rvn?7itT9fW i n THE SCRAJNOtt TIUBUNB-MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1900. 6 'A STATISTICS OF POSTAL WORK State o the Service According to Annual Report of Postmaster General Smith. MAGNITUDE OF DELIVERY The Mails Carried to the Door of 31, 000,000 People Massed In Towns and Cities Tho Task Presented by Rural Delivery In Splto of In creased Servlco the Deficit Is Over a Million Dollars Less Than on the Previous Year Estimated Expense of Current Year How Revenues Increase Abuses in Second Class Mail Matter Statistical Informa tion of General Interest. l.itlmAtctl RtOM coil it.i.iiiMti'iniitSViOO" Deduct ctlmatcI sivlnm from illcontlmi.incc of fourth cM oincci of 1.i...ininifcSi"u'M"'' Deduct ctlrnntnl wings Ircm illHivntlnittmi1 of star rotitM .., ..!.!. in '.!,.00,i" Mciluct lnirenl rrcolpt!..., l,M1,U"t . 0,T7a,.1TO By ExclutltB Vlro from The Associated Prow. Washington, IX'C. . According 1o tho annual report of Postmaster Oen nr.U Charles Emory Smith, tho postal service during the year uinluil .Tunis ."0 cost $107."40,267.!i!) and the recclptK were $102,nr)4,r.7t).2U, leaving u dolirlt of 5,385,683.70. This tlellcit Is Jljr-.OSS less than that of the previous year, and Ji.'(711,8U lesn than the average annual deficit for tin- past Bight years. Tho estimated expense of the current year's business Is Jl"1.2i!,31!; anil the estimated revenue, $11(5,6:13,012, leaving an expected deficit of J4.C3 1,307. Strongly endorsing extension of ru ral' free delivery, tho report says: We arc now carrjlne the posti'lllcc tn the din f 31,0O),0i)0 of people in-iv-cil In towns and cities. The task Infore us Is the mow iiinill cnUd work of cairjlns the poslotllui; to the door of about 21,000,000, E(.ittered ocr l.nuu.uo-l square miles of territory. Wu are nlro.nly ioici ing with rural delivery a larger arci than l.ng land, nil effected within the past two years. By the end of the current fieal jcar we shall nurli one-sixth of the 21.000.0IX) to he set veil. What lint already been Mili.tintlally ucmmplUIicd is tertolnly capable of sixfold expaiiion. On the 1st of July, 1W. then- weie !1 turn I delivery routea In operation. Within the flsc.il year, under an appropriation of sisii.Wiii, this number was Incrcared to 1,2H, On the 1st of July, MOO, the appropriatinn ot fl.TjO.nny be came available, and on tlii 15th "f Snvcudur 2,014 routes had tieen lnratnl iin-1 (M ibli-hi'd, 01,079 miles in nirirri'SIti' length, loieiiin? liil.M'! xquare miles, dhided ainoni; '14 stati-. and tcrri iories, and serving n ppnl.ith'ii of T.aOl.lil. The number of applications pending at t fiat date and awaitlntr action or under InuM ic.it iini was more than 2,100 nearly ciiotigti to double thi; pjiisting 6crici and irry iiy brings innie. The close of the preent fl.oal year will mo about 4,:i00 routes In operation, rnrrylm; tbe mail daily fo the doors of not less tlian S,rrtl,00u u-iilftit-ot the rural districts. HOW REVENUES INCREASE. The report describes nt length a tborough test of rural free delivery made In Carroll county, Mil., covering an area of 4D3 square miles. The ex periment began by the discontinuance of 63 of the 94 fourth-class postofllees Jn the territory and of 33 star routes, and by the substitution of a free de livery service with four complete pos tal wagons and 2S rural letter carrleis in their own conveyances. So radical an Innovation, Involving the displace ment of a number of officials, natural ly at the outset excited some antagon ism. But the service proved so satis factory and the advantages of univer sal delivery were so great that the op position speedily subsided, and there Js now an undivided sentiment of cor dial support and approvnl. Mr. Smith says: The Inauguration of the (limine was followed by an immediate and marked adwimc in Hi" quantity of mail, Tbe Increase the tlrst inintvi in the number of plecu handled