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: - 4 JtHE nOCIT ISEAKD ARGUS. WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 28, 1914. THE ARGUS. , , Published Hy at 1(14 Second ve '. Rock Inland. I!L - (Entered at th fcoetoffle a second-class matter.) ek lessa: Memfror C t A t? BY THE J. W. POTTER CO. TEBMff Tan enu per week by car rier. In Rock Island: II per year by mall In advance Complaints of delivery service should be mad to the circulation department, which should also be notified In every Instance where It Is desired to have psper discontinued, as carriers have no authority In the premises. All communications of argumentative character, political or rella-lous. must have real name attached for publica tion. No such articles will be printed over fictitious a1sntures. Telephones) In all departments. Cen tral Vnlon. Rock Island 1st. 1145 and tits. Wednesday, January 28, 1914. . While few are killed In Mexican battles the massacres are bloody. The Webster (Mass.) man who lives on 4 cents a day escapes the twinges - of gout. A Pari tan wave must have struck Berlin, where the police Is raiding corset shops. The Dayton. Ohio, city manager Is to be managed by an accomplished young woman from Kentucky. - King Alfonso says he reads no books. The same might be said of a majority of his subjects. . - Emperor William keeps in good con dition by chopping wood. Col. Roosevelt accomplishes the same re sult by sawing. The Indianapolis News says that If the country is to have as many po litical parties as Senator Cummins thinks, it looks as if there were busy days ahead for Bourke Cockran. ' How far we hare departed from '-' aristocratic conceptions In this coun try is attested. In a way, by a remark contained in a recent decision of the United States circuit court of ap peals that there Is no more moral turpitude in publishing a libel against i king man against a rem jaoorer "Jn Devon or a street sweeper In Lon- ' don. That the meat producing animals in the United States should during the past year have decreased In number though Increasing In value, while the number of horses should have increas ed despite the competition o motor vehicles, presents a contrast of facta sufficiently Interesting to be worth study as one of the minor paradoxes of economics. 46 THACC5 riat'l COUNCILS I IT IS HERE. a Chicago newspaper has Interview ed a large number of the biggest mer chants, manufacturers and financiers Jn that city and they all gree that a long period of prosperity is In sight. Things that move them to optimism - are: ' ' More p'.entlful supply of money and lower rates of Interest. Coming Inauguration of the new system of regional reserve banks. which is counted on "to make panics - Impossible." Better understanding between busl '' aess men and the administration, i FREEING THE FILIPINOS. n nhiM-tion advanced to the pro posal to grant the Filipinos Independ ence 1 that the United States' with drawal from the Islands would be .followed by the entry of Japan or some other power. This objection Is gen'ly overcome i ...nhiHAn nrHpntpd in th senate by Senator Overman of North Caro lina. It provides Independence as soon mm the same can be achieved -with honor to the United States" and provides further that the president ' shall "be empowered to negotiate with Eogjand. Germany. France. Russia. Italy ana japan au vue navai powers for the preservation of that inde 1 "pendence. when granted, and making the Philippines neutral territory la 'me of war. The resolution went to he senate committee on Insular af fairs. The Overman proposal Is open to Vhe objection that In agreeing to neu- Xallz the islands In war this country i-salght e'rip Itself of one of the com- t.mandlng stations of the Pacific. The t answer to this Is that Uncle Sam would still have the advantage In the Pacific and that he does not need the Philippine, having Hawaii, to protect i the western sea coast. AVIATION'S DEATH TOLL. Aviator Hamilton, whose life ended r several days ago, is one of the airmen 'who nave gone into the beyond who 1 didn't die with ' Lis boots on. But - he died aa the result of his perilous : work, which made a nervous wreck vt him. Hamilton's death will there- ' for not be reckoned among the "toll of the air" for 1914. It is hoped, by the wsy. that this toll will not be as heavy this year as It was last year. Popular Mechanics for February rpflnts a list of the casualties to air i snen. It shows that as against 140 nation fatalities In 112. there were lU2 in 1912. la all the years before ;1I1I, sine the Wrights made the first 'tbllc eights In heavler-than-alr mi 'Aln. 4her had been but 114 deaths 1 in 190S, 4 In 1909, SS In 1910. and 77 In 1911. Twenty-six of the deaths of 1911 oc curred in the United State. 13 In Creat Britain. 61 in Germany. 