Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 April 1898 — BIG TOBACCO TRUST. [ARTICLE]

BIG TOBACCO TRUST.

ONE COMPANY TO CONTROL PLUG TOBACCO BUSINESS. Uggett A Myers Concern to Enter Deal t and Ruinous Competition Between * Bir.l Manufacturers to Be Btoppedi —Boston Elevator Wrecked, i | Tobacco Combine at St. Louis. | A gigantic deal has been practically consummated in St. Louis, whereby the Continental Tobacco Company, t*with a capital stock of $50,000,000, is being organized to absorb all of the plug tobacco factories in the United States. It is understood that Harrison I. Drummond, president of the Drummond Tobacco Company of St. Louis, is to be made president Of the new company, J. B. Duke of New York, rice-president; Pierre liorillard of New York, secretary and treasurer. The deal contemplates the amalgamation of the immense plant of the Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company of St. Louis with the Continental company at an early date, although it is said the Liggett & Myers people have not yet signed any formal agreement to join forces with the new organization. From what is considered the very highest authority it is learned that the deal provides for the separation Of the plug tobacco -business from the manufacture of smoking tobacco and cigarettes, and that the long and disastrous fight between the trust on one side and the Liggett & Myers and Drummond companies on the other will be stopped at once. Under the new arrangement the American Tobacco Company will take all the factories making smoking tobacco and cigarettes and return to its original field, and the Continental will assume the exclusive manufacture of plug tobacco. 1 TROOPS FOR ALASKA. Military Form of Government to Be Established in the Yukon. Captain P. H. Ray, Eighth United States infantry, who spent the winter in Alaska, has arrived at Portland, Ore., from the north and went immediately to Vancouver barracks. Cnptain Ray will recommend to the War Department the sending of troops into the interior of Alaska and the establishment of a military form of government in the Yukon. He will also recommend that the Government pack train now at the head of Linn canal be used for the exploring expeditions into the interior, the reindeer having been found impracticable for packing in the summer season. Captain Ray states that he does not believe the spring cleanup of gold will show more than $8,000,000.

LETTER'S WHEAT BURNS. Great Elevator at Boston Destroyed by Fire— People Frightened. The elevator at the Hoosac tunnel docks on the Charlestown water front, Boston, Mass., was destroyed by a fire caused by the explosion of grain dust. The total property loss approximates $500,000. The explosion raised the roof of the big structure high in the nir, depositing it upon a block of tenement houses across the street, crushing them to the second Story. Immediately after the shock flames burst forth, and within a few hours the SIOO,OOO building, its contents of 350,000 bushels of grain and five runs or galleries connecting with the great steamship freight sheds, which cost $40,000 to construct, were in ruins. Butte Miner Attempts Murder. Cyrus A. BellJ a miner of Butte, Mont., has been arrested charged with attempting to burn to death in their house Mrs. Marion Kelly and her two children. The woman find refused to marry him. The man entered her house, bound and chloroformed her and her oldest daughter and then set fire to the house. The flames alarmed the neighbors, who rescued the inmates and put out the flames. ! Death Be for 4 Disgrace. ~ A. R. Reynolds of Paris, Tenn., shot himself through the brain in the Supreme Court room at Jackson, just after Justice McAlister had confirmed the opinion of the lower court sentencing him to six years in the penitentiary. He was roadmaster on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and was convicted of making false entries. He lefts a note saying he was innocent. Race for the Pennant. Following is the standing of the clubs in the National Base ball League: W. L. W. L, Chicago 2 0 Brooklyn 1 1 Baltimore ... 2 0 Boston ...... 1 1 Pittsburg ... 3 1 Cleveland .... 1 2 Cincinnati .. 2 1 Louisville .... 1 3 Philadelphia. 1 1 Washington.. 0 2 New York... 1 1 St. Louis 0 2 Ftadllng Going to Klondike. Prof. Stadling of Stockholm, who has been appointed to conduct the search for Prof. Andree, the balloonist who started last year in an attempt to cross the arctic region in a balloon, lias decided to proceed to the Klondike, owing, it is said, to the fact that geographers give credence to the report that AndrCe has been heafd from in those latitudes.

