Demorealic atc
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
Ink Slings.
—DEWEY has been running things in
Chicago all week, but the Windy city
didn’t declare for the Admiral for Presi-
dent. :
— The first civil governor of McKIN-
LEY’S new American Empire was sworn in
to office on Tuesday. He was the empirical
Queen of the May.
—Talk about swell joints, the Bellefonte
lock-up is about the most exclusive place
in the country. Nota soul about here
seems to have entre there.
—A mud trust is the latest combination
of capitalists to control the terra cotta pipe
business. The Gazette might put the bot-
tom of its ink pot into the combination.
— Virginia is in line for BRYAN and the
platform of 1896. The first declaration
will undoubtedly be realized but the plat-
form of '96 is not the one, in its entirety,
for the Democratic party to stand on in the
coming campaign.
—Former Governor PATTISON has an-
nounced that he will accept the nomina-
tion for Vice President, should it be ten-
dered to him and there are thousands of
Pennsylvania voters, not in the habit of
supporting Democrats, who will vote for
him, if he is the nominee.
—Gt. Britain is in the market for thirty
five thousand mules. If it were asses she
were after we would advise her buyers to
be here on November 6th, when all the
QUAY Republicans who vote for the legis-
lative candidates DAN is going to put in
the field will be wanting to sell them-
selves.
—The killing of nineteen members of the
Forty-third U.S. V. Inf. ina single en-
gagement at Calbayon carries back over the
sea the conviction that there is still war in
the Philippines. This kind of newsis a
significant reminder to the people of Blair
county from which section mauy of the
Forty-third men were drawn.
—The Bellefonte colored man who fool-
ishly followed the advice of a local wag
and soaked his feet in coal-tar, hoping
thereby to be cured of a bad cold, was,
singularly enough, cured of the cold, but
a week later he appeared in great distress
before his adviser and wanted to ‘know
how in the devil to get the tar off his’’ feet.
—The agitation among christian organi-
zations over the matter of creeds is becom-
ing so violent that the great Presbyterian
church is heing shook from basement to
belfry. And the shaking will not be with-
out its good if it does away with the blue
stocking idea of heing ‘‘damned if you do
and damned if you don’t.”
—The Vermont woman who bas an-
nounced that she would like to bea can-
didate for Vice President on the ticket
with DEWEY had better keep a respectful
distance from the woman GEORGE has on
hand now, because in the event of his elec-
tion she will be President, Vice President,
the Cabinet and the whole Marine band.
—DPoor elder HAMILTON, it seems that
his troubles are only commencing. The
Patron has opened up on him again and de-’
mands that the rascals be turned out. OF
course it doesn’t say that the Secretary of
Agriculture is one, but it doesn’t say that
he isn’t either; all of which goes to show
that the Centre county Grangers have no
confidence in the man who deseried HAST-
INGS for the price of a job under STONE.
—The United Christian party in conven-
tion at Rock Island, on Wednesday, nom-
inated Dr. S. C. SWALLOW, the preaching
Methodist editor of Pennsylvania, for
President. While the Doctor will hardly
expect to be elected he might run about a
tie race with Dewey. The one gave the
Spanish h—— and the other did the same
thing for the Republicans of Pennsylvania
and both of them will be likely to imagine
they are getting it all back again before
they get through with a National Cam-
paign.
*—The Nicaragua canal bill passed Con-
gress, on Wednesday, by an overwhelming
majority. Thus the final steps are being
taken in the outrageous proposition to ex-
pend hundreds of millions of our money in
the completion of that great ship-way, with-
out reserving to ourselves the right to for-
tify or control it. It will be of incalcula-
ble value to maritime commerce, but with-
out being under direct control of our naval
and military service it will afford a quick
and unobstructed route by which European
powers can reach and menace our compara-
tively defenseless Pacific coast.
—OLGA NETHERSOLE has brought suit
against Dr. EASTON, pastor of a fashionable
Washington church, for $50,000 damages to
her character. It appears that while the
actress was on trial in New York for pre-
senting the immoral play ‘“‘Sapho’’ Dr.
