a
BY P. GRAY MEEK
INK SLINGS.
>
—Just eighteen more days until
Christmas.
—Hang out the British flag tomor-
row. It will be British day and sure-
ly we should pay some tribute to our
gallant ally.
—Right, O, Mr. President, the bal-
lot would be small reward for the
part the women of the country have
taken in winning our victory.
missed something out of the lessons
of the war. Their cutting up at
Fiume may end in a wholesome chas-
tisement.
—All the bans on sugar are off.
Your grocer can sell you as much as
you want to buy and neither one of
you have to sign cards or keep any
record of it.
Possibly there may have been
some use in the formal abdication of
his throne but at this distance it looks
as if the throne had collapsed and |
spilled the Kaiser.
Those feeble minded idiots who
are trying to work the sectional issue
on the income tax ought to know that
Pennsylvania and New York enjoyed
incomes equal to the taxes they paid.
—A year ago tomorrow it began to
snow and by night there was ten
inches of the beautiful on the ground
and, you will remember, the mercury
fell to zero just after it stopped snow-
ing.
—Governor Sproul is at least sur-
rounding himself with good cabinet
material. Let us hope that it means
that he is really going to be a worth
while Governor and let the diversion
of building political machines for oth-
ers.
—Anyway the President will come
back from the peace conference even
a greater man in the eyes of the world
than he is today and the pin-heads
who have been heckling him as to his
right to go will be even smaller than
they are.
—We are inclined to believe that
many of those Senators and Congress-
men who say that the President has
only gone to France in order to be
fussed over are merely jealous be-
cause they will not be conspicuous :
when the fussing is done.
—The bars are down on Christmas
shopping. The public will be permit-
ted to buy all the fool things it likes
and the merchants can employ as
many extra clerks and work as many
hours as their business warrants. In
other words, we are to go back to our
regular Christmas habits.
—The soldier boys evidently took
to the :government’s war risk insur-
ance like hot cakes, for Secretary
McAdoo’s report shows that there is
$36,000,000,000 of it in force. To our
mind the war risk insurance was the
most practical and beneficent offering
a government ever made to those who
gave their service to it.
—So the eldest of the Kaiser’s six
six fat sons denies that he has re-
nounced his right to the throne. Pos-
sibly he hasn’t, but what of that? It
will be like the little boy who wanted
the core of his playmate’s apple and
was told: “There ain't goin’ to be no
core.” There'll be no throne in Ger-
many for the Crown Prince to lay
claim to later on.
—If you have been a victim of the
flu be very careful of your health.
Those best informed say that flu con-
valescents are susceptible to the tu-
berculosis germ and unless great care
is taken for a long time after recov-
ery it will develop. Don’t scoff at
such warnings. Heed them. Your
health is your most precious asset and
you should conserve it.
—The fact that the army of occu-
pation is to comprise a million and a
quarter men makes it look very much
as if the time for Johnny to come
marching home is still very far off.
As long as Germany is as unsettled as
it is and Bolshevism rules in Russia
it will be as necessary for us to be on
the job, ready to fight again, as it was
when the war was actually in prog-
ress.
—Headquarters of the Centre
County Branch of the Pennsylvania
Council of National Defense and Com-
mittee of Public Safety which have
been maintained in this place during
the war will be closed within a few
days. The organization will be kept
intact but the lifting of all food, fuel
and other regulations has reduced the
amount of work involved so much that
a general office is no longer essential.
—XKilled two birds with one stone is
what Secretary McAdoo did when he
began buying the government’s own
bonds back in order to keep them
from falling too much below par on
the open market. Everyone knew
that confidence in the value of the
bonds was necessary in order to cre-
ate a general buying by the public,
but that confidence could not have
been inspired at the time the second
issue was offered if the bonds of the
first issue had then been quoted on the
market at much less than par. The
same condition obtained at the launch-
ing of the third and fourth issues.
