GRAY MEEK.
——
vy PB.
© nk Sings.
—A woman's reflections mostly come
out of her mirror.
—Possibly it is named ‘‘the stormy
March” because Congress comes to its end
during the early days of the month.
—Possibly it was to give him a chance
to spit on his hands and get a tighter grip
that CASTRO let go his hold for the mo-
ment.
—Some body must be taking a vacation
or neglecting his duties. We have not
heard from the peach-crop failure prophet
this spring.
— Minister SQUIRES alleges that Cuba
is the dirtiest and worst governed place he
has ever lived in. But then Mr. SQUIRES
never tried a residence in Philadelphia.
—After all the operator will have the
last word in the award of the strike com-
mission. The people will hear what that
is when the next coal price list is furnished.
-—The more a Frenchman reads of the
“Shame of St. Loms,” under its Republi-
can bosses, the greater will be his reasons
for thanking his ancestors for making the
Louisiana sale.
—Our temperance friends are counting
on great reforms in Congress from the
abolishment of the bar in the capitol.
Well, we wonldn’t wonder if it would
shorten the session considerably.
—With Mr. RoosevELT’S post offices
and Mr. HANNA'S promises of pensions
both pointed at them it is not strange that
the Southern Coon can’t exactly determine
which road ‘‘am de bes’ to run.”
—Philadelphia has two men jailed for
robbing citizens on the streets. Foolish
fellows that they were,not to know that to
be safe at that business they must get into
the council, or join one of the city rings.
—You need not get excited already.
The fight between ‘‘Col.”’ REEDER and
“Col.”” CHAMBERS, about who is to be
delegate, will have to get much hotter than
it now promises to be before war ships
will be ordered here.
—Word has gone out already from
“Col.”” REEDER’S office to his followers,
that ‘‘youneedtogeta hustleon,” while
“Col.’’ CHAMBERS has instructed his friends
to “‘Shlog him on de kop.”’” And with all
the country’s safe.
—Governor PENNYPACKER may be, as
he alleges, trying to ‘‘do the hest he can”
but th ere are those, who boast that it was
through their efforts he was elected, who
have come to the conclusion that his prin-
cipal desire is to ‘‘do’’ them.
—If Mr. ROCKEFELLER'S contributions
to his bible class were as profuse and fre-
quent as are his advisory talks there would
be one moral agency in this country, at
least, that wouldn’t need wear out the con-
tribution basket to keep itself going.
—After all there must have been some
mistake in the February election returns
from Pittsburg. At that time we under-
stood that a Mr, HAYES had been elected
recorder. Subsequent facts, however,
lead to the belief that it was Mr. E. M.
BiGcr.ow.
—Since the Buffalo authorities bave
failed to find any clue to the BURDICK
murderer they have turned their attention
to the discovery of how many and the kind
of kisses Mrs. BURDICK accepted from
other men. This ought to condone the
failure to turn up the criminal, in the eyes
of that Elmwood set.
—1It was Mr. CLEVELAND who coined the
expression ‘‘inoccuons desuetude.’”’ It is
Mr. CLEVELAND who could occupy that
condition politically just now to great ad-
vantage to the party that bas twice honor-
éd him, as well as to the lasting peace
and the wearing down of the wire edge on
the memory of the Hon. W. J. B.
—The Buffalo police are in their own
estimation making amazing strides in un-
raveling the BURDICK murder mystery.
Last week they proved by the corpse that
BURDICK was dead. They have since come
pretty near showing that the crime was
committed by either a man or a woman.
Evidently they bave a lot of “hot tamal-
les’’ in the sleuth business up in the Pan
American city.
—We merely remark, in a suggestive
way, that it might be in order for the
Brotherhood-of- Boodlers, now known as the
Great Disappointed at Harrisburg, to apply
for an injunction to restrain the PENNY-
PACKER vetoes. Injonetions have proven
a powerful specific for Republican needs,
and the woods are still full of Republican
judges who have bad them on tap when-
ever these necessities were presented.
