Newspaper Page Text
16 England's Army Under Victoria General Sir Evelyn Wood, the Famous Military Authority Writes for The Sunday Herald on Sixty Years With the British Troops IJONDON, May 53.—During the sixty years Queen Victoria has reigned, ex clusive of the chartered and other com panies, the British army has fought in great or small expeditions, for fifty years, leaving ten years only of ab solute peace. In 1852, we had got battalions, but we had no generals trained and practiced in the duties of that rank; for as soon as a colonel was promoted he was plated on half-pay, and was very seldom em ployed afterwards. There was no staff, known as such, no field commissariat, ambulance corps, nor transport. There was no general qualified to handle more than one arm, i. c., the cavalry or in fantry, while the artillery was kept as distinct from the rest of the army as if it had been a separate profession! The army was in this state when Engian.i drifted into a war with Russia, of which the only recollection to be recalled with thorough satisfaction is that our sol diers gave to ail time an enduring ex ample of the highest form of discipline. Forty per cent of those who served be fore Sebastopol. in the depth of the winter of 1854-55, rest on the uplands of the Crimea, or in the Scutary cemetery at Constantinople. These heroic men, who were destroyed by unnecessary and preventable privations, exposure, dis ease and undue exertion, never gave in, and lay down to die without even a mur mur. In spite of our losses, however, when peace ensued' in 1856, England stood in a better position for war than two years previously when the great struggle com menced. The 25.000 men who disem barked In the Crimea in September. 1554, had. practically all disappeared, but they had been replaced by another 52, --000, with 96 field cannon, or treble the number landed in 1854. It isstrange how alow our countrymen are to learn. While the indescribable miseries were still fresh in the public mmd —even before ; the treaty of peace was signed—the Ca binet was considering what retrench ments could be made in the army and navy. Nor is this extraordinary when we reflect that In those days no British cabinet, so far as I know, had ever un derstood war, and that our expenditure was at the time about three millions sterling a month; but the misfortune was, we commenced to reduce the army without considering what the military policy of the' country was to be. In 1837, our hospital arrangements were as unsatisfactory as those which I have described in regard to the regi mental system. In practice, at all events, nothing beyond- a bare diet, and medi cine, was allowed for the sick, all the articles now termed "medical comforts" being obtained, if at all. at the expense cf the officers. One good result spring ing from the sufferings of our soldiers in the Crimea was the increased atten tion given to the care of the sick and wounded men. It was furthered in a marked degree by the exertions of women. Miss Nightingale and the ladies who accompanied her to the east, did great service in ameliorating the posi tion of the soldier when in hospital. In March. 1855, the Queen, after a visit to the sick and wounded at Chatham, while eulogizing the attention being paid to the men in the hospital, added "the windows being so high no one could look out of them, and that the wards are like prisons." The immediate result of the interest evoked was the erection of the great military hospital at Netley, and, somewhat later, the Herbert hospital at Woolwich. The same influence brought about the acquisition of the land on which Alder shot Camp now stands, and many other important changes in the army. Dur ing a visit to the troops collected in Al oershot Camp in the summer of 1556. the Queen pointed out that she had that day seen regiments which, after 18 years' foreign service in a trying climate, had spent lint seven months in England, when they had been dispatched to the Crimea, and then, after but one year at home, had been put under orders for India, where at that time the tour of service was for twenty years. Immediately following the return of our troops from the Crimea came the revolt of the Sepoys, beginning in tin spring of 1557. which was not put down for two years, during which time both the Queen's and the East India Com pany's soldiers performed a succession of heroic deeds. Two years later the ex citement of some senior officers in the French army, consequent on the at tempt made by Orsinl on the French Emperor's life, an attempt which was arranged in London, gave rise to the fear of invasion, the result of which has been the formation of an auxiliary army of 220,000 volunteers, which has grown steadily in numbers and efficien cy up to the present date. In 1870 im perial troops were withdrawn from our larger colonies, and. 10 years later there was a further concentration, it being recognized that imperial garrisons are to he- maintained only at certain coaling f-.ations held to enable the navy to pro tect our mercantile- fleets. In 1871, Mr. Cardwell, then secretary of state for war, carried out the- aboli tion