n.n about V per cent. With the means of tmnini-.ioii drought to tho door more letteis wet" wiitlin, but there was a rpccial nuKimwit it ! of tie volume of iimvspnpeis, circulars and postal i.inK Tho other facilities of the i-tal system wne employed in liberal measure. In the tlrsi quar ter of rural free dcllu'ry, aa coiupuul villi the list quarter preceding, the luiri'.w nf ii'Rls tered letters was 57 pel" cent., and of muity orders 40 per cent. The liicrea-u'd iciclpts diums tiie first quarter were $l,fj(l. or 2a p. r iint. As the normal Increase is only about s per icnt. in the populous cintm, and lis than .1 pu lent, in rural sections, these Agnus atti-t the fflcacy of of rural ucliu'iy in snolliiii the revenues. The sating clTectnl in tin.- disn.t.tluu. ance of fourth-class ofllci. and star ruutrs nmountcd for the quarter ti !-','jOj. Add in Ihi the Increase in receipts, and we lute a unlit account which veiy marly lu'auees tbe nut it the mral delivery, thus showing that th ser vices In Carroll county it uell-nli;!, si'lt-su-uti . ing. t ESTIMATED COST OF HUliAL YUKK DELIVEUY. Dy a process of averages taken fn m existing free dollverv routes represent ing vnrying conditions the postmaster general estimates that the gross annual cost of extending rural free del'verv over the 1,000,000 square miles of rea sonably well populated rural tertl'orvi Jn the united States would be 820,333, 000. He adds: nut this estimate presents oidy one side of tin account, In oiihr to nsierttiii the net io.it of such a Eeiuial estenslon it i neces.uy to deduit from tills unumnt the tatiiiKS elfoiteil by Hie ili-continiiance of other wrtliv wli.'ii fieo ildlt. cry di-places and the inercasid leielpts it may be opectcd to hrlnif. 'Hie mini of tlu-e turns tun only be inferred fioin the inilicalious alie.idy clten. Wlnre a solid county senile his been established It rilpcncs with atiout 7.1 pr lent, ot the fotirth-clasii oilUcj, ami has done It with little friction ut first and witli full and beany roneurreneii in tho end. The iiilMltnlloii nt tarrlcrs has ullaed any discontent tint Ins crown nut of tho abolition of tho nlllics. (he proportion whiili lia pioailed in tin full louiily unlios thus far orKaulzed weie to lulc tlilouith a general extension nf tiie ddlwr) It would lead to tho ilUcontliuume vt il'J.lio mlUes, In. oltlng an unnual satiui;, rctlioiihii; the ,ierai:o iimipensation at 70, oi J,i.VI,oii, (in h Mllll, basis thtre would bo a mIi nt -rJ,ri,oij llirouuli tne uiat'oniinuamii ot star luulc... The Incnase of retemiu wlilcli will bo illicitly ctfecltd by free tlclitriy, ami v. tilt h nuwt bi tiken into areoiint, can also be uppioxluialely talcuhted. Tliu gross U'telpU of the poital f lee far the jear ending June ;to, lnoo, were ijdUi,. ;UI,u70.20, Of this iiuiount, 8-.', I0.i,iri, oil ijiiu, fiom presidential oiliies, leutinif .0,titil4b7,!M as tho receipts o. the fourin iIuns ollleu. A criti cal etaiuiration of the leporl show that the In- reaco in the revenues hit )ear, outside of die lelitery oflUes, was 2.PJ per cent. Hut the in. irea.o in Carroll county altir the esUbli.linii'iit of rural delittry, itn Kreater at first, was fully 10 pvr tent, for the )er, aliouliia- that an in. enment of 7,fil wr tent, can be cu-dlicd dlrettly to the introduction of tills seitlce. The Hkuiu of other ckpirlmciiW coullriu this lalculatiou. Appljinjr that percentage to ihu receipts of (lie last lUcal )ear outside of free tlelitery otiliet, its points as the Immediate fruit of the tscnenl retention of rural delhery to un increase in revenue of 1,011,070.00. As tho iwtcnslon would rnjulic .1 cun.idi'iahk' peilod for its exeiutlon, tho retrnucs would be constantly irruuln before Its coinpleto lonsiiinniatlon, ami the proportion atu increase would be tho fiealer. Hut taking tha comervaine vxhibit, the net result of the ritrntloo of rural free delhery