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THE RIVER PRESS 1 d Wednesday, March 29, 1882. f JERRY COLLINS. - - - . - - -- EDITOR THE Southern floods begin to abate.t' THE President has signed the anti-polyga my bill. _ HBERY W. LONGFELLOW, the distinguished poet, died on the 24th inst. WHEN General Grant dines with the Pres- I ident look out for some stalwart appoint- I ments. The Chinese bill passed the House on the 23rd by a vote of 77 to 65 without amend ment. Now will the President sign it ? SENATOR TELLER'S name was sent to the Senate yesterday as Secretary of the Interior. Ex-Governor Routt, it is thought, will suc ceed to the seat in the Senate. THE Chinese bill is in the hands of the President. The friends of the bill are confi dent that it will be signed although strong ef forts are being made to secuire a veto. Miss MAOKEY, the American millionaire heiress is about to marry a Don somebody, son of Count somebodyelse,. of Spain. She m;trries for his title and he for her money. WHILE Congress seems to favor a liberal appropriation for the Missouri river Delegate Maginnis should see to it that tlde upper di vision of that stream secures its full share. COMMODORE T. C. POWER takes in all the government contracts on the river this year. The Commodore is bard to set away with, as the Democrats would find if he were nom inated for De.legate. SENATOR TELLER, it would seem, is to be the next Secretary of the Interior. We be lieve the appointment would be a good one. However, it would be no trick at all to im prove on Kirkwood. THE Senate committee on the improvement of the Mississippi river and its tributaries have agreed upon a bill appropriating $5,000,000 for the Mississippi and $1,000,000 for the Missouri river. THE President has disapproved the finding of the Court martial in the Whittaker case and has ordered his dibmissal from arrest. Let us hope the question as to who slit the colored cadet's ears will not be opened again' JUDGING by the following Washington special of the 22nd to the Chicago Tribune it would seem that Arthur is only a figure head for Grant, who is the real President. "Grant has been here barely twenty-four hours and rumor has it that he is urging the nomination of Beale instead ,f Chandler for Secretary of the Navy, and that he effected the postponement of the nomination of Tel ler as Secretary of the Intr:or until meaF ures can be taken to secure the appointment of Chaffee to fill the vwcaney in the Senate:" FAST MAILS FOR THE WEST. The agitation of this subject by the peo ple and press of the west is likely to bear good fruit. The department has urged upon Congress the necessity for an appropriation for special transportation of mails on trunk lines between the oceans with the view of shortening the time between the East and the West. The project is in a fair way to be carried to copletion. The Postmaster Generjd recently said: '"I have a hope, if Congrees makes the appropriations pro posed by the Senate for special facilities 'for the transportation of mails on trunk lines, that we may arrange a schedule which will send mail from New York to the West or S&n Francisco and get a return in three days less than it takes now. It takes thirteen days to do this at present. Now the mails are car ried on railway trains and go when passen gers go. This subjects the mails to slow time and frequent delays.. The mails for the West now lie in Chicago about four hours, and in Omaha and Kansas City three hours more. The railroad companies themselves will havetto be consulted as to the method of overcoming these delays-whether it is to be done by chartering one fast train between New York and Denver, or otherwise. My theory is to lay the backbone for the estab lishment of a fast mail service on the trunk lines between the two oceans and then put on attachments or improvements as faet as we can." _ THE LAND LEAGUE. We are glad to see that a branch of the Land League has been organized in Benton and that active measures are to be taken to forward the cause here and assist as far as possible in the good work going on. On the part of many there appears to be a mistaken idea as to the object and purpose of the League. It is by no means a revolution ary organization, and is as d1¢erent as day from night from the Fenian movement of a few years ago. Charles ttewart Parnell, now incarcerated in prison because he had the courage to call '~ins by their rtght: names In revipwing Irelanud'is r s. is the recognized originator and leard i tBhe prea ent movement, the principal object of which' is to bring about, by legal not rtevlat#c|ry meaos, aland reformn t&tW ndsi tiat witdit the tenant from the slekgh of poverty and desatfrn which hrei new foandeto atisher and better plane. It is direeted again Land lordism and not against the British flg ; it does not propose to liberate Ireland, only so far as her people would be liberated by the enactment of more just and liberal land laws -a result that can only be attained by per sistent agitation. All great reforms are brought about in this way. It isalways necessary to pave the way by agitation-to create a public sentiment favorable to the reform sought. If William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, John G. Whittier, John Brown and others had not persevered in the anti-slavery agitation our land would yet probably be cursed with slav ery. One purpose of the League, then, is to keep up