Willmar tribune. [volume], December 09, 1908, Image 7

About Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
A posTTuinm
ROMANCE
BY CYRUS TO1
JLLUCr/?AT/OA/S
flip Ks( ipndp opens, not in the ro
m.nu ]t( pdiriK the martia^e at Ellen
Sloe HIM, ,i Puritan mihs, and Lord Oar
iin^t.ni
(,i
Lord Pnrrington to Lady Cecily and
Lord Stiathgate to Lady t'arrington com
pelled the latter to vow that she would
have the eastle Preparing to flee. Lady
'.mington and her ehum Deborah, an
Auuiican giil, met Lord Strathgate at
iwo a. he agreeing to see them safely
uwaj. lie attempted to take her to his
astle, but she left him stunned In the
idad when the (.linage met with an ac
ulent She and Debbie then struck out
fur Portsmouth, where she Intended to
.sail for Ameiica. Hearing news of
1 Mien's flight. Lords Carrlngton and Seton
set out in pursuit. Seton rented a fast
\essel and started In pursuit. Strathgate,
bleeding from fall, dashed on to Ports
mouth, for which Carrlngton, Ellen and
Seton weie also headed bv different
loutes. Strathgate arrived In Portsmouth
in advance of the others, finding that
1 Mien's ship had sailed before her.
Sttathgate and Carrington each hired a
small yacht to pursue the wrong vessel,
upon which each supposed Ellen had
sailed Seton overtook the fugitives near
Portsmouth, but his craft ran aground,
nist as capture was imminent. Ellen won
the chase by boarding American vessel
and foiling her pursuers. Carrington and
strathgate, thrown together by former's
\\iti king of latter's vessel, engaged In an
impromptu duel, neither being hurt. A
wai \fssel, commanded by an admiral
mend of Seton, then started out in pur
suit of the women fugitives, Seton con
ic-sin ,' love for Debbie. Flagship Britan
TU overtook the fugitives during the
mj,rht The two women escaped by again
Liking to the sea in a small boat. Lord
\u I mgton is ordered to sea with his ship
but refuses to go until after meeting
Strathgate in a duel They fight in the
grounds of Lord Blythedale's castle.
T:mounter is watched bv Ellen and Deb
bie, who have leached land and are in
hiding f'auington won a bloody con
test at swords from Strathgate. Debbie
and Ellen looking on and praying for the
latter- husband Carrington. immedi
ately following the duel, was plated un
der arrest for refusing to obey his ad
miral's orders and Ellen, who had
swooned during the duel, awoke to lind
him gone.
CHAPTER XX.—Continued.
Lord Blythedale looked up as Sir
Charles approached.
"Hello, Seton," he said. "You know
Strathgate, I believe. He and Carring
ton have had it out here this morn
ing"
"I understand," interrupted Sir
Charles.
"Well, Strathgate's got it terribly.
Dr. Nevinson here has just succeeded
in stanching the blood. Will you call
my head keeper, you'll find him over
beyond the coppice yonder, and we'll
have hiin bring a shutter and take
Strathgate up to the house. It'll be
touch and go with him, I'm sure.
Dcmncd unpleasant piece of business
this and so early in the morning!"
"Did joti lind the ladies, Seton?"
came in weak and faltering tones from
SUrathgatf'b pale lips as he recognized
Hii Charles bending over him.
"No," replied Sir Charles. He hated
the man, but he was terribly down and
perhaps would soon be quite out and
he could not get up the heart to treat
him cruelly. Jle had played the fool,
Acs, and woise. the knave, but he was
paying fot it a high price. "No, they
were not on that ship. They had got
ten away somewhere."
"Devilish clever woman, that," fal
tered Strathgate, "and beautiful. Car
Hngton'.s a damned fool—if he—did—
mi me through. You're another, Se
ton, and—I'm—"
But what Lord Strathgate was in
his own opinion, he did not at that
moment leveal, for the effort at speech
had boon loo much tor him. With a
sort of sihastly chuckle, he fainted
quite away again.
"We have no time to lose," said
Nevinson, abruptly. "We must get
him to the house at once."
"I'll call the keepers myself," said
Blythedale, who should have done it
at first, as he knew where he had
posted them.
"Fetch nie some water, if you will,
Sir Charles," exclaimed the doctor,
horn the bsook yonder! Here's acup."
