REINSTATEMENT OF
MRS. WHEELER ORDERED
Must Be Restored to Her Old Posi
tion in the Boise Post
offlce.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
BOISE, Idaho. April 13.— The contro
versy between Postmaster Fentoa and
the Civil Service Commission and the
Postofflca Department over the dismissal
of Mrs. Jennie Wheeler has eventuated
in the department permanently re
instating Mrs. Wheeler and ordering the
dismissal of Chief Clerk E. J. Sencerbox,
a warm friend of the Postmaster. As
Sencerbox was not In the classified serv
ice, the department doer not have to
make the charges against him public, but
they are understood to be very serious.
It is said that one of them is that he
opened a letter sent to Mrs. Hamilton,
the notorious woman who was largely re
sponsible for the downfall of Auditor and
Recorder Lamoreaux.
Mrs. Wheeler was ordered reinstated
some time ago. but the Postmaster as
signed her to a position she could not fill.
In reinstating her in her old position h<?
has requested that she be on duty con
tinuously from 6 a. m. to 7 p. m. and she
will appeal to the Civil Service Commis
sion. The postofflce row has cre
ated something of a sensation
here. and it is said the Post
master is liable to find himselr In
serious trouble before long because of his
practical defiance of the authorities al
most unprecedented in the history of th<»
civil service, and it Is doubtful If the
Poatofflce Department ever ran across a'
more stubborn customer.
x
AMERICANS SHREWDER
THAN LORD SALISBURY
British Press Comments on the Ne
gotiations for the "Open Door*'
in the Orient.
LONDON, April 16.— The Dally News,
commenting editorially upon the corre
spondence between Great Britain and the*
United States on the "open door" In
China, which was published in a blue book
on Saturday, says:
"It gives a strong impression that the
United States recognized Lord Salisbury*
Incapacity to respect the tendency towarrl
a partition of China. The honors are de
cidedly with the United States, which took
a much firmer and more Impressive ton«
than had characterized the squeezable
Lord Salisbury's previous communications
with Russia and Germany."
Boatman Drowned.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
ANTIOCH. April 13.— The owners of the
schooner Energy anchored in the river op
posite Jersey Landing sent a man named
Oscar Johnson up from the city Friday
night on a steamer to take charge of the
boat. Johnson lingered at Jersey until he
had consumed more liquor than was good
for him, when he started from Jersey in a
small boat to pull over to the Energy.
He then attempted to put some supplier
which he had brought with him in a sKiff
over the side of the Energy, and In .¦>
doing lost his balance and toppled over
into the water. Bill Hand saw the acci
dent from the Jersey shore and started
across to his assistance, but he sank from
view before Hand reached him. The body
has not been recovered and the river will
be dragged. .¦. ¦ •- - ~ " —
. ¦ - ¦ —
— --*
; SNAPSHOTS AT THE "ABSENT-MINDED BEGGAR" IN
: SOUTH AFRICA. ':
GAS MAIN EXPLODES
WITH FATAL RESULTS
One Man Is Instantly Killed and
Five Others Are Seriously
Injured.
LOGANSPORT. Ind.. April 15.— T00
much pressure and a piece of defective
gas pipe in the mains of the Chicago Pipe
Line Company at a point four miles south
east of here was the cause of a terrific ex
plosion to r day, in which Michael Ellison
Jr. was instantly killed and five other
men received injuries from which it is
doubtful if they will recover. Twelve
men were in the trench repairing a leak
in a ten-Inch main, from which the gas
had been transferred to an eight-inch
main near it. The men were around a
"T" in the eight-inch main, and Ellison
was stooping over it when the pipe ex
ploded. His body was found 150 feet
away. Many "bones were broken and he
probably met instant death.
George Morrison, who was in charge of
the work, was sent sprawling on the
ground thirty feet away with gravel and
dirt blown into his skin. His body was
wrenched and his clothes torn and tat
tered. Will Briggs inhaled gas and was
taken home unconscious. Three laborers
were knocked down and bruised in a
frightful manner. The rest of the men
escaped with slight injuries from flying
dirt and rock. The "T" weighs 1000 pounds
and it was carried a distance of nfty
feet. ' . ¦ ' '.
The explosion tore the ground for a dis
tance of 400 feetand'was heard' for miles.
Saturday's date,, reiterating his opinion
that the war is bound to prove an expen
sive business. He says:
" Tn-o hundred 'an<3nftj~ thousand nien will be
needed before the end : Is attained. The ques
tion of remounts, will continue one of vital Im
portance. Great, numbers are: now -arriving,
but. owing to the fact that they have to be put
to work before time, is given- them to recover
from; the effects of the ; voyage, their condition
is low and the death' rate among, them high.'
Thousands, j therefore, will be wanted In addi
tion to those now here or on the way, and great!
resting; depots* niust.be' formed, I together' with
an ample staff to nurse and exercise them. If
that, is done. : then, about fouror- five months
hence.' you will be ableto give your cavalry a
new lease of life and strength. ' '.
The. Bioemfontein. correspondent of the
Dally. News.. telegraphing Saturday, says:
"President Kruger attended a conference
of the, Boer commandants at Brandfort
on Thursday.^., lt is believed that *a; de
cision was reached to withdraw 'the
Transvaal »f orces ¦ to t the north of | Vleit
River/ preparatory 'to ;a general' retire- ;
ment across- the Vaal River,-; if > hard
pressed, leaving the' Free Staters to their
own /resources.". [ } _i ¦¦¦*
COLONEL SCHIEL'S VAIN.
ATTEMPT TO' ESCAPE
ST." HELENA. 'April- 15.— Colonel Schiel;
and two'other, Boer, prisoners , were landed'
to-day and 'sent .'to': the; citadel; in.'conse-'
quence of an attempt' to escape. It ap-
pears, that . Colonel - Schiel ; bribed : a > boat
man to take ; a letter \ to , a 'Dutch cruiser, 1
but the boatman by mistake took it to tho|
British i cruiser: Nlobe. . '
;.• . A" lafgeknif c s was found in possession of;
one of.th'e' three. LColonel, Schiel .walked. to!|
the citadel/declining 'a, carriage placed iat ; i
his" disposal* '"-..: • : -L_ ji
LONDON. April IS. '-England waits
eagerly for war news, but little
comes. Lord Roberts Is still silent,
but at work. -In "Bloemfontein, and
its immediate" neighborhood the
British army is enjoying a comparatively
quiet Eastertide, . Preparations for. ,the
general advance are being actively pushed
and indications are that Lord Roberts Is
now. able. at a moment's notice to con
centrate an. overwhelming, force against
the Boers to the southeast or wherever
they, may elect, to; make their stand..
The severity of the. recent.- fighting at
Wepener is proved by the reported heavy
casualties sustained by the little garrison
— eighteen killed and 130 wounded. Colonel
Dalgety's men continue to hold their own,
but the Boers, who are surrounding them,
apparently hadnot up to Saturday given
up the siege. .
General Chermside's: division was still
at Reddersb'urgh ion Saturday, but Gen
eral Brabant with the bulk of his force
left Aliwal North that day for Rouxville.
In Cape Town it was | reported yesterday
that the Colonial general engaged . the
Boers and had captured men and guns
near Wepener. It does not seem" likely,
however, that even his quick moving col
umn could, have reached that neighbor
hood In so short a time.
Lord Methuen is still at Boshof, which,
in conjunction with the fact that - the
crossing of ; the Vaal : at Warrenton re
mains in the Boers' hands." would seem
toupset the theory that a column for the
relief of Mafeking has gone north through
Boshof. Thus" the mystery surrounding
the plans of. the military authorities to
reach Baden-Powell remains as dark as
ever. •
.All seems quiet In Northern Natal. The
Boers apparently., have abandoned for the
time being thelr'intentlon topush' south.
