Greenfield Evening Republican, Greenfield, Hancock County, 14 February 1895 — Page 3

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PLAGE 10 BUI!

YOUR

Groceries,

Fine Fruits,

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Is at

No. 5!) \\. Mi SI. foul ISiL

Spt-cial atientiou given to children. Knd iv I'll'!-, we earnestly solicit ii. shaie of your patron.i.re.

Goods

livered l'ree of charge.

URIAH GARR1S

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Tlios. J. On* the old reliable music dealer, luis put in a stock of

New and Second-hand Organs, w$g^|

And wants people desiring any kind of an instrument to ea.ll and see liiin. Money saved sure. THOMAS J. ORR.

West Main St., Greenfield.

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liuiiaiiiapoiis 2H1si«

Schedule of Passenger Trains-Central Time ''"~r~t?"TTJai. AM \.M .\M v.M I'M AM

Westward.

r«»Iu subsist Ui'bana fiqna Covington Urii'if. »i"l -Ic Gettysburg 1VIMI 1110 ... Weavers New Madison .... Wilc.vs New I'ar.s Kiclimciiil. CVntrevdle Gennant.own Cambridge City. Dublin StraAvns. Lexvisville IMinrcith Knightto\vn (Jliarlottsviflo Cleveland (treenlield Philadelphia Cumberland. Irvington tutiiaiiiipollM

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*2 35*5 30*7 i5 8 45 'j II!- *7 15 7 00 va 10 25 4 34 8 30 7 50 P'ty- 21 5 28 9 13 8 04, 11 36 5 4' 8 20 "II 11 50 (j 05 9 35

1H56I'-. 15 AIT.

8 39 5- 12 08 6 3U s-n 12M7 f3 5S g-g 12 25 55 .. 12131

12 39

15 AM

6 00! 9 25 10 4012 50 7 30 6 05| 9 30 *10 45 1 05 7 40 16 20 1 15 7 54 6 33

S-o 11

6 50

10 02i

1 28 8 13. 6

1 34 7 02 142. ., 7 in 1 4?j 7

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7 451140 1230 3201015 8 5 AM AM I'M PM PM I AM

Eastward.

Kt a 2Q h"

AM AM I'M I PM I PM *4 5018 00*7

Irvintrlon CunitK-rland Plillailolpliiii Gicunliefd Clovel nil Cliarlottsvillo .... Kni^liistown Dunieilli Lewisvillo Hlrawns Dublin CiuiibndKo City. Germantown Ccntreville.. Kiclunoiid Jfew I'aris.... Wiley yew Madison Weavurs Green villo Gett.VKitnrK Jiiiidford Jc Covington Piqiia Urbana Coliim£iitt

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5 26 8 46! If9 02' 5' 9 06 5 47 9 17| 5 58 9 30

5 45

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I 9 40 S 9 47 9 56 S"

6 2410 02 B10107 6 4510 22 7 0010 35 8 35 7 101045 840 430 7 35 (7 2110 55i f7 31 lH05i 7 3811 11 f7 4711119' 7 5811 30) f8 11-11 431 82512S10! 8 3412 181 8 4612 321 9 40

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8 21

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f8 33 8 45 854 9 06 9 59

1 25

1115

3 15,11 5ft

AM PM I I'M

8 1511

PM I I'M

3 Meals. Flag Stop.

o«. 2,6, Hand 20 connect at Colnmbiu fo*Pittsburgh and the hast, and at Richmond lor Dayton, Xenia and Springfield, and No. 1 for Cincinnati.

Trains leave Cambridge City at t7.05 a. rn. and f2 00

Kushville, Shelby villi*, Co

lumbus and intermediate .stations. Arrive Cambridge City t12-30 and t6 35 PJOSEPH WOOD, E. A. FORI),

Gsnoral Managtr, General Passenger Agent,

1-20-95-"R PiTTsnuiton, PENN'A. For time cards, rat.es of fare, through tirkclH, baegago chucks and further information re carding the running of trains apply to any Agent of the Pennsylvania Lines.

