davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
"CROWNER'S QUEST" AGAIN.

The mysterious tragedy Of few days ago at
University Heights raises two questions Of pub
lie interest One of them Is whether the victim Of
the tragedy came TO his death through the fe-
lonious assault of another, and If so, who the
assassin was, by his own hand through the
prompting of unba lanced reason. This IS OF
course, q question which should be investigated
by the lawful authorities IN the most thorough
manner.
The other question involves the reputation
of the state for dignity, decency and humanity.
1t is, IN brief, the question whether the state
can or should afford TO maintain a system
der which such performances as that Of Thurs
day are possible. The coroner's Office IN this
state has long been regarded by thoughtful men
as expensive, unnecessary and a source Of dis
credit 10 the community. There was probably q
time when it served a good purpose. perhaps
was Indispensable. That time is past The
coroner now does nothing for the public advan-
tage which could not be done better through
other agencies, and in q great many cases he
does nothing whatsoever of real service. The
negative testimony against the system has long
been sufficient to condemn it. The positive and
affirmative testimony Of such an incident as that
Of Thursday at University Heights emphasizes
the desirability Of getting rid Of it ct the ear
lest lawful opportunity.
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
4nlaSenentS.

scADENfY-a-s.ls-The Red Mil
IHANBRA-2-S-Eaudev1le-
EST0R-2-s .I6-The from Home
FFI.sSCo-2.l5-S.20-Th Devil ,.-,
TTr0Ir-2-zS-S.15-Af Gentleman from Miss1sspp--
ANEYsS-2-s-Vau6eville-
ssTSOA TVyA :I5-PeEgy Gachree.
CAsTNo-2-s:I5-Nr- Hamlet OF BToadNey-,,
CIRCLE-2.s5-S-l5-Tf Queen OF the MoNAiH f'ODso-
Co1.ONIAL1-2-S-Naudevihe.
pAIYTS-2 .aO-s .SO-The World and His Wife
TT1r.Nl MT-SEE-Tke Worid in Wax
TNPIKE-2 .I5-s .15-Whar Every Woman kno~A
fSETFTY -2.1s-S:15-Tte Travelling Salesman
GARDEN-2-S.z5-EsTyJ James Pa
"a SSO-ThR Patriot
GERM Clz6erelie--S-l5-A Last EnoTt
II lVation Nell
E.NAfERSTEIN'S--2 Pills :ii-N audeFi4le- 4. -.
POTR0MI5-2-s-Sporting Dsys-Batae IN tne
Fyr-NS0N-2.1S-s- -S0-Lsdy Frederick.
EslTCr[ [ER ROCKER 2-I5-S-i5--Fhe Prtrns Donna
TTEFPTY-2- Wireless
TyCET-N-2-S :1S-Love Watches
Blue Mouse
MADISON SQUARE GAIRDEcS--ll g m 10 II , N
NJ TFsTfC@a @a:I5-s:1s-The Pied Piper.
EANTATTAN OPERA HOUSE-2-1s-lJucia oi bA11i-
rnerrocr-e -I5-Sauson and DeHah --,,,,
NETROPOEITAN OPERA 1ol WIN ~
FaEIiacci-s-Tiehan6 - r,A.A,
Tton o< Paintings an5 Sculptures.
Ans -19-ldttie Memo
Sr-Tv YCFF-e-f5-s- -I5--Niss Innocence.
sEvoy-2- .2o-The Battle
S-S0-The Fighting Hope
TTsTl.GCES' IS -lS-The BOYS and Betty
yvEPr-P'S-2 c0-s .S0-The Stronger Sex
WEST END-2-s:15-The Cir Behind the counter.
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
IN WASHINGTON SOCIETY.
IRON The Tribune Bureau


Washington Dee. 25.-Mrs- Meyer. Wlie OF 'io
Postmaster General, entertained the wives anu
children Of the officials and employees OF the rs
Office Department several hours this afternoon at
the Masonic Temple, when the Marine baho' iio
ing pictures pantomne pctureS. ana q idi S 50
Christmas tree bearing present Tor every ''i'-N
under twelve years old. made up sprighty pro-
grarnme number OF the officials assisted us
Never in receiving the children and their notherS
The Assistant Secretary OF State and Mrs Bacoh
will entertain Miss Emily Sloane, OF New YORK
Miss Nora Thayer, of Boston, and MISS E-ie"noi
Greene of Buffalo, daughter OF GeneraI dre7i40'
who will arrive tomorrow. The party VIII %
further augmented by Elliot Bacon. Harvaro
student and a number OF his friends ana ING
Assistant Secretary and Mrs. Bacon have invited
about seventy young people to join them al uin
ner Monday night and later go to MISS ho0Se'ei'
debut ball at the White House
The German Ambassador and Baroness 6ernSloit
and their young daughters will spend seVeFal
weeks at the Shoreham while the Embassy Is Oe-
ing furnished and put in order for occupancy
Mrs Richard H. Townsend has issued invitations
for a ball on January
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
pLUUBJNG AND PROSPERITY.