—~8ince coming to think about it, it
stri kes us that neither of our Republic-
an contemporaries bave had a boastful
word about Republican prosperity since
the Glass works closed down or the Scale
works concluded to pull up stakes and
move. Evidently there must be ice in
their bugles, or a shortage of wind under
their belts, else why this dense silence
about the prosperity of our workingmen ?
—It is to be hoped that his serene alti-
tudinosity, commonly known as the Czar of
Russia, will consider that a promise of
‘“‘reform’’ means that some reform shall
follow tke promise. If such should be the
case it might be the proper thing for the
subjects of Czar QUAY to horrow a little of
the same kind of seed and see if it is pos-
sible to grow a fulfillment of some of the
reform promises given the people of Penn-
sylvania.
STATE RIG
NOL
_ BELLEFONTE, PA., MARCH 27, 1908.
Only a Waste of Time.
We have received from Mr. CLINTON
ROGERS WOODRUFF, chairman of the com-
mittee for the Promotion of Election Re-
form, a circular letter requesting ‘‘editorial
attention to the failure of the Legislature
to take action on the ballot reform meas-
ures that have been presented to that body,
in the hope,” as Mr. WOODRUFF says,
“‘that an expression of public sentiment
through the newspapers will bring the
committee to a realization of the situa-
tion.”
With a full appreciation of Mr. WooD-
RUFF’s efforts in this line, and with as ear-
nest a desire to see a change in the ballot
laws as he can have, the WATCHMAN
can conceive of no benefit to be gained
through any expression it could make on
the subject.
The present Legislature was elected on a
platform pledged to ballot reform. The
Republican leaders and voters from one
end of the State to the other promised the
people that their representatives would
faithfully fulfill this pledge; the newspapers
of that party endorsed this promise and
guaranteed that it would be carried out to
the letter. They have since made up their
minds that they would rather be written
down as liars and deceivers of the public
than to have honest elections throughout
the State, and all the ‘‘expressions’’ tbat
all the honest newspapers in the Common-
wealth can make can not bring them to
realize the shame of the situatie» they are
placing themselves in.
Mr. WOODRUFF, and other honestly dis-
posed Republicans may as well make up
their minds at once that there is to be no
“ballot or other reform, while the majori-
ty that party has is as great as itis in
Pennsylvacia. One might as well jabber
Greek to a street gamin, or talk of the
filthy condition of its wallow to a razor-
backed pig, as to handy words with the
ordinary Republican, or his pledged repre-
sentative, about the ‘‘necessity of ballot re-
form.”” They don’t mean to give the State
any. They never did mean to do so, and
any efforts to bring them to a sense of the
shame tat is on them is but a loss of time
and a waste of energy.
No, Mr. WOODRUFF, this paper has no
advice to give the present Legislature on
the subject of ballot reform.
The Republican Ticket.
That the Republican ticket has been chos-
en for the coming campaign the public has
been informed through the Sunday news-
papers. The candidates have been equally
divided between the Eastern and Western
sections and to make the parallel more
complete two are from the Southeast and
the other two from the Northwest. The
judicial officers are to be taken from the
West and the political offices from the
opposite section. The judicial candidates
are HENDERSON of Crawford, and MORRI-
SON of McKean. Both these gentlemen
have recently beep appointed to fill vacan-
cies by the Governor and if elected will
succeed themselves.
The political offices to fill are Auditor
General and State easurer. They are
equally important fori through one of them
th e machine ‘‘holds-up’’ the banks for
campaign corruption funds, and, through
the other, it bleeds the corporations for the
same purpose. The candidates are, for
Auditor General, State Senator WILLIAM
P. SNYDER, of Chester county, and for State
Treasurer, Prothonatory MATHUERS, of Dela-
ware. These gentlemen were chosen last
Saturday by Senator PENROSE and Con-
tractor McN1CHOL, of Philadelphia. It is
said QUAY had nothing to do with it
and DURHAM wasn’t even in telephonic
communication with the gentlemen.