61 In France and 35 In various other coun tries. Twelve alrnnen fell Into the water and were drowned. 157 were killed by the Impact of falling to earth. 9 were burned to death and 14 met death In various other ways, 9 of these being spectators who were killed while watching the airmen. One hundred and forty-six of those killed were piloting their machines at the time, 15 were mechanicians and 22 were passengers. September produced the longest list of casualties, 23 fatal accidents occur ring in that month. There were 22 In April and an equal number In July, while December was the safest month, with but six deaths. Undoubtedly the best known airman who was killed In 1913 was Colonel S. F. Cody, an American naturalised in England, who had done perhaps more than any other one man to fur ther the Interests of aviation in Great Britain and had won International fame through his inventions. He was kUled Aug. 7 by the failure of a bi plane of his own construction. A passenger with him was also killed. Alrront equally famous in Europe was M, Vlalcu. a Roumanian pioneer In aviation, who was killed Sept. 12 at Bucharest. Charles Nleuport, a French airman, famous the world around as a designer and builder of monoplanes, was killed Jan. 24. Besides the 192 fatalities due to aeroplane accident. 60 persons lost their lives in 1913 through accldenU to alrslVs or dirigible balloons. Twenty-eight were killed Oct. 17. w hen the Zeppelin "ti 2" exploded over Johannlstbal; 15 died when the "I 1" was wrecked In the North sea. Sept. 9; five French aeronauts were killed by the wrecking of a balloon April 17 and two German soldiers were .dropped from a Zeppelin that broke away from its moorings Sept. 10. What Mr. Wright's new safety de vice, which promises to make avia tion foolproof, will do toward dimin ishing the death rate remains to be seen. PARCEL POST AND EXPRESS COMPETITION. That public competition with private t monopoly is a good thing for the peo ple and the life of trade and also that It it does not put monopoly out of business, it Inspires It to up-to-date ex ertions and good service, is shown by the illustration furnished by the com petition between the parcel post sys tem and the express companies. It was thought by many that the In troduction of the parcel post system would make It Impossible for the ex press companies to live or at least confine their business to very large packages, and thus greatly handicap the service and reduce Its usefulness. From present appearances it does not seem that any such results will fol low. The express companies are going to meet the parcel post on its own terms and go It one better, and the parcel post will have to look to lu laurels, which of course it will do. The express companies have Just issued a schedule of new rates, which has been approved by the interstate commerce commission, and will go in to effect February 1. The samples of these rates which we find In an exchange Illustrate' how the competition between the companies and the parcel post is going to be of great advantage to the people. The old express rate of $1 on a 20 pound package from New York to Chi cago will become 64 cents. The ex press company will call for the pack age, transport it and deliver It for that sum. The parcel post fate between the same points and for the same weight Is $1.22, and the man who wants to ship his 20 pounds by par cel post will trudge to the postofflce with it himself. The old express rate of 75 cents on five pounds from New York to Dallas, Texas, will become 45 cents. The par cel post charges are 61 cents. On 10 pounds the old express company rate of $1.15 will become 70 cents; the parcel post charges are 91.01. The old express company rate of $1.65 for 20 pounds will become $1.20; parcel post, $2.01. The old express company rate of 65 cents on five pounds from New York to Milwaukee will become 32 cents, the same as the parcel post. But the old express company rate of 60 cent on 10 pounds will become 44 cents, as against the parcel post rate of 62 cents. The old express company rate of $1.10 on 20 pounds will become 6S cents, as against the parcel post charge of $1.23. inia competition or the express companies Is not going to put the par cel post system out of business any more than the competition of the par eel post has put the express com panles out of business. But the live competition between the two will re sult not only in cheapening the traffic to the people, but will be Instrumental In bringing about more careful, more expeditious and better service In every way. The express companies for years have enjoyed a practical monopoly of a very profitable business, and were loth to give it up. They fought the introduction of the parcel post sys tem, but now that the system la estab lished, the express companies cheer fully meet it and continue in bust omi with a vigor that insures success. competition is the life of trade. It I a public benefactor. Freed of Attempt to Slay. Decatur. 