davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21
sonRAL a PRIVATE srANIARp.
uis Alleged Criticism Of Our Navy Not
Calling Cor Grand bounce.

Washington. Feb. Il. - II was an
nounced in number Of specials 20
metropolitan journals that the state de-
rartment hsd demanded or would de-
mand the rernova! of Captain Sobral.
tupposed Spanish naval attache. for al
legged words spoken In an interview
Criticislns the American navy. When
Secretary Longs attention was called TO
the reports ths secretary said that he
had called the subject 10 the attention
% the state department., with q view OF
having an inquiry made by that branch.
| The particular expression TO which the
secretary had directed the attention of
the state department was the following
attributed 10 Captain sobral: 1T was
the 'esrlt Of an explosion inside Of the
ship. which took rlace In one Of the
forward magazines. The fact Of the
matter is that the discipline and the
watch Observed on the ship we're very
lar. This. as one English newspaper
the other day declared. Is the case on
| American warshIps generally. This sort
of thing has occurred on previous oc-
tasions on American war vessels"
Neither Ions nor Day seems &c at
tsch much Importance TO the matter.
however. owing 60 Sobrars minor posi-
ton. ut the same time IL was felt that
h. should not be mailing such remarks
as are attributed 60 him. AS Secretary
Lons had called Official attention 20
them the department. would doubtless
have taken steps 20 learn whether tn,
Interview was accurate by making a
request on the spanish legation. IL can
Be stated positively. however. that re-
ports that the state department made
such n request Of the Spanish legation
Saturday are incorrect. Nothing has
teen done thus far. ard an unexpected
development Of yesterday so changes
the aspect % the Sobrai case that the
state department may not feel 1t neoes-
sary 90 proceed further; indeed Il is iif-
ncult 20 say how the department could
&c further with the matter.
This development was that Captair
scbrars services rs naval attachc a
, WASHINGTON were officially terminated
by Spain about four weeks ago. Il
came from Senor pu Bose. oharg,
danaires OF the SIs-ish 'cgation. who
when his attention was called to tn,
| SoDral case gave Nt1e following autfoE
lied statement: AS regards this re
ported interview I know nothing aoou
.: beyond what have seen in the pa
pers. ! should imagine Mr. Sobral IA
too prudent to say anything calculates
TO offend brothers in arms. At tn
same time should state that on tn
stth Of January last Captain Sobra
ceased TO be a member Of this legation
according 20 royal DEGREES, whic
eazetted as his successor Lieutenan
Ramon Carraza y Guerra"
Owing 10 the royal decree relievin
Captain Sobrai. it Is said he at preser
occupies the position merely of a pr
vate citizen. !, is a usual formality I
notify the department Of such a chang
but owing TO the exciting events Of n
cent days this notification OF the Spar
isi decree was not conveyed to n
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21
ABBREVIATED TELEGRAMs

May wheat went to sl.O9 at Chicago
saturday.
II is stated at London that Gladstone's
return TO England from Cannes is only
60 die.
Earnings Of the Chicago and Alton for
1Ss7 were S6,s7S,SO5; operating expenses,
sl.15S.s16.
General T. s. Bragg, commander of
the famous Iron Brigade, was IL years
old yesterday.
Sam Jones has announced himself a
candidate for governor Of Georgia on a
platform of his own.
Internal revenue collections for jan
uary were over a million in excess of
those for January, 1897.
President Mckinley has been invited
TO attend the Tacoma rose festival next
June, and will go if he can.
The committee on rivers and harbors
Of the house Of representatives, is at
Chicago inspecting the Chicago river.
The 200 fishermen who were carried
to sea last Wednesday on ice on the
coast Of the Gulf of Finland, have been
rescued.
The regular spring meeting Of the
magnates of the National Base Ball
League will be held in St. Louis on Mon
day. Feb. ..
H. explanation Of It's recent oE in
| rates to the Pacific coast. the Canadian
Pacific alleges violation OF an agree
ment by western lines in the United
States.
Judge Emory Speer, Of Georgia, has
| accepted an invitation to deliver tho
annual Grant birthday address at Ga.
lena, Ills. Judge Speer was Confeder.
| ate soldier
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21
Will START ,svrs srs.rroS TODAY


Washington. Feb .i-The navaiceur;
&c Inquiry appointed to investigate ths
Maine disaster VIII begin its work al
Havana today. Captain siEsbee was
heard frcm late saturday nisht. but ths
telegram was not delivered at the navy
department. untn yesterday morning
The message reads az follows: only
uost experienced wreyking divers car
DO effective WORK On the Maine. In ths
urrcr works can use service divers
nid scme work today. but with litti.
success. win 60 bettsrtomorrow. Part,
% the Maine. especially the superstrue
ture and eonnsctiors. are one confuse,
mass q metal" The statement re
fcrrins 60 experienced divers In ex
planned az the navy department as n.
reflection uron the men row engage,
IN the work. they being enlisted men
belonging 10 the navy.
Dob Reaair~- the ulshe., skTL
~ y the practice on board % msn-os
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21
TWELVE FISHERMEN MISSING.
Friends Hope They Have Found Shelter
from the Raging Storm.

Marinette, Wis. Feb. 21.-NOthing has
been heard from the twelve fishermen
who started from Green Island for this
city Saturday. The storm has continued
so severe that no one has ventured on
the ice. Friends Of the missing fisher
men believe that they must have found
shelter in some of the fish shanties on
the hay. The Sturgeon Baystage, which
left here Saturday for the east shore,
has not been heard from. 1t should
have reached its destination Saturday
night. There were five passengers and
q driver.
Chicago. Feb. 2i.-A severe blizzard
set in early this morning at this point.
the first and worst real blizzard Of the
season. 1t seems TO be general all over
the northwest. Railroad traffic is badly
tied up in northern Michigan. At Osh-
kosh. Manitowoc and other places in
Wisconsin the storm is described as the
worst of the season, and reports from
Iowa and Kansas are similar.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21
Decision an n Test Case.

Milwaukee. Feb. 21.-Judge Suther-
land. Of the superior court. has made
a decision knocking out the plumbers
license law passed at the last session
OF the legislature. The decision is a
severe blow to many master plumbers
and TO many trades unions which IA
vored it, The case decided. a test one
was that Of Jacob Winkler against the
bSsrd of public works Of Milwaukee
vinkler failed to pass the examina-
tion held by the board OF examiners
and was consequently refused license
He brought sui; on the ground that the
law was Invalid. Te case viii doubt.
less be carried 70 the supreme court.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21
Kruger. O.tentations War Preparations.

London, Feb. 2l.-The Cape Town cor
respondent Of The Daily Mail says:
THE Transvaal government is mount
Ing guns at johannesburg and convey
ing Maxims. shells. rifles and cartridges
TO that point in an offensive and osten-
tatious manner. During the last week
eight railway trucks of war material
were paraGed through the streets Of
johannesburg and carried to the fort
on the hill outside the town."
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21
Uncle sim rr.fcr.so Go II Alone.
knock. Out a In. Of Theory.

a fact that knocks out n barrel or so
sf theories of mine explosions is that
thrre were no dead fish In the Havana
harbor rfter the explosion.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21

Seekers after gold axe oited disap.
pointed. Seekers after health takte
Hoods Sarsaparilla and find 1t NEE {
every expectation.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21
sixth Week OF the Strike.

New Bedford. Mass. Feb. 21-The
sixth week OF the cotton mill strike
orens without any indications Of the
opening of the mills on the part Of the
manufacturers. There Is a feeling.
however, that the coming week will see
a meeting of representatives, of both
sides 10 discuss the situation.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21
NEEDS BUT A SPARK
To Light the Fires Of War That
Will Involve Great Britain
and France.
WEST AFRICA SITUATION SERIOUS.

Johnny Crapaud Appears To Be Treadins
Very Hard on John Buils Toes--London
Editors In . Belligerent Mood-Large
Concessions In the Way of Free Trade
Obtained from China by the british
Wariike Dom Paul
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21

Arnold's Bromo Celery cures head
aches; 10, 25 and 80 cents. Reiss
drug store.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21

The senate has passed the hous,
ioiat resolution apPropria;lag s2oo.
900 for the recovery CT tho Maine
and Il will now 20 10 the president
for his approval.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21
MOMENT0US WEEK,
The Present One May Prove IL
the History Of America
and the World.
AND THERE ARE SEVERAL EXPERTS

whs WIN n Proved 10 Have Rseenff,
rsis~a rhrsazh Their uss.. q. Q, View
rsr en-. Resi rr-csie,i Termination ~
IN. uaii % the waire win Begin To-day
nv rsei- sam ai,-~- pip;susfle ~fsei-
a.rr" N,pp~s iasi'- n.a-srsnish Cruiser
vlsrsvs ~ N~w fsrk.
New York, Feb. 9i.-At the re-
qaest Of Capt. Eala,e, commander Of
the spanish wsrship vircays. the
boats With police and United States
marines pstrollirg her neishb Jr-
hood have been Withdrawn. Cap,
Eulsts thinks them Unnecessary, and
says he is willing to tras, his ship
10 American honor. Later 10 vss
learned ths, the guards have not
been Withdrawn.
w.yr rshs some Time.
Washington, Feb. 2i.-There is
nothing new from Havana today re-
garding the cause OF the Maine catss-
trophe. Officials have about made
mp their minds that nothing dsfnite
csn be hnown Tor several days. LIE
asks Tor more divers Immediately TO
recover the bodies and ELECTS AID
Ii, request will be complied with.
Toe senate passed resolution d.
rectiug the naval afrlirs committee
tc inquire into the destruction OF the
Msine and report to the senate.
Usfounsed Rspests.
Waship gtou, Feb. 2l -lsquify o,
the leading foreign embassies and
legations fail 10 confirm that mru.
bers Of the diplomatic corps rescasd
Q conclusion that o crisis In Spanish
Affairs was near. and that several
foreign representative, hsd notified
their governmen,sthat war is inevi,s
ble.<
runas TO R,se IN. ssip.
The senate has passed the house
ioiat resolution aPPropria,ing t2oo.
900 for the recovery oi tho Maine
and u will now 70 10 the presiden,
for his approval.
~ the wr,es q IN. v.las.
Ksy West, Fer. 2i.-The sarvivorl
Of the Maine q, tho barracks aad
hospitals are doing nicely. Admir-.
sicsrd is negotiating With 9 wreck
Ing company for tug TO tow tn
lesking vessel north. TIE Msin'
court Of inquiry viii probably be .
Havsns this week.
tisvana, Feb. 2t.-Divers continu'
the work % search for the bodies o
the Maine victims. There is no trutl
Ia the report that another explosion
occurred at the wreck.
nssrs % reaaivy Arrives.
Havana. Feb. si.-The Ualie'
States light house tender. Msngrove
arrived this morning with member
OF the board % inquiry into the esus
OF the less "a the Maine. Capt. Pers
and the secretary ofthe Spanish navy
Who viii take part in the spanish ID
vestigstiop into the disaster were q
once sent Tor. aud vent into eeuier
sncs with the American officers
Divers this morning recovered to-
more brides aud some document
sud books.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-21

Johnny Crapaud Appears To BE Treading
Very Hard on John Bulls Toes--London
Editors In . Belligerent Mood-Larse
Concessions In the Way of Free Trade
Obtained from China by the british
Wariike Dom Paul
London, Feb. 2l.-The following tele-
gram has been received from Akassa,
on the Niger coast of West Africa:
Intelligence has arrived here that two
French expeditions are advancing to-
ward Soko;o. capital Of the Sultanate OF
Sokoto. on the Sokoto river, in the ex-
treme north Of the Haussau states, and
that six French officers. with force Of
200 men. have arrived at Argungu
(ArgungD and Tagga. The former town
Is an important place on the Sokoto
river. about halfway between the sultan's
capital and the River Niger. and IS
within the British sphere. The sultan
OF Sokoto has commanded the French
force to halt about forty miles from the
capital. The Royal Niger company's
representative, Deputy Agent William
Wallace. is holding the company's
force. with ammunition and stores, in
| readiness. and is awaiting instructions
to assist the sultan of Sokoto and to Sc
cure French evacuation of British ter
| ritory."
Situation Is Extremely Grave.
II is asserted on good authority that
the Royal Niger company has been in
| structed - after trying all peaceable
means--to compel the retirement of the
French from British territory by force.
| The sultana,e of Sokoto is a feudatory
of the company. and was recently placed
! under British protection. The situation
Is regarded as extremely grave. Great
Br.tain's forces in the protectora:e dis
trict number between 5000 and 6.000 men
under British officers in Lagos and the
Gold Coast hinterland, and at the
/ three separate points OF British and
French territorial disputes-Boria, Wac
and Argungu. The Daily Mail says il
has received confirmation OF the news
| from Sokoto.
| France Can Have War if She SO Desires.
The Times. commenting editorially or
the news. says it cannot credit the re-
port. and reproves the ievity of tht
French press regarding q grave situa
tion. The presence of a French force a
Aryungu. The Times declares. woult
be so fragrant a breach OF any possibl,
construction of the Say-Burua agree
ment of 1880 tAnglo-French treaty a
Busah) that nothing but its immedi
ate Withdrawal coUl6-sxsrt the mos
deIlorable consequences" Other paper
publish similar articles. urging Lor,
Salisbury to intimate plainly that Grea
Britain's limit OF 'squeezeability" ha
been reached The Morning Post says
"1f France IS .eally making deliberat
plans to annex British territory by mill
tary occupation this can only imply-tha
she desires war with England. In tha
case her wish will doubtless be graft
ned."
Stands for Freedom Of Commerce.
The talk here is that probably tn
most vital point in thu West Africa
situation Is not the possession OF terri
tory but the freedom of commerc,
Wherever the French have occupied tn
hin;erland Of British coast colonies tn
latter have been shut out from interio
I trade. In the present instance the cor
troll Of the Niger and the free naviga
, ton Of that great waterway as an ave
, i n,,o os ,rade for tho yvarld :s at stake
The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-30
TIRED.
ers.''

Fire Commissioner Hendrick is so tired of fruitlessly opposing the crafty and wrong antics of majority of the Fire commission that he has sent his resignation to the mayor. He feels that it will be useless for him to struggle longer against the prevailing tendency in the board, and the condition of h!s health is such that he is in need of free dom from worry and conflict.
 The people are tired too. They have seen the civil service idea trampled on by the board. They have seen appoint ments made without regard to the best interests of the department and the public which pays the bills. They have seen a curious plot to attack home rule in New Haven slyly approved by some of the commissioners. And they have seen the Fire department, which has justly been the pride of the city, be- coming discontented and demoraiized on account of injustice and unfair deal ing by some of the commissioners Oh, yes, the people are as tired as Commits sioner Hendrick is.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-30
COMPRESSED.
real lace.

The poet (insinuatingly)-D you think we would make a good couplet? She (coyly)-Tm not averse.-Brooklyn Life.
 Rosemary Should you call young MT. Caldwell clever? Marianne-Clever? He doesn't know enough to turn around when he wants to go back.-Life.
 Not Yet.-"At last we have a united country" United! With Massachu- setts and the Philippines at swords points s?"-Philadelphia North Ameri- can.
 Putting Out Feeler-'P Papa, do dreams always go by contraries?" Some people say so, Johnny Well, I dreamed last night I didn't get any new sled for Christmas. Chicago Tri- bune.
 Some men," said Uncle Eben, "wouldn' hab no trouble tall bout get tin rich eff dey held on as tight to de money dey earns as dey does to the money dey borrows. ''-Washington Star.
 She Knew Him.-Mrs. Potts-It was rather late when you came home last night. Where were you. MT. Potts Why, my dear, Wednesday night is the regular weekly lodge meeting night, you know, and Mrs. Potts-Yes, of course, know but did you win or lose? Chicago News.
 Another Sufferer.-''I was injured, maam, by the bursting of a magazine" 7" said the wayworn tourist, who was eat ing a cold luncheon in the kitchen. Tn the war?" NO, ma am," he answered. Tn New York city. The silent partner refused to put up for it any longer.'- Chicago Record.
 Tt was so friendly and reassuring," !" commented the enthusiast, Ito read the signs and see that word Welcome eye ry now and then.
 "Oh, I don't know" replied the man who wants the earth. Its nice at first glance. But you invariably find it sim ply means you are welcome to what you can pay for. Washington Star.
 MT. Isolate (of Lonelyville)-What is the matter, Amabel? You seem agitat- ed.
 Mrs Isolate distractedly)-Oh, Fer dinand! hurry into the kitchen and calm the cook! There's an eel coming through the cold-water faucet and she thinks she has the delirium tremens.- Puck.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-30

Eqaully formidable is an enormous leech which lives in the Hiwassee riv- CT, in the same country. Occasionally certain ledge or rock is exposed when the water is low, and any one who at tempts to walk across 1t is inevitably sucked down.
 In the Indian mythology nearly every animal is descended from an ancestral giant of ferocious and dangerous at- tributes, which was finally destroyed by some tribal hero. The Kiowas, for example, say that the deer used to be a very terrific creature-more so, in- deed,th an the panther, being equally fierce and with superior running pow CTS. In New Mexico is, or rather was, a lake, now long dried up. When the Indians first came to that part of the country many of them who ventured to approach the lake were dragged into it and destroyed by a mysterious agen- cy. But at length, there came along god who dried up the water, and found at the bottom of it an enormous frog, which was responsible for the mischief. There were also a great many little frogs, but they were left uninjured, be- ing harmless, as they are to-day.-Cor- respondence of The Boston Transcript
The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-30
INDIAN GHOSTS.

Devil Places" of Southern California
 Animal Superstitions-Some Folk
 Lore Gathered by the Bureau of E h.
 nology in Publication Soon to Be Is-
 sued.
 Fifty miles in the southwest of Tue son, Ariz., is a dreary region of de- sert-a rugged butte of roughly conf cal shape rises abruptly from the plain and points like a finger toward the sky. Here and there it's sides are pit ted with caverns, and altogether it's appearance is so weird that it is no wonder the Papago Indians of the re- zion regard it with superstitious awe. It is called Rattlesnake Rock, because the Ancient of all the Rattlesnakes makes his home inside of it. This fact is known positively, because he has been seen so many times. he butte is a sacred place. and nobody ventures near it under ordinary circumstances: but candidates for aboriginal "diplomas' as medicine men sleep by it over night, after fasting for long time, and the things. such as snakes skins, birds big serpent comes out and leads them into the rock, where, in an immenss hollow chamber, all sorts of potent claws. etc, are hung up. The uses Of these for magical and curative purposes he teaches to the novice, who is there after regarded by his people as gradu-
The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-30
4 RAPID TRANSIT IDEA.

New York has been talking a long the surface lines do run their cars fast CT than they did when the talk began. But nothing adequate has yet been done, and it is quite certain than noth- ing will be yet awhile. But the talk is interesting, and particularly interest," ing suggestion is made by a writer in the Engineering News. This suggestion is that the idea of an underground rail- road for short distance traffic be aban- doned, and that the tunnel be construct ed for express trains only. The writer of the article holds that the march of events has now rendered obsolete the four-tracked tunnel planned by the Rapid Transit commission, since, if it were in existence to-day, the short dis tance lines would be forsaken for the electric surface lines. The plan he pro- poses, however, he admits would be practicable only in the event of an agreement between the authorities and the Metropolitan Traction company, whereby the tunnel road would be op- erated in conjunction with that sys- tenn, since otherwise, bereft as it would be of short haul traffic, it could not be operated profitably. The writer sug- gests stations only at the city hall, Twenty third street, Fifty-ninth street, Ninetieth street, One Hundred and Twenty-ffth street. and the Harlem river, and estimates that, allowing for stops at those stations, the total time consumed by the trains between the two termini of the lines would be eigh- teen minutes and fifty seconds, with the possibility of even this being short ened.
 This would be rapid transit indeed, compared with that which now exists. It is said that the idea finds favor in important quarters.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-30
FRENCH AND GERMANS FRIENDLY.

France has hated Germany long and well, but there are indications of more cordial feeling between the two coun- tries. One of the signs is the success of an educational experiment intro duced for the first time about a year ago in Germany. It is the so-called ''in- ternational scholars correspondence" !" a method to insure a more extensive understanding of modern languages. With a central bureau at Leipzig, the directors of German high schools invit- ed those of French and English colleges to have their individual students enter into correspondence by letter with pu- pills of the German schools. At once thirty foreign academies accepted, and, strange to relate, the greater number were French.
 The method of procedure for the cor respondent is to write letter every fortnight alternately, either in his na- tive or the foreign language, to some chosen individual pupil abroad. Full liberty is left as to subject and matter, with the restriction that the letter passes through the hands of the re- ceiving school officers. With the fe- male high schools the method has be- come the rage. In letter addressed to the central office in Leipzig from Ma con, France, the director of the city's high school writes: "The girls now perceive that the German language, which in the textbooks has little or no attraction for them, is possessed of a real, living charm. For most of them it amounts to a genuine revelation. Ev- cry arrival of the correspondence from Germany creates a regular sensation and is greeted with enthusiasm. The young ladies successfully grapple with the interpretation of sentences and phraseology that is really far beyond their grade or stage of knowledge espe- cially when coming from some student of the opposite sex. The girls feel happy, and delight in this really charm ing correspondence" etc.
 Aside from the educational value of this method, the moral effect of this in- terchange of opinion and sentiments is said to be highly favorable Real friendly relations have been opened be- tween schools and pupils, families and communities. Great benefit is expected from the continuance of the system.