wu
“ people who saved it for
Bema im
EEE SETS)
INK SLINGS.
—1In just another week we’ll be tak-
ing up the vigil for April 15th, 1926.
—Lunger Wion thinks Tuesday's
rain was bad for the little potatoes.
—Wheat is going down. It always
does just about the time the farmers
who can’t afford to hold it begin to
thresh.
—When some, who think they are
in politics, don’t know just where
they’re at they call themselves pro-
gressives.
— Besides shaking California, earth-
quakes are shaking the desires out of
a lot of folks who had decided to be-
come Californians.
—The girl who has scenery painted
on her knees must certainly be court-
ing the evil eye. What she really
needs is a shingle on her seat.
—The fellow who is always telling
you what’s the best thing to do in a
given circumstance has probably never
tried it himself or never had to.
—Pleats are in vogue again for mi-
lady’s wardrobe, but the old accordion
skirt won’t get back until there is
enough skirt to make an accordion
out of.
—Of course Senator Pepper won't
be provoked if we read between the
lines of his recent letter to Pinchot
that he was trying to “spit in the eye
of a bull dog.”
—Dr. Kellogg, director of the State
Bureau of Foods, has classified near-
beer as a soft drink. We know very
little of Dr. Kellogg, but we want to
say right here that he knows a soft
drink when he tastes it.
—We know what has become of the
old fashioned fellow who was eternal-
ly wanting to borrow a quarter or a
dime. There ain’t no such animal any
more, because a dime or a quarter are
too small for bootleggers to pay any
attention to.
—1In the good old days the wise
groom was never fearful of his meal
ticket. He bought his bride a wash-
tub and a wringer and she did the
rest, when he felt like telling his boss
that he didn’t have to work. It’s dif-
ferent now. The emancipation of
woman has been a regular crepe hang-.
er for man.
—We notice that fifteen K. K.
Klans in Colorado have surrendered
their chartets and are going in for a
new dark lantern enterprise called
«Minute Men of America.” Evidently
the organizers, the wizards and kle-
gals have gotten all the easy money in
sight and are burning another kiln of
gold bricks for the crowd that always
wants to save the nation from the
: them. Fv
—A shoe dealer told us, the other
day, that since automobiles have come
into such general use there has been
a very appreciable falling off in the
demand for shoes. That is natural,
for when people don’t walk shoes are |;
not worn out as rapidly as when ‘they
do. Shoes wear out with use. Legs
wear out for want of it and another
generation of automobile riders may
produce a species of legless man.
—_Either the candidates are getting
tired or the campaign is going to flop.
During the last four days we have met
only three persons who have expressed
any curiosity a. to which way the cat
is jumping. Of course we don’t want
to see or hear anything undignified in
a judicial race, but just for the sake
of keeping up the excitement caused
when they all hung their pictures in
the hall of fame one of the contest-
ants might go so far as to slap one
of the others on the wrist.
—Elsewhere in this edition our co-
worker, Gates, is worrying himself
into a frenzy for fear we won't have a
candidate for burgess. As Gates
isn’t particular—we get the idea from
his importunity for anybody to run—
we want to suggest Hardman P. Har-
ris. Hard would make a helluva good
burgess. We'd just love to see him in
custody of the key to the borough.
Clothe him with the authority and
there will be less stepping on the gas
or more fines turned in to the borough
treasury.
—Some fellow by the name of
Smith, out in Minneapolis, has invent-
ed an attractometer that shows that
the sun has “black rays” and that Ikey
Newton was all wrong about his law
of gravitation. This Smith man in-
sists that the sun has a pushing pow-
er over the earth, instead of a pulling
one, as Ike thought. Smith or no
Smith, “black rays or no black rays,”
push or pull we are not going to per-
mit ourselves to become overheated
about something that can’t be changed
by. a swipe of his pencil.
