Empire” after a while) has to do an extra hour’s work every day to main- tain the military establishment. So says Sir John Lubbock. Hanna, Alger and McKinley, and last, but really the whole thing, the Wall street inner cir- cle, has decreed that this country must have a standing army as large as that of England. Every man and woman in the United States will no doubt be glad to work an additional hour daily to pay the expense of such an army. The treasury department has in- formed “President” Dole, of Hawaii (how comes there to be such a “presi- dent” when the islands have been an- nexed?) that the contract labor laws remain there in full force, which is in clear defiance of American law. This permits the importation of Japanese to any extent, to be turned loose on this coast to cheapen labor as fast as their contracts expire, says the San Francisco Star. Before the annexation was consummated, its advocates stren- uously denied that such a result would follow, as they now deny the same thing as to the Philippines. Both an- nexations are designed to cheapen la- bor, among other evils, The twisting, squirming, and man- euvéring of politicians to avoid the odium of trusts and take advantage of the unpopularity of the enormous combinations recently formed furnish a subject for serious thought. There is no doubt that all parties in the next national campaign will adopt platforms violently against trusts, says the Na- tional Watchman. The Republican party will be so vindictive in its lan- “guage against those institutions that no other party can @xceed its violent abuse. The question to be solved is: Will the people ever find out who is re- sponsible for trusts? The gold stan- dard is the father of all trusts because gold standard contraction creates fall- ing prices, which make it necessary for business men to combine to save them- selves from bankruptcy. Who is re- sponsible for the gold staridard, the party led by McKinley or the party led by Bryan? Every trust organization in the United States will contribute its money and its influence to elect the Republican candidate. Will that fact satisfy the people that the Republican party is the party responsible for trusts? Why should every trust in the United States be Republican, from the gold combination down to the manu- facturers of matches? If the American people are not stark mad they will have no difficulty in finding out which party is responsible for the trusts, and if they are really opposed to the trusts they will vote for the other side. Un- less the majority of the American peo- ple vote as the trusts vote the Repub- lican candidate will stand no show whatever of winning in 1900. Notwithstanding the enormous weight of taxes bearing upon the pro- ducers of the country the government deficit for the fiscal year is announced as $109,300,228. IMPERIALISM. It is a-queer confession for the ad- ministration to make—this admission that it has sent a lot of soldiers on an errand where it is not safe to let them read what congressmen and other prominent persons say about the hell- ishness of war in general, and this Philippine war in particular.—Hart- ford (Conn.) Times. Somebody cried “treason” when J. Lawrence Laughlin said at that Chi- cago meeting that to the Filipinos the flag of the United States “is: the em- blem of tyranny and butchery.” We shall have imperialism right here at home when such a remark as that be- comes treasonable.—Buffalo Express (Rep.). - “Everybody who will look at the matter candidly,” says the Indianapo- lis Journal, “must see that the presi- dent has not intimated a purpose to conquer the Filipinos.” Well, no. The presence of an invading army of 30,000 men, and of a powerful fleet, and the killing and wounding of 10,000 natives between them, would hardly be called an “intimation.” It would more prop- erly come under the head of a mild suggestion.—Charleston News and Courier, We have sent a governor to the Is- land of Guam;; salary, $10,000 a year and “found.” The little flyspeck on the south sea chart is not worth more than a nickel. Our expansion business is getting to be pretty costive.—Bodie Miner-Index. A country’s greatness depends upon the prosperity of its citizens rather than the extent of land over which its flag flies. What concern is it to the Russian peasant that the dark shadow of his country is extending over the continent of Asia? Does the thrifty and independent citizen of well-gov- erned Switzerland think less of his country because it is merely a dot upon the map of Europe. Larger area is beneficial when it naturally comes as a result of an expanding civiliza- tion, but not when home interests are disregarded and the vitality of the country is drawn upon in order to sustain foreign possessions, and which first makes necessary the sub- jection of the native races—The Gar ment Worker. PROSPERITY NOTES. A widow of Duluth, penniless. in arrears for rent, and generally dis- couraged, killed herself and her two children. Still the Filipinos stand aloof from being civilized!—Syracuse Labor World. Avery D. Clark blew out his brains with a bullet at his home in Iowa. I knew Clark. He made a fortune in the Black Hills in a year or two. He saw that fortune disappear last winter and ended his troubles with a revolver. He had always been a stanch sup- porter of the system that sweeps away men’s wealth in a moment, and called the advocates of the one that would as- sure all men comfort and abundance for all time, fools.——Mullan, Idaho, Mirror. My old friend, J. J. Hill of the Great Northern Railway, is a hot number. It’s a cold, rainy week that passes that he don’t figure out some new scheme to devil and harass his miserable, half- starved employes with. If Jim keeps on he really won’t have any employes, because the Great Northern is now al- most self operating. Coal heavers and telegraphers work 24 nours a day. Switch engineers are pipe dreams— Monte Cristo extravagances. Dis- patehers handle 400 to 700 miles of track besides doing duty as telegraph- ers. There is an old tradition that sta- tion baggagemen used to be employed, but it is believed to be one of the myths of history. The section men, though, James had to have. He used to hire Polanders at $1 a day, but that was too expensive. So now he’s bringing in Japanese, while the white man carries his burden of blankets up and down the track, looking for some- thing he calls work. I wish Jim would keep ’em off the track. It is true they built it and that Hill didn’t drive a spike nor lay a rail on it, but it’s his. ‘The men that built the tracks hadn’t ought to walk on them if they don’t know any better than to build for some one else to own. Let Us Confess Ourselves Fools. Do you say that empty streets can have no definite value? Then listen to this: The Vanderbilts own the street car rights in Fourth avenue. They dis- posed of those rights to the Metropol- itan Traction company. Their old tracks were torn up. Their old cars and horses were considered junk, no part of the bargain. But to the Van- derbilts forever the Metropolitan Trac- tion company agrees to pay two hun- dred and fifteen thousand dollars year- ly rental. In other words “rights” which the city gives to the Vanderbilts for noth- ing they, the Vanderbilts, sublet for a quarter of a million a year, and still the public do not confess themselves fools. This is not all of it. The various private individuals having secured so-called “rights” in the public streets the same Metropolitan company pays in all a yearly rental of ~-3 million dollars, a rental which is to go on for- ever.—New York Journal. We Have a Dictatorship. We claim to be a republic, but the fact still remains that we are under control of a dictator, the same being one Marcus Hanna. What is the dif- ference between a dictatorship and the sort of Republicanism that we now en- joy? We would rather have a good square, humane dictator at the head of affairs than the gang that is now running us in debt, fighting wars in the far-off Philippines. This country will one day be led to exclaim like Macbeth: “He who breeds wars will ive to be tortured by them,” or words that effect.—George’s- Weekly, ie