THE COLUMBIAN. BLOOMSBURG, PA.
ESTABLISH!?!) TSfift.
mt Columbia Jcmorrat,
iTABi,19IIEI 1R37. CONSOMDATKI) 1HR9.
PUBLISH K.) SVKUY TIIUHSDAY MOHNINU
Hlooinstmrg. (lis County iwnt of Columbia
C'ouniy, Pennsylvania.
..CO. E. EL WELL, EoiTofl
D. J. TASKKU, Local Editor.
MKO. !. KG AN i FOKKMAH.
InsldPtliPoounty 1.00 a yearln ad
tanco; $1.M It not paid In advance Outsldo
be county, tl.stt a yi'iir, strictly In advance.
411 couimunlcatlous should be addressed to
TUK COLUMBIAN,
Hloomsburg, I'a.
'tTuJrday, DKCEMUEK a, 1897.
"Rumors are again rife of a break
up in the McKinley Cabinet. It is
said that Attorney General McKenna
will be named for the place on the
Bench of the Supreme Court made
vacant by the coming retirement of
Justice field, and that if Secretary
Sherman can be persuaded to resign
Judge Day will be asked to accept
the portfolio of State. If Mr. Sher
man will not resign, then Mr. Day is
to succeed Mr. McKenna. These
rumors are interesting as matters of
current gossip, but they are not so
well authenticated as to give them
more importance.
C0NGKbS3NEXT WEEK-
One of the Most Important Sessions in the
History of tho Country.
In view of the many questions of
vital importance which are certain to
come before the forthcoming session
of Congress, those persons who desire
to be well informed concerning nation
al affairs will be interested in the news
that "The Philadelphia Press" has
made arrangements to publish more
complete reports from Washington
than have ever been furnished by any
daily paper heretofore. "The Press"
maintains regularly at Washington a
special bureau in charge of one of the
best known writers on national affairs.
The working force of this bureau has
been increased so as to leave no doubt
of its ability to adequately and prompt
ly report every item of Washington
news. As Congress will meet next
week it will be well to begin reading
"I he Press Washington reports at
once.
Electoral Fraud.
If there could have been a motive
which more than any other should
have mo.ved the voters of Pennsylvania
to take the state government out of
the hands of the present governing
party, it should have been the desire
to rescue the bal'ot system from the
debased .nd corrupted condition to
which it has been brought by Repub
lican management.
How the ballot law has been per
verted lrom its intended object of pro
tecting the secrecy and purity of the
elective franchise, and made the in
strument of electoral fraud and cor
ruption, is a well known and shameful
fact. It was done avowedly for the
' purpose of securing a party advantage,
and there was not shame enough in
the perpetrators to conceal their ob
ject. The declaration was openly
made in the state Legislature that the
Republican party could not afford to
have an honest ballot.
But as if there was not advantage
enough in perverting the Australian
system from its intended object, Re
publican election officers in Philadel
phia, at the last election, made false
returns from a number of districts, re
sorting to such rascally means of
swelling the party vote. A number
of them were arrested and gave judges
Arnold, Gordon and Sultzberger the
opportunity of making an example of
them, but this method of keeping the
Republican party in power can not be
stopped until the election ' laws are
thoroughly overhauled and reformed.
Bellefonte Watchman. ,.
Chandler's Prediction
Senator Chandler, Rep., of New
Hampshire, delivers this opinion :
As to the elections, they prove with
reasonable clearness that if the Repub
lican party permanently acquiesces in
"the existing gold standard" and gives
up the struggle for bimetallism, that
party will be defeated in the congress
ional elections of 1898 and the presi
dential election of 1900. The silver
monometalists will then take posses
sion of all branches of the national
government, and a free coinage bill,
with silver made the tender for all
debts, public and private, domestic
and foreign, will pass both houses of
congress and be signed by President
Bryan.
This is a bold prediction. Its im
portance, however, is not so much as
a prophecy as a sign. It forecasts
the failure of "currency reform" legis
lation in the United States Senate.
A patch work of eastern and western
senators must be fitted together be
fore such legislation can pass and the
silver Republican senators of the west
will not be in a hurry to join the
"gold standard" advocates in the east
when an eastern senator assumes this
attitude.?.
