4 ESTABLISHED 1868. flttc fiiotumMa gcmorrat, ESTABLISHED 1837. CONSOLIDATED 1868. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY MORNING Hloomsburg, the County seat of Columbia County, Pennsylvania. ..80. B. ELWELL EDITOR. D. J. TABKEK, LOCAI. EDITOR. GEO. (!. ROAN, FOREMAN. TERMS:—lnslfle the county 81.00 a year in ad vance; $1.50 If not paid lu advance Outside he county, $1.25 a year, strictly In advance, ill communications should be addressed to THE COLUMBIAN. Bloomsburg, Pa. THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1898. CANDIDATES. FOR REPRESENTATIVE, North Side, Second term. WILLIAM CHRISMAN, of Bloomsburg. FOR PRESIDENT JUDGE OF THE S6TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT. E. K. IKELER, of Bloomsburg. FOR CONGRESS, ANDREW L. FRITZ, of Bloomsburg. FOR STATE SENATOR, W. H. RHAWN of Catawissa. FOR REPRESENTATIVE, C. Z. SCHLICHER of Beaver township. —< FOR REPRESENTATIVE, (South Side) WILLIAM T. CREASY, Catawissa Township. FOR PRESIDENT JUDGE OF 26TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT, R. R. LITTLE, of Bloomsburg. THE WAR OLOCJ). In spite of the jingo newspapeis there will not be a war with Spain. The President is holding the reins with a firm hand, and while war will be avoided unless Spain forces us into it, the honor of the United States will be maintained. The events of the past week have made no new develop ments in the Maine disaster. Spain requested the recall of Gen. Fitzhugh Lee as our representative at Havana, and President McKmley promptly refused, whereupon Spain withdrew its request. Congress has passed a bill appropriating $50,000,000 for defense, without a dissenting vote, work at all the Navy Yards is going on day and night, and if war comes it will not find us unprepared. Method of Procedure In Case of Hostilities- As the conviction becomes settled that the court of inquiry will decide that there was a mine explosion under the "Maine," discussion among American naval officers and civilians here is prevalent as to the warlike measures which it is believed the United States government will adopt in case the question of the payment of indemnity by Spain is overruled. A majority believe that American troops will be landed at some point east of Havana and the insurgents communicated with, that the Spanish soldiery will be defeated or captured in detail, and that in the meantime a fleet of United States vessels will blockade, if not bombard Havana. No one seems to doubt that the re duction of this city would be compara tively easy. Four twenty-inch gur.s— two west and two east of the city— are the only ones that are considered dangerous. These are not likely to be well served, while their emplace ments are not mcdern. Thai some Spaniards are of opinion that an at tack on Havana will be made is be lieved to be shown by the abnormal activity displayed on board the "Viz caya." The Associated Press cor respondent has the best naval author ity for the statement that the "Viz caya" is in a constant state of readi ness for emergencies and that picket boats are on the alert day and night inside the harbor and outside the har bor at night. DIVERS' MYSTERIOUS CONDUCT. \S The conduct of the Spanish divers who are investigating the wreck of the Maine" is a mystery. Thus far they >ye not been down five hours in the aggregate, and they show no disposi tion to make a thorough inquiry. It is/impossible to learn the truth fully regarding the purpose of the Spanish - court of inquiry, but it is generally be lieved that the divers were sent down for form's sake only and that a report will be made in accordance with in structions from Madrid. It may be that the Spanish divers 1 have discovered that the whole port I side of the "Maine" forward is gone I and, having so reported, further ex War is on everybody's tongue at * amination is deemed unnecessary, present, and Bloomsburg has its The work of our own divers hencefor- share of volunteers who claim to be ward is bound to be slow, owing to willing to drop everything and fly the ponderous weights to be moved, to the scene of trouble, but we don't and the safety clamps, nuts and rivets think that any of them will swim that must be cut. the Atlantic in their thirst for Senator Proctor is likely to make a Spanish blood. speech in the senate on his return that will have great weight in deter mining the future policy of the United States. He is much affected by the suffering that he found 111 Mantanzas, arid highly indignant at what he calls the 'inhumanity of the course pursued." During a visit to Artemisa, this pro vince, he saw thousands of reconcen trados, who refused to beg, though starving. They are ezidently of a class accus tomed to make their own living and unwilling to become paupers. He saw thousands of acres of the best tobacco and banana lands in the world reduced to waste, with trochas and garrisons at every village and cross roads. His drivers pointing to the