Bemorri Ya
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
INK SLINGS.
—Anyway we were thankful yesterday
‘that we are living in a land of peace and
plenty.
——The writers of war news must im-
agine that they are competing for a prize
as liars.
—Anyway it looks as though the al-
lies will have to eat warmed up Turkey
for some time to come.
—If you want to send someone a
Christmas present that will be appreciat-
ed send the WATCHMAN for a year.
—The football season being over one
of the questions that will just naturally
arise in the rooms of the student husky,
temporarily out of work, is: What are
we here for?
—Thke Jordan is the world’s most
crooked river. It wanders 213 miles to
cover 60 and probably it is because it is
so crooked that it is so hard for so many
people to get over.
—Just to confirm, a little more, the
general conviction that 1914 has been a
wonderful year, in many ways, there
comes the announcement that the Pan-
thers have shot a buck.
—So far as we have been able to dis-
cover about the only Democrats in Penn-
sylvania who are perfectly satisfied with
the condition of the party are those who
have postmasterships and those who
have hope of getting them.
—J. B. REED, of Ithaca, N. Y., claims
to have rabbits that he has trained to
dig up and eat all the weeds in his gar-
den, without touching plants of any val-
ue. Do you believe tbat Mr. REED is re-
ally a rabbit trainer or somewhat of a
—That new New York and Pennsylva-
nia railroad that strikes Centre county
about Dix, runs across to Pine Grove
Mills thence east along the foot-hills of
‘the Tussey mountains, is being promot-
ed again but to what purpose nobody
knows.
—It cost PENROSE $9,073.87 to get back
to the Senate. This amount covers his
primary and election expenses, so he
‘swears. Of course the offices and favors
in Pennsylvania, the hope of which real-
ly did the trick for him, are not stated
as campaign expenses.
——Senator PENROSE declares that he
will give his time and attention to the
business of his office in Washington and
let the Pennsylvania Legislature work
‘out its own destiny. This would indi-
. cate that the Senator has learned a les-
son in the school of adversity.
—In stating that Mr. CREASY's ‘‘party
faith is beyond all cavil or question,” the |
Johnstown Democrat leaves us in doubt
as to which party it means: the Key-
stone or Democratic? Tt surely hasn’t
forgotten that four years ago Mr. CREASY
voluntarily read himself out of the Dem-
ocratic party and said that he could see
no need for its future existence.
—It is to be hoped that winter has
not finally set in. If this should be the
beginning of a long period of frozen
“ ground there is no estimating the jhard-
ships that may befall in consequence.
Water is lower, almost everywhere, than
it has ever been before and if the rain-
falls that are to come cannot soak into
the ground streams and springs must
needs go dry.
—The withdrawal of Gen. FUNSTON’S
forces from Vera Cruz took place, as ad-
vertised, and the Mexicans came into
their own again all cleaned up and made
healthier through Uncle Sam's occupa-
" tion. Incidentally, Gen. FUNSTON brought
the strong box containing the customs
duties he had taken in along with him.
Of course our government having recog-
nized no one as in authority in Mexico
there was no‘one to turn it over to.
Now isn’t that Yankee thrift.
—While the WATCHMAN appreciates to
the fullest the efforts of the women’s or-
ganizations of the town to keep us
abreast of the times and is ever ready to
admit. that were it not for the women
many of our civic accomplishments
: would not nov be extant it is a grave
question as to whether a community
Christmas tree is not an extravagance
that we ought not indulge this year.
While thousands of little ones are starv-
ing abroad will it be right for us to put
even $100 into such a treat. Aye, when
we will probably have a lot of little ones
right in the vicinity of Bellefonte who
will be without Christmas goodies what
a hollow mockery it will be to gather
them about a great tree that will bear
nothing for them but a maize of electric
lights. The community Christmas tree
is really not designed for a town like
ours. It was to meet a call from the
tenement quarters of large cities where
lived children who had never seen a real
Christmas tree. But here, in Bellefonte,
no matter how poor anyone may be, the
real Christmas tree grows almost at his
or her back door, and can be had for the
cutting. But what is the tree that bears
no goodies to the child? Lights and tin-
sel gladden the eye for the moment but
sugar plums and pop-corn balls are what
reach the place where the kiddies have a
right to hope to do business on Christ-
mas. Let’s sing the carols in the Dia-
mond. That will be beautiful, but let's
put the money into something more sat-
isfying than a gorgeously lighted tree,
this year at least.