General or Joe«l

(71

Ladies or genti. nJBnlo. */u week. Rxelntlre territory. The RapM Dlik

Wiahw. Waabeaall lb*

dishes for a familj in one minute. Washei, rinaea and dries ihem without wetting the hauds. Yno push the button, thenischfnedor« the r"»t. Hrieht, polished tli«h.'« and cheerful wiv. .. r«i, ,1 .fiiigt.rs,ttoHoiip.|hiiii(!H.rr :l N-. broken dlhi.«,iioutims. Ch duritoi^.WArriarit«..r Ch .-.ii.-i r-.

BABBI80TI *CO» Clerk. No. 1*. nlHinhuO.

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iaijl-HAI-WEI BATTLE

Details of the Recent Conquest of the Japanese.

EMPRESS OF CHINA ARRIVES.

Vol oliamn -Advices to 1-Vb. 1 Tlioy Sliow tin* Kveiits ^'liicli Led Up to the Wei-Hai-Wei Coiuiucst and tlie Preliminary \Vorlt !iie I'eace Cominissitm—)tliel

War Xcws. VICTORIA, B. C., Fob. 14.—The stoamshi]) lCmpress of China has just arrived with Yokohama advices to Feb. 1. They are interesting as showing the events which lel up to the W ei-Hai-^V ei connest ami tlie preliminary work of the peace commission. 1 he third of the Japanese "Teat military expeditions was launched .Jan. 1!. I when the lirst deraehinent of tlie newiv oriivinized army corps set sail froiu

Talien bay in ii) transport vessels convoved by siroim' naval forces. Tlien destination wa an inlet at the^ extrenn' eastern p.--.in!" of the Shan Turn.' peninsula, near Vi :m-('lien, but in ordei to mislead the enemy a small son.idrun was sent on the same morning to fortil'v the port of Tun.y-ChoNVj so:ne-H miii' west of Cho-Foo. with instructions tt: o].en a heavy bombardment a Mi make show of attempt in.: to land troops. The invaders conset[(ientiy encoiintcretl vigorous opposition at the spot lliey had chosen.

Tii'- transports arrived at dawn on Jan. "JO, and before evening the soldiers were all on C'hinee soil. A battery of four u'uns opened lire from small cv.rthen works as the .u-sf l«oa approached, but this was silenced by ii few broadsides from Yayeyama Kwan, and the defenders, about 100 in number, scampered inland, leaving their artillery. Although a severe storm delayed the movements of the Japanese, the infantry advanced the same night tc Yung-Cheng, eight miles from the coast, and about 2o miles east of Wei-Hai-Wei.

On the morning of Jan. 21, a second flotilla of 20 ships arrived, bringing the balance of the corps, which is now understood to consist of the second grand division of the army from Sendai, under Lieutenant General Sakuma, and a brigade taken from a large body stationed in the Liao-Tung peninsula. Marshal Oyama holds chief command. The march to the interior was proceeded with until a considerable portion of the troops was at Yung-Chung.

Further progress eastward was deferred until information could be received, as the probabilities of interruption on the road to Wei-Hai-Wei, and the actual condition of the passes ovei the intervening ranges and hills. It was soon learned from scouting parties that the enemy were posted in some strength at Kieshan, on the coast road to the naval station, and at Chaotes on the more southern road. Jan. 28 the Japanese advance guard was still at Puliutsun, five miles beyond Hung-Clieng, and the balance of the corps was distributed between that point, and the landing place on the coast.

Ex-Secretary J'oster Well Ki-ceived. Ex-Secretary Foster was treated with especial courtesies daring iiis stay at Toido and Koba. During the lirst days of his stay at Kobe j\lr. Foster exchanged many telegrams with the Chiliese government-. They were believed to be reference to the power and authority of Chang and Hhao, the. Chinese peace commissioners, regarding which the .Japanese were all along very douliti'u.1, especially as they were by no mean.s convinced of the integrity of China's intent ion.

Mr. Foster was given to understand that unless ample powers were guaraiiteed by thej.y credentials the envoys would not even be admitted to a heariug. The diplomatic contest will be stubburit. At this date China does not jet seem to realize that Japan will deoral id a cession of territory, and it is anticipated that the humiliation of losing any of her continental domain is more than she will be willing to endure.

