Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1888 — Page 3

TALKING TO FARMERS.

Another 6reat Speech by Hon. L. D. Whiting, of Bureau County, lilioois. Tracing Cle*ly the Depression in the Agricultural Interests to Trusts, Pools, Ami Other Monopolies Fostered by Extortionate Custom-House Taxation. IDixon (HI.) cor. Chicago Herald.] The second day’s session of the Farmers’ Institute attracted a large number of people to this city. The Opera House was crowded both at the morning and evening sessions. The programme was strictly followed. The sensation of the day was the address of Senator L. D. Whiting on “The Decline of Agricultural Prosperity—lts Cause and Cure.” Mr. Whiting traced clearly the depression in the agricultural interest to trusts, pools and other monopolies fostered by exorbitant custom-house taxation. He spoke as follows: As tarmers perform tueir share of hard work and practice their portion of economy, it will be conceded that they ought to enjoy their proportion of prosperity. Add to tnis the fact that for the last twenty years agricultural products turned the balance of trade to our country and poured over the land golden showers, enriching ail interests except the one which produced it, the prosperity of the farmer may well be an object of national concern. Great cities have arisen like m&gio; great corporations have sprung into existence with imperial wealth and power; great manufacturing enterprises capable of supplying a continent if ran on full time; great individual fortun§§ giving as a class of American lords—except Alone the title.

Amid all this, our class, which mainly produced it, enjoy but a scanty share. Agriculture is suffering a blight ' The lands of Bureau County have declined in price more than #lO an acre, aggregating a loss to land owners in that county of over #5,000,000. It is within bounds to say that in the State at large the loss has been over $300,000,000. New England agriculture, except in special lines, is in ruin. The fine farming regions of Pennsylvania, New York, and Onto are marked by dilapidation. In that vast sweep from Kansas to Minnesota half the farms are under mortgage, drawing high rates of interest; and the time is near when these families struggling to save their homes will be outcasts, driven to despair. This picture is corroborated by the census. During the last iwo census decades the wealth of the nation increased from $16,000,000,000 to $44,000,000,000, being a net gain of $36,000,000,000. Of this great gain that half of the people who live on the farms received a little less than $5,000,000,000, while the other half secured $23,000,000,000. The $5,000,000,000 gained by the fanners was in the new farms on the public domain. The established farms declined in average value from $3,300 to $3,400. Governor Oglesby noticed this tendency in his inaugural address in 1873, as follows: “It is a pleasure to congratulate you that in that general sense in which all the interests of the people are considered it may be correctly said our affairs are in a satisfactory condition. In a more limited, and yet largely in a general sense, it is hardly so. All the products of the farm are ranging at pricee scarcely remunerative; the productions of other branches of industry are nearer the prices of more recent years. Corresponding changes have not, for some cause, affected other industries.” The Governor saw that agriculture was suffering a blight while other pursuits were prosperous. The causes of the decline, which he did not discuss, I propose here to consider to some extent L A world-wide competition with the cheapest of all cheap labor in Europe and Asia depresses prices. I know of no remedy for this, except, as we are compelled to sell cheap, we must buy cheap 2. The combinations known as pools and trusts are extending to all pursuits to subvert the laws of trade. “Competition” and “supply and demand” are now nearly obsolete. Lumber, sugar, coal, barbed wire, iron and Bteel, piows, and oil may be mentioned as a few of a multitude. 3. The extortion in charges of transportation companies, to pay large dividends on watered stock, and certain practices of stock yards aud grain elevators, to unduly increase their enormous profits. 4 The adulterations, false weight?, shams, and shoddies in things we buy, at rates which should procure the genuine and full weights and measures. 5. The high and exceptional rates of interest* which farmers pay on their loans. 6. The unjust provisions and workings of the State revenue law's, permitting large evasions, to bo made good by doubly loading the land. 7. The protective tariff system, which gives bounties to certain classes at the expense of others—the burden resting finally mostly on producers. Tbese are some of the suction-pumps, but probably not all. The operators of these suc-lion-pumps comfort us Dv stating that goods are now cheaper than formerly. No doubt this is true. There are now steam engines enough to more than double the power of every human being, and four-fifths of these have come into use during the past twentyfive years. During this period there have been such marvelous discoveries in iron and steel as to make them substitutes lor wood. Gas, coal, and inventions innumerable have ushered in a new era of manufacturing. These powers and processed of nature are not to be monopolized by one class of men. Like the air and tne sunlight, they are for all mankind. The suction-pump operators further tell us that farmers are better off than formerly—that we have painted houses in place of log cabins; that wo wear overcoats, ride in carriages, and on gala days can scarcely be distinguished from villagers! It may be well to give notice that farmers intend to duly share in the blessings and duties of civilization. One-half the value of Illinois is in land, the other half in railroads and other corporations, moneys and credi.s, and other personals. But laud pays 79 per cent, of the taxes, and the other hail 21 per cent. Incumbered real estate pays double. The debtor pays high interest on his mortgage, an dr then pays taxes on all, as though no mortgage existed. If the holder of the mortgage does not forget, he also pays taxes on his mortgage. Massachusetts has done away with this roobery by dividing this tax ratably between debtor and creditor. Tax evaders will not permit this just law to be enactedun Illinois. The overburdened debtor must continue to pay double, that they may wholly escape. So crushing burdens are borne till slrength fails and the home is lost The aggregate of valuation in Illinois has declined since 1873 about $500,000,000. The strange part is, that the chief decline was where property had most advanced Railroads were assessed in 1873 $123,928,479 Railroads were assessed in 1880 62,972,101 Corporations other than railroads were assessed in 1873 ,21,898,451 Since then our Secretary of State has ground out about three corporations a day, and these claimed a capital of more than yet new and old were assessed in 1886 $3,756,577, a decline of five-sixths. Cook County was assessed, just after Chicago emerged from the fire with 300,000 inhabitants. $306,208,660. Much of the time since she has got

