A Tragedy of the Commonplace
By Richard King
Fair, fat and featureless, Letitia was,
physically speaking, a complete fail
ure. Mentally or “soulfully,” as she
preferred to call it, she belonged to
the “romantics” and considered herself
wasted in a century of motor cars and
millionaires. Her book of life, she be
lieved, ought to have been one long
Roman passionel, which it perhaps
would have been had it not slipped
somehow between the prosaic covers
of a parish magazine. That, however,
was her tragedy.
In her inmost heart she longed to re
semble her friend, Mrs. de Rutsen,
with whom she lived. Life, she consid
ered, was so easy for those who had
found an excuse.
Letitia was one of those unfortunate
people to whom love and affection are
as the breath of life. Mrs. de Rutsen
professed to shower them upon her,
with the inevitable result that Letitia
became her slave. Mrs. de Rutsen on
her part accepted this view of the
case complacently enough. Hers was,
in fact, the much easier role; it re
quired only a certain passivity com
bined with a mild indulgence, which,
after all, to most people presents no
difficulty.
As for Letitia, her activity was ex
traordinary. A series of unrequited
affections in her youth, combined with
an austere training, had fostered with
in her a genius for self-sacrifice, while
Providence ordained that it should be
exercised and developed. By the na
ture of things the triumph lay with
the coarser nature, as in most of life’s
triumphs.
Mrs. de Rutsen was a eupeptic,
strong-willed, absolutely self-satisfied
woman with a moderate share of good
looks. Letitia on her side had found
life a disappointment, and while she
possessed all the virtues, what are
they worth to a woman who has no
features, less figure, and absolutely no
complexion? Indeed, she was one of
those anomalies which go to prove
more than anything else that Nature
has no sense of humpr.
There came, however, to the maison
ette a middle-aged man of letters
known by the name of Meredith. He
was no relation to the celebrated nov
elist, although he liked people to think
so. In fact, he imagined that his sur
name gave him a sort of literary dis
tinction—which it did not, though he
was, however, just as pleased. He had
talked several times with Letitia, and
their mutual confidences had made
them believe they had much in com
mon. Defying the improvidence of the
match, he, with very little romance
and less passion, asked her to marry
him. The excuse he gave himself for
this was that he was lonely and get
ting old and that he wanted somebody
to nurse him when he became infirm,
and also to make his present life more
comfortable.
Letitia was, of course, inordinately
grateful to him for his attentions and
believed that, given a certain amount
of esteem, she would find his home
congenial to her. He was by no means
the heroic man round which all her
girlish dreams had centered, nor was
he even strong-willed and masterful
such as weak women love, but he had
a certain courteous and kindly manner
towards her, and in any case he would
belong to her—he would be absolutely
her own. Besides, he appeared lonely
and unhappy, all of which appealed
forcibly to her imagination; and she
might, too, being a woman, have had
some mildly romantic flutterings as
well. In any case she was tired of be
ing an unpaid secretary and needle
woman to Mrs. de Rutsen. Latterly
she had misseed sorely those showers
of affection which had made the first
days of their friendship so precious.
Though in her blindly unseeing way
she was still fond of her, there tvas
mixed up with her affection a tinge of
bitter disappointment, half uncon
scious, yet wholly real.
However, she did not give Sir. Mer
edith a definite answer all at once. On
the contrary, she kept the good man
waiting so long that in desperation he
made a confidant of Mrs. de Rutsen.
That lady received his confession
with the utmost dismay.
“I’m afraid Letitia will not accept
you,” she told him coldly.
“Of course,” she continued, after a
pause, “if Letitia ■floes happen to ac
cept your offer, you must promise me
to take the utmost care of her. She is
so fragile that sometimes I think she
will not live. Her delicacy of health
is simply appalling.”
His consternation at the news
amused her greatly.
“If she enjoyed better health,” she
•went on, “l sometimes think she would
be better looking.”
“Her face is always interesting,” he
interrupted, feeling more sure of his
ground, as most men are when they
defend the physical charms of those
they have chosen to be their wives.
