Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1893 — Page 6

DARIUS’S SECRET.

BY HELN WHITNEY CLARK.

I could see as plain as the-nose on my face that there was somethin' hefty a-weighin’ on Darius’s mind. He wa’nt exactly fractious, but ‘peared like it didn’t take nothin’ •keercely to irritate him. After the chores' was done of a mornin’ or evenin’ he would set in the chirhley corner, an’ sort o’ study about suthin’ and wrinkle up his furrid, fur a hour at a time, ’stid of reading his paper, or figurin’ on his accounts, sensible like. An’ it wan’t a grain o’ use to talk to him, or ask him nothin’, ’cause like enough if you did, he would answer yes or ho, permiseus. So at last I couldn’t stand it no longer. 1 begun to git skeered fur fear he was takin’ softenin’ of .the brains or suthin’ that-away. And one night I spoke right out. “Whatever doesail you, Darius?” says I. ' “Hey?” says he. “Nothin’ don’t - ail me. What should ail me, I’d like to know, Nancy?" “That’s what I’d like to know, says I. “There youve sot fur the last, half-hour scowlin’ and flingin’ your arms about like you was flailin’ oats or frightenin’ bumble-bees. An’ I should love to know what it means,” says I? “fiddlesticks! It’s only your notion. You're as full of notions as an aig is full of meat,” says he. “I haint,” says I. “You’ve been actin’ quare an’’absent-minded fora week or more. I ’lowed 'twould wear off, but it don't. ’Pears like you got quarer an’ absent-mindeder every day of your life. It fairly gives me the nerves to see you set-> n’ there a squinting down your nose, and never sayin’ nothin’ to nobuddy, nor nobuddy to nothin’. I think you might say somethin’, wuns’t in a while.” 1 “All right, Nancy,’’, says he, “What do you want* me to say?” Now I leave it. to you if that wan’t enough to purvoke a saint? It did me, anyhow. “If I’ve got " -to put the words in your mouth,” •says I, “you may as well hold your tongue.” An’ he suttled back in his cheer ;»gin, an’ 'twant long afore he wus a-goin’ on in the same ole way, grinning like a baby one minute, an’ ■scowlin’ like sin the next •“I give it up,” says I to myself, ah’ I tried to think whether he had eat anything lately that could of give him the digestion. Fur there was sarting somethin’ the matter of him; but I couldn’t think of nothin’, without ’twas baked beans. They say them does set heavy on a buddy’s stummick sometimes, an’ we had been havin’ ’em three times a day, fur a week or so. So I lowed be might be a sort o’ biliousy, an’ I made him a bowl of yarb tea, but he wouldn’t tetch it. “Wait till I get sick, afore you begin doctorin’,” says he. “A ounce of prevention is worth a pound o’ cure,” says I. “Don’t keer if it tis,” says he, “I ain’t agoin’ to swaller no doctor’s stuff till I’m laid up on the flat- o’ my back, an’ can’t help myself.” Nor he wouldn’t hear to nothin’ I could say. In general he is the mildest an’ obliginest of men, but once he planks down his foot you snout as well try to move a mountain as him. So he kep* agoin’ on, like he bad; an’ I set it down to mental aboration, as the doctors say. But at last be kind o' changed, an”stid of scowlin’ an' clawin’ the air, be would set an' chuckle to hisself, like he was powerful tickled at suthin',. an’l begun to hev some hopes that he was a-gitting lucent agin. ... - , . It was drawin* pretty nigh to Christmas times, an’ thinkses I; ■“Darius will be sartin to give me -suthin’or other that I don’t want, like be most alius does.” So thinkses I, “I'll give him a hint that a new shawl would be the most acceptable gift hocould buy me.” But ’peared like he wouldn’t take no hinta. “Lookalike ther was a heap ’o wear in ’un you’ve got," says he. “Bat it’s so fady," says I. “ You must dye it,’’ says he, “Dimon dye would make it as good as MAW M new. ||£ l .An’ thinkses I, “there’s none so Hind as them that won’t see.” We was settin’ out to church, an’ he bes gun grumblin’ about his hangkichers “They look like the last o’ peatime,” says be But I was miffed at the way be tret my hint about the shawl. “If you need new hangkichers, why don’t you buy ’em?” says I. An’ he snorted right out at that. “Must think I m made of money,” says-he.

