The Columbian. (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, October 26, 1905, Page 6, Image 6

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    FARMING THE
IN STATE TREASURY
The Vast Surplus Used By Machine Politicians In
Various Kinds of Private Enterprises and Per
sonal Operations State Deposits In Con
sideration of Hazardous Loans.
50HE STARTLINQ FACTS ARE UNEARTHED
Homer 1 Castle, Esq., is a Pitts
burg lawyer of considerable distinc
tion. He Is a partner, In professional
practice, of former Oovcrnor William
A. Stone, and the Prohibition nominee
for Judge of the superior court. He
has been making a most vigorous can
vass on the stump ever since the open
ing of the campaign, and challenges
the contradiction of the startling
charges he has made and reiterated a
doten times.
State Funds For Penrose.
During a speech delivered In the
court house In Harrlsburg on the
evening of September 20, Mr. Castle
stated that a bank near nttsburg, of
which ho was at the time a director,
and for which he was solicitor, re
ceived a state deposit of $20,000, tin
ier an agreement that $10,000 of the
imount would be loaned to Senator
Penrose. That was In 1897, and the
money was used by the senator in
paying the expenses of his first elec
tion to that office. Mr. Castle added
that the interest not having been paid
promptly the loan was called, and im
mediately after it was paid the de
posit of the state was removed. Sena
:or Penrose at first denied the state
ment, whereupon Mr. Castle supported
it by a chain of evidence, and the sen
ator admitted tho principal point, but
iseerted that it was purely a business
affair.
In a speech delivered in Grcensburg
a few days later, Mr. Castle charged
'.hat a bank in Pittsburg had secured
state deposit of the amount of $200,
100 in consideration of a loan to for--ner
State Senator William H. An
Irews, now delegate In congress for
Vew Mexico, of $75,000. The note was
Indorsed by Francis J. Torrance, a
Pittsburg politician, and secured by
bonds of a New Mexican railroad
which Andrews has constructed on
paper. Another Pittsburg bank had
been offered the deposit on the same
:erms, but declined to make the loan
uid failed to get the money. Replying
.o the letter of the bank official. State
Treasurer Mathues wrote as follows:
"I am of the opinion that there
are already too many depositories
In the west and too much of the
state funds are deposited there;
and at the present time I do not
feel disposed to increase the same.
If. however. I shall change my
mind I will bo pleased to take Into
consideration the bank you are in
terested in.
"Verv respectfully yours,
"W. U M ATHl'KS,
"State Treasurer."
Soon afterward, however, the mone
was deposited in another bank, which
loaned the money to Andrews.
This charge was vehemently denied
'y Penrose, Andrews and the newspa
er press supporting the Republican
andldate for state treasurer, Mr.
'luramer, and its author denounced as
falsifier and ckfamer.
The failure of tiiat bank the Enter
rise National, or Allegheny only last
Vednesday, and the suicide of its
rashier, confirmed every statement
nade by Mr. Castle, and showed even
i worse condition of affairs a more
reckless and vicious use of state funds
than he had Intimated. It disclosed
' he startling facts that the bank had
ieen supplied with $782,000 of the
unds belonging to the people of Penn
, -jylvanla $50,000 of which was de
.joslted In it by the present machine
1 state treasurer, Mathues, only the day
iefore It collapsed that $400,000 of
'.his deposit was represented by
vorthless bonds of a New Mexico rail
road, projected and controlled by
"Bull" Andrews, former machine state
chairman, and was loaded with an ad
lltional $300,000 note signed by ma
chine politicians who are striving for
3ie election of another machine state
.treasurer, in the person of J. Lee
Mummer.
3ulldlng Breweries With State Funds.
