BY P. GRAY MEEK.
INK SLINGS.
f — a
—Winter surely has been lingering in
the lap of spring.
—March certainly went out more like
a lion than a lamb.
—Moving day is over for another year,
that is for all-except those who think it
is cheaper to mpve than pay rent.
‘ —Those pook. little onions that you
put out last week aren’t a bit further on
than the ones that are not yet planted.
—A cable message requires three sec-
*ofds to cross the Atlantic. It's going
some when a thousand miles a second is
attained.
—With the moon away round to the
north of course little but cool weather
was expected, but, goodness knows, we
n’t prepared for an arctic shot like
we got Monday night.
a as every country at war
feelstjust a little peeved at the way Uncle
SaM tas acted in the premises isn’t that
pretty fair evidence that your Uncle has
really maintained his neutrality.
——School teachers are entitled to the
best of everything but civil pensions are
as dangerous as they are expensive.
Why not move for such compulsory rec-
ompense for teachers as will remove the
need for pensions.
——Only fourteen days more until
trout fishing season, and the streams
are now in fine shape, with the trout
jumping and outlook fine. But don’t be
encouraged, it may not be this way on
the morning of the fifteenth.
- —There are more girl painters in
Bellefonte today than at any time.in the
history of the trade. They are all sign
writers too, for what better sign does
the world need in forming its conclusions
than the miserable daubing that many
of these misguided misses resort to to
distort the natural beauty that nature
has lavished upon them.
—Well, the public sales are all over
and the unhappy farmer will have to stay
in his own cosy home and eat good warm
dinners instead of shivering around some-
body’s bleak summer kitchen with a
paper bag of cookies in one hand and a
tin of black coffee in the other. Surely
“the good time” of the average farmer
passeth all understanding.
—RAE TANZER, the East Side New
York girl, who has been the cause of all
the “dear OLIVER” stuff that has been
filling metropolitan papers lately has
blown up. Her admission that Jas. W.
~~OSBORNE is ‘not the man who failed to
make good his promise to marry her can
be explained in only one of two ways.
Either she is a black-mailer and is caught
at her game or her eyesight is very poor
and we are not inclined to accept the
latter theory.
—Was it the real gentleness of his
Quaker ancestry cropping out or was
brother MITCHELL PALMER indulging in
a little irony when he concluded his ad-
dress before the students of Georgetown
University the other day in the following
language: “In fact, the only man who
is less patriotic than the man without a
party is he who will never leave his party
for any cause.” We assume that this is
Mr. PALMER'S notice to the world that
he recognizes the patriotism that was
evidently displayed by a great many
Democrats in Pennsylvania last fall.
—It must be admitted that thus far in
his local option campaign the Governor
has shown no signs of yielding. Every
day he is gathering more strong men to
his support and among them some of the
cleverest political managers in the State.
Witness, the announcement Wednesday
that T. LARRY EYRE is to marshail the
Governor's forces in Harrisburg. Few
there may have been who even dreamed
of the Chester county boss entering the
fight against the liquor forces, but many
there are who will have more respect for
its potentiality since he has become the
leader.
—A Boston suicide who was pronounced
dead was revived and kept living for
three hours longer by heart massage.
Eight experts took turns at massaging
the heart through a five inch aperture
they had made in his side. There had
been no sign of life for nine minutes be-
fore they undertook the delicate operation
and in fifteen minutes after they started
the victim's purplish color changed to
red and his blood flow became natural,
with respiration, etc. Now the question
might naturally arise as to whether the
poor fellow actually did commit suicide
or whether those eight experts didn’t
leave him die because they didn’t keep the
massage up longer.
—Mr. McCorMICK has announced that
he is not a candidate for National Com-
mitteeman for Pennsylvania, to succeed
A. MiTcHELL PALMER, in the sense of
seeking the office. In other words, he
would like to have the office, but he
wouldn’t like to have to fight for it. As
we have said before the WATCHMAN cares
little who is National Committeeman for
Pennsylvania, but inasmuch as many of
the fights that now exist in the Demo-
cratic party in Pennsylvania can be
traced; directly or indirectly, to Mr.
