The Age-Herald
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THE AGE-HERALD.
' Birmingham, Ala.
Washington Bureau Age-Herald, 1421 G
Street. N. W.
mONLT DAILY NEW8PAPI3 II ALA3l*A
That old common arbitrator, Time,
will one day end it.
—Troilus and Crcsseda.
Suspension of Monroe Doctrine.
There.are those who would have
the people of this country think that
“the peaceful blockade” in Venezuela
.In nowise touches or trenches upon
■ the Monroe doctrine; but when the
facts are looked In the face it is seen
that the occupation of Venezuelan cus
tom hpHdes will perhaps last as long
as the English occupation of Egypt.
And these custom house’s look into the
Atlantic mouth of the proposed Pan
ama canal!
ill uit; ur»i pmu;, wnai ait; iucdc
claims? Germany wants defaulted in
terest on debts amounting to $20,000,
000—railroad construction debts in
part—besides $2,000,000 loaned to
former President Blanco by Krupp.
Oreat Britain wants several millions
on account of the seizure of the is
land of Patos by Venezuela, and
losses connected with some railways.
The French claims aggregate about
$10,000,0000, and pending arbitration
two custom houses are to be handed
over to President Loubet.
It is not possible to accurately sum
up these claims, because they have
never been judicially determined, and
a good part of them are fraudulent,
but it is within bounds to say that
the hold-up covers at least $25,000,
000! Probably a larger sum will be
•insisted upon, for some Germans
speculatively inclined built a railroad
at an alleged “cost’' of $15,000,000.
But put the aggregate at $25,000,000
as an inside and minimum total. La
Guayra is the chief port, the only
port of Caracas, the capital. The re
ceipts at the La Guayra custom
house have been as follows:
May. 901.499
June.637,876
July.... ..670,748
August....572.372
September.511.4S0
October.708,201
La Guayra’s custom house is the
only one the allies have thus far
seized, and its annual receipts do not
exceed four millions a year under
normal conditions. A million dollars
a year under present conditions would
be an extravagant estimate. Here
then is an occupation covering twen
ty-five years! To say that such an
occupation does not contravene the
Monroe doctrine is absurd. To say
that it would not jeopard a Panama
canal is equally unreasonable. The
issue is one full of trouble not only
to our trade and canal, but to our
standing as a nation. For the lime
being the Monroe doctrine which ha3
ctood the storms of seventy-five years,
is suspended, and the suspension
promises to last an indefinitely long
period of time.
Another Educational Fund.
At the instance of Senator Aldrich
in the senate, and of Galusha A. Grow
in the house congress has passed a
bill incorporating the ‘‘General Educa
tion Board,” with headquarters in
Washington, D. C. Power is given to
this board to take or receive, whether
by gift, grant, devise, bequest or pur
chase, any real or personal estate, or
to hire or lease the same; to accept
and administer any trust of money or
of real or of personal estate. The ex
istence of the board will be perpetual.
The board is further granted author
ity, for the promotion of its objects,
to build, improve, enlarge or equip
bMldhags for elementary or primary
schools, industrial, technical, normal
schools, training schools for teachers
or schools of any grade or for higher
institutions of learning. Furthermore,
in connection therewith, to make use
of libraries, workshops, gardens, kitch
ens and other educational accessories;
to aid others to do so; to employ
teachers and lecturers; to aid or en
dow educational institutions, and to
collect and publish educational statis
tics and information.
This is believed to be the beginning
of a Rockefeller institution that will
overshadow both the Slater and Pea
body funds, although it will co-operate
with them. It is estimated that $50,
000,000 will be needed in the work cut
out for the new board. Robert C.
Ogden thus explains its plans: “Us
$rept object is to build up the public
school. To dfif that tre will strive to
foster these schools where teachers
are being prepared. Before the public
schools can be elevated the teachers
must be supplied. The poor of the
south need not only to be schooled,
but to be taught how to cook, how to
plough, how to keep house, how to do
the every-day things of life. It is a
great work and the fruits of it may
not be seen for perhaps twenty-five
years.”
The incorporators named In the bill
are Daniel C. Gilman, George Foster
Peabody, Morris K. Jesup, Robert C.
