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ifatlons eontin- FORAKER ELECfED. THE PLA1NDEALEE J. VAN SLYKE, Editor and Pub. MCHFNBY, - - - ILLINOP PRANK JLAWLEB DEAD HEART DISEASE SUPPOSED TO BE THE CAUSE. Hte Was a Unique Character in Munic­ ipal National Affairs-- Great Britain's Battle Ships Said to Be Ordered to the Bermudas. -- Noted Chicasoan Bead. Alderman Frank Lawler, of Chicago, died Friday at his home, of heart disease. Death came while he was presumably preparing to go down town to the city hall. He fell lifeless to the floor before his wife. The deceased was a^ unique character in politics,, not only of a. muni­ cipal but national order. He Served a ; term1 in Congress after "having officiated in'several'elective offices in the city. the celebrated light he. made to obtain-the of­ fice of postmasters that was secured by Washington He.sing. with' his "iniles long petition," made him-famous. His recent victory in his vyard over a. uuniber of as­ pirants for. the place of aldornlan was 'considered by him to be his.greatest po­ litical victory. _ ' Britain's Flyine Squadron. A Portsmouth. Eng.. dispatch says: "The flying sqnadxon.. consisting of the. battleship Revenge, flagship. Hear Ad­ miral Alfred T. Dale;'the battleship Royal Oak, the first-class cruisers Gibraltar and Theseus, and the second-class cruisers Charybdis and Herniione, together with six first-class torpedo boat destroyers, as­ sembled at Spithead at noon Friday. It is reported that the destination of this 'squadron, after leaving Ban try Hay. Ire­ land, will be the Bermudas." No infor­ mation reached Washington Friday. It is doubted whether Great Britain would send such a powerful fleet into American waters at this time, when its presence in force sufficient to overcome our North At­ lantic squadron almost certainly would be regarded as a hostile demonstration certainly not called for as long as diplo­ macy has not yet exhausted its resources in the settlement of the -differences be­ tween the United States and Great Brit­ ain. The Bermudas, lying between (500 and 700 miles "off our coast, would afford an admirable base of operations against any point from Cape Cod down to Key West, and while the islands are part of the British empire the assemblage of a powerful fleet there could not be regarded with indifference by the United States Government, unless its presence was ex­ plained satisfactorily. Police Will Bar Bloomers. The apparel of the new woman is in­ volved in a question presented to the Chicago city law department. The point decided was that the police department acted within its authority in threatening to close one of the big down town restau­ rants and lunch counters in which it is proposed to install a force of female wait­ ers dressed in knickerbockers and ughT- fitting jackets. It is ftxpeeted that the opinion will be contested in court, and that an attempt will be made to establish for all time the rights of the varied and abbreviated bloomer costumes affected by \ the modern woman. The backers of the bloomer restaurant enterprise, it is said, threaten to turn the "same authority aga'inst enthusiastic female bicyclists, if their plans are interfered with toy. the . police. Awful Crime in Tennessee. A horrible double murder was commit­ ted near Flynn's Lock. Tenn. Five mask­ ed men entercS^&eJiouse of Joseph D&y,- an old farmer, who was reputed to have money hidden away, and demanded the secret of his treasure. Day (refused" to give it up. and after numerous threats was taken out of doors and hanged to a tree. The brutes then attempted to make Mrs. Day tell where the money was hid­ den, and when she refused beat her brains out with a club. They then ransacked the house, but failed to tind the money. No arrests have been made. Campos Called Home. The Spanish Cabinet 'has unanimously decided to supersede Capt. Gen. Martinez Campos and his lieutenat, Gen. Arderius, owing to differences which exist between them and the political parties in Cuba. Lieut. Gen. Marin is now in command at Havana. Gen. Pohjviaja is likely to be placed in charge of military operations. NEWS NUGGETS. One thousand miners at the Morris Coal Company. Columbus, Ohio, went out on account of some trouble, said to be local. At New York Friday ex-President Ben­ jamin Harrison authorized the announce­ ment that he is to marry Mrs. Mary L. Dimmock. The wedding will take place after Lent. Berlin dispatch: In the Reichstag Thursday during the discussion of Count von Kanitz's proposal for the establish­ ment of a Government grain monopoly, the Count denied that it would raise the price of bread. He also said that the scheme was not socialistic and that its object was to benefit the peasantry. He concluded with the remark: "The Gov­ ernment may look on while the country is being desolated, but we want deeds, not words." (Prolonged applatise.) President Cleveland on Friday sent a special message concerning land grants, in which he says: "It seems to me that the act of 1891 should be so amended as not to apply to suits brought to recover title to lands certified or patented on ac­ count of railroad or other grants. I re­ spectfully urge upon Congress speedy action to the end suggested, so the adjust­ ment of these grants may proceed with­ out the interposition of a bar