MCcCORMICK'S personal stubbornness we
don’t think he would feel at home in a
place to be had without a slight dose, at
least, of his own medicine.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. 60.
McCormick Wisely Declines. |
MITCHELL PALMER, VANCE C. MCCOR- |
MICK and ROLAND S. MORRIS held a
meeting in Washington, the other day, :
to select a successor to Mr. PALMER as
member of the Democratic National
Committee. Under the rules of the party,
sanctioned by the laws of the State, the
power of choice is vested in the Demo-
cratic State Committee. But Mr. PAL-'
MER, Mr. McCorMICK and Mr. MORRIS
are not willing to trust the committee
with so important a service. Under:
their own interpretation of practices the
National Committeeman is the official
distributor of patronge. The selection of
a Committeeman other than a man of |
their own choice would interfere with
the business of office brokerage in which
they have been so active and successful
lately. ; |
According to the Washington dispatch- |
|
i
es the three party bosses fixed upon
VANCE C. McCorMICK for the impend- |
ing vacancy. Mr. MCCORMICK has
declined, however, for obvious reasons.
During the campaign of last fall Mr.
McCoRrRMICK entered into a corrupt bi-
partisan deal with BILL FLINN and THEO-
DORE ROOSEVELT under which ROOSEVELT !
made a tour of Pennsylvania, vilifying and |
traducing President WILSON in every |
speech he made. In the same issue of a |
Philadelphia paper which announces Mr.
McCorMICK’s declination, and upon the
same page, there appears a long telegram |
addressed to the chairman of the Senate
Committee investigating the charges that
corrupt influences were used to procure
the passage or defeat of the ship pur-
chase bill, in which Mr. ROOSEVELT
charges President WILSON with every
crime in the calendar, including treason.
Mr. McCoRrMICK, “who can see as far
into a millstone” as the average man,
probably apprehends that his election to
the office would defeat the very purpose
which PALMER and MORRIS had in mind,
namely, the conservation of the interests
of the office brokerage firm which has
had such a profitable and prosperous
career during the two years it has been
in operation. President” WitsoN ‘might
resent the partnership between McCOR-
MICK and ROOSEVELT, made through BILL
FLINN, the most atrocious political pirate
who has ever polluted the public life of
the Commonwealth, rand dispense the
patronage in the usual way, through the
Representatives in Congress and at the
instance of the influential Democrats of
the several neighborhoods concerned.
VANCE is a wise guy at that.
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——The anti-saloon managers are con-
fident that the local option bill will pass
both houses of the Legislature by safe
majorities. The anti-saloon managers
are liable to imagine that it is a cyclone
when it hits them.
Good News if True.
The European war will end in thirty
days, according to rumors current among
banking interests in Philadelphia and
New York. The story is that a short
time loan in the form of German treasury
notes maturing in January, 1916, to an
aggregate of $10,000,000, was offered in
New York, Chicago and Philadelphia,
simultaneously. New York and Chicago
were reluctant to give up good money
for this paper, while Philadelphia grab-
bed it up eagerly, on private information
that the war will end within thirty days.
Later New York got the “tip” and tried
to get in on the deal. But three-quarters
of the total had been disposed of and
only the fraction was available.
There are two points of interest in this
story and two sources of satisfaction.
The first, of course, is the hope of the
early closing of the distressing and de-
vastating war and the resumption of
normal commercial conditions through-
out the world. Whatever of industrial
paralysis and commercial stagnation has
been felt in this country since mid-sum-
mer of last year is attributable to the
war. The UNDERWOOD tariff law would
have greatly reduced the cost of living if
conditions had remained as they were
and the new currency law would have as
certainly rescued the country from the
money monopoly of Wall street. But
before either law became operative the.
cataclysm intervened.
