rer
Demonic Wal
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
INK SLINGS.
— Yesterday was an ideal fall day.
— Centre county evidently has one
slacker to round up.
— Centre county gave her first quo-
ta of conscripts a real send off on
Tuesday night.
— Wouldn't it be fine if all of Cen-
tre county’s 116 conscripts could be
kept together in one company of the
new national army.
— The primaries are over and the
fight is on. Go to it, candidates. The
office rarely seeks the man. If it did
there would be no such fable as the
early bird and the worm.
—Letters from our gallaiit troopers
now in camp in the Southland indicate
that the lunch boxes with which the
women fortified them before they left
were about the best ever.
—Now that the primaries are over
let us get the potatoes raised, the corn
cut and husked and get ready for the
deer hunting camp before we get so
excited over the local elections that we
forget all about the really worth while
things.
—The days of miracles can scarcely
be said to be over when the Democrat-
ic aspirant for burgess nearly crowds
his way onto the Republican ticket in
Bellefonte and the Republican aspi-
rant returns the compliment by almost
running away with the Democratic
nomination.
—We fancy that what seemed des-
tined to be a milk and water campaign
for local offices in Bellefonte in No-
vember took an entirely different
character as a result of Wednesday’s
primary. In the language of the po-
et the point has been reached where
friendship ceases.
—One farmer in the vicinity of
Bellefonte reports a yield of over
three hundred bushels of potatoes
from about an acre of ground. While
this is very unusual it is indicative of
a prolific crop in Centre county which
none of us should forget on the twen-
ty-ninth day of next November.
—1In the eyes of the Clearfield peo-
ple who were present the only “fly in
the ointment” at the rather preten-
tious formal opening of Congressman
Rowland’s new theatre in Philipsburg,
on Wednesday night, was the an-
nouncement to the world, in the sou-
venir program, that Philipsburg “is in
reality the metropolis of the Clearfield
region.”
—As a result of a libel suit tried
before him while sitting specially in
Cambria county last week, Judge
Quigley handed down an opinion
of far-reaching importance to news-
papers. His interpretation of law is
quite at variance with opinions al-
ready handed down and we trust it
will stand for it is certainly predicat-
ed on sound, common sense.
—Since Lord Northcliff, the great
dynamic force in English statesman-
ship, has publicly confessed that he is
bewildered by the rapidity with which
America brings to completion the
most stupendous undertakings, it is a
pity that we can’t get the Kaiser
over here to have a look. If he could
see some of the things that have as-
tounded Britains special Commission-
er surely he would change his mind as
to what Uncle Sam may be expected
todo,
—It was with a sense of personal
satisfaction that the writer observed
that the very member of the state
constabulary who hauled him before
a justice a week or more ago for oper-
ating a Ford from which a license tag
was missing without his ‘knowledge,
was the only one of the three officers
on duty while the parade was forming
for the demonstration in honor of Cen-
tre county’s conscripts, who failed to
salute as Our Girls band finished the
last bar of the national anthem. We
naturally expected that an officer who
splits hairs in the interpretation of his
duty when on the road would come
across in real form when on parade.
—If Governor Brumbaugh is look-
ing. for a man whose military record
is worth while, who is a natural born
commander, who has the physique and
temperament to make a great Adju-
tant General for Pennsylvania let him
take Col. Hugh S. Taylor, of Belle-
fonte, into consideration. Here is a
man accustomed to command men
who loves his country so much that he
has given three of his sons to it and
has been trying to fight his own way
into the army ever since the first call
for volunteers was issued. If natural
martial ability advanced him from pri-
vate to a colonel in the National
Guard why should not that, plus
equipment in every other essential,
advance him from colonel to Adjutant
General ?
—Did you notice the Red Cross di-
vision in the parade Tuesday night.
