BY
P. GRAY MEEK.
Ink Slings.
—The Shah of Persia is dead and there
is # barem on the market now.
—1It is now Col. HuGH 8S. TAYLOR and
Bellefonte is the headquarters of the Fifth
regiment.
—1It i= not #0 much who is going to ron
for the local offices next month as it is who
ought to run.
—The ice men have all joined the Dr. |
MUNYAN club in which the pass word is:
There is hope.
-~-In Kentucky, they say, there is a man
who keeps a wile and fifteen children on
sixty cents a day. Maybe he only thinks
he keeps her.
—The great Centre connty fair last Oc-
tober would have been lucky to have bad
weather as warm as the early part of this
week bas been.
—The migration of GILMANS toward
Paris begios to look as if the president of
America’s greatest trust is irying to secure
a corner in thas family.
~The man who sells nitgo-glycerine and
other high explosives should be kept under
as strict surveillance as the crank who uses
them to wreck property and take human
lives,
—It took fifteen thousand words for
architect JoserH HUSTON to explain the
thirteen million capitol job. In other
words, each word of Jor's explains $866
worth of capitol.
—Really things theatrical are becoming
a little too exciting. An Uncle Tod's
Cabin show and Howe's moving pictures
both in the same week is piling the novel-
ties on roo thick.
~Next Tuesday Governor STUART will
be inaugurated and the Legislature will
settle down to the business of making the
usual appropriations and a lot of laws that
will later be declared unconstitutional.
at Fairbrook, last Thursday, is caught, let
us hope that there won’t be any mawkish
sentiment for him aud that just punish-
ment for his crime will be sure and swift.
—About the only things done in Belle-
foute these evenings, since the six o'clock
closing rule went into effect, are the light-
ing companies. The store keepers are cer-
tainly doing the electric light and gas peo-
ple.
—Senator PENROSE is reported as hav-
ing said thas be must bave an organ in
Centre couaty. By axiom I anybody cau
work to the conclusion that the editor of
the Gazette must have the Bellefonte post-
office.
-=The Maryland Democracy is showing
signs of getting together under the leader-
ship of young ARTHUR P. GORMAN, «a son
of the deceased Senator. Let us hope that
it does rally uuder the banner of someone
who can lead it to permanent victory.
—Now they are trying to mix the Presi.
dent up in insnrance scandals. It TEDDY
doesn’t stop getting into scrapes be will
soon have to resign the Presidency to give
his time exclusively to auswering the
charges that are being preferred against
him.
—II that really was an earthquake up
along the Branch yesterday morning you
other sinners had better sit up and take
notice of the big revival meeting going on
in the Methodist church. With earth-
quakes that near home it is time for many
of you to get ready.
—The war hogy-man is at it again be-
‘cause the Japs are crowding into Hawaiia
and especially because many of them have
the uniform of the Japanese army. In all
probability the uniform is the only cloth.
ing they have becanse the Japanese are
wretchedly poor now.
—It is reported that one particnlar gen-
tleman who doesn’t live far from Thomas
street, who was awakened by the shock
yesterday morning, was afraid to look ous
the window for fear old GABRIEL might
really be standing outside. If this is trae
the party in question must have something
on his mind be hasn’s confessed yet.
~The powers that be have decided that
it won’t be necessary to discharge colored
troopers from the army any more. It will
‘be much easier to send them for service in
the Philippines. After all, this temporary
makeshift for removing a source of trouble
to the administration might finally prove
a solution of the race troubles. Why not
give the Philippines to the colored people ?
~The people who complain that the two
murders in Centre county have not been
avenged should take a band in the haut.
It is easy enough to say a thing ought to
be done but often times a very different
matter to do it. Thus far the murderers
bave eluded some of the moat skillfal de-
tectives in she conntry and uo one can be
censured for not having captared them.
‘‘Murder will ous,” though, and they will
be run to ground eventually.
