davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
THE ASPHALT CONTROVERSY.
Statement of the Bermudez Com
pnny's Contentious.

NEW YORK, Feb. 24.-By its attorneys.
Nicoll. Anable & Lindsay the New York
and Bermudez Asphalt Company has sub
mitted to Secretary Hay a brief OF its side
of the case in the matter OF the controversy
over the possession Of the asphalt beds in
Venezuela. The disputant on the other
side is the Warner Quinlan Asphalt Com
pany, of Syracuse, and the attorney for
that company, Frank s. Hiscock, ex-Uni-
ted States Senator, submitted to the Sec
rotary of State recently an exposition Of
the case from his clients point of view
Compressed into a paragraph, the con-
teptlon of the New York and Bermudez
Company is that by the purchase, in 1885,
of the Hamilton concession 1t obtained,
among other things, under solemn con-
tract with the Venezuelan Government,
the exclusive privilege of mining and ex-
plotting all the asphalt in BermudeZ Frov-
ince for the period OF twenty-five years;
that subsequently in 1888 it bought out
right the title to the asphalt deposits in
question and became the absolute owner
thereof; that for eight years, until 1896.
it worked these mines without question
or hindrance; that in 1896, as a result OF
the demonstrated great value of the prop
erty, three VeneZuelans, Antonio Bianchi.
Antonio Ceryoni and Jose Michel. to-
gether with a lawyer named Mateo Mar
canOa, set up claim to an asphalt de-
post on the BeFmudez Company's prop
eTty which they called "Felicidad," that,
as the climax of series of legal proceed
ings growing out of this claim, the ques-
tion went to the highest court of Vene-
zuela, which decided unqualiiedly in favor
of the Bermudez Company; that the claim
ants to Felicidad then sold the title they
had set up to the Warner-Quinlan Com
pany, taking care. however, in the deed OF
sale to refuse specifically to guarantee
the title they attempted to transfer and
to relieve themselves of all responsibility
that might grow out OF conditions con-
corning it; that when. after the last reyo-
luton in Venezuela. the present President,
Castro, came into power, he assumed the
authority of a dictator, swept aside all
the contracts and agreements the Vene-
zuelan Government had made with the
New York and BermudeZ Company, swept
aside even the decision of the highest
legal tribunal OF the land. and arbitrarily
stripped the Bermudez Company Of its
vested property rights. comforting the
same upon a group of people who, as
pure speculation. had bought up title
already held by the courts to be null and
without existence in law.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25

Mr.. Conger, our Minister to China, is
coming home and probably disappointed
man 1t is said that he has been offered
the nomination CT his party for the Gov
ernorship of Iowa We hope that is true
and that he will get it and be elected, be-
cause little something is due to one who
has suffered as he has, and. on the whole,
performed an onerous and delicate task
with credit to himself and his country.
Mr.. Conger has Lot succeeded altogether
in pleasing his masters. His idea Of the
proper policy to be adopted toward China
has not been and is not theirs. As a per-
son on the ground. and fully familiar with
circumstances and conditions. he has en-
tertained views which the country gener-
ally regards as correct; but they are an
tagonistic to the course marked out for
the Administration. by Mr.. Rockefeller.
and. therefore. must be disowned and con-
demned.
Mr.. Conger will come back 10 the Uni
ted States On a leave OF absence. 1t is not
expected that he will return to China as
an American diplomatic representative.
Tie impression is that Mr.. Mckinley and
Mr. Hay are delighted to think that the
Iowa gubernatorial scheme will enable
them to get rid of without disgracing him.
Even then they are likely to suffer some
embarrassment at the hands Of his friends,
who think that he has been shamefully
used by the Administration. But, should
he secure the chief magistracy OF his State.
all that may probably be forgotten, and he
undoubtedly will be pleased. for the home
promotion will put him in line for a seat
in the United States Senate one of these
days.
Our Minister 10 China may not be an
overly brilliant man; but he seems to have
done we'll. and, no doubt, he deserves well of
his country. In recognition Of his hard
geryiee, and the terrible strain OF his ex-
perience during the Siege Of the legations
by the Chinese Government, he ought to be
heartily welcomed and honored on his
home coming.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
Legal Protection for Children.

