Newspaper Page Text
The Morgan Monitor
VOL. II. NO. 17. $1 PER YEAR.
WORTH WHILE.
T'ls easy enough to be pleasant,
When life flows along like a song;
Cat the man worth while Is the one who will
smile
When everything goes dead wrong;
for the test of the heart is trouble,
And it always como3 with theyeare,
Aud tho smiie that is worth the praise of
earth
Is the smile that comes through tears.
I* is easy enough to bo prudent,
When nothing tempts you to stray;
When without or within no voice of siu
Is luring your soul away;
Bat it's only a negative virtue
Until it is tried by (Ire,
Aud the life that is worth tho honor of
earth
Is the one that resists desire.
By '.he cynic, tho sad, the fallen,
? Who hal no strength for the strife,
Tho world’s highway is cumbered to-day;
They make up tho item of life.
But tho virtue that conquers passion,
Aud the sorrow that hide3 in a smile—
It is these that nro worth the homage of
__
earth,
For we And them but once in a while.
—Elia Wheeler Wilcox.
MY FIRST PATIENT.
BY MARC BOYRff.
N HAD been a week in my
^ new apartment. A week
o°‘ —a short time—and yet
it seemed in the retro¬
s o'® spect like an endless
V S' succession of days, each
one of which contained
the dreams and hopes of
an entire lifetime. For a whole week
the white porcelain sign of a practic¬
ing physician had shone in splendor
at the street entrance and upstairs on
.be glass door of my neat little flat.
For a whole week my small reoop-
ion room, with its dark curtains and
*s straight-backed chairs, had waito 1
•r patients to avail themselves of the
lidvice and help of “Dr. Max Er-
hardt.”
It really did not surprise me at all
that t office was empty for a few
days, because, as I told myself, con-
Come «iingly, tho neighborhood must bo-
familiar with the fact that it bad
good medical advice right horo in its
* midst. After I had sent away my first
patient completely cured,things would
V •assuredly be different. Then—after
my growing reputation had been an¬
nounced to tho neighborhood, or
better still, to the whole city by a
•“•owd of patients in offioe hours, as
’ as by a neat little coupe, which
a
fird coachman would drive
,th the principal streets —then,
•.then— And sol caruo to the dream
ich occupied me most. 1 fancied my-
again with my cousin Mary, who
- tor’s , tainly would fit tho role of a doc-
• wife most delightfully.
T as in love with my little golden-
:ousin. As a boy I had shown
ose little knightly attentions
mssiblo from the stronger
in tho house and on the
ul. As a junior I had dedi-
oo tier my first poem, and as a
had nearly ruined my unformed
voice by continually singing
Mie “flaxen haired maiden.”
came home, after passing my
amiuation, the young medical
t became sure that the “Haxon-
maideu” returned his lovo with
heart; yet not a word was
iversity course was finished,
r 1 was working unusually
'.gbting successfully the tire-
tlo of a final examination, in
my preoccupation, my doar
yes iud wero constantly in my
seetaed to be taking the
iterest iu the results of my
Vlicu my little cousiu, greet-
e-coming,whispered hardt,” softly,
— I looked deep into
•eyes and whispered, just ns
’• Doctor Erhnrdt. ” Then
right blush pass over her face,
ew quickly back into the win-
talk ollowing days I had oppor-
j with Mary about nil the
astles which a young physician in
—i ompty offioe has abundant time to
, build; but I did not venture yet to
1 discuss my dream of the futuro doc-
' tor's wife. There lay at times in
sweetheart’s blue my
which drove the eyes an expression
words back even when
A- they wero trembling on my lips. Not
that I doubted in the least that Mary’s
heart belonged unconditionally to me;
no, it seemed rather as if n lack of
confidence in my professional ability
lay in her glance, and my pride in-
duoed me to keep silent, until a re¬
port of my first iridependent case
shoald call forth Mary’s fuli approba¬
tion and unlimited confidence iu my
chosen vocation.
I sat in my consulting room buried
in such thoughts as these on the after¬
noon of this dull November day. I
had barely heard the timid ring with
which some one begged admittance. I
rose to open the door in place of the
little page whom I had sent on an
errand. During tho few steps t^.t I
had to take, I confess that I was over¬
whelmed by a flood of the wildest
fancies. Here was a caller who needed
my help. Of course, it was an aristo-
cratio patient, with ringing praise,
and fame, and—ah, there I was again,
\ ' thinking of the doctor’s wife.