to 1,000,000 .quire nillctf, or (II the eligible portion of tbe country, would stand thus; Net annual rot of nual ftto tie lbcry in,,,,,, it... l3,7fi2,i!JI 11 thus appearn that rural free delivery can lie rtlenrlril practically otet the whole country nt an annul! cost of lets than $H,00O,on0. Correction ot nbuses In second class malt matter, as several times contem plated In the tmitl bill, which con grt'ss has rcpeatrdly defeated, and as again advocated by the polni!stnr general, would save the government within n few thousand dollars or enough to meet the uhnlo net co.t of free delivery to the 21,000.000 people who live on the farms of the United Stntes. STATISTICAL IN'F'OUMATIO.V. The report reviews the postal opera tions In the new dependencies, giving a complete and candid review of th postal frauds in Cuba, togetner wnn tho steps taken to correct thorn and to punish the guilty! and In various places It presents tho ppended sta tistical Information. Money sent by money older s.tslfin last car, $AVi,(i70,227.W, an Minute of .!0,7ll,OI4. Number tree itcllury ollltw, 70, with 13,22 carriers, costliur U,3I2,IW. Of the M.i'.ss postoltleis In the flitted iUIrs SO.'i'i? are inoncj'Oiiler oll'.ies. Numhir Inland mail unites 3.,!;Ji, huliig icntth of iVVv lulhi", mi whhli the annual tr.it el unoutited to ).Vi,2)".,771 milts, costing "."(.llii.OJO.TO. Tliere arc l,2iis Iini nf Itatelliur pnslofflces in npuiithm throuslioul ilie nmntij. bailnn n total length ot l7S,lii;n mllei ind nqiiirlnR the sei ttces ot .s.T'.M clerks, who, in now. ti.neled a illst.inie of 200,rt72,7si nilh-. '1 hi demind upon tin i.iilway mail -miie leqtili.d the tie of !l,i!S i us and parts of mis. 23 stieel ralhv.it cars In lilli-, and "2 aiiartments on teainhoit lini. It Is esilnialpd lint .l.7IIJ,Oi)7,tnO pieces of ordiniry mill wu. handled, together witli P'.s.',il,ItH p.uhiKi.-. i.i.e-, and ficks of reKisteml iiu.ttir, and tin mors of all kinds amounted to but one in cu r.i IU.K3 pieces distributed. Cani alllet oteiinlui; in tin railway null t,crir ainoiintnl .1 21, of wlilih I win killed, 57 sciloii.ly liijmid, mil 1.-7 nllghlly liijund. Tin sum ot 2,olt,,"i!7.W wa cpi tided chi.-liiir the j -ai foi tin ti inipi nation of forelcn miili. ','l.iu wen li,si,7U- pines of null nutter dis liiiiiitnl In tiainit by 1 he clerks of tiie mean mail siiiiee. 'I hen wue i.nried In tin rrpMeri il mails during the icar, for the postottice deparlm-nt ,,nd tlie trnsurv department ulono, articles asj ;,':iiatlni' in value ocr one and one-half billion dollars, and yet hut seu'iiken articles, of a uliii of 4Jo7.,7, wue lost Statistics from tlie nthir dipattinents. were ihey at hand, would Kreall.i I'lhaneo 'his iredlt'ible showing. I hi re wire 'H,K'i complaints lelalini; to tbr lrs of ordinary mall received nt the dipartment. A caielul inyestlgil ion, whiih was made in M.i'Jh of lliese eases disclosed that in 12,Of'7 tlifre had been no uitual loss. 'Ibeie were 7, 12'i,!ioo,202 pieces of mall matter of nil kinds handled in cur poslotfliea durinc tlie yen. 'Iliese were dliided as follows: l.et tei3, paid and fue, 3,30,"i4,ii07: postal cards, 3-7,l3,230; new.spipers and perioilieals, known a-, s, cund-i l.ss mutter, J,;i.Vi,(,'iS,'ti7 ; fhliil and touith cli-s matter t7,l,721,n(5, Sei end-class matter was mailed by publishers and niiis .tsciils to tin extent of !S2t3.w,'iiil poutuN, and the postage paid thereon amount! d to -),Mri,:!sti.!.i. To form .1 fiir e'timate of tlie total amount of this 1 lais of in itter mailed an nually, tlie weiithl of tliat which is mailed free in lounlies ot pablliation should Ik iidileil. This Kins a total of 4i0,on,-l pounds, which rep-le-ents tlie cioss Wright of seeond-clasa matter carried In the mail- last .tcir at the rate of one lent a pound. IeiiaI deliu ry stamps wue iwed to the tabic of ti27,b74.!U, and the expenses of this siiilie aniounted to .l77,lil.!i7. Mter dtiluctliijr tlie ust of maniil'iii'tme and incidental etpenri, it i shown that the iti-ternuicnl rcalired a prolil of "tl7,SJi)03 from the spi'iial delitrry irnlce. 