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Cl)c (Democrat, BROKBOH ft CABR, PnMUhw MANCHESTER, IOWA. The price 0/ diamonds Is rising rap idly. We must all practleo self-denial. Mrs, Langtry's reminiscences have been suppressed, and gladness reigns again In certain high circles. Wireless telegraphy is an established fact, but windless yacht racing has not as yet been made practicable. All the same, many are in Tioubt whether Britain's action In the troubles leading up to this war has been caused by real gold or guilt. The language of gloves is now being promulgated. Young nieu have long understood with fear and trembling the language of the mitten. A cigar trust with a capital of $15, 000,000 has been formed. This is prob ably the only recent trust whose prod uct is expected to go up in Bmoke. A man In the East has deserted his wife because she made unpalatable custard pie. Yet there are worse abuses of the pie habit—she might, for example, have made them of dried ap ples. After the wars in the Philippines and South Africa and all'other disturbing Issues are settled it will probably be found that Don Carlos has kept pre tending right along without missing a day. Tbe causes for whatever decliite in interest In base-ball may have come about in recent years are to be found in tbe attitude of the men at the head of base-ball—their petty jealousies and their failure to run tbe game In the Interests of Its patrons In syndlcate lsm, a system diametrically opposed to true sportsmanship In tlie transfer ring of games and buffeting about the players of certain clubs, setting tbe regularly provided schedule at defi ance In the rowdyism which goes un reboked and' In the miserable method of appointing and aslgnlng umpires. The resemblance between Admiral Dewey and General Grant Is strikingly close. The merit record of the one in the naval academy Is almost identical with that of the other in tbe military academy. They were at about the same place above the bottom of the class, they were deficient in the same studies, and their conduct marks were much alike. The one reached the highest po sition In the army and the other In the navy. In'modesty and dignity of per sonal bearing they are singularly alike. They resemble each other also! In their disposition to award full credit to their subordinates In every, -achievement. Their manner of speech Is identical. It Is direct, terser right to the point, and In plain, vigorous English, such ns the plain people can understand. In an other respect they are also alike—name ly, in securing the cordial admiration of all foreign powers with whose repre sentatives they came In contact. Both of them, In the words of Dewey, "scratched gravel," and had their re ward. There has been some controversy of late relative to the authorship of "America," or, more properly speaking, of "God Save the King." It is settled beyond all question, by the highest musical authorities such as Ohappell, Chrysander von Fallersleben, and Grove, that both words and melody were written by Henry Carey, and that •he sang It hlmselif for the first: time at la dinner given In London in 1740 to celebrate the capture of Portobello by Admiral Vernon. J. Christopher Smith Handel's amanuensiii, who was present at the dinner, testifies to Car ey's authorship. The Hev. Samuel F. Smith who composed the words of "America," and borrowed the melody from a boojc of German songs, Is re sponsible for the general Impression that tlie melody came from German sources. It is purely English, and was not only borrowed from the English by Beethoven, but was utilized by Schu macher for the German national an them, "Hell DIr lm Siegerkranz," and by Helnrlch Harries for use In the Danish hymn, "Hell. DIr, dem Lleben den." It Is an American national hymn only In text If human existence is rolleved.of Its struggle, the New- York Sun Is afraid that the human race will multiply too rapidly for the food producing abilities of the earth and'that in consequence famines and scourges will come. That Malthuslan to the core. There Is no present prospect, however, of human existence becoming a picnic. A paucity of children is becoming the rule In many families of the middle class, as well as of the families in the so-called upper classes. If It were not for the Influx of the foreigners to this country the population would not Increase very [rapidly. The "native" populations are not multiplying as rapidly as they used to do. Ihe child-bearing Is largely per formed by women who are foreigners by birth or of Immediate foreign do scent. The States where foreigners have not settled in large numbers dur ing the past generation show a com paratively low rate of Increase In'popu lation. The chances are against popu lation multiplying In excess of the food producing capabilities of the soil It should also be borne In mind that the limit qt the food producing capabil ities of tbe soil has by no means been reached. It will be reached only when no man undertakes to cultivate more than ten acres of ground and makes that produce as much as Is now har vested- from an eighty-acre farm. Whether that can be done or not Is a question, but the productiveness of the soil can be greatly increased