FURTHER DETAILS OF ALLEGED
GREAT ALASKAN CONSPIRACY
Seattle, Wash. Nov. 23.--The Even-
ing Times publishes a story which is
offered as confirmation of a story pub-
lished in the San ]~h'ancisco Call to the
effect that a conspiracy had been
planned for covering the entire North-
western Territory for the overthrow of
the Canadian rule and the establish-
ment of an independent republic. The
scheme has been abandoned because
of the publicity given it.
• The Times, in its article, lays great
stress on the story obtained from Fred
Clark, formerly a stage manager in
this city, but who has been in the Yu-
fected miners on the upper Yukon in
which nineteen different ~ianses were
given as being reasons of an uprising.
These dealt with defective mining
laws, corruption of officials, royalty,
liquor traffic and gambling, delays in
the courts. British Columbia alien act
duties, miners' and loggers' licenses,
recording fees slid boundary disputes.
A similar circular was handed to busi-
ness men of Skaguay, in which they
were solicited to give financial support
to the enterprise, and for a time Clark
made his headquarters at the latter
place, conducting a junta in the inter-
ken country for some time, in which ] ests of the order. The plotters, accord-
he admits a knowledge of the "Order of lag to the Times. anticipated no trou-
the Midnight Sun," which is supposed ble in getting together men enough to
to have been organized for the sole overpower the mounted police at dif-
purpose of the rebellion. It is claimed ferent towns of the interior.
that the order was originally instituted The raid was to be started on the
in strict secrecy In Dawson in Decem- border, and as fast as a town w'~s
her of 1900, and from there spread
along the length of the upper Yukon,
with branches as far as Circle City on
one hand, and Skaguay and &Ilia in
the other direction.
It is said that men came to Seattle
tn the interests of the uprising and so-
licited support in the way of financial
contributions. The Times says that no
arms were bought. The total member-
ship of the "Order of the Midnight
Sun" Is placed at 1,500, although the
members confidently expect outside as-
sistance that would bring the total
army of insurrection to almost 5.000.
The Times says that in the early days
of the organization a circular was is-
sued and secretly distributed to disaf-
overpowered a revolutionary govern-
ment was to be installed. Local offi-
cials were to be seized and held as
hostages. 'l~ae raid was to be started
immediately after the close of naviga-
tion, and the telegraph lines to Daw-
son were to be cut in a dozen different
places. The leaders are said to have
believed that the Canadian govern-
ment would be months in getting in
men, and that at least it would have
been compelled to make terms with
the insurgents before they laid down
their arms. The conspiracy Is said to
be dead.
The Times claims to have in its pos-
session documents end seals of the
"Order of the Midnight Sun."
GOVERNMENT IS FIGHTING TO
OPEN THE WESTERN RANGES
,Cheyenne, Wyo., Nov. 23.--(Denver
Republican Special.)--The case of the
United States against A. A. Spaugh,
the big cattle owner of Manville, Wyo-
ming, is attracting widespread atten-
tion, as this is the first action of the
government In a campaign against the
range grabbers of the West. Spaugh
is charged with illegally fencing and
withholding from settlement a large
tract of land in Converse county, this
state.
The trial of the case was commenced
before Judge Riner in the federal court
here several days ago. Over thirty
witnesses are in attendance and
Spaugh and his friends are making a
big fight against the government and
its agents. Spaugh is defended by
Judge J. ~V. Lacey, one of the best
known lawyers in the West. while the
ease is being prosecuted by District
Attorney T. P. Burke.
The prosecution rested its case at
noon yesterday and the defense is now
presenting its side.
The testimony for the government
disclosed that Spaugh has built seven-
ty-five miles of fence, which, In con-
junction with fences belonging to five
of his ranches, has enclosed twenty-
four townships, a large portion of
which is government land. Spaugh has
riders out to guard his big fence and
prevent any one destroying it. Within
the enclosure he pastures over 20,000
cattle; also small bunches of cattle and
sheep owned by other persons, Spaugh
charging a range rental for these
flocks and herds.
