PROTEST TO FRANCE
Jlruken Neutrality May Involve
Her In War with Japan.
WOULD MEAN All) OF ENGLAND
fluishm Float Mutt Elllitir Lphvu Knm
rnnh Uny or Plglit Battle
In the Harbor.
Toll In, April 'Jin, Japan In ronlmn
I 1 it t i 1 1 k declaring war on Franco nnil
calling mi tliotit llrltiilii lor support
'I'IiIh action follow tho sending of it
formal protest to franco against thu
lisu liy lint lliinMan lliillle licet nl Jvnm
t it 11 li Imy tin n ri'inlf.voiiK itml tlm
coupling Ihi'rinvltli ill n statement Hull
II Franco rcfraliiiil (rum acting Japan
will iM'iul u licet nl unr vi-snuls to attack
tlm liusniiiu In tliu shelter of ii iieutrii
port.
A conference of eldern wns linlil hint
night it which the entire sltutitlon wnn
illsruwcd. Immediately afterward Hid
inlkiiilii was iiotlllud Unit tlm elders lit"
lluviil Hint tliu tllllll llll'l COIIIU Wllcll
Frame should liu forced to llvii iii to
her declarations of iii'iitriillly, ami tliu
nolo of protent wan drafted nnil lor
wuhIhI.
It l li'Il heru Hint tliu situation In
exticiiiely grave, nnil thcro In no ilotibt
1 1 nt t II Franco docs tint net quickly tliu
consetiuencon will liu far-reaching.
A dispatch from Hiisebo states Hint n
Japanese Miiiiulriui In getting In rcadl
num tlic re to nnil (or Kmiiriiiili Imy nnil
ittnck tliu ItiiMimin there, while Ail
mlfiil Togo continues to hold tliu yam
ngo toward tlm Pnclllc.
It In reported Unit mi American nnil
it llritish Hiiuilron in In touch with tliu
Illinium, watching (or vlolnllonn ol
neutrality or tliu t'lnluiivfriiii; of Ilijtinli
nnil. American shipping. Tho belief
In growing liunt Hint tliu ntny of tliu
Ittiimliiu Meet In Kmnrnnli Imy wnn pro
arranged.
THEY RESIGN UNDER FIRE.
Accused Examiners Who Qavo Pen
sions to Carpet Soldier.
Washington, April "0. Nltut of tliu
tun 'iiion oxamlnei constituting tliu
IxKinl of review worn separated Iroin
tliu government service today. Com
mlssloncr. of Pensions Warner trans
mitted tliu nine resignations to Seeru
tnry Hitchcock, with tliu recoiumendn
tluii that they lie accepted, nml .Mr
Hitchcock took tliu desired action with
out ilulay.
Tliu resigned examiners assert that
rcpiu-o-itntlotis were made to them,
puiportiung to rouio from tliu romuils
sinner, Hint nlioulil thuy hiiml in tln'ir
resignations, tliu ninttur would Ihi ru
Hiivii! anil lontorntlous would hu Hindu
nt noiuu ilntu in tliu iitmr futuru. Mr.
Win hit, lioiii'Vur, inailu no hiicIi rcprii'
scntation to the secretary ot thu inter
lor. Tliu dilllciilty Involving thu hoard
ol rrvh'W wnn Itn approval ol several
pi'iinlniiii to applicant" whono only
claim tinn enlistment in n Pennsylvania
nnil n Now Jemcy regiment of volun
teer for curvlcu in tho Civil war, hut
thu service of whom were never
availed of hy thu government.
MORE FIRMS ARE INVOLVED.
Chicago Strike is Spreading and All
Efforts at Conciliation Fall.