111.. Jan. 28. John Gibson of Springfield, arrested for an alleged attempt to kill Dr. J. W. McCleaa. a veterinary surgeon at Neoga, was dis charged because of lack of evidence at a preliminary hearing yesterday. Dr. McClean charges that some one fired a revolver at him at close range Sun day while he was entering his barn. but he was unable to find his assail ant. Capital BY CLYDE Congressman ffrem (Special Correspondence of Th Arams.) Washington, Jan. 26. ror farmers: How to get more money for your crops: cooperate. standardise, adver tise. That, in a nut shell, is the advice of Secretary of Ag rlculture Houston, and Is the result of 10 months of study on the part of the newly organized bureau of markets. The government investigators have received many val uable pointers from the coopera tive marketing ef forts of the fruit growers of south ern California and CLYDt H. elsewhere, and the experts now be .TAVCNNER lieve that what California has done with oranges, and what Washington and Oregon have done with apples, other sections of the country can do with potatoes, hams, and in fact all standard farm products. Every community has one product which reaches perfection in that local ity. By intelligent cooperation among all the farmers of the community that product can become a source of profit to all. In the opinion of Secretary Houston. The farmers must be Induced in par ticular communities to develop staple products." said Mr. Houston, "to stand ardize them, to prepare them properly for market, to study what market to reach at a given time, and the best and most economic method of shipping. nothing less than concerted action will suffice. The individual farmer cannot solve the problem. He cannot suffi ciently control the problem of produc- af ' f ' ' ft A TALE FROM ILLINOIS Christian Herald.) September 3 last 45 convicts from the state penitentiary at Joliet boarded a special interurban car . for Aurora. 111., where they were to take a special car on the Chicago & North western railroad to Dixon. They, were dressed in civilian clothes and only two unarmed guards accompanied them. One night when the men were gath ered in the big tent which is used in WIRE SPARKS II Washington A favorable report was ordered by the senate committee on postoffices and post roads of the resolution Introduced by Senator Nor rls of Nebraska directing that the postmaster general send to the senate the results of the investigation he hat made regarding government owner ship and control of means of com munication with a view to acquisition by the government of the telegraph and telephone facilities, to be operat ed as an adjunct to the postal service. New York Two chauffeurs, John Chandler and Chester Cravls, mem bers of a band of automobile thieves, charged with stealing cars worth $100,000 during the last two years, pleaded guilty. Sentence was defer red. New York The trustees of the Met- "The Young Lady The young lady across the way says 0 ; was a considerable decrease in the world's visible supply of wheat but she opposed most of It waa Inside th barns by this time. Comment H. TAVENNFJt the Fourteenth District. tlon, or the machinery for marketing. or the transportation facilities. Steel Mall Cars. Government owned steel railway rnall cars are In the way of becoming an actuality. The pending postofflce ap propriation bill contains -an Item of $200,000 for building steel mall cars for an experiment. This sum will bulla about 15 cars. . As It la now the govern ment pays too much rent to the rail roads for the use of car often built or wood that as a business proposition it could well afford to build for Itself all the steel cars needed for the service. United States Fish Commissioner Hugo M. Smith has been making a study of the life habits of the common eel, and In an article prepared for the National Geographic society be shows that the eel is one of the strangest of all fishes. Although eels are found In inland streams sometimes thousands of miles from salt water, yet they were all spawned in the oceans, probably in the dark and soundless depths of mid ocean, and in reaching the fresh water sources they have traveled thousand of miles. It is probable, according to Mr. Smith, that eels never deposit their spawn In water less than a mile deep. The eggs at once rise to the surface of the ocean, where they hatch, ine young larval eel is less than l-25th of an inch long when hatched. It noais about the surface for a year, In which time It becomes a ribbon-like fish three inches long, yet in that time it eats nothing whatever. How it lives and grows is a