“You surprise me. You do, indeed,”
cried Mrs. de Rutsen in astonishment;
“so many people consider her quite
the plainest woman in London. Not,”
she continued, knowing that this shaft
would be more deadly than all, “not
that mere looks are worth everything
after all.”
And she gave him her sweetest and
most bewitching smile.
“She is so wonderfully sympathetic,”
he said by way of protest.
Mr6. De Rutsen appeared as if such
a thing had never struck her before.
“Sympathetic,” she cried. “1 suppose
one would call her so—at any rate,
sometimes—though not in any really
ereat trouble. Besides, when one Is
very poor and very plain one must cul
tivate the virtues; one has otherwise
no raison d’etre. While to he sympa
thetic to me to whom she is so in
debt—”
"Debt!” he cried, interrupting her
suddenly with all the holy horror of
one who personally is never out of it.
"Debt!”
"Of course, you must never say any
thing,” cried Mrs. de Rutsen quickly,
as if in a momentary weakness she
had betrayed a confidence. “You must
promise me that.”
"You surprise me,” he moaned, now
thoroughly disheartened. “You sur
prise me dreadfully.”
“Letitia is full of surprises,” she
said as a parting shot.
That evening as she was going to
bed she looked in Letitia's room, as
was her custom.
“There is something I don’t like
about Mr. Meredith," she said inno
cently as they were sitting over the
fire.
“Don’t you?” was all Letitia could
reply for her blushes, and she tried to
look as unconscious as her friend,
though for different reasons.
"Of course, I don’t believe all the
horrible things people say about him,”
Mrs. de Rutsen explained, "but I’m
afraid he’s a very Immoral man.”
Then she told her several accusa
tions which she was able to rake up
against him out of his past.
“Of course, we must not believe
everything we hear,” she explained as
she kissed her.
“No,” answered Letitia almost under
her breath.
“You are quite happy, aren’t you?”
cried Mrs. de Rutsen as she saw Leti
tia's white face. “I believe you have
been crying.”
“Oh, no, I haven’t,” cried Letitia,
wiping her eyes.
“You don't know how I love you,”
continued Mrs. de Rutsen, kissing her,
"or how I love to have you with me.”
"Thank you,” cried Letitia, throwing
her arms around her friend’s neck and
sobbing as if her heart would break.
The end, of course, is apparent. A
few more conversations between them
both and Letitia wrote a letter which
settled the matter as far as she was
concerned. As for Mr. Meredith, after
what Mrs. de Rustin had told him, her
definite refusal relieved him more
than he could say. They never saw
each other- again.
It all hapened years ago, and since
then Letitia has become more infatu
ated than ever. “Perhaps,” she some
times thought to herself to allay the
loneliness of heart, “I should not have
been happy with him. Perhaps 1 am
better as I am.”
As for Mrs. de Rutsen, she thinks
Letitia an extremely lucky woman.
To a friend who once wondered why
Letitia had never married she said;
"Years ago a man once asked her. I
did everything in my power to bring
them together, but she refused him.
You see she is so happy with me. And
I find her so useful.”
As for Letitia, she has become much
older—old with all the tragedy not of
getting older, but of still remaining
young. Her life stretches out before
her, dreary, monotonous, common
place, without any sun whatever, or
for that matter, without much shade.
Possibly it is not so utterly ordinary
as it appears to outsiders, but there
are. no roses for her to gather by the
way. Her life is filled with dull, un
interesting duties, and her genius for
self-sacrifice goes on unabated. If she
is not very happy, well, after all, who
is? She believes she is working her
way heavenward, which in its way is
something, after all. In any case the
irony of her fate may not be so terri
ble as it seems. Poor Letitia!
MAKING PROGRESS IN ALASKA.
Government Slowly Solving Problems
of Transportation.
