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STORE WRECKED Explosion of Gas Occnrs in a F?e and Ten Cent Store Thursday. . CLERKS ARE MISSING The Walls Collapsed and Fell in the Street, Hurying People Under Them?Resellers Hampered by the Danger From the Rive Electric Wires Cause Not Known. McCrory'e five and ten cent store at North Pittsburg and Apple streets, Connell8vllle, Pa., was wrecked by a gas explosion Thursday and the flames which followed communicated to adjoining structures. Three young women clerks are missing, two clerks and the assistant manager and a carpenter are In the hospital dangerously burned and injured, while a dozen or more employees are at their homes suffering from Injuries, more or less serious. Rv noon the flames were under control. and the property loss had been placed at $75,000. It can not be determined whether the list of missing will be increased until the debris from the collapsed walls have been gone over. There were customers In the store when the explosion occurred, but the exact number Is not known, nor have their names been learned. The known missing are: Chrlstobal Smith, Nellie Mitchell and Mary Wagner, all clerks. There were about twenty customers in the store when the explosion took place. The front wall was thrown into the street and In falHnf carried with it a large number of electric wires. These were tangled In a mass and prevented, for a time, any thought of rescue for those imprisoned in the wrecked building. The cause of the disaster lies in the removal of a meter, it is stated, and according to Manager PolT, workmen neglected to make the proper connections. Gas escaping from the pipes filled the store and probably the bank building. This wsb ignited In Borne manner and the explosion followed. Ada Mitchell, the store piano player. who was sitting at the piano, was carried with the instrument from the back of the building through Its entire length and into Apple street. Four carpenters were at work in the cellar. Three escaped with slight burns. The fourth probably will die. | Fire appeared to break out in all ' parts of the building at the same time and within a few minutes other walls began to fall. The walls of adjoining buildings began to go down, but a party of rescuers had been organized, and. clearing away the wires, forced a passage Into the five and ten cent swre. uere inev located some of the stricken employees and customEl ; era apd ns each was found he was Pi, carried out. Ambulances had been . f summoned and those of the injured who could not be ciired for by physocians on the ground were hurried away to hospitals. Uniontown responded to the call for help and sent tire apparatus and n large force of men. These aided the Connellsville department in completing the work of rescue and In fighting the fire, which was gaining rapidly Witn the flames subdued, it Is hoped to recover the bodies of those believed to be in the ruins before night. Later it developed that there had been two explosions, one in * e Citisens' National Hank, whose front was also blown out. Alfalfa and Knsilagc. A subscriber asks why if, say, thirty nonnds of good field corn ensilage and ten pounds of good alfalfa hay make almost a balanced ration for a 1000-pound cow there should be any addition of grain even ever so small? We answer that It Ir well to add to the above a small grain ration for two reasons: (1) Because experience Bhows it to lie profitable. We are feeding cows for profit and if on experience we find that more or less of a grain ration is profitable the cows get it. (2) We must remember that it takes a considerable portion of this combined ensilage and alfalfa ration to support the work of grind r iiik ?? aim imiimiik " mio propi'i' condition for digestion. All work of this kind that the cow docs must ho paid for in feed. It costs more in the economy of the cow machine to reduce roughage of any kind to a digestive condition than it does well ground grain feed. For that and the other reason given the addition of, say, four to six pounds of a good grain ration is a profitable thing. * B Robbed of Savings. An old gentleman by the name of ran Redford was robbed by three negroes. near Seneca, Tuesday -light. It is rumored that he carried several hunHg^B dred dollars, the savings of a life5R?B time, and was on hla way to his nH son's home when the robbery ocBj ourred. The victim carried the mon?y in a amall band bag. When the negroes approached they wanted ^^^B whiskey, but after taking his bag and cutting it open they took the money Instead. * > EXPORT OF COTTON . I SOM&i INTERESTING STATISTICS ON COTTON. I*racticnlly Two-Thirds of the Crop iSent Abroad, Worth Over Half Billion Dollars. The highest record ever made In the United States was achieved In 1910 when $33 0,000,000 worth of the product was sent to foreign lands. This new record exceeded by more than $60,000,000 the previous best year in the value of cotton exported, according to the bureau of statistics of the department of commerce and labor. The quantity exported, however, was materially lees than in certain earlier years, having been but 3,641,000,000 pounds, against 4.374,000,000 in 1908, when the value was but $439,000,000. The average export price in 1910 was 14 1-2 cents per pound, against practically 10 cents in 1908, the hleh record year for quantity, the average export price in 1910 having been higher than in any years since 1 874. December, 1910, also shows the 1 Ighest monthly record, the total value of cotton exports in that month being, in round terms. $103,000,000, while no earlier month ever reached the $100,000,000 line. The average export price in December was 14.8 cents per pound, while in the months of July ami August the average was 15 cents per pound. This $330,000,000 worth of raw cotton exported represents approx'mately two-thirds of the production of the country, a comparison of the figures of production and exportation for a long term of years showing that about one-'hird of the crop is usually retained for domestic use; and this suggests a valuation of approximately $800,000,000 for the total raw luuun iiiuimvi t?i iin* year represent- { ed by these export figures. To this, i however, must bo added the vnlue | of the cotton seed, of which the exportation in the form of oil amount- s ed to nearly $1 3,000,000 and those | of oil cake about $10,000,000. while < of course large quantities of both ( were consumed in the United States. ( The countries to which this 530 \ million dollars' worth of cotton ex- ( ported in 1910 went, stated In order ( of magnitude of their purchases, are: j The United Kingdom, approximately j 243 million dollars; Germany, 1 40 million; France, 62 million; Italy, 28 million; Spain. 16 million: Canada. 10 1-2 million; and Japan, 9 1-2 million: these figures being based necessarily on estimates for the month of Deceml>er. The United States is by far the world's largest producer of cotton. An estimate of the cotton production 1 of the world for the season of 1910- ! 11 supplied to the bureau of statis- i tics is: For the United States. 10,155.000 bales of 500 pounds; India, 4,186,000 bales; China, 1,200,000 bales; Egypt, 970,000 bales; Russia ' (Asiatic provinces), 768.000 hales; miscellaneous, including Hrazil, Peru, i Persia, Turkey and other countries. 645,000, making his estimate of the ' total world crop for the season 1909-10 1 8,049.000 bales, of which 10,155,000 were produced in the United States. This estimate places China third in rank anions the world's cotton producers with an annual production of 1,200,000 bales, most of which is manufactured into yarns and cloth by hand machines, while 200,000 hales are now annually exported to Japan. Of the cotton crop of India he estimates that slightly less than one-half is exported. Of the Egyptian cotton, practically all is exported, going chiefly to Europe and the United States, its long staple and silky lu3tre rendering it. especially valuable for use in conjunction with the shorter stapled 'cotton of other parts of the world. The value of raw cotton imported into the United States during the year 1910 was,in round terms, about $15,000,000, of which $10,000,000 worth came direct from Egypt, $2,000.000 front the United Kingdom, presumably also chiefly from Egypt, nearly $1,000,000 front Peru, and $750,000 front China. Meantime the,value of cotton manufactures exported during the year was. in round terms, $25,000,000, and of the cotton manufactures imported. $00,000,000, of which more than one-half was in the form of laces, edgings, embroideries and other high grade manufactures of this character. Comparing the total value of the 1'in.iuii i?\|n?ri?'ii in i : i u wim tnni or earlier years, the figures of the bureau of statistics run as follows: iota $5.20.000,000 1909 I <12.000,000 1 90S -129.000,000 1907 470,000,000 1900 41 2,000,000 Prior to 190f> the total had never reached the $100,000,000 mark, though the quantity exported In 1910, which was 2.041.000.000 pounds, was less than In any year since 1901; these figures in all cases being for calendar years. * Many l?eer Killed. According to the report of the Department of Agriculture, 57,500 deer were slain In the United States dtirIing 1910. This record Is little larger than that of previous years, but the fatalities to hunters Increased about ' 50 per cent. . . The Farm of the Future. Under the caption of "The Passng of the Man With the Hoe," Ed- , vard A. Rumeley discourses In. the | Vorld's Work for August, on the ( vonderful changes In farm work j vhlch