The New York Herald Newspaper, September 8, 1873, Page 3

SPANISH ANARCHY. Republican _Timidity Carlist Boldness. and Astonishing Incapacity and Apathy of the Leaders of the Government Troops. Promenade of the Carlists in Sight of the Republican Army. Don Carlos Swearing Fidelity to the Fueros. The Splendid Condition of the Oarlist Ool- umn in Biscaya and How Its Efi- ciency Was Brought About, THE PRETENDER’S POLITICAL STRATEGY, Disposition of the 20,000 Carlist Troops and Their Military Operations. . TheCavalry Abominably Bad—A Chance for Henry Bergh. Royal HEADQUARTERS AT ZUBIRI (mear the Navarra-Aragon ae } ‘August 13, 1872. THE TREACHEROUS POSTE. ‘Binee my last letter about Don Carlos’ progress I have written twice describing our marches ‘through Biscaya, Alava and Navarra towards the frontier of Aragon. But the messengers have on Doth oceasions fallen into the hands of republicans ‘Ddefore reaching the French frontier, and I suppose ‘the republicans will not forward my letters. It ‘was not easy to find a special and reliabie person for carrying a message on so considerable a jour- Mey as tha: from Durango to Bayonne; I hoped to have gained time by sending my letters through Don Carlos’ mounted couriers. But the experiment fas thus turned out quite a failure. While a hired peasact would have passed quite salely, “His Majesty's” couriers with their escorts were cap- tared. The r0les seem to have changed between the republicans and tne Carlists, A short time ago the Carhsts did not dare attack the republicans, and contented themselves by capturing trains and stoping the mail, while now ‘THE REPUBLICANS DARE NOT ATTACK THE CARLISTS, and seem satisfied with petty operations in the rear of Don Carlos’ forces. In fact, the changes Produced in the respective positions of the two parties for these last four or six weeks are quite striking, and by summing up here my two last letters, I shall, perhaps, be able to give some idea Of the state of affairs here at the present moment. ‘The first object of Don Carlos, after he had reviewed the frontier detachments and shown Bimeelfali through the north of Navarra, was to fon the main body of his army, then in Las Amezcoas. The Commander-in-Chicf, General Elio, came to meet him at Arijcun, leaving his troops under Dorregaray, whom it became then our object wojoin. A description of the several days’ march to Secumberri and the chase which a strong republi- can column from Pampeluna gave us on that occasion have already been sent you, Though the distance between our column and that of the @homy was never more than two hours’ march, and though he had 6,000 men with six cannons, against our 2,500 with two cannon, he never approached ‘as offensively. On the 24th of July we reached Galinas de Oro, where Dorregaray’s forces, some 4,500 strong, with two additional cannon, were ‘Swaiting us, DRAWN UP IN ORDER OF BATTLE, ‘on the surrounding hills. It was then too late to attack us, and the republican Commander-in-Chief, General Sanchez Bregua, had nothing left but quietly to retire, which he did, ordering a general concentration of troops to be made at Vittoria, in the direction of which we had evidently to move. Knowing, however, how slow the republicans are in effecting all their movements General Elio did Mot seem to take much notice of the enemy’s pro- Spective arrangements. We marched as quietly forward as if there were no enemy at all, enjoying enthusiastic receptions in every village and town ‘and having solemn military masses and Te Deum ‘whenever a suitable occasion presented itself, as ‘was the case in Abezuzd, where a San Jago used to perform miracles, and in Los Arcos, where the her- Mitage of San Gregorio Is still carefully preserved. It was, therefore, only on the 29th that we reached the neighborhood of Vittoria, leaving thus the enemy fully five days to effectuate his concentra- tion. But no enemy was to be seen outside the walis ‘of the city, in sight of which we then paesed with all the safety of an army engaged in 4 MILITARY PROMENADE, Ata place called Tres Puentes only did we see an ‘enemy, and there some 800 horsemen watched our Movements; but, as we had scarcely 200 mounted men, We could not attack them, while they did not eem tothink it desirable to attack us, So we marched forward, cut the railroad between Vit- soria and Miranda, stopped a train, took out of it Pleven officers going to reinforce the garrison of Vittoria, had them sent as prisoners to Las Amez- oas and marched off to Orduia, the ancient Basque city, from which our journey through Bis- cay was to begin. If Don Carlos could have had any doubts about his popularity m the Basque provinces, bis journey Shrough the rich province extending YROM THE PLAINS OF VITTORIA TO THE WALLS OF BILBAO, ‘would have finally dissipated them. The combined influence of British loyalty and British snobism have never produced anything similar to the re- septions Don Carios, his staf and the 7,000 men marching with him had to enjoy at. Ordufa, Durango and Zornoza, not to speak of the num- berless little villages situated between these towns. besides the province being throughout Carlist, the ‘‘Biscainos” knew that “His Majesty Charies Vil.’s” object was to show himself to them and to revive the old custom of the kings of Spain Siving their oath to the /ueros under the traditional ‘oak tree at Guernica, ‘True tha‘ the old oak un- der which Ferdinand and Isabella swore, gn 1476, to uphold the Basque fueros had been long ago ut down and burned by tie French, and that ‘nother tree planted in its place underwent the Same treatment from the bands of Queen Chris- tina’s generals, But, somehow or other, there is still a big oak tree on the same place, with two young reserve trees by its side. On the 2d inst, an altar was dressed with the image of Nostra Sefiora de la Antigua on it, and Don Carlos de Bourbon, dressed Wa brilliant uniform and surrounded by a numer- ous, staff rode down from Zorneza, not exactly to swear loyalty to the fueros, but to swear that he would come again and give his oath to uphold them when he has succeeded in conquering the throne of his ancestors, and when his corouation as King of Spain will have actually made him “Seflor de Biscaya.” The ceremony was in every @ay a success, and the road from Zornoza to Guernica, a d stance of about ten miles, was as thronged with people as Flect street on a Lord Mayor’s show. Paysonts and gentry trom all parts of Biscaya assembled to witness the ceremony ; bot, as only a few thousand people could possibly nd access to