mountains fifteen miles away, said : "There are plenty of insurgents camps there that the Spanish have never discovered. The work of distribution of Ameri can relief under Miss Clara Barton, Mr. Elwell and their assistants is in Senator Proctor's judgment, carefully and effectively carried on. The de mand is far in excess of the supply. The supplies expected at Matanzas and Sagua la Grande, to be brought by American cruisers, will afford un speakable relief. Latest Story- As to the Way tho Warship Maine Was De stroyed. The latest story as to the way the Maine was blown up is contained in a letter forwarded by a secret Cuban club in Havana to J. M. Govin, a Cuban insurgent agent at Key West. The club received it in the ordinary course of mail. It was written in English, but was signed "Maquinata" (Mathinist.) After a long preamble saying that the writer knew the Maine's fate was due to a Spanish plot, the letter goes on to say that in an old ware house at Santa Catalina, 200 yards from where the Maine was moored, some diving apparatus had been hidden, and that from this base two divers had worked by night and filled the torpedo holes of the Maine with dynamite cartridges, connect ing them with wire to the battery on the land, from which the car tridges exploded. According to the letter the divers were to have been paid a large sum, which has not been forthcoming. The Cubans in Key West say that investigation in Havana has tended to confirm the statements of the letter, which will go before the court of inquiry. An officer of the Maine, whose attention was called to the story to day, asserted positively to this cor respondent that the torpedo holes of the Maine had not been opened during her stay in the harbor. JAPAN WILL HLLP US. Has Offered Her Support in Case of War With Spain. The destruction of the Maine may lead directly to a realization of Japan's desire to possess the Phillip pine Islands, if the United States are forced to acquire Cuba and Porto Rico. The state department, at the instance of Japan, has deter mined that there were seven Japan ese subjects aboard the Maine, and all were lost. If it is proven that the wreck was due to treachery, it is stated that the Japanese govern ment purposes to demand an indem nity, re- inforciiig the demand with a naval demonstration at Manilla. This circumstance gives the United States an unexpected and invaluable ally in case of a rupture with Spain. It is stated that the Japanese minister has pledged assurances of Japanese support in any emergency. While it has not been accepted or declined it is recognized that the friendship of Japan would release the United States from the neces sity of keeping some of her finest vessels in Asiatic waters, thus add ing them to the Atlantic force, in suring the supremacy of the home fleet against any threatened Spanish raid on our coast. It is a noteworthy fact that General Miles, the head of the army, and Adjutant General Corbin, the chief of staff, are neither of them West Point graduates. Each made for himself a brilliant record during the civil war and remained in the regular army at the close of that war. Their promo tion has been unexampled for steady and rapid progress. Both have had "luck" in their favor, if there is such a thing as luck. Both are magnifi cent appearing men physically. Cor bin is compared in looks and bearing to Hancock, the handsomest general in the American army. In a republic it is altogether fitting that a citizen who shows himself capable should be able to rise to the highest military rank, even without being ground out of West Point. THE COLUMBIAN, BLOOMSBUftG, PA. For Congress. Hon. Andrew L. Fritz, a prominent attorney of Bloomsburg, has announc ed himself as a candidate for congress Irom this district, composed of the counties of Columbia, Sullivan, Mon tour and Northumberland. Mr.Fritz had a long and successful legislative career as a member of Legislature from this county during sessions of 1885 and ISB7, and also during tne sessions ot 1893 and 1895. At the session of 1895 he was chosen as the nominee for speaker, which position gave him the leadership of the Democratic side of the House. During that session by virtue of nis position he served on more important committees than any other member, —among them were ways and means, judiciary general and appropriations. He was an honest, conscientious, popular, and influential member, had the confidence of all, and was always found at his post work 'nK against bad legislation. He was faithful in his duty to the constitution and to the people, and was an honor to the state and county he represent ed. He earned a good reputation as a legislator, both in the committee room and on the floor of the House by advocating economy in the ex penditure of the public money and by always standing by that which he be lieved to be right, and he will be re membered as one of the men who stood at the helm of the state, earnest