r t £ - il:/, Ift 3' ! . •W'iv.X L £-v A Toast For The New Year •'Wt.' Henry MS Hyde \ TO THftTrne PfSfcieers of Progress--to tW MtfB sextant, drill and shield, hoist and riveter--burrowing through mountains, spinning, spiderlike, across dizzy chasme--making tlx > rilfofl 'Wnllrt end litt larger-*- A Happy New Year and Maatjr of TO THE Gentleman Adventurers--to the men who temp* the vengeance of the upper air, dare the sunless dangers of deep seas. track to their secret lairs the wild beasts of disease and pestilence--risking -their own live* that the life of Man may be NmJ Year and Many of 'Em! T6 1 ha , A Happy Neirf Ynt and Many oi ^ '.T*? ' 6 THE Poets and dreamers of the Present-^'^the mfett' wfei harness the tides, bridle the west wind, put a yoke about die neck of the glaciers, drive the sun and mopsi tiuidgm--p|kime||» forces of nature toil that Man may enjoy-- f%^v >4 , - % A Happy New Year and Many of~*Em! , TO THE plasters of the Future--to the men who know, to the men in earnest--rejoicing in their knowledge and their strength, looking with clear eyes, unafraid, into the face of fate CXOWBOd ; with the high happi • A Ha; --World. of work well done Yeir and Many of 'JEmi v • "•> *• . liULii-UUOU IJIIII11 n nrin n n 11 1 ' " •'"S New Year &-• Bits New Year's Is a Candy Day in priate to the pay Gathered from Everywhere* '.* 4 /"V*. • France* of Sweets Are Favorite with all Classes in Parle. Once is used to be very popular to •^••iigive New Year's presents; but now so much more attention is paid to Christ mas, and every one receives so many lovely things then, that our American boys and girls cannot complain if they do not get presents a week later, as did their mothers and fathers. However, if they lived in France, ; New Year's day would be a great occa sion, especially tor girls, for there every man or boy gives some gift, no matter how small, to his friends. No •one paying a call would think of going ^empty-handed, and little French girls at school on the 2d of January count t up how many presents they received, it ^ just as our girls do after Valentine's 'day. r A favorite gift is candy. Sometimes ' this candy is made Into temples. . churches or playhouses; or all sorts • queer forms like bundles of carpets, Jf:> ^ boots and shoes, musical instruments, ' gridirons, saucepans, lobsters, crabs, \ books and hats are made of colored sugar, holfanred out and filled inside , ' ' with chocolates, mints and other bon- 1,^ bons that can be eaten. Don't you think the little French children must feel pretty sick the next V* day, after so much sweet stuff? For, of course, they would have to sample V each kind; that is, if they are like American boys and girlsttt tfc^4to»d lioness tor candy. *f *?v The Origin of New Year's Call*. *v' < Like Many Others of Our Customs, jy > ) „ They Were Imported from . v ' ' China. ^ 'IP*# custom of maMi^f%Wfl#:fer's | , calls, which had a long run in Amer- if / ica, and is still extant, came orig- p inally from China, where such calls are one of the main features of the * •* brilliant and lengthy New Year's cel- & e b r a t i o n . I - Every Chinaman pays a visit to each of his superiors,' and' receives P . one from each of his inferiors. Im- ages of gods are carried in proces- 4 ^ Bion to the beating of a deafening <L M' song, and mandarins go by hundreds yf.. to the emperor and that apparently | much-maligned sovereign, the em- |. press dowager, with congratulatory addresses. Their robes are gorgeous- ^ <* ly embroidered, and are heavy with f ! gold. The younger people call upon ig * ^ the elder. s. Children call upon their parents. Pu- t " . p i l s p a y t h e i r r e s p e c t s t o t h e i r t e a c h - I ers. A light collation is offered every t !; visitor, but it is to be noted, no wine * . is served. Tea takes the place of ^ any stronger drink. In China gentle- jff5' men never call upon the ladies, but ^ J upon each other, and the women also r r, *' make social visits among themselves. Nor is one obliged, happily, to make || C . all his calls in one day, for all calls |W' made before the 15th of the month ?4 4 are considered correct. These calUng ^ customs have obtained in China from pi- / earliest ages. glass left in the froht windows to last over Sunday!" Not to Be Imposed Upon. "Algernon is interesting," said the stock broker's daughter., '• "What does he talk about?" to> quired the father. "He's ever so well posted in Shake spearean quotations." "Young woman," said the financier, sternly, "don't let him deceive you. Don't let him make sport of your ig norance. There isn't any such stock on the market. I ought to know, for I've been on the exchange long enough."