INK SLINGS.
—Just as the trout-fishing sea-
son goes out hunting season comes in.
Former President Taft appears
anxious to be the man that put “fuse”
in confusion.
— The main trouble with Phila-
delphia is that the people there have
too long allowed Dave Lane to select
their public officials.
—Every day the opposing Senators
and Congressmen are making new
apologies and getting ready to back
track on the League of Nations.
—The longer Henny Ford testifies
the more we understand why he start-
ed that peace ship off to get the men
out of the trenches before Christmas.
—If the price of clothing keeps on
rising the fellow who is “all dressed
up and no place to go” might become
2 headliner in museums and vaude-
ville.
— Really it is too bad that Japan
didn’t suppress publicity of her inten-
tion to return Shantung to China un-
til after the Republicans had made a
little more capital of the incident.
—If you are working for an individ-
ual or a corporation and can’t say a
good word for your employer get
another job. That would be the de-
cent thing to do. Nobody has much
respect for the fellow who isn’t loyal
to his employer.
— Again we take the opportunity to
remark that all the opposition to the
League of Nations is political. People
who love peace and want peace are
for it not exactly because they are
sure that it will produce peace, but
because nothing better is presented.
Surprising and gratifying as it
may be it is nevertheless a fact that
with all the wet weather very little of
Centre county’s grain crop has been
damaged. Farmers, themselves, have
been unable to explain how their crops
came through such an unfavorable
period without material loss.
— Soldier boys should keep their
equipment. All of them are precbably
tired enough of the khaki now, but a
few years hence it will be different.
Then every man who has been in the
service will see something new in his
old uniform and equipment. It will
be a present reminder of the greatest
experience of his life and something
really worth while for his family to
cherish.
—In proposing federal supervision
of newspapers William Jennings Bry-
an is probably trying to set the stage
for a “come-back.” If he or one of
his friends could be put in charge of
such a bureau a careful censorship of
all the things unpleasant that might
be said of the once Secretary of State
could be maintained and the way back
to fame and grape juice banquets be
made easy.
—Col. Spangler should feel very
much flattered that our friend Tom
Harter takes his opinion on great
problems as the last word. We admit
a little surprise when we heard the
journalist made this admission to an
assembled crowd at Chautauqua for
if our memory serves us right we are
of the opinion that the files of the Ga-
zette will show that Tom hasn’t al-
ways written as he recently talked.
— Professor Garner’s plan to devel-
op the ape to the point where it will
have sufficient intelligence to perform
menial tasks might be made a very
easy one if he were to cage it beside
some humans who are attempting
menial and other tasks now. The in-
stinct of the ape, without any develop-
ed intelligence, would show it at a
glance that hanging by its tail in the
jungle is real work when compared
with what some of its evoluted breth-
ren do in return for a fat pay envel-
ope.
— Today the law hoists a tablet on
the banks of every trout stream in the
State and on it the angler might read
“requiescat in pace.” For that is
what the poor little trout are doing.
Every year there are fewer fish and
more fishermen and, strange as it may
seem, the trout are getting thinner
and thinner. This, some experts say,
is because the few that are left in the
streams have been hooked so fre-
quently that their mouths have grown
so sore they can’t eat. And we almost
believe this story.
Missouri farmers have gone to
court to get relief for ther cattle
which they claim are being disturbed
by the flight of aeroplanes. Missouri
cattle are probably afflicted with Mis-
souri human desire to be shown and
spend their time with their noses in
the air instead of in the grass. Now
Tom Beaver’s cattle never do look up
and aviators have to jazz around the
field in order to make a landing just
like the motor driver has to worm his
way through a drove he happens to
meet on the highway.
