The sun. [volume], February 04, 1898, Page 6, Image 6

About The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916

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k FIUDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1808.
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RUHR. DAILY, per Year
HK'n B0BDAY. per Year. o oo
?& DAILY AND SUNDAY, per Year oo
aRMs DAILY AND SUNDAY, pr Month 0
Hv WE rostage to foreign countries added.
K WMx Tiik Hot, New York City.
HftUKji Paiis Klotque No. 13, near Grand Hotel, and
MM' EaV JTJosqne Mo. 10, Boulevard dee Capnclnet.
Hr7 y$ r ourWend eo favor ue icli maniu crlpll far
Ply 61. pticlfoaHon tefia Co ftae rejected art Met returned,
-j? fjuy mult atl ea Mnd etamgifor that purpott.
1.4 I -
M OT First Principles.
Kf The speech of tho Hon. Nelson Dinoley
Ky A on tho Teller resolution baa been printed
E ;$ . In tho Congressional Record. It touches,
Br, If perhaps, tho highest lovrl of statesmanship
BiS W orer reached by this conscientious, pains-
Wt SM talcing, Industrious legislator, whoso long
Hf IS?- and distinguished services to his party and
f: bis country have brought him totho leader-
ahlp of tho majority In tho House.
Mr, Dinolky's speech last Monday on
nwers back to tho President's speech of tho
Wfii Wi ffttik before at tbo banquet of tho Manufac-
K$ W turcrs Association as signal flro answers
Wm $ to signal Are:
Wjf Sj .-No one denlee that thla or any other nation haa
& M (he power to pay In full or In part or none of Hi
g; M obligations. In (old, or silver, or paper, or copper
Bj' i according to Its pleasure, rayment cannot be en-
B; ft' forced against a sovereign nation. IU obUtaUons
K?i fij ara measured by tte own sense of honor and col
b J.H faith. But even If thla sense of honor Is at any
Eft ;S' alma blunted, as waa SniLocx's, by dwelling
Wh :t on a narrow tIsw or the letter rather than tho
W spirit of the obligation, the Intelligent selfish-
I nets of a nation, which Is to lire not simply
for a generation, bat for centuries, ought to lead It
and wherever a nation Is wisely governed, does lead
It to so scrupulously maintain Its pledges In both
letter and spirit as to preserve Its oredtt untarnished,
and thereby not only moke It poislble to borrow at
" the lowest rate of Interest, but also to mike It easy
to obtain loans In exigencies, which are sure, sooner
or later, to coma to arrry nation.
"A nation's honor and credit, I may say to gentle
men on the other aide who applauded so Jubilantly
when the pending resolution waa brought Into this
nail, are among Its most priceless possessions aye,
.,. Its title deed to permanence and prosperity."
K H Thcso are first principles, but thoy can-
j m not bo uttered too frequently or too forcl-
ti jp bly. In the face of tho concentrating ene-
f- rales of the National Honor a thing to bo
i' measured by no codo of technicalities, and
m In. to bo presorved by no subterfuges of sophls-
S$ ji try tho Republican party, under tho lead
tf of such men as William McKinlcy and
ft, Thomas B. Reed and Nelson Dikoley, is
ig S taking Its position more and more reso-
i- $ lutely upon a rock that Is Impregnable.
'y?N Tho Lincoln Forjrory Attain.
w fy Wo are informed by our esteemed con-
I; ft temporary, tho Harrisonburg Spirit of the
i W Valley, thnt tho following Clovolandesnuo
I' & lament is now being "made to do duty In
& 3 tho Virginia free-silver press" as an utter-
sf anco of AiiRAnAM Lincoln's In 1805:
Br' AE Lncou x TK"""-
A mI;, "It has been Indeed a trying hour for the republic;
i?: & but I sse lu the near future a crisis approaching that
t, ftp unnerves mc, and causes me to tremble for the safety
1 n of our country. As a result of the war corporations
K have been enthroned, and an era of corruption In high
" tt places will follow, and the money power will en
i- umfe ' deavor to prolong Its reign by working on tho pre-
F( judlcesot the people till all wealth Is aggregated In
5 LrS' afew hands, and the republic It destroyed. I feel at
6 B&tJ this moment more anxious for the safety of my coun-
JM& than ever before, even In the mldm of war."
A mf't woncr tno Spirit of the Valley re-
''" mfc- marks that " It does not Imvo tho Renulno
u W&$ ring and that It must bo spurious."
5' RS This forgery, for It Is a forgery, In-
!jr- mfo Tented for tho Presidential campaign of
!ffM' 1800, was a brazen attempt to make one of
Hfe the broadest-minded political philosophers
JB.f!' and democrats the country has ever known
vk-B. Into a frothy demagoguo like tho Roy
r J& Orator, then tho Populist candidate. In
j THE Sun of Oct. 3 of lfa!)0 Is found tho
lfe reply of Mr, Joun G. Nicola y, one of
sp- w Eresldcnt Lincoln's secretaries, to a mcin-
Wt wtfi ljer ' tl10 cPUDllcan National Committeo
W' mW. vho had submitted the document to him
fnj ffjp- for comment:
fflt W$ "Thla alleged quotation from Mr. Llvcou( Is a
y& nj$ broad and unblushing forgery. The great President
R WjM never said It or wrote It, and never said or wrote
'- Em anything that, by the utmost license, could be dls-
W K$ tortcd to resemble It."
Jr K r" Nicolay's statement stands beyond
$ En the possibility of popullstlc contradiction.
"' ImS ne Virginia frco-sllvcr press ought to bo
4 Kv.'-. ashamed of Itself.
K5WS7 Consress and Coast Defence.
mt n Tho debato which has been going on in
fiK mM " tne 0U8e tn'3 wcc'c shows, as might havo
Vv vv been expected, a very general desiro to
JS1 Kt carry on steadily tho work of seaboard de-
iliL & fence. The main question has been as to
tj S how much money should be devoted to this
S purpose.
j w Looking over tho record of the last seven
m' yeais, the appropriations for tho fiscal year
if ending Juno !10, 1802, were, if wo have tho
!& correct figures, !f.3.774,80a j for tho next
M year, lf2,7a 1,270 ; for the next, ,'J10,OSO;
sf for tho next, 2,427,001; for the next, .fl,-
'& 004,058; then, for tho jcar ending with
W last June, Sp7,:i77,888, wliilo for tho current
St fiscal year they reach tho very high figures
W of $0,017,141. Tho appropriation proposed
' Jj for tho year to como by tho House Com-
mlttce In tho pending bill was $ J,M 1,012.
; The policy of economy in Covcriiim-nt ex-
It'' pendlturo ought not to ba allowed to cur-
W tall In any way tho current rate of progress
jjh M ouscacoast protection. Retrenchment may
pftT 'M be a matter of wisdom and one of necessity
Eff at this time, but It should be exercised ou
EK Si Rome other branches of expenditure than
f, Jff those connected with tho country's defence.
iM The land defences consist of guns and
aj mortars, mounted in forts and served by
SfT j1 artillerymen, Tho question of tho number
m sL o' 'nea required docs not como up lu tho
,i present bill, whilo that of tho ammunition,
fk tjt for a given number of rounds, is deter-
SB & mined by tho number of pieces to bo
K? jf mounted by the end of tho fiscal j ear, and
M ''M that quantity should of courso bo provided
i' Mt in full. The( bubmarino adjuncts are al-
m m ready fully cared for in tho bill, Tbo three
W M great elements remaining, then, are the
lfc RUD8 luo carriages, and the emplacements.
