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HOOVEK TILI? E ATENS.
THE DARK CLOUD OF A PROSPEC
TIVE LIBEL SUIT HANGS OVER
THE INDEPENDENT
And Necessitate an Investigation. One or
two Inconsequential Error in Former
Story but its General Import Mffre Than
Substantiated by Facts. Hoover a de
serter oT Family and a defaulter. Seven
Dollars Ten Yards of Calico aud Ten
yards of Gingham Contributed to His
Family's Support Since April 17th.
Some letters and Memoranda and Some
thing About the Township Funds.
On Wednesday, October 'Jth last, a
representative of the Independent
happened to be in the hardware store
of J. V. Astley & Son when Samuel
Uurns of West township came in to so
licit contributions of money or mer
chandise for the family, consisting of
wife and six children, of J. K. Hoover,
formerly of Marshall county but now
of liijou Hills, S. 1). On the afternoon
of the same day the Independent pub
lished the story of destitution embracing
some of the causes which led to it, prac
tically and substantially as related by
Mr. Burns. This story touched inci
dentally upon the doings and character
of the man who had neglected his wife
and children and finally deserted them
and left them practically and al
most wholly dependent on charity for
support.
Mr. Hums was not alone on his mis
sion to this city in behalf of Mrs.
Hoover but was accompanied by two
other gentlemen from that vicinity and
merchants and others were asked by
these gentlemen to make donations ac
cording to ability and inclination to
relieve the stress of proverty that rested
upon the unfortunate mother and de
serted children. To this time the In
dependent had been perfectly ignorant
of the existence of such a manias J
Kdwin Hoover so that what was said of
him was said entirely with referense to
the conditions by which these solicitors
had been prompted to go out and ask
aid at the hands of strangers for the
wife and children of the said J. Edwin
Hoover. AVe were told at the time that
Hoover was in South Dakota but knew
nothing more definite of his where
abouts until about October 30, when we
received a letter savoring of blackmail
and making a most arbitrary demand
When this letter came to hand there oc
curred to us the possibility of having,
through insufficient or inaccurate in
formation, done Mr. Hoover some in
justice in the matter and it became ap
parent that, in justice to him and to all
parties concerned, a more thorough in
vestigation would be necessary. Mr
Hoover's letter is as follows:
Bijou Hills, So. Dakota, Oct. 2S, 'i5.
Editor Daily Independent:
I have just received a clipping pre
sumably from your paper; Which is
grossly libelous Now in the beginning
i want to say, I have no desire to
neither will 1 engage in a newspaper
controversy. An editor always has the
advantage and can abuse people greatly
if so inclined.
1. 1 have not desepted my children,
but would be glad to get and educate
them, and have given the proper per
son legal written notice to that effect.
2. The many dollars I have given
them you do not know nor probably
never will hear about.
3. I withdrew from the church you
named because I had joined a certain
so called "secret society' of Plymouth;
which was against the church rules.
4 That 1 dissipated and fell from
grace, is made out of whole cloth.
5. Ask my succesor in office, Mr. S.
II. Joseph, of your city, if I did not
promptly turn over every dollar of
township funds.
J. If this does not satisfy you I can
present you his receipt to that effect.
7. You cannot be well informed
about township affairs or you would
know better than to use the term,
"when exposure threatened etc' as I
was for live years a resident of the
county after promptly and to the hour
settling up the townships affairs.
8. Where then is your straw man
"danger of exposure etc"? I taught the
Sligo school in West township .three
terms in succession after my term of
office had expired. If 1 had been the
man you made me out could I have
held the place? and that too without
a single word of complaint to the of
ficials. y I left Indiana, April V 1803, and
sent for and received recommends since
here from the County Su erintendent
of Schools and Township Trustee, as to
my work there and 1 prize the same
highly, though they are members of an
opposite political party.
10. Three months after the (mutual)
separation of myself and wife, I was
elected Township Principal of schools
West township, (if you know what that
is) without a dissenting vote and held
same until close of the school year
April 12, 18'Jj.
11. "You say as soon as the legal pro
cess could be completed." I secured a
bill of divorce. This is a lie out of
whole cloth. Write the clerk of Courts
Brule county, South Dakota, if 1 have
ever even applied for one.