'there were tt.tjOu postoilli'iv, established during the je.tr, liiinir an nnre.ise of ofij, and dision tinuanus ".in made tn ihc luiniber nf l,1)!!!, wblih i 107 iiioie than limine lxst jear. Within tin same piriod 13.-I12 postmasteu were afi pointul, of which 707 wen ot the presidential grade and 11,1;:; of the fouith ihisj In the lour-c of tin ji ir n total of 1,320 ai riMs wue made for tiolatioiui of tlie postal laws. Of tills number IP) wue postmasters, W assUt nut poslnnsters, is deiks in postolh(is, 8 rail way postal clerks. !i) letter carriers, 39 mail ranii'is, 1!) iniploii's in minor pasltioti". Tlie iiinaindei were not intintcted in any way villi ttu senile. The majorit.v or theo cases were tiled in tlie ltiited !-lites lomts; in rM, con tletloi)'. witi seiuteil, and 3'Jit iasps weie pend ing at the dose of tin j eat. In the state courts HI uses wire di.posnl of, enmictions risultilu; In in, and 2 wue hit pi'mllii;,'. The iiuinhei of tirsl-class postofTiies is lot; seiond-il.ns, S'iJ; ihiiil-iliis.s. :(.lt-7, and foiir'.h clai, 72,r",. Duiiiu ilie last fisial junr fl:! ilnims of post-uia--tirs for Ins-cs iisultinx lioni burglary, fire, or other uiiiioiddile easuillj were considered. iiinl allow.u.ios made to tin amount of ls0,2 iO.SO. Of tin total amount tin losses, M2.777.77 was lor pot.il muds, 31.i'iV.'.ti.i lot pn-tat'e tainps and siaiiipcil 1 si pel, and -ll,7i!i..',s for itioni.v-onli r fends. Mbi. Mm, nt -i;.lJ t2 was allowid for los-is bj tlie, t"i',tls.7s lij biireluij, S.l,07ll..s2 bj ii'libeiy aiid I.iuuij, il,li.!i2 while in transit Iroiu pusmtllteK to liipo.ituij litflii's, and s783.0.l bj inisctltineous laust.:. i.ctiiii.viiii.N 'i:i:ui;i). The- following rec-onimendatlons for leplsiiition by oongiess lire renewed: Mini .111 ail be pj'sul to punih peisons who by foiu attempt to filter a 1 11 01 apaitiutnt in J lai Used for the distiibutlon in null. 01 who may assault a i.iilwai mail ilerk while in ll.c dl-ihiiM ot his dutiis is smb. Mint a statute lie matted pmtiiliii'r lot the ei.mpulson sepaiatiiui by pulilMiiis ot sieond-il.;-s mill matter. 'Ill 11 the lliteistiili-uiimiiiiie Uw be auii'iiil'd 10 prohibit lomiii'iu taiiliis, tn wit, lelegiaph and evprevs lompanles, 01 any of their emplojis, lioni nldlnit and .ibi'ttlmt in tiie giuu pio.li 01 lottery swindtn. 01 anj ulner vliuiie lanlid 011 pailly by mail and partlj by iiimnion cuirlcr, mid width is in violutlon of the pu.tal laws. That .1 stuf u be uiailid authorirll.j: poslof. lice iii-pei tors to take out seaich wjirants wheii etei the same nui be uu,s.iij in the pioscui. lion of I heir otlicial duties. M'lut .111 appiupii.ilon In mule lot purpose id iiuistruiilng luiil.niiis in possum., wlmcvci, in thi nplnhiii in Ilie postmaster geiivral, tliey mil Isi in ok il. Thai piiiiislcu Ir made or the pajmint of incidental iSiin.es Iniuiml ,j mal otilurs or nlluih in tin aiust, detention, ami kieplng ut piisomrs (luigeil with tlol.iilons of t ! postal laws until muIi piLiinns can be traiisierii'il to tin custody of a 1'iiittd Slates marshal. Scranton Carpet and Furniture Company, Registered. Scranton Carpet and Furniture Company, Registered. From the debris of the Old arises The Company. John G. Owens, Manager, for- merly with Kerr & Sicbecker a man of many years of practical experience. f d win H. F. Conrad, infch?se '- of Up holstery and Drapery Department, for merly with Marshall, Field & Co., Chi cago, later with Siebecker & Watkins.here Henry D. Morse, '" char ?f Carpet Mak- ling and Laying Department, formerly with S. G. Kerr & Co. Over 20 years of practical experience in the work. " ALSO ARCHIBALD B. HAZLETT, SAMUEL a. WILCOX, F. E. NETTLETON, And SARAH