— The returned soldiers of River-
side, N. J., have declared war on
street loafers who swear. The mayor
is backing them up by imposing a fine
of one dollar per cuss word on every
culprit brought before him. Aside
from the fact that this is a very
unique, as well as wholesome, cam-
paign it is interesting because of the
fact that soldiers are foremost in sup-
pressing street profanity and vulgari-
ty. Time was when the returned sol-
dier was in a class by himself when it
came to up-to-the-minute profanity
but probably the passing of the army
mule and the “mule skinner” has
eliminated the provocation and
brought a new order of soldier home
to us. More power to them. And
every community will bless them more
than ever if they succeed in breaking
up a habit that is as useless as it is
detestable.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
919.
VOL. 64.
Some of Mitchell Palmer’s Troubles. |
There is something like poetic jus- |
tice in an incident developed in
Washington, the other day, when the
confirmation of Mitchell Palmer’s ap- |
pointment as Attorney General was |
held up in a Senate committee on a!
charge made by Leslie S. Kennard, of
Indiana, a clerk in his office while he
was Custodian of Alien property.
Mr. Palmer informed the committee
that Kennard “was an inconspicuous,
$2000.00 clerk,” but at that his be-
trayal of his late chief was base in-
gratitude. Still Mr. Palmer has no
just right to complain of ingratitude.
He has himself revealed that detes-
table characteristic. It will be re-
membered that the late Senator Hall
financed his early political ambitions
vet he maligned that gentleman most
outrageously before he died.
One of the charges made by Mr.
Kennard against Mr. Palmer was
that he appointed “inconspicuous men
as the trustees for enemy property.”
As a matter of fact Mr. Palmer con-
verted that bureau, or whatever it
was, into a sort of an asylum for po-
litical “lame ducks” and after Mr.
Joe Guffey, of Pittsburgh, had been
overwhelmingly defeated for the
Democratic nomination for Governor
of Pennsylvania last year, Mr. Pal-
mer consoled him by appointment to
one of the most important and prcba-
bly the most lucrative offices at his
disposal. Political lame ducks are
not a very dependable type of men,
and possibly Kennard belongs to that
category. Anyway Mr. Palmer got
him to make an affidavit “admitting
that many of his charges were un-
true.”
Of course Mr. Palmer’s confirma-
tion ought not to be defeated upon
the statement of an ingrate who was
willing to swear subsequently that
he had lied and Kennard’s affidavit
submitted by Mr. Palmer is complete
proof on that point. Mr. Kennard is
probably a Republican. At least his
charge against Palmer was given to
a Republican Senator and used to aid
a Republican purpose. Another
claim that Palmer is disqualified for
the office because the “Department of
Justice must pass on many acts and
claims of the Alien Property Custo-
dian’s office,” is equally without mer-
it. The courts may be depended up-
on to hold the Attorney General to
the lines of the law. But other rea-
sons against the confirmation of Mr.
Palmer might have been brought for-
ward.
Between the Bolshevists in the
cities and the Senators in Congress
the United States are slowly but sure-
ly moving along in the direction of
anarchy. The people are patient and
long suffering but there is a limit to
human endurance of evil.
Rather a Good Precedent.
In vetoing the bill “requiring the
Fish Commissioner, within a year, to
certify whether an adequate fishway
has been built in the McCall’s Ferry
dam, and instructing the Attorney
General to proceed to action if it has
not been constructed,” Governor
Sproul has disappointed a great many
good citizens of Pennsylvania. That
meritorious piece of legislation was
forced through the recent session in
the face of a most formidable lobby.
It has been a subject of contention in
the General Assembly ever since the
erection of a dam some fifteen years
ago. It will probably continue to be
so for a long time to come because of
the corporation interests involved.
Previous to the construction of the
McCall’s Ferry dam, the Susquehanna
river was a prolific source of food
supply fer a vast number of residents
of the State. All kinds of fish were
plentiful in both the great branches
of this historic stream from Sunbury
to the Northern border on the east
and from the same point to the New
York line on the west. From Sunbury
down to tide water the main stream
was equally productive of food, pleas-
ure and romance, before the building
of that dam. Thousands of shad were
taken from its waters every spring
and an equal number and in great va-
riety of other game and food fishes
were caught in it every year.