The testimony also shows that
Spaugh has .repeatedly refused to per-
mit any outsiders to graze stock with-
in the big pasture, despite the fact
that most of the land is government
property, and open to entry. It is also
alleged that Spaugh and his men have
had frequent quarrels and altercations
with ranchmen and others who have
attempted to avail themselves of the
right of free range,, and that on nu-
merous occasions firearms have been
used•
If the government fails to convict
Spaugh in its first trespass case the
results will be far-reaching and the
big cattle and sheep concerns, who are
known to have fenced and now hold
thousands of acres of government land,
will be furnished a precedent•
But those who are famlllar with the
present test case have no fears of a
verdict being returned against the gov-
ernment. They predict that Spaugh
will be compelled to remove his miles
and miles of fences. A start having
once been made the government will
pursue its fence-removing policy every-
where, and especially in Wyoming,
Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Arizona
and New Mexico, where millions of
acres of range have been fenced up,
BODIES ALL FOUND IN
SMUGGLER UNION MINE
Denver, Nov. 23.--The Denver News'
Telluride correspondent telegraphed
last night as follows:
Sixty hours have elapsed since the
breaking out of the disastrous fire at
the Sm~tggler-Union. Recovering the
bodies of the entombed miners has pro-
gressed slowly, but to-day at 11 o'clock
the body of the last man to be account-
ed for,. that of John Nevala, was
brought to the surface. All In the mine
at the time of the fire are now account-
ed for, and at noon the search for
bodies was practically abandoned.
There is yet a possibility that others
may be found in stopes not yet reached,
bat this is very doubtful, for the day
shift did not have time to reach any
distant mopes before the alarm of fire
was given, It is unreasonable to sup-
pose that any man would have climbed
into the stopes after being warned of
the impending danger.
The body of John N~vala, a Fin-
lander, was found at No. {}'mill and sev-
enth level, north stopes. The body was
Immediately removed to TeUnride and
placed in the morgue to await burial.
He was a single man and had no rela-
fives in this country, so far as known.
Hugh O'Neil, who met his death in
attempting to rescue others, died to-
day, shortly after I o'clock..The body
was removed from the mine 'to the
morgue at Tellurlde, and is the twenty-
fourth corpse placed there as a result
of the Smuggler-Union conflagration.
Supper was served to-night at the
Smuggler boarding house, but no meals
will be served to-morrow.~ The rea-
son for this action is that ~'he funeral
of the twenty-four victims occurs to-
morrow in Telluride, and not only all
miners from the Smuggler-Union will
be in attendance, but those of the
neighboring mip~em well
Will Keep Isthmus Ol~tt.
Colon, Colombla, Nov. 22.--It is re-
ported that the government has ad-
dressed h communlcatlonto the United
States co~ul general, setting forth
that it cannot guarantee protection for
isthmian tra~lt.
Washington, Nov. 22.--The answer of
Colombian government to the rep-
resentations of Consul Genera~ Oudger
to the effeot that the government was
lmable to guarantee the integrity of
railway communication across the Isth-
mus, was purpea~y developed'in order
to make perfectly plain the fact that
COLORADO MIDLAND IS
CONTROLLED BY GOULD
Denver, Nov. 23.--The election of a
new board of directors of the Colorado
Midland railroad, which took place at
the annual meeting Thursday, is said
to be especially significant for two
reasons. First, because it is apparent
that George Gould is in active control
of the railroad, something which here-
tofore has been strenuously denied,
and, second, because this alliance prob-
ably will preclude any possibility of a
rate war and general antagonism be-
tween the Colorado & Southern and the
Denver & Rio Grande, in which it was
thought the Midland might be a strong
factor.
The Colorado Midland has ostensibly
been owned by the Rio Grands Western
and the Colorado & Soilthern. Mr.
Gould recently purchased the Rio
Grands Western and the Colorado &
Southern, and at the time of the pur-
chase it was said that it included the
interest in the Colorado Midland held
by that road. This was denied by Mr.
Gould, who claimed that the Midland
property was in the hands of the Rio
Grands Western Construction Compa-
ny. The Midland might have been used
to fight Mr. Gould's company had he
not secured control of the road.