Guernica itself, the great majority « fad to content themselves witha mere glance at éhe passing King, his staff and escort. There is ‘®carcely any need tosay here that enthusiasm, ehouting and KISSING OF THE KING'S 1AND and of the King’s horse had really noend. Old ‘Women got quite mad, cried bitterly, and one of abem exclaimed ig despair, right into the face of Don Oartos, her “Liorando havio ™ (tears stine my words) and fell senseless under his white Andalu- Purposeless and unbusiness-like a8 all these mth- tary promenades of a Pretender may look abroad, I must confess my belief that Don Carlos has aone more for his cause by this tiresome journey through Navarre, Alava and Biscaya than he could’ have done by half a dozen of those mountain battles in which several thousand cartridges are used on both sides for the purpose of killing two and wounding three men. But amidst this and similar showy marches some more serious business was also transacted. Briga- dier General Velasco, holding the superior com- mand of the Cariist forces in Biscaya, met us at Ordufia, reported his having began the siege at Bil- bao with six battalions, and asked his master to pass a review of the remainingfour, It would be quite unfair not to mention here the really excel- yent state of the troops under hisorders. They are positively the best clothed, best drilled, best armed and best disciplined Carhst troops I have seen yet, The generals commanding in other provinces explain it by the fact that Biscaya is richer prov- imce and that the Carlists there had not yet seen much in the way of fatigue and fire, But, on the other hand, it ought not to be forgotten that while clothing and armaments are a question of money, discipline and drill are not, and sure it is that within a few months of its first organization the Carlist army in Biscaya, numbering at the present moment ten battalions (about 8,000 men), haa been brought to a much higher standard than any other Portion of Don Carios’ troops. Old soldiers of the Seven Years’ War say here that the Navarre bat- talions contain the best fighting elements. That may be, and every one will certainly soon have an opportunity to judge of the respective qualities of these various corps. But at present it must be said that while the “Bizcainos” look like well- dvitled militia, dressed in biue and red cotton blouses and armed with first rate Springfleld guns, the Navarre battalions even now, when brigaded and led by Dor Carlos himself, look still very mach ike a disorderly mass of armed ragamumins, dressed as every one of them pleases and armed with anything that can be got. Velasco's forces present also another interesting feature. Of the ten battalions he has formed eight only are “‘Bizcainos,” while the two remainder are Castilians, Now this is highly important. The: two Castile battalions will soon form the nucleus of a separate Castilian force and before such a force has been got up there can be little thought of crossing the Ebro, for the provinces of Castile would not stand an invasion of Navarra and Biscaya men only. They will rise only in so far as Carlism shall be represented to them by thelr own men, not by men of other provinces, THE ENGLISH PRESS is constantly urging upon Don Carlos to crods the Ebro if he desires to be regarded with proper deference by London leader writers; and in this that press shows an utter ignorance of Spanish affairs and Spanish character. If Don Carlos enters Castile with three or four Castilian battal- ions and plenty of firearms he can, within a tew days, have quite an army there, which his Navarra, Biscaya and Guipozcoa troops will simply reinforce with tried strength. But if he attempts entering the provinces of Castile only with the troops he has now, he will appear as a conqueror entering by the help of strangers and will be réceived accordingly. By forming the two CASTILIAN BATALLION Velasco has built the first arch of the bridge by which Don Carlos can some day cross the Ebro. But if our journey through Biscaya presented many business like features, it had its comical side also. Inthe first place all Eurepe was fancying, thanks to Reuter’s telegrams, that Don Carlos had marched with the whole of his forces on Bilbao, while he was simply making a show of his person, We never approached Bilbao nearer than ten or twelve miles, and none of the young Pretender’s generals would have allowed him in that way to throw both himself and the whole of his troops imto @ venture which, if unsuccessful, would not have left any escape except the sea, since all the republican troops were concentrated at Vittoria and could come to the rescue of Bilbao within something like twenty-four hours, Still the rumor was spread that we were marching on that rich seaport, and General Sanchez Bregua moved with something like eleven thousand men and a great number of cannon irom Vittoria on the very same day when we were witnessing the Gueraica festivities. We learned of that ‘more on the next day, when we had ourselves started from Zornsza towards Durango, on our way back to the Alava and Navarra. We were already half way trom Durango when the news reached us, and though we could muster nearly 10,000 men with the four Biscaya * battalions not engaged in the blockade, the generals thought it more reasonable to return to Zornoza and to watch from a little village behind that town what the enemy’s intentions were. In the mean- time the republicans learned that we were moving on them just as we did of them, and the comical point was that they did exactly what we did—that is tosay, turned off the Bilbao-Vittoria road and marched to Vargara and thence on San Sebastian, leaving us to do what we pleas:d. In this way the two armies presented the curious spectacle of apparently marching on each other and turning their backs to each other a8 soon as it became evident that they must meet. The truth was, how- ever, that Sanchez Bregua, believing that we were going to take Biibao, wanted to attack us from the Tear or to get us at a disadvantage while we were engaged instreet fighting with the Bilbao troops and militia, but as soon as he learned that we were marching away (rom Bilbao, he thought it safer not to expose himself to a fight in the mountains. This BILBAO affair, of which a good deal had been already said, and still more is sure to be heard, requires a few woras of explanation. Bilbao, as it is well known, is not a fortified place, but is one of the richest ports of Spain, and although not very republican in its tendencies, is by no means as