Ligonier Banner., Volume 31, Number 2, Ligonier, Noble County, 16 April 1896 — Page 3

A - "% °7 i ¢ O B CapilannChintls Friig [{Copynight, 1804, by the Author,) . CHAPTER V.—CONTINUED. *May I speak to the major?” was his abrupt request, as he stood erect at the doorway, his hand raised in salute. Thornton wheeled round in his chair snd looked up in quick-interest. “Certainly, sergeant. Go ahead!” . “As I understand it, sir, Lieut. Crane’s party followed the trail into the canyon, and would go on through in pursuit.” 3 ‘ *‘That’s my understanding also,” said the major. “And did the major order the detachment that followed Lieut. Crane to go on till they came up with him?” '“Yes. He couldn’t go very far, you * know; he took no rations.” : “I know, sir; but from what I hear the lieutenant rode straight into the canyon and expected to find the raiders there somewhere. Once into it, sir, there’s no way out but through it.” ‘“Very true.” ) “Well, what I’'m afraid of, sir, is this —the Indians who have run that stock into the canyon so as.to make a trail to draw the troops in pursuit are only two or three in number, but if there are more Indians in those hills—and the chances are there are—" and Kelly pointed significantly to the rugged heights so nearly overshadowing them - —*‘‘the most of them will be found lying on their bellies up the cliffs and ready to heave down whole tons of rock on our fellows in the gorge.” Thornton started to his feet and stared eagerly out of the north window in front of him. ‘‘That’s a very serious matter,” he said, ‘‘but wouldn’t we have heard of it by this time? The cliffs are \ nearly all down at this end, are they not?” - “Most of ’em are, sir; but there’sa bad slit within a mile of the north gate, nearly twelve miles from here, and another about midway. If they jump the troops at this end they’d know the reserves here would be galloping up the game trails east or west of the can_yon in no time, whereas if they wait and let the lieutenant and his party grope along to that narrow part of the canyon, just below where old Sanchez and his people were drowned out, why, they’ve got ’em, sir; got ’em where they can’t hit back or help themselves in any way.” L The major hastened out into the open sunshine, now beating hot and dry upon the adobe walls. ‘Bring my horse, orderly,” he called, as he stowed away his unfinished report, and a boy trumpeter with his slouched hat pulled down to keep the sun from his eyes, turned away from where a little knot of men had just buried the body of the hapless Mexican therder and darted into the corral, presently reappearing , with the major’s reluctant charger towing at the end of a taut bridle rein. “Now ‘-let Sergt. IKelly have your horse,” said Thornton, ‘‘and give my "~ compliments to Capt. Turner and ask him to join us. Come, sergeant, show me the trails,” : ‘ Old Kelly was already in.saddle be- ' mpide the commander, and, never wait-

. ’ o (‘! xS ‘l ! ! T 2g‘ il b (I i "\!‘\“Hr )!: . & /// : ll} (i . ] gl !Bl éil d!mw '“ H!m’ 4\\ie Sl './ g — @uh i ‘ 4 f .7 a 1 1 NN / WL !e\ \\\ N (777 AL I&"'{’(@\y»‘\\\,a ‘/,/Z,‘“[ 'E &S e — g B=H = == e T = | | —— [“'MAY I SPREAK TO THE MAJOR?” Ingto let down the stirrups, but with his long legs dangling, led the way along a-winding path to the stream and then through the willows to its wooded bank. A trot of three minutes brought them to the bluff at whose rocky base the Sandy came boiling out of the canyon. Ahead of them, fresh and distinct, the hoof prints of a score of horses had obliterated all sign of what might have been driven ahead of them. But wheeling his horse abruptly to the right Kelly plunged into the foaming waters and sent him sputtering, breast deep, to the lower bank on the opposite side. Here in a shallow depression to the east of the stream lay some soft and marshy ground, and here the old sevgeant reined in and pointed without s word to some peculiar footprints. Thornton, following his lead, gazed down at the sign, then into the sergeant’s face for explanation. *‘When did you find these?” he asked. ‘ “Not fifteen minutes ago, sir. The animals went into the canyon, as Mr, ‘ Crane supposed, and he jollowed, but_ that’s the print of the Tonto moccasin, and some of those bucks have cutacross below here, skirted the edge of this here cienega close as they could without getting inte it. and gone on up the heights. It’s maty belief they’ve planned to trap the lizutenant, and we can’t get after them along this trail too quick.” Thorniton turned and gazed eagerly down the Sandy. Out from the willows, loning, rode the tall and soldierly form . of the captain of the sorrel troop, hastening to join his chief; but, before he could ford the stream, far tothe northward, somewhere among those resounding rocks, came faint, distinct, but unmistakable, the ring and rattle of musketry. : '+‘By hcaven, old man, you're right!” cried the major. “Mount your men,. Turner,” he shouted, “‘and get them up here lively.” : ‘ | £ CHAPIER VI | It was some twenty-three miles, as has been explained, in a géneral northwesterly direction, by a crooked road, from the new post of Fort Retribution, around, the base of the Socorro, past Raton Spﬁngz g (eight miles out) to the fords of the 3 nd;'w'b‘,ichflay some five miles north of the upper entrance to Apache canyon. It was about ten miles nearly due west from the flagztaiﬂ at the n W‘"mtw 1o ﬁ,&ignnlf*ﬁntte. m»he. che eanyon, fromegate to gate, was. A rift of nearly cleven rmilos, and the wagen el Kae Sendy Wis gbaot southy