Ogden, William H. Baldwin, Jr., Jabez
L. M. Curry, Frederick T. Gates, Wal
ter H. Page and Albert Shaw. The
bill now in the hands of the president
specifies that the “General Education
al Board shall be for the promotion of
education within the United States,
without regard to race, sex or creed.”
It is, however, plain that its chief
work will be confined to the south,
and its chief funds will come from the
ample funds of John D. Rockefeller.
Senator Aldrich became interested in
the bill because, it is thought, his
daughter married John D. Rockefeller,
Jr. __
Tight Money in Wall Street.
The elections are over and Secre
tary Shaw ~no longer takes an inter
est in the condition in the money
market. At any rate he takes no
steps to relieve the prevailing mono
; tary stringency, whereas before elec
I t.ion day he was ready to do almost
i anything, even when there was no
! precedent or iaw to sustain his ac
I tion.
It is not believed that the Venezu
elan situation is a material factor In
the monetary situation, nor are the
crops, which are abundant; nov is the
condition of general business, which
is as promising as it ever has been.
There is not money enough to go
around in New York to meet the
wants of speculators and promoters,
and their loans are being called in.
This throws on the market more or
less of securities, and this in turn
depresses prices. This enables the
! bears to attack the values of all se
curities.
Overspeculation and overtrustism
has loaded the country with masses
of securities it cannot readily digest,
and the tightness of money comes
in to render the situation worse than
it otherwise would be. The less
j money, however, that goes into trust
operations the more money there will
be for use in legitimate business, and
the solid and legitimate enterprises of
j the country need not he in the least
j concerned ovr the squeeze in Wall
; street. It is high time, in fact, that
the water in many trust organiza- ;
tions were let out, and the entire situ
ation promises to become after the
turn of the new year healthier, sound
er and more enduring.
Two Republican Parties.
A new republican organization has
been duly formulated and organized,
and tlie lily whites have been duly
repudiated, with many charges and in
| sinuations thrown in. All this was
accomplished at Selma, where com
plete state and congressional district
organizations were effected. One side
calls the other the black and tans,
and the other gets even by calling the
one lily whites. The black and tans
say the lily whites represent neither
votes nor republican principles, and
the lily whites say the black and tans
are irregulars. It is about six of one
and half a dozen of the other.
The black and tan committees em
brace some white men, including J. i
O. Thompson of Jefferson, Hugh Con
way of Madison, W. S. Standlfer of
Etowah. Ignatius Green of Tuscaloosa,
J. C. Manning of Tallapoosa. W. F.
Aldrich of Shelby, W. F. Carden of
Lee, C. H. Scott of Montgomery, and
P. D. Parker of Mobile. It seems,
I therefore, that two republican parties
exist in the state, and that two con
testing delegations will be sent to the
next republican national convention.
One of them will be a pro-Roosevelt
delegation, and the other will be in
favor of any man who can defeat the
nomination of a strenuous president.
It. is not difficult to say which is
which. __
Water is dripping out of the steel
trust and many other overcapitalized
concerns. The stock of one Lake Su
perior ore concern dropped 18 points
in five hours on Thursday.
The dead ex-speaker left fully $200,
000 to his family, the net results of
two years’ practice at the bar. Law
practicing is better in dollars and
cents than law making.
Christmas is but twelve days away,
and there are many blocks in this
town that hold more than twelve help
less little ones destitute of the joys of
life.
Senator Hanna's decline is attrib
uted to the lack this season of his
breakfasts of corned beef and buck
wheat cakes.
The ‘‘no breakfast" fad should be
put in a sack with breakfast foods,
and then thrown overboard.
President Castro will steer his para
chute away from the sea.
The Markles of the hard coal dis
trict are not having a Joyous Christ
mas season, and they do not deserve
one.
The Christmas shopper who shops
now will get the best things to give
away, and that is a good deal.
The senate proposes to charge 53
for tickets good in the hands o£ immi
grants to see the whole land.
Girls are to be taught to under
stand men, but no one expects any
man to understand a girl.
The automobiles do not thrive in
snowdrifts, and the northern cities
are duly thankful.
The effort to construe the Monroe
doctrine as a plea in bankruptcy did
; not pan out.
The Strong-Yohe combination is
about to do something to elevate the
stage.
The Nile’s big dam at Assouan is
doing business with celerity and dis
patch.
President Castro has the couarge of
his country’s debts at any rate.
Neither beef nor coal has acquired
the dull thud act this season.
Dr. Lorenz outranks in this country
all the princes on the earth.
Instead of knives, they are sharpen
ing skates in the frost belt.
Quicksilver is silver’s companion on
i
j the toboggan slide.
President Exum is an ex-president
sure enough now.
Mascagni is mixing law and music.
NEEDS HOLDING DOWN.
From the Attalla Mirror.
The esteemed Congressional Record
comes to our address again. It makes
bully single wrappers.
HOW HISTORY WOULD CHANGE.
From the New York Telegram.
Mr. Frick, the steel magnate, is having
a granite block weighing 80.000 pounds
put over his grave. Mr. Frick probably
fears that after having retired he may
be tempted to arise again If information
of business opportunities should reach
him.
FROM PERRY COUNTY.
From the Boston Herald.
Had Mr. Reed been made the republi
can candidate for President instead of
Mr. McKinley the course of our national
history would have been different. Mr.
Reed did not believe (to use his own
pungent expression) that It was wise for
this nation to undertake exporting
canned liberty to the barbarian world.
WHAT IT IS GOOD FOR.
From the Marlon Standard.
Marlon and Perry county has con
tributed about $2,000,000 to Birmingham's
wealth and near 1500 citizens, white and
black. Among the last contributed was
a gentleman who Is the father of twenty
three children and a thrifty man at that.
Birmingham is very fond of this section
and she ought to be.
INDIANA’S TALL MAN.
From the Chicago Tribune.
According to reliable statistics, the state
of Indiana produces the tallest men In the
world. This curious fact cornea out In the
records made in the war department dur
ing the war of the rebellion. By care
fully-prepared statistics it Is shown that
out of 118,254 soldiers supplied by Indiana,
15.047 were 5 feet 10 inches tall. 8076 were
6 feet 11, 6679 were 6 feet. 2614 were 6 feet
1, 1357 were 6 feet 2, 406 were 6 feet 3 and
330 were above this gigantic stature. Dr.
Gould, actuary of the United States sani
tary commission, commenting recently on
these unique statistics, said:
“It Is evident from our statistics that
the Indiana men are the tallest of the
natives of the United Stales, and these
latter the tallest of all civilized coun
tries.” These figures seem to refute the
oft-repeated statement that In the stand
ing armies of one or two European coun
tries the average height of Its men ex
ceed that of any other country In the
world.
MR. REED’S LIFE IN NEW YORK.
New York Letter to Philadelphia Public
Ledger.
In local and state politics Mr. Reed
manifested not the slightest Interest, and
except an occasional contribution to mag
azines he made no expression on national
affairs Interviewers soon learned that It
was useless to seek him. He devoted
himself assiduously to his law practice,
was rarely seen In his clubs, attended few
public functions and Ills name was sel
dom seeif In the newspapers.
It Is known that Mr. Reed came to New
York with reluctance. For several years
his friends ha<^ sought to Induce him to
undertake the practice of law In this city.
Mr. R"ed wis a poor man when he left
congress, and tho opportunity of making
a large Income was probably the sole
reason for his coming to New York. It
was said that his law partners gave him
a guarantee of $50,000 a year for adding
Ills name and reputation to the firm, and
whether or not this Is true, there Is no
doubt that the Income from his practice
has been very large.
Mr. Reed, however, continued to live In
modest style—free from even tho display
of the moderately rich. Among Ills friends
ho maintained the characteristics of
speech and manner that were voluminous
ly written about him when he was tho
”cinr” of th-' house. Ills keen v. it and
it markable Intellect were reserved for a
few. That he had lapsed Into comparative
obscurity was through choice and through
the engulfing qualities of the metropolis,
that renders almost forgotten many men
who were once of national prominence.
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.
From the New York Press.
The top roungs of the social ladder are
red-hot iron.
Twins make a bigger family than twice
that muny spread over more time.
The best Investment any man can make
Is a Judlous compliment here and thebe.
Vanity begs for an Invitation where it
Is not wanted, and then flatters itself
It Is honored.
The same kind of people that speak of
the "guests” of a boarding house would
call the men who Bpend their money In
a rumshop its clients.
IN HOTEL LOBBIES.
The Late J. C. Clarke.
“Col. James C. Clarke, who died In
Chicago a few days ago, was well known
to many people In Alabama by reason of
his presidency of the Mobile and Ohio
railroad,'’ said a business man. “He was
an able man and a man of noble Integri
ty. The following tribute to his memory
by Col. E. L». Russell, who succeeded
him ns president of the road, will be read
with Interest:
" ‘My business,' said Colonel Russell,
‘has been of such a character and nature
as to afford me an opportunity of bring
brought Into personal contact with most
of the prominent men of this country, en
gaged In operating railroads and large
manufacturing establishments, and it is
■ no disparagement to any of them to say
• for native force and native ability, en
ergy and industry, Col. J. C. Clarke has
been for the past fifty years almost with
out a rival. His mind was never idle; he
always actively employed It in attempting
to unravel some complicated business
problem. He wus as quick to seize upon
the vital point of any subject that was
under discussion as any man I ever knew.
He always went right to the heart of the
subject matter. His energy was almost
without parallel. He scarcely knew what
fatigue meant. He was never contented
unless engaged In some important prac
tical work. His intellectual facilities
1 were of the highest order. He lived a
long life and one of great usefulness to
his country, to his friends and to his
family.
“ ‘To some he appeared to be brusque.
This, however, was more assumed than
real. Beneath this apparent brusqueness
he possessed an extremely kind, tender
and sympathetic heart.' ’’
Suffering In New York.
"There has rarely been so much suffer
ing from the cold in New York city as
that caused by the low temperature of
the last few days," said a New York
drummer.
"The reason is the scarcity of coal.
Several deaths are reported, but the num
ber which will result from the effects of
present conditions is never likely to be
known.
"Severe, cold Is no stranger to New
York, but the lack of fuel to keep warm
by those with money to buy it who vain
ly try to purchase is a new feature,
Chilled homes are by no means confined
to the districts where poverty rules. In
private residences and many apartment
houses the heat furnished the occupants
was hardly worthy of mention. Landlords
have been waiting for lower coal prices
with the most uncomfortable results."
The Humane Society.
"The Humane society is now in very
good working condition," observed the
vice-president and secretary yesterday.
"We have an energetic, conscientious
special officer and results are more and
more in evidence. About twenty persons
have been convicted in the police court
of cruelty to animals and every day we
are inducing men to take off of the streets
poor horses that are unfit for work. If
persons who own emaciated horses insist
on working them, we make out a case,
but wc first notify them and give them
an opportunity of showing their human
ity without being forced to refrain from
cruel treatment.
"All that is needed now to make the
Humane society thoroughly efficient is
public sentiment and a hearty support
of our work on the part of prominent
citizens."
Easy Collections.
"This has been a very good year with
the jobbing merchants of Birmingham,"
said a wholesale grocer yesterday.
"Our trade has been restricted, as a
rule, to this district. In the farming sec
tion business has been light. A note
worthy feature of the grocery trade this
year has been the easy collections in this
city. Every customer has paid promptly.
This shows that all the people of Bir
mingham have had money and have lived
well."
The Public Schools.
"The public schools of Birmingham are
doing solid work and are admirably
fulfilling their mission in training boys
and girls and in broadening their hori
zon,” remarked a well itnown educator
last night.
"The literary and musical societies of
the High school held a reunion today at
noon and carlred out an Interesting pro
pramme. The organizations represented
were the Yancey club, composed of boys,
the Clio club and the Aglala club,
made up of girls, and the Entcrpean sing
ing club. There were debates by the
boys and girls and each speaker gave
evidence of bright intellect and fine
schooling. Professor Cunnlngsham, the
principal of the High school, told me
that the debates surprised even him.
"The beautiful musical numbers were
well rendered under the direction of Miss
Kitts. Mipsle, by the way, Is an Impor
tant part of public school education, and
the children, beginning with the lower
grades, are taught to read at sight and
to use their voices. Many of those who
roach the High school have a first-rate
knowledge of theory and arc good sing
ers.
"With correct musical Instruction In
the public schools, it must bo only a
question of time when Birmingham will
have a musical atmosphere equal to that
found In most of the German cities.”
Beaumont Oil.
Robert Jellts of Beaumont. Tex., Is in
Birmingham for the holidays. In speak
ing of the oil situation at Beaumont Mr. ]
Jelks said that while oil was not as plen- j
tlful as it seemed to be wnen it was first
discovered, the price of 50c which is now j
being obtained beat 3c, the price at the
start. The higher price would probably
more than make up for any scarcity of
oil.
About Persona.
Dr. J. F. Curtis of Blocton Is at the
Metropolitan.
• • •
T. T. Gelder of Philadelphia Is at the
Metropolitan.
• a a
W. C. Tunstall, Jr., of Anniston is at
the Metropolitan.
m m m
A. M. I.ambeth of Washington Is at the
Metropolitan.
a a a
L. I.ucas of Milwaukee Is at the Metro
politan.
a a a
James B. Jones of Fayette Is at the
Metropolitan.
• • a
Judge James T. Greene of Anniston was
J In Birmingham yesterday. He is one of
the best known and most highly esteemed
men in Alabama. He has not missed a
democratic state convention since 1874,
or a meeting of the Masonic Grand
Lodge since 1873.
• • •
Richard Felder of Mobile is at the Mor
ris.
• • •
J. C. Jones of Huntsville is at the Mor
ris.
• • *
Dr. J. D. Prosser of Atlanta is at the
Morris.
• • <
O. Cost of Pelham. Ala., is at the Mor
ris.
• • •
E. M. Holcombe of Calera is at the
Morris.
• • •
G. P. Bowery o! Atlanta is at the Mor
ris.
• • •
B. Minor of Nashville is at the Morris.
• * *
T. C. White of Baltimore Is at the
Morris.
THE OCEAN CARRYING TRADE.
A View That Takes Small Account of
America's Future.
From Rochester Union and Advertiser.
The International Mercantile Marine
company, commonly known as the ship
ping trust, has lately placed an enor
mous amount of work with the Belfast
firm of Hnrland & Wolff. Speaking of
this the Brooklyn Eagle says: “With five
liners under construction at one time
and in one yard, it would seem as If the
shipping trust has faith in a splendid
future, but the most significant feature
of it all Is the evident return to the idea s
that swift ships are promising invest- j
ments. The speed laurels of the At
lantic belong now neither to one nor the
other of the two nations that should be
the leaders in the race for them. The
effort to recover the prestige lost to
German lines was initiated by the Cun
artl company, which is outside of the
trust. Whether or not the attempt will
be successful cannot be foretold, blit if
the making of it has inspired the trust
to imitation no small triumph has al
ready been accomplished.”
Whether or not there is profit in high
speed considered by itBelf is an open
question upon which shipping men ar©
not agreed, but fast ships are at least
profitable as a means of advertising a
line. But that Is a matter that concerns
the shipowners. What is of public In
terest is the fact that ships are being
built. We are solemnly told^by the ad
vocates of ship subsidies that the for
eign commerce of the United States does
not grow as it should because of insuf
ficient facilities for the transportation
of our products to foreign markets.
These would-be looters of the public
treasury bewail what they call the in
sufficiency of our merchant marine for
the demands of our trade, and they as
sume that the people are stupid enough
to believe that because our merchant
marine is comparatively small there
must be some truth in the statement that
our commerce with the outer world is
therefore at a disadvantage. But we
think very few can be deceived
thus.
Many snips ana great ships arc con
stantly being added to the merchant ma
rines of the world. There are ships ready
for every cargo, whether it be on the
docks of American ports or those of the
ports of foreign lands. Indeed the sup
ply of ships has often exceeded the de
mand, so that the ocean carrying busi
ness has been very dull. Upon the whole
it must be a fair business, for capital Is
going into It all the time. At any rate,
it does not need government aid, either
in this country or in any other. The
nation whose capitalists do not care to
put their money into the shipping busi
ness cannot expect to have a large mer
chant marine, but it will have no reason
to complain if it has a small one so long
as all Its needs are fully and satisfac
torily met. No man can say that the
needs of this country In respect to ocean
transportation are not met. There Is no
freight on ovfr docks waiting for ships.
There never will be any lack of facili
ties for the. transportation of American
products to the markets of the world.
LEASING CONVICTS.
From the New York Evening Post.
The Georgia senate has voted to con
tinue the vicious system of leasing con
victs which has so long dishonored It
and other southern states. In North
Carolina, too, there Is to be a renewal
of this practice, which is utterly oppos
ed to the best interests of the state. Ala
bama has just leased 350 more convicts
to be worked for three years In the coal
mines of a private company. In the
Georgia senate the debate turned solely
on the question how nfUch money the
state could obtain by leasing the souls
and bodies of Its prisoners. It was main
tained that the system was vicious, only
because the original lessees could, and
probably w'ould, sub-let the convicts at
once at higher rates. The present state
prison board was complimented upon get
ting five times more money out of the
leases than had been customary previous
to Its creation. But there was appar
ently not one outcry against the leas
ing on the ground of common decency,
morality and humanity. The legislature
of the “Empire State of the South*’ thus
records itself as quite willing to turn
its back on all the progress made In pen
ology in the last century. It is willing
to sell its transgressors Into the worst
kind of slavery, knowing that such slav
ery means complete demoralization, and
that every person who has once been on
the chain gang is a criminal always. The
honor of the state is thus to be bartered
for hard cash without a blush.
New Dodge in Street Begging.
From the Ntw York Times.
Ideas count for success, even In street
begging. Old tricks become tiresome
through familiarity. The mendicant of
the present day, if he would live well,
must get something new. One of the lat
est dodges of the New York solicitor of
alms is heroic. It first arouses the indig
nation of the victim, tnen pacifies him
and finally wins his sympathy and his
money. It is worked In this way: A shab
bily attired man hurries along the street
apparently unconscious of his surround
ings. He expectorates, as though by
chance, on to the well polished shoe of a
passerby. Before the man has time to
protest the mendicant drops on his knees
and. with the remnants of a well worn
handkerchief, rubs away at the soiled
shoe, meanwhile pouring forth profuse
apologies. Nine times out of ten he gets
a dime for his politeness.
Pity the Poor Richest Heiress.
From the Boston Herald.
The daughter of the gunmaker Is now
the gunmaker herself and the richest
heiress In the world. We hear frequently
of these "richest heiresses," and can of
fer condolences to Frauleln Krupp for
the title. If she is like tho others, her
unhappiness is now assurod. The man
she loves she will have to buy and the
men who want her millions will torment
her life out. Hers is a tragic position.
How to escape the fortune hunter may
require the training of the very guns
made In the Essen factories, for it can
come to tnTs, that great heiresses will be
obliged to have an armament equal to a
ship of war or a besieged city to pro
tect them from their aqitors.
COLONEL BRYAN MOVES
INTO NEW $20,000 HOUSE
From a Lincoln, Neb., Letter.
OLONEL WILLIAM J. BRYAN
I furnished additional evidence this
week of plutocratic tendencies
by removing from the brick barn which
has been his home for the last nine
months and taking possession of the $20,
000 house he has been building for a year
on the highest point of land near Lincoln.
Mr. Bryan says It cost him a little more
than $20,000, and ft Is cheap at that, ft Is
a well proportioned building of pressed
[ brick and stone, and Is fitted with hand
carved oak finishings throughout.
It faces directly west, and contains 21
rooms. Including parloi%, a reception hall
and library downstairs and gymnasium
upstairs.
The kitchen Is a connected building.
Entrance Is had by way or a great hnlf
round veranda, leading Into a beautifully
carved and finished hall. From the porch
one can see for many miles In any direc
tion. Off to the east and south stretch
great reaches of farming lands, while to
the north and west, down In a tree-em
bowered valley, nestles the city Itself.
Fairvicw Is the name by which the
Bryun home will be known. The name Is
an appropriate one.
Although three miles from the city,
the house Is fitted with every modern
convenience. Its owner does not eschew
luxury In the Interior appointments, and
costly plumbing, electric lights and ar
tlstlo decorations, with city water, make
It a thoroughly modern home. Cement
walks and driveways give access to the
various buildings, and, seemingly, no
money hns been spared to make life with
in Its walls worth living.
Colonel Bryan Is a rich man. and rap
idly getting richer. He has been accused
of acquisitiveness, but many of Ills crit
ics have unjustly dlagnised his case. Mr.
Bryan likes money, and he has a keen
appreciation of what It will afTord Its
possessor. He has spent less than hts In
come every year of his active life, and It
is now getting so large as to be almost
unwieldy—for him.
His newspaper is (Irmly established. A1
though he has disdained trained busine*
assistance, he has made It a big money
maker. Thirty thousand dollars a year t
a conservative estimate of his share o
profit from it. He began with 60,000 circu
lation, and now has twice that nun*
her. He limits his advertising space ant
rigidly refuses to give trust-made goodi
a place In his advertising columns.
