Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-12-25


livery service covering large areas in
different parts of the country. Nothing
in the mechanism of the government has
been so surprising as the successful APP
plication of the free delivery service to
small farming communities. The practice
hitherto has been to take individual
routes along certain well-dehned roads,
but now an effort is to be made
to extend the service TO whole counties.
Hitherto the only complete county SER
vice has been l., Maryland, where a spe-
cial postal wagon or travelling postottice
has been operated in Carroll County. 1t
IS proposed now TO inaugurate the regu-
lar rural delivery service without the
use of any specially constructed vehicle
in Washington County, Tenn; Kent
County, Delaware; Fairfield County,
Connecticut; Niagara County, \. y;
Washington County, Pa, and Keokuk
County, Iowa. These different counties
have been selected with special reference
to varying conditions which obtain all
over the United States, and when the SER
vice is satisfactory in these isolated
towns it can readily be extended. Ii is
believed that by year from now the
experiment will have proceeded so far as
TO allow of an attempt to deliver the
mail everywhere in the United States
where the population per mile will at all
justify it,
The official returns of the late presiden-
tial election are beginning TO come in.
The electoral vote of Ohio was the first
to arrive, and then Alabama and AIissis-
sippi. Those are the only States heard
from, but it is expected that the remain
der will come with rush within the
next few weeks. One set is sent by mail
and a duplicate by messenger, the former
gong TO the Secretary of State and the
latter to tie Vice President. The count
will take PLACE in tie presence Of both
houses of Congress at / O'Clock on the
second Wednesday in February in the
hall of representatives. 1t is singular
fact that there is no provision of law
for notifying the President and Vice
President Of their election, but if they
do not hear of it il is their own fault.
:-:-
1t is a singular fact that the only blood
thirsty communications received at the
White House and the Department of
State on the Chinese question come from
ministers of the gospel, especially from
missionaries. Forgetting the gentler
teachings of Christ, they insist upon the
application of the old Mosaic law in the
punishment of the Chinese-an eye for
an eye and a tooth for a tooth-and the
utter destruction CT the cities in which
the wickedness has been committed. They
demand the lives of the Emperor and
Empress dowager, and all the members
of the court and the wholesale slaughter
of the officials of the government Many
of them demand that Pekin shall be burn
ed to the ground and the site sown with
salt.
There is now in the treasury of the
United States $474, Jos, 1886 in gold coin,
an increase Of $76,000000 during the
year. The increase during the last three
months has been over $40, 100000. OF this
amount $3.50, T55, 800 is held to redeem
outstanding gold certificates. The re-
mainder, amounting to $243, 100000 be-
longs to the government. 1t is estimated
that the national banks hold $197, 000, 600,
which, in addition to that in the treas
ury, makes total CT S670,000,000 under
control of the government, while the total
gold supply of the entire country is esti-
mated at $1,100,000,000.
-:
Robert Wilcox, the new delegate from
the territory of Hawaii, will receive the
largest mileage pay that has ever been
drawn by any delegate or Representa-
tive. In order to reach Washington, VIII
cox has had to travel nearly 1000 miles
by sea and rail. This, with the return
trip to Honolulu, will make his mileage
account. at the rate Of 10 cents per mfle.
81 400 for each round trip. Wilcox will
be entitled TO draw this sum in addition
to his salary once a year, thereby MAX
ing his income second only to that of the
Speaker.
The census bureau issued a bulletin
giving the results Of the enumeration of
the domestic animals in Enclosures, but
not on farms or ranges. OF 1878 207
barns or Enclosures reporting domestic
animals, which was substantially one
third of the total number Of farms in the
United States, 7S4.500 contained ,466,-
$40 neat cattle, 1850, 636 Enclosures re-
porting horses aggregating 9, S33, ST., and
the aggregate of other animals reported
Follows: Mules, 1872, 115; asses, 12,ST0;
sheep, 156,470; swine, 1925 61, and
goats, 1862.
Those who wish to send magazines and
other reading matter TO the soldiers in
the Philippines can avoid transportation
charges by forwarding the books to any
commssary department of the army.
These books must be in good condition
and the literature of a wholesome char
acter. The books and magazines must
be packed in substantial boxes, but not
addressed to any Individual They should
be addressed to hospitals, commands or
libraries.
The report of the third assistant Post
master General SHOWS that the total re-
ceipts from all sources of postal revenue
during the year amounted to $102 Boz
SO, while the expenditures reached
$107, 740,267 The value Of the total
number of pieces of stamped paper issued
TO postmasters was $97, 6S7, I'll, net in
crease over the issue Of the previous year
Of $7,536,111.
The extreme penalty for a military
crime has not once been imposed during
the war in the Philippines. In a number
of instances soldiers have been found
guilty Of offenses which, during the civil
war we're always punished by death
The death penalty has been passed by the
court several times. but each time the
President has interfered.
The new battleship Maine building at
Cramps shipyard in Philadelphia, Is more
than one-third completed 1t Is expected
that she will be launched on Feb. Is Of
next year, the third anniversary Of the
destruction Of the original Maine in Ha-
vana harbor. On Feb. -, 1899, during
driving blazzard. were laid the first keel
plates Of the new battleship.
-
Senator Platt If New York Is evident
~ becoming more feeble every day. While
he retains much Of his great mental vigor
and energy. his Dhysique appegFs To have