Right in that company of pure white
was the real spirit that will make our
country win the world war for Democ-
racy. There were mothers who have
given sons, sisters who have given
brothers and girls who have given lov-
ers and all of them have given of their
time and energies so unstintingly in
every field of work that is open to
them that we men would bow our
heads in shame were a comparative
view of our efforts to be flashed on a
screen in front of us. As the “Watch
man” has often declared, nothing re-
ally good could exist were it not for
woman and how fortunate it is for
our country that God made those who
must suffer the most poignant sorrows
from war so courageous, so willing, so
good. ’
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. 62. B
ELLEFONTE, PA. SEPTEMBER 21, 1917.
NO. 37.
Russia is a Republic.
In proclaiming a republican’ form
of government for Russia Premier
Kerensky has taken an advance step,
the wisdom of which is left to conjec-
ture. The socialist element of the
tantly to the restraints that are essen-
tial to the success of democracy. Pos-
sibly this danger is more imaginary
than real and confronted by the obli-
gations of patriotism the conflicting
elements may be brought into some
sort of harmony. But usually in such
circumstances the iron fist is the only
instrument that is effective and such
weapons are unavailable in a Repub-
lican form of government.
The government which has obtained
in Russia since the dethronement of
Czar Nicholas was much like democ-
racy though there has been in reserve
but obvious sufficient autocracy to in-
voke drastic action when necessary.
Happily Kerensky has employed this
reserve power with moderation and
only under the spur of necessity. If
his ambition had been greater than
his patriotism a different result might
have ensued. In a democracy no such
expedients will be possible. The spirit
of democracy, in the absence of exper-
ience, will resent even the appearance
of usurpation and the exercise of force
might provoke revolt. At best it is a
dangerous situation.
All that is left is for us to hope for
the best. There are many very able and
patriotic men in Russia and the saving
grace of conservatism may serve the
purpose of maintaining order and ex-
ercising authority until the new gov-
ernment has been completely estab-
lished. In that event a republican
government though created by the
mandate of an individual may endure
and the act of Kerensky be made the
beginning of the end of autocracy
throughout the whole world. If Rus-
sia withstands the turbulence of a be-
ginning and establishes a stable dem-
ocracy German autocracy will soon
disappear. Russia has entered upon
an experiment but one that was worth
while.
——The results of the primary
elections throughout the State may
not be known definitely for a day or
two but it “can be safely said that
Pittsburgh made a record in electoral
corruption on Wednesday.
Submarine Scare a Hoax.
The report of the operations of a
German submarine one hundred miles
or so off our Atlantic coast may be
dismissed as a false alarm. Last Sun-
day’s papers told this story in more
or less perfervid periods and threw a
scare into every community on the At-
lantic coast from Maine to Florida.
An S O S call indicating shell fire
from one of these murdering monsters
was heard by two ships, the report de-
clared, and confirmed by a shore wire-
less station but neither of them was
able to fix the point of the operation
nearer than “about sixty miles east of
Nantucket” and the time “about eight
o'clock Saturday morning.” The
identity of the victim is left in equal
obscurity.
A day later, in less conspicuous
form, the result of an investigation
instituted by the Navy Department at
Washington, was published. The De-
partment is satisfied, so the story
goes, “that the message which was
supposed to have reported the subma-
rine’s presence was actually sent to
a naval shore station by a patrol boat
practicing north of Nantucket.” Such
a message, according to experts,
“could easily be confused with the al-
leged distress radio which the mer-
chantman picked up from the air.”
The only comment permissible in the
circumstances is that radio operatives
should be more careful. Some of us
are more or less subject to heart dis-
ease and shocks are damaging to the
nerves.
As a matter of fact there is little, if
any, danger of hostile submarine op-
erations on the American side of the
ocean so long as the coasts are clear
of supply stations. It has been proved
that it is possible to cross the sea in a
submarine for the Deutchland made
two trips as a merchantman. But it
has not been demonstrated that an un-
dersea craft may cross the ocean, ca-
vort about for a time and get back
without a period of rest and an oppor-
tunity to renew its supplies. It has
been suspected that there were U-
boat stations in South America but the
suspicions were not confirmed and un-
til they are we shall decline to go into
conniption fits on rumors of such
dangers.
