The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 23, 1904, Page 8

T'HE SAN FRA NCISCO CALL, SATU DAY, JANUARY 23, 1904 in the Coagression- dmit that they have had h railroads. Y of with banks and other is president of Senator Dryden of their rade the fact n pany. nsurance company. and has Senator he interests Hanna of is engaged in the that in is the presi- and that he f the Government di- t railway 4 Union Pacific Railroad ointment of President Cleve- and Ciark says he is ex- tensively in banking, min- ng. g and various other business enterpris Other Senators seem 1o be proud of their connection with different branches of business, but out of the entire eighty only two ppear to have now, or at any time in p ction with rail- One of the two is Senator Overman North « who, several s entry 1to the Senate, of the North Carolina Rail- The other is Senator Depew, “arolina, s was kes ninety-one words to tell of the various positions he has heid in the Vanderbilt system. Senator De- pew is, in fact, the director of mor: +ilroad and other large corporations any other man in the United considering the prominence of > railroad business in this country. re immensity of its interests and the brains engaged in its direction, it cer- tainly seems strange that the Senate of the United States contains only two men who have been in any way connected with the railroads. There must reason for this. One re be that Senators who in had some connection with as directors or counsel, or active managers, do not care to ack- nowledge the fact in their biographies might prove embarrassing to them in political campaigns. A rail- road connection is not a valuable asset to politician in a popular sense however powerful it may prove as a secret influence. Senator Depew received minty-nine votes for the Presidential nomination in the Republican convention of 1888, but he has himself declared that no railroad man could be nominated for President. As a matter of fact, how- ever, General McClellan, who ran for President in 1864, had been, just be- fore the Civil War, president of the Jilinois Central Railroad. There is another reason, however, for the absence of railroad men in the Sen- ate. There was a time when politics presented the for a man of ambition, but now the railroads are strong enough to secure the best talent in the country. Even the Senate, distinguished as it is, does Dot contain the same amount of brains as is engaged in the railroad business. The commercial career now presents attractions to ambition superior even 1o those of politics, and no department of commerce contains so many oppor- tunities for distinction and gain as that of transportation. . As this is written the announcement is made that L. F. Loree, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Raiiroad, has been elected to the presidency of the Rock Island. As the bead of that im- mense system he will receive a salary one and one-half times greater than that of the President of the United States, and fifteen times larger than that of a Senator. His power and dis- tinction will exceed that of even the Governor of New York, or any member of the Senate. If he should spend all his time traveling at the rate of forty miles an hour for twenty-four hours a day it would take him eighteen days to make a complete tour of the entire system of which he is now head, a sys- tem covering fourteen or fifteen States and whose gross revenue in a year is rly sufficient to defray the cost of the New York City government. The system makes no vain boast when it advertises itself as “The Rock Island States of America.” The railroad manager is, in fact, an be some m ve h ads v railr a executive, a jurist, a legisiator and a | diplomat all in one. There is no other profession that calls into play so many different qualities. He is both business man and politician. He enjoys the de- lights of the successful politician—those delights which attend the conduct of campaigns and the achievement of vic- tories. and at the same time he secures the great gains whieh are the reward ©i success in business. The railroad man is a politician in business and a business man in polities. Railroad politics requires the highest order of ability. This is especiaily true row when concentration of control has brought the railroads of the country into the hands of a few men, and the remaining competition consists, for the most part, of the sparring for positions between the heads of these systems. The situation is not unlike that in Bu- rope between the great powers. Bach ik striving to securc an advantage here snd an opening there, without upset- INSTRUCTIVE STUDIES |, BY 23 AND | Publication Ofice .. records that he is presi- | most attractive career | K3 ting the equilibrium which is necessary for the stability of all. Th it is need- | less to sav, requires political and diplo- matic talents of a high order. BY ALBERT s TERHUNE (Athletic Expert York Evening World, Building,” ete.) Joseph