His actual wraith, aside from his news
paper—which is paying a good interest 01
a third erf a million—Is little less thai
$150,000. His yearly Income Is not mucl
below $50,000. He lives modestly and sim
ply, but well.
A private tutor comes each morning foi
his two younger children, but his daugh
ter Ruth Is a daily attendant at the Stati
University, where she Is a sophomore.
Mr. Bryan has several fine carriages,
but much prefers to use the suburbai
street car that passes within a short dis
tance of his home each hour.
Much of his writing is done in hii
home. A part of it Is dashed off while on
his lecturing or campaigning tours.
He is little seen about the office of hii
paper. This occupies the lower floor of a
downtown block. His brother, Charles W.
Bryan, la the business manager, and oni
trained newspaper man Is the only edi
torial assistant he has.
He still rigidly adheres to his determi
nation to print his opinions upon current
political topics in his paper, and invari
ably denies himself to the interviewer. H«
attends a little Methodist chapel in th«
nearby town of Normal, no Presbyterian
church being In the neighborhood.
In manner and dress he Is as unassum
ing and careless as ever, and he goes
about among his fellow-citizens — some
times with a mall sack half full of ex
changes over his shoulder—without excit*
ing comment.
He gives largely to charitable and be
nevolent organizations and Is free with
his purse to campaign committees. He is
getting a great deal of enjoyment out ol
his life—and he looks it—and his bank ac
count Is growing larger each day.
EXPLANATION OF CHARGES.
U. 8. Commissioner M. B. Mabson
Explains the Matter.
From the Tuscaloosa Times.
The statement made In the Birmingham
papers concerning the charges against
M. B. Mabson, United States commission
er, and G. B. Davidson, deputy marshal
at this place, have been explained by Mr.
Mabson.
It seems that Mabson Issued a warrant
for certain witnesses named in the af
fidavit which was executed by Davidson
on certain negroes, who at the session of
court answered to the names in the affi
davit, but as it seems the witnesses were
not the right ones. When the grand jury
met the right witnesses testified that they
had never been summoned before and
had no knowledge of the case being tried.
In the previous trial Mabson had sent
in regular fees for what he thought was
the right witnesses. He did not know the
witnesses, and when they answered to
their names before him he thought they
were the right ones, as the deputy is sup
posed to summons the witnesses whose
names appear in the affidavit.
The amount is absuredly small, being
no difference to Commissioner Mabson be
tween the right and wrong witnesses. Mr.
Mabson stands well here in the com
munity, being an upright, straightfor
ward gentleman. He and his friends feel
confident that when the case comes up he
will be completely exhonorated. He has
made a good commissioner and always
conducted himself publicly and privately
In a most gentlemanly manner.
It is an unfortunate circumstance
that could not be avoided, but will be
straightened out as soon as the matter is
brought up by the court.
Judge Roulac and Judge Thomas G.
Jones both s$iy that he will be exhonor
ated, and will be reinstated in his office
os soon as possible. He resigned immedi
ately upon being Informed of the charges.
RICHE3T GIRL IN THE WORLD.
From the Kansas City 'World.
It Is going to be nterestlng to see what
Fraulein Krupp does with her wealth.
The daughter of the gunmaker of Essen
is the wealthiest woman in the world to
day.
Three generations nave neen piling up
money for her, and the result Is a plant
that has made 30,000 cannons for the czar
alone and has armed nations.
Bertha Krupp, a girl not yet of age,
employes thousands of men, and has more
power for good or 111 than most kings.
What will she do with !t?
There was a time when the world would
have said to her: Get a husband. What
has a woman to do with the making of
a cannon? How can a concern prosper
under petticoat government? Give your
property, your heart and the control of
your affairs to a man, and stick to home
and domesticity. That is your sphere.”
But now it is different.
The woman has proved that she can do
all things well. She has stood shoulder
to shoulder with the man In business. In
politics, In professional life, and main
tained her Individuality and efficiency . She
has proved that there la no sex in brains.
It will not be astonishing If Miss Krupp
some day tnkes personal charge of the
$75,000,000 Krupp plant, and adds to its
fame and prosperity by her wisdom and
force of character. If cannon must be
made, why' shouldn’t a woman make
them?
