ARKANSAS
WASHINGTON STORM SWEPT.
About 100 bouses in the southern
part of the historic county seat of
Hempstead county, Washington, were
destroyed by a tornado, and one per
son was hilled and another probably
fatally injured, Carrie Shook, a negro
woman, was hilled outright and .Ellen
Block another negro, was fatally in
jured. Franh Colston and wife were
also slightly injured.
The tornado, which occurred during
a heavy rainstorm, continued but a
short time, and spent all its fury in
the south part of town. It tore down
all the telegraph wires between there
and Hope, and news of the storm was
not received until several hours later.
In addition to the large number of
houses occupied by negroes which
were destroyed, the tornado either
destroyed or damaged considerable
property occupied by white persons.
Tornadoes are usually attended with
freakish incidents, and the one that
visited Washington was no exception
in that particular. A house belonging
to a negro, and which he and his fam
ily were occupying when the storm
broke, was blown from its foundation
and rolled about a quarter of a mile
down a hill. It finally landed in a
clump of bushes and tl*e negro and
his family climbed out of it unin
jured. The negro Baptist church
was moved about ten feet from its for
me: location, but was not damaged
to such an extent that it will be unfit,
for ttsc.
Washington is one of the oldest
towns in Arkansas, having been found
ed about ISIS. It was once a place
of considerably more importance than
it has been for several years. While
most towns grow and branch out.
Washington has retrograded. Up to
the time of the building of the Cairo
and Fulton railroad, between thirty
and forty years ago, Washington was
the industrial and social center of
southwest Arkansas. It was the main
point on stage lines from Little Rock
to Shreveport, Clarksville, Texas, and
Other Southwestern cities, and for that
reason enjoyed unusual prestige. It
was also the seat of learning for a
iarta section of territory, and its pri
vate high schools for boys and girls
won attended by pupils front all over
Arkansas and Texas, Louisiana and
Mississippi. The Cairo and Fulton
(which is now the main line of the
in r, Mountain) was not built through
Washington, however Towns were
rapitil’.- built up along the railroad.
strd as they were more easy of access
'hej grew. They attracted people front
Washington, and its population rapid
ly dwindled.
imme ol the most distinguishe
hat Arkansas has produced cam
Washington. Among them wer
biandison D. Royston, August
Garland, attorney general of th
States during Cleveland's
administration; former United
'en.itor Janies K. .Tones, fornte
l,’”01' Rau W. Jones. Judge
hahui. Judge Edward Cross and
■ l(- Battle, an associate just
e p,esent Supreme Court of
':,s Ruth MeEuery Stuart, t
mens writer, is a former resid
Washington.
Hooes of Lumber Men Blasted.
n. hopes of the lumber interests
,i '■*) slate that the railroads would
amloii the increased rates on ship
, s ,<’1 himber before the date for
mt0 erfect have been blasted.
nr!> " r:ltes bare become effective
J.r'( deaIei;» must stand the in
‘ . or a fhne, even if they win
'“t.nnitely, as is predicted.
New School House.
5--n ,Sc»'°ot Hoard of the special
tiosfa !uStn<'! of SHoam Springs have
U'(.(>i t ■' Sale 1)1 $-a.0t'd of bonds of
tr, f t0r lhe erection and equip
ZZ the new Passed brick 11
be “ *'h°0.1 house, and the work will
air r‘,■!!''! U1 order to bare the build
fan i'*)(led 'n 'hue for school next
Child Burned To Death.
.y,.,. ' b)i"-yea r oid child of Mr. and
death i n fi'1,son "'as burned to
chillis. ‘""verson recently. The
"Pen fireplace!” Causht from »
^ Wid0"' Asks Damages.
ot char,es n
renia bv V?? and kilIed in Al"
Kakionkeeper , R<”,nso"'' an Argenta
C. b. Km ’ 8 brought suit against
tat*i 0f p f: administrator of the es
tiied veo«b?!S°n r.01' |5'°°°- Robinson
tried f()l. r’ y Without having been
f0> me killing of Adams.
Young Lady Burned.
•ulus M*ipv l’
!:ad her Clohtm e“esrs of Prairie View.
% trash in , ' 6 Ca‘ch ftre " bile burn
ivas so ii., ,,t le >ard at her home, and
three days lat ,l*)Urned that she died
Shot Counsin While Drunk.
