The Rice belt journal., January 08, 1904, Image 6

About The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??

Image provided by: Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge, LA

                
NOTABLE EVENTS OF THE YEAR 1903
m' ,u namin Var BOme s to m
Thý year 1908 will be known. as the
secord year of prosperity in the Unit
Some few crops have not yielded so
largely as they did in former years,
>b,."ut the prices received were so much
higher that the shortage was more
than gmde upnaor .
Cottep reaeled the highest figure at
` whleh ithas been sold since the war.
Beef Sad leather have been unprece
deately high. Petroleum and its
proetts advance, in price 25 per
cent.
a sfro and steel d.ere sold at high
price 'and the denand was so" great
thart arders could lWit bt sled within
a reaponabie -time, "and ilport cities
!, madelarge purchases abroad because
dellv4ties were so much delayed.
The production of precious metals
'o:wlll probably turn out to be nearly 7
per cant greater than last year.
Thj ricer qrop of Texas, a new indus
S.try .practically, was remarkably large
~a .9id for High' fgdres.
rid-aendous discoveries of petrole
: 0 cI'o the Pacific coast enabled that
part t the couitry to substitute six
iloa. dollars' worth of oil. for coal,
w.i..cl. was previously inported either
o4t p imreavt Iftakti or Australia.
'riT total destruction of the fruit
1pvnp Great Britain and in southern
.ur made an unexpected market
A&.-erican green fruits. More than
ear cent of all the fruits sold in the
1n markets to-day is American.
ThTaverage increase in the coot of
tufs fo- th ':const er in.- the
ilt& States ws 1t per cent.
.In *any casas tile Ior unions, by
of organization, though fre
,y not until a long and: serious
had been engaged in, were able
in 1nease the pay of their members,
-rthus' atly enhancing the purchas
er"'bthe plain people, which
sb,-thbabasis ,of.all .prosperity. in the
- ed States.
S4In .merpy 'all O 'the - large ; cities
tlwot ho ut the country th; population
i' areased, and 'the -price of real
vstat'has done more than keep pace
wth he general march of prosperity:
r the circumstances, the coun
' has every ~ight to look forward to
"c continuance of proslxerity.
SQufAnariee arei groaning with the
sets of an abundant harvest. Our
ibanks overflow with the ,e
es the people. Our scale of ex
e is the highest the world has
4 wr onwn.
T .stock market, that unfailing
h meter of the, feeling of the gam
ent of the country, 'has re'
i,-~tltaken a 'short,' sharp rise.
--h area of land which will be
ptplowi and seeded this winter and
next -pring will exceed the area tilled
-It as inevitable that a prosperous
vbarvesO.brznmi a greater seed sowing.
The greatly increased demand for dat
',:it . horses means more stock.
Breeding pastures will be fuller next
ear n they were ever before.
THE YEAR IN REVIEW.
Be;:Momentous Events That 'Have Signal
S izd the Past Twelve Months.
STh'h, all-absorbing topic of January,
was the Venezuelan imbroglio.
i", e active events of that affair be
, n, of course, to 1902, though as late
.F's Jan.. 22 the German ships bom
:.birded the fort of San Carlos, but on
. Jn' 8 President Castro rested Ven
s.i euela's side of the case entirely in
the hands of Minister Bowen, who set
os fbr home Jan. 11. After that the
r '-whole-' matter was thrashed. out in
, Washington, and the interest in the
,:saffair remained keen to the very close,
"'; because many thought they saw. in the
wai'lt~e action of the allies, especially
Germany, a determination to attack
"'; nog Venezuela so much as Uncle Sam's
famous Monroe doctrine. The attempt.
if it were really so intended, complete
ly failed, for, though pitted against
some of the most astute diplomats of
lEurope, Minister Bowen persistently
upheld the real rights of the weaker
country and' negotiated terms of set
tlement favorable to Venezuela with-.
- out calling the time-honored doctrine
' into question or dispute.
The Great Coal Strike.
The ant4racite coal strike belongs
even more to the history of 1902 than
does ttib Venezuelan affair and the de
hlberations of the arbitration commis
sion attracted even less general in
ferest than their importance justified.
The commission entered Into the mat
ter most thor'oughly and systematical
ly. The last witness was not called
until Feb. 5 and the arguments of the
opposing coiunsel (onsumted the fol
lowing week. President George F.
Baer representcd :he ot'eratcrsu and
Clarence Dar;-ow Ibhe miners.