Like a bolt Of thunder out of clear sky
comes the question propounded by a member Of
the Missouri Master Plumbers Association dur
ing q recent meeting in Kansas City. BY way of
uprOotng a popular superstition, that is
old bath tubs and water faucets, this man
arises and hurts at the startled world the ques-
ton: Did you ever see a rich plumber? Had
the question been led up to gracefully, like the
pertinent query usually asked by a man at one
, time or another of some bashful maiden who
has been wondering for weeks If 1t would come,
the effect would not be SO staggering, and the
ancient reply, made to gain time, that the sud
denness of it takes our breath away and we
must have time to think, might be offered but
we are compelled to admit that at first thought,
we cannot recall any member of that profes-
sion who has found 1t necessary to lie awake
nights trying to devise means for disposing of
his surplus wealth.
Why this should be we are unable TO say.
We are aware of the existence of brokers who
have enough automobiles to found garage. of
bankers who have yachts and keep rare old
vntages in the locker, OF heads of corporations
who can eat Strawberries every day in the
year if they desire. but we fail 10 remember
that we ever went on a Joy ride with plumber
or ever drifted out to sea on yacht with
member of that proud profession.
This same authority offers himself as evidence
tI Tie IdCk Oh prosperity among LQ6 members
Of his calling. Look at me-" he says. I've
been a plumber all my life, and never died
rich while he calls attention to the fact that
the men to whom he has presented the largest
bills have either died rich already or are going
on with the confident expectation of doing so.
IN accounting for the scarcity of wealth among
master plumbers he fixes upon the helper aS the
little black man who is responsible. He argues
that when you have to keep several assistants
sitting around waiting for a cold spell to come
along and burst water pipes, and who do more
sitting after the cold spell has arrived and the
water pipes have sprung a leak, collecting wages
no, salary-at the rate of 60 cents every
time the clock strikes, you are likely at the end
Of the season to have nothing but an aching
void where your profits ought TO be-
We are glad to think that the plumber has
been yindiCated If it is the helper who is to
blame, by all means let him be investigated II
there is no agreement among plumbers as to the
length OF time q helper shall be permitted to
sleep IN a bath tub waiting for 1t to spring q
leak, or how many trips back TO the shop he
shall he permitted to make for tools-if these
things are only an indication of the playful nat
ure Of the man himself. the sooner the blame
is fixed where it belongs tine better We are
willing TO have history rewritten. if need be. to
correct a popular error
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY RATS.
Daily Consular Reports.

From Daily COnsuIar NeporIs
Consul Maxwell Blake sends from Dunfermline
an extract from a Scotch Newspaper on the do
struction caused by rats. as brought out by deRu-
tation from the Incorporated Society for the Do
struction OF VermirL Headed by SIR James crtch-
ton Browne and the Duke OF Bedford. they waited
Agriculture urge him to appoint a com mission
inquire into the subject OF the destruction caused
10 crops by rats The extract reads The dep
utation pointed out the enormous damage done ty
rats which amounts. a most moderate compu-
tation. TO sl5,0000O0 per annum In Great Britain.
This is arrived at by allowing only rat
cultivated acre OF land. Assuming that each rat
does damage the extent OF ! 1arthing n day,
this works the forty million OF land
AZ the figure mentioned. Sir James Crlcaton
Browne incidentally stated that two million people
died OF plague in India and said II had been
proved that the rat was the chief cause OF the
spread OF infection. IL also stated that the
expenditure on rat poisons in the United Kingdom
amounts to f25OOoo per annunn which Is considered
many times more than would be required properly
to sxtermnats tho vermin H the campaign were
Grwtarua4tcsllR cenauoAe4e
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
THE POE cENTEN NAL.