Milliard Mainard of Roland shot and
killed his counsin, Will Davis, at that
place recently. Witnesses to the affair
state that Davis and Mainard went in
to an eating; house operated tty .lames
Davis. It is alleged that. Mainard
had been drinking and that, he drew
a 112-calibre pistol out. of, his pocket
and placed it beside him. Davis told
Mainard to put up the pistol and on his
refusal made a dash for it. A scuffle
ensued and the weapon was discharg
ed twice both balls taking effect in
Davis’ body just, below the heart.
Mainard is said to be grief-stricken
over the affair and declares that he
remembers absolutely nothing con
cerning the shooting. Me declared that
Davis and himself had always been
on the best of terms and were chums.
Killsd in Peculiar Manner.
Wilford Swan, a young white man
who lived three miles east of Tuc.ker
man. was killed in a peculiar manner
while on his way to a dance. It is
said that he had been drinking and
when about three miles from his home
he fell from his horse. He was assist
ed back into the saddle by a friend
who was with him, but had jjpne only
a short, distance when he fell again,
fie was again put back upon his horse
and this time his companion mounted
the same horse to hold him in the
saddle. After going a short distance
the friend discovered that Swan was
dead.
Mashed to Pulp.
M. S. Kennedy, night watchman in
the Iron Mountain yards in Argenta,
was instantly killed in a freight wreck
which occurred near the Fort Smith
Crossing. He was standing on the
foot board of an engine's tender and
was in the act of coupling the tender
to a string of eight freight cars, when
the cars, which were moving at the
time, crashed into another engine. As
a result the engine’s tender and the
freight car next to it crashed together
with terrific force, crushing the life
out of Kennedy instantly. His body
was mashed to a pulp.
Stabbed Playmate.
Bryan O’Neal, a pupil in one of the
public schools at Fort Smith, stabbed
Joe Flynn, another pupil, in the leg,
Inflicting a wound that disables the
boy from walking. The two boys
were playing near the school. The
Flynn boy held in his hand a thorn
bush, which he was whirling in the
uir. He accidentally struck his play
mate in the lace. The O'Neal boy,
In a fit of anger, pulled from his pock
et a knife and stabbed his companion.
Was to Have Been Removed.
It is probable that a call will be
issued within the next few days for
a meeting of the Republican State Ex
ecutive Committee to consider appli
cations for the appointment of a re
ceiver for the Camden land office to
succeed E. A. Schicker, who it is said, j
received an order from President I
Roosevelt, removing him from office,
before he withdrew his application for
reappointment.
Former Sheriff Bankrupt.
Frank Strong, formerly sheriff and
collector of Chicot county, filed a vol j
untary petition in bankruptcy recent-1
ly in the United States District Court.
He places his secured indebtedness at!
$2G,272.33, and the unsecured claims!
at $(>5,571.90.
Amendment No. 8 Effective.
A proclamation has been issued by
Acting Governor John I .Moore de
claring amendment No. S to the con
stitution of the state effective. This
amendment provides for the increase
of the state school tax from two to,
three mills and the district tax lroui
five to seven mills.
—
Negro Seriously Injured.
John McIntosh, .-. negro, was serious- j
ly wounded while cleaning a gun pi e- j
paratory to going hunting. The hul- j
det entered his chest, inflicting a se
rious wound.
To Aid Arkansas Fight.
The lumber dealers of St. Louis and
Memphis have joined the Arkansas
dealers in their fight upon the recemly
announced increase in rates upon
shipments of lumber within the state
of Arkansas. Freight bureaus in these
two cities and Little Rock are now
making an effort to bring about an abol
ishment of the proposed rates before
the order goes into effect. March 1.
The lumber dealers in Memphis and
St. Louis realize that they will be
heavy sufferers should the railroads
persist in their intention. Large quan
tities of lumber are annually shipped
to these cities from Arkansas, as the
firms which did not abandon the state
must necessarily increase prices to
keep the margin of profits the same,
the result can easily be foreseen. The
main grounds upon which the dissat
isfaction is based oh skiddooo the r
ed seems to be the alleged unfairness
of the new rates. The sheet shows
that shipments south of the Arkansas
river will be listel at two cents a hun
dred pounds higher than formerly,
while shipments In the territory north
of the river will suffer an increase of
only one cent. Discrimination be
tween Arkansas and other states is
also charged.
Survey fro New Railway.