through lapse of time against the right of recov­ ery by the Government in proper cases."' The Hawaiian volcano has broken out again and shows great activity. The out­ break began on Friday night, Jan. 3, and a rise of the lake of about 200 feet took place that night. The lake is now about 200 feet wide and 250 feet long. On Dec. 6, 1894, the lava disappeared, and the re­ newal on trie third of January came with­ out warning. drowned: fourteen were saved. The Col­ lision occurred, about 7:30 o'clock. The night was extremely dark, and a lumpy sea was running. The Barnstable's lights were seen, but knowing she had the right of way the schooner's course was not al­ tered until too late. The steamer struck her well forward, cutting a deep hole, and the schooner begaii • to settle immediately. Before the boats could be cleared she went down and the crew were left struggling :u" the wator. ntiti 1 fourteen of them' were picked up by the Barnstable's boats. The others had gone flowi'. A Philadelphia dispatch says: Demoral­ ization is Staring the kid and •morocco, leather industry in the face. Several large •flrmse>have gone to the wall and others in all probability will follow. The direct, cause of the failure of [the local firms which have lately succumbed is traceable to the failure of the Iveen-Sut- terlee Company, which went under a few days ago. The latest failure recorded is that of Charles Landell, who has con­ fessed judgment to the amount of almost $1,000,000. It is whispered in some sec­ tions along North Third street that some­ thing of a very sensational nature may. soon be expected in the affairs , of the Keen-Sutteiiee Company., but the nature of it was not mentioned by anyone. It is impossible to get the exact figures, rep­ resenting the 'liabilities of the firm, but those best informed state that they will, surely amount to' "over.. $4,000,000. while any attempt to get at .the assets is mere conjecture. . " .. .'1' - WESTERN. " A't Columbus, Ohio. J. B, "Forakor was Teesday,elected- United' Stjvtes Senator .to succeed Calvin S? Brice.. F. C.'Canno.n and Arthur. Brown have been, nominated for-.United States . Sen­ ators by the Utah Republican legislative .caucus. The Farmers and Merchants' Bank of Platte Center. Neb., failed. The capital stock of the hank was shown by the last report to be $12,000. Howard & llaynie, of Duluth. Minn., owners of one of the largest retail dry goods houses at the. head of the fakes, made an assignment. At Indianapolis, in the dry goods housf of L. S. Avers & Co.. Miss Ivuth Gor­ don, a clerk, fired two ineffectual shots at Harry Purviance, a floor walker^ Miss Gordon charged Purviance with ungentle- manly conduct toward her. \ One of the most fiendish crimes over known is being investigated by the To- peka. Kan., police. The wife of Charles Dean left her two small children alone in a room* while she ran over to a neigh­ bor's. -Upon her return She "found that some one had removed the clothing from her babe. 14 months old, seated it upon the top of a hot stove and, fled. The flesh of the child was cooked to the bone. A young man who had quarreled with Mr. Dean is suspected, but he has fled the city. The rivalry at. Cincinnati between Ob­ server Bassler and Coin Teller Phil Tur- pin's poultry over which is the better weather prophet ended in a victory for the observer. Turpin's rooster crowed on Friday, and on the strength of this his owner prophesied a storm Tor Saturday contrary to Bassler's prediction. The rooster's life was wagered against Bass­ ler's money on the result. There was no _sl±jrni-on Sa-ttmlay--a-nd Bassler- will eat roast rooster. Bassler has eaten Tur­ pin's oracular pig and now gets his roos­ ter. Turpin still has a turkey which has the gift of prophecy and proposes to stay in the fight as long as his stock holds out. Walter Clark Nichols, who arrived in Denver Thursday night from New York City, was found dead in a bed in his room at the St. James Hotel under circum­ stances which indicate foul play. Mr. Nichols was sent to Colorado for the ex­ press purpose of writing up the Cripple Creek gold, country by the publishing house of Harper Brothers, New York, and was prepared for a long stay. lie had long suffered fltJUL.. heart trouble, which threatened to result seriously. Mr. Nichols was supposed to have speBt the evening at the University Club and re­ turned to his room after midnight show­ ing the effects of dissipation. Closer in­ vestigation develops that he missed his way to the club and wandered into the toughest district of the city, where he was drugged and robbed. He is the son of the proprietor of the Times of Buffalo, N. Y. Driven fiendishly insane by despon­ dency, Peter Hougaard, a Dane, of Chi­ cago, took the lives of his wife and five sunny-eyed little children, and when he had completed his horrible work he coolly laid down in the noxious gas-saturated air of his home and breathed the deadly funics that swept an entire family from the list of the living. The atrocity of the father's awful crime could not have been greater had he used a bloody weapon. Death came to the children and the pa­ tient, plodding mother while they slept Sunday night in the little cottage at 731 Gist street, that has been the Hougaard residence for some time. Hougaard dis­ closed his murderous resolve in a letter, but with the cunning of a maniac he took good precaution to render the warning void by entrusting it to the United States mails for delivery. This letter, written in Danish to.a_uountrymau of the murder­ er, was received Monday morning, and the horrified friend read ^of Hougaard'.s determination to kill his family and end his life. A mad run by the police patrol wagon with a dozen officers was vain, as the fatal work was accomplished. prepared and gave out for publication Mi table showing the amount which should! be_ bid for the now '4 per cent, bonds in- order that the investor might realize any' rate of interest between"2% per cent, nhd; 4 pen cent.