davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20
Claims Mine WassSaIted

ST. LOUIS, March 12.-Frank Rookie.
TELLER took the witness stand today in
the suit against Henry Gross for the
restitution of S265, 900 spent for q zinc
mine in southwest Missouri. Mr..
Rockefeller said that he inspected the
mine previous to buying it. 81 went
down in a shaft he said, "and my
attention was constantly called to
bodies of ore. In the center of the
mine was a pillar that appeared to be
practically solid zinc ore. The walls
of the room had the same appearance.
The lights carried by the party made
it look like a crystal palace. The
floor seemed to be Of solid ore
Rockefeller alleges he was induced
through misrepresentation to buy the
mine, and will endeavor to show that
the ''crystal palace effects witnessed
by him did not faithfully portray the
worth of the deposit Of ore. He said
he paid 500, 900 for the mine. and
! spent 500, 900 in improvements.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20
Power From Alcohol.

NEW YORK, March 12.-Charles E..
Lucke, assistant professor of mechan.
ical engineering at Columbia, who
has been conducting for the United
alcohol as a fuel for engines, has re-
ported a 30 per cent. increase of power
may be obtained by the use of alcohol
as a fuel.
According to DR.. Lucke, alcohol, on
account of its greater safety and its
ad aptability to the work, is likely to
supplant gasoline as a fuel for boats
Immediately, while in the case of auto.
mobiles those who are willing to pay
a little may rid themselves now
of the offensive odor of gasoline, a,
the same time securing a fuel that il
easier to handle and safer to store.
DR.. Lucke predicts that in time as
kerosene and its distillates become
scarcer and dearer by reason of the
exhaustion OF natural deposits, alco'
hol may entirely supplant the,kerosene
and gasoline engines.
One difficulty that has been me
with in making the Investigations was
in determining just what the actua
constitution of the denatured alcoho
is. In order to be tax free it mus
contain at least 10 per cent. of NELLY
alcohol and may contain more.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20
POWDER EXPLODED.
French Warship Badly Damaged and
Many Sailors Killed.

ToULoN. France, March 1.-THE
powder magazines on board the
French battleship lena blew up this
afternoon. and as a result Captain Adj
gard, commander of the battleship:
Captain Vertier, chief of staff of the
Mediterranean squadron, and from 20
to 80 b~luejackets are dead, while Rear
Admiral Manceron and hundreds of
men are suffering from injuries.
Naval circles are aghast and the
public is stunned by the appalling ca.
%tastrophe, coming soon after the loss
of the French submarine boat Lutin,
in which Is men met death.
The entire after part OF the lena was
blown to pieces. Bodies of the vic.
Tins were hurled through the air by a
succession Of explosions, and panic
stricken !workmen at the arsenal fed
for their lives from the vicinity Of the
dry docks. Scores on board the lena
jumped overheard on the stone quays
and sustained serious injuries.
The primary cause of the accident
was the explosion of q torpedo. What
caused the explosion is not known,
but the powder magazines on the lena
were set on fire and the resulting ex-
plosions practically destroyed wha,
was considered one of the best vessels
in the French navy.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20
A Railroad Presidents Lament.

ATLANTA, March 12.-Presideut w.
A. Garrett, of the Seabosrd Air Line,
in an interview tod ay, said the rail
roads OF the country have 10 reached
the financial danger line on account
OF the adverse legislation which al
ready has affected their incomes and
which promises to curtail them still
farther.
"For the seven months of the pres.
ent fiscal year, he said, 'the Sea.
board Air Line has not been able to
make expenses and meet the interests
on it's bonds. This has been ~ of
the Atlanta and birmingham division
OF the Seaboard since it was opened
three years ago. This 10 the road in
which there is no watered stock"
Mr.. Garrett said antagonism of the
people was responsible for those con
ditious. He said the Seaboard had
not considered curtsiling its train SER
vice, but it would be impossible te
make any improvements whatever.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20
IN THE GOOD OLD TIMES.

