1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
425 
The War. 
BRIEF NOTES FOR BUSY PEOPLE. 
DIARY OF THE WAR. 
In the Spanish Chamber of Deputies, the 
Minister of Finance presented a bill to prohibit 
the exportation of silver money, Monday, May 30. 
The American fleet tinder Commodore Schley 
bombarded the batteries at the mouth of Santi¬ 
ago Harbor, almost completely destroying them, 
and driving back one of the Spanish warships 
that was near the harbor entrance. American 
fleet practically unharmed. Another Spanish 
vessel captured off Porto Rico, Tuesday, May 31. 
The reciprocity treaty with France went into 
effect. A Spanish decree has been published 
authorizing an internal loan of 1 , 000 , 000,000 pese¬ 
tas, about 1200,000,000, at four per cent, Wednes¬ 
day, June 1. 
The War Department has secured additional 
transports for Cuban invasion ; total now avail¬ 
able over 30, with a capacity of nearly 30,000. The 
Spanish government made a protest to the British 
government against the shipping of coal from 
British North America to this country for use by 
United States war vessels. Investigation reveals 
that the coal is sold to private parties, so nothing 
can be done, Thursday, June 2. 
The cruiser Cincinnati arrived at Norfolk for 
repairs to her boilers, the first of the warships 
to come home for repairs. Commodore Schley’s 
offlcial report of Tuesday’s engagement at San¬ 
tiago received at Washington. Object of demon¬ 
stration, to learn character of fortifications. Sat¬ 
isfied of presence of Spanish fleet. Decree for¬ 
mally entered paroling 243 Spanish prisoners 
from captured vessels, Friday, June 3. 
The harbor of Santiago is reported closed. The 
collier Merrimac manned by Lieut. Hobson and 
six volunteers was taken into the channel at 
early morning and sunk in the narrowest part. 
The Spaniards were taken by surprise and were 
unable to sink the steamer before she reached 
her place. The crew were taken prisoners, but 
it is reported that the Spanish admiral will ex¬ 
change them in recognition of their bravery. 
This daring act ranks with that of Cushing in 
blowing up the Confederate steamer Albemarle 
during the civil war. Army officers deny the 
statements made by Harper’s weekly as to the 
mismanagement in army camps. The Cadiz fleet 
of Spanish vessels is still reported in Spain. 
Another Spaniard has written a compromising 
letter which has been published—this time in 
Canada. Saturday, June 4. 
Commodore Schley pronounces his 
name Sly. 
Prof. Gleason, a horse trainer, has 
offered his services to the Government 
for the training- of wild cavalry horses. 
The War Department i3 laying- in a 
supply of c.anned salmon for use in the 
army. This will make an agreeable 
change from pork and beans. 
It required great courage to cut the 
cables at Cienfuegos. The men rowed 
in small boats to within 200 feet of the 
shore, and grappled the cables with 
hooks. There were three cables, and 
each was cut twice—taking a piece 150 
feet long out of it. The cutting was 
slowly done by axes, coldchisels and 
saws. 
The Russian Emperor heard of the 
wonderful trip of the Oregon around 
South America, and now wants the 
builders of this ship to do some work 
for Russia. It is probable that this will 
result in large orders for American 
builders. The firm of Cramp & Son had 
already secured contracts amounting to 
$15,000,000, from the Russian govern¬ 
ment. 
In 1762, Havana was captured by the 
English. Operations were begun on 
June 7, dui'ing the rainy season. There¬ 
fore, it is argued that American soldiers 
ought to be able to operate during the 
present Summer. The English captured 
Havana on August 12. The rainy season 
is later than usual, and the eastern part 
of this country has received the benefit 
of various storms that belonged to Cuba. 
In 1826, a company including DeWitt 
Clinton, contracted with a Central Amer¬ 
ican Republic to construct a canal 
through Nicaragua. This scheme failed 
because the promoters could not raise 
$5,000,000. Since that time, the Nicara¬ 
gua canal has always been more or less 
of an issue. The great trip of the war¬ 
ship Oregon around the lower continent 
has brought this canal nearer to a reality 
than it ever was before. 
Many letters addressed to men in the 
army have been deposited in the mails 
without stamps. This is due to mis¬ 
understanding of an order issued by the 
Post-Office Department. Soldiers or sail¬ 
ors may send letters to relatives without 
putting stamps on them, if their com¬ 
manding officer will indorse the envelope, 
the receivers paying the postage. Let¬ 
ters sent from home, however, must be 
stamped, or they will be held up in the 
usual manner. 
Congressman Cannon of the Commit¬ 
tee of Appropriations, expects that the 
war will cost $600,000,000 a yeai. Among 
the appropriations called for, are $250,- 
000 for the building of roads and rail¬ 
roads in Cuba. The House last week 
passed a bill removing all political dis¬ 
abilities from soldiers of the late war. 
A number of Confederate soldiers have 
never been readmitted to citizenship. 
This bill will remove such disabilities. 
It is probable that another result of the 
war will be the return of the captured 
Confederate flag, now stored in a north¬ 
ern Statehouse. 
It is said that the Diamond Match 
Company will soon hold a corner on sul¬ 
phur. At the outbreak of hostilities, 
sulphur was 1% cent a pound wholesale. 
Within a week the price advanced to 7 
cents, then fell to 4 cents, advancing 
later % cent. Previous to the declaration 
of war, most of the sulphur in sight was 
bought by a few holders, who were suf¬ 
ficiently farseeing to recognize the fact 
that it might become contraband of war. 
The Salt Lake Herald asserts that at 
Cove Creek there are inexhaustible beds 
of sulphur, sufficient not only for Amer¬ 
ica, but to supply the markets of the 
world. The deposits are 20 miles away 
from any railroad, but the material can 
be shipped from there, as soon as the 
need wari-ants it. 
Harper’s Weekly paints a pitiful pic¬ 
ture of the condition of affairs of the 
army camp at Tampa. It says that the 
American soldier has been positively 
neglected. In that hot climate, the men 
are still wearing heavy cowhide boots, 
thick flannel shirts and Winter clothing. 
They sleep on the ground, and are 
camped away from the water, with jioor 
facilities for bathing. Their food is 
chiefly pork and beans, little attention 
being paid to fruit and vegetables, al¬ 
though hundreds of car-loads are being 
If a reduction in interest is made, he 
says that the depositors would be likely 
to withdraw their deposits. The average 
depositor is a very sensitive person, who 
does not like to be taxed because he has 
been trying to save. Mr. Townsend ap¬ 
pears to think that this tax will be finally 
taken from the Revenue Bill: 
“ The savings banks of the State of 
New York are mutual corporations, hav¬ 
ing no capital stock or stockholders, pay 
no dividends except to the depositors in 
the shape of semi-annual interest on 
their deposits. Every dollar of assets 
belongs absolutely to the depositors. 
The banks are managed by boards of 
trustees, who have no pecuniary interest 
whatever in the institutions, the law 
upon the subject being as follows : 
“ ‘ No trustee of any such corporation 
shall have any interest direct or indirect 
in the gains or profits thereof nor directly 
nor indirectly as such, receive any pay 
or emolument and no trustees or officers 
of any such corporation shall directly or 
indirectly for himself or as the agent or 
partner for others borrow any of its 
funds or deposits or in any manner use 
the same except to make such current or 
necessary payments as are authorized by 
the Board of Trustees, nor shall any 
trustees or officers of any such corpora¬ 
tion become an endorser or surety or be¬ 
AN ELEPHANT ON HIS HANDS. Fig. 188. 
That seems to be about Uncle Sam’s position with respect to the Philippine Islands. This picture 
from the New York Herald tells the whole story. There are those who advocate a colonial policy 
for this country. Such people would be glad to have our Government assume permanent ownership 
of the Philippines, Hawaii, Cuba and Porto Rico. It does not seem likely that a Republic like ours 
can successfully govern distant colonies. A fixed government like that of England or Germany may 
adopt and maintain a positive and certain line of policy. In this country changes in government 
are too apt to occur. Let Uncle Sam breed up his home stock first. 
shipped out of Florida to the North. 