Sir Charles did as he was bid, and
although he went and came in the
twinkling of an eve and extended to
the .surgeon the cup of water desired,
he had time while he filled it to pick
up something else that lay by the
bank in the solt ooze of the bolder of
the brook. He noticed the foot print
of a woman's shoe and by the side of
it anothei little knot of libbon like
that he wore, a knot of scarlet, the
olor Mistress Debbie affected and with
which, he remembered—for he had
met Lady Ellen when she came from
the ship to England—the dress she
wore on the ocean, which she had un
doubtedly assumed for traveling, was
trimmed. It matched that other knot
ot scarlet which he had worn next his
heart since he took it from the car
ilage floor.
Ellen and Deborah had escaped!
Why was it not possible for fortune
to have brought them there? His
eve swept the scene with the instinct
of a ttained soldier to whom the habit
ot seeking cover has become second
natuie The coppice! They were
ihrre and he would see them they
should not escape him now. He has
tily at tinged his course.
Jn A lew moments Blythedale came
back with his keepers and a shutter
liorn the nearest keeper's house over
which blankets and comforts had been
hnstilv thrown With infinite care,
they lilted the prostrate, senseless
Stiathgate upon it and started for
the hall
"II vou 1
1 foigive me, Blythedale,"
said Sir Chailes in answer to an in
vitation to accompany them, "I have
something to think about and I shall
stay lieie alone for a few moments."
"Oh, veiy well, suit yourself," re
turned Blvthedale, "but when you've
had jour thought out, come up to the
hall and I'll give you some breakfast
and something to drink to take the
taste of this demned unpleasant busi
ness out of our mouths, and so early
in the morning, too! Poor Strath
gate!"
Seton stood quietly until he had
satisfied himself that the party had
ESCAPAD]
&f
RAY WALTER6
(COPYMGHZ /90Q AY
W Q,CHAPMAN)
Kngland. but in their life after
si Uliiitf in Knginnd Tlie scene is placed.
Mist following the revolution, in Carring
ton castle in England The Carrmgtons,
.illei .1 house party, engaged in a family
nit. caused by jealousy The attentions
got out of sight and sound. Then he
turned to the coppice.
"Mistress Deborah," he cried softly,
approaching the edge. "Lady Ellen!"
He listened. He detected a slight
whimpering sound and then a sob.
"Mistress Deborah, I know your
voice," cried Sir Charles forcing his
way through the undergrowth regard
less of his clothing, and in a moment
he was by the side of Mistress Deb
bie.
Mistress Debbie had been lying upon
her face. She lifted herself up on her
arms and was staring at Sir Charles
as well as she could stare at anvone
with the tears streaming down her
face. Leaves and bits of mold clung
to her person, her eyes were heavy,
her face was haggard. It is evidence
of the quality of Sir Charles' passion
that, even in this guise, he thought
her beautiful.
He stooped over her instantly,
caught her in his arms and drew her
to her feet. Mistress Debbie fell
against him, clung to him with an as
tonishing access of strength and cried
the more.
In his excitement and rapture at
this delightful contact, Sir Charles did
not notice the other darker figure ly
ing prone near the spot whence he
had plucked his love. As soon as hia
"My Lord Is Well?"
eye fell upon her, he quickly lifted his
sweetheart's head and held her from
him a little.
"Is that Lady Ellen?" he asked.
"Yes," said Debbie contritely, "I
was so glad to see you, I forgot—"
"Is she dead?"
"Fainted, I think. You see we saw
all that terrible battle—"
"We must get her out of here at
once," said Sir Charles, releasing Deb
orah. He stooped down and, although
Ellen was no light burden for any
man, he picked her up and followed
by Debbie forced his way through the
coppice on to the sward which had
already been the scene of such mem
orable events that morning. He laid
her gently on the grass, bade Debbie
loosen her collar, ran to the brook,
came back with a hat full of water
and splashed it, manlike, uncere
moniously into Ellen's face. Then he
drew from his pocket a small flask
which he happened to have with him,
and forced a few drops of liquor be
tween Lady Ellen's pale lips. Then he
and Deborah fell to chafing her hands.
Presently, with a long sigh Lady Ellen
opened her eyes.