--London Answer®. A June New Year*m em the Nde Bank* The Ancient Egyptians 8tarted the Year with the Raise of the River. In all ages and all lands much im portance has been attached to New Year's day. In Egypt the new year fell between the 17th and the 20th of June, and was called the "night of the drop." The sacred Nile was thought to flow down from heaven, and at its lowest ebb--about the mid dle of June--a tear from Isis fell into the stream and caused it to rise. Consequently at this season the priests and people kept a sleepless vigil at the river's shore, watching for the miraculous rise which should bring such riches to the whole land. When the "night of the drop" came, the priests cleared the altars of old ashes and lighted the sacred fires for the new year. Every one of the faithful carried a coal from the altar to light the fire at his own hearth, and from end to end the land was ablaze with light. The people put off their old garments and arrayed themselves in white,^an ointing their heads with sacred oil, crowning themselves with flowers and bearing palms in their hands, while chants and songs and fasting and processions filled the homes. No Chan' es Needed in the Brown Family* Proposed Resolutions Brought Em phatic Objections from Both Sides of House. "This is the new year," said Mrs. Brown, as she and Brown sat down ; to dinner, "and perhaps we ought to make some little changes for 1907." "I am willing," he replied. "Yes, I have been thinking that I would a few changes." "That is nice of you. You know that you swear and that I don't like it at alL It will be so sweet and kind and considerate to give it up for my sake." "Give up swearing! Not on your life!" "What, then, did yen mean by change?" "Why, I have been allowing you five dollars per week as pin money, and I know that you simply fool most of it away. One of the changes contem plated was to cut the sum in half." "Samuel Brown!" exclaimed the wife, as she knocked on her plate with her fork to emphasize her words, "don't make any mistake on your wife. May. You will continue to •wear as hard as you wish, and as often as you wish, and my five dol lars phi money comes to me every flturdsy night, or there wont be any [IE THE WEATHER PLANT. By Its Changes Meteorologist Will ^ Make Long-Distance Forecast; probably the most serious objection to our "weather indications" (great an advance as they are over none at all, which waa the position not so many years ago) is the shortness of their look ahead. . Many vain efforts have been made to Improve this particular. Again, what a difference it would have made to Johnstown, San Francisco and Valparaiso if timely notice could be given of floods and earthquakes! To Pompeii and Courrleres, if volcanic eruptions and liability to mine explos ions might be foretold! The ability by one means and, as it were, at a 3 W. fix 4 2. Two or three days beforehand, the "rain-districts" and ^hriae of "fine weather" for the same circuit. 3. Twenty-four to 28 days beforehand, the"dangeious convulsions of nature;" such as hurricanes, storms, rough weather, floods, spring tides, increas ing danger of earthquakes and of heavy downpour, etc., etc., up to\7,000 kilometers. And, finally, 4. Two to seven days beforehand, the "local weather" for a circuit of about 75-to 100 kilometers. What enormous practical Impor tance such predictions must have is so clearly obvious that no words are to be wasted over it. . .. Herr Nowack is now, planning shortly to reap the benefit of his observations carried on for years by opening an observatory in London, with several branches, that is to bring the predictions within the reach of all. And to this end he has collected a great quantity of spe cimens of the above-named plant in Cuba, which are to be tiEken to Eng land on the noxt German fast steamer.. HOW LONQ 18 A FLASH f THE WEATHER PLANT. (Abrus Praecatorius L. Nobilis N* In the Uncultivated State.) blow, to remedy all these defects, is the startling claim of an Austrian meteorologist, J. F. Nowack. The sole reliance of Herr Nowack, his barometer (if one may so say), is a West Indian plant, Abrus praecator ius L. nobilis N., the so-called pater uoster pea. By an accident, says the New Yorker Staats Zeitung, Herr No wack came into i/ossess'on of this plant, and he soon made the observa tion that its leaves (which resemble the leaves of the acacia or vetch) rolled up apparently without any per ceptible reason and seemed to die., This condition, however, lasted but a few hours; then the leaflets returned to their normal state. Herr Nowack satisfactorily ascertained that this Pasting Humor of the New Year, > Would You Blame Him? Mlna--Did your husband, at New Year's, swear off? Lena--Yes, off and on--whenever a bill came in.