The Chinese embassy arrived at Hiroshinia on the 31sfc, and were received with the formalities due to their official position. Apartments were provided for the two heads of the commission in I the government houses, and Mr. Foster was invited to the residence of a member of the Asano family, to which the province in which Hiroshima is situated, formerly belonged.

Chiuese Repulsed.

Tlie Chinese generals are striving to dislodge Lieutenant General Katsura from his advanced position at HaiCheng, with greater persistency than they have shown at any previous time. Twice during the month of January a body of 14,000 men has beeu led against him from Laio-Yang, only to be disgracefully repulsed. The result of both attacks to the Japanese was a loss of one killed and about 60 wounded. These engagements can not be culled battles, for the Chinese tactics consist in forming their line at too remote a distance for their weapons to be effective. The reason for rkeir demonstrations is that by proceeding westward, a few miles, Katsura can separate all the native troops in the province of Shin-King from their base of supplies, and they hope to keep him in his present quarters.

No Japanese Vessels suuk.

Admiral Count Kawamura, for many years the head of the Japanese navy department-, publishes an emphatic denial of a statement sent out by a foreign correspondent at Port Arthur, that tlie torpedo boats sunk 10 junks tilled with people. The admiral was on board the Japanese warship during the whole engagement. He asserts that it was totally impossible for any one accompanying the land forces to see what was done on the water. As a matter of fact, he testified that no Japanese vessele were sunk. One wsis chased, but it ran ashore before it could be caught, and its occupants all landed and escaped. •JapaueHe Budget.

For the lirst time in several years the Japanese government's budget has beeu accepted by parliament with scarcely au amendment proposed and virtually without opposition. The budget appears, however, to have been compiled without regard to special exigencies or the war. The estimated expenditures exceed those of the preceding year, but almost the whole of this increase will be devoted to hastening the construction of ships ordered by the navy in 181)3 and which can be completed in time to take part in fr.'so present conflict.

American liivolition.

The two American adventurers, Wilde

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f* ,5 __ «.

and Howie, who were arrested in Japan while on their way to china with the avowed purpose of annihilating the Japanese navy by their newly invented explosive, and who were released on giving pledges that they would not attempt to proceed to their destination, have nevertheless completed their journey as originally proposed, and are now putting together their destructive machinery in Tien-Tsin.

Earthquake Upheavals.

It lias been thought that JS94 would be Japan's champion earthquake year for the last half of the century, but rfiis year lias started in with an apparent determination to win the belt. Scarcely a single day of January passed without disagreeable upheavals. Their frequency is causing great anxiety.

The .Tap* Next ^tove.

LONDON. Feb. 14.—A Kong-Kong dispatch to Tlie Times says it is supposed that the Japanese will threaten FooCliow, capital of the province of Fukien, after they have secured Wei-Hai-Wei. The Chinese are preparing for the defense of that place.

Officers of the j.lritish warship-Spar-tan have arrived in Hong-Kong, 'they I'onlirm tlie statement that three Chinese warships, iwoof them being ironclads. were sunk at Wei-Hai-Wei, and that all flie Chinese torpedo boats were oiiiier captured or sunk. They state that eighi torpedo boats went out of the harbor ap]:aie ::jy with tlie intention of attacking tlie ."Japanese licet, bnt instead of doing so,

hey

ran alongside of tlia

Japanese flagship and then surrendered. Some of the torpedo boats were run ashore and their crews escaped by jump- I iiig to the land.

Peace Envoys Start llomo.

KAOASAKI. Japan., Feb. 4. Tlio envoys who vturned hero from Hiroshima after having lieen informed by tiie Japanese representatives that theii powers were not considered full enough for them to undertake peace negotiations, left here yesterday for China, having lieen notified by their government to return to that country.

Chinese Forces Mobilizing*

LONDON, Feb. 14.—A dispatch to The

have been given from Pekin to mobilize the large forces in Tsing-Chow to relieve Wei-Hai-Wei. Tsing-Chow is in the province of Shan-Tung, in which Wei-Hai-Wei is also situated, and is about 220 miles west by south of Wei-Hai-Wei. sf

MEXICAN NEWS.

