X vol. xv. ST. HELENS, OIU2UON, FltlDAY, MAltCII L'5, 188. KO. 14. li nr. Hi ' ' mj, Xmm" , "JLXm' JLV.iL :JEL-K- i-;'IL . NEWS OF THE WEEK From all Parts of the New , and Old World. BRIEF AND INTERESTING ITEMS Comprehenalva llevlaw of the Import- in Happening of the Cur rent Wash. An Ottawa dlepatoh say the house of commons rushed the Yukon railway bill tliroiign committee In ins limn bait an hour. A clause in tha bill provides tliut majority ol the direct- or of th road must lis British. Tlio bill now stand for third reading. The Wolff Zw inker Iron woik of Portland, Or., have received an order from tht eeretry of the navy to rush work on the threw toriwdo boat they r now building, with til nosrible peed. By working night and day tlie 88 t-knot boat Davis and Fox can be mad ready for service in thra niontha. General Superintendent MoOolreh announced that large gangs of inon are at work all along the line of the Astoria A Columbia River railroad, and only unities ot rune are yet to be laid. The la at (pike lll be driven about April 1, with appropriate ceremonies, The man to drive It ha been selected from the rank of the men who have worked faithfully during the winter to puih the line through. The Ropnblioxn leader ol the home re pressing for an early adjournment, nd it la Mid that their course meat the loll approval of the president. All eve three of the appropriation bill have gone to the annate. The Motion of the appropriation committee in prepar ing the general deficiency bill at thi time I the beet evidence of the in ten tion to secure, early adjournment. The construction Of five modern dry dooki ha been agreed on by the house committee on naval affair. They are to be located at Portiinouth, N. H. Bolton, League ialand, near Phlladel phia; Algiers, La., and Mare inland, Cel. Three dock are to be of wood, eioept thoee at Algier and Porta mouth. The material of count motion of these will not be determined upon until later. Charle E. French, formerly prom inent oitlwn of Redlsnds, Cut., com mitted micide by shooting himaelf through the heart, alter making care ful preparation for hi end and attend ing to the minute detail ot hi busi ness afiairs. He fint mangled hi wrtit with a pooket-kiiite and lost over a quart ol blood, but fearing that death would not come, he fired a (hot from pistol into bis body. A ledge of gold-bearing quart ha been found by men engaged in grading Seventeenth tret, in Ban Francisco. The street i being cut through a bluff varying from 40 to S3 feet high, and bout 800 feet long. Three year ago tunnel wa enuk through the hill to How the laying of large water main to the reservoir on Clarendon Heights, nd low-trade quart was then uncov ered. The quarts which 1 now declared to ihow trace of gold wa uncovered by blast. A patient at the Oregon State in sane asylum, O. B. Chatfleld, pushed n attendant, Arthur Moore, through window and Jumped out himself. The fall wa from the third story, and the attendant and patient are now in the asylum hospital, under treatment for fractured bone and bruised flesh. Two estimate of appropriation to meet the ooat of the recent addition of two regiments of artillery to the army have been sent to congress by Secre tary Alger. One was of a supplemental estimate of $40,181 for the pay of the army for the fiscal year, and the other of deficiency of 1 84,1 50 in the car rent year appropriation to defray the expenditure lor the remainder of thi year. The Washington state ropcrintend ent ba refused to issue certificate to applicants In the recent examination on account of violation ot the rule which presoribe that no communication hall be allowed during the time the candidate i writing upon the ques tion. Thi i the third time the iu perintendent ha enforoed the law re lating to certification. One ol the case l held in the courts of Pierce county still undecided, upon the de cision of which rest the superintend ent' right in the premise. Benjamin Cluff, Jr., president ol the Brlgham Young academy at Provo, Utah, ha returned from a visit to the Hawaiian Islands, where lie went at the solicitation ol United State Sena tor Frank J. Cannon, to determine the status of the annexation sentiment among the Hawaiian Islands. He said! "A result of my Investigation I would say that probably one-hall of the Intelligent native of the island are pronounced advocate ol annexation. Of the remaining one-half I would say that the great majority are primarily In favor of the restoration of the mon archy, and secondly they would much prefer annexation to the United State to