of purchase in the army. In that system, bad a/r.d- unjust as it was. there were good points, the principal one be ing that it secured a rapid How of pro motion, though this was obtained at the expense of the individual officer. Under the new system the state has had, to take over that charge, to the enormous in crease of the non-effective vote: but on the ctiher hand it has abolished that quasi-right of ownership In a commis sion which existed, and while it lasted* rendered difficult the practice of selec tion, to which we have only just now come. Thirty-nine years after it was suggested by the Queen to Pakncrslon, and a qua iter of a century after the country paid the price of Mr. Card well's great reform. The hardships of the purchase system I were exemplified in 1842 in the battalion the unwritten history of which I quoted in the earlier sentences of this paper, when a young lieutenant-colonel of tho ' guards was- permitted to exchange with the lieutenant-colonel- of the battalion, In spite of the fact that the senior major had nearly 40 years' service, had been in several actions In the peninsula, was en gaged at Waterloo, and whose name was recorded for purchase, but who was un able to give the over-regulation price of the lieutenant-colonelcy. The greatest gain, however, from the abolition of pur chase lies In the fact that officers now being professional soldiers have much more influence over their men than for merly. The duty of instructing the non commissioned officers and privates has rendered my bre thre n more alive to their serious responsibilities, and has en abled! them to obtain a greater know ledge of the feelings actuating their comrades in the ranksi The young soldier of today, on Join ing, is in a very different position from that of his predecessor 60 years ago. He is supplied with a complete outfit of clothing, and n kit containing all such necessaries as brushes, combs, razors, etc. He is supplied periodically, later, with the principal- articles of his uni form without charge; but he has to keep up the necessaries, which include underclothing, at his own expense, ami to pay for any repairs to clothing while it is in wear. He pays for groceries, vegetables, and personal washing, th-3 cost of which varies now from 3d. to 4d. per diem, but his bedding is washed by government. It is a fair estimate to put a soldier's rations, pay, lodging and clothing as equivalent to 15s. a week, which sum Increases gradually, according to the soldier's conduct, and consequent pro motion. He is credited also with a sum of £3 per animm under the head of "de ferred pay,"/which is given to him on his joining the army reserve, or at the expiration of his service. After deduct ing all stoppages, a well-conducted sol dier of our infantry—the lowest paid of I our army—may reckon on having 4s. a i week as pocket-money. On the other i hand, he sacrifices a great deal of his personal freedom; but it must be re membered that if he were employed in civil life on a weekly wage, this ceases on his becoming ill, and he would have to pay for medical treatment, which to the soldier is afforded free, 7d. per diem being, however, stopped from his pay while he remains in hospital. There is a mixture of feudalism and parish life in a battalion. Scarcely a regiment exists which has not a char itable fund, anrTin most corps either the colonel's wife or one of the rgimental ladies plays the double part of the squire's daughter and parson's wife rolled into one. There are Christmps festivities for the soldiers' families, and in cases of death, or even of outbreak of infantile sickness, not only is money forthcoming, but I have known persona! attention and nursing rendered by offi cers' wives, under the most distressing conditions. Althought some corps have a better regimental system than others, yet, in the majority of the mounted corps the men have coffee or cocoa at 6 a. m., served outside the stables. All branches of the service have, as a rule, bread and butter, with, in some cases, bacon, brawn, or some such relish for break fast. For dinner they have boiled, baked or roast meat, and generally a pudding of some kind, the rations being in creased by grants from the regimental institutes to the company messing book. Not only are the cooks stimulated by the monetary prices given for gen eral excellence of dinners throughout the month, but it is the duty of com manding officers ar.d of company officers to see the bill of fare from day to day, and that the company books correspond in the quantities of groceries to the food which is provided. Between 4.30 and 5 p. m. there is always tea with sugar and milk, and bread with generally either butter or jam. The appetites and the habits of re cruits vary greatly, according to the locality from which they join. Whereas some men will eat but little more than the ration provided, many recruits will in addition consume a bowl of soup, which in most corps is given free, for supper, and at the regimental institute a substantial ar.d palatable evening meal, which is obtainable throughout the evening at a cost varying from Id. to 4d. If at the end of