12. Now in conclusion I have no de
sire to belittle any one (as I could do)
but would rather take a reasonable
amount of abuse than reply.
You are not at liberty to publish tins
article in part, unless you publish it all.
If you cannot do this I shall in due
time instruct my attorney to bring suit
fcr libel. In writing this do not under
stand me to waive any rights whatever
legally or otherwise. Jiesp.
J. Edwin Hoovek.
(Copy retained and witnessed) 4
X. U. Find stamps for 10c. enclosed
for copy of your paper containing this
or reply to same. J . L. II.
In conformity with its purpose to be
eminently fair with all people and in
all thing i whatsoever, no such letter as
the above could bo published uncon
ditionally without comment or expla
nation and in order to deal with the
Hoover matter intelligently, it was nec
essary to learn more of it which, after
considerable investigation, we have
done. Many people in Plymouth and
in West township have been interviewed.
His wife and children have been visited
and those who havek nown him from
childhood have been talked to in the in
terest of complete fairness to Mr. Hoo
ver and all others concerned.
Du. Kitchey Interviewed.
When Dr. Kitchey, of Donaldson, was
seen by an Independent representa
tive he substantially said.
"I was at one time a very warm friend
of Ed. Hoover. 1 knew him from child
hood and in his early manhood regarded
him as a most promising young man. I
had great faith in him, as to both ability
and integrity. Notwithstanding that
we were of opposite political parties 1
worked hard for hii election when he
was candidate for the office of township
trustee of West township in the spring
of 18S8 and gave him all my iniluence
toward his election. With a majority
of SO against his (Republican) party he
carried the election by a small majority
and went into otlice as the successor
of J. C. Bunnell with J. C. Bunnell, J.
A. McFarlm and W. W. Warnes as his
bondsmen."
Alleged Crookedness.
"Some time after Hoover entered up
on the duties of this office it was alleged
by parties who came to me privately,
that Hoovers accounts were not straight.
Hoover was keeping a general store here
at the time and was generally supposed
to be in good circumstances, but his
bondsmen became dissatisfied with the
course he was pursuing and believed
that township funds were being appro
priated for other than their intended
uses. I resented the suggestion of such
a possibility and went so far as to say
some harsh things to the bondsmen for
this suspicions. Hoover asked me to
examine his books which I did hurriedly
under his direction and thought they
were all right. Not long after, however,
I became convinced that the trustee's
books accounts were not right. I
lost no time in apologizing to the bonds
men for the injustice I had done them."'
"To offaet the assertions of his bonds
men that there was a deficiency in the
funds Hoover claimed that they were
wording against him for political pur
poses. I still believed that Hoover's in
tentions were good and when, some
time after the first suggestion of infidel
ity on his part, his first bondsmen with
drew and others were asked to sign I
told some of them that in my judge
ment Hoover was all right. The new
bondsmen were, I think, Joseph Kneif
fer, David Wilburn, Wm. Wilburn, Jas.
Foreman and Mrs. Ilettie VanSoik.
However it was, Mr. Foreman soon
withdrew at an expense of 20 and con
sidered himself lucky to get off at that
prici. While still trustee, Hoover
moved his stock of merchandise to Ply
mouth. Afterwards the stock was
moved to Argos where there was con
siderable trouble in one way and an
other and right there you can get a very
interesting story from his father-in-law
David Wilburn."
HE DRANK.
"During all this time, after his e lec
tion to ollice he drank more or less
heivily and to all appearances was
going rapidly to the bad."
"When hecame to Donaldson Hoover
had a slight heart trouule. He began
by taking stimulants tor relief and it
was not long until he was more or less
intoxicated a great deal of the time.
He fina'ly became an excessive user of
chloral and bromides.''
"There is no doubt tlut Mrs. Hoover
was shamefully neglectedand mistreat
ed. When their last child was born
Mrs. Hoover and her family were
almost absolutely destitute. Hoover
had at. this time been gone from this
vicinity two or three months. When I
was called to attend her at the time of
her sickness I found the family living
largely upon donations from neighbors.
After the child was born Mrs. Hoover
was, of course, reduced to helplessness
and it was necessary to have not only
food and clothing but assistance in the
house. With Mrs. Hoover's consent 1
saw the township trustee who provided
a hired girl and other necessities during
her convalesence."