-per arittnin.. Following is the table* 2V6 pet' cent....... I ........ i. .130.8749 2% per cent. .124.9234 3 per cent. ...... .. .119.3229 3 1-1-0 per cent. . .]. . . ... .. .117.9749 3J/6 per cent. ....... ....... .116.6471 3 3-16 per cent. .... .'^ .. .115.3391 ,3*4-per cent.. .. . . .. TV.. .. ••. . .114.0506 3 5-16 per cent. .:. ..... ...... 112.7814 3%- per cent. ... .-... ....... . 111.5310 3 7-16 per cent. ............... 110:2992 3y> per cent ........ .109.0856 3 0-16 . ... 107.8900 3% per cent. 106.7121 3 11-16 per cent. -... .105.5510 3')i per cent. ..... .... -- . . 104.4082 3 13-16 per cent. ... L. . ... .^ .103.2810 3% per cent. ..... A ......... . .102.1716 3 15-16 per cent. . ...... .- 101.0778 4 per cent. . • • 100.0000 The Turkish legation at Washington gave out Monday afternoon the following official communication: "The imperial government will not permit any distribu­ tion among his subjects, in his own terri­ tory,, by any foreign society or individuals, PETER HOUGAARD KILt-S FAMILY AND HIMSELF. A Chicago Dane, Goaded by Reverses in Fortune, Turns Hm the Gas "While His Wife and Children Sleep--Sui­ cide Is Added. Chosen to Represent Ohio in United States Senate. J. B. Foraker lias been elected by the Ohio Legislature to succeed Calvin 8. Brice in the* Senate of the United States. The Senate has thirty Republicans, one of whom, Senator Porter, was absent on account of sickness in hii family. The six Democrats voted for Mr. Brice. The Populist, William F. Conley, of Mercer, Puts Seven to Death. Peter Hougaard killed himself, wife and five children in Chicago Sunday night4 The. discovery was made by the police Monday. Upon, forcing open the door of Hougaard's residence they found the whole family asphyxiated. • Hougaard had evidently waited till all were asphyxiated, and then, turning on the remaining gas je.ts» calmly laid down and waited his own death. 1 • . Hougaard was a Dane living at 731 Sixty-first street. He wrote a letter to a friend telling him what life was going to do, saying he was despondent and he spoke of some diamond^ which the police would find by his side when they entered however respectable same may be (as, for j the'house. The letter, which was Written instance, the Red Cross Society), of money collected. abroad. Such interfer­ on:! no independent, government has ever allowed, especially ^'hon the collections are' made on.the 'strength, of speeches de­ livered in public l ootings by. irreconcila­ ble one,inies, of the"Turkish race and re­ ligion, and.An the basis of false accusa­ tions, that, rlWk</y., repudiates. Resides, the sublime porto is mindful-'.of tile true interests of its subjects, 'ari.dj distinguish­ ing between the.real stateJb.f "things and the calumnies arid wild exaggerations of interested or fanatical parties, will, as, .t has done heretofore, under, its own legiti­ mate Control alleviate (lie wants of all- Turkish subjects living in certain prov­ inces irrespective of creed or race." FOREIGN The steamship Cesgar, of Barcelona, has been sunk in collision with the Ger­ man ship Ne'reus. and nineteen of her crew were drowned. The collision occur­ red Tuesday in a fog off Ranisgate. Prof. Richard L. Garner, who is in Af­ rica trying to demonstrate the correctness (>f his theory that monkeys talk to each other, has written to his son in Baltimore, Md„ saying that his mission has been ac­ complished. His researches have boon carried on under the auspices of the Af­ rican Research Society of Chicago. The anti-English maiii uo in Venezuela. At Valencia the Vene­ zuelans divided themselves into two par­ ties--one representing English invaders and the other the patriots--and began a sham tight. Those on the A onezuela side became so excited they went at in earnest, with the result that several who wore en­ acting the role of Englishmen- received severe stab wounds. The police had to be called in to stop it. A London dispatch says: It was learned Monday afternoon that the cabinet coun­ cil of Saturday last considered the cpios- tion of re-establishing diplomatic relations with Venezuela, but no definite conclusion was arrived at. The Westminster Ga­ zette, touching upon the misunderstand­ ing between Groat Britain and the I nited States, says it sees a distant break in the clouds, and hopes that a settlement satis­ factory to Groat-Britain and the United" States will be effected with \ onezuela direct, and intimates that the Brazilian minister is closely identified with the lat­ est proposed solution ofithis controversy. IN GENERAL Tile sealing schooner Kiiinney. t we'll ty- four tons, M. Halgram master, and