Mob’s Mad Work. There was a serious disturbance at Malaga, Spain, resulting in an attack upon the United States consulate. Stones were thrown and one of the mob leaders procured a ladder, tore down the shield having upon it the arms of the United States and dragged it along the streets. California Cattle r tarving. Owing to the extreme dryness of the season, thousands of cattle in California are expected to succumb to hunger and thirst during the present season. A repetition of the vast losses of 1877 is expected unless the parks nre opened to the herds. Venezuelan Ex-President Dead. A special cablegram from Caracas, Venezuela, to the New York World says that ex-Ure«klent Joaquin Crespo of Venezuela was killed in battle with Hernandez, the leader of the rebel forces. Street Railway Lines Sold. The Main street inclined plane and Mount Auburn electric line in Cincinnati, pwned by Louisville parties, and over which there has been much litigation, iwere sold at auction by order of the United States Court. The property as a whole was bought in by the Cincinnati Consolidated Street Bailway Company for $278,000. Shaken by an Earthquake. Two shocks of earthquake were experienced at San Francisco. There was a gentle swaying motion, very perceptible in tall buildings. Ten minutes later a much heavier shock occurred, but it was mild in comparison with that of a few weeks ago. The second shock lasted fully ten seconds. No damage was done. Rush to Blackfoot Lands. 1 A portion of the Blackfoot reservation, near Butte, Mont., has been thrown open to settlement, and a thousand or more people, mostly prospectors, rushed in to locate mining claims. A troop of cavalry was present. The reservation is rich in minerals, especially in copper. i Lumber Destroyed by Fire. : Fire at Botkins, Ohio, destroyed a large amount of lumber and Allen’s stave factory, owned by Clark & Son of Erie, Pa fflie jyw i» sg^oo0 t with bp iapwraacej

PORTO RICO IN REBELLION. Rioting Follows tbs Elections, and* Revolution Is Feared. According to advices from Porto Rico, the unrest of the island continues, public order is not preserved, business is at a complete standstill, and an internal revolution is feared. Street fights and serious rioting followed the election. The polls were raided, and the military finally intervened, killing two and wounding twenty. At Caye 200 political arrests were made, including well-known newspaper men. The resignations from the provisional cabinet of three autonomists have not been accepted. There have been demonstrations also at San Jnan, where the police by active measures have restored order, but there is no confidence in autonomy, and election frauds have been freely charged. The activity in improving the fortifications at San Juan continues. The American oil refinery there is under the protection of the Spanish troops. At last accounts the Vizcaya and the Almirante Oquendo were still at San Juan.

MANY ON COPPER RIVER. Bteamer Excelsior Returns from Fort Valdes with News. The steamer Excelsior, with Copper River advices, has reached Seattle. One of her six passengers, Chris Weber, when only a few hours from Port Valdes, committer suicide by jumping kito the sea from the upper stern deck of the ship. Weber was one of the O’Brien party that went to Valdes with a steam snowsled, which proved a failure, and his companions say he took his life on that account. Upward of 3,000 persons had been landed at Port Valdes at the time of the Excelsior’s departure, and all save about 1,200 were on the trail, probably 1,000 having crossed Valdes glacier with their outfits. Returning passengers tell of one unfortunate, whose name they did not learn, having fallen into a deep crevice of the glacier, where he froze to death. His companions lowered a rope, but he was in such a position that he could not place it around his body. FALL TO THEIR DEATH. Two Men Plunge Headlong from a Derrick and Are Killed. A frightful accident occurred in Benwood, W. Va., in which two men met their death and one was fatally injured. The Riverside iron works is building a large coke plant, and George Prince, James Sullivan and Edward Fredericks were employed on a derrick 100 feet high, which was used iu putting the heavy pieces in position. The boom pole of the derrick slipped and the men were plunged headlong to the ground. Prince and Sullivan alighted on a pile of brick and were instantly killed, both being terribly mangled, while Fredericks in his fall was stopped by a guy rope for an instant, then fell again, being caught a short distance below by a bolt in the framework, upon which he hung suspended for a second, then droppgd to the ground. He was unconscious when picked up and his life is despaired of. STRUCK BY A HURRICANE. British Bark Will Scott Towed Into Port Badly Damaged. The steamer Areata, bound in from Coos Bay, sighted the British bark Will Scott, under jury rig, ten miles off Duxbury Reef. The tug Reliance was immediately dispatched to aid the vessel and succeeded in towing her into San Francisco. The Will Scott is seventy-one days out from Hiogo, for Puget Sound, but she was unable to reach her destination. She is about as badly damaged as she could be without being a total wreck. She was struck by a hurricane Feb. 13 and completely dismasted.