No Change in the 1 cxicuii-Cual.cmalaii Negotiations— Other Hems. CITY UF MKXICO, Feb. 14.—There is

110

change in the Mexican-Guatemalan negotiations. The warship Indepeneia has left Coatzacoalcos carrying official mail from Guatemala.

San Salvadorian Minister Castellanos is confined to his rooms b.y a lame foot. The government continues receiving offers of aid in case of war with Guatemala.

Many young men are learning to drill in tlie barracks so as to be. prepared. A number of young ladies of good families here and in Tacnbaya arts offering their services to go and take care of the wounded in case of hostilities.

PresYient Diaz personally attended trials of the new guns and target practice of troops.

Letters have reached here from the southern frontier saying that the people there are as a unit in favor of war and are anxious that it commence at once.

For Ijife.

Lonisvn/LK, Fel). J4.—In the United States court yesterday Randall Adams was sentenced to the penitentiary for life. He was

011

Times from Shanghai says that orders would contain a copy of the much desired contract. The minority of the committee was granted leave to file a report against the joint resolution and have it printed for use of the members.

trial for conspiracy in I

the murder of Marshal Russell Wireman, who was killed

011

March 25, 1!SN!.

in Knott county. The jury were out only five minutes. Motion for a new trial was entered by Adams' counsel, and the court fixed Feb. Ii) as the day for hearing it.

Farmer Frozen to Deat.li.

CiKt.'LKVILLI O., Feb. 14.—Rowland Ater, 4o, was frozen to death and was found by James Bennett at Woodlyn yesterday morning. Ater was a farmer of Deer Creek township and owned 400 acres of land. He came to Circleville Monday, became intoxicated, and, when within a mile of his home, fell out of the buggy

to his face in tlie snow.

Snow iu New Mexico.

ALBUQUKRQUK, N. M., Feb. 14.—The storm which visited New Mexico this week is described as the worst in 30 years by pioneer residents. There ia snow on the ground here to the depth of 10 inches. The snow and cold weather extends south 200 miles from Albu querque. El Paso reports a hard freeze

Clothing and Liquor Destroyed. SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 14.—Fire last

night destroyed the clothingstore of Lipman & Wallerstein, tlie Kentucky Liquor company's store, Smith's drugstore and Sam Levy's tobacco and cigarstore. Loss estimated at $75,000 insured.

Overdue Steamer Sighted.

NEW YORK, Feb. 14.—A special from Savannah to The World says the lumber steamer City of St. Augustine from Jacksonville, Feb. 6, for New York, nine days overdue, has been sighted by a schooner arriving there.

Schooner Seized.

ing delivered arms to the revolutionists at the Hawaiian Islands.

Associated Press Members.

CHICAGO, Feb. 14.—The second annual meeting of tlie Associated Press was held in Recital hall at the Auditorium yesterday. The attendance of members was large.

All Voted.

BOISE CITY, Feb. 14.—All members were, present yesterday when the vote for United States senator was taken. Result: Shoup, 20 Sweet, 19 Claggett, 15.

(General

SAN Dieoo, Cal., Feb. 14.—The schooner H. C. Holberg, Captain Mar- 00(g 70. siiecp—mxtra, and lambs tin, 011 arrival at this port, was seized f4 20@4 50 good, $3 40@3 80 fair, $2 50@ by Collector Fisher 011 a charge of hav-

liussey Is lletter.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.—General Bussey is reported much impr ved at tlia emergency hospital. He will not, however, be removed to his home for a few days.

Not Guilty.

SIDNEY, O., Feb. 14.—In the case of John Ralm, Jr., of Cincinnati, charged with embezzlement, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

'CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.

Tlie Financial Situation Discussed in the Senate and Nothing: Done in tlie House. WASHINGTON,

Feb. 14.—The senate

beg in its session yesterday with a spirited discussion of the financial question, but soon turned its attention to the postoffice appropriation bill, and spent the rest of the day on the proposition to have the government own railway postal cars.

Mr. Vilas (Dem.. Wis.) brought on the financial discussion by offering a bill granting to the president

the

authority

lie had requested in his recent message for issuing 3 per cent bonds payable in gold.

