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Events of the Month

Improvement Era, vol. 2, no. 8, June 1899, pp. 638 to 640

Hull, Thomas

EVENTS OF THE MONTR BY THOMAS HULL, SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL BOARD OF Y. M. M. 1. A.

April 19th: The Pennsylvania joint assembly adjourns without electing a Senator and Pennsylvania will, like California, Delaware and Utah, have only one Senator. * * * General Otis telegraphs the War Department that the return of the volunteers from the Philippines will commence about May 5th. 21st: The jury in the case of the State of Pennsylvania vs. Matthew S. Quay, charged with misappropriation of State funds, brings in a verdict of not guilty and Governor Stone immediately appoints him United States Senator, the legislature having failed to elect a Senator to fill the vacancy caused by the expiration of Quay's term. 23rd. In an engagement with the Filipinos near Quingua, one oflScer and three men of the Utah batteries are wounded. 24th: Governor Gage of California appoints Dan Burns Senator from California to succeed Stephen M. White, the Legislature having failed to elect a Senator. 28th: A cyclone sweeps over North-east Missouri. A large portion of the town of Kirksville is devastated. Fifty people are killed and hundreds wounded. Four hundred buildings are demolished. The town of Newtown was also nearly destroyed and fifteen persons killed and many injured. * * * It is reported in Washington that

Aguinaldo has sued for peace on the basis of complete pardon and some concessions as to self-government until Congress acts. * * *

Aguinaldo makes overtures for peace. His emissaries wait on Gen. Otis and ask that hostilities cease until the Filipino congress can meet. Gen. Otis refused to recognize the Filipino Republic. Another conference will be held. 30th: Capt. Wm. A. Brown, Ogden's chief of police, is shot and killed by a desperado near the Hot Springs, north of Ogden.

EVENTS OF THE MONTH. 639

May 1st: A severe snow storm prevails over the State. * * * * * * Dewey day is generally observed throughout the country. Secretary Hay pays to the French Embassador the $20,000,000 provided by the treaty of peace with Spain, for the retention of the Philippines.

  • *    *     Wm. C. Webb of the Utah batteries is nominated for

promotion to a second lieutenancy in the regular army. 8th: The second annual meeting of the Western Labor Union opens at Salt Lake City. * * * Rear-Admiral Watson is ordered to proceed to Manila to relieve Admiral Dewey whenever that officer feels that he can be spared there. 10th: The cruiser Nashville arrives at St. Louis, Mo. She is the first sea-going war vesselthat ever came so far up the Mississippi River.

  • *     *     Reports received in Manila from the insurgent lines

state that a meeting of the Filipino congress has been held at San Isidro. Although no quorum was present some business was done and a strong desire for peace was expressed. 12th: A terrible wreck occurs on the Philadelphia & Reading railroad at Exeter, Pa. Twenty-eight persons are killed and fifty injured.

  • *      *     Ex-Governor Roswell P. Flower of New York dies suddenly at Eastport, L. L      *      *     *     Admiral Dewey will return

at once to the United States. He is in poor health and will come home by way of the Suez Canal to New York. * * * Capt. F. A. Grant of the Utah battery has been given command of the gunboats recently purchased of Spain and operating on the rivers and along the coast of Luzon. He has been dubbed "The Dewey of the Army." 13th: Aguinaldo issues orders that all foreigners must leave insurgent territory. He hopes by this to gain recognition of belligerency from the English and German governments, whose subjects are the only foreigners in the insurgent country. * * * Aguinaldo again sends envoys to Gen. Otis to sue for peace. Gen. Otis refuses to stop fighting pending the negotiations. 14th: Rev. Dr. Chas. A. Briggs, who was suspended for heresy by the Presbyterian assembly is ordained a priest of the Episcopal Church, in New York, by Bishop Potter. It is a strange thing that at a time when the protestant churches are all talking so much about "Christian unity" a minister should be found guilty of heresy in one of the wouldbe united "Christian" communities and at the same time be received by another into full fellowship and ordained to the ministry. The fact, too, that he was re-ordained demonstrates that notwithstanding all the talk of unity and fellowship they do not recognize each other's authority to * rp^^ confer ministerial or priestly rights. * * gunboats

€40 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

and a launch, under command of Capt. F. A. Grant run into a nest of insurgents concealed in the bushes on both sides of the Rio Grande river, three miles above Calumpit. A sergeant belonging to the Utah battery is killed and one private wounded. 17th: Word is received from General Otis that the sergeant of the Utah battery killed on May 14th is Ford A. Fisher, son of I. M, Fisher of Salt Lake City. 18: The Peace Conference, called by the czar of Russia, opens at the Hague. President McKinley addresses the following cablegram to the emperor of Russia:

Washington, D. C, May 18, 1899. To His Majesty, Nicholas II., Emperor of all the Russias, St.Petersburg: On this day of good omen, I send my heartfelt congratulations on the opening of the conference at the Hague, which had its origin in the enlightened and generous initiative of your majesty. William McKinley.