the seven years' service the soldier does not wish to Join the army reserve, but serves on to complete 21 years' service, he receives, on final discharge, a lump sum of £36 (deferred pay), and a pension of Is. a day for life. A Sergeant under similar circumstances receives a sum of £63 and a pension varying from 2s. to 2s. Del. a day, while the pensions of warrant officers run to 4s. 6d. per diem. Passing now to the life of the soldier, he is kept hard at work for the first three months of his service; but recent ly the drill has been rendered much less irksome by being combined with gym nastic training, which is carried on un interruptedly for 10 weeks, the men bf ing excused all duties which may inter fere with t lit- i r regular attendance, which lasts for an hour and a half daily, being divide d into a morning and after noon lesson. There were at first some commanding officers who lamented this innovation, thinking it would delay squad drill, but everyone now admits it has quickened it to an extraordinary degree, the recruits' limbs being ren dered so much more lissom, and the hour and a half which they spend at gymnastics materially shortens the t me which is now required to pass into the first squad. After the young soldier has been dis missed from drill he has to attend two, and at some stations more, parades a day, and to go on guard, which comes to his turn about every fourth, fifth, or sixth day. When I was at Aldershot it only averaged once- in three weeks, and all officers should keep down this time LOS ANGELES HERALD: SUNDAY MORNING, JUNE 13, 1897 wasting duty. When not or. guard or detailed r - r fatigue duties—such as car ' rying co sweeping and cleaning bar racks —tue ~:fantry soldier Is generally master of his time from 3 to 9:30 p. m.. when he has to be In barracks. Should he prefer to remain in barracks In the evening, it he is of a convivial nature there is now in the new barracks a good canteen, to which a miniature music hall is attached, and there Is a recreation room, where he can smoke and have all the books and papers which are to be found in a London club, and where he can at all times get tea and coffee. These rooms are fairly lit, but the lighting of barrack rooms leaves something to be desired. There are game rooms in which he can amuse himself, and a library in each regiment In barracks, well sup plied with books. Nearly every want is supplied on payment In the regimental institute at the lowest rates consistent with a slight increase of capital. Chaplains, to whom much of the im provement in the tone of our soldiers is due, organize smoking concerts, in which they are generally assisted by officers of the battallions, who cheerfully give up their mess dinner for an "early feed" DOES THE BICYCLE MAKE WOMEN CRUEL? PARIS, June I.—The doctors of France are puzzled by a new mania which is afflicting women who ride bicycles. Tho feminine bicyclists are becoming extremely cruel. Medical men who have made a study of the matter are In clined to ascribe it to a form of insanity, the cause of which is to them an ab solute mystery. There are in Paris a n umber of physicians who call them selves bicycle specialists, meaning that Uiey have made an especial study of nervous and other troubles resulting from the use of the wheel. These men are completely mystified. The first case which came into general notice was that of Mme. Eugenic Chantilly, wife of Desire Chantilly, a well-known silk manufacturer of Lyons. An enthusiastic wheelwoman for a very long time, she even takes her wheel with her when she goes upon visits to friends some distance away. It was on one of these visits to a friend of her girlhood in Paris, Mme. Henry Fournier, whose husband is one of the best known business men upon the Rue Ue l'Opera, that the strange affliction came upon her. Her hostess is also a wheelwoman, and the two went riding one morning along the boulevards which have made Paris famous. When in the vicinity of the Jardin dcs Plantes, Mme. Fournier scorched ahead of her friend, and as she drew a way from her looked back laughingly over her shoulder and called to her, "Adieu, mon amie." Mme. Fournier, who tells the story, said she received no response and looking back a moment later saw her friend darting down upon her at terrific speed. She rode tooije side, thinking Mme. Chantilly would be unable to check herself by the time sh* came up with her, but what was her horror when her friend deliberately steered the wheel straight at her. Before Mme. Fournier could evade her, Mme. Chantilly had collided with her wheel and knocked her down. Mme. Chantilly rode back a few paces and then, riding at a iightning rate, actually rode over the prostrate form of Mme. Fournier. Screaming ivith terror, Mme. Fournier attempted to rise, but was repeat edly knocked down by her infuriated friend, but it was not until others came to the rescue that she was able to gain security from the repeated assault', of Mme. Chantilly. One of the most curious features of the affair is that during this whole time Mme. Chantilly preserved an unmoved expression of counte nance, apparently never c yen