There is no head to the army, and the 
staff officers are incapable. Many of the 
latter were appointed through political 
influence, have little drill in military 
affairs, and in a European army, would 
be kicked out of the service. The men, 
individually, are the best soldiers in the 
world, but the staff officers are thor¬ 
oughly incompetent, paying more atten¬ 
tion to their new uniforms than they do 
to the welfare of their men. Representa¬ 
tives from European armies are in the 
camp noting these things, and sending 
reports abroad. Harper’s Weekly says 
that nothing is giving Spain more encour¬ 
agement to-day, than these reports of 
the incompetence of American staff 
officers. Who is responsible ? 
NEW YORK STATE SAVINGS BANKS. 
SHALL THEIR DEPOSITS BE TAXED ? 
The War Revenue Measure now before 
Congress, imposes a tax of one-fourth of 
one per cent per annum on savings banks 
deposits. John P. Townsend, President 
of the Bowery Savings Bank, New York 
City, gives us the following facts con¬ 
cerning the New York savings banks. 
He was chairman of a committee that 
visited Washington, and made an argu¬ 
ment against this tax, on the ground 
that such deposits are the property of 
the working classes, and should not, 
therefore, be taxed. He says that the 
average interest that savings banks in 
this State can earn and pay to depositors 
is nearly 3>a per cent without the tax. 
come in any manner an obligor for 
monies loaned by or borrowed of such 
corporation.’ 
“ The business of savings banks is con¬ 
fined to receiving deposits, and loaning 
and investing the same for the benefit of 
their depositors, and they are prohibited 
by law from doing any other banking 
business. They are restricted by law in 
their investments as follows : 
“ In the bonds or interest-bearing ob¬ 
ligations of the United States, including 
the bonds of the District of Columbia. 
In the bonds of the State of New York, 
and in the bonds of the other States 
which have not defaulted in the last 10 
years in the payment of principal or in¬ 
terest. In the bonds of any city, county, 
town, village or school district in the 
State of New Yoi’k, and in the bonds of 
certain cities named in the statute outside 
of the State of New York, of which there 
are about 30. In bonds and mortgages 
on unencumbered real property of the 
State of New York worth at least twice 
the amount loaned thereon. The aver¬ 
age income from bonds is about ?>M per 
cent and from mortgage loans about 4>£ 
per cent. 
“Each depositor is limited to $3,000. 
“ Number of savings banks in the State of New 
York, 131. 
“Amount of deposits January 1, 1898, $766,684,916. 
“ Number of open accounts, 1,805,280, or 27% 
per cent of the entire population of the State. 
“ Average amount of each account. $424.69. 
“Amount of Government bonds held, $100,708,450. 
“ Bonds of other States, $55,000,000. 
“ Bonds of cities in other States, $52,000,000. 
“ The remainder of the assets are invested in 
mortgages on real estate in the State of New 
York and other sureties allowed by the statute. 
“ Average interest paid by the savings banks 
of New York, 3!4 per cent. 
“Total cost of running all the savings banks of 
the State of New York for the year 1897, $2,445, 
067.49, or $2.81 on each $1,000 of resources, which 
is slightly more than one-fourtli of one per cent, 
and this covers not only salaries, but rents, re¬ 
pairs to bank buildings, and every expenditure 
that can properly be regarded as administrative, 
including taxes. 
“ The great mass of depositors are among the 
working classes.” 
Now -a- days nearly 
every woman rides a 
bicycle. The majority 
of these who do not, 
have failed to 
compass its diffi¬ 
culties because of 
nervousness. 
Many women af¬ 
ter taking innurn- 
erable lessons, 
and trying vainly 
ijlto conquor the wheel 
I for weeks, have finally 
given it up as a hope¬ 
less task for this one 
reason. 