8 sixteen-mile adjacent side and s twenty-three-mile hypothenuse, crooked as a corkscrew, as the troopers said, and this little triangle, solidly filled with mountains, was the field of operations of Maj. Thornton’s command in this its first campaign against Arizona Indians. The Sandy took a sudden turn to the southwest as it passed the old post and flowed away in that general direction to its confluence with the Gila, and the old roundabout wagon route from Retribution to Prescott went down the Sandy, around the southern end of the mountain range and then away northwestward up the valley of Willow creek. The only short cut through the Socorro clump was by the old Tonto trail' from Signal Butte at the south to Raton Springs to the northeast—and this, said Sergeant Kelly, was not the route by which the raiders retired om the approach of Turner’s troop, but was the route by which they descended into the valley. If sothey must have come over from Raton Springs and Foster’s men should not be far behind them—only Foster hadn’t a soul with him who had ever been through there or could trail by night. He had to wait for day, and possibly for orders. There were game trails all through the rocky, pine covered heights, but these would only confuse the uninitiated.

If, as Kelly declared, the Indians had dared to drive their captured stock straight through the canyon to lure the troopsafter them, while a larger party lurked in ambush on the overhanging cliffs, it meant that they had scouts watching Foster and ready tolead him astray, while others far to the north, keeping wary eye on the movements of Col. Pelham’s troops at Sandy, dispatched swift runners or communicated by smoke or flame signals that only Indian eye could read. “They feel secure for this day, sir,” said Kelly to the anxiousand perpléexed field officer, whose command was now so widely scattered, ‘‘or they wouldn’t wait to jump the lieutenant.” »

Had they ‘‘jumped” the giéutenant? That was the absorbing question. The firing had died away almost as suddenly as it began. The sdunds came from the general direction of the canyon—not that of the trail to the springs. It could not, therefore, be a clash between Foster’s troop and the .Apaches. 1t must have been Crane’s men, to whose support a whole platoon had been dispatched; but if what Kelly said was true, they were little better off than so many rats in a trap. All this the major was rapidly considering while Turner rallied his men down stresm and came trotting up to the cienega. Then, led by Kelly, afoot and in sihgle file, the little party began the tor?uous ascent to the heights. In ten nfmutes they were again in saddle and trotting through a bold and bexnatiful range. To their left lay the deep chasm of Apache canyon and off to the eastward could be seen the dark rift through which ran the trail to Raton Springs. A guard of ten men, together with Downey and his fellow ranchmen, remained about the post, so that at this moment, say eight o'clock of a hot June morning, Maj. Thornton’s force was distributed at five or six different points at both the southern angles and along the outer edge of this rough triangle. Verily, the Apaches seemed to know how to ‘‘play” the newcomers. : B

