rence and love for this great leader of theirs
which is touching. They regard him as the father of their country, and
feel it their duty to support him.

One old man who was asked at the last election whether he meant to vote
for Kruger or Joubert, replied indignantly:

"Paul Kruger is as my father; I am as his son. Do you think I would
disobey him?"

As the majority of the voters in the Transvaal seem to feel in the same
way, there is little doubt that Oom Paul will be re-elected.

* * * * *

There were grave murmurs against the city government the other day.

One morning the papers appeared, telling in indignant words the story
of how the aldermen of the city of New York were about to give away the
right to build a railroad on the Kingsbridge Road.

Now the people who know most about city government think that the
companies who desire the franchise which gives them the right to lay
tracks and run cars through certain streets, should be made to pay a
yearly sum to the city for the privilege.

There has been a good deal of trouble over this Kingsbridge Road
franchise. Two companies have been anxious to secure it, but neither has
offered to pay its real value for it.

The granting of the franchise is done by the vote of the Board of
Aldermen, who pass the resolution much in the same way that Congress
passes a bill, and send their resolution to the Mayor for his signature,
in the same manner that bills are sent to the President.

In the matter of the Kingsbridge Road franchise neither of the companies
made much headway.

Both companies were extremely anxious to get possession of the line, but
the aldermen were equally divided in their favor.

At last a rumor got abroad that in their desire to get a decision the
companies were trying to influence the aldermen.

A few days after this report was spread abroad, people were startled to
learn that the aldermen had reached a decision, and that the franchise
was to be given to the Third Avenue road, for a sum that was nothing
like its real value.

There was a great outcry at once.

The memory of the "Broadway Steal" in 1886 was too fresh in people's
minds for them to be willing that it should be repeated.

The newspapers started the cry, the law was invoked, and the aldermen
were forbidden to pass the franchise for the Kingsbridge Road until the
matter had been looked into.

The aldermen were a good deal startled when these pape