Then the fact that Philadelphia got the
good news first is an equally gratifying
circumstance. We have been accustom-
ed, since “time out of mind,” to believe
that Philadelphia is asleep while New
York and Chicago are alert to every ad-
vantage in a business way that is going’
or coming. But if this story is true the
somnolency that blights had possession
of New York while Philadelphia was not
only awake but wise to an opportunity.
Still there is a possibility that the good
news of the coming of peace may have
been manufactured as an inducement for
country innocents to take off the hands
of Philadelphia financiers a burden as-
BELLEFONTE, PA.. APRIL 2, 1915.
Our Weekly Summary of Legislative Activities.
s ——
Feeling that the people of Centre county have a personal interest in what is
being done by the Legislators at Harrisburg and that laws that may affect the
future of every individual more directly than ever before are under consideration
now and may be written into the statutes of the Commonwealth, the WATCHMAN
has arranged to publish a weekly summary of what has been done at Harrisburg.
It is not the purpose to go into detail of the various Acts proposed and furnish
you with a burdensome account of them. Merely to set them, and whatever else
is deemed of interest to the people of this community, before you in a general,
: unbiased statement that will keep you informed of the progress that is being
made. The contributor of this Summary is one of the most capable and best
informed of Harrisburg’s newspaper men and the WATCHMAN has been very for-
tunate in enlisting his service for this work.—ED.
HARRISBURG, PA., March 31, 1915.
“Freak” legislation, like the proverbial poor, “we have always with us.” The
“freak” bill of the present session is that introduced by Senator FARLEY, of Phil-
adelphia, providing for compulsory military training in the public schools. One
would think that the exhibit of militarism now on view in Europe would turn the
minds of all people in the direction of peaceful pursuits. But that hope is dis-
appointed in the legislation proposed by Representative GARDNER in Washington
and Senator FARLEY in Harrisburg. The Italian historian GUGLIELMO FERRERO in
a recent article said “definite peace means disarmament. Europe’s great error
has been her belief that she could assure peace indefinitely by the equilibrium of
armaments, augmenting them on all sides in alike degree. There is no organ
i without functions, so itis not possible to increase our armies and navies, to spend
billions every year on manufacturing arms and keep them idle indefinitely.” It is
equally absurd to imagine that the spirit of militarism may be constantly instilled
into the youth of the country during the formative period of its life, and preserve
the spirit of peace and the love of art and industry. But there will be fools in
Congress and the Legislature as long as time runs.
Another week of legislstive log rolling has left the local option bill in precisely
the same position it occupied in the beginning. That is to say the partisans of
both sides of the contention confidently claim certain victory and are actually
fearful of defeat. Governor BRUMBAUGH is certainly “humping himself” in his
canvass for votes and has been “invading the enemies’ country” with much vigor
lately. He gave a dinner to a group of Philadelphia Representatives last evening,
hoping to reach their hearts by way of the stomach, and the local option managers
seem greatly pleased with the result. His guests were all of the VARE clan and
social recognition appeals with subtle force to the VARE brothers. But his enlist-
ment of the Grange, through Grange Master MCSPARRAN is a more significant
achievement. Master MCSPARRAN has sent a personal invitation to every Grange
Master in the State and a general invitation to grangers to attend the local option
demonstration here next Tuesday. Itis predicted that there will be 70,000 grang-
ers “inveigled” by this device and that the effect will be overwhelming. But to
the student of affairs such things are not so impressive. Senator VARE can give
-1o or take from the measure more votes thin. the ; RAE
* Upon thé Wérkmiens’ Compensation and "Ch lls- thére “appears to be
perfect harmony. GRUNDY, the Bucks county boss has been obliged to yield to
the Governor and McNICHOL and VARE are striving to “beat each other” to the
championship of the measures. The bills were reported out of the Committee
yesterday and one of them will meet little or no opposition. The discriminating
provisions to which opponents of the Compensation bill objected at the public
hearing last week are retained and the only important change from the originaj
draft is an additional discrimination against alien claimants under the law who
will receive only two-thirds as much as American dependents. The Governor has
had everything his own way in the matter of the Child Labor bill. It provides for
a 51-hour week, with eight hours to be spent in continuation schools. As there
are few continuation schools in the State this provision may be regarded as negli-
gible. In any event the importance of it is not entirely obvious though it is said
to be the one feature upon which the Governor's mind was set. There will be
some opposition to this bill in the respective chambers though hardly enough to |
seriously impede its passage. Many a poor widow may suffer because of it how-
ever.