looking at the face she was so cruelly assault ing. When she was taken into custody by those who hastened' to Mme. Four nier's rescue she only said, "Why do you interfere with me when I am en joying myselt?" She was conveyed in a carriage to the Fournier residence, and from thence was promptly sent to her husband at Lyons. Since then she has been kept in, strict seclusion. Mme. Fournicr's injuries were such that the constant care of a physician was required for several days. Her right arm was broken between the wrist and the elbow, and she received.several internal injuries. Naturally, she was obliged to tell her physicians what had happened, although her friends and those of Mme. Chantilly had succeeded in keeping all mention of the affair out of the newspapers. The physician, deeply interested l in so singu'ar an assault, took pains to investigate it, and communicated with the insanity ex pert who had been called to examine into the condition of Mme. Chantilly. Considering the case on the whole, these two medical savants determined that they had discovered a brand 1 new disease, which wm itie solely to the bicycle. This determination was arrived at from the fact that the symptoms and the mania were entirely different, even in the Bmallest detail, from all that pertains to cases of insanity among women resulting from conditions best known to medical men. They also caused a careful inquiry to be made throughout France to discover if possible any cases which bore a resemblance to that of Mme. Chantilly. They fou ml seventeen women who hadi been seized with the same irrepressible desire to injure all cyclists of their own sex whenever possible, at such times as they were awheel. The desire appar ently took the same form in every instance, the first action being a violent collision, and then repeated attempts to ride over the form of the fallen cy clist. All were not as successful as Mme. Chantilly. because she Is a Wheel woman so expert as to be wellnigh a professional, a fact clearly indicated by the diffi cult feats she achieved. The doctors also found that not only did the desire to ride down other wheelwomen appear, but there was plenty of additional evi dence that the mania inspired a keen delight in ail things savoring of cruelty. In some of the instances, women indicated this fact by torturing their pet dogs or cats in the most frightful fashion, al-hough previous to the time the mania afflicted them, they had been kindness Kself to the animals. One woman who was found torturing her dog said, when asked the reason, that she was illus trating the methods of the Spanish inriuisition. of which she had read not long before. She also stated that she was experimenting with animals in order that she might become sufficiently expert to make similar experiments with human beings. The physicians found that the first known case of the mania developed lost January. The wheels that the different persons rode who were afflicted in the fashion described were carefully examined to see If it was was the result of the manner of building a certain make of bicycle. It was shown that the wheels were in almost every Instance Kngiish or American, American predominating. The saddles were in every instance found to be properly adjusted, and although the investigation was minute no sign could be discovered which would indicate the slightest peculiarity of the bicycle. That it was .cycling that brought the mania on there seems no question. Only wheelwomen have been afflicted with it, and oddlly enough, in every in stance, they have been over 30 years of ago. The other theory advanced as to the cause Which has been seriously considered is that it is the result of the effect upon the nervoussystem of the intense exhilaration rapid riding brings about. French wheelwomen ride at a high pace. They are all embryo scorch ers, much more so than their sisters in other countries. This being the case, It is suggested that the practice by women is likely to bring about a new form of insanity corresponding to that which afflicts the unfortunate French women. It is, therefor*, thought probable that if women are not forced to ride at a slower pace on their wheels, this remarkable mania will make its appearance In the wheeling countries other than France. The worst feature of it all is thai there has thus far been found no meth odi which would result in curing a patient or even rendering Ihe mania less violent. in order to take part in entertainment* designed to keep the soldiers from going into the towns. In every corps in the service there are now a cricket and foot ball club, in which nearly all the men are Interested, even if they do not play. If we turn now to the ptate of the active army in 1R97 we find that at home, In India and in the colonies, there are 195,000 effectives and 75.000 in the army reserve. Numbers alone, however, give no adequate,idea of the efficiency of an army for field service, and without al- k-glng that our arrangements are yet perfect—for, Indeed, there remniasmuch to be done—yet it may be-confidently as serted that as regards the drpartments, or auxiliary branches, which clothe, cure, subsist and transport the army, and are, the vfore, essential for Its well being in the field, we have never previ ously boon in so efficient'a state. The growth of the volunteer forces and our innumerable minor wars have made the army known to the taxpayers, and the war office has t!