--Town Topic#. IAI7JVOW Duration of Flashes of Lightning Meas ured by German Scientist. We possess as yet only pretty vague data as to the average duration of flashes of lightning, says L'lllustra- tion. Faraday thought he could fix it at a second. Dufour claimed that the flashes of lightning were instan taneous, and that their rapid succes sion gave the illusion of one flash of a certain duration. Herr Schmidt has just been devoting himself to a series of observations, employing a disk of 10 centimeters diameter bearing upon a black ground a white cross, the arms of which were two millimeters across, the disk being set in motion by clockwork with a speed of 50 to 60 revolutions a second. At certain flashes the cross appeared a single time, very distinct; the duration of lightning was, therefore, inferior to the time of revolution of the disk, which would represent about the fiftieth of a second. In more numer ous cases the cross appeared two or three times, or even more, but with' a decreasing luminous intensity; the lightning had, therefore, lasted during several revolutions of the disk. NO MORE GRAY HAIR. Restoration of Color of Hair fey XfRiy Current. While' busying themselves dally with making applications of X- rays, Dr. Imbert, professor of the medical faculty at Montpelller, France, and Dr» Marques, his head laboratory assistant, were somewhat surprised that the beard and hair (which were almost white) of one of them were gradually becoming col ored, to the point even of shortly as suming a hue deeper than the original one. , Other observations authorize these professors to declare that under the influence of the X-rays light hair as sumes a deeper shade. Young women will, no doubt, find little use for. this attribute, but a process which permits of growing old without growing gray, will be highly appreciated by both sexes if further investigations estab lish definitely its usefulness and its harmlessness. However, physicians alone will have the right to dye hair by this method, as extreme prudence is required in the operation^ Paper for the Dark Roam. Modern photographic plates are so sensitive that often a screen of red glass in the dark room is not suffi cient to prevent fogging. A French photographic journal gives the follow- prescription for making a' paper screen, which is 50 per cent more effective than red glass: Take un sized paper and dip it thoroughly in 100 cubic centimeters of water con taining six grams of tartrazine. Then pass it over blotting paper and dry it. To render the coloring matter more adherent, a little gum arable may be added to the (solution. ' + Barred Out. "Yvette Guilbert," said a theatrical manager, "received me in Paris. She was busy studying for her American tour, and for the George Moore play of 'Esther Waters' that she is soon to pro duce. "She told me a pretty story of a tiny American millionaire she had met the day before--a little millionaire of six or seven years. "This youngster, calling on her with his mother, suddenly interrupted Ml play to ask: " 'Mamma, am I rich?' " 'Well,' his mother answered, smil ing and embarrassed, 'you're not poor.1 " 'Pshaw,' he exclaimed, his face clouding over. 'That bars me out, then. Nurse read to me this morning that the Salvation Army was going to distribute $25,000 In toys and casdy this winter, but it is for poor ehfldHn 1 ^soharig r * kilometers only."' The Weather Plant Under Cultivation. N, striking phenomenon was dependent upon neither the light nor the mois ture or temperature conditions, but was connected with a severe storm that occurred three days later. This observation, which Herr Nowack made in the year 1886, forms the basis of his further unspeakably careful and remarkably comprehensive investiga tions. The result of .his observations, ex tending through years, made with quite special precautions, in various botanical gardens, but especially in the Kew gardens, -London, upon the "weather plant," is briefly told as fol lows: To .make the predictions, let the leaflets and the leaf-midribs (to which are attached. 12 to 17 pairs of leaflets), as well as the color of the little leaves, be observed. The motions of the leaflets permit one to predict kind, force, moment, and direction of those phenomena that will occur in* a period of two to three days, and within a radius of 75 to 100 kilometers (from 47 to 62 miles) distance from the ob servation-point. Further, the lowering of the atmospheric pressure (baro- meric minimum) m&y be satisfactor ily ascertained by means of the mo tion of the leaf nerves upward, and its rising (barometric maximum) by their motion downward, two to three days beforehand, and therefrom the rain districts also to a distance of about 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) be predetermined. The most important part, however, of the discovery Is the prediction (de- dn^ed from the observations of the leaf-midribs) of great "convulsions of nature," such as storms, rough weath er, floods, earthquakes, volcanic erup tions, increase in the danger of mine explosions, etc., 24 days before in circuit up to 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles), !