thoroughly Carlist as the rest of Biscaya. What the Carlists want it for is its money. Ali those merchants who are known to be opposed to Carlism would have to pay heavily, and ifthe town were taken it might also be made the seat ef some sort of central Car- list government. But as a port it 1s of no value te them, for a couple of cruisers could always prevent any War supplies reaching Bilbao, In this respect the Carlists rely much more on the daily decreasing severity of the French Custom House on the land frontier than on any seaport. Consequently the plan of Velasco is not to hurry with the capture of this city and not to lose any considerable amount of men in the operation. He simply blockades it. He bas already cut off its water supply so that the Bilbainos are compelled to drink from the river Nervion, the water of which is always strongly salted when the tide comes in and is muddy when it goes out, and bas stopped provisions entering the city from the country. He is sure the merchants will get tired of all this, and will find some way for surrendering the place; in fact, some overtures in that sense had already been made to the Carlist General, To take the city by an assault would involve a great loss of men, a desperate resistance om the part of the civil population and great difficulties in keeping the Place subsequently. Besides, the blockade is most efMicientiy carried out, with only six battalions of freshly recruited volunteers, and gives them a good opportunity for being drilled in actual ser- vice. It has also a strategic importance. It must ultimately divide the republican forces, There are at present . THREE DISTINCT CORPS OF CARLISTS in the northern provinces. The first, that of Don Carlos himself, with Elio, Dorregaray, and some 6,000 men; the second, that of Lissaraga, with about the same number operating in the Guipazcoa and the northern portion of the Navarra, and the third that of Velasco, with about 8,000 in Biscaya. Being already compelled either to divide their forces, to pursue the enemy or to aliow him to take unchallenged possession of the country, the Tepublicans have in the operations on Bilbao @nother troublesome business added ¢o that al- ready on hand. Upon this increase of Carlist forces in Biscaya and the recent landing of arms, Which brougnt the number of well armed Carlists to over 20,000 men (for to the thges’ corps @ number of fying bendy must de-added, ang some 2,000 men posted along the French frontier), and the entry of Don Carloe— General Sanches Bregua wrote to Madrid refusing to undertake any operations unless 10,000 more troops were sent to him, and ordered at once the evacuation of all the fortified places, of which until lately there was in various parts of the provinces @ much greater number than is generally supposed. At the present moment the Provinces of NAVARRE, ALAVA, BISCAYA AND GUIPOZCOA, are, with the exception of large towns like Pam- peluna, Vittoria, San Sebastian and Tolosa, in ful? possession of the Carlsts. Longer than any of the smaller places did the republicans keep Vergara, Euzondo and San Estevan, but the first of these places was captured the other day, after a stort fight, by Lissaraga, while the two others were entered by Dorregaray’s troops without @ shot, the enemy haying taken fight. As a m' Tr of course the fortafications uf such places’ dre de- troyed as soon as the Carlists enter them, and the population known to be favorable to republicans heavily taxed, The worst of this usnally falls upon the families of young fellows who have enlisted in the militia (micheletes) or in the voluntarios de la libertad, This evacuation of small forts isa very impor- tant point ior the Carlists; for besides making them full masters of the country and rendering the com- munications along the bigh roads so secure to them as to make the use of mountain passes almost un- necessary, it must prove in the long run to save them a great number of men and much ammuni- tion, For some of these forts are very strongly built, and were desperately defended by the militia and caused considerable losses to the Carhsts be- fore they were taken. For instance, on the eve of the day when the junction of Don Carlos with Dor- regaray was made at Salinas de Oro, the Carlist gencral was nearly the whole afternoon engaged in taking the hittie fort of Iberia, which had a gar- rigon of no more than 150 men, and which cost the Carlists all their artillery oMcers, shot down like larks, and a considerable number of infantry (among whom, by the way, the frst to fall was an Irish barriater, Mr. Taylor, who had just entered the Carlist ranks as a volunteer). But, considerable as is THE INCREASE OF THE CARLIST FORCES, and as are the advantages they have already gained, there isone point in which they remain rather worse than stationary, and that isin the organization of THEIR CAVALRY, Never in my life did I see, or even did I ever ex- pect to see, anything so abominably bad. In the first place the total number of horsemen they pos- sess (the staffoficers, of course, not Included) does Not exceed 300, and all of these are men to whose care no living animal should ever be entrusted. Their brutality is something incredible. After ten and twelve hours’ mountain marches they go on galloping about the country either in search of water for the horses, or still more often in search of some vegetables or poultry for themselves. The poor animals remain sometimes a whole day with- out any food at all, and heavy blows are the only reward they ever get from their masters, when they become somewhat troublesome either from hunger or from the perpetual attacks of the moscos, those merciless enemies of Spanish horses and males (a pecullar, big, fat Spanish fly), which render animal life inthe Pyrénées during the months of August and September perfectly un- bearable. All sorts of efforts seem to have been made to improve the cavalry, but they have turned out fruitless, The Navarra men do not seem more tit to take care of a horse and to mount it properly than they are capable of dispensing with stinking oll, garlic and garbanzos. The com- mander of this cavalry, Sefior Perula (a late law- yer, by the way), got during these jast six months over 1,000 horses, and has lost more than 700 of them. And it js certainly not on the battle fleld that he could have lost them, for his men charged only once during that time (at the battle of Eroul, and an excellent charge it was). The horseé were lost through sheer ill-treatment and want of food. This state of the cavalry