I opened the door. A poorly-olad
.
\man stood bofore me in the dim
ht of the late fall day. A pair of
dark eyes looked beseeohingly
• mM\ JmrS coal from dirt. a face thin and streaked
Mr “Doctor.” she said, in a trembling
“oh, Doctor, be merciful, I
you 1 My little Mary is bo sick.”
That name atoned, to some extent,
for tho disappointment which the
woman’s poverty-stricken appearanoe
had caused, for it did' not harmonize
with my recent dreams.
“Who are you? NVho sends you to
mo?” I asked.
“No one sends me,” replied the
woman, softly and rapidly. “Oh,
Doctor, do come 1 Ever since morn¬
ing I’ve been carrying coal from the
wagon to the next house. I live over
opposite in the court. My child has
been siokxsinee yesterday, and I found
her si/ much worse when I hurried
home for a minute just now.”
I hesitated somewhat, the disap¬
pointment was so great. The woman
wiped with her grimy hand a face that
already showed the traces of tears.
She sobbed painfully.
“I suppose I ought to call in the
charity doctor; but your servant is a
son of the cobbler in our court, and
he has told all the neighbors that you
were so kind-hearted. Oh, help my
little girl!”
“Well, of courso, the woman must
be helped. I was human, and surely
knew what was due to humanity. So
I weut with her, after first taking out,
with an importance that surprised and
half-shamed me, most of the necessary
instruments of a physician.
Across the street to a great court
lying behind a long row of houses, up
five flights, each darker and steeper
than the last, through an ill-fitting
door into a little chamber with a slop¬
ing ceiling and one tiny window, and
there on a poor but neat bed, with
feverish limbs, and wandering, uncon¬
scious eves, lay a child about fourteen
months old. The woman knelt down
by the bed.
“She doesn’t know mo any more,”
she moaned.
The child coughed hoarsely. That
was croup of the worst kind. I tore a
leaf from my blank-book and wrote
my first real proscription.
“Go to the nearest apothecary’s,”
I said.
She looked at me with some embar¬
rassment. “Gan’t I take it to King
street?” she asked.
“No, indeed,” I cried. “Why do
you not wish to go to the apothecary
in this street?”
The women reddened visibly in spite
of the coal dirt. “I think,” she stam¬
mered, “at the Eagle Pharmacy, in
King street, they may know me. I
carry coal there, and perhaps they will
—I have no money.” A large tear fell
onto the paper in her hand.
“Ob, these people who can’t pay for
doctor or medicino either!” I said,
impatiently, to myself. I took out
some money and said aloud: “There,
take that and hurry!”
The woman pressed her lips on the
little one’s hand, and then, before I
could stop her, on mine, and hastened
away.
I looked around tho room for r jeat.
A poor chair, a rough box, an old
table, some cheap kitchen utensils on
the low, cold stove, which took the
place of a range; in one corner, hang¬
ing on the wall, a threadbare woolen
dress, and near it a child’s gown and
a little hat trimmed with a bine rib¬
bon ; on the narrow shelf near the
tiny window a curled myrtle plant, a
scarlet geranium, aud a hymn book
with bright gilt edges; that was all
that the room contained.
I brought up the chair and sat
down near tho littio sick girl. She
was evidently well nourished; her
little limbs were plump aud shapely,
the golden hair soft and curly. Sho
breathed painfully, but she was not
conscious; and her blue eyes stared
straight before her, as if she were
looking into a distant, unknown coun¬
try. It was cold in the room. I wont
to the stove, but found only a few
chips—too few to build a lire. So I
sat down and waited for the woman
and tho medicine.
Again and again my glance wan¬
dered about the poverty-stricken
room. A poor, hard-working woman
who carried coal on tho street, while
her child lay sick and suffering; and
yet she certainly loved her little one
tenderly. Suddenly a thought shot
through my mind that I should not
be able to save tho child; that per¬
haps I had not been decided enough
to take on my own responsibility the
extreme and energetic measures which
would have wrested the littio sufferer
from death. My heart grew hot as 1
hurried to the door and listened for
the mother’s footsteps.
