Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, December 25, 1902, Page 6

1 | Fomine THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1902. THE OMAHA DAILY BEE E I\US;WfI\TEVR‘ PUBLISHE EDITOR. ) EYERY MORNING. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Dafly Bee (without Sunaay), One Year. $4.00| Daily Bee and Sunday, Une Year 6.0 Lilustrated Hee, Gpe Year . Sunday Bee, One Year Saturday Hee, One Year.......... o | Twentieth Century Farmer, One Year.. L0 DELIVERED BY CARRIER. | Daily Bee (without Sunday), per copy.... 2¢ Daily Bee (without Bunday), per week... 1ic Daily Bee (inciuding Bunday), per week..lic| HUNday Bec, PEr COPY....us. . ireessy: oc vening Bee (without Sunday), per week 6c ening Bee (ncluding Sunday), per week . & > sxvinserabes 308 | Compla f 'irregularities in deiivery | #hould be uddressed to City Circulation De- partment. OFFICES, Omaha—The Bee Bullding. Bouth Omaha—City Hall Bullding, Twen- ty-fifth and M Btreets., * Council Bluffs—10 Peari Street. Chicago—1640 Unity Bullding. New York—2328 Park Row bullding. ‘Washiugton 1 Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. Communications relating to news and edi-| torial matter ahould be addressed: Omaha | Lee, &ditorial Department. .00 200 20/ STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. , Dou H Taschuck, secretary Bee Publishing Company. being uuly sworn, says that the actual number of full and romplete coples of The Laily, Morning, Evening and Sunday Bee printed during the month of November, 1902, was a8 folio: 81,470 18 ERENBEES LERNR 1. Less unsold and returned coples Net total sales. . Net average sales...... . 30,766 GEORGE B. TZSCHUCK. Subscribed in my presence sworn_to before me this th day, ot November, A. D LB, HU. 3 (Seal) Notary Public. com———— Merry Christmas. And the same to you. Christmas is the children’s day. See that they get the most out of it By the way, Santa Claus, don’t for- get to leave Omaha that new audi- torlum, When it comes to Christmas presents Uncle Sam beats all his - European cousins out. : e The sbip subsidy bill can’be put in the class of measures that will not be floated at this session of congress. It won't be n very efficlent war measure heredfter to cut the cables if Marconi’s little*scheme works out all right. The way ex-Governor Hogg of Texas I8 denouncing the story that oll has been exhausted at Spindletop indicates that % still has ofl well stock to sell. The lllc’kielt strike In oil In Nebraska to be antlcipated in the near future will certalnly be that of Governor Mickey's appolntee to the state ol inspectorship. ——— ‘With disastrous earthquakes, famines and other mishaps of nature - in so many countries, Americans may well conclude that theirs Is after all a pretty good land to live In. | The news that a violent snowstorm has been raging in and about Constan- tinople affords little consolation to the people here who see their coal plles welting away, while prices are still at alrship altitudes. It Mr. Vanderbilt gets daily health Dbulletins In the papers during his pres- ent sickness how often would the phy- slclans have to announce the condition of thelr patient it J, Plerpont. Morgan were under the weather? The congressional mill has closed down for the holidays, but the third louse consisting of the Washington correspondents is in continuous session, dolng even more legislating than when the legislatordiare there, Army officers everywhere are, with few exceptions, In favor of the resto- ration of ythe eanteen: After another experience or two with holiday cheer furnished by the groggerles on the fringe of the posts the verdict will be ananimous. Notwithstandng Secretary Shaw is a radical gold standard man, he did not let the silver annlv ary of his mar- clage go by without due ‘celebration with his friends. Still his political coemies may make a handle out of the fact that he Would permit no presents. pull- 46 3 Ml Judge McPhersbn's decision overrul- tug the Towa supreme court and holding that express companies can handle | mas. CHRISTMAS. " The one day in the year that 1s always welcome and Is welcomed by all, that never loses It§"power to gladden and cheer, that'ls ever an_Inspiration to kindly offices and generous acts, that whether the sun shine or the sky be leaden with winter storm ‘still diffuses a o, genial and joyful influence, that Is the most truly symbolic of Christian days— the merry Christmas—is with us again. We not be concerned about the genesis of this day, whether it had its origin in barbarous times ages before the Christian era or had a more recent beginning. Neither need we be troubled with considering the past or the various methods of its observance. We need only be concerned with the spirit of the day as we find it and with the influences it exerts, and in- these there appears. every reason