causes great anxiety to the generals, as they know that beyond the Ebro little can be done without good horsemen, and their only hope, as yet, seems to be the prob- ability that some of. the republican cavalry regi- ments will pass over to the Carlists. Ineed not give here any detail of our return jour- ney trom Biscaya,since we had no fight,and marched quietly throngh Villareal de Alava, the Baranca and along the high roadof Pampeluna. Within sight of that city we turned a little to the north- east, took, yesterday, possession of the fort of Burguete (from which the garrison ran away, leav- ing 12,000 cartridges), and are now, as I tele- grephed you already, about to march towards the frontier of Aragon. The staffrumor is that Don Carlos, besides expecting to drive the main forces of the enemy before him, and thus to render the task of Velasco and Lissaraga more easy, intends trying whether Aragon cannot be made to rise, and thus the Carlists of Catalonia brought in direct communication with those of the Basque provinces, It 1s said, even, that we shall, perhaps, march to Catalonia. But I give all this for what it is—a staff rumor. Nothing is ever certainly known here, and sceptical people say that even Don Carlos himself does not alwsys know whither “lio will carry him. In my next I shall try to give you an idea of the staff of Don Carlos, the individuals who compose it and the leading spirits of the party. CRIME IN PHILADELPHIA, The Knife and Pistol en Sunday in the City of Brotherly Love. PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 7, 1873. A desperate conflict took place this aftermoon on board a canalboat, at Fairmount, between the cap- tain of the boat, Daniel Martz, and William Haines, a@negro. Martz, who shot Haines several times in the arm, was arrested and held in $800 bail. The negro, who is said to be an escaped convict from Pottsville, has been removed to the German Hos- pit It is said that he was imprisoned tor out- ing a white girl, and that since his escape, although engaged in several ‘less proceedings, he has carefuily evaded the vigilance of the police. A telegram was at once forwarded to Pottsville as.to whether Haines was needed there, to which was made the answer—“He is a fugitive; bring him here at once.” The region about Alaska street and St. Mary’s is getting to be Jully as dangerous as it was some time ago. Three fights took place there last night, very late, in which knives were drawn and pistols fired. An Irishman was caught by a gang of thieves, pinioned to a stone wall, and was then Seaten and robbed of all his valuables. Officer Howard, while making an arrest, was violently kicked in the groin and injured in other respects. A gentieman came to the Central Headquarters of the Police, this evening, and said that drunkenness, obscenity and riot had marked the day throughout, and at one time disorder ran 80 een that his wife, who was in a@ critical condition, became utterly prostrated. The Chief at once detailed a special force to the neighborhood, dressea in citi- zens’ clothes, and several important arrests have already been made. SUDDEN DEATH OF AN OLD LADY. Scranton, Pa., Sept. 6, 1873, The passengers on a street car plying between Scranton and Hyde Park were thrown into a state of consternation and excitement this forenoon, owing to the sudden death im the car of a strange old lady, dressed in black. She entered the car at Hyde Park evidently in good health, and evinced no symptoms of the swift death that was outrun- ning her in the race of life, until the car arrived at the foot of Franklin avenue, and the old lady took up her parcels and was about to leave, when sua- denly she uttered a feeble moan and fell back on the seat The conductor of the car raised her up in his arms, but, with the exception of a few spasmodic twitches of the lips, every sign of life had fled. Dr. Throop, of the City Hospital, was immediate), mt for, and ronounced life extinet. The remains were taken in charge by the Ohiei of Police, and removed to the City Hospital. A note for $800, together with some valuable Papers were found on the person of the deceased; also a letter bearing a Philadelphia postmark, an addressed to “Hannah Minnich, Bozartsvilie, Monroe county, which is supposed to have been the old lady’s name and address. The police are instituting inquiries, ybably be in commanication wit! he strange lady shortly. DEATH IN A LUMBER YARD, Yesterday morning, about nine o'clock, the body of an unknown man, about forty-five years of age, with sandy hair and side whiskers and dressed in black frock coat, tweed pi be pea vest, white shirt and low wut shoes, was fo dying, in Young's hated Wass" tae td Cota a8 roner Young noted, prin arg > and wiil the relatives of GRAIN AND THE GRANGERS. Figures of the Transportation of Crain. RAILWAYS VS. CANALS. Variance of Opinion on the Economy of the Two as Freight Ways. THE WEALTH OF THE WEST. How Farmers Contribute to the Needs of New York. TRANSATLANTIC TRANSPORTATION. Merchants, Shippers, Importers and Transporters on the New Far- mers’ Movement. ‘The effect of the great Granger movement on the mercantile and commercial interests of the coun- try 1s best analyzed by obtaining the views of lead- ing merchants on the aubdject. A class interested mainly in the prosperity of all parts of the country and, to some extent, indifferent to the political possibilities, is best informed upon the mercan- tile prospects of the movement, while in its politi- cal phase there may be the trickery and diplomacy which inevitably enter into all movements of a purely political character, Following out this idea, the reporters of the HkRALD have succeeded in obtaining the views, not only of well-posted mer- chants and statisticians, but also of the general freight agents of the great raliroad, canal and steamship lines, MERCHANTS ON 'CHANGE. At the Exchange in Whitehall street recently a reporter mingled with the representatives of the more than 2,000 merchants who form the New York Produce Exchange Association, and endeay- ored to ascertain the ideas of the leading men upon the absorbing topics of farmers’ combinations and transportation. Most of the attendants were intent on selling or buying, and seemed to have devoted small thought to these topics, appearing to take it for granted that, as New York has now the lion's share of the business of finding a market for the farm products of the Western producers, the same conditions will continue, and her wharves and storehouses will still be the great food depot of the Continent, while