continuation of the present govern ment." Thirty-six carload of ammunition have been sent to Tampa, Flo, Dr. Tome Estrada Palma, of the Cuban Junta in New York, I quoted a aylng: "1 oonsider Mr. Quenada' presence At Vice-President Hobart'a reception to the Belgian prince in Washington Tuesday a matter ol great Importance. He wa invited a the accredited representative of the Cuban republic, together with the Spanish minister .nd other members of the dip lomatic corps. Mr. (Jueaada's presence s an honored guest is very significant. It ji a semiofficial recognition of Cuba." FOR THE OMAHA FAIR. Thlrtjr.Flva Cut. Making Preparations in rartlolpate. Omaha, March 83. Plans for state onitiiings at tlie Trans-Miaalmiiinl . position are coining in rapidly. The tiepartment ol publicity has just re co ved the architects drawings of the innesoia ouikllng, the Arkansas building, the Denver building and the Missouri building. The plans for the projwsed Iowa building meet the hearty approval of the exposition au thorities. The Illinois building Is nnnny complete. . The Wisconsin Dunuing is well under way. The Ne braska building is practically coin pietert. The plans for the Denver, or woiorauo-Builuuig bave been accepted, and the contract will he let in a day or two. nans lor the Georgia pine pal oe nave been submitted. It will be a rmndsome structure, built wholly of pine uonateel by u, people of Georgia. llie Minnesota building will bo eon. etruotedon similar lines of mihewn log. , r-iane tor tne uregon building are now being drawn, and will be submit ted next week. Olhor states send as eurance that plan lor their stute buildings will be forthcoming within a short time. It is highly probable that the state of New York aiid New Jersey win construct lianrtsomo buildings. Thirty-five itato have to date de cided to participate in the exposition. In 80 ot these, commissions! have been appointed and reports from agents in tne miui are to the effect thut at least five more states will be organized within the next ten days. The great government bulldine. 500 feet long, and the pinnacle ol whrwe dome is nearly 800 feet high, is nearly done. I lio management finds it neoes ary to build several annexe to aocom modate the extraordinary demand lor exhibit space. THREE DEATHS RESULTED Murderoua Attack of WMta Men on t Negro's Cabin. Muskogee, I. T., March 13. A das tardly outrage wa committed last night at Wybark, five mile from here, resulting in the dentil ot two men and woman. Tne house of hd Chalmers, negro, who recently married a white woman, was attacked during the night by six white men, who had evidently determined to murder both the negro and hi wife, both of whom hail been threatened by white men who disliked the anion, A door of their cabin wits broken in, and both the negro and hi wile were shot down, but not before Chalmers had put np a good fight against hi assailant. The woman wa killed outright, and although Chalmers succeeded In driving Off tho attacking party, they left him mortally wounded and he died before daylight. Thi morning, the body of Matthews, an aged white man, who lived at Gib son station, was found near the Chal mers cabin pieioed with a bullet. Matthew answer the description given by Chalmers before he died ol one of hi assailants. There were evidence that Matthews' body had been dragged from Chalmers' house to the place where it was found. A gun lay beside the body, evidently put there to give the impression that the dead man had murdered the ncifro and bis wife. Deputy United States marshal! are Investigating the killing, and it il believed the murderer will be brought to justice. MASSING HER SHIPS. Kagland Gathering Powerful Float In i tha Orient. Tacoma, Wash., March 88. Officers of tho Northern Pacific steamship Vic toria, which arrived, Inst night from Chin, and Japan, report that the British government is massing a very powerful fleet ol warships in Chinese water, and that the British are buying II the coal coming to those waters for the men-of-war. So anxious are they to get it that they send vessels to sea nd there hail colliers and bargain for their cargoes paying gilt-edge prioes il neoessary. They are said to be buying II the available eoal from tho Sues to the northern coast ol Siberia, as they do not want to use Japanese coal. Purser McDonald says there are now 85 or 40 British warships on the China station, and the fleet ha been consider ably augmented in the past few weeks. Among the latest arrivals was tho big marine fighter Powerful, one of the most destructive war vessel