the land reform agitation, to create a favorable public sentiment, and that in time, with due perseverance, success will crown its efforts there can be no doubt whatever. Another and more immediate object of the League is to render pecuniary assistance to those who are bearing the brunt of the fight. Tenants are evicted by the thousand and unless aid is furnished them they must sub mit to the hard terms of landlords. The opposition would be short lived indeed but for the hearty co-operation of friends in the United States and elsewhere. The money contributed, we have good reason to believe, is honestly appropriated to advance the cause of the Irish tenantry against Landlordism, with all the wrongs and grievances and infa my the word carries with it in Ireland. Be yond this the League does not go, and we have great confidence that its just purpose will in time be effected. The League in Benton should, and doubtless will, do its full share of the good work. THE UPPER MISSOURI. The House committee on the improvement of rivers and harbors is diligently at work on the appropriation bill and will, it is said, be ready to report the bill to the House early in April. Members of the committee are of course reticent, as they should be, but one of them has stated in general terms that lib eral appropriations will be provided for the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. This much is at least encouraging, and it is to be hoped that the "father of waters" will not absorb nearly all of it, as has been the rtle hereto fore. The rapid development of the New Northwest has rendered the Missouri an im portant stream for commercial purposes and it is time that Congress should take cogni zance of the fact, and by improving it add to its usefulness. The upper Missouri deserves more than any other portion of the stream. It requires immediate improvement to put it in a navigf. ble condition, and no money could be voted by Congress for the purpose of advancing the commercial interests of the country that would result more beneficially. A hundred thousand dollars expenc'ed on the upper di vision of the Missouri would render it easy of navigation as far as Benton for six months in the year, and would add wonderful im petus to the development of the country tributary to the upper river. Our Delegate in Congress should Dot fail to urge this fact before the House committee on commerce and secure if possible a large appropriation. Nothing that he can do will so redound to the benefit of his constituents and we hope to hear that he has not ever looked the importance of this matter. OHOTEAU'S FINANCES, We publish to-day the annual report of CountyClerk Tattan which is a detailed ex hibit of the receipts and expenditures of the county during the year ending March 1, 1882. The showing is in many respects a most gratifying one, and creditable to the officers who conduct the business of the county. The levy last year was but 16 mills on the dollar and two terms of court were held in stead of one, as heretofore, and still a de crease in the indebtedness of the county (ex clusive of building jail) of $6,931,46 is shown. Including the cost of the jail-not far from $12,000-the increase in the indebt edness of the county during the year has been but $5,908,54. This general exhibit shows that in some quarters at least there has been an effort to retrench expenditures and that the county is fairly started in the way to wipe out entirely its indebtedness. The bonded indebtedness of the county is $52,000 and during the past year this has been funded at a lower rate of interest, seven per cent., thus effecting a considerable an nual saving in the way of interest. Deduct ing the cash on. hand March 1, 1882, from the total liabilities at that date leaves the net in lebtedness of the county $46,456.46. And if from this we deduct the handsome school fund balance in the hands of the Treasurer the indebtedness is reduced to $40,821.32. This is not a bad showing for Choteau coun ty with her valuable public property and buildings. In'the recapitulation of expenditures it will 'e observed that the expenses of the District Court,, including Sheriff's fees, etc., reach the grand total of P8.890.90. I'his is twice as mach as l tbUaght to be, considering that dlating the year there were scarcely three Sweeks of court. In Gallatin county the past vear .the total couat expease. -were but ts84Ps . Why ihoild there be so gtiat. a difference- ,There ia. such a thjing as hav,!g officials who are too ssealous, and i mt l w ,ii r fret the records hat~ kiadotaakhadM. 4atn thep ast yearh h has drawn ovey $5,000 from the treasury for services. Look at the allowance of $500 to Talbert for following Waterhouse down the river, when it would have been a real blessing to let the fellow get away and stay! There is doubtless plenty of room for reform in this direction, and the Commissioners might find it profitable to give a few hints in the prem ises. The expenses of roads and highways dar: Ing the year were only $2,085.15, not one half as much as should have been expended on the roads of the county. If the court expenses were reduced one half and the road bills doubled the tax paxer would be much better satisfied. The expenses of the poor and infirm reach nearly $4,000, rather a large outlay for a new and progressive county. There are too many who receive benefits from the poor fund who do not deserve it, and those