Newspaper Page Text
the old trundle bed. *Oh» the old trundle bed where I slept when a boy, What paooplled knight might not covet the joy? The glory and peace of that slumber of mine. Like a long, gracious rest In the bosom divine The quaint, homely couch, hidden close from the light. But daintily drawn from its hiding at night. Ob, a nest of delight, from the foot to the head, Was the queer little, dear little, old truo die bed. Oh, the old trundle bed where 1 wonder ing saw The stars through the window, and list ened with awe To the sigh of the winds as they trem blingly crept Through the trees where the robins so restlessly slept, Where I heard the low, murmurous chirp of the wren, And the katydid listlessly chirrup again, Through the maze of the dreams of the old trundle bed. Oh, the old trundle bed! Oh, the old trundle bed! "With Its plump little pillow and olil-fasb ioned spread Its snowy white sheets aud the blankets above. Smoothed down and tucked around with the touches of love The voice of my mother to lull me to sleep With the old fairy stories my memories keep Still fresh as the Hllies that bloom o'er the head Once bowed o'er niy own In the old trun dle bed. —James Whitcomb Riley* HIS BUSY DAY. 1 •nMCtCCHUHttHiic [TA WAS my busy day. pile of correspondence as daunt ing to a man's ambition as Pike's Peak or the Eiffel Tower burdened my desk and there was a kink In my tem per which I had calculated would re quire a dinner at Martin's, tete-a-tete with Marguerite, to effectually straight en out. Martin's chef makes a certain pate that puts a man at peace with all the world, while Marguerite Is at once soothing and stimulating, like cham pagne. At this point my reflections were In terrupted by Forsythe, the best fellow in the world, but with an unlucky habit of turning up at the wrong moment. I didn give him the glad hand exact ly, for which I was sorry enough after ward, but he was too preoccupied to notice, "Oh, I've something to say to you, Austin," be said after a few prelimi naries, with the effect of having Just remembered something. "All right," I replied, taking my feet off a chair to shove It toward him, "but make It twenty words if you can. I'm in a ruBh to-day." "I can do It quick enough," he went on, with an uneasy laugh. "I just want to ask you if you've any Intentions of a matrimonial sort, you know, toward Marguerite." "The-devll you do!" I exclaimed. "It strikes me that's my business." "Perhaps It is," he said, with an air of wishing to do me every Justice, "per baps It Is, but it's mine, too." "Indeed," I remarked, feeling that I .. ... was unanswerable. "You see, Austin," cried Forsythe, "when you Introduced Dillard and me to Marguerite we both thought you were a trifle gone in that direction, and when I found I thought such a lot of her I couldn't live without her I felt that I had no right to ask for her until I found out whether you wanted her yourself." "Deuced good of you," I commented, stiffly, seeing he bad paused for a re ply. "It only seemed fair to give you the first chance," he flnlshed, looking at me In a hurt sort of a way that made me ashamed of myself. "You're all right, old boy," I hastened to say. "Forgive me you took me by surprise. But since you ask me I don't mind saying I never had a thought of marrying Marguerite" (which was true enough, and I'd never thought of any one else marrying her elder). "I'm mighty glad of that." cried For sythe, Joyfully. "No doubt," I said, a trifle dryly but he hastened on: "I'm going to take her to a picture exhibit this morning, and thought I'd like to ask her then. If you assured me the field was clear. I hope I have your good wishes, Aus tin." "Certainly," I said. "Go ahead and try for her, and good luck go with you, old man." The painful memory of the grip he gave my hand on leaving still lingered with me when Dillard dropped In an hour later. I gave Dillard the other band. "Hullo." he cried. "Busy, Austin?" "Bather," I returned, shortly. Dil lard's only occupation In life Is spend ing an Income of forty thousand a year, and It's bard to be glad to see a man like that when you've got your own nose down on the grindstone. "Just a word in your car and I'm through," he announced. "It's about Marguerite, you know." "Marguerite!" I exclaimed, "then "•you've beard "Heard what," be cried. "Are you engaged tp her?" "Certainly not," I answered, with em pbaBls "what made you think that?" "Oh, I thought you rather fancied h« aud I'm tremendously glad to hear you don't care about her." (I wasn't aware'that I'd said that, but I let It pass.) "She and her aunt are going to take lunch with Forsythe and me to day, and I thought I might get a chance to try my luck with her then. But as long as you Introduced us I thought I ought to give you the first chance." This sounded familiar—too familiar, In fact. "Oh, don't mind me," I protested, im patiently. "My Intentions toward Marguerite are wholly Innocuous. Wish you success, Dillard." I managed to evade his parting hand shake, thus saving my fingers a second crushing, and be departed happy. When I went to lunch and bad time to analyze my feelings I found tbat I resented being forced Into posing as a sort of trousered fairy godmother to Marguerite. Of course as long as I had no Inten tions whatever of asking her to marry me 1 could hardly be so absurd as to resent some one else doing so. And certainly Forsythe #nd Dillard had be haved handsomely—no one could have done more. But to be asked for my consent to Marguerite's nuptials as though I were her elderly uncle or benevolent maiden aunt was a trifle trying. At o'clock I was on my way. to see her. 1 felt that however unpleasant my new. attitude toward her might be, |t ftt leist gave a righf (9 know which one of my friends she had accept ed. By the time I reached the. car I was sure it was Forsythe when I alighted at the corner my mind was made up to accept Dillard as her fu ture husband, and when I entered the door I had come to the conclusion that whichever she took she was undoubt edly doing well for herself. "What, It Is you?" cried Marguerite, when I found her In the library. "Did you expect some one else?' I asked, scanning her closely. She un doubtedly looked