The Minneapolis journal. [volume], May 09, 1906, Image 1

About The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
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Minneapolis.
SHONTS ANSWERS
CRITICS OF CANAL
Chairman of Isthmian Commission
Replies to Every Charge
Against Government.
WATER SUPPLY GOOD
DISEASE CHECKED
Jhnployees Well Cared For and
Work Progresses, Declares
Official.
Special to Tho Journal.
Washington. May 9.The report of
Chairman Theodore P. Shonts, chairman
of the isthmian canal commission, was
made public today. I covers observa
tions made by Chairman Shonts over a
period of weeks spent on the isthmus,
inspecting every detail of the work, and
the document is most comprehensive.
He returned to Washington April 22,
and since that time has been putting his
report into form.
The document is carefully classified
Tinder various heads, which include
every branch of the work and answers
practically every criticism which has
been made upon conditions in connec
tion with the canal work.
The Water Supply.
Regarding the water supply, Chair
man Shonts finds that the reservoirs
supplying the districts of Panama, Em
pire, Gorgona and Bag Obispo, contain
sufficient water for many months to
come. The reservoir supplying the
district of Colon, however, had been
heavily drawn upon, and Engineer
Stevens had made special arrangements
for hauling in an adequate supply of
water by train. This arrangement,
however, is merely temporary until the
rains shall again fill the reservoir.
One complaint to the effect that a
hotelkeeper at Colon had gone to great
expense in providing water for his
guests is found to be without founda
tion, inasmuch as the hotelkeeper de
sired a particular kind of water and'
preferred to pay for having it hauled
to him. whereas he could have used the
regular water supply without cost had
he so desired.
Health Conditions.
"Under the direction of Governor
Magoon," reports Mr. Shonts, "health
conditions on the isthmus are most sat
isfactory. Notwithstanding the fact
that there are more employees and their
dependents on the isthmus than ever
before (the monthly payrolls showing
-from 22,000 to 23,000 employees with
a daily effective force of about 16,000
or 17,000) there were fewer patients in
.hospital than for. many months past.
Dr. Gorgas reported 450 beds vacant
in hospitals. _,
"There has been no authentic case
of yellow fever since last November.
Mosquitoes are so scarce that many per
sons sleep in unscreened houseSj and
discard mosquito netting without incur
ring personal discomfort."
"Dr. Gorgas is sanguine that he has
the health situation so well in hand
that no epidemic can arise within the
canal zone. The danger can come only
from the outside. The question of
quarantine is, therefore, of paramount
importance, and is receiving the earn
est attention of the health department.
"Following a case of yellow fever
recently occurring at Bocas del Toro, on
the Caribbean coast, 159 miles distant
from Colon, an officer of the sanitary
department was sent to that port to
take charge of its sanitation, at an ex^
pense to the commission of not to ex
ceed $500 a month. This action was not
taken, however, until after a conference
with the officials of the republic of
Panama, who are willingly co-operating
in the matter. I was considered wise,
as an additional quarantine precaution.
As an evidence of the general health
conditions, Dr. Gorgas stated the rate
Of sickness was only 20 per thousand."
Company Quarters for Employees.
Employees' quarters have been pro
rided for the existing force with con
ditions sufficient to care for 300 com
pany laborers. Suitable quarters have
also been provided for all American em
ployees. Uncooked food is supplied at
reasonable prices by the commission of
the Panama railroad to the common
laborers.
If the men prefer their meals pre
pared, however, they may obtain them
at the regular mess kitchens at 10 cents
a meal, which leaves a small profit to
the commission.
Chairman Shonts expresses regret that
these common laborers do not avail
themselves of the privilege of these
mess kitchens. However, this is not
due to any desire to save money so
much as to an-appetite for certain deli
cacies which are not on the regular
bill of fare. Hereafter, all labor con
tracts will contain a proviso whereby
a certain fixed amount will be de
ducted from the daily wage of the
common laborer, in consideration of
which he is to receive' three wholesome
and nourishing meals a day.
The company supplies the American
employees adequate refrigerator ser
vice by steamer and rail, and a cold
storage plant has been established and
American meats and vegetables are be
ing distributed. Nine large' messhouses
Terminal Yard and Track Facilities.