afloat. : FOR STARVING CUBANS. Missouri, Kan. a. and Oklahoma Sand Train Booth. Kansa City, March 23. A relief fund of $9,088 and 18 car ol provi sion and clothing, collooted in Mis souri, Kansa and Oklahoma for the starving Cubans, were forwarded south from Kansas City today. The relief measures are being carried ont under the management ot the Kansas City Star, and the agents of the Star will id in the distribution at Matanzas, under the direction of .United States Consul Brloe. This relief is being oar ried free in special train over the Memphis road to Memphis, thence over the Illinois Central to New Orleans. The United States government has granted transportation from New Or leans to siantansaB. no pnuuipai articles ol food sent are wheat, flour, cornineal, rice, potatoes, rolled oats, condensed milk and soup extracts. The contributions ot clothing Include a great number ol calico dresnes tor women ana children, mostly of the "Mother Hub bard" pattern, wade by various church sewing circles. San FranoHoo! Hefensas. San Frnnolscb, March 88. Within three weeks San jnranoisco win uavo one of the moat strongly fortified har bor in the United states, ami win have fleet of warsnipa oapauie mmi it. nmn with a country tnai nas mora ships than Spain can send to the Golden Gate. SPAIN'S LAST CARD Pando Seeking a Conference With Cuban Leaders. THE FINAL OFFER OF AUTOSOME and dome. It It Ballaved, Will Bejoat tba Offer, and Mareh oa Havana-Other N.i, Havana, March 83. New has just reached this correspondent, from au thentic sources, that the aotonomiet government at Madrid, 1s now playing Its last card to secure peace in Cubs end prevent intervention by the United States. ' Near Palo Prioto and Via Jaca (ior das, in the province of Santa Clara, on the west side of the Jnoaro Moron trooha, are gathered several thousand insurgents, under command of Calixto Garcia and other prominent chiefs, ac companied by Seuor Masso, president of the Cnban republic, with several member' of hi cabinet; also on the west tide of tl.e trocha, in the district of Sancti Spiritus, less than 10 miles distent from General Garcia' forces, are stationed 8,000 insuregiits under Generals Panoho, Carrillo, Mouteuu guedo, Lanclise, Legon and Gongnle. The Spanish commander, General Pando, with General Ramirec, Cnar vex and other generals, is within a few miles of General Calixto Garcia. Gen eral Oomea is west ol the Juoaro Moron trocha, within easy reach. All the in surgent general, President Maeeo and the insurgent officials with General Garcia, not through General Pando's line some time ago, and the latter gave up the campaign, which was to be a grand military ooup-de-grace, in the province of Santiago de Cuba or the province of Puerto Principe. In addi tion to passing through the trooha, the insurgent turned General Pando'e flank. It 1 just possible that this flank movement will be tho means of General Pando' carrying out a long-contem plated conference. General Pando's purpose, to further which he hut or dered a practical armistice in the east ern part of Cuba, is stated succinctly aa follows: To have personal conferenoe with General Calixto Garcia, Preeidont Masso and other insurgents, and even with General Gomes, if possible, and to make them formal offer of auton- i oray, according to the programme drawn ; by the left or radical wing of the party. A previously cabled, thi offer in clude, in return for the ending of the insurrection, the disarmament and dis banding of all volunteers, commercial treaties to be concluded without Spanish interference, maximum sum of 8, 000,000 annually to be paid to Spain by Cuba, a the latter' nominal suzerain, no insurgent to be shot or imprisoned on account of the existing insurrection, nd no insurgent to be sent as prison ers out of Cnba for future offense. The advioes received here are in sub stance that General Pando felt confident of securing the conference, .while, on the other band, Captain-General Blanco, Secretary-General Congoeto and the Spanish staff officer of high rank, and many radical member of the autono mist government, felt sure that the proposition, being the best ever offered. and assuring practical independence, wonld be accepted, that the rebellion would be declared at an end, and tint. consequently, all excuse' for the inter vention by the United State would be ended. ' ... Such view, however, were not held hen this dispatch was sent by those best acquainted with General Gomel and hi chiefs, nor by the Spanish Cuban merchants, banker, editor or awyers, nor the liberal clasa in