davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Physical Valuation Of Railroads,

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-The Adam
son bill, requiring the Interstate com.
MERGE commission to ascertain the &C.
tual value Of the property OF all rail-
roads, telegraph and telephone com.
panies and other common carriers
passed the senate and with virtually
no opposition. Changes made in the
bill by the senate from the form in
which it passed the house will require
q conference, but it 10 believed that all
differences will be adjusted and the
bill sent to the president before this
session %adjourns.
The valuation bill ia designed to
furnish = basis recognized by the courts
for the fixing of equitable freight, pas
eenger and public service rates and
charges. The proposed law would
authorize the Interstate commerce
commission through experts to deter.
mine the original cost of all common
carriers property up to the present
time, the cost of production II they
we're to build over again, the value Of
their intangible reproperties such as
franchises, good will and "going
value"
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Origin Of The Dollar Sign.

1OpuAoE OC4ouCo MOutu4ys
The earliest known occurrence of the
. in print is in an American arithme.
tic, Chauncy Lees "Americsn Ac-
compliant" published in 1897 At Ian.
singburgh. This fact was pointed GU,
in 1899. A recent writer again calls
attention to this arithmetic and then,
with sweet simplicity of mind, con-
veys the idea that this publication
constitutes the true origin OF the dol
lsr mark. BY this mental short cut
he saved himself the drudgery OF a
research which, in u case, has ex-
tended over several years.
After 1900 the symbol began to be
used freely. both in print and in
writing. On Sept. 20, 1902. William
A. Washington wrote . letter on the
disposal Of part of the bottom land
above the Potomac, belonging to the
estate of George Washington. In this
letter there Is mention of 1870, 1880"
and ''s40" per acre. In this article it
1t has been established that tho 8 10
linesl defendant Of the Spanish abbre.
Walton pc for pesos, that the change
from the aorescent Pc to . vas made
about ITS by English Americans and
that the earliest printed 8 dates back
to the year 1897.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Taft Urges Budget System.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 26.-President
TAFT today sent to congress his much
discussed ''budges" message. He re.
commended the adoption of q budget
system of relating proposed expendi.
turss to expected revenues and declar-
ed that congress would be greatly
benefited by having before It such a
statement before 1t began the annual
grind upon appropriation bills. The
United States the president wrote was
she only great nation in the world
which did not use the budget system
and In consequence it may be said
to be without plan or program" He
indicated that owing to the late day
At which he was able to transmit HE
message he expected no Legislation on
the topic from the present congress-.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Washington News Notes.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-Secretary
OF State Knox today issued . formal
announcement TO the public that the
income tax bill now is q part of the
constitution, having been ratified by
more than three.fourths of the states.
The e ate today passed the $780,
600, 600 annual pension bill in the re-.
cord time of Is minutes and with less
than 10 minutes debate. 1t is the
largest amount of any annual pension
measure IN the history OF the govern.
ment.
That q man cannot live on $72O q
year and keep up appearances was the
decision of the nate tonight when it
overruled its post Office committee,
voted out all 1920 salaries for postal
clerks and mail carriers and accepted
the $500 minimum salary previously
fixed by the house 81 to II.
Representative Cox of Indiana re-
Gently asked the house committee on
appropriations to increase the salsr.
les OF customs inspectors from o. to
$3.50 or "a q day. In Montana there
are ten inspectors recei wing 81 . day,
one getting $500 = year and five getting
"a a day. The treasury department
favors the advance, but cannot grant
1t, as the appropriation 10 not sun.
cient.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Texans May Cross Border.

WASHINGTON. Feb. PA serious
clash may result between federals and
the Texas National Guard q Browne.
Vile, Texss, should the latter attempt
to cross the Rio Grande to the
relief OF Americana alleged to be i'm.
periled in Mstamoras, Mexico.
When the war department learned
at midnight that Governor Colquitt
had Issued orders for four companies
of Texas miliusmen to proceed to
Brownsville, orders we're autographed
at once to Brig. Gen. E. z. Steever,
in charge OF the federal troops on the
border. to send TO Brownsville imme.
diately such a force a. be deemed nee.
esssry, land under no circumstances
to permit the crossing Of the river OK.
cept upon specific orders OF the seere-
tary of war;"
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Seven Mexican Rulers Killed.

