davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

That steel rails have broken during the last
three months in unprecedented numbers no one
seems TO deny, but why they breaking is By
no means clear. The railroads put the blame on
the rail manufacturers and the manufacturers
hold the railroads responsible. The railroad
managers say that the rails are not made with
due care. that there is an excess of phosphorus
tn the iron and that the manufacturers are
Indifferent 10 the specifications on which con
tracts are based. The manufacturers assert
that the increase Of traffic is the cause of the
breaking. The rails, they say, are not heavy
enough to stand the high speed and the heavy
rolling stock of the present day.
The statistics do not prove anything The
rails are breaking all over the cOuntry-anI
there is the same complaint in Canada-and it
may be because they not properly made or
1t may he because the traffic is too heavy, or il
may he that these two possible causes are
working in combination. heavy traffic revealing
the defects OF construction sooner than the
lighter traffic used 10. Recently published sta
fistics show that there We're 3,0l4 broken rails
IN this state in the first three months Of 1907.
or four times as many as in 1906. The same
thing IS going elsewhere. Mr.. Hartman
announces that 449 rails broke on his lines in
February. OF these IT9 were rails laid within
six months. Those figures seem TO sustain the
contention of the railroads that there is care
lessness in the manufacture of steel rails; for
tie life OF a Well made steel rail ought TO be
more than six months.
Defects readily creep into the manufacture OF
rails. They should not be rolled until the exact
point in the cooling process where they have
the greatest degree of tenacity has been
reached. bnt as owing 10 their shape, they cool
tmevenly, the thnnest parts cooling first the
possibility Of defective manufacture is said To
be considerable Impurities in the metal cause
what is known as piping, which produces
cavities and consequent weakness. These i'm
Dilrities exist IN what is called the pipe Of a
steel ingot, which might be cut off before tie
rail was made; but that would greatly increase
the cost. Other defects, such as blow holes
may exist in rail and be due, of course, TO
defects in construction
Railroad managers, too. assert that they cam
not get rails made according 10 their own speci-
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13
PERSONAL.

Out OF 125 members of the lst Rhode Island
Cavalry who were taken prisoners during the Civil
War. only four are now living 10 recount their
suffering in Confederate prisons between 1861 and
1860 Three OF this four accompanied by their
wives. gathered at reunion at Young's Hotel. in
Boston. recently. They II. III. Taylor. Of
Wakefield; r. ID. Guild. Of Attleboro. and W. f.
Durell of Newmarket, y. ". The absentee Of this
unusual group was Leverett c. Stevens, Of Green,
r. l.
General Alexander Mackenzie, chief Of engineers
of the army, who has charge of all the federal
governments engineering projects. attends TO the
details of spending about $4,000 600 annually. He
has supervision Of all river and harbor improve
ments. the building of jetties. construction OF
levees, placing OF bridges navigable streams,
and similar work.
Three of the younger generation of the Wander
bilt family serving the New York Central Rail-
road. Alfred G. Vanderbilt has his desk in the
financial department. Cornelius finds his greatest
interest in the shop and construction department.
His cousin, William n Vanderbilt has Combined
the financial and practical training.
Bj5rnstjerne Bj6rnsen. the Scandinavian author
IS said write badly that every line of his
manuscripts has TO be copied before IT is sent TO
the printers
Canon Lyon. the blind vicar OF sherborne, Dor
set England, has intimated his intention of re-
signing his vicariate after forty years occupancy
OF IT. The canon, who Will be eighty years old IN
September. possesses the unique distinction of
being actually born under the roof OF his own
church. AS head master OF sherborne School, his
Originally the Lady Chapel OF the famous abbey
and it was there the blind vicar born.
William !. Bryan has grown stout in the last
few years. His present weight is 23i pounds while
at the time ne entered the campaign in 1896 he
tipped the beam exactly 1s5. He was then thirty
six. and consequently his avordupois in the last
eleven years has increased sixty-nine pounds
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

