ER
By P. GRAY MEEK.
Ink Slings.
—The country is at rest. Congress has
adjourned.
—March winds are chill to
stock market lambs.
—It is snow-water for the Democrats
from this council, all right enough.
—What the Centre Democrat said about
our new postmaster was impressive.
the shorn
—Dr. WAGNER calls it ‘circular in-
sanity.” We always thought it was just
plain “wheels.”
— Russia has a new Doma, but new
Dumas in Russia are about as much good
as revolutions in South America.
~All president ZELAYA, of Nicaraugua,
needs to satisfy hie ambition to become the
NaAPoLEON of Central America is a Water-
loo and he will likely get it.
—It district attorney JEROME cuts any
more capers like he did on Tuesday the
TaAw lawyers will counter by asking for
a commission to inquire into his sanity.
—In two weeks more spring will be here,
but that is no reason for shedding your
flannels. On the 24th of March, 1906,
thermometers registered four degrees below
zero.
~The saloons in Philadelphia are to be
closed on ST. PATRICK'’Sday. This does not
necessarily mean the complete elimination
of the annual celebration in honor of the
patron saint.
—A convicts in the Columbus, Ohio, pris-
on has just made for himsell a set of false
teeth ont of old steel boggy tire. Good-
ness, gracious, what tough food the prieon-
ers must ges in that pen,
~The publio will await with interest the
outcome of the experiment of having a
girls club in Bellefonte. Inasmuch as
knitting and gossipping are not to be pro-
hibited is will probably be very popular.
— Every man, woman and child in Mas-
sachusetts produced three hundred dollars
worth of manufactured goods and fifteen
dollars worth of agricultural products in
1905. The latter were probably all beaus.
—That Beaver county justice of the peace
who decided that a young man who grab-
bed a girl on she street and bugged and
kissed ber was not guilty of ‘‘assanlt’’ bus
of ‘“‘embracery’’ has a judgment as aps as
an eye to the eternal fitness of things.
—Because cock-fighting and lottery
gambling have been prohibited on the Is-
land it bas been discovered that the Cubans
are lapsing into a state of laziness that is
not good for them. They say that now
they have nothing to earn money for there
is no need of working.
—President W. E. Corey, of the United
States Steel corporation, bas put in an
emphatio denial of the statement that he
will retire from his office at the next an-
nual meeting. Probably he thinks so hus
then the great steel trust has a way of just
dumping men that COREY ought to koow
something about.
~The first luncheon of the new Secreta-
ry of the Treasury, alter he had taken of-
fice consisted of 8 mug of balf-and-half, a
fried egg sandwich and a piece of hot mince
pie. If Secretary CORTELYOU can stand a
dose like that he onght to he able to stom-
ach most anything those Wall street bank-
ers put up to him.
-=The poor Duchess of Marlborough is to
come home to do colony work in New
York. It is just possible that had she
looked over the great city she is about to
try to help before she wasted her millions
on a worthless titled foreigner she might
have found a man who wouldn’s bave driv-
en her to such distress.
—Just to bring yon to a realization of
your remissness in keeping track of the
government that you would give your life
to defend, if needs be, we wans to ask you
how many of the thirty-four thousand eight
hundred and seventy-nine bills, that the last
Congress passed on are you familiar with.
Just think a moment! Can you even name
five of all these thousands of acts.
—AD FAUBLE and “TiM’’ FENLON have
launched a boom for Benator RAYNER for
the Democratic nomination for President.
While it is not probable that the desire of
these two local political argufiers will up-
ses the calounlations of the national slate
makers they have hit upon a man whose
name should certainly appeal to a large
element of the voters of the United States.
—The statement of expenses incurred in
running Centre county during the year
1906 appears in this issue of the paper, but
owing to the short time which we bad to
go over it a digest of the statement cannot
be made until next week’s issme. Mean-
while all our readers should look it over
carefully for it constitutes the annual ac-
counting to you by the men you bave
chosen to conduct your public business,
—That you might about as well tackle a
mad ball in an open field as to try and
buck the stock market by dealing in Read-
ing wae never more fully exemplified than
it was on Wednesday when thas stock soar.
ed by leaps and bounds for an eleven points
rise while the balance of the market was
weak. Of course the rumor that E. H.