So in order to hold all previous issues
at a price that was reassuring to a
people who had had little previous ex-
perience in buying securities of any
kind the Secretary of the Treasury
went into the market as a purchaser
for the government and his report
shows that $244,036,500 worth of
bonds were bought back for $234,
310,000. This had the effect of sta-
bilizing the market, the government
actually made $10,000,000 in the
transaction and cancelled a large
block of its evidences of indebtedness.
The Jugoslavs appear to have |
10
[aii n1if
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. 63.
BELLEFONTE, PA.. DECEMBER 6, 1918.
NO. 48.
President Wilson’s Trip Abroad.
President Woodrow Wilson is on
“Liner” fitly named the George
Washington in fulfillment of the most
important obligation that has devolv-
ed upon any American since the death
and hopes of every patriotic citizen in
this broad land are with him. His
mission is one that could not be shun-
mocracy of the whole world and it
will be raised in the interest of civil
and religious liberty and heard and
heeded as far as civilization extends.
No other living man could have spok-
en with the same force and effect in
so well serve the cause of democracy.
In view of the facts the puerile
complaints of Cummins and Sherman
inspired by Lodge and Smoot would
able.
our President in the council of nations
and impair his influence for good.
This may seem to their distempered
minds an effective partisan expedient
but they underestimate the American
standard of intelligence in thus dis-
mote party interests. Every honor
ing his sojourn abroad in the per-
| formance of sacred services is a com- |
i pliment to the government and peo- |
| ple of the United States and will be
| appraised at its full value by the peo-
| ple.
i or tradition in the President’s voyage
to Europe. Roosevelt visited Pana-
ma during his incumbency of the of-
fice of President and Taft journeyed
abroad at his pleasure. The seat of
{| government of the United States is
: at Washington but the President is
Branch or Oyster Bay or as any Sen-
ator or Governor is to move about if
the public service is not hampered or
impaired. Therefore under the sanc-
tion of law and in pursuance of his
public obligations President Wilson is
en route to Europe and we heartily
‘join ‘with all other right’ minded
American citizens in:wishing him a
safe journey and speedy return.
——Somebody ought to suggest to
the Kaiser that the “alibi” has been
overworked by common criminals in
i Quarter Sessions courts and even
“passing the buck” wears gray whis-
kers.
Greatest of All Absurdities.
Of all the absurdities that have
come out of Washington within the
period of the war the most preposter-
ous is that which contemplated the
sending of a Senate committee to
France to watch the actions of the
American delegates in the peace con-
ference. The opponents of the Pres-
‘ident in the Senate are resentful be-
| cause none of them were named on the
| delegation. Their principal complaint
| is against the President himself going
‘as a delegate. But even the most re-
{ sourceful of them could dig up no val-
id or legal objection to that so they
| centred upon an objection that no
| member of the Senate committee on
Foreign Relations was named. All
precedents, they say, require such ac-
{ tion.
| Article 2, section 2, paragraph 2 of
| the constitution of the United States
i invests the President with the power,
| by and with the advice and consent
i of the Senate, “to make treaties, pro-
vided two-thirds of the Senators pres-
ent concur, and shall nominate and
by and with the advice and consent
of the Senate, shall appoint ambas-
sadors, other public ministers and
consuls, judges of the Supreme court,
‘and all other officers of the United
States whose appointments are not
herein otherwise provided for.”
from the beginning “the advice and
consent of the Senate” has been
neither asked for nor given until aft-
er the treaty or the appointment
was made. Their is neither law nor
precedent for the action indicated of
Senatorial interference in advance of
the event.
A year ago there were a lot of in-
tellectual pigmies who happened to
have seats in the Senate nagging the
President with absurd suggestions as
to the conduct of the war. If hehad
abandoned his own plans and accept-
ed those offered by these Senators
the war would still be going on and
the German armies driving toward
victory. But President Wilson wisely
paid no attention to the senseless
chatter of mischief making politicians
and conducted the operations of our
great army to a marvelous and speedy
victory. Fortunately in the present
emergency he is following the same
sensible course and the complaining
Senators are wasting their vocal en-
ergies on barren ears.