Mr. Sherman offered a substitute to the silver Jiill reported Tuesday, providing1 for gold bi.inds and temporary gold certificates.

The two Colorado senators, Mr. Teller and Mr. Wolcott. called attention to the fact that the syndicate of bankers who had secured control of these liouds were now marketing them in London at 112 1-2. making a net profit- oi S percent at tlie outset. Tiie debate brought out frequent references to the contract letween the trea-airy department and the bankers as a result. Mr. Aldrieh of Ivhode island offered a resolution calling on the president for a copy of the contract.

Tlie senate agreed to the house resolution extending the time for making returns on ti:e income tax to April 15, next.

House Proceedings.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 14.—Tlie house devoted the day to business relating to the District of Columbia, and with but one exception, was featureless. During the debate, Mr. Van Voorhis of Xew York secured the floor and introduced a resolution calling upon the commit tee on ways and means towfnrnish to the house the contract of the recent bond negotiation and such other information as the secretary of the treasury had communicated to the committee.

Mr. Wilson immediately informed the house that the majority report upon the joint resolution providing for :$ per cent gold bonds, which had been favorably acted upon by the committee,

The house then adjourned.

Lunuj Rainbow.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14.—The steamer Colon from Panama brought a story of a lunar rainbow that was witnessed at Colon

011

tlie 11th of January.

At first a light (-loud of vapor appeared, then the bow formed. The 01 irs were peculiar and startling. This is the first evidence of lunar rainbows since the sixteenth century.

Penality For Opening a Letter. SPRINGI.TKLD, Ills., Feb. 14.—111 the

United States circuit court yesterday Miss Nora Welton, assistant postmistress at Argenta, Macon county, pleaded guilty to opening a letter addressed to her sweetheart, Edgar Six, and was fined $50 and costs, which she paid and was released from custody.

Removed For Safekeeping.

MOUNT STKRUNG, Ky., Feb. 14.— James Roach and Dick Foreman, who have been indicted for the lynching of Tom Blair, were taken to Lexington yesterday evening for safekeeping. Circuit" Judge Cooper was afraid Blair's friends might attempt to mob them.

Counterfeiter Arrested.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 4.—Giovanni Mountlebauni, arrested in Vallojo in 181S-1 for counterfeiting coins and released from jail and reported dead in 1S!)0, at an Italian village, has been rearrested and a quantity of counterfeit coins found

011

his person.

l'ound Nearly Dead.

WELCH. W. Va., Fob. J4.—Charles Delaney, a Scotchman,was brought here in a critical condition. He was found in an empty coke oven at Powhaftan, this county, and was nearly dead from cold and hunger. He had been in the oven five days. ,,

One More Hal lot.

DOVER, Del., Feb. 14.—One ballot was taken in joint session of tlie legislature for the selection of a United States senator. It resulted as follows: Higgins,

Addicks, 6 Massey, 4, Republicans Wolcott, Bayard, 3, Democrats.

Hills Signed.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.—The president has signed the army appropriation bill and the act authorizing the appointment of cadets at the naval academy.

Cash and Gold.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.—Yesterday's statement of the condition of the treasury shows: Available cash balance, $141,423,445 gold reserve, $42,215,081.

Indications.

Snow flurries, followed by fair weather in the interior probably slightly warmer southwest winds.

THE MARKETS.

Review of the Grain and Cattle Market* For February 13.

Pittsburg.

Cattle—Prime, $5 00@5 20 good, $4 45@ 4 65 good butchers, $3 U0@4 10 rough fat, $3 U0@3 70 fair light Steers, $3 10@ 3 35 fat cows and heifers, 12 35@3 SO bulls, stags and cows, $2 00@3 25 fresh cows ei ipringers, fl5 00(g35 00. HogsPhil delp lias, $4 35@4 40 tcst mixed, $4 3U(«H OO Yorkers, #4 15@4 25 roughs, $3 00(53 75. Sheep—Extra, and lambs

'*v- ctmimnn *1 nosftg no- inmh«

Buffalo.