car­ rying a crew of l'gur whites, is reported to have gone to pieces on the west coast of Vancouver island in the gale of last Saturday. Meager particulars only are obtainable and it is not known, whether the crew survived the disaster or not. The Kilninoy was built two years ago and the present was her thirds* sea ling venture. The provincial elections in Manitoba resulted in the Greonway government be­ ing sustained by a substantial majority. The issue at the polls was largely nation­ al schools vs. separate schools. The op­ position party championed the cause of a dual system and the vote was overwhelm­ ingly against their candidates, many of whom.were defeated two to one by the government representatives. Premier Greonway and his entire cabinet wore re­ elected. three by acclamation. In the new House of forty members the .party will stand: Government, or national school, party, 31: opposition, or separate school, party, 8: independent, 1. Banker Morgan has dissolved the great bond combination, and the gold syndicate is broken. In his circular to the syndicate members, concerning the popular feature of the loan, Mr. Morgan says: "I feel perfectly satisfied that there is no ques­ tion as to the success of the loan." The reason given for the dissolution of the syndicate is that the syndicate contract called for a bid of ".'ill or none." and therefore Mr. Morgan was unwilling to make a bid under the present eircum- startces, as he might seem to present for consideration by t-he Secretary of the Treasury the throwing out of smaller bids made in good faifh under the public call. The only emergency, in Mr. Morgan's judgment, which would justify such a course would be the failure of the public to respond to the call of the Government. in Danish, was received by"Hougaard's friend Monday and-he 'immediately in­ formed the police of its content's. When (he. police broke open the d dors' of the modest home the chill of death pervaded every room, ~ A, house dog, half dead wjth tiie. fumes of escaping gas, dashed past the officers and up the stairs,fo the bed chamber of Hans, the eldest child. And there 'he remained until beaten-a way by the officers of the coroner, " . • Seven persons lay dead in the three rooms. From- every jet. the gas was yet. flooding the rooms, .but ifs^deadly work had long since been completed. In the front room were found*the bodies of Peter Hougaard, his wife and their 2-year-old infant, the little form of which was nes­ tled closely against that «f its dead moth­ er. Hougaard's arms were crossed upon his breast and his face was peaceful in its last sleep. In an adjoining room was the body of Hans, the 14-year-old son. He had died without a struggle. Locked in each other's arms in the rear room wore Jennie. Olga and Maud, the beautiful J. I!. FOI!AKKlv. voted for Mr. Gro'of,, Goy. Buslmfell and ex-'Gov. McKinlfey wore present. Fora-. Iter's name ,was-presented by Senator John J. Sullivan, of Trumbull, and seconded by •Senator Adolph Rueiner, of Cincinnati, -Senator Hyseil presented Mr. Bri'ce's name.' In the house Foraker received .the. fnH Republ i can vo te , • > - I, . AN INTERNATIONAL BANK. Comptroller Kckels Speaks in Favor of a Great Project. The House Committee on Banking and Currency Monday considered the project for an international American bank, which was one,of the recommendations of the pan-American congress and was large­ ly the idea of the late Jatnes G. Blaine. Among the would-be incorporators are Cornelius Bliss and Charles II. Flint, of New York; T. Jefferson Coolidge, Andrew JENNIL TTTLR HOUGAARD TIIE IIOUGAAIID Mr5. HOt/G-AAKD, FAMILY. SOUTHERN. At Richmond. Ya.. Jacob Hackott and T. K. Haekett assigned to-day. Liabili­ ties $25,000 and $10,000 respectively. Near Kennedy, Lamar County, Ala.. James Runyon and Robert Young climbed a high tree for an opossum. On the same limb., forty feet from the ground, they quarreled. Runvon pushed Young off the limb, but was pulled off with him. Rpth lived just long enough to tell how it hap­ pened. Information comes from Carriso, Tex., that a party of Americans--James II. M ell a no f.nd son, A. J. Blevins and Y\ alter Strickland--starting from Eagle Pass oil a hunting trip, were tired upon by* Mexican soldiers forty miles below that place on Sunday. The party is on its way to Laredo to complain to the Gove r nme nt a u tho r i t i e s . Within tho last, ten days twenty-five recruits for the Cuban army have left 1* ort Worth, Tex., for Galveston, from which point they will embark for the. Cuban coast. The agent contracted to Hougaard girls, beloved of all the neigh­ borhood. Death had come in the night-- silent, painless and pitiless. Peter Hougaard came to Chicago from Denmark two years ago. A man of ed­ ucation, culture and ambition, ho was at­ tracted to Chicago. He was trained in the business methods of his native coun­ try and did not hesitate to throw his small fortune into the balance. He engaged in business, at first with success. Embold­ ened by his first victory, he plunged into speculation--and lost. How much he lost and how ho lost it. no one knows. If makes no difference. It is said he lost $40,000 and that the remainder of his lit­ tle fortune was stolen by a swindler. Hougaard was penniless. His droair»of riches was rudely swept away. But