NEWS OF THE WEEK
la a Condensed Fcrnj (or Our
Busy Readers.
HAPPENINGS OF TWO CONTINENTS
A Resume of the Less Important but
Not Less Interesting Events
of the Past Week.
Nine miners were smothered in a
coal mine at Garfield, Pa.
Many Japanese soldiers commit sui
cide when defeat seems at hand.
Chinese have reported to Kuropatkin
that the Japanese have lost 203-Meter
hill, but the latter cliam not.
It is officially reported in Paris that
the attorney general has recommended
a retrial of the Dreyfus case.
The Japanese are reported to have
raptured another tort at Port Arthur,
with heavy loss to the Russians.
A pang of bell boys, organized to
steal the property of guests has been
discovered in the Chicago downtown
hotels by the police.
Four Denver men have lxen found
guilty of repeating at the November
election and sentenced to sis months m
jail and to pay a $100 fine.
Robert S. MeConniek, American am
bassador to Russia, who has been on a
two months' vacation in the United
States, has returned to his post.
Two of the largest plants of the Illi
nosi Steel company in South Chicago
are to resume operations the first of
the year. Their reopening will mean
employment to at least 3,000 men.
The sultan of Morocco has issued an
order expelling all foreign missions,
delegates and employes at present at
tached to his rourt at Fez. He is
afraid his brother will be made sultan.
It is probable that a part of the new
Russian loan will be placed in New
York.
The present war in the Far East has
proved itneresting relative to the value
of the balloon in time of war.
Ab erak in the Pacific coast sugar
pool is looked for. Sir large firms of
San Francisco have withdrawn.
The cotton manufacturers of Fall
River, Mass., have refused the offer of
the union to arbitrate the differences
between the two organizations.
The postmaster general has removed
two rural mail carriers charged with
efforts to influence legislation. One
was from Colorado and the other Ohio.
But one bid on the govrenment con
tract for more than 2,000,000 feet of
lumber to be used at Manila, was
found when the bids were opened at
Tacoma. It was from a Tacoma firm.
The 1905 fair will contain 2,500 in
dividual exhibits. There will be 25
exhibit buildings. The fair site covers
182 acres of land and 220 acres of
water. The project of the exposition
will involve an outlay of about $3,
000,000. Dispatches from Western Pennsyl
vania are to the effect that industrial
activity in many centers is threatened
on account of the protracted drouth.
Unless conditions change soon it is pos
sible thousands of men may be thrown
out of employment in the mills, mines
and coke fields.
Claims against the Russian govern
ment on account of the North sea affair
aggregate $600,000.
The Minnesota state board of pardons
has released the brother of ex-Mayor
Ames of Minneapolis.
Governor Bates, of Massachusetts,
has tendered his good officers and urges
a termination of the Fall River strike.
One of those accused of illegal voting
at the recent eleciton in Denver was a
girl who is said not to have been of age.
Mukden has recovered from from its
panic caused by the retreat of the Rus
sian army and the Manchurian town
has resumed its wonted aspect.
Many witnesses wanted in the Smoot
investigation have fled to Canada and
cannot be reached. Those who have
testified say that polygamy is openly
practiced,by the Mormons and many
plural marriages have occurred since
the manifesto was issued.
The Chicago university has just re
ceived gifst amounting to $437,370.
Eight persons were killed in the
wreck of the Crocker hotel in Minne
apolis. The sultan of Morocco has removed
foreigners and will take charge of his
own army.
There has been a great increase in
the number of accidents on railroads
during the past year.
The Federal grand jury is now in ses
sion at Portland behind closed doors,
investigating various land frauds.
BLUFF IS CALLED.
England Can Have War Quickly, Says
Kaiser Wilhelm.
Berlirt, Doc. 24. Sensational corre
spoudonco has passed between the tier
man and British governments during
the last four weeks with reference to
the warlike and provacative attitude
adopted toward Germany by the semi
official British press, especially the
Army and Navy Gazette. The kaiser
took a hand in the negotiations and
made his vigorous personality felt in a
positive way. He instructed that the
British cabinet should bo informed in
effect that if England wanted war it
could have it immediately, if it was
not desirous of such an event the talk
which Germany considered ail' , affront
must stop.
Both Count Wolff-Metternich, Ger
man amlvassador in London, and Sir F.
C. I-ascelles, British ambassador at
Berlin, were called home by their re
spective governments to discuss the
situation.
The publications which indmed the
German government to assume its
strong attitude were a series of articles
in the Army and Navy Gazette, culmi
nating in the declaration that the kais
er's navy was so rapidly lnvoming a
menace to Great Britain that war
would better bo declared now in order
that the German tloet might lie de
stroyed before it should Uvome a still
greater danger.
Both Premier Balfour and Lord Lans
downe have Ihhmi told that Germany is
impatient of this distrust of its naval
policy, which it accuses the National
Review, the Army and Navy Gazette
and other papers of generating among
the British eople. The Fatherland
wishes Britain to understand once for
all that it has not the slightest inten
tion of abandoning the development of
its navy and its merchant marine at
British Wheat, no matter how mucij
of a bogey they constitute.
LONDON IN A BLACK FOG.
Traffic Almost at Standstill Through
out the Metropolis.
London, Dec. 24. London was en
veloped today in a black fog, more
dense than anything witnessed during
the last two years. In many places
the traffic was almost completely stop
ped, and the greatest care was neces
sary to avoid accidents, a numlier of
which have already Wen reported.
As night closed down and the density
increased, vehicle traffic in the most
crowded sections of the center of Lon
don was completely suspended. Some
of the scenes witnessed were pitiful,
some were ridiculous, and the whole
was extremley weird. There were in
stances in which women became hys
terical, and even the police lost their
sense of direction, and omnibus drivers
became confused and drove on the side
walks, until finally all traffic was held
up.
At the main crossings and on the
streets leading thereto, long shadowy
lines of omnibusses, cabs and wagons
loaded with Christinas packages stood
motionlses. The most brilliant elec
tric lights only served to make the
darkness visible. Torchboys were very
busy.
BRITISH DOCKING CHEAPER.
Attention of President Called to Con
ditions at Bremerton.
Washington, Dec. 24. President
Roosevelt's attention was invited today
by Representative Humphrey, of
Washington, to a telegram received
by Mr. Humphrey from some of his
constituents, protesting against what
is declared to be exorbitant tonnage
rates charged at theBremerton naval
station for the docking add repair of
vessels. The telegram calls attention
to a charge of 10 cents a ton for the
docking of the steamer Shawmut, the
owners declaring that they could have
the work done at the British dock at
Esquimalt for 3 cents at ton. The
charges at the American station result,
Mr. Humphrey says, in a large amount
of such work going to the British sta
tion, to the detriment of the Ameri
cans. This matter will be considered
by the officials of the Navy depart
ment. Examination of the Nigretta.
Tokio, Dec. 24. The examination of
the cargo, passengers and crew of the
British steamer Nigretta, which was
seized by the Japanese cruiser Tsu
shima is progressing at Sasebo. Seem
ingly it is undetermnied whether parole-breaking
Russian officers, are on
Ward the Nigretta. The Japanese are
investigating this feature of the case
because of the question of the ability
of the Chinese officials properly to con
duct the internment of Russians who
seek refuge at ports in China. It is
considered vitally important.
Philippine Tariff Bill Ready.
Washington, Dec. 24 Secretary Taft
and Colonel Edwards, chief of the in
sular bureau of the War department,
today practically completed the work
of putting the proposed revision of the
Philippine tariff in shape for presenta
tion to congress in the form of a pre
pared draft of a bill.
ENVELOPED IN A FOG
Easiness Is Very Generally Sus
pended In England.
THAMES IS JAMMED WITH SHIPS
Link Boys With Torches Furnish the
Only Useful Lights in London
No Sign of Pall Lifting.
London, Dec 2fl. There is as yet no
sign of the lifting of the fog which
envelops the kingdom. The aWeuce of
wind throughout Great Britain is al
most unprecedented, and meteorologists
do not expect any change in the con
ditions for another 24 hours. Consid
ering the almost insuperable difficul
ties attending locomotion of any form,
the number of fatal accidents has Wen
remarkably small.
The congestion and suspension of
business are very general. So far as
Itmlou is concerned, the tuW railways
are the only concerns Wnelittod, and
their daily traffic is reaching record
figures.
A condition resembling chaos pre
vails in the postal service. All rail
way trains are many hours late and
many trains between London and the
suburbs occupy a couple of hours in
making the distance of eight miles.
Mail boats in all directioons are sim
ilarly disorganized. Onlv two vessels
entered the port of Loudon yesterday,
a condition of affairs such as has not
occurred for til) years. The mouth of
the river is jammed with vessels loaded
with perishublo foodstuffs of all de
scriptions.
The streets of London present re
markable scenes. Nothing is visible
except link Wys torches and the occa
sional flare of big creosote lights which
the authorities are beginning to employ
to assist traffic.
HEADS OFF LANDGRABBERS.
President Hays Has Cold Water for
Rush to Port Simpson.
Vancouver, B. C, Dec. 20. With
the idea of preventing any rush to
Port Simpson or Kitten island, C. M.
Hays, president of the Grand Trunk
Pacific railway, has publicly announced
that the mere filing of plans with the
railway department at 'Ottawa does not
signify that either of those places will
W selected as the terminus of the line.
Said he: "It simply supplies the gov
ernment with information regarding
what the company may ultimately re
quire." .Mr. Hays lias again declared
that it may be some time before defi
nite announcement can W made as to
where the British Columbia end of the
new transcontinental line will be situ
ated. He said in an interview:
"We have not definitely determined
the Western terminus. We always say
Port Simpson, but when we make use
of that expression we mean any point
within 50 miles of the place. There
are three or four inlets, all of about
equal merit, that wo might use, but
before we reach a decision quite a num
ber of hydrographic surveys must first
be made. Nothing has been done along
that line on the Pacific coast for a
number of years."
As for the prairie section of the line,
preparations are well under way for
commencing construction at Winnipeg,
both east and west, as soon as the
snow goes in the spring. -Mr. Hays
has stated that the financial arrange
ments necessary to the successful flota
tion of the scheme have all been made,
and the outlook for the satisfactory in
auguration of the big work is very
bright.
Weakened and May Be Dissolved.
San Francisco, Dec. 26. Purchases
of the four sugar jobbing firms which
have seceded from the Pacific Traffic
and Commercial association, aggregated
approximately 40 per cent of the sugar
bought by the asosciation from the re
fineries, and the dissolution of that
organization seems presaged. The four
firms are Haas Bros., Tillman & Ben
del, Sussman, Wormser & Co. and the
Lewin-Meyer company. Whether or
not the association is able to carry on,
it will be considerably "weakened by
the loss of these firms.
Torpedo Boat Sighted.
St. Petersburg, Dec. 2(1. According
to a local paper a number of English
fishermen have appeared before the
Russian consul in London and have de
posed to have seen foreign torpedo boats
among the Hull fishing fleet. Their
depositions, it is added, will be sub
mitted to the international commis
sion, now in Paris, the circumstancse
under which they were obtained Wing
explained.
MOROS AT PEACE.
Slave Trade In Philippines Put Down
' by General Woed.
Washington, Dec. 22. General
Wood, commanding the department of
Mindanao, Philippine division, in his
annual report to the War department,
said that the troops at the department
have Wcu in the field a greater portion
of the year, quelling armed uprisings
and preventing slave trade and kindred
abuses. He says that in almost every
instance actual fighting was initiated
ly the Moros.