In nearly eve T ‘y In¬ 
stance severe nervous¬ 
ness in women may be 
traced to weakness and 
disease of the delicate 
ind important organs distinctly feminine. 
No other class of disorders so torture a wo¬ 
man’s nerves or break them down so 
quickly and effectually. Dr. Pierce’s Fa¬ 
vorite Prescription is a sure, speedy and 
permanent cure for all troubles of this de¬ 
scription. It acts directly on the sensitive 
organs concerned, making them strong, 
healthy, vigorous and elastic. It allays 
inflammation, heals ulceration, soothes 
f ain and tones and builds up the nerves, 
t stops exhausting drains. It banishes the 
indispositions that precede maternity and 
makes baby’s advent easy and almost pain¬ 
less. It insures the little new-comer’s 
health and an ample supply of nourish¬ 
ment. It transforms weak, nervous inva¬ 
lids into strong, healthy, nerve-steady wo¬ 
men. Thousands have testified to its mar¬ 
velous merits. An honest dealer will not 
offer a substitute. 
“ My wife was troubled with • female weak¬ 
ness’ for several years," writes James Caswell, 
Esq., of Ocheltree, Johnson Co., Kans., (P. O. 
Box 6 i). “ She had bearing-down pains and 
pain in back. Her periods were irregular, she 
would have fainting spells, the best doctors did 
her no good. By the time my wife had taken 
four bottles of the ‘Favorite Prescription’ she 
was completely cured. No more pain. Her 
monthly periods are regular, she is stout and 
strong. When she commenced taking your 
medicines she weighed about 125 pounds—now 
she weighs 160 pounds.” 
Send 21 one-cent stamps, to cover cost of 
mailing only, to the World’s Dispensary 
Medical Association, Buffalo, N. Y., for a 
paper-covered copy of Dr. Pierce’s Common 
Sense Medical Adviser;—Cloth binding ten 
cents extra. A whole medical library in 
one 1000 -page volume. 
Agents 
Wanted. 
A Tweivi- 
year-old Boy 
can do more and* bette. work wltk 
this Hand Cultivator than three men can 4« 
with oommon hoes If yon can't get tha 
Hand Cultivator 
of your dealer, send 70 cents for samp la, 
Farmers’ Handy Tool Circular mailed free. 
UL1UC11 BFU. CO., BO Rlvtr at., ftoak Falls, 11L 
GARNER & CO., 
Produce Commission Merchants, 
844 Washington Street, New York, 
We have an extra demand for CHOICE CREAMERY 
BUTTER, CHOICE CH E ESE and FANCY LEGHORN 
EGGS. Shipping Cards and Stencils on application. 
Reference: Gansevoort Bank. 
A copy of the new Standard of Per¬ 
fection (out in July) to every reader 
of The R. N.-Y. who sends $2 for 
two yearly subscriptions, one name or two, to 
POULTRY MONTHLY. Albany, N. Y. 
Frank B. Barkley Mfg. Co.,Kg£SnHm , Sii 
you a Bicycle or bewlng Machinedirect from factory. 
WE SAVE YOU $12.00to$25.00 
$Q 00. J k Weaell Hlirh Grad© Bicycle* for Leas 
U- A 1 ”than Any Other Concern in the W orld. 
1898 Ladies* or Gent’s Models, $18 op. 
k Left over of 1897 models at less than 
I cost; others at $ 8 , $10, $19 and $16. 
" Write for Fre® I llnatrated Catalogue 
_ of Bleyeles and Sundries. Addresa 
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By selling Baker’sTeasamongyour neighbors, a total 
Of lOOlbs. for Bicycle; 50 lbs., Waltham Gobi Watch; 25 
lbs.,.Silver Watch; 10 lbs.. Crescent Camera or Gold King. 
Express prepaid. Write for Catalogue, Order Sheet. &c. 
Vi. G. BAKER, Dept. 52 , Springfield, Mass. 
A$25WATCHfor$4 6 ’ 
_ 100 
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this price. Cut This Out and send it 
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nd we will send the watch to you 
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our special introductory price, $4.65, 
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