Harriman had succeeded in getting control
of the Reading railroad was assigned as the
cause bus that was not sufficient to alleviate
the pangs saffered by the ‘‘shorts’” while
being driven to cover.
Chalrman Sheatz's “Lemon.”
Representative SHEATZ, of Philadelphia,
Chairman of the House committee on Ap-
propriations, is already slated for the Re-
publican nomination for State Treasurer.
There is something suggestive, not to say
sinister, about this fact. The old rule of
the machine was to give the chairman of
the Committee on Appropriations a small
per centage of the ‘‘rake-off’” which was
large. Every institution which received
State aid was required to contribute and
the chairman got a trifle from each draft.
A few years ago this plan was altered and
the chairman wa: allowed a lump som
whether the graft was great or small. Two
years ago another solution of the problem
was devised. The nomination for State
Treasurer was offered the chairman in lien
of participation in the loot. J. LEE PLUM-
MER was the first to accept that ‘‘lemon.”
The result of Mr. PLUMMER'S experience
ought to have served to admonish others
against that system for years. He was
overwhelmingly defeated for the eleo-
tion and left a political onteast.
He was himsell to blame, in part,
no doubt. If he had been less servile in
obeying the commands of his bosses in their
looting operations, he might have preserved
his honor, even if his political hopes and
ambitions had been sacrificed. He wasn’$
inberently bad. There are many who be-
lieve that his impulses were good and that
he would have preferred toserve the peo-
ple rather than the machine. Bat the
canker of indordinate ambition bad taken
possession of him and as another Represen -
tative said of himself, he ‘‘sold himself
body and soul to the machine,” and
couldn't control the consequences.
Chairman SHEATZ is beginning different-
ly and probably =xpeots different results.
That is to say, he announces that the appro-
priations will be made this year according
to the constitution and the law. There
will be no curtailment of expeuses. He
reasons, and the machine managers concur
in the view, that the public is not averse
to profligaoy but are opposed to chicanery.
In other words, his ideas are that if chair.
man PLUMMER bad framed the general ap-
propriation bill of two years ago so that
expenditures would have been specified,
there would bave been no cause of com-
plains. For that reason Mr. SHEATZ in-
tends to be specific this year. No hoards
will be given authority to epend to the
limit of the resources and profligacy will
bea virtue rather than a vice. Maybe
Mr. SHEATZ is right, hut it would be far
different in Missouri, where you have to
show people.
—Mayor WEAVER, of Philadelphia, is go-
ing to Earope soon after the expiration of
his term of office. If somebody over there
would kidoap him it would be a great
thing for Philadelphia, but what's the use
of raising vain hopes.
Reform Talk that is Rubbish,
We have the assurance of Speaker Mc-
CLAIN, of the House of Representatives at
Harrisburg, that the ocampaigr pledges
made in the Republican platform, and by
the Republican candidate for Governor on
the stump, last fall, are to be fulfilled.
This is encouraging so far as it goes. The
pledges embraced all sorts of reforms and
were declared with snch emphasis that
keeping them must work the best possible
results to the people. Two cent a mile
passenger rates, trolley freighte, more lib-
eral appropriations to schools, greater gen-
erosity in road building, the enforcement
of the constitution, better election laws and
economy in administration were all prom-
ised in the platform or by the candidate.
Thus far nothing has been done toward
the maintenance of faith with the people
and in the face of the record Speaker Mc.
CLAIN'S talk is of listle consequence.
There was a two-cent a mile rate bill passed
in the House previous to the spring eleo-
tion recess but it was so palpably a fraud
that railroad magnates derisively laughed
it through its final reading. Speak-
er McCrLAIN could have corrected its fanlts.
A word from hisz would have given it ade-
quacy. Bat he didn’t speak the word. On
the contrary be contributed his inflaence
to the farce of passing it and joined in the
ridicule of its inefficiency. It ‘“‘was a good
enough MORGAN" until after the February
election and he was satisfied.