An article in The Lancet" mentions the
fact that nearly all the measures intro
duced into English law for the protection
of children came into existence during the
reign of Queen Victoria. Most people
know this. when they stop to think about
it, but it is hard to realize how utterly
unprotected from the brutality of ruthless
parents or guardians the children of Eng
land were less than a century ago. The
law assumed that the influence of parental
or popular sentiment would restrain peo-
pie from inhictinH cruelty on helpless in
fants, forgetting that no natural human
feeling ever yet restrained a violent man
when his anger once got the better CT him.
Rage is one of those feelings which, tenn
porarily. causes madness. Moreover,
great deal OF this cruelty was deliberate,
or was due to neglect or carelessness. 1t
is not safe to leave any human being en-
tirely without redress, in the power of
another.
When Queen Victoria came to the throne
tots scarcely able TO walk were employed
in factories and mines, and in any other
useful In the mines they picked the val
liable bits of ore from the refuse. ran
erranGs. or tended some bit of machinery.
In the factories. they went to and fro with
oiled rags, wiping lint of the machines.
and nov and then one too tired or careless
to take precaution was drawn into the ma
chinery and manned or killed. Children
we're brought up 10 beg and steal. as the
great heart OF Dickens burned within him
to know; and his oliver Twist" with its
repulslye and horribly fascinating pictures
Of London slums, did more TO awaken the
British public to this condition of things
than a dozen sermons could. Dickens was
perhaps the first OF the great novellsts to
make the novel preach a sermon, and
nothing but his quaint, humorous, ter
rible, weird. or pathetic creations could
have been half so effective at the time
when they came into being.
The little chimney sweeps found de-
fender in Charles Kingsley. and his Wa
ter Babies' will be read generations hence
as 4 relic OF an age when wretched chill
dren were sent up the black, narrow ilues
to sweep them out and sometimes smoth-
cred in the smoke. or scOrched by fires
being kindled down below. There were
hundreds Of other Ways in which chill
dren we're abused, neglected and corrupt
ed body and soul. and though the great
protective measure passed in 1899 has to
a great extent done away with evil con-
ditlons, England is still reaping the fruits
OF seeds of vice and crime sowed in the
early years Of the century. SO is America,
for that matter, for many of the early
immigrants were criminals and children Of
criminals, brought up in these same Lon
don slumsi and 1t will take time TO eradI-
cate the evil bred by generations of wrong
living and teaching.
There are abuses to which children are
subjected even today which would not be
an unfit subject for the pen of a Dickens
or Kingsley. Perhaps, If Dickens could
see the children in the New York sweat
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25

Whether or not the Supreme Court Will
decide the Porto Rican cases today was,
yesterday, a matter of some doubt. The
public expectation has been that at the
end of the recess which terminates today
the Court would be ready TO hand down It's
opinion but a report was extant Satur-
day night to the effect that the tribunal
was closely divided, and that its majority
and dissenting views might not be given
out for as much as a week or ten days.
Should this prove to be the case there
will be general disappointment, for it is
beyond doubt that the American people
are waiting with breathless Impotence to
see whether the Court of last resort will
support the Constitution or the Admins
tration
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
A SCHOOL FOR MoToRMEN.
students to BE Graduated In From
Ten bays to Two Weeks.

NEW YORK, Feb. PA school of in
struction for applicants for places as
motormen will soon be established by the
Rrooklyn Rapid Transit Company at the
Fiftv-eighth Street depot. Superintendent
Wheatley said yesterday that it would be
a school where motormen could be in
structed in practical railroading.
a part OF the apparatus would be the
skeleton framework OF an electric car.
consisting Of standard truck, with
motors. controllers. etc. The instruction
car would in every way represent stand
ard car on the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
system. There would also be other equip
ment. such as the necessary appliances in
use on the road. for instance. fixed sets
Of controllers and brake handles. one for
each pupil set up about the room. and each
controller could be readily taken part to
show the construction.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
OPERATORS HOLD ALooF.
The Men, However, Think They VIII
Attend the Conference.