Sf i4 Itr happens, through an improper system of
yf ' Kf management, that these three elements
jg S have not gone forward as nearly together
SE" " M M tney ought to have gone. The supply of
yt BUw Is far ahead of the carriages, and tho
jfc (f latter, If wo do not mistake, are ahead of
i tho emplacements.
E It therefore seems clear that the work of
l& K the EnglneerCorps during the last eighteen
.pjt months should be the basis for the appro-
k prUtloba now given to It. It asked. for
,?B,000,000tTlth which to construct bat
' terics for the guns and mortars during tho
coming year. Tho Houso Committeo gavo
it only $1,000,000.
Tho carriages, In like manner, ore ur
gently required. Tho Ordnonco Department
has put private as well as publlo resources
at work on them, and It only remains to
to sco how much, on tho average, It Is pay
ing out for this purposo, to know what It
should have at command for tho future. As
for heavy guns and their forglngs, these,
as 1ms been said, are far In advanco of tho
carriages and emplacements j yet It Is wlso
to keep at work tho existing Government
factoryatWatervllctto its routine capac
ity, without having any part of It shut
down for lack of money.
In all thcso matters Congress is, of courso,
to lmvo tho benefit of tho balances which
will bo carried ovor Into tho noxt fiscal
year. Rut tho most Important thing Is not
to diminish tho present rato of progress In
providing coast dofenccs.
Tho Low Movement Again.
What Is noticeable about the Anti-Harmony
statcmentput forth by tho Committee
of Fifty-thrco Is that It copies closely tho
anti-harmony crusade formulated and led
toaRryanistic triumph lost Novomber by
Mr. Setu Low. It begins with tho samo
long-dIstancofl.ro of accusations to shake
tho public confidence In tho Republican or
ganization, and then tho forward move
ment starts In tho samo spirit of supremo
Belf-satisfactton and unaltorablo determin
ation novcr to listen to political reason :
" We have not gono Into this movement
lightly; wo havo gono Into It advisedly and
after mature dolll)eratIon," say tho Fifty
three. " I realize tho solomnlty of tho call mado
upon me," said Mr. Low nt Northeast nor
bor, "and my decision has been reached
not lightly or thoughtlessly, but soberly
and In the fear of God."
Again tho Fifty-three: "Wo havo gono
into It with the determination to remain."
" I shall stand," said Mr. Low, " bo my
friends few or many."
" Wo cannot in any way whatsoover con
fer with tho machine or havo anything to
do with it," say tho Fifty-three.
" No conferenco with tho Republicans,"
said, In effect, tho Cltlzons' TJntou.
Running along thus on parallel tracks
tho marplots of November, 1807, and their
successors In February, 1808, set out with
one and tho same aim, namely, to strlko
down tho political organization which is
founded upon tbo St. Louis gold-standard
platform, and which, in respect to tho Em
pire State, holds that platform's fato locked
Inseparably with its own.
Still thcso two fanatically selfish under
takings differ. In that tho Low movement
occurred at a tlmo which determined tho
political complexion of tho city of New
York, whilo the Fifty-thrco are operating
in a year for electing a Houso of Repre
sentatives, tho lower branch of Congress.
National events, such as tho House's de
feat of tho Teller resolution, havo no In
terest for tho remnant of tho Citizens'
Union known as tho Fifty-thrco. They
are absorbed In tho far grander Piatt ques
tion, and in the changing of a primary law
which they have used and enjoyed for
many years without complaint.
At such a crisis no man who desires to
savo his country and himself from the
ruinous consequences of repudiation will
glvo even a shadow of encouragement to
any effort to divide the Republican party
and perpetuate its discords, whatever tho
pretexts on which It Is put forth. Ho
would bo less treacherous If he went over to
tho Rryanlto camp openly and definitely.
Every citizen must bo on tho ono side or
tho other. Ry encouraging Republican
unity alono can ho demonstrate his oppo
sition to tho Democratic forces of repudia
tion against which the Republican party
is tho solitary bulwark of salvation.
"Bull-Run" Russell on Our War.
It will bo remembered that Mr. William
Howard Russell was commissioned by
tho London Times to act as tbo special cor
respondent of that paper in tho United
States at tho tlmo of tho rupture between
the, Southern Slates and the rest of the
Union. He, as Sir William Howard
Russell, has now undertaken to contrib
ute his Recollections of tho Civil War to
tho Xorth American Review, and tho first
Installment of them appears In tho Febru
ary number.
The most striking feature of these remi
niscences is the testimony they bear to tho
fact that tho outbreak of actual war be
tween tho two sections of the Union took
Northern men by surprise. Some Northern
Democrats thought that the Southern
States had a right to secede, whilo Re
publicans, who denied tho cxistenco of
that right, were convinced that an nt
tempt to excrciso It would bo foiled
without a resort to hostilities. Soon after
arriving In New York tho Times cor
respondent found, ho tells us, that men
llko Goernor Sirvsioun asserted that
tho Government would not bo Justified
in relieving Fort Sumter by force. They
also argued that, although Fort Sumter
was a national fortress, tho State of South
Carolina, having seceded, was entitled to
starvo out tho garrison if it did not sur
render. There was no power, they said,
given to tho Government by tho Constitu
tion to prevent secession.
On reaching Washington tho correspond
ent discovered that Mr, Skwaiid treated se
cession lightly. '"Why," said Mr. Lin
coln's Secretary of State, " I and all my
brothers and sisters seceded in early life.
Rut o nil returned home. So will the
Southern States. The masses thcro are
ignorant; the,- think they can rule
tho North first and tho world after,
Tho stjleof llfo thero Is that which pre
vailed in New York a hundred years
ago." Mr. Seward added: " The rumor
that orders havo been given to evac
uate I'ort aumtcr is false. It belongs to
the Union, not to South Carolina." Sen
ator Sumni.ii, on his part, broke out with
an emphatic "Never!" when Mr. Russell
spoke of tho possibilities of armed conflict
between tho seceding States and tho Gov
ernment. "Novcr! They are too crafty!
Rulllesl Rraggarts! They would be assas
sins, some of them, if they dared, but fair
light never !" At the Smithsonian Insti
tution the correspondent conversed with
Prof. Henry and Prof. Raird. The former
treated slavery as a geological question;
tho latter connected it with climate and
the valley of tho Mississippi,
Ry Mr. Seward tbo correspondent was
introduced to tho President, from whom
he received the unusual honor of an Invita
tion to tho first dinner given to the mem
bers of the Cabinet. Tho distinction rather
troubled Mr. Russell, but he was reassured
by Sam Waiid, who told him: "You will
find them ordinary people, good, honest
folk, most of them. Chase Is a reroarkablo
man, and north talking to. He won't
praise all his colleagues CAirtnoN is as
cute as any Yankee, alive or do&d. Smith.