— What epitaph our survivors de-
cide to have carved on the stone that
marks our last resting place has been
a matter that never came into mind
until a few days ago, when a corres-
pondent sent us one she had copied
from a stone in a cemetery at Wood-
stock, N. Y. It is a tribute to John
Child, who died in 1816, and runs like
this:
He rushed in to eternity
A dreadful God to view
He neither settled his affairs
Or bid his friends adieu.
Maybe that was an expression of
complimentary thought in 1816, but
we're not taking any chances on the
evolution of English during the cen-
turies that we will be gone. If any-
body gets rhymy over our departure
let them publish it in the “Watch-
man,” but for Heaven’s sake, save our
marker from the humiliation of deter-
iorating into a curio.
BELLEFONTE
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
, PA.. JULY
change Compliments.
There is some justification for the
rebuke administered by Senator Pep-
per to Governor Pinchot in a letter
dated Monday and affectionately ad-
dressed to “Dear Gifford.” On Satur-
day last the Governor took the liberty
of censuring the Senator for recom-
mending the reappointment of John
H. Glass, of Shamokin, to the office
of United States marshal for this dis-
trict. Mr. Glass, the Governor said, is
“notoriously wet” and that “his ap-
pointment would be a direct affront to
every believer in the constitution and
the law and would have the effect of
seriously weakening the enforcement
of the law throughout his district.” It
is probably true that ultra prohibi-
tionists are displeased.
But what license has the Governor
to protest in such language to the
Senator? Mr. Pepper pretends to be
quite as “dry” as anybody else and
possibly would have preferred to rec-
ommend a “dry” candidate for the of-
fice, which as a matter of fact is a
part of the machinery for enforcement
of the Volstead law. But he is a can-
didate for Senator and his most dan-
gerous antagonist for the office is the
Governor, who has the “dry” vote of
the State “on ice.” Senator Pepper is
an aristocrat in social life and a dile-
tante in politics. But he is practical
enough to understand that it is un-
wise for a candidate to help his ene-.
mies, and by appointing a “dry” can-
didate he would be conserving the in-
terests of Pinchot at the expense of
himself.
In his reply the Senator assures
“Dear Gifford” that he has fulfilled
his public obligations in the matter
according to his judgment and con-
science. He declares that he examin-
ed the official record of Mr. Glass and
gave full opportunity to the opponents
of the candidate to make and prove
charges against him, which they fail-
ed to do. After thus justifying him-
self he proceeds to throw a harpoon
into Gifford’s ribs by adding “the dif-
ference between your methods and
mine is that you act. on impulse with-
out having: all the facts and I sift
loose talk and try to get the facts.”
This is a rather serious charge against
a public official and it may be suscept-
ible of proof.
——Baseball magnates complain of
‘too many home runs but nobody has
heard anybody complain that his home
team is to blame.
The Pittsburgh Bank Scandal.
The report of Attorney General
Woodruff of his investigation of the
Pittsburgh bank scandal reveals the
methods of the Republican machine in
its worst form. John F. Bell, in his
capacity of party leader, obtained
from the cnstodians of public funds,
State, county, city and township, de-
posits in his banks upon hazardous
terms and in excess of safe limits and
used the funds thus acquired for per-
sonal advantage. It may be that he
was within the law in these operations,
for as the Attorney General declares
the legal restraints in .the matter are
inadequate. But it seems that in mak-
ing false returns to the officials who
favored him he is culpable and is like-
ly to be arraigned in court.
The principal cause of the scandal,
according to the Attorney General,
was the “one man control of a bank-
ing institution, the consequent over-
whelming effect upon subordinates,
whereby they did just what the one
man directed and the concentration of
loans to one interest, namely to that
of John A. Bell.” But as a matter of
fact the fault rests on political influ-
ence and favoritism. Mr. Bell acquir-
ed his dominating control of the bank
through the politicians with whom he
exchanged favors and used the power
thus obtained to promote the interests
of those who had favored him. In
this interchange of services the func-
tions of the bank were prostituted and
the interests of its patrons sacrificed.
