Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, May 6, 1902, Page 6

‘THE OMAHA DAILLY BEE t E. filIIWATEE EDITOR. _— — Mot PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TERMS OF BUBSCRIPTION ally Bee (without Bunday), One Year. ily Bee and Sunday, One Year. lustrated Bee, One Yea nday Bee, One Year. turday Bee, One Yea . entieth Century Farmer, One Year. DELIVERED BY CARRIER. {ly Bee (without Sunday), per copy.. 2¢ ly Bee (without Bunday), per week..12c ly Bes (Including Bunday), per week 170 lay Bee, per copy ... B0 ening Bee (without Sunday), per week.10c ening Bee (Including Sunday), per k ularit ry dressed to City Clrculation OFFICES. Omaha—The Bee Bullding. Bouth Umaha—City Haii Bullding, Twen- ty-firth and M streets. Councll Blufts—10 Pear Street. Chlcl(o—lm Unity Building. ew York—Temple Court. ‘ashington—§01 Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. Communications relating to news and itorial matter should be addressed: maha Bee, Editorial Department. BUSINESS LETTERS. PBusiiess letters and remittances should The Bee Publishing Com- REMITTANCES. Remit by draft, express or postal order, able to The Bee Publishing Company. ly 3-cent stamps accepted in payment of accounts. arsonal checks, except on & or _eastern exchange, not accepted. THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY. -— s STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. “Mtate of Nebraska, Douglas County, ss.: George B Tzschuck, secretary of The Bee being duly sworn, that the actual number of full ant E:phu coples of The Dally, Morning, ven!: and Sunday Bee printed during ‘month of April, 1002, ing Col‘l’mll‘lxI was as follows: EURNEREBEESS Less unsold and returned cople: Net total eales, Net dally averag GEORGE B. TZSCHUCK. Bubscribed in my presence and sworn to m?r- me this 30th day of April, A. D. (Beal.) M. B. HUNGATE, Notary Publle. ‘Whether it is a million-dollar rain or pot, we won't quarrel over its appralse- ment. . e—ppE———— It will take a lot of rain to make good the deficlency registered by the rain gauge. EE— Tom Blackburn's editorials in the local popocratic organ are a dead give-away on their face. The farmer should show his gratitude to the weather man by giving him his meat supply at reduced rates. Get the tax rate down to reasonable proportions and real estate mobility will experience a healthful impetus. SEE——— ‘Watered stocks on Wall street may g0 down, but the watered wheat in the west brings farmers’' hopes up. = --——1 All America listens with a sympa- thetic ear for the news from the bed- side of the young Queen of Holland. Sodppe—— Those Boer peace negotlators are dreadfully slow at making their moves on the chessboard. Their flylng gen- erals move faster. Crmrmermmr—TeesY Just now, when the corporation tax contest is the paramount issue in Omaha, the World-Herald’'s guns are all focused upon the Beef trust and the army in the Philippines. The fight for tax reform is not belng waged In Omaha and Nebraska alone, but In nearly every city and state in the union. The gains made at ome polnt in the line strengthen the whole column. Wit A collége professor lecturing on the Chinese language assures us all that it Is easy to talk Chinese, but hard to yread it and write it. Chinese ought poon to become the favorite language for all political discussions. p From disciplining members who were recalcitrant in the late South Omaha municipal election the Jacksonlans have taken to disciplining democratic officeholders for not drawing the lines sharp enough in the distribution of ple. The man selected to be the new com- mmissioner of pensions never held public office before. If those pemsion attor- neys get after hfm as they have his predecessor it will not be a safe guess that he will ever want to hold office egaln. ———— The naval officers arrested for dis- orderly conduct in Venice are out of Jail, but not out of trouble. Uncle 8am will insist on passing on their conduct before they can rclustate themselves into his good graces after having brought odium upon his uniform. a1 The county board s considering a proposition to refund an outstanding is- sue of Douglas county bonds which has five years to run yet before payable. oJThe question is one of mathematics, 4 :vhether the interest saving is real or oaly lllusory. If the taxpayers can save money by refunding, they will endorse such & move on the part of the county board. e ‘The position of United States consul general to London carries with it a sal- ary of only $5,000, but brings in fees in addition that raise the income of the in- cumbent to $30,000 a year. 8o long as the law leaves the office in that shape, who- ever Is appointed to fill it will naturally reap the full benefit, but there is no A PROPOSED RAILWAY COURT. Months ago this paper suggested the expediency of a court to which should be submitted the issues arising between the rallroads and the Interstate Com- merce commlission. We urged that such a court would permit the issues arising from time to time to be Immediately