B, Bowles.) Old-time books and masters. of seif- | defense united in the maxim, * look your oppone Now, ! advice is good. From your adversary's | | eve you can ofien determine his next | | move. More especial > point ble, b ; where | sixth | sense, to read the other man’'s inten- | tions. But, on the other hand, he can also | 4 yours in your eyes, which is more | | or less of a disadvantage to you. | Seme professionals glare continu- at their opponent’s ey Oth- wateh the opponent’s gloves, while still others watch his fest. Both of these latter classes of pugilists are, of | conrse, of the expression on | their antagonist’s face and the dispo- tion of his hands; both (by that renge semi-telegraphy known to i ®ood boxers) have a certain “line” on | his probable detions, yet they seldom look him square in the fa A boxer must be very sure of him-} | =ef before venturing to let his eyes | | stray from those of his opponent. Yet, once having mastered the trick of | gauging the foe's actions without the ange of glances, the custom of | mingly looking down while boxing may at times prove useful. Your adversary cannot then dis- cover so easily what you are about to do. He will, moreover, be confused at not meeting your eye. For any- thing unaccustomed tends to confuse the average boxer—the absence of a | return gaze, the fact of his foe's shift- ing the right foot and arm to the front, etc. | | !s | I do not re away” ommend this “looking | unqualifiedly. I merely sug- | gest that you occasionally try the ex- periment. { One of the most important items to remember in a quick bout is the de- | fense of the jaw. The man who stands | with chin and neck thrust forward or Wwho allows himself even momentarily to ume such a posture is taking a gre: and unnecessary risk. He is making his most vulnerable spot un- | duly vulnerable. Keep the jaw “in” as much as pos- sible. Let the neck muscles enforce nd protect it. Keep the face turned slightly to the right, that the area exposed may be lessened, and that the left shoulder may partially defend the jaw from hooks and swings. In the mix-ups one cannot always follow this advice. In such an event, take your chances, and minimize those chances by clever boxing. | I once nicknamed McCoy “the logi- | clan of the prize ring,” on account of | the many plans for attack and defense | that he would invariably reason out | before a fight. Sometimes these plans | came to nothing. Sometimes they were good. Here are two of his best blows: Leading (straight) with the right or left, the fist being so turned that its back was inward and the palms out, he would land his blow, and as it land- |#d he would sharply twist his hand outward, using the center knuckles as a pivot, until the palm was inward and the back of the hand out. This he | called his “corkscrew blow,” and he| claimed that the twist thus given added greatly to the force of the impact. It, is certain that he struck very heavy blows at close quarters, and the “cork- screw” motion, scientifically performed, may have been the true secret of it. The second of his blows that I shall take up now was as follows: He would lead a straight left for his opponent’s face. The other would guard the biow. throwing it outward. | As he did so McCoy would allow his left arm to g0 in the direction in which the opponent’s gesture had started it, and would bring the arm around in a sort of downward semi-circle, at the same time opening his left hand and holding it rigid. The left “edge” of his left hand would thus strike.his op- ponent’s right side just over the liver. The blow would contain mom&tum and speed and the sharp outer side of the hand would hurt cruelly. A few such blows on the liver would often wear down and conquer even a strong opponent. In a former lesson I showed you McCoy's back hand swing for the jaw. 4 This brings me to one of the most intricate and effective blows ever in- vented, namely, the fathous “shift,” in- vented (in its present form) by Fitz- simmons. This “shift” won Fitzsim- mons the championship of the world, when, at Cargon City, in 1897, he used it with such terrific effect on Corbett, To learn it correctly requires a little practice and considerable accuracy. When Fitzsimmons taught me the trick it cost me a half hour’s steady work and a sprained wrist before I could | thoroughly master it. Here it is: Stand on guard. Feint for your opponent’s face with your left; then bring the right foot forward in front of the left far enough to bring you close to your opponent. As you take this forward step with the right | foot swing with your right arm for your opponent’s jaw. Swing and step must be in perfect accord. Now, if this swing lands on his jaw (impelled as it is by the motion of your body and your quick forward step) you need ask for no better luck. Among the many correspondents who have written to request additional ad- vice concerning this series 1 have re- ceived one or two letters from boys asking what I thought of prize fight- ing as a profession. Let me say here for their benefit and for that of others that prize fighting is a degrading, bru- tal and unprofitable trade, which no white man ought to adopt. It is better to work in a trench or a subway than to enter the ring. Keep away from the crazy notion of becoming a pugilist. A good boxer deserves respect. A prize- fighter too often merits only contempt. A doctor has two favorite jokes: No. 1, tells patient to try a different climate; No. 2, tells patient to quit thinking about his ailment; price of either joke, $2.