Demorra iain
enema ————
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
Ink Slings.
—Winter is evidently getting ready to
linger in the lap of spring.
. —The Rev. Auz1 C. Dixon, of Chicago,
says President ROOSEVELT is another
Prophet Isatan. Why dido’s he make
him Erisam IV and call him to command
in Zion oity.
—Gradually the list of gentlemen who |"
are willing to serve their country by fill-
ing the county offices is growing. It is
likely that by March 21st, the last day for
filing papers, there will be a fine field to
pick from.
—In Alabama and South Carolina the
laws prohibit the carrying of pistols less
than twenty-four inches long. It is evi-
dent that when a mao is held up down
there some one must have pulled a real
gun on him.
—1I¢ is nice that Mr. C. F. BARCLAY bas
announced his desire to represent this die-
triot again in the lower house of Congress,
otherwise few people would know that we
have anybody representing us at Wasbiog-
ton at this time.
—Look Haven, Renovo and Jersey Shore
are planning to bave Bellefonte join them
in a baseball league for next season. All
that we need to ges in is some gentleman
who hasn't found oat yet how easy it is for
baseball to separate one from bis coin.
—The resals of going to a party at which
there were thirteen guests was a blockade
of thirteen hours in a snow-bound train on
Saturday night and Sunday, for a few
Bellefonte gentlemen. Of course they are
pot superstitions but shey just coanldn’t
help thinking of it a little.
—Three handred and thirty persons bav-
ing on deposit over $700,000 in the defunct
Kniokerbooker Trust Co., in New York
oity, cannot be found. How much bap-
pier they are in ignorance of the crash than
if they could be found. Why hunt them
up to tell such bad news ?
—Euglish investigations have proven
that the death rate in communities baving
soft water is 19.2 while in those using bard
water it is only 16 5. All the more reason
so be thankful for our own heauntifol
spring, with water so hard that it will
soarcely make lather enough for a decent
bath.
—1It is evidently proving very difficult
for the prosecutors in the capitol grafs trial
to settle the matter of whether it was lin-
ear or cubic feet that they measured by.
Anybody ought to know that it was both.
Who ever heard of such hogs not getting
both feet in the trough when they bad the
chance.
—Mr. BRYAN'S versatility was never
better shown than daring hie recent visit
to Philadelphia. As a politician, as a
statesman and as a lay preacher he appear-
ed pre-eminent. Whatever else may be
said of him it cannot be denid that he has
a head full of brains, a lot of good red blood
and a christian character.
—It might be well for our Presbyterian
elders, who are concerned to know why
there are over two thousand pulpits in the
country for which they cannot find preach-
ers, to understand that she price of chick-
ens has kept so steadily skyward that the
dominies are not getting it every place
they call for dinner nowadays.
—It seems strange that the man who
had been earning from two to three dollars
a day, every day he would work for years
prior so November first, should already be
on the brink of starvation. It is true,
however, and though experience is a sorry
teacher, few of the laboring classes ever
think there is a tomorrow to be provided
for or of the proverbial ‘‘rainy day.”
—Mayor MCCLELLAN, of New York, did
the right thing in vetoing the ordinance
passed by the board of aldermen of that
oity, prohibiting women from emoking in
public cafes. As a matter of common
sense women have just as much right to
smoke as men, but the habit is so peculiar-
ly nubecoming to a gentle woman that we
can imagine none of them doing it public:
ly or in private.
—Mr. THAW is in Matteawan for an in-
definite stay. Matteawan is the place of
confinement for the criminal insane of New
York State. As to whether THAW is in-
save or not remains for the future to re-
veal, hut certain it i# that bad most any
other person done half the things he did
before the murder of STANFORD WHITE
they would not have had their liberty
long enough to commit such an act.
—The horrible tragedy in Portugal is
only ao expression of the acuter form of
the mania that has seized the minds of the
American masses, Unless there is greater
oivio righteousness in this coontry we can-
not but expect the time when blood shed
will be resorted to as the only remedy for
the ill of the common people. Then, woe
betide the Republic and those who are try-
ing to run it as a corporation monarchy.