NEW YORK, Feb. 24.-With the kill
ing of Madero and Ssurez in Mexico
City yesserd ay the list OF those who
paid the fatal price of ruling Mexico
is increated to even names since just
q little more than . century ago, when
Miguel Hidalgo Costilla. the parish
priest of Dolores, arose a. the Glib
orator" of Mexico and clutched con-
troll from the feeble hands of the
Spanish viceroy.
An obscure country priest, Hidalgo
conspired with his own parrish in the
state OF Guanajuara in 1910 and in the
fall of that year, when he rang the
bell OF his church to call the people to
war, an army of $4,000 rallied to his
standard, He pressed on toward Mex
leo City. with constantly increasing
numbers, until he had q 100, 900 patri.
otto, but undisciplined, men.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05

state Of Montana and to municipalities
In the state, must be q % low . rats
% 10 made to the railway company;
there 10 no transfer permitted Of the
grant; the company 10 forbidden to
claim any earning value for the per-
NIT. On its part, the company has
the right to protest in the Icourts any
rate which the government fxes, II it
10 regarded 70 unreasonable.
Here 10 . practical instance of rate
regulation. It has been worked out
by practical business men. They have
found It to their advantage TO recog.
nize the rights of the public. The
public, through the government, gives
full recognition to the rights Of the
corporation. Big Business has moth.
ing to fear from the public II Big
Business recognizes the public's rights
and obeys the law. The regulation of
Big Business 10 the safe and sane
solution Of the trust problem. The
Missouliau.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Must Pay Panama.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-In . speci.
al message to congress, President
Taft urgently recommends the imme-
diate appropriation of $3.50, 900 for the
fret annual payment to Panama I'm.
der the terms of the treaty by which
Panama gave the United States per-
mission to build the Panama canal.
The treaty provided that in addition to
$40, 900 900 in gold paid for the canal
zone, an annual sum of $3.50, 900 was
to be paid IS long as the treaty ex.
listed, beginning nine years after rati-
tication of the treaty. The first pay.
ment is due February 26.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Political Leaders Will Retire.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-Many noted
leaders of the senate and house today
entered upon the final week of their
congressional careers. When the
Sixty.third congress assemblies in ex.
traordinary session . few weeks hence
there will be much about it str anee to
those who have long been familiar
with the personnel of past congresses.
In the house the most conspicuous
thing will be the absence OF "Uncle
Joe" Cannon. 1t IL more than forty
years since Mr.. Cannon was first
elected . member Of the house, and he
has occupied . seat in that body ever
since. except during the term 1913.
He has served as . member OF the
houee longer than any other man that
has ever occupied . seat there, and
his services Is speaker exceed that
of any other man except Henry Clay.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Railroads Are Responsible.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-1rrespec.
tive of the Hepburn rate law, the su-
preme court held yesterday . person
accepting %gratuitous transportation
from . railroad still 10 under the pro-
lection OF state law against injury or
death by negligence.
The decision IA reached in the
case of the heirs of Charles A. Schu-
yler, assistant chief clerk OF the rail-
way mail service stationed at Ogden,
Utah, killed in . wreck while riding
free on his "commission:, as q rail-
way mail employe in a mail car.
The Southern Pacific railway claim
ed he was q tresspasser because its
employees had no right TO admit him
to the car and therefore il was not
liable for his death.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Would Fumigate Capitol.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 26.-Suggesttng
that the "heavy germ-l sden atmos-
phere of the capitol was in part re-
sponsible for the unusual death rate
OF the 62nd cougress" Representative
j. b. Moore of Pennsylvauis intro
duced = resolution yesterday to auth
orize q thorough fumigation of the
capitol and the instsllment of an effec.
tive system of ventilation before the
beginning of the extra session.
Seven senators and 18 representa-
ttves died during the 62nd congress.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Millions For Public Buildings.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-After an
all night session filled with q bitter
struggle over public building appro.
priations, the senate at $3.50 o'clock
this morning passed the public build.
ing appropriation bill, carrying an in.
crease OF nearly SIG, 900, 900 over the
s25, ZOO, 900 bill % passed by the house.
One sweeping amendment inserted
just before passing, at the suggestion
of Senator Kern of Indiana, prohibit
ed the erection of . building or the
purchase Of . site for postoeice pur-
poses exclusively, In . city where the
postal receipts were less than 90, 900
q year. The change would hold up
indefinitely the erection OF 60 or 10
buildings authorized in the bill.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Good Prices For Livestock.
Stanford World.

