, 1891-12-16
CULL0M'S CAR COUPLER
The IllinOise Statesman Wants
a Standard Coupler.
Goes into the Minute Details
and Tells Why.
Sanders Wants the Insignifi-
cant Appropriation
Of 100000 to Erect Public
Buildings in Montana.


WASHINGTON, Dec. l5.-Senator Cul-
lon introduced, today, a bill for the adop.
ton and use of uniform standard car
coupler and regulating the operation and
control of freight trains used in the inter
state IN and for the greater safety
Of railroad employees. 1t provides that
all common carriers whose duties include
the coupling of cars and who are mem
bers OF established organizations OF rail
way employees may, within SIX months
after the passage Of this act, vote up on
a choice OF the automatic car coupler.
such a coupler may be of a vertical
type and must be so devised as to couple
by impact and dispense with any person
going between the cars to couple or un-
couple. Every common carrier is to be
entitled TO one vote for every freight car
owned, leased or controlled and the en-
ploYes are entitled in the aggregate to
one third as many votes as may be east bv
all common carriers, the Interstate COM
merce commission to have the power to
decide the validity of the votes cast If
not less than 100000 votes are cast and
the entire vote for any particular coupler
Is not less than 500. 1000. the commission
shall certify these facts to the president.
who shall issue a proclamation declaring
the coupler chosen to be the standard
safety car coupler for use in interstate
commerce. In case no choice is made
the president shall appoint a commission
OF i've competent persons TO determine
the coupler best to be used.
All carriers must equip at least 10 per
cent each year of the number OF freight
.,rr Vr-a4 ~ IL
with a driving wheel brake. The com
%missioners shall invite bids from invent.
ors of couplers, stating what they will
accept from the United States for their
patents, and upon the purchase of the
patent by the government ihe coupler
may be used or manufactured by anybody
tree. The salary of the commissioners i.
fixed at S.. 900 a year.
Senator Sanders today introduced a bill
constituting two land districts in Mon,
tana, one to be called the southern, with
an Office at Dillon. and the other the
northern, with an office at Fort Benton.
lie also Introduced a bill appr0priating
100000 for the erection Of n public
building at Butte; also III. same amount
Tor a building al Helena.
Senator CullOm introduced a bill
"amendatory OF the interstate N
at. IluNllllE llhl a StlltuUlt OF lhTlU=
and agreements between railroads. filed
with the commission, shall be prima facie
evidence in Investigations by the commits
sion and in all judicial proceedings, that
the production of testimony shall be ac-
cording to the established rules of evil
dence obtaining on the chaacery sides of
circuit courts, with the exception that the
answers of the defendants to the answers
Uf the compliments shall have no weight
as evidence. On appeal to the circuit
courts the hearing shall be confined to
the record presented from the commission
except where the party has the right to
trial by jury under the constitution.
Senator Villas of Wisconsin introduced
a bill amendatory of the act repeating the
timber culture laws. The first amend
mont striking out the requirement that a
person must be an actural resident to be
allowed to make final proof Second, the
striking out of the provision that no per.
son be entitled to make an entry of the
desert land except that he be a resident
of the state or territory in which the land
is located.
Assistant Attorney General Shields of
the interior department, has decided that
Jane WaldrOn, who is a daughter of a
white father and a half blood Indian
mother, Was born a citizen of the United
States aud that her claim that she is an
Indian by virIue of being born OF an In
dian mother cannos he allowed, neither
can she longer be permitted to draw
rations and annuity, nor receive lands in
verality. 1t is said at the Indian bureau
that this practically decides from 900
similar cases in all parts of the West.