Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1896 — IN GENERAL [ARTICLE]

IN GENERAL

A terrible fate Is believed to have befallen fiv'e gold prospectors who left Ilerinosillo, Mexico, several weeks ago for the interior of Tiburon Island, which is inhabited by the Seris tribe of Indians. There were six members of the exploring party originally,, but one of the men returned and reports that he and his copipaiiions came upon a village of Indians; that they werq all taken and preparations were begun to butcher them, when he succeeded in making his escape. He believes all the other "members of the party- were killed and their flesh eaten by the Indians. He says the Indians all wear valuable gold ornaments 1 and that there were many evidences of the existence of rich mines on the island. As a res.lit of the developments that; extensive smuggling iu phenacetin is going on at Philadelphia and other ports, under circumstances that baffle the customs officers, private instructions have been issued from the-Treasury Department for a more than usually rigorous search of passengers and crews arriving from German ports, as well as of the. vessels from abroad furnishes conclusive proof that the smuggling operations in this drug —whießis very expensive and upon which the duties are high—have been proceeding on a gigantic swale, and that for the purpose of evading duty the manufacturers have of late been wrapping the drug in tinfoil paper in such a way that it can be carried in the lining of coats or overcoats, or otherwise concealed, so that detection is made extremely difficult. As much as fifty pounds can be concealed about a man’s person without his appearance indicating'to the customs inspector that anything is wrong. The dignity of ithe American hen has been upheld. It whs war between the cold storage combine of Chicago speculators and the Egglayers’ Union, aud the barnyard fowl is victor. The cold storage people, as a result of an attempt to corner the egg market, are or will be not less than $150,000 out of pocket. Some dealers say the loss in Chicago by the drop in egg prices will reach $200,900. Score one for the hen. “Cold storage” eggs are down to 5 to 7 cents a dozen and are practically unsalable at that price. Car load lots were being frantically offered Wednesday night to all points on the map at the above ridiculous prices, but the best bids received in return wet-e .$1.25 a case of thirty dozen. Meanwhile””fca*h eggs started out at 14 to 14% cents, but offers to sell at 13% cents were fairly rolling in when business closed. The news had gone out into the country that the cold storage combine was seeking to control the Chicago market and apparently every hen iu the entire country made it. a personal matter to crush the dangerous rival. From every barnyard went up the slogan, “Honest eggs at honest prices.” The fight Was on, the weather was favorable, and the battle was soon won. In Chicago the holders of cold storage eggs have on hand (10,000 eases of eggs which cost them 14 to' 15 cents a dozen, including the cost of carrying them from last spring. At this season of the. year the stock should be practically exhausted, as Southern eggs begin to supply consumers. The line weather has not only started the Southern eggs moving, but has brought out large offerings from Missouri, Kansas, lowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, Oklahoma aud Texas. Though the “icehouse” eggs are sold by grocers all over the city as fresh, they are not to bac'ompared with the fresh arrivals, and cannot compete with them.