Havana. The latter were aure that nothing but absolute independence for Cuba would ever be considered by General Gomes or any of hi principal follower. In support of the latter view it ia officially announced that after the effort near Manxanillo only two private ot Salva dor Bui' band aurrendered. It ia known besides thut General Pando, in order to advance his plans for the proposed campaign in Santiago de Cuba, greatly weakened all the troches, taking from ' them several thousand men and much artillery. It is regarded as certain in well- informed circles here that Generals Gome and Garcia, after refusing to confer with General Pando, or 11 they do confer, after refusing the terms offered, will take sufficient cattle and provisions from their comparatively well-stocked plantations immediately west, and then inaugurate a raid upon the province of Matania, Havana and probably Pinnr del Rio, appearing near here within IB or 18 days, which is considered possible. Letters received herefrom prominent autonomist in the provinces ot Santa: Clara and Puerto Principe have been! shown to this correspondent. The writers are not favorable to the United States; they still cling to the theory ot autonomy, and class a fulae the asser tion that the Spanish soldiers are un paid, unfed and living in towns, while their officers are conspiring against the autonomist government and refuse to take the field, either denying the pres ence of insurgents or Baying "Let the troop who are in favor of autonomy fight its battles." , Other letters from the same souoes nsist that 1 11 the plans laid to secure the surrender ot the insurgents have been badly conceived and poorly exe cuted. : These letter add that only in Isolated instance have any of the In surgents laid down their arms, and the leader, Masso, who surrendered, it (till further asserted, was proscribed by General Gome and was liable to be tried by court-martial, while of the 100 nanrgent who surrendered with him tToraento, more than half were back with the Insurgent within fortnight. FROM BRAZIL TO UNCLE SAM, Formal Tranafar of Crtil.er Amaxonaa Took Plane at Oraro.end. Oravescr'M, England, March 31. The cruiser Amaznnns, built by the Arm strongs for Brazil and purchased by the united States, was formally transferred from the Brazilian flag to the Stars and Stripe shortly after 1 1 o'clock A. M The ceremony was simple and dignified and to tne Brazilian officer it wa somewhat pathetic Lieutenant-Commander Colwell, Uni ted State naval attache, accompanied by Ensign Roberts, Assistant Engineer Morris nd Consul-General Osborne, arrived on board shortly before' 11 o'clock. The chief officer of the coast guard and a number of customs onloers, all in uniform, were already on board. Lieutenant-Commander Colwell, salut ing Commandor Corres, said: "Captain, I have here a contract of sale to which you were witness. whereby this vessel I to be transferred to me in behalf of the United States." Commander Corree replied through n interpreter, saying: "In handing over the ship I desire to say that it is done with the sincere friendship ot Brazil." Colwell, saluting, replied: , "In behalf of the United State I thank you for the sentiment." In the center ol circle of officer of both nations, Colwell then faced the Brazilian flag flying from the cruiser's (tern, and as the officer bared their head the flag of Brazil was hauled down, after which, facing about with their head still uncovered, Old Glory was run up. Lieutenant Colwell and the Brazilian officers then shook hands. Great interest was taken in the cere mony, which ia said to have been unique in naval history, by which one power transferred a warship to another in the harbor of a third power. : . Several American flags were hoisted at Gravesend after the Stars and Btripe were unfurled over the Amazona. After saluting Tilbury fort, the band played "The Star Spangled Banner," with the crew standing at "attention." Commodore Howell immediately or dered 60 tent of coal for the San Fran cisco and 803 ton for the Amazonas, which is coaling, and is expected to complete the work Tuesday, when he will go to Holehaven to take on ammu nition. THE MAINE REPORT. President Ex part, ta Keeelve It Within a Short Time. Washington, March 81. An air of suspense was noticeable in the navy department today, due to the approach of the time for the delivery of the re port of the court ot inquiry. It is not known when the document will come to Washington, and in view ot the re ports of the determination of outside parties to obtain possession of it