Fort Mill times. (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, February 03, 1910, Image 7
WILL WORK THEM"
*
And Pay the Government a Big Cash Royalty
for the Privilege
OPENS OFFICIAL EYES
A Seattle Man Shows How the Govb
t
eminent May Make Two Million e,
Dollars Per One Hundred Acres w
r<
for Alaskan Coal Lands Against gl
110 Per Aero Trus tWould (live. ^
n
A new and somewhat sensational C
factor suddenly appeared Wednes- ^
day in Washington to add intensity 8
to the already sufficiently excited e
situation over the Alaska coal lands, o
on the eve of the beginning of the 8
Ballinger - Plnchot investigation, 1
which largely concerns that question.
John E. Ballaine, of Seattle, 8
said to be the largest individual 1
property owner in Alaska, made a n
proposition in writing to the senate p
committee on territories, of which e
Senator Beveridge of Indiana is e
chairman, offering to the government a
a royalty of fifty cents a ton of coal 8
mined, for the lease of 5,000 acres
of some of the choicest coal lands
in Alaska, in the Katalla and Mat- 1
ansuka districts. Such a tonnage- 1
royalty would net the government, "
Mr. Ballaine claims, amounts as
- _ .
high as 12,000,000 per nunareu a
acres.
Tbla proposal contemplates a radical
departure from past practices In 1
the government's disposal of the 1
Alaska coal lands. and It comes 1
avowedly to do battle with another e
proposition, designed to permit the 1
sale or lease of such lands at a rate
of $10 per acre. It is said that the
general features of the plan have
the approval of officials high in the
administration and of influential I
members of ooth houses of congress,
including some of the prominent
Insurgent Republicans, and delegate
WIckersham, of Alaska.
Mr. Balline, In his letter to Sena- 8
tor Beverldge, offers to enter Into a
bond of $1,000,000 with the govornment
for the performance of his ^
part of the agreement, which he proposes,
and he makes the charge that
"other Interests" have now at work
in Washington a lobby, "headed by a
former U. S. Senator" In support of
the bill referred to above, under |
whose provisions, he declared, the
government would extend an unconditional
guarantee to a railroad or
railroads which these interests pur- 8
pose to build in Alaska, and would ^
virtually donate to them at $10 per (
acre one or more tracts of 6,000 j
acres each to be selected by them.
DnllntnA o olr a OAn (reAja a q ii_
iUi . uaiiniuv aono wu^icoo * \j uu j
thorize the head of a department
to be designated to enter into a lease
with a coal company to be organlz- ^
ed by him, for 6,000 acres of Man- ^
tahuska coal land under all the provisions
for regulation and against
monopolistic control of prices as
stipulated In the bill recently Introduced
by Senator NJelson in conformity
with recommendations of
Secretary Balllnger'g annual report.
This coal company would pay the
United States and Alaska a royally
of 60 cents a ton for the coal as
mined. Mr. Ilnllaine states in his 1
proposal that veins averaging a total 1
thickness of twenty feet would yield,
according to standard measurements,
a total in excess of 100 million tons
from the 5,000 acres, making a royalty
of $60,000,000 for this comparatively
small area.
1IAIIC BAI.Ij IN HKli STOMACH.
It Served There as u Sort of Pin anil
Needle Cushion.
Surgeons operating on a woman
patient at the St. Lawrence State
Hospital for the Insane at Ogdensburg
a few days ago took from her
stomach a ball of hair weighing 3
1-4 pounds. It had to he cut into
three pieces to be taken out. Many
pins and- needles were found imbedded
in the mass.
The doctors thought the woman
had a tumor. It is supposed she was
in the habit of pulling hair from
the mattress of her bed and swallowing
it.
Dealt Blow Willi Axe.
A dispatch from Winston-Salem,
N. C., says news reached there a few
days ago of a probably fatal light
near Vado Mecuin Springs, Stokes
county, in which, it is alleged, Will
Nlten crushed Robert Cook's skull
with an axe. The story goes that
both men struggled for possession
of the weapon and finally Nlten got
It and ended the battle. Dr. R H.
Moorefleld, who attended Cook, says
- his recovery is doubtful. Nlten is
said to have escaped. The men
fought over an old grudge.
