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McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry, IL), 2 Mar 1898, p. 6

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recruits Belief that a Conflict with Spain fs Inevitable. : • . , . • • ; • - ; ' V ;• • • ( ' vj.-c-i-is Destruction Said to Be Beyond the Power of a Torpedo. DISASTER DDE TO DESIGN. Amer«Csn People Believe the Span- • . iards Are Guilty. The Most Reliable Advices, Pending: Official Reports, Are to the Effect that the Ill-Fated Ship Met with Foul Play--Senators and Representa­ tives at Washington,Become Aroused --Governors of Many States Offer Troops--Crisis in Our National His­ tory. Since tne terrible destruction of the battleship Maine in Havana harbor the. United States has been facing the gravest crisis of the last thirty years of its his­ tory. The people have been stirred by the disaster as they have not been since the close of the war for the Union. From the South, from the North, and from the far W est have come magnificent outbursts of national sentiment showing how pro­ foundly this great nation is agitated. The Maine was one of the finest battle­ ships afloat; one of the most perfect in construction, one of the most complete in equipment. All that modern invention, long experience and trained intelligence could do to make her efficient and safe had been done. And yet this magnificent vessel, at anchor in the harbor of a friend­ ly nation, was destroyed with greater loss of life than would have followed an en­ gagement with the whole Spanish fleet in Cuban waters. Had the Spanish cruis­ ers and torpedo boats attacked the Maine, and sent her to the bottom with the loss of 250 lives, the calamity would have been hard to bear. But to have the Maine de­ stroyed as she was destroyed is calamity unbearable. It was useless to cry pa­ tience when there was no patience. It was useless to ask for suspension of judg­ ment when judgment had been given. That judgment was against Spain, and if that private tajks with members both of the Senate find House clearly indicate' that there is a volcano at the Capitol which may burst "into activity at almost any time. The pictures of the wreck re­ ceived in Washington, reproductions of which are shoAV-h on this page, coupled with the generul ten'or Of iicAvsnaner dis­ patches, have goiie far to convince mem­ bers of Congress that the Maine was blown up frotn the outside. They are willing to wait a reasonable length of time for the board of-inquiry to discover something definite, but as- the general opinion is in favor of'a. torpedo or sub­ marine mine, failure to discover positive | evidence of, an accident wiU only serve to j confirm this opinion. 9\ s Several well-known Senators talked with say> that they are being fairly inun­ dated \v,ith, letters and telegrams regard- j ing the catastrophe in Havana harbor, and that ninety-nine out of a hundred of them look upon the mplosion as the result of a Spanish plot and demand action ac­ cordingly. Conservative Jesters are be­ coming startled by these expressions of public-opinion, and they kby this is evi- dncei of a"rising tide of popular indigna­ tion which will sweep Congress from its feet unless something is done to allay the excitement. - •• The newspaper reports indicate with surprising unanimity that a submarine mice destroyed the Maine'; If these re­ ports are not cbntradicted/proniptly and officially. Congress will surely respond with a declaration of war. which is clearly within its powers, and which the Presi­ dent will be forced to obey!.. The .people demand that if ships and men are to be lost it shall be in open Waifare. and not in so-called peaceful harbors. Any police magistrate would hold the Spaniards un­ der the evidence now at hand on suspi­ cion and require,them t<^ prove their in­ nocence. This is exactly the position tak­ en by nine-tenths of tile members of Con­ gress. This opinion, declares the corre­ spondent. Represents cleaTly the private THE NATION .MOURNS FOR ITS DEAD MARINES. ORDKKI.Y WILLIAM ANTHONY. This is the marine who, when Capt. Sigs- bee ran from his cabin just after the explo­ sion on the*Maine, saluted ,Uis superior, and in a ealm voice said: "Sir, I have to inform you that the ship has been blown up and is sinking." "What a soldier." exclaimed Capt. Sigsbee. In admiration. sentiment of Senators and Representa­ tives. They all say that the time has gone by for any questions of belligerency