After a month's deliberations the
commission reported.
The miners won a portfon of in
crease in wages and reduction of hours
of work demanded before the strike,
were granted a better system of meas
uring their work and a piractical, if not
a formal, recognition of their union.
The decision was a victory for the
miners especially as they would will
ingly have accepted the terms allowed
before they began the strike had not
the mine operators refused to concede,
arbitrate or negotiate.
In Congress.
The second session of the Fifty-sev
enth coi*ress may be briefly summar
4':* - Provisions were made for an
racs"tnc in the navy similar to that of
Soi·rmer years, a uniform militia bill
Se passed, as was also a law creating
a' general staff in command of the
army.
Other important if not interesting
legislation was effected, but the "'om
nibus" statehood bill was lost. Little
field's bill to regulate corporations
never got to a vote in the senate, no
tariff concessions were granted to im
ports to the Philippines.
An act that met with universal ap
proval was the creation of a new de
partment and the addition of a new
member to the president's cabinet
the Departi ent of Labor and Com
Smerce. As soon as created, in Feb
ruary, the president's private secre
tary, George B. Gortelyou, was appoint
ed its Secretary. At the same time,
I and as a part of the new department,
a bureau of corporation was estab
lished, and James R. Garfield, son of
the late president, became its chief.
When congress adjourned, or rather
expired, March '3, two questions were.
unsettled-Cuban reciprocity and the
Panama canal, but as the treaties con
cerning them required only the action
of the penate, President Roosevelt
summoned the new senate into exist
ence immediately to congier the two
measures. The reciprocl~ treaty was
ratified, but the nature of its pro
visions required action by the house,
JANUARY
1-First cablegram. U. S. to Hawail.
3-Napier Loth!an died. Boston.
5-Sagasta-died in Spain.
7-Moses Tehney died, Georgetown.
9--Ex-Gov. Hhstings. Penn. died.
14- Duty taken off coal.
15-Tillman shot editor, S. Carolina.
15-Cardinal Parochi died, Rome.
15-Coal investigation. Mass.
18-M. de Blowitz died. Paris.
18-Abram S. RIe'ftt died. New York.
18-Marconigram. Cape Cod to Englilnd.
18--Germany seint Sternberg to U. S.
20-Jutllan Ralph died. New York.
21-Germans shelled Venezuelan fort.
22--Canal treaty with Colombia.
21-Col. Lynch guilty. London.
24-Alaskan boundary treaty.
27-Col. Lynch's sentence commuted.
28-Patrick Divver died. New York.
29-Cyrus Cobb died. Allston.
30-John D. Long seriously ill.
31B-Hobson 'resigned from navy.
31-Jusserand, new French ambassador.
FEBRUARY
1-Elisha Morgan died. Springfield.
3-Daniel B. Lord died. Salem.
3-$150.000 fire. Middlebury, Vt.
3-Local option won, Vermont.
5-Henry L. Dawes died, Pittsfield.
5-End coal strike hearings, Penn.
6-Rear Admiral Wildes died at sea.
10-Str. Madiana wrecked. Bermuda.
14-Venezuela blockade raised.
16-Cortelyou, Secretary of Commerce.
16-Rear Admiral Robinson, died, Phil.
16-Chas. Theo. Russell died, Camb.
18-Beef-trust injunction.
1-1-E. J. Flynn died. New York.
20-Pope Leo's 25th anniversary.
24-Cuban coal station agreement.
26--Dr. R. J. Gatling died. New York.
27-Burdick murdered in Buffalo.
MARCH
1-Gen. W. F. Smith died. Phila.
*1-Wm. Scollans died. Brighton.
2-Extra session. U. S. senate. called.
4-End of 87th congress.
5-U. S. senate in cxtra session.
10-Arthur Pennell killed. Buffalo.
10--Woman suffrage defeated. N. II.
12-Czar decreed religious freedom.
13-Maine stuck to prohibition.
17-Shamrock 11I: launched. Scotland.
17-Canal treaty ratitled by senate.
19--$300,000 fire at Pe.pperell.
19-Cuban reciprocity treaty ratified.
19--Senate adjourned sino die.
21---Cual commission report.
S22--Very Rev. P . . arrar died. London.
26--License I..w in New ilUmpshlire.
27-N. K. Fairbanks died. Chicago.
.S--Lcwell mills ordered closed.