In a speech delivered at Tltusvllle
on the evening of October 10, Mr. Cas
tle declared that a brewery had been
organized, built and brought to com
pletion with state money taken from
banks favored with deposits in con
sideration of Bitch favors. This was an
Allegheny county enterprise, in which
William H. Andrews was also con
cerned. Of It Mr. Castle said:
"A bunch of state politicians had
themselves Incorporated, and with
out land or financial timber of any
kind issued bonds. These bonds
were placed in a bank, Into which
a state deiKralt had been turned,
and with the proceeds they built a
brewery.
"After a certain time their prop
erty was turned over to a brewery
combine and tho politicians pock
eted the proceeds.
At another meeting Mr. Castle told
of the organization of a bank In Pitts
burg, the principal assets of which was
a state deposit. It was called the
Mortgage Banking company, and John
I. Shaw, who was endorser on the
Penrose note in the Turtle Creek bank,
was made president. He had only a
nomlmil Interest In the bank, but en
Joyed a strong pull on the stato treas
ury surplus. State Treasurer Harris
and Auditor General Hardenburg, both
In coriiiiiN:;Ion at the time, each held
100 shares of tin: hank stock, and Har
ris beciinv: a dlivctor In the concern.
Anthony Fehwnb, another director In
FUNDS
the bank, has explicitly corroborated j
Mr. Castle's statement of that affair.
In another speech Mr. Castle said:
'T see that there Is much specu
lation as to whether the $10,000.-
000 cash balance of the state of
Pennsylvania Is real money or
'cats and dogs.'
"lift them make an Investigation
and they will find that the greater
part of that $10,000,000 Is In securi
ties of such a character that scarce
ly a bank In the commonwealth
would touch them. 'Hull' Andrews
Is not the only man who hns been
using the state money for his own
personal Itenoflt. There are many
others, some of them a great denl
higher In state politics than 'Hull'
Andrews.
"I am after no particular Indi
vidual In this fight. I Just want
the people to get their eyes open
to the truo condition of affairs.
It will hurt some Innocent people.
1 cannot heln it. It mny result In
the flnancinl crash of several insti
tutions. It is not my fault. 1 am
going to lay this thing open, no
matter whose toes I may trample
upon."
Another Substantial Witness.
John Marron, Esq., Is easily among
tho leaders of tho Pittsburg bar. Like
many busy lawyers, he Is not active
in politics, though sensible of his civic
obligations. He addressed a meeting
in the Sixth Avenue Theatre, Heaver
Falls, on the evening of October 2, and
said:
"And suppose you found that the
officers of tho bank In which you
have your money deposited here,
were handing that money out
practically without security to a
lot of adventurers. You wouldn't
stand for that, would you. Of
course not you'd go first thing In
the morning and get your money
out. And I'd be willing to wager
that if any of you had your money
tied up In a bank whose accounts
had not been audited for two or
three years and you discovered
this fact you'd kick In the bank's
doors tonight and look over the
books.
"Of course you would, yet here
are the books of the state treasury
that have not been audited for
81 years, with admitted cases of
misapplication of the state's funds
and with you and I and everyone
not in the treasury ring in abso
lute Ignorance of the treasury's con
dition. Now I wonder whether, In
face of this. Pennsylvania will do
the stupid thing ngaln?
"Do you know," ho continued,
"that with your money specula
tions are and have been carried on
In Mexico and goodness only knows
in what other far-off places, and
that some of the speculators who
have almost unlimited access to
vour money are on the verge of
bankruptcy? That's true.
"Why. it is an open. shameful fact
that our treasury has the most
disgraceful record of any state in
the I'nion. Its doorstep Is bloody
with three lives at least. Its con
trol by the ring has left a trail of
murder, suicide, wreck and ruin.
The honor of thousands has been
napped out, a frightful story of
Malted hope and dishonor has been
written. Surely the money in the
state treasury of Pennsylvania has
been the root of all our political
wrongs. Only recently one of our
T'nited States senators presented
the frightful picture of pleading
the statute of limitations in con
nection with a criminal charge of
misuse of the public funds.