Winston Churchill .telegraphs to >: the
Morning Post : from , Bloemf onteln. : under
EPIDEMIC OF TYPHOID
FEVER AT CAPE NOME
Mail- Carrier Brings News of Sickness and
Gold Strikes in the Northern
Mining Camp.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
y, -TTICTORIA, B. C. April 15. -The col
\ / l |er - St - Paul, .which reached the
A / Comox collieries from Kodiak,
1/ . Alaska^ brought down a mail car
. *r rier from - Cape Nome. This car
rier. Loyal L*. Wirt,. is the first man to
come down this season from the new El
Dorado by. the ocean route and the last
who ' left Nome to reach the /.'outside."
Mr. Wirt left Nome City on January 10
with; the Alaska Commercial Company's
mail and had as a companion as far, as
Kodiak, where he found the St., Paul, Cap
tain-Worth, the Alaska Exploration Com
pany's mall carrier. The captain .took a
steamer to Juneau,, and should be down
by one of the Alaskan liners shortly.
They were fifty-three days in making
the trip from Nome to Kodiak, -traveling,
however,- but forty days, . thirteen days
being spent in resting. Mr. Wirt describes
the ' journey .- as . an outing. It i was very
cold, of scourse^ the thermometer at St.
Michael registering 40 degrees below aero
and running from, that to 20 below during
the. trip. -On the Yukon a heavy snow
storm was experienced, which greatly re
tarded; progress, but. on .the whole, the
weather^ was' good and free from. storms.
With the: exception of ten nights, when
they slept quite comfortably ¦in their
sleeping bags, laid on a: snowbank, the
travelers got their. nights' rest'in Indian
'cabins. They had a good dog team and
carried, their, own. food, the stock being
replenished five times en route. , There Is
plenty- of 'game' to* be- had, food -for dogs
is; plentiful and the Indians are : friendly
and kind. r : :
> r The "two ; mall carriers traveled by. what
is known as the Katmei route, which Mr.
AVlrt i says |is the most practicable : winter
route to Nome and fully a thousand milos
shorter.', than"; the 'one '; via ;: Dawson and
Skaguay." "They ; went from *; Nome toSL'
Michael, thence >to 5 Andraoefsky.V from
jr hero; thejr '^ay»* - trig 'to
Kuskokwin River, which they followed to
Bristol Bay, an arm of Bering Sea. From
there the route continual to Nuskagak,
thence across the peninsular range of
mountains, which is on the main land op
posite Kodiak. They reached the latter
place on March 2. .
Mr. Wirt erected a hospital at Nome
and a busy season he had of It during the
winter. 4 - There were 300 cases of typhoid
in the city during the winter and 125 wero
treated at the hospital. • In all thirty per
sons died of the disease. This sickness
and the shortage of fuel— beach wood, and
poor beach wood at that— selling for $40 a
cord, made the lot of the miners not an
enviable one.-
There were 3000 people in Nome on Jan
uary 10. but many were coming from
Dawson and Kotzebue Sound. Those from
Dawson'had very hard trips and at St.
Michael Mr. Win heard that many had
perished, although this could not be con
firmed. All the ground within 100 miles
of Nome has been staked, but there is,
much country outside that radius which
will amply repay ; the prospector.
Many new strikes have been made and
are apparently very rich. There was
little work done during the winter on ac
count of the scarcity of fuel and thawing
machines. . A few boilers were taken from
steamers and launches and in this way
several beach claims were Worked with
considerable • success.
\ The report that . prospectors had re
turned from Siberia with an account of
fabulously rich ground on the far side of
Bering Sea, Mr. Wlrt said was absolute
ly false. A party left for . Siberia a ,f ew
days before he started, but none had re
turned.. When asked as. to the prospects
of steamers which have already started
for Cape Nome. Mr. Wirt. said that it
would be impossible. to reach there before
June 15. However, there is open water
at the head of Norton Bay. 100 miles east
of > Nome, and by * May, passengers might
bo landed within' fifty: miles ¦ of, the city.
QUIET EASTERTIDE FOR
BRITON AND BURGHER
Lord Roberts Now Ready to Give the Orr
der for a General Advance of the
Special Cable to The Call and New V ork Herald. Copyrighted, 1900, by
the New York Herald Company. /
JAPAN SENDS
HER PAUPERS
TO AMERICA
United States a Dumping
Ground for Destitute
Asiatics.
»
NOT PERMITTED TO
CONGREGATE IN CITIES
*
Municipal Governments Assist in
Bidding ths Little Empire
of an Undesirable
dement.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
VICTORIA, B. C. April 15.-^Jap
anese are still pewring in here. Yes
terday the steamer Rio Jun Maru
brought 800. and to-day the big liner
Goodwin came In with 1100. The
steamer Milos is expected to-mor
row with SO more, and the Braemer
at the end of this week with over
700. The labor leaders are agitating
against this great influx of Orien- [
tals, but the Provincial and Do
minion Parliaments are powerless
to enact legislation to keep the
brown men out, for the Imperial
Government refuses to allow the
passage of legislation which will
affect, its friendly relations with
Japan. Martin, the British Colum
bia Premier. In a speech last night
said that, if elected at the coming
election, he would see that legisla
tion was passed restricting this im
migTation, and he would go to Lon
don to see that the British Govern
ment did not ask for its repeal.
Many of the incoming Japanese are
crossing the line to the United
States.
TACOMA, April 13.— Yokohama ad
vices brought to-day by the steam
er Rio Jun Mara Indicate that char
itable societies and, probably, the
municipal governments of Japanese
cities are taking a hand in the shipping;
of a large number of Japanese pauper la
borers to this country. The Japan Mall
says that destitute Asiatics are not al
lowed to congregate at Yokohama and
Tokio, but are sent across the Pacific ad
fast as possible.
Frequently thi3 is done by one of the
numerous Japanese emigration compa
nies, whfch appeal to friends or relatives
of destitute Japanese for assistance la
sending him to the United States. where
he Is certain of getting work: at compara
tively good wages from railroads and
other corporations. The emigration socie
ties are chiefly interested, of course, in
obtaining their regular fees. Friends ana
relatives of the mendicant, on the other
hand, are willing to contribute liberally
toward placing him where he can support
himself ami thus rid them of further con
cern in his behalf.
The Japan Mail also relate? the case of
two Turks who are about to bo
shipped from Yokohama to San Francisco
with the sum of 200 yen in their pockets,
contributed by persons who have assisted
In supporting them during their stay la
Yokohama. The Turks have been sup
ported largely by Mankichi. a diver, who
became Interested in them through his
connection with the wreck of the Turkish
frigate Etorgoul. He has contributed
money for shipping them to California.
BASUTOS ARMED
BY BRITISH TO
RESIST BOERS
Three Thousand Natives Sta
tioned on the Border, Near
Wepener, by Order of the
Resident Commissioner.
Will Be Utilized Only to Prevent Inva
sion and Are Not to Be Permitted to
Cross the Frontier to Ravage Free
State Territory.
ALJWAL NORTH, April 13.— 1t is officially reported that the British
losses at Wepener in four days' righting were eighteen men killed and 132
wounded.
MASERU. Basutoland. April 14.-
Sir Godfrey Lagdcn, British Resi
dent Commissioner, returned here
yesterday (Friday) from the scene
of operations near Wepener. He
and the paramount chief have stationed
3>YjO armed natives to resist possible Boer
encroachments. The orders of the Resi
dent Commissioner are that the Basutos
are r.ot to be allowed to cross the Free
State frontier on any pretense whatever.
Two natives who crossed and looted an
abandoned Boer farm are now in custody.
Colonel Dalsxty's position Is strong and
well chosen, but he Is completely sur
rounded. The Boers have- their backs
against Basutoland. ar.d if they stay much
longer they will be hemmed in. The Brit
ish operations are keenly watched from
the neighboring heights. Shelling and
c-.'n(rp have bf»en jrolnz on steadily during
the last six days.
Colonel Dalgety's guns are admirably
served, ar.d there is no waste of ammuni
tion. The Boers, when they see the elec
tric flash of the coroite, bolt into their
holes or behind walls. So near are the
Boers ar.d the Basuto Guards that they
converse. The ambulances are. close to
the bord-r, but the killed and wounded
are r.ot removed until nightfall, in order
to cor.ceal the number of casualties. The
Boers are fatigued and their horses are
tired ar.d footsore.
The Boers attacked fiercely the British
northern position on Monday. April 9. but
they were beaten back at daybreak. Noth
ing Is known here of the casualties on
either side.
MANY RECRUITS FOR
THE PATRIOT RANKS
ALIWAL NORTH. April 14.— Colonel
Grenfel! wires that the casualties at Wep
ener Include Quartemaster Williams.
Lieutenant Halford and Lieutenant Dun
can and fifteen men wounded.
Sir Godfrey Lagdea. resident commis
sioner at Maseru, telegraph? that no
shelling has been heard from the direction
of Wepener to-day. A regiment of Brit
ish infantry and a battery of artillery ar
rived on Friday. General Brabant's
headquarters and all the mounted troops
have gone to Rouxville. •
The Northern Post asserts that the
Rouxville district furnished 1000 recruits
to the Boer force as a result of the inva
sion last week.
Five hundred Boers, under Command
ant Swanepoel. forced the Royal Irish
Rifles to evacuate Rouxville. The former
Ixinddrost. who had been acting for the
British, offered to po to the front to prove
bin..-' -'.I a tru** Free Stater and almost to
A man the Free Staters, who had taken
the oath, rejoined the Boers. Nearly
every one produced a Mauser. Looting,
however, way repressed.
It is reported that there are "0W Boers at
WVpener. Fourteen British sympathiz
ers have been imprisoned. The Boers ad
mit having shot Mr. Gulney. a hotel
keper. for taking forage to the British.
The paymaster, with £1400, was captured.
TEXT OF ROBERTS'
PROTEST TO KRUGER
BLOHMFONTEIN. Saturday. April 14.—
J,or<l Roberts in his telegram of protest
to President Kruger regarding the treat
ment to which the colonial officers and
troop? who are now prisoners at Pretoria
have been subjected, complains that the
Boers have treated them as If they were
criminals confined In jail. He points out
that there are ninety cases of enteric
fever and dysentery In the prisoners"
camp at Waterval; that the Transvaal
Government failed to supply, on demand
of the doctor, the necessary medicines
End medical comforts: that the prisoners
were forced to bivouac on the open veldt;
that the pick were placed In an open shed
with an Iron roof, and that It was only
when the new doctor threatened to resign
that medicines and mattresses were sup
plied. He invites President Kruger t&
remedy this state of things and contrasts
it with the treatment the British give the
Boer prisoners, sick and wounded, who,
as Lord Roberts says, "receive the same
treatment as our own soldiers."
Four farmers who had taken the oath
to abstain from further co-operation with
the Queen's enemies, were found signal
ing to the Boers at Karee Siding and
have been brought here.
