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TOPICS FOR FARMERS A DEPARTMENT PREPARED FOR OUR RURAL FRIENDS." Directions for Spraying: Fruit Trees- Wood Ashes Not Good for Potatoes --Different Varieties of Sinut--In­ competent Horseslioers. Spraying: Fruit Trees. Mr. J. C. Blair, assistant horticultur­ ist at the University of Illinois, gives the following directions for spraying fru • trees: "The first application of solutions for the controlling of fungus diseases should be on the dormant wood before the buds have expanded. This con­ sists of copper sulphate, one pound to fifteen gallons of water. The object of this is to kill the mycelium and spores •of the apple scrab fungus orof other diseases which may be present on the twigs and branches. It has been wholly impracticable to make this ap­ plication on account of the excessive sjfljlng rains. Do not apply copper sul­ phate after the leaves are put. The second application, and the most im­ portant, is that of Bordeaux mixture and paris, green, which should be ap^ plied when the leaf buds are open, but before the flower buds expand. This solution is best prepared by dissolving six pounds of copper sulphate in a bag of coarse cloth hung in a vessel holding six gallons of water, so that the bag is just covered. Slack four pounds of lime in one to two gallons of water. Then mix the two above solutions, and after straining add forty gallons of water. In case of peach foliage two pounds of lime should be added to lessen the caustic effect of the copper sulphate. To this solution should be added four ounces of paris green for each fifty gallons for the purpose of de­ stroying the larvae of the bud moth and of the codlin moth, which may have made their appearance. The third application which, with respect to the codlin moth, is the most important one, should be made as soon as the blossoms have fallen. For this application use Bor­ deaux mixture with paris green added above. If these three applications are made to fruit trees promptly and thor­ oughly by far the most important ene­ mies to our fruits will be kept in Check." Wood Ashes for Potatoes. For a good many years farmers have believed wood ashes to be an excellent application for potatoes. Scientific men held the same opinion. Within a short time the Rhode Island experiment station has reached a different conclu­ sion. It is said that "potatoes have sometimes produced a slightly greater total yield from liming, and usually a much greater percentage of merchanta­ ble tubers; but owing to the fact that wood ashes and water or air-slacked lime (not gypsum or land plaster) in­ crease the virulence of the potato scab to a serious degree, lime in these forms, if used at all on potato fields, should be applied in small quantities, seldom ex­ ceeding half a ton per acre. The seed tubers should also be treated with cor­ rosive sublimate solution, or with for­ malin, the new remedy tried success­ fully by the Indiana experiment sta­ tion in 1S96." The advice is, on ac­ count of the tendency of lime to in­ crease the virulence of potato scab, not to apply it.to potato ground, and also not to apply wood ashes on account of the lime they contain. Wood ashes contain potash in a valuable form for potatoes, but their application to the ground and some other crop a year be­ fore potatoes are planted is now rec­ ommended. drainage. If the subsoil is not*porous enough to carry off all extra water it must be unddrdrained. «•-- 4. Buy trees on hardy stocks. In most grafted or budded trees the char­ acter of the stock is wholly unknown, but to grow a given variety at its north­ ernmost limit a perfectly hardy stock is required. 5. Graft the chosen variety in the tops of very hardy trees. Varieties recommended for planting where hardiness is a principal consid­ eration are Yellow Transparent, Red Astrachan, Lougfield, Oldenburg, Fameuse, Mcintosh, Wealthy, Scott Winter, Pewaukee, Arctic. ° Varieties of Smut. There are several varieties of smuit, known as the "stinking" _ smut, or bunt, attacking the kernels of wheat, while the variety known as "loose" smut attacks the whole head, convert­ ing it into a mass of loose, dusty spores. The loose smut of oats is also another variety, and is very similar to that of,wheat. Barley is attacked by two smuts and rye by one. Corn smut does not do as much damage as the oth­ er kinds, but is more widespread. There is no known remedy for corn smut. Experiments made in treating the seeds of wheat, oats, barley, etc.. show that by preventing smut the yield of crops is greater, even when the dis­ ease is light, thus demonstrating that there is an effect exerted on the pro­ ducing capacity of the ^auis when smut is not apparent^ , o resent-- suf­ ficiently to do some All the smuts except that which attacks corn can be prevented by the farmer if he will carefully treat his seed in some manner to destroy the spores, but, un­ fortunately, the majority of farmers do not use precautionary measures, and thus the negligence of only one or two persons in a community may neu­ tralize the efforts of many. It should be the aim of every farmer to do his part in the matter of ridding the com­ munity of pests. ^ Horseshoeing:. Every country blacksmith includes horseshoeing as a part of his business, but many of them do not understand the Conformation of the foot of a horse and frequently do harm. Each foot may require a special shoe, and there are peculiarities and individual traits of horses which must be considered. Horseshoeing is really a matter requir­ ing skill, and in some States the ques­ tion is being agitated in favor of com­ pelling all blacksmiths and horseslio­ ers to pass an ^ramination and work under a license before they can put shoes on horses. Apples for Cold Climates. This is a subject of a bulletin of the Vermont agricultural experiment sta­ tion. The limit of successful apple cul­ ture has been moving steadily north­ ward ever since the occupation of this country. Factors in this progress have been the .planting'of carb applies, the introduction of the Russian varieties, and especially the selection of native hardy seedlings and the adoption of better orchard practice. Any given va­ riety, more or less sensitive to cold, can be grown from 50 to 150 miles north of its natural limit by reasonable precau­ tions, such as the following: 1. Plant on land sloping south or southeast - and furnish good wind breaks to the north. p 2. Secure thorough atmospheric drainage by choosing moderately high aud sloping land. 3. Secure thorough .» atmospheric American Squashes in England. The squash is a vegetable which cannot be successfully grown in the open air in England, and its Vines take up too much room to make it profitable to grow in hothouses. Unlike other ten­ der vegetables, the squash will bear long transportation. Therefore, Mr. James J. IT. Gregory of. Marbluhead, who is the originator of the Hubbard aud Marbleliead squashes, tried an ex­ periment a few years ago. He sent about a ton and a half of fine Hubbard squashes to the London market to be sold on commission. When the retuiiiis were in Mr. Gregory found that he had somewhat more money than the squashes would have sold-for at home. But it did not educate English taste to like the squash, for instead of making the squash into pies, as Mr. Gregory gavg directions, the London shopkeep­ ers. exhibited the squashes in their windows as°> curiosities. Maybe after one or more trials of the excellence of the Hubbard squash our English neigh­ bors may find it better to eat than ro look at. Mr. Gregory tells in the Trib? une how he later tried to repeat this experiment. But a mistake was made, some poor squashes were sent, which arrived in bad condition, and the result was a loss. Tomatoes. There is no garden, vegetable that will respond more markedly to rich land and good cultivation than toma­ toes. A tomato plant will grow on a manure pile and flourish all season there, and in planting them it pays to take some pains to have them stand on a very rich soil. Make the plot where the tomatoes are to stand very rich with manure, and then dig a hole and dump two or three shovelfuls of fine manure in the bottom of it, an£ set the plants above this. Drive a stake by each plant as soon as it is transplanted, and keep the plant tied to it with strips of cloth, and the fruits will not rot when they begin to ripen. The tomato is one of the plants that does better for transplanting, and, if they are transplanted two or three times, they only grow more stocky and produce better. There is not a bit of danger of losing tomato plants by transplanting, as they will grow from a slip almost as well as from a rooted plant. Keep them well cultivated, and, if the weather comes off dry, give them plenty of water, and the Crop is certain and large.-^Farmers' Voice. Money from Herbs. A great deal of money can b« made from common garden herbs. Sage, thyme, marjoram and eyen catnip all have their devotees. Most city cats very rarely see catnip, except as a package. If it is purchased done up in a closed and sewed hag, and given them to play with, the antics they will per­ form with this plaything are extreme­ ly amusing. In the country cats find enough catnip growing around houses. If farmers' boys would gather some of the leaves a.nd sew them up in balls they could make some money out of the business. There is nearly always a good demand for herbs used in mak­ ing the dressing for fowls and other baked meats. " Modern Methods. Farmers have for hundreds of years been engaged in opposing every attempt to improve them in their methods of farming. Hundreds of farmers' wives work daily at churning in a manner that is most laborious, taking an hour or more to do what could be performed in a few minutes if they were not too prejudiced against "fancy farming" to use a thermometer. They have no faith in "book farming," and pay dearly for refusing to be convinced. .. The Quality of Pasture. All the grass roots which root near the surface make the best early pas­ ture, for these only get much warmth in the early spring months. June grass, red top aud timothy pasture are best in the order named. Clover is very poor, innutritious feed until it begins to blossom. Then it very rap­ idly increases in value, but should be cut for soiling rather than pastured, as stock will tramble down clover in blos­ som