"Here is something I want you to
think about, because it shows Just
how far this crowd will go." said
Mr. Marron earnestly. "Do you
know that two years ago this
treasury ring went so far as to
hold up education the common
school system for the benefit of
these ring speculators? The school
teachers of the state were denied
their pav, the appropriation was
held back for 90 days, although it
had been regularly deposited In
these favored banks we are learn
ing so much about. And where
was the money? It was out of the
treasury all right, for the teachers
couldn't be paid. Well, It was out
in Mexico. So, I repeat, the pirates
went so far as to hold up educa
cation in their greed."
Farming the Funds the Rule.
Recalling the original witness In
the matter of "farming the funds," Mr.
Homer L. Castle, In a speech deliv
ered at Union City, Erie county, aald,
and declared that he is able to prove
the statement:
"In Pittsburg there is an insti
tution known as the Mortgage
Banking Company, and I have not
a word to say about Its solvency
or its responsibility. Some time
ago this Institution entered Into
an arrangement with John I. Shaw
by which ho became its president
The contract providing for his se
lection as the bank's chief officer
stipulated that the institution was
to receive a certain amount of
state funds, and that Shaw was to
receive, and he did receive 2 per
cent, for securing the deposits of
state money. Now, is that honestf
"This is the Shaw who entered
Into a deal with Holes Penrose by
which the Turtle Creek bank was
to receive $20,000 as a state deposi
tory, if it would advance Penrose
and Shaw half the amount upon
receiving It and this Holes Penrose
Is one of your United States sena
tors, head of the Republican ma
th I no
Farming Out May Be General.
"Now It has been charged that
there exists an arrangement all
over the state whereby the banks
are made to pay certain rlngsters
a percentage for all state moneys
deposited with them, though at
this minute I am not able to prove
this, as a condition existing gen
erally. I know the facts, in con
nection with the Mortgage Hank
ing comptiny-Shaw case, however,
and you can drnw your own con
clusions ns to whether the prac
tice is generally carried on.
"I also know all the facts in con
nection with the Turtle Creek
transaction. If Penrose acted with
Slniw In Uiat loan did he or did he
THE COLUMBIAN,
lisnklng ccmptiny n:'i3li? 1 1
vou to vour own inierci p" In con
sidering the whole efflr; I am
making no charges except those 1
am prepared to subataiitiste In de
tail. "Penrose Is boro cf the Republi
can machine. He controls this
man Plumtner, who Is running for
state treasurer, and If lTimmcr Is
elected Penrose will be the treas
urer. That Is an encouraging ef
fect, when we have hero letters
the machine Is sending out to th
banks holding state money. They
call loudly for campaign contribu
tions and promise the bankers
that there will be a great change
in the method of running the
treasury If Perry Is elected. Yon
bet there will be, and 1 say that Is
why I want the rlnn driven out.
We want this farming out of our
money stopped. We want a square
deal In the treasury, so we want
this change that the rlngsters fear
so badly."
IS TUB SCIil'LCS HEAL'
Significant Inquiry of a Newspaper
Correspondent.
There Is a Growing Impression That
the Boasted Balance Is Largely
Made Up of I. O. U.'s and
Other Evidences of Debt.
The Harrlsburg correspondent of
the Pittsburg Dispatch, an independ
ent and conservative Republican news
paper, writes as follows:
Is the $10,000,000 "ensh balance" of
the commonwealth of Pennsylvania
real money, or "cats and dogs?"
Has the state a vast surplus of act
ual mon"y available for emergencies,
as so glibly alleged in the "literature"
rif tho nenntillefin ufnto mneltliiu r.r la
- --' 1 ' " . . . . ...... ..a. .v., ... ... .
fhlu "enrril no" midn on In rtni-t nf '
least, of tho "paper"of irresponsible or
dead politicians?
These startling questions are likely
to figure very prominently in the cam
paign for state treasurer during tho
remaining six weeks before election.