29-0. F. Swift died. Chicago.
so it remained inoperative until the
extra session in November.
The Panama Canal.
The Panama canal was the burning
question, and at the beginning, as at
the close of this year, it seemed a
certainty. For years the agitation in
favor of a canal across the Isthmus of
Panama had been agitated, and recent
ly with increased interest. Thousands
of dollars haa been spent surveying
tne possible routes, and it at last
seemed assured that the U ttred
States, in conjunction with Great
Britain, would underialhe the Nica
ragna route.
Since the collapse of the De Les
sep's Panama scheme a new French
company had possession of and had
done some work on the Panama canal
but until it became evident that this
country was in earnest about Nicara
gua the French company refused to
sell out at a reasonable price. Then,
when competition seemed likely, they
surprised American lawmakers by of
fering their holdings at less than half
their former figures. They offered to
sell their concessions and everything
in sight for $40,000,000, giving until
March 4 for acceptance. Congress hes
itated, many favoring the Nicaragua
route, and when the time was about
to expire President Roosevelt took the
responsibility of accepting the proposi
tion. running the risk of defeat in the
senate or in Colombia. In the mean
time Secretary Hay and Dr. Herran,
the Colombian charge d'affairs, signed
a treaty by which the United States
agreed to pay Colombia a bonus of
$10,000,000 and an annual rental of
$250,000 for such concessions as the
French company had received. It was
the ratification of this treaty that
brought the question to the issue in
the senate, and when congress ad
Journed without action an extra ses
sion was called. This session ratified
the treaty March 17.
Some Passing Sensations.
Besides the affairs of general im
portance already noted, several events
of opening months of the year should
be mentioned. On Jan. 15 J. T. Till*
man shot and killed Editor N. G.
Gonzalez. Gonzalez had attacked Till
man rabidly in his paper and had de
feated his nomination for governor.
The affair was widely and vehemently
discubsed, but in October Tillman was
acquitted, partly because the fatal at
tack was not entirely unjustified, Anda
partly because there was evidence to
snow that Tillman thought Gonzales
was armed and about to attack him.
Disastrous Floods.
Little can be said here of the disas
trous floods of the year. In March the
lower Mississippi rose higher than
ever before, and on the 20th of that
month passed all records. Cities along
the river, especially Memphis, suffered
heavily, levees gave way and miles of
lowlands were inundated, causing un
told damage and great suff.ering, es
30-Lowell mills idle.
31-Young Corbett whipped McGovern.
=1 APRIL
1-Rcosevelt on western tour.
1-Elihu B. Hayes died, Lynn.
7-Rear Ad. Belknap died, Key West.
9-Northern Securities merger annulled.
10-Chap. W. H. Milburn died, California.
11--Reliance launched. Bristol.
17-Shamrock lit dismasted abroad.
20--Iishineff massacre of JeWs.
25-W. K. Vanderbilt married, London.
28-China refused Russian demands.
28-Irving M. Scott died. 'Frisco.
29-King Edward visited the Pope.
29-Russia fo: open door in far east.
29-Stuart Robson died. New York.
30-Paul du Chailla dijed. Russia.
MAY
1-King Edward welcomed in Paris.
1-Eishop Foster died. Newton.
3-Kaiser visited the Pole.
4-Bishop Hurst died. 1Washington.
5i-Str. Saginaw sunk; 20 lost.
--Russia reoccupled Niu Chwang.
9--Russia left Niu Chwang.
12-R. H. Stoddard died. New York.
14-Corruption inquiry. Beacon Hill.
16-Sybil Sanderson died. Paris.
24-"Max O'Rell" uiedc. Paris.
25-Emerson's 100th birthday.
26-$500.000 fire in Laconiia. N. H.
27-Machen arrested. Washington.
28-Shamrock III sailed for New York.
I JUNE
1-Lowell mills reopened.
1-Last play at Boston Museum.
3-Focest fires in New England.
5-Roosevelt's western trip ended.
7-Levee broke at Easi St. Louis.
8-Rain in N. E.: been dry 50 days.
10-King and queen killed. Servia.
12-Gen. Alex. McCook died, Ohio.
14-Shamrock III arrived at New York.
15-Karageorgevitch king of Servia.
17-Reliance lost topmast.
18-Geo. WVheaton died. WVashington.
18-Africander won the Suburban.
20-Cardinal Vaughan died. London.
21-Maj. J. B. Pond died. New York.
23-U. S. squadron at Kiel.