“If poor Rafferty hadn’t been headed off and killed,” said the m#jor to Capt. Turner who, now that there was greater room, rode up alongside, ‘‘we should. have known Foster’s discoveries and movements. As it is, we are completely in the dark. I'm not soanxious about Crane now, for he has evidehtly got through the lower part of the canyon all right, and hasn’t had time to reach the northern end, but I hope he’s safe out of the bad place in the middle.” And just ap this momeit the old sergeant, riding a dozen yards ahead, and coming to a sharp turn "around a rocky point, reined suddenly in, signaling halt. With much clatter and sputter of hoofs the rear of the column seemed to double up on the leaders before the rapid-trot could be checked, and then with heaving flanks the horses huddled in a bunch. There was an opening in the hills to the right and a game trail led .down around the very point where Kelly had halted and was now off his horse studying the ground. ““I thought so, sir,” said he, pointing eagerly to cértain prints in the rock dust along the trail. = Then, bending Slow, he worked over toward the edge of the cliff. ‘‘See, here again, sir, and here—Tonto moceasins! They probably crept up close to the edge, two or three of them, to watchi what might be coming up through the gorge below.” Turner was listening with a whimsical smile on his face, and here interposed. “Look here a moment, sergeant,” said he. “I have been doing some little scouting down stream .and there are some points that may not have occurred to you. I admit we're new to Apache scouting, but there are some general rules tha’ all Indians recognize. Now, we learned from our Pawnee scouts, and a Pawnee would say that these fellows” (and here Turner pointed to the footprints in the .yielding turf) ‘‘were! peering over at something going up the canyon ahead of them, and not what was coming behind. Let me ask you—what has become of Muncey and Ferguson and all their crowd all this time—where did they go?” e : “God knows, sir, but ever since the cloudburst Muncey’s too big a coward te push through the canyons alone at night.” - “Ordinarily, yes—l admit that, but this time was ‘life or death’ with him. For some reason he stole the best Horse at the fort—Ferguson’s—and skipped in the dark. I believe it was in hopes of joining Manuel and his gang. I believe he thought he could safely ride and get credit for giving warning to Licut. Crane and yourself; then he | pushed out over toward Raton Springs. You say there were the prints of a dozen horses and mules this morning coming down the valley?” “yes, siv.” e

“Well, they would obliterate any prints of those going up. Now, wasn’t that Manuel’s party? Don't you suppose Muncey met them in the hills, had them hide until Ferguson and his friends passed them by in the darkness and then came on down by Signal Butte intending to stay with Crane’s guard or else, perhaps, to push on down the Sandy to the Gila and Tucson after they got what they wanted?” , “Got what they wanted? - Does the captain mean Leon?” . “Leon, mules, horses—anything olse to help them in their flight. . How do you krnow who killed your herder and ran off your mules sergeant® Could m gna?” i .

“No, sir; it was lighting up a little 3« the east and I'd fallen into a sort of doze, and the boy, I suppose, thought everything was all safe and he went out to let the mules out of the siuffy box, in which we’d penned them for the night. The next thing Mrs. Kelly and I heard was the firing. It was down the hillside toward the water and 1 could only shoot at the flashes.” ‘“Exactly. What I believe is that those two bands of thieves — Apache and Mexican—ran afoul each other in the dark. Muncey and his® party, scared to death, perhaps, have fled northward into the canyon, and the reason you have had no more trouble is that the Apaches put out after him. We have got the whole field ahead of us at this minute. I only wish we knew who has Leon.”

‘“*Mount, then, and come on,” said the major eagerly. ‘Turner, you're probably right.” ' And then, as if in confirmation of the theory, far to the front again the crack of cavalry carbines echoed along the mountain gorge. L g "

- And here, four miles out from the lower gate, the walls of the canyon seemed to fall away. BStill jagged and steep where the Sandy lashed at its rocky banks, the cliffs were but a dozen feet or so in height, and thence the pine-covered slopes rose and rolled in bold upheavals with sheltered valleys between each mountain wave. Along through the pines led the Tonto trail. Along in single file, now at rapid trot, now at easy lope, but often climbing

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and sliding clumsily, the sorrels followed. Far down in the gorge the old canyon trail could be seen. *lt’s just around the point, sir,” said Kelly presently, his eyes snapping with excitement. ‘“‘Ould Sanchez and Leon’s father were drowned out. We knew it because when the flood went down you could find mules and men, saddles and apparejoes, rifles and blankets “lodged among the rocks and trees for miles below, but nothing above. They were swept out just like so many ants in a millrace.” :

“There’s a mule down there now,’ cried a keen-sighted trooper, riding close behind the captain. ; “He’s killed this morning then--and yon’s a ‘horse. Seel” ¢ried Kelly, pointing eagerly down into thedepths of the canyon. ‘The first tackle must have been right along here somewhere.”