Insult to the Flag. It has become known that a few nights before Pulaski F. Hyatt, the United States consul at Santiago de Cuba, left that port under instructions for Port Antonio, Jamaica, a mob of Spaniards made a demonstration before the consulate and threw tomatoes, eggs and stones at the Stars and Stripes floating over the consulate. The crowd which took part in this demonstration had just left the theater, where a performance had taken place for the purpose of raising funds to increase the strength of the Spanish navy. The Spaniards surrounded the consulate, shouting, “Death to Americans,” “Long live Spain,” etc., and pelted the flag as already described. The mob was dispersed by the police. The instructions from Washington, through United States Consul Dent, for the withdrawal of the United States consuls at Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, were translated by the Jamaican authorities into the British Government cipher and were thus sent to the British consuls at Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, who conveyed the meaning of the messages to the United States consuls. Mr. Hyatt, at Santiago de Cuba, doubted the authority of Consul Dent in the matter and held the steamer Brookline for nine hours so as to be able to cable Washington on the subject. In reply hejreceived by cable the word “go,” and Mr. Hyatt obeyed his instructions. Mr. Hyatt left the United States consulate at Santiago de Cuba full of provisions intended for the reeoncentrados, and the British consul at that port, F. W. Ramsden, took charge of the relief work.

End of a Long Enmity. A street duel took place in Cotula, Texas, in which both contestants were killed. The duelists—J. Guy Smith, editor of the La Salle Isonomy, and known because of the vitriolic character of his writings as “Brnnn No. 2,” and Henry May, a young and popular ranchmanmet in front of the Hotel Burke. They had long been enemies, because of bitter attacks made on May by Smith over local politics. May was sitting in front of the hotel when Smith passed on the sidewalk. Springing to his feet, May hailed Smith and fired before his victim could turn fully around, the first ball striking Smith in the back and the second in the side. Smith also fired as he turned, his first and only bullet penetrating May’s left breast in the region of the heart. As the two men sank to the sidewalk guests of the hotel seized them before hostilities could be further prosecuted. The duelists were taken to rooms in the hotel. May died in a few minutes and Smith lingered six hours. Neither expressed regret at what had happened. \ Committee Charges Theft. At Lincoln, Neb., Chairman Otto Mutz and Mr. Moran, of the legislative investigating committee, submitted the report of the committee, which has been at work since the adjournment of the Legislature. The charge is made that by the negligence and cupidity of officials stealings aggregating in round numbers $1,323,000, including the SOOO,OOO taken by Bartley, were committed. Fixes Ownership of Bank, The United States Supreme Court has sustained the decision of the State court in the million dollar First National Bank stock case from Butte, Mont., by which Andrew J. Davis, one of the heirs of the Davis estate, comes into the possession of the First National Bank of Butte, valued at fully $1,600,000. Large Freighter Launched. The steamer Superior City was launched at the yards of the Cleveland Shipbuilding Company at Lorain,"Ohio. The Superior City Is the largest ship on fresh water. The dimensions are 450 feet over all, 430 feet keel, 50 feet beam and 28 feet hold. Barred by Switzerland. The Swiss government has prohibited the importation of American fresh fruits. The action was taken, owing to the alleged presence of the San Jose scale in the fruit imported recently. Hosiery Factory Barns. The plant of the Dresden Hosiery Company at Dresden, Ohio, was entirely destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of $30,tioo. Agents of Spain at Work. A bomb was discovered a few days ago. in the coal supplies at the Washington B»vy the same time one

