Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 168, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 July 1914 — Page 2

IN ON GROUND FLOOR

By WILLFAM HAMILTON OSBORNE.

The underworld in New York Is divided into two great classes. First, those who get caught; second, those who don't. The police department, finding it impossible to keep an eye on everybody all the time, had come to the conclusion that Britches Bellman ~belongedto the latter class. In their to many things; but when they came to sift even one of these things to the bottom invariably they found themselves woefully weak when It came to evidence. - “Evidence,” snorted Britches; "i ain't got no use for it I don’t want none M it around me. To with evidence.” Now, Britches Bellman, being a citizen of the underworld, had come to the conclusion that for a part of the time, at least, such a citizen ought to reside - underneath the ground. He got this idea one day when he was passing the County National bank. In front of the County National hank was a ditch. This dltch is called the auhway. “Gee!” said Britches Bellman, knocking himself on the side of the head, "Get down in that hole, just where you belong.” ■ ■ Now, If Britches hadn’t been an extraordinary kind of a man, he never could have pulled off the little scheme that filled his head. But he was anything and everything, from an A-l eon man down to the lowest kind of a strong-armer. In a high hat and a frock coat he was superb; in a. bustness suit he was all matter of fact; In a slouch hat he could scare thq wits out of a belated rich old party by just looking at him. One day a genteel-looking personage tractors and announced that the County National bank (which, by the way, was backed by the Democratic boss) had concluded to strengthen its underpinning just a bit He produced a letter apparently on the letter head of the bank, signed apparently by its president He was courteously received, as, ot course, any representative of the boss* bank would have to be, and he left bearing with him the written direction of the contractor to the section foreman to permit the workmen of the County bank to make any necessary excavation In the subway. This genteel-looking personage, it cannot be denied, looked extremely like kr. Britches Bellman. A day later a rough, honest-looking workman, wearing a union button and dressed in toll-stained overalls, handed the letter to the section foreman, together with another letter from the bank, stated casually that he and Sam Parks had known each other all their respective lives, borrowed a chew of tobacco, and started in to .work. The work he was about to do he had all planned out on a sheet of rough drafting paper. It was to cut a square hole four by four from the subway in to the foundation of the bank. ' t “Tb? bank,” he said to the foreman; “ain’t so much afraid of going as it is of failin’ down. - Its pins is weak, or somethin’.” * In five hours the genial Mr. Bellman had made himself the most popular man in the ditch. He talked to everybody, sympathized with everybody, jollied everybody. He was a good workman and he understood his business. But he insisted upon one thing. Every night, when he left his job, he carefully covered up the mouth of the hole he was making with a pile of dirt “Some fellow,” he explained to the foreman, "might take a notion to finish up my job some night and go clean through the bank, outside and in.” The foreman expectorated. “Gee!” said the foreman, “that’s so. I never thought of it” He scratched his head and grinned. “I s’pose,” he added, "that I might take a hack at it myself some night What d’ye think?” Britches Bellman, honest workman, shook his head. "If you talk that way,” he said, smiling, “111 have to set a plain-clothes man on top of you. I got to take care of that there bank, and no mistake.” He caught the other by the arm. "Say,” went on Britches Bellman, “it’s a'blamed good thing you chaps down here are honest. If you weren’t—say, think of the whole lot of banks here on Broadway—you could tap the whole lot, almost, and nobody wouldn’t know the difference, not until," he added, “not until they found but.” - “And when they found out?” suggested the foreman. “Thefe’d be a hot time," returned Britches. He scratched his head again. “Now, look-a-here,” he went on, “that raises a very nice, delicate, important question in my mind. It seems to me that I’ll have to get the bank to put a night watchman down here to set in front of that there hole. It won’t do to have any two-legged rats a-burrow-in’ there when I’m away. I naturally gotter keep the bank ; protected, because —because," he added, softly, to himself, "I’d like to know if some chap got in ahead of ipe.” It so happened, therefore, that by permission of the section foreman a burly night watchman came on, an hour after Britches left This night watchman had a bushy beard. Otherwise he had the same proportions of Mr. Britches Bellman, hn course," the night watchman assured himself, •the union wouldn’t stand for me

