weekly v qregon: statesman :friday,vFebruary 1900.'
A HEATED DEBATE
Anti-Trust: Ccnfcrcncc Adopts
Strong Resolutions.
IT IS A POLITICAL GATHERING
A Solemn Protest Entered Against the
Carraaey UlU Now rending In
j the National Coatrm.
CHICAGO
Feb. 13. After a heat
ed debate-ttid resolutions committee of
the anti-trust conference decided tore
port in fayor of government ownership
of railroads, and for securing them on
the payment jof the actual varae. and
without the piyment for "watered stock
or other .fictitious values." There was
a sharp discussion in the committee,
and several tilts between' members,
brought tin by an effort to make the
platform "rea as . it had been drawn
up, that the "government should seize
the railroads I on the payment of the
actual values -"and without the pay
ment lor franchise values-"
Unanimous! action, was finally obtain-
ed by cutting
out the .words "franchise
1 inserting 1 instead the
values, and
phrase "watered stock and other ficti
tious values" - The committee also
unamiroously
favored direct , popular
a means of obtaining
legislation asj
good results.
A PARTISAN GATHERING.
Chicago, -Feb. 13. The anti-trust
conference today adopted a resolution,
presented by Judge Fleming, of Ken
tucky, by a rising vote. - The resolu
tion follows: :
"Resolved. I that this conference here
by utters its most, solemn protest
against the currency1 bill now pending
in the senate, and the chairman is in
structed to appoint a committee to
prepare a memorial to congress against
the bill, and present it to both houses
of congress." . ;
I iraiiediately " after the adoption of
the resohition. Amasi Thornton, of
New York, notified the presiding officer
that he woiiM refuse to deliver the
speech fo-- which he was scheduled to
d.'.y. ( "I was assured", "he said in an tnter
view, "tliat this was to be a non-partisan
gathering. I will not be further
more identified with the1 conference, as
I consider that today's action makes it
a partisan gathering." . 1
Frank i S Onetta. former : attorney
general of Ohio, -was made permanent
chairman. j
A GREAT WAR.
Tt Is now I evident that the struggle
in South 'Africa is to be one of the
great wars of history. -At first it was
assumed that the -British, with a corps
of 25,000 men, .would be able in a
short campaign to overcome the re
publics of the Transvaal and the Or
ange Free State. Now. with 150,000
troops in the field and with 50.000
more moving toward South Africa.
' Great Britain, confronted by a series
of defeats, admits that the struggle
will be a long one and a difficult one
Soldiers all over the world, no mat
- ter what their sympathies', are now in
terested in a contest which they realize
is to put to severe test modern methods
of warfare. The British generals in
command " have succeeded elsewhere
and have won great ; reputations as
fighters : and strategists. The i very
flower of the English armv, the best
troops from the colonies, the veterans
from India and Egypt, are striving
against the republican armies under
General Joubert. The British soldiers
in the field are not responsible for the
war. and they, like the Boers, are
fighting ; the battles of their country.
There is no doubt that great courage
will be shown on both sides. Given
able generals, courageous and j well
disciplinedt men in two contending
armies, and' great loss of life is in
evitable.; 1
The wonder is that the .Boers have
been able to thwart the plansi of the
I5ritis.lt commanders and to success
fully resist the advance of armies to
ward their frontier. The inference is
that, having made such formidable re
: sistanceat the beginning of the war.
they will rrot fail in the course of Its
progress. They undoubtedly are 1 out
numbered two to one. but they have
taken such advantage of strategic po
sitions and the .peculiarities, of the
country j that they have inflicted as
much iniury on the enemy as it they
had In line a Boer soldier for every
British-soldier-h If they fight jas well
in the next six months as they have
fought in the last three months the war
will be not only one o (the most re
markable struggles in history, but will
be one of the bloodiest.