Chairman Shonts reports that under
Chief Engineer Stevens the plan to es
tablish adequate facilities of this kind
for the economical reception and distri
bution of the vast amount of supplies to
provide for 1he disposition of excava
ting material and site of the power,
equipment and machinery for economi
cally handling of same is being carried
out with care and vigor. The facili
ties already established have been re
modeled with a view of making them as
effective as possible, while other facili
ties are being constructed at points
where the need is indicated. Several
miles of the double track have been
m:\de on the Panama railroad main line
and the need for more is developing
rapidly. The necessity for such add
tional line, is becoming urgent as indi
cated by the fact that 148 train move-
Continued on *2d Pe^e, 5th Column,
Joseph A. Wheelock, the veteran ed
itor of the Pioneer Press, whose per
sonality as a newspaper writer was the
most prominent in the country west of
the Mississippi, died early today at his
home in St.-Paul.
Fatigue from the long journey from
California, where he went to seek re
lief from asthma, is ascribed as the im
mediate cause of his death. He was 75
years of age, and for more than fifty
years had been an active newspaper
writer, having been the editorial head
of the Pioneer Press for nearly all that
time. He was one of the few old-time
editors whose personality in recent
years has been identified with his work
in the public mind.
TtjiV Aealtiu er ^om -time had he$n.
failing vb an extent that has somewhat
crippled his energies, especially of late,
but his death at this time was not ex
pected and comes in the nature of a
Shock to those who knew him person
ally.
In former political campaigns he was
a conspicuous figure thru his radical
editorial writings, which in the pioneer
days of the state had an influence that
was respected and feared. His reputa
tion was national and he will have a
place in memory with such editors as
Greeley, Bennett, Dana and Bowles,
with whom he was contemporaneous.
Joseph A. Wheelock was a maker of
history, and yet it is difficult to find
GIGANTIG COMPANY
TO REBUILD FRISCO
Rockefeller Said to Head Colossal
PoolNewlands Admits
Steps Are Taken,
are maintained at different points along and who are expected to back their in-
the line where excellent meals are: terest with cash, are D. O. Mills, Ed-
served at a cost to employees of 30 I ward H. Harriman, who is now hurry-
cents each. This price involves a small ing to this city from San Francisco
loss to the commission, altho it is ex- Clarence Mackay, George Crocker, Mrs.
pected that under a new arrangement Collis Huntington, Frederick Van
this department will be self-supporting.
The American craniovees also have the
privilege of buying such uncooked sup
plies as they may wish.
JOSEPH A. WHEELOCK
SUDDENLY STRICKEN
Veteran Editor of the Pioneer Press Passes Away
After Long and Distinguished Career.
Journal Special Service.
frew York, May 9.Headed by John
D. Rockefeller, it is said a number of
American multimillionaires have con
sidered plans to form a gigantic com
pany for the rebuilding of San Fran
cisco.
Among those at the meeting yester
day were Senator Francis Newlands of
Nevada, who owns a controlling inter
est in the Palace hotel President H.
S. Black of the United States Realty
& Construction company: Thomas A.
Magee of the San Francisco relief fund
committee Franklin K. Lane of San
Francisco. Senator Newlands and
Frank A. Vanderlip of the National
City bank represented the Rockefeller
interests.
$250,000,000 in Pool.
According to the tentative program,
at least $250,000,000 will be subscribed
by backers of the colossal undertaking.
As Senator Newlands and his San Fran
cisco conferees admitted, however, the
actual sum involved may reach $350,-
000,000 or $400,000,000 before a new
San Francisco rises from the ashes.
Among other persons of great wealth
who are interested in the undertakings,
derbilt, George, Edwin and Howard
Gould, Francis Burton Harrison, and j
nearly every wealthy property owner .Cj
in the stricken city. |j
While our plans today began to as
sume tangible shape," said Senator 11
Newlands, when seen at the National i jjj
City bankthe Rockefeller bank
there are many details yet to be com-1
pleted. I am prepared to say, how
ever, that vigorous, practical steps are i 5
being taken to rebuild the destroyed'
sections of San Francisco on a more I i:
permanent and comprehensive scale i
than ever before."
LETTER'S "SON" CONVICTED.
Vienna. May 0.An Englishman named Frazer
was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at
hard labor for representing himself to be the
son of Joserh I.eitcr of Chicago, and drawing
checks in Mr. Leiter's name on Brown, Shipley
& Co., bankers of Ixn:ton
EROTHERS FIGHT TO DEATH.
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v
Richmond, Ind., May 9.Isaac Mackey, 65,
last night crushed the skull of his brother.
David Mackey, 73, with a hatchet and then
took poison in an effort to end his own life.
The assailant is dead and his victim is not ei
pected to survive.
in the local histories very much about
him. I was his habit, while contrib
uting ably and largely to the shaping
of events, to keep himself so in the
background that the bookmakers and
local history writers have not made him
conspicuous on their pages.
They tell us, however, that he was
born at Bridgetown, Nova Scotia, Feb.
