INK SLINGS.
—Governor WILSON seems able to show
that he is the majority in New Jersey.
—The Cabinet of the Bellefonte council
has a vacancy. The Secretary of War
has resigned. :
—Talk about hard times! One would
never believe there could be such things
after listening to the bidding on horses
and cattle at a farm sale.
—New York is arranging for a new
statue of Washington. We suppose the
old one has worn itself out watching Wall
street and its multitude of thieves.
—The remodeled bridge on High street
will probably be fine on the surface, but it
remains for a good, old-fashioned flood on
Spring creek to discover how it will be
underneath.
—A great many of the newly elected
Congressmen will probably discover that
after the fourth of April they are not
nearly so great men as their imagination
now makes them.
—Anyway, there is room enough in the :
Democratic party of Pennsylvania for all
the people who want to parade under either
the DEWALT or GUTHRIE banner, to getinto
the procession. There is no necessity
for crowding anybody out.
—Pittsburgers know and evidently feel
what it is to “sit in darkness,” which has
awakened a feeling of sympathy for oth-
ers in a similar condition. The church
records show that they gave $80,000 to
foreign missions the past year.
—Milwaukee's water has been declared
to be too foul for domestic use—a condi-
tion that shouldn't bother the average
Milwaukeean a particle. Water in that
city is like political honor in Philadelphia, i
something it's people know little about.
—Still another illustration of the rapid-
ity with which our customs develop. An
Alaskan bank, holding over $1,000,000 of
depositor’s money, has closed its doors
and promises to pay its creditors 5 per
cent. of their claims. How proud we
should be of the emulators we can point
to.
—New Yorkers are complaining that
their senatorial dead-lock has cost that’
State over $90,000. Pennsylvania could
pay twice that sum and then save money
for a dead-lock that would keep its Legis. |
lature out of its treasury for half the time
that New Yorkers think has been wasted
by their tie up.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. 56
Philadelphia Democrats Vindicated.
The principal cause of quarrel between
the so-called Democratic reformers of
Philadelphia and the Democratic organi-
zation of that “corrupt and contented”
city has been that the organization re-
fused to endorse for elective representa-
tive offices candidates chosen by paid em-
issaries of the PENROSE machine.
In 1905, when the Democratic organiza-
tion of Philadelphia set itself, at any haz-
ard, to defeat the Republican nominee for
State Treasurer and elect WiLLiam H,
BERRY, the Philadelphia Democratic orga-
nization accepted and supported any can-
didates which were presented to them by
the reformers. That included the nomi-
nee for sheriff, WiLsoN H. Brown; for
coroner, J. M. R. JERMON, and for State
Senator in the Eighth district, VIVIAN
FRANK GABLE. We all know what hap-
pened.
At the first opportunity sheriff BROWN,
who owed his election essentially to the
organization Democratic leaders, betrayed
them in coldest blood and turned the pat-
| ronage and influence of his office over to
the PENROSE machine. Coroner JERMON
scarcely waited until the ink on his com-
mission was dry until he offered the in-
fluence of his office to the machine. Viv-
1AN FRANK GABLE became a more obedi-
| ent too of the PENROSE organization in
the special session of 1906 than KEYSER
ever was. At the next election these po-
litical recreants asked the Democratic or-
ganization to again pull machine chest-
nuts out of the fire for them. Is it sur-
prising that the invitation was declined?
Wouldn't it have been an outrage if it
had been accepted? To our mind that
proposition is established.