— A German general has offered
a reward for the first American sol-
dier brought to him dead or alive. He
is likely to offer twice as much to
keep American soldiers out of range
of him before a year.
— Austria is wabbling in its walk
as the Emperor of that unfortunate
country was wabbling when the war
began and unless something is done
in the near future to avert it, the em-
| pire will follow him to its grave.
population is radical as well as irre-’
sponsible, and is likely to yield reluc- |
| ty favorites.
Shunk Brown Becomes Sarcastic.
|
{
Kaiser William is Understood.
Attorney General Shunk Brown re- | In his book entitled “My Four Years
vealed a vast reservoir of sarcasm, to
the Dauphin county court the .other |
day, when he said that the action of
the State Senate in refusing to con-:
firm the nominations of certain offi- |
cials “was conceived in sin and
crime.” We are compelled to “own
the soft impeachment.” There are a
good many officials on the Hill infin-
itely less deserving of public confi-
dence than those thus discriminated
in Germany,” Mr. James W. Gerard,
lately Ambassador at the court of
Berlin, refers significantly to the visit
in this country, some ten years ago,
of Prince Henry, of Prussia, brother
of the German Kaiser. He states,
substantially, that instead of that vis-
it being an expression of good will of
| Germany toward the United States,
against. He was equally accurate |
when he declared that
in the Legislature and one of them
having tried the Capitol grafters, they
probably knew something of it.
The rejected officials were not ap-
pointed because of fitness for the serv-
ice and they were not rejected on ac-
count of unfitness. They were ap-
pointed as a reward for supporting
Governor Brumbaugh’s preposterous
ambition to become the Republican
candidate for President last year and
rejected for precisely the same reason.
The questions of ability, integrity or
adaptability for the service were never
considered in the matter. If they had
been devils Brumbaugh would have
appointed them and if they had been
angels the Senate would have rejected
them. The atmosphere of the Hill is
simply the atmosphere of a pirate ren-
dezvous. In the case in point it was
plainly a question of “dog eat dog.”
But neither the sarcasm of the At-
torney General nor his statement of
fact that the plan to reject the men
“was conceived in hate and sin as to
one and in erime as to the others,” is
pertinent to the issue.- The fact is
that the organic law of the State re-
quires “the advice and consent of the
Senate” to an appointment and this
essential endorsement was not given.
For that reason the subsequent ap-
pointment, made for the obvious pur-
pose of evading the constitutional in-
hibition, is invalid and the officials
claiming under such a commission are
intruders and usurpers. Shunk Brown
didn’t deny this because he couldn’t
and his failure to do so made his sar-
casm flat and unprofitable.
— The editors of the German lan-
guage newspapers in Philadelphia,who
have been indicted for treason may
get off with a sentence less than death
but the punishment will be severe
enough to make them careful in the
future.
Plucking Poor Old Pennsylvania.
Auditor General Snyder is now giv-
ing the people of Chester county, and
probably those of other counties, a
sample of the machine system of ex-
tracting money from their pockets in
order to pay unearned bounties to par-
During the last session
of the Legislature a law was passed
requiring Registers of Wills to collect
direct inheritance taxes for the use of
the State. The Register of Wills of
Chester county, in preparation to ful-
fill this obligation, arranged his office
force so as to make the collection
with as small expense to the State as
possible. But the Auditor General has
appointed two new clerks, “practical
men,” suggested by Senator Eyre at a
salary of $2500 each annually.