Had you lived in the fourteenth cen
fury you could have bought draft
at y cents each aud oxen At
$l.25. In the days Of Henry II, $50
would have equipped q farm with
three draft horses, half . dozen oxen,
twenty-five cows and two hundred
sheep, leaving a balance Of - toward
the payment of rent, which was about
S5 q year. In England pasture and
arabic lands were ridiculously cheap,
says the American Farmer. Two
cents an acre for the former and L.
cents an acre for the latter being con.
sidered a fair annual rental. Two
cents or its equivalent would buy q
pair of chickens In these blessed days
of old. For the value of a nickel one
could acquire a goose fit for a Christ
mas dinner or two ducks that would
make q fine roast. A penny woull
purchase Q dozen strictly fresh eggs
and wheat sometimes fell as low as n
cents o quarter, or eight bushels.
1t will give our modern labor union
the cold shivers to read that 3 cents
day was considered good wages 70
an ordinary laborer. Our farmer
will probably heave o sigh of syn
patty when they learn that even d
harvest time 4 cents was the highes
amount expected. Young couple
about to marry had no such terror
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20
THE FIRE INSURANCE HOLDUP.

Montana business men and other
owner of property upon which fire
insurance premiums are paid, have
cause for qualification over the an
nouncement that the % per cent. raise
arbitrarily made by the insurance
combine will not be enforced. The
adj a was intended to recoup the
companies for the losses sustained in
the San Francisco disaster of q year
ago, and If continued in effect in Mon
taua would have added to the extor.
tionate rate already imposed upon
residents Of this state.
When announcement of this pro.
posed insurance holdup was first
made, it caused a roar of protest in
all parts of Montana, but no relief
from the imposition was obtained.
Property owner who renewed their
policies, or took out new insurance,
were compelled to pay the % per cent.
ADJ ance, which in some cases made
their rate three to five per cent. of the
value of the property insured. 1t was
the worst form of insurance robbery
ever perpetrated upon American citi.
zens, and Montana public officials
were apparently unable to protect
their constituents from the outrage.
After the holdup had been in opera.
ton several months, there was q large
gathering OF Montana citizens in Hell
eua at what was known IS the "boost.
ers' convention" and among the bus.
mess trans acted at their meeting was
the adoption of resolutions expressing
resentment against the unfair and op.
pressive insurance rates levied upon
residents of Montana, and recommend
ing that the tenth legislative assembly
> enact laws that would afford proper
j. protection against such extortion
o The nature of these resolutions was
a communicated to the insurance trus
5 known as the Board Of Pacific Under
writer's, and cancellation of the % PEI
T. cent. raise in rates quickly followed
d Believing credit should be givel
d where the credit 10 due, the Rive
Press makes reference to this matte
10 to demonstrate that Montana citizen
generally have in their own hands
Is remedy for any grievance Of a publ
a nature, and to ward to the "boos,
Dr. ters' convention a proper cas-
rs of commeudation for the relief secure
from this insurance holdup. 1t ma
at also be remarked that credit for OF
st ganizing the ''booster convention
es belongs primarily to Editor Il. +
kilroy, Of the Butte Evening New.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20
An Anti Suicide Bureau.

NEW YORK, March l2.-Command.
err Miss Booth of the Salvation army,
as q result of an analysis Of the work
accomplished during the ten days OF
the existence of the army in this city,
announced today that the anti-suicide
bureau of the army had successfully
passed the experimental stage and that
it would be added as a permanent fea.
ture of the organization in this coun-
try. Since its inception the new de-
parture, it was stated, had saved
many men and women from self.de.
struction and proved Of assistance to
a large number.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20
Peculiar and Pertinent.

A process for making rubber from
wheat has been invented.
The dreaded nun butterfly is ap.
pearing everywhere in Bohemia,
threatening the devastation of the
forests. The neighboring woods OF
Saxony and Silesia are also threat
ened. The ministry Of agriculture
has named a commission to ~investi-
gate.
One of the princesses Of the Burmese
court, a young woman not yet 20, IL
said to be the p~ossessor OF the costli'
est dress in the world. 1t Is q court
costume and worn only on a r oc'
casions. 1t is studded with jewels re-
puted to be worth in the aggregate no
less than u, 4O0, 600.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20
Stole Memorial Tablet.