and waste more than they eat. Profit in Early Spring Beans. For an easily grown crop early string beans are almost always profitable. The hills should be protected while the plants are small, and there is danger that frosts will nip them. Common card boxes placed over the hills bottom up can be Very cheaply procured. They will keep off frost as well as more ex­ pensive coverings, and can be kept from blowing away by putting a stone or a little earth over them at night. Wanted a Sober Turkey. "I have been told that you feed, your turkeys on corn that has been soaked in whisky. Is it so?" ' "Yes", ma'am. It had such a gamey flavor, ma'am. Now, that there tur­ key next to your hand, ma'am, didn't draw a sober breath for a month, ma'am. You'll find him very snappy, ma'am." "But, sir, I do not approve of such methods. They are shocking, positive­ ly shocking! I am opposed, sir, to the use of intoxicating beverages in every form, sir." "Sorry, ma'am--I niean it does you credit, ma'am. And now just take a look at that nice little hen turkey right in front of you. There's a turkey that will accord, ma'am, with your very commendable temp'rance principles. Yes, ma'am. That turkey was raised^ on unfermented catnip tea, ma'am. Shall I wrap it up? Tliankey, ma'am-" --Cleveland Plain Dealer. -- After the average man has talked business to a woman five minutes, he begins to have an exalted opinion of dry goods clerks who keep their jobs. TRADE OF THE ORIENT LESSON TO BE LEARNED FROM GERMANY'S PROGRESS. Opportunities for Foreign Trade Ex­ tension, as the Result of the War, Which Make Creation of American Merchant Marine Necessary. Germany in the Far East. The rapid progress which Germany has made in the extension of her com­ mercial enterprises in the far- East is shown by recent consular reports to our State Department.; Under the pro­ tective policy which Bismarck estab­ lished in 1872, Germany lias in the past seven years more than doubled her exports to China and Japan, while her imports have in this interval been increased 13G per cent, from China and 102 per cent, from Japan. This is a relatively greater gain than that of any. other European country, though England's trade with China is six times and with Japan more than three times as great as that of Germany. This vast increase of Germany's ex­ ternal trade has been greatly facili­ tated by the granting of liberal subsi­ dies to German steamship lines. For example,'* it appears by the anneal re­ port of the North German Lloyd that the mail service to the Far Ei>st has been doubled within the past year, and that transportation service to Asiatic ports has been correspondingly in­ creased. The opportunity will soon be offered to the United States to take measures for the extension of our «trade in the Far East, and this opportunity should not be neglected. First of all, there should be prompt steps taken for the increase of our commercial marine on the Pacific. The guns of Commodore Dewey have opened up a new field for our commercial enterprise. Our trade with the Philippine Islands liaK,here­ tofore been indirect, exports and im­ ports going through Chinese ports. Hereafter, so long as we enjoy the fruits of our victory this trade will be direct. Our naval victory at Manila has won for us the respect of every civil­ ized nation. Our mobilization of an army and of an effective navy within the brief period of thirty days has es­ tablished us as a war power which must hereafter be respected by the nations of the earth. Let us take ad­ vantage of the advanced position gain­ ed as a result of the war with Spain, and reap the benefit through a devel­ opment of our commercial possibili­ ties. Let us have an American com­ mercial marine to carry the goods of American manufacture, and we can successfully compete with Europeans in the Far East or in any other field. It is easily conceivable that through energetic action by our merchants and manufacturers, and through well-di- rected aid by the Government, we may round out the remaining two years of President MeKinley's term and of the century by the firm estab­ lishment of our flag and of our com­ mercial marine in the Pacific Ocean and in the Far Eastern seas. We have been in a state of commercial isola­ tion far too long, and hereafter we must be aggressive and progressive. Oblivion Would Be Preferable. In the course of a speech on the war revenue bill the other day Congressman Cummings, of New York, himself a Democrat, stirred up an unpleasant reminiscence when he said: "If a Democratic administration was forced to sell $300,000,000 of bonds in time of peace to run the Government, the Republican administration might be al­ lowed to sell bonds enough to run the Government in time of war." Mr. Cummings was not one of those whose eyes were blinded to the follies and frailties of that celebrated debt-be­ queathing, free trade regime whose four years' tenure cost the country more than a half-dozen wars with Spain would cost. There ait1, however, few Democrats in Congress who are so pa­ triotic and plain-spoken as this brainy representative from New York. Most of them have no more sense than to endeavor to inject an element of parti­ sanship into legislation necessary to uphold the hands of the Government In its present emergency. It would be better for their record and reputation for patriotism and good sense if they had at the outset adopted Mr. Cum­ mings' suggestion to concur without political filibustering in a measure so necessary and so non-partisan as that which proposes to authorize the issue of $500,000,000 of Ixmds to defray war expenses. In that event the American people might in time come to forget the huge interest-bearing debt that was cre­ ated to make good the deficits caused by a Democratic experiment in tariff tinkering. Oblivion is the greatest of good fortune in some cases. of the postal subsidy act that made possible the obtaining of these ships by the United States. Without it the St. Paul and St. Louis would never have been built and the Paris'and New York would have remained under the British flag--a most serious loss to this "coun­ try under the cii«cumstances of a naval war. Their true value remains to be seen, but will . undoubtedly be very great.--New York Marine Journal. Wisdom of Postal Subsidy. The eagerness with which the Span­ iards were trying to head off and cap­ ture the American line steamship Paris on her way across from England shows how much terror has been struck to their hearts by the possession of the four splendid ships of this line for auxiliary cruisers by our government. A.nd therein lies the wisdom and value The Gold Movement. Since the present movement of gold toward America began there has been shipped to San Francesco $11,100,000 of the yellow metal, and to New York $081250,000, making a total in excess of $79,000,000. According to Bradstreet's, we still have enormous credits abroad which must be paid in gold. No slight advance in the rate of exchange can keep the yellow metal from pouring into our coffers. The unsettled Amer­ ican balance in England alone is esti­ mated to be $50,000,000. That balance has not been decreased since, but it is constantly increasing. The advance in wheat and other cereals and our vast exports of them are bound to bring to us a perfect flood of gold. The move­ ment of gold Americaward is likely to continue through thf entire; sun^mer season, and may be greatly accelerated in the fall when we begin to send the harvests of .1808 to foreign markets. We have been compelled to buy many war materials in Europe, for which we have paid gold, but they have been inconse­ quential compared with our shipments of grain. Gold is to-day something of an incon­ venience in the New York banks, and they have requested their patrons to take gold in preference to paper. We need not point out anew the manifold lessons which may be learned from these circumstances. The lessons are, or ought to be, apparent to all, includ­ ing the Popocrats. The country that has the stuff to sell is the country which gets the gold. There is nothing mysterious about gold and nothing mys­ terious about the men and the means by which it is alleged to be controlled. It is just a matter of plain business. Everything lias combined to teach us financial wisJbm.--Cedar Rapids Re­ publican. Inflation Drama Collapsed. The company which the 10-to-l poli­ ticians put "on the road" to give the people the drama, "The fturse of Gold," went to pieces some time since in Gin-, cinnati because of the utter insuffi­ ciency of the box receipts. The people coiild not be induced to go to see a play which, it was proclaimed by Senator Stewart, would bring thousands of con­ verts to the support of 45-cent free coin­ age. _Not only did the company go to pieces, but one of the actors has writ­ ten the New York Times that not one of the company had received any salary for some time before the end came, and that all of them were heartlessly aban­ doned to make their way back to New York. The actor would like to know how men who thus break all pledges to those whom they inveigle into a ven­ ture can be trusted when the larger affairs of the country are ait stake.-- Indianapolis Journal. Will Use American Goods. As the result of the Dingley duty on wool and woolens the export by Bel­ gium of woolen goods to the United States, with the exception of cloth for covering billiard tables, has been prac­ tically annihilated. From Yerviers, the woolen center of Belgium, the exports to America in the first three mouth of 1897 amounted to $317,092, against $31,- 758 for the first quarter of 1898. The time is coming when all the woolens used in America, apart from a few spe­ cialized fabrics such as Belgian billiard cloth, will be made in America. WOMEN'S STATE CONVENTION. Illinois Republican Women to Meet in Springfield, Tuesday, June 7. By direction of the Illinois Woman's Republican State Central Committee, the Republican women voters of the several counties of the State are requested t.a send delegates to a State convention to be held at Springfield, Tuesday, June 7, 1898, at 10 o'clock a. m., for the purpose of selecting a woman who shall be recom­ mended to the Republican State conven­ tion as one of the three candidates to be placed in nomination to be voted foe at the November election, 1S9S;. tor. the-fiol^ lowing office, to wit: Trusrtee of