"Conditions among the Moros
throughout the department are gener
ally peaceful," says Genreal Wood,
who adds:
"The establishment of civil govern
ment and the extension over them of
certain laws and regulations has can six 1
some excitement and at times serious
resistance, especially the law prohibit
ing slavery. In some sections active
hostility has been engendered by our
presence, especially in the Lake 1-anuo
region, where almost constant murder
ous attacks on workingmen and soldiers
were the rule until the effects of the
recent expeditions to the Tarca side of
the lake, combined with expeditions to
other sections of the I jinao, were felt
by the Moros."
The power of the Moros of that see
Hon, he says, has Imh-ii completely
broken. Continuing, the report says:
"In Join affairs are quiet. The
prompt crushing of the Hassans upris
ing has made a deep impression on the
people, and the abrogation of the Bates
agreement has done much to bring to
an end the unfortunate conditions
which existed under it."
Dato Alis party, the report adds, is
the only band of Moros now openly
hostile, and it is small and is Wing
followed by troops and scouts. General
Wood says it is Wlieved there will not
W any very serious resistance of au
thority by the Moros in the future,
but there will lie constant police work.
FAVOR MUNICIPAL CONTROL.
New York Citizen' Union Committee
Adopts Resolutions.
Shanghai, IVc. 22. A report bus
reached here that the captain of the
Russian torpedo boat destrover Grozo-
voi, which was dismantled at Shanghai,
August 20, lust, has Wen discovered on
board the British steamer Nigretta,
which was seized bv the Japanese pro
tected cruiser Tsushima off I'lsan, Co-
rea. Charts ami documents which
would have Wen of incalculable value
to the Russians are said to have Iieen
found on the captain's person.
The report, which is generally cred
ited here, somewhat conflicts with that
contained in an earlier dispatch, in
which it was stated that Captain Rcit-
zenstein, of the cruiser Askold, also
disarmed in August at Shanghai, was
the officer who hud attempted to reach
ladivostok on the Nigretta. In either
case it is Wlieved the Japanese will
hold the Chinese authorities strictly
responsible for the escape of the officer
from Shanghai.
Great Britain is also likelv to be re
quired to clear herself in the mutter
unless the rumor circulated here is cor
rect that the captain disguised himself
as a French officer and in that manner
secured passage on the Nigretta.
CAPTURED AT SEA.
Russian Officer was Carrying Valuable
Papers to Vladivostok.
New York, Dec. 22. The city com
mittee of the Citizens' union has adopt
ed resolutions favoring an extension of
municipal control of public utilities, a
municipal lighting plant, purchase of
electrical conduits and the grant of
power by the legislature to the city to
biii Id and operate lighting plants, gas
and electric.
The committee adopted the report of
the committee on franchises, which
favors presenting to the legislature the
constitutional amendment proposed by
the "Tilden commission" of 1875,
which was that the legislature shall
have no power to pass any law "for the
opening, making, paving, lighting or
otherwise improving or maintaining
streets, avenues, parks or places, docks,
wharves, or for any other local work or
improvements in or for such purposes
shall be, by law, conferred on the city
government."
Potatoes for the Starving.
Greeley, Colo., Dec. 22. Mayor II.
C. Watson issued a call today for a
mass meeting Saturday next to consider
a proposition to donate a large quanti
ty of potatoes to the starving poor of
Irleand. Similar meetings will be
held at Fort Collins. It is believed
the farmers of northern Colorado will
contribute several bunded carloads of
potatoes if the trans portation were ar
ranged for. The government will bo
asked to furnish a transport to carry
the potatoes from Galveston to Ire
land. To Meet Baltic Fleet.
London, Dec. 22. The Daily Mail's
correspondent at Hong Kong says he
has learned on trustworthy authority
that a powerful Japanese squadron of
battleships and armored cruisers is
proceeding south, accompanied by 15
colliers and transports, to attack the
Russian Baltic squadron.