-. e., from a station, e. g., Ber lin, of (about) all Europe, t~e Medi terranean Sea, the northerr. half of Africa, and the north Atlantic ocean. Herr Nowack declares that after founding his observation establish ment he will be able to publish dally the following charts: 1. T*o or three days beforehand, 8clence Turning From Alcohol. " In Great Britain, at least, the medi cal profession Beems to be turning more and more away from alcohol as an aid to patients suffering from disease or injuries of any kind. Some British surgeons claim that its UBe, in any form, tends to render persons subjected to operations les;s likely to escape complications and actually re tards recovery. Produces Cancer. Dr. Otto Schmidt, of Cologne, la said to have produced cancer in cer tain animals by inoculating them with cultures of the true cancer bacillus obtained from mildew on plants. Dr. Schmidt is hopeful, having gdne so far on the road to complete under standing of the nature of cancer that he will be' able Boon to announce a real cure for that terrible disease.' ringfield ftpeetel Correspondent Writes of Thlagt of bttafast st the Stat* Capitol. J • Springfield.--The lawsuit Involving the validity of'the Mueller law, known as "Lobdell versus City of Chicago," was submitted to tj^e Illinois supreme court on oral argument and briefs. It was taken under advisement by the court. Mr. Fisher at the close of the arguments asked that the court render as early a decision as possible with due regard to the importance of the case and the numerous questions raised. The case involves the legality of the Mueller act, passed by the last assembly, providing for the issuance of $75,000,000 of 'city certificates for the purchase of the street railway com panies of Chicago by the eity. The attorneys for Lobdell contended that the Mueller law is unconstitutional on the ground that ownership of street railways is not a municipal purpose; that neither the city nor the state can raise money-issuing securities in ai'd of Individuals or corporations, and this would be the effect of raising money for municipal street railways that might be leased to corporations or be come their property on foreclosure. It was argued that the title of the act did not comply with the constitution and that it was p>local or special law and especially amended the cnarter of Chicago. Mr. Webber attacked the eminent domain provisions of the stat ute and asserted that on this ground a city could not condemn for public use property of street railroads al ready developed to'public use. It was Insisted that the street railway certifi cates to be issued to the extent of $75,- 000,000 would constitute a debt of the city and could not be issued because its constitutional debt limit has al ready been reached. Mr. Fisher as serted that the question at issue was really a political and not a judicial question and that the cases he cited were far more radical and extreme than the municipal ownership of street railways. He said that the constitu tion of Illinois provides that if any part of an act is not embraced within Its title the act would, nevertheless, be sustained, except such parts as were outside of the title. He defended the provisions of the ordinance for the is suance of $75,000,000 for certificates at one time, to be sold and delivered from time to time, as the city council might by ordinance provide. He said that railroad mortgages and bonds are issued in exactly this manner to cover a railroad ijot yet constructed and In sisted that the municipality should have as wide powers in this regard as a railroad corporation. On the ques tion as to whether a street railway's certificates would constitute a por tion of the city debt Mr. Fisher said that the Mueller law expressly pro vides that these certificates shall not be so considered; that the certificates themselves as well as the trust aeea and the ordinance explicitly state that the certificates shall under no circum stances be or become an obligation of the city and that they are like special assessment bonds in this particular. £ Fog Dust. ^, Careful analysis of matter obtained from a dry, yellowilh fog which over spread Paris on* April 11 has shown that the cause was almost certainly the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Dust in the fog contained a minute sand exactly like that which the volcano on the distant shores of the Bay of Naples has more than onoe 4i» charged. A Barrier to Long Distance 'Phone. The difference invtime--1 o'clock in the afternoon at New York when It is 10 a. m. at San Frahcisco--Is offered as an objection to a long distance telephone service between the two cities. The business day in one city would be more than half over when beginning in the other. A Peculiar Lvkag-' Metal does not rust in Lake Tltl- caca, South America. A chain, an anchor, or any article of Iron, if thrown Into this lake and allowed to remain for weeks or months, is as bright when taken up as wh$» it came fresh from the foundry. Resource*. "Do you expeet to get monef out of that mine?" * ; "No," answered the conscienceless promoter. "Not out of the mine. Out of the subscribers to stook."