Pemorralic acon
_—
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
————————
Ink Slings.
—0ld Jack Frost must be on the bear
side of the markes in ice, coal and plamb-
ers supplies.
—80 the QUAY statue is really on the
way. Let us bope that it is the way
to the sorap heap.
—1If one hundred cod livers are required
to make a gallon of oil how many cases of
weak lungs will the oil heal ?
-~The government receipts from tax on
spirits show a loss of $1,717,502 for Decem-
ber. The temperance idea seems to be
growing.
—If SHUMAKER should ‘‘squeal’”’ on
the rest of the gralters of course they will
try to prove that he ought to be in the
“bug house.”
—The Pennsylvania capitol grafters go
to trial on Monday, then the THAW affair
in New York wiil bave to be relegated to
the inside pages.
—The American sailors evidently bad a
good time in Rio. While blood-shed was
happily averted many of the Jackies were
at least half shot.
—Whatever may be said of Governor
HucHE'S whiskers it is certain that if be
gete the presidential nomination it will be
by a close shave.
—A man who may not be able to sing
a note can sign a note very handily, yet the
difference between sing and sign is merely
a transposition of two letters.
—Ramor has it that they bad a regular
old time meeting of council Monday night,
a regular war of words, but notbing more
than the feelings of one member hurt.
—There is nothing in all the world as
near like God’s clear, bright sunshine as
good humor. It does more to encourage
and uplift humanity than anything else.
—The TAFT order to kill everything that
rans in the Philippines would be rather
disastrous to a certain runner for presi-
dential fame if applied in the United
States.
—The President makers have gotten
down to the point where whiskers or no
whiskers are playing an important part in
favorite candidates. This is splitting hairs
sare envagh.
—Thaok Heaven, the Supreme court haa
saved the Pennsylvania Railroad company
from the hamiliation of resorting to cross-
roads-school -house-magio-lantern-shows as
a means of revenue.
—80 Governor HuGHES, of New York,
has formally entered the lists for the presi-
dential race. He represents himself, he
says, and if the people call he will heed.
Mr. TAFT will now proceed to make such
adin that the call cannot be heard at
Albany.
—The death of Controller JOHN B. LAR-
KIN, of Pittsburg, is a loss to the govern:
ment of that oity which it will feel keenly
at this time, Though a Democrat he was
elected to one of the highest offices in a
Republican city whiob is the greatest
tribute to his uprightness as a public of-
ficial.
—The Czar of Russia's little son, three
years old, is said to be the handsomest
child of Royal blood in Earope. This is
all the more wonder when the ideas of
science would teach us that he ought to he
a kind of composite Jap-Anarchist-Social-
ist-revolting-peasans-rioting student sort
of a creature.
—It will be a matter of great enrprise to
the public to know that eighty hogs be-
longing to a Washington county farmer
died from the effects of drinking coal oil
that bad escaped from a broken pipe line
that traverses the farm. The effect on any
other animals might not have been so
startling, but we always thought that oil
was the very thing that made hogs, else
why all this talk about the Standard oo-
topus.
—No person who heard the Hon,
CHARLES EMORY SMITH speak in public
will fail to remember what a profound and
polished man be appeared to be. His
writings, as well as his orations, were
fraught with great, broad, uplifting
thoughts that were good for humanity and
now that their author ia no more they will
live as our inheritance from a life that was
a oredit to himself and a blessing to his
fellows.
—ToM LAwsoN, baviog given up his
fight against the ‘‘System,’’ ocoupies eight
pages in McClure's Magasine in telling why
he did it. Tom never was far behind
OuIDA or RIDER HAGGARD in descriptive
powers and the way he tells it to the pab-
lic leaves no doubt about our getting off
place. Naturally, Tom did it all, bas the
fellows who were done by following his
advice won't feel that their lot is any
easier beoanse he has put shem in a olass
known as ‘saffron faced apes.”
—Next Saturday the primaries for bor-
ough and township elections will be held
in Centre county. Is is well to hear in
mind that these primaries will be held
under the old law and not according to the
new, as will the primaries for county offices
to be held later. Again we advise all well
minded citizens to be careful of the char-
aoter of the men placed on the tickets.