submitted to judicial consideration, in- stead of having to walt for an Indefinite time in order to be passed upon. The proposition for a rallway court has received attention from those who are giving consideration to the rail- way problem and It has some supporters among those who have been giving the most earnest attention to that question. Senator Elkins among others has ex- pressed the opinion that a rallway court is the only practicable way out of exist- ing difficulties, that such a court will ultimately have to be established in order to meet the questions involved in | the problem of regulating the railroads by the government. This I8 the view taken by the leading members of the Interstate Commerce commission. In his testimony before the house commit- tee on interstate and foreign commerce last week Commissioner Prouty took a decided position in favor of a rallway court—not a tribunal, as he indicated, to supersede the Interstate Commerce com- mission, but to co-operate with it by taking charge of all those cases which are appealed from its decision and with which it 18 now so difficult to induce ordinary courts to deal. The idea of such a court, it is pointed out, I8 by no means a new one, There 18 precedent for it in England and else- where and while the conditions are not precigely the same abroad as here, yet to all Intents and purposes the circum- stances are such as to justify the appli- cation of similar principles in this coun- try as are operative abroad. At any rate the proposition for a rallway court, which would have final jurlsdiction and authority in regard to questions arising under the authority and rulings of the Interstate Commerce commission, is.one that is entitled to the most careful con- sideration, particularly in view of the fact that it has the support of mem- bers of the Interstate Commerce com- mission and senators who are advocat- ing legislation for strengthening the powers of the commission. THE EDITORIAL “WE." The license of the editorlal “we” has often served as a theme for pertinent discussion, but it has remained for our brother editor, ex-Senator Willlam V. Allen, to furnish a pointed example to fllustrate the full scope of its elasticity. Composing an obituary on the late J. Sterling Morton, Editor Allen writes: Our acquaintance with J. Sterling Mor- ton began in January, 1803, when the legls- lature was in session and & United States senator was to be elected. We met and were introduced to him for the first time in the lobby of the Lincoln hotel. He was a candidate for United States senator. The outcome was the election of ‘the writer. Mr. Morton made strenuous efforts to se- cure his own election and to defeat' us, golng even to the extent of sending one of his lleutenants to us and asking us to withdraw from the race, and because we declined to do so and were elected we in- curred his enmity, which lasted the re- mainder of his life. The writer was a member of the United States senate during the four years Mr. Morton served as sec- retary of agriculture. We saw him barely four times during that period. After his confirmation by the senate we called on him at his rooms in the Corcoran hotel. After his induction into office we called on him at'the Agricultural department, and twice we met him at the senate for a few moments only. We conversed with him for a short time during the monetary dis- cussion at Omabha in 1898, and these Inter- views constituted the extent of our per- sonal acquaintance with him, But for the fact that Mr. Morton became the enemy of the writer by reason of our promotion to the United States senate, our relations with him might have been closer and more cordlal. But his frame of mind toward us was such as to Induce us to hold aléot from him. Surely no real editor will ever discard the use of the first person plural when he wants to do effective writing. PROJEOTED ALASKAN LAND GRANTS. The San Francisco Chronicle takes a very decided stand In opposition to the proposed legislation in favor of giving certaln privileges to rallroad projects in Alaska. 'It says with reference to the Alaskan, Gulf & Yukon Rallway com- pany, which is seeking a land grant for constructing a road in Alaska, that its request is totally unwarranted and if granted would slmply resuilt in rob- bing the national government even to a greater extent than It has ever been robbed in its concessions hitherto to rallway enterprises. The Chronicle points out that while this company s not so voracious as the Transalaskan rallway, “still it has nerve emough to ask the government to grant it the alternate sections of the public domain for five miles on either side of the right-of-way 200 feet in width for the 400 miles between the terminl” This and other concessions asked Is in the opinion of the Chronicle altogether ex- travagant and it urges that congress should do nothing to give anything like a rallroad monopoly In Alaska, which it thinks would be the effect of grant- ing the demand of the Alaskan. Gulf & Yukon Railway company. It