--Wash ' May Revise 8tate Bank Laws. The excutive committee of the legis lative body appointed recently at the convention of the Illinois State Bank ers' association held its first meeting In this city to organize and consider proposed changes in the state: bank ing laws. The executive committee is composed of five members, but beyond organizing the committee took no de£ inite action. It Is said that there are a number of members of the legisla tive committee who are in favor of the revision of all the banking laws of the state. The members of the com mittee refused to discuss this proposi tion, however. Regarding this pro posed revision of the laws, there is said to be considerable division in the ranks of the state association, as many members believe that the present laws serve the best interests of the bank ers and the public with the exception of a few in which they , advocate Blight changes. • Caught In a Child Labor Net.' Thirty-seven of Springfield's most prominent business men were caught in a net thrown out by State Deputy Factory Inspector Johnson of Bloom- ington, who swore out warrants charg ing them with violating the child labor law by employing boys and girls under 16 years of age. Many of the mer chants againBt whom complaint was filed pleaded guilty and were fined. It is .probable that additional warrants wljl be sworn out. Officers Lay Corner 8tone. m the presence of the state officers and a few citizens, the corner stone of the new supreme court building was laid. No peremony marked the event, and no addresses were delivered. The large stone was placed in position by the workmen, and the acted only as witnesses. Assessments Are Increased. An increase of $30,789,279 In the as sessment of the state is shown in the final report of the state board of equalization. The board adjourned sine die and the grand total of assess ments is $1,126,470,836. It is believed that the tax rate for the state for the year will be 50 per cent and the as sessment returned by the board will produce $5,632,354. The grand total of assessment la made up as follows: _ _ , Increase. Land® J ,.....$ 843,595,542 $ 816,677 Lands and city lots. 442,275.993 1,292,622 Personal property .. 229,792,122 14,440.223 Railroads 88,151,578 4,517,326 Corporations , a«t , railroads If,666,601 Grand total 128.470,836 While on the face of tiie lists there appears to be a decrease of $277,369 in the net assessment of corporations other than railroads, there in reality is a large increase. In the system fol lowed by the board in assessing these corporations the net assessment is the difference between the equalized value of the Stock and franchises and the assessment of the tangible property by the local assessors. The report of the board for last year shows the equalized value of the stocks and fran chises of the various corporations to be $37,933,879. This year it is $60,077,- 537, an increase of $22,143,658. The Pullman company, which brought about an argument before the capital stock committee, is given a decidted increase. The total assessment for this year is $2,310,000, as conyiared with $1,650,000 for 1905, or an increase of $660,000. The Illinois Tunnel com pany of Chicago is also increased. The assessment last year was $200,000, while the amount this year is about twice that sum. Other additionals made to Cook county corporations are* as follows: The Chicago Edison com pany, $831,000 this year as compared with $548,648 for 1905. The Common wealth Electric company 1B raised from $40,000 to $140,000, Universal' Oas company from $50,000 to $72,620, and the Ogden Oas company from $300,000 to $330,000. The board has been lenient with the street railway companies, and decreases have been made. Last year the assessment against the Chicago City Railway com pany was $1,511,730, whjle this year an assessment of only $213,514 Is re turned. The Union Traction company will pay taxes on only $500,000, as compared with $815,000 tor last year. The assessments on the larger Illi nois roads are as follows; . Atchison, Topeka & SantaiPe.,.. .$2,60,061 Baltimore & Ohio Southeastern (Springfield division) 1,»0,317 Belt Railway company of Chicago. 702,823 Blue Island 35,935 Cairo, Vincennes & Chicago 1,046,050 Chicago & Alton 6,730,899 Chicago, Burlington & Northern.. 