Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1894 — Reliable in Some Respects. [ARTICLE]

Reliable in Some Respects.

“Hew to the line, let the chips fall where they may." “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?” The Chicago man continues to “get there”. One of “him” arrived at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., the other day, dead broke. Desiring to cross the Hudson river, he secured two soap boxes, attached them to his feet and proceeded.to paddle his way over the stream. A tug captain discovered him in the middle of the stream and went to his relief.

The Field Columbian Museum will have a railway branch in which will be exhibited and tested every new device oertaining to the service that is brought out J. G. Pangborn will have charge of this newly organized department and will devote the next two years of his life to the work. Ample means to carry out the work are now available.

The Methodist Episcopal church builds an average of two new churches a day in the United States. At least 1,500 Protestant churches are built annually in America. “Sin” of all descriptions is rampant, but still the “salt of the earth” appears to keep up its end of the swingle-tree pretty well. There are a great many very good people in the country who are quite indifferent as to religious matters, but there are very few indeed who would willingly consent to the destruction of all of our church edifices,

Our Indiana farmers are not greatly interested in cotton, but those with a statistical turn of mind will find tbe following figures of value: Tbe visible cotton supply of the world is about 1,300,000 bales. The weekly consumption in Europe is 169,000 bales. Fifteen years ago tbe visible supply was 2,450.000 bales with a weekly European consumption of 99,000 bales. The American crop of 1894 is estimated at 7,500,000. The changes in the Indian tariff may improve values in eon sequence of taking off the duty on cotton goods.

Ip you contemplate ■ a Mexican tour, a heavy life insurance policy will prove a great addition to y r our comfort. A good many tourists in the land of the Montezumas have recently died, and in more than one instance SI,OOO has been charged for embalming the remains so that the body could be sent home. ConsulGeneral Crittenden, our representative at the City of Mexico, has published a vigorous protest against the extortion, but Mexican physicians claim the charge is reasonable, as the old Egyptian method of embalming is still in vogue in Mexico,

Senator Joe Blackburn, of Kentucky, has been converted through the efforts of Evangelist Moody, who has been conducting a revival at Washington City for some time. Senator Blackburn mailed a package of tracts to each of his colleagues, inscribed “Compliments of J. S. C. Blackburn,” and this device was understood to mean that the genial Kentucky statesman, who has been a typical Kentuckian, with all that that implies, had abandoned his worldly life. Moody's meetings have attracted unusual attention from Senators and public men generally at the National capital, and geneyous contributions have been made by them for their continuance.

Tiie railway business of the United States outranks all other branches of enterprise. One-tenth of all the laboring men employed are on the pay-rolls of the railway companies in one branch or another of the service, while another army of equal magnitude is engaged in producing railway, supplies of various kinds. One-fifth of the population of the American continent is maintained by an interest which was organized less than sixty years ago. The gross earnings of American railways reach the enormous sum of $10,100,000,000 annually and they pay to labor $750,000,000 each year. The value of all the railway stocks and bonds of the various lines far exceeds the value of all the gold, silver and paper money of the United States in banks, in circulation and in the hoards of the people. A New York swell indulges in charity from purely selfish mptives. His theory is unique and original. While he admits that indiscriminate giving tends to increase beggary and Is often an injury to the pauper who begs, he regards any outlay

that he may make in answering to the calls, of city vagrants as a good investment. He alleges that if he encounters a woe begone beggar on a stormy night, after he has himself dined in style, and fails to give him something, that he is haunted by the face of the miserable pleading wretch to such an extent as to destroy his own comfort, whereas if he contributes relief he finds a serene satisfaction which adds imto his own comfort. The swell does not wish to be regarded as a philanthropist, nor as a generous man even, but avers that he gives to the poor solely because by so doing he adds to his ovfn peace ol mind. This can hardly be called a new discovery, but rather a verifies tion of the. scriptural saying that “il is more blessed to give. than to receive.” The same feeling probably actuates a great many people who pose as philanthropists and great benefactors of the human race Yhere is nothiiig so comforting to ! man as to be fully convinced in hi! | own mind that he is a real good fellow.

It is hardly good taste to maks sport of the afflictions and misfortunes of others, yet the vagaries ol the insane are sometimes so ridiculous that people, in wfhom thd .disposition.; „ to....laugh at thtj amusing side of even the saddest circumstance can hardly be 1 repressed, will draw from them the in l spiration for a feast of mirth. In the absence of the unfortunate vie' tims of strange hallucinations and their immediate friends this may bo pardoned, and this is our excuse foi* giving to the public the utterly absurd ideas of an Indianapolis book : keeper which have resulted in his incarceration in the Central Hospital. The deluded man became imbued -with the idea that he was vastly wealthy. He owned a dog which he valued at SIO,OOO, and he pawned a valuable watch for $2 to get money to buy ribbons to decorate the “purp,” after which he started to the city offices stating that he intended to rent Tomlinson hall in order that he might exhibit the canine phenomenon to the public at so much per head. He was placed under restraint and enroute to the asylum confidentially told the officer that he had repeatedly refused $lO,000 for the animal. Such incidents are sad indeed, but we can laugh at the humorous side of the matter when by so doing we will not offend the parties most interested.

Detroit Free Press. “Before I reached the dignity of a position in the national Legislature,” remarked a Southern Congressman to a group of listeners, “I represented my county in the State Legislature. During one of my canvasses I got over into a rough part of the county, where I knew very few people and thought they didn’t know me, in which regard I found later I was slightly in error. As I rode along the bed cf a creek I overtook a man riding a hard looking mule, and I began to give him some, talk. I got around at last to personalities and I began to ask him about his ruble. “ ‘What’s such an animal as that you are on worth?’ I asked. “ ‘ ’Bout S4O er sitch a matter.’ “ ‘Will he work?’ “ ‘Course.’ ‘Got auy speed?’ “ ‘He kin walk ’round a corn field a good many times ’tween sunup and dark.’ “ ‘Can he run?’ “He looked at me rather curiously I thought. ' “ ‘Well, mister,’ he said, ‘I can’t say ez he’s reliable in that line. Fer instance, he ain’t wurth a dern to run in a hoss race, but I reckon he couldn’t be beat es he ran fer the 1 egislater,’ and thereupon I chauged the subject to something more agreeable.”