The managers of the anti-graft cam
paign protons to be convinced that If
once an untrammeled state treasurer
could get his hands on the innermost
records of the finances of the common
wealth, ho could uncover suc h a state
of affairs as would tremendously shock
the people of Pennsylvania, accustomed
as they are to revelations of misman
agement in public otllce.
Keeping Things Quiet.
This phase of the anti-graft cam
paign has been held back apparently
until such time as its presentation to
the people will permit of Its being
kept fresh In the public thought right
up to the casting of the November
ballots. Prior to this publication only
the slightest hint of it has been given
That was in the address of Charles
Heber Clark, the distinguished Mont
gamery county author and authority
on civic affairs, before the meeting at
which the Lincoln party was organized
several weeks ago.
How far the antl-grafters will be ablo
to go toward convincing the people
that the very welfare of the common
wealth demands a thorough scrutiny
of the public assets, remains to be seen.
The men who are directing this cam
paign evidently have taken a leaf out
of the lessons of tho reform move
ments of the past which have destroyed
their effec tiveness by shooting off their
best ammunition too early in the cam
paign. Therefore, they are keeping
their own counsel as to the "surprises"
they are going to spring later on.
One thing Is fairly certain: They
should experience little dllilculty in
proving the significant fact that nearly
all tho slate treasurers of recent years,
no matter how tightly bound up to the
machine, have held off for weeks before
accepting tho conditions found In the
office and assuming responsibility
therefor.
Is the Surplus Real?
When it Is considered that the state
treasury has been absolutely in tho
hands of the "organization" for well on
to half a century, it is not surprising
that actual evidenc e for or against the
substantiality of tho "$lo.0ou,000 sur
plus," or of anything else concerning
the treasury, for that matter, is decid
edly scarce.
From the elder Cameron's tlmo, all
down through the Cameron and Quay
"dynasties." there has been greater
care exercised by the bosses in tho se
lection of candidates for state treas
urer than for any other state ofllce, the
governorship not excepted.
As a result of this, and also by rea
son of a complicated system of cross
accounts between tho treasurer and the
auditor general, the record of the treas
ury has been virtually a sealed book to
the people who pay the money. They
have been told every month that there
were so many dollars to the credit of
the commonwealth in the various fa
vored banks. For the past three years
the total given has not gone below
$10,000,000 except two or three times.
But they haven't any other assurance
than the bare published report that the
"millions" represent real dollars rather
than political "I O U's."
And the business of the anti-graft
campaigners will be to make them see
that they never will have other assur
ance until they defeat a machine-made
candidate and elect a state treasurer
free enough and brave enough to run
his hand down to the very bottom of
the state's strong box and find out ex
actly what Is there.
Castle Paving the Way.
The revelations made this week by
Homer L. Castle, of Pittsburg, appar
ently are designed as paving the way
in the public mind for the still graver
statements that are expected to follow
concerning the management of the pub
lic funds. Mr. Castle has shattered the
long-established theory of the gentle
men who deal In state deposits, that
there need be no fear of publicity where
only the parties directly involved in
the deal are in a position to give any
information concerning it.
On the same basis the millions of
state appropriations to public and pri
vate .charities and educational institu
tions were for years bartered off at a
10 per cent, rake-off rate until, finally,
Professor Davis, In the Clarion State
Normal School case, had the courage
to tell what was going on.
Notwithstanding some of the hurried
denials, Mr. Castle has presented facts
enough to convince most men who do
not prefer to believe otherwise, that
many of the stale's millions are regu
larly dealt out to banks that are will
ing In return to finance the precarious
fortunes of a select few of the political
"insiders."
The anti-grafters are highly elated
over the turn affairs have taken. Hnd
aro more than over convinced of the
wisdom of their decision eurly In thu
Hummer, that their campaign should bo
concentrated on tho state treasury tmd
the great importance to (lie people of
rescuing Jt from tho grip of Uio uu-cUIuj.