fcatious but have to take them as the manu-
facturers choose to make Them The steel
makers appear 10 deny this hut the mills have
been crowded with business i'm the last few
years. and it is not unlikely that orders for
rails according to specifications are slow to he
filled. 1t is always easier. quicker and more
profitable 10 turn out Il standard article than
10 vary it slightly according to specifications
suitine 4 purchaser. In the present rushed
condition Of the steel business it may we'll he
difficult Tor railroads to obtain anything but
the standard rails turned out by the mills ac-
cording TO their own formula ana plans
ON the other band. ii is by no means clear
WhT lhe MANUFACTURES Of Steel rails should he
come suddenly so demorazed as to account
Tor the fact. = il is Il fact, that rails made
IN the last year or two are proving eXCeS-
siEelS defective. The great rush of work in
me mills might cause carclesSuPSS, but il is
iiard TO Sc" how such carPleSsneSs should lie
permitted to persist in the face of the deter
mlnauon Gf railroads to abandon BcSSemer
process rails for open hearth rails. This means
a loss OF business to most mills and the cost
OF installing open hearth plants. which most
mus nave not The great increase in the
weight OF rolling stock. especially freight loco
motives ana cars, is 4 recent development, and
undoubtedly Increases the strain on rails Per
maps the heavier traffic requires not heavier but
/ better made rails than formerly served 1t is
an interesting question. The conclusions of
ihe committee investigating the subject for the
Ihlted States Steel Corporation will be i'm
por'aht breaking rails serious matter
/ Ihey may cause bad wrecks The loss from the
breaking alone is a big item. for ninety pound
rail costs almost S14
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13
THE COURTHOUSE SITE.

The Board Of Estimate and Apportionment has
sidestepped ar. Jerome and his delphi, hints of
wrath 10 come at the hands of Il grand i1ry b,,
dlSappfoVlng the report of the courthouse COM
mission recommending Union Square East as
lle best site for the proposed new court build
ing The board seemed To think that immunity
from the Furnishings of Mr.. .Ierome's bic
stick was most easily To be purchased hy kill
ing The Union Square project outright and let
ing the commission hunt Il new site while the
CITY nuTsed its rather Straitened credit The
argument which had most weight with the board
was that new courthouse is at present 100
expensive luxury. Other public improvements
II was argued, are more urgent and should the
CITY, with 4 margin of only S3l 100000 in credit
remaining, undertake 70 put up a building cost
ing upward of S20,G00,0O0, other betterment proi-
ecis OF greater Importance would have TO be post
pohed or abandoned. The Board of Estimate
ana Apporitonment WAS not influenced appar-
emily by hostility to the Union Square site as 4
site. 1t would have vetoed plans for 4 court
mousse on any other block or blocks with eoual
cheerfulneSs and unanimity. But by the word
ing OF the law Fridays action seems TO have mt
Chlon Square definitely out of consideration as
me site for court building. The commission.
when 1t resumes its labors. will have TO Ioo,
elsewhere for suitable plot
The Tribune has never criticised tla saIa.tio,
OF IhIon Square as iniudicious or unfortunate
provided the present civic centre must he oban
dohed by the trial courts. Probably if any site
DelWeell Canal and 42d streets had 70 he chosen
Union Square offered the greatest practical adj
Nahtages- BY the subway it is only 4 few min
utes from City Hall Park-the true centre Of
The city judicial and legal activities Rut now
mat the Union Square site has been definitely
rejected we cannot but think that the puhlir
convenience would be better served bv assem-,
Diihg rather than by further scatterin. oIr coprt
buildings Any other uptown site than that ON
lhe east side OF Union Square would practicaIlv
isolate the proposed courthouse from the sectjo,
III winch most law business is done ana in which
Inc great majority of the lawyers Of the CITY
nave theif Offices. There can be no question thar
Il new court building near CITY Hall Park
would be more accessible ana more convenient
IMAM at any other point on Manhattan Island
Inc cost Of land may be somewhat higher in
tEls nelghbOrhOOd. Yet if we could nut oeida
.he ldea that courthouse must conform arch
lecturally to old fashioned models and ha Inv
lShly WaSteful in space as we'll as in constrI,c
Ioh' the county might easily find near the CITY
nan all the room needed for Il convenient and
arcliiecturaliy satisfying court building. The
commission should Try its best TO select q sita
Whlch VIII keep our court and records BUILDINGS
"lthln easy reach OF one another and avoid tho
manifest embarrassnents Of separation and iso-
laton. ''0
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13
POVERTY.