—While every American citizen will
patarally look with regret upon the prop-
osition now being batched in the Senate to
pass a formal resolution of censure of the
President and will hesitate in endorsing
such a move it is certain that the President
has exceeded his prerogatives a great many
times. ROOSEVELT is undoubtedly a great
mau, but his gravest mistake is in the evi-
dent conceit he has in thinking that his
opinions and his acts are the only ones
worth while and should be final in all
‘oases, The moment he comes to realize
that his is only an executive office he will
remove bimself from the danger of having
votes of censure even talked about.
| plain that he susprots collusion between the
| stupid a thing as can be imagined,
—When the brute who assaulted the girl
_VOL. 52
BELLEFONTE,
“STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
Looks Like Fooling.
Re oe
Attorney General CARSON'S letters to
Architect HustoN and other politieal pi-
rates accused of robbing the State by means
of graft in the construction of the capitol |
are interesting but they ‘‘cut no ice.”” They
are charming specimens of literary style
and technical perspicacity. Dat they don’t
produce results. State Treasurer BERRY
couldn’t state the case in pericds as ornate
in a thousand years. But be could achieve
more in a statement of a bondred words |
than CARSON (does iu three or four thous-
and aud he would be intelligible if not pic- |
turesque. He addresses the conscience of |
the Commonwealth while CARSON appeals |
to the galleries.
Io his last letter to Architect HUSTON At-
torney General CARSON makes it pretty
architect of the capitol and at least one of
the contractors. Bat what's the use of
writing letters ton mau that you suspect
while you are in possession of information
that will confirm your suspicions. If a pub-
lic official wants a man to escape the penai-
ty of crimes committed the epistolary
sonrce of information is admirable. It
warns the suspect and admonishes him to
prepare defence. It makes the prosecution
look like thirty cents as compared with
ROCKERFELLER'S income when he comes to
trial with every move in prospect exposed. |
Infact such a correspondence is ahoat as |
Probably, however, the Attorney Gener- |
al isn’t ‘‘as dumb as be looks.” In other |
words, maybe he wants the accused to es- |
cape punishment and penalty while be ap- |
peals to the oredulons for a certificate of |
character for fidelity to duty. The letter |
writing oustom is the best possible expe- |
dient to invoke when the hope lies in de-
lay. It is certain that delay is what is need-
ed in the present emergency. On the first
of May next Ropertr K. YOUNG, who was
solicitor for the Capitol Building Commis-
sion, and responsible for any legal blan-
ders made by tbat body, will hecome Aud-
itor General and will be able to suppress
any damaging evidence.
Obviously Attorney General CARSON is
‘‘playing horse’’ with the people of Penn-
aylvaunia.
No one feels like controverting anything
which MARK TWAIN says or writes. He is
so amiable, so helpful, so admirable thas
one inst fee's like agreeing toauything that
he proposes. He is a guide, philosopher
and friend. His whole life has been a be-
neficence. His entire time since that day on
which with other ‘‘innocents’’ he set ont
to visit the Holy Land and incidentally
‘‘do’’ Paris and other cities in continental
Europe, has been given to the
amiable purpose of increasing the sum total
of human happiness. For nearly forty years
be has been a perennial source of joy.
But when MARK TWAIN enters the do-
main of economic science and gravely says
that the public gets no benefit when the
copyright of a book expires, il it isa good
book, be ie sowing the seeds of misinforma-
tion. ‘*The Member of Congress thinks,”
the amiable humorist alleges, ‘‘that by the
restriction he is making the nation a pres-
ent of a book, but as a matter of fact he is
makiog a publisher a present of a book.”
He is doing nothing of the kind and is is
hardly possible that any Representative in
Congress is so deluded. What he is doing
is enabling the public to get a book at its
bonafide value, the author and publisher
having previously enjoyed the privilege of
levying tribute upon the reader for a period
of forty years.
There are books that ought to be read
and even treasured by every living soul in
the land and nearly all those written by
MARK TWAIN are well up at the head of
the list. But the high prices at which his
and other books of merit are held by pab-
lishers and sellers of hooks practically ex-
clude vastly mote than balf the people
from the advantage as well as the enjoy-
went of sach books. Take ‘‘Innocents
Abroad” for example. If the copyright
were expired it could he piaced on the
markes for half she price and its illustrious
author bas been enjoying royalties on it for
something like forty years.