PHILLIPS, Widow of tho Late D. I. PHILLIPS. w the magnificence of the New . tHEN THE EXPLOSION on the night of August 4 shook the citv THE EXPLOSION on the night of August 4 shook the city from oneto the other and leveled to the ground the busi ness of the Merchants' and Mechanics' Bank, the D. I. Phillips rurniture Company and the Scranton Carpet Company, there was little left to tell the tale, save a mass of splinters, broken furniture, dis hevelled carpets and the like. The wreckage was complete. What the hidj den elements had done could not be undone. It was setting back "into the harness," some way, some how. So the business interests of the D. I. Phillips Furniture Company and the Scranton Carpet Company were mar ried aud became as one. The big and splendidly equipped building at No. 406 Lackawanna Avenue, containing four floors and basement, adaptly suited to the requirements of such a business, was leased for a long term of years, and there was launched The Biggest, the Best and the Most Thoroughly Complete Furniture and Carpet House in This Section. s&, IN THE BASEMENT. Metallic Hods, odd pieces of Furniture, etc. ON MAIN FLOOR. Display of lino Furniture, Art, Brioa-Ilrao. etc. ON SECOND FLOOR. nrussel." and Ingrain Car pets and Hus, L'pholstcrj, Curtains, etc, ON THIRD FLOOR. Parlor Fnrnituie, Couches, Fancy Chill's. Morris Cliaii-. Library Tables, Hall Hails Sireens. etc. ON FOURTH FLOOR. Offiio Desks, Chairs, Roll Tops, Window Shades, Cu pet Workrooms and Dipait nient for Jte-upliolstei inir. Furniture. The stock is new in its entirety. It represents a collection wisely chosen, by men whose ex perience teaches what is best and most modern in Home Furnishings. The store is now at its best. That you may see and appreciate the spirit of this gigantic enterprise, we invite the public to a Grand Holiday Opening - Wednesday, December 1 2th When the five floors of the building will reveal to the admirers of the artistic and beautiful in Furniture, Carpets and so forth, a stock that has no peer in any city in the state. A candid statement, made without exaggeration. Special Offerings for fbe Opeoin The Following Specials Are for the One Day Only. You'll Find Them Wei! Worth Coming Af.er. I t l Q ---'- $sB. MstA - for $2.a5 Rugs These are very nobby patterns in Axmin- $ 1 ,5 sler Rugs, of rich patterns and new designs. They are 30 in. by 60 inches, fringed at ends, and naturally worth $2.25. for $1.75 Tabourettes An appropriate holiday gift, These $ 1 .00 come in both solid oak and rich mahogany, of good size, solidly constructed and sold nowhere less than $1.35. for S3.00 Sweepers These are the famous Peerless, mule $2.25 by the best factory, cyco bearings, easy running, easy to clean, sell adjustable an sold in all stores at $3.00. for India Stool3 One of the prettiest and most useful or $1 .00 ornaments, direct to us from the importers Vantine & Co. Sold by us for just one day at half their actual worth. 1 IC for $1.50 Rockers One of the unusual baig.ii s of the day. P 1 . 15 A lot ol more than .1 hundtrd Rockets of very 1 1 h oak fin ish, stylishly cut and lirmly constructed. Never sold ui nt.v store tv less than $1 50. -. for $10.00 Couches The biggest bargain ever offeie.l in P5.yj5 Scianion. Have solid oak (tames, heavy mmi.iI sj r,,i.s tin I upholstered in finest velo'iis nore than 20 patterns, lively couch t,a,--iinteed lor live years, and never sold anywheie for less than S 10.00. $ff Af for D00 R" Want something fine (or the home? jD.)j l'hs-se are e'iiuisite pat'citK in li ".'law Arlin 'u:i .mA Ax- liS HI M Fn I I L minsters , o by 12 feet in si:; Iins, rich in finish and histic. Tne designs are copie. ot the olJ.