Once more ahead of them the cliffs began to narrow. Once more the trail ascended to a projecting point, and then skirted a rocky palisade commanding a view of the canyon for two miles —the Sandy leaping in foaming rapids five hundred feet below. One after another the troopers reached the point, and then, following the leader, spurred into a lope, for Turper and Kelly, foremost now, had caught again the sound of firing, and presently out from the sockets whipped carbines—the fight was in view ahead. - e

But what a fight! Down in the depths of the gorge, sheltering themselves as best they could from occasional bullet and frequent bowlder hurled from up the heights, some forty blue uniformed troopers were falling slowly back before the ceaseless onslaught of a foe they could neither see nor reach. Just as Kelly had feared, Lieut. Crane had been lured into a trap, and the. supporting platoon, reaching him, could only share his predicament. Just how far up the canyon he had succeeded in following the trail was now a matter of little consequence. Crane and his men were making the best of their way out, bringing their wounded with them., It was the first lesson, a bitter one, and one that would have been far more tragic but for the coming of their better led comrades along the upper trally [lO BE CONTINUED.|

NIPPED IN THE BUD. He Came Very Near Being Grossly ¥xetravagant. Mr. Simeon Frost was a man of considerable property. ‘I often see things that I think I'd like to have, but I don’t get ’em, and that’'s how I have a dollar,” he would say when asked how he had come to be so ‘“‘well off.” He was a frequent visitor at the village store, but his purchases were only of household necessities, and the storekeeper was mnaturally surprised one night when he saw Mr. Frost lingering near the small case filled with candy. - *“‘How much do you ask for that pink and white stuff?” he asked, pointing to a new installment of sweets recently received. ‘I dunno as I ever saw any candy like that. I believe I'll take three cents’ worth; p’raps Mis’ Frost might like a taste of it.” ; The storekeeper gave him the small package and received the three cents, and while the loungers commented on this unusual extravagance Mr. Frost went slowly homeward. The next morning he was at the store at an early hour, and laying a small package on the counter, he said: ‘“Well, Mr. Hobbs, here’s that candy I bought last night. ’Taint been touched, ain’t even been looked at, I happened to think going home that candy was dreadful bad for the teeth; 50, bein’ as Mis’ Frost ain’t got but two teeth, I never mentioned it to her, and I didn’t care 'bout it very much myself, 80 I brought it back to get my three cents.”

The money was promptly refunded, and Mr. Frost placed it ecarcfully in his purse. Then he said with a smile:

“I've had my lesson, and I may say P’ve got vut of it cheaper than most. Everybody is led into some extravagance some time or other, and I g’pose mine might as well be' candy as something clse; anyway I guess I got out of it pretty easy.”—Youth’s Companion.

i Method in IXls Madness. y . Biggs — Why. dves Brown alwugy write Liis jolces on suth thin paper? Diggs—=Bo the editors can see throug) theawn 1 suppora.— Albary Jrl72al

A “NIT” POEM.

Reed———-McKinley is a daisy, ‘ And I would like to see ‘ Him get the nomination And lead the G. O. P. | : | ~ Nit!

Morton———ll want to help the party With heart and head and hand, b And shall be happy having McKinley lead the bqingd. Nit!

Allison————-On serious reflection, | ] I have concluded that McKinley is a leader ! * Who knows where he is at. Nit?

Manderson—l'm glad to know McKinley Has joshed me, and 'll see That later at St Louis | e wins the victory. | ke Nit!

Davis———-ll've always felt we needed One like MrKinley to | _ Come to th 2 front, like Moses, And take the party thr}ough.‘ ; Nit! '

Cullom———-I take pecul:ar pleasure | 1n rising here to state | I'm happy to surrender | My chance to one so great. ; j Nit!

Quay—————-I'm going to help McKinley Swipe all the other states, And by and by I'll throw him : The Penusy delegates. Nit!

McKinley——Ah, gentlemen, I thank you For what you'vesaid to-day; : You know that I'm relying On every word you say. : . Nit! And, gentlemen, I hasten : To give ycu now a bit | Of news: to wit, you're booked ) for : i McKinley’'s Cabi-Nit! ! —N. Y. Sun.

A POLITICAL JOB SPOILED.

Scheme of “Steve” Elkins Fails to Go Through the Senate.