& Co. are just rcspoctablo people." Tho
impression made upon Mr. Russell
by tho President is thus described: "I
havo never seen any likeness which
conveyed tho melancholy, tender expres
sion of Mr. Lincoln's eyes; thoy were
soft, full and bright; all the rest of
tho large-featured, dark-skinned, deeply
seamed face was almost morose In tho cast
of tho square Jaws, firm mouih, and hollow
checks. Tall, over 0 feet certainly, loose
limbed, with long arms and large, flapping
hands, drcssod In a shining, now, block
cloth suit, ho balanced himself uneasily on
his feet. As ho took a step to reach mo
with outstretched hand, thcro camo a most
pleasant expression and a kindly, honest
look Into his eyes. ' You aro welcome.'
What a squeeze that was I My fingers
tingled afterward."
Among tho other eminent Amorlcans
with whom tho Time correspondent dined
during his first visit to Washington was
Gen. Scott, who, characteristically, was
warming somo bottles of claret when his
guest an i veil. Gen, Scott mentioned that
ho had received a number of letters from
tho Marquis of Tweeddale about tho
operations to bo undertaken In tho event
of a war with tho South, and that his
lordship particularly dwelt upon tho Im
portance of getting command of tho Mis
sissippi. Coming away from tho din
ner, Secretary Seward told Mr. Russell
that Gen. Scott aimed at being a poet
as well as a soldier, and, In a lotter to
tho National Intelligencer, ho had quoted
Paley and Shakespeare to show that
President Ruchanan should havo for
tified tho United States ports. "Hut,"
added tho Secretary, " ho was a grand old
follow In tho field. Ho Is tho only General
I know of whoso orders of tho day In tho
morning would servo In tho afternoon as
records of work done."
On tho evening of April 12, 1801, Mr.
Russell left Washington for Charleston
In order to ascertain tho Btato of opinion In
tho South. Everywhere along his routo
through Virginia and North Carolina tho
enthusiasm for Jeff Davis wasuubounded,
but tho present installment of tho Recol
lections ends at Wilmington, where tho
writer was expecting a visit from a vigi
lance committee.
Tho historical valuo of those notes Is
rather heightened than lessened by tho fact
that Mr. Russell camo to this country un
prepared to sympathlzo with tho North.
Had ho been an Abolitionist, or inclined to
favor tho abolition of slavery, ho would not
have been selected for his mission by Mr.
Delane, then tho editor of tho Times, who
was strongly inclined to favor tho South.
Mr. Dancroft Davis, tbo regular corre
spondent of that paper at Now York, was
an uncompromising opponent of slavery,
and, for that very reason, a special cor
respondent of diflorcnt prepossessions
was desired. Mr. Delane, however, had
no more belief that a serious conflict
was Impending than had CrtARLns Sum
ner, for. In bis letter of instructions to
Mr. Russell, ho said : " Tho South threat
ens to secede, but that bos been held up
as a menace for a long tlmo, and tho quar
rel will be patched up ; for tho North can
not livo without tho South, and lives, in
deed, a good deal on and by It." That is to
say, tho editor of the Times Imagined, as
so many did, that Cotton was king.
Tho Question of Lone Encngomonts.
Our remarks, tho other day, in disap
proval of long engagements of marriage
havo brought out this question from a
young man In Rrooklyn :
"To tux Editor or Tnx Sex sir; A young man Is
tn love with a young lady, but his parents are rather
opposed to his having anything to do with her. Tho
young lady in question reciprocates his feeling. He,
belcK In tho employ of his father. Is somewhat de
pendent on him. Now, hero come the question of
long engagements and the so-called monopolising the
lady. He has no definite position at hand which will
enable him to keep a wife, and cannot tell when he
will get It. Should they not have some understand
ing between them and settle bow they will deal with
the matter? It seems very clear that If he were to
stand up for his right there would be a row, and he
would be apt to lose his Job."
The great body of young people to tho
contrary, notwithstanding, It may fairly bo
assumed that when parents object to tho
marriage engagements of their children
they havo good reason on their side. They
have tho advantage over tho young peoplo
that they can look at tho matter coolly,
while tho Judgment of tho others Is sacri
ficed to mere sentiment and perhaps re
placed by sheer Illusion. Very likely, how
ever, our young friend's father would havo
no objection to tho Indeflnito engagement
suggested, feeling that In all probability It
would como to nothing ; but Tin: Sun's
opposition to such a conditional engage
ment was that usually tho man alono
profits by It, and Ave were speaking
in tho girl's Interest more particu
larly. Tho young man may change
his mind in the course of his indefinite en
gagement ; our friend thinks now that no
such variation would bo possible for him,
but It Is more than possible; It Is probable.
Ho may cool oft ns time goes on, and tho
fulfilment of tho promise which ho Is so
eager to make now may become Irksome to
him. Ho Is a very young man, and a fow
more years may change his sentimental
bent completely. If circumstances fa
vored his marrying tho girl forthwith,
tho union would not only bo mado cer
tain, but tho chances are also that It
would turn out happily, for, on tho whole,
early marriages before character has
hardened and habits have becomo fixed
aro most likely to bo successful matrimo
nial ventures. Rut Inn long engagement,
extending overyears, there Isnosuch oppor
tunity for tho two to bo moulded together
as actual matrimony affords, and, apart,
tho older they grow tho less plastic they
become. When tho changed circumstances
enabling our young friend to take a wlfo
shall como to pass ho may And that they
liavo Drought with tnem a chango In his
disposition bringlnK him nearer (o thnt
view of the sort of wlfo ho ought to havo
against which ho now rebels lu his father.
Meantime what Is to becomo of the girl ?
In her thcro may hove been no chango of
feeling. She may havo felt herself to bo as
much bound to him as If sho had married
him, taking tho betrothal as n very serious
matter, as It should be taken always, and
not as an engagement to bo broken when
ever whim or Interest or fickle fancy shall
prompt the rupture.
Our Rrooklyn inquirer cannot marry the
girl now because he Is unable to support a
wife, and his father, on whom he is de
pendent, Is unfavorable to the match. Ho
wants hor, therefore, to wait until somo
indefinite time In the future, each pledging
fidelity to the other. That Is not strictly
an engagement of marriage; It Is simply a
promise of each to marry the other if either
shall marry at all, though actually it will
mean that If both remain of the same mind
they will marry If an opportune time comes,
Such an "understanding" may bo well
enough; but It Is ot llttlo use as sentlmon
tal security for tho girl. Whatever tho "un
derstanding," it cannot bo strong enough
to hold either l( olther gets tired ot It.
Prussia's War on Our Fruits.
If tho exclusion ot American pork had
not mado us familiar with Germany's per
emptory methods, tho prevention ot thou
sands of barrels ot American apples from
being unloaded at Hamburg, and also of
trains full of fruit from crossing tho Pros
Blan frontier at Emmerich, might havo
aroused great astonishment here. For
tunately, however, our npplo exports for
tbo season havo largely gone, and, be
sides, our trado with Germany In this fruit
Is a very small fraction of our exports
to Europe, Great Britain being our chief
market. Moreover, yesterday tho Hundcs
rath, according to tho despatches, modified
tho awccplng Government prohibition as
to fresh fruit, so that " only that containing
the schlldlaus or San Jos6 scalo" Is barred,
Tho order of exclusion Is thus seen to
havo been based on the allegation that our
apples contained parasites or vermin that
might spread to tho German orchards.
