Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 February 1899 — Page 6

THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE

• chatter an. Count 'Stephen hall no mwil tt» tufll tib*Otory of bo. vow, tin”tlH‘ ioviiiim«' ltii>u»)ff ■hone on his breast a* lterlaeeij:th) "'iiuiui4r train. The night of tin- uribisesmss ttusttt ed the gay laughter of ’the young ;]*eiqll«;. who wen- riding iowiitU Ihim. iff tljf magic; and every fuse lliecanoThey knew too wl what tiun nirmn meant. The wtiftw lltuti rtaban m wow which •spanned him from tint- CWlhnw*. much an if he had become :u munik tor ta hermit; and. once taken. rthon- twos mi> means of discarding it. waive an tike ijnnw of diagrace on earth, nod. as tnnsC tinrulW believed, of eternal juniwUnmnn ntturr death. r We, in our days in •free Mmmmm. liu***little idea erf w'hut the ♦Otuaaiks irotllyv were. In the time wMteii tComtt titanlleui lived, they demanded tberr tibnasanlfei off victims with nnfailmg iTwgiilaztSc. antfl ■pared none. That our iron dim*. illli :nutl young, may understand 'thin ibeitwr. ;u 9«w facts may be mentioned lltere to save rthem from the trouble erf hunting thorn iqp S*rr themselves. The Crusades were a weries off wms,, carried on by 'Christian mam. \wlfan \wure crosses on their tikouiden*. .ns in -sign tiun they would he tTueti.-the.cnKSK. Thetiina Crusade ended in the capture 'iff .floirmut lem from the Turks. u.hundred: anti mwtfkve years before the boy count iheorti LEiiiUebrand preaching at •Vnucluse. Jiltw tilte capture of the {Holy 'Cit.y a 'Clhrsttian Hang dom was -set up in Takenim-, the iniinth off which is still to be -seen in the oniius off many an old castle, uud in the iClhrsniun churches at Jerusalem itself. IFliits jnsai after the capture of Jerusalem. the flittim kingdom was overthTnwn Ugr the attac, Sultan Saladin. uud a -second mill tiiiirU crusade Tailed to takeiitihadk. IFrroni (thin time forth crusade after crusade wits own up or preached, all to end tin atiwtrndbt failure. 3* e sixth wue .in ijiropwssm tintime of Stephen « vow, and Until llirngusih ed along far eight yeurs.tu:|mriiesoffuurne ed pilgrims, who sought their way to If Tail eetiue as they could, and -gmorbit} ll«ir isli-d on the way. Then It was. in the 321!!. that the mnnik Hildebrand, with the truutie odea tiff ten bating the aid of heuveu to ilue'Oinerjmse, began to preach the tlhilttnuis tflrusulh;. umh-r the hoi«e that children liloie.-. ms being free from -sin. might ll»e jjuUgetl worthy of-seeing the fippiilidier. iff rfliifbn. Such wds the effect of Hus* el oil uoutotiim thousands of children thud listen iguthered together; and. at the mimnein \wthou tilefrantic hermit proclaimed titaqiitun tilte leader of the new 'Orinaide, ihftiy thou ■and children of all ages, first igathexeti together at X'endonie, ,in the ■ (turner off France, were slowly marching ttnwarU Marseilles, supisirted lit the offering* off the pious as they went; singing ihymns, carrying white hauuem and sumuuiwd I Ivy that remarkable enthusiasm, twihiiih thus been a wonder to the world »w«r -smite. Stephen had heard of them, mud thud wondered, with the rent .of Ibis tfrieulhi. what would become of them. Be thud heard jeers and gilies, at the fidfer talhoth thought to conquer the Turks with nu army of children, and the last thing Use had had in his mind that miumlng thud been that -he should be found amuugthom. Yet here'be was. consecrated tkrtfure itili the people as the deader uTtltcKlldldreii'-* Crusade, and before him was his abam;, the being be loved better than .aif* .one else, save his mother, lodking at ttlu-valhite cross on his breast as if the siglc lhad frighteae4 bcr. „ He coifld not avoid the meeting.innr.did he wish to do so, in the -state .iff -rauttu lion to which lie bad been raised !ljy tin preaching of the old hermit. "It is true, uii sister,” be said, without watting to be questioned, asßlondhcdtanw rein in front of him and stnreil attke-ijynr Itol on his breast, with dilated '*ftt is true. 1 have taken tin- cross, mud Mil dehrand has appointed me the ikrnUer off the Childrens Crusadet*><drivethelinfiddl from the sepulcher.” Blanche gazed at him silent ky. and line young friends with her grazed in ;the -sunn sort of stupefaction The sister .iff Stephen was a slight, -graceful grit, IhitTdiy beyond childhood, with large dark eyyes, a delicate rose-white complexion, .and ta disposition noted for gentleness mud Hund ness to all sufferers. 'That disposition shoue out now, as. instead of Ifauattiig into reproaches, as -Htqptajii had eaQatuted. the girl, in a low voice naked ihim: “And have you asked our ihUJy : motion whether she approved of itT’ It was rather a singular thing that rth» Question, like that of Big JNrter ailittlr tiefore, seemed to irritate ■the hoy. count. 9m “ ‘He that will not leave rfather an£ aaotber to follow the land ihoth mo i|Mcn lit Him.* I have taken the am on m*