There she was at last. To my re¬
proachful look she only answered,
humbly : “There wore so many people
in the store. Folks like me must
stand back. ”
An hour of torture passed, Tho
medicine did no good; little Mary
could not swallow it. Neither did it
avail when, with trembling heart, but
a steady hand, I used the knife on the
slender, helpless throat, The little
golden-haired girl died—died bofore
my eyes on tho lap of her stricken
mother.
The woman looked up as if startled
when a tear fell on to her hand, for
she had not wept. “You are crying,
Dootor? Oh you must not do that.
You will have to stand by so many
sick beds where God sends no relief.”
She looked earnestly at the little
body. “I loved her so. I did every,
thing for her that I could, being so
poor. When I came homo from my
dirty work loving. I always found her so
pretty, so For hours sho
would lie on the bed or sit on the
floor and play with almost nothing,
and then she would laugh for joy
when I came home. God has taken
her; He loved her better than I—but
oh, how lonely it will bo for me 1”
I pressed the poor woman s hand.;
I could not speak, but I laid some
money on tho table and went out
softly. Once at home, I laid my case
of instruments away, and sat down
overwhelmed. I could eat no supper ;
I went to bed and hoped to sleep, but
the picture of a dismal nttio room, of
a dead child, and a humble, devout
woman would not let me rest, any
more than tho torturing recollection
of my own part in that scene.
Early the next morning an old col-
lege friend came to seo me ns ho was
passing through the city. He dragged
me through the crowded streets, to the
museums, to ail sorts of restaurants, and
POPULATION AN"D DHAINAGE.
MORGAN, GA.. FRIDAY, MAY 7. 1897.
complained of my lack of spirits. 1
pleaded a headache, and so escaped
going to see a popular play at the
theater. Tired and exhausted, I weut
at last alone to my room. As I passed
a florist’s brilliantly ligthed windows,
I stepped in and bought a costly white
camellia and some fragrant violets.
I climbed the five flights to the
home ol the poor woman. I found
the attic room unlooked. It was dim¬
ly lighted; a small coffin stood in tho
middle of the bare room, and the child
lay there in a white shroud. The rib¬
bon from the hat on the wall had been
worked over into two little bows; a
myrtle wreath rested on the fair hair,
and the geranium blossoms were scat¬
tered over the body, On tho table
near by wes a lamp, and tho open
hymn book was beside it.
I laid the beautiful white blossom in
tho stiff little hand and fastened a
bunch of violets on the breast of the
silent sleeper; then I looked at the
open book. “I joy to depart”—the
old hymn that I had learned at school
and half forgotten:
“To my dear onos who grieve,
Do not mourn for mo now;
This last message I leave,
To God’s will you must bow.”
I laid the book away with a sigh.
The words of tho old hymn, tho sol¬
emn stillness, tho peaceful little child
oppressed me. I went home, after
inquiring about the hour of the
burial.
I retirod early. I was weary, and
all my unrest had gone. As,if called
forth by a power higher than my own,
the words of an earnest prayer came
to my lips, of the prayer that Godi
would bless me in my hard profession,
and would change my haughty self-
confidence into a humble trust iu His
protection, wherever my small knowl¬
edge and my faithful ottorts would not
avail, when I must stand, as on the
day before, helpless to aid.
In tho early morning I awaited tho
littio coffin at tho door of the house.
A man boro it before him, aud tlio
mother followed in her poor blaok
gown. Sho pressed my hand with
a gratoful look, when sho saw that I
had joined the little procession. The
way was not long, the streets wero al¬
most empty, anil the air was unusually
mild for November. When the iron
gato of the cemotery opened, tho
weoping woman bowed her head still
lower. A young clergymnn stood
besido the gravo. "I havo undertaken,
as far as I am able, to pronounce a
last blessing over all tho Bleepers of
my congregation,” he said, softly, as
ho mot my surprised look.
That evening I went to see my rola—-
tives. I did not find the parents at
home. Only Ooujiu Mary was there
to receive me. We sat by the window
where tho moonlight fell on us, and
then I told her of my first patient, and
what I had learned from it. Mary
said nothing in answer to ray confes
sion; but suddenly I felt her arms
thrown around my neck. She looked
at me with wet eyes. “Don’t you see,
Max?” sho said, “now you know your¬
self what was lacking in your prepara¬
tion for work ; but, thank God, it has
come to you with your first patient.