ly working and talking against the creation of new offices and increase of salaries. Having had an extended legislative experience at Harrisburg, lie is now well qualified to take this higher step. Mr. Fritz is popular and well acquainted with the people, and should have no trouble in making the nomination in the district. The Publio Domain* The last report of the Secretary of the interior shows that only a little more than one-half of the pub lic domain of the United States is either reserved or appropriated. The area still remaining vacant amounts to 591,343,953 acres, with out including Alaska, which is sup posed to embrace nearly 400,000,- 000 acres more. The entire area of the United States is placed at 1,835,- 017,692. Of this 741,702,365 acres is now owned by individuals or by corporations or states, or has passed out of the control of the general government. The amount reserved for schools, Indians, military and navy purposes, railroad grants, parks, forest reservations, etc. in cluding all territory reserved from sale for any purpose whatsoever, amounts to 132,441,744 acres, so that taking the reserve land and the vacant land together, only about one-half of the area of the United States has actually passed out of control of the government, and at Alaska is included the unoccupied area is larger by 300,000,000 acres than that which is occupied Military Strength of the Oountry. The New York Sun prints a table showing the aggregate organized mili tary strength of the several states to be 114,362 officers and men. An ad ditional table shows the aggregate available number of men in the country fit for military service to be 10,415,- 701. In this connection it will be inter esting to know, in view of the talk about war these days, who will be sub ject to military duty. In Pennsylvania the law provides that all able bodied male citizens between the ages of 21 and 45 are liable to military duty, with the following exceptions: Idiots, lunatics, common drunkards, paupers, and persons convicted of any infamous crime. Also members of the legisla ture and the officers thereof; the sec retary of the commonwealth, attorney general, state treasurer, surveyor gen eral, auditor general, state librarian, superintendents of common schools, judges of the courts, sheriff, recorder of deeds, register of wills, prothono tary, district attorney and clerk of the courts. Your friends may smile But that tired feeling Means danger. It Indicates impoverished And impure blood. This condition may Lead to serious illness. It should be promptly Overcome by taking Hood's Sarsaparilla, Which purifies and Enriches the blood, Strengthens the nerves, Tones the stomach, Creates an appetite, And builds up, Energizes and vitalizes The whole system. Be sure to get Only Hood'a. We greet you with the , Finest Mme o>£ Meady to> Wear Clothing For the money that can be bought. Our policy will be to give the best values for the money that our experience can buy. Nice Spring Suits for Youths' Stylish Suits I Men's Stylish Spring Children from from ! Suits from SI.OO $4.50 $5.00 Come and be convinced that the place to buy your Clothing is at Townsend's Star Clothing House. NOTHING BLOW ABOUT THIS.S An Interosiing Fact Brought to Light by the Maine Disaster. The Maine catastrophe has brought to light some interesting facts con cerning the means employed by a great newspaper to meet the de mands of the public for quick, full and accurate information concerning that disaster. Although receiving the complete report of the news gathering organizations, ' 'The Philadelphia Press" is also giving exclusively to its readers daily despatches from the most brilliant corps of special correspondents and artists ever massed on a single piece of news. This includes Ralph D. Paine, Julian Hawthorne, Carl Decker, Sylvester Scovel and Louis Ruyl at Havana and Key West; E. J. Gibson and his assistants at Washington ; Julian Ralph, at London, and equally well-in-formed representatives at the other points at which news is likely to be ob tained. It is sometimes said that Philadelphia is "slow," but there is nothing slow in the enterprise which enables "The Philadelphia Press" to set up the claim that it is leading all the other newspapers in the country in the promptness and reliability of its news about the Maine, and that is the only news paper which commands the services of all the writers and artists named. Travelling Facilities to the South- The eyes of the public are always turned with interest on the Nation's Capitol, Washington, with its mag nificent public buildings, its beauti ful streets, its world-famous library and the fact that it is the centre of all this great country's interests. Baltimore and Washington are brought into close touch with us by the two great systems, the Phila delphia and Reading Railway and the Baltimore and Ohio. The Royal Blue Line needs 110 introduction. It is famous for its swift, safe and