ho U*IIEKE THE MURDER WAS COMMITTED. ( pay $50 per month to date from enlist- A light engine-ran into a crowd of car- j ment, advance payment to be made when cleaners who were walking the New York. New Haven and Hartford Railroad track at New York, killing two women and in­ juring two other women and a man so badly that they will probably die. EASTERN. Thomas W. Palmer, of Michigan, callea on Gen. Harrison at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York, Monday night. They Were together two hours. When Mr. Palmer came dovvnstaiis he was asked whether Mr. Harrison was a candidate .for President, . "It is my opinion," said he; "that Gen. Harrison is not a candi­ date." The .Gloucester, Mass., fishing schooner Fortuna was feunk in a collision with tjio Boston Fruit Company'^ fruit steamer Barnstable pff Highland light Monday Bight. Nine of the Fortune's crew were the party arrived at Galveston. Railroad transportation from Fort Worth to Gal­ veston was furnished each man. The fact that recruiting for the Cuban army has been going on is well known. The men are good material for soldiers. WASHINGTON. The House Committee on Military Af­ fairs, unanimously reported favorably the bill removing military disabilities of es- t ontederatcs who held commissions in the United States army and navy at the be­ ginning of the rebellion. Senator Lodge introduced an amend­ ment Jo the fortifications appropriation ij-il, authorizing a popular 3 per cent coin ootid pwrie of $100,000,000, to be used in , providing for the defense of the coast, for the manufacture of guns and the erection of forts and batteries.' The Secretary- of the Treasury Friday MARKET REPORTS. Chicago--Cattle, common to prime, $3.50 to $5.00; hogs, shipping grades, $3.00 to $4.00; sheep, fair to choice, $2.50 to $4.00; wheat, No. 2 red, 50c to, 57c; corn. No. 2, 20c to 27c; oats, No. 2, 17c to 18c; rye, No. 2, 30c to 38c; butter, choice creamery, 22c to 24c; eggs, fresh, 10c to 18c; potatoes, per bushel, 18c to 25c; broom corn, $20 to $45 per ton for poor, to choice. . Indianapolis---Cattle, shipping, $3.00 to $4.50; hogs, choice light, $3.00 to $4.00; sheep, common to prime, $2.00 to $3.75; wheat. No. 2. 04c to 05c; corn, No. 1 vhito, 20c to 27c; oats, No. 2 white, 20c to 22c. St. Louis--Cattle, $3.00 to $5.00; hogs, $3.00 to $4.00; wheat. No. 2 red, 02c to 04c; corn. No. 2 yellow, 24c to 20c; oats, No. 2 white, 17c to 18c; rye, No. 2, 35c to 37c. Cincinnati--Cattle, $3.50 to $4.75; hogs, $3-00 to $4.00; sheep, $2.50 to $4.00; wheat, No. 2. 00c to 08c; corn. No. 2 mixed, 27c to 29c: oats, No. 2 mixed, 20c to 21c; rye. No. 2. 30c to 38c. Detroit--Cattle, $2.50 to $5.25; hogs, $3.00 to $4.25; sheep, $2.00 to $4.00; wheat, No. 2 red, 00c to 07c; corn, No. 2 yellow, 28c to 29c; oats, No.*2 white, 21c to 23c; rye, 37c to 38c. Toledo--Wheat, No. 2 red. 00c to 68c; corn. No. 2 yellow, 27c to 28c; oats, No. 2 white. 20c to 21c: rye, No. 2, 37c to 39c; clover seed; $4.40 to $4.45. «, Milwaukee--Wheat. No. 2 spring, 57c to 59c; corn. No. 3, 25c to 20c; oats, No. 2 white, 18c-to 20c; barley, No.-2, 33c to 35e; rye, No, 1, 38c to 39c; pork, mess, $9.20 to $9.75. V Buffalo--Cattle. $2.50 to $5.25; hogs," "$3.00 to $4.00; sheep, $2.50 -to ,$4.00; wheat. No. 2 red, 71c to 74c; corn, No. 2 yellow, 316 to 32c; Oftts, No. 2 white, 22c to 24c. New York--Cattle. $3.00 to $5.25; hogs, $3.00 to $4.25; sheep, $2.00 to $4.00; wheat, No. 2 red, 70c to 71c; corn, No. 2, §5c. to 30c; oats, No. 2 white, 24c to 25c; butter, creamery, 10c, to 25c;. eggs,; West­ ern, 17c to 19c. •, -t, r v. .•, i.v. ' did not burden his wife with his troubles, and he always seemed happy and cheerful. There was yet food and warmth in the lit­ tle cottage. He wont bravely ahead in an attempt to secure work, but it was denied him. His business reverses and the fact that he was practically penniless and un­ able to find employment, so preyed on Hougaard's mind that finally, seeing no other way of escape, he resolved on death. The police found little food in the house and not a cent of money, with the excep­ tion of some small Danish coins. Carnegie, J. S. Clarkson, I'. D. Armour and M. M. Estes, of California. The bill puts the capital stock at $5.- 000,000 and authorizes the bank' to act as the financial agent of any government, State or municipality or corporation, to handle bonds, etc., but bars it from issu­ ing notes to circulate as money in the United States. Comptroller Eckels addressed the com­ mittee, stating fhat he favored the estab­ lishment of such a bank under proper re­ strictions. It would give to the United States, he said, cheaper exchange with South American republics and enable them to compete successfully with Euro­ pean merchants and manufacturers. All South American exchange is now handled through London and other European cen­ ters, and a small saving in exchange often determined who should do the business of the country. The International Bank, he thought, should not be permitted to issue circulation in the United States, and it should not be given an advantage over other banks under government control in case it should decide to do all its business in the United States. KAISER DID NOT MEAN WAR. * Great Britain Rapidly Coming to Such a Conclusion. London advices say that it seems pretty well