before the department receive it, the officials, if they know, will not say how the papers are to be brought to Washington. All that ia known definitely is that the president has suggested that the report be made a soon as possible, and it is expected to reach this oity in the coarse of two or three days. The cabinet today talked over the matter, and the time stated above was the general opinion of the member when they had heard all that Secretary Long had to report on the subject. There I an impression that Lieutenant Commander Marix will bring the docu ment, though It 1 within Admiral Sicard' power to choose any other officer. . . A cabinet officer expressed the, belief that the report will require careful con sideration on the part of the president and his cabinet before given to the pub lic, which would seem to postpone its publication to some time about the mid dle of the week, although nothing is certain on that point. The new naval policy, embodied in the oreation of another squadron to rendezvous at Hampton roads, was dis oussed at the cabinet meeting at length and received unanimous approval. ' Every jibase of the several questions involved wa carefully considered, and it Is believed that very soon after the report ia reooived the president, possi bly in conjunction with congress, will announce a "definite policy. . Alllanoe Talk irnabated. London, March 81. The Daily Chronicle, in an editorial on the growth Of the Anglo-American alliance idea, expresses the conviction that it is only matter of time, but that it would be great mistake to try to rush the movement. . It says; ' "America does not need"more help from o now than at any other time. She- is superabundantly capable of meeting any situation that may arise. She will have our friendly sympathy and neutrality in the Cuban question, and at, this moment it ia difficult for us to offer more. It Is quite certain that England would never allow the United State to be orushed by combination of European powers. " Overpowered the Guard. ' Boise, Idaho, Maroh 81. A whole sale escape ot convicts occurred at the penitentiary at 8 o'clock this afternoon. A gang of IS men. employed, in the quarry overpowered the guard and de camped, taking the guard with them some distance. Two of them returned voluntarily, and six were captured dur ing the afternoon. Five are still at large. . . y : Lumbar Schooner Burned. Tillamook, Or., March 81. News bas just been received from Oretown, a small village on the coast, abont 80 miles south of here, that the lumber schooner Arthur I, of San Francisco, is on the beach at the point, total wreck, having been broken into several pieces by heavy sea. . Nothing has been, seen of the crew, nd it i feared that all have perished. There is no telegraph line to Oretowr and no further particular are obtain able. - - . (f SUPPLY IS SUFFICIENT Food Enough in Dawson to Last Two Years. FEOSt THE MiXOOK COCNTBY. Skagway Gambling Houses Closed Dowa But F Cases of Scarry at Dawson Now. Skagway, Alaska, March fl. Via Port Townsend, March 81. Ben At- water arrived here last night from Cir cle City and Dawson, N. W. T., bring. lug 100 pound of mail from the above places. Atwater's former home was in Morrison, lib He went to the Yu kon country in 1836, and has resided there ever since. Atwster, accom panied by H. C. Pettit, of Snohomish, Wash,, left Circle City Janaary 10 and Dawson February 8, with dog teams. The trip up the river and lakes was a bard one, the weather being bitterly cold. " Atwster says that there is food enough In the Klondike country to last the present population two years. As a consequence ot the food scare the output of the mines will be curtailed. He estimates it at about $3,000,000. Atwater says that many claims which were considered to be only wild' oat properties on . various creeks are turning out well. Dominion is pay log finely, and will hare a big cleanup next spring. Suiphnr and Hunker are also good, and so is Indian. Quarts ledges have been found on the latter creek which look well. There is quite a settlement at the month of Stawart river, but no reports have as yet been received from the prospectors who went np the river early In tne winter.. On Walsh creek, Ave miles below Big Salmon, dirt has been found which yields TS cents to the pan. A stam pede occurred trots Circle City about January 10 to American creek, abont 800 men leaving for that section. At water met 800 or 400 men from Daw son making their way to American creek. American creek ia SO miles from Forty-Mile, and abont 85 miles below the