The year 1903 is the centennial OF the birth of
birthday OF some OF them will be celebrated with
memorial services, and among those to be thus
commemorated will be the poet Edgar Allan Poe
The ceremonies in honor OF Poe win take place in
Mccoy Hall on January lg which is the birthday
cf the great poet. The Edgar Allan Poe Memorial
Association and Johns Hopkins University will
unite IN doing honor to the memory of the man
who Is regarded as the greatest OF American
poets who was great in his genius. unhappy in
his life. wretched In his death, but In his fame,
immortal" Poe came OF Maryland family. and
in great part of his nfe's work he identified
with Baltimore Here also he died and buried
and his grave Is marked by modest monument
II is object OF the Poe Memorial Association
more imposing and worthy monument
the grave OF this man. whose work Is famous
throughout Christendom. This Is an enterprise
which copmends itself TO all persons who take
bride La ths glory Of THAR country
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
CHINESE INCENSE.
Y Consular Reports.

:
Replying to Ohio inquiry to the compost
tion and market value of Chinese incense, Consul
J. c. McNally writes from Nanking:
1t is impossible give the actual market value
in United States currency by reason of the fre
Quent exchange fuctuation. The average price
for Catty q 1-3 pounds) is about follows: The
Shi Shang (nuskl, first quality, cents; second
quality, cents the Mong Shang (Putchuck) first
quality. 10 cents; second quality cents
The incense is made into sticks about inches
in length, the Shi Shang being black and the Mong
Shang yellow. II is OF universal use and is manu-
factured in almost every city and village throughout
the empire. The ingredients forming the compo-
eition OF the incense, which are principally from
the south of China, follows Elm bark
cloves, olibanum. putchuck. sandalwood dust ga
roo. laka, aniseed, musk. orange peel, galango,
dried ginger sapanwood, rhubarb, myrrh, cassiR
and camphor."
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
From The New York Times. Friday, December 25
LOW WATER IN MAMMOTH CAVE.
From Harper's Weekly


The remark rkable drouth which has prevailed over
a large area of country during the late sum-
mer and fall has been felt severely in Kentucky
For ninety days the central portion OF that state
was without the slightest trace of rainfall. and the
protracted dry spell affected the underground
river in Mammoth Cave for at places In Echo
River where there has always been ten or fifteen
feet water the channel became perfectly dry.
Generally surface of the water and the roof OF
the cavern TO each other that the
stream be navigated for only short distance.
but the sIifs travel for miles, and many
beautiful new inets and grottos have been discOv-
cred. This subterranean river. as its name i'm
plies, has always been famous for its marvellous
echoes. but the low stage of water has greatly iIt
tensfed their volume until the distnctness is truly
uDCa
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
RLTAL ELEcTRIc rRAcrION sYsTENs.


Though the Illinois Central Company is ap-
parenrly not yet fully committed to the policy
Of changing irs motive power IN and near Chi
cago many influences are being exerted on the
company with the object Of bringing about that
result One is an inquiry Instituted by a mu-
nicipaI commission into the relation between
smoke and traction methods. and a report on the
subject made to zhe Mayor appears in the latest
issue OF Engineering News" The commission
attributes cnly 10 per cent OF the smoke which
fills the air Of Chicago 20 the railway locomo-
fives, but Of course, II strongly faYors the sub
stirution q electricity for steam
A comparatively new question raised by the
report IS whether the third rail system, which
IS recommended 10y the commission for the
tracks devoted 10 passenger traffic. IS perfectly
adapted TO service IN freight yards. The opinion
Is expressed thar the third rail may prove dan
serous 20 employees engaged IL making up freight
trains. The reasons On which the objection is
based are not given IN detail, and iU Is not easy
10 Judge OF their force Perhaps they win not
stand critical examination. Though the condi-
tions in q freight yard are not identical With
these existing in New York City just above the
Grand Central Station, & may be doubted
whether the difference IS radical The New
York Central puts q cover over its third rail- for
the double purpose Of keeping off the snow and
protecting its employees and both Of these pur-
roses hsYs bsea accomplished II may be as-
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
THE TALK OF THE DAY.