She stared hard at Seton for a mo
ment and then the color slowly came
back into her cheeks. She strove
weakly to rise upon her hand and Deb
bie slipped her arm behind her and
supported her.
"Where is my lord?" she asked
faintly. "I saw it all. Oh, my God
I saw it all!"
"Lord Carrington was not hurt,"
"I know," faltered Ellen. "Strath-
^^^N^^SrfS^i^*^*^^^^^i#N#S*
Suspicion of Piper Not Very Flatter
ing to His Grace.
At a dinner given by the marquis
of Bute, among the guests was a well
known duke who, in full Highland
dress, had his piper standing behind
his chair. At dessert a very hand
some and valuable snuffbox belong
ing to another of the guests was han
ded round. When the time came to
return it to its owner, the snuffbox
could not be found anywhere, though
a very thorough search was made.
The duke was specially anxious about
it, but with no result. Some months
gate! How horribly he was punished,"
she murmured. "We have all suffered,
but I must go to my lord now. You
have run me down on a lee shore,
Sir Charles. Will you take me to
him?"
"Dear Lady Carrington," said Sir
Charles, tenderly, "I would do so—
You must prepare yourself for anoth
er shock."
This time Ellen sat bolt upright,
disdaining Deborah's help and in spite
of her restraining arm.
"My lord is well?" she cried in an
guished tones.
"Perfectly well," said Sir Charles,
"but arrested."
"For what? For the duel?"
"Nay, for disobedience of orders,
for refusing to rejoin his ship, for—"
"And he was following me," cried
Lady Ellen with a heavenly smile,
"he cared more for me than orders,
or—"
And then the thought of Lady Ce
cily swept into her mind and clouded
her heart.
"Madam," said Seton, "believe me
he cares more for you than anything
under heaven."
"And am I not to go to him now?"
asked Ellen. "I see how foolish I
have been."
"If you will forgive me the sugges
tion," said Seton, "'tis Carrington
who has played the fool and now he's
in a grave situation. Admiral Kep
hard is his friend, but he is helpless.
My lord must stand a court-martial
and 'tis likely to go hard with htm."
"What is to be done?" asked Ellen,
seeing her new found cup of happiness
about to be dashed from her lips.
"You must go to the king, tell him
the whole story."
"Who will take me there?" asked
Ellen, after a long pause.
"I will," returned Sir Charles.
"Think you that having at last run
you down, I would allow Mistress Deb
bie out of my sight again? Courage,
madam, we will appeal to his majesty
in person. He hath a kind heart for
all his strange ways, God bless him!
We will all go together and appeal to
him, but first I must get you shelter"
—and Sir Charles looked away as he
spoke—"and clothes suitable for year
sex. We will go to Blythedale hall."
"Have they taken Lord Strathgate
theie?"
"Ay," returned Sir Charles, "in a
helpless, fainting condition."
"I will never go," said Ellen, de
cidedly, "under any roof in which he
abides, living or dead."
"Very well," said Sir Charles. "Mis
tress Deborah shall stay here with
you. I will get a carriage somewhere
and we will go to the next posting
station and at the first convenient
stopping place the definite arrange
ments may be completed."
"And you and Debbie, Sir Charles?"
queried Ellen.
"If Mistress Debbie will accept me,"
said Sir Charles, bowing ceremonious
ly, "I shall be proud to be her hus
band."
"Oh, Sir Charles," faltered Detbie,
rising to her feet and blushing like
the crimson ribbon with which her
dress was trimmed, "I did not want to
run away a bit," she said as Sir Charles,
utterly oblivious to Lady Ellen, caught
her in his arms.
"You found Baxter's 'Saints' Rest*
a heavenly volume," says my lady,
softly. "May it be peaceful and hap
py with you to the last page."
"Amen!" assented Sir Charles, cut
ting short Debbie's ejaculation in the
most approved and delectable way.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Thought He Wanted Snuffbox.
afterwards the duke again donned the
kilt for another public ceremony—the
first time he had worn it since the
above dinner—and happening to put
his hand into his sporran he, to his
utmost astonishment, found there the
snuffbox which had been lost at the
public dinner. Turning to his piper,
the duke said: "Why, this is the snuff
box we were all looking for! Did you
not see me put it away in my spor
ran?" "Yes, your grace," replied the
piper, "I did, but I thocht ye washed
tae keep It."—San Francisco Alto*
naut
The Copenhagen Dannebrog states
that a complete agreement has been
arrived at with regard to the proposed
Scandinavian-American steamship line
and that lists for subscribing for
stocks will soon be issued in Sweden
and Norway. The new agreement is
to take effect Jan. 1. 1909.