But the dam has put an inglorious
and lamentable end to all the pleas-
ures and profits of fishing in the Sus-
quehanna. Of course McCall’s Ferry
dam is a valuable acquisition to the
industrial life of the Commonwealth.
It has proved a great force and pro-
duced much wealth. But it is believed
by many intelligent people that an
adequate fishway might be construct-
ed so as to avert the evils which have
resulted from it, without impairing
the advantages. That was the pur-
pose of the legislation the Governor
vetoed on the ground that “it would
make a mischievous precedent,” with-
out stating how. Precedents that ac-
complish good results are not mis-
chievous.
— Former King Constantine, of
Greece, is reported to be “hard up.”
Well, his brother-in-law, former Kai-
ser William, who got him into his
present predicament, has plenty to
provide luxuriously for both families.
BELLEFONTE, P
Significance of the Contest.
There can be no misunderstanding
ratification of the Peace treaty. The
treaty is the product of the labor of |
the leading statesmen of the world to
guarantee present and future genera-
tions against a recurrence of destruc-
' tion, devastation and slaughter, such
as had convulsed civilization for a
period of four years. It is not a per-
fect instrument and may disappoint
public expectation as to its efficiency.
There were five great powers and ,
some thirty lesser nationalities con-
cerned in it and each had particular
interests to conserve. But it is the
best that could be obtained in the
circumstances and is the result of
es, unselfish and intelligent ef-
ort.
Those Senators in Congress who fa- |
‘nearly six months before the bank |
vor the ratification of the convention
honestly desire permanent peace
throughout the civilized world. They
are not convinced that this hope will
be fulfilled. They are not fully per-
suaded that the people of every
country concerned will comply with
the conditions it creates for all time.
But they firmly believe that it will
serve the purpose for the time and
that as passions give way and ani-
mosities are softened, it will afford a
foundation for a peace pact that will
endure forever. That is a magnficent
aspiration. It is the highest aim of
christian civilization. It promises the
consummation of the greatest hope of
the Saviour, “on earth peace, good
will to men.”
Those who oppose ratification rep-
resent the antithesis of this. It may
be that they are influenced by politics,
by prejudice against an individual or
by the selfish hope of enriching con-
stituents engaged in the manufacture
of war materials or munitions. In
any event they are retarding, if they
do not actually defeat, the fulfillment
of the highest hope of the Prince of
Peace. If the treaty fails of ratifica-
tion the thousands of lives of Ameri-
cans killed in the war will have been
sacrificed in vain. The United States
representatives in the peace confer-
ence were the principal agents in the
achievement and if this country fails
to ratify, their labor of love is lost to
the world.
No
just person will deny
the right of asylum to the Crown
Prince but there would likely be a’
wide difference of opinion as to wheth-
er it should be of the insane or feeble
minded variety.
Action Rather Than Talk Needed.
Former Speaker Champ Clark, in a
speech in the House of Representa-
tives on Monday, declared that “the
cost of living must be remedied, soon,
or there is going to be all sorts of
trouble in this country. Individually,”
he added, “I am in favor of sending
to the penitentiary every profiteer in
the land. I do not care whether he is
big or small,” he continued. “He is
on a par with thieves and robbers.”
That is exactly the right line of talk,
but what is wanted is not talk but ac-
tion. Mr. Clark might talk his head
off without influencing a single profit-
eer to mend his ways. But if he will
take some step in the direction of
sending the pirates to the penitentia-
ry, some good may come of it.
There is no substantial reason for
the prevailing prices of the necessar-
ies of life. While the war was in
progress and the government was
compelled to provide for the mainte-
nance of the army, all or nearly all
the products of the soil, the mills and
the factories, at any price asked,
there was some excuse for high
prices. But hostilities ended more
than eight months ago and prices are
still going upward. Mr. Clark as-
cribes this anomaly to the operations
of profiteers and a great many others
concur in his opinion. If it be true
the profiteers ought to be stopped and
it those charged with the making of
the laws are not able to provide a le-
gal way of achieving this result
another way will be adopted.