8, 1831, so that he was in his 76th year
when he died. He was educated at
Sackville academy, where apparently
the course of study dealt largely with
those subjects which make for a liberal
culture. At all events, he was a stu
dent of .literature and appreciated the
best thi*yjs in literature. He was
known among his acquaintances around
-M4ta ii^the-early days for his readt*
ness in quoting from classic authors.
He came to Minnesota in 1850, and
secured a position as clerk in a sut
ler's store at Mendota, then a lively
trading post under the shadow of Fort
Snelling.
First Editorial Work!
His first editorial experience was as
editor of the Bead Estate and Financial
Advertiser, published in St: Paul, with
which he became connected in 1856.
Two years later he was employed on the
St. Paul Pioneer, where he remained
about two years. I 1861 his ability
Continued on 2d Page, 1st Column.
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20 PAGESFIVE O'CLOCK. WEDNESDAY ^EVENING, MAY PRICE ONE CENT IN MINNEAP.OLIS.
GOLDSTRUCK IN
.POOR MAN'S WELL
Michigan Blacksmith, Formerly
of Bark falls, Wis., Strikes
i Precious Metal.
Journal Special Service.
Marshall, Mich., May 9.John Mc
Names, a poor blacksmith, formerly of
Bark Falls,. Wis while digging a well
at the rear of "%& residence struck a
bright, yellowish/mineral in the soil six
feet below the gitrface today.' Chemical
tests reveal th.asfc the mineral unques
tionably is goM. Excitement in the
neighborhood is intense.
FAM0US1EAUTY
10 SfEK DIVORCE
Mrs. James G. Blaine Will Join
the Sioux Falls Colony
Neil Week.
Journal Speoial Service
Boston. May .9.Mrs.. 'James G.
Blaine, formerly Miss Martha Hich
born, the famous peauty of Washington,
will leave this fiity on Saturday for
Sioux Falls, S. D., for the purpose of
obtaining a divorce.
It has long been known among Mrs.
Blaine's most intimate friends that she
contemplated* suc^h action, but it was
only today t^at announcement was au
thoritatively ||nadV When seen today
Mrs. Blaine ipidi^
Yes, it isf true that I am' going to
Sioux Falls obtain a divorce. I am
not familiar tirithVthe divorce laws of
South Dakota and so I cannot say
definitely on lust what ground shall
ask for a final separation.
I cannot say anything more defin
ite about by future or the details con
templated in the proceedings, because
my lawyers have instructed me not to
do so. There is one thing I can *say,
however, and that isi I am not thinking
of getting married."
VESUVIUS BELCHES
CINDERS SAND
Great. Volcano Again Active, Hid
by Sete%ntbrBJla of Z-^.'
$moke.
Naples, May 9.Vesuvius is i again
showing- considerable -actrsity A dense
column of smoke is rising from the cra
ter like an umbrella accompanied by
loud detonations' and electrical dis:
charges, which ate especially noticeable I was a helpless cripple
from Resina. The main crater is dis- his country well, he
charging sand and cinders.
An English engineer ope Mozer yes
terday aseended to within eighty yirds\
of the crater, which now is 400 feet
lower toward Retina than it was be
fore the recent Eruption.
The Trust Boys have a plan for rebuilding San Francisco.
Attorney General Acts Against
National Associations for Al
leged Violation of Laws.
i
Washington, May 9.Attorney Gen
eral Moody today made public the fol
lowing statement:
"The government has today filed in
the circuit court of the United States
for the district" of Indiana a petition
for an induction against certain asso
ciations, corporations aid' individuals,
comprising what is commonly known as.
the drug trust. of the United States.'
"The parties defendant specifically
named in^the bill have voluntarily com
bined together to control the prices at
which proprietary' medicines, and drugs
shall be sold to the consumer thru the,
retail druggists in violation of the
Sherman anti-trust law.
"The parties to the combination in
clude the proprietary association of,
TRUST OF DRUGGISTS
ALLEGED BY MOODY
$
INJUNCTION ASKED
OF INDIANA COURT
America", the National Wholesale Drug
gists' association and the national As
sociation of Retail'Druggists."
The' plan by which such object is
effected," charges the bill, "is-in brief
as follows: No retail druggist can ob
tain goods from a wholesale druggist
or a manufacturer of a proprietary
medicine unless such retail druggist be
comes a member of the National Asso
ciation of Betail Druggists, and in or
der to become such member he must
agree to observe the established price
at which such proprietary article is
quoted." CONFESSED CRIME
TO SHIELD FRIEND
Tottering Veteran Moves Judge
to Tears with Explanation
of Embezzlement.