The De Queen and Eastern has com
pleted surveys for a proposed line
from Hot Springs southwest to De
Queen, where connection will be made
with the Kansas City Southern. The
new road is to extend 125 miles, the
distance between the two points men
tioned. The section of Arkansas
through which it passes is not lacking
in roads extending north and south,
but has no line except the Iron Moun
tain from Hot Springs to Texarkana,
which extends west or southwest. The
line of the new road is at all point*
several miles distant from the Iron
Mountain, and not being parallel prac
tically a new territory is opened up.
When the new line is constructed
travelers west and southwest fnfrn
Hot Springs will enjoy much better fa
cilities. It will not then be necessary
to travel from Hot Springs to Benton
in order to reach Texarkana, where
connection is made with the lines to
Southwestern points and the Gulf
states.
Big Outlay By Frisco.
The Frisco management has award
ed contracts for new equipments,
which will involve an outlay of $1,000,
000. Ten passenger locomotives, ten
switching locomotives and 25 consolid
ated have been ordered from the Bald
win works and all will be delivered by
the end of the year. Chairman Yoak
um of the Executive Committee of the
Frisco and Rock Island does not at
tach overmuch importance to the legis
lation which is being aimed at the
railroads and says that other improve
ments will be made if increased travel
and traffic demand them.
A Meat Famine.
There is almost a meat famine at
Salem, Fulton county. Farmers
throughout the county have sold nearly
all their hogs which have been
shipped to the St. Louis market.
Bridge Contracts Let.
The County Court of Logan county
has let contracts for the construction
flf the following bridges. Short
Mountain, $1,470; Revilee, $2,000; Six
Mile, $1,400; Shoal Creek, $2,295.
Kilted While Hunting.
J. S. Hall, a prominent farmer who
resides south of Texarkana, was killed
while hunting recently. He and a
young man by the name of Dodson,
were alone in the woods, and there
were no viltnesses to the tragedy. Dod
son says they were on their way homo
and he was walking behind. He was
in the act of shifting hts gun when
the hammer caught in hts coat, caus
ing the weaium to explode. The full
charge of buckshot entered just over
Halls left ear, literally tearing the
top of his head off. Dodson has been
arrested.
THE SENATE.
After a heated and somewhat sensational
debate the Senate Monday by one major*
ity. passed the Green haw pure food bill,
which is almost an exact copy of the pure
food law enacted by t'ongress severyil
months ago, Senator i'atterson. who intro
duced tin* antipatent medicine bill early in
the session, took the floor in opposition to
the Greenhaw measure, and intimated that
outside Influence had been brought to hear
to defeat his measure.
The motto of the state. “Regnant Top
uli,” which is erroneous, is sought to l*e
corrected in a bill introduced by Senator
Lee making the motto read “Regnat 1'op
ulus,*’ meaning “The people rule." Reg
nant Populi” means “tne peoples (that is.
the tribes or nations) rul^" Ills object
is to have the change inscribed on the new
capitol dome
Another bill passed at this session was
one repealing all laws antagonistic to Greek
letter fraternities at the 1‘niversity of Ar
kansas and authorizing the faculty to con
trol the matter in the future.
The Senate also passed the Patterson
bill providing for the working of convicts
on public roads. Mach county is permitted
to work the convicts sent up from that
particular county.
Senator Oldham introduced a bill to re
peal section 1250 of Kirby’s Digest, and
giving the Supreme Court reporter the
right to accept law cases whenever they
are tendered
One of the most important hills intro
duced in the Senate Tuesday was by Sen
ator Legate, which makes it unlawful to
permit any cotton buyer, cotton shipper, or
cotton factor, to own or operate or become
au officers or director in any company or
corporation owulng or operating any cot
ton compress plant in this state, and re
quires persons, companies, or corporations
owning or operating cotton compress plants
to furnish the names of the owners or
operators, or their officers and directors,
to the attorney general of the state, when
the latter demands It.
Senator I'atterson introduced a hill rais
ing the salary «»f the governor of tin* state
to $4,000 after the expiration of the pres
ent term of office.
It being House day in the Senate, twen
ty-nine House bills were given two readings
In the regular grind, and five were passed.
These were all local measures.
New' bills introduced were:
By Senator Arnold Requiring the pres
ident or secretary of every corporation
doing business in this state to file annually
a statement of the cash capital, cash value
of real estate and personal estate, and in
debtedness.