This direct inheritance tax is a war
measure and was expected to produce
revenues to the amount of $11,000,-
000,00, “for necessary war .expendi-
tures.” The scheme of Auditor Gen-
eral Snyder and Senator Eyre to bil-
let two political “lame ducks” upon
the Register of Wills of Chester coun-
ty, will diminish the returns for that
county by $5000 annually and pre-
sumably in the same ratio in every
other county. It may safely be esti-
mated, therefore, that a couple of hun-
dred thousand dollars intended for
war expenditures will be used as a
political graft fund and be placed in
the hands of “practical men” chosen
by the local party managers in the
several counties, without reason and
frequently under protest.
It would be hard to imagine a more
flagrant robbery of the public treasu-
ry or a more despicable perversion of
a sacred fund intended for patriotic
purposes. But it is the Republican
machine method and whether one fac-
tion or the other of that band of pi-
rates is in control the result is the
same. Brumbaugh or Penrose, Vare
or Eyre, Shunk Brown or Auditor
General Snyder look alike from the
angle of honest government. They
are after the stuff and political prin-
ciples have no place in fixing their
party alignment. Poor old Pennsyl-
{ vania is their helpless victim to pluck
as long as the voters of the State will
permit them to exercise their burgla-
rious inclinations. How long this will
be depends.
: Speaking of nerve what can be
said of Governor Brumbaugh censur-
ing the draft officials for neglecting
their duty.
——In Philadelphia it is a govern-
ment of the Contractors, for the Cen-
tractors and by the Contractors.
“the court!
ought to know the atmosphere sur- |
rounding conditions at the Capitol.” |
Both judges addressed having served |
its real purpose was to incite the Ger-
man-Americans of this country
against the government of the United
States and to enlist their fidelity to
the Fatherland. With that sinister
purpose in mind he attended all the
meetings of German societies and urg-
ed the affiliation of Germans of this
country in organizations pledged to
Germany.
This statement may easily be be-
lieved for it is well remembered that
though Prince Henry was lionized by
our so-called Captains of Industry his
attentions were mainly directed to-
ward the German-Americans. Previ-
ous to his visit here there had been
few societies so dedicated in this
country but immediately following His
visit organizations were created in all
the leading centres of population.
These societies professed loyalty to
this country and their leaders gave
lip service in lauding the opportuni-
ties they enjoyed here. But their main
purpose was to keep fresh affection
for the Fatherland and preserve the
traditions as well as the language of
Germany. Prince Henry was creating
a propaganda to that end. :
What better proof could be given of
the purpose of the Kaiser, even at that
time, to create a world war and ulti-
mately bring the people of the United
States under subjection to his auto-
cratic authority? He had little to
fear from the countries in Europe who
might feel inclined to resist his am-
bitious plans and the sending of his
brother to mislead the German-Amer-
icans of this country under the false
pretense of a fraternal visit was the
most dastardly perfidy. It must be
admitted, moreover, that his enter-
prise in this respect, was only partial-
ly successful. He fooled a good many
people and with the help of emissaries
kept them fooled a good while. But
they are no longer fooled.
——“The Family Balanced Ration,”
on page 2, column 4, of this issue
is published in various magazines and
newspapers by request of the United
States Department of Agriculture.
The different classes of foods, with il-
lustrations under each, are stated so
simply that it is easily possible for
anyone to learn them. This should be
done so that each one for himself may
be able to combine food in a well-bal-
anced ration. To further aid in the
selection of foods, there is also given
a list of bulletins to be secured, free,
upon postal card request to the U. S.
Department of Agriculture. An ex-
cellent and helpful circular, No. 65,
“Food Requirements and the Menu”
has just been issued by the Depart-
ment of Agricultural Extension,
Penna. State College and may be had
by request to M. S. McDowell, Direc-
tor.
——A reunion of the Mattern fami-
ly was held at the old homestead at
Franklinville, now occupied by Mr.
and Mrs. Frank Houck and family, on
Tuesday of last week. Those present
included Dr. Harvey Patterson, of the
Maryland agricultural college; Mrs.