off on half this amount; but now, with her great city doubled in wealth aad population, and with many suburban towns, her assessment is $203,625,883, or two-thibds as much as it was assessed fifteen vejfrs ago. It is believed that s4u0 1 000,00<For moneys and credits and other varaes evade all taxes. The raise of Be rate of Btate taxation from 27 cexits Qfx the SIOQ pj 33, comes in part from this decline In valuation, and part from large appropriations to new subjects. Lands mast bear the chief brunt National taxes have grown since 1863 more than five-fold. Now, $1110,000,000 annually and more can be dropped from this vast sum. This should be a boon to a tax-ridden people; bat strange doctrines are preached from high sources. Instead of cheaper sugar, lumber, clothing and other necessaries of life, relief is to be offered in cheap whisky and tobacco! This ludicrous proposition proves to be made in earnest, and unless vigorously opposed it may succeed. Manufacturers do not wish to panderto evil, but they seek to find some excuse and necessity to keep the high tar.ff intact throughout The breaking of one link in the grand tariff chain is feared, lest it may dissolve the tariff confederacy. Ihe new pretensions set up may best be seen by a brief historical reference. The first notable move for a protective tariff was after the war of 1812. That war had forced into existence manufacturing enterprises with small capital and less skill. Henry Clay led the move to give them temporary protection His own words are given in his late biography written by Carl Schurz. Mr. Clay made a aeries of speeches throughout the country just previous to his nomination for the Presidency in 1844 Of these utterances Mr. Sohurz writes: “He expressed himself sonorously upon all the ola Whig principles and measures, repeating his views of the protective tariff as a temporary arrangement which the infant industries, rapidly growing up to manhood, would not much longer require. ” 'lhe present high protective tariff had a patriotic beginning. The great demands of the Treasury in the late war led to imposing direct taxes on the goods of our own manufacturers. Simultaneously the present high tariff was imposed as a compensation. After the close of the war the direct taxes on manufactures were repealed, but the manufacturers were fortunate enough to retain the war tariff. This gives the Treasury more money than is needed. The lowering of national taxes should be a blessing. The removal of the extra war tariff is a natural sequence, and would greatly relieve consumers. But the original doctrine of protection tp infant industries is now to be superseded. Perpetual protection, and the higher the better, iB the new dogma. The iron and steel interests are the center of a vast tariff confederacy seeking the indorsement of the country to this doc trine. Its effect upon agriculture is already seen in the census statistics now given I will here give one more, bringing the facts nearer home. Before the enactment of the present high tariff the State of Illinois was fast gaining upon Massachusetts in wealth, as may well be supposed, from natural causes. Since the war tariff enactment the case is reversed.