—Atchison Globe. | date. | denying the equal readiness of Russia. i the intelligence of her people. | conquerors. THE. SAN PFRANCISCO CALL JOHN D. SPRECKELS, Proprietor - . - » . . . . » . Address All Communications fo JOHN McNAUGHT, Manager .....Third and Market Streets, S. F. TURDAY.. ..JANUARY 23, 1904 RUSSIAN PRESTIGE. N the war with Japan Russian prestige will be tested. l It wiil be the first military struggle of importance between Europe and Asia since the battle of Plassy. But much has happened since Clive's victory gave In- dian empire to Great Britain. While China has not much advanced, Japan has moved up and stands in line with the Western nations. Whatever Asiatic grit she has is aided by the training of her land and marine forces in the art of war. Ior five years past she has been accumulating powder, manufactured by herself and imported from the Unifed States, and the equipment of her army and navy is up to She probably has the largest stock of smokeless powder in the world for use on her ships. The superior- ity of this explosible was shown in our brief war with Spain. Ships that used the old powder were soon so en- veloped in "smoke that service of the guns was difficult and the ships were endangered. At the same time those | that used smokeless powder were fighting in the open air, and their guns and gear were under proper control, and capable of effective use. To say that Japan is well equipped for a fight is not By deception and broken promises she has made this war possible, but by the same cause that brings it in sight she is on the ground. She has three times the population of Japan and many times the area and overmatches her in resources. But that does not make it sure that she can hold her prestige in a fight with the island empire. The Russian soldier does not know the meaning of patriotism. He is la conscript, densely ignorant, driven to fight unwillingly and without a spark of patriotism. 'His pay is less than seven cents a month, and he is in all respects a slave as- | signed to fighting as a task and his officer is his master. Only a few of the Russian soldigrs know the name of the Eastern Asiatic country where they are now. Dur- ing the Boxer war in China they proved themselves the degraded and brutal troops that ever wore the uniform of a civilized nation. - Their acts were so abhorrent that they cannot be characterized. At the same time the Japanese troops in China proved to be the cqual of the best in discipline, in courage and fighting quality, and far superior to any European troops in ab- stention from the stealing, murder and other awful crimes swhich were committed by the Russians. In addition to these soldierly qualities the Japanese are They are educated. While Russia is ahead of Japan in population Japan has a long lead of Russia most ignorant, patriots. in The percentage of illit- eracy is so low that Japan is ahead of some European nations, but she is farthest ahead of Russia. In the clash that is coming, then, we will have patriotism and intel- ligence pitted against ignorance, brutality and numbers. | It is by no menas sure that in such a struggle numbers will win. We have just seen in the Boer war the valucv of patriotism as a sustaining force. England is as much superior to Russia as Russia is to the wild tribes of the Iena deita. But, though she conquered the Boers, she lost her prestige, and is now thoughtfully taking steps to better a military establishment that was found structu- rally weak in a war with patriots, in which every ‘man was his own general. There is every reason to believe that only the anxiety of King Edward to be crowned with his empire at peace ended that war, by giving the Boers such liberal terms that they voted to stack arms. What England found so difficult in Africa may not be easy for Russia in Eastern Asia. Russia came near being destroyed by Charles XI1 of Sweden, who lost Pultowa | by an accident, and it was winter that whipped Bona- parte. The Russian advance has not been by arms, but by intrigue. Her long and slow march by which she emerges into Eastern Asia is the progress of the Ana- nias of nations. Every step of it is marked by bad faith and by cruelty that would have appalled the Mongol Now that march encounters patriotism, in- telligence, knowledge of the art of war, a persistent ad- herefice to good faith, and every high quality in the Japanese that Christendom