It is to be said for the British armies
in the field that only in one case has
defeat been followed by rout or de
moralization.. The soldiers have failed
to break the Boer lines. They have
bcen-defeated in several engagements,
but the oldier acrepts defeat as an
incident of war. In all the engage
ments and battles of the campaign so
"far the British have lost about 9.000
men in killed, wounded and prisoners.
Grant lost 1 2,217 n one battle of S-u-Joh
and General Lee' lost .Vkooo in the
Gettysburg campaign. With 'Eriglsh
and Boers using improved rifles and
Jong-ranee artillery, the proportionate
loss of life has not been greater ban
under the old rule, when strong" a r
mirs marched up to wkhin close range
and hammered at each other uritil one
or the other retreated. .Meade had
?.8.u men Wiled at Gettysburg and
Lee $.ono. The British loss killed
since the beginning of the "war is
It is orobahly true that the majority
of the English people were opnosedto
the war inaugurated by Mr.- Ghamber
kin. but now that the fate of the em
pire is at stake the people of England
sn l the colonies will und-onbtcd.v
stand together to fight it to the end
jt whatever cost. On the other hand,
the Boers. 1 having aroused the sym
pathy of Europe and tae United States,
will have great moral and substantial
support, and it is to be expected that
they will fight . to the bitter end.
nicago inter Ocean.
POULTRY POINTERS.
" Flock fit nOllltrv 1 -vm"r-,,.
l - - j jwiv a un
profitable because the laying hens are
compelled to support those that pro
duce nothing. If the young pullets
are hatched early in the year and kept
in a growing condition they should be
gin their laying in November. But it
Seems that with man- flrwL-s
begin laying so j early in " the winter
caaxam TL : t ...
ovauii. mis s aae to no: culling out
the flock and ditnncinrr nf t V. u.-
nave not made suitable growth with
"ic uiiicrs. nen natcning early pul
lets only eggs from selected hens
should be used so as to improve the
a1?9 Qualties of the member's of the
THE RULING PASSION.
Wife (whr Tiat HrCn j-nf cTr;
all day) Oh, dear, how tirednad hun-
grv 1 ami ; H
, Husband Didn't jyoa have any
luncheon in town? '
. Wife A plate of soup only; I didn't
feel that I could afford to have more.
Husband Did yoa find the hat you
wanted?
Wife Oh
(. hn. and it only cost $.28. Collier's
AKOTHEB CBOCCBY BUBCUBI7I0.
A. Dane's Store on South Commercial
t Street Entered iMonday Night
$15 Extracted from TilL
From Daily, Feb. 14th.)
Th gang of burglars that has been
operating in Salem the past month,
seems to be possessed of the idea that
the grocers of the Capital City are a
most prosperous class of business. men.
and can readily di;pense with a part
of their fabulous wealth, at any rate,
such business houses have been the
principal ones visited. Anojther burg
lary in a grocery store was perpetrated
Monday night and the burglars were
not as considerate as on Friday night
last, when but a half of loaf of bread
was taken from the grocery establish
ment of Harritt & Lawrence. On this
occasion, the grocery house of A.
Daue, on South Commercial street was
entered and change 46 the anuAint of
approximately $15 .was abstractedfrom
a till. However no goods of any de
scription are missing.
Entrance to the building was gained
from the rear of the store.- The outer
window of the shed that is annexed to
the rear of the brick building, was
forced open, enabling the burglar to
unfasten the outer door thereto,. This
admitted him to the shed or store
room. By demolishing a -window the
thief unbolted the door opening into
the main store. The till had been
forced open and relieved of its con
tests, consisting of between $12 and $15
in change.principally nickles and dimes,
with a few quarters and a quantity ci
pfenrues. Pedestrians' early yesterday
morning found the coppers strewn
about the walk in front of Amos
Strong's residence on Commercial
Urcet, An ax and a large machine
rench. the implements used in effect
ing admission, were ltft in the store,
The ax was taken from the wood pile
of Mr. Tory. wh resides in that neigh
berhood "but the wrench awaits identi
fication. It is generally believed that the sev
eral burglaries that have been perpe
trated in this city this winter, have
been in every instance the work of
local characters although it has been
impossible to gather sufficient evidence
to warrant the arrest of parties who
are suspected of the crimes. Chief of
Police Gibson yesterday said that mer
chants and business men. could mater
ially assist the officers in apprehend
ing and convicting those guilty of these
crimes if they would make a practice of
constantly keeping in their tills a num
ber of marked coins to the identity of
which they could positively testify.