international boundary on the Alaska side. The report from the Minook coun try are very encouraging. A courier from Minook arrived at Circle City just before Atwater left that place, with about 60 pounds of mail. This At water brought out. The courier had with him quantity of gold from Minook, and be stated that the pros pectois bad struck it rich in that sec tion. ' Atwater says there are but few easee of scurvy in Dawson. The hospital contains but 45 inmates, and these have eithei met with accidents or are suffering from chronic diseases. The general health of the people is good. Aa result of the agitation here against the "sure-thing", men led by "Soapy" Smith, United States Com miesioner Smith and Depnty United States Marshal Molnnes closed all tha gambling-houses on Wednesday night. It I said that an arrangement was made whereby the gambling will be re stricted to so-called legitimate games, and all sure-thing or bunco games will be prohibited. . The sore-thing men are leaving the town in twos and threes. ' The weather here for the past week has been mild and spring like, and the warm sooth wind and the sua are play ing bavoe with the winter trail, which follows the river for a distance of eight miles. . Hundreds of people are making their way over the divide,, however, undeterred by wind or weather. The now ha entirely disappeared from the streets, which are now muddy beyond conception. The strike of the longshoremen for 75 cents an hour has been declared off by vote of the local onion. The rate now paid is. 50 cents an- hour, the steamship companies agreeing not to employ Indiana in hauling .freight on the docks. ' Lived on Do-Diet. Seattle, Maroh 81. H. C. Pettit, who arrived here from Dawson City this morning on the City of Seattle, says that a large party left Circle City in January, with supplies for the Tan ana Indians on the headwaters of Tan ana river. The Indians number about 800. Every winter they depend on a run of moose and cariboo for food. The run did not materialize this winter, nd, after they had exhausted their supplies of salmon, they were forced to eat their dogs, the supply of which was small. ; . . A trapper passing through the dis trict became acquainted with their sit uation. He immediately carried the news to Circle City, and a relief expe dition was at once sent ont. Down From Copper River. Seattle, March 21. The steam schooner Bival arrived today from Copper river. The Rival enoountered terrible storm on the way down and wa forced to put into Yakutat bay for three days. Of the 1,000 prospector that have landed at Valdes, 600 have started into the interior. The remain der are camped on the ice at Valdes. The Rival reports having spoken the schooner Moonlight, northbound, with all well on board. The schooner Gen eral Biglin arrived out safely,- dis charged and ia now returning. Noth ing was seen ot the brigantine Blakely or her consort, which left here some week ago for Copper river ports. Behenae Is Imposelble. Madrid, Maroh 81. A semi-official agency today publishes the following announcement: "It is useless to talk of the sale ot Cuba. The sale could not be arranged, except by parliament, and it is impossi ble that any Spanish chamber would agree to sell the ialand at any price," FRANCE'S DEMANDS. Some Important Concessions to Be Rx eted ot China. Peking, Maroh 91. France tits formulated the following fresh de mands: That China shall not cede any por tion of the four provinces, Kwang Tung, Kwang Si, Yum Nan and Kwel Chau; that .the railway from Tnng Chan Ting (on the northern frontier ot Tonquin) shall be extended via Paz, Siam, Into the Yun Nan province, and that coaling station be granted France at Lei Chan Fa, in the Hen Chau peninsula, north ot? Una Nan. Thus far China declines to comply with any of these demands, Peking, March 31. France makes numerous other demands upon China in addition to those cabled last night. They include extensive railroad and coal concessions, exclusive mining privileges and also insist that the di rector of the imperial post office be a Frenchman. Eight days are allowed China to reply and tbe threat are in terpreted to indicate that the Frenoh will occupy the province of Hai Nio onies the Chinese comply. Terrible State of Aft-air. Washington, March 81. Senator Gallinger was at the capitol today for tbe first time since his return from Cuba. ' When requested to make a statement as to his observations on the condition of affair on the island, he re sponded: : "Yon can sign my name to any pic ture yon may draw of utter wretched ness and