The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-04-26
GENERAL NEWS.

In Minnesota and Manitoba fires de-
stroyed property worth over 81 wv VOV
and 500 to 900 lives.
Gen. Joseph Wheeler, Of Alabam9f
has sent TO Governor Johnston formal
resignation as Congressman.
Ohili has decided to force an issue
with Peru by asserting permanent
sovereignty over the provinces OF
TaCna and africa.
Admiral Dewey was presented with
a watch. purchased with 90 600 pen
MES. the contributions Of school chill
dren 10 Minneapolis and the Northwest.
The long feud between Rear. Admiral
William T. Sampson and Rear Admiral
Winfield Scott Schley and their friends
is officially ended. Schley is the victor
Miss Mary I. Davis, Of Massachusetts,
has been chosen as sponsor for the tor
pedo boat Thornton, &c be launched at
the Trigg Shipyards, Richmond. May
18th.
General Rius Rivera has resigned as
Secretary Of Agriculture in the Cabinet
of the Governor General Of Cuba and
announced himself as candidate for
the mayoralty.
Miss Helen NJ Gould sent her check
for 81 600 to aid in defrayiDg the run
ming expenses Of the Ecumenical Con
ference on Foreign Missions, now in
session in New York city.
A movement has been iusugurated
in Rockville. Tenn. 20 raise a fund for
building a monument at Winchester,
Va in memory Of twenty nine Oonfed'
crate soldiers from Tennessee who lie
buried there.
The highest price ever paid for a
coach horse was received at the Ameri-
can Horse Exchange. New York. when
W. l. Elkins. of Philadelphia, sold the
gelding Red Cloud to Thomas Lawson,
Of Boston, for $1,000.
By the last census there were 20. 6l2. e
SOC communicates in all the churches
of the United States OF these 8 ,257.
S7l were Catholics, 4, $50, 2S4 Metho'
dists. 3.7l2. 4GS Baptists. l.27S 1872
Presbyterisns, $40. 500 Episcopllians +,
and 23l, 072 Lutherans
According to a statement sent out
from Ksnosha, Wis 2 900 Americans
have embraced Mohammedanism since
the Congress of Religions at the World s
Fair in Chicago led Turkish missiona-
ries to undertake the task Of seeking
converts in the United States.
The Turkish government has author
lied the rebuilding of the property Of
the American missionaries at Khafput
and the construction OF an annex TO the
Roberts College at OonstantinOple. The
report OF Abdul Hands willingness
30 rebuild the missions is good news to
the EcumenicIl Conference In New
York.
The additional pay allowed army Of
ficers in Cuba came up at Monday 8
Cabinet meeting, and Attorney Gen
eral Griggs reported that no law had
been thus violated, and the action TAX
en- was warranted The War Depart
ment having agreed TO make sn addi-
tioual allowance from Cuban funds
for certain officers.
Elk Governor Bradley, representing
the Republican minor State officials,
prayed an appeal TO the Court of APP.
pesls from the judgment Of ouster
rendered by Circuit Judge Cantrill last
week The appeal was prayed as to all
cases except that of Breckenridge
against Pratt. Pratt, the Republican
contestant for Attorney. General, did
not ask an appeal.
Messrs. Watson and Sample, the
money experts of the United States
Treasury, who have been selected to go
to Porto Rico and exchange the Porto
Rican money for United States money
left for their destination Wednesday on
a Government transport which will also
carry the amount necessary to make the
exchange. aggregating a sum OF nearly
four million dollars.
Governor Taylor, OF Kentucky, isnot
ready to make a statement Of his posi-
ton to the public Until the Supreme
court passes on his case he will have
nothing to say. 1T seems to me that 1t
would be manifestly improper for me to
make any statement while the matter
is pending before the highest court in
the land. You can say, however. that
1 have no fears for the outcome" he
says.
A Virginian who has recently moved
TO B lltimore to reside went before Judge
Hull, Of the Appeal Tax Court. aid asked
to be put on the tax books as the owner
of 1925. 900 worth of securities. which are
taxable at 30 cents on the 800 The
request was a surprise. as the court has
found trouble in locating securities.
which are generally kept hidden to
evade the tax Had the gentleman not
volunteered tho information he could
have escaped the 1900 tax Baltimore
Sun.
Tuesday no meeting Of the Ecumeni-
cil Conference was held in New York,
but instead. eight sectional meetings
were held In as many neighboring
churches. Reports were made concern
ing the work and prospects in China
Burmah, Assam. Siam, India. Oeylon,
Oceanica, Mohammedan lands, Africa.
North and South America. and among
the Hebrews All the meetings were
largely attended, and addresses were
made by several missionaries In each
Tuesday was devoted in the various
churches to discussion upon the best
methods to secure successful missionary