Thorightof a nation to adopt sanitary re
striction upon Its Imports Is unquestionable,
and was not disputed by us In tho case of
tho pork. Rut, on tho other hand, wo may
demand to know the ovIdcnceforexcluBlon,
because, under our treaty with Germany,
American Imports are expressly to be ad
mitted on tho footing of the like Imports
of other nations. ,The lack, also, ot pre
vious notico of tho exclusion to our Am
bassador at Deri In seems discourteous, al
though that may havo been an oversight,
and, at all events, Is less Important than
tho exclusion Itself.
The first need, then, is to know the facts.
Tho resolution of Mr. Maouire of Califor
nia, calling for tho diplomatic correspond
ence on this matter between our Govern
ment and Prussia, was tbo right Btcp to
start with.
If Senator Thurston will vote for the
annexation of Han all and a timely and ensy
settlement of a question that otherwise In tho
future may grow costly, difficult, not to say dis
turbing, ho will do & far Rrcatcr publio sorvlco
than wnrnlnc the Republicans thnt they may
lose the next Houso ot Representatives.
Wo congratulate tho city of Cordova,
Alabama, upon the starting up ot the Indian
Head mills with 10,000 looms, DO.000 spindles,
and employment for 1,000 laborers. Capital Is
flovrlnc in a steadily growing stream into tho
South, to embrnco Its great opportunities for
profltablouso. It How 3 because the commercial
mind believes firmly that tbo monetary stand
ard ot tho country will not bo tampered with.
Whon tbo Populist effort at repudiation Is
finally squelched and abandoned. Industrial en
terprise will feel now lifo and tho South's share
ot bcnoQts from It will bo far creator than It
is now.
We observo that tho leaders of the move
ment to disorganize tbo Republican party in
this city contlnuo to receive tho hearty support
of all tho Mugwump pipers, and naturally are
patted on tho back encouragingly by the news
paper organs of tho Bryanized Democracy
throughout tho State.
Roston, shut out from civilization for
somo hours, covered up In the snow, ber nose
red, hor goloshes lost in tho drift, has thrilled
with unusual excitement this week. May thoso
troubles brine to ber a mind willing to acknowl
edge nnd repent a gravo error. Tho old New
England theology would have scon In this great
destructive storm and wind a visitation, a
material punishment for sin. Tho moderns
may bo pardoned if, without any lrrev
cronco towsrd Boston or anybody or any
thing else, thoy cannot bolp hoping; that Bos
ton w ill tako to hoart the fact that really Bho
was no more shut out from civilization when
tbo telegraph wires tumblod donn than she is
and must ba as long ns hor sons follow tho
abominable habit, noticed regretfully by our
esteemed contemporary, tbo Boston Journal, of
"wearing Tuxedo coats on formal occasions."
Sproo of tho members ot tho Ancient and Honor
able Artillery Company caused great alarm in
England, during their momorable visit to that
country, by wearing brown dorby bats with
(rock coats at garden parties. But what shall
bo said ot tho "Bostonlans ot fair namo and
llboral education " who woar Tuxedo coats on
formal occasions I
A bill providing for two-cent railroad
fares is before tho Ohio Legislature. Much to
tho surprlso of the professional corporation
cursors tho railroad employees, who know that a
reduction ot fares means a reduction o( their
wages, are opposing tho bill vigorously. At a
hearing before tbo Senate Committee on Rail
roads and Telegraphs, speeches against the bill
were mado by reprcsontatives ot tho Ordor of
Railway Conductors, of tho Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers, and of tho Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen. Tho bowlers ngainst cor
porations must And some means of hurting tbo
railroads without hurting tho persons w ho work
for the railroads.
Tho Department of Agriculture is about
to givo sorlous thought to tobacco culture In
tho South. Tho industrious and enthusiastic
Secretary is going to study tobacco in tho Caro
Unas and Florida, and it is said that a sort of
Oovernmont tobacco farm may bo hoped for it
all goci well with his Investigations. Every
body must admit that it is generous for tho
Government to niastor tobacco culture and to
loach it to a grateful peoplo. May we not
hope that In tbo course of tlmo the
Oocrnmnt will inform tho grateful poo
pie what are the best clgaro and what
is tbo best smoking tobacco I A Bureau
of Experimental Cigar and Tobacco Smoting
would bo a valunblo addition to tho dopartment.
Somo Congressmen who aro In tho habit of keep
ing ono brand ot clgurs for their constituents
and smoking another ono themsolves would
have to givo up tho nefurlous practice it a sci
entific knowlodgo of tobacco should bo diffused
among tho people.
Bbnton McMii.lw of Tonnesseo feels to-day
as though he had lived In vain Hartford Tlmu.
Benton McMillin of Tennessee Is Incapable
of feeling that ho has lived In vain. Ho is sure
that without his efforts and constant personal
supervision tho country would sink. It Is true
that ho pities tho Tennessee Legislature for its
failure to elect him Senator. He pities the Sen
ate becauso its stature is not to bo enlarged, as
be know s that bo could havo enlarged It. But ho
remains full of cheering thoughts. Ho can and
will continue to be ono ot tho thirteen Demo
cratic leaders ot tho House of ltcprcsonatives.
Ho can and will dispute with Jou Jl.Ml.EVtho
intellectual throne.
A special committee of tho Maryland
Legislature and a speclul committee of the Vir
ginia Legislature aro to meet to morrow to con
sider oyster dredging and crabbing In tho Poto
mac, under an agreement uiadu in 17BS the
citizens of tho two Statos enjoy the right of
fishing in that river. At that tlmo the shad and
tho herring were lotds of tho Potomao waters,
and the " crabbing" and "oystcrlng" Industries
had not arisen. Tbo Marylanders now assert
that tho word "fishing" does not Include
"oTsterlng" and "crabbing." Tbey declare
that "scientists to whom tho question
has been submitted osreo that oysters
and crabs are not flsb, having neither ver
tebra; nor red blood." Certainly, It is unjust
to the oyster, a Doing of so many admirable char
acteristics, to classify bicn among flsb, who,
af torall is said that can be said In their favor, re
main fleby. Speaking from a non-sclentlflo point
, of view, ostreopbllUts might' prefer to call the
WWW W,M.aWM.MMMWM MW
oyster a bird ot an oocentrio but rich organiza
tion, voiceless but juicy. Without being human
In the narrow seme, he possesses two qualities
which many human beings lack. He Is good
nnd ho Is not loquacious. Andthore aro plenty
of men who have nelthor vertebras nor red
blood.
Tho Hon. Fred Dubois of Idaho, Chair
man ot lbs Silver Republican Executivo Com
mittee, la coming East for tho purposo ot con
sulting with other stiver chiefs nnd "uniting
all sllvor forces." By wny of proludo to tho
harmonizing work which ho has undertaken, ho
asserts that the voto In tho Setiato (or tho Teller
resolution "haa convinced tho silver advocates
that with a close union of tbo silver forces vic
tory In 1808 and 1000 Is certain," The silver
advocates aro easily cnnvlncod, Mon who be
llevo in tho 10 to 1 romanco are ablo to bellcvo
anything that Is tolerably Incredible.
XATlOS.ih ItRh-EXCK
Suggestion om Plan for Itslentttnsr IhelCSuoa
tlonal Adrantagea or West Point.
Totob EntTon op The Son Sir: Will you
permit n suggestion apropos ot tho nrtlclo In
your Sunday's issuo on " National Defence."