The significance of this is simply the
fact that the councils of the party are draw-
ing into closer lines. Hitherto a dozen or
more so-called leaders were brought fo-
gether when so important a question as
selecting the party candidates was to be
determined. Bub recent experiences have
shown that there is no necessity for going
to so much trouble and PENROSE and Mo-
NicHOL have been appointed administra-
tors of the party. Probably they represent
QuAY and DURHAM and it is possible that
the Senator is still in that careless mood
that characterized him during the closing
hours of the regular session of the Senate
and doesn’t care how things go. In any
event PENROSE and McNICHOL constitute
the party convention.
——There will be few tears shed by the
country Democracy over the ‘‘ripping’’ out
of office of the Democratic members on the
Board of Revision of Taxes in Philadel-
phia. A set of officials who seek place, as
Democrats, and after getting it refuse to
either contribute, work vr vote, for their
party, as these men have done are not of
sufficient importance to bother about what
comes of them. . From all the, so called,
Democrats who have filled these positions
for years back, the party has not received
enough, in contributions, to man the polls
on election day in a-half a dozen divisions,
nor to buy tax receipts for the voters of a
a single block. The party owes them
noshing—not even regrets that they are to
lose the salaries they have been drawing.
Roosevelt's Western Trip.
Next week, if present plans are carried
out, President ROOSEVELT will start on
his Western campaign tour and renew the
jabbering which he was forced to abandon
during the last campaign. His coming
junket contemplates an absence from the
capital of two months during which time
the affairs of state will be under the di-
rection of departments heads or clerks, or
understrappers of one class or another.
The chances are that no material interest
will suffer on account of his absence and
that there will be no deterioration m the
character of the administration on account
of his rambles. But it is surprising, never-
theless, that a civil service reformer should
be willing to neglect his duties for so long
a period.
The President’s Western trip is sched:
uled to begin one week from to-day,
Friday, April 3rd. He has choosen that
day to show his contempt for the super-
stition that Friday is unlucky. Some
friends, no doubt for the purpose of flatter-
ing him, suggested that probably the rea-
son of his failure to get any game during
his bear hunt in Mississippi, last November,
was because he had started on Friday.
Thereupon he promptly determined to
make the start for his Western trip on the
same day and prove that such things have
nothing to de with snccess or failure in
such affairs. It is a boyish resolation con-
ceived in superstition and carried out in
mock bravado, but it is essentially ROOSE-
VELTIAN and conspicuously idiotic.
During the two months of his absence
President ROOSEVELT will draw upwards
of $8,000 on salary account without giving
any return in service. Besides that he
will probably be at an expense of $500 a
day which will amount to $30,000 in the
time and must be paid out of some fund of
the governmeut. Thus the Presidents
holidays and campaign tours are expen-
sive luxuries to the public even if they are
enjoyable to himself, though they smack
somewhat of dishonesty in thas itis com-
pelling the people to pay expenses not con-
templated either by the eonstitution or the
law. But ROOSEVELT doesn’t mind little
things like that. He cares for his own
pleasures and strives to promote his own
political interests and beyond that he never
thinks.
Bad for the Miners Unton.
When the questions in dispute between
the striking coal miners in the anthracite
regions and the owners of the mines were
referred to a commission selected by the
mine owners, and appointed by the Presi-
dent, we suggested that the award would
probably be bad for the miner’s organiza-
tion. ‘The report made public on Saturday
fulfills this prediction. It recommends an
increase in the miners’ wages, a decrease in
the lengsh of their working day and some
other concessions which they demanded.
In fact it may be said that the comissioners
were fairly generous to the miners as well
as just to the operators. But they have
signed the death knell of the miners’
union.
As every one knows, the incentive to
join unions is the hope that such action
will give those who do it some sort of an
advantage in the industrial life about them
over their fellows who have not taken the
step. Unions like everything else of value
cost money. Every member must pay an
initiation fee at the time of entrance and
monthly dues which in the course of a year
amount to anywhere from three to five dol-
lars. These burdens are assumed for the
reason that, as a rule, those who bear them
have a preference in getting employment.
In fact when the union is in control only
union men can get employment at all and
the advantage in that respeot is worth what
it costs.