The Springfield, Ohio, Farm Wen's,
November, 1897, says: "The Kan
sas bankers have been giving the
tanners of their state advice as to what
to do with their surplus cash." Sensi
ble fellows these bankers. P!ock
heads and dummies these farmers.
Don't know what to do with their sur
plus cash. We hear no complaint of
Columbia county farmers being cursed
with surplus cash. I suppose it it
were the case our bankers would give
their advice,
Hut no one need worry, our farmers
will not be burdened with surplus cash.
If this should be the case, the Barnum
or Poorbach show would soon be
around to relieve them. But no one
need worry. The single gold standard
has already relieved them. Humbug!
Barnum said, " the American people
like to be humbugged." Of all hum
bugs, the single gold standard is chief.
By the time they are done with this
humbug they should be pretty familiar
with humbugs. It must be apparent
to every right thinking man that there
are two classes of personalities, styled
personal property. In other words,
negotiable commodities, in barter and
trade. In barter and trade balances
are settled cither by cash or other ob
ligations equivalent to cash a prom
ise to pay. Now these promises to
pay are usually secured by bond or
mortgage, or other security. Now
here comes the cry of over production.
If the farmers' crops are over abun
dant, they become a glut and com
mand a very low price. But if the
balances of trade are against that com
modity, it will take nearly, or quite all
the surplus products to settle balances.
But if ihere is an over-production of
balances against those commodities in
the form of obligations, it does not
force the prices ot these obligations
down, but up, by reason of a greater
demand for money to meet these ob
ligations, and hence money becomes
dearer, and farm products cheaper.
The bankers may well give farmers
advice what to do with their surplus
cash. The more bonds, mortgages
and personal obligations they can
force upon the country, the greater
will be their harvest, and the nearer
bankrupt will be the people, and the
lower will be th'eir products. The
farm Xacs visits us, and it conveys
to us. unintentional, very valuble in
formation. While the paper is de
signed to deceive the fanners, yet be
tween the lines one can read of the
wolf in sheep's clothing. While the
tariff has robbed the masses of their
thousands, the single gold standard
has robbed the masses of their hun
dreds of thousands.
More Anon.
C0R0NE31 AND JURIES-
A great deal is said against coroners
on account of some of the verdicts
rendered by their juries and because
it is held that the coroner is a wholly
useless official. It is therefore urged
that his office be abolished.
The coroner may or may not be
useless ; perhaps he is. But it would
not be more fair to abolish the office
because coroner's jury verdicts are
sometimes silly than to abolish trial
juries for their verdicts, which are at
times idiotic. For instance, a trial
jury in Philadelphia a week ago heard
the case of a doctor who was charged
with malpractice. As the trial pro
gressed it became evident to the pro
secution that it had no case and the
jury was so informed by the attorney
for the prosecution. Nevertheless the
jury returned a verdict of "guilty" and
it took the eloquence of the whole
court to induce that jury to reverse
the finding.
Should all juries be abolished be
cause that one was incompetent ?
And it is not the only one that falls
below the standard set up by the
public. The Nack juries, for instance,
are incompetent under the public
standard, for a man who has read of
the murder and its developments
without forming an opinion as to the
commission of tlie crime has not the
mental ability to sit on any case.
And here in Pennsylvania juries stop
just short of bringing a verdict of
"not guilty, but we recommend that
the defendant be sent to jail for ten
years." No doubt such a jury might
find Martin Thorn not guilty but ask
that he be hanged. Should trial juries
be abolished because of these little
idiosyneracies ?
The coroner, if he is not, may be
made a useful official. The usual
coroner knows nothing of medicine
and nothing of law and not too much
of anything else. He should know
something of both and at least be an
intelligent man with a due regard for
the public, his office and himself.
Then there would be an end of foolish
verdicts and of attacks upon, the
coroner's office. Patriot.
. Pays Only tho One License,
Deputy Auditor General Reeder
in an opinion advises the auditor gen
j eral tn at when the proprietor of an
opera house and similar places of
j amusement have paid the license fix
ed by the act of June 24, 1895, he is
not legally bound to pay anything
further in the way of treasurer'9 fees
J to a mercantile appraiser.