established in the public mind that Emperor William did not moan to threat­ en war upon England by his message of sympathy to Presidena Kixjger of Ti-ans- vaal, and the reports which were circu­ lated a few days ago of a European alli­ ance back of Germany and against Eng­ land find little further credence. It seems to be accepted that the German emperor simply intended to express his own opinion of tihe Jameson raid in that message and tlm temporary sentiment of irritation Which it caused Mm. This is the general feeling, apparently, of the public mind, and those organs of public opinion which are in touch with the Government have undoubtedly sought to deepen this impression. But this still leaves unexplained the uncontradicted assertion that the German Government did apply to Portugal for permission to pass marines through Portuguese territory at Delagoa- Bay to the Transvaal, nor does it explain the unflagging preparation of war material and equipment of war fortes in England. Of more force seems theVargument o£ some newspapers that the)wavering support of Russia and France has admonished the German war lord that the interpretation put upon his messagehy England was putting Him into a hazardous position. That England has had a vision of the destruction of the ."balance of power" in Europe, with herself in the descending scale, is certain. Whether she.has made ( othe* strokes in the hidden field of diplo- j rna-y besides her formidable dhow of 1 naval force is not yet known. WOODMAN'S DEFENSE PLAN. Chicago Congressman Would Quickly Dispose of $100,000,000. Congressman Woodman has introduced a bill appropriating $100,000,000 to estab­ lish fortifications and other coast defenses at the sea and lake ports of the United States. His bill provides for the creation of a board of fortifications, consisting of six members besides the Secretary of War. Two of the members shall be offi­ cers of the army and the remaining four civilians, one being an engineer and one an attorney. The members shall receive $7,500 each per year. The bill provides tnat the board shall cause plans to be prepared for fortifications at each of thirty-four ports requiring protection and enumerated in the bill. It is provided that the work of fortifying shall begin immediately and that $5,000,000 of the sum shall be available for use during the fiscal year beginning June 30 next. Ten million dollars shall be used during the year beginning June 30. 1897, and a like sum during the following year, while in eac4i succeeding year thereafter there shall bo spent $25,000,000. By this pro­ vision the entire sum would be expended before June 30, 1901. ASKS FOR SI.000.00Q A YEAR. Sum Desired for the Improvement of the Missouri River. An effort will be made in the present Congress to secure an appropriation of $4,000,00(T"i'or the improvement of the Missouri river from its month to Sioux City, Iowa. Congressman Hubbard, of Missouri, .lias introduced a bill making, this appropriation and providing that $1,- 000,000 shall be used in the year beginning July 1 next, and a like amount each suc­ ceeding year until the • appropriation is exhausted. The bill provides that each year the sum spent for salaries and trav­ eling expenses of the Missouri river com­ mission shall not exceed $25,000; for sur­ vey^, gauges, data and publication, $35,- 000; for operating snag boat, $40,000, and for systematic improvements, $500,000. The amount asked by the chief engineer of the army for Missouri river improvement in the coming fiscal year was but $750,- 000, but Gen. Craighill says the sum re­ quested was reduced from $1,000,000 be­ cause for three years Congress has refus­ ed to appropriate more than $750,000. FOUR OF A BOAT CREW MISSING. Mississippi River" Steamer Sinks and Passengers Narrowly . Escape. As the result of ihe sinking of the steamer Congo iu -the Mississippi river four people are.missing and are supposed to have drowned. Two. others were in­ jured, but not .seriously.' The missing, whoso names are unknown, are the cap­ tain of th'e deck crew, a barbeE, the ash hauler and n roustabout. The injured are James Hayes of Pittsburg, Pa., and W« 5*. Brothers, of Clay City, 111. It Will Provrii to Be a Remarkable Ycax ---Some Fifirn res. The present year will go on record as one of the most remarkable, from the farmers' point of view, in the history of American agriculture. It has been a season of contradictions, and at a cursory glance it would almost seem that like causes have failed to produce like effects. One of the driest years on record, it has proved also one of the most0 fruitful, although during tlie< growing season there was almost con­ stant apprehension of crop failure. In spite of late fnosts and spring freezes, Paul Bourget is writing a.one-act play In prose for the Comedie-Francaise. The title is "The Screen." i Edmund C. Stedman lias declined aa offer of the new Billings chair in Eng­ lish literature-Sit Yale University. In the Macmillan's new edition of: Dickens, edited by his eldest son, there ire many interesting reminiscences of of drouths almost unparalleled la la-. Ul0 novo„st am, ̂ ( M 9 tonsifv firm pvtont rtf tprntorv povorpfl. preface tensity and extent of territory covered, and with unusual visitation from in­ sect enemies, the harvests, with the exception