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: *^11*1^*^*1^ *** * *^^a|ft,l^^^VwVV>AAAAA<V^V^^rrf>^*^y,yVyV>A/VUVUVVV^VVVWVVWVVVV\i 1 '"'S vp ° nP o o c )0 q,o.o.o cio,. > o (>f -0.0.0.0 /i £V. ,; :••?*: .-i.' t/'A.C :"<i 't K:' - V#. -¥:i m •:-" :^'l' /Jf'V Brunetta Roth burst unceremonious­ ly Into her friend's room. "Mary," she cried, "la it possible you have refused Christopher Patton?" Mary Vane, a tall, pretty girl, who Was adjusting her fur collarette be­ fore the mirror, turned quickly, her •oft cheeks flushing scarlet. "Why, Brunetta," she exclaimed, "how can you expect me to answer auch a question?" Brunetta, who was small and stout, and attired in the height of the pre­ vailing mode, sank down in a chair and laughed. "I didn't expect you to answer it. There is no necessity you should do so. Mr. Patton told Tom last night that you had thrown him over. I don't see how your conscience allowed you to act so. He is such a catch--young and good-looking. Best of all, he is enor- nously wealthy." Mary smiled as she speared a crown of her demure little turban with a long pin. She was thinking of a man who was no longer young--near forty, per­ haps--who was handsomer in her eyes than all other men, and who wsS )>y no means wealthy. ^ "1 really believe,"went on Miss Roth, "that you have an absurd fancy for Charlie Everett--I do, indeed!" Mary's smile became quizzical. "Really?" she said. "Oh, I have no patience with you!" declared Brunetta, wrathfully. "You've known Charlie Everett three or four years. All this time he has been most devoted to you, but not one of your friends knows to this day whether you are engaged or not." The smile faded from Mary's lips. "'We are not," she answered, and the Say little cousin fancied her tone was sad. "And yet you have been more gra­ cious to him than to any of the others," pursued Miss Roth, relentlessly. •"Mary, are jrou in love with him?" "Isn't that," counter-questioned Mary, evasively, "what the lawyers would call a leading question? I don't wish to seem rude, or to hurry you, Brunetta, but I have an engagement to sign some papers this afternoon at the office of Deal ft Burrit Can't yon come with me?" "Yes. I must see Mme. Mireau about my Baster hat One must arrange with her in time, as she Is always rushed with orders. Are those papers con­ nected with your uncle's will?" "He left you everything! What a lucky girl you are! I suppose now you feel you can afford to marry whom you please." The conversation again turned on •Charlie Everett as the girls rode down town together on the Metropolitan BUe- -fated. "He is a mysterious fellow," Bru- metta remarked. "Mysterious!" Mary sent her a sud­ den look of inquiry. "What do yon :mean?" "Well.there really is reason why he should be considered a good deal of an enigma. While not wealthy like Chris­ topher Patton, Tom tells me he has a good salary, and adds to this by writ­ ings. But you know he does not spend money as other men in our class do. He is not liberal in the matter of thea­ ters or flowers. He lives quietly. He Everett had told her of his lorn "I cannot now ask you to be my wife," he had said. "I will some day, God willing. The time may not be far off, but I love you too well to bind you by a promise you might later find burdensome. And yet--dear;^you will trust me and wait?" "I will wait for you till I die!'* she had replied, and had questioned him not at alL Then hs had protested that this was not an engagement-~that she was free--quite free. Only he was bound. "Very well," she had agreed. "We are not engaged." But the understanding that existed between them was sweet to both. That was a year ago. And now she had to acknowledge to herself that she knew little more of his private life or of his personal af­ fairs than she knew then. She was unusually silent as she and Brunetta descended the steps and walked to­ gether to the lawyer's office. Her er­ rand there attended to, Mary Vane went with Brunetta to see about the latter's Easter hat Then the two walked down State street just as the matinee-goers were flocking from the theaters. Brunetta paused suddenly before a florist's window. "O, I had almost forgotten! Mamma told me to order some flowers for to­ morrow. Will you come in with me?" They stood a few minutes admiring I £1SSSaf-'"- ••TWENTY-EIGHT LILIES," HE SAID has no expensive habits. Where, then, does his money go?" Mary Vane was silent "There is one house in the suburbs where he is known to frequently vis­ it," the other went on. Brunetta, as will be observed, was not above enjoy­ ing a gossip. "Two women live there. One is