EASTON delivered a sermon before his con-
gregation, in which he defamed OLGA’S
character—even questioned her having any
at all. The situation is almost a parallel
of one that occurred in this place some time
ago, when a young gallant was going to call
on his sweet-heart. On the stoop he was
met by the young hopeful of the family,
whose long suit is inquisition, and this is
the dialogue that followed :
Young Hopeful —‘‘What are you doing
here ?”’
Caller—‘‘Oh, I just came to call on
Miss MAUD.’
Young Hopeful—*‘‘What do you want to
call on her for ?”’
Caller—‘‘What? Oh, just on general
principles.’
Young Hopeful—*‘She ain’t got any.”’
"VOL. 48
A Long Time to Wait.
Although both the Democratic and Re-
publican parties have declared in favor of
the election of United States Senators by
the people, it is not well for those who are
tied up to this idea to expect the adoption
of this new method of choosing the upper
branch of Congress to come at once. Many
a fellow who is anxiously looking for the
time when he can vote directly for or
against Mr. M. S. QUAY for this important
position, is more than likely to be doomed
to disappointment for years to come. In
fact, it is not probable that should Mr.
QUAY continue to be an aspirant for the
position, he has been trying so hard to get
back into, that the people of the State will
ever have a chance of voting directly, either
for or against him, in this matter.
Barring such contingencies as death,
declination or failure to be nominated, it
is not at all probable that those who would
like to get a chance to vote directly against
the state boss will ever be afforded that
opportunity.
In the first place to change from the
present system of electing United States
Senators, the constitution of the United
States will have to be amended. This can
only be done when proposed by two-thirds
of both Houses of Congress, or upon the ap-
plication of the Legislatures of two-thirds
of the several States. Then the Legislatures
of three-fourths of the States must ratify
the proposed amendments," and the legis-
lation necessary to put them into effect, be
enacted before any change in the manner
of electing Senators can be made.
As it is not probable that any such
proposal will be made during ‘the present
session of Congress, and as there is no
possibility of two-thirds of the State Legis-
latures being called together to make ap-
plication for such a change, no practical
steps to accomplish such a purpose are like-
ly to be taken prior to the meeting of Con-
gress next December. That will be what
is known as the short term, and the chances
are largely against any time being given
up to considering questions of this sort.
But supposing Congress does act at that
time. Many of the State Legislatures will
have adjourned, and as bi-ennial sessions
are the rule in many of the states, these
Legislatures will not have the opportunity
of either approving .or disapproving the
proposed change, prior to their convening
in 1903.
-With us in Pennsylvania it looks as if
the election of Senators by the people is a
long way ahead. Mr. QUAY’S seat, which
is vacant many not even be filled by the
next Legislature. In fact the out-look
now is that it will not be. The fight over
this question in the Republican party is
much more bitter now than it was two
years ago. As there is no probability of
either the QUAY or anti-QUAY Republicans
having a clean majority in the next Legis-
lature, and attempts at compromising are
likely to meet with more opposition than
they did at that time; so that it is almost
safe to conclude that there will be no elec-
tion of a United States Senator prior to the
session that meets in 1903, when two
vacancies may open a way for the contend-
ing Republican factions to compromise
their difficulties by each one taking a
Senator.
As no change in the United States con-
stitution will, or can, be made soas to
take effect prior to the meeting of the
Legislature that convenes in January,
1903, and as in all probability two Sena-
tors will be to be chosen by that body, to
represent the State for five years, the op-
portunity of the people having a direct
voice in this matter before 1908 is not very
promising.
This may not be encouraging to those
who imagine that any change would be for
the better, but it will give ample time for
people to consider, if after all, the dis-
grace and discredit of having incompetent
and unworthy representatives in the Unit-
ed States is not chargeable more to the par-
tisan bias, and political subserviency of the
voters than to the manner of the election.