It Is probable that the election of
the new board of directors will be the
means of effectlng a great many
changes in the management of the Mid-
land. Colonel D. C. Dodge and George
F, Peabody, who formerly were active
in the management of the road, are
not on the new board of directors and
it is sald that they will have no fur-
ther connection with the road. The dl.
rectors elected at Thursday's meeting
were as follows: Grenville M. Dodge,
Henry Budge, J. Kennedy Ted, E. O.
Henders0n, George g. Gould, Edwin
Gould, W. 8. Pierce, Lawrence Greet,
E. T. Jef~ery and Fr~mk Trumbull.
The directors meet each Thursday in
New York and It is c0mddered proba.
ble that when tl~ey meet a week from
next Thursday they will elect Frank
Trumbull preside~t of the Colorado
Midland and that the Colorado &
Southern directors will re-elect him
president of that road. Mr. Trumbnll
is preparing to leave for the F~st this
week and will be present at the direct-
ors' meetings, at which other officers
of the road also will be named.
]UaLreh|nS, on Pmn~.
Colon, Colombia, Nov. 22.--The latest
COLORADO NOTES.
The florists of Denver propose to
hold a flower show next April.
Track laying on the new tramway
line from Elitch's Gardens to Aravada
has been commenced. It will be com-
pleted in a month.
Mrs. Finis P. Ernest of Denver has
been appointed member from Colorado
to the Board of Managers of the St.
Louis Exposition.
The Denver IIousemaid's Union has
had to expel sever-d woman managers
of employment agencies who g'lined
admission in the guise of working
girls.
John S. Stidger, special agent of the
general land office, has been trans-
ferred to the Denver district from the
Montrose district. He will take up his
new duties on December 1st,
On its second pay day at Rocky Ford
the American Beet Sugar Company dis-
bursed $140,000 te farmers, who are
said to be generally making more from
their beets this year than last.
A. B. McKinley, who was struck by a
car and badly injured some two weeks
ago in Denver. is reported to be much
better and his physicians believe that
within a few weeks he will be able tc
walk. "
Bud ,Parrott. tried in the District
Court at Ouray for the murder el
Charles Randall. was found guilty and
sentenced to life imprisonment. The
jury stood for some time eleven to one
in favor of hanging.
George F. Peabody of New York h'as
offered $1,000 toward the ° building
fund of the Colorado Springs Y. M. C,
A. He is a member of the Board of
Trustees of Colorado College, having
been interested in the institution by
General Palmer.
A ten per cent. dividend is about to
be d~clared to the depositors of the de-
funct Peoples' Savings Bank of Den-
ver. by F. J. Spencer, assignee. This
will bring the total dividends paid to
86V2 cents on the dollar. Mr. Spencer
says that all the depositors will event.
ually be paid in full.
The Denver Board of Aldermen after
~lefeating a resolution to change the
name of City park to McKinley park,
reconsidered the vote at a subsequent
meeting and adopted the measure. It
will have to be passed by the supervis-
ors and approved by the mayor before
it goes Into effect.
The Colorado Telegraph at Colorado
Springs has been sold to a syndicate
of local capitalists for $125.000. Lewis
Gaylord, owner of the controlling in-
terest, retires, his equity being settled
for on a basis of $90,000. The new
owners recently secured control of the
Evening Mail. and these two papers
will be consolidated under the name of
the Colorado Telegraph, the Mail obe-
lag superseded.
The Pope's entourage deny the report
circulated in the United States by a
news agency that Bishop Matz of Den-
ver has been asked for his resignation
on account of his difficulties with the
Irish-Amerlcan clergy of Denver. Fur-
TELEGRAPHIC BREVITIES.
The Colombian government has ao-
cepted the proffered mediation of Chili
to settle the troubles between Colombia
and Venezuela.
Seven troops of the Fifteenth cav-
alry, now in the Department of Call-
fornia, will sail for the Philippines
December 10th.
Forty thousand acres of land near
Navajo, Creer county, Oklahoma, were
sold Monday to a colony of Germans
of 1,000 families.
