The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, February 28, 1912, Image 7
I
SYNOPSIS.
Elam Hamlsh, known all through Alas
ka as "Burning Daylight." celebrates his
SOth birthday with a crowd of miners at
the Circle City TivolL The dance leads
to heavy gambling, in which over $100,000
is staked. Harnish loses his money and
his mine but wins the mail contract. He
starts on his mail trip with dogs and
sledge, telling his friends that he will be
la the big Yukon gold strike at the start.
CHAPTER II.?Continued.
"Of course he'll make It." Kearns
whispered in Hetties' ear. "And
there's five hundred Daylight's back
in sixty days," he added aloud.
Billy Rawlins closed with the wager,
and Bettles hugged Kearns ecstatical
ly
"By Yupiter, I ban take that bet."
Olaf Henderson said, dragging Day
light away from Bettles and Kearns.
"Winner pays!" Daylight shouted,
closing the wager. "And I'm sure go
ing to win, and sixty days is a long
time between drinks, so I' pay now.
Name your brand, you hochinoos!
Name your brand!"
% Somebody opened the outer door. A
vague gray light filtered in.
"Burning Daylight, Burning Day
light." some one called warningly.
Daylight paused for nothing, head
ing for the door and pulling down his
ear-flaps. Kama stood outside by the
sled, a long, narrow affair, sixteen
inches wide and seven and a half feet
in length, its slatted bottom raised six
inches above the steel-shod runners.
On it, lashed with thongs of moose
hide, were the light canvas bags that
contained the mail, and the food and
gear for dog3 and men In front of
it. in a single line, lay curled five
frost-rimmed dogs. They were husk
ies. matched In size and color, all un
usually large and all gray. From their
cruel Jaws to their bushy tails they
were as like as peas in their likeness
to timber wolves. Wolves they were,
domesticated, it was true, but wolves
in appearance and in all their charac
teristics. On top the sled load, thrust
J? <?-- I fni. tm.
uuuer llie IdMIlligs auu icau; IVI I
mediate use, were two pairs of snow- [
shoes. Daylight was saying good-by
to those who clustered around him.
The Virgin wanted to kiss him. and.
fuddled slightly though he was with
the whisky, he saw his way out with
out compromising with the apron
string. He kissed the Virgin, but he
kissed the other three women with
equal partiality. He pulled on his
\ long mittens, roused the dogs to their
feet, and took his place at the gee
pole.
"Mush, you beauties!" he cried.
The animals threw their weights
against their breastbands on the In
stant. crouching low to the snow and
digging in their claws. They whined
eagerly, and before the sled had gone
half a dozen lengths both Dayilgnt
and Kama (in the rear) were running
to keep up. And so. running, man and
dogs dipped over the bank and down
to the frozen bed of the Yukon, and In
tbe gray light were gone. On the
river, where was a packed trail and
wbere snowshoes were unnecessary,
the dogs averaged six miles an hour.
To keep up with them, the two men
were compelled to run. Daylight and
Kama relieved each other regularly
at the gee-pole, for here was the hard
work of steering the flying eled and
of keeping in advance of it The man
relieved dropped behind the sled, oc
casionally leaping upon it and resting.
As if through a wall. Daylight had
passed from the hum ard roar of the
Tivoli into another world?a world of
silence and immobility. Nothing
stirred. The Yukon slept under a coat
of ice three feet thick.
The cold snap continued. Only men
of iron kept the trail at such low
temperatures, and Kama and Day
light were picked men of their races.
But Kama knew the other was the bet
ter man. and thus, at the start, he was
himself foredoomed to defeat. Not
that he slackened his effort or willing
ness by the slightest degree, but that
he was beaten by the burden he car
ried In his mind. His attitude toward
Daylight was worshipful. Stoical, tac
iturn, proud of his physical prowess,
he found all these qualities incarnated
in his white companion.
CHAPTER III.
At Sixty Mile they rr,~tocked provi
sions, added a few pounds of letters
to their load, and held steadily on.
