THE COLUMBIAN. BLOOMSBURO, PA. WEEBE HORSES ARE GIVEN AWAY- TUtrt art 125,000 Roaming the Fields of the West. Imagine a herd of horses aggrega ting 185,000 for which no practical use can be founc'. Stockmen of the Northwest are to-day considering what disposition can be made of this im mense number of animals. This great herd roams the prairies of Mont ar a, North Dakota, Washing tan and Northern Idaho. They are grazing upon grass that is rcquirec fox the sustenance of cattle and sheep, and are pr c.ically worthless for any purpose. The cause of this serious condition is due to the bicycle and to street car systems operated by elec bicity and by cable, the use of which within the last few years has so large ly done away with the employment of horses. In some of the districts named the horses are increasing so rapidly in numbers that they are actually crowding live stock, used for supplying the meat markets of the country, off ranges where they find grass on which to subsist. The men who own this vast num ber of horses, ranging, as they do, over such a large expanse of territory, can devise no means of relief, and they are practically helpless. Excel lent horses, unbroken, can be bought fcr from $5 to 15 a head, but even at this low figure no buyers can be found, while the horses, too valuable to be destroyed, and at the same time too expensive to keep alive, continue to multiply. As a result of the liberal policy adopted by the Northern Tacific and other railroad companies of the North west, after measures were adopted by the government to circumscribe and keep the Indians within certain bounds, the great ranges at one time occupied by elk, buffalo, deer and antelope were quickly taken up by capitalists who, having heard of the fame of this region as hunting grounds, established ranches there and began raising stock on a large scale. Hund reds of thousands of dollars were in vested in cattle and large herds of stock bought in Texas, Arizona and other States and Territories in the Southwest and driven to the rich ranges in Northern Idaho, North Dakota, Washington and Montana to fatten on the nutritious bunch grass which grows so luxuriantly there. Immense fortunes were made in this way and cattle kings were numbered by the score. Many capitalists in vested in sheep and raised wool, but the rapid increase in the herds and changes in the tariff laws so affected prices that it was found that the in vestment no longer paid. Among these stockmen were many who raised large herds of horses, either separately or in conjunction with cattle. When the Northern Pacific Railroad was completed much greater accessibility to the horse markets of the East was possible. So encouraging was the investment in horses that many owners increased their herds to as high as ten or twelve thousand head. Attention was given to raising finer grades of horses and abandoning the half-breed and broncho grades. Large draught horses, at one time, found ready sale in the Eastern States and in Europe. It was also thought that there would be an excellent market for horses in larges cities where street car companies use these animals for motive power. For a number of years there was much profit in raising stock for street car use, but when electricity and the cable system were adopted the profits in horse raising gradually diminished until, instead of there being gains, there was a con stant loss. Importations of fine breeding stock from Kentucky and Eastern States, as well as from England and Scotland, were made, but it was found that the horse industry was on the decrease. Shipments to Eastern and Middle Western States over one railroad alone dropped from 10,000 head year ly to 2,000. To such an extent did the market depreciate that instead of making money horse owners found that they stood a good chance of going into bankruptcy. Then the bicycle came into general use and the horse raising industry received its final blow. Those who had been in the habit of using saddle horses found that a bicycle did not require to be " broken in," nor did it require feeding or stabling, while in many ways the machine was capable of being applied to greater use than a horse. This surplus of 125,000 horses con sists not alone of bronchos or cattle horses, but in it may be found sue') stock as coach and Clydesdale horses, nearly all of which, however, are un broken. Among them are the des cendants of some very high priced stallions. One rancher near Walla Walla, Wash., has 3,000 horses on his range," all of which are finely bred. These he is willing to sell at $10 per head, "big and little," as the F:i;irj is among cattle men, which means colts as well as the grown animal. He can find no purchaser'for his stock. The question which is now