Journal Special Service.
Sterling, 111., May 9.In the United
States district court here today a piti
f ful scene was enacted "when C. K. Nor
thrup of Ashton, accused: of embezzling
the sffnror$70Cr wfis askeoTtoTnake a
statement to the court.
Mr. Northrup, who is an old soldier,
and crippled by wounds received during
the civil war, arose trembling and told
Judge Kenesaw that the confession that
he made some time ago that he embez
zled the funds was false and that he
made the confession to save a friend.
The statement moved the judge to
tears. He said that, as the defendant
and had served
country well he would withhold
decision to some other date. Mr.
Northrup is at liberty.
Manv friends believe that the money
was taken by some one that Northrup
knows and that he has been trying to
shield him.
mmm
ATTORNEY GENERAL MOODY,
Who Charges that Druggists are in
Huge Trust.
KttftftX-XXtt-X^^^ REDS PLOTTED TO
SLAY WILLIAM?
Five Anarchists Arrested and
Dynamite Found Near Em
peror's Palace.
London, May 9.A dispatch to the
Central News from Berlin says that
five anarchists charged with high trea
son have been arrested at Urville, near
Metz. The men had explosives in,their
possession and a quantity of dynamite
wa found near the imperial palace,
where Emperor William is expected to
arrive tomorrow.
RIFLE MAIL CAR,
BUT MISS RICHES
Canadian Robbers Lose Nerve
When JThey Find Thejr
ISoF^rohg Coaci.
Vancouver, B. May 9.The Im
perial limited was held up on the main
line of the Canadian Pacific railway,
near Kamloops, 250 miles from here,
early today. The robbers compelled the
engineer to uncouple the mail car from
the rest of the train and haul it a
mile .away, where they rifled it of the
registered letters.
The robbers were under the impres
sion that the express packages were in
the mail car, but when they found that
the express was in another car, they had
not nerve enough to go back for it, and
slipped away into the hills.
The robbery occurred near a small
station called Furrer, between Kam
loops and Trucks.
LOBBTWRSTN
THE ALCOHOL BILL
Foes Work Hard to Kill Legisla
tion, but Measure's Friends
Have Little Fear.
By W. W. Jermane.
MINNESOTA
JHiSTG.iCAL
sir
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In
Minneapolis.
TRIAL OF BECHTEL
NEARING A CLOSE
Clash Over Admission of Evidence
as to Further Alleged
Misappropriation.
STAB WITNESS OF
STATE IS ATTACKED
A. F. Timme Details the Disposi
tion Made of Insurance
Chief's Statement.
With an attempt to introduce evi
dence of another alleged misappropria
tion of funds by the defendant to dis
charge a part of the same debt that he
is alleged to have paid with the $3,500
check he is on trial for stealing, the
state's case will be complete against W.
F. Bechtel, the former insurance com
pany president on trial before Judge
F. C. Brooks.
The county attorney made an offer
of this evidence immediately before
the noon adjournment today and the
question of the admissibility of the evi
dence is being argued before the^ court,
the jury being excluded. Outside or
this evidence ,the state has completed
its case against Mr. Bechtel.
Judge Robert Jamison was expected
to open for the defense this afternoon,
and the case should go to the jury to
morrow. What thp exact defense will
be is somewhat of an enigma to those
outside of the defendant's counsel, but
Victor Welsh said today: "We have
a perfect defense," and judging from
the number of prominent attorneys
representing Bechtel and other of the
former insurance company officials now
under indictment, in earnest confer
ence during the noon hour, a strong de
fense is expected.
Paying a Private Debt.
From the cross-examination of A.
Timme this morning and from various
admissions and statements made by
defendant's counsel, it seems that the
defense will admit the taking of the
check and the paying of a private debt
with it. I will, however, be contended
that the company owed Bechtel much
more than this amount in return for
his payment of "legislative expenses"
and for his other official services.
An attempt will be made to show
that the directors and the insurance
commissioner knew of this $3,500 check
deal and that there was absolutely no
concealment about the transaction.
This defense will, it is almost cer
tain, be backed up with a strong play
on the irreproachable character of the
-defelairtj^Hwbrif"to \}V"prosiliifffit"
ness* men, by allusions, to the official's
great work in building an auditorium,
and by an attempt to break down the
evidence of the state's star witness,
Timme, by showing him up in the light
of a betrayer of his benefactor and
best friend.