and that the only point at issue now is whether the United States shall seize Havana harbor, root up its submarine mines and --New York Journal. marine mine. Some members of the cab­ inet are reported to favor such demand, but it is not favorably considered by men in Congress with wider range of experi­ ence in such affairs. Should it be estab­ lished clearly that the Maine was blown up by a torpedo or mine placed in Ha­ vana harbor for defense, it is not proba­ ble that this Government will present any claim for damages. It will be regarded as a hostile act--as the beginning of a Avar in the most barbarous and treacher­ ous manner. Had one of the guns at the fortress opened on the" Maine as she entered Ha-1 vana harbor it would have been regarded as a declaration of Avar and the beginning of war. A Government torpedo explod­ ed under the Maine by a trusted Govern­ ment official is as hostile if not as open an insult. It matters not that the Spanish officials in Havana expressed their horror of the destruction of the Maine, and the Queen oi' Spain sent her condolences to the President. When the board of inquiry establishes the facts that there are torpedoes in the harbor, that Blanco's naval officer guided the Maine to her anchorage, and that a torpedo was exploded by means of the secret cables controlled by the Spanish Government officials, there can be no fur­ ther investigation or inquiry. This Gov­ ernment Avill not try to find out Avho ex­ ploded the torpedo. The Avhole case then rests with Spain. On her rests the re­ sponsibility. On Spain will be the sus­ picion of having made another treacher­ ous assault upon the United States. Those who are most experienced in diplomacy and the more delicate relations of Govern­ ments express the opinion that the Presi­ dent can do nothing but declare Avar on THE WRECK OF THE MAINE-=FROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN THE MORNING AFTER THE EXPLOSION. "fcTA"\ AL exports c.laim that the appearance of the twisted and torn wreck is in itself evidence of the fact that the Maine was destroyed by outside influences. The position of the wreck shows that the shock Avas from the port side. The main deck betAveen the forward and after magazines is bloAvn upward and to the starboard. The forward smokestack is thrown back and to the starboard. The Avhole wreck has a list to port It is claimed that the picture indicates that the Maine was destroyed by a submarine mine. After awning is in view; ship's rail is six leet under Avater; superstructure twisted and thrown aft; forward superstructure thrown 200 feet from the ship forward; smokestack lvine doAvn. fully recognizes the force of public senti­ ment and is preparing rapidly for the worst that may come. Press dispatches from different points show " preparation that is being made: New Orleans, La.'--The United States ENTRANCE TO HAVANA CEMETERY. Here lie many of the Maine victims. reversed it would be only on the testi­ mony of witnesses who had standing in the court of public opinion. No foreign country can appreciate the full depth of American patriotism, writes • Washington correspondent, and it takes an incident of this sort to show it up in Its full strength and magnificence. GOT. Tanner of Illinois Avas the first to «ffer the fighting forces of his State to the nation. Gov. Mount of Indiana telegraph­ ed that Indiana Avould make a generous response to arms. Gov. Black of New York sent word that militia of the Em­ pire State, numbering 14,000, could mo­ bilize within twenty-four hours after or- i ders were received* The belief is also ex KKD VIKAV OF THE WRECKED MAINE. pressed that there arc t>00,000 men in New- York State available for service. Gov. Atkinson of West Virginia insists that he will furnish at short notice fifteen of the best regiments that can be raised in the TJxiion. Gov. Holqomb of Nebraska will supply 1,200 Avell-drilled men and pledge 200,000 volunteers. Gov. Wells of Utah says his State Avill do its full duty when It comes to raising troops. Adjt. Gen. Sykes of Tennessee will enlist 1,800 ex­ perienced soldiers and raise 50,000 volun­ teers. Gov. Clough of Minnesota wires: "Minnesotians are fighters, and will only be satisfied in the front ranks." Gov. Stephens of Missouri declares that if war is declared he will issue a call for 150,000 troops. And so h goes and so it comes, with ether warrior States fo hear from. There is no lack of soldiers. Spain can depend upon that. Old Glory Avas at half-mast because the tears were being shed for the dead in HaA'aua, but it proudly and de­ fiantly waves in the breezes that bloAv from "the north, south, east and Avest, and it will be well for the Spaniard if the. good.ship Maine Avent to the bottom of the Havana harbor as the result of an in­ scrutable act of providence. This \yashingJon correspondent, whose are thought to be reliable, says make it f^ee an'd 'safe to the navies of the world. 