Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 August 1901 — Page 3

RECORD OF THE WEEK

INDIANA INCIDENTS TERSELY TOLD. NnrtM the Man She Shot —A Burning Tent Cansea Panic at Sull.van Street Fair-Freight Wreck at BurdickTough* Mob Negroes. - Maddened by insane jealousy, Frances B. Fry, a young woman who recently came to La Porte, from Chicago, shot and seriously wounded J. Fry, a saloonkeeper. The shooting took place at Fry's country home. It is alleged tfiat Fry had paid marked attention to the woman and she had insisted that their marriage take place. Fry refused to consent to an alliance and the other night, when she found him in company with another woman, she fired a bullet into his head. The woman is a nurse at his bedside at the Holy Family Hospital. Fatal Fire at a street Fair. A show tent belonging to a New York vaudeville company burned to the ground at Sullivan, where a street fair is in progress. A performance was going on and the tent was packed with women and children, who rushed over one another iu trying to get out. Several small children were trampled ijuring the panic. Lillie May, aged 16, an actress, inhaled the tiames to her fatal injury. 'She was badly burned about the face and arms. A man was also badly burned in trying to save some of the belongings. • Perlons' y Hurt in Wreck. Seventeen cars of a west-bound Lake Shore freight train were piled up in a wreck at Burdick. The air brakes failed to operate and the train was cut into two sections, which collided with terrific force, piling up an immense amount of wreckage. J. C. Teeter, of Garrett, received serious injuries. Ho was taking a car of cattle to Chicago and was pinioned in one of the wrecked cars. The other ears were loaded with merchandise and the loss to the company may reach $20,000.

Negroes Mobbed by Rongho. The riotous gang known as the Bungaloos, which has defied the Indianapolis police authorities for several years, occasionally running amuck and usually singling out negroes for attack, gathered in force the other night at Fairview Park, five miles from the city, and compelled every negro to flee for his life. There were a number of assaults, and one negro named Harris; who refused to leave when ordered, was knocked down with a boulder and his arm was broken. Find Oil at Hartford City. The biggest oil gusher yet found in that field was struck in wildcat territory on a small tract of land just east of the corporation ]iue at Hartford City. The well as owned by Pierce & Thomas, and after being drilled fifty feet into the Trenton rock flowed over the casing. There is no salt water and very little gas in the well. The new strike opens a vast scope of new territory and there is a wild scramble for leases in the vicinity of the well.

State News in Brief. Richard Darling, a Pennsylvania brakeman, fell between cars at Donaldson, and was cut to pieces. His home was in Chicago. Miss Anna Kohr, 19 years of age, a society girl of Mt. Olive, committed suicide by taking carbolic acid, because she imagined her sweetheart, Albert Butts, was becoming cold toward her. The Margdret Smith Horae for Aged Women at Richland has received from William B. Leeds, of New York, a gift of $25,000 in the name of his mother, Mrs. Hannah Leeds, who resides at Richland. The farm residence of Laurin Humbarger, in Thorn Creek Township, was struck by lightning and Mrs. Humbarger and her 14-year-old daughter were seriously injured. The house was badly wrecked. Mrs. Lucy Washington, a colored woman 112 years old, who recently fell down a stairway in the county infirmary at Kokomo, and sustaiued serious injuries, is rapidly recovering nud expects to live twenty-five years yet. Ora Jennings, who was umpiring a game of basebull nt Farmersburg, was struck over the head with a ball bat byMarcellus Forbes, one of the players, who was incensed by one of the decisions. leanings' skull is fractured, and he cannot recover. Washington Collom, a merchant at Mill Creek, engaged iu a fight at 3 o'clock in the morning with a robber whom he found in his store. The two men fought ■a dnel in the dark with their revolvers, four shots being exchanged. Then they grappled and began beating each other with the butt of their revolvers until both were bathed in blood and their heads and faces were a mass of woundsThe robber became weak from loss ot blood and Colloin finally felled his antagonist. The robber refuses to give his name. It is believed Charles Campbell, of Lafayette. a soldier in the Spanish-Ameri-can war, was murdered iu service, instead of dying a natural death, as relations have supposed. His regiment went to Savannah, en route to Cuba. His body was sent to his brother's home, in Albion, with a certificate of death from spinal meningitis, and the casket was not allowed to be opened. Some of his friends raised his shroud, however, and found a gunshot wound, and they recently told hie father. Tho young man had hinted at trouble with an officer, and the war department will be asked to investigate. Leroy K. Stimmel, aged 16, shot him■self at Ri. hmoud and died soon after. It is not known whether the shooting was accidental. The grocery house of John L. Sullivan nt Kokomo closed its doors. Assets $209, liabilities $3,000. Mrs. Laura Blair, of Connersville, has filed suit for SIO,OOO damages. She was injured recently while driving through ■the street, the horse striking a rope and throwing her from the vehicle. Her husband has also brought suit for $5,000 ■damages against the city. Texas capital is being invested in the Indiana oil field. M. M. Bright, of Bennsnout, is said to be at the head of a new 'company, which will operate near Riihanond.