DISOWNED llIS CHILDREN.
"Notwithstanding his protests of love
for his children and his professed wil
lingness to take and care for them he
has disowned one or more of them and
accused his wife of infidelity. I have
known Mrs. Hoover since childhood
and have never heard a breath of sus
picion against her character. She has
many friends who have known her in
timately for years without cause for the
slightest suspicion of infidelity to her
husband. Siie is highly spoken of
wherever known. No, I do not think
she has shown a predisposition to a bad
or disagreeable temper. In my opinion
she has endured and quietly borne
much more than a great majority of
women would have done. She has
been long suffering and patient."
THE HALF HAS NOT I! KEN TOLD.
Dr. Kitchey lurther said: "The story
is not half told. As to the matter of
dissipation, if Hoover was not dissi
pated nobody ever was.
MRS. HOOVER VISITED.
Mrs. Hoover was visited at her home
about four miles southeast of Donald-
son. Mie was lounu imsv win; u e lain-
i!y was Ving. When shown the article
above referred to in the Daily Inde
pendent of October 1Kb, snt read it
and said: "That is not half." liegarl-
lng the divorce she said she knew noth
ing about it. If Hoover had procured
a divorce she did not know it, but had
heard that somebody had received a
letter from him in which lie said that
he was about to secure legal separation
from his wife.
Mrs. Hoover said thev were married
Feb. Vi, lvJ, and that they went to
live with his mother, on the farm near
Donaldson, immediately thereafter. She
said Hoover was always jealous with
out reason, lieplying to the question
as to wtien they had first had trouble,
Mrs. Hoover said there had been noth
ing serious until, when the first child
was over a year old, he slapped her be
cause she did not succeed in giving the
child a dose of medicine as he thought
she ought to have done. She thought
there would have been less trouble if
thev had not gone to live with his
mother.
Three years after they were married
they moved to Donaldson and with the
proceeds of a sale of land and a farm
sale he started a general store. There
he was elected to the otlice of township
trustee and there he began a life
of dissipation. Mrs. Hoover said that
he first took beer, then wine, whiskey
and alcohol in the order named,
mrs. iioover's story.
Mrs. Hoover said: "We lived in Don
aldson five years. When Mr. Hoover
moved his store to i'lymouth he lei t
us there so as to still hold his office as
trustee of West township. After a
short time in I'lymouth he moved his
goods to Argos and took us there to
live. There his business went to wreck
and was siezed and closed up by legal
processes. From Argos we moved to
South IJcnd where we stayed nearly
three years. Prom there we moved
back to my father's (David Wilburn's)
house where we stayed two months
From there we moved to a neighboring
house where we lived from October
1V.3, to dune, lS'.M. From there we
moved to his mother's house. Decem
ber 13th last, Hoover moved us to this
place. 1 supposed he was coming also,
but he remained with his mother. The
houses are a little more than a qu irter
mile apart. He came m during the
evening of the day we moved. lie said
he had had supper and did not re
move his overcoat. After a little while
he started to go. One of the cnildren
said:
Aren't yea going to stay,
papa to winch he lepneu: ".No, i
have not been invited." He never ate
a meal in this house and never visited
us but four or five times, lie came
once to split wood. When three of the
children were sick at one time he was
notified but did not come to see them.
I do not think he cared much for the
children."
MRS. HOOVERS ACCOUNT.
"Since we were moved here December
13th last I have kept an account of
what he has contributed to our support
to this time.'
Mrs. Hoover here produced a half
sheet of foolscap on which she had kept
this account, which is as follows:
Dec. 13, year lb'.U, IM. moved Dean
and children in the Heininger house.
What was bought by Kd. II. for me
and children from Dec. 13, lb'Jl.
Dec. 15, sugar 20c. and some taken out.
soda Sc. collee 23c. baby pair shoes öOc.
coal oil 10c.
Dec. 15, load wood by Ed. Zeigler.
Dec. 31, load wood by Ld. Zeigler.
Year 1805.
.Ian. 8, lS'JÖ, two bushel wheat.
Jan. 10, lb), receive dfrom J. E.
Hoover, and Huckster Stevens 1.00
worth of groceries.
Jan. 12, had to lay in bed on account
of not having wood.
Jan. 12, load of wood by Ed. Zeigler.