Iu 1860 the per capita wealth of Massachusetts was $662. That of Illinois was $509. In 1880 Massachusetts bad increased her per capita to $1,568, while Illinois had reached but $1,005. While Illinois, with her great natural advantages, had doubled, Massachusetts, with her sterile soil and rocks, advanced 150 per cent. Massachusetts claims that Illinois shall pay for her good 3 sufficiently high to make up the difference of wages between this country and Europe. Let me inquire who is to pay to Illinois farmers the difference between farm wages here and farm wages in the old world? If we should grant the claim of Massachusetts to help her pay her laborers, 20 per cent tariff will amply cover the case, as that is about the amount that the cost of labor bears to the price of the manufactured goods. The other 20 and more per cant exacted by the present tariff is, perhaps, to furnish the money they send West and invest on mortgages on our farms. Our manufacturing friends are prolific in theories to persuade us to continue the system. Their politeness is most remarkable. It is said that “uniform politeness is a species of godliness. It may not make a man a saint, but it will make him a lovely sinner.” “Protection is for our good,” they tell us. “We want it also for the good of our workmen. ” “It makes goods higher, but then wo pay it in better wages. ” “It makes goods lower, so the farmer gets a benefit” “The foreigner pays the duty.” “If you do not wish to pay tho duty, buy goods made at home.” This jumble, when seen together, needs no reply. One matter may be ventilated. Let it be illustrated ou lumber. But a few tens of thousands go into the National Treasury on imported lumber, but millions go into the pockets of the lumber lords by being protected from Canadian competition. The power of the lumber lords was sapn in the rebuilding of Chicago after the lire. Though Chicago politics was “protection,” in practice she became a “free trader” for a year. Congress granted thoir request on all thing! except lumber—the thing, of all others, most needed and most just to be placed on the .free list The lumber kings were too much for Chicago, and so tlieir tariff exactions with their trust combinations remain tp tax the West millions and hurry the destruction of our forests. The shivering pioneers of Dakota and Minnesota, struggling with small means to shelter their wiwes and children from the fierce storms, must continue to pay tho bounty. Who knows how many of that thousand or more who sank in the snow for a winding-sheet were lost for want of supply of lumber, coal, blankets and clothing? Farmers must study public matters from their own standpoint. They must make them paramount to all other questions, long enough at least to arrest the downward slide. Duty, public interest, patriotism aud Christianity demand it Let agitation, education and organization proceed.

RAIDING THE FARMERS.

A High Tariff Organ’s Barren Attempt to Organize Another Scheme to Plunder. The New York Tribune’s Gauzy Scheme to Delude and Hoodwink the Farmers. [From the Louisville Courier-Journal.] The New York Tribune, recognizing the waning power of protection even in New York and in New England, turns with desperation to the farmers of the West and South, crying, “Help us, Cassius, or we sink.” ' ' The attempt to delude the farmers with the idea that they can be helped by protection is as hopeless an undertaking as any newspaper ever entered on. As a political movement it is doomed to failure, and its only justification from a newspaper standpoint is that, like sending explorers in search of the North Pole, or inventors up in a balloon, it advertises the resources and the enterprise of the newspaper connected with it. Indeed, as a reckless and open scheme, it surpasses the Herald’s plan to find the North Pole and bring it into New York harbor, and the World’s arrangement for solving the problem of aerial navigation. As the beginning of its plan the Tribune addressed a number of letters to farmers everywhere, calling attention to the depressed prices of farm products, hinting