The great problem in Alaska is that
af transportation. Every place of pres
ent importance in southeastern Alas
ka and southwestern Alaska is reached
by steamer, and the government is
slowly putting in the necessary light
houses. The one railroad over the
White pass is a convenient link with
the upper Yukon and there are several
lines in progress from the coast far
ther northward to the lower Yukon
valley. Outsiders have strange notions
about Alaskan geography; a project
was actually formed for building a
railroad from Portland canal on the
southern boundary of Alaska to Skag
way, ignoring inlets which penetrate a
hundred miles up into the mountains,
»nd quite overlooking the vast gla
ciers which come down Into the sea,
Dver which no railroad could possibly
be maintained. The Guggenheim in
terests are building a road from Val
dez northward to reach copper and
Dther mines, and a rival company has
constructed one mile of road out of
Yaldez and has one locomotive.
If the Yukon valley prove to be
ivailable for settlers, some time a
road will parallel the river and thus
seep up the winter transit.. At present
the winter highways in that part of
he world are trails traversed only by
log sledges.
Accents.
In the middle of a rambling speech
the orator declared: "The situation is
?rave, the crisis is acute.”
“And the gentleman's speech,” ad
led the newspaper reporter, “was cir
cumflex.”—Youth's Companion
FIRED ON SAVIORS
DASTARDLY WORK OF CONVICTS
AT REGGIO.
Sailors with Rifles Landed to Pre
serve Order and Prevent Looting
in the Cities Stricken by the
Recent Earthquake.
The following incident was re
counted in a secret report sent by
Capt. Cagni of the Italian navy, now
in command of the battleship Napoli,
the first war vessel to reach Reggio
after the earthquake, to the minister
of marine.
As soon as Capt. Cagni reached Reg
gio he landed in a boat accompanied
by a party of officers and men, a score
in all, in order to arrange for the or
ganization of relief parties. No sooner
did they set foot on shore than about
a hundred escaped criminals armed
with rifles they had stolen from the
barracks opened fire on the party.
Cagni and his men were unarmed,
so they returned to their boats and
signaled to the battleship to detach at
once 200 sailors armed with rifles and
two quick firing guns. Within ten
minutes the sailors were landed.
Cagni assumed command, lined them
on the beach and gave the order to
march.
The convicts opened fire on them
from behind the ruined houses. The
sailors fired a volley in the air, and
then, as the convicts continued to fire,
Cagni ordered his men to fire on the
convicts, which they did. The firing
continued for five minutes, until most
of the convicts were killed and the
remainder surrendered.
Capt. Cagni in his report does not
state how many were killed, but he
says that his first step was to secure
all the escaped convicts he could find,
convey them on board in irons, and
sail to a port in Sicily, where he hand
ed them to the police, and he did this
before rendering any help to the vic
tims, as he considered it of the ut
most importance to free the city from
this band of looters.
Many of the earthquake survivors
owe their lives to strange circum
stances. Some fell, bed and all, from
top stories to cellars and were not
hurt. A sacred picture served as a
shield from the crumbling walls to
another, which some were shot from
their beds to the street without sus
taining any injury.
There are many cases of wives sav
ing their husbands, which shows that
Italian women under stress of circum
stances play a better part than the
men.
Another young girl with two small
brothers was taken out after eight
days, living in a corner of a cellar
upon which nearly all the rest of the
house had fallen. She dug for three
days with her hands until she had
opened a small hole for air and by
reaching out her hand and signaling
she caught the attention of a squad
of soldiers, who rescued the trio
just as the two children were about
to die.
A party of soldiers removed a por
tion of a crumbling wall at Messina,
which blocked a room in which a hus
band and wife were discovered in bed.
Their heads appeared first side by side
on the same pillow. The husband was
dead, while the wife was alive. A sol
dier, seeing this, took off his coat and
covered the man’s face to hide it from
the wife.
"Never mind,” she said. “I know
he is dead and his arms are around
me.”
When the bodies were removed it
was found that the poor man had em
braced his wife when he died, and
the doctors had to amputate the arms
to detach the dead from the living
body. The wife did not cry.
Mixed Population.
The most mixed population in the
world is probably that of British Gui
ana. There is admixture of French,
Dutch, Spanish, British, coolie and In
dian blood.
The Yeggman.
