Greenfield Evening Republican, Greenfield, Hancock County, 30 January 1895 — Page 4
THE PRICE OF WHEAT
FACTS TO SHOW THAT IT MUST REMAIN LOW.
An Interview With the Argentine Minis-ter--A Great
liepuhlic
an«l Its Alleged
Iiesor.roes Views of nil
Statistician—Of Interest
Agricultural
to
Farmers.
[Syccinl Correspondence*. 1
WASHINGTON, —Dr. I). Estanis]no S. Zi-biiJlos, envoy oxtrnnrdinnry anil minister plenipotentiary of the Argentine Republic to this nation, is a scholar and author as well as a diplomat, and though I called on him only to {ret his views and latest figures as to the trade relations of the two nations and their rivalry in wheat exports I was soon infere.sted in many other subjects. Tho doctor is a man of medium height and very solid build, with brunette complexion and dark gray eyes, and has tho general air of a scholar and literary enthusiast. Tho legation at 1603 Massachusetts avenuo is a square and dark red brick structure, with nothing externally to distinguish it from other houses on tho street, but within it is a unique combination of library, museum, office and residence. Books are everywhere. It is scarcely an exaggeration to say that some of tho rooms aro walled in with books, and tho variety is bewildering.
A Man of Parts.
At home tho doctor is said to have one of tho IInest private libraries in South America, and his collection hero embraces everything from tho very lightest fiction to tho most profound works on archaeology. Although but a middle aged man and long a diplomat, ho has found time to be a bibliophile, a lawyer, a farmer, president of the National Rural society, geographer, journalist, historian, novelist and orator. Scattered through his possessions are ancient manuscripts, Peruvian potteries, very old coins and relics to which I cannot give names of tno Araucanian Indians. His greatest work on the antiquities of his country and tho adjoining sections is just beginning to be appreciated, and his most famous novel is founded on an old story
IS
THE ARGENTINE MINISTER.
long current among the native races. It only remains to add that ho first attracted attention as editor of La Prensaof Buenos Ayres, the paper of largest circulation in South America, and as ho is accepted authority on agriculture in that country his opinions on tho future aro of value to us.
Everybody knows that Argentina (poetical name of tho country as Columbia is of ours) is the United States of South America, consisting of 14 federal states and nino territories that it is uniquo among Spanish-American nations in having a population of unmixed European stock (there is much less admixture than in this country) that its capital, Buenos Ayres, is called the "Parisof South America, and that it is fast becoming our f-r-midable rival in the export of food products to Europe. It is not so well known, however, that a few years ago it had a regular western Yankee boom, with all the phenomena seen in this country in l.S(5fS-73 on an exaggerated scale, such as paper money galore, great subsidies to railroads, assisted immigration, Credit Mobiliers and speculative bubbles to make a man dizzy, and that the collapse doublo discounted ours. '"Butwe are coming up again." said i)r. Zeballos, ''and on a very solid basis. Our country is too new, too large, too rich in natural resources of every kind, to halt long, and it is a land in which man can attain and preserve his greatest possible health and energy."
A Great Country.
"I should bo pleased to have your latest figures on the products for this year." '"Ah, but you must get tho basis first. Start with this: That wo are the purest blooded population on the western continent, except it may be Canada. We have fewer Indians than you and no negroes, not 500 in tho whole country. Indeed tliero are many sections in which ono is a curiosity. We aro now nearly 6,000,000 of pure European blood. Tho national census will bo taken next spring, but I estimate by our ordinary growth from the last census, and there is very ample room in the country for 100,000,000 peoplo before it is as thickly settled as your oldest etatos. We have almost 1,000,000 Italians, and there aro not quite half so many of all other European born, French, Spaniards, Germans, Swedes and English, and wo aro now receiving about 130,000 immigrants a year. I may say that in climate our main area corresponds with yours from Canada to the gulf, only our most northern province runs a little into the tropics, and there altitude more than offsets latitude, but of islands we own away up south into tho polar regions." '•What do you anticipate in the way of increased production and exports within a few years?" "Well, I will put tho main fact right plain, and you need not bother about particulars, which fact is that you cannot co7npeto with us for many years. Our land averages far mora fertile than yours, is virgin and developing with the advantage of your experience. Of wheat wo speak of tho last crop as 100,000,000 bushels and this year it will bo 120,000,000 bushels, of which wo shall export nearly one-half. Now wo spoak of our territory as in round numbers 1,200,000 square miles, and if you will look at this map you will see that nearly all of it which is wheat growing is within 100 miles of tido water or tho great navigable rivers. Elsowhere tho railroads aro penetrating, and you see by tho lay of tho country that getting tho crop to the coast is but a trifle. The area sown is almost exactly 6,000,000 hectares. (A hectare is acres). Of maizo our crop this year may bo 1,100,000 tons, of^vhich wo will export over 20,000,000 bushels. Now consider our small popnlation, and tho vast area wo have yet to develop, and tho easy reach of tide water, and you have really all you want, but excuse me from particulars, for
I
have writ
ten a book on the trade relations of our etyintry, and especially its rotations with ibis country and England, and that book
l,i now being printed here in Washington." A mere glance at tho recently published official document given me by Dr. Zeballos convinced mo that the panic in Argentina was at least throo times as bad as that in this country. In 18753 their imports from the United States reached $5,167,616, which caused great rejoicing in both countries and some very Spanish-American eulogies upon tho fiscal policy of Argentina. Suddenly, in less than three months apparently, they fell one-half and in 1S76 had sunk to $1,880,770, nor did they again pass the old figures till ISSJi. The rise was phenomenal, and in 1889 wo exported to Argentina lumber, iron and steel and a few other articles to tho value of $16,801,750. Tho fall was even more sudden and destructive than before, and in 1891 their imports from us were but $3,445,994, and they went on shrinking until they but slightly exceeded $2,000,000. In 1893 tho revival was marked, and Dr. Zebcillos thinks that within a few years our trade to his country will greatly exceed the maximum of 18S9.