and the population sustaining power of the soil can be multiplied many times over. In a monograph entitled "Commer cial Africa In 1809," recently Issued by the treasury bureau of statistics, an interesting and exhaustive account of railroads In the dark continent is given. One of the statements that will probably be a surprise to many Is that about two-fifths of the great "Cape to Cairo" railroad Is already constructed and the prediction Is uiade that early In the next, century the north and south lines will meet near the equator. To be exact, this date Is placed In the year 1010, or about twenty years hence. From this north and south line, also, lateral lines are belncpushedeast and weBt—one of these from Natal, another from Lourenzo Marquez, another from Belra to Salisbury In Rhodesia and still another from Zanzibar to Lake Victoria Nyanza, probably to connect at Tabera with the great "Cape to Calh" road. The Interior will ais\be penetrated by. roads now befog planaad, Urus-^lvlng- 4cee»« to all pol IK** of the coutiuent. Tntnscontm entnl lines from oast to west will J0U1 Portuguese territory 011 both sides of the continent ami the Germans will probably nlso have similar means ot communication between their settle ments At tlie north other lines will skirt the Mediterranean const and thus Africa will be banded to civilization by iron rails and tlie telegraph, and the couquest will be complete. Thomas Skeltou Harrisou, the Amer ican diplomatic agent auil consul gen eral in Egypt, has an article in the Forum about "Egypt Under Lord Cromer." Mr. Harrison says that the native working classes iu the larger cities are fairly well off, but tlmt there is a class for which there is little or.no employment. "Crowds of Egyptian youths/half educated, and more or less well bred, are striving for small gov ernment clerkships, posts iu the.banks, positions on the railways, ami so on. They will do no manual labor, and they must have what the French call •con sideration.* They must have genteel employment. Egyptian and American youths are much alike iu disposition if what Collins 1*. Huntington says of the latter is correct. He asserts that they are overeducated to such a degree that they acquire a distaste for all labor which Is not "suited -for a geutleinau," and that as a consequence young in^n spurn manual labor and work where they may have to wear overalls and soil their hands, and compete for poor ly paid but "respectable positions. So Mr. Huntington wants the number of years spent in the school room cut down, and no attempt to carry the education of the mass of young boys beyond the point required to enable them to cope with the practical details of business. But. if overeducated American boys and half-educated Egyp tian youths shun mauual lQbor, because it is uot genteel, and if girls who have liext to 110 education will not work in other women's kitchens because a so cial stigma attaches to domestic ser* vice, then the possession or lack of ed ucation does not seem to have much to do with the matter. There appears to be all the world over a preference for "genteel" employment. Perhaps that preference is stronger in Europe, where a young man would rather starve on the meager salary of a gov ernment employe and have a "social status" than do what he considers an inferior grade of work and earn uiuch better pay but there are a great many American youths who seriously believe that they would dcuieau themselves by manual labor. Overeducation is not so much to be blamed for this as in herited ideas about the greater respect ability of eertalu kinds of work. What Is needed is a crusade against the curi ous classification of work as genteel and not genteel, rather than against this alleged overeducation of which Mr. Huntington speaks. There was a time when It meant teaching a boy more than his parents knew—even if they could neither read nor write—aud thus "educating him beyond his station in life." E BRITISH EMPIRE CLOCK. When It l« 12 o'clock nt Greenwich la 7 OB o't locknt"Montrcal. When it Is 12* o'clock at Greenwich, the relative time both day and night in AOTiajoc the different colonies of Britain throughout the world is sliowu by the several bands on the dials. CHAMPION WOMAN GOLFER. A New York Girl Mayer Wins the Much-Coveted Trophy. A New York girl, Miss Kutb Under bill, of the Nassau (L. I.) Golf Club, Is queen of the women golfers of the United States. On the links of the Phil adelphia Country Club she defeated Mrs. Caleb P. Fox, of the Huntington MISS ltTTTH UNDERBILL. Valley Club, by a score of 2 up, with 1 to play, thus becoming the national champion. That she should win against Mrs. Fox was a surprise to those who had watched the playing of both of them during the tournament. Miss Underhlll Is a member of the Nassau Golf Club of Blencover, L. I. Children's I'ltm or Magazines. Le the children learn to take care ot tbe numbers of their own magaziues and to file them themselves for preser vation. Cut two thin strips of "wood the length of the magazine and about an Inch wide bore three holes, one at each end and one In the middle. With a sharp awl pierce holes to correspond In the magazines, lay the sticks on them, pas a cord through the holes and tie It.