GEN. STEPHEN WHEELER
A Prominent Arkansan Meets Death in
An Accidental Manner.
Fell Beneath the Wheel* nt a Moving Pan*
■euger I'rn.n Prominent In Public
Lite and Au Honored Citizen.
Gen. Stephen Wheeler, one of the
best known citizens of Arkansas and a
prominent republican leader, lost his
life in an accidental manner while try
ing to I), rd a moving passenger train
at Gainesville, Tex., on the night of
July 20. Gen. Wheeler wa* en route to
Ardmore. 1. T., to attend to some busi
ness mailers. He was delayed at the
depot purchasing a lunch, and before he
was aware the train began pulling out.
He ran to get aboard, catching at the
end of the chair car, when he missed
his hold and fell under the trucks,
which ran over and mashed his head,
severing it from the body. The remains
were taken in charge by the Knights
of Honor and members of the Masonic
fraternity, of which orders he was an
honored member, and forwarded to his
home at Fort Smith, where the inter
ment took place.
ftiograp'ilc il.
Gen Wheeler was a native of Steuben coun
ty, New York, where be was born February 28,
IXIO, and was therefore in his 59th year His
great-grandfather was a native of England,
and was among the pioneer settlers of Vermont.
James Wheeler, his grandfather, was a native
of Vermont, but move 1 to Pennsylvania, where
he was married. Gen Wheeler's father. Dan
iel W. Wheeler, was b >rn in Lycoming county.
Pennsylvania, in 18U4. but his parents dying
when he was very young, he was taken to Yates
county, New York, as the adoptee' son of a Mr
Sweeney and there grew to manhood, mar
ried and lived in that and the adjoining county
of Steuben till 1850 when he moved to Baraboo.
Wls., and died a farmer In 1860 In politics he
was a democrat. Gen. Wheeler's mother (Mll
lison) was the daughterof David Clark, a native
of Yates county. Kentucky, and died in Steubt n
county in 1848. at the age of 40. when Gen.
Wheeler was butk. years old A brother. Sam
uel C. Wheeler Is a farmer in Ogle county, Illi
nois, and John G., another brother, served in
the civil war on the Federal side and after
ward became a railroad contractor. Gen
Wheeler grew up in Wisconsin from II years
to 19 years of age. where he served a four-year
apprenticeship as a druggist at Baraboo. In
1858 he went to New York City and took a posi
tion in a wholesale dty goods store as a sales
man. where he remained till the spring of 1861.
when he moved to Battle Creek, Mich., and
engaged in the mercantile business In Sep
tember of that year he enlisted in the Federal
army as a private in a volunteer engineer com
pany and served throughout the war. Ho served
in Missouri and Arkansas under Gens. Fre
mont, Blunt and Steele. From April 1864, to
April, 1866, he served on the staff of Gen. Chas.
Morgan as assistant adjutant-general, with ti e
rank of captain. On retiring from the army in
the spring of 1866 he settled at Powhatan i •
assistant assessor of internal revenue where
he remained till October of the same year,
when he removed to Searcy, in White county,
still holding the office of assistant assessor of
internal revenue, and engaged in business as a
broker. In 1868 he was elected as a republican
to the first state senate under the reconstruc
tion acts, and served till June. 1869. resigning
to accept the office of assessor of internal rev
enue. It was in August. 1868. that an attempt
was made to assassinate him while traveling
from bis home to the state capital by two
masked men, who came upon him in a secluded
spot and opened fire on him with revolvers.
He escaped by jumping from his buggy and
taking to the woods. He was appointed quar
termaster-general of the state militia by Gov
Clayton in July, 1869, which position he held
till January 1, 1873. In June. 1869, after receiv
ing the appointment of assessor of internal
nal revenue, he took up his residence at De
vall'.s Bluff, where he also edited and published
the White Elver Journal, a strong advocate of
republicanism. In 1872. at the republican state
convention, he was nominated for state auditor
and elected in November, serving till May 1874,
when, by virtue of the adoption of the new con
stitution, he was legislated out of office. In
April, 1875, he moved to Fort Smith, anc in May
of the same year was appointed clerk and com
missioner of the United States court for the
Western district of Arkansas, under Judge
Parker, which position he held up to a few
months of his death. Early in the '7O she was
also appointed clerk of the United States cir
cuit court for the Western district, under Judge
Caldwell He was married at Little Rock Feb
ruary 16. 1869, to Miss Mary K . daughter of
Col John Love, of a Quaker family, of York.
