The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 46, September 23, 1897

They had arrived within a few hundred yards of their destination when their road was blocked by the sheriff and his posse.

Advancing toward them, the sheriff ordered them to go back to their homes, telling them that they were creating a disturbance and were acting in defiance of the law.

Most of the strikers were foreigners, and, failing to understand what the sheriff said, the foremost men crowded round him, trying to prove to him that they were only parading, and had a perfect right to march through the streets if they only remained peaceful and orderly.

Unfortunately the sheriff could not make out what they meant, and supposed they were defying him.

He therefore proceeded to read them the Riot Act.

This is an act which in the name of the commonwealth orders the persons assembled to disperse and go to their homes.

If the rioters fail to obey they are liable to imprisonment and punishment according to the laws of the State, and the sheriff or person authorized to read the Riot Act is bound to arrest all persons who linger around after the act has been read to them.

When a riot has assumed such a serious character that armed men have had to be called out to subdue it, the Riot Act is generally read, and then the soldiers or sheriff's deputies charge the mob, being careful not to fire on them or wound them unless necessary in self-defence or in performance of their duty.

In this instance the sheriff utterly misunderstood the rioters, and as they crowded around him, trying to make out what it was that he was reading to them, he lost his self-control, and imagining the men were defying and threatening him, ordered his posse to fire.

It was a frightful affair. Ninety well-armed men firing into a crowd of defenceless laborers. Twenty-three strikers were killed, thirty-six seriously wounded, and about forty more injured.

As you may suppose, our whole country is mourning over this catastrophe.

It would seem difficult to find where the real blame lies. The sheriff thought he was doing his duty, his posse but obeyed his orders, and the poor sacrificed miners had no idea what the sheriff was reading to them, nor any intention of offering violence.

The whole neighborhood became so excited over the affray that the Governor of Pennsylvania immediately ordered some of the state troops to Hazleton to prevent further trouble.

The sheriff and his posse are to be arrested and tried for killing the strikers.

The Mayor of Hazleton declares that the shooting of the miners cannot be excused; that if the rioters refused to go home after the Riot Act had been read to them, the sheriff should have ordered his deputies to fire over the heads of the mob; and then, if they still continued rebellious, it was time to think about punishing them.

The Riot Act states that persons lingering one hour after the act has been read shall be seized and arrested, and those who arrest them shall not be held liable for any injuries the rioters may receive; but this is only after an hour has elapsed. According to the accounts that have reached us, the sheriff ordered his men to fire immediately after the reading of the act.

The great coal strike is, however, at an end.

A fresh agreement has been offered, which both miners and owners have decided to accept.

By it the men go to work at sixty-five cents per ton until January, when a new scale of wages is to be used. This scale will be settled by arbitration between this and January.

The masters and men are to meet in joint conference, and both sides promise to abide by the decision of the arbitrators.

It is said that Mr. de Armitt will not pay the sixty-five-cent rate, but will only give fifty-four cents till the new rate goes into effect in January. The leaders have determined to continue the strike in his mines if this report proves to be true, but in the other collieries the miners will go to work.

    G.H. Rosenfeld.

INVENTION AND DISCOVERY

Bicycle-Holder.-A clever invention comes to us from California. It is called a bicycle-holder, and is designed for carrying bicycles on street cars.

It is a simple device consisting of two hooks placed on an iron bar, from the centre of which another bar depends which is also furnished with a hook.

The wheel is hung on to the upper hooks, one of which passes through each wheel. The lower hook is so adjusted that the hind wheel rests in it, thus forming a perfect support for the machine.

It is possible to attach two bicycle-holders to the back of each car, and if it works as well as it is expected to do, will be a great convenience to wheel-men.

Road Map.—This is also a boon to bicyclists. The map, instead of folding up to put in the pocket, is rolled on two small cylinders. With the map comes a nickeled wire attachment which fits over the ends of the cylinders and holds a portion of the map firmly extended.

In the centre of the wire holder is a loop which snaps on to the handle-bar of the wheel and enables the rider to carry his map stretched out before him ready for instant use.

As the rider proceeds farther on his journey he can twist the cylinders and unroll a fresh portion of his map. It is an excellent device, and one which can be adjusted to all bicycles.

Wrist-Guide for Pianos.-This is an attachment which can be fixed to any piano, and is intended to show the learner just the right angle at which the wrist should be held.

Children seem naturally to be flabby-wristed when they are trying to learn to play, and to drop the wrists below the level of the keyboard seems to be the chief aim and object of every young pianist.

Years ago there were not so many inventions for making learning delightful to the young, and we distinctly remember the fierce battles which used to take place at each music lesson over this very wrist business.

As no wrist-guide had then been invented, necessity—which is the mother of invention, they say—taught our instructress to make one of her own. Hers was more simple than the present one, but probably even more effective. It consisted of a pair of sharp-pointed scissors which glistened ferociously under the learner's wrists, ready to give them a sharp reminder whenever they flagged and showed a disposition to droop.

The piano was not as popular an instrument in those days as it has since become.

This wrist-guide ought to save many tears and much vexation of spirit to both teacher and pupil.

BOOKS RECEIVED

We have received from the publishers, Thompson, Brown & Co., Boston, a set of the Duntonian Vertical Writing-Books. This series is described by the publishers as follows:

"This is a distinctly new series of Vertical Writing-Books, having some special features of great teaching value. One of these is the specially made paper with water-marked direction lines which pertains only to this system, and by means of which a vertical hand can be much sooner acquired. These lines are not intended in any way as guide-lines to be carefully observed in writing the copy, but simply as a ready means of verifying the work and determining whether the writer is conforming to a practical vertical style or not."

NOTICE

The attention of readers is called to the advertisement opposite the first reading page of this number. This contest cannot fail to be pleasant work, for to read through carefully the poem of Evangeline is a treat in itself. We hope that many of our young friends will compete; and if the proper sort of interest is shown in this contest, others will follow it.