Every candidate should be selected with
regard for his personal fitness for the office
he aspires to fill, rather than because of
his personal popularity. The beat interests
of local government will always be best
suabserved by those who have the mostat
stake.
i
“VOL. 53
—————
The Rate Law Decision.
No thoughtful man was greatly surprised
at the decision of the Supreme court of
Pennsylvania declaring the rate law un-
constitutional. There was as little reason
for surprise at the division of the Bench on
the subject. Chief Justice MICHTELL and
Justices FELL, BrowN and ELKIN signed
the majority report and Justices MESTRE-
ZAT, POTTER and STEWART dissented.
The Chief Justice and those who joined
with bim in the opinion which invalidates
the law are believed by many persons
to be as much the servants of the
railroads of the State as any freight crew
in their service. They reasoned themselves
to their conclusion, nos by legal processes
but by the interests of their masters, the
corporations.
The opinion of the court insults public
intelligence by asserting that the rate
fixed in the act of assembly is confizcatory,
notwithstanding the fact that the Penn.
sylvania railroad, plaintiff in the
case, is earning under the provisions
of the law, eleven per cent. on the capitali-
zation of the property. If that is confis-
catory the investors who are content with
the returns from three aod four per cent.
government bonds would like to know
what the National government is doing to
them. The decision is based, of course, on
a theory that profits of each branch of the
enterprise must be taken separately, and
that the balances from the freight traffic
can’t be used to make up delinquencies in
the passenger account. But the franchise
to operate freight traivs at an enormous
profit is given by the State in consideration
of favors to the public in other directions.
The reasoning of the court on that point
is bad enough but not ‘‘a patching’’ to the
absurdity of the proposition advanced, in
the majority of the opinion, that because
an aot of the Legislature passed nearly
three-quarters of a century ago conferred
upon the corporation the right to fix rates,
the recent act is unconssitational. The
constitution of 18:3 specifically states that
a corporation accepting its provisions for-
feits its right to claim onder a charter pre-
viously granted. The Peonsylvania rail-
road long ago accepted the provisions of
the constitution and became amenable to
any subsequent acts of the Legislature.
Any intelligent school boy knows that and
when the Chief Justice of the Supreme
court and his associates on the bench de-
clare she contrary, they reveal their servi.
tode to the corporation aud betray their
recreancy to the public.
The dissenting opinion is signed by jus-
tices MESTREZAT, the only Democrat on
the bench ; STEWART, who was nominated
by t"e Democrats, and POTTER, who has
recently on several occasions expressed
Democratic principles. When MITCHELL
and BROWN were catapulted on the bench
the operation was at the instance of the
Pennsylvania railroad and in perverting
their power to the service of the road shey
are simply discharging a sinister obligation.
The attitude of Messrs. MESTREZAT and
STEWART, however, points the way by
which relief may be obtained from the
evils of corporate domination. It is in the
suocess of the Demooratic party whiob is
the party of she people.
Shamaker Not a Scapegoat
The failure of the capitol grafters to secure
a postponement of their trial through the in-
firmities of former Superintendent of Pab-
lic Grounds and Baildings SHUMAKER, en-
courages the heliel that they are likely to
be brought to justice. If there had been
no intention to prosecute,and we were very
much inclined to believe that was the case,
Mr. SHUMAKER'S health, or want of
health, would have formed a plausible ex-
cuse for delay. That it was the intention
of the defendants to take advantage of the
conditions admite of no doubt. Bat At-
torney General Topp and prosecutor SCAR-
LET are in earnest and were too alert to be
deceived by such a subterfuge.
The grafters mast have been very much
disappointed at the failure of their plans,
It is the first time since the operations be-
gao that SHUMAKER'S failed them. Bat
hitherto the infirmities with which they
had to deal were moral rather than physic-
al. With PENNYPACKER misinterpreting
the law and HustoN, SANDERSON and
CAssSEL imploring him to be blind and
deal, he was more a victim than a orimi-
nal. The Criminals were those who deceiv-
ed him as to the law and the facts in the
case. PENNYPACKER ought to have been
arraigned instead of the poor invalid who
in the shadow of the penitentiary is a mor-
al and physical wreck.