Tho plan therein disctissoj for providing com
petent officers to drill and command largo
bodies ofmonincaso ot emergency is most In
teresting, nnd would doubtless prove ofllclont,
though tbo expenso is anobjectlon. It Is sub
mitted, however, that an adaptation of tho Ger
man " frclwllllgor" system to our national
Military Acadomy would bo still more efflclont,
could It bo carrlod out, and would cost the tax
payer nothing.
It Is probably not necessary to explain tnat
tbo "frolwllllger" system Is an arrangement
which offers certain advantages to young men
who servo in tho German Army at thoir own
expense over thoso who servo at the expense ot
Iho Government.
If, In addition to thoso cadets who aro ap
pointed, w ho aro paid by tho Government, and
are, thorcforc, bound to servo In tho army a cer
tain number of years, thcro should bo admitted
to West Point others who, in consideration ot
paying for their maintenance nnd tuition, as In
other schools, should bo exempt from thnt obli
gation, nnd should rccolvo on graduation a di
ploma, or perhaps a degrco of. Bay, military
engineer, thcro would in a fow years bo avail
able for any such emergency as that contem
plated a considerable number ot young mrn w ho
bad received tbo most thorough possible mili
tary education, and with it tho very valuablo
cachet o( West Point
This last Is a most important consideration.
It would not only Inspire tho men over whom
thoso officers were plnced with n confidonco
scarcely possible otherwise, but It would put
themselves on a footing of equality with tho
"regulars" not otherwise possible at all.
Thero are thousands of parents who would bo
glad to givo thoir sons n wost Point education,
but who havo not tho political lntluonco neces
sary under tbo present ) stein. Verymnn ot
thcso would willingly pay to tho Government
the sum necessary to recoup it for tho necessary
ncadeiult oxpenscs if so they might attain
their end.
The facilities at "tho Point" could readily bo
Increased so as to nccommodnto as largo a stu
dent roll ns Is possessed h any of tho great edu
cational lnntltutionso( tho country ; and no (ear
that It would not bo flllod, for who c cr knew n
bov who didn't want to go to West Point t
This privllego should ho restricted to cltlzons
of tho United States, unless In very exceptional
Instances, nnd thero should bo absolutely no
difference hetween tho cadets, cither in nnmo
or In treatment. All alike would bo cadets in
tho United States military service, nnd equally
subject in all respects to tho rulos and regula
tions thereof. Only at graduation would thcro
bo a difference, (or whilo ono would bo ordered
onthedulyto which ho had been assigned. If
any. tho other would reccivo on honoriiblo dis
charge and his diploma or degree. All, of course,
would not graduate, but even thoso who failed
would havo received a training very valuablo in
tho contemplated emergency. At tno very least
they would bo good drill masters.
Thero would. o( course, bo objections to such
an arrangement. Tho very suggestion will bo
a shock to hoiiio old West Pointers. It is lie
llovod, howover. thnt on examination thefo
objections will prove to bo as nothing in com-
Sarlson with tho advantages which maycontl
cntlybo oxpcclod, and which it is not easy to
overestimate.
Any sentiment of rlvnlry which might nr!o
at first between tho two kinds of cadetH would
disappear in time, certainly with tho graduation
of tho last class of cxcluslvoly appointed cadets,
and probably t-ooncr.
The (act that no other national Government
has taken such a stop Is surely no reason in
IteoK why ours should not. W.
OAItMinviI.i.K. N. Y., Feb. 1.
nitKxyvs.
Further item of tbe CJreut M jatery.
To the Editor op Tiif. Son Sir : As an in
defatigable student of tbo Dreyfus caso. I submit
tho follow Imr contribution to It for tho bonoflt of
my colleagues in tho United StatcB.
Hero is a letter, addressed to Cola, signed bv
ten mnlrcsnnd two counsellors of tho Depart
ment of Ain, nnd published in tho Xouvtllintede
Lyon :
You have Insulted tu by sending to us your sickly
liuubratlous. We Ind'guantly protest against our
abominable v,ork, which alms at tho destruction of
the respect which we own to tho army and to the
nation. 31r,ou are lalorlnx lu the Interest of tho
Trlullce. You are not a Frenchman.
In that feigned emotion which Is attached to hypo
critical mercy, you dare to ask Franco to outrage the
commanders of her army. Rest assured that your
appeal has produced profound disgust and that It Is
oovered with all the contempt which It merits. It li
by the cry ot VI v Varmfc."' that wo respond to
your Infamy.
Accept, Monsieur, the assurance or our most pro
found contempt.
Hero follows tho rather long list o( names.
Judging by tho llttlo skirmishing before the
trial, M. Zola seems to be in a bad box. It will
bo remembered that tho statements o( Dreydis
tn Capt. ICUrun-Hcnaml, which amounted prac
tically to n confession of guilt, wcro furiously
denied by tho frli nils of tho prisoner. In an
swer to a loiter from JIim. l)ro)fua tho follow
ing nolo was sent to her by tho ex-War Minis
ter. G. Cavulgnac:
IUdime: You deny the existence of the declara
tions of Capt. Lebrun-Renaud and of the written tes
timony proving that these declarations were mado.
I am obliged to tell you that you are mistaken. The
written testimony la In the bands of the Minister of
War. I beg you, madame. to accept tho aasurauro,
Ac , Ac. O. Cayaiumc.
In tho present aspect ot tbo case conviction
Becms probable. The existence of tho Drcjfus
syndicate may be satisfactorily proved; but
from that to tho conclusion that the Jews
should suffer for tho work of a handful of ras
cals, there is an enormous distance, aathomnnly
lettcr tn Paul do Cassagnac from n Jewish
otllcer in tbo French Army clearly shows. Let
llioracothat Is without rascals cast tho first
stonoattbem. IIiciimonii.
la There n Future Lire!
To thk Editor op Tiik Bun Sir: Tho let
ter of an agnostlo In The Sum of Jan. 30 on
churchgolng prompts me to ask what aro tbo
ideas of agnostics concerning a future statot
It is to my mind tbo only "reason to bo" of a
religion.
I am what might bo termnd a "groper;" that
Is, a churchgoer carnost and attentive whofo
belief In a heaven or after existence of tho soul
is more ot a bono than a faith. I am lonl.lng for
holp. nn assurance of tho dhino origin and end
of all things. I would llko to know If on ngiins
tlowholiHS lost a loved ono can reconcile him
self to tho thouitht that all is, indeed, over for
the dear departed I
In fact, in or j ono knows what nu ngnostia
docs not bellovo. Is lifo worth living to him if
everything onds here; whatnro hlsthoorloe. if
he hnH any, ns to how wo got hero, cvon in tho
germ f We havo no control ovor our cxUtonco.
What forco lins, if any ! If anv ono can help mo
It w 111 bo more than a hundred gospcU preached.
Nkw York, Jan. 30. Horn
A Doltemless nnd Unnoted Hole,
From the Auburn (Ji.) .Ytirs .