By Senator Carlock—An act giving the
people the right to vote as to whether na
tive wines shall be sold iu one-fifth gallon
quantities, the same as when voting for
license or against license.
The Senate Wednesday, passed the de
ficiency bill for the University of Arkansas
by a narrow margin. During tin* dH»n«*.
it developed that a bill would he intro
duced prohibiting the stale department
in the future from assuming any obliga
tion unless authorized by the state by
regular legislation.
During the morning Senator Simms
called up the bill which appropriates $1~>.
000 for the Jamestown exposition, leu
it failed of passage, not receiving the
necessary two-thirds vote.
other bills passed were: By Senator
Lambert, requiring railroads to drain their
road-beds within 200 yards of a station,
and providing for agricultural and dem
onstration farms in each county.
New bills in the Senate were: By
Senator De Rositt, providing for the work
lug of convicts on the public roads; by
Senator Browning, requiring assessors in
improvement districts to make an oath
yheu placing assessments on valuation.
The vote by which the appropriation of
813,000 was killoil the (lay before, was
reconsidered in the Senate Thursday, and
after the bill had received -<• votes for,
and it against, was declared passed. A
question remains as to whether the Hill
requires two-thirds of all members elected
r>r two-thirds of those present and voting
before it cun be legally passed.
Senator 1). M. Cloud, the choice of the
people of the Ninth senatorial district in
the special election held last Saturday,
was officially received in the Senate at
this session. Acting Governor John Ike
Moore administered the oath of Office.
Senate Bill No. Ititi. by Senator I’at
terson, was taken up for the purpose ot
disposing of the committee amendment.
This is the patent medicine hill which
requires the formula to be printed in
plain type as large as brevier size on
every proprietary medicine sold in the
state. The Senate Committee on Public
Health had amended the hill so as to
require physicians also to write tlseir pre
scriptions in plain English, and the drug
gist preparing the medielne to copy the
prescription oh the label whenever request
ed to do so by the purchaser. After a
lengthy debate in which a number of mam
hers took part, the committee amendment
was stricken from the hill, and the whole
subject made a special order for next
Thursday afternoon.
Other bills passed at this session were :
By Senators Amis and Goodwin, requir
ing railroad companies to tile annually a
statement and schedule of all real and
personal property in tile state.
By Senator McKenzie, prohibiting the
sale’ or giving away of cigarettes In the
stale.
By Senator Arnold, making the Doyle
measurement of logs the recognized legal
measurement In this state.
By Senator Holland, providing for an
asylum l’or the insane in Sebastian coun
ty. and authorizing that county to appro
priate money lor the establishment of
same.
l.v Senator McCall, providing that the
comity seat of no county shall lie changed
until after those petitioning its change
shall have deposited the stun of $3.000 in
cash to be donated toward the building of
the new county court house in the new
seat of government.
By Senator Goodwin, authorizing the
State Board of Education to Invest the
permanent school fund in warrants of
special school districts.
New bills Introduced In the Senate were :
By Senator Milan An act to shorten
the time for closing up administrations
from three years, as now prescribed, to
IS months.
By Senator McKnight— Requiring notes
and bonds to he listed for taxation, and
proscribing how they shall he stamped
to show that they have been so listed.
B.v Senator Goodwin.—An act to permit
shippers to execute bond and receive freight
in advance of bills of lading after having
made surety.
By Senator Rowland.—To protect ship
pers from delay In the shipment of cattle
or live stock and requiring stock trains
to make at least 13 miles an hour In
transit.
The Committee on State Capitol of the
Scnaie and House which are making in
quiry in the building of Arkansas' new
state house, were endorsed as to the meth
ods they are employing in making the In
vestigation by both bodies of the General
Assembly at Friday's session.
Among the bills passed was one by Mr.
McCracken of the House authorizing an
Increase in ex-Conl'ederate pensions where
extra disability Is established in proof, and
» bill by Mr. Fletcher, also of the House,
1 equirlng coal Inspectors to make inspec
tions promptly under penalty of a minimum
fine of $25,
THE HOUSE.
The House. which was the only body of
the General Assembly in sessiou Saturday,
transacied more business than on any bay
since the convening of the session.
Three especially Important, bills were
passed during the morning session. To*
Mrst to receive consideration was the bill
by representative Black <»r Sebastian to
Increase the powers of the Kail road Coin
mission of Arkansas by vesting ii with
authority to consider petitions for the hu
provemeut of train service and tin- estab
Ilshment of depots, spurs, sidetracks and
platforms.
Another bill passed was that by Repre
sentative Quinn, which is To prohibit drum
ming or soliciting for hotels, bath houses,
doctors, etc*., on trains, platforms or at
depots. *
The House also passed a bill by Repre
sentativ Ross, prescribing tile means by
which foreign corporations may become
domestic corporations. As explained by
Mr. Ross, the purpose of the bill is to make
it possible for the foreign corporations to
be sued in the state courts instead of in
the federal courts.
There were thirteen new bills introduced
at this session, most of them local in
characted, twelve bills passed, tin* majority
of which were a 1st) local, and many were
advanced and referred.
Among those introduced were:
By Mr. Roby. 10 amend article 1 of sec
tion 3095 of Kirby's Digest, relating to
the incomptency of witnesses, to read as
follows: •‘Husband and wife, for or agalnsr
each other, or concerning communication
made by one to the other during the mar
riage. whether called as a witness while that
relation subsists or afterward, bur either
shall be allowed to testify for the other in
regard to any other matter or thing. The
last line of the article now reads "in re
gard to any business transacted by the
oue for the other in the capacity of agent.'*
The House spent considerable time Mon
day. discussing a resolution by Mr. Thomas
of Columbia, declining to accept an invi
tation from the Little Rock board of trade
to attend a banquet gn March 7. After
a rather spirited debate the resolution was
indefinitely postponed, with Mr. Thomas
and Mr. McCollum of Hope voting in the
negative.
House bills passed at this session were :
By (Committee on Education), to make
the general tax levy for school purposes
mills instead of 2 mills, and to provide
that the district tax shall not be greater
than seven-tenths of 1 per cent of the
assessed value of the taxable property of
the district, instead of one-half of 1 per
cent.
By Mr. Killough. giving the right o!
eminent domain to companies generating
and transmitting electricity.
There were twelve new bills introduced
at this session, most of them of a local
character. Among them were:
By Mr. Thomas, to provide that here
after all citizens of Arkansas shall have
the same right to hunt and fish in any
county in the state as citizens of that
county.
By Mr. Walker, to amend -section 7207 of
Kirby’s Digest, relating to labor on high
ways, by providing that any person subject,
to work on roads and highways may pay
75 cents per day for each day he is sub
ject to work, which amount shall be placed
to the credit of the road district in t iie
county treasury.
By Mr. Whaley, to compel all officers
of the law to enter on record the true
names of all persons arrested, and to make
it unlawful for persons arrested to give
fictitious names.
The House Tuesday passed the fellow
servant bill by Senator Kie Oldham, apply
ing to employes of railroads and coal mines.
About an hour and a half was spent in
discussing the measure, and on the roll
call there was only one vote against its
passage. Objections were urged that *
Dill was deficient in phraseology and ii
was construed by some members as applv
ing to the employes of all corporations, and
in addition it was stated that the pum-tua
tion of the bill was faulty. The members
who suggested the defects in the bill saw
they di<l so only in order that a pcrfe« t
measure might be passed, but that if it
was insisted that the Oldham bill should
be passed they would vote for it, whit h
thfcv did.
The afternoon session was devoted to the
reading of Senate bills and twenty four
bills were read first and second times.
The only Senate bill passed at the after
noon session was oue by Senator Si mm*
prohibiting the issuance of saloon li 'n- -
outside the corporate limits of municipal
ities.
The measure by Representative Meade
making the salaries of all chancellors m
the state uniform at 52.500 per annum
hull a narrow margin in the House Weil
uesfiav. The rote was 44 ayes ,n "t* lines.
The demurrage bill by Mr. barker, over
which there has been so much discussion
in the House, was passed without debate,
with only one dissenting vote.
A bill hy Mr. Roby to provide for tie’
confiscation and destruction of pistols
found on persons convicted of unlawfully
carrying them, was passed.
New bills Introduced at this session
were :
By Mr. Stevens, to provide that every
person, company or corporation in the
state which shal buy. for the purpose of
selling intoxicating, spirituous, malt or
fermented liquors or blended spirits or In
toxicating liquor of any kind, shall, ir: ad
dition to the taxes already provided, pay
as a license tax two per centum on the
total amount of purchases made, which
shall go to the general revenue fund of
the state. It requires that a record shall
he kept of the dumber of gallons blended,
bought for sale and ordered for another,
and the price paid or the cost of the
sains. It is a substitute for House Bill No.