And It wll not be strange In the course
of human events, a man with a heart
full of love shall appear In the dreams
of the gunmaker's daughter, and so fill
~her heart and her life that she will gladly
bid goodby to fame and business, and
find contentment and happiness in a hus
band’s home.
When a woman loves well and deeply
she doesn’t count cost. She only wants
to be happy'.
Let's see what Bertha Krupp will do.
TOM REED AND BISMARCK.
From the Waterbury American.
A prominent English journalist, the late
Mr. Clarke of the London Spectator staff,
in chatting of various eminent men whom
be had met professionally—and Mr.
Clarke had met almost all the celebrities
of Europe and America at one time or an
other—singled out two as impressing him
as the ablest of them all, one Bismarck
and the other Thomas B. Reed, and he
put Jlr. Reed tirs£.
THE CLARK FAMILY LAUREATE
From the New Yorker.
They do things differently in the west.
An heir is born to Senator W. A. Clark i
575,000,000 or 5100,000,000 in Butte, Mon
tana, and the next morning the es
teemed Butte Miner, owned by the sena
tor, bursts forth in a glad song as fol
loweth:
THE HEIR.
Within our heaven of love, the newborn
star,
We long devoutly watch'd, like sheperd
kings,
Steals Into light, and floating from afar,
Methinks some bright transcendanl
seraph sings,
Waving with flashing light her radiant
wings,
Immortal welcome to the stranger fair.
To us a child is born. With transport
clings
The mother to the babe she sighed to
bear,
Of all our treasured love, the glad ex
pected heir.
Butte, December X, 1002.
It Isn’t so much for the purpose oi
presenting this gladsome poetry to th«
publfc that I refer to this touching inci
dent, as to call the attention of my
wealthy friends In New York that the
thing is to have a laureate on the family
pay-roll. And why not? I have valued
friends here in New York who are so
absurdly rich that they do not know
what under the stars to do with their
money. Let them employ some of it In
paying a family laureate, some gifted
soul who can burst forth In lovely song
when the stork makes his occasional visit.
I am not saying whether the above poetry
is better or worse than the painful ef
forts of our distinguished friend, Alfred
Austin, who does the laureate business
for the English royal family. My purpose
is simply to point out to my rich and
highly bred friends in the east that the
west, "wild and woolly" though it may
be, is giving them a hint which they can
not very well afford to ignore.
Thl3 particular heir Is W. A. Clark III,
the son of W. A. Clark, Jr., of Butte, and
is the first grandson born to the senator.
Hence this perfectly lovely poetry and
much other ado. The senator has two
daughters living hereabouts, and each of
them has produced a daughter, both in
fants being ushered into the world within
a short time. The senator himself has re
cently reached the other side of the At
lantic, on his occasional trip to Paris, I
amag-ln, and the cable has been kept hot
between his end of it and the big mining
camp of Butte. He is no doubt quite
elated over the arrival of the pink won
der.
DECEMBER.
By Christopher Pearse Cranch.
No more the scarlet maples flash and
burn
Their becon-flres from hilltop and from
plain;
Their meadow-grasses and the woodland
fern
In the bleak woods He withered once
again.
The trees stand bare, and bare each
scar
Upon the cliffs; half frozen glide the
rills;
The steel-blue rover like a sclmetar
Ides cold and curved between the dusky
hills.
Over the upland farm I take my walk,
And miss the flaunting flock3 of golden
rod;
Each autumn flower a dry and leafless
stalk.
Each mossy field a track of frozen
sod.
I hear no more the robin’s summer song
Through the gray network of tho wintry
woods;
Clamor about the windy solitudes.
Like agate stones upon earth’s frozen
breast.
The little pools of Ice lie round and
still
While sullen clouds shut downward east
and west
In marble riuges stretched from hill to
hill.
Come once again, O southern wind—once
more
Come with thy wet wings flapping at
my pane;
Ere snowdrifts pile their mounds about
my door,
One parting dream of summer bring
again.
Ah. no, I hear the windows rattle fast,
I see the first flakes of the gathering
snow,
That dance and whirl before the nothern
blast.
No countermand tho march of day*
can know.
December drops no weak, relenting tear.
By our fond Bumn^r sympathies en
snared;
Nor from the perfect circle of the year
Can even winter’s crystal gems be
spur e<L