25-H--ooker statue unveiled, Boston.
25-Yale won boat races, New London.
26-Cornell won boat races. Hudson.
JULY
1-Pope Leo seriously ill.
6-Teachers' convcttio:.. 1:[otilon.
7-Pope Lee, operated od,.
"-It. S. sunadron. Portsm-thU i.lEng.
pecially to the poor negroes of the
South. The following month and in
June the Missouri and its tributaries
were flooded, and Topseka. Kansas City,
St. Louis and East St. Louis suffered
from the rush of waters. The cotton
mills in the Carolinas and Georgia
were also victims of the raging waters
and many other cities, notably Pater
son, N. J., were inundated. Heppner,
Ore., was practically devastated by a
cloudburst.
Passing of Pope Leo.
Late in .June came the announce
ment of the serious illness of Pope
Leo XIII. Thai ageod pontiff was 93
years of age on March 2. and on
March 3 (c leblraite the twenty-fifth an
niversary of his coronation as pope,
thus petting an end to the, long-hon
ored tradition that no pontiff would
"see the days of Peter"--25 years.
Pope Leo's predecessor had reigned 32
years, the longest in history. and the
old tradition cannot survive this sec
ond breaking of the record. On July 5
the pontiff was regarded as in a criti
cal condition, and in a few days his
life was despaired of. but anough ap
parently frail in body, tte long years
of simple habits had gi' en him a splen
did xpower of resistance to disease, and
for more than two weeks he battled
with the ravages of pleural pneumonia.
On July 20, however, he died, and on
the following day the chath of Peter
was declared vacant by Cardir.al Cam
erlingo Oreglia. The conclave to
choose his successor assembled on the
last day of the month, and on Aug. 4
after several indecisive ballots, chose
Cardinal Sarto, Patriarch of Venice,
who was elected. He chose the title
vof Plus X. and was crowned Aug. 4.
Eventful August.
August was an eventful month. On
the 8th Lieutenant General Nelson A.
Miles, long the commanding general
of the army, was retired from active
service. For seven days Major Gen
eral S. B. M. Young commanded in his
stead, but Aug. 16 the army staff law
went into effect and General Young
became chief of staff.
The event of Aug. 12 was more sig
nificant, for on that day misguided
Colombians brewed trouble for them.
selves. On that day the Colombian
senate rejected the Hay-Herran Pana
ma canal treaty, and this unexpected
I action seemed for the time to put the
canal farther away than ever.
Even the chagrin that accompanied
Sthe turn of affairs gave place to expec
t tancy when Sir Thomas Lipton ar
rived with his third challenger for
America's cup-Shamrock III.
The boat had been launched in
March and even before the defender
i had taken definite shape news of its
wonderful sailing capacity was flashed
across the Atlantic. Not a few an
I ticipated that upon this expedition the
[ gallant Irishman would be successful
- n carrying back the trophy. He was,
however, doomed to a crushing defeat.
10-Pope Leo's second operation.
11-American riflemen won. England.
14-Crimes act revoked. ireland.
15-Mrs. J. G. Blaine died. Maine.
17-P. M. Arthur died. Winnipeg.
18-J. McN. Whistler died, London.
20-Pope Leo died, .Rome.
22-Cassius M. Clay died. Kentucky.
26-Masses for Pope. Boston.
27-Reliance picked to defend cup.
29-Magazines exploded. Tewksbury.
31-Cardinals in conclave, Rome.
AUGUST
4-Sarto elected Pope; Pius X,
4-Schwab. steel trust, resigned.
5-Stock market slump.
8-Lt. Gen. Miles retired.
8-Lt. Gen. Young head of army.
8-Britishers lifted tennis bowl.
8-Rear Admiral Melville retired.
9-Pope Plus X crowned.
10-Rear Admiral Iermey retired.
12-Colombia rejected canal treaty.
14-Jeffries knocked out Corbett.
14-Irish land bill passed.
18-Troutble in Turkey.
19-Dan Patch, mile, 1:539.
-0-Gen. Black head of G. A. R.
21-Sam Parks guilty. New York
22-Humberts guilty. Paris.
22--Reliance beat Shamrock. 7m. 3s.
22-Lord Salisbury died. London.
24-Lou Dillon, mile, 2m. flat.
25-Reliance beat Shamrock. lm. 19s.
27-Reported assassination. Beirut.
28--U. S. ships ordered tc Turkey.