~The vast army of the unemployed in
the country today indicates an economic
condition that could easily be improved
upon. At times when private and corpor-
ate industries are going through a period
of depression would is not be entirely prop-
er to make all the municipal, state and
federal improvements possible. This
would furnish employment for thousands
when there is nothing else to do and they
could all be turned back into other fields
of labor the moment a demand for their
services arose.
The sensation of the season, it may safe-
ly be said, was the special message of the
President sent to Congress on Friday last.
Such a barangue bas never even been
dreamed of before. In it the President has
literally exhausted the vocabulary of vita-
peration. He hurled epithets at every man
who doesn’t agree with him and denounc-
ed every institution that is not of his own
creating. He scolds Congress like a mad
woman in a fish markes, traduces private
citizens like an outlaw and denounces
everybody and everything from the courts
down or up.
Yet there is much truth in what the
President bas said. The abuse of the pow-
er of injunction by servile judges should be
checked, interstate commerce should be
held under reasonable regulation by Coo-
gress, the swindling of the public by spec-
nlators in worthless stocks should be stop-
ped, predatory wealth should be restrained
from exploiting the public and the flagrant
dishonesty of a few men should be punish-
ed to the fall limit of the law. Bat Mr.
RoosEVELT should remember that these re.
sults cannot be achieved by scolding Con-
gress in special messages.
Besides the spirit of the message is not
to be commended. It ia like a wail of dis-
appointed ambition. Aeoribing the panic
to ROOSEVELT absolutely destroyed his
hopes of a re-election and Le resents that
which seems to him a personal outrage. If
he had done this in a different manner no
fanlt could be found with him. Bat his
method is petulant and peevish, He at-
tacks from behind an entrenchment that ie
impregnable. No man can answer the
President of the United States for the great
office shields him.
Moreover President RGOSEVELT is as
mach to blame as any one for the abuses of
which be complains. If the election had
pot been bought for his party in 1806 there
would he no ‘‘malefactors of great wealth’
to prey upon the public now. If MARK
HANNA had not promised aud procured
for she ‘‘powerfal wrongdoers’” whose
tainted money corrupted the electorate in
1900, the special privileges which made
them predatory, we would vot have the
evils of which ROOSEVELT complains now.
If his party bad not, with his help, main-
tained a tariff system thas robs the masses
to enrich the olasses, there would now be
no sach cancer on the body politic as that
against which be inveighs.
In any evens ROOSEVELT'S screed to Con-
gress would have been in bad taste. Under
existing circumstances it is not a paper to
be proud of. The Demoorats in the House
of Representatives were justified m ap-
planding it because it expressed some
wholesome truths and for the reason that
it confused aod humiliated the Republi-
cans. Bat it was not inspired by a lofty
impulse or expressed in becoming terms.
It was designed either to help TaA¥r for
the nomination agaivst a fitter man or to
revive the third term corpse which already
smells throughout the country. Neither
purpose is patriotic.
Mr. Berry's Mistaken (dea.
—
State Treasurer BERRY was a trifle too
lenient, in his great speech on Saturday
night, to that element in the Repablican
party which has “simply failed jto observe
how far their party has drifted from the
traditions of LiNcony. ‘‘In this class of
Repablicans,” he added, ‘‘is the; hope of
Pennsylvania.” If that be true Pennsyl-
vania is ‘‘leaning on a broken reed.”
Measured by his own standard of right-
eousuess the representatives of that contin.
gent bave failed. Measured by any stand-
aid of righs there is practically no differ-
enoe between one faction of the Republican
party aod another. The reformers and the
gangsters are equally selfish and there is
no material difference in their methods.