—Ladles' Home Journal. The man who sells his vote probably gets what be wants, but not what he ought to get. Remember this: Wheu a man tells you his busses doeap't pay, it Uf»'t tot C.--3 HE war between Great Britain and the two Boer republics in va South Africa may yet be the de termining cause for the long-expected, oft predicted conflict which is to involve all the greater and lesser powers of Europe. Already, says the Chicago Tribune, the attitude of Rurope is sufflelcutly menac ing to impel Great Britain to take early steps not only to secure the fruits of the victory that nation expects to win in South Africa, but to defend its empire in all parts of the globe in the event that it finally rejects European interference In its plan to make the southern half of the African continent all British. In,every naval port in England squad rons are being hurriedly fitted out for sea. A strong naval force is already as sembling at Gibraltar, and other battle ships aud cruisers are adding their strength to it every day. Every prepara tion for calling out the naval reserves lias been made, and at the signal England would be ready for all eventualities. The movements in European diplomatic circles leave no room for doubt that at least France and Russia are endeavoring to secure the assistance of other powers iu joint representations to Great Britaiu before the close of the present war. It is regarded as certain that neither France nor Russia is acting from motives of sympathy with the Boers, for if so they would have entered their protests before the negotiations between Kruger and Chamberlain reached the ultimatum stage. Therefore it is reasonable to In fer that if France and Russia act at or before the close of tbe present war they will do so from purely selfish motives^ and with the expectation of compelling Great Britain-to remain passive while they seize some other parts of the globe for their own. Russia's ambition in the direction of the Indian ocean is well known, an} France has designs in China and Africa which it neve* has taken the pains to conceal. Interests Are Opposed. Unfortunately for a pacific outlook, the ambitions of both France and Russia are dangerous to the British Empire. Eng land can neither permit France to secure preponderance in the control of northern Africa nor allow Russia to advance to the borders of India without practically destroying the British Empire. Conse quently, Great Britain is almost certain to accept the alternative of war, even In its present "splendid isolation," for to no power can It turn, unless, perhaps, it may be to Germany, for assistance. If Great Britain Is finally brought face to face with the alternative of submisson to the dictates of Europe or a war which shall girt the globe with a belt of flame, it unquestionably will choose the dread alternative of war. The attitude of the several European powers and of the United States, the probable direction of such a war, and the changes It would ultimately make in tbe map of the old world are subjects which are just now engrossing the attention of the diplomats of Europe. The crux of the situation will come when, after whipping the Boers of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State in to submission. Great Britain will make known its plans for the future govern ment of those two republics. Russia IIui Most to Gain. In any future demands on Great Brit ain Russia will necessarily take the lead, for the Czar's empire has the most to gain. Although having the most subtle and secretive diplomats in Europe, the ambition and inflexible purpose of Russia are well known. In a general statement Russia's ambition lies in the direction of an open sea. unfettereJ by the ice shackles of winter. Until recently Rus sian forts faccd the ice-clad Baltic, the Arctic ocean, and the northern Pacific. For six months of every y*»ni* Russia's merchant Rtcamers and Russia's war ships were locked In ice and it was not until the recent acquisition from China of Port Arthur that the Czar's naval base In the Pacific was rendered effective by open water the year around. For years Kti9sia hoped to extend its empire southward to the Mediterranean, with Constantinople as the objective point, but its ambition, while perhaps not completely shattered, was indefinitely de layed by the Congress of Berlin in 1878, when Europe erected the quasi indepen dent Balkan States as a buffer between tlie Czar's dominion and the sea. 41 Since then Russia has been pushing steadily southward toward Persia and Afghanistan. All tbe intrigue of which Russian diplomacy is capable has been crneo*' fjjpUNTSO inpamthV TT*~ ft IHE UIEST poKHMdnr or liEn NIUES1V THE exerted in securing a preponderating i*» fluence in the semi-barbaric courts of.the Ameer and the Shah. So successfully has this diplomatic Intrigue been carried on that to-day it is generally believed that Russia has engaged by secret treaty to occupy Afghanistan with Russian troops in order to preserve order after the death of the present Ajneer and se cure the throne to his successor. And it is an open secret in European capitals that the Shah has agreed to give Russia the port of Bunder-Abbis, on the Persian gulf, whenever