An earthquake in Cantonbury dis-
trict. New Zealand. has devastated the
township of Cheviot. Many people
have been injured.
According to the Petit Bleu of Brus-
sels, the wife and family of former
President Steyn have been deported
from South Africa.
Citizens of Oskaloosa, Iowa. by a
popular subscription, have ple.dged a
fund for the erection of a $40,000 buld-
ing for the Y. M. C. A.
Spain is having serious trouble with
students in Madrid and other large cit-
ies. It is announeed that the govern-
ment will adopt severe measures,
During the late fog in England the
driver of a London omnibus was found
dead in his box while the vehicle was
still running. He was a victim of cohl
fog.
It is announced at Oyster Bay, Long
Island, that President Roosevelt and
family will occupy their country villa
on Sagamore hill at Oyster Bay next
Bummer.
Fire in the canning building of the
Cudahy packing establishment at Kan-
sas City on the 15th instant damaged
the building and stock to the amount
of $150.000.
Rumors are published in Japan t"~at
the governor of North Kiang Slang,
province of Korea. has given orders
that all foreigners 4lying in the Drov-
Ince are to be killed.
"The Indian government," says a dis.
patch from Slmia. "has abolished the
sword for the cavalry, both British and
Indian, and a short rifle will be issued
to all mounted trbops."
For $1,000,000 the American Bridge
Company of Philadelphia has secured
a contract for the construction of
twenty steel bridges along the line of
the Uganda raih.oad in East Africa.
The negotiations between the govern-
ments of the United States and Den-
mark relative to the cession to the
United States of the Danish West
Indies have been transferred to Wash-
ington.
Argument was closed November 18th
in the Federal Supreme Court in. the
case of the United States vs. the Rio
Grands hTigation Company, the Ele-
phant Butte dam controversy, tLud the
decision was reserved.
The delegation of the Argentine Re-
public to the Pan-American eongres~ at
Mexico City entertained their United
States and Mexican colleagues at a
banquet. The full delegation of the
United States was present,
ther inquiries brought out an official News from Hardin county, Texas,
statement to the effect that Bishop confirms the report that a well of al-
Matz had not been asked to resign, most pure lubricating oil has been
Prominent priests in Denver declare
that no friction exists.
At a meeting of the directors of the
Colorado Chautauqua at Boulder, No-
vember 20th, the following executive
committee was seleeted: Chairman, J.
H. Nicholson; members, R. M. Deigns,
M. S. Whiteley, George M. McClure
an~! A. A. Reed. The committee ¢o
solicit the guarantee fund reported
progress to the extent of $3,000 of the
$6,000 which it has in contemplation as
having been pledged for the support
(,f next year's session.
In behalf ~f the Board of Trustees of
the Denver University Vice President
J. W. Gilluly and Secretary Joseph 0.
Shattuck have issued a statement
brought in that flows 150 barrels of oil
per day. The new well is about thirty
miles northwest of Beaumont.
Inspection of the spectrum of a flash
of lightning as shown in a photograph
leads Professor E. C. Pickering, di-
rector of the Harvard observatory, to
believe that hydrogen is a compound
element, made up of at least three
components.
The numerous grievances of Austria-
Hungary against Turkey have been
settled by the agreement of the porte
to pay 90.000 francs to the Armenian
victims and by adjusting, financially
and otherwise, the wrongs arising from
eight other mattel~s of dispute.
thanking the friends of that institution Huntington interests have come to
who assisted in the efforts to avert the the front with another big lncorpora.
sale of the University hall; and an- tlon. The Kern Power company, with
nounce that a compromise has been
made under which the University pays
its interest in full and is allowed fif-
teen months longer on the principal.
The annual meeting of the Associated
Charities of Pueblo was held at the
Grand ~Opera House November 24th
and was largely attended. Rev. E.
Evan Carrington of Colorado Springs
was the principal speaker and gave a
resume of the work of the organization
throughout the state. Mrs. Izetta
George, secretary of the Associated
Charities of Denver gave an illustrated
lecture on the conditions existing in
,the capital city among the poor.