happy. "You were here yesterday," she re plied. "One good turu deserves another," I said. "Besides I've come to congratu late ,vou." "Well?" she asked and settled down comfortably to listen. Marguerite is very provoking sometimes. She knew I was all at sea. "Dillard Is a man to be proud of," I hazarded, watching her face. "Are you proud of bltu?" she In quired, looking up at me with big ques tioning eyes. After all the role of fairy godmother to Marguerite wasn't so bad, I reflected, that Is, If one couldn't be anything else. "And his fortune 1 went on, ig noring her question. "Ah, Ills fortune—arc you proud of that, too?" she asked. Perhaps It wasn't Dillard after all. "But Forsythe," I said, shifting my ground, "he is a man in a million." "Yes. he is." said Marguerite reflect ively. "Seo here," I cried desperately, "which arc you going to marry?" "The man in a million or the man with a million?" she cried with a sauci ly lifted cliln. "Yes, which Is It to be?" I repeated eagerly. "Suppose," she said, slowly, "suppose I asked your candid, unprejudiced hon est advice?" "Oh, then I suppose I should have to advise you to take them both." "Yes, I suppose you would," she as sented thoughtfully. "Or else to refuse them both," I add ed. "Ah, suppose 1 had already done that," she said softly. I felt my breath fail me suddenly. "Marguerite!" I cried, and a moment later found myself an engaged man. "By the way," I remarked as we sat waiting for the pate at Martin's that evening, "how were the pictures?" "Really I've forgotten," said Mar guerite with a happy little sigh. "This has been such a busy day.' "Come to think of It." I replied, "I've had rather a busy day myself."—Chi caco Times-Herald. School Boys as Barometrra. It looked like rain, and naturally he had on a pair of light shoes aud carried no umbrella. The car stopped on the far side of GIrard avenue and a young lady got In. She bowed, and sat dowu beside the Saunterer, who recognized In her a school teacher friend. "What do you think of this beastly weather?" queried he, dlsgruueedly. "Is It going to rain, or Isn't it?" "I can't tell you to-day," answered the young lady, smiling an acceptauce of whatever might come. "If it wera a school day, and you were willing to come to school with lue, I could tell you in very few iniuuies with absolute certainty. It'll sound funny to you, but it's true. I have noticed that you can always tell what the weather is going to do by the children. They're regular barometers. If there's goln to be a storm they get restless, and 1 have the hardest kind of work to con trol them. Particularly the boys. The girls aren't so bad, but there seems to be some mysterious quality about ap proaching rain that always affects the former. I've got so now I don't blame them, because I don't believe they can help It. So you see," she concluded, as shegot out at Chestnut street, "children have their uses, after all."—Philadel phia Inquirer. Co pit of School. In Cities.* A shortage in the school fund In St. Paul lias caused the superintendent of the school system in that city to make a comparison of the cost per pupil with the slinilnr cost In fourteen other cities. On the basis of the ttgures of attend ance the cost in St. Paul Is $22.08. Only two other cities show a smaller cost Kansas City, where the school year is only nine months long and where the cost Is $20.07, and Milwaukee, where the salary accouut alone makes the cost $21.87. Severnl cities run from $24 to $28, while the cost amounts to $37.80 In Pittsburg and to $40.77 in Denver. The eastern cities have a much higher rate than those in the west, Denver ex cepted, and there the cost of labor and fuel Is excessive. The figures given have to do with the entire school sys tem, but the difference Is wider when high schools alone are considered. Boston, with Its suburbs, has twelve high schools, for which it pays a per capita rate of $85.40 on a salary basis alone it amounts to $62.10. In St. Paul the total per capita cost In high schools on the basis of average dally attendance is $44.36, and out of this $34.91 Is ex pended for teachers' salaries.—Buffalo Express. Great Peat In South Africa. One of the greatest pests of south Af rica Is the locusts, which descend In swarms each year upon the farms of Natal and the Transvaal. They some times fly In such numbers tlint railroad trains are blocked and are forced to wait until the bodies of the Insects are shoveled from the tracks. Last year the government of Cape Colony paid out $8,500 for locusts' eggs, at the rate of 12 cents a pound. As it takes 40,000 eggs to weigh a pound nn idea of the enormous number destroyed In this way may he gathered. But the locusts are not an unmixed curse. They are eaten by tho natives, who say they make delicious food, aud all animals, including horses, are said to be fond of them. Climate Variations. The Ohio Farmer, In connection with an article from the experiment station upon wheat growing, prints a map showing the dates for sowing wheat In different sections of the State. There Is a variation of a month, or from Sept. 10 in the northern counties to Oct. 10 in a few counties in the extreme South. Some vary In certain places because of change In the elevation. Both Northern Mnine and Northern New Hampshire are nearly two months later In seed time and nearly as much earlier In harvest than the southern parts of those States, the one because of the distance north and the other because of the snow-covered mountains. We would suggest that each experiment station should publish a similar map, so that when one takes up a paper and learns that they are plowing in the southern part of tho State, ttc sowing seed, he may feel that ho can wait two or four weeks longer before he begins without being behind with his work. Even In so small a State as Massachusetts the difference In planting time owing to cli mate and soil is considerable, and farm hints for March on Cape Cod would be in season about In April at Amherst where IS the experiment station, while If written at tho agricultural college for that latitude they would be two or three weeks too late for the sandy soils of Southeastern Massachusetts.