Jan. 12, 8 lbs. com meal.
Jan. 15, load of wood, by Ed. Zeigler.
Jan. 17, load of wood by C. Dill.
Jan. l'J, soap 25c coal oil lUc. got at
Sniders Ac Eellows and told theiu to
charge to J. E. Hoover.
Jan. 21, 10c. to I heron for writing
paper.
Jan. 28, coffee 23c. sugar 25c.
Jan. 2V, coal oil 10c.
Jan. 30, load of wood by CDill.
Feb. 2, 25c. for butter.
Feb. 11, load of wood by O. M.
Wilburn and half load by W. II.
Wilburn.
Feb. 12, sugar 25c. coffee 23a
Feb. 13, found on porch 25 lbs. corn
meal, rice 25c. beans 25c.
Feb. 13, load of wood by C. Dill.
Feb. 15, load cf green chunks by Ed.
Zeigler.
Feb. D, fixing Theron's shoes 70c.
Cora and Alma shoes S2 50.
Feb. lo, thread 20c.
Feb. 20, load wood by C. Dill, 50 lbs
Hour, coal oil 10c, bluing 10c. sugar 25c.
Feb. 28, 25c. for butter.
March 1, matches 5c. sugar 2 lbs.
collee 1 lb.
March i3 load of green wood by Kd.
Zeigler.
March 8, money for medicine and
soap 75c rice 1,'. lb., KUgar, 2 cakes
soap 5c.
March U, gallon of salt.
March 12, 10c for coal oil.
March 15, 5Cc for medicine and order
for Dr. llichey.
March 10, teacup full coffee and 1 lb.
sugar.
March 18, Hour 501bs., rice 25c sugar
25c. beans 25c collee 23c
March 20, for butter 25c.
March 22, load of wood by Frank
Hendricks.
March 23, cot Theron's shoe sewed.
March 27, 75c for 3 sick children.
March 2U, 1 yards of calico, 2 yards of
canton llannel 5c. yard,
April 2, 15c for butter, 25c for sugar,
25c coffee.
April 1, 25c. worth of butter, 10c. for
coal oil, Cora and Almy 15c apiece.
April 0, load of wood by Frank
Hendricks.
April 7, bought children bananas
and oranges, and order for groceries
1.50 ami cash 1.00.
April 12, Theron a suit of clothes, a
sack of potatoes, 1 xz lbs of rice, by C.
Crawford.
April 13, 25c. for butter, 2 yds. calico,
2 yds gingham.
April 15, 3 tablespoonful of pepper,
3 tablespoonful of soda, 1 yds, of uc.
shirting, gal. salt.
April 20. order on Xussbaum Sc Mayer
I $2.50.
The last mentioned order of .?2.50 was
left lv Hoover with E. E. Zeigler from
whom Mrs. ilooei got it after Hoover
departed with his mother for Dikota.
Siine his depar'ure, according to in
formation irotn Mis Ho.tr, ,iie ui i i
who now threat i. s to lni;.tr Milt ior
libel against tin Independent has .sent
one ol .his chilureu s7 00 in money
orders and has sent the family 10 yards
calico and 10 yards oi g.ugh-im. Al
lowing 2 for each load oi "wood, "green
chunks" etc, his toial contribution to
his family's support during more than
eleven months since December 13, lat
has been approximately .'3.7o aside
from the smali item ot rent winch ne
has paid for a portion of -hat time.
This is an average of about 5.71) per
month or auout 11 cents per day lor
food, clothing auu fuel for the entire
family. When helefi.the rent was paid
for some time in advance. We believe
it has now been taid i y order ot the
township trustee, to March 1 next at
the rate of 1.25 per month. Xotwith
standing ill this he j toI esses great so
licitude for the welt are of the chiidrtn.
The loilouing Utter goes to snow that
he has not heMtuled to make threats
against others than the Independent.
It appears that he has a penchant lor
having his letters witnessed either m
the writing or mailing as in his letter
othe Independent and m the loilow
ng threatening let! er to his wife.
A THIt EATEN I Mi LETTEK.
This letter is the one, we presume, in
which Hoover gave "(he proper perron
legal written notice" that he would be
glad to get and educate the children. It
is follows:
liijou Hills, S, D. July 5, "D5.
Mks. Dean Hoover, 1 lymourh, Ind.