*‘Iguorance of the law excnseth no man,’
however, and SHUMAKER must accept the
consequences of his folly. He ought to
bave known better than accept she inter-
pretation of the law from a man who idol.
ized QUAY. He ought to have seen the
collusion between the architect and ocon-
tractors and defeated their conspiracy. No
doubt they flattered him as DURHAM and
PENROSE flattered PENNYPACKER and
probably they allowed him to gather a few
orambs of spoil which fell from she table,
BELLEFONIE,DS
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
Bat he was not the projector or the mao-
ager of the inigunities. Those who discharg-
ed those offices were higher up and will
try to escape by putting the blame on him
as they tried to postpone the trial through
him.
Cost of the Isthmian Canal.
While the legislation authorizing the
construction of the Isthmian canal was
pending in Congress, the late Senator MOR-
GAN, of Alabama, suggested the possibility
that it might cost a billion dollars. Of
couree that estimate was promptly ‘‘laugh-
ed out of court,” and a commission, com-
posed of men who were probably in on the
deal estimated the actual and ultimate cost
at $140,000,000. Some time after the
work bad been in progress this estimate
was inoreased to $200,000,000, the $40,-
000,000 payment to the French concession-
aires and the $10,000,000 paid to the
Panama pirates being oited as accounting
for the difference, though it left a matter
of $10,000,000 to conjecture.
Within the last few days we have been
getting some new and not uninteresting
information on the subject. Seoretary of |
War TAFT, who is really head of the opera- |
tion, was before the Senate Committee on |
Interoceanic canals one day last week and |
intimated that she cost of the enterprise is
likely to be as much as $300.000,000,
That was a scorcher but subsequent events
indicate that it wasn’t the worst. In
other words we are led to infer that we
are getting the facts on the installment
plan and are being led up to the enormous
aggregate by easy stages. Colonel GOETH-
ELS, chief engineer of the Commission,
testified the other day that probably the
cost will exceed $500,000,000.
Io the end it may turn out that Senator
MORGAN was not far out of the way io his
billion dollar estimate. [If there had been
a suspicion at the time that anything like
$500,000,000 would be required to com-
plete the work, it never would have been
begun. Bat it was part of the plan of the
dominant party to keep the people poor.
Men in want are aiways docile and the
frenzied financiers who are exploiting the
country for their own advaotage know
that there is no more certain way of im-
poverishing the masees than by
in government. The half billion dollar
canal will cost immense sams for mainte-
nance and while it is drawn from the earn-
inge of the people there is no danger of
a plethora.
The Quay ‘Statue,
The public bas been informed, through
semi official channels, recent]y, that work
on the QUAY statue is rapidly drawing to-
ward a finish, For more than two years
ao eminent sculptor has been ‘‘plugging’’
away at the marble,aud a photograph taken
within a week indicates most excellent re-
sults. The face and figure already show a
striking resemblance to the ‘‘old man,”
and if present expectations are not disap-
pointed, she ‘‘counterfeit presentment’’
will soon be ready to putin place. The
public has not been informed as to the
place, thus far. The act of assembly des.
ignates the capitol grounds bat the pro-
moters of the enterprise are said to have
different notions on the subject.
Of course it doesn’s matter much where
the effigy is placed. A statue of QUAY
will represent QUAYism as much in one
place as another. Inside or out it will
stand as the emblem of corruption in pub-
lio life. QUAY's career was a long drawn
out orgie of political vice. He nos only
practiced but taught and encouraged official
immorality. But that was the only way
he could maintain his commanding position
in the party machine of which he was the
head. If he bad been a man of lofty im-
pulses and high ideals, he would have been
oast aside as other men of that type were
discarded. QUAY was what be was be-
cause if he bad been anything else he would
have lost his power.