Without a change of constitution the
people of the State could have creditable
representation at Washington. They
won’t have so long as they wear the collar
of a boss—whether it is that of an indi-
vidual like QUAY—or a party as rotten
and discredited as is the Republican
party of Pennsylvania.
—— The Mill Hall Times sees serious
cause for questioning the wisdom of per-
mitting private fishing and game preserves
to become so numerous. The forests and
streams of the State are fast being bought
up by a few moneyed sportsmen who con-
trol them for their own selfish pleasure, to
the exclusion of the poor people to whom
the right to hunt and fish has been almost
inalienable. The effect of it will be to
make poachers of many men and with that
practice will come the punishment and
then the mutterings of discontent and law-
lessness that have been such a menase to
society in foreign lands, where the nobility
arrogates to itself the almost exclusive right
to shoot and fish. But, after all, the Times’
worriment is no new thing. It is only one
of the finger boards pointing the way to an
American nobility.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
BELLEFONTE, PA., MAY 4, 1900.
Whistling to Keep Up Their Courage.
If there is anything to be gained by
blowing early, loud and long, the Republi-
cans evidently intend trying to profit all
that is possible by such work. With the
necks of three-fifths of them sore from
wearing the boss’ collar, and with the
heels and hind legs of the other two-fifths
bruised and bleeding from kicking at the
party whiffletree, they try to imagine that
they can grease up their sores and pull to-
gether in such a way as to secure twenty-
five of the twenty-eight district Congress-
men to be chosen from this State at the
coming election.
This, at least, is their boast and they are
making it noisily and continuously.
Two years ago, when Republican faction-
al troubles were no bitterer than they are
to-day, and-when Democratic divisions far
exceeded any that threaten the present
prospects of the party, the Democrats elect-
ed ten of the twenty-eight congressional
Representatives. Of the districts thus
carried but one, that of Erie and Crawford
county, has any excuse for even being con-
sidered doubtful. <The Democracy are in
the majority in all the rest, or, if not, the
opportunities offered by dissension and di-
vision among the Republicans, if taken ad-
vantage of, give promise of the most cer-
tain success. In nine of the ten districts,
carried two years ago, there can be no
question of the result, if the organization
of the party is efficient and earnest work is
done.
Conditions to-ddy are much more hope-
ful for the Democracy than they were two
years ago. There are no such divisions
among Democrats as there were then. The
questions that caused trouble then will not
enter the coming campaign, while others
upon which the Democracy are a unit, in
feeling and purpose, will be the issues to be
passed upon. There will be no gold or
silver Democrats to haggle about ‘‘stand-
ards of value :” no CLEVELAND or anti-
CLEVELAND advocates to dispute and di-
vide over a dead administration ; no HAR-
RITY and anti-HARRITY followers to at-
tempt to thwart the efforts of each other ;
nor will the personal glory or individual
weakness of supposed leaders be in it.
With the Democracy these are troubles
of the past.
The futare of the country and the suc-
cess of the party that the people may be
saved the evils of imperialism, the wrongs
that trusts inflict and the robberies that
subsidies and tariffs bring, will unite and
stimulate the party to such action as is
certain to crown its efforts with victory.
The times are ripe and the opportunities
are here for not only ten but for twelve
Democratic Congressmen from Pennsyl-
vania. Every district the Democrats now
how can be held by them. In addition,
both the Lycoming and the Bedford dis-
tricts can be added to these.
The boasting of Republicans about what
they are going to do is but the whistling of
the coward passing the grave yard.
It is done from fear. They shrink from
the ghosts of their own misdeeds, and hope
that by keeping up a noise, they can pre-
vent these appearing.
Is 1t a Hint or Is It Buncombe ?
Secretary Roor, like DON QUIXOTE, is
terribly worked up about something, or
somebody, to fight. To be sure he has the
Philippine war on his hands, and is not
making much out of it that will go to his
credit, but this does not satiate his appe-
tite for blood—or appease his desire for
conflict. When he went into office he was
considered a man of peace. Now he is
rattling his sabre and waving his flag, as if
armies by the dozen were at his front, and
enemies surrounding him on all sides.