Pa. There were four children. Millicut. born at
Little Kock July 2.', 1870; May S.. born at De
rails Bluff November 12. 1872; Margaret L.
born at Fort Smith January 29. 1880 Stephen.
Jr., who. with the mother, survive him. Gen.
Wheelerwas a member of the Episcopal church,
of which he was vestryman and junior warden.
In August 1877, he was made a Mason at Fort
Smith, and took the Blue Lodge, Chapter Coun
cil and Commandery degrees, and was also a
member of the Knights of Honor, of which he
»»i dictator.
Fatal Battle With a Fugitive.
A desperate fight took place recently
at Palarm, in Pulaski county, between
E. H. Owens, a Perry county deputy
sheriff, and a fugitive negro named
Harrison Curry. Owens was lying in
wait for Curry, for whom he had a bench
warrant charging him with assault with
intent to kill. Curry had taken a seat
in the depot waiting room, and when
the deputy entered the door and com
manded him to surrender, he opened
fire with a Winchester. A regular bat
tle followed between the two, during
which at least twenty shots were fired.
A shot fired by the negro struck Owens
in the thigh, but some silver coin in his
pocket stopped the ball and he was un
injured. Curry was shot through the
body five times and died shortly,
while an unknown negro boy who
was in the building when the firing
commenced was shot through the heart
and expired instantly. The telegraph
operator, who was in bed in a house a
short distance away, received a serious
wound in the shoulder from a shot fired
by Curry.
ARK iNSAS STATE NEWS.
outlook is good.
Vic<‘-Pr.“«l lent Warner, of the Gould Sys
tem, Heport* An Increased Kusintss.
Vice-President Warner, of the Gould
system, after a trip of inspection over
their lines in Arkansas, gives it as his
opinion that the general outlook is bet
ter than for several years. In a recent
interview, among other things, he said:
‘ The condition of the corn crop along
our lines is good, while the cotton crop
along the Iron Mountain will be an
average crop —in some districts above
the average. 1 talked with the mer
chants, planters and others, and the
universal opinion was that the crops
were all that could be desired. The
sawmills along the line of the Iron
Mountain and St. Louis Southwestern
are running under full orders, and the
lumber business is improving generally.
The increase of freight and passenger
traffic is very satisfactory over a year
ago, and rates on both are well main
tained.”
Successful Moonshine Raid.
Charles A Iread, James B. Roberts. A.
Davis, .1, E. Webb and W. W. Yarber
were arrested during a recent “moon
shine” raid in Pope county by a posse
headed by J. P. King, deputy internal
revenue collector, and placed in the
penitentiary at Little Rock, pending
action by Federal authorities. Besides
capturing the above moonshiners, the
posse destroyed six illicit stills, with a
total capacity of 400 gallons, and about
2.000 gallons of mash and beer, located
in the notorious moonshine district in
the mountains north of Russellville. It
is claimed that it is dangerous for a
law-abiding citizen to attempt to make
his home in the section inhabited by
this class of law-breakers, as they have
been known to commit the highest
crime in order to prevent the victim
from giving information against them.
Valuable Pearl Finds.
Much interest is being taken in the
reports of the finding of valuable pearls
in the Cache and Saline rivers, as well
as in the lake near Bald Knob, which
has been leased by Memphis parties.
Chas. S. Stifft, of Little Rock, recently
purchased one of these gems from a
farmer for $250, who turned the pro
ceeds to good advantage by purchasing
a span of mules, a new wagon and other
needed farm implements, while J V.