All things cousidered we are glad that
the statue is approaching completion. We
are anxious to see what will be done with
it and who will paréicipate in the ocere-
monies attending the erection and unveil-
ing. To the last day of his life QUAY was
cherished by the leaders of his party asa
model of political sagacity and patriotism.
As he emerged from the criminal cvart with
the odor of a prison olinging to his gar-
mente he was idolized by men who pro-
fessed morality. Now that he is dead they
will probably shun his effigy. But they
can’s shake off the respousibility for his
inignities. He was bad bat probably main-
ly for the reason that his friends required
it of him.
~The attention of WATCHMAN read-
ers is called to she change of the advertise-
ments of Lyon & Co., and the Bellefonte
Lumber company in this issue. If yon are
in need of anything in the dry goods or
olothing line ¢ry Lyon & Co., and if you
want aoy lamber or building material of
any kind call on the Bellefonte Lumber
company. Each place has bargains in ite
own special line.
. JANUARY 24, 1908.
Just Where We Stand.
Isn't this reflecting just a bit on the rok and
file and isn't the real objection to Mr. Bryun
found in the fact that when he talks he somehow
manages to articulate thought which lies deep in
the hearts of the inarticulate masses? But if Mr,
Bryan should fall silent, then who would the es-
teemed Warcumax select to do the talking ? Per-
haps it would prefer to listen to Grover Cleve.
land, George Gray and other gentlemen who have
been helping the Republicans so faithfully for a
dozen years. — Johnstown Democrat.
We have always regarded the Johnstown
Democrat as one of the strongest papers
editorially that we have the pleasure of
reading, consequently we bave regard for
its opinion. Right or wrong we believe it
to voice honest conviction, therefore the
utter futility of trying to make ite editor,
the Hon. WARREN WORTH BAILEY, see
through any other than his own glasses.
The WATCHMAN does not yield to any
paper in its admiration of Mr. BRYAN, nor
in its past lo,alty and support of his candi-
daoy, nor in that in the future should be
be the nominee of the party again. The
WATCHMAN was a Simon-pure Demo-
cratic before either Mr. BRYAN or the es-
teemed Democrat were heard of in the party
and we speak from experience of which we
bave no reason to be ashamed when we say
that whenever one man gets the idea that
he knows more than all the others com.
bined then thereis danger of some of the
others taking exception to it. That was
the Hon. GROVER CLEVELAND'S trouble,
developed daring his second term. That
is Mr. BRYAN’S trouble to-day, though not
pearly in the marked degree 1t was four
years ago.
The WarcaMaN is and will be, for any
good man whom the party can elect upon
a fundamental Democratic platform, hut it
doesn’s believe in quarreling] and split
ting hairs over those fundamentals 'j until
the party is split beyond the hope of elect -
ing anything.
There are scores of good men in the
Democratic party who have been loyal to
its principles and its nominees, who are fis
for presidential honors. Some of them may
be “dtronger before the people than Mr.
BRYAN. Many of them may not bave the
antagonisms that seem to handicap him
and for this reason might bave a better
chance of election. Aud after all that is
what we are all after—the election of our
nomioees. If not that, then what are we
fighting for?
While thie paper may have its doubts as
to the advisability of the nomination of
Mr. BRYAN, it could and will support him
il nominated, just as earnestiy as it did io
his former campaigns, or as it will any
other nominee who may be named. It is
not a stickler for men, nor does it believe
that in one man alone all she principles and
hopes and future of the party are con-
oentrated.
The candidate the WATCHMAN is for is
the man who has always, and ander all
circumstances, been a Democrat, who is fit
for the high honor and who when the cod
vention meets gives promise of being the
strongest man in the States thas are known
as the ‘‘doubtfal ones’ and which must be
carried by the party if we are to succeed in
the comin: campaign. If Mr. BRYAN ie
that man, then we are for him. If heis
not then we are for the man who is, be that
JonNsoX or FoLk or CULBERTSON, or
GLENN, or whom he may he.
The Keeping of the Commandments.
