Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 October 1891 — Page 2

CURRENT COMMENT.

The New York Sun is greatly dis* gusted with the free trade and calamity seeches of Mills, of Texas> and Springer, of Illinois. It thus lashes Mr. Mills; . Mr. Mills is in the immovable gloom of a crank on calamity. In tte United States, to which every civilized nation is looking with hourly greater intentness as the most prosperous and blessed country on the globe. Mr. Mills hears only the sounds of wretchedness and complaint. and the “scourge that is driving contentment from so many homes.” This is a sort of mania that will not elect a Democratic President in 1892, if that is what Mr. Mills is Interested in. He. may invite the country to go crazy with him. but the country won't go. Mr. Mills and companions in pessimistic philosophy’ had better go back to Texas. In another issue it quotes the Springer nonsense about agricultural depression and imagines “some bard hended farmer” putting the following questions to the Illinois statesman and aspirant for Speaker: 1. Why has the depression in agricu 1 lure been so severe, and why does it promise to be lasting in Great Britain, a free trade country? 2. Is it tho Morrill tariff or the McKinley tarilT that, is the cause of the short crops in Europe this year? 3. Why do trusts and monopolies exist and flourish under the regime off rec trade, as in Great Britain? 4. Why have the greatest fortunes made in the United States been made . outside of the great protected industries? The fact is, sagacious Democrats see thatthisis not a good season for preachings calamity and denouncing protection as the sum of all villaiu- ' ks. ,

FACTS FOR CALAMITY-HOWLERS.

FOJir FIGURESTHEY CANNOT DISPUTE — RETURNS FOR LABOR UNDER THE NEW TARIFF. WashfalTton Sped ajrto N. Y. Tribune. While the discordant shrieks of Mills, Spi inger. Bynum and hundreds of other free-trade “cnlamityliowlers” are vexing the air in Ohio and Iowa: while they, as “lean kine" dreamers, are trying to malic the farmers and workingmen disbelieve the evidence of their own senses and pocket-books, and convince them, that they arc the daily victims of “tariff robbers," it may be worth Ivhile to mention one or two facts. Mills and Ids imitators and followers declare that the McKinley tariff has raised the prices of every man ufaetured article that the farmer, the mechanic or the workingman buys and uses. The falsity of such assertions was clearly and completely exposed in these dispatches several inontbs ago, when it was shown that the Indian supplies of cotton goods, woolen goods—including tho “poor man's blanket’’—agricultural tools tnd implements, builders’ hardware, Iron and tinware and other household utensils, sugar and many other articles, amounting in value to many hundred thousands of dollars, and Surchased from many different biders in different domestic markets, were cheaper in price and of better quality than they were shown last year under the old tariff. It was also shown that the cost of wheat, fiour, corn, meal, beef, pork, oats and other agricultural products was much greater than last year. The accuracy of those figures has not been disf mted by Mills or any other freerader, but' all of them continue to reiterate their false assertions with even greater noise and vehemence “Hgn before. Perhaps they will deny this statement about prices in North Dakota. At,Watertown is the biggest mercantile house in that State, and it buys and sells nearly everything in the line of Jamily supplies. On Aug. 26, the head of that house, after a thorough examination of his books and invoices, made a statement of the buying and selling prices as compared with Aug. 26, 1890, six weeks before the existing tariff became operative, He found that the house had bought its stock of flannels, underwear and velvets. 8 per cent cheaper than last year; cloaks and readymade clothing and other dry goods, 10 percent, cheaper; sugar 40 per cent, cheaper; canned fruits 50 per cent, cheaper, with “a fair avererage of 10 per <-<nt. reduction in the run Of the. grocery''trade.” Shoes for the fall and winter trade had been bought 2 per cent, cheaper than last year: tinware. 5 percent, cheaper; crockery, millinery and shelf hard ward cost the same. “These reductions ,iii the purchase price,” said tMr. Sixer, the manager, “have enabled us to make our retail prices throughout the store more than 10 Kr cent, lower than last year or over fore in Dakota." The “po'w man s tin bucket” is again called upon to do yeoman service in the cause of free trade this year, ar it was m 1890. The comparative prices of that useful and necessary artioe. as well as of some other a-dries is common use in. Watertown, N. D., are shown in the 'following t ible. These are actual retail selling prices: Prices. Prices. I 8» H»l. IWta* nails 64 50 . S 3 75 jßradts 1 00 00 fTeaicL. ,cs 80 B 0 iFo.irte:n<.us.t abApins .00 35 centr'd palls 75 00 (joint Kto'-eiMjc ...... 25 91 lFou.to-a qv-trt tin » d,j BO . 85 “tTwOHo lUirt Un pads 40 95 ftVree quart -In tails _. tn W (Milk Mas, per C0zAn....... . ISO 100 [Tin cupwr 05 05 The Corsicana Cobden and all who [agree with him long for a return of Mbs “good old times.” They would