Wheat—No. 2 red, 58c. Corn No. 2 yellow, 47c No. 3 yellow, 46%c. Oats—No. 2 white, 36c No. 2 mixed, 33^c. Cattle— Oxen, $3 50@3 70 fair to good fat cows, |2 t50(#3 00. Hogs—Pigs, |4 35 roughs, $3 50@5 75. Sheep and Lambs Extra prime, $0 00 fair to good, (5 00@5 50 culls and common, 93 50@4 75.

Cilitiilinakii

Wheat—56c. Corn-i-43$44^e. Cattle— Select butchers, 13 35@4 50 fair to good, $3 50@4 25 common, $2 35@3 40. Hogs— Selected and prime butchers, $4 40@4 50 packing, $4 20(?$4 40 common to rough, $3 75(t§4 15. Sheep—$2 00(jj)4 50. Lambs— $3 25(«i5 25.

Chicago.

Hogs—Selected butchers, f4 35@4 45 packers, #4 15($4 30. Cattle—Prime steors, »5 10(®5 50 others, $3 00@4 25 cows anu bulls, $1 75(0)3 86. Sheep-$2 75@4 50 lambs, $3 50@5 50.

New York. -.

Cattle—$4 50@5 00. Sheep—$3 50@5 00 lambs, 94 5O0tf 50.

7-^~""3^.v^ "'J^

XflE CROP ESTIMATE.

GIGANTIC TASK FOR THE AMERI

CAN FARMER.

The Truly Phenomenal Wheat Crops of 1891-1!—3Ioro Than 300,000,000 Husliels Loft to Embarrass tin Market—The sumption (raining on Produetio:

Sperial Corri'siiomlrnco.]

W.WIINOTON, Feb. 4.—The war on tho aunculiural department, which has long been chronic, now bids fair to becoinn acute, if it lie lawful to speak of it as a disease. The department is condemned bv the railroad interests for putting tiie crop estimates too lmv and by tho farmers for putting tlicni too high, by the rival bureau of Uodge, Snow cV Oo. for various departure.- from their methods, by silveriies and Populists because it is officially for monometallism and by a few million other folks because Secretary .Morton is, as they put it, "so stuck on himself." It has, however, one defender who is a host in himself—namely, the crop statistician and farmer opiimist, O. Wood Davis—and as lie is now accepted in l-aigland as America's best expert, the department reports sm in that realm. The penple have not paid much attention to this lit tie war because the finances have absorbed all popular interest, but it is really quit" important, and it is now possible to give an intelligent opinion on the met its of the departnsent and 1 he correctness of its reports.

Mexico Not Much ol" a Rival. After worrying Chairman Hatch of tlie house committee 011 agriculture until, as 1 fear, lie dreaded the sight of me, I sought certainty at several other places. Tho Mexican minister gave me a very entertaining talk on the prospects of his country and has since, kindly supplemented it with a written article 011 tho effects of free, silver coinage there, but lie soon convinced me tiiat -Mexico is our rival in nothing unless it may be sugar and cattle. Tlie Argentine minister almost convinced nie that we might as well go out of tho wheat business, as his country could supply all tho needs of Europe, and tho de-

SECRKTARY MORTON.

partment's latest advices from Australia indicate that wheatgrowers tliero have about given up tlie idea of competing with Argeni.ine. I soon found, liowever, that the world's demands are very certain to far outgrow Argentine's capacity, and after digesting all the tables down to the lirst of this year I went again to the agricultural department. They gave mo a room to myself, with all the reports for ten years and an analysis of their system, tho latest letters from our consuls abroad and the services of nil expert clerk to explain everything, and I went at the mass determined to understand the subject or perish in the attempt. 1 had no difficulty in locating the main trouble The source of it was in tlie truly phenomenal crops of 1S91-2. Tho department twice raised its estimates and still had them by far too low. Starting with 1,000,000,000 bushels of wheat in round numbers for tho two crops, it raised them to 1,12S,000,000 bushels, but tlio trade movement showed tho yield to bo larger still, and it is now suggested by some experts that the crops of those two years may liavo reached the truly amazing aggregate of 1,300,000,000 bushels. Those two years will long rank in history as years when the earth literally "brougJit forth by handfuls," as in Joseph's time in Egypt, and in a less enlightened ago miracle would havo been called in to explain them and myths and legends havo multiplied. As an immense amount had been carried over from 1880-90, ib really scorns as if tlio American farmer had tho task of disposing in two years of nearly 1,350,000,000 bushels of wheat. Cautious experts would mako tho amount only 100,000,000 less. As tlie outside estimates for food were 520,000,000 bushels and for seed 110,000,000 bushels and tho exports account for but 417,000,000 bushels, it is evident that considerably over 200,000,000 bushels were left to embarrass tho market for the two subsequent years.

