Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 18, Number 39, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 9 December 1896 — Page 2

THE NAPPANEE NEWS. BY Q. N. MURRAY. NAPrANEE. : s -INDIANA.' The News Condensed. Important Intelligence From All Parts. DOMESTIC. The German-Aruerican bank at Portage, Wis., made an assignment for the beneht of its creditors. The monthly statement of the comptroller of the currency shows that on November 30 the amount of national bank notes in circulation was $235,312,303, an increase for the month of $414,446, and for the last 12 months of $21,440.907. The Cincinnati chamber of commerce passed a resolution petitioning congress to create anew cabinet position, that of commerce and manufactures, to be presided over by a secretary. Tens of thousands of acres of land along the Chippewa river in Wisconsin were under from one to five feet of water and hundreds of people had been driven from their homes. The Bank of Westport. Mo., closed its doors with liabilities of $20,000. During the month of November the total coinage at the mints of the United States was $7,458,722, of which $5,064,700 was gold, $2,305,022 silver and SS9,000 minor coins. The coinage of standard silver dollars was $1,914,000. The wife of ex-Mayor Joseph S. Brown, of Somerville, Mass., was burned 1<- death in a fire which destroyed the family residence. At the annual convention in Sacramento of the California Fruit Growers’ association the president said that the annual loss by insect pests in the United States was over $3,000,000. The residence of William Lewis (colored) was burned at Alton, 111., and two children under ten years were rbasted to death. At a preliminary currency reform meeting in Indianapolis, Ind., at which many states were represented, it was decided to hold a national convention in Indianapolis in .January, 1597, to discuss the financial question. Engineer Bennett and Driver Walter Stevens, of the lire department of Everett, Mass., were killed by a railway engine while responding to an alarm of fire. Six business firms lost their goods at Italy, Tex., by an incendiary fire, the total loss being SIOO,OOO. Gage & Felton, bankers and brokers in Boston, failed for SIOO,OOO. The post office at Mason City, la., and til the mails and contents were destroyed by fire. Earthquake shocks of sufficient force to rattle dishes and furniture and sway buildings perceptibly were felt at Cairo and Anna. 111. In a prize fight at San Francisco between Tom Sharkey and Boh Fitzsimmons the former won in the eighth round. The Arena Magazine Publishing company in Boston went into the hands of a receiver. s William Doherty and Thomas Lennig met death -while fighting flames in a church at Atlantic City, N. J. A gang of burglars robbed every store in the village of Moline, Mich. The home of Paul Barteoviteh in Chicago was burned during the absence of himself and wife and their four little children perished in the flames. Expert cracksmen blew the safe of the jewelry store of 11. Ilirchburg In Omaha and got away with $5,000 in cash. 11. M. Scott, aged 35, of Bickville, 111., killed himself because his wife chided him for being intoxicated. The circulation statement issued from the treasury department shows that all kinds of money in circulation ift the United States on December 1 aggregated $1,646,444,746. William E. Counts, late’ postmaster and keeper of a general store at Reelxville, Ind., was shot and killed by robbers. All the factories under the control of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass company in the country have resumed operations ester a long idleness. Sheriff Wf E. Hinton, of Plymouth county, 1a.., fell from a train near Merrill and-was so badly injured that he could not move and froze to death before help came. The clerk of the house of representatives has issjjt;d a list of members of the house of the Fifty-fifth congress, showing that it will be composed of 204 republicans, 124 democrats, 13 furionists, 12 populists and 3 siivcrites, and that there is one vacancy, from the first Missouri district. A Russian family consisting of a man. his wife and three children perished in u blizzard at Williamsport, N. D. The Third Avenue Methodist Episcopal church in Columbus, 0., was destroyed by fire, the loss being $50,000.... _ three distinct earthquake shocks were felt at Pittsfield, 111., and hiauy people ran from their houses. Casper Hartlein was hanged at Wethersfield, CQini., for the murderof Luui.se Marie Trebbe at Sou£h’Mancbcster February 29 last. The New Jersey court of appeals has declared the divorce law of the state unconstitutional. v •A heavy snowfall in Virginia and North Carolina blocked all railway trains. The submarine cable between New York city and Ilaytf is completed, aVd has been opened to the public for the transmission of messages to Hayti and otl*er places in the West Indies. The National Council of Women of the United States met in Boston in annual convention. Mrs. Mary Low Dickinson, the president, occupied the chair. The administration building of the New Jersey state institution for feebleminded children at Vineland was deetroyed by fire. Mrs. Eliza H. Cummings, a wealthy woman of Hillsboro, 0., committed suicide by jumping from the sixth story of a hotel in New York. She was dementedl