Mr. Bell became a banker, it ap-
pears, because he was able to get cus-
todians of public funds to place the
money. Having become a banker he
developed the unusual capacity in em-
ploying the public funds entrusted to
his keeping to recuperate the waning
fortunes, financial and political, of his
political friends. He gave signed
checks in blank to Herman Kephart
while he was State Treasurer, to de-
ceive the public and accountants and
took like liberties with public funds in
his care to help himself when in finan-
cial trouble. All in all he was a handy
man in the Republican machine and a
typical leader in the organization of
that party in Pennsylvania. What the
result will be is left to conjecture.
————————
French troops are being with-
drawn from the Ruhr region and doves
of peace are hovering over Europe.
—————————————
——There was enough monkey bus-
iness in the Scopes case to make a
second rate menagerie.
Gifford and George Wharton Ex-| Chairman Oldfield on Right Line.
Representative Oldfield, of Arkan-
sas, chairman of the Democratic Con-
gressional committee, contemplates a
trip through the middle west section
of the country next month with the
viiew of discovering what is the mat-
ter with the Democratic party in Wis-
consin, North and South Dakota, Min-
nesota, Iowa and Nebraska. In the
nature of things all those States ought
to have developed strong Democratic
voting power in the last Presidential
contest, whereas they failed signally
and almost shamefully. Mr. Oldfield,
who is a capable student of public af-
fairs, with an acute and analytical
mind, is sufficiently optimistic to be-
lieve that the reasons for the delin-
quency can be traced and removed. It
is a worthy purpose.
In stating his purpose Mr. Oldfield
says: “It is inconceivable that the
Northwest, which has always been ad-
venturous and open to humane ideas
of politics, should permit itself to be
tied to the ultra conservative pro-
gram of the Republican administra-
tion. These people want something
different and better than the colorless
and reactionary program offered them
by the Coolidge administration. The
voters appear to be fed up on the ul-
tra-conservatism of Coolidge and the
ultra-radicalism of others. During
the long fight which has been going on
within the Republican party the Dem-
acratic party has suffered a partial
eclipse in these States but it has
maintained its organization. It is the
logical party to fit in the northwestern
situation where the Republicans have
read the old-time leaders out of the
party, and where anything of a pro-
gressive tinge is looked upon as rank
heresy.”
Chairman Oldfield shows a fine
spirit in his undertaking to rejuvenate
the D- ‘cratic organization of the
northwest. There are plenty of Dem-
ocrats in that section to make a brave
fight, and if they are properly sup-
ported might make it a successful con-
test. For that reason Mr. Oldfield de-
serves encouragement and support in
his enterprise and his effort should in- | “=iped
spire Democrats in other ‘sections of
the country, including Pennsylvania,
to similar effort in their sections. In
Centre county, for example, we have
every reason to believe that if the full
strength of the party were brought to
the polls the old-time majority might
be restored. The present is the right
time to undertake the work.
e———————e—————
—1If it hadn’t been for the adver-
tising Bryan would have gotten out of
it we’d have been tickled sick had that
country judge in Tennessee given
Clarence Darrow about thirty days for
contempt of his court. There comes a
time when it is wholesome to teach
even a Darrow that the law is bigger
than some of its gifted distortionists
imagine it to be.
The Scopes Trial at Dayton.
The Scopes trial in Dayton, Tennes-
see, which might be called anything
except a court proceeding, has fortu-
nately drawn to a close, but unhappily
without result helpful to religion, ed-
ucation or anything else useful.
From the beginning it was obvious
that the defendant would be “fount
guilty as charged.” The Legislature
of Tennessee had enacted a law which,
though absurd, was within its power
to pass. Professor Scopes had know-
ingly and wilfully violated that law.
His only defense was that the law was
unconstitutional and therefore invalid.