The Luzerne Election Fraud,
The public will watch the progress of
the trial of the election cases now iu pro-
gressin Luzerne county with much interest.
Political corruption has been developed in
thas county to such an extent that elec-
tions have become a farce. In the recent
vote it is said that majorities were return-
ed for some of the candidates in excess of
all the registered voters of all the parties.
There was no partisan politics iu these
however. On the contrary Democratic and
Republican were alike favored accordingly
as they were willing to pay for the sinis-
ter service. It was purely commercial,
No community can hope for good govern-
ment when elections are determined by
fraud. Men who acquire office by bribery
of voters or election officers are practically
compelled to graft or steal in some other
way to reimburse themselves. For that
recaon every honest citizen is concerned in
the suppression of electoral frauds and the
litigation now in progress in Luzern coun-
ty, in the conduct of which special zounsel
have been employed by the State, is really
the first earnest effort thas has been made
in that direction. Upon the issue of that
trial will depend many similar cases.
We have been living under the delusion
for some time that all or practically all the
cleotoral frands bave been committed in the
two great cities. Many people imagine
that outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburg
the elections are fair and honest. Asa
matter of fact in some of the interior coun-
ties the elections are quite as corrupt as in
Philadelphia in the baloyon days of the
machine and the pending trial in Luzerne
county will prove that fact. If justice
does misearry in thie case, however, there
will be a tearing up of conditions all over
the Siate and elections will elect alter
that.
Southern Senators Careless.
These southern Senators who are rush-
ing to the defense of the President against |
the charge of usurpation of power in the
dismissal of the negro troops at Browns-
ville, Texas, are ‘‘cherishing up wrath
against the day of wrath.” The dismissal
of the negro troops is gratifying to the peo-
ple of the South because it tended in the
| direction of removing a danger to the social
life of that section. Considerable bodies of
negroes clothed in the uniform of the army
aud equipped with life-destroying imple-
ments of war comprised a grave menace to
the South. Resentfal and envious by na-
ture there was always the chance that they
would “shoot up’’ a community for real or
fancied grievances.
Bat in supporting an executive usurpa-
tion of the most flagrant type are not those
southern Senators ensouragiog a greater
evil and more perilous danger ? Seuator
ForAKER has shown that under the arti-
cles of war and the laws of the country,
Congress alone has the right to make rules
and regulations for the govornment of the
army aud that both the articles of war and
the acts of Congress guarantee to every
soldier accused of misdemeanor or crime a
fair trial by court martial. In the case
in question the colored soldiers dismiss-
ed ‘‘withont honor’ were not given
such opportunity to defend themselves,
though in the order of dismissal they were
forbidden to enlist again which is a penal-
ty.
Every negro concerned in that atrocity
at Brownsville, Texas, ought to have been
handed over to the civil authorities, tried,
convicted and hung. We offer neither apol-
ogy nor defense for their murderous ont-
rage. But their crime is not mitigated nor
is justice vindicated by the commission of
another crime by the President, and bis
usurpation is the gravest of crimes. If he
is indulged in the right to dismiss negro
troops now he can claim the right to dis-
miss white troops at another time and if be
can dismiss one battalion in that way he
can dismiss the whole army in order to or-
ganize iv its place a personal guard which
will raid Congress if such shall not express
his royal will.
Militarism =n Thing of the Past,
Admiral DEWEY appears to bave fallen
in with the notion that we need the great-
est navy in the world. The Admiral is
growing old and feeble and in his case as
in that of others as the mind decays the de-
sires increase. He would like to have a
vast number of men and ships to command
and the question of cost to the people never
enters his mind. The ships would amuse
him. Control of the men would gratily his
vanity and be thinks ol nothing else. To
his mind there is nothing worth while ex-
cept DEWEY and little of importance be-
yond his amusement.
