The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-05-22
TELEGRAPH ITEMS.

BY the narrow margin of two votes,
the House decided against abolishing
the death penalty in Massachusetts.
The French government has deter
mined not to permit American militia
organizations to visit the Paris exposi-
ton in a body.
Two girls were killed and several
persons injured in Il fire at Chicago
which destroyed the Hotel Helene, on
Fifty-thlrd street. -Four of the injured
will probably die.
Nj. Ossterieth, a wealthy yacht owner
at Antwerp, has dismissed his English
crew and has substituted Belgians.
Other Belgian shipowners are expected
to follow NJ Osstereith's example by
way of venting their wrath because of
the Transvaal war.
No small political sensation has been
created at New York by the announce
ment that General Benjamin f. Tracy
Will soon leave Senator L. G. Platts
law firm. 1t Is rumored also that Gen
eral Tracy and Senator Platt will sever
their long standing political relations.
The emigrants who sailed from Bre-
men this year between the months OF
January and April numbered 81, 96S.
Last year the number was only 10000,
while in 1898 it was $1,000. The emf
grants who sailed for Brazil and Ar
gentina this year up to the end OIL
April numbered only 3f9.
AS result of the Mountaineering
lish episode, the Municipal League will
| hold mass meeting Saturday evening
ito protest against the attempt upon
the part of high city officials to restrict
the right of free speech and free criu-
cism by threats to use official power In
an assault upon private character.
! lamp has been perfected by Thomas a.
Edison, Jr., the use of which, it Is
claimed, will prevent coliery disasters.
| Application has been made to James Il.
| Broderick, chief of the bureau of mines
! of Pennsylvania, to order the use of
the Edison system in place of oil and
gasoline lamps.
The Shanghai correspondent of the
| London Express sends IL sensational
message regarding the revolutionary
| temper of the southern China prov
inces, into which 10000 Mauser rifles
were recently imported. Mandarins,
he says. are joining the movement
against the Empress and Il spark may
! fire the train at any moment.
The relations between the Transvaal
and the Portuguese appear to be
! strained. The Portuguese consul at
D Pretoria. according to reports from
| Lisbon has been ordered by President
! Krueger 10 leave the country. The
] Portuguese declaration making food
/ and clothing contraband has nearly
! destroyed the usefulness of Delagon
/ bay 10 the Transvaal.
/ The forty-siXth annual meeting of
the Western Unitarian conference be
| gan at Chicago on the 18th and VIII
continue until Thursday night. The
- 4 t.t..,.r
| Unitarian Association. 1t includes the
churches in the states of Illinois, Min
nesotn. Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebras
| ka. the Dakotas, Missouri, Ohio and
Kentucky, numbering 100. and With
n membership of $4,000.
The most efficient officers of the in
spection service have been detailed TO
conduct the inquiry into the Cuban
postofiicc affair. The list includes Cap
tain William Il. Smith, inspector in
charge of the Washington division OF
postoftice inspectors. NJ. C. Fosnes, in
/ spector of the Philadelphia division,
and c. NJ. Waters of the Denver divi-
sion. They will have as assistants one
or two field inspectors, and will pro
ceed to Cuba ut once.
The budget committee of the German
reichstag has concluded the debate on
] lHt HWY Dlll. uttltllD- llstt lllt
Z measure is to come in force simultan.
cously with the amendments to the
| stamp law and the customs tariff pro
| viding the means for the increased ma
! val expenditures. The committee also
resolved that should the naval esti-
mates exceed the $1,000, 900 marks thus
| provided, the excess must not be Gov
cred by indirect taxation.
English insurance companies did
| business in the United States in 1899
ut n loss of approximately S3,O0O,OOO.
| Their premium receipts aggregated
| S3S S0O.0TO, while their losses and eX-
| penses amounted to 81, ,995,s35. The
| percentage of deficit was seven and
one-half-the heaviest in the history
of British underwriting in America
| for the last quarter century. The
companies complain of the high taxes
| levied upon them in America.
The treasury agents in Boston think
they uncarthed one of the greatest
schemes 10 defraud the customs that
has ever been turned up. The facts
have come out with the seizure by
| Special Agent Bum of 100 sacks OF
wool valued at $4,000. The seized
| wool was gathered up in Boston, in
Lawrence, Mass, and in Bristol Il. l.
| The special say that as near as they
| can estimate $4,000 worth of wool
| has been smuggled into the country
through the port of Boston during the
| last year
The decree of the Supreme Court of
Mexico affirming the claim of Mrs.
| Mary ID. Grace of Syracuse New York,
| to the rich Bismarck and Nacas mines
in Durango, has been carried out by the
courts and Mrs. Grace is now in full
| possession of the property. The two
mines are valued at S7.0O0.000 The
| litigation for possession has been in
| progress since 1890. and Mrs. Grace's