A year later the element which was
responsible for BROWN, JERMON and
GABLE nominated ERNEST L. TusTIN for
| State Senator and invited the Democratic
organization to aid them. The invitation
was reluctantly accepted and TUSTIN be-
| trayed every obligation of honor in sup-
porting the Republican machine. Last
If iisety loves company it i fall he stole the Democratic nomination
plenty of it among those BRYAN Demo- ¢,. genator, with the aid of the Republi-
crats who demanded new leaders and got the D ic ind 1
as bosses of their bunchsuch old time and - and The De A Semis.
all the time anti-BRYAN men as VANCEMC- | 100 diated the corrupt conditions. But
Cormick and Geo. W. GUTHRIE. Atleast. | ;piery was elected and in the Senate has
we don’t hear many hailelujahs! coming | poop the most subservient and sycophantic
up from their camp. | instrument of the PENROSE machine who
—A Rhode Island newspaper seems has ever sat inthe body. It is now grave-
proud to proclaim that the new census |y announced that he is to be the PEN-
shows the population of that State to be Rose candidate for mayor of Philadelphia.
more “dense” than that of any other! ft js at the same time his reward and
State in the Union. That fact has been the vindication ot the Democratic or-
impressed upon our mind every time we ganization. And it is because of its re-
have thought of the kind of representa- fysal to hip-and-hurrah for these kind of
tives they send to Washington. | PENROSE agents—politicians who profess
—The Assistant Postmaster General, | to be against the machine until they are |
Not a Promising Outlook.
In the light of analysis the plan of re-
| habilitating the Democratic party adopted
| by the packed jury which sat in Harris”
burg last week is not promising. The
cause of the great falling off in the Dem-
ocratic vote last fall was the desertion of
members of the party. The stay-at-home
vote has been large ever since the cam-
paign of 1896. No Democratic candidate
for Governor since that time has received
anything like a full vote, though it iscon-
ceded that in 1902 ROBERT E. PATTISON
got 100,000 Republican votes. Last fall,
however, in addition to the stay-at-home
vote, one-third of the Democratic voters
deserted to Mr. BERRY and nearly anoth-
er third to TENER, the latter being influ-
enced by fear of the effect of Mr. BER-
RY'S election on the liquor traffic.
In the plan of rehabilitation adopted by
the packed jury, of which Vance C. Mc-
CORMICK was the dominant spirit, the
policy seems to have been to reward
these deserters. That was probably nat-
ural under the circumstances for Mr. Mc-
Cormick was among the deserters and
being one of “the holier than thou” types
his main purpose was to vindicate him-
self. Other deserters had better reasons
than he. Some earnestly believed that
Mr. Berry was an ideal public official
and entitled to the nomination. Others
had reasons for their belief that his clec-
tion would jeopardize their business in-
terests and felt that they had a right to
vote for the only candidate who was like-
ly to defeat him. But Mr. McCORMICK
had no illusions or delusions-on the sub-
ject. He knew that Mr. BERRY
mentally nor temperamentally fit for the
| office. He deserted because of an inces-
sant itch for office.
The average American citizen believes
in fair play. Hundreds of Pennsylvania
Democrats may honestly believe that the
party leaders whom these conspirators
are endeavoring to asperse are inefficient
and that other leaders might be found
who would serve the purpose better. But
no Democrat who honestly believes in the
principles of the party and hopes for the
success of its candidates is willing to re:
'
ward treachery by unjustly punishing one
man in order to gratify the ambition and
flatter the vanity of a traitor. Until VANCE
McCorMICK became a figure in the polit-
ical life of Harrisburg the Democratic
candidates were occasionally successful:
Since that event no candidate of the party
has come within hailing distance of elec-
tion and the reason is that he opposes
Democrats invariably unless he is per-
mitted to select the candidates.
Pending School Code.
Danger in the
was neither |
_BE LLEFONTE, PA., MARCH 24, 1911.
Adopt the Deardon Resolution.
The resolution introduced in the House
of Representatives at Harrisburg, the oth-
er day, by Mr. DeARrDON, of Philadelphia,
deserves careful consideration and final
passage. The resolution recites that for
many years a “system of extraordinary
and wholly unwarranted appropriations
has been encouraged on a steadily in-
creasing scale which has become both po
scandalous and alarming.” There can be
no doubt of the truth of this statement.
The fact was sharply reprobated in the
platform of the Democratic party adopted
by the Allentown convention last June
and was subsequently condemned in the
platform of the Keystone party. It is
high time that steps should be taken to
check it.