A "yegg” or “yeggman” might be
defined as a cross between a tramp
and a burglar. “Yeggmen” travel
about the--country always by stealing
or begging rides on freight trains,
and their operations are generally con
fined to banks or postoffices in the
smaller towns.
Out of His Misery.
“She’s a terror.”
“Yes, they say she worried her buB
band to death.”
“Well, it might have been worse.”
“How could it be?”
“She might have permitted him to
live.”—Hpuston Post.
He Wanted Some.
The banquet table was spread and
the guests about to be summoned.
"Are you sure that there are no re
porters present?" anxiously asked the
host of the butler. ‘T've made certain
of it, sir.” “Then hustle out and get
a few,” rejoined the host.
A Fiery Wrong.
“Isn’t it dreadful there should be
such a crime as arson?”
“Indeed, it is a burning shame.”
The Yeggman.
A “yegg” or “yeggman” might be
defined as a cross between a tramp
and a burglar. “Yeggmen” travel
about the country always by stealing
or begging rides on freight trains,
and their operationsare generally con
fined tq banks or postoffices in the
smaller towns.
Safety in Eminence.
“Even in case of an accident,” says
the Philosopher of Folly, “the man
who has climbed the highest is bound
to fall on top of the heap.”
House Passed $10,000 War Bill.
In the House the main feature was
the debate upon and passage of the
bill appropriating $10,000 as a contin
gent fund for the attorney general
to be used in defending the suits now
pending in the United States Supreme
Court, relative to the Wingo act and
other acts, particularly the Barker
demurrage law, both of which have
been called into question on the
charge of invalidity.
The bill was attacked on the ground
that the appropriation is unnecessary,
in that it is the business of the at
torney general to look after the state’s
legal interest and see that the acts
of the legislature are enforced. Those
advocating its passage contended that
the present appropriation is not for
the ordinary expenses of the office of
attorney general, but for extraordina
ry contingencies, for the payment of
witnesses In securing testimony and
of expert assistants, if, in the dis
cretion of the attorney general, such
are needed.
Another State Capitol Bill.
Like the cat which always came
back, the state capitol proposition in
the Senate continues to roost on the
back fence and bob up serenely every
time the doors are opened long
enough.
A third state capitol bill made its
appearance in the Senate, when
President Martin of Pope intro
duced Senate Bill No. 186, a bill
to increase the state capitol commis
sion to seven members, select an arch
itect, appropriate $350,000 and con
tinue the state capitol tax levy of one
half mill until the building is com
pleted.
The bill did not come in the nature
of a surprise, as it was known Sena
tor Martin had such a bill in his pos
session. It was read twice and placed
on the calendar with 500 copies order
ed printed.
State Secretary’s Assistants.
Senator Toney introduced Senate
Bill No. 188, providing for the follow
ing assistants to the secretary of
state: A chief clerk at $150 per
month, a corporation clerk at $125
per month, a library clerk at $100 per
month, a stenographer at $1,000 per
year, and a janitor at $20 per month.
Read twice and referred to the judi
ciary committee.
To Form a New Judicial District.
The bill for the formation of a new
judicial district, taking Scott county
from the Twelfth, where it is at
tached to Sebastian in the formation
of that district, and placing it with
Montgomery and Polk counties, in the
creation of a judicial district to be
known as the Eighteenth Judicial Dis
trict, is a measure proposed by Mr.
Hamilton of Polk county. The meas
ure promises to be enacted into a law,
as the majority of the citizens affected
seem to favor the plan. Mr. Hamilton
is also the author of a very logical
bill for the supression and prevention
of truancy, by providing for compul
sory school attendance for a portion of
the year.
Pindall Salary to Be Paid.
The passage of House Bill No. 59
(Parks), appropriating $6,250 to be
paid X. O. Pindall for his services as
acting governor in the past two years,
was the chief event in the house Mon
day, while a short and snappy mes
sage from Governor Donaghey, in
which the governor refuses to comply
with the resolution adopted by the
house last week which provided for a
personal trip of inspection over the
new 6tate capitol building, was the
feature of the morning session.