So we jogged on the balance o’ the way as mum as a mouse in a mealchest. ' * - But next, morning Darius was as glib as ever. “What do you say to goin’ to town ®Hky, Nancy,?” says he. “Looks like we mout hev failin’ weather in a few days, an’ there’s that barrel o’ crowt an* them Baldin’ apples I could take along. There’s alius a good sale fur ’em just afore Christmas.” ‘Tip agreeable,” says I. I had sot my heart on buying a real nice present for Darius, an’ had saved up all my turkey money a puppose. An’ besides, I cackilated to buy me a new bunnit. I had' wore my ole one five or six year, an’ ’peared like 'twas gitting sorter out o' style. Aa’ I wanted a new one to wear to the donation party at the passonage Christmas night. “We want to buy some gimcracks fur your brother Lyman’s chaps, too,” says Darius. • So we went, an’ white Darius was sellin’ his crowt an’ Bald’in apples on Broadway Market," !, hustled off to a Millinery Store an’ picked me out a bunnit, a nice black one with snuff colored ribbins .that would be durable an’ not show dirt An’ after the milliner had done it up in a bran new green ban'box with paper wrapped round it*l spied a nice, silver plated powder flask in a shop •winder. ’? f • “That’ll be jest the thing fur Darius,” says I. So I stopped in an’ asked the clerk what he would take fur it. “J want it fur a Christmas present for my ole man,” says I. An’ .he smiled real good naturedan’ said ’twas three dollars. I-nearly screamed at the idee of payin’ so much for a Christmas gift. But he said ’twas already filled 1 an’ I couldn’t find nothin’ I wanted any cheaper, so I ttik it an’ hustled round to where I d promised to meet Darius. ' I come on him sort of Unexpected an’ ketched him stuffin’ away a bundle under the wagon seat. But I never let on, an’ he showed me-some candy aigs, an’ a tin wagon, an’ a couple o’ Jack-in-the-boxes he had .bought for brother Lyman’s youngsters. Next day was Christmas, an’ he couldn’t wait; till after breakfast afore he showed me my present. “I had a time of it,, studyin’ what to give you,” says he,, “an’ that’s why I couldn’t tell what ailed me that time you wanted to dose me with yarb tea. So at last it popped into my head to go to town to one o’ them big stores’ an’ git the woman clerk to pick it out for me. An’ here's what’tis.” An’ he handed me the passel I had saw him stuffin’ away under the wagon seat. “Ain't it a stunner?” says he when I had ondid the paper. An’ I should say it was a stunner; anyhow it came nigh stunting me. Fur if you’ll believe my word, instid of a nice durable shawl like I wanted, it was a blue chany-silk tea-gownd, real baby-blue at "that, trum up the front with swan-down, an' with a trail half a yard long I An’ the waist looked like it wouldn’t medgure a graih over nineteen inches round. “Sakes alive, Darius Doolittle!" says I. “how do you reckon I’m agoin’ to squeeze into that air buddy?” “Ain’t it big enough?” says he.’ “I swan to Peter I never thunk o’ that! Mebbe you could let suthin’ out.” j “Ain’t nothin’ to let out," says I, “an’ if there was I couldn’t wear it.” “Hey? Couldn’t wear it? Why not?" says he, gapin’ with wonder. “ ’Cause I couldn’t,” says I. “It’s too fine.” “Fiddlesticks! ’Taint neither,” says he. “Nothin’s too fine fur my wife." “I couldn’t never wear it,” says I, “even if ’twas big enough; but it aint. I should be a laughing stalk. When a woman gets to be forty odd an’ weighs nigh on to two hundred pounds, witha blowsy face and gray streaks in-f.her hair, she wants to dress sort of approbrious. She don’t want to wear baby blue an look as sailer as coffee." says 1. “Well, if you Can’t you can’t, I reckon,” says Darius, “but it’s a burnin’ shame, fur I give ten dollars fur that frock. The price was fifteen, the woman clerk said; but bein’ ’twas made to order an’ was a misfit, she let me have it fur ten.” “Lawful sakes!” says I. “You’ll scratch a poor man’s back all your life, I’m afeared, Darius Doolittle, if you don't larntobemore equinoxial. But ’taint no use cryla’ over spilt milk,” says I, “an’ mebbe I kin change it fur somthin’ sensible. An’ here’s what I bought fur you,” says I, handin’ it out. I ’spected he would almost caper, he’d be so tickled; but he didn’t do nothin’ of the kind. He stood stock still fur a minute, like he’ been turned to marble statter, an’ then he fairly snorted. “What under the canopy do you reckon I want of a likker flask?" says he, “an’ me a strong prohibitioner?" An’ it flashed over me all of a suddint that I’d made a mistake. Sich a awful mistake, too; it fairly staggered me an’ I come nigh sheddin’ tears. “It’s a—l thought it was a powder flask,” says I. “I thought it would look nicer than that old cow horn o* yourn. And it's full o' gunpowder, too.” “I should say ’twes gunpowder,” Favs he, yankin’ off the stopper. “Take a shift o’ that wunst," and he helt it under my nose. An* bless you ’f ’twah’t the strongest likker I ever smelt. It pretty nigh keeled m™ over. I felt powerful decomposed, but Darius was real tickled when he

