davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12
THE COMMITTEE ON ACCOUNTS.
TO the Editor of the Press:

As there has been more or less criticism
circulated publicly in relation to the Dec
lnation Of the committee on accounts to
approve bills for supplies, materials, etc.,
sold to the city by members of the city
government, subordinate officers, or
members of boards charged with oxpendi.
lures of money appropriated by the city
council, which is positively forbidden by
statute laws and ordinances, it becomes
necessary for the committee on accounts
to present the facts as they exist, in order
that the action of the committee may be
fully known to the citizens of Portland,
whose opinion may have been BIASED by
some statements that have appeared in
the daily papers The statute law is as
follows:
No member of any city government
shall be interested. directly or indirectly,
in any cor tract entered into by such city
government while he is member there
of; and any contract made in violation
hereof shall be void"
The city ordinance in conformity with
April 7th, 1885, only two years ago. and
reads as follows:
"No member of the city council, no
| subordinate city officer and no member of
any board charged with the expenditure
of any money appropriated by the city
| council. shall be interested, directly or
indirectly, in any contract entered into
by, or in behalf of, tho city of Portland,
| and all contracts made in violation here
of are void.
1.-The CITY treasur is hereby expressly
forbidden to pay any money out of the
city treasury on account of any such con-
tract made after the approval of this or
dinance.''
Judge Walton, of the Supreme. Court of
the State, in case against the city of
Waterville, sustained this law fully, his
opinion being later confirmed by the
full bench without dissent.
The duties of the city auditor in such
| matters are defined in the ordinances as
follows:
1.-THE auditor shall receive all bills and
accounts from persons having demands
against the city, examine them in detail,
cast up the same, and have them filed and
entered In books, in such a manner and
form as the comm ittee ON accounts shall
order and direct. When the auditor shall
have any doubts concerning the correct
ness of any bill or account presented
| against the city, he shall not enter the
same in book until he shall have ex-
hibited the same, with his objections, to
| the committee on accounts at their next
meeting. for their consideration and final
decision. And it shall also be the duty
of the auditor to render any other SER
vice, from time to time, as the city coun-
Gil or the committee of accounts shall d.
| rect. -
An order passed at the last meeting of
the city government, May Q, 1893, would
seem to be pure and simple notification
of the laws. of our State, the ordinances of
our city and the decisions of the court
The order was as follows:
"The committee on accounts DO, and IL
hereby authorized and directed to allow
all bills which have been properly ap-
proved by the several boards or commit
tees under whose authority such bills
We're contracted, provided they are prop.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12

| There appears to be nc doubt that an
early invasion of Cuba in force has been
determined upon. Indeed it has already
begun. The original plan contemplated
the landing OF small force of regulars
| TO establish base, the volunteers to fol-
low later. after they had been seasoned
and trained. Indeed until recently it ap-
pears to have been the intention not to
do much summer campaigning except
what might be done in the way of prepa
ration for move nent in large force Ia
ter, by the insurgents and division of
two OF regular troops. This has now been
changed, and an invasion in strong force
is to begin Immediately. Comparatively
little is known certainly concerning the
number and condition of the Spanish
troops now in the island. There are
supposed to be in the neighborhood OF
sixty thousand Spanish soldiers and sew
eral thousand volunteers. Most of them
are concentrated in Havana. :. The
quality of the regulars is understood to
have never been very good
and the hardships which the
blockade has imposed upon them have
probably weakened them and very much
injured their morale. Consul General
Ice has said that the volunteers are hard
ly worth taking into account However,
they will be posted behind strong forts
and entertainments, and will have the
advantage of fighting on the defensive.
Whether q raorIIar sieoa of tho citv will
have to be undertaken by our troops, or
whether it may be carried by dash
can only be determined when we get near
enough to ascertain the nature
and strength of the defences. 1t does not
seem probable that the task of taking the
city will be o very severe one, or one
likely to involve much loss of life. Aban-
doned by the mother country as they
have been. and with no hope of relief
from Spain, Blanco's troops will have lit
tie heart to struggle long against the IN
evitable. With the fall of Havana and
the capture of the Spanish army, all that
wo undertook to do when we declared
war will have been accomplished vir-
tually; and no further aggressive move
| ments on our part will be undertaken I'M
| less Spain, by attacking our commerce
or raiding our coast, compels US to go in
search of her fleet and destroy it. With
Havana in our possession it is altogether
probable that the Powers will convince
Spain of the futility Of longer continuing
the contest, and tho war will stop.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12

broke out. A more reasonable interpre-
tation, it seems to us, to he put upon the
return of the Cape Verde fleet to
Cadiz, if it has gone there, is
that it is not in condition to fight. What
the difficulty is we do not know. but the
dilatoriness of the Spanish navy from the
outbreak of hostilities and the disposition
to keep it close at home strongly suggest
that it has been at no time in good fight
ing trim. Owing to lack of money,
Spain has probably not been able to keep
her ships up to the point of efficiency
which modern warfare demands, and
dares not in their present condition pit
them against our vessels. We do not be-
lieve the Cadiz feet, or any part of it,
will ever come across the Atlantic to
give us battle. 10 fight them we shall
have to seek them on the coast of Spain,
as we had to seek her Asiatio fleet in the
Bay Of Manila.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12
WATER COMPANIES PASS RESOLU.
TIONS.

The directors of the Portland Water
Company and the Standish Water and
Construction Company met last Monday
and elected Hon. Fred. e. Richards s
director Of the companies in the place Of
Hon. A. A. Strout, deceased.
The following is q copy of resolutions
passed at a meeting of the Portland
Water Go. and Standish Water and Con.
struction Co. held on the 9th inst.
Resolved, THAT by the death of the
late A. A. Strout, this company has been
deprived of most valuable director and
efficient legal adviser. For more than
thirty years by the exercise of his excel
lent Judgment and rare capacity for bust.
ness he has materially contributed to the
success of this corporation.
Resolved, THAT having sincerely appre.
clatad his genial disposition and rare
qualities of head and heart, and recog
nlzed his ability as a sound and practical
adviser, we mourn his loss as Director,
and as high minded, public spirited
citizen.
Resolved, That we extend our sym.
pathy and coincidence to his wife and
family in their great grief, and that the
Secretary forward to them copy of these
resolutions.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12
WESTBROOk.

Arbor day was observed by the chill
dren at the Bridge street school. Appro-
pirate exercises to spring time, including
selections and songs about flowers, birds,
etc., were on the programme. Several
trees were planted and flower bed made
by the children of the lower grades. A
holiday wan INDUCED in the afternoon.
Fifteen men have enlisted to date to
recruit the Cleaves Rifles, now at Au-
gusta.
The remains OF the late Lewis E.
Goodridge were taken to Naples yesterday
forenoon by Undertaken Haddson of this
city. The funeral services were held at
one O'Clock at Naples.
The last meeting of the season of the
Excelsior club was held with Mrs. Mary
Tuttle on Monday evening. Three new
members were received into the member
ship of the club. The club adjourned to
meet the last Monday evening in Septem-
Der when the fall work will be resumed.
Mr.. II. 6. Starr and daughter Marion
arrived home yesterday from visit
among relatives in Massachusetts.
The parliamentary Law elias holds its
regular meeting with Mrs. 81. L. Henri
man, Friday evening at 7.30 O'Clock.
The West End W. G. T. 70. hold their
semi -monthly meeting Thursday after
noon at three O'Clock with Mrs. M. J.
Gilkey. full attendance is desired as
arrangements are to be made for the meet
ing of the county convention. The com.
mittee of arrangements consists Of Mrs.
P. L. Chandler, Mrs. NJ. ]. Gilkey,
Mrs. N. D Center, Mrs. J. F. Spear and
Mrs. W. II. Duran.
The annual meeting of the Congrega-
tional church Ladies' Missionary society
will be held with Mrs. Silas N. Adams,
Main street, this afternoon at three
O'Clock. Missionary Treasures" will
be the subject Of the afternoons discus
sion, and large attendance Is desired.
Mrs. o. A. Cobb under the direction
of the subcommittee on school census,
appointed by the Westbrook school COM
mittee has completed his labors and re-
ports that there ara 244S persons entitled
to the state allowance of school money.
This is gain of three over the census of
last year. The census at that time
showed quite heavy falling off.
At their May Festival, at "The West
brook" Friday and Saturday, the Uni
versalist ladies will have full display Of
Towering plants, in addition to their
handkerchiefs and bonnets which are to
be offered for sale. Reserved seats tickets
are now on sale at Woodman and Starr S
drug stores for the entertainments.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12
rly entered upon the books of the city

erly entered upon the books of the CITY
AUDITOR
Read twice. passed and sent down Tor
concurrence. Concurred. -
There is evidently an effort being maze
to divert the real issue and throw odlum
upon the action of the committee, VINO
understand that the oath as administered
when they were sworn in as members OF
the city government, meant something.
They are not responsible for the law, ord-
nance. or court decision. They are,
however, bound to be governed by them.
COMMITTEE ON ACCOUNTS.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12
PORTLAND DAILY PRESS.
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The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12

Spain might send fleet to Manila by
way OF the Suez Canal and get it tbsre
Before we could possibly reinforce Dewey
with any of our heavy ships. But to
send squadron strong enough to cope
with Dewey she would have to greatly
weaken her Atlantic fleet and expose the
Canaries and her seacoast to our fleet.
She could not draw off shirs from her
Atlantic squadron without our knowing
1t, because when they passed through the
suez Canal they would be exposed to tbs
observation of the world. Practically
she has to choose between abandoning
Manila and leaving helpless her islands
near home and her coast towns ano cities.
and it is hardly possible shat in this di.
lemma she will prefer the latter.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12
SAFE DEPOSIT vaults.

Having consolidated with the Portland
Safe Deposit Company, the Portland
Trust Company now offers its patrons
and the public unequaled facilities for
storage of bonds, stocks valuable papers
and silver ware.
The security offered is the best in
Maine, and the location is the most CEN
tral and convenient in Portland.
The utmost privacy is afforded by sep
arate entrances from the street, while
the arrangement of offices of the consoli-
dated company is such that all financial
business can be transacted under the
same roo.
nlar3l dtf
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12

The report that the Cape Verde fleet
has returned to Cadiz seams to be ae
cepted as trustworthy by the Navy De.
spartment.a Naturally reports Of the
arrival or departure of Spanish warships
at or from Spanish ports are open to grave
suspicion, because the Spaniards have a
strong motive for setting false reports
afioat, but as the Navy Department. put
! full confidence in this report the infer.
ence is that it knows the source Of it. and
regards it as trustworthy. Accepting it
as correct. one naturally casts about for
some reasonable explanation for this
strange procedure. 1t is suggested that 1t
may be. Spain's purpose to unite all her
fleets and then come over here and give
our squadron battle, risking all on the
result. But after the demonstration of
The vast superiority of our maneuvering
and our Workmanship which the battle
at Manila furnished, it is vastly improb-
able that Spain would risk her whole fleet
in the way suggested. Should it be de-
stroyed, as the probabilities are that it
would be, all Spain's island possessions
and the populous cities and towns along
her sea coast would be completely at our
mercy. All her fleets united would be
considerable inferior in fighting power to
those of SIMPSONS and Schley's COM
bined; indeed they would not be superior,
if equal, to SIMPSONS alone. Besides
they would be at an immense disadyan-
tage having to fight on this side of the
Atlantic many thousand miles from
home, and with no place near at hand
to repair and reft the ships. To move
her fleet to this coast and offer us battle
would be an exceedingly audacious pro-
ceeding, entirely out of keeping with
snything she has done since hostilities
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12

The more that is learned about the
Cuban insurgent government and the
forces under Gomez and Garcia the clear
er does it appear that Congress made no
mistake when it decided not to invade
Cuba under the auspices of the insur-
gents and for their especial benefit.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12
RUSSIA'S CONTROL OF PORT
ARTHUR.

Pekin, May 1.-THE Russian consulate
at lien Tsien has notified his colleagues
That foreigners will not be allowed at
Port Arthur or at fallen Wan without
passports. vized by him. Both Chinese
and foreigners bitterly complain of this,
1nasmuch as the Tsung-Li- Yamen ex-
pressly instructed their officials that both
ports were to be treated as treaty ports.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12

Admiral Dewey's operations at Manila
we're carried on out of range Of interfer
ence by naval strategy board or any
other superior authority at Washington.
This may have had something to do with
their wonderful success.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12

There Is great danger that when the
time for making peace comes, Spain will
have no responsible governments to make
peace with. There is every indication
that another defeat of the Spanish arms
would precipitate a bloody struggle be-
tween the various political factions
which would deprive the nation of all
responsible governments for sometime to
come
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12

1t Is difficult to see what good purpose
would be subserved by a bombardment
of San Juan without troops to occupy
the place after it was taken. Some of
our ships would in all probability suffer,
and we Should have accomplished moth
ing which could not be done equally
we'll and with much less risk by a
blockade.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12

The Spanish Cortes has promptly voted
the war credit asked for by Sagasta, but
the silver men in our Congress are still
sparring for political advantage and
thereby holding back the money that is
needed for the vigorous prosecution of
the war.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12
THE PRESS.
THURSDAY. MAY I2.

To abandon the "ever faithful isle, -
and send ships ard troops to redeem Ma.
Mia would be-. a very strangespolioy for
Spain to adopt.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-12
GOOD TIMES HAVE COME.

You can afford to indulge yourself or your
family in the luxury of good weekly news.
paper and quarterly magazine of fiction
You can get both of these publications with
almost library of good novels for SIS per year.
Evening star., 1898-12-24
Copyright. 1898, by W. A. Fraser.)

beaded moccasins; they had been worked
for a young chief.
For when you are coming back" she
said.
Then the sky swallowed him up. The no
kun saw only millions of stars blinking at
her as she sat in the rent of her battered
old tepea and looked toward the land o.
the Blackfoot.
Thus the childhood of Sweet-Grass.
The Naming of Sweet-Grass.
The chinook wind blew through the feath-
ers of the boys arrows and rubbed against
his cheek. How light his heart was. For
fourteen years he had fought for existence
without a name; in few days he would
come back again with one. and wearing
the beautiful mecca sins now tied up in the
little pack on his back.
He reached up his hand and patted them
affectionately. AS he did SO he came to
earth with a smash that shook his body
he had put his foot in a badger hole.
AS he rose he chided the rose-pink flowers
which hid the hole They were the badger
hole sentinel-the cleOme.
''Why did you not tell me, little broth
ers?' he said. as he tore them up by the
roots reproachfully. "rhey could not tell
me because l had no name, 1 suppose" he
muttered. as he sped on again.
The thought stopped him-he turned and
called hack to the crushed blossoms: when
l come again this way you will know my
name"
All night he Travelled. his feet crushing
eagerly through the bunch grass and the
Evening star., 1898-12-24
The Childhood of sweet-Grass.

What the great Chief Crowfoot was 10
the RIackfoot was Sweet-Grass TO the
Crees He was the Seneca of this great
tribe. that was when he was Sweet-Grass.
At the beginning he was next to nothing;
4 wee mite of q copper-coIored pagan Cree.
His father had been too Indifferent to even
fight we'll: so he had been slain like an
obese buffalo bull.
In the hunt there was no warrior to XIII
the buffalo for the widows wigwam- She
followed up the others, and CLEANED what
they left In times of plenty this was not
so difficult; but when hunger stalked
through the Tapping tepees of the Indians
in the winter months, the cleaning was
nothing. and existence for the squaw and
her little brown papoOse became a struggle
with the Coyote-like dogs of the camp for
the things the others threw away.
That was the childhood of Sweet-Grass.
He did not even own name-he was only
the nokum's child; nobody had time to even
dream a name for him.
If in the scramble for bits of ierked buf
falo he and the dogs fell out, and he struck
his canine rivals. somebody would retaliate
the dogs were in the right of it: it was
only the nokum's child, anyway. The dogs
belonged to somebody, after a fashion-so
many to each tepee: but Sweet-GraSS was
only the nokums 5 child.
His mother carried wood and smoked
meat for others: stripped the red willow
ami made kirnikinick for lazy braves with
lazier wives. and in return she was allowed
To poke through the offal and find her liv-
ing thCre-if she could. She was like the
village poor woman. with the usual boy.
Evening star., 1898-12-24

the women was renewed, and Incidentally
for the cacque: but they had all escaped
to the mountains, and none of them was
ever seen again by the Spaniarls.
Thus disappeared from view The gallant
Guacanagari, cacique of Guarico, on the
north coast of Haiti, who has the honor of
having been the first American to enter
tain Columbus at Christmas dinner, and
who, in return for his hospitality WAS set
upon by Spanish soldiers and hunted like
beast.
The second Christmas and the second
New Year found the Spaniards engaged at
the foundation of Isabella. and. as the
church there was not finished Until the
February following, when high mass was
celebrated, it is doubtful IL much attention
was paid to either anniversary-at least no
record is retained of such.
The first week in January, 1924, IN exPe-
ditIon was sent into the mountains from
Isabella, under command of doughty Alon-
20 de Ojeda, which returned in February
with golden treasure for the feet, about to
depart for Spain.
These, in brief are the events attendant
upon the anniversaries of the great annual
holidays early in the history of America.
They are especially noteworthy at this
time, when after the lapse of four hundred
years. Spanish soldiers are about to cele
brate, in sadness, grief and shame their
last Christmas and New Year In the new
world which Columbus gave to Spain. the
last remnant of which has now passed from
her grasp forever. f. A. OBER.
Evening star., 1898-12-24

Spanish garrison from the islands dis
covered in the year 1892. 1t is well
known that Columbus sailed to and through
the Bahamas, that he landed on the north
coast of Cuba. rounded Cape Maisi and
then stretched across the channel to the
Island of Haiti. But it is not so generally
Known that it was on the north coast OF
this last-named island that he was
wrecked, and that here he passed the first
Christmas and New Year ever celebrate ed
in America.
Yet this is so. After crossing the channel
between Cuba and Haiti he found himself
upon the coast of an island famous among
the Indians as 'Bohio" or the Great Coun.
try; also as the Land of Gold" His first
landing was at a port which he called ST
Nicolas, after the saint on whose day he
reached it, ever since known as San Mic
olaS, and possession coveted by the United
States at one time as a coaling station. He
Gid not stop long in this noble harbor, but,
sending the little Nina ahead to make
soundings, the admiral slowly followed in
his flagship, the Santa Maria.
Route of Columbus.
A storm was brewing, but the caravels
found refuge under the lee of picturesque
Tortuga, the Turtle Island since IA
nous as the stronghold of the buccaneers.
Sailing through the beautiful channel or
canal between Tortuga and the island of
Haiti, he passed on the way such lovely
valleys and harbors, opening out at the
mouths of sparkling streams, that he called