superb trains, its comfortable and commodious cars, and the marvel ous exactitude with which its trains speed to their destination. There is only one way to go South ; take the Philadelphia and Reading to Phila delphia where close connections are made over the Royal Blue Line. A curious question is being fought over in the court at Atlantic City. A professional photographer makes com plaint that amateur kodak fiends are injuring his business because of the facility with which they take snap shots of everything picturesque about the seaside resort. It does not appear at all that they sell these pictures, but only take them for their own pleasure. However the law may de cide, common sense is certainly on the side of the amateur photographers. The claim that anybody in America has not the right to photograph any thing he pleases, provided always the owner of it is willing, is something too paternal even for a despotic govern ment like Russia. Go on with your snap shots, boys and girls. Just try a 10c. box of Cascarets, the finest liver and bowel regulator ever made. 4--iy AUDITOR'S NOTICE " nutate of Charlet Mow, late 0/ Roartngcreelc township. The underaigned, auditor appointed by the OrpTians' Court of Columbia County to make distribution of balance in hands of administrator will meet at office of Rhawn At Small In Cata wissa on Friday April tith, 1898, at 9 o'clock a. m. when and where all persons having claims against said estate must appear and prove the same, or be debarred from coming in on said fund. - 8 1 <M*. FRAXK IKELKR, Auditor. SHOPPING NEWS of SPRING NOVELTIES. All of which are open for Inspection. All the fashionable weaves of Dress Goods. All the Conceptions of the Silk weaves. All the dainty styles of Wash Fabrics. All the popular trimming for our new dress goods. All the new styles in Shirt Waists. At the Dress Goods Counter Has bepn brought together a choice collection ot Spring fab rics which are truly tempting if not to say bewildering, on account of the great variety of weaves and wide range of colors. Here is a little lot worth a visit to see. Whip cords, checks, plaids, stripes, cheviots, berages, grenadines, veloure, poplins, brocades, and neat mixed effects, 25, 30, 42, 45, 50, 56, 60, 65, 75c, 1.00, 1.20, 1.25, 1.50, $1.75. An interesting lot of Silks, 27 in. Silk, the printed India kind in all the new colors at a very unusual price, 75c. Fresh lot from the looms, in plaids, checked, striped, aud figured, from 75c to SI.OO. High cla-8 black brocades and taffetas brought to a price which deserves attention, 75c to SI.OO. Wash Goods. Of all departments, that of Wash Goods possesses a fresh ness peculiarly its own. The delicate tints aud gauzy fabrics send forth a tempting influence and wise is the shopper who' appreciates the importance of early selections. Special ex hibit of the following : Organdies, Zephyrs, Ging hams and Scotch Zephyrs. 10, is£ and 16c the yard. A Glove Bargain that you can safely order by mail, P. Antemure & Co., Kid Gloves, F. P. PURSEI, East I CORSER'S jMM!, street. NEW SHOE STORE. | PEJJ'i Big llsives-in Shoes I 500 pair Woman's shoes, sizes 1 to 4, at SI.OO A PAIR. Genuine Dongola Kid, with s)od soles and • counters, always have sold at S2OO aud $2.50. They are small sizes, and for that reason go at SI.OO a pair. They'll not be here long at these prices. If you can't wear them your children can, and they are just as big a bargain for them as for you. This is weather for gum shoes and gum boots. We have them at lowest prices. Men's gum boots $2.00.-. CORSER'S B£a®f>MSßU߀t. j fine quality, they must fit, 3 buttons, every Fashionable spring shade. You never wore a better glove for the price, $1.20 a pair. Postage paid to any part of this country. Shirt Waists. We have them displayed in our cloak room on second floor. They are just fresh from S. L. Munson's Factory in Albany, which is acknowledged by lead ing retailers that the styles are the newest, and the best fitting waists made in the country. Ladies' and Misses' Muslin Underwear. Perfect in fit, trimmed with fine embroidery and lace, made of good muslin or cambric, at prices you cannot buy the ma terial to make them. Dress Trimming. Our Dress Trimmings will be put on sale this week, and we think we can safely say we have never shown as complete a line as we can this season. GOOD COFFEE is half the battle for a food breakfast as well as half the battle for a happy home. Most men's weak point is good coffee, and the way to a man's heart is said to be through his stomach. A hint is as good as a kick to a wise woman. Our Chase & Sanborn coffee costs a littie more, but the difference in the price is well invested, iajc Hi to 40c. GROCERIES, yes, we have our Grocery shelves full of the best goods we can buy. If you want to try a new breakfast, get a packaee of Colonial Blended Food, or a tew dessert get a package of Junket.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers