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7 " > • * v ' ; . 7 , 4 • ' ' - * ' . : 1 „ s . v - r - " ; *>> , " " • - - . - r - • • " - ; , ; k, - * .^L x h ' *h ?. ' ' I t. {< T 4. - T H E G I R L l i i l ? T H E l l H A L F W A Y h o u s e ~w<V'*>' 4 C»i fright * d, 1903. bf £>. Aiiltton A* Comtanf. Ntw York CHAPTER V.--Continued. - Franklin looked about him at the &;*"• squat buildings of the little town, at • the black loam of the monotonous and >•'^4 nnlnviting fields, at the sordid, set ; ^:&|i*iid undeveloping lives around him. He looked also at the white wagons moving with the sun. It seemed to • - - jhim that somewhere out in the vast sj; -l^an^ ^>®yond the Missouri there beck- t° him a mighty hand, the index £'. finger of some mighty force, impera- • ^tlve, forbidding pause. - : - s v T h e ' l e t t e r of Battersleigh to his ?•; ^friend Captain Franklin fell therefore soil already well prepared. He ,? / *"'read it again and again in its some­ what formal diction and informal or* 'thography, was as follows: "'To Capt Edw. Franklin, Bloomsbui'y, I1L: "My Dear Ned--I have the honor to *«tate to you that I am safely arrived and well established at this place, Ellisvllle, ana am fully disposed to re­ main. I must tell you that this is to 'be a great market for Western beeves. Great number* of these cat­ tle are now coming in to this country from the far South, and since the Ry. ' is yet unable to transport these Ani­ mals as they arrive there is good Numbers of them in the country here- * about, as well as many strange per­ sons curiously known as Cowboys or Cow-Punchers, which the same I may < call a purely Heathan sort. These for the most part resort at the Cottage Hotel, and there is no peace in the Town at this present writing. "For myself I have taken entry upon ene hundred and sixty Acres *<3ovt. Land, and live a little way out from the Town. Here I have my quar- *ters under tent, following example of ail men, for as yet there are scarce a dozen houses within fifty Miles. I have chosen this point because it was 'the furtherest one yet reached by Rail. I have been advised that it ii highly desirable to be in at the be- irlnnlng in this Country if one is to it was his open boast that he owed his success to himself and no one else. Thirty-five years earlier, a raw youth from old Vermont, Hollis N. Bradley had walked into the embry­ onic settlement of Bloombsbury with a single law book under his arm and naught but down upon his chin. He pleaded his first cause before a judge who rode circuit over a territory now divided into three congressional dis­ tricts. He won his first case, for his antagonist was even more ignorant than he. As civilization advanced he defended fewer men for stealing hogs and more for murder and adultery. His practice grew with the growth of the population of the country about him. He was elected county attorney, local counsel for the railroad, and Judge of the Circuit Court. He was mentioned for gubernatorial honors, and would perhaps have received the party nomination but for the breaking out of the civil war. Not fancying the personal risks of the army, he hired a substitute, and this sealed his political fate, for Illinois at that time did not put in power men who sent substitutes to the war. It was an immemorial custom In Bloomsbury for the youth who had aspirations for a legal career to "read law" In Judge Bradley's office. Two of his students had dropped their books to take up rifles, and they came not back to their places. They were forgotten, save once a year, upon Dec­ oration Day, when Judge Bradley made eloquent tribute above their graves. It was therefore predetermined that Edward Franklin should go into the office of Judge Bradley to begin his law studies, after he had decided that the profession of the law was the one likely to offer him the best career. It was one of the unvarying rules of Judge Bradley's office, and indeed this was almost the only rule which he imposed, that the law 6tudent within 1 his gates, no matter what his age or "Got a letter from your girlf stay in the Hunt, therefore I have come to a Town which has just Begun. Believe me, dear Ned, it is the begin­ ning of a World. Such chances are here, I am Sure as do not exist in any other Land, for behind this land is all the Richer and older Parts, which are bat waiting to pour money and men hither so soon as the Ry. shall be Fully completed. I have heard of many men who have made Fortunes since the War. It is truly a rapid Land. "I am persuaded, my dear boy, that this is the place for you to come. There are an Hundred ways in which one ijhky earn a Respectable living, and Fvfind here no Class Distinction. It is an extraordinary fact that no man and no profession ranks another here. One man is quite good as an­ other. "• year from now, as I am told, we shall have 2,000 Persons living here, and in five years this will be a City. Conceive the opportunity mean­ time. The Cattle business is bound to grow, and I km advised that all this land will Ultimately be farmed and prove rich as that through which I Past in coming out. You are welcome, my dear Ned, as I am sure you know, to half my blankets and rations dur­ ing your stay here, however long same may beJ and I most cordially Invite you to come out and look over this oountry, nor do I have the smallest doubt that it will seem to you quite as it does to me, and I shall hope that we make a Citizen of you. "I am but new here as yet myself, but am fully disposed, an they say in the strange language here, to drive my Stake. I want you, my dear boy, also to drive Yours beside "meT~Snd to that Effect I beg to extend you what­ ever Aid may lie in my Power. "Hoping that you may receive this communication duly, and make reply to Same, and hoping above all things that I may soon meet again my Com­ panion of the 47th, I beg to subscribe myself, my dear boy, ever your Obdt & Affect Friend, "Battersleigh. "P. S.--Pray Herild your advent by a letter ft bring about 4 lbs. or 5 lbs. of your Favourite Tea, as I am Short of Same." / The letter ended* with Battersleigh*s best flourish. Franklin turned it over again and again in his hand and read it more than once as he pondered upon its message. "Dear old fellow," he said; "he's a good deal of a Don Quixote, but he never forgets a friend. Buffalo and Indians, railroads and ho­ tels--it must at least be a land of con­ trasts!" CHAPTER VI. Edward Franklin, Lawyer. " ^ffward Franklin had taken up his law studies In the office of Judee : , Bradley, the leading lawyer of the lit­ tle village of Bloomsbury, where Franklin was born, and where he had •pent most of his life previous to the time of his enlistment in the army. Judge Bradley was successful, as such juattara £0 in inch communities. and V'\ , yftq&vW? •:;? s• ; *3$.. : earlier servitude, should each morn­ ing sweep out the office, and should, when so requested, copy out any law papers needing to be executed in duplicate. So long as a student did these things, he was welcome as long as he cared to stay. <- Edward Franklin accepted his seat in Judge Bradley's office without any reservations, and he paid his daily fee of tenure as had all the other students before him, scorning not the broom. Ardent, ambitious and reso­ lute, he fell upon Blackstone, Chitty and Kent as though he were asked to carry a redoubt. He read six, eight, ten hours a day, until his head buzzed, and he forgot what he had read. Then at it all over again, with teeth set. Thus through more than a year he toiled, lashed forw&rd by his own de­ termination, until at length he began to see some of the beautiful first prin­ ciples of the law. So in his second year Franklin fared somewhat beyond principles merely, and got into notes and bills, torts, contracts and reme­ dies. He learned with a shiver how a promise might legally be broken, hew a gift should be regarded with suspi­ cion, how a sacred legacy might be set aside. He read these things again and again, and forced them into his brain, so that they might never be for­ gotten; yet this part of the law he loved not so much as its grand first principles of truth and justice. One morning, after Franklin had fin­ ished his task of sweeping down the stairs, he sat him down by the window with Battersleigh's letter in his hand; for this was now the third day since he had received this letter, and it had been In his mind more vividly present than the pages of the work on con­ tracts with which he was then occu­ pied. It was a bright, fresh morning in the early spring. A long and hazy street lay in perspective before the window, and along it, out beyond the confines of the town, there reached the flat monotony of the dark prairie soil. A dog crossed the street, paus­ ing midway of the crossing to scratch his ear. The cart of the leading gro­ cer was hitched in front of his store, and an idle citizen or two paused near by to exchange a morning greeting. All the little, uneventful day was begin­ ning, as it had begun so many times before here in this little, uneventful town, where the world was finished, never more to change. Franklin shud­ dered. Was this, then to be his life? There came a regular tread upon the stair, as there had always for years come at this hour of half past seven in the morning, rain or shine. Judge Bradley entered, tall, portly, smooth shaven, his silk hat pushed back upon his brow, as was his fash­ ion. Franklin turned JtflL make the usual morning salutation. "Good morning, Ned," eald the Judge, affably. "Good morning. Judge," said Frank­ lin. "I hope you are well." "Yes, thank yon. Nothing ever the matter with me. How are things oom- ing?" "Oh, all right, thank you." This was the stereotyped form of the daily greeting between the two. Judge Bradley turned as usual to his desk, but, catching sight of the letter still held In Franklin's hand, remarked carelessly: "Got a letter from your girl?" "Not so lucky," said Franklin. "From a friend." Silence resulted. Judge Bradley opened his desk, took off his coat ana hung it on a nail, after his custom, turned over the papers for a moment and remarked absentmindedly, and more to be polite than because the matter Interested him, "Friend, eh?" "Yes," said Franklin, "friend, out West"; and both relapsed again into silence. Franklin once more fell to gazing out of the window, but at length turned toward the desk and pulled over his chair to a closer speak* ing distance. "Judge Bradley," said he, "I shouldn't wonder if I could pass my examination for the bar." "Well, now," said the judge, "I hope you can. That's nice. Goin' to hang out your shingle, eh?" "I might, if I got my license." "Oh, that'? easy," replied the other; "it's mostly a matter of form. No trouble about It--not in the least." "I am clear in my own mind that I don't know much about law/' said Franklin, "and I should not think of going up for examination if that end* ed my studies in the profession. If I were intending to go into practice here, sir, or near by, I should not think of applying for admission for at least another year. But the fact is, I'm thinking of going away." • "Goin' away?" Judge Bradley straightened up, and his expression if anything was one of relief. He had his own misgivings about this grave- faced and mature young man should he go Into the practice at the Bloms- bury bar. It was well enough to en­ courage such possibilities to take their test in some other locality. Judge Bradley therefore became more cheer­ ful. "Goin* away, eh?" he said. "Where to?" "Out West," said Franklin, uncon­ sciously repeating the phrase which was then upon the lips of all the young men of the country. "Out West, eh?" said the judge, with still greater cheerfulness. "That's right, that's right. That's the place to go to, where you can get a better chance. I came West In my day my­ self, though it isn't West now; an* that's how I got my start. There's ten chances out there to where there's one here, an' you'll get better pay for what you do. I'd advise it, sir--I'd ad­ vise It; yes, Indeed." "I think it will be better," said franklin calmly. (To be continued.) •SERMON WAS IN DEMAND. Eloquent Discourse Aroused the Envy of Negro Preacher. Cyrus Townsend Brady, when in the West as a young clergyman, met a ne­ gro Methodist circuit preacher whose district also covered a vast expanse of territory, and who, in consequence, was able to use a sermon a long time, so many different communities did he visit on his rounds. He had gone about three-fourths of the way 'round on one occasion when, coming from his church after the service, he en< countered an old negro, who, hat In hand, approached and said: "Dat's mighty fine sermon, sah, ob yoh's. Ah likes it ebery time Ah hears it. Seems we cross each other's track putty of'n, sah, fo' to-day makes de seventh bles't time Ahse hear yo' preach it. Ah'm a bit uv a preacher myse'f, sah; an' Ah wants ter say dat when yo' gits fru' wid dat sermon, Ah's ready ter buy it, sah. Ought ter last a long time yet, sah; it am such good stuff. 'Deed, sah, Ahse willin' ter gib yo' four bits now Jus' to bin' th' bahgi'n, sah."--New York Times. Automobiles vs. Omnibuses. The historic old " 'bus," which for ages has done service in carrying pas­ sengers and the malls between vari­ ous towns in Baden, where the sleam railroad does not touch, is giving way to large automobiles, which travel much quicker and are much more comfortable. An automobile line is about to be established between the city of Kehl and the town of Rhein- Blshofsheim, a distance of ten miles. The car will accommodate twenty people, in addition to a space for the baggage and mails. The round trip will cost 17 cents, or 10 cents for one way. The machine is the property of the two towns named, which pay the running expenses and divide the prof- Its. ing up occupies half an hour, and sub­ sequent recharging can be done in a quarter of an hour. The apparatus Is so simple that an unskilled workman is able to look after It. The absence or fire In a place where dynamite .or gunpowder is^eing handled is the rea­ son for the invention of this type of engine, which is known to engineer^ as the Lamm Franc system. The working of it is said to be only half as expensive as that of an ordioary loco­ motive. Electricity for Railroad. The New York Central Railway company Is about to make a large sub­ stitution of electricity for steam, to save its local traffic, which has been heavily cut into by independent trol­ ley lines. A section of the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg railway is to be equipped with electricity as quickly as possible, and when this is done the electric cars of the Central system can be run, to and from all points along the southern shore of Lake Ontario. The Rochester and suburban lines are also to be ab­ sorbed. The New York, New Haven & Hartford road Is pursuing the same policy, and already has some eighty- five miles of electric road in opera­ tion. One of the Latest Waiats. The newest waists show broad shouldered effects of one sort or an­ other and are made of two or more materials combined. This one includes a graceful bertha and the new gaunt­ let cuffs, both of which are desirable features. As shown it is made of maize peau de cynge, with the bertha of point d'esprit trimmed with ruches of taffeta and the yoke and cuffs of The Diet Fad. Apropos, the diet craze of the last two or three years may not and does not perform all that it promises for those who listen to the voice of the medical or other faddist, says the Lon­ don World, but from its extravagances may come ultimate good, and another generation may reap happily where we have sown. The time may come, a great continental doctor believes, when the science of dieting will be so perfected that we shall not merely be able, as we do now, to keep people alive much longer, but we shall like­ wise keep them in a useful condition. Octogenarians will retain their fac­ ulties to the full, senility will be avoid­ ed, and if, perhaps, grandfathers an<^ grandmothers do not contrive to pre­ serve their youthful appearance to the end, they will at least, so we are assured, be as clear-brained at 77 as at 27, and thus, with the advantage of ripe experience, they will help on the work of more youthful brains and temper the follies of the rising gener­ ation. She Had to Have It Out. "What do you know about women?" asked the thin young man. "Nothing," said the fat man with the bald head. "I guess I don't either, and I<bave been married three months, too. Yes­ terday my wife asked me how I liked the dinner. She does the cooking, you know. " The fat man didn't know, but he nodded. "And when I began to praise the dinner she began to cry, and said she feared I roved her only for her cook­ ing." / "Oh//said the fat man, "she had a cry owning. That was all." A Man's Time to Die. When a man appeared the other day before Justice Blume, in Chicago, and asked for protection against some neighbors who had threatened to kill him, the justice refused to grant the request. When asked for his reasons he said that when it came a man's time to die he would die, and not be. fore. He announced himself as a fatalist and said belief came from his own experiences. He says he has passed through seven accidents, three hold-ups, one fire, two drownings, 150 falls, pneumonia, concussion of the brain, and all the dangers of several battles of the civil war. "If all these things won't kill a man," said the Justice, "there Is a special Providence looking after him," 4M0 BUrase Waist, St to 40 bat cream Venetian lace over white mous- seline, the soft dropping belt being of the silk. The quantity of material re­ quired is 4 yards 21, 3% yards 27 or yarda_,44 inches wide with % yards of net for bertha and 1*4 yards of all-over lace. A May Manton pat­ tern, No. 4590, sizes 32 to 40, will be mailed to any address on receipt of ten cents. Unique Button Box. An arrangement for holding but­ tons is made by pasting together six pasteboard boxes, such as are used by druggists in preparing prescrip­ tions for powders. They slide out like little drawers, and a button is sewed to the outside to indicate the con­ tents. A white pearl, bone, fancy or ehoe button is placed on the drawer designed for holding those particular buttons, while a hook and eye, and a safety pin sewed to another, will read­ ily explain the contents. A yard and a quarter of satin ribbon two inches wide is tied about the whole, with a bow at the top, forming a neat little case, which for many reasons 1b pre­ ferred to the button bags. Creamed Hash on Toast. This is one of the daintiest of all warmed over chicken dishes; chop the chicken fine and to each pint ^allow one tiblespoonful of butter, one of llour, a half a pint of milk. Rub flour and butter together, add milk, stir over the fire until boiling, season the meat with a teaspoonful of salt and a dash of pepper, add to this milk sauce and stir over hot water for fif­ teen minutes. Three or four chopped mushrooms may be added. Heap this on squares of toasted bread, serve at once, garnish the top with poached eggs. Mutton Salad. Any pieces of cold roaat mutton or boiled -mutton may be cut in dice and used for mutton salad; arrange this on crisp lettuce leaves, or any available green; season with salt and pepper, cover with mayonnaise dressing to which has been added a tablespoonful of capers. When fresh vegetables cannot be obtained, canned asparagus may be mixed with the mutton, canned peas can be used, or the mutton may be mixed with mayonnaise and filled into tomatoes that have been peeled and scooped out; stand each on a let­ tuce leaf, garnish on top with capers. A Firwless Steam Locomotive. From Germany comes news of a lo­ comotive worked by eteam and yet In­ dependent of fire of Its own. The en­ gine has Just been completed at the Hohenzollern works at Dusseldorf, and Is one of a type designed for shunting in explosive factories. Instead of car­ rying fire in its own boiler, it is filled with steam from stationary boilers, and when so charged Is capable of several hours' work. T)n« first warm- ILLINOIS STATE NEWS Dress Sleeves. Nothing marks the date of the gown so surely as the sleeves. If they are correct all is well, but with those important features out of style the entire costume will appear passe- This season sleeves are even more noticeable than common and are so elaborate as to become the essential parts of even a new waist. These models are new, graceful and in every way desira­ ble. The fancy sleeve shown la the center is peculiarly well adapted to remod- eilng in addition 48u Dr6MffleeT^ to being stylish. As 82,36, 40 bust, shown it Is made oi peau de cynge, stitched cortlcelll silk and trimmed with straps of the same, but it is appropriate for all the season's materials. The foundation lining Is smoothly fitted and its under portion is covered with material, but the upper is shaped and joined to the full puff. The shirred sleeve with cuff is a most graceful one and suits all the many soft materials in vogue. The smoothly fitted lining is faced to form the cap and the full portion is shirred and arranged over it, the cuff being drawn on over the lower part. The flowing sleeve is exceedingly pretty for dinner and evening gowns and is suited to any material soft enough to allow of shirring. It is cut in one piece, shirred to fit the foun­ dation which is snugly fitted, and ter­ minates below the shirrings. The quantity of material required for the medium size Is, for fancy sleeves, 2% yards 21 inches wide, 2H yards 27 inches wide or 1% yarde 44 Inches wide; for shirred sleeves with cuffs or for flowing sleeves, 2 yards 21, 1% yards 27 or 1% yards 44 inches wide, with 1 yard of all-over lace for shirred sleeves with cuffs and 2 yards of applique for flowing sleeves. The pattern 4614 is cut In three sizes, small, corresponding to 32 inch, medium, corresponding to 36 inch and large, corresponding to 40 Inch bust measure. Pierrot Frills. A pretty novelty In collars and cuffs is the fiat frill of white pllsse lawn, turned back from wrists and throat Parisians first fancied It, for its cool­ ness and daintiness and quaintness. The frills are some four or five Inches in depth, and worn over a plain blouse bodice.. One in coarse lavender linen has the bodice, fitting closely, but pouching slightly in front under a double box-plait, down which a 6carf of embroidered white muslin was interthreaded through large white crocket rings, the pllsse Pierrot frills round neck and wrists being em­ broidered also;" The skirt was plain, but showed fan-shaped jplaitings of white muslin inserted at the seams below the knees, to give spring to the skirt. And the hat to be worn was of white embroidered muslin, over a picturesque wire shape, with a large cluster of blue and mauve shaded forget-me-nots at the back. Opals in High Favor. In spite of the old-time superstition there seems to be a grave doubt about the ill-luck attaching to opals in the minds of the girls of to-day, for opals are very much worn. There is hardly a more beautiful stone than the opal, and jewelers say that if they continue to win their way in popular favor they will become more costly. Hitherto they have been cheaper than their beauty led one to expect they would be, but that was because the super­ stition about their ill-luck bringing powers made people fear to own them, and thus the demand for them was comparatively small. An opal surrounded by smaller brilliants makes a charming setting for a,ring. The diamonds reflect the rainbow tints of the opal and the combination of stones is one which shows tho beauties of both to best advantage. Delicious 8andwichea. Chop equal quantities of figs and English walnuts and moisten with rich cream or fresh butter. Then add a pinch of salt and spread on thin slices of buttered white bread. Spread thickly on thin slices of bread and butter white cream cheese, and then lay on a crisp leaf of let tuce that has been dipped in mayon­ naise. Keep these very cool till needed. Readers of this paper can secure any May Manton pattern illustrated above by filling out ..ii blanks in coupon, and mailing, with 10oeuta. toE- E- Harrison & Co., 63 Plymouth Plaoa,Ohl* cafo. Pattern will be mailed promptly. * - • *- COURT CLERK FILES DEMURftER Declares Judge Has Lost Jurisdiction in Election Contest Case. The attorneys of Mayor Henry Brueggeman have filed with the su­ preme court a petition asking that Francis Brandewiede, clerk of the Al­ ton city court, be required to send to the court the poll-books and defective ballots as part of the record in the election contest case. When a written demand was made on the clerk to send the defective ballots and the poll-books he declined. Subsequently Judge Vaughn ordered that the ballots and books be included, but Brande­ wiede holds that Judge Vaughn had at that time lost jurisdiction. It is believed that the action of the su­ preme court on the petition may have an important bearing on the case. 8ANITARY RULES FOR SCHOOL RAILROAD* OF STATE PROSPER Ksom Stat*. Pattern Na. Waist Measure (U tor Skirl). Bast IwanllffwinML. ill 0f child's or miss's pattern). Write plainly. Fill oat all blanka. *uclo«e 10a Mall to K. £. Harrison A Qa, Place. Chlcaea rM, Teachcr Issues Orders Forbidding Pu pils to Spit. Waukeg&n, 111., special: Miss Miriam Besley, superintendent of the, public schools, has Issued an order that all pupils found expectorating on the school grounds, steps, sidewalks, floors or any place on school property are liable to suspension. This beats Dowie, for he does not go so far as to forbid spitting on the ground. She considers it a desirable sanitary meas­ ure. She also favors the burning of soiled handkerchiefs instead of wash­ ing them. Farmers Elect Officers. The McLean County Farmers' insti­ tute at Bloomington adjourned after election of officers as follows: Presi dent, J. M. Harvey; vice president, Guy Karr; secretary, R. M. Darst; treasurer, W. F. Mecherle. The classes in stock judging were conduct­ ed by W. F. Ambrose of Lexington. The prize for the best display of yel­ low corn was won by Albert Gerling of Bloomington; for best white corn, A. M. Reid of Randolph; for oats, Her­ man Sieh, Bloomington, won first prize. Delegates to the state institute at Decatur are D. R. Stubblefield, Covel; A. H. Conger, Fletcher, and Jamas Polndexter, Bloomington. Thieves 8teal 8lot Gas Meter. John Williams, proprietor of the Avenue bar, East St Louis, reported to the police that robbers broke Into his place and carried off a number of valuable articles and about $10 from his cash register. They also stole the gas meter, which iB a slot ma­ chine that furnishes gas after a dol­ lar is dropped into the slot. How much money was in it is not known. The thieves turned off the gas before unscrewing the meter. Care for Old 8ervant. The death of Fritz Winter, an old German who has been in the employ of Maj. W. R. Prlckett for the past forty years, occurred in Edwardsville. Winter was 81 years old and a native of Hanover, Germany, moving to Ed­ wardsville when 23 years old. During the past twelve years he has been provided for by Maj. Prlckett In recog­ nition of his long and valuable serv­ ices. To Entertain Teachers. The executive board which will make all of the arrangements for the meeting of the county clerks and su­ pervisors in February, met at Cairo and organized. A meeting of all the committees was held, and the enter­ tainment of the Southern Illinois Teachers' association, which will meet In May, was discussed. Insurance Agent Takes Poison. A nicely dressed man who registered at a Springfield hotel as Rupert Jor­ dan was found dead in bed. He had committed suicide by taking chloro­ form. He is about 65 years old. Let­ ters in his possession indicate that he traveled for a Jlfe insurance com­ pany and that his home was in Mil­ waukee, Wis. Foot Is Cut Off by Engine. John Rohm, a switchman on the Vandalia road, was run over by a switch engine at the Relay depot in East St. Louis. His right foot was cut off by the wheels. Rohm was stand­ ing on the footboard and attempted to jump off, when his foot slipped and the fell upon the rails. Guard Against Fire Horror. The city oflicials of Centralia have made a rigid inspection of all the pub­ lic buildings and halls where people congregate in large numbers. All three-story buildings having only one stairway will be required to provide additional ways of exit or he closed to the public. Child Burns to Death. The 2-year-old child of J. H. Mon­ roe of Harrisburg was burned to death and the home destroyed. The mother had gone to a neighbor's. Horticulturists Elect. The fiftieth annual election of offi­ cers of the Alton Horticultural societj resulted as follows: Hon. H. G. Mc- Plke, president; Dr. W. H. C. Smith and William Jackson, vice presidents; ^Miss Hannah Davis, secretary; Frank Hoffmeister, treasurer. The following were named chairmen of the various committees: Orchard fruits, T. H. Riehl; small fruits, William Jackson; vineyards, James Davis; vegetables, William Goetz; ornamental planting, J. M. Pearson. Favor Civil Service. A petition Is in, circulation ashing for the adoption of a civil service law for Alton police and firemen under an act passed by the last legislature. It is planned to remove the police from politics as far as possible, and to increase the efficiency of the force by putting the merit system &a force. To Support Missionary. The first Presbyterian chur<?h of At ion and the Jerseyville church have united to support a missionary at Byea Chun, Korea. 1 ' rv'*'. '.-••• Report of Commission 8hows Aft Lines Had Successful Year. Springfield, 111., dispatch: Advance sheets of the annual report of the Illinois railroad and warehouse com­ mission for the year 1903 show the railroads of the state have enjoyed' a year of unlimited prosperity. For­ mer recommendations for legislation are repeated^ especially along the lines looking to a more complete con­ trol of the inierurban lines by the railroad and warehouse commission. Among other important items it is shown that the total capital stock of all corporations in the state owning roads was increased during the year $410,617,878. In 1903 the capital stock: amounted to $3,940,393,354. For the year ending June 30, 1903, the total assets of s 11 railroads in the stated were $4,640,383,535, an Increase of $427,198,043. For the same period th® total liabilities were $4,444,268,601, ait increase of $388,520,418. The report says that the total mileage In tho state is 18,5111, an increase over tka year 1902 of 496 hilles. FRATERNAL ELECTIONS^ Eastern Star, Salem. '•'-.