The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-12-18
PERSONAL AND GENERAL.

IF the use of tobacco is a vice, it must
be acknowledged that vice is OF the in
crease. Our people, however, need not
be unduly alarmed touching the effect
of the weed upon the human system.
Several centenarians have passed over
within the past five years, and nearly
all, if not all Of them, were confirmed
in the tobacco habit.
The secretary of the treasury has re-
appointed all of the members of the
board of tea experts established under
the act of March ,, 1897, under whose
efficient supervision the grade and
quality of teas offered for sale in this
country has been steadily improving.
GEN. Won BUELow, of the artillery
branch of the German army, died in
Berlin, on the 10th, OF influenza.
The board of naval bureau chiefs, on
the 10th, recommended that the little
Pinta, which has done S % much service
in Alaskan waters and is now at Mare
Island navy yard, be condemned and
sold, as the repairs urged as necessary
would cost more than the value of the
craft would warrant.
The recognition of Cuban belliger-
ency has experienced a decline of in
terest since the presidents message.
There is growing in place of it a feel
ing that a crisis of graver character is
fast coming. 1t is felt by many MEM
bers of congress hat either Spain will
abandon the island or this country
will intervene by force before the win
ter is over.
a BOLD attempt to hold up 4 Southern
Pacific train at Stems Pass, \. NJ, re-
suited in a battle between five outlaws
and two guards and Il messenger in the
express car. The leader of the robbers,
who was identified as SANDY" or Vie.
Collins, was killed, and the other ban
dts fled.
In compliance with a peremptory or
der of the secretrry of val the repri-
mand of Capt. Lowering vas read be-
fore the assembled garrison of Fort
Sheridan, Chicago. on the 10th, instead
of being posted. as had been intended.
Capt. Lowering took are to be absent.
URANIUM has been discovered nea
Black Hawk, Col. The mineral is
worth 81, 500 per ton, and the agents of
a French syndicate have announced
that they will buy all that can be pro-
duced, as it is much desired by the
French government.
JAMES WooD, the oldest inhabitant
of Portsmouth,, n. H., celebrated, on
the 10th, the one hundred and first n
niversary of his birth. Wood has lived
there so long hat the memory of the
next oldest inhabitant does not extend
back to the time when he was not
there.
POLICE have expelled a number of
anarchists and have made many house
toulouse searches in Berlin, Frankfort,
Mayence and Munich.
MRS. BERNARD BREsLAU, of Brook
Ign, n. Y, within four days, recently,
gave birth to five boys, two of which
died, while the other three are living
and doing we'll, as is also the mother.
Mrs. Breslau is a small woman, % years
old. her husband being two years her
junior.
Hon. CHARLES FLEsCHMANN died at
his home in Avondale, a Cincinnati
suburb, on the 10th, from paralysis.
The stroke, which was the second,
came the day before, and he never re-
gained consciousness.
The British bark Kilmary, 1913 days
from new castle, England, arrived at
San Francisco on the 18th. Capt. Fer
guson reports having sighted an iron
bark with her main topmast carried
away on October Z, in lat. 1914 north;
long. 64:35 west. 1t is thought possible
that the disabled vessel may be TIE
Iong-overdue Tamount or Natuna, and
seafaring men are %anxiousiy awaiting
of her identity.
DAVID DAVIDSON, the Randsburg
Call wife murderer, was convicted, on
the 18th, of murder in the first degree.
with the penalty of life Imprisonment,
He is said to be the son of a prominent
st. Louis physician. The defense was
insanity, and during the trial David
son appeared oblivious to his surround
ings, but experts declared that he was
shammiDg.
ACCORDING to a dispatch from Shang-
mai, on the 18th, the Germans are ex-
tending the area of occupation at Kiao-
Chau and already control 400 square
miles. They have arranged a German
administration and are already collect
ing duties. The tsung-li-yamen, says
the dispatch, has appointed a prince
to negotiate a settlement with the Ger
mans.
A SERIOUS freight wreck occurred on
the New York Central railroad. five
miles north of Poughkeepsie, on the
18th, caused by heavy rocks falling
upon the track. A north-bound extra
freight train of 40 loaded cars, run
Mug p miles an hour, struck the %
.struction and the engine and 16 car
were derailed.
THE Havtian cabinet resigned on the
18th