Is being effected with raode:n ( uachinery. He makes the stau -ment hat to plow five square mll^s the armer walks tne distance arour.J he world?this plodding toll to be nded by machine* that will use i.it- , iowpr stored In one acre of potatoes ?alcohol?to plow 200 acres. He , nakcs this prophecy of the future ? ; ] (utter manufacturing and the wor* ( >f the farm household, which Is, to | ay the least. Interesting to contemdate: , "Tho farmer's wife will need but o turn a wheel, throw a swltcn, wist a stop-cock and be saved her lardest work. Butter will again be nade on the farm and not in the fac- , ory. The motor will run the cream leparator and churn and dispense vith the labor of the milk cellar ana ts endless array of pans and crocks o be washed. It will give new speed o her sewing machine. On Wedneslay, "sweeping day," it will save her jealth and strength with a vacuum sleaner. It will run her washing nachine and mangle. Through a lynamo, in the electric fan and flatron, it will bring her blessed relief rom the fiery heat of the ran^e on roning day. It will be a ready help>r in the kitchen. All this takes no iccount of the promise of new invenions." There is no limit almost to the hanges in the labor and life of the arm that could be made if only elecricity could be used as a power to an jconomic advantage. If the alcohol hat can be extracted from one acre >f potatoes could be used in a gas mgine to run an electric dynamo in connection with a storage battery, ,vho shall say what new labor saving nethows will not soon follow? It would seem as if the Injunction Moses gave the children of Israel to 'stand still and see the Salvation of he Lord," would at last be applicable to American farm life In the near future. Meantime the farmer needs to consider that his boy must have a dif'eren* education than the father possessed to fit him for these swiftly loming changes. Brain work more than hand work is crowding itself jpon the attention of the farmer everyday. He must know something jf the scientific side of his business f he is to make a profitable success if It in the future. TAKES ISSUE WITH HIM. Prof. Wilcox's Baby Declaration Stirs Up a Row. Trof. Walter F. Wilcox, of Cornell, who predicted the other day that there would be no more babies after 2015, has awakened a rather stirring sociological discussion among New York's club women. Mrs. Clarence Burns,- president of "The Little Mothers' Association," an organization supported by society women, which provides for the care of the small children of poor families, the mother of which is obliged to work, lakes issue with the pedagogue and figuratively says he is a blithering, blooming romancer. "It is evident that Prof. Wilcox is not familiar with the conditions among American families on the East Side," said Mrs. Burns. "You see. the average family has froir. five to eleven children. Hut 1 must say that I believe that nowadays the avera.-e parent looks to quality rather than quantity. There was a time, say about twenty or thirty years ago, when the mother of the poor class thought notning of having from thirteen to fourteen children. They do not have quite as many now, however. "I must take exception to the learned professor's statement and say that I do not believe that there will be a dearth of children In 201 5 ( although I have never gone into the matter from a mathematical standpoint. It is a very simple matter to prove almost anything, however, by statistics, and I do not doubt but from that angle Prof. Wilcox is right." According to Prof. Wilcox there will bo no babies left in the United Statea after 2015, and if we want any we will have to bring them from abroad, the same as we now import Parisian gowns and other finery. MTTliK IIODY POI ND. Seems to Have lleon Poisoned With Carbolic Acid. A1 fl of the police in every large! city of the country has been sought,I thus far in vain, in an effort to learn I the identity of the five-year-old boy I whose frozen body with acid stains! about the mouth, was found Thursday in a swamp on the Schenectady! road '.n New York. Today an autopsy will be held to determine more definitely the cause of death, but the police have little doubt that the boy was slain by some one who forced carbolic acid down his throat. A half empty bottle of the aci*\ bearing the label of an Albany, N. Y., druggist, was found tinder the body. The corpse was wearing shoes and stockings and feet showed traces of mud, as they would have done bad the child walked te the place where be wag found. It fs the theory of the police that the child was murdered by kidnappers to get rid of him. A Home In the Country. The word home is a moBt precious rin#? fn Ihp nnn 1 of ovnrv noronn In It start the very roots of our being; Dut of It a~e the issues