In the same speech [rom which we bave
quoted Mr. BErmrY stated that he had
“tried to induce the Legislature to author-
ize the treacurer to receive bids, subject to
rigid provisions as to security, eto., and
deposit the money at the nommercial rate
of interes established by competition, but
she Legislature was Republican, and
though it was then in the throes of a spasm
of reform, 1t was dominated by that cass of
mind that does not see injustice in a legal
process by whiob an individual is enabled
to take the property of bis neighbors with-
oat rendering a just equivalent, partionlar-
ly if she individaal is a liberal contributor
to the party campaigo fund.” Mr. BERRY
couldn’t bave brought the subject to a fair-
er test,
Awong the Senators in she Legislature
who pas-ed upon thatquession was VIVIAN
FRANK GABLE. He was elected by a fu-
sion of the Demosrats and the so called re-
form Republicans of his distriot, the Dem-
oorats being vastly in the majority. But
veither McNrcHon, nor KEYSER, vor
BROWN, nor any other machine Repabli-
can on the floor was more zealons in the
fight againss Mr. BERRY'S obviously just
proposition than Mr. GABLE. He was for
reform when reform promised to gratify
his inordinate ambition for office and vos-
BELLEFO
inated from she memory of the |
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
NTE, PA., FEBRUARY 7, 1908.
ed for Mr. BERRY because it helped bim- |
sell. But when the issue was drawn be-
tween genuine reform and political plan-
der, be joined the gavgsters and helped
them hold on to the spoils.
The Berry Testimonial.
The testimonial to Hon. WiLniam H.
BERRY, State Treasurer of Pennsylvania, at
Philadelphia, on Saturday evening, was
worthy of the man and the occasion. Near-
ly four handred citizens of Pennsylvania
and adjacent States assembled to express
their esteem and admiration for a man who
had performed not only for bis State aod
country, but to the great cause of public
morality, a substantial service, When the
charges he had made against a corrupt ring
were investigated he wae refused, for parti-
san reasons, the recognition to which he
was entitled. Because of this injustice
the banquet in his honor was given and for
that reason, moreover, its splendid sucoess
is a subject of popular felicitation.
When Mr. BERRY was elected State
Treasurer by the people of Pennsylvania,
the fi<cal affairs of the Commonwealth were
in the hands of a gang of pirates who were
looting the public mercilessly. Immedi-
ately after the election the work of cover-
ing up the crimes was begun. If nothing
else had resulted that would, nevertheless,
have been worth while. Most of us be-
lieved at the time that that was all and
sufficient. But Mr. BERRY discovered that
vast frauds had been perpetrated in the
construction of the capitol. He couldn’
tell the extent or the exact nature of the
frands. But he knew that the people had
been deceived as to the cost of the building
and character of the materials, and de-
mauded an investigation.
The result of the inquiry was the over-
whelming support of his acousations. Is
was found that everything he said was true
and that the whole truth had not been told.
Yes she partisan commission withheld from
him the jost measure of praise which was
due. In she report of that body his name
was not even mentioned. The petty
minds which managed the inquiry imagin-
ed that his part of the work could be elim-
that contemptible expedient. The event
of last Saturday evening has proved the
folly of such silly proceedings. Nearly
four hundred just men assembled todo
him honor and nearly as many more were
turned away because there wasn’t room for
them.
That Capitol Steal.
The graft trials at Harrishusg have not
progressed far enough to afford even a good
basis for conjecture as to the ultimate re-
salt, at this writing. It has been shown
beyond question, that contractor SANDER:
SON vastly overcharged the State in every-
thing that he supplied, and that the others
accused of association with him in the con-
spiracy were marvelously indifferent to
the interests of the public. The links of
the chain have been formed and revealed
as units. But thus far they have not been
joined together. Fraud bas been proved
against SANDERSON, in other words, and
criminal ocareles«ne«s against SHUMAKER,
MATHUES and SNYDER. Bat proof of the
conspiracy is only implied.
As lawyer SCARLETT said the other day,
“conspiracy isa shadowy thing.”’ Tue
operations of these men looted the treasury
bat is may be difficalt to show that they
were working in collusion. Is will proba
bly be impossible to do this by positive
testimony. But to quote again fiom At-
torney SCARLETT, ‘‘when a dice player
throws five sixes all the time it is ohvions
that the dice are loaded.” Those men
were throwing sixes right along aod there
is no escape from the inference. The
extraordinary rush for the payment of
bills between the time of Mr. BERRY'S
election and his induction into office is she
connecting link which establishes the con-
spiracy. It cold have bad no other par-
pose than to complete the conspiracy.
