Arizona silver belt., 1900-02-22
GENERAL NEWS.
Brief Mention of Interesting Facts and Happenings
 of the Universe.
THEY OCCUR wEEKL
A Condensation of Telegraph and Cable Messages, Giving Prefer red Space to the News of
 Our Own Land.


 at present nearly 900 commissioned officers who have risen from the ranks.
 During January there were seventy two oil companies organized in Cali fornia with an aggregate capitalization of sl7, ,O25, ,OOO.
 The fire loss of the United States and Canada for the month of January aggregated Sll, ,,55, 300, materially larger total than for the same month in 1899.
 The American Antitrust Journal, new weekly paper, sanctioned by the recent anti trust convention, made it's appearance in Chicago last Satur. day.
 \ bill for the erection in Washing ton of 8 atue of Lincoln, to cost 5000, ,000, has been introduced in con gress by Representative Lorimer of Illinois.
 The estimates made by the secre tary of the treasury for the expenses of the government of the United States for the present year amount to more than S631, ,OOO,0
 The orange growers of California are getting ahead of the frost by put ting roofs over their orchards. It costs $500 an acre, but saving one crop more than pays for it.
 The state republican committee of Missouri has selected kansas City as the place for the state convention, to meet on May 15. There will be ,O25 delegates.
 The newspapers of the United States are strongly supporting the measure, now before congress, to appropriate 5000, GOO for the Louisiana Purchase fair at St. Louis.
 Great Britain has a quarter million of men in the field, and is held Tn check by two little South African republics, with less population than Arizona and New Mexico.
 General Methuen says mounted man is not safe from Boer sharpshoot- CTS at 2,000 yards. The prancing pic- torial soldier leading a charge on horseback must be dismissed as thing of the past.
 The report comes from Lisbon, Por- tugal, that the king has signed pro tocol of a secret offensive and defen sive alliance with England with the approval of the leaders of the military parties of both countries.
 Rear Admiral AcNair, who ranks next to Admiral Dewey has asked to be relieved from the superintendency of the Naval academy on account of continued illness. Commander Vain wright succeeds him.
 The long-talked-of combination of steel-Sheet mills of the country was formed at meeting at Pittsburg on February l4, twenty-five concerns be- ing represented. The capital stock is S52,000,000.
 The president has announced that he has selected Mrs. Daniel Manning to represent this country at the Paris exposition, under resolution recently introduced by Senator Depew and passed by congress. A German publication states that the Philippine islands are among the few places where gutta percha trees will flourish, and suggests the cultiya- tion of the trees as an opportunity for American enterprise.
 Great Britain proposes to keep up | with the German naval procession, as | parliament is likely to be asked to au- thorize the expenditure of f20, 0,OOO,0OO | for new ships. The First Lord of the Admiralty is preparing estimates for large increase in the navy.
 The Dawson City water works, over the hyrant of each customer, who pays S1 per week for the service, erects a | wooden house measuring feet in all | three dimensions, each of which con. tains stove m which the company keeps a constant fire. During two months of the presen session of congress more pension bills have been introduced than during the entire last session. The flood of bills sought to be pushed through congress after rejection by the pension bureau is really alarming.
 Experts in the census bureau esti mate the population of the United States, as likely to be disclosed by the forthcoming census, at 7S,000,000. Such vast increase over the enumer. ation of 1890 would necessitate, under existing laws, material enlargement of the lower branch of congress.
 More postage stamps were issued last month than during any other month in the history of the postal ser vice in the United States. Compared with the issue of the same month decade ago, the sale of stamps shows an increase of 9l per cent Last month