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Jvimped Into Fame The death of Steve Brodie, which oc curred a few days ago at San Antonio, Texas, removed a character whose ca reer was most picturesque. A product of the slums of New York, Brodie achieved both fame and fortune, not by the route of genius but by the way of gravity. His jump from the Brook lyn bridge made his name. Brodie's first industry was the sell ing of newspapers, and among the newsboys of New York, that remark able army of ants, prematurely old, and wise beyond their years in self preservation and independence, he grew calloused to hard knocks and pri vations. Ho varied the monotony of STEVE BRODIE. his newspaper peddiing by jumping from the dizzy heights of boats moored at the New York docks, thereby un consciously preparing himself for the event that was to transform his life. In 1879 Brodle joined in the craze for long-distance walking and was so suc cessful in the matches that in three years he had saved SH,OOO, whereupon he married the daughter of a confeder ate colonel. He built and sublet boot black stands and later became a street car conductor. Even in this most pro *aic of industries he found opportunity to save two negro children from a fire along his route. When he was only 15 he saved a girl from drowning in the ice-choked East river. He then Joined the New York Life Saving Corps and soon afterward rescued three persons from drowning. At the world’s fair he saved a chorus girl from drowning and found it necessary to present this last flotsam with what Croker’s English Home ‘nr ] .r .lilr Jj^iteAi^j In the little village of Letcombe, near Wantage, Berkshire county, Eng., stands the Moat House, the home of Richard Croker, boss of Tammany hall. The house stands on a site said to have been occupied by a royal hunt ing lodge as far back as the reign of King John; but all traces of an tiquity, except the moat that sur rounds it, have vanished. Since Mr. Croker took possession of the place five or six years ago he has consider ably enlarged it, by additions in the rear and also by restoring the towers. The interior of the house is decorated in excellent taste. The dining room is panelled with oak, while in the draw ing room is an electric piano, which can at any time be switched on from AS SOME GERMANS SEE US. Remarkable Extracts Concerning Ameri cans from a Leading Paper. The following extracts from so prominent a German newspaper as the Munich Neueste Nachrichten will as tound the average American. In a re cent number it said: "In large national or rebel wars, like the campaign against Cuba and Manila, the same thing (peculation) happens in the inspection of regiments. The colonel receives every week the money to pay his men. His regiment numbers perhaps 480 combatants, but he borrows 300 or 400 from a neighbor ing regiment, dresses them in the uni form of his own regiment, made ready beforehand, and —there! the regiment has a strength of 700 to DUO men! The colonel naturally puts the balance of the money in his pocket, and when the time comes for the neighboring regi ment to be inspected, he helps his brother colonel by a. loan of men in the same way. So when it apears, by American statistics, that perhaps 50,000 men take part in the campaign, there are really but 30,000. Many colonels and generals became enormously rich Steve Brodie Was a Product of the Slums the poet has called “two lovely black eyes,” before he could persuade her not to cling to him and drag them both down. But everything was not smooth sail ing for Brodie. He lost money on the race tracks and in 1884, on election bets, lost the last of the $6,000 he had made In his walking matches. In 1886, when reduced to extremeties, he deter mined to recoup his fortunes by a plunge from the Brooklyn bridge. This he accomplished, and fame and fortune came to him at his beck. He was fair ly fought for by managers of museums, and finally consented to display his charms for $250 a week in a Coney Is land galaxy of living skeletons and bearded ladies. Thence he moved to most of the larger cities, earning as much as SI,OOO a week in Boston, that home of culture. After a short dra matic career in two plays wherein he displayed only such histrionic promise as can be expressed iu a leap from a high tower, he traveled the country as a bridge-jumper. One leap of 100 feet he made every day for a week, for an equal number of dollars. Brodie then opened a saloon on the Bowery, where he prospered. But the spirit of adventure was In him. He took time to break several records as a long-distance swimmer and also three of his ribs In jumping from the Pough keepsie bridge, a distance of 212 feet. He also married again, his first wife having died. To his many activities he added that of a newspaper corres pondent and made a tour of Europe, sending home his impressions, which were turned into the purest Bowery ese and published in a New York pa per. Brodie had an intensely human side to his nature. During the hard winter of 1893 he made midnight distributions of bread, sausages