—How many of you knew that Gen-
eral Tasker H. Bliss, who will help
represent our country at the peace ta-
ble, was born at Lewisburg ?
eee Lh has to be admitted that the
the high sea on board a great ocean .
of Abraham Lincoln and the hearts
ned or shifted. He is the voice of de- |
such a crisis and no other man could |
be pitiable if they were not treason- |
Their purpose is to discredit |
honoring the nation in order to pro- |
bestowed upon President Wilson dur- |
i There is no violation of either law |
las free to go to Paris as to Long!
But |
Germans are good fighters but it is |
equally certain that they are accom-
plished beggars.
Governor Sproul’s Cabinet.
Governor-elect Sproul has officially
General and Cyrus E. Woods, of West-
. moreland county, Secretary of the
. Commonwealth. Harry S. McDevitt,
of Philadelphia, will be the secretary
to the Governor. It is said that all
these are personal appointments but
singularly enough they are all friends
of Senator Penrose. Mr. Woods is at
present Secretary of the Common-
wealth but was wise enough to keep
out of the factional quarrels organ-
ized in the interest of Brumbaugh.
He was not anxious for reappoint-
retire. But Sproul has prevailed up-
on him to remain in office.
Mr. Schaffer is a widely known and
capable lawyer. For many years he
i has been Reporter of the Supreme
court and his work is said to indicate
a high order of ability. He is a neigh-
bor of the Governor-elect and it may
easily be believed that his appoint-
ment is a personal choice. It will be
agreeable to the public, moreover, be-
cause it divorces Philadelphia from
| the office. Every Attorney General
since the administration of Governor
i Stone has been a Philadelphia law-
i yer. Except in the administration of
| Governor Pennypacker, when Hamp-
{ ton L. Carson sat, these law officers
have not been of the highest stand-
ard. There is something to hope for
. in the change.
Though no intimation has come to
the public on the subject it is more
i than likely that the heads of most of
the Departments will be changed after
the new Governor gets acclimated.
Certainly Denny O'Neil, the present
Highway Commissioner, will have to
go and the Insurance Commissioner,
Mr. Ambler, will be equally undesir-
able. Only the Fish Commissioner,
Mr. Buller, is likely to be retained
and he is so free from factionalism
and so earnest in his work that his
retirement would be regretted on all
sides. The Adjutant General might
be retained for though he was ap-
pointed by Brumbaugh his allegiance
is toward Penrose.
Senator Reed, of Missouri, and
from on the President’s address to
| Congress but there are symptoms of
i eruptions in Washington and Oyster
i Bay. Meanwhile the asbestos market
! is stiffening.
i
i
Vares Enlarging Their Domain.
The latest utterance of Governor-
elect Sproul on the subject of a con-
stitutional convention is rather omin-
ous. Immediately after his election
he gave out an interview in which he
declared quite positively that he fa-
vored the creation and adoption of a
i new fundamental law for the State
and the “Watchman,” like many of its
contemporaries, cordially commended
his purpose. But in an interview
' published last Sunday he appears to
present is not an auspicious time for
i such action. He talks somewhat
: vaguely about the “proper perspec-
tive,” whatever he means by that, and
indicates that it might be well to post-
pone the work.
The response to his promise of a
new constitution was general and gen-
erous.
the subject there was only one dis-
senting voice. Senator Vare, of
Philadelphia, protested that the pop-
ular mind is not in a fit frame at this
time to assemble a convention and
consider a new constitution. But no-
body dreamed that the Governor-elect
{ would be influenced by the opinions,
! on such a subject, of the Philadelphia
contractor boss. There was an im-
pression that in matters relating to
i Philadelphia the Vare voice would be
potential for the Vares usually make
terms in advance of the election upon
all matters in which they have a di-
rect interest. But it was not expect-
i ed that they would try to extend their
| zone.
{The Vares do not want a new con-
| stitution for Pennsylvania. The
present instrument, patched and tink-
| ered as it is, suits them exactly. Un-
| der its provisions they are immune
| from punishment whatever they do.