Instead of addressing themselves to
that purpose his lawyers undertook to
make an issue of Science against the
Bible. In that choice they invited de-
feat. 2
Few men of sound reasoning powers
will assert that the theory of evolu-
tion conflicts with the doctrine in the
Bible. The history of the world is a
consistent record of development.
From the most remote period of time
wise men have differed in their inter-
pretation of the Bible. But this dif-
ference does not necessarily imply
that one or the other disputes the doc-
trine of the Bible. One may as sin-
cerely believe in the divine inspiration
of the Bible as the other. Only big-
oted dogmatists insist that they are
always right and those who disagree
with them invariably wrong.
In the Dayton trial both sides began
wrong. Mr. Bryan, speaking for the
State, alleged that the purpose of the
defense was “to ridicule every person
who believes in religion.” In support-
ing that notion he appealed, not to
reason, but to the rabble. On the oth-
er hand Mr. Darrow, speaking for the
defendant, fed the fires of prejudice
by protesting against opening the ses-
sions of court with prayer. The re-
sult of these blunders is that the de-
fendant was convicted and the public
will not have acquired even a scintilla
of information on a question of great
importance. If the outsiders who
were more concerned for self-ag-
grandizement than for science or re-
ligion had kept out some good might
have resulted.
One Fact Established.
Governor Pinchot keeps the other
leaders of his party wondering and
worrying. The other day, while in
Philadelphia, he entertained General
Butler, director of Public Safety, for
an hour or two, in his room in the
Bellevue-Stratford hotel, and the
bunch of near-statesmen always as-
sembled about the city hall jumped at
the conclusion that the object of the
conference was to induce the marine
General to run for Governor on what
is to be known as the Pinchot ticket
next year. As a matter of fact it was
only a social call of the General on
the Governor during which a week-
end fishing party on the Governor's
ample estate in Pike county was ar-
ranged. There was no politics in it.
There was no occasion for alarm at
this time in this friendly exchange of
courtesies between the General and
the Governor. Immediately after the
event the General assured the per-
turbed politicians that he is not a can-
didate for Governor or any other of-
fice now. But there is peril in the fu-
ture, for no mortal mind can even im-
agine what may happen during the
week-end intercourse in the “house of
many gables” near Milford, when the
hospitality of the Governor is in tide.
Gifford is a. persuasive person and
when he “tells it to the marines” there
may come a change of mind that will
bring disaster to the machine. In
other words, the General may view the
situation from another angle.
In any event there is one thing
that may be accepted as a settled fact.
Gifford Pinchot, now Governor in spite
of the machine, is a candidate for Sen-
ator jn Congress and all the elements
which make for his success are com-
bining in his interest.
flouting of public opinion by the ma-
"chine controlled Legislature, the Bell
bank scandals and the accumulating
proof of insincerity in the enforce-
ment of prohibition legislation by the
National administration and the State
party leaders, all add to the already
abundant reasons why the Pennsylva-
nia Republican machine should be
id d off the map.” Pinchot has the
money, the Teasons and he may get
the votes.
——While in town last Thursday
William Woods, of Osceola, made a
i statement that proved very interest-
ing, especially at a time when so many
are discussing the judicial contest in
the county. Mr. Woods is the regis-
tration assessor of Rush township and
was here to make return of his work
to the County’Commissioners. In his
tabulation of the voters of the West
precinct of Rush he discovered that
the Republicans have lost 36, while
the Democrats have gained 41 and the
Prohibitionists suffer a loss of 1. Mr.
Woods had no explanation to make of
the significant change of political af-
filiation other than to say that a great
many miners have been compelled to
move out of the field because of scarc-
ity of work. That might account for
the Republican loss, but what of the
Democratic gain under the same in-
dustrial conditions? It can be ascrib-
ed only to changes in political allign-
ment brought about through dissatis-
faction with present conditions and, if
it should be reflected everywhere in
Centre county, as it is shown to be in
the West precinct of Rush, the com-
ing judicial contest has a new element
of uncertainty, injected into it.