—Amer ican Cultivator. Value* of Grain for Making Pork. The director of the Montana experi ment station compares the value of different grain foods for pork as fol lows: By a combination of grain and legu minous pastures pigs can be grown to a weight of 150 pounds at a cost of 2 cents a pound. Alfalfa, clovcr, peas, wheat and barley make the best of pig feed. Alfalfa or clover pasture, with a little grain in summer, affords condi tions for tho cheapest growth and the greatest profit. Pigs fed on barley or barley and wheat at present market prices will pay for all food consumed when pork Is 3Mi cents a pound. The pea, combined with grain. Is well adapted to the wants of the growing nnlinal, and will give the greatest gains on the smallest amount of feed. The lot, fed equal parts of barley, wheat and peas made again of 1 pound In weight for 4.55 pounds of food when the pigs were between the weights of 117.8 and 200.8. Pigs make the greatest gains and at a less cost of gain before tliey reach 200 to 210 pounds In weight The quality of pork produced from wheat, barley and pens In the various combinations used Is firm and well adapted for the production of hams and bacon, the fat and lean of the meat be ing well distributed. .. Making a Driveway. Too many entrances to farm build ings are made of planks laid on wooden sleepers. These soon rot out and break UAKINO A DRIVEWAY. through, whllo underneath such drive ways are the haunts of rats and mice. The best plan to follow is shown In the cut, which is from the Orange Judd Farmer. Lay up two side Hues of stone as high as the sill at the building's side, and sloping to the surface of the ground at the proper distance from the build ing. If flat stones are to be had, no cement Is needed. All that remains to be done is to fill .In the space between the two lines of stones with earth. Then one has a permanent, inexpensive and altogether satisfactory entrance driveway. WMm Soli for 8trawherries. ||S« Oldest Tree in tho World. The town of Kos, the capital of the small Turkish Islaud of tbat name lying off the coast of Asia Minor, possesses the oldest tree In the world. Under its shade Hippocrates Inculcated his dis ciples In his methods and views con cerning the healing art 2,000 years ago. Tradition carries the age of the tree back to the time of Aesculapius (of whom Hippocrates was a lineal de scendant), which would add some 400 years to its age. A great part of the trunk is built round, aud there Is a fountain known as Hippocrates' Fountain. The circumference of the trunk Is 30 feet, and there are two main lower branches, which are sup ported by masonry columns. People speak of the havoc mince pie can work on the stomach, but It is as peaceful as gruel compared with suet pudding. When men have more money than tbey need tjiey think (bey need more tbftA they have, We think the soil lias the most to do with production of large crops of strawberries and large berries. Sandy soil produces the finest berries, but not tho largest or as many per acre. The reason Is plain to those who have tested the matter. If you want large crops, select your heavy soli, plow and subsoil deep, then repack the soil just as hard as you possibly can. but do not work while too wet. Strawberry roots will penetrate the hardest soil, and will de velop the best fruit buds and produce the finest berries. Constant and very shallow cultivation Is best. Sandy soil cannot be packed so hard, hence It will produce flne plants, but not such large crops of fruit.—Western Fruit Grower. KnsilnRe for Horses. As many people have an idea that en silage Is not a good food for horses, we will call attention to the fact that the Virginia Experiment Station has been testing It, and tliey report that the trou ble from Is use has arisen from too much having been fed nt the beginning, and as the horse likes It he Is tempted to eat too much of it, as he might of green grass or clover. Tills Is more apt to be the case when it contains a large amount of corn. When they began by feeding small quantities and increased very gradually In the amount given no Injury resulted, and after they were well accustomed to Its use they would not eat too heartily of It, even when given opportunity. i. Ordinary Seed. Much time Is lost In the spring by waiting for plants and seeds. Orders for seeds should be seut in before Jan uary is over. Make out the list of tho varieties desired and give plain direc tions, to avoid mistakes. Every spring there are many who are delayed In their work by ordering plants and seeds just at the tluie tliey are wanted, and as seedmen are then crowded with orders they are forced to disappoint many who could have gotten their seeds by order ing early. Farm Prices. Farms are higher priced now than they wore a year ago in many loca tions, and are very likely destined to advance in price as business grows more brisk and prices of other things are going up. We remember how it was between 1881 and 1805. With wool at $1 a pound or more, flour at $18 a barrel ,and wheat in proportion, pork 10 cents a pound, butter 40 to 50 cents a pound, and hay $40 to $50 a ton, it seemed as If mouey could be made In farming. Some succeeded in doing b§, We know farmers wuose yearly sales were more in some of those years thnn their farms were valued nt before the war. We knew others who bought at high prices about the close of the war, and found that as prices of farm prod uce went down they could not sell enough to pay the Interest on the mort gage, and lost all they had. But farm ers were not the only ones who made money when prices went up. or lost money when they went down. Manu facturers found themselves unable to sell their flnlshed products for as much as they had paid or agreed to pay for their raw material. There Is a lesson In this for farmers. If there Is a boom and season of high priccs for farm products, do not get excited over it, with tho expectation that It will last forever. Do not contract obligations that cannot be met if prices go back to last.ycar's rates.