I will write this to inform you as I
also did in Indiana, that 1 am ready and
willing at any time to take our children
and care for, and see tna'. they get a
good education, etc I will be "abund
antly able to care for them properly, if
I Oun bring them here, and will be only
to glad to get them. Theron, Alma,
Cora, Carl and Ilettie at anytime you
want me to have them let me know and
1 will see tiie are brought here. Beimr
'thus ready and willing to take them, 1
hereby give you warning not to put one
of.them out to any one or any wherejjfor
I will surely make them trouble. 1 wont
force them away, if you meet me in do
ing right in this matter but it must be
understood, that if you can't keep them,
I will and can. This letter is mailed in
the presence of witnesses to you as a
warning and with a view of self pro
tection as 1 stand ready to take them
at any time. Hoping they are all well
I close with best wishes.
1'espectfnlly,
J. E. Hoovek.
A NOT II Eli LETT Eli.
Another letter to Mrs. Hoover is
dated September 30, 1S'J5. Mrs. Hoover
says she has never answered any ol his
letters, but in this one he begins: "It
is high time you and 1 were coming to
an understanding about matters, the
children, etc" It continues: "You
have talked so much about me that
eventually 1 will have to go where no
one will know me." The letter contin
ues on m this strain. "Xow if you can
write me a good letter so some of this
burden and worry will be taken off my
shoulders and stop so much of this talk
there and here, all I can reasonably do
under the situation I will do for you."
From all we have learned in this mat
ter such a letter would be very accept
able to Mr. lloovei particularly m the
light of what he says in the same let
ter about his position, to-wit: "I have
one of the best places I ever held and
the contract lasts uidil one year from
tomorro.v, Oct. 1st. Two of us run a
bank, postollice and store, a very large
stock of goods they carry."
A Kill KM .
There prevails over West township a
generally bad impression of J. Edwin
Hoover. An exception lo the general
expression was what was said in
Hoover's favor by Mr. E. E. Zeigler
who lives near his (Iioover's) mother's
h mse and who seems to have done
considerable work of one sort and an
other, such as hauling wood to Mrs.
Hoover, etc., for J. E. Hoo.er. It was
he who assisted Hoover and his mother
with the moving of their effects when
they departed for Dakota. He claims
that he was always paid for this work.
When called upon he said he believed
that Mrs. Hoover was very much to
blame. He said that Mrs. Hoover was
often at her father's house when she
ought to h3ve been at home. lie
thought a wife ought to stay at home
and cook for her husband and said:
"That's what a man gets a woman for."
He asserted that Hoover had left 40
with somebody when he went away for
Mrs. Iioover's benefit and was qui'e
positive that such was the fac;, but
finally admitted that he would not
swear to it and that he did not know
anything about it except that Hoover
had said that lie was going to leave
some money with somebody for Mrs.
Iioover's benefit. If ho had done so it
looks reasonable that Mrs. Hoove
would not so soon have become desti
tute. WILLIAM WILIJI'KX'S STOIIY.
The foregoing is in narrative but
part of the story that was related by
various people and space makes it nec
essary for us to proceed even more
brielly toward the end. William Wil
burn's story embraced the recitation of
much detailed information about a
number of notes endorsed for Hoover
by himself, his father and others. These
transactions in themselves furnish ma
terial for a long story and indicate that
David Wilburn lost his farm in West
township largely on account of having
endorsed notes for J. Edwin Hoover.
Win. Wilburn claims to have settled
obligations of Iioover's for which he
was surety to a considerable amount.
The story of the bankruptcy and its
attendant incidents would also no
doubt make another chapter of interest.
Hut there is another and more perti
nent matter yet to be brielly spoken of
in this article.
The story of the divorce does not
seem to be well authenticated and yet
there have been rumors current to the
effect that a divorce had been procured,
It seems .probable however that no such
proceedings have been had. As to the
matter ot being "churchwl" the story
was probably erroneous to the extent
that no formal proceedings were had
butthe factof joining a secret society
was sufficient to bring about, in effect,
the same result.
WAS A DEFAULTER.