¢ “Steve” Elkins and his former business associate in New Mexico, Delegate Catron, of that territory, are cast down over the failure of a political job which the house had indorsed and which they hoped would be accepted by the senate without question, but which was exposed and defeated by Mr. Hill with the aid of republican votes. Mr. Elkins, who once lived in New Mexico, and Mr. Catron, who is one of the prominent republicans of the territory, assuming that the next national election would result in a republican victory, conceived the idea of changing the date of the beginning of the next session of the territoriallegislature from DecembertoMay,

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so that in the event of republican success a republican president might appoint territorial officers and thus take the control of legislation from the democrats. In pursuance of this scheme, a paragraph was inserted in the legisiative, executive and judicial appropriation bill providing that the next session of the legislature should begin the first Monday in May, 1897, and each succeeding session on the first Monday in May of every odd numbered year thereafter, and forbidding the election or appointment or payment of any officer of either house of the legislature, except a translator and an interpreter. The present secretary of the territory, Lorion Miller, iricurred the enmity of the republicans by his action at the last meeting of the territorial legislature in connection with a contested seat, and the job con templated his retirement, as well as the overriding of public sentiment in the territory.

Of course the paragraph embodying the selfish motives of Mr. Elkins had no business in the appropriation bill. Mr. Hill says it was “sneaked” in, and Lh2 anxiety displayed by Mr. Elkins to have him explain the offensive term lends strength to the charge. The house had not a word to say in protest against the job, which may be explained by the activity of Mr. Catron, who has the reputation in New Mexico of being a past master in the art of political manipulation. That he and his senatorial friends came to grief is due alone to the fact that Mr. Hill had learned of their scheme from democrats in the territory, who rightly assumed that the New York senator would like nothing better than to expose and defeat it.—N. Y. Times. ST '

McKinley’s Money Record, Yes, it is true that Mr. McKinley’s speeches in the house of representatives scveral years ago showed a strong leaning toward silver. He spoke earnestly tor the protection of the nation's silves product. 1t is also true that he spoke vaguely for a policy which would keep gold and silver money *side by side” in the national currency. These things are matters of record and known to all tudents of recent congressional history. Since then all that the people have known about Mr. McKinley’s financial views is that the has a very great desire to propitiate both sides of the controversy. And in this position he has plenty of company. Most of the eandidates now before the country are not saying a word n‘fore than is absolutely necessary. Mr, McKinley could make a great hit by speaking out like a man and telling what he thinks on the money question.—Chicago News (Ind.). by

——Ex-President Harrison is said to favor anyone for the presidential nominution except McKinley, whom he docs not regard as of presidential size. At least 80 says a rumor going the rounds of the press. 1f true, we beg to remind Benjamin that McKinley does ngjt have to wear, his grandfather’s hat to mak: him, popular with the penple.—Toledo. Elade (Rep.). o

THE ST. LOUI& CONVENTION, A Democrat’s Forecast .of the Probable y Outcome. Forecasting the initial ballot in a national convention is always a hazardous undertaking. The anti-McKinley manager who essayed the work in the Chronicle of March 17 may have put the McKinley strength too high or too low. His estimate of 233 votes for McKinley might easily be too high if the credentials committee in the St. Louis convention is organized against; the McKinley ‘candidacy, but if that committee is organized on McKinley lines it will certainly be found much too low. . :

There will be nearly if not quite 100 contests coming up to St. Louis from the districts of the south. It is assumed that practically all of these will be'decided against McKinley from the fact that the national republican committee, which will make up the temporary, roll of delegates, may be supposed to seat the anti-McKinley men, constituting in this way a majority against McKinley in the temporary delegation from every southern state, which would, working in conjunction with the Morton, Quay, Reed, Allison, Cullom, Manderson and silver bullion states of the north, enable the anti-Mc-Kinley managers to organize the committee on credentials.

This line of management is entirely practicable if the anti-McKinley leaders stick together. But they will not 'so stick. If advance bulletins of the first ballot in St. Louis are now to become fashionable I will make one. McKinley will have 350 votes on that ballot. This can only be made possible through a contract between him and Quay and Platt, but my estimate is based upon the conviction that that contract will be made, just as one, evidently, has been made between McKinley and Foraker, in Ohio.” With Quay and Platt assured of their potency under a McKinley administration, the national republican commitfee could not be used against the Ohioan in the south, even with Allison’s own Clarkson in the secretaryship of that body. And in addition to such an invaluable service to McKinley on the first ballot, Platt ‘and Quay, inspired by that quality of gratitude which is a lively sense of favors yet to come, could give MeKinley enough votes out of the middle states to nominate him whenever Platt should drop Morton. He might drop him on the second ballot, or he might