da- muill on every face, launched out at oni'o ihlti’ a fiery speech, modeled on what lie- limb Heard, tram the old hermit a short time- befhre, calling on all his young OBUBilb to join him in lighting for the (Unsa>. Hike Hildebrand, he painted the tarenns- off hell, ami the delights of heaven, wliinhi was- to- he the portion of every one whiixliadl Sir the cross. Transported by his- new-horn, enthusiasm, he forgot himmdir entirely, ami poured, forth a burst of idhtpiem-e that astonished his heaters, already disposed: to believe him a hero, as threiingdune something they dared not do. AT the- while he was exhorting them they gathered! (dimer round, him, and, as he tjauseill flbr Breath, a black-eyed girl, with m dlirlt, richi face and. crimsou cheeks, onrndl our, enthusiastically:; ■‘bjisli wills it:!. E, too, will join the cru■enlk umi light Cur the cross! God will talk!- earn-off us-!” Staghorn tumeti on her with flashing eyws). "rising: “fbuhei Ehiranee, heaven is with thee! 'Tiun: shuit He' called the Queen of the Chrmarfk” Who- follows the cross?” “IT” unit! “o.”’ ami “E!” cried several nngr-g wiices;: anil within a few minutes fbruni the- time he met his sister with her fhteniUs. hu hail! secured eager recruits tiTOiti iivu<ry. noble family in that part of ttle-noimtuivanifc was leailiug them off in a rnmpest off enthusiasm away from the ou»tUc he-(lluv*d: not outer, the romantic hoys imili ginls- toiling in with the idea of the (.(hildreni* Cmtsuile with as little thought uffthe totune as-iff it had been a new game they wu'ss playing which, in fact, it was, to* their ihnoeimce and ignorance. Away they went at full gallop, taking trie- way rmvnrd the plains that lay by trie- riwn Dkuranee, where it was said that trie-great: earnp'off the children's crusade htuii been, spread: to which circumstance trie willing! affYaubst owed the tiery sermoni ih hnd: heard that (lay. fllhiy littd not tor to go, when they topped! m httib- Utioil, and beheld, far away heffim- them,, a. grassy pluin dotted with lwhite'tonfSH. round which the stuoke of the m-ttithi tires*, iust as in a real camp, rose no lleavou. 'The sight seemed to set the young peopib- witrii titrpheu. wild: with delight, as rttey meedi their horses down toward the uaiiqji. Heruled: by the enthusiastic young ihnitbn,. his Iking curls llyiug in the wind, his ivilwf oap bliiwn from Ills head, the wihi to- (tress shilling on his shoulder, as he spurred! his siight-herlt jennet far in adiviuitciilf alii Blit itti the- wihE race there were two I people' whin UtoU no purt. Big Peter and trie sister „ff the enthusiastic Stephen, Ibtrih uppeatiug as if: some great misformmt had. overtalien; them, sut looking at mathtortietrasttie t'hihlren tore away, and ffikniths-wias the first to break the silence Uy saying: “Wdh. ffbtHn. what will become of them, until what will! my mother say?’ Big ffhttur twitched his face, as if he ikuritdl no* answer;, hut when Blanche repeMtndl trie (uxestion he said slowly: •*sSi> plbtise my lutly Blanche, there is Butt one-triiug tic do,, and that is to go and toil! my- Hindi and: my lady. Perchance we in ay He ttikib to stay this folly in the tCliillih-Btaßhem” ••KhilUb” was trie usuul tirle of a youth till! he- became a* knight, in. those days, uutU Bltmehe uudersfood Peter to refer to* hsir Hmrticn. lf-iiir tile- drat time since she hnd seen titan item wirih trie- aross oa his shoulder, silo- begun to* droop, as iff about to weep, mull -hutil ini ai dreary tone of voice: ‘♦MU. Phtar!! PtttMri It will kill my miurietr!! Hit* loae her only son by this '•nmdl onusuite that sweeps high and low! ffliw shall! B toll; her? B dare not. You inner dli* ill!” Big Phtortgirva his broad shoulders an urinuac imperceptible shrug as he onswerudi: * Amßiffmy lbdlp Blanche dare not speak nr* Herr uwm mother;, how shall E, who am thift ut poorr peasant,, appntach the countess witrii sui'lh news-?” BHun-Ue shrauredi and her soft dark eyes Ihekkeh very pitsous*. as site said to the big pensantt hey:: •‘B»nt B Urns her- so that I cannot give Herr print <Mh. iff iff were but pain to tnyselff.B vwmiifi go* in. an. instant! Oh, Peter, vvolll ynm toll! hen;, or must B do it?’ nhe- big follow olimed his lips as if he worn- shutting a* trap, and did not answer flfor tunin' seeondb, during which the girl wstahedi him anriously.. At Dost he said, **ff wtill (fir* iff. good my lady, for your sarie- ani£ triari off trie Oikie titophen. But iff Bar giea*. I gn> with, him.’” Btumthe nodded: heir httib head, as she “Arnfl wm isl» B. Vhtec. B take no cross, Unix my Bmtfhm shuih not go into danger unibsw B ami aig& Him; to pray for him and gnarilHuni «■ ■aßlw a weak, giri can do.” Brimßw aori tfia peasant-born, youth trior tin tria-haill. alt trie- upper end off which. mmmmumH plteffinm; eallbdl a “daia,” sat Hades,, (ingagcd! tin trie perpetual embroidlnpy whiithi ww trie occupation of ladies t£||p (.■ ■■■ writ Hmß*** mw a*,, niinnnt* innitihla