STATE CARE OF CHILDREN.

Inliaua'a Scheme Seems Beet end Michigan’* Moat Economical. A statement showing the progress made by the child-saving work of the Board of State Charities was issued recently by Secretary Butler. “The problem of the care of dependent and neglected children.” says the statement, “Is one that has bad earnest consideration in all our more progressive States. N arious methods have been tried. Some have been successful, others not so. In New - York the plan was tried of boarding these children in private institutions, but eventually the influence of these institutions became so strong that it could not be overcome. Ohio adopted the method of establishing county orphans' homes, in which the dependent and neglected children of the county could be gathered and reared. Indians started out with the same plan, but its evils became apparent in time and another plan was tried. Michigan proceeded on the theory that children of this class are wards of the Statp and an institution was built for them, called the State Public School, to which all such children are regularly sent by action of court. The school has a capacity for about 350 children. As soon as fitted for it, the children are placed in homes. An effort to adopt the Michigan plan was made in 1895, but without success. The present plan was inaugurated in 1897,. It is.th" Michigan idea modified to suit our conditions, the theory being the same. The best place for a child to grow up is in a good family home. We have a number of orphans' homes instead of one receiving home. Our children are not committed by the courts, although the law makes them the State's wards and objects of its careful oversight.” The statement furnishes interesting comparisons of the three systems. NewYork now supports in orphans’ home over 30,000 children; Ohio cares for 3,000 excluding those in the Soldiers' and Sailors’ Orphans’ Home; Indiana is caring for 1,650, not counting inmates of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphans’ Home; Michigan maintains less than 200 children in its State Public School. “Since the cost of a child’s support iu Indiana is SIOO per year and probably the same elsewhere.” says the statement, “the economic feature of child-saving is obvious. New York spends millions of dollars annually on this account, Ohio over a quarter of a million, Indiana more than $150,000, and Michigan only a few thousand dollars.”

DEATH RETURNS IMPORTANT.

They Are Often in Demand in Lawsuits—A Recent Case, “It is surprising that people cannot be made to understand the importance of the death returns that are sent in from counties in all parts of Indiana to the State Board of Health.” said Capt. Anderson, clerk of the vital statistics department of the Health Board, in Indianapolis. “Scarcely a day passes that we do not receive requests for copies of these returns from people who wish to use them in lawsuits, in settling up estates or iu obtaining pensions. The death returns ought, of course, to be written legibly and iu ink, but we receive a great many that are so illegible that often we cannot decipher the name of the deceased. Only the other day we received a call for one of these certificates from a man who wanted to use it in settling up an estate in Germany belonging to a man that died in Indiana some time ago. I understand that in Germany they have death returns running back several hundred years. We in Indiana began to keep such a record as recently as October, 1899, less than two years ago. It seems to me we ought to start right aud have these certificates in perfect shape. “There is a rule of the State Board of Health that requires that no burial permit be issued for a corpse unless the death certificate shall have been made out in proper form and in ink writing, but this rule is often disregarded. I hope that the people who are interested in this matter —physicians, coroners, health officers and undertakers —will make up their minds to co-operate with the State Board of Health, to the end that a perfect set of death records may be kept, one that will be valuable for all time to come.”

MARRIAGE LAW IS VIOLATED.