The latest effort to establish anew morning paper in Cincinnati came to an end after only 11 issues. The Imperial Grand Opera company, under the charge of Col. Mapleson, was stranded in IjostOn for lack of funds. Charles Witter, of Winthrop, Minn., while undergoing the ceremony of initiation into the Mystic Shrine at the Masonic temple in Minneapolis, fell dead. Passengers who arrived in Key West, Fla., from Havana reported that Weyler’s campaign in Pinar del Rio so for had been a complete failure. President Cleveland issued a proclamation reimposing tonnage and lighthouse duties upon German ships entering the United States because of a fruitless effort to to no longer impose such taxes upon American ships, and the action is in the nature of retaliation. The National VV. C. T. U. sent a letter to President-elect McKinley asking him to banish wine from the white house. The exchanges at the leading clearing houses in the United States during the week ended on the 4th aggregated $1,285,455,804, against $935,953,113 the previous week. The increase compared with the corresponding week in 1895 is 4.0. The Cunard steamer Servia broke the record from Europe to Boston, making the run from Daunt’s Rock in 6 days, 14 hours and 8 minutes. There were 379 business failures in the United States in the seven days ended on the 4th, against 300 the week" previous and 324 in the corresponding period of 1895. East Corinth, n town of 500 population in Vermont, was almost entirely destroyed by fire. The report of R. E. Prestoii, director of the mint, shows that during the past fiscal year (he total coinage was $71,388,528. He states that the silver coins nre being counterfeited, exactly similar to the genuine in size, weight and devices, and some cannot be distinguished from the genuine, even by experts. The town of Flippcn, Ky., was almost •wiped out by fire. A fire that began in the Baptist church at Weston, Mo., destroyed the best portion of the village. Dynamite Dick, the notorious Oklahoma outlaw over whose head hangs a reward of $3,000, was killed in a fight with deputy sheriffs near Newkirk. The annual report of Secretary of the Interior Francis shows that the total number of acres disposed of up to June 30 last was 94G.000.000, leaving public domain still vacant estimated at over G 00,000,000, not including the district of Alaska, with an area of over 369,000,000 acres. One hundred families, numbering between 500 and 600 persons, were poisoned in Milwaukee by eating bread in which arsenic had been mixed and a large number of the cases were considered serious. Supervising Inspector General Dumont. of the steamboat inspection service, in his annual report says that 600 000,000 passengers were carried on steam vessels during the year and that £2l lives were lost, a decrease from the previous year of 173. Arthur I’almer, of Montezuma, 0.. and E. L. Godfrey, of N-Imlenton, Pa., both oil men, were drowned at St. Mary’s, O. Fred liehme was executed in MeLeansboro, 111., for the murder of his wife and child on Easter Sunday last. The battle ship Texas, which cost the government $4,125,000, is said to be a complete failure. \V. E. Dupree, dealer in hardware and agricultural implements at Waco, Tex., failed for $250,000. An international six-day bicycle race with 28 starters began in Madison Square garden. New York. Twenty-one store buildings and five dwellings were burned at Shaw, Miss., entailing a loss of sioo,ooo. The secretary of the navy, Hilary A. Herbert, in his annual report warns the country of the insufficiency of its navy for the requirements of war. There are 42 vessels in commission, and S, 165 enlisted men and 1,378 apprentices in the navy. The department expending during the year $13,002,623. The lumber schooner Nathan F. Cobb, of Rockland. Me.,' was w recked on the Florida const and three men were drowned. An earthquake shock was distinctly left at Smith Lake. Mirin. A head-end collision between two freights on the Southern Pacific road near Waeldtr. Tex., resulted in the death of two engineers, two firemen and a. brnkeninn. Tn navigating the great lakes during the season now closing 62 lives were lost. Compared with previou's years this list is much below the average. At Hartford. Conn,. William Rourke, 7 years old; Josie Botirke. 