TRYING TO END STRIKE. Representatives of Steel Trust and Strikers Will Negotiate This Week. Pittsburg, Pa., July 27.-The strike of the steel and tin workers of the Amalgamated association against the United States Steel corporation probably will be settled this week. The conference held in New York Saturday between the officials of the "United States Steel corporation and "President T. J. Shaffer and Secretary John Williams of the workers' organ? ization has lesulted in paving the way ior renewal of negotiations between the two conflicting interests. It is said that a basis for such a conference has been arrived at. This basis is still locked up in the minds of the offi? cials of the two organiztions and will not be divulged until later this week. If the basis is satisafactory to the general executive committee of the Amalgamated ssociation the conference between the associaion nnd the manu? facturers will proceed at once. If, on the other hand, the basis is not what the Amalgamated association will per? mit to be considered as negotiable grounds, the strike will be continued with the same vigor as at present and with indefinite time for its ending. President Shaffer and Secretry Wil? liams of the Amalgated association re? turned from New York this morning. They left the metropolis at 8:30 o'clock Saturday night, after an event? ful day. They had spent many hours I iu conference with the leading officials of the steel trust, had evaded all of the New York reporters, and came home with hopes for an early ending of the present contest. In Pittsburg little was known of the conference, but the greatest interest in the out? come was shown among the manufac? turers. Secretary Williams was found at his .home this evening. Mr. Williams was courteous and promptly admitted that he had been with President Shaffer in New York and had seen J. P. Morgan, but as to what had taken place there he said with firmness that he was pledged to secrecy and could not talk. If there was anything to be given ont it would come from Presi? dent Shaffer, bul" he was positive President Shaffer would not be at lib? erty to talk for some days. When ask? ed if he regarded the situation hope- , ful for a settlement he declined even to offer an opinion. Additionai information regarding the New York meeting of the indus? trial leaders was afterward picked up from reliable sources. " It was stated that the two Amalgamated officials [ left Pittsburg late on Friday night and when they arrived in New York went i direct to the private office of Mr. Ivlor- \ gan in the banking house in Wall , street. The meeting between the \ -Pittsburg men and Mr. Mo rage, lasted from about ll o'clock in the morning : until 4 in the afternoon. At no time . did the conlenee adjourn to the Em- < piie building, where the head offices , nf the United States Steel corporation : are located. During the conference ? Presidnt C. M. Schwab and Jugde , E. H. Gary were present most of the time. Another conferee was Mr. Daw- | kins, one of Mr. Morgan's partners. , The Amalgamated officials directed , their attention almost entirely zo Mr. 1 Morgan and President Schwab. They j went over the grounds on which the ( strike began and discussed a settle ( ment basis. After getting the views of j the steel officials and giving theirs in , Teturn, Mr. Shaffer and Mr. Williams ) left the office and spent their time ? away from public places, avoiding ? hotels and taking their meals in ( restaurants. . j In explanation of the hurried trip that the two officres made to New York on Friday night, it was said that until nearly 5 o'clock in the after? noon, neither of the officers knew that they would be required to leave Pitts? burg and had made plans for entirely ] different purposes. Prit>r to that time ]. CoL GeDrge B. M Harvey, manager ] of Harper Bros., the publishers, of ^ 3iew York, was a caller at the office ] of President Shafer. When Col. Har- ( vey left the invitation to go to New ( York had been extended and had been * accepted. It was positively stated 1 today that the meeting between the (. heads of the Amalgamated association ] and the United States Steel corpora? 1 tion was due to no other person or per- ] .sons than Col. Harvey and that there ' were no others present at any time ] before or after the visit of Col. Harvey ' to help the cause along. ' It is believed that before the end of ; the we^k the milis will all be ready to ?5>3 run again providing repairs are completed that have been undertaken ; since the strike began. Should the ] whole project fail of coming to an am? icable end, however, the ?ght promis- ' es to be more bitter than ever. . Por this reason those back of the pre- ] sent negotiations are extremely anxi- ! ous to have everything as quiet as pos- ; si ble and that nothing should be made ' public regarding the basis for a con? ference until it had been accepted by both sides. The Weather Situation. Wasnhington. July 26.