BY P. GRAY MEEK.
Tuk Slings.
—Pay-as-you enter cars do not please
the Pittsburg people.
~The panic of 1907 is over. Let us for-
get it. This ain’t 1907. Its a dead ove.
—Anyway it is easy to change the 7 into
an 8 after we bave written it the same
old way, 1907.
~—1It is now the inning of the girl whose
lover hasn't bad the nerve to do it within
the past three years.
—When our navy falls into the oom-
maud of the pill rollers look ont for a
diarrhoea of words and a series of wind-
jamming expeditions.
—The Batler prophet who has been pre-
dioting such awful things for 1908 should
be placed among that olass of pessimists
who are no good, no how.
—Two daye are a long time for some of
the New Year resolutions to last. Stick to
them, because the first few daysfare al-
ways the hardest and longest.
—8ecretary TAFT bas put it up to the
people. He declares that he stands for
TeEpDY and wants to know whether the
people are going to stand for him.
—TAFT has equatted so near the center
of the RoosEvELT platform that there cer-
tainly won’t be room for any more aspir-
ants on that particular structure.
—All the soft corn in Centre county is
not confined in the farmer’s oribs. There
are a few kept in the shoes of some of the
people we see passing on the streets.
—A Paris insarance company refuses
risks on men who dye their hair. Certain
it is that that company could not do much
business among the women of this coun-
try.
— President ROOSEVELT shook six thou.
gand hands at his New Year's reception.
It is not probable that any of them gave
him the grip of his famous ‘‘Ananias
Club.”
—Belonging to the Rassian Douma isn’$
just the kind of a job thas the patriots of
this country would be looking for. One
hundred and sixty-seven of them have been
sentenced to prison for signing a mere man-
ifesto.
—Louisiana hasn’t so much on Centre
county. What if TEDDY did go down there
to bunt bear last fall? Hasn't JAMES A.
GARFIELD, son of the former President,
just concluded a bear hunting expedition
into our own ‘‘Bear meadows.”
=--The wills are startivg up again al}
over the country and the feeling of con-
fidenoe is growing to such proportions that
it might not be long until the panic of 1907
is remembered only as a horrible dream in
the night hetween two eras of prosperity.
—The temple of Neptune nsed as a stock
exchange in Rome was blown up by a
bomb on Weduesday. It isa wonder that
an exchange with such a name did not col-
lapse without the bomb’s help when we
come to realize that about all the water has
- been squeezed out of the stocks.
—Four Bellefonters wanted a Lino street
howe for $3500.00, but thought they could
get it for less. That's hesitation. A Zion
farmer stepped in and bought it tor $3300.00
That's action. Now one of the four offers
the farmer $4000.00 for the property. That's
paying too much for being too slow.
~Why should the Japs make a fuss bhe-
cause they have discovered graft in conneo-
tion with the purchase of the street ril-
ways in Tokyo ? Aren’t they always up in
the air for fear they won't be on an equal
footing with the most favored nations. The
rest all have it. Japan should be happy.
—Gradually the farmers of the State are
being led away from the good old apple
butter bilin, saver-kraut making stage of
living. At their Congress at State College
this week they are to get a dose of en-
thenics that will transport them {olear into
the field of angel foods and peach merangue.
—The New Year will bave brightoess for
those who try to make it bright. You"can’t
live in the depths and enjoy the exhilera-
tion of the heights. Hold your head up
and be happy. Don’t let a few reverses
put gloom into you. Profit by their les-
sons and keep on the cheerful way and you
will find 1908 the happiest year of your
life.
—Things are beginning to look up in
1ycal polities. AlreadysHENRY WHIPPO,
HARRY KERNS and JAMES RINE bave of-
fered themselves as successor to JOHN D.
Love, who is the retiring overseer of the
poor. On the Democratic side there has
not been much activity though PAT GHER-
RITY has been considering the matter of
asking for the nomination.