apparently a superior sort of a servant. The other is a pretty, deli­ cate-look ing little creature of about twenty-five or thereabouts. Occasion­ ally Mr. Everett takes her driving through the parks.. Has he ever men­ tioned her to yont" Mary forced herself te answer: •No." **Nor to anyone else. But I have Men him out with her Who is she?" A feeling of unrest, an cndeflnable fliar, thrilled the heart of Matj Tana She recalled the night Obarlls "Oh, she cried. "She is dead!" the display in the window, the golden daffodils, and shy blue crocuses, pure lilies of the valley, flaunting tulips, starry jasmine, and cool green ferns forming a tender background for them all. The attendants were busy when they entered. The girls stood back Of a high rubber tree admiring some rare chrysanthemums when the door was flung open and a gentleman came in. He was of medium height and had a kind, brown-bearded, thoughtful face. Not noticing any one in the store he went directly to the counter. To a man at that instant disengaged he gave his order.* "Twenty-eight lilies," he said. "Yes --like those. Have them tied with broad white satin ribbon. Send to this address." And he laid a card and a bill on the counter. An Instant later he had received his change and walked out The girls stared at each other. "That," gasped Brunetta, "was Char- He Everett!" "Yes, I know," murmured Mary. Before she could put out her hand to stop her meddlesome friend the latter had stepped to the counter and read the address on the card which lay there. "Just as I thought," she remarked a few minutes later, when they were out in the street together. "The ad­ dress is 14 Forest Avenue, Idlewild. That is the suburb in which his mys­ terious acquaintance of whom I told you lives." That number, street, place, burned in |Mary's brain. She parted from Bru­ netta and went home. A fierce fever of jealousy possessed her. Who was this woman to whom he sent Lenten lilies? Idlewild was directly south Of her own home. A cable car ran out to the pretty place. She would go there. iShe would call at the house. She would ask the lady who dwelt therein: "What* is Charlie Everett to you?" When that was answered she would know how worthy of continued loyalty was her confessed lover. But not until the morning. She would not go until morn­ ing. "Shame to doubt him!'* cried her heart through all the sleepless night that followed. But her rigid will si­ lenced that assailing protest. So the. morning of the beautiful day that followed found her at the gate of a cosey cottage set back amid a group of bare-branched maples. There were drifts of snow in the little garden, but the air was warm with the effulgent prescience of spring. So peaceful wm the place, the hour, her courage almost failed her. All the blinds were down. The entrance she chose brought her to a side door. Sha rang the belL • maid appeared. "May I--" Mary Vane began, then Haltered. For whom should she asfcf "Yes," the girl replied. "Come to." Marveling, Mary followed her. She led the way late a front room. Tlw curtains were drawn. Tapers burned in the dimness. At first Mary fancied that-- "There was silence, and nothing then But silence, and acents of eglanterre. And jasmine, and rosea, and rose­ mary--" Then she saw that there was some­ thing else. A coffin, and in it lying a white-robed form, with folded hands, and lilies lying on the pulseless breast Mary shrank back. "Oh," she cried. "Bhe Is dead." "Yes, Miss. I thought you wished to see her. A good many of the neigh­ bors were in last evening. She had many friends hereabout for all her misfortunes. Ain't those lilies beauti­ ful? Mr. Charlie sent them. Twenty- eight for twenty-eight years." Mary went nearer, looked down on the dead face, a young face which had once been lovely, but bore the unmis­ takable Impress of sorrow and suffer­ ing. "It's not many men," went on the servant, wiping her eyes, "who would do what Mr. Charlie did. After his brother was injured in that railroad wreck four years ago he begged Mr., Charlie in dying to take care of his young wife. Mr. Charlie promised^ him. He has supported her and given her every comfort since. She was al­ ways weakly, and when her mind gave out from brooding over her husband's death, and she was such a charge, Mr. Charlie was that gentle and patient with her--my! £he had spells of un­ derstanding. Then Bhe'd beg no» to be sent to an asylum--not that Mr. Char­ lie would think of such a thing. She wouldn't hurt a bird, poor dear! There! That Is Mr. Charlie now!" A step crossed the hall. Looking pale and worn, Charlie Everett came into the room. His face lighted up at sight of his sweetheart "You--Mary!" he cried. "Hush!" she begged. She broke down, crying bitterly. "Don't look at me--don't speak to me until I have told you how It is that I am here." She brokenly whispered the truth. "You can never trust me again," aha said in conclusion. •He took her In his arms. "Perhaps I should have spoken to you of her, but I hated to cast so dark a shadow over your young life. I could not keep up two households, and she was penniless. She was my charge before I learned to love you. My first duty was to her. The doctors agreed she could not live long. As tor trust­ ing--my dearest, you must forgive me tor not having confided in you--I you, for your doubt of me. So we are equaL Is it not Whittier who writes: "Love scarce is love that never knowa The sweetness of forgiving!" They passed out together into thS brilliance of the Sabbath morning. Anirctv Carne£i*'s Wife. Mrs. Andrew Carnegie, wife of the great philanthropist, has been his sfbleft helpmeet in all his projects to do good to his fellow men. It was. In fact through his benevolent work that Mr. Carnegie met his wife. She was Miss Louise Whitfield, daughter of John Whitfield of the Importing firm of Whitfield, Powers ft Co., and she and her future spouse became ac­ quainted through a philanthropic plan in which both were interested. Miss Whitfield was an heiress in a small way. She posesssed $60,000, (lifting and "neavinp The practice of "lifting," once great­ ly in vogue and still to be found here and there In England, Is one of the most curious of the Easter customs. It was observed on Easter Monday and Blaster Tuesday, the men "lifting" or "heaving" the women on the former occasion, and the women returning the compliment the next day. The process consisted in placing the person to be lifted on the crossed hands of two or three others, and raising him high off the ground three times. At the end of the ceremony the lifters expected a fee of a kiss or a silver sixpence, and SURPRISED A TRAVELER. sometimes both. Occasionally a chair was used for the lifting. A traveler in England many years ago, who was entirely unacquainted with tills Easter custom, leaves a pathetic account of his bewilderment one Easter Tuesday upon being seized by several vigorous young women, placed In spite at hit troubles in a gayly decorated chair, and raised aloft three times to the full height to which these Amazons could reach. Then he was In still greater consternation, he alleges, when he was kissed heartily by each of his fair lift­ ers, and requested to present to the group a pieoe of silver in token at hie gratitude. Daring the last century the BUM* was translated into 250 languages, and It I, now acHHlM, to 33 KR8. ANDRBW OARNSOIfl. which she was using in charitable work. She had also beauty, good humor and health. The king of the steel industry had known her sixteen years before her marriage. After that happy event Mr. Carnegie's Immense fortune was at the disposal of his wife for her benevolent activities, and these, though obscured by her hus­ band's prodigality, have been, never­ theless, useful and extensive. Mr. and Mrs. Carnegie have one pretty daugh­ ter. the world's population. Trump Corporations. ^ A revised corporation law went Intd effect in West Virginia a few days ago. That state still hopes to compete with New Jersey in the business of creating large corporations for pur­ poses of state revenue. The new law places no limit upon the capitalisa­ tion of a company, but it requires the payment of a license fee and an an­ nual tax. each of which varies from |20 to $1,010 on corporations ranging up to $4,000,000 capitalization, with $50 extra for each added million. The most undesirable feature of the law Is found in the fact that the state does not hold the corporations it creates to account It creates them and turns them loose on other states. Handy 'Bundlt Carrier. Here is a handy arrangement for the school children or even older students to and from school, and it might also be useful in car­ r y i n g o t h e r articles be­ sides books. Its principal feature Is its simple meth- Jil of adjUs ­ ui en t around a. package cr pile of books. The device is mounted on a flat strip of wood, and consists of a metallic handle, with a rotary wind­ ing spool and a long cord. One end of the cord is affixed to the- winding spool and the other end, after it has been passed around the bundle, is inserted in the aperature in the opposite end of the baBe. The winding spool Is loosely mounted on the handle, and is pro­ vided with a ratchet device, which will lock It when the cord Is wound tightly. Before finishing the task the handle Is released from the end opposite the drum, and by turning it partially around, rewinding the cord a little further and then returning the handle to its socket an extra reef is taken in the cord, which affords a strong grip on the bundle. Another Pfassachasmtts Canal, The Massachusetts legislature has made an appropriation for the survey of a canal from Weymouth^ in the vi­ cinity of Boston Harbor, to Taunton, near where Taunton river empties in­ to Narragansett bay. This canal, If constructed, will shorten the distance between New York and Boston 100 miles, and also relieve small coasting vessels from the dangers they are now exposed to in rounding Cape Cod, and interior towns from high railroad freight rates. The canal will be only fifty miles In length. The project is not a new one, as the state as long ago as 1808 decided It was feasible, and f in 1825 congress ordered a survey of ithe route, and no insurmountable ob­ stacles were found. The object of the fpresent survey is to show that the cost , of the work will be small, as an in­ ducement for congress to provide for its construction. -- , . f J ! •Automalic Cat Igntter. The Illustration shows an Internal and external view of the automatic gas lighter recently patented. It is very simple in its c o nstructio; being formed of a mixture of bone-as'.; and platinum r black. It is well known ithat platinum black oc­ cludes large quantities of Lights gas without oxygen from match the air, and if a stream of hydrogen be directed upon the patinum the chemi­ cal combination of the two gases takes place with sufficient energy to raise the temperature of the platinum black un­ til It becomes red hot, or sufficiently hot to render incandescent a platinum wire placed over the slot of the gas burner. Formerly these Igniters have ,, become inefficient in a short time, on account of the atoms of one of the in­ gredient coalescing with those of the other, when the atoms are too closely connected to occlude oxygen at the or­ dinary temperature with sufficient ra­ pidity to heat the platinum wire. How­ ever, this inventor claims to have dis­ covered a process which will overcome this difficulty. To accomplish this result the bone-ash is heated to a high temperature to purify it and is then mixed with water and platinum blacty to form a paste, which is subjected to a high degree of heat in a mold of the required shape. It is then ready for connection with the wire whieh forms the igniter. Work in Both Houses at Sprlnc- _ Held. REPORT Of THE PR0CEE0IK6S. *ho BUI CMe«ril»( tha Circulation or Disposal of Criminal Utrritara C«»~ tatas 8»npln( and Stringent Pro* vtsloas '*• Xacra»a« liiiwut Taiaos k WEEK •feat - v . m „ * • * * * • "k'v-' « I.1 r.l" s'i:» CShm Kjaiser in a Shitfer. Oread of assassination has unnerved many a chief of Btate* hut the fear­ some irritation now shown by the Ger­ man emperor was hardly to be ex­ pected from a man of his heroic pre­ tensions. Even if the assault which has thrown him into chills and fever had been of a most sinister and dan­ gerous character it would have been his part to maintain an appearance of self-poise and dignity, and consider­ ing the nature of the incident It should have been ignored entirely. A 'boy whining over the smart of a snow­ ball Is about as impressive a figure as the grieved monarch In his present fit J. f*ierpont Morgan's fartncr. George W. Perkins, who has just en­ tered the financial firm of J. P. Morgan ft Co., began work in his father's of­ fice in Chicago when 15 years old, and has never ceased his efforts. His father was the gen­ eral agent of the New York Life In­ surance company in the West. By the time he was SI he knew a great deal more aibout life insur­ ance than his fath er ever had known, and gave f ^ such promise that ^ w PerklM. he was an object of decided attention to those who eaw the results of his efforts in the home office. When the reorganization of the New York Life took place in 1892 Mr. Perkins became the vice- president, and he has handled prob­ lems that puzzled the best minds that pondered company's later- esta. *•- ' P-/K Was a Staunch Methodist. Rev. >Dr. Arthur Edwards, a promi­ nent figure in Methodism for twenty years past and editor of the North* western Christian Advocate, died at his home in Chicago the other evening. Dr. Edwards had distinguished him­ self as a clergyman, soldier and edi­ tor. His best years were spent aa editor of the Northwestern Christian Advocate, in which capacity he wielded a wide and powerful Influence in the affairs of the Methodist Episcopal church and was a potent factor in molding Methodist policy. He was a deep student, and through his early training had a much more intimate knowledge of the practical affairs o! life than the average clergyman. This DR. ARTHUR EDWARDS. gave him a bond of sympathy with the laity, with whom he was always pop­ ular. Because of his ability and grasp of affairs he was chosen to serve as a member of the principal governing bodies of the church. His knowl dge of questions of church history was pro­ found. Dr. Edwards was born at Nor- walk, Ohio, Nov. 23, 1834. When he was 7 years old his uncle, a lake cap­ tain, adopted him, and he went to live with his foster father in Michigan. Monday, March S8. •Carl Mueller Introduced a bill designed to place private banks under state con­ trol. This Is another of the several bills brought out by the legislative attack on John Alexander Dowie of Chicago. Tha Mueller bill is similar in its provisions to the bill introduced last week by Mr. O'Meara. It requires the state to exam­ ine every private bank once a year and requires private banks to make semi-an­ nual reports to the auditor. , Tnenrtay, March la Among: the bills Introduced In the ham and senate were the following: By Mr. Kelley: Concerning criminal ttt- erature. lite bill is aa follows: "It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, or offer for sale, or to print or pub­ lish, or to bring into the state for the purpose of selling, giving away or other­ wise disposing of, any paper, book, peri­ odical. pamphlet or magazine the chief feature or characteristic of which Is the record of the commission of crime or the display by out or illustration of crimes committed, or the acts or picture* of criminals, desperadoes, or of men or women in lewd or unbecoming positions or improper dress. Any person guilty of a violation of this act shall be fined not less than tlO nor more than $100." By Mr. Allen, providing that the as­ sessed valuation of property for purposes of taxation shall be one-half Instead ef one-fifth of Its fair cash value. » Wednesday, March 27. The house postponed to April 4 consider­ ation of the steering-committee resolution for a sine-die adjournment on April 24. The senate passed a resolution for a sina- dle adjournment on May S and sent it te the house, where It was laid on the speak­ er's table, which means that It will re­ main without action till It shall please the speaker to take it up. Governor Yates sent the following nomi­ nations to the senate this morning: William Olln Forbes of Cook county, for member of the state board of health, to succeed L. Adelsberger of Monroe county, resigned. Thomas J. Clark of Adams county, for commissioner of the Southern Illinois pen­ itentiary, to succeed Thomas ,W. Scott of Wayne county, resigned. William P. Smith of Piatt county, for member of the state board of live stock commissioners to succeed James H. Pad­ dock of Sangamon county, resigned. Emll G. Hlrsch of Cook county, for member of the state board of charities, to succeed Ephralm "Banning of Cook county, resigned. Tharaday, lfarch SS. Senator Dawson introduced a bill to tax bachelors. The bill provides that when an unmarried man above the age of 40 years applies for a marriage license he shall pay a fee of 1100 and the money collected shall be used for the erection of a spin­ ster's home. The bill was sent to the com­ mittee on licenses and miscellany. The house passed Mr. Struckman's bill per­ mitting ex-union soldiers and sailors, honorably discharged, to vend, hawk, and peddle goods, wares, fruit*, or merchan­ dise not prohibited by law In any coun­ ty, town, M^llage, incorporated city, or municipality without the payment of a license fee. PrMav, March SO. A bill abolishing the fee system for clerks of the supreme and appellate courts and fixing salaries of such clerks was Introduced In the house by Repre­ sentative Rinaker. ' The house adjourned to 10 a. m. April S. The subcommittee of the house appro­ priation comittee to which was referred the matter of an appropriation for an Illi­ nois exhibit at the Charleston (S. C.) exposition In 1902 ha agreed upon a bill appropriating $25,000 for the purpose. It ia probable that this bill will be approved by the appropriations committee. Only Ave senators were present In the senate, and the session of that body did not last more than one minute. MOTES OK THE SK8£IOir& William A. Bowles of Will county in­ troduced in the house the three amend­ ments to the Chicago drainage law which had been prepared by Judge O. N. Car­ ter of Chicago. One bill provides