DENMARK.
A new farmers' bank will be organ
ized in Denmark. No less than 9,127
different persons united in subscrib
ing a guarantee fund of $1,600,000.
Half a dozen Polanders entered the
house of a farmer named Bech in the
neighborhood of Holte, shot the farm
er himself to death and wounded his
wife and finaly tied her to a chair.
When this was done they went thru
the house and picked up what money
and valuables they could lay hold of
and departed.
A remarkable case of apparent
death is reported from the city hos
pital of Copenhagen. A lady cut the
arteries on one of her hands with the
Intention of committing suicide. She
was taken to the hospital and placed
on the surgeon's table, but the men in
charge of the room told the physician
that he would not need to hurry be
cause the woman had already bled to
death. When the physician finally
came into the room everything in
dicated that the woman was dead. The
blood no longer flowed from the sev
ered arteries, the woman's body was
cold, and there were no signs of
respiration or beating of the heart.
The physician set down to write the
death certificate. But something like
an intuition, which seemed useless and
even ridiculous, made him change his
mind, and he tied up the gash on the
woman's hand and began to work her
body. Whatever blood was left in
her was pressed back to the heart,
and the woman was brought back to
life after having been cold and ap
parently dead for more than an hour.
There is no reason why she should not
fully recover, and the loss of blood
will be made good in the course of
time.
SWEDEN.
Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf was 26
years old Nov. 11.
The Stockholm painters' union has
withdrawn from the Socialistic labor
association.
Rev. Lofdahl of Lena, Uppland, has
had 20 children. This beats all records
among the clergy of Sweden.
Frosta and Far rural Insurance com
pany has been one of the cheapest in
Skane, the expenses to the insured be
ing only about one dollar per $1,000
a year. But last year the losses were
so heavy that he rates had to be
raised to $2.80 per $1,000.
Prof. Knut Wicksell at the univer
sity of Lund gave a lecture on "The
Throne, the Altar and the Money
Purse," in Stockholm, and his expres
sions about religion were so harsh
that he must face the courts on the
Charge of having abused the liberty of
speech.
King Gustaf gave an audience to
C. R. Hansson of Gothenburg, who
bought a sample of a hygienic com
munion cup invented by Rev. C. J.
LJunggren of the American Episcopal
church, and the king listened atten
tively to the explanations and finally
cpoke approvingly of the invention.
At the request of the corps of en
gineers of Boden the department of
war has ordered a number of peculiar
sleds for carrying provisions and war
supplies during winter in the north
ern parts of Sweden. The sleds are
called "kicking bobs" (sparkstotting)
because the man running such a sled
moves it forward by kicking the
ground.
The accounts of the Swedish sugar
refining company balance at $51,000,
000. There was a clear profit of $2,
800,000 for the past year. About three
fourths of this amount was paid out
as dividends to the stockholders at the
rate of 5 per cent. The company is
going to borrow over $5,000,000 for
Improvements, and this debt is to be
paid during the years 1918-1927. Swed
ish banks are going to furnish the
money.
Paris, Nov. 23.—King Gustaf and
Queen Victoria of Sweden, who spent
last week with King Edward at Wind
sor, arrived here yesterday on their
first state visit. They were welcomed
by President Fallieres, Premier Clem
enceau and the other members of the
cabinet. The party, escorted by cuiras
siers, drove to the foreign office,
where apartments had been prepared
for the king and queen. Last evening
the king and queen diner privately
with the president at Elysee palace.
They will leave here on Wednesday.
The Hogaras mining and manufac
turing company has discharged about
100 men on the ground that the com
pany will not run the risk of accepting
large orders while the men are in-m
mood to quit work at any time.
A sawmill located at Furndal sta
tion on the Dala & Helsingland rail
way was destroyed by fire. The lum
ber yard was saved. The loss is
covered by an insurance of $20,000.
The traffic on the state railways of
Sweden was a trifle heavier in Septem
ber this year than during the same
mouth last year.