—The approach of the spring elections
prompts us to repeat the oft given advice
to be careful about the character of the
men nominated. It is neither good politics
nor good citizenship to put men on the
ticket who are unfit for the offices to be
filled. It is unreasonable to expect that
sensible voters will support such nominees
and just because of this lack of care in
making up local tickets more personal and
oligue enmity is aroused than in any
other way. Itis always disastrous. We
trust that the Democrats in all parts of the
county will select such nominees as they
need not have to apologize for.
VOL. 53
The Highway Commissioners Absurd
Defence.
State highway commissioner Josep W.
HUNTER asks the newspapers of the Com-
monwealth to publish an ‘‘opinion"’ re-
cently rendered by deputy attorney gen-
eral FREDERICK W. FLEITZ, vindicating
his palpable usurpation of power and fla-
grant violation of the law in employing
party pensioners and political healers to
serve in the capacity of inspectors ‘during
the construction of state roads.” For
some years the office of Astorney General
has been depended upon to interpret the
laws in any old way thas the exigencies of
the atrocious ‘‘oriminal conspiracy mas-
querading as the Republican party’ re-
quires. JonN P. ELKIN decided that the
people had no right to vote for a constitu.
tional amendment if the Governor objected
and HAMPTON L. CArsoN officially declar-
ed that the constitution is unconstitutional.
But it was left for a deputy in the office to
promulgate the absnrd proposition that be-
cause the law vests in the head of the
Highway Department supervision over
“the reconstruction of roads,”’ he has the
implied right to hire any number of in-
gpectors and pay them at any rate of wages
he pleases, out of any money in the
treasury that he can get his bands on.
Probably no other mau outside of an in-
sane assylum, in the entire State, could
have heen induced to father so preposter-
cue an idea.
“Section 9 of the Act of May 1, 1905,”
Deputy Attorney Geoeral FLEITZ informs
State Highway Commissioner HUNTER,
provides that ‘‘the State Highway Depart-
ment may, if the funds at its disposal per-
mit of so doing, contract jointly with the
county and township or townships, in
which the said highway lies, to carry ont
the recommendations of the State Highway
Commissioner ; the cost of the same, inclu-
ding all the necessary surveys, grading,
material, construction, relocation, changes
of grade and expenses in connection with
the improvement of said highway to be
horne but the work of ocovstruotion
shall be done under the supervision of the
State Highway Department the same as
any other road reconstructed under this
act.” Probably that is the exact language
of the law. and if it is the Highway Com-
missioner had 0d more right to appoint in-
speotors and pay them out of the public
funds than he would have to break into
one of the banks of this town at miduighs,
blow up the safe and ron away with the
money. The act is specific in the authority
it conveys. It requires the Highway Com-
missioner to act “jointly with the county
and township’ aathorities, and enumer-
ates the items for which he may incor ex-
penses. Ohvionsly the work of inspection
is left to the looal authorities and for that
matter it is abouts the only thing they ges
for the money they contribute to the vasé
cost of the enterprise.
The truth of the matter is that in the ap-
pointment of the inspectors the Highway
Commissioner usurped authority and in
paying them out of the public fauds he
looted the treasury, violated the law and
betrayed his oath of office. If these things
bad been done in ignorance, they would
have been bad enough, for ‘‘iguorance of
the law excuseth no man.”’ Bat the infer-
ence is clear that the outrages were perpe-
trated with the full aoderstanding of their
criminal character and for the purpose of
saddling upon the people of the State the
expenses of machine politics. The High-
way Department was oreated [for that par-
pose and presumably ite chief was selected
with the view of facilitating the work.
From the beginning the Department has
been a ‘‘sink of iniquity,’’ the stench from
whioh has offended the nostrils of every
decent man in the Commonwealth. The
onlawful employment of inspectors is
among the least of 1s offenses and in get-
ting an absurd endorsement from an in-
competent clerk in the office of the Attor-
ney General, the commissioner has insalt-
ed the intelligence of the public after
plundering the treasury of the people. In
the quotations above we have given the
enbstance of Mr. FLEITZ'S opinion and
won’t waste space with the frills.