Gross Transgressions by County Clerks Discovered in This State. Investigation of the practices of issuing marriage licenses by the clerks of the counties in Indiana shows that in but a few counties is the law being obeyed, and it is believed that thousands of illegal licenses have been issued during the past year. Each county, it appears, has Its own method. In few counties is an affidavit required that the bride lives in the county, as the law commands. In Marion County the clerk docs not obey the law and when asked if he required the affidavit he said he did not. “There has been some question about vhat, I know,” said he, “but I can see no harm in a woman getting married in any county she wants to.” The Attorney General said: “Every license issued to nonresidents is illegal and the clerk who issues the same and the justice or minister who solemnise* the marriage are liable to prosecution for each offense. The license must be issued in the county in which the female resides. I will order a thorough inquiry.”

EXTENDS BENEFITS TO WOMEN.

Formin r an Auxiliary ta the Indiana Farmers* Institutes. An innovation in educational work in Indiana will be started by t|je State Agricultural College. Prof. Latta, superintendent of farmers’ Institutes, succeeded in securing a large sum of money from the last legislature to be used in institute work. The plan adopted is to establish a branch of the regular institute work, to be known as the woman’s auxiliary, the purpose of which will be the treating of subjects of Interest to women. Experts have been employed to lecture nnd give instruction in household economy, and questions of interest to homemakers will be given special prominence. The women of the State are manifesting great interest in the movement, and it appears certain that It will prove very popular. Mrs. Virginia C. Meredith, the well-known lecturer on “Home Economic*.” has been engaged to start the week.

STORM IN THE EAST.

CITIES SUFFER FROM WIND OF CYCLONIC VIOLENCE. New York, Brooklyn and Jersey City Worst Sufferers—Bn ltd ings Unroofed and Street Car Traffic Paralysed— Church and Theater Wrecked. Is The most violent wind and rain storm known for many years swept over New York City, Brooklyn, Westchester County and the northeastern portion of New Jersey Saturday afternoon. Great damage was done to property and street car traffic in many places was completely stopped. The most damage reported was at Jersey City, where buildings ware wrecked, including a church and a thsater. Rain had been falling intermittently all morning and about 1 p. m. the low-hang-ing clouds began to discharge torrents es water, and this was kept up until after 5 o’clock. About 3 o’clock the wind increased mightily in violence and at 3:30 Jersey City began to have the worst storm experienced in its history. Blasts of wind carried widespread destruction. Two windstorms seemingly met in the neighborhood of Newark avenue and Barrow street and a cyclonic condition resulted. Horses standing in Newark avenue and the wagons to which they were hitched were blown over. Telegraph poles and wires fell. A moment or two later the steeple of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the largest iu the city, fell backward upon the church, striking the roof. Files of brick from the spire crashed through the roof and down upon the pews. Two blocks south of St. Mary's Church and nearly on a line with it on Newark avenue is the Bijou Theater. The Man Who Dared Company was rehearsing for an opening of the theater for the season. Two lions that are used in the play were In cages on the stage when a sudden rush as wind made the building tremble. Warning cries caused the performers to leave the stage not a second too soon. Bricks came down from the high walls, ruining the stage and bending in the lions’ cage. The lions roared in terror. As the performers rushed out a shout was raised in the street that the lions were loose aud the crowd which had sought shelter in the fled panic-stricken. The lions did not escape, but their cages were hit and the beasts were cut by the bricks, but the bars held them. The storm in New-York City was confined to a heavy downpour of rain with a violent wind. It was the heaviesfein tho Bronx, where the streets were flooded. At Mauch Chunk, Fa., the storm was attended by four fatalities. Jesse Struthers. a prominent citizen of Mauch Chunk, and three boys named McClaffery, McGinley and Johnson were standing on a bridge spanning Mauch Chunk Creek when the supports collapsed and the four were precipitated into the water and drowned. The stream had become a ragiug torrent by the bursting of a dam a half mile above the borough line.

RAISED TRACKS SAVE TIME.