reply of Blanche; at which i/he lady wotfT* have made some remark, when her attention was dffracted by the spectacle of Big Peter, who had followed the gjrl to the edge of the dais, and stood there, fingering his cap in his hands, the picture of embarrassment and awkwardness. ‘‘What woujdst thou, Peter?” asked the lady of the enstie, thinking he had some request to make. ”80 please my lady," said Big Peter, slowly, "the Childc Stephen atid myself, we were riding to the Chateau Lenoir, when we saw many people in the market place of Vnucluse; and the Childe turned to see whence wns the crowd, when we found there the iponk Hildebrand, preaching the Children’s Crusade, as they call it, and* ” Here he paused, unable to continue at the sight of the face of his beloved mistress, who turned deadly pale and seemed to be gasping for breath. She, too, had heard of the Children's Crusade, and seemed to anticipate what was coming, for she faltered, brokenly: “And he What hath happened, Peter? Torture uie tiot with doubts, but tpll me at once. Did he listen to the preacher?” “He did, my lady,” was the low reply; “and the preacher so worked on my young lord that he took the cross, and has gone to the camp of the children near Avignon.” The poor lady started to her feet with a faiutr shriek at the news, and stood for a moment like one stunned, unable to comprehend the fullness of the disaster. Stephen was her only son, the heir of the castle, and if he were killed the inheritance of the family would go to a cousin whose land adjoined hers, and who was, perhaps, the only person in Provence that the gentle countess feared and disliked. The ladies on the dais had risen and .were crowding round her, thinking she was about to faint, when she caught sight of her daughter, and, starthig violently, cried out: "Oh, Blanche, Blanche, and you let him do it! Why could you not' stop him? Oh, my son, my sou!” Blanche answered no word to the undeserved reproof; but honest Peter interpostnl at once, in his bluff manner, saying: “My Indy Blanche knew nothing of it till we met her at the castle, and then .it was too late. The Childe Stephen had taken the cross. But, surely my lord the count can forbid his going. It is a mad freak to send tender children to fight Turks, and my lord can stop it if he hath a mind to.” His words seemed to give great comfort to the distressed lady as she heard him, and she said, with a faint hope in her voice: “He can! He must! Oh, I will go to Rome myself, and weary the Holy Father with prayers to give my boy a dispensation front this wild, this wicked vow. It is impossible that he can suffer it. Come, ladies, let us go at once to the count.” And without waiting she hurried off through the long stone corridors of the castle to find the count, who was at the time in the armory inspecting the weapons, with a grizzled old soldier, who was his manager, and whose title, in those days, was “Seneschal of the Castle.” The seneschal’s name wns Hugh Barhot, and he wns showing the count a huge battleax as the ladies invaded the armory, where they were not wont to be seen, while the countess broke out into a hurried and agitated story of the way in which they were like to lose the heir of the castle by the crusade if something were not done at once to stop it. The count was ’8 stalwart man of middle height, with broad shoulders and legs slightly bowed at the knees from the habit of constant riding. He hnd been a fnmous knight in his prime, with a great reputation for strength, and had received so many wounds in his young days that he moved stitHy now. His temper was hasty and fierce, and as soon as he beard the story of the rash vow into which his son had entered he began to use very strong !ang*nge, and swore that he would go after the boy and bring him back by the hair of the head, if there were no other way. “We have shed enough blood in these silljyjj-usadcs,” he snid, with great anger; “aniTTt is but a pretense for the monks to get-hold of the estates of those who go. We have fighting enough at home to do to keep the robbers from the roads; aad here is the boy that should be ready to take up my sword when I am too old to fight, going off ou a wild-goose chase after Turks that never harmed him. Get me my horse, and tell the men to saddle up, and we will show this Hildebrand that he cannot rob us of our children, though there are fools iu France that lot him do it elsewhere.” The old knight showed so much anger and determination that the countess felt wonderfully encouraged, and helped him all she could as he hurried his preparations to get ready a troop of horse to follow the truant boy and bring him back to the castle. Within an hour from the time that Big Peter had brought in the news of Stephen’s flight to aid the Children’s Crusade Count Stephen do Vaux the elder, mounted on his charger, and covered with armor from head to foot, was riding off toward Avignon, determined to bring back his boy, or know the reason why he could not get him. And with him rode the countess and Blanche. Would they he able to persuade the boy to come back? (To be continued.) Copyright.