®
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
BELL
EFONTE, PA.. NOVEMBER 27, 1914.
NO. 47.
Concerning the Democratic Organization.
temporaries are urging the reorganiza-
vania. Various methods of accomplish-
ing this result have been suggested, the
resignation of National committeeman
A. MITCHELL PALMER, and State chair-
man ROLAND S. MORRIS, being the favor-
ite expedient. The meagre vote cast for
Woobprow WILSON for President in 1912
and the poor showing of the party in the
recent election have convinced thought-
ful Democrats of the incapacity of the
ty press that more capable managers
must be obtained or hopes for the fu-
ture of the party be entirely abandoned.
As the WATCHMAN stated in the issue
succeeding the election, reorganization is
not needed so much as getting together.
After the inauguration of President WiL-
SON Mr. PALMER, VANCE C. McCORMICK
rand ROLAND S. MORRIS set up an office
brokerage business and traded patronage
for support so openly that every moral
sense was outraged. This method of de-
bauching the electorate must be discon-
tinued; this system of corrupting the
politics.of the Commonwealth must be
stopped. If the spoils of office are to be
distributed as rewards for service the fa-
vors must go for service to the party
rather than as recompense for servility
to the bosses. This fact must be under-
stood.
In the history of American politics
there is no parallel to the selfishness of
the men in control of the party organiza-
tion since the seizure of the State com-
mittee in 1912. The Democratic admin-
istration elected without the help of these
opportunists has been used as an instru-
ment to, put every man concerned in
that theft of power into office. The
minor offices in the gift of the adminis-
tration have been used as currency to
buy support of the ambitions of PAL-
MER and McCormick instead of being
employed toe build up the party. This
misuse of power and patronage must be
abandoned. Paying personal debts with
party patronage is immoral and intolera-
ble. YY lg hp
We have no idea, however, that PAL-
MER and MORRIS will resign the offices
they have abused. We have little confi-
dence, moreover, in forcing reform by
the strife which would attend a reorgani-
zation. The’'plain path to pursue, there-
fore, is an appeal to the President to cast
out of his confidence the political huck-
sters who are trading on his friendship
to promote their selfish ambitions. He
must have learned from the returns of
the election that these office brokers are
not: trusted leaders of the party. He
must know by this time. that they are
perfidious incompetents who are sacri-
ficing principles and betraying the party
for their personal aggrandizement.
The average Pennsylvania Democrat
is not a mercenary but neither is he
a poltroon. His political fidelity is not
determined by patronage but he will not
consent to penalizing party integrity.
The office brokers who have been 1n con-
trol since the rape of the organization in
1912 have traduced, condemned and os-
tracized men for no other reason than
that they have been faithful to party ob-
ligations. These facts should be laid be-
fore the President in a way that will
challenge his attention, and that done
and the faults corrected it won’t make
much difference who is the Pennsylvania
member of the National committee or
chairman of the State committee.
——It wasn’t the tariff law that defeat-
ed so many Democratic candidates for
Congress at the recent election. The
war tax, more than anything else, com-
passed that result, and the war tax
might have been avoided by cutting ap-
propriations here and there.
——Of course the stories of atrocities
in the war zone are exaggerations and
equally sure some of them are pure in-
ventions. But men in battle are differ-
ent from men in a ball room and some
unpleasant incidents are to be expected
on battle fields.
——MCcNIcHOLL and the VARES may
hold aloof from each other in the inaugu-
ral parade at Harrisburg in January but
they will be together when the distribu-
tion of the spoils of office is on.
——The Bellefonte High school foot-
ball team took the scalp of the Lewis-
town High school team last Saturday
when they won a decisive victory on the
old Hughes field by the score of 28 to 6.