oAA VIVIAN.
The desire of the Judith Basin farm.
er to get away from the business OF
raising grain exclusively Is being very
~convincingly shown at the sales held
at various farms throughout the west
side this winter. All manner of live
stock brings prices seldom offered at
either auction or private sales, but the
demand for milch cows seems to ex-
coed any other. The fact was couvinc-
ingly emphasized at the W. p. Peck
sale held on the Coffee creek ranch
last Monday, when q grade mich COW
with q calf at her side was purchased
at Sal. Prices paid for other COWS
we're 1914. SG, "a, $50 and SO, respec-
lively, the lowest price for any animal
In the herd being $40.
The horses disposed of at this sale
brought prices noticeably above the
mark usually paid for farm animals,
although Mr.. Peck's stock was of a
very good quality. The highest price
bs'~ VI " C1A6aS GSou "oS WI . wv
but several others we're purchased at
figures very closely approximatlng
that amount. The total proceeds of
the sale were SIP, 600.
An incident of the sale that has a
rather peculiar significance in con-
nection with the use of power ma
chinery on the farm was the purchase
OF two big steam blowing outfits that
were knocked down. one for 5000 and
the other for $1,000. These machines
were comparatively lei and the orig
insl purchase price must have been
more than three times that realized
1t tho sale. This would seem to bear
out the assertion that power ma
chinery, especially of the larger type,
Ia not . bowling success a. q means
OF conducting farm oper stions.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Attacks Weather Bureau,

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-In . resolu.
ton attacking alleged political sctivi-
ties of Chief Moore of the weather
bureau, Representative Akin says tina,
the forecssters guess at temperatures
and rainfall, and adds: "Irrigation
projects and dry farmers In the west
40 expanding thousands of dollars
each year needlessly on account of
assuming that the worse than useless
records of rainfall At . number of
stations of the weather bureau ore &C.
curate and reliable"
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Brings Colonists For Montana.

NEW YORK, Feb. 25.-The Right
Rev. Victor Day, vicar general OF
the catholic diocese of Helena, Mont,
arrived here tod ay on the steamship
Vaderland, bringing with him 70 COL
onists. from Holland and Belgium,
who will 60 to Montana. The men OF
the party are practical farmers.
Immediately on his arrival in Mon.
tana, Father Day will go with the i'm.
migrants to Teton county where they
will be given land to file and set-
tie on. he will remain there with
them for about q month to assist them
In getting their farms In order before
returning to his duties in connection
with the Helena parish aud diocese.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Sig Postoffice Receipts.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 24.-Tbe daily
receipts OF the possoface department
have reached %. AZ, 900 which is more
than $780, M greater than tho com.
bined receipts of the government from
all other sources. Figures are set
forth In the quarterly statement
Of the auditor Of the department made
public today. OF the total that poured
into the department during the last
month, $4,000 IL the payment of
postage, special delivery, eeistr alton
and of the other mailing business.
In 1891 the average man expended
81 cents while today the habit Of letter
writing has grown to such IN extent
that the average expenditure 10 $40
. year.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS.

