Ea It always —Chieago is to bave 850 gas. was cheap 10 the Windy City. ~The ground-hog wil! need a looking glass today if he hopes to see his shadow. —As a winter month Javuvary did make a miserable fist of it, didn’ it? —Unless our Legislators at Harrisburg get down to work right quick that $500 won't see them through. —How happy we will all be when NICK and Arick get married. Then there will be something else to read about. —80 Mr. HEISLER is the nominee of the Republicans of Spring township for school director ! How proud they must be. —Let us hope that February will briog enough winter to relieve the suspense of the ice man and fix it up a listle with the plumber. —Every body seems to be taking a fall out of the ailroads. The power of the pass that was is just becoming apparent to the public. —Think of it! There were 25,635 acci- dental injuries to persons on the railroade of Pennsylvania last year and 3,460 of them proved fatal. —LEANDER GREEN says if you want the black hand society to scare the cows off Bellefonte’s streets elect bim to the of- fice of high constable. ~The speediest way to stop the rebate injustice iv the insurance business is for persons to write no business with compa- nies that offer rebates. —No, dear, it is eafe to assert that no invitations to the ROOSEVELT-LONGWORTH wedding bave been received in Centre county, else they would have heen heard of ere this. —Mr. defunct LEE PLUMMER has de- clared for local option. It was local op- tion that killed him last fall ; thas is the option that every individual bad of voting for him or BERRY. —It remained for a Frenchman to drive an automobile two miles in less than one minute at the Ormond, Florida, aces the other day. The French always did have ~ the reputation of being fast. | ==One baby in eight years is the record “that the interest on this excess obarge amounts to $94,284 annually. —In Milwaukee the Socialist Democrats bave adopted a platform demanding that the city put bath rooms in the poor peo- ple’s homes, give them free medical attend- ance, free hospital service and free legal advice. Isn’s it fonny that the Milwau- kee-ites didn’t ask for free beer. -J. J. BixgHAM, of Lykens, Pa., wants to know whioh is more serviceable to man- kind—gold or steel ? Uncle RUSSELL SAGE and ANDY CARNEGIE might enlighten the gentleman in sach a manner as to leave him more perplexed than ever as to the relative service of the two metals. —A Stroudsburg baby swallowed an old PENNYPACKER campaign butéon and" near- ly choked to death, which isn’t to be won- dered at when we think of the number of adals Republicans in Pennsylvania who swallowed PENNYPACKER several years ago and have been chokiog ever since. ~The President would like to have the lettess he wrote to Col. MANN about Fads : and Fancies, that notorious black-mailing * 'publiedtion in New York, returned to him. Being the President his wish will probably be complied with, bus being the President * or any otber honorable gentleman they should never bave been written. —4Scorry,” the millionaire miner of Death Valley, California, bas visited Phil. adelphia and the leeches down there say he isa fake because he didn’t throw any of his money away. Perhaps is wasn's “Scor- v's" fault at all. Those Philadelphians may have been too slow to get any of the wad that was as big as a piano leg. | ~The total indebtedness of the borough of Bellefoute, covering everything, appears 10 be $108,438.81. - When it is considered _ tbat we have a waker works worsh $150,- * 000.00 as least, along with several public buildings and properties of coesiderable value, we can’t see 80 much use of worry- ing. Besides, expenses will be much low- er for the next ten years, as least, and the debt can either be materially reduced or taxes lowered. —A rather interesting phase of the sil- ver question bas developed lately, and is likely to give the free-silverite a chance for afew] told you sos. The demand for silver in Rossia, China, Japan and India, coupled with thé greas scarcity of subsidi- ary coin in this country bas advanced the price of silver considerably ;in fact so much in excess of the supply is the de- ~ mand that tbe poor, disoredited hall-priced ‘Mexican coin, that was so persistently * flaunted in the face of BRYAN ten years ago has actually risen to a premium over gold and today is selling for more thap its face value. While this condition of affairs bears out the theory that the value of money is - regulated by the law of supply and de- mand it also combats the contention that the government stamp fixes its value per- mavently. cub The ill-informed gentlemen who are per- sistently circulating ramors