WE DO FINE BOOK and JOB PRINTING TRY US! VOLUME IV —No. 9 Break With Austria Now Expected to Precede the Wilson Visit to Congress WASHINGTON, Feb. 23. The United States almost cer tainly will have broken with Au stria before President Wilson again goes to congress to fur ther review the critical interna tional situation. Officials today frankly admitted that the com munication sent the state de partment to Ambassador Pen field at Vienna is couched in ab solutely straight language. It directly asks whether Aus tria has repudiated pledges al ready given. And if the reply is to be, as Vienna advices in dicate, that those pledges were in specific cases and do not cov er the future, when read in con nection with the original Aus trian note announcing her sup port of the German policy of un restricted submarine warfare, there is nothing that the presi dent can do, his advisors say, COAL FAMINE CAUSING GRAVE TROUBLE IN WEST WASHINGTON, Feb. 22. Government officials today de clared that threatened suspension of light, heat and power plants in the middle west because of inability of many towns and cities to obtain coal, is second in seriousness only to the food shortage. The American Railways Association announcement that hold ups and delays in coal and coke transportation has reached a critical stage named the following cities as being affected: Chicago, Oak Park, Evanston, Blue Island, Kankakee, De kalb, Bloomington, Gelena, Rockford and Springfield, 111.; Indi anapolis, Ind.; Burlington, la.; Detroit, Cadallac, Coldwater, and Munroe, Mich.; Toledo, 0.; and W 7 aukesha, Wis. ANOTHER PRISONER ESCAPES—ALMOST Harry Dickie, of Waterman, arrested on a charge of assault and battery, preferred by his wife, while being taken from the Judge's chambers to the county jail Thursday, made a bold dash lor liberty "a la Waterhouse". Escaping into the alley at Stew art's livery he made his way to Sixth street, hotly pursued by his erstwhile custodian, Deputy Elmer Borland. On the north side of Water street Dickie had a head-on collision with an innocent ped estrian who was rounding the corner at the crucial moment, fell ing him to the ground, but this didn't even perceptibly check his headlong flight. His liberty proved to be of short duration for the deputy was hot upon his heels and just as the fugitive reached the bowling alley he was captured and taken to the bastile. BROKE BACK IN COAL FALL A fall of rock in No. 25 mine at Clymer Tuesday afternoon, resulted disastrously for Tommaso Montani, aged 26 years of Clymer, who was caught underneath it. When he was extricated it was found that his back was broken. He was removed to the Dixonville Hospital, and it is not believed that he will recover. MUST ANSWER TO SERIOUS CHARGE Harry Little has been held in $l,OOO bond by Squire W. M. Mahan, to answer to a serious charge by Bert Long of Brushvalley township, father of the 13-year-old girl with whom Little recently eloped. JOE CAMPBELL BUYS HARTSOCK SHOE STORE Joseph Campbell of East W T ater street, became the owner of the shoe store conducted for the last several years by H. S. Hart sock, of South Seventh street. Mr. Campbell, who will assume charge of the store today, is one of Indiana's progressive young business men, and success is expected to follow him in his new business venture. RAILROADS TRYING HARD TO AID IN FOOD RELIEF WASHINGTON, Feb. 22. Herculean efforts were made to day by high railroad officials to rush freight cars to the W T est in order that they may be filled with foodstuffs and rushed back to Eastern cities. The interstate commerce commission, acting un der pressure from every big city in the East, has issued urgent demands upon the heads of every railroad. Reports to the com mission today indicate that the demands are being met. So drastic is the situation in some cities that the railroads have been requested to sidetrack everything for food and fuel trains. Passenger schedules will be sacrificed if necessary, it was declared. CARRYING 1,000 HORSES AND GUN FOR PROTECTION NEW YORK, Feb. 21. Armed with a rapid-fire gun and carrying a cargo of 1,000 horses, the Italian steamship Napoli sailed for Italy today. The horses are for use by the Italian army. Among the crew are a number of ex-seamen from the Italian army. The Napoli carried no passengers. THE