Gilpin observer., 1900-05-10


sions of the bill they would receive
royalty upon the product of the mines.
Agency employees. Mr.. Bell states, are
at the bottom of the trouble, and 1t is
asserted they are opposing the opening
of the reserve so that they may have
an opportunity themselves of working
some of the mining prospects.
In anticipation of the passage by the
House of the army reorganization bill
in an unamended form, the officials of
the War Department have been figur-
ing to learn what effect the bill will
have upon the numerical strength of
the army. 1t appears that the only
branch of the service that will receive
any addition is the artillery. and the
number of men to be added to that
This will make the total strength of
this branch of the service, 17,44S. The
present enlisted strength of the army
is 65,OOO regulars and $4,000 vOlun-
teerS, or a total of 100000 The reOr-
ganization bill will increase that total
to 1O5,47S men.
President Gompers of the Fedora
ton of Labor and his associates have
been working very hard all winter to
secure the passage of an eight-hour
law, and while they have not accom-
plished all they wanted, they have
won Il decided victory by securing the
approval of bill which embodies the
greater part of their demands. The
committee on labor thought that they
asked too much. The bill as original
ly introduced prohibited the govern,
ment from using or doing anything
contrary to the eight hour principle.
which was considered impracticable.
hrrt N1,D In1N 1.
securing a general recognition of the
principle in all government contracts.
The Supreme Court resumed its hear
ing Tuesday in the Kentucky governor
ship case. Hon. w. O. Bradley, for
mer governor, being the only speaker.
He appeared for Governor Taylor, tax
ing up the first claim of the opposition
that Taylor had never possessed any
title to the office. He concluded that
TaylOr's title was as good as that of
any other man who had ever held the
office. He argued that Taylor's title
was complete: that he was not only de
jure governor, but de facto governor
as well, and that every step that he
had taken as governor was legal. Mr.
Bradley attacked the finding of the
Legislature in the case as irregular and
therefore void. When Mr.. Bradley
closed. the court took a recess until
May 14th.
A man of the peculiar name of Pow
dermaker and his associates have ap-
piled to Congress for authority to dig
up the streets of Washington and Law
an underground system of pipes and
cOnduits for the purpose of distribut.
ing cool air among the houses and of.
fees of the city. They call their cor
corporation 1.-The Cooling Company"
and they propose to cool off for SO much
a cubic foot of cold air furnished. The
idea is to have refrigerator plant at
convenient location with pipes and
other facilities, and run pipes like
those for gas and water through the
houses and office buildings so that
cold can be turned on in parlor or a
bedroom just like heat from the fur.
mace and the temperature lowered to
any point you please.
That is a very important bill for the
reorganization of the army which the
Senate passed on the 9Th. 1t makes
many notable changes In the military
arm of the service. particularly in the
artillery. 1t authorizes the appoint
ment of veterinary surgeons for each
cavalry regiment and battery Of field
artillery: it authorizes chaplain for
every regiment in the army; it gives
the senior major general commanding
the army the rank and pay of lieuten-
ant general and the adiutant general
the rank and pay of major general. In
order to increase the number of officers
in the army the corps of cadets at
West Point is enlarged by 12O-allow-
ing one from every congressional dis
trict. two from each state and terri
tory at large and thirty from the United
States at large.
A favorable report has been made by
the Senate committee on military ar
fairs on Senator Wolcott's bill to es-
tablish a branch soldiers home at Den
yer. The committee report recites that
the number of men disabled physically
and unable to earn their living by rea-
son Of the Spanish-American war and
the insurrection in the Philippines Will
add considerably to the population of
the National Soldiers Home and make
the establishment of branch houses
necessity. The location proposed Is con-
sidcred as geographically II good one,
there being large number OF old SOL
diers residing In Colorado and contigu-
Gus states, and the nearest national
home being ut Leavenworth, which is
unable to care for a very large number
of applicants In this area. whose cases
cannot for this reason be acted upon
at this time.
The lenders of the Liberal party, who
have been engaged since last June in
an attempt to overthrow the govern
ment of Colombia. which Is conserva-
tive in policy. have sent cmssarlcs to
Washington to ask the recognition of
their belligercncy by the United States.
AS n consideration they agree, when
they come into full power, to cancel the
concessions for II canal granted TO Ma
poleon Wysc. under which the Panama
company IL now operating. nt the date
of its termination in July. 1902. and
make n new one with the United States
government which viii give Ms control