BLOOMSBURO, PA.
,11 ill III":
Aany a Prospector has Gone
to His Death Seeking It.
i
THE SEARCH FOR GOLD
The Theory Seems a Plausible One
Lem Holllster's Lifelong Search
From California to the Klondike
-Victim to Its Fascination at
Last.
"One of the points on which many
of the most level headed and experi
enced of gold miners have a weak
ness." said a man who had seen the
gold-hunting gamo in all Its strenu
ousness in California. South Africa,
and the Klondike, "la tho search for
the mother lode, as It Is called. It Is
a search, which. If successful, would
mean unlimited wealth for tho lucky
Under. There Is something lu geology
and more in dim historical tradition
to lead men into such a search, but Its
results so far have boon loss of money,
health and life. Yet when a miner
pe s the 'mother lode fover,' he is apt
to continue the search until death,
mid generally death In some tragic
form puts a permanent end to his
wanderings and struggles.
"The theory of tho mother lodo
pectus n plausible one In many ways,
and even sclontllle research has not
been nblo to decide definitely as to Its
truth or falsity. In California, tho
Klondike and most other gold districts
the first linds of the precious metal
aro made In the rivers and streams
which run down from some adjacent
mountain range. It Is known, of
course, that this gold comes from tho
mountains and that it was placed
there by great convulsions of nature
In former geological periods.
"One of tho most pcrsls cut advo
cates of the mother lodo, and In tho
end a victim to tho fascination of tho
search for it, was old Ixm Ilolllstor,
whom I first met In California just
about tho time when the placer mining
game was beginning to fall off In pro
fits. I don't know where ho picked up 1
tho theory, for lu those days It was a
comparatively now ono. Hut he cer
tainly had It In the most malignant
form. He would work at placer min
ing until he had made n fair stake.
Then he would sell out his claim, ro
pardless whether It had been worked
out or not. And then he would mys
teriously disappear. With most of
that old crowd of miners it would have
been a safe wager that they were In
San Francisco sp.vidlng their stake In
the many ways open to a man with a
goodly accumulation of the precious
metal. With Lem Ilolllstor it was
different. Tho hunt for the mother
lode was to him what dissipations oi
various sorts and kinds were to the
rest of the boys. He might be gone
weeks or months, according to how
long his stake held out. In the end
ho would return to placer mining,
broke, no nearer the object of his
search than ho had be.en at first, but
with his hopes of finding the great
source of all California gedd still tin
dimmed. "When the rush for the Klondike
cnino Loin was anions tho pioneers. 1
met him at Cape Nome. He . had
made a good thing of placer mining
there, was gathering in a good amount
of gold from his dally washings and
there was no reason why he should
not In a short time put by enough
to licet) him comfortably to tho end
of his days. Hut ho never even
dreamed or thought of such a sane
proceeding. Ho was more eager to
search for tho preat central locld
than ho had been in the days of Cali
fornia placer mining. And ho wasn't
tho only one with that Idea. In Cali
fornia he had been almost nlon3
among the miners In his belief in tha
existence of a mother lodo, or at least
in tho bollef that the search for It was
a practical matter. Hut there werd
lots of men that held the samo belief
In that early Klondike crowd.
"Hut tho search for tho mother loda
in the freezing Klondike Is a different
proposition and a much more traglci
one than a similar search in Califor.
nla. Many an old miner was lured
by It Into the more desolate and dun
gerous recesses of the northern ranges
and perished from exhaustion or cold
or hunger. The Klondike Is full of
tragedies of that sort, and the death
of old Lem Holllster was only one of
many.