—Exchange. UrcfialiiK Geese. „4* To kill geese, have a place where you can hang them with the head down, and then stick a sharp knife through the neck close to the head, and let them bleed. This causes the meat to be very clear and white. After they are through bleeding roll them up, one at a time. In three or four thicknesses of blanket, and put them Into a boiler of hot wa ter, letting them remain there about one minute, afterward lay them where they will drain for about ten minutes more, and pick them. They will then pick very easily. It Is the steam that causes the feathers to loosen. It Is an everlasting job to dry-pick geese, and tills is a sure process. The entrails should be Immediately removed, the head cut off, and the skin neatly drawn over the neck and tied. Afterward place them where they will keep cool, but not freeze. Focller-Bng for Horses. A London firm is introducing a new fodder-bag for horses. To those who have at heart the comfort of their equine servants the features of J. this patent bag Jl. will appeal. The iff accompanying II j1/ lustration repre souls It in use. and a glance at the de tails will help to a proper understand ing of the merits of this new Invention. The bag, which Is made of canvas, is provided with two straps, one suspend ing It from the horse's iund behind the ears, aud the other drawing back its lower half toward the collar. The low er end of the bag retains the bulk of the corn, even when the bottom '.s raised, as in the illustration, anil us the animal eats so the fodder falls down gradually until the supply Is exhausted. The horse cannot, therefore, breathe in the same quantity of corn and thus con taminate it, as when an ordinary bag Is used, hence the spoiling of food, which is a common cause why so much of It Is thrown out, does not occur. Floor Splice in Poultry House. More room Is required in the poultry house In winter than In summer, lie cause during the warm season the fowls can go outside, only requiring sufficient room for roosting, but In wiuter they need room for scratching when the snow Is on the ground. It Is the space on the floor that is required and not on the roost, for when a hen fixes herself on the roost she will be quiet until morning, but during the day she should be kept busy. Ten fowls in a poultry house 10 feet square (malting 100 square feet) arc sufficient, but most persons endeavor to double or even treble that number, and the consequence Is that they keep too many fowls In proportion to the area of floor space.—The Poultry Keeper. Wheat Farming. A Nebraska paper tells of a man who bought a farm there, upon which then was a mortgage of $700. lie did not make much mouey the first year, but he sowed eighty acres of wheat the next year. It was a poor year for wheat and the stand was so poor that lie thought he would not harvest it. He returned to his old home, and left the farm and the mortgage to fight It out as they pleased. The wheat ripened, fell to the ground and seeded It well. There was a tine crop, nud as some one was kind enough to write about it to him, lie went back, harvested it aud sold It for enough to pay the mortgage and all his other debts. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."— American Cultivator. 'v Mi- Ground Stock Feed. Grinding the corn and cob does not add much to the ration, but the ground cob serves to dilute the grain aud In crease the bulk, which makes the com bination better than the ground grain alone. When used with ground oats and bran It is an excellent food, and It may be used with cutstraw or hay. All grain foods when ground will give bet ter results If fed with bulky materials, and the conditions of the animals will be Improved when both kinds are fed together. Dairy Competition. The farmer who does not improve his stock cannot compete In the market with his progressive neighbor. The butter from a cow which produces ten pounds a week can be sold at 20 cents per pound and give a larger profit than the butter from a cow giving only live pounds a week, and sold at 30 cents per pound. The use of choice cows reduces the number III the herd and saves labor, allowing also more room, while Inferior cows compel the dairyman to keep more cows than he should ill order to make a profit. A Will and a Way. Several years ago an effort was made to collect all the chluiuey sweepers in the city of Dublin, for the purpose of education. Aniocg others came a little fellow wlio was asked if he knew his letters. "Oh, yes, sir," was the reply. "Do you spell?" "Oh, yes, sir," was again the answer. "Do you read?" "Oh, yes, sir." "And what book did you learn from?'' "Oh, I never had a book In my life, sir." "And who wus your schoolmaster?" "I never wns nt school." Here was a singular case a boy could read and spell without a book or mas ter! But what was the fact? Why, another little sweep, little older than himself, had taught lilui to rend by showing him the letters over the shop doors which they passed as they went through the city. Ills teacher, then, was another little sweep like himself, and Ills books the signboards on the houses. What may not be done by try lug? "Where there Is a will there Is a way."—The Myrtle. Of all virtues magnaulmlty is tbtx rarest there are a hundred persons of merit for one who willingly acknowl edges it In another.—Hazlitt. To know how to- (^iSseiuble Is (lie tifiowledgo Ijlngs.—RlelielJetj, GAGE AND STANDARD GIL BANK. On July 2 last the government sold to the Standard on National City Hank the old Custom-House property at Wall nud William streets for $3.2i 5.oio. The sale was made under provisions of a special act ot* Congress providing that the purchaser of the old Custom-Uouse should permit the government to con tinue to occupy it until ihe new Cus toui-House was ready for occupancy, the government to pay as tenant of the old building 4 per cent, upon the put chase price, or about $130,oOO a year. The day after the sale James Stillman. President of the National City Hank, went to Washington, taking with him a certified check, drawn on his own bntik. for $3,225,350—all hut $4o.ooo of tho lull price agreed upon. This check Mr. Stlllmau personally handed to Sec retary Gage, who immediately handed It back to President Stillman to be de posited without interest In the National City Bank. In other words, none of the three and a quarter millions of dollars which the National City Standard oil Bank paid the government