Chapter X (2)

March 25.—A plan to merge the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Harvard University is made public in Boston.

The New York Central Railroad announces that in the near future
it will supplant all its steam locomotives with electric motors.

March 27.—Mrs. Cassie L. Chadwick is sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment.

Gessler Rosseau is found guilty at New York of having sent an
infernal machine to blow up the steamship _Umbria_.

Andrew Carnegie announces that henceforth he will give
donations to small colleges in preference to founding libraries.

March 28.—Governor Joseph W. Folk of Missouri, at a speech in New York, declares that bribery is treason, and says that his state is leading a movement to make it odious throughout the country.

March 29.—A disastrous fire over 100 feet underground is caused by a wreck in the New York Subway.

March 30.—The New York legislative committee investigating the Gas Trust develops the fact that the company has been paying 10 per cent. dividends on watered stock.

Charges are made that James H. Hyde, First Vice-President of
the Equitable Life Assurance Society, used company funds in
paying expenses of spectacular balls of last winter; also his
private servants.

President Mellen, of the New York, New Haven & Hartford
Railroad Company, tells a legislative committee that great
abuses have grown up in the railroad business, and says that
there should be stricter state and Government control.

March 31.—Harry N. Pillsbury, the American chess champion, attempts suicide at Philadelphia, but is prevented.

Henry H. Rogers, of the Standard Oil Company, issues a defense
of John D. Rockefeller’s gift to missions, and incidentally
attacks ministers and deacons and defends railroad rebates to
his company.

April 1.—A mysterious epidemic of spinal meningitis, or “spotted fever,” is ravaging New York and other cities and baffles the medical profession. Over a thousand deaths have occurred since the first of the year.

Mr. and Mrs. J. Morgan Smith, brother-in-law and sister of the
notorious Nan Patterson, are located in Cincinnati, and letters
are secured which, it is said, will have an important bearing
on the trial of the actress for the murder of the bookmaker,
“Cæsar” Young.

In the Equitable Life Assurance Society war James H. Hyde, the
First Vice-President, denies the charges made against him and
retains Elihu Root, Samuel Untermeyer and others as counsel.
He announces that if President Alexander wants a fight he can
have it. The State Insurance Department of New York takes a
hand in the case, and an investigation of the company’s affairs
is ordered. The Alexander forces charge that loans have been
made out of the association’s funds to Edward H. Harriman, of
the U. P. R. R., that the dinner to French Ambassador Cambon
was paid from the company’s money, and that Vice-President
Hyde has usurped the President’s functions. Chairman John D.
Crimmins, of the committee of policyholders for mutualizing the
society, announces that the Hyde faction has conceded all the
committee’s demands and that the Alexander people alone stood
in the way. For this reason Mr. Crimmins, who was understood
heretofore to stand with Alexander, refuses to go further in
what he terms the personal fight on Hyde.

President Samuel Gompers, of the American Federation of Labor,
sends out a warning to the members that the Socialists are
attempting to disrupt the organization.

In the Gas Trust inquiry an official of the company admits that
there is $12,000,000 watered stock in the corporation.

At a meeting of the National Association of State Dairy and
Food Departments being held in Chicago, J. M. Hurty, Secretary
of the Indiana Board, states that 455,000 babies were killed
last year by adulteration of milk and other infants’ foods.

A threatened coal strike in Pennsylvania is averted by the
granting of the wage scale of last year.

April 2.—H. Rider Haggard, in an interview given to the New York _Journal_, says that the poor of America are as miserable as those of England.

April 3.—Fifty men are entombed in a mine explosion at Zeigler, Ill. Most of them are believed to have been killed.

April 4.—Vice-President Hyde, of the Equitable Life, accuses President Alexander of being in a conspiracy to ruin the company, and cites as one of his proofs the fact that Second Vice-President George E. Tarbell, one of Alexander’s supporters, disposed of his interests in the company before beginning the present fight.

April 5.—J. G. Phelps Stokes, the New York millionaire philanthropist, announces that he is soon to marry a poor East Side settlement worker, the daughter of a Russian Jew.

April 6.—In a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, Vice-President James H. Hyde wins a virtual victory at all points over President Alexander. The Hyde-Crimmins two-year mutualization plan is adopted and Hyde committees are appointed to investigate the affairs of the company.

S. C. T. Dodd, chief solicitor of the Standard Oil Company,
defends John D. Rockefeller from the attacks of Congregational
ministers and others, which he terms “vile” and “doubly vile.”

_The Russo-Japanese War_

March 7.—General Kuropatkin stubbornly resists the Japanese advance about Mukden, but the day generally goes against him. Fighting is heaviest west and northwest of Manchurian capital.