that the Chicago sanitary district may borrow money for corporate purposes, and issue bonds therefor, but it shall not become indebted in any manner or for any pur­ pose to an amount in the aggregate to exceed 5 per cent of the valuation of the taxable property in the district. The sec- end bill provides that for the purpose of Widening or deepening any navigable Stream which Is a part of the main sani­ tary channel the sanitary district may exercise the right of eminent domain for the purpose of taking land and may levy a tax of 1 per cent upon the assessed valuation of property In the district ex­ clusive of any other taxes which the cor­ poration is authorised to levy. The third bill provides, the method of annexing territory to the sanitary district. Upon petition of 1,000 voters resident within the limits of any territory proposed to be annexed, the county judge sitting with two circuit Judges, to be selected by him, shall hear all persons Interested and fix the boundaries of the territory proposed to be annexed. The question of annexa­ tion shall then be submitted to the voters Of such territory and also at the draln- age district. ' Gov. I>a Follette's veto of the bUl ex­ empting the Milwaukee Exposition from taxation, on the ground that It was un­ constitutional. which came in Friday, but Was not reached, was read in the senate Monday morning, at Senator Roehr's re­ quest. Action cn the veto was postponed Until a week from Thursday, saying there was a chance that the governor's objections might be overcome by another bill. Mr. Allen Is pushing a bill concerning the Issue of negotiable bonds by cities, incorporated villages and towns. Tha bill authorizes cities, villages and towns to issue refunding bonds to redeem out­ standing obligations of indebtedness or for other purposes, and provides that no bonds shall be issued for a longer period •than twenty years, and that the rate of interest shall not exceed 5 per cent. RttORO OF HAPPRNINQi; SEVEN DAYS. Iatevestla* Wliimiirlw te Mm Burly Wittliawt «f missis ef Illinois Miailsw City Ttafcsts AM* Mamad--Arkor M •arty »stowr «f PWasfc, Prof. Edwin Sparks of the TTn!v«#» sity of Chicago recently made a short trip to St Clair county, Illinois, to loolt over documents which throw light upon the early history of Illinois and its set­ tlement by the French. H© discovered papers of considerable importance to the historical student, but found that the greater part of the wills, testa­ ments and records of t$e early colo­ nists had been used to kindle fires or ;• relegated to the rubbish heap. The •? records which he examined, however, throw light upon the history of tha, French occupation as far back as 1734," and open up a field which has been up. to this time unexposed by the Illinois! historians. Prof. Sparks will use the data which he collected in connection with his university lectures, and also In a review of Mason's history of nit- ; note, the standard work upon the his­ tory of this state, which he is prepar­ ing. Mason's history being incom­ plete, does not come down to as late a date as 1734, and consequently tha i notes prepared by Prof. Sparks will: form a valuable supplement to it. The town of Belleville, according to Prof. Spark's description, would be a rich Held for the novelist as well as tha historian. It is a quaint old places thronging with suggestions of the oil days of La Salle and Tonty, whidi has resisted in part the inroads of Bul­ lish civilization and preserved many evidences of its French origin. The signs In the shop windows hear French names; many of the family Bitblee andl church records contain entries writtCM in French, and several of the olA buildings and the chapel where the early Frenchmen said their devptio-- are still standing. To faint Coronation <S*cen«. Edwin A. Abbey, the American artist who has been commissioned to paint the English coronation scene at West- mintser Abbey, was born In Phila- phia In 1852,' and studied art there until his first visit a&road. I n 1 8 8 3 h e was elected a til his first visit member of the British Institute of Painters in Water Colors, and in 1896 an associate of the Royal Academy. As an artist in black and white he long enjoyed a fine reputation, but it was his superb series of pictures from the "Death of Arthur." used to decorate the Boston Public Library, that gave him his standing as a paint­ er. Three years ago he exhibited "Richard HI.," which more than any other work won feM» feia afteatber*hi» in the academy. ; ^ ^ « Abbey. The house judiciary committee has had the bill repealing the Case law before It. The retail