and coffee to the homeless wretches of New York’s sub merged classes. He buried many a friendless pauper and in a multiplic ity of ways put into effect the warm sympathy of his Irish heart. Some time ago Brodie sold Ills sa loon in New York anfl went to Buffalo, where he opened a place similar to the one he had conducted in the metropo lis. But poor health forced him to give it up and he went to Texas, where consumption at last laid hold of him. Brodie’s fortune is estimated at $200,000. He owns property in Brook lyn and Harlem, which will grow more valuable with the years and which may furnish the basis for a rival house to that of the Astors. Mr. Croker’s bed room, so that if sleep refuses to be wooed by him he can soothe his feelings by the strains of music. Mr. Crokers’ life is that of the wealthy middle class English gentle man. He forms no acquaintances and pays no visits. Every Sunday, when at Letcombe, he drives to Hendred, six miles distant, to attend mass. He is said to be generous to all local chari ties and he never discusses politics, either British or American. He mantains magnificent stables at the Moat House, and not far distant is his stud farm. He has an extraordi nary love for animals and owns some of the most famous dogs in the world. in the recent campaigns by this means.” In regard to fires In America: “The losses arising from these conflagrations are incomprehensible in European eyes. Aside from the llimsiness cf American construction, which is an open fact, there must be some question of the fire fighting service. We should think that in America, at least in the larger cities, they would find it in the end economical to adopt our German system; namely, to supplement the volunteer fire companies with a regular paid force, at least in the proportion of half and half. The cost is not great, and the morale of the service is much improved.” About the American girl: “She is permitted to do just as she pleases, with no restraint whatever. Not al ways, but we might say usually, she picks out the man she desires to marry, proposes to him, and marries him without informing her parents until after the deed is done. Often, when the man of her choice is a negro (there is a strong prejudice against negroes in the northern states especially) the father organizes a body of men from among his friends and neighbors, and 'the negro husband is lynched.” THE WEEKLY NEWS, CARTERSVILLE, OA. AMAZING PREDICTION BY ONE WHO WATCHES SIGNS OF TIMES. ruhop Thobtirn Say the United Ftate*. Utrinunr and England Are to Be the World Poweri of the future —The World's Progress. An address delivered in Chicago a few days ago by Bishop James M. Thorburn, of the Methodist Episcopal church, who has for years been at tho head of that church in India, has at tracted considerable attention and aroused much discussion in religious and other circles. The bishop rules the destinies of thousands of Methodists in southern Asia. His acquaintance with European and Asiatic politics is thor ough and far-reaching and this gives weight to his momentous statements. The pjrelate predicted that astonishing changes in the map of the world were impending. New empires, he said, would arise, and there would be such alterations of old lines that the geog- BISHOP JANIES M. THOBURN. raphies of today will be laughed at a few years hence. Germany, England, and the United States are to be the great world powers. The VS oriel's Progress. “During the 40 years that I have been in India many things have hap pened,” said the bishop. “The world has progressed and the serfs have been emancipated, Italy set free, Douis Na poleon and hi: system overthrown, Germany consolidated, and, what is unobserved by most people, anew na tion has arisen in the world —Austra- lia. In Asia the church has advanced the cross and tho crescent has retreated and there are now thousands of Chris tian converts who were once Moham medans. I thank God eveTy time I hear of Russia annexing more of Asia. But there is anew power entering Asia, and hardly anybody seems to no tice it. Many significant things will result from what has just passed be tween Emperor William and his uncle, Edward VII. of England. Beforo many years the old Austrian emperor will die. The old second-rate empire will then fall to pieces, and what will be more natural than that Germany should possess the part of it which now borders on the Adriatic? The German empire will then be continu ous from the North Sea to the Mediter ranean. Germauy has already built railroads in Asia Minor between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers European governments do not build railroads unless they intend to secure possession. Urea*. Empire* of the Future. “The time of great empires is com ing. There will be the United States of North America and the United States of South America. There will be the United States of Europe, the Russian Republic, the empire of China, the em pire of the Indies, the German empire, and, last of all, a mighty republic in the island of Australia. "When peace is restored the