for the United States Custoin-House six months ago has ever for one hour passed out of the bank's control. The bank has had not only the use of the money every day since to loan out at Interest for its own profit, but It has at the same time been receiv ing rent from the government for the Custom-House. The old proverb that one cannot eat a cake and keep it is thus set at defiance, for the National City Bank owns the Custom-House and yet retalus the money it paid for the Custom-House. Secretary Gage has never turned the proceedings Into the Treasury, as re quired by section 4 of chapter 337, un der the terms of which the sale was made. The $40,000 "held back" was for an other purpose. The deeds of the Cus tom-House are still In the Treasury Department at Washington. The title to the property lias not therefore pass ed to the National City Hank, and the city of New York can collect no taxes upon the land, as It is nominally gov ernment property, although the Na tional City Hank owns and receives rent for it. The $40,000 held back was therefore merely a legal excuse for not proving the title, and for evading taxa tion. The law authorizing the sale of this property wns ns follows: Chapter No. 337, Section No. 4—That the Secretary of the Treasury Is here by authorized and directed to sell at public or private sale, to the highest bidder, after due advertisement, but for not less than $3,000,000, the present Custoin-House property in the city of New York, bounded- by Wall, William and Hanover streets and Exchange place, and to deposit the proceeds of the sale, after the payment of the usual Incidental expenses, in the Uuited States Treasury as miscellaneous re ceipts derived from the sale of govern ment property. Section 3,017, Revised Statutes—The gross amount of all moneys received from whatever source for the use of the United States, except as otherwise provided for in the next section, shall be paid by the officer or agent receiving the same into the Treasury at ns early a date as possible. 3,018, Revised Statutes—AH proceeds of sales of old material, eoudemned stores, supplies or other property of any kind shall be deposited and covered Into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts on account of "proceeds of government property," and shall not be withdrawn or applied except In consequence of a subsequent appropriation made by law. These facts are admitted by Secretary Gage's subordinates as to tlie deposit of the check In the National City Bank. The ouly defense Is (first by Supervis ing Architect Taylor of the Treasury) that the money was "covered into the Treasury," in the language of the law, •when It was placed in the government depository, the Standard Oil Bank. Chief Daskan, of the public mouey division, said vouchers showing the money had been received by the gov ernment were In his possession. "The money," said he, "very likely was never covered into the Treasury, but deposited in some one of the gov ernment depository banks." He did not kuow why the property was still belug recorded as In the gov ernment's possession aud thus kept off the city tax books. "That," he said, "waa not the government's business. It was for the New York Tax Depart ment." Four transactions of the government with the National City Rank have net ted the favored institution these prof Its: PROFITS. Profit on Union Pacltlc—Payments of $33,000,000 lu part distributed arnuug the United States depos Itorles by National City Hatik, but the greater part retained by the Nntloual City Hnuk on de posit $ 350,000 Protk on "financing" the payment of the $20,000,000 indemnity to Spain—estimated 800,000 Profit on Custom House Deal—In terest on $3,205,000 for 180 days, at fl per cent., $00,38- rent from United States Treasury Depart ment for 180 days at 4 per cent.. 5ays, 04,224: city taxes saved for 180 $30,000 100,501 Annual luterest on Internal Rev enue receipts and other Govern ment deposits lu the City Hank. now $li,000,000, nn Increase of .. $4,000,000 since Doc. 2. when the last report of the bank was ul llshed 1.020.000 Total estimated protlt to the .Nn tloual City Bank front Govern ment favors shown since Secre tary Gage eutercd the Cahluut.. 1,862,337 Capital stock of the National City Bank, $1,000,000 percentage of profit from Governuieut favors on the capital 180 per cent. —New York World. **-1 Brynn's Cbanccs. That William J. Br.vau's chandes for election to the I'lesldi'nry In 1000 are excellent cannot be doubted, although the Republicans are boasting that Mc Kiuley has a "sure thing." It is a significant fact that 34,000 votes cast in the right States In 1896 for Bryan would have made him President. A slight chauge of ballots In four South ern States would have defeated Mc Kinlej*. This belug the case, the pres ent Incumbent of the White House Is far from having "sure thing." Bryan secured one of the Kentucky electors and McKiuley got the other twelve by a plurality not exceeding 281 votes. The other three States of the South were carried by McKinley by a plurality vote of 3.83" In Delaware, 11,487 In West Virginia aud 32,232 in Maryland. California gave McKinley eight out of the seventeen electoral votes by a plurality of only 1,022, while Indiana gave the Republican candidate a plurality of 18,181. This makes a total of about 34.000, which changed for Bryan would have Bade him President. Circumstances have changed greatly in Bryan's favor since 1S00. The Re publicans have made blunders, have broken faith aud are on the defeusive. Imperialism has become an Issue: the trusts have aroused vast hostility among the people, financial panics are threatened through Republican mis management. McKiuley represents the millionaires and the aristocrats, Bryan represents the people therefore his chances for election in 1900 are bright and the McKiuley "sure thing" is be iming an empty boast.