The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-01-22

highest number of pensioners on the
rolls in 1908 was 1,006,053, of whom
only half were soldiers or sailors in
the war of the rebellion. Widows
form large part OF the list and the
amount they receive was recently
increased by one-half.
The old adage. 1.-THE more haste
the less speed" finds exemplifica-
ton in the disaster in the Panama
canal zone. The dynamite explosion
is attributed to the desire on the
part OF some of the men to make
the dirt fly" which led to neglect
of proper precautions in handling
the explosive. Zeal is right and
praiseworthy, but when dealing with
deadly materials it should be prop
erly tempered with prudence.
The battleship idaho will shortly
leave the navy yard at League island
for a test Of her new fighting mast.
The new mast is one Of the simplest
improvements in naval construction
ever devised, ninety feet high, at the
top of which, secured from the
smoke and haze from below, the fire.
control officer may direct the aim
of the guns. He will have an un-
INSTRUCTED view of the work of his
guns, and can command with ease
the whole fire of his ship during an
engagement. It is claimed that oW-
ing to the lightness of the iron
framework it will be almost immune
from danger by shell fire, and the
frame work is so arranged that total
destruction is out of the question.
The coal miners in the anthra-
cite regions of Pennsylvania are
hunting for trouble. The five year
agreement arranged by the Roose-
welt strike commission will expire
March 81. The operators are said
to be willing to extend the agreement
for one year or period Of years.
but the miners, made arrogant by
prosperity and the fact that they
made the operators come to terms
five years ago, are demanding fur
Their concessions. Fortunately the
trouble will come at time of the
year when it cannot do much harm
to consumers, and there is hope that
an agreement can be reached in time
to assure reasonably large produc-
ton of coal before cold weather re-
turns next fall.
As il to supply want before it
exists, Paris is already supplied
with a roof station for aeroplanes
in the very center of the city. The
house is situated at the corner of
the Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle and
belongs to a wealthy architect, M.
NORM, who has been taking time
by the forelock. No flying ma
chimes are, of course, in the habit
of landing on the top of this six
story house as yet, but the tenants
are warned beforehand by a clause
in their lease that they will not be
entitled to any compensation II, in
the near future, the roof is used
as station or garage for aerial
vehicles" Meanwhile the tenants
are entitled to the use Of the ter
rasse" as roof garden.
About the time the trustees OF
the University of Minnesota were
adopting rule that professors in
that institution who reached The
age Of 65 must retire, on the ground
that their services are OF lessened
value, distinguished men in London
were assembled to do honor to Lord
Ripon, who recently resigned from
the cabinet at the age Of 81, after
having been in public life almost
continuously since 1852, and were
regretting his retirement. Lord
Asquith said OF him: 'When other
hearts have failed and other feet
have Jagged, and other mems cour-
age has grown faint and dim, he
was always in the forefront OF the
fight" It is said Of him also that
at, 81 he is an incurable youth. It
seems likely, remarks the Indian
apolis Star. that with these at
tributes Lord Ripon, were he pro-
lessor in Minnesota university,
would be q valuable quantity there
even now. A mans usefulness de-
ponds something upon what he is.
as we'll as upon his years.
Emperor William, held down by
q parsimonious government to an
income Of. $10.000,000 a year, Is
said by some to be in financial
c%rol&. aus cufvarinr ~ %ipooc Gov