Japan has longer than any other country prac-
+tsad technical forestry. with extraordinary skill
and absolute the authorities nave TOT 4'oO
wears planted and cared for the forest trees me
results" writes 6 correspondent OF The Pan Ma!l
Gazette have been really wonderful, for through
the extremely sedulous management and the
knowledge and skill by degrees attained the nhan
cial gains have been very large, indeed ENoe .
twig Is wasted The trees are Regarded 3S
almost sacred property. and not particle OF any
one Of them is regarded rubbish, so close Is the
utilization. Thinning and all departments Oh
aboreaI culture very carefully conducted Az
the end of thirteen years from planting WoooIot
is thinned by experts. and then every nVe years
tho is repeated for one hundred and twenty
wears the average period of the cultivation OF
set of trees
wont you take my seat?" said the man Il the
stTeetcar as ne ed b his ns hat to t9s Seen a.
mfPndk inf ao the AFTERNOON anu H '''' u
on the increase. Some startling figures are pub
lished officially showing that in Prussia from 1880
70 1903 the average number Of suicides or attempts
at suicide among pupils Of the higher schools was
IA per annum. Since then the figures are: 1914
9; 1908, IS; 1906. 16; 1907, 20; 1908. g.
THE MATTER WITH ADAM
A woman in Chicago claims that Adam was
She charges all the troubls to HIS always idle
She seems to hold the apple the fruitage Of a
And falls to see the serpent through the inter
vening haze,
And then Eve had to scOId him for his lack Of
And wish she'd never married ham-As women
She told him how he must impress the rising
And very often said he was the idlsst man she
knew.
OF course the primal patriarch has defence
Just where he now is lettering the experts can't
And so it Seems injustice for this rash Chicago
censor
To use the axe OF slander her own ancestral
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Chicago's aldermen q modest lot They pro-
pose to raise their salaries from $500 year
to $500. and the heartless newspapers oppos-
ing them The Record-Herald'' cruelty says: No
will pretend that majority Of the aldermen
are underpaid for what they actually do. 1t is
only the exceptional who gives himself up to
not just compensation, but unearned income"
II the new scale Of pay goes into effect 1t will cost
the city $4,000 year.
Nell-Hes college bog.
Belief thought
Nell-From his conversation?
Belle-No. too busy listening to his clothes
to hear what he had to say.-Philadelphia Record.
The Esperanto Association of America wishes no
happy new year to a rival organization called Flo.
Not much. The Esperantists have issued a state
ment in which they say: "A widely copied article
conveys the impression that Esperanto is not so
prosperous formerly and that a project called
Flo is likely to suppIant it. Esperanto is growing
at a tremendous rate throughout the world. and
by trading upon its and prestige Elo, which
has but few hundred adherents has managed to
gain free advertising"
That old tightwad uncle Of mine Is dead -
Has his will been read yet?''
Did you hear what l called him7"-Cleveland
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
SOCIAL NOTES FROM NEWPORT.

[By Telegraph Tribune.I
Newport, Dec 5-Alfred G. Vanderbilt returned
to-day from New York to spend Christmas at Oak
land Farm his Portsmouth homo
Mr. and Mrs Reginald C. Vanderbilt had q
Christmas tree at Sandy Point Farm to-day for
their daughter Miss Cathleen Vanderbilt
Mrs John Nicholas Brown was another Of the
Newport cottagers to have Christmas tree to-
day Mrs Brown entertained for her son. John
Nicholas Brown.
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
Social Incidents.
AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
rFrorn Tn. Tribune Bureau.

Washington Dec 25-The President did not go
+o his once to-day nor did he any callers
He went fer long horseback ride in the morning
with his son, Archie.
At luncheon with the President and Mrs Roose-
vet were all their children and Nicnoias Long
worth.
ro-nIeb+ tho President and Mrs. Roosevelt took
dinner with Rear Admiral and Mrs. William Shei-
field Cowles, the Presidents brother-in-lsw ana
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
asn21ork DAILY GTttbm,rE
SATURDAY DECEMBER %. 1908.

TaEs newspaper IS o1C7led and published by
The Tribune Association, q Net1 York corpora
ttou: Office and principal place OF business
Tribune BaSld5no 20. I5I Nassau street. Ne'o
York; Ogden Mills, president; James H. Bar
rett. secrete-v and treasurer. The address Of
the officers is the Office of this net0spGper.
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

It may prove to the advantage of the man
ayers OF moving picture shows 20 ascertain what
truth there is in the story that non-explosive
substitute for celluloid is being used In Ger
many for cinematograph films II the state
mants on the subject mads In q recent oSn-
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

The gamblers, saloonkeepers and others OF
New Orleans who have entered into ooyco''
against the newspapers there which oppose race
track gambling are paying tribute 10 the III
fuence of the press in forming puohc opiiiIOH
And those who are in this conspiracy Of what
the Tinted States Judge In his charge to the
federal grand Jury called 'the quasi-criminai
portion OF the population to censor the news
..naners'' have adopted good way to concen-
trate public opinion against themselves.
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

s,,lar report are true. the adoption OF the ne"
material would lessen the danger from nre ana
might Justify the Mayor in restoring the licenses
for some OF these exhibitions
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26
THE TERMINAL BUILDING DELAY.
News Of the Trouble Is Gradually Spreading
Some Discoveries of Yesterday