The Weld County Teachers' Associa-
tian held its eighteenth annual conven-
tion at Greeley November 23rd, a large
proportion of schools throughout the
county being represented. The officers
chosen for the coming year are: Presi-
dent, County Superintendent" J. E.
Snook; vice president, A. B. Cooke of
Erie; secretary and treasurer, Edna
West of Greeley. EXeCUtive commit-
tee: Bertha Brooks of La Salle, W.'G,
Weber of Greeley and R. S. Dickey of
Windsor.
Unless some relief is soon found for
the congested condition in the Pueblo'
yards, and a remed~r for the present
shortage of ears, it is asserted that
there is likely to be a coal famine, as
well as serious delays in the delivery
to Pueblo of orders for all kinds of
merchandise• The blockade existing
a month ago has been intensified by
the recent switchmen's strike, until
now the serious problem of securing
sufficient ears m handle the business
~h sight is forcing itself upon the rail-
roads.
The future of the Archnieta county
oil region will soon be known, says the
Pagosa Springs correspondent of the
Denver Republican. Work of reaming
is going ahead rapidly at the Pagosa
company's well and it will be oMY a
few days until the water is eased off
and the amount and quality of oll de-
termined. The Colorado Oil and Ex-
ploration Company has its well in Coy-
ote Park down 1,150 feet but so far has
a capital of $5,000,000 fully subscribed,
filed papers of incorporation. It is IUX~-
posed to obtain power on Kern river,
150 miles north of Los Angeles.
Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Griswold MerLe,
the widow of Professor Samuel F. B.
Morse. the inventor of the telegraph,
died in' Berlin, Germany, on the 14th
inst. She was Professor Morse's sec-
ond wife and was married to him in
1848. She was born in 1822.
The Japauese minister at Washing-
t~n says that his country has enJoyc.d
one of the most prosperous years in
its history. The rice and silk crops
have been unusually large and there
Is a steady influx of gold as a result
of the trade. Reports of the existence
of a financial panic are unfounded.
William Stone, chairman of the
Ornithological Society, at its recent
meeting in ,New York reported that at
the rate of progress made it was safe
to predict that the feather dealers
would soon be driven to the wall, or
at least find their business much re-
stricted.
A Berlin dispatch says that the can-
cer investigations made by Professor
RoSwell Park of the University of Buf-
falo have given results in every way
identical with those secured by Profes-
sor Maximilian Schueller of the Berlin
University. although the investigations
were made independently of each
other.
It is said that Broker T. Washington,
when he visited Windsor castle during
a trip to Europe, was entertained at
tea by Queen Victoria and while, in
Paris attended a banquet which was
presided over by United States Ambas.
sador Porter. the late ex=Presideng
Harrison and Archbishop Ireland be-
ing present.
At Its meeting In Indianapolis this
month the Soelety of the Army of the
Tennessee elected the follo~vlng offi-
cers: President, General Grenville M.
Dodge, New York: corresponding sec-
retary, A, Hickenlooper, Cincinnati;
recording secretary, Colonel Cornelitm
Cable, Cincinnati; treasurer, Major A.
news obtainable here Is that the Lib- found only a seep of o11. The drilling
the United States was perfectly Jnatl- eral GenerR1 Lugs'has arrived at Era- is going right along and the experts are
fled in lan~lng its forces at Colon.. pire station, twelve miles from Pan- confident they will get oil at greater
;~ih this formal aeknow! ,edge. meat ama, with ~t f.er.eo .said to number 1,000 depth, as the formation is considerably
u~oJm~m.n goy~rnmea.t a mann-, men: :L~e ~merais are gaining ann lighter than at the well he .... ~,~,-
I~l,~tt~z{1a ~_~t~at~nl~_o~,_._lt ~_be_~.I a _rmlng l~any re.crul~ along the whole., by Professor Lake's ~p(~l~.~?~ley~ll~ave
, ~ *~_~.m, ~_o~. t~e private ~.u~ ~engra el: toe ra!!roaa ana now control i already eased, off th~ flnw ne ~r~o~tnn
.. .U~, or tt~e united ,Btare~ ,u~rt the line up to wlthtn two miles from ~ water struck at 550 eet he Col fade
2' o
• .ae. treaty .0r .oranaaa .3o guarantee ranam~ An attac~ on that city ts .eX- | Mutual Coal and 0il 0omnanv ~a mak-
er for~ l~ need, | ne~s ~ felt th~ ] favorable. .._ "
M. Van Dyke. Cincinnati.
Rev. Henry Bowman. perhaps the
oldest Methodist preacher, who was ac-
tlv~ in the pulpit up to the time of his
death, died at Bloomington, Illinois, on
the 14th instant, aged ninety-five. He
preached for seventy-seven years and
"~came famous throughout the South
for abolition utterances during the
war. Since 1868 he has been a circuit
rkhr throUgh IlUnois.
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
Pl~ns for Forestry Reform
It is stated that Sec'etary ttttchcock
has undertaken to effect radical re-
forms in the administration of forestry
,'tffalrs in the "West under control of
the Interior Department. He will en-
deavor ~o secure at the coming sexton
of Congress legislation which will en-
able the department to apply a num-
ber of new and practical principles of
fox,retry administration and regulation.
The secretary, first of all, desires to
create several additional forest re-
serves in the West, but with bound-
aries carefully drawn so .that no in-
Jury will be done settlers, and so that
the smallest amount of scrip will be
liberated. The extension of forestry
reserve area is. in the opinion of the
secretary, a vital requirement for the
preservation of western forests.
In an outline of proposed changes the
secretary recites that every effort
should be made by government officials
to gain the good will of residents in
and near the reserves, and especially
to create public sentiment against for-
est fires and willingness to assist in
reducing them. He favors abolition of
the office of superintendent of forest
reserves and the concentration of au-
thority with supervisors whose work
should be inspected frequently by in-
specters familiar with the woods and
having technical as well as practical
knowledge.
On the important question of grazing
the secretary holds very liberal views.
He states that the central idea should
be co-operation between the govern-
ment and the grazing interests in se-
euring the best management and bring-
ing about the best condition of the
range. The governmen~ through its
forest offieers~ after consultation with
the repsentatlves of the various Inter-
ests involved, should decide upon the
number of head to be grazed on each
forest reserve, or each sub-division of
a reserve, and should establish the
boundaries between cattle and sheep
ranges. The local stock associations
should assign ranges to owners within
the limits thus laid down. subject to
official approval Both owne~ and
local associations should be held re-
sponsible for the observance of the
terms of permits and the prevention of
fire and overgrazing. Each sheep own-
er should have the exclusive right to
his range, and the same should apply
within reasonabIe Iimits to groups of
cattle owners.
Grazing permits should run for five
years, and residents should have the
precedence In all cases over tramp
owners and owners from other states.
Local questions should be decided on
local grounds and on their own merits
in each separate case. Provision
should be made for necessary routes of
transit in taking stock to and from re~
serves as the seasons change. The en-
tire policy of the government should
be based upon regulation rather than
upon prohibition.
In dealing with the public the secre-
tary urges the adoption of simple,
strict business practices; that settlers
living on or near the reserves be fur-
nished with copies of forestry regula-
tions and rules so as to insure famiL
iarity with their provisions. The rela-
tions between the government and pur-
chasers should be direct, simple and
business-like.
The sale of mature timber should be
encouraged. Dead. down and hopeless-
ly injured timber should be disposed of
as rapidly as possible as Its presence
is at all times a threat to the forest
soil, and the cm~servation of the water
supply. Timber ready for the ax
should be advertised in advance of ap-
plication and marked and measured in
advance of sale whenever the condition
of the forest, the probable market and
the force available will permit. Appli-
cations for timber cutting should reach
'she general land office from the field
accompanied by all papers necessary
for a decision.
The construction of trails should be
pushed through the reserves, and blaz-
ing of boundary lines, collection of in-
formation regarding increases or re-
trenehments of area, the mapping of
timber, and similar work should pro-
seed steadily throughout the year.