Chicago, April 20. Although Inlln
ciicim) are still at work in thu hope Hint
mi nuilcnlilu adjustment of thodilllciilty
existing between thu teamsters on
.Montgomery, Wnnl A Co., enn ho
renclied, thu iiulicntlonn tonight are
that thu strike of tho teamsters will
npreiul to other eoncurnn. Todnv 150
driver employed hy tho II. M. Forties
Teaming company iiuru ordered on
itrlku hecmifu thu (Inn iimlntcdon innk
lii dullverleH to Montgomery, Wnnl
A Co. 1'renldciit Spear, of thu Intur
national Brotherhood of Teanmtern, do
elnred tonight Hint hu would order out
nil drivers engaged hy tlrmn Hint Innlnt
on delivering mippllcrt to thu hlg store.
Darreft Has Resigned.
Washington, April "0. John liar
rett, of l'ortlmid, Or., United Stntes
mltilater to l'nnmmi, linn saved tho
ritiitu depnrtinent tho enihnrrnnnmeiit of
ordering Inn recall. Hu Iiiih linked that
ho hu relieved of his pout, no Hint ho
may rutlro from tho diplomatic, corps.
Thu government him heen dlsnnHHiled
with Bomu of Mr. llarrett'n nets, nnd It
wan decided month ago Hint ho nlioulil
Im) succeeded nt l'nnnmn hy Jiulgo
Charles Magoon, of tho Insular lmrenn,
hut it wnn tliu intention to nnnign him
to another pout.
Great Snowstorm In Wyoming.
Denver, April 20. At midnight it
wnn announced that nil tulegrnph nml
telephone wires leading into Cheyenne.
Moroilown im result of n honvy fall of
Metenoiv. l'rovlons to this, however,
thu I'oatnl Tolegrnph eompnny had ono
M'iro working nnd Information came,
tlint trnlnn woru running liehlml tho
ocIkkIuIo. It Is ImpoBulh'lo to learn
any details, hut It Is known that tho
dtorm wns unusually heavy over South
ern Wyoming.
British Engineer Named.
Wnshitni, April 20. Sir Morti
inor Durand, tho British amliassailor,
todny Informed Socrotnry Taft thut tho
Brltlsli government had, nt tho secre
tary's invitation, selected Chief Kngln
cor Hunter, tho Imlldor of tho Man
chester ship canal, to net ns ono of tho
consulting engineers of tho l'nnnmn ca
nal hoard.
WILL USE HI8 TORPEDO FLEET.
Togo Will Nol Rlik-Hfi big' Vessels
Against the Russians.
.London, April II). Huron Ilnyiinlil,
tliu Japnnenu milliliter to (I rest llrltuln,
oxpnwod thu opinion to tlm Axoclnleil
Trow today that 'Admiral Togo hoiiM
not give hnttlii to Admiral Itojentven
nky with hln cntlrii wuadron, hut
would continue, tho miltlous tactics
which hits eliarnelnrlred hin iiltncks on
thu l'orl Arthur pjadroii, not heeaiino
hu fun il defeat, hut owing to Ids de
sire to Inlllct thu greiitunt amount of
ilitmtisiK on thu Itiinnlmm with thu Iet
ponnihlu Iohh to hliunelf.
While eoiillilent of hln nhllity to no
roundish tho total dentrurtlon of the
Kunnliui npuidron in n hlg liuttlu, Untie
in danger of Togo lining ono or two of
hin hlg nlilpn. Therefore, ll.iron Ilny
iinlil lielleven, Togo will employ Ills
torpedo honlH nml torpedo lxmt diMtroy
urn, which jiumhcr more than 100 nnd
are vastly superior to thu Hiinnlnu tor.
pedo If nit Hot 1 1 lit . In harassing the Hun
alalia while grailimlly picking off thu
IIumIuii wiirnhlpn. , .
Iln said the counts o! Japan, Corca
mid I'ormona lend lliemselven to night
work with' torpeilo lioatn, whllu tho
nnrrow channels will mnku tho iiiuueu
verlug of large war ships dlincult unit
dangerous,
UREAKS ALL RECORDS.
Steamer Minnesota Crosses Pacific In
Very Fast Time.