ER NS
—We would be inclined to put some
faith in the recent announcement of
the American Automobile Association
to the effect that “women are just as
competent drivers as men” if they
would only stay on their own side of
the road when one meets them. We
meet very few women drivers who
don’t act as if they imagined them-
selves all bedecked in orange blos-
soms in the centre aisle of the church
instead of on a public highway where
mere man has some rights too.
——————— ee ——————
—Clarence Darrow doubtless is a
brilliant lawyer. He has argued,
plead and won many important and
seemingly hopeless cases. Being an
avowed agnostic he probably thinks
there will be no final tribunal for him
to face. Those of us who do, though
our tongues be cleft, our simple faith
will stand us in better stead than the
dramatic oratory of this man who
scoffs at the miracles of the Bible with
the thought of destroying the value
of all its teachings.
———The President of Mexico claims
that he has cut $9,000,000 out of the
expenses of his War Department with-
in a year. Coolidge is not the only
economizer.
——— A ——————
——Thus far no Democratic candi-
date for Superior court judge has been
announced and there are plenty of
Democrats fit for the office.
er —————— pee ———
——The promise of frequent show-
ers’ at this season of the year is not
entirely unwelcome. The hay fever
abomination is also due.
24. 1925.
The flagrant’
NO. 29.
The Inventive Genius.
From the Philadelphia Record.
The recent achievement of J. E.
Barnard, of London, hatter by trade
and expert microscopist by choice of
leisurely avocation, who is chiefly, re-
sponsible for the recent interesting
discoveries in cancer research, in col-
laboration with Dr. Gye, recalls the
stories of other pioneers in the field
of invention whose education and
training were scarcely calculated to
fit them for the marvelous things they
accomplished.
In a casual review of such men in
this country the first name that comes
to mind is that of Eli Whitney, in-
ventor of the cotton gin. During the
Revolutionary war young Whitney
was a common laborer, making nails
by hand. He had had no education,
but he managed to save enough to
take him through Yale College. Called
to Georgia to act as teacher, he found
the job filled when he got there. He
was fortunately befriended by the
widow of General Nathaniel Greene,
who gave him a home while he entered
upon a study of law. ;
His inventive skill, displayed in
various odd jobs done for her about
the plantation, led Mrs. Greene to rec-
ommend him to a committee of plant-
ers who were seeking a way to clean
green cotton of its seeds. Up to that
time, we are told, Whitney had seen
neither the raw cotton nor the cotton
seed, but, securing some cotten from
which the seed had not been removed,
he began to work out his idea of the
cotton gin. It was perfected in a few
months (in 1792) and by its use a sin-.
gle farm hand was enabled to clean
1000 pounds for market in one day,
as against six pounds at most under
the old hand method. The principle
and mechanism were so simple that
they have carried through with but
few changes to this day. 4
George Stephenson, who first learn-
ed how to apply the hot blast to the
locomotive and became the father ‘of
the modern railway, was the son of a
‘fireman of a colliery engine in the
mining district near Neweastle, Eng-
land. As a small boy he had been a
cow-herder and afterwards drove a
gin horse at a colliery. . At fourteen
he was assistant to his father at a
shilling a day. At seventeen he was
unable to read, but he quickly reme-
died that deficiency, and it, was only a
few years later that he gaws tothe
world his miner’s safety lamp at the
same time that Sir Humphrey Davy
was producing his. On September 27,
of this year, 1925, England—and
doubtless the rest of the civilized
world—will celebrate the centenary of
the opening of the first railway over
which passengers and freight were
carried by a locomotive. George
Stephenson was the genius who was
responsible for that.
These are only two of the great
men of the ages who evolved much
from little. - Many others could be
cited. In our own time we have
Thomas Alva Edison, who began his
career as a newsboy on a railroad run-
ning between Detroit and Port Huron.
BR Hin
An Outside View of the “Watchman’s”
Bank Plan.
From the Clearfield Republican.