that it was due to the large importation of wool, eggs, potatoes, etc., and suggesting that the real remedy was an extension of protection to the farmer. The farmers were asked to submit their to the Tribune, and these letters were to be put before a committee, mostly of protected manufacturers, to examine and pray over, and then they were to be made public, as an expression of the farmers on the tariff, with the expectation that it would have the effect to stiffen the backbone of the Republicans in Congress from the West, and make them “stand firm” against any redaction whatever in the tariff. The committee of eminent “agriculturists* selected to revise aud edit this correspondence was composed of Warner Miller, a noted manufacturer of paper, who has had a fortune transferred from newspaper publishers to himself by the tariff; William M. Grosvenor, who once wrote a free-trade book, “Does Protection Protect?” but who surrendered his views in order to obtain a position on the staff of the New York Tribunt; John T. Reid, Edward Burroughs, J. D. Lyman, and J. N. Hall. The Hon. James Wilson, of lowa, was asked to co-operate with these gentlemen in manufacturing this campaign thunder, but rather than be caught in such company, he fled to Texas or Mexico, beyond the reach of the wires of the New York Tribune. It is thought he will not return till the storm blows over. These gentlemen, after pondering over and inwardly digesting the facts submitted to them, felt that the only remedy for the deplorable state of affairs was to circulate the following petition: To the Speaker of the House of Representatives: The undersigned respectfully pray that agriculture may be more effectually protected by preventing fraudulent importations of cattle on pretense that they are for breeding only; by a duty of 20 cents per bushel on barley, with proportionate morease of duty on malt; by duties of 25 cents per bushel on potatoes aud onions, $2 per 100 on cabbages, $3 per ton on hay, 10 cents per pound on hops, 20 per cent on beans and peas, 5 cents per dozen on eggs, 30 per cent on fowls and poultry, and on vegetables in their natural state or in salt or brine, not otherwise provided for, with no removal or reduction of duties on market garden products now dutiable; by such increased duties on flax and linen goods as will effectually encourage the preparation of fiber and manufacture of goods; by abolishing all duties on sugar, with a bounty to home producers; by preventing imports of leaf tobacco suitable for wrappers at the duty imposed on other leaf tobacco, and repealing all internal taxes on tob&coo; by restoring to wool growing the substantial protection enjoyed under the tariff of 1867, so modified as to meet the latter forms of foreign competition and of evasion. It seems, therefore,\hat after twentyeight years of protective tariff, under which the farmers have been robbed to enrieh the manufacturer; after the experience of a generation in which the wealth of the farmers, one-half of the population, has increased four thousand millions, and the wealth of the other half of the population has increased twenty-four thousand millions, Mr. Warner Miller and Mr. Grosvenor discover the tariff is defective, and as a remedy suggest an import duty of 20 cents on barley, 25 cents on potatoes, and $2 per 100 on cabbages. This is statesmanship of the modern American school. Our agriculturists have paid half of the war debt; they have iu exchange for their products in competitive markets brought to this country hundreds of millions of dollars in gold, and thus restored onr currency to a specie basis; they send out of the country hundreds' of millions of farm products; sell unprotected in foreign markets: and when they seek to bring home in exchange for wheat, cotton, etc., such goods as they are given, the cus-tom-house officer—who is the representative of such freebooters as Warner Miller and Andrew Carnegie—confiscates onethird of all their foreign customers were willing to give in exchange. This is the situation, and these quack doctors, these sham statesmen, these political voudooists, suggest “more protection” on onions, hops, beans and peas. To circulate such a petition is an insult to the farmers of America. This movement for advertising the Tribune rests on the supposition that the farmers are nine-tenths fools and one-tenth knaves. The American farmer understands that the tariff is a gigantic- scheme of highway robbery. He knows that Miller, Carnegie & Co. are plundering him daily. He knows that when they propose to divide the spoils of their raids they are dishonest. He knows that if these men stop robbing the farmer, and take him into partnership, there is no other class to be robbed with any surety of safety and profit. The tariff is beneficial to one class only as it is hurtful to another. It builds up A by breaking dowu B. For Ato say to B let us join forces and plunder each other is an absurdity. Or, if you please, divide the community in three classes—A the manufacturer, B the farmer, and C the mercantile, transportation and professional men. A has been robbing B and C; novate says to B let us plunder C, and you have onetenth of the spoils. B is not to be deceived or tempted by any such scheme. All he asks is to be allowed to sell in the highest market and buy in the lowest, leaving at the custom house on his return only enough to meet the necessary expenses of an economical government.