. A constitution framed by capable
men, guided by just motives and fa-
! miliar with their methods might make
| it impossible for them to control the
| entire membership of the Legislature
| from Philadelphia and even to own
‘ the city councils absolutely. Natur-
| ally they are averse to such a change
{ in the civic regulations of the State
and city but it is surprising that they
| are able to determine the plans of the
' Governor-elect. His last expression
i on the subject indicates such power,
{ however.
If every one saves as much as
| possible and produces to the full ex-
| tent of opportunity this great coun-
| try will be able to feed the whole
| world without stint on a single neces-
| sary of life.
|
1
{
— Senators ‘Sherman “and Cum-
| mins might try “gnawing a file.”
ment and had expressed a desire to
“Colonel Roosevelt are yet to be heard |
have altered his mind on the question
for he suggests that probably the
Among the prominent men of |
the State who are asked to discuss’
The President’s Message.
The address to Congress of Presi-
medium of giving “to Congress from
: time to time information on the state
' of the Union.” The times are unusual
and the conditions extraordinary but
1
announced that William I. Schaffer, dent Wilson which serves the purpose
of Delaware county, will be Attorney | of his annual message, is literally a !
|
|
|
1
Following Russia’s Example.
From the DuBois Daily Express.
Latest advices regarding govern-
ment making in Germany indicate
developments of the greatest import-
ance, in which the combination of
conservative elements heretofore in
' control seems to have been displaced
the President simply recites the facts
in their order and makes such sugges-
tions as appear to him appropriate.
He told of the marvelous achievement 5 ; 4
in sending more than two million men . and workmen's copnell ani, the Roy
across the sea; of the splendid re-
nounced, an
sponse of the industrial life of the
country to the demand for military !
. defend and develop what has been
achieved by the revolution and to
equipment; of the magnificent cour-
age and efficiency of our troops in
battle and of the glorious victory
achieved.
the women of the country played in
the war work.
the great result is beyond appraisal,”
he says, and “they have added a new
luster to the annals of American |
womanhood.” That is generous praise
but no more than is deserved and he
adds, “the least tribute we can pay
them is to make them the equals of
men in political rights as they have
and a radical system substituted an-
alogous to that of the existing Rus-
sian government. As officially an-
agreement has been
reached between the German soldiers’
ernment providing that all power is
to be in the hands of the German So-
cialist republic and the soldiers’ and
workmen’s council, whose aim is to
suppress all counter-revolutionary ac-
: tivity. Pending the election of rep-
i
i
{
|
proved themselves their equals in‘
every field of practical work they
have entered whether for themselves
or for their country. These great
days of completed achievement would
be sadly marred were we to omit that
sue with him on this point?
The question of revenues, the ques-
tion of railroad and ship control, the
i f te land ion |
question of waste land redemption | onl oir tater
and all other questions of current in-
terest are discussed with characteris-
tic clearness and capability. He has
overlooked nothing and shows an un-
derstanding of everything. Probably
the most complex of all is the matter
of the future management of the rail-
roads. There are three lines leading
to the solution but he is not ready to
offer a final answer. He is, however,
ready to obey the mandate of Con-
gress on this as on other subjects and
he has affairs in order so that there
need be no delay in the work. On the
whole the message is a splendid ex-
pssion of a fine performance.
——The “Watchman” has repeat-
edly called the attention of its cor-
respondents to the fact that corres-
pondence should reach this office Tues-
day evening, if possible, and not lat-
. er than Wednesday morning to insure
| its getting in the paper in full. Cor-
! respondence that reaches this office
{ Thursday morning stands a poor
| chance of going through without be-
ling cut down, as there is always a
| rush of the eleventh-hour local news
that must go in. Correspondents
| should mail their letters on Tuesday
| without fail, and if anything impor-
' tant happens in their neighborhood
i after the mailing of the letter, tele-
| phone the fact to this office and the
{ item will be properly covered.
Lock Haven Must be Jealous of
: Bellefonte.