of w'heat and cotton, are mure abundant than for years. The area planted to corn last spring,, amounting to 81,500,000 acres, was the largest on record. For three years the crops had been small, and prices had suffered less than any other grain in the general depression Of values. Low prices for wheat and cotton induced a The American Economic Association will publish ve?y shortly, "Letters of Ricardo to McCulioch," lately discov­ ered, edited and annotated by J. H. Hollander; Ph. D., of Johns Hopkins University, and '^Race Traits and Ten­ dencies of the American Negro," by F. L. Hoffman. ' , Mrs. D. F. Terdenal, formerly of San Francisco, but now living in New curtailment of their area, and- th'is land Yoi;k, where her husband is a- corre- was largely given to corn. In addition fo this voluntary increase, a consider­ able acreage of winterkilled wheat was plowed up in the spring and put in corn. In no State of importance was the acre­ age smaller than that of the previous year, and the Overshadowing import­ ance .of t|ie great American crop mayj be realized when it is remembered thatj the area devoted to this one'erop alone this year amounts to almost one-fourth; of the total area of improved land in] farms in 1890, while its immensity mayj bo measured by the fact that its acre­ age equals the combined area of New England, New York, New Jersey. Dela-I ware and Maryland, and is greater than the total area of the United Kingdom or Italy or Norway. The season was not entirely favorable, most districts suffering at some period of growth from lack of rainfall, but the average ratei of yield for the whole country was higher thau.in recent years. The fruit crop of the^year was phe­ nomenal, especially in view of the frosts in May, after apples and small fruits were in bloom. The apple crop 'is one of the largest ever grown, a heavy deficiency in New England and a small crop in New York being made up by the heaviest crop on record west of the Allegheny Mountains. The ex-: tension of fruit culture in recent-years lias been rapid, and, as new orchards are constantly coming into bearing, a liberal supply of fruit for the American table, at moderate prices, is now as­ sured in almost any season. The yield of all kinds of vegetables was in keeping with the character of the season in other lines of production, assuring abundance and variety, as well as low-priced food for all classes. The following statement shows the acreage and production of the principal and sonic minor crops of 1895, as es- spondent of the San Francisco Chroni­ cle, has written a novel. It is entitled,, "Ladies First," and deals with the ex­ periences . of a well-known mine pro-' inofer of early days. ' -.•" -. ' Richard Harding Davis is said to have been paid five hundred dollars by, W. K. Hearst's New York paper, the Journal, for writing the introdiiction to the Yale-Princeton football match.. Heffelfinger, the giant football, player, received" a like amount from tlie same newspaper for publishing a technical description of the game. T. B. Aidrich has sent the following letter to the Boston Transcript: "Some verses called 'The Ideal Husband,' and having my name attached to tnem as the author, are being extensively re­ printed by the newspapers. 1 beg leave to say--and it gives me great pleasure to say it--that I am not the author of those verses." Douglas Sladen's new book, "A Jap­ anese Marriage," whicn has had an im­ mense run in England, has just been, issued in America. In it Mr. Sladen declares himself a strong advocate of the New "Woman movement. The book is dedicated to the Earl of Dtmraven, "the most eloquent advocate of the rights of the deceased wife's sister." In speaking of a passage in -'Vailima Letters," Andrew Lang says: "* * * Mr. Stevenson was 'crazy' over M. Bourget's 'Sensations d'ltalie,' and fired a dedication at him. It bit M. Bourget in a book-seller's shop in Paris (lie in­ formed mo), a bolt out of the blue, and sorely puzzled he was as to how jo com­ municate with his remote admirer." timntoTbby^.iie writer, based upon sys­ tematic local returns received during and a,fter the growing season: Corn, bu. , Wheat, bu... . Oats, bu Rye, bu Barley, bu.... Potatoes, bu. . . Flaxseed", bu... Tobacco, bs. .. . Broom corn, lbs Apples, bids.. . . Product. 2,272,378,000 459,589,000 904.095,000 33,707,000 98.3S1.000 282,148.000 15,087,000 442.5S5.000 114,142,500 00,250,000 Acres. 81.4SS,000 30,505",(X >0 30,130,000 2.414,000 3.791.000 3.204,000 578,000 059,073 200,100 -Harper's Weekly. Too Much for the Duke. Corn calls to mind the Duke of Marl­ borough's first experience with green corn on the cob. The incident was re­ lated by a gentleman who happened,to travel in the same train with the Duke the day lie arrived in New York. It was the Newport train. Presently the duke went into the dining car to get a bit of luncheon. It happened to be the green corn season and he noticed that nearly everybody in the car was eating the corn from the cob. He had never seen anything like it before. He aslc d the waiter what it was, ordered a por tion, and, receiving it, bit into it as he would into an apple. He had attempt­ ed to bite into the cob.and had evident­ ly received a shock--too great a shock to try the experiment again; for, upon^ being told that he must spread