Calvin Patterson and Mrs. A. L. Hil-
ler, of Bloomsburg; Prof. and Mrs. Ir-
ving L. Foster, of State College; John
Mattern and Jacob Mattern and wife,
of Warriorsmark; Hayes Mattern and
family and Frank Mattern and fami-
ly, of Tyrone. It is needless to say
that everybody present had a royal,
good time.
——The “Watchman” last week un-
intentionally underestimated the
crowd at the Granger's picnic on
Thursday, which, it is claimed, was
one of the biggest ever seen at Grange
park. And the very fact that up to
2:30 o’clock in the afternoon two
thousand five hundred automobiles
had been parked on the grounds that
day would seem to indicate a crowd
that would run into five figures.
——The farmers are new hard at
work in their cornfields, either topping
or cutting the corn. The hard frost of
last week froze the corn before it was
all matured and the result is there
will be a lot of soft corn this year, but
the crop is such a large one that most
every farmer in Centre county will
have a big yield of good corn.
With wheat at $2.20 a bushel
there ought to be a foot-hold on the
farm for war profit taxes. There is
certainly a difference between that
price and the quotations before the
war began.
——Our soldier boys are doing fine
in Camp Hancock and they will soon
be doing the Kaiser “up brown” in
France.
The diplomacy of Switzerland
appears to be as full of holes as the
cheese.
Somebody Must Pay.
From the Johnstown Democrat.
After all, somebody must pay the
war bills. They must be paid out of
savings—out of surplus. They cannot
be deducted from the reserve neces-
sary to carry on the business of the
country or to sustain the population.
The immediate wants of society must
be satisfied before war debts can be
paid. There is no escaping the fact
that in the end the war debt falls up-
on savings—upon surplus. What
should be the basis of the war tax?
Should all of one man’s surplus be
taken, while another gives only a
tenth or even a hundredth?
It must be remembered that we are
as a nation given to indirect-taxation.
The man who just breaks even on a
year, whose income barely meets his
living expenses, may have been
brought into. that situation because
the government imposed a burden of
indirect taxes. He has no surplus, be-
cause the government added its tax
to the natural cost of a commodity.
All consumption taxes are a drive at
the poor man’s account. A commodity
tax may take more from one taxpay-
er, in proportion to his ability to pay,
than a 50 per cent. income tax would
take from some other man.
As remarked, somebody must pay
the war debt. The question is one of
apportioning it, remembering, always
that the net result of paying it is to
reduce the surplus of those who pay.
By the People’s Will.
From the New York American.
The democratization of a country
can only be achieved by the will of the
people of that country, and this ap-
plies, of course, to Germany. Now it
is plainly evident that the people of
Germany have determined upon dem-
ocratic institutions and have begun to
establish them firmly. The vicious
system of plural voting has been abol-
ished and in fact, if not nominally, the
Chancellor has become responsible to
the Reichstag. The mere fact that the
head of the German nation is styled
Kaiser instead of President is a small
matter in itself. Democracy can ex-
ist under a titular King or Emperor,
just as a practical autocracy can exist
under a titular President. England is
not by any means a democracyfbut it
isa good deal more of a Democracy
under a hereditary king than Mexico,
for instance, is under a farcically elect-
ed President. We think that the dem-
ocratization of the German Empire is
an assured -event,. and it ‘-garohable
that the event will occur by peaceable
parliamentary changes in the old or-
der. We hope to see the undoubted
virility, courage, tenacity, efficiency
and genius of the peoples of Middle
Europe freed from the incubus of
caste and aristocratic privilege and
domination. We hope to see genuine
democracy established, not only in
Middle Europe, but in all Europe.
The Italian Effort.
From the Lancaster Intelligencer.
We think we are “going some” in
our march toward the war front when
we look forward to placing a million
men on the fighting lines in France
by next spring, with a half million
more in reserve, but Italy, little Italy,
with a population of only thirty-six
millions, has four and a half million
men under arms and more than half
of them on the Isonzo front pushing a
tremendous offensive against Austria.