March 8.—The Japanese crush the Russian eastern wing and cut off General Rennenkampf’s division. They also continue vigorous attacks on the west and northwest and reach a position directly north of Mukden.

General Kuropatkin retreats from his southern and centre
positions on the Shakhe River, abandoning siege guns and
burning stores.

It is reported that the Russian Baltic fleet starts on its
return, having gone no farther east than Madagascar.

March 9.—General Kuroki drives the Russians from Fushun and terrific fighting continues all about Mukden. Marshal Oyama reports the cutting of the railroad between Mukden and Tieling. The Japanese, after several fierce onslaughts, succeed in taking a hill considered the key to the Manchurian capital, and Oyama predicts that Mukden will fall tomorrow.

March 10.—At ten o’clock in the morning the Japanese capture Mukden, and General Kuropatkin begins a demoralized retreat to the Northwest, battling to save a remnant of his once great army. This is made the more difficult by the almost complete circle that the forces of Marshal Oyama have made about the Russians. Great numbers of prisoners, and immense quantities of guns, ammunition, food and other supplies, fall into the hands of the victors.

Count Tolstoi writes to the London _Times_ denouncing this as
a “reckless, disgraceful, cruel war instigated by a score of
immoral individuals.”

March 11.—General Kuropatkin reports that the remnants of his armies are retreating on Tieling. They are still harassed by Japanese attacks. The Russians have lost considerably more than 100,000 men. The battle of Mukden, which has ended in such a disastrous Russian defeat, is the greatest in history, having lasted twelve days and having involved nearly 1,000,000 men. It marks Field Marshal Oyama as one of the world’s great commanders.

March 12.—The Russian losses in the battle of Mukden are now placed at about 150,000; Japanese losses at about 40,000.

It is reported that the Czar will send another army to the Far
East and will order the Baltic squadron to go forward and give
battle to Admiral Togo.

March 13.—The main body of the Russian troops reach Tie Pass, hard pressed by their foes. General Kuropatkin reports 50,000 wounded in the past few days. Marshal Oyama reports the country swept clear of Russians for a distance of twenty-five miles north of Mukden.

March 14.—The Russian War Council in session with the Czar votes to continue the war.

Despite a repulse south of Tie Pass, the Japanese continue a
rearguard attack on the retreating Russians.

March 15.—A Japanese fleet of twenty-two warships going westward is sighted off Singapore, India.

March 17.—The Czar curtly dismisses General Kuropatkin from his command, and promotes Lieutenant-General Linevitch, heretofore at the head of the first army, to be Commander-in-Chief of all the forces in Manchuria.

The Russian War Council decides to place a new army of 450,000
men in the field, and orders the Baltic squadron to proceed on
its way to the East.

The Russian army, having abandoned Tie Pass, continues its
flight northward, harassed by Japanese attacks from all sides.

March 19.—The Russians are still retreating and Kai-Yuan and Fakoman are occupied by the Japanese.

March 21.—General Kuropatkin returns to the front to accept a subordinate command under General Linevitch.

March 22.—All the Russian ministers but two are now said to favor peace.

March 24.—The Russian troops halt for a short rest at a point seventy-four miles north of Tie Pass. The Japanese armies are believed to be executing another flanking movement.

March 25.—It is given out from St. Petersburg that the Russians have sent 800,000 men to the front since the beginning of the war.

March 28.—The Japanese again attack the rearguard of the retreating Russians. General Oku reports that the spring thaws make the movements of both armies difficult.

It is no longer denied that the Russian Government is moving
for peace.

March 29.—A court-martial is designated to try General Stoessel, it being customary in Russia to so try any officer that surrenders.

All Europe shows eagerness to invest in the new Japanese bonds.

March 30.—Both Russia and Japan deny that they are making any efforts to bring about peace.

General Linevitch issues an address to his troops, closing with
the words, “May God help you in the coming battle.”

The Japanese continue their flanking movement and skirmishes
occur between them and the Russian outposts.

March 31.—General Sakharoff, former Chief of Staff, quits the Russian army because of a quarrel with General Linevitch. General Stakelburg also leaves, the reason assigned being ill health.

The Russian Baltic fleet, which left Madagascar on March 16, is
reported in bad condition.

April 3.—A bomb explosion at Harbin destroys seventy-five persons and an immense amount of Russian supplies.

Prince Ouktomsky, deposed from the command of the Port Arthur
squadron, reaches St. Petersburg and demands a court-martial.

April 6.—Both the Russian Baltic fleet and the Japanese fleet under Admiral Togo are reported approaching each other in the vicinity of the China Sea.

_General Foreign News_

March 7.—Practically half of the workingmen of St. Petersburg are on strike. The situation continues grave, though quiet, at Warsaw and at other points in Russia.

Hon. George Wyndham, Chief Secretary for Ireland, resigns from
the British Ministry.