says that congress should be exceedingly chary sbout allowing any land grants in Alaska, other than those allowed under the various land laws, until a more definite knowledge has been ac- quired of its resources. Admitting that congress should be very careful in this respect, it is yet t0 be sald, on the other hand, that it is hardly wise to impose any extraordi- pary restrictions upon the legitimate efforts of capital to develop the re- sources of Alaska, among which mone s more essential than that of estab- lishing in the territory the most ade- quate facilities of transportation. If a reasonably liberal system of land grants {8 necessary to the comstruction of rail- ways in Alaska it would be a mistake to refuse such grants, but it s of THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: recognized that the territory of Alaska has much more valuable resources than ‘were thonght of when it was purchased from Russia by the United States and the question of their development is being very earnestly considered. 'The most essentlal requirement is that of adequate transportation facllities and it will be good policy on the part of the government to promote these In every practicable and proper way E————— PUBLIC SCHOUL REFORM. The educational committee of the Omaha Woman's club has formulated its findings and conclusions relative to the condlition of Omaha’s public schools and the retrenchment inaugurated by the Board of Education. The report s garnished with many platitudes, such as: The efficiency of the public schools is the highest concern of every citizen. The school life of the working child is discouragingly short; to lengthen it at the other end s futile. The future safety of our country rests upon the standard of intelligence devel- oped in our children. - Taxes levied for education are the most righteous and best investment the public is called upon to make. A woman's club's greatest value to_a community is its stimulating effect on other forces. Coming down to business, the commit- tee declares that after two months’ in- vestigation it finds that the public #chools of Omaha take high rank among the schools of the country, that the cost of education per child in Omaha is a falr average, that there is no special demand for relief from taxation for gchool purposes, that salaries paid In Omaha now are but an average, Hav- ing reached these conclusions, the com- mittee recommends that all money re- quired for the schools in Omaha shall be raised by direct taxation, that Omaha should maintain public school salaries equal to those of other cities of the same rank, that our schools be raised above political and personal preferences, that no teacher be retalned who lacks professional fitness for the work, and, lastly, that civil service rules be applied to both teachers and janitors. The laborious effort made by the edu- cational committee of the Woman's club to investigate the condition of our public schools is highly commendable, but the conclusions reached would seem to In- dicate that the committee was more zealous for the restoration of the for- mer salary scale for teachers than to point out the weak spots of the system and the remedies for existing defi- clencies. It Is always a disagreeable and thank- less task for public bodies to cut sala- ries and lop off sinecures. The demand of the taxpayers has been for retrench- ment and greater economy. The school board has endeavored to respond to this demand according to {ts best judgment. It is possible that the proposed cut of teachers’ salaried may work injustice in some Individual instances, but it is a case of cutting the garment according to the cloth. If the Woman's club would direct its effort to specific cases of injustice it would doubtless receive a hearing. The assertion that the public schools of Omaha take high rank among the schools of the country is merely an as- sumption. It is a matter of notoriety that our schools ranked much higher abroad a few years ago than they do today. There is an abundance of talent in the High school, but also misfits that seriously hamper its efficlency. Teach- ers have been imported and foisted upon the school pay roll at high salaries who are notoriously below the standard. No- body contends that the kindergarten should be abolished, but there is no good reason why Omaha should employ four times as many kindergarten teachers as Minneapolis and other cities double and treble Omaha’s population. Everybody will agree with the com- mittee that personal and political pref- erences should have no bearing in the selection of teachers, but such a reform cannot be brought about so long as the man at the head of our public schools holds his place as superintendent by fa- voritism and political wire pulling. The school ta question and the proposition to raise the revenue for the support of the schools exclusively by direct taxation requires more extended discussion. For the present, direct taxation is absolutely impracticable and will be for years to come, even if it were