not. DBut time is not necessarily of the essence of such contracts as I am convinced McKinley has made, or will make, with Platt and Quay. The question is not one of McKinley’s political morals. There are managers in politics, as in pugilism. The managers of McKinley are the tariff plutocrats of this country—the men who made the MeKinley law in 1890, which, as Mr. Carnegie has told us, was, as drafted by McKinley, simply an enacting clause, with blank schedules to be filled in by the representatives of “infant industries.” They filled them in to such purpose that the country revolted against high protection. Nonbody knows better than the tariff managers that the revolt is"mot over. Present hope of republican success is not due to a belief that a republican victory means a return to blank tariff schedules to be filled in by tariff plutocrats. A republican congress, with {dlison in the white house, would never g’iv.e the plutocrats what they want. In mno other way by the election of McKinley ¢an the country be convinced that MecKinleyism is approved. : That fact explains the money power which is behind the McKinley candidacy. Itexplains the political power bebind that -candidacy. It explains the tremulous and fearsome assurances of Senator Cullom and Senator Aldrich and Mr. Clarkson that Mr.McKinley is not alone responsible for the McKinley law. But it is vain for them to appeal to the tariff plutocrats for help. The ox knoweth his owner, but the owner knoweth also his ox. The St. Louis convention will be a triumph of tariff plutocracy. Morton will be sacrificed. Allison will be slaughtered. McKinley will be nominated.—Chicago Chronicle.

POINTS AND OPINIONS.

~———Does Mr. McKinley realize that every Napoleon has his Waterloo?—S¢. Paul Globe. :

——lt looks as though McKinley had dumped some of the ‘“fat” into Bill Chandler’s bailiwick.—lllinois | State Register. : - ——Maj. McKinley and his logical bill led the republicans to the worst two defeats ever inflicted on the party since ita organization 40 years ago.—Chicago Chronicle. . ——There are unmistakable signs of nervousness in the McKinley camp. That is only fair, for the major has been making the other fellows nervous for some timeé. The oftener Mark Hanna puts his ear to the ground the worse he will feel.—Detroit Free Press. ——McKinley seems to have engendered a feeling of bitternesson the part of all the other candidates which will work very seriously against his chances in the convention. Theimpression prevails that he has carried the “grab” poliey too far and has invaded the fields of his rivals without any adequate excuse. This has angered all the other candidates, and so they will nll‘-%:n‘oie or‘less unfriendly to' MeKinley 'in the convention.—Boston Globe = - 2 4 : ol

THE WOOLEN INDUSTRY. Roorbachs That Are to Be Kept Up Until After tho Election. ; The junior republican organ in this city published three or four days ago the first of the series of ‘‘roorbachs” which will embellish its columns from time to time, we suppose, until election day in November. In the statement to which we refer the Press asked every body to believe that the woolen industry was in a condition of collapse which would soon be followed by complete ruin and extinction. The center of depression, the Press asserted, was Rockville, Conn.: , ‘“The scene of the most staggering blow delivered to the woolen industry in the last few months is Rockville, where the five mills of that place are now running at such a rate that each employe is given only one day’s work ‘a week. Even this is being done at a loss to the owners, but the misery that will follow soon, when the mills may be shut down entirely, is past all reckoning.” LR R And in a startling exhibition of display type it was asserted that these mills were running on ‘one-eighth’ time.” :

The American Wool and Cotton Reporter, leading journal of the woolen trade, owned and edited by Frank P. Bennett, republican and protectionist, who was a member of the committee of Lawrence's National Wool Growers’ association which recently prepared a schedule of wool duties to be included in the next MecKinley tariff bill, is moved to make an emphatic protest against this *‘lot of gross misrepresentations and misstatements.” The Reporter says: EhR e “In the article in question the statement is made that the men’s fine wear worsted mills at Rockville—the Rock, American, Hockanum, New England and Springville—are running on ‘oneeighth time.” This statement is utterly false, as any one would find who desired to obtain the true facts.