her market will re- main the regulator of the value of crops, and the gource from which the farmer or planter must draw his money in exchange for corn, wheat, cot- ton, wool, meats and other merchantable prod- ucts, They have the management of an immense trade in their hands, and probably many of them hardly trouble themselves about the source from which their staples come, the means or routes by which they are brought to their stores or the cost of their transportation. When addressed on the subjects which are agitating the farming class throughout wide sections of the country several Teplied that they had paid little attention to them, and were, if not ignorant, at least somewhat indif- ferent, thereupon. Others, of the more thoughtful, professed an interest in the matter, and were glad that the organs of public sentiment are in- structing their réaders upon the nature and ten- dency of movements which are likely to have seri- ous effects upon all branches of trade and indus- try. i Views of a Foreign Shipper. Among others, the representative of the HERALD ‘was introduced to a prominent shipper of grain for the British market. Thin gentleman affirmed that he had not studied the matter of transportation in all its details. He had looked at it only asa geographical problem, and in that view he consid- ered mainly the three water routes—by the lakes, the Canadian canals and the St. Lawrence, by the New York canals and by the Mississippi. For trans- portation of grain certainly the climatic conaitions are against New Orleans, and Canada has advan- tages over New York in cost by reason of the pos- sibility to carry large cargoes without change from the upper lakes into the St. Lawrence to the side of the Atlantic ship, or even, if preferred, to continue the voyage to Liverpool in the same ship which clears from Chicago. RerorTeR—Are not these advantages of the Ca- nadian grote overbalanced by its closing during winter Snirrer—Certainly that is a drawback, but thea the New York canals equally labor under that dim- culty. To overcome that we should have a large stock in store here at the close of canal navigation to meet the winter’s demands. In my opinion no railways can compete with waterways in transport of such heavy and cheap commodities a8 grain. Interest on the first cost of corn at filteen cents a bushel in Illinois would amount to very littie in computing the value of time in a comparison of cost of shipment by rail or boat. By rail it is necessary to handle the grain more times and it is subject to @ large wastage. REPORTER—DoO not the railroads make good the deficiency Suirrer—In some cases they do. As a rule! should say that on through shipments over long lines they do; but the New York Central would not be likely to, say from Buffalo hither. Much is filched or leaks from the cars; but when one of the chief oMcers ol a company guarantees the de- livery in full there 18 not likely to be any loss, RePortTER—Is not the corn brought here in bet- ter order by the cars than by boats ¢ SHipPER—AS to grain for consumption here that may be, but for ocean shipment it is better to se- lect grain which has arrived in good condition by boat. Ifit would not spoil in the canal voyage it will be safe to expect it to cross the ocean unin- jured; butifitis already heated one can see and reject it, My notion is that in the item of cost of Ro uision nO railroad can ever compete with stor carriage for such coarse articles. case of silks or laces would require to be moved rapidiy to avoid loss by accumulation of interest on the cost, but not 80 a cargo of wheat. When the Erie Canal locks are ali doubied and the bed completely enlarged the boats will bring 600 tons each, instead of 200 as at present, and the increase of carrying capacity will greatly reduce the cost of bringing the grain here. Views of a “Heavy Dealer.” Pursuing the inquiry into the interests and opinions of New York merehants relative to the Granger mevement and the transportation prob- lem, the reporter called upon Mr. B. P. Baker, of Pearl street and Old Slip, a heavy dealer in grains and cotton. This gentleman was fully alive to the importance of these subjects te the cemmercial community of this city. He had just left a meeting of merchants, preliminary to the mass meeting to be held at Cooper Union on the 10th inst., to dis- cuss the needs of New York for improved and cheaper freight communication with the great pro- ducing sections ef the Union. He expressed his conviction that, te enable New York to maintain her position as THE CHIEF MARKET OF THE CONTINENT, she has to take care that no other Atlantic port shall be able to offer cheaper ireight rates from the great interior grain centres. He fully endorses the proposition made editorially in the HERALD some Months ago (or a grand double track trunk freight railway to tonnect with the several lakes, the Mis- sissippl, Ohio, Missouri and the Gulf of Mexico, ex- tending as far west as Omaha at once, and eventu- ally to the Pacific, This road should be built sub- stantially, over the easiest lines, and be devoted exclusively to the ranning of freight trains, mov- ing at an uniform rate ot speed, therefore subject to no detentions, and would, from its conditions of construction and operation, be able to carry freight at A VERY GREAT REDUCTION from the present actual cost, which is much enhanced by the greater wear or fast trains and by the necessity for freight to wait and lose time in avoiding pas- senger cars moving on the same irens, Mr. baker said other cities can now offer lower rates than New York can. Boston, Baltimore and Philadel- phia have roads built by merchants who control them jor the interests of their cities, whereas the roads of New York are in the hands of capitalists who have no direct stake in the commercial pros- perity of this city. Canada has the advantage over us in that by the Welland Canal vessels can carry grain directly without breaking bulk from the wharves of Chicago or Milwaukee to the St. Law- rence, and make the transfer immediately into ships for the European market, avoiding all cost of intermediate handling. | THE PROPOSED MERTIN 0. In reference to the meeting to be held Mr. Bake: said it was proposed to open the eyes of New Yorkers % the conditions upon which wig city SS . tion, and to stir up action for facili tating: ‘eheapening our freight transit. It is not to be in any gort political, and ably, be addressed by genti men baat: ee cal views and advocating various is. Iti in- tended to bring ont iacts in the possession of a few thoughtiul men and press them upon the attention of those whom they most intimately concern, to show the necessity and the feasibility of vastly im- | roving Our commercia) facilities, 80 as to secure for the metropolis the permanent enjoyment of the trade which has been the foundation of her atness, A thousand leading mercantile firms in the several branches of trade are expected to subscribe to the call for the meeting, and arrange- ments are iu progress to secure effective speakers, Views of a Large Grain Shipper. The reporter called at No. 47 Exchange place, on | Mr. David Bingham, named as one of the largest purchasers of grain for shipment to Europe, He found a slighuy-built, pleasant-looking Enfiisn- man, apparently on the sunny side of forty, with a high, broad forehead, fringed by rather scanty dark hair, and having a pair of bright blue eyes, which look as though they could take im at one glance the grain fleids and markets of two con- tinents. As the press man sat by his desk his subordinates were, from time to time, bringing him messages, whose answers suggested thoughts ranging from San Francisco, Cal, and Dulath, on Lake Superior, to Odessa, on the Black Sea, in Southeastern Russia, near the confines of Asia, He seemed as familiar with the various grains, their methoas and places of production, their qualities and values in Europe and America, and the routes and means by which they reach the several market centres as a Third avenue car conductor is with the streets he crosses between the City Hall and Harlem bridge. With a smile and a courtesy which marks him as one who makes friends at once with all he meets he readily acceded to the request to give the public his notions of the conditions and needs of transportation as affecting the commerce or New York and the agriculture of our Northern Central States, Being asked if there was a present deficiency of vessels to take European freights he replied im the negative. A few days ago there was a large quanuty of grain waiting shipment, which sent freights up. In consequence ships have flocked hither, and rates have fallen off again from twopence to two and a farthing per bushel, with abundance of room offering. RePORTER—Would it have any effect in reducing prices of ocean freights if our citizens were allowed to purchase and Americanize ships built in other countries ? Mr. BiNGHAM—None that I can see. It would merely change the flag, but make no difference in rates, which would still, a8 now, be controlied by the relative abundance or scarcity of vessels un freights and the demand for the grain abroad, REPORTER—To what ports are your shipments now mainly consigned ? Mr. BINGHAM—To Liverpool, to France, Holland, Belgium and Germany—all the western coas’ of Europe. The grain from the Russian Baltic ports, instead of com: nf as it usually does, to the Brit- ish islands and Western Europe, ts now stopped in the Mediterranean to make up for the short crop of France, leaving to America to fill the mere north- ern and western demand, WHAT DOMINATES THE MARKET, RxEPORTER—Does the price of grain in the foreign market control its value here ? Mr. BingHaM—Certainly; though not more than one-third of the American wheat crop 1s shipped abroad, and a far less proportion of our corn; yet the foreign value of that surplus makes the price in New York, in Chicago and at the farmer's door. its value to him 1s what it will bring in Liverpool after deducting all charges and expenses of trans- portation. Every cent added to the cost ol trans- oe decreases by so much the return the farmer gets for his labor. PRESENT COST UF TRANSPORTATION, REPORTER—Can you give me the present cost of bringing grain from the West here? Mr. BINGHAM—Of course the cost before reach- ing Chicago or Milwaukee varies according to the distance. From these porta the rates are about equal. Say to-day we pay on wheat—lake freigh to Butalo, 15 cents; charges at Chicago, 335 charges at Buffalo, 1%, and canal freight, 12};— making 82% cents. Corn is brougnt for one cent less. The present value of wheat in Chicago is $115, and corn 40 cents, 80 it costs more than three-fourths of the value of corn at Chicago to send it here and about one-fi(th of the value of wheat. By rail we pay some three cents per bushel more. It moves.more quickly, but still is lable to vexatious delays, and the lots gre likely to be divided. We never get a satisfac- tory delivery of grain freight by railroad. We can never make our Caiculations on it. By the canal, on the contrary, we are apprised of its starting at Buffalo, we hear frem it again at Montezuma, and once more at Fultonville, and can kuow to the hour when it will reach here. This moment a having arrived, Inan hour I can have it discharg- ing alongside the steamer for Liverpool. Its car would load a train of twenty railroad cars, Per- haps hallor a third of them would come right through, while to surmount some heavy grade the tram would be broken up and the ears would come along by driblets giving us any amount of annoy- ance. et VALUE OF THE CANAL. Besides the usefulness of the canal asthe most economical means of freight transit trom the lakes hither, it also acts as a regulator of the transit price. ' While it 18 open the railroads, to get freight, Taust ree down their rates. During that time the bulk of the grain is brought forward. As soon as the canal closes the ro: put up freight prices— sometimes to nearly double the canal rates, These increased rates are generally higher than such poe y heavy and buiky commodities as grain can stand; soit accumulates at the lake ports during the winter, while the shippers draw from the stocks in store at the Brooklyn warehouses. Through the frozen months the railroads bring mostly other kinds of freight, and the grain wuits for the opening of lake and canal navigation. so, in effect, though the canal freezes up in winter, it practically brings most uf the grain. WHERE THE FARMERS ARE WRONGED. Mr. BINGHAM believed the grievance the Western roducers mostly complain of is in the work of the local roads, by which their cereal and other market- able products are carried to Chicago, Milwaukee, Toledo or other interior trade centres. Over these routes there is no canal rivairy to keep the price of treights down, The railroads combine and regu- late their charges by their cupidity and the neces- sities of the producers. If it were not ior the com- pda for freights afforded by the Erie Canal the jew York State roads could charge all the year round the heavy rates they now do in