Every citizen of Pennsylvania favors
liberal appropriations to worthy charities,
penal institutions and public educational
enterprises. But such appropriations
should be made upon a just basis and a
wise system. The framers of the funda-
| mental law of the State tried to secure
this result by placing certain restrictions
on the Legislature. Of late, however, the
restrictions have been entirely ignored.
Sectarian institutions and private enter- |
prises established for commercial pur-
poses have been supported as freely by
the Legislature, and upon precisely equal
terms, with State institutions conducted
‘by the State and for purely benevolent or
' corrective uses. This is a crime against
| the public.
Mr. DEARDON'S resolution proposes an
| investigation of this evil with the view of
correcting it. No greater service could
| be performed by the Legislature. It may
be said that there ought to be no reason
for such an inquiry. The fact is, how- |
ever, that the evil exists and the only.
' promise of checking it lies in such a pro-
cess as the Philadelphian proposes. It
| will cost something, of course. The res-
olution provides for an appropriation of
$10,000 to defray the expenses. But that
is no valid reason for opposing it. If the
work is well done it will save for the
State a thousand dollars for every dollar
it costs. By all means adopt the DEAR-
| oN resolution promptly.
{ ——The Democratic organization of
the State is not responsible for the de-
| linquencies of the local Democratic or-
: ganization in Philadelphia or any other
| county. Home rule is a cardinal princi-
| ple of Democracy and if the Democratic
| committee of Centre county is recreant
'it is amenable to the Democratic voters
of Centre county and no one else. In
{ the recent campaign for Governor the
| local organizations in several counties
| failed to fulfill their obligations to the
who is demanding of magazine publishers
that they make their publications lighter,
is either not a reader of many of them or
is considerable of a block-head! Other-
wise he would know that they are already
furnishing about the “lightest” kind of |
reading that can be palmed ofi upon aj
gullible public. |
—An exchange, that seems to be keep- |
ing its eyes open, says that “se far we
haven't seen that re-organizers MCCOR-
MICK and GUTHRIE have made any move
to go on with the job they elected them-
selves to do some two weeks ago.” No,
they have possibly discovered that it
would cost them something and they have
concluded to stay at home and “save their
hoard.”
and refused to vote for the Democratic |
nominee. What a hilarious crowd the |
real BRYAN men will be when marching
to the discordant music this anti-BRYAN
boss will furnish them!
—In referring to the evident failure of
M:. ROOSEVELT'S present trip over the
country, to arouse the enthusiasm of the
people, an exchange concludes that he
must be “all in.” Just what or where it
means that he is “in” we don't exactly
know, but we are confident that what.
ever, or wherever it may be, the creature
or the place has a surfeit of gas about it
that it will not get rid of for a very long
time.
—It took the whole of two full columns
in Wednesday's North American for its
editor to elucidate, to a doubting and be-
fuddled reader, just what he thinks that
paper “stands for” and then he didn't
succeed to any great extent. The fact is
that most people don’t think it “stands’
for anything. It's like an old mare the
writer's father had up on his farm at one
time. When he wanted her to stand she'd
“kick,” when he tried to make her go
she'd “kick,” if she got over the traces
she'd “kick” or if the line got under her
tail she'd “kick;” in fact “kick” she would
under any and all circumstances unless
Allowed ogo her own Way, and no one
was ever enough to discover which
way the old thing wanted to go.
elected, and for it whenever they succeed
| to power—that the Democratic city and
| State organization is denounced and op-
posed by those claiming to be Democratic
reformers.
Profligacy of Government.
A Pennsylvania Congressman in a
speech delivered during the closing period
of the recent session asserted that the
cost of the government of the United
States amounts to nearly half the earn-
ings of all the laborers of the country..
The state and local taxes add materially
to this burden so that more than half the
earnings of labor is squandered by profli-
gate administration. No other govern-
‘ment in the world puts such burdens
—Mr. VANCE MCCORMICK went clear to |
upen its citizenship. No other govern-
ment in the history of the world has ever
been so unjust. No government however
substantial can endure under such con-
Denver, only three years ago, and “spend-
ed his own munny” in doing so, to fight
the nomination of Mr. BRYAN. He came
home, not as a Democrat, but a "kicker"
ditions and no people however rich and
| resourceful can long carry such a load.