This plan, if observed, would greatly
aid in the detection of the guilty par
tics, who are otherwise liable to go
undetected unless they should be actu
all caught while at work. The sugges
tion here offered is certainly deserving
of consideration inas-much as the pre
sent police force is inadequate to afford
the business section of the city P"P
protection from the operations of this
class of criminals.
STORM IN ENGLAND.
London. Feb. 14. The -effects Qf the
blizzard which started today Tvcre. Jelt
throughout Great Britain. Trains arc
snowed up in all directions and street
car lines blocked. ; and telegraph and
telephone wires are down. There has
been a great number of accidents due
o falling chimneys, roof slates and
similar causes. Mail vans and people
traveling by foot in the country dis
tricts are reported missing and several
persons have been found frozen to
death in exposed places. The streets
of London are in fearful condition from
snow and sleet, and many pedestrians
have sustained fractured limbs from
falling on icy pavements. Horses
have suffered greatly, many having, to
be shot, after breaking' their legs. Se
vere gaes have swept the coasts.
HELD BY WOOD.
London. Feb. 13. A private telegram
received here; says: : '
"The forces commanded by General
Wood have moved up from the south
ward and seized Southpan's drift, which
he now holds." The war office has
posted a dispatch from Colonel Keoke
wich. dated February itth, to the ef
fect that Kitnberley was bombarded
throughout February 8th. During the
morning of February gth a small : in
fantry engagement, lasting 40o hours,
occurred at . Alexandersfontein. 1 The
situation otnerwise is unchanged.!
LOST HUNTERS.
- -
Victoria. B. C. Feb. 1 J. On Sun
day ex-Alderman - Richard Kennon,
fohn M. Cordell, miner, and William
Kelly, a fisherman, left Nanaimo to
shoot ducks. This morning their boat
was found upturned, and the body of
William Kelly was recovered. 3 The
other bodies have not been recovered.
A MIRDHM HELD
frank Boycc. Cbarged with Two
Crimes at Walla Walla.
BLOODY TRAGEDY IN A SALOON
Sensational DevelopineaU In inn Falr
, Craven TVUI Contest The Bcna
tark Maniac Proven.
WALLA iWALLA, Wash.. Feb. 13.
Frank Roxe, accused of the murder
of his grandfather, B. F, Royee, is held
without bai to appear in the superior
court, to answer the double charge of
murder in She first degree, and arson.
Rufus Wools, principal witness for the
state, was required to give $2000 bonds.
IN SELF-DEFENSE. . . 1
Spokane, Feb. 13. A Spokesman
Review special, from Grangeyille, says:
At White Bird, eighteen miles from
here, Henry Ray. shot and killed Chas.
Burlinghoff, The tragedy was the out
come of a $aloon row. The ;verdict of
the coroner's jury was that Burling
hoft came to his death by a pistol
wound, inflected by Ray in self-defense.
THE FAIR MILLIONS.
San 'Francisco, Feb. 13. A sensation
was created today by Sirs. Nettie R.
Craven, by . her testimony in her suit
against the estate of the late Senator
Fair for Spooo per month widow's al
lowance, since the death of the sena
tor. Mrs. Craven testified that she
and Senator Fair were married by con
tract, in June, 189a, and that one month
later, at the request of her daughter
Margaret.5' Senator Fair and Mrs. Cra
ven Were? married by Justice of the
Peace Sinipton. of Sausalito. Judge
Simpton is living and will be caHed up
one to substantiate Mrs. Craven's state
ment. This testimony of Mrs. Craven
never appeared in any of the great mass
of testimony heretofore offered.