Seattle, April 111. Thu ntwimnhlp
Mlnnemitn, of tho (irent Northern
Steamship company's Seattle-Oriental
licet, nml tho Inrgcwt freighter currier
nllont, tiacheil port lant night, on her
return voyagti from tho Orient, having
hrokeli nil trnilH-l'iiciflr records on her
trip ncrosn. Tho Minnesota's time (roil
Yokohamn wnn l.'l dins, 21 hours and
live minutes.
Among her pnwengern were n mimhur
of HuiMtlnn olllcern nnd their wives lie
lug sent hoiiin on parole from Slimig
Iml, whither they were taken at the
limn of tho rnpturo of Tort Arthur
There were ulno n iiumhcr of American
army olllcern coming from Manila,
either on Ichvu or under orders to re
Kirt at Wunhlngtou, I). C. Altogether
the .Minnesota brought in. pawiengers,
-17 of whom were tlrnt'Clam, uud n
little moie than 7,000 tons of general
freight, of which hemp formed the
hulk.
MUST HAVE TRIDAL TIES.
What Indian Children Can Have Share
In Lands. ,
S J "
Wellington, April 111. Indian Com'
inlssloner I.eupji tisluy promulgute.1
tho order dellnlng, what children ol
Indian pa rent it ge are entitled to s'utro
in lands nnd niimiltlen of vn;iotis
Wonleni trilien. Under hin inntnictinns
nil children whdeu pAreats nru both In
dliiun may share in these heuellts, as
may nil children whosu motliera mar
ricd white men, provided tho mother
in still a recognlied memher of tho
trihee nod nllllintee with its members
Whenever an Indian woman, after
marriage to n white man, has with
drawn nml in no longer identilled with
her triU', her children nro not entitled
to lands or annuities allotted that triho.
NEUTRALITY IN PHILIPPINES.
Admiral Train is Having All Waters
Well Patrolled.
Manila, April 11). Admiral Train,
determined to maintain thu neutrality
of thu Philippine waters, will Immed
iately dispatch additional vessels to
pntrol thu lUtsllan straits, as u result
of tho rcM)rts that lioth Itusninn nnd
Japanese vessels have been sighted
there. Saturday tho United Stntes
gunhoat (Juiros wnn sent to inspect six
ltussian colliers which nro rcpoitod to
ho lying in tho gulf of l.lngayen. A
gunhont is also scouting for Japanese
vessels.
report has reached hero that 1(1
Japanese cruisers have been sighted off
Snmpalok point. Tho cruisers nro said
to ho scouting In force for stray scouts,
ships nnd colliers of thu Itusslnn tleet.
Judge Upholds the Law.
Denver, April II). Jiulgo N. Wnlter
Dixon, in tho District court today, up
held tho constitutionality of tho law
of 181)7 relating to building and loan
associations, under which President K.
M. Johnson and other ofllccre of tho
defunct Fidelity Savings association
have been Indicted on charges of mak
ing falso roports. Tho - liiw wns nt-
tucked hy Johnson's attorneys on tho
ground Hint tho legislative records con
cerning its passage wero Incomplete, a
leaf apparently having heen torn from
tho journal of tho house.
Fifty Boys Wero Injured.
Indianapolis, April ID. Ko dentin)
have hi on nddoi to tho list of four hoys
that lost their lives in tho crush of
nuwslioys In tho stnlrwny of tho Mn-
sonic building last night, eager to ob
tain freo theater tickets for n perform
ance at tho theater. Tho revised list
of tho injured shows that no fewer
than ou were more or less Injured, Uf
this number, fully 25 woro seriously
crushed and the death list may bo In
creased. Fifty Hurt In Strike Riot.
Wheeling, W. Vn., April 10. Fifty
mon woro hurt in n fight between 00
nonunion men from 1'lttBlmrg tnd 1C0
Btrlkers from the Whltakor mill.
Clubs, stones, knives nnd pistols wore
used, hut tho nonunion mon flnnlly
scored In getting Into tho mill. ,
CRUSHED HATH
Four Hoys KlilciI -aiiil Many ln
jurcd'liy Alarm odFIre
AFTER FREE THEATER, TICKETS
-.