be glad to try such a tariff as Congress made in 1816 or in 1846. Here are some of the prices copied from the day book entries made in the year 1817 by Hezekia Fellows, who then kept a country store in Boscawen, N. H. j Three-fourths pound loaf sugar, 27c; one quarter pound powder, 17c; a quarter pound of lead, 17c; two pounds veal, 6c; eleven and a half yards calico. 75c; a half yard muslin, 42c; five yards cambric, $3.05; half yard shirting, 34c; one pound sugar, 20c: fifteen eggs, 15c; one yard flannel, 62c: half bushel herd grass, 63; five yards calico, $2.50; three hoes. $2; three pounds (Sitton yarn, No. 9, $2.25. These entries and others were copied by Statistician Dodge, of the Agricultural Department, and will be found in his report for the current month, together with these comments: > “An item of credit is found that suggests the rate of wages for transient labor in a community of farmers, viz.: ‘One-half day’s work, 25c;’ in the same region the cheapest farm labor is $1 P er day and $1.75 Tn harvest. With farm'labor at 50 cents one day's work would purchase a yard of calico. Now an hour’s work in haying or harvest time would buy at least two yards of calico. If a farmer wanted a garden hoe, he could possibly buy one, with veal at 3 cents per pound at retail, for thirty-three pounds of veal, unless the dealer should demand a wholesale rate for purchhase of meats instead of barter that promised him no profit. Now a smaller quantity of veal would suffice to purchase half a dozen hoes.” Mr. Dodge might have added that one day’s labor in 1817 would have bought two and one-has pounds of brow'll sugar, while in the same town in-1891 a day’s labor on the farm will buy from twenty to thirty pounds of better sugar. The duty on calico, muslin, eabrie, cotton yarn, etc., in 1817 was 25 per cent.; under the Walker tariff of 1846, which was ah ideal tariff in the opinion of Mills, Springer, McMillin and most of tire other free traders of to-day, the duty on calico was 30 per cent.; on other cotton goods and cotton yarns 25 per cent., the same as it had been in 1816, which was in force when Mr. Fellows’ shirting was at 63 cents a yard, calico, 50 cents a yard, cotton yarn 75 cents a pbtind, cambric 61 cents a yard and muslin 84 cents a yard.

THE TRUTH ABOUT PRICES. A year ago tho Democratic and free trade organ and orator were predicting what increased prices people would be obliged to pay because of the passage of the McKinley law. Pages of computations were given showing the per cent, over the then prices the consumers would be compelled to pay. The free-trade orator mingled his tears with his prophecy as he foretold aud bewailed the deprivation which the McKinley law would bring upon the people. Thousands who cannot get rid of the idea that the higher the duty on fore ign goods the higher the price, believed these free-trade statements and did not vote qr voted with the Democracy. Now that we have had nearly a year of the McKinley law the American Economist has compared the retail prices of fifty-six articles in common use for the year I 1857, when the tariff was imposed to give revenue only, in October, 1890, when the McKinley law went into operation, and in September of the present year, which shows the fallacy i of the free-trade predictions and claims. It is not essential to give the entire list, but a few comparisons taken from the Economist are given below: V- Article.’ 1857. 1800. Sept Binding twine.... ..... 40 14% toil Blankets, pair 63 83% 4(SI« 370 Boots 4 7« 3 07 9 78?£ Calico, yard 14 % Ofl Carpets, yard. ... ..... 1 SO»4 73% 66%. Flannel, yard 70 Fruit cans, per dozen.. 3 00 65 54% Nails, iron OS% 18% 01 Plow ........ S 3 19% 13 9'.% 12 00 Salt per bbl 9 30 1 65 133 Shoes 5 84 3 15 3 Ort Sugar, granulated 19% Oa% 05% Tin milk pan 37% 17% 15% Ticking, yard 35% 18% 17 Wash tub 190 (T» 65 i Wooden buckets . 45 89 20% Woolen clothing. 24 00 14 50 14 25 0 - ' . ' These are samples not selected be- j cause the decline has been greater on ■ them than on the rest, but are chos- I eu to give articles in all departments named. There is but one article in i the whole list the price of which is j higher than a year ago, and that is j the much mourned pearl button, ' which cut so great a figure in the tearful predictions of last year about increased prices. The retail price of gearl buttons Was 2 cents higher last eptember than a year earlier. In addition to getting the prices for comparison the Economist sent circulars to retailers in every State asking their views regarding prices. It says that all the replies received were to the effect that manufactured goods used by the mass of people were never so cheap as at the present time. Extracts from a number of these letters are given one iJ of which, from the report of Simon Bager, of Bay, Gasconade county, Missouri, is copied, as follows: “I am a dealer in general mer- ; chandise, such as is kept in a general * store in the country, and I must say I that in all the twenty-nine years "j ' have been doing business goods never ■ sold any cheaper than to day a x produce never higher, with tne ex I ception of war prices. The McKin- , ' ley bill is a blessing to the farmer: I •he gets more for his produce and ; buys a great deal cheaper. If anybody wants goods made in another country, let him pay for them." Another says that “the people n getting better posted every day, an