The visitors were the first to score, which
they did in the first few minutes of the
game on a well executed forward pass.
But it was the only time they ever had a
chance at Bellefonte’s goal line. The
four touchdowns, while Hartswick kick-
ed four goals from touchdown.
Some of our esteemed Democratic con-
tion of the Democratic party of Pennsyl-
present leaders and admonished the par-
latter played a good game and scored
The Flinn—McCormick Conspiracy.
alive until 1916 anyway.
' termined upon at a meeting held in Phil-
adelphia a few evenings ago, GEORGE W.
PERKINS, BILL FLINN and E. A. VaAN-
VALKENBURG being present. Neither
GIFFORD nor AMOS PINCHOT were in at-
tendance. They refuse to fraternize
with Mr. PERKINS for reasons satisfactory
to themselves.
that they are going to remain on the fir-
, ing line. GIFFORD has rented an office
in Philadelphia and will pay poll tax in
Pike county, according to a recently es.
tablished custom. And all of them will
be for ROOSEVELT for President. That
, is what the party is kept up for. That
,is why VANCE MCCORMICK was taken
, into the fold.
| Keeping up the Progressive party is
| purely a financial problem. It involves
: considerable expense but PERKINS, FLINN
and MCCORMICK are liberal expenders.
' Outside of that, however, it is of little
' consequence. If MCCORMICK had been
' elected Governor of Pennsylvania last
\
| That result would have made ROOSEVELT
| a formidable figure in the next race for
President. When DRAPER LEWIS was
“bought out,” it was confidently believed
by those who paid the freight, BILL
; FLINN and VANCE MCCORMICK, that such
would be the result. It would have made
: ROOSEVELT the next President. But Mc-
CoRMICK wouldn’t have cared for that.
tion would have been satisfied for the
time being.
In other words the campaign of 1914
was a conspiracy to plant A. MITCHELL
PALMER and VANCE C. McCORMICK in
office, the Democratic party to the con-
trary, notwithstanding. By some pro-
cess of legerdemain they beguiled Presi-
dent WILSON into acquiescence. But if
they had succeeded he would have lost
for the scheme was to make’ ROOSEVELT
omnipotent, politically speaking, in 1916,
and create a barrier impossible to over-
come against the re-election of WoobD-
ROW WILSON. Do not misinterpret the
of McCorMICK would have made ROOSE-
VELT the Republican and Progressive
candidate for [President in 1916 and de-
feated WooDROW WILSON for re-election
and they knew it.
——Any way the royal family of Ger-
many isn’t trying to dodge either the
dangers or the responsibility for the war.
Every one of the Kaiser’s sons is on the
line of battle.
Senator Lodge as a Jingo.
After a long period of uncertainty Sen-
ator LODGE, of Massachusetts, has joined
the jingoes. He would have become a
jingo long ago except for the fact that
he hoped for a Republican victory this
year. That expectation having been dis-
appointed he takes the first opportunity
to reveal his purpose to be “agin the gov-
ernment” under all circumstances. The
first opportunity presented itself last
week when: he was invited to address the
Middlesex club of Massachusetts. He
overworked himself in the matter. He
not only proved that he is a jingo of the
ROOSEVELT type but demonstrated be-
yond peradventure that he is an egre-
gious ass of the BEVERIDGE style.
According to the best information at-
tainable the United States warship Ten-
nessee was approaching Turkish waters,
which are heavily mined, on account of
the European war. To prevent the de-
struction of the American ship a Turkish
fortress fired an alarm gun ir. the direc-
tion of the [Iennessee. Naturally the
progress of that formidable “war dog”
was stopped for purposes of investiga-
tigation has developed the wisdom of the
action of the commander of the Tennes-
see. She could have driven all the Turk-
ish mines and shore defences out of the
sea and into perdition. But she didn’t
commit any act of hostility. She simply
behaved herself. ;
But Senator LODGE is not satisfied
with the conditions. He imagines that
our government ought to declare war
against Turkey and undertake an
armed invasion of the Ottoman Empire,
The Kaiser of Germany, the Emperor of
Austria and the Sultan of Turkey are
probably of the same mind on the sub-
ject. They want a “getting off” place
and the intervention of the United States
would have presented them with such a
convenience on a silver platter. LODGE
has “fallen” for the absurd proposition
but LODGE is an ass anyway. The ad-
‘vantage is that only a few. people knew
it before and now it is universally under-
stood. Hereafter LODGE will be taken at
his true value. i
——Probably those Turks fired upon
American Jmarines to get even with Ger-
many for forcing Turkey into the war.
| Present Conditions in Mexico.