Soa
Secretary Taft's Platform.
Secretary TAPI's Boston speech of Mon-
day night is distinctly a disappointment.
It was expected that he would declare his
own policies and purposes, in the event of
his election to the Presidency, and instead
of that he simply eulogized ROOSEVELT
and left the pablic to infer that he has no
ideas of his own, His review of the causes
of the panic were precisely what any intel -
ligent man would bave advanced with the
exception that he confused ROOSEVELT'S
hysteria with the prosecution of criminals
of “high estate.”
The salient feature of Mr. TAFT'S speech
was his declaration against government
ownership of interstate commerce utilities.
In that he has adopted precisely the idea
expressed by Mr. WILLIAM JENNINGS
BRYAN on his return from abroad a year
ago. Mr. BRyansaid shat if it became a
question of the government owning the
TATE R
railroads or the railroads owning the gov-
ernment, he would favor government own-
ership of the railroads. Mr. TAFT'S phrases
are that if we recede from the ROOSEVELT
policy of government regalation of rail-
roads, the alternative is government own-
ership. The difference is the same as that
between tweedledum and tweedledee.
The trath is, however, that the coming
campaign will not be laid on those lines.
There is not and has not been serious ob- |
jection to rational government regulation of
everything from the rates of railroads to the
style of diapers for babies and the people
are tired of his absurd caprices and foolish
fancies. If Secretary TAFT has nothing
better to offer than the promise of a contin-
uance of that system of administration his
candidacy will not commend itsell to rea-
son.
Philadelphia's Manicipal Election.
Before IskARL W. DurHAM, of Phila.
delphia, left for his semi-tropical buogalo
in Florida, the other day, he announced
that the ‘‘leaders’’ bad fixed up the muni-
cipal ticket to be elected by the people
next month. By the leaders he meant
Senator PENROSE, State Senaters Mo-
NicuoL and VARE and himself. They had
held several meetings in the office of Sen-
ator PENROSE and selected the gentlemen
to be nominated for councils in the several
wards and such other offices as are to he
filled at the February election. The peoc-
ple of the city, that is to say the Republi
can voters, will ratify the selections at the
“aniform primaries.”
This is essentially a parody on popalar
government. The uniform primary elec:
tion law was enacted to prevent just such
things and it would achieve the purpose in
any community capable of self government.
But Philadelphia is vot such a community.
The eordid, truonlent electorate of that
city is either so destitate of intelligence or
wanting in the elements of manhood that
it doesn’t dare protest againet the usar.
pation of what should be its most cherish-
ed right by a gang of political pirates, the
most conscienceless and predatory ever or-
ganized in a oivilized community. DUR-
HAM'S announcement confirms the worst
that bas ever been said against the oity.
Of course there is only one way by
which the boast of DURHAM oan be ful-
filled. That is by raiding the primary
elections by repeaters or falsifying the vote
in some other way. This is only possible
in the event of popular acquiescence. One
man with courage and character in each
voting precinot would guarantee a fair elec:
tion and houest return of the vote, bat the
one man is not available. The entire com-
manity is steeped in iniquity and the pub-
lic thieves who plunder in the open are not
the worst. It is the corrupt business ele-
ment, whose greed is so great that in its
efforts to accumulate, it forgets all public
daty, all public honor and is content with
the corruption that makes that city the
scorn of honest men everywhere, which
gives Philadelphia its unique distinction in
vice.
A Carions Classification.
SmuLn’s Legislative Hand Book for
1908, which will be issued some time dar-
ing the first half of the year, will contain
the party platforms and some other inter-
eating and informing matter which has
been left out of the volume, by order of
Governor PENNYPACKER, in recent years,
according to the esteemed Harrisburg
Patriot. The order of expurgation was in
the interest of economy, the public was in-
formed by Mr. PENNYPACKER. Inciden-
tally it may be remarked that the publi-
cation afforded no ‘‘rake-off’’ for the ma
chine. Mr. PENNYPACKER may bave had
that fact in mind.