>us been enabled to-or ganize a modern system, which has re placed the hand-to-mouth fashion pre vailing sixty years ago. EVELYN WOOD, V.C., G.C.B. PANICS AND BOOMS Ever since the establishment of the human race on thi-splanet there has been a gradual increase of population and. a more rapid accumulation of wealth. Wealth Is the result of labor, and with out labor there can be no wealth. Men live and pass away, but as'they cannot take their wealth with them a large percentage accumulates for the benetlt df their succetworsi Hence the wealth of the world today per capita is much greater than ever before, and It is continually on the increase. The transfer of wealth or property from one person to another creates busi ness. TJnder favorable conditions trans fens are numerous and business isbrisk. TJnder unfavorable conditions'transfers are few and business Is dull. During periods of business activity there is work for all, and, this of itst'lf makes greater business activity. Dur ing periods of business depression there is not work for all, and this of Itself makes business dull and unprofitable. The existence of either one of these conditions leads necessarily to the other. It Is an lm portability for either prosper ous times or depressed times to continue permanently. During prosperous times, there being work for all, all are supplied' with the means of accumulating wealth, ar.d thus all ere enabled to provide themselves and families with all the necessaries, and many of the luxuries, ot life; and hence during the prosperous times the demand for goods and property increases, and soon pie demand exceed*? the supply, and then prices advance. This rule, which is applied to the la borer, Is also applied to the business man. Prosperous times induce business men to branch out in their several lines of trade. The volume of trade being large', each gets a eorres'pur.dir.g propor tion of it. Many businessmen find that they can eio more business' than is al lowed by their limited capital. They tbsn buy on Cbidlt. Prices are conitinualjy advancing, therefore they are able to make margins of profit not only on the capital furntsh eei by themselves, but a'tsejon the capital furnished through their credit. This rule also applies to people (Dealing In real estate. The'country is growing; money is easy; times are good; business is prosperous', and therefore speculation isi favored. A man worth $5000 ran. buy four times that amount of property by us'lr.g his crec.lt, and sometimes he can buy ten times' that amount or more. While prices arc advancing he not only gets the- benefits of the advance in the price of the property represented by the capital furnished by himself, but aisoon the capital furnished by his credit. When prices of property and goodts during a period of business depression are falling, the loss Cues not come'on the ! entire properly, but only on that portion ;of it represented by the ca?h capital the man has Invested in it. The debt never | shrinks until the margin Is all gone. All people in a given paction of country I usa their credit at the same time beeausia I they are all governed l by the sume local I conditions. Hence there Is a fictitious stimulation of pricKlS which must come to an end. This end brings a financial de preiciion which must neces<sarlly follow a period of bus'.nesoactivity. When the people arrive at a polr.it where their credit limit is reached there is necesi.ari'Jy a de'ereas-e in the demand for good's andi property, and soon the supply become? greater than the de mand and prices' begin to decline. This stops speculation. Thousands of people engaged in manufacturing or producing articles of general us' 3 are thus thrown out of employment, and this causes a still further decrease in the demand for goocls, and hence a further decline in prices. Those who have purchased on credit find thems lyes subjected l to heavy losises because they are compell ed 1 to sustain the depreciation on.goods i they do not own—that is, goods bought jen credit. Because of this decrease in ; valuations all are compelled to econo mize in order to adjust their expenses to the r..ew order of things, they being competed to pay off the accumulated indebtedness with the decreased In come. This economy of the masses still further decreases the demand for goods and property and this still further in creases, the supply over the demand, and decreases'the price, throwing more peo : pie out of employment and increasing the : depressed condition of bus!nests. | The business man feels the change in ' conditions as well as the laborer. Doing I business largely on borrowed capital, he : loses on all the capital employed, in the business', not alone on the money fur nished by himself. The value of the busi ness shrinks, but the dt-bt remajns the same or increases. Bankruptcy stares the business