THE MORNING OREGONIAN. WEDNESDAY, AT 37, 1905. Xb tared st the Pcstofflee at Portland, Oregon, as second-class matter. XEVIEED 6U3SCRIRPTION RATES. By Man Ipostace pivaald. In advance) PJlr. with Sunday, per month 2"?i; gUr, Sunday excepted, per year... J Dally, -with Sunday, per year..... ..... .. -J2J Straday, per year 2.tw The Weekly, per year .... l- She "Weekly, 8 month! - To City Sulwcrlber -r. per week, delivered. Bunday cepted.l5o ally, per week, delivered. Sunday lncluded.KKS POSTAGE RATES. United State. Canada and Mexico - ?S V P6 air 2S Jo to 80-page paper. r? 2 to 4-pag papef So Foreign rates double. Xews, or discussion Intended for publication Sb The Oregonlan should be addressed InvarU kly ".Editor The Oregonlan." not to the nam I any individual. Letters relating to adver tising, subscription or to any business matter Should be addressed simply "The Oregonlan." The Oregonlan does not buy poems or stories from Individuals, and cannot -undertake to re turn any manuscript sent to it without solici tation. No sumps should bo inclosed for this purpose. Eastern Business Office, 43. 44. 43. 47. 48. 49 Tribune building. New York City: 510-11-12 Tribune building. Chicago: the 8. a Beckwlth Special Agency, Eastern representative. Per sale in Ean Francisco by L E. Lee, Pal ace Hotel news stand; Goldsmith Bros.. 238 Sutter street; F. W. Pitts, 100S Market street: J. X. Cooper Co.. 740 Market street, near the Palace Hotel: Foster & Orear. Ferry news stand: Frank Scott. 80 Bills street, and N. Wbeatley. 813 Mission street. For sale in Los Angeles by B. F. Gardner. 250 South Spring street, and Oliver & Halnee, SOS South Spring street. For sale in Kansas City. Mo., by Rlcksecker Cigar Co.. Ninth and Walnut streets. For sal in Chicago by the P. O. News Co.. S17 Dearborn street, and Charles MacDocald, IZ Washington street. For sale In Omaha by Barkalow Bros 1612 Farnam street; Megeath Stationery Co.. 1303 Frnam street. For sale in Ogden by W. O. Kind. 114 23th Street; Jas. H. Crockwell. 242 25th street. For sale In Salt Lake by the Salt Laka News Co., 77 West Second South street. For sale In Washington. D. C. by the Ebbett House news stand. For .sale In Denver, Colo., by Hamilton & Kendrick. 900-912 Seventeenth street: Louth an Jackson Book & Stationery Co.. Fifteenth and Lawrence streets; A. Series. Sixteenth and Curtis streets. TODAY'S WEATHER Fair, preceded by showers during the forenoon. Warmer. North westerly winds. "YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum tem perature, S7 deg.; minimum temperature, 40 deg.; precipitation, 0.10 Inch. PORTLATCD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 27. THE REFERENDUM JfOT A FAILURE. Impatience with the referendum, aroused by the menace to the Lewis and Clark Centennial, was so unre strainedly indulged here in Oregon in April and the first part of May that the country at large is in danger of forming an Incorrect impression of that amendment to the Oregon constitution. A careless utterance of a "Washington State paper, for example, leads the New York Evening Postto the conclusion that the referendum Is. .a "flat failure," and that "it is always a dead letter unless somebody wants to use it for improper purposes." Oregon was pretty badly scared, it is true, when the referendum was invoked for three undesirable obstructive vetoes on acts of the recent legislative session. But The Oregonlan, at least, offered re assurance while the panic was at its height, and expressed a confidence in the popular Judgment which the sequel has abundantly justified. The referen- dum was, it is true, invoked for -lm-' proper purposes, but it was proven to be a dead letter in exactly that case rather than the opposite, and its insur ance qualities were left unimpaired by the fact that lhe three petitions in question failed to receive the number of signatures requisite to bring the challenged measures before a vote of the people. The result may be accept ed everywhere, as it Is In Oregon, as a fresh testimonial to the wisdom and safety of popular government. The referendum stands accordingly as a safeguard in the people's hands against pernicious acts of an unworthy Legislature and a conniving Governor. Any hope of using it as an instrument pf Improper purposes must be infinitesi mal, after the late severe test, in which powerful interests corporations In one case ' and labor organizations in the other conspicuously failed in their at tempt to invoke the plebiscite by widely Circulated and strenuously urged peti tions. The amendment is the stronger for its trial; and while it is likely to remain a dead letter except in its op eration as a potential check on legis lative misconduct, it may yet have a day of abundant triumph in actual em ployment to defeat a pernicious law. Efforts to bring government nearer to the people, as the National convention system has brought our Presidential elections, are not to be condemned off hand. Hardly a Legislature in the land adjourns without some specific acts being submitted to a referendum. It Js not a violent extension of this recog nized and approved practice to codify It for instant use In. any emergency on demand. A PROMISING EXPERIMENT. A scheme to hire household servants by the hour is being evolved from the perplexed brains of Boston women whose wrestle with the servant-girl problem has made them fertile in ex pedients. The experiment is promising from the fact that girls are first to be trained for the service required in a school established for that purpose. A certificate of competence in the branch of housework for which she makes ap plication to work by the hour will be necessary In order for a woman to se cure work at the wage rate hereafter to be agreed upon. The course of instruc tion covers ironing, cleaning, cooking trad sewing. This feature, as before said, makes the plan a promising one. It brings housework up to the plane of skilled labor (where, if competently performed, it certainly