feasible. Last year the Omaha Bridge and Ter- minal company's property was assessed by the State Board of Equalization at a mileage rate that was out of all pro- portion with its value as compared with other taxable property. The action of the state board was made the basis for assessment by the county and city, al- though the law relating to the assess- ment of rallroad property by the state board limits its power to rallroads that extend beyond the boundaries of a single county. In other words, the bridge and tracks of the terminal company belng located in Douglas county only, should have been returned in Douglas county by the local assessors, and that portion within the boundaries of the city of Omaha should have been assessed by the tax commissioner on' the same ratio as other taxable property. This was the course pursued with the assessment of the Omaha Bridge and Terminal company’s property ever sluce the bridge was built, and inasmuch as there has been no change in the law, there is no valld reason why the state board should allow itself to be used for the purpose of helping that corporation In the eva- slon of local taxation. The mere fact that the Illinols Central has leased the use of the East Omaha bridge and ter- winais does woi chauge ibe condiiions under which the bridge company’'s prop- Saturday BEvening Post. President Roosevelt will soon be able to TUESDAY, Memerial day. It all goes to show that hereafter every presidential candidate should pass a physical examination and not be over 45 or 50 years old. Eighth Wonder of the World. Atlanta Journal (dem.) Wonders will never cease. A Kentucky republican has been acquitted of the charge of being a principal in the Goebel assas- sination. Millionaires Far Outclnssed. St. Louls Globe-Democrat, When a promoter realizes $172,500,000 for his share in exploiting five corporations, he must look down upon the average mil- lionaire as an unfortunate person not far removed from penury. or Neglected. Baltimore American. It is said that Admiral Cervera fs living In Spain in obscurity and meglect. He should come to this country, where he would be appreclated at his proper worth. There will always be a soft spot in Amer- ican hearts for the brave and generous old warriot, That Naval Toot at Venice. Philadelphia Record. That was a costly lark of the marines from the cruiser Chicago. To be thrust into a Venetlan prisom, where the vermin attacked tiem; to pay $2,000 to get out: to be clapped Into frons when they were put aboard ship and to become the jest of> one continent and the shame of an- other—oh, that was r rt! The Mean Thi; Chicago Chronicle. We can see parlous times ahead for the Federation of Woman’s clubs. An officer of that organization has been called to order upon the ground that she talked about her- self instead of making her report. If that sort of thing s to go on what inducement will there be to join the federation? Good Place to Aveld. Timid gentlemen—or Intrepld ones, for that matter—who do not court a speedy separation from their assets will do well to keep out of Wall street these days. They have taken to cleaning out members of the Vanderbilt family down there, and when financlal princes of the blood royal are thus disrespectfully used, what earthly show is there for the ordinary plebelan and his 10- point margin. Serving Country Party. Minneapolis Journal. Theodore Roosevelt is rendering a serv- ice to his party of the greatest importance at this time.. And his fearless stand in defense of the rights and interests of the people agalust aggressive corporate pewer should be recognized by thoughtful busimess men everywhere as calculated to check the rise of populism, satisty the well grounded feeling that something sincere and effectual must be done to curb the aggression of the few agalnst the rigths and interests of the many, and thus avert business dis- turbance and disaster. BETTER CATTLE WILL BE BRED. Significance of Rec: Sales at South Omaha. Cleveland Leader, Remarkably high prices were obtained for blooded cattle sold to breeders gathered at South Omabha on Wednesday. One cow brought more than $3,000 and her calf went for $1,000. The average of all the sales made was notable, as well as the highest figures recorded. > i Presumably the highi prices recently pald for meat, and also for cattle, sheep and hogs fit for butchers’ uss, had much to do ‘with the success of this stock sale, but it is & sign of hope for meat eaters when the demand for blooded ' cattle grows very strong. One of the very best ways to check the general tendency toward higher prices for animal food, as the country becom more densely settled, is to improve the average quality of' the live stock. In that manner it is often possible to obtain much more meat for a given quantity of food for the animals fattened. Some breeds actually require much less corn and grass to pro- duce beeves weighing 1,500 pounds aplece than other cattle, of inferior stock, need to reach 1,200 pounds, at the same age. If all American cattle were of