Baron Erland Nordenskiold, who is
exploring the Andes mountains in
South America, has not been heard
from since the middle of July. This is
his fourth trip to the wilds of South
America.
Persons of a creed differing from
that of the Church of Sweden will
henceforth he required to pay only
one-half of the regular rate of taxes
for the support of the state church.
Nov. 6th, the anniversary of the
death of King Gustaf Adolf on the
battlefield of Lutxen, was fittingly
celebrated In many parts of Sweden.
SCAN DIN A VIAH NEWS
Principal Events Gathered In the
Old Scandinavian Countries
M. H.
Cirkos Orlando, a purely Swedish
circus, is making a tour of Germany,"
reaping a fine crop of favorable press
comments and German coins.
King Gustaf of Sweden and Presi
dent Falliere hunted on the historic
preserves at Rambonillet, France,
Nov. 23, the king making a big bag,
which included 79 pheasants and 26
rabbits.
The anniversary of the death of
King Gustaf Adolf, Nov. 6, was fitting
ly celebrated at Lutzen, Germany,
where the king fell in battle. Many
prominent Swedes and Germans at«
tended the exercises at the chapel, and
silver wreaths were placed on the
"Swedish Stone," which is supposed to
mark the exact spot where the king
fell.
The largest locomotive in Scandi
navia has been completed at Motala.
The engine and tender have a com
bined weight of 128% tons. It is the
418th engine made at Motala and on
the state railways it is numbered 974.
It is to be used for the iron ore traffic
in Norrland. When this monster is
fully equipped for service it carries
four tons of coal and thirty-four tons
of water.
About a dozen laborers at the rail
wav shops at Tannefors, near Lin
koping, found out that one of their
comrades had formerly worked else
where as a "strike-breaker," and they
placed him on a hand car and trans
ported him off the premises, shouting
and cheering and having a lot of fun.
Their foreman was absent at the time.
When he returned he soon found out
what had happened, and he immediate
ly discharged all the men who had
taken part in the demonstration.
NORWAY.
Nordmandsforbundet, an association
for Norwegians in all parts of the
world, has completed the first volume
of its peiiodical, and a copy of it was
handed to King Haakon by President
Berner of the storting. The king
spoke very sympathetically about the
association and Its purpose.
It is proposed to raise a monument
on the grave of Mathias Skeibrok, a
noted sculptor, and part of the nec
essary amount of money, namely,
about $135, has already been sub
scribed. The monument will be a
plain block of granite or bantasten, as
the Norwegians have called it from
time immemorial—with a picture of
the face of Skeibrok chiseled into the
stone.
The board of education of Hjelme
land, near Stavanger, managed to
have a resolution passed at a general
meeting to extend the use of "pure"
Norwegian in the public schools.
Twelve voters were present, and they
all voted in favor of the resolution.
But those who favor the current Nor
wegian-Danish book language called a
new meeting, which they advertised
thoroly. This time the twelve who at
tended the first meeting did not even
show up, and their work was annulled
by 21 votes.
A war novel of 1905 has been writ
ten by a man named Gustavsen. He
describes what would have happened
of the war party had come to the front
in 1905, at the time of the dissolu
tion of the union. At first the Nor
wegians were defeated. Time and
again they were beaten and their re
treats were poorly managed. But ad
versity made the people more deter
mined, and the battles were fought
more and more obstinately. Finally
the people and army stood as one solid
phalanx, "like a beast of prey
ready for a leap." After a long win
ter of hardships spring came, and
with it came victory to the Norwegian
army. The troops marched onward
across snow fields red with the blood
of the enemy. It would seem that this
book would be but poorly suited for
Christmas reading.
The Norwegian people are discus
sing religion to a greater extent than
ever before. For a hundred years or
more religious movements have swept
the country. But only a minor portion
of the whole people were seriously
stirred up. Now everybody seems to
take part in. religious discussions.
Those who have the interest of the
Chrisitan church at heart are divided
into two main factions. Our faction
consists of what has been called
"spiritual sentimentalists" because
they lay the main stress upon the
exaltation and ecstasy of the soul so
as to keep it above and beyond the
turmoil of everyday life. This taction
suports the Salvation army and a
transcendent spirituality, going so far
as to defend "the gift of tongues" and
other religous aberrations on the
Biblical ground that it is better to be
"warm" than to be "lukewarm." The
other faction aims at practical work,
and it is often opposed to the senti
mentalists. These people are in favor
of keeping the church doors open
night and day and to keep the church
buildings heated and lighted all the
time during the cold season in order
that anybody may walk in at any time
and pray to God and find protection
from the temptations of the world.