I A NEW CHIEF.
San Francisco, Feb. 13. The board
of police commissioners tonight elected
William I P. Sullivan Jr. chief of police
of this city, to succeed. I.' W. Lees, re
signed. fMr. Sullivan is private secre
tary to Mayor Phelan,
THE CLIMATE OF NATAL.
Only Two Seasons, and Summer Lasts
from October to Marchl
! ' , ?-
' Consisting as it does of a series of
terraces' rising from the coast to the
Drakenjsberg mountains, the hihes.t
point of which is two and a quarter
miles above sea level. Natal must nec
essarily ' have considerable variations
;n climate. The climate is officially de
scribed as "warm, temperate, and
subtropical continental rather than " in
sular." Natal is -undoubtedly a healthy
colony, J and in this respect differs from
its neighbor Delagoa bay, where the
malarial, swamps are contributarics to
the heavy death rate. The nearest ap
proach to Natal's climatic conditions
in Eur6pe may be found in Northern
Italy. In both countries there are
warm, .low-lying valleys, breezy- up
lands, and high mountain ranges.
. There are two distinct seasons in
Natal, and only two summer and win
ter. Spring and autumn are practi
cally non-ex'stent. Summer lats from
October to March. During this period
the sun rises at 5 o'clock arid sets at
7. In 'midwinter it rises at 7 o'clock
and sets at 5. Twilight, such as we
know it in this country, does not ex
st. Summer is the rainy season in
Natal, ;and naturally the most un
healthy". At Durban the rainfall is
forty inches per annum, and at Picter
maritzburg it is thirty-eight "inches,
while the average number of days on
which rain falls in the year is 117 in
Maritzburg and 125 in Durban. The
averages rainfall during each summer
month lis about five inches.
The heat -on the coast is moit and
clammy., and very 'trying during De
cember j and January; the average tem-;
perature at Durban for the year is 69
degrees with extremes of 42 degrees
and 98 degrees, respectively The farther
inland you go from the coast the eoo!
er it gets, and at Maritzburg the heat
of summer becomes dry, the average
yearly temperature being 64 degrees.
The heat of summer irrthe uplands
that is. j from Maritzburg to the Berg
is relieved by frequent severe than-;
der-storms and hailstorms, ; the litter
of which do much damage. Another
climatic! drawback, more, unplersant
han serious, in Northern Natal, is a
hot, patching wind, which blows front
the north, sometimes for days at a
time, generally followed, however, by
a thunder-storm and a coo! southwest
wind. The nights during summer, in
thej, uplands of Natal are usually cool,
though jthe heat of the day is scorch
ing. and in Lady smith one may bs
oppressed with heat and Vet e the
snow-crtowned Berg in' the near dis4
tance ,:'" " . j ' ,
It may be asserted, without any
doubt whatever, that Natal's climate is
a healthy one. the death rate in Dur
ban being 16.71 per, 1.000 per annum
last'year, as compared with 4-5 ' in
Pietcntiaritzburg. The chief maladiei
duringj the hot weather are enteric fe
vcr, dysentery, and diarrhea deaths
from the two latter frequently being
caused: by drinking contaminated wa
ter and eating quantities of .- onripe
pcachi's and other fruit. If the militaf
ry aut,horitcs exercise careful supervis
ion as; to the water and fruit supply,
and precautions are taken against sure
stroke, the mortality among our troop
in Natal due to' diseas ought io be
very small London Pall Mall Gar
zette.f ; --'U' : i X- t'i . 1,
TAKE IT IF THEY FANCY IT.
Weathy Women Think Nothing of
r Taking Hotel Souvenirs. ;
- One of the heaviest item of expense
at big New York hotels is breakage.