world, in the face. The j weaker go under while the stronger pull ; through, and sometimes make fortunes ; at a little later date out of the misfor i tunes of others, ! Here is a condition of hard times. A I large percentage of the laboring people jof the world are thrown out of employ | ment. Every time a man. stops work — j stops producing—his purchasing ability is impaired, the demand for goods be j comes less and prices are lowered. During this period' of depression—this j debt paying period—the people at large I are forced to economize. The earning j capacities of all classes have been de | creased. A large percentage of people | are thrown out of steady employment ; andi wages are redoiccd for those who de secure tetbor. Some earn enough to pay expenses of living economically, while others do not and 1 are compelled to live in part on the limited accumulations of former more prosperous years. Many business men continue In busi ness; come able to meet running ex- I per.-.-cs, while others prefer to lose a little | each month, awaiting the return of better j times, rather than to lose more heavily by retiring entirely from business. Many I Cannot stand the pressure and ejult busi ness, forced' to lose the accumulation® of I years. During the periods of depression val ues' of all kinds of property shrink. In the case of encumbered property this shrinkage falls entirely on the margin and not on the debt. Sometimes it wipes out the margin and a portion of» the, debt also. Sometimes the margin is so nearly wiped out that the alleged'owner of the property transfers his interest in the properly to the one who holds the claim against it, and another debt. Is paid. Sometimes the holder of tta debt de clines to thus take the property and re lease the owner. A person who does business on a par tial credit basis, on borrowed capital, makes larger profits during periods of prosperity when the prices are advanc ing than he who is on a cash basis, but he sustains larger losses during periods of depression when prices are dropping. If a man could change quickly from a crdlt system to a cash basis as soon as the period of prosperity closes he would be all right, but he Is In debt, the debt must be paid, and hence it is not usually practical to make the change. If It were he would not be in debt. Gradually the surplus debts of the country are paid and the people breathe easier again. People live within their Incomes and temporarily learn economi cal habits. -Men smoke fewer and cheaper cigars and ladles purchase fewer ribbons and occasionally fix over a bonnet and dress instead of gettting new ones. A time is finally reached' when people begin to get out of debt, and then they begin to live a little better, buy more of the necessaries of life and some of the luxuries. As the number of people in such improved condition increases, trade begins to pick up; larger orders are sent to the factories, more wheels are set In motion, more operatives are em ployed and more people are placed In position to buy more goods, which In turn starts more mills and gives em ployment to still more men. Thus the business of the country Is forced Into an active condition, and thus business activity Increases in geomet rical progression until wages reach their maximum point, factories are running to their utmost capacity, prices of all kinds of goods and all kinds of property ad vance, and people begin to purchase again more than they have the money to pay for —some because they want pro lit on increasing valuations and others simply because of extravagant ideas of living. Money Is plenty, credits are Rood, and the masses are good pay because al! kinds of property are readily converti ble into legal tenders. Improvements, public and private, are pushed to their utmost extent, fancy prices are paid for real estate because It can be sold readily again at still more fancy prices. Individuals of limited cnptal hold thous ands and hundreds of thousands of dol lars worth of property on when only a small payment has been made. An ad vance of 5 per cent on the price of the property is an advance of 50 or 100 per cent or more on the cash investment. Another transfer |s made and another soul is made happy. In short a specu lative boom has struck the country again gradually but surely. This specu lative boom is not the result of any movement on the part of. the people or any portion of them to create a boohi. but it is the result of natural laws of business and is just as certain to ma terialize as a good crop is sure to be the result of favorable climatic condi tions. It if not, perhaps. In order here to cfis cus'i- the millionaire question or inquire Into the trust combinations! which threaten to disturb so seriously the busi ness' interests of the coun try. It is, how ever, safe to say that those who think during a period of buslr»ess activity that such activity will always continue are Just as much mistaken as are those who believe during a period of business de pression that such business depression Will never come to an end. Good times will follow bad times, and bad times will follow good times. Just as surely