Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1885 — WESTERN. [ARTICLE]

WESTERN.

S. W. Tallmadge, the Milwaukee crop statistician, furnishes the Chicago Inter Ocean copious reports concerning the present condition of the wheat crop. The reports as a whole show the winter wheat to be in a very unpromising condition; and notwithstanding the recent rains and warm weather have given the plant a better appearance, no improvement can be reported in the promise of the crop. Cn the contrary, the good weather has developed the actual damage done by winter killing and other causes. Thousands of acres In largo winter-wheat producing States havo been plowed up and sown to oats and other grains. The decrease in area and damage done by “winter-killing” seems to be general in all the winter wheat States with but one exception, that of Michigan. That State reports but a slight decrease in acreage sown, and no winter-killing whatever, or damage of other kind. With this one exception the loss to the winter wheat States is the greatest ever known, and will prove a serious blow to many of the States that depend largely upon their wheat product. In Chicago, soon after noon of Friday, the Bth inst., flames broke out in the yards of the Chicago Lumber Company, along the river in the vicinity of West Thir-ty-fifth and Iron streets. Nearly every engino in the city hurried to the scene, and six hours were required to bring the conflagration under control. Four squares were burned over, the sufferers being the Chicago Lumber Company, Bigelow Brothers, Adams, Hastings & Co., and J. W. Hinckley & Co. The losses aggregate $09(1,000, on which there is insurance to the amount of $483,500, widely distributed. Wayman Crow, one of the oldest merchants of St. Louis, died in that city last week. A package shipped by the American Express Company, and supposed, to contain SI,OOO, was opened at Indianapolis and found to contain only waste paper. While boring for natural gas at Lima, Ohio, workmen struck a strong vein of petroleum at a depth of 1,360 feet. The quality is found to be equal to the Pennsylvania product. In the Federal Court at Salt Lake, sentences of six months’ imprisonment and fines of S3OO were imposed upon Angus Cannon, Milton Musser, and J. C. Watson, convicted of unlawful cohabitation. Each refused to make any pledge for the future. The Chicago University was sold at auction last week to satisfy the claim of the Union Mutual Life-Insurance Company for money borrowed and interest accrued thereon. The total amount due on the property was about $310,000, and it was bought in by the creditors for $375,000, that being theonly bid made lor the property. The register of the Southern Hotel at Bt. Louis was turned over to the police to compare the signature of Dr. W. H, Lennox Maxwell, murderer of C. Arthur Preller, with the inscription, “So perish all traitors to the great cause,” found in the trunk containing the body. Experts in handwriting examined tooth, and declared they were written by the •ame man. All testimony necessary for the extradition is npy ready.

William Wright, who served in the regular army and has been a cowboy in Texas, has been arrested for the recent tram robbery near Harrodsburg, Ind. His photograph was promptly identified by Peter Weber, the baggage-master whom he so nearly murdered. Wright was captured at Terre Haute. Chicago telegram: The price of hay has a'rrndy advanced to a high figure in this market as a direct consequence of the unseasonably cold weather. The grasses as well aythe cereals are languishing for want of a little sunshine. Crop reports from lowa represent that the recent cold weather did little or no damage to the growing wheat in that section. The strawberry crop in Southern Illinois has been badly injured by the recent heavy frosts.