Elevation of Terminals Results in Quicker Schedules. Track elevation in Chicago has enabled the transportation companies to save from five to twenty minutes in the running time of both incoming and outgoing passenger trains, says the Tribune. When the agitation for elevated roadbeds was begun six years ago railroad experts did not give much attention to this advantage of the plan. The elimination of the grade crossing was the one object kept in view to the exclusion of other considerations. The extent *to which the various companies have been enabled to cut

BRINGS TOWNS NEARER.

down their running time since the elevation of their tracks has become a matter of wonderment to railroad officials. The Rock Island and Lake Shore, the first roads to elevate, have reaped the benefit of faster schedules. A study ot the time cards of the elevated and surface track railroads operating out of Chicago shows clearly the benefits of raised tracks. The Burlington, which now has an elevated roadway between Western avenue and the city limits, a distance of only four miles, is enabled to operate Its mail trains and other flyers, between Chicago nnd Aurora, a distance of thirty-nine miles, in forty-five minutes. The Rock Island, which has a longer stretch of elevation, runs its trains between Van Buren street station and Joliet, forty-one miles, in fifty minutes. The Illinois Central, with modern roadway, operates to Peotone, forty-two niiles from Twelfth street, at a rate of nearly a mile a minute.

Telegraphic Brevities.

Niehaus’ planiug mill and the Everding Starch works, Berkeley, Cal., burned. Loan $120,000. A mob at Osterburg, Pa., rotten-egged two Mormon elders. They departed without asking any questions. Card playing on trains ot the New Jersey Central Road has been prohibited as a result of a fight caused by an attempt to reserve seats at a card table. Agnee and Isabelle Gules, aged 8 and 7 years, were drowned at Coburg, Mont., while playing at a dam. Fred Foster was killed and Thomas Bptlcr was badly bruised by a bolt of lightning that struck a store building at Sidney, Mo. A premature explosion of dynamite at Stuart, I. T., killed William Pinkston, of Forest City,.Ark., and John'Marsh, of South McAlester. C. H. Gaunt, St. Paul, Minn., has Invented a system by which telephone and telegraph messages may be sent simultaneously over the wires.

TOWN BOYS THE "FARMERS."

Far Less Quick and Observant than the Country Children. Principal Thomas W. Boyce of the First District school, is of the belief that city children are the real “farmers,” in the matter of observation. The country cousin has long been scoffed at for his open-mouthed wonder at what to his city-bred playmates are objects of every-day knowledge, and .plenty have been the jokes sprung at the expense of the country gawk upon his visits to the city. But now the tables are turned and the city boys and girls may well look out for their laurels as world-wise youngsters. * "We have been reading -Snow Bound' in our eighth grade recently,” .said Mr. Boyce, “and It is a matter of surprise and wonderment to note how little the children know about farm life and nature. Some passages which one would think every intelligent boy or girl of 14 or 15 years of age ought to know leave a perfect blank in the minds of the city scholars. “Take, for instance, the passage, ‘The oxen hooked, and lashed their tails.’ The scholars could not imagine what ‘hooked’ meant. They thought that •the word hook meant to snatch, to steal, to grab, to swipe, but not one associate! the word with the tossing of the horns of the impatient brutes. The passage describing the well sweep ‘like Pisa's leaning miracle' was so much Greek to them. Although they understood the reference to the leaning towerof Pisa, they knew nothing of tfie old-fashioned well sweep. ‘The sun-cir-cled day, porteht of the storm,’ they had never seen. They expostulated at believing such a thing. ‘You cannot look at the sun,’ they said. ‘lt is too bright. It hurts your eyes.’ “Now. I venture to say that there is not a boy in this State who has lived on a farm to whom the sun-circled day is not the portent of a storm. They have noticed it from their childhood days. The city children were nonplussed in reading of the gray banks of clouds with the rising of the sun. The sun they see is over the housetops, through some dining room window-. It is an interesting study for me to observe how little the city people are taught to observe nature. That is where the country children have the advantage over their city cousins."— Milwaukee Sentinel.

RICH MEN BUY LARGE ESTATES

Country Seat* the Fashion of the Hour Amnnc Noted Millionaires. The starting of a new great country estate is always a matter of interest. The tendency in rich city men towards that sort of enlargement is of recent growth, and it is natural that there should be examples of it in increasing number near New York. E. 11. Harriman, railroad giant—the same enterprising man who carried a shipload of scientists to Alaska in 1899—has bought himself 20,000 acres of land in Orange and Rockland counties, New York, to the west and north of Tuxedo, and edging over toward Goshen. Orange county is still famous for its butter, and Mr. Harriman doubtless Intends to keep a cow-. His further intentions have not as yet transpired, except as shown by considerable investments in roads. Much of the fuu in owning a farm two niiles square lies doubtless in planning what to do with it. Mr. Carnegie, whose commodious dwelling on upper sth avenue, is already the biggest bouse in town, is building himself another iu Westchester County, near the St. Andrews golf links, but has not yet given evidence of an acute attack of land-hunger. Mr. Whitney has 1,000 acres on Long Island, nearly twice as many on October Mountain, and a big tract in the North Woods, and there are many other estates of from 500 to 3,000 acres on Long Island and near the Hudson. Dr. Webb has elbow room at Shelburne and leg room in the Adlrondacks; but the greatest and most interesting of American country estates seems still to be Mr. Vanderbilt's Biltmore in North Carolina. There will be great sights in architecture. horticulture, agriculture, floriculture and all the allied industries and arts to be seen in this country fifty years from now, if the steel business and railroad business continue to flourish and government continues stable.— Harper’s Weekly.