mystery. In this larval period the young eels drift 1,000 miles or so, eventually reaching the coasts and fresh water. They make their way upstream over dams and ' other obstacles, and on reaching headwaters remain until full grown, when they begin their Journey to the sea again. common in the evening, an alarm of fire came to the camp, and the whole 45 followed the superintendent over the fields and through woods for two miles until they reached a farm where a big barn was blazing, threatening outbuildings and residence. They suc ceeded in saving the house and out buildings, but the barn had to go. At midnight 45 convicts arrived at their camp unguarded, end lay down to a well-earned rest. ropolitan Museum of Art have accept ed the art treasures of the late Ben jamin Altman, the largest and most valuable gift of paintings, porcelains, tapestries, rugs, china, enamels, statu ary and other objects ever received by that Institution. New York The corporation of John II. Woodbury, face specialties, through its manager, Payton R. McCargo, was summoned to police court to answer a charge of practicing medicine without a license. Washington Representative Rob ert G. Bremner of New Jersey, who is being treated wiih radium for cancer In a Baltimore hospital, is improving slowly. Paris Officials of the French cham ber of deuptles declined to permit the prefix "prince" to he used in connec tion with the name of the son of Prince Victor Napoleon In a question addressed to the government. Across the Way" she saw In the naner that there UtaxiR His father had tolled and Ms father had saved, His father left pleasure on tasted; When he mlsht have had ease hi father. still slaved. Afraid that a day mlsht b wasted. HI father declined to be free from th grind That hardened his soul and bis sens; He smothered all cravings of body and mind. For the purpose of savins' expenses. His father, at last, having; wealth that was vast. Went the way that all fathers must travel : His a-rlndins was done and his saving was past. So they haulel him out over the gravel. He Inherited all that his father had sained By striving and frowning at pleasure; Not a lawyer, indeed, had a chance to proceed For the purpose of sharing the treas ure. With his gaze and his thoughts centered on the high spots. His toes seldom touched on the level. And, leaving a streak of blue smoke In his wake. He hurried headlong; to the devlL It Wouldn't Gd. "I'm afraid," said the venerable min ister, "I shall not be able to get up a new sermon for next Sunday. Do you suppose the congregation would notice it if I hunted up one that I used, say 15 or 20 years ago, and gave it again?" "I'm almost sure." his wife replied, "that it would be noticed." "Do you think they remember my preaching as well as that?" "Oh, I don't think they remember what you preach much longer than it takes them to reach the church door; but you would be quickly found out all the same if you attempted to make use of a sermon that you had preached 15 or 20 years ago. You used to try to scare people by hinting that there was a devil, you know." Too Ready to Quit. "It is very kind of you to ask me to be your wife; but I must refuse. I hope you will not hurry away and do anything rash." "Don't worry about that. I merely wanted to be sure that we understood each other." "You are so sensible that I am going to take back what I said and accept you." HER HELP. . "The fact of the matter is I never amounted to anything be fore I was mar ried." "Then you give your wife credit for making you ambitions?" "No; for making it necessary for me to get out and hustle." The Mule. The mule Is stupid, so they say: He has no brain with which to think But he can always turn away When he has had enough to drink. No matter If his foolish brother Insists that ha must hav another. Supreme Faith. "I gave my wife a check for $1,000 yesterday." "What was the cause of your liber ality?" "I knew she'd never have the nerve to try to cash It." If. "What do you suppose Diogenes would have done If he had found an honest man?" "He would probably have hired a manager and made a fortune lectur ing about the discovery." Great? Weill "Tour son appears to be a young man of great expectations." "Yes. He puts in his spare time writing speeches which he will have U deliver at the laying of corner Itones when he Is president." Nie Family Jar. "Last night," sold Mr. Hen neck. "2 Creamed that I was In heaven." "And was I there with yon?" bis wife asked. "Didn't I say It was heaven? wat his crushing reply. Cleveland Plaly Dealer. T The Daily Story HELOISE DUEAND BY MARIAN KNOX. Copyrighted. 