Zimmerman, another Little Rock jew
eler, is authority for the statement that
he has shipped to New York six pearls
f iund in mussles taken out of the Cache
river by an inmate of the Confederate
home, each valued at floo.
Scholar»hip# Awarded.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Jordan announces the following as suc
cessful contestants for Peabody scholar
ships: Ralph Cotham, Monticello; J.
V. Muller, Van Buren: Mattie Lide,
Camden; Cora Duke, Jonesboro; Macon
Leiper, Malvern; Eula R. Moore, Clarks
ville. In the competitive examinations
there were about 25 contestants. A
scholarship in this institution is worth
1100 a year and the student’s railroad
fare from his home to Nashville and re
turn, and is good for two years, beside
scholarship students receive from the
president of the college 125 on the last
days of October, December, February
and April.
Governor Bob to Governor Dan.
The following letter of invitation was
received by Gov. Jones from Hon Robt.
L. Taylor, governor of Tennessee:
My Dear Governor September 18 has been
selected as the date for "Arkansas Day" at our
centennial. All Tennesseeans look forward to
that day with especial pleasure when our fair
neighbor across the big river shall come over
and join us in our jubilee, and as the governor
of Tennessee I extend to you. and through you
to all your people, a most cordial invitation to
come and make Arkansas Day one of the grand
est in the history of our centennial. We shall
expect you and your staff, state officials and
party without fail, and promise you a warm
and cordial welcome to Tennessee.
The Army Worm
The army worm has made its appear
ance among the cotton on several plan
tations east of Little Rock, and paris
green is being used by some planters to
exterminate the pests. While it is true
the worms have put in a late appear
ance and can do but slight harm to early
cotton, the late crop in the district cov.
ered by the spring overflow will be
considerably damaged should they get
into it.
Os Interest to the Insuring Public.
Policy holders of the Massachusetts
Benefit association, as well as other
assessment insurance companies, will
learn something to their advantage by
addressing Geo. Tilles. Little Rock,
Ark. When writing give number of
policy, amount, date when issued and
your present age.
Evidently a Murder.
The headless bo<ly of a man named
C. Pickens was found in some bushes
near the mouth of Hylainore creek, in
Stone county. Pickens had only been
in that section a short time. The body
was identified by some letters found iu
the poeket> of his coat.
Escaped on a Technicality.
A decision of unusual interest was
rendered in the circuit court of Hot
Spring county. Char es Wafford, while
employed by the Malvern lumber com
pany in carrying mail for that concern
between Malvern and I’earia. opened a
letter and abstracted a Mexican silver
certificate. When arraigned on tie
charge of embezzlement, the court held
that the certificate was not money, and
the accused could nut be convicted < f
embezzlement.
Order of United Workmen.
At a recent meeting of the finance
committee of the grand lodge, A. O. U.
W’., of Louisiana and Arkansas, it was
determined to place five deputies in the
field in order to secure 1,000 new mem
bers by August 1, 1898, for which the
supreme lodge offers a premium of
12,000. The report of the grand recorder
showed a net gain in membership dur
ing the past year of over 25 per cent.
A Sad Accident.
A sad and peculiar accident befell the
fl-year-old daughter of a Mrs. Evans, of
Clark county. A portion of her clothing
was fastened with a needle, which in
some way stuck into her back, half up
or more, and was broken off. By the
time a physician was reached the piece
of steel had worked its way so deep
into the flesh that it was impossible to
locate it.
Issues Invitations.
Gov. Jones has addressed an invita
tion to the following ex-governors of
this state to visit the Nashville exposi
tion in a body on Arkansas day. Sep
tember 18: James H. Berry, Powell
Clayton, Elisha Baxter. (). A. Hadley
(Denver Col.). Henry M. Rector, A. H
Garland, S. P. Hughes, T. J. ( hurchill,
J. P. Eagle, J. P. Clarke and W. M
Fishback.
Mercantile Company Incorporated.