-t Go'ie- They have never been sold lor les-, than $53 Fine Furniture Suitable for Holiday Qivi to Book Cases Get the case first and the books come easily. Here they are in large assortment, doth plain and combina tion writing desk styles, with open and glass fronts, from 2 feet to 8 feet wide. Prices that rise by easy stages from 5.00 to 50 00. Sideboards from $14.00 to $150.00 Dining Tables from $4.00 to $40.00 Dining Chairs from 65c to $13.50 Bedroom Suits from $15 to $i-;o.oo Parlor Suits from $20.00 to $85.00 Hall Racks from $4 75 to $40.00 Library Tables from $12.00 to $70.00 Fine Couches from $6.oo to $45.00 China Closels China Closets are becoming pref erable to Sideboards in many re spects. Here are corner and straight back closets, in both oval and plain fronts, plain wood and mirror backs. Big variety of them in prices from $20.00 to $37.00. ScrantoD Carpet and FiirolKire Co., Registered, 406 LAOKAWANNA AVENUE. SCRANTON. PZ. TO HEAR ARGUMENTS IN NEELEY CASE DEATH OF MltS. M'LEAN. Mother of Mrs. Dewey Expires nt Washington. Ily Kuliislw Win (mm Tin) Assoilttisl l'risy. Waalilntfliiu, Dec. . Mrs, Mmy U .Mt'l.i-un, tlm mother of John It. Mi. Loan, of thi Cincinnati Kiuiulivr, ll,-il here nt her it'.sliU'nro this mornlrm of ucute henrt iUTcution. .Shu hud foo'u 111 flnett Krltla, Inst, nml from tho dent at tack ht'i llfn wiih ikHi-alretl of, At the hetlalilt tir Mik. Jlisl.oun when tint oii'l ennui wi'ti her iluUKhters, Mrs. Dewoy and Mt'H. I.tiillow, the wife of Hear Ad mlrnl.l.uillowi her son, air, John R, MelA'iin, and Admiral Dewey, Mrs. Mcl.euu was a native of Ken tucky, hut jnevlnus to comlnj? to "WashlnBton, seycutl years ago, ntie Hpent moHt of her life In Cincinnati, She was the widow of tho late Wat-h ItiBton McLean, proprleim: of thu Cin cinnati Enquirer, Mrs. McLean was In hur tseventy'SecouU year, Johannesburg Fenced in. By I'tcluiive Wire fiom TIk Auocltted l'ria. London, Per, V. drriijttli from Jblumii-n-buri; u- the tonn U3 Lien fonciJ aruurj with Urbcd wire to irevnt tbe luhabitiuU Kvttlus food to the Boen. Supreme Court Will Consider the Bight of United States to Ex tradite Neeley. By Excluilic Wire fiom The Associated Presa. WashlnBton, Dec, 9, Tho mtpreme com t tomorrow mornlnt; will hear ur BumentB In the case of Neeley vermis Henkel, Involving tho right of the United States to extradite Neeley for trial tn Havana for tho alleged embez zlement of the Cuban i-ostu! funds. The court has Hpcciully asHlsned It for argument tomorrow and It Is at the head of tho call. Neeley was arrested SIX-DAY ANNUAL BICYCLE RACE In New York for the allt'Ked emuezsilement of $0",iQ0 entrusted to him as the llnance airi'ttl of the department of posts, Cltvult JuiIko Lacombe held that the evidence disclosed probable cause aud orderod Neeley's detention pendlni-; the asllon of the executive. Neeley then applleil for a habeas corpus on the ground that the act of connress authorizing- tho ex tradition was unconstitutional, as It wits an uttempt to legislate for a for eign country with which this country Is ut pence Tho case, therefore, invol vuh tho question of constitutional rela tions between the United States nn.i tho Island of Cuba and will be thu lit it of tha cases which will determine ?hn power of this government to uovern temporarily or permanently tho isl ands acquired through the treaty of Paris. Tho grounds set forth In tho application for the writ are that slncy the treaty of Paris the United BtuU-.i Is without authority to occupy or con trol Cuba and that the military govern, mont which there exists by order of the president is Illegal and In viola. Hon of tho constitution. John D. Lindsay and De Lancey Nlcoll, of the New York bar.'wlll argue the case for Neeley and the govern ment will be represented by Assistant Attorney General James M, Deck. Tho Start Is Witnessed at Madison Square Garden by an Audience of 0,000 Fourteen Starters, Ily INilusivi W'lre fium Tli AuOcUtn! l'iei. New York, Dec. 9, Tho sixth annual international six-day blcyclo race ut Madison Square Garden was started at midnight tonight