"The Inst time I saw Lem was In
Dawson City. He had sold his claim,
and with the money from the sale and
the gold dust he had accumulated had
bought an outfit. He was Just on the
point of starting out again on the
search which hnd tilled his drerms
and sapped his energies for so many
years. I tried to dissuade him, and
pointed out tho terrlblo risks he was
running, for the short summer season
was almost at an end. Of course, I
simply wasted my words. He had
searched for the mother lode for
years, he Bald, and now he was on the
point of finding It. Ho pointed out
tho reasons why tho great lodo would
exist In the Klondike rather than In
the California ranges which he hnd
wasted so much time In exploring. He
was confident that this search would
be a short one. If It was not, ho could
take care of himself even through a
Klondike winter. I hated to see him
go to what I felt sure would bo his
death. Finally he promised me that
It would be tho last trip of tho kind
he would undertake. It was his last
trip, for he never roturnod. The
mother lodo had claimed another vlcj.
tlin. E. J. W.
History rei.ents Itself Yon cannot
Hnd tho age of a woman In tho Hilda.
If you think life Is a dream you had
better wake up.
STOMACHS ON STILTS.
The man who outs on stilt .doc not, In
crease his actual stature He only feels
taller. .Stimulants are in m m-y , ......
stomach. They make a man feel better
for the time being, "uv
he feels a great deal
worse for thorn after
ward. Tho need of the man
whono stomach U
"won If " l net st i m it
lii,,n hut. strength,
Dr. Pierro'a t.oltlon
Mn rile a I Discovery
ncrfccllv answers that'
tieeil ft contains no
alcohol or w hisky. It
cures the weak, foul
stomach with Its at
tendant bad smelling
breath, coated tongue,
bad taste, poor appe
tite nnd kindred symp
toms. " In the year tsod I had
an nttnek of indlirestlon
and Kt so had that fny
home doctor said ho
could not do me any
good." writes Mr. .
Trent, of Oiirdonvlllo,
Texas. "I wrote to yon
ft ml you advised me to
use Dr. Pierce's (iolden
Medleal Discovery, so I
boncht six IniIUci. hcicI
hcu 1 commenced in
inn It I wns so wenW
could hardly walk
iIhiiiI the lionsB. lty
the lime I had used one
liottle my stomach and
tsiwels commenced to
l.,,nl Time, u-ni-n fttrlna
of the llnlnir of my stomach or bowels (I don't
know which) as lnriro as n mini's two flinrcr
passed and I hnd a itoimI denl of misery In my
Ktomni'h nnd IkiwcIs, unci itlso In the rectum
especially. I could not ent anything without
hiivlmr much distress afterward, but by the
time I hnd tnken eight 1 ml lies of the 'tiulilett
Medical Discovery 1 I ns sound nnd well,
and could cat anything I pleased without
suffering In the least. Could hKo do ns much
work In a fln.v ns I ever could. I have not
sulVcrcd from the trouble since, nnil 11 was
four years ago that 1 was so sick."
The sole motive for substitution la to
permit tho denier to make, n littlu more
profit. He gains; yon lose. Accept . no sub
stitute for " tioldnn Medical Discovery."
Constipation causes and aggravates
many serious diseases. It is thoroughly
cured by Dr. l'ierou's Pleasant PclluUt.
Whtre Kiver Col Abotiuds
Coal Digger Returns From L'p Stream
Mr. LcDuc't Successful Season
The Danville Morning Xews siys:
After an exceedingly succissl'ul
season K. J. I.eDuc has brought
his coal digger down the river nnd
it is now moored below the Water
Works. Mr. LeDnc took his craft
up the stream last spring, ruiUitig
in nearly the entire summer on the
river ittst above Iiloomsbure where
manv thousand tons of coal were
extracted, all of which was disposed
-f
of at points nearby.
The river in depositing the coal
is bound by no rule whatever.