II . bill passed by the state senate
becomes . law. Montana will be
divided into two congregational dis.
tricts 10 each of which . represents.
tive will be elected. In that event,
Montana electors will vote only for 4
congressman from the district In
which they reside.
The measure 10 known % the Abbott
bill, its provisions being - follows:
Section 1-Whenever there shall be
apportioned to the state of Montana
BY the United States congress-, two
representatives In the lower house OF
congress, the state shall be divided
into two congressional districts, to be
known Is congressional district No. /
and congressional district No. 2. Con.
g%ressionsl district No. l sh all consist
of and embrace the counties OF Lin.
coin. FIathead, Sanders. Missoula,
Powell, Lewis and Clark, Ravalli,
Granite, Deer Lodge, Br~oadwster,
Jefferson, Beaverhead. Silver Bow,
Madison and Gallstin; and oil coun.
ties created therefrom shall be known
and designated % congressional dis.
trict No. /.
Section 2-The counties of Teton,
Cascade, Chouteau, Hill. Blaine, Val.
ley, Dawson, Custer, Fergus, Mesgher,
Musselshell. Park, Rosebud, Sweet.
grass, Yellowstone, Big Horn and
Carbon, and all counties created there
from shall be known and designated
az congressional district No. 2.
Section 3.-Whenever any county Is
crested, comprised partly OF the terri
tory of both such districts. said county
shall belong to and become . part of
the district to which the major portion
OF the territory of said county be.
longed and vas q part of prior to the
creation Of such new county.
Election returns OF recent years in
dictate a large democratic majority In
the counties comprising the first con.
gressional district, under normal con.
ditions; while in the second district
the republican vote generally predomi-
mates when the party is united.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Bridge Nine Miles Long.

Specifications for q suspension
bridge to be built over San Francisco
bay between San Francisco and Oak.
land were recently presented to the
San Francieco supervisors by q Los
Angeles engineer. His plans call for
. bridge 81 miles in length, including
Its approaches in the two cities. This
bridge, to be the longest and In every
way most massive in the world. would
be supported by 10 piers, placed $3.50
feet apart, and it would cross the bay
at an elevation of $50 feet above the
water. A c~ross.section view of the
proposed bridge appears in the Feb
rusry Popular Mechanics magazine.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
Governor Wilson Resigns.

TTENToN, N. j., Feb. 25.-Presi-
dent.elect Wilson resigned the COVER
norship of New Jersey at one o'clock
today to take effect at noon Saturda y
March l. The governor wrote his
registration in his own hand and sent
II by Secretary Tumulty to David S.
Carter. the secretary of state.
II shall have the pleasure of being
. priva ate citizen for just three days,
remarked Mr.. Wilson. II Think
he added with . smile. ~ shall cele.
brate the fact by turning handspring,
just to show that l have no dignity OF
Office to maintain"
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
REGULATION OF RATES,

The real Importance Of the announce.
mentt that the Milwaukee railway is TO
be electrified over q considerable por-
ton of It's line did not lie in the fact
that this step is probably the first
movement toward the complete substi-
tuition of electric power for ste Am on
the great railway system. Important
as was this feature of the news, the
great significance of the announcement
lay in the means by which the step
was made possible.
The application of the power from
the falls of the Missouri to the opera
ton of the Milwaukee railway system
was made possible through q grant
from the department Of the interior
and this grant, in turn, was made
possible by the agreement of the rail.
way company and the power company
to the terms Of regulation laid down
by the secretary of the interior.
The experience of the railways in
this matter of regulation was that it
was to their advantage, although it
had been resisted to the uttermost %
fnimical to the welfare of the tr ans.
portation companies. The railway
men have found that they have really
been the gamers in the regulation of
rates. Rebsting and the issue OF
passes have been stopped and the
thoussnds of dollars thus saved to the
companies more than compensate for
the curtsilment following regulated
rates.
In the agreement which led to the
issue of the permit to the Milwaukee
company and to the Great Falls power
concern, there is mutual recognition
of rights. The department reserves
the right to inspect the rates of SER
vice; there IL provision for the inspec-
ton by the government of all the
books OF the company; the sale OF
power to the United States. to the
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
New York Police Graft,