in authority should exercise a little more dis cretion in the premises. Neither is it a business like method to send paupers to the hotels to be boarded at regular rates at the expense of the county, as has been done in the past, and, under con tract, will be repeated next year. It is about time that the county were providing a regular poor house where parties who really deserve aid can secure it without such a heavy drain on the treasury. A poor farm property managed would more than support its inmates, and the establishment of such an institution would be a matter of economy to the people. We believe, however, that the commission ers, ably seconded by Judge Tattan, have made a well directed effort the past year to cut down expenditures, and that they have succeeded in reducing the indebtedness in no small sum, nothwithstanding the grievous burdens above noted, is greatly to their credit. With the benefit of their past ex perience they can doubtless be enabled to re trench in many directions and can present in 1883 a statement even more favorable than t hat we publish to-day. First National OF Fort Benton. W. G. CONRAD, President Jos. S. HILL, Vice-President R. A. LUKE, Cashier Authorized Capital ........ ...........$250.000 Capital (paid in) .............................. 100,000 Surplus Profits ............................... 28,000 WE TRANSACT A GENERAL BANKING BUSINE9N. a Will issue Exchange or Telegraphic Trandfers, available in all parts of the United States, Canadas and Europe. Buy at the highest rates, Gold Dust, goin, Gold and Silver Bullion and Local Securities. Keep current accounts with merchants, stockmen freighters and others subject to sight drafts. Will pay special attention to collections, and al other business entrusted to our care. Will pay interest on time deposits, and discount notes or bankable paper. Will.make advances to merchants, stock dealers and others, as are suited to their requirements. Will give freight ates on wool to all Eastern cities, and make iberaladvanceson same at a low rate of interest. DIRECTOR : S. T. HAUSER JOS. S. HILL, T. C. POWER JNO. HUNSBERGER W. G, CONRAD, R. A. LUKE, News and Novelty Depot STATIONERY AND BLANK BOOKS, MUSICAL IN8TRUMENTS, PICTURE FRAMES AND CHROMOS, FINE CANDIES AND NUTh IMPORTED & DOMESTIC CIGARS, BIRD CAGES, PERAMBULATORS, S TOY WAGONS, TOY CARTS AND GIGS, A Fine Stock of Wall Paper, MEERSCHAUM GOODS, FINE WOOD AND BRIER PIPES, CHOICE SMOKING TOBACCOS CHOICE CHBEWING TOBACCOS, VELVET CARD, PHOTO AND CABI NET FRAMES AND EAt3ELS, In Great Assortment. CRANE & GREEN, Fronet sltreet, Bet .Bond and Benton. FORT B ENTOL Choteau House NSw HOTEL. Thorougy R Befitted ad leoiwly F.mished. JERRY SULLIVAN, 1 Conducted on est-clas Epikpl Rverythngne ,w.est sda attattv ai~aries thatweesn tofer the vHy best O~ Ciit1 eath~n, e 1rsj LALEaerJ A1xa agWOr Wo f 0T da 4h conETY. +I . + " ANNOUNCEMENT! For Thirty Days Only ..-- :-o-: We will Sell our Entire Stock of CLOTHING GENTS' FURNISHING GOODS, HATS, CAPT, BOOTS, SHOES, ETC.. AT COST ! -:o: This is no advertising dodge, we mean business, and will po just what we say. Try us and and be covinced. Orders by Mail or Express will be carefully filled, without delay. HIRSHBERG & NATHAN, BAKER & DeLORIMIER, WHOLESALE AND RETAIL DEALERS IN Dry Goods & Notions MAIN STREET, BENTON. We call particular attention to our SHOE STOCK, which is the most complete in town. We are now showing an elegant line of CARPETS, EUGS, MATS, HASSOCKS & OIL CLOTH, Curtains and Lambrequina, in Lace, Jute, and Raw Silk. Excelsior, Royaf, St. Johns and Household SEWING MACHINES. Domestic Paper Patterns. Stamping to Order. Measures taken for the Celebrated Wilson Bro's. Shirts. ORDERS CAREFULLY FILLED, SPRINIG CARD, 1882. -0 We have closed out our lines of Furniture, Hard ware, and Queensware, and will devote OURSELVES EXCLUSIVELY TO uROCERIES, Dry Goods, Notions, Hats and Caps, Boots & Shoes, Clothing, _ AND Gents' Furnishing Goods. -o We keep a full line of Agricultural Implements, and mention among othere the famous Bain Wagons, Mitchell Wagons, Milburn Spring Wagons, Top Buggies, Champion Reapers, Champion Mowers, Tiger Hay Rakes, Diedrich Hay Press. Furst & Bradley Breaking and Stirring Plows, 12 to 16 inch, Furst & Bradley and Jersey ville Sulky Plows, Fanning Mills and Scotch iarrows. -o- WE HAVE A COMPLETE LINE OF CALIFORNIA SADDLES AND HRARNESS, REPEATING RIFLES AND SHiOT GUNS, AMMUNITION AND SHELLS. -o Ladd's Tobacco Sheep Dip always on hand. -0 We wil ship the largest and most complete line.of Groceries that ever eame to Fort Benton for that trade, we have made our requsltions for FANCY SHELF OODS. very elaborate, and will undertake to tfmish.anything in that line that may be called for. Our facilitiea for lling orders are greatly improved, and all orders will receive careful and prompt attention. Owning our own steamboat Transportation, we will lay our goods down in Benton this year from Chicago and St.,Lotis at .~-ents per pound, and we propose to give our customers 'the beneit of this low rate, in prices on oar goods. Having gou. put of the Indiaa T~d4ng buRinessa we will davote ourselvesto the wants of the Farmer and Stockii~id, to wheno we oter especial inducements. We have arranged to All all orders for Hardware, Tinware and Stoares at lowest market rate.. / 1.axcUIr0T CASH PRICBE FO BEBF HIDUS, FURS AND PELTRIES. M.- Mh I. G.BAKER & CO. F0,.RTF zwBrTI;O . T.T. , Marh1n ,1882.