-The past 24 hours probably have been the most favorable to the States of the :orn belt since the existing hot wave began nearly 40 days ago. Rains, generally light in amount, have fallen in west? ern Kanssas, western Nebraska, south? west Missouri, central Iowa, Arkansas and a little in Oklahoma and the prospect seems to Jut favorable for a continuation of more numerous showers in the section covered by these State s and territories. On Sunday showers were looked for in northern Illinois and northern Indiana. Still, there has been no general rain of which the crops stand in so much need and there are no immediate prospects of any. On the whole the weather bureau offi? cials here regard the situation as .somewhat improved. Incidental to the rains the temperatures officially reported today were somewhat lower than on yesterdy. However, they range from 92 to 100 in the corn belt. Conditions will remin practically the -*same in the drought section during Saturday and Sunday, and the weath? er will continue very hot with the possibility of relief from scattered thunder showers. Gouroek, July 27.-The Shamrock "H., accompaniedd by the Erin, sailed act 10:20 o'clock this morning for New York. RIVALS THE KLONDIKE. A Great Gold Discovery in Georgia. Atlanta. July 27.-There are material indications in existence that a mining company, composed in the majority of I Atlanta" men, has struck vein of gold bearing soil, rivaling in richness and purity the best that California showed in "the days of '49 or the Klon? dike revealed in later days. This modern El Dorado is located in the State of Georgia, in Wilkes county, and the Atlanta owners of the property are L H. Oppenheim, Monroe Bick hart and A. Bluthenthal. These gen ? tlemen, with William D. Storey, a mine prospector and W.H . Fluker of McDuffie county, constitute what is termed the Columbia Mining com? pany, by which is owned the land upon which the lead of gold is dis? covered. From a single ton of earth taken from this newly discovered mine, which is known as the Latimer mine, gold to the amount of $22,640 was re? cently gotten. This, it is claimed by owners of the mine, is the richest yield ever known to be taken from a single ton of earth, the nearest approach to it bsing the celebrated Coomstock mine of Colorado, which assyed $10, 000 to a ton of the gold-bearing soil. The correctness of these figuresg is at? tested by the affidavits of those by whom the figures were obtained. There are in sight so far in the vein just unearthed, which can be panned out into pure gold for a mere nominal cost, about ll tons of earth. Whee, the gold is taken from the ore it will approximate very close to $300, 000 in value. This is but the first step in the work of unearthing: the full deposit. The mine's wealth, of course, is but a conjecture, but from early evidence it is not improbable that it may be the beginning of a flood of treasure from the bosom of Georgia, rivaling in extent and qual? ity some of the gifts the west has made to the enrichment of the world's treasury. ACustom House Outrage. New York, July 28.- The steamship Ponce from San Juan, Porto Rico, July 23, docked in Brooklyn this after? noon. As she steamed np the bay the customs* tug came alongside and two officers boarded the Ponce and took the passengers' declarations. As soon as the Ponce docked custom house inspec? tors examined the baggage of the pas? sengers, eighty in number. All cigars ana cigarettes were seized and the owners were told to "come back to? morrow for them." Among the pas? sengers was J. R. Garrison, auditor of Porto Rico. He informed the in? spectors that, according to the Presi? dent's proclamation, free trade now ex? ists between the United States and Porto Rico. The inspectors claimed that they had no official information to that effect and Mr. Garrison com? plied with the order to dump the con? tents of his dozen trunks on the pier. The baggage of all the other passengers was similarly inspected. After this general overhauling of baggage a telephone message was re? ceived to seize only cigars in lots of over 400. Passengers who did not have that quantity were let out. One, however, who had 450 cigars, was re? quired to turn them over and told to come around Monday and pay for the internal revenue stamps. The inspec? tors claim that they know free trade low exists between tMs country and Porto Rico, but they do not know it officially and that it will be several days before the new order can be put into effect. RAINS IN THE WEST. Kansas City, July 27.-General rains which have fallen over the great part of western Missouri and Kansas ?n the past 24 hours have given this portion of the southwest temporary relief from the drought. Reports re? ceived at the railroad headquarters in? dicate that the rains fell in the west? ern half of Missouri and in nearly ill parts of Kansas with the exception pf a few northwestern counties. The tali was heaviest between Kansas City md Maple Hill, Kas. In some places in eastern Kansas, the Tall measured 11-2 inches. Good rains are also re? ported ii long the Memphis railroad, is far south as Arkansas and as far ?ast as the Mississippi river. Rain Fell at different points all day today ?ind is still coming down tonight. Frederick Wellhouse. the largest ap? ple grower in Kansas is authority for the statement that apples in that State will make almost a full crop. Peaches and grapes and late varieties of fri ut will make an average crop, it is be? lieved, if conditions continue favor? able. Oats and potatoes in Kansas at least were beyond help two weeks be? fore the rains came. Topeka, Kas.. July 27.--Kansas has biren redeemed from the ravage.- of the drought. Thc rain which started in numerous portions of the State last night has been continued during the clay ?and reports received hen* tonight say that the rain is stilll failing in several places in the State. Every? thing points to a rainy spell which will be of inestimable value to Kansas. New York. July 27.-The winn ni g colors of Harry Elkes, the Glens Falls middle distance bicycle rider, were lowered this afternoon on th*' Man- j hattan Beach cycle track. After riding ! 37 miles in a four-cornered 50-mile j motor paced race. Elkes abandoned the I contest and went to his dressing room, thoroughly beaten. Bobby Waithour, of Atlanta, won the race in one hour. 22 minutes and 2^ 3-5 >rv>>ni]s. finish? ing five and three-quarter laps, almost two miles, ahead of Jimmy Moran, of Chelsea, who was three miles in front of Arthur Ross, of Newark, N. J,, who finished third. , Philahelphia, July !27. The battle? ship Maine designed to be bigger, stronger and faster than lier namesake whose shapeless mass lies in the har? bor of Habana, was launched from the yards of the Wm. Cramps Ship and Engine Building Company. The great hull's initial dip into the waters of the Delaware river was a success in every way. One of the largest crowds that has ever seen a warship leave the ways at Cramp's yard was on hand and patriotism ran wild as the ship left her cradle. CUBA'S ELECTORAL BILL Public Servants Must be Cubans by Birth or Have Been Natural? ized Eight Years. Habana, July 29.--There was a good attendance at today's session of the Cuban Constitutional convention, when the electoral bill, as drafted by the electoral commission, was submit? ted. The measures provides for uni? versal suffrage, but restrictions as to ability to read and write are imposed in the case of office holders. Govern? ors of provinces and provincial legis? lators must be of Cuban birth or have been naturalized for a period of eight years. They must possess title by public decree or have filled office by popular vote. The same restrictions regarding citizenship are laid upon congressmen, who must be 25 years of age. Senators must be Cuban by birth and 35 years of age. The president must be a Cuban by birth or naturalized. In the latter case, as provided by the Constitution, he must have served in the Cuban army for 10 years. He must be at least 40 years of age. The same condi? tions apply to the vice president. Senators shall be elected by provin? cial legislators and an equal number of citizens. One half of the latter must be Cuban by birth or have been naturalized for a period of eight years. They must be able to read and write. They must have resided in the pro? vince for "two years and be among the largest taxpayers. The other half must have professional degrees or must have he\d public office. Presidential electors shall be Cubans by birth or have been naturalized for a period of eight years and they must be thirty years of age. The provincial legislature minority representation is provided for. Habana having 20 members. Santa Clara 17, Santiago 17, Mantanzas 15, Pinar del Rio 12. and Puerto Principe 8. Habana will have 17 congressmen, Santigo 13, Santa Clara 14, Mantan? zas 8, Pinar del Rio 7 and Puerto Principe 3. Four senators shall represent each province. Habana will have 21 ^presidential electors, Santiago 17. Santa Clara 18. Matanzas 12. Pinar del Rio ll and Puerto Principe 8. ? The project provides for two elec? tions. At the first will be elected governors of provinces, provincial legislators and senatorial electors. At the second, to be held eight days later congressmen and presidential elctors will be chen. Thirty days after the second election the presidential elec? tors will meet in Santa Clara to elect the president. GIVING" ?W?Y"LAND. Progress of Lottery in El Reno, Oklahoma. El Reno, Okla.. July 29.-Okla? homa's great land lottery was .begun here today in earnest, and when the commissioners appointed by the federal government adjourned the drawing for the day 1.000 of the choice of the 13, 000 160-acre claims in the Kiowa Comanche country had been awarded. The first name drawn from the wheels was that of Stephen A. Holcomb of Paul's Valley, I. T., for a home- 1 stead in the El Reno district, and : the sceond Leonard Lamb, of Augusta, O. T. These two men select the ; choice claims in this district. The < capital prize winners, however, proved to be James R. Wood of Weather? ford. O. T.. whose name was first to . come from the Lawton district wheel, ? and Miss Mattie H. Beais of Wichita, i Kas., who drew the second number in ; that district. They will have the privilege of making the first filings in . the Lawton district and will undoubt- . edly choose the two quarter sections 1 adjoining that town. These are con- : sidered the most valuable in the terri- , torv and are, it is estimated, worth from $20,000 to 840.000 each. The day was one of keen excite- ( ment, replete with interesting scenes. It is estimated that iully 25,000 ter- ? sons witnessed the drawing.-The , State. immense throng was wrought up to the highest pitch. j The drawing of the first names was ; followed by a mighty shout. -