why it should rank first among days In the affection and appreci- atlon of the Christian 'world. If the need observance of Christmas is getting far- ther away, with each sueceeding gene: ration, from the austerity which -once characterized it and becoming more and more festal and joyous, it is'not there- fore losing its moral and religious In- fluence, On the contrary, there Iy reason to believe that in its newer | character, In the greater care thati-js taken in its observance to minister to the happiness of the young, assoclating with such ministration easfly impressed les- sons of the significance of the day, far more is accomplished for moral and religious effect than was possible under the restralnts which Puritanism im- posed upon the observance of Christ- The churches have remitted none of their proper labor on this day, though the sermons may be somesvhat | shorter; the Sunday schools make the occaslon one of such exceptional at- traction as to draw Into them many children who would not otherwise enter their doors, and Christian beneficence takes a broader sweep on this day than on any other of the year, doing it, too, with a warmth and heartiness and genlalty that make it doubly valuable. So we say that no matter when or where or how Christmas originated, its spirit and influences as we find them are wholesome and elevating and good. The gladness this day brings into mil- lions of homes, brightening the life of childheod and sweeping away the shad- ows that hang over the pathway of age, the testimonials of love and friend- ship it calls out, the family gatherings it invites, and the heartfelt greetings it evokes, are all bumanizing . end ChristianiZing in thelr tendency, creat- ing delightful memories that never fade, but rathér become with the advancing years more delightful and more cherished. May ro reader of The Bee lack today any of its legitimate pleas- ures is our sincere wish, and so we ex- tend to all the greeting of a merry Christmas. PROPOSED BUREAU OF STATISTICS. Among the suggestions for legl tion which is is said the Omaha Com- mercial club will re-enforce fs one for the creation of a Bureau of Statistics for Nebraska, with a view to advertis- ing the resources of the state as an at- traction for immigrants and investors. The promoters of the proposed bureau overlook the fact that Nebraska already malntains a bureau or department de- voted to a complilation of statistics and that the work of this department, so far as It gocs, is highly satisfactory. We refer to the work under the deputy labor commissioner, which has been ex- panded so as to include the gathering of information with reference not only to labor and labor conditions, but also to the entire Igdustrial activity of the commonwealth. It is true that in the matter of crop reports Nebraska is behind some other states, notably Kansas, where, under the State Board of Agriculture, a s tem has been perfected of gathering news of growing crops from the open- ing of the season to the completion of the harvest, as well as the usual statis- tics as to acreage, animals and farm products. That such statistics for Ne- braska are desirable and would be useful goes without saying. - Whether a new and independent bureau of sfa- tistics is needed to do this is open to question. What we sbould do, If more varled Industrial statistics are wanted Is to’strengthen and build up the work of the labo¥ commissioner and place him In position to command the co- operation of county authorities and assessing officers. To duplicate present ‘| machinery of government simply out of sentiment, or to give employment to somebody out of a job, would be un- | necessary expense without producing | any better results. ——— OUK RISTURIC POLICY VINDICATED, It s perfectly gratuitous to assert, as some partisan critics of President Roosevelt are asserting, that his admin- liquor packagés for lowa C. O. D. from other states did not ceme In time for Christmas business In the prohibi- tion countles, but it will answer every exigency connected with New Year's swearing off, . S The situation with reference to the statebood Dbills pending In the senate may be summed up briefly In a few words. All the senators are for the ad- migslon of all the territories, hut they are Bot agreed on the time that admis- slon uld take place. if a vote were taken on the date statehood should be- come effective it weuld vary all the way from next week to next century. ‘ =r— A strong effort Is belng made to re- bablilitate the bicycle trust, which got punctured on the rough road of syndi- cate finance. The scheme involves prac- tically a heavy assessment of the stock, showing that in the end it is the-stock- ‘tolder that gets the worst of it In such cases. They will have to sacrifice their stock or put up more money on an un- certainty as to pulllug their