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| EUPHOS The New sn4 Better Leeeee ter Operis else and Byeglniei Hotter, the light and iaproxs the Clearneea of Vletoa. The Ideal Lenses for all parposea. H. C. REES OPTICAL CO. 242 W. Oomnerce 88. First Detachment Army Arrive , '■ 7""- UNCLE SAM OFFERS LOCAL MERCHANTS HALF A MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT BUSINESS MEN MEAN BUSINESS Meet at Luncheon at St. An thony and Talk Enthusias tically of Brownsville Road, FOR WHIRLWIND CAMPAIGN Committee of One Hundred to Be Divided Into Sections to Work Each Ward of City. With more than half of the $500,000 necessary for the organ ization of a construction company to build tile projtoHed railroad from ban Antonio to Hrou nsvllle already secured the whirlwind campaign of business men to se cure the remainder has gone for- without a break and mem bers of the committee of one hun dred are confident the entire amount will be subscribed before April 1, the lime limit. The prog ress already made by the exec utive committee and plans for the work to be carried forward by this committee of one hundred were discussed at a meeting of both committees at the St. An thony at 12:30 today. The meeting took the form of a luncheon, the tirst of a series of three which have been arranged for the purpose of discussing the work, re porting progress to the people of San Antonio and keeping the committee members in touch with one -another. The response on the part of tne com mitteemen to the Invitation to attend this luncheon is perhaps the best in dication of the unanimous sentiment existening among them to push the project to completion. Places were prepared for 102 in a private dining room of the big hotel and the com mittee members began dropping in long before the hour set for the lunch eon until it began to look as though another dining room would be neces sary’ to accommodate the overflow. They were all finally seated, however, and spent an hour consuming the lunch. Then began a series of short talks by various members of the corpmit tee as they were called upon by Jake Wolff, president of the Chamber of Commerce, who presided. Mr. Wolff set the ball rolling by making a short talk himself Rally to Defense. "This luncheon reminds me of the early days.” said Mr. Wolff. "In those times when danger threatened the community the call was sent out broadcast for good men and true to rally to the defense of their homes. Danger threatens San Antonio; danger to her commercial supremacy, and the call has been sent out for the brave and true men to rally to her defense. The manner In which they have done so shows beyond doubt that the com munity will be saved. “There is no reason on earth why this project cannot be put through before April 1. I will not take up much time with a speech to you, for this is no time for talk. It is time for action. There is no need for me to tell you what this project means to San Antonio. You all know that it is important, th'at it is vital. Com munities are as individuals, they usually get what they go after. We are going after this railroad and we are going to get it. We have prac tically one-half of the amount neces sary already subscribed. We want every member of this committee to be at the Chamber of Commerce Monday afternoon and there they will be fur nished with lists of property owners who can subscribe to stock. Then the committee can get to work and there is no doubt in my mind of our success." "I believe that we are going to put this project through.” declared J. H. Kirkpatrick, another one of the speakers. “What makes me think so more than any other thing is the presence of you gentlemen here. You shew by your presence that you are backing this project and will work to put it through to success. Just be cause we are now the biggest city in Texas is no reason that we will al ways continue so. Houston, Dallas and other towns are competing with us at every turn. They are alive to the possibilities of this country we in tend to invade. If we do anything we men of San Antonio must do it and with San Antonio money. We can't depend on outside help. If you gen tlemen closed the doors of your stores for one week and went and got behind this project and worked for it (Continued on Tage 2—3 d Column) SAN ANTONIO TEMPERATURES Comparative temperatures in San Antonio for today and this day last year: 1910. 1911. 4 a. 61 64 6 a. 62 64 8 a. m 61 63 10 a. m. - 65 70 12 noon 73 81 » n m .. 78 83 SAN ANTONIO LIGHT AND GAZETTE VOLUME 32. No. 47 T. R. Anxious to Get Into Military Excitement Here Associated Preu. Houston, Tex., March 9.—C01. Roosevelt has declined to change the time for his address in this city on “Civic Righteousness" fa>m 10:30 «. m. to 2 p. m. next Sunday, as asked l,y the ministers of the city. He is anxlqps to get into the military whirl at San Antonio. COLIJUITT PUTS WOLF SCALP LAW Bill Carries an Appropriation of $lOO,OOO and Is Not Ef fective Until Next Year. MANY BILLS ARE REPORTED Sanitarium Measure Is Finally Put Into Effect —Kennedy Resolution Is Passed. Associated Press. Austin. Tex., March 9.