of the over- whelming indebtedness of Bellefonte, as a result of recent public improvements that bave proven both pleasing and beneficial to all, would save themselves as being branded as either liars or asses il they were to state the whole truth, instead of only half-truths, as they are doing. The WATCHMAN has never taken a part in local politics other than to urge the elec- tion of the best men—who are usually found on the Democratic ticket—and does not propose to enter the contest this spring, but duty and candor both call for a fair and truthful statement of the borough's financial condition in order that justice may he done those who bave bad it in charge. According to the statement of the audi- tors published on March 2nd, 1903, the debt of the borough, bonded and floating, over and above all the assets such as uncollected duplicates, cash on band, sinking fund, eto., was $104,310.25. The actual debt of the borough today is : Spekial Band Issue. 200000 ote in 1st National Bank... 1,600.00 Note held by Geo. R. Meek... 4,006.67 Note held Hart Keller.... 2,000.00 Note held u Mrs. W. Reeder 4,000,00-8136,166.67 The actual assets of the borough today are : Good cash in sinking fand.. 04 Uncollected duplicare, a SOD eurseesareraarrens ses duplicate, liens, AA 2,600,00— $27,727.96 alunce of indebledness......... $108,438.81 From this it will be seen thas today the total indebtedoess of the Borough over all assets is only $108,428.81. Three years ago it was $104,319.25. THE INCREASE OF INDEBTEDNESS IN THE PAST THREE YEARS HAS BEEN ONLY $4.- 119.56. This covers everything. No matter what others may tell youn concerning the borough’s financial condition this state nent cannot be refated because it is taken oks of the treasurer and tax ete,, John Uucollected etc., “that the mon ed. The new Phoenix pumpiog station bas been installed at great expense, but to give you an idea of what an ultimate saving it will be we need only refer you to the aud- itor's statement of 1903 in which it is shown that fuel alone for the water works cost $4,870.75. This year the fall bill will be but $300. A eaviog of $4,570.75 on a single item. 1300 feet of 12 inch water main were laid from the diamond to the reservoir, th us greatly improving the water service of the North ward. 400 feet of new sewer was laid on Bish- op street. 600 feet of new sewer wae laid on South Spring street. 600 feet of sewer was laid on High street. 2450 feet of sewer was laid in the West ward. The hasdsome new concrete and brick bridge over the race on High street was planned and built and, most important of all, and most conspicuous in its beauty and durability is the Water street wall and walk; the greatest public improvement ever made in Bellefonte and a lasting mon- cause they have no share in carrying them to completion. All this bas been done, and more, and the borough debt bas grown only $4,119.56. Miss Rooscvelt’s Wooing. That ‘‘everybody loves a lover’ is axiom- | atio and the movements of Miss ALICE | RoosgveLr, hter of the President, who is soon to become a bride, are not lic concern. From all accounts Miss ROOSEVELT is a charming young woman. That is to say she is of good figure, fairly bandsome in feature, marvelously ener- gesic, and reasonably amiable in disposi- Sion. Naturally under such ociroumstan- ces there is a good deal of popular desire to observe her movements and keep in view her personality. Baus it is also pro- verbial that one oan get $00 much of a good thing. No fair-minded man or woman in this broad land would grudge the President's daughter ascintilla of the enjoyment which her present situation affords. It isa rare period in the life of & healthy and hopeful young woman when she is approaching ‘oial world whioh is marked by her mar- riage to the man of ber choice and the hero of her imagination. Acs matter of fact is transports her into what may be charac- terized as a sacred stage which the modest maiden worehips in secrecy and dwells upon in silence. Is isa bappy, hopeful, enthusiastic, exclusive period in her life which shrinks from public inspection. It is uot unkind, therefore, to say that Mies RoosEVELT bas been too open in ber the small increase of indebtedness warrant. um ent to the men about whose heels a lot of local puppies are barking as if mad be- only matters of social intereet but of pub- that change in ber relationship to the so-. love affair. To the over-censorious mind it may seem that such reflections are un- gracious because if Miss ROOSEVELT wants to carry her bears on her sleeve and in- dulge in billing and cooing in public view she kas a right to do so to her heart's con- tent. But the truth is