That there was conspiracy is already
established in the minds of all impartial
men and if the prosecution is earnest a ver-
dios of guilty is inevitable. We have never
believed that the prosecution was cigani-
zed tooconvios, however. notwithstanding
the earnestness of Mr. SCARLETT. Isis
too grave a matter for some of those who
were concerned in the transaotions but are
not revealed in the indictments. It would
he unfair to prejudge the master, however.
The court has been fair, shus far, and may
be just to she end DButthe State was
rohhed, however the trial conolades, and
the aurherities have heen more concerned
to suppress than supply evidence.
~The commissioners of Centre county
paid ous during the month of January
$339 for bounties ovo noalps The total in-
oladed 144 weasels, 82 foxes, 39 minke and
13 wild cat scalps, from which it can be
seen that there are still a few wild animale
in this section.
~The ground hog has certainly dem:on-
strated she fuot shat he is not a nature-
faker,
In a speech before the Ohio society of
New York, the other night, Senator FORA-
KER declared shat thére are to-day ‘‘ap-
proximately 320,000 freight cars avd 8,000
locomotives standing idle, representing an
investment of more than $400,000,000, and
that there are more than 30,000 anemploy-
ed train men, discharged #iain crews of
the idle equipment.’”’ That is a sad state of
affairs, ‘a serious situation,” as the dis-
tingnished Senator observed, ‘‘Yet,”” he
added significantly, ‘‘we should know the
cause if we would find a remedy." If there
were a Democratic administration in Wash-
ington, he would have no srouble in dis.
covering the canse. The implied threat
against the tariff would be ample to satis-
fy FORAKER.
Strangely enough, however, ander exist-
ing conditions he is unable to find the canse
and ascribes it toa wrong source. There
has heen overtraling, overexpansion of
credit, overcapitalization of new organiza-
sions, high prices of labor, of stocks and of
materials, he says. But the sinister effect
of muck-raking has been the dominating
cause of she trouble. By muck-raking he
means the efforts of President ROOSEVELT
to bring the *‘malefactors of great wealth”
into obedience to the laws. Nodoubt the
excesses in trading, in capitalization, in
expansion of credits and high prices have
bad something to do with the matter. Bot
enforcing the law equally against all men
never has and never will work barm.
We can point out to Senator FORAKER
the exact causes of the wretched industrial
and commeroial condition to which he re-
fers. It is the excessive and unequal tax
burdens which bave been put upon the
people by his party during the pass dozen
Iho. The DINGLEY tariff bill has rob-
the productive energy of the country
to the extent of a thousand million dollars
a year to create millionaires like the THAWS
and the HARRIMANS and ROCKEFELLERS,
who squander it in vice or other forms of
selfishuess. That is the evil which both
ForAKER and ROOSEVELT refuse to see
though it is #0 plain that ‘‘he who runs
nay read.” The remedy is equally plain.
¢ tre cause and the cure follows.
Roosevelt and the Monopolies.
In his speech at the banguet of the Ohio
society in New York, the other night, Mr.
ARCHBOLD, who is the real head of the
Standard O1l monopoly, expressed his cor-
dial agreement with President ROOSEVELT,
that a federal license is what is needed te
cure the trust evil. Jnst before the New
York insurance scandals were exposed, a
couple of years ago, the predatory pluto-
orats of those organizations were in accord
with Mr. ROOSEVELT'S notion that fed-
eral control of the insurance business was
the real remedy.
These facts singularly prove that Presi-
dent ROOSEVELT is a bogus reformer. In
other words, while addressing the galleries
he is alwaye, and invariably, playing in
favor of the monopolies. The railroads
protested against his schemes of federal
regulation until the state governments be-
gan regulating on their own acconot, and
then the railroad hastened to get under
the protection of the federal wing. Itia
muoh easier to manage than the States.
The United States Senate 18 already pack-
ed in she interests of predatory wealth.