11 years old; Daniel Ryan, 6 years old. and Martin Burns, 10 years old. were drowned while ska i ing. A mob of farmers broke into the county jail at Lexington, Mo., secured Jesse W inner and James Nelson, held for the munder of Mrs. Winner and her two "Babies, and. lynched them. Blanche Bishop ami Ella and John Alpha were drowned at'Hawley, Pa., while skating. • Mrs. A. F. Gleisner, wife of a glassblower at Newark. 0.. shot .her infant 'child in the head anti then shot herself. She. was thought to have been insane. The new gunboats Vicksburg and Newport were launched: from the yards at Bath. Me. They cost $229,400 each. Mrs, Sarah Lawrence and her daughter Sophie, aged nine, and a named Sawyer were suffocated by gas in Boston. t yt Fire destroyed the wholesale grocery house of B. IT. Flaspoller <fc Sons in New Orleans,- the loss being SIOO,OOO, A mob tore down six tollgates in .Mercer county, Ky.. making over 300 destroyed in the state in the last three months. A negro named Davis while out hunting with the two young sons of his employer, Joe Williajns, near Pine Bluff, Ark., killed both the boys and’escaped.

The Baxter bank at Baxter Springs, Kan., closed its doors. The Henry county bank at Clinton, Mo., closed its doors with liabilitiea of $125,000. The German gevernment has lodged an energetic protest with the state department in Washington against the, action of the president in imposing tonnage dutiep on German ships, entering. American ports. PERSONAL AND POLITICAL. Miss Leila Farrell, who was ,one of the most beautiful women on the American stage, died suddenly in New York. The official count of the vote of Wi*y consin McKinley, for preskjknLA plurality of 102,612, and Scofield for governor a plurality of 95,724. Col. li. U. Hardeman, ex-state treasurer and one of the most prominent men in Georgia, died at his home in Oxford. Mrs. Sarah E. Mink, national president of the woman’s auxiliary of the Grand Army of the Republic, died at her home in Watertown, N. Y., aged 59 years. The official canvass of the vote for president in Massachusettes shows that 278,976 ballots were cast for McKinley, 105,711 for Bryan and 11,749 for Palmer. McKinley’s plurality, 173,265. Rev. Benjamin Tappan, D. D., ex-pres-ident of the Bangor Theological seminary, died in South Norridgewock, Me., aged 81 years. The official canvass of the vote of Oregon in the late presidential election gives McKinley a plurality of 1,972. The total vote of North Dakota in the recent election was 47,381. of which McKinley received 28,336; Bryan, 20,689; Levering, 356. McKinley’s plurality is 7,647. FOREIGN. Forty business firms were burned out nt Bradford, England, the total loss being $1,500,000. v President Porflrio Diaz entered upon his fourth term as president of the republic of Mexico. A fire that broke out jn Mrs. Turner’s confectionery store in Ottawa, Ont., destroyed several other buildings, the total loss being $350,000. Signor Cecchi, the Italian consul at Zanzibar, and 13 other members of an exploring party were murdered by natives on the coast of Somaliland, East Africa. Ten thousand Kurds raided the province of Mamouret-Ul-Aziz and hurned and pillaged the villages and massacred the inhabitants. Emigration to America has created so great a dearth of labor in the agricultural districts of Germany that Chinese coolies are now being imported there in perfect hordes. On account of the crop deficiency Australia require!? 100,000 tons of wheat and flour from America, and half of that quantity has "already been ordered. The season’s catch of seals by the Canadian sealing fleets was 55.G78 skins, against 70,739 taken last year. Local newspapers in Cuba are urging the necessity for carrying on farming operations in the island, otherwise a disastrous famine is inevitable. Joseph Janies Cheesman, president of Liberia, is dead, and Vice President Coleman succeeds him. The estimated wheat crop of Great Britain is 20,000,000 bushels above that of 1895. Maddened by unrequited love, Homer Howell, aged 27, shot his former sweetheart, Miss Annie Sims, aged 24, at Montreal, Que., and then put a bullet in his own 'brain. LATER. The Fifty-fourth eongressconvenecl on the 7th for its final session, but transacted no business. President Cleveland and his message had the floor in both houses. Vice President Stevenson called the senate to order and Speaker Reed presided in the house. Dispatches from Havana report that Capt. Gen. Weyler lias been wounded at the front. It is not stated how serious his wounds are. Jim Davis, who killed the 13-year-okl son of his employer, Joe Williams, near Pine Bluff, Ark., was lynched by a mob. Three persons were Julled and ten othersmore or less seriously injured in a collision on the Baltimore & Ohio railway near Storrs Station, O. Mrs. Fannie Redding died suddenly at the house of her’daughter, Mrs. Harry Burke, in Derby, Conn., aged 102 years. The total receipts of the government during the past year were $82,499,208.40 and the total* expenditures were $90,620,296.84 an increase of receipts over the previous year of $'5,516,080.21, and an increase of expenditures of $3,83(3,121.02. Samuel Rosenbaum, aged 60 years, a cloth-trimming agent, shot, his wife and then shot himself in Rochester, N. Y. Domestic trouble was the cause. George Deacon, aged 77 years, living near Argos, ind., killed his wife, aged 7G, and took his own life by drowning. The couple had been married nearly 50 years. Deacon was partially deranged. CkL-Jnlm 1L Feilo-ws, district .attorney of New York, and former member of congress," died at his home in that city, aged 64 years. The fire losses of the United States and Canada for the month''of November amount to $5,211,800, against SB,993,000 during the same time last year. Secretary Carlisle transmitted to the speaker of .the house the estimates of appropriations required for the fiscal year ending .Tune 30,1898. They amount to $421,718,965. The estimates for the present fiscal year amounted to $418,091.073. 1\ illiam Drury, the largest land owner in the United died at his home :r New Boston, 111., aged 80 years. In his message to congress President Cleveland, in referring to affairs in Cuba, says that in spite of Spain’s determination to put down the rebellion the Cubans have gained strength in j arms and men, and says it cannot rea- . sonably be expected that the present at- 1 titude of the United States will be in- j definitely maintained.

FRANCIS REPORTS. Seoretary of the Interior on the Work of His Department. Public Lands Rapidly Taken Up—BondAided Railroads Discussed—Pensions 1 and Indians—Many Valuable Suggestions. Washington. Dec. s.—Secretary of the Interior David R. Francis has submitted h!s annual report to the president. The appropriation for the last fiscal year amounted Id *167,179,656. The estimates jor. Uia. .-present fiscal year are about tI.OUO.UW moro than was appropriated last year. The actual public domain is now 1,849,072.587 acres. The public lands atilt vacant amount to over 600,000,000 acres, not Including Alaska. About 85,729.751 acres have been patented to railroads, and there are yet due railroads and wagon roads under their grants an aggregate of 114,736,639 acres. The total acreage segregated trom the public domain was 946,219,160 acres. The report says: “These figures demonstrate that the country Is being settled with great rapidity and that the public domain Is being diminished by great strides, if the rate of disposition ot the last 13 years, which is 25,000,000 acres a year, is continued for 13 years to come, there will be little ot the public domain outside of Alaska In : possession of the government at the exi plratlon of that time." He urges legislation for the preservation of the forests, and states that a report will be submitted to congress by the forestry commission.which has lately returned from a tour of inspection. The Des Moines river land grant matter has been adjusted. About *183.854 In awards was agreed upon, of which *117,632 have been paid, and the remainder will be paid at the end of this year. Secrfetary Francis calls the attention of congress to the necessity of legislation looking to the reclaiming ot arid lands, and says that ot the soy.ow.uOU acres of arid lands i 106,000,000 acres might be reclaimed by tile conservative use ox water, but it is impossible under the laws in operation to control the reclamation ot th“ arid regions so as to prevent the Improvident uss of water, over which the general government has no control. This should be done by a system which constitutes the reclamation of the entire territories from a common source of supply and the utilization of that supply or the adoption of the suggestion of the commissioner of the general land office would be a good one. That is, place the lands in the direct control of the states tor reclamation. No steps have Deen taken to make allotments to the Wichita Indians, as tho act of congress left tills to the discretion of the department. Regarding the opening , of what Is known as the leased district of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians, which ’i 3 now before the court of claims, he says ’ that if the allotments were made and the balance of the land thrown open before a decision is rendered upon the claim of the Choctaws and Chickasaws, the government would be