the best blood the pastur nd the cornflelds would be far more effective in making meat than they are now, and present conditions in the markets would be much worse if there had not been wide and very marked improve- ment in the average quality of western range cattle, as well as the stock raised on farms in the older sections of the country in the last twenty-fiva years. That change for the better is still going on and it does much to moderate the forces which tend to make meat dearer. NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING. De Superior Value. Denver Post. . A striking demonstration of the value of newspaper advertising was recently made by the Messrs. Harper & Bros. of New York, one of the largest and most widely known publishing houses of the country. No firm In the whole world, probably, has 50 complete a system and such extensive facilities for reaching the reading public without golng be: thelr own /personal resources as has Harper & Bros. For half & century or more name has been familiar to readers of the better class of literatufe the world over, and heretofore a me! nnoungement through . their regular channels has been consldered all that might profitably be done in the way of tntroducing & new book or publication to the public. The manager of the firm, however, re- cently became . convinced that newspaper advertising might be made to add some- what to the profits of his firm. In order to test the correctness of his ideas, he selected two books of what is known in trade nomenclature as “popular fiction.” Each of these had enjoyed fair favor upon thelr initial appearance and had sold about equally well. One was by & well kmown and popular suthor and the other by = writer who had yet to win his spurs. The comparatively unknown writer's ‘book was selected for newspaper advertising, while the production of the one with the established reputation was pushed through the regular channels of the firm. This was after the two books had been on sale for a year upon absolutely even terms and with practically equal sales. The result was a complete surprise, both to the Harpers’ manager and to the news- paper advertising ageats who had jolned in urging the test. During the second's year's sales the book that had been given the ad- vantage of per advertising out- stripped the other by over 200,000 coples, thiz proportion of sales costinulng pras- tically unchanged throughout the year, although the advertisement had been givem but one insertion and that in only the lead- ing newspapers of the larger citles of the country. A fairer or a more conclusive test could bardly have been devised and the results bave been accepted by large business firms ficant MAY 6, 1902. Live Nebraska Towns WILBER —Gem of the Blue Valley. That Wilber, the county seat of Saline, should be accounted one of the best towns in Nebraska is not owing to the enterprise of its citizens, individually or collectively, for they are among the most placid and conservative people of the west, but is the natural outcome of the fertile farms by which it is surrounded and the industrious and thrifty tillers of them, who make It their trading point. Through the environ- ment of this happy combination of fertil ity and industry the town has made steady and substantial growth and its {nhabitants have prospered in a modest way ever since the beginning of 1873. In addition to grain and stock this is one of the largest shipping points in the west for butter, eggs and poultry, the total of which is something enormous. Figures are net accessible and statistics are sald to be dry. Wilber is not a dry town. Here is located one of the oldest established and best known mills in Nebraska, the products of which find a wide market over our own state and northern Kansas and their spe- clalty, rye flour, goes as far south as Ok- lahoma. The brewery, operated by a joint stock company, may ia time dim the fame of Milwaukee. All the lines of business usually followed in the market towns of strictly agricultural communities are well represented and the church and educa- tional advantages are all that could be desired. Beautifully situated on the Wymore branch of the B. & M., within easy dis- tance of the state capital and the metrop- olis, both of which it is poesible to visit CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES, Sutton Advertiser-News: Hon. 8. W. Christy of Edgar has consented to make the race for congress. If he secures the nom- ination he will surely be elected. ‘Wausa Enterprise-Herald: W. W. Young of Stanton county, state senator and lawyer, will be a candidate before the Third district republican congressional convention. Mr. Young has many friends throughout the district who are urging him to be a candi- date. That Mr. Young 1s good timber there 18 mo question. . Bradshaw Republican: Probably among all the candidates seeking the republican nomination for congress in this district there is no abler, cleaner or better qualified man than Hon. E. J. Halner of Aurora, and, while all who are