28-Joseph Haworth died. Ohio.
28-Vice consul at Beirut alive.
29-Caleb Powers guilty. Kentucky.
29-Hamburg Belle won Futurity.
SEPTEMBER
1-Revolution in Macedonia.
3-Reliance won 3d race; kept cup.
4---U. S. warships at Beirut.
7-Radium exhibited in United States.
7-Bishop Clark of Rhode Island died.
8-Turkish massacres. Macedonia.
11-Major Delmar. mile, ':00%3.
11-Eustis, Me.. swept by fire.
13-J. S. Adams. Sr.. died. Adams.
14-Rear Admilal Cook retired.
1--Sir Thomas Lipton ill. ',hicago.
17-Chamberlain resigned. London.
23-Prince Alert, mile 1:57.
28-Henry D. Lloyd died, Illinois.
29-President refused to remove Miller.
30-Sir Michael Herbert died abroad.
:30-Czar visited Vienna.
OCTOBER
--BIalfour nal:led tnew e:binet.
6--1\. S. Bissell died. tluffalo.
7-Shipyard trust (disel'ou'es.
5-- Russia staye d in lalunchuria.
--(Chineso-American trade, treaty.
Even the first trial, which resulted in
no race, so clearly demonstrated the
superiority of the Reliance that inter
est began to wane at once. The Re
Ilance won three straight races, but
before the last race the public in gen.
eral lost all interest in the contest.
Sir Thomas, it is said, believes the
effort to be hopeless for many years to
come.
On Nov. 3 elections were held in
thirteen states. seven of whicn chose
governlors. The following governors
were re-elected: A. 13. Cummings
(rep.) of Iowa; J. C. W. Beckham
(dem.) of Kentucky: John L. Bates
(rep.) of Massachuetts, and I,. F. C.
Garvin (dem.) of Rhode Island. Edwin
Warfield (dem.) was chosen governor
of Maryland: J. K. Vardinan (rep.)
of Mississippi and Myron T. Herrick
(rep.) was elected governor of Ohio
by a plurality of over lnOO.000 over Tom
L. Johnson. The other elections of
national interest resulted in the return
of Tammany to power in Greater New
York. George B. McClellan (dem.)
received a plurality of 60,000 over for
mer fusion Mayor Seth Iow. T1( en
tire Tammnay ticket was elected, and
that organization also secures a ma
jority of the board of aldermen.
Republic of Panama.
As in several other instances in 1903
mom'ntous events conspired to occur
on the same day. so on Nov. 3 the
province of Panama declared her iii;
-,(pendence of Colombia. The followk
ing day a provisional government wa ,i
established, and Colombian officials"
and troops were sent to Cartagena.
On the 6th the United States recog
nled the new republic, and on the
10th France followed our example. M.
Hunau-Varilla was hurried to Wash
ington as the minister of the new
country, empowered to negotiate a
new Panama canal pact. Soon after
General Reyes of Colombia entered
an earnest protest against the course
of the administration, insisting that.
Uncle Sam keep his hands off the
isthmus. This, after the practical
breach. of faith and the vacillation of
the Colombians in regard to the canal
treaty, was too tardy, and Uncle Sam's
navy is preparing to protect Panama
from threatened invasion. Already an
American fleet is upon the Panama
coast, and Colombia has reached a
point when she confesses a fear of
taking any drastic action. A new canal
treaty has been signed, and once again
the canal seems assured. There may,
however, be some blood shed on the
isthmus before Colombia finally re
linquishes her claim to Panama.
Russia and Japan.
For the last few months the ever-.
lasting refrain has been of "war clouds
hovering over the far east." A dozen
times it has been reported that Japan
and Russia had reached a point where
war. was inevitable. The causes of
the breach are vague and indefinite.
Briefly, Russia is and always has been
160--Amherst beat Harvard. football.
13-Boston. world baseball champion.
13-Archbishop Kane died. Baltimore.
14-Francis A. Hobart died. Braintree.
15-Tillman acquitted. S. Carolina.
15-Sherman statue unveiled. Wash.
16-Dowle invaded New York.
19-Cresceus. mile. 1:593.
:20-Alaskan boundary fixed.
10-Congress called to meet Nov. 9.
22-Dan' Patch, mile. 1:5614.
24-Durand. British ambassador to U. S.
24-Lou Dillon. mile. 1:581.
29-Emma Booth-Tucker killed. Mo.
NOVEMBER
I-Fire in Vatican. HLoma.
1-Prof. M3,mrnscn di(ld. Germany.
1--15.)00.000 lire. Coney Island.
2"-Irish lat:d act in operation.
:1-Tammany non. New York city.
:-Panama proclaimed indepenndent.
-I-U. S. warships order'd to Panama.
6-IT. S. recognized Panlam: goSo-nvrnent.
7-in. Vm . . Elkins died. Philadelphia.
S-K-aiser utlderwelnt operation.
9-A. F. of ,. conv'z- l[tion. -lostoan.
9-Rioting. capital of Colombia.
9-Congress In extra session.
10-President's message on Cuba.
10-May Goelet married.
10-Orrin Hickok dlied. Cleveland.
12-Street railway strike. Chicago.
13-A. H. Green murdetred. New .York.
14-Dartmouth beat Harvard. football.
14-Princeton beat Yale. football.
18-Canal treaty with Panama.
iS-A. F. of L. against socialism.
19-House passed Cuban bill.
19-Italian king in Ldodon.
25-Chicago street railway strike settled.
25-Fitzsimmons whilpled G;ardiner.
27-Boy bandits captured. Chicago.
:8-Jules Levy died. Chicago.
30-Brooklyn Acad. of Music burned.
DEICEMBER
--Recreiver: for Zionl ity.
I-Prof. Powv,-n.. I:. I.. her.esy aihal.rge..
--Panama ratifiled anal treaty.
2-Dr. Cyrus Edson died. New York
4--V. M. Saringer diel. dVashington.
7-Opening of Sfth. cog':ess.
7-President's mt s.sage on I'a:naia.
7-Canal treat; slnt to ,nI-t.
--Herbert Spt-fneer died. lEn; lanlid.
8--U. S. consul assault-etl. Turkiny.
8-Langfordl wvhija, al (ans. l.1 -tot.1
8-I.angley". aiship failed to fly'.
S-Zion (City rceaiv-ers remnv'ad.
10-Rcear Adlmiral 1'-.n raIi died. a('oan.
12-J. I a. aPr atoar died, \V ashigton.
12- 'altholcr-M e1e1 c • ,,rn h-d/: - i: r:.;'
14-Fleets in war paint. far ,a-at.
14-Dr. Ilthi . chapla:tin I'. . scnate.
14-iMore marilnes intli. I i'-an: mna.
16--(Cuban ra c' lnrrl a ;ty hillan ;.
a19-Per.1 ra .eogaiaazad Pnnanma.
19-La CentennIn:rl c ]l ated. aN. Orleans.
1- John Kern ll died. IDetroit.
t---Attemlptcd ;ass;assinationa alax Nordau.
10--- Ir' aUis theaiater. ('hicagi . burned. 584
averse to relinquishing her hold on
Manchuria. Instead she desires to ex
tend it as far as the European allies
will permit. Japan looks upon Korea
in the same light and the- interests of
the two countries conflict. There is
no doubt that a rupture between the
two powers has been and is danger,
ously near. but it is also certain
that overt hostilities, should thdy
come, will belong to the history of
1904.
It would( libe imtproper not to mcntion
the gigantic po:stofiice fraudls un
earthed during the present year. It is
not possible to so muich as outline the
many cases brouglht to light, and here
the curious rca:ier is referred to the
conlmplete rclport of Mr. Bristow, made
public Nov. 3(0.
Wireless Telegraphy.
Late last year hce sensation of the
hour was the \larconlli wireless mes
sage across the Atlantic. This year
nothing so spectacular has been done,
but the young inventor. as well as
many other scientists, is quietly work
ing upon the problems of wireless
telegraphy, and it. is certain some
progress has been made.
In the realm of scientific discoveries
the mysterious metal-radiumn-afford
ed a mild sensation, similar to that
which greeted the discovery of liquid
air and the X-rays in former years.
This mysterious substance. discov
~r by M. and Mme. Currie 4)f Paris.
ts rays of light that penetrate
Slue substances, and heat that
Sith after month shows no diminu
n. Only small quantities of the
bstance have been secured, too little
.r general experiment, but during the
I'
coming year some startl 'results. .
may be shown.
The Honored Dead.
No review of 1903, even done in
such sketchy outline as has been sneee- cp
essary, is complete without a mea- -
tion of the famous men and womes
who have passed from the busy
scenes of life. Space here allows for
only a list of the most celebrated:
Jan. 5-Sagasta, ex-premier ,of Spain.