Now I believe that you will make a
good physician who will bring help,
even where his own skill does not
work a cure.” I kissel my doar one.
“And now, what do you. think?” I
asked. “Have yon tho courage to
become the wife of such a doctor?”
She smiled through her happy tears.
And so at last wo were betrothed.
As it happened, tho very next day,
1 was called to a child that wns suf¬
fering intensely with croup, and was
so happy as to be ablo to savo it.
Since then God has bIiowu much favor
to the sick aud miserable through my
efforts, anil my work has grown ever
dearer to me.
But the mother of my first patient
moved into my house to be my house¬
keeper until my sweetheart became
the doctor’s wife. Even after the
wedding, she remained ns cook, until
she decided later to make still another
change, aud came to nurse our littio
first-born daughter, Mary. She wept
over our baby for joy, ami in thankful
remembrance of tho littio golden¬
haired girl who had found a happy
home for her mother and had made a
doctor worthy of his high profession.
—Translated for tho Independent.
Stout Hearts, These.
The heart is not always the delicate
organ it is generally believed to be.
Dr. William Turner records in the
British Medical Journal a few cases
which point to tho fact that wounds of
the heart aro seldom, if ever, imme¬
diately fatal. A child two years old
was brought to him with a sewing
needlo driven into its heart, and tho
needle was extracted without evident
harm resulting to tho heart of the
child. Another caso described is that
of a soldier in whoso heart a bullet
was found imbedded six years after he
had been wounded, ho having died
from quite another cause. Several
instances aro also given of persons
living for months and years after their
hearts had been terribly lacerated.
Indeed, neither gunshot injur¬
ies nor penetrating wounds bring
the hoart at once to a standstill; so
that this part of the animal organism
is apparently not its moat vital struc¬
ture.
An Eagle as an Alarm Clock.
Mr. W. Lo C. Beard, in St. Nioho.
l as , tells of a tamo eagle ho had as a
pet in Arizona. Mr. Beard says •
The half-breed iu whose charge ho
had been left told ns ho was far bettor
than an alarm clock, for no ono could
sleep through tho cries with which ho
greeted the rising sun and his notion
of breakfast time; and while an alarm
would ring for only half a minute
Moses was wound up to go all dav or
until he got something to eat. “ But
his guardian treated him kindly, and
Moses grow and thrived, soon putting
on a handsome suit of brown and gray
j j feathers, which he was verv proud of.
and spent moat of his spare time iu
preening.
THE OKLAHOMA TOWN SUFFERS
FEARFUL DISASTER.
SCORES OF PEOPLE ARE DROWNED.
Hundreds of Homes Destroyed By tho
Great Flood Wave—Damage Will
Beach Over a Million Dollars.
A special of Wednesday night from
Guthrie, Okla., states that tho Cana¬
dian valley is a dreary waste. At sun¬
rise Wednesday morning a mighty wall
of water from six to eight feet high,
and a mile wide, broke upon West
Guthrie without warning, crushing
houses, sweeping away property and
drowning people by tho score.
Every movable thing was swept be¬
fore the, wave, which passed on into
the valley with resistless force, wreak¬
ing terrible destruction to life and
property wherever it reached.
Dozens of human lives are known to
have been sacrificed; how many may
not he ascertained for weeks. Hun¬
dred of houses were wrecked; for miles
farms were completely ruined, bridges
and tracks were washed out and rail¬
road traffic in every direction is at a
standstill. The efforts of rescuing
parties have in many cases proved in
vain. Many people floated down
stream before they could be reached
and their fate is unknown: others
passed (he night in trees in midstream
or perched on house tops.
The property loss is planed at some¬
thing over $1,000,000. Business has
been suspended in Guthrie. As thor¬
ough an organization for relief as is
possible has been made, but all aid has
been necessarily retarded by the con¬
fused condition of things. It will be
impossible the explore the houses un¬
til the water subsides, ns many of them
are submerged. As darkness gathered
many overturned houses could be seen
far out into the flood, but it could not
be learned whether their occupants
had escaped.
The river is thirty feet above its
ordinary level. A heavy rain began
falling during the afternoon. A threat¬
ening bank of clouds enmo up from
the northeast and many persons fled
to their tornado cellars fearing that
anoRiafA'MTsaster was upon them.
Luckily, however, the damage was
slight.