Our imports from them aro far more regular. Thus in 1873 we bought of them to tho value of $3,032,945, and with small variations this grew to $7,726,691, nor has it much declined since. Thus it appears that in spite of our neglect, if there has been sucli neglect as is charged, Argentina is doing more for us than wo are doing for ourselves, tho balance of trade being taken as an index. It further appears that our shipment to that country consists almost entirely of lumber, kerosene and manufactures of steel and iron, but there chavo boon years in which wo sent them largo amounts of furniture, railroad material and clothing, and iu 1875 we sent $386,935 worth of Hour.
From the tremendous falling off shown In their statistics for that year I judge that their crops failed. Until very recently hides constituted more than half of their shipments to us, wool coming next and nearly all tho rest consisting of horsehair, sheepskins and byproducts of tho cattle business, such as bones and bono dust. I must 6ay that the gentleman who does the translating may bo a very fine Spanish scholar, but his English will bear watching. Hero is a specimen, from an account of a native author, which must, have followed tho original Spanish-American floridity: "The originality and attractiveness of this ingenuous epopeo is due to its local color and exactness of picture of wild life, and also to the noble eloquence of its style, but, above all, to tho worship of tho native soil it expresses, and to tho virginal perfumo of the beloved country that impregnates each page, flattering our senses with fragrances liko thosothat emanate from tho plain refreshed by tho first drops of a summer rain."
Views of a Statistician.
I was 60 much discouraged over our farmers' prospccts by what I heard at the Argentine legation that I went to the agricultural department for comfort and had to laugh at the first thing I witnessed there. It was so very typical of the present condition in congress and the country. Secretary Morton and Statistician Robinson were in a very animated, not to sayheated, discussion of the gold basis and free silver coinage and their comparative advantages fur tho farmer. Secretary Morton's views are well known, and no Populist or silver state senator is more pronounced or emphatic in favor of free coinage than is Hon. Henry A. Robinson, the statistician. The secretary added a little more to my discouragment by giving the latest Information to the effect that Eurnpo is in a fair wiiy to enter on a general boycott against our meat products, but as ho was making ready to leave for a few days handed mo over to tho statistician. The latter smiled at tho figures given by Dr. Zoballos and said: "They always promise a much larger export down there than they have, but the main point is now plain to everybody— that the day of high priced wheat is over unless there should be a worldwide failure, which is almost an impossibility. A bad season on the eastern continent is apt to como with a good one on the western, and tho same with the northern and southern hemispheres. Wheat sowing is going on somewhere every working day in tho year, and if it were to appear that our harvest was going to be short they might and probably would sow more at once in tho southern hemisphere, and so it looks to me that the world's wheat supply will equalize every year. Supply and demand appear to have become automatic, so that a very little advance in prico will produce a great incr \so in supply. But, wheat is a very small item, and there is really no reason why it should bo the most important or even a very important item for the United States. In a great many other lines we have but just made a beginning. "By tho way, this recontitem in the papers that tho surplus wheat is disposed of is a groat mistake. There aro over 80,000,000 bushels in sight and probably as much more in tho barns. Tho farmers ought not to bo deceived in that particular. Wheat will probably, almost cortainly, in fact, remain low in price, but many other things will soon become highly profitable —that is, if our lawmakers pursue any kind of a reasonable policy." And hero Mr. Robinson indulged in some very pointed remarks on recent events and silver which need not be added to the enormous mass of that sort of literature already in stock. J. B. PARKE.