Ever since Diogenes said that ''nakednesS is
| "betier than purple robe. and for sleep the
"bare ground is the safest bed poverty has
been eXtolled by poets and sageS. Property
and bad conscience have been pronounced the
only things which make slaves of us. Even love
is greatly improved. according To song writer's,
by Il small income. While Lazarus has usually
displayed lamentable Inconsistency in showing
Dives out of his seat mt the banquet at the
first opportunity, nevertheless the theory CON
tinues TO be preached by Lazarus the Phi
lOsOpher without amendments. New proofs of
the virtues of poverty are nowadays being ad-
duced by mental science paupers, who declare
that, all matter is an illusion. the wise man
must keep up the bluff started by nature. The
love Of things material and negotiable Is ac-
cordingly stamped as the biggest Illusion Of
all.
Thus it comes about that the English in re
spOnSe to the reformcr'S cry. rs poverty a
crime utter an emphatic No. The Local
Government Board insists that poverty is a
positive virtue and believes that paupers should
receive every mark of honor which benefccnt
administration consistently bestow. The
English differ. however, from Diogenes and
others in denying that virtue Is it's own re-
ward The virtue of poverty. ar least demands
in British opinion some tangible extra remu-
neratlon. The guardians OF the poor i'm Ham
mersnth, an enlightened London borough
have shown the rest OF England the proper
size of this remuneration by erecting Il work
house whose accommodations and appointments
are accurately scaled to the honOrs due the pen
nileSs The edi1ice IS equipped with duplicate
electric wiring. n system rejected as too eX-
penSlve for royalty by the Buckingham Palace
repair gang This fact in itself shows mmis-
takably the disadvantages of opuence and
worldly power. The man who INDUCES in sor-
dld thoughts about expense naturally hestateS
at Installing two sets of wires where one will
do; hut the poor man and his Iike-minded
guardians, rising above the merely mercenarv
escape all the mental troubles incident TO run
ing up bill and footing it. The Hammersmlth
workhouse Is further supplied with culinary in
struments costing SO an inmate while the
total cost of this Lazarus house is Just enough
TO make the average expenditure upon each in
mate Sl,GI5. With mosaic foOrings English
oak Wainscotng and plateglass windows. the
! building stands as a brick and stone demonstra-
ton of the adage that the meek shall inherit
the earth. For If the rich are arrogant as
the curbstOne lecturers all say surely the moor
are meek; at any rate, the men of Hammer
smith seem bent upon proving them so by
fulfilling the aforesaid Scriptural prophecy.
Consistent pursuit of the Hammersmith policy
cannot fail TO bring the predatory rich TO
ripe realization of the miSeries of money 4
wave of repentance will sweep over ENGLAND
close in the wake of the wave OF TAXATION
started by the workhOuSe builders. Every rate
payer will soon be convinced that il is better
To be swollen pauper in government palace
than depleted freeman
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13
POLAR PROBLElI.S

In a lecture delivered in London a few
evenings ago Dr. Nansen discussed at length
the possibility that there may he land in the
Arctic regions which has not yet been dscov-
cred. His own observations from the Fran
satisfied him that there was vast extent of
sea 10 the northward of the path he followed
This seemed to dispose of the question. so far
as the ocean between the pole and the Euro
Asian continent is concerned. Peary's eastward
drift on the ice pack last spring indicated. in
the Judgment of the great Norwegian. that
there can be no formidable obstacle I'm the
longitude of Greenland. The chances are an
parently limited, therefore, to the area north
of the American archipelago
The reasons advanced by Mr. X 4 Harris
of the United States Geological Survey n few
years ago, for suppOsinS that there NAV he nm
extensive tract on this side of and possibly
covering the pole are not convincing to Dr.
Nansen. Tho testimony of the tides he con-
sders inadequate. and he is favorablv i'm
pressed with an idea first enunciatcd Inv Sir
Clements Markham. Mr. Harris's hypothetical
island would constitute one side of u singIe
broad channel, but both eastward and west
ward currents have been observed where that
passage would of necessity he. and hence the
theory of Il large island is discredited The
speaker deemed it possible however that
small uplifts, corresponding to Spitzbergen AMI
Franz Josef Land on the other side of the
pole. might be found near America Epcour
agemcnt is thus lent 10 the hope that CAPTAIN
Mikklesen. who is hunting for something of
the sort to the northward of Alaska. NAV
succeed, but while no specific alluslon wos
made TO the notion that Peary's progress from
Cape llecla to the pole might be facilitated bv
finding land on the way, DR.. Nansen appar-
entity cherishes no such anticipation
The polar basin has two boundaries-tha vist-
bic coast line which. with numerous breoke
surrounds ii. and the more continuous one aIong
which deep water begins. The width OF tho
shallow belt between these outlines douhtiess
varies greatly, but it has never been determinod
eSespt IN two places Untu the edge of the
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13
| field. Without court review provision the
| courts have their constitutional authority TO
protect property. That is enough.
BOGUS STEER4GE TICKETS.