winter. LOWER FREIGHTS TO OTHER PORTS. ReporTeR—Are there other seaports which offer cheaper freights than New York to the farmers, who, it seems, are the people that bear the burden? Mr, BINGHAM—New Orleans might, but to carry Northern wheat or corn tmto the hot climate or the Gulf and subject it to the delays incident to that voyage would be sure to spoilit. Only a New Orleans man would ever think of running such a risk. So the Mississippi does not enter into the calculation as a grain shipping route. Philadel- phia and Baltimore make spasmodic efforts to se- cure thjs trade, but they are out of the way places and do not seem at all likely to meet witn any real and permanent success in the attempt. ‘To boston freights are five ceuts a bushel more than to New York; but on grain for export they give a rebate of three cents. ‘That leaves it two cents more, ‘To offset this it is always easy there to get ocean freight at @ considerable margin off New York rates, ealaaiatarehall is the rebate allowed ? Mr. BrnceamM—Boston merchants own the Massa- chusetis Railroad line, and they offer this induce- ment to draw the trade away from New York. REPORTER—HoW can ocean freight be had cheaper, then? Mr. BincHaM—Because ships in Boston harbor escape many heavy exactions which meet them here at every moment after they sight Sandy Hook, and because at Boston there is never such a quantity of grain waiting shipment as here. THE CANADIAN ROUTE. Our really formidable rival is the Montreal route. Upper lake vessels can go direct to a steamer’s side there at a very decided saving of freight and charges. It is m reference to this competition that we need further improvement of the Erie Canal apd the adaptation oi steam as a propelling power, which, [have no doubt, Yankee ingenuity will yet effect. There isa fine class of British ships em- ployed in the st. Lawrence trade. They bring out to Canada mixed cargoes of merchandise, and from Montreal can afford to contract as low as from tis rt. PolsronrER—But they are embargoed by ice during a long winter? Mr. BrnoHaM—irue, but the Grand Trunk Rail- road serves them then to carry what may be ar- rested at Montreal to Portland, which has thus some winter trade, though at other seasons no | grain goes there for shipment, BREAKING BULK AT BUFFALO, | Rerorter—Is it not a heavy addition to the farmers’ bill of expenses that the grain must be transshipped at Butfalo ? Mr. BINGHAM—On the contrary it is to his ad- vantage; the largest class of lake vessels bring wheat from Chicago or Milwaukee to Buffalo; in such large bulk a longer voyage would be likely to injure it; there, at a cost of one and a quarter cents per bushel, it receives the benefit of ventila- tion in its transfer to canal boats, and thus the danger of heating ts avoided. SOURCES OF GRAIN SUPPLY, RerorteR—From what parts of the Union do you draw grain for shipment to Europe? Mr. BiINchamM—We prefer the spring wheat of Minnesota and Wisconsin, in fact, the winter grain of Ohio, Illinois, indiana, Maryland and Vir- ginia, which bears a nigher price here, does not go abroad at all. We eat here our best wheat, wie the British millers prefer to mix the red ‘North. western wheat with the white from San Francisco, whereby they make a very superior flour, THE GREAT FREIGHT ROAD. REPORTER—Do you think we need further facili- ties jor carrying Ireight than we now possess? Mr. BINGHAM—We certainly require the full and rompt enlargement of the Erie Canal to its con- mpiated capacity, whieh would admit a much larger Class of boats, and we also want a through road exclusively for freight, without heavy grades, and on which Treight trains would suffer no delays. When we have this of course the foad would pro- vide capacious warehouses, in which it could dis- Charge cat? as tan aa Wey arrive, Such as could afford to carry freight at much lower rates than when treight and passenger trains use the same tracks. e Central has now such separate tracks, and consequently the Erie and the ?enn- syivania Central must.have them. We have need to make the most of all the means within our reach to hold possession of the great grain trade of this Continent. Already there is a iarge diversion to Montreal, but if New York shows proper enter- prise she can ae!y competition irom all quarters, Views of the Freight Agent of the Cunard Line. Mr. Allen, general transportation agent of the Cunard line of steamers between New York and Liverpool, on being questioned as to the effect the Granger movement has had or might have om freight across the Atlantic, said that so far it had not affected at all. “We have our bottoms full,” he said, “and always have at this time ot year. The great in- land railway lines supply us, of course, in great | measure with -produce, grain and provisions for the Eastern market, and if some great convulsion were to stop them from carrying we might be driven to Carrying ballast. But no such effect has yet been visible from this movement.” “Tg such an effect likely in the far future?” ‘No. The effect of lowering the freight tariff om railways would do us good rather than harm, or, if the railways were increased, as seems to be one of the propositions, we would rather be gainers by it. The roads are GREAT AVENUES TO NEW YORK to convey cargues to us, and the more we have of them the better.’’ “It is said the steamers all have now more than be Ay carry??? “Undoubtedly the lines are doing well in the way of freight, but | think Mr, Edson is wrong in saying that freights are all taken up to December. He ne meac sailing freights aud may be right so tar as that goes, but our Ireights are not all taken for that time, nor do | believe that the treights of any of the steam lines are engaged so far ahead.” “The steam tonnage 18 much greater than the ig tonnage, isit not 7” ‘Not to Europe; butit must be remembered that 1,000 of steam tonnage is equivalent to three times 1,000 of sailing tonnage, because it can make three trips to a sailing Vvessel’s one.”” “Still there is a complaint of LACK OF sips?!’ “Yes; but it ought to be rather a complaint of increase of business, for we have more shipping than we ever had. The trouble is we have so much more carrying business than ever. An in~ crease of railroads and an increase of steamers would probably not hurt any of us.’ Views of the Williams & Guion Freight Agent. Mr. Underhill is freight agent of the Williams & Guion line, and was found at his offico in Walk street. He expressed his views on the subject very readily. “Water will seek its level,” said he, ‘and the produce of the country will seck a market in New York city. If there are not railroads enough there are plenty of moneyed men willing to build them, and if ships are lacking they can be had for money.” “It is stated taat ships are greatly lacking.’’ “It is merely @ matter of prices. It they wilt pay the same rates they pay in San Francisco they cap have them. Ofcourse the immutable law of SUPPLY AND DEMAND alone settles these questions. A few years ago New York had 1,500 ton packets satling from: this port every week flying the American flag. She has none now and imagines that she has no ships. The bottoms are here, but the flag is ditfer- ent, that is all, Of course the carrying power is the same. It is truc the crew are foreign and are paid oif at their homes and spend their money there, and when you count up the number of sea- men in port this would make a master of some consideration; but the underlying and main cause of the outcry for more ships is : PRIDE IN THR FLAG, which certainly is very scantily represented in the THE CONVEYING TRADE | mercantile service.” “Will the Granger movement have any effect upon our tonnager’? “it may. Prices on railroads may be reduced go low that the grain may flow in in even grea! quuntitics than now. There is always @ great de- Mand for it onthe Continent. More ships may then become such a general, undeniable necessity that Congress may be compelled to MODIFY THE SHIPPING LAWS. Certainly the great steamship lines would not op= pose that. They would build to suit the demand or private parties would. In this respect 1 can see that the armera’ movement may have ramifica- tions greater than the originators expected. ‘They built better than they knew.” Three Oficers Die Within the Past Three Days. There have been three deaths among the Brooke lyn police within the past three days, a most re- markable and unusual occurrence in that Depart- ment. Patrolman William Kindred, of the Ninth sub-precinct, died on Friday last of scarlet, fever, and was buried yesterday afternoon. The remains were followed to the grave by a detachment of his fellow oMcers. Deceased, who was quite a young man, was married and leaves @ wile and two chil- dren, He was appointed on the police March 3, 1873, and has been regarded by his Captain as an energetic and efficient officer. Detective Charles Videto died from the effects of a combination of diseases on Saturday night last, at the residence of his family, No. 97 Cleremont avenue. He leaves a wife and two children. Videto was appointed on the police of Williamsburgh, No-, vember 16, 1854, and remained in that department until 1857, when he was appointed a detective, under the Metropolitan Law, and entered upon his duties ag such at the Brooklyn headquarters, He has been engaged on some 0: the leading criminal cases that have been worked up in that city during the past fourteen years. Superintendent Foll aeclares him to have been ‘a frst class officer and a very intelligent man." He was last engaged on the Goodrich murder case and fretted a great deal because of the ill-success of their efforts and the severe criticisms to which they were subjected by the pre: Deceased, who was forty-two years of BEe, was @ native of New Jersey. The tuneral will take place on Wednesda; next, The colors will be hvisted “half-mast hign’? on headquarters and the station houses to-day. Officer John Fox died of consumption yesterday morning. He was about thirty-five years of age and leaves a family. Fox, who was regarded as one ofthe bravest and most tuithful men vn the force, was appointed patrolman January 9, 1857, aud for several years performed duty in the Second precinct. In 1889 he was assigned to duty as Court officer in Police Justice Walsh's Court, to which position he was attached up to the time of his death. Deceased was a member of the Police Mu- tual Benefit Fund. The funerai will take place to- day. THE OHEAP TRANSPORTATION MASS MEET. ING. A mass meeting of merchants and others ine terested in the subject of cheap transportation is announced to be held at Cooper Institute on Wednesday evening next. Mayor Havemeyer will preside, and the subject will be discussed by emi. nent speakers, It is expected that the United States Senate Committee on Transportation Routes will be present, as well as the fey Committees of the State Senate and Assembly. More than 500 mercantile houses in New York have signed the call tor the meeting, and it is probable that there will grow out of this meeting an association which will materially aid in solving the great question of transportation with which the interests of our city, our State and our nation are so closely identified. THE NEW YORK SAENGERFEST, The delegates of the fifteen singing societies composing the New York Saengerbund were in ses- sion yesterday morning at the Germania Assembly Rooms, Nos. 291 ana 293 Bowery, Mr. William Keyl, the President of the Bund, in the chair. The meet- ing wascalled to complete the arrangements for the grand Saenger festival, which will take Place next summer, in honor of the twenty- iifth anniversary of the Bund. The festival is to iast three days. On the first day the singers from abroad will be duly received, the next day & grand concert and prize-singing will take place; the third day is reserved for a grand procession and open-air festival. An executive committee was appointed and instructed to nominate sub- committees till the next meeting. ‘The officers of the Bund were authorized to write a letter to Franz Apt, the celebrated ceinposer, requesting him to compose a festival hymn for the occasion. Mr. Abt is an honorary member of tie Bund, THE CASE OF THE DEFAULTER BROADWELL, IN NEWARK. ‘As recorded in yesterday’s Hexatp Mayor Ricord, of Newark, appeared on Saturday night before Police Justice Mills and made affidavit against Join A, Broadwell, the defaulting Receiver of Taxes, charging him with appropriating the junds of the city to his own private uses, and pray- arrest. The Justice seemed to take thi p+ fileA ‘one of the Mayor's richest jokes. hi declined to allow the HsRALv representative to copy the afidavit, and failed to issue the warrant as prayed for by the Mayor, Yester- day, however, Broadwell heard of the affidavit, and appeared before Mills of his own accord and gave bonds for bis appearance. AS no process waa issued it is hard to understand what he gave bonds for, Who his bondsman or bondsmen is or are i not known, The action of the Justice in the mat ter ls considered Very strange, vo any the leant 4 cera eaeplpaeen pd inet nef nm