Difficulties of Estimating."

It is this surplus which our farmers havo beou lucking beforo them from year to year. It has vitiated all subsequent calculations, and thus tho trade movement every year allows more grain than tho department estimates. Of courso this cannot last, and this year the two are likely to come out oven. As tho department had greatly underestimated tho two "surprise crops," it Is open to its enemies to charge that it Is in tho habit of underestimating, and as the crop reports are made up about tho time that Wall street wants to boom railroad stocks, dividends depending on the grain to be transported, and Chicago speculators want to depress the market, thero is a line opening for a war of experts. Another and a very curious diiliculty is that in some staples the local reports habitually overestimate and In others grossly underestimate. Thus, In looking over tho tobacco reports, 1 found that for several years while this work was only bureau business the producers counted down so much faster than the statistician could count up that the reports became utterly worthless, and a delegation of the trade called on him and remonstrated vigorously. I

Ho read thein a reply which is a curious compound Of apology and defiance, and' in it is this Interesting statement: In a previous year the assessors in Kentucky, officials sworn to return the exact amount for taxation, put tho aggregato so low that ho raised it and excited their wrath, but the actual sales showed it to be 57 per cent greater than their assessment. Mr. J. R. Dodge, then statistician, was so savagely uttacked by various papers and interests that for throe years thero were practically no full reports except on corn, wheat and oats, lie had been In tho olTlce a quarter of a century, but went out with tho Harrison administration. Wo have the word of himself and his assistant, Mr. B. W. Snow, that they had done splendid for tho government, from which I suppose that tlioy concluded that they could do still better for themselves, and having the gov

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ernment system down pretty fine they got up a bureau of their own. The tobacco men have abated none of their hostility to Mr. Dodge, and as he has recently criticised the tobacco reports of the department a sarcastic Kentuckian wants to know if his stiliry dates back to that interview in Irs7, when, says this member, we overhauled him so vigorously."

Sources of Krror.

'This is giv-n as an illustration of the hostility between the bulls and bears, and of course the same parties charge that Mr. Snow fell imo the hands of the Chicago speculators interested in depressMig the. market, while the ot her side charges tlio depart mcnt with all sorts of perversions in the. interest of the bulls. One thing is ccriniii—there is a regular discrepancy, the .-yndieatc of papers taking the Snow estimates alwuys putting the crop much:' higher than docs the department. It is further certain lhat the l,ade movement diti for some years show a much larger: crop than tiie department estimates, the e::ces.s being -i 1. coo.una lau-hels in lb'.K). 3 i:.3.uOt).iKK.1 in 1MU. eOn.O'j in lr.J2 and Iii,u .1 "i.i On in is'.Ki bat, a- ai'ore.-aiil. theindi anions now are that tiie dead weight left over from the "surprise years" is prctty well worked off. and that tins year the trade movement will justify the department A single io-tn will show the drift of iie id lice. Jan. IU the gel-' vator linn of tiie n.irihwest-, which has 100 elevators the Chicago and Northwestern al- oad and branches between tho-. Mississippi and .Missouri riu rs, reports that (i? of those elevators are idle for want of grain, ami the firm's seeretjirv gives it as his opinion that the crop of South Dakota was only s.t/t.o.Ooo bushels, in stead of lii.O'.KJ.OOo, as reported.