It is said that the government is in
possession of surplus stocks of food
and fruits of an aggregate value of
nearly one hundred and thirty million
dollars and that it is being withheld
from the public in order to avoid a
disturbance of values to the disadvan-
tage of the big dealers. But in con-
serving the interests of the big deal-
ers the vital interests of the people
are being sacrificed. That being the |
case these stocks should be shrown on
the market and sold to the highest
bidders, and the big dealers should be
excluded from the sale. There are
more foodstuffs now than ever before
and no good reason why prices are so |
high or necessaries of life so inacces-
sible to consumers.
The Peace Conference might
have made things a good deal harder
for the people of Germgny. Suppose,
for example, it had organized an an-
ti-Saloon League over there.
——Every pan-German in or out of
Germany is in complete sympathy
with Senator Lodge in his fight
against the League of Nations.
A, AUGUST 1, 1!
North Penn Bank Goat.
It is plainly a settled purpose to
| of the contest in the Senate over the make Ralph Moyer, cashier of the
wrecked North Penn bank of Phila-
delphia, the “goat.”
in January Governor Sproul had re-
moved Charles A. Ambler from the
office of Insurance Commissioner for
the reason that he had deposited a
large amount of State funds in a
bank of questionable solvency. In a
later statement from the same source
it is alleged that the first intimation
unsound was on July 9th, ten days be-
: fore the closing, when bank exam-
| iner Ferguson made an examination in
{ his official capacity “and found out
| that it was unsound.”
Ambler was removed in January,
was closed for the declared reason
that he deposited State funds in an
unsound bank and subsequently bor-
' rowed for personal use large sums of
| money from the bank. If that was
| the real reason for the removal of
| Ambler it was the palpable duty of
| the State Banking Department fo
‘ make an examination at once, in or-
{ der to protect the State as well as the
' other depositors in the bank from
| loss. But nothing was done in this
i direction until the affairs of the con-
| cern had become so involved that the
{ loss of considerable money to the
‘ State was inevitable. Another state-
‘ ment indicates that the State authori-
| ties hoped to get the State funds out
| of the bank before its tottering con-
| dition was known to the public.
The chances are that Ambler was
i removed from office because he was
! identified with the Brumbaugh fac-
tion of the past and supported Denny
O'Neil for the Republican nomination
for Governor last fall with more zeal
than discretion. The investigation
into the affairs of the bank since the
failure indicates that Ambler will be
able to extricate himself from the
wreckage and it will be necessary to
provide a “goat.” Moyer had been in-
dulging in practices which pointed
‘him out as the logical “it” and the
State. authorities will likely try to
“save their own faces” by fastening
the culpability on him. Probably he
. deserves this sinister distinction for
slovenly banking is inexcusable.
———Probably England won’t be
ready the next time Germany attacks
: France, but it will be a good while be-
| fore Germany will be ready for such
| an enterprise again.
Victor Berger's Foolish Notions.
t Victor Berger, of Wisconsin, who is
! still trying to “jimmy” his way into
| Congress, is showing no signs of re-
pentance. In a statement before the
| committee investigating his claim, the
' other day, he expressed a preference
i for the Industrial Workers of the
i World as a labor organization to the
| American Federation of Labor. He
| also characterized the recent world
war “as the greatest crime ever com-
| mitted,” and said that while he was
i “in favor of intervention in Mexico,
"in 1916,” he was “greatly opposed to
the draft and its effect in forming
' the army in 1917.”
Mr. Berger's s#ason for opposition
| to the American Federation of Labor,
"is Samuel Gompers. That distinguish-
| ed labor leader has always advised
| against violence and the destruction
! of property while murder and sabot-
"age are the principal instruments of
ithe. W. W. and the A. F. A, has
| been consistently loyal to its obliga-
| tions of patriotism while the other
' has been invariably “agin’ the govern-
ment.” Naturally Mr. Berger, who is
| under conviction and sentence for
| treasonable actions, under the espion-
‘age law, favors the organization of
_ evil impulses.