Russia chooses, to occupy it, and has also granted conces sions to Russian syndicates for railways running from Russian soil to the Persian gulf. Russia's control of the Persian gulf would be dangerous to the British Indian empire. Russia's' designs in China are equally understood. Already the Czar holds the Manchurian peninsula and is disputing? with Great Britain at Peking the right" to dictate terms and concessions to the Chinese Government. France the izar's Ally. As far as territorial acquisition is con cerned, France has almost as much to gain as Russia. Then, too, France is still smarting under the chagrin of the Fashoda incident, when a year ago Maj. Marchand was unceremoniously bundled out of the Upper Nile country by Lord Kitchener. France has territorial ambitions in* Af rica and China, and unfortunately in the' present crisis these ambitions .run counter to British interests. France would like to add Morocco to the western frontier of Algeria, and in a general European war undoubtedly would endeavor to seise it: If united Europe should defeat Great Britain in war, the latter would be driven out of Egypt, and the British conttol pass to another power, and France would again step in to demand the land of the Pharaohs as its share of the booty. With Egypt would go naturally the con trol of the Sue^ canal, this depriving Great Britain of Its short road to India. In China France, too, would expect to gain in a war with Great Britain. France already has a strong foothold in the Ori ent. Added to all this is the feverish condi tion of France' at home. The army is disaffected, conspiracies are rife and roy alist plotting is incessant. The republic is torn by internal strife. Nothing would clear the French atmosphere more thor oughly than a war in which factional quarrels at home would be forgotten and employment given to a great army that long has chafed under idleness. Will Kaiser Aid Queen? The crux of the whole situation seems to rest with the German Emperor. If Germany casts its lot with Europe, Great Britain may as well call out its last avail able mau, for the sea girt empire will indeed be in danger. But there is ap parent reason to believe that Germauy will cast its lot with Great Britain. Several months ago, before the Trans vaal negotiations assumed a dangerous phase, Lord Salisbury and the German ambassador to the court of St. James reached an agreement which to-day is the most mysterious diplomatic secret in nil Europe. The mysterious agreement between Great Britain and Germany, which is exciting so much concern in Europe, is variously interpreted, the most probable explanation of its tenor being hazarded by an English statesman, who believes it gives Germany free hand in the Kaiser's pet project of establishing a great German colonial empire in Asia Minor. If Germany unites its fleet with Great Britain add holds its army ready to march against France and Russia the proposed European coalition will end In bluster. If, on the other band, Germany shall finally decide to make terms with France and Russia, trusting t9 an agree ment with those powers to give it what it wants in Asia Minor or any other quarter of the globe, tlie coalition is as good as formed. The Smaller Powers. The attitude of the smaller powers is worthy of consideration, for they could hardly escape being drawn into any con troversy which involves Great Britain, Russia, France and Germany. Take Italy first. Italy is almost the only exclusively Mediterranean power, and must, for its own protection, exercise a considerable voice in the control of that great inland ocean. It Is a mem ber of the dreibund, that offensive and defensive alliance which calls Italy's army into the field whenever Germany oppiccr ritco SATTSAV R«VA1. ARTIUBRV ii?.es* i®- Cf?OYAfc) 0RA4OON*' or Austria, or both,' are attacked. If Germany Involves itself in war either for or against Great Britain, Italy, by the terms of the dreibund, Is bound to assist But a&ide from the dreibund, Italy has interests, mostly in the Mediterranean, and a mythical one in China, which al most compel it to attach itself to the for tunes of Great Britain In tbe-present crisis. Italy long has asserted its claim to Tripoli, and by allying itself with Great Britain Italy would be able to claim Tripoli when peace was once more restored. It may be set down as practically cer tain that Austria, If it takes ,any hand at all in the International quarrel, will do so most unwillingly, and on the side with which Germany allies itself. To many it might seem almost ridicu lous even for a moment to consider Spain in connection with the,word "war." But at the same time it must be remember ed that Spain easily can put from 100, 000 to 150,000 men In the field, providing the funds were forthcoming. A loan from France in tbe emergency, together with the hope of securing the retrocession of Gibraltar from England, might induce Spain to forget the trouncing it received from the United States a year ago, and once more try its fortune at the game of war. Tlie position of Turkey might bother the diplomats on both sides of the con troversy. It Is-difficult to see bow the Sultan could be drawn into the war, and equally difficult to understand how he could keep out of it. Abdul Hamid is in the unfortunate position of being com pelled to choose sides in a possible con flict with the certain knowledge that he will lose with either. He is bound by the treaty of Berlin to guard the Dardanelles against the pas sage of the Russian Black Sea squadron. He has been enabled by judicious loans from England to fortify the Dardanelles so strongly with modern Krupp guns that hp can, If he chooses, batter the Rus sian warships to pieces when they try to force their way through into the Medit erranean. If he uses his Krupp guns against Russia he will have the Czar's armies knocking at his door to the north, and Bulgaria, Servla and Roumania ready to unite to liberate Macedonia, with Aus tria waiting for a convenient opportunity to seize Salonica Bay. If, on the other hand, the Sultan, even tacitly allies himself with Russia by permitting the Black Sea squadron to pass unscathed, he will have Germany and Great Britain on his back, with'the certainty of losing-Asia Minor, in addi tion to the Bulgarian uprising-and the loss of Salonica Bay. As to the little kingdoms of Europe, they undoubtedly will be permitted to remain passive spectators of the great international tragedy—to preserve- a stolid neutrality in the midst of the ver tex of war about them. War Around the Globe. It is almost Impossible to appreciate tbe magnitude and the horror which must characterize a war involving Great Brit ain, .Russia, Germany, Austria, Italy, France and Spain In one general, wide spread conflict It would mean a 'war around the globe. All Europe, all Africa, most of Asia, the islands of the South Pacific, the West Indies, and the north ern part of North America would be the scenes of conflict The greatest ^norrors of such a war would only be realized if Germany and its allies in the dreibund should decide to enter the field. Then France and Russia would be assailed from each side by the armies of Germany, Austria and Italy. With the greater powers engross ed in war, it is almost certain the conflict would involve tbe Balkan States with Turkey, and the Sultan would be compell ed to make his last stand to retain his place on the map of Europe. The enormous'sacrifice of life and pa ralysis of all commerce would be be yond computation. Hardly a nation en gaged in the contest but would emerge from it as hopelessly bankrupt and pov erty stricken as Is Spain to-day, and it is this aspect of the situation that fur nishes the surest guarantee for peace. Great Britatu's J-'efentte. It is upon its navy that Great Britain would depend largely for the defense of ,its seagirt empire. In India and Egypt, .it is true. Great Britain's soldiers would engage in land campaigns which would tax their courage and endurance to the Utmost. But in all other respects the great battles of an international war would be fought upon the sea. But pow erful as Great Britain's navy is, it must be conceded at the outset that France and Russia united can put a navy to sea that would be terribly effective. The British navy has been built up to its present mammoth proportions on the theory that some day it will have to de fend the empire against 'a possible coall non of the European powers. The fleets in active service are distributed in quar tets of the globe best situated to tight such a war. Naval bases have been lo cated in view of'such a contingency. In all the discussions leading up to a possible coalition against Great Britain the probable position to be assumed by Japan must not be lost sight of. If ne'e essary Japan's new and powerful navy would unquestionably be thrown into the scales on the British side, and if so the issue would be quickly decided in favor of the alliance between Great Britain and the Oriental power. Where Will America Stand? There can be no doubt that in such a combination of circumstances the sympa thy of the great masses of tbe people of the United States would go out to Great Britain. But when one goes beyond sym pathy he will reach a domain of discus sion in which it would be not only diffi cult but dangerous to enter. Unforeseen contingencies might arise which would make it difficult for the TYPES OF ENGLISH ARMY OFFICERS IN FIELD UNIFORMS United States to hold aloof. It may be set down a6 certain that any attempt to break through the Monroe doctrine, say, by an invasion of Canada, or the seizure of the West India Islands, would arouse a dangerous sentiment In this country, and this sentiment, it may be remarked, Is one of the strongest defenses Great Britain could have for the defense of her possessions on the North American continent It must always be remembered that be fore any nation or combination of na tions would dare seek to attack the Unit ed States, either at tyme or In the far East, the British fleets must first be* de stroyed, and after the destruction of. a British fleet the. enemy's squadron would be In poor condition for another battle. Changes in the Maps. And, finally, when- the struggle waa ended and the international congress met to arrange Its terms of peace, the geog raphers would have to prepare new maps of Europe, Asia and Africa. LARGEST OF ALL OCEAN PIERS. Btfilt by a Railroad and Extends