Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1894-01-04
THE OLD YEAR.
It's Record Is Made and It Is Now
a Part Of History.
Summary of the Important Events-Ths
Bright and Dark Sides at Home
and Abroad-A Memora-
BILE Year.
THE OLD YEAR IN AMERICA.

THE OLD YEAR IN AMERICA.
The year 1898 always will remain
memorable one in the chronology of
the United States as a year of business
depression, finance and tariff panic,
hundreds of thousands dependent upon
charity, splendid progress of the arts,
education and religion, magnificent
benefactions which have made that
progress possible, and the year in which
was held the largest, most beautiful
and most successful exposition the
world ever has known.
i Great Minds Gone.
Like its predecessors, 1871 and 1892,
the year just closed has been remark
able for the long list of distinguished
persons who have passed away. In re-
ligion, science, craftsmanship, itera-
ture, philanthropy and business, death
struck at those who were recognized as
the leaders of men
Various Disasters in the United States.
The following table gives the loss of life re-
sulting from various disasters in this country,
received by mail and Geographic advices:
Drownings.. 2 1856 Lightning ...... 1888
Fires ....... -. l,Sl7 Falling bldgs etc. 7S2
| Cyclones, storms. 4.462 -.
MINES ...... $780,. o0ol
Railroad Disasters.
The loss of life by railroad disasters in 1898
| was COS. as compared with 4,42s In 1898, 1921
in 1891 and a42o in 1890 The number of seri.
| ously injured was 1884 as compared with g. 1888
in 1892, 3,707 in 1891 and 2 740 in 1890
siSummary of Disasters.
So far as reported loss lives have been lost
on the ocean and 215 on the lakes and rivers Of
| this country "a total Of 6,273 as compared with
3,346 IN 1892 S5O5 in 1891 and 5Ol5 in $780, 46Os
by railroads a. no by disasters in the Old World
and South America, and 6,6Ss by disasters in
| this eoantry, making in all 81, 2S9, as compared
with 672 716 In 1892 2s 203 in 1891 ia 543 in $780,
107,Ol3 in 1889, 1887 in 1888 1899 l64 in 1887 49,
791 in 1886 and 3s7, 463 in 1885
Fires Cost Over SIsS,OOO,OOO.
The total fire losses for the year where the
loss In each case was under the $4,000 amount
were 49, S3l S79, which added to the larger losses
makes grand total of SIS 356, $40, as compared
with $685. 32l 535 in 1892 Sl66 047 900 in 1891 $685.
4l2 694 in 1890 Si43 9O2079 In 1885, 800 900 900 in
1888 $780, 100000 in 1887 and S115 900 900 in 1885
The Hangings.
The number of legal executions 1898 was
1876, as compared with l07 in 1892 1913 in 1891
and l02 in 1890 The record by states and
territories is as follows Alabama, IL; Arkan-
sas, D; California, 8; Georgia, 49, Illinois,
| 3; Kentucky, 4; Louisiana 4; MARYLAND
| l0 Massachusetts 3; Mississippi 4. Mis-.
souri,, 8; New York, TO- New Hampshire
l. New Jersey, /; North Carolina. /: North Da-
kota /; Ohio, /; Oregon, /; Pennsylvania, 6;
| South Carolina, TO- South Dakota /; Tennes.
see, I; Texas, l3; Virginia, a. District of Co
| lumbia l. OF the total number AZ were whites
IS negroes, Indians, Chinaman and woman
| There were 80 executions in the north and % in
the south
Lynched.
Judge Lynch has executed during the wear
laHTgsN svgFss
number shows falling of as compared with
! last year The lynchings in the various states
/ and territories were as follows Alabama
~ Arkansas -, Colorado /; Florida g;
Georgia. 49, Idaho l; Illinois, ?; Indiana
2; Iowa. 2; Kansas, 8: Kentucky, II; Louis
ana, 20: Michi gan, l. Minnesota, 2; Mis-
sissippi, II; Missouri, 4; Montana, l. North
| Carolina, B. North Dakota /; South Carolina,
/ ID; Tennessee II; Texas s. Virginia, Is; Wash
/ ington, /; New Mexico 8; Indian Territory 5;
/ Oklahoma, OF the total number there were
/ l54 negroes, 80 whites, Mexicans, Indians
and women
Suicides.
The mania for committing suicide in this
/ country is increasing at a startling rate The
number of persons who have taken their lives
| in 1898 as collected from telegraph and
mail reports, is 4,436 as compared with
/ 1850 in 1892, 1881 in 1891, 2640 in 1890
/ ands p pa in 1889, the total indeed be-
/ ing much larger than that in any of
/ the eleven preceding years. OF this number
/ 3,57s were males and S5S females 1t is
/ remarkable in this connection that physicians
| not only continue 10 head the list of profes-
! sonal persons who have taken their own lives
/ but that the number is on the increase year by
/ year In 1891 there were % physicians and -
1 clergymen in 1892, 81 physicians and ii clergy
men: while in 1882 there were 50 physicians and
! but clergymen. The causes Of suicide were
4 as follows:
1 Despondeucy ......1, 913I Liquor .......... 2q7
i lnknown...... 912E Disappointed love 220
/ Insanity III. ... 45UI Ill health - 242
Domestic infelicity, 245l Business losses. %
In these 4, 436 cases of self murder ,599 shot
themselves, POS took poison, Cal hanged them
selves 1871 drowned themselves, 372 cut their
Threats, Sc threw themselves before locomo-
/ tves, 81 threw themselves out of windows or
/ from housetops, Is stabbed themselves. IS
+ burned themselves, 10 starved themselves and
3 killed Themselves with dynamite
Murders.
The total number Of murders committed ii
/ 1888 as reported by mail and telegraph shows
a slight decrease, being 6l5, as compared with
/ 61gl 10 1882 1905 in 1891 290 In 1880 and 1867
i In 1853 During the last sixteen years The
I record Of murder shows a steady increase ana
at times out Of proportion TO the increase in
/ popuat ton The causes of the crimes may be
4 classified as follows
/ Quarrels 8 l65i Highw YIN killed l75
! Unknown ~. ,080t Self-defense ..... CT
Liquor .-........-. 5l3 Insanity $500. 49,. 102
i Jealousy. s......... 45Si Outrares .... 81
/ BY highwaymen 350IStrikes. ..... 3
I Infanticide ........ 25e Riots - y
Resisting arrest ga
Record of Dishonesty.
During the year embellishments, fraud and
forgeries aggregated sI9, g29, 693, as compared
with e, ss7547 il 1892. SO 720 294, in 1891 aal
s. 622, 956 IL 1880 Among the defalcat lions for
/ 1893 there we're : for over a. 10000
each for over $4,000 and less
than $1,000 900. ] for over 10000 and