The Admiral wants three new battleships
a year at an expense of $18,000,000 for con-
struction and a vast sum for maintenanse.
Of course his plan would involve an addi-
tion of at least three thousand a year to the
naval force. At present the greatest diffi-
culty is experienced in keeping the army
and navy up to the authorized standard
and the proposed increase would involve
the early adoption of the German system
of enforced military service. In fact that
proposition has already been gravely dis-
cussed in official circles and is a not too re-
mote danger.
Coogress is not likely to take the advice
of men of the equipment of Admiral DEw-
EY in matters of such importance. The
period of militarism is drawing to a close
and a period of peaceful progress may be
predicted. We are more than ever becom-
ing the granery of the world and while we
continue to grow crops that keep all civili-
zation in food stuffs we won't need navies
or armies to maintain the peace and con-
sume the fruits of our labor. Government
by force is a barbarous notion that will
never again prevail in this country.
——This kind of weather has bad the
effect of bringing out the usual crowd of
sucker fishermen.
PA., JANUARY 11, 1
|
The Waynesburg Bank Fatlurve.
ST.
NO. 2
Machine and People.
The Waynesburg bank which failed the From the Harrisburg Patriot.
other week appears to have heen quite as |
i
i
The resolution offered in the the House of
Representatives on Tuesday by Mr. Creasy
much a political institation as the Eater: | to pledge the members wo vote for an ap-
prise bank which closed itz doors during |
the campaign of 1905. Most of the politi-
ciaus succeeded in getting their obligations
and the evidences of their relations with
the institution out helore the crash. Buta |
few of them, including former State Treas-
ure FRANK C. HARRIS, were less fortunate
and with the discovery of his note in the |
bank the fact is revealed that he obtained
the money while he was State Treasurer
and co-incident with the selection of the
bank as a state depository, and that the
uote has been overdue for a matter of four
years,
Cashier RHINEHART of the busted bank
appears to bave been a good deal of a bro-
ker in offices. He professed to be a Demo.
crat but cared more for personal than polit-
ical success and when PENROSE wanted a
Senator for that district RHINEHART was
ready and willing to underwrite a candi-
date. In the campaign of 1905 RHINEHART
made himself very conspicuouns as a sup-
porter of Messenger Boy PLuMMER. If the
Republican candidate is elected, he told his
friends, the state deposit in the Waynes-
burg back will be increased from a fraction
over $100,000 to a round million and the
adding of so much money to the available
cash of the community will benefit every-
body. But PLUMMER wasn’t elected and
the bank lost in the amount of its state de-
posit instead of gaining.
The forgeries and frands which bave been
revealed since the failure of the bank were,
of course, the result of this political manip-
ulation. Former Secretary of the Common-
wealth FRANK FULLER and former State
Treasurer FRANK HARRIS were concerned
in some mining speculations and induced
RHUINEHART to let them bave the funds of
the bank in considera tion of a state depos:
it, the carrent gossip indicates. If that be
trae there 1s no doubt that a conspiracy
bad been organized to loot the bank and
those still living, who were concerned in
the operation, shonld be criminally pro-
ceeded against. The only way to stop such
crimes is to panish the perpetrators.
© Drianey Robbed of a Distinction.
Oar heart bleeds for Captain Joux C.
DELANEY. He is an unfortunate as well as
an unappreciated man. Last week we re-
ferred in these columns to his self-abnega-
tion in confessing that he had invented the
‘‘per foos'’ system of buying furniture. It
was a grave thing to do for in the teeth of
the looting operations which bad been
achieved by that process in the construc.
tion of the capitol, popular execration was
likely to focus in strong force against the
author of the iniquity. But as we stated
last week the Captain did’s mind. Sustain-
ed by the hope of another appointment by
way of reward he frankly stated that he had
done the dee and offered to prove the
proposition by a dozen dead men.