butter, salt and pepper on the corn and bite gently, he perversely took his fork aufi patiently picked the kernels, one by one, from the cob. Watered W'heat Fields. Advantages of raising wheat under irrigation, as summarized by the Wy­ oming Station, are: First, an assured crop; second, larger yields; third, heav­ ier and better grain; fourth, maintain­ ing fertility of the soil.. The cost of raising wheat varies from $7.30 to $13.30 per acre. Estimated cost upon forty acres or more by the use of im­ proved machinery, $7.75 per acre. Profit varies from $1.73 to $10.70 per acre. Average profit is $10.00 per acre, which is a 10 per cent, income upon a land valuation of over $100 per acre, or over 40 per cent, upon a land valua­ tion of $25 per acre. An Incident of Western Travel. A hunter riding through the woods near Gray's River, Wash., the other day, came) to a big fallen tree in his path. The ground seemed clear on the other side, and he leaped his horse over the trunk. The horse landed •Squarely on the back .of a bear-which evidently had been asleep there. The bear was as much startled as the horse, and quickly made off, while the hunter was thrown to the ground, the horse pitching him out of the saddle side­ ways in its frightened leap away from the bear. ' A Yoiinir Sufferer. Mamma-How thankful you should lie, Johnnie, that you live in a peaceful era! The early settlers in Massachu­ setts always took a gun with them when they went to the meeting house." Johnnie--And did the minister make bis sermon real short, so s tliey would­ n't shoot?--Boston Transcript. "I don't think it's fair. Josiali," said Mrs. Chugwater, as the attendants bathed her sprained ankle with sooth­ ing lotions and wrapped bandages about it. "You're the one that always carries the accident insurance policies and I'm the one thatv ai J.ays getting hurt."--Chicago Tribune. „' : ANOTHER SNAKE STORY. A Point in Dispute Which Is Await- in £f-i?*rtt lent errt-v s A rather sunburnt but good-looking farmer made his way up to the snake editor's desk in the Washington Star office and stood there waiting th lie heard. The snake editor looked up in­ to his kindly face with its far-away gaze and smiled a welcome in spite of himself. » "Good morning," he said, as pleasant--' ly as if his visitor liad money. "How are you7" responded the vis­ itor. "I'm from Montgomery County." "Is that so?" greeted the editor. "Yes, that's so," said the visitor, pull­ ing up a chair and gazing far away. "What I come in for," he went on, munnurously, "was to ask you a ques­ tion. You are the snake editor, they told me downstairs." "That's right. What can I do for you?" "I don't know. P'raps you can an­ swer my question and p'raps you can't." "What is it?" "You're the man that Loudoun Coun­ ty's been posting on her snake crop, ain't you?" "Yes." "I thought so. Well, we've got snakes in Montgomery County as well as they have in Loudoun." "Do you want to get up a competitive exhibition?" "Oil, no," he said, gently, as a ring dove's coo. "I only want to tell how we are fixed on snakes just now in Montgomery and submit a question. You see, it's this way: We catched a snake on our place yesterday--or ruth- er, we partly did, for he ain't all catched yet, and "Hold on," exlaimed the editor; "how can that be?" "It's just the way we are doing it in Montgomery," said the visitor, calmly. "We found him coming out of a- hole in the rocks and there was eighteen feet of him. The rest of him was p'intin' underground- towards Loudoun and, judging from where we stopped him coming out, the other end of him will likely reach clean across the riyer over into Loudoun. If he's all in Mont­ gomery it's all rifelit and we'll pull him out. but if the biggest half of. him is over in Loudoun and flic's a Loudoun County snake, by gum, we propose to shove him back and let them Loudoun- ers take care t)f their own. The ques­ tion I want you to settle is, which county ought to have the credit of the snake?" The visitor's far-away look changed into one of pained perplexity and the snake editor asked for further time. He--When you are asked to sing and don't wisli to, you always have suclna convenient cold. .Where do you get them? Sbe-xOli, they're kept "on draught" all over town,--Htulem Lifl* Female Firemen. In Wasso, Sweden, there is a feminine branch of the fire department Their duties consist in filling four great tubs which constitute the water supply in case of fire. They stand in two con­ tinuous lines from the tubs to the lake,, about three blocks away, one line pass­ ing the full buckets and the other send­ ing them back. Whenever the fire alarm sounds they are obliged to come out," no matter what the weather may be. the daughter of the house as well as the serving maid, and often their skirts fi'ooze like bark from the water and the cold. If the men are away they not only carry the water, but bring out the hose and ladders and work the pumps. The Corean Hat. A singular Corean, hat is a great round mat of straw worn by a mourner. The hat is bound down .at the sides so as almost to conceal tlje head and face of the wearer. He carries in his band a screen or fan. and when in the road any one approaches him. lie holds the screen in front of him, sq that it, to­ gether with the hat, completely 'con­ ceals hint