March 8.—The peasant revolt in outlying Russian provinces is rapidly spreading.

Men at the Russian naval dockyard go on strike.

China decides to build immediately the Kalgan Railway and to
place it under a Chinese engineer, which is regarded as an
anti-Russian move.

On a fiscal policy division forced by Winston Churchill in
the British House of Commons the Government is sustained by a
majority of 42.

Both Premier Balfour and Joseph Chamberlain deny that they are
protectionists.

March 9.—Russia pushes troops toward her Indian frontier, in evident opposition to Great Britain’s moves in Thibet, Persia and other Central Asiatic territory.

The plague in India kills 34,000 in one week.

March 10.—It is reported that the Russian revolutionists have agreed to a general uprising on May 1.

The rioting of the Russian peasants continues, and great
destruction of property is reported from Tchemigoff, Orel and
Hursk.

March 14.—French bankers refuse to negotiate a loan to Russia until more is known of the intentions of the Russian Government.

The Canadian authorities serve notice on polygamous Mormons
that they must either leave the country or be prosecuted.

Russian peasants pillage the estate of the late Grand Duke
Sergius in the Dimitrov district.

The peasant uprisings spread to the northwest provinces of
Vilna and Kovno.

March 16.—William Marconi, the inventor, is married to Beatrice O’Brien, sister of Lord Inchiquin.

March 17.—Mobilization orders lead to renewal of strikes in Russian Poland.

France complains to the United States of the infringement of
the rights of the French Cable Company in Venezuela.

March 19.—An international conference at Vienna considers the proposal to form a World’s Chamber of Agriculture.

March 20.—Governor Miasoredeff, of Viborg, one of the Russian provinces of Finland, is shot and seriously wounded by a fifteen-year-old boy who proclaims himself a “revolutionist.”

March 21.—After a great debate in the French Chamber of Deputies, a motion to postpone the bill separating church and state is defeated by a vote of 363 to 40.

March 22.—Many peasants are killed and wounded by Russian troops in the provinces of Kutno and Ostrow.

The British House of Commons condemns the proposal of a
protective tariff by a vote of 254 to 2.

March 23.—It is announced in the British Parliament that up to March 11 of this year there have been 346,000 deaths from the plague in India.

President Morales of Santo Domingo declares that unless the
treaty with the United States is ratified there will be a
revolution in that country.

March 24.—President Castro of Venezuela curtly declines to arbitrate the asphalt controversy with the United States.

March 25.—Under a tentative arrangement made with President Morales of Santo Domingo, the revenues of that country will be collected by an agent named by President Roosevelt.

March 26.—Baron von Molken, chief of the Warsaw police, is severely wounded by a bomb which destroyed his carriage.

Internal disturbances are again on the increase throughout
Russia.

It is announced that King Alfonso of Spain is to marry the
Princess Patricia of England.

March 27.—Warehouses and shops at Yalta, Russia, are pillaged and burned by rioting mujiks.

March 29.—The Swiss Bundesrath rejects the commercial treaty with the United States owing to amendments made to that instrument by the United States Senate.

March 30.—President Castro of Venezuela turns on his accusers and states that he has documentary evidence that both the French Cable Company and the American Asphalt Company are in league with the revolutionists.

Emperor William of Germany sails for Morocco.

Several prominent “terrorists” are arrested in St. Petersburg,
among them being two women.

Peasant outbreaks continue in Russia and the Kharkoff district
is laid waste.

Another meeting of the Zemstvo representatives is called at St.
Petersburg for the end of April.

The Italian Ambassador states that Italy would have taken
drastic measures to collect her debt from Santo Domingo, had
President Roosevelt not taken the matter in hand.

March 31.—Emperor William at Tangier gives assurance that Germany will protect the integrity of Morocco and maintain the “open door.”

President Arnal, of the highest court of Venezuela, declares
that the French Cable Company has forfeited its contract.

The agrarian risings in Russia reach such proportions as to
overshadow the war. They render further mobilization of troops
impossible.

An important group of the Russian clergy declares for the
separation of church and state.

April 1.—The Federal District Court of Venezuela charges General Francis V. Greene, an official of the New York and Bermudez Asphalt Company, with having given $130,000 to the rebels in the Matos revolution against President Castro.

Camille Flammarion, the celebrated French astronomer, predicts
a hot summer because of the sun spots.

The _Victorian_, the first turbine steamer to cross the
Atlantic, makes the trip in a little less than eight days.

The Police Commissioner of Lodz, Russian Poland, is severely
wounded by a bomb explosion.

April 2.—Four persons are killed and forty injured in renewed riots at Warsaw.

April 4.—Severe earthquakes in Northern India cause much loss of life and damage to cities.

