Beworratic Watcha,
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
Ink Slings.
—The Celombian insurrection did some
insurrecting when it finally did get to the
surface.
—A blind man could see what Prince
HENRY is going to Milwaukee for. We
all know what it was that made that city
famous.
—If the British are afraid that Prince HEN-
RY will scoop up all the American friend-
ship why don’t they send over a counter at-
traction.
—CARRIE NATION bas lost a toe, but as
she has done most of her kicking with her
hands ber mission in life is not thereby
seriously impaired.
—Lady RANDOLPH CHURCHILL who took
the young Lord GEORGIE CORNWALLIS
WEST to raise seems to be growing very
weary with her Kindergarten experience.
—There wasn’t much doing at the
tepublican primaries last evening, but it
is a long lane that leads to Feb. 18th and
there is likely to be quite a turn in it too.
—Judging from the distingnished array
of political luminosities who have promis-
ed to be there Miss JUSTICE will be fairly
dazzled by the light in the Clearfield court
next month.
—In 1860 it cost every woman and child
in the country just $1.52 a year to keep up
the expenses of government. The per
capita assessment now in taxes is $12. How
would you like to be the ice man in 1940,
if this rate of increase continues.
—Uncle SAM is going to blow in forty
thousand dollars on Prince HENRY, who is
to be our guest for two weeks. Nearly
three thousand a day isn’t much to “burn’’
on such a distinguished guest when it is
considered that we are getting away with
nearly half-a-million a day in the Philip-
pines.
—Uncle Tom’s Cabin is having a news-
paper revival because some southern cities
have declined to be entertained by the por-
trayal of the character of ‘‘Legree,’’ the
brutal slave driver. In some instances
northern papers are clutching at it as an
opportunity to drag the old ‘‘bloody shirt’
into politics again.
—The fellows who paid $2, $3 and $5 for
seats to see the SHARKEY-MAHER fake in
Philadelphia on Friday night deserved the
fleecing they got. Not one of them would
have given half the amount to a penniless
preacher or a starving child and any sort of
humbuggery is legitimate when it comes to
dealing with such classes.
—The Philadelphia Inquirer, informally
launching ELKIN’S boom for Governor, hits
the nail right on the head when it says, in
big letters : ‘‘such a candidate is match-
less.” For hunt high or low in Penusyl-
vania we don’t believe another one could
be found who would match Joux P. in
any of the unworthy qualifications that
recommend him to the Inquirer and its
gang.
—Admiral ScHLEY will be in Chicago
to-morrow as the guest of the Hamilton
club and the illustiious sailor says he will
shoot anyone who mentions Santiago to
him. Of course this is only one of the Ad-
miral’s pleasantries, but should he do some
post prandial shooting it is likely to go as
straight to the mark as did the shots of the
Brooklyn in the fight that has made} him
the nation’s hero.
—Little KERMIT ROOSEVELT has been
playing havoc with the fish in the White
House aquarium and a few days ago the
youngster was found with several shell
fish and, with some youthful friends, was
just preparing to scoop the gold fish out of
their tank when the custodian caught him.
Now, no one would object much if KER-
MIT would take his crowd down to the
Navy Department and catch the lobster
that bas been floating around there for a
few years.
—The Turkish brigands who abducted
Miss ELLEN M. STONE have come down the
mountain and decided to accept the amount
of the subscription raised for her ransom.
Very generous of them, isn’t it? They are
right in the class with those French Panama
canal promoters who so suddenly dropped to
forty million for all their right title and
interest when they discovered that Uncle
SAM might dig another canal over the
Nicaragua route.
—The American Indian and the New
York dairymen are just now the victims of
a crusade against long hair and long whisk-
ers. Popularsentiment is back of ascientist
propaganda that such extravagant hirsute
appendages harbor millions of vermin and
disease germs. But why beso hard on
these mortals who can grow something on
their heads and chins when a fine-tooth
comb and a little of this new germicide
would do the business.