!Ia<1 a Great Time.
The legislature took Wednesday
off to make a trip to the Citadel,
the special carrying over 40 members
of the legislature, members of
their families and friends, leaving
over the Coast Line early Wednesday
morning. Then on Friday they
went to Clemson. <
?itj.. .> -
SHOT BY CAR-BREAKER
IIS OWN PISTOL THE WEAPON
USED ON HIM.
lesperate Struggle Against Heavy
Odds?Special Officer of Southern
Hallway at Columbia.
A dispatch from Columbia says
pecial Officer S. H. Poyer, employ
a by tne eoutnern railway mere,
ras shot and seriously wounded a
ew nights ago at the Royster yards,
ome two iniles below the ci'.y, while
ttempting to arrest two negroes who
ad broken into a box car. At the
!olumbia hospital it was said that
e could hardly recover.
Mr. Boyer was on duty at the Royton
freight yards, when he discovred
two negroes taking a quantity
f goods from a freight car on a
iding. He advanced closely on the
hieves before he mado any attempt
o protect himself in case the neroes
attacked him, and did not have
line to draw his pistol when the
egroes discovered him and overowered
him. In the struggle that
nsued one of the negroes, wrenchd
Mr. Boyer's pistol from his band
nd shot him, the ball entering his
houlder and coursing downward and
odglng in his body.
Bloodhounds were secured from
he penitentiary and placed on
he trail of the thieves. An unveriled
repoii. to police headquarters
ater said that one of the negroes
lad been captured but had escaped
gain.
Mr. Buyer is well known in Coluniiia,
at one time being a member of
he police force. He resigned some
en years ago and has been In the
mploy of the railroad since. He
Ives with his family at 2018 Gadsien
street.
DYNAMITE 4vlEES ONE.
explosion in North Carolina Court
House Futal.
By the accidental discharge of a
tick of dynamite in the county court
louse at Bryson City, N. C., Thurslay
night, Omar Conley was lntantly
killed, Barrett Banks lost
ioth eyes and was otherwise injurd,
and Lee Francis, registrar of
eeds, of Swain county, was fatally
njured.
Conley and Banks were thawing
yuamite on the radiator of the regstrar's
office in preparation for a
ishing trip. One of tho sticks of
lynamlte, it is said, fell to the floor
ind exploded with such force as to
hatter the doors and windows of
he office and seriously damaging
he entire west end of the court
louse.
Many valuable county records and
egal papers were destroyed. Regstrar
Francis was working at his
iesk when the explosion occurred.
Late advices state that he and Banke
iiave little chance for recovory.
WHITE LIOHTS COT HIM.
William Filgate, ?.f Savannah. Begs'
New York Judge to Shoot Him.
Police Magistrate Breen, of New
York city, was considerably surprised
a few days ago when a well dressed
person on being arraigned, asked
that he be either shot or thrown
in t ho ri vor Thn nrlurtnnr ao</l
was William Filgate, of Savannah,
Ga., who went to New York four
months ago with $1,100 In cash and
was arrested before daylight that
day for begging on the streets.
"It's absinthe and whiskey," said
the young man; "I came up here to
make my fortune, but I tarried
around the white lights too loRg
and I went down pretty quick. I
had $38 left yesterday morning; 1
had a good time and last night I
was broke and had no place to sleep.
I asked a man for a quarter, and
when he called me a beggar I struck
him. Judge, I don't want to go to
Jail. I'd rather have you shoot me
or throw me into the river."
Further examination of the young
man was postponed until later so
that his identity might be verified.
m n.ii e iv.a
i nt" i mi <<>r
An appeal to America t.o aid the
sufferers from the French floods has
been sent to New York by the municipality
of Paris. The appeal is as
follows: "We. are doing all we can
for the homeless and destitute. The
firemen and Red Cross are working
like heroes, but we need help. The
suffering in Paris is terrible. We
would ask that America help us with
money to build shelters for our homeless
and to provide provisions and
clothing. We also need bread and
coal."
Four Killed In Wreck.
Four men were kil'ed and three
others wore seriously injured Thursday
when a freight train on the
Chaptauqua branch of the Pennsylvania
railroad Jumped the track
about a mile north of Tltusvllle, Pa.