Hundreds Were Walling nt Indlanap
oils Masonic Temple When
Panic Started.
Indianapolis, Ind., AprU 18. I'ren
zlcd by n false alarm or lire, several
hundred eager iiuwnhoys, struggling to,
obtain their shhro of free tickets to n
I will theater, which wero being dis
tributed Hy n traveling representative!
of n patent medicine company, stam
peded in a narrow stnlrwny In tho Ma
sonic Temple tonight, crushing tho life
nutn( four boys nml serlousir'itijuilng
mivurnhftther?. e .V
f.oug liefnro tliu time nppronchiol for
ine iiisiriiiuiion ol mo iiCKCis, mo
stuirn of tho Masonic Temple, at thu
southwest corner of Washington strei't
mill Cnpitol avenue, were crowded with
u imshlhi!. .veil hit: urowil cf ncwslwvn.
each anxious to hu first to leceivu hin
nans. When tho distribution lietiun.
tho excitement' b'JcaneJ.'iijCrj Intense,
nnil thu efforts of .several polfceiiien
who had beeri detailed to prevent
trouble were unavailing.
It in nllciicd Hint one of the hovs.. in
tho endeavor to hasten, tin ixit of those
who had received their jiasses, shoutiil
"Klru!" Immeilintely thoso nt tho
top faced nbOlit nnd nlmpnt -wltii uwr
Imimiii strength U-gnri to force their
way to thu bottom of tho stairs,
Shrieks nnd physical encounters' fol
lowed for n few seconds, when from
some cnue those nfar tho too full head
long on tho struggling hints nt tfie bot
tom. Immediately policemen from
thu central station, who responded to a
riot call, iwgan thu work of rescue.
Four of the lioys wero dead when ox
tricnted from their jiositldii nt Uio bot
tom of thu stairs. Others, liellcved to
have heen fatally crushed, were taken
out nn fast as thuy could be disen
tangled from their frcmled compan
ions, who fought nnd clung to. each
other In desperation. 1 1 .
CANNOT LIMIT HOURS.
Supreme Court Declares New York
Bakers' Law Unconstitutional.
Washington, April 19. In on opin-.
Ion bv Justice l'eckhnin.. thu Sunrerno
court of thu I'nlted Stntes held to bu
unronstltiitlonnl thu New York state
law making ten hours n day s t or it, and
(10 hours a week's work In bakeries In
that state. Justice!! Ilarlnn, White,
Day nnd Holmes dissented nnd Justice
llnrlnii iieelnrisl tlint no more tmnnrt-
ant decision hail been rendered In tho
Inst century. ' '
Tho opinion wnn handed down In tho
case of IH'kncr vs. tho suite of New
York, nod wns baseil on tho ground
Hint tho lnw interferes with the freo
exercise of the rights of contract be
tween individuals. The court of Ap
peals of tho stnto upheld the lnw nnd
nlllrmed tlm Judgment of the trial
court, holding Lockner guilty.
Tho law involved in tho case is sec
tion 110 of tho New York state labor
law, prescribing tho hours of lalior in
bakeries in thu stnto. I.ockiier in n
linker in tho city of Utlrn and was
found guilty of permitting nn employe
to work in his bakery more thnn tiO
hours !n n week, nnd fined $50. Tho
judgment wns nlllrmed hy the Now
tork Appellate courts.
Senator Thurston Is Retained.
Sioux City, In., April 18. John M.
Thurston, ex-Cnltcd States senator
from Nebraska, has been retained to
press claims for Indemnity on account
of thu massacre ol several Americans
by Yaqnl Indians In Sonora, Mex.,
January 10. Tho claims will nggre
gnto $450,000, $100,000 each forthe
four men killed, J. K. McHemio and
Dr. Itolwrt McCoy, of Chicago: Walter
Stiihinger, of Kewaneu, 111., mid M. II.