Bat contractor SAN DERSON bas ruthless.
ly punctured the tire of DELANEY'S ex-
pectations. In other words that gentleman
has brought forward evidence which not
only proves that DELANEY didn’t invent
the system but that even now he doesn’t
know munch about it. For example, DELA-
NEY declared that the ‘‘per foot’’ system
involved measurements by the cubic foot
while SANDERSON shows conclusively that
it is the linear foot that is used; that while
it bas been in use at his establishmert for
ever 80 many years, it has never been in-
voked except when the furniture was speo-
ially designed. As the State never indulg-
ed in the luxury of ao architect in furni-
tare before PENNYPACKER'S advent in
public life, DELANEY couldn’t have pur-
chased specially designed furniture five or
six years earlier.
The inference that DELANEY has been
robbed of a distinction is, therefore, in.
evitable. Possibly it was an uneaviable
distinction and some might be harsh
enough to characterize it as infamous. But
DELANEY isn’t particular about such
things. The distinction he wants is that
which brings appointments aod salary
checks and so long as those things come to
him he is content. But it looks as il SAN-
DERSON had defrauded him of the distinc:
tion upon which he depended for re-ap-
pointment to his present lncrative office, for
it will be usterly impossible for him to
prove his claim by the testimony of dead
men however eminent or numerous they
may be. DELANEY'S ‘‘cake is dough.”
~—It may be interesting to WATCH-
MAN readers to know that William Z.
MoLear, the cashier of the Fourth Strees
National bank, of Philadelphia, who was
killed on Saturday last by a bomb thrown
by one Rolla Steele, was married to a
former Centre county girl, Miss Mary Bing,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jobn Bing. Her
father is dead but during bis life was post-
master at Unionville, where her mother
still makes her home. The wedding of
Miss Bing and Mr. MoLear occurred eleven
years ago in DuBois.
propriation of $20,000 for the use of State
| Treasurer Berry to secure expert testimony
to aid in determining his legal righs to re-
{fuse to pay bills which he believes are
tainted with fraud should bave been pas-
sed, but it is not surprising to those who
know bim, that Speaker McClain prompt.
ly ruled the resolution out of order.
Mr. McClain’s chief function during the
extra session of the Legislature was to raise
points of order whenever possible against
every good thing that was attempted dur-
ing the session.
It is the impression of the members of
the Senate and House who have heen
identified with reform in the past that the
representatives of she Machine in both
houses will do all they can to prevent a
‘‘thorough and complese’’ investigation of
the Capitol scandal such as the people de-
mand and such as Govenor Pennypacker
recommended in his last message to the
Legislature.
It is general belief that the only way in
which the whole trath will ever be bronght
ont 18 in a judicial proceeding such as may
be institated hy Contractor Jobn H. Sand-
erson aud Architect Joseph M. Huston to
compel State Treasurer Berry to pay their
bills. In the interests of all, the people of
the State should provide the money neces-
sary to defend the suit.
Mr. Creasy’s resolution, a perfectly prop-
er one, was probably offered more for the
purpose of testing the temper of the House
thao in the hope of its passage.
It is not believed, however, if suit is
brought against Mr. Berry by the con-
tractor and architect that he will want for
money to defend it in view of the fact that
Mr. Carson has said to him in effect ‘Yon
can refuse to pay those bills if you choose
to, but if you do the Machine will be after
ou.
With the Machine after Mr. Berry the
people will be with him, with their moral
support and with money if necessaay.
There's Fun Ahead.
From the Williamsport Sun.
There is fun abead for the Republican
national organization, and it will open
with the retirement of George B. Cortelyou
as chairman of the national commistee.
Senator Nathan B. Scott, of West Virginia,
Mr. Foraker’s chiel lientenant in the Sen-
ate, has his eye on the prospective vacancy.