should be), and insures In its performance the respect and confi dence of employers as well as the self respect of the workers. It promises to housemaids the coveted boon of "time of their own," and makes the hours for which they receive pay belong without reservation to their employers.. Some kinds of work, as window washing, general housecleanlng, wash ing and ironing, are now being done in this city "by the hour," the minimum rate for capable women being 15 cents. So far as observed, the plan is satis factory to all concerned, providing the worker understands what she is hired to. do. It would be difficult, of course, to extend this system to the more mi nute details of housekeeping, and espe cially to cooking. Hence the experi ment in Boston, as being systcmized upon the basis of thorough preparation for the work required, will be hatched with Interest by the great multitude of Intelligent American housewives. 'The German''government is engaged in carrying out a plan for the purchase of the six large private railroads re maining in Prussia, and when this op- eratlon is completed the Prussian. Min ister of Railroads and Public "Works will be In complete control of the rail ways of the state. Our American Con sul -General at Berlin reports to our Secretary of State that state ownership and operation, from a financial stand point, has been an unquestionable suc cess. In 1890 the revenues of the state railways exceeded 'expenditures by 501, 000.000 marks t?119.238,000), and this sur plus increased to 751,000,000 marks ($178,738,000) in 1899. The state roads, under public management, show In creased speed, the frequency of service is Increased, and the accommodations for passengers Improved. The run from Berlin to Frankfort has- been reduced within a few years from fourteen to nine hours, and prizes are being of fered for the best designs of locomo tives and cars for a 75-miles-an-hour service of small hourly trains to run between the principal German cities in place of a service now generally limit ed to four large expresses a day. BRYAN'S LITTLE GAME. Mr. Bryan, having commended Judge Parker to the Democrats of New York, and Tom L. Johnson to the Democrats of Ohio, now turns his attention to the South, and asks an Interviewer: "What do you say to Judge "Walter Clark, of North Carolina?" These castings about of the late Defeated are entirely too frequent to be anything but systematic. They are part of a programme distinct ly formulated in the boyoratorlcal mind. "What might that programme be? In the first place, Mr. Bryan may fig ure that if he can get some eminent nobody or great unknown nominated for President in 1904, the ensuing defeat will cause the party to turn to himself again In 190S. But what Is far more likely is that Bryan hopes to see so many candidates at next year's con vention, and such hopeless dissension among them, that he will himself be the only man upon whom all can agree. "Next time" is not the day of salvation with the general run of ambitious statesmen. The modest self-effacement of Mr. Bryan Justifies the view that the best year for him to run again is In 1901 'This Is the same old game which the bosses tried to work on McKInley at St Louis in 1896, and which Messrs. -Hanna, Piatt et Id omne are setting up now on President Roosevelt. Its success under the most favorable conditions Is ex tremely Improbable. "When the favor ite sons develop their unavailability beyond peradventure, they are not al ways able to control their disgusted delegations, and even if they are. some times the favorite sons do not center their support on the author of their Ill starred undertakings. Because Mr. Bryan promotes Parker in New York, Johnson in Ohio and Clark In North Carolina is not an all-sufficient reason why the second choice of all these states should be Bryan. The young Lochlnvar may be a daring rider, but there are some politicians in the party who have forgotten more than he ever knew about the manipulation of Na tional conventions. You cannot crucify a party on a cross of 16 to 1 more than about once In a million years. "We can tell Mr. Bryan, If he has not already divined It from expressions given him at first hand, that he is tempting fortune too far. He reckons without the ambitions of the rank and file of Democrats when he undertakes to add to the role of disturber of the Democratic peace that of obstructor of Democratic success. He sadly mis Judges the brains of the party if he thinks It will submit indefinitely to his assumption that his crazy silver and socialistic propaganda of 1896 are the time-honored ''principles" of Jefferson and Jackson. BETWEEN TWO FIRES. "With Mr. Harrlman steadily reduc ing the railroad mileage under hlB con trol by the sale of branches and con nections wherever some other road wishes to enter, it Is hardly probable that he is seeking to secure the Co lumbia River & Northern. Mr. Harrl man has much less to fear from this new road than has the Northern Pa cific The O. R. & N. has received only a limited amount of business from the route traversed by the Columbia & Northern, for the simple reason that it made no effort to develop or encour age development In that region. The Columbia River will prevent the line crossing back Into the Oregon territory of the O. R. & N., but to the east and north great possibilities await Its ex tension. As the Northern Pacific and its close ally, the Great Northern, are now in undisputed possession of that rich territory, any uneasiness over the encroachments of the new road would quite naturally come from them. The predominant feature of Mr. Har rlman's policy on the Pacific Coast seems to be a persistent effort to divert everything possible to San Francisco and to make no attempt to reach out for new traffic in the Northwest This failure to aid Portland and Oregon in securing what rightfully belongs to them Is explainable, perhaps, by the fact that any increased development In Oregon and "Washington, except