Strikers at three wood pulp fac
tories resulted in the declaring of a
lockout by the employers in the entire
industry, which is one of the largest
in the country. Many thousands of
persons are directly affected.
The city of Bergen is famous for its
heavy rainfall, but for weeks past dry
weather has reduced the water 4n the
streams to such an extent that many
factories have to use steam instead of
water power.
More logs will be cut in Verdalen,
north of Trondhjcm, this winter than
ever before.
The quickest way to send fresh her
rings from northern Norway to Ger
many is via Trondhjem, Norway Stor
lien and Malmo, Sweden and Ros
tock, Germany. During the fishing
season three carloads are sent along
this route every day.
L. A. Jonson's ski factory in Oster
sund has received orders for sample
skis from the French department of
war for use by an Alpine regiment.
Iver Bure, a farmer at Namdalaeidet
and his wife Olea, net Holte, have
celebrated their golden wedding. They
have 42 descendants.
MEW
S OFJDIJI.
MATTERS OF INTEREST IN THE
GOPHER STATE.
Democrats Show Their Election Fi
nances. Gross Earnings De-
cision. Fatalities.
Democratic Fund.
St. Paul.—Although the state law
does not require the state central com
mittees to file expenditures for the
gubernatorial campaign, Fred B.
Lynch, treasurer of the democratic
state committee, filed such a state
ment with the auditor of Ramsey
county showing that it cost $18,0i:j to
re-elect Governor John A. Johnson,
leaving a debt of $1,685.
The name of Thomas W. Lawson of
Boston, who favored Governor John
son for the democratic presidential
candidate, heads the list with a con
tribution of $1,000. Governor John
son himself gave $500. Only the
names of those who contributed more
than $100 were mentioned in the
statement, the smaller contributions
merely being mentioned by amounts.
Aside from the Lawson contribution,
the statement shows the following do
nations:
Fred B. Lynch, $1,000 R. T. O'Con*
nor, $1,000 Frank A. Day, $500 John
F. Burchard, $500 Fred Wheaton,
$900 John E. King, $200 Fred L.
Ryan, $500 P. H. Nelson, $500 Gus
tav Carlson, $500 B. F. Nelson, $500
F. B. Jenney, $500 Otto Bremer,
$200 D. Eberle, $250 R. J. Schiff
man, $250 W. U. Winston, $200 Gus
tav Scholle, $500 Governor John A.
Johnson, $500 W. W. Webber, $200
O. A. Robertson, $500 W. F. Kelso,
$150 S. H. Wolfe, $25.
Several small donations netted $5,
000, and donations of less than $100
amounted to $4,238.84. At the open
ing of the campaign there was $2,022.
52 on hand, left by the 1906 commit
tee.
Minnesota.
Minneapolis.—The first definition of
"gross earnings" in the history of the
state was given by the supreme court
yesterday morning in a suit of the
state against the Minnesota & Inter
national Railway company for taxes
on unreported earnings. The s,tate
wins on a majority of its claims, and
those involving the largest amount of
money, and in the establishment of
the principles will enable the state to
collect thousands of dollars from a
number of the thirty-five railroads do
ing business in the state.
The decision says that the earnings
of a railroad, for the purposes of tax
ation, should not be confined to the
returns on the actual traffic earnings.
The lower court gave the state taxes
upon two items involved in the suit
and the higher court adds eight addi
tional items in the seventeen claimed
by the state.
The court holds that the road in ad
dition to its receipts for transporta
tion should pay taxes on receipts from
lumber companies for loading cars for
the companies, for the use of railway
equipment by construction concerns
and for the use of work trains by
other roads. Income derived from in
terest on deposits, from the sale of
old material and what might have
been received from charging for haul
tag its own supplies, is not taxable.
Wages Are Increased.
St. Cloud.—More than half of the
union men in the state received an
increase in remuneration during the
past two years, according to a report
being prepared by Frank Hoffman of
the state labor department.