they cannot be fooled again as they were last fail by the cry of extortion and Jobbery.” j The foregoing list of prices will I repay a careful examination by those! who are seeking the truth regarding the results of the puptection policy in • this country. They show, first, that the prices of manufactured goods in most general use are from 35 to 60 per cent, cheaper now than during the free trade era of 1857, the larger part being nearly 50 per cent lower— , that is, a dollar now will buy as ; much as two would purchasein 1857. j They show, secondly, that prices last j September, under the McKinley law, j which is the most perfect protective ; tariff ever devised, dre lower than in October, 1890, when the McKinley law went into effect. The prices are a conclusive argument in themselves. THE PROPER USES OF THZ AELTXXCE St. Louis Globe-Democrat When the Farmers’ Alliance was originally organized the country was given to understand that it was a strictly non-partisan order, an ! t ! its objects were such as in vol ved no political test. Upon that theory it gained popularity and influence. 'I h great majority of those who joined it were actuated by honest and* con sis tent motives, aud disposed to ihak< it a source Of advantage in a social and educational way. It is easy to see how much an organization might be turned to very profitable account for such purposes, and nobody equid have the least objection to it under conditions of that kind. The farmers have a perfect right to organize for the protection of their interests and the promotion of their welfare. It is desirable that they shall do so. inasmuch as they are thus helped to respect their catling and to laborjor its elevation. But in so doing they owe. something to other classes. It will not do for them to assume that: the world exists principally for t! o who arc engaged in agriculture, an that "governments are irs'itute mainly to give them a preference over a’l the rest’ o; the population. Th it is the philosophy of the People’s party which they are asked to indorse and support. Its principles and tendencies arc all in the direction of class legislation and of dis criminations on account of forms-ef business and employment.

The result of all such experiments lias been to do the class directly con cerned more harm than good by arraying all other classes against it for mutual protection. This is apparent in the present instance. Wherever the People’s party has any definite influence there is a fusion of the Republican and Democratic parties against it. The plan of its being is a menace to every element except the one for which it was created; and the natural consequence is chat those elements organize to resist its self;, ish demands and to defeat its unreasonable objects. They are stronger, of course, than it can hope to be come, and so in the long run they will triumph over it and make a mockery of its beliefs and intentions This is the fate that the Alliance is inviting for itself by going into poli tics with a view to establishing a new party. If it would confine itself to those things for which ifr was originally designed, the country would show it pronounced favor and help it to realize its hopes and wish-, es. The popular heart beats warmly for those who til) the soil, but it is not so much devoted to them that it can afford to ignore the interests of other classes. They can not expect to dictate laws to suit themselves, regardless of the rights and desires of persons belonging to other branches of industry and production. The true value of tliieir Alliance is tc be found in its non-partisan features, and they would do well to deliver it from association with the new party enterprise and restore it to its origi nal condition of social profit and practical usefulness.

Twenty-Four Hours Behind Time Cloak Review.

“Now, Willie,” said Clara, “run out and play, there’s a good little boy. I expect Mr. Brindle shortly and I want to try the effect of my new gown on him.” ‘‘You’re too late, sis,” replied Willie with a triumphant gleam in his eye. “Brindle called yesterday while you were out, and I brought out the whole rig and showed it to him.”

Slavery.

Ha's’trus toG>l wla’s true toxa in; whsreve wrong is done, To tho humblest and tho weakest, ’neath tl:< all-beholding sun, That wrong is also done to us; and they an slaves most base Whose love of right is for themselves, and no 1 for all the race. , , —James Russell Lowell.