Cortelyou has fixed on his assumption of
the treasnry portfolio as the approximate
date for his resigoation from control of the
party organization. It has been under-
stood that Harry New, of ap-
pointed vice obairman by ou,
would assume the latter's place as acting
chairman. By a resclution of the com-
mittee its chairman has the right to fill all
vacancies. Whether that resolution would
give Cortelyou as retiring chairman au-
thority to fill his own place is an open
question. In any event any man placed
at the head of the committee by Cortelyon’s
retirement must wait for the meeting of
the committee in December next for con-
firmation. If New simply serves as acting
chairman Scott will probubly be a candi
date for selection at that meeting. There
is no doubt as to what use Scott would
make of the committee’s machinery. It
would be worked over time against any
candidate Mr. Roosevelt favored, which
means Taft. It is probable that the organ-
ization will be in the hands of the reaction
aries in any event, New, while not the
hest of friends with Fairbanks, is commit-
ted to that candidate by the action of the
Republicans of Indiana. Other candidates
bave looked forward with some anxiety to
the time when New should become chair-
man and thas give Fairbanks, as they sup-
posed, control of this machinery. On the
other band, Scott is counted a Fairbanks
partisan, and his candidacy is accepted in
some political quarters as a warning to
New that he must pr mise to be good ft he
gets it.
A Great Opportunity.
From the Easton Argus.
Speaker McClain in taking the chair af-
ter his election as presiding officer of the
House at Harrisburg Tuesday gave utte:-
auce to a ronsiug speech which if followed
to the letter will make the present session
of the Legislature one long to be remember-
ed. ‘‘Play this game of legislation with
hands above the board and no dealing from
under the table," said the speaker among
other things and in this expressive slang
term of the poker joint can be found a pan-
acea for many of the ills this State and its
government at Harrisbarg has been heir to.
In closing he #aid ‘‘let us take advantage of
our opportunity and conduct affairs intrust-
ed to us in such a manner that when the
session is ended and we return to our
homes press, palpit and people will ac-
claim, ‘‘you have done well.”” Probably
no other session of the Legislatore within
the memory of any man living will be
watched with greater interest Bye peo-
ple of the State at large than present
one. The events of she past two years have
enlisted the closest attention of the taxpay-
ers to note how their representatives at
Harrisbuig are conducting the public bus-
iness. Old time methods will no longer
be tolerated and the undisputed sway of
bosses who manipnlate the legislators like
£0 many puppets is to he a thing of the
past. The t Legislature has a world
of opportunity before it.
No Caase for Alarm,
From the Pittsburg Post.
It is reported from Tokyo that the Jap-
anese press ridicules the attempts of the
Russian papers to cause a disturbance be-
tween Japan and the United States. Jap-
anese public opinion is said to he quite free
from excitement over the San
Spawls from the Keysione,
~The Vinton Colliery company of Vinton-
dale, Cambria county, is making improve-
ments at that place which it is said, will cost
about $1,000,000.
—Henry J. Smith, of Woxall, Montgomery
county, a blind carpet weaver, has manu-
factured 31,000 yards of carpet within the
last twenty years.
~The total number of deaths reported to
the Williamsport board of health daring the
year 1906 was 364, or a little over one per
cent. of the city’s population.
~Mrs. William Fisher, a progressive wom-
an who conducts a farm near Werneraville,
Berks county, converted her iast year's milk
product into 3,034 pounds of butter and 6,000
pounds of cup cheese.
—Coroner W. H. Sipe, of Washington
county, reports 312 violent deaths in the
county during 1906, There were 26 mur-
ders, 14 suicides, 61 deaths from mine dis-
asters, 13 from drowning and 28 from the
effects of liquor.
~The first otter that has been killed in
fifteen years in Lancaster county was shot
near Shenk’s ferry, along the Susquehanna
river, on Thursday, by Oliver F. Love. The
animal measured three feet in length and
was a splendid specimen, dark brown in
color,
—Referring to the agitation in favor of in-
creasing the pay of members of the Legisla-
ture, making it $2,000 instead of $1,500, the
Pottsville Chronicle says that ‘‘some of the
Legislators are, no doubt, worth the increas-
ed sum, while there are others who—well,
are not worth it.”
—An enterprising farmer in Dover town-
ship, York county, advertises that he will
give away free 1,000 pumpkins pies to the
persons who attend a public sale of his farm-
ing implements and stock, which takes place
soon. He has also secured the service of a
brass band for the entertainment of his in-
tending purchasers.