beforo over C,00n people. The race Is held under tho auspices of the American Hlcyclu Rac ing association and fourteen riders of International reputation began the 142 hours' grind, They represented as many pairs who will race for six days as teams. No man will be allowed to ildo on the track more' than twelve hours In any day, hut tha two men In euch team may relieve each other at any time that suits themselves. At the end of the six days racing $1,000 in prizes will be distributed among thu riders, Tho. following are the pairs who worn counted In to stnrt In the race, the man first mentioned In each pilr being tho into who started first for tho team: C. V. Miller, Chicago, and Hubert AValthour, Atlanta; Hugh McLean, Scotland, and Alex, McLean, Scotland; Oscar Aronson, Sweden, and Oscar liabcock, New York; W, O, Stlmon, Hoston, and Prank Waller, Germany: 'John DuDnlH, Urooktou, and P oyd Krebs, Newark; II. D, Kikes, Glen Pulls, and Floyd MoFurlnnd, San Jose, t'al.j II. R. Uloecker, Brooklyn, and Hrank Albert, New York; Jean Gott goltz, Prance, and Caeser Slmar, Prance; Earl Klser, Germany, and P.ltz Ityser, Germany; Jean Fisher, Bwltrer land.and Michael FredetJck.SwItzsrland; Itudolph Miller, Italy uud II. Aucou trlor, Italy; Charles Turvllle, Philadel phia, and Louis Qlmm, Pittsburg; T, J, Colgon, Trenton, and DIckerson; Hums Plerco, Boston, and Archie Mc Eachern, Toronto. The Lawson broth ers, John uud Gub, sent their entry In too late and did not start. Prltschka aud Llngenbclter, the German team, Maresca and Snssard, the Italian tsum, and Nlkodnn and Hoffman, the Ilerltn team, failed to quality and were not allowed to start. THE BIGGEST LIAR IN ARIZONA W, K. Cuitis, in tlio Chicago lltconl. One of tha stock stories related by Captain Hanee, the veteran guide at the Grand canon of the Colorado, who admits that ho Is tho biggest liar In Arizona, concerns an adventure which took place some years ago. Tho cap tain says that ho was pursuing u. Hock of mountain sheep, which Jumped over the preciplca Into tho canon, right at I think so ylt the deepest part, where you can look down over ti.000 feet. Ho saw his dan ger baforo he reached the brink, but it was impossible to stop his horse so suddenly and over he went after the taheop. While he was falling, the enp taln says, he was very much fright ened, but it occurred to him that If jump the canon. We tried it onco nnd ho failed, and he never was himself after. "That horse hated to he beat worse'n any human bein' you ever saw, and he was terrible mortified that time that he failed to Jump the canyon, for there v. as a lot of bets up, and a big crowd ot people standln' round, most of 'em Mowln' that he couldn't do It. I didn't feel so bad about It myself, although they gimme the laugh," said the cap tain, as ho wriggled all over and ges ticulated with his arms and head, as he always does when telling a story. "You see, I believe et was a bigger teat than jumpln' tho canyon, and I I dlsremember when It Jt-lCSf. was, nut it couldn't nave uecn more than twenty yours ago that wu tried It, Wo went back on tho plateau n mile or so to git a good start, I hitched up tho saddle gear and tight- cued tlie cinch and got a good, firm seat before we started, and then I hit him go. Ho went at the rate of u miU darned (Wh line tied to my boot Then, all at once, that thundorln' fish concluded he'd go down to the bottom, and I aspect lit? dove live hundred feet, dragglu' mo with him, fur, of course, I couldn't do nothin' but go too. The lino was tied to my leg and stretchcu so taut, and wu goln' to fast, that by the time I could reach my hnnd over to git hold, the leg would lie lit tin next uauutity; but when that llsh struck bottom, he seemed to icckuu he'd rest ;t spell, nnd there wo laid quiet five or six hundred feet, 1 can't tell you Jest how fur, below the top of the water. That gac me a