What its all about, or what he has in view,
the good Lord alone knows, for surely
none else can conceive of any cause for the
predictions of this war-welcoming offi-
cial.
If we have to fight, as he assures us we
will, to ‘‘preserve the Monroe doctrine,”
won’t he please inform the country as to
why, or when or where, or wherefore we
will have to do sos. No body is threaten-
ing its violation now, but Mr. McKINLEY.
This is the only power that seems to ignore
the requirements of the MONROE idea, and
if Mr. RooT sees great danger from this
souice won’t he please’ be explicit and say
so. Talking in riddles or for buncombe is
not statesmanship.
——The Philadelphia Times has changed
hands, but will not be changed in any other
way. It will still be published as an
avowed independent Republican paper
and its present make up and excellent
typographical appearance maintained. A
few months ago an effort was made to pur-
chase and change the Zimes to a Demo-
cratic paper, but Democratic leaders and
capitalists were too blind to appreciate the
opportunity offered, and work in that line
proved a failure. The price at which it
could have been secured then was much
below the $1,200,000 said to have been paid
for its stock, by the new syndicate.
A Big Job for Them.
It is but natural that Republican papers
should be devoting their time to explana-
tions of why the Republican Senate voted
against a resolution of sympathy for the
Boers. They know that explanations are
necessary to satisfy the sentiment of the
country that has been outraged by this
action of the Senate and they know, too,
that no such action would have been taken,
even by that body, but for the demand of
Mr. McKINLEY'S administration.
To explain why the honest sentiment of
the country should not be expressed by one
of its representative bodies, and to excuse
a President of a Republican government
for failing to sympathize with those strug-
gling to preserve the same form of govern-
ment for themselves, will take a long time
and much space. To accomplish this our
Republican contemporaries will find a big
job, and one to which they will need devote
much of their energies. It is well that
they commenced it early, and it will be
well for them to keep at it late.
On this subject there is no division of
sentiment among the great mass of people
of“ this country. Moneyed interests that
.ate tied up to like interests in London,
and shoddyism that has sold its daughters
for English titles may feel differently, but
the great, broad hearts of the Am erican
people go out in the deepest sympathy
for the Dutch farmers, in their fight for the
right of self government, and all that Mr.
McKINLEY can do and all the explanations
a muzzled and partisan press can make,
can not stifle that sentiment, or smother
its expression.
* From the beginning it has been known
that Mr. McKINLEY and his Republican
backers were against the Boers. This has
been shown at so many times and in so many
ways that it is unnecessary to refer to
them. It is because of their position, and
this feeling of the administration, that the
Senate has refussed to express the honest
sentiment of the country on this subject,
and for no other reason under God’s sun.
The count: y, possibly, can stand this mis-
representation of its honest feeling, but we
doubt if it will not be a bigger job to ex-
plain why it was done than the journals
that are attempting it imagined at the
stars. ’
Twenty out of thirty isa large pro-
portion of Americans to be killed in one
engagement in a country in which we are
told war has practically ceased and that
peace has been established. And yet this
is the number of brave American boys who,
Major GILMORE of the 43rd volunteers
writes home, fell at Catubig on the island
of Samar, where they had been stationed |
to garrison the town. Such information,
for we must accept it as correct coming
from the source it does, gives a very black-
eye to the belief that the administration
has worked up that the war in the Philip-
pines has practically ended in the restora-
tion of peace, and that its efforts have been
successful in establishing its authority
throughout the whole of that archipelago.
The closer we get down to the truth of the
actual conditions existing in that far away
country, the more palpable the attempt of
Mr. McKINLEY’S representations to deceive
the people.
——Philadelphia bas a labor strike on
hand now that already involves over five
thousand skilled mechanics, and threatens
to extend into every branch of the build-
ing husiness of that city. Notwithstanding
this fact, and the additional truth that
there are now more laboring men out on a
strike, all over the country, than was ever
known before, at any one time, Republi-
can newspapers are howling about the
prosperity the people are enjoying, and the
‘‘good times’’ labor is having under the
McKINLEY administration.
——The Sultan of Sulu, who is getting
$12,000 a year for letting the stars and
stripes wave over his dirty old harem, is
said to be on his way to Singapore to pro-
test to the English against our putting a
tariff, doubling the price thereof, on his
staples. If this be true it is probably only
a trick of the old heathen libertine to
“‘work”’ our sagacious President for anoth-
er twelve.
——The latest news from Manila is to
the effect that AGUINALDO is dead and has
been dead since the 28th of last December.
In the light of the fact that the Filipinos
killed nineteen men of the Forty-third
regiment last Monday and followed it up
by killing twenty more on Wednesday it
looks as if AGGIE is worse dead than alive.
——Probably PINGREE came over to
Democracy because he found it too hard to
get enough Republican money to pay for
picking the bugs on those Michigan potato
patches.
——1If street commissioner Shaughensy
would take it into his head,once in awhile,
to sweep the side walks on the High street
bridge they would not be so filthy all the
time. There is dirt under the hand rails
of the bridge that might have lodged there
the day after it was built, so far as any
danger of its having been removed by clean-
ing is concerned.
——-
Christianity and the
Robbery,
Flag to Cover
From the Philadelphia Record.
Senator Hanna in his Saturday night
Pittsburg oration declared that ‘‘we are
paying $200,000,000 per year into the pock-
ets of foreign ship owners.” This is an
exaggeration; but if it were true, what
then? Do not the foreign ship owners
render us $200,000,000 worth of service in |’
carrying our farm, mine and manufactured
products to foreign buyers more cheaply
than we can afford to do it ourselves ?
Mr. Hanna would tax the farmers and
miners and manufacturers of the country
in order to establish a subsidized Shipping
‘Trust, the government making good the
losses and insuring comfortable profit on
an otherwise losing business. The wily
old Buckeye millionaire prates about ‘‘the
flag’’ and about ‘‘christianizing and civiliz-
ing the world,’’ but all the time he is care-
fully calculating his percentages and how
much he can rake in in the name of the
flag and christianity and civilization at
hs expense of the producers of this coun-
ry.
Was He a Coward ? No!
From an Unknown Exchange.
When Gen. Methuen ordered Col. Gough
to attempt to capture a certain impossible
position held by the Boers at Gras Pan,
near Modder river, where Gen. Wauchope
had lost his life a few moments before and
his column cut to pieces, in a like effort,
he refused,declaring: ‘‘It would be useless-
ly throwing away the lives of his men,”
but added, “I will go against the position
single-handed, if you order it, General.”
Methuen immediately relieved Col. Gough
of his command and sent him home. The
impartial pen of the historian will deter-
mine which was the braver of the two—he
who ordered an impossible task or he who
refused to sacrifice his men ‘in a futile
effort.
Another Hole Punched in Dan’s Bar-
rel.
From the Clearfield Republican.
The ‘Judiciary in Politics’’ got another
awful jolt in Centre County Tuesday.
Judge Love tried to steal a march on Big
Dan and elect Quay delegates to the State
Convention. A still hunt was organized.
Little Phil Wanderoff and W. E. Gray, a
nephew of Judge Love, were brought out
as candidates. The Hastings faction did
not know a fight was on until a day or two
before the primaries last Saturday. Then
they found every prominent Quayite in the
country had been at work for weeks organ-
izing. Dan had to get out himself and
bore another hole into his barrel. The re-
sult was in doubt until the convention
met Tuesday, when Dan cleaned the Love
crowd out completely.
There ‘Was Nothing Wanting.
Great Bali Given in Honor of Admiral Dewey.
CHICAGO, April 30.—Never in the history
of the great Auditorium has there been
within its walls a sight more beautiful
than that revealed to-day, when the great
ball given in honor of Admiral Dewey was
at its height.
There was nothing wanting. It was a
decisive success, from first to last, in all
details, from the decorations on the walls
to the reception proper which was tendered
to the admiral. There were present, per-
haps, somewhat too many people to allow
of dancing had all or half of the crowd
wished to dance at one and the same time,
but, when the dance program was fairly
under way, the older people sought the
boxes and the spacious foyer, leaving the
floor to the younger people, who used it
until daybreak. Fully 2,000 people were
present.
It being a naval ball, the predominating
decorations were of white and green. A
canopy was drawn over the hall, making it
- resemble a huge white capped wave, the
deep green at the bottom shading softly
into the purest white at the topmost edge.
At intervals around tiers of boxes were
placed white galleons, which seemingly
started from the mist of bunting and deli-
cate hued electric lights, which concealed
them a few feet from the prow, where
dolphins rose from the imaginary sea be-
low. Above each galleon rose a towering
mast. being in relief a lion’s head and flut-
tering with the signal flags of the navy.
Behind the figurehead of each galleon
stood a sailor, a veteran of the Spanish-
American war, who saw active service in
the Caribean sea. Until after the Admiral
left the hall these men stood steadily peer-
ing out of the prow of the fanciful and
beautiful ship.
Big Demonstration.
A Monster Street Parade, in Which 20,000 Union
Workmen Took Part.
PHILADELPHIA, April 30.—Organized
labor of this city gave a big demonstra-
tion to-night, in the form of a monster
street parade, in which over 20,000 union
workmen took part. The parade ushered
in May day and was held to give force and
effect to the campaign started by all the
building trades of this city for an eight
hour day at increased wages. With one or
two exceptions, all the building trades in
this city have formed an organization,
known as the Allied Building Trades.
The campaign for shorter hours at increas-
ed pay begins to-morrow and to-night’s
parade was given to show the power of or-
ganized labor.
To-morrow the new schedules go into
effect, and in a majority of the trades the
masters have signed the necessary agree-
ments. The building trade unions have
the sympathy of all other unions in the
city, and thousands of workmen from
unions outside of the allied building trades
were in the line of parade. Joseph B.
Allen, secretary of the Allied Building
Trades’ council, was chief marshall.
-—All day Sunday there was a perfect
shower of cinders falling in Bellefonte.
They were wafted here from the forest fires
that were raging in the mountains in all
directions. The cinders fell so thick that
in walking several blocks on the streets
one’s clothes and hat would be almost cov-
ered with flaky cinders of burned leaves
and twigs.
Spawls from the Keystone.
—A rich vein of copper ore has been dis-
covered on the farm of William Neff, near
Red Lion, York county, and it will be mined
by William Diller, of Lancaster.
—The Lutheransat Lewistown at a recent
congregational meeting adopted the plan for
anew church secured by the building com-
mittee, and will proceed in the erection of
the new church building. They have also
increased their pastor’s salary to $1,200.
—Willard Kelly,who was stabbed by Frank
Orlando at Hyner Friday night, is getting
along nicely at the hospital in Lock Haven.
His recovery is considered certain by the
physicians. Orlando has not been captured.
The young woman who was the cause of the
trouble is Edith Cornelius.
—The New York Central railroad company
some time ago placed a big order for steel
rails with the Carnegie Steel company. The
rails are thirty three feet long, three feet
longer than the standard. They will be
placed over the entire division of the New
York Central. The first of the rails arrived
at Newberry on Wednesday.
—An order has been received at the Altoo-
no railroad shops for eleven new passenger
locomotives of standard class L design. They
are to be completed before June 15th, and it
will require the putting on of a double turn
at once and the stoppage of all other work
until the order is filled. The engines are for
use on the Pennsylvania main line.
—A collision occurred on the Beech Creek,
R. R. Saturday morning, near a place called
Viaduct, which is said to have been a result
of the misunderstanding of train orders. The
conductor, Willis Taylor, was slightly hurt.
All of the passengers were thrown from their
seats and badly shaken up. Senator S. R.
Peal, of Lock Haven, was among the passen-
gers.