found I’d made a mess of it-as well as him. . “We’re both hr the same box. Nancy," says be. “What's sass fur the goose is sass fur the gander, an* you cant’ jaw me about that tea gownd.” “I hadn’tbo idee of jawin’,” says I, as stiff as a poker. An* next day we went to town an’ changed the pocket-flask fur a walking stick, an’ the tea-gownd fur a blanket shawl an’ half a dozen men’s hangkirchers. ” But the story lek out some way or other, Darius couldn’t keep it, I reckon, an’ we like to o’ never heared the last of it. An’ only t’other day I got a letter from sister Sophrony, that lives out on Duck Crick, a-sayin’ she had beared Darius hadtuek to drinkin’ an’ had to be brung home on a wheel borrow, with his laigs and arms a-hangin’ over the.sides. Did you ever hear the beat ol that? --- •

A SUDDEN RECOVERY.

The Visitor Frightened the Pretender Into Lively Health.. The doctor of a hospital ship complained to a visitor of a lazy colored man whom he could do nothing with. “We don’t like, to throw the rascal out, but it is easily seen he is only shamming. He finds, no doubt, his present quarters too pleasant, no work and plenty to eat. I wish I could get clear of the fellow without creating a disturbance,” quotes Tid* Bits. “Well, doctor," said the visitor, after a little reflection, “lend me a few yards of string, and that nigger will be miles away before night.” “You don’t mean to strangle him, i hope?” “Oh, no,” replied the visitor, “I promise to do no injury to him.” He got the twine, and, putting on a. melancholy air, he went on to the darkey’s berth. “Very bad?” he said. “Yes, massa,” replied Sambo, “dredful sick.”

The visitor made no further remark, but placed one end of the twine at his head and drew it slowly —very slowly—until it reached his toes. Then he measured him across the chest, The fellow looked the picture of astonishment and terror, and gasped: * “What dis for?” , The vftitor never answered him, and was walking away, when Sambo sat bolt upright and called after him, imploring an explanation. The visitor pretended to relent, and whispered: “My poor fellow, the doctor knows you are not going to recover, and it is only an expense keeping you here without any chance of doing you good. I have jtist been taking your measure” —here he lowered his voice still more—“for a coffin. We’ll bury you with honors to-morrow; it’s the custom here in a case like yours. 'Tis best for all hands, you know." No one knew how or when that nigger got clear of the hospital ship, but there was no trace of him in the morning.

Plastic Marble.

In one account of Rome the author mentions five or six slabs of elastle marble as being in possession of the Prince Borghese. Being set on end they bend backward and forward; when laid horizontally and raised at one end they form a curve; if placed on a table and a piece of wood or any other substance is laid under them they fall into a kind of curve, each end touching the table. The Abbe Fortis was told that they were dug up near the town of Mondragon, in the kingdom of Naples. The tf'grain ais like fine Carrara marble, or perhaps of the finest Greek. They seem to have suffered some attack of fire. A slab of marble similar in every respect to those described, and highly polished, has been exhibited for more than twen-ty-five years in the British Museum. M. Fleuvian de Belvae succeeded in making a common granulated limestone, a granular quartz, completely flexible br exposing them to a certain degree of heat. In Lincoln Cathedral, England, there is an arch built of white marble which is quite elastic, yielding to a heavy tread and returning or rebounding to its origidal position on true elastic principles.

She Needed it.

London Telegraph. A middle-aged woman called at the chemist’s shop the other evening and asked to De served with morphine, and the assistant replied to her request with: “Is it for your husbpna, madam?” “Ob, no, sir, I haven’t one.” “You don’t think of committing suicide?” “Far from it” “What do you want it for?" “Must I tell, sir?” “You must.” “Well, then, don’t you think that a woman forty years old, who has had her first offer of marriage less than a year ago, naturally wants something to quiet her nerves and give her a good night’s sleep?" The chemist thought so, and she got her nerve-soother.