as darkness follows day, and day loAows Oarkness. Those perlodsal ways have followed eacbother, and they always will. The seedki of prosperity are sown, dur ing the periods of financial depression, and the seeds of hard times are Just as surely sown during the period of busdnefis activity and speculative boom. There is no question as to the soundness of this cona'.'uslon. There Is no question, that these changes will come. The only question Is—when? At the clc-'a of a speculative boom the change comes like a thief in the. night. In fact, a thief in the night wouM be a welcome visitor to many instead of a change which putsin.an appearance, but the change from a financial d"?preslon to better times comes graduallly—so grad- l -ually that for months there Is a. differ ence of opinion as to whether a chane for the better has actually commenced or not. Glance for a moment over the financial ! history of the century just closing, and | see what has been the condition of tho ; country. During 1537 the country was !In the midst of a financial panic. Again j during the year 1857 —twenty yearsi later I —there was another panic. In 1573 a financial crisis struck the eastern states and the great banking house of Jay ; Cooke & Co. was founeliamong thefinan | cial wrecks scattered throughout that : section of country. In 1875 that same ! panic reached/ the Pacific coasit, closing ! the doors of tibe Bank of California of I San Francisco, together with many other banking institutions, including the then, popular banking house- of Temple & Workman in our own Los Angeles—a bank that failed for over a milTion dol lars, and never paid l a cent on the dollar to the many unfortunate depositors. In 1893 the next panic struck the United States after having wrecked so many banking Institutions in South America, Australia and other parts of : the world. During the year 1886, when the lata speculative boom was getting under good headway in Southern California, Hon. D. C. Reed, now mayor of the city of San Diego, gave a banquet at the Horton house in that city, to which he invited business men from all points in i Southern California. In response to the sentiment, "The Prosperity of Southern I California," the writer, among other | things briefly reviewed many of the principles herein laid down and follow ing the line of thought that waves o. prosperity and depression followed each other with more or less regularity, pre dicted that somewhere between the years 1893 and 1897 this country would again enter upon a period of business depression that would' be very severe on the business interests of the country. The local speculative boom of 1886-7 broke long before this predicted period, but the universal panic which swept over the civilized world did not appear until the time predicted—lß93. It appears to require under present business con ditions, from eighteen to twenty years for the country to pass through a com plete cycle £»om one business depression to another. After the panic of 1875 It took the peo ple of Southern California live years to get ready for business again in 1880. A similar period after the panic of 1893 ought to place this country again in line for business activity. The panic of 1893 was more widespread in its oper ations than that of 1875; but locally it was not so severe as comparatively lit tle money was lost by depositors by fall ing banks In Southern California four years ago,•whereas in 1875 the loss/was very heavy. Again, so far as Southern California is concerned the past five years has dealt very kindly with our people. Southern California Increased in popu lation from 200.000 in 1890 to over 300.000 In 1896. Los Angeles City has Increased In population from 50,000 in 1890 to 103,000 in 1897, more than doubled. In actual wealth Southern California has about kept pace with the Increase of population, although on account of the business depression of the country and the decrease in valuation all over the world, this Increase in wealth is not so apparent. With the extraordi nary increase in population and wealth in Los Angeles city during the past sev en years, nothing short of a financial depression all over the country could have prevented that city from experi encing a speculative boom of great mag nitude. If Southern California In general and Los Angeles city In particular can make such a showing during a period of finan cial depression, what will be the result when the clouds roll by and prosperous times are enjoyed again throughout the country at large? It i« a difficult matter to make the peo ple believe that our country Is now entering upon another period of pros perity. Each one has a remedy for hard times. And each one sticks firmly to the proposition that better times cannot come again until his remedy has been applied. These remedies are most ly of a political nature. One man believes that a high pro tective tariff Is all that Is necessary to restore prosperity to the country and another thinks the free coinage of silver and gold on a basis of 16 to 1 without making any suggestions to any other nation about the matter would bring good times. There is no