Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-05-21

HE united OldleS euSlut6Is nave Do-
gun to make the survey for the great pan
American railroad. This will be the
greatest railroad enterprise ever known,
and its line will be an artery through
which the energy of the people of the
United States will revoluhonize the social
and political conditions of Latin America.
THE conflict between the insurgents anu
the government of Chill seems not to have
been without its uses 1t has already de-
monstrated the practical worthlessness of
heavy armed war ships, in that it proves
Them readily destructible through the use
of torpedoes, and at the same time proves
that American ports have little to fear IN
line of attack from foreign fleets, In any
event.
THE new 81 silver certificates, to be is
sued because of the successful counterfeit
now in circulation, have been designed SO
as to leave more of the white paper ex-
posed, by which its quality can more readi-
" be distinguished declaration IN eff
feet that the paper of the Cranes of Dalton
is still the best protection of the govern
ment against the counterfeiters.
THERE is no limit to the funds that
the philanthrophic Baron Hirsch can COM
mand. He now proposes to send an I'M
mense colony of Russian Jews to Aus
tralia, and offers to subscribe SIS, 0OO,O 600
to establish them there. 1t is understood
that the Rothschilds viii! join in the work.
If the colonization projects of the barron
shall be successful he will go into history
as the greatest philanthropist. who has ever
lived.
ANOTHER emphatic Endorsement for Mr..
Gladstone is the result of the bye election
in the South Dorset division May |. The
oyerturn there is remarkable, the tory loss
being some 800 votes from the poll
the last election-tory majority of l, 138 IN
1886 being changed to Gladstonian ma
iority of 489 on larger pol. The lib
eral majority is the largest ever given IN
that division, as the liberal majority in
1885 was only 1866 Thus two conservative
seats were lost, the other being that won
by Baron Stern on May 6. There is no
comfort in this for the government, and
no encouragement to dissolve parliament
any sooner than is obligatory. Dissolution
now would berisky business for them, and
the indications are that to postpone 1t
would not help the situation.
INCIDENTAL. to some pension matters
that the rate it has been remarked of pen
sion for the loss of both eyes had been IN
creased from S72 to 500 a month. This
was an error. 1t was the loss of both
hands the rate of pension for which was
increased to 500. For many years the
rate of pension for the loss of both eyes,
both feet both hands, or such helplessness
as required personal attendants, was $72
per month Two years ago the rate Of
nension for the loss of both hands was in
creased 500 per month, and IN the last
congress efo1ts we're made to secure
like increase in the case of those who had
lost both eyes, but it did not become a
law.
The government gun factory at Water
Wien, n Y, is turning out a new l2-lnch
steel rifle of the most modern aspect. 1t
will be sent Will in a few days to be tested
at Sandy Hood and is likely 10 attract con-
siderable attention. The gun weighs So
tons, has a range, it is presumed, over 10
miles and will carry 100-pound projec-
tile, lie weight of the charge of powder be-
ing 400 pounds. The government is not
likely to make guns much heavier than
this one and in keeping the weight under
SO tons our experts are in line with latest
criticism of the 110-ton guns of England
and Italy in which Admiral Hopkins of the
English navy said not long ago: Vast
sums of the public money have been
squandered on these big guns; they are
a great deal too large to be effective and it
is earnestly to be hoped that we shall hear
no more of such cumbersome monsters, but
return to lighter armament.