Prejudice Strong In Death. A Maine woman recently expressed some quoor wishes on her deathbed. She lived in Kennebunk and was well to 'do. She did not like the parson, so she directed that he should not take any part In her funeral, and he did not. In place of tho prayer and Scriptures essays written by her sister and her brother were road by her sister's husband, and that constituted the service. Then she had a disliko for the sexton and stipulated that sho should not bo drawn to the cemetery by his horse. Tho hearso was not his property, and she did not object to taking her last ride in that. Her wishes in this respect were followed, and another horso and driver wore secured for tho trip to tho tomb.
Revised the Inscription.
Ilero is a Russian story. A young widow put up a costly monument to her lato husband and inscribed upon it, "My griof is so great that I cannot bear it." A year or so later, however, sho married again, and feeling a littlo awkwardness about tho Inscription sho solved tho difficulty by adding ono word to it—"alone."
To Preserve South African Animals. An inclosed park of about 100,000 acres is proposod by certain English naturalists and sportsmen for tho preservation of South African mammals, such as the giraffe, zebra, eland, gnu, koodoo and ante lope, that are now threatened with extermination.
Capital Invested In Indian Missions. It is said that more than $14,000,000 is added each year to the capital invested In missions in India.
GEMS IN VERSE.
In Prison.
God pity the ivretched prisoners In their lonely cells today. •/. Whatever tho sins that tripped them,
God pity them, still, I say.
Only a strip of sunshine, Cleft by rusty bars, Only a putcli of azure,
Only a cluster of stars.
Only a barren future To starve their hope upon, Only stii: ii!! memories
Of love and honor gone.
Only scorn from women, Only hate from men, Only remorse to whisper
Of a life that might have been.
Once they were little children, And perhaps their unstained feot Were led by a gentle mother
Toward the golden street.
Therefore, if in life's forest They since have lost their way, For the s.^ke of her who loved them,
God pity them, still, I say. —May Riley Smith,
The Bobolink.
Once on a golden afternoon, With radiant faces and hearts in tune, Two fond lovers, in dreaming mood, Threaded a rural solitude. Wholly happy, they only knew That the earth was bright, and the sky was blue That light and beauty and joy and song Charmed the way as they passed along. The air was fragrant with woodland scents, The squirrel frisked on the roadside fence, And hovering near them, "Cliee, chee, chink?" Queried the curious bobolink, Pausing and peering with sidelong head, As saucily questioning all they said, While the oxeye danced on its slender stem, And all glad nature rejoiced with them.
Over the odorous fields were strown Wilting windrows of grass new mown, And rosy billows of clover bloom Surged in the sunshine and breathed perfume Swinging low on a slender limb, The sparrow warbled his wedding hymn,, And balancing on a blackberry brier The bobolink sang, with his heart on fire: "Chink! If you wish to kiss her, do! Do it, do it, you coward, you I Kiss her! Kiss, kiss her! Who will see? Only we three, we three, we three!"
Fluttering lightly from brink to brink, Followed the garrulous bobolink, Rallying loudly with mirthful din The pair who lingered unseen within. And when from tho friendly bridge at last Into the road beyond they passed Again beside them the tempter went, Keeping the thread of his argument: "Kiss her! Kiss her! Chink-a-eheo-chee! I'll not mention it! Don't mind me! I'll be sentinel. I can see All around from this tall birch tree!" But, ah! they noted, nor deemed it strange, In his rollicking chorus a trifling changed, "Do it, do it!" with might and main Warbled the telltale. "Do it again!" —Elizabeth Akers Allen.
THE SCHOOLMASTER.
In the Isle of Man spoiling lessona are still taught by pupils singing the words in chorus.
A schoolteacher near Milton, Or., recently held up the big boys of his school with a revolver while ho punished an unruly pupil.
Dressmaking and millinery are taught in the public night schools of Philadelphia. Some gray haired women have enrolled themselves as pupils.
Students of Stanford university have subscribed $500 for a "noiso making machine" to uso at athletic meets. It is a steam horn blower and would scare a sawhorse.
MRS. BLOOMER.
It is said of tho late Mrs. Bloomer of bifurcated costume fame that she never panted for glory.—Now York World.
Mrs. Amelia Janks Bloomer, tho foremother of dress reform, is dead, but her soul goes marching on.—New York Recorder.
Mrs. Bloomer, liko Captain Boycott, has become immortalized. Thus it is some unsuspecting souls have greatness thrust upon them.—Philadelphia Press.