Just Like a Man.

The small son of the editor of the Western Odd Fellow, bn a recent visit to the Orphans’ Home, insisted upon opening a car window. After his mother and aunt had spoked to him in regard to closing it, he shut it with a good deal of emnhasis accompanied by the remark: “Gee whiz! The next time Igo on an ex

TOPICS OF THESE TIMES.

FA KM MORTGAGES ? The American farm mortgage is an institution, generally regarded as discreditable, but nevertheless apparently' a permanent imcumbrance upon the general prosperity i of the most deserving class of American citizens. Political agitators have for years made this condition of our farmers a stock argument to demonstrate that the world is out of joint, and this- tendency to make a bad matter worse has led the general public to a conclusion at variance with the actual facts. The impression is wide spread that a large majority of the farms of the United States are heavily incumbered. Nothing could be further from the truth. Recent exhaustive reviews of statistical information have demonstrated that three-quarters of the farms of the United States are owned free from incumbrance of any kind; and the average mortgage upon the remaining one-fourth does not represent more than the actual value of the land and improvements. The total amount of farm mortgages in the whole country is barely onetenth of the total value of all our farms. In 1880 the total mortgage indebtedness' on farms was estimated at $525,000,000, and ten years later was about $875,000,000. During these ten years at least 600,000 new farms were opened in the West and South. Providing that onehalf of these were mortgaged, the fact would readily account for the increase of mortgage indebtedness for the decade. The figures of the last census are not complete, but enough is known to justify the statement that American agriculture is not in the ruinous condition financially that has been generally supposed.

THE HOUSE OF LORDS. The English House of Lords seems to bo on a par with the American Senate in the minds of a large num- ( bcr of people. Both bodies are relics of an aristocracy that time will surely eliminate—or greatly change—from the organization of a government for free and enlightened people. Already the sentiment in England (or the absolute abolition or radical reconstruction of the House of Lords has gained great headway, and the most influential journals of the United Kingdom are casting about for acceptable measures that will save the Peers and satisfy the people. The English Radicals are a unit for the abolition of the House of Lords -so far as it consists of hereditary legislators or of their representatives. The .tendency of events seems to favor home rule for England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with legislatures in these countries to settle all local matters,' that shall elect members of the Upper House in proportion to their population. This is substantially ; similar to our own Federal system, and would undoubtedly be a vast improvement over existing conditions in John Bull’s islands.

THE GERMAN REICHSTAG. Emperor William opened the Reichstag at Berlin, on the 16th, in person, with the usual, etiquette and ceremony. The Emperor, in his address, expressed gratification that his confidence in the special session last July to give to the German army the development needed in the interest of the empire’s security had not been misplaced. He spoke at length of the financial needs of the government, very much after the style of a President’s message, and stated that settlement between the individual States and the general government cannot longer be postponed. Evidently the Exchequer of bis 'Majesty is in urgent need of ready cash. His expressed wish for the earnest co-operation of the legislative body reads well, but past experience shows that when read between the (ines his address means that a positive command has been given from the throne that the Enrperor’s wishes must be carried out or there will be trouble for those responsible for the failure. The Kaiser states that the Empire is at peace with the world, and that the friendship of the allied powers continues unimpaired. This passage in the address relating to foreign affairs was received with generous applause. The Emperor concluded with the remark that he “cherished the confident hope that, with God’s help, the blessing of peace would •till continue to be preserved to the empire." Chancellor von Caprivi then declared the session of the Reichstag opened. There were but one hundred and fifty members present ' AMERICA'S VASTNESS. Few people realize the vast extent, of territory embraced within the United States—still less the un known wilds of the frigid North.

That there may be still unexplored riversand fertile valleys, inaccessible mountains and inland lakes of great extent within pur boundaries is apossibility that few have/of late years considered. Seemingly the surveys of the great transcontinental railways would have left little to be conjectured in this respect, and the average man wbuld have scarcely dreamed that it was a possibility for a well equipped and well manned hunting party to be lost at the beginning of November because of a comparatively light snowfall. A number of men, known as the Carlin party, have been lost for several weeks in the wilderness on the middle fork of the Clearwater in MonDispatches from Fort Missoula on the 22d state that no effort will be spared to reach the hunters, but that relief is deemed impossible for weeks to come, until a heavier snow and a hardened crust render snow shoes available. Several attempts have been made to get into the country where the party was last heard from, but so far all attempts have failed, and so dangerous was the undertaking that one relief party had to be itself rescued by a second force, All who went over the summit and into the valley had such a hard time on account of storms and snow that their lives were endangered, all their animals were lost, and they barely escaped with their lives.