Call, of Sioux City, nnd $25,000 each
for the terrible experience of the two
survivors.
Hoodoo Boat May Be Accepted.
Washington, April 18. Tho report
of the nnvnl board which conducted the
recent trlnl of the Goldsborough In
l'tigot sound has been received nt the
Navy department. In substance it
slums that although the speed Is not
altogether satisfactory, duo probably to
tho natural deterioration of the ma
chinery since its Installation, about
flvo years ago, tho vessel Is structurally
Bound and otherwise In good condition.
The disposition of tho nnvnl authorities
IB to accept her.
Death Rate Is Decreasing,
Chicago, April 18. In closing his 10
years of service us commissioner of
health for the cits of Chicago, Dr.
Arthur It, Reynolds presents In his
annual report Bignlllcniit data showing
tho ilccreaso of tho denth rare, in the
city. During tho 10 years from 1885
to 1801, Inclusive, tho yearly nverngo
of denth rnto was 20.02 in every 1,000
of population. During tho succeeding
10 years tho rnto decreased to 15. 1 In
every 1,000 of population.
American Missionary Slain.
Shanghai, April 18, A native Chris-
tiati who has nrrlvcd hero reports that
a baud of Chunchuses have murdered
nn American missionary named Ken
nedy nt Kuhongnslon, near Ilnngchau.
Ho could give no particulars of the al
leged crime.
SHON18 IS TO BE CHIEF.
Secretary Tart Says He Will Work
'. Willi Panama Commission.
ll'.fW York, April 18. Secretary of
.tyrtr Tnft, who Is hero to attend tho
(irinual meeting of tho directors of the
Panama railroad company In this city
tomorrow, had this to sny tonight on
tl.e affairs of thu railroad commny:
"Tfie meeting will result In n com
plete reorganization of tho roininy.
The government is now In control of
tho stock. It is absolutely essential
for thu United Stale to control thu
affairs of tho company in thu work of
c(n)Mructlng tho canal. "Wu desire tho
ittbMrs of tho road conducted in liar
moiiy with tho commission which will
have charge of tho general construction
work .
' "With this end in view, thodircctors
)l tho l'nnnmn railroad company nt
thu meeting will elect Theodora I'.
Shunts, the new chairman of tho Tana-
run canal commission, president of tho
lMniimn railroad company.
"With Mr. Shouts at the head of tho
rpmpany it in certain that its affairs
Will hu conducted most satisfactorily.
Ills experlenco nn a practical railroad
than will enable him to operate tho
railroad just ns the Panama canal com
mission may desire while the work of
the mnntructioti is in progress. The
entire olllcial board of tho company
7 111 Imj comprised of either members of
the commission or men who are Inter
ested In the work. of constructing the
rannl.
"Hy oflicinl Iwanl I mean tho officers
ami directors of tho company.
"nil expect to have this road In
readiness ut thu time tho work of tho
canal construction liegins and managed
in a manner so ns to facilitate this
great work."
RUMORS WITHOUT REAL NEWS.
Correspondents Guess at Many Things
Beyond Their Vision.
London, Aiirll 18. Thcro is ns yet
nn news of n great naval battle in the
Far l-.aet, or of the whereabouts of the
rival fleets. The Hongkong corres
pondent of the Daily Mail sends a ru
mor of a small engagement, but there
Is ho confirmation of tills report.
Details regarding the ltussian ships
in Kanrah bay, Cochin China, aro too
meagre to lie instructive. According
to the Dally Mail's Singapore corres
iioudcnti the North German Lloyd
steamer I'rinz Helnrich saw several
battleships and six cruisers in the bay,
but tho dispatches to other newspapers
are not so precise. The Dally Tele
graph's Singapore correspondent, liko
tho Associated I'rcss, merely reports
''eizhteen vessels. ' and adds that the
captain of the Prtnz Helnrtch states
that possibly more warships wero In
side the harbor, but that tuey were in.
visible from the oiling.