destitation and hellishness in that country. The reconoentrados are perishing by thousands fur want of the commonest necessaries of life. The best information obtainable leads to the conclusion that there have been be yond doubt 400,000 deaths aa a result of Spain's brutal policy, tad many more are occurring from day to day. Spaniard Worae Than Turka. Detroit, March 81. Pre feasor Dean C. Worcester, of tbe university of Michigan, who has visited the Philip pine islands in the inteiest of science, says that people here are. unwilling to believe tbe thing said about the Span ish treatment of the Cubans. They seem too abhorrent, but if they oould appreciate that the outrages in Cuba dwarf those ol Armenia they would have stopped them long ago. Xxtra Work at Fowder If Ilia. Santa Crus, Cai., Mareh 81. The powder works were in foil blast Sunday making government powder. : It is unusual for the force to be at work Sun day. As extra men are being em ployed, it is presumed that orders have been received to increase the output. For the past week, the mill has been devoted exclusively to iha manufacture of government brown powder. Wilmington, Del., March 81. The powder works of the E. L Dupont-De Mours Company is working day and night on a government order for hexa gonal powder for the big guns. The daily oapacity of the work ia said to be 10 tons of powder. Work is also said to be hurried at tbe company's plant in New Jersey, near Gibbstown. ktoro Trouble Brenlnf. Mexico City, . March 81; Twelve Guatemalans of the staff of General Morales, tbe Guatemalan rebel leader, left here yesterday for Vera Cms, and will disembark at Chapuperico. They will go well armed, and take tents for 130 people.. ' General Morales will fol low in a few days, and it is believed that this portends fresh breaking out of the rebellion. Spaniards are said to be aiding Mo rales, and will expect if be succeeds to receive favors from his bands. An Idaho Railway Sckamo. Boise, Idaho, March 81. A contract has been signed for 1500,000 of bonds of tbe proposed Moscow & Eastern rail way, which has been projected to reach the White Pine belt, lying in Latah and Shoshone counties. The, prelimi nary survey has been made and it is expected the work ot eonstracting the line will be under way by July 1. The road is to be built to a point 40 miles almost directly east of Moscow, upon the Potlatch river, in the heart of a vast body of white pine timber, and said to be the most extensive and finest body of this timber now standing. Gold and Silver From Sea Water. New York, Maroh 81. About B8 ounces of bullion in the proportion of one-third gold to two-thirds silver and valued at about $540, has been re ceived at the assay office in the, cones. It came from the Electrolytic-Murine Salts Company, of Boston, and Arthur Ryan, its president, claims that the metal was extracted from sea water at North Luhec, Me. Of the economics ot the process nothing was said. As says will be made and upon them will depend what is to be paid for the bul lion. . - v Plague Biota Expected. Bombay, March 81. Two hundred new cases and 818 deaths from the plague were reported today. Five ..Europeans bave been attacked. The Mohammedans at Hubli, on tne south Mahratta railway, hearing of the riots in this city, have deoided to reeist the plague committee's operations. The volunteers have been mobilised, and the infantry hs been summoned, but as yet there has been no conflict. ' ! Doe. Not Want Hawaii. .' ' , London, March 81. The government of Great Britain is surprised at the re port ot the senate committee on foreign relations, which, after presenting a joint resolution for annexation of Ha waii, set forth that Great Britain was plotting for the absorption of Hawaii. Havana, March 81. General Pando, concerning whose saiety anxiety rua been expressed m some circles, arrived this morning at Cic,;o de Avilla, prov ince of Puerto Prinoipa, ISLE OF DESOLATION Redfield Proctor Tells Senate What He Saw ia Cuba. VICTIMS OF SPASIS7I IflSRULR Condition mt Roae0ntradoa Pleftnreri ' A Splendid Baee That la Now Nearly Exterminated. Washington, March 18. Senator Sunday from an extended trip to aiid through the island of Cuba, this after noon made a statement to the senate of bis observation on the island, From many points of view tbe statement was ' remarkable. It bod evidently been moat catefuily prepared Every ele ment ot sensationalism bad been studi ously eliminated from it, and except so far as tbe facts recited were sensation si, it bore not tbe slightest evidence of an effort to aronee the