In the March American Magazine
sppesrs the "Diary Of . Cop," In
which . New York policeman tells the
story OF his adventures. Following Ia
On extr act:
"There are about 10000 cope on the
force, and . low estimate of the graf,
paid for protection when Tammany IL
In power. and there 10 q liberal admin.
istr ration, is 1880, 900 . year. There
lent one 10 . hundred OF the cops thu,
gets . look.in on the big graft. II oil
goes straight to the 'higher.ups. Even
those who get the graft don't extort It
from anybody. 1t 10 given to them
freely. and BY the people who are
willing to pay to u . business pro.
hibited BY law.
"The ordinary gambling house pays
900 . month. but ono OF the biggest
and finest In the country paid u, 500 10
stsrt up. Two other big houses psy
d, 900 . month. Pool.rooms, stuss and
crap games, and the smaller outfits oil
over the city pay from 900 . month
down to $50.
1.-THE meanest Of all the graft 10
taken by the cheap district politicians.
Some Of them have interests In the
houses, and hotels where people are
not required to have baggage. They
not only get this money. but they also
from 600 q year up to men and
women for selling newspapers at the
subway and elev atsd entrances. They
invest in the gambling and d~isorderly
houses as silent partners"
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
White Slave Law Upheld.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-On the the
ory that traffic In women In interstate
commerce may be regulated by legis-
lation 40 we'll rs the traffic in drugs,
the supreme court Of the United States
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05

MlssoULA, February 27.-Coroner
Marsh was called to St. Regis tonight
to investigate the death of Dick viii.
o there today. Wilson fell from .
railroad bridge q feet high and was
instantly killed. He 10 a member Of
the Masonic lodge of this city and
leaves . wife and four children.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05
MOVING THE A FAIR.

To . disinterested observer it would
appear that some of the residents Of
Great Falls have become unduly ex.
cited and vindicstve over the failure of
. proposition to remove the state fair
from Helena to that city. The matter
vas presented in . bill that failed to
receive . majority vote in the legisla.
tive assembly, among the membsrs in
opposition being Messrs. Kirschwing
and Durham, two representatives from
Cascade county, and these men are
accused of treason and other high and
low crimes against their home COM
munity. They were consigned to poll
tical and social oblivion Of . mass
meeting Of indignant Great Falls citi-
zens, pilloried by the Great Falls
newspapers 40 traitors and undesir.
able citizens, and hooted and insulted
on the public streets by . number of
men who assumed that was . proper
way to express their feelings.
There are probably two sides to this
controversy, % is usually the case,
and the inside history Of tho affair
may never be fully known. One story
is to the effect that the proposal to
move the state fair was intended mere
~ % . club TO bring certain members
into line In connection with other pro-
posed Legislation. Another explaua-
tion says the attack upon Representa-
tive Kirschwing was due largely to
his activity In support Of "progres.
sive" legislation-thst his bill for a|
license tax on copper and other
mineral products aroused the sntag.
onism of influential interests. 1t is
also alleged that political opponents
Of Kirechwiug we're mainly responsi.
BILE for the spectacular demonstrations
In his home town, which we're intended
to discredit him in IN application for
. federal appointment.
There 10 no way of arriving at the
truth OF these stories, but the attempt
to change the location of the state
fair by legislative ensctment-which
10 the cause Of all this bitterness and
undigni6ed proceedings-cslls atten.
tion to unpleasant possibilities In this
connection. In the event of removal
of the state fair or any other public
institution by an act of the Thirteenth
assembly. what 10 to prevent the re-.
moval of the same to another loca-
ton two years hence-and a biennial
change thereafter? tApsrt from con-.
venience and centrality of location,
there are other public interestr In
volved. The present state fair plant
represents a large expenditure of pub
Lie funds, aud to duplicate such an
investment elsewhere-with q possibili-
ty Of repeating the expenditures at
other places-would be an unwise
proceeding.
The incident, however, may serve
as a warning to the Helena state fair
management that better business
methods should apply to its proceed
ings. There is q general belief that
the state fair costs more than It is
worth-that appropriations sought at
sessions are excessive. The
Whiteside bill contemplating state
fair expenditures of half q million
dollars, to be authorized by popular
vote, Is an illustr alton of the extrava-
CANT ideas entertained by enthusiasts
but which do not look good to many
of the citizens who provide the funds.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-03-05

today upheld the validity of the ted.
ersl white slave trsfic act Of 1910.
It had been commended that this cues.
Sion OF morality was reserved for &C.
ton BY the states