Tho presence of tho Russian squad
ron off. the Annam const Is raising keen
interest here, in view ot the possibil
ity of their infringing Chinese neutral
ity nnd of tho likelihood of Koiestven
sky having had to split his squadron.
The Morning Post's correspondent at
Shanghai telegraphs that China has in
structed tho governor of the Boutliern'
provinces to maintain strict neutrality
in view of thu possibility of Kuseian
ships sheltering there.
WHEELS BLOCKED IN ITALY,
Railway Strike May Extend to Other
Forms ot Industry.
Rome, April 18. Every railway line
throughout Italy is tied up this morn
ing ns n result of the strike among the
employes, who are dissatisfied with
wages nnd bours ol labor. 1 be strike
is expected to spread to nil of tho Inrgo
industries in thu several cities, mid be
fore it is ended bloodshed is likely to
result.
The strike stnrted In Naples, nnd a
few irfinutcs afterward the bends of
labor unions wired to every subordinate
organization telling them to notify their
members to stop work nt midnight.
The order wns literally obeyed nnd not
it wheel is turning this morning, nl-
though tho othcialB of the roads allege
they will have them in operation bo
fore the end of the day.
All the station clerks nnd ollico em
ployes have been ordered to report to
tho station masters to aid in moving
trains.
Burned Stores Too Soon.
London, April 18. A dispatch from
St. Petersburg to a nous agency reports
that Cicnerni I.lnievltch has Issued nn
order forbidding olllcials of the com
missariat to burn stores hero prema
turely nnd reproving olllcials in cases
Hint have nlready occurred. The order
iltrects that storehouses be deotrotcu
hereafter only by permission of the
commanders of army corps and divis
ions. I lie t elegraph s correspondent
nt Tokio reports thnl tho Japanese re
covered 200 of the 800 Russian guns
abandoned in tho retreat from Mukden.
Tunnel Secure from Strikers.
Chicago, April 18, Labor leaders
will hold n conferenco tomorrow with
Mayor Kdwnrd F. Dunne, who said to
night that ho hail hopes of nn early set
tlement of the teamsters' strike against
Montgomory, Ward & Co. Tho coal
teamsters today decided to refuso to
inul coal to the Montgomery Ward
building. It Is learned tonight that
tho Chiacgo Tunnel company Is rushing
work on n connection with Montgomery
Ward & Co.'s basement.
Grand Trunk Station Burned.
Durand, Mich., April 18, Fire to
night destroyed the Grand Trunk union
Btntlon here, In which nro located the
general ofllccs of tho road division west
of Port Huron. Tho building waa new
nnd wns valued nt $125,000.
Conquest stiEs Great
Orent lrrljrntloii 1'rnjectn.
Survey have been completed for
thirteen great Irrigation projects In as
many different H to. ten, contemplating
tho reclamation ot 1,131,000,000 acrex
of desert land, at a cost of $31,30r;,000,
or an average of $27.20 per acre. The
land thus Improved will bo sold to the
public at that price In ten annual In
stallments, and thus thu entire amount
of money expended will be refunded to
the government Tho President Is
greatly gratified nt the rapid progress
that In being made by the Irrigation
bureau. Contracts have been let and
thousands of laborers are already cm
ployed In Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Ne
braska, Nevada and New Mejlo.
Tbe law allows enough land to each
settler to support a family. No cash
payments are required; no commuta
tions, but the settler must actually
live on It and cultivate It for five
years and pay $2.00 an acre each year
for ten yearn, when be will recelro a
title to tbe land and own the water
rlghU without additional payments.
Private land which receives the ben
efit of the water must pay at the some
rate $2.00 per acre for ten years
After ten payments tbe owner of the
laud will have; the water rights free
of cost for all eternity. The land U
good for alfalfa, sugar beets, potatoes
and all tbe root crops and fruits of
the temperate zone. It Is only twelve
hours from San Francisco by rali, fifty
miles from tbe capital of Nevada, and
Is surrounded by mining settlements In
every direction.