'She ̂ administration fully reeog liizes the dangerous situation and is mak­ ing preparations for Avar. War may not come, but the Government will be pre­ pared if it does come.. <. The suspicion th^t the Maine Avas blown up by a t«r$edb,m' submarine mine has grown almost to a conviction. No one in Washington,^ays tlus: correspondent, can explain Avhy such *dn act shpuld have been committed, atid many hope that it may be proven that it Avas not committed by any Spanish official; but there"Are feAV avIio any longer hold'to the theory of an acci­ dental explosion in o^et of $ie magazines or have any assurance that^a conflict Avith Spain will not follow the development of the fact that the'Jiime was destroyed by ,an act of treache'ry. ' It is admitted that Consul General Lee has Avarned Americans Avho are in Ha­ vana on pleasure to leave because they are not stafe^. ^Cabinet members are talk­ ing guar'dodjyv abort,t indemnity. Naval officials adihiCthdt Avarships are moving toward Key W<jst,;and that Work is being pushed Avith all possible speed on ships now in the vicious navy yards. Army officials admit that fortifications are to be manned at onc^ jnnd that dtficr prepar­ ations are making, to place our military arm in the best possible condition. Activity Is "Significant. All these things ate explained as only in keeping with the plans formulated months or weeks ago, and that they have no especial or immediate significance at this time. But they are in keeping with the suspicion now almost a conviction, that the Maine was destroyed by a hostile act of some one connected with the Span­ ish army. It is not, however, the preparations in the Navy or War Department or the Avarnings of Gen. Lee for Americans to leave HaAana that point to a crisis as much as it is tlie feelinjg that the Maine Avas destroyed by treachery. The most conservative men in Congress fail to find any possible plan for righting this great Spain and send the navy to bombard Ha­ vana. He must accept the evidence be­ fore him. Spain alone can prevent Avar under such circumstances by making amends. She can express her regrets, tender her apolo­ gies, lay hands on the criminals whom Blanco must know, because they must have been in his employ, and execute them, salute the American flag and offer to pay an indemnity for the loss of the ship and another for the lives of the 250 men avIio were murdered. It would remain for this Government cruiser Marblehead has joined the North Atlantic squadron at Dry Tortugas. St. Louis, Mo.--The war fever con­ tinues unabated, and already the Avork of organizing companies here has begun. Washington.--All the marines on shore duty have been ordered to hold themselves in preparation for service at the shortest possible notice. Tampa. Fla.--The cruiser Montgomery has been ordered to Havana, Avhere she takes the place of the wrecked Maine un­ til further instructions are received. Columbus. O.--The Ohio militia is pre­ paring to respond to the President's call for troops in the event war is declared between the United States and Spain. At Charleston, S. C., work on the Gov­ ernment fortifications is being rapidly pushed. The navy yard force is kept busy putting the guns in shape for war. At Norfolk, Va., the Norfolk navy yard received instructions to have the monitor Terror ready for sea. Both the Puritan and Terror have been for the vacancies caused by the Maine disaster. Providence, R. I.--The 150 officers and men in the three companies of the Rhode Island naval reserves are fully equipped for any emergency and are prepared to answer a call to duty on board any of the Government war vessels Avithin five hours. New York.--Never before since the days of the Avar of the rebellion has the Brook- vn navy yard seen so pronounced an ac­ tivity on the part of officers and men. No longer do the officers deny that the Government is making the most strenuous preparations "to meet any emergency." St. Augustine, Fla.