Conditions Greatly Improved in
' Wrecked Italian Provinces.
SEISMIC SHOCKS CONTINUE
But the Survivors Are Accustomed to
Jars---American Relief Ships
Have Arrived.
- Messina, Italy.~-Balmy weather has
prevalled for the past two or three
days at this place, and it Is a great
blessing, making it possible for the
troops and survivors of the earth
quake to llve more or less comtore
ably in the openm, Occasionally there
are earth shocks, but the people have
become accustomed to them, Two
gevere shocks brought down many
broken walls in Messina.
General Mazza, who is in supreme
command, has adopted stringent meas
ures in order to protect the people
and the people's property. In addition
to establishing a police service around
the city, he has issued orders that
any person found excavating without
a permit will be shot. |
General Mazza’'s command extends
to both sides of the strails. In an in.
terview he said that some semblance
of order was at last being re-estab
lished. The work is now systematiz
ed, and the situation, he believes, is
well in hand. |
The official. death list has been plac
ed at 164,000, |
The United States supply ships.!
Yaukton and Culgoa, have arrived and |
are distributing the cargoes of provls-‘
jons they carried. |
The United States battleships Con:
necticut, Kansas, Minnesota and Ver
mont, under Rear Admiral Sperry, the
commander of the Atlantic fleet, have
arrived at Naples.
12,470,226 BALES GINNED.
The Census Bureau Reports on the
Cotton Crop. |
Washington, D. C.—The census bu
reau reported 112,470,226 running bales
of cotton ginned from the growth of
1808 to January 1 last, against 9,951,
505 a year ago, and 27,38 ginneries
operated, against 27,276 a year ago.
The percentage of the whole crop gin
ned to January 1 is 90 per cent for
1909, and 90.4 per cent for 1908.
The report includes 231,821 round
bales, and 88,016 sea isl. nd bales for
1908. It counts round bales as half
bales and excludes linters, The cot
ton ginned to January 1, 1907, and
1906, were 11,741,039 bales and 9,725,
426 bales respectively. The total crop
of 1907 was 11,057,822 bales, of which
92.7 per cent was ginned to January
1. The crops of 1906 and 1905 were
12,983,201 bales and 10,495,105 bales,
respectively. The running bales by
states, ginned to January 1 last and
ginneries respectively, follow:
Bales. Ging,
Alabama, , . . .1,304,324 3,407
Arkansas .’ . . o .1,911,123 2,118
B . . O 255
Georgla .. . . . . .1,933,956 4,453
Kansas, Kentucky
and New Mexico. . 1,672 6
Soulsiana. . . . . 466,188 1,691
‘Mississippi . . . . .1,5618,707 3,465
assourt. . ...... . 53920 78
South Carolina, . , .1,176,743 8,219
fennessee. ~ . . . 917,343 6406
RS . . o s .8 SABOIO 4,147
B. . . i 4 e 25008 114
There were 179,694 round bales and
73,425 sea island bales for 1908, and
255,566 round bales and 54,275 sea
island bales for 1907. The distribu
tion of sea island cotton for 1909 fol
lows:
B - Laid aaee ey BT
B ... o i wase 2 9 ONY
R CRYOINE ..o cvse sssoscdihinl
25 MEN KILLED IN EXPLOSION
In the Famous Leiter Colliery at Du
quoin, llilinois,
Duquoin, Illinois, — A most
disastrous gas explosion, in
which twenty-five men lost their lives
oecurred in Joseph Leiter’s famous
colliery at Zeigler, ' A spark from a
trolley pole of an electric motor, com
ing in contact with a pocket of gas,
is assigned as the cause of the explo
sion.
Joseph Leiter perscsnally conducted
the first relief party that descended
into the mine to recover the bodies.
'The lone survivor of the explosion
was an Italian youth, who escaped un
harmed.
