The Ketchikan miner., 1908-12-19

Prosperity may be on the road, but there are as yet so few wildcat min ing flotations that we can be sure it has not entirely arrived.
 There is no doubt about the cor rectness of the theory of publicity Of campaign contributions, and yet pub licity has proved woefully unproduc- tive of sensations.
 The authorities of the State of Washington refused to extradite to Newark man charged with fraudu- ently obtaining the sum of $50, 900. This is the Seattle spirit once again "what we have we'll hold"
 Ambassador to some court or other is said to be the reward that Tim Woodruff will obtain for simplifying the senatorial situation in New York. We thought it would be something like that.
 Mir. Hartman tells US that he in- formed President Roosevelt that the passage of the rate law without the amending of the Sherman antitrust law would have serious results. That was before Mr. Hartman became an undesirable citizen.
 It seems in accordance with the eternal fitness of things that Mrs. Carrie Nation should determine to make her appearance in London just now. Her presence in the metropolis will.add zest to the next ..'demonstra- ton" on the part of the sufragettes and the uneu ployed.
 The work of probing into the bowels of Mother Earth is attended with dangers which the most studious scientific investigation has failed to overcome. This is made clear by the recent appalling coal mine disasters in Germany and Pennsylvania. In this latter and most recent calamity, the state mine inspector bad just finished a survey of the property, which he pronounced entirely free from danger, as far as human foresight would determine; yet. within two hours after he had reached the surface there was a terrific explosion which caused the death of over two hundred and twenty-five men.
 They are having an unusually heavy fog in New York. The sailor men of Nantucket used to tell a story of fog that was so thick that fishing schooner..was carried up on it, and her skipper, being uncertain of his whereabouts, made fast to a post near at hand. When the fog cleared he found he had moored his craft to the steeple Of a meeting house.
 The contractors for the Pacific end of the Grand Trunk Pacific railway evidently intend to push work vigor- ously all winter, weather permitting. A train load of equ pment will be shipped to Prince Rupert from Ore gon in few days. It would thus appear that employment will be given to a considerable force of men during the winter months.
 All the great Powers are DOW con- ferripg on the matter of framing a code of laws for naval warfare. A significant feature of the affair is that the chief proposals which are under cons iteration emanate from Great Britian, the United States and Japan, who are in thorough accord on points which are opposed by Germany. It is expected that the conference will continue until about February l.
 We shouldn't be a bit surprised if Tmmy Woodruff had been offered something in return for peacefully getting out of the way of Secretary Root, who will be elected senator to succeed Platt. If Tim had been ob- durate and insisted on remaining a candidate the legislature under stress l of pressure from the people, would doubtless have run over him, but then it's worth price to preserve | peace.
 Congressman Hobson scores Presi- | dent Roosevelt for having ordered the United States battleship fleet to with draw from the Pacific. MT. Hobson's views will be applauded on this coast and ridiculed in the Atlantic states, but unless those most competent to judge of the trend of developments on the Pacific are mistaken, the United States will require to main- tain henceforward a considerable pro- portion of her naval strength on that ocean.
 It may be inexpedient, as well as useless, to oppose Uncle Joe Cannon for election as speaker, but there isn't much difference of opinion that it is high time for the Republican members of the house to take the bit