Members of 140 unions to the num
ber of 19,000 received an increase of
2 to 20 per cent in pay and 1,451 men
had a reduction in their hours. There
were 2,055 workers who received both
an increase in pay and had their hours
shortened. Only four unions reported
a decrease in pay.
The union men raised $296,357 dur
ing the period for disbursement in aid
of other members. Of this amount
$199,550 was for strike benefits. Fu
neral expenses consumed $80,000 and
$24,699 was expended in sick benefits.
Accidents.
St. Paul.—Only 44 persons were ac
cidentally killed this year, against 72
in 1907 and 74 in 1906. The number
of injured also shows a falling off,
the number for 1908 being 57, against
87 in 1907 and 70 in 1906.
Over half the fatal accidents hap
pened in the state of Minnesota, Wis
consin. Illinois and Michigan, the num
ber in these states being 8, 8, 7 and 5,
respectively.
NEWS NOTES.
St. Cloud.—Mrs. Frank Dueber was
probably fatally injured by her twen
ty-year-old son, Bernard Dueber, in a
row in this city.
Minneapolis.—One of A. H. Wood's
successful melodramas, entitled "The
Creole Slave's Revenge," will be the
attraction at the Bijou the week of
December 13th, and every effort has
been made to imbue the play with
true southern flavor.
Minneapolis.—The Twin City Rapid
Transit company will be required to
pay $18,279 as its share of the ex
penses of sprinkling and caring for
the streets in Minneapolis for the sea
son of 1908
Duluth.—In a temporary fit of insan
ity Page Champagne leaps from train
and vanishes, leaving no trace of his
whereabouts relatives fear he has
perished in the woods.
Minneapolis.—The Minnesota State
Horticultural society held its fort\
second annual meeting last week in
Minneapolis, from Dec. 1 to 4.
Duluth.—Ole Benson, a woodsman,
was dared to jump into Tower Bay on
the Superior side of the bay, by com
panions Friday afternoon, and leaped
from the ferry boat, Ideal, into the
icy water. He was rescued with dif
ficulty.
Courtland.—John Gabler, August
Hefferman, August Poehler and Fred
Leeser paid fines of $10 and costs
each for killing muskrats out of sea
son.
Minneapolis.—T he Northwestern
National bank has absorbed the Swe
diabj-American National bank.
A*3LE/GH F/LLEO W/TH JUAPMS£
co
VERYBODY loves a sur
prise gift, grown persons as
much as children, so some
new and interesting sur
prise centerpieces have
been prepared to supple-
ment the Christmas tree and its bur
den of gifts. These surprise pieces are
intended to occupy the center of the
table when dinner i? served, either on
Christmas day or the evening before,
and they supply a good deal of merri
ment as well as decoration. Their
decorative qualities are rare indeed,
for they trim a table elaborately and
more appropriately than an equal
quantity of flowers would.
Santa Claus is the prevailing motive
for these unique decorations, and one
of the most attractive over which his
familiar form in minature presides is
a basket laden with glistening white
snowballs from behind each of which
peers a smaller Santa Claus. In the
top of every snowball is stuck a sprig
of genuine holly, while nestling under
each white globe is a quaint gift, some
times a joke, or something Christmasy
and appropriate for the recipient. En
circling the high, rounded handle of
this basket is more holly, with real
istic looking icicles fringing the inner
side of the top. Around the basket
proper are rows of Christmas "crack
ers" to add to the fun and the amuse
ment of the occasion. These are cov
ered with red crepe paper to match
the basket, and a broad satin ribbon
of the same shade is fastened on one
side of the handle. This trimming has
a Christmas sentiment done in gold
letters.
The idea of the Christmas surprise
decoration seems to be to hide the
gift as cleverly as possible. The Jack
Horner way is reproduced by using a
huge snowball instead of a plum cake
or pumpkin and then concealing a gift
for each person inside the snowball,
with only a bit of white ribbon break
ing through the crust to show its hid
ing place. A mock Christmas pudding
adorned with a sprig of holly and with
NOVEL work bag that will
make a very pretty and ac
ceptable Christmas present
is shown in the accompany
ing sketch. It is a handy
little thing, for the needle-
book is attached to the bag, so one
does not have to hunt among the
spools inside for the needlebook. It is
a simple matter to make the bag, and
It requires only a scrap of material.