From Forty Mile they bad unbroken
trail, and they could look for
ward only to unbroken trail
clear to Dyea. Daylight stood
it magnificently, but the killing
pace was beginning to tell on Kama
His pride kept his moutb shut, but'
the result of the chilling of his lungs
in the cold snap could not be con
cealed. They traveled till ten o'clock
the nigM they reached Selkirk, and at
six next morning they plunged ahead
Into the next stretch of wilderness of
nearly five hundred miles taat lay be
tween Selkirk and Dyea. There was
no let-up In his pace. Twelve hours
a day. six in the twilight and six In
i the dark, they toUed on the trail.
Three hours were consumed in cook
ing. repairing harnesses, and making
and breaking camp, and the remaining
nine hours dogs and men slept as if
dead.
The time came when Kama was un
able to go In the lead and break trail. |
and it was proof that he was far gone
when he permitted Daylight to toil
all day at the heavy sr.owshoe wo-'k.
l.ake by lake they crossed the string
of lakes from Marsh to Lluderman.
and began tfce ascent of Chilcoot. By
all rights Da> light should have camped
below the last pitch of the pass at the ;
dim end of Cay: but he kep? on and |
over and down to Sheep Camp, while [
behind him raged a snow storm that
would have delayed him twenty-four
hours. This last excessive strain broke
Kama completely. In the morning ne
could not travel. At five, when called,
he sat up after a struggle, groaned,
and sank back again. Daylight did
the camp work of both, harnessed the
dogs, and, when ready for the start,
rolled the helpless Indian in all three
sleeping robes and lashed him on top
of the sled. The going was good; they
were on their last lap; and be raced
the dogs down through Dyea canyon
and along the hard-packed trail that
led to Dyea post And running still,
Kama groaning on top the load, and
Daylight leaping at the gee-pole to
avoid going under the runners of the
flying sled, they arrived at Dyea by
the sea. True to his promise. Day
light did not stop. An hour's time saw
the sled loaded with the ingoing mail
and grub, fresh dogs harnessed and
a fresh Indian engaged. Kama never
spoke from the time of his arrival till
the moment Daylight, ready to depart,
stood beside him to say good-by. They
shook H.ands.
"You kill urn dat damn Indian,"
Kama said. "Savvee. Daylight? You
kill um."
"He'll sure last as far as Pelly."
Daylight grinned.
K"(?tv.o chrvnlr Me hand HmihtfllllV.
and rolled over on his side, turning
his back in token of farewell.
A crowd filled the Tlvoll?the old
crowd that had seen Daylight depart
;
A {
?
The Time Came When Kama \
two momos ueiore; lur liho waa mw
night of the sixtieth day. and opinion
was divided as ever as to whether or
not be would compass the chleve
ment. At ten o'clock bets were still
being made, though the odds rose, bet
by bet. against his success. Dowr In
her heart the Virgin believed he bad
failed, yet she made a bet of twenty
ounces with Charley Bates, against
forty ounces, that Daylight would ar
rive before midnight.
She it was who beard the first yelps
of the "dogs.
"Listen!" she cried. "It's Day
light!"
There was a general stampede for
the door: but when the double storm
doors were thrown wide open, the
crowd fell back. They heard the eager
whining of dogs, the snap of a dog
whip and the voice of Daylight crying
encouragement as the weary animals
capped all they had done by dragging
the sled in over the wooden floor.
They came In with a rush, and with
them rushed in the frost, a visible
vapor of smoking white, through
which theiv heads and backs showed,
as they strained In the harness, till
they had all the seeming of swimming
in a river. Behind them, at the gee
pole, came Daylight, hidden to the
krif-os by the swirling frost through
which he appeared to wade. He was
-1.1 ,?!fV.ol loan
lilt? ScWiie UiU LJCXJ li&ill, nibuiti iv?
and tired-looking, and bis black eyes
were sparkling and flashing brighter
than ever. Ills parka of cotton drill
hooded him like a monk, and fell in
straight lines to his knees. Grimed
and scorched by camp-smoke and fire,
the garment in itself tolc* the story ot
his trip. A two-months' heard cov
ered his face; and the beard, in turn,
was matted with the ice of his breath
ing through the long seventy-mile
run.