Senator MCNICHOL, of Philadelphia, told some of the Philadelphia reformers
“where to get off” at a hearing before the Elections Committee of the Senate, last
evening. Senator MAC is inclined to indulge the Governor and others in harm.
less dreams of ‘““up-lift” but when they undertake to disturb the pool of politics:
it’s different. ‘The Committee had under consideration Mr. MCNICHOL’S election
bills and delegations from the Philadelphia Committee of One Hundred and Com-
mittee of Seventy protested against the measure known as the Anti-Fusion bill
Mr. THOMAS RAEBURN WHITE had just stated to the Committee thatsuch a law
“would cripple the independents in Philadelphia, especially in the Mayoralty con
test,” whereupon Senator MAC. declared: “We don’t see why, after the primaries,
a few men, assisted by disappointed politicians, should get together and put a
ticket in the field.” Possibly Mr. WHITE can see and certainly a good many others
can. It might even be suspected that Mr. MCNICHOL’S political hopes have been
shattered at one time or another in that way, and in the minds of many people
that is a sufficient reason. But it won't influence the General Assembly to defeat
the measures and after the hearing MCNICHOL confidently said the bill will pass.
One of the curious things in connection with the present session of the Legis-
lature is the facility with which the Republican party bosses can adjust them-
selves to changing conditions. It is revealing no secret to say that Senator Crow,
of Fayette county is the real leader of the party in the Senate. But McNICHOL
and VARE are potent forces and even CROW has to reckon with them. MCcNICHOL
and VARE hate each other most cordially, and VARE hates PENROSE. A few days
before the election last fall Congressman VARE's brother BILL denounced PENROSE
in most scathing terms. But on election day the VARE following supported PEN-
ROSE with as much earnestness as any of the McCNICHOL adherents could have
done. The same adaptability to party exigencies is shown in the Senate. Upon
ordinary questions MAC. and Ep. are as the antipodes. Even on some reform
measures, like the local option bill, VARE is secretive and uncertain. But upon
questions of vast political importance in Philadelphia such as the McNICHOL elec-
tion bills and the “housing bill,” they are brothers. When McNICHOL takes snuff
VARE sneezes and when VARE takes a cold MCNICHOL coughs. “One touch of
nature makes the whole world kin” and the hope of graft brings all crooks into
brotherhood. :
Governor BRUMBAUGH is a “lucky dog” at that. One of the most troublesome
problems that confronted him has solved itself. During the campaign for elec-
tion he promised a prompt re-organization of the State Highway Department. The
Commissioner of Highways, EDWARD N. BIGELOW had got himseif most thoroughly
disliked all over the State and demands for his removal came from all directions.
But BIGELOW has some influential friends who insisted that the charges against
him were unjust and the faults of which complaints were made, those of others
than he. The dismissal of BIGELOW would have caused a storm of vast propor-
tions, in other words, and just as it was about to break, BIGELOW resigned and
BRUMBAUGH gave him a certificate of character and let it go at that.
Speaking of resignations that of Judge UMBEL continues to be a subject of gossip
and speculation. The Democratic re-organizers have been trying hard to create
the impression that Senator CROW’s quarrel with UMBEL was on account of the
Judge's activity in the movement to dispossess the GUFFEY leadership and sub-
sumed while indulging in a pipe dream.
[Continued on page 4, Col 2.]
AN I
| From the Johnstown Democrat.