PA TRIOT but to recall Ambassador Pen field and all American consuls and send the Austrian ambassa dor and his suite home. It is considered likely that the Austrian situation will receive final consideration at tomor row's session of the cabinet. Un der orders from the president, officials cannot discuss for pub lication the development of the last two weeks in the negotia tions between Washington and Vienna. But they say that nothing has appeared which would warrant a strong hope that a crisis was not to come. It would have been forced before this were it not for the fact that the war prisoners' relief work of the Americans in Austro-Hun gary is on such a scale that it will be very hard to get another neutral representative to take it over. * Published Weekly h>y the Patriot Publishing Company INDIANA, PA., SATURDAY, FEB, 24, 1917 MINE OWNERS SPLIT OVER STRIKE ISSUE JOHNSTOWN, Feb. 23 Three mines on the Portage branch railroad, operated by the Terminal Smokeless Coal Com pany resumed operations today, by the firm granting demands of the miners that standard weight cars be abolished and that actual weight of coal on cars be made the basis of pay. More than 2000 miners along the branch are still out, while twelve firms controlling twenty two other mines stand firmly against granting demands of the men, claiming violation of the union scale contract. However, settlement is in sight as the executive board of district No. 2, United Mine Workers, is expected to be at Portage with in a day or two, to arrange ar bitration. The miners, at a mass meeting notwithstanding that the United Mine Workers has not sanction ed the walkout, decided to re main idle until standard weight cars as a basis of wage computa tion are abolished, and actual weight substituted. From the operations along the Portage branch railroad the out put is normally more than 7000 tons a day. SEEK SUBSTITUTE FOR SPUDS AS PRICE SOARS ALTOONA, Pa., Feb. 23. Wholesalers today asked $3.25 a bushel for potatoes the high est price ever known here. They say when the limited stock is ex hausted they will be obliged to charge $3.60. Retailers are advising their customers to reduce their pota to consumption and find a sub stitute for spuds. Housewives are planning to inaugurate a boycott to bring down the price. Uncle Sam Is In Indiana For Recruits Captain W. J. Harrel of the 37th U. S. Infantry, and Private Harry E. Gast have completed the arrangements and have opened recruiting station on the third floor of the Hetrick building on Philadelphia street. Applicants accepted will be transferred from here to Pitts burgh and thence to New York for six months' training. Liner Perseus is Added to U-Boats' Toll w iglT ' r.. ... § r e The Perseus was a steel screw steamship cf 6.728 tons and was owned by the Ocean Steamship Company, Ltd.. and managed by A. Holt <fe Co. She was built in 1908. Her port of- registry was Liveapool. U. S. PUTS AUSTRIA IN HOLE, IS VIEW IN ROME ROME, Feb. 23. "The Am erican Memorandum", says the Messaggero, "puts Austria in a terrible dilemma, compelling her either to confirm her adhession to the ferocious submarine war fare, thus hastening a rupture with America, or to disavow her solidarity with Germany." The Popolo Romano says the American memorandum falls short of being an ultimatum on ly because no date was fixed for the Austrian reply. This comment refers to the note handed to the Austrian government on Tuesday, de manding a clear interpretation of the Vienna government's at titude toward ruthless submar ine war. REPRIEVES ASKED FOR MURDERS HARRISBURG, Feb. 19. Speaker Baldwin of the House of Representatives tonight sent to the Board of Pardons a letter re questing that reprieve be grant ed all murderers now awaiting execution in Pennsylvania, in view of the possibility of pas sage by the Legislature of bills abolishing the death chair in the State and substituting life im prisonment as the extreme pen alty of the law in first degree murder cases. LAD IS INJURED WHEN STRUCK BY CAR John Martin, son of Mr. and Mrs. D. B. Martin, residing in the Bell flats, while on his way to school on Tuesday was struck by an auto truck driven by H. C. Kunkle for J. M. Stewart & Co., and was knocked down, being painfully hurt. The lad will re cover. MO WHILE INVESTIGATION PROCEEDS SOME