--Captain Hubbell, with oue battery, has been sent to Sulli­ van's island, and a few days ago Lieut. Van Duzen departed for Fort Moultrie with a detail of twenty men to take charge of coast defenses. Army officials here freely discuss the probability of trou­ ble with Spain. At Cincinnati, O., a recruiting office for soldiers to serve in case of war Avith Spain was opened at Mergard's Hall, Many men signed the muster roll. A NOTES OF THE DISASTER. Brief Bits of Important Neves Bearing on the Horror in Havana Harbor. The wreck has sunk several feet already in the soft mud. The Spanish Government will stake all on the claim, that the disaster Avas acci­ dental. The main portion of the wreck, as seen from above and noted from beloAv, was IjIoavii to starboard. A large quantity of clothing has been taken from the Avreck and will be given to the reeoncentrados. The Spanish anti-American feeling in Havana is growing and Americans are in­ sulted openly on the streets. The most intense anxiety is shown by the Spanish officials in Havana, Avho are in constant communication Avith Madrid. Divers found the bodies of tAventy men in hammocks, where they had been in­ stantly killed by the shock of the explo­ sion. Admiral Sicard issued orders forbidding any United States official or sailor'to talk of the Maine disaster with outsiders un­ der severe penalty. Significance is attached to the "fact that the Avrecked ship was the first, foreign Avar vessel to be anchored to that par­ ticular buoy since the Cuban trouble be­ gan. Sharks have given little trouble, but the vultures left scarcely anything but the skeletons of three men, Avho were en­ tangled in debris very near the surface of the water. A Spanish lieutenant openly boasted that if any other United States warship arrived she would be served the same -- .-- TT:„ WU). XI IS Utuiuci u uproariously. One thing seems certain, if the Maine was bloAvn up by an outside agency, the agent Avas a mine, and not a torpedo, as no torpedo known could have produced such tremendous results. . The number of missing is eighty-five or eighty-six. and five have died in the hos­ pital. Of the missing many doubtless were bloAA-n to atoms, no portions of their bodies being recoverable. Cubans claim that there are mine gal­ leries under the harbor leading from sub- iC6FS EppitiUued uiiij mVEH IX ITNIFOKM READY FOR WORK. terranean passages known to have exist­ ed for years betAveen Fort Cabanas and Morro Castle and Havana. SPAIN IS LIABLE. LOOKING FORWARD FROM THE AFTER SEARCHLIGHT. to make the terms of peace that would be acceptable, and the independence of Cuba would be one of these conditions. The diplomats see no other Avay to prevent war if it should be established that the Maine was blown up by a torpedo or mine. The Avork of the board of inquiry will therefore end Avhen they have examined the ship and found the evidences of foul play. There aamII then be left no alterna­ te for this Government but .war, unless Spain sues for peace and asks for con­ ditions of peace. READY FOR A FIGHT. MARINE HOSPITAL, KEY WEST. Where some of the wounded of the Maine crew are being eared for. wrong. It has been suggested to the Pres­ ident that an indemnity of $10,000,000 might be demanded from Spain if the board of inquiry reports that;the battle­ ship was blown up by a torpedo or Bub- I» Case of Trouble with Spain the United States Would Be Prepared. In spite of all denials it is Avell knoAA;n that unusual efforts are being made to arm and equip every sea coast fortifica­ tion, and that the regular army officers throughout the country have been quietly notified to put their commands into the best possible condition. The President does not want Avar, and will go a long ways out of his way to avoid it. but he member of Nelson Post. G. A. R.. issued a dodger headed "To arms, to arms." Hundreds of Avhite badges and buttons with the words "Volunteer--On to Ha- A'ana" have been distributed. New York.--Preparations for war, car­ ried on Avith the greatest secrecy, have been going on in New York harbor. If the United States declares war and Cap tain Eulate tries to leave porte by force, lie will find a barrier such as he has not bargained for. All that is necessary to do to bloAA' up the Spanish warship Viz- caya is to touch an electric button if she tries to pass out through the narrows. Key West, Fla.