HARMFUL HIGH TAXES.

Two Leading lowa Republicans in Favor of Tariff Reform. Tfiey Would Take the Duty Off Necessaries and Levy Revenue on Luxuries. [Marshalltown (Iowa) cor. Chicago Herald.] Among the Republican leaders of lowa none occupies a more honored place, not one enjoys a higher degree of esteem, than does Senator P. M. Sutton, of Marshalltown. He is counted as perhaps the most original thinker, withal the most fearless and outspoken champion in the cause of tariff reform. Mr. Sutton said that he was heartily in favor of tariff reform, and’ in reply to the question as to what his own ideas on the subject were, he replied literally as follows: “I am in favor of a protective system of taxation, both in tariff and internal taxes and in direct taxes. “I am in favor of so reforming taxation as to make it conform to the ideas which

we carry out in the transactions of ordinary every day business. “I am in favor of paying the expenses of government in the same manner in which a business man pays his own expenses, out of these things which can be most easily spared. “There never was a worse fraud practiced npon a credulous people than is practiced by Eastern monopolists in pretending that they need the benefits of a protective tariff in order to enable them to increase the wages of their employes. The iron industries of this country in 1870 paid their employes an annual wage of over SSOO. In 1880, after having had the benefit of ten most prosperous years and a high protective tariff, they paid their emploves an average yearly wage of less than S4OO, and this, too, when there was an increase of the net profits in the iron industry of over 25 per cent. That is to say, each employe in 1870 earned for his employer a net profit of about SBOO a year paid out of that kn average of $526. In 1880 eacn earned for his employer a net profit of about SI,OOO, and yet got out of that SI,OOO for his wages less than S4OO. “Now, the facts are, as stated by Smith and Ricardo, and all the other authorites on political economy, that profits have nothing whatever to do in any country in fixing the rate of wages paid the employes. Adam Smith, who wrote over 100 years ago, made thiß remarkable statement on the subject. He said: “ ‘Employers are everywhere and always combined by a tacit understanding not‘to raise wages above a certain rate, and he who doesn’t know this is ignorant both of the people and of the subject’ “It is further true that every means is resorted to that skill and science can suggest to secure cheap labor. Every manufacturer, while not free to raise wages, is perfectly free to lower them. And they vie with each other in seeing whioh can get the cheapest labor, and consider this a legitimate means of widening the margin of their profits. “Professor Langhlin, q{ Harvard, who has given us an American edition of Mill’s ‘Political Economy, ’ says in his own notes in discussing the question: ‘This striving to outdo each other in getting cheaper labor drove American labor out of the New England shops and filled the vacant places with cheaper Irish labor. The Irish are now being driven out to have their places ’ filled with French Canadians who will work for cheaper wages than the Irish. About the next step of our Yankee brothers will be to displace the French Canadians by the heathen Chinee.’