of life and fortune; to It we turn with "memory dear" wherever fate takes us. J it is the beginning of the state, the fashioning place of manhood and womanhood and final citizenship. Where shall It be to beet make all these good things possible? There is no place on earth like the country to build a home. Instinctively the hearts of parents in the cities turn to the vision of a country home in which to rear children. The universal heart of humanity longs for the place of the "vine and tig tree" where life and home shall find Its true abiding place. As oae gazes upon the wretchedness of the cities, "great sores on the body politic" as Jefferson called, them, the ouiy cure for this over crowded expression of poverty, crime and discontent thp?. presents itself to us is the country. Why do not these people go o the country? Why do they toil, slave and suffer with no place to go Ij for rest but these wretched abodes of dirt and grime? Verily, a tent by the road-side, the contact of God's dirt, not man's dirt, would be a- a palace to these thousands of wretched homes in cities. The same question necessarily presents itself, even to those in the city who are w?il removed from poverty, and the vision of a home in the country as a solace for many of their ills, will not fade from their eyes. On the night of the 60th performance of Denman Thompson's beautiful American drama "The Old Homestead" at Park Street Theatre in New York, we saw the house filled to repletion with grey haired men and women who came there to solace their hearts with a vision of the dear old homo in tho country. The toil, the drudgery, the privation of their early life in the country, to escape which they had come to the city when youtt;;, was as nothing beside the quaint little old house by the roadside, the open barn and the great oxen with the towering load of hay, the blessed old well and its flowing bucket, and the smiling fields. As we passed out with the emerging throng, we heard expression like these. "Wasn't it sweet and dear?" "Oh, if we could only get back to the country once more;" and the like. Now this mighty attendance, night after night, was hut the deep and abiding longing in the hearts of these men and women for a homo in the country. Country life in the United States has just awakened to a partial realization of its meaning. The light of scieince. of art, of invention, is surrounding farm life with compensations today that the city cannot offer. Great fortunes are not made here, nor are they desired, hut comfort, peace, abundance of good food, health and that freedom that "passes all understanding" in cities, is the heritage of the country. Then again, life on the farm is calling for an amount of intellectual force, real brain action that stamps it as one of the learned professions of the day. To he a thorough student of the soil and its needs; of plant life and tho management of crops; of the breeding and care of animals; is an accomplishment of brain and thought that may well challenge the ambition of the most learned. The man who thinks there is no place for the ex ercise of intellectual power on the farm is sadly mistaken. All that the country really needs is that it shall be studied and understood. It has splendid possibilities for the most perfect life, the most invigorating, the freest ar>.l more inspiring Its work is not drudgery when the significance and full meaning of that work is comprehended. It is tht place of all places to rear children for it endows them with a practica understanding of the realities of lift that becomes invaluable afterward ir any line of human effort; and it! rewards financially are surer and a: great in proportion to capital used as in any of the other vocations. On< fact stands out with peculiar signlfi cance?Every village and small ci13 is filled with retired farmers. N< other calling furnishes an expressioi like this. ' SIX MISSING; MANY IXJl'ItRI) Property Loss Nearly a Million ii gMiinati Fire. A recapitulation Wednesday nigh of the losses of life and linib. in thi fire that wiped out the Chamber o Commerce building in Cincinnat shows that six men are missing ar.i fully three score persons are injured The properly damaged is abou $7">fi.000. covered by insurance. Tii lire is still smouldering, preventlnj a search for the missing men. The sixth name was added to th | list of missing and probably dead to j night, when it became known tha no traces had been found of Georg 1 Haytnan, a reporter on the Cincinnat Enquirer, who entered the buildin after the dre started. Hayman wa on reportonal duty. His associate are convinced that he was trapped I the place. Stone Man Dead. Hie body virtually turned Int stone, William Fearheller, died in hospital in Chester, Pa., this weet , From head to foot hit body was a! ! most as hard as a rock. Only on hi head was the flesh of normal sofl ness, yet he oould eat and smoke. i ? PAID FOR HIS SEAT SENATOR STEPHENSON IS ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION. Two Republicans and One Democrat, Member of State Senate Committee, Unite in Report. "The nomination in the primary q and the election to the United States senate by the legislature of Isaac Stephenson are null and void, on account of attempted briberies and corrupt practice by himself and his campaign leaders, agents and workers and of violations of the laws of Wisconsin defining and punishing offenses against the elective franchise." 11 This is the gist of the findings of r" a special senatorial investigating committee in its report submitted to 'J Gov. Francis E. McGovern, of Wisconsin, at Madison Wednesday. 1 he report is 3igned by Lieut. Gov. Thomas Morris and Senator Spencer ' W. Mnrsh, Republicans, and Senator n Paul Hustlng, Democrat. Early in the legislative session of 1 1000 resolutions were introduced in e' both houses calling for nn investiga- 1 tion of the senatorial primary elec- fi tion. The resolutions were partic- V ularly pointed at United States Sen- 11 ator Isaac Stephenson, who. accord- Sl Ing to his report filed with the secretary of state, expended $107,000 dur- 1 ing tho campaign. Mr. Bancroft, speaker of the assembly, named a committee com- ' posed of a majority of the stalwart e Republicans and Lieut. Gov. John Strange, who then presided over the ? senate, named Senators Marsh, Mor- ? ris and Hustlng. The committees met In l#lln? cnwlnn cit-*,-., 1 - tl Then the assembly branch of the '' committee decided to go no further. The assembly members of the com- n mlttee rendered a report, recorn- e mending the enactment of a law reg- * ulating campaign expenditures and stating that there was no evidence of r corruption on the part of Senator ' Stephenson. Following this, a special resolution , was adopted by the senate making 1 the three senators named a special investigating committee to probe 8 further into the primary election. a The report and findings are the result of that special committee's ( work. The assembly members of the joint ' Investigating committee are scored by the senate committee for their al- ' leged failure to assist in a thorough 11 investigation of the Stephenson nomination and election. The election committee's report on ? this point lb as follows: "Throughout 'he investigation various members of the assembly per- ' sonally endeavored to prevent the % investigation of Isaac Stephenson. ' 11 The committee recommends that a | copy of the resolution he certified to the I'nited States senate by the governor and 'lie legislature with the H request that that body investigate the ,?nn..A. :? ?. u i o? t IIIU1IIICI III n IIIVI1 OCJMICIISUII pro- | cured his eiection. NEW SOI KCKS OF AMMONIA. 1 C'lemson Advises Farmers Relating r t?> Ammonintes in Fertilizers. The largely increased manufacture t and sale of commercial fertilizers has necessitated the use of cheaper f and inferior sources of ammonia f than have mtherto been used. lUc- 1 ognizing this fact, the fertilizer ' board of control has issued informa- < ' tion as follows for the benefit of I farmers and manufacturers. "The board of fertilizer control < of Clemson College feels constrained ' 1 to advise purchasers of fertilizers to ' examine carefully the information ' ' printed on the fertilizer sacks, and ' ' to note particularly the statement as ! 5 to the source of ammonia. At the ' panie time manufacturers are warned 1 ; against the use of leather, wool ' waste, etc., which materials are enu- 1 ' merated in Section :i61 of our laws, > unless thes materials have been reg- 1 J istered with the board and satisfactory proof of their availability filed The only tests accepted are filed ' tests conducted under scientific control, or 80 per cent availability, ny 1 the neutral permanganate method. The use of any materials not properly 1 registered and approved will be given 1 t the wildest publicity and otherwise 1 e dealt with as provided by law. f "The board of control is seeking 1 i to protect the farmers of South C tr- 1 I olina against the use of any source 1 of ammonia which has not proven lo t tin ni ilt'iMn '.o i .. i . ... u i iiiiuim. us?pi ani tuou. rn inn* e with this policy they have adopted n a higher standard for availability that is in n?e in the otV'r 3-Mithern 0 states. Kx( "is.e fleld tests will be '-conducted during the com in." crou ' year to delernt.no in this ,:vaeti"al e way whether or not some of tne new 1 sources of ammonia which are now 2 being exploited can be safely recom8 mended to our farmers. 