H. B. Irving, son of Sir Henry Irving, wins a triumph in London
in his first appearance, playing Hamlet.

April 5.—A Russian medical congress at Moscow adopts peace resolution and favors a constitution and other radical demands.

A newly appointed member of the British Cabinet is defeated for
re-election to Parliament in a district that has not before
gone Liberal in twenty years. Winston Churchill says it is the
beginning of the end of the present Government.

April 6.—King Edward of England and President Loubet of France meet in extended interview at Paris. This is regarded as significant in strengthening the understanding between France and England relating to Morocco and as being a counter move to Emperor William’s assurance of political integrity of that country.

The reform movement increases throughout Russia.

_Obituary_

March 7.—John H. Reagan, former United States Senator and State Railroad Commissioner, dies at his home in Texas, aged 87.

Albert M. Palmer, veteran theatrical manager, dies at his home
in New York, aged 66.

March 8.—Henry A. Barclay, prominent New York business and race-track man, dies at his home, aged 60.

Rear-Admiral Edwin S. Houston, United States Navy, dies at
Lausanne, Switzerland, aged 60.

March 9.—William Brimage Bate, United States Senator from Tennessee and former Governor and Major-General, C.S.A., dies in Washington, aged 78.

March 12.—Caleb Huse, foreign purchasing agent for the Confederate Government, dies at the age of 75.

March 14.—Henry R. Reed, millionaire sugar merchant, of Boston, aged 62, dies under mysterious circumstances in a New York hotel.

Henry Cyril Paget, Marquis of Anglesey, dies at Monte Carlo,
aged 30.

March 16.—Meyer Guggenheim, prominent New York capitalist and head of the Smelter Trust, dies at Palm Beach, Fla., aged 78.

March 17.—Lot Thomas, former Congressman from Iowa, dies at the age of 61.

Charles C. Cole, former Supreme Court Justice, District of
Columbia, dies at Washington, aged 64.

March 18.—General Joseph R. Hawley, former United States Senator from Connecticut, dies at the age of 78.

Cyrus G. Luce, once Governor of Michigan, dies at the age of 80.

March 22.—M. Antonin Proust, French author and former member of Gambetta Cabinet, dies at Paris.

Rev. Dr. Elmer H. Capen, former President of Tufts College,
dies at the age of 76.

March 24.—Jules Verne, the celebrated novelist, dies from a stroke of paralysis at Amiens, France, aged 76.

Señor Manuel de Aspiroz, Mexican Ambassador to the United
States, dies at Washington, aged 68.

March 29.—Jacob L. Greene, President of the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, dies at his home in Hartford, aged 67.

William Hammond, a prominent real estate man of Boston, Mass.,
commits suicide in the Hotel Astor, New York.

March 30.—Hugo Jacobson, the American representative of a French steel firm, commits suicide at the Hotel Breslin, New York.

March 31.—The Dowager Duchess of Abercorn, grandmother of the Duke of Marlborough, dies at London, aged 92.

William H. Muker, once well-known American actor, dies at New
Rochelle, N. Y., aged 83.

Dr. William Bodenhamer, once family physician of Commodore
Vanderbilt, dies at New Rochelle, N. Y., aged 97.

April 1.—James M. Seymour, former mayor of Newark, N. J., and Democratic candidate for Governor, dies at the age of 67.

April 2.—William F. Potter, President of the Long Island Railroad Company, dies of spinal meningitis, aged 50.

April 4.—William H. Delius, son-in-law of Chief-Justice Fuller, of the United States Supreme Court, dies by suicide at Chicago, aged 53.

Bishop Alphonse Favier, Catholic Apostolic Vicar to China, dies
at Pekin, aged 68.

_Toll_

One fashions beauty into form, to shapes most wondrous fair;
There comes a stranger to his door and claims an equal share

Another plants the seed and sees the harvest spring—that day
Comes one whose face he does not know, and takes a third away.

A little child, whose plaintive mouth has never learned to laugh,
Sits stringing beads—to her appears the man who claims his half.

A woman with her needle sits—and one stitch out of three
She takes for him whose face perhaps her eyes shall never see.

And where the mighty merchant ships in the great harbors wait—
His is the service of the crews and his the share of freight.

And who is he, who walks abroad in all his pomp and pride,
Who takes his toll, and nothing gives, and will not be denied?

A wondrous miracle is he—but not of God because,
He can be banished as he came—by simple change of laws.

The laws that give to manikin dominion of the sod,
Appareled him in majesty, and made him as a god.

Oh, sad the tale and grim the tale, that now is almost told,
And but a little while, and then—the stupid drama’s old!

But strange we’ll seem to future times, with our fantastic tricks,
Who worshiped God one day in seven and cheated Him in six!

JOSEPH DANA MILLER.