workin’ day and- night, so I gotter plaster on the make-up. And i gotter watch that hole to see she don’t get away from me. For when a hole gets like this’ one—it ain’t no easy job to Mr. Bellman had worked only a few days and a few -hlghts when ’he struck something with his spade that gave him joy. “If this ain’t a vein of gold-bearing ore,” said Mr; Britches. “I’ll wager it’s the underground part of the County bank’s underpinnings; and if it’s that, why then it is a vein of gold?” He was right. It was a portion of the bank’s cellar wall. He hastily covered it- UP, hung around~unttrrthe~ whlstle blew, then he left and, returning later in the evening, brought with him a new ’set of sh/rp tools. “I’ll get this job by morning,” said this night watchman, "or I’m a Dutehman.” - - - He removed a layer of tar coating; then a layer of cement. Then he struck the bricks. “Now,” he said to himself, “if she ain’t more than three feet thick I’ll have her through In no time. That’s what" But that wall was a blank wall, and it had been laid many, many years before, when there were no trade unions and no. employers’ associations, and when cement and bricks were cement and bricks. When the first gray streaks of dawn had appeared in the sky above the subway Britches had not finished. But he judged from the sound that there was but one layer of bricks still to be removed. “Tomorrow night,” said Britches to himself, “tonight, I mean, why—the trick’ll be turned to aT. And no mistake.” He took a day off and rested up. He was made of flesh and blood and he was tired. But that night he started tej- refreshed In mind and body. A deep peace was upon him, for he knew that in twenty minutes he would be Inside the bank. And there was no man in the” whole worTd who understood the inside of a .bank as well as Britches Bellman. One by one he loosed the bricks; he was right; it was the last layer. Little by little the hole widened. He stuck his head inside. It was dark as pitch. He was for this; prepared with a dark-lantern. “Now,” he finally explained, a huge joy possessing him, “nbw, here I am.” The hole was just wide enough to admit his body, and he pulled himself Carefully through and dropped down to the inside floor. “Ho, ho! “ exclaimed Mr. Britches Bellman, softly, “this is nuts, for fair.” He didn’t want to show a light. So he groped his way carefully about across what seemed to be a little room. It was, as he supposed, a coal cellar. He crossed it, and the boiler room; picked a Ipck and entered still another room. In this room he walked into a wall and stepped back suddenly. As he did so his heel trod upon something soft. Suddenly the room was flooded with a bright white light. Britches gasped and looked behind him. “You stepped on my corn,” growled a voice in his ear. It was the voice d>f a very big man. This big man placed his hand upon Mr. Bellman’s shoulder. Then Bellman looked in front of him. Two other men were looking on, smoking cigars. They wore blue uniforms and brass buttofis. They smiled on Britches Bellman. “Is this the gentleman,” said one, “who has no use for evidence?” Bellman gasped again. “The bank,” said another, “has been a-watchln’ you for two days; they wanted to stop you, but we wanted you to go on, until you finished the—the job." “Gee!” gasped Bellman, holding out his wrists, “I—l finished it, all right.” (Copyright, by Daily Story Pub. Co.)

BETTER TO PLAN THAN WORRY

Housewife Seems to Have Right Principle, if It Is Properly Considered. „ One of the cardinal principles of the efficient housewife is to concentrate her thoughts on the work of the hour, and not waste mental energy on the innumerable tasks which the day holds for her. There is the story of the woman who lamented: “Here’s Monday and all the washing’s got to be done! Tuesday, the ironing! Wednesday, the baking! Goodness! half the week’s gone, and not a 1 thing done yet!” One efficient woman explained her activities by saying: “I always plan ahead, but; J never worry ahead.” If she is to give a dinner on Thursday, for instance, the menu is prepared and the main ordering done on Tuesday. She is fortunate in having a butcher she can trust, so that her meats are ordered delivery Thursday. On Wednesday she looks over her linen, dishes and silver, and has everything in readiness to set the table the next afternoon. Early Thursday morning she Is out, completing her ordering, and by noon everything is ready for the actual cooking. Directly-after luncheon the table Is arranged, and then she rests for an hour or two. She has even been known to go to a club meeting or a bridge party, much to theamazement of friends who know her plans for the evening.—Exchange.

Trousers Factories Still Running.

