Benoni atc.
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
Ink Slings.
—Talk about it as you please, civil ser-
vice might be all right in theory, but it is
certainly pretty near all wrong in practice.
— What HANNA needs more than any
thing else is a fishing retreat on the Indian
river. He might learn something from the
tarpon down there.
—Congressman ARNOLD, of this district,
has announced his withdrawal from the
race for the gubernatorial nomination so
there will likely be some chance for the
other aspirants. He has magnanimously
decided to take the nomination for Con-
gressman-at-large instead of having him-
self elected Governor. He is probably
acting upon the advice of A. A. Dale Esq.
—DAVE BATES, the Chicago dime
museum attraction, who charges ten cents
every time you look at him because he has
been brave enough to marry six wives, all
of whom are alive, has just been fined
$1,000 and given an indeterminate sentence
in the penitentiary. Cruel treatment for a
man who evidently was doing his best to
relieve the congested condition of the
matrimonial market.
—1It is needless to state that it wasn’t
one of HANNA'S friends who remarked
that the present Senator from Ohio ‘‘stands
about as much chance of re-election as he
would of escaping from hell on a wooden
leg.”” The comparison isn’t as beautiful
as it is comparative, but we’ll bet a grand
piano to a tin soldier that MARK would be
perfectly willing to run his chances on a
wooden leg if he could only get hack to
the Senate first.
—War clouds scurry up and then scurry
away like grim spectres, but the events of
the past decade have proven them quite
ephemeral. Two weeks ago it was thought
that the dogs of war would be let loose to
fight over the Chinese bone. They all ran
together with unwarranted haste, but the
moment they saw their shadows in the
water every one got afraid and now they
say there has been a peaceful settlement
of the difficulty.
——The . assignment of the OVERMAN
wheel company, of Chicopee Falls, Mass.,
on the 27th ult., is another indication of
the growing tendency of the United States
to over-do the manufacturing business.
The OVERMAN company are makers of the
Victor bicycle, a splendid machine, but
the bicycle business, like every other busi-
ness, is over doneand as long as high tariffs
are prejudicial to the acquiring of foreign
markets there will necessarily be a con-
gestion of our manufacturing interests.
~The protest that has been entered by
the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union
against the sale of a saloon privilege for the
new congressional library building in
Washington should never have been nec-
essary. It will be beyond the compre-
hension of most people that such a thing as
selling liquor in the world’s most magnifi-
cent public library building should have
been thought of by anyone. Rum and
letters never did mix well and we are sur-
prised at this attempted mixture under
sanction of the government.
—New England cotton mill operatives
are finding that their prosperous New Year
under the DINGLEY tariff is not starting
off so auspiciously. In the Massachusetts,
New Hampshire and Maine mills orders for
reductions of from ten to fifteen per cent.
in the wages have been posted to take effect
on the 10th. With a similar discouraging
condition of affairs in their great shoe indus-
tries the shrewd Yankees will begin to
think they weren’t so foxy, after all, in
pinning their faith so emphatically to the
gold cause.
—Mr. Secretary of the Treasury, though
we are not at all alarmed about the new
counterfeit one hundred dollar note that is
deceiving even the government experts, we
have read your call to have all silver
certificates of that denomination sent in
and will consign a car load to you next
week, f. 0. b. You needn’t mind making
any return, whatever, for them. We have
no use for notes so large, anyway, as no
body in Bellefonte can ever change one
and they invariably start an epidemic of
pink eye.
—The man who protests against a full
and accurate publication of the roll of
United States pensioners lends his support
toa system of fraud so gigantic that no
one has a conception of what itis. Were
every pensioner in every community made
known the fellows who have gotten onto
the lists through the dishonesty of pension
sharks would soon he exposed and drop-
ped. It would not only be a saving of
millions of dollars, annually, but it would
purge the rolls and make them once more
the roster of honor they once were.