Under this head is included -stealage,
too. ' The more fashionable the hotel
ftore stealage goes on not by the help,
utiby the guests, says the New York
World. . .
j 'Women of wealth have no hesitation
in appropriating articles they admire,
never stopping to consider that they
are! the property of the house. The
managers have learned by experience
to take it as a matter of necessity that
guests will carry off pieces ' of china or
silver that strike their fancy whenever
they get a chance.
I , They don?t call this stealing. It is
Collecting souvenirs.' Perhaps it would
astonish many of these collectors to
know the harsh names hotel proprietors
give their conduct
j Haviland china is used and the hav
oc j wrought is great. The , Waldorf
Astoria, is. the only large hotel in the
city that uses a dishwashing' machine,
and in this way they foave cut down
the forcejof hishwashers from futy to
twenty hands.! Much , of the breakage
s Idone, not jby.the machine, but by
the waiters. 1 -r - . j : ; '
i Sherry estimates - his" breakage at
$5000; a year in the restaurant and the
same in the catering department.
! Even at the exclusive resort of the
fashionable world eternal vigilance is
required tp keep silver and small pieces
of china from being carried away by
apreciative guests. Colletre bovs are
Lthe most untiring souvenir collectors
ana tind bherry spoons decorative for
their rooms.
At a banquet' recently given at
Sherry's a young man took a large sil
ver pitcher and .wrapping it up in "his
napkin, deposited it in his-lap..'
Th head waiter has a set speech for
such occasions. lie goes up to the
. jy j -
;oucnuer, anu says, sinning: L
I"! htink this is a litle too heavy for
you to cary home with you. You had
better leave it and we will send it
around in the morning.
1 At the Holland house. Royal Wor
cester is used exclusively and one of
lthe requsites Jor waiters is extreme
care. W ith all the precautions possi
ble Mr. Baumann figuresf the yearly
breakage at $12,000.
The los of this hotel in small silver
amounts to $2000 per annum. 'Much
of this amount is in after dinner coffee
spoons. They arc Very fascinating.
At tho Imperial the breakage is giv
Vn at $10,003 a year. Of the dishes
and glassware half is broken by cold
and hot water. There is no fine 1 im
posed upon the waiter when he is un
fortunate enough to break anything.
The small silver cream pitchers used
at the Imperial cat?h the fancy of those
afflicted with the collection mania.
The Hoffman house has a breakage
bill of $400 per month. All dishes there
ilr. Cadden, the proprietor, states, are
washed by hand and 320 person handle
the crockery and glass. ! ;
;The les expensive restaurants suffer
but little from stealing. It is the fash
ionable hotels that have that problem
to deal with.
CRUSOE'S ISLAND.
IThe -Island of. Juan Fernandez, upon
which Alexander Selkirk was exiled
for a time, and whose adventures
formed the basis for "Robinson Cru
soe," or rather a prototype of, Robin
son Crusoe, existed under the name of
Alexander Selkirk, That Def6e knew
Selkirk's story there can be no doubt,
for he closely kept to the facts of Sel
kirk's existence on. the Island of Juan
Fernandez. Even 4he -story of Cru
soe's man Friday has. a foundation of
truth, for Selkirk rescued a 'stray Indi
an from death. This -man had become
separated from a party who (had land
ed on the island, and. being lost in
the woods, was left behind and would
have died had not Selkirk discovered
him. Friday's death did not occur in
such a dramatic manner as Defoe de
scribed it, however, for Selkirk's re
tainer was . drowned while fishing.
Barren as the place seemed to Selkirk,
it: contains many flourishing, spots.
The fruit trees which he planted have
reproduced themselves, and peaches,
3uinces, pears and grapes are in abun
ance. A man who had a stock farm
on . the island for some reason aban
doned the undertaking several years
ago. and turned his live 'stock loose.