A writer, alarmed by the spread of feminism, wants to. know If there are any men left In this country. There must be a few left. Most of the trousers factories are still running fun tilt—Baltimore Sun/r ~~~—' 7

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

FORMER GOVERNOR OF VERA CRUZ ON MEXICAN SITUATION

Was Executive of State for Eight- ~ vCIi ICaidi - ——- MENTIONED FOR PRESIDENT Declares Mexico No More Difficult to Govern Than Any Other Nation— Decries Publicity Given Movements of Villa and Zapata. Vera Cruz.—Don Teodore Debesa is Vera Cruz 3 great man. He was governor of the state for 18 years, he is rich, cultured, and to him repair the doubtful for advice on business and on politics particularly on politics, though the dignified ex-governor will tell you that he has retired from politics and has only an onlooker’s interest in the events. His retirement from politics was coincident with the resignation of Porfirio Diaz of the presidency. More than once when the distracted country has been putting its favorite conundrum, “Who can hold down the lid when Huerta drops out?" there has been a mention of the grave old-time governor, under whose dominion Vera Cruz remained staid, prosperous and at peace though all the rest of the country struggled and revolted and rioted—but DonTeodorowill tell you that this Is idle talk —that he aspire? to no such lofty post in the settlement of his country’s difficulties. Content to Hope for Peace. , He is content to hope for peace, to do what he can to bring about peace—and for the rest he is satisfied among his books and pictures—and he has some pictures worthy of anybody’s attention. There is a Murillo on the walls of the home—so unprepossessing externally, so beautiful within—that might well be in one of the great museums, and a Watteau that is unmatched this side of the big water, and others fit for their company, but — as he says—you ought to see his real collection in his real home in capital of the state, now the camp of the biggest federal force this side ofMexico City. In another country this big eaglebeaked ex-governor could not have escaped being the “sage of Cinco de Mayor street.” Like others of his class he has held himself aloof from the Americans since the occupation, but his home attracts all that is going on in the way of Mexican activity. “What do you see ahead for Mexico?” was the first question put to him after the formalities had been exhausted. “Peace,” he replied. “What else is there for anybody to look forward to?” “And how is that peace to be brought about?” ■

Own People to Settle Troubles. “By the efforts of the best of her own people. Mexico is no more difficult to govern than any other nation. We have our turbulent classes, and we have more than our share of people who have no education, but the ideals of Mexicans who are thoughtful enough to have ideals are those of every civilized race on earth. We are. unfortunate in that a man of egotism has seized the headship of the government; the people' cannot rest under such a ruler—neither will they be any more content under some soldier of fortune who seizes his power. Such a situation has confronted many nations and it has always been settled in the same way—when it has been settled without scandalizing the world. The time will bring forward the man—a man whose principles are honesty and justice, who is firm enough to suppress the factions whose interests He in exploitation, but who proceeds without thought of personal vengeance or personal interest —who Is competent to deal with the situation. “And do you know such a man?" Hits at Villa and Zapata.

“There are many; you journalists have given the world the idea that there are none but adventurers and grafters among us; just as you—and I include the journalists of my own country—have builded such men as Villa and Zapata into world figures, by your exaggerations—by your multiplying the number of their followers tenfold and endowing them with picturesque characteristics they do not possess. Even among the factionaMsts there are men of sufficient intelligence, principle and patriotism to restore peace in Mexico, given the opportunity.” “And who, in your judgment. Is the best man to succeed Huerta?” “I do not care to attempt to name any particular man. The mediators •will doubtless arrive at a satisfactory solution, including an acceptable successor to Huerta. I suppose they went with plenary powers to accomplish such a mission?’ “Then you think Mexico is capable of being pacified without intervention?" , / Decries intervention. “Intervention! What call has your nation to intervene in the affairs of mine? A pacification bf Conquest has no place in the mind of a modern nation" “Hasn’t a nation a right and a duty to protect its own citlxens from mur-

PREVENTING TYPHOID IN MEXICO

Soldiers of the United States army being Inoculated with typhoid germs at the outpost at El Tejar, where the Vera Cruz waterworks are situated. There has been considerable typhoid fever among the Americans down there.