—With a great appropriation of easily
gotten newspaper space JIM CORBETT is
blowing off again by indulging in his
customary talk about his own greatness
and patting himself on the back as being
the elevator man of the prize ring. He
says : ‘‘What the public expects from me
is to maintain the manly dignity of the
ring, and not be a brawler, nor a shifty
evader of the honest principles which
govern honest men when adjusting their
respective merits.”’ Yes, he certainly was
maintaining manly dignity when he spat
on FITZSIMMONS in GREEN’S hotel, in
Philadelphia, and when he ignored the
latter’s daily salutation, as they passed one
another while in training at Carson City.
It certainly was manly and dignified to
make the spectacle of himself that he did
after he had gotten the licking he so richly
merited.
CULOETLL
SE
&
6
EO
itll
Ohio’s Revolt Against Hanna.
The opposition to MARK HANNA'S elec-
tion to the United States Senate has devel-
oped proportions that were scarcely expect-
ed. It was well known that many of the
Ohio Republican politicians were hostile
to him, and their hostility would give him
some trouble in securing an election, but
it was not believed that it would present
so formidable a front as it has done, and
give so doubtful an appearance to his chance
of success. The election will take place on
the 12th of this month, but in the prelimi-
nary movements connected with the orga-
nization of the Legislature his enemies have
gained a decided advantage.
There is good reason for even the Repub-
licans to revolt against the domination of
this man HANNA. Familiar as they are
with the corrupt practices of their party,
the blunt brutality with which HANNA
has laid out to effect all his political ends
with money has been too much for even
the Republican sense of decency in politics
The members of the old party can condone,
most of the corruption practiced to
secure the party’s success, but the
spectacle of HANNA deliberately start-
ing out to buy the Presidency, and cool-
ly shaking in the face of the American
people the boodle fund amounting to mil-
lions of dollars with which he proposed to
make the purchase, must have shocked
many of the Republicans who, though in-
terested in carrying the election, could
not survive if HANNA’s method of electing
Presidents should be adopted.
It is questionable whether the Ohio lead-
ers who are now fighting HANNA are oppos-
ing him on account of his unexampled
crime of making the Presidency an object
of purchase, for they are not of the kind
that are squeamish about the means they
employ in politics, but there can not be a
doubt that the honest Republican senti-
ment in Ohio revolts at HANNA'S politi-
cal methods, which employs money as a
legitimate factor in politics, and would de-
liver the government to those who may
bid the highest for it at a cash sale.
The Report of the Goldbug Commission.
The monetary commission that has vol-
unteered its service to give the country
honest money and a sound currency, has
reported its plan of reform and would like
Congress to give it immediate attention.
Fortunately Congress is so constituted that
there is but little prospect of this monetary
scheme being jammed through.
The commission recommends a distinct
affirmation in favor of the gold standard
and an enactment to the effect that the ob-
ligations of the government must be paid
in gold. This, it claims, would be simply
re-enacting ‘‘the provisions of existing law
as interpreted by succeeding administra-
tions of all parties since the resumption of
specie payments in 1879.” In view of the
fact that the people have been led to be-
lieve that the payment of the government
obligations in any other way than in gold
would be a violation of the national honor
and a breach of the public faith, there is
something singular in the commission’s
proposition that there should be an enact-
ment that such obligations mst be paid in
gold. It would appear from this that there
is no law requiring gold payments, other-
wise there would be no occasion for the
legislation which the commission asks for.
The fact is that the existing law, which
authorizes the use of either gold or silver,
has been ‘‘interpreted by succeeding admin-
istrations of all parties’ in the interest of
the Wall street money changers, requiring
the use of gold, exclusively, when silver
could be used with equal legality. It was
upon this misinterpretation of existing law
by treasury officials favoring the gold in-
terest that those who maintained that sil-
ver could be used equally with gold in the
payment of the government’s obligations
were denounced as enemies of the nation’s
honor and conspirators against the public
credit.
The scheme of this currency reform com-
mission is likely to come in collision with
an element in Congress that will prefer to
stand by the existing law in regard to gov-
ernment payments, not as it has been in-
terpreted by Wall street’s agents in the
treasury department, but as it has been
declared to mean by the STANLEY MAT-
THEW’S resolution which was explicit in its
declaration, as the sense of the representa-
tives of the people, that the law which
directed that the government’s obligations
should he paid in ‘‘the lawful coin of the
country’’ meant that silver, equally with
gold, could be used for that purpose. There
are indications that the reply which Con-
gress will give to the commission’s goldbug
scheme will be a reaffirmation of the STAN-
LEY MATTHEW’S resolution.