MAY STARVE WASHINGTON, Feb. 21. No move will be made by the iederal commission to begin the food cost investigation ordered by President Wilson, it was learned today, until congress appro priates money with which to conduct it. The president approv ed a request for $400,000 for the inquiry and the commission has outlined an investigation to cost that sum and to cover a period of from six to eight months. The president has let it be known that he will insist that the appropriation be made before congress adjourns. The house ap propriations committee failed to include it in the sundry civil bill, but when the bill reaches the house the provision will be offered as an amendment. • If the inquiry is undertaken on the scale planned it is con sidered likely that it would be under the direction of Francis J. Heney, the San Francisco attorney, who now has charge of the commission's new print paper investigation. CORAL WOMAN NOT A SUICIDE PORTAGE, Feb. 20. Miss Sarah Fairbanks, whose home is in Coral, Indiana county, was found dead Tuesday afternoon in the home of Calvin Plummer of Portage. Miss Fairbanks came to Portage about a year ago and had been employed in various residences, doing house work. Recently she was engag ed by the Plummers. Mr. Plummer came home from work Tuesday evening and found the woman dead in an up stairs room. A glass containing some powders was found near by. The remains were removed to the undertaking establishment of John Tickerhoof, where an autopsy was performed by Dr. J. F. Buzzard of Portage. Con trary to an earlier report that she had committed suicide, it was found that she had died from acute indigestion. Funeral services were held yesterday at her home in Coral. GOVERNMENT GARDEN SEEDS Through the kindness of Con gressman S. Taylor North, we have received a selection of Gov ernment garden seeds for distri bution. If our subscribers will call at the Patriot office .we will be glad to distribute these seeds. No seeds given to children. CIRCULATION BOOKS OPEN TO ALL ADVERTISERS FIVE CENTS EVERY SIXTH FARMER IN PENNA. OWNS AUTO Year Ago Only One in Ten Soil Til lers Was Possessor of Car HARRISBURG, Feb. 23 Every sixth farmer in Pennsyl vania owns an automobile, and every hundredth farmer in the State owns an automobile truck according to figures compiled by the bureau of statistics of the state department of agriculture. A year ago there was an auto mobile on every tenth farm, and the total was estimated at 22,- 608 but during 1916 farmers purchased 10,660 more machines bringing the total up to 38,268 at the present time. In 1915- there were approximately 15,- 000 automobiles on the farms of the state, and in two years this number has more than doubled. On many of the farms the cars are used for pleasure purposes only, but other progressive coun trymen have added an automo bile truck to their equipment, so that now it is estimated there are 2150 of them of various weights, scattered over the farms. In twenty counties 20 per cent or more of the farmers own motorcars, and in only ten counties is there less than one machine for every ten farmers,. Seven counties show more than a thousand farmers owning ma chines. Lancaster is well in the lead, with a total of 2600 cars for its 10,000 farmers. Philadel phia shows one car for every third farmer, but the total is on ly 247, as there are only* 800 farmers in that county. Twenty four per cent of the farmers or 1369 farms, have cars in Chester county, while in Bucks there are 1324. Allegheny county stands fourth with 1195; Washington has 1135; Berks, 112 and York, 1099. Other counties in which there are more than 500 cars are: Bradford, 932; Erie 881; Mer cer, 886; Montgomery 929; Som erset, 825; Westmoreland, 826; Butler, 710; Crawford, 782; Sus quehanna, 763; Franklin, 637; Lehigh, 659; Luzerne, 643; Northampton, 651; Tioga, 621; Bedford, 507; Lebanon; 508, Schuylkill, 540 and Wayne, 551. —-___ HOGS AT $12.95 PER HUNDRED IN CHICAGO C HTCAGO, Feb. 23. Hogs sold within five cents of $l3 per 100 pounds at the Union Stock Yards late yesterday, the high est price paid in the history of I the Chicago market. Stock yards commission men estimated that there is a short age of 1,000,000 hogs at the 11 principal markets of the coun try.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers