| 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.