The bodies taken from the mine
are badly burhed, and identification is
difficult. Twenty-six men entered the
mine on the night shift, and the
names of the victims are taken from
the payroll.
The explosion was peculiar, No
noise or shock was heard or felt at
the opening of the shaft—only a puft
of smoke,
The engineer, noticing the smoke,
realized that an an accident had hap
pened and summoned aid. The mine
had recently been on fire and the
fames probably sealed and confined
to workings which were not in the
vicinity of the present explosion.
FINAL DRAFT IS PREPARED.
Of Treaties Between United States,
. Colombia and Panama.
. Washington, D. C.—Final drafts in
English and Spanish have been pre
are& at the state department of the
oposed treaties between the United
+og of America and Panama, and
sen the United States of Colom
eeeadnd Panama. Their completion
SRR he ending of long-pending
"t and opens the way for the
! i of diplomatic and trade
] B\iween the two countries.
e b has assumed the phase
i wered affair because of
, b anama to the United
~ | for the huilding of
R | M NG R
T 0 DEFINE COTTON GOODS.
Committee Named by Secretary of Ag
culture Wilson.
Washington, D, C.—As experts to
establish the nine official grades of
cotton which congress directed to be
prepared, Secretary of Agriculture
Wilson has announced Lhe appoint
ment of a half dozen business men
te act as a committee to meet in
Washington on February 1.
The committec follows: J. A, Alrey
of New Orleans, Joseph Akers of At
lanta, . W, Camp of Mewphis, John
Martin of Paris, Texas; George W,
Neville of New York City, Lewis W,
Parker of Greenville, 8. C, all mem
bers of widely known cotton firms,
Nearly all the important cotton ex
changes in this country and Europe
have contributed their standards free
of cost for the use of the experts in
establishing the grades, The grow
ers, manufacturers and exchanges
have all cordially asissted in many
ways,
The cotton exchanges of the fol
lowing cities have contributed copies
of their standard: Augusta and Ma
con, Ga.; Bremen, Germany; Charles
ton, 8. C.; Charlotte, N. C.; Galves
ton and Waco, Téxas; Little Rock,
Ark.; Liverpool any Manchester, Eng
land; Memphis, Tenn.; Mobile, Ala.;
New Orleans, La.; New York City
and Vicksburg, Miss.
NIGHT KIDERS GuiLlY.
Six Men Sentenced to Hang~—Two
Others Given Twenty Years.
Union City, Tenn.—Six night riders
were found guilty of murder in the
first degree with mitigating circum
stances, They are Garrett, Johnson,
Ted Burton, Boy Ranson, Fred Hin
ton, Arthur Cloar and Sam Apple
white.
Bud Morris and Bob Hoffman, ths
other defendants, were found guilty
of murder in the second degree, and
their punishment fixed at twenty
years in the penitentiary.
In passing sentence Judge Jones
declared that he could see no mitigat
ing circumstances, mentioned by the
jury in the return of the verdict, and
set February 19th as the day for the
execution of the six first named de
fendants,
For the first time in six months
Union City and Obion county breathes
freely. The prompt conviction of the
eight men on trial for night riding
and murder has had a reassuring ef
fect upon the public and more open
denunciations of the men and tae
crime is heard on the streets than
ever before.
FIGHTING PROHIBITION.
Memphis Business and Professional
Men Hold Big Meeting.
Memphis, Tenn.—Memphis business
and professional men met in mass
meeting to protest against the pass
age of a prohibition law, which will
include Memphis in its operation.
Resolutions setting forth the great
harm that such legislation would in
flict upon Memphis, and asking in
stead for local option, segregation
and high license were adopted. Com
mittees were adspointed to go to
Nashville in time to appear before
the senate committee on liquor traf
fie and protest against the passage
of the blanket prohbition measure,
and to secure the signatures of busi
ness organizations and leading citi
zons to a protest against the propos
ed Holladay bill.