a Mile Into the »s en. The cut shows the largest ocean pier In the country. It was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad at Port Los Angeles, Cal., In 1893. It is a regular port for passenger and freight coast steamers, and Is also a United States port of entry. It Is tjventy miles dis tant from Los Angeles and two miles from Santa Monica, Cal. The chief commercial use of the wharf Is in the transshipment of cargoes of coal and A PACIFIC OCEAN PIKH. construction material from the steam ships of the Southern Pacific Company to the same company's cars for use on Its southern California, Arizona and New Mexico lines. The length of the wharf proper Is 4,282 feet. It Is fifteen feet high above extreme high water. In the alignment of the pier there nre two curves on the shore approach there Is a ten-degree curve extending 200 feet onto the pier, and 2,000 feet from the shore end there is a.seven-degree curve to the right, both curves being tapered or splraled. The trains run to the extreme end of the wharf. Who Hn the Button. There Is a good story told of a magi cian who has passed the great divide. He was a world-traveled plnyer, and his wanderlngB set him upon one oc casion in faraway New Zealand. It was arranged that he should give an exhibition of mind-reading before the King of the Maoris. After some parleying it was decided that the King himself should conceal the article which the magician was to discover. The mind-reader left the room and afte^a time was brought back blindfolded, as Is the custom In such performances. After some time the magician declared that the hidden article was In the King's mouth. His majesty shook his head savagely in the negative. Tbe magician insisted upon his point, and demanded that tbe King's mouth be opened wide. The King refused. The magician Insisted, and the excitement bocame very great, until at last the duslty IClng reluctant ly opened his Jaws. Tbe article was not there! The next Instant, however, the King was taken with a violent fit of cough ing. He had tried to swallow the lost article, a button, but could not, and was compelled to cough It up. The Maoris were uproarious with mirth. They did not know which to admire.the more—the wisdom of the magician or the heroism of the King.—London Tlt BMa. Money Found In Hall Bag.. It seems almost Incredible that in the neighborhood of $-10,000 in actual cash should have been confided to let ters during the last year, and harder still to credlt.that the most exhaustive efforts failed to find the owners of one fourth of that amount. The envelopes which are addressed are kept on file for four years, blank ones not so long, but In either case a liberal margin of time is allowed for claimants to appear before the money Is finally turned Into the treasury to the credit of the Post office Department. In addition to the money contained In letters during tbe same period, something like $10,000 was found loose in the malls. It Is officially styled "loose money."—Ladles' Home Journal. Teacher—"Johnpy, what Is a thief?" Johnny Hardup—"Dunno." Teacher— "Oh I yes, you do. Now, what would I be If I-took money out of your pocket?" Johnny Hardup—'"Why, youse 'ud be a peach."—Ohio State Journal. 6* DKAO0OH4 CfNMlSHIkUMSf) OF INTEREST IN IOWA A DIARY OF NOTEWORTHY HAP* PENINGS. ., Big Fire at De jroto—Inspection Trip Over the Omaha and Fort Dodge Railway—Attempts a Peculiar ul* clde—Much Grain and Hay .Burned* One of the worst fires in the history of the town occurred at De Soto. The origin is not kuown, but the loss Is up in the thousands. The fire broke out in the rear end of J. \V. Blackman's store of gen eral merchandise and buggies. There was a strong wind, and in spite of the heroic efforts of the fire department sev eral buildings in the business portion of the town are a total loss. Isaac Hoch & Son, general merchants and Implement dealers, suffered a total loss. Their stock was valued at $5,000 and building at $1, 600, with $3,000 insurance on both. J.. JV. Blackman's stock was totally de stroyed. It was valued at $0,000, with only $3,000 insurance. The Jordan hotel was totally destroyed, loss -$1,000, cov ered with $500 insurance. The building (ta which was the stock of merchandise owned by W. Roberts, across the street from the burning buildings, caught fire, and the stock was moved out and saved. The snipe thing was dou? with W. M. Burchard's stock of general mer chandise aud the drug store of Dr. Wright. All three of theseN buildings were badly burned. First Train irer New Road. .'"'V-'' The first train over the uew Omahtt and Fort Dodge Railway went into Council Bluffs thfc other night. It was the special of Assistant Second Vice President J. F. Wallace of the Illinois Central, who Is on an inspection tour of the new road. The trip from Deuison, a distance of eighty-five miles, was made over the new road. About eighty-seven milos of track yet remain to be laid uear Wall lake. The running of the regular freight trains will be begun soon and passenger service will be inaugurated about Jan. 1* Woman Tries to Die in a Trnnk.. Miss Mary Gait, the keeper of a .fash ionable boarding house at Cedar Rapids, who has been-ill for the past few weeks, attempted