Jan. 15-Cardinal Parroehi.
Jan. 18-Abram 8. Hewitt, New
York.
Jan. 20-Julian Ralph, author.
Feb. 26--R. J. Gatling, inventor of .
the famous gun.
March 22-Dean Farrar, British di
vine.
March 27-N. K. Fairbanks, capital
ist.
March 29-G. F. swift, capitalist.
April 10-W. H. Milburn, the "Blid "
Chaplain" of the United States senate.
April 11-Brigham Young of the
Mormon church.
April 29-Paul du Chaillu, explorer.
April 29-Stuart Robson, actor.
May 12-R. H; Stoddart, poet. "
May 16-Sibyl Sanderson, .singer.
May 24-Paul Blouet ("Max
O'Rell"), author.
June 11-The Servian assassination.
June 19-Cardinal Vaughn, the .Ro
man Catholic primate of England.
July 15-Mrs. J. G. Blaine.
July 16-P. M. Arthur, labor leader.
July 17-Jas. H. McN. Whistler,
artist.
July 20-Pope Leo XIII.
July 22-General Cassius M. Clay.
Aug. 22-Lord Salisbury, ex-premier
of England.
Sept. 30-Sir Michael Henry Her
bert, British ambassador to the United
States.
Oct. 13-Archbishop J. J. Kain of St,
Louis.
Oct. 28-Mrs. Emma Booth-Tucker,
Salvation Army, killed in railway
wreck.
Nov. 1--Theodor 1Mommsen, German,-'
historian.
Nov. 7-Wm. L. Elkins, capitalist.
Nov. 13-Andrew H. Green, "Father
of Greater New York." killed by an in
sane n11ero.
Dec. 8-Herl:crt Spencer, English
philosopher and author.
Of Course He Might.
Collector-Sir. may I present you
this little bill?
Owen-May you-may you? Ah,
my dear sir, never ask my permission
again. It is entirely superfluous, I as
sure you. Why. my dear man, if you
had ever seen any one else present a
bill to me and seen how little it af
fected me, you would never have hesi
tated for a moment. See? I file it
away with some of the most valuable
papers I possess. And-would you
please do me this slight favor-would
you please tell your boss that I re
ceived you with the utmost courtesy
and that I beg him to send one of
these every month? And-stay a mo
ment. Please tell him I said always
to send you. and'that no other col
lector will please me half so well.
Your courtesy, my dear sir, has won
my heart, and I assure you that of
the nineteen collectors that have
been here to-day, you are the only one
that has gone away in a good humor.
Why, those follows are so aggravat
ing that if they don't quit acting so
rudely I shall positively pay them to
get rid of them. Good day.-Balti.
more American.
Curse That Was Fulfilled.
A tamous G:letic curse put upon the
family of Dalrymple at the time of
the massacre of Glencoe, in the 18Sth
century. is recalled by the death of
the Earl of Stair, head of the Dal
rymple family. The first earl of the
line took part in the massacre, and
Jean MacDonald. the sole survivor of
a large family that perished through
.the earl's cruelty, delivered a bitter
curse upon hinm, wishing that no suc
ceeding earl should have "children. A
startling comment on this matediction
is that the second, third, fourth, sixth,
seventh and eighth earls of Stair all
died without 'issue-a circugmstance
probably unique in the annals of the
neerage. The family of the first earl
became entirely extinct in 1840, and
the succession passed to the descend
ants of his next brother, Sir James
Dahrymple, from whom came the peer
just deceased. Evidently the curse
did not pass with the title, for the
two earls of the lpresent family had
Signaling Under Water.
There1 has receu Illy been put in op-.
cration at Boston a system of signal
ing beneath the w.vcs to vessels ap
proaching dangerous shores during
foggy weathcer. The alpp)aratus con
sists of two receivers, located on
either side of the ship below the water
line, and connected by wires to the
wheel house. where a telephone box
is placed. The signals froml shore are
given by striking a submerged ball at
regular intervals. When the observer
wishes to ascertain his location he
takes the ear piece, and by moving
the switch either to the right or left,
soon ascertains upon which side the
soumnd is the loudest, and upon that
silde the bell will be foundl. The value
of a system of this nature is at once
apparent when it is borne in mind
that fogs frequently obscure the most
powerful lights, and that certain at
mospheric conditions during stormy
weather render fog horns almost, if
not quite, valueless.