that williugly or un- willingly she has hecome the representative of that modest American maidenhood which is the pride of every American man and woman and in ber too public courting she does injustice to the character. Be- sides there is danger of the turning of the head of a girl under such circumstances. First Duty of Reformers. The zeal with which the machine man- agers in the Legislature are pressing the so- called civil service bill confirms the sas- pici on expressed in these columns thut the purpose of that measure is to prevent a re- organization of the force in theState Treas- ury. From the moment the results of the election were revealed an attempt to put the affairs of the department in order has been in progress. Invalid and invaluable | bonds have been replaced by such securi- ties for deposits as will come within the provisions of the law and other forms of | reform have been inaugurated. But after all there is a delinquency to be covered up and the oniy hope of accomplishing it ie in continuing the machine emissaries in con- trol. Io pressing the legislation the hogus pre- tense is made that public sentiment in this State has long demanded civil service legielation. Both parties, they say, have promised it year after year in convention platforms, which is true. But the real de- mand of public sentiment as expressed in the result of the last election is that the rascals be turned ont and all other reforme are secondary to that. For years the ma- chine bas been perfecting a structure of fraud aod building up an organization of venals. No enduring improvement in the public service can be effected until she primary work of effort to defeat in ¢ a The agents of the machine managers are entrenched in the places of power and how- ever the heads of departments may try they can’t prooure genuine improvement until every one of these corrupt agents are out. State Treasurer BERRY has been com- missioned by the people to cleanse the Treasury department but he must fail if he is hampered by legislation which will continue the crooks responsible for the wretched conditions in power. After there bas been a complete change in the persen- nel of the departments civil ‘service legis- lation will be in order and beneficial. Bus for the present it can work no result other than the gravest evils and reformers should govern themselves accordingly. ——— A it st The President Was Amused. The Gridiron club, a social and more or less hilarious organization, gave the Presi. dent an interesting and amusing exhibi- tion of canal building at itsannual dinner in Washington the other night. The club is composed of newspaper writers whose ex- perience as Washington correspondents has given them a rather olear understanding of and a tolerably clear insight into public affairs. Like a!l intelligent and practical men, they have formed a rather contempt- uous opinion of the operations looking toward the construction of a ship canal across the Isthmus of Panama and by a *‘gkis,’’ improvised for the occasion they expressed their notions with obaracteristio freedom. The principal guest of the occasion was the President of the United States and the object of the ‘‘skit’’ was to show him and the others how stupidly extravagant and senseless is the work heing performed on the Isthmus under the sanction of the gov- ernment. The first exhibit was the appear- ance on the stage of a promoter with an arm foll of money which was scattered about among the natives and adventurers with a reckless abandon that was amazing. After him followed press agents and sina- ourists of various types in the character of engineers, contractors, loafers and others which put upon the affair so realistic an as- peot thas every incident of the long drawn out Iraud was presented. It is said that the President was greatly amused by the exhibition of his own folly and that of others, but there hae been no bins that the obvious purpose of the pre- sentiment will be fulfilled. That is to say, there are no indications that the faults in the management of the enterprise will be corrected or the extravagauces ahated. The President laughed heartily at the wil- ful waste of the resources of the publio bus indicated no purpose to alter the methods or check the abuses. He is content, and 80 long as the burden falls on the should- ‘ers of the people he sees no reason to call a halt. But there were a number of Sena- tors and Representatives present, and they may adopt a different idea of the lesson. "STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. BELLEFONTE, PA., FEB. 2, 1906. tarning them out is ae. it by ‘ment is at present honeycombed with vice. f