CHILDREN LAY KEEL PLATE OF BIG BATTLESHIP
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AT the Brooklyn navy yard recently there took place a ceremony unique In the annals of naval construction.
This was the riveting of a horseshoe onto the first keel plate of the New York, that is to be the latest,
largest and most powerful of the ships of the Dreadnaught class in the navy of this country. After the em-
blem of good luck was thus fastened in place, the keel plate, nominally with the assistance of the children,
was lowered to its assigned position on the frame of the ship and riveted there. The sturdy little chaps who
participated in the ceremony were all the children of naval officers or attaches of the yard. The picture shows
one of them taking his turn with the hammer and driving a rivet through its appointed hole in the horseshoe
and the white keel plate beneath.
"BUYS" A BIG HOTEL
—
Man Pays Out $48,680 for Chi-
cago Auditorium.
George J. Lawton, Tax Sale Bidder,
Plans Test Case to Get Posses-
sion—Value of Hostelry Is
Placed at $4,000,000.
Chicago.—Who owns the Auditorium
hotel? George J. Lawton. Who owns
the Auditorium theater? George J.
Lawton. Who owns the Auditorium
office building? George J. Lawton.
Who is George J. Lawton?
Mr. Lawton, briefly, is a gentleman
who stays awake when other persons
go to sleep. Owing to his careful cul
tivation for many years of this faculty,
Mr. Lawton at a sheriff's sale the oth
er day bought in the Auditorium hotel,
office building and theater, valued at
about $4,000,000, for $48,680. This was
$2,680 more than the tidy little taxes
of $46,000, which the owners of the
property had forgotten to pay.
Under the usual translation of the
Illinois law they can get back the
property by paying Mr. Lawton a bo-
nus of $2,500, but Mr. Lawton says
quite frankly and emphatically that he
is not anxious for the bonus. He
would rather have the building.
"I am going to make a test case and
see if I can get possession of this
property," said Mr. Lawton. "I can
get a deed, and as soon as I get that
I'm going to try to get a title. If I
can get that, I will begin legal pro-
ceedings to oust the present owners
It will take two years to fight it out,
but I think it's worth trying."
The figures of assessors figure the
vajue of the property as follows:
Value of land $2,254,295
Value of improvements  1,600,000
Total value $3,854,295
When the owners of the property
failed to pay the taxes on May 1 the
penalty of one per cent, a month was
added to the amount. Six weeks
elapsed and County Treasurer O'Con-
nell advertised the property for sale.
About the middle of July he ob-
tained a judgment in the county court
against owners of the property be-
cause they still neglected to pay the
taxes and the penalty. The other
morning the property was placed on
sale at public auction. Thomas Ga-
ham, one of Mr. O'Connell's assistants,
received the bids. Mr. Lawton, who is
a professional "bidder-ln," made the
highest offer. He handed over a check
for $48,680, and came into the posses
sion of a frontage of 186 feet on Michi-
gan avenue, 360 on Congress street
and 160 on Wabash avenue.
The original owners of the land, Mr.
Lawton says, were the Studebakers of
South Bend, Ind.; Ambrose Cramer of
Lake Forest and the Peck estate of
Chicago.
A ninety-nine year lease was se-
cured by.the company which built
the hotel, theater and office building.
Failure of the owners of the build
ing to pay the taxes, Mr. Lawton says,
means that they forfeit their lease and
therefore he has obtained possession
of all the property by paying the
taxes.
Hen Vindicates Her Owner.
At hoi, Mass.—Townspeople chal-
lenge the statement of Albert Ells-
worth, a prominent citizen, that Mary
Hooker, his prize buff Orpington, laid
two eggs every day. Ellsworth ap-
peared at the Athol fair and placed
the hen on some straw at the foot
of the judges. She laid two eggs, one
of them double-yolked, chirped a tri-
umphant cackle and disdainfully
strode away.
Hundreds of visitors to the fair ap-
plauded the Orpington vindication of
her owner.
:::::: rains
break drouth
I HEAVY DOWNPOUR OVER WEST-
ERN OKLAHOMA WEDNESDAY.
GIVES TEMPORARY RELIEF
Late Reports Indicate Fall Extended
Clear to Western Boundary—Other
News of Oklahoma of Interest.
