Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-04-26
1893: Switzerland and Sweden have
two each. Denmark one and one has
been authorized In Norway.


II Is judged that the nre losses Of
the first quarter Of the year 1900 will
show up rather discouragingly to the
insurance companies The losses for
the whole country will approach.
II not exceed, $40,O00.00O, stupendous
sum. when all its bearings and in
fiuence are considered. Electric wir-
ing has grown to be a source OF de-
structive fires, of quite unexpected
magnitude, and peculiarly difficult to
trace. Besides defective Insulation of
wires, the old trouble of detective
fiues" still holds its supreme rank as q
destroyer. Superficial building inspec-
ton costs the country many millions
every year; the characteristic reckless
ness finds no rival in any other coun.
try, and the deplorable weight of fire
premiums, ten times as large as those
common In Europe, has to be borne by
the rejecting intelligent part OF the
people, wondering that the masses do
not see how easily our domestic archi-
lecture might be placed upon higher
level of safety.
1t appears that the recent attempts
to restrict by legislation the erection
Of high buildings Is not a peculiar out
growth Of our modern ''skyscrapers."
A writer in the Central Law Journal
says that Lanciani, the well-known
Roman archaeologist, has discovered
that law was passed In Rome In the
time of the Caesars restricting the
heights of fronts of buildings to sixty
feet. The builders and contractors
managed to evade this law by making
the fronts only sixty feet, as required,
and then adding several stories to the
rear portion. Just what the local
Building Commissioners, the various
art societies, and others interested did
or could have done does not appear
1t seems that there We're also other
laws enacted in the early days for the
purpose of regulating the height OF
buildings.
The Government has always made
money by the loss or destruction of
bonds, notes and paper money which
cannot be presented for redemption.
Many drafts and warrants upon the
treasury issued in payment of current
expenses have never been presented.
Some may be lost in the mails or mis-
laid by people who own them. OF course
it Is impossible to explain where they
go to, but the records of the dead-letter
office every year, because of mistakes
in addressing envelopes and other
forms Of carelessness on the part Of
the senders; whereas the natural loss
and destruction Of money from un-
avoidable causes is quite as great. The
government lost fully a million dol
lars in the Chicago fire, but that could
be replaced. The amount lost by citi-
Zens cannot be calculated. There must
have been several millions of paper
currency destroyed at that time i'm the
cash drawers, clothing, vaults and tin
stores were consumed.
Get rich in Chicago and then move to
New York. That is what seems to be
the goal of ambition in the lives of a
score or more of the wealthy citizens
of Chicago. Within the next few
months half dozen wealthy men Of
the city will join their fellow million
aires in the metropolis. More than
$40O,O00.O0O has been taken from the
city by persons who enjoy the gayety
of Broadway and the deep mystery Of
Wall street. One of Chicago's best
known men, who has taken up his
home in New York City. explained the
reasons for the exodus. He said:
Chicago is all right, nice place and
all that, but you know it Is not New
York City. My grandfather came from
the old country and settled on a farm
in Iowa. My father grew up, wanted
to make money and moved to Chicago.
The result was that he soon was rated
a rich man. l came in for some Of
that money and since then have more
than doubled my share. l know moth
ing but Chicago, and in my turn I
want to move. Now, on the other
HiHu, tucIc 10 uOI the SiiSuttst uOuDt
that New York City offers more adj
vantages to the man who has money
and Is willing to spend it. Even Chi
cago people who have been East will
agree with me-"
Tutors and schoolmasters incur
strange dangers with houses full Of
uncurbed lads, but Mr.. Hazard. of
Austin, Tex, who was plaintiff in
recent suit before the courts of the
city, seems to have run an abnormal
risk in undertaking the charge of Mas
ter Harold Xavier Toike. This prod
igy's mind was not--so his mother
averred-unhinged, only he had
mania for doing things The thing
which he had mania for doing to
Mr.. Hazard was to burn down his
house, and this he accordingly did.
Mr.. Toike, as the now more or less
grown-up defendant, relied for his case
entirely upon this mania for doing
things. He is ''hazy" as to the Incl
dents of the fire, but, upon cross-ex-
animation, he stated that he was
every fond of writing elaborate let
ters," rare quality in these days,
and in itself almost proof Of "kink."
He wrote many of these to himself
Yet he was not precisely mad. But,
he added, in further proof Of the
"kink," that, as a boy, he wanted to