Cattle, sheep, goats and pigs are now
found in a wild state, so that the col
onists are likely to have some good
sport. The sea swarms with cod-lsh.
wliich should provide occupation for
anglers. , The settlers are likely to be
abundantly upplied with meat, fish
and fruit. The island, which is in the
Pacific ocean,, has been occupied by a
few German and Chilean families, num
bering about fifteen persons in all. ' It
is now proposed by the Chilean gov
ernment to turn the island into a col
ony, and about 150 hardy Chileans
will forn the nucleus of the settlement,
which it is proposed to christen "Cru
soe's Island." The cottage which Sel
kirk built; and which Defoe describes,
still" exists as a broken-down shanty.
,j LIGHTS AND SIDELIGHTS.
! "How long will it take your hand
writing expert to prove v that this was
written by that person?" asked one law
yer.' j "It may depend," said the other, who
is disposed to be cynical.
. "On what?"
! "On whether he is testifying by the
day or by the job.' Washington Star.
i Mrs. Parvenu Bat I'm sorry we
don't belong to one of them old fami
lies. .''
! Mr. Parvenu Never mind. Maria.
We'll found a family, and we'll found it
on rocks. Brooklyn Life.
1 .- , . - v . 1
-i " Do you put much dependence on
figures of speech?"
! "No, sir," answered Senator Sor
ghum, earnestly. "Anybody who wants
to talk figures to me in an election has
got,toput 'em in -writing, so he can't
change his mind quite so easy,"
Washington Star. ;
! Mrs. Wiggins."" remarked the minis
ter, "we Wish you would let your daugh
ter join the choir."
"Oh. I couldn't think of it," was
the reply. "Minnie has such a sweet dis
position and I don't want to spoil her."
Ohio State Journal.
I A PORTLAND AGENCY.
i Portland,2 Feb, 14. It is announced
that the Illinois Central will establish
an agency in Portland for the purpose
of handling the ; cotton shipments to
the Orient.
MACRUMXAN 1MK
Tells Why He Refused to Remain
Longer at His Post.
OFFICIAL LETTERS READ BY CENSOR
Hn Com plains That Secretary ,Hay Has
Kept Sllnnt When DUervdltlng
' Rcnorta Warn Cirenlntnd.
. WASHINGTON, Feb. 14. A state
ment was given out tonight, by Charles
E, Macrum, former United States con
sul to Pretoria. He says:
"I could hot remain n Pretoria, sac
rificing my j own self-respect and that
61 1 the people of Pretoria, while the
government at home continued to leave
me in the position of the British con
sul and not the American consul. I
had the humiliation, as the representa
tive of the : American government, of
looking 011 their envelopes bearing the
official seal of the American govern
ment, openedaad officially sealed with
a sticker, notifying me that the con
tents had been read by the censor at
Durban." ' .: ; - - .
Speaking 'of his removal as United
States consul, he said:
Secretary Hay ha been a silent or
conniving partner to the -discrediting
reports of ; my ? official acts.
When l accepted my post as consul !
knew nothing of any secret -alliances
between America and" Great Britain.
There is not one soul who ean.pojnt
to a single . official act of mine j.ich
departed from the strictest neutrality."
WASHINGTON, Feb. t5 In the
house todayis AVheefer, of Kentucky,' in
troduced a resolution iwhich, after rt cit
ing some charges made by Macrum.
former consul to Pretoria, in his state
ment issued last night, reads: i
"Resolved by the house that the sec
retary of state is directed -to inform the
house of representatives if the ' said
Charles E. , -Macrum. as consul "of the
tAmerioarf government, infornfcd tile
state department ithat his official i mail
had been opened and read by the Brit
ish censor at Durban; and if so, -what
steps, if any. have been taken to obtain
an explanation and' apology from the
British govefhment, r .)
"Section -2j He is further, directed
to inform the house-of representatives
what truth abere is in the charge that
a secret' allance exists between the
republic of the United States and the
empire of Great 'Britain."
The speaker referred, the resolutions
to the foreign affairs committee, i
Chicago. Feb. 15. "War with Eng
land should? be the policy of this gov
ernment said Governor Andrew D.
Lee. of South Dakota. "If the facts set
forth in ex-Consul Macrum's open
letter, issued to the American people
are found to be correct.