Part of tbe land reclaimed will be
the old Forty-Mile Desert, or Carson's
Sink, wblcb waa a horror of early em
igrants the worst spot on the over
land trail; and was lined the entire
distance with tbe bones of men and
animals. Thousands of poor creatures
died there from thirst and exhaustion.
Fanners who plow there now turn up
In almost every furrow gun barrels
which were driven Into the earth to
mark graves and hare since been
burled deep In tbe drifting sands. As
an illustration of the perversity of na
ture, tbe engineers who have been lay
ing out tho proposed Irrigation system
hare found an abundance of cold, pure
water a few feet below the surface
wherever they have made borings. All
of this desert will be redeemed, and
when tbe present proposition Is fin
ished the works will be extended to
the Humboldt and Walker rivers.
which will bring several hundred thou
sand acres more under Irrigation and
make a paradise of what is nbw tbe
most desolate spot In Nevada,
How One County Wa Redeemed.
Thirty-two years ago there was only
one house In the town of Fresno, In tbe
central desert of California, says a
writer in the World's Work. A hole
was dug under It, forty feet deep, into
which the Inmates lowered themselves
by a bucket and a windlass, to escape
the heat of the day. Around .It, as
far as tbe eye could see, stretched the
glaring desert, unbroken by any culti
vated spot of green. The whole coun
try seemed a hopeless waste dead and
profitless.
To-day this spot Is tbe center of a
cheerful community of 8,000 homes. In
a land made fertile by Irrigation. Ten
thousand children attend Its public
schools. The Industries there yield
$14,000,000 annually. Tho raisin crop
of 1002 put Into the farmers' bank
accounts $2,300,000.
All the raisins Imported Into the
United States in 1002 ' amounted In
value to only $400,000. In 1002 the oil
wells of Fresno County yielded 570,-
000 barrels of crude petroleum, worth
$200,000 before refining. Eighty-nine
thousand head of cattle graze on 1U
rich alfalfa. ,
When the few straggling fortune
hunters came to the county late In the
GO's they were welcomed by this sign
hung over Fresno's one building:
"Itrlng your horses. Water, one bit;
water and feod, three bits." Fresno
was n "watering station" only. In
1872, however, M. J. Church conceived
the Idea of bringing water In ditches
from Kings river, twenty miles away,
to Irrigate the land. Ills proposal was
laughed nt ns a dreamer's scheme. Hut
persistence won; In 1870 ho had water
on land within three miles of the town
of Fresno, and the first year's, crop
proved the soil to he fertile. The area
of watered ground wns rapidly ex
tended. To-day there aro 300,000 acres
under Irrigation.
CASTRO A REMARKABLE MAN.
llecan devolution with 23 Men nnd
l-oiiRht HU Way to l'realdency.
For a llttlo South American dictator
Clprlano Castro, President of Venezue
la, Is making n lot of trouble In the
world ot International politics. In
many ways, writes William Thorp lu
the New York Times, he Is n remark
able man. He first appeared In Cara
cas, tho capital, several years ago as
n legislator. Ho wns sent to Congress
as a deputy from the State of Los An
des, his native place. Ills fellow mule
teers nnd cattle smugglers elected
him, nnd nt that time he knew prac
tically nothing of life outside ot tbe
mountain village In which he was
born. Only one memory of his brief
career ns a legislator Is preserved. Day
by day he went to the hall of Congress
In n tlght-tlttlng pair of very shiny
patent leather Bhoes. As soon as ha
was comfortably seated he bent down
and removed them from his cramped
foot, nnd placed them on tho desk In
trout of him. He sat patiently
through the long-winded debates which
South American polltiSlariVWvnfapQ j j
offering a word of his own, and at tha
rul of each session b put on thoaa
tight boots again and went Ancle to,.,,,.,
his cheap hotel. Of course bo natt1 "
never worn boots before. 'Nobody does
wenr therri fn Los Audi's. 1 ' 'I " "
It goes without saying that the sav
age from the buck of beyond waa tlm
butt of his colleagues In Congress
Most of them are now dead, slain, on
tho battlefield, or rotting In the fright
ful dungeons beneath the old fort nt
Maracnlbo, or In exile In Curacoa,
Paris, Ilogota or Aew ork
Clprlano Castro .came back to Cara
cas at the head of nn army made up
of his muleteer and smuggling friends.