chance to reach over aud ketch hold nf til. line, which 1 did mighty careful for four of hkecrln' the iMi, " "Hand over hand 1 gradually gath ered In tho line until I got cloe to tlm beggar that hud made all tho trouble, He was a calllsh as long as a tele graph pole, and he had a head blgger'n ii Hour barrel, When 1 was putty close to him he opened his mouth ti ho could got out of thu saddle just n minute until he came to the rim of i yawn, and, by ginger, 1 thought I win beforo the horse struck the ground ha tho canyon, when I could feel him might save himself. So he took his gatherlu' his strength as ho left tho feet out of the stirrups, and When his I ground and snared away Into tho air, faithful animal was ubout llvo feet from the bottom of the canon ho threw himself off and landed safely on a big rock, with no Injury except a few In significant bruises. Tho horse, how ever was crushed to fragments. There was not u single bone In his whole body left unbroken. Captain Hance, however, Insists that he had another escape oven more mar velous than this, and it was with tho same horse, a favorite animal, which was famous as a Jumper, "That horse, when ho was feelln' good," said Captain Hance, "could jump over any tree on the Colorado plateau, und many a time he has made better than a mile a minute with me on his back, and I weigh about ICO, I have ridden him bareback, blanket back aud slda-saddle, uphill and down, and he never stumbled, nor balked, nor whimpered, although many a time he went a week without food or water, I had never seen such a horse beforo or since, either for Bpeetl or Intelli gence, and for Jumping he could beat anything In Arlzoneeia, but he couldn't but he naiin t got more n half way across tho chnsm, which Is about four miles wide at that place, when ho seen he couldn't do It. The Job was too much for him; the Jump wns too fur; so, like a sensible horse, he Jest natruly turned around and came back and said nothing about it," "I should say there was, You Jest ought to seo mo thu duy 1 had a tussle with n catfish. They ain't much but catfish in the Colorado, but they're ter rors, and some of 'em as big as whales or what-db-you-call-'ems. I was flsh ln' one day 'bout four summers ago, and got terrible sleepy, It did seem to me as If I couldn't hold my eyes open another minute, so I jest natruly hitched my line to my boot-leg and sez to meself we'll have a snooze. "JIow long I slept I don't know, but when 1 woke up I was slldln' 'long on the top of tl(u Colorado river like a tor pedo shot out of a gun, feet fust. I must have went a mile or so before I tcallzed what had happened, and then It came to me nil at once that I was bcin' towed somewher.e with the gosh I a goner, fur he kind of suekcdMn nn I had to swim pretty lively to keep out of the current. I seen that my hook was last In his viinls wlien ho opened his mouth aud there worn't no usi trying to save It; so I Jest kind ot liatully 'haudoned II there, aud took my knife out of my belt and cut the line just as close as I could without wurrin' tho crlttur, "I didn't wait to coll the line. I jest liatully gave a good shovo and started toward the top of tho river without saying good-bye, tur I don't want no fuss wlh a fish, particularly a 'cat tish. Cutllshcs Is stupid and mean and have bad disposition1. The catils)ies in the Colorado rlvur Is particularly unfriendly to white men, They've gut a grudge uglu me, too, for sumthlu' or other, I 'sposa I am to blame, but then tight 1 reckon I ulnt' treated them any worse tliun other people. It was lucky for mo that the wuter In the Colorado was rlly thet day, so thut that particular catfish didn't recognlzft me, 1 knew him soon us I seen him. He's the ugliest of tho whole lot, and for some reason or 'notlier I could never find out why he's got a grudge uglns t your bumble servant." : t .il 1- i H isMntM im1M'l