*“The New York representatives of the last three mills named characterize the articles as ‘all rot,” and ‘untruthful,” and the representative of the Rock Manufacturing Co. hasdenounced it in similar terms. Both parties assert that, instead of their mills running on one-eighth time, they are running on two-thirds time, 40 hours, which was the unanimous agreement entered into recentlv. o : ’

“They further assert that the orders which they have received to date for worsteds are about equal to ‘those of the previous fall season, and that unless present conditions change materially there is every reason for believing that they will be able to continue running on their present schedule throughout the entire year, with strong prob abilities of a return, before many months, to full time. The product of these mills is the very highest grade of strictly pure worsted fabrics, whose reputation is national and standard.” . It is also shown that a mill reported by the Press to be running now on one-quarter time, and two others reported as having recently ‘“shut down” for lack of work, .“‘retired from busi-. ness at the close’ of 1895.” So much for this attempt to mislead the public. . The chief cause of any reduction of output which may have been made recently in certain branches of the woolen industry has been renewed tariff agitation by the republican party. The industry was in fair condition a few months ago. The first of the several hundred increases of wages reported between March and August last year was made in one of the largest of the woolen factories, and increases in more than 60 prominent mills were announced - afterward by the trade journals. The output of the mills was ‘very large. Great quantities of fine foreign wool, in addition to. the domestic supply, were consumed.™ During ‘the calendar year 1895 there were imported 126,435,569 pounds of clothing wool, as against only 10,685,~ 469 pounds in the fiscal year 1894 and 35,403,021 pounds in the fiscal year 1893, previous to the panic. Wool is imported to be used in the manufacture of ‘woolen goods. : ~ But as the time for the reassembling of congress drew near, the industry was somewhat affected by a weakening of confidence, due mainly to un- ! certainty as to tariff legislation which ‘'might increase largely the cost of raw ’mate‘rial. It is well known that just ‘before the beginnipg of the session ‘Mr. Reed was opposed to any revival iof the tariff question this year, be‘cause business interests would be ‘benefited by a ‘rest.” At that time ‘also Mr: Aldrich, of Rhode Island, relpublican tariff leader in the senate, ‘said: ' .

“Any further agitation of the tariff question by this congress would be simply suicide for the republicans. - No tariff bill can pass the senate and none can be approved by the president. In addition to that, I am firmly convinced that the business interests of the country imperatively demand an absolute rest from all tariff legislation.” : :

Such a rest was especially needed by the woolen industry, but it was not granted. The republicans’ reported and passed a bill taking wool from the free list and increasing the cost of the woolen manufacturers’ raw material by 4234 per cent. At the same time they openly promised that in 1598 they would largely increase the tax, making it about 75 per cent. For a long time it was not known whether the bill would be passed in the senate. In fact, it is still pending there, although it may be regarded as dead. But the promise still lives, and the woolen manufacturer looks forward to two or ‘three years of tariff agitation, continually disturbing the foundations of his business and threatening to change them radically.—N. Y. Times. v STEEL RAIL TRUST, Selling Ralls Abroad at Greatly Keduced Prices—The Foreigner Goes Untaxed. ~ While the republicans ape asking this country to vote for higher duties on steel rails to protect our poor mil. lionaire manufacturers it is well to ingquire what use is being made of the $7.84 duty per ton now in force. The Iron Age, of March 5, says: ‘“Reports concerning the 12,000-ton order for’ Chili are again cropping up, and have taken the shape that the businessis credited to a western mill.” Another interesting report comes from England. It is the leading article in Invention, a well known technical journal published in Loudon. Its issue of February 29 contains the following remarks: S e { “During the past few weeks another example of the strong foreign competi‘tion with which our nation has to con ftend: has come before oureyes. We ‘refer &g,w&mqkmkﬂ@ﬁmﬂ °ﬁ of 10,000 tons for Japan, which has 1% S 4 : TR SN Oy

- D - - been placed with the Illinois Steel Co.. So.far as we understand, the Illinois Steel Co. (of Chicago) has undertaken to produce railsdelivered at New York, close on to 1,(100 miles from the locality where they are manufactured,at £47s. 6d. ($21.26) peqL ton. We believe this to be the actual quotation given. In fact, the American firm undertook to supply the contract and deliver (at the port of departure) for 7s. 6d. less than the price quoted at the works by the English firms invited to compete. Thisis . perhaps the first time we have had seriously to face this question in a large way on the part of the United States, and this must open our eyes to the fact that American manufacturers are not likely to stop at the Japanese orders Secureﬂ by the Illinois Steel Co.” - According to this statement, the Il linois Steel Co., which is the western branch of the steel rail combination, has undersold English manufacturers in Japan, and has undertaken to de- ' liver 10,000 toans of steel rails, free on board for shipment, at $21.26 per ton, the English |bid having been $23.08. The Iron Age's cable report of February 4, it may be noted, shows that $23.08 is the ﬁrice of English rails frec on board at Barrow. e Now let us see what is the price of the, Illinois Steel Co.’s rails to buyers in this country, the price at the company’s works% The Iron Age's report of February 4 from Chicago says: ‘‘The ‘demand for steel rails is active for this 'season of the year. Quite a run of ' 1,000-ton orders ‘is reported. Quotations are as | follows: : Steel rails, $29 ‘ and upward, }according to quantity.” .