The Watermelon a Fruit.

Some men have never been willing to class the luscious “watermllllon” as a vegetable, and on this point the United States Government has been forced to come to the darkeys’ point of view. The decision has been made by the general board of appraisers on a case arising at Nogales upon the right to import melons aa vegetables. The board decided that “the melon Is known technically, popularly and commercially as a fruit, and therefore dutiable.” The same view Is taken, technically, by the Department of Agriculture, and we may now rest assured that the status of the watermelon, muskmelon, cantaloupe nnd their whole kindred has been raised a few points officially and permanently. —Los Angeles Times.

The Charge Not Sustained.

“You say,” pursued the chairman of the Investigating committee, “that he resorted to no bribery whatever during the election, so far aa you know?’! “Yes, air," replied the witness, “that’s what I Mid.” “Did he not circulate several boxes of cigars?” “Yes, sir, but them cigars wasn't bribes. Here's one of them. You can try it.” The prettiest thing In feminine headgear Is a good-humored face.

STATE OF THE CROPS

WEEKLY REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. Yield of Late Planted Carn Will Fe Larger than Expected-Weather Condition* Over Greater Part of Country Goo I—Spring Wheat Harvest Over. The weather conditions of the week have been generally favorable except in the middle and south Atlantic aud east gulf States and Tennessee, where in nearly all these sections heavy rains have damaged crops and interfered with work, and in some districts washed lands and caused inuudatious. Drought conditions still prevail iu portions of lowa, Oklahoma and Texas, in the last-named State becoming serious in localities, and rain is also needed in Michigan, Nebraska, the. north Pacific coast States and portions of Kansas and Missouri. The temperature conditions have been favorable for best results except in portions of Missouri. Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Montana and Washington. Continued improvement in the condition of late corn is generally reported from tlie principal corn-growing States. Reports indicate that late corn in lowa has made rapid progress, and that the ears are filling beyond previous expectations; it shows some improvement in most localities in Nebraska; has improved in eastern and middle Kansas and in western and southeastern Missouri; elsewhere in the last-named State the crop is deteriorating, and much complaint is received of ears not.filling well. In the States of tile Ohio valley the prospects for late corn are decidedly improved. In some sections fields previously reported beyond recovery will lie reclaimed and tlie indications are that the prospective yield will be largely increased. Cutting lias begun in portions of Minnesota and Wisconsin, Spring wheat harvest is practically finished in all sections, although retarded «ome by rain in South Dakota aud Minnesota. Thrashing is general and tlie yields nre as a rule satisfactory except in North Dakota, where they continue below expectations. The weather of the week has been gen erally unfavorable for cotton. Complaints of shedding and rusting are general throughout the entire cotton belt, except in Missouri and Oklahoma, but in Oklahoma the crop has been somewhat damaged by hot. dry weather; some favorable reports are, however, received from Tennessee, Arkansas ami Louisiana. Tobaco is in good condition in the Ohio valley and Tennessee, and the prospects for this crop are generally favorable in these Stjtes ns well as in New York. Drying tobacco was slightly injure 1 iu Maryland by humid weather, and rains were unfavorable in Virginia. While adverse statements concerning apples continue from a greater number of the principal apple growing States, reports from Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Nebraska indicate fairly good prospects for this fruit in portions of those States. Plowing for fall seeding is in general progress in all sections with soil usually in good condition except in the central Mississippi and lower Missouri valley, where rain is needed to put the ground in proper condition for this work. Crop Reports by States. Missouri—Rainfall deficient except in some western ami southeaste.n counties; late corn improving in these districts; elsewhere deteriorating; much complaint of ears not tilling well; over half of fall plowing completed; soil dry but loose; but little iiu provemeirt In cotton; pastures, apples aud peaches improving tn some western and southwestern counties; clover seed light to fair In portions of northwestern ami southeastern counties, elsewhere a failure. Illinois—Good rains throughout the State benefited crops, except car.y corn, potatoes and gardens; prospects for late corn Improved decidedly; early eosn not well tilled and is being cut for fodder: broom corn Improved; stock peas improved aud blooming; pastures much better and green again; potatoes and gardens poor; fruit fair to very good, except apple", which nre poor. Indiana—Well-distributed showers; marked Improvement in all late crops, except potatoes; many corn fields previously reported beyond recovery will be rtclaimed and aggregate yield largely increased; light tobacco crop In southern counties; liuprovtd rapidly in Elkhart; cutting continued In Randolph County: good clover yield: tomatoes, buckwheat and cycumbers promising; tunny late Vegetables planted; fairly good apple prospect; fine quality In Washington County; peaches and plums plentiful: plotting general. Ohio—Warm, with g.s>d showers in all sections; heavy in north: early corn ripening, late corn greatly benefited; some fields considered worthless now promise half crop; plowing for wheat progressing; early potatoes poor. late much Improved; gardens, tomatoes and pastures benefited; tobacco has resumed growing; some cutting done; early peaches plentiful, but small; late improved; apples poor; fair crop of clover seed promised. Michigan-Ample aud general ralus beneficial to nil fall crops and pastures, and have put soil In excellent condition for p'owlng; late potatoes, late beans, nnd pastures much Improved; early bean yields rather poor; corn well eared nnd promising; sugar beets continue pmml.-Ing; buckwheat ami clover well filled. Wisconsin—Light and scattered showers, except In extreme southeastern count es. where fairly copious rains occurred; general rain needed; corn being cut In some localities, but moat of crop will require three weeks to mature; crop generally good, except tn southern countie*; nearly cue half tobacco cron in shed: crop light; potatoes light crop ami poor quality; cranberries gcod. Minnesota—Scattered local showers followed by more general rains; harvesting delayed In northern and stacking and shoes thrashing In central and southern counties; flax cutting extended to northern and thrashing in central counties; corn, potuti.es, gardens and pastures generally somewhat Improved; corn cutting commenced In central counties; plowing in Drogreus. lowa—Droughty conditions still prevalent, mitigated by cool nights, and local showers in northern districts; most of early planted corn nearly ready for harvesters, aud cutting now In progress; late corn making rapid progress and ears filling beyond expectations; reports Indicate larger amount of clover seed than watt deemed possible; general ruin much needed for pastured, potatoes' and late vegetables. Nebraska—Warm week, with light shewers iu most localities; late corn continues to show some Improvement In most localities; fall plowing progressing rapidly tu southeastern sactlous, but elsewhere dry soli retards this work; more rulu Iu all sections would be beneficial. South Dakota —Wurm ami dry, very favorable fcr thrashing, haying, tlax, millet and fodder euttlng; thrashing general; rain needrd for plowing, corn, flax, graseand potatoes; Improvement continues; good crop of hay nud millet well secured; some early corn ripening and late filling quite well; potato crop small. Kansas—Late corn ami forage ami pasture* improved In eastern nnd middle dtvlslons; fall plowing retarded In middle and western division by dry ground; chinch bugs appearing In central counties; apples, peaches, grapes and plums promising good crops. Burglar Zeno Williams, colored, wan ■hot and killed by Merchant Eugene Edwards, Paducah, Ky., while trying fln brea 1 * into his store.

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

Rear Admiral Crowninshicbl, chief ot the bureau of navigation, has come to take the view that he has been violating the naval personnel law. He is at work on a general order, shortly to be which will repair some of the damage which lias been wrought by the failure to have the engineer officers attached to ships of war. The order will require that two line officers shall be detailed on board each ship in commission, as assistants to tlie chief engineer, for service in the engine aud fire room. The officers serving in this way will be assigned so as to have the detachments occur alternately, once in six months. It lias also been decided that line officers shall be detailed to duty with chief engineers, especially during the overhauling aud repairing of ships of war, and it is likely that there will be a detail of officers to duty in the bureau of steam engineering, where the experience and information gained will be of great value to line officers destined for engineer duty on board ship. This general order is the result of the reports received at the Navy Department in regard to the deterioration of machinery on ships of war. It has been found that this deterioration is more extensive than naval authorities have realized. A number of instances have occurred in the last year to demonstrate that the failure Io provide vessels of war with naval engineers is a great mistake, ami if the situation continues without relief there is every chance that it would not lie long before Congress was compelled to resort to legislation to re-establish tlie engineer corps. Consul General Mason has sent to the State Department a complete synopsis of the new tariff law of Germany, which shows the desperate means resorted to by tlie Emperor's government to drive out American competition. The report given out by the State Department shows that by far the more important advances are in food materials, notably cereals, meats and live animals. Of the whole schedule as now presented the following items will affect principally the import trade ot Germany from the United States. In this synopsis are given under each head the present normal rate of duty, tlie minimum rate to which the present duties have been reduced under special treaties with certain favored nations, and the rates designated under the new statute. The rate is in all eases, unless otherwise specified, the net amount in marks and federal equivalent per double centner —i. e., 100 kilograms of 220.46 pounds: Present Treaty New Articles. , dirties, rates. (Julies. WheatJ. .SI.Ill $ .83 $1.54 lye 1.1 II .83 1.42 Juts.... .95 .<>7 1.42 Harleys3 .47 .85 .'ora 47 .38 .95 f10ur2.50 1.74 3>o Datmeal 2.50 1.74 3.80 Jrled fruits9s .95 1.90 Sausage .... 4.76 4.04 9.52 1’0rk4.76 3.67 7.14 Blitter 4.76 3.Ml 7.14 iggs 53 .47 1.42 Margarin 4.76 3.80 7.14 "ows and oxen, per head 2.14 2.14 5.95 Young cattle, per head. 1.19 1.19 3.57 logs, per 100 kilograms 1.19 1.19 2.38 laicouiotlves 1.1.0 1.14) 2.61

Some idea of the tremendous growth of the postal service of this country can be gained from the fact that the department will require nearly 4,< NX).000,009 postal cards during the next four years, or a billion cards a year. This, of course, is in addition to the million of letters mailed annually. The other day the department jpeued idds for 3,000,OOOJXM) single postal cards, large size; 70,000,00 double postal cards, and 5,000,000 single cards, small size. Albert Daggett, the present contractor, was the lowest bidder, his bid for the three classes of cards being 21.75 cents, 42 cents an-1 17.50 cents per thousand. These are the lowest bids ever received by the department. During the last fifteen years there has been a decided reduction in the price paid for postal cards. In 1885 40 cents per thousand was paid for single cards, large size; in JBB9 35 cents, in 1893 32.25 cents, in 1897 23.95 cents, and this year 21.75 cents. • ’

Surgeon General Sternberg of the army objects to the employment of corn doctors in that service, as has been recommended by Col. Philip Reade, lately ou duty at St. Paul as inspector general. The army medical officers say, in the first place, that the men selected for military duty are not of the half lame and decrepit variety, and if anything happens to the feet of soldiers it is likely to be more serious than cun lie attended to by so-called pedal surgeons, or, as they are more commonly known, chiropodists. It is true that soldiers suffer a great deal as a result of long marches, but the remedy for this is in following the rules laid down by the doctors for the care of the feet and in supplying the army with a shoe which is at once comfortable an I serviceable.

Caterpillars have attacked the elms in the White House grounds, and their ravages have extended to the shade trees in parks and avenues in other parts of Washington. As in the case of fleas, myriads of which invaded the homes of Washington two or three weeks before. Prof. L. O. Howard, entomologist of the Department of Agriculture, has come to the rescue with a Latin name for the caterpillar, and calls it the product of the tussock moth known ns orgyia leucostigma. But the caterpillars continue their operations, and ninny of the most beautiful trees in the White House grounds and elsewhere have been almost stripped ot their foliage.

This and That.

Harve Moore, Moorehead, Ky., killed Finn Tolliver. Samimi Levy. 72. retired capitalist, San Francisco, hanged himself. D. King kicked Benjamin Wilfrey to death in the Joplin, Mo., jail. Frank Shugrue an I wife, Mobile, Ain., went to the Buffalo exposition. He myss teriously disappeared. The Governor of Texas sent a message to the legislature recommending that a special tax be placed on th? oil output as the Bute.