enterprise istration has backed down from the tra- ditional principles of the Monrpe doe- trine. The explicit avowals of the Brit- ish and German governments that they propose no infringement of the Mon- roe’ doctrine, that they Intend neither to oppress Venezuela nor to selze its territory,’ establish the exact contrary. It 1s rather a triumph of the adminis- tration to re recognition of the American doctrine without exasperating assertiveness or unnecessary spread- caglelsm. There Is abeolutely nothing new in the position that thé Monroe dec- trine does not protect South American governments ‘in- wrongdoing, and that they must, like other rnments, re- spond in damages where the subjects of foreign countries’ ‘have been in- Jured in person and property. To assume that“the Monroe doctrine was ever intended to suspend in the case of the countries of the new world the principles of international justice aud comity which obtaln among civ- ilized nations and which we ourselves both submit to and enforce upon others, Is preposterous. Time and again the government of tbe United States bag pald damages for injuries to subjects of foreign nations, and it is absurd to suppose that the administration of Pres- ident Roosevelt or any other typlcal American would establish any different rule for the so-calied South Ameriean republics, under guvise of Monroelsm or otherwise. What the Monroe doctrine’ in its original Intent and subsequent development does do is to Interpose to prevent their dismemberment or the ap- propriation of their territory by Buro- pean aggression, no matter on what pretense, The present' administration, having enforced this principle, even to the point of securing in advance positive assur- ances of its observance, the essence of the Monroe doctrine has in fact been vindieated In the most notable manner The preliminaries to arbitration of the whole subject assume the invielabllity of our position on that doctrine, and the suggestion: of the chief Europdan gov- ernments Interested that President Roosevelt himself shall act as arbi- trator I8 a precedent establishing the substance of our historie policy with the most signal emphasis. ——y ROUSEVELT AND 4RBI TRATION, President Roosevelt has received a formal request from the European gov- ernments to act as arbitrator in the Venezuelan dispute. There s no Intima- tion as to what the decision of the president may be, but having ‘already had the matter under consideration and conferred with his cabinet and others in public life in regard to it, and realiz- ing also the desirability of an- early determination, it may confidentiy be ex- pected that a decision wilk be reached without “unnecessary delay. The president has been strongly urged not to accept the task and some welghty reéasons are given why Me should de- cline It, and continue his effort to in- duce the prwers to submit the contro- versy to The Hague tribunal, wihich was created for the express purpose of adjudicating such disputes and 18 ready to do so In this case, One of thé ob- Jjections to Mr. Roosevelt acting as ar- bitrator Is that it would subject him to the criticism _certain to follow from the disappointed party to the controversy, but this is not a consideration that ‘is likely to have any great influence with | the president. There i8 no doubt that all the parties have entire and implicit confidence in his integrity, falrness and impartiality and would accept his award without complaint. A more serfous objection appears to be that in regard to the position which the United States would be placed in. The request of the European governments that President Roosevelt act as arbitra- tor I8 very generally regarded as an exceédingly shrewd piece of diplomacy, the credit for which belongs to the Ger- man foreign office, which very likely was prompted by Emperor Willlam, It is felt that the president acting as arbl- trator would place the United States under some fmplied obligation to see that the award is enforced. It s ap- prehended that' the ultimate purpose of the allies {8 to press this country into some sort of an acknowledgment of responsibllity for the conduct of the countries in this hemisphere over which it has extended the protection of the Monroe doctrine. But it would seem that this objection may be removed by an explicit stipulation that our govern- ment will assume no responsibility In the matter, that whatever the award of the president it will not in the slightest degree commit the United States. More- over, It is extremely doubtful # the European governments are actuated by any such motive as some are disposed to ascribe to them. It is more reason- able to think that they want President Roosevelt as arbitrator solely because they have full faith In his wisdom, in- tegrity and sense of justice, We may be sure that the president will give this matter the eareful and deliberate consideration which its very great importance calls for. No one can be more anxious than he for an amil- cable settlement of the grave trouble and the country may confidently look for a judicious determination of the question before him. MINISTER BOWEN'S GOOD WORK. The United States minister at Oar- acas, Herbert W. Bowen, is recelving merited commendation for the ability and tact he has shown since the begin- ning of the Venezuelan affair. Imme- diately upon the severing of diplomatic relations between the European govern- ments and Venezuela, Minister Bowen wi entrusted with the task of look- ing after the Interests and welfare of British and German subjects in Venez- uela and he discharged this duty most acceptably and satisfactorily to the British and German governments, The subjects of those countries have been fully protected and the valuable service rendered by the American minister has been cordlally acknowledged, Conclusive evidence of the popularity of, Mr. Bowen with President Castro was furnished when he was sélected to represent the Venezuelan government in proposing arbitration, he having been glven practically a free hand in the matter. - All that he has done in the difficult and delicate position of sole rep- resentative in Venezuela of the United States, Great Britaln and Germany has been marked by inteligence, tact and g0od judgment,"giving him high rank among contempbrary diplomatists, Mr. Bowen, entered the consular service twelve years ago, during which time he has bad considerable diplomatic experi- ence and throughout has made a most creditable record. ¢ CE—— No grpver danger exists In our midst than this infameus method of robbing the people by corrupting their trusted representatives. 4t is a menace to our clvic and political life. It is anarchy, for it strikes an Insidious and deadly blow at government. It substitutes the debauching moneyed power of irre- sponsible corporat'ons, acting through \ . Looldh il oo il their agents and unscrupulous public officers, for the lawfully constituted au- thority vested by the people in the muni- cipal legislative body to be by it hon- estly and fafthfully administered. The higher the Lflu«m of the persons who brihe or are bribed, the greater is their moral responaibliity, because the more potent for é¥il™ts their wicked example. ~Benjamin Harrison. rr—— The Austrian government is not going at it right to check emigration to Amer- ica. The means it proposes to employ Is an elaborate system of restrictive legislation, which has been tried & thou- sandl times by different nations, but has never succeeded In the long run, The only true check to emigration is to make life at home so easy, pleasant and remunerative that people will pre- fer to stay there. If this cannot be doné, emigration should be facllitated rather than hampered. S—— .The younger and more distant chil- dren of the republic are turning out to be considerable and rapidly increasing consumers of its products. The official figures indicate a total of exports to Porto Rico, the Philippines and Ha- wilan islands and Alaska of more than $40,000,000, the purchi representing a great varlety of staple, agricultural and manufactured products. How much of this goes to Americans in temporary residence there, however, is not exactly stated. > A St. Louis judge has just settled all the perplexing problems arising out of trusts and combinations by declaring that both labor and capital have an in- defeasible right to organize, provided ‘only they keep within the beunds of law. He carefully abstalns, however, from defining the bounds of law they must not overstep. Most learned judge! E——— There are now two announced can- didates for the speakership of the house of the next Iowa legislature, to which body the members will not be elected till nearly a year hence. But the ques- tion of election cuts practically no fig- ure with republican candidates in that state, S Pickled in Its Own Brine, Baltimore American. The Balt trust has given up the fight for its existence against government pro- ceedings. Maybe this is the thin edge of the wedge. — Coining Money from Misfortunme, Philadelphia Record. The shortage in the supply of soft coal Is almost as grievous as the shortage in anthracite, and the effort of bituminous producers to exact famine prices does not appear to be in the least relaxed. Thus is the consumer fleeced. i Giv Fietio Frost. Brooklyn Eagle. Publishers say that they have been so overdoing the novel business that they must now print something besides stories. What chilling news to come just as every second young man and young weman in the land was preparing immortal historical fiction! Hints Worth Heeding. Chicago icle. Some life insurance cempanies appear to entertaln the fixed comviction that every policy holder who dies) is & sulcide who takes his own life i brder to beat the company. If this attitude be maintained much ‘longer 1t is likely seriously to inter fere with the writingof life insurance poli- oles. » 3 Instincts of & Great Name, New York' Telegram. The Osage Indians have invested $8,000,000 in the state bank and own 1,600,000 acres of sses land to the value of 1$4,000, and the interest on their money In the bank affords au annual income of $300 to each member. That's great. Henceforth better call them the O'Sages. New York Tribune. The outworn old phrase “high noon" still appears in reports of weddings with tire- scme frequency. Is it not time to send it fnto banishment together with “the fire flen: “‘no reason Las yet been assigned tor his rash act” and “he fell with a dull, sick- ening thud?’ What excuse for the con- tinued existence of such tedious repeditions of words so frayed and ragged, so loop- holed by the misuse of generations? And what is the difference between high noon and low noon any: Springfield Republican, It & person {s writing history it pays to be accurate, yet it often happens that a historian will make the most egreglous Mt tle blunders regarding facts that can be ascertained by anyone. A recent instance 1s that of Woodrow Wilson, in his new hi: tory of the American people, where he writes of the naval battle between the Bon- homme Richard and the Serapls that “neither ship survived the encounter forty- eight hours.” It would be a picayunish critic, however, who would condemn Mr. | Wilson's work as a ‘whole on that account. Small errors will creep in. “Hitched to a Star.” Chicago Chronicl A grandson of Ralph Waldo Emerson drove a wagon the other day carrying coal into suffering ‘Boston districts. The writings of his celebrated forbear have mot been without comfort to many, but ‘the coal wagon of the grandson was “hitehed to a star,” as Emerson advised; it wis hitched lo, star of hope for many unconscious of any other species of poetry or philosopliy. It s probable that this s exactly the kind of occupation the sage of Concord would have prescribed for his descendant under such circumstances. Trade Union Held for Damuges., Philadelphia Ledger. A decision of great possible importance is apnounced from London in the Taft Vale Rallway Company against the Amalgamated Soclety of Rallway Servants. The verdict is in favor of the company against the union, which s held responfiible for ‘“‘ga- liclous molestation” and interfering with the business of the raliway By picketing, intimidation of employes and means, This case has ‘been pending for i long time and bas now reached a declsiol dn- the high court of justice. ‘The act of Parlia- men permitting the incorporation of trades unions was designed for fheir bemefit, but it is seen that such incorporation carries with it accountability. Though the question of damages is reserved by the courf, the Mabllity of the union for damages resulting from the enforcement of a strike is tablished by the verdict. This is sufficlent reason for the objection generally held by labor leaders in this country to the propo- sition that labor unions should be imcor- porated. e o R e et it S it e e LIVE TO FIVE SCORE. Inerensing Age-Limit Shown by Ce sus Returns. The ready reckomer of the bureau of vital statistics In the census department has reared some tall columns of figures on human ages, and is contemplating the fin- Ished product with much satistaction. Ev- erything about life and death which the census takers could gather are piled up on these columns, and furnish an abundance of material for those who thrive on figures and figurative conclpsions. A correspond- ent of the Record-Herald found much meat in them—meat for thought and specula- tlon—and deftly masticated them into | prose. One of the most Important facts | that the ready reckoner has logically de- duced from his comprehensive material is that which proves that there are more cen- | tenarians accumulating in this country dur- ing every decade, and the natural corollary that the average length of life within' our boundaries s appreciably increasing. First of all, we find in this report the statement that there are, or were in 1900, 8,636 persons in the United States who are 100 years of age or upward. This may not seem particularly impressive as an indica- tion of growing vitality when it is placed beside the item that puts our population at 76,000,000, but it means something alto- gether different when one s told that it gives us twice as many centenarians as there are In Germany, England, France, Scotland and Servia, with a combined popu- Jation of -1835,260,000. Incidental -food for argument is afforded by & further examination of the figures in the eases of the ‘forelgn countries men- tioned In this connectlon by the ready reckoner, and in but one instance do they rob us of any glory. He says that Germany, with a population of 55,000,000, has 778 centenaria: that England, with 32,600,000, has 146; that Scotland, with 4,000,000, has that France, with 40,000,000, has 213, and that Ifttle Servia, with only 2,250,000 people, has a list of 676 who have passed the century mark. Turning again to our own centenarians, we find that out of the 3,53 almost two- thirds of them are women, che exact roster being 2,247 women and 1,289 men, and that out of the 3,117 that are native born 1,098 are men and 2,008 aré women. There are, it appears, 118 Indian centena- rlans, two Chinese and ome Japanése, and 72.8 per cent of the whole number are ne- groes—886 males and 1,667 females. The y reckoner of the census bureau says, however, that a considerable grain of e should be taken with these figures regard- ing Ethioplan longevity, as the older a negro grows the more vivid his imagination becomes. One noticeable oddity in all statistics concerning centenarians is that showing how steadily the proportion of the sexes is maintained among them from one census to the n More than half of them, too, are always colored, Of the foreign born centenarians in the United States, the census man sets down 45 per cent ae Irish, 16.4 per cent as Ger- man, 8.4 per cent as Canadian, 6.6 per cent as English, 2 per cent as Japanese and 1 per cent as Chinese. The average length of life in the United States ten years ago was, according to the ready reckoner, only thirty-one years. Now, sccording to the same authority, it is thirty-two years. This lsn't much to be- come. enthgsiastic over, so far as the pr ent generation is concerned, but it means something to the child® born 100 years hence, granting that the same prbportional increase continues. In connection with the census inferences regarding the prolongation of life it s THE CYNIC'S SELF-DECEPTION, Inclination. Kansas City Star. Phillips Brooks once made the kindly eriticism of Harvard university that it turned out men who were more afrald lest they belleved something untrue than lest they failed to belleve some truth. Per- haps it is as well that some people are inclined to be skeptical on all matters. Buckle used to contend that civilization Bad its origin in skepticism and that to the critical attitude will be due all the progress that the world can hope to make. Yet there s danger of overdoing the doubting Inclination. Many a man who prides himself on his ability to penetrate shams is the dupe of his own skepticlsm. He has as distorted a view of things as the person who obstinately refuses to see any motives except good ones. 'he extent to which & man may bo decefved by his own emartness frequently appears in politics. A protessional politiclan who, as Croker safd, 1s working for his own pocket all the time frequently has no conception of the motives of such & man, for instance, as President Roosevelt. When the president was police commissioner of New York a certain politiclan in the administration Absolutely _Puro THERE IS MS(IBS TITUTE was' fighting his efforts for decent govern- ment and blocking every move he tried to make. Jacob Riis happened to be in the office when a political police officer came In and attempted to curry favor with his chiet by urging a rald on a disreputable place,” where he Bad information that the enemy would be found that night. Rliis 414 not know the man's errand at the time, but he heard Roosevelt exélaim: *No, sir. I don't fight that way.” That police officer would probably have put the man down a “sucker” who should have told him ‘that the pofibe commissioner would not selze any opportunity to strike at bis opponent. Justin McOarthy tells how Disraell once observed in & conversation with John Bright: “Of course, we are both fn politl for the glory of it.” And when Bright protested that he was in Parliament only because he thought he could do something there for his country, Disraell smiled cynically, shook his head and walked away. For all his shrewdness, he could not under- stand such a character as Bright's. Vol- taire, as was perhaps inevitable, consider- ing his times, attacked the wh heme of the church. What an advance {s shown from his attitude to that of the muthor of “The Washerwoman's Song,” with its fn- sight into the meaning of Christianity for this woman, at least. Of course there {s a lamentable amount of hypocrisy and selfishness in the world. “Frail children of dusi,” the hymn runs, “and feeble as frail.”" But the cynic who observes only the cant is as infatuated as the frritating dullard who refuses to see any evil in the world. ‘A newspaper's mews columns frequently recount sad in- stances of crime and of heartlessness. But that 1s becduse unselfishness and devotion to duty are so common that most cases of the sort have no mews value. It is the unusual that attracts people. The