Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1902 — IN GENERAL. [ARTICLE]

IN GENERAL.

After an intensely dramatic battle in the House, the Cuban reciprocity bill, with the differential on sugar eliminated, was passed, thirty-four Republicans voting with the Democrats. A wonderful group of ancient silver mines have been discovered near Tubutama, in the Altar district, in the State of Sonora, Mexico, by a party of American prospectors In charge of Con O'Keefe, an expert mining engineer. Governor General Wood at Havana has issued an order pardoning W. H. Reeves, who was recently sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment and to pay a fine of $35,516 for complicity iu the Cuban postal frauds. Reeves was liberated at onee. Gen. Wood says he pardoned Reeves because he was a witness for the State.

The Interstate Commerce Commission has issued a bulletin showing for the three months ended on Sept. 30, l!X)l, a grand total of 725 killed and 2,(522 injured In train accidents of all kinds in the United States. The total number of train collisions was 1,247 and derailments 1,002, causing damage aggregating *1,842,224 to cars, engines and roadways, exclusive of damage to merchandise. A British, American and German shipping combination is now definitely arranged. It involves no change of flag nnd little change In management. The White Star, Dominion, and Leyland lines will run under the British tiag, and the Atlantic Transport, the American, and the Red Star lines under the American flag. The Hamburg-American and the North German Lloyd lines enter by agreement a harmonious community of interests while maintaining their ideutF ty and nationality.

The Tunis Girl Must Be ■ Fattened. The marriageable girl in Tunis has a trying ordeal to go through after her betrothal to the man, not of her choice, but whose choice she is. She has to be fattened to the required size before the ceremony takes place. As soon as the betrothal takes place, she is taken to a room, and there cooped up till*the fattening process Is concluded. Silver shackles are fastened around her wrists and ankles, and the task of her parents and future husband is to Increase her bulk till her wrists and ankles fill up the shackles. If the husband Is a widower, or has “discharged” his first wife, the girl has the shackles of the first spouse placed on her and she must fill them out It takes a long time to do this, as a rule, and sometimes It cannot be accomplished in spite of all efforts. It is then open to the future husband to cry off the bargain or waive the condition. In the case of a bachelor, he takes care to see that the bracelets and anklets are not too large; that is, if he is fond of the girl, but if he is being forced into the marriage by his parents he is a great stickler for custom.