—This morn ing Governor Colquitt signed the wolf scalp bounty bill, which carries an appropriation of $lOO,OOO. The bill does not go into effect until Sep tember 1, 1912, which provision was injected into the bill alter its recall from the governor s office. He also signed the bill granting relief to rail way corporations having charters amended since January, 1892, which have failed to construct road and branches in the time required by law. He also signee the bill exempt ing Irrigation corporations of western । sections of the state, from fee and .franchise tax, so as to receive the I benefit of the United States reclama tion act. ■ The senate committee on judicial districts cleared up its docket this morning by reporting the following bills: Favorably, a bill creating another district court for Bexar county. The committee postponed indefin itely the bill to reorganize the For tieth and Sixty-second judicial dis tricts and the bill to create the Sev enty-first judicial district. The com mittee reported favorably, the bill changing time for holding district court in the Thirty-first and in the Forty-sixth judicial also favorably, the bill creating a county court in Jefferson county. The house this morning adopted | the free conference committee report on the tuberculosis colony bill. As amended the bill provides an appro priation of $140,000 for the estab lishment of two colonies, $lOO,OOO He ing for equipment and $40,000 for maintenance. Kennedy's resolution submitting a constitutional amendment to allow cities of more than five thousand population to adopt their own char ters independent of legislative action was finally passed by the house. LIMANTOUR SAYS NO CAUSE FOR ALARM Associated Preu. New York, March 9..—American financiers conferred with Jose Ives Limantour. Diaz' finance minister, over the Mexican situation, in New York today. Mr. Limantour, com menting upon President Taft's mes sage to President Diaz last night, de clared : "This communication will, I am sure, be reassuring to my govern ment and should be to my people, who naturally have been greatly dis couraged by sensational statements in the press. "It is impossible for me to under stand why sensational developments should be expected with the two peo ples whose relations are so well de fined as those of Mexico and the Unit ed States are. and who are living and have lived for so long a time as such good neigh bora’,’. Mr. Limantour talked with J. P. Morgan Jr., D. P. Bennett, vice presi dent of the National railway of Mex ico and others. STRIKE OF FIREMEN BELIEVED IS NEAR. Acs' -Intel Press. Cincinnati, 0.. March 9. — Whether the ultimatum presented late yester day to the management of the Cin cinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pa cific railroad (Queen an 1 Crescent) by the firemen cn the system declar ing that a strike would take effect to day unless white firemen are granted preference over negroes, shall taae effect was dependent upon a onfer ence here today between representa tives of the men and the railroad. President Powell for the railroad company said: “This is not a question of wages, but of the interpretation of a printed rule or contract. I don't think there will be trouble.’* 16 PAGES Produce Row Is In Tumult of Excitement) But Will Make an Effort to Fill the Contract. Half a million-dollars is to be spent by Uncle Sam in San An tonio between today and March 15 for supplies. Forty-five local wholesalers received on the late afternoon mail yesterday blank con tracts from Captain Cusack, chief of the commissary department of Fort Sam Houston, requesting that said jobbers submit bids to be opened March io on 20Q subsistence artitcles, and if accepted, they be ready to deliver the goods by the 15th. A conservative estimate of the amount these supplies will cost is $500,000. San Antonio’s wholesale district this 4 morning was In a tumult of excite ment. Directly on the heels of the government’s first contract with San Antonio jobbers, comes this tremen dous request and with the date of de livery for both of these contracts at March 15. just six days from today, the wholesale market on groceries, grain, hay, fruits, tobacco, meats, etc., will suffer a severe strain. "Oh. yes; we’re going to fill the contract,” is the unanimous assertion of the jobbers. "We'll fill it it We don’t make a cent. Just think the good it will do San Antonio as a mar ket, even If we took It to no profit to ourselves. It will tax us pretty heavily and the retail grocery man who is not at present pretty well stocked up on table commodity >. will find himself in a rather tight shoe for the next couple of days. We are flattered that the government has consented to call on us and we can not but respond. "We are figuring on the closest margins and on nothing but the best and freshest of goods. If we de liver the goods this time to the satis faction of the government there is not the least doubt to our minds hut that San Antonio will in the future be the center of supplies for all forts and outposts in the Southwest.” Carload Fresh Me;* Daily. I Although only 200 varieties of ar ticles are named, the amount of each I variety requested is enormous. A car | load of fresh meat is to be delivered I at the post at Fort Sam Houston each and every morning and the govern ment is to have the privilege to request double the amount. This In It self is an enormous amount and packers feel at present a little uneasy ) about contracting. Flour is demanded to the extent of three-quarters of a million pounds, sugar 120,000 pounds. 25.000 cans of condensed milk. 3000 pounds of rice. 432.000 boxes of matches. 35.000 cans of beans, 40,000 cans of tomatoes, over 20,000 pounds of coffee, a carload of sweetened milk. 24,000 pounds of salt, 30,000 pounds rock salt for horses, 17,000 pounds I lard, 12,000 cans of sweetened corn, 2400 boxes of deviled ham. 13,000 cans of green peas, 4800 cans of peaches, 2400 cans of pears, 24,000 bars of soap, 18.000 candles, 720 cases of chipped beef and 12,000 cans of as sorted sardines. The sum of $3OOO will be spent for dried fruit alone. The foregoing are only a few of the articles named in the contract but even what is here named would serve to cripple this market was it not for the abundant supplies that the forty five local merchants are carrying. As it is, no one merchant can on such I short notice supply hardly one full I variety, and conversation such as this was heard on the wholesale row this morning. "Say Brown. I’m figuring on the bean contract which calls for 45,000 cans. I haven’t got that amount but if I make the contract how many can you let me have?" Brown will answer, “Well, Smith. I haven’t a very big supply of beans, but I guess I can let you have a few thous and cans. Call up Jones, he’ll let you have a few thousand I'm sure. You go ahead and bid for the supply." This is the way it is going, the wholesalers are getting together and there is not the least question of doubt as to San Antonio merchants getting the qontract. They virtually have It now. SAYS DIAZ NEAR DEATH Information From Alleged Authentic Source Is That His Condition Is Serious. Associated Press. Galveston. Tex.. March 9.—That President Diaz is in a critical condi tion and that his death may occur at any time and that the coming army maneuvers are for the purpose of preventing serious trouble in Mexico in such event, is the information re ceived here today. The source of the information cannot be given out, but it is declared to be authentic. Ths report says that President Diaz’s heart action is very poor. It is also declared that in the City of Mexico it is realized that in the event of the death of Diaz Intervention by the United States to preserve order and protect American property would be a necessity. It is estimated that over $300,000,000 of American money is Invested within 100 miles of the bor der In Mexico. Foreign interests are also considerable In the republic and it is pointed out that it might de volve upon the United States to pro tect these. That all the troops are being pro vided with large quantities of ball cartridges is pointed to as another reason tending to Indicate that the present movement of troops is not en tirely for training purposes. DON'T BELIEVE DIAZ DEAD. Associated Press. New York. March 9 —Henry Lane Wilson. United States ambassador to Mexirfo while unwilling today to dfs cusathe situation in Mexico, emphat ically declared his disbelief in the rumor that President Diaz of Mexico had died suddenly. MISS DUPREE DEAD. Associated Press. .... Houston. Tex., March 9.—Miss Lena Dupree, long one of the most popular and highly connected teachers in the city school, died last night. SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THURSDAY. MARCH 9, 191! DOES 0. S. FEAR DEATH OF DIAZ? That Is the Latest Theory Ad vanced for Sudden Movement of Troops’to the Border, THERE ARE MANY REPORTS Stories Become So Numerous That a Correspondent Sees the Mexican Ruler, 38 correspondent sees 38 38 DIAZ. 38 -■ 3$ New York. March 9.—ln 38 38 view of renewed reports con- 38 3:= cerning the condition of Presl- 38 38 dent Diaz of Mexico, it may be 38 3c stated that a dispatch from 38 3c the Associated Press corre- 38 3c spondent at Mexico City, re- 38 3c ceived last night, said that he 38 3c personally had seen the presl- 38 38 dent the previous night, when 3$ # he was in apparently good 38 38 health. # 38 Another dispatch from Mex- 38 tc ko City last night said Presl- 38 3e dent Diaz received Admiral La 38 5 p. m.. and later was x conferring at his town mansion 38 38 with the governor of Guana- 48 38 juato. No further advices 38 38 have been received. 38 Assoeintufl Prets. Washington, D. C., March 9. The real significance of the sud den mobilization of a quarter of the United States army »IMI a formidable portion of the navy near the Mexican frontier is grad ually leaking in Washington. From various sources, yet with out the possibility of official veri fication, creditable admissions have been obtained which go far to substantiate the interpretation placed by the public upon the great movement. It is said that about the time of the return to Washington of Henry Lane Wil son, ambassador of the United States to Mexico, the administra tion received advices indicating Increasing unrest in Mexico nnd that the revolution, notwithstand ing assertions of the Mexican government to the contrary had extended In many directions. The whole crvntry was reported in a condition made the more serious by what was said to be a precarious state of the health of President Diaz. There is known to be considerable anti-American feeling among the Mexicans generally, and ft was feared that developments at any moment might precipitate a chaotic condition with probable demonstrations against foreigners. This alleged state of affairs, It Is said, was discussed with deep concern at the white house, with the result that the suggestion was made that it would be the part of forethought io concentrate near the Mexican border a force sufficient to meet any situa tion which might arise. This move ment was to take the form of maneuv ers and all parties to the plan sincere ly hoped that nothing else would be neccpsary. The interpretation which was 'n stantly placed upon the movement by the newspapers and people of the country is said to have disconcerted the administration and the president and his advisers hastened to relieve the tension of feeling by emphatic de clarations of the harmless intent of the movement Maneuvers It will be, and maneuv ers on American soil exclusively ac cording to this view of the situation Meanwhile accurate Inforir uion as to the real condition of affairs in Mexico, especially as to the health of President Diaz is awaitel in Wash ington with intense interes- and con cern. PLAGUE NEAR AMOY. Associated Press. Amoy, China, March 9.—A severe epidemic of the bubonic plague is re ported at Siokhe a village of the in terior cn the west side of the Lur.g Klang and fifty miles from here. Siokhe is the seat of a mission sta tion of the board of foreign missions of the reformed church of America. ORDERED TO WASHINGTON Associated Press. Washington, D. C.< March 9.— David Jayne Hill, American ambas sador to Germany, has been ordered to Washington to discuss several mat ters pending between the two gov ernments. The potash controversy, ft is learned, will be the principal subject for consideration. The potash dispute is the principal question upon which the state depart ment desires to consult directly with Mr. Hill. 17THINF. COMING TONIGHT Tomorrow’s Dawn Will See the First Part of a Giant Tented City Erected at the Post. OTHERS TO FOLLOW FAST Saturday Train After Train Will Pull Into the City Bearing Thousands of Men, Before the sun rises over San Antonio tomorrow morning one of tlie many regimental that are or dered to mobilize at Fort Sam Houston will have pitched Its tents on the mounted drill grounds where the vast assembly of troops will be campl’d. Three long wains bearing the Seventeenth Infantry from Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., are drawing nearer and nearer to the Alamo City. The first section is scheduled to leave Houston at 1:30 o'clock this afternoon and will probably arrive in San Antonio between 8 and 9 o'clock tonight. Closely following will come the Iwo other sections. As the trains arrive they will be run up the spur on the Southern Pacific. There the troops will be unloaded and are expected to pitch camp in the course of the night. To facilitate the unloading of the three trains electric lights will be installed along the track between Grayson and Carson streets. With the regiment come 33 officers. 672 enlisted men, two officers of the medical corp and 15 enlisted men of the hospital corp. Col. John T. Van Orsdale is in command. Advices relative to the movement of other regiments have been received by Col. John L. Clem, chief quar termaster ot the department. Satur day will be the busiest day in local railroad circles in many a day, fot train after train will pull into San Antonio on that date. Traffic men ot the various roads are making hercu lean efforts to make provisions for every exigency. The Missouri. Kan sas & Texas road reports that by Saturday twenty-two trains bringing ! troops will have arrived over their line. On the international & Great Northern twenty trains are scheduled to arrive during Friday and Saturday Of course the greatest congestion will occur In the Southern Pacific yards, for the same tracks are used by the Southern Pacific and the Ka tv However, officials are of the opinion that everything will be handled ex- . peditiousiy, A large crew of men iworked IndtlMriously this morning! I constructing the platform along tVie 1 I Southern Pacific tracks where the | | cavalry and artillery regiments will be I unloaded. The troops that have been heard) from to date are: First battalion, ! Eighteenth infantry, from Whipple Barracks, Arizona, left Prescott Wed nesday at 5 p. tn. Due to arrive in San Antonio Saturday morning. Tenth infantry. Fort Benjamin Har rison. Indiana; left in three sections, the first at 4 p. m. Wednesday, the other two following with an interval of two hours between each departure. (Continued on Page 2—lst Column) 16 PAGES TROOPS COMING SOUTH RAPIDLY; SOME IN TEXAS Movement of Army Is Regular and Hurried as If In Time of War Ships Have Not Started. STILL SAY MANEUVERS IS OBJECT MEXICO KNEW TROOPS WERE TO BE SENT’ Question of Safety of Foreign Interests In That Country Was Under Discussion, AsFoclAtPd Presi. Washington, D, C„ March 9.