person whose mind {s really open and whose in- sight 1s keen emough to dlscern the truth may see plenty of little foibles and bits of Crus mountains of California by Mrs. Robert Louls Stevenson. , The spot is in one of the quietest parts bf the great blue mountains and much like the old home at #Vallima. - Dr. Milburn, the blind chaplain of the United States senate, vho has resigned, being now in his elghtfeth year, once said to & senator: ‘“Never allow a session to be epened without prayer-having been first offered. If you do my boys will be sure to get Into trouble.”” The same, s, ator recalls that on the day of the Tillman-McLaurin fracas Dr. Milburn was teo ill to attend and the session was opened without prayer. The venerable chaplain dovoutly believes that the trouble resulted from that oraission. MIRTHFUL REMARKS. Bomerville Journal: The girl who 1s homely enough to stop a clock is generally gmart enough to know How to keep it going. “‘He talk e country Chicago Pos: od deal of the wealth of at does he know about {t? ““Practically nothing at all. He's an as- sessor." X Boston Transcript: David—You don't mean to say she rejected your proposal? Jonathan—Hardly ‘that; she was eort of noncommittal, o to speak. She sald when she felt like making & fool of herself she'd let me know. Detroit Free Pre: “Mrs, Hunker has the queerest fad,” eald Mrs. Giddings, “She collects umbrellas.” “Perhaps she is trying to lay 4p aome. thing for a rainy day,” was Mr. Giddings' guess, Yonkers Statesman: She—Don't you al- ways feel annoyed when those pesky rail- road windows won't open? He—Not always. 1 saw the president of the road the other morning trying in vain to open on Jndg‘: *“There’'s one 1 wish Santa Claus woul said Cu; improvement make this year," “What's that?" asked Cawker. vanity to smile at; he will discover too many exhibiti of selfishness. Yet he will be confronted on every hand with such an amount of genuine Nonesty, sincerity and regard for duty that he cannot avold taking a hopéful view ef things. The first rosy beliefs of youth may prove false. A process lonment may be necessary. But simply that untrue values are swept aside and that the person has ac- quired sufficient experience to see the world as it is. When this process is complete the mu If he be of the right stuff, will polated out by other authorities that suf- ficlent emphasis cannot be laid upon the importance of occupation, or rather the cholce of occupation, among those who wish to avold the grave as long hsglossible. . The following table shows the ratio be- tween occupation and mortality among a thousand persons noted by life insurance companies: . 55, 6. Physiclans .. 15 21 % 1 Teachers and lawye Musiclans . gpane 3 [ 5 59 106 153 89 146 129 137 Truckmen, Watermen, bargemen, etc Dock _laborers. Baflors ... ishermen Agricultural laborers. Brewers Printers Tallors . Copper Rricklayers and 2ERSERATRVERLLTES Coal General laborers. ers . BEaraunnclochifoan ascaall 42 49 Out of 600 centenarians interviewed by American newspapers since the last census was taken, practically all gave the same rules for the guidance of those who desired to attaln equal distinction In longevity. ‘These rules were: Regular habits, hard work, plenty of exercise, simple food, mar- riage and avoldance of worry. All Insisted that the best of these rules was that pre- scribing hard work, and all but two or three were equally in favor of marriage. Half of them, including many womer. declared strongly In favor of liquor and tobacco. MARCONI'S GREAT TRIUMPH. Tremendous Importance of Recent Achievements. Chicago News. So gradually has the possibility of wire- less telegraphy been made known to the world that the public generally will miss the tremendous significance of the an- nouncement now made at Hallfax. To ap- preciate it better one has only to consider that but a very few years ago telegraphy without wires was looked upon as some- thing well out of the range of possible attaioment. Even after.its practicability for short distances had been demonsirated the idea of sending meesages across the Atlantic without wires was regarded as the dream of & vislonary enthusiast. Mar- conl, it appears, has succeeded not only in mdin, s the ocean, but In demonstrating beyond all reasonable doubt that this may be made a regular method of communication for practical purposes. The achievement appeals to the imagl- natijon not alone a other instance of man's conquest of material forces, but as bringing & tor into play in the soclal and pvll&.l Ifte of the world. Like telephone and the cable ese must have ite effect in bringing the natiops uearer together and making them more closely (ndependent. In some wayk it may be guriously effective in shaping the world’s fstory. To men- tion but one Instal t has always been possible heretofore te cut off & govern. ment from its colonles or Its ships or its troops by the simple expedicnt of cutting & wire or & cable. In the future time that means of sccuring secrecy in military operations may be of Bo aval It need not be doubted that the young Rallan’s work will give bis name a per- manent place in history, along with the names of the founders of the cable and have a surer faith in humanity than before, because it is grounded, not on fantasy, but on fact. PERSONAL NOTE! Senator Teller is at Denver looking closely after his senatorial interests. Short weight coal dealers fn Chicago are getting full welght sentences from the courts. Booker T. Washington can sleep and wake at will. Few men have such control over their minds. The center-of population of the United States s in Henry Marr's barnyard, near Columbus, Ind. The Chinese emperor, in his capacity of high priest, has to offer at least forty-six | sacrifices to different gods in the eourse | of a year. Robert E. Peary, the Arctio explorer, Is making a tour of inspection of the New | York navy yard, looking after the civil engineering operations being conducted Anna Hovevslef, who is in America studying our way of editing newspapers | and magazines, is the editor of the largest | newspaper in Norway, the Aftenpesten, of Christlania. When Henry Marr of Columbus, Ind., goes to his barn lot and steps upon a neatly carved slab bearing the inscrip- tlon *1900" he has 18,650,000 people on all four sides of him, for he is the center of population man of the whole United States. | Spencer Trask of New York and George Foster Peabody of Brooklyn have a force of * workmen employed in remodeling Crosbyshire, & hotel on Lake George, where | they will establish & vacation bome for | the young women tollers of New York City. “Vanumanutangl,” which is Samoan for | the “home of the singing bird,” is the name given to her new residence in the Santa “I wish he would attach a receipted bill to each present.” Brooklyn Life: Mooney—Brace up, man! Troth, yes luk if yes didn't hov a fri'nd in th' whole wur'rid. Hogan—O! hovn't. Mooney—G'wan! "I it ain't mcney yes want t'"borry, O'm as good a frind as iver yez had. Yonkers Btatesma Mr. Bacon—I notice all of the articles of that woman which are now appearing in this things which happened yea Mrs. Bacon—Perhaps sh to her husband to mall Cleveland Plain Dealer: “It is claimed {hat there are 60,00 Missour mules at work the Transvaal' A vaal, t of kirking there must be." es, 1 s'pose that' effects of gentle peace.” Smart Set: Clerk—Michael, are you about through moving those trunks? Porter—Yis, sor; in a few minutes, Clerk—Well, when you've f.nished stretch the life net over the ‘ront pavement. Mrs. Hibawl has just telephoned from the top floor that her husband has fallen out of the window. O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, By Phillips Brooks. O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light The hopet fears of all the years Are mei 0 in thee tonight. O morning stars, together Proclaim the holy birth! And praises sing to God, the King, And peace to men on earth, For Christ is born of Mary, And gathered all above, While mortals sieep, the ‘angels keep There watch on wondering love. How silently, how allently, The wondrous gift is given! Bo God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heaven. No ear may hear His coming; But n this world of sin, Where meek souls will recelve Him still, The dear Christ enters in. Where children pure and happy Pray to the blessed Child Where misery cries out to thee Son of the Mother mild; Where _Charity stands watching, And Faith holds wide the door The dark night wakes; the'glory breaks, And Christmas comes once more. © holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray! Cast out our sin, and enier in; Be born In us today. We hear the Christmas angels The great giad tidings tell; O, come to us, ablde with us, Our Lord Emmanuel! Merry Christmas. We are going to hang our stockings, 8o they will be the first thing Santa sees, When he comes down the chimney, From out the wintry breeze. And snug beneath our blankets, We will listen to the roar, Of winds that laugh and says it is Old gray haired winter’s snore; And we feel, while we God’s mighty good to And think of us, his ¢ murmur prayers. pause, hildren, And send.us Santa Claus. Therefore, our store will be we want the entire day to gl closed all day Christmas, as oat over the many remem- branes we feel so sure of receiving. Thanking you all for your liberal patronage, and wish- ing you a glad Christmas, we telegraph systems. While the principles hich he has applied may not be of his discovery and while essential parts of the apparatus he uses may have been invented by others, he it is who has made them of practical effect. are, respectfully, *Browning [Ghe 53 R S. WILCOX, Manager.