der and exploitation ? Mexico has not been able to protect Americans.” “There have been comparatively few such outrages. In a country where revolution is rife there will always be some affliction of foreigners by bandits. Even in peace time you have had your own anti-Italian and anti-Japan-ese riots. As to the more recent hardships suffered by Americans, the arresting and imprisoning of correspondents and others, please bear in mind that your troops have landed on our soil, that you hold our principal port Suppose the autonomy of 'the United States was threatened by a great power that seized and held the port of New York, would, the subjects of such a power be very popular with you? Invasion’s Effect on Mexicans. “The general in command just beyond your outposts illustrated the effect on Mexicans of the invasion. General Garcia Pena had nothing in common with Huerta’s administration; he declined to take part in the civil war; he would not fight for Huerta against the rebels and he would not fight with the rebels against his country, but when a foreign foe landed on our shores, like an honest soldier he placed his sword at his country’s disposal and welcomed an assignment where he would be the first to confront the invader—and that Is the attitude of every Mexican officer, even among those classed as Huerta’s enemies.” “You have seen the American soldiers and marines; what is your opinion of their conduct since they have been in possession of the port?” Troops Nat “Tow-Headed Angels.” “They are soldiers —doubtless excellent soldiers; their conduct has been average”—“regular" was the expression the governor employed. “After the fighting was over, when their officers had them under control and the lust of battle was past, they were exemplary, but your soldiers arenottowheaded angels. During the two days of the fl ring there were excesses. Some of my friends suffered intrusion, there was some looting and some unnecessary shooting; there always is on such occasions. It Is not a subject for criticism, but it looks different from the side of the Invaded and that of the Invaders.” “Suppose you were to succeed Hu-

Paints Without a Brush

Leonard N. Davts’ Pictures Are Being Exhibited at Washington—Puts Color on Canvas With Knife.

Washington.-—Leonard N. .- Davis, whose paintings are being exhibited io- Washington at the headquarters of the National Geographic society, is an artist ’who paints without a brush. All his colors are put on the canvas with a knife. His pictures are

Leonard N. Devis.

all of Alaskan scenes, and those who have been there declare he has captured the spirit of the North and has found the way to transfer the very atmosphere to the canvas.

Make Up "Jag List.”

Phillipsburg, N. J.—The town commissioners will make up a “jag list,” copies of which will be given to each liquor dealer with instructions not to MUto personawhose names are listed.

erta, how would you go about pacifying the country?” "There Is only one tray, by exact justice; the suppression of violence, and the elimination of those who Insist on violence.” “And how would you deal with such chiefs as Villa and Zapata, if they failed to agree to your plans of reconstruction?” - - Justice Not Vengeance. “They could be dealt with; the world Is wide and men who would not keep peace In Mexico might >be accommodated elsewhere. There is a difference between justice and vengeance. Whoever is chosen must forget the past lltlcal part they played, but there must be no weakness in dealing with those who persist In'defying the new government Some doubtless would try the old fashion of revolt when they did not get what they thought they could command, but the fate of those would deter others. All the best men and the strongest men in the country desire peace; they will not support unworthy politicians, but there will be no lack of patriotic support of an administration devoted solely to the country’s welfare. Before such a united sentiment rebellion will crumble.” ' Land Question a Dream. “A dream. Divide the land amoqg our Indians and they will not hold it a week. In a very short time the shrewd land speculators or the old owners would buy it from them for a meal or a drink and the whole problem would have to be gone over again. Until we have educated these people to the responsibility of. holding property it is impossible to make such a distribution as the theorists suggest. Only education can make of Mexico a community of small land owners. You ask me about plans of regenerating this country; the statesmen and the soldiers can only make a beginning ; it is the schools that will finally solve all Mexican problems—and we require no American assistance to accomplish that destiny, thank you.” That is the way it looks to a Mexican gentleman who, according to his enemies, won neither his 18 years of peaceful administration nor his million dollars by milk and water methods.

THIEF CUTS OFF HER HAIR

Young Woman Learns of the Burglar’s Visit When She Finds Her Locks Are Gone. Franklin, Pa. —A burglar who entered the home of Miss Margaret V. Graham, aged twenty-four years, cut off her hplr and carried it away. There Is no clue to the culprit Chief of Police H. S. Edwards is of the opinion that the burglar was hiding In the house whan the family went to bed, soy there is nothing to Indicate that entrance was forced.. That the cutting of the hair was a sudden inspiration to the burglar Is Indicated by the fact that a pair of shears owned by the young woman was used. Her hair was 16 Inches long, and the burglar took all except four inches. The girl didn’t awaken then, but discovered the loss of her hair when she awoke at three o’clock in the morning. The culprit escaped.

