The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1917-03-30
NEWS NOTES

~%Sht VA NlAll AtdNEll
Pa, recently visited a poor house and
requested that he might be allawed to
pick a wife from among the inmates
The keeper agreed to it and after look
ing over the women that were present
ed for his inspection Hokansky select
ed young woman that he thought
would do. Her consent obtained, they
set out for the nearest town where
they were duly made man and wife.
AS result of the recent investiga-
tons of the high cost of fuel conduct
ed by the federal grand jury two sep
arate indictments have been returned
against more than one hundred coal
corporations and scores of individuals
connected with the coal business, charg
ing them with violating the Sherman
antitrust law by unlawfully combining
to control the price of coal. In the
first case, it is charged, the defendants
formed a combination among produc-
ers and selling agents-mostly in dis
tricts of West Virginia-and fixed pri-
ces at which a large share of the coal
mined there was marketed. The other
Indictment charges number of min
ing companies with combining with
selling agents to pool all proceeds de-
rived from the sales of coal that were
made. During the present year the
price of coal has more than doubled
at the mines, causing prices else
where to rise even more; in Boston
people have paid as high as $13 ton.
1t has been known for some time
that large quantities of anthracite
coal existed in the beds of certain riv-
ers running through the anthracite re-
gions of Pennsylvania, the coal having
been washed down years ago. In the
.Susquehanna river, the Skuylkill and
the Lehigh, these deposits are exceed
ingly heavy, being found in great
quantities just above the river dams
and in natural pockets along the river
beds. During the past few years COM
panies, independent of owners and op-
orators of coal mines, have been at
work digging out this coal by means
OF dredges, selling it afterward direct
to the consumers. The coal is said to
be of excellent quality, in fact, much of
1T is superior to that obtained direct
from the mines. The cost of dredg-
ing averages about lie per ton and
the price to consumers has been as low
as $1.35.
The growing scarcity of sponges has
warned those familiar with harvesting
them that unless means are provided
to augment the natural supply the
sponge industry will be seriously Grip
pied in few years more. Govern
ment experts have been experimenting
on the growing of sponges and have
ascertained practically the only feast
BILE ways by which they can be cult
waited at all successfully, Awaiting
themselves of this knowledge gained
from experiments, C. w. Chase, an
Englishman living in Florida, some
time ago selected site off the Florida
coast where he started sponge farm.
AT present he has about 100000 spon-
ges growing there which are capable
by subdivision of increasing about ten
fold every three years. A company
has been formed to promote the enter
prise, which plans to keep the number
already started multiplying at least
three years before putting any of them
on the market. At the end of that
time an annual income of about 2,00O.-
900 sponges can be had, they say.
A war kite-balloon was recently
presented to the U. S. Army by a
group of women of New York. Mai.
Gen. Wood, commander of the eastern
department of the army, expressed
qualification over the gift and said
that it would be put into use immedi-
ately.
A new pension system under which
aged clergymen can receive pensions
went into effect recently in the Protes-
tant Episcopal church. Another pro-
vision makes widows and orphans of
the clergy also eligible for pensions.
Several beggars who for a number
of Sundays have made themselves con-
spicuous by stopping people on their
way to church and asking aims were
arrested in New York city few days
ago. Upon being searched at police
headquarters it was found that each
one of them possessed a large roll Of.
bills. One of them is said to have htSgSI
in his possession deeds to several valu-
able parcels of land.
American people are spending more
for candy every year; according to
figures compiled recently by the census
bureau they spent over $1S5,000,000
for factory made sweets last year,
which is an average Of about $3.50 for
every man, woman and child. Figures
recorded 65 years ago show that the
annual per capita consumption of can
dy was then about 13 cents.
The Florentine Musicians gave a
most delightful entertainment at the
High School Wednesday evening. This
was the last number Of the Lyceum
course for this season. The people of
Brownsville are indebted to Prof. Nc
Laurine for securing these delightful
entertainments, and next season he
would appreciate larger patronage
than before.
John Wallace, widely known as Capt
Jack Crowford, scout and Indian fight