As to that portion of the article
above referred to in which was made
the statement "The climax came whe n
exposure of :os inlideli y to the town
ship threatened and he departed ! r
Dakota," we believe it is not at
all probable that the township affairs
ha. I anvthing to do directly wi . h
iioover's departure fur Dakota. I'm
township funds were actually in urn
over to Hoover's successor which is ug
lified to by . II. Joseph who gave a re
ceipt in full for what was then du.- but
previously to that there, had been a
shortage in Mr. Iioover's accounts
amounting to s2,200. When ihis was
suspected by his lirst bondsman, J. C.
Uunnell. J no. A. Mci'arlin and V. W.
Warnes they made inquiries at the Fiist
Nati iinl II mk of ihiscity Hud found no
deposit to i loover's credit.. They then
called upon Mr. Hoover about the
i un ls and were told ihat there was
money in the bank but when 'old about
the investigation Hoover admitted his
niisiepiesentation. An investigation of
the books s oweu a shortage of 2.:M0.
one thousand dollars which was made up
by his mother who mortgaged her farm
to get the money. Five hundred dollars
of it by the bondsmen themselves
who borrowed the money wit. which to
do it. Hoover borrowed some money
additional to these sums and the defi
ciency was temporarily made good.
It was then arranged that the oonds
nien would tor their own protection
issue warrants as they thought Hoover
would need the money but even with
this precaution Hoover's accounts
again fell short and at the
August se t leinen; showed a shortage
of sonieihing like SVH) These bonds
men shortly afier withdrew arter a
great deal of trouble and others were
secured. The above comes from a most
excellent aim reliable source from which
we are also informed that proceed
ings were afterward brought against
Hoover in the circuit court in
ihis city in which facts ie!ative
to his record as trustee were introduced
as evideuce by the prosecution. Tins
trial was relative to certain goods, pur
chased of an eastern firm, that had no"
been paid for. We have but brietly
touched upon these matters for lack of
space, but believe, while making proper
corrections in minor details, we have
found and presented evidence enough
to more than fully corroborate all im
portant assertions made in the story
lirst published which we were fully in
clined to believe on account of the
manner in which it was brought to
public notice and made public property.
Hydrophobia from a Skunk" Kite.
"Is the skunk a dangerous nimal? I
ßhould say so," remarked Mr. E. P.
Glaze, of St. Louis. T know very
many people will be surprised at the as
sertion, but there is one species of this
unpopular tribe that is as much to be
dreaded as a rattlesnake, as I learned
ne year while sojourning in Western
Texas. One night in midsummer a
party of us were campiDg out on the
prairie of Llano county, when we were
awakened by the screams of a colored
boy who had been taken along to cook
for the outfit. He said that something
dad bitten him, and examination
showed that his hand was pretty badly
torn. There were unmistakable evi
dences of a skunk in the vicinity, and
there was no doubt that it had done
the deed.
"The sequel is that a few days later
the boy died a most horribl death of
hydrophobia. I learned that it was not
a rare thing for the bite of these miser
able little fats lo produce that dreaded
lllment, and several well-authenticated
cases or it occurred before I left the
etate. Some people think that hydro
phobiafinds its origin In these animals."
A Creepy Kind of Sweetheart.
Paris Letter to London Telegraph:
From a country town comes the story
of a girl who had lost by death three
ren to rbom she was successively en
piged. In the first instance the youth,
to whom she had been betrothed for a
year and a Laif, expired on the very
eve of the wedding. In the second,
another young man, to whom she had
been engaged soon after the melan
choly event, died a few days before tha
marriage, and his successor in her af
fections ha3 now shared a similar fate.
It seems that sundry anciewt females
of the neighborhood, attributing this
series of calamities to the fact that the
young woman has the "evil eye," have
calmly suggested that the only remedy
Is to be found in burning her alive.
On that score she need have no fear, of
course, but the general opinion is that
her chances of meeting with a fourth
suitor are now infinitesimal. The un
lucky girl is described as being of an
amiaiie and sympathetic disposition,
and as being, moreover, of very attrac
tive appearance.
A Quality Not Inherited.
"Yes," remarked Cholly to his tailor,
"it's not a bad thing for you to have me
among your patrons, you know."
"Perhaps not," was the rather doubt
ful response.
"My family name, being so well
known In the community, is quite ah
quite an advertisement for you. My
forefathers, as you are doubtless aware,
were early settlers."