Week Remarkable for Wheat Exports,
Lowor Prices For Iron-Failures Far Below
Those ol Last Year.
R. G. Dun & Co.'s weekly review
of trade says :
The heavy exports of wheat, with
the renewed advance in price, is the
most interesting and important feature
of the week. Since August 1, when
the extent of the foreign deficiency be
came realized, exports have been
larger than in corresponding weeks of
any previous year. The cotton ex
ports also became very heavy, and the
outgo of corn falls but little below last
year's unprecedented record, while in
exports of manufacturing products,
especially machinery, all records for
the season have been surpassed.
The iron industry shows no de
crease in production or consumption
of pig, but with much reduced orders
for products excess of production is
expected, and Bessemer tails a shade
to $10.15, an0" Bray (orge to -$9.25 at
Pittsburg, though Chicago and eastern
markets show no change. Billets are
also weaker, at Pittsburg, $15.
Expectation of lower prices tends
to prodvee them at a time when new
business is naturally small, and the
mills are working mostly on old orders
with buyers impatient for deliveries.
Other large orders a-e he'd back in
plates by the inability of the works to
deliver in the time desired. In bars,
agricultural and railroad manufactur
ing causes a heavy demand at Chicago,
iron being preferred to steel, and thin
sheets arc also in better demand, but
bars are a shade lower at Pittsburg,
and both wire and cut nails. Some
large orders for rails by eastern rail
ways are reported.
The woolen manufacturer is still
consuming heavily in execution of
past orders, and many agents are sold
so far ahead that they seek no further
business, while others are beginning
to question whether the demand for
the next season will suffice if prices
arc made to correspond with present
quotations of wool. Some leductions
in prices of wool appear, possibly av
eraging half a cent, with sales of Aus
tralian amounting to 2,700,000 lbs. in
a few large blocks at Boston, but the
tone is still sirong.
Failures for the week have been 26
in the
United States against ;oo last
year,
and 2; in Canada against 8
last year,
MILLIONS IN 6N0W HEAPS.
Claims of KlanCikcrs Crabbed at Fabulous
Prices.
The rouh-dressed millionaires
from the Klondike at the Iloflman
House, New York, increase. Frank
Phiscater, of Dawson City, who is at
the Hoffman, sold his Klondike hold
ings for $1,000,000 on Friday to an
English syndicate, through representa
tives in New York city and Montreal.
Mr. Phiscater, whose home is at
Brodie, Mich., was the discoverer of
the gold fields on Elderado, and he
staked the first claim. He went to
Alaska three years ago, and has
traveled 7000 miles in prospecting.
Henry G. Somers, of Dawson City,
who is also at the Hoffman, sold a
claim for $1,000,000 last week. Pat
Lralvin and his wife and sister silp(l
for Ireland on the Lucania Saturday
morning. Mr. Galvin refused $500,-
000 on Fridav for one claim at the
junction of Eldorado and Bonanza
v-reeKS.
One of the most nicturesnue visi.
tors at the Hoffman House is John
McQuesten. the "Father of the Yu
kon." Before Tosenh Ladue evpr
heard of Dawson City or the Klon
dike, "Jack" McQuesten had pierced
the frozen barriers of the unknown
territory.
It was at Circle City that he met
his wife, and be now has a charming
6-year-old daughter. She accompan
ied him as far as San Francisco on
the present trip, which is his second
return to civilization since 1863.
While there he had occasion to
visit a big packing house, and took
the little girl with him. At sight of
all the meat and thousands of cans
she drew a deep breath and, with
true Klondike point of view, ex
claimed :
"Oh, papa, what lots of 'grub.' "
Mr. McQuesten is a firm believer
in the future of the gold region. He
added :
"Any man, with reasonable care,
can live there for $500 a year. This
is just what he can earn by 50 days'
work at the prevailing rate of wages,
so an ablebodied man can do well
there if he is willina to work, and he
has always a chance of making a
strike for himself.
New Style Postal Card.
It is expected that within a week
all the first and second class post
offices of the country will have been
supplied with tWe new style postal
card. The new issue comprises a
small single card wittj a vignette of
John Adams, for domestic use only j
a domestic single and reply card, a
quarter of an inch or so smaller than
the present card, and a new card for
foreign use, wh:cl is somewhat small
. . 1 . 1 ! . A . . . 1
er man me international card now
employed.