WILKESBARRE, Pa. Feb. 24.-The be-
lief that the operators will meet the
anthracite miners in convention on March
u and amicably adjust all grievances was
expressed by T. D. Nichols. Thomas D.
Duffy, and P. P. Pulaski. presidents of dis
tricts l, 7, and 9. respectively. after
meeting yesterday. is shared by the lead
ers among the men here.
President Duffy's positive statement
that there would be a meeting Of opera
tors and men and a strike would be avert
ed was met today by an emphatic denial
of one of the biggest operators that they
had any intention of attending the propos-
ed convention. Some OF the individual
operators would doubtless be glad TO at
tend the convention. but what they might
agree TO would have little weight. as they
would still be compelled, as they are now.
to do the bidding 81 the big companies
who fix the price of their output and con-
troll their tonnage.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
IOWA DAVE" NOT PRESENT.
Refused to Accept the Hospitality of
His Friend ..Tamn JIM"

Iowa Dave" and "Tama Jim are the
uniure names with which familiars dub
the Speaker Of the House and the Secre-
tary Of Agriculture a1d both were bare
foot. penniless, farmer boys together in the
Hawkey= State. But with all this, Speaker
Henderson did not go to dinner at VIII
sons not long ago where his absence was
matter Of comment. and this is how it
happened. From having snapped jack
knives as boys. jokes as men, and honors
as politicians. they were intimate enough
10 discuss the matter Of a dinner, and they
did. The result was that Secretary VII
son couhded to Speaker Henderson that at
the dinner in question Justice Brewer was
10 be the guest Of honor, and not himself.
To this Henderson replied that that being
the case he would not go. not on account
Of any feeling toward the great lawyer.
but because he thought he should be the
guest OF honor Whether that was the real
reason or not. he did not go, and the alb
sence of Iowa Dave from the table of
"Tama Jim" was and is matter of quiet
gossip.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
NOVA SCOTIA LAND SOLD.
Two New Workers in Syndicate Pur-
chasing Property for 100000.

HALIFAX, N. s., Feb. 24-Seventy-
thousand acres of valuable timber land
changed hands and a $3.50, 900 deal, one Of
the most extensive in the history of the
lumber industry in Nova Scotia, has been
completed The large timber areas OF the
Young Brothers Company, Limited, at st.
Margaret's Bay and Ingraham River.
thirty miles from Halifax. were sold to an
American and Canadian syndicate. COM
posed of Henry Patton, of Albany. n. Y;
H R. Wells, of Canton, n. Y, and w. d.
BeardmQre, of Toronto. The property
sold which includes timber limits on the
Indian, Ingraham. East, and Hubbard's
Rivers. and the large mills at Ingraham
River. Is one of the most valuable In
the provinces. The cut this year was he
tween 5000, 900 and 10.000.0O0 feet. The
price paid for the property was $3.50. GOO.
The new owners will enter into posses
sion at once and Messrs Beardmore, Pat
ton, and Wells will go to St. Margaret's
Bay to take over the property Mr. Wells
will be resident manager. Wells and Pat
ton have for years carried on extensive
numbering operations in the Adirondacks.
and Mr. Beardmore, vino Is engaged ex-
tensively in business and manufacturing
in Ontario. is one Of Torontos wealthiest
citizens. His son is a lieutenant in the
Royal Canadian Regiment. now In this
garrison The new syndicate will carry
on the business at Ingraham River as at
present. but extensive developments will
take place in the near future. and the
present large output will be considerably
increased. With ample capital at the dis
posal OF the new syndicate 1t is expected
that kindred industries viii also be estab-
lished, including a large tannery. The
Young Brothers Company. Limited, was
comDosed of B f Young ID. p Young, and
Charles W. Young, and the property just
transferred was purchased by them FIVE
years ago from Todd Brothers, OF st.
Stephen. N B., for 800 900. A large por-
ton of the lumber on the property is hem
L.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
The Snn Frnncirco CnIamity.