The Houston-Hargis Mercantile com
pany, of Morrilton, with a capital stock
off 25,000. of which f 10.000 is paid up,
filed articles of incorporation with the
secretary of state. The oifieers of the
corporation are T. L. Cox. president; M.
D. Houston, vice-president, L. R. Har
gis, treasurer; L. Gordon, secretary.
Insurance Men Organize.
Representatives of old line life in
surance companies, at a meeting held
iu Little Rock, organized the Arkansas
Association of Life Underwriters. The
following officers were elected: H. 1 .
Remmel, president; C. T. Walker, vice
president; Nal Williams, secretary; A
L. Smith, treasurer.
A Rapist Killed.
Near Horton, Phillips county, an un
known negro assaulted a colored girl.
He was followed and overtaken in the
woods by a posse, and, refusing to sur
render. was shot and killed bv John
Edmonds, also colored. Edmonds was
acquitted before a magistrate of tl e
killing a few hours later.
At Work on Right-of-Way.
Contiators have begun the work < 1
cutting out the right-of-way on tl e
Mississippi River, Hamburg Western
railroad. Mr. .1. M. Parker, president
of the company, is personally locking
after the work, and says there Will be
no cessation of labor until the road u
completed.
New Military Company.
The Shaver Rifles, a new military
company organized at Nashville, ha e
been supplied with the necessary para
phernalia by Gen. Schaer.
Murdered and Robbed.
A man named Howell was murdered
and robbed by unknown parties be
tween Kearney and Redfield, on the
Valley road.
Lon Stringer Pardoned
Gov. Jones has pardoned Lon Strin
ger, convicted in Lonoke county in 1896
and sentenced to five years for burglary
and larceny.
Contract Let.
The contract, for a new railroad ex
tending from Magnolia to Homer, La ,
has been let and work will commence
at once.
THE STATE IN BRIEF.
A state colored W. C. T. U. is soon to
be organized.
Female prisoners are worked on the
rock pile at Fort Smith.
L ttle Rock will hold her first annual
Mardi Grus celebration in February.
1898.
Large shipments of Arkansas coal are
being made to Illinois, as a reaultof the
coal miners strike.
The Crescent oil mill at Little Rock
was recently purchased by a Memphis
company for 150,000.
A Boone county citizen has offered to
donate enough marble to build a new
state house at Little Rock.
The Arkansas Sunday-School associa
tion will hold its annual convention at
Ozark September 3, 4 and 5.
Will Harris, a 19-year-old colored
boy, was thrown from a fractious horse
at Little Rock and his neck broken.
WEATHER SOMMARY.
Some Interesting and Peculiar Facte
For Student*.
Maximum Temperature For .1 'v IVss the
Highest Since ISMS -Freoipuatioit
Below the Normal.
The Little Rock weather bureau has
just issued a summary for the month of
July, which contains some interesting
facts and figures for nieteorolegical stu
dents The mean temperature for the
m >nth was 82.5 degrees, 2.3 degrees
above the normal computed from the
record for the past 14 years, and is the
highest recorded with the exception of
1896, when it was 63 4 degrees. '1 he
lowest mean temperatures recorded for
the state in any July were 76.7 degrees
in 1891, 79.0 degrees in 1895, and 79.4
degrees in 1892.
The maximum temperature for the
month, 109 degrees, was exceeded on
July 31, 1888, when it was 111 degrees.
The lowest July maximum for the state
w.ts 100 degrees, in 1883.
The minimum temperature for the
state for the month, 50 degrees, is the
same as recorded in 188, and 1891, and
the lowest July minimum for the state.
The highest were 60 degrees in 1886 and
59 degrees in 1884.
A comparison of the temperature for
the state for July by decades, with the
July normal, shows a mean tempera
ture for the first decade of 86.1 degrees,
which is 5.9 degrees above the normal;
for the second decade, a mean of 77,6
degrees, which is 2 6 degrees below the
normal; for the third decade 83 6 de
grees, which is 3.4 degrees above the
normal for July.