question but that legislation on both of these ques tions or either of them will affect the main proposition. Wise legislation will always assist In bringing prosperity, and unwise legislation will always re tard the coming of better times, but no legislation, no matter what It be, car. prevent the incoming tide any more than the little child on the sandy beach with its little shovel can, by piling up a ridge of sand, stay the incoming surf. The country Is today running into a period of great business activity; it ha* but recently reached that point. In fact there Is a difference of opinion among business men as to whether busi ness is improving or not—the improve ment is so gradual. However, Dun & Co.'s Trade Review of June sth says: "The statement that, except for the temporary depression In prices the vol ume of business transacted is now larger than it was in 1892—the year of the greatest prosperity—has been ques tioned by some. Put a comparison of prices this week In the leading branches of manufacture, not only confirms that view, but shows a remarkable similarity to the course of prices In the early months ot 1879, when the most wonder ful advance in production and pricea ever known In this or any other country was close at hand. The key of the sit uation is the excessive production of some goods in advance of an expected Increase in demand. So, in 1879, con sumption gradually gained, month by month, until suddenly It was found that the demand was greater than the pos sible supply. All know how prices then, advanced and the most marvelous progress in the history of any country resulted within two years. Reports from all parts of the country now show that retail distribution of products is unusually large and Increasing. This is a remarkably clear statement of the facts of the case, and is evidence from unquestionable authority that the position herein taken Is correct. Local conditions in Southern Califor nia will affect the issue here, and they appear In our favor. The buildlngof the breakwater at San Pedro by the govern ment will Insure another transconti nental railroad from the east to Los Angeles via Utah. Then a 1-cent a pound tariff on citrus fruits, the building of more beet sugar factories and the Im provement of the vast watefpowers of the mountain streams, and the setting of that power to work building up and enriching the country, all these and more will help along the good work. Capitalists are now active, laying the foundations solidly for future opera tions in this, God's corner of the uni verse; and while we would not advise people to stand still and see the salva tion of the Lord, still it is pretty cer tain that those who stand still will see it. although they will not be benefited thereby so much as they would be if they didn't stand still. ! The coming boom is not here today and it will not be here tomorrow, but he who has no faith that a period of very busy business activity, accom panied by a speculative boom is close at hand, would do well to place himself under the fostering care of a good re liable guardian. L. M. H. PUMPED TWENTY-SIX TIMES Kecord of a St., Louis Woman Who Is Bent on Suicide "Next!" Dispensary Physician Newcomb* called out cheerfully this barbaric an nouncement that he was ready for an other victim. Nobody responded at once, and he glanced through the open door into the waiting room. Sitting in the front chair was Susan Jackson. Their eyes met, ahd the doctor called ugain sharply: "Next!" Susan jumped up with an Indignant shriek. "Hyar, you," she yelled. "Who you call In' names? I wants to tell you Use a hones' woman and wuks for a llvtn\" Dr. Newcomb assured her that "next" was not an epithet, and she cool ed down, but she was still distrustful, and Dr. Kearney had to attend to her case. Susan enjoys the double distinction of : having been the nook for Jim Cronin's j mother when she kept a boarding house, 1 and having been pumped out oftener jat thei city dispensary than any other i mortal who ever lived to tell the tale. ' The records show that she has swal lowed the rubber just twenty-six times, and yet a thought of suicide has never entered her simple mind. She is a slave to cocaine and morphine. She likes the drug so well that e>he sometimes takes too big a dose. Susan came to the dispensary Monday to beg for a little cocaine. She had been without it for several days, and was on the' verge of collapse. Dr. Kearney concluded to ser.d her to the ciry hos pital. When he told her so she went off Into hysterics, and yelled like a band of Comanches. She was carried struggling to an ambulance by Driver Edward Kusch, who had to promise ro deliver a thousand messages to the child- I ren at home. When not In some public institution Susan livesat 1177 Lucasave ! nue.—St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Duties for Private Profit Duties to suit your genuine Republic an must have another purpose besides the. one of taxation, and the other pur pose is the giving of somebody or some combination a take out. In fact, most of the duties are laid with the view of private profits first and government revenue afterward.