The injury to the miners in the award of
the commission, therefore, is in that feature
of the report which forbids union men from’
discriminating against non-union men in
the matter of employment. In other words
a union man is prohibited from objecting
to the employment of a non-union man in
the same mine. That of course will rob
the union of its advantage and remove the
incentive to join which induces men to
bear the expense of the union. No man
pays money for nothing and when the union
ceases to afford any advantage men will
cease to pay dues so that it will cease to be
self-supporting and must in a short time
cease to exist. While the award benefits
the miners in some respects it may prove
fatal to the union.
—Greensburg is to have another Demo-
cratic paper. The Clipper which for the
past seven years has represented the inde-
pendent element of Westmoreland, and
‘which shows a degree of enterprise not
usually found in the country press, has
come out forcefully for the Democracy and
promises to be a power in politics of
western Pennsylvania. Its espousal of
the Democratic faith is a straw showing
the drift of sentiment among the voters of
that section, as well as emphasizes the
good judgment of its publishers.
No Ballot Reform.
Whatever delusions have been held
hitherto concerning ballot reform, during
the present session of the Legislature, may
as well be dismissed. They were jolted
cut of existence by the action of the House
of Representatives last Monday night. On
that occasion Representative IKELER, of
Columbia county, offered a resolution dis-
charging the committee on elections from
the further consideration of the ballot re-
form bill introduced by himself about six
weeks ago. He supported his motion in an
eloquent speech quoting the platforms of
both parties for several years and the
speeches of leading Republicans including
Senator QUAY.
But his resolution was defeated by the
overwhelming majority which is represent-
ed by the ratio of Republican to Democrat-
ic votes in the House. Not a single Repub-
lican voted fer the resolution. Represen-
tative PLUMMER, of Blair county, chairman
of the committee on elections, defended his
party agaiust the accusation of bad faith.
He said the party intends to give the peo-
ple a new ballot law but declared that if
will not represent reform. Tt will be »
measure in the interest of practical politics
and if the people don’t like it they can go
hang. It was probably the boldest notice,
that bas ever been uttered that the people
are held in contempt by the managers
of the machine.
The plain inference is that there will be
no ballot reform legislation enacted during
this session of the Legislature. Mr. PLUM-
MER in his strangely constructed speech
referred to the question of personal regis-
tration and declared that it will not be
adopted. ‘‘The ballot reform organization
suggested it,’’ he said in substance, ‘‘the
Legislature adopted it and the people rati-
fied the action.’’ ‘‘But we don’t want per-
sonal registration,’’ he continued ‘‘and
won’t have it.”’ Then he expressed his be-
lief that there have heea no election frauds
in Philadelphia and thought he had an-
swered the demand for ballot reform.
Struck the Wrong Spot.
A “Mr. ARCHIBALD C. JONES,’’ who is
advertised as *‘a former prominent politi-
cian of New York City,”’ is said to be in
tke anthracite coal region of this State
‘booming GROVER CLEVELAND for the
nuesidential nomination in 1904,” and
starting ‘‘a movement to re-organize the
party.’ While Mr. ARCHIBALD JONES,
or any other of the JoNEs family, has a
perfect right to boom whom he pleases for
presidential nominee and start all the
movements he has a mind to to re-organ-
ize the party, we have every reason to be-
lieve that it will take a bigger JONES than
Mr. ARCHIBALD has ever shown himself
to be, to accomplish the purposes he is said
to bave in view.
The Pennsylvania Democracy may be
‘down at the heel,” to a very discourag-
ing extent, but there are still over foumr-
hundred-thonsand of them left who be-
lieve they know their own mind, and who
have an idea that they are abundantly able
to take care of their own affairs without
interference or dictation from outside
sources, ;
Mr. ARCHIBALD JONES might better
save his wind and his work for some other
field.
New Political Philosophy.
There are two ideas and ouly two in the
legislation of the present session of the
General Assembly of Pennsylvania. One
of these is the levying of taxes and the
other the spending of money. Scarcely a
day passes that some new object of taxa-
tion is not discovered. In the matter of
developing new methods of disbursing
funds there is about an equal fertility of
intellect. These things are the logic of a
new political philosophy which is express-
ed in the theory that everybody is content"
ed as long as he gets a share of the loot.