Pattison's Lament.

Tis the voice of the candidate; Hear him complain: "They’ve kissed me quite dizzy. They’ll kiss me again. If this thing continues With nothing to balk My mouth will be twisted Until I can’t talk." —Washington Star. •

Know What He Wanted.

Jewelers' Circular. Charlie Youngnoodle—Um! ah! Ba bom! bom! ! he! he! ■ - Jeweler (to his clerk)—Bring that tray of engagement rings here,Jerry.

She Had an Opinion.

Brooklyn Ute. He (seriously.)—Do you think youi father would object to nay marrying you? . She—l don’t know. *lf he is anything like me would.

THE MORTGAGE BURDEN.

Too Mach of a Disposition to Borrow Because it is to Lend. St. Louis Globe-Democrat The detailed census report with regard to the mortgage, indebtedness of Kansas ia decidedly Interesting and instructive. It shows that during the decade of 1880- 89 the amount of money borrowed in that way was $482,699,640, represented by 620,049 real estate mortgages, and that the total debt on January 1, 1890, was $235,485,108. That is to say, not quite half of the whole sum has been paid; and the portion that remains unpaid falls only about $55,000,000 short of the aggregate assessed value of the real and personal property of the State, aside from the railroads. This is not as bad as has been represented by some, but it is worse, nevertheless, than it ought to be. The people have done well to cancel so much of the original burden, and it is not to be doubted that they will remove the rest in due time; but such a volume of indebtedness must be regarded as a serious drawback under any circumstances. No State can afford to have its farms incumbered in that proportion. It is true that the actual value of the property is considerably greater than its assessed value, but the difference is not large enough to justify the debt. The necessary interest charge in such a case must be nearly, if not quite, equal to the average rate of profit derived from the Cultivation of the land. p It is to be presumed that the statistics as to tho situation in Kansas are not materially unlike those as to the other new Western States. The business of borrowing has been pushed to an unprecedented limit, for the purpose, mainly, of developing new territory and founding new homes. As a general rule, the money has not been squandered. It has been used in making purchases and improvements that are worth more than they cost. Tens of thousands of poor men have thus secured farms, and have been gradually reducing their debts from the proceels of their labor. The wonder is that where money was so easy to obtain there was not more of it borrowed. But the fact remains ..that the burden is too large for the welfare and prosperity of the population upon which it rests, The annual increase in the value of farm lands is not sufficient in any State to warrant such a measure of borrowing; the products of the soil can not be eafely depended upon to meet the successive naymehts. This has been demonstrated by experience. The matter is one of simple arithmetic which can be readily comprehended by any intelligent person. There are times when it is wise to borrow money on estate, as many a man knows in his r own case; but it should always be done carefully and within reasonable limits. The trouble with the average Western borrower has been a disposition to borrow more than he actually needed, aud thus to embarrass himself beyond his faciliIties of payment even under The most favorable conditions. It is to be hoped that the lessons of the last few years will check this unfortunate habit, and reduce the loans accordingly. Therein lies the secret of success for all communities that are troubled with too many morgages. The question is not of getting along without any borrowing, but of doing necessary borrowing in a discreet and sensible way.

WHY JEWS ARE EXPELLED.

Charged With Violating the Laws of Russia and Forging Police Permits. “In Darkest Russia” points out that Baron Hirsch’s scheme, if successful, can only provide for about 3 per cent, of the Russian Jews. A letter, which first appeared in the Anti-Jacobin, and which was signed “An Israelite Wanderer,” has been republished in the afternoon newspapers and is attracting considerable attention. It strongly defends Russia aud declares that the laws relating to the Jews are by no means so inequitable as imagined. Referring to the domicile law this letter says it has never been altered, but that it has operated with so little rigor that, one-third of the Jews reside today in governments from which they were excluded a generation ago. This, he says, is a sign of gradual improvement, which is the best to be expected from a semi-civilized country like Russia. Continuing, the writer of the letter mentioned says that 20,000 Jews reside in St. Petersburg and that a similar number reside in Moscow. “Expulsions,” he adds, “are entirely due to Jewish violations of the law. Ever since Russia opened her cities to Jewish traders they have been recognized by the guilds of professional men and mechanics. It has been the aim of the Hebrews who are excluded from that privilege to obtain a settlement in the central provinces. The Guild of Mechanics* certificates have been forged, fraudulent police permits have been printed and a regular trade in them has beep prosecuted for years. Certificates have also been used long after the original grantee was dead, and thus thousands of Jew* without means or a trade have settled in Russia, where they had no more right to be than a pauper emigrant has to land in New York. Numbers of mechanic* also have forsa a their regular occupation and have taken to peddling, thus violating the conditions under which’ they were allowed to settle.’ Others left the town, where they ought to have remained. Between 150,000 and 200,' 000 Jews now reside in Russia in

open violation of the law owing Icl fraudulent permits or by bribing of j ficals.' Being undisturbed they have' become more confident, and have in vested money in houses, which is against the law, and 'then when or j ders are received to enforce the domicle law the outside world hears ol wholesale expulsions, often accom j panied by brutality. But every Jew so expelled courted his own fate.; They all know what they are doing j when they pass the pale of their domicile. “Poor Jews suffer the most from the rigors of the law, being, as peddlers, porters and such like, at the. mercy of ever petty official, by whom they are hounded from pillar to post. If Baron Hirsch's scheme includes these poor Jews it takes up the most unpromising material it is possible to deal with. They have neither physique for field work or resource of any kind. They and their families must be supported from the money when they leave Russia until an indefinite date when they can maintain themselves unaided. The government will not allow the capable, sturdy better class, who are. all military reservists, to leave the country.”

SAVING HIS AMMUNITION.

Why a United States Marshal Held His Fire, New York Tribune. In the year of the last yellow fever epidemic in the South one of the first men to catch the disease at a summer resort on the gulf was a tall, rather heavily built man, whose eye was dark and keen and who wore a a line gray imperial. He was a strikingly handsome man, with his military carriage and his strong face But his manner was grave and chilling and he made few aeqainLances. Staying at the big hotel was'a man "wtoriirtriKmariylifohad lived in thw West, but who shortly after tho war had married a Southern widow who owned a sugar plantation on the Mississippi River. He knew Major Wells, the stranger, and on the evening when the Major died told the fol-lowing-story to a group of men who sat on one of the hotel verandas: “When I first saw Wells he was a deputy United States Marshal in Nevada.. Hewas so cool and daring that he seemed absolutely-indifferent as to death. He would calmly walk into a bar-room filled with reckless gamblers and desperate outlaws.pick out his man, scarcely saying a word and march him out tho door without placing his baud on a weapon or holding himself in readiness fur an attack. “Coming down the street one day I heard rapid firing, and look up saw Wells standing behind the stump oi a tree (the stumps still in the streets where the trees had been failed) and three men blazing away at him. Wells was a rigid as a statue, his face a little white, but unmoved. He was a sure shot with a revolver, and I expected to see him draw his sixshooter and drop his men in one, two, three order, but he did not stir. For a inoment" tlio bullets rained around there, and then the sound ol the shooting suddenly ceased. The three men had emptiedrutbeir revolvers. At that instant,Vquick as a flash and with a tiger bound, Wells leaped - before the three men, and, whipping out his revolver, with a swift stroke of his arm covered their. They all stood stock still. The whole, thing took less time than it docs to draw a long breath. Then he grimly walked the three of them off, and saw thqm securely locked up. “I met him a few hours later leaning carelessly over a bar, as easy and unconcerned as if he had never heard the crack of a six-shooter “ ’Good heavens, Wells,’.l,...said to himywhy did you let those fellows blaze away at you without returning a shot? The chances were fifty to one against you.’ “There was a quiet smile on his lips when he answered that words can not describe, and in his* eye was the twinkle of a man who loved a good joke: “‘There jvas just one ball in the chamber of my revolver,’ he said, ‘and I thought I might need it later.’ “And there is a man,” added the speaker, after a slight pause, “who defied the bullets of desperadoes for years, and who went down like a child before the fever.” «

Forests in Tasmania.

It makes an Englishman’s mouth water to hear that the crown forests of Tasmania cover over 16,000,00(1 acres. The gum trees, which are most Common in these forests, are of great size, some of them being 107 feet in girth, while there are peppermint trees 330 feet high. The manna tree, the red gum, the cider gum. the weeping gum, tho iron-bark and the blackwood are some of the other useful or ornamental trees of which the lucky Tasmanians possess a virtually unlimited supply. In Keeping With tho Weather. New York’Prees. “I always dress my windows as the ladies dress,” said a merchant, “on sunny days with bright things and on cloudy days with somber colors, and so on.” “Do you sell umbrellas?” “No. “What do you do on rainy days, then?” J “We make a display of stockings.’’

A Case of Dire Necessity.

Life. Mrs. Kingley—l see yot-r churcl is going to send away your minister for three months. Isn't that a long time? Mr*. Bingo—Yes. But we need rest. v

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. Over 12,000 acres near Los Angeles, Cal., have been put in potatoes. Awell conducted funeral in a Pennsylvania town took place al midnight.-——A A hungry horse at Detroit made a dinner the other day off the tops oi three baby carriages. John Schneider, of Middle Village, L. 1., has been taken to task for raising potatoes in a cemetery. In a certain portion of the Ural district camels are the only working cattle used, some large farms possessing a hundred camels. In the museum of the dead letter office at Washington, D. C., there is a piece of parchment upon which is penned a copy of the Lord’s prayer in fifty-four different languages. A man fishing at Jersey, England, was caught by the rising tide and a boat.had to be sent out to rescue him. The next day the magistrate sentenced him to eight days' hard labdr “for the trouble he had caused.” A LaCygne (Kas.) woman has a sheet ninety years old which was the property of her grandmother in Ohio, and was made from flax woven at the beginning of the century. She will send it to the World’s Fair. The injections of bromide of gold which moneyed women take hypodermically for nervous prostration are very fashionable and said to be effectual. Each dose contains ten cents worth of pure gold and costs the patient sl. - - A curious fact in the early history of pins is that when they were first sold in "“open shop” there was Such a demand for them that a code was passed permitting their sale only on two days in tho year—the Ist and 2d of January. In its November number the Cos-mopolitan-will publish a series of letters written by Gen. W. T. Sherman to one of his young daughters, between the years 1859 and 1865 and covering most of the important events: of the war of secession. Some idea of what tho illustration of a magazine means, may ba obtained from the announcement that the publishers of the Cosmopolitan paid Madeleine Lemaire for the illustrations of “Three Women of the Comedie Francaiso,” ten times the amount paid for the article. J 1 The society editor of a Boston morning newspaper is a young colored woman whose complexion is hardly darker than that of a Spanish brunette. Sbo is pretty and remarkably well educated, being a fine French scholar aud a clever musician. “Old Jubal” Early Ls the least reconstructed of the surviving confederate Generals. He still affects the confedrate gray in his attire and wears the old slouch hat of the Virginia trooper. A northerner who saw him a short time ago says that his scarf pin represents a confederate flag. A planter at Alpharetta, Ga., has an acre of cotton, every stalk ol which is of a deep red when they are opened. This novel crop is the product of seed derived three years ago from two stalks of red cotton found in a cotton field. There is a fortune in this new variety if it can be perpetuated.

The subject of the civil war was inadvertently introduced in a mixed company of Northern and Southern gentlemen, and unintentionally the discussion became warm. “Well, we licked you rebs, anyhow,” said one of the Northerners. “Yes,” replied jvSuutirerner, blandly; “you did, but from the number of applicants far pensions I should judge we crippled every blamed one of you." In 1885 there were three electric railways in operation, with thirteen cars; in 1886, five with thirty cars; in 1887, seven with eighty-one cars; in 1888, thirty-two with 255 cars; in 1889, 104 with 965 cars; in 1890, 126 with over 2,000 cars; and there are now in operation and under contract in America, Great Britain,Germany, Italy, Australia and Japan no fewer than 325 roads, requiring over 4,000 cars and 7,000 motors, with 2,000 miles of track, making a daily mileage of not less than 400,000 miles, and carrying 750,000 passengers. Last year Douglas and Coles counties, 111., each had 12,000 acres of broom corn. The prices in 1889 ranged from S4O to.sBD per ton, according to the quality of tho brush. This year the average is a little less, though the quality finer and a little heavier. In fact it might be said that this year’s crop is one of the heaviest as well as tho finest ever producedin this section. Tho price has started at >IOO per ton, while some crops have been sold at $lO5. Douglas county estimates place its crop at 5,000 tons. Coles county is about the same. —— Tho well known humorist Edgar Wilson Nye, better known by ths name “Bill Nye,” which was bestoweod upon him many years ago by brother journalists in California, will contribute to The Century during the coming ypar la series of articles desoriptive of his experiences in different parts of America and in various capacities. He calls them his “Autobiographies,”and the first one, “The Autobiography of a Justice of the Peace,” will appear in the November Century. It is understood that Mr. Nye lias not drawn so large* ly a* is usual with him upon hil Sowers of invention, but has eneavored to present a series of pictures of American life which will both amuse and instruct.