The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-01-29

ic death in 1889, and thereupon the
Archduke Carl Ludwig, father Of
Franz Ferdinand, who became the
heir presumptive, renowned his
right to the throne in favor Of his
son.
A Washington dispatch of recent
date says: "a report gained consider
able circulation in Washington to-
day that Senator Kittredge of South
Dakota would be next secretary OF
the Interior. Basis for the story
could not be learned, but it is given
attention and credited by some peo-
Pile because of the fact that Mr.. Kit
redge has long been a close friend
Of Mr.. Taft, and politicians believe
his selection would be a good one.
Senator Kittredge was the first mem
Der Of the senate to suggest Mr..
Taft's candidacy for presidency, and
also is said to be one of the first to
urge him to make the race. The
senator and Mr.. Taft made trip to
Panama together when the latter
was secretary Of war, and the rumor
circulated here is to the effect that
1t was not long after the Ohioan's
nomination that it was decided to
give Senator Kittredge place in
the cabinet" To large majority
of the people of South Dakota the
appointment of Senator Kitredge to
cabinet position would he accepted
with personal qualification. We who
know the senator most intimately
recognize the high order of his ex-
ecutive ability, and his qualifications
it to himself and the country. A cab
met position to South Dakotan is
an honor worth having.
Senator Ben Tillman Of South Car
olina is defending himself from the
statement of the president concern
ing his connection with grating in
government lands. While the South
Carolina Senator was preparing his
statement he received notice from
the Washington postmaster to for
ward his SIG as the amount Of pos
tage due on the shipment Of Till
mans typewriter from South Caro-
lima to Washington. That is not
bad for the senator coming out at
the present time. While senator's
are permitted to use the government
frank for certain purposes it looks
something like imposition to expect
the government to transport his
typewriter to Washington to save
express charges. The senator is evil
IDENTIFY not free from the grating
proposition when he attempts to
have the government pay his trans
portation charges. In connection
with this rather overworked frank
ing privilege it is stated that SEN
ator had his household goods ship
ped from his home to Washington on
the ranking privilege. There seems
to be room for improvement in linn
iting the uses to which the frank
can be put. 1t won't be long before
some of the more avaricious senators
will be trying to ship their own
bodies home through the mail serv-
ice to save car fare now that the pass
service has been obliterated.
The governments suit to dissolve
the Union Pacific Railway combina-
ton, headed by E. H. Hartman,
which was started year ago, has
now advanced to the stage of oral
testimony, the hearings being held
before Examiner Williams in the
New York Custom House, and the
first witness being Paul Morton,
president of the Equitable Life, and
formerly traffic manager of the San
ia Fe. The conspiracy in restraint
Of interstate trade charged against
the Hartman Rogers Kahn Frick
combine dates back to the absorp-
ton Of the Southern Pacific by the
Union Pacific, and includes all of
the latter combination moves which
have given Hartman virtual mon
opoly OF the western railroad situa-
ton. Morton's story on the stand
was to the effect that after the COM
bination went into effect one set of
traffic managers made the rates for
the various lines in the socalled Har-
riman territory. Morton was fol-
lowed by Edwin Hawley who recent
ly sold the Colorado and Southern
to the Hill Interests. Hawley as a
government expert, testified that the
Hartman merger stopped all COM
petition. He knew because he had
been the general eastern agent of
the Southern Pacific prior to its pur-
chase by Hartman. Freight agent
OF the various lines at New York
testified that general scramble for
business still existed there.
In November came the report of
the death of Kuang-hsu, Emperor Of
China; day later the news was pub
lished that the Empress Dowager
Tzu-hsi was dead too. In death as
in the important part Of his life, the
emperor was overshadowed by his
aunt, the mysterious woman whose
will has for many years dominated
his own. Sixty years ago this queen
who ruled over a quarter Of the hui
man race. was slave. Her father,
a man of noble blood, fallen into
poverty, had sold her to General III
Dr. He loved her and ravo hor a