"This action of the British author
ities at Durban in tampering with mail
matter ..addressed "fo Mr. Macrum in
damnable," the governor continued,
"and an outrage against the rights of
neutral powers. If the facts as istated
in that letter are true, the American
government instantly should call i Great
Britain to severe account. That mav
mean another war on our hands. I
know, but is perferable to , national
dishonor. The spectacle of an Ameri
can citizen, be. he in private or. public
life, having to sit idly by and see his
mail opened by an official of a foreign
power, is too humiliating for my blood
to stand."
Washington. Feb. 15. While the
state department officials were averse
today to discussing the published state
ment of ex-Consul Macrum, it was an
thoritively stated that a search of the
records failed to show that Macrum
had ever reported to the department
that his official mail was being regular
ly tampered with by the" Beitish author
ities. It was said that he did in a gen
eral way report"that both the official
and private mail intended for American,
citizens did not reach hire punctually!
and asked that a protest be made on
account of this rather arbitrary pro
ceeding on the part of die postal au
thorities. - 1
The department investigated the
matter and learned that no unneces
sary delay existed and does not credit
the statement that any correspondence,
official or otherwise,' was opened.) in
spected and delayed by the British au
thorities. FROM THE ORIENT.
Bubonic Plague in Manila Has Claim
ed Its Victims.
San Francisco. Feb. 15. The steam
er Coptic arrived from the Orient; via
Honolulu, today. She report that
from February ad to February 8th four
cases of the bubonic plague occurred
at Honolulu, and of these three died..
Old newspapers torn in 'small pieces
and wet in water softened by the ad
dition of a little ammonia are excellent
to wash lamp chimneys. v '
SCIENCE IN NEWSPAPERS.
(N. Y. Sun.)
A writer in the Chicago Standard, a
Baptist publication, complains that
science, as dished up for .consumption
by newspaper readers, is usually "about
the most grotesque and amusing read
ing in the world." As an illustration,
he selects the story of the project, se
riously discussed in England twenty
five years ago, of digging a canal to
admit the waters of the Atlantic into
the Sahara desert and thus create a
vast inland sea, with-ports at Timbuc
too and other commercial centres. His
demolition - of this idea . is "most gro
tesque." -He marshals a great array
of mathematical computations; to de
termine the evaporation from the sur
face of the , proposed Sahara t sea, and
draws the conclusion that it would
take twenty rivers as large as the Miss
issippi toT maintain a navigable tlcpt.i
of , water ini it. "To build a canal.' lie
remarks, "large enough to carry such
a volume of water would be something
of a task." . - "
A scientific man should become fa
miliar with the facts bearing on the
question before he I wrote a line and
could then; dispose', of .the matter in a
few, words. He would simply say that
no canal, even if it were as large as a
hundred Mississippis, could create the
inland sea for the reason, known for
years, that the mean elevation of the
desert is about 1,500 feet above sea
level, and that - depressions, below sea
level exist; only in a few small areas
along the northern border and ,in the
Fayum region of the?Nile. The pump
seems to be the only' practical means,
at present, for introducing Atlantic
waters-" into the Sahara. '
'As a mattei of fact, there never was
a time when so much useful and inter
esting scientific information was spread
before thej public, day after day, as is
spread nowadays, and the main agent
in disseminating this knowledge, so far
as the'great mas? of readers is con
cerned, is the newspaper. For several
reasons, it is much easier now. than
formerly for the daily newspaper to
make' accurate reports of scientific
matters, . j The workers in scientific
fields, for I example, have largely out
lived the old; prejudice against popu
larizing the. results of .their, labors.
Many of them are engaged by news
papers to I write popular accounts of
discoveries-th-?y have made or sum
maries of work done in their fields of
investigation. Reports of the best pa
pers read -at scientific meetings are
often prepared in advance for general
reading and supplied 'to newspapers
that wish to print them, ' ' J
. The most interesting and valuable
Teatures of science come to public no
tice "through the newspapers and are
read by hundreds of thousands who
could .never see the scientific reports.