—If Philadelphians would waken up to
a sense of their duty and stop the plander-
ing of their own treasury they would not
now have to be down on their knees to
Uncle SAM, begging for $600,000 for the
completion of a thirty foot channel in the
Delaware. Of course trade in Philadelphia
would be stimulated by such an improve-
ment of her water way, but why doesn’t
Philadelphia do it for herself. She per-
mits more than that amount of money to
be stolen from her treasury every year by
the gang of jobbers that runs things down
there.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
YOL 17.
The friends of the steamship subsidy bill
are beginning to dispair of the passage of
that atrocious measure for the reason that
some American ship owners have been ex-
tending their operations by buying up
British and other foreign ships. It will
be impossible, they say to deceive the peo-
ple with the fraudulent pretense that vast
sums of American money go abroad every
year and remain there, for the payment of
trans-oceanic carrying charges, if it leaks
out that most of the ships operated under
foreign flags are really owned by American
capitalists and then a considerable part of
the money charged for freight on such ves-
sels never goes abroad at all but is dis-
tributed among the American shareholders
from the American offices of the com-
panies.
The Americans who own these foreign
ships are quite as reluctant as anyone else
to see the chance of the immense loot which
the ship subsidy bill provides for, slipping
out of reach of their fingers. But much as
they like to collect unearned bounties from
the government and fondly as they cherish
the hope that sooner or later they will get
a grab at that $270,000,000, they are too
keen in the pursuit of present profits to
wait indefinitely for that which is expected
but not altogether certain in the future.
In other words the scarcity of ocean going
steam ships and the rapidly increasing use
for them makes them a most lucrative
property and the MORGANS, the ROCKA-
FELLERS and the GRISCOMS are huying
them up as rapidly as they are offered for
sale.
There never was an ounce of sense in the
claim that the government ought to pay an
enormous unearned hounty to home built
ships for the reason that the money paid
for ocean freights went abroad and remain-
ed there as a balance of trade against this
country. It would be quite as reasonable
to say that we ought to grow bananas and
other tropical fruits by artificial processes
for the reason that otherwise the money
paid for tropical fruits becomes a part of a
balance of trade against this country. Even
if the money does go there and remains it
costs us less than it would to grow the
fruits at home. The right place to buy is
in the cheapest market and the best place
to sell is the dearest and the right place to
get ships is w here the best can be obtained
at the least cost and that policy followed
will not only multiply the number of ships
in service but it will save money to the
shippers and consumers on both sides of
the water.
Quay for Elkin and Loot.
There are so many stories of the relations
between Senator QUAY and Attorney Gen-
eral ELKIN with respect to the Republican
nomination for Governor, and they aie so
widely divergent in purpose and effect,
that the greatest perplexity is created. For
example on Sunday an interview with Con-
gressman ACHESON, of Washington county,
was in effect that ELKIN is simply a stalk-
ing horse for QUAY to keep objectionable
people out of the gubernatorial race and
that when the time comes to act Quay
will simply cast ELKIN aside and take up
his own choice. - A day later Insurance
Commissioner DURHAM contradicted that
story in substance hy declaring emphatical-
ly that ELKIN will be nominated and
elected.
Manifestly DURHAM is right in so far as
the nomination is concerned. Quay isa
timid man when left to himself and he may
have entertained apprehensions of the defeat
of ELKIN. But in the light of careful con-
sideration of the facts, he must also know
that all machine men look alike to the
average citizen and if ELKIN can’t be elect-
ed no other machine man can. The term
is more than promising of loot, moreover,
and the machine needs the loot, so that the
game is worth the candle and it is safer, all
things considered, to take him than some-
one else who might not be willing to divide
at all. A Republicau who won't loot or
baving looted won’t divide is worse than
no Republican to the machine.