Chinese will embrace Christianity as no nation ever did before. The millions in that walled empire will pour out into Bor neo, Africa and perhaps South Amer ica. They will not bother the United States, for the Chinese like tropical climates. Iu Borneo, with its 200,000 square miles of land and only 1,500,000 inhabitants, there will be ample room. The population of that island is also kept down by the custom of compell ing each man before being eligible for marriage to kill some person and se cure a polished skull for his bride’s parlor ornament.” Edgar Saltus, the great journalist who has circled the globe many times, and who is an authority on political conditions in every country, laughs at Bishop Thoburn’s prophesy. He says: “The bishop is a great man from a re ligious point of view, but he is out of his element when he talks world pol itics. His prejudice will not permit him to see that Russia will within the next fifty years absorb all of Europe, Asia and Africa, and that Great Brit ain, Germany and France will become parts of the dominions of the Musco vites. So far as his references to this side of the world and to Australia are concerned he is correct. Australia will become the British empire of the fu ture, while Albion, Erin, Scotia and Cambria will settle down to Russian vassalage.” King Edward Vll’g Groat Empire. Exclusive of Egypt, the area of King Edward’s empire is 11,773,000 square miles, including Egypt, about 13,000,- 000 square miles, or much over one fourth of the land of the globe. The wealth of the United Kingdom alone, apart from that of India. Australia, Canada and other possessions, is about $60,000,000,000, or second only to that of the United States. The population of the empire aggregates some 400,000,- 000, being comparable with that of the empire of China. TWO PUGNACIOUS JUDGES. Adjourned Coart to Settle a Controversy with Their FiK Recent dispatches contained an ac count of a sensational occurrence in the district court at Watertown, S. D. In the trial of a divorce case one of the attorneys, George W. Case, said r-omething offensive to Judge Julian Bennett, who sat on the bench. There upon Judge Bennett responded hotiy and Mr. Case said: “Judge Bennett, you can address me in that manner from the bench, but were not court in session I would not. tolerate such a statement from you.” Springing to his feet, Judge Bennett exclaimed: “This court is adjourned!” and with that knocked Mr. Case down with a blow in the face. And the story is doubly interesting as showing how history will repeat it self, though we regard the Kansas in cident which we are about to relate as the funnier of the two. In 1868, the famous Judge Joyce was a justice of the peace in Hays City, and, as the only judicial officer in the region, ad ministered the law with an autocratic hand. In the town there were two law yers, only one of whom has to do with this story. His name was Ryan, and some months before he and Judge Joyce had quarreled, with the result of Ryan being disbarred from practice on the ground that he had been a Con federate soldier whose disabilities had never been removed. Of course the fact of Ryan’s being a Confederate sol dier was not cause for his disbarment, and, anyway, Joyce had no right to disbar him, but everything went in the west in those days, and for some months Ryan had to stay out of court. However, after Joyce had consider:d his enemy sufficiently punished he sent word to him that he could come into court. The next case which came up for trial was against a fellow who had stolen a cow, and he engaged Ryan to defend him. In due course the prose cution made its case a good one, by the way, but while the witnesses were be ing examined Ryan sat with his hat pulled down over his eyes, saying never a word. At last, when the guilt of the prisoner had been established beyond all doubt, the prosecution rested, and, turning to Ryan, Judge Joyce said: “The defense can now take the stand.” “What the h—l’s the use? A man can’t get justice in this court,” re sponded Ryan. “Misther Constable, adjoorn the court!” shouted Joyce, springing to hia feet. “Come outside, ye monkey faced hellion, an’ I’ll give ye justice!” And whereupon everybody ad journed to the outside, where Joyce and Ryan went at it hammer and tongs, with the result that Joyce re ceived a beautiful licking. Later, when the blood had been washed off and considerable red liquor washed down, Joyce reconvened the court and sol emnly gave judgment for the defend ant. “But, here!” shouted the lawyer for the prosecution. “'We proved that man guilty and he ought to be sentenced.” “Will ye hould yer yawp?” sternly responded his honor. “The court finds itself reversed an’ Misther Ryan wins on appeal.” COUNTESS DE GBEY. t The death of Queen Victoria and the consequent accession of the former Princess of Wales to the place of first lady in the kingdom will have the effect of restoring one of tho beautiful women of England to the place at court which she forfeited recently for a singular reason. It is only a few months ago that the Countess de Grey, who had been one of the most popular women at court functions, was in formed that her presence at drawing rooms, balls apd other social affairs was no longer tolerable, because she had opened an afternoon tea resort. Her purpose in indulging in trade was to render herself financially indepen dent of her husband and his parents, who had grown weary of paying her debts. Commendable as this scheme was, it conflicted with the queen’s strict rule that titled women who em bark in trade should be subject to os tracism from court. It is confidently predicted now, how ever, that Lady de Grey will not only COUNTESS I)E GREY, return to court under Queen Alexan dra, with whom she has been on terms of affection and intimacy for many years, but that she will be one of its most prominent members, and that she will become lady of the bed chamber to the new queen. She is one of the most vivacious women in England’s highest circle. A patron of music, she is known to have paid the de Reszkes SI,OOO per hour each for appearing at her afternoon musicales. It is this reckless extravagance that has worried her husband's rich family, the de Greys, and depleted their pocketbook. A MONEY MONARCH. J. PIEBPONT MORGAN. KING OF FINANCIERS. Tho Capita! Be Now Controls Ts Esti mated at CSOO.OOO.COO —An Architect and Builder of Trast* —His Luxurious Pleasures. It did not require his recent deal with Carnegie to make J. Pierpont Morgan a money monarch. He was a king of financiers before he made his latest collossal investment in steel and iron. This transaction simply strengthens his position in the world of finance, makes him in America what the Rothschilds are in Europe, and clothes him with as great power for good or evil as to his fellow beings possessed by any absolute monarch. As the master mind of the railroad interests of the country, the giant of the iron and steel trade, the guiding genius of the coal business, and a commanding factor in electrical enter prises of various kinds, he controls money enough so that by a single act he could precipitate a financial crisis that would shake the United States treasury to its very foundation. He and his interests can make or avert war. The magnitude of his power was referred to in a New York court the other day when his personal counsel, Francis Lynde Stetson, asserted that, if he chose, Morgan could influence our J. PIERPONT MORGAN, greater markets in any way he desires. It is fortunate for the country that he is a conservative financier and an hon orable man. The wealth at his com mand is estimated at $800,000,000. Of Wlthj Parentage. J. Pierpont Morgan was born rich. The proverbial silver spoon was wait ing for him when he made his ap pearance in the home of Junius Mor gan, a banker at Hartford, Conn, That event occurred sixty-four years ago. Reared amid luxurious surroundings and educated at the University of Goettingen, Germany, young Morgan inherited $10,000,000 upon the death of his father, who had while his son was growing to manhood become a partner of the famous George Peabody of Lon don, and of the Drexels in New York. A natural financier, young Morgan cul tivated his inheritance so that it grew rapidly. As the senior partner of the banking houses of J. P. Morgan and Cos., New York; Morgan, Drexel & Cos., of Philadelphia, J. S. Morgan & Cos. of London, and Morgan. Harjes & Cos., of Paris, he was a power in the finan cial world years ago. The first great deal in which be displayed his genius for managing gigantinc operations that has since astounded the world was In 1876, when he organized the syndicate which took the issue of $200,000,000 of 4% per cent government bonds when the national debt was refunded. HU Railway Operations. Then he turned to railway manage ment. He organized the first Joint Traffic association, brought the Penn sylvania and New York Central to friendly reorganized the West Shore, put the Philadelphia & Reading on a good basis, reorganized the Chesa peake & Ohio, the Northern Pacific & the Erie, made the Great Southern railway a prosperous corporation, and would have prevented the insolvency of the Baltimore & Ohio but for the vio lation of one of the agreements made with him by outside parties. Ail these transactions brought many millions to his bank account He is one of the giants of the coal trust, which has giv en him many more millions. By his management of the money syndicate which handled the $62,000,000 bond issue of the Cleveland administration, he is reputed to have made $20,000,000. It was he who created the steel trust, of which by Carnegie’s retirement he now becomes the head. The coffin trust is one of the creatures of his great brain, and in electricity he brought about the formation of the Edison company and the General Elec tric. An idea of his tremendous pow er may be gained by considering the statement that, with the exception of the Erie and the Pennsylvania, he con trols all the avenues of commerce that enter New York city, including the ferries. He has under his direction 19,028 miles of railroad, employing 80,- 000 men. It was Morgan who consoli dated the Western Union Telegraph and the American Bell Telephone-com panies-. He has a vast interest in the Chinese and Japanese carrying trade, and he owns stock in industries in the Orient. Into none of these enterprises has Morgan gone like a speculator, taking chances. He knew his ground before he moved. Finance is to him a great science which he understands perfectly. J2y Gould, knowing his power, feared him. The Vanderbilt? bow to him. He believes In himself and enjoys his power. He is gruff and emphatic In speech, and to all person with whom he is unacquainted, he l*. as inaccessible as the Czar of Russia. The men in his employ find him as stiff a disciplinarian as Blucher o- Von Moltke were in their armies. And yet no places In New York are mor. eagerly sought after than clerkships it. his house. Only capable young men are admitted, and he never engages a clerk at less than SI,OOO per year. His Private I.ife. Morgan s life, outside his business has luxuries that a king might enjoy He drinks the rarest of wines and his special brand of cigars cost him $1.25 each. He has spent $60,000 on dogs. His favorite amusement is yachting. Ho gave the New York Yacht club a club house worth SIOO,OOO, and it was his racing yacht, the Columbia, which kept the American cup on this side of the water. Another yacht, the Corsair cost him $300,000. He paid $7,250 for a pair of carriage horses recently. A Mazarin Bible in two volumes cost him $25,000. Among his philanthropic acts was the gift of $1,000,000 for tin building of the New York Lying-in- Hospital. DANISH WEST INDIES. Their Position Gives Them Value for Cp. of Navy. Three small dots on a map of the West Indies, two of them directly east of Porto Rico, the third and largest southeast of the island, represent the Danish West Indies. It is not an im posing group. Altogether the three is lands have barely one-tenth the area of the state of Rhode Island. Their combined population is but a little more than thirty thousand, mostly ne groes. Frequent earthquakes shako them, and hurricanes sweep over them. Sugar, rum and tobacco are the chief products; but there is so little pros perity among the people that it costs Denmark to take care of them more than she gets back in revenue. Small and unimportant as these little islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix are, the United States came near* buying them from Denmark more than thirty years ago, and recently has made anew offer for them. It is not the size of the is lands nor their fertility which gives value, but their position. St. Thomas lies less than forty miles from the eastern coast of Porto Rico. It has an excellent harbor, which would be useful as a coaling and naval station. When the canal is cut across the isth mus, the possession of these islands by the United States will be more impor tant than at present. The inconven ience of having them in the hands of some rival and possibly hostile power would be very great. These, presum ably, are the considerations which hav led to a renewal of the negotiation;, for the purchase of the group. Both houses of congress must act before the arrangement can be completed, so that the policy will be adopted, if at all, only after a full discussion of its ad vantages and disadvantages.—Youth' Companion. FIRST MINERS’ UNION. The recent growth of unionism the coal miners of this country, re sulting in higher wages, shorter hours and better conditions in every respect, recalls the early efforts of coal miners to organize. The first miners’ union in America was formed at St. Clair, Pa., in 1867 John Siney, an intelligent miner, got the workers together and urged upon them the benefits of or ganization. The meetings were secret, as the operators were opposed to un ions of any description. A union was formed, however, but it met with all kinds of opposition from the bosses and it was a continual struggle culmin - ating in the great strike in the latter ’6o’s. Thousands of miners were out of work, and there was great distress throughout the country, coal selling in JOHN SINEY. Founder of the first miners’ union iu America. many places at sl6 to $lB a ton. John Siney did not live to see the anthracite coal miners in one great organization as at present, but he always predicted that it would come some day amd that the much-abused miner would get his share of the profits of the mines. Ancient Record* in Cliir.a. in the Temple of Confucius at Pekin are a number of stone tablets covered with inscriptions, which were discov ered by the Chinese in the eighth edn tury before Christ, and which, undoubtedly, belong to a much earlier period, which have been carefully pre served since the time when they were found. It is believed tnat, the destruc tion of the magnificent library of th Kan-Lin College, or national acad emy, which stood just north of the British legation in Pekin, and which was destroyed by fire by the Boxers during the recent siege, has been a loss to the world comparable only to the burning of the Alexandrian library.