——The Pittsburg Post almanac for 1898
is what one could truly call a useful publi-
cation, for it contains 448 pages of statistical
matter that is of exceptional value for ref-
erence and particularly adapted to Penn-
sylvanians. The Post attaches the more
pretentious title of ‘‘Encyclopedia’” to its
publication and judging from the grist of
information to be found between its covers
the word has nof been used inaplicably.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
General Gobin on the Pension Abuses.
General J. P. S. GOBIN, commander-in-
chief of the Grand Army of the Republic,
appears to have been awakened to the fact
that there is something crooked in the
pension system by which so large a part of
the government revenues is squandered.
To the ordinary popular intelligence it has
been for some years evident that there is
not only looseness but actual corruption in
the management of the pensions, but it is
just beginning to dawn upon general
GoBIN’s understanding that the bounty of
the government is being bestowed upon
undeserving pensioners.
Those to whom the loose methods of the
pension system are objectionable have enter-
tained a suspicion that the Grand Army of
the Republic was responsible for them in a
large measure, as pL great influence was
believed to have been exerted in securing
the indiscriminate and extravagant pension
legislation which has caused a heavier draft
upon the resources of the government than
any other item of public expense, and has
become the most demoralizing and danger-
ous abuse connected with our public af-
fairs. General GoOBIN, however, denies
that this evil has been encouraged and sus-
tained by the organization of which he is
commander-in-chief, but, on the contrary,
he says that it has always opposed the
vicious project of a service pension, and
that it has never favored the practice of ex-
tending the bounty of the government to
undeserving claimants.
Granting that the general is correct in
his denial that this abuse received en-
couragement from the Grand Army of the
Republi¢, it is nevertheless unfortunate
that the irregularities in the pension sys-
tem have not met with such opposition
from that organization as would have
helped to arrest an evil which is not only
doing a great injury to public interests,
but is casting a stigma upon a system
which should be free from the imputation
of fraud and dishonor.
There may be truth in ‘general GOBIN’S
assertion that ‘‘the Grand Army believes
that no one should receive a pension who
is not suffering from actual disability,”
yet the tone of his expression on this sub-
ject would seem to imply an ignorance of
the fact that persons not disabled are
receiving pensions, and that if this wrong
could be clearly made to appear it would
deserve the reprobation and excite the cor-
rective action of those who deprecate such
a perversion of a system of government
bounty whose only legitimate object is the
relief of disabled veterans. But it is pos-
sible that general GOBIN does not clearly
know that a large percentage of pensioners
are persons who are not suffering from any
disability, whatever, a fact which anyone
can verify by personable ehservation among
those who are receiving pensions? Is he
not aware of the disgraceful fact that among
these recipients of public largess are to be
found not only such as are fully able to
earn their living, but actually men of
ample means ? These are facts that should
be fully within the knowledge of general
GOBIN, as it is well known to almost every-
body of ordinary observation that pensions
are being received by men in such physical
and pecuniary condition that their being
on the pension rolls is a positive disgrace
to them, and in addition to these are the
innumerable bummers whose military ser-
vice was as much of a fake as is their claim
to the bounty of the government. If such
undeserving claimants were removed from
the list of pensioners there would be a
saving of at least half of the extravagant
outlay that has embarrassed the public
finances and deprived the pension roll of
its character as a roll of honor.
Less Semse Than Charity.
The clergy, as a class, are as much dis-
tinguished for good sense as for ‘correct re-
ligious principles, but there are instances
in which clergymen display a lack of com-
mon sense, however well they may intend
in a spiritual way. This deficiency is more
frequently shown when they switch off on
the political track, as was the case with
BURCHARD, or when they get to annoying
the President with remarks which in his
opinion are not suitable to the pulpit.