Oar esteemed but sometimes stupid con-
temporary, the Philadelphia Record, mis-
conceives the reasons which make the lead-
ership of the Democratic party by former
State Senator FLINN repellant to the editor
of this paper. It is not thas we have aban-
doved the commandments for the reason
that Mr. FLINN is again making a false
pretense of obeying them. The leadership
of FLINN is obnoxious because itis dis-
honest. His pretense of obeying the com-
mandments is simply for the purpose of
putting him in position to destroy them.
FLINN is organically and fundameotally
wroog in his political purposes. When he
joined the insurgent movement in the | gq
Legislatare of 1899, his scherse was to be-
tray the reformers who were associated
with him and be revealed it at the outset
by preventing the organization of the
House of Representatives by the fusion
forces. He wanted to make the late C. L.
MAGEE Senator in Congress rather than
improve the official morals of the State or
correct the political faults of the machine.
If his absard leadership hac been rejected
then, the Democratic party and the cause
of political reform would be in better shape
now.
The editor of the WATCHMAN believes
in the commandments and will support any
honest and earnest movement to advance
them. Bat he sees little promise and much
hazard in following a leadership which has
no higher purpose than to sacrifice the
political and official morals of the State to
‘the ambition of former Senator FLINN and
RRS
a Philadelphia partoer of his who bas less
brains and just as little conscience. Mean-
time the esteemed Philadelphia Record is
admonished to let the editor of the
WATCHMAN take care of his own political
salvation and estate.
From the Johnstown Democrat.
The Republican party is welcome to its
Cortelyon of the national $reas-
ary. v indisoret
geutieman is a lissle bit more in the public
imeiight now thao usual. Bat i8 is not
the kind of limelight thas the average am-
bitious politician covets. It is the investi-
gation limelight the kind that been
turned onto certain notable men iog the
last few years and the kind i has de-
veloped the fact that their greed for gain
far outweighed their boasted
their love of the ‘‘vational honor” and
their devotion to ‘‘safety and sanity.”
Certain United States Senators deter-
mined to expose the history of the recent
Cortelyou bond issue *‘to relieve the finan.
cial situation.’”’ They appear to entertain
the notion that Secretary Cortelyou should
be put on the rack and forced to explain
how his ‘‘reliel’’ measure really bad any
other effect than to insure the banking firm
of J. P. Morgan & Co., of Wall street, the
very handsome profit of 33 1-3 per cent in
one year on the large issne of government
hoods to that thrifty high financial firm.
The senators want the information at once,
but announcement comes from Washington
that Secretary Cortelyou ‘‘will take his
time to explain.”
In connection with the statement that
Mr. Cortelyon ‘‘will take bis time to ex-
plain’’ comes the farther announcement
that soon after the bouds were allotted he
was tendered the presidency of the Knick-
erbocker Truss company of New. York.
That he bas earned this recogni from
the big bankers of Gotham "to be
warranted by the facts. It is noteo im-
t whether he will accept the offer.
t is not so important whether he will re-
sign from the cabinet to receive the reward
that is his. Bat it is important that he
was tendered the place within a few days
after he had placed the bonds in the hands
of the financial trust. It is important that
he sold the bonds to the trust at a premium
much lower than was offered by men of
means who do nos happen to enjoy the
company of J. P, Morgan, Jobn D. Rooke-
feller, George J. Gould etal. Bat itis
quite importants that he allotted the larger
share of the bonds to the Morgan snydicate
immediately following upon she heels of
the visisof Mr. Morgan to Washington,
when he ‘‘saw’’ Mr. Cortelyou.
We are inclined to believe that Sohgion
Cuibertson and Tillman will nes asl
the whole nasty business bas been ished
ons. The bond issue was a gross fake. It
was conceived io an evil hour and its har-
ried distribution into she bands of the
Wall street band of financial pirates seems
to suggest, if it does not confirm, the vus-
picion that something is rotten in Den-
mark. The very fact that the entire $100,-
000,000 of the bond issue was not allotted,
but that there was great haste in the de
cision to stop further allotments after the
Morgan interests bad secured *‘their share’
unerringly points to a woodpile where a
nigger may he concealed : for if a bond
issue of $35,000,000 or $40,000,000 was a
good thing for the financial stringency cer-
tainly a bond issue of $100,000,000 would
have been better still. But the bond issue
wus not designed to help the tottering fi
nancial system. If it had been the entire
$100,000,000 and much more if necessary
would bave been forthcoming. We suspect
that in a final show down it will be made
pretty clear that the sudden determination
not to issue the original $100,000,000 was
inspired by knowledge of the fact that the
general public “‘smelled a mice.” Jt was
a case of too much Morgan.
In the meantime the Cortelyon presiden-
tial hoom is in danger of ntter collapse.
Bat that need not greatly worry the future
of the young man who has been brought
ap under imperial hands. II be caonot
gain the presidency of the United States
nor even the Republican nomination for
president he can at least attaio the presi-
dency of a big Wall street bank at much
better pay. Wall atreet has never neglect-
ed to e good care of secretaries of the
treasury, incloding several Kepublicans
and at least one Democrat, who has heen a
ty Republican ever since the
pre oKinley. The Democrats know
him no more.
Not a Free Trade Panic.
From the Free Trade Broadside.
The financial distress of 1893 was attri-
bused to the Wilson bill by the Republican
rty. How an event which occurred be-
the bill was formulated resulted from
it, is only clear to the protective mind.
Usually causes precede results. Neverthe-
less, it is the fashion to k of the “‘free
trade’ or “‘Wilson'’' panic, regardless of
the fact that the Wilson act was 00 gross-
ly protectionist for President Cleveland to
a or ro
wide! as gospel truth. e
laehood that the panio of 1857 and that
of 1873 (when only blicans were in
power) were also caused by free traders,
hae heen current for a generation.
These fictions are now exploded. At
last we have a panio of undisputed origin.
This time the free traders can prove an
alibi. A protection president, a protec
tion congress, and ‘‘gocd protection times’
were in control. But here is the panic in
fall blast ‘ and the Mise) Detmaoag are
suspicion of pa ty.
nile only shallow minds can claim that
tariff legislation fully explains these
periodical revulsions, it is certain that re-
striotive laws injurionsly affect business
conditions. To say that overexpanded
:rade and security inflation must result in
a collapse is to utter a truism. But what
is responsible for them ? Protective tariffs
farnish artificial stimunlation, exciting
business antiviey, as aloohol for a Hume ho A
vel yeioal strength. Reaction
inevitable. The trusts which furnish the
bulk of unsound securities grow as natar-
ally from the tariffas weeds spring from
the compost heap.
Spawls from the Keystone.
—8tate Treasurer-elect John O. Sheatz
has leased a residence in Harrisburg and will
remove therein May. He will devote all
his time to the d uties of his office.
—Mayo r Weimer, of Lebanon, has issued
an order to the police force directing the
members thereof to take no active part in
the present pelitical fight which is now being
waged in that town.
~The Geiser Manufacturing company, in
Wayneshoro, on Wednesday mailed checks
for its annual dividend, amounting to $105,-
000. The checks were distributed among
several hundred people.
~The Abington Library association of
Jenkintown, near Philadelphia, has been
bequeathed $10,000 in cash and books, book-
cases and paintings valued at $10,000 by the
late John Lambert, a distinguished Philadel-
phia artist, who died a few days ago.
* —F. Milton Baer, of Reading, was buried
on Saturday with his head on 200 love let-
ters that he had sent to his sweetheart, now
his widow, and that she had sent to him.
During their courtship they agreed to save
all the letters and the one who died first
should use them as a pillow.
—B8everal weeks ago Dr. Daniel Dechert,
of Schuylkill Haven, opened a boil on a pa-
tient's neck. The doctor had a pimple on
his own thumb which absorbed some of the
poison from the boil, blood poisoning follow-
ed and on Sanday bis right arm was ampu-
tated with the hope of saving his life.
—Ernest Dimm, of Muncy, Lycoming
county, dislocated his shoulder hone while
asleep on Friday night. It required four
men working two hours to replace it. Mr.
Dimm, when retiring, did not notice any-
thing wrong with his shoulder but upon
awakening found his shoulder hone out of
place.