to commit suicide in a peculiar manner while laboring under a tempo rary fit of insanity. Stepping quietly away she went to her room, crawled into a large truuk aud closed down the lid. She had been there more than an hour when_found and was almost dead. -fcurns Many tucks of Grain. A very destructive tire supposed to have been set by an east-bound Central freight train about one mile east ot Bar uum, burned over a territory half a mile wide and over one mile long,* burning grain stacks aud a large amount of hay and straw. A hundred men from Bar num and Tora after a long, hard fight succeeded In subjugating the fire and saying the buildings on the two farms. City efnses the Plant, The town of Oto is having a very se rious time with its new system of water works, and the matter may end in a huge law suit. John Ward, of Audobon, the contractor, was persuaded by the manu facturers to use a steel riveted main in stead of the ordiuary cast iron. Tliese are leakiug badly, and the city will not accept the job' from the contractor. Rumored Milwaukee t.xteusion, It is believed that the Milwaukee Is headed for Marslialltowu. A gang of sur veyors are at work uear Greeu Moun tain, locating a line which will strike the old survey itf the projected Marshall town, Winona' and Southern. The sur veyors say they are iu the employ of the Milwaukee. New chool I ubuqne.^ Rev. Mr. Daltou, of St. Louts, is ar ranging for the removal of the Catholic summer school from Madison to Du buque. The schboi is natlonnl in scope and includes six archdioceses—Milwau kee, Santa Fe,"Dubuque„ St. Paul, Cin cinnati and St. Louis. Instructions are given by the most eminent Catholic edu cators of the country. San J'own aud Killsd, Matt Champion, of Denison, was kill^d by a gravel train on the Milwaukee'road near Kenwood. He was walking down the track from Kenwood to where he was working for a farmer when the train struck him. He was not noticed until the next morning, when the crew went back to work. Brief State Mappemns** Hog cholera is working havoc in herds near Waterloo. The annual session of the Iowa chapter of the Eastern Star was held at Daven port. A. B. Johnson, a fanner of Fort Dodge, was killed by falling off his wagon. Rev. Iugram, of Fort Madison, has accepted call from the Christian Church at Albia. Work is progressing favorably on the water works system at Danbury and all the plpos have been laid. Fire on tbe farm of W. H. McNul ty^near Garwin, consumed the barn and granaries and their contents. The State pharmacy commission dur ing the past year has collected $21,300 from itinerant venders of medicine. John Ruecker of Des Moines, late of the Fifty-first Iowa, had his left iand taken off at the wrist in a planing ma chine. Several valuable horses have died re cently in the vicinity of Grlnnell from a disease which so far has baffled veteri nary surgeons. A man giving the name of John Leon ard, presumably from Columbus, Ohio, was run into by a Northwestern freight at Tama and killed. The infant Child of Orval Brooker of De Soto was attacked by a vicious dog and one side of Its face torn to shreds. G. W. Garey, a fanner, living uear Marshall to wu, was thrown from his wagon in a runaway and severely in jured. James Eade, an old and respected elti cen of Muscatine, committed suicide by cutting his throat while despondent over an Incurable disease. With the aid of an X-ray apparatus a bullet has been removed from the leg of Fred Knutson, of Charter Oak, which has been there for over four years. The next annual convention of the Royal Arch Masons of Iowa will be held at Des Moines. The rural mail delivery around Steam boat Rock is not satisfactory, as only one part of the township has the deliv er}'. David Reese worked a clever confi dence gaifte on George Jonee, a farmer livlug near Des Moines, aud secured $1,000 in cash. He has not been seen since. The boiler in Smart's grain elevator at Spencer exploded, tearing through the roof of tbe building and dropping some distauce away. No one was in the immediate vicinity at the time. D. M. Bailey, a prominent Waterloo farmer, committed suicide. He jumped into a well. Hi health was tbe cause. Burglars entered the stores of J. G. ftridley and Whitworth Bros, at Victor and stole a quantity of goods from each. In a quarrel arising from a poker game in the Northwestern grading camp near Mason City, a man was shot and his as sailant is lodged in jail. Th* wound is uot serious. An old mail, crippled and apparently n«nue, madeitwo attempts to jump off m* of tbe biMfeg at Waterloo into the .vor, evident with tbe intention of uddc. He ]wm pfevetited iutf taiftn rt UL- jail I taatfgf* -.