The monthly precipitation averaged
3.25 inches for the state, .66 inch below
the 14-year average. The years in which
a lower average rainfall is recorded for
July are 1896, 1.61 inches; 1890, 2.39
inches: 1885, 2.59 inches; 1893, 2.68
inches; 1888, 2.73 inches; 18x3, 2.89.
The greatest average precipitation
for any July was 7.34 inchesin 1895. the
next greatest 7.33 inches in 1891. and
the next 5.02 inches in 1889.
The mean temperature for the month
was 82.5 degrees. The highest monthly
means were 86.2 degrees at Texarkana
and Stamps. 85.1 degrees al Mariannn
and 86.0 at Prescott, and the lowest 76 6
degrees at Silver Springs, 76.9 at Ore
gon. and 77.4 at Winslow.
The highest temperature recorded
was 109 degrees, at Keese’s Ferry, on
the 14th. and at Silver Springs on the
13th and 14th. The highest average
minimum temperature was 100.4 de
grees, at Prescott, anil the lowest 61.8
degrees, at Jonesboro.
The greatest daily range of temper
ature was 48 degrees, at Jonesboro on
the 12th. The mean maximum tem
perature for the state was 912 degrees,
and the mean minimum 70.5 degrees,
giving a mean daily range of 23.7 de
grees, and the warmest day generally
was the 6th, with an average maximum
temperature of 99 degrees. The lowest
temperatures generally were recorded
on the 13th, the average minimum of
that date being 59 degrees.
The average precipitation was 3.25
inches. The greatest local monthly
amounts were 8.19 inches at Moore. 7.90
at Mossville, 7.62 near Hot Springs, and
6.60 at Bee Branch: and the least .65
inch at Washington, 1.00 inches at Rison
and 1.05 at Texarkana. The greatest
24-hour rainfall was 5.25 inches, near
Hot Springs, on the 25th.
NOVELTIES JUST PATENTED.
To assist a golf-player a new glove
Las a snap button which fits into a
metal slot on the side of the golf st i«k
to hold it firmly in position.
To assist typewriters and copyists in
keeping their place on the copy a new'
device has a frame to hold the book or
paper, with a ratchet, wheel mounted
jn a roller in the frame and operated
by an auxiliary key on a line with the
other keys to move a line, indicator
across the face of the copy, the device,
being adjustable to different space
lin es.
For use in case of fire, when hose
lines have to be laid across trolley
tracks, a steel bridge is used which
elamps on each rail of the track and is
formed of two parallel pieces which
are hinged at one end, the upper one
being raised to lay the hose in the open
ing beneath, after which it is closed
and locked at the other end to hold it
In place.
Papersand circulars can be automat
ically folded, wrapper} and ad’lresserj
in a new machine, the papi being
placed in a pile on the feeding table
which takes each paper and folds it,
holding it until the gummed wrapper
can be placed around it, after which a
slip containing a name and address is
cut from a printed rxdl and stuck on
the wrapper.
a newly patented hose rack for use
in buildings on fire has a bracket arm
screwed to the wall, with pins in it at
intervals on which loops of hose are
hung, the. pins being far enough apart
so that, the water will flow through
the hose while hanging on the rack,
thus making it unnecessary to pull all
the hose off the rack before the water
will flow.
The Rnllns Spirit.
The story i« told of a Yankee hotinewif e
who was extremely neat, that she woke on*
night at the sound of her husband creepin,
softlv out of bed and toward the light stand
“\Vhat’s the matter, William?” she whig,
pered.
“Sh!” he whispered; ‘there’s a burgl ar
coming up the front stairs, and I’m gettinu
mv revolver!’
All was silence again, in the midst of
which William crept noiselessly to the head
of the stairs. Presently there was a loud re
port, followed by a mad scurrying of f ee f
then the husband came back, lighted a
lamp and retui ned to the stairway.
••() William, William, did he *'
“Yes, he got away,” said the husband.
“Oh, I don’t care so much about that,”
the woman said, “but \\ illiam, did he—”
“Did he what ?”
“Did he wipe his feet before he started up
the stairs?”—Youth's Companion.
A PliiloNoplilc Sweep.
Rolling out of Piccalillv into Berkeley
street came one of those splendid obi family
carriages, gorgeous with golden lions and
dragons, heavily hung with maroon trap
pings, guarded bv two maroon footmen in
the rear, driven by a burly maroon coach
man in a curly wig. containing two vision*
in white with lovely bouquets. At that
moment a sweep and In- friend were ernerg
ing into Piccadilly, with blackened faceaand
brushes, having evidently just transacted
some affair of business, when tlns splendid
vehicle attracted their attention. Says one:
“Bill. I wish we was them'” "Why l '" an
sweri «1 Bill, mucli sin prised “ I hey'll have
to die the same as us. I have just turned
over the “Meditation- of Marcus Aurelius’
in search of some inoi< profound reflection
upon the inequality of our lots on this ant
heap of ours. Ami in vain London News.
Why He Didn't Know It.
Barber You say you have shaved here
before? I don't remember your lace
Customer Probably not. It has healed
up since. N. Y. W orld.
TEXAS LADIES
Don’t Lie.
t Quitman,Tex..writes: Aften
12 years’ suffering from
Dyspepsia and Sick Head
ache 1 was cured by Dr.
M. A. Simmons l.iver
Medicine. It cured iny
Husband of Constipation,
our little Girl of Nervous
ness, and our Son of Ca
tarrh of the Bowels. It
cured Mrs, Newman of
Painful Menstrual ion,
and carried Mrs. Fields
safely through Changeof Life. It perfect
ly regulate the Liver, Stomach and
Howels, nn<l leaves no bad effects, while
both “Black Draught’'and "Zellin's Liver
Regulator" did not leave my bowels in such
good condition. I found more of it in the
Package, and it only required half thequam
tity for a dost, and I had rather j>;.y 25 cts
ner Package for it than use "ZeUia’S” or
“Black Draught" as ft free rift.
Bad Tasto in the Mouth.
Digestion is the grand process by which
nature repairs the wasted ti-.ues of the
body, which, when the individual im in
health is performed with gr> at faithfulness
and regularity, ami without giving rise to
any disagreeable sensations.
Indigestion is a disease winch consists of *
deviation from this ordinary mode of health
and in the deficiency or vitiated cliaracu rof
those secretions which are essential to the
conversion of food into blood. The bestcor
rective for thiscomplnlnt is Dr. M. A. Sim.
Xnona l.iver Medicine a few doses of WiUCA
Will remove tho otiensive ta-te.
.Randolph, Ky., write*: I
will never be without Dr.
k W M. A. Rtmmona Liver
V ■ Medicine. It cured mo of
J A I Chronic Constipat ion
ft ami Torpidity of Liver
u b &f {el ’s , ‘ vcr Hl Physicians and
'A r many Patent Medicines had
\ / failed 1 took three times
j J as much "Black Draught"
a* the directions said tftkfc
■A and it had but little effect
RV TtW M ot> me. and I don t think It
ISw /« t >B d much strength.
Backaches Common to Mothers.
The busy mother sometirnes feels an In
ability to perform her accustomed duties.
She feds inactive, weary and depressed.
Iler back, oh, how it aches! Whenshesits
down ehc feels ns though she muslgi t right
Up, and when she stands, that she must sit
down. The truth is,tho capacity of her ner
vous system has been overworked, it has
become exhausted and there is a breaking
down. What she needs is a course of Dr.
Simmons Squaw Vine Wine to restore
healthy functional activity and give tone
and vitality to her nervous system.
rfarSS
S3® the chifc '? f Ul ke
e >l>eV , uTr y
■ nT Belt’s
PeVP errn '^ t
Ml ChU' JS'-
■Bn
>■ 5“ cc l“ B nd TA- sU "
LEE BROT HERS?
WsgfeeiA
MU* IHOM BT., Mt-MI'IUX, T'LNN.