seeking are good men, from our opportunities of viewing the situation, Halner is the strongest man for the race. O'Nelll Frontier: The list of congres- slonal candidates as it now ds in the Bixth district is given by the Kearney Hub in this fashion: Beeman and Goodell of Buffalo, Grimes of Lincoln, Currie of Cus- ter, Cady of Howard and Kinkald of Helt. There is no lack of good timber for cor gress and any one of the above would be a credit to their district. Bt. Edward Sun: H. C. Vall, Boone coun- ty's candidate for congress before the con- gressional convention, is meeting with flat- tering success wherever his name is pre- sented. Boone county 1s a republican county and will roll up a splendid ma- Jority, and thus deserving of recognition when they present a candidate. Our can- didate is qualified in every respect and if nominated will put in some hard work to be elected. York Times: The St. Paul Republican brings out A. Cady a candidate for congress in the ‘Sixth district and starts him on the road with an endorsement and an argument that does credit to both Mr. Cady and the Republican. So another strong man is added to the number who are ready to make the race in that district, where the fight has been as hopeless as thankless ever since the district was organized. Last year it gave a republican majority and this year will increase it. Grand Island Independent: It is stated that Hon. W, A. Prince will be a candidate for the congressional nomination of the re- publicans of the Fifth congressional dis- trict. It certainly is about Hall county's turn to receive the recognition that ought long ago to have been hers, and with Mr. Prince there can be no question of a vig- orous campaign in the event of his nom- fnation. Mr. Prince was a representative from this county to the legislature of 1901 and left & record to which he can point with considerable satisfaction. In his po- sition in the senatorial matter, as well as his other acts as a legislator, there s not a single thing that needs defense. He i, furthermore, an able speaker and can cer- tainly be commended to the republicans of the district as & most admirable candl- date. Sldney Telegraph: The North Platte Tribune, in & column editorial, announces Judge H. M. Grimes as a candidate for the republican nomination for congress in this district. In presenting his fellow towns- man the editor of the Tribune pays him the following tribute: *For nearly twenty years this writer has had an acquaintance with Judge Grimes and is therefore quall- fled to sttest his unquestioned integrity, his indomitable energy, his fairness in all ters and his popularity, which has been well earned. Judge Grimes is a man who never forgets u friend or acquaintance, and the man in overalls receives the same cour- teous treatment and hearty handshake as does the man in broadcloth. He is well known throughout this congressional dis- trict, and as a campaigner he has few equals. If nominated he will make a thor- ough canvass of the district and will make votes at every place he visits.” Judge Grimes is the logical candidate from this portion of the Big Sixth district. No name stands higher and no man hag the confl- dence of the people in this judicial distriet more thoroughly than h — PERSONAL NOTE The assessor s ‘“‘among you, takin' notes.” The king of Greece delights in taking recreation in the flelds. He can blow, cut and bind cern, milk cows and, in short, could at a pinch keep a farm golng single- banded. Emperor Willlam has conferred the bronze so-called “China medal” upon Joseph H rings, an American newspaper correspond- ent, who was wounded on board the Ger- man gunboat Iitis at Taku, China. business man should read Shak says James J. Hill, the railroad “There are other good works a- plenty, of course, but I bave found more valuable advice, consolation d informa- tion in Shakespeare than in any other author.” A woman's editorial assoclation bhad = dinner in Topeka and one of the toasts wa “Woman: Without Her Man is a Brute. It ‘must have been & cynical printer m. who set up the type, for this was the way the toast read in print: “Woman, Without Her Man, is a Brute. Just how much of @ rumpus this raised may poesibly be im- agined; it ceftainly cannot be described. Willlam M. Bunker, the past president of the California Soclety Bons of American Revolution, asked the congress, whose ses- slon just closed at Washington, to provide for the care of the “Stars and Stripes” monument, which he discovered in an old church in East London, Eng. It bears the for | Washington arms and marks the burial of Elizabeth Washington. and return home the same day, this Gem of the Blue Valley is ome of the best places on earth to live in and is the home of some of the best people on earth, who come as near living up to the great twelfth mandment, “Mind your own business,” as any community on earth. Most of them own their own homes, which has been made possible to many of limited income by a well managed buflding and loan ass tion that confines its operations to this one precinct. 