He experienced a thrill of surprise
as the roar of welcome went up and
as every familiar detail of the Tivoli
greeted his vision?the long bar and
the array of bottles, the gambling
iCopyrtght, 1910, by the New York Herald C
(Copyright. 1910. by the MacMlllan Con
games, the big stove, the weigher at
the gold-scales, the musicians, the
men and women, the Virgin, Celia,
and Nellie, Dan MacDonald. Bettles,
r>;i?? 11 ? ? A1? 9 AronTI HnP
BUiy nawiiua, vitu n^uuvt mv",
Watson?all of them. It was just as
he had left It, and In all seeming
It might well be the very day he had
left The sixty days of Incessant trav
el through the white wilderness sud
denly telescoped, and had no exis
tence in time. They were a moment,
an incident He had plunged out and
into them through the wall of silence,
and back through the wall of silence
he had plunged, apparently the next
instant, and into the roar and tur
moil of the Tivoll.
He drew a deep breath and cried:
"The winner pays, and I'm the win
ner, ain't I? Surge up, you-all Mal?
mutes and Siwashes. and name your
poison! There's your Dyea mail,
straight from Salt Water, and no horn
swogglln about it! Cast the lashings
adrift, you-all. and wade into it!"
A dozen pairs of hands were at the
sled-lashlngs, when the young Le
Barge Indian, bending at the same^
task, ^ddenly and limply straight
ened up. In his eyes was a great sur
prise. He stared about him wildly,
for the thing he was undergoing was
new to him. He was profoundly
struck by an unguessed limiiatlon. He
shook as with a palsy, and he gave at
the knees, slowly sinking down to fall
suddenly across Pbe 6led and to know
the smashing blow of darkness across
Llia tuuotiuuouv/oo.
"Exhaustion." said Daylight. "Take
him off and put him to bed, some of
you-all. He's sure a good Indian."
A few minutes later. Daylight was
whirling around the dance-floor, waltz
ing with the Virgin. And small won
der it was that the Virgin yielded her
self to his arms, as they danced dance
Vas Unable to Go in the Lead.
after dance, and sick at heart aj the
knowledge that he found nothing tn
her more than a good friend and an
excellent dancer. Small consolation
it was to know that he never loved
any woman. She was sick with love of
him. and he danced with her as he
would dance with any woman, as be
would dance with a man who was a
good dancer and upon whose arm was
tied a handkerchief to conventionalize
him Into a woman.
At one in the morning he saw Elijah
Davis herding Henry Finn and Joe
Bars Out Ru
Germany's Blow to a Great Trade
Seriously Felt on Both Sides
of Border.
Announcement has been made that
the German authorities have Buspena
ed the Importation or live geese rrom
Russia on the ground that there is a
considerable amount of disease preva
lent in the frontier districts or that
country.
Coming, as this prohibition does, im
mediately prior to the period when ini
nnrts nt live geese increase ranldlv
the question Is serious alike to breed J
ers in Russia, who will have large I
quantities of birds thrown on their j
hands; to German goose fatteners. as j
they will be unable to fill up their
pens, for the home production is total
ly Insufficient to meet their require
ments, and to housewives In Germany,
who will find the already high price
of what is an important article or
food advance still further and pre
ably be prohibitive. Russians s
that there is 110 justlticatton lor i
regulation, that It is a trade um?
111 the interests ol German dealers t?>
lorce down prices and as a measure ,
j or fiscal protection to German breed
| ers.
Germany imports annually about j
u
QNDON
v cm of mtwiD:
'a/a/?r/tfjrom m.
1
-J)
Company.)
ipany.
Hines. the lumber-Jack, toward the
door. Daylight Interfered.
"Where are you-all going?" he de
manded, attempting to draw them to
the bar.
"Bed." Elijah Davis answered.
"Got to." Joe Hines added apolo
getically. "We're mushing out in the
mornin'."