READY FOR THE FALL OF 1897.
We announre to the public that our stock for the coming season is now complete in every department.
We are now showing a large and new line of Woolens purchased before the new Tariff Bill went into effect,
which means a saving of 15 to 20 per cent, to the buyer. We are now ottering Fall Suits at the old ptices!
Our line of Over Coatings, Suitings and Trouserings are more numerous than ever.' We are putting up Fall
Suits in City Style and at the lowest prices, consistent with good material and skilled workmanship.
Four Points We Pay Special Attention To:
Correct Stylo, Reliable Goods, Perfect Fit and Lowest Prices.
Oar long experience in the business enable us to give'our customers full value for their money. Our Garments are
made by skilled workmen, our work we guarantee in every respect. A fine display now on exhibition in the window of
Merchant Tailor,
STATE NEWS.
Labor leaders are organizing tiic
suthracite miners with a view to order
ing a general strike next year.
Citizens of South Kaston are
holding meetings to protest against
the annexation of the borough to the
city of Easton.
The Reading company has issued
orders to close down all work at the
Monitor Colliery at Locust Gap, Pa.,
affecting 125 hands.
While hunting near Williamsport
last week George Lipp shot and kill
ed a snow white buck deer, a year
old, a great variety.
At Tunkhannock Saturday Carl
ton D. Adams was sentenced to 16
years and 6 months in the Eastern
Penitentiary for killing his wife.
Orders for 85000 bicycles have
caused the Keystone Manufacturing
Company Lebanon, to increase its
force of men from 60 to 150 men.
The employees of Jones & Laugh
lin, at Pittsburg, numbering 3500,
have received an advance of ten per
cent in wages. The firm had pro
mised the men a raise as soon as
business would warrant it.
Near Milton last week, Elmer
Smith, a young farmer, was threshing
corn with a steam machine, when his
arm caught in the gearing in some
manner, and was torn from the socket.
He is in a critical condition.
Dr. Demmett Walsh, a physician
of Grand Rapids, Mich., who came to
Columbia two weeks ago to visit his
father, David Welsh, after returning
from a trip to Europe, has disappear
ed under mysterious circumstances,
and as he had a large sum of money
on his person his relatives fear foul
play. The last seen of him was on a
trolley car between Lancaster and
Columbia Sunday evening. Welsh is
a graduate of Jelterson Medical Col
lege, Philadelphia.
A second knock-out has been
given to the Pure Food State Com
mission of this State. The commis
sion brought suit against Charles
Brown and Learn & Waas for selling
impure vinegar. The attorneys for
the dealers asked that the indictments
be quashed, on the grounds that an
act of Assembly passed in 1897, sub
sequent to the time of the defendant's
arrest, repealed the acts under which
they were taken up. Tudee Craiu
said in his decision : "It is impossible
for us to sustain this indictment."
THE PEESIDENT'S CLOSE CALL,
Narrowly Escapes Collision With an
Electric Car.
President McKinley had a narrow
escape from being run over by an
electric car running at 15 miles an
hour, late Fridav afternoon. After a
long, hard day, in which he say more
earners man on any other day since
his vacation, he went for a drive to
get fresh air before dinner, and while
crossing Connecticut avenue, on R
street, the carriage, in avoiding a fast
electric car going in one direction got
lust in front of another cominir as
rapidly in the other direction, and
noming dui me presence ot mind ot
the motorman, who succeeded in sud
denly stopping the car within two feet
of the carriage, saved the President
from possible injury.
Our Own State.
Pennsylvania ranks first in rye, iron
and steel, petroleum, coal ; second in
population, manufactures, buckwheat,
potatoes, printing and publishing;
third in milch cows, hay, miles of rail
way; fourth in oats and tobacco;
fifth in silk goods, wool, malt and
distilled liquors ; sixth in salt, copper
and agricultural implements; eighth
in horses and sheep. First settlement
English, 1683. One of the original
states.
Languages of America
There are, according to an eminent
archaeologist, no less than from iao to
130 absolutely distinct languages in
North and Soudi America. As the
growth of language is very slow, he
thinks the fact of the existence of so
great a variety of speech on the west
ern continent proves that the native
red men have inhabited them for
many thousands of years.