The secretary will urge the appro-
priation by Congress of an adequate
fund, from which temporary assistance
in suppressing fires may be paid
promptly, the present dilatory practice
In payments tending to discourage set-
tlers from assisting in fighting fires.
With the adoption of the policy thus
outlined Secretary Hitchcoek is of the
opinion that the forestry interests of
the West will be placed upon a sub-
stantial and practical working basis,
profitable to the government and satis-
factory to the settlers on and adjacent
to the reserves.
Superintendent A. W. Machen of the
free delivery system of the Postoffiee
Department ha s been in conference
with the members of the Civil Service
Commission in relation to a propo0i-
tion to transfer the rural free delivery
branch of the Postoffice DePartment
work to the classified service. This sys-
tem has gradually grown from a small
beginning to large proportions with-
in the Past few years, and as it was
not included in the classified service at
the beginning of its existence, appoint.
ments in that service have been made
without regard to the requirements ef
the civil service law. There are now
between 6.000 and 7,000 persons em-
ployed ifi this work, which extends all
over the United States, and not only
the members of the commission, but
the officials of the Postoffice D~part-
ment itself have come to the conclu-
sion that the service should be em-
braced in the classified service. Su-
perintendent Machen went over the
ground thoroughly with the commis-
sion and while no positive conclusion
was reached, it was stated by both Par-
ties to the conference that the prospect
for the extension of the civil service re-
quirements to the rural free delivery is
good, and it is quite certain that the
extension will be made. Some difficul-
ty has been experienced In determin-
Ing what examination the rural car-
riers should be subjected ¢o and it is
nnderstood that an agreement has been
reached whereby a separate examina-
tion will be arranged for them.
Residing In Washington at present
are three former mistresses of
the
White House--Mrs. Letita Hyler Sere.
~e, daughter of President Tyler; Mrs,
arriet Lane Johnson, niece of Jame~
Buchanan, and Mrs. Ul~mm~ K
DLORAD0'S CAPITAL
The county commis~ners" have de-
cided to buy the collection of skins of
Arapahos county birds, as requestet~
some time ago by (~rator Ferril of
the Sta~e Historical Society. The con
lection will be placed In the capitoL
The Elephant Botts dam case was
argued In the Supreme Court on the
15th Instant. A decision in the contro-
versy is of vital interest to the people
of New Mexlco and portions of south-
western Colorado. The right to con.
struet a dam across the Rio Grands
river near El Paso.is Involved.
Or¢lers have been issued by the War
Department dirt~cting the two compa-
nies of the Twenty-third Infantry at
Forts Logan and Russell. Department
of the Colorado. to take station at Fort
MacPherson. Georgia. Their places
will be filled by troops coming from the
Philippines. Forts Logan and Russell
will be kept filled to their fullest .-.a-
paeity.
The following beard has been aI)-
pointed to mest at Denver for the ex-
amination of such persons as may be
properly before It to determine their
fitness for appointment in" the United
States army: Col. James M. J. Sanno,
E~ghteenth infantry; MaJ. Edward B.
Mosley, surgeon; MaJ. Gen. E. Buslt,
nell, surgeon; Maj. Charles A. Varnum,
Seventh cavalry; MsJ. JILmes A. Irons,
infantry, inspector general; Capt. Delao
mere Skerett, artillery corps, recorder,
Secretary of State Mills is proud of
the fact that the receipts of the office
promise to surpass by $60,000 those of
last year. November 1st the office was
$45,000 ahead of Former Secretary
Beckwith's first year, and so far this
month nearly $8,000 has been added to
that sum. The increase is due to two
things--the increase in the number of
incorporations and the issuance of
hundreds of certificates of authority to
existing companies at $5 eaeh.
Plans for machinery of the Denver
mint have been completed by ~Expert
Healy and are now In the hands.of
the supervising architect at Washing.
ton, who is preparing advertisements
for receiving bids for the interior fin-
tsh, to be published about December
1st. The contract will approximate
$250,000. Funds for this contract are
available, but the supervising archi-
tect will ask for $200.000 additional at
the coming session of Congress, for the
purpose of placing vaults iv, the build-
ing not contemplated In the original
plant. He will also ask for addltional
funds for the I~eadvilie postofllt2e build-
ing.