on the line of the Southern Pacific, would not aid the Harrlman properties centering in San Francisco. The Northern Pa cific, on the contrary. Is directly inter ested In the development of Oregon, "Washington and Idaho. The business of these three states may be of small consequence to Mr. Harrlman, but It has a value for the Northern Pacific The wheat, flour and lumber business of these states is the foundation on which the Oriental trade has been built and on this foundation It will rest for many a year. Mr. Harrlman can not take this trade to San Francisco, and he does not handle it properly from Portland. This leaves it at the mercy of the Northern Pacific or the people of Portland. "We have no favors to expect from an alien road like the Northern Pacific or the Great Northern, but with a few roads like the Columbia Northern, built Independent of the big roads or their influences, we can bring down to tide water at Portland a traffic of such pro portions that the owners of ships en gaged in the trans-Pacific business will gladly send their ships to our wharves. Portland needs no overland freight to fill her steamers for the far East, and the Puget Sound lines of Hill and Mel len are compelled to continue their In vasion of Portland territory in order to secure cargo for their steamers. It is here, and not In the East, that the traf fic which supplies big cargoes origi nates. The Pacific Northwest produces the commodities of which the Orient is most In need, and our close proximity to the far East should give us an ad vantage which no railroad combination should be permitted to take away from us. If the Columbia River & North ern falls into the hands of the Hill-Mel- Jen people, millers and wheatgrowers in this territory must market their sur plus products in Europe, while the more -profitable Oriental trade Is delivered to the Eastern shippers by a discrimina tory through rate. The present impor tance of the Columbia Northern is. not a serious menace to Northern Pacific supremacy on ' the north bank of the. Columbia, but the road is headed for a territory from which the big road annually hauls an Immense amount of freight, and all of the advantage of grades and distances to tidewater are in its favor. "With the Hill roads straining every effort to pull business to the north, and the Harrlman lines putting forth equal ly strong efforts to divert it to the south, Portland must rely on her own efforts to hold for this city the traffic which Nature Intended should flow sea ward by a water-level route.. The building pf short lines like the Colum bia Northern, and there Is room for a number of others, opening up rich country tributary to this city, will gradually develop a traffic centering in this city of sufficient proportions to at tract big railroads from the East and big ships from the sea. GOOD TEACHERS WORTHY THEIR HIRE. Collegiate records show that while fewer graduates of promise enter the ministry than fifty years ago, the num ber of college graduates who choose teaching as a life profession is rapidly increasing. Formerly the college gradu ate became a teacher only as a horse block from which to reach another call ing; but today a large number of ex cellent university graduates make teaching their life work. This fact should excite no surprise. To a man who has a natural love of books, who prizes the social decency and quiet dig nity of life more than he does the love of power exercised through wealth or the vulgar supremacy of cheap political opportunity, the work of a teacher ought to be attractive. The study of the law is fine Intellectual discipline, and discussion of fundamental legal principles by the great jurists of Eng land and America Is a kind of reading that at once informs and enlarges the mind and imparts wisdom that bears fruit in sound government; but the practice of the law, especially In the petty courts, is not ennobling or inspir ing of anything "but cheap craft and dislngenuousness. Its experience is vulgar and con temptible, calculated either to debase the lawyer or inspire him with a hearty contempt for the average client No wonder men of learning and scholarship and love of books prefer the quiet so cial dignity of a teacher's life to that of the average lawyer, whose culture, when he has any, Is not utilized to any high end, but is chiefly pearls cast be fore swine. A man of learning and sense and thirst for books may seri ously doubt whether as a lawyer he will ever do more good than harm, unless he reaches the Judicial bench, which is the serene upper air of the profession, where the man bred to the law. If he is honest and able, cannot but be of ceaseless good service to the cause of Justice and social order. No wonder the trained scholar and man of culture shuns the wrangling and chicanery of the legal profession, which is constantly tempted to discomfit Jus tice for bread. The man of sound culture and hu mane tastes feels that in the profession of a teacher his investment not only declares a dividend In decent personal support, but In a consciousness of some good wrought to his day and genera tion. He feels, even when, poorly paid, something of the same satisfaction that a- good physician feels when he saves a life, although he knows that his fee Is Inadequate for the service performed. But while the salaries of teachers are far better than they were fifty years ago, they are still shamefully low in the grammar schools of even New Eng land and the Middle States. In Phila delphia the great body of teachers re ceive salaries varying from ?470 to $670 a year. The only cities that make a worse showing than Philadelphia are New Orleans, St Joseph, Mo., and Memphis, Tenn. In New York there is always a "demand for good teachers, and living salaries are paid them. Bos ton Is not behind New York, but the salaries paid the teachers of grammar schools in Massachusetts, and even high schools, is very small In considera tion of the service rendered