The dead are: William P. Pastorious.
signalman, Tltusvllle; Fred Warrend,
conductor, Oil City; V. H. Hughes,
brakenrTan, Buffalo; Mltche" Wallace,
fireman, Buffalo.
PROVES A SUCCESS
EDISON'S NEW STORAGE BAT- A
TERY RUNS A STREET CAR.
Edison Estimates That the Cost of >
Driving the New Car Will be Om
Cent a Mile.
What seemed In every way a successful
test of a Btreet car equipped p
with the new Edison storage bai- ^
tery was made on the Orange Valley
& Pasaic electric railway at West
i)
Orange, N. J., recently.
Thomas E. Edison himself c?uld ^
not witness the test, but his elec- ^
trical expert assistant, Ralph H.
Beach, was on board the car with
Zi
street car men from all over the y
country. The test was under the
auspices of the public service cor
poration, and T. S. AdaniB, master ^
mechanic of that organization, was
motorman. t
The car, which was specially con- g
structed for the new batteries, i3 ^
24 feet long and carries 30 pas- j,
sengers. One-half the weight of an ^
ordianry car of the same size, It
rides on a single track and is propeMed
by a straight drive. It is j
equipped with 210 cells, arranged ^
under the seats on both sides. Of ^
these cells 200 are for propulsion
and 10 for lighting, wtih a total
force of 50 horse-power.
Edison estimates that the cost of ;
driving the new car will be one cen' (j
a mile. If the test satisfies the ex ^
perts, the problem of cables and over
head wires will be solved for city (
traction companies, as the new ca" .
generates its own power.
Mr. Edison believes that the stor- ^
age battery will revolutionize auto .
mobile as well as street car traffic.
Not electric machines only will profit
by it, for the apparatus should supplant
gasoline motors as well.
y
DISCUSSES HIGH COST OF LIVING 1
v
President Wilson Says the Trouble I
p
is Too Many Leaving Farms. 8
"Is costs more to get the common
necessities of life in the United 'j
n
States today than in any other coun- t
try in the world." 0
This startling statement was made 0
a few nights ago by James Wilson, e
Secretary of Agriculture, in an address
delivered before the Manufac- ?
turers* Club of Philadelphia. Sec- 0
retary Wilson discussed "The Pres- n
ent Food Crisis," in a way that was j
original and forceful. a
"Some poeple," he said, "tell us t
that if we repeal the present tariff c
law to let in foreign products free fi
of duty, the present difficulty will r
cease. 1 do not believe it. Eggs c
are 35 cents a dozen in Canadian
cities and 60 cents a dozen in some c
American cities. The duty is 3 cents f
a dozen. What difference would it t
make whether you took off that 3 t
cents or not?" (
The secretary further stated that (
he believed the Aemricau people are (
suffering at present not so much |
from the cost of living, his statement
being:
"it nils been said that the American
is the best fed, best clothed, best ,
educated and best housed man upon
earth. We shall have to add now
that he is the most evpenslvely fed."
Secretary Wilson pointed out that
the fundamental difficulty was that
the people are leaving the farms to
such an extent that there are not
enough remainipa to produce the
food of the increasing population.
The boys and girls of the farm, he
asserted, are being lured away to
the cities, to the factories and to
the mines, and to too great an extent
the agricultural resources of
the country are being neglected.
He said he was convinced that the
combination of retailers, wholesalers
and the like were responsible
in great measure for the keeping up
of prices and that the same influence
would be sufficient to control the
prices of products brought from other
countries, even though the tariff
were removed.
Secretary Wilson, after declaring
that the record made by the manufacturers
of the United States is a
good one, said "the education of the
farmer, however, has been overlooked.
The young farmer has been
educated away from the farm and |
rrom tne production of food for the
people."
Confesses to Murder.
James Hall, an enlisted man In the
navy, has confessed to the murder
of Anna Schumacher at Rochester,
N. Y., In 1909, and Is now under
arrest at the Portsmouth navy yard.
The girl was killed In a cemetery
last August.
Fiend Assaults Child.