1111. by Associated Literary Bureau. The Riviera la a favorite place fr the aristocracy of Europe to winter, especially Russians, who are often glad to escape the snow and Ice and cold winds of that bleak empire. Nice, Mentone and other points on the Medi terranean sea are during the months of December, January and February thronged with people, who find there both a balmy climate and gayety. About the middle of the nineteenth century an American girl gifted not only with beauty, but a remarkable histrionic genius, seventeen years, oia, was visiting the Riviera with her mother and brother. One afternoon while walking on the promenade on the Mediterranean shore the party met among the throng of Idlers a tall, hand some young man whose light hair and blue eyes marked him for a nortn erner. As he passed the girl his gaze was fixed upon her with admiration while she lowered her gaze to the ground. These two were real personages, but since this is a story rather than an ac count we will call the girl Helolse Durand and the man Count Stremoff. The latter was a young Russian, a member of one of the most aristocratic families of Ct Petersburg. He lost no time in discovering who was the girl of such striking appearance he had met and in looking for some One to Intro duce him to her. He was successful in making her ac quaintance, and then began a court ship which would likely have but one ending for so young a girl courted by a nobleman handsome as a picture and possessing the most charming man ners. Satan is pictured with cloven feet and a disagreeable countenance. But his most effective work is done under the guise of beauty. The two listened to the music to be enjoyed at Nice, promenaded on the sea walk and were together in sailing parties on the blue waters of the Mediterranean. And all this while the count was pour ing into her ear his tale of love. The Durands were satisfied that the count's position was all be claimed it to be, and since Heloise was of an age when a girl is easily won she was not THE BSIDE AND GBOOH MET AT THE ALTAR likely to resist an extremely fascinat ing man. European society has always been full of unprincipled men whose main object is the conquest of women, but it does not appear that this Amer ican family failed scrupulously to ob serve the etiquette relating to the asso ciation of young persons of opposite sex which has always been in vogue In Europe. The count, by asking for the hand of Miss Durand, seemed to indi cate that his Intentions were perfectly honorable. One precaution, however, was not taken. While the Durands had evi dence that Count Stremoff held the rank, the position and the wealth to which he pretended, they had no in formation as to his character. This is the rock on which so many American girls abroad, in making matrimonial contracts, have been wrecked. Once satisfied as to the position of the man they want, they are not likely to pay any attention to what he is In himself. The catalogue of Americans who have married titled foreigners to their cost is large, and still it grows. Count Stremoff being a Russian, any marriage he might make was amena ble to Russian law. That law explicit ly required that a marriage should take place in the Russian or Greek church and in accordance with its ceremonies. There was no Russian church on the Riviera, and it was ar ranged that the couple be married at the consulate. The wedding took place, putting Miss Durand In the paradox ical position of being Stremoffs legal wife, while he was not her legal hus band. It was arranged that the Durands and the count should go to Taris, where there was a Greek church, and they could be married according to the Russian law. Stremoff preceded the otners. it was then the I.enten iinii when no marriage can ue celebrated U me ureeK cnurcn. Tula the count doubtless knew. Nevertheless, he de parted, ostensibly to make preparations ror the celebration of the wedding. When the Durands reached Paris they discovered the fact that the mar riage making Helolse the legal wife in Russia as well as other countries could not be completed for some weeks. And now ?he count showed his true charac ter. He used all his persuasive powers to induce the young girl to go away with him, assuring her that she was his legal wife. . "Go with me," he pleaded, "to Rus sia, where we can be married accord ing to the requirement of the Greek church, where I will be at home aud where my family may attend the wed- weeks waiting, while there we eta h. united at once." Thrs was not true. No conpl could be married in the Greek church dBrtB Lent In Russia any more than in Pirfc The girl protested, but in vain, ttm moff seemed determined, and, befog, ing fearful of his integrity, not darin. to keep her secret longer, Ilelotie toM her mother of his solicitations. At the same time rumors em te Mrs. Durand that Stremoff was a nit and a profligate, without any sense et honor whatever. Fortunately th Do rands were relatives of the