From The Tribune, Tuesday. December 2
The completion Of the Brooklyn Bridge subway
loop, which is expected to decrease the traffic
burden OF the bridge by third. is likely TO De
sfoner Stevenson convinCes Edward 5. Murphy,
Superintendent OF Buildings in Manhattan. that
the plans for the foundation Of the municipal ter
minal building safe.
Commissioner Stevenson sent the plans TO
Superintendent Murphy for approval. as mat
ter of routine. To his surprise, he says, the
provai This action, 1t is said. taken the
ground that the weight too great. that new
specifications should be prepared calling for an
imposed weight Of only four tons a square foot
From The Tribdne. Wednesday. December ..
in Manhattan took Issue yesterday on both points
OF law and of fact with Bridge Commissioner
Stevenson on his failure to approve the plans for
the foundation Of the municipal terminal building
plans because they unsafe and that the
soil, fine sand. which tt planned TO place
the foundations, would support only three tons TO
the square foot not the eight tons planned
From The New York Times Friday. December 25
The chances for speedy erection Of the proposed
s8 100000 municipal building at Centre street and
Park Row are by no means so good as they seemed
a short time ago.
the Superintendent of Buildings for Manhattan.
dsapproved the present plans for the building and
has returned the plans with the statement that
will not be responsible for the erection or such
a structure with mere soil foundation
From The New York Evening Journal. Friday.
December Is.
It was learned to-day that Edward 5. Murphy.
Superintendent Of Buildings for Manhattan. had
disapproved the plans for the proposed $4,000 600
municipal building at Centre street and Park Row
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

The roller skate walk is the very lates. uil-s
In ST. Louis The 1909 fashions in ST. Joseph
LroIannszoo and Chicago are not yet reported
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

Mr. Castro Is said to be resigned. FrooaoiS'
as was said of somebody else on an historic 0co"-
sion he has to be. Also. as was salo on an
other historic occasion, there is no comp'aiiiI'
but everybody Is satisfied
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

"Bathhouse John" charged with hitting some
body? 1t is impossible Had he done SO the
nIaneent strenuosity of that mighty fist would
have left no material for an inquest
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

The formal election Of Messrs Gomez ana
Zayas as President and Vice-President OF CUBA
was effected on Christmas Eve by the unsnl-
nous vote of the electoral college. Tnat una
ninity was welcome Christmas greeting 70 tne
island, and it suggests the hope that the ne"
administration will have corespondinsly mar
roonious support from the people OF Cuba
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

- has heen decided to begin the Hudson-Ful-
ton coumenooration next year with two days
ra1ejous services That is we'll But some
where in the varied programme there ought 70
be an hour set apart for the taking OF a UNI
versaI VOW always thereafter to speak, write ana
think Of the illustrious navigator by his own ana
only true name of Henry Hudson. and to anah-
don. repudiate and abjure the spurious Hen
drick'' thenceforth forevermore-
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

The block of glass which was recently nade
for the Mount Wilson Observatory In Callror-
MIA was to be ground 30 as to be concaVe on
or. side and was then TO be silve7ed. Hence
is to be inferred that the defect "hlcn mas ooon
discovered Is very near on the surface. I't
xsere at anv appreciabie depth 1t probably would
not interfere with the usefulness Of the glass as
a mirror
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

After the Queensboro Bridge experience tne
public will put little faith In Bridge CoiniL us
sioner stevenson's assurance that the SS.ooO'Ooo
citv building at the Brooklyn Bridge terminal
will rest safely on a foundation of sand.
New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

Mr. and Mrs. Payne Whitney VIII close tnelr
country place at Manhasset. Long Island to-day
and go to Washington
Putnam patriot., 1908-10-30

borne and Der family must now l-e.sx- him an sgncble scoundrel had wrought mtsgivings and pain in hts heart. but al least he would soon be near her even now she might be somewhere be- low in the lovely valley. and he drew of his hat and stared down upon what was gioritied and enchanted ground.
 "Let Us go" he sald PreSently.
 Oscar saiuted. standing bride iu hand
 You will find 1t easier to walk be said. and. leading their horses. they re- traced their steps for several hundred sanis along the ridge. then mounted and Rreeeesied slowly down again until they came to a mountain road. Pres. ently high wire fence followed at their right. where the descent was sharply arrested. and they came to a barred wooden gate. and beside it a small cabin. evidently designed for 6 lodge.
 This Is the place. ssr.s and Oscar dismounted and threw open the gate
 The road within followed the rough contour of the hillside that still turned downward until il broadened into a wooded plateau The fiutter of wings in the underhrush, the scamper of squirrels. the mad lope of fox. kept the eye busy. \ deer broke out of q