PAINTER HEIR TO MILLIONS

Bert Brunstrup Throws Away Brush When Telegram Notifies Him of Wealth. South Norwalk, Conn. —Bert Brunstrup of East Norwalk was Wielding a paint brush, as he has done for the past 25 years, when a telegram was handed him which informed him that his uncle had died in Germany and that he was the chief heir to an estate of $17,500,000. "Wheel” exclaimed Brunstrup, and he threw his paint and brush into a duck pond. “Guqss I can live without working on that,” he added. . Brunstrup knew that he had wealthy relatives In Germany, but he left home in his Infancy and had lost track of his family connections, not even knowing that his father was dead.

PLAY FOR HIGH STAKES

GAMBLERS’ PARADISE. Reckless Spendthrifts Win Occasionatly, Though Money is Almost Invari- ” ably Left in the Wide Open - Coffers of the Bank. The play at the Beach club is worth gaming. It is a sure thing for the house, yet the most dangerous kind, -the kind where the winnings of ..a, month may be swept In an hour; The recklessness of these Spendthrifts who know nothing of money values makes them dangerous to the house. They do not play skilfully, place their bets regardless of accepted rules, and destroy all the laws of averages. I have seen a few play, or attempt to play, abortive “systems,” and one or two try systems learned from a book; hut the majority Ignore entirely the laws of mathematical progression upon which “systems” are founded. The nominal limit at the club is SI,OOO on. a. color, although this limit may bd raised indefinitely by a simple request, and it is not recorded that the proprietors- ever refused to permit-a plunger to dive as high as he pleased—provided he could afford It. The player will stumbl? upon a run of luck, or drop a disproportionate bet upon a single winning number. “Many of them play the long shots steadily and, of course, occasionally some one wins a large amount in a hurry. I once saw a young fellow put $lO in checks on number 5, get $350 for it, iput $250 of «that on the odd, $25 on each of, the corners round the five, and $lO on the 5 which repeated. - Hs placed a pile of checks on each num* ber in the first 12 except the 5, played the first 12 to win and stacked a huge bunch on the red. In three rolls of the wheel he had won nearly six thousand dollars. An hour later he quit about five hundred dollars winner. These winnings are not regretted much by such clubs. I saw one case of how such “killings” affect the Beach club. A young Falls River fellow had been playing regularly each evening and losing almost as regularly—how much I do not know, but it ran into thousands. One evening he had just such a run of luck as I have described, and, as nearly as I could tell, he took about six thousand dollars out of the club—possibly more, but not much. Before he reached the Breakers, where he was stopping, the sum of his winnings, according to corridor gossip, was trebled. In the grill, where he was buying wine an hour later, the statement was made he had won $35,000. By midnight it was reported as authoritative that he had won nearly one hundred thousand dollars and that the Beach club was hit hard. The next afternoon and evening play at the c|ub was much heavier, and applications of membership were in such demand that I was offered $25 for the use of membership card for the afternoon by a young man who had neither the wealth nor the influence to get in.—American Magazine.

Steel in Old Skyscraper.

Among the first of the tajl office buildings in New York was the Tower building, Which although only ten stories high was considered a skyscraper when completed in 1889. Its recent demolition has called,attention to its position among jifoneer constructions of the modern type office building and it has been mistakenly credited as the first example of steel cage construction. It illustrated an early stage in the development of tall steel buildings, the different character of details prevailing only twenty-five years ago, and affords valuable information on the effects of corrosion on iron and steel members imperfectly protected through a quarter century ofservice. A careful and thorough examination made as the building was demolishedl showed practically no case of very bad rusting, that is, of corrosion sufficient to impair the strength of the metal. — Engineering Record.

Build Island to Construct Bridge.

With the completion of the Pambau channel viaduct connecting Tonitural in India with Pamban on the Island of Rameswaram the first link has been forged in the railway line between the south end of the’lndian peninsula and the island of Ceylon. This viaduct is 6,776 feet long. Rail connection 1$ made across the island of Danishkodi and then by steamer across a 22-mile strait to the island of Manar to which point the* Ceylon railway system has been extended. To facilitate the woijk of sinking the bridge cylinders an artificial island, made of coral boulders and concrete in sacks, was created, one on each side of the stretch of water. This bridge was made by Indian labor, under two contractors. There was intense and sometimes by no means friendly rivalry between the' two ctews of workers.

New Epoch In Java.

In Java there are more than twen-ty-four living converts from Islam to evangelical Christianity. There seems to be much ferment in the Moslem community. A great popular organization, the Sharikat Islam, has been formed and holds immense congresses. A missionary in Java writes that greater changes have come into the minds of the Javanese in the past year than in twenty-five gears. “We stand before a new epoch."