Frank T,arrance, a forrteen-yearold
negro boy, has been committed
to Jail at Hendersonvllle, N. O.,
charged with committing an assault
on a little white girl ten years oid.
The fiend has confessed his crime
Fiend Makes Kscape.
A negro entered the horn? of a
farmer near Osborne, N. C., while
he was away and assaulted his wife.
The negro was caught by the farmer
but later made his escape. Close
search la being made for the fltcd (
COPPER TRUST FORMED
lmalgamatkd company absorbs
smaller ones.
ibw vorponuon to IXmtrol Uop?
per Output of Country and Influence
Market of the World.
A dispatch from New York says
reliminary steps were taken a few
ays ago to efTect the long-lookedor.
merger of the principal copper
roducers of the country into one
ignntic corporation. In Wall street
nother biUion-dollar company was
requently mentioned, but the morel
onservative believed final capitiliation
would be closer to $500,000,00.
The Anaconda Copper Mining Coraany
officially announced that at a
leeung of the board of directors
few days ago it had been decided
o call a special meeting of the
tockholders in Anaconda, Mont., on
larch 23, to pass on a proposal to
ncrease the capital stock from $30,00,000
to $150,000,000, "for the
urpose of acquiring the property of
ther companies located in the ilutte
istrict." The Amalgamated Copper
Jompany owns 55 per cent of the
maconda stock.
Following the merger of the Butte
iroperities, which include the Amal;amated
Copper Company and its
ari'sus holdings, namely Anaconla
Copper Company, Boston & Monana,
Butte & Boston, Washington,
"renton and other subsidaries, and
he North Butte and Butte coalition,
t is expected that the new Anaconda
/ith is increased capital of $150,>00,000
will merge with the Guggenleim,
Haggin and other copper inerests,
thus effecting a corporation
/hich will not only control the copier
output of the United States but
/111 influence the copper market of
he world.
i ? ? *? * *
\^uuv:ci mug tut? pia.n to merge toe
arious copper properties in the
lutte district, the Amalgamated Copter
Company, in a statement issued,
ays:
"The reasons for proposed Increase
n stock Involve consideration of difienlt
and complicated legal quesions
as well as those relating to the
conomical and efficient management
f business operations of the dicernt
companies.
"Some of the operating features
?hich have been considered in favor
f the proposed transaction are ecolomles
which will result from workng
all the mines in accordance with
i general system of development,
bus relieving owners from necessity
tf maintaining numerous expensive
lurfaco and underground plants
lecessary under present conditions
>f separate ownership.
"The Anaconda Company, because
>f its size and its location, is regarded
as the logical company to besome
the purchaser of properties of
he other companies, and the step
aken to call a special meeting win
;he first toward submitting the mater
to stockholders of different companies
for their consideration."
MANY WIVES DESERTED.
Said to bo Duo to tbe Increased
Cost of Diving.
At Pittsburg, Pa., deserted wives
in great numbers have appeared at
the central police station within tht
past few days, -asking aid in the
location of their mates.
On Tuesday eight weeping women
told their stories and one man reversed
the tale by asking the police
to find his wife. A few days age
five more women appealed to the
defectives and Capt. William Elmore
is authority for the statement
that a wave of wife desertion is
sweeping over the city.
About half of the disrupted couples
are childless and the other hali
have large families. The childless
couples, after an Investigation, were
shown to be the better otf, but
couples with largo families found
the struggle of life was hard.
Capt. Elmore believes that the
increased cost of living has something
to do with the desertions.
Seen Just in Time.
Moths saved a small fortune from
destruction by fire at South Norwalk.
Conn., Thursday night. A
bundle of worn garments which had
belonged to Mary Spitzer, an aged
recluse, who died recently, were
about to be thrown on a bonfire
when through a moth-holl the gleam
of a yellow back was seen. An Investigation
brought to light $3,000
in bills, which had been sewed intc
the linings.
Advocate High License.
A Columbia dispatch to The New?
and Courier says a candidate foi
governor on a high license platform
was the announcement deflnitelj
made by one who is In close touct
with the political alignment of Soutt
Carolina. Next summer a gentleman
will certainly come out in th<
race for governor who will advocate
a system of license for the handling
of liquor traffic In this State.