“Wars will never have any ending.”
!said President Wilson at Baltimore,
| “until men cease to hate one another.”
But how much hatred was there among |-
| the mass of the side of the allies in the
‘ present war against the Germans? As a
' matter of fact the day before the confla-
gration burst forth to amaze the world
there was complete amity between the
mass of Frenchmen and the mass of Ger-
mans, between the mass of Englishmen
and the mass of Austrians, between the
mass of Russians and the mass of men
now fighting against them. War is a
madness which turns brother against
brother, which destroys all ordinary ties,
{ which severs even bonds of blood and in-
terest and which leads its victims to for-
get everything except the blood lust
‘ which has supplanted reason and human
kindness and all that distinguishes man
from the brute. 4
We shall not get rid of wars while we
persist in warlike preparation. We shall
not get rid of it while we go on bullying
| and blustering, as there seems a disposi-
tion to do in Mexico. We shall not get
rid of it by rushing war ships to every
scene where sordid American interests
seem threatened. Nor shall we get rid
of it if we grow excited every time some
fanatic in a foreign land who hates us
vents his spleen on the stars and stripes.
, In a fit of stupid anger we can do more
in a moment to disgrace and insult that
flag than any enraged or contemptuous
| foreigner could do in a hundred years.
We should merely pity the poor fool who
| would thus relieve his feeling toward this
j country. And besides, how long would a
foreign flag be permitted to float here in
‘our own land if the country to which it
belongs were menacing our coasts and
insisting on a more or less intimate reg-
ulation of our affairs?
Lively Hope of Good Times.
| tr ees.
From the New York Commercial. *
Sharp advances in the grain markets
{ have come at the right time to encourage
| our farmers to sow as much wheat, oats
{ and corn as possible this spring,and prob-
1 ably to induce the south to plant less
! cotton and more grain and cattle feed.
| Our remarkable. export trade shows no
| signs of slackening and business men and
{ capitalists are convinced that the United
| States is on the eve of a great revival of
trade and industries. - We must remem-
ber that foreigners have usually been
! able to forecast coming. events in this
, country more
successfully than we have
* done. "In the Coonths I Bk vi tnt ; 2voiached the one.
we were despondent; athe st A
fer at the waistline and it worked out of
t!
| securities and invested money in our
lands and industries with perfect confi-
‘dence in the future and profited enor-
, mously. If the crops turn out well we
will create more real wealth “this year
' than we did in 1914, and we have the
money and the credit to finance our cus-
tomers and keep our own wheels turning.
{ Dollar wheat and other grains propor- :
| tionately high in primary markets is
' enough to insure active business, and
| anyone who fears a decline in the price
' of wheat can insure against it now.
| The Thoroughness of Italy.
| From the Detroit Free Press. :
One of the wonders of the time is the
cold-blooded and calculating deliberation
of the Italian government in getting
| ready for war. It appears to have pre-
; pared for every possible eventuality. It
| has worked methodically and according
| to what must bave been a definite plan
arranged months in advance. It has
: made each move in logical order, has
| carefully restrained every outburst of
popular enthusiasm that seemed danger-
ous to its plans, and has as carefully seen
| to it that the repressive measures were
| not of a nature to dampen the enthusiasm
"of the people. Little by little it has
drawn the lines tighter and tighter
! against the nations which are presumed
, to be its prospective enemies, crippling
them here, hampering them there, but
i always having at hand some convenient
explanation or excuse. And while mak-
ing ready for war it has kept the way
| open for a peaceful adjustment of the
| conflicting ambitions and. interests which
| seem to have brought the kingdom to
| the very verge of the big conflict that
| has claimed every great European power
except itself.
We Eat Too Much Disease-Laden Dirt.