THE FAMINE IN RUSSIA.

Heartless Manner in Which the TaxCollectors Treat the Poor Classes. In order to get a correct understanding of how the peasants have been reduced to their present hopeless state, it is not sufficient to know there has been a series of bad crops. The land is impoverished, and often the peasant sell their manure for many years ahead at ridiculously low prices It has been shown that tha recent droughts*were caused by the. cutting down of the forest. When it rains floods wash away the black soil, making the land as barren as a desert, says the" Century. A few estate-owners, who irrigate their land and carry on agriculture' on a rational plan* have had good crops during these bad years. The intelligent and thrifty Mennonites, who likewise cultivate the soil- in . a rational way, also have good crops, and none among them has suffered, from the famine. This alone is enough to prove that the terrible famine was not caused merely by the last failures of crops. When we consider the cruel way in which the authorities extort enormous taxes from the poor people, it is no wonder that the peasants live constantly on the verge of famine. I have myself seen the taxgatherer take the cqw of a pool widow because her taxhad not been paid Informed of his coming, I went to izba of the widow and found her in the yard with her arm about the neck of her only cow. The tax-gatherers frequently have the muzhiks beaten wiohrods until they promise to produce money in some way orother for the payment of tax. A prominent Russian lawyer, told me of a newly invented (as yet not patented) “beating machine.” The use Of this machine has many advantages over that of the knot and the rods. Among other things, there is no danger of the machine feeling any forbidden sympathy with the victims, and the force of theblows can be regulated according to the strength of the patient and the will of the representatives of the government. These extortions on the part cruel of officers of the government seem to breed the same heartless rapacity among the people. It ,is not only the nobles, but merchants, kulaks and upstarts of different kinds, who oppress the peasant. Most of the loans are taken in January, February and March; in January, because the taxes are then gathered: in February and March, because then the provisions of the peasants run short, and all kind of eatables used by peasants go up in price until they reach the climax in April. From April the peasant begins to earn a little, and the loans diminish until August. After that they rise again, because after tha crops have been gathered the peasants Begin to pay their debts with the harvest, so "that they themseves are soon without provision and must take loans again. Sometimes the interest charge on peasant loans amount to 300 per cent.

About a "Pillar."

I'hUa'telpbla Press. He was a pillar of the church. At least such was the report passed around by other “pillars.” At the evening service he was late. That in itself was sufficient to cause comment. But he was doomed to suffer keen mortification. As he walked down the aisle to his pew the choir was singing an anthem in. a sad, reproachful way. The words were: ‘Late, so late, so late.” The tardy pillar was thunderstruck. He stood, stock still in view of half of the congregation, turned half around and glared at the choir. Then he seemed to realize that nothing personal had been meant, and he sheepishly walked to his seat. It seemed as if he heard suppressed laughter escaping, but he was not sure.

THE NEWS OF THE WEEK

Powderly has resigned as Grand Master Workman K. of L. Joseph Dl<m, the ones celebrated billiard champion, is incurably insane, i The Ways and Means committee will report In favor of an income tax. A farmer near Oakland. HL, is preparing to engage in skunk raising on a large scale. ' v;The cause of Gen. Rusk's death causes speculation among friends The certificate reads “heart failure.” ' The comer stone of the new public library building, to cost 82 0UJ.600, was laid at Chicago, Thursday. Charles L. Colby, New York Iron mine magnate, contributed' SI,OOO to thestarving miners of the Gogebic rrnge. > A drug clerk and the wife of his employer, infatuated with each other, com-r mi tted suicide at Chicago, Friday. Walter Fish dug his stepdaughter’s' grave, near Rochester, N. Y. When the funeral arrived he was found dead at the bottom. ’ The movement to erect a costly monu- ' ment to the memory of Jas. G. Blaine, at Augusta, Me., has proved a failure. Only 1115 has been paid in. The beer and whisky business in Chicago is demoralized. Estimated that 1,209 saloons, or 20 per cent, of the whole number, will ’lose up from necessity. A number of people of East Liverpool, 0.. were run down bv an electric car while crossing a trestle. One lady was killed and eleven persons injured. President Grcenhut,of the whisky trust, says tha* the distilleries of the trust are. being run at fu'l capacity in anticipation of an increase m the tax on whisky. Starving miners at Ironwood. Mich., are reported to be eating dogs. Gqv. Peek, of/ Wisconsin, Wednesday, order'd one hun-l dred barrels of flour to be sent to them) without delay. 1 Mrs. Shields and her three children were cremated in a Are at Oil City, Pa., Tues-| day, which started in Mr. Shields’ rcs-‘ taurant. The flaipcs spread and destroyed} property valued at 190,000. T Mrs. Max Rothschfld. of Chicago, gave| 1100,000 to charitable institutions,Thanksgiving Ddy. Max Rothschild died tn Sep-/ tember leaving an estate of 91.010,000, oB more. Mrs. Rothschild is also wealthy) In her own right. During their whole) married life Mr. and Mrs. Rothschild de-i voted a great deal of time and money to’ unostentatious charity.

FOREIGN.

The cabinet crisis In Italy continues. The Pope continues to enjoy good’ health. The police of Barcelona have 118 anarchists in custody. ' In the House of Lords the employers’ liability bill was read for the second time.| The Gaulols says that France will keep} up with every naval advance made byEngland. . / Elections at Paraguay have resulted in favor of the government in the proportion of three to one. It is said that the betrothal of the’ Czarowitz of Russia to Princess Helene of Orleans is imminent. The internal conditions of Servla are desperate, as there is no money to pay thearmy and government officials. The statement of the bank of France} shows a decrease in gold of 2,391,250 francs and an increase of 2,166,000 tn silver. The three young French-Canadians arrested at Montreal charged with an attempt to blow up the Nelson monument, were arraigned in court. The issue of the socialist pap,er Suekunft, Cor Mining insults to Chancellor, Caprivi, and for which the editor has been sued, has been Confiscated There is tension in the relations between Austria and the Vatican, owing, it is alleged, to the.too energetic representations made by Austria in favor of a reapproachment between the Italian government and the papacy. Emperor William and Chancellor von Caprivi have received packages said to contain a new kind of radish seed which on examination proved to be infernal machines of a dangerous nature. Attaches made the discovery In time to prevent an’ explosion. The Reichstag, Friday, adopted a motion to readmit Jesuits into GermanyJ There was great popular Interest in that result of the motion which carried—l 73 to 131 Catholics in Germany and also in the United States regard the result as most gratifying.

THE UNITED STATES MINT.

Annual B«po t of Director Preeton— Financial Statlatlea. „ , «sa R. E. Preston, the director of the mint, has submitted to the Secretary of the Treasury the report of the operations of the mint and assay office for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1898. The following is a synopsis of the reports The valfle of tho gold deposited, including redeposite, during the fiscal year 1893 at the mint and'assay offices was 850.839,905. Of this sum 833,386.168 was classified as of domestic production. The value of the coinage executed at the mints during the flseal year was: Gold, 830,038.140; silver dollars, 85,343,715; subsidiary silver coin, 87.217,221; minor coin. 8L086.103; total, 843.685,178. The number of pieces coined was 97,280,875. The value of the gold bars furnished by the mints and assay office for use In the Industrial arts was 88,714,227. The imports of gold during the year were 822 039,380. Of this sum 86 074,899 was United States gold coin. The exports of gold during the year were: Domestic coin and bullion, 8102,337,537; foreign coin and bullion, 86.029,298; total, 8108.966,655. . . , The Imports of silver during the .year were 834.2)3,999. The exports were: Do-, mestle silver, 834.625.400; foreign silver, 817.332,403; total, $41,947,812. v Ms The total amount of silver bullion purchased under the act of July 14. 1890, to Nov. 1, 1893, was 168,674,683 fine ounces, costing 8155,931.0)8.' . . ——. f.'t

EX-MINISTER STEVENS AGAIN.

Ex-Minister Stevens, Wednesday, gave to the press a very lengthy and exhaustive statement concerning the Hawaiian trouble, In which he replies In detail to all the charges made by Commissioner Blount. Re charges Mr. Bldunt with incompetency in diplomatic matters, and enters a general dental of all the transgressions charged to him by the commissioner. For egg production and flesh Ply. mouth Rocks and Wyandotte avi generally considered the best a ..-xSaiWAuai