Cut a strip of silk 22 inches long
and nine inches wide. Fold the short
edges together and make a small
French seam up the long sides. Fold
back two inches and make a two-inch
heading, with a half-inch space below
to run the ribbon through. This
heading is made aa it is in any bag.
Gather across the lower edge of the
bag where the needlebook will be
sewn on.
To make the needlebook, cut two
pieces of linen 5^ inches by 4%
inches. Transfer the design in the il
lustration to the linen by means of a
piece of carbon paper. Be sure to lay
the design on across the long side of
the linen. Cut two pieces of paste
board exactly the size and shape indi
cated on the page where the design is
drawn, and cover these with the
linen.
Care should be taken In placing the
linen on the pasteboard to see that the
design is straight. Turn the edges of
the lines over the ^pasteboard very
ACM/WEY CEflTRE PIECE\ 9»
real looking piurns bulging I'rom its
sides is another attractive centerpiece,
which has a present hidden in the
center of each plum.
A sleigh driven by reindeer makes
an elaborate ornament. The whole
centerpiece measures something like
four feet from sleigh to antlers, so
that more than an average sized table
is required to display it to advantage.
The pair of reindeers wear a glitter
ing harness and they are arranged on
wheels, so that they move in a slow
and stately manner if there is room
for this feat. In the sleigh are rows
of fat snowballs with a sprig of hclly
stuck in the top of each and a tiny
Santa Claus standing guard over each
ball. A larger Santa Claus holds the
reins and guides the sleigh. Ribbon
streamers are attached to the snow
balls, so that the ends can be passed
to the guests as they sit at table, thus
making an effective picture before the
Christmas load is distributed. Each
snowball forms the top of a paper box
which is cylindrical and has its base
buried in the bottom of the sleigh To
fill in the spaces between these gleam
ing white balls branches of holly and
mistletoe or other Christmas greens
mav be used.
A eenterpiece which has no sur
prise feature is a minature gable roof
with a bright red brick chimney, into
which a tiny Santa Claus is stepping.
The roof is covered with snow and
icicles drip from its eaves, but good
old Santa Claus knows that there are
warmth and good cheer below, to
judge by the pleased and anticipatory
expression he wears. This center
piece may be laid on the table with*
out any further decoration, or it may
be surrounded by branches of holly
and Christmas ferns. If much other
decoration is used the centerpiece
loses its effectiveness.
neatly and sew back and forth front
one edge of the linen to the edge op
posite. Sew on the ribbon and then'
line each cover with a piece of the'
silk.
Cut two pieces of flannel one-halfj
inch smaller than the covers and over-i
hand the covers and flannel together.*
Then overhand the needlebook on the!
bag.
A very pretty color scheme Is to*
have the bag and needlebook lining oft
blue silk the cover of white linen,1
and blue satin ribbons. The em
broidery is effectively done as follows*
using very delicate colors:
Flowers, pink.
Centers of flowers, white silk dots.
Leaves and stems, green.
Bow knot, blue.
Aristocratic Makers of Jams.
The Viscountess Molesworth has
found her jam factory so remunerative
that she has decided to enlarge the
plant before the beginning of the next
season and to add sauces and chut
neys to her products, says an English
newspaper. On her marriage Lady.
Molesworth began to make all the
jams and preserves for the consump
tion of her own household. Her friends
liked her jams so well that she final
ly decided to go into the business. An
old brewhouse adjoining her home,
Walters hall, was reroofed and fitted
up as a factory and a staff of expert
women engaged to make jam under
her direction. Next year she expects
to double the number of her employes
as well as the amount of her products.
Christmas Giving.
The one feature of Christmastlde
that cannot be overdone is the giving
of comfort to the needy. Sometimes
it appears that the custom of ex
changing gifts has its questionable
side, in the increasing demands upon
slender purses and the cultivation of a
spirit of mendicancy in servitors.
These matters, however, regulate
themselves, and probably little harm
is done by the swelling of the spirit
of generosity at this holy time. But
the relief of the poor and unfortunate
is a blessed work that can never work
injury to him who gives.
Let Children Make Cards.
Have a large box at hand to drop In
pictures, fancy papers, scraps of rib
bon, and so on to give the children to
make Christmas cards. Tou will be
surprised at their ingenuity.