Stronger than Oak.

Foot bridges In Morocco that are used for heavy traffic have been the subject of much concern to the engineers. Elm planks on oak strlngp®es were the materials employed, but these wore out so rapidly that a return to the old style of building was proposed. This consisted of cahlc<3 made from the fibre of the aloe. These cables are plaited and twisted from fibre and are nearly two inches thick and eight hnd one-half Inches wide. They are saturated with tar and firmly nailed to oak planking. The ends are fastened by iron straps. These cables make most admirable footpaths. They are sufficiently elastic to be pleasant under the feet, nndexper'.ecc? has dt in onstrated that they are far more durable than any material heretofore applied for this purpose.

Mod[?]rn Befinitions.

What is nonsense? Any opinion differing from our owu. Hope? The steam of our neighbor’s dinner. S.cond class persons? Those with whom we are not intimately associated

THE BLIZZARD

Washington, says a correspondent, has had very few real winter snows, and the people were almost stupefied by the recent blizzard which struck the capital and left the streets piled high with drifts and nearly three'feet of snow on the level. Some of the Western Congressmen made light of the Washington blizzard, and used it us a text for repeating experiences in Dakota blizzards. But as a rule Western men who were out in the storm admit that it wns a genuine blizzard, and abont ns severe as they ever encountered anywhere. They find no fault with Washingtonians for complaining, for it was risking life to go out in the storm and face the wind while floundering through the snowdrifts. There were many narrow escapes and some most perilous experiences. Xo criticise could apply to the people of the capital city for suspending bus'ness for one day, as they did. The schools were closed, business houses were not opened, and departments of the Government were so short-handed that little was done. Congress was the ouly branch of the Government at work, and the Senate had a larger percentage of its members present than had the House. The grave and dignified Senators went to the eapitol from force of habit, and they worked all afternoon and were sent home iu carriages by the sergeant-at-a rnm. It was with sqme difficulty that Col. Bright, the sergeant-at-arras, secured enough carriages, as livery men were not anxious for business engagements, and the ordinary hackmen were few and far between. Nobody wanted to face the storm, and hackmen were as indifferent to the power of money as were others. They would not bo hired to go out in the storm. Col. Bright could get no one to supply the carriages for the Senators for a time, but he called up the funeral director, who does the business for the Government, and said he must have carriages. The man who furnishes the carriages for state funerals could not risk losing his business, and he sent enough carriages to carry the Senators to their homes. There were some incidents to show that young men in clerical positions were more careful and cautious than were their eiders. Senator Cockrell of Missouri, one of the oldest men in the Senate, tramped two miles to the capitoi early in the day because he had some important work with his secretary, a young man of 25. When he reached his committee room he found a telephone message from his clerk announcing that the weather was too bad for him to venture out. The Missouri Senator expressed himself vigorously about the want of energy in the newer generation and wrote his letters himself. That clerk is wondering when he will be dismissed.