50, a somewhat similar measure.
By Committee on Militia, to promote (he ef
flcieimy of the Arkansas National Hunt'd
and To prescribe rules and regulations for
Its government.
I'y Messrs. Ilamiter and Jackson, to
create the office of county superintendent
in each county.
In the House Thursday afternoon th“ |
entire session was devoted to a discus
sion of the amendment by Representative
Ki I lough to the bill hy Reoresentative
Hazel of I’oinsett counly to increase the
rax levy in the St. Francis levee district
from ti eentiVr* 10 cents an acre, but after
spending two hours and a half on the sub
ject. adjournment was taken without a
decision being reached.
Bills passed during the morning hour
were :
By Messrs. Kizzia and Jackson, to make
drunkenness at public gatherings, such as
picnics, barbecues, children's day exercises.
Sunday school atffl church services, literary
societies, or on trains, a misdemeanor, pun
ishable by a fine of not less than 510
nor more than 525.
My Mr. Lasley. amending the drainage
laws by authorizing the re assessment of
property for widening or deepening drain
age ditches or canals, to prescribe the
manner in which taxes are to he collected
to create a sinking fund, and fixing a
penalty for obstructing drainage ditches.
Mr. .McCracken introduced a bill at tills
session to provide for the separation of
whites and negroes in public examinations
for teachers' license.
Other bills introduced were of purely a
local character.
At 4 ::10 o'clock the House adjourned
until Friday morning.
For the first time during the session of
the present House, the journal of the pro
vious day's proceedings was not read
Thursday. Representative Barker, who nl
wai's insists upon the reading, was not
In his seat during the earlv part of the
morning’s session, which accounts, probab
ly, for its not being read.
The House spent much of tlie day Fri
day in considering the roads bill by Ken
Htor Arnold, and amendments to exempt
several counties from its provisions were
adopted.
Only local matters were considered during
the balance of the session, and at an early
hour the House adjourned until Monday
morning.
LEGISLATIVE NOTES.
T'n* fellow-wrvant bill by Senator Eli
Oldham of Pulaski couptv. which has pass
ed both the Senate and House, and will to
a few days go to the governor for hl&
approval, fs as follow*:
A Bill for an Act to Be Entitled ‘An Art
to (llvo Right of Action Against an Rn«
ployer for Injuries or Death Resulting
to His Agents, Employes or Servants,
Hither from the Employer's Negligent1*
or from the Negligence of Some of His
Other Employes, Servants or Agents, and
to Repeal All Acts and Pari* of Acts in
Conflict Herewith.’
‘lie 1? Enacted by the General Assembly
of the State of' Arkansas :
“Section 1. That hereafter all railroad
companies operating within this state,
whether incorporated or not. and all cor
porations of every kind and character, and
every company, whether incorporated or
not. engaged in the mining of coal, who
may employ agents, servants or employes,
such agents, servants or employes being
In the exercise of due care, shall be liable
to respond In damages for injuries or death
sustained by any such agent, employe or
servant resulting from the careless omis
sion of duty or negligence of any other
agent, servant or employe of the said ern
ployer, in the same manner and to the
same extent as if tlie carelessness, omis
sion of duty or negligence causing the in
jury or death was that of the employer.
“Sec. ‘J. That all laws and parts or
laws iu conflict herewith are hereby re
pealed. and that this act. shall take effect
and be in full force from and after its
passage.”
A bill by Representative Thompson of
Independence county, to redistrict the
chancery districts of the state and under
which several of the present Chancery Courts
would have been abolished, lived but, a few
moments. It provided for only live chan
eery districts to be composed of the follow
ing counties:
First District— Lonoke, Pulaski, White
Second District—Garland, Hot Spring
and Saline.
Third District—Arkansas. Jefferson. Leo
aud Phillips.
Fourth Distrb-i -Lafayette. Little River,
Miller any Sevier.
Fifth District Crawford. Franklin. Mad
ison. Sebastian. Washington and Benton.
T'nder the general appropriation bill that
will be presented in the House by the Com
mince on Ways and Means, the Railroad
commission of Arkansas will be forced
lo get along with a smaller office force
than it has bad since it was created.