NEW YORK, March Il. - Albert
Bohmar, II years old, was convicted
yesterday in Queens county court OF
stealing the bronze tablet from the
monument to the Slocum victims in
in the Lutheran cemetery on Nov. g.,
1906. Three other youths are under
arrest for completely In the robbery.
The testimony brought out yesterday
was that the thieves stripped the tab
let from the monument with a pickaxe,
buried it that night and the mex morn.
ing broke it into small bits and dis
figured it further with fire, and sold it
to q junk man for S14.3O.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20

before their eyes as confront them in
this era of prosperity. Housekeeping
might safely be entered upon by the
most timorous in those ''good old
days" House rent was so low that
the Lord Mayor of London paid only
$3.50 a year to his landlord.
The Chancellor of the British ex-
chequer, the man who does the work
of our secretary of the treasury, had
an annual salary of 1892. When a
father sent his son to a university 4
cents a day was looked upon as a
comfortable allowance, with q margin
for some luxuries as wine at 8 to II
cents a gallon. A salary of S24 a
year was considered munificent. King
Edward VI gave his daughter an al.
lowance of 81. 80 q week, with IN ad.
ditional S247. go a year for the main.
tenance of her eight servants. The
bed that a king then slept on would
now be Stunned by the humblest far.
mer in the land.
But it is not necessary to go back
to the fourteenth century or to England
to find what was meant by ''the good
old times" Come along down to the
nineteenth century and to our own
country and see how people lived
much less than a hundred years ago.
Many men now living remember when
one had to work all day at the hardest
kind of work for one bushel OF wheat.
Fifty cents ia trade was what one got
for beginning at daylight and grub.
bling Or splitting rails until the sink.
ing sun reminded him to quit his or
duous task. Farm produce, when
salable at all, "a absurdly low.
There were no markets, only the
neighboring consumption, and, there
being little or no money, everything
was barter. Eggs vent a.begging at
a cent or two a dozen, poultry was
but little better, stock of all kinds at
the very lowest ebb, and no farmer
could hope to make profit Of any OF
his produce. Merely a living, as the
result of days devoted to toll and
nights devoid of ease, was the bes,
that could be anticipated by millions
of pioneer farmers in 'the good old
days. Some sentiment still fingers
about those times, we recall with in
terest many of the romantic and
tragic incidents, but we hardly think
any of our farmer readers would care
to be transported back, except ir
fancy, to the period which did moi
fully end until the last century was
more than half over. "The good old
times are we'll enough for the poets
the writer's OF historical novels ant
the ancient danes who Groom In thu
corners of the blessed days of linsy
woolsey dresses, jeans suits, corduro.
roads and open doors. AS for our
selves VI prefer the present, despite
its graft and greed, its selfishness ant
its s%ordidness, for at least it has re
placed penury with plenty, depriva
tions of all kinds with innumerabl
comforts, and has changed agricul
ture from a groveling calling to tn
noblest and most prosperous of thu
professions.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20

Mayor l.. Newman, of Havre, and
other live Montana citizens whose
efforts were supplemented by public
ity given through newspaper assist.
ance.
The "boosters' covention'' failed in
the main object of its organization
the establishment of state a immigra.
ton bureau-but its action in restrict
ing the insurance holdup was of i'm.
mense benefit to all Montana citizens
affected.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20
Many Want Pensions.

WASHINGTON, March l2.-Commis'
siouer of Pensions Warner stated to.
day that 1856 900 applications of PEN
sious had been fled under the service
pension law enacted during the last
month of the session OF congress just
closed. The commissioner estimates
that 800 900 applications will be re-
ceived under the new law, which al
lows the granting of q pension for
service in the Mexican and Civil wars
at the rate of Sl2 q month to veterans
81 years old, els to those Is aud 90
to those 20 years.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20

This bank solicits accounts, and
offers to depositors absolute security.
prompt and careful attention., and the
most liberal treatment consistent with
safe and profitable banking: Buys
and sells foreign exchange, drawing
direct on all principal American and
European cities, and issues Its W
Letters of Credit.
Interest paid on time deposits. Ihs
highest cash price paid for approved
state, county, city and school bonds
and warrants.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20

Local Securities a Speciality.
Interest Allowed on Time Deposits
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-03-20

The WEEKLY RIVER PRESS lisa good
newspaper to send away to your friends
in the east. 1t will save you the o
BILE of writing letters
The San Francisco call., 1907-06-20
Peach GROWERS PROFIT
BY FORMING E POOL
Selma Orchardlsts Obtain
Record Prices for This
Years Crop
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO The CALL