From the Philadelphia Evening Ledger.
| When women enough refuse to pat-
, ronize a grocer or provision dealer who
| leaves his stock exposed to the dust of
' the street and the ministrations of stray
dogs, the dealers will protect their goods
from contamination whether the law re-
quires it or not. Some of the members
| of the Women’s clubs are already inter-
. ested in the subject and they are buying :
| no food which has not been kept in a
| place free from the disease germs that
are blown about by every breeze. They
| are also using their influence to induce
| the General Assembly to pass a bill intro-
' duced recently which requires all dealers
! to protect their wares. It will apply to
the venders of pretzels who sit on the
] street corners and sell their dust and
| germ-covered stomach stayers to those
! willing to risk eating them, and it will
| apply also to the corner grocer who
i spreads his lettuce and celery and spin-
| ach in attractive display before his door.
It may be necessary to eat a peck of
' dirt before we die, but few of us want to
have the peck made up of germs of con-
| sumption, diphtheria, bronchitis and no
| one knows what else.
i =——1Just as soon as the weather be-
comes more open and spring-like the
State-Centre Electric company will start
| work on its line up Bald Eagle valley to
Unionville. Residents of that thriving
little borough are anxiously awaiting the
time when the electric fluid will be a
purchasable commodity in that town.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Julien Bease, a citizen of Allport, Clearfield
county, recently celebrated the 95th anniversary
of his birth and the doctors say he is likely to be
a centenarian. :
—Jacob Wissinger, a resident of Centre town.
ship, Indiana county, over 90 years old, is erect,
can read without glasses, does active farm work
and last spring grubbed two acres of land un-
aided. :
—Itis asserted that the village of Centreville,
Somerset county, has but fifteen voters and
that ten of these are candidates for the five coun-
cilmanic positions to be filled at the November
election.
—John Breen, aged 67 years, a well known res-
ident of Williamsport, lay down on a lounge in
his home the other afternoon and almost imme-
diately breathed his last. Heart disease is sup-
posed to have caused his death. :
~Mrs. William W. Paynter, of Williamsport,
ate some ice cream and retired shortly after.
Very soon she was attacked by acute indigestion
.and died within fifteen minutes. She is survived
by her husband and six children.
+Mrs. John Embick, who lived alone in a
small house in Lock Haven, was so badly burned
by her clothing taking fire from a stove near
which she had been sitting that she died soon
after in the Lock Haven hospital.
—Professor J. A. Kiess, principal of one of the
ward schools of Williamsport, has been obliged
to submit to the amputation of the left leg be
low the knee. Gangrene threatened and am-
putation was resorted to in the hope of check-
ing its progress.
—Indiana county is tendering the hospitality of
her fields and forests to a herd of eight deer, evi-
dently wanderers from the State preserve in
Cambria county. The farmer on whose place
the animals have located has agreed to see that
they are abundantly and properly fed.
—Amos Hassler, treasurer of the Myerstown
Trust company is in the Lebanon county jail fol-
lowing the discovery by Charles E. Gebhard, a
state bank examiner, that there was shortage in
the bank’s funds amounting to $8,300. Hassler is
30 years old. He has a wife and one child.
—One of Renovo’s former police chiefs allowed
a thief to pick up his overcoat and walk off with
it the other day in a Lock Haven hotel where he
was superintending repairs. The fellow accom-
plished the feat while a companion was asking
the ex-chief for a job in the hotel as bartender.
—It is believed that the police officers and con-
stables of Altoona left a $2,000 reward slip
through their hands on Monday when Cramer,
alias Penny, who shot and instantly killed the
chief of police at Elmira, N. Y., and seriously
wounded a detective, was on the East side beg-
ging money.
—The Beaver Oil and Gas company, which is
composed mainly of Johnsonburg men, got a
nice well Wednesday, when a million feet and
over gushed out of their hole on the Simon farm,
near Ridgway. The well had been drilling for
some time and Friday itcame in with a rush that
showed it to be stronger than the ordinary run of
wells. E
—A guest at one of the Latrobe hotels the oth
er night gathered together some bed clothes, in-
cluding pillows, sheets, haps, etc., and carried
them off in a sample case he had with him. The.
theft was discovered, the man followed and ar-
rested, but allowed to go upon return of the
goods and payment of the costs. He said his
family needed the bedding he had confiscated.