In a recent issue of the Lock Haven
{ Express appeared an item detailing
i the fact that the Centre county com-
missioners had appropriated $500 to-
| those in
‘ab | possibility of h d lization i
act of justice.” Will any one take is- | > LY op Srhotalization is
¥le adverts gracefilly to the part ' resentatives of the soldiers’ and work-
men’s council to an executive council
: playe i in Berlin, created under the agree-
“Their contribution to :
ment, is to exercise its functions with
full powers of control of all govern-
mental operations.
This is the kind of government that
the Lenine-Trotzky combination pre-
tended to set up when the Kerensky
government was overthrown, and
which quickly developed the extrav-
agances that led to the disintegration
and anarchy, with accompanying ter-
rorism, now prevalent throughout
Russia. London newspapers express
the gravest alarm over the new turn
of affairs, fearing that it may portend
a drifting into conditions not unlike
ussia. However, while the
not minimized, the view is expressed
by some of the newspapers that the
new development is part of a “big
~ bluff” aim
i
i
I
at persuading the allies
that the old Germany is of the past
dealings with it
should take into consideration the
fact of a chastened and regenerated
Germany, with its future firmly com-
mitted to righteous popular govern-
ment.
That the allies are deeply concern-
ied in the kaleidoscopic changes tak-
ing place in Germany is a matter of
course. It is to their interest and to
the interest of the civilized world
that stable government be establish-
ed there as speedily as possible. The
problem of subduing anarchy in Rus-
sia is big enough to create gravest
apprehension, without -the allies hav-
ing to contend with ore of that:
kind of disorder nearer ti-eir own bors
ders. Germany realizes their fears
a spread of Bolshevikism, hence it
may be, as Suggested by the London
press, that the Berlin authorities are
playing up the situation in the hope
of getting a modification of the arm-
istice if possible, and, failing in that,
. to get speedier action and more len-
|
ient terms in the making of a treaty.
His Turn is Coming.
From the Williamsport Sun.
There will be no “return from El-
ba” in the case of William Hophenzol-
lern. That is as certain as it is sure
there will be a peace conference. It
may be the plan of some of the for-
mer Kaiser’s former officers to again
place him on a throne as the ruler of
Germany and the chief exponent of
autocracy and it may be the present
hope of Hohenzollern that the revolu-
tion in Germany will form the step-
ping stone by which he may ascend
to the place of power from which he
has been hurled. But these are fruit-
less plans and false hopes. The ex-
Kaiser and his crowd must remember
| that they are still dealing with the
same forces of right and justice which
{ ward the expense of building the | caused their downfall and before they
; hangar at the Wilson aerial mail sta- | can recover their old time prestige
! tion here, the item winding up with | these forces must be removed from
the question, “Is a hangar more im-
portant than a farm bureau?”
{ Evidently the editor of the Express
is ignorant of the conditions in Cen-
. tre county or through jealousy of the
| fact that the aerial station was locat-
| ed here instead of in Lock Haven is
i perverting facts. The truth of the
matter is that Centre county has a
, farm bureau, and one with a real live
| man at the head of it in the person of
* R. H. Olmstead, as county agent. One
"of the first things Mr. Olmstead did
after he was appointed county agent |
, about eighteen months ago was to get
acquainted with the farmers of the
- county and also acquaint himself with
. the different kinds of soils and every-
, thing else pertaining to farming in
Centre county. He did this, not by
. sitting in his office from one week’s
end to another but by traveling
| through the county, day after day and
| far into the night, and the result is
i he has been a wonderful help to many
| farmers who have confidence in his
| judgment and ability.
Just about a year ago Mr. Olmstead
spread broadcast throughout Centre
county advice to farmers to pick their
seed corn at once and have it tested,
owing to the poor condition of the
bulk of last year’s crop. Hundreds of
. farmers took advantage of the timely
advice and took their corn to Mr.
Olmstead for testing. Later the ag-
ricultural department issued a bulle-
“tin incorporating the advice that Mr. |
The the last four years and have devoted
Olmstead had previously given.
result was Centre county farmers had
| plenty of good seed corn and some to
sell.