insurance Commissioner's Fees. The revelations of the past week con- cerning graft in the Insurance Department are both interesting and startling. pears that the fees drawn by Mr. DURHAM far exceeded even the most extravagant conjecture, and amounted to more than $50,000 a year. Out of this generous sum he allowed the actuary to retain three or four thousand dollars annually. Bat unp- der the law ten times that amount belong- ed to the actuary so that the commis- sioner’s graft from that single source amounted to upward of $30,000 a year. The big insurance companies paid the money willingly, we are informed. It created a source of graft for the dishonest officers of those institutions, There is likely to be an investigation of this peculiar scandal and we hope it will be searching and thorough. The $50,000 received through the actuary and from other odds and ends of graft do not repre- sent the sum total to Commissioner DUR- HAM'S swag. It may be shown that part of the money paid by the New York life insurance companies for legislation through Judge ALEXANDER found its way'into his pockets. In fact the president of a Phila- delpbia company bas testified that $7,500 was paid to she Dauphin county Congress- man, a» machine leader of considerable in- fluence, to control legislation, and DUR- HAM wasn’t in the babit of letting such opportunities escape him. In any event we have enough informa- tion to make more attractive. Fifty thous- and dollar jobs are rare and usnally go to men who earn them by assiduous aod in- telligent effort. But it isa matter of rec- ord that Insurance Commissioner DURHAM was neither assiduous nor intelligent in the performance of his duty. As a matter of fact he gave no time and little attention to the work but pocketed the immense fees which ought to have gone into the treasury of the State or been left in the strong boxes of the insurance companies. The investigation bas been ordered, how- | ever, and we shall await the result with patience. was influenced by no juss or proper im- pulse in proposing to strike $10,000,000 from the appropriation to compensate the railroads for carrying the mails. General GROSVENOR ie a gross spoilsman who re- volts at no iniquity that does not impair his own resources or interfere with his own graft. Because, therefore, the railroads declined to continue his free transporta- tion, he has moved to the suggestion and not for the reason that the excessive appro- priation worked a robbery of the people. If the pass had been renewed the robbery might have gone on forever, so far as he was concerned. Despoiling the public was a matter of no interest to him. Bat there is reason in his proposition, nevertheless, The railroads are vastly over- paid for their services in carrying the mails. For example the government builds the cars and after they are built pays the railroad companies for the use of them. Then the railroads charge for running them over the road and add a high rate of freight charge for the mail matter carried within them. These obarges combined createa form of extortion unparalleled in the his- “coming or going’’ and there are ample reasons why it should be stopped. Bat GROSVENOR is hardly. the man to lead the movement. His identity with it implies insincerity. The mail service costs the government for carriage alone something like $60,000, 000 a gear. That is not simply ten but probably twenty millions of dollars a year in excess of just compensation. But it is a trifle singular that the conscience of Congress was never touched until the rail roads cus off the passes of the members and then only by a notorious corruptioniet like GROSVENOR. It cannot be said that Senators and Representatives in Congress were unaware of the outrage. As a matter of fact is bas been discussed oun the floor of both chambers frequently and comment. ed upon by the newspapers at various times. We hope, however, that it will be made an issue now. WATCHMAN readers in Ferguson and College townships don’t want to for- ges the Odd Fellows festival as Pine Grove Mills, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday of next week. These annual festivals of the Pine Grove Cdd Fellows always prove very enjoyable. oconsions aud this year’s promises to be on a par with those held in the pass. ———Just as we go to press the news reaches us that Congressman Dresser bas recommended the reappointment of Mr. John Stuart as postmaster at State College. This will be a surprising disappointment to our friend Philip Foster, who coufident- ly counted that he was the fellow who was certain of this plum. we Subscribe for the WATCHMAN. Is ap- | Of course General GROSVENOR, of