One le.ote source of error should be noted. At lev-

reports wri'u obtained

largely from those in tlie railroad interest., and tlie department had to be constantly on guard again.-t overestimates, but as tho nitichinery got in better order tiie reports came in directly from farmers, and in IN'JO it was discovered that farmers were rapidly tending to underestimate. Tho department, long accustomed to guard against one exaggeration, was suddenly called on to guard against the exact opposite, ami on top of this came tlie "surprise crops" of lh'.llEven so cautious anil experienced a calculator as Wood I )avis wns badly deceived by this combination. He had confidently promised that the grain glut would soon give way, and that this year at tho furthest would bring rising prices. The Hungarian minister of agriculture and II. Kains Jackson of England, probably the best estimators in Kurope, raised his figures and put the world's yield of lS' i3 at something over 2.20u.uu0,000 bushels, but tho trade movements showed that even they underestimated it, and though our own crop was short the world that year probably produced nearly 2,-lOn.OOe.OUH And only -15 years ago— but the business was not then on a scientific basis—experts estimated the world's crop of wheat ad only 800,000,000. Iso wonder it is cheap!

Laws Against Options.

A singular and rather amusing feature of the situation is that they are having exactly the same kind of a quarrel in Oermany, with tlio same complaints anu al most the same remedies proposed. The latest communication from Hon. CiU'i'les de Kay, our consul general at ISerlin, tcllsgf general conventions of tin? agriculturists and presents figures showing that, although they pay less wages than are paid in England and but one-third of ours, they are producing wheat at an actual loss. Almost every remedy suggested by the Populists and every bill advocated by Chairman Hatch has strenuous advocates there, and the landowners' coil volition in Saxony early in January rcconi mended government silos and warehouses, with certificates to the producer on which he could borrow, while other conventions declared for "strict l.aws against option sales and a radical reform in tho finances of the empire..

Mr. de Kay hints that the discontented Germans go much further in tho direction of socialism than tiny farmer in this country has yet ventured to propose and gives some long and unpronounceable German names of the societies they are trying to organize. All the farmers know that the government estimates the wheat crop of last year at 4ti,OUO,000 bushels, and that the rival bureau out west puts it sonio 50,000,000 bushels larger, but the important fact on which all authorities agree is that the acreage is not increasing, and the crop average for the past two years is decreasing, and that a powerful economic law has come to the farmer's aid. -i

Whenever an article of general desire is greatly cheapened, the consumption increases greatly, but when tho price again rises consumption does not correspondingly fall off, for tho habit of use has been established. Thero are at least 100,000,000 more people using wheat than thero were 12 years ago, and yet 5,000,000 colored peoplo and 1,000,000 whites in tho far south uso corn bread almost exclusively. And this brings mo to tlio greatest mystery in tho business, and one which th. department cannot explain. It is the most notorious of well known facts that tlio corn crop has declined rapidly for four years, and that last year it was at least 40 per cent smaller than the crop of 18U0, and yet all the commercial results are the same as if thero had been a great increase. Tho department estimates tho crop of last year at 1,213,000,000 bushels, the smallest since 1881. In 1S91 the crop was 2,000,000,000, and in 1803 it had declined to 1,610,000,000 Now it is certain that there was no surplus left over that tho stock on hand at the beginning of this year is extremely small that exports havo decreased but a triflo, and that consumption has boon fairly maintained, and yet the price of corn Is steadily going down. It knocks my arithmetic. Here is where tho silverites get in their work. All we can say by way of conclusion is that consumption of grain is once more gaining on production, and that, financial troubles aside, thero appears upon the horizon a faint gleam of hope for the farmer, the advices from all nations pointing, though somewhat obscurely, to tho approach of a better day. J. B. PARKE.

The Peridot.

Jowelors say that tho peridot is a species of olivine, of the same class as the beryl, aquamariue and topaz, and that it is, in fact, tho ancient topazion," otherwise known as the chrysolite. It is found in Egypt, Ceylon, Peru and Brazil, good crystals being extremely Tare. Of its various shades of green—olive, leaf, pistachio or leek—tho clear leaf green is the most admired, as a rule. Of all the precious atones tho peridot is the most difficult to polish. The llnal touch is given on a copper wheel moistened with sulphuric acid, a process which requires the greatest care, for, if dipped into the acid, the stone has tho peculiarity of becoming soluble. Sometimes it is cut in rose form or en cabochon, liko tho oarbunclc, but it is better and moro valuable when worked in small steps,

as the brilliauce is thereby increased.