by the teacher, if he Is a man of superior char acter and attainments, as he ought to be to assume the heavy responsibility of a teacher. We have called it a heavy responsi bility, because the teacher, while he is not distinctly employed to form the character of his pupils, the probability is that he does form the character of his pupils quite as much as the parent He does not form the" character of his pupils specifically by- his use or his dis use of the rod or by the dull round of lessons assigned and recited day by day. He does it chiefly because a good teacher is not seldom the best man or woman that the pupils ever got very close to, unless they happen to have exceptionally high-minded "and intelli gent parents. The public school is, or at least could be made, the most lm portant formative influence in the crea tion of good citizenship. The pupil spends as many hours under the lnflu ence and inspiration of the good teach er as he does under the eye and edu cation of the parents. There are many parents who are ignorant, many that are vicious, many that are stupid' and shallow. There are not a few children who have no parents, so that practical ly the state does take the. place of the parent, and it can only take the place of the parent with success when It is wise enough to obtain superior men and women for teachers and retain them by decent wages. Good teaching, like good preaching. Is a noble, natural gift The memory of school" days always includes the rec ollectlon of the inspiring Influence of .the teachers who were born to teach In distinction from those who assumed to keep school. To these born teachers the world owes Its largest product of fine manhood and womanhood. The scholar at school will grow in spiritual and intellectual fiber according as his teacher has breadth of brain, depth of soul and warmth of heart A teacher who has so much of manly moral at mosphere about him that the best im pulses of his pupils harden under his spiritual effluence into sound, sweet character is worth more to the world a thousand times than the most nim ble catcher, of pennies and potter of dollars, because he makes the men and women that are sure to be salt of the state- The mediocre pedagogue Is com mon enough. Books are well enough, but character must be based on some thing better than pedantic learning, and' the strength and sweetness of the teacher's personal character Is what makes him a blessed formative influ ence to his pupils. The school age Is the impressible season. The teacher Is the blessed .formative .Influence, if he has any soul and genuine manly stuff In him, but such teachers as we have suggested -are not common where the function of the teacher is degraded in public opinion by refusing to pay a teacher for his services upon a scale that would Justify his making the training bf youth" a life work. The fact that the best-equipped men of -our col lege graduates are choosing pedagogy as their life work In Increasing num- lunl la rrrrA .lira T t nil cwwu diu. u onuu nciA lui the college graduate and well for the state. It means a higher life for the college graduate than trade, law or poll- tics, and It means better teachers for the state. A dirigible -balloon known as the Richmond has been launched, which Is said to surpass In all points of con struction the Bantos-Dumont machine. It was built for the Lebaudy brothers, of Paris, and upon a recent test, under unfavorable conditions of wind and weather, responded to the will of its navigators. While if did not sail di rectly against the wind. It did take a three-quarters course against a very stiff breeze. It not only answered the helm satisfactorily, but made good speed, covering a total distance of thirty-seven kilometers in an hour and a half. The success of this machine Is held to demonstrate the feasibility of floating balloons under control for use ful purposes, though It does not In crease the probability of general travel by means of airships. They who are forever talking about stimulation of American shipbuilding for the foreign trade by subsidies should always be answered by show ing that the main cause of the low state of the American marine is the higher cost of the operation of our vessels, both steam and sail, as compared with others. Wages are from 50 to 100 per cent higher; and wages demanded by our seafaring men are not likely to fall so long as wages ashore continue rela tively so high as they are. Even if we should admit forelgn-bullt ships to American registry, we could not oper ate them on any large scale, except In the domestic and coastwise trade; and there Is no probability that "protection" in this trade ever will be abandoned. Certainly not soon. M. V. Leasla's attempt to "play Tracy" came to a short and for him inglorious end. Sleeping like any other tired man who had not assumed -the role of a bloodthirsty and vengeful hero, the dastardly murderer was found In a barn across the road from the house where he and his captive ex-wlfe had taken supper, and his career as an outlaw was speedily ended without a shot being fired on either side. While there was .very slight prospect from the first that Lcasla would escape. there was grave reason to fear that his capture would not be effected without further loss of life. The closing scene in the tragedy will doubtless be enacted as promptly "as Is consistent with the movement of civil law. The average person of so-called cul ture who has leisure to read reads too much and thinks toolltfte. and In con sequence their talk lacks' f reshness and spontaneity. An Eastern - exchange, after saying that people generally read too much and read more than they carry, tells a pleasant story of a man who had been agTeat reader, but had changed his ways, and when people met him after he read less they found him much more Interesting, and said: "How entertaining John was' today! He must have been reading a good deal." Reading, to be valuable, is that pur sued by persons