Senator QUAY is the author of that notion.
He has applied it in all his political opera-
tions.
More new offices will be created during
the present session of the Legislature, if
the bills pending are passed, than were ever
created in any half dozen previ ous sessions.
The same is true with respect to objects of
taxation. Heretofore when there was dan-
ger of an exhaustion of the revenues the
statesmanship of the Commonwealth turned
its eyes in the direction of a curtailment of
expenses. That idea never occurs to the
party managers now. They simply seek
out some new subject of taxation and make
ends meet by increasing the revenues.
Strangely enough itappears to be the popu-
lar method. The average man thinks it is
all right to rob everybody else and give
him a share of the plunder.
Singularly enough this new political
philosophy is predicated on public credul-
ity. That is to say it is based on the false
notion that the producers of the faxed
article pay the taxes. There is nothing
further from the facts. The consumers
pay and whether the tax is levied on mort-
gages, receipts of corporations, bank capital
or money at interest, the result is the same.
The tax on a mortgage is taken out of the
| apfortunate who borrowed the money
throug
rough the medium of an increased rate
of interest, and that on receipts of corpora-
tions on the fellow who pays the freight
and he is the consumer of the article ship-
BE ————
A Fable That Fits Us Closely.
From the London Truth.
The Ants, baving accumulated a vast
Pile of Wheat, found it necessary to guard
it against the Depredationz of their Ene-
mies, the Locusts. So they told off certain
of their Number to act as Seatinels ; who,
in Consideration of their Services, were
billed upon the Wheat Pile.
But. by and by, the Ant Leaders were
seized with an unreasoning Fear lest the
existing Sentinels should prove too few to
repel the Locusts. Indeed, so great was
their Panic that they promptly doubled the
Number.
‘‘We must,’’ said they, ‘‘at all Costs in-
sure our Wheat Pile against any possibility
of Attack.”?
And this Result they effected. They
also effected something else—less satisfac-
tory. One fine Morning, upon going to
inspect their treasured Wheat Pile, they
found-—to their Dismay—that it had total-
ly disappeared.
{‘Halloa 1’ they ejaculted, in great Agi-
tation, rubbing their incredulous Eyes with
their Antennae, ‘‘what the Proverbs of
Solomon has become of our Wheat Pile ?’’
“Why, just what was to be expected,’
rejoined an observant Lady-Bird, who hap-
pened to be passing at the Moment. ‘‘Your
own Sentinels have eaten it ap.”’
Moral: Down with the Army and Navy
Estimates !
How It Is Dome For Them.
From the Philadelphia Record.
It appears that the Machine (by long
distance telephone from Israel W. Dur-
ham) has selected W. L. Mathues, of Dela-
ware county, for State Treasurer and W.
P. Snyder, of Chester county, for Auditor
General. Judges Henderson and Morri-
son,who are now on the Bench of the Supe-
rior Court by appointment, will complete
the State ticket. The Repnblicaus of the
interior of the State have nothing to do
but quietly acquiesce in the selection of
Snyder and Mathues. Should they under-
take to revolt and exercise the privilege of
choosing their own candidates for Auditor
General and State Treasurer the Machine
would bring up its banditti in solid ranks
from Philadelphia, and these, with such
delegates, as could be picked up in other
quarters, would make the nomination in
spite of resistance. The Republicans of
Pennsylvania are just beginning to realize
-how completely they are in the grasp. of a
tyrannical and remorseless Machine.
How a Great Industry Was Destroyed.
From the Hot Springs (8. D.) Times-Herald.
Io 181%: Jerhape $500,000,000 in silver,
wor .29 per ounce, was owned b
Uncle Sam. The silver industry wes ”
paying proposition and on the well known
theory of protection to American indus-
tries, should have been fostered. Adverse
legislation was demanded by the gold-
greedy few, who desired to monopolize the
wealth of the land, and silver has fallen to
390 per ounce, entailing a loss of $360,000, -
000 in the value of Uncle Sam’s holdings,
and that loss is but a fraction of the entire
loss to the whole eountry. The Republicans
railed against flat money in 96 and 1900,
yet today our country is full of flat money,
and the same obstructionists now point
with pride to the unstable prosperity we
now enjoy as a result of the increase in the
money of the country. When will the
people get their eyes opened ?