It grows more freely on white than yellow ileshed apples, owing to tho greater acidity of the former.
In Germany and in many parts of England the mistletoe is liung over the doorway to keep away the witches.
If a sprig of mistletoe bo laid on a bedroom door in Austria, the inmates will have sweet sleep and no nightmare.
The "golden bough," or mistletoe, was the "venerable gift" which admitted JEneas to tho wonders of the lower world.
The Swiss name for mistletoe is "donnerbesen"—thunder besom—and when suspended from tho rafters was believed to protect tho house from fire.
Mistletoe was tho symbol of fertility and fecundity, and much discussion has arisen over Shakespeare's uso of the word baleful. It without doubt refers to the parasitic life of the plant eventually killing tho life of what it feeds on, as does the ivy with its tendrils.—Philadelphia Ledger.
NINE LONG WORDS.
Below are tho longest nino words in the English language at the present writing: Incomprehensibility.
Subconstitutionalist. Pliiloprogenitivencss. Honorificibilitudinity. Disproportionableness. Velocipedestrianistical. Anthropophagenenarian. Transsubstantiationableness. Proantitranssubstantiationist. —Student.
Put His Foot in the Hay lialer. MASSILLON, O., Jan. 30.—Samuel Ziegler of Center College foolishly put one foot in his hay baler. Snow fell from, tho roof, scaring tho horses and Ziegler's foot was instantly clone up securely in a bale. It was crushed to the thickness of paper.
Will liulltl a Cotton Mill.
COLUMBIA, S. C., Jan. 80.—Augusta, Ga., and Aiken, S. C., capitalists formed a company"at Aiken yestgrday to build a $400,000 cotton mill at Bath, in Aiken county, S. C. Work will be commenced at once.
No Change.
SALEM, Or., Jan. 30.—There was 110 ohange in the senatorial situation yesterday. Dolph, 42 Hare, 10 Weatherford, 8 Hermann, 7 Williams, 10 Lord, 6 Lowell, 8 Moore, 2 Barkeley, 1.
Death of a Leper.
SWBK«PT, O., Jan. 80.—The young woman, Miss Geary, reported having leprosy, died.
Delivered
names
of
is Wmmm
ifi 'i "*v
be published this week,
your
i'f',
Journal and Republican, News and. Republican,
t-
MEMiDE DRESSES
A PEACTICALEXPOSITION OF THE 7( GEXTLF ART OF SAVING MONEY. iimmiiiimMm-mm.
a
Olive Harper
Is a sufficient guarantee of the reliability of the principles set down and the directions given in our Homemade Dresses page. She is known throughout the entire country as a singularly sensible, lucid and accuiate fashion writer, and liersignature will be sure to attract theatten ion of all feminine leadcis. 01i\e Harper's previous Home Dressmaking pages were very popular, and it will be necessary for you to make haste in ordering the
GREENFIELD EVENING KEPI BLICAN
Beginning Monday Evening, Jan. 28, 1895.
Every evening there will be a one-column article on Home Dressmaking, each one of which will be worth many times to a family what the paper costs—only ten cents a week. "We also publish^ on Monday of each week
Talmage's Sermon
the day before in New York. Three letters from Special Correspondents each week. Choice Short Stories. Poetry. Six columns of telegraphic news matter each day, with the latest news from all over the world, and a special column devoted to Indiana News. You will also get all the news concerning people and events in Greenfield and Hancock county as they occur each day. Your name and the
friends and acquaintances will appear there. All this you get for only 10 cents a week. In connection with the REPUBLICAN we furnish the Indianapolis Daily Journal and the Indianapolis Daily
Delivered a.t your door.
If you are already taking these papers do us the favor to hand this circular to ycur neighbor, as lie might| be "induced to subscribe. Subscribe with our carrier boys, drop us a postal card, or call at the office.
14 South Pennsylvania Street.
W. s.
GRANT'S -MEMOIRS
Which, in two volumes, formerly sold at $7.00, $9,00 and $11.00, are now ./printed in one volume, and by special
arrangement }T)U can get the complete 'j'work at the RErunLiCAJV office
ONLY
14 South Pennsylvania St. W. S. MONTGOMERY, Prop.
IB«!*
Eiilliilii
V,
a, iw
OMEN who make their own dresses are regarded with envy by their less gifted sisters in these hard times, when economy is a necessity with many well-to-do people. Any8 thing that gives information on'the subject of home dressmaking is seized upon eagerly and its utility tested by practical application. The test—there's the rub! We desire to cater to feminine readers, and you must know that it is important to satisfy tlieii expectations. The reputation of
il you wish to secure the six articles which will
MONTGOMERY,
Proprietor Daily and Weekly Republican
20c loe