•"-afV"vffj&j Odin chapter, Order of Eastern StiS, at Salem, has elected these officers: . Mrs. H. P. Hurd, worthy matron; F* 'W Lit Boring, worthy patron; Miss Nellie ' i|| Somerville, associate matron; Misa ~ Roxey Somerville, conductress; Mis^. * Alpha Somerville, secretary; Mrs. Tv ; :M- B. Crow, treasurer; Mrs. M. E. Love, warder. ' Salem Knights of Pythias. 4l|' Clipper lodge. Knights of Pythias, ^ elected these officers: N. A. Rice^ chancellor commander; J. I* Laswell, f ^ vice chancellor; Thomas Williams^, prelate; C. F. Pruett, master of work; \ E. A. Snelling, keeper of records an<l seal; J. W. Wilson, master of finance^ 'if F. W. Klllie, master of exchequer; G» W. Witwer, master at arms; Chariest" West, inner guard; P. A. Shriver, oafr er guard. Taylorville Eastern 8tar. Glenwood chapter, Order Easten| Star, of Taylorville, has elected th#; following officers: Worthy matrons- Frances Lorton; worthy patron, T. ^ Cloyd; secretary, Mamie Stout; treast* urer; Nannie Grundy; conductress^ Nannie Monegan; associate conduct^ ress, Birdie De Spain; chaplain, Marj| Almonds '* Baptists. Followfeg are the Morifet First Baptist church officers for 1904^ Clerk, A. J. Williamson; treasurer, G. Gee; trustee, three years, A. Jti ,V Williamson; chorister, Mrs. Lilli^'V"• * J Howard; organist, Miss Delia Carpen»>; :S ter. The Christian Endeavor society of* > fj the Cumberland Presbyterian churchy - % I Mount Vernon, has elected these offi­ cers: Leo Varnell, president; Mis# •; Mary Casey, vice president; Clarenc* 1 :'M Damon, secretary; Miss KatlieriiUjji Pace, corresponding secretary; Oliver - ,:,V; Inarch, treasurer; Mrs. Fred Wlecke*, , organist. EM 8ends Gold in Letter. f C. W. Leverett of Alton had evideao£ of confidence reposed in the Unlte|| States mails by a Colorado man wh# was remitting $106 to him. Mr. Lev­ erett received a registered letter frodi: a mail carrier with the explanation noted on the envelope that it had beea^ broken in transit from Denver. Mrf Leverett was surprised to find insider the entire amount of money sent, con­ sisting almost entirely of gold coixv Not one of the coins had been lost duiK ing the journey, although the enyelopfi, had been broken by the weight of ittT. contents. v m 1 •f Madison Bank Electa Officers. / The stockholders of the Tri-Ctt!es£. state bank of Madison elected the foF> lowing directors: Fred Kohl, C. Kiser, Henry Meinecke, Charles HeUfc; der, Jacob Hensler, O. S. Schooley, J* C. Hlnde. The bank will open tot business about Jan. 15. it will hav# a capital stock of $25,000. Four-Year-Old Coaster la Injured. « The 4-year-old son of Oliver Genfe|| while coasting on Main street in Al?' ton, ran Into a post and a sharp polnfl[< on one of the runners of -his sled penev trated his abdomen, inflicting a long and deep wound. It is believed that the boy did not suffer intestinal jury and that he will recover. 2lv. 'M ^'i 8tock Fishing Pond. ^ Frank B. Bowman has ordered 20,<M)C bass and cropple for the fishing sta^ tion at New Athens. The fish will bf- placed in the ponds of the clubhous# premises under the direction of C. A*; y Franks and members of»the Ulinola' fish commission. r it Tax Rate Increases. The lSOi tak rate in Decatur Is at 7,00% on each $100. This Is S* cents higher than last year. ~ Cloaea Contract for Light. The Centralia city, council fca* closed a contract with the gas an& electric light syndicate to furnish ninety 2,000-candlepower arc lights oa an all-night schedule for a period cC? five years at $6,000 a year. Allen Pleada Guilty. '"\ Charles Allen, who waa recently ' brought back from England on charge of robbing the Springfield post* office in 1895, entered a plea of guiltjk before Judge Humphrey in the United: States court. Postal Buaineaa Increases. The business of the Caljo postoffle* in the way of stamps and postal sap* ply sales was the largest during th% past quarter of any like period in the history of the office. The sale stamps, etc, amounted to $9,941.€&. Marriage Llcenee Is Refused. A white man giving his name a«v William Alderson and his age as and a negro woman, whose name wastv not taken by the license clerk, wer# refused a jaarrtac* Ho--as M ville.