Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1899 — DEAL WITH COLONIES. [ARTICLE]

DEAL WITH COLONIES.

NEW DEPARTMENT PROPOSED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Considered Absolutely Necessary by the Administration to Meet New Conditions—Member* of the Navy to Be Admitted to the G. A. R. A special from Washington says: "A new executive branch of the Government with the title, ‘department of colonial affairs and foreign commerce,’ or something similar to it, is deemed by the administration absolutely necessary to meet the new conditions which confront the United States as a result of the war with Spain. Preliminary to recommendations to Congress on this subject data are now being compiled concerning the control of colonies by foreign powers and the extension of our commerce into foreign fields. Members of the cabinet and subordinate officials of the administration are giving much thought and time to the details of the proposed new department.’’

PERPETUATE THE G. A. R. Plan Under Consideration to Admit Veterans of the Navy. It is said that at the next annual encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic, which will be the closing one of the nineteenth century, a resolution will be introduced by an Illinois member to perpetuate it and take into it the veterans of the navy as well as of the army. It will be proposed to change the name to the "Grand Army and Navy of the Republic.” The reason for the movement is the fact that the G. A. R. is in process of speedy and certain ultimate extinction by reason of having nothing to recruit from. DISASTER IN A MINE. Three Men Are Killed and Two Injured at Roseland. B. C. In the War Eagle mine at Rossland, B. C., an explosion occurred, and in consequence three men are dead at the morgue, another was fatally injured and a fifth seriously hurt. Five men were working in the 625-foot level with machine drills, when one of the drills struck a “missed hole,” where the shot had failed to go off. An explosion followed and Charles Post and Charles Lee were instantly killed and Mike Griffin was so badly injured that he died on the way to the hospital. Not Wrecked by Explosion. Captain M. P. Doulett of the steamer Independence has brought to New Orleans a piece of the wreck of the naphtha launch Paul Jones, lost in the gulf last January, which throws still more mystery on that disaster. The Paul Jones was thought to have been destroyed by the explosion of her naphtha tank. The tank was discovered by Captain Doullett intact and uninjured, and still three-fourths full. Czar Goes on Buying Guns. It was learned that within a short time the plant of the American Ordnance Company at Bridgeport, Conn., had been visited by a representative of the Czar of Russia. It is said the ordnance company was asked whether an order could be filled for 100 field batteries of six guns each, six and twelve pounders, quick fire, and 1,600 caissons and limbers.

Five Young Women Drowned. Mrs. T. J. Lloyd, living seven miles northwest of Lampasas, Texas, with her five daughters and a visitor, Miss Childers, went in bathing in a creek. The three youngest girls went beyond their depth, when their eldest sister and Miss Childers went to their rescue and all five were drowned. Mrs. Lloyd saved her other daughter only by heroic efforts. United States Court Clerk Dies. O. H. Hillis, clerk of the United States Circuit Court at Omaha, is dead. He had been in apparently perfect health and entered the bath room, and, not reappearing, an investigation was made. He was found dead in the bath tub, heart failure being the cause. Steamer Torrent Burned. The steamer Nellie Torrent, bound down from Lake Superior with a cargo of lumber, burned to the water's edge abreast of Point au Frame, SJt. Mary’s river. The vessel was beached apd scuttled on Lime Island. The cargo of lumber is a total loss. Thief Grabs SIO,OOO. George Shea, also known as Philip Lambele, who is said to hail from Chicago, walked off with SIO,OOO in cash belonging to the Metropolitan National Bank at Boston. He escaped to New York, where he was captured six hours later. Bis Street Railway Deal. It is announced that, as Gov. Stephens has signed the street railway bill, the negotiations for a general consolidation of all the street railroads of St. Louis, which have been in progress for some time, are now practically completed. The deal involves nearly $100,000,000 in all. French Cabinet Formed. The organization of a new cabinet has been completed at Paris, with Senator Waldeck-Rousseau as minister of the interior; M. Delcasse, foreign affairs; Gen. Marquis de Gallifet, war, and M. Caillaux, finance. A Nebraska Twister. A small twister passed near Beaver City, Neb., in the Sappa valley. It wrenched barns, sheds and windmills and scattered haystacks in all directions. Crops were damaged considerably.

Alaska Steamer Wrecked. The steamer Danube, running between Victoria, Vancouver and Alaskan ports, was wrecked at Union, 135 miles north of Vancouver. Passengers and crew were saved. The steamer was bound north. Strike Through Sympathy. Four hundred employes of the Cleveland Foundry Company struck because their foreman rode in a street car manned by non-union men and the company refused to discharge him for the offense. iFire at Philadelphia., C. J. Matthews & Co.’s morocco factory and warehouse, two five-story brick buildings at Philadelphia, were destroyed by fire of unknown origin. Loss SIOO,OOO, covered by insurance. New Government for Samoa. Malietoa Tanu has abdicated the Samoan throne. The joint commission appointed by the powers will recommend a' republican form of government.

BOGUS MONEY OUTFITS. Three Important Finds Are Reported in California. Two dies and several bottles of acid, portions of a counterfeiter’s outfit, have been unearthed by a wood chopper in the outskirts of San Rafael, Cal. One die was for coining 1898 dollars, the other being for $5 pieces of 1897. Beth are well executed. There is much counterfeit coin of this date in circulation. About a year ago Charles Irwin, who operated in that vicinity, was sent to San Quentin for making bogus money. The dies just discovered, however, bore evidence of having been made quite recently. At Pismo a complete counterfeiting outfit has been discovered by United States Marshal Cook. The officer secured over S3OO of bad -money. Another seizure of counterfeit coin has been made in Los Angeles. The visit of Chief Wilkie ot the secret service to.the coast is believed to have been connected with the attempt now being made to break up the gangs of' counterfeiters now operating there.

CATTLE ARE DYING. Deplorable Conditions Prevail on Ac* count of Drought on Ranges. According to reports received by Secretary Charles F. Martin of the National Live Stock Association the drought has destroyed all the large Colorado ranges. “The reports coming to this office,” said Mr. Martin, “show that unless there is speedy relief from present conditions, the loss to stockmen will be something enormous. Even should the cattle and sheep survive the summer, they will be so poor and emaciated when the snows come that they will drbp like leaves from the forest.” Already cattle are dying in the San Luis valley,, where the drought has assumed a most serious phase. Like conditions, varying in severity, are reported from northern New Mexico, parts of Oklahoma, the Indian nations, western Kansas and southern Utah. Guilty of a Train Robbery. At Hartville, Mo., John Kennedy, the notorious Cracker Neck, has finally been convicted of train robbery. The jury before which Kennedy was tried for complicity in the robbery of an express train on the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad at Macomb, Mo., Jan. 3 last, returned a verdict adjudging him guilty as charged and fixing his punishment at seventeen years in the State penitentiary. Standard Oil Controls Whisky. Standard Oil now controls the whisky industry of the United States. The control of all the whisky, alcohol and distilling business of the country has passed into the hands of the Whitney-Widener-Elkins syndicate, representing the millions of what is popularly known as the Standard Oil crowd. The Chesapeake Is Launched. The United States practice vessel Chesapeake was launched from the Bath, Me,, iron works yard. She was christened by Miss Elsie Bradford, daughter of Rear Admiral Bradford, chief of the bureau of equipment at Washington. The launching was successful in every particular.

Great t-trike settled. The settlement is announced of the coal miners’ strike in the States west of the Mississippi, which has been in progress over two months. As a result of the settlement 22,000 of the 30,000 strikers in Missouri, Kansas, Indian Territory and Arkansas will return to work at once. Negroes Turn the Tables. News comes from Conway, S. C., that negroes attempted to lynch a white youth named Sam Dowe, who had killed a negro named Green. The negro ran into Dowe with a bicycle. Dowe’s father drove away the lynching party with a shotgun. Storms in Six States. Heavy storms are reported from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, lowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Considerable damage was done to crops and some small buildings were destroyed, but there was no destruction of large buildings and no loss of life. Khalifa Is Routed. It is announced’that the khalifa has been defeated, with ’heavy loss, by th< natives friendly to the British. It is added that he has fled to the woods with a few followers. Maine Town Almost Destroyed. An incendiary fire destroyed the business portion of Livermore Falls, Maine. Loss SIOO,OOO. Thirty families lost everything but their night clothes. Colored Miners Fired On. At Evansville, Ind., non-union colored miners were fired upon by unknown parties. Six men were shot, three probably fatally.