This profligacy can have no other pur-
' pose than to impoverish the people. It is
a part of a conspiracy tosubvert the gov-
| ernment and establish upon its ruins an
' oligarchy of wealth in which citizenship
will be converted into slavery and em-
ployer into master. Poverty makes meek-
ness. Want destroys independence and
the vast expenditures for army and navy
are intended to make the citizens weak
and the government arrogant and strong.
It is a part of the imperialism which finds
expression in dependent colonies and
hopeless subjects. It is the logical conse-
. quence of the ascendency of men who
' recognize no law other than their own
absurd or ambitious caprices.
The new Congress promises to introduce
reforms in the management of affairs
and reduce the expenses of government
to a reasonable level. It is said that at
least $100,000 can be saved by cutting out
the useless offices of Congress and no
doubt that is true. But such a saving
will be of little consequence unless the
The building of useless battleships and the
criminal increase of the army must be
stopped or else the process of improve-
ment will be too slow to overtake the
evil. We have faith, however, that the
necessary steps will be taken and that
before the Sixty-second Congress expires
the leaven of reform will be active.
No doubt there is a good deal of merit | State organization and deserve punish-
in the School code now pending in the ment for the treachery. But under no
Legislature. It is also certain that there | principle of law or equity can the State
is much need for the codification of the | organization be punished for the recre-
“school laws of the State. They represent | ancy of the local organizations and the ox»
the patch-work of half a century of ill-
digested legislation, sometimes conflict-
ing and frequently absurd. Education
has become so important a part of the
life of the people of this country that it
should be regulated with the greatest
care and wisdom, moreover. The framers
of the School code had this purpose in
mind, no doubt. Eminent gentlemen and
excellent citizens they would hardly have
offered the people anything which they
| didn't believe to be meritorious.
But we question the accuracy of their
judgment with respect to that feature of
the School code which eliminates local
control of the schools and concentrates the
; power in the Department at Harrisburg.
| The tendency of recent legislation both
in Washington and Harrisburg has this
grave fault. The aim appears to be to
| get as far away from the people as pos-
. sible. The pending road legislation trends
in the same direction. The dependence
| upon the state constables to perform the
police duty of communities is additional
evidence on the subject. Politicians covet
power and citizens seem entirely willing
to relinquish it to them. To say the
least of it that is a dangerous sign.
The schools of Pennsylvania have
achieved excellent results under the old
system of liberal State help but absolute
local contrcl. The local school authori-
ties have taken just pride in the excel
lence of their work. Attempts to intro-
| duce politics have been resisted and re-
| sented promptly and courageously. Par-
tisans in other things have jealously kept
i
i
feared that the change in the methods
will work an alteration in this respect
results
for the
consider
—Had the late Republican Congress had
any care for the real fitness of things it
would long since have changed the name
of the capital to White Wash—ington.
But then some official bodies never do
| waken up to what might be appropriate.
| the schools out of politics and mainly be- |
cause of the local control. It is to be |
| attempt to make such a vicarious sacri-
| fice is unjust and undemocratic.
i ———————"
——The Legislature is rushing things
| at Harrisburg now, presumably for the
| reason that PENROSE will only have the
| interval before the extra session of Con-
| gress in which to guide the mummies he
has in the Legislature and he wants to
| cover as much ground in that period as
possible. The Senate passes hundreds of
| bills a day. But Lord deliver us from the
| kind of legislation that is being ground
i
| out.
i
| =A few of the early garden makers
| in Bellefonte have already gone to work
and the first beds of onions are in the
| ground. It won't be long now until gar-
den making and house cleaning will be
all the go and plenty of husbands in Belle-
fonte will have to lay awake nights plan-
ning excuses to get out of wielding the
| Sate and She Carpet beaker.
| =——Up to this writing it is difficult to
tell whether the town council and the
county commissioners. who have men at
| work erecting something in front of the
| WATCHMAN office, are trying to build a
|
'bridge or to dam Spring creck. The De
structure so far looks about as much like
| the one as it does the other.
| thousand barrels of whiskey were burned
| and otherwise destroyed when the big
thirsty element of Bellefonte could have
had on less than half the above quantity.