Oklahoma City—With the heavy rain
fall of Wednesday night, which is be-
lieved to have extended generally over
the western and northwestern parts of
the state, the long drough has been
i broken and temporary relief, at least,
has been provided.
Reports received late Wednesday
evening indicate that heavy rains fell
from Oklahoma City to the western
| boundariy of the state, and in the
counties in the northwestern section.
Inasmuch as the Canadian river, from
I which Oklahoma City receives its
water supply, traverses the western
and northwestern sections, it is practi-
cally assured that the capital city will
have a sufficient supply of water.
GRADUATED LAND TAX
IS HELD TO BE ILLEGAL
Law Conflicts With State Constitution
According to Judge Cotteral's
Opinion.
! LIGHTER HATS, MORE BRAINS
' Smaller Headgear Increases Woman's
Mentality, Declares Dr. George W.
Galvin of Boston.
Boston.—That the undeniable im-
provement in the mentality of the up-
to-date woman is due to the decrease
in weight of her Btylish headgear is
the conclusion that Dr. George W. Gal-
vin, founder of the Emergency hospi-
tal, has reached after scientific Inves-
tigation.
"Many women wonder how It Is
that they find themselves able to do
work which a few years ago they
wouldn't have dreamed of attempt-
ing," said Dr. Galvin.
"Many are doing much more than
the mere routine of housework. And
should they desire to know the rea- j
son of this they need but think on the
decrease in the size, and consequent- '
ly in the weight, qf their hats and
they have the answer to their ques-
tion.
"I consider it a significant fact that !
most college girls wear no hats at
all and only caps when the weather
demands a covering for the head."
Many Germans Divorced.
Berlin.—Divorces in Germany are
heavily on the Increase. , The latest !
official statistics tor the year 1909, 1
Just published, show that the average
of 120,000 divorces a year for the live I
years preceding rose in 1909 to 141,730. i
Marriages also continue to Increase, '
however, the total for 1909 having
been over 400,000, or at the rate of 80 i
persons to every 1,000 of the popula
tlon.
Guthrie, Okla.—Overruling the
state's demurrer In the case of G. W.
Gale against M. E. Trapp, state audi-
tor, Judge Cotteral of the federal
circuit court holds that the graduated
land tax law conflicts with section 20,
article 10, of the state constitution.
He makes the injunction against the
state permanent.
The decision Is based on the ground
that the levying of a specific tax on in-
dividual land holdings of over 640
acres above the regular ad valorem
tax creates a special fund and that
the legislature failed to specify to
which fund the proceeds should go;
that, in the absence of such specifica-
tion, the money goes in proportion to
the state and county; that the consti-
tution expressly forbids the state from
levying local taxes.
Tho opinion of the court is that this
process amounts to the state levying
taxes in excess of the constitutional 30
mills and is, in effect local taxation.
Judge Cotteral holds by inference
that the fourteenth amendment to the
federal constitution is not violated in
tliis law.
In the case Oale of Illinois bought
6,541 acres in five counties after the
passage of the graduated tax law.
The decision is believed by attorn-
eys to affect all specific and graduated
taxes levied under the act in question.
The authority of the state to levy
specific taxes for sound reasons is not
denied.
JUSTICE DUNN PRESENTS
FIRST STATUARY TO LIBRARY
Bronze Bust of Washington Donated to
Guthrie Masons on Behalf of
1910 Class.
Dog Swallows Hatpin.
St. Louis.—Mrs. Pauline Nesslein
has a dog with prize winning digestive
organs. Her lioston terrier Fudge su >
vlved carrying a ten inch hatpin In hl 
interior lor ten days. A veterinary
then removed the offending lasteuer
from the dogs anatomy Fudge is 20
Inches long
Guthrie, Okla.—The first presenta-
tion for the new statuary hall of the
Masonic temple was made Wednesday
night, Justice Jesse J. Dunn of the Ok-
lahoma supreme court making the do-
nation of a bronze bust of Washington
class May, 1910. Justice Dunn, then
chief jutlce, Is president of the class.
The bust was built Into the wall and
was unveiled with Masonic ceremonies
by the consistory. William E. Wells,
class orator, made an address.
The several hundred men at the re-,
union were taken for an auto ride on
Wednesday afternoon. The day was
concluded by the conferring of the
twenty-ninth degree, the Cross of St.
Andrew.