The Washington blizzard was ouly for one day, hut the snowdrifts remained, and for several days, and Washington enterprise, even aided by the national Government, was not aide to remove them or open the streets to traffic again. The street railroads were tied up, with one exception. The new system proved a failure in a suowstorm. The fine snow sifted through the slot and destroyed the current, leaving the cars without motive power. It ended the illustration that the underground electric was the only system for street railroads, even in cities where they have only occasional snowstorms. The most discouraging feature of Washington was the complacency with which the people accepted the stoppage of all business. They had hern buried under a snowstorm by the powers of nature, and they waited for the same power to uncover the city. They simply waited for two days for the sun and the warm rain to unlock the city from its snow blockade. Coal wns the great luxury of the capital after the storm. The coal merchants were indifferent. They had coal in the railroad yards, but snow would hare to be shoveled away to get at it. They preferred to peddle out what they had by the bushel at exorbitant prices rather than open up the streets and yards and get eon! to their customers. In many instances gentlemen carried home a few bushels of coal in their private carriages, because they could not get the coal men to deliver the fuel. Other prominent residents had to close their houses and take refuge in the hotels, because they could not get coal to heat their houses.

CASH TO PAY SPAIN.

House Votes the $20,000,003 Under Snipendon cf Rule*. A separate hill appropriating $20,000,000 for payment to Spain under the provisions of the treaty of Paris was passed Monday by the House of Representatives under suspension of the rules. No amendment was iu order, and an attempt to secure unanimous consent to offer an amendment declaratory of a policy not permanently to annex the islands was objected to. Mr. Wheeler of Kentucky, upon whose point of ordpr the appropriation went out of the sundry civil bill, made the only speech in operi s toostility to the measure, but upon the roll call thirty-four members—thirty-one Democrats, two Populists and one silver Republican—voted against it. The votes of 219 members were cast for it.

SCHLEY GIVES HIS SIDE.

Says He wae in Command nt the Fa mom Battle of July 3. Admiral Schley, with permission of the Naval Department to answer chargee preferred against him, has sent to the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs his defense to the accusation that he disobeyed orders in thoroughly exploring the harbor of Clenfuegos before sailing to to seek Cervera’s fleet and his version of the inner American naval history of the famous sea battle of July 3.

COMMISSION TAKES A REST.

Americaa-Caaadiaa Conference Ends —Trouble Over Aimak a. The American-Canadian joint high commission, which has been holding sessions in Washington, adjourned to meet at Quebec Aug. 2 unless the chairmen of the respective commissions agree upon another date. The commission first began its labors nearly six months ago in Canada, and has, with the exception of probably a month, been earnestly at work endeavoring to accomplish the object for which it was appointed—the formulation of a treaty covering the many perplexing questions of differences affecting the business interests of the United States and Canada. A dozen important questions were referred to the commission for its considers tion, and the commissioners assert that substantial progress in the settlement and adjustment of many of the questions has l>een made. Probably those which have given the most serious trouble and proved stumbling blocks to a final agreement on all have been the two relating to lumber and the Alaskan boundary question, on both of which the Canadians have demanded concessions which the Americans felt it would lie prejudicial to the best interests of the United States to grant. It was felt that an adjournment for a few months might result in a better prospect for harmony and a disposition on the part of the Canadians to agree to proposition* made to them from the commissioners on this side of the boundary line.