whose business it Is to read a good deal, to think and ex press their thoughts. Four new detention stations are to be opened on the Canadian border where Chinese Immigrants are to be examined. Under the new law, the Chinese can be prohibited from cross ing the border at any other places than those designated. If a Chinaman swears he is a citizen, it falls on the. immigration officials to disprove that statement, which is not easily done. Canada .Imposes a $100 head tax on a Chinaman remaining In Canada. But as they are allowed about three months to determine whether or not to go far ther, this gives them a good chance to try and cheat the American customs of ficials and Inspectors. It pains the opponents of Mr. Her mann to find, as they allege, that some thirty years ago he was an "Independ ent" a "bolter," or on the point of be coming one. These Democratic critics are shocked at the thought of any "ir regular" action on the part of a Re publican, even If it was thirty years ago. It is evident, however, that what ever Hermann's sin may have been, the Republicans of the district thought It condoned long ago. A half dozen times since they have elected him to Con gress. It seems to be the silly season among the Democratic shbuters of the First District. Governor Yates has signed the so- called Mueller bill, giving to cities au thorlty to take over and operate street railroads on public account, or to grant franchises to private corporations for a term of not more than twenty years. This law can go into effect In any city only after the consent of the citizens of that city has been given through the approval of three-fifths of those voting. Since 1880 the Jews have increased enormously In .the United States, there being 1,136,240 in the -whole, country, while In New York City alone they number over ' 600,000. including many rich and Influential men, some of whom are conspicuous In the leading profes sions, in politics and in Journalism. "Will you rebuke President Roosevelt by election of Hermann?" This is the burden of Democratic appeal in the First District. How. sad and sorrowful our Democratic brethren would be if the President should be "rebuked"! Democrats' of the First District are talking about " their , chances of electing Reames. Evidently they , suppose Re publicans will not appear at the polls. But disappointment awaits them on this basis by a 'large majority. . It Is a safe prediction that in spite of Hanna's efforts the Republicans of Ohio will "indorse" President Roosevelt. To, turn down the President because he' is not acceptable to the trusts w&uld be madness. - POE'S PINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. Springfield Republican. The further Poe's fleure recedes into his tory. Indeed, the less consequence at taches to those frailties wnicn seemea bo terrible in the tinv literary world in which he moved, somewhat (It must be con fessed) after the fashion of a pike In a carp pond. We should not bavo heard so much of Poe's faults If so many smau people had not been afraid of him. Tno baser stigmas which at one time or an other were attached to his name have now been cleared away, and it Is universally admitted that in most respects he was a man of spotless purity. To his freedom from sensuality his works are a sufficient evidence. His one besetting vice -of drink Is sufficiently explained by his tempera- merit and his early life, so that the genera tions to come will feel rather pity for the disease that ruined a brilliant career than condemnation for vice. The life and the letters both bear eloquent testimony to the resoluteness with which at times Poe struggled against the temptation of drink, and to the period of despair which broke down his resistance. The teachings of modem science as to the nature of alco holic disease must sensibly affect the gen eral feeling In regard to Poe. Nor will so much be made of the poet's financial Irregularities as In the days when he wao constantly moving among people to whom he owed money. The sum of the matter Is that he almost always, needed money, and borrowed wherever he could. It Is fair to presume that it was always with the expectations of making repay ment, for there was always a sanguine streak mingled with the depression that grew to be chronic Sometime, surely, ho would- make the looked-for lucky strike which always dangles temptingly before the eyes of the hungry author. why should he not expect euch success? He had demonstrated by his conduct of the magazines of which he had been given charge that he had rare talent as an edi tor, and in almost every case had in a marked degree Increased the circulation. Such abilities at the present day would yield an amplo Income, and undoubtedly the illusive image of a magazine of his own which always floated before'hls mind Included a handsome Income for himself as well ar the literary excellence for which he longed. In the meantime he needed mony, and there was nothing for it but to borrow. It Is wejl recognized that there Is one standard of finance for bankers and . another for poets, and he may be sure that the posterity will not deal hardly with Poe for his Impecunlous nea3 or for his unsettled bills. His admir ers find much more of. a trial in certain little meannesses and ugly things in Poe's literary career, and neither the Longfellow squabble nor the more 'serious affair with Thomas Dunn English is endearing, but generous allowance will be made to a man of high-strung temper and disordered nerves, despondent over his own affairs ana irritated by a thousand petty annoy ances. Wnsei In Southern California. Los Angeles Times (nonunion.) Following are the average wages paid today In .Southern California. The figures are furnished by the Chamber of Com merce: Day labor. 