In various other ways Mr. Olmstead |
' has demonstrated the good work of
the Centre county farm bureau as be-
ing a very live organization. In the
future, therefore, if the Lock Haven
. Express has any just cause to pick at
. Bellefonte or Centre county it should |
exercise proper judgment and pick
where the picking is good.
the world or so diminished that they
become negligible. If there is a man
who believes that such can come to
pass, let him stand in the market
place and proclaim his thoughts. The
peoples of free and unburdened na-
tions will take care of him and right
quickly. No, there is little danger of
Hohenzollern ever again sitting on a
throne. If the allies are agreed to
one thing it is that there must never
be a repetition of the last herrible
four years and to make them possi-
ble Hohenzollern and all for which he
stands must forever be abolished. Too
many times have we had assurances
on the part of our allies in Europe
that those who are responsible for the
war must be punished and we can rest
secure that fit punishment will be
measured out to all offenders against
humanity in proportion to the enor-
mity of their crimes. As William
Hohenzollern stands before the world
as the arch criminal, to him must go
the supreme punishment. Whether
his fate be death or banishment or
imprisonment, it must be commensu-
rate with the deeds for which it will
only partially atone and must be as
lasting as the memory of German cru-
elties, atrocities and outrages stand
before man.
Why Shouldn’t Germany Pay?
From the Kansas City Times.
Why should not Germany pay the
cost of the war to the limit of her ca-
pacity ? as Premier Lloyd George sug-
gests.
The nations that have been sus-
pending all their normal activities for
all their energies to the business of
war were not mortgaging their fu-
ture, in addition to sending millions
of their sons to die, because they de-
sired to. any ;
Germany deliberately inflicted this
damage on the world. It is now up
| to Germany to make it good so far as
that lies within her power. Any oth-
er outcome would be an incentive to
future international piracy.
———Subscribe for the “Watchman.”
|
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—The Custer Coupling company’s big
{ plant at Bradford was damaged by fire
i
; early Saturday, with a loss of $20,000. C.
: B. Custer,
. ance.
the owner, carried no insur-
The machine shop with valuable
machinery was totally destroyed, but the
main building of the plant was saved by
t work of the firemen.
—Rev. Irvin Bailey, pastor of the Unit-
ed Evengelical church of Saladasburg, has
been a valuable assistant to the farmers
in that vicinity during the threshing sea-
son, he having assisted forty farmers to
thresh their grain. The acute shortage in
farm labor induced Rev. Bailey to render
his services to the farmers of that com-
munity.
—The Rev. Silas H. Durand is dead at
Southampton, Pa. in his eighty-sixth
year. He was born in Herrick, Bradford
county, the eleventh child in a family of
fourteen. He commenced teaching at 18,
practiced law four years in Wilkes-Barre
and in 1864 was ordained at Herrick to the
O. S. Baptist church, of which denomina-
tion he was a minister to the end of his
days.
—Lew R. Palmer, former Commissioner
of Labor and Industry, who was fired by
Governor Brumbaugh six weeks ago, after
Palmer had several passages at arms with
private secretary William H. Ball, has
been named ‘director of safety and per-
sonnel, and consulting engineer on group
insurance” for a life insurance company.
As acting commissioner Palmer got $8000.
On his new job he gets a salary consider-
ably larger than that of the man who fir-
ed him.
—The Thanksgiving day mails last week
delivered copies of the report of Adjutant
General Thomas J. Stewart for the year
ending December 31, 1912. There is a de-’
lay of six years in publication, but the
Adjutant General's department makes no
explanation; at least, mot with the book.
The report is addressed to Governor John
K. Tener, and comprises 350 pages of mat-
ter that might have been timely six years
ago. Adjutant General Stewart died im
August, 1917.
—The four children of William H.
Grimes, of Wernersville, will have to be
“kind” to their step-mother, Grimes’ wid-
ow, if they want full shares in his estate.
Grimes’ will was probated at Reading, and
gives each of his children a share in his
belongings, amounting to $3750, but it
contains a proviso in favor of his wife,
step-mother to the children. If they are
harsh or mean to her, the will states, they
will receive only half of the legacies pro-
vided for them.