Following the action of the Busi
ness Men’s Club, City Club, Mer
chants’ Exchange and other organiza
tions, the city council went on rec
ord against state-wide prohibition,
~ Lawless Act of President.
Washington, D. C.—Characterizing
the action of the president in direct
ing the attorney general not to pros
ecute the United States Steel Corpo
ration for its absorption of the Ten
nessee Coal and Iron Company as
“another arbitrary and lawless act of
the chief magistrate,” Senator Culb -
son of Texas introduced 2a resolution
in the senate instructing the commit
tee on the judiciary to report at as
early a date as practicable, whether,
in the opinion of that committee, the
president was authorized to permit
such absorption. Mr. Culberson at
considerable length criticised the
president 'and insisted that congress
had the right to give directions to a
head of an executive department un
der certain conditions. i ‘
Cure for Leprosy Found.
Honolulu, Hawaii—Dr. T. W. Way
son, a member of the territorial
board of health, who has devoted
much time and attention to the study
of leprosy, has made definite an
nouncement that a case of the dis
ease has been found, and that a pa
tient afflicted with leprosy had been
restored to health, Dr. Wayson stat
ed that the course of treatment pur
sued would not be made public at
this time, as he and his assistants
were desirous of observing -other
cases,
N b i
Queer Freak of Lightning.
Little Rock, Ark.—A peculiar freak
of lightning occurred at the residence
of Lee Lofton, a farmer, near Ham
burg. Lofton and his wife were
standing in front of the fireplace,
when a bolt of lightning descended
the chimney, tore out the left eye of
Mrs, Lofton, and knocked Lofton
down; but did not injure him,
SIOO,OOO Cifered Jefiries.
Reno, Nevada.—According to a dis
patch from Mazuma, & mining - camp
in the center of the state, the Athlet
jo club of that ceity met and
decided to offer a purse of ~nojg.ooo
for a fight between Jetfries and . ohn
son, the fight to take place there,
b et L SRR e
Blocked By Jealousies Between
- Agricultural Colleges.
If Differences Between Two Factions Are
Not Settled a Smaller Appropria
tion Will Probaly Result.
Washington, D, C.~—Jealousies be
tween the agricultural colleges, ex
periment stations and scientists other
‘wise attached on the one hand and
the department of agriculture on tud
other have come to the aitention of
the house committee on agriculture
so forcibly during the hearings be
ing held on the agricultural appropri
ation bill that its effect will, in all
probability, be felt, in no uncertain
‘way on the finished bill,
At the beginning of the hearing
;Secretary Wilson of the departmept
iot agriculture called the attention of
the committee to the difficulties the
department was meeting as a result
of the jealousies of outside scientistis,
“We have an assoclation that 1s
krown as the Association of Ameri
can Agricultural Colleges and Exper
iment Stations,” explained the secre
tary.
“There are a few of those men who
are perpetually jealous of what we
gre doing, To illustrate this very
point, they are always raising com
mittees to come and tell us what they
hthink we ought to do, and how much
of the work ought to be left to them
alone.”
The executive committee of the
same association referred to by Sec
retary Wilson had its inning. Amoug
those present was Dr. H. C. White
of Athens, Ga.
The committeemen said in sub
stance that the value of the soil sur
veys of the bureau of seils of the de
partment of agriculture, a work over
which there has been much dispuce
in congress, was “grossly exaggerat
ed,” not alone by farmers, but by
officials of the department itself.
Furthermore, Dr. Alonzo D. Melvin,
chief of the bureau of animal indus
try, has informed the committee that
owing to the attitude of local officials
in North Georgia, and the cattle own
‘ers there, he would probably be com
pelled to abandon the campaign
against the cattle tick in that state.
‘When questioned concerning the op
position, he said the antagonism arose
out of political reasons.
“Much of the opposition,” explained
Dr. Melvin, “came from poor people,
who had but one or two cows, and did
not want to be bothered by having to
keep them confined. They wanted
them to run on the commons, and
rather than have opposition the au
thorities failed to enforce their own
ordinances.”