Ohio, tory of business. The treasury is muloted | and the Clean OF Their Trolley. From the Johnstown Democrat, In 1896 there was a per capita circula- tion of $2. At the present time there isa per capita circulation of $32. The present | rate of gold production indicates that there | will be a steady increase in the volume of ! money. Nevertheless the very men whoa | few years ago were coutending that there was money enough in the country now raise the ory of “more money.” Not only do they want more but advo- tiie iving national banks the ae of fact, hundrads of “honest cates of a few years ago are now strenuous- ly insisting on a dishonest asset urreney, They want a circulating medion bas will please. It might not be impertinen wy quireas to what bas become of the gold standard that was to meet all demands and present an honest foundation for ‘‘honest money ?”’ In fact, what bas become of the ‘‘safe and sane,” ‘‘uational honor’ crowd? A few yeurs is certainly play strange tricks with those who plot and plan against the public good. Triumphant Demoeracy. President Eliot, Harvard University. The great movement of the world is toward Democracy. The great Lodly of the present century that we are juat en- upon will be Democratic in all th One hundred years from now the tion of our country, which is now o She most part wilderness, cilh be be- yond any $ conception, t nation will be the most Charm the world has ever known. The progress of will be she great feature of the advance civilization in the present cen- "I this isto be sound, the character of our people muss be as sound as their pro- ficiency in the arts, in commerce, in go ae Bt m some of the finer A ature older days, uh 0 Jevereice of Shilaren toward paren teacher, people ay there is in all these re- Democracy is the only one consistent with a belief in the permanent duration of De- mooracy, and a belief in the permanence of thie for a belief in the ad- vanoe of civilization. Worthy of Serious Thought. From Address of Jas. J. Hill, to 8t. Paul Commer- mercial Club, “Our public domain is exhausted. Last year over a million le came from across the Atlantic to she United States, aud the natural increase certainly is a million and a balf more. What is to be- come of these e? They are to be driven fairly into factories and work- shops and no else. They can leave place our country and go to the Canadian North- west, as many bave But that coun- try will be populated to its extent very soon, much sooner than you think. It has rot an unlimited area. “Try and cast your mind twenty or menty.dve year shes. At that time we have 150,000,000 or 160,000,000 of people. Where are they going? Who is going to feed them ? They can manufac. ture. We bave the raw material. We Who will buy it." ‘‘We bave got to a point where we are selling our ; we are selling our rioh d te of iron and our coal our and exhausting it as well. Peo- a oo | | Hi ijl i 't i 3s ; § 1 in Bie thie a in New York who bas got big is Theodore t. How that "8 uve tery, unless we attribute it to the fact he got out of the city in time and went to the country. . From the Chattanooga News. ness and uncle died and lefs him $99,989. Spawls from (he Keystone, ; —Charles Miller, of Tyrone, a telegrapher, has patented a device for coaling locomotives while in motion, even going at the speed of fifty miics an hour. —Owing to the crowded condition of the public schools of Mount Union, the Senior class has been put on half time and only recite during the half days. —At the annual meeting of the directors o the Lock Haven Fire Brick company the services of C. V. Hackman, of Clearfield, were engaged as superintendent, vice David Solomon, whose continued poor health causes bim to retire. ~It is at present estimated that there are fuily 1,500 men, including laborers and engi- neers of all classes, at work on the mew Franklin-Clearfield railway being built over the Beech Creek route by the Lake Shore company in Pennsylvania. —Rev. L. B. Kephart, D. D., one of the ablest and best known Bishops of the United Brethren church, who is well known to many of our people, died suddenly last week while on a visit to Indiana Central college at In- dianapolis, Ind., aged 72 years. — James M. Edwards, of Osceola, has made a valuable find in the shape of a tract of over five hundred acres of vacant land in Bloom township, Clearfield county. The applica- tion to the State for the land has been ap- proved by the proper authorities at Harris- burg. —Fred Fall, a Tunkhannock young man was recently arrested on the peculiar charge of stealing hair from the tails of live horses and conveying it to prisoners in the jail to make watch