A. Timme, former actuary of Mr.
Bechtel's company and later superin
tendent of agents, was the principal
witness of the morning. continued
the testimony begun yesterday after
noon and told of discovering the $3,500
check alleged "to have been illegally
appropriated by the defendant. S
The witness swore that he included 4
a statement of this cheek in his re- :jt
port made to the board of directors in
July, 1903. 1'
"Were you present at the meeting
when this report was read to the direc- \i
tors?" asked the prosecutor.
"Ye s, sir."
"Was there any explanation made of
this check affair by Mr. Bechtel at that
time?"
"No, sir. There was no explanation
asked for or made."
Judge Jamison then took the witness "_"
for cross-examination.
Tiinme Cross-Examined. I
Counsel for the defense brought out
the fact that the witness had had sev- :.f
eral conferences with the county attor- if
ney, besides appearing before the grand
jury, and that he did it all of his own -|f
volition.
'v
5
Now,'' asked Judge Jamison, dur- -.$?"
ing your employment by the company f*
you and Mr. Bechtel had a great deal,
to do with each other, didn't you?"
"Yes, sir."
Mr Bechtel gave you your position,-Mf if
didn't he?" -M-
"Ye s, sir."
"He befriended you, didn't he?"
"Yes, sir."
Treated you like a father would
treat a son?" An objection to this
question was sustained.
Now, in regard to Mr. Bechtel's
written statement in reply to a Tribune
editorial:
"Mr. Bechtel showed you that state
ment, didn't he?"
"Yes." "And after he had left you had a
copy of it made, didn't you?"
"Yes, sir."
"No w, Mr. Timme, tell us why you
took this copy?"
"Because it contained the, early his
tory of the company."
"Now tell us the real reason, Mr.
11
Washington, May 9.The wood alco
hol lobby has reached Washington in
force and is frantically working to se
cure amendments to the free alcohol
bill* which will prevent the farmers
from benefiting by the legislation for
a long time.
Soon after their arrival, the wood
alcohol people became convinced that
there was no hope of defeating legisla
tion and they began immediately to
suggest amendments. One was to have
the law go into operation a year after
its passage, instead of three months
thereafter, as provided in the house
bill. A second proposition on which
they arts working is to have a tax im
poscd on the denature%sproduct.
The latter proposition* is one advo
cated by Secretary Shaw at the
beTimme."
ginning of agitation, but which has
been lost sight of and apparently aban
doned since then. I is one thing which
the friends of the bill sav they, will
not accept and which they say will be
refused by the house conferees if the
senate should adopt it.
The wood alcohol lobbyists are also
seeking to delay the bill in its prog
ress toward adoption by having un
limited hearings. Friends of the meas
ure in the committee on finance, how
ever, say they will be able to prevent
protracted consideration in that com
mittee and they predict that, the com
mittee will act after one or two of the
opponents of the legislation have been
heard.
Another line on which the wood alco
hol people are moving is to have the
bill amended by requiring retail dealers
to pay a tax of aboxit $50 a year and
requiring them to keep a record of
their sales. This proposition will be
fought by the friends of the bill, who
point out that if such a provision were
inserted in the bill, it would preclude
its sale by many countrv storekeepers,
who would not go to the trouble of
keeping the necessary records, and who
would, therefore, prefer to sell gaso
lene, to do which thev are not re
quired to pay any tax.
These proposals by the wood alcohol
people show that they are desperate
and that they are making a "last
ditch" struggle, with little hope of
carrying any of their proposals thru.
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-wn B*q pu*4 avptSrac f- XVH fdraoiB Continued on 8th. Page, 3d Oolpmn,
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I have given you the only reason
I had." *4:
"What did you do with that copy
I put it in my pocket."
"That is the one the county attor
ney had here yesterday, isn't it?"
"Ye s, sir."
Denial by timme.
"Isn't it true that you made a copy
of that statement and kept it secret
from Mr. Bechtel for the purpose of
using it some time to hh/detriment?"
"No, sir it is not."
"When did _you give this copy to I
the county attorney?"
"Last November."
"Didn't you say at the time of*!*
your conversation with Mr. BechteHJi
relative to this statement, that you%f!
thought there ought to be some publi-'S^id-
eation of a statement of the company'i|"'
affairs?"
I might have that was my senti-
ment."
"Did you put it in the strongbox
you spoke about?"
"I'm not sure." 'r'
"Wasn't that strongbox the sfiofe'-ti:
house in which you kept ammunition
to be used against your friend Mr
Bechtel?"
"No, sir." S
"No w, at the time of the proposed
examination of the company by Mr.
Wolfe, wasn't it commonly known that
he was inimical to the company?'.'-*
"That wa ti fpeneml belief!"
"Wasn't it believed that he was in-