707,765 Chicago, Burlington & Qulncy 8,0013)69 Chicago St Calumet Terminal 371,126 Chicago & Eastern Illinois 3,311,211 Chicago Great Western Chicago Heights Terminal.. Chicago, Indianapolis & St. Louie. Look for Amended Law. Repeal of the shot firers' law en acted by the last legislature is not expected by the Illinois Operators' as sociation, but the members of the or ganization believe that it will be amended materially by the next gen eral assembly. Many of the operators over the state look upon the matter of the association taking a hand for the amendment of the measure as dan gerous. 1 They believe that the ques tion should be.taken up solely by the "WW"" ,o»v. d» State Succession Tax Valid. The judgment of the Illinois su preme court, affirming the validity of the succession tax as str as it ex empts from taxation bequests to relig ious, educational and benevolent cor porations organised under the laws of the state, was approved by the United States supreme court. The appeal was brought by the board of education of Kentucky, against the Methodist church, which declared a tax of $6,280 imposed on a bequest to & wt« discrimination. • - 1,226,501 23,400 . 267,416 Chicago & Iowa 645,479 Chicago Junction ...-. 509,072 Chicago, Madison & Northern:... 886,394 Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul... 3,301,734 Chicago & Northwestern "... 5,864,638 Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis 1,201,801 Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific... 3,529,270 Chicago Terminal Transfer 1,301,706 Chicago Union Transfer 312.940 Chicago & Western Indiana 2,381,029 Cincinnati, Indianapolis & West ern 643,184 Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis 1,967,901 Pittsburg, Cincinnati & St. Louis. 1,488,522 Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago. 1,624,758 St. Louis, Rock Island & Chicago. 1,533,228 Union Stock Yards & Transit Company 1,014,664 Vandalla 1,517,540 Wabash 5,078,688 ELECTRIC LINES. Aurora, Elgin & Chicago 278,330 Chicago General Electric 229,019 Chicago and Milwaukee electric... 295,813 Chicago & Oak Park Elev%ted 584,483 Chicago & Southeastern 188,994 Danville, Urbana & Champaign.. 123,913 East St. Louis & Suburban 213,340 Illinois Central Traction 117,579 Metropolitan West Side Elevated. 1,721,9 Northwestern Elevated Rockford & Interurban South Side Elevated Suburban Whitehall <?.. Chicago, Bloomington & Decatur. St. Louis & Northwestern...,,. 1,040,256 150,952 953,388 86,491 8,238 32,258 •'£ 4"; i of Companj Command Is Invited. M. F. O'Brien, captain of Company C, Fifth infantry, is in receipt of a communication inviting him and his command to visit the Jamestowp ex position. The men at a recent meet ing were strongly in favor of accept ing the Invitation, but action on the matter was deferred until the full company Is present The invitation will be extended to the whole Fifth regiment and if enough companies ac cept they will go as a Ruling on Lodge Assessments^ v In the case of the Grand Legion of Illinois Select Knights of America against Lena Beatty, the Illinois su preme court holds that notices of as sessment of all fraternal and benefi ciary societies must be sent directly to the insured, and that the publica tion in papers of such asaaaaroeata is not legal. Oooling Is Set Frank E. Dooling, former recorder of the Supreme Court of Honor, an in surant society, was discharged in the justice court on a charge of embez zling $3,000 from the oourt. Dooling was Indicted by the last grand jury, but the bills werfe^ /ound to be defec tive and were nolred. Warrants were then secured before Police Magistrate Clark B. Shipp, and after the evidence for the prosecution was heard the de fendant was discharged. The case u?.ay be iftVM^ted by the next grand jury. * ' m SM>: ' ;• • Reports Situation Improved. Dr. J. C. Westervelt, state inspector of the state board of health, Who has bee^ looking Into the diphtheria epi demic which has been prevalent In towns and villages in the southern and western part of ^roquoia county reports that the situation Is much Im proved, and many of the cases have ben discharged from quarantine, dr. E. F. Baker, a representative of the board, conducted an investigation of a scarlet fever epidemic at Mak< Knox countiT . . s ~*.Y • if J, '*!?*%>. HAPPENINGS or INTEREST FRO* fWS. M1NCR8 DROP TO DEATH ( • bf „.h m ~ f - p - \*L , Six Killed In Fall of Ca^e Near Ca#,:;,^ :! lyle--One Man Has Narrow Es- ' c*J?e--Car Falls Into Fiftt^ii. ^ |teel of Wate^-ty J 't?ar^e!-^lx miners were ftfllecl hjr the dropping of a cage in the mine at the Breese-Trenton Coal Mining com pany, ten miles west. The car plunged into a deep pool of water drained from various parts of the mine. Ti not killed outright were pinned the wreckage and drowned. The accident occurred as the aeconii cage full of day shift miners was de» scending into the mine. The cag«| containing six men, had descended 300 feet down the 400 foot Shaft, when t£ stuck momentarily. *^en it went crashing to the bottom,v with a noise similar to an explosion. At the botr torn of th,e shaft is a sump, which lit said to contain 15 feet of water drained from other parts of the mine. Into this the car plunged, carrying five of the miners. Foppey Jumped as the cage neared the bottom. His body was cut in two. Frits was working qjjt. the bottom of the shaft almost und& the descending cage when he heard the shout of the miners above him as the cage stuck. As he looked up tlte cage dropped. He barely had time fii spring to the side when the crash came and debris was piled over hii^ HOLD REUNION AT PEOYtlA. ' '• Survivors of Eleventh Illinois Cavalry Will Honor Commander. Peoria.--Surttvors of the Enevenfi| Illinois cavalry, which was commanl' ed by Col. Robert G. Ingersoll during, the civil war, held, a reunion here. The reunion was preliminary to the unvett ing of a statue of Ingersoll In this city, which was the home of the agnostic. The ceremony will take place July 2l| ° 1907! s- The regiment which Ingersoll coxfr manded was recruited throughout cen tral Illinois in 1862 and made a gallant record. It is believed that there art several hundred survivors and, al though they are widely gcattfre^,;.,pt good number attended. r • 1- H* - : i. Ill Disease Rife In CMeige^' .Chicago. -- An epidemic of scar let fever and diphtheria te ' many sections of the city Is reported by the health depart- J ment. The contagion is said to be | .most notable in the area bounded by ,Divercey avenue and the nortii ' branch, by Division street and Chi cago avenue, and by Kedzle avenuifc, comprising the Fifteenth, Sixteen# and Twenty-eighth wards, and in another area bounded by Taylor anfl Morgan streets, the south branch, and Hoyne avenue, comprising the Tentil ' and Eleventh wards. ' i % Offers Site for Park. *" ' • Decatur.--Depredating the loss the park proposition at the special election, Gus Booker offered the city 20 acres of land adjoining the Sanga>- mon- river on the east side. He has 30 acres nearby which he will sell at any time the city may wish to bujr. The land is la a section of the city which has been advocating the need of a new park. The matter was referred to the park commissioners, and It to believed that they will accept Mr. Booker's offer. ' • Sentenced for Life. , Chicago.--Details of how a seven-' * year-old child was buried alive were told to Judge Plnckney In the criminal court, when Robert Gordon, 15 years old, was placed on trial charged with the murder of Joseph Reed, 2923 Eliast court. The youthful murderer entered ! a plea of guilty, and thre*f himself | upon the mercy of the court. He/Wip sentenced to the reformatore^for lif (.;• < ,s i Given $1,100 Damages. Sprlngfield.-r-Damages in the sum «^' $1,100 were awarded Robert T. Bre# er, a youth, by a jury in the circuit court in his suit against the Spring* field Electric Light & Power company; Brewer came in contact with a live wire and was painfully injured. It wait agreed that the wire had been left ufi* protected through the fault of the esf^ ployes of the company. M ; Sues Road for Extortion. Bloomington.--Five suits were fiU|| by State's Attorney A. F. Miller, of' De Witt county, against the Illinois Central railroad In behalf of I. N. Bailer, who alleges extortion and ui- just discrimination in freight ratefl If the suits are won by the complaia* ant the maximum fine will be $86,000. iM Santa Claus Badly Hurt. Springfield. -- Elmer James, <jf Ridgely, was severely burned about the head and face at his home. Hi was playing Santa Claus for his chil dren when his false whiskers because Ignited from a Christmas tree candlSw Attempt tp XIII Judge. Chicago.--Judge C. S. Cutting of tb|| probate court came near losing life at the hands of an assassin w lay In wait for him in the main cor ridor of the criminal court buildln pointed a revolver at his head fired before the judge and a number of spectators could overpower him. The bullet went within a few inches dt the jurist's head, and he was uniq> jured. The murderous attack wap1 made by Frank Ellerbrock, 810 North California avenue, who was declare# 'tor physicians to be lnsaa*. , ' Pastor Sentenced to Prison. Decatur.--Rev. F. L. Jaqpes, formej^'.^i't^' assistant pastor of the First Bapti^l yf: J church, was sentenced to an indeternp* { lnate term in the Chester penitent- tlary for attempted criminal assanl^f' James accepted the sentence witt^^ out a show of emotion. His mother, who was in court, broke down. The defense asked Judge Johns t commit James to the asylum for criminal Insane, saying he was ranged as a result of vices, but tawtst was- refuser - ^ c