'The bill provides for the consolidation of
the offices* of secretary and rate clerk, and
provides that the stenographer shall be
the assistant secretary. The clerical force
at present consists of a secretary, rare
clerk and stenographer. The salary of the
se-.-ivtary lias been $1.~iQ0 per annum, but
under the new bill the salary of the sec
retary-rate clerk will be but $1,400 Pel*
fccnum.
The Senate spo<-ia! committee to act on
the anti-futures bills, six in number, pend
ing in the Senate, held a meeting Thursday
in tli* Senate chamber and decided to
report a bill which will probably be made
up of portions of all the measures, 1L
was the unanimous verdict of the com
mittee that legitimate operations, such as
would give farmers and cotton growers the
right to “hedge" on the markets, should
not be Interfered with. The members of
committee expressed themselves in
favor of allowing ‘legitimate board deals
where actual delivery is contemplated.
The Joint Penitentiary Committee has
returned from a personal inspection of the
state farm at Cummins, which had been
begun Friday morning. The committee re
ports everything in splendid shape at th«
farm, the convicts orderly and well cared
for, the buildings clean and the food sum
cient. The entire farm was gone over, and
i; was found that much improvement has
been made. The manner in which affairs
are conducted was a complete surprise to
many members of the committee, who state
that the improvements made are far io
excess* of what had been expected.
A number of representatives of the
miners and of the operators of mines,
have appeared before* the Senate Com
mittee on Mines, and presented their
claim*. The operators argued for the
repeal of the law on the ground that tt
it remain* on the statutes it. will result in
cither loss to the rniue owners or an
advance in the price of coal. The miners
<oiitended that the law is a good one,
that it is necessary for their protection
and that the public will in no way be
inconvenienced by its enforcement.
A number of county officers of Chicot
county appeared before the Senate Com
mit te** oji Claims Monday in behalf of
the Simms bill which provides for an
appropriation of $7,500 t<> reimburse Chicot
county for money spent in protecting the
state from yellow fever two years' ago.
itemized accounts .are submitted and the
committee approves the -claim. There
will probably be little opposition to the
passage of ihe appropriation bill in the
Senate.
Senator Patterson In a vigorous tight
on the patent medicine bill introduced by
Senator Greenhaw, intimated that outside
parent medicine concerns had spent much
money in Little Kook in the defeat of his
bill on the Same subject. The charges
have not been recognized officially as yet.
but it is stated that an investigation will
follow, in which the manner of conducting
flie lobby for the passage of the Green
haw bill'as against the Patterson bill will
be taken up.
A bill to establish an eight-hour day
for railroad telegraph operators, whoso
duties pertain to the movement of trains,
will be introduced in the Legislature
shortly. It is backed up by all railroad
operators iu Arkansas, and they will make
an earnest effort for its passage. A simi
lar measure has been passed by the Mary
land Legislature, and has also been intro
duced in the Missouri Legislature and has
passed the House.
A resolution will probably be Introduced
in the General Assembly sometime this
week looking to au extension of the pres
ent session forty or sixty days. Such ex
tension seems necessary at the present
stage as under the constitution it will con
tinue but a couple of weeks longer unless
ir is extended by resolution adopted by
both Senate and House, and there is much
legislation yet to be done.
Representatives Black of Sebastian, Old
ham and Coleman, who were appointed a
committee to inquire into the authorship
of a pamphlet circulated among members
of the House reflecting upon Representa
tives Liegh and Batch of Pulaski county,
began their work Thursday. They Inter
viewed several persons, but none of the
committee will state the range the inquiry
has taken.
Petitions were read in the House Wed
nesday from citizens of Stamps for the
passage of a better fire insurance law ;
from citizens of Craighead county against
the bill seeking to increase the tax levy
in the St. Francis Levee District; from
citizens of Dardanelle for the passage of
the Balch fire insurance bill, and from the
\V. C. T. U.j for the passage of Senate
Dili 105, an anti-cigarette measure.
At the morning session of the Housa
Monday the bill by Representative Simp
son to provide a room or rooms In the
new state capitol in which to store battle
records and other Confederate relics, was
passed by a vote of 42 ayes to 41 noes.
nut a motion to reconsider the vote by
which the bill passed and to lay that mo
tion on the table failed of adoption.
In accordance with a concurrent resolu
tion by Representative Black of Sebas
tian county. Speaker Ham-ter yesterday
appointed Representative Ilartsill, Ruff,
Rowell, Hancock and Morrow as members
from the House on a joint committee to
investigate the conduct of the Confederate
Home at Sweet Home.