An entire afternoon was spent in
discussing the Parks bill, which was
taken up shortly before the noon
hour, and which passed at 4 o’clock
in the afternoon by a vote of 51 to 22.
No lengthy speeches on the measure
were made by anyone, but nearly a
half of the membership discussed the
bill, speaking either for or against it.
The argument against the bill in gen
eral was based on the claim that X.
O. Pindall should not have remained
in the office, but that he should have
called a special election for a new
governor.
The opposition to this argument de
clared that this should never have
been done, as it would have been ne
cessary, it was claimed, to have de
clared Governor Little incapacitated
to have carried out any such action.
Those who fought for the measure
also argued that personal feelings in
the matter should not be allowed to
Interfere.
A slight flurry was caused in the
afternoon, when Mr. Winn of Pulaski
declared that he did not believe that
Mr. Pindall had done his duty in re
gard to the enforcement of the 2-cent
railroad rate law.
Carbon Ballot Bill Killed.
The house passed two local bils, de
feated the carbon ballot election bill,
adopted a resolution calling upon the
attorney general to give an opinion
in regard to the need of a specific
appropriation for the issuance of pen
sions, and tabled a resolution provid
ing for the discharge of the members
of the State Capitol Commission.
Governor Donaghey has signed
three Senate bills which were re
cntly passed by the General As
sembly. The first one signed was
Senate Bill No. 99, allowing the back
salaries of clerks who worked after
the adjournment of the last session of
the legislature to get up the records.
The Linwood Levee District bill al
lowing the commissioners to issue
bonds, prepared by Senators Pindall.
Johnson and Toney, was the second
signed. The other bill signed was
that by Senator Keel, No. 42. fixing
the salaries of officials in Jackson
county.
IN THE HOUSE.
Bills Passed.
Senate Bill No. 82 (Rowland), ap
propriating $10,000 to the attorney
general to be used in the detense of
the state in litigation. Passed by
vote of 05 to 18.
Senate Bill No. 75 (DeRositt), pro
viding for the creation of a State
Board of Embalmers and for the li
censing of embalmers. Vote, 82 to 1.
Senate Bill No. 153 (Robertson),
creating the Marvell Special School
District. Vote, 60 to 28.
Senate Bill No. 43 (DeRositt), estab
lishing a uniform wire fence in St.
Francis county. Vote, 80 to 0.
Resolution Passed.
House Joint Resolution No. 6 (War
nock), providing for an amendment
to the constitution to the effect that
all capital invested in Arkansas in
machinery for the manufacture of cot
ton for the next ten years shall be
exempt from taxation for a period of
seven years.
Bills Introduced.
House Bill No. 171 (Jackson), re
quiring the Arkansas Midland Railway
Company to operate at least one train
each way between Clarendon and
Helena each day in the week. Read
twice.
House Bill No. 172 (Sawyer), estab
lishing a district court at Brinkley
and two judicial districts in Monroe
county.
House Bill No. 173 (Davis of Co
lumbia), amending section 1609 of
Kirby’s Digest so that after the state
has proved that a defendant has been
guilty of carrying a pistol it shall de
volve upon the defense to show that
the pistol was of the army and navy
type.
House Bill No. 174 (Seamster), pro
hibiting the manufacture or sale of
intoxicants within five miles of the
Avoca school house in Benton county.
House Bill No. 176 (Bradham), pro
viding for the better protection of
game in Bradley county.
House Bill No. 176 (Kirsh), making
illegal cohabitation between whites
and negroes a felony.
House Bill No. 177 (Smothers), reg
ulating the assessment of railroads.
Bills Considered.
Senate Bill No. 82 (Rowland), ap
propriating $10,000 to be used by at
torney general as contingent fund, set
for special order of business, post
poned for further consideration.
House Bill No. 165 (Hurst), provid
ing for the discharge of George R.
Mann and relating to the completion
of the state capitoi, read second time
and referred to state capitoi commit
tee.