But it may be assumed
' limits of the Mexican Republic, capable
f fail things would have been different.
As Governor of Pennsylvania his ambi- |
plans of these conspirators. - The lection | 4id exampl
tion. The subsequent inquiry and inves-
The Progressive party will be kept | The withdrawal of the United States | From the Harrisburg
This was de- troops from Vera Cruz will put the con- |
! stitutional government of Mexico to the
‘test. There are a good many people in
I this country who would welcome a dis-
turbance of the peace as a result of the
evacuation. They are those who op-
posed President WILSON’S policy of
watchful waiting and would interpret an
outbreak at this time as the failure of
that policy. As a matter of fact, how-
ever, the wisdom of that policy is not
involved. It has been fully determined
in the affirmative by the events which
have transpired since the landing of the
troops some six months ago. There can
be no referendum.
It must be admitted even by those
most hopeful of tranquility in Mexico
that the outlook for orderly government
is precarious. The two or more years of ;
strife since the usurpation of power by
HUERTA has not developed a single great,
unselfish, patriotic citizen within the
of fulfilling the requirements of the
occasion. It would be unjust to say that
there are no such men there. The coun-
try has an abundance of educated and
patriotic men but the selfish and sordid !
Caranzas and Villas and Obregons have
kept them in seclusion. But now that
the withdrawal of the United States’
troops has put the Mexicans upon their
own responsibility, possibly the right man
will reveal himself.
* Mexico is one of the garden spots of
the earth. Its soil is fertile, its climate
salubrious and its moisture ample for
agricultural prosperity. It is rich in
minerals and the people have every rea-
son to be proud of its history and tradi-
tions. But it has been kept in poverty
and wretchedness for more than a ‘cen-
tury by the lust, ambition and selfishness
of those who ought to have been just
guides of the people. Happily President
WILSON accurately diagnosed their mal-
adies and pointed the way of escape
from the evils which have oppressed
them. Let us hope that left to them-
selves they will profit by his teachings
Sa
a
wo
——CHARLES M. SCHWAB is optimistic
again and other Captains of Industry :
who know him well are wondering what
he has up his sieeve.
“| sane Attitude on Smyrna Incident.
1 result of the action of the Turkish gar-
! tional policy of not intruding upon; inter-
Star-Independent.
It is noticed that even the jingo press
| of this country is not treating too seri-
; ously the situation that has arisen be-
| tween United States and Turkey as the
| rison at Smyrna in firing on a launch
i from the American cruiser, Tennessee.
:Even the yellow journals, or most of
i them, are displaying enough patriotism
‘to restrain themselves from shouting
1 “War” at a time when war with Turkey
+ would bring with it the possibility of the
! United States being plunged head-long
+ into the whole of the European muss.
i It is hardlv likely that when the Turk-
ish authorities have responded to what is
i practically a demand of the State De-
partment in Washington for an apology,
there will be any grounds remaining for
Uncle Sam to declare war on the Ottoman
Empire. In the first place it is altogether
improbable that the shots fired at the
Tennessee’s laynch were meant for #ny-
thing more than a warning of the possi- |
ble presence of niines in the harbor. At
worst the act could have amounted to
nothing save on outrage on the part of a.
reckless garrison whose attitude will be
repudiated by the Turkish government:
Turkey has enough trouble on her
hands without courting a war with Uncle
Sam, and the American people are tak-
ing the wise course in determining to
wait calmly for Turkey's explanation
which is practically certain to.remove all
basis for controversy between ‘that coun-
try and this.