—Chicago Dem ocrat. McKtttlcyiHm oh Luxury. That the election of William McKiu ley has proved an expensive experi ment, amounting to a luxury nor of any benefit to a free people, is demon strated every day. If the country has not been plunged into the worst finan cial distress it ever experienced is due to the good luck of famine, increase of demand for American productions, quality of workmanship and various other causes not connected with any thing Mr. McKiuley has ever advocat ed or brought to us any more than a comet Is the cause of the measles. In fact every act of his ndminlstrntiou has been in direct violation of the pub lic welfare aud for the advantage of special interests and private concerns. Our burdeu of taxation Is now so heavy that the public treasury is over laden with the people's money, and there Is no way devised to get rid of 't other than to turn it over to the same speculators that put McKiuley in of fice. Ilere is the official record, and it is a very bad showing for any admin istration to give the people in justifica tion of its retention lu power. The treasury dcllelt in three years of Mc Kiuley Is: ISO" $18,054,000 I SOS 38,048,000 18tm 88.80T.00li The Government revenues by years dur ing McKintcy's administration, have been: 1SI" $847,72l,00i.» 1S5W 402,321.000 1800 517,210,000 Total $l,2U0,2.-8,000 The administration has spent during Its term these vast stints: 1S!7 ?3fir»,77r,00i J'*' 443,IttlS, 000 ls8! (M5,01H,00U I. nTil"V' .51.411..™7«On Deficit for throe yenrs 144,1178.000 In the revenue received are Included $383,000,000 from bonds, Pticilic rail roads and war revenue, which are extraordinary revenues. Lacking these, the deficit would have reached $532,078,000, a sum greater than for any three years during the life of the nation except the civil war. The total debt In 1890 was $1,709, 940,323. Now It Is $1,091,027,323. Our annual Interest has Increased by $4,409,438. In 1890 our public debt was $25 per capita. Now it Is $20 per capita. There Is not much comfort In this showing, and had it been a Democratic administration that brought such a financial climax upon the country the Republicans would have riven the country asunder in their denuncia tions. If three years of Republican niisgovernment can effect such stupen dous results, Its capacity for further mischief in five more years will lie perceived by generation to come In the burdens placed upon their necks. Tlie Ship Bounty Rolibcry. Grosvenor. of Ohio, Is now tlie chair man of the committee on merchant ma rine iu the House. Thus all things work for tho good of the country—to wit., the trusts. Hopkins, of Illinois, showed signs of opposition to the Hanna-Payne subsidy scheme, and, says the Kansas City Times: "For this opposition tho boss demanded his head from the cuckoo Speaker of the House and the command has lieon obeyed." "This marine bounty bill," continues the Times, "Is as bald a holdup of the tax payers as was ever perpetrated since the Republican party bccame the champiou of class legislation nnd the promoter of public robbery. It proposes to put Into the pockets of the Standard Oil Trust, which Is running lines of American-registered tank steamers to European aud South American ports, and to a lot of other owners of second and third class ocean vessels, and to the Cramps and other members of the shlp-bulldins combine, a mileage and tonnage bounty of several million dol lars a year, and aggregating, during the period the Hanua-l'ayne bill Is made operative, about $400,000,000—under pretense of building up an American merchant marine. "Every farmer, every merchant, tradesman, mechanic, real estate own er aud professional mau and wage earner In the land will be forced to pay this blackmail to the syndicated ship owners, wlio have ordered their politi cal agents in Washington to consum mate this sclicme of legalized piracy. "All that is needed to bulUl up our merchant marine to a degree of ex pansion, commensurate with the ship plug needs of our exporting merchants and manufacturers, Is to repeal the archaic and obstructive navigation laws which the Republicans years ago placed upon our statute books, there by playing Into the hands of foreign flipping interests, and permit Ameri cans to buy ships wherever they can buy them cheapest, and sail them un der the American flag. But this ra tional and business-like development will never promoted so long as the party of blunder now In power has charge of the law-making aud execu tive functions of the Federal govern ment." Profit on Other People's Money. The President of the First National Bank of Indianapolis, on retiring after fourteen years' service, thus congratu lates his fellow magnates: "I congratulate the officers and stock holders of our enterprise. The bank has been lu operation fourteen years under my control, with a capital stock of $500,000. In the meantime it has voluntarily returned $500,000 of capital stock back to tlie stockholders, besides paying them In dividends $1,490,250, part of which is In gold, and I now turn It over to you with Its capital un impaired aud $327,000 of undivided earnings on hand. To tills may be added .the premium of United States bonds at present prices, amounting to $30,000, besides quite a large amount for lost or destroyed bills." It does not appear that any of them shook hands with the depositors, and when this particular bank Is multiplied by Ave thousand other banks, all con gratulating one another, It does seem as If the depositors deserve a word of praise. Wordsworth gave the world a vol ume of poetry at 23. and some of Its lines were much better than any bp wrote afterward. GOVERNOR OF 10WA, L. M. SHAW ENTERS UPON HIS SECOND TERM. Elaborate Ceremonies in Connection with the InuiiKurution—Address of Re-elected Executive Mas an Anti* Trust Flavor—Other Matters* At Des Moines Gov. Leslie M. Shaw was on Thursday inducted into his sec ond term of ofllcv with the most elaborate ceremonies ever accorded any chief ex* ecutive in iown. The iuaugural cere mouies were held in the new Auditorium aud were witnessed by 4,000 people. Both house* of the Legislature met in joiut convention ut the State capitol building aud were taken in carriages to the Audi torium. The Governor and party, con sisting of his stuff, State officers, Su preme Court and other dignitaries, pre ceded the Legislature in the procession, am^ the parade wus heu,ded by Troop A, Iowa Nutionul Guard, uud the Liucolu Hussars in {ull uniform. Lieut. Gov. MiUiinun presided at the inaugurul ceremonies. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Charles T. Grunger administered the oath of olllce to both the Governor aud the Lieutcnuut Gov ernor. Mauy prominent State oiDoials were present» and three ex-Governors, Drake, Larrabee and Jackson. At the left of the Governor on the stage sat two centenarians, Noah B. Bacon of Des Moines and William Zimiuer of Clintou, both born in 17SS. Edward Enthwistle, So years old, and first ruilruad engineer ou Steveuson's engine, tlie Uocket, sat beside them. All three were present at the express invitation of Gov. Shaw, lu his address he referred to the history that has transpired iu their lifetime, call ing forth much applause. The Governor's address was received with great favor throughout. Gov. Shaw reviewed the events be tween his last appearauce before an Iowa General Assembly and l^he preseut, and referred ut ieugth to the previous epochs in history. Then he took up the progress of Iowa aud urged the improvement of the highways of the State. Continuing, he said: "There is one other subject which to ignore iu an address ou themes of public policy would be considered bad manners. I refer, of course, to the question of trusts. Advanced civilization, improved opportunities and grout achievements have been accompauied with some ills to which all former genaratious were strangers. There is no good that is not matched with evil. There is uo height without a corresponding depth. The mar velous wealth that has been accumulated in receut yours throughout Christendom has not tended to mi equalization of eith er comforts or luxuries. The distance which separates the grossly rich from the wretchedly poor has increased as human opportunities have multiplied. 'The evil, gentlemen, as I discern it, consists in monopoly. I think those who contended at the trust convention iu Chi cago last fall that trust uud monopoly should be treated as synonymous terms were correct. I have yet to liud the first man wlio has a word to say in extenua tion or defense of monopolies. Gentle men of the Twenty-eighth General As sembly, let it be your duty to crush ev ery one within your reach, and the people of this State will call you blessed, and the people of every othpr State will take notice of your wisdom and will follow the course you shall have marked out. "1 hope I may be excused from indulg ing iu any extended or detailed descrip tion of the pernicious effects of monopo lies. This 1ms been done so frequently that we may, I think, safely ask the de fendant nt this time to waive arraign ment nnd the reading of the indictmeut. When the robius nnd jays nro devouring my cherries 1 do not care to listen to my children's graphic amplification of the havoc they are producing. 'Go juhI drive them off/ "Many methods have been suggested for dealing with trusts and combinations, but many of them, I think, would open doors as dangerous n# the ones through which have come these admitted evils. A Governor of a great State, a learned, and I am convinced a conscientious man, not long ago snid he would forbid tlie sale of monopoly produced goods within his State. Many in his audience cheered. If this be wise, gentlemen, and it can be accomplished, 1 hope it will be done in Iowa." RIV RUNS UPHILL. Drought Has Made the Mississippi a Salt Water Stream. In consequence of the prolonged drouth and a deficiency of more than one-half in the rainfall for the year the Missis sippi river has changod its course, is now running up stream to St. Louis and has oecome a salt water stream. This has occurred before, but very rarely, nnd has never been quile as bad as it is now. The tide is felt plainly at New Orleans, and even ns far north as the mouth of the Ked river, 1*50 miles from the Passes. The water is so brackish in front of the city that it is not available for the many purposes in which it is or dinarily used. The primary cause is the drouth. The lower Mississippi, like tlie Nile, has very few tributaries pouring into it, the policy of the early settlers being to cut off the tributaries by dikes built across the mouths where they join the great river. As a consequence, the river depends largely upon the Hood above and upon the rainfall along its course. If the raiufall is small the water poured iu it by the Ohio, Missouri nnd upper Mississippi be comes largely exhausted by evaporation in the loug trip to the gulf. The river is always low during a dry season aud this has been the driest season on rec ord. Again, the gulf tides have beeu phenomenally high this scasou, and have forced tlie salt water up the river agaiust the sluggish nnd weak current. The tides have been supplemented by stroug winds, which have blown the salt water up several feet. Proud of Her l'cct. That is a very pretty and characteris tic little story of Uusn Bonheur. She nnd very few physical advantage* from nature, but she had one. and she knew it. Mr. Goodall, 1L A., who iu the early days of his career puiuted a portrait of Uosa* Bouheur, recalls that, before he commenced to work, she said: "Mr. Goodall. you must put in my hoots, for I have a small foot." So the boots were paiutcd and the great painter's pride iu her little foot satisfied. Hammers Driven by Air. Peuumatle hammers, driven by com pressed air, are uow generally used iu stead of build labor for chipplug aud cleaulng. Iron aud steel castings nnd billets so as to free them from any defects which would Injure the fin ished forms into which they are to be rolled or drawu. Tills hnuimer will do the work of three mcu. The sanv principle has breu applied in the ship yard for calking, in which tlie tool cau be worked very fast, doing the work of five or six men. Duluth-Superior Harbor. Four mllliou seven hundred thousand cubic yards is, in round numbers, the amount of material that has been re moved from Duluth-Superlor harbor under the continuous contract in the season of 1809. Trouble Ahead. Mrs. W.