the immense shafts in the gun shop, to which are attached the lathes and drills for finishing the big caliber guns, was disabled. Daring the visit to Washington of the Vesuvius it was fonnd that she suffered damage and there was more than a suspicion that an attempt had been made to tamper with her coal bunkers and machinery. These., three startling incidents Are discussed quietly by the employes at the navy yard, and have resulted in the most rigid exclusion of visitors. The sentry at the main gate lately refused, as he claimed, under orders, even to take in a request for admission. The Government has reason to suspect danger to the works from persons iu the pay of or in sympathy with Spain. The men in the yard say the officers of the Vesuvius had reason to suspect two or three of the crowd of visitors on board that ship. It was impossible to make a definite accusation, because the suspects became aware that they were being watched and disappeared. COAL 18 CONTRABAND. Great Britain 8o Instructs Colonial Authorities at Jamaica. The British colonial authorities at Kingston. Jamaica, have instructions from the home government to declare coal contraband in the event of war. The authorities maintain strict reserve in defining the exact nature of the instructions, because hostilities have not been begun, but they will, it is understood, declare them immediately on news of war. United States Consul Dent brought the subject to the attention of the colonial authorities recently and a correspondence between them and London led to the directions just received. No doubt similar instructions have been or will be sent to all British authorities. Some Kingston dealers, who have been anticipating a possible Spanish demand for coal, have laid in unusual stocks.

Bandits Among Students. Students climbed the flag pole of the University of California at Berkeley the other night and cut the halyards, making it impossible to raise the stars and stripes. This insult to the national colors aroused the indignation of the college authorities, and the expulsion of the offenders may follow. The affair is regarded as of special moment because the University of California is a military institution, being in part supported by the federal government, with an army officer detailed as military instructor and with strict discipline in matters of military training. The faculty is taking steps to identify the vandals. Murdered for $6. At Kingston, N. Y., Siting Roe, colored, 10 years old, has been arrested, charged with murdering David Marr of the same age, a junk dealer. Roe’s desire to wear new clothes prompted the crime. Marr’s body was found in Esopus creek, with the back of the head crushed in. Marr was induced by Roe Saturday night to go with him to the creek, where Roe said he had a quantity of brass to sell. After getting him to a barn about 600 feet from the creek, it is charged, Roe killed Marr and robbed him of $6. Plate Glass Factory iu Ruins. The extensive plant of the Penn Plate Glass Company, in North Irwin, Pa., is in complete ruins. Fke started near the new casting hall, caused by the blowing out of a gas converter. The flames spread with great rapidity from one building to another, and in one hour nothing but smoldering ruins remained of the largest and most successful independent plate glass works of the United States. The loss is estimated at $750,000, with an insurance of about $450,000.

Acts Like an Ingrate. A singular story of ingratitude is developed in the elopement of Mrs. George S. Brown, wife of a captain of a river steamer, and Robert Goss, an ex-convict. When Goss’ sentence expired two months ago, Captain Brown, confident of his innocence, resolved to assist him on his feet again. He took him to Vicksburg, Miss., made him an inmate of his own home, vouched for his respectability in society and became sponsor for him generally. Fusion in South Dakota. The Democratic State central committee met at Mitchell, S. D., and selected Aberdeen as the place to hold the State convention June 22. At the same time the Populists will hold their convention. Resolutions were adopted to co-operate with the Populists if they can secure fair representation on the State ticket. If not, the Democrats will put up a ticket of their own. Army Mobilization Ordered. An order mobilizing practically the entire regular army at Park, Tampa, New Orleans and Mobile has been issued by the war department. The Fourth Regiment of infantry, now stationed at Fort Sheridan, Chicago, is ordered to Tampa. Earthquake on Pacific. Thirty-two distinct earthquake shocks of unusual severity occurred at Point Arena, Cal. No material damage was done there, but at Greenwood houses were twisted, and chimneys fell. Big Coal-Washing Plant Burned. The coal washing plant of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company at Belt, Mont., was burned to the ground. Loss, $250,000; no insurance. Cause of the fire unknown. Miners Return to Work. The 2,000 striking miners of the Massillon, Ohio, district have agreed to return to work, the operators having consented to make the demanded changes in the screens. Bulge in Wheat. May wheat sold at $1.1114 the other day. This is the highest price paid in Chicago for any future since the early part of 1892. Cardinal Tascherean Dead. Cardinal Taschereau died at Quebec.