In 1916 every enemy of the United
States at home or abroad, favored in-
| tervention in Mexico for the reason
i that such an enterprise might so tax
| the military resources of the United
| States as to make intervention in the
world war impossible. Careless think-
ers pretend to believe that the inva-
. sion and conquest of Mexico would be
ia sort of holiday diversion for the
| United States. But Victor Berger is
| under no such delusion. He knows
! that undertaken in 1916 it would have
' required vears of time, millions of
men and billions of money to settle
| that trouble.
And that is precisely the reason
| that Mr. Berger favored intervention
{in Mexico. While our armies and en-
ergies were being wasted in the pur-
suit of Mexican bandits the armies of
Germany, Austria and Turkey would
be overrunning and devastating ‘Eu-
rope and completing plans for the
conquest of America when their other
tasks were finished. In view of these
facts, Victor Berger has no right to
occupy a seat in the Congress of the
United States and we sincerely hope
that the present Congress will so de=
termine.
If the recent Washington out-
break could be ascribed to that pes-
tiferous old sinner, John Barleycorn,
everything would be easy.
When the bank |
was closed by the Commissioner of |!
! Banking announcement was made that
the authorities got that the bank was
NO. 30.
The Issue is War or Peace.
From the Philadelphia Record.
Senator Harding, of Ohio, may be
| securing instructions from his constit-
| uents. He would not do anything
against their wishes for the world.
He has been in a state of considerable
uncertainty as to the path of duty—
and popularity—in the matter of the
peace treaty. However, he has gone
with the Republican crowd against
the treaty, but public sentiment, quite
as much Republican as Democratic,
is plainly becoming more impatient
of the factious and partisan hostility
i to the only possible means of giving
‘the world reasonable assurance
against war. It is getting to be a
| dangerous thing for a Senator to
! stand out for war when there is a
| possibility of securing permanent
| peace.
i Mr. Harding’s constituents are re-
ported to be adopting resolutions and
| signing petitions to him to abandon
his policy of obstruction, and if these
petitions are general enough we are
confident that the Senator will grace-
fully accede to them. It is not im-
possible that the prudent Senator is
getting himself instructed so that he
can cut loose from the narrow, parti-
san and reactionary crowd that he is
i
n.
Whatever Mr. Harding’s attitude
really is, there is no question that the
world expects the United States to
sign the treaty; that our good name
in the world is compromised by the
attitude of the majority party in the
Senate, and that the grounds of oppo-
sition are puerile. The rights of the
United States are amply safeguarded
in the covenant of the League of Na-
tions, and it is the knowledge of this
fact that inspired Republican indig-
nation over the Tsingtao cession.
Afraid to make any longer fight over
the League of Nations, the Republi-
can Senators have discovered that
China was wronged by Germany 21
years ago, when the Republican party
controlled the government, and the
protection of China was not consider-
ed by any one.
Every Senator who fights against
the treaty, whether on account of the
League or of Tsingtao, knows that the
treaty and the League constitute the
only possible protection of the world
from another such calamity as that of
1914. He knows that the United
States is perfectly safe under the
treaty, and that no nation would com-
mit suicide even if it were so provid-
ed in a treaty. If the treaty proved
from what it appears to mean, the
United States would promptly with-
draw from the League.
Every Senator who opposes the
treaty, on whatever ground, is doing
all in his power to perpetuate war.
Save the Airplane Service.
From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
Whatever may be the nature of the
Assistant Secretary of War, on the
future of aviation in the United
States, Congress should certainly look
against the ruling party that it is al-
lowing America’s air service to go fo
pieces. It is certain the country will
not excuse Secretary Baker if by rea-
son of pique over the indifference of
Congress to his elaborate suggestions
for an airplane service he should let
things slide just to prove his political
opponents in the wrong and then face
the crisis on the Mexican border with
an inadequate and badly equipped
aerial force to handle the problem.