The Pennsylvania railroad managers bad
many a ‘‘bad gnarser of an hour" between
the date of the passage of the two cent fare
bill and the decision of the Supreme court
of the State that it was unconstitutional.
All this ‘mental angaisk’’ would bave
been avoided if ROOSEVELT'S policy of fed-
eral control had been in effect, for Congress
will never pass a drastio rate bill and so
long as the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion is made up of decayed politicians, as
ROOSEVELT constitutes is, there is nothing
to fear from that source.
Captain Delaney as a Witness,
Factory Inspector DELANEY was a wit-
pess for the Commonwealth in the graft
trials at Harrishaurg, the other day, bat
his memory was absolutely incapable of
rendering any service. He could remem.
ber nothing that was relevant to the in-
gairy. This is the best evidence in the
world that the Republican machine doesn’t
want to aid the prosecution or give any
evidence against the conspirators.
When HayMproN L. CARSON, PENNY-
PACKER'S hogus Attorney General, was
making a fake inquiry into the graft
charges for the henefis of the grafters, Dg-
LANEY was “big' with information. He
volantarily declared that he had invented
the ‘‘per fo0s"’ and the ‘‘per pound’’ sys-
tem and knew all about it. He swore
with the freedom of a trooper in Flanders
that SANDERSON, HUSTON and other con-
apirators were as innocent as doves, so far
as the measurements were concerned.
Js was important then, from the ma-
ohine view point, to show that the accused
conspirators had not invented those meth-
oils to loot the treasury and DELANEY was
equal to the ocoasion. He was surprisiug-
| was no artistic dreamer.
ly garralous and fluent. But the other
day when the Commonwealth wanted in-
formation along the same lines, he was as
domb asan oyster. In other words his
memory accommodates itself to the exigen-
cies of the machine.
A Campaign Document.
From the Pittsburg Post.
Aroused, ostensibly, by the overthrow of
she employers’ liability law in the supreme
court, the President has sent an 11,000
word special message to Congress. The
communication ruas the gamut from eco-
nomics to ethics, and while the subject
master bas not much in is of novelty, ex-
cept a little plainer speaking than usual,
the occasion of its deliverance and the pres-
ent condition of the country make it wor-
thy of a general and close reading, fcr the
President, in the guise of a state paper, bas
put forth what muss be regarded as a cam-
paign docament. He is for a fight to a fin-
ish with *‘predatory wealth” now, as this
citation shows : ‘‘The gravely significant
attitude toward the law snd its adminis-
tration recently adopted by certain heads
of great corporations renders it desirable
that there should be additional legis-
lation as regards certain of the relations be-
tween labor and capital, and between the
great corporations and the public.”
Reading farther, we find that it is the
Standard Oil company more particularly
than any other that the President is alter.
Bat with an uster disregard of strategy, he
puts those who may agree with him as to
existing evils, but who disagree as to meth-
ods of remedying them, into the same cate-
gory with those opposed to his policies
fiom selfish motives.
Nothing is more evident than that this
Congress will do nothing in this matter. It
has done nothing at all with the 30,000-
word message Mr. Roosevelt discharged at
it in the regular way less than 60 days ago.
He cannot have bad any hope that this
latest outgiving will stir it to any action,
benoce its purpose must be ulterior. And
can his party, without coming into the con-
demuation of heing reactionary, avoid in-
corporating his inflammatory Federalism
into its platform? And, finally, how are
the people who have berated and voted
against the Democratic party for its posi-
tion against injunctions going to take this
very much more radical pronouncement in
the matter?
With Mr. Roosevelt, there is to be no
more soft speaking, no cry of Peace, Peace,
where as he sees it there is none, nor the
prospect of any. He has cast the die irre-
vocably. He would force the issue at once
and regardless. He stakes his. larity
against the expedient-loving onan,
of his party. It isa direct appeal to the
Caesar of public sentiment.
Huston and Pennypacker.
From the North American.
Huston believes today that a thousand
yeas hence that building will be a voice-
ieas, hut ceaseless, chant in praise of its
architect, keeping his fame [resh through-
ont the ages.
If ever Huston understood that he was
chanciog peril he felt secure in the support
of Penrose, McNichol, Durbam and the
organization. And back and beyond them
he had what he regarded as another insur
ance policy—the acquiescence and active
aid of Gov. Pennypacker.
The belief of the North American is that
every man connected with this prosecu-
tion, from Governor Stuart down, has been
honest and earnest. We believe that no
wnvestigation of misdeeds and process of
punishment ever have heen carried on with
greater integrity of purpose. Bat just as
firmly do we believe that a grievous error
was made when Governor Pennypacker
was nos included in the list of defendants.
To argue that Pennypacker is less calpa-
ble than Huston, assuming that neither
accepted money or gifts, leads 80 a concla-
sion which we consider utterly unjustifi-
able. Unless Gov. Pennypacker is the
most impossible of all recorded dunces, he
knew that the state was being robbed, and
he sanctioned that robbery by bis silence.
This governor bad been a judge. He
He had sat upon
the bench for many years, and before him
civil and criminal suits, involving con-
tracts, specifications, bids and all
of commercial law, bad been tried and ad-
judicated understandingly. The theory
shat this man ip ge upon those Har
rishurg contracts supplies and be ig-
norant that the state was being bled by
the men with whom he was in daily ocon-
tact is beyond belief.
No man can plead for Pennypacker the
extenuation that can be offered for Huston.
Pennypacker was not swept away from
right thinking by any love for art. He
was blinded by no devotion to an ideal.
It is fartherst from our intent to censure
these otors. Bat we predict thas if
ever Hustoo and the members of the board
of public gronnds and buildings tell the
whole story of Gov. Pennypacker’s con-
nection with this job, the people of this
state will helieva that the investigators
were far more lenient, in at least one case,
than even-handed justice demanded.
Creasy's Pluck.
From the Northumberiand Democrat.
The pluck of that staonch Democratio
representative, W. T. Creasy, is to be
commended and admired. After rendering
valuable service to his constituents and the
State for a number of years in the Legis-
lature he had concluded to retire. He bad
always been an object of hatred to the Re-
publican gangsters who fattened on the
spoils of the State. The Philadelphia ma-
chine had arranged to defeat him this year
itis could be done. This coming to the
knowledge of Mr. Creasy he has reconsid-
ered his intention to withdraw his candi-
daoy thie year and he will ran. As be is
certain of election, the te are to he
thanked for their intention to defeat him,
which will have tne effect of retaining so
Bove avd useful a member in she Legis
atare.
————————————————
~The man who thought there wonld
be no ice has changed bis mind.
Spawls frem the Keystone.
—Wild cats are said to be unusually plenti-
ful in Clinton county this winter.
—On Saturday six large coal companies in
the anthracite region paid to their employees
$350,000 for wages.
—The Clearfield tannery, which has of
late been running on partial time, started
up in fall blast on Monday.
—Seversl barns were wrecked and many
buildings were unroofed and fences blown
down by a terrific gale which raged in
Schuylkill county on Sunday.
—The Juniata Oak Extract Works, of Mt.
Union, Huntingdon county, recently ship-
ped two car loads of their products to Aus-
tralia, where it will be used in the produec-
tion of fancy leather.
—8ix furnaces of the Phoenix Iron com-—
pauy at Phoenixville, which were closed a
week for repairs, were started again on Sat-
urday morning and several hundred men
resumed their employment.
~Twenty-two offices are to be filled next
fall in Schuylkill county, and already there
are over fifty candidates announced for the
spring primary, with prospects that there
will be over two hundred candidates.
—Over one hundred names of heads of
families have been secured to the petition
praying for the establishment of a rural free
delivery route from Newton Hamilton down
the east side of the river through Ryde into
Bratton township, and back by way of Sugar
valley.
—A report from Confluence, Somerset
county, states that Mrs. Mary Walker, of
that place, has a marvelous hen that lays
two eges a day. The fowl rests on her
laurels for twenty-four hours after each per-
formance and only produces eggs every
other day.