TOURISTS NOT WANTED
IN SOUTH AFRICA
LONDON. April 15.— Joseph Chamber
lain, Secretary of State for the Colonies,
lias recel\*ed the following dispatch from
Sir Alfred Milner. British High Commis
sioner in South Africa:
The nuir.ber of visitors to South Africa con
stantly Increase* and Includes many, especially
ladle*, whr> neem to have no particular call of
duty or business. I am cure this would not be
the case U it. »«-re realized at home that vis
itor*, who 5n ordinary times would be most
wrieome. may under existing conditions, become
a «eriouK source of inconvenience, interfering
with the work of the military and civil offl
o»>tT, and putting a strain on our limited means
of accommodation, whlrh are urgently required
far those who have duties to perform here or
who are invalided at the front.
A considerable increase in the expense of liv
ing-*.! all times very high— ls caused by this
excessive Influx of visitors and this Is a hard
ship to persons of the Utter class.
After Baying that there Is no place less
suitable for recreation than South Africa
I at present. Sir Alfred Milner concludes as
I follows:
Lord Robert*, to whom I have submitted this
messar*. authorises me to add that he fully
[ concurs in the views exrressed.
MAY CAUSE TROUBLE
BY JOINING BOERS
Special Dispatch to The Call.
BOSTON. April 15.— Lieutenant Ernest
S. Morse of Company F, Fifth Regiment
of the Massachusetts militia, has left the
State with a commission in the army of
the South African republic in his pocket.
The exact nature of the commission is
not known, but the family of the young
officer in Wayland. Mass., state that
Lieutenant Morse will serve upon the per
sonal staff of President Krucer. The mili
tary authorities of the State are very
much disturbed over the manner of Lieu
tenant Morse's departure. It is ascertain
ed that the your.g officer, who is a vetiran
of the Spanish war. has not yet legally
resigned his commission in the Massa
chusetts militia. His resignation, accord
ing to the statement made by his family,
was forwarded to the adjutant generals
office three days ago. but It has not been
received there yet, and, of course, has noi.
been acted upon. : ,,» * ;
Lieutenant Morse did not wait for offi
cial sanction of his enterprise. If he hau
he probably never would have obtained
It. for, though only a militia officer, the
lieutenant was nore the less under ihe
authority of the United States War De
partment; and. while he is a_mernber ,pt
the State Guards, he cannot, unite him
self with the army of a foreign country
except by permission of that department.
Henre his alleged purpose of becoming
an active ally of the Boers in the Held
assumes the magnitude of an interna
tional incident. It is understood that tht
War Department la interesting itself li,
Morse's enterprise and that an effort will
be made to frustrate his purpose.
This is the first case on record of an
officer of the Massachusetts State Guard
going to join the belligerents in South
Africa. Lieutenant Morse is a man oi
about SS years of age and was formerly
in the United States army.
RUMORED VICTORY
OF BRABANT'S HORSE
LONDON, April 16. -The Cape Town cor
respondent of the Daily Telegraph, tele
graphing Sunday, says:
"An unconfirmed report is in circulation
here that General Brabant has inflicted a
crushing defeat upon ihe Boers at Wep
ener, capturing guns and taking prison
ers."
The Bioemfontein correspondent of the
Times, telegraphing Sunday, says: "It is
reported that reinforcements for the
Boers, with sixty wagons, have arrived
at Dewetsdorp. en route for Wcpener.
This should precipitate an action. The
statement that President Kruger has
been south seems to confirm the reports
that the Boers are getting disheartened.
This continued exertion of his personal
influence* appears now to have become a
necessity."
DALGETY REPORTS ALL
IS WELL AT WEPENER
REDDERSBURG. April 15. — Colonel
Dalgety wired yesterday:
"All well. Enemy apparently slacken
ing attack."
General Chermside's division Is en
camped seventeen miles east of the rail
way. Boers are supposed to be in the vi
cinity, but an attack by them is improb
able.
Diamond Mine Owner Captured.
ARRENTOX, April 15.-Frank Smith.
a well-known mine owner, fell into the
hands of Boers while driving from Bark
ley West toward the Frank Smith dia
mond mine.
VOLUME LXXXVII-NO. 147.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
SAN FRANCISCO, MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1900.
The San Francisco Call