The country is in no temper to stand
dallying of this sort, and yet, if cer-
tain undenied statements be true,
Congress and the Administration
have reached an impasse from which
only the worst may be expected. This
is certainly not common sense; it is
not military science; and in view of
what we ought to be doing in avia-
tion, it approaches very nearly being
open-eyed folly. If it is true that,
somewhat belatedly, Secretary Baker
has come to a realization that some-
thing must be done to save the situa-
tion in aviation, it would seem that
the comment that has been made on
the fatuousness of the policy of doing
nothing has struck home. Certainly
if the Administration does present the
entire situation to Congress without
partisan bias, it is a foregone conclu-
sion that the country will not let Con-
gress pass the buck back to the War
Department, but will insist on action.
The House committee seems to be
aware of this phase of the issue and
it ought not to let any €
Secretary Baker in a hole interfere
with the necessities of the case.
Obstructing Peace.
From the Savannah News.
It will be embarrassing
Germans can point to the United
States and charge that on account of
the refusal of a handful of obstinate
partisan Senators the great nation
which was champion of world-peace
stands alone in the way of peace.
If Foch Had Made Peace.
From the Columbus Dispatch.
In view of the speed he was show-
ing when the armistice halted him,
we feel sure that Foch would have
got peace more expeditiously, if it
had 41 been left to him, than the
Peace Conference did.
Might Take Him Up.
From the Ohio State Journal.
About everybody of supposed im-
portance in Germany has now offered
himself as a vicarious sacrifice for the
Kaiser, except Count von Bernstorf,
and we imagine he’s afraid we might
really take him up.
to mean something very different
special report of Benedict Crowell,
|
|
i
|
|
|
|
to it that no charge can be brought |
desire to put |
if there |
shall arise a situation in which the |
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Stephen Palshisko, in ending his life
at his home near Winburne, lighted a fuse
attached to a can of powder, and, stand-
ing immediately over the can, waited until
the explosion ended his life. He leaves a
family of six.
—Joseph H. Tuffs, of Pittston, had no
faith in banks. He placed his savings,
amounting to $390, in his sock and locked
up money and sock in his trunk. He went
to work and came home to find his trunk
broken open. The sock was there, but the
money was gone.
—Acting Chief of Police A. K. Hutchin-
son, of Greensburg, is suffering from an
attack of blood poisoning caused, it is
said, by being bitten by a prisoner he ar-
rested on July 17th. Hutchinson was ar-
resting Roy Shoaf, a suspicious character,
when the prisoner bit the officer on the
right hand.
—While emulating Benjamin Franklin
and flying a kite during a thunderstorm
late Saturday Andrew Loyak, of Scranton,
was killed when a bolt of lightning fol-
lowed the kite string from the skies.
Loyak was struck in the back of the head
and all of his hair burned off. Death was
instantaneous.
—State Game Commission officials de-
clare that there has been a record demand
for hunters’ licenses. The Legislature
passed a law which advanced the season
for hunting blackbirds from September 1
to August 1, because of the damage done
to fields and orchards by the birds and
also took the protection off the red squir-
rels for the same reason.
William Packard, who is living at a
cabin on “Big Mountain,” near Trout Run,
Lycoming county, had the scare of his life
one night last week when he discovered
that a big blacksnake had usurped his
bed. He was just about to occupy the
bed himself when he saw its occupant and
killed the snake. He spent a very rest-
less night, imagining snakes all over the
place. Many snakes have been killed in
that vicinity recently.
—Thomas Welch, of Wellsboro, aged 26
vears, while attempting to rescue Dorothy
Shatterton, of that place, and her guest,
Helen Gingrich, of Rochester, N. Y., after
they had gotten beyond their depth in
Pine Creek, Sunday afternoon, was seized
with cramps and drowned. The girls
were rescued by Miss Shatterton’s father,
who attempted in vain to rescue Welch.
When help arrived, the body was raised,
but he was beyond aid.
—Superintendent J. K. Johnston, has
been reappointed as head of the board of
managers of the State Village for Feeble
Minded women, at Laurelton, Union coun-
ty. The beard named by Governor W. C.
Sproul is made up as follows: J. K.
Johnston, Tyrone; Joseph W. Cochran
Williamsport; Mrs. George H. Earle, Phil
adelphia; Philip B. Linn, Lewisburg; Mrs.
Elizabeth C. Birney, Philadelphia, and
Mrs. Harold M. McClure, Lewisburg.
—Mrs. Frank Childs, of Lewistown, has
received notice from the War Department
that one of the destroyers now building
will be named in honor of her son, Lieu-
tenant Earl W. Childs, who was lost at
sea during the world war. Mrs. Childs
will christen the ship. In spite of the
fact that more than a year has elapsed
since Lieutenant Childs was lost fifteen
miles off the Irish coast, the mother still
believes he is alive and will return to his
home.
—Damages for injuries alleged to have
been suffered when attacked in police
court, July 1, and also for injured feelings.
are sought by Edward Robling, a Social-
ist leader, in two suits begun against
members of the Scranton police, demand-
ing $35,000 damages. Robling was attack-
ed on the ground that he made slurring
remarks concerning the United States, the
trouble occurring when four alleged Bol-
shevik agents were arraigned before Po-
lice Magistrate Williams.
-—Last week the Helvetia Milk Condens-
ing company, at Westfield, Tioga county,
paid over $152,000 to the dairymen of
that section for milk. The month showed
an average of nearly 173,000 pounds of
milk a day or in the whole month about
200,000 pounds of milk more than was re-
ceived during the the month of June last
year. The total milk received for the
month was over 5,200,000 pounds or enough
to float a fleet. The list of milk checks
for the month number more than 650
names, the longest list of the year.
—While playing wild west near their
homes at Ludlow, McKean county, Milford
Nordine, 13 years old, shot and instantly
killed Allen Engman, 10 years old. Dur-
ing the past week a medicine man has
been in Ludlow and wild west stunts have
been numerous in connection with hig
spiel. Lassos and guns have been much in
evidence among boys and ‘wild west” has
been the prevailing theme that resulted in
Monday's tragedy. Young Nordine found
an automatic revolver in the upper apart-
ment of his home and with a number of
boys started playing wild west. Nordine,
not knowing the gun was loaded, began
pulling the trigger. A ball struck Eng-
man in the neck.
—The State of Pennsylvania has on its
preserves hundreds of thousands of dol-
lars’ worth of chestnut wood, with no
means of getting it to market. Officials
of the State Forestry Commission say if
all of the dead, dying and blighted chest-
nut trees in the State forests could be
! marketed speedily at least $1,500,000 could
be realized. Pennsylvania now owns
1,041,491 acres of forest land, in 53 State
forests scattered throughout 27 counties.
The land cost the State $2,375,110.55. Last
year 14,459 acres were added to the pre-
serves, and during the first half of this
year 9258 acres were bought. An inter-
esting fact in connection with the State
laws governing forests is that all income
from that source goes into the State per-
manent school fund and up to July 1st,
$191,219.49 had been realized.
—Charged with stealing a money belt
containing $3540 from Andy Pustay, of
Carpentertown, Westmoreland county, oun
June 25th, Chares Markus and Pete Waj-
dic were arrested by the state police, on a
warrant issued by ’Squire J. Q. Truxal.
They were taken before him where Waj-
dic was able to give bail te the amount of
£1000, for his appearance at a further hear-
ing. Markus was not able to furnish bail
in the same amount and was sent to jail.
On the night of June 25th, Pustay lay
down to sleep in his bungalow at Carpen-
tertown with his money beit around his
waist. He slept soundly and two men al-
leged to be the two defendants in the case,
entered the room, cut the belt and fled
hastily with the money. The act of pull-
ing the belt away awakened Andy. Pus-
tay had been an industrious coal miner
and saved his money. He had no faith in
the banks of the country and preferred to
live near his roll of legal tender. He has
formed an idea mow that it is not safe to
go to sleep with a belt of nearly, $4000
around him, :
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