—Did your stenographer ad dress those "at-home" cards of mine to the list I gave youV "Yes, but she made a slight error. She sent thorn to a 1!M of our creditors,'1 —Life, The State dairy commissioner, B. P. Norton, has completed the tabulation ot the returns from the railway companies of the State showing the amount of but ter shipped out of the State during the past year. The table gives the amounts from each county during 1808 and 181)9. The counties showing the largest figures for the year are: Buchanan, 3,300,2120 pounds Bremer, 3,037,085 Clayton, 3, 010,480 Chickasaw, 3,003,538 Jones, 3, 102,254 Biitlor, 2,018,803 Delaware, 2, 840,400 Dnbuque, 2,309,321 Fayette, 2,000,052 Kossuth, 2,043,100 Palo Alto, 2,500,580 Woodbury, 2,292,2(55. The fol lowing counties each shipped more than one million pounds: Allamakee, Audubon, Blackhawk, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Cerro Gordo, Clintou, Greene, Hamilton, Har din, Howard, Humboldt, Jackson, Ltun, Mitchell, Sac, Story, Union, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Worth and Wright. The total for the State aggregates 01,083,184 pouuds. Judge Kinne of the State board of con trol has tiled reports on conditions found by him at the county buildings of Mus catine aud Tatna bounties with reference to the care of the insane. Tama County's asylum was not found in bad condition, tlie priucipul criticism made by the ex aminer beiug the lack of sufficient help, which prevented the insune from having proper exercise and care. There is no night' watchman or attendant. There are no amusements, but religious worship once a month. The report deals kindly with the Tauiu institution. But the crit icisms of Muscatine Couuty are strongly denunciatory. The accouutunts ot the Governor and Auditor of State have checked up with State Treasurer Herriott for the quarter of 1898, ending Dec. 30. The Iowa State treasury entered upon a uew year with substantial balauces in all of the ac counts. The accounts with the State funds are as follows: General revenue balance... .$500,070 35 Stale University tax 20,121 58 Morrill endowment 12,500 00 College interest fund 0,528 48 Endowment fund cash bal ance 152,003 00 Endowment fund bonds 431,088 57 Members of the Legislature declare there is little doubt of the passage of the proposed resolution for a constitutional amendment to substitute biennial for an nual State eleetious in Iowa. It passed the last Legislature almost without op position. Tf it becomes part of the con stitution, it will extend by one year the terms of the,preseut Governor, Lieuten ant Governor, State superintendent, oue railroad commissioner and of Representa tives, couuty treasurers, sheriffs, county superintendents, coroners and surveyors who are now serving. George E. Delavan, fish commissioner, has filed his biennial report with the Gov ernor. The report shows that fourteen car loads of black bass, wall-eyed pike, croppies, silver bass, sun fish aud chan uel catfish have been placed in the rivers and lakes of Iowa during the season. The commissioner finds it much easier from year to year to enforce the fish aud game laws of the State, especially since the stocking of the rivers and lakes by means of tlie fish car began. Short State ltcma» The C., B. & Q. will expend $2,000, 000 on improvements to its lines in Iowa this season. The I. M. & N. W. Railway is build ing a big bridge across the Beaver at Tarkersburg. An unknown man committed suicide by hanging himself in a lodging house in Des Moines. Kour hundred and fifty patients were treated at St. Francis hospital at Bur lington last year. J. C. Scripps, a prominent man at De- Soto, suddenly expired while sitting in his chair reading. 1 John F. Iiogun, an Iowa man, has been installed as a compositor in the govern inent priuting ofliee. The Methodistv Episcopal Church at o Whitfield claims to have the largest Sun day school in Iowa. Fire caused a damage of more than $10,000 to the dry goods stock of McCul lough Bros, at Clinton. The Willuier and Sioux Falls Railroad has filed articles o'f incorporation. The capital stock is $2,000,000. The Council at Iowa Falls lias fixed a rate of $150 a year to a hotel there for the use of the new ci% sewer. The ministerial alliance at Des Moines proposes to publish the names of those who signed the saloon petition. Story County is alarmed over tho de crease in tho uumher of marriages and increase in the number of divorces. George U. Winslow cut his way out of the jail at Waterloo, where he was held to await the charge of horse steal ing. An overturned lamp started a fire which destroyed the residence of Attor ney H. E. Porter at Iowa City. Loss over $3,000. The saloon at Delmar recently closed'"*^?"*1 to avoid prosecution f(#• selling liquor, not having complied with all the provisions of the mulct law. Stephen Brockclman, aged 70, of Fort Madison was knocked down by a line engine and lias sued the company for $1,005 damages. The 12-year-old son of Gus Eggcrt of Chariton, who was accidentally shot in the leg by his elder brother, died from the effects of the wound. A new elevator, to cost $500,000, is to be erected nt Davenport. The matter is now up to the City Council. The 15-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Underwood of Chapin was taken suddenly sick and died while attending school. Maj. J. 11. Morrissey of Manchester J- has been appoiutcd a clerk in the docu meut room at Washington at $1,000 per annum. Thomas Carter of Clintou hus sued the C„ M. & St. P. for $25,270 damages for injuries received in a wreck at Sabula last November. W. II. Wilson, a stockman.of Cory don, was killed in a railroad wreck at Mendota, 111. A postottice has been established at Huntington, with Samuel Reaney as post master. and one at Nemaha, with C. A. Low postmaster. A Swede named Steven liagglin, sup posed to live at Eagle Grove, went crazy while in Marshalltown, and burned $400 iu notes in a stove, after doing other damage. The election contest in Carroll County for Representative resulted in the Repub lican candidate beiug counted out aud J. M. Duerck, his Democratic opponent, giv: en the certificate of election. j1, A Lost Sou'. The Rev. Kennedy, while preaching in a church in Hannibal, Mo., Impres sively asked: "Who cau portray the couditlou of a lost soul?" An awful silence succeeded his question, but presently the husky voice of a tnniale man iu the street startled the congre gntftra with the response: "Hot! Red hot!" rinw 'I lie uululifM .* a town-*,. a «il:v !i- l- v. il.t* I j ii, -t ,..t 1^11 l, S *J,V 1