While last year it left several fine
deposits in the river below Dan
ville this year it seemed to unload
nearly all its culm above Bloonis
burg. Over the river bottom were
scattered bars of the valuable de
posit and about all that remained
lor the diggers to do was to go out
and get it It was quite a usual
thing for Mr. LeDtic to fill his flat
boat twice daily, which meant an
accumulation of some twenty-five
tons. The price commanded by
the coal on the river bank was
$1.25 per ton. Beside Mr. LeDuc
other men were extracting coal
near Bloomsbtirg and it was only
last week that an additional coal
digger from Sunbury steamed up
by Danville and entered the field.
The best is now taken from the
stream at Bloomsbtirg and if Mr.
LeDuc spends any more time dig
ging coal this year he will proba
bly try the river below this point.
River coal is not suitable for all
purposes, but while inferior to coal
from the mines the price is in its
favor and it is generally all bought
up. Sales, however, for a while
were slow last summer, but Mr.
LeDuc's pluck did not desert him.
More than once there was a big
supply on hand but he stuck to it
with the result that by the time he
was done digging, the coal was
almost all disposed of.
Speaking of the endless chain
the Eldorado, Kan., Republican
says: "Every farmer boy wants
to be a school teacher, every school
teacher hopes to be an editor, every
editor would like to be a banker,
every banker would like to be a
trust magnate, and every trust
magnate hopes some day to own a
farm and have chickens and cows
and horses to look after. We eud
where we bigin."
HUMPHREYS'
Specifics enre by acting directly on the
tide parts without disturbing the lest ot
U4D PJDWUJ. I
No.
1 for Fevers.
2 " Worms.
No.
No.
3
" Toothing.
" Diarrhea.
" Coughs.
" Neuralgia.
" Headaches.
" Dyspepsia.
" Suppressed Periods,
" Whites.
" Croup.
" The Skin.
" Rheumatism,
" Wuliirio,
" Cutnrrh.
' Whooping Cough.
" Tho Kiducyg.
" Tho Bladder.
" La (irinnn.
No.
No.
No.
No.
4
7
8
9
No. 10
No. 11
No. 12
No. 13
No. 11
No. 15
No. 10
No. 19
No. 20
No. 27
No. 30
No. 77
In small bottles of onlletx ih nt fit ti,
pocket. At Druggists or mailed, 25o. each.
t-ir- Medical (ittide iimileil free.
N "wVofk!"''' Ma" Co',Cor' W"'1") Juhu Slrwita,
VII 1V
n
A THRESHOLD GREETING.
The Carele Waving of a Newspaper
Meant to Them a Welcome.
An Italian emigrant stenmer, ev-
available foot of Its dork np-ce rrod
ed with seaworti passengers, stenmeil
Into New York harbor, and was malt
inn Its way up to a North Ttlver docv
.lust In midstream a doublo deckel
ferryboat, laden with rommu
from New Jersey suburbs of tho hi?
metropolis, slowed up to allow th
steamer to cross its bows.
For a moment or two tho commut
ers, most of them New York business
men on tho way to their ofllces, stan it
with cool Indifference at this ship
load of peasant foreigners, many nf
them fresh from tho slavery of Sich
linn sulphur mines, others from tli
worn out, tax ridden fields of Calabria.
In mute wonder, much as might so
many round eyed oxen, tho Immigran t
' pn.ed nt tho prosperous looking Inhab:
tnnts of the new land to which tliey
had come.
! Then young man on the upper
deck of tho ferryboat, prompted per
haps by nothing better than a spirit
of fun, waved a newspaper. That w is
enough. Those ,mmi voyapo weari-4
peasants, who had cut all tics of h rn
and country, who had braved all O
terrors of a trip across the big oi":i
to try their fortunes In a strane l.m I
among a strance people they under
stood. Tho careless waving of 1h ii
newspaper meant to tln ni a frioti I '
welcome from tho kinsfolk of Hnir
ncloitiou; It nii'r.nl a cheery greeting
from the la 'id of the freo.
And how they did respond! In at.
Instant the crowded decks blrtzed w ! h
color, became alive with inot'on. A
thousand Ray liti 'd neckerchiefs wer
In the nlr, a thousand battered hatj
were waving.