——And now Adams county, Ohio, is
troubled to find enough of Republican
voters, who escaped that bribery net, to
make up its election boards for the local
The in- elections. In this case the “reward of If this new
|
virtue” seems to be a scarcity of candi
dates.
—There was another snow storm on
Sunday afternoon and evening, but Mon-
day's warm weather got rid of it all.
| —eSubscribe for the WATCHMAN,
| ——At Bloomsburg on Monday sixteen |
NO. 12.
The Pennsylvania Democracy.
From the Philadelphia Record.
A malign fate a to pursue the
sadly disorganized of Penn-
Sylvania Democracy whose fidelity to
party, through years of defeat and
default, deserves a better fate. The action
on Tuesday last of the joint committee
appointed to propose a for the reor-
ganization and solidifying of the Demo-
cratic party in Pennsylyania will disap-
int more voters than it will please.
It is impossible for The Record to
how any of the seven members compris.
ing the committee responsible for -
day's action can plume themselves upon
the result of their work. Fortunately,
however, the game of peanut politics now
being played in Pennsylvania cannot do
any real harm at present to the party or
its interests. Under the uniform pri-
maries law a new organization will be se-
lected by the voters of the real Demo-
crats of the State next June. Any tem-
porary advantage gained by any faction
by virtue of the slaughter-house methods
of Tuesday's committee will be short-
lived, unless it shall be approved by the
body of voters at the public election. As
there will be no State candidates to elect
this year, the only issue at the primaries
will be the honest, harmonious and effi-
cient organization of the party, and from
the judgment of the Democratic people
then registered at the primary election
there can be no a i
_It is fortunate that the ambitions and
rivalries, new and oid, of leaders, quasi-
leaders and would-be will be so
promptly submitted to the inquisition and
verdict of the bone and sinew of the party
at an election under the operation of
public laws.
“The Record,” which was the leader in
the movement to reorganize the party,
cannot help feeling and ressing its
regret that the opportunity for cement-
ing the party and reconstituting its lead-
ership upon a harmonious and efficient
basis was not seized by the gentlemen to
whom that priceless privilege was given
last Tuesday.
! The Re-organization Fiasco.
From Senator Grim's Doylestown Democrat.
If Democratic reorganization in Penn-
sylvania means the welding of disunited
elements into a strong, ve, har-
, with government
and the triumph of Democratic principles
as its solid purposes, then the reorganiza-
tion as attempted by the Committee of
Seven at Harrisburg is a misnomer. By
a bare majority that committee made the
summary deposing of Chai alt
and National Committeeman G wy ils
only object. It does not matter that the
committee attempted to do thisby "steam
roller” methods. This was bad enough,
but it was only an incident.
But the fact that it attempted to depose
anybody at all is the vital point. The
committee's prerogative extended no
farther than to formulate a plan of re-
organization, with an implied view to
harmonizing the party. No authority
was delegated, no authority could be
legally delegated, to the Committee of
Seven by the State Committee to do what
it did, because such action was clearly
against the party rules. Being such, it
will have no force or effect whatever.
The unfortunate part of the whole af-
fair is that the committee did not do what
every sincere Democrat expected of it,
namely, to take such steps as would lead
to a reunited party. It had a magnificent
portunity to do the party a great ser-
vice. Several legitimate courses of action
were open, any one of which wouid have
been indorsed by the members of the
pany in general. This was the time, not
or rekindling old animosities between the
leaders, but for paving the way for leader-
ship in the future. While the committee
has thrown away a great opportunity and
practically accomplished nothing, there
is plenty of time to undo its mistakes. It
is to be hoped that the party can yet ac-
complish its own reorganization in a reg-
ular and orderly way.
More Money for tke Gang.
From the Johnstown Democrat.
On the theory that things must become
worse before we can hope to make them
better, the Gang plans for adding to the
tax burdens of the people of Pennsylva-
nia may be welcomed. Certainly some-
thing is needed to arouse the masses to a
revolt against extravagance, stupidity and
ignorance in the use of the taxing power
and perhaps the riot mapped out by the
Gang will perform this great service.
The excuse for increasing taxes is
found in the alleged need of the State for
! more revenue. Nos tion of econo-
' my is heard from the Gang. It clamors
for more and more. Its hangers-on want
more jobs. Its masters want more con-
tracts. Its politico-financial allies want
better pickings all around. All the insti-
tutions and interests which are fed out of
demand that more shall
And since these
for increased reve-
nue are little less than monstrous and
they mark a distinct step backward.
They are unwarranted by the real needs
of the State and they are in violent con-
flict with the welfare of her Unly
men lost to civic interests and blinded to
economic truth could for a moment look
favorably upon most of the propositions
to which the Gang is definitely commit-
ted through the recommendations of the
McNichol commission.
Party Rules Better than “Ripper” Tactics.
From the Connellsville News.
which has now
dertaken to the Democracy
Pennsylvania would make
conform to party rules
“ripper” tactics it migh
old rank and file to its
to want to harmonize the party,but
| dertaking to ride over
‘which have been in control it is only
| ting away from its avowed purpose.
|
1
~
f
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Bogus silver dollars have been circulating in
portions of eastern Pennsylvania during the past
few days.
~Two thousand Butler public schoo! pupils are
contesting in a spelling match, divided up into
districts of 125 each.
—Grove City and Slippery Rock, Butler county,
will each raise $75,000 to complete a nine-mile
trolley line linking the two.
~The most complete inspection of dairies and
dairy herds ever undertaken in Pennsylvania is
now under way by officers of the State depart-
ment of health.
~The Pennsylvania Fruit Farms compnny has
purchased the Dewey orchards and adjoining
properties. near Jersey Shore. An experienced
superintendent will be put in charge.
—Unaffected by the prohibition tide that is
sweeping over the country, the South Bethlehem
Brewing company is enlarging its brewery so that
it will have a capacity of 100,000 barrels.
~Johanna Myers, a girl residing in Coplay, last
week lost $90 from her stocking. but is in posses.
sion of it again, her brother having found it on
the path along which they travel to go to work.’
—August Winter, a resident of Franklin, who
had voted for thirty years, was deprived of the
franchise by the personal registration act because
he could not produce his naturalization papers.
~The outbreak of anthrax in Westmoreland
county, just over the line from Indiana. has been
completely stamped out, thanks to the prompt
action of the cattle owners and of the State Vet"
erinary board.
—Two women received licenses to sell liquor
from the Cambria county court this week. Both:
are widows of former landlords. They are Mrs
Annie Estep, of Scalp Level, and Mrs. Annabe
Glass, of Barn sboro.
—After three unsuccessful attempts to burn the
home of Constable Solomon Gilbert, of Somerset,
incendiaries succeeded on Sunday morning, while
Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert were away from home. The
loss is over $1,500, with partial insurance.
~There are more than seventy cases of measles
at Sandy Lake, Mercer county. Six new cases
developed Sunday. The schools have been clos-
ed for two weeks and the quarantine will be con.
tinued another week. The population of Sandy
Lake is about 700.
—Only two rafts will come down the west
branch of the Susquehanna to Lock Haven this
spring, which is strange reading to people who
remember how, thirty years ago, that river was
filled from bank to bank with logs and rafts at
every spring freshet.
~The Superior court has affirmed the action of
the Washington county court in sentencing Drug-
gist E. G. Dudley, of Washington, to pay a fine of
$1,000 and undergo imprisonment in the county
jail for five months. Dudley was convicted of vi-
olating the liquor laws.
—Mine No. 4, at Lovejoy, Indiana county, is be-
ing abandoned on account of the amount of water.
It was at first thought to be one of the most de-
sirable workings in the region, but its dampness
made it otherwise. It is probable that fixtures
will be removed to Shanktown.
—Mrs. E. M. Hutchison, aged 54 vears, of West
township, Huntingdon county, was stricken with
neuralgia of the face while attending the funeral
of her father-in-law, Lewis Hutchison, at Moores-
ville, recently. The neuralgia went to her heart,
causing her death two hours later.
—Mrs. William Goodhart, of Leesburg, Cumber-
land county, left her baby playing with a cellu-
loid comb while she ran out on an errand to a
nearby store. The baby crept to the stove inthe
kitchen and when the mother returned the room
was ablaze and the child burned to death.
—Mrs. W. A. Wallace, widow of former Sena-
tor Wallace, died at her home in Clearfield last
Saturday. She was aged about 80 years. Her
two sons are members of the Clearfield Bar asso-
ciation: one of her daughters is the wife of Judge
Smith and the other the widow of Judge Krebs.
—Acting under instructions from the postoffice
department, the postoflice people of Carlisle have
just completed a recount of the population of that
ancient town, with the resuit that the census fig-
ures have been increased from 10.303 to 11.711, not
including the inmates of the Indian school or the
students at Dickinson college.
~The Harbison-Walker Refractories comoany,
of Woodland, have just finished for their Wood-
land clay mine, after seven months’ werk a shaft
seven fect in diameter and 160 feet deep. Cons'd-
erable water was encountered during the process
of sinking. which retarded the work. The shaft
will be used for ventilating purposes,
~The Cambria Steel company’s new wire mill
will be in full operation next month and the Penn-
sylvania Railroad company has men at work con-
structing new yards at the lower end of Morrell
ville. The work involved the razing of the old
station at Sheridan, which had been an old land
mark quite long enough to be historic.
—~Options have been taken on about 1.000 acres
of iand along Slippery Rock Creek, in Butler
county. between Kennedy's Mills and MeCon-
nell's Mills, just west of Portersville, and it is re-
ported a huge power plant is to be constructed.
Eastern capitalists are back of the ven‘ure. The
company is to furnish electricity for lighting and
motor power in New Castle and Elmwood City.
—Mrs. Susan Brenneman, proprietress of the
Valley house, Lewistown, celebrated the Bist an-
niversary of her birthon Monday. She spent the
day at her usual occupation, supervising the culi-
nary department of the hostelry she has owned
for forty-two years. Her friends congratulated
her on her good health and activity and wished
her a continuance thereof. She received more
than a hundred post cards.
—A peculiar malady has broken out among the
chickens of William H. Snyder, of Dallastown,
York county. Within the past two days a num-
ber of them have died from apparent fatness.
The flesh bursts along the breastbone and they
bleed to death. Beyond the fatness the chickens
are as healthy as possible. Their combs are red
and when the chickens are cut open after death
they show no internal sickness.
—Marshall, the nine-year-old son of J. Frank
Vanbuskirk, was frozen to death near Lewistown
last Friday. The boy had accompanied his fath-
er in moving household goods from Lewistown
Junction to Alfarata when a spring broke on
wagon. The lad was left with the wagon while
the father proceeded to Alfarata with a borrow-
ed wagon, On returning he found the boy un-
conscious from cold. He died shortly after reach-
ing Alfarata.
—John Calvin Louder, aged fifty-nine years, a
prominent citizen of Huntingdon and member of
the school board, was killed in the planing mill of
that place just before quitting time on Friday
evening. His son was feeding lumber into a saw
and the end of the board, as it came through,
struck his father over the heart. Three ribs were
crushed and his death was instantaneous. He
His widow, one daughter and six sons survive.
Three of the sons, George, James and Clyde, are
residents of Altoona.
~By the recent death of Wilson Todd, son of
Lemuel Todd, the Sara A.
of his share of his mother’s estate,
which was, as stated in the will, “one-half of the
residue of the estate.” The estate amounted to
nearly $500,000. After all the other bequests are
subtracted and costs and expenses paid, it is ex-
pected that the estate will net $300,000, of which
Wilson Todd possessed one-half and the Memori-
al home one-half. By his death the home comes
into possession of both parts, or $300,000.