WANTS THE GENERALS SHOT.

Fiery Debate Tskss Place in the Spinith Cortes. Spanish political circles are greatly agitated over the meeting of the Cortes and the public awaits the action of that body with keen interest. The opening session was marked by scenes of disorder, bat personal encounters that threatened at different times were avoided. Discussion of different phases of the war with America provoked general nproar. Count d'Almenas was particularly severe in his attacks upon the Spanish generals and demanded that those who surrendered be shot* Rivera. Weyler. Blanco. Linares and Cervera, he declared, were failures as fighters and administrators. A great uproar followed this statement, and a number of people were expelled from the galleries.

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

Great Britain continues to be the greatest customer of the United States, despite the fact that our purchases from her continue much below those of former years. The figures of the treasury bureau of statistics covering the calendar year exports and imports show that oar sales to the United Kingdom in the year 1838 were $535,W*1,787, against $482,095,024 in 1897. while our imports from Great Britain iu 1898 were but $111,361,617, against $159.002286 in 1807. Thus our sales to the United Kingdom are nearly five times as much as our purchases from her. The imimrts into the United Kingdom from the United States in the calendar year IS9S show a healthy increase in the items of bacon, lard, copper, raw cotton, leather, hops, corn and oats.

Secretary Alger and the members of the Senate and House Military Committees and their wires will go on a junketins tour through the West Indies. They will sail from New York on March 6, which is immediately after the adjournment of Congress, on the steamship Berlin. and will be gone until April 1. The party will lire on the steamer daring the entire trip and make short trips into the interior of the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico. They go to study the military requirements of the islands so as to enable the two committees to see exactly what is needed in the way of increasing the army. The Attorney General has decided that the United States is not liable for any claims for damages arising out-of Dewey’s cutting the British cable at Manila. This opinion is rendered in response to an intimation from the British Government that it would like to know the attitude of the United States in regard to the matter. The Attorney General holds that the cutting of the cable was necessary as an exigency of war. ■ There is considerable adverse comment in Washington on the custom of allowing each prominent official a telephone at public expense. Cabinet ministers, heads of departments, etc., all have telephones, which are, however, denied other personages of note. Postmaster General Bmith has ordered Post office Inspectors Irwin of California*. Sullivan of St. Louis and Leatherman of t Ohio to proceed to Cuba to assist Director of Posts Rathbone. A new ruling is about to be adopted in the Postoffice Department. It is on account of the prodeness of some of the young women clerks to get married. It is almost a daily occurrence to receive an official communication advising the department that in the future "Miss Smith” must be addressed as “Mrs. Brown.” The Intention is to permit young women who change to allow their husbands to support them. The President received in his mail the other morning a rabbit's foot from Kernersville, N. C.

RUSSIANS AND CHINESE AT WAR

»'■ . Collision Said to Hove Bees Canoed by a Quest ion of Taxes. A dispatch from Pefcm states that a conflict occurred between the Russians and Chinese at Tafienwan. About 100 Chinese are reported to hare been killed. A question of taxes is said to haTe led to the collision. Another account of the collision at Talit nwan says that 300 Chinese were killed by the Russians. The reported conflict between Russians and Chinese at Talienwau is believed to , be fraught with possibilities of fresh troubles between England and Russia. Of late Russian re-enforcements hare been pouring into the garrisons at Talienwan and Port Arthur, ostensibly beranse the natives are growing restless. England, who is ensconced just across the Straits of Pecbili, at Wei-Hai-Wei. has viewed with jealous eyes the Russian occupation in the I.iao-Tuug peninsula. It is not unreasonable to expect that England will make the killingof Chinese a ground for breaking up the peasant Russian-Chjnese relations. \ Russia occupied Talienwau something over a year ago. shortly after the occupation of Port Arthur. These moves of Russia caused great excitement in England. and at one time seemed about to resnlt in war between the two countries. In the end. however, the British Government contented it«elf with occupying 'Wci-Hai-Wci. when Japan gave up that port, whh h bad been held as security for the payment by China of the war indemnity. There have at varlius times been reports of friction between the Russians and Chinese in that region, through -which Russia is now building the Manchooria extension of the Siberian Railway.