—The question of the safety of foreign inter ests in Mexico has been the subject of a formal discussion by foreign nations with the United States. This informa tion was ascertained from official sources today. The state department declined to say what foreign countries had taken up the matter with this government. Fred M. Dearing, the American charge at Mexico City, today tele graphed the state department that the Mexican government was much grati fied at President Taft's communica tion assuring General Diaz that the manuevers in the south should give no concern to the people of Mexico. It is generally believed in Washing ton that the Mexican government was; acquainted with the intention of the. United States to concentrate troops) along the frontier before ire orders were issued. The Mexican ambassador called at the white house today at noon and remained there for nearly an hour. Afterward Ambassador de la Barra) said: "I talked with the president with regard to the assembling of troops <.n our frontier. He assured me that the statement made to my government and published in Mexico City yester day was the sincere position of the United States. This was quite satis factory. "There was no apprehension on the part of the Mexican government ns to the object of the United States in I mobilizing so many troops on our bor-i der. "In Mexico the administration is; firm nnd is able to take care of the Insurrection. The reports that Presi dent Dinz is ill are erroneous. HITCHCOCK ENDS LONG FIGHT OVER ENVELOPES Asaoclated Press. Washington. March 9.—By affixing his signature to the contract for the manufacture and printing of stamped envelopes and stamped newspaper wrappers today. Postmaster General Hitchcock put an end, for at least four years, from July 1. next, to a contest that has waged intermittently for more than a quarter of a century. What Feature in r r' 1 . I TA V/ 1 he Light Do You Like Best Why ? PRIZES FOR BEST ANSWERS This newspaper aside from printing the news en deavors to amuse and instruct its readers. It tries to live up to the standards of a good newspaper by pro viding something for everybody in its pages. That’s why such features as Mutt and Jeff, Nell Brinkley's drawings, Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s essays and many other departments are conducted at considerable ex pense. We want to know what YOU like best and WHY. Confine your answer to 200 words and above all, tell WHY. No reply received later than March 15. For the best answer $2, and for the three next best $1 each. Write today. PRICE: FIVE CENT! Your Usefullness Ends When Your Eyesight FAILS H. C. REES OPTICAL CO. 242 W. Commerce St. Associated Preu. Washington, March 9.—Still under the guise of peaceful maneuvers, the advance of the army toward the southern frontier of the United States is proceeding in perfect order. In numerable telegrams are being re ceived by Gen. Leonard Wood, chief of staff, reporting that his sudden and comprehensive orders flashed from the capital only three days ago are being carried out with rapidity and precision. The staff officers, navlng set the machinery in motion, are en joying a respite today, -rhe tele graphic advices indicate that all o» the men ordered out are now moving rapidly southward, with ample com missar yand ammunition supplies. Capt. Johnson Hagood, of the coast artillery, and a member of the gen eral staff, has been ordered to San Antonio, Tex., to Join the staff of Major General Carter, commander of the army division concentrating at that point. Captain Hagood's depart ure will l>e delayed a few days in order that he may clear up several odds and ends of military matters— ; the aftermath of legislation by the J last session of congress. He is the legislative expert of the general staff. The navy, like the other arm of the fighting establishment, is carrying out its part of the operations without a semblance of a hitch. The vessels of the tlfth division of the Atlantic fleet have been supplied with their com plements and are prepared to sail for Guantanamo "at the drop of the hat by the secretary of the navy.” The real purpose of the unprece dented movement of soldiers, sailors and marines is still enshrouded In a cloud of mystery. Official Washington persists in the previous announcement that the movement is a technical military ex periment to try the efficiency of the fighting resources of the nation, and that it has no relation to the Mexi can situation. ORDERS EOR MS 10 Si SEII 10M Associated Press. Moline, 111,, March 9. —Rush or ders for large shipments of small arms to the Mexican border were re ; ceived at the Rock Island arsenal ; from the secretary of war. accord i tig to unofficial reports from the ) commissisary department here. Subordinate officers at the arsenal I deny the report. Colonel F. E. Hobbs, ■commandant at the arsenal, is now at : San Antonio. Texas, where he .was called several days ago. and no offl- Iclal veriftcatlon could be had. Work in the arsenal has been rush ■ed during the last two weeks, al though usually at this period of the ' year little is done. The local arsen.d is well stocked with equipment and ten train loads of guns and accoutre ments could easily be rushed to ita* border.