F. P. MAYS
Federal Grand Jury Charges Him
With Fraud.
HELD TO BELONG TO LAND RING
McKlnlsy, Putsr, Ware and Others In
dieted with Him State Sena
tor Denies Any Guilt.
Portland, IVc. 23. The grand Jury
of the United States has said that
Franklin Pierce Mays, state senator
and attorney, of Portland, is guilty of
conspiracy to defraud the government
out of a portion of its public lands sit
uatcd in township 24 south, range 1
east, and has linked with him as fellow-conspirator
the names f Horace,
ti. McKinley, S. A. H. Puter, Mario
L. Ware, Kmma L. Watson, I). W.
Tarpley, RoWrt Simpson, John Due
and Robert Roe.
Judge Bellinger, at the request of
iVputy District Attorney Henry, fixed
the lmd of Mr. Mays at $4,1)00, the
same in amount as has Inh ii asked of
the other defendants. The bonds in
the previous cases were allowed to
stand against the new indictment in
the case of the rest of the defendants.
Mr. Mays is very indignant at the
unfair treatment which, he says, has
been shown him by the government
attorneys. He asked that he W al
lowed to go before the jury, declaring
that he would W able to explain any
testimony brought against him, and to
show that he was not criminally con
nected with the Putcr-Wntsoii ring,
but' that he bad aroused their dis
pleasure and was beinsg foi,-;sl to pay
for it. He will maintain his inno
cence in the courtroom ami is confi
dent that he will W able,toshow that
there was a mistake made in his case
when the indictment was returned
against him.
DOINGS IN CONGRESS.
Monday, December 10.
No business of importance was trans
acted in either house today, the entire
time they were in session Wing taken
up by discussion of minor measures.
Many senators and representatives were
absent. Adjournment was taken until
edncsdiiy.
Wednesday, December 21.
After a session of four minutes dera
tion the senate adjourned today until
January 4 next. The proceedings con
sisted of a prayer by the chaplain, the
reading o( the journal of Monday
brief session and the receipt of a num
lier of nominations from the president.
In the house a bill was introluced to
"secure the full use of the I'nitod
States rural mail equipment and to
place the rural service on a paying
basis." Two bills were introduced
providing for a place to care for lepers.
The house then adjourned until Janu
ary 4.
CHINESE ARE IMPLICATED.
Japanese Accuse Enemy of Enlisting
Coolies In War.
General Oku's Headquarters, Dec,
23, via Fusun. It is believed by the
Japanese that the Russians are em
ploying Chinese to damage the Japan
ese lines of communicution, and they
have no doulit that Chinese were em
ployed by the Russians to burn tho
magazines at Lino Yang The Japan
ese say that if they arrest any Chinese
engaged ill so fulfilling their obliga
tions to their employers they will exe
cute them, as a winning to other Chi
nese against a repetition of the offense.
The Japanese believe that these
measures are required to wipe out tho
Russian system of employing Chinese
for such work. They say they know
that tho Russians are spending enor
mous sums for this purpose.
Squeezing the Poor Chinese.
London, Dec. 23. The correspondent
at Pekin of tho Times, telegraphs Ai
follows: "China having consented to
pay tho indemnity (growing out of the
Boxer troubles) in gold, tho ministers
of Russia, Germany and France are now
disputing among themselves as to what
fresh terms they can extort from the
Chinese and seeking to force an arrange
ment whereby certain banks will make
further profit out of the indemnity.
Great Britain supports China, who
counts upon America and Japan to se
cure a just settlement."
Work Given to Widows.
Washington, Dec. 23. Secretary
Taft today issued unorder directing tho
quartermaster general to award the
making of some 55,000 pairs of trous
ers for the enlisted men from the army
at the Schuylkill arsenal, Philadelphia,
to seamstresses in that city, mainly the
widows and orphans of soldiers, thus
settling a question raised some time
ago, so far as the present lot is concerned.
INDICT