He started his revolution with precise
ly 23 men at his backr - It was -local
at first, but he won small victories and,
then big ones, until irf thfe'conrsel of
three mdiitlis "he" Iiad""drWn""enDngtt - - -men
to his standard to tye, abl ,tO d"(., ,
ranee on Caracas and fight for tha '
presidency.
When he was In sight o'f tho city
an accident happened- Hint would hnvo
rulned the chances of any other rovor
lutlonlstw He was thrown ;frpp hl,, ,
horse and broke both his legs. be; .,
government army was facing , Jjls
forces. From a horsa litter he du-ectr ,
ed the battle, won a great victory, apa ,
subsequently bought over the govehi- ,
ment general. Then be mnrc&Cd 14(y'
PntSIDZXT CABTEO.
Caracas, made himself President,, and ,
suppressed a revolution almost, before
he could manage to hobble ground.'
All (he ministers slavishly Imitate
Castro In everything. He Is not Only
President, but Lord High firerytting' '
Else In Venezuela. Tne'-'beads of all -
departments, tbe members of the Leg- '
Islature, and even the Judges are .mere
ly his puppets. . .
Castro fs supremely Ignorant of tho,.
affairs of other nations. He has, n,ere,r .
seen but ono battleship In bs Iff ft ,up ,
to the time of the International eplso?a
of 1002 and he speaks with, contempt
of the power of Germany, Great C'rll-'
aln and other foreign nations.
Castro Is very democratic. He never '
surrounds himself with guards or se
cret service men, though lie has as
many deadly enemies as a ; Itu&steu,
grand duke. Dut he always carries &
revolver In the top left-hand pocket of
his frock coat. So far as Is known,
only one attempt has been made to as
sassinate him. It was when he wan
riding through tbe streets of Caracas,
soon after he became President Tha
man's shot missed him, but he put a
bullet through the man's leg before
any of his suit realized what was hap
pening. Then be not only magnani
mously pardoned the fellow, but actu
ally sent his own doctor to attend to
him.
Castro is undoubtedly the strongest
man In Venezuela to-day and there is
no one as yetMn sight who Is power
ful enough to oust him from the presi
dential chair.
Discovery of l'oat Un lbs.
The discovery of the valuo of peat
baths was made accidentally many
years ago. On the coast of Franca
there lived nt one time n poor family.
The father of the family eked out a
scanty living by killing aged rattla
and divesting them of their skins. Tha
ghastly remains he sold to tanners and
refiners.
Of the three children which belong
ed to this couple one was n ioor crea
ture, delicate and wretched and appar
ently half-wltteiL The mother was so
ashamed of this boy that she could
not bear to have the child In her sight.
Consequently he spent most of iiU
time half clothed and badly fed, roll
ing nbout In the peat bogs which wera
behind the cottnge. Little by little it
was noticed that the child was Im
proving In health, that his skin was
becoming ns fnlr nnd soft as a pench.
his eyes bright nnd his spirits and no
tions thoso of n strong, healthy boy
Instend of n half-witted little animal.
The old country physician on on
of his rounds noticed the Improved
condition of the boy and mentloncl
the fact and the cause nt n medical
conference In Paris. The result was
tho use of the peat bath, which leaves
far behind any other kind of hydro
therapy cure known to this day nnd
Its success Is becoming greater each
season.
We don't know much, but wo know
too much to play a slot machine, nnil
every mnn ought to have ns much
sense us we hnve. The cards are
stacked agnlnst you when you play a
slot machine.
Take enro of your pennies while
young and give sorao chap a chancu
to bunko you out ot your dollars whoa,
you get old.