"Yes, I've heard so. But I must say,
sir, that in that respect you don't seem
to take after them in the least."
Washington Star.
The Yonn?st Tramp ou the Road.
Roy Jonos, who ran away from his
home in Montlcelio, 111., over two years
go, is, perhaps, the youngest tramp on
the road to-day. When he was reg
letered at the county jail at LoganspSrt,
Ind., one night recently by a policeman
who had picked him up on the street,
he gave his age as 10 years and his des
tination as New York. He had Juet
returned, he said, from a trip to San
Francisco, and in the two years of his
absence from home had traveled .all
through the south and west. He start
ed out with a burning desire to camp
nd herd cattle on the plains, and con
tinued roving merely for the variety
and excitement it afforded. Because of
his xtreine youth It was easier for him
to beat his way than It would have been
for an older person. He refused a pass
home, and continued on his way east.
GREAT MILLIONS EETHROTHAL
M Taylor, K4i,000,ooo Heir, to Wed
;rt rod Vanderhilt.
The year Uyü seems destined to re
main ever nit-uiorable for the number
of great heirs and heiresses betrothed
during it. But of ail these plightings
not one can be compared with that of
Moses Taylor to Miss Gertrude Vander
bilt, daughter of the great Cornelius.
Moses Taylor Is now 24 years old. He
'.s the son of Henry A. C. Taylor and is
destined to inherit $40,000,000 some day.
His inheritance comes from his grand
father, Moses Taylor, a brilliant and
successful old time merchant, now long
dead. Moses Taylor, the younger, was
the warm friend of William H. Vander
bilt, the lad who died a year
felff Y
mm Hl
MOSES TAYLOR.
or two ago. Mr. Taylor grad
uated from Yale in the class of
'93 and belongs to all the fashionable
clubs. He is an enthusiast in all ath
letic out door sports and an expert at
polo. The formal announcement of the
engagement will be made this autumn.
How- I'nrtnne Are Made.
Eleven years ago George Newnes was
a young brass-finisher in a factory at
Manchester, England. He possessed
some literary ability and remarkable
business tact. He conceived the idea of
a small penny paper for the masses, to
be called Tid Bits. He borrowed a
hundred pounds from a friend and is
sued the first number of Tid Bits, a
weekly paper. Its success in Manches
ter was so apparent from the first that
Newnes removed to London. There
Tid Bits became popular and prosper
ous in a few months. From a poor
brass finisher Newnes soon became the
proprietor of an immense publishing
house. Two years ago he started the
Strand Magazine, which, like Tid Bits,
was an instantaneous success. In eleven
years George Newnes has made a re
markable record. Today he is a mil
lionaire and a member of parliament.
I'nspoiled Ily Honor.
An American lady traveling in Hol
land writes that Melchers, the Detroit
artist who won the Paris exposition
prize in 1SS9 and has since enjoyed ex
traordinary vogue on the continent. Is
quite unspoiled by the honors heaped
upon him. Though he has dined with
the German emperor, he still wears a
peasant blouse and wooden shoes on
the plea that he is too poor for any
thing better. When he went to dine
with the wife of the burgomaster of a
Holland town he appeared in this cos
tume and soaked to the skin by a hard
rain. He apologized, not for the
clothes, but for the fact that they were
wet, and maintained that it was the
only suit he had. His hostess there
upon provided him with a dry suit of
her husband's.
Jane Addami of Chicago.
Miss Jane Addams, whose portrait Is
here given, superintendent of street
cleaning in Chicago, is one of the most
remarkable women of the decade. Sh
MISS JANE ADDAMS.
Is the daughter of Hon. John II. Ad
dams, for many years state senator
from northern Illinois. She was grad
uated from Rockford college In 1S81,
and has since been a trustee of that In
stitution. Tilden F.neon raced Yonn rolltlrlaot.t
Governor Tilden believed In encour
aging the aspirations of young met
with a taste for political life, and in
according to them all the opportunities
for honorable party service and dis
tinction that could be put In their way.
Every man was to be used, and to be
given employment, as far as possible,
that would be congen'al to him. The
party that adopts and follows a theoi?
of politics like this will make bosses
Impossible, and adherence to such a
reasonable theory will add to rather
than diminish the number of memberi
of 1U conventions conspicuous for cha
actor and worthy cf confidence.
I