'The census of 1900 gave the population of the village as 1,064. Since then the corporate limitd have been ex- tended and {t is now nearly 1,600. In the management of local affatrs the question of politice nevers enters, the people working harmoniously together for the general good and as a result we have a well and econom- fcally governed city, owning an excellent m of water<works and electric lights tl would be redit to a much larger place, on a self-sustaining basis. The fame of Wilber is not confined to our own state and nation, but extends far across the ocean. At a public gather- ing a short time ago a visitor who had re- cently returned from a trip through Eurepe told that while traveling in Bohemia bhe saw inscribed on the fron work of a big bridge the mames of Wilber, New York, Chicago, Milwaukes and Cleveland. The name of Wilber @rst! The ancestral homes of many ef our best citizens are in that country, but no people are more proud of or more devoted to their Nebraska home than the people of Wilber. JOHN KNIGHT. ROUND ABOUT NEW YORK, Ripples on the Current of Life in the Metropolis. One of Brooklyn's feroclous small boys, after studying the poster art of the will west _show, flipped his thumb to his nose and declared that Buffalo Bill was a Coney Island jay in the desperado business. *I'll show him how to do the trick,” exclaimed the blooming kid, who thereupon scooted home for the mecessary artillery. Return- ing with a double-barreled shotgun, the welght of which staggered him, he came upon & crowd of youngsters playlng in a vacant lot. Pointing the gun at the crowd Le yelled: “Hey, you fellers, throw up your bands and be quick about it. I'm Buffalo, BIlI!" The youngsters jeered and the kid pulled the trigger. He was knocked down by the recoll and one of the youngsters fell screaming, his arm and neck peppered with buckshot. The wounded boy was carried to a hospital and Billy the Kid was shingled on the spot. “I didn’t know 1t wae loaded!" he yelled between smacks. All but the ultra-righteous will feel a pang at the decision of the authorities that Comey Island has got to be good this sum- mer. Nobody expects it to be good, and it is hardly too much to say that nobody wants it to be good. Things are permitted at Coney Island that would be out of place in New York City, and yet aren’t par- ticularly harmful, after all. There are more outrageous, open-gauge fakes on that strip of sand than in any equal ares of the world, but nobody minds, because every- body expects te find littla trickeries and frauds there and the most you can lose at them is an occasional dime. Then there are the innocuous gambling games where you throw rings in the futile hope of en- snaring a cane, or base balls at a live darky's head for impossible cigars, or slash at & mark for a reward that you might get if your rifle barrel weren't modeled after a ram's horn. The repressive eye of the law 1s on them all. And the concert hall ladies. No more they gracefully amble down from the stage in pride and beauty of their fifty-odd years and invite themselves to drink beer or more expensive beverages (it they think they can get ‘em) at the expense of the celebrating stranger and to the profit of the house. This has been adjudged to be immoral, and the soubrette must hence- forth spend her old age behind the scenes when she is not doing her song and dance. There are even dread rumors that the excise law Is to be enforced. If all these things are done it needs no gift of prophecy to see huge summer crowds fleeing to Jersey and the uppermost ends of Staten island and to predicate the decadence and fall of Coney. They may destroy the island, but they can't make it good. Bitting In a hotel restaurant with a friend, writes a New York correspondent, we noticed a state of suppressed excite- ment among the 8. It was so great that two men managed to get out untip- ping. A slip of paper was being passed from hand to hand. “What is it, Murphy?” asked my com- panion. “An order for a strik ‘‘“Worse than that, Mr. Fuller,’ “Far worse than that. TI'll you."” In a few minutes he handed us a bit of paper, that he handled as theugh it were dynamite. It was a clipping from & cookery trade journal. There was a picture of & woman sitting at a restaurant counter. In front of her was & small electric raflway. On that rallway was a table, which had just been shot from the kitchen by electrio power, and on the table was a full mesl, including coffee and dessert, also a nap- kin, & menu card, a glass of water and a bunch of toothpicks. In fact, everything that a waiter could supply, except & re- ceptacle for tips. The arrangement wal he sald. get it for intended to do Away with walters entirely. The patron takes his seat before a table and m out his order. He touches a button and the table starts for the kitchen. An at- tendant there loads it, and ia a few min- utes it is back, ready for business. If ad- ditions or changes are desired, the table is sent back for them. What do you boys think