agitating these stockmenis: "What ca.i be done to rid the ranges of this im mense number OT horses, in order that pasturage may be provided for the large herds of cattle and sheep ?" Fo cattle of this description an amount of pasturage is required which a person other than a stockman or one conver sant with the situation cannot imagine. Of course, there is no feeding in that part of the country for cattle during whter, for they range out of doors during the entire year 1 therefore they nust depend for food entirely upon the bunch and other grass which grows on the prairies ard in the mo" ','a!ns. In 1895 an experiment was made with a view of providing a way out of the trouble. A plant was established at Portland, Oregon, for the purpose of slaughtering horses, and canning the meat for export to France. The plant was operated less than one year, however, for it did not succeed. Horsemen then sought to induce beef slaughtering, packing and rendering establishments in the United States to take horses for slaughtering pur poses, but the attempt failed. The packing house owners absolutely de clined to add horse slaughtering and canning to their beef slaughtering in dustry, on the ground that if it became generally known that they were can ning horse meat, the sale of their canned beef would be materially affected, if not entirely destroyed. Proprietors of rendering establish ments refused to go west to buy horses "from the range," for the reason that they were able to obtain in the cities all the discarded horses they needed at a few dollars per head, or at the slight cost of hauling them from different parts of cities to their establishments. Horse owners in the west were thus again disappointed in finding a market for their stocks in large cities as they had expected. $100 Keward. $100. The readers of this paper will be pleased to learn that there is at least one dreaded disease that science has been able to cure in all its stages and that is Catarrh. Hall's Catarrh Cure is the only positive cure now known to the medical fraternity. Catarrh being a constitutional disease, re quires a constitutional treatment. Hall's Catarrh Cure is taken inter nally, acting di.-ectly upon the blood and mucous surfaces of the system, thereby destroying the foundation of the disease, and giving the patient strength by building up the constitu tion and assisting nature in doing its work. The proprietors have so much faith in its curative powers, that they offer One Hundred Dollars for any case that it fails to cure. Send for list of Testimonials. Address, F. J. CHENEY & CO., Toledo, O. Sold by Druggists, 75c. Hall's Family Pills are the best. im. An Important Opinion. Among the important opinions handed down by the Superior court recently, is that in regard to appeals f'om the judgments of the lower courts in the matter of the refusal of a liquor license. After defining the duties of the Quarter Session courts as imposed by statute, in the matter of granting liquor licenses, the opinion reads : "The office of a mandamus is to require the performance of a judicial function, not to regulate the mental process of a judge. If he refuses or neglects to hear, the performance of that duty must be enjoined upon him; but when he has heard and decided he cannot be required, unless in extreme cases, to lay his mode of reasoning and his moral standards before a high er court that his discretion may be reversed and another substituted for it. "Every fact required by the Acts governing the grant of liquor licenses must be determined as true before the applicant is entitled to a license, and if after a hearing, the judge is satis fied that one or more of the material averments are not satisfactorily proved he has at once a legal reason for re fusing the license." The same day upon which the above opinion was handed down, Judge Reeder, of the Superior Court, ren dered another in the appeal of Samuel J. Babb from the decision of the court of Quarter Sessions of Chester county refusing him a license. The license had been refused because a remon strant alleged that the applicant had sold liquor by the quart to be drank elsewhere than on his premises. Judge Reeder held that retainer had not vio lated the Act of 1887, and stated that it was not necessary for the seller to stand by until the buyer had con sumed his purchase. Why is It, if catarrh is a blood disease, as some claim, that physicians f.equently ad vise change of air and climate to those suffering? Catarrh is a ch'malic affec tion, and nothing but a local remedy or a change 01 climate will cure it. Fly's (.'rerun Palm is so efficient as to do away with the necessity of leaving home and friends, causing instant relief riv.d is a real cure of catan.i. LIBOR MOTHS. Pebs favors