—Williamsport tells a story of a woman of that
city who broke off a needle in her right hand ten
Joes ago, and last week she picked it out of her
hand. There have been many stories of the
needle’s wanderlust, but none to date has ever
1e arm of a bachelor school. director of Smeth-
rt some years later. So for
—The Hastings Coal and Coke company has
leased on royalty from John D.-and Sidney Gar-
man 350 acres of coal in the vicinity of Cherry-
tree, where the company is operating mines.
The Garmans will receive eight cents for each
ton mined and the company is required to take
out 10,000 tons this year, 25,000 next year and
30,000 each following year. The tract is the key
to a valuable coal field in that section, the great-
county,
—John H. Miller, known as the lumber king of
Mifflin county, has announced the purchase of
the largest tract of standing timber in the State.
The tract is located near Robertsdale, contains
2,500 acres underlaid with coal and one prosper-
ous mine is now in operation within seven feet of
| the lineof the Miller tract. The purchase was
| made at a cost of $35,250. Saw-mills will be ship-
| ped there soon prepared for five years’ work and
| as rapidly as the timber is cleared away coal min-
ing will begin.
—Glen Campbell was visited on Sunday at mid-
night with a disastrous fire, which destroyed the
opera house building owned by the Clark Broth-
ers, coal operators of Glen Campbell. The op-
ground floor was occupied by the Mammoth Sup-
ply company’s large department store and Irish
Brothers coal office. The fire started on the sec-
{ ond floor near the roof and spread so rapidly
that very little of the contents were saved. The
loss will reach several thousand dollars.
—The farm home of G. H. Barner, located
about a mile and a half north-east of Loganton,
was destroyed by fire Friday afternoon at four
o'clock, with all the furniture and other belong-
ings on the second floor. The furnishings on the
first floor were nearly all saved. The blaze broke
out on the roof, probably from a spark blown
from the stack of a nearby saw mill. When the
discovery was made the entire roof was ablaze
and the house was doomed. The loss is about
$1,700 on the house and contents, with $600 insur-
ance on the house.
—Preparations for the anniversary of the I. O.
| O. F., which will be held at Bloomsburg on April
23rd, are being made. Already many Lodges
throughout central Pennsylvania have told the
committee in charge that they will be present at
the celebration. The Orphanage band, of Sun-
bury, recently organized, will make its first ap-
pearance at the celebration. The orphans in the
Sunbury Orphanage will attend the anniversary,
going to Bloomsburg on a special train provided
by the local Lodge. Itis expected to have 30,000
persons in attendance, and to have at least thirty
bands.
—Mrs. Elizabeth Long, of St. Clair, will re-
ceive $7,500 from St. Clair borough for the elec-
trocution of her husband by wires belonging to
the borough's electric light plant. This was the
sum awarded to Mrs. Long by a jury,and the court
‘Tuesday refused a new trial. Mrs. Long’s hus-
band was the proprietor of a hotel, and a year
ago went into the basement of his place to repair
the electric wires. An extraordinarily strong
current was running over the wires, and as soon
as Long touched them he was killed, and those
who tried to pull him away were almost electro-
cuted also. 2
—Charges of violation of the banking laws in
connection with the failure of the Standard Title
and Trust company in 1907 were withdrawn
against Homer L. Castle, H. F. Aspinwall and C.
J. Massinger, in the court of quarter sessions at
Philadelphia, when the bills of indictment upon
which they were convicted in 1912 were submit-
for verdicts of not guilty. The defendants
had been granted a new trial by the Superior
court which held that the evidence produced at
their trial was not sufficient to sustain a convic-
tion and the district attorney's office announced
on Monday that it had no further evidence to
proauce,
er part of which lies in Green township, Indiana
era house was on the second floor, while the