of it, Mur- phy?" asked my friend, as ho banded back the slip. “T'd hate to be the life insurance com- pany,” said that gentleman, as he shook his head. “The what?" “The life insurance compamy as carries the first man who tries to rum that thing in New York." New York property owners, according to Insurance experts, are paying premiums on vast quantities of fire Insurance in “com- panies” which do not exist. This statement was brought out by the news from Atlantic City that the owner of one of the recently destroyed stores there has found that only one of his sixteen policies is collectible. He had obtalved his insurance from ‘underground agents" and will lose about $10,000. Since the conviction of several notorfous firebugs In New York City a few years ago the old line insurance companies have been reluctant to take risks on emall stores, par- ticularly on the ea: certain class of “‘underground agent been unusually active, and they have been gotting many thousands of dollars in pre- miums for insurance which is not worth the paper the policies are printed on. SMILING REMARKS. ‘Washington Star: “Some men,” sald Uncle Bben, “gits de reputation of bein’ stuck up, when de troof is dey is too bash- ful to try to run anybody's business ‘cep- pin’ deir own.” . Detroit Free Press: Husband—I expect some of my relatives on a visit next week, dear. Can you nulgrn anything to make them happy while they are here Wife—{ might leave town, Chicago Tribune: sald the umpire. “Exception!" exclalmed the captain of the Yarn Sox. “Let the exception be noted” said the lanced at the indi- xed his eye on the 'wo strikes!" umpire, briefly, as he cator in his hand and pitcher again. Philadelphia Press: ‘“What §s the aiffer- ce, ed the boy, “between a ‘fixed an ordinary star?”’ suppose,” replied Mr. Furstniter, his father, "'a fixed star is one who gets his salary regularly.’” Judge: Penfleld—What induced that pop- ular novellst to marry an actress? Merritt—He figured that one press agent would do for both. Philadelphia Press: “For all your su- rior airs,” sald the snake, “my reputation or wisdom is fully as good as yours.' ““This is the first time," replied the owl, with bitterness, “that 1 have had occasion to find fault with nature for fixing, my eyes immovably in their sockets, I am com- pelled to move my head in order to look at you!" Detroit Free Press: ‘‘The barkeepers had a dance the other night.” “Well?" “First number on the program was ‘Com- in' Thro' the Rye.'” emember,” sald the European, we discovered 'America." “*Nonsei exclaimed the matter-of- fact man from Chicago; “that claim ls merely a historic subterfuge to conceal the fact that your sailors wandered off to sea and got lost.” Chlcago Tribune: your Initiative and your reterendum,” the 0ld party man said,”“and your single tax, and all the rest of It, you'll ba satisned, will you?" UNOC it the reformer replled, with wild fook In his eye. “We shall agitate then for a good b-cent clgas THE GAME OF LIFE, ‘Washington Star: that vell, when you get New Orleans Times-Democrat. This lite is but a {lme of card Which mortals have to learn Each shuffies, cut and deals the pack, And each a'trump doth turn. Some bring a high card to the top, And others bring a low, Some hold a hand quite flush with trumpsy Whils others none can show. Bome shuffle with a practiced hand, And pack the cards with care, 80 they know when they are dealt Where all the leaders are. Thus fools are made the dupes of rogues, While rogues each other cheat, And he is_very wise Indeed ‘Who nee meets defeat. When pla, #if some throw out the ace, The countMg cards to save, Some play the deuce and some the ten, But many play the knave. Some play for money—some play for fun— ‘And some for worldly fame, But not until the game's played out Can they count upon their gain. When hearts are trumps we play for love, ‘And pleasure rules the hour, No thoughts of sorrow check our joy In beauty's rosy bower. We sing, we dance, sweet verses make, Our cards at random play, And while one trump remains at top Our game’ hol . ‘When diamonds chance to crown the top, ‘The players stake their gold, And heavy sums are bet and wom " By g lers young and old. Intent on '""““f.‘ Doth watch wit How he ma And beat the sly. ‘When clubs are trumps, look out for wat, On ccean ;nfl on l.lna, . orrors always come %:oe jubs are held in hand. seo hi Thom on Then lives are staked, instead of gold, The dogs of war are freed In our dear country, and we see “rhat clubs have got the lead. Last game of is when the spadée Is turned by hand of time, » He always deals the closin, ?n every age and clime. No matter how much each mam wins, Or how much each man save The spade will finish up the game ‘And'dig the gamblers' graves. A Top Coat. The' spring extremes of heat and cold have been in evidence this week. A top coat is the only safeguard. Ours is short in length but long in style. $10.00 to $25.00. If you want a light long coat, it's the rain coat. $12.50 to $26.00. No Clothing Fits Like Ours. Browning e 5