woman suffrage. -w-T China bas many labor unions. Duluth has thirty-three unions. ' BoMon has 8,000 union brewers. Leadvllle miners struck (or $3 a day. America has over 18,000 flouring mills. Duluth talks of building a labor tem ple. Cleveland puddlers demand 84.62V6 a ton. Washington now has a White Bar bers' Union. Murfreesboro (N. C.) railroad labor ers get $1.05 a day. National Farmers' Congress will be held in Indianapolis. Indianapolis clerks are trying to close stores on Sunday. Nashville union barbers are prose cuting 8unday barbers. St. Louis Italians are divided on the question of Sunday work. Italians have taken the places Of Clinton (Ind.) striking miners. Laborers In a Terre Haute (Ind.) brickyard get 82 a day and molders $2.75. American Flint OUes Workers' Un ion will start factories and build homes. Astoria fishermen lost a strike. They thus accept four and a half cents for all fish. Printers enjoy the nine-hour day In Austria, Hungary, Germany and Switr erland. Pittsburg's Director of Public Safety wishes to form a company of negro firemen. At Gilt Edge, Col., common laborers get 3 a day; skilled trades, $4. Board, $7 a week. Typewriter girls In a Chicago build ing ousted an Immoral tesant by threatening to strike. San Francisco unionists kick because applicants for work are compelled to enter the rear entrance of the labor bureau. The United Labor League, of Alle gheny County, Pa., has begun a series of lectures on the labor question by eminent men. Women clothing makers In Colllng wood, Victoria, Australia, struck against a cut below $3.50' a week, twelve hours a day. Bartenders of FlttBburg have organ ized for shorter hours and better wages. They call their organization the Knights of the Silver Spoon. Toledo Barbers' Union fined one of Its members $5 for doing paper hang ing on Sundays, to the detriment of regular workers In that branch. Strikes cost the Cigar Makers' Inter national Union $44,039.06 last year. Of the total amount, $31,121.08 was ex pended In two cities, Detroit and Mon treal; hence, barring those two cities, It only cost the International Union $12,917.08 to maintain the scale of prices all over the country. ODDS AND ENDS. - McKlnley and Hobart were each norn fn 1844. That was the year when Hen ry Clay made his last run for the pres idency. The kicker should remember that fretting over the heat adds to Its ef fects. Fhllosophy is more potent man fans as a mltlgant of torrldlty. "My." said the freckled boarder, who came fate to breakfast, "I wish I had my wheel kit here; I'd pump up those mufnns." "Well, Adam was a lucky man." "In what particular way?" "He didn't have to prance around the garden like a blamed Idiot holding Eve on a hundred-dollar bike." The telephone line recently stretched from New York to Chicago is twice as long as the longest line known. Near ly a million tons of copper wire were used in laying It. Every guest at a Norwegian wedding brings the bride a present. In many parts a keg of butter is the usual gift, and If the marriage takes place In win ter salted or frozen meat is offered. There are forests of leafless trees In some parts of Australia. They respire, so they say, through a little stem, ap parently answering the purpose of a leaf. The tree Is known as "the leafless acacia." Buenos Ayres is going to erect a monument to Garibaldi. Garibaldi spent twelve years of his life in fight ing for South American freedom, but Is probably thought of on account of the large proportion of Italians in the population of the city. Now that women are practising den tistry, running steamboats and engag ing in the undertaking business, it seems to be about time to stop talking about "new" avenues of occupation. Statistics show that they are in every thing except the army ana navy. PLEASING FICTIONS. James Thompson, of California Set tlement, Limestone, Me., bas found a place in his field where the plow stops, refusing to go ahead, nor can any exer tion of horses or oxen drag it along. There is no stone or tree root to be seen. The obstacle might be a strong underground lode of magnetic iron, but in that case why should it be pos sible to drag the plow back, and not forward? Catfish stories are dividing with storm stories the attention of the mid dle West." A catfish recently caught in Hawesvllle, Ky., was found to contain a hymn book and a pair of saddlebags, which had doubtless resisted digestion) in the fish's stomach, though all trace of the circuit-riding preacher who once owned them had disappeared. Of course, that catfish was very large. Numbers, rather than size, dis tinguished the German carp which, in Lacon, 111., filled a small stream so full that a farm laborer threw out with a pitchfork 5,000 pounds of carp, which he sold for tour cents a pound. FuJ Lehman, of St. Louis, after the cyclone, was met by a friend, who said tie had one of Lehman's books and didn't know Just how he came by it. Investigation developed the interesting alleged fact that the cyclone blew It from the demolished library of one house to the demolished library of the JIWIL8 Df GLOVES. A Hew r4 of Extra rafanr Thn Cp by Pari and London Swell. The latest fad In the way of eccen tric dress is the wearing of jewels upon various articles of clothing. This ex travagance originated In gay Paris, where the Jewellers arc falling ovet one another in their attempts to find some new use to whtoh to put gems. There are now on the market as a unique result of this attempt to find or devise something new, gloves in the back of which are set precious stones, diamonds, rubles, pearls and emeralds, and In fact, any gem whose natural color harmonizes or makes a pleas ing contrast to the color of the glove. Diamonds seem to be the favorite gem used for this purpose. The Jewels are set In the back rf tbt glove, along the seam, and are held in place by means of a small nut attach ment. Thus far only a tew of the more advanced women of the utra-fashlon-able set have taken to wearing the diamond-ornamented gloves, but the fad Is slowly but surely spreading, and no man can tell to what extent it may be carried. The wearing of gems, according to jewellers, has never been so wide spread and extensive as at the present time. While a year or two ago it was considered bad form to wear any but the plainest jewels, the other extreme will soon be reached and the Jewels will be worn in ways never before thought of. Like every other fashion which or iginates in Paris, the fad of wearing diamond-backed gloves has crossed the English channel, and a few of the more daring English leaders of fashion have promptly had Jewels set in the backs of their gloves. Following the invariable order of such things, the fad will reach this country during the present season. American girls will doubtless com bine this fad with the other one ol wearing the stones appropriate to the, month of their birth. Then those who believe in planetary Influence upon the human disposition will have only to glance at the glove to know the char acter of the girl. Pittsburg Dispatch. A Belle of Siberia. One of the most remarkable articles made of fur Is the $10,000 squirrel skin robe once owned by George Kennan. It is made of the tails of Siberian brown squirrels and sewn together with the sinews of reindeer. In 1868, when Mr. Kennan came back from Siberia, he was a very sick man. The Arctic climate was too severe for him, and the exposure to which he was subjected Induced a most alarmtng sickness which broke out at his home in Norwalk, O. He was treated by Dr. Charles Morrill during a long and dan. gerous sickness. The struggle between life and death was a most desperate one, and when Mr. Kennan arose from his sick bed he was under profound obligations to his physician. As an ex pression of his gratitude he presented Dr. Morrill with a magnificent Siberian squirrel robe. It has been estimated that this robe is worth $10,000. Dr. Merrill cherished the gift during his remaining days, and upon his death four years ago the robe passed to his widow and Is still held by her. Dr. E. C. Morrill, a son of Dr. Charles Mor rill, claimed that Mr. Kennan gave his father the robe on condition that it should pass to the son at the father's death. He accordingly entered suit to recover the Siberian relic, which he estimates to be worth in any market the sura of $10,000. Mrs. Mary R. Morrill, the defendant in the action and the second wife of the late Dr. Charles Morrill, Bays that the value of the robe is greatly over estimated by the stepson and that she is willing to turn it over to him with out the formality of a lawsuit. Young Morrill, however, claims that the robe which his stepmother offers to turn over to him is not the one in question. This allegation In turn is denied by Mrs. Morrill. A representative of the Journal call ed on Mrs. Morrill and was shown a robe made of the tails of brown Sibe rian squirrels. The tails were sewn upon a leather facing with the sinews of reindeer by natives of Siberia. The fabric Is badly worn and shows signs of rough usage. It now ornaments the parlor floor in the residence of Mrs. Morrill at No. 10 Hayward street in Cleveland, O. Mrs. Morrill declares that It is the identical robe which was brought from Siberia by George Ken nan and presented to her huubaud. New York Journal. Queerest Tla Invented. A German genius has Invented a companion piece to the celluloid collar an aluminum necktie. This is the newest use to which aluminum has been put, and bids fair to become pop ular, The necktie