the University of Illinois. Also to select the Illinois Woman's Re­ publican State Central Committee for the ensuing two years. Also for the transac­ tion of such other business' as may prop­ erly come before it. The said convention will be composed of delegates from the several counties of tllie State' of Illinois to be chosen by county convention of woman held for that purpose. The number of delegates and the manner of their selection shall be as hereinafter provided.. The bases of rep­ resentation for .the several counties will be two <2) delegates for every -county whose population iu 1S92 was 20,00<Kor under, and one (1) for each additional 20,- 000 or majority fraction thereof;" V , Cook County is entitled to 102 dele­ gates; La Salle, and Peoria are each en­ titled to 5 delegates; Adams, Kane, Mad­ ison, McLean, Sangamon,. St. Clair and Wii'l arc entitled to four delegates each; Bureau, Champaign,. Christian, Coles, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Iroquois, Knox, Livingston, Macon, Macoupin, Montgom­ ery, Morgan, Pike, Rock Island, Shelby, Stevenson, Vermilion, White, Winnebago, to three delegates each, and all the oth­ ers to two delegates each. Mrs. L. Brace Shattuck, chairman; Mrs. James Frake, secretary. ILLINOIS TOTAL ABSTAINERS. Convention of the Roman Catholic Un­ ion Held at Springfield. The twenty-seventh annual convention of the Illinois Union of Catholic Total Abstinence Societies was held at Spring­ field, with delegates present from Braid- wood, Belvidere, Chicago, Galesburg, Ohio, Peoria, Sterling, Streator and Springfield. High mass was celebrated in the morn­ ing by Vicar General Hickey and in the afternoon there was a parade, which ter­ minated4 at the state house. Mayor Wheeler delivered an address of welcome to the delegates in Representative Hall, and the business session was held. Res­ olutions were adopted deploring the evil of intemperance, deprecating the adver­ tising of the liquor business by Catholia papers, urging Catholic men and women to unite in behalf of the cause of temper­ ance and extending greetings to the W. C. T. U., the Good Templars and others, and wishing them Godspeed in their noble work. An appropriate resolution was also adopted on the death of Miss Frances E. Willard. The following officers 'were elected for the ensuing year: Spiritual di­ rector, Rt. Rev. J. L. Spalding, D. D., of Peoria; president, Walter J. Gibbons, Chicago; vice-presidents, Peter Meyers, Springfield, and Lydia Howland, Strea­ tor; recording secretary, George T. Ken­ nedy, Chicago; financial and correspond­ ing secretary, E. F. Tobin, Galesburg] treasurer, John Shannon, Chicago. The next annual meeting of the union will be held in Peoria, one year hence. Decline of Silver a Blessing. Industry, a Colorado journal, af­ firms that the decline in the price of silver has proved a blessing in dis­ guise for that State because it lias led to the development of gold milling to a greater extent than ever dreamed of be­ fore. It claims Mint Colorado is em­ ploying 25 per cent, more miners to-day than at any previous time. This bold assertion seems not to be resented by the supposed silverites in Colorado. Should Be Reversed. Out of $93,000,000 of exports for the month of February, 1S98, American ships carried only 4.S per cent., leaving 95.2 per cent, to the vessels of foreign countries. With suitable protective legislation this proportion would soon be exactly reversed. Worthy of the Republic's Enemies. The fi'ee-silver-greenback-infiation plan is to take advantage of the war necessities of the government to com­ pel the adoption of a policy which the people have repudiated in peace. It is worthy of Spanish-Americans. The Country Is Safe. It is very fortunate that a Republican House and a Republican President will prevent the execution of the scheme to put the United States on the financial basis of Spain and China. Calamity,Cry No Longer Heard. Over fifty Populist papers in Kansas have dropped Mr. Bryan's name for President, all of which proves that good crops and good prices are inimical to calamity politics. Where Rain Doesn't Reach Ground. There is at least one place in the Uni­ ted States where a man may be out in a heavy rain and not get wet, even though he has neither mackintosh nor umbrella. In the Colorado desert they have rainstorms during which not a single drop of water touches "ttie earth. The raiu can be seen falling from the clouds high, above the desert, but when the water reaches the strata of hot dry air beneath these clouds it is entire­ ly absorbed before falling half the dis­ tance to the ground." It is a singular sight to witness a heavy downpour of rain, not a drop of which touches the ground. These rainstorms occur in re­ gions where the shade temperature often ranges as high as 128 degrees Fahrenheit--Saturday Evening Post. Has Burned Twelve Centuries. The sacred fires of India have not all been extinguished. The most ancient which still exists was consecrated twelve centuries ago in commemoration of the voyage made by the Parsees when they emigrated from Persia to India. The fire is fed- five times every twenty-four hours with sandalwood and other fragrant materials, combined with very dry fuel. This fire, in the village of Oodwada, near Bulsar, is vis­ ited by Parsees in large numbers dur­ ing the months allotted to the presiding genius of fire. Her First Thought. A 6teamer was passing by a settle­ ment on the shores of one of the great lakes, and along the water front were a few houses built on piles. An old man and an old woman, evidently traveling that way for the first time, stood by the rail. Presently the woman noticed one of the houses built over the water. "Well, my gracious, Henry!" she ex­ claimed, "just look at that house! S'posin' somebody's taken sick in the night and they have^to run for the doc­ tor! Built right out in the solid water! Oh, my Lord!"