Tho Cottonwood river, a small stream
that winds between steep banks in
West Guthrie, was full from a heavy
rain. About 6 o’clock waters from a
cloudburst above addod to those
already nearly- up to the level of the
high banks and the flood was sweeping
through West Guthrie, a section popu¬
lated mostly by colored people.
Water In Great Waves.
Persons who saw the first wall of
water said that it was about eighteen
feet liigli, spreading entirely across
the valley. There was no water in
front of it save that .in the river’s
channels.
The first wave was followed by oth¬
ers in quick succession,until the whole
settled into a bank of water from six
to eight feet high. Many had already
begun carrying their household goods
to places of safety, but few had made
more than one trip when they were
forced to flee for llieir lives before a
raging, resistless torrent.
The main supply pipe of the water¬
works system burst where it crossed
the Cottonwood in the southern part of
the city and all file water in the reser¬
voir poured into the river. The houses
and barns began to drift down stream,
each freighted with ono or more hu¬
man beings; boats or rafts shot out
here and there from the shore and des¬
perate efforts were made to rescue the
people. Improvised rafts were quickly
thrown together and started out into
the mad stream. Before many of them
had been propelled a couple of yards
from shore they were twisted and
broken Ivy the waters and the would-
be rescuers thrown into the stream.
Half a dozen rescuers were drowned,
even before those they had tried to
save had been reached.
SAYS HE’S THE FIREBUG.
I.inn Implicates Several Others In the
Burning of Portsmouth.
Frank Linn, one of the five men un¬
der arrest charged with having origina¬
ted the fire at Portsmouth, Ya., in
March last, has confessed, implicating
tho men in custody.
LIVES LOST IN FIRE.
Mother Tries to Savo Children l?y Throw¬
ing Them From Window.
Four lives were lost in a fire in
South Brooklyn, N. Y., early Wednes¬
day morning.
Tho dead are: Mrs. Cecelia Bar¬
nett and her two children, aged throe
and five years; Mrs. John Newel, aged
thirty-eight years.
Before she was suffocated Mrs. Bar¬
nett threw her two children out of the
window into the street. The injuries
they received resulted in death soon
afterwards.
A blaze started in a tenement
crowded with people. The tenants,
aroused by the flames, hurried to
street. Several jumped from windows.
WORRYING THE NEW LINE.
J'flfort To Prevent Ohio Kivor anil Charles¬
ton Railroad From Knterlny Gaffney.
There is a little railroad war
Gaffney, River York county, S. C. The
and Charleston is building
spur to that town from Blacksburg.
Gaffney Air-Line. is on tho Atlanta and
Wednesday night the
was invaded by a large force of
who began laying side tracks to
vent the Ohio River anil
entering town on their right of way.
ROADS IN NEW COMBINE.
“Southwestern Passenger Association**
Organized at Washington.
Representatives of leading railroads
of the south met at Washington Wed¬
nesday and concluded the formation of
a new passenger traffic association, to
he known as the "Southwestern Pas¬
senger association,” aud elected offi¬
cers for the ensuing year.
The articles of the association were
tentatively formed at n recent meeting
in Atlanta, Ga., subject to the concur¬
rence of four absent members. These
members were present at the meeting
aud after some minor changes in the
articles they were formally adopted.
The roads entering the association
are the Atlanta, Knoxville and North¬
ern railway; Atlanta and West Point
railroad; Atlantic Coast Line; Central
of Georgia railway; Florida Central
and Peninsula railroad; Florida East
Coast railway; Georgia and Alabama
railway; Mobile and Birmingham rail¬
road; Pennsylvania railroad; Plant
System of railways; Richmond, Fred¬
ericksburg and Potomac railroad;
Southern railway; Tifton and North¬
eastern railroad; Western Railway of
Alabama.
The Seaboard Air Line system has
not joined the association.
The election of officers resulted in
the choice of Henry Walters, presi¬
dent of the Atlantic Coast Line, as
president, and Joseph Richardson,
formerly commissioner of the South¬
ern States Passenger Association, as
chairman of the conference committee
of the new association.
The articles adopted set forth the ob¬
jects of tho association in the following
preamble:
“For the purpose of interchanging
authentic information in regard to the
tariffs of tho respective parties, mem¬
bers of this association; for consulta¬
tion and mutual advice in regard to
the reasonableness of tariffs, and the
publicity of the same; and to aid in
fulfilling the purposes of the laws of
the states and of the United states af¬
fecting the commerce and especially
with the view of preventing illegal and
Unjust discriminations between per¬
sons and localities, or kinds of traffic.”
DEItOE ELECTED SENATOR.
End of 21* Contest. That Cost tho State of
Kentucky SI00,000.
The Hon. W. J. Deboe, of Critten¬
den county, and a republican, was
elected United States senator in the
Kentucky legislature Wednesday, to
succeed Hon. J. C. Blackburn.
The vote stood: Deboo, 71; Martin,
12; Stone, 1; Blackburn, 50.
Confusion began when the (?8th vote
for Deboe was passed. He had 71
when the roll called ceased. The
Blackburn people called for the ab¬
sentees and voted solidly for their
man.
After the official declaration of the
election of Deboe, there were such
loud demonstrations that even the tel¬
egraph offices in the lobby had to BUS-
pend business, and nothing but the
bare ballot could be sent out at the
time.
The excitement was intense, as it
ended a contest that has been waged
since last year. Senator Blackburn
and his friends, after fighting hard for
over a year in tho regular and the ex-
tra sessions, went down with their
colors flying. The silver democrats
concealed their disappointment and the
gold democrats joined in the jollifica¬
tion. There never was such a scene
in tho Kentucky stateliouse.
Governor Bradley lias written out
the certificates of election for Senator
Deboe and lie will proceed to Wash¬
ington at once with his credentials to
assist in organizing the United States
senate and in the passage of the tariff
and other measures on which the lines
are closely drawn.
The crowd that filled the house
chamber, isles, lobbies and galleries
long bofore noon was the biggest seen
in ten years in this historic hall.
Everyone believed that a senator was
at last to be elected, after a struggle
that lias lasted through two legislative
sessions, through 112 ballots and at a
cost to tho state of more than $100
000 .
The Blackburn people hoped to the
last that they would succeed.
Democrats Will Hold On.
The North Carolina state supremo
court has passed upon the act of the
late fusion legislature, which attempt¬
ed to take possession of all the insane
asylums, and pronounced it unconsti¬
tutional. The superintendents, all of
whom are democrats, will serve out
their full terms.
MET COMPANY HALF WAY.
Miners Agree to Accept Bodiietlon of Two
and a Half Cents Per Ton.
The miners at Pratt City, Ala., one
of the largest mining camps in the
district held a largely attended meet¬
ing Tuesday to discuss tho proposi¬
tion of tho Tennessee Coal, Iron and
Railroad company looking toward a
reduction of wages. The meeting was
harmonious.
It was decided to accept a reduction
of ‘21 cents per ton on coal mining,
provided tho company would abolish
tho individual contract system now in
vogue at Pratt City.
The proposition offered by the min-
ers meets the company half way in its
request for change in prices of digging.
ROOM FOR GREENVILLE TOWN.
A #300,000 Klccfric Street, Kail way Plant
Projected.
Greenville, B. C., is soon to have a
$200,000 electric street railway plant.
The city council S. has Lawrence passed and an onli- his
nance giving J.
associates, the wealthy concern which
has just completed an electric system
in Charleston, a thirty-seven year
frarn hise.on condition that they equip
within twelve months a system in
Greenville.
T. P. GREEN/MANAGER.
(JUEEN REGENT SIGNS A VERY
IMPORTANT DOCUMENT.
REFORMS ASSURED FOR THE ISLAND
Considered By Washington OftielalH Ah
a Kealiz.aiion of Plans Which Have
Been Pong Under Consideration.
The queen regent of Spain had a
cabinet meeting at Madrid Thursday
and signed a decree providing for the
application of the agreed-upon reforms
for llio island of Cuba. Her majesty's
action was due to the receipt of a cable
message from Captain General Weylev
aunoui icing that the western part of
the island is completely pacified.
News Deceived in Miivmui.
The nows of the queen regents’ ac¬
tion in putting in operation the scheme
for reforms in Cuba already agreed
upon, Havana. was immediately transmitted to
A mail steamer was detained
twenty-four hours at Cadi/, in order to
carry the decree establishing the work
of reform which will begin in the
provinces Matanzas and of Pinar Santa del Clara. Rio, Havana,
Opinion at Washington.
A Washington special says: The an¬
nouncement from Madrid that the
queen regent has signed a decree ap¬
plying tho reform laws to Cuba is con¬
sidered by officials at tho capital as a
realization of the plans under negotia¬
tion for many months to give Cuba an
autonomous form of government, or
homo rule.
The home-rule plan about to be applied
was made public in detail by Minister
Dupuy de Lome on February (5th last.
A council of administration is creat¬
ed for the government of affairs of tho
island, This council will be in the
nature of a parliament made up of
tliivty-one members, a majority of
them being elected by the Cubans and
a lesser number appointed by tho
throne.
The council of administration is giv¬
en island, practically supreme control of the
subject to certain supervisory
authority by the home government.
One of the important features of the
plan is that of allowing Cuba to revise
her liti iff schedules.
The reform ftiw was passed March
15th, 1895, but never applied to Cuba
owing to the uprising.
On last New Year’s it was promul¬
gated by the queen regent and gazetted
in Havana as a concession of tho new
year. Its actual application was still
withheld, however, until General Wey-
ler couid announce that the island was
pacified.
On the king’s fete day tho plan was
amplified.
The decree signed by the queen ap¬
pears to be the best step toward act¬
ually applying the law to Culm.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
Unfortunates of llio Gutlirio Pinaster In a
■tail flight.
In the flood-stricken valley of the
Cottonwood river Thursday was a day
of heroic efforts toward the rescue of
these unfortunates whose lives were
still endangered and for the relief of
the hundreds of destitute and hungry.
It seems now a certainty that the
loss of life in the deluge will not ex¬
ceed twenty.
Missing people, supposed to have
been drowned, have been found cling¬
ing to bushes or driftwood down the
stream of the west bluffs anil gathering
in farmhouses for miles.
For miles along the scene of devas¬
tation, 1,500 people are homeless, half
ill from exposure anil hunger; many of
them too weak to give much assistance
either to themselves or otlifers.
The scene in the flood-swept district
is one of desolation.
WILL BLISS RESIGN?
A ‘Mooted Oih’hUoii That Is Agitating tho
Domiciling.
A Washington special says: Tho
story that Secretary Bliss will resign
shortly is on the rounds again. The
story has been going in different forms
since Mr. Bliss entered the cabinet,
arising front tlie fact that tho Now
York man was strenuously urged to
take the place and did it under pro¬
test and with an intimation that when
the administration got its work well in
hand lie might lay down the reins. In
official circles there is no belief that
Mr. Bliss has any idea of resigning.
DELYANNIS ASKED TO RESIGN.
Kin# Uuorgo Entrusts tho Opposition With
Formation of New Cabinet.
A cable dispatch from Athens says:
The king summoned M. Delyannis, the
premier, Thursday morning and called
upon him to tender hia resignation.
llis majesty subsequenty entrusted
to tlicf opposition leaders the task of
forming a new cabinet.
Following is tho official list of the
new cabinet ministers:
Premier and Minister of Marine—
M. Ralli.
Minister of War—M. Tsamavos.
Minister of Finance—M. Simopoulo.
Minister of Education—Carapanos.
Minister of tho Interior—-M. Leot-
taoki.
EMBEZZLED STATE’S FUNDS.
Ex-Treasurer of Nfibranka to Bo Arrested
for Stealing # 300 , 000 .
Sheriff McDonald left Omaha, Neb.,
Wednesday for Lincoln to arrest J. 8.
Bartley, ex-state treasurer, on a charge
of embezzing $210,000.
Bartley, it is charged, drew a war¬
rant for $180,000 to reimburse the
sinking fund, so that the warrant to
the Chemical National bank, of New
York, and lutev took the paper paying
the interest, . bringing up tho, sum of
$300,000. Yy
THROUGH GEORGIA.
Governor Atkinson and Judge Tur
ner will visit all of the states within
the next few weeks for the purpose of
securing all the information possiblo
upon the serious question of managing
convicts and every camp of importance
will be inspected for this reason.
The officers elected at the recent
meeting of the State Medical association
at Macon are as follows: President,
J. B. Morgan, Augusta, Ga.; first
vice-president, L. G. Hardeman, Har-
nion y Grove; second vice-president, J.
L. Hiers, Savannah; censor, Charles
Hicks, Dublin. The report of the
committee appointed to revise tho
constitution and by-laws was adopted.
The book commission, recently ap¬
pointed by Governor Atkinson by au¬
thority of an act passed at the last
session of the legislature, will proba¬
bly hold its first meeting in Macon
about the middle of next month. Tho
result of the meeting will be awaited
with much interest, as a commission
has in charge a work that will affect
the entire public school system of
Georgia.
The third annual convention of the
Georgia division of the Travelers’
Protective Association of America met
in Atlanta, elected its officers, ad¬
journed, banqueted and the delegates
left for their homes Sunday morning.
Mr. E. E. Smith, ex-chairman of the
state railroad committee and chairman
of the national railroad committee,was
elected president. Mr. D. P. O’Con¬
nor, of Augusta, holds the important
office of slate secretary and treasurer,
and Augusta captures the state head¬
quarters. Savannah gets the next an¬
nual convention of the slate division.
The Epworth League convention ad¬
journed at Atlanta last Sunday night,
after a highly successful and enter¬
taining meeting. The following offi¬
cers were elected for the ensuing year:
Pres dent, Mr. Leon Smith, of La-
Grange; first vice president, J, IS. Me-,
Ghee, of Valdosta; second vice-presi¬
dent, Mis,s Daisy Davis, of Atlanta’;
third vice president, Mrs. J. B. Bus¬
sey, Cuthbert; secretary, J. A. Stimu¬
li an, Macon; treasurer, Mrs. T. P.
Graham, Rome, editor, Mrs. J. Lester .,
Dillon, Augustus The next meeting ’
place will be Macon, but ti e exact
date has not yet been fixed.
The great council of Georgia Im¬
proved Order of Red Men will assem¬
ble in Atlanta May 11th and hold their
pow-wows. The business of the coun¬
cil will be rushed and the Red Men
will leave Atlanta on the night of the
11th and go to Nashville to see the big
exposition and to participate in (he
celebration of St. Tamina’s day liy tlie
Red Men of Tennessee. Preparations
are being made and by the Atlanta Red
Men to receive entertain the dele¬
gates and visitors to the great council
and tlie men of tlie whoop and scalp
will he royally cared for during their
Atlanta war dances.
It is very probable that the general
assembly will he asked to enact a law
changing the present system of justice
court procedure, at least so far as it
applies to Fulton county. There is
at present a strong movement w orking
in opposition to the old custom and it
looks as if a war to the death is to be
waged on the old system. It is charged
that the practices of some'of the courts
in the county are irregular, question¬
able and at variance with a good sys¬
tem of government. It is claimed that
there has grown up a belief that tho
courts aro being used for wrongful and
improper purposes and that they are
fast becoming sources of evil instead
of temples of justico.
The Northeastern railroad will soon
he placed upon the market to bo sold
to the highest bidder. Governor At¬
kinson will bo the niltiqneer ami tho
property will be sold under the special
act of the legislature which was pass¬
ed last fall. When the legislature
took action in the matter the governor
was authorized to make the sale within
six months from that time, the limit
expiring on June 24th. The minimum
price named in tho bill was $287,000,
which is nt tho rate of about $7,000
per mile, the road being a little more
than forty miles in length. Upon tho
sale of the Northeastern hinges a num¬
ber of very Important things which
havo been contemplated for quite
awhile. The road, when sold, will
probably bo bought in for the purpose
of extending it and developing tho
country through which the proposed
line has been surveyed.
Secretary of State, Allen D. Candler,
has received a letter which brings to
light a gigantic land fraud perpertrated
100 years ago. There was a forged
grant of 00,000 acres in Laurens
county and heirs of claimants to some
of this land under the forged title aro
trying to sell it in New York. John
Davis, a lawyor of New York, writes
the secretary of stato that persons
there are trying to sell a client of his
5,000 acres in Laurens county on a
title derived from a grant to Geflrge
Nayler on January 5th, 1795. Tlie
grant purports to havo been made to
Georgo Nayler by the governor of
Georgia, and the endorsement states
that it is recorded in hook I, page 625.
Secretary Candler turned to book I,
page 625 and found a grant of 250
acres by George the Third, through
James Habersham, president of tho
council, to Isaac Ford. The date is
net 1795 but 1774, 20 years before,
when Georgia had no governor. Tho
alleged grant,to Nayler is thejatfore a
palpable forgery. *0^