But That Ox Belongs to Another Fel-
low.
From the Pitésburg Post. :
It has not been a long time since the
Republican Press was much distressed be-
cause W. J. Bayan was alleged to be
charging Democratic campaign committees
for his speeches. Mr. Roosevelt is now
billed for 200 addresses within 60 days.
During that period the people of the Unit-
ed States, Democrats and campaign com-
mittees all included, will pay bim the sum
of $8,333. But of course Mr. Roosevelt's
oratory is not for himself, but for the en-
lightenment of the conntry.
A Kind Word for a Deserving Repre-
sentative.
From the Clearfield Spirit.
In the Hoase Monday, Representative J.
W. Kepler, of Centre county, introduced a
bill making it unlawful for persons of
either sex of pure Causasian descent to be
joined in marriage with persons of negro
descent, and declaring all marriages con-
tracted after January 1s6, 1904, in viola-
tion of the proposed act. The measure is
one which should become a law, and no
donbt will. Representative Kepler is gain-
ing a reputation as a legislator. Although
this is his first term in the house, Mr. Kep-
ler has been heard from frequently.
Imperialism at Work.
From the Detroit Commonwealth.
The editors of Freedom, the Manila
Dewpaper which dared to criticise a native
member of the civil commission were found
guilty of libel and each of them has heen
ned $1,000 and sentenced to Bilibid pris-
on for six months. They were denied a
jary trial, were forbidden to attempt to
prove the truth of {heir charges, and their
attorney was disbarred. If we support a
government that denies justice to these
people, can we expect it very long for our-
selves
How Peace 1s Getting Along In the
Philippines.
From the Johnstown Democrat.
- Peace is again wbooping it up in the
Philippines. The patriot army, which is
now described by the press censor as a
band of thieves, has just captured a town in
Mindanao and killed one American officer
and several soldiers. The situation is said
to be critical at Jolo. The bodies of 500
American soldiers have just been brought
to Manila from that place. They have paid
the price of imperialism.
——Subscribe for the WATCHMAN.
Spawls from the Xeystone.
Higher prices are now being obtained for
horses at public sales in Lancaster county
than for many years past.
~Just eleven years ago the snow was as
high as the fences at Baumstown, Berks
county, and now the people there are gather.
ing dandelion and four leafed clovers.
—On Tuesday of last week over seven hun-
dred cars passed Lewistown Junction, mak-
ing the biggest movement for a day. The
best previous record has been 6,900.
—During the year just closed forty new
rural free delivery mail routes have been ad-
ded to those established in York and Adams
counties. One hundred and fifteen in all are
in view.
—Snakes have made their appearance in
Sugar valley, Clinton county, much earlier
in the season than usual. Chester Schwenk
killed a blacksnake last week that was five
feet long.
—Merle Rowe, 13 years of age, of Reeds-
ville, Mifflin county, died Saturday morning
from poison, ke having eaten laurel in mis-
take for wintergreen, while roaming among
the mountains in the vicinity of his home.
—Orders have been received at the local
passenger car shops at Altoona, for construc-
tion of six dining cars and four combined buf-
fet cars of the latest model and finish. These
will be the first cars of this class ever built at
these shops. :
—The body of John Crobie, of Barnesboro,
who went out hunting early last winter and
never returned, was found less than a mile
from the town on Saturday. His gun lay a
considerable distance away. Itis not known
how he met death.
—The women of the Mite Society of the
Methodist Episcopal church at Wrightsville,
will build a new church by selling mittens.
They held their first sale last week. The re.
ceipts amounted to $82, more than enough to
cover the cost of laying the corner stone of
the new edifice.
—While attempting to rescue Frank Wil
son from beneath the wheels of a a train near
Uniontown Saturday, Robert Maxwell, aged
52 years, received a bullet in his side from a
revolver falling from Wilson’s pocket. The
shot caused him to fall under the wheels,and
both Maxwell and Wilson were killed.