--Boston Budget. A PEACEFUL BOMBARDMENT. v. W > > /vp Education in Latin-America. Cuba is said to occupy the third place in education among the Latin-Ameri­ can countries, for in each 100 inhabit­ ants 8 can read in Uruguay, G in Argen­ tina, 5;, in Cuba, 4.7 in Mexico, 4.5 in Venezuela, 4.1 in Chili, 2.1 in Brazil and still fewer in the others. . V A $10,000 Esff. Among, the Tope's treasures is an Easter "egg" which he received from an English lady. The shell is made of ivory, its lining is of white satin,, and the yolk is a golden case containing a large ruby set in diamonds.- The whole is worth upward of £2,000. ILLINOIS STATE NEWS Novel Invention. A recent invention is a cradle that rocks by means of a clockwork mechan­ ism, and at the same time plays tunes to the baby. Sure Sign of Devotion. The papa--It seems that the young man has, matrimonial intentions to­ ward our Lucy. The mamma--What makes you think so? The papa--Why, Lucy played and sang for him yesterday, and he has ac­ tually called again to-day!--Der Floh. Most Complicated of Clocks. The great astronomical clock at Strasburg is the most intricate piece of clock-work in the world. OCCURRENCES DURING * PAST WEEK. THE Miners Uphold the Scale -- Another Chapter in the Ramsay Case--Sick Illinois Soldiers in Need at Camp Alger--Damage'by Floods. Stand by the Scale. <• The joint conference of miners and op­ erators at Springfield received the reports ;of the executive committees, both of which were favorable to maintaining the .scale in the southern and central field, where thirty-one mines, employing about 8,600 men, have been idle for some time past, the operators claiming that they could not afford to pay the scale on ac­ count of' competition. The joint session decided to stand by the scale. The con­ vention passed a resolution by unanimous vote to affiliate with the State Federation of Labor, and selected James Barton of Duquoin, J. A. Crawford of Springfield, J. Hefty of Belleville, W. J. Ryan of Bra id wood and Henry Car fright of Springfield as delegates from the miners' State organization to the next annual con­ vention of the State Federation of Labor, to be held in Decatur in September next; James A.> Crawford presented a resolu­ tion of .confidence in the State officers, which Vsas iinaniihonsly adopted. : The Big Muddy strike was discussed. The mines owned by the Big Muddy Coal Com­ pany are operated by a receiver appointed by the United States Court, and it was charged that the receiver is in several ways violating the mining laws of Illi­ nois. A committee visited Gov. Tanner and conferred with him about enforcing the State law. The committee was re­ ferred to the Attorney General. Ramsay's Bondsmen Win. At Carlyle, the ten Chicago bondsmen of former State Treasurer Rufus N. Ram­ say of Illinois have scored another vic­ tory iu their legal contest with the cred­ itors of the former State official. When Ramsay died he left a large deficit in the State cash box, which the sureties made good. They filed a claim against the es­ tate for $303,000, which was allowed in the County Court. It was appealed to the Circuit Court, where the creditors won. The bondsmen gained a verdict in the Appellate Court. The case was re­ versed and remanded and heard for the second time in the Clinton County Cir­ cuit Court. The most important point is whether the Chicago bankers and Ram­ say had an agreement whereby the bonds­ men were to have tho use of the State money. John R. King and John R. Waish, two of the bondsmen, testified, but denied emphatically the existence of such an arrangement. The court, in the opinion rendered, is inclined to believe that a contract had been made, because interest was paid on the deposits. The case will at once bo taken to the Appellate Court by the creditors. Floods Cause Great Damage. The break in the Crow levee in the In­ dian district caused the spreading waters to cover an aron of nearly 15,000 farming lands, and on part of them the water was three feet deep. It is estimat­ ed that about 5,000 ot 0,000 acres of wheat was submerged and it probably will be a total loss. The streams broke out of their banks on the Missouri side of the riv er, opposite Quincy, and the farmers were not able to cross the bottoms for several days. Much damage was done by wash­ outs and in the carrying away of bridges. The Illinois river overflowed the farm­ ing lands for many miles below Depue. The damage to farm crops will be large. W. Bnjtenrd Commits Suicide. William Buzzard, who went to Indian­ apolis, Ind., a few days ago from Chicago with his wife and child, committed sui­ cide by swallowing carbolic acid. He had been staying at the White Ribbon House. The guests at the hotel noticed that he was depressed. Shortly after supper he went with his wife to his room, and while she wis not looking at him drank an ounce and a half of carbolic acid. Fif­ teen minutes later lie was dead. His wife gives as a cause for his act that he had always been a hard drinker, but that he had lately broken the habit, and that the change affected his mind. Illinois Men in Dire Need. Some complaint has been made at Camp Alger, Washington, D. C., over the treat­ ment of twelve sick soldiers belonging to the Sixth Illinois, who were in the regi­ mental hospital. Four of them had pneu­ monia; yet, owing to the poor facilities of the hospital, they were forced to lie on straw spread over the muddy ground. The officers and men of the company had no meansi of relieving the distress of their comrades, and no cots were obtainable. A committee from the Women's Relief Corps visited the members of the Illinois delegation to obtain contributions to pur­ chase twelve cots for the hospital. Chicago bakers have raised the price bread to six cents a loaf. The Illinois State Christian Sunday' school Association held a convention at! Decattir. H. Hopkins, for fifteen ye^rs manager of the Keeler lumber- yards at Rockford, is dead, aged 57. Miss Tappscott of Wetzel committed) suicide at Terre Haute, Ind., by stepping! in front of a train. j Daniel Penton, employed on the Thorn-' as Delaney farm, near Decatur, wa»i struck by lightning and instantly killed. The anniversary of the battle of Ma-j nila lias been made an annual holiday in' the Chicago schools, to be called Dewey' day. Professor J. K. Stableton, of Mans-; field, Ohio, has been selected as super-; intehdent of the public schools of Charles-; ton. j Everett Bell, nine years old, son of Rev.j R. W. Bell, pastor of the Baptist Church,j was drowned in Redmond's pond, near! Paris. , I One hundred high school teachers at-l tended the annual conference between .the! high schools and the • University of I1K-? nois, in Champaign. i . Michael J. Schaackj for thirty years a| policeman and- well known as the inspect-; - -- or of the north division of Chicago, is! dead after a long illness. ' V. The Peoria steel and iron works at State Medical Meeting.! The annual meeting of the Illinois State Medical Association was held at Gales­ burg. The association voi*d to contrib­ ute $2,000 toward the Rush monument fund. An effort will be made also to raise $2,500 among the doctors of the State to defray expenses in securing leg­ islation for a higher standard of medical education. J. F. Percy of Galesburg, James S. Root of Tuscola and C. E. Clark of Jacksonville were elected the judicial committee. The officers recom­ mended by the nominating committee were elected, and Cairo was chosen as the place of next meeting. Brief State Happenings. The Right Rev. Abbot P. N. Yeager of Chicago and a host of Chicago priests officiated at the laying of the corner stone of the new Sacred Heart French Catholic Chnrch at Aurora. The new church be­ ing erected by the Sacred Heart Congre­ gation, Rev. E. J. Thierien, pastor, will be a handsome structure, and .will cost about $15,000. A posse of Vernon County, Missouri, and Bourbon Count}*, Kansas, farmers pursued and captured Jerry Chouteau of Macon County, with a criminal reputation in the three States. Charles Clemens of Macon County, his accomplice in a series of farm larcenies at Fort Scott, Ivan., was also captured. Chouteau confesses having ' escaped from the Jacksonville asylum, where lie was sent upon feigning insanity. The officers have recovered two stolen teams which he left at Rhjehart, Mo., and a wagon load of stolen goods. He says he recently escaped from a Kan­ sas asylum. The dedication of Mother of Dolores Church at Vandalia attracted hundreds of visitors. The new church is one of the handsomest in southern Illinois, and was built at a cost of $10,000. The Soldiers' Relief Association of Streator and vicinity has been organised. The purpose of the organization is to as­ sist the soldier boys from that neighbor­ hood. A. R. Van Skiver, editor of the Daily Free Press, was. elected president of the association, and A. S. Biekertotn secretary. Company A of the Third reg­ iment is now at Chickam^uga, some of them being in the hospital, add it is for their immediate relief that the organiza­ tion) Js now perfected. IS - .a, - t P (-- -r-l Averyvfile have been running day and' , night the past few weeks, and are not! able to keep up with orders. • , Eugene Jenkins, 2. years old, was run over and instantly killed by a Calumet* electric car while playing at 67th street; and Greenwood avenue, Chicago. Guy T. Gould, who for nearly thirty; years has been connected with the city, postoffice, has been appointed acting chief of postoffice inspectors at Chicago. Six hundred delegates from the conven­ tion of locomotive engineers at St. Louis visited Ma.ttoon to inspect a site for a1 Brotherhood "of Locomotive Engineers' home. '<! The annual Ministerial Association and; Epworth League conference, Springfieidj district of the Methodist Episcopal Church, held a three days' session at Car-; liuville. In attempting to board a moving train; on the Northwestern Road at Ravens-1 wood, Jeremiah M. Terwilliger, an agent for the Macneale aud Urban Company, of Chicago, missed his footing, and dan­ gled from the rear platform until he struck the railing of a viaduct and was- killed. ... The body of George Wiel was discover­ ed after it had hung in the kitchen at 441: North Lincoln street, Chicago, for sev-' eral days. Charles Martelman, landlord of the place, made the grewsome discov­ ery when he attempted to collect the rent. The suicide is thought to have taken place shortly after Weil's wife left him a week before. • '•'r1 ~J- The general store of A. Blauke & Son of Huey was entered "by burgiars. An electric alarm aroused the proprietor, who summoned a posse and surrounded the building. The citizens were about toj fire through the windows, when a voice within exclaimed: "Don't shoot* I render !" The intruder was captured nnd gave him name as Joseph Evans. His. home is supposed to be New Design. lie was taken to Carlyle, court being in ses­ sion, and pleaded guilty and was sen­ tenced. He was sent immediately to the Chester penitentiary. The foreign-born element of Chicago is " largely represented among the men who- have declared themselves ready to voluiW teer if President McKinley needs more, soldiers. The Norwegians, French and, Jews make the best showing. Of 5,000; Hebrews physically able to go to the; front, 1,100 have volunteered; French, 1,014 able to go, 1,500 volunteers; Norwe-i gians, 3,S15 able, 1,000 volunteers; Bohe-i mians, 0,067 able, 1,125 volunteers;! Swedes, 8,335 able, 1,500 volunteers; Ger-j mans, 35,738 able, 2,600 volunteers; Irish, 1S,8S9 able, 2,300 volunteers. It is one of the greatest personal honors of a Princeton undergraduate's career to. be elected to one of the university upper class clubs. Th elections from the class of 1900 are announced, the following Illi-, nois men receiving election: Iyy Club,; Irving Martin, Chicago; University Col­ lege Club, James Wolcatt Knowleton, Rock Island; Tiger Inn, Owsley Brown,- Springfield; Cap and Gown dub, Ralph, H. Poole, Chicago; Frederick H. Scott,' Evanston, John Stuart, Chicago; TClnv Club, Jerome Archibald Schultz, Chicago;; Caution Cluz, Matthew Finlay Carroll, Quincy; James Maltman, Chicago. The officers elected at the Streator en­ campment of the Illinois division of the Sons of Veterans are without books. CoI.j Clarke of Rockford, division commander; for Illinois, notified the camps that, ow­ ing to the possibility of the command be­ ing called out for military service, the an-! nual encampment would be postponed. The commander-in-chief, who lives inj Kansas, countermanded this order and di-' rected that the encampment be held at' Streator. Col. Clarke and the principal! officers of his staff refused to attend or' to reply to communications from the com-; mander-in-chief. The Streator encamp­ ment elected new officers and Col. Clarke! and two of his staff resigned. There isi some talk of a court martial. ; •. " |, Ex-Mayor Itobert C. Larn.be, of Carlyle,' is still missing. The grand jury has' closed its session, having found three in- dictmentsj against Carlyle's former may­ or. IIe\ is charged specifically with for-! gery, with manipulating forged paper and with embezzlement of trust funds. His personal friends, who were on his bond as administrator and guardian in the handling of different estates, are very- bitter in their denunciation of Laanbe, and several of his bondsmen are severely: injured financially. One of Mr. Lambe's favorite schemes, it is said, was to loan moneyof his clients, writing up the mort­ gages" "payable to himself. When "the mortgages would become due he would collect the money and apply the proceeds to his own personal use. Fourth-class postmasters recently ap­ pointed in Illinois are: H. C. Ellenberger at Bishop, Geo. E. Morey at Lee Center, and Arthur N. Pelham at Salisbury. The Illinois medical convention closed its session at Mount Vernon and decided to hold its next annual meeting at Spring­ field. Dr. Anderson L. Clark of Elgin was elected president; Dr. Florence Man- . con of Mount Vernon, first vice-president; Dr. C. D. Robertson of Chicago, second vice-president; Dr. W. E. Kennett of Yorkville, recording secretary; Dr. Susan K. Whitford of Elgin, treasurer, and Dr. W. R. Schusster of Orland, secretary. A firm which has grown and tested sugar beets in Kankakee County since 1S01 will build a factory, provided it can be assured of a sufficient amount of beets. Several patches of sugar beets are be­ ing grown near Kankakee as a final and complete test. At the closing session <>f the convention of the Illinois State Christian Sunday school convention in Decatur officers were elected as follows: President, E. A. Gil* • land, Clinton; vice-president, L.'E. New­ comer, Maroa; secretary, H. H. Peters, Rantoul; members of board, W. W. Wee- don, Taylorville, and S. S. Jgjnes, Dan­ ville; secretary of normal course, Mia* Anna E, Davidson; Eureka.