The annual report of the state ~reas-
urer will show that the state is deriv-
ing a large revenue from that provision
of the revenue law which compel~
plaintiffs and defendant alike to pay
$1 when they begin an action in the
District or County Court, or reply to
a complaint. In the Supreme Court
and the Court of Appeals the docket
fees haw been increased from $5 to
$10 by the law. Since the law has
been in operation the state treasurer
has received from the courts the fol-
lowing amounts: May, $85.95; June,
$1,338.60: July, $1.419.58; August, $1,-
106.78; September, $1,219.90; October,
$3,124.90; up to the llth of this month,
$747.90 The fees collected by the
elerk Of the Court of Appeals and the
Supreme Court during that time were:
Court of Appeals, $2,370, Supreme
Court, $2,395 The County and Dis-
trict courts of Arapahoe county have
paid into the ~tate treasury: County
court, $779; District Court. $918.
The controversy as to who first sug-
gested the holding of the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition, to be held in St.
Louis in 1903. has finally been settled
in favor of Curator Will C. Ferril el'
the Colorado State Historical Society.
Mr. Ferrll's suggestion was made in
1889, when he was a member of the Re-
publican staff and correspondent of
several eastern" papers. On July 14,
1899, he sent a letter to the Kansas
City World in which the openlng ~en-
tence read: "The next great Ameriean
centennial should be held in 1903 in
honor of the Louisiana purchase."
Since it was decided to hold the expo-
sition there has arisen quite a good dis-
cusslon as to who was reaponsihle for
the suggestion, and, aceordir~g to ad-
missions received by Judge Ferril from
St. Louis authorities of the fair, he is
the honored man. Contesting his rights
were Governor Francis of MlssourL
Pierre Choutean, a descendant of one
of the founders of St. Louis, and Col.
C. M. Harvey, editor of the SL Louis
Post-Dispatch. The date of their sug-
gestlons, however, show that they fol-
lowed that of Mr. FerrlL
Adjutant General George F Gard-
ner has taken the Initiatory step to col-
lect from the counties of the state the
thousands of dollars which Is due the
military fund from the uncollected
military poll" tax/ The books sho~
$168,164.93 due the fund from the va-
rious counties, The sam is really larg.
er than that, bU~t It will necessitate a
test suit to recover the remainder,
which is about the same amount. Ev-
ery six years the county commission,
ers meet and declare unavailable any
and all poll tax which has not been col-
lected up to slx years PreViOUS to that
date. In 1894 the majority of. th~
counties did that. 'The nncollected poll
tax for that year amounted to $36,-
0~SA0. Since then the amount of de-
linquent poll taxes has been increased
$132,106.53, making the available
amount due the state now $168,164.93.
It is tha~ sum which the adjutant gen-
eral, in connection with the 1901 poll
tax, Is anxious to have the counties
collect this fall and remit to the stat~
treasurer so that it can be used by th~
National Gust& Any connie, eommis~
sioner who neglects to place the Dol|~
tax upon the books of hla county is ll~
able to a heavy fine, as ts also a~
county treasurer who refuses or nego
~lects to send to the stare treasurer
mone~ belonging to the military f~d,
any taxpayer who neglects or ~efus~s
¢o pay his military poll tax. A2b.pahoe
county owes the tund more than a~ay
other county, $44,446.50, against $][7,.
$09.50 on November 30, 1894. 6~rand
county has the least Indebtedness,
$52~0, wMeh has grown to that sum
from $8 in 1894. The countle~ which
Id not owe the fund a cent on that
yere Ch enn. , co o., c er
L~gan. ruemo county eOlne~
next to Arapahos county in the amp.sat
It owes the fund, $19,93,5; L~ A~lmas.
third, $8,82?; Pit,in, faurth; $7,0~!~
0a~e~ s, ~tth~ $~,lTli, aa; ~ Paso, aix~h,