George R. Meek, editor of the
“Democratic Watchman,” Bellefonte,
who recently won out in the Centre
County Bank case before the United
States Supreme court, offers a very
easy and practical plan to the cred-
itors and others interested to recoup
losses and at the same time supply a
much needed want. He suggests re-
organizing the bank with a national
bank charter, offers to find at least a
third of the capital, men and interests
sufficient to start the enterprise along
wholesome lines. Naturally, Mr.
Meek’s plan is meeting’ with opposi-
tion from the other banks of the town.
That is to be expected. That there is
room for another bank has long since
been demonstrated. There were three
banks in Bellefonte for many years
and all thrived when the management
was virile and on the job. That the
creditors would soon be made whole
goes without saying. The experience
of the defunct bank and those con-
nected with it would serve to keep
everybody in the re-organized concern
on their toes.
Two New Cures.
From the Pittsburgh Post.
A than afflicted with stuttering
found the impediment in his speech
gone after a fall in an airplane last
week. And there was a deaf-mute near
Franklin,- Pa., who recovered his
speech after being shocked and burned
by lightning last Thursday. The cures
are impressive; but it is doubted if
any one will ever take them volun-
tarily.
Worth a Battle.
From the Evening Public Ledger.
Dr. Ellen C. Potter says the time is
not far off when poverty will have
been eliminated from this country.
That seems a startling case of op-
timism, but it is at least a goal worth
fighting for.
——A New York contemporary
complains that Governor Pinchot
“talks too much” and some of the
Pittsburgh politicians concur in that
opinion.
——The postal rate law passed at
the last session of Congress having
disappointed expectations the Depart-
ment is asking for a new measure.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Rabbits are so numerous in the valleys
surrounding Hazleton that they are de-
stroying much vegetation and damaging
young trees. :
—Appointment of Dr. Charles E. Dickey,
of Pittsburgh, as a member of the State
Council of Education was announced at the
Governor's office.
—The decapitated body of Lawrence
Kuasnick, aged 42 years, of Hudson, was
1 found along the tracks of the Central Rail-
road after a train had passed.
—In attempting to escape from jail at
Mercer early on Sunday John Girsh, aged
21 years, under sentence to be electrocuted
October 26, was probably fatally injured
when he fell sixty-five feet to the ground
after thre rope he was using snapped.
—Maple sugar producers in Clearfield
county are puzzled over the appearance of
a new worm which is reported to be caus-
ing destruction to the trees in the sugar
groves there. Specimens of the pest have
been sent to the State Agricultural Depart-
ment at Harrisburg for identification.
—Spurning a cash register and a safe
containing large sums of money, robbers
early on Monday centered their attention
upon an iron strong box, containing two
cases of whiskey, in the McGill drug store,
at Pittsburgh. They carted the iron safe
away. Their loot included 16 pints of
whiskey removed from shelves.
—John Arthur Ertel, seven years old, of
DuBoistown, Lycoming county, was in-
stantly killed at 3:30 o’clock last Thurs-
day afternoon when he was struck by a
bolt of lightning while in the kitchen of
his grandfather's home near Montoursville.
The bolt upset chairs, tore away some of a
partition and ripped up the linoleum of the
room.
—Emptying a bottle of ‘moonshine’
with several companions at Shenandoah,
on Saturday, John Swerer, 45 years old,
went to a cemetery, placed a stick of dy-
namite under his head and blew himself
to death. The explosion attracted the at-
tention of residents of the vicinity, who
identified the body by pay checks in the
pockets.
—Despondent because of ill health, re-
sulting from being shell-shocked during
the Meuse-Argonne offensive, Roy L.
Berkebile, 29 years old, of Johnstown, end-
ed his life on Saturday by hanging from
a tree in the woods near Arbutus. Park.