A girl likes an extravagant younj
man?If she Isn't going to marri
him.
ABOUT THE NEW COMET
WHICH MADE ITS APPEARANCE
SEVERAL. DAYS ACO
And Which is Visible Now in Western
Horizon Just About the
Sunset Hour.
The new comet discovered last
Sunday In South Africa, close to the
sun, in the morning sky, and now
visible from the northern hemisphere
and emerging from the solar
rays in the evening sky, is one of
those strange interlopers from space
whose coming astonishes the astronomers
as much as anybody else, says
Garrett P. Serviss in the New York
American.
Moreover, it is evidently a comet
of the first magintude, and of appalling
brightness, since It has been
seen at the Lick observatory in full
daylight, something that has happened
but very rarely in this history
of comets.
The great comet of 1882, which
stole into the solar system in a
similar manner, being first Been in
the Southern hemisphere, was likewise
visible for several days in full
sunlight, and It proved to be one of
the most marvelous comets on record.
But when it got into the Northern
hemisphere it was visible only in the
morniug sky before sunrise.
This one, on the contrary, is coming
out into the evening sky, and
if the observations of its present
course are correct, it is likely to become
a brilliant object.
Already its spectrum has been
protographed, nud it shows that the
comet is shining both by reflected
sumlght and by the blaze of its own
intense heat.
The indications are that we shall
have a very unusual spectacle which,
'f present indicate us are fulfilled,
may be as memorable as anything
in cometary records.
It is all the more remarkable thai
this great etranger should have made
Its dramatic appearance at the time
when Halley'8 comet is nearing the
sun and preparing for its perihelion
swing.
But the two comets are pursuing
viiuicij uiiit;reuv puins, ana me new
one is likely to be a far grander object
than its well known rival. Not
enough is yet known of its orbit to
enable us to say just what its future
course will be, but its promise
is so brilliant that the most surprising
things may confidently be
expected of it.
It remains to be seen whether it
is, like its perdeccssor of 1S82, a
member of a group of comets all
traveling in the same path, or an
entirely independent body.
-It is evident, however, that its
perihelion must lie very close to the)
sun, and it has probably swept
through the coronal region, almost
brushing the solar surface, whence
the astonishing brilliance that it
exhibits. If it keeps in sight as it
withdraws from the neighborhood
of the sun it should exhibit a magnificent
tail.
The story of this comet will form
a startling chapter in the history of
astronomy. With the spectroscopic
! apparatus now in the possession of
astronomers a great revelation of
the nature of these mysterious bodies
ij apparently put without our rea^h.
1 Its sudden appearance is another
. proof of the adventurous nature of
. the vast voyage '.hat the solar sys
, tern is making through space.
On go the planets flying north(
ward with the sun, and into the
midst of them, like tornertn hnntu in
? vading a fleet, come plunging greu:
( comets. Some time one of t.liem U
, mathematically certain to hit the
sun?and then what? Nobody can
say. *
( But who's afrnid? After all, in
spite of their formidable look, con;
ets are insignificant bodies compar
ed with our solid globe, mostly gas
j and dust; so let them come. Their
| arrival increases the joy of life, and
prevents our minds from stagnating
with too mil %h costly politics and
cheap poetry.
Negro Breaks l*p Court.
A dispatch from Washington.
Oa? says noticing the unusual appearance
of the face of Cy Billiard,
<i noero armlcnptl KofnrA HI**-* on ?
misdemeanor charge Judge William
Wynne of this county asked the county
physician to examine him.
"Smallpox," said the physician imi
mediately. Hardly had the words
i been spoken when judge, court of[
fleers, spectators, all made for doors
. and windows, leaving the negro in
i complete possession of the court
i room. An immune officer later took
him to jail where he is the solo
prisoner.
j Accused Himself Falsely.
At Denver, Col., John Pressly Rari
rett, who claimed he was wanted in
r Memphis, Tenn., on a murder charge,
i was arrested charged with passing a
i forged check for $15. Thursday
- night word was received from Mem>
phis that Rarnett had, been tried
s and acquitted in Memphis on the
C charge of killing Frank Smith.
When confronted with this information
Rarrett admitted he told the
j story, hoping thereby to escape prosf
ccutlon on the charge of passing
fraudulent checks.
-
. .
BIG SWINDLE '
nsuraoce Policies Secured on Men Virtually
in Grave
THEIR WORK EXPOSED
Men of Atlklotic Hitlkl Were Ex
amined in Lit'u of Heal Applications?Insurance
People Have
Trouble on Their Hamls That is
Puzzling.
"I believe this investigation now
under way will unearth the biggest
swind4?-in the insurance life ever
exposed west of New York," said
State Insurance Commissioner Bell,
of Kentucky, a few days ago as ho
took up the case of Walter S. Rider,
a teamster, at Louisville, Ky., who
died January 4, and whose body was
exhumed by the coroner on the request
of certain insurance companies.
The death certificate indicated
that Rider died of intestinal
trouble, but is is reported that the
autopsy showed a large portion of
the lung eaten away, supposedly by
tuberculosis.
Commissioner Bell has taken up
the case upon the request of certain
life insurance companies in Indiana
and Tennessee, who are said to be
large losers by reason of the "grave
yard" swindle. These companies,
which it is alleged have already paid
$10,000 on policies issued in the
Rider case, are excluded from business
in Kentucky, yet it is said have
carried on a large business in Kentucky
through an agency at NewAlbany,
Ind., across the river from
l.ouisville. The scheme worked on
the companies is to a certain extent
an old one, the company issuing the
policy to men virtually in the shadow
of the grnve, after having examined
a man of athletic build who
was renresented as th*> nnnlinnnf
Local insurance men refuse to say
anything regarding the matter, for
the reason that they wish to recover
policies now outstanding with
the "dummies" involved in the swindle.
Rider, it is alleged, carried insurance
aggregating $16,000, but none
cf his relatives is named as beneficiary.
Mrs. Mary Quill, sister, and
James R. Rider, brother, made affidavits
several days ago to the effect
that they believed their brother
came to his death by poisoning and
that he was a victim of foul play.
The family communicated with the
Independent Life Insurance Company
of Nashville, Tenn., and the matter
was taken up in Louisville later by
& representative of that company
and three Indiana companies. Upon
these representations Acting Coroner
Dacher ordered the body exhumed
and the au'opsy held in the
presence of several physicians.
After discovering the li sion in the
lung, the stomach was turned over
to the chemists for analysis. Rider
was a teamster and received $10 per
week.
FOIM) CLASPED IN DEATH
Young Couple Whose 1'arents Objected
to .Marriage,
nAPtl lico of ??? * ~ 1 ? ? ? . ?
ui tiaicuiai opposition lO
marriage on account of tiieir youth,
Vernon llarr, aged 16, and Lina.
Ammer, aged 14, killed themselves
Thursday. They were found near
Monroe, Iowa, clasped in each other's
arms, sitting upright in Harr's buggy,
in which they were riding home
from a dance. On the girl's lap
rested a cup partly filled wtih strychnine.
They both had drank of this.
Their horse proceeded on his way
and stopped at the gate of the girl't
home.
ItOOZE DOWNED HIM.
Another of Hag Time Music (iocs
to the l'oor House.
Hugh Cannon, who wrote "Goo
Goo Eyes," "Ain't That a Shame,'
"Hill llailey" and other classics of
ragtime, was sent to the Eloise poor
house at Detroit Tuesday at the ago
of thirty-six. He told the pathetic
story of his life in short, expressive
sentences. "I quit coke easy," ho
said. "I hit the pipe in New York
for a year and stopped that. I went
up against morphine hard and quit,
but booze, red, oily booze, that's got
me for keeps. Except for seven
montns on tne water wagon, f'v?
been pickled most of the time."
How to Lower Prices.
Representative Sabath, a Demoway
to lower prices on foodstucs
way to ower prices on foodstuffs
is to place them on the free list for
Importation from foreign countries.
He hag introduced a bill to accomplish
this.
Many Unsolved Murders.
Thirty-seven unsolved murders in
twelve months was the record of
New York for 1909. Seven morn
have been added in the first threo
weeks of the new year, according to
a report just issued by the pollen
department.
IfcL jj^ji