Amerlcu minister at St. Petersburg, and tt mother wrote him with reference te the marriage and the rumors so had heard. The ambassador wrote her to come at once to the capital. The fact of having the influence of one of so much importance at the Rus sian court makes this episode In mj life one of the remarkable stories of the world. Mrs. Durand and the youaj bride the latter assumed the title tod name of Countess Stremoff went to Russia and stayed at the American embassy. They were Informed by Uk count's brother that he was a villain and that they had better have nothing further to do with him. Stremoff while drawing a young American girl into his toils had no Met that she had the opportunity of calling to her aid the power of the United States. Her cousin, the ambassador, took the matter as an indignity to an American citizen to the Russian gov ernment and asked for redress for the young countess. The result of his rep resentations was an arrangement be tween the two powers that the pair bt officially married at Warsaw, In Rus sian Poland. The count, who by this time had thrown off the mask, showing that be had intended to make Min Durand his dupe, refused to go to War saw or be married. And here comes in among the wrong! that may be perpetrated by despotic power a case of right. Probably to other sovereign, no head of a republic surely, would have been able to compel this rascal to do justice to the girl be had Intended to win for the purpose ot deserting her when won, except. th czar of Russia. One day Stremoff received an official document from the czar ordering bin to go to Warsaw and complete tbe marriage that he had begun on tbe Ri viera. An order from the autocrat of all the Russlas to one of his subjects ii not to be despised. One who by a nod can send persons, without tbe sem blance of a trial, to work in the dread ed mines In Siberia is not likely to bt disobeyed when he directs a man to do justice to a woman. And tbe wronged girl had behind her tbe power of tbe great American republic to reinforce the czar. Count Stremoff dared not disobey bU sovereign's order, and at the appointed time the so called wedding party met at the church, the bride wearing t black dress, attended by her fairer.' her mother and the groom's brother, who had been very kind to tbe in jured girl. The father had concealed on his person a revolver, determined that if the villain refused to convey the necessary ; legal rights to bis daughter he would at least prevent his working any more mischief. The bride and groom met at the altar rail. Probably no more dramatic scene, certainly no more unique one, ever was enacted in a church. The groom was simply passing through a form in obedience to the will of one who held over him the power of Hfe and death; the bride was enduring as ordeal to make her a legal wife. Bat for her it was a terrible crisis, know ing as she did that her father was armed and at the slightest disposition on the part of the groom to recede tae ceremony would be turned Into a traf edyT She must have prayed silently there before the altar that she mlgbt be spared a bloody ending of her sals- fortune. The priest began the marriage rr" ice, all save the bride keeping tbeir eyes fixed on the count, wondering by what loophole, if any. he migbt at tempt to escape what was to be force! upon him. To all, especially the bride, the service seemed interminable. But at last it was ended, and Helois Do rand had become legally as well really the Countess Stremoff. Tbe bride and groom parted at the door of church, never to meet again. The Americans fled from Kossla at once, for by the Russian law tb bu band can imprison, beat, in every 111 treat bis wife if he can get bis hands on her. They reached the border tb same day and were safe. What became of the groom, whether' he continued bis villainy or had bee sobered by this one experience, is known. The wedding took place mors than half a century ago. and his same, save for this episode, whereia showed his villainy, has sunk into ob livion. Not so his wife. She becasM one of the world's famous actress Yet of all the dramas In wUiob S0 ever played it Is questionable if was so truly dramatic as tbe on W which she had played tbe real tfls principal role in the days of her nj youth Jan. 28 in America History. lS59-.Willi.im Hickling Prescott. ed historian, author of 9 Spanish conquests of South Aa , can states; also of Mexico, died Boston; born in Salem. '' 1SH-Tbe legislature of Maryland " ed to abolish negro slavery. u 1900 The government of Cuba ro. . ly turned over to ITeaddent ooaj by United States Governor M a goon. ( Just Goes Out. Juvenile-Mamma, when the fl out where does it go? Mother-i o know. dear. You might J'" ' ask where your father goes w&ea oing. Here w must pasa dreary goes out.