8 "While the board of control den sires and intends to he fair to the manufacturers, and not to forbid the use of materials which, while new to the trade, are satisfactory subsllo tutes for some of the older and well a recognized sources of ammonia, yet c. it feels that since these sources are I- cheaper, they should stand a rigid s test for availability, t- "We would emphasize the advice so often given '-o our farmers by _ L REBELS SCARED andful of Brave Mexican Insnrredos Pat Up Splendid Figbt. REPULSE THE RURAIIS ver Twenty Men Were Killed on Both Sides?Well Armed Insurreo toe Pour in Volley After Volley on Charging Pursuers ? Fought Against Heavy Odds and Won. More than 2 0 men were killed in desperate battle between the Mexlin federal snldiorc ntwl 11 omn" no. - ? ? ? l'"' r of revolutionists on the hank of le Rio Grande, opposite Comstock, exas, Thursday. The insurgents ad only 18 men and for three hours ley held at bay 70 rurales and 0 Infantry soldiers. When darkess ended the battle the insurrectos eld the field and the federal troops ad withdrawn a couple of miles and limped. The revolutionists left a mi pie of hours later for their mounlin headquarters, 50 miles away, arrying their wounded. Of the 18 lsurgents. two were killed and sven wounded. H. Sorrill. an Associated Tress orrespondent with the insurgents, pceived a slight wound in the thigh. The determined stand of the handill of Insurgents has not been equald In border warfare. Twice rurales barged the insurgents' position, nee coming within 50 yards, but ach time they were repulsed. The orrespondent counted 18 soldiers hat were carried from the field durig the battle. The insurrecto band originally limbered 4 0 and had been for sevral days riding through the counry gathering up horses. For two days a party of 70 ruales had chased the band and on he night of January 10 the party fent to the river to water their aded horses and rest, thinking they ad eluded the government forces. The next niornine 20 of the band tarted for a rnnch about 12 miles way to get more horses. The camp of the Insurrectos was iscovered and a company of 70 Inantrymen was mounted and sent to he support of the squad of rurales. Then they approached the camp of he linsurrectos preparations were nade to give them a hot reception, 'wo of the rebels were set at work acking extra ammunition and ritles n mule-back. io *? * HIP I o man i rtTios, armed W1T II lemingtons, took possession In a Una Irawn across the trail of the adancing soldiers. The firing comrienced at a distance of about 300 ards. The insurgents poured a voley into the enemy and three soldiers ell. The soldiers returned the fire nd the battle was on. After half an hour's continuance ighting the federals received reinorcenients from their main body and , charge was made on the insurrec08. As they advanced the defendrs of the pass sent a storm of bulets into their ranks, firing cooly and making every shot count. The fedrals advanced a short distance andf hen returned to their original poslion. Tiie firing continued and one by me the hand of insurreotos dropped rom the ranks, either dead or vounded until only nine men renalned working their runs. Again he soldiers charged, this time approaching within r.O yards of the guley, where the insurrectos were concealed. Not a man gave way, hut continued firing deliberately until he soldiers again retreated. Ttoth in [he charges and retreats the rurales kept their line In good order and showed no panic. The steady fire and good aim of the Insurreetos was more than the soldiers eotild stand and they shrank froni closing for a final assault. The battle started at 4:2b o'rlork find continued steadily until 7:20. As darkness approached the 20 insurreetos who had been sent for horses appeared on a neighboring hill, approaching at a gallop. The bu.'les of the soldiers blew a retreat. They fell back about a mile, where they took a stronger position In a shallow canyon and the field was left lo the insurreetos. The insurreetos buried their dead, fared for the wounded, packed their equipment and two hours later started across the country for K1 Burro, the mountain where they have established their strorsrhold. (.ill as Alan llolio. Dressed as a man. a 10-year-old girl, who gave her name as Kllzaheth Carr and her home as San Francisco, wiis ttHmen Try mo ponoo of Kansas City. Mo., as alio was lounging around a flro in the railroad yards with four other holmes. The girl admitted having traveled with them for some time. * our agricultural department as to the desirability of growing peas, velvet beans, vetches and other legumes in order to reduce the necessity of buying high-priced ammontates. It is a well-established fact that commercial fertilizers in any form give their maximum results when used on saAls which contain an ample amount of organic matter." I imM