Is made of cosmopolitan metal, frosted and ornamented in vari ous fashions. It is said that the genu ine silk and satin ties are so perfectly Imitated that the difference is only perceptible to most persons by the touch. As yet the new tie has not been adopted by the summer girl, but to the summer young man with a moderate Income it is a never falling source of Joy. It can be easily cleaned when soiled, and is not perceptibly heavier than the ordinary material which graces that portion of masculine beau ty Just below the Adam's apple. The ties are either fastened to the collar button, or, after the usual fashion of a four-in-hand, by a band around the neck. He Wat Disappointed. "I shan't wear my bloomers any longer," said Mrs. Bickers. "I'm glad of that," observed her hue band, who hated them. "No, indeed! the next pair I get will be two Inches shorter!" Two of a Kind. GorillaHello; who are you? I'm the mlsBlng link. Lynx Oh, I can go you several bet ter on that. I'm the missing Lynx I've just escaped from a caravan. Truth. Some floors which are to be bare during the summer are painted a dull Bhade of green called "forest green." It is cool-looking and dark enough to be easily kept clean. vV.H M "It' Good Thing.1. Posh It Along." Why buy a newspaper unless you can profit by the expense? For 5 cents you can get almost as much "BATTLE AX" as you can of other high grade brands for JO cents. Here's news that will repay you for the cost of your newspaper to-day. ok Rese l 9" Edward B. Harper, Founder. Frederick A. Eurnham, Preside! FIFTEEN YEAR? COMPLETED ANNUAL MEETINGIAND REPOET. Tha latest d Strongest I&tnl Mm lib 1mm Cus ps ia lis World- 69,000,000 of New nanluefiA in 189s. ,IoH,66o,ooo of IliiHiueHH Hi Force. 4,084,073 ot Death ClnlniH paid In 1893. (11,000,000 of Death Claims paid muc Uualnccta UeRUii. I89S SHOWS ATS INCREASE I!S CROSS ASHF.TH, AN INCHF.AHR IP NKT HI' KIU'B,I AN INCRKAHK IN lNCOSIK, tK AN INCUDAHi: IN II I'HI N lv!H IN I'OHCK, OVER 103.800 M bMUlCHM INTEKKBTJKD. The Annual Meetinrr of Association was held in the Association's Building, corner Broadway ADuane St.. New York CAtv. on Wednesday. Jan uary 22nd, and was attended by a large and representative gatheringof policy holders who listened with keen interest to the masterly Annual Report of President Burnham. Many policy holders evidently regarded this as a favorable opportunity to meet face to face the new chief executive officer of the Association, President Frederick A. Burnham, the man wVlfiffA OTflSf". 1 1 ft inOnrantA mlA3ft IrAnn Avnnnfitra oKilifrr Q Till ..HVMV ..aj, v .v .A.JLAA UUVVj nrilUJC XV. LA CACVUUTC C K1.AH. J strong individuality have enabled him to take up the work laid rlrwn in flpofVi xr flio fMmJsi. JninriAn Va lofn 17(1- mv,i m, HIV iUUUUtl 1 T TT . 1 t waru n. xiarper, ana make ot trie administration ot ins omce 01 President, nnr. art eohn' tr nnntr nf tlio f Vila rwoAoooaar,v lint, a t vfj v iuuv ui uw jivuvvvuuu,, piece of finished work, characteristic of a man of independent 1 il n 11 . 1 1 1 1 i - views, ana wormy 10 iohow tne Association to a noaltinn never time by any life insurance organization in the world. It ia rare, indeed, that a great institution like this passes, without check to its prosperity, through a change in the executive chief, for it is rare indeed that a chief like the late TUV TTnrner finds so able a successor as President The record of the year 1895 speaks for itself, and shows the following gratifying results. The GROSS ASSETS have increased during the year from $5,536,115.99 to $5,601,707,82. The NET SURPLUS over liabilities shows a NET GAIN for the year of $306,329.43, and now amounts to $3,582,509.32. The INCOME from all sources shows a gain for the year of $631,541.97, and amounts to $5,575,281.56. DEATH CLAIMS to the amount- of $4,084,074.92 were paid during the year, an increase over the previous year of $1,013,560.91. The BUSINESS IN FORCE shows again for the year of $15,293,205, and now amounts to $308,059,371. Counting three hundred working days in the year the daily average income for 1895 is $18,584.27; the daily average payments for death claims, $13,652.25, and the daily avo,ge gain in business in force within a fraction of $51,000. "Persons desiring insurance, an agency, or any other information concerning "tlie 1' TUAL RESERVE FUND LIKE ASSOCIATION may apply to B. B. MWMWJ&i, SttJtU 53 Downing Hlock, ERIE, PA' "He that works lully. 'Tis very easy to clean house with 1 rve Fund Lifelitaciatii the. Mufniil "Rpsptva Fund Life Ul Ul" A 11 ? l4 W LA LiV LA a IUO . a a . .a A 1 ttf . t worfc which had carrica we Attained in tne came, length 01 Burnham. easily works success- sapol other, a mile away.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers