People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 February 1897 — Good Roads For Kansas. [ARTICLE]

Good Roads For Kansas.

It would be well for every Btate to set its convicts to work in making good roads. This would remove their competition with other labor and other manufacturers, and, of even more importance, it would result in per manent improvemeut of 4he roads. No class of people are so much interested in this result as are the farmers. To them it means money saved, money earned and added comfort to their families with all the civilizing influences which come from ease in meeting together socially at all periods, all seasons and in all kinds of weather; ease and comfort in reaching the school house and the church. In fact, the blessings of good roads are simply the blessings of a higher civilization. Among the new bills credited to the Populists in the Kansas legislature are a number relating to convicts—all of which are commendable. A bill to mark convict-made articles has been introduced and will be followed by others providing that inmates of the penitentiary be divided into lots, a large number to be taken to western Kansas to dig irrigation ditches, others to be assigned to eastern Kansas to build roads; others to raise farm products for the state institutions, and the vicious ones to break rock in the penitentiary, to be used in building state macadamized roads. These bills were prepared by advocates of union labor and representatives of the unjons will attempt to secure their passage.

John Gould, at the Salem County (JN. J.) Farmers, Institute the other day said: “The cow is the only animal in Ohio that is enhanced in value, while we notice a depreciation in the value of other animals. We can not understand, nor will man ever know, how milk is generated, and probably it’s a good thing for the cow, for if we did some designer would endeavor to cheat the cow out of her business by securing some patent right.” A cablegram from Rome states that a young Italian doctor who baS himself recovered from the disease in Rio Janeiro, has discovered the yellow fever germ and has given the details of his discovery under seal to the Rome Academy of Medicine. It. will be a great boon to humanity if this proves reliable. Some antitoxin will soon be found to kill the germ and bring the yellow-jacket under the same control as for smallpox and dipfo theria.—Ex.

Chicago is the largest distributing point for fruits and vegetables ih this country, and the striking feature of its markets is excessive abundance. The various products of the vast, flat plains in the midst of which it is located; the great variety of semi-tropical fruits of the Pacific coast; the early and late vegetables and fruits of the southern states, South America and the islands come pouring into Chicago daily. Strawberries are received here from Seattle and shipped to Montreal, and the express trains which deliver and take away various perishable commodities run on the same schedule time as limited passenger trains. Half the bananas grown on this side of the sea are brought to Chicago. In the language of dealers, Chicago has one of the “closest markets” in this country. In other words, it is possible to buy almost all products of the soil for less money in Chicago than in any other great commercial center in America.—Ex. There is to be a “universal postal convention” of different countries next May. There ought to be a push for postal savings banks at that time as for otner great reforms. The goverments of Egypt, Venezuela Switzerland and Mexico, with Prance and Russia, have signified to this government their intention to be represented.