Everybody familiar with the recent history of the steel rail industry knows that the price has been fixed for a long time past byihe combination (in which the Carnegie Steel Co. is the leading manufacturer), and that this price for several months has been $2B &t eastern works and $29 at Chicage. Eastern rails are delivered at tide water for $28.75. These are the prices which railroad companies in this country have to pay. | It is maintained by combination agréement and is mueh higher, proportionately, than the prices of other similar products which are determined by ordinary competition. For example, the price of steel billets at Pittsburgljpworks is only $17.25, and the cost of manufacturing rails only slightly exceeds the cost of producing billets. ‘ : The diﬁerc{:}:ce between $29 and $21.26 is $7.74; the duty is $7.84. This shows that 99 per cent. of this duty isa tax and that it is not paid by foreigners, but primarily by our railroad companies, and eventually by the shippers and consumers of this country. Will they continue to believe McKinley's parrot talk about the foreigner paying our tariff taxes? Will they think ‘it necessary to |still further protect the steel rail trust while it is selling rails in the unprotected markets of this world? These are questions which will be answeéred next November. t Byrox W. HoLT.

~~ CONSISTENCY. : A Scheme toElee Paving Companies a : Mondagpoiy in New York. ; i A bill has| been introduced in the New York I+,czislature to prohibit the use of foreign wood, asphalt, or other materials in making pavements in that state. The purpose of the. proposed law is to shut out Trinidad asphalt and &speciejoi Australian wood which has .recently been used in New York city, and: thus give the owners of American afphalt mines and wood suitable fory paving blocks.a complete monopoly. Thepfriend of this measure are more consistent than the protectionists in congress who want to shut out foreign goods by tariff taxes. If the ¢ompetition of impo}ted asphalt or wood is an injury to the American people, it is only a halfi way remedy to impose heavy dutie{' on those articles. Absolute prohibition is the simplest and surest, way {of protecting the -home producer. éf course the home consumers might kick and say that they did not want to be compelled to pay the'high prices which would be charged by the men who controlled the domestic prodnct. But the people who buy ,ﬂ{iugs re never considered when tariffs are being raised, so their complaints need/not be listened to. If the state of New York decides to prohibit the use of foreign asphalt and paving blocks, it will set a grand example for the McKinleyites of the whole country. WILL ®*NOT REPEAT IT.

The Peoplé NMade a Mistake Once but Will . Not Again.

‘President Paul Kruger, of the Transvaal republic, recently told his burghers the following story, which applies to the last action ofthe American peoplé in electing a republican congress in 1894: )

*J opce had a pet monkey which was very fond of me. One day while it was lying before the fire a spark flew out and burned it. Thinking that I had hurt it the monkey sprang at me and bit my~handi A few days Tater it was again burnéd by a spark when no one was in the room. Then it saw that it was not I that had hurt it and it came to me looking very sorry and ashamed of itself.” | : - The farmers and workers who were hurt by the panic of 1893 voted for the republicans |in 1894 - because they thought the democrats were the cause of their trjubles. They did not stop to reason, bt struck ‘at the party in power. They have since found out their mistake and will this year vote for the policy under which they have been - steadily recovering from the effects of bad republican legislation.

ROSPERITY.

Its Foundatipn Is in Reciprocal Trade - Without High Taxes. The selfish idea that part of the people can be permanently benefited at the expens_e\of all the others, isresponsible for protection schemes for getting rich #hrough taxation. If the merchants, manufacturers and workingmen who have in the past favored a high tariff because it promised them a temporary advantage, could only see that their ﬁrosperity ‘depends on the p urchasing power of the farmers, they ‘would cease to support a policy which has always had the effect of impover‘ishing. the | agricnltural industry; on which all other business depends. If high taxes swallow up the earnings of the farmers, the lattér cannot buy tne merchant's goods. The merchant in turn cannot buy from the manufacturers, who are, therefore, unable to give the workingmen employment, So that in the end the whole iééopl‘s suffer.. It is ohly through' promdting the welfare of the farmers, by thtihlnk their tax burdens, that the eguntry can become prosperous,