Speaking off SMULL'S Legislative Hand
Book it may be remarked that the volame
for 1907 haa just been issued recently and
though late coming it maintains the high
standard of merit established for it long
ago. Bat it contains one ourious thing
which needs an explanation. In the list of
“principal executive, judicial and diplo-
matio officers’ of the United States gov-
ernment, it places the secretary to the
President, WILLIAM LOEB, Jr., second in
the list. Most students of our government
will bardly consent to estimating the
President's secretary as a higher official
than the Vice President of the United
States.
Mr. LOEB is an important fellow un-
questionably. When the President is
canght in a, let us say misrepresentation,
Logs promptly assumes the responsibility.
These are important functions for a public
official, but the services hardly entitle the
man who performs them to rank next to
the President in our official classification.
The decoy duck is an important adjunct to
a hunter's outfit bat it can’t be olassed
ahead of the gun, If the President didn’t
need that kind of service, moreover, the
country might be as wall off.
~——This is ‘Farmer's Week” at The
Pennsylvania State College, and a large
number of tillers of the soil are present
IGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
BELLEFONTE, PA., JANUARY 3, 1908.
from all over the State.
A Suggestion to Mr. Gompers.
The January namber of the ‘‘American
Federationiss,” the official organ of the
American Federation of Labor and ably
edited by SAMUEL GoMPERS, president of
thas admirable labor organization, devotes
four pages of its valuable space to the pub-
lication of she ‘‘record”” of Hon. JOSEPH
G. CANNON, speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives. According to this record Mr.
CANNON has been consistently opposed to
legislation in the interest of labor from the
beginning of his long official career. Dar-
ing the Fifty-ninth Congress hie antip-
athy to organized labor was conspicuously
! and effectively expressed, and the objeos of
the pablication of the record was obvious-
ly to crysializ: labor sentiment against
Mr. CANNON.
Flainly the purpose of the publication
at this time is to impair the chances of Mr.
CANNONS nomination for the Presidency
at the coming national convention of his
party. Every word contained in the in-
teresting editorial is true, no doubt, but
it was a waste of mental energy. Mr.
CANNON has no more chance of gettingjthat
nomination than the man in the moon bas
of succeeding KAsgr ; WILLIAM as Emper-
or of Germany. It would bave been
wiser, therefore, for Mr. GOMPERS to train
his gus on Secretary TAFT who,asthe can-
didate of the ROOSEVELT administration,is
practically certain to secure the favor and
whose labor record is not a whit better,
from the view point of organized labor,
than that of CANNON. Experience has
proved that ‘‘baying the moon’’ is a thank-
less labor.
Bas after all what ie the use in particu-
larizing in snch matters? That a stream
can be no purer than its source is proverb-
ial and itis equally certain that party
agents in politics are precisely what the
party wants them to be. CANNON antag:
onized labor legislation because he thor-
oughly understood that his party wanted
such legislation epposed and knew that he
wonld be rewarded rather than punished
for his course. And his judgment has been
vindicated in the matter. In the fall light
of his record in previous Congresses he was
unanimonsly nominated by his party for
Speaker and elected to the office by the
eutix strength of his party. Therefore if
Mr. GOMPERS wauts to make an effective
fight againss the enemies of labor legisla-
tion he will let individuals aloue and at-
tack the Republican party.
Interesting Events Promised.
There are likely to be some interesting
developments after the re-assembling of
Congress next week, growing out of the
recent episode, it it may be so designated,
in the Navy Department. The great ar-
mada was dispatched on its search for tron.
ble, it appears, without adequate wedical
attendance for the reason that several of
the various heads of bureaus in the depart-
ment were unable to} agree upon what
might be termed naval etignette, or, if we
may employ the phrase, ‘‘militant§{cour-
tesy.” In other words the ohief of the
Bureau of Navigation dissented from the
opinion of the head of the Barean of Medi-
oal Service and the health of the entire
force of seawen is jeopardized in conse-
quence.