merchants and labor men pre­ sented arguments, but the committee took no action. Senator Gardner's bill abolishing the offlce of state architect was passed by the senate this week. Benator Slahoney, the democratic senate leader, again came forward as the champion of R. Bruce Watson, the state architect, who is said to be one of Lorimer's lieutenants. « The committee which had the matter tn charge has ordered a favorable report upon the senate bill providing for equal rights ef guardianship te the father and mother of children. The house committee on appropriations has voted to report favorably the bill appropriating $250,000 for the Illinois ex- blbit in the Louisiana purchase exposi­ tion to bs held in St. Lauis In 1808. ! The house committee on insurance has ordered a favorable report on Mr. Muel­ ler's bill providing for a tax of I per cent on the gross premiums ef the life insurance companies- A favorable report has been ordered tn the house upon Mr. Church's bill ap­ propriating *5.000 to pay the expenses of bringing the United States steamship Dorothea from Philadelphia to Chicago for the at -aibft UU- w-' Bapport Kdaeatlonal Bills. Centralisation of country schools and a moderate degree of state help is tta' formation of country school libraries Is to be the slogan of county superin­ tendents and other educators of Illi­ nois. With this aim in view the teach­ ers will be urged to prevail upon their representatives in the general assem­ bly to support the school bills now pending in the legislature. The cen-f; trallsation plan was recommended by . State Superintendent Bayliss, after jhi investigation of the working of a sim­ ilar plan in Ohio. Mr. Bayliss also rec­ ommended assistance to libraries. At the conference of county superintend-*! ents and institute instructors of thai state, which has closed at Springfield, It was found that all the leading edu­ cators of the state coincide with thei views of Mr. Baylies, and they pro­ pose vigorous lobbying for the meae- - Otr Tletots Arm Mhm* - The Democrats of Joliet have noml* nated the following city ticket: May* or, John B. Mount; city clerk, "Will­ iam F. McMasters; city attorney, John W. Downey; treasurer, A, 3. Stoos; police magistrate, Henry J. Wefeerff school Inspectors, Bast side, F. A. Hoo­ ver; West side, J. J. Hayes; at large, G. L. Vance. Mount was opposed by John J. Quinn, but won easily, having seventy-one votes, against twenty-one for his opponent The Democracy of Mattoon in convention nominated Um; following municipal ticket: Mayor, Dr. Charles B. Fry; treasurer, Jacob Stump, Jr.; attorney, Anderson Stew­ art; police magistrate, James I* Scott. VSiM Sycamore Bank Ii Sold. The Sycamore National bank has been sold to capitalists who wer* about to start a third bank there. Th# principal stockholders will be Henry Stark, Mayor David Syne, JottS* Charles Bishop, Clarence Rogers an4 Charles Walker. David Syne will 1m president. They take possession April 10. They will probably change tha name from National to State bank. Gates Tea Yaar« Om nm&M±0 In examining the family records a friend of "Uncle Billle" Grier, who lives near Woodlawn, discovered the fact that the old man had made a mistake of ten years In his age and that instead of being but 95 years old he will be 106 next September. Mr. Grier enjoys perfect health and walks long distances unattended. He is prob­ ably the oldest man in Illinois. - Designate* April *S as Arbar Day. Governor Yates has issued a procla­ mation designating April 26 as Arbor day. He calls attention to the good results following the observance o$ this day. and urges educational and ? other authorities to encourage general observance of the event and imprest upon the youth of the state the bene­ fits of tree planting. We •*§!. James Thomas, a cooper, residing M Cairo, was accidently shot and killed while crossing the river In a skiff. His body was found lying in the bot­ tom of the skiff, which was adrift, and which lodged in some drltU . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ * - * - Taoag Ma a Commit* Through fear of becoming insane, FTed Harper, aged 20. committed sui­ cide at iDecatur by firing a bullet into his brain. He was to have bean Tied this week. Mo Promts* *• BMwilt CaM. . Governor Yates, it is stated on cellent authority, has, despite all ports to the contrary, made no promise to reappoint "Joe" Bidwill on tha railroad and warehouse board. Neither has he said he will not do so. f • ' - - v • • M. Jttlm P. Mahoney, a pioneer and leading business man of is dead. Ha was widely known the northwest,c Of ;|*i :hiea«k . kki