When bilious or costive, eat a Cas
caret, candy catharic, cure guaranteed,
,oc 3SC 4., j).
Hatter, and
THE HOLIDAY DREAM
Soon to be Fulfilled.
This store lias proved its advantage as a shop-
!1 m re for liolidnv rifts. Tl lfi VfiriOllsi rlpnnrf-
111 n c
1 o 1 j n
nients becan months 020
, ...
.j 1 1 1 cj "
collection. What you find here, too, is priced on the
close-margin plan, lie careful that you don't chance
to buy an article elsewhere, and pay more for it.
Twenty-five, fifty cents, and one dollar savings are
worth looking after whether the list is a long or a
short one.
THE DISSOLUTION of partnership adds
to the heretofore great saving you always have here,
as the stock must go down, no matter what the cost is.
Your shopping bills will therefore not be as heavy,
nukes you buy more than usual.
Sensible Gifts.
They will go to thousands of
homes at prices figured down to
the lowest notch of economy.
Our buying method of pure
pressure enables us to openly
guarantee a saving that no com
petition has yet approached,
Cloak Departm'ts.
Our reputation for coat sell
ing is wide. We always sell at
prices that, quality taken into
con.'ideration, can t bo equaled.
Our selling prices are now more
than ever far below the usual
low prices, and as the weather
gets colder and you want a coat,
look here before you buy else
where. It will pay you.
Stamped Linens
In all the new holiday de
signs. Tray cloths, doilies,
scarfs, cushion covers, at the
same close margin prices to
quickly move the big quantity.
Handkerchiefs.
Not a tray full but a store
full, and at prices that we can
defy competition. Never off
ered you such handkercheif
bargains. Pure linen, hem
stitched. 12ic. 18c value.
Embroidered edge, 121c.
18c value.
Sheer linen, lace edge, 15c.
25c value.
100 assorted Swiss, embroid
ered and hemstitched, 5c.
Your Holiday
r rt 1
It is so geuerallv conceded
that our showing of dress goods
isequal to every demand. WThen
w tJ
you are buying dress goods, it's
comforting to feel, to know that
you are choosing from a stock
which hits built for itself a rep-
BLOOMSBURG,. PA.
N&i Mere
999
Foot Covers
but easy, comfortable, stylish shoes.
That's what up-to-date men want. That's what we sell, and
we aon t draw heavily on pocket books either. Fitting feet is
our specialty, and we assure perfect comfort to every patron.
We carry the largest stock of boots, shoes and rubbers in the
county, and all new and fresh and blight. Every size, eveij
shape, and prices not too highnor to low.
Gents Furnisher,
'
to brinsr together the csixt
utation on like grounds. Such
is the tone which pervades the
atmosphere of this store.
Blankets.
Warm weather has been your
friend, if you need Blanket?.
We must move them, they must
go, we want their room and the
moitpy we have in them. Two
specials, many more like them.
Our $3 50 blanket for $2.75.
Our 5 00 " " 427.
Shoes.
We always sell you shoes at
prices that the shoe stores can
not match. We do not mean
that they do not sell shoes at
the same price. We simply
mean that, quality compared,
we cannot be matched in price.
We pay no large rent for the
purpose of selling shoes; it goes
with the rest of the expense of
the store, hence the saviDg to
you. We ofler you four (4)
lots this week.
Lot No. 1., misse3 shoes, 11
to 2, 75c. Worth $1.50.
Lot No. 2, ladies' shoes, 2
to 0, hand turned, bought to
sell at $1.50. $1.50.
Lot No. 3, ladies' hand welt,
patent leather tip, sold all sea
son at $3 50, now go for $2.75.
Lot No. 4, men's slices, 0 to
10, best bargain of all. Were
$2.50 and 5.00, now $1,50 and
2.00,
Lamps & China.
Our display thn year far ex
ceeds any we ever had. Our
i will find i n on v Ttlosta 'Plus
1 m u 11 w - 1IU
assortment is complete, no de
tail left undone. We invite all
lovers of pretty things, at prices
in the reach of all, to examine
our store of Lamps and China
before buying.
999