In the naval history of thejworld no staff
officer, such as paymasters, chaplains or
physicians, has ever been assigned to the
command of a ship. Until recently no
such officer has ever aspired to the com-
mand of a ship in our own navy. Bat
Surgeon General RIXEY, head of the Medi-
ca! Bureau of the Navy, baving become one
of the President’s favorites, appears to have
become ‘‘ochesty,”’ and demanded that the
hospital ship which was to accompany the
fleet should be put under the command of
a surgeon. The head of the Bureau of
Navigation remonstrated and RIXEY ran
to ROOSEVELT with ‘“‘a tale of woe."
Where the President’s pets arej{concerned:
neither traditions, precedents nor laws
count. The President decided the ques-
tion in favor of RixEy, but the ship
counldn’t be got ready, under the new con.
ditions, in time for the start.
Of course such conflicts amongjthe of-
ficials of the navy and changes in the meth-
ods of procedure are highly prejudicial to
the efficiency as well as the discipline of
the navy. But what does the President
care for such things ? His purposesjare to
have his own way and make things easy
for his favorites and he will work forjthose
results if the achievement ofjjthem sinks
every ship and sacrifices the life of every
officer aud man in the force. The present
indications are, however, that Congress
will institnte an investigation with the
view of discovering to what extent these
exhibitions of the President's caprices ad-
versely affect the public service of the coun-
try.
——In the recently published list of
students at the West Chester Normal
school, Miss Maude E. Miller was credited
to Huntingdon county, whereas she isa
resident of Centre, her home being near
Pennsylvania Furnace.
From the Lancaster Intelligencer.
Our president has so often shown his free
disposition to talk and to keep all others
from talking whom he can control, that it
is nosarprise tosee him shut up Admiral
Browuson and the other naval officers who
have, it seems, been restive under the im-
ections of our iron clade, that the pub-
ic now hears of, and thas it is time to hear
a great deal more of, now that the situa-
tion bas attracted ite attention, and will
surely receive that of Congress,
It seems that these imperfections of our
war vessels have been well known to the
administration, and it further seems that
the president, in sending out the great
Pacific fleet, has been very hold, if not
very indisorees, because of the nnveiling of
the imperfections which be might bave
been sure would follow. It is this reflec-
tion which inclines us to give ear to the
conclusion that they exist in the serious
degree which intimated. Certainly it
would not have heen wise to send oat for
display to the Oriental world a fleet fairly
open to severe criticiem of its fighting pow-
er. We may suspect, therefore, that what-
ever its imperfections are, they are not so
serions as to detract very greatly from
their fighting power, though they may be
serious enough to call for radical correo-
tions.
Until we hear, at the hauds of Congress,
just what the degree of trouble is, we may
well suspend judgment about it, but we
note now what seems to be obvious, that
the president has closed the mouths of the
naval commanders to criticism that they
conceive to be well founded. This he
may bave done because he deemed it inex-
pedient that the world at large should be
advised of our warship defects ; bat il this
has been his view, it is not easy to under-
stand why he should have sent them off on
an around-the-world cruise.
We prefer to account for the president's
action in accordance with his well-known
disposition to doall the critical talking
for the nation himself and to seal the lips
of all its other officiale to aught but words
of praise for it and its.
For Our National Defense.
From the Pittsburg Sun.
To those who have given much thought
to the subject it is clear that the problem
of our National defense isn’t to be solved
the way most people think it is. Merely
adding to the pay of enlisted men in the
army aud navy in any amount that the
people wounld stand for isn’t going to help
matters any. The conditions of professional
military service on Earopean lines of caste
and tradition aren’t attractive to men of a
country where outside of the military call-
ing opportunity isequnal to all. Ws» riust
devise an American way of meeting hie
problem of National defense. It must
come out of an adaptation of our militia
servioe.
Oar regular troops must be given some-
thing useful to do in some sort of useful
public work where merit and ability are
the stepping-stones to promotion and
where mere caste is wholly abolished.
There is no reason why more thav half the
time of an industrious and intelligent man
in this country should be needed in purely
military training. War is now a matter of
mechanics ae much as of military ardor,
and men who are trained to build roads,
bridges, embankments, to handle and re-
pair machinery need but little training in
the specialized arta of war.
The parade ground are ideals of military
service, their millinery and flammery can
be wholly dispensed with. Such an army
will ap, strange to Earopean eyes, bus
of its efficiency and fighting powers there
can be no doubt. The State n:ilitias ehould
be encouraged with much of the money
that is now wasted in maintainiog a deca-
dent regulararmy, that is wholly out of
touch with our National ideals. Profes-
sional fighters have never wou our wars. It
is the men who came from the plows and
the shops and who went back to them af-
ter fighting was over who have counted in
our real defense.
Some Roosevelt Prosperity.
From the Springfield Republican.
Salary cutting is to strike the Erie rail-
road, and the new year will bring a reduec-
tion in the pay of all the general officers of
the road, as well as the entire clerical
force. The lower salaried men will lose 2
per cent. and from the higher paid olerks
and officers 10 per cent. will be sliced.
Thus the stroke will operate all the way
from President Underwood down to the
olerks gesting as little as $60 a month, but
beyond this it will nos go, and blessed will
be little ! A thousand men will be affect-
ed in the general ofiices in New York oity,
Buffaio, Cleveland and other points. I
the action of the Erie railroad to be the
setting of a fashion, or only a sporadic per
formance ? That is the thonght that will
strike men all over the country as they get
the news of this reduction. The hope is
still general that the panic of 1907 is to be
less productive of lessened incomes for
salaried people and wage earners than were
the other periods of business depression
through which the conntry has passed.
Bat there is something ominous in this ac-
tive of the management of the Erie rail-
The Gospel of the Gans,
From the Philadelphia Record.
We load up sixteen armored battleships
with men and munitions, guns and gun-
Jovder, and send them around the world
n the view of friendly nations ostensibly
on a practice trip which would make them
more formidable for fight thao frolic.
This is the Big Stick idea of keeping the
peace. This was also the Napoleonic idea.
‘I have always observed,’’ said the t
Corsican, ‘‘ that God is on the side of the
heaviest artillery.”
——On Monday the majority of the
stores in Bellefonte inaugurated the six
o'clock olosing movement which will be
continued until March 15ih, except Wed-
nesdays and Satordays.
Spawls from the Keystone.
~The losses by fire in Williamsport dur-
ing 1907 amounted to ouly $24,000, the small.
est amount for many years.
—In Northampton county, outside of Eas-
ton, during the six months ending December
19, there were 707 deaths and 1,548 births.
~The commissioners of Columbia county
have paid out in bounties for weasels §550,
for foxes $24 and for minks $25 since the law
placing bounties on the heads of these ani-
mals was passed.
~—Elmer J. Shofflet, a silk weaver who
says he never saw a bank check until a few
days ago, was arrested on Friday upon a
dozen charges of having passed forged checks
in Allentown and Reading.
~—Fire is raging in the Edna mine No. 1 of
the Pittsburg Coal company at Adamsburg,
six miles from Greensburg. The fire is a se-
rious one and efforts to extinguish it have
been futile. Over 300 miners are thrown out
of employment,
—Announcement was made oun Saturday
that the big plant of the American Iron &
Steel Manufacturing company at Lebanon,
which has been idle for some time will re-
sume operations on January 6. This will
give employment to 3,000 men.
~The sixth of January has been decided
upon by the judges of Westmoreland county
as the day for the occupancy of the new
court house in Greensburg, an order to this
effect baving been issued. The day for its
dedication has not as yet been selected.
—George D. Hamor, of New Kensington
a member of the Westmoreland county bar,
while on his way home on Christmas night
about 11 o'clock from a lodge meeting, was
beld up near his home by two highwaymen,
who demanded his money and valuables,
They pointed revolvers at his head but he
knocked down one of the men when the oth.
er fled.
—Joseph Filson, aged 24 years, an employe
of the Standard machine works at Barn.
ham, Miflin county, who went to Harris-
burg tospend his Christmas vacation, was
found dead in bed at the home of his uncle
in that city on Saturday morning, having
been asphyxiated by illuminating gas. Itis
supposed that on retiring he blew out the
light instead of turning off the gas.
—While Michael E. Diehl, a young man of
Friends Cove, Bedford county, was operat-
ing a fodder shredder on last Tuesday on
the farm of John Shaffer, near Rainsburg,
bis right arm was caught in the machine and
so badly lacerated that it had to be ampu-
tated above the elbow. In may, 1901, Mr.
Diehl bad his left hand injured in a saw
mill, requiring the amputation of the thumb
and little finger, so that he is now badly
crippled.
—On Saturday afternoon H. Frank Allen,
of Lock Haven, died after an illness of three
weeks with heart trouble, aged 84 years, and
just sixteen honrs afterward his wife, who
had been ill with dropsy for about a year,
died also, aged 67 years. Early in life Mr.
Allen bad traveled extensively and endured
many hardships prospecting for gold in
California. His father died at the age of 86
years, his mother at 84, and his grandfather
at 122 years,
~Frank Amos, a son-in-law of Charles
Martin, of Houtzdule, who has for some
time been residing at Hastings, committed
suicide ot the latter place on Sunday night,
December 220d, but the deed was not discov-
ered however, until Christmas. His wife
was visiting her parents in Houtzdale at the
time. He had written or promised his wife
he would join her in the visit, but failing to
do go it is said that he committed the rash
act rather than face her on her return with
his promise broken. He was aged 22 years,
and was employed as a miner.
~The treasurer of Huntingdon county has
prepared his report to send in to Harrisburg,
as the state reimburses the county for all the
bounties, and his order calls for $2,955. By
carefully going over the records it has been
found that in June $113 was paid in boun.
ties for weasels, foxes, wild cats and minks;
in July, $438; August, $417; September, $528;
October, $548; November, $357, and Decem-
ber, $262; making the sum total of almost
$3.000. The total of the animals killed in
that county since July 1, are 784 weasels, 866
foxes, 43 wild cats and 176 minks.
—While six burglars calmly robbed Gil-
berg & Dickey’s clothing store in Juniata at
1 o'clock Friday morning Jack Barry, bar-
ber, who lived over the store stood at a win-
dow and watched them with a loaded revol-
ver in his hand; but every time he took aim
to shoot one of the robbers his nerve
failed him, and they got away with $900
worth of clothing, shoes, jewelry, otc. Bar-
ry, who had been aroused when the burglais
smashed the front window to gain entrance,
and who watched the men an hour or more,
was afraid to give the alarm until long after
the men had departed.
—Two daughters of Albert Kessinger,
aged 11 and 15 years, respectively, were near-
ly asphyxiated from the coal gas origivating
from a stove, while in the parlor at their
home at Mill Hall, Clinton county, Sunday.
One of the girls was in the act of playing
the piano when she suddenly fell from the
stool. Her sister came to pick her from the
floor, when she was overcome by the fumes
from the stove. Mrs. Kessinger noticed the
children lying on the floor and went to their
assistance when she too was slightly
affected in a like manner. They were taken
into the fresh air, a physician summoned
and in a short time were resuscitated.
~The Union Supply company on Christ-
mas morning enacted the role of Santa Claus
in a manner which for lavishness and gen-
eralness had never before been equalled in
Westmoreland county. The company saw to
it that Christmas was made & merry day for
nearly forty thousand men, women and
children. At each of its sixty stores there
was a live Santa Claus. In some cases he ar-
rived in an automobile, in others he came in
a gaily decorated wagon, while in other
stores he made a descent down the chimney.
And everywhere he was welcomed, as he
wade his way among the residents of each of
the mining towns, scattering candy, presents
and cigars, indiscriminately, among all who
came in his way. In all nearly forty thous.
and pound boxes of candy, sil highly dec-
orated, were distributed, while the cigars,
ete., handed out were well nigh innumera-
ble.