Mr. Roosevelt’s Blunder.
From the New York World.
If he were still President, Col. Roose
velt does not know what he would do
in regard to the war in Europe, but it is
evident from his published writings that
he would make a fuss about it. He is
positive that several of the provisions of
the Hague peace convention have been
violated in Belgium. As the United
States was one of the signatory powers,
he is sure of another thing, and that is,
if we cannot send a posse comitatus to
round up the offenders, we should at
least protest in a loud voice.
If the Colonel had not always been
more of a warrior than a statesman, he
would perhaps know more about the
terms of the Hague conventions, for the
second one was signed October 18, 1907,
when he was President. In affixing their
names to that instrument the American
plenipotentiaries made this solemn reser-
vation: : ;
“Nothing contained in this\convention
shall be so construed as to require the
United States to depart from its tradi-
fering with or entangling itself in the
political questions of policy or internal
administration ot any foreigh state.”
We have seen on several occasions
that Col. Roosevelt as President had little
Foolish Talk of an Old Man.
General WOTHERSPOON, who has just |
retired from the general staff of the army
wants the regular force increased to a;
million men. He is an amiable “old |
granny” with about the brain capacity of |
a rabbit who reached the high rank of |
Major General through the law of seni- |
ority. But he feels that having attained |
the rank he has a right to tell the people |!
what they need in mili‘ary matters. That
is one of the evils of a system which
elevates men without respect to merit. |
They come to imagine that they are au-
thority and however absurd the assump-
tion, chatter like magpies until public
patience is completely exhausted by
their garrulity.
An army of a million men would cost:
the country, for maintenace alone, more
than a billion dollars a year, thus more
than doubling the expenses of the gov-
ernment. Of course that would make
no difference to General WOTHERSPOON,
who probably never paid a dollar for
taxes in his life. But it would add ten
dollars a year to the cost of living of
every man, woman and child in the coun-.
try. Assuming that the average Ameri-
can family is seven the seventy dollars
additional to the family expense would
fill the jails and poor houses to over-
flowing before the first year had ex-
pired. But it would afford abundant
“soft-snaps’’ for favorites of fortune.
So long as the government of the
United States is administered on a just
basis there will be no danger of invasion
from a hostile enemy and there will be
no necessity for any increase in the
army. Besides that without the consent
of Great Britain no army of invasion,
however strong and efficient, could make
a lodgment on our shores. A good fire
company well supplied with hose and a
few submarine boats would prevent the
debarkation of any force that might come
by water and the only other means of ac-
cess is through Canada. In view of these
facts such talk as that attributed to!
Major General WOTHERSPOON is simply
rubbish.
——Down in York, Pa., a half a dozen
men who were conducting raffling
matches for turkeys and chickens were
arrested and fined by the mayor, who
also stated that if any other cases were
brought to his notice he would order the
arrest of all the rafflers, and fine them,
too. In Bellefonte raffling has been car-
ried on within a stone’s throw. of the
court house without a word being said
by the borough authorities. By
i mer, of Blair, who aspired to be State
{ Treasurer in 1905 and who was buried
. ed as thinking that he would like to run
{ for State Treasurer again and that 1916
regard for law and treaties, but he
ought not to be too severe in his criticism
of a successor who respects such things
and who is not inclined to make “war on
his own responsibility.
Coming Out of the Tall Timber.
From the Philadelphia Record.
Another grand member of the Old
Guard bobs up, seeking vindication. It
is our distinguished friend, J. Lee Plum-
under an avalanche of votes. Having
witnessed the return of Uncle Joe Can-
non and other reactionaries, he is report-
would be about the right time. Mr.
Plummer is an ardent advocate of Pen-
roseism and all it implies. We shall be
glad to see more of his ilk venture out of
the woods. Nothing could more forcibly
impress upon Progressives and Independ-
ents the fact that in 1916 the -G. O. P.
will stand exactly where it did in 1912.
Cavalry Charges.
From the Boston News Bureau.