Ono of the places in our neighboohood which
Is shunned alike by saint nnd sinner Is tho old
spring near our town, In Logan county, known
as tbo bluo bole. Though legendary, tho story
I shall relate ot this spring is truo, for it has
been corroborated by tho former generation to
tbo older men ot tho present century. Ac
cording to this story, when tho Shaker
village at South Uniou was first ostabllshed
by a few venturesomo though hardy pio
neers, a member of tbo sect was de
spatched on boreback ono day to Itusscllvlllo
with a bag of gold to put the money In a safe In
tho county s capita). When tho treasure bearer
reached tbe spring be rode his borso in to git o
it water, but animal and rider were swallowed
up, never to rise again. It Is said that tho
Shaker's friends used as much as SOU (cetof
rope in an attemnt to recover tho bolv and
coin, and never struck bottom. I myself have
beard old men say tbey bad tried to And tbo
bottom of tbe spring by using hundreds of feet
of cord and a lead linker, but without success.
r
CRITICISING TUB CHARTBX.
'
A Cerrespendeat Replies tn Seme Remarks T
CemmlMlentr Ualnban.
To tor Editor of This BvxSlr: I observo
that Mr. Holahnn, who Is holding one of tho
most lucrativo positions under tho city Govern
ment, that of Commissioner of Publlo Improve
ments, objected at a meeting on Wednesday to
tho present city charter, nnd used Ibis expres
sion concerning It:
We have to-day been unable to order even so much
as repairs to a dllapldMe.1 laniii-post, because doubt
exists as to what official should Incur the responsi
bility for tbo expense, such a mesa I never saw.
I do not know how far Ibe knowlodge of Com
missioner Holshan cxtonds ns to chartors ot
cities ot tho first class or other llko documents.
I do not know thnt ho is nn expert on tho subject
ot chartors or of icgislat 1 vo provisions generally,
though It Is a fart that when last a candldato for
nn oloctlvo post, as Stato legislator, bo was de
feated by tbe voters of tbo district, and tho vari
ous Dositions which ho has hold since, and ho has
hold a number of them, havo bcon ot an ap
polnttvo character, Tho present city chartor,
which ha crltlclsos in such sweeping phrases. Is
tho work not merely of a commission ot ablo
men, but one ot tho most remarkable commis
sions nver appointed (or a llko work In this
country. If there bo nnywhoro throo abler
law) ers, In respect to their profound knowledge
of municipal law and of the regulations which
Sovern municipalities, thin Benjamin F. Tracy,
ohn F. Dillon, nnd William C.De Witt. I do not
knmv whore thoy can be found, and assuredly it
would roqulro a man of larger knowin Igo, more
experience, more familiarity with legislation
and broader views than Mr. Holahan to
dlscovor them. Moreover, tbo Mayors of tho
tbrco cities consolidated ou Jin. 1, 1898. into
tbo Greater Now York, should have known
something ot tho workings of tbolr respective
municipalities; nor am 1 making any invid
ious distinction, when I say It would bo difficult
totlnd anywhoron tpnn mora fnmlllar with tho
workings ot New York municipal departments
than Thomas F. Ollror or a msn understand
ing thoso of Brooklyn municipal departments
better than 8ilas II. Dutchcr. As against a re
port adopted by thcso gentlemen and their as
sociates on tbo Now York Charter Commission,
a report tbo result of most mature considera
tion nnd most discriminating caro, who Is Hola
han, who nays that ho Is without knowledgo of
tho identity of tho official who "should Incur
tho responsibility for tbo expenso " ot repairs to
a dilapidated lamp-post I
Officials do not Incur responsibilities for ex
penses under tho chartor of New York (or ro
pairs to lamp-posts or for nny other purpose.
That responsibility Is incurred bv tho city of
which Mr. Holahan is nn employee, by which ho
Is paid, nnd whoso dutio, I hope, aro of a more
serious character than tho repairs of lamp-posts.
And whilo on this subject it may not bo inap
propriate to say thnt Gen. Collls. the
last Commissioner of Publlo Works, fur
nlshod tho city of New York with tho upprorod
lamp posts now In ttso In some ot tbo loading
thoroughfares, Intnp posts, which it not exactly
ornnments nro ns ornamcntnl ns tho circum
stances nt tho case permit, which supply not
only light but guldnnco as well, having upon
them conspicuously tbo Blrcot numbers nnd
house numbers next ndjolnlng. Gen. Collis's
predecessor in Deputy Commissioner of Publlo
Works was Holahan himself, nnd if during his
tenure ho recommended nny chnnges (rota the
dilapidated lamp-posts to which ho rofers and
which wore a characteristic mark of bis admin
lstialion, knowledgo of tho fact Iisb bcon suc
cessfully withhold from the general taxpaylng
public.
It Is a good deal easier to criticise a chartor as
impcilcct, dofcctlvo, uncertain, unsatisfactory,
or contradictory, than it Is to comply, with tho
best graco possible, under tho circutnstancos,
with tho provisions of it. for somo friction Is In
evitable in a rase of tho kind, and thu municipal
appointees o( tho city of Now York would do
better In the public Interest. I think, by endeav
oring to harmonize thoir labors with tho charter
than by assailing it. Tbo Greater Now York
charter is an excellent piece or work, and In
thoso particulars wherein it falls short tho Leg
islature can bo relied upon to supply tho dctl
elciicics, to onlnrgo tbo powers. or to more clear
ly dollno tho duties of employees ttndor it, ob
tbo exigency for such changes apposrs (rom
tlmo to tlmo.
I do not know- whether Mr. Holahan is nwsro
of it, but until tho Lcgislnturo of 1S07 adopted
tho present Greater New York charter this city
didn't havo any charter nt nil. Its affairs woro
directed under scpnrnto chapters, forming a
pnrtoftho Consolidated act. so-called, an anti
quated method, which has now, happily, been
done nwoy with by tho adoption of a clear, com
prehensive, and harmonious chnrtcr for tho
greatest city in the United States, which had
been for somo tlmo without one. I think that
on reflection Mr. Holnhan will dotormlne that
the repair ot dilapidated lamp-oosts is not tbo
chief or most Important function of n munlcl
pillty. And bow many dismembered lamp-posts
thero aro as tho result of tho assaults of cen
sorious but belated alutesmcnl
New Yoiik, Fob. 3. A. Mitchell.
THE Til EA TIC IS HAT.
Urn rutd nevlvnt A Sen Method ror Drallnc
with It.
To tub EntTon or Tna Sc-c sir; Last year It did
seem for a time as though the theatre hat nuisance
was abating, but this year It l slowly but surely
growing again.
It is an outrage that theatrical managers are per
mitted to sell seats presumably upon tbe understand
ing that a vlewofths performaice Is Included with
tbe seat, and then permit a feathered hat or equally
aggravating bonnet with bobbing aigrettes to cut off
such view and ruin an evening's pleasure.
Tho fault Is entirely with tbe manag ment of the
theatres. Thoy should cell their tickets under a
contract that women mutt remove their hats anl
bonut tv. Furnish n pla?e to chock them If desired,
and then If a woman refuses to remove her head
plo;e she can bo ejected from the theatre as a dis
orderly character, the samo a man would be If he
persisted In any act contrary to tho rules of the
house. An exception might bu made for women who
wear w ,'gs with tbe hats fastened to them.
Tbero U no other course. Womcu are absolutely
without cons'deratlon, thought or care for the pleas
ure, or comfort of auy human being except them
selves or the unfortunate mau In whom they may be
temporarily Interested.