PARIS MOBS BATTLE.

Opponents and Friends of Lonbet in Combat. France is in an uproar over the election of President Loubct and the demonstrations of the anti-Dreyfus party in Paris are carried on with great Vigor. Fighting Is continually going on between the friend* and enemies of the new president, and the police force has been more than doubled. and is making arrests wholesale. Although Loubct is not kuowu to evet have expressed an opinion in the matter, it is generally understood that he is ■ friend of Dreyfus, and the purpose of the demonstrations agaiust him is to force him to resign, as was done in the case ot Cassimir Perier. The anti-revisionists threw rocks through the windows of the Rothschilds' office, and the friends ot Dreyfus retaliated by wrecking the office of the Petit Journal. Once in a while detachments of the opposing factions came together, and broken heads resulted. In the midst of all the excitement the fears for the safety of the repnblic are subsiding somewhat. The Duke of Orleans has given up hope of anything favorable happening to him and left Turin for Milan, where be expects to meet a delegation from St. Gartland. Agents of the French police are watching him. In receiving a committee from France at Turin, the duke delivered a violent speech, in which be declared that Loubct would lie the last president of the republic and predicted the early restoration of a monarchy.

TO HANG FOR BURGLARY.

A Bill to Tbat Effect Introduced Into •be Illinois Lcgitlatsre. A lull has been presented in the Illinois Legislature by Representative George H. Harris of Chicago fixing the penalty for burglary of a dwelling at death. It was announced that another hill would fix the same penalty for highway robbery. “In the course of my dnties,” said Chicago’s Chief of Police Kiplcy, speaking of the biiL *’l have talked with many of the most dangerous burglars in the country. One after another has told me that if. while he were looting a honse, the owner should awaken, he would shoot him. I know there would be much criticism of this law, bat 1 believe it would have beneficial resnlts and accomplish what capital pnnishment strives at—the prevention of mnrh murder.” Police Inspector John D. Shea says the law as it now stands is sufficiently severe if the conris would impose the limits oftener. Attorney William R. Beiham, who drafted the amendments to the criminal code, said: “I believe tn hanging the fellow who breaks into a dwelling, fully armed and ready to do murder if any one should try to catch him or block bis escape. I believe in just one pnnikhtpent, and that strong enough to be effective. So far aa the intent is concerned, these men are murderers, and should be treated a* such.”

PEACHES ARE RUINED.

Orange* and Pineapples Also Said to Be Eadl* Damaged. Reports from the fruit section of Michigan, Georgia and Florida show that the recent cold snap has played havoc with fruit generally, and especially with peaches. Chicago commission merchants say the Michigan fruit crop is killed, and prices next year are likely to be higher than for a decade past. How much the Florida orange crop has been damaged remains to be seen, bat it is believed the frost has ruined many of the trees. Florida’s pineapple crop will only be a fractional one. Yonng orange trees have been destroyed, as also the new growth on the old trees, bat the opinion is that the old groves have not been seriously injured by the extremely cold weather.

Told in a Few Lines.

An anti-cartoon bill has been passed by the House of the California Legislature. Six cases of yellow fever have developed in the 202 d New York regiment at Guanajay, Cnba. The Brace meteorite, which weighs over four tons, is now on its wax from Australia to the British Museum. The question of bounties for officers and i sailors who destroyed the Spanish fleet wifl be referred to the,United States court of claims. The Commercial Congress, to meet at Wichita, Kan., in May. will invite Presidents Dole of Hawaii and Aguinaldo of the Philippines to attend as territorial delegates. A'beautiful red fox suddenly appeared in the streets of West It ox bury, M» H . in broad daylight, and was immediately pursued by dogs and men, bat he far outran them all and escaped. The opinion first expressed by Schiaparelli that certaia lines risible on Mars are canals is bow opposed by another Italian astronomer. Dr. Cernlli, who declares tha whole thing an optical delusion.