Among the preachers who may be classed
with those that are not overstocked with
common sense are reverends JAMES W.
PurNAM and WALTER RANSCHENBUSCH,
respectively belonging to the Baptist and
Presbyterian denominations in New York
city, who from a mistaken idea of what was
their duty foolishly refrained from afford-
ing relief to suffering humanity.
The circumstances under which these
senseless pastors committed so culpable an
error were as follows: After TAMMANY
closed the municipal campaign that
brought Greater New York under Demo-
cratic control, the campaign funds re-
maining over amounted to a surplus
of $20,000. If such a thing had occur-
red - in Philadelphia politics the Repub-
lican machine managers would have
disposed of the overplus by sticking it in
their pockets as their share of the campaign
plunder.
But TAMMANY is less selfishly
BELLEFONTE, PA.. JAN. 7, 1898.
inclined, and is more honorable in dispos-
ing of such funds. The chiefs directed that
this surplus of $20,000 should be distribu-
ted among the poor of the city through the
clergy, and $50 was the share of it sent re-
spectively to Revs. PUTNAM and RANSCH-
ENBUSCH for such distribution. It should
be thought that as charitable pastors hav-
ing a sympathetic feeling for the suffer-
ing of the poor they would have gladly
availed themselves of such means of afford-
ing relief. But instead of allowing them-
selves so be directed by the dictates of
true benevolence, they assumed the at-
titude of the Pharisee, sending this money
back with the offensive declaration that
they would have nothing to do with such
“ill-gotten gains.”” Considering that they
might have used this money in relieving
women and children destitute of clothing,
bread and shelter, the tiger was infinitely
more charitable than these narrow-minded
shepherds. That TAMMANY’S campaign
fund could be classed as ‘‘ill-gotten gains’’
was an unwarranted assumption of preach-
ers who were influenced by partisan preju-
dice and bigotry.
But let us suppose that an amount of
money had been sent to those clergyman
from a more congenial source, such as
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, or some other one
of the monopolistic sharks who are robbing
the American people by trust methods, is
it likely that their consciences would have
declined to accept it for the reason that it
was ‘‘ill-gotten gains?’ ROCKEFELLER’S
contribution to the churches are accepted
as hallowed tributes to the Lord, although
the Standard oil methods by which he has
secured the means of giving have included
almost every crime that insatiable avarice
could commit.
A Renegade That Wants to Come Back.
The New York Woric is evidently affect-
ed by a desire to recover the place it lost
as a Democratic organ by its opposition to
Democratic principles and issues in the last
presidential election. It has become con-
vinced that Mr. BRYAN is the representa-
tive leader of the Democracy, but having
opposed him on the money question it
would like him to. abandon free silver in
order that the World may save its consis-
tency in giving him itssupport. It declares
that it sees in Mr. BRYAN ‘‘the logical
and ideal leader of all the elements opposed
to corporate greed and plunder,” and if he
would only throw his free silver principles
overboard he would receive such support
from PULITZER’S paper as would in the
modest opinion of its proprietor, ensure his
election to the Presidency.
There is no probability that Mr. BRYAN
will accept the assistance of the World on
such terms. It might be a relief to that
rather unprincipled paper if there should
be such a back down by the Democrats on
the silver question as would give the World
a right to claim that the course it took in
support of the gold standard was the cor-
rect one; but the Democratic party is not
going to sacrifie its principles to accommo-
date a renegade organ by enabling it to
come back to the party fold with an appear-
ance of having preserved its consistency.
Mr. BRYAN is indeed what the World
declares him to be, ‘‘the logical and ideal
leader of all the elements opposed to cor-
porate greed and plunder,” and nothing
contributed more to his being such a leader
than the position he occupies as"the cham-
pion of free silver and the leading opponent
of so greedy a monetary monopoly as the
gold trust.
New York's Canal Steal.
It was a dangerous experiment when the
people of New York voted, in 1895, for an
amendment of the state constitution au-
thorizing a loan of $9,000,000 to deepen the
Erie and other state canals. It appeared
to be necessary that the Erie canal should
be improved to enable it to fully perform
the service it was intended to do as a pub-
lic improvement, but the funds were not
available unless authorized by an amend-
ment of the constitution. The amend-
ment was voted by the people, the money
was borrowed by the Republican state ad-
ministration, but it is now discovered that
the funds ostensibly used for the purpose
has not effected the object intended. :
The people were told that $9,000,000
would be ample for the intended improve-
ment, but that large sum has disappeared
without any perceptible results as the fruit
of so great an outlay, and the state ad-
ministration now informs the people that
there must be an appropriation of $7,000,-
000 more if the State is to derive any ad-
vantage from the nine million expenditure.
It has now become evident that the first
appropriation was squandered in the most
shameless jobbery. The money that was
not directly stolen by those who managed
the job has been used for political purposes
by the PLATT machine. What became of
the money is sufficiently explained by the
fact that boss PLATT and his political gang
had control of it.
The New York Zimes correctly. remarks
that this canal steal is ‘‘the greatest public
scandal that has been revealed in the af-
fairs of the State of New York since Gov.
TILDEN’S exposure of the old canal ring in
1875.” The misfortune in this case is that
there is not another Gov. TILDEN in sight
to turn the rascals out. |
It Looks Blue for Hanna in the Ohio
Senatorial Struggle.
The Anti-Hannaites Elect Their Man Speaker of
the House.—Interest in the Contest.—The Vot-
ing in the Legislature Bore Out the Predictions
to a Nicety—The Extraordinary Combination on
Burke in the Senate.
CoLuMBUS O., Jan. 4.—The Ohio Legis-
lature convened to-day. Owing to the
senatorial contest, unusual interest was
taken in the organization of both houses.
The caucuses last Saturday night were not
on the usual lines between the Republicans
and the Democrats, owing to some of the
Republicans members having formed a
fusion with the Democratic members for
the defeat of Senator Hanna. The Senate
stands — Democrats and 18 Republicans,
the latter included Senator Voight, who
was elected on a fusion ticket from Cincin-
nati and who did not attend either eau-
cus Saturday night. Senator Burke, Repub-
lican, of Cleveland, was not only absent,
but he was at the same time nominated by
the Democratic caucus for president protem
of the Senate. The Republican caucus
nominated Senator J. Park Alexander for
president protem. The absence of Senator
Burke to-day, therefore meant not only
his election, but the election of Democrats
for the offices in the Senate. Senator
Burke is opposed to the election of Senator
M. A. Hanna. With party lines drawn in
the Senate, Lieutenant Governor A. W.
Jones, Republican, would have had the
tie vote to cast, and he has been considered
as opposed to Hanna.
STATUS OF THE HOUSE.
The House stands 62 Republicans and
47 Democrats, the former including four
fusionists from Cincinnati. At the Repub-
lican house caucus Saturday night there
were only 52 present and pledged to Alex-
ander Boxwell for speaker. Of the ten ab-
sentees Griffith of Clinton, was the only one
offering an excuse. He wassick. The other
nine Republicans members were absent
because they are opposed to Hanna and re-
garded Boxwell as the Hanna candidate.
These nine Republican members met with
the Democratic members aud indorsed Har-
ry C. Mason of Cleveland, an anti-Hanna
Republican for speaker. With these Re-
publican members and the 47 Demoratic
members Mason would have 56 votes, or
more than necessary to elect, but some of
the Democratic members refused to be
pledged to Republican candidates for Sen-
ator, speaker or other offices in the organi-
zation of the Legislature.
Owing to the patronage in these offices
as well as the preferences in chairmanships
and the composition of all the committees,
it was generally believed that the fats of
Senator Hanna, as well as of all his sup-
porters depended on the organization of the:
Legislature. His opponents claimed that
he would be defeated even if the Boxwell
ticket was elected, and his friends admitted
that the chances were against him if Box-
well was defeated. Owing to the Senator-
ship being at stake there was an unusually
large attendance about the statehouse at an
early hour.
It required an hour to examine the cre-
dentials and swear in the 109 members of
fhe House, but the 36 Senators soon quali-
BURKE, THE ABSENTEE, ELECTED.