professes and respects. The Muscovite faces a different problem from that of the knanates, which have been overrun, one by one, and quite different from that of China and Manchuria. Dur- ing the Boxer war when the walls of a Chinese fort had to be breached with dynamite, and those who placed it would surcly die, the Japanese general asked for “vol- unteers who would go and die.” The number offering was so great that he had to select the heroes who were willing to die for their country’s prestige. Taking the dynamite they went, jocund, to death, and their com- rades who cried “Sayonnara,” farewell, envied them the glory of their service. In fighting such people it will not do to put too much trust in numbers, especially when the numbers are ignor- ant, brutal and without patriotism. Russia has impressed the military world more by the display of her armies in the annual parades than by handling them in battle. Her prestige as a military power has been achieved at re- views rather than on the field. In the Béxer war her soldiers were distinguished by bestiality of the lowest or- der, rather than by conduct in battle. The world, look- ing on at the prospective struggle, hails galiant little Javan, and commends her to the favor of all the gods of battle. Enough has been told of the story of the quarrel in the Far East, in which countless lives and fabulous treasure have been trembling in the balance, to show that the vic- tory for peace has been won by the Czar without loss ‘of prestige in national dignity or of sacrifice of any of the vital demands of Russia in her gigantic policy of en- croachment. A Progress League resolutions were adopted urg- ing Congress to take such steps as shall insure the speedy establishment of a domestic parcels post sys- tem as rapid, efficient and cheap as any extant in the world, and calling upon the President and the Postmas- ter General to enter into parcels post conventions on the same terms as other members of the parcels post union. The argaments of the speakers of the evening amply justified the resolutions. The United States lags behind other great nations in this important respect, It is moreover a matter that concerns well nigh every citizen, for they are few indeed who would not be benefited by the adoption "here of some such system as that which prevails in Great Britain and in continental Europe. By the adoption of the resolutions a considerable body of representative men have virtually pledged themselves to support the efforts now being made to bring about a speedy establishment of the desired service. It remains to be seen how far the pledge will be kept. &f the reso- lutions be sent to our Representatives in Congress and THE PARCELS POST PROBLEM. T the Alhambra meeting of the California Postal the matter be then dropped, thc‘dfect will be very slight, for the opposition to a parcels post in this country is formidable, and will make a hard fight for the monopoly it represents. * - Fortunately San Francisco and California do not stand alone in seeking the parcels service. Every State and every city of importance in the Union has some organi- zation ready to co-operate in the struggle. If, therefore, there be an earnest insistence on the issue from all quar- ters Congress will be compelled to take it up. Itis to be hoped then that the movement so well started at the Al- hambra meeting wili not be permitted to lag, but that from this time on it will be kept incessantly active in pressing upon our Congressmen the importance of the desired service and the extent of the public demand for it. G 3~ e S e While San Francisco cannot have a building of her own at the St. Louis Exposition she -will have a display which wid compare favorably in essential respects with that of any other American city. For our own better- ment we sometimes find it wise to castigate ourselves, but in the vital elements of sound municipal administration we have much to be proud of and to warrant pardonable boast. THE NATIONAL CONVENTIONS. ROM the headquarters of each of the two great F parties of the country the official call for a na- tional convention ha/ been issued. The Repub- lican convention is to assemble at Chicago on June 21, and the call runs to “Republican electors of the several States and Territories, the District of Columbia, Alaska and Indian Territory, and all other electors, without re- gard to party affiliations, who believe in the principles of the Republican party and indorse its policies.” The Dem- ocratic convention is to be held in St. Louis on July 6, and the call runs to “all the Democratic citizens of the United States who can unité with us in the effort for a pure, economical and constitutional government.” The Democratic call leaves the various States and Congressional districts free to choose delegates to the national convention in any way they prefer, but the Re- publican call states specifically how the choice shall be made. Delegates must be electgd not less