There is a good deal to be expected
from that offensive—particularly as
Austro-Hungary is understood to be
in desperate internal plight; a large
part of the country looking forward
to the winter with misgivings of star-
vation.
The objective of that Italian offen-
sive is now said to be not Trieste, but
Laibach. Napoleon marched that way
to conquest, having observed that
“Germany can only be reached
through Austria from Italy.” Many
things have changed since Napoleon’s
day, and that looks like a long reach,
when the prevailing methods of en-
trenched warfare are considered. But
it may still be true that Germany can
be reached through Austria from
Italy. The word “only” may be cut out
by sea power and air power. Mean-
while, good luck to the Italians.
A Comparison in Occupied Territories.
From the London Times.
The Berlin Tageblatt calculates that
while, on August 1, 347 square miles
of German soil were occupied by the
French, and 9,845 square miles of
Austrian soil by the Russians, the
extent of Allied territory occupied by
the Central Powers was 221,867
square miles. The picture would be
more complete if there were some ref-
erence to the 826,976 square miles of
Gorman colonies occupied by the Al-
ies.
Ground for Hope.
From the Kansas City Star.
Ex-Czar Nicholas will miss the im-
perial ballot while he is in Siberia,
but there are said to be movie shows
everywhere in Russia. So maybe by
the time he comes back he'll be a reg-
ular Democrat, and wouldn’t give |-
more than a dime to see the ballet
again anyway.
It’s the Same Here.
From the Springfield Union.
Uncle Sam reports a shortage of
small bills, but uncle Sam has nothing
on us. We can report a shortage not
only of the small bills, but of the large
ones, too.
——Put your ad. in the “Watch-
man.” ral ER nll 3?
many
work that the plant is turning out daily.
The helmets are tested by placing the steel
hat on a dummy head... Standing ten feet
distant with a regulation forty-five calibre
repeating revolver, the same kind as used
in modern warfare, the helmet is fired up-
on. If the bullet pierces the steel, the hel-
mets are rejected. A Philadelphia young
man, engaged as an ambulance driver in
France describes the use of the helmet in
perhaps the best manner.
fourteen times my helmet saved my life,”
he said and the helmet after a trip near
the firing lines resembled the bottom of a
dish pan that had been riddled with bul-
lets.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—David Hale, seventy years old, was al-
most stung to death one day last week by
bees on his farm seven miles from Warren.
Physicians removed eighteen stingers from
his right cheek and seven from one ear.
Hale's head dress fell off while he was col-
lecting honey and the bees attacked him.
—A swarm of bees attacked an automo-
bile party near Hanover a few days ago
and before the machine could be stopped
the bees caused the driver to lose control
of it. The top and windshield of the car
were demolished, the occupants thrown out
and all of them were badly stung by the
bees.
—W. 8S. Bishop, a night watchman for
the Pennsy in the Lewistown Narrows,
found a large opossum in the telephone
box on Sunday morning when he went to
ring in for the night. He believes some of
his friends put the little animal there,
knowing his fondness for the meat gar-
nished with sweet potatoes.
—James Ryan, night watchman in the
service of the Pennsy’s police department,
is at the Lewistown hospital with a bullet
in his leg as the result of an accident. Ry-
an was changing clothes when his revolver
dropped from the pocket to the floor and
discharged, the bullet entering his leg
above the ankle and taking an upward
course.
—Three automobile bandits broke into
the postoffice at Kinsman, west of Sharon,
early on Tuesday, blew up the safe and es-
caped with $200 worth of stamps and a
small amount of money. A posse of
townspeople, awakened by the explosion,
was hastily organized, and after forcing
the *robbers to abandon their automobile
they recovered some of the stamps.
—Contractors C. H. and P. S. Cassidy
have completed the work of razing the old
Mountain House at Cresson, which has
been in progress during the past year.