—Lock Haven has two cases of smallpox
the victims being Mrs. Grace Newell and her
son who is between 2 and 3 years of age.
They are at the home of Thomas Allen, a
relative, and the house has been quarantined
Mrs. Sewell, with her husband and child
went to Lock Haven from Dunlo, Cambria-
county, about a week ago, and it is thought
she contracted the disease at the latter place.
—Gov. Pennypacker, Tuesday night, in
Harrisburg, removed Col. Thomas G. Sample,
of Allegheny, and in his place appointed ex-
Representative A. Nevin Pomeroy, of Cham-
bersburg, as Superintendent of Public Print-
ing. Col. Sample’s term would not have ex-
pired until July 1st, 1905. He refused to re-
sign when asked and his removal followed.
The office pays $2,000 a year.
—William Baker, who makes his home
with his son-in-law, John F. Ayle, in Centre
township, Perry county, broke his right leg
recently. Mr. Baker is 94 years of age and is
blind. To attempting to sit down on a chair
he missed the chair and sat down on the floor
with such force as to cause the accident. Ow-
ing to his great age it is feared the broken
limb may have serious consequences.
—A large assemblage had gathered at the
home of Mrs. William Ream, of Lamberts-
ville, Somerset county, to celebrate the 76th
anniversary of her birth. The aged woman
was not feeling well, but she insisted that
notwithstanding her illness all should enjoy
themselves. The serving of dinner proceed-
ed, but toward its close Mrs. Ream was taken
violently ill and died before a physician could
be called.
—Because J. M. Furey, a teacher in the
Maynard street, South Williamsport school
building, administered corporal punishment
to a son of Lewis Pfirman, and later suspend.
ed the boy, the father became angry, made
threats to do bodily harm to the teacher and
has made a nuisance of himself at the school.
Mr. Furey, who was a former resident of this
place, bas caused a warrant to be issued for
his arrest.
—1It is believed that Samuel Myers, of Hep"
burnville, has been accidentially drowned in
Lycoming creek, near his home, and the sup-
position is that he met his death in the swel-
len waters of that stream Monday afternoon.
Searchers have been looking for Myers in the
vicinity ever since he disappeared, but with-
out avail and the finding of his hatin the
creek near dark Tuesday evening only
strengthened the belief that he had met with
a watery grave. :
—Home remedies were successfully brought
into use by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dugan, of
Summerhill, Monday, to save the life of their
four-year-old daughter, who had drank some
carbolic acid in childish ignorance. Dr. Hess,
the only physician boasted of by Summer-
hill, has shaken the dust of that borough off
his feet and Mr. Dugan made vain efforts to
secure the immediate attendance of physi-
cians from Ehrenfeld and South Fork. Asa
last resort the parents, with the aid of neigh-
bors, did what they could to save the child’s
life and with a favorable result.
—At his home in Chambersburg a week
ago, Henry A. Smith was preparing to build
a pavement when he came on a nest of seven
well grown ‘“‘moccasin’’ snakes. They were
hidden in a pile of stones which Mr, Smith
was tearing down. As he removed the stone
that covered their rocky abode the snakes
tumbled out and surrounded him, hissing
ominously. For a few minutes Mr. Smith
watched the coiling reptiles, then fell upon
them and slew them with heavy blows. It
was a lively mix up of Smith and snakes, but
he came off victoriously and killed the seven.
' —William Dress, the fireman at M. M. Mot
ter’s saw mill at the head of McElbattan run,
in Clinton sounty, met his death in a fright-
ful manne: on Wednesday morning. How
he was killed none of the employees know,
as the first intimation they had of the acci-
dent was when they saw his mangled and
bleeding form on the floor of the ougine
room. Many of the boues in his body were
broken and his clothing was torn into shreds.
Hence, there seems to be no doubt but that
while oiling the machinery or adjusting a
belt, the unfortunate man’s clothing was
caught in the shafting, and no help being at
hand to shut off the steam, was whirled
around until his body was toin and nded
to a bleeding mass and dropped to the floor;
where fellow workmen found it just as the.
last spark of life was leaving. -