“Now, in the face of these faots, it is sheer nonsense to think that the wages of these employes are going to be affected by an increase or decrease in our tariff. The one thing above all others that we wont to strive for as a nation is to help and, so far as we can, induce men to help themselves, to make an independent living and to get out of the wage service, which always has been, and still is, only one step better than slavery. To do this we should make it as easy as possible for every man to get a home for himself aud family and enough land on which to raise a living. This can best be done by taking taxes, so far as we can, off from all hemes and from all other things that are necessary for the support of the people in their homes. “The producers in the West, especially our farmers, are being gronnd to death by Eastern manufacturers aud our railroad companies, who conspire together to keep a monopoly of manufacturing in the Eastern States, and the high war tariffs that are kept up on sugar, iron, wool, lumber, and coal are simply so much subsidy money that is paid every year by our Western farmers to the very monopolists that are enslaving them.” “I am a Republican,’’ said ex-Senator J. C. Bills, of Davenport, “bat I have always favored low tariff, a tariff for revenue only, in other words.” Mr Bills is a man whose voioe in the party councils of his State is potent, a man of mature judgment, ana finally trained intellect* He is a native of New York State and has been residing in lowa for thirty-two years. He was one of the founders of the Republican party in lowa aud cast his vote for the first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln. He has been the Mayor of Davenport three times and fiHed a Senatorial term of four years, from 1882-86. His views on the tariff question have some weight in lowa. “I don’t see why the Government should tax the people to the extent of more than $100,006,000 a year, when they have no use for the money and when it serves the only purpose of benefiting manufacturers. The purpose of a tax should not bo to benefit any particular class or classes of people. I think the duties on the necessaries of life ought to be reduced until the income of the government is just sufficient to pay its expenses. I don’t believe the General Government has any constitutional right to tax the people for the purpose of giving away the money for school or any other charitable purposes. I don’t think the Government is organized for any such purpose. I think it is a dangerous thing for the Government to introduce any such methods. “Above all, I think the taxes on the necessaries of life, such as clothiDg, coal, lumber, salt, etc., etc., ought to be reduced or abolished. The internal revenue on liquors and tobacco, on the other hand, ought to be retained, these two things being in the nature of luxuries, although I myself use both of these things on occasion” (and indeed, that very minute the Senator blew the smoke from a pretty good sort of weed at his interviewer), and I am not ashamed to own it, even in this State. lam willing, as everybody is, to pay the tax on liquor and tobacco. When lam too poor to do so any longer I’ll quit using them.”

But It Must Go to Save the Blessed War Tariff.

The total tax derived from beer and whisky since the internal-revenue system was established in September, 1862, to January 1, 1888, foots up $1,400,000,000. On what subjects of taxation could so much money have been collected with as little burden to tax-payers? The man who did not use either article did not pay a cent of this tax. —Montgomery Advertiser.

The Added Tax Upon Labor.

No producer is taxed who is enabled to shift the burden of his taxation upon the consumer. The consumer pays; and the workingman, who is the great consumer, pays most of all. Every cent which the tariff adds to tl\p price of coal, or wood, or salt, or sugar, or ore, or lumber is an added tax upon labor. —Philadelphia Record.

INDIANA STATE NEWS.

—George Levi. 41 years old, a tramp, sent from Rush County to the penitentiary for larceny, for one year, has confessed an awful crime to Warden Patten. He was moved thereto by a dream, which told him to confess, and showed him sweetness,forgiveness, and glory beyond. His reproving conscience had harassed him till he fell from 180 pounds to 125. He has nearly served ont his term. years ago, he relates, he passed near Lawrenceburg, and committed a nameless crime npon Martha Shears, 11 years old. It aroused the entire neighborhood, and Frank Nelson, a yonng farmer, was apprehended, convicted, aud sentenced for twenty-one years for the crime. Levi doesn’t know Nelson; has had no communication with him, bat since being in prison he has known through newspaper that an innocent man was condemned. It left him no rest day or night. The awful dream occurred to him a few days ago. He went and confessed. Since which time he looks happy, contented, willing to stand the just punishment, and says a heavy load is lifted off. Warden Patten cautioned him, but he persisted in making the confession. He was not subpected. Nelson was convicted two years and nine months ago. The confession is tin awfnl record of depravity. —The suit of Mrs. Sarah E. Mclntosh, wife of Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue Alex. Mclntosh, of New Albany, to break the will of her father, W. C. DePauw, the great glass manufacturer, who died last fall, has been compromised. Mrs. Mclntosh is to receive property worth $200,000. As nearly as can be estimated, DePanw left about $10,000,000 in manufactories, iron works, stocks, and real estate. Of this, nearly a million was left to DePauw University, and half a million more to various charities. Mrs. Mclntosh, a daughter by his first wife, was left property she considered worth not more than $20,000, and the remainder was divided between the widow and the children by later marriages. Mrs. Mclntosh brought suit soon after the will was probated, asking forsp equal division.