-v- A .. Blberon has two cases ot diphthei^a* Persia has let the contract for a water system. A new elevator is to be erected at Thornton. Ames will vote on granting a telephone franchise. There is a scarcity of dwelling house* at Tama. A Presbyterian church is being erected at Titonka. The water works plant at Clapton will be improved. The surplus of the State fair is given out as $10,549. Additional sewerage is to be construct ed at Burlington. A $2,500 Methodist Ofturcfe is to be erected near Crcston. The .contract has been let for a new school house at Baxter. Hamilton's foundry, recently burned at Algona, is to be rebuilt. Edward L. Hawk has been commission ed postmaster at Nugent. A $40,000 depot will be built by the Illi nois Central at Fort Dodge. The first snow of the season in this State is reported from Dysart. The Burlington road will erect a two stall engine house at Dubuque. The postoffice at Atwood has been die continued. Mail-will go to Delta. The creamery at CryBtal fcas^jjeenltfoe ed on account of scarcity ofrmilk. The Congregationalists at^rBurlington may rebuild their place of wajhrhip. Davenport butchers cotaplalh of a scarcity of cattle for slaughtering. There a ret now about sixty ratal mail delivery routes throughout the State. The city library at Grinaedl baa been offered quarters rent free for five years. The corner stone of the new Methodist Church at Floris was laid tbe other. day. Constable Moss of Loveland Watf slot in the back while trying to arrCst a htfrse thief. J. E. Jackson has been appointed- pott* muster at Ortonville and W. L. Lenty at Percy. There is an epidemic of jaundice at Waterloo and over sixty eases are re* ported. There are twenty-six divorce cases on the docket for this term of court at Da* buquo. 1 Potatoes in the country near Perry go begging for purchasers at 10 cents a bushel. Marohalltown now has a stone pile for bums and vagrants to work out their sen tences on. Dubuque is to have a hospital, for con tagious diseases, to be erected at a coat of $15,000. The store of B. J. Cooper at Albia waa entered by burglars and $30 worth of goods tnXen. -.W. L. Buell has been appointed, post maeter at Nevinsville, and Addle Fleming at Woodland. There is a case of smallpox at Wash ington, but strict quarantine measure* have been taken. The Council at Dysart has proposed to bond the town for $5,000 for the erection of the gas pUnt ^The Farmers' co-operative creainery at D'lnsdaie has been sold, as it did not prove a success. The new St. Clement Church at Bauk ston was dedicated in the presence of a large assemblage. ... The authorities at Muscatine are onr deavoring to clear ttyb town of all dis reputable persons. Tbe 3-year-old daughter of '"Will Peril* house, near Tama, was kicked by a horse, and her thigh broken. A. L. Wood, postmaster, at Winterset, has been sentenced to two and one-half years in tte penitentiary. H. R. WWtehouse, one of tbe best known merchants of Clinton, is dead -from a stroke of apoplexy. Hardin County proposes to fittingly eelobrate the semi-centennial annlrersaxj of its settlement next year. MarshaHtown has purchased a new pump for its water extension with a- dally capacity of 1,225,000 gallons. So far nothing has been heard of Bag ley, the student who disappeared recently from Iowa College at Grinnell. The town council of Oxford Junction will hereafter prosecute anyone Keeping a place of business open on Sunday. On account of tbe heavy increase in the levy Des Moines will gain over $50, 000 in taxes during the.coming year. The street fair at Muscatine was a sno ees® and after everything is-^p^Kl for there remains $210.50-in the treasury. Attorney General Remley has given out that all slot machines are gambling de vices, and are amenable to tbe gambling laws. A new steamboat company has been formed at Clinton. It Is believed it will prove a formidable rival to tbe Diamond Jo lino. A strong protest is being made against the board of control placing button mak ing machines In the Fort Madison peni tentiary. Rev. Abrams has filed four petitions against four saloons hi Marf?haUtqwn« asking injunctions for alleged Wegal'salea of liquors. Some miscreant_&t_w«i<srloo has seri ously damaged several viable plate glass windows by drawing a diamond across them. M. McDonald, an aged man from tttJn* ton, attempted suicide twice at Waters loo by jumping off a bridge, but was/ caught each time. '.V An unknown man drove a teani of horses into Coon Rapids and. deserted tfyem, and so far nothing has been'heard as to ttieir owners. George Johnson, a 16-year-old boy of Fort. Dodge, was swept off a horse's bac' by the branch of a tree and sustain Injuries from which he died. Powcsheik farmers this year put in harvested about oue thousand acre*!?, sunflowers ^nd find the seed a profitai A hard fight la being made at Moines for and against the liquor mai facturing consent petitiou, now being eulated. Tbe total weight of mail sent out fro the Tama postofllce during two week aggregated 2,449 pounds, comprising about 40,000 pieces of mail matter. a George Oarioon, 14 years old, llvir near Hampton, wgsJkiekatLon the by a horse and was unconacio than a "week. The Illinois Central 1b r-' number of men on its sectk. Cherokee and Fort Dodge to* men. Frank Lee of Grlnnell rr his finger the other day. ing has set in and it is will lose his hand. Two C. & N. W. grar City got to quarreling poker, and one of them the hip, but the wound r« Mary A. Qulnn of brought suit against road for $50,000 dam of Thomas F. a wreck at Oxfo Wm. H. Da jaw, caused I his leg. c.:- Mrs. Cog* sued tihei st city for $" of her hi£ killed by a State Dairy Com to Washington fr*. rested a farmer that be sold to farmer knew ii' •tlou, but foun tended to his" file pleaded wfcfcb ha p#