All were present in the Senate chamber
except Senator Burke, of Cleveland, the
Republican who is opposed to Hanna and
Senator Voight, the Fusionist from Cin-
cinnati. The vote on organization stood
18 to 17 in favor of the Democrats.
Senator Burke was elected president. O.
D. Cassell (Dem.) was elected chief clerk
over A. C. Caine (Rep. ) the latter having
expected re-election by Burke’s presence,
although Burke would not support Hanna.
As Senator Burke was absent and could
not be sworn in, Thaddeus E. Cromley
(Dem. ) was elected President pro tem. of
the Senate. It is understood, however,
that he will give way to Senator Burke as
soon as the latter arrives to take his seat.
In the hall of the house the wildest
scenes were witnessed during the first hour
of the session. All of the 109 members
were in their seats. After the name of
Boxwell had been presented as the regular
Republican candidate for speaker, the
name of Representative Masou (Rep.) was
represented by Representative Jones (Rep.)
and seconded by two other Republicans.
The Democats did not participate in the
speaking. :
As the ballot proceeded there were loud:
cheers as the doubtful members responded
to their names, and when the roll call ap-
proached the close and Mason secured the
necessary majority there was a long demon-
stration.
The first ballot resulted, Mason 56, Box-
well 52, had been claimed since Saturday
night by the combined opposition to Sen-
ator Hanna. The combine then completed
the organization of the House.
MALLOY BEATEN TOO.
The regular Republican candidate for
chief clerk of the house was John R. Mal-
loy, secretary of the Republican state com-
mittee. Malloy has held the position three
terms and was very competent. His voice
has been heard at national conventions and
he was a favorite, but he was defeated by
Charles H. Gerrish, a Republican who has
been Mr. Kurtz’s close lieutenant in his
opposition to Senator Hanna, by the same
vote of 56 to 53.
HANNA'S FUTURE GROWING DARK.
CoLuMBUS, O., January 4.—The politi-
cal future of Senator Hanna is certainly to-
night in a closely poised balance. While
there are now reported to be only nine dis-
senters among the eighty Republican mem-
bers, one in the Senate and eight in the
House, yet the really doubtful list is limit-
ed to two or three. Some of the dissenting
Republicans are not likely ever to be recon-
ciled to Senator Hanna. They have burned
their bridges behind them and openly ad-
mit it.
The doubtful members are being offered
their choice of chairmanships and given
opportunity to make all other selections
they want. The power of the organization
of the House is certainly being used to the
greatest possible advantage, and its in-
fluence is not to be under-estimated in
Concluded on page 4.
Spawls froma the Keystone.
—TFlorence McAdam, aged 10, died at Leb-
anon of lockjaw.
—The new hospital at DuBois, with 15
beds, was formally opened on Tuesday.
—William Gross, the Allentown jewelry
swindler, is in Toronto, Ont., resisting extra-
dition.
—The Lebanon firemen Monday night
took 44 ballots for a chief, without arriving
at a choice.
—Judge William Galbraith, a brother-in-
law of William S. Lane, of Philadelphia,
died at Erie.
—Falling on the ice at Bloomsburg, Rush
Shaffer sustained injuries to his head that
crazed him.
—PFloyd Shay, aged 20 years, of Milton,
was drowned in the Susquehanna river, at
that place Tuesday.
—An organizer for the united mine work-
ers of America is organizing the miners in
Jefferson county.
—The farm house of John H. Hain, Wern-
ersville, has been robbed three times within
the last six weeks.
—Governor Hastings has appointed Joseph
G. Isenberg, of Huntingdon, associate judge,
vice R. A. Laird, diseased.
—The employes of Theilbacher’s silk mill,
at Allentown, struck Monday for a raise
from $2.50 to $3.50 per cent.
—Robert Duffield, a brakeman on the
Beech Creek railroad, had his head cut off,
by cars near Clearfield Junction.
—Casper Scharff, a war veteran, living
alone at Reading, was found ill on his cot, on
the verge of death from freezing.
—John Johenning was arrested at Allen-
town for spitting on the floor of a street car
and spent 24 hours in the lockup.
—Rev. William B. Anderson and his wife,
missionaries, who left Lancaster in Novem-
ber for India, have arrived at Bombay.
—DBoiling lard ignited from the stove and
set fire to the clothes of Mrs. Levi Snyder, of
Mount Joy and she was fatally burned.
—The new hall of Camp No. 274, Patriotic
Order Sons of America, at Landingville,
Schuylkill county, was dedicated Sunday.
—Two factions are trying to get possession
of the Polish Catholic church at Mill Creek,
near Wilkesbarre, and bloodshed is feared.
—In renewing the 180 liquor licenses in
Carbon county Monday, Judge Craig warned
hotel keepers to discontinue serving free
lunch.
—Citizens of Newville have secured an in-
junction to restrain the town council from
contracting for a municipal electric lighting
plant.
—James Sweeney, aged 19, had the top of
his head blown off by the accidental dis-
charge of an old musket, at Tamaqua, Mon-
day.
—Thrown backward by a cat she was car-
rying, Mary A. Kelly, living near Sharon,
fell into an open fire grate and was burned to
death. !
—Robert Johnson, aged 28, had both eyes
blown out by an explosion of dynamite while
prospecting for coal on his farm in Allegheny
county.
—James Totten, a member of the Salvation
Army at Phoenixville, was found dead in a
stable at that place, having died of heart
trouble.
—By the report of the auditor in the affairs
of the united benevolent aid society, at Leb-
anon, $54,270.77 will be distributed among
holders of matured policies.
—Warden Wright, of the western peniten-
tiary, says that under the present interpreta-
tion of the convigt labor law he can give em-
ployment to only 45 per cent. of the inmates.
—The cortege following the body of Ed-
ward Metzger to the grave at Newton Cen-
tre, Luzerne county, was caught in a snow
drift, and the corpse had to be transferred to
a sled.
—Thomas Fryer, W. R. Narvel and Harry
Pillman were arrested at Pottstown, Monday
for the theft of 700 pounds of brass journals
from a tool house of the Reading railway
company.
—Joe Krietal, the notorious Hungarian
rioter, who was sent from Elk county with
five other men for burning schutes during
the coal strike of 1894, to the penitentiary
for five years, died in that institution Mon-
day of typhoid fever.
—The Rochester mine at DuBois, was
closed indefinitely on Tuesday. The min-
ers claim that the shut down is due to the
operator’s desire to get rid of a number of
miners who have been active in organizing
since the recent strike. About 1,000 men are
thrown out of work. ”
—It is reported that Patton will soon have
another newspaper. Will Kinsloe, son of R.
A. Kinsloe, of Philipsburg, is the one who
will make the venture. Opposition will
likely be the life of trade at Patton, as it has
been at many other places. If the new paper
is launched we wish it success.
—At a meeting of several ministers of the
Central Pennsylvania cenference. at Wil-
liamsport the other day, arrangements were’
perfected for the semi-centennial jubilee of
Dickinson seminary. The jubilee will begin
June 14th and will continue two days. Ad-
dresses, historical and otherwise, will be de-
livered, and reunions will be held.
—Cyrus Graybill, of Northumberland
county, was arrested last week for having in
his possession and offering for sale rabbits
after December 15th. At the hearing before
the justice of the peace he was discharged
under section eleven of the act which says
persons may have in their possession game,
providing it was shot before the expiration of
the open season, which is the 15th of Decem-
ber, and also allows fifteen days grace within
which to sell the game. The prosecutor paid
the costs.
—About six months ago Reuben Lane, a
one-legged resident of Barnesboro, started to
walk to Kansas, with the intention of wed-
ding a rich widow in that state. It now
turns out that his only acquaintance with
the widow was through the medium of a
matrimonial agency, and when he met her in
the flesh, with but one leg, and covered with
the mingled dust of six or seven states
through which he had tramped to join his
fiance, she decided that he did not come up
to the specifications and declined to marry
him. He has now sued her for $10,000 for
breach of promise.