~ Profits of $650,000 were realized on one
consignment of 10,000 horses recently.
shipped to Europe for army purposes.
The profit per head for purchasing and
rounding up the animals was $15. The
contract for delivering the horses at their
European destination called for the pay-
ment of $100 per head, but actpal de-
"ivery was effected, including ocean trans-
portation, at a cost of $50 a head. This
i contract, therefore, netted its holder
$500,000, which in conjunction with the
purchaser’s commission, showed a total
profit of $650,000 and was made by two
persons who engineered the trade.
In Those Good Old Days.
From the New York Telegram.
While firmly believing “this is the life,”
and that the good old times were nothing
like these, it makes one thoughtful to re-
flect that in the days of William Penn
turkeys, weighing 30 pounds sold for a
shilling ‘each.
How Much Has He Collected?
From the Pittsburgh Dispatch.
Carranza is reported planning flight.
This is a stage all Mexican Presidents
pass through now-a-days. :
Did He Get Any Kisses?
From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
England’s Hobson, when he sank a
collier to bottle up the harbor where
the Koenigsburg is imprisoned, really
bottled it. :
Be Anything But Civil.
From the St. Louis Globe Democrat.
Villa and Carranza may have a war,
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—There is a strong probability that the Penn-
sylvania State Industrial Home for Women, soon
to be established by the State, will be located
either’ at Muncy or Jersey. Shore.
—Max Renner, a well-known resident of La-
trobe, employed as a cooper in the Loyalhanna
brewery, lost the sight of his left eye when a bot-
tle which he was filling broke, a piece of th
glass shattering his eyeball. >
—Mrs. John Burley, of Confluence, Somerset
county, used coal oil to accelerate a kitchen fire:
There was an explosion and the woman was
terribly burned about the face and head, dying
a few hours after the accident.
—The Memorial hospital, of Johnstown, will
ask te State for an appropriation of $160,000 at
the coming legislative session. The Johnstown
city hospiral wants $25,000, Mercy hospital $35,-
000 and the Christian home, $5,000.
—William Kenelly, of Bald Eagle township,
Clinton county, is under arrest under the white
slave act for having induced a young girl named
Lottie Fredericks to leave her home in Victor, N.,
Y., and accompany him to this State. The girl
has been sent home.
—Justice Fry, of Westover, fined Marshal
Eckenrade $150 for killing a deer that had been
run by dogs and Dudley Houck $50 because he
owned the dogs. The deer, which was a five-
prong buck weighing 150 pounds, was sent to
the Miners’ hospital at Spangler.
—The store of the Mahoning Supply company,
at Helvetia, Clearfield county, and the post office,
which is in the same building, were entered by
burglars one night last week. The safe was
blown open and stamps, money and other arti-
cles taken, to the value of about $600.
—The large general store of the Shawmut
Commercial company, at Byrnedale, Clearfield
county, was destroyed by fire one night last
week, together with the butcher shop, post office
and station of sthe Pitisburgh, Shawmut and
“Northern railroad, involving a loss of $25,000.
—The foot and mouth disease caused the hold-
ing up of three car loads of brick at Latrobe the
“other day. They were packed in straw and
were not permitted to leave the yard until the
farmer from whom the straw was procured
"made an affidavit that it had been baled prior to
August 25.
' —James Hilty, a farmer residing in Salem town-
ship, Westmoreland county,put a goose with his
chickens in order to protect the fowls from rob-
bers, but the experiment didn’t work for one
morning Mr. Hilty discovered that a dozen
chickens,six six-weeks-old pigs and the goose ha
all been stolen. :
—The police of Jefferson and adjoining coun-
ties are looking for Dominick Testa. wanted in
connection with the shooting of William Hoff-
man at Sykesville, Jefferson county, late last
Thursday night. The latter is an inmate of the
DuBois hospital with a bullet in his neck and
slight chance for recovery.
—Henry Stiver, of Punxsutawny, who was
badly injured six weeks ago by the fallofa
scaffolding containing a large quantity of tiling,
and which covered the man as it fell with him,
isdead from his injuries. He was 58 years of
age and is survived by two children and a second
wife to whom he was married last June.