Tbe lack of this quality, together wllb a false Idea
of what renders them attractive, and their lnsano
desiro to exclto the euvy of other women, makes
any hope of acblv Ing a reform through their alleged
better nature an "Iridescent dreem."
Saw Yonic, Feb. a. Loxo Sisrraixa.
A Bportsinnu'a View of Iho "Sportsmenvs
Show."
To tub Fditor or The Sn" ffr: The "National
Sportsmen's Exposition" hai run Its twelve day
course, and It appears to me an auspicious moment
for a halt tn bo called agslntt a repetition of any simi
lar Infliction uion au Innocent public.
That the arrr.1, waa a failure may clearly bo
attributed to the fact that sportsmen were "onto
Itacurvo." and avoided It In large crowds. It, bow.
ever, afforded au opportunity to a few favored con
cerns for tho dldrJay and disposal of their wares. Tbe
ifortlu fraternity ot Now York Includes some 60,
uou anglers, men w ho love to go a fishing, and who do
so at every opportunity, while the number of anglers
dlsneriod throughout tho United Htates Is countless,
and this vast tlir.ing of sportsmen could have fonnd
ivareely a rod. riel, fly en el, talkie case, wading
bout, or an) distinctive embbiii of their craft at the
recent alliged bpurtsmt-n's Show Kven tbat mon
umental Iniqult), ihi "dtlirpllt bamloo rod," so
mm h In evidence lat v t ar, w tu not to be neen.
Instead came t he s-lf.plbylng piano, without whloh,
as a mtter of course.no sportsman's camp Is com.
plete. Thn few lieautlful live game birds nnd ftnh
seen last year were also nhst-nt, and, Irstead, the few
vlnllor vvre lermltted to inirrha-e rulitier roller
skates, another Ind'at enaatde feature or ererv wood
land amp. Athlitlo port received but scanty at
tention. In msrited contract to previous displays of
this nature, ami lite gentleman atblet", seeking somo
eml leiu of his paatime, wuuld search In vain for an
ludlandubor arilimhtiell Lovers of baeball, golf,
archery, football, tennis lowing, or any other fali
loiubie sport cmilu llnd nothing Indicative, or these
pantlmci.
A few powder and shot makers and three or four
gun ih al-Ts "ruled the roast." and they seemingly
oiitrolleil the entire "shooting match."
rrophk of iipurt. game fishes and animals, row.
boats, cnivrs, canning nutnts, and similar perqui
sites o!n sportsman's outing were distinguished by
their aiisciue, whllt Initial can e a display of laun
dry soap, horse.liiie pads, reclining chairs, talking
machines, pap-r vests, eveglanes. and f U hand sewed
shues.ull.no doubt, very tasentlalln a sportsman's
outing mitlll,
I rise up tu appeal for a halt upon any similar Infllc-
.. . . KIT L'LABKk'.
.Sivv Yoiik, Jan :il.
.Vol u llepubllean Dollar.
To the KuiTon or THE Srv Mr' Mr. Dalley of
Texas, leader of the Domoerttlo minority lu ibe
House of r.epreentatlres, said In his speech on the
Tller silver resoliit.oi, as r.-prtrd In Till. Mn of
Feb. 1. that If the silver do'lar was kood enough ftr
the vvorklugman, who prolucej the wraith nf the
coc-ntr), It wnigoodcuojgli for tbelllerst If It was
good rnough (or the poor, it was gool enough (or the
rich
No good llepubllean (not a silver man) has ever
said that the silver dollar was good enough (or the
workltigniannrKood enough (or the poor man. It
has been an-I It the contention of the Republicans
that a silver dollar l not good enough for the work
Human or (or (he poor man. ilepuLllcam have con
trndsd always that the vvorklngmau and the poor
nan uurdud and ought to have Just as good a dollar
ai anyluxly elm it la tbe allvrr llerubllcaus and sil
ver Democrats who are trylug to palm off upon tho
worklngmau aud the poor man a dollar worth now
but little more tjiau 40 oentu and tbe strange thing
about It l that an many worklngmen cannot sea tbat
If tbey vote (or free silver, tbey voto to reduce their
wages more than one-half, at the present price of
stiver. As Old llxrcaucax.
i -j 'MM
notr osTiticn xaas abb hatched. IH
i WM
The Ron Puts Them In is Hals and Covers U
All .Vttat Tbo Bnoater Haa the Day Job, V
from the St. Loutt Globe-Democrat. B
" There is inonoy In railing ostriches, nnd this I
fact has been demonstrated by tho owners of an .
ostrich farm in Arliona," remnrkexl Col. W. S. V
Hndley ot Phrchlx. Ariz. "Thero aro now about M
100 ostriches on this farm, and all tho birds I
are doing welt. Tho farm was first started K
as an experiment, but It has proved to bo a Vi
fairly good business venture. Tho ostrich has I
many peculiar babltr, nnd It look soma I
tlmo for tbo msnngors ot tho farm lo lorn
bow to haudlo thcso Sahara Dosort birds.
For Instance, tho female makes n nest by
scratching a hole In tbo ground large enough
to hold a bushel btskel. She lays twenty eggs '
before alio commoncos to sit. Each egg Is left
just outside tho nest until tho twenty eggs en- St
circle the holo in tbo ground. Then tho fcmsl
kicks nil Ibe eggs Into tho hole with one font. B
Hho sits nt night, nnd tho mnlo sits on tho mil m
tn tbo day tlmo, thus taking turn about untU B
tho oung ost riches aro hatchet,,
" A young ostrich must ho one voar old before K
It can lie 'picked.' An ostrich has scarcely any H
feathers on Its neck nnd breast, nnd is, thcro- n
foro. an ungainly looking bird. Tho long foath- M,
ors, known In tho trade ns ostrich plumes, are 29
pluckod from thn wings. These plumes are 58
shipped to Now York, nnd bring from $7tn$9 85
per pound. Of course, thcso plumes nro tncra SB
cleaned and steamed, and, vvliou fully pre- m
pared for Iho mlllneiy market, bring from 83
$7 to W apiece. An old ostrich is vvnrlh SB
from $7.1 to $100, and n vnune ono is worth
(rom etO 10 $.'0, nnd they nro sold nt tlio.e Eg
? rices In menagerie nnd zoological gardens m
hroughoul the country. Another revenue ttj
comes to this (arm (rem tbo sain nf ostrich eegs. fifl
Persons buy them ns curiosities, paving m
apieco for them. It lias been found that tho IS
ostrich thrlvos splendidly on tho alfalfa grass X
Hint grows wild in Arizona. Sometimes corn is M
fed to them. It is qulto amusing to sen a long- -3;
necked ostrich swallow n whole car of corn as W
easily as a chicken swallow s one grain of corn." &j
THE nAUDKEItCTlIEIS WE USE ffi
aaa,SOO,000 ainsln Onea Consumed In the S$
Trade Every Venr In Thla Couutri.
rom the irmMnjfon Star. SB
"Very fow peoplo outsldo tbo trade," said a Hf
leading wholosalo doalcr in handkerchiefs In
New York to a Star reportor recently, "are Qj
nwnrothnt Ibe consumption of handkerchiefs S
throughout tho United Stales amounts to about J
70,000 dozen dally. This moans !!717,000 'jj.
dozen yearly, or 326,300,000 single hnndker. -i'
chlofs. To satisfy this enormous demand thcro ?
nro nlwnye kopt in stock in this city at least 350,. ,J
000,000 handkerchiefs. It would bo extremely )
dlfUctilt tn say what such a supply nf goods Is '.
worth In tbo aggregate, as handkerchiefs sell at '
wholesale at nny where from HO cents lo WO per v
dozen, according to quality nnd finish. Hut the
figures which I havo given you arc not oxaggor- i
ntcd.nnd thev throw a strong light on the el- v
gantin dimensions ot an important branch ot tbs .v.
dry goods business. x
" A comparatively small number ot handkor.
chlofs nro manufactured in this country, and V
thoso that nro mado bore nro mostly of Iho cot- J
ton end inforior silk variety. Tho finest silk r
goods are Imported principally (rom Japan,
which country sonris us annually botweon 17.