His body was found by two boys. He was
a member of company H, Fifty-sixth pio-
neer infantry, and served elev months
over seas. ~~
—Francis Yoder, of Somerset, fifty years
old, was mysteriously shot, in the woods
near his home while on a hunting trip, and
died a short time later in the Somerset
hospital. He was the father of twenty
children, fifteen of whom are living. Offi-
cials are working on the theory that Yo-
der was struck by a stray bullet from the
rifle of another hunter as Yoder and his
gon, who accompanied him, had not fired
a shot.
—Although a bolt of lightning ripped
open the side of the home of ‘Wanford Gil-
more, at Yardley, Pa. it did not injure
“Tex,” a pet dog owned by Gilmore. The
animal was fastened to a chain in the yard.
After striking the house the bolt jumped
tothe dog chain, which it tore apart link
by link. At the” coupler “attached to the
dog’s neck the bolt jumped and sank into
the ground, while the frightened animal
fled howling.
—Believing that Silas Mostrander, a
well-known resident of Pine Creek valley,
Lycoming county, had buried $12,000 in
gold on his farm near Waterville, shortly
before his death, a few months ago, his
heirs, together with the administrator of
his estate met at the farm last week and
engaged in a treasure hunt. Although
they made excavations in several spots
where they hoped they might find the mon-
ey their efforts were unrewarded.
—Shocked by a bolt of lightning which
wrecked the home of Miss Julia Heron, at
Pleasantville, Venango county, Thursday,
A. N. Burdick, a deaf mute recovered his
speech. He was able to talk and tell co-
herently of the shock and the effect of the
lightning. Burdick was lifting a spoon to
his lips when the lightning hit the house.
Furniture was splintered, part of the
dwelling destroyed, and the spoon sO
charged with electricity that Burdick was
burned about the mouth. ?
—Quick action of Allen T. Roberts, of
Slatington, a Jersey Central railroad fire-
man, on Monday saved the lives of the Rev.
Carl Newderfer, wife and child, of Nanti-
coke, Pa. The clergyman and his family
were motoring to Jersey City about 6 a. m,,
when he took a wrong road and plunged
into the Lehigh canal at Weissport. Rob-
erts saw the accident and plunging into
the water, released the occupants of the
submerged machine. Mrs. Newderfer sus-
tained slight injuries and was taken to the
Palmerton hospital.’
—Under the group plan, arrangements
have been made to insure the lives of the
one hundred priests of the Altoona dio-
cese of the Catholic church by Bishop John
J. McCort, head of the see. The clergymen
of the diocese will pay the premiums joint-
ly. Each is insured for $5,000, one-half of
the proceeds to be allotted to a Catholic
charity and the other half to a personal
beneficiary, both to be 'named by the in-
sured. Under a disability clause the full
amount of the insurance will be made in
monthly installments to the clergyman
who becomes disabled before the age of 60.
—Carl Verna, his father, Christ Verna
and Kerney Morris, all of Holsopple, Som-
erset county, were asphyxiated, last Fri-
day, by gas in a well on he Verna prop-
erty. The youth, who was 16 ‘yeirs-af age,
fell into the well which is in course of con-
struction, and was overcome by what is
believed to have been black damp or marsh
gas. His father met a similar fate when
he went to the rescue and Morris, a neigh-
bor, died in the attempt to rescue the fath-
er and the son. Miners of the Victor Coal
company removed the bodies after Jack
Swayne, another volunteer, almost suffered
the fate of the elder Verna and Morris.
—Verna Torsell, aged four years, daugh-
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Torsell, was fa-
tally burned at her home in Lock Haven,
at ten o'clock Saturday night when she at-
tempted to light the oil stove in her par-
ent’s absence. Her dress caught fire, and
although her five year old sister, Dorothea,
made heroic efforts to put the fire out, the
child ran screaming to the front porch
where the maid, Myra Simcox, of Bitumen,
was seated. The maid with. the help of
Howard Barner, a neighbor, put the fire
out and tore the clothing from the child's
body. The child suffered severe burns of
the body. She was taken to the Lock Ha-
ven hospital, but little could be done.