Grom the Pittsburg Dispatch)
1t seems difficult to account for such fatality
in channel which is the Western gateway for
the commerce Of the continent, and where every
rock should be known to every pilot except on
the ground Of criminal negligence somewhere.
Fog might explain it; but the reports say that
the vessel had been lying outside on account OF
the fog. and imply that the weather had cleared
when she started in. As some Of the accounts
also refer to foG after the ship had struck there
is probability that the fog still there. and
the fatality due to the haste to get in
rather than wait until the way clear.
At all events, the sombre fact is plain that a
large number Of lives have been lost in we'll
known channel, where such calamity could not
occur without fearful bundering.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25

The sweat shop is one of the most difficult
abuses to reach by law, since it is easy
to hide evidence at moments notice,
and the children employed by their par
ents can be made to work any number or
hours without anyone being the wiser ex-
cept those Immediately concerned. The
thing is the more difficult to regulate be-
cause many well-to-do people recall the
days of their own childhood, when they
assisted in various ways IN the labor of
the house: and they fail to see that what
may have been only useful discipline in a
properly ordered home is cruelty in the
sitting atmosphere, foul surroundings,
and killing occupation of the sweat-shop.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
HOBART STATUE CHANGES.
Important Alterations to he Made In
the Figure.

NEW YORK. Feb. 2s-Philip Martiny.
the sculptor, who received the contract
and cast the bronze statue to be erected
in Paterson in memory of the late Vice
President Hobart, has decided to make
several charges in the original model
which the local committee accepted.
This model shows Mr.. Hobart standing
in a restful position against a table on
which his elbow rests. The face is ern
and set and the head bowed, while the
right knee leans slightly toward the LETT,
giving the figure the appearance of be-
ing ltnockkneed. while the gayel is held
in two fingers, with the head, or mallet
part, resting against the coat of the fig
ure In the finished statue the leg will
be Strengthened and head raised. and the
gavel held as If the Vice President were
about to tap for order in the Senate.
The whole figure Will be made more he
roic.
The announcement of these changes has
caused favorable comment in Paterson,
where Martinys model was never kindly
accepted by the general public.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
Armcs on the wnr Path.


As II other people were not already making
things lively enough for the Administration.
Major George A. Armes, L. 5. A. retired Out
not retiTing), has once more emerged from his
tepce in search Of trouble. The rl,7r may not
hc able TO substantiste his charges dat the Sec
rotary OF War and General Corhin have been caus-
ing undesirable documents mystcriuusly to dis
appear from the archives % the War Depart
ment but II Mr. Root and General C0rbin recall
his previous achievements they will certainly
experience uneasy feeling. Major Armes is not
by any means an smiabe person and it may be
doubted whether his grievances are always well
grounded; but he gets scalps when he goes after
them. Tie War Department mogIls have an in
dian on their trail
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
Moh Inv IniustifinbIe.


Iffohl Inc UIncInhaII FHqUTi.I
The act Of the Legislature Of Kansas in placing
a prohibition law on the statute books was in
effect the act Of the people of the State. The
duty Of good citizenship IS Of course, to enforce
that law. II it is against public sentiment, the
way to make it obnoxious to the point Of repeal
Is to enforce It severely through the medium Of
the courts II the majority Of the people want to
remove restraint nom the liquor traffic they
should elect Legislature with the courage to
repeal the prohibition act. There Is no iustiics
ton at any stage OF the controversy for the reign
OF the mob
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
Insanity in Nebraska.

Hrom thc Dos M0Inc3 Lcader)
Senator Miller, Of the Nebraska senate. has de-
vised something new in the way OF freak legisla-
ton. lie has bill which provides II poll
tical party shall nominate and elect anyone to
Office, and this officer shall afterward develop
shortage, that the party naming him shall be
declared from the official ballot until the amount
is restored II the bill should pas it would bar
both Republicans and Populists OF Nebraska, or
bankrupt their campaign funds through effort to
make good.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25

Preparations for the second Inaugural
ton of Mr.. Mckinley are proceeding
apace. Arrangements have been made so
that Mrs. Mckinley may witness the cere-
monies at the Capitol; but one honored
member of the Presidents family, who
was an interested locker on four years
ago, has left the earth. The good and
much-loved mother of the President has
gone to her reward. It was permitted her
to live and see her first born elevated to
the highest station in the gift Of great
country, and she fully appreciated the
privilege. We may be sure that when
Mr.. Mckinley takes again the oath of Of
flee his mind will not be oblivious to the
memory of one who reared him, who
taught his infant lips to pray, and watch
ed him with the grand and serene con-
fidence of motherhood through his career
as soldier, citizen, and statesman.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25

The Hay-Pauncefote Treaty.

