The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-06-18
HOLD A COAST LINE.
TWENTY THOUSAND SOLDIERS TO
DEFENSE OF NEW YORK.
Tons of Ammunition Are Being Vol
lsyed From the Mighty Cannon
Upon Which Uncle Sam Has Staked
the Safety of the City; Famine
Feared in the Poorer Quarters;
Prices of Meat Raised.

New York. June l4..-With twenty
thousand soldiers manning every incn
of the coast defenses of this port,
Gotham is today practically held under
armed rule while its whole force of
regulars plays war with several regi-
ments of coast artillery from the mill
tia Tons of costly ammunition are
each hour being volleyed from the
mighty cannon upon which Uncle Sam
has staked the safety of this city.
From the batteries of Wadsworth
Hamilton, Totten and Schuyler, the
foremost fortresses of this harbor,
broadsides are being belched in con-
slant campaign to stand off whole
souadrons of imaginary invaders. Side
by side in the trenches the boys of
the volunteer service are labOring with
grizzled regulars while the officers of
all branches are plotting together their
intricate plans of coast warfare. Never
has New York seen a stronger showing
of its defending forces and no one
is erudging them one hour of their
military occupation.
Famine Is Feared.
Starvation and sickness are today
threatening to sweep the poorer quar-
tiers of this town where every form of
meat has now jumped some ten cents
a pound in price since the first of the
wear. I'm this week alone the prices
of the retail butchers were raised from
10 to Is per cent, while the meat men
promise further advances next week.
Steak, chops. mutton, lamb, pork poul-
try and chicken have been advanced
from one TO five cents pound and
no one can see any hope of future re-
cession in these starvation prices. To
the poor of the East Side and the up
town tenement districts these prices are
proved to be prohibitive. Meat once
a week, meat once month or no meat
at all are the rules which are today
being adopted by the worried house
wives of the tenements, who are strug-
Cling to bring their children through
the siege of summer. Every one blames
every one else for the sadly soaring
meat prices, and no one can locate
the responsibility for what may prove
a fatal condition here.
Bingham's Body Blow.
Sensations such as have rarely been
revealed to this town are promised be-
fore the present inquiry of the mayor
into the methods of Bingham's blue
coats is finally disposed of While the
police commissioners enemies both in
the force and out of it are today rush
ing to help beat down his defense in
the heckling that Mcclellan mas or
dained, it is more than likely that
later developments may make them
turn tail and run to cover. Friends
of the police head are whispering that
he has trump cards which will startle
and shock the whole community when
ham has had plenty of time and OPP
portunity to learn the secrets of this
town and no one would be surprised
if his final defense should implicate in
most unpleasant ways many man
who has heretofore escaped the slight
est suspicion.
On a Fast Finish. y
With thousand men working day
and night on the finishing touches of its
gigantic structure, Manhattan bridge
has today been promised to the public
before the leaves begin to fall. In this
fourth bridge to span the east river
Gotham is now receiving the most re-
markable case of prompt bridge build
ing on record. Months before the con-
tract date and only year after the
first work was begun on dts suspension
this third largest structure if its kind
in the world is to be finished and ready
for the public. 1t has taken the labor
of 300 men each day since the bridge
was begun to bring about this unusual
result and never has day gone by
without at least this number of faith
full workers on the job. New York i;
proud of her new bridge and its speedy
opening will mean great good each day
across the water.
Astors Alter.
No change in the Fifth avenue world
of swell society here is creating more
comment than the remodelling of the
two famous Aston residences from ONT
of which the late leader of the 40(
issued her DEGREES for years. Colone
Astor is today causing the two houses
to be made into one for his own espec
ial uses and the hand of the bruta
builder seems actually about to pull
apart and alter the arrangements sane
toned by the former society leader
Within the walls of these two partic
ular structures the exclusive holy o
holies has always been maintained ant
an invitation to pass within them al
ways meant social success of the high
est kind What the walls reshapet
will hold for the younger aspirants tt
social leadership nobody can say.
Help City in Many Ways.