1PA to 23 cents oer hour: ranch hands, $25 to $00 per month and board; milkers, $30 to fiO per month and board. Clerks, $25 to $35 per month; bookkeep ers, $50 to $125 per month; stenographers. $30 to $100 per month. Teamsters, $2 to $2.50 per day; street car conductors, "23 cents per hour; street car motormen, 23 cents per hour; machin ists, 30 to 45 cents per hour; molders, 25 to 40 cents per hour. . Fruit packers, piece work, earn $2 to $2.50 per day; teams with drivers, nine hours work, $3.50 per day; electric line men, first to fifth grade, $59 to $S5 per month; sixth grade, $2 per day; butchers, first class, $18 per week; bakers, ten hours, union scale, $3 per day; tailors, union shops, $20 per week; others, $18 to $20 per week; piece-workers make up to $35 per weeio on weu woricers, ariuers. $5 per day; pumpers, $3 per-day; tool-dress ers, $2.50 to. $3 per day, and roustabouts, $1.50 to $1.75 per day. For elght-hoUr day s work: Carpenters, $3.50 .per day; brick masons, $5 to $o per day; plasterers, $5.to$S per day;-laborers, $2.50 per day; hod-carriers, $3.50 per day; painters, $3.50 per day; electricians, $3.50 per day; plumbers, $4.50 per day; galvan ized Ironworkers, $3.50 per day; lathers, $2.50 per 1000, a day's work being about 1000. For work overtime, wages time and one half. For work on holidays, double time. A Xevr Thins: in Kansas. A drunken man stopped a business man on the street this morning, says the Atcn ison Globe, and wanted to talk. The drunken man had hold of the business man's coat collar, and he could not es cape. "My time is money," said the bus! ness man; "this conversation will 'cost you 25 cents a minute. In two more minutes you will owe me a dollar." " The drunken man paid the dollar, and, when time wa3 ud. he said he guessed he had enough. The experiment was such a success that the Sober Man's Anti-Conversation union will be organized at once and a scale of prices fixed. The charge for time occu pled by a plain drunk will be a cent a minute; fancy drunk, with free lunch breath, double price; extra fancy drunk, with breath smothered In onions, three prices, and money in advance; where drunk man holds sober man by the coat. or continues to shako hands through con versation, double price; all Jokes at which a sober man must laugh are extra. charges being gauged by age and tough ness of Joke; reporters can add 25 per cent to regular scale In exceptional cases. The movement has met with great enthu siasm, and several hundred members have already been enrolled. Any person caught scabbing on the union scale will be boy cotted, and held up to the scorn of all loyal union -men. The Preacher'ii One Fault. A church In Anadarko, according to the Neodesha Register, was considering the availability of a clergyman who -had ap plied for the pastorate. The deacons had been told that a lawyer of the town had known the pastor Intimately. They went to him and asked for a statement of the qualifications of the candidate. "Yes. I know Brother very well," said the lawyer. "I went to college with him and I attended his church after he entered the ministry. Ho is scholarly. able and eloquent, and I am sure you will like him." The deacons thanked- the lawyer and were going away, when he called to them in consequence of an afterthought "I don't know as It makes any differ ence,." said he, apologetically, "but per. haps I should tell that he's a3 ugly as a wnen he s drunk. . locating: the Gallty Idiot. New York Evening Sun- Jones waltzed out of the bathroom in a gorgeous and purpling fury. "Some Idiot has been using my razor," he howled. "I know It" responded Mrs. Jones. She looked Jones right square In the eye. "Who was it?" demanded Jones. His voice shook with emotion. "I say, who was it?". "John Henrv." remarked his wife dla passionately, 'Til have you know that nobody uses that razor but yourself." Ab iBBlRHatloB. Repelled. "Detroit Free Press. At this nolnt xrit -wish' tn dmv tho win dalous Insinuations of the Chicago press that the professors in the University of Michigan are becoming as sensational and vollrtur-lfMrtliih nn th nrnfosjnM'ln "W Rockefeller's Justly celebrated academy of nt-tnrowing. DreBied. fora. Lork Wallc Harvard Lampoon. Mrs. Malaprop I walked 25 miles yes terday. Mr. Parlormop Did you- wear a pedom eter? - ' Mrs; - M&laprop Oh, bo, isdeed Just a Ehert.sldrt ROW COULD BRYAN BOLT? Harper's Weekly. Could Mr. Cleveland, if nominated, be elected? That he would regain every one of -the Democratic votes cast for Mr. Mc KInley in 16 und 1900 may be taken for granted. We also believe that he wouia receive the votes of a great many Re publicans who never "before have aban doned" their party, but who are profound ly dissatisfied with the course pursued by Mr. Roosevelt in his effort to propiti ate- the Labor Unionists. Would these gains be offset by the losses Incurred through the defection of Mr. Bryan and his personal following? Upon this point nobody la authorized to speak for Mr. Bryan, and we should find it extremely difficult to believe that he would call upon his friends to bolt the nomination of a Democratic National Convention. Like every other Democrat he is, of course, at liberty to oppose with the utmost energy the candidacy of' Mr. Cleveland: Before ana during the convention. Should a two tniras vote. However, do recoraa in -jar. Cleveland's favor, we do not see how Mr. Bryan could withhold obedience from the mandate, without renudlatlng the princi ple of regularity, on the strength of which In two Presidential elections ne nas claimed and received the suffrages of the mass of the Democracy. Attention has naturally been directed to his very -lat est utterance on the subject in the com moner. In the last issue of that paper. he said: "While Cleveland would be rightfully entitled to the nomination, if the reorganizes obtained control of the party, they will not obtain control." Whether the reorganizes will obtain con trol 19, of course, a matter of opinion. But what, ifthey do. should be the course of all men professing to bo Democrats, is not a matter of opinion, but of prin ciple. With regard to this matter Mr. Bryan's position seems clear and