House Bill No. 24 (Toler), relating
to the empoyihent of physicians by
corporations, called up in order that
amendments might be read. Amend
ments adopted and with bills ordered
engrossed.
House Bill No. 29 (Witt), providing
for state uniformity of text-books.
Called up for the purpose of reacting
amendments. Amendments consider
ed and with bill ordered engrossed.
Senate Bill No. 12 (Patterson), pro
viding for the working of convicts on
public roads. Read second time and
referred to judiciary committee.
Senate Bill No. 178 (Rasco), relat
ing to the signing of exemptions by a
court. Read first and second times
and referred to judiciary committee.
Senate Bill No. 181 (Arnold), to rec
tify legal defects in a special school
district Mi Clark county. Read first
and second time.
Senate Bill No. 182 (Bush), creat
ing the Martinville Special School Dis
trict in Faulkner and Conway coun
ties. Read first and second times and
referred to educational committee.
IN THE SENATE.
Bills Passed.
Senate Bill No. 177 (Rowland), to
amend section 149 of Kirby’s Digest
so that any deaf-mute under the age
of six years, who is an orphan, must,
if not suffering with a contagious dis
ease, be admitted to the Deaf-Mute
Institute.
Senate Bill N'o. 178 (Rasco), to
amend section 6225 of Kirby’s Digest
so that a court may sign a bill of ex
ceptions or writ of error, if the trial
judge dies or becomes insane.
Senate Bill No. 76 (Rasco), to pro
tect culverts and bridges on the pub
lic highways by making it a misde
meanor for a traeiion engine to run
over a bridge or culvert without first
planking the bridges and culverts.
Senate Bill No. 181 (Arnold), to in
validate the acts of Improvement Dis
trict No. 1 of Arkadelphia.
Senate Bill No. 182 (Henderson), to
legalize the official acts of Joseph H.
DeClerk of Pocahontas, Randolph
county. .
House Bill No. — (Dulaney), to
create the Ogden Levee District.
House Bill No. 79 (Leigh and Dun
away), to require railroad companies
and corporations to cut Johnson grass
and Russian thistles from their rights
of way in time to prevent the weeds
from going to seed.
House Bill Ne. 118 (Clerget), con
ferring special powers on levee dis
tricts in Conway county.
Bills Introduced.
Senate Bill No. 179 (Rowland), re
quiring abstracters to give a bond in
the sum of $5,000. Read twice and
referred to the judiciary committee.
Senate Bill No. 180 (Toney), to con*
solidate Levee Districts Nos. 3 and 4
in Jefferson county. Read twice and
referred to the committee on levees.
Senate Bill No. 184 (Turner),
amending the act creating medical
examination boards so as to require
applicants for examination to have
diplomas from medical schools. Read
twice.
Senate Biil No. 185 (McKnight). to
regulate the sale of concentrated food
stuffs. Read twice and referred to
committee on agriculture.
Senate Bill 186 (Martin), to amend
the aft of 1903 to provide for the
completion of the state capitol. Pro
vides for a Board of State Capitol
Commissioners consisting of seven
members. Appropriates $350,000. Five
hundred copies ordered printed.
The Journo clerks are now copy*.
each days proceedings almost as rat.
WHlOn thf WOrk- 1S d0ne in the H(>USr
Within a few minutes after a roll oai
the vote is being copied into the on
cial journal. UI
Early in the session Senator Car
lock of Madison introduced a bill tn
provide for the discontinuance nt th
state capitol tax. The capitol commit
tee of the Senate met and decided
return this bill to the Senate without
recommendation.
Chairs were at a premium ami
every inch of available space was All
ed in the House chamber for 15 rain
utes before Hon. Elihu Root arrived
The crowd was one of the largest
not the largest, that ever assembled
in the House chamber.
During the discussion of Senator
Henderson’s resolution declaring the
seat of the Senate from the Thirty
first district vacant, not a single sena«
tor thought to bring into the question
tae matter of the senator’s bachelor
hood. The lines were too closely
drawn for the usual puns.
Col. J. R. Thornton of Camden who
was a member of the assembly 'f-om
1879 to 1887, was a visitor on Z
Senate floor one day last week He
exchanged reminiscences with a num
ber of the older members and enjoyed
his visit to the floor immensely He
was the guest of Senator McKnight.
“Well,” said one senator the other
day, “we will lay aside the shades ol
Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson
Julius Caesar and others for a few
days and I expect will devore our at
tention to a few of the living celebri
ties who figure in later-day politics,"
referring to the coming state capitol
ine gallery m the House was filled
one day last week with pupils of the
Deaf-Mute Institute, who attractec
considerable attention among the leg
islators on the floor and who appar
ently took a great interest in the pro
ceedings, despite the fact that the ma
jority of them were unable to hear
what was goinb on.
"Spare the state house lest we for
get and ourselves be forgotten,” read
a telegram received by Represents
five Tillman B. Parks of Lafayett*
county. The message was sent bj
Mrs. S. E. Ellsworth, president of the
Arkansas Federation of Woman’!
Clubs, representing a membership ol
4,000 Arkansas women.
Mr. Winn of Pulaski, formerly ol
Pope county, received a message ol
congratulation from friends at Russell
ville. The message said: "We art
watching your efforts in the legisla
ture. We congratulate you, and youi
Pope county friends are proud ol
you.” The message was signed bj
35 business men of Russellville.
The capitol committee of the Houst
met and decided to allow a sub-com
mittee, composed of the chairman, Mr
Glover of Hot Springs, Mr. Hurst ol
Washington and Mr. Brown of Cleve
land, to draw up a substitute for
the bill introduced some time ago
This bill will be submitted to th<
committee and then sent back to tin
House.
The sub-committee of the ways ant
means committee, composed of Mr
Rowe of Sebastian, Mr. Buerkle of Ar
kansas and Mr. Leigh of Pulaski, ap
pointed to consider House Bill N'o. 31
(Thompson of Independence), provid
ing for state depositories, met and de
cided to refer the bill back to the
committee that it be referred back
to the House without recommenda
tion. It was the expressed desire ol
the sub-committee that the bill bt
fought out on the floor of the House,
The committee on education has re
petted favorably on the bill by Mr
Witt of Montgomery county, providinj
for a state text-book commission ant
a uniform series of text books. Th«
bill i3 identical with a Senate bill in
troduced last session. It provides that
the commission shall consist of seven
members, one from each congressional
district, selected by the governor.
Book contracts are to be good for six
years.
Senator Henderson of Ranuo*pu.
who solved the election contest ruud
jtle from the Thirty-first district, is re
ceiving the warm congratulations of
the senators and their friends. As a
matter of fact, the contest fight on
the floor of the Senate was growing
more bitter every hour and a serious
split in the Senate ranks promised
The discussion was growing more vit
riolic every moment and the c'.ost
division threatened the good of other
legislation which is now on the calen
dar. 1
Friday afternoon there was a groui
of senators standing in the statt
house yard discussing the work of tut
Senate in sending the Greaves-SumP
ter contest back to the original ilia
trict. “Clarence H. Henderson is just
ly entitled to be called the ‘ Henry
Clay’- of Arkansas Senate,” said hen
ator Crlover. “He threw himself u'
the breastworks at the proper tma
and became the great pacificator
the cause of Democracy in Arkansas.
There was. ample opportunity m
oratory during the recent three das
fight and the occasion developed an
brought to the fore the eloquent an
forceful speakers of the Senate, hen
tors who have not here'«>fore attemp
ed an argument were heard on
proposition and all did themselves
justice on a question which affor
them plenty of room for flowery »
guage. \
Littie Burr Patterson the midge
page of the Senate, created quite 1
laugh at the expense of his sire t *
other day. Before the Senate con
vened after recess the lad climbet
into the president's chair and rappo
the Senate to order. Senator TaU-*
son noting who had given the stBn
said to his son: “Get down °ut
there." Without a moment’ nest
tion the boy replied: "The g®ntlem^
from Woodruff is out of order,
a prolonged laugh followed his *a
at the expense of his father.