Besides, as we have already stated, ballot
box stuffing is still available in both Pitts-
burg and Philadelphia and in the two cities
more than 100,000 fraudulent votes can be
polled. Under the circumstances Senator
QUAY justly reasons it is better to take
chances with ELKIN than to depend upon
a less obliging man who might be easier to
elect but not so useful after elected. If
ballot reform legislation had been adopted
during the last session things would be
different. In that event there would be no
possible chance of electing ELKIN and ‘it
would be a waste of money and energy to
try to do so. But as it is the fraudulent
vote will more than compensate for any
loss and ELKIN is comparatively safe,
——Dr. F. P. Barker, a veterinarian of
Ingleby, was returning from Smith’s old
saw mill in Lick hollow, on Saturday,
when a large catamount sprang out of the
brash not ten feet away from him and
crouched on the road. He had no weapon
but and old horse syringe that he prompt-
ly loaded with pills and killed the critter
in short order. This is the doctor's version
of it.
BELLEFONTE, PA., JAN UARY
|
They Are Not Looking for a Law|
to Enforce it.
In a recent issue of the WATCHMAN at-
tention was called to the defiant manner in
which several prominent rail-way officials
admitted before the Inter-State Commerce
Commission, in session in Chicago,
that ‘‘frequently conditions required
secret cut of rates to some large shippers
and invariably, under such circumstances,
they did it.” As this was an admission of
violation of the law the only excuse the
Commission had to offer for its failure to
proceed against the guilty ones was that
no statutes could be found that would be
operative.
Following up an answer to this excuse
the Philadelphia Record points the way
thus clearly though itis by no means
vrobable that anything will be done to
bring the great corporations to a realiza-
tion of the fact that tliey don’t own the gov-
ernment wholly enouzh to defy its laws
with impugnity :
‘‘In seeking authority to prevent; rate-
cutting and discrimination by common
carriers the Commission can find nothing
more satisfactory than the measure known
as the Cullom bill, which was adversely re-
ported to the Senate during the first ses-
sion of the Fifty-sixth Congress, and after-
ward placed on the calendar.” Active rail-
way managers, on the other hand, seem to
incline to the belief that pooling ' arrange-
ments, under proper supervision,constitute
the only solution of the problem. Between
these two proposed remedies there is a
great gulf fixed. The Cullom bill present-
ed as salient features a long and short haul
clause, provision for rate-posting, and au-
thority vested in the Commission to estab-
lish national freight classification, and to
fix maximum, minimum or differential
charges. A general pooling arrangement
would do this, except that the final author-
ity would remain with the transportation
lines instead of being vested in a govern-
ment Commission.
The crucial point of controversy, ac-
cordingly, is whether railway rates shall
be fixed by [associated railway companies
with benevolent intent to do justice to all
interests, or whether a government agency
shall perform this task in behalf of the
public. It is quite clear to the members
of the Interstate Commerce Commission
that the latter comise must be pursued
soover or later. So long and so eloquent-
ly have the Commissioners argued in favor
of government regulation that they can see
no way of escape from their logical conclu-
sions. In the official view the agreement
and the pool will be ahsorbed and lost sight
of when the vast work of combination and
consolidation shall have been finally per-
fected. But the rate, the haul, the classi-
fication will endure; and over these the
Commission asks for full jurisdiction.
It such power should be granted, as
proposed under the terms of the bill pre-
pared hy the late National Railway Com-
missioner’s convention, the progress of
schemes of consolidation would scarcely
challenge public attention, since the ulti-
mate weight and incidence of freight rate
charges would be determined not by a
conclave of railway managers, but by an
independent body of experts representing
the people. Rates are now controlled by
railway managers, acting from multifarious
considerations, and intluenced by many
motives. Even handed justice to all in-
terests may not be attained; but the rail-
way men do their best, and as they wield
more power are quite willing to use it for
the public beuefit. It is the popular as-
surance of this sentiment of justice and
good will that renders so difficult of reali-
zation the Commission’s iridescent dream
of a consolidated railway system, for
which a government agency should fix
maximum, minimum and differential
rates.
From the viewpoint of practical rail-
roaders the evil most earnestly to be com-
batted is not related to maximums and
minimums, but rather to secret rates and
arrangements, under which favored inter-
ests flourish like green bay trees. The
level of charges is not so important as the
requirement that all shall pay the same
rate for the same service. How this can be
brought about by any of the existing meth-
ods of treatment or by further grants of
power to the Interstate Commerce Com-
mission does wot clearly appear. The
power to fix rates carries with it the power
of secret discrimination, preference and
favoritism. In order to abolish these it
would doubtless be necessary to depart
widely from the conventional practice in
imposing charges and to employ an auto-
matic system under which rates might be
figured out by shippers as easily as the
amount of postage necessary to carry a let-
ter is ascertained. Here, again, it would
become essential to rely upon the wisdom
of practical railway experts in fixing bases
and zones of charges, so that in any event,
short of exercise of absolute ownership, the
administrative authority would be con-
strained to look to the common carriers to
fix rates for common carrying.
———
——Subscribe for the WATCIIrAN.
Not a Vital Loss.
Nobody who knows Senator DAVID MAR-
TIN of Philadelphia, will be greatly sur-
prised to learn that be has practically
abandoned reform politics and gone back to
the practices of the machine, if not actual-
ly into fellowship with the bosses. In the
curious political conditions which develop-
ed during aud after the election of last fall,
Senator MARTIN in a measure at least got
control of the organization of the Union
party. But instead of using the organiza-
tion to promote political reform in the fu-
ture, he appropriated it as a political asset
and began negotiations with the machine.
The result of these incidents is that the
Union party has been sold out to the Quay
machine and become a laughing stock.
It is gratifying to learn, however, that
in buying the Union party organization
from Mr. MARTIN, the QUAY machine has
procured only a gold brick. That is to say
the vast majority of the Union party have
repudiated the bargain between Senator
MARTIN and the QUAY machine managers
and joined with the municipal league in a
campaign against the bosses. Of course a
few of the adherents of the Union party
have been lost in the shuffle, so to speak
and will cling to the skirts of MARTIN.
But the loss of such will be more than com-
pensated for in gains which will come from
the stalwart ranks among men who refused
until this corrupt bargain was exposed to
believe that such things were possible.
The reform movement has not been re-
tarded much by this unexpected iucident.
According to the newspapers of that city
those who believe in better government are
joining together just as before. The new
force is not called the Union party as it
was last fall, but all the Democrats led by
Magistrate DONNELLY and Governor PAT-
TISON have joined hands with the Municipal
Leaguers directed by Mr. WooDRUFF and
the two forces comprise a stronger con-
tingent than was ever summoned to fight
the QUAY machine before. The loss of
Senator MARTIN from the reform force may
have caused a temporary disappointment in
some quarters but it is not a vital loss.
Senator MARTIN will be the greatest suf-
ferer.
Agitate for Reform,
he ean a ali —t
The press of the State is not giving the
attention to legislation for the enforcement
of the constitutional amendments "adopted
last fall that the subject deserves. It prob-
ably won’t require much time before or af-
ter the meeting of the Legislature to pre-
pare such hills as will serve the purpose.
But it will require a good deal of time and
considerable earnest agitation to work the
public mind up to that state of anxiety
with respect to the matter as will compel
the Legislature to take cognizance of the
popular demand for ballot reform legisla-
tion. This work ought to ve in progress
now.
The constitutional amendments are ab-
solutely of no use at present except in so
far as they permit the legislation that will
give them force and effect. Previously to
the adoption of the amendments the Leg-
islature was prohibited from enacting a
registry law that was not uniform. In oth-
er words, in order to give the people of
Philadelphia, where it is needed, a personal
registration law it was necessary to give the
people of Centre county, who have no use
for such a thing, the same law. The re-
cently adopted amendment permits the
discrimination, but nnless the Legislature
| takes advantage of the power conferred it
might as well never have been confirmed.
Before long in various portions of the
State candidates for the Legislature will be
presenting themselves and soliciting the
support of voters. Before that time arrives’
the voters ought to resolve among them-
selves that no man can get much support
until he pledges himself to support a bill
providing for personal registration in Phil-
adelphia and Pittsburg. When such legis-
lation is enacted the crime of ballot box
stuffing will soon become a lost art. But
it will never be enacted if the politicians
are left to their own impulses. They don’t
want ballot reform and will only consent
to it when public sentiment gets them cor-
nered. !
Not the Golden Rule.
The American officials in the Philip-
pines, military and civil, must imagine
that the people at liome are of short mem-
ory. For example a little more than three
years ago the people of this country were
outraged beyond endurance because a Span-
ish officer of the name of WEYLER had intro-
duced in Cuba certain atrocions methods of
forcing insurgents against the government
to yield obedience to an alien sovereignty.
We all denounced WEYLER as a butcher
and pressed the matter so vehemently that
finally the government was compelled to
intercede in hehalf of the sufferers and de-
clare war against the government of which
WEYLER was the agent.
Now, according to the official reports of
operations in the Philippines. our own
agents there are introducing the same cruel
methods which provoked oar resentment
gt 10%
then. ‘‘General J. FRANKLIN BELL, mili-
tary commander in that province,’’ accord
ing to a dispatch detailing conditions in
Batangas, just south of Manila, “has
determined on the enforcement of the
war in the most vigorous and determined
fashion, involving reconcentration.” In
other words the methods which were
so cruel when practiced hy agents of
the government of Spain on the unfor-
tunate victims of the rapacity of war
in Cuba are to be invoked to coerce our
own unwilling subjects into obedience to
alien rulers.
Not long ago the premier of the govern-
ment, if that term may be used in referring
to the head of the cabinet in the American
Republic, declared that the diplomatic pol-
icy of this country would be laid on the
lines of the Golden Rule. Now those lines
are not being followed in our relations
with the Filipinos when we are doing to
them what we chastised Spain for doing
with a kindred race in another section of
the world, only a little more than three
years ago. A crime is as odious when per-
formed by one as if it were perpetrated by
another, and if the concentration camps’
were brutal in Cuba they must he equally
abhorrent in the Philippines.
It's Morgan’s.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
1 came to a mill by the river side,
A half mile long and nearly ag wide,
With a forest of stacks and an army of men,
Toiling at furnace and shovel and pen.
“What a most magnificent plant” I eried,
And aman with a smudge on his face replied,
“It’s Morgan's."
I entered a train and rode all day
On a regal coach and a right of way
Which reached its arms all over the land
‘A splendid property this!" I cried.
And the man with a plate on his hat replied,
“It’s Morgan's.”
I sailed on a great ship, trim and true,
From pennant to keel and cabin to cre,
And the ship was one of a monster fleet;
A first-class navy could scarce compete,
“What a beautiful craft she is!" I cried,
And a man with akimbo legs replied,
“It’s Morgan's.”
I dwelt in a nation filled with pride,
Her people were many, her lands were wide;
Her record in war and science and art,
Proved greatness of muscle and mind ‘and heart
“What a grand old countryit is 1” 1 eried,
And-qoman with his chest in the airrepied,
“It's Morgan’s.”’ A
I went to heaven. The jasper walls
Towered high and wide, and the golden halls
Shone bright beyond. But a strange new mark
Was over the gate viz., “Private Park."
“Why, what is the meaning of this?’ I cried,
And a saint with a livery on replied,
“It's Morgan's.”
I went to the only place left. “I'll take
A chance on the boat on the brimstone lake,
Or, perhaps, I may be allowed to sit
On the griddled floor of the bottomless pit.”
But a leering lout with horns on his face
Cried out, as he forked me off the place,
“It’s Morgan's,”
———————
Prince’s Itinerary Arranged.
The Kaiser and His Brother Approve of the Pro-
gram Cabled by Ambassador von Hollenben.
BERLIN, Jan 20.—Admiral Prince Hen-
ry, of Prussia, while in the United States
will visit Chicago, Milwaukee, Niagara
Fails and Boston. These points are em-
braced in the itineary which has been ca-
bled bere by Dr. von Hollenben, the Ger-
man Ambassador at Washington. This
program was submitted to Emperor
William and Prince Henry to-day and has
been approved by them. Its general out-
line is as follows : ‘
February 22—The arrival of the Prince
and his suite at New York.
February 23—The official welcome by
the representatives of President Roosevelt,
the Governor of the State of New York and
the Mayor of New York city.
February 24—The launching of the yacht
at Shooters Island and a dinner to be giv-
en by Prince Henry.
February 25—A reception in honor of
Prince Henry, a dinner to be given by the
Mayor of New York and, if consistent with
these functions, a reception by the Press
Club.
February 26—The Prince and his party
will proceed to Washington, where the
Prince will reside at the German Embas-
sy. He will exchange calls with President
Roosevelt and he entertained at dinner at
the White House. :
February 27—Official receptions aud
visits and a dinner ai the German Embas-
sy.
February 28-—The Prince and his party
will start for Chicago.
The apportionment of the Prince’s time
between Chicago, Milwaukee, Niagara
Falls and Boston has not yet heen precise-
ly made. In fact, although the foregoing
is the official plan as it stands to-day, any
part of it may subsequently be modified.
Cablegrams on the sbbject of the program
are still being exchanged.
The suggestions contained in press dis-
patches from the United States that Prince
Henry would go to Washington twice ap-
pear to be mistakes. It is thought that
possibly President Roosevelt may find it
convenient to accompany his daughter to
the launching. In that case he would nat-
urally attend the dinners given at New
York city by Prince Henry and Mayor
Low, respectively, after which the Presi-
dent and the Prince would journey to
Washington together.
Later Prince Henry will spend two or
three days in New York. :
Prince and Princess Henry called upon
Andrew D. White. the American Am-
bassador here, with whom they had tea.
They remained abous half an hour.
——Subseribe for the WATCHMAN.
Spawls from the Keystone.
—The Williamsport Board:of’ rade in an
hour's time, at a recent meeting, subscribed
$140,000 to insure the location in that city of
the John N. Stearns & Co. Dye Works, an_
establishment employing 250 men,
—PFrederick Andree, of Stockholm, Swe-
den, a cousin of Andree. who perished in a
balloon voyage toward the North pole, has
been made chief engineer of Thompson
Brothers’ knitting mills at Lewistown.
—The barn on the VanTassel farm, near
DuBois, was burned early Monday morning.
One thousand bushels of grain, over a hun-
dred tons of hay and a hundred tons of silo
were consumed. The loss is fully 5.000 and
is only partly covered by insurance.
—T. D. Collins, one of the lumber kings of
Forest county, sold on Saturday a half inter-
est in his timber lands to Watson & Buzzard,
of Brockwayville, for a sum approaching $5,-
000,000. The amount of lumber available
from the lands is estimated at 500,000,000 ft.
—*“This is the first square meal that I have
sat down to for a long time,” said Amariah
Thompson as he was eating dinner at a hotel
at Williamsport Thursday. A moment later
he became ill and in a short time was dead.
Thompson, who was 65. years of age had been
living alone.
—Col. Alexander K. McClure, late of the
Philadelphia Times, has accepted an invita-
tion from the Allegheny bar association to at-
tend the Lincoln birthday banquet at Pitts-
burg on February 12th. Col. MeClure will
deliver an address onthe life and work of
President Lineoln.
—A freight wreck occurred at Portage
Sunday morning, in which Brakeman John
McFadden, of Mahaffey, Clearfield eounty,
was instantly killed and Fireman Harry Me-
Clain, of Conemaugh, was badly hurt. Two
engines, two eabins and one freight ear were
wrecked.
—A smallpox ease has heen reported in
Laurelton, a small village fifteen miles west
of Lewisburg. Fhe vietim is Miss Ida
Voneida. She was a clerk in Gimbel’s store,
Philadelphia and came home a week ago.
| Several acquaintanees were in to see her be-
fore they learned the nature of her disease.
—A list of the freight and passenger con-
ductors of the Beeeh Creek distriet relating
to length of time each has béen in the com-
vany’s employ has been posted at the chief
trainmaster’s office. T. A. Mullin is the old-
est conductor in the service, he having been
employed on the road since 1884. The total
number of conductors is seventy-nine.
—William Lewis, flagman on T. & C. loeal
freight train, met with a painful accident at
Osceola last Friday. He was standing on the
rear platform of his cabin when a coupling
was made and. from the jar he fell to the
track, sustaining severe bruises and baving
both his wrists sprained. He will be confin-
ed to his heme for some time before he will
be able to resume work.
—Something not often seen was witnessed
at Blairsville Monday at the funeral of the
late Thomas Brown, Sr., of Cokeville, The
pallbearers were seven stalwart sons of the
deceased. When it is remembered that Mr.
Brown was but fifty-three years of age, it is
quite remarkable that he should have so
many sous old and sturdy enough to act in
1 that eapacity.
—Religious enthusiasm is ranning high at
Jersey Shore, and as a result unique ocenr-
rences, without precedent in the history of
the locality, is being enacted. Owing to the
interest taken in revival services being held
in four of the churches, the Presbyterian,
First Methodist, Baptist and Lutheran, every
place of business, including saloons and hotel
barrooms are closed each evening during the
hours the meetings are in progress.
—It is unofficially announced that the
Pennsylvania company is about to discard
the Pintsch gas and carburetter system of
lights in all coaches and adopt electricity.
Such changes eannot be made all at once, and
it is doubtful if any attempt will he made to
introduce such a radical revolution in light-
ing appliances immediately. Electricity has
been in use on the limited trains of this sys-
tem for years, but has too many disadvan-
tages to recommend it for local coaches, which
must be shifted about and used on local trains
running in various directions.
—The safety valve of the engine at E. F.
Hall’s saw mill, at Hall’s Run, got out of or-
der a few days ago, and the governor belt
broke, causing the engine to run the machin-
ery so rapidly that a metal pulley flew into
pieces. The flying pieces of pulley cut the
rafters, causing the roof to fall. A circular
saw was reduced to atoms. Finally theen-
gine was torn from its foundation and started
furiously about the mill, smashing every-
thing in its path,until the steam chest broke.
The employes miraculously escaped, Mr.
Hall jumped fifteen feet, breaking his right
ankle.
—Judge Yerkes, in Bueks county, has giv-
en an opinion concerning the fees of town-
ship supervisors, which ought to have wide
interest. The judge held that the supervisor
is entitled to no commissions other than those
on cash payments of tax. He is not entitled
to commissions on tax worked out. Neither
is he entitled to. commissions on license or
on taxes remitted. It is estimated that the
effeet of this will be to reduce the fees of
supervisors by one half or two thirds. It has '
been discovered in a good many places that
‘the old system of working out the road tax is
not a good one, and does not produce good
roads, but it is so convenient that it is still
kept up nearly everywhere.
~A gpecial dispatch from Washington says:
An interesting document was filed with a bill
granting a pension of $30 a month to Mrs.
Mary E. S. Hays, of Hollidaysburg, Pa., in-
troduced by Representative Evans. It is an
autograph letter written by Gov. Curtin to.
President Lincoln, and endorsed by the lat-
terin his terse and characteristic fashion.
The war governor of the Keystone Common-
wealth wrote a long letter to the President
protesting against the dismissal of the hus-
band of the beneficiary named in the bill, and
asked Mr. Lincoln to re-instate him. The
President wrote: “In view of all circum-
stances, if the Governor of Pennsylvania
thinks fit to reappoint Surgeon Hays, he may
be mustered into the service of the United
States,” and then signed the familiar *‘A.
Lincoln.” Dr. Hays was re-instated and
made an excellent record as a surgeon of the
110 Pennsylvania volunteers. But nothwith-
standing that, Mrs. Hays connot get a_pen-
sion because her husband was once dismissed.
His re-instatement did wot cure his record,
hence the necessity for the bill.
a —————————————————