—James Hammand McCormick, a member of
the council of Watsontown, went to the council
chamber the other morning to attend to some
business. While there he was stricken by apo-
plexy and it was several hours before he man-
aged to get to the telegphone and make his con-
dition known. He was evidently removed to his
home, where he died some hours later.
—Negotiations were concluded in Lock Haven
on Wednesday whereby a tract of 200 acres of
virgin timber land near Marklesburg, ir. Hunt-
Watsontown, and T. R. Harter, of Loganton, to
the Leisenring & Vought Lumber company,
of Shamokin, for a consideration of $10,000. The
purchasers will begin lumbering operations at
once.
—Union township Fulton county, had a shoot.
ing affray recently. William Feoff ordered a
party of hunters off his farm and when they re-
fused to go he fired a shot at them, ‘striking Tol-
bert Shank about the legs and feet. Then the
latter discharged both barrels of his gun at
Feoff, piercing his flesh from the knees to the
small of the back with shot. Both are likely to
recover, according to the story of the attending
physician.
.
—The Hughes Coal company has begun the
installation of an electric haulage system at its
mine at Benscreek and will make other improve-
ments that will increase the capacity of the plant
from 400 to 1,200 tons daily. The company’s
business is declared to be normal at this time,
and it is anticipated that there will be a heavy
demand for Benscreek coal in the not-distant fu-
ture. The improvements contemplated are ex-
pected to cost $100,000.
—Evidence is rapidly accumulating to show
that Harvey M. Berkeley, who disappeared from
Somerset in August 1913, played the biggest
“high finance game” ever played in Somerset
county. With a nucieus of less than 100 shares
of stock in the Somerset Telephone company,
which was owned by him and his wife, he issued
fictitious certificates aggregating $85,000 by de-
positing the inflated securities with banks and
[individuals as collateral.
—Shikellemy Bluff, on the crown of Blue Hill,
across the river from Sunbury, is now being sug-
gested as one of the probable sites for the new
home for inebriates, which it is believed will be
placed in Snyder county. Blue Hill isin Snyder
county and the high, commanding view, giving
such an excellent location, would be an ideal
site. Investigations it is said, are being made
with a view of ascertaining the amount of money
wanted for the land in question.
—Three thousand quarts of nitro-glycerine ex-
ploded on Monday in a magazine belonging to
to the Culper Torpedo company in Crawford
| county, killing Ralph Tubbs, aged 39 an employe
of the company. The building, the team driven
by Tubbs and the man himself were reduced to
atoms. Nothing was found of Tubbs or the
wagon he had driven to the magazine. Windows
were broken in Titusville three miles away, and
the shock was felt for miles around.
—All five of the young men concerned in the
murder of Arthur Wedge, a Westmoreland coun-
ty farmer, have now made confession. John
Showalter, Thomas Shaffer, Edward Blusky and
Walter Scott have sigged a paper in which they
say Wedge was held up for the purpose of rob-
bery and that Earnest Reeping fired two shots at
him, the second killing him. Reeping madea
confession some days ago in which he acknowl-
edged that he shot Wedge, but he declared it
was an accident as he merely fired the shot to
frighten the farmer. Nor did he say anything
about the proposed robbery.
—Miss Sara H. Walton, of 402 Grove avenue,
Johnstown, recently received a check for $2,000,
a diamond necklace and a diamond ring as a re-
ward for her heroic action of a year ago when
she protected the life of Mrs. William H. Ran-
dolph, formerly of Westmont, who died last
March in Philadelphia. Mrs. Randolph fell on
Main street in Johnstown directly in frontof a
moving trolley car and fractured an ankle. Miss
Walton was the only person nearby and she
sprang to the aid of Mrs. Randolph, pulling her
from harm’s way just as the trolley car was
brought to a sudden stop. Mrs. Randolph was
taken to a Philadelphia hospital, wheredeath oc”
but it would be misleading to style it
civil,
curred.
ingdon county, ‘was sold by J. ‘E. Houck, of