• —About ten years ago Van Richardson, a shoemaker, disappeared from Montpelier in a mysterious manner, and was never afterward heard from, though a search was made at the time and a man named "Wiley was arrested on suspicion, but subsequently released. Recently tho bones of a man and some clothing were found in the trunk of a hollow tree by two wood choppers, and the report has revived the story of the shoemaker’s disappearance. He went in that direction and was believed to carry a considerable earn of money. The body must have been chopped into pieces before placing it where fonnd, as there was only one hole in the tree, and that was fully fifteen feet from the ground, and too small to admit the body entire. The matter is being investigated. —The Indianapolis Farmer has obtained authority from the Signal Service Department to send out telegrams to one hundred points in Indiana, daily, containing the weather predictions for twenty-four hoars, from 7 o’clock a. m. Signal weather flags are to be displayed from one hundred elevated points and flagstaff's and poles for the benefit of the agriculture, and the telephone system is to be used to transmit the messages to many other points throaghoat the State from the several telegraph stations receiving the messages. This new service goes into effect early next week. —Patents have been granted to Indiana inventors as follows: James A. Becher, Mishawaka, bolt threading machine; Corodon S. Gannon, Ligonier, barrel hoop; George J. Cline, Goshen, sash fastener; Calvin R. Davis, assignor to Kimberlin Manufacturing Company, Indianapolis, lifting spring for cultivators; Henry W. Hackley, Kokomo, wrench; Benjamin F. McCann, Ewing, well; Jessie B. Pugh, Indianapolis, gate hinge; Emanuel Spear, Lafayette, spike extractor. —There are men at Monpelier from the Ohio and Pennsylvania oil fields leasing land. A 250-barrel tank was filled from the Citizen’s well in a flow of seventy-two honrsi and the oil is now wasting for the lack of tankage. A test by a hydrometer, at 60 degrees, shows its specific gravity to be 30, and undoubtedly the oil is a fine lubricant. Agents are here looking over the field, and the development of Indiana’s oil territory is assured. —The statement of receipts and expenditures of the Indiana State Prison North for the months of November, December, and January, has been filed with the Auditor of State. It show* receipts amounting to $35,063.62, and expenditnres, $31,683.03, leaving on hand a balance of $3,380.59.

—Two men were arrested at Alamo, while drilling the safe in M. J. Meyers dry goods store. They gave their names as Charles Burton and Adam Shaffer. Both claim to be from Evansville. They had a complete outfit of burglars’ tools, and quite a variety of jewelry was found in their possession. —The doctors have discovered a freak of nature in the family of Hill Harris, a colored laborer, in Maplewood. A male child six months old measures two feet around the waist, twelve inches around the thigh, eight inches around the arm, and weighs thirty pounds. —Edward Barkley, an Ohio and Mississippi freight brakeman, slipped and fell beneath tjie cars, near Shoals, and was horribly mangled, necessitating the amputation of Us left leg and arm. He died during the amputation. 1 —-Wm. Delaney, the oldest man in Daviess County, died at his home in Harris Township, at the age of 103. He was born in Ireland, and when 13 years old served as a messenger boy in the Irish rebellion, of ’9B.