placing the Indians upon land under an agreement which-involved the transfer of a good title and would also I be throwing open the land to settlement I when in point of fact it did not have a [ clear title thereto. He recommends that all the Oklahoma townslte boards be abolished. Secretary Franks Is of the opinion that the free use ot timber on public lands for commercial purposes should be discontinued. On the pension question he says that about 970.678 persons are drawing about l *140,000,000 per annum in pensions, and tho j branch of the service should be conducted ) with great care and discretion. He gives j a table which shows that the total amount paid out by the government In pensions and the cost of disbursing the same during the last 31 years was *2.034,817.7C9. . which lacks only *346.712.526 of being equal to the high water mark of the Interest- ; bearing public debt. He suggests a numj ber of amendments of the pension laws, j some of which have already been made ! public (notably those in regard to penslon--1 ers resident in Germany). One hundred I and forty million dollars Is thought to be I sufficient for the payment of pensions during the next fiscal year, unless pensions , are Increased by further legislation. Tho secretary recommends that an increase * from eight to twelve dollars per month be granted to all survivors of the Mexican war who are wholly disabled and destitute. The Indians, he says, now occupy about 1 85.000.000 acres of land, and they should be protected from the sinister machinations of unscrupulous men. He recommends that the Indian bureau should be conducted by a commission of three members, two to be civilians of different political parties, and one an army officer. Concerning the bond-aided railroads, the secretary summarizes the recommendations of his predecessors and tne result of the litigation. He calls attention to the fact that the tables he presents clearly show that the Central Pacific railroad is In default to the government, or unquestionably will be on January 1 next, when *2,432,000 additional of its indebtedness, together with 30 years' interest thereon, will fall due and must be redeemed by the government. (Jn January 1, 1897. *6,640,000 additional bonds of Union Pacific will mature; Interest on same—sll,9s2,ooo—will be then-due, and It not patd the Union Pacific will unquestionably be In default. He has therefore declined to patent lands to the Union Pacific railroad or the Central Pacific railroad except In cases where It can be shown that the lands for which patents are asked have been sold to bona fide purchasers. The Central Pacific railroad was. on June 30, 1896, In default to the government to .he extent of *288,143.66 on Its "bond and Interest” and its "sinking fund" account. P.eferring to the railroad commissioners' recommendations for a commission to settle the indebtedness of the bond-aided roads, the secretary says: "Congress is rot likely to delegate to any commission the power to settle this indebtedness without making such settlement subject to Its approval; but. jyhother congress would Jo so or not, the delay consequent upon the appointment of a commission and Us work would be so great that most or all of the bonds issued in aid oT these roads would mature and the government be called upon to redeem the same. In the meantime, other bills would be introduced seeking to effect other settlements, and in the end the government would receive less .or its claim than it would if a compromise by the cash payment of a lumpsum should he effected in the immediate future and ihe government become relieved thereby from all connection with these roads." With regard to the Nicaraguan Maritime Canal company, chartered by i-e government in ISS9, the secretary says a preliminary report of the company submitted -o him shows that no -Work was done during the present year. Tn conclusion the sepretary calls attention to the cramped quarters in the interior de- , partment, the large sum paid for rent an-nually-reaching *40,000 lasi >;ear—and earnestly recommends the erection of another structure on a block adjacent to the present building adequate to accommodate ail branches of the department. Guilty of Murdering His Wife. Cincinnati, Dec. 5, William Wiley, who has been on trial in the criminal court for the past three days charged with killing his wife, was Friday r.fternoon found gulity of murder in the first degree. Wiley's two little children w&re strong witnesses against him. - Paper Company Assigns. Saratoga, N. Y., Dec. 5. The Rock City F alls Paper company, doing business at Rock City Falls, this county, has made % general assignment. The company employed about 50 people, all of whom will be thrown out of employment.

OUR NAVY. Report of Secretary Herbert and HU Recommendations. hu'Tast*annual report to the president on affairs of his department, -tne oui-u meat,while affording much eroundforconrro7iTiflfion is from beginning to ena a warning to the country of the insufflicency of Its navy for the requirements of war To show, however, the vast P™gTesßthat has been made of late years, the reportbe *lns bv auoting from the president s mes sage *ffi ** December. 1886, the following words: “We have not a single vessel ot war that could keep the seas Malnst a first-class vessel of any important piow r. It quotes also from a former report of the secretary In which he pointed out the danger of relying on commerce-destroying cruisers as a protection in time of war. The French revolution and the recent civil war are cited as illustrations of the fact that Dreying on a nation's commercial marine* has no effect on the course nor the results of a war. The secretary's report shows that congress has authorized the building of 28 vessels since this administrationi began. There were five battle ships, six light-draft gunboats, 16 torpedo boats and one submarine torpedo boat, with a total displacement of 65.866 tons. During the administration there will have been placed In commission three first-class and two secondclass battle ships, two armored cruisers, four double-turreted monitors and one harbor defense ram, a total of 12 armored vessels, with a displacement of 81,517 tons. In addition to these armored ships, eight cruisers and three gunboats will have reI celved their first commission, making a | grand total of 23 vessels, with an aggregate j displacement of 118,184 tons. During the year eight vessels have been finished and accepted. But the report Intimates that notwithstanding this increase the navy of this country Is still inadequate to cope with the naval force of the leading powers in the world. In proof of this it furnishes a table of the present and prospective strength of : ne seven principal navies—Great Britain, .-'ranee, Russia, Italy, Germany, Spain and lie United States. The secretary says: It is clear that the great powers with ,% !iich we are brought into close relationship largely exceed us not only In the number of battle ships and torpedo boats actuully in commission, but In their naval programmes for the future. The work of adding to their strength in battle ships and ! torpedo boats goes on steadily from year to year. It is not contended that we should attempt to compete In numbers with the great navies of England and France, but we ought surely to move up steadily and continually into a higher rank than that we now occupy, and into the place of nations whose necessities are far less than ours. There are now not only In Europe but In Asia strong and growing navies belonging to nations with which we must always have the most intimate and delicate relations-, and where our citizens are to be found In great numbers prosecuting their legitimate business. Our obligations ( and duties on this hemisphere are recognized by the world, and cannot be met unless wo are possessed of naval strength. If our merchant marine increases as It should, and no doubt will, the present naval strength will be very far from what it should be. Nothing will so surely make for peace and give us weight abroad and security at home as a substantial navy constructed of the best materials and manned by the highest Intelligence and skill.” - - The report shows 21 vessels, including seven torpedo boats and one steam tug, under construction. The tug is to be completed this month, and 14 others are to be finished during 1837. There are 42 vessels in commission, with a total tonnage ot 137,859 tons. June 30 there were 8,165 enlisted men and 1,378 apprentices in the navy. Os the enlisted men 72 per cent, are citizens, and 82 per cent, of the apprentices are American born. The secretary urges an appropriation to enable the department .o convert boats In the merchant marine Into war vessels in case of need. On this point he says: “The United States Is now paying subsidies to a number of swift-sailing vessels which are capable of being converted Into useful men-of-war. We have many other naval resources—tugs, yachts and other vessels—that could be fitted as torpedo boats: many vessels that could be adapted and used as gunboats, transports, coal ships and repair ships, and we have thousands of hardy and brave men accustomed to a seafaring life In our fishing fleets, coastwise trade and lake trade, but we have no law on the statute books that would enable us to utilize, in case of emergency, a single one of any class of these vessels, or to call Into the service a single sailor for the defense of the country over i and above the number allowed our regular navy in case of threatened or actual war. In the opinion of the department such con- ; dltions should not be allowed to continue, ; Naval wars hereafter will be short, sharp and decisive. Whoever may be called upon ; to consider the possibility of a sudden outbreak of war by the United States, any part of which Is to be waged upon the hlgii seas, will be deeply Impressed with the utter Inability of any administration under the present laws to utilize promptly and efficiently, as we should be able to do, our naval resources.” Considerable space Is given-to a favorable report on the naval militia, which has 3,339 members In 1 states. Naval officers agree that the naval militia will be a powerful adjunct for coast defense In case of war. An extensive system of mobilization and defense has been,prepared and will be communicated to tlie militia. He reports that the department expended, exclusive of money for public works for the year ended June 30, the sum of *13,002,625.41. The appropriations for the current year are *30,500,000. and he estimates" the expenditures at *29,311,000. The grand total of his estimates for IS9B foot ud *34.215,000. v Mr. Herbert recommends the construction of three light-draft battle shLps and says in relation thereto:' "Battle ships that could enter tho harbors of Savannah New Brunswick. Key West. Tampa, Pensacola, Mobile and the mouth of the Mississippi at all times would have an immense advantage over the battle ships of foreign nations, few, if any. of which could enter these ports. Light-draft battle ships, if we had them, could make any of these ports bases of supply, could sally forth from them or retire into them at will, and could therefore almost always offer battle on their own terms. There are also many of our ports farther north which would give the samj; advantages to such ships." I‘ubllc Debt Statement. Washington, Dec. 2.—The debt statement shows n net increase in the public debt, Jess cash in the treasury, during November of $8,200,333.16. The in-terest-bearing debt increased S6O; the non-interest-bearipg debt decreased $1.),3U0, and cash in the treasury decreased $8,215,663.16. The total cash in the treasury was $835,901,579.81; the gold reserve was $100,000,000; net cash balance, $125,357,098.47. In the month there was an increase in gold coin and bars of $14,203,268.71“, the total at the* close being $169,527,101.34. Caused Big Sensation. Indianapolis, Ind., Dec. s.—Th- fV . plosion of an express package in the baggage room of the Denison hotel at 2:30 Friday morning caused some excitenfent in that big hostelry. All ofthe guests were aroused, but returned to bed after it was learned that there was no danger. Not a dollar’s w orth of damage was done to the buildiatntand the affair passed off in a big scarf^* Michigan Merchant Assigns. Fenton, Mich.. Dec. 5.—N. C. Belding, a clothing merchant, mafjean assignment Friday morning. Liabilities, slß,000; asset* estimated at $20,000.

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Gladness Comes With a better understanding of the transient nature of the many physical ills, which vanish before proper efforts—gentle efforts —pleasant efforts—rightly directed. There is comfort in the knowledge, that so many forms of sickness are not due to any actual disease, but simply to a constipated condition of the system, which the pleasant family laxative, Syrup of Figs, promptly removes. That is why it is the only remedy with millions of families, and is everywhere esteemed so highly by all who value good health. Its beneficial effects are due to the fact, that it is the one remedy which promotes internal cleanliness without debilitating the organs on which it acts. It is therefore all important, in order to get its beneficial effects, to note when you purchase, that you have the genuine article, which is manufactured by the California Fig Syrup Cos. only and sold by all reputable druggists. >• If in the enjoyment of good health, and the system is regular, laxatives or other remedies are then not needed. If afflicted with any actual disease, on® may be commended to the most skillful physicians, but if in need of a laxative, one should have the best, and with th® well-informed everywhere, Syrup of Figs stands highest and is most largely ssed and gives most general satisfaction*