chains. He was convicted, was fined $25 and costs and sent to jail to serve time, as he could not pay it. —Mrs. Sale Stevens,an aged lady of Shingle House, Potter county, who bad been in ill health, slipped on the ice the other day and the shock led to her death, Mr, Stevens, a man ninety-four years of age, saw her as she slipped and went to her rescue, when he also fell and broke three ribs and now is in a critical condition. —Mrs. Mary L. Merrill, widow of the late William Merrill, deceased, of Kylertown, died on Thursday evening at the home of her daughter, Mrs. D. W. Roop, in Clear- field. She was the daughter of John Welch, deceased, one of the pioneer residents of Lawrence township, Clearfield county, and was aged about 77 years. —(eneral manager W. W. Atterbury, of the Pennsylvania Railroad company, has an- that | nounced the successor of master mechanic Geo. W. Strattan at Altoona, who will be retired according to the rales of the pension department of the company on January 31st. He has appointed I. B. Thomas, now master mechanic of the Pittsburg shops. —While at work on his farm, a mile north of East Bloomsburg, J. P. Frederick, of Bloomsburg, discovered a vein of coal that promises to be of great value. Frederick was getting out stone to build the foundation of a house, and had dug down several feet when the black vein was struck. On examination it was found to be anthracite coal, Newberry is to bave.a new industry in the shape of a plant for the manufacture of high carbon steel fence posts. Work at build. ing the plant has been in progress for some time, and it is expected to have it in readi- ness to start work in about ten days. The plant will employ about ten men and the output will be 2,500 posts per day. —While seated with his family, Wednesday, Tobias Schindle, of Pottstown, aged 81, who bad been blind for thirteen years, suddenly startled them by the statement that he saw again. They were inclined to treat his startling announcement as the vagary of an aged mind; but, to. their astonishment, he snatched up a newspaper and started to read it. ~Neerly all of the twenty-seven applica tions for license in Indiana county had remonstrances filed against them, the peti- tions containing anywhere from 25 to.500 names. After going through the list Judge Telford adjourned court witbout having dis posed of any of the applications and as yet there has been no date set for granting or refusing the licenses. I, —Since apple shipments began last fall and up to the present time 100 carloads of apples have been shipped from points on the Bed- ford division to eastern markets. This méans 50,000 bushels of apples at a price which gives the apple growers about $40,000. Think of what Bedford county can be worth. This does not include shipments from points on the Huntingdon and Broad Top railroad. —Being an applicant for his own marriage license, issuing it and paying the fee to him- self, is an honor few matrimonial aspirants are afforded, but this is the sequel my event which occurred at Mifflintown recent. recorder of Mifflin county, one of ' of Captain and Mrs. Cornelius McClellan. * —Three hundred men are on a strike at the American Window glass Louse, at Jean. nette, becanse of new regulations which in- volve turns of twelve hours instead of eight, the turn on Saturday eight instead: of six hours and the men to go to work at 10 o'clock Sunday night instead of 12. The wages have also been reduced about one-third. The company is endeavoring to ll the places of the strikers and no attempt has been made to effect a compromise, di —Henry Lear, former president of the Doylestown, Pa., National bank, which fail ed several years ago, has been sentenced by Judge McPherson, in the United States dis- trict court,to five years’ imprisonment in the eastern penitentiary for embezzling the funds of the bank. This isa minimum sentence. An appeal was immediately taken to the circuit court of appeals and Lear was ad. mitted to bail in the sum of $10,000, pending the determination of the appeal. ~—Miss Julia Duganne was awarded a, ver- dict for $6,684 in the Blair county court, at Altoona Friday, to compensate her for, in- juries done to her nervous system by reason Epa of acts of negligence of the a! and Duganna was aboard the run-away car that dashed over the side of the Gaysport bridgi and down a forty-foot embankment to the Juniata river. It was alleged that the fright E wreck. 2 from this perilous ride has left her a phy ; Gn ly, when Harvey C. Burkett, register and town’s most populor citizens, ne cL 1 dn marriage to Miss Louise McClellan, daugh ter ; ,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers