davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
SENATOR VEST WILL
LEAVE PUBLIC LIFE
With Expiration OF Present Term
He Quits 'litics.
COMING OF GENERAL DAVIS
Is the Beginning of an Effort to Secure
Legislation By Congress to Re-
lieve the Inhabitants OF
Puerto Rico.
COMING OF GENkdAl DAVIS

Washington, December 30.-"My present
term in the senate win end my pubic ca
reer," said Senator Vest, of Missouri, to-
day. II have written a letter to a friend
OF mine, an editor in Clay county, in which
| have said that this term will bring my
public life to a close. In saying this, how
ever, 1 am simply repeating the statement
to the Missouri legislature which last
elected me, that l would not be candidate
for reelection
Senator Vests letter was brought out by
a request for his views ON the best method
of electing senators, whether by eonVen-
ton or through primaries In declaring IN
favor of the convention system on the
ground that the primaries have resulted
III party friction, Senator Vest took occa-
sion to refer to his own lack of personal
concern in the matter by announcing tnat
he would not be candidate again. HIS
term does not expire until 1903, so that ne
has three years yet to serve AT the eA-
pirat ton of that time he Will have been an
the senate four terms, total of twenty
-four years.
The coming of Governor General Davis
from San Juan to Washington marks the
beginning of an effort to secure legislation
by congress to relieve the inhabitants of
Puerto Rico from the present state of sus-
pense as to their future. General Davis
has been summoned to Washington for the
express purpose of assisting the congress
ional committee in their task by supplying
such Information respecting the affairs of
the island as is called for and his coming
now is an indication that the committees
are ready TO begin their work.
The Columbian Iron Works of Baltimore,
which is engaged in the construction of the
submarine boat Plunger and the torpedo
boat Tingey, has notified the navy Depart
ment formally that the concern has been
placed in the hands of receiver, and has
submitted an applicat ton for an extension
of time allowed for the construction of the
torpedo boat. The application came before
the naval construction board today, and it
was decided to allow the extension for an
additional period of eleven months.
The ibattleship Massachusetts has arrived
at New York, and it is understood that she
will soon go out of commission in order to
furnish crew for one of the new battle
ships, the Kentucky or the Kearsarge.
The formal transfer of the converted
yacht Viking from the navy to the army
has taken place at Norfolk. The army
wants tine boat for service in Cuba and
Puerto Rico.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
TELLS EXPERIENCE
WITH THE BOERS
An American Who Left South
Africa at Beginning
OF the War.

New York December 30.-Ioward ].
! Rothschild an American citizen, who was
| employed on the Standard and Digger, a
| morning paper published in johannesburg,
| mas just got back to New York from the
| Transvaal. Mr.. Rothschild was at Pilgrims
Rest, little mining camp, 1sO miles north
east OF johannesburg. when~the Beers de-
clared war, October II.
'eInere We're 500 whites, mostly Ameri-
| cans and Englishmen, in. Pilgrims Rest"
! said Mr. Rothschild, .'when the war was
| declared.
1--WE all asked permission to stay, and the
! Beers at first gave us permission to do so
| on the unders standing that we would form
| home guard to protect the place from
| the British or any one else. We accepted
en- these conditions, but the next day we
| were told by the burghers That we had
| twenty-four hours to either enlist in the
| Boer army or get out of the place.
Most of us decided to get out.
'gThere was 900 in gold which had
| been taken from the mine, and the burgh-
ers seized this, first giving f.. b. Thomp-
| son, a Scothman, and secretary of the
| Eckstein Mining company receipt and a
note promising that the TranSvaal govern
| ment would repay the money upon the
| conclusion of the war. This same proceed
| ing took place at all the mines not shut
| up in the beseiged towns.
Mr.. Thompson and | went to the stables
| to get horses to ride out to inspect a mine
some miles in the country, when we were
approached by an American named Blake,
now a second lieutenant in the Boer army.
.'Blake. who had recruited 200 Ameri-
cans for the Boer army, showed us a
proclamation confiscating all horses, fod-
der gold and stores
Thompson and l returned to his house,
but found that the Boer commissioner had
taken possession of his residence, worth
$36, ,000 In 1t was the finest collection of
! gold nuggets in South Africa, worth $50,-
| 600. Mr.. Thompson also had $500 in gold
! of his own, all of which went to the Trans
| vaal.
Thousands OF Englishmen were treated
| in the same way. When the Beers took
| possession Of the gold mine at Pilgrims
| Rest they turned out all the Kaffr la
| borers, broke the pumping machinery and
| flooded the mine.
1.-THE Beers furnished US with horses
| and an armed escort for the long ride to
| Johannesburg
| "Being unable to prove that was an
| American citizen, I was treated the same
! as the British subjects. The Boer women,
| the young boys ard the old men have left
their own farms snd arc working the gov
| ernment farms, aided by Kaffirs. In this
| way they can keep their armies well pro-
yisioned."
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
tin to Amend Copyright Law

indianapolis, Ind. December 30.-S. B..
Donnelly, president of the International
Typographical union, says that a committee
is at work on a bill which will probably
be introduced in congress by Mr.. Over
Jtreet at an early date. The bill will aim
to amend the present copyright law, and
intends to put stop to the impo- tation
of plates and matrices for books and other
valuable printed matter from foreign coun-
tries. Under present regulations, he says,
publishers have valuable plates shipped into
this country under the guise of damaged
plates, a few of them being damaged, and
the others In good condition. BY this
scheme. he says, custom duty Is paid and
the publishers are able to run off costly
editions without the printers getting any
benefits from the business.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31

December 20. evening, saying that Colonel
Kekwich wired through the general COM
manding at Modder river, December 2S, as
follows:
II am directed by the mayor and councE
to forward the following for transmission
through the proper channel:
" To Her Most Gracious Majesty; The
Queen:
e The inhabitants of Kimberley beg to
send your majesty New Years greeting.
The trouble they have passed through and
are still enduring only tends to love and
loyalty towards your majesty's throne and
person (SigneD r. II. HENDERSON,
F" Mayor, on Behalf of the Inna0rtaEts.
The war office also issues the following,
addressed to the secretary OF state for war;
Please send the following to Colonel
Kekwich for communication to the mayor
and council from the queen:
' I am deeply touched by your kind and
loyal New Years greeting. 1 watch with
admiration your determination and gallant
defense, though I regret the unavoidable
loss of life incurred" :"
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
FATAL CHICAGO FIRE
Nine Firemen Seriously Injured-On
-. Million Dollar Loss

Chicago, December 30.-FNre at an early
hour today completely gutted the buildings
extending from 216 to 222 Monroe street. and
badly damaged the building at 212-214 Mon
roe street. causing a loss aggregating $780,,
900 and resulting in the Injury of nine fire.
men. tweaof them seriously, as follows:
Captain Robert O'Connor, serious.
James, Wooley, serious.
William Padden
Michael OHara. :,
Captain John Evans.
Captain William Carry.
Captain Thomas O'Connor.
Luke Hays.
Lieutenant Oswald.
:. The fre is supposed to have originated
on the second floor in the work room of
Wcoley SC Co.. wholesale woolens, at 22O
and 222 Monroe street, and, famed by a
fierce. northwest wind. spread so rapidly
that when the first fire companies arrived
on the scene the whole southern end of the
bui5ding was mass of flames.
The flames quickly communicated to the
building at 2l6 and 21s Monroe street. grad
ua1fy spreading east to 212 and 214 Monroe
where its progress was finally checked
Immense brands were carried as far as
Twelfth street, and the firemen were kept
busy extinguisdnng small fires on the
roofs of surrounding buildings
The principal losses are as follows:
Building at 220-222 Monroe street; loss
$225, 900.
Edwards, stanwood & Co., successors tc
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
z, DECEMBER 81, 1899--sIXTEEN PAGES.

Phelps, Dodge & Palmer, boots and shoes,
third and sixth floors loss, s20a.OOO
Wooley & Co.. first and second floors,
wooden goods loss, s135,000.
Schwartz & Kline, Shirts, fourth floor;
loss $6O00
John Harper cloak manufacturer, fifth
floor; loss, So 1000.
Building at 216-21S Monroe street, occu-
pied by ]. w. Butler Paper company; loss,
$25, ,0O0
]. W. Butler Paper company; damage on
stock, $25OO0O; fully insured.
Henry o. Shepard company, printers, oc-
cupying building at 212-214 Monroe street,
100000.
The building at 217 Fifth avenue was
damaged to the extent of s., 900.
Besides this, there were several minor
losses caused by smoke and water.
Figures on the insurance are not as yet
obtainable, but it is probable most of the
losses are well covered.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
GERMAN STEAMER
f. J. HELD By BRITISH
Merchants Of Berlin Are Loud
. y Protesting,
LITTLE NEWS FROM FRONT
The Fight at Mafeking Was
Fiercely Waged.
BRITISH LOST ONE HUNDRED MEN
i'-i~
-si .
The Capture of the German Steamer in
Delogoa Bay Has Increased the An
imosity of That Country to
ft Great Britain
BRITISH LOST ONE HUNDRED MEN

London, December 31.-4:30 a. m)-The
war office when communicating at about
midnight copies of the message from the in
habitants of Kimberley tp the queen and of
the queens reply which was signed by Sir
Arthur John Bigge, her majesty's private
secretary, stated that no further news had
been received up to that hour and nothing
of Importance has come from other sources
during the night.
The weeks sorties, skirmishes, recon-
noisances and bombardments at various
points where the British and the Beers con-
front each other, so far as can be judged,
have had no effect upon the general situa-
tion at the seat of war, which is practically
the same as it was week ago.
During the night of December 2S Lady
smith and Chievley Camp were in full COM
munication, the former reporting "all WELL
While the signalling was In progress the
Beers attempted to muddle the messages
with flashlights from each extremity from
their long entrenched lines. The naval
brigade took advantage of the opportunity
to shell the Boer position, which were
plainly revealed by their own lights. The
naval battery resumed the shelling of the
Boer trenches on the morning of December
%, but their fire failed to elicit any signs
of life.
A dispatch from Capetown dated Wednes-
dav. December 27, announced that an arm
ored train had restored communication
with Dordericht, where the Free state nag
had been hauled down and that the Beers
had been driven from the adjacent hills TO
Stromberg.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
Two Captains KilId

Pretoria, Friday, December 29-Three
British prisoners from Malapo report that
Captains Vernon and Sanford, of Colonel
Baden-Powelps staff, were killed during the
engagement in which Lords Edward Cecil
and Cavendsh- Bentinick were wounded
The object of the sortie was to capture a
Boer cannon. The losses of the British
were very severe. The 'long Tom injured
at Ladysmith has been repaired and is be-
ing replaced.
The new contract reducing the price OF
dynamite instituted by the raad in August
was registered December 2S between the
government and the factory.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
American Officer to Go

Washington, December 30.-Learning that
the French and Germans and perhaps other
ma tions had military officers accompanying
the Boer armies as observers, the war de-
partment felt that it would like the same
privilege for an expert of its own. Mr..
Hollis, United States consul at Pretoria,
was accordingly directed to ask President
Kruger If he would allow an American
army officer to accompany the troops. A
cablegram has just been received from the
consul saying that the Boer government
has courteously assented to the request.
The war department will at once select
suitable man for the place, and he will
be hurried to the scene of ossilities.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
German onfcers and Men

London December 30.-A reporter of the
Associated Press has learned that there
We're three German officers and twenty
men, attired in khaki, and intending to
serve the Beers, on board the Bundesrath,
which explains her eapture.
Regarding traffic generally on the east
coast OF Africa, the admiralty of the Brit
ish government desires that all ordinary
and legitimate trade conducted by foreign
vessels should suffer as little restriction as
possible.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
THE FUNERAL OF
GENERAL LAWTON
With Impressive Ceremonies the
Body Was Conveyed to
the Transport.

Manila, December 3O.-Q p m)-The
funeral of General Henry w. Lawton, who
was killed at San Mateo December IS, was
held today with impressive ceremonies.
The remains were conveyed from the Paco
cemetery down to the Luneta, to Pasig and
thence to the transport Thomas, which sails
this afternoon.
As the body was removed from the vault
Chaplain Marin read the prayers.
The personal staff of the late general was
augmented by Color Sergeant Simon,
Trumpeter Haberkam and Privates Oakman
and Mohrusen. The latter, who were close
ly connected with General Lawton's recent
campaign, bore the casket from the vault
to a six-horse caisson waiting at the gate.
The funeral procession was composed OF
the band of tho Twentieth regiment, Cen
eral Hail and his staff, two troops OF the
Fourth Cavalry who We're with General
Lawton at the time of his death, battery
of artillery, a number of clerSymen, the
caisson covered with flowers, the personal
staff of the general on foot, Generals
Wheeler, Bates Forsythe, Kobbe, Schwan
and Rear Admiral Watson IN Mree car,
riages. a naval battalion, Major General
Otis and his staff, the foreign consul in
full dress and the members of the Filipino
supreme court. Native delegations from
the towns and boards of civil governments
presented wreaths. Women from the same
towns waited on Mrs. Lawton and pre-
sented her with their coincidence and flow
ers.
crowds of natives and Americans witt
messed the proces sion the band played
dirges and the croMes uncovered
At Passig the cas1e. Mas transferred to
a tug and TAPS" was sounded and prayers
we're offered by Chap.a" Pierce.
-Four enlisted pall-Dea- will accompany
the remains to the United States.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
Weather Intensely Cold

New York, December 30.-The tempera-
ture today fell to degrees above zero. the
lowest for this winter. The effect of the
sudden change from the uncommonly mild
weather which had prevailed until this time
was severe, and there Is much suffering
among the poor people of the city George
Howard, a junk dealer, was found frozen
to death on East Twentieth street today.
John DAILY, homeless and starving was
picked up half frozen and taken to hos
pital, where he died soon afterward.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
.LOCKETT AGAIN
ROUTS REBELS
One American Officer and Five
Men Wounded.
THE INSURGENTS LOSS HEAVY
Six Men Of Si@nal Corps Attack
e=g gTalenera.
FOUR WEjS s LIED OR CAPTURED
SS
Us
1t is Repo That Bands of Insurgents
Are ling the Lingengayen
Coes fillmore and His Fell
low Prisoners Divided.
LIED OR CAPTURED

Manila, December a-(9:30 a. m)-Colonel
Lockett has had a second engagement with
the insurgents northwest of Montalban,
and by brilliant charge drove the enemy
from their position Only one American Of
ficer and five soldiers were wounded, but
the loss of the insurgents was heavy.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
wheeler Heard From

Manila. December 30-The insurgents VINO
evacuated the coast towns between Dagu-
pan and Vigan, fleeing to the mountains
before the advancing Americans, are re-
turning in small bands to the towns the
Americans do not occupy, terrorizing tho
natives and Cinnamon who showed friend
shin for the Americans The natives and
Cinnamon are seeking the protection or
the American garrisons.
Colonel Vessels cavalry, while scouting
in the vicinity of Trinidad, found evidence
of Filipino soldiers being in that vicinity,
but it was impossible to bring about an
engagement.
The recent increase of garrison at Ma
panamapan against threatened attacks
averted trouble
Colonel Luther Hare, of the Thirty-third
Infantry who has been following party or
American prisoners, lost track for three
davs about December 20 of such signs and
evidences of their passage that they custo-
marily left behind them. 1t is thought the
prisoners were separated and conveyed to
remote parts of the mountains, thus In
creasing the difficulties OF General Yotmg's
troops to effect rescue.
General Wheeler who was recently IN
Manila requesting an appointment south
on the line of the expected campaign, Is
now at Poanique.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
Germany TO Interfere

Hamburg, December 30.-The directors of
the German East African line have re-
ceived news of the arrest of the imperial
mail steamer Bundesrath. The commander
of the port of Durham refused an explana-
ton of the cause of the seizure. 1t is
declared here that there was no contra
band Of war on board, and when appica-
ton was made to the German foreign
office the latter Immediately promised in
terpositlon with the British government.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
New Cattle Record

Kansas City, Mo-, December 30.-The cat
tie Industry of the southwest has establish-
ed a new record during the past year. Cat
tie receipts at Kansas City for the year
1899, including cows, will aggregate 2.0l7000
head or close to 100000 head above that or
1898
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
Hax Lcayes southam mpt on.

Southampton, December 30.-The British
transport Moor sailed from this port for
South Africa this evening" having on board
Adebert Hay and the persons who ac-
companied him from London on their way
to the Cana
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
DR.. lie DIS Denies Report

Hamburg. December 3O.-The Handles
blatt publishes reports of interviews with
DIR. Leyds, in the course of which the
Transvaai representative denies the state
ments that munitions of war are being i'm
ported into the Transvaal through Delagoa
bay.
DR.. Leyds says the Beers are now able
to manufacture their own war munitions.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
Public Road Duel

Ducktown, Tenn, December 3o.-In pub
lie road duel in the Ninth district in this
county, near the Georgia line. Garrett He'd
den shot and killed John Green. Hedden Is
the desperate who two years ago shot and
killed his own hrathar In a drunken erawl
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
Roland Reed Resting Quietly

New York, December S1.-Roland Reed.
the actor, was said to be resting comfort
ably at an early hour this morning. His
condition was unchanged.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
SIX MEN ATTACKED
Four of Them Were Either Killed or
Captured

New York, December 3O.--A dispatch to
the Herald from Manila says:
"Six men of the signal corps were attack
ed Thursday at Talevera, east of Tarlac,
by force of 200 insurgents and four of
them were either killed or captured.
"a dispatch stating that the Filipinos
were harrassing the entire Lingengayen
coast from vigan to San Jacinto in small
bands, and that Lieutenant ]. &. Gilmore
and the members of the cruiser Yorktown's
crew who were prisoners of the rebels had
been separated, and were with insurgent
bands in the northern mountains was CEN
sored by General Otis, on the ground that
he had contrary information.
"The strength of the insurgents at NAL
tabon caused surprise to the Americans
Merchants here are anxious to have the
campaign in Cavite province begun, so
rnar IT may be the sooner finished, AND tho
ports be opened to trade.
General Otis recent decree authorizing
civil marriage makes no provision for dd-
vorce. Only the Catholic reasons for sep
aration are recognized in the order.
"Girls 70 years old and boys IA are per-
rnitted to marry with the consent of their
parents. but otherwise they must be Il
years old.
"In order to remove any doubt of the
status of Protestant. marriages performed
during the last year by army Chapialns'
in which one of the contracting parties was
a Catholic, General Otis order was made
retropatiye Native women who nave
married soldiers without Catholic rites
have been ostracised by their relatives.
Justice Arellano requested the omission
of a divorce clause from the decree be-
cause of the belief of the Fiipinos that
marriage ties cannot be broken.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
GERMAN STEAMER CAPTURED
The Action on Part of Great Britain
Meeting With Protests

Lorenzo Marques, Delagoa Bay, December
3o.-The German steamer Bundesrath' De-
longing to the German East African line'
has been captured as % prize and taken %
Durham The Bundesrath arrived hese
from Mozambique. The German steamer
Bundesrath of 1879 tons sailed from HAM
burg November for Tanga, East Africa.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
Iientenant TAYLOR Killed

Washington, December 30.-General Otis,
at Manila, calbled the war department yes
terday that First Lieutenant Edward r.
Taylor Twentieth infantry, was run over
by a train crossing the Ango river, near
Bautista, on the 26th instant, and died in
a few hours.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31

Lourenzo Marques, December 30.-The
capture of the bundesrath has increased the
already strong anti-British feeling here
among the Hollanders and Germans Of its
population.
The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31
THE MAFEKING FIGHT
Battle Ragged Up to the Very Walls OF
the Fort

Lorenzo. Marquese, Friday, December ~.
-Adyices received here from Pretoria, un-
der date of Wednesday, December n, say
that an official dispatch from Mafeking an
nounces that In a sortie which the British
made from that place December %, attack
ing one of the Boer forts with cannon,
Maxims and an armored train so persist
emily that the fight ragged up to the walls
of the fort. The British lost 109 men killed
and wounded, while the Beers lost only
two killed and seven wounded.
The dispatch adds that Captains Kirk
wood and Grenfeil were captured by Boer
scouts near Colenso and were being sent
to Pretoria
Ten unloaded shells inscribed 1.-The sea-
sons greetings" have been fired at Lady
smith.
Ten South African medical students from
Edinburgh have arrived at Pretoria from
Delagoa Bay with five tons OF medical
stores.
A dispatch from the Boer camp at Mod
der river, dated Thursday, December rs,
reports an artillery duel lasting an hour.
December q British accommodating party
made sortie but did not come within the
Boer range. The British, December rs,
commenced a steady bombardfnent Of the
BoeG position.