~The diphtheria epidemic at Tyrone,
which bad almost disappeared, under the
rigid quarantine regulations, has broken out
with fresh violence and it is feared that it
may be necessary to again close the schools,
which had been closed several weeks prior
to the Christmas holidays on account of the
diptheretic scourge.
—J. Y. Dillman, the veteran thresherman
of Bixler, who operated a steam thresher in
the west end of Perry county, last fall,thresh-
ed 9.177 bushels of wheat, 9,153 bushels of
oats,500 bushels of rye, 150 bushels of timothy
seed, 130 bushels of clover seed and 100
bushels of buckwheat, total 19,210 bushels,
besides traveling over 200 miles with his
threshing machinery.
—~Two women of Williamsport, aunt and
niece, who have been hunting each other for
years, were unexpectedly united recently.
The women are Mrs. Elizabeth Toner, of
Elm street, Newberry, and Mrs. Charles
Bastian, of East Jefferson street. Neither of
the women was aware of the other's pres-
ence in the city, although both had lived
there for fifteen years.
~The Blue Ball fire brick plant, destroyed
two or three months ago by fire and rebuilt
on a larger and more substantial scale, re-
sumed operation on Monday, on which day
15,000 brick were made. Recently the plant
manufactured 25,000 brick, just about 5,000
less than its capacity. Everything is work-
ing nicely, and the industry is now in better
shape than ever to turn out a first-class qual-
ity of fire brick.
—The town of Bedford is in the throes of
dispute over the subject of lighting its
streets. At present it has no contract with
the electric light company, but is paying at
the old rate each month, in a sort of a con-
tinuous line of dispute. A new company,
which proposes to introduce gas in the town
for light, heat and manufacturing purposes,
is knocking at the door for a franchise.
—Harry L. Grabam, a leading member of
the Butler county bar, shot himself near the
heart with a revolver at his home in Butler
on Saturday evening and is not expected to
live. He is 34 years old, prominent in fra.
ternal societies, clerk of the board of educa-
tion and vestryman in the Episcopal church.
He bad been ill for several weeks and it is
thought the shot was fired during a period of
mental aberration.
—A masked party was given by Miss
Emma B. Brown, daughter of Lieutenant
Governor and Mrs. William B. Brown, at
ber parents’ home in New Castle on Satur-
day night. It was attended by 125 persons
and was the chief society event of the week.
Everything passed off’ gleefully until the re-
freshments were to be served, when to the
dismay of the fair hostess it was found that
thieves had carried off the ice cream and
other delicacies.
—There has been twelve cases of appendi-
citis in Coatesville, Chester county, within
two weeks, and in cousequence an anti-
appendicitis club bas been formed, of over
100 prominent men of the tow. Each mem-
ber is pledged to live according to a pre-
scribed set of by-laws and rules, which set
forth what to de to keep away the dread dis-
ease. The club has ordered a barrel of olive
oil and each member takes a tablespoonful
before cach meal.
—Au action in trespass has been brought
against the Pennsylvania Railroad company
in the Cambria county court at Ebensburg
by Adam Barclay, of Spangler. He sues for
the recovery of $15,000 damages. He alleges
that on the Gth day of January, 1906, he had
occasion to drive across the tracks of the de-
fendant company at a point in Spangler
known as the Brewery crossing; that he
stopped, looked and listened for the approach
of a train, but heard none; that he proceeded
to cross when he was struck by an engine,
thrown from his wagon and pretty badly
injured.
—Dr. E. M. Thompson, whose coal opera-
tions below Clearfield are of considerable
magnitude, made a find on Christmas day
that will far eclipse in value his coal hold
ings. While doing some prospecting on his
farm for an additional coal opening a fine
vein of fire clay was discovered. The vein
averages about sixteen feet in thickness and
to make sure that it was not a pocket, Dr.
Thompson did some extensive exploring. On
various parts of the farm test holes were put
down sud the same vein uncovered. By
chemists the sample rock is said to be most
excellent.