—The case of Punxsutawney Borough ver-
sus the Water Works company of that city,
on trial at Brookville during the entire past
week, was decided in favor of the water com-
pany. The borough sought to have the
franchise of the water company annulled and
thus have the privilege of furnishing its own
water.
—The glass bottle factories of the D. O.
Cunningham Glass Company, Cunningham &
Co., Limited, and Frederick Ling & Co. at
Pittsburg have been closed indefinitely. The
carrying-in boys of the three plants, number-
ing about 200, are striking for an advance in
wages. The companies so far have not been
able to get boys to take the places of the
strikers, and it is stated operations may be
suspended for the season.
—John Dare, of Altoona, met with a tragic
death in Altoona on Thursday. He had been
working in the tin shop at the Juniata shops
and had boarded a freight train to ride home.
In trying to dismount his foot caught in the
stirrup and his brains were battered out on
the ties. The back and top of his head were
crushed in. The train was running at con-
siderable speed at the time of the accident in
order to get a good start up the mountain.
Dare was 24 years old and unmarried. He
lived with his parents, Richard and Jennie
Dare, and was their only support.
—People are wondering what causes the
demand and high prices for horses. The
Spanish and the Boer wars explain it. The
British have shipped thousands of horses
from the United States and are wanting
thousands more. Not less than 10,000 and
perhaps as many as 35,000 horses for military
service in South Africa are to be purchased
in the .Chicago stock market by the British
government. An English officer, who has
been in Chicago for three weeks making ar-
rangements for the extraordinary purchase,
has left for New York to meet the govern-
ment inspectors, who recently arrived from
England.
—According to the reports us read at the
convention of Odd Fellows at Renovo last
week there are in the State 1,090 lodges with
a membership of 106,121. The amount paid
in benefits during the past year was $589,-
820,09. In the United States there are 11,796
lodges, which have a membership of 860,000
and the amount of relief given during the
past year was $3,422,986.50. The total amount
of relief given since 1830 is $80,726,000.21.
The annual meeting of the Grand lodge will
be held in Harrisburg on the third Tuesday
in May, at which time the constitution will
be revised and important changes considered.
—Tuesday noon Samuel Myers, of Lock
Haven,left for his second Klondike trip. He
expects to arrive at Seattle May 5th, where
he will complete the arrangements for tak-
ing passage on the steamer Senator, which
will leave that city May 19th. He states that
he expects to reach Cape Nome about June
2nd. Cape Nome is about 125 miles farther
North than St. Michaels, at the mouth of the
Yukon river, the place where he was on his
first trip. Samuel states that the Senator
will transport a big crowd to Cape Nome, all
the passengers being anxious to get there
with the rush. If he makes a rich strike he
will not return for some time; if he does not
make a strike, he may return in six months
or a year.
— Beech Creek can boast of having the
youngest station agent and telegraph opera-
tor to be found in the State of Pennsylvania,
in the person of John Rothrock, son of Char-
les Rothrock. He is ten years old and con-
siderably under size for his age and will not
weigh more than 70 pounds. His father, who
is the regular agent at that place, took sick
very suddenly the other day. This boy went
into the office and took entire charge. Be-
sides sellibg tickets, checking baggage and
attending to all shipping and receiving of
freight, he reports all trains and isquick and
correct in sending and receiving all telegraph
train orders. In addition to all this he does
the work for the Western Union Telegraph
company of that place.
— Rev. Dr. I. N. W. Irvine, rector of the
St. John’s Episcopal church at Huntingdon,
who was deposed from the ministry Thurs-
day by Bishop Talbot on charges of unminis-
terial conduct, announces that he will ignore
the bishop's degree, which he asserts is based
on the result of an unjust trial, false evidence
and contrary to the requirements of church
canons. ‘I am still rector of St. John’s
church here,” said the doctor, ‘‘and I will
continue as such until the Supreme court of
Pennsylvania says I am not. My vestry sup-
port me in my stand aud I am convinced the
community does also.”” As St. John’s is an
independent church, unaided by diocean mis-
sions, the interesting question arises whether
Bishop Talbot's decree can be enforced.