firm. He practically says that if Mr. Cleve land can get the two-thirds vote neces sary for the nomination, he would be entitled to his (Mr. Bryan's) support. We do not sec How any more distinct an nouncement of his Intentions could be ex pected from the editor of the Commoner. Having twice been honored by the nomi nation of a Democratic National Con vention for the Presidency, it would be unmistakably his duty to support the next nominee of the party. Touching this question there can be no difference of opinion among honest men; and his worst enemies have never denied "that Mr. Bryan is an honest man. The Self-Growing: Barn Indastry, Atlanta Constitution. An esteemed correspondent writing from Danville, Ky., tells of a novel in dustry, tfhlch will probably soon spread as far as Billvllle. Tan Crawley, a farm er in the Coral Hill neighborhood, has a barn which is growing rapidly. The struc ture, which is a capacious affair, was built several years ago. Willow posts were used on the ends and along the sides. Being in moist and virgin soil, the posts took root, and the entire structure has flourished like a green bay tree. It as cended nine feet In the first three years. and Mr. Crawley was compelled to lay a second floor, using the" first as a loft The second floor Is now too elevated for use, and next year a third floor will be added. The' Innovation has proven verv aavantageous, and a large croo of barns will be planted this Spring1 by farmers of mat vicinity. Go to the Bottom, of It. New York Mall and Express. The public Is not rit all interested in the personality of the dismissed cashier of the Washington-Posto'fflce, who has brought cnarges or irregularities in the conduct of that office in relation to the General Post office Department But the public Is ser iously concerned that these charges and all other charges shall be investigated tnorougniy, regardless of whose reputa tion, in official life or out they may affect There Is more than suspicion. It Is ad mitted that there are defects in the or ganization of the Postofflce Department, due to the Tapld growth of its vast busi ness. What is now Imperatively demand ed Is that these defects, great and' small, be thoroughly exposed and he proper remedies applied. "StrHnK" on Hl Own String:. Senator Carmack used to be fond of "stringing" people, but gave up the habit because of an incident in the last cam paign .in Tennessee, writes a Washington correspondent A friend asked him one day: "How is Captain Pierce this morn ingr' "Dead," said the Senator sepul chrally, and passed on. That evening, having forgotten all about his "Joke" in the meantime, some one called him up and asked if he had heard of Captain Pierce's death. The. Senator, much shocked at the alleged news,, hurried to the Captain's home In the suburbs -and found him "In excellent health. Mr. Car mack foreswore all such "Joking" forth with. " The Editor Ate Too Much. White, S. D.. Leader. The editor and wife had another square meal Sunday on account of having re ceived an invitation to dine at the hotel. Perk said he was afraid we wouldn't ac cept but we did. For the benefit of our lady readerswe will state that they had the chicken and the stuff that goes with such a layout and strawberry shortcake and lettuce. Our wife wore her blue and white and looked real dear. Mrs. Perkins had a new skirt and looked too sweet for anything. Tho editor wore his Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday suit and was sick all night Criticisms of the AnnT. Philadelphia North American. It Is worse than idle to complain that General Miles or any other protestant against barbarity Is keeping up an irritat ing controversy over Philippine cruelties. Tho whole subject would have been dropped long ago had the Army been re gardful enough of its honor to punish the guilty. When the War Department ceases making excuses for acts which nothing can Justify and evinces some genuine ab horrence for the misdeeds of brutal offi cers, criticism of Its past policy will cease, but not until then. Running: N'ccJc and. "Veclc Comfort "Let me write the songs of a nation and I care not who makes the laws," said the musical young man. "Oh, I don't know," replied the practical young woman, "I guess there are about as many ragtime laws as there are rag time songs." The Congo "Free" State. London Punch. -Tha Conso State Is a thriving- speculation Tor the h&ppr Belgian nation. 1 Ttia receipts are srreat. And are growing- yearlr bigger. But I'm gftid I'ra not a. nigger In the Conxo Stale. The Congo State Is in prosperous condition, - And its civilizing- mission Who can overrate. Or Its zeal administrative? But I'm glad I'm not a native Of tha Congo State! In the Congo State Bounteous Nature has supplied yon "With some useful tribes who guide yon (Charging nil for the freight) Where the palm and "rubber-tree grow But I'm glad I'm not a negro ' In the Congo Btate. A May Morning. John Milton. Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger. Comes d&acl&ff from the East, and leads with her The flowery May, who. from ber green lap thrown The yellow cowslip .and the pale primrose. Bail, bounteous May. that dost inspire Mirth, and youth, and warm desire; Woods and groves are of thy dressing, 31111 and dale doth boast thy blessing; Tbbs we salute .thee .