FRESNO, June 1s--Through a pool
recently formed. the orchardists Of
Selma have obtained the record price
for peaches Before the creation Of
the pool the prices were as high as at
any previous tine in the history of the
county. Growers were obtaining $50
and $50 2 ton for their cling peaches
In a deal with the California Gamers
association the growers in the pool
sold 900 tons Of green cling peaches
for S65 and SO a ton. These prices
were SO higher than those OF last
year. Of the 400 tons z20 tons were
orange cungstoRe peaches and $50
tons Phillips clihgstone peaches. The
orange peaches were sold for $65 ton
and orange cIingstones for SO a ton.
Less than two weeks ago $45 was paid
for the same grades.
The growers in the pool were ". E.
walker, Elmer Terry. L J. Arrant, c.
Y. Burton. r Dodson and the Z. II.
Waters company, all OF Selma Walker
IS reported 10 have been the largest
seller.
The San Francisco call., 1907-06-20
HEART FAILURE CAUSES
DEATH OF ". H. DEM|NG
Well Known Capitalist and
Clubn1an Expires Sud-
denly at Home

William H Deming. well known capi-
talist and clubman and son of the
founder of the Dening Touring mills
died suddenly on Tuesday morning at
his home on Broadway Death was due
to heart failure. Deming Is survived
by his wife and sister. Mrs Charles
X Harley.
Deming was about 80 years old and a
native of this state He became identi-
fed with his father in business many
years ago. and when the former passed
away the son succeeded him in bust
ness. He was very popular in the
commercial as we'll as the social world.
Death came to Deming as he was
about to enter the bathroom at his
residence. A few moments before he
was conversing In a jolly mood with
his wife, who was the first to reach
his side after he fell iifeless to the
floor Mrs. Deming is Frustrated at
the sudden death OF her husband
Demfngs fortune is estimated to be
In the neighborhood of a half million
dollars. His holdings include a beau
tiful home in Broadway and hand
some country villa at Menlo. No ar
rangements have as yet been made for
the funeral
The San Francisco call., 1907-06-20
PEACE COhFEnEEs NAME
GENERAL COMMIT TEE
Four Bodies Will Conduct
the Actual Work of
the Congress
SHOWING NO HASTE
Delegates Hope Delay Will
initiate in Favor of
Reforms

THE HAGUE, June 19.-The second
session of the peace conference, to
complete the organization and create
the four general committees where the
actual work Will be done. was held be-
hind closed doors this afternoon The
program had been carefully arranged
in advance in order to avoid the pos
sibility of surprises being sprung The
full committee organization was as fol-
lows:
First-Arbitration: President Bourgeois.
France; honorary presdents-Merry Won kspos-
Barbosa. Brazil; vice presdents-Dr- KrieSe.
Germany; Sisnor Pompiii Italy; Senor Estavs,
Secondl-snd war: President, NJ. Bernaert.
Belgium. and Herr Asser, the Netherlands: hon
orary presidents-Bsron Marschall Won Bieber.
stein, Germany; General Horace Porter, United
states: Marquis de Several. Portugal vice presi-
dents-Constantin Brun. Denmark: Dr. Beldi-
man, Roumania DR.. Carlin. Switzerland
TbiryI-AisrltiIne war: President Count Tour
nielli. Italy: honorary presdents--Josep +.
Choate. United States: Tseins Lang. China:
HammerskjoId. Sweden; Dr.. Drago. Argentina;
Baron d Estoarnelles de Constant. France
fessor de Martens: honorary presdents-Senor
Don de villa urrutia Spain: NJ; hgrafnI' Snte11
England; Professor Lammasch, Austria; DR..
Hagerup, Norway
M. NeIidoff communicated to the con-
ference dispatches from Emperor
Nicholas and Queen Wilhelmina, thank
ing the conference for its messages
sent on the opening day. greeting the
delegates and expressing hope for
successful result OF their deliberations
All OF the plenipotentiaries presented
their credentials later. The Chinese
ambassador wrote that he would be
unable to be present because of the
state of his health and that he would
be represented by John W. Foster.
The rules of the conference. includ-
ing publicity for the plenary sessions,
were presented and unanimously
adopted
In order to prevent friction at the
outset the question of the limitation of
armaments was ignored temporarily,
though there is q well defined plan 20
bring it up at the first available OPP
portunity in the form of a PROPOSE
tion to reiterate the resolution adopted
at the last conference recomme ending
that the government study the subject
and postpone its consideration until
the next conference.
None of the Spanish-Amerioan coun-
tries. except Mexico. seems prepared to
submit anything in their interest. The
conference appears TO them to be con-
fined to the extension of the principle
of arbitration and the Drago doctrine
The delay in getting the conference
under way creates the suspicion that
the leaders are deliberately delaying
the preliminaries in the belief that by
giving the great powers more time,
now that they understand one another.
the work will be facilitated later. The
session TO-DAY lasted only an hour.
The San Francisco call., 1907-06-20
FRENCH TROOPS ARREST
LEADING WINE GROWERS
Mob Hurls Stones at the
Cuirassiers as They
Escort Prisoner
PEOPLE BURN BRIDGE
Police and State Officials
Raid Headquarters Of
Main Committee
PEOPLE BURN BRIDGE

PARIS. June 19-M Ferroul. the
striking mayor of Narbonne and. next
to Marcelfn Albert, the most prominent
figure in the wine growers revolt IN
the south of France. was arrested at
his residence at Narbonne this morn
ing and hurried away to Montpelier
Later in the day Marcelin Albert, the
leader of the wine growers. was ar
rested and brought here in custody
Before daybreak all roads leading
to NJ Ferrours house were held by
cuirassiers in strong force. His body
guard of wine growers. among whom
were many women which had been
nightly watching over the safety of
their leader. was on duty as usual,
but when the wine growers found them
selves surrounded by armed forces of
the government they did not attempt
any resistance.
AS the closely guarded carriage con-
tanning M. Ferroul approached the sta
tion a mob attempted to block its pas
sage and hurled stones at the cuiras-
siers from behind a barricade- Draw
ing their swords the troops charged
twice, scattering the crowds in all di-
rections.
At Argilliers the state and police
authorities, escorted by an imposing
military force. raided the headquarters
of the central committee Of the wine
growers organization at daybreak,
with warrants for the arrest of Mar
celin Albert and the members of the
central committee. but they foun that
the leader Of the movement zod sew
eral of his lieutenants had fed Albert
was pursued and caught. AlbArt's tenn
porary escape was facilitated by the
fact that the people burned the bridge
at the entrance of Argilliers last mig 1T,
making a long detour necessary end
DELAYING the arrival of the government
representative
MONTPELLIER, France. June Ia
NJ. Ferroul arrived here today in Gus
tody and after a brief appearance be-
fore a magistrate was removed to the
local jail. A formidable escort OF
dragons and gendarInes prevented AL
possibility of rescue, and the jail was
guarded by regiment of infantry As
he was being taken 10 Jail NJ Fer
roul turned to the crowd and exclaimed.
dramatically This is the happiest mo-
ment of my life. The government was
Obliged to send 10000 soldiers TO ar
rest one man"
NARBONNE.. June IA violent
mob gathered in the outlying villages
tonight. 1t poured petroleum over the
door of the subprefecture and then ap-
piled a match. The rioters were driven
of after repeated charges by the
troops. In the course of the fighting g
the manifestants fired revolvers, but
no one was hit.
The disorder was augmented by the
absence of lights, the mob having cut
the electric wires. In other parts of
the town barricades were erected.
These were stormed by the troops and
torn down. only to be set up again by
the rioters.
The San Francisco call., 1907-06-20
Major Turner Coming
to Build Prison

Wv WASHINGTON, June d.
w Army order.s Major BeesA-
er ID. Ray. paymaster, is
relieved from treatment at the
general hospital, Presidfo, San.
Francisco. and from duty In the
department of Calffornia and Will
proceed to Manila, to report to the
commanding general of the Philip
pines division for duty.
Contract Surgeon Francis ".
Langenderfer, now in Chicago,
VIII proceed to Manila for duty in
the Philippine division.
Contract Surgeon Samuel b. Nc
Pheeters is relieved from duty at
Fort Leavenworth and viii pro
ceed to Manila for duty.
The leave of absence of First
Lieutenant DoIfe N. Metcalf.
Philippine scouts, Is extended one
month.
Najor Reuben b. Turner, Eighth
infantry, will assume charge Of
the construction work at the Pa
cific branch of the military prison,
AlcatTaz island, relieving Second
Lieutenant Matthew H. TomIin-
son. Twenty-second infantry.
Navy orders: Captain c. f.. Fox
is relieved from court martial
duty at the navy yard at WASH
inGton. ID. c.. July I, to proceed to
the Union iron works at San Fran
cisco for duty Il. correction with
the fitting out of the South Da-
kota and duty In command Of that
vessel when 1t Is commissioned. =
Lieutenant G. w. Danforth. re-
tired, Is relieved from duty az
assistant TO the Inspector of ma
chinery. Union iron works, San
Francisco, to proceed home.