It is reported that the officials of the
British Foreign Office are busy formuIat
ing some sort of message to the United
States. which may be delivered and reach
the public before the end of the week. In
a general way it is believed that Lord
Salisbury contemplates asking a further
surrender of American territory in
Alaska, as the price of accepting the
amended BAY Pauncefote Treaty. II he
should do so we are bound to think that
the Premier will make a serious mistake
It is greatly doubtful II he would ever
secure again such a proBritish agreement
as the Hay Pauncefote Treaty is even in
its present shape. Any suggestion of the
further concession Of territory would be
received with very bad grace here, and
beyond any reasonable doubt would be
rejected with more than a little indig-
nation. II the Downing Street authorities
do not like the amended convention, they
have only to say so. and it ought not TO
take more than twenty-four hours there
after to dcnounce the old Clayton BulWer
Treaty, and put the Hepburn Morgan
Nicaragua Canal bill on its passage in the
Senate.
AS we have repeatedly stated before, we
earnestly hope that the British Govern
nlent may refuse point blank to ratify the
Hay Pauncefote Treaty. Then the United
States will know exactly what to do, and
the trans continental railways and the
Panama syndicate which are fighting the
Nicaragua Canal, will be no longer able
to hide behind the excuse of courtesy TO
our Mother Country. but viii be compelled
to join issue with the friends Of the
American project, and fight it out on that
line If it takes all summer"
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25

Vice President-elect Roosevelt is safe
again in the bosom of his family. and
saying nothing for publication. We are,
therefore, unable to enlighten our read
ers in regard to his opinion of the other
lions. They have not been too fierce or
too many for him, else would he not be
where and as well as he is. By this time
his hand is in and he should be able
to face the much larger lions of the Sen
ate and of Washington generally without
a tremor or a qualm.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25

Through an error of composition the or
der for the opening ceremonies in Par
lament, which was printed in the Lon
don Court Circular in its original form
contained an instruction to peeresses to
appear in knee breeches. The mistake
was detected before our esteemed con-
temporary went to press. What would
have happened, otherwise, We leave to the
Imagination of the reader.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
MINERS OUT ON STRIKE.
Two Hundred Men emit Work in
JeSsuP. Pa.

SCRANTON, Pa. Feb. 24.-An echo Of
the great miners strike of last fall Is
the trouble at the Dolph Mine. at Jessup.
that has caused 200 men and boys 20 quit
work. The men at this mine say that
they have not received the increase
agreed upon when the big strike was de-
clared off last October.
They made individual requests to Man
ager Robertson for more pay and got no
answer Then they sent committee to
him and the committee was discharged
The men went out last night pending
a settlement.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
Liquor Trnmc in indianapolis.

II sincere and earnest effort were made TO
apprehend all who sell liquor without license
whether their business is that OF a drug store,
grocery store saloon, the result in this city
would be a vast increase in or a vast
decrease Of the places where drink is sold or
both It is perhaps not too much to say that
there are more places unlicensed that sell drink
than there are licensed places.
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25

(From the Memphis Commercial-Appeal)
II Ar. Mckinley thinks he is adding to his pop
ularity by advancing Admiral Schley three num-
bers and everybody else who participated in the
battle Of Santiago five or six numbers and even
shans like Sampson and Chadwick vino had moth
ing whatever to do with the fight five numbers.
he is very badly mistaken. There has seldom
been yiler piece of injustice in the history of
the Government
The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25

(FTOm Inc THIIauFIPTIIA hEV'TuJ
Day by day it becomes more and more apparent
that there is no push behind the war tax re-
duction measure now under consideration in Con-
qress. The leaders evidently think that they
would get no credit for tax reduction if such
duction should only end IN creating deficit.
Unless appropriations can be pared down the
enormous revenues Of the Government will not
more than suffice TO meet expenditure. Under
such conditions it is felt that tax reduction
might prove an expensive sham