--The preparation for Avar can be seen on every hand, and from the naval station stores are being sent to the battleships at Tortugas. Every night the battleships Ne\A- York and Iowa clear decks for action, and everything suspicious is stopped and spoken. Sol­ diers can be seen everywhere. Troops that would enlist from this city are accli­ mated to yelloAV fever, and could be sent to the interior of Cuba without fear of taking that dreaded disease. Dons Are Pecuniarily Responsible for Loss of the Maine. Good authorities on international law say that if it is proved that there were mines in the harbor of Havana, Spain is liable for the disaster to the Maine, whether those mines exploded by accident or through the criminal act of an indi­ vidual Spaniard, Avhether an official or not. They believe that if Spain had laid submarine mines in the Havana harbor it Avas her duty to warn the officers of the Maine of the danger they incurred in an­ choring there. They cite precedents, whereby nations have recovered damages in instances very similar to the one in point, to prove Spain's liability, not only for the loss of the ship, but for indemni­ ties for the sailors Avhose lives were lost in the explosion. The liability of Spain, they say, could not be denied if neither the place of an­ chorage Avas assigned to the Maine by Spanish officials nor the explosion Avas due to the criminal act of some individual, but simply to some unacountable acci­ dent. For while Spain had unquestion­ ably the right to provide her harbor with submarine mines and torpedoes, she was morally bound-to Avarn auy ship of a friendly nation--not only a man-of-Avar, but the same holds true of any merchant­ man--of the danger that Avould be incur­ red by anchoring in that harbor except in a safe position consigned to her. Any power that alloAA's a ship of a friendly na­ tion to enter her harbor thereby implicitly declares that it is safe to*do so, fortified CAl'TAIN W. T. SAMPSON. President of (lie Naval Board of Inquiry. HUMAN BURDEN-BEARERS. Columbian Pack ^Carriers Transport Burdens 1 oo Hfeavy for Mules. The phrase "as strong as a horse" is generally used hyperbolic-ally, but it is no uncommon-thing in some lands for a whole class of men to be.required to be stronger than mules, or in any case to carry burdens which those much-en­ during animals would not be able to stagger under. Mr. C. P. Yeatnian, in an article in the Engineering Magazine on the difficulties of transportation in the tropics, tells some wonderful stories of the strength and endurance of the pack-carriers in Colombia. He says that on some roads there- are 'professional pack-carriers who make a specialty of carrying burdens too heavy for mules. The traveler will sometimes .see what appears to be an animated •box, staggering slowly and painfully down the mountain-side ahead of him. As lie diw.vs nearer he becomes aware that distressing grunts are proceeding from that uncanny-looking and mys­ teriously-moving box. It lias no visi­ ble-means of support, and when he comes close enoughNto read such famil­ iar words as "Mason .& Hamlin Organ Company," or-the name of some other manufacturer of heavy articles, -lie wonders, where the legs are that sup­ port so Aveighty a burden. j Not until lie gets ahead of that per­ ambulating box does he see the short, sturdy figure that is the motive poAver of the machine. The man's muscles are splendid specimens of development, in his hand he carries a long, stout cane, Avith which he steadies himself on the slippery clay, and-when fatigue compels him to rest, he backs up to the bank on the side of the road, settles the lower end of his load against the higher ground, and props up the upper end with his stick. Then he is free to slip off the plaited maguey-fibre bands from his shoulders and forehead, and rid himself of his burden. Stranger still is it to overtake a wom­ an pack-carrier, her skirts tucked up to her knees, and below the skirts great knots and masses of corded muscle in prominent view. It is wise not to be misled by appearances into commiser­ ating the wrinkled burden-bearer, and kindly remarking that her load is over- large for one of her years to carry. Ten to one she will answer contemp­ tuously, "Oh, two hundred and twenty pounds is nothing. JTou should see my grandmother. She does carry heavy loads. I am no'# full-grown yet." * The traveler passes on with strange visions of what an old woman in such a land may be. The maximum weight for a man to carry is generally three hundred and thirty pounds, and for a woman three- quarters of that weight. Two hundred and