public mind, ) readjkeenly alive to the condition of affairs 03 the island. Calm and dispassionate to a notable degree, the atterances of the senator aroused breathless interest. Every person within the sound of his voice , was convinced that he was putting his observations into careful terms, lent lie might subject himself to the eritioiem of being emotional. Ha spoke in part as follows: "More importance seems to be at tached by others to my recent visit to Cuba than I hare given it. It has been suggested that I make a public statement of what I saw and how the .1 1 - 1 Tli!. T J,Irt. on account of public interest in all that concerns Cuba, and to correct any inaccuracies that have not unnaturally, appeared in some of the reported inter views with me. "My trip was entirely unofficial, and . of my own notion; it was not Boosted by anyone. The only mention I mmie of it to the president was to say to bim that I contemplated such a trip, and to ask him if thre was any objection tu it, to which he replied that he could see none." i The senator spoke in very kindly terms of Consul-General Lee and of Coneal Brice. Referring to the Maine matter he enid: "It has been stated that I said there was no doubt the Maine was blown up from the outaide. This is a mistuka. I may have said that such was the gen eral impression among Americans in Havana; in foot. I have no opinion about it myself and carefully avoided forming one. I gave no attention to these outside surmises. I met the members of the court of inquiry on their boat, but would as soon approach our supreme court in regard to a pend ing case as that board. They are as competent and trustworthy within tho lines of their duty as any court in the land, and their report, when mai'.e, will carry conviction to all the people that the exact truth ha beeu stated as tax as it is possible to ascertain it. "Havana, the great city tod capital of Cuba, is, in the eyes of the Spanish and many Cubans, ail Cuba, as Peris is France. But, having visited it in more peaceful times and seen its sights, the tomb of Clonmbua, the forts, Cu ban ae, Morro castle, eta, I did not care to repeat this, preferring trips in the country. Everything seems to go on much ae asual in Havana, and one sees few signs of war. "Outside of Havana all is changed. It ia not peace, nor is it wrr; it is deso lation and destruction, misery and star vation. Every town and village is sur rounded by trocha, a sort ot rifle pit; The purpose ot these troches is to keep the reoonoentrados in as well as to keep the insurgents out. From all tha surrounding country the people have been driven into tbe fortified town and held there to subsist as they eau. They are virtually prison yards, and not unlike one in general appearance. Every point is in range of a aoldier's rifle. . "West of Havana is mainly the rich tobacco country, east, so far as I went, la tha md rottinn. - Npnrlv alt Ilia sngar mills are destroyed between Ha vana and Sagna. "Tbe reconceiitrados number about 400,000. They were the peasantry, farmers, some landowners, others rout ing lands and owning morw or less stock, others working on estates snd cultivating small patohes, and even a small patch in that fruitful clime will support a small family. According to their standard of comfort, before Wey ler's order was issued they were well off. When they reached the towns to which they were driven, they were al lowed to build hnts of palm leaves iu the suburbs and vacant places within the trocha, and left to live if they could. For want of space the huts are crowded close together. They have no floor but the ground, and no furniture, nd after a years' wear, but little clothing. The commonest sanitary provisions are impossible. "Torn from their homes, with foul earth, foul air, foul water and foul food, or none, what wonder that one halt have died and that one-quurter ol the living are sodiseased that they can not be saved. , A form ot dropsy is tha result of this condition. Little children are still walking about wilh arms and chestB terribly emaciated, eyes swollen and abdomens bloated to three times the natural sisw. , Death ia the streets have not been uncommon. ' "I coold not believe that out of a population of 1,600,000, 200,000 hud died within the Spanish forta, prac tically prison walla, within a few months past from actual starvation arid diseases caused by Smmfficifut and im proper food. My inqnirit! . fwm reliable sonrcee, and every tmo lite answer was that the cue had r.ot br.m overstated. Wltt I saw I eennct t-'! t'-is', others can n it.