In so far as the Republican platform and
candidate promised increased appropria-
tions, we have no doubt the pledges will
be kept. The school appropriation will be
inoreased from two to four millions, the
road fund will be enlarged and the appro-
priation to the health department will be
augmented for there are opportunities for
grafs in the expenditure of money and there
is politics in the manipulation of these de-
partments. Bas there will be no adeqoate
legislation to eaforce the constitution, no
effective legislation regulating railroad
rates or trolley freights and no election re.
forms. Nobody knows these things better
than Speaker MCCLAIN, either, and his
talk on the subject is rubbish.
—Subsoribe for the WATCHMAN.
The Grangers Demanding Again,
Our friends the Graugers are justly be-
coming impatient of the delays in the pas-
sage of legislation in which they are inter-
ested. Ten weeks of the present session
have gone by and none of the legislation
promised by the domivant party before the
election has been enacted. Therefore the
legislative committee of the State Grange
has been getting basy and at a meeting
held at Harrisburg a week ago made some
protests and formulated some demands.
The commettee didn’t say what it will do
in the event that no attention is paid by
the Legislature to its propositions. In fact
its demands are wanting in force hecause
of this failare to be specific. No law is
effective without a penalty.
What the Graogers want is really well
within the lines of reason in most respects.
They insist on the removal of unjusé dis-
crimination in the taxation of ‘‘larm prop-
erty and other real estate.’ They want
larger appropriations for schools and that
the State shall pay a larger proportion of
the expense of road buildiog and mainte-
vance. They ‘‘lavor’’ a maximum two-cent
passenger rate and the right of tiolleys ‘‘to
carry any and all kiads of freight in coun-
try distriots.”” They want ‘‘appropriate
legislation to enforce Article XVII of the
constitution,” and demand ‘‘the passage of
the anti-trust law now before the Legisla-
tare.” They are wisely opposed to the cre-
ation of new offices and insist on needed
amendments to the primary and general
election laws. They want a few other
thiogs which would do more good thao
barm, besides, and it may be added thas as
and it may beadded that as usoal they are
both reasonable and fair.
But the trouble with the Grangers is that
they wants and favor and demand things
and then do absolutely nothing to promote
their wants and enforce their demands.
The truth is thata good many of them
want offices worse than they want anything
else and are ready and willing to condone
all the crimes of the machine if the machine
will gratify sheir sometimes inordinate and
frequently absurd ambition to ges office.
As long as the Grangers pursue that course
there will be little or nothing done for the
relief of the farmers or the farms from ao-
just burdens or to ameliorate the evils in
administration of which the legislative
committee of the State Grange so justly
and forcefully complains.
——1It would probably take a thousand
years to convince Mr. OLIVER that the re-
jeotion of his bid to build the Panama canal
was ‘‘a square deal,” or tbat President
ROOSEVELT wants to be fair.
Important Bill Stifled.
Is may as well be assumed that the bill
providing for the measurement of distances
on railroads in this State has been defeat-
ed. Ié was not killed outright, or strang-
led openly, as such things used to be done
when the Pesnsylvania railroad wanted
such results. But it was re-committed in
the House to a committee which will sifle
it for the reason that the railroad counldn’t
afford to allow it to become a law. A sim-
ilar measure enacted by the Legislature of
one of the New England States cost one of
the prominent eastern railroads several
million dollars. The Pennsylvama carry-
ing corporations don’t want such extraor-
dinary expenses and don’t have to have
them.
As a matter of fact, the measure in ques-
tion bad for its objeot a just purpose. It
is estimated that since the distance between
poiate on the Pennsylvania railroad was
fixed, cut-offs here and straightening curves
there, has diminiehed the distance between
Philadelphia and Pittsburg a matter of ten
miles. Bat purchasers and users of mile-
age books are still paying for the full dis-
tance as originally fixed. A competent
railroad man estimates that in that way
the company is wrongfully taking $40,000
worth of mileage from the traveling public
which buys thousand mile ticket books an-
nuoally. The money collected in that way
by the New England road referred to was
recovered by the victims of the injuatice
after the bill was passed aod approved.
The bill was not the proper or best rem-
edy, however. It would have cost the
State something like $100,000 to make the
proposed survey and that would have been
money wasted. What the Legislature
should do is enact a law compelling rail-
roads to file annually with she Secretary of
Internal Affairs a sworn statement of the
distances between all stations on their re-
spective lines. It would cost them noth-
ing to make such a statements for they
know every inch of the road and the effect
of every change or alteration they make.
Thus equipped the Secretary could do the
rest and the evil which the lost bill was in-
tended to correct would disappear entirely
and for all time.
—-—Possibly the Iunterestate Commerce
commission has used Mr. E H. HARRIMAN
very roughly but be doesn’t look is. In
fact he appears to be quite well and hap-
py.
"STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
BELLEFONTE, PA., MARCH 8, 1907.
Senator Spoomner's Resignation.
The resignation of Senator SPOONER, of
Wisconsin, can hardly be regarded as’a
great public loss. He is abler than the
average of his associates in the body and so
far as pecuniary considerations go he may
be regarded as scrupulously honest. Bat
he is a partisan of the bitterest type ani as
ready as any other to sacrifice principls to
the exigencies of politics. Moreover he
was among those who in the absence of a
better designation are characterized as
‘‘corporation lawyers,’”’ and he measured
the merit of service by the corporation
standard. Maybe he was not paid by cor-
porations for his work in their behalf bus
that is really of little consequence.
Sevator SPOONER gives as the reason for
his retirement from public life the necessity
of acquiring greater wealth. He would
have the public believe, it may be infer-
red, that after sixteen years service in the
Senate he is poor. | Compared with some of
the maulti-millionaires of the country at
present, he may be little more than a man
of moderate means. But as a matter of
fact he is a man of considerable wealth and
as he has not shown an ambition to lead
either in social or finaccial life it may be
said that he is possessed of an ample com-
petency. His salary us Senator and his
practice at the bar afforded him an income
far above his present or probable necessi-
ties.
There are two reasons which probably in-
fluenced Senator SPOONER to resign, neith-
er one of which was mentioned in bis let-
ter to the Governor. He felt that he
couldn’s be re-elected and though his
tenure was secure for a couple of years yet,
he had little to gain by continuing in the
office. Besides be had an opportunity to
make professional engagements now which
might not be possible two years hence. It
is more than probable that he will become
associated with the legal branch of Mr.
HARRIMAN'S enterprises and from a busi-
ness standpoint it would be bard to imagine
a more desirable arrangement. The fact
tbat Wisco opsin is likely to get a fitter man
in his place has a reconciling influence,also.
. g— Having fixed Mormon Apostle REED
8007 safely in his Senatorial eeat and
paid bim $15,000 for his expenses in fight-
iog the Christian sentiment of the country,
the Republican party has proved its fidelity
to the memory of MARK HANNA. If the
Christian public will now apolegize to
Mormon Apostle Reep Smoor for giving
him so much trouble, the polygamists of
Utah will have no reason for farther com-
plains.
Filibunstering Justified.
The Democrats in the United States
Senate were not only justified in filibuster-
ing against the ship subsidy bill, bat they
had no alternative. That measure was
jammed through the house of Representa-
tives in a way tbat would have been dis-
graceful in a convention of anarchists.
Absent men were counted as present, pairs
were broken aud affirmative votes were
declared from empty seats. It was even
the culminating outrage of Speaker CaAN-
NON'S raffianly career and if the Democrats
of the Senate had not availed themselves of
the opportunity to prevent the consumma-
tion of such a crime, there would bave
been something the matter with them.
There is no valid reason for the ship sub-
sidy bill other than the reason which kept
REED Syo0T, the Mormon Apostle, in the
Senate. Itis the result of a corrupt bar-
gain between the late Senator MARK HAN-
NA and a group of rich shipbuilders. Der-
ing the campaign of 1900 Mr. HANNA
needed money to buy votes for the Repub-
lican tioket and promised the shiphuilders
an immense bonus if they would contribute
the fands. They entered into she agree-
ment and complied with their part of it.
Thus far Congress has failed to keep Sena-
tor HANNA'S pledge, notwithstanding the
importunities of President ROOSEVELT to
to perpetrate the crime. This year it
almost succeeded.
The ship subsidy bill of this Congress
was not the colossal fraud which its prede-
cessors of other sessions have been. In
fact it had been stripped of most of its
grossess features in the hope that by such
modification is covld be forced through.
But the vicious purpose of looting the
treasury in order to pay unearned bounties
to party. favorites is present even in the
modified bill and it was reasoned that if
the comparatively harmless measure could
be got through this year, the other evils
could be added on some subsequent ocoa~
sion. For this reason we are glad shat the
Democratic Senators filibustered to prevent
the oatrage.
— Senator CARMACK of Tennessee bad
plenty of fan with the subsidy mongers of
the Senate last Sunday and be was perform-
ing a valuable publio service while be was
enjoying himself. By the eame token it
is a great pisy that CARMACK'S splendid
services in the Senate are to end with his
great parliamentary achievement in defeat
ing the atrocious ship subsidy.
RR
Harviman and Roosevelt.
From the Bloomsburg Democratic Sentinel.
Mr. Harriman is of the opinion that
President Roosevelt is wanting in mental
discipline. The President is a ‘‘very able
man,” this wizzard of frenzied finance de-
clares, and might be ‘‘capable of doing great
things,” if he only more ‘fixity of
purpose.’’ The subject that brought these
observa out was a recent event in the
Panama canal affair. It begins to look as
if that great work will never make progress
as long as the President has control of it.
He is constantly obanging either the
or the personnel of those in charge and Mr.
Harriman can’t Imagine asunoccess of a great
enterprise under such circumstances.
The average thinking man is not likely
to be influenced eisher in his likes or dis-
likes by the opinions of Mr. Harriman. A
writer in one of the daily papers is not far
wrong in his conclusions that Mr. Harri-
man’s story of his juggling tions with
the stocks of the Alton, the Illinois Central
and the Union Pacific railroads sxprend a
more dangerous form of immorality than
that of several witnesses in the Thaw trial.
Such a man can have little influence on a
wholesome public mind. But what he says
to Roosevelt is literally true. His frequent
changes of plans and purposes prove him
ntuple of managing important under-
takings.
Rocsevelt lacks in steadfastness if not in
common honesty. His open traffic in pub-
lic patronage in order to prevent an inves-
tigation of the Post-office department just
after he bad enjoyed extensive and expen-
sive favors from railroads which had been
overs ng the government for services
was 8 ious if not criminating and his
want of veracity as revealed on several co-
casions are corroborative of hie lack of
moral stamina. But Harriman is a poor
oritic of morals or mental qualities. By
his own confession he is a pirate who nei-
ther respects nor conserves the property of
anybody.
The Higher Law and the Thaw
Jary.
From the Connellsville Courier.
The newspaper jury, which tries Thaw
and convicts or acquits him from day to
day, and every day, bas now discovered
that the District Attorney bas bim ina
corner between the mad house and the
electric chair, this by reason of she alleged
admiesion of an alienist for the defease that
Thaw had his wits about him when he
killed White, the admission being that
Thaw was sufficiently sane to know the
deadly character of the revolver he bought
and whioh he carried when he fired the
fatal shot.
Alieniss testimony is largely theoretical
and hypothetical, and Doctor Buiitian’s
cross-examination was almost entirely so.
He did not see Harry Thaw at the time of
the shooting, nor immediately before or
after, and has no knowledge of his mental
condition at that particular time save
throogh the testimony of others.
The chief use of alienist testimony is to
furnish a legal excuse for modifying the
stern universality of the law to fit exce
tional cases. There ie no Higher Law in
fue State of New York, but there are alien-
While the jurors are sworn to try the
case “‘in accordance with the law and the
evidence,’ it has been decided in Pennsyl-
vania at least that ‘‘the jurors are judges of
the law as well as the facts.” In other
words, the jurors may disregard the law
laid down by coetom or even statute in the
higher object of meeting out justice as it
appears to them. They area law unto
themselves. Their verdict of acquittal in
a murder case may not be set aside.
While the Higher Law will not be recog-
nized by the bench, there are indications
that it has sunk deeply into the minds and
hearts of the Thaw jurymen, and the more
heartlessly Jerome harrasaes the prisoner's
wile the more firmly it will remain fixed
ere.
Prosperity.
From the Chicago Public.
at there is much prosperity no one can
Wo The enormous expenditures of the
luxurious rich testify to it in unmistakable
terms. Bat whose is the prosperity ? Are
they prosperous whose labor furnishes the
wherewithall for these lavish expendisares?
Wealth does not fall from the stars, nor is
it lefs over from the past. It is recreated
day by day. Consequently, when one man
spends a t that he doesn’t create,
others must create a thousand that they
cannot spend. The r the expendi-
tares of the idle, therefore, the greater
mast be the impoverishment of producers.
Toe is i 20 there is 5 gaineay.
ng it. Prosperity for idle parasites Is
adversity for industrious workers. pe
For Trial Divorce.
From the New York Tribune.
The minister and his wife who recently
separated for a period of three years, mean-
ing to seek a divorce if after lapse
time they were so minded, have introduced
a bappy idea. Instead of the trial mar-
Siage, Why Hob Jus shal Qivorcey Three
years ¢ enable an uncongen r to
decide whether divorce is the realm pa
Sesion le spam oitiiogs wishing to enter
Is Not, But Ought to Be.
From the Connellsville Courier.
The Johnstown Democrat denon!
crime the su, on of news of rail
disasters. It isn’t a crime, yet; but it's a
question whether it ought not to be made
one by legislative enactment. Rail reg-
ulation is in danger of running , but
railway officials owe something of
and accommodation to the public, even
they don’t to the newspapers.
Want the Women to Vote.
From the Perry County Advocate,
Some time ago Grover Cleveland was at
odds with the but now he is
“almost persuaded.” He can’t blink the
fact that a lot of ignoramuses in tronsers
march ap to the polls and the farther fact
that the country is fall of sensible women
who bave as much at stake in government
Spawls from the Keystone,
—Allentown young women raised $6,555 in
one week toward a free public library.
=D. C. Crags. a plasterer, of Warren, has
received word that he is a beneficiary under
the will of an old friend in Arkansas, and
will likely receive a fortune of $75,000.
. —8. F. McCloskey, an aged citizen of Cur.
wensville, Clearfield county, died Thursday
of last week. His wife died the Tuesday
previous. Fora number of years he acted
as county surveyor.
—Thirty Indian boys and girls arrived at
the Carlisle Indian school last week, all
Northern Cheyennes from the Tonque river
agency, Montana.
—Homer Hetrick, aged 17, was burned to
death, and James Ohein, aged 18, was seri-
ously burned in a fire which broke outin a
saw mill at Camp Run, near DuBois, shortly
after midnight last Tuesday night. They
were both residents of Emerickville. It is
understood the fire started from an explo-
sion of powder.
—The store room of Whitman, Schwarz &
Co., at Lewistown, was burglarized Friday
night. The safe was rifled and while no
money was secured by the thieves valuable
papers were taken out. The most of these
were found floating about in pools of water,
Saturday morning, among them being orders
on the county amounting to about $1,000.
—The prison officials of Luzerne county
have been charging the city of Wilkesbarre
45 cents a day for boarding city prisoners,
and have been feeding them on choice meats,
including turkey occasionally. Mayor Kir-
kendall and City Attorney McHugh have
protested against these prices, and say they
will no longer pay for such chdice boarding.
—The officials last Thursday issued their
call for the eighteenth annual convention of
District No. 2, United Mine Workers of
America, to be held at DuBois, and set
March 21st as the date for the opening of the
same. Over 300 delegates are expected to be
present. A number of matters will receive
attention but the principal one will be the
fixing of a wage scale to govern the mining
of coal for the year beginning April 1st.
—With his throat cut from ear to ear as if
by a razor, C. E. Keys, a Pennsylvania rail~
road fireman, was recently taken to the
Columbia hospital. While Keys was riding
in the eabin the bursting of the air hose
caused the train to stop suddenly and the
jar forced his head through one of the win-
dows. The broken glass cut a deep gash in
Keys’ throat, almost severed the windpipe
and just grazed the jugular vein. The wound
is a serious one.
—Henry M. Kuester, a well known in-
surance agent of Williamsport, was found
dead in bed at the home of his mother in
Viaduct, Clearfield county, Saturday morn-
ing. With his wife he had gone there on a
visit, having complained of ill health. He
retired about 11 o'clock Friday night, and
the next morning when a member of
the household went to waken him he was
found dead. He was 43 years old and leaves
a widow and three daughters.
—In May, 1905, James B. Miller was mur-
dered at Rainsburg, Bedford county, and
Henry Rose, who was charged with the
crime, was convicted of murder in the first
degree at the September term of court in
1906. Last Wednesday the motion for a new
trial was granted and this being done the
court accepted a plea of guilty of murder in
the second degree and the defendant was
sentenced to twenty years in the western
penitentiary. He was also given ten years
for the forgery of Millers’ name to a note.
—With the death of Victor Weldon, a stove
maker at Laquin, Lycoming county, there is
added another chapter in a sad story. Wel-
don, who was about 38 years of age, moved to
Laquin two years ago. A few months later
a 4 year old daughter of the household was
burned to death, her clothing catching fire
from a bonfire. Shortly after that the baby
of the family died. Ten days later Mrs.
Weldon died, leaving her husband and two
young daughters. The death of Mr. Weldon
leaves two children. They will probably be
sent to relatives in Michigan.
—The section foremen of the Lewisburg
and Tyrone railroad witnessed an unusual
sight one cold morning last week. He was
riding « railroad tricycle and when a few
miles from Lewisburg saw an animal of some
kind on the track. On getting closer he
found 1t to be a grey fox with one foot frozen
fast to the rail and unable to tear the mem-
ber loose. The animal was dispatched by the
foreman, who hit it with a stone. The fox
had crossed the creek near the railroad and
when the wet paw struck the cold steel the
animal could not release the hold.
—The Round Table conference of super-
intendents and principals of Central Penn.
sylvania will meet in Clearfield Friday and
Saturday, March 15th and 16th. The first
session will be beld on Friday eveningat 8
o'clock in the assembly room of the High
school building. The question, “What
Should Be the Aims of the High School
will be opened by Singleton Bell Esq., presi.
dent of Clearfield borough school board, fol-
lowed by Prof. George D. Robb, principal of
Altoona High school, after which the con-
ference will engage in a round table discus-
sion. Two sessions will be held on Saturday,
at esch of which pertinent school questions
of | will be discussed. Directors, superintend-
ents, principals, teachers and the public in
general are cordially invited.
—One of the biggest merges in the history
of bituminous coal mining in Pennsylvania
has been effected in Cambria county accord-
idg to papers filed at Ebensburg recently, in
which thousands of acres of coal and mineral
rights in that and Clearfield county, former-
ly owned by the Beech Creek Coal Mining
company are conveyed to the Pennsylvania
Way Coal and Coke company. The leasesgives
control for 909 years from Septenfber 1st
1906, of sll properties to the Pgunsylvania,
Beech Creek and Eastern Coal and Coke
company, which will be the name
merged concern. The transaction gives to
the operating company control of over 1,000
coal cars, 937 coke ovens and 39 mining
operations with 33 shipping points. Three
million dollars worth of bonds are issued, the
proceeds of which are to be used in develop-
ing to the fullest extent the recently ac—
quired properties. Under the merger the
new concern will have control of 106,000
acres of land. The president of the merger.
ed concern is Hon. James Kerr, of Clear-
as the men.