THE WAR IN KENTUCKY.
GOVERNOR TAYLOR IS TO BE
; j ENJOINED.
Proceedings Commenced by the Dem
ocratic Pretender The Legisla
ture Is Still Divided.
FRANKFORT. Ky.. Feb. 14. Gov
ernor Beckham's suit- to compel -Governor
Taylor to surrender the office of -governor
to him was filed this after
noon. Judge Price has prepared a pet
ition, which wil!; be in the nature of
an injunction and? quo warranto pro
ceedings. i !
The petition in the suit holds that
W. S. Taylor is not governor of the
state, and that, with an -armed force, he
holds possession of the executive build
ing, .it alleges that he is drawing
money -without authority of law from
the state treasury pardoning convicts
and doing other things that are detri
mental ;to the welfare of the state.
The petition asks that the court enjoin
him from, exercising nj duties as
chief executive, and from assuming
any control whatever over the legis- j
lature. The application, for the injunc-'T
tion wHI be made Friday before Judge
Cantrill, at Georgetown- I
A committee of the democratic mem-
bcrs of the legislature,! which- came
front Louisville for thej purposcof in
vestigating the conditions here and.
determining whether it .is safe for the
democratic members to ' venture within
the precincts of Frankfort, returned to
Louisville tonight. The members of
the committee declined I to hold any
conversation with Adjutant-General
Collier or Governor Taylor, and made
CustodianThompson of the executive
building a Vo-betwcen. They first
sent word
Governor Taylor that.
before the
lemocratic . members could
think of
turning to Trankfort, the
soldiers mil
be sent way. No ob-
jection, the
said. could be raised to a
small number ot body guard to Gov
ernor Tayldr personally! As for the
legislature, It needed nd protection.
Governor TayJor replied through
the medium of Custodian Thompson,
that the request of committee could
not be complied with, but promised
that the legislature should not be nw
lected in any way. The tnembcrs of the "
committee said that, in; their opinion,
the meetings would continue in Louis
ville at least for-the present. Several
of them expressed, a personal willing
ness to return to Frankfort.
LOUISVILLE, Ky., I Feb.-15. Fol
lowing the lead of Governor Taylor,
who yesterday brouhT fuit for an in
junction against Governor Beckham
claiming to be governor of Kentucky,
and General Ino. B. Castleman, claim
ing to be adjutant general of Kentucky,
lL4cu$?nant .Governor John ' Marshall
this afternoon filed a suit for injunc
tion against Governor dieckham an.i
againspyilard II. CarterJ president pro
tein of the senate, now meeting in this
city. The suit is similar in its general
averments to that of Governor Taylor.
11 . t
Frankfort. Feb. 15. The clash be
tween -the democratic and republican'
branches of the state government was
emphasized tonight, by theprison officii
als releasing John Seals, a Louisville
convict on a pardon issued by Gover-r
nor Beckham. Deputy Warden Punch
was acting warden tonight, and when the
Kardon papers were presented to him,'
e ordered Seals released, and the lat
ter. left the city tonight. Douglas Hays,
recently pardoned by Governor Taylor,
is still in confinement, the prison offi
cials refusing to recognize Taylor as
governor. . i
"REMEMBER THE -MAINE.
Havana, Feb. 15. The second an
niversary of the destruction of the
United States battleship 'Maine, in this
harbor, was suitably observed here to
day. Several hundred Americans went
out to the wreck of the Maine, over
which the United States flag was filing
at half mast.
TWO VESSELS WRECKED. .
Bordeaux, France, Feb. 15. The
French steamer Ernestine was wreck
ed at Pamyra. ; Thirteen of the crew
lost their lives. The French schooner
Notre Dame de Des Dunes, is ashore
at Lacouere. Four of her crew are
last :..-" 7 -1 :.-
In escaping from a fire creep or
crawl along the roonv with your face
close to the floor. '" ;