Daylight still detained them.
"Where to? What's the excite
ment?"
"No excitement." Elijah explained
"We're just a-goin' to play your
hunch, an' tackle the Upper Country.
Don't you want to come along?"
"I sure do." Daylight affirmed.
But the question had been put in
fun, and Elijah ignored the accept
ance.
"We're tacklin' the Stewart," he
went on. "A1 Mayo told me be seen
some likely lookin' bars first time be
come down the Stewart, and we're
e*r\ I*1? * r\ comnlfl 'om Tl/hUo th? HVPf'S
? U1I1 LU OHUjpiC \*I
froze. You listen. Daylight, an' mark
my words, the time's comin' when
winter dlggin's *11 be all the go.
There'll be men in them, days that'll
laugh at our summer scratchln' an'
ground-wallerin"'
Elijah laughed, gathered his two
partners up. and was making a second
"Hold on." Daylight called. "I sure
mean it"
The three men turned back sudden
ly upon him, in their faces surprise,
delight, and incredulity.
"G'wan. you're foolin'," said Finn,
the other lumber-jack, a quiet, steady.
Wisconsin man.
"There's my dawgs and sled," Day
light answered. "That'll make two
teams and halve the loads; though
.w'e-all '11 have to travel easy for a
spell, for them dawgs is sure tired."
The three men were overjoyed, but
still a trifle incredulous
"Now look here." Joe Hlnes blurted
reach the door
out. "none of your foolln', Daylight
We mean business. Will you come?"
Daylight extended his hand and
shook. *
CHAPTER IV.
This time the trail was easier. It
was better packed, and they were not
carrying mail against time. At Forty
Mile they laid over two days for the
sake of the dogs, and at Sixty Mile
Daylight's team was left with the
trader. Unlike Daylight, after the
terrible run from Selkirk to Circle,
City, they had been unable to recup 1
erate on the back trail. So. the four
men pulled on from Sixty Mile with
a fresh team of dogs on Daylight's
sled. The following night they
camped in the cluster of islands at
the mouth of the Stewart. Daylight
talked town sites, and, though the
others laughed at him, he staked the
whole maze of high, wooded island.
"Just supposing the big strike does
come on the Stewart." he argued.
"Mebbe you-all 'll be in on it, and then
o<ra<n ntphhp VOU-all Won't. But i SUT?
will. You-all 'd better reconsider and
go in with me on it."
But they were stubborn.
"You're as bad as Harper and Joe
Ladue." said Joe Hines. "They're al
ways at that game. You know that
big flat jest below the Klondike and j
under Moosehide Mountain? Well. |
the recorder at Forty Mile was lellin' j
me they staked that not a month ago j
?The Harper & Ladue Town Site.
Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Elijah and Finn Joined in his laugh
ter; but Daylight was gravely in earn
est.
"There she Is!" he cried. "Tbe
hunch Is working! It's in the air. I
tell you-all! What'd they-all stake
the big flat for If they-all didn't get
the hunch? Wish I'd staked It."
The regret in his voice was provoca
tive of a second burst of laughter.
"Laugh, dang you, laugh! Why
your eyes al."'t open yet. You-all are
a buncb of little mewing kittens. I
toll vou-all If that strikes come on
Klondike, Harper and Ladue will be
millionaires. And if it comes on Stew
art. you-all watch the Elam Harntsh
town site boom. In them days, when
you-all come around makin' poor
mouths . . He heaved a sigh of
resignation. "Well. I suppose I'll
have to give you-all a grub-stake or
soup, or something or other."
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Loud and Soft Pedal.
Remember to do your grumbling In
a wbisner. Save your megaphone tor
praises?tt was invented to advertise
good things, anyhow.
issian Geese
8.000,000 live geese, of which seven
eights come from Russia, where these
birds are bred in vast numbers
throughout the western and southwest
ern governments. They are bought
trom the raisers by traveling dealers,
who drive them in huge flocks to the
frontier stations, where they are en
trained ror despatch to Berlin and oth
er cities.