—Administration of the draft in Penn-
sylvania cost $1,797,938.71 between Septem-
ber 1, 1917, and November 30, 1918, accord-
ing to figures compiled at the State Draft
headquarters. There were 24,405 bills
paid. On a basis of 225,000 men sent into
the service, this is at the rate of $8 a man.
It is believed when all the bills are in that
the cost will run about $10 a man. The
bills for November aggregated $277,817.04,
which was the highest month} October be-
ing next with $228,526.77.
—Two weeks ago a party of hunters ar-
rived at English Center, Lycoming county,
to establish a hunters’ lodge, in prepara-
tion for the deer season. The party came
from Cleveland, Ohio. They rented a
mountain cabin, placing in it about $600
worth of furniture and provisions, and
then returned to Jersey Shore to await
the first day of the season. In the mean-
time, fire of peculiar origin destroyed their
lodge with all of its contents. The gun-
ners feel that the fire was started by some
one who did not want them to hunt -in
that vicinity,
—Peter Joseph Schmidt, of Shamokin,
one of the Northumberland county com-
missioners, died in a hospital at Danville,
on Saturday, from stab wounds alleged to
have been inflicted by Robert Brantley, a
Shamokin piano tuner. According te
witnesses the two men a week ago got in-
to an argument over Brantley calling
Schmidt disloyal for having made pro-
German remarks. A fight resulted in
which Schmidt was stabbed; Brantley is
in jail. When told of Schmidt's death he
said he was sorry, but that he struck im
self-defense.
—Unable to agree upon a final audit of
the Milton school district, auditors Harry
B. Bibby and Thomas B. Shannon were on
Monday ousted from office by Judge Mow-
er, in Northumberland county courts.
Shannon refused to sign the audit because
George D. Hedenbergh, president of the
school board, furnished $1,000 worth of
coal to the school board last winter, a vi-
olation of the school code. It was shown
the coal was sold at the direction of the
fuel administrator, at the administrator's
prices and was done to keep the schools
from closing for lack ef heat.
—Commissioner of Fisheries N. R. Bul-
ler reports that the take of white fish and
herring eggs on Lake Erie during the last
three weeks has been far in excess of what
was anticipated. There is not an empty
jar on the batteries at the Erie station,
and the following hatcheries have also
been supplied with all the eggs of this
species that they can take care of. Union
City, Pleasant Mount and Torresdale. The
output of these fish for the coming year
will be considerably above the average,
and it is the constant stocking of Lake
Erie which has made it such an excellent
fishing ground.
—One-half of the estate of Thomas J.
Stewart, for many years Adjutant Gener-
al of Penmsylvania, will eventually go to
the Grand Lodge of Masons for the erec-
tion of two or more cottages at the Ma-
sonic home at Elizabethtown, it developed
at an adjudication of his $100,000 estate in
the Montgomery county Orphans’ court.
Trust funds to the amount of $45,000 were
awarded as follows: Margaret Emma
Stewart, a sister, $20,000; Mary J. Vadican,
a sister, $15,000; William H. Stewart and
James H. Stewart, brothers, each $10,000.
The Masonic home benefits at the death
of the last of these four brotbers and sis-
ters. The two sisters each receive $5,000
in cash. The residue is divided equally
among the two sisters and their brother
William.
—Last Memorial day, at Sykesville, Jef-
ferson county, Frank Sotek created a sen-
sation by disrobing in the cemetery and
scattering his money and effects around
with a lavish hand. He was taken in
charge and confined to the county home
where a jury found that he was sane and
he was allowed his freedom. Wednesday
he secured two sticks of dynamite and
walked over the line into Clearfield coun-
ty, where he placed the dynamite on his
chest and exploded it, blowing himself to
pieces. At one bank he had $600, which
he refused to draw at the time he was de-
clared sane. Just before blowing himself
to pieces he had taken $1000 from the First
National bank, of Sykesville, and it is sup-
posed he had the money on him when he
killed himself. The Commissioners and
officials at the Jefferson county home
maintained that the man should not be set
at liberty, but the jury said otherwise.