~Clearfield borough has not been in such
a deplorable financial condition since the
1889 flood. Then the authorities were com-
pelled by urgent sanitary reasons to violate
the constitution and the laws in order to
raise funds and borough orders would not go
at par anywhere. Today business men all
over town object to taking borough orders at
their face value.
—Gazing intently at a number of choice
pigs in the sty of Joseph Reasinger, of Sandy
township, Clearfield county, whom he had
gone to visit, Edward Gelnett, an aged vet-
eran and well known citizen of Sandy, sud-
denly fell forward to the floor of the pig pen
and expired, on Thursday morning, before
medical aid could be summoned. Deceased
was 77 years of age and is survived by an in.
valid wife.
—Ths members of the Third Presbyterian
church of Williamsport, have decided to
erect a new edifice at a cost of $70,000. The
new church building will be built of a brown
gray stone and will have a seating capacity
of 832, including the lery. Tha andito-
rinm will be amphithesffe in style, and in
the basement there will be an assembly
room, dining room, kitchen, check room,
toilets, ete.
—The Rink theatre, in Huntingdon, is
being overhauled for the purpose of securing
greater safety to patrons of it. Some inflam-
mable bunting about the stage is tobe re-
moved and six five-foot openings are to be
placed at the front with the doors all open-
ing outward, and with a red light at each
door and also at a door at the rear, so that
there will be no trouble finding the exits in
case of & panic.
~The blowing out last week of the Rock-
hill Furnace company’s blast furnace at
Rockhill, Huntingdon county, and the
blowing out on Monday of Hon. Joseph E.
Thropp's furnace at Earlston, Bedford coun-
ty, have been the sharpest reminders to the
people in the Broad Top region that the iron
business is in a sadly depressed condition,
thanks to the manipulations of the specula-
tors in Wall street.
—A premature explosion of dynamite
caused a severe accident near Greenwood,
Franklin county, on Friday, in which Wil-
liam Grooms had his left hand blown off and
the right hand badly shattered. The acei-
dent occurred at the sand banks of Smith &
Middledauff. A number of others who were
employed at the banks were injured but not
seriously. Itis believed at tie Chambers-
burg hospital that both his arms would have
to be amputated.
—United States Senator Bois Penrose has
introduced a bill into congress making Sun.
bury a point for holding of the United States
court of Pennsylvania. This court is now
held by U. 8. Judge W. Archibald, of Scran-
ton, at Harrisburg, Williamsport and Scran-
ton. Sunbury is in the centre of the district
and for this reason is a more suitable loca-
tion for the United States court. On account
of the lack of a federal building no eases in-
volving trial by jury are to be held at Sun.
bury according to the provisions of the bill.
—Miss Auna Johnston died at her homo in
Latrobe on Wednesday, aged 84 years. De:
ceased was a sister of the late William F.
Johnston, who was governor of this State
from 1848 to 1852. Two other brothers of
the deceased, Thomas and Alexander, were
graduates of West Point and served in the
Unites States army; Edward attained to po-
litical fame in Iowa; Andrew was prominent
in public affairs in Westmoreland county;
James was a noted veteran newspaper man;
Colonel John W. was & soldier in the Mexi-
ean and Civil wars and Richard was also in
the Mexican war and was killed in battle at
the head of his company.
~The police of New Kennsington, West.
moreland county, are looking for a man who
gave his name as Dickerson, who arrived
there last Monday and made inquiries as to
the best boarding houses. The first house he
sought out was that of Mrs. Allen Ennis,
He told Mrs. Ennis that he wished to en-
gage boarding for himself and four other
young men who wanted the best, regardless
of cost. After remaining for dinner and
staying a short time in his room, Dickerson
was heard to leave the house. During the
evening Mrs. Ennis discovered that the en-
sire upstairs of the house had been ransack-
ed and that she had lost a valuable diamond
ring, a gold watch and chain and various
other articles of jewelry. Later it developed
that Dickerson had engaged board at at least
four other houses in the town, and managed
to make a good haul from every one of
them.