-with our early eosr. Iad tv el came ike, and wish tbes-tass. SOTS AND COMMENT. ; Mr. Hanna knows when it Is his turn to back up. A little pistol practice will enable Mrs. Leasla to do better next time. The Chinese may stay but the rats must &o. : No bubonic plague In oursv . PoseibV the reason Mrs. Ltasia's bullet missed its mark was that Murderer Leasla has no heart The President left Seattle Sunday night and none of his wife's letters -have been intercepted for two days. . Anyway Seattle-could' point with pride to the weather during the President's re ception. It's a good thing to be able to point with pride" at something. It may not be amiss to remind Seattle that while Portland was a trifle shy on Italian skies and Summer .breezes during the Presidential visit it was aU O. K, on decorum. Oregon has tried Its new toy, the referen dum, and -would be glad to make a present of it to anybody that wants one. Chicago Tribune. The referendum's all right; it's the pro fessional referendum agitators that we are willing to bid a long and tearless adieu to. Two Manila editors. Dorr and O'Brien, were tried for sedition this week and ac quitted on the ground that free speech must, not be abridged. There is little la this precedent to encouraxre. Governor Pennypacker, of Pennsylvania. While Bussia was engrossing the at tention of tho powers in Manchuria, France was engaged in seizing Kwang Si, ono of the southern provinces. The powers have much difficulty in guarding all of the "open doors"- at once. The editor of the Formosa (Kan.) New Era has grasped the leading characteris tics of the country village. "We prefer," he says, "to live In a small town where all the people sympathize with you In trouble, and If you haven't any trouble will hunt up some for you." One day Peter McArthur, who was at the time editor of Truth, was speaking of a certain obscure poet who had Just brought out a book -of verses. "It is cer tainly a unique volume," said Mr. Mc Arthur, who was, and is etlll a great stickler for good art "a unique volume, and nothing else It contains only one poem that is actually good, and that poem . contains but one good line, and that good line is not original with tho author." James Whltcomb Riley confesses to a fondness for social life, but always feels at a disadvantage at society gatherings. (Being short-sighted, he Is unable to rec ognize people easily, and as a consequence he seems somewhat ungainly. "Besides," he adds, "not long ago I was recently detected pronouncing the 'programme' a3 it Is spelled, and you can imagine my overwhelming and suffocating sense of hu miliation when my attention was called to it" A lot of young fellows In an Ohio town had a good time with a tramp last week. They took him into a shed, gave him a good bath, shaved him and cut his hair. They then bought a new suit of clothes, white shirt and standup collar and dressed him out complete. But when they at- teXUDted to burn his hobo nlnthea ha nh. jecied' arid fought for them with, euch- des peration their suspicions were aroused and upon searching they found $1400 sewed up in the coat According to Senator Bailey, of' Texas, there was in that state a Judge who had been robbed of a horse, and before whom the thief, when apprehended, was brought for trial. His Honor eyed the prisoner with deep satisfaction for a minute 'or so, and then delivered himself of the follow ing:' "Owing to a personal prejudice, the court will not hear this case. It will, however, be tried by a bailiff, who will find a verdict In accordance with the facts and the law. In the meantime," he added. Impressively, "the court will go outside, bend a rope and pick out a good tree." The story is told that Clark, the copper king, refused the sale of his copper mines to an English syndicate for $30,000,000. When asked why he did so he said: "Not that the offer was not a good one. Per haps it was. But then that is such a great amount of money that I did not know how I should Invest it if I had it In my hands. I'm too old now to face such a task. And for that reason I rejected the offer. I considered it immeasurably easier to sit quiet and take my Income from copper as the metal comes out of the ground than to have such a mountain of money suddenly thrown upon my hands and be compelled to find ways of invest ing it so that it would be safe." The Commoner Mr. Bryan's paper, is becoming somewhat of a humorous publi cation. Last week's Issue records that the shade of Alexander, strolling along the banks of the Styx, met the shade of Napoleon. Noting the dejected air of the recruit from St Helena, Alexander queried: "3ovr now, Nap? Why this air of dejectionr "Alex, old boy," replied Napoleon, "we made two grave mistakes In our time." "Only two?" "Well, two mis takes that ruined us." "What were they?" eagerly queried Alexander. Slowly and sadfy the shade of Napoleon came to a halt and with trembling Hps replied: "We lived too soon and we relied too much on military strength for our power." "Ex plain yourself. Nap." "What I mean is this : We made the mistake of living too soon, and also the mistake of not getting Jobs on the Federal bench and using the power of injunction." PLEASASTRIES OF PARAGRAPHERS The doctor Ton save a bad cold, Mr. JIggs. Til give you some pills for it. JIggs Oh, never mind, doctor. Tou can have it for noth ing. Harvard IJampoon. Sunday school teacher--Now, Johnny, what is the golden text? Johnny (whose father la In politics) In a multitude of coundlmen there Is wisdom. Baltimore American. "Prize fighting is a cruel and unnatural sport." "It surely is, sometimes. I heard at a pugilist the other day who was actually knocked speechless." Cincinnati Commercial. She A well-known writer says that ln order to succeed & man must be 05 per cent hack bone. He Oh, I don't know. A good many who have managed to arrive are 05 per cent cheek. Chicago Dally News. "Is or daughter familiar with the great composers?" asked Mrs. Cum rax. "Madame." said the- music teacher, with a look pf despe ration, ''she Is not merely familiar with them; she Is Impertinent" Washington Star. Spoiled bis romance Oeorge X see nothing for us but to elope; do you think your father would forgive us? Ethel Tin sure he would. George How can you be sure? Ethel I felt sx little nervous on that score and I ,asked him. Plck-Me-Up. Old pedagogue "When you teach your pupils that two apples added to two apples saaks four apples you. believe in desseBstratlng ihe proposition by giving' them the .apples, do jya? Kindergarten teacher Certainly, "sir. By that means they gt both, 'tha sm soi th aes stance, CBiesao'TrAwM. ' A