Arizona silver belt., 1900-10-11
GENERAL NEWS.
Brief Mention of Events of Interest Throughout the Known
 World.

President and Mrs Mckinley left Canton, Ohio, for Washington, on Monday, expecting to remain at the capital three weeks.
 It is reported from Washington that the administration is trying to work sufficient rigidity into its backbone to enforce the payment of the United States claims on Turkey.
 All records at Chicago for continu, ouS hot weather in October were broken last week. On Friday the mercury climbed to S6. The unusual heat was productive of much sickness
 Director of the Mexican mint, Lean. dro Fernandez, says the demand in the east for Mexican silver pesos is increasing, but the production of sil' yer in the country is not commensur' ate with the increasing demand.
 Russia's production of petroleum during 1899 was the greatest ever known and paid best. The revenue of the Russian government from the excise duty on refined petroleum amounted to nearly Sl4, 100000 in 1898 an increase of sl, ,5OO,0oO over 1898.
 Advices received at Van Couver, B. C., assert that the contract for the construction of the Pacific cable has been awarded to the Telegraph Con- struction and Maintenance company, limited, at its tender of S9,500, 900 within a time limit of Is months.
 The Paris exposition commission had cost Uncle sam S6oS, 2S3.37 up to March 3l, 1900. Commissioner Peck s appointment holds good until June 30, 1901, and it is presumed that many of his assistants will also draw salaries until that time.
 A New York paper says that in that city, located on one of the narrow side svreetS down town, is factory in which are made every year more than Sl0O,000 worth of divining rods for use in finding hidden treasures. From this factory alone are turned out and sold each year almost 1000 fake rods, which means that in the rural districts within 200 or 300 miles of the metrop- olis are found every twelve months that many gullible and ignorant peo- pie. These rods are sold at from Sl5 to S35.
 A pan-Latin congress Is to meet at Madrid this month. Its purpose is the formation of an alliance economic, political and military of all the nations of Latin origin against the English speaking world that is .o say against the United States and Great Britain. The organizers of the congress, Senor Sagasta first and foremost, insist that the aims of the movement are purely defensive, and destined to con stitute barriers against Anglo Saxon encroachments. All Latin American excepting Mexico is to be represented at this congress in the spanish capital
 On the first day for the payment of taxes in New York city the receiver of taxes took in sl0,50O,00O, mostly paid by wealthy men and corpora tions, who by paying upon the first day, saved per cent. The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad company paid in s300,000; the estate of William II. Vanderbilt, sls0,O00; the estate of Cornelius Vanderbilt, another slSO, ,00O: William K. Wander bilt, S25, John Jacob Astor, S225,- 900; William Waldorf Astor, sl6O, i3i; the Consolidated Gas company, s220,- 900; George Ehret, slOO,0O0; II. O. Havemeyer, S90, 900; George R. Read, S60,0O and the Standard Oil com pany, Sj3,OOO.
 Gov. Pingree has caused consterna- tion among republican politicians in Michigan by calling an extra session of the legislature to make another effort to repeal the special railroad charters and submit to the people a constitutional amendment which will permit the legislature to enact laws providing an ad yalorem instead of a specific tax for railroad, telegraph, telephone and express companies. The present senate has both in regu- lar and special session stood firmly against this programme after it had been indorsed by the lower house by aprac ctically unanimous vote, but Gov. Pingree believes the party leaders will force favorable action at this critical time. It is believed that failure to adopt the governors programme will cost the republicans thousands of votes.
 At the Vulcan iron works, Stettin. Germany, two new big ships are being built for the North German Lloyd Steamship company, winch are ex- pected to be record-breakers, one of them the fastest and the other the largest ship afloat. The Kron Prinz Wilhelm, so christened in honor of the young heir to the imperial throne, will be ready for next seasons busi- ness and will be of ,OOO tons burden and 33,OOO horse power She is de.