forty-seven and a half pounds is no trifle for a woman to carry up and down hill. or not. So in all these cases there seems to be a clear case of responsibility on the part of Spain, • A breeder of Charlestown, Md., has a pair of golden fawn rabbits with ears that measure twenty-one inches from tip to tip and drag on the ground. It is said that rabbits are increasing so rapidly in some parts of Connecticut that they are a nuisance because of their depredations. They are especial­ ly injurious to orchards. A strange story comes from Curtin township on top of the Alleghany moun­ tains, of a bear taking a child of a cer­ tain Mr. Watkins into the Avoods and covering it up Avith leaves, without harming it. The caribou or reindeer of Newfound­ land roam over an area of some 25,000 miles of unbroken Avilderness. They nre magnificent creatures, some of the larger stags which have been shot hav­ ing Aveighed from 500 to 000 pounds. A real old-fashioned dragon was seen not long ago, day >l»y day, by terrified peasants in the- River \ istula, near CracoAV. It Avas finally captured in a net and killed, Avhen it proved to be an alligator which had escaped from a menagerie. Western Kansas is overrun with coy­ otes. It was thought that they had been almost exterminated by the war- fare made by the settlers of the neAv country; but reports from that section indicate that they are multiplying in­ stead of diminishing. They have kill­ ed thousands of sheep, and even go into the farmers' hen houses and kill their chickens. Dogs are no protection against their invasions, for one coyote, if cornered, will whip three ordinary dogs. "Worst Kind of Luck. "When ex-Senator Thomas Fitch lived in Virginia City. Nev.," said the Western man, "he was unquestionably the finest orator on the Pacific slope, and the best equipped lawyer, with the possible exception of the supreme judge, Stephen J. Field. 'Tom' was the idol of every mining camp in those parts, where lie- was widely known. One of his failings, however, Avas his carelessness in money matters and his intrepidity in incurring debts. He also had a weakness for cards and never missed an opportunity of getting in a game Avhen convenient. 0«i& Sunday morning in June, 1874," 3im Merry, a well-knoAA'n sporting man in Virginia City, rose with the sun and was am­ bling doAvn K street for his cocktail. In front of the Ora Flno saloon he met 'Tom' Fitch. " 'Good morning, Senator,' greeted Merry, 'and Avliat brings you out so early ?' " 'Oh, I've been up all night in a game,' ansAvered Fitch with some acerbity. " 'Well, hoAv'd you come out?' queried Merry. " 'Lost $2,530,' replied the Senator. " 'That's too bad, Senator; you must have played in ill luck.' " 'So I did,' said Fitch, 'and the worst of it is $30 of it was in cash money.' " How Is That, Mark ? If Mark TAvain believes himself he must think he has lived in vain. He says there are only fifty jokes in the world, and lie must admit that Artemus ^'ard Avrote a feAV of them. Every man whose Avife is extrava­ gant hates the dry goods merchants. Cheap and Good Gravel5 Roads. In some sections of the country, not-, ably in the Western States, are coun­ ties in which the character of the so'! and absence of suitable road materials make road improvement a very diffi­ cult problem. Besides much level coun­ try there are frequent hills, .many small creeks, and rivulets that only run, after hard rains or in a wet season. Numerous bridges need to be main- *"• tained, and the soil becomes mud under slight provocation. Such conditions ob­ tain in Scott County, IoAAra, where an attempt lias been made to build roads at a-moderate cost that will stand traf­ fic and the strain.,of the breaking up of winter. The methods employed by the super - visors have been to first grade, fill and gutter the road selected, and in particu^ larly wet places lay drain tiles with good fall and free outlet. Then such stones as can be had are laid as flat as^ possible to .a depth of about six. inches. The spaces are filled up with small bro­ ken stone, and a smooth surface is Se­ cured of the contour desired. On this is laid four inches of gravel, arid a three-ton roller gives it a surface, regu- "* lar travel doing the rest. It packs well, becomes smooth and hard and im­ proves v.'ith use. The small broken stone used is,a limestone> that is round in the cou/.ty, which is not hard enough for surface use, and the gravel is obtained in an adjoining county.. With a sixteen foot roadway as a rule, and a twelve foot on the steeper grades, the first cost was-about $1,8Q0 per mile. In the numerous bridges required for small streams, old mill boilers, about four feet in diameter and over twenty feet long, have been used in some sev­ enteen cases. Their walls are of five- eighth inch steel, and capable of carry­ ing any amount of filling and traffic over them. The expense has been com­ paratively small. The feAV repairs that are required on these gravel roads are made by the in­ mates of the county poorhouse;' on whom the moral effect is excellent.-- L. A. W. Bulletin. A "Wisconsin Plan. The latest plan for raising a fund for the improvement of highways in Wis­ consin is thus described by the Milwau­ kee Wisconsin: Another attempt will be made in the AA-ay of securing State aid for road building, at the meeting of the Legislature of 1S09. This time it is to be made, if present plans do not fail, by the Wisconsin division of the Century Road Club, and the proposi­ tion will go considerably farther than the movement inaugurated by the League of American Wheelmen at the last session. It is proposed to ask the Legislature to provide for a fund that Avill eventually reach the sum of $500,- 000. Furthermore it is proposed that the wheelmen contribute a similar amount, to be raised and guaranteed before the appropriation from the State is asked. The plan is the result of the delibera­ tions of the Committee on State Aid for Road Building, which was appoint­ ed at'the annual meeting of the divis­ ion. In the report which the committee has prepared, it is proposed to begin Avith the building of a road running across the State, starting at Hudson, running through La Crosse and then folloAving the river road, winding down through Madison and on to Milwaukee. It is proposed to raise the funds by cir­ culating petitions in each Assembly district of the State. These petitions are' to be directed to the Legislature and each wheelman signing will be re­ quired to name the amount of his sub­ scription. An effort will be made to secure the signature and subscription of every legislator. Men, Women and Hats. A German professor has been study­ ing that article of masculine apparel which the irreverent call a "sitovepipe," and lias found in it proof of man's su­ periority to Avoman, says the New York Times. Time was, he says, when men, like women now, ornamented their hats Avith ribbons and feathers more 6r less beautiful acffl. wore garments of the brightest colors they could, find. This was all "plumage d'amour;" it indicat­ ed no intellectual superiority and no moral Avorth. It merely represented the superiority of the peacock over the peahen. Now men have molted. Their headgear lias become the unplumed "stovepipe," their habit the inexpres­ sive frock coat. It is woman, the pro­ fessor points out, Avho weal's the "plumage d'amour" to-day, in her hat and elseAvhere. Nature, he explains, means some­ thing by every evolution or revolution she permits. What she means by this one is that fine feathers are best suited to the feather-brained. The plumed hat of woman is symbolical of her fall, the plain "stovepipe" of man, of his rise in intellectuality. Man's moral worth, in short, has become such that he can lose plumage to the inferior ani­ mals. If this isn't "just like a man for all the worlds" nothing ever was. Etiquette Between Gentlemen. At. an assize court the late Justice Maule Avas engaged in passing sen­ tence on a prisoner, when one of the officers of the court annoyed him by crossing the gangway beneath him with papers for members of the bar. "Don't you knoAv," cried the judge se­ verely, addressing the official culprit, "that ybu ought never to pass between two gentlemen when one of them is addressing the other?" Having thus relieved his mind, the judge proceeded to pass sentence of seven years' penal servitude on the other gentleman. Coining Money in Alaska. John Kavanaugh, a young Califor- nian, went to the Klondike region, go­ ing afoot, and carrying with him in his outfit a Winchester rifle and a violin. Once in the diggings he found himself about the only, available musician there, and' as a result there Avas ljttle necessity for him to delve with the pick and shovel at $15 a day Avbile waitiug to hit on a rich claim,of bis own. since the lucky miners gladly paid him $30 to $35 a night to play for them at their d-vnees.

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