Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-26
LAST NIGHTS NEWS.
TIE UNLIMITED SUSPENSION OF
SILYaR COINAGE.
Bismarck's Policy = Suicide of a
Children Burned to
Death-Foreign Items.
lsPEuAL DisPArcHEs TO THE REcoRp-uN1oN.I !
DOMESTIC.
An Illuminated Christmas Tree.

DOMESTIC.
An Illuminated Christmas Tree.
CHICAGO, December 25th. = A huge
| Christmas tree bearing all kinds of gifts
| for the patients and attendants at the
| County Hospital, and layishly illum-
| mated with wax candles caught fire to-day,
| while a hundred or more people were
| packed closely about it. The tree and con-
| tents blazed so freely that the clothing of
| some twenty persons standing nearest
! caught fire. The flames were soon ex-
| tinguished, and no one was seriously in
iured.
SECOND DISPATCH.l
CHICAGO, December 25th.-The accident
| is somewhat more serious than at first re-
| ported, several persons having been in
| jured in the rush for the door Over 300
| persons were in the chapel when the acci-
dent occurred. When the fire started the
small room was densely packed, and
Santa Claus" was forcing his way through
| the crowd to the tree to distribute the gifts
| Suddenly a wreath of colored paper caught
! fire from a candle, and almost instantly the
| entire tree and contents were a pyramid of
| flame. The garments of those next to the
tree caught fire, and everyone rushed
] to the door in panic. Before
the room was half emptied of the
! crowd some one with fire extinguisher
I subdued the flames and drenched the
clothing which had caught fire. At least
100 persons were injured, the greater part
receiving bruises by being trampled on by
| their panic-stricken neighbors. A number
| of children patients had been brought into
| the chapel in their cots, and before they
| could be removed several suffered from
smoke and fright, and one or two were
slightly burned The excitement was in
| tense, and but for the GOODNESS of War
den McGarigle and some attaches of the
hospital, lives would certainly have been
| lost
| The Success of Bismarck's Policy.
| WASHINGTON, December 25th-Frederick
Raine, American Consul-General at Berlin,
| in the introduction to his annual report,
writes briefly of the rise of the German
Empire. Cautiously, but steadily, he says,
the new system of Government was carried
into execution. The almost uninterrupted
flow of new laws was not retarded by a
single inconsistency. They formed SYM
metrical parts of the structure that long
before its erection was planned by far-see-
| ing statesmen. Sufficient financial and
other means were abundantly on hand.
| With the establishment of the Empire
an immense amount of intellectual and
moral forces, for centuries neutralized bv
petty rivalry between individual States OF
the confederation, became available, and
| Bismarck was prompt in inviting and di-
recting them to higher aims. With their
aid he was enabled to forge formidable in
| strTIments for the erection of new political
and other organizations, hardly thought OF
before. Mr.. Raine embodies in his report
a series of tables, from which he deduces
several interesting facts. The population
area now comprised in the German En-
pire which was 24,S31 900 in 1916 had in
creased to 45,234000 in 1880, and at
the present rate of increase it
doubles once in forty-seven years.
This is in excess of the growth of popula-
ton in any of the neighboring powers.
Great Britain, Mr.. Raine says, doubles her
population in tiity-one years, the Neither
lands in fifty-two years Denmark in fifty
four years, Austria in sixty and one-halt
years, Belgium in sixty-one years. while
France requires two hundred years to
double her population at the present rates
immigration from the Empire shows a
steady and marked decrease since 1881,
from which fact Mr. Raine argues thai
either the economical condition of Ger
many has improved, the attractive force OF
America has decreased or Bismarks s colo
|
policy is meeting with universal approval
throughout the Empire. The German
Colonial Association, formed two wears
ago, spread with great rapidity The first
acquisition was made by a Bremen
firm of traders, the area being 900
German square miles in South Africa.
The traders applied for and received recog-
milton from the home Government, and
other traders speedily followed their ex-
ample, possession being thus acquired in
East Africa CAMERON, Augra, Paquena
and other South Sea Islands. 1t is now pro-
posed that all associations and companies
which are endeayoring to promote German
colonial interests shall be federated, and
the question, Mr.. Raine says, will be con-
| Sidered at meeting shortly to be held in
Berlin. The Government has recently sub
sidized two lines of steamships to run be-
tween the parent country and the col
onies, and a third line has Just
been established by private enter
prise between Hamburg and Congo.
Mr.. Raine describes another colonial enter
prise of novel character, which is now in
successful operation. Three or four wears
ago, he says, several hundred thousand
tramps infested Germany, and drew many
millions, annually bestowed in charity. A
clergyman first suggested the plan of
! coloniZing these people, and with the aid OF
men of wealth, secured tracts of waste. or
| partly cultivated land in Westphalia, where
he organized workmen's colony Local
committees were everywhere formed, which
counseled the Withholding of aims and the
bestowal of an equivalent sum to the new
colonial scheme, and the tramps were COM
PEELED to emigraie to the colony in large
numbers. They were washed, provided with
clothing and furnished with employment as
farm laborers. Gradually, in the progress
of colonization, they found work at their
respective trades, and many of them be-
! came useful members of society. The rest
found their way TO the workhouse The
Emperor and many influential men of the
| Empire took deep interest in the matter,
and at present such colonies are established
in all the colonies and States of Germany.
Mr.. Raine discusses exhaustively the con-
| ditions of the German trade, industries and
influences, including the new protective
| policy of the Government affecting them.
He finds that manufacturers are complain
! ing more of low prices thant of want OF
opportunities to dispose of their goods. The
prices obtained do not yield the desired
| profits, but in nearly all branches of manu-
| facture there is plenty of work, and new
industrial establishments are being created.
What Cheek Did-"A Thief, ScoundreI,
| Knave and LIAR,
ST.. Louis, December 25th.-Information
comes from Clinton, Mo-, that Silas E.
Cheek, prominent real estate loan agent
of that place, is a defaulter for over $780,
600. The utmost confidence was placed in
his integrity until recently, and the banks
had given him credit far beyond his means
| and honored his drafts for large amounts.
About two weeks ago f. C. Nichols, of
! Bridgeport, Conn, arrived in Clinton to
look after mortgage on property belong
ing to Orton 3. Jones. He discovered that
! the name on the mortgage was fictitious,
and the mortgage forgery Cheek had
forged the name on the records to bogus
mortgage, and had defrauded him out OF
| $1,000. To save himself, Cheek gave deed
of trust on his property for the amount,
and the same day gave another
deed of trust to save his friends, who had
advanced him money, and then lett for
Canada He has not been heard from since.
His manner of obtaining money was to
forge names to bogus deeds of trust, i'm
print the Recorders seal upon the docu-
ments, which he could easily do, as he had
access to the Recorders office at all times.
The deeds thus appearing all right, he had
no trouble in obtaining money on them.
| As these papers are not recorded. il is inn