—The old and well known M. E. Barn-
dollar estate, doing business in Everett, Bed -
ford county, vnder the name of Barndollar’s
Department store, will on the 17th of Feb-
ruary, pass into the hands of a new business
concern to be known as ‘Everett Supply
company, limited.”
—Poter 8. Krick, a Lancaster butcher,
found an open face gold watch in the stom.
ach of a steer that he slaughtered on Tues-
day. It was a western fed steer that be had
bought at the Union stock yards. Some
time ago he found a wooden croquet bail in
the stomach of a steer.
—William H. Logan, of York, has been
awarded a jury verdict of $500 for damages
against the Pennsylvania Telephone com-
pany for the mutilation of fruit trees on his
property in Carroll township, in stringing
telephone wires, and now he has instituted
another suit for damages to 200 locust trees
along a beautiful driveway.
—Miss Cora Phleger, of Oriole, near Wil-
liamsport, met a peculiar accident in her
father’s barn. Stepping on the roller of a
wagon tongue, she was thrown from the
mow. In the fall her foot caughtin some
loose boards and she hung head downward
until her father, who was attracted by her
cries, released her. Her condition is dan-
gerous,
—Pheanes Thomas, tax collector in Cleve-
land township, Columbia county, has one leg
off and the other is paralyzed so that he is
| obliged to get around on his bands and
knees, yet he is one of the best tax collectors
in the county. Last week he settled up his
duplicates at the commissioners offices and
in the taxes amounting to $1,066, he asked
exonerations for only $8.
~The black bear that has been causing
some hunters much concern in the 'Scootac
region met his Waterloo on Thursday last
when John Williams, an expert shot laid
him low. This particular bear was a can-
ning fellow and gave many hunters who
were after him a merry chase, eluding all
until Mr. Williams got a shot at him. It was
of medium weight, but had an exceptionally
fine coat of fur.
—On Friday morning while Mrs. T. C.
Saylor, of Lock Haven, was preparing break
fast, the kitchen range exploded with a ter-
rific noite and fragments of iron flew in
every direction. Fortunately no one was in
the kitchen at the time. At first it was
thought the explosion was caused by the
water tank being frozen but this was found
to be incorrect and it is believed that there
was a dynamite cartridge in the coal.
—Au application for a charter from the
State Department for an intended corpora-
tion to be known as the *‘Watsontown Brick
and Clay Products company’’ has been made
by John B. Myers, of Lock Haven, who is
solicitor of the same. Those persons whose
names appear on the application are H. PF
Algert, W. A. Nicely, E. H. Hilliard, of that
section; Charles E. Ball, John B. Myers, of
Lock Haven, and Samuel G. Davis, of Mill
Hall.
—A love romance was brought to a happy
climax, when J. A. Herrold,of Independence,
Snyder county, was wedded on the spot with.
out prearrangement at a banquet at Middle-
burg, to Miss Minnie C. Erb, daughter of
Rev. J. C. Erb, of Port Trevorton: While
seated at the banquet board the would-be
groom proposed to his sweetheart and she as
promptly accepted. Prothonotary Shindel,
being also a guest, was secured and the knot
tied in the presence of all seated at the ban-
quet table.
~The pastor of the Rouzerville cireuit,
Franklin county, of the Methodist Episcopal
church, Rev. W. B. Keeley, serves his con-
gregations afoot and covers greator distances
thus in his pastoral duties than any other
minister in the county. There are six ap-
pointmsents on the circuit, and the distance
from one end of the circuit to the other is
about twenty-five miles, thus making a trip
of itty miles for the pastor in performing
his usual duties. All the traveling necessary
he does on foot.
—A new bridge over the West Branch of
the Susquehanna river at Lewisburg, de -
layed so long by litigation and dispute, isat
length nearing completion, and the last span
was swung the latter part of last week. The
people of Lewisburg, weary of paying toll,
are overjoyed that their hopes are seon to
be realized and a big demonstration is being
planned when the new structure is opened
to the public. The bridge when completed,
will be one of the finest iu the State, costing
$125.000. It will be finished in about two
months.