Following the work of razing the building,
all the excavations were filled, the lumber,
metal and stone removed and the grounds
graded. An enormous amount of valuable
building material was secured in removing
the buildings and great quantities of met-
als were taken out and sold.
—Rembrandt Peale, a well known Penn-
sylvania coal operator, on Friday was ap-
pointed a representative of the coal opera-
tors under the Gerfield coal administra-
tion. The list of advisors is now complete.
A well known mining engineer of the an-
thracite district may be added later. John
P. White, representing the coal miners on
the board left Friday for Indianapolis to
launch a campaign for increased produc-
tion of coal among the miners, and to ar-
range for a wage increase conference with
operators in the central district.
—Ralph Bray, the first Oil City man to
be injured on European battle fronts,
reached his home in that place last week.
Mr. Bray, who was a member of the Nine-
ty-ninth Battalion, Canadian Overseas
Forces, was shot in the arm during the
battle of the Somme more than a year ago.
Since that time he has been confined in va-
rious hospitals of Europe and Canada.
Speaking of German cruelty, he tells the
story of a wounded German who shot a
Canadian soldier who had brought him a
drink of water during the battle of Somme.
—John M. Groff, attorney for Arthur A.
Baltz, of Lancaster county, has brought an
unusual suit in court. It is against Dr.
W. B. Tome, of Elizabethtown and is for
$10,000 damages. The plaintiff alleges that
Dr. Tome was ‘summoned to attend- his .
child who was ill. The doctor failed in his
examination of the child to discover that
it was shot in the arm. Gangrene develop-
ed and the child lost an arm. The plain-
tiff claims these damages because of the
neglect of the doctor to discover the
wounded arm and provide the proper rem-
edy.
—A lad named Harvey Van Kemeyer,
aged twelve years, who was standing be-
hind an automobile in Osceola, on Wednes-
day of last week, was almost instantly kill-
ed when he darted out from behind the au-
to and immediately in front of Dr. Wood-
side’s passing car which struck him fairly
and knocking him down ran over him
crushing his breast. He only lived a few
minutes. The accident was entirely una-
voidable and greatly regretted by Dr.
Woodside who quickly did all he could for
the unfortunate boy. Dr. Pullen, the coun-
ty coroner has taken proper steps for a
thorough investigation of the sad affair.
—One of the biggest deals in oil proper-
ty in McKean county, that has been re-
corded for some time was consummated
this week when Earl C. Emery completed
the purchase from P. J. Freel and O'Neal
Brothers of a large lease at Ritersville on
which are now located 68 producing wells.
It is understood Mr. Emery will begin
drilling operations at once with a view to
developing the property to its fullest ca-
pacity. The property is well known
among local producers and is considered
one of the best in that section. While the
terms of the sale are private the amount
involved is known to run into six good
sized figures.
Steel helmets for the American soldiers
in France are being manufactured at the
Berwick plant of the American Car and
Foundry company. The order is one of the
interesting items of government
“No less than
— Smoke Run, Clearfield county, was the
scene of a distressing fatality on Thurs-
day evening, September 13th, when two
young men were crushed to death in the
new slope being put in by BE. J. Goodyear.
The accident occurred at nine o'clock, when
a concrete mixer, standing near the mouth
of the shaft fell.
at the time in the bottom of the shaft, at a
depth of ninety feet.
machinery struck Russel Riebert, aged 20
years, of East Liberty, and Thomas Tate,
aged 26 years, of No. 22 mine, near Smoke
Run, killing them instantly. Fortunately
for the other men they were working at a
point sufficiently distant to escape injury
and probably death. Tate was only re-
cently granted exemption on account of be-
ing the only support of his widowed moth-
er.
were given in charge of Undertaker Swee-
ney, of Houtzdale, and carefully prepared
for burial.
Seven men were at work
The falling piece of
The bodies were badly mangled, and
.