I licit, shrill nnd clear lifted tho Joy
ous shouts from tho crowded deck
: There were smiles and Jests an4
'laughing. Tho New World had reco-
liieil them, had greeted them la
friendly manner, Hurrah: All was,
i well now.
Across tho narrow strip of water
separating the two boats leaped t!,f
enthusiasm. It spread among the
commuters. Cold Indifference pave
,wny to good natured Interest. P.roUer.
merchants, bankers, clerks, young wo
men stenographers all caught the
Spirit of the moment. Silk hats, der
bies and white handkerchiefs were
waved In answer to the saluto of th
poor Immigrants
Itetween the two
! of passengers, of course, was still
I .J 1...' f,tM flirt nmm.T.T
& WHIG HIiriHI i.Ull, UUt. Il humid hi
humanity bridged It clear and fair.
If the Immigrants wont oil to meet
the vexations ti walling them at Kllis
Kills Island with cheered hearts,
several hundred New Yorkers took tip
the worries of n business day with the
vaguo consciousness of having partici
pated In a kindly act. Youth's Com
pan ion.
"AS WEAK AS A CAT."
Another Adacie Founded on the
Mis-
take of a Fact.
Of ntl the animal adages founded
on tho mistake of n fact, "us weak as
a cat" is the most nsurd. lteally the
cat is a most muscular auimal. Tin
lion, the tiger and other so-called "Ida
cats," as you already know, are of the
samo family with our common Iiommj
pussy; we shall not speak of th id
further. "As weak as a cat" Is applied
to the house pussy; but to say "a
weak as a kitten" is truer. ino may
then mean tin newborn kitten, which
comes Into the world blind, softer
and more helpless-looking than even
the blind puppy; but which, however.
Is not so helplessly weak as the pup
py, tho' kitten having sharp claws,
which the puppy has not. You know
so much of cats; do you not, youns
people?
The cat's muscles aro extraordinar
ily large and powerful in proportion
to tho animal's size. Then again those
muscles are attached to the Ihuuia,
fitted together at such angles as to
inako "the finest system of spring
and levers," says Ir. Huldekoper,
"known In the whole" group; the claws
aro sharper and are curved into
stronger hooks than in any other
mammal, and by tho action of special
muscles are withdrawn under the pro
tection of sheathlike pads, that the
may enoape wear and Injury when not
In use." Tho slender, supple form or
the cnt makes it capable of the high
est activity. The heavy boy, you may
have noticed, is not always the strong
est; tho thin active boy is tho fastest
runner and the quickest at games
which need both strong and limber
muscles.
The shoulder-blade, the arm and the
fore arm, the thigh, tha leg and the
foot of the oat lie at what the veteri
nary surgeons call "closed augles."
That peculiar conformation shows that
the enormous jumps which the cat cat
take to the envy of any athletic boy
are due to the great power and the
closed angles of the Joints; but the
conformation of the legs make the
cat's stride at a walk, a trot or a run
remarkably limited. The rat moves
therefore, with wonderful quickness,
but with no great speed. The boy
who says he feels' "as weak us a cat''
If ha Is at nil like the cat should
he splendidly muscular. The truth is
that, In roportlon to the size ot hi
body, he can never hope to bo a
strong as a cat. Our Animal Friend.
The Bishop's Pass.
In this country free railway passt-i
are not often met with; and cortalnlf
the one ownod by tho venerable bis
hop of Gloucester is unique. It Is of
pold, in the first place, and extendi
from end to otid of the Oreat Eastern
Hallway, In the second place. Ac
cording to a story told by the Itev. J
A. U Alrey, It forms a souvenir of tha
kindly ministrations by tho Hlshop to
tho sufferers by a rullway uc'ciih'iil
which occuri'd on tho sys-'em many
years ago. London Dally Times.