than thirty days before the meeting of the national convention. Delegates at large are to be elected by popular State or Territorial conventions, while Congressional district delegates are to be elected by conventions called by the Congressional committee of each district. There ‘s a world of difference between the tones of the two documents. The Republican call sounds clear and definite in every particular. It summons the supporters of well-known principles and long established policies. The Democrats call is vague. It seeks to rally men not t® any definite political creed over which parties may di- vide, but to the general support of purity, economy and the constitution. Of course all American electors are in favor of “a pure, economical and constitutional govern- ment.” Republican leaders can guarantee that kind of government much more effectively than Democratic leaders, and the fact that the official call of the latter for a national convention has to run in that vague way is a striking proof of the confusion that still prevails in the party camp, and the lack of anything like party princi- ples or party policies to which the leaders can appeal. Bad as is the situation in the Democratic camp, how- eve#, the national convention of the party will probably prove one of the most interesting in our political history. | The very vagueness of the call will carry to the conven- tion men of all shades of opinion from Clevelandism to Bryanism, and when the rival clans meet the fight will be lively. It will also be an important convention, for should conservative Democracy be beaten this third time in national convention it would probably pass out like Whiggism and vanish from our politics, leaving the field free to the Bryanites to rally all elements of opposition to the Republican party. Under such circumstances the campaign would be something like those of 1896 and 1902, but ominous of even worse campaigns to come. The National Democracy will meet in St. Louis on July 6. to choose a nominee for the exalted position of President of the Uttited States. The day was well chosen. The exposition city will be prepared by the tu- mult and roar of the celebration of Independence day to endure the awiul row that will commence among the THE WAY OF PROGRESS. ! REPORT from London announces that Scot- i has just been provided with telephones for police purposes. The report goes on to say: “All the impor- with the postoffice system. The public will not at pres- ent be able to telephone to the metropolitan stations, Democratic hosts two days later. land Yard, the police headquarters of the city, tant metropolitan police stations are to be connected but it is understood that this further advance is only a 'matter of time.” To American ears such a report at this late day sounds curiously illustrative of what Americans regard as the characteristic sluggishness of the British people. It is probable, however, that the long delay in furnish- ing the police with telephones has been due mainly to the excellence of the government telegraph system and its well nigh universal use. Where telegraphy is so cheap and so ready at hand, there may well have been considerable opposition to going to the expense of sup- plying telephones in addition. When any human need is served well by some long established means, it is not easy to get people to make a change to a new form of service, and consequently a thing good in itself very often retards the adoption of an improvement. By contrast with the slowness of the British to equip the London police stations with telephones, there seems something remarkable in the further announcement from Europe that the administrative board of railways in Sweden has recommended to the government to adopt electric traction on all the state railways. Sweden has such vast and well distributed resources in the way of water power, it is beiieved a great economy can be ef- fected by converting it inso electricity and using it on all railroads in Nl?e of steam. The report goes on to say: “The present intention is to convert the suburban lines running into Stockholm early next year, when a substantial appropriation on account of cost will be made. The u.!;forngfiop of the remainder of the system will proceed gradually.” ! 1f we feel inclined to boast ourselves over the British because of their slowness in the extension of the use of telephones, we must lift our hats and do kowtow to Sweden, that leads us in the use of electrical energy. | That is the way civilization progresses—lagging here and leaping there. No people leads the van along the whole-length of the line, but each, it seems, has a right to boast of leadership somewhere. 3 A Creditable Effort. The Sonoma Press-Democrat has “tion of a special illustrated supple- ment, descriptive of the resources and advantages of Sonoma County. The edition sets the high water mark for the interior press, both in poeint of reading matter contained therein and { the typographical excellence of it makeup. The editors are to be feli | tated upon the exceptionally high class piece of journalistic work which they have turned out. Dissa d Mariner. A master mariner in the merchant service is absolute king on board hi own ship and when Uncle Sam inau- gurated his transport line and placed army captains in supreme command of the vessels there was a roar from the sailormen who received appoint- ments to the position of master. Dur- ing the early life 6f the transport ser- vice some of these quartermaster cap- tains used little judgment in exacting the rights their position of command gave them and many and bitter were the misunderstandings between the military commanders and the masters, whose training had taught them of no authority at sea higher than their cwn will. had a friend who stands high in the councils of the Federal Government. “Senator, I want you to get me a commission as quartermaster cap- tain,” was the request the master mar- iner made. *“What's the matter with your pres- ent job? Suppose 1 could get you this commission, what good would it do you?" asked the Senator. “You know how it is in the trans- port service. It hur's a sailor's pride to be compelled to report to a soldier who probably has only just discovered | that the hulls of ships are hollow, who calls the bow the thin end and apeaks of upstairs on the balcony | when he means the bridge. I think the quartermaster captain has the better job and I want a commission.” “Better stick to navigation, cap- tain. If you got this commission, what do think the War Department would do with you?"” “Why, assign me to a ship, I sup- pose. “That's where your sailor simplicity runs away with you. No, captain. If You got this commission you would more than likely be detailed to pur- chase horses or mules: You can serve your country better where you are. Better stay.” A Struggle in the Dark. “Give me the gun; give it to me, I say!” cried the taller of two men stand- ing in a dark, ill-smelling alley off Pine street. “D——n you, give it to me.” The short man made no response, but rammed his hand into his inside vest pocket and raised his right in a threat- ening manner. With another oath the tall man leaped upon him and bore him to the ground. But the smaller man did not stay down. He rolled this tall antagonist over and jumped to his feet, but only to go down again. The tall man had grasped him by the ankles as he started to run away and upset him. The struggle that then ensued was a fierce one. First the tall man was on top and then the short one possessed the advantage. The fight only ceased } When, completely exhausted, they fell, side by side. The little fellow's left hand was still in his vest pocket, while around his wrist were clasped, with talon-like tenacity, the long thin fingers of his big opponent. When the police arrived, neither man could talk, so spent was he by his ex- ertions. With great difficulty the of- ficers released the grip of the big man on the other man's wrist and then pried open the latter's cluteched hand. Within the palsied palm was a hypo- dermic syringe and a vial contamning Just enough morphine to assure him rest for the night, but not enough for two. More About Waterloo. Now that the British press is still raging over Emperor William’'s recent disparaging allusion to the part played by the English at the battle of Water- loo it is interesting to read what the Marquise de Fontenoy says of the ac- tion of the German legion in that strug- gle. Says he: “At Waterloo the legicn won special laurels by the magnificent way in which they held the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte. All day long that improvised fortress constituted the center and most important point of the Duke of Wel- lington’s army and was the object of vigorcus attack by- the French. The defense of the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte by the Gerfhan legion has al- ways been regarded as not only one of the most gallant feats of that his- i toric day but as, likewise, having been a determining factor in the victpry since, if the French had managed to storm and take the farmhouse, the cen- ter of Wellington’s line would have been broken and the fortunes of the day in all probability turned. No Englishman who knows anything about the battle of Waterloo and about the farmhouse of the La Haye Sainte has ever dream- i ed of denying the importance of the defense of the latter or of dépreciat- ing the services of those of the legicn who held it from early morning until darkness set in, when their ammuni- tion gave out and nearly every one of them was either killed or wounded.” Everybody to Cover. Paris newspapers are commenting on the unanimity of astrologers, magicians and clairvoyants in predicting a year of horrors for 1904. The Paris correspond- ent for the Chicago Inter Ocean pre- sents a sample of these predictions n this way: A leading astrologer named Jacob sizes up the situation as