Another line of work in which there
is a lack of co-operation between the
state arfd the federal authorities came
to the attention of the committee
when Representative Watkins of Lou
isiana addressed it in behalf of an
increased appropriation for demon
stration work in raising cotton to re
sist the boll weevil. He said that al
though the state appropriated money
for demonstration work, the federal
and state officials did not co-operate.
“I have no hesitation in saying that
there is no comparison between the
work of the two governments, that of
the department of agriculture being
vastly superior,” testified the repre
sentative.
JOBS FOR EX-PRESIDENTS.
Senator McCreary Proposes to Care
for Retiring Executives.
Washington, D. C. — To insure
against any ex-president of the United
States being “out of a job,” Senator
McCreary of Kentucky will make an
effort before the close of the present
session of congress to have enacted
his bill providing that former execu
tives may be appointed members of
international commissions and repre
sentatives of the United States at
conferences having to do with foreign
affairs.
The bill has been referred to the
senate committee on foreign relations
and several meetings have been held
to consider it,
SPECIAL AMBASSADOR RECALLED,
Chinese Diplomat Now in Washing
ton Asked to Return to China.
Pekin, China.—Tang Shao Yi, who
is at present in Washington on a spe
cial diplomatic mission from the Chi
nese government, has been recalled
to Pekin. He will come back via Eu
rope, leaving Washington immedi
ately.
The mission of Tang Shao Yi has
been enormously ee«pensive, and in
some quarters here his summary re
call is regarded as giving color to the
reports that charges of extravagance
have been lodged against uan Shi Kai,
the dismissed grand councillor,
Tang Shao Yi started on his mis
sion last fall, under the auspices and
with the approval of Yuan Shi Kai.
LR s
MILLERS HOLD MEETING.
Recommended That Uniform Food
Law Be Adopted.
Nashville, Tenn.—The Southeastern
Millers’. Asociation, Which held its an
nual convention here, recommended
the adoption of a uniform food law,
and will have such a measure drawn
in conformity with the food laws of
some twelve southern states and pre
sented to the Tennessee legislature.
The recommendation of such a meas
ure was brought about because of the
difference in the present statutes re
garding the adulteration .of food and
the consequent annoyagce to th 0,,%
ers in conformity to tfle several laws |
in the selling of fed§ in different
states, T T Wek e S (S
HIGHER FREIGHT RATES
For Railroaps Are Sustained By U. S.
Circuit Court of Appeals.
~ New Orleans, La.—A decigion of vast
importance to the south and soulu
west, because it affects the question
of an increase in freight raies on prac
tically all the raflroads In these sec
tions, was handed down here by tho
United States circuit court of appeals
reversing the decree of Judge Emory
Speer, of the southern district of
Georgia, restraining the defendant
railroads from putting the proposed
increased freight tariffs Into effect,
The decision was in the case of
the Atlantic Coast Line Rallroad Cozu
pouy and others, appellants, against
i:xe Macon Grocery Company, appeal
e,
It I 8 expected that an appeal will
be taken to the United States su
preme court by the shipping interests,
although the question of the proposed
increase in rates is at present before
the interstate commerce commission.
The question involved a proposed
increase in freight rates on food pro
ducts from Georgia points to poinws
west of that state, The appeallees
secured an injunction and the rail
road company’s appeal from this ac
tion of the lower court is sustained
by the appellate court’s dccision.
Appeallees charged illegal combina.
tion in restraint of trade by the ap.
pellants, who are members of the
Southeastern Freight Association, and
that the object was to have a monop
oly and destroy competition. The
court below enjoined the enforcement
of the freight rates and the latest ru
ing reverses that decision.
CALL ON NATIONAL BANKS.
‘United States to Withdraw $25,000,
000 of Deposits in Banks.
Washington, D. C.—The secretary
of the treasury has announced a call
on the national bank depositaries for
approximately $25,000,000 of govern
ment deposits, $15,000,000 to be paid
on or before January 23, 1909, and
the remainder to be paid on or be
fore February 10, 1909.
This call on national banks for the
return to the treasury of $25,000,000
is not made necessary by any urgent
need of cash, the balance on hand and
available for all purposes being fully
$29,000,000 with the revenues show
ing slight increases over one Yyear
ago.
The gecretary’s desire to provide
ample funds for treasury needs at the
begianing of the new administration
tbout eight weeks hence is beli¢wed
to be the only purpose in making a
call at this time. The banks are said
to be in condition to spare the cash
without any embarrassment, and it
is believed that most of them are
quite willing to surrender a consid
erable share of the government hold
ings.
ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE.
It Will Erect a Large Pubtishing Piant
Near Columbus, Ohio.
Washington, D. <C.—The national
headquarters committee of the Anti-
Saloon League of America, at a meet
ing in this city, decided to erect a
printing and publishing plant involv
ing an investment of approximately
one hundred thousand dollars, near
Columbus, Ohio, to be known as Lin
coln Temperance Memorial, as head
quarters for thc league’s official or
gan, “The American Issue.”
NEWSY PARAGRAPHS.
Colonel Zanamitsky, chief of the
Russian secret police of Vladiscostox,
was sentenced to four years’ imprison
ment for manufacturing evidence al
the treason trials. :
George LaFord, a chauffeur, is con
fined in a hospital in Menohinee, Wis.,
in a critical condition as a result of
a hip disease contracted while run
ning an automobile. The constant
jar of the machine and the use of the
right foot upon the levers of the ma
chine have developed the disease In
an aggravated form, the right leg be
ing useless.
The police of Memphis, Tenn.,
are searching for a man who was par
tially successful in an attempt to
steal a coffin factory. The factory,
which had temporarily suspended op
erations, was a substantial brick
structure located in an outlying and
thinly populated section of Memphis.
It was reported to one of the owners
that the building was being razed
and investigation developed that un
der the direction of an unknown man
a frece of workmen have been en
gaged in' demolishing the structure,
the bricks being carried away and
sold by the wagon load. When the
police arrived the master of opera
tions had disappeared, leaving the
workmen unpaid.
“I need the money more than you
do, so I will take it. When I get my
pile Tl'll return it.” This mesesage
was left by Ralph Crockett, an office
boy for Joseph Pink, a Boston, Mass.,
lawyer. He left with SSOO in cash
and checks. ;
Plans looking to the publication of
a book to contain the national songs
of all nations, with words, transla
tions and music, and to secure the
publications by the United States bu
‘reau of education of a pamphlet giv
ing comparative rates of tuition and
cost of living at the leading American
univ,ersities for distribution in for
eigr} lands, were adopted at the sec
ond annuil convention of the Asso
ciation of {osmopolitan Clubs at Ann
Avbor, Mic
"The stai por commissioner of
N[orth Card@ his annual report,
fays there ! hundred and fif
ty-two cottoWsss _ , operation in
orth Carol ) Boting an in
vested {anit p,OOO. They
have 54,262 100,000 spin
‘dles and 55,08 B s
Senator Tillman Said to Have
Used His Office lllegally.
Roosevelt Charges That Tillman Wished
to Secure Land for Himself and
Members of His Family,
Washington, D, C.—By direction of
President Roosevelt, the secret ser
vice shadowed Senator Tillman ot
South Carolina on the theory that he
possibly was interested in an Oregon
“land grab” and the result of that
lr:vomgntlon is now before the sen
a e. .
President Roosevelt made public
the details of an investigation by the
postoflice inspectors and secret serve
ice agents of Senator Tillman's con
nection with an alleged “land grab”
in Oregon,
As he presents the evidence to
Senator Hale, in response to the lat
ter's request to the heads of the vas
rious executive departments for a
statement of the operations of the
secret service, the president under
takes to show;
“That Mr. Tillman used his influ.
ence as a senator in an effort to
force the government to compel a
railroad corporation to relinquish its
contro]l of land grants from the Uni
ted States in order that he and his
family and his secretary, J. B. Knight,
might profit through purchases of the
land; that the senator used his gov
ernment franking privileges in nu
merous instances for the conduct of
private business.”
Comparatively few senators were
favored with the opportunity of read
ing the president’s report to Senator
Hale, but those who did read the re
port took a serious view of it, al
though most of the senators refused
to believe that Mr. Tillman had ever
done anything in violation of his oath
as a senator,
The language of Senator Tillman in
denouncing the St. Paul and Pacine
timber syndicate of Portland, Ore.,
on February 19 of last year, is said
to have been responsible for the ref
erence in the president’s reply.
That President Roosevelt dislikes
Tillman is no secret. That Senatc‘lt‘
Tillman detests President Roosevel
is equally well known, Several times®
Tillman has hitterly attacked Roose
velt on the floor of the senate.
| WIRE SAVES BALLOONIST.
Aeronaut Rescued in Daring Manner
by a Fellow-Showman.
Columbus, Ga.—Jack Paney, a bal
loonist, who is making ascensions at
the street fair now being given in
Phenix City, Ala.,, can thank two lit
tle telephone wires for the fact that
he is not now a corpse, or, at least,
badly, mangled.
He started to make an ascension in
that city, and the balloon took such a
course that his parachute was drawn
up under two wires, at the top of tel
ephone pecles 30 or 40 sees from the
ground. He released his parachute
and clung to the wires in mid-air, al
though the wi*es sagged to the ex
tent that every moment the specta
tors thought they would break.
Paney’s rescue was effected in a
daring manner. Another one of the
show men climbed to the top of an
oak tree, that was nearly as high as
the wire. Reaching out, he grasped
Paney’s foot, and pulled him out un
til he was suspended over the tree,
when the balloonist released his hold
on the wire, falling straddle the oth
er man’s neck., There was a great
commotion in the tree top, but the
men managed to swing on to the
branches and reached the ground in
safety.
MANAGEMENT OF ARMY CRITICISED.
Alleged Useless Expenditure of Over
SIO,OOO in Horseman Tests,
Washington, D. C.—Sharp criticism
of the army and its management ils
being heard about the capitol. Some
of the most pointed remarks have
been published in the official record
of the testimony taken before the
house committee on military affairs
in connection with the army appro
priation bill,
It developed that $10,490 had been
expended for mileage in connection
with the horsemanship tests ordered
by the president. This money, it was
explained, was disbured in order to
assemble the officers on what was
deemed a proper course, such as at
Fort Ethan Allen, in Vermont, and
Fort Myer, in Virginia.
Chairman Hull of lowa made a re
mark that produced laughter. He
suggested it would e well to have
the officers ride in schools with some
one to watch them, as he understood
that at the last ride at Fort Myer
“gome old colonel had to have a man
on each side of him to see that he:
stayed on his horse.”
ANTI-TOXIN FOR TURERCULOSIS. .
Scieptist’s Discovery May Mean Erad
' ' ication of Plague. \
Philadelphia, Pa.—By official alj'
nouncement, the greatest discover
in the war against consumption sin¢
the finding of the tuberculosis bacil
lus bv Cov has just been made pub
Yie. This is the discovery of Dr. R
C. Roseburg, biologist at Jefferson
‘Medical College, th~t the tuberculosis
germ can be readily found in the
blood long hefore it reaches the lungs,
that it is then in a condition whicn
makes it readily amenable to destruc.
tion .by simple treatment and fresh
air, and that it will soon be possible
to use a perfect anti-toxin which wil
stamp the digease m -‘."r..n:v e !