000,000 nnd 18,000,000 Japsncso pongees.'
Tho best cambric nrtlclo comes (rom Franco
nnd Dclgium. and linen bnndkorchlcfs iomo
from tho north of Ireland nnd also (rom St.
Onlls, Swttrcrland. Japanese silk hankcrchlefa
nro w orth f rem S3 to $40 per dozen, while tho
imported cambrics (rom Brussels soil (or from
?.S to 87 a dozen, nnd tho cotton product mann
ncturcd In Pennsylvania nnd Now Jersey may
bo had for 30 rents per dozen.
"Tho capital invested In this business is im
mense. It may possibly amount to flOO.Otio.
000. bill, owing to the fact tbat thn trade Is dis
tributed, nothing llko accurate figures can bo
given. There nro six or seven firms In the dry
goods district which deal exclusively in hand
korcbiofs. Dut only two of thoso bouses handle
tbo domestic nrtlclo extensively. Most of the
large American factories aro located outside of
tho cltv, but New York, as In several other
branches ot the dry goods business, is the great
distributing centro tor the trado."
ST A It WOnSIIIPPEItS.
An Unlfown nellfflen Found In Rfeaopetamla
Prom the Chrittian Intelligencer.
Our Arabian missionary, the Hov. Samuel M.
Zwemer. before tbo American Society of Com
parative Religions, last week gave an Interest
lng account of a curious religion ho encountered
in a trip to the lower Euphrates and Tigris. lis
said ot this peculiar soct:
"Thcso strango people, whom we know as the
Star Worshippers, Sabeans, Natoreans, or St.
John Christians, designate themselves this
Mandirans, nnd although thev number only a
(ovv thousand, remain entirely distinct from tbs
Jews, Moslems, and Christians, among whom
they have dwelt for centuries. Their origin is
lost In obscurity, and their number Is rapidly
diminishing. Ihelr religion Ib compounded of
Christian, hoathen, nnd Jewish elements; tho
language thry spoak is entirely different from
that of their neighbors, Thev are a moral, peace
ful, and Industrious peoplo. Thev believe that the
stars embody the good of tbe unlverso, and the
planets the evil. Unlike tho Pnrsees, they do
not worship the sun nnd tbo moon. I found that
their knowledgo of astronomy was thorough in
many respects."
He further said that their moral code Is that ot
tbo Old Testament In every particular, and tbat
he found them an easily approachable people,
though It required a long acquaintance before
they allowed their literature to bo seen.
Foreign Kotes or Ileal Interest.
Transylvsnian railroad employees have bun nod
ded by tbe Hungarian Government tbat unless tbey
Uagyanzo their names they will be discharged.
Sen Marino, tbe little republic In the Appenlnsa,
has proved tbat It Is up to date by having a bank fail
ure aud arresting all the directors for fraud.
Costs (or the appeal In Earl Iluss'll's divorce case
have been apportioned by the Court. They amount
to 318,500 rorthe two sides, o( courts uot counting
counsel feos.
FUfnne an Lae pronounced " fawn ye In lay" and
moaning tbe "Dawn of Day" Is the title of a new
weekly printed In Irish tbat appears at AthCllsth,
tho original name of Dublin.
I'schorr, the brewer, bos offered a million marks to
the city of M mlch on condition that the butt of his
grandfather, the foundor of the Pschorr brau busi
ness, be placed In the Hall of Olory of tbe Uararta
monument.
Liverpool has Just found It Impossible to float a
loan for XI, SOU. 000, as the fitook Exchange refnsed
to list It. This Is due to sharp practice on tho part of
the corporation with the brokers wben It Issued a
small loan threo yeara ago.
Osiris has lost his divinity and turns out to bare
Leen a mere mortal, M. Amellneau, the Kronen
Egyptologist, announces tbat he has discovered his
grave at Abydos. Marlette Itey hunted (or the toiab
without success (or r.lnotecn years.
Lake Illkwa. or Leopold, between Lakes Tangan
yika and Nyassa, In Central Africa, which when first
discovered, forty years a;o, was ISO miles long by
thirty brosd, li reported by recent travellers to have
closed upcompletrlv. The bed of tbe lake Is now a
plain covered with thick woods.
"Love ine," "Slake me merry." "Warm me up."
and "You don't oxpect It" havo been registered by
the German Fatcnt Office as trademarks for alro
bollodrlnks. ".S'ufua ttomachV' Is acepted only !
cause It li Latin, while "One before breaking off
and "Tbe very last" aro rejected as being expres
sions in too common uio.
A yellow light has been obtained with tncandsicrnt
gas burners by a Oerman Inventor at Krefetl Us
alters the burners so that the gas li supplied at a
pressure o( three aud a half atmospheres. A single
jet or ordinary slse then emits alight of more than
1 ,000 can-lie pov, cr, by which fine print may be read
at adlttanos of ISO feet (rom the light.
William Ilonny, tbe army medical steward who a"'
ronipanlej .Stanley In his expedition (or tbo relief of
Emlnl'aiha, Is dying of consumption In a London
poorhouse, Ilonny wss left with the resr guard ua
der Major Darttelot, being the only while man left
after the latter' death, and remained (or a) ear and
a hal( In camp vvbllo the rear guard atarved
Paris' Society (or the Prevention o( Cruelly to
Animals has ricelrrd a legacy o( 11,000,000 (rann
from Mme. Chaisegros, who vvas a uoted demimcr.
rfulne under the tocund empire. The Londlllnra a'
taclird are that precautions shall bo takin to prevent
the III treatment of horses, aud an effort made to
Improve tbo condition of the public pounds.
Ituisla Is hastening tbe building of the railroad re
tween Merv and the military post of Kushk on tba
Afghan frontier, which will then ho lu dlrirt coii
muulcatlon with tbe Caspian and huroau Km.u
Tbe line la called the Murgbab branch; It Is 1(H miles
loug, will roit H.700,000 rubles, and will be ready
within three years. The Bainarkaud-Andljan Jin,
with branch's toTashkcnd and Margbllau, will .
opeucd this year, I
Venire has aisertcd the right of ownership over tM I
(amoua plgeous of St. Mark, home enterprising I
street boys who had made a business of killing tbe 1
b'rda when brought up In court pleaded tbat the M
pigeons had uo legal owners, as they were (ed by tba H
public on tbe Plasia San Marco. Tho city authorities
maintained that tba pigeons were the wards of tba B.
old republic and therefore of tba present municipal- mU
ty, a Tlsw that vru adopted by tbs court, I mU