follows, and the others agree more or less as to detail: “Here is the hardscope for 1904, made at the moment the sun entered th-ll:‘loicn.rlm: year great immorality in London. The Viceroy of India United States has outdone itself in the recent publica- | One of these dethroned sailor Kings | It indicates a grave quarrels with | Russia and Germany. Roosevelt falls sick and a conspiracy is hatched | against him. Serious financial disasters | visit America. The Emperor of Japan {has a grave accident. An attempt is | made upon the life of the Emperor of * ! China. Voleanic shocks afftict Constan- | tinople, Chile and the Philippines. A fear of unhealthy literature and un- | imited materialism arises. The French | Cabinet falls between April 7 and 19 | A panic in a music hall, grave acci- | dents and popular disturbances visit | Russia. An attempt is made to poison | the Czar. Serious dissensions appear between Russia and Austria. Great | Britain_loses prestige. The campaign in Thibet falls through. Tremendous | failures oceur in Caicutta and the Transvaal. Anarchistic troubles de- ! velop in Spain, the Government being threatened. In China women are mas- sacred. Everywhere are crimes of pa: sion, mysterious deaths and strange phenomena. Nineteen hundred and four is an anagram of 1409, the date of the birth of Joan of Arc. This year a won- derful child wijl be born with a high | destiny, showing its power in 1924, an anagram of 1429, the date of the apogee | of Joan of Ar Hopeful. The elevation of General Chaffee to | the rank of chief of staff is occasion an anecdote recently brought to Washington from Manila. | During the campaign the allied forces in China the climate was filiing | the fleld hospital with victims. General Chaffee’s sympathies were moved by the sufferings of his men. He entersd the hospital one morning to see how the~soldiers were cared for. As he passed along a row of bunks a tall, lank soldier arose with apparent weak- | ness from his bed. The soldier stood |at attention while General Chaffee ap- proached. | “How are you feeling, my man?" in- { quired General Chaffee. “A little better this morning, s | replied the soldier, in a feeble voice. | “What has been your trouble?” in- quired the general, full of thoughts re- | garding the Chinese climate. | “Kicked by a mule, sir.” “Oh, youw'll recover,” said General | Chaffee, curtly, as he hastened down | the line of hospital bunks. |for telling of f; Answers to Queries. | RUSSIA AND JAP/II—Ciiizen, San Jose, Cal. The total army war strength of Russia is 5,180,958. That of Japan is | 420,981 | TELEGRAPHSubscriber, City. In 1903 the Western Union Telegraph | Company had stretch-d 1,089,000 miles | of wire and cable covering 196,517 miles | of space. During that year the com- pany delivered 69,790,366 -ressages. | BURIALS—J. S. I, City. No bodies | are buried 3t this time in the ceme- teries of San Francisco. The notices you have seen ip the da” papers an- | nouncing that interments will take | place there refer to cremation. | | MEN OF WAR—Subscriber, Del Monte, Cal. Men for the United States navy to make the complement of men on the men of war are obtained through | the United States naval rendezvous in various parts of the Union, where men are enlisted for the navy. VOTING—Voter, City. ide from Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Idaho, where women possess suffrage on equal terms with men, in twenty States they possess school suffrage; in Montana and Jowa they are permiited to vote upon the issuance of municipal bonds; and in one State, Louisiana, all women taxpayers have the rigkt to vote on all questions of the expenditure of public mone. - In New York a woman who possesses the qualifications to v.te for village or town officers, except the qualification of sex, who is the owner of property in the village assessed upon the ‘ast preceding assessment roll thereof, is entitled to vote upon a prop- osition to raise money by tax or asses: ment. AMERICAN FLAG—Subseriber, City. | Your letter of inquiry relative to the first American flag and as to whether it was ever captured By the British | was submitted to John Quincy Adams, secretary of the American Flaghouse and Betsy Ross Memorial Association of Philadelphia, an association that by 10-cent subscriptions is raising a fund to purchase and preserve the old house at 239 Arch street in that city, in which Betsy Ross made the first flag. Mr. Adams has furnished the following re- ply: “The first American flag made by Betsy Ross was displayed for the first time on a man of war then lying in the Delaware. It was tly used as a camp flag of General Wash- ingten, and it may be stated tively that it was never captured; but, strange as it may seem, not a shred nor a thread of that priceless bunt- ing is kn wn to be extant. More se- rious duties confronted the American patriots than saving to pesterity what would have vroven to have been the most sacred of all relics—the first American flag.”