In another column this morning The Tribune
presents a startling revelation of the heartless
frauds practiSed by certain class of ticket
brokers in this city on the immigrants and their
friends already III this country through the sale
10 them of bogus transatlantic steamship
tickets This Swindling is carried on as a reg
ular business. and thousands of dollars are thus
stolen annually from these poor and ignorant
persons. and human nature is shamel hy tine
fact that large proportion Of the rascals are
of the same race as the great body of their
victims
The Tribune has in its possession the names
Of the fraudulent agencies whose practices are
revealed. ard the stories of their frauds on the
immigrants are based on afiidavits and tangible
exhibits. Space permits the publication Of only
a small part of the material at hand. but that
is enough to show all honest men the need of
prompt and thorough measures To prevent the
immigrants who are entitled 10 the protection
Of our laws from being thus robbed of their
earnings. The bogus ticket of which we print
fac-simile was bought and paid for in New
York, was refused for passage in Europe and
taken back to the vender here. who pretended
there was Il mistake and said it would certainly
he honored if offered again 1t was sent across
the ocean and again returned rs worthless 1t
will be noted that it really is not ticket at all.
or even an order on any particular line or ship.
but merely 4 sort of personal check of the
agent, which he assures the victim will be hon
ored by The steamship company y first step
to end this swindle. therefore. would he the
passage of an act such that proposed by
Mr. Wells in the present Assembly, requiring
all tickets to contain specific information and
official signatures to guarantee their validity.
This measure should certainly be placed on the
statute book at this session. Moreover. the
police should give attention to the extirpatlOn
of these harpieS who soon as one door To
fraud is closed turn with devilSh ingenuity to
some new scheme for bleeding the helpless.
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

continental shelf has been located the exact
and DIR. Nansen regards it of the highest inn
pOrtanCe that the survey he completed. few
Soundngs have been made near the Amer
lean archipelago. but these are hardly numer-
may reveal merely the depth of submarine gull
lies and not show where the real bottom is.
Years OF patient work and cooperation will he
required to get at the whole truth, and for
fresh study of the eastern edge of the Arctic
ocean Dr. Nansen would like to see new
expedition fitted out before long. Since sound
ings cannot we'll he made from sedgeS, be
would have the task performed by n ship. let
ting it drift from Western Alaska to, Green
land. and spending five or six years in the
undertaking
Many persons besides eeographerS and geoo
gists would he interested i'm the results of
such research. but it will not he easy To raise
the money needed for the purpose The in
quiry would have none of the practical i'm
pOrtanCe of Il search for new highway for
commerce. or for the best route for submarine
telegraph line. Neither would it give promise
of a sensational outcome like an avowed effort
10 find the pole or to make Il new record.
When the public responds as sluggiShly as it
does 10 Pearys appeals for peCuniary help. is
it likely to subscribe literally toward Il prof
oct for fixing the position of the continental
shelf?
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13
II 1nluSenentS.


ACADEMY OF MCSIC-s-The Prince OF Pilsen.
ALHAMBRA-2-s-Vaudevil
ASrOR-S:SO-Before and After.
BELASCO-s-lb-Th Rose of Rancho
BIJOU--6 70 Comtesse C0qUette.
BROADMAN-S.la-Th Partisan Model.
CASINO-S:16- White
COLONIAL -s-NaudeviIe
CONEY lsI.AND-IIuna PARK.
EDEN AtSEE- The World n Wax
EMPIRE
5ARRICK-S -50-taugiIt in the Rain.
S-3l-The' Chorus LADY.
EANNERSTEIE'S VICTORIA -2:l5--s- -l5-EsudeEille.
HERALD SQUARE, -S.15-The Orchid.
HIPPODROME-2-s s-Neptune's Daughter and Pioneer
Days.
In-DSON--S 10 Rrev-ster's Millions.
IRVING PLACES 20 ofiziersohre.
KNfCKER BOOK ETi-S-15- The Red NH
LIBERTY -s-I5-Saorny
LINCOLN SQIAEE5- -S:l5-Buster Brown
IYCEUN- .o,f-Thc Boys Of Company b
I-NRI S:I5-The Road Yesterday.
MAJESTIC -s:l5-Primrose Path. -
METROPOITTAN OPERA HoJSE-i2.3o 10 L = NJ
1:30 to administrations Fund Fair.
eANDY-s: 1.-THE Man Of the Hour.
WsII.ACK S-I5-pivorcpus.
WEST FND-s-The Mkado
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13
cAMPHoR GROWING IN THE SOUTH

From the Memphis Commercial Appeal
Practically the entire supply of camphor now
comes irom Japan. As camphor forms an in,Dor.
tant ingredient in the MANUFACTURES of rnodern sx
pioslves used In high power guns. Uncle sam and
ls european crones not disposed To rest saris-
ned Win condition which gives Japan the CON
Iro or the worlds supply of this essential of war
Inueeu under existing conditions, Is bv no
means certain that camphor could be obtained in
Ihe u.slred quantities at all times. therefore,. tn
provide against q contingency which might proye
most damaging. Uncle Sam has set about startfng
a. cahphor farm OF his own. The scene of this
tagh i s IN iexas, and from all reports il is thirty
s us anu VII soon De IN a condition ready To weld
inent would use. $50 oo'e4iA-
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

We desire to remind readers tchO are
about to ledUe the city that THE TRIBUNE icfll
be sent bg mail TO any address in this country
or abroad. and address changed as often as de-
sired Subscriptions may be 9ireR to your reg
uTGr dealer before Tearing, or. if more conren-
dent hand them in at THE TRIBUNE office.
See opposite page for subscription rates.
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

Even il the records of the Chicago Police De-
partment should prove to establish connection
between MOyer and one Fred Baker. burglar,
the sale of undesirable citizen" buttons will
not abate. For according to undesirable citi-
zens the only undesirable citizen is the one who
goes back an undesirable citizen.
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

The old English adage that Ignorance of the
law is no excuse does not appeal TO the Wilkes
Barre judge who let off with light sentences
eleven convicted Black Hand ruff1ans because
the fellows were unfamiliar with American laws
Since when have extortion and assassination
ceased to be severely punished in Italy ana
Italians ceased to know that such acts are
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

Were any of the dozen guests who fed from
the cafe of the Monticello Hotel at Norfolk the
other night five Filipino chiefs entered mem
bers of an anti-imperialistic society in or about
Boston?
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

out in Wisconsin last Saturday died the man
who ran the first bus line in New York City
We wish it had been the man who ran the last
horsecar in Manhattan.
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

constitutional amendment indefinitely post
poning the Fourth of July would seem 70 De IN
order If this weather continues much longer
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

Wher the new gyroscope railroad that oper-
ates on a tightrope gets into general use we
shall have need of Lewis Carroll's verb .gyrer
which. as he explained in Through the Looking
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

Glass" was the verb formed from the noun
''gyroscope."
New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

Murphy hangs on to his job like winter.
Free press., 1907-10-19
LOCAL NEWS.
sGsGoOO0S0OSe0SOS0o0s

C. M. Holmquist went to Cove Sun
day evening.
School children should buy their books
at G. A. Harkness Drug Store.
Ed and Dolly Scott went to Ellis
worth Monday night to visit their
sister.
Miss Stella West went to Kansas
City Saturday night for weeks visit
with friends.
Mr.. and Mrs. Will Philip left Tues
day morning for Kansas City to see
the stock show.
A fine baby girl was born to MIR.
and Mrs. Claude Clements of the Sa-
line on Monday.
Mrs. Names and daughter Rosa are
here from Wichita and will make their
home here for the winter.
The Catherine picnic which was
held Tuesday was we'll attended and
everybody reports good time.
Mrs Andrew, Ball returned to Oak
ley Sunday. having spent week with
her parents Mr.. and Mrs. Jacob Kisner.
At Spratt's Drug Store you will find
the, same prices and times of exchange
on state text books as any where in the
state. 42-tt
F. o. Payne and Homer Myers top
>o1 kIe c.
in Hays, getting SO cents bushel for
their wheat
According to the Review-Headight
the Ellis dam is to be rebuilt shortly.
The dam is owned by the railroad
company and was washed out by the
flood this summer.
Geo K. Helder, secretary at the
Experiment Station. left last Satur-
day on three weeks vacation. He
will visit the Stock Show at Kansas
City and spend short time in Chicago.
Howard Baker and Oliver Nj. Davi:
of the Saline shipped three carloads oi
cattle last Saturday to. Kansas City
market Thos. Carrick shipped two
cars on Monday. All were well fat
tened cattle and brought the top price
of the market.
Action in the United States cour
at Topeka was begun Friday agains
Joseph Dome of Pfeifer, asking tina
ne be adjudged bankrupt Mr.. Dom,
is merchant at Pfeifer. The actor
was begun by the Clur,
Dry Goods company of Kansas City
Mondays Salina Journal.