The cars used for this purpose are
built in tour decks, each car holding
about 1,200 birds. Special trains are
run in the season, consisting of a
dozen tu injrijr-uve uis, >u
ance with the supply As many as
50.000 geese have been known to ar
rive at Magerviebhot market, Uerlin.
on a single day.?Westminster 'Ga
zette.
Didn't Go Crazy Over It.
The inhabitants of lone Si. Ivilda
tipard the gramophone the other day
'he first time. A steamer belong
' Messrs. McCallura of Glasgow
1 at the island, and it was one
passengers, Mr L/Ouis Barbe,
nad the distinction or '-akkig the
lust gramophone to the Isianri The
stolid St. Kildean, however, failed to
display the wide-mouthed wonder
which was expected of him.
V. 'JU y'i.'. li
POSTAL SERVICE j
SHOWS A PROFIT ;
]
First Time in History, According j
to Report of Cabinet f
Officer. j
RAISE IN RATES IS FAVORED '
i
]
President Concurs in Recommenda- {
tion of Commission on Second- 1
Class Mall Matter?Again Sug
gests Adoption of Parcel ,
Kost system. \
Washington. Feb. 22.?For the first ]
time in the history of the postal serv
ice that department of the government (
showed a profit for the fiscal year \
ending June 30, 1911, according to the <
annual report of Postmaster General (
Hitchcock transmitted to congress to- (
day. Accompanying the document ]
was the report of the commission
second-clas3 mail matter appointed by
Joint resolution of congress on March
4 of last year and a brief message of *
the president, in which he called at- 1
tention to the principal features of the '
two reports. 1
Would Increase Second-Class Rates. '
The report of'the commission on 1
second-class mail matter makes the 1
following recommendations: 1
1. The rate of 2 cents/ a pound on '
copies mailed by publishers to sub- '
scribers, to news agents, and as sain- 1
pie copies, and by news agents to their (
subscribers or to other news agents. {
2. The rate of 1 cent for each 4 ]
ounces for copies mailed by other '
than publishers and news agents; that 1
Is, the present transient rate.
1 3. The present free-ln-county priv
ilege retained, but not extended.
The commission also recommended
that the cent-a-copy rate for newspa
pers other than weeklies and for pe- '
riodicals not exceeding 2 ounces in
weight, and the 2-cent-a-copy rater for 1
periodicals exceeding 2 ounces in
weight, when mailed at a city letter- i
carrier office for local delivery, be
abolished.
As to the effect and adequacy of the
proposed increase of 1 cent a pound
in postage the commission says:
"Such an increase will not, In the
opinion of the commission, bring dis
tress upon the publishers of newspa
pers and periodicals, or seriously in
terfere with the dissemination of use-.,
ful news or information. A reasonable
time should be allowed, after the rate
is fixed, before it is put into effect.
Wtoile the new rate will be very far
from compensating the government
for the carriage and handling of sec
ond-class matter, it will to some ex
tent relieve the existing burden and
result in a more equitable 'adjustment
or rates.
Both the president and the postmas- ,
ter general concur In the recommenda
tions and regarding the proposed in
crease In newspaper postage the presi
dent says: 'The proposed increase of
1 cent a pound hi the second-class
postage rate, I believe, to be most
reasonable, and if sufficient time Is al
lowed before the change goes into ef
fect it should work little serious in
jury to the business of the periodical
publishers, while equalizing, at least
in a measure, the burdens of postal
taxation."
Rates Should Be More Equal.
Commenting further on the pro
posed increase, the president says:
"The postal service is now, for the
first time in years, operated upon a
self-sustaining basis, and in my judg
ment this Is a wise policy; but it
should not be carried out at the ex
pense of certain classes of mall mat
ter that pay revenue largely In ex
cess of their cost. It Is not just that
some classes of mail should be ex
orbitantly taxed to meet a deficiency
caused by other cfasses, the revenue
from which is much T>eIow their cost
of handling and carriage. Where such
inequalities exist they should be re
moved as early as practicable. The
business enterprises of the publishers
of periodicals, however, have been
built up on the basis of the present
second-class rate, and therefore It
would be manifestly unfair to put into
Immediate effect a large increase In
postage. That newspapers and maga-u
zines hive been potent agencies for
the dissemination of public lntelll
gence and have consequently borne a
worthy part in the development of the
country all must admit; but it is like
wise true tliat the original purpose of
congress in providing for them a sub
vention by way of nominal postal
charges in consideration of their
' J nnKllo Informs
value as mcumuia ui
tion ought not to prevent an increase,
because they are now not only educa
tional but highly profitable. There is
no warrant for the great disparity be
tween existing postage rates on pe
riodicals and the cost of the service
the government performs for them.
The aggregate postal revenues for the
fiscal year 1911 were $237,879,823.60,
derived mainly ?from the postage qol
lected on the four classes of mail
matter. It is carefully estimated by
the postofflce department that the
revenue derived from mail matter of
the first class is approximately one
and one-half times the cost of han
dling and carriage; that the returns
from third and fourth class matter are j
slightly In excess of their cost or
handling and carriage; and that while
second-class matter embraces over 05
per cent, of the entire weight of all
the mail carried, it, neverthelesss,
yields little more than 5 per cent, of
the postal revenues."
The commission on second-class
Names From Dickens' Characters.
Although Dickens is commemorated
In street names abroad there is no
street named after him in London.
But there is a near approach to it
!n Copperfield road. Stepney, not far
!rom the People's Palace, and to prove
hat this was inspired by "David Cop
jorfleld," we find a Dora street and an
Vgnes street in close proximity.
Petroleum Known to Egyptians,
Ages before the Roman empire pe
troleum was used by the Egyptians.
.
mall matter^consisted of Hon. Chariea
E. Hughes, associate Justice of the
3upreme Court of the United States;
President A. Lawrence Lowell of Har
vard University, and Mr. Harry A.
SVheeler, president of the Association
if Commerce of the city of Chicago.
In commenting on their findings the
president says:
"The report discloses a most ex
laustlve and critical inquiry into the
jubject of second-class mail matter
ifter adequate notice to all the par
ses In interest. Extensive hearings
were held by the commission, at which
:he Postmaster General and the Sec
ond and Third Assistant Postmasters
General appeared and submitted for
mal statements presenting the various
:ontentlons of the Post Office depart
ment, together with all the relevant
sfflcial data and evidence relating to
the cost of handling and transporting
second-class mall matter. Certain of
the leading magazlAs were represent
ed by counsel, while various other pub
icationa appeared by representatives.
"The findings of the commission
jonfirm the view that the coat of
handling and transporting second
:lass mail matter is greatly In excess
}f the postage paid, and that an In
crease in the rate is not only justified
by the facts, but Is desirable."
Cost Inquired Into.
"The commission reports that the
evidence submitted for its considera
:lon is sufficient to warrant a finding
3f the approximate cost of handling
ind transporting the several classes
5f second-class mail known as paid
at-the-pound-rate, free-ln-county, and
transient matter, in so far as relates
to the services of transportation, post
office cars, railway distribution, rural
ielivery, and certain other .Items of
:ost, but that it Is without adequate
data to determine the cost of the gen
aral post-office service and also what
portion of the cost of certain other
aggregate services is properly assign
able to second-class mail matter. It
flnds that in the fiscal year 1908, the
period for which the statistics for.the
rOflt orace jjepajimeni. were turn*
piled, the coat of handling and trans
porting second-class mail, in the items
Df transportation, post-offlce cars, rail
way distribution, rural delivery, and
certain miscellaneous charges, was ap
proximately 6 cents a pound for paid
at-the-pound-rate matter, and for free
in-county and transient matter each
approximately 5 cents a pound, and
that upon this basis, as modified by
subsequent reductions in the cost of
railroad transportation, the cost of
paid-at-the-pound-rate matter, for the
services mentioned, is now approxi
mately 5% cents a poupd. while the
cost of free-ln-county and' transient
matter remains as formerly, namely,
each at approximately 5 centa a.
pound.
The commission suggests that the
department "maintain an adequate
cost system, so that the effect of the
new rates may be closely observed
and a proper basis may be secured
for the consideration of any future
proposals."
President Taft again concurs In the'
reaommendation of the Postmaster
Geperal for the adoptiqn of a parcel
post system, suggesting the inaugura
tion of such a service on rural routes
and in the city delivery service first.
ui- _# TaUnrinh Dnnnucd.
iuwncrariip vi >- -3 u r -. .rr.
Hitchcock's recommendation for
government ownership of the tele
graph lines under the supervision of
the postal service Is not approved of
by the president. Regarding this he
sav?:
"There is only one recommendation
In which I can not agree?that is one
which recommends that the telegraph
lines in the United States should be
made a part of the postal system and
operated In conjunction with the mail
system. This presents a question of
government ownership of public utili
ties which are now being conducted by
private enterprise under franchises
from the government I believe that
the true principle Is that private en
terprise should be permitted to carry
on such public utilities under due regu
lation as to rates by proper authority
rather than that the government
should itself conduct them. This prin
" 1 T ^^ nAf + V? InV ft
clpie i lavor oecauae 1 UU IIUl kutuit *?
in accordance with the best public ppl
Icy thus greatly to Increase the body
of public servants. Of course, If It
could be shown that telegraph service
could be furnished to the public at a
less price than It Is now furnished to
the public by telegraph companies,
and with equal efficiency, the argu
ment might be a strong one in favor
of the adoption of the proposition. But
I am not satisfied from any evidence
that if these properties were taken
over by the government they could be
managed any more eoonomically or
any more efficiently or that this'would
enable the government to furnish serv
ice at any smaller rate than the pub
lic are now required to pay by private
companies."
The report of the Postmaster Gen
eral Is full of statements of changes
in the organization and methods of the
postal service made since the last an
nual report, and of tentative drafts of
legislation embodying certain recom
mendations of the department which
need legislation to carry them out. It
also calls attention to ine ia<;r iu?i
the revenues for the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1911, amounted to $237,879,
823.60 and that the expenditures
amounted to $237,660,705.48, making a
surplus of $219,118.12.
The report shows that the postal
savings system was begun experimen
tally in January, 1911, tnd that It has
now been extended so as to include
7,500 presidential post offices, which
includes practically all of the post
offices of that class. Preparations are
also being made to establish the sys
tem at about 40.000 fourth-class offices.
The deposits in'll months have reach
ed a total of $11,000,000, distributed
among 2,710 national and state banks.
Less Cost and Troubre.
The average man is more ready to
lend his ears to a hard luck story than
to lend a hand.
But Less Valuable in Life.
It is much more easy to win ap
platise by skill, in games than by abil
ity in more valuable pursuits.
Woman's Best Work.
As a rule women's best work lp.
done by influencing man, and not by
competing with him.
B
T
rJVITATION MEANS THAT THE ' -#
MINISTER HAS VIRTUALLY
BEEN REPUDIATED.
VISIT WILL BE FRIENDLY
The Secretary Announces That He y&g
/
Has Changed Hi* Plana?He is Pro
..ft,
ceeding Direct to Colon?All These
_ '
Countries Are Friendly. "
Washington.?Colombia virtually re
pudiated the action of its minister^;
General Ospina, sending through Am- ?
erican Minister Dubois, at Bogota, a
cordial invitation to Secretary Knox ; '
to visit Colombian shores on his preif
ent trip to the republics of the Car- j|gj
ribean sea. The invitation was for- ,
warded promptly to Secretary Knox
who is aboard the cruiser Washington. VI
on his way south. With him rests wtt
decision whether he will change
itenerary to include a call to the port
of Cartagena. This, it is accepted V"
here, he undoubtedly will do.
The action of the Colombian For*' .V
eign Office was received rhere witl* i;
satisfaction. It closes a disagreeable
incident. Minister Ospina, who Is dap.
clared to have been recalled becaase^'
of his letter to the State Department*
protested against the proposed visit ot '
Secretary Knox because of the feeling ;
in Colombia against the United States -3
said to be attributable to the acgtjisi- - <'
tion by this country of the Panama j
canal zone. 1 ;.
Acting Secretary of State Hunting- $81
ton Wilson did not disguise his ap
preciation of Colombia's decision.to.
welcome his chief.r VT'rC
"The messaged," he said, "that have- J
been received from the various repree-;
entatives of the countries of the Car
ibbean region, are characterized. bjfv*'!
a uniform warmth of welcome. All see; *
in the proposed, visit an evidence of
friendship and the opportunity for
better acquaintance and the establish
ment of more intimate relations with
the United States.
' I.
' May Explain Mysterious Death.'
New York.?Mystery in the deaths .
of eight children and the illness of
four pther infants in the t Brooklyn.'
nursery and infants hospital was, ex- '^;
pected to be solved by a chemical 1
analysis of the contents of the stom
achs of two of the dead children; An V.
irritant poison, believed to he oxalyic . *
acid mixed with lihie water and milk
was indicated as death agent by an . ' )
autopsy. All of the poisone<J babies
were in one ward. There' are only f - f
four children in the ward who have .i7^
not shown symptoms of poisoning. ^
physicians scout the idea that thV ,j|
children suffered from any disease of
which they were not cognizant. Q8|
. . y i
Receiver For Big Lumber Company. ;1 i
Philadelphia. ? Claiming that the
arm was organized to defraud the
public and that it is insolvent, four '
stockholders of the International
Lumber and Development Company . -
with offices In this city, petitioned &jj
for the appointment of a receiver. The ; ^
corporation was chartered under the
laws of Delaware and has a <ppital,
of $6,0000,000. It was organized for
the development of timber and agri
cultural lands in Mexico,
Buried Alive for Seventy-Four Hour*.
Sabot Island, Va.?Burled alive for
seventy-four hours, Smith Moss, a ne
gro well digger, was rescued from a
cave-in shaft here. When brought to
the surafce the first object that met v
Moss' gaze was a coffin, which had . i
been brought by the rescue party for V ^
the reception by the rescue party for v
thing away," said Moss indignantly, U
Eight Bodies Taken From Mine.
McAlister, Okla.?According to re- "
portp of the .state mine inspector's of
fice here from Lehigh, Okla., eight
bodies had been taken from mine No. 1 .
5 of the Western Coal and Mining
Company in which a fire broke out
imprisoning 15 to 20 miners| Only on?
man still remains unaccounted for
and it is feared he is dead.
May Confiscate Decayed Corn.
St. Louis.?The National Grain
Dealers' Association met here to dis
cuss what action shall be taken in
view of the suggestion of Dr. Harvey
W. Wiley, chemist, regarding the con
fiscation of decaying grain. The grain
men will urge the government to
declare exempt rrora tne iooa ana
drug act all products of the soil in
their raw state. Such a decision would
prevent the bureau of chemistry from
going into the grain inspection busi
ness and carrying out the conflsca- 1
tion of shipments.
Date of Trial of Dynamiters.
Indianapolis, Ind. ? Arrangements
were completed for the arraignment
on March 12 of the men indicted in
the dynamite conspiracy cases. Dis
trict Attorney Miller said 48 of the
-54 defendants would enter pleas in
answer to the 32 indictments. Frank
M. Ryan, president of the internation
al association of bridge and structural
iron workers, said he would remain in
Indianapolis to consult daily with the
iron workers' attorneys in preparation
" ? a fViA
lor nis ueieuse aim me ucicu
other indicted union officials.
BiLterly Attacks The Pension Bill.
Washington.?In an attack on pri
vate pension bills pending in the house
Representative Rodenberry, of Geor
gia, democrat, declared that the Sher
wood iervice pension bill as it pussed
the house sometime ago had been
loatted down with "graft, steal, injus
tice and privilege." "The house took
the leadership away from the com
mittee that reported that bill and
loaded if down as a republican con
gress never would have done," assert
ed Mr. Rodenberry.