Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-26

tary of War, spies and Generals of the
army, which has never before been made
public, will be included in the work. This
feature alone, so Mr.. Curtin told me, will
form a very valuable addition to general
war history. His review of the battle Of
Gettysburg will also contain new matters.
The writing has taken up the greater part
of the Governors time for two or three
years past.
Clearfeld county adjoins Center on the
west. 1t is predicted by politicians there
who are unbiased that the major
ity in the county will be be-
tween 1000 and 1900 in favor of the
amendment. In 1873 local option was
adopted by 4s0 majority. Then, however,
the county's total vote was only about 5000.
Now it is II 900.
AN INDICATION.
One of the best indications of the temper
ament of the people is the fact that Senator
Belts, the successor of Hon. William A.
Wallace as Clearfeld's representa-
tive at Harrisburg, was one OF
the two Democrats in the Senate
who voted Tor the submission reso-
luton. The great industry of the county is
bituminous coal mining. The output is
now enormous, and thousands of diggers
Irish and Swedes. There are some Hun
garians, and carload of Finlanders ar
rived at Brisbin last week. The first thing
they did was to make break for a saloon.
Not being able to make the bartender ap-
preciate the mysteries of the Finland
tongue, they demonstrated the quality of
the Finland appetite by picking up one of
the ornamental "rock and rye" bottles by
the mirror and trying to suck something
from its fancy neck.
However, the Welsh miners are a re-
markably intelligent class. Over at Du
Bois, Mr.. John Du Bois, the well-known
millionaire, told me that the Welsh miners
in that section of Clearfeld county are the
most
ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIANS
in the neighborhood, many of them playing
three and four instruments, and all of them
sustaining brass band and singing society.
In Clearfeld town 1 am told the same char
acteristics distinguish them in the lower
part of the county, and that as whole this
air of refinement will give the votes of
Welsh and English coal miners at least to
Constitutional amendment. John M. Far
rel, one of Clearfeld' s representatives in the
House at Harrisburg, digs coal when at
home in Houtzdale, and he voted for the
submission resolution.
There are about "a liquor licenses in
the whole county. One of these is in
the name of John Dubois, he being the
real owner of the largest hotel in Dubois
City. Phillipsburg and Osceola Mills are
the next largest towns in Clearfeld and
Dubois. Chairman r. d. Swope, of the
Republican County Committee, estimates
the majority for prohibition here at from
1000 to 800.
RAILROAD MEN DIVIDED.
Blair county will also give majority
of votes for the amendment. Its chief
town, Altoona, now has population of
about 2S,O00, with only IS licensed bars.
The Pennsylvania Railroad car shops there
have 5000 employees. 1 was told by one
of the foremen that this army of workmen
is probably about evenly divided on the
issue In the paint shop the other day
straw vote was taken and prohibition got
the smallest ballot In the machine shop,
however, the amendment had a majority.
Most of the men employed in the railroad
shops are industrious, temperate and the
possessors of small bank accounts or their
own homes. There are but few foreigners
among them.
Several persons have from time to time
asked me what are the railroad corporations
going to do in the election? Will they not
be Influenced by the immense freight traffic
which they would lose if all the breweries
and distilleries in the State are wiped out of
existence?
RAILROAD INFLUENCE.
The car loads of supplies they haul
throughout the State for breweries and dis
tilleries number thousands in a year and
their tonnage in liquor casks is also very
great. twill be generally admitted that
the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Phila-
delphia and Reading Railroad are both
powerful when they chose to take hand in
politics. But here in Altoona, city which
owes its existence and present prosperity to
the Pennsylvania Railroad, that great cor
poration has not shown the slightest move
ment to control votes. On the other hand
their employees seem